Tag: teen suspense

REVIEW: My Flawless Life by Yvonne Woon

REVIEW: My Flawless Life by Yvonne Woon

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Katherine Tegen Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Hana Yang Lerner used to be an insider. She used to be a fixer. And she used to be best friends with Luce Herrera.

Now, an anonymous texter has offered Hana $5,000 to follow Luce and help her fix something. But Hana is not in the habit of being cajoled – or bribed – into doing anything. Still, she’s an outcast just trying to get though high school after a national scandal involving her family. That kind of money and the chance to see what her old friend is into is hard to ignore.

Against her instincts, Hana teams up with another old friend who seems to be working the same mystery from a different angle. But the things they discover continue to catch them by surprise.

Review

Wow, this was great! The mystery is top notch, and the reader is treated to some jaw-dropping moments. I was captivated right from the start. The voice for this is engaging and the mystery kept me zipping through, page after page.

There are some time jumps that are used to explain Hana’s history as a fixer as well as the history with Luce and other ex-friends. Hana’s family story balances out the school-related mystery as Hana tries to figure out who she is in light of the family scandal.

YA readers who love a great mystery should give this a try. I loved it, and will be thinking about it, and about some of the twists, for years to come! (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Nothing More to Tell by Karen McManus

REVIEW: Nothing More to Tell by Karen McManus

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

It’s the last semester of her senior year, and Brynn is back at Saint Ambrose, the last place she expected to be. But her return could help her out of a jam.

At her last school, a malicious prank left Brynn cut from her school newspaper job and ripped away any credibility she had earned for journalism. But now she’s an intern for a true crime show, and she’s pitched them a story centered at Saint Ambrose.

Brynn’s favorite teacher was murdered on school grounds. Three students found him, including Brynn’s former best friend. But the investigation seemed flimsy, and the crime was eventually blamed on a “drifter.”

So while Brynn is back at Saint Ambrose, she’s determined to find out the truth. And if she gets some bonus points for college by sharing the story with the world, all the better.

Review

This was twisty! From start to finish. Brilliantly plotted. The two storytellers really made this come together.

I was sure I knew what was going on at least 4 different times – but every reveal spun the story in a different direction.

When I was a teen, I voraciously read books by Lois Duncan. And the whole time I was reading this, I kept thinking about Duncan’s books and what I loved about them. Teen me would have been a HUGE Karen McManus fan. I loved this book and the sense that I was tailing a young sleuth looking for the truth while I read.

Fans of McManus’s previous work – One of Us is Lying, Two Can Keep a Secret, etc. – should absolutely pick this up. If you enjoy a tightly plotted mystery with teen protagonists, you will love this! (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Surrender Your Sons by Adam Sass

REVIEW: Surrender Your Sons by Adam Sass

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Connor and his mom have been in a stalemate for weeks. Connor’s boyfriend, Ario, insisted his life would be better if he came out to his mom. But it’s only made things worse. She took his phone, his laptop, his Switch. She’s not speaking to him, and she’s cut him off from Ario who is going to be leaving for college soon.

Connor’s mom is convinced he’s the father of his best friend’s baby. She’d much rather he be a teen father than be gay. She thinks she is doing him a favor by setting “boundaries” like refusing to acknowledge any boyfriend he might have or refusing to have anything to do with any future family Connor might have with another man. It’s so bad, Connor starts to wonder if he needs to find somewhere else to live for his senior year. But where could he possibly go?

Before Connor can even cobble together a plan, though, a group of men dressed all in black come into Connor’s home and physically remove him and toss him in a van. His mom watches this happen, but does nothing to stop it. The men say his mom has paid for him to take a “vacation.” In Costa Rica. But that’s not even close to what is happening. Connor is taken to a conversion camp called Nightlight where he finds other teens. Sent there by their own parents so the camp can “reprogram” their gay children.

Review

Wow! The first time I read the plot for this book, I was immediately captivated. A “Christian” conversion camp for gay teens where there’s more going on than meets the eye? I was intrigued. There’s no way I wasn’t reading this. I had to know what the secrets were.

And this story was a doozy! The author uses some carefully constructed time jumps to set up the larger questions of the book early on. Those questions carried Connor to Nightlight. I expected Connor to discover the mystery once he got there and started working on a way out. But this was so much better than the set up I was expecting. The suspense here and all the weird little puzzle pieces that had to fit together were so well constructed.

The subject matter makes this a hard book to like in some ways. I was heart-broken for Connor and the other kids at Nightlight for how they were treated, both at home and at the “camp.” The hate, the manipulation, the “conversion” techniques were all awful. There are dark moments here.

At the same time there are these awesome, resilient teens at the center of this story. I loved them. And I was rooting for them from the start. The ending is satisfying yet realistic. The kids have varying responses after their trauma. This was honest, but also sad in some cases.

