Here's the synopsis: Chloe didn't think about it much when she nodded off in study hall on that sleepy summer day. But when she wakes up, snow is on the ground and she can't remember the last six months of her life. Before, she'd been a mediocre student. Now, she's on track for valedictorian and being recruited by Ivy League schools. Before, she never had a chance with super jock Blake. Now he's her boyfriend. Before, she and Maggie were inseparable. Now her best friend won't speak to her. What happened to her? And why can't she remember?
November's meeting is Friday, November 14th. See ya there!
WOW! This one blew me away! It completely grabbed me at the first few pages and did not let go. In fact, I'm still baffled by it now - in a good way.
Your quickie synopsis: Eighteen-year-old identical twins Alice and Rachel have always shared a very special bond, so when one is abducted the other uses their connection to try to locate her.
You've heard about identical twins having a special bond, right? Well these twins have an even closer bond than your typical twins. They are monoamniotic-monochorionic, meaning that they shared the same amniotic sac and placenta in their mom's uterus. This is extremely rare, occurring in about 1% of twins. Bottom line - they share a unique bond.
The story begins with the twins, Alice and Rachel, meeting friends at the local fair. Alice abruptly decides to leave the group to hunt down a candy apple. A few mintues later, Rachel cannot find Alice anywhere. Her friends dismiss her worry, because Alice runs off on a routine basis. But Rachel can feel that something is seriously wrong. Alice did not just run off. This time, it's serious. She knows because strange clues begin showing up that prove Alice is in danger.
There are so many aspects to love about this book. From the third page, I was completely fascinated by the world the author created. The language is so descriptive and alive with sights, sounds, and smells. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing. But the gripping plot kept me going too. Wow, you have to be on your toes with this plot. Read carefully and pay attention. That's about all I can say without giving away spoilers. These spoilers are way too juicy and meant to be discovered on your own.
Check out the trailer below and the author's website here.
Noa wakes up on an operating table in a dark, mysterious place that is most definitely not a hospital. She narrowly escapes and ends up on the run. After getting her hands on a computer, she begins to get small shreds of clues to what happened to her.
She is able to hook up with Peter, the head of an underground hacktivist group called the ALLIANCE who is also on the run. After digging around in his father's files, Peter angered the wrong people.
Noa and Peter seem to have the same dangerous men trying to hunt them down and kill them. Together the try to piece together the huge mystery behind Noa's mysterious operation and Peter's dad's affiliation with these men out to kill them.
I loved this! It had non-stop action, an exciting plot, and wonderful characters. I really enjoyed all of the computer stuff. Obviously, they made it seem so easy to hack into large corporations. I'm sure it's more difficult in real life. But it was super fun reading about it, nonetheless. Gagnon is a wonderful writer. This will leave you on the edge of your seat. Seriously, you'll be begging for the sequel. I have no idea when it's coming. But I know this will be a trilogy.
For more, check out the author's website here.
Also, enjoy the short, but creepy trailer:
In 2063, Freya and her mother are captured and taken away. When she wakes up, she doesn't remember anything and....it's 1985. This is weird for us, but not for Freya, because she doesn't remember anything, at first. But she slowly begins to feel like she doesn't belong. She begins having nagging feelings that she can't explain. She even runs into a guy that she feels she's met before, although he doesn't remember her. The circumstances around her father's death are also sketchy. She begins investigating the few details she has about his death and her past.
This is an ambitious book. The author takes on time travel, dystopia, global warming, ESP, the 80's, as well as robots. For the most part she succeeds. I began to care about the characters, and that usually is the saving grace for me. If I can't care about the characters, then it's downhill with no going back on my part.
I enjoyed the time spent in 1985, but I felt the author was a little heavy handed with the 80's details. Maybe it was because I recognized them and felt they were gratuitous Maybe I wouldn't have noticed it so much if it had been a time period I wasn't familiar with? I don't know. I'll be interested to see if other readers felt that way too.
