An engaging and complex high school thriller.
In Alfano’s novel, a teenage girl finds out that her roommate and new best friend isn’t what she seems.
Fifteen-year-oldAri Worthington is at the top of the social ladder at the Perpetual Mercy School for Young Women, but she feels lonely there, so she’s excited to have a new roommate: Bentley “Jess” Jessup, who’s everything Ari could have asked for. She’s fun, free-spirited, and willing to stand up to the cattier girls in their social group. However, Ari’s other friends voice skepticism that Jess is truly trustworthy. After Ari attends an event with her politician father, she returns to school to find that Jess has changed her own hairstyle to copy hers; she’s also acting very strange, as when she insists that Ari delete a photo that she took of her. As time goes on, Ari gets other hints that’s something’s amiss with Jess, but it isn’t until Christmas break that all hell breaks loose and secrets are revealed—and Ari will be lucky to escape the relationship with her life. Alfano delivers a psychological thriller that will engage teen and adult readers alike. The text tends to repetitively dwell on differences between privileged rich girls and those who are less wealthy, but for the most part, it tells a fast-paced, unpredictable tale. Ari is a likable main character who’s just flawed enough to feel genuine, and Jess is an effective villain. The excitement continues after Jess’ big reveal, and as readers learn more about Ari’s family and past, it becomes clear just how well Alfano has weaved different narrative strands together to form a coherent, compelling story. The violence and rough language may be a bit much for younger teens, but those who are at least a bit older are likely to find this a captivating read.
An engaging and complex high school thriller.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 9781962675093
Page Count: -
Publisher: Flawed Realms Publishing
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Starts with a bang and closes with a knockout punch of an ending.
A violent attack hijacks a woman’s memory in this novel of domestic suspense.
McFadden wastes no time pulling the trigger in this harrowing story that starts with gunfire then swiftly propels readers into a crack tale of secrets and misdirection. Originally self-published in 2016, the book carries the same formidable weight as McFadden’s later novels featuring unsuspecting women who lose their power then fight to recapture it—mostly from men who have betrayed them. That formula perfectly fits Dr. Charlotte McKenna, a 37-year-old dermatologist who isn’t looking for love until the most handsome man she’s ever seen begins to woo her. There are warning signs about Clark Douglas and Charlotte overlooks them to her detriment—but is he a killer? The novel has dual timelines split between events leading up to the day Charlotte barely survives a head wound meant to kill her and the months afterward, when she struggles to reclaim her memory and her mobility. In real life, McFadden is a physician trained to treat brain injuries. Her expertise gives Charlotte’s rehabilitation authenticity, and her writing talent makes it interesting and engaging. As good as that timeline is, readers will yearn to get back to the alternate timeline about who wants Charlotte dead. It’s only a matter of time before Charlotte starts to remember who tried to kill her, and the clock is ticking toward their next attempt. McFadden dishes up plenty of suspects: Charlotte’s secretive husband, Clark; a former patient turned stalker who confronts Charlotte on her honeymoon; and the angry husband of a patient who blames Charlotte for his wife leaving him. Though the story is delicious and dark, McFadden brightens things up with a possible love interest for Charlotte and a surprise ending sure to please the author’s many fans.
Starts with a bang and closes with a knockout punch of an ending.Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2026
ISBN: 9781464249617
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Poisoned Pen
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2026
Nail-biting and pressure-packed.
Jack Ryan Jr. and company race to stop a killer wave in this Tom Clancy thriller.
The ship Meridian Star departs eastern Russia unknowingly carrying a pair of containers with radioactive cesium chloride. The vessel is hijacked and scuttled in Micronesia near the Mariana Trench, and the crew is murdered. A huge insurance claim results, and Jack, an accomplished deep-sea diver who works for Hendley Associates, is there to investigate. The hostile Chinese learn it’s there and want that illicit cargo. Meanwhile, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center discovers a huge, mysterious object in 600 feet of water. At that depth, the pressure is unsurvivable without complex special equipment, which is vintage Tom Clancy. Whatever the strange object is, it’s “not a ship…not a submarine…not an aircraft.” On the side is a faded hammer and sickle and Cyrillic letters that spell Siren. Ryan teams up with Navy divers, and they look for a way to safely enter and explore the object. They discover that the underwater contraption has thermonuclear warheads attached, left and long forgotten by the USSR. If the warheads explode, they could still achieve their apparent purpose—to trigger a tsunami and destroy Guam, which is strategically important to the U.S. The Chinese know it too, and the race is on to take control. The result is plenty of high-stakes undersea action, where death can come from a bullet, a knife, or a sliced air hose. But there’s action on land, too. Navy master diver Carla Bennett and Jack take on a surprise assault in a hotel where Carla shows off stellar fighting skills—better than Jack’s. These two aren’t the only heroes here, as there’s a well-balanced cast of characters, all brave and likable. And of course—of course—where there’s a bomb, there’s a ticking clock.
Nail-biting and pressure-packed.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2026
ISBN: 9798217183166
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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