Remarkable story of adolescence with convincing characters and a bit of mystery.
A West Coast teen, shaken by his parents’ split, finds solace in notes and literary gifts from an anonymous friend in Craddock’s YA tale.
Josh Reece idolized his mother, a writer who shares her love of books with her son. But their relationship falters when Mom seemingly chooses her work over the family. Moving into an apartment with his father and his little sister, Josh has trouble adjusting to this altered life. As the new kid in school, he meets a genial soul in pink-haired Teagan Carter. Unfortunately, Josh also drifts toward a popular, rich kid who takes advantage of the much brighter Josh. This culminates in someone accusing the teen of a crime he didn’t commit. Meanwhile, Josh comes across a crate of books behind a dumpster near his apartment. He eventually reads them; some include notes written to Josh and are signed “Reader.” As he rediscovers his fondness for relatable literary characters, like Roald Dahl’s Matilda, Josh wants to know who Reader is. Is it his estranged mother or someone else who’s helping the teenager cope? Craddock’s coming-of-age novel stars an appealing, believably flawed protagonist. For example, Josh sometimes takes his anger out on the wrong people, like his kid sister. The author tackles weighty issues—racism, White privilege, and child abuse. On the lighter side are Josh and Teagan’s scenes. The two bond quickly, and romance seems inevitable. The conversational tone is courtesy of Josh’s first-person perspective. Though it’s not difficult to deduce Reader’s identity, the ultimate reveal segues into a wonderful, bittersweet final act.
Remarkable story of adolescence with convincing characters and a bit of mystery. (author bio, acknowledgements, author’s note)Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2020
ISBN: 979-8-66-996748-2
Page Count: 395
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Readers will be captivated by this twisty thriller and its uncompromising protagonist.
The mother Annabel Price thought was dead returns with a story about where she’s been—but 18-year-old Bel knows she’s lying.
Ever since Rachel Price’s unexplained disappearance 16 years ago, true-crime fans have come up with plentiful theories about what happened. Bel and her family members, who are white, cobbled together lives for themselves after a jury found Bel’s father, Charlie, not guilty of murdering his wife. Beset with medical bills for his elderly father, Charlie recently agreed to participate in a documentary about the unsolved mystery. Black British filmmaker Ramsey Lee is well into the process of interviewing the Prices when his project gets an unanticipated boost after an exhausted, disheveled Rachel staggers back into town. Rachel is eager to resume her role in the family, but the inconsistencies in her accounts raise alarms for Bel. With the help of the youngest member of the filmmaking team, Bel sets out to learn what really happened. Along the way, someone else disappears, and Bel uncovers a tangle of lies that make it impossible for her to trust people she thought she knew. When things come to a head the night of her grandfather’s 85th birthday party, Bel ends up in a race for her life. The last quarter of the novel tears along at a breakneck pace before arriving at a satisfying and unexpected conclusion.
Readers will be captivated by this twisty thriller and its uncompromising protagonist. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9780593374207
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense.
Everyone believes that Salil Singh killed his girlfriend, Andrea Bell, five years ago—except Pippa Fitz-Amobi.
Pip has known and liked Sal since childhood; he’d supported her when she was being bullied in middle school. For her senior capstone project, Pip researches the disappearance of former Fairview High student Andie, last seen on April 18, 2014, by her younger sister, Becca. The original investigation concluded with most of the evidence pointing to Sal, who was found dead in the woods, apparently by suicide. Andie’s body was never recovered, and Sal was assumed by most to be guilty of abduction and murder. Unable to ignore the gaps in the case, Pip sets out to prove Sal’s innocence, beginning with interviewing his younger brother, Ravi. With his help, Pip digs deeper, unveiling unsavory facts about Andie and the real reason Sal’s friends couldn’t provide him with an alibi. But someone is watching, and Pip may be in more danger than she realizes. Pip’s sleuthing is both impressive and accessible. Online articles about the case and interview transcripts are provided throughout, and Pip’s capstone logs offer insights into her thought processes as new evidence and suspects arise. Jackson’s debut is well-executed and surprises readers with a connective web of interesting characters and motives. Pip and Andie are white, and Sal is of Indian descent.
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-9636-0
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