One other aspect that I want to comment on was the chapter long exposition that took place in the middle of the book. It couldn't be helped. But it was still jarring. Since the main character left 2063 so quickly at the beginning of the book for the mystery to begin, the reader didn't know anything about her world. So, this forced the author to tell us all about it in the middle of the book. I'm not sure she had any other way to go about this large task. Nevertheless, it interrupted the flow of the book.
There were many other aspects that I did enjoy. Again, I loved the two main characters, and the relationship they formed. I liked the way the clues seeped into Freya's life in interesting ways to help her figure out the mystery. Finally, I was intrigued by the future society that Freya lived in. I was interested enough to want to read more about that, even if I was troubled by the premise of how the society ended up the way it did.
If you're intrigued by the idea of someone being thrown into the past, without any clear idea why, you'll love this. Read more about the book and the author at her nifty website below:
Katie moves to the small southern town of Southport, North Carolina with the goal of making a fresh start. Alex, owner of the general store, notices Katie seems quiet and scared when she comes in to purchase her few essential items every week. She's obviously been through sometime traumatic and seems to be hiding. Katie warms up to Alex's acts of kindness towards her, but is still nervous to get too close.
Katie begins to love her new life in Southport. But as she grows to love Alex, she must decide whether or not to let Alex completely into her life or to keep the dark secrets hidden and risk losing him forever.
If you've read a Nicholas Sparks book before, you know that it typically involves romance and tears. This does both, although I was pleasantly surprised that it also included a good amount of suspense in the second half. Additionally, I loved the way he shifts points of view throughout the main characters, so you really get into their head. It kept me anxiously flipping through the pages to get to the end.
A good storyteller creates characters you care about enough to continue reading. Sparks does that here. I enjoyed the characters and the plot. He definitely pulls the heartstrings, as he usually does.
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore was just awarded the Alex Award on the freshly released ALA Awards. The Alex Awards is a list of outstanding adult books recommended for teens. It's in the vein of THE WESTING GAME and THE DA VINCI CODE, sort of. It's acutally a pretty unique puzzle/mystery/fantasy book all in its own.
Clay Jannon wanders into Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore because of the "help-wanted" sign. Little does he know that the store will change his life forever. It's no ordinary bookstore. Behind the few shelves with new books are these other mysterious looking, extremely tall shelves filled to the ceiling with one-of-a-kind books. Not simply rare books, but books that are literally the only one with those words.
After getting hired, Mr. Penumbra gives Clay an unusual set of instructions. After each customer transaction, he must write down everything about that customer's actions, clothes, and state of mind in the log book. Although the term "customer" seems to be incorrect, since the customers are merely exchanging their books for other books off the shelves in the back. No one pass any attention to the "regular" shelves in the front.
Mr. Penumbra told Clay not to look inside the books in the back, under any circumstances. But as things get weirder, Clay may not be able to resist any longer. What's in those books, and who are these quirky characters who are reading them? And why is the store open 24-hours, but rarely has any customers?
I loved this unique adventure! It's filled with secret societies, rare books, puzzles and codes, as well as Google headquarters! I'm not sure whether or not the information about what Google is really like, but it sure was fun reading about it. I loved the weaving together of old books and new technology. I also enjoyed the cast of characters, who were charming and fun.
Highly recommended!!
Check out this video of the author. I love when he talks about people asking him to pick between Books or Cool Stuff. I agree with him that we can love both! Click and the link will open up to the video on Amazon.
**NEW** Check this out! Macmillan Audio has graciously allowed me to share the first 13 minutes of the audio book! Click here to listen. The narrater is perfect!
At seven-years-old, Ethan was abducted from his front yard. It’s nine years later and he’s been returned to his family.
He’s so happy. His parents and siblings are happy. But after a short while, his brother, Blake, becomes increasingly angry at him. Ethan isn’t sure why. His new little sister has become fast friends with him. His mother and father are both so thrilled to have their family whole again. What's up with his brother?
