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
Rollicking good fun.
A pacy tale of a heist gone wrong.
Twelve-year-old New Yorker Ria Bailey, who has a “not-in-the-picture-at-all British dad” and a Bengali Indian mom, is about to start middle school with her best friends, Ghanaian immigrant tech genius Miracle Owusu and athletic Irish and Mexican American activist Annie Hernandez. When Ria’s art historian mother, a vocal advocate for repatriating looted artefacts, is pushed to resign from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Ria faces the prospect of leaving the only home she’s ever known. The plot thickens when a ruby resembling one stolen from the museum arrives at their apartment, along with a cryptic message. Worried about Ma’s possible involvement, Ria and her friends plot to return the ruby during their school’s annual museum sleepover. But their attempted reverse heist meets with unforeseen complications. They also encounter Zakir, a mysterious—and distractingly cute—boy. Before long, Ria and friends are racing through the city, dodging menacing strangers, meeting a tech billionaire, and unmasking a long-hidden conspiracy. A brisk pace and well-developed characters enliven this adventure that celebrates the diverse immigrant communities that keep New York thriving; a supporting cast of helpful uncles and aunties from different communities aids the girls in their adventures. DasGupta deftly weaves themes of cultural identity and history into a fun, contemporary storyline that explores the impact of colonization and capitalism on the Global South. Some suspension of disbelief is required, but the story builds to a satisfying finale.
Rollicking good fun. (author’s note) (Mystery. 9-13)Pub Date: April 21, 2026
ISBN: 9781338766875
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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