Readers will root for the multidimensional hero of this twisty whodunit with heart that’s sure to surprise and scare.
Izzy Bell might not know much Italian or understand why the handsome Jake Vargas has stopped texting her, but she does know how to help her mother, who has bipolar disorder.
All Izzy must do is master Italian and move to Italy to study art history, fulfilling the dreams her mom never got to fulfill (instead, her mom, Elizabeth Bell, got pregnant with Izzy’s oldest brother). To help improve Izzy’s mastery of the language, the summer before her senior year, the Bell family welcomes college-aged exchange student Alberto Bianchi to their Eureka, California, home. Only hot, flirty Alberto might be too good to be true, and true-crime podcast aficionado Izzy begins to question his real identity—and his real intentions. With a serial killer on the loose and a potentially disastrous storm approaching, Izzy’s primary focus is on survival. McNeil ratchets up the tension in her thrill-filled tale set in a vividly rendered small coastal city as “the Storm of the Century” approaches. Izzy is an engaging and fully developed protagonist who balances a confusing romance, rocky family dynamics, worries about the future—and, oh yeah, she potentially faces a serial killer. Following a slower first half, the pacing revs up as the story races to the action-packed finale in this crisply described, cinematic read that fans of Karen McManus will appreciate. Most characters read white.
Readers will root for the multidimensional hero of this twisty whodunit with heart that’s sure to surprise and scare. (Thriller. 12-18)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781368097437
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
A suspenseful story that starts off with great promise but fails to deliver.
A teenage girl struggles with the question of whom to trust in the age of social media exposure.
Thanks to Connie’s mom’s family vlog, her life is anything but private. She enjoyed it at first, but now, between the mean comments online and the cruel mockery from peers in real life, Connie feels like she’s in a prison. Her sister, Isla, says it’s worth it for the money, but Connie isn’t sure if that’s really true. Connie’s anger over Mom’s refusal to heed warnings that revealing so much puts them in danger continues to build. When she’s left alone for two weeks while Mom and Isla go on a college road trip, local girls start dying, and a fan reaches out on social media in an unsettling way, leaving Connie worried about her safety. White-presenting Connie’s sense of humor is charming, and her insights will earn readers’ sympathy as the tension builds. As emotions rise, Preston’s poetic language beautifully captures Connie’s feelings about her mom’s obsession with social media and her confusion about who is worthy of her trust. The topics of safety and the uncharted waters of social media are skillfully woven into the plot. However, some inconsistencies weaken the overall story: Apart from Connie, the characters are too lightly developed, and some plot points don’t align with earlier events and motivations, making the ultimate revelation a disappointment.
A suspenseful story that starts off with great promise but fails to deliver. (Thriller. 12-18)Pub Date: Dec. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9798217028009
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
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