Blake begins to question Ethan about the abduction. Ethan can’t remember anything about it or anything before the abduction. Blake makes accusations and begins investigating Ethan. Ethan just wants to be left alone to enjoy his new family. Why won’t Blake leave it alone? Are there really secrets to uncover about the incident?
I enjoyed Lisa McMann's CRYER'S CROSS, so I chose to read this one too. Ethan is a sympathetic character. I felt his pain and longing for his "normal" family. His little sister is a wonderfully engaging character. However, the ending left me wanting more. A lot more. I'm hoping there is a sequel. I'm not a fan of these kind of endings unless there is a sequel. But that's just me. Others loved the ending. You decide! And please, let me know what you think of the ending, if you read it.
Check out Lisa McMann's website. Below is the trailer:
Violet is staying with her artist father when her dream of visiting Japan comes true. Her father has been commissioned to paint a mural in the Japan office building of a prominent Yamada family.
A mystery begins in Seattle when a few Van Gogh sketches are stolen from the Yamada's Seattle mansion. It continues in Japan and involves a ransom note, Japanese gangsters and an unexplained suicide.
TOKYO HEIST packs art, action, anime and Japanese culture into an intriguing mystery. It's brimming with lively characters and an engaging plot that will keep you reading long into the night.
I really adore this book! Violet is a smart and interesting character. She draws manga, so she has an artist perspective, like her father. The author has brilliantly integrated a mini manga story drawn by Violet into the the plot. It doesn't take over. It's just the right amount to make it intriguing.
Also, I love the way the author has sprinkled Japanese culture and vocabulary throughout the book. It fits nicely, without being too much for the reader to comprehend.
Overall, this is brilliant novel with lots of energy and excitement. I'm shocked to see that this is the Diana Renn's first book! I eagerly await her next one.
Find out more about the author at her amazing website here. And check out the trailer below:
SECONDS AWAY is the sequel to SHELTER, Harlan Coben's new YA series. I loved Shelter, so I was eager to dig into this one. I read it only a few days, which is saying a lot. My schedule right now is very tight, so to be able to knock this one out so quickly shows just how awesome it is!
The story picks up right where it left off. Literally. Mickey is standing in the Bat Lady’s house listening to her story about a photograph of a Nazi torturer who looks strikingly similar to the paramedic who rescued him a few years ago. In other words, the man who took away his father. But that would make this man about 85 years old. Surely, he’s not the same man.
Not only do we have the continuing mystery surrounding the death of Mickey’s father, but we have a new juicy mystery for this installment. Mickey is on the telephone with Rachel moments before shots are fired in her home. Who could be after her? Is she keeping secrets from him? He begins to question whether she has a hidden agenda for befriending him.
This mystery series had seemed so innocent and simple when I first picked up SHELTER, but it sneaks up on you, grabs you and won't let go until you finish! I had a few more late nights with the sequel, and I’m looking forward to even more when the next book comes out!
Click here for the series website. Check out the trailer below! SECONDS AWAY comes out on September 18th.
Flavia de Luce is one the most curious, charming characters I've had the pleasure of spending time with in a while.
I love this introduction to the series from Alan Bradley's website:
Picture an ancient country house somewhere in England. The year is 1950.
Picture a girl who lives there with her most unusual family. Her name is Flavia de Luce—and she’s almost eleven.
Picture a long-abandoned Victorian chemistry laboratory; no one ever goes there but Flavia.
Put them all together and you’ll have a new kind of detective fiction . . .
Flavia de Luce lives spends a lot of time in her chemistry lab, which was originally occupied by a distant relative whom she looks up to because of his science acumen. Although Flavia herself is becoming quite the scientist herself; She has a particular passion for poison. She also has a problem leaving any mystery unsolved. So when an attempted murder happens on her own property, she's the first one to begin the investigation. The local Inspector is not thrilled having a precocious, but accurate, eleven-year-old showing him up with clues and theories, but he begrudgingly takes her help.
