Lie Until It’s True by Jessie Weaver

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Haunting or homicide?

Two separate murder suspects are on Amanda’s mind, her exonerated sister Cora and her art teacher from kid camp. Cora was a suspect in the murder of a social media influencer. The art teacher is the suspect in the murder of a very rich man at the Summit hotel. Amanda visits her friends in Summit. She wants to be a better sister to Cora and spend more time with her best friends, Cole, Mallory, and Vince. Cole and Mal are dating and Vince is dealing with the fact that his mother, the art teacher, has been arrested as a suspect in the murder of an art dealer.
Cole shows his true colors by manipulating his friends to go ahead with approving the haunted or homicide show for the hotel that will televise the investigation and publicize everything about their lives, which turns the situation into a disaster.

Likes/dislikes: I liked the double mystery storyline that grew into a possible haunting. The dynamic characters were interesting. The buildup and unraveling of the mysteries were fun to read.
Mature content: PG for kiss.
Language: R for 98 swears, no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death.
Ethnicity: Vince has brown skin. Amanda, Cole and Mallory fall to white.

Wisteria by Adalyn Grace

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The ending of a perfect trilogy!

Blythe is marrying Aris, Fate, because he saved her father from being falsely accused of murder. Neither are happy about the marriage but their wedding rings force them to be together whenever they venture apart. To show Blythe’s father that they’re happily married, Aris creates a beautiful palace and village to convince him of the comfort and love the two of them share. The couple starts to enjoy each other’s company when Chaos, Solanine, arrives to wreak havoc. Chaos causes plagues and tragedies. Aris and Blythe must work together to stop disaster from happening.

Likes/dislikes: The prose is gorgeous! I enjoy reading what Blythe’s imagination creates. Humorous banter and fun world building make this book even better. Beautiful descriptions of scenery.
Mature content: R for on page sex.
Language: PG-13 for 23 swears, no f-words.
Violence: PG for fighting.
Ethnicity: falls to white.

The Mirror of Beasts by Alexandra Bracken

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Unexpected turns!

Tamsin and Cabell continue on their mission but they seek different paths. Tamsin is with a group of like-minded and strong individuals searching for the Mirror of Beasts while Cabell is following Lord Death in the deadly and violent Wild Hunt. The Mirror of Beasts is not what they expected; it’s more remarkable than they ever imagined. Cabell faces the decision of leaving all he knows behind, including his sister Tamsin, to follow Lord Death. Tamsin discovers secrets about Emrys, Nash and herself that are shocking and completely change everything.

Likes/dislikes: I enjoyed the alternating narrative between Tamsin and Cabell. Beautiful prose. The mystery of Nash is fun to see unravel. This story is full of great characters!
Mature content: PG-13 for non-detailed sex.
Language: R for 68 swears, no f-words.
Violence: R for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: fair skinned, blue-gray and leaf-green skin, brown skin, and tan skin make up the ethnicity.

Two Sides to Every Murder by Danielle Valentine

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Whoa! That ending!!!

Olivia is curious about who her biological father is after she finds out her parents have been keeping secrets from her. Reagan continues to move with her mother who is a suspect in the Camp Lost Lake murders of 2008. Olivia and Reagan both end up at Camp Lost Lake looking for answers and meet by accident. Little do they know that they’re walking into another murdering rampage as the Witch of Camp Lost Lake returns. They will get answers but will they survive?

Likes/dislikes: Creepy, twisty, mysterious fun! I couldn’t put the book down after chapter 5! The ending was intense and a shocker and left me wanting more to read!
Mature content: PG for kissing.
Language: R for 75 swears, no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: The ethnicity is predominantly white and Jack is Asian. Hazel is a Jewish Jamaican. Sawyer has tan skin.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden

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“Ghosts have warm hands.” World War I historical fiction!

Laura receives her brother’s dog tags and uniform in the mail. This means that Freddie has died in World War I. She’s devastated but has a feeling that he isn’t dead. She leaves her Canadian home and travels back to World War I and takes up her mantle as a war nurse again to search for any information she can find about Freddie. What she discovers will change her life forever.

Likes/dislikes: Laura’s strength, perseverance, and love for her brother makes her a great character. My heart warmed as Freddie and the German soldier helped each other and became like brothers. I appreciated the World War I setting and learned quite a bit about its history. I didn’t know about the Halifax explosion before I read this book.
Language: R for 93 swears and 3 f-words.
Mature Content: PG-13 for adults drinking.
Violence: R for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: falls to white.

Right Here, Right Now by Shannon Dunlap

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Alternate universe storyline is food for thought!

Anna and Elise have been friends since they were very young. Now in high school, Elise annoys Anna because of her carelessness while Anna struggles to work hard to become a violinist. Liam is Elise’s cousin and this is the story that takes place in alternate universes involving these three young adults. Elise’s decision of whether or not to pass a vehicle in a sketchy situation splits the story into two parts; one where Elise lives and one where she doesn’t. Within these two universes, Liam and Anna deal with their grief over losing Elise or try to navigate life with Elise. The struggles of growing up and day to day life are portrayed well and with realistic developments; this story is food for thought.

Likes/dislikes: The alternate universe storyline stretched my brain and I enjoyed having to reset every chapter change before I could start reading with focus. Anna is a strong character. The character development is done well.
Mature content: PG-13 for drugs and smoking.
Language: R for 52 swears and 17 f-words.
Violence: PG for death.
Ethnicity: falls to white.

The Darkness Rises by Stacy Stokes

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What do you do when you see someone’s fatal future?

17yo Whitney sees a dark cloud forming over people who are in danger and can be helped by her. Her grandmother has the same ability and gave Whitney three rules to follow; rules that are meant to keep Whitney safe and free from the guilt of saving someone who ends up harming others. This happened last year when she saved Dwight from jumping off a building. He then instigated a school shooting. Whitney blames herself for everything that Dwight did. Someone else blames her too and when the harassment starts, it’s only the beginning of the vengeance to come.

Likes/dislikes: I enjoyed the character development and the mystery surrounding the main character. The relationships are fleshed out well. I appreciate the many resources the author included at the end of the book for bullying, child trauma, suicide prevention, mental health, mental illness, and grief. The author’s note is exceptional as a call for all of us to let our voices be heard and vote for leaders that we believe reflect our values and ambitions for our country and communities. I also appreciate the content warning at the beginning of the book.
Mature content: PG-13 for underage drinking.
Language: R for 79 swears and 13 f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for mention of school shooting.
Ethnicity: predominantly white.

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

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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.

Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli

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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.

These Deadly Prophecies by Andrea Tang

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A fun, spooky read!
Tabatha apprentices for the famous and magical Solomon. He states, through several prophecies, that he will die. It’s a shock to everyone when he actually dies and it’s a brutal death. Tabatha is told by Solomon, before his death, to only trust his son Callum and no one else. Callum and Tabatha try to solve the murder mystery but get swept up in the unknown along the way.

Likes/dislikes: This book is such a fun read! I loved the spooky atmosphere and the mystery. Tabatha is a strong, persistent, interesting character.
Mature content: PG for kissing.
Language: R for 50 swears, no f-words.
Violence: PG for deaths.
Ethnicity: The Solomon family members are white and Tabatha is Chinese American.