With poor structure and minimal stakes, this is a mystery best left alone.
A teen starlet is kidnapped and an investigative blogger is on the case in this series opener.
Taylor Prince is on top of the world. She's a huge movie star with critical clout and box office bona fides. But everything is turned upside down when her 16th birthday party is raided by kidnappers and Taylor finds herself in the clutches of a youth-obsessed cult. Brooklyn Brant lives on the outskirts of Taylor's world, reporting on all the Hollywood gossip with her popular blog, Deadline Diaries. When Brooklyn is tipped off to Taylor's abduction, the chase is on. Baker revels in all the frothy excess Hollywood has to offer, providing readers a surface-level look at the two different sides of fame's coin. Unfortunately this surface is barely penetrated, making for a book without any subtext. Characters boldly pronounce their intentions, their philosophies, and their allegiances. The dialogue is often clunky and exposition-heavy. The author also makes the curious choice of alternating the narrative point of view between the two teen girls, so readers know exactly where Taylor is at all times and are stuck patiently waiting for Brooklyn to catch up. There's no ticking clock involved with Taylor's dilemma, therefore there are no stakes to be raised at any point. Making things worse, Brooklyn doesn't solve anything; the answer is just plopped into her lap at the last minute.
With poor structure and minimal stakes, this is a mystery best left alone. (Mystery. 12-16)Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7624-5594-2
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Running Press Teens
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A smart, timely outing.
Two teens connect through a mysterious podcast in this sophomore effort by British author Oseman (Solitaire, 2015).
Frances Janvier is a 17-year-old British-Ethiopian head girl who is so driven to get into Cambridge that she mostly forgoes friendships for schoolwork. Her only self-indulgence is listening to and creating fan art for the podcast Universe City, “a…show about a suit-wearing student detective looking for a way to escape a sci-fi, monster-infested university.” Aled Last is a quiet white boy who identifies as “partly asexual.” When Frances discovers that Aled is the secret creator of Universe City, the two embark on a passionate, platonic relationship based on their joint love of pop culture. Their bond is complicated by Aled’s controlling mother and by Frances’ previous crush on Aled’s twin sister, Carys, who ran away last year and disappeared. When Aled’s identity is accidently leaked to the Universe City fandom, he severs his relationship with Frances, leaving her questioning her Cambridge goals and determined to win back his affection, no matter what the cost. Frances’ narration is keenly intelligent; she takes mordant pleasure in using an Indian friend’s ID to get into a club despite the fact they look nothing alike: “Gotta love white people.” Though the social-media–suffused plot occasionally lags, the main characters’ realistic relationship accurately depicts current issues of gender, race, and class.
A smart, timely outing. (Fiction. 12-16)Pub Date: March 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-06-233571-5
Page Count: 496
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
An atmospheric and entertaining thriller perfect for snowy night chills.
A group of teens stranded in a snowstorm discovers a murderer in their midst.
While traveling on the highway to a state theater competition, Nell and her friends Min, Raven, Adam, and Jermaine are caught in a dangerous blizzard. Their teacher, Mrs. McElroy, who is driving the minivan, decides to stop for the night at the run-down and shady-looking Travel Inn and Out. The motel is labyrinthine and spooky, with dingy corridors and walls adorned with moldering kitsch. Nell and the gang meet another group of kids who are also stranded by the storm, making fast friends. A game of Two Truths and a Lie starts out flirty and fun but devolves into something more sinister when one slip of paper reads “I like to watch people die,” and “I’ve lost count of how many people I’ve killed.” The snow falls and the winds howl, and soon power and cell service are lost, cutting off the motel patrons from the outside world. As the first victim is discovered and the body count begins to grow, the terror becomes palpable. Everyone at the motel seems to have an insidious secret: Will Nell be able to uncover the killer before they strike again? An homage to Agatha Christie, Henry’s locked-room mystery is tautly plotted, with quick-moving nail-biting chapters, relatable characters, and a deftly wrought setting that paradoxically manages to feel both claustrophobic and sprawling. Nell is White; there is diversity among the secondary characters.
An atmospheric and entertaining thriller perfect for snowy night chills. (Mystery. 12-16)Pub Date: May 24, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-32333-8
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2022
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