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    When
    When
    When
    Audiobook9 hours

    When

    Written by Victoria Laurie

    Narrated by Whitney Dykhouse

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Pretty Little Liars meets Medium in this fast-paced thriller and fantastic YA debut from a New York Times bestselling author.

    Maddie Fynn is a shy high school junior, cursed with an eerie intuitive ability: she sees a series of unique digits hovering above the foreheads of each person she encounters. Her earliest memories are marked by these numbers, but it takes her father’s premature death for Maddie and her family to realize that these mysterious digits are actually death dates, and just like birthdays, everyone has one.

    Forced by her alcoholic mother to use her ability to make extra money, Maddie identifies the quickly approaching death date of one client's young son, but because her ability only allows her to see the when and not the how, she’s unable to offer any more insight. When the boy goes missing on that exact date, law enforcement turns to Maddie.

    Soon, Maddie is entangled in a homicide investigation, and more young people disappear and are later found murdered. A suspect for the investigation, a target for the murderer, and attracting the attentions of a mysterious young admirer who may be connected to it all, Maddie's whole existence is about to be turned upside down. Can she right things before it's too late?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateJan 13, 2015
    ISBN9781491537220
    When
    Author

    Victoria Laurie

    Victoria Laurie is a New York Times bestselling adult mystery author and a former professional psychic intuitive. Both careers have served her beautifully in crafting her young adult debut, When. She lives and writes in Michigan.

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    Reviews for When

    4.5/5

    185 ratings27 reviews

    What our readers think

    Readers find this title to be a decent book with good parts. The unique story and great character development are appreciated. The murder mystery and the concept of seeing death dates are intriguing. However, some characters are irritating and the plot is driven by incomprehensible idiocy at times. Despite these flaws, the book still manages to hold the reader's interest and has its enjoyable moments.

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Great read. Loved all the plot twists. Highly recommended. .
    • 5/5
      One of the best books I’ve listened to. Amazingly written performed this is definitely a must read or a must listen to.
    • 2/5
      Couldn't stay with it. Get away from your alcoholic mom and go live with your uncle already! I can't say that I know how it ends but the story so far is pretty predictable. It might be compelling for very young readers but for an older YA fan it didn't work for me.
    • 2/5
      The overall idea - seeing death dates and murder mystery - was good, and I enjoyed the first third of the book. But most of the plot was driven by incomprehensible idiocy that didn’t fit and if the characters, and I lost interest in most of the characters. I skipped chunks of the book without losing the plot or understanding the characters; those parts could’ve been dropped or used to develop the characters and their relationships.

      Overall it’s a decent book that has good parts, but plot-driven idiocy is just bad writing.
    • 5/5
      I have always liked the books I have read by Victoria Laurie. This one was very unique and still great!
    • 5/5
      I loved the story tho I hated some characters easily but it turned out to have a great character development which I appreciate. ❤️
    • 5/5
      how could she read people dit becuase i wander when it will be dit
    • 3/5
      Good story line...... but the characters really know how to irritate me and piss me off...
    • 4/5
      In the book, When, Maddie has an amazing gift; she is able to see the date that people will die on their foreheads. Maddie's mother, who is an alcoholic, has her do readings for money. When a mother comes asking Maddie about her child that is suffering from leukemia, Maddie sees that she will live a long life, but her healthy brother will die in a week. When the brother is murdered on the day predicted, the FBI starts looking at Maddie as a possible serial killer. From then on, more and more clues point toward Maddie and her best friend, Stubby. In order to prove their innocence, Maddie and her uncle try to figure out who the actual killer might be.

