Made for You

Written by Melissa Marr

Narrated by Shannon McManus, MacLeod Andrews and Samantha Quan

Eva Tilling wakes up in the hospital to discover she possesses a strange new skill—the ability to foresee people's deaths when they touch her. While she is recovering from her hit-and-run accident, Nate, an old flame, reappears, and the two must traverse their rocky past as they figure out how to use Eva's power to keep their friends—and each other—from falling into the hands of a killer.

This contemporary romantic suspense novel from five-time New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr earned widespread critical acclaim, with Kirkus Reviews calling it a "riveting whodunit that delivers a bouquet of teen romance, paranormal, and thriller." And BCCB declared, "Between the suspense, the horror, the romance, and the wit, this will have equal appeal for fans of Sarah Dessen and Rosemary Clement-Moore."

A stark departure from her fantasy settings, this Southern Gothic, racy thriller gives fans old and new chilling twists, unrequited obsession, and high-stakes romance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Sep 16, 2014
• ISBN: 9780062329417

Melissa Marr

Melissa Marr was voted in high school the “most likely to end up in jail”. Instead, she went to graduate school, worked in a bar, became a teacher and did a lot of writing. Her novels Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange and Fragile Eternity are published by HarperCollins.

Reviews for Made for You

[brittaniethekid · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I was pretty disappointed in this book because I was a big fan of Marr's fae stories but found the tone of this one a little too juvenile for me - the POV of the high school girl that most of the story is told from is vain and obsessive and spoiled, even though she isn't as bad as some of her "friends". I understand that she's a rich "well bred" girl in a small Southern town but she went on and on about her scars, when they weren't really described in detail so I felt she had to be really over exaggerating and it got boring to hear her mention them to the reader and other characters at least every chapter. We get it, you're slightly disfigured - but plans of hiding from mirrors the rest of her life is just a bit over-dramatic to me.
I just couldn't relate to anyone in the story and figured out who the killer was a little more than half way through, which I hardly ever do. It did get a bit exciting towards the end but that's the point of a climax, so at least that wasn't disappointing.

Overall, a great thriller for teenage readers but I feel I'm a little too old to really enjoy it.

[linnnnie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Seriously twisted.... Great read. Melissa Marr has crafted a wonderfully suspenseful mystery/ thriller/ romance. All parts equally well written.

Annnnd it makes me think I should lock my door. :)

[roses7184_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well now, this book surprised me! When it was first offered to me for review, I was understandably thrilled. Melissa Marr has never left me disappointed. I'll grant you the fact that I was also a little nervous, simply because Made For You is a break from what Marr normally writes. I was promised something contemporary. A dark, sinister thriller that would keep me reading well into the night. I'm happy to report that all of that was quite true.

Eva Tilling stole my heart. There are no words for how refreshing it was to have a popular female character who isn't a total witch. See, Eva grew up in the Southern elite. A group of people who, based on their money and status, essentially run the entire town. You'd expect her to be a spoiled, petty girl, no? No. In fact, Eva is one of those characters who is instantly likable. Honest, funny, sweet, and just that hint of rebellious that I love. The fact that she felt the pressure to be more, and still held onto her own personality, sold me on her character. I couldn't have been happier.

Actually, I think the whole idea of this story taking place in Eva's hometown created some great atmosphere. Southern Gothic stories about the decay of the aristocracy have always been my favorite. Watching those who have everything slowly fall apart intrigues me. In this case, I wouldn't say Made For You is exactly a Southern Gothic story, but it does have some of those elements. The fact that this town of people is more than willing to cover up certain occurrences, in order to save face with the public, only heightens the feeling that there are secrets brewing beneath the surface.

I could go on about the deliciously palatable tension that flows through this book. I could rave about the fact that, for the first time in a long time, I didn't have to suffer through a love triangle. Or that the killer's POV was done quite well. There's a lot I could say, but I'd rather let you discover it for yourself. Any small qualms I had about this book were far overshadowed by what what I loved. I found myself hanging on every word, right up until the ending. If you haven't yet added this to your reading list, I'd suggest you do! I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with this YA thriller.

