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ALL EYES ON HER

Name: ALL EYES ON HER
Author: L.E. Flynn
ISBN: 978-1-250-15817-8

by L.E. Flynn ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 18, 2020

Intense and thought-provoking.

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High school senior Tabby becomes the subject of national media scrutiny after her swimming champion boyfriend dies under suspicious circumstances.

These things are certain: Seventeen-year-old Tabby and her college athlete boyfriend, Mark, went hiking up the treacherous summit known as the Split. Mark was found dead two days later; Tabby, who returned safely, is the primary suspect in this golden boy’s death. Did he slip, or was he pushed? Everyone else in their small Colorado town has an opinion on Tabby’s guilt or innocence, especially when the Amanda Knox–like case draws national attention and Tabby’s dubbed the “Blue-Eyed Boyfriend Killer.” In short, taut chapters complemented by diary entries, texts, police interviews, and tabloid articles, those who know the couple (e.g., Tabby’s sister, her rival, and their best friends) confess their sides of the story directly to readers. Ratcheting up the tension are secrets of their own along with their unreliable versions of Tabby and Mark’s relationship, including their possible sexual indiscretions and jealousy. But is the judgment greater because Tabby is female? As even complete strangers assess her culpability, Flynn explores slut-shaming culture and unrealistic expectations forced upon teenage girls in this edgy psychological thriller, perfect for fans of We Were Liars and One of Us Is Lying. All characters are white.

Intense and thought-provoking. (Thriller. 14-18)

Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-250-15817-8

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Imprint

Review Posted Online: March 10, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020

Categories:

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT MYSTERY & THRILLER

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THE CHANGING MAN

by Tomi Oyemakinde ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 26, 2023

A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.

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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

Categories:

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT MYSTERY & THRILLER | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT PARANORMAL & SUPERNATURAL

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THAT'S NOT MY NAME

by Megan Lally ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 26, 2023

A gripping tribute to resilience.

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A girl with amnesia and a boy suspected of harming his girlfriend overcome adversity to find the answers they seek.

A 17-year-old girl wakes up in a ditch, disoriented and with no memory of who she is or what happened. Found by the Alton, Oregon, police, she is brought to the station. Soon after, Wayne Boone, a man claiming to be her father, shows up. He has photos of her on his phone and her high school ID card, with the name Mary Boone. Wayne convinces the police to release Mary into his custody. The more time Mary spends with Wayne, however, the weirder things get: He’s unaware of her food allergy, and as her memories start to return, they don’t conform with Wayne’s versions of her life. In the town of Washington City, across the Willamette River, Drew is in a bad place. His girlfriend, Lola, has disappeared, and Drew was the last person to see her. His adoptive dads and cousin are the only ones who support him; everyone else, including the sheriff, thinks he’s responsible for Lola’s disappearance. Intent on finding Lola, Drew finds help in an unlikely ally, Lola’s best friend, Autumn, who is the sheriff’s daughter. But will they find Lola in time? The two immersive storylines bring to life the trials and frustrations each main character faces in this debut, which is a thrilling delight right up to the unexpected and bittersweet conclusion. Most characters are cued white; one of Drew’s dads is Guatemalan.

A gripping tribute to resilience. (Thriller. 14-18)