      This is a very suspenseful story with lots of drama and action that keep the pages turning quickly. A very interesting read.
    • 5/5
      This was a great book because it kept me guessing as to who was the bad guy. It truly surprised me. Not going to say more. It was quite the ride. If you like to live through a character and experience life as a teenager, this one does it just like a kid would, successes, mistakes, highs and lows. It even has a goofy best friend.
    • 5/5
      Book source ~ NetGalleyMaddie Flynn is 16, a Jr in high school, and shy. She has a best friend named Stubby and that’s it. Her mom is an alcoholic and her uncle is a lawyer, but lives a couple of hours away. Ever since her dad died, she’s been taking care of herself and her mom. But there’s one thing I didn’t tell you about Maddie. She can see the date a person dies by looking at their forehead. That’s where the numbers are and when she was little she had no idea that’s what they were or that she was the only person who could see them. Her dad’s death was the catalyst for knowing what the numbers were. Because the date he died matched the numbers she saw. She and her mom earn some extra money to help support themselves by reading people their numbers. Or someone in the family since Maddie can see the numbers in photos and video as well. She sees them all unless they’re too far away or have something covering their forehead. But it’s these readings that land her in trouble with law enforcement when kids loosely connected to her are kidnapped then brutally murdered. How is she going to prove her innocence now?Wow. I thought the blurb was interesting, but I had no idea how compelling this story would turn out to be. I couldn’t put it down. Poor Maddie. Her life has been hard, but it’s about to get a whole lot harder. The kidnappings, the murders, the investigation are a shitton to deal with, but there’s also her alcoholic mom on top of that. And on top of THAT are the bullies at school. So much crap coming at her on all sides, but she handles it fairly well. Sort of. I mean, she’s still only 16 so it’s okay that she loses it a few times. I think anyone would, really. Or just go on a shooting spree. She does not do that, btw.The characters, the world, the pacing, and Maddie’s voice make this a sweet spot story. Add in a murderer that’s hard to pin down and you get a fantastic paranormal mystery. I was sad, mad, and enraged throughout the book. The one thing I was not? Bored. If you like YA Paranormal Murder Mysteries with tons of heart then do not pass this one up.
    • 5/5
      My 7th graders recommended I read this book and I am so glad they did! Such an interesting and scary concept to see each and every persons’ death date ominously over their head. Maddie’s character tries to use her knowledge to help others, but ends up a suspect in recent crimes. Her family dynamics require strength and resilience even as chaos ensues. Excellent YA novel!
    • 4/5
      A page-turner about Maddie, a high school student who can see a person or their picture and see his or her date of death. Her mother uses this talent to make ends meet and to buy more vodka. When a wealthy boy goes missing and is found murdered, soon Maddy and her best friend Stubby find themselves in the FBI crosshairs.
    • 3/5
      Maddie Fynn is a teenager with a very uncomfortable talent: She can see the death dates of everyone she meets, or sees a picture of, imprinted clearly on their foreheads. As a young child, she had no idea what the numbers meant. Her police officer father's death in a shootout with drug dealers, when she's six years old, is a painful revelation.

      It's also the beginning of her mother's drinking. Her mother's drinking leads to her insisting Maddie read death dates for paying clients, to supplement a shrunken income that can't support both their normal expense's and Mrs. Fynn's drinking. It's not a great life, but not terrible, until children whose death dates she's read start to be murdered, and the FBI decides she looks like a prime suspect.

      Leaving out the parts about seeing people's death dates and being suspected of being a serial killer, a lot of Maddie's high school life feels very, very familiar to me. I was the book-smart, shy kid who didn't have a lot of friends. She does, thinks, and feels things that seem very normal to me, which is not always the case with stories focused on high school kids.

      She's more grown up than she might be, with a more normal home life, because the difficulties force her to be. At the same time, it's clear there's a lot of love between her and her mother, despite the problems. The character development is good, and the pacing works for me, too. I enjoyed listening to the book.

      On the other hand, it's set chiefly in 2014, published in 2014, and in terms of ethnic and cultural diversity, it might as well be set in the 1950s.

      Still, an enjoyable book, and worth a listen.

