Mixed Media Mystery!

Thornhill

by Pam Smy

Hardcover, 533 pages

Published August 29th 2017 by Roaring Brook Press

ISBN: 9781626726543

Checked Out From Library

About: 

1982: Mary is a lonely orphan at the Thornhill Institute For Children at the very moment that it's shutting its doors. When her few friends are all adopted or re-homed and she s left to face a volatile bully alone, her revenge will have a lasting effect on the bully, on Mary, and on Thornhill itself.

2016: Ella has just moved to a new town where she knows no one. From her room on the top floor of her new home, she has a perfect view of the dilapidated, abandoned Thornhill Institute across the way, where she glimpses a girl in the window. Determined to befriend the girl, Ella resolves to unravel Thornhill's shadowy past.

Told in alternating, interwoven plotlines Mary s through intimate diary entries and Ella s in bold, striking art Pam Smy s Thornhill is a haunting exploration of human connection, and a suspense-filled story.

(Goodreads)

Rating: 4 Stars

Review: 

Told half in Diary format during 1982 and half in pictures in 2017 this book will keep you hooked all the way through. It focuses on bullying, loss, loneliness, friendship, family, and abuse. The two interwoven stories are heart breaking and at times a bit scary. The story is well written and will have you on the edge of your seat. The graphics are all done in black ink and are easy to follow, despite their lack of words. There is horror in the written story and mystery in the graphic part that come together as the perfect ghost story. It is an extremely quick read despite its number of pages. This hauntingly beautiful story is perfect for teens young and old who want a scary, but not too scary read. 

Something Wicked....

Daughter of the Burning City

by Amanda Foody 

Harrdcover, 384 pages

Published July 25th 2017 by Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 9780373212439

ARC On Netgalley

About:

Sixteen-year-old Sorina has spent most of her life within the smoldering borders of the Gomorrah Festival. Yet even among the many unusual members of the traveling circus-city, Sorina stands apart as the only illusion-worker born in hundreds of years. This rare talent allows her to create illusions that others can see, feel and touch, with personalities all their own. Her creations are her family, and together they make up the cast of the Festival’s Freak Show.

But no matter how lifelike they may seem, her illusions are still just that—illusions, and not truly real. Or so she always believed…until one of them is murdered.

Desperate to protect her family, Sorina must track down the culprit and determine how they killed a person who doesn’t actually exist. Her search for answers leads her to the self-proclaimed gossip-worker Luca, and their investigation sends them through a haze of political turmoil and forbidden romance, and into the most sinister corners of the Festival. But as the killer continues murdering Sorina’s illusions one by one, she must unravel the horrifying truth before all of her loved ones disappear.

Rating: 5 Stars

Review: 

I read about this book in a journal, and then was lucky enough to get a prerelease copy of it from Netgalley. I didn’t think I’d like it too much since it seemed to be mostly about a circus, but after reading it and being pleasantly surprised by it, I now know it’s about so much more.  There’s magic, murder, and mystery all wrapped up in a gruesome little bow. Even the reader will know that the “illusions” are getting killed off, it’s hard to guess who will be next. And predicting the killer is even more difficult. Freak shows have always interested me, so the fact that this story focuses on characters who are part of one made it only that much better. The “freaks” are all strange, dark, and quirky. Like the one who’s description reminds me of the Ents from “Lord of the Rings”. Most of them seem even dangerous. I wouldn’t want to mess with them at least.  The family that the “freak” created is sweet, even though they are mostly all illusions. It really hit on the topic of family importance and sticking together. I enjoyed that the very small touch of romance did not become a plot focus like it does in so many YA books. This is the author’s first book as far as I know, and she did a wonderful job with imagery that just makes you a part of the Burring City.  If you’re looking for a suspenseful who done it look no farther. Older teens and adults who enjoyed “Caraval”, “Daughter of Smoke and Bone” and “Night Circus” might find this book to be a perfect addition to their reading lists. 

Free Tea Leaf Readings!!!

The Leaf Reader

by Emily Arsenault 

Hardcover, 240 pages

Published June 13th 2017 by Soho Teen

ISBN: 9781616957827

From A Subscription Box

About:

Maybe, occasionally, some of the pictures I saw in teacups were not for the tea drinkers. Maybe some of them were for me.

Marnie Wells knows that she creeps people out. It’s not really her fault; her brother is always in trouble, and her grandmother, who’s been their guardian since Mom took off is…eccentric. So no one even bats an eye when Marnie finds an old book about reading tea leaves and starts telling fortunes. The ceremony and symbols are weirdly soothing, but she knows—and hopes everyone else does too—that none of it’s real.