This is a delightful mystery! Flavia will capture your heart early on and you'll be sad when the book ends. Not only is Flavia a delightful, snappy character but the dialogue is to die for. The tone of this series is part gumshoe detective, part proper British mystery. It's sharp, witty and seriously funny.
Alan Bradley has written several Flavia de Luce novels, but you don't need to read them in order. There are six so far and this is the third one. The series has its own website here. Check it out and pick one to begin the adventure.
Cryer's Cross has a unique setting and an interesting main character. The town has a population of 212, which means that our main character Kendall attends a one room high school with only 24 students in all four grades. When one teen girl disappears, it makes a huge impact on such a small community. Foul play is such a rare occurrence. The whole town searches for Tiffany, but after five days there are still no clues and no suspects.
Kendall returns to school and tries to get back into her normal routine, which is a little different from your typical teen. She's OCD, so she likes things just right and in order. Fortunately, this trait may help her solve the mystery of Tiffany's disappearance, because she picks up clues that others miss. When someone close to her disappears, she becomes even more intent on solving they mystery.
I really enjoyed this mystery. It has a touch of romance and a rich sense of setting. I felt at home in this small town. Kendall and her friends and family are interesting and likeable characters. In fact, they really make the book, since there wasn't as much action as you might expect for a mystery. It's also a little creepy (in a good way!) and a lot suspenseful! You'll most likely want to read it in one sitting.
One little note about character names. One character's name is Jacian. Even though the character tells us how to pronounce it, it doesn't feel right to me. I went several pages having trouble pronouncing it in my head. So, I made my own pronunciation and then I was able to go smoothly throughout the rest of the book. Character names that are hard to pronounce annoy me. But, I got over it here. At least we got the character telling us how to pronounce it, which is helpful for sure.
Lisa Mcmann's WAKE trilogy has been popular in my library, so I plan to read those too.
Check out Lisa McMann's websites and her other books here. You'll get an idea of the creepy-factor when you watch the trailer:
It's the sequel to VARIANT, yay! I snagged an advance copy at the Texas Library Association conference, and I got it autographed. So that was super cool!
If you read Variant, you know that it ended with quite a shocking cliff-hanger. If you did not read Variant, please avert your eyes now! Otherwise, you will be spoiled. You've been warned.
If you remember when we left Benson, he had just escaped with Becky from Maxfield Academy. Shortly thereafter, he came across a little town outside the gate where he saw Jane. You know, the Jane who had been previously discovered to be a robot when they killed her inside of the school.
In FEEDBACK, we learn why Jane is in the town. We also see many more people from the school in the town. There is a much bigger, scarier scenario going on then Benson could've imagined. But the Benson we all know and love comes up with a plan.
This sequel is just as exciting as the first book. The plot thickens. Benson is put to the test over and over again. His dogged determination seems to make him stronger and stronger with each challenge. I enjoyed seeing his relationship with Becky blossom. Again, the action gets exciting near the end and we're left with another cliff-hanger! The last half of the book had me flipping pages at lightning speed. I can't wait to see what more people thing of the ending!
FEEDBACK is due out in October. Mark your calendars. And if you haven't read VARIANT yet, get on it!
After so many dystopians and fantasies, I was ready for a mystery! I had heard that Lisa Scottoline was going to be on a lunch panel that I attended at the Texas Library Association Conference last week, so I wanted to read one of her books. I'm so glad I did. I have another great mystery writer to recommend!
Ellen Gleeson's life changes dramatically one day because of a postcard in the mail. The postcard has a picture of a young boy with a caption that says, "Have you seen this child?" The picture looks remarkably like her own son. She decides to let it go. Surely it's a coincidence.
