A fast-paced read with strong appeal for reluctant readers who are true-crime fans.
Locked out of her house one night by her controlling father, Joanne is targeted and becomes one of a group of teens abducted for their blood.
Jo is taking cover at a bus shelter when a representative from the Street Youth Network convinces her that they can provide her with a bed while she gets back on her feet. It’s in fact a devious ploy. She’s drugged and wakes up in a locked basement where she finds a group of homeless teens, all nonconsenting blood donors. The diabolical reason for the blood draws is all the more ominous because it’s just about plausible: Their blood is being used in anti-aging treatments at the exclusive Re-JUVE-nation spa. The tension intensifies when one of the captives learns that the spa is moving. The teens speculate that they will be left behind—once they are entirely drained. Jo has a plan, and it’s all heart-pounding action from there as Jo attempts to evade the dogs and Taser-wielding guards and escape. Although the focus is firmly on the action, the story provides a peek at the plight of street kids and ends on a realistic note. The cast defaults to White.
A fast-paced read with strong appeal for reluctant readers who are true-crime fans. (Thriller. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 17, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4598-2685-4
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
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
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