Complex, layered YA that easily appeals to adults, too.
In this intricate YA tale, teenagers with special skills unite to confront bullying, though they end up fighting crime, murder, and terrorism.
From the opening car chase, this book grabs readers and holds on as it blossoms into a complex action-adventure with multiple intertwining plots. Smith (Sock N’ Boots—Afraid of the Dark, 2010, etc.) deftly juggles these numerous elements while creating a cast of believable, empathetic characters. Margo Rios, a bright reporter for her high school newspaper, is strong-willed and self-sufficient. She writes an anonymous blog and runs with the in crowd, which includes her best friend/soon-to-be mortal enemy, Kat. Margo scoffs at the idea that bullying could drive someone to suicide—until she sees it for herself. Margo is a different person. She continues her investigation of the student-run counterfeiting ring, which claimed the life of her friend Tony, and she finds that being ostracized from the popular crowd allows her to make new and interesting friends. Chief among them are Chase, a sound engineering genius; Corin, a multitalented exchange student from Italy; Jo Jo, a chemistry expert; and Taj, a computer wizard. Together they form Mind Over Bullies, a group that uses its myriad talents to out bullies and give them a taste of their own medicine. Eventually, MOB evolves into a true crime-fighting band of superheroes. Reminiscent of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, the teens outshine adults. They operate in their own world more or less autonomously, sometimes cooperating with grown-ups, other times circumventing them. Filled with numerous side plots involving family history, a mysterious corporation, a rare disease, terrorist plots, and more, Smith’s tale ties it all together seamlessly while continually sounding the bullying theme, which intensifies from everyday school harrying to a device for recruiting criminals. The conclusion sets up the next MOB exploit.
Complex, layered YA that easily appeals to adults, too.Pub Date: Aug. 31, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-5118-2563-4
Page Count: 378
Publisher: Khamicom
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A fresh and clever whodunit with an engaging twist.
A 16-year-old savant uses his Groundhog Day gift to solve his grandfather’s murder.
Nishizawa’s compulsively readable puzzle opens with the discovery of the victim, patriarch Reijiro Fuchigami, sprawled on a futon in the attic of his elegant mansion, where his family has gathered for a consequential announcement about his estate. The weapon seems to be a copper vase lying nearby. Given this setup, the novel might have proceeded as a traditional whodunit but for two delightful features. The first is the ebullient narration of Fuchigami’s youngest grandson, Hisataro, thrust into the role of an investigator with more dedication than finesse. The second is Nishizawa’s clever premise: The 16-year-old Hisataro has lived ever since birth with a condition that occasionally has him falling into a time loop that he calls "the Trap," replaying the same 24 hours of his life exactly nine times before moving on. And, of course, the murder takes place on the first day of one of these loops. Can he solve the murder before the cycle is played out? His initial strategies—never leaving his grandfather’s side, focusing on specific suspects, hiding in order to observe them all—fall frustratingly short. Hisataro’s comical anxiety rises with every failed attempt to identify the culprit. It’s only when he steps back and examines all the evidence that he discovers the solution. First published in 1995, this is the first of Nishizawa’s novels to be translated into English. As for Hisataro, he ultimately concludes that his condition is not a burden but a gift: “Time’s spiral never ends.”
A fresh and clever whodunit with an engaging twist.Pub Date: July 29, 2025
ISBN: 9781805335436
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Pushkin Vertigo
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
A top-class cozy infused with dry wit and charming characters who draw you in and leave you wanting more, please.
Four residents of Coopers Chase, a British retirement village, compete with the police to solve a murder in this debut novel.
The Thursday Murder Club started out with a group of septuagenarians working on old murder cases culled from the files of club founder Elizabeth Best’s friend Penny Gray, a former police officer who's now comatose in the village's nursing home. Elizabeth used to have an unspecified job, possibly as a spy, that has left her with a large network of helpful sources. Joyce Meadowcroft is a former nurse who chronicles their deeds. Psychiatrist Ibrahim Arif and well-known political firebrand Ron Ritchie complete the group. They charm Police Constable Donna De Freitas, who, visiting to give a talk on safety at Coopers Chase, finds the residents sharp as tacks. Built with drug money on the grounds of a convent, Coopers Chase is a high-end development conceived by loathsome Ian Ventham and maintained by dangerous crook Tony Curran, who’s about to be fired and replaced with wary but willing Bogdan Jankowski. Ventham has big plans for the future—as soon as he’s removed the nuns' bodies from the cemetery. When Curran is murdered, DCI Chris Hudson gets the case, but Elizabeth uses her influence to get the ambitious De Freitas included, giving the Thursday Club a police source. What follows is a fascinating primer in detection as British TV personality Osman allows the members to use their diverse skills to solve a series of interconnected crimes.
A top-class cozy infused with dry wit and charming characters who draw you in and leave you wanting more, please.Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-98-488096-3
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Pamela Dorman/Viking
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
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