![–The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books on <em>It Wasn't Always Like This</em>](https://sohopress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/blog-00.png)
With its exciting plot and well-wrought characters, this novel emerges as a suspenseful treat with a gooey romantic center. The narrative alternates between scenes of Emma’s distant past with Charlie and her murder-mystery present, building to a final showdown that is both surprising and satisfying.