These Deadly Games by Diana Urban

These Deadly Games by Diana Urban is suspenseful, shocking, and pulls on your heart strings with a high stakes twisty story line. This young adult psychological thriller with a game trope is a standalone novel and the first book that I have read by this author. 

What a first sentence! 

Then a reader’s emotions settle when they realize what’s going on. But the calm doesn’t last long. Sixteen-year-old Crystal Donovan gets a message on her phone during class wanting her to play a game. If she breaks the rules or tells anyone, her younger sister will die. Each task is meant to hurt someone important in her life. Will she play? 

Is it someone trying to take her team out of the upcoming state-wide gaming tournament? Or is something else motivating the kidnapper? Crystal was not always a sympathetic protagonist, but she was under tremendous pressure that affected her relatability. She’s a character that causes readers to feel a lot of emotions and she can be irritating at times and evoke empathy at other times. 

Other than her sister Caelyn who was likable, the other characters didn’t have a lot of depth and were somewhat unlikeable. There are several twists to the story, some predictable, while others are surprising. However, the earliest couple of tasks that Crystal needed to complete felt like they were solved too easily. While the writing brought to life the situation, I couldn’t tell that this was set in Vermont. It seems everyone has secrets. 

How do they play into the story? Who can be trusted? Who is the kidnapper? The author drew me into the story immediately. There’s terror, chills, intrigue and cunning. In addition to this, other themes abound. These include anorexia, domestic abuse, friendship, gaming, guilt, grief, blackmail, panic attacks, fear, terrible mistakes and much more. 

 Overall, this book was creative, intense, impactful, fast-paced, and thought-provoking. The suspense, action, and twists kept me glued to the book. Readers that enjoy psychological thrillers and gaming will likely enjoy this novel.

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus

With Two Can Keep a Secret , her follow-up to the excellent One of Us is Lying, Karen M. McManus proves she's not a flash-in-the-pan talent, but rather a pretty terrific storyteller, one who is tremendously skilled at depicting the complex behaviors of teenagers, and the mysteries that unfold in front of our eyes. Ellery and her twin brother Ezra have to leave their California home and move to Echo Ridge, a small town in Vermont, and live with their maternal grandmother while their mother goes to rehab. 

They've never been to Echo Ridge before, and barely know their grandmother, despite the fact that their mother grew up there, and was even crowned homecoming queen. But that night, their aunt (their mother's twin sister) disappeared and was never seen or heard from again. Their aunt's disappearance wasn't the town's only tragedy. Five years ago, Lacey Kilduff was crowned homecoming queen and was then found murdered shortly thereafter. 

It's a crime that affected many in Echo Ridge, as the murder was never solved, yet many town residents have their suspicions about who is guilty, and they take it out on anyone connected to him. "'I should probably preface this by saying...I think about crime a lot. Like, an abnormal amount. I get that. It's sort of a problem. So you have to take what I say with a grain of salt, because I'm just this...naturally suspicious person, I guess.'" For someone fairly obsessed with true crime, a town with as many secrets as Echo Ridge is a treasure trove for Ellery. 

Not only does she want to understand what happened to her aunt Sarah all those years ago (not to mention why her mother has kept them from Echo Ridge), but she begins finding clues to what might have happened to Lacey. And when it appears that someone is threatening to harm another candidate for homecoming queen, Ellery is determined to uncover all of the answers—but it may put her own life in danger in the process, because someone wants to keep the town's secrets hidden. Just like anytime I read a book that has any type of mystery component, I'm immediately suspicious of everyone. 

A new character shows up? Bam, they're a suspect. The funny thing is, McManus really did keep me guessing here, and while I wasn't shocked with how things resolved themselves, I wasn't disappointed either. There definitely were some good twists to be had here, and McManus gave you characters to root for and characters to instantly dislike. (And here's a funny point—this is the third book I've read in the last year with a main character named Ellery.) A hallmark of YA books is characters that are more articulate and sarcastic than most adults, and while that's certainly the case with the characters in Two Can Keep a Secret , it felt right here and didn't detract from how much I liked this. I also liked the way diversity was presented as almost an afterthought—there was too much going on in the high school and around town for anyone to focus on someone's sexuality or ethnicity. (I would have liked a same-sex relationship thrown in, but I know that wasn't the focus of the story.)

Haunting Adeline by H.D Carlton

DNFing at 50% 

 “When you make someone fall in love with the darkest parts of you, there’s nothing you can do that will scare them away. - They will be yours forever because they already love all the fucked up bits and pieces of you.”

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 This book definitely has that dark, atmospheric spooky vibe going for it which so many people seem to love… and at the same time I feel like there is a lot that can be critiqued about the execution of some of the ideas and topics that go on in this story (especially if you’re a more picky/critical reader like myself)… so I’m happy I gave it a shot because now I at least understand the divide in the reviews for this book… and I see both sides… but unfortunately it wasn’t for me. 

