The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Another great mystery read from Holly Jackson!

Rachel Price, mother of 18yo Bel, has been missing for over sixteen years. Bel’s father needs money to care for his elderly father, so he decides to participate in a documentary about the disappearance of his wife, Rachel Price. Bel doesn’t want to rehash everything over and over again but she wants to help her dad. She wonders if the documentary will help find her mom by rekindling the investigation. Also, Bel can’t shake the thought that her mom abandoned her all those years ago and that she just might be alive somewhere. The documentary is just the beginning of the chaos that’s to come.

Likes/dislikes: I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery! The character development was interesting and the author showed Bel’s coping mechanisms of cruelty and shoplifting small items as a way to deal with the abandonment she’s had in her lifetime. The documentary idea was great as it helped show the changes in the family and Bel’s perspective of the situation.

Mature content: PG for kissing.
Language: R for 53 swears and 121 f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for assault.
Ethnicity: predominantly white with mention of a brown skin background character.

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Female empowerment in this tale of magic.

16yo Deka is worried that her blood is impure in a society that shuns those that are different. The village holds a ritual to know if a person is impure or not and it’s time for Deka’s participation. She lives alone with her weakened father who had an illness a few months ago; the illness that killed her mother at the same time. When her true nature shows itself while she’s protecting her village, everyone turns on her thinking she’s a demon. An emperor’s helper saves her and takes her to the capital to receive training to fight off death shrieks who wreak havoc on villages. Deka will discover more than her fate and the truth of who she is.

Likes/dislikes: I love the cover of this book. Deka’s strength is inspiring. Deka and Keita have a cute romance.
Mature Content: PG-13 for implied sexual assault.
Language: PG-13 for 23 swears, no f-words.
Violence: R for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: Deka has dark skin and her father is pale with blonde hair. The Emperor has bluish black skin. People with dark brown skin, golden skin, pink skin, and every shade from deep brown to eggshell are mentioned.

The Summer She Went Missing by Chelsea Ichaso

Posted on by lynndellwatson

I highly recommend this mystery for young adults!

16yo Paige and 16yo Audrey are summertime best friends. Paige is looking forward to seeing Audrey and 18yo Dylan, Paige’s long time crush, this summer when they all arrive at Clearwater Ridge. Audrey starts off the summer by talking about jobs and her goal to save enough money to buy her own horse, since she’s always wanted one and spends so much time at the equestrian club. Since Audrey is busy and growing distant, Paige and Dylan get to spend more time together. One summer night, Audrey never returns home and she becomes a missing person case and a year later there’s still no evidence or help in finding her. Dylan and Paige take it upon themselves to find Audrey and the deeper they dig, the more dangerous the situation becomes.

Likes/dislikes:
Mature Content: PG-13 for underage drinking.
Language: R for 61 swears and no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death and abuse.
Ethnicity: predominantly white.

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Norse mythology based fiction!

Abused by her husband Vragi, 20yo Freya yearns to be free but she stays because her husband provides for her family members. But when Vragi receives an offer for her, Freya’s husband takes it and she becomes the property of Skaland and Snorri, their leader. Little by little, Freya learns about her heritage and her god given powers. When she grows so powerful that she sees fear in others’ eyes when they look at her, she wants to be somewhere where she’s not used as a weapon. Snorri’s son Bjorn vows to help her escape.

Likes/dislikes: I get frustrated with Freya’s stubbornness but understand that it keeps the story moving on. Bjorn is an interesting character with a background that’s a bit of a mystery. I enjoy the mythology entwined with the story.
Mature content: R for sexual content.
Language: R for 78 swears and 39 f-words.
Violence: R for bloody deaths and violence.
Ethnicity: mostly white with a dark skin man mentioned.

One Last Breath by Ginny Myers Sain

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Multiple mysteries within!

