An unnerving but uneven thriller.
Cass is obsessed with figuring out who murdered her worst bully—because they followed her very own plan.
Cass is known for having survived a fire as a child. Her brother pulled her out—but her friend Sara wasn’t so lucky. Now, she’s tormented by Melody, Sara’s cousin. Cass is called “Fire Girl” and treated as a loose cannon; only her best friend, Gideon, views her without stigma. One night at a party, Cass gets drunk and details how she’d kill Melody, outlining the perfect murder plot. When Melody and the notebook containing Cass’ plans are missing, Cass becomes paranoid and frantic. She receives threatening texts but daren’t tell the police in case they find out about her notebook. Her need to find the murderer distances her from Gideon as she hides information from him, too afraid he’ll start seeing her like everyone else does. She careens into her own reckless investigation, no longer able to draw a clear line between the girl she once knew herself to be and the vengeful Fire Girl she’s perhaps been all along. Cass’ feverish journey becomes repetitive as she hammers on the same suspects with little success. Rather than being led along a tightly drawn line of suspense, it feels like running full force into walls. However, the reveal on the other side is both well earned and eerie. All major characters are white.
An unnerving but uneven thriller. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-72821-052-0
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: March 10, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020
A chilling and engaging thriller.
A gamer is forced into the deadliest challenge she will ever engage in.
When the first anonymous message comes through her phone, Crystal thinks she is being trolled again, but she soon realizes that her sister has indeed been kidnapped and is being held hostage, while the person who took her forces Crystal into playing a game of increasingly bizarre and violent tasks with a 24-hour time limit. Even though she and her sister seem to be at the center of it all, Crystal’s best friends and esports teammates start to fall victim when her tormentor makes her choose between their lives and her sister’s. As the hours pass, Crystal uses her gaming instincts to discover who is behind it all and why she and her friends are being targeted. She must succeed before her sister dies—and her own secret is unveiled. Urban’s novel doesn’t pull punches as readers follow a thrilling cat-and-mouse game between Crystal and an anonymous figure. A few predictable twists don’t ruin the overall experience, as its strongest feature is Crystal’s rich and complex relationships with her violent, alcoholic father; her friends; and her sister and the ways they intertwine with her own past mistakes and the secrets she and her friends are keeping. Crystal is assumed White; there is some racial diversity in the supporting cast.
A chilling and engaging thriller. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-250-79719-3
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2021
An inspiring, powerful tale of belonging.
The follow-up to Lobizona (2020) sees its protagonist’s fight for equality and acceptance reach new heights.
After the events of the first book, Manu and her friends flee their magical school and are on the run to avoid the Cazadores who aim to capture anyone who doesn’t conform to the stringent gender binary laws of their world. Manu, as the first ever known female werewolf and a Septimus/human hybrid to boot, could lose her life if she’s discovered. Illegal in both worlds, Manu’s only chance is to find the Coven, a legendary underground movement of outcasts who she hopes will welcome them with open arms. Once she meets the people of the Coven, Manu encounters a world full of Septimus who are willing to risk anything for change. But how far is Manu willing to go? In this effervescent sequel full of magic and beautiful imagery, Manu learns to reclaim her own narrative and, together with her lovable found family, including misfits Saysa and Cata as well as boyfriend Tiago, stake out a place in the world where she belongs. Refreshingly, Manu and her friends are not presented as uniquely positioned to change the world: They join a multigenerational, ongoing fight against oppression that aims to give voice to the nonconforming voiceless. All characters are Argentine, with a variety of skin tones, gender identities, and sexualities.
An inspiring, powerful tale of belonging. (Paranormal. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 17, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-23915-0
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
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