Book Review: The Cutting Room Floor by Dawn Klehr

The Cutting Room Floor
Author: Dawn Klehr
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Mystery
Released: October 8th 2013
Review Source: Flux

Behind-the-scenes secrets could turn deadly for Desmond and Riley

Life in the Heights has never been easy for seventeen-year-old Riley Frost, but when she's publicly dumped and outed at the same time, she becomes an immediate social outcast at her high school. So Riley swears off romance and throws herself into solving the shocking murder of her favorite teacher, Ms. Dunn.

Riley turns to her best friend, budding filmmaker Desmond Brandt, for help. What she doesn't know is that Dez has been secretly directing her life, blackmailing her friends, and hoping his manipulations will make her love him. When his schemes go too far, Dez's web of lies threatens to destroy both of their lives.

Not sure how to describe this book. I know it is categorized into the mystery genre, but in reality this is more drama than anything. We get very little of the mystery, I mean until the very end of the book. So I am not sure why this novel is listed in that genre.

Honestly, this was an easy read. Dez and Riley are next door neighbors. They are also best friends, they tell each other everything – so that is what Riley thinks. Dez is obsessed with Riley and manipulates her relationship to try to get with her. The only issue is that Riley is not into him; truthfully she is not into guys. She dated very few before but then she realized she likes girls.

The story begins when Riley is humiliated by her current girlfriend, well ex, in front of many people. The entire school finds out that she’s into girls and they start making her life impossible. While helping Dez with a school project for a film competition, Riley discovers a clip of minutes before her favorite teacher is murder. She tries to discover the truth but then she somewhat forgets to do so. She’s pretty much busy trying to find out her true identity.

This book reminded me of Easy A. You know how the Christian girl, played by Amanda, is trying to covert Olive into a better person? Well this book has that feeling going. Only that in this book, Tori is trying to change Riley into being totally straight. She begins to make her more feminine – a total makeover.

In the end, Riley becomes aware of who she is and starts accepting herself. Then she finds out Dez’ scheme. In the process of this, they are captured by the killer but are rescued. However, Dez never learns. He is still obsessed. He still hopes for Riley to become his…