Twisty YA debut!
Ryan’s moving in with her cousins who reside in Starling, Tennessee. Her true identity is Gabriel Thorn but she hides who she is to protect her family from the media and community anger over what her father was arrested for a decade ago, killing six women. He’s known as the Starling Slayer. Ryan has lived out of the area since the arrest but needs a place to live and complete her high school education since her grandmother can no longer care for her. Things start to implode when Ryan receives anonymous notes from someone claiming to know who she really is. She’s also being followed. The Starling Slayer isn’t the only one hiding dark secrets.
Likes/dislikes: Thornbird is the author’s debut in the young adult thriller genre and I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Flowing prose and a great character-driven story. A shocking past event left me chilled.
Mature content: PG-13 for passionate kiss, off page sex, and teens drinking and smoking.
Language: R for 170 swears and 25 f-words.
Violence: PG-13 – man buries his wife alive; Ryan’s father hung himself in prison; mention of Ryan’s father killing women; Ryan’s dad shot her mother, puddle of blood is mentioned.
Ethnicity: Predominantly falls to white with an Asian student office aide, and a dark skinned friend of Connor’s. Ryan and her family are white.
