An exciting, exceptionally well-executed edge-of-the-seat read.
A bus ride home turns into a life-or-death situation.
This story for striving readers from acclaimed British novelist McKenzie is a fast-paced thrill ride. Hailey Jones, who has light skin, freckles, and pink hair, is a member of the Hightop Youth Singers, teens who perform numbers from musicals. As they leave their latest gig at a clifftop retirement home, an ominous storm is brewing. Even though their worried teacher is rushing them onto the bus, Hailey is distracted—brooding over her crush, a cute blond boy named Kit who’s taken with new girl Bex. Everyone seems fascinated with beautiful, talented Bex, who has glossy black hair and tan skin. Hailey takes a seat at the end of the bus, far from her friends Rosie and Samira, and her mood sinks even lower when Kit and Bex choose seats right in front of her and start eagerly chatting. Then, disaster strikes: A tree crashes through the roof of the bus, trapping Hailey, Kit, and Bex. They don’t know whether the others can hear their cries for help—and the back of the bus is teetering on the edge of a cliff overlooking the rocks and sea. In the ensuing series of nail-biting events, relationships shift among the trio as Hailey grows in her understanding of their social dynamics. Badosa’s stylish, dramatic illustrations appear throughout, greatly enhancing the emotional stakes of this page-turner, which is printed in a dyslexia-friendly font.
An exciting, exceptionally well-executed edge-of-the-seat read. (Thriller. 13-18)Pub Date: July 14, 2026
ISBN: 9781454962861
Page Count: 72
Publisher: Union Square & Co.
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
A gripping tribute to resilience.
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)Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781728270111
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An entertaining and atmospheric, though sometimes clumsy, exploration of the true cost of beauty.
In this retelling of a classic, a drama student’s obsession with beauty leads her down a dark—and possibly deadly—path.
Eighteen-year-old Penny Paxton is beginning her first year at Dorian Drama Academy in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she hopes to follow in her starlet mother’s footsteps—and earn the love that her mother has never seemed to offer. At Dorian, Penny is mentored by Royal Shakespeare Company legend Orlagh Camran, who makes her the compelling offer of a portrait by the Masked Painter, a mysterious artist with the ability to gift his subjects everlasting youth and beauty. But shortly after Penny’s portrait is complete, several of the Masked Painter’s subjects are found murdered. Fearing that she’s made a terrible mistake and may become the next victim, Penny, who’s gay, begins to investigate the murders with the help of an unlikely ally. As she attempts to uncover the truth surrounding the Masked Painter and the murders, she’s forced to reckon with her own toxic obsession with beauty. This chilling, atmospheric novel, inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray, is entertaining and full of twists, though some of the reveals feel contrived and some questions are left unanswered. The plot unravels at a leisurely pace but eventually builds to an action-packed (if somewhat convoluted) conclusion. Most characters are cued white.
An entertaining and atmospheric, though sometimes clumsy, exploration of the true cost of beauty. (content note, author’s note, bonus scene) (Fantasy thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9781250346797
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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