Fast-paced and twisty.
A teen’s secret social media account reveals her family’s location to their enemies.
Fourteen-year-old Lydia thought she was unremarkable, a girl who’s overlooked because her programmer father bans social media use. When she rebels and guesses the parental control password on her tablet, she connects more easily with classmates and starts having fun. (This thankfully short-lived part of the story suffers from some teen movie cliches.) When Lydia is awakened and attacked by an armed home intruder, the story ramps up. She and her father go on the run, fleeing an organization called Wolverine. A tense car chase ensues, and Lydia is shocked that Dad has a gun. Since Wolverine is looking for her dad, the two part ways for Lydia’s safety, but complications prevent her from following their plan to get to a safe house. Lydia’s characterization is stronger once she’s on the run, trying to figure out whom she can trust out of a secondary cast of suspects all claiming to want to help her. Spies, big tech, criminal groups, and a hacker organization add background glamour as Lydia, who’s cued white, unravels her father’s past. The technology itself stays in the background; the nonstop action and Lydia’s internal struggles as she gains confidence and agency distract from elements that tech-savvy readers will find implausible. Unresolved threads at the end leave room for a sequel.
Fast-paced and twisty. (Thriller. 9-14)Pub Date: June 30, 2026
ISBN: 9798347103348
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
A snappy mystery that’s full of heart.
A group of bright friends tackles the puzzle of their lives.
Elmwood, New Hampshire, 11-year-old Gina Sparks is small in stature but big on reporting ongoing dramas for the local newspaper with support from her journalist mom. When an unbelievable scoop comes her way, Gina must rely on her tightknit crew of sixth grade best friends whose initials happen to spell GEEK, a label they choose to proudly reclaim. She and science-minded prankster Elena Hernández, theater kid Edgar Feingarten, and driven math genius Kevin Robinson decide to get to the bottom of things when they learn that the Van Houten Toy & Game Company heir made elaborate plans to leave everything to the town of Elmwood before her death—but only if a member of the community could solve an intricate multistep puzzle. Gina hopes that deciphering the clues and finding the missing fortune will be just the thing to revitalize the down-on-its-luck town and bring the Elmwood Tribune back into the black, saving her mom’s job and Gina’s passion project. The GEEKs work together, using their individual talents and deductive reasoning skills to unravel the mystery. Infused with media literacy pointers, such as the difference between fact and opinion and reminders to avoid bias when reporting, the story encourages readers to think critically. Gina and Edgar read as White; Elena is cued as Latinx, and Kevin is implied Black.
A snappy mystery that’s full of heart. (Mystery. 9-13)Pub Date: Jan. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-37793-2
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
A heartily satisfying string of entertaining near-catastrophes, replete with narrow squeaks and spectral howls.
Three young ghost trappers take on deadly wraiths and solve an old murder case in the bargain to kick off Stroud’s new post-Bartimaeus series.
Narrator Lucy Carlyle hopes to put her unusual sensitivity to supernatural sounds to good use by joining Lockwood & Co.—one of several firms that have risen to cope with the serious ghost Problem that has afflicted England in recent years. As its third member, she teams with glib, ambitious Anthony Lockwood and slovenly-but-capable scholar George Cubbins to entrap malign spirits for hire. The work is fraught with peril, not only because a ghost’s merest touch is generally fatal, but also, as it turns out, as none of the three is particularly good at careful planning and preparation. All are, however, resourceful and quick on their feet, which stands them in good stead when they inadvertently set fire to a house while discovering a murder victim’s desiccated corpse. It comes in handy again when they later rashly agree to clear Combe Carey Hall, renowned for centuries of sudden deaths and regarded as one of England’s most haunted manors. Despite being well-stocked with scream-worthy ghastlies, this lively opener makes a light alternative for readers who find the likes of Joseph Delaney’s Last Apprentice series too grim and creepy for comfort.
A heartily satisfying string of entertaining near-catastrophes, replete with narrow squeaks and spectral howls. (Ghost adventure. 11-13)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4231-6491-3
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 28, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2013
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BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
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