Part high school drama, part suspense, the fast pace will keep readers on edge from start to finish.
“You are cordially invited to a night of murder and mayhem!”
Juniper Torres, Ruby Valentine, Parker Addison, Brett Carmichael, and Gavin Moon receive mysterious invitations from the Ringmaster to attend a murder-mystery dinner contest. The winner will receive a $50,000 college scholarship—something they each desperately need. As they arrive at the Cherry Street Mansion and take their seats around a table, it is obvious that the Ringmaster has more in store for them than a simple game. Reading dossiers for their characters for the evening, it becomes evident that they have been watched for a long time and that the Ringmaster—clearly someone who knows them well—is in the house and is out for revenge: revenge for what happened at Dahlia Kane’s Christmas party months ago; revenge for the secrets they each carry that could ruin all their lives. From the first page there is an ominous feeling as information about each character is revealed, leaving readers trying to guess who is behind the mysterious Ringmaster. While the mystery is the main focus, the complex relationships between the characters and how they evolve really drive the story. The fear is palpable, and the surprise is real as readers gradually unravel the tangled web of lies. Juniper is Latinx, Gavin is Asian, and the other main characters are white.
Part high school drama, part suspense, the fast pace will keep readers on edge from start to finish. (Horror. 14-18)Pub Date: Dec. 11, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5344-4324-2
Page Count: 320
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: Nov. 11, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Enticing and original.
Abandoned by her sisters, Io Ora must trust Bianca—former mob queen, now dying wraith—to help her find the hidden gods and end them forever in this duology closer that follows Threads That Bind (2023).
Io and Bianca cross mudflats that harbor deadly chimerini and dodge the violent, unpredictable tides that flood the Wastelands, where humans have struggled to survive ever since the Collapse shattered the moon into three pieces. The youngest of the Moirae-born (sisters with Fates-like powers), Io is able to see the threads governing every human fate in the Quilt. She can end a life simply by cutting another’s life-thread, but the cost is high: Each time, she must sever one of her own 35 threads. As Bianca traverses anarchic wastes and dangerous urban slums ruled by powerful gangs on the way to their destination, the teeming city-nation of Nanzy, she weakens but pushes on. Despite setbacks and betrayals, the two discover unexpected allies willing to risk their lives to confront the gods. Io’s personal evolution, like the Moirae’s silver threads, is woven seamlessly into the complicated plot. While her romance with Edei is satisfying, the story’s emotional driver is the sisters’ difficult history of loss, longing, pain, and betrayal; each bears scars from their old, set-in-stone rivalries. Io’s world has an epic thematic scope and an intricately imagined setting. The characters are diverse in appearance, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
Enticing and original. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: June 18, 2024
ISBN: 9780593528747
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
A surprise-filled thriller unfolding in an evocatively spooky setting.
Opening night at a new murder-themed amusement park attraction turns into a deadly race against an unknown assailant.
Billie Cooper, a recent high school graduate, has just received a promotion at Californialand, the theme park celebrating her home state where she’s worked for two years. Now she’s a ride operator in Murder Land, a new section inspired by infamous Southern California crimes. But Billie’s first night goes off the rails when a fellow employee dies on her ride. Determined to prove it was natural causes and not her fault, Billie teams up with her friend—and one-time hookup—Leon, her best friend, Grace, and Grace’s girlfriend, Sawyer. Together they uncover disturbing truths about the park’s hidden history. As the events of the night unfold, the stakes rise, and someone else dies. The story includes transcripts from a YouTube series detailing the park’s history and conspiracy theories tied to the property. While some plot points stretch believability, the theme-park setting adds to the intrigue. The diverse cast includes Billie, a queer Jewish protagonist with a rebellious streak, white-presenting Grace, who wants to pursue film studies, Korean Canadian Sawyer, who speaks French and is into hacking, and Leon, who’s queer, cued white, and an engineering student. The atmospheric backdrop sets this work apart from similar stories. Fans of Natasha Preston and Eireann Corrigan will appreciate the fast-paced plot and compelling twists.
A surprise-filled thriller unfolding in an evocatively spooky setting. (map) (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9781464226540
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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