Then basketball star Matt Cotrell asks for a reading. He’s been getting emails from someone claiming to be his best friend, Andrea Quinley, who disappeared and is presumed dead. And while they’d always denied they were romantically involved, a cloud of suspicion now hangs over Matt. But Marnie sees a kindred spirit: someone who, like her, is damaged by association.

Suddenly the readings seem real. And, despite the fact that they’re telling Marnie things about Matt that make him seem increasingly dangerous, she can’t shake her initial attraction to him. In fact, it’s getting stronger. And that could turn out to be deadly.

(Goodreads)

Rating: 4 Stars

Review: 

This was a solid read with plenty of twist and turns that will keep you guessing until the end. It’s a murder mystery with a touch of supernatural to it. Our main character, Marnie, is smart, honest, and eccentric. Her and her family doesn’t quite fit in, and yet people still like her. She draws people to her with her tea leaf readings. There aren’t too many tea leaf related YA books out there, at least not that I’ve come across, so this was an interesting take on a witchy/Harry Potter like story plot (though at the same time not like either of those. Read the book and you’ll kind of see what I mean). In this story, dead people might not be dead, alive people might not be alive, and magic may or may not be real. The story is short for a YA novel and is a quick read. There is drinking and drug use in the book so younger teens might not be ready for it but it is a story that older teens and adults might enjoy. 

I See Someone's Underpants???

I See London, I See France 

by Sarah Mlynowski 

Hardcover, 378 pages

Published July 11th 2017 by HarperTeen

ISBN: 9780062397072

Checked Out From Library, Recommended By A Patron

About:

I see London, I see France, I see Sydney’s underpants.

Nineteen-year-old Sydney has the perfect summer mapped out. She’s spending the next four and half weeks traveling through Europe with her childhood best friend, Leela. Their plans include Eiffel-Tower selfies, eating cocco gelato, and making out with très hot strangers. Her plans do not include Leela’s cheating ex-boyfriend showing up on the flight to London, falling for the cheating ex-boyfriend’s très hot friend, monitoring her mother’s spiraling mental health via texts, or feeling like the rope in a friendship tug-of-war. 

As Sydney zigzags through Amsterdam, Switzerland, Italy, and France, she must learn when to hold on, when to keep moving, and when to jump into the Riviera…wearing only her polka-dot underpants.

(Goodreads)

Rating: 4 Stars

Review: 

This is a cute romance that is definitely geared more towards High Schoolers or the College age group. It has a strong story that takes you into the adventures of Sydney and her pals/enemies. The backpacking storyline was an excellent choice and gives the reader a better view of our world, although as someone who travels, I would think dropping your plans and picking up and going to another random place, unplanned would be a bit unsafe and difficult. Maybe younger, braver people would disagree with me there. This book is full of crazy travel adventures, friendship, love, drinking, drugs, sex, food and more. In between all the fun stuff though, is the serious issue of mental illness. Sydney’s mom has a fear that grips her so tightly that most of the time she won’t leave the house. Sydney is the one that mostly takes care of her, but while on her European adventure both parties must learn to become independent. Sydney learns that she can leave her mom, and live her own life without worrying and her mom learns that she was relying on Sydney too much and that with practice learning to control her illness she can still do things on her own. I think that older teens and 20 somthings will gobble this book up. From what I’ve read there are plans for a second book too!

Wrong Place.... Wrong Time....

The Wrong Train

by Jeremy de Quidt

Hardcover, 224 pages

Published September 1st 2016 by David Fickling Books

ISBN: 9781910200810

Full Copy From Publisher

About:

Imagine that it's dark. You look up, and suddenly realize that you've taken the wrong train... so you get off at the next station. Only it isn't a station. And you're not alone...

(Goodreads)

Rating: 4 Stars

Review: 

Do you enjoy scary stories? How about multiple scary stories inside one big scary story?

“The Wrong Train” is just that. You have your frame story about a kid who gets on the wrong train, then gets off at a creepy stop where he’s the only person on a pitch black platform. There are no houses or cars as far as the eye can see. Only darkness. Then an old man with a lantern and a dog show up. This isn’t an ordinary man. He’s kind of creepy and loves to tell scary stories to pass the time. His stories are the “mini” stories inside of the big story. Despite the fact that there’s hardly any blood or gore, there is still plenty of suspense and creepiness to the point where I’d say don’t read this book when you’re home alone at night. There is a reason that this old man is telling these stories, which is a twist that you’ll find out at the end of the book. There are 8 “mini” stories inside of the bigger one, and they all play into the insecurities and irrational fears of everyday life. This book has a clever concept and will give you an old fashion scare. Due to the cover description not giving off too much information though, you may have to recommend this one to others yourself to get them reading it. If you’re a horror fan give this one a chance. Jr. High and High School students might enjoy getting their pants scared off with this one. 