However, being a reporter, it was really hard for Ellen to let it go. She began researching her son's adoption. As she digs deeper and deeper, she gets a sinking feeling about the whole situation. What would she do if indeed her son wasn't really her son. What if he was kidnapped? What would she do with that information?
That's really all I need to say. I don't want to spoil any more of the plot, and it's a pretty intriguing concept without me saying much more.
I loved it! It was an emotional ride. I enjoyed the journey with Ellen. Of course, since I'm a mother, I could feel her anguish. There were real unexpected emotional sections that pulled at my heart. Ellen is a great character! I loved her boss and her father too. Anyone who picks this one up won't be able to put it down!
This is an adult mystery, but appropriate for high school teens.
Check out Lisa Scottolline and her other books here.
The summer after graduating as valedictorian, one might find Christopher Newell's choice for a summer job a bit unexpected. He decides to work in the morgue. He figures it fits into his master plan of becoming a spy. Surely working as a janitor in the morgue will afford him the chance to glean some details about forensic science. That's the plan anyway.
But Christopher ends up with way more than a few factoids about dead bodies. When they finally do get a dead body in the morgue, it's declared a suicide by the medical examiner. But when Christopher gets a closeup look at the body, he has a hunch that it's not a suicide at all, but a murder.
Christopher ends up working with at hungry newspaper reporter looking to get her big break. After a few more clues pop up, they decide the story is worth investigating.
This is a fast paced, murder mystery with a fun bunch of characters. Christopher is smart, brave and great at piecing together the many puzzles in the mystery. Tina McIntyre feels like your stereotypical tough as nails, jaded newspaper reporter at first, but then she develops into a full fledged unique character. Christopher's little brother, Daniel, is my favorite character of all. He's sharp as a tack and so witty. Trust me, you'll wish he was your little brother!
THE MORGUE AND ME has a wonderful old-fashioned mystery tone. I felt like I was reading Dashiell Hammett a little bit along the way. I really loved it! I hope John C. Ford writes a lot more mysteries! I feel we're lacking good mysteries in the YA field right now.
Anyway, here's the author's website, if you'd like to learn more about him.
I love it when a debut author blows me away! This book is a spectacular combination of mystery, supernatural, and science fiction with a powerful romance. It may sound like a tall order to pull off, but the author does is brilliantly.
Emerson Cole began seeing ghosts shortly before her parents were killed in an accident. After their death, she had a bout with depression and was sent to live in a mental hospital. Finally, with the right combination of meds, she stopped seeing the ghosts.
She moved in with her older brother and his wife and planned on attending her senior year in her hometown. But, after being a zombie for so long on medication, Emerson decided to wean herself off the meds. Of course, this brought on the apparitions again.
Her brother called in a specialist to help her with her "problem." Emerson was doubtful, but agreed to meet with Michael, the specialist. Her takes her by surprise when he reveals that he sees the same "ghost" jazz band that she sees. He convinces her that he's there to help her. In fact, he's part of an organization called the Hourglass that's made up exclusively of people like her with special skills. And the ghosts she's been seeing aren't really ghosts, but ripples in time.
Emerson begins to learn a lot about her abilities, as well as what she can do together with Michael. But it involves some danger, so she must make some tough choices.
This book really has it all. The suspense is gripping, the romance is electric, and the supernatural aspects are unbelievable! It's truly an original.
The ending didn't necessarily predict a sequel. So I didn't expect one. However, I was THRILLED to hear that a sequel is due out in June, called TIMEPIECE. I just can't wait to get back to these characters! You will LOVE this!
The trailer for HOURGLASS is below. It's short & sweet, but I really liked the music. It evokes the mood beautifully.
You may know Harlen Coben from his adult thriller novels. In fact, Mickey Bolitar, our main character in SHELTER, was introduced in the latest Myron Bolitar novel LIVE WIRE. I didn't realize this until after reading the book. I knew Coben wrote adult novels, but I didn't realize that Mickey was in another of his book. I love it when characters show up in different storylines like that, so now, I'll want to read that book next...
