Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Deadly fantasy!
18yo Rune lost her only family to witch hunters two years earlier when Nan told Rune to betray her. Nan was a witch who knew her time was up and she wanted to save Rune. Nan made Rune promise to turn her into the witch hunters and denounce everything she grew up knowing and loving. After Nan’s capture and death, Rune became the Crimson Moth; a vigilante who rescues witches and helps get them to freedom. Rune attends social events to discover the witches who are next in line to be captured, so she can swoop in and save them. Her disguise seems to be working but one guard suspects her and will do everything he can to catch her.

Likes/dislikes: I enjoyed the mystery and the reveals. The world building was done well. The danger makes the story even more interesting.
Mature Content: R for on page sex.
Language: R for 28 swears, 8 f-words.
Violence: R for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: The ethnicity consists of mostly white, with ocher and golden skin tones mentioned.

Powerless by Lauren Roberts

Posted on by lynndellwatson

If you enjoyed Hunger Games, you’ll enjoy Powerless!

The sixth Purging Trials are set to take place. 18yo Paedyn is placed in the competition unknowingly and feels out of her depth against the others since she has no powers and is secretly an Ordinary. 19yo Prince Kai is the king’s Enforcer and the trials have been planned for Kai to win. Paedyn and Kai decide to work together to win the trials. What they discover along the way will either make or break them.

Likes/dislikes: The story has many similarities with The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Some parts feel rushed or forced, such as the relationship between Kai and Paedyn. I like the concept and it’s an enjoyable read.
Mature content: G for kissing
Language: R for 154 swears, no f-words
Violence: PG-13 for bloody fighting
Ethnicity: predominantly white with olive, brown and black skin mentioned

That’s Not My Name by Megan Lally

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Clever mystery!
A 17yo young woman wakes up in a ditch and has no idea how she got there. A police officer drives by, sees her, helps her and takes her to the police station where he questions her and realizes that she has lost her memory. She has a flashback of standing by a cluster of postal mailboxes and big hands grabbing her but she remembers nothing else. Soon after, a man arrives asking the police officer for help in finding his missing daughter. Alternately, a community is searching for a missing teenage girl that disappeared while walking home. Could this be the same girl?

Likes/dislikes: The mystery kept me glued to the pages. The characters are an interesting and diverse set of personalities. The mystery unravels cleverly.
Mature content: G
Violence: PG-13 for bloody hitting and bloody death.
Language: R for 156 swears and 83 f-words.
Ethnicity: falls to white.

A Voice Upstairs by Laura E. Weymouth

Posted on by lynndellwatson

A spooky mystery!

Wil and Ed have been best friends for as long as they can remember. They enjoy spending time together more than with anyone else and their feelings are growing stronger towards each other. Wil is known for her close connection with death and being able to see when someone will be dying soon. When mysterious and suspicious deaths happen at Ed’s manor, he asks Wil to help. The two soon discover that they are in way over their heads.

Likes/dislikes: The prose is beautiful. Wil and Ed are wonderful characters and I grew to love them both. The mystery surrounding them pulled me into the story and created intense suspense. The hauntings added a creepy vibe that gave another dimension to the story.
Language: PG-13 for 19 swears, no f-words.
Mature Content: PG for passionate kissing.
Violence: PG-13 for deaths and bullying.
Ethnicity: falls to white. Ebony skinned maid and a terra cotta skinned laborer.

The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Suspense, romance, science fiction and fantasy in one!
In the Year 775 Guangzhou, China, 17yo Zilan lives with her aunt, uncle and two cousins who have all accepted her as part of the family. She has the ability to resurrect people and brings extra money to the family with this skill. She wants to be a royal alchemist and travels to the palace to fulfill her wish. She survives trials against prejudice with her cleverness and some help from the prince. Once Zilan begins to train, she’s named the Scarlet Alchemist and she discovers how dangerous and awful the Empress is, what she’s using the alchemists for and why she needs Zilan.

Likes/dislikes: I love the Prince because he’s funny, innocent and has a kind heart. Zilan is an interesting character because of her skills and background. I enjoyed reading the book and the suspense, romance and the science fiction made it easy to dive into.
Language: R for 29 swears and 2 f-words.
Mature Content: PG-13 for kissing.
Violence: R for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: Chinese is the main ethnicity. Zilan had a Chinese mother and a foreign father.