Suspense fans should not miss this one. The hook will draw you in, and the characters will keep you turning pages until you get to the end. Readers should be aware of the trauma that could be triggered by things in the story. The author includes a note at the start of the book that should be helpful. (Language, sex, violence, LGBTQ+, TW: Suicide, hate crimes and trauma around sexuality and gender identity)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥= Great!

REVIEW: Lies Like Poison by Chelsea Pitcher

REVIEW: Lies Like Poison by Chelsea Pitcher

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Margaret K. McElderberry Books/Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When they were 14, and they were convinced Raven’s stepmother was abusing him, Belle came up with the plan and showed it to Poppy. They would put petals of belladonna and poppies into the woman’s tea. It would look like an accident as the girls had just been making garlands. Raven’s stepmother would die, and Raven would finally be safe. When Lily found the plan, she wanted in, too. They might have been talking about her mother, but Lily wanted her gone just as desperately.

But it never happened. Raven went away to boarding school. Lily went into a treatment facility. And the four teens drifted apart.

Three years later, Raven’s stepmother is found dead. And there’s belladonna in her tea. The police found their childhood plan. Belle is arrested. Raven comes home. Poppy, now going by “Jack,” reaches out to Lily for help. And the secrets between them, and those they kept from one another, start to take on a life of their own.

Review

Wow! This is super twisty! It’s the sort of book that is compelling. You’re not sure what exactly is going on, but you *have* to keep reading so you can figure it out. And it’s a doozy! There are some terrific fairy tale moments cleverly woven in that I enjoyed.

This is the sort of book that’s hard to review because almost anything I say could be a spoiler. I don’t know that I liked many of the characters in this. There are so many twists and lies and secrets, it’s hard to really know them or trust them. But at the same time, I was completely invested in finding out what really happened. In fact, I would have liked a few more pages at the end with definitive details of what happens next for everyone. Fans of found family stories should check this one out.

If you are a fan of twisty, suspenseful stories like We Were Liars (♥♥♥♥) or One of Us Is Lying (♥♥♥♥), don’t miss this one! (Language, sexual references, LGBTQ+, TW: grief/loss, abuse/neglect, eating disorders, inpatient treatment)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

REVIEW: The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

REVIEW: The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Avery is doing what she can to get by. After the death of her mother, her half sister, Libby, took her in. Their mutual father is long gone. But in a couple years, Avery will finish high school, go to college for something to pay the bills, and then she can travel to her heart’s content. They may be scraping by, but Avery is making the best of things.

Then the prissy, proper, authoritarian boy shows up at her school. He can’t be much older than Avery is, but he kicks her principal out of his own office. And he tells Avery she is required to attend the reading of his late grandfather’s will.

Tobias Hawthorne, billionaire. Avery had never even heard of him. Why would she have to be at the reading of his will? Turns out, he named her heir of almost his entire estate.

To inherit, Avery has to move into Hawthorne House with Tobias Hawthorne’s family – his mother-in-law, his two daughters, and his four grandsons. But nothing is what it appears. The house is full of secret passages, and Tobias loved challenging the boys to different games. The only question is what games were in play when Tobias named Avery in his will? And what games might his family be playing to get Avery out of the way?

Review

This was fantastic! I loved almost every moment. Avery is excellent as a protagonist. She’s bright and determined, but also down to earth and relate-able. She would fit in well with the author’s other excellent characters. The four Hawthorne boys are a delight. I wanted more time to get to know each of them. I still have questions and want to know more about all four of them.

There are several mysteries at play which swirl around Avery – whispers of another girl involved with the grandsons, Avery’s connection to Tobias, the attempts to get her out of the way, and the games and puzzles in the house and on the grounds. I loved every bit of it. I would have read hundreds of pages about the house even if they had nothing to do with the main questions of the book because it was all so fascinating.

Frankly, I was disappointed with the wrap up of one of the main questions of the book. I was expecting… MORE I guess, something bigger. I went back and re-read the climax scene and the second read gave me a better sense of satisfaction, but it still wasn’t the punch I wanted. But…

The last few pages launched several new questions – or at least pulled some of the secondary questions from this novel into the spotlight. And I am SO excited to read a sequel and find out what else Tobias Hawthorne – and Jennifer Lynn Barnes – have in store for these characters! (Some language, LGBTQ+, CW: Domestic violence/abuse, grief/loss)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥= Great! Might re-read

 

REVIEW: Deadly Little Scandals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

REVIEW: Deadly Little Scandals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Freeform in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Sawyer is still reeling from the things she discovered about her family when she, Lily, Campbell, and Sadie-Grace worked together to make sure Campbell’s father was held accountable for his crimes (Little White Lies). She finally knows who her biological father is, and it changes everything – her relationship with her mother, her grandmother, and with the rest of the family she lived with for her debutante year.