Who Would You Choose?

This Is Not the End

by Chandler Baker

Hardcover, 384 pages

Published August 8th 2017 by Disney-Hyperion

ISBN : 9781484750247

ARC From Publisher

About:

On one cloudless, radiant summer afternoon, Lake Devereaux lost everything. The car crash claimed the lives of her best friend and boyfriend, the people who had become her family after her own fell apart. But she doesn’t have to lose them both.

The development of resurrection technology has changed the world. Under the new laws regulating the process, each person gets one resurrection to be used or forfeited on their eighteenth birthday. Mere weeks away from turning eighteen, Lake faces an impossible choice.

Envisioning life without one of the people she loves most is shattering enough, but Lake carries an additional burden: years ago, under family pressure, Lake secretly—and illegally—promised her resurrection to someone who isn’t even dead yet.

The search for answers about her future draws Lake more deeply into the secrets of her past until she begins to question everything about those closest to her. Betrayals and hurts both new and old threaten to eclipse the memories she once cherished.

Then Lake meets a boy unlike anyone she’s encountered before, who unflinchingly embraces the darkest parts of her life . . . and who believes that all resurrections are wrong.

Which path is the right one? And how can Lake start to heal when she can't move on?

(Goodreads)

Rating: 4 Stars

Review: 

I had a love hate relationship with this book. I read a review for it in a journal, then saw it presented during a webinar, so when I was fortunate enough to get an ARC I was beyond excited to get reading. It had such an interesting and unique storyline. Even as I read the book I kept thinking how different it was. The story itself is moving, beautiful, and sad. It hits on love, trust, loss, mystery, and family. It makes you think if you can bring back one person from the dead would you? And if your answer is yes, who would you bring back? Would that person even want to come back? So many philosophical ponderings for us readers! There are as many twists and turns in this story as there are in a rollercoaster. This book made me think long and hard about things to a point where I over thought and got disappointed in the characters choices, and that’s why it got the 4 stars. One example is, the three friends got into a car accident with another car and it was the "friend" driver who caused the accident. The driver of the other car who was with her young daughter at the time was killed. Why is it that none of the characters in the book thought maybe it was a good idea to bring back the mother who was killed instead of the goofy teens who were the ones who killed her and themselves? Doesn’t’ that little girl deserve her mom? Doesn’t that mom deserve a chance to see her daughter grow up? Doesn’t she deserve To be with her husband? To maybe have more kids?  Grrr! Sorry, star lost for things like that. It’s my review I can do things like that. The characters, even though most of them are in it for their own wants and can come off as horrible (the parents especially), are well written. Even when they’re horrible people the reader can see where they’re coming from, and how their emotions are effecting their decisions. When the life of a child is on the line, parents will do anything to save them, even turn on their best friends. This book would be a great read for a teens or adults who want to ponder and discuss life. It would also be a good read for those who enjoy “Thirteen Reasons Why”.   

Modern Day Romeo And Juliet?

Textrovert

by Lindsey Summers

Hardcover, 235 pages

Published May 2nd 2017 by Kids Can Press

ISBN: 9781771387354)

Checked Out From Library, Recommended By A Patron

About:

Summer is nearly over and Keeley is about to start her senior year when disaster strikes: she picks up the wrong cell phone by mistake.  Just her luck that it belongs to Talon, a totally arrogant jock  who’s just left for football camp—with her phone. Keeley doesn’t know him, but they’ll need to rely on each other to forward their messages for an entire week.

Talon is so full of himself, but Keeley quickly discovers he’s funny, too—at least his texts are. And he listens to Keeley—which is more than anyone else does. Texting Talon, she can be more than just the quiet twin sister of a popular boy. Texting Talon, she can be the outgoing person she’s always wanted to be. Soon the two are falling for each other, hard.

But when true identities are revealed and secrets are exposed, will Keeley’s feelings stay the same?

