A quick read that will keep readers’ attention through many twists and turns.
Third in the High Water series, this stand-alone volume combines fast-paced suspense with a spiritual message targeted toward young Christian teens.
Nothing means more to Harley Lotitto than Kemosabe, the beloved motorcycle he and his late father built together toward the end of his dad’s life (the name’s troubling associations are not addressed in the book). So, when Harley and his friend Parker Buckman find a cryptic note written in dramatic red ink and shortly afterward a mysterious caller tells Harley the shed where he stores his bike is on fire, fear and panic ensue. Thankfully, the damage is minimal, but emotions run high, and the resulting drama drives the plot as Harley, Parker, and friends Ella and Jelly are determined to find the culprit despite facing numerous obstacles. Uncle Ray, Harley’s guardian, is determined to access the funds from Harley’s dad’s life insurance policy. And Bryce Scorza, a quarterback who used to be Harley’s best friend, has stood in his way before. Could either of them be behind this? The third-person narrative alternates among various characters. Though the antagonist’s motives and actions may feel less than believable at times, the author keeps the tension taut leading to the page-turning finish. Spiritual themes abound, and the protagonists demonstrate spiritual and emotional growth as they explore the importance of friends and trusting God. The main cast is assumed White.
A quick read that will keep readers’ attention through many twists and turns. (map) (Mystery. 12-15)Pub Date: June 6, 2023
ISBN: 9781646071104
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Focus on the Family
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
A somewhat entertaining, fast-paced journey that fizzles at the end.
A teenager runs away to Seattle, hoping to locate her missing sister.
Fifteen-year-old Eleanor idolizes her older sister, Sam, despite their being complete opposites: Sam is outgoing and wild, while socially awkward Eleanor is known as Little Miss Perfect, always doing the right and safe thing. After Sam runs away from home, the only communication she has with Eleanor are three postcards sent from Seattle. Eleanor decides to trace her 18-year-old sister’s footsteps, leaving her messages and hopping on a bus to find her. But when Sam doesn’t meet her at the bus depot, Eleanor, who has no real plan, has to learn how to survive on her own while searching the city for her sister. While the close bond between the girls is well depicted through flashbacks, the reveal of an important secret ultimately feels anticlimactic. A major plot point relies too heavily on chance and coincidence to be fully believable. While the color scheme, cityscapes, and background illustrations are atmospheric, the manga-inspired drawing style comes across as dated and flat. The depiction of the fabricated stories Eleanor tells is intriguing, as are the themes of friendship, living in the moment, and maintaining hope; unfortunately, none are thematically strong enough to resonate. The emotional impact of Eleanor’s experiences is diluted by her at times humorous narration. Eleanor and the main cast read as White.
A somewhat entertaining, fast-paced journey that fizzles at the end. (Graphic novel. 12-15)Pub Date: April 26, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-50023-4
Page Count: 280
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: April 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2022
Quietly suspenseful, vividly character-driven, and poignant, with insights into cerebral palsy and the multiple meanings of...
A nonverbal teen becomes the “real-life password” to solving a terrible crime in this British import.
Sixteen-year-old Jemma has “no secrets of [her] own.” Quadriplegic due to cerebral palsy, she can’t move or speak and depends on her foster parents and her aide, Sarah, for everything from eating to using the bathroom. But people often share their secrets with her. After all, Jemma can never tell—even when Sarah’s sleazy boyfriend, Dan, hints at his involvement in a recent murder just before Sarah goes missing. But when innovative technology offers Jemma a chance to communicate, can she expose Dan’s secret before he silences her? Despite its suspenseful premise, the plot pales against Joelson’s (Girl in the Window, 2018) intimate, unflinching exploration of Jemma’s character; the book’s most powerful tension lies in Jemma’s simple, direct narration of her unrecognized, uncomfortably realistic frustrations and fears, such as patronizing adults who “don’t realize that [she has] a functioning brain” and her worry that her overwhelmed parents will stop fostering. Refreshingly, the author’s detailed depiction of augmentative and alternative communication explores both the joy of self-expression and the physical and mental effort it requires. Jemma’s bond with her chaotic but supportive foster family grounds the story, particularly her touching rapport with her younger foster brother, Finn, who’s autistic and also nonverbal. Most characters appear white.
Quietly suspenseful, vividly character-driven, and poignant, with insights into cerebral palsy and the multiple meanings of “family.” (Suspense. 12-15)Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-9336-9
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Aug. 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2019
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