[bookishleigh · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I thought this was a solidly good YA thriller. Nothing groundbreaking but not poorly written either. After failing to murder the current high school 'IT' girl a serial murderer turns to trying to communicate with her through his killings as he becomes increasingly obsessed with her. There is an unnecessary plot theme regarding small town aristocracy in the small southern town that is the stories setting. This idea of local southern snobbery comes across lukewarm as a plot device that was never quite followed through with but kept getting brought up. Also, the narration switches throughout the novel between the the killer, the 'it' girl and her best friend. The best friends narration was entirely unnecessary and was more distracting than anything. Otherwise this novel was entertaining enough for me to consider reading more of the authors work.

[wonderland_books · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This story is about a teenage girl named Eva who wakes up in a hospital after being struck by a car in what appears to be a hit and run. But was it really an accident or did someone attempt to take Eva’s life? Marr spins a very suspenseful story about Eva’s recovery from her “accident,” and a new power that seems to take over her life – being able to foresee people’s deaths with just one touch.This is definitely a page turner that kept me on the edge of my seat. The only downfall that I found with this book was that it didn’t seem to explain a lot about a certain character, who I cannot name for obvious reasons. I would have preferred to have had a little bit more of a back story on him.With that being said, this book kept me up all night in a frenzy to finish reading it. If you are craving a read that’s suspenseful, paranormal, with a little bit of romance, this one’s for you.

[wrighton9time · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review:'Made For You' by Melissa Marr.Being a part of the in crowd is fun and exciting. There is the adulation, the copycatting, and the popularity that abounds. Yet there can be darkness when you are the center of attention directed from anyone of those around you–especially those you call friend. In Made For You by Melissa Marr we are introduced to a group of young adults that have known each other most of their lives. Eve Tilling is one of the leaders, beautiful and fun, and surrounded by those who are in the same league of money. Yet there are also those she calls friend whose circumstances are not the same, friendships that occurred at a younger age when status was not the deciding factor. Her best friend through school, Nate, is one of them–or at least was. He no longer talks to her shutting her down whenever she approaches. She decides she does not care, for there are others, like her friend Grace who does not see the division of money or status. She likes people or dislikes them indiscriminately. Eve is thankful for her friendship, and tries to be kind, but it is difficult to be herself when expectations from those around her are so high. When Eve wakes up in the hospital after an accident she is confused. What could have happened? Holding hands or touching people suddenly brings strange visions and death. Initially she believes she has had some form of concussion, and that it will go away. Afraid to mention her feeling to anyone, she continues with the vision when she reaches out for that comfort. When the visions do not go away, she realizes that she is seeing how people die. Suddenly afraid she does not know where to turn. Her friends surround her and yet there is now a prickling of fear for the police have determined there was no accident. Someone has tried to kill her. That is when her friend Nate comes back into her life. He too has someone in the hospital and when he realizes that Eve may be in danger the past and their friendship comes back into focus. And yet that friendship is more, there is a heat between them that seemed the deciding factor in driving them apart. Can Nate and her friend Grace help her to understand the darkness that is now settling around her? Who tried to kill her, and will they try again?Marr has introduced us to a spectacular group of characters. The personalities and flaws are found in schools throughout the country. The tension she creates is remarkable, and the story line hooks you from the very beginning. At some point we have all known someone just like many of the characters she has created. The danger of popularity often brings obsession and Marr found a way to weave that obsession into a story of romance and friendship, creating a friction that gives you chills. There is something cold and strange about the killer, for he has begun preying on her friends in an effort to woo her. If you like suspense, mystery and romance with a dash of the paranormal you will find this a wonderful read. This would be a great book for your library and one well capable of keeping a discussion group in full dialogue. Melissa Marr has given us a strange and twisted tale of love and romance.

