Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




2011 Best Books for Teens: Mysteries & Thrillers


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Cover art for DELIRIUM
CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 1, 2011

"The abrupt ending leaves enough unanswered questions to set breathless readers up for volume two of this trilogy. (Science fiction. 14 & up)"
Oliver's artfully detailed prose reveals, brick by brick, the sturdy dramatic foundation of an initially implausible premise. Read full book review >
Cover art for STRINGS ATTACHED
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 1, 2011

"National Book Award–winner Blundell (What I Saw and How I Lied, 2008) delivers a brilliantly conceived novel set against the backdrop of the 1950 Kefauver mob hearings and the Red Scare with a story of redemption and truth at its core. (Historical fiction. 14 & up)"
Caught up in dreams of dancing on Broadway, Kit Corrigan unwisely accepts an apartment and a nightclub job from mob lawyer Nate Benedict in exchange for keeping tabs on his son Billy, who's enlisted in the Army along with Kit's brother, Jamie. Read full book review >
Cover art for BLINK AND CAUTION
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 8, 2011

"Wynne-Jones' finest, most beautifully written novel yet, one more in a career full of distinguished works. (afterword) (Mystery. YA)"
Two teenagers hurt by life "with its never-ending snares and pitfalls and dire consequences" come together in this elegantly constructed noir mystery and love story. Read full book review >
Cover art for OUT OF SHADOWS
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 15, 2011

"In its portrayal of race relations in a wounded country as well as of the ugly power dynamics of a community of adolescent boys, this novel excels, bringing readers up to the grim, uncertain present with mastery. (Historical fiction. 14 & up)"
A boarding-school story set in the aftermath of the Rhodesian Civil War examines evil from all sides and provides no easy answers. Read full book review >
Cover art for TIGHTER
CHILDREN'S
Released: May 10, 2011

"A contemporary reboot that does the original proud. (Fiction. 12 & up)"
Drug addiction and tainted love mess with the mind of a befuddled au pair in this creepy update of Henry James' The Turn of the Screw. Read full book review >
Cover art for ANYA'S GHOST
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 7, 2011
by Vera Brosgol, illustrated by Vera Brosgol

"A book sure to haunt its reader long after the last past is turned—exquisitely eerie. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)"
A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her. Read full book review >