      I bought this audiobook.
    • 4/5
      This is a nice story. The idea is intriguing, and the mystery is engaging and has enough twists to keep one reading. it almost ends too nicely, but who doesn't. like a happy ending.
    • 4/5
      Another so-so Lone Star 2016 pick, WHEN explores the ramifications of Maddie's somewhat psychic ability to see when people are going to die. While the plot moves along nicely, I felt like some of the devices were trying too hard to wrap up neatly. The ending, especially, ties up rather nicely, even though the entire book is about messy situations: psychic abilities, an alcoholic mother, bullies, and regular teenage angst.
    • 3/5
      When was overall okay, but it’s not a book I would recommend to anyone.Maddie is a sixteen year old girl who can see the day that everyone is going to die as a black number floating above their forehead. Her alcoholic mother makes a bit of money on the side by having Maddie give “readings” for people and telling them when their relatives will pass away. When Maddie predicts the death of a young boy who turns up murdered, she becomes the central suspect in a police investigation.On the plus side, this book was very low on romance! While it does contain the mandatory hot guy, he has hardly any presence in the book. This is a breath of fresh air for the YA genre!Somewhat relatedly, it was nice that Maddie had a male best friend and that the book never went into the “of course there’s romantic tension, men and women can never be just friends!” territory. Normally “male best friend” is code for “love interest in waiting,” but When thankfully decided to focus on the friendship.Maddie was a very typical sixteen year old girl – meaning she didn’t actually do much. She deals with the stress of being under a police investigation and her mother’s alcoholism, but she doesn’t play much of a role in the investigation of who actually killed the boy. In short, she’s no Nancy Drew. This is realistic but not very interesting.I also had reasons to question her decisions, which often involved holding back information from her attorney uncle or the authorities. A lot of the time Maddie didn’t seem to have a good reason for it, and this felt like the plot required her to be stupid.The writing style is simple and direct. It isn’t beautiful, but it’s functional. I have no qualms in that area.When‘s biggest flaw is that it’s forgettable. There’s nothing about this book that will stick in my memory, besides perhaps the initial idea of knowing the day people die. In a month’s time, I will likely be unable to recall I read it.I don’t feel this book is worth recommending.Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
    • 3/5
      “…I’m not psychic. I see dates. That’s all. I don’t have visions, and I can’t predict the future, and I don’t see dead people. All I see is a date, and that’s what I tell people. I tell them the day they’re going to die.”Maddie is overall a likeable character. She’s burdened with a curse of seeing the death dates of anyone who is close enough for her to read their numbers. The author keeps Maddie true to her age (16), which deserves a big star on its own for this genre. She’s not super-girl, taking everything in with a stoic attitude, but instead she fears and acts appropriately to situations without coming over as whiney.Stubby is Maddie’s best friend; a nerdy skateboarder. His character is overshadowed by the plot, which isn’t bad, but I would have liked to have his personality pop out more. His character takes on a drastic bout of change at the end of the book which really progressed too quickly. I think if Stubby had more presence in the book his character would have smoothed out better.Okay, on to the plot of the story! Now, the major reason for the lack of stars is not because of a bad plot or bad characters. The story has a great plot with a good balance of mystery and paranormal elements. BUT it loses out on technicalities. For one, the death of one boy calls in the FBI. I did like the agent Faraday, but unless the boy’s family was high on the pecking order it doesn’t seem believable that FBI agents would be sent in.Also, even though I do overall like Maddie’s character, she is such an idiot when it comes to a guy who she thinks is stalking her. Tell her mom? Nope. Her uncle? Nah. The FBI agents? No. Ignore the stalker even though there’s a murderer on the lose targeting kids her age? Bingo! The author clearly wanted Maddie’s character as closed off as she could be, but working her character this way just made her into an idiot.On to the mother. Maddie’s mother is an alcoholic that checked out after Maddie’s father died. I can’t really say anything about it though. It’s become a custom for YA books to have orphan main characters just so parents won’t get in the way of the story, but for once I would like to see a normal-ish parent/child relationship.Overall, When is an entertaining mystery with a splash of paranormal and can keep you reading to the end, but may make you pull out a few hairs along the way.
    • 5/5
      "Wow" is the best thing I can say about this book. I stayed up way too late reading it because I just couldn't put it down! I HAD to find out what happened. And the characters were so real, I found myself crying for Maddie. Five stars, all the way.
    • 4/5
      I'm pretty impressed with this book as a whole. Maddie is a girl with an ability to see death dates, but the paranormal aspect of the book ends there. Victoria Laurie made the perfect recipe with this book. She used a pinch of supernatural ability, threw it into a realistic world and then stirred in a mystery. Her book came out as a captivating page turner with an unexpected ending.Let me talk about that for a second. I read in a couple reviews that the ending wasn't expected. So I spent the entire book trying to guess the murderer. I accused everyone in my head! But I humbly say that I could not solve the mystery until maybe 10 pages before it was revealed. I'm pretty disappointed in my skills as a super-sleuth, but very impressed with Victoria Laurie.The only reason that this is getting four stars instead of five is because there were a few points in the story where it lagged a little. For most of the story I didn't want to put the book down, but there were times where I wanted it to move a little faster.
