Terra Elan McVoy (Pure; Being Friends with Boys) hits an emotional and heartbreaking punch with this tale of obsessive love.
Nikki can't imagine life without her boyfriend, Dee, though he hasn't earned a favorable report from her friends. From page one, it's clear she is completely engulfed in her feelings for him (and loves that he has a tattoo of her initials on his chest), and they lead Nikki down a path she'd never imagined for herself. After Dee involves Nikki in a murder, her first instinct is to protect him, especially when he assures her, "You don't have nothing to worry about. Nobody knows what happened. I made sure." Even so, it's not long until Nikki is in jail, where she worries about and continues loving Dee.
Taking on a deeper and darker story line than her previous works, McVoy spins a complicated web of young love and desperation. Readers may think it's easy to judge Nikki's thoughts, actions and feelings as she works through her obsession with Dee, but this reaction only serves as testament to how realistic and tightly written Criminal is. McVoy uses the full length of the novel to develop Nikki's revelations. The author strips down the dialogue and scene descriptions to the bare essentials, allowing readers to explore what infatuation can mean (and do) in the wrong situation. --Shanyn Day, blogger at Chick Loves Lit