A memorable cast bolsters this captivating blend of teen drama and techno-thriller.
This debut YA novel finds a withdrawn teenage nerd mingling with the in crowd and potential cyberterrorists.
Young Matty Weber struggles with PTSD after watching his parents die in a car fire. He moves in with his grandmother in Southern California and settles into his socially awkward life. The 16-year-old is understandably taken aback when popular cheerleader Samantha Carter strikes up a conversation. She needs his computer prowess to find a deleted file—video footage of a sexual assault—likely still hiding in the cloud. But does she want to recover this footage or ensure that it’s gone for good? As Matty and his best friend, Gabriel Mason, struggle with this dilemma, their social status gets an unexpected boost. While Matty has long had trust issues, Gabriel willingly loses himself in the popular set. At the same time, cyberterrorist attacks in major cities worldwide shock everyone, and computer viruses secretly hit casinos around the globe. While Gabriel suggests this “cyber event” has ties to Samantha’s request, he is stunned when someone in his new clique winds up kidnapped. In this series opener, DiBarone intentionally keeps readers in the dark, delivering enigmatic details ranging from a mysterious figure on the day of the car fire to drones that apparently monitor the teens. The latter half pieces together most of the puzzle but leaves some bits for the sequel to presumably pick up. Still, this engrossing book introduces a bright, sympathetic hero whose PTSD triggers dreams of his parents as well as headaches and fainting spells. The supporting cast is equally intriguing. Gabriel’s reliability wavers, and it’s not easy to tell if Samantha is using Matty or harboring genuine feelings for him. The author’s straightforward prose smartly tackles such issues as bullying and low self-esteem. But the story is sometimes too on-the-nose; for example, Matty constantly engages in or starts discussions about trust. The ending boasts a surprising resolution considering that this is the first installment of a saga.
A memorable cast bolsters this captivating blend of teen drama and techno-thriller.Pub Date: March 10, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-66571-950-6
Page Count: 362
Publisher: Archway Publishing
Review Posted Online: March 31, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
Readers will be captivated by this twisty thriller and its uncompromising protagonist.
The mother Annabel Price thought was dead returns with a story about where she’s been—but 18-year-old Bel knows she’s lying.
Ever since Rachel Price’s unexplained disappearance 16 years ago, true-crime fans have come up with plentiful theories about what happened. Bel and her family members, who are white, cobbled together lives for themselves after a jury found Bel’s father, Charlie, not guilty of murdering his wife. Beset with medical bills for his elderly father, Charlie recently agreed to participate in a documentary about the unsolved mystery. Black British filmmaker Ramsey Lee is well into the process of interviewing the Prices when his project gets an unanticipated boost after an exhausted, disheveled Rachel staggers back into town. Rachel is eager to resume her role in the family, but the inconsistencies in her accounts raise alarms for Bel. With the help of the youngest member of the filmmaking team, Bel sets out to learn what really happened. Along the way, someone else disappears, and Bel uncovers a tangle of lies that make it impossible for her to trust people she thought she knew. When things come to a head the night of her grandfather’s 85th birthday party, Bel ends up in a race for her life. The last quarter of the novel tears along at a breakneck pace before arriving at a satisfying and unexpected conclusion.
Readers will be captivated by this twisty thriller and its uncompromising protagonist. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9780593374207
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
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