[thebumblegirl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Melissa Marr is an author that I have admired for a very long time. Although I have only read her short stories and the first book to the Wicked Lovely series, she is an author that I have been intimidated to read in fear that I would not like one of her books and then feel guilty for doing so. I always tread carefully around my favorite authors and am so thrilled that she has written a contemporary thriller for me to finally get over my procrastinations and dive into it. Saying that her writing is exquisite is an understatement. Her characters are so driven and realistic - they will find a way to crawl into your head and stay awhile... MADE FOR YOU is told through three point-of-views - primarily from Eva, the victim, and Judge the stalker/murderer; and then a few chapters from Eva's best friend, Grace. Going into any book, I always assume that we are going to primarily see perspectives from the victim's side of the story. I was prepared to find myself immersed into the mind of the perpetrator too. I have to admit, from the start, Judge is very creepy and twisted. Hearing his thoughts and how he justified what he was doing was... there are no words to describe how deranged he was, and how sick I felt. After reading a few chapters from Judge, I did not know if I was going to be able to continue with the book, and decided to put the book aside for a few days to make sure that this was a story that I was going to be able to get into. As eerie as it was to be in his mind and see why he did the things that he did, I am glad I was able to continue on with the story and finish the book. Eva is the most popular and most sought-after girl in school who comes from a well-known and wealthy family in a small southern town where everyone knows everyone, and their business, since the beginning of time. There is a certain image to uphold, a certain way of southern living to do and Eva knows how to play along and do the right things. Her boyfriend, who comes from the same background as Eva, is more than willing to uphold his popularity, not only in school, but within his own family too. Things seem perky and perfect... until Eva is in a hit-and-run accident and is left to die on the side of the road. The moment that Eva opens her eyes she knows that her life will never be the same again. Her estranged young parents become permanent fixtures right by her side now. Her long lost best friend is supporting her and doing his best to believe in her too. Especially when she thinks that she's losing her mind... because she's seeing peoples deaths. And she thinks that she'll be able to stop the murderer from doing any more harm.And even with Eva's family and friends support her - there is no stopping the truths and lies that start to unfold at a rapid rate. There is no holding back now when there is a killer on the loose.I insist that you take your time reading this book! It can be a quick page-turner. But, you will miss a lot of details if you don't slow down. I found myself going back a few pages a few times and forced myself to slow down so I wouldn't miss anything. The intensity of every situation was a force to be reckoned with too. The 'sacrifices' that Judge does to teach Eva lessons are cruel and mind blowing things taken right out of newspaper headlines. He truly believes that God is sending him signs to help him teach Eva how to be pure in order for her to become his partner, his wife. There is no way to describe the inhumane things that he does to his victims. Ms. Marr briefly gives us glimpses to Judge's family life and past. And even with that, I could not find an ounce of empathy for him. One more thing - I absolutely love when a bookcover displays a prominent part in the books story. I had mentioned on twitter on how much I loved the cover because the insect on the cover looked like a bee. I was wrong! Ms. Marr corrected me and told me that it is a cicada, and the entire picture does play a role in Eva's story. This is not for the weak hearted. Those who love crime tv shows will enjoy MADE FOR YOU and will find it really interesting to see how Judge thinks and how he reveals himself. And of course, this book was definitely made for all you creepy-thriller types. How do you all sleep at night? *An ARC was acquired from the publisher during BEA2014 for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