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Extremely interesting read based on a victim in Seattle and the victims in Tallahassee, Florida of a serial killer during the 1970’s. I applaud the author for getting into the headspace of the survivors and the era.

Deep, food for thought, and justice for the bright young women who died at the hands of a serial killer.

Insight into the tragic events, the ridiculousness of the Defendant’s lawyer tactics, and life’s consequences, struggles and inspirations.

Silence and Shadow by Erin Beaty

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Engrossing mystery!
17yo Catrin and Simon flee Collis and travel to the Selanae academy in Londunium to help Catrin learn how to use her moonlight magic. They befriend Martin, a law enforcement officer, when they help capture a violent man trying to harm Catrin. As they get to know each other better, Martin seeks Simon’s and Catrin’s help with a serial killer who has been evading law enforcement for four years. The mystery surrounding the murders is unusual. The group gets deeply entangled and in over their heads.

Likes/dislikes: Simon and Catrin are amazing characters. The murder mystery is unique and interesting. Characters are well developed and the world building is strong.
Mature Content: PG-13 for implied sex.
Language: PG-13 for 30 swears, no f-words.
Violence: R for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: falls to white

The Last Girls Standing by Jennifer Dugan

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Chilling twist!
Two survivors of a murder spree, 18yo Sloan and 18yo Cherry were the only ones left alive after a group of masked killers arrived in the summer camp where they worked and ended everyone’s lives except those of the two young women. Sloan leans heavily on Cherry to keep her afloat but when possible secrets come to light, Sloan feels the need to find the truth about the reasons behind the murders on her own. She reaches out to the sister of the lead killer, the only other person alive after the murders. She reaches out to the imprisoned killer himself too. What Sloan discovers is beyond her comprehension.

Likes/dislikes: I like the complexity of the cult guilty of the crimes and their backstory. The story has a good twist. I enjoyed the author’s writing in portraying feelings of betrayal and manipulation by others.
Language: R for 97 swears and 71 f-words.
Mature content: PG-13 for implied sex and underage drinking.
Violence: R for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: Rahul is Indian. Beckett , Kevin, Sloan, Dahlia and Anise are white. Cherry has peach skin. Hannah is Korean American. Shane and Ronnie are Black. Connor has brown skin.

The Woods are Always Watching by Stephanie Perkins

Posted on by lynndellwatson

A creepy thriller!
18yo Josie and 18yo Neena are going on a hiking trip in the Blue Ridge Mountains, part of the Appalachian Trail. They want to make this last trip together before they head different directions when college starts. The two best friends start off excited about the hike until they become unsure of the trail. When Josie falls in a sinkhole and Neena leaves to get help, they’re both visited by men that may or may not want to help them. Their friendship, determination and perseverance are put to the test and they have to rely on their intuition to get back home.

Likes/dislikes: I enjoyed reading about the description of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I like how the strength of friendship is portrayed. A creepy thriller that gave me chills.
Language: R for 104 swears and 30 f-words.
Mature Content: R for implied masturbating, “It took a moment to process what was in his hand, pink and fat and wormlike.”
Violence: R for bloody shootings, bloody murder, implied rape and murder, kidnapping, bear attack.
Ethnicity: The ethnicity falls to white but includes East Asian hikers, Josie is white and Neena is Indian American.

Missing Dead Girls by Sara Walters

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Twisted mean girl behavior turns into deadly deception!
The book opens with a text accusation and a photo of a dead body that states, “Tillie Gray killed Madison Frank”. Time moves back to when 17yo Tillie moves to Willow Creek and she’s trying to find her place in this new town. For some reason that Tillie can’t comprehend, Madison befriends her and they become more than friends. Both girls have secrets that they’re keeping that could destroy their lives. Little by little, the secrets are revealed and they’ll need to decide how far they will go to keep their secrets hidden.

Likes/dislikes: A very ominous ending left me with a feeling of mean girls to the core in this book. The premise is creepy and disturbing. I like the author’s notes that state how important each of us are, and our experiences are valid, and we’re all deserving of respect and love.
Mature Content: R for detailed sex (violates Utah legislation HB-374), underage drinking, drug use.
Language: R for 77 swears and 79 f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death and murder suicide.
Ethnicity: Sienna has brown skin , Emma is white, Madison is white, Gigi is Korean American.