But now that it’s summer, and the family is spending time at their lake property, there’s a new distraction. The White Gloves is a secret society that takes in a select number of young women from the best families each year. And Sawyer, Lily, Campbell and Sadie-Grace have all received invitations. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. Sawyer’s recent discoveries make things awkward at her grandmother’s house. Campbell’s mother is in a downward spiral after the fallout from her husband’s arrest.  Sadie-Grace knows her step-mother is faking her pregnancy, but she doesn’t know if she should confront her or let the charade play out. And Lily has her up-in-the-air relationship with Walker to figure out. The White Gloves are a perfectly timed distraction.

But the Gloves’ competition also gives Sawyer a chance to dig into one more mystery from her debutante year. Whatever happened to her mom’s best friend Ana who also got pregnant when Sawyer’s mom did – and who disappeared almost twenty years ago?

Review

This was absolutely stunning – dizzying! The twist and turns in this left me in knots – and I loved every minute of it. I couldn’t stop thinking about this for 24 hours after I finished the final page – I even had dreams about the book! When I think about where the book starts vs where it ends, it’s almost like two whole books. What a wild ride! Masterful plotting in this one!

I missed some of Sawyer’s sass and spunk from the first book. In Little While Lies, she’s an outsider; she uses her words as armor to protect herself. In this book, that edge isn’t as sharp. She’s found family to a degree, and she has her crew of friends. It’s a necessary evolution to the character, but I missed the snark. I also missed the fellas. Walker and Boone are absent for a lot of this since the White Gloves is only for the ladies. Again, necessary, but I missed them.

I love the core group of girls in this. They have distinct, fascinating personalities and family situations. And I loved seeing them as more of a team than they could be in book one.

The structure of this is similar to Little White Lies. In that book, the story starts with the girls in jail and then goes back in time around a year to fill in the story. Periodically there’s a paragraph, or a few sentences, from the jail timeline so you don’t forget where everything is headed. This time there are three timelines. This book starts again with Sawyer and a friend in some danger. Then it goes back a few months to the start of the story. The third piece is from 25 years ago, and that is also threaded into the larger story. The author does a great job of cuing where the timing changes so just watch the headings and you’ll be fine. I loved trying to figure out how the three pieces would come together in the end.

As I said, the plot of this is dizzying. I can think of six major twists/revelations without even trying hard, and I’m sure there are more. I had to write them all out when I finished the book just to help my mind take it all in. WOW! I loved it. So many great surprises. I’m not sure there are unanswered questions to prompt a third book, but if Jennifer Lynn Barnes writes one, I am here for it! She is still one of my favorite YA authors.

These books definitely need to be read in order. If you love suspense and mysteries, or if you love books with some unexpected twists, be sure to check out the Debutantes series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Skyjacked by Paul Griffin

REVIEW: Skyjacked by Paul Griffin

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Michelle Okolo was completing an internship at the National Air Traffic Investigation Center (NATIC). She was a rising high school senior hoping to attend the US Air Force Academy after high school. The NATIC tracked air travel around the country to be sure planes stayed on course. Michelle’s first big test – a preparedness drill – didn’t end well for her, or for the passengers on the pretend plane. She had to wonder if she’d ever be good enough for the Academy.

Cassie, Brandon, Tim and Emily were best friends. And they were in Idaho on a camping trip. Jay was new to their school, but Emily adopted him like a stray and insisted he join them. The flight from New York to Idaho was Jay’s first trip on a plane. The return trip would be his second. They were chaperoned by someone from Cassie’s dad’s company. They were travelling on his private plane, too. And other than some risky choices on Cassie’s part during the camping trip, it was mostly an uneventful vacation.

When the kids get to the airport, they discover their co-pilot is out with food poisoning, so they are getting a sub. Frankly, Cassie has been on enough of these flights, she could probably co-pilot the plane herself!

After take off, the kids notice they are flying west instead of east. Then the plane climbs much higher that it’s supposed to, supposedly because of weather. At NATIC, Michelle and her co-workers watch the plane disappear from the radar. It’s been skyjacked.

Review

This was terrific. The short chapters and the tension and danger of the story made this a fast read. It played out like a TV movie with the folks on the plane speculating about what’s going on and trying to make a game plan while the authorities on the ground dig into the background of everyone on board to see who could be involved.

Plenty of twists and perilous moments drive the reader to keep turning the pages – I finished this in one sitting. There’s not a ton of depth to the characters due to the speed and intensity of the story, although there is some character development in the beginning before they get on the plane. It all comes together in a satisfying way. Don’t miss this exciting, action-packed story! (Violence)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