Coincidence or deception?
This is a mystery with many layers that continue to unravel as the story progresses. I couldn’t put the book down!
She’s Not Sorry by Mary Kubica
Mystery Royale by Kaitlyn Cavalancia
Is anything real?
Mullory feels alone and helpless. Her mother left her to take care of her terminally ill grandmother, leaving her with this warning, “Run if the strange finds you”. She starts receiving letters and doesn’t want to open them but when Elliot, a family services worker, arrives and tells her he’s checking in on Mullory and her Gran and seeing how difficult their situation is, might have a solution to help them. Elliot tells Mullory to open the letters. Inside is an invitation to Stoutmire Estate to participate in a game of mystery to win an inheritance. When she arrives at the estate, Mullory discovers that Elliott is actually Edwin and serves the estate owner, Xavier Stoutmire. Then things become more strange because a murder has been committed and a game has been created by the deceased that’s outlined in the will. The players must unravel the mystery with magical clues, riddles and illusions full of danger.
Likes/dislikes: The book is definitely written for YA with the quips and easy crushes. I like how the author added literary quotes to broaden the impact. Flashbacks are sprinkled throughout the story as echoes that the characters can see. The author created an eclectic mix of characters.
Mature content: PG for kissing.
Language: R for 86 swears, no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death.
Ethnicity: predominantly white.
All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall
A monster hurricane changes the world!
Nonie lives in the American Museum of Natural History in New York because of the immense hurricane and other intense storms that have swept over the world. When a huge flood hits the museum, Nonie leaves with her sister Bix, their father and their family friend Keller. They are heading to their Aunt Clare’s house. On the way, they fight nature as the storms increase in strength, the wild and unknown. They try to stop for rest from the river and shelter from the rain but meet Lost, two men that only seem to want to harm. Father gets shot, Bix also gets shot and Keller gets pneumonia from jumping into the dirty river to rescue their boat from the strong currents. Will any of them survive?
Likes/dislikes: The story has an interesting premise and dystopian plot. The author made the main characters flawed and relatable. I like that the story was carried on by hope, even when everything seemed lost.
Mature content: G for kissing.
Language: PG-13 for 13 swears, no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death.
Ethnicity: mixed.
Darkly by Marisha Pessl
Extremely interesting and unique story!
Dia Gannon is applying for an internship at Darkly, once a game making enterprise, now lies dormant after the owner died thirty-nine years ago. Dia is suspicious of the internship announcement because there’s no hidden clue, message or riddle, which is nothing like the owner Louisiana Veda who did everything mysteriously.
Dia receives a letter announcing that she is one of the seven internship winners that have been chosen from across the globe and will be flying to London for the summer to complete the internship with the others. Dia meets Poe, the 17yo French winner, on the flight to London; Poe has a Darkly game inside a briefcase cuffed to his wrist. They meet the five other interns when they arrive at the boat that will take them to the Louisiana Veda factory near Thornwood, England. Dia feels deceptive vibes and she’s worried about what she’s gotten herself into.
Likes/dislikes: I was immediately immersed in the story due to the voice of the main character, Dia. Dia is quirky, smart, and tough. The book was extremely interesting and unique and I couldn’t stop reading once I started.
Mature content: G for kissing.
Language: R for 16 swears and 2 f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death by shooting.
Ethnicity: The ethnicity is mixed with characters from around the world.
We Did Nothing Wrong by Hannah Jayne
Slowly unraveling mystery!
Lia and Diana have been friends since the first day of kindergarten when Diana introduced herself to Lia. They have grown up together as best friends but things have been strained lately. Lia is tired of hearing all about Diana and the pageants she wins and constantly prepares for. When Diana goes missing, Lia thinks Diana is playing a joke on everyone and will show back up soon. As days go by, Lia becomes worried and desperate to find her friend.
Likes/dislikes: I liked how the author kept me guessing as I read the story. The conflict between Lia and Diana and within Lia herself, made the suspense grow and the story more interesting. Suspicion was everywhere!
Mature content: PG for kissing.
Language: R for 38 swears and 2 f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody hitting, abduction and off page death.
Ethnicity: falls to white.
The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner
Jewish mythology and history combined with Russian culture!
Liba, Laya, and their parents live a happy life together on the outer edge of town, away from scrutinizing villagers. They enjoy their privacy and freedoms. When their father’s brother comes knocking at the door to request that he returns home, everything the girls have known changes completely. They discover that their parents were shunned by their own families because of their differences, despite that, they’ve made a good life on their own with Liba and Laya. When the girls are left on their own so their parents can travel to see family, danger arrives. It’s up to the sisters to protect each other and remember what their mother told them above all, it’s their choice what they do with their lives and to not let anyone take that choice away from them.