18yo Tru doesn’t know what she wants for her future, not even whether or not she wants to leave her hometown of Mount Orange, Florida. She feels stuck until 18yo Rio shows up in town. Rio is a female diver like Tru and they instantly become friends. They both want to solve the twenty year old cold case murders of Bailey and Celeste , who were teenagers when they were killed. Tru and Rio feel a deep connection to Bailey and Celeste and when they dig into the evidence and ask questions, their lives become endangered.

Likes/dislikes: I love that there’s more than one mystery inside this story. The suspense was great and kept me riveted. Tragic and scary and such a good read.
Mature Content: R for sexual related nudity.
Language: R for 164 swears and 52 f-words.
Violence: R for bloody deaths
Ethnicity: white

Snowglobe by Soyoung Park

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Unique dystopian novel! 3.5 out of 5 stars.

17yo Jeon lives with her twin brother, mother, and grandmother in the extremely harsh environment surrounding Snowglobe. The main job for residents is producing power by running on giant hamster wheels for ten hours each day. Jeon is asked to leave her home and family to be a replacement for the Snowglobe star Goh Haeri. Jeon is thrilled because this means her family will be taken care of and her mother will no longer have to work but can stay home with grandmother instead. Jeon arrives in Snowglobe excited and happy but things aren’t adding up and when she discovers secret passages by accident, her existence is threatened.

Likes/dislikes: Strange concept that’s hard to grasp and become engrossed in. I enjoyed the mystery behind Goh Haeri. The story has an interesting and unique concept.
Mature content: PG-13 for underage drinking.
Language: R for 49 swears, no f-words.
Violence: PG for death.
Ethnicity: predominantly Korean

Tender Beasts by Liselle Sambury

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Disturbing family dynamics!

After Sunny’s mother dies, her family seems stretched to the breaking point. Her father and siblings have all followed the mom’s lead in keeping up appearances and keeping secrets. On the surface, Sunny sees that her 15yo brother Dom has always been shunned by the family and left alone, now he’s suspected of killing his girlfriend. She knows that her mother wanted her to take care of Dom, so she befriends him and the two siblings start to investigate information their mother left behind. When murders occur at their school, Sunny is frantic to clear Dom’s name. What she discovers changes her life forever.

Likes/dislikes: I like the unique storyline with a mix of mystery that includes horror and supernatural elements. Alternating between past and present made the story more interesting. The author showed how loyalty can be good but also twisted.
Mature Content: PG-13 for mention of sex, underage smoking and mention of drug use.
Language: R for 165 swears and 54 f-words.
Violence: R for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: predominantly black with some white side characters.

What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Honest, heartbreaking realistic fiction!

17yo Kate and Ben have been friends since elementary school and now she wants more than that. They began dating and everything is going well until accusations of assault start happening to Ben’s teammates. Many people want to hide the evidence and pretend nothing happened but Kate can’t get the wrongdoing out of her head. Secrets come out after a video was shared. The aftermath will drastically change lives and the community of Coral Sands, Iowa.

Likes/dislikes: I’m frustrated with the situation the community is dealing with. I’m also frustrated with some of the main character’s actions. The author represents entitlement and community politics well.
Mature content: R for sexual assault
Language: R for 79 swears and 5 f-words.
Violence: R for rape.
Ethnicity: predominantly white, an African American deputy mentioned.

Immortality: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Historical fiction fantasy!
18yo Hazel lives in her family’s manor and continues to help those in need of medical care until she’s arrested for murder. She’s released and brought to the ailing princess to heal her. Hazel still has to fight the societal standards that believe a woman isn’t capable of intelligent work, let alone being a doctor. While at the palace treating the Princess, Hazel receives an invitation to a Companions to the Death meeting. She’s astonished at what she discovers!

Likes/dislikes: The romance is sweet. Intense parts kept me glued to the pages. I wish there was a third book in this series.
Mature Content: PG-13 for kissing.
Language: PG for 6 swears and no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death.
Ethnicity: The ethnicity is predominantly white with mention of a Black man.

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.