(Goodreads)

Rating: 4 Stars

Review: 

This book is not the sort of book that I probably would have picked up on my own. It was actually recommended to me by one of my teen patrons. We trade book titles that we love with each other all the time and this was her pick for me to read that month. I’m glad she recommended it! Even though it’s your typical teen contemporary romance, and you can probably predict most of what is going to happen, it’s still a sweet story that definitely relates to teens today. I loved how both teens agreed to stay anonymous and this led to them being able to be themselves. They didn’t have to act like the tough jock or the quiet introvert. Our main female could tell our jock off for being a jerk via text. And our jock could open up some.  Yes there were some clichés in the story, but it worked. Yes the characters are stereotypical, and this book probably won’t jump out at people from the thousands of other YA reads out there, but that doesn’t make it a bad read. It is a quick romance read that many high school girls will enjoy. In a way it is a modern day Romeo and Juliet. Want to know what I mean? Pick up the book! It is well written, and flows together perfectly. The plot twists, though predictable, are well done and will keep you reading. From what I was told, this book was originally called “Cell Phone Swap” on Wattpad. I’m so glad the title got changed. Over all this book gets four stars due to being cute but predictable. Give it to High School or adult readers who are looking for a quick fluffy book.  

A Lesson Learned

This is How it Happened

by Paula Stokes

Hardcover, 384 pages

Published July 11th 2017 by HarperTeen

ISBN: 9780062379931

Checked Out Form Library

About:

Somehow I’ve become a liar. A coward. Here’s how it happened. 

When Genevieve Grace wakes up from a coma, she can’t remember the car crash that injured her and killed her boyfriend Dallas, a YouTube star who had just released his first album. Genevieve knows she was there, and that there was another driver, a man named Brad Freeman, who everyone assumes is guilty. But as she slowly pieces together the night of the accident, Genevieve is hit with a sickening sense of dread—that maybe she had something to do with what happened.

As the internet rages against Brad Freeman, condemning him in a brutal trial by social media, Genevieve escapes to her father’s house, where she can hide from reporters and spend the summer volunteering in beautiful Zion National Park. But she quickly realizes that she can’t run away from the accident, or the terrible aftermath of it all.

Incredibly thought-provoking and beautifully told, Paula Stokes’s story will compel readers to examine the consequences of making mistakes in a world where the internet is always watching…and judging. 

(Goodreads)

Rating: 5 Stars

Review: 

I saw this book in a review journal and thought it sounds interesting. After reading the first handful of pages though I was thinking “Oh no. Not another, boyfriend dies, I feel guilty, blah blah blah book.” And “Boy this book is kind of starting off slow”.  I am so glad I kept reading a little more and proved all that wrong. While the book does start out semi generic it soon twists into a story about how things get manipulated and go out of control via social media and the internet. Cyber Bullying becomes one of the topics of choice, but it is handle in such a perfect way that we get to see and feel it through many perspectives. Our main character, Genevieve, is in a car accident that kills her boyfriend who was a YouTube star. Everyone on the internet rallies behind her and her now dead boyfriend, but they don’t have all the facts. Genevieve starts to worry about what happens if they discover the truth. She sees how people are saying horrible things about the other driver and even sending him death threats. Soon, they’re even showing up at his work, threatening his friends, co-workers, and family to the point where he has to quit his job and go into hiding. This leads to that driver’s life basically being ruined all the way to the point where he’s willing to kill himself to escape. During all of that Genevieve tries to get away from everything by going to stay with her dad and his new wife. I loved this part of the book. It takes place in Zion National Park and the author’s descriptions are perfect. I’d love to get to spend a summer working at a park like our main character did, minus all the cyber drama though. Throughout her stay with her dad, things happen back home involving the investigation, the other driver’s life, her friendships (new and old) and more, all which affect her state of mind at the park. She’s constantly trying to hide who she is and her secrets and it takes a toll on her. Should she come out and admit the truth and take all the bullying the other driver is getting? Should she stay silent and safe? Will they be worse to her then they are to the other driver since she’s taken so long to come forward? Then there’s the bit of new romance in the story, which adds to her turmoil of is it ok to like someone, maybe even date someone, this soon after your boyfriend who everyone loved, but who had cheated on her just died? Will the public attack her for “dating” a new guy, especially if they learn the truth? Genevieve’s love interest in Zion is a great character. He’s so nice and thoughtful. He has 2 dad’s who are into ninja warrior and even have their own gym to train for it. That brings in some much needed cuteness and fun to some pretty serious topics. The peacefulness and beauty of the National Park also brings something special to the heavy topics. This book is a testament to be careful what you read online. Even the newspapers sometimes don’t have all the facts. It shows just how cruel even the nicest people are willing to be when they can hide behind a computer screen and they think they are doing good. It shows just what can happen to a person when internet trolls attack them.  It is also a story about your morals. What would you do in her position? In the end, did she do what’s right? This book would be a great conversation starter for book clubs or possibly even amongst kids at school. It would also be a good read for those who are into “Thirteen Reasons Why”. This was a surprise like for me. I didn’t have high hopes for it going in but the author executed the story perfectly and got me thinking. I will definitely be looking into reading other things by Paula Stokes soon.