Back to the novel at hand. SHELTER is Coben's first young adult novel and it's great! Mickey Bolitar and his parents had just settled into a new life. Previously, Mickey's parents did charity work around the world, so he lived all over. His parents decided to settle down and give Mickey a "normal" life for the remainder of high school. Ironically, tragedy struck shortly thereafter. After choosing a "safe" life, Mickey's father gets killed in a car accident.
His mother doesn't take it well and ends up in rehab, so Mickey moves in with his uncle Myron. He begins adjusting to high school life somewhat. Meeting pretty Ashley, also new to the school, helps a lot. They become close and he even begins to think of her as his girlfriend. But one day, she vanishes without a trace.
Mickey can't help but investigate and ask questions about what happened to her. But he's also piqued by another mystery. The neighborhood crazy, everyone calls her "Bat Lady," makes a rare appearance outside her house one day. She tells Mickey that his father isn't dead before rushing back in her house. He goes after her, but can't get her to respond to his questions.
Having two mysteries to solve takes a help. Mickey ends up with a few unlikely friends. Spoon is a geeky guy that gets picked on by all, except Mickey. Spoon has a few technical skills that come in handy. Ema is girl who had no friends until Mickey. She's sharp, funny and a great asset to Mickey.
I loved this fast moving mystery. It ends up more complicated than you think it'll be. I loved the varying threads of history woven throughout. Finally, I have to say - thank God there is a sequel! The ending leaves you hanging and you will be dying to read the next book! I highly recommend SHELTER!
Check out the website for the book here and the trailer below:
We join Michael in prison. He begins explaining his story with a few lingering mysteries. Something tragic happened to him as a child that was so bad, he was called the Miracle Boy for having survived. Also, he doesn’t say why he’s in prison. Although, as he tells his story, we’re able to figure out or at least made some educated guesses about how he ended up in prison. As for the other mystery, you just have to be patient.
After Michael’s tragedy, his uncle takes him in. His uncle isn’t really the fatherly type, but he does take him to various specialist to try to help him, since he stopped speaking after the tragedy. As a teen, Michael begins taking apart and studying how locks work. He becomes really good at picking locks. This talent gets inadvertently observed at school, so some bullies rope him into breaking into a house. Michael ends up being the only one left when the owner of the home, Mr. Marsh, shows up. Mr. Marsh arranges to be the administer of Michael’s punishmennt. He forces Michael to do hard labor at his house. But gradually, he forces him into criminal activities by blackmailing him.
Michael tells his story in two time periods simultaneously. In one, we watch Michael gradually become immersed in the criminal life, while the other we see him leading that life with confidence. At first, I wasn’t sure if I would like going back and forth. But the author executed the plot flawlessly. Plus, you have that mystery of what happened to Michael hovering over the entire plot. You wonder what happened to make him so damaged that he hasn’t spoken in almost a decade.
I loved it! It was suspenseful, and I liked the charcters. I also became really interested in lock-picking and the art of safecracking. (don’t worry, I won’t become a criminal or anything) I highly recommend it. It's an experience I won't soon forget.
The book is an adult book recommended for older teens. It was awarded the Edgar Allan Poe award for best novel, as well as the ALA's Alex Award.
Clarity (Clare) Fern has a unique family. Her mother reads minds, her bother talks to ghosts, and Clare is psychic. The three of them together run a business out of their house conducting readings for people. They live in a beach town in Cape Cod, so the summer tourist business is pretty good.
However, this summer their small town has a scare when a tourist winds up dead in a motel room. Right away, Clare's mother is worried that the tourist business will dissolve as the scared tourists leave town. But that fear is nothing compared to what Clare feels after her brother tells her that he was with the victim the night she was killed. Clare worries that if the cops find out, he'll be the prime suspect.
