by Kyra Leigh ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 4, 2022
Lackluster.
Lizzie Borden’s story gets a contemporary reimagining.
Sisters Charlotte and Maddi grieve for their deceased mother. They were told her heart stopped, but they find that suspicious. To make matters worse, Amber, their mother’s young personal assistant, is now dating their dad and wearing their mother’s jewelry. When Maddi uncovers poison in their house, the siblings start to question whether their dad and Amber had something to do with their mother’s death. They share their worries with Uncle Jake, their mom’s brother, and new student Lana seeks Charlotte’s friendship and offers to help as well. However, Charlotte and Maddi soon learn the only ones they can truly trust and rely on are each other, and drastic measures may be warranted. Readers familiar with the true Borden story will know that murder is coming, but this novel’s focus is on the mindsets and emotions of the sisters as their grief turns to anger and rage. Short chapters shift between Charlotte’s and Maddi’s narratives. Charlotte in particular feels like an unreliable narrator, as she constantly questions and contradicts herself, which will make readers question her mental state. The story has all the trimmings of a slow-burn psychological thriller, but the straightforward, repetitive text is dull while the twists and turns are obvious and lack shock value or are simply not believable. Main characters are assumed White.
Lackluster. (author’s note, resources) (Psychological thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Jan. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-37552-5
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2021
Share your opinion of this book
More by Kyra Leigh
BOOK REVIEW
by Kyra Leigh
by Holly Jackson ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 2, 2024
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
Share your opinion of this book
More by Holly Jackson
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
by Holly Jackson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 4, 2020
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense.
Awards & Accolades
Likes
56
Our Verdict
GET IT
New York Times Bestseller
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
Share your opinion of this book
More In The Series
More by Holly Jackson
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
More About This Book
BOOK TO SCREEN
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
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.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.