Likes/dislikes: I like how the story is told in alternating points of view and that Liba is strong and her words take up the whole page while Laya’s words are in a thin column, delicate like her. Jewish mythology and Russian culture abounds in this story. I appreciate the Author’s notes about the true history this book is based on.
Mature content: PG for kissing.
Language: PG for 4 swears, no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for killings, rape and injured off page.
Ethnicity: pale skin, Russian and Jewish.
The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg
Unique and intriguing mystery in this YA fantasy!
Ana is a Fantasist living in the Kingdom with seven of her princess sisters. The Fantasists’ jobs are to blend into the Kingdom park, please the guests and do as they’re instructed. Their purpose is to make dreams come true. When Nia tries to drown a child, the sisters are scrutinized and evaluated and Ana becomes heartbroken but adamant to understand what happened to make sweet Nia commit such a horrible act. When Eve, the first sister, disappears, the park becomes strict and Ana becomes scared. Ana has found a friend in a maintenance worker, Owen, and he seems to be understanding of Ana’s confusion and wants to help, but Owen has a secret of his own.
Likes/dislikes: Snippets of wisdom can be found throughout the book, such as, “Neutral is best. Neutral is safe.” I thought the book would be a fluff story and I’m pleased with how much more interesting it turned out to be than I expected! I enjoyed the alternating timelines and how they revealed the mystery.
Mature Content: G for innocent kiss.
Language: PG for 9 swears and no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death.
Ethnicity: mixed.
Ruin Road by Lamar Giles
Clever imagery in this intense YA horror!
Cade is a smart, kind young man who’s working towards an NFL career. He has received a scholarship to a prep school that will help him with his goals. He’s tall, muscled and Black and people seem to always be afraid of him even when he’s just trying to help. One night he gets off of the subway after being accused of trying to steal a lady’s purse when he was only trying to keep her from falling over when the subway lurched. He ends up in a random neighborhood where he’s watched with suspicion by a couple walking their dog and police officers driving by. He enters a pawn shop to get off the street, purchases a $5 Superbowl ring replica and as he’s leaving, he states that he wishes people weren’t scared of him. Little does he know, he made a wish that will come true that will cause tragic consequences.
Likes/dislikes: Cade and his family have integrity and humility even though they’ve done well. The family unit is represented as an important part of life throughout the book. The nuggets of wisdom from Cade’s father were refreshing. The struggle through Cade’s father’s terminal cancer is handled respectfully, honestly and tactfully. I enjoyed this mysterious and interesting YA horror story.
Mature content: G for parents kissing.
Language: PG for 5 swears, no f-words.
Violence: R for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: Black and white.
The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky by Josh Galarza
It takes a community!
Brett lives in Tucson with his best friend, Reed, since his adoptive mother became terminally ill. He’s trying to hide the fact that he has an eating disorder and that he has begun to purge after eating. Despite Brett’s best efforts, Reed figures out what he’s doing and tries to intervene. Somehow Brett’s secret gets posted on social media and he’s horribly embarrassed. Many classmates approach him to let him know they’re dealing with issues too and he might be able to handle it better knowing he’s not alone.
Likes/dislikes: Intelligent and inspiring quotes given from side characters. The adults in Brett’s life gave him great advice/therapy. Too much swearing detracts from the story. The book is overly focused on being progressive and “woke” and it became tiresome because it also takes away from the story. Wonderfully helpful resources at the end of the book for people dealing with food and/or body issues.
Mature content: PG-13 for underage drinking, mention of self-pleasure, mention of drug use.
Language: R for 214 swears and 72 f-words.
Violence: PG for fighting.
Ethnicity: Brett is Mexican American. Most of the characters are white but some have brown skin.
Portrait of a Shadow by Meriam Metoui
Clever tale of a mysterious white painting!
Mae is desperate to find her missing sister Inez. Her parents want to move on from the pain and accept that Inez will never come home but Mae sees how their marriage is crumbling and how they’ve changed since Inez went missing. She goes to New York under the guise of cleaning out Inez’ apartment in search of any possible clues to her whereabouts. She meets Dev, a neighbor of Inez’, and he seems just as interested in finding Inez as Mae is. So they venture out together in search of a mysterious white painting that Inez has many notes of research on. What Mae discovers changes both of their lives forever!
Likes/dislikes: The alternating timelines build suspense. I like how dedicated Mae is to her sister. I’m fascinated with Dev and his background.
Mature content: PG for kissing.
Language: R for 11 swears and 2 f-words.
Violence: PG for fighting.
Ethnicity: predominantly white with the Dev being from India and Mae from Africa.
The Thought Spot 