Clare is asked to help the police with the murder to see if she can sense anything helpful. The new detective in town is suspicious of her talents, so she really wants to prove herself. But she's also hoping to keep the knowledge of her brother's contact with the victim a secret. The detective makes her work with his apprentice son on the case. He has the same suspicious attitude about psychics, and he seems to hate her. She's dubious of their partnership. Unfortunately, he's so cute, it's distracting to her.
Will she be able to keep her brother out of the investigation? Hopefully she'll be able to solve the murder fast enough to keep her brother out of it.
This is a fun, supernatural mystery. The writing is good, and I really enjoyed spending time with Clare and her family. In fact, I kind of felt like there's another story is in there. And, lo and behold...a sequel is on the horizon!
It's called PERCEPTION and it's coming out in March, so yay!
For now, check out the book trailer below for CLARITY:
Benson Fisher has been tossed around for years from foster home to foster home. He’s never stayed anywhere long enough to make friends. He longs to go to a good school. So, when he’s accepted to Maxfield Academy on a scholarship for orphans, he’s thrilled. He thinks he’ll finally get the education he wants. Since it’s a boarding school, he’ll be able to settle in and make friends.
When he arrives at Maxfield, he realizes that it’s not exactly as the brochure promised. Right after the driver drops him off, the strangeness begins. Two of the students run out of the school and chase the car out to the gate. Later he learns that the two students were punished for running after the car. Then his orientation is lead by a student close to his own age, named Becky. You can imagine his surprise when Becky explains to him that all the classes are taught by students. In fact, the whole place is run by students. There are no adults in the building at all. But that doesn't mean they get the run of the place. Cameras are everywhere. Rule-breaking is still punished.
Benson asks to leave, but it’s too late. He isn’t allowed to leave. All the other students explain to him that no one ever escapes, and if they try, they die. Parents and family members aren’t an issue, since all of the kids are orphans and have no one to come looking for them. It gets worse as Benson realizes that he seems to be the only one who cares about escaping. But if his choice is attempting to escape and possibly dying or staying in the prison-like school, Benson feels he has no choice but to try.
What a chilling, marvelous ride! Every time I put this book down, I couldn’t wait to get back to it. Literally you’ll want to read this in one sitting. The suspense builds slowly throughout each page until the end where you will be SHOCKED!
Benson is a great character, and you'll definitely root for him. The surrounding characters are surprising, but curious. You'll wonder about them. The action is well paced and exciting.
Check out the author here. This is is first YA book.
I love, love, love Maureen Johnson's books, so I didn't need any convincing to read this one. Although, at first, I somehow thought it was historical fiction, because of the cover. And that felt odd, coming from MJ. So, anyway, it's not historical fiction at all. It's a murder mystery and sooo much more! (although it does have history in it.)
Aurora, or Rory as she likes to be called, is from New Orleans. Her parents are professors, so she gets to go to England with them for a year. Her parents go to Bristol, while Rory gets to go spend the year at a proper British boarding school called Wexford.
Rory is doing her best to fit in and learn British terminology and important stuff like how the United Kingdom and Britain are not the same thing. Also that the English will play hockey in any weather. (not ice hockey - field hockey). However, rather than fitting in, Rory ends up standing out when she is a witness in a murder investigation.
All of London is on the edge when a string of murders replicate Jack the Ripper murders from over a century ago. Police think Rory is the only witness to the murders, so they get close to her and learn all they can about why this man is interested in her.
I don't want to give too much away, because the story has so many delicious discoveries. But I will say that this book has all of the wit, humor and sheer awesomeness that all of MJ's books have. If you've read her, you don't need my convincing to read this one. If you haven't read any of her books, then this is a fabulous one to start with. My reviews of some of her other books are here.
This is the beginning of a series called SHADES OF LONDON. I will be reading the next one as soon as I can get my hands on it! Check out Maureen Johnson's website here.
