Companion – book review

The Companion by Katie Alender Mystery Suspense Thriller Teen * * * Stars (Pretty good) After a terrible car accident leaves Margot an orphan, she is taken in by a wealthy family who knew her father. Thinking she has found a new home, Margot discovers that her role is different than she expected. The Suttons’ hospitality is conditional. They expect Margot to be a companion to their teenage daughter, Agatha, who has a mysterious illness … Read more

Long Distance – book review

Long Distance by Whitney Gardner Graphic Novel Mystery Science Fiction Tween * * * Stars (Pretty good) Vega’s dads have just moved their family to Seattle, Washington, and they’re sending Vega to camp so she can make some new friends. Vega isn’t super keen on this idea. Although she misses her bff, Halley, Vega doesn’t think she needs any more friends in her life. Camp Very Best Friend is definitely weird. The counselors are creepily … Read more

Unplugged – book review

Unplugged by Gordon Korman Funny Mystery Realistic Fiction Tween * * * Stars (Pretty good) As the son of a tech billionaire, Jett Baranov is accustomed to getting whatever he wants and is well known for his stunts, which have gotten him into plenty of trouble. Tired of paying for/covering up his son’s pranks (which are becoming more and more dangerous), Jett’s dad sends him (and one of his employees – Matt – to babysit … Read more

That’s Not What Happened – Read It and Rate It

That’s Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger Horror Mystery Suspense Thriller Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) In this story there are many twists, turns, and lies. We learn that there could be many perspectives of the story and that they can be changed as they get passed around. In this story Lee’s friend, Sarah died in a school shooting along with 7 others, and there were 6 survivors. Only 5/6 survivors … Read more

Inheritance Games – book review

The Inheritance Games Inheritance Games #1 by Jennifer Lynne Barnes Mystery Suspense Thriller * * * Stars (Pretty good) Teenager, Avery Grambs, is living in her car when she gets the surprising news that she is an heiress. Billionaire Tobias Hawthorne – recently deceased – has apparently left most of his fortune to her. No one seems to know what the connection is – why Avery? And the Hawthorne family are pretty upset. The only … Read more

murdertrending – Read It and Rate It

#murdertrending #murdertrending #1 by Gretchen McNeil Horror Mystery Suspense Thriller * * * Stars (Pretty good) When Dee Guerrera wakes up, she’s about to be murdered by a celebrity serial killer in his deadly maze on the prison island Alcatraz 2.0. But somehow she survives and the killer doesn’t. That’s when she meets some of the other inmates – all convicted for grisly crimes and sentenced to live out the rest of their days on … Read more

Wildwood – Read It and Rate It

Wildwood Wildwood #1 by Colin Meloy Adventure Fantasy Mystery Review #1 * Star (A waste of time!) While this book is well written, it was not my favorite. There is a sense of black magic woven throughout the whole book. And the antagonist is erring into the category of a sadistic villain. The antagonist takes pleasure in lying and twisting words so that other characters in the book will be lead astray by her. She … Read more

Patron Saints of Nothing – book review

Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay Mystery Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Filipino teenager Jay Reguero is all set to follow the path he’s supposed to – graduating from high school, going to college, finding a job, etc. Instead, he gets some really terrible news. His cousin, Jun, is dead. When Jay tries to learn more from his parents, they deflect, and Jay decides he will go all the way to … Read more

Oracle Code – book review

The Oracle Code by Marieke Nijkamp illustrated by Manuel Preitano Graphic Novel Mystery * * * Stars (Pretty good) Meet Barbara Gordon (daughter of Commissioner Gordon in the Batman comics) as a teen hacker who is paralyzed from the waist down after being shot, and ends up in the Arkham Center for Independence for therapy/rehabilitation. While there, she becomes suspicious of the Center’s proprietors and begins looking into the files of several patients who suddenly … Read more

Camp Spirit – book review

Camp Spirit Axelle Lenoir Funny Graphic Novel LGBTQ Mystery Realistic Fiction Romance Supernatural It’s 1994 and Elodie is being shipped off to summer camp (in Canada) to be a counselor, so she can make some money for college. After her mom abandons her, Elodie has to figure out how to adapt to camp life – looking after her wild redheaded charges, dealing with shared staff bathrooms, making peace with nature (she’s more of an urban … Read more