[darkfaerietales_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Dark, creepy story that will keep you up all night! If you are a young adult thriller fan you are in for a real treat with Made for You!Opening Sentence: “DID YOU SEE HER?”The Review:Eva Tilling is the epitome of a southern belle. She grew up in the small town of Jessup, North Carolina where her parents are practically a King and Queen. Everyone loved Eva and no one could ever believe that anyone would ever want to hurt her. But when she is hit by a car and left for dead everyone starts to wonder if someone would very much like to hurt her. While Eva was hurt pretty badly and her once beautiful face will be left scared, that’s not the only thing she got from the accident. She now has this strange new ability to foresee the deaths of anyone who touches her.While in the hospital trying to recover she rekindles her friendship with her childhood friend Nate. They haven’t talked for years but Eva has never quite gotten over her crush she has had on him for years. Things seem to be looking up until another accident occurs, killing one of Eva’s fellow students. Could both be accidents or is there a killer on the loose? Soon the body count goes up and the killer is sending messages to Eva. Will she be able to figure out who in her tiny town tried to kill her before someone she loves becomes his next victim?For the most part I really liked Eva as a character. She was a sweet girl that has had to deal with some pretty traumatic things lately and surprisingly she handles everything really well. She grew up with parents that were never around much so she has always had to rely on herself and a few close friends. Her family had a lot of money and she was pretty much regarded as royalty in the small town she grew up in. Because of that she was expected to act a certain way and hang out with certain people. The one thing I didn’t love about Eva was how passive she was in her own life. She lets everyone else dictate her life and that was hard for me to relate too. As the story goes on she does get way better but I would have liked to have seen a little more from her. Overall, I liked her and thought she was a fun character.Nate was a cute boy that was swoon worthy, but I felt that his relationship with Eva seemed a little forced and very rushed. I realize they have known each other since they were little kids but they haven’t talked to each other for years. To me I thought that things should have progressed a little slower between them, but instead it was like the last two years of their life never even happened. They go from not talking to a couple in a matter of days which I thought was really unrealistic. Also, I never understood why Nate acted the way he did and it was never really explained which frustrated me. While I didn’t love how fast it moved, I did think that they were an adorable couple and as a love interest I thought Nate was perfectly done.I have to dedicate a paragraph to the villain in the story. He is known as The Judge and he was seriously so creepy! I thought that the parts of the book that were told from his POV were brilliant. It made the story feel way more real and I’m not going to lie, it really freaked me out when I would read what he was thinking. I can only imagine what it would be like to be in a real serial killers head, but I bet Marr hit it pretty close with Judge.Made for You was a fast paced thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat! From the first moment I picked this book up I had a hard time putting it down. I will admit I wasn’t too surprised on who the killer ended up being, but I didn’t figure it out right away which is a plus. I really enjoyed the entire cast of characters. Marr did a wonderful job fleshing them all out and making me care about each one of them. Marr’s writing is phenomenal and easy to get lost in. Surprisingly this is actually the first book I have read by Marr, but after reading it I am certainly more eager to pick up her other works. Overall, I thought that this was a great young adult mystery and I would highly recommend it to anyone that is looking for a great thriller that will keep you up at night!Notable Scene:I drive past her house as I have for months, not so often that anyone would notice, but frequently enough to keep myself calm. Seeing a glimpse of her has always filled me with a sort of peace that is too hard to find. These past days while she was in the hospital, I had to pretend that she was inside, that there was a chance she could come to the window. Sometimes though, I had to drive to the hospital in Durham. Being so far away from her for this many days has been more difficult than I could’ve imagined. I’m glad she didn’t die. I’m not sure how I’ll cope if she still has to die. The fear of her loss cripples me briefly, and I know that I have to do a good job. She has to understand the messages, and she has to obey them. Anything less will mean I have to finish killing her. I don’t want that. I’ve never wanted that. She’s made for me, my perfect match.“And I was made for you,” I tell her as I glance at the window of her room.FTC Advisory: HarperTeen provided me with a copy of Made for You. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[brandileigh2003 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was sent this one, and even though murder thrillers aren't always my favorite to read, I do like the premise of her being able to see other's deaths. It is so creepy and makes me wonder what she can do to intervene. It was told from a few perspectives, but mainly from Eva's point of view. She is struggling after waking up in the hospital. Her memories are a little scattered and she has scars all over. As a teen, or woman in general with our sometimes fragile self esteem, it can be a worst nightmare. Other things are changing too. Her childhood friend keeps showing up at the hospital and they are reconnecting. But this is a true old fashioned southern town, where Eva is big money and from the big names in the town and her reputation doesn't allow for people like him. I have never read any Melissa Marr, but I enjoyed this one surprisingly and flew through most of it. I felt like it slowed down some in the middle, but then picked up at the end and went barreling to a dramatic ending. I liked the friendship between Eva and Grace in this one. They told each other everything and supported each other in every way they could. The romance was a little awkward at times because at first she was dating someone who was cheating on her and not there for her while sick. But it was cute to read about once the other guy was out of the way. I never guessed who the killer was but I never am able to see that sort of thing coming. We got the perspective of Judge, the obviously unstable guy who thinks that Eva is meant to be his bride and his acts of violence are teaching her things and giving her messages. Bottom Line: Overall good story, I liked Eva and the premise.