    • 3/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick and Dirty: An intriguing enough premise, though I wish the novel had delivered more in the mystery aspect and in explaining Maddie’s strange power.Opening Sentence: I don’t remember when I first started seeing the numbers.The Review:Maddie has a gift — though, it’s more a curse, being able to see the day everyone will die. As far as Maddie knows, deathdates can’t be changed, and she learned with her father’s death just how accurate they could be. Her mother is a raging alcoholic, and most income comes from her readings; often, her telling people their deathdates makes her enemies. Then, the unthinkable happens, and one that Maddie predicted the death of is discovered brutally murdered. Who is the prime suspect? Maddie. She’ll have to survive in a place where no one believes her, deceit follows her every move, and her only friend is serving jail time because of what she predicated. Can she find the real murderer and clear her name?I saw quite a few bad reviews of When on Goodreads, which made me hesitant to dive in. All the same, the synopsis intrigued me, and I decided to give it a try. Though I do have a few complaints, I’m happy I did. I enjoyed it and it was an easy book for me to get into, with Maddie’s simple, relatable voice. One thing I wish that the book had was an explanation about her ability. It never explains it, or gives a clue to how it developed. In the end, she even develops new abilities, but it’s never explained what the trigger is or the reason for when her powers change. This somewhat lessened my enjoyment because I had been looking forward to discovering the reason for her seeing deathdates.Aiden was Maddie’s love interest, but their romance wasn’t a huge focus in the plotline. I was extremely annoyed with it, to tell you the truth. Her relationship was like love at first sight and insta-love rolled into one: every reviewer’s worst nightmare. She’s been crushing on him for years without talking to him once. That’s borderline creepy, more of an obsession or an infatuation. The first time they talk, immediate interest is shown. Like, the first time he looks at her, he smiles. Also, I didn’t like the way that Maddie interacted with him at times, getting all tongue tied. Sure, she’s aloud to be nervous, but I felt the chemistry was somewhat dampened by her stammers and awkward answers. In a relationship, there should be a degree of comfort when two people are together; it should feel natural.There was a mystery aspect to the story. Who has been actually killing the kids? Maddie’s the FBI’s prime suspect, but since it’s from her point of view and she’s a reliable narrator, we know that it wasn’t her. Who does that leave? Quite a few main characters are explored, but the person who it actually was ended up not being one of those. We only got an info-dump (not a huge one, but a dump all the same) about his motivations. I wish that there had been more of a focus on finding the actual killer, rather than Maddie trying to clear her name and working up the courage to talk to Aiden. There is also a huge spotlight on how deathdates cannot change, until the action happens and suddenly they’re pretty flexible.Altogether, I found When to be an enjoyable read that exceeded previous expectations. There were definitely areas in which it fell short — the romance, the mystery aspect, but there were also things I enjoyed. Some of the plot was pretty clever, and there was some action. It invoked some vivid feelings and I connected to the main character. Going back to problems I had with the book, it ended on a note that wrapped the story up, so it’s a standalone. But I feel like a sequel would help to explain that many questions I have. Why does Maddie have this power? How does she? How does it work? Can she do more? Anyway, that isn’t likely to happen, but it would be nice. I think that people who aren’t good at detecting plot holes will likely enjoy this. It’s a nice entry book for readers just entering the world of young adult.Notable Scene:“You gonna say hi to Aiden this year?” he asked me slyly. “Or are you gonna sit there and pretend you’re not seriously crushing on him?”I pushed him on the shoulder. “Don’t push me. I’m working up to it.”FTC Advisory: Disney Hyperion provided me with a copy of When. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
    • 3/5
      I received this free eARC in exchange for my honest review. I have to admit, I was about to stop reading this book about 50% through. The beginning is TERRIBLE!! But once I got to my destination of calling it quits, things started getting better and better. Before I knew it, I finished the novel and was very impressed with how it ended. But that beginning though... So many things happened that I just couldn't get around. Like the mother for instance. I know she has a disease but Maddie just thinks it will go away. It won't! Get her help! And instead she ignores every one elses help and tries to fix everything herself. Then her best friend, Stubs. Yeah, you think a cheerleader is hot. So does every other male in the vicinity. Doesn't mean you need to salivate and stalk her like he did. But what happened to him was pretty sad and uncalled for, I think, so I kinda forgave him for his weirdness at the beginning of the novel. I'm glad Maddie got a spine and actually started fighting for her innocence with the FBI. It was a simple thing to do but her uncle was against it. He's not there all the time, start defending yourself!Like I said, if you can get past the halfway mark of the novel, it really gets a whole hell of a lot better and you will actually appreciate the novel as a whole. Then again I could have just started the book halfway though and saved myself the agony of reading the first part. I also liked how it wrapped up the side story of Aiden, the boy Maddie couldn't talk to. Which I found frustrating, but whatever, I liked how that ended. Overall it was a good novel. I think when the story starts getting into the mystery "who-done-it" the reading gets faster because the reader wants to know the outcome of the story.
    • 5/5
      Maddie was born with a supernatural power, she can see the death date of any individual written across their forehead. When she tries to warn a lady that her son is about to pass away, she finds herself entangled in an FBI investigation. Once word gets out, she is ostracized and bullied at school. Her best and only friend is arrested for the murder, and she is determined to prove his innocence.This was a well written and engaging book. It was really fascinating, I had a hard time putting it down. I believe teenagers, both male and female, will be intrigued by the story. Overall, highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      Victoria Laurie has hit it way out of the park with her debut young adult novel When. The story is filled with twists and turns and captivates you into the book the minute you read the first sentence. Maddie is a high school junior who has a special gift (or is it a curse?) where she can see every person’s death date above their foreheads. While trying to help others, Maddie gets caught up in a web of mystery involving a homicide investigation. Victoria writes an excellent account of what could happen when things don’t always appear to be what they really are. Well done Victoria – another smashing hit!!! Also, it’s such a great read Warner brothers has optioned When for a possible series. Definitely a novel worth reading.
    • 5/5
      This book was FABULOUS! Victoria Laurie really pulls you into the action and writes characters that are believable. I cared about what happened to the main characters and rode the emotional roller coaster with each shocking action. Ms. Laurie makes you feel what the characters feel. I caught myself getting angry when people were being accusing or mean. At times I laughed out loud, even in public! My attention was caught from the very beginning and I couldn't wait to get back to the story (that is, when I HAD to put it down). If left to my own devices I would have read it straight through in one sitting. I plan to purchase copies for my nieces once the book is released! Thank you Ms. Laurie, for writing another action packed, emotionally exciting book! I will recommend this book to everyone!
    • 4/5
      When is a page turner! Don’t miss it. The release date is January 15, 2015.Maddie can see the dates people are going to die on their foreheads—even if it’s merely a picture of the person. When Mrs. Tibbolt arrives and wants a “reading,” Maddie tells her that Mrs. Tibbolt’s daughter will die in 2089. Mrs. Tibbolt is relieved because her daughter has leukemia, and she doesn’t want her to go through painful trial drugs if it won’t do any good. Maddie notices another child in the photo and asks if he is sick. Mrs. Tibbolt replies,” No, honey. He’s perfectly well.” Maddie has to tell her that he will die next week. Needless to say, Mrs. Tibbolt is angry and calls her a fraud. Maddie and her best friend, Stubby, try to tell her that Maddie isn’t a fraud, but she won’t listen. A little over a week later, the boy disappears. The FBI now believes that Maddie and Stubby are to blame and proceed to harass them both in attempts to get them to confess. As the FBI try to “prove” they killed not only this kid but another one who has disappeared as well. Life becomes difficult as Maddie is bullied at school by both students and teachers. Her uncle is determined to defend her, but her mother cannot deal and sinks further into alcohol addiction. I finished the novel at night, and it was hard to go to sleep because I kept imaging a truck driving by stalking me! It’s a thrilling read!
    • 5/5
      I was lucky enough to be chosen to be a part of the "When" Street time, which allowed me to read the book before the 1/15 release date. I cannot tell you how happy I am that I had the opportunity!I was already a Victoria Laurie fan, having read both her "Abby Cooper" and "Ghosthunter" series, so I was anxious to give her first Young Adult book a read. I plowed through the entire book in one sitting...The book started off very quickly.. the premise identified Maddie's gift and how that has affected her life in the prologue. That allowed the story to jump start immediately in the first chapter. No slow build up here!The characters are extremely relateable. Maddie is obviously gifted, smart and genuine. The author does an admirable job of creating a complex and realistic TEENAGER, which is no small feat. The dynamics between Maddie and her mother and Maddie and Stubs give the story enormous heart. Then, the murder mystery kicks in and it becomes a genuine thriller.If you have never read a Victoria Laurie book, this is a great place to start. Of course, once you do, you will likely run to the nearest bookstore (or Amazon) to download one of her other series.And't don't let the "Young Adult" category throw you... as with JK Rowling or Rick Riordan or multiple other authors who cross age-boundaries, you don't feel like you are reading a book intended for a different audience. You just feel the engagement and excitement of reading a really good book.