 I personally wasn’t enjoying the writing style and it didn’t have as good of a storyline as I was hoping for… I was imagining more of an intricately plotted out, creepy dark romance that would give me a spooky criminal minds/mindfuck series vibe with some crazy next level smut… but unfortunately that was not the case (at least from what I’ve read so far). I’m not a big fan of insta-lust/instant obsession… so that was making it hard for me to connect with Zade’s character. 

I wasn’t enjoying the naivety and stubbornness of Adeline…so I was having a hard time connecting with her. I didn’t care for the murder mystery/history repeating itself side-plot… and I didn’t like how there were so many inconsistencies in both of our characters personalities/actions. I know this is a dark romance and books like this are supposed to be next level twisted and messed up… and in theory I don’t really have a particular issue with reading about anything on the laundry list of trigger warnings this book came with… but realistically, how can someone’s life mission be to kill pedo’s, rapists, and human traffickers but then have him also be a stalker, force himself on his prey, and then justify it by saying she secretly wants him… she just doesn’t want to admit it to herself yet?

That’s literally what every single rapist says… How are you no better than the people you hunt down and kill?? It’s just too much of a contradiction for me - I think I would have been more fine with him just being a flat out crazy psycho stalker killer… and bringing in the human trafficking and other dark topics some other way. I was only halfway through and I already felt like it was dragging hard, and since I wasn’t invested in it by now… I don’t see it getting much better from here considering I’m not loving either of our characters, I don’t really care for the majority of the plot, and the smut’s not doing a single thing for me… so why waste any more of my time? I really wish I was able to get more attached to Adeline and Zade so that I could have been more consumed and invested in the story… because I think that would have helped me just enjoy it for what it was instead of looking at it from a more critical POV… but I can’t force myself to connect to something I’m not… so whatever.

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

Wow, I mean just wow! I so did not expect this. Ms. Maureen Johnson exceeded herself here far greater than I hoped because I honestly did not like her 13 Little Blue Envelopes, I did not even finish it. But Truly Devious certainly lived up to its title. 

It’s amazingly one of the most original, most devious YA novels I’ve read, I could clap my hands in appreciation. The book is set at an exclusive boarding school for high school students and when we talk of boarding schools, the first thing that comes to mind is mischief and mystery. Indeed, this book is both these things but add in the terms sinister, magical, a little paranormal, and historical. 

It’s surprisingly a wonderful, mysterious read that blends classic and contemporary. The historical aspect gives it more substance while the writing that borders along the lines of elegant, funny, and whimsical makes this truly a one of a kind read. It was great really and I was having a good time just sniffing up the pages, taking in the experience in this secluded boarding school for extra-special students, enjoying the characters, their sarcasm, their charm, and their uber-smartness. 

I am just as keen as Stevie in trying to solve the case of the Ellinghams and later on in solving the possible murder of one of their housemates. I was thinking about how perfect the read is up until it literally abruptly ended at the middle of the turning point. What the hell!? Who does that?! Well, I guess the author just did. That sneaky, treacherous, really brilliant Ms. Johnson definitely knows what she’s doing and I am now desperate for the second book. Arrgggghhh!

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Applause! Applause! Applause! This book offered one of the quickest and most exhilarating roller coaster experiences the moment I laid my hands on it. I’m still shaky, incoherent (I’ve even requested a translator to articulate my thoughts properly), my nails have seen better days, and I’m both confused and dizzy. But I’m also smiling and filled with happiness!

I wholeheartedly give it a perfect five out of five mysterious shining stars! The storytelling is exceptional, the plot keeps you hooked, the character development is fantastic, the pacing is fast and heart-pounding, and the ending is immensely satisfying. What are you waiting for, folks? This book won’t just fall from the sky into your lap. Go ahead, buy it, and send me thank-you letters for my encouraging words! 

We have an incredible heroine in Pippa (don’t mistake her for Pippi Longstocking). Fitz-Amobi is a talented, smart, nerdy, funny, social, friendly, brave investigator who stands somewhere between Nancy Drew and Veronica Mars, a slightly older version of Harriet Walsh, possessing technical skills but without tattoos, leather, or chains, a more restrained version of Lisbeth Salander, and a younger version of Dana Scully without Mulder and alien conspiracies! 

 The blurb is tempting, intriguing, and immediately pulls you in, making it hard to let go of the book, as I found out. My dogs are even jealous of the book, barking at the moon in protest, but I couldn’t put it down, as it’s one of those books that grabs you from the very first page. Five years ago, Andie Bell went missing, and Sal Singh, who committed suicide after confessing to her murder in a text message, was presumed responsible. Yet Andie’s body was never found. The case was closed, but Pippa is determined to reopen it for her school project. She starts by interviewing Sal’s 20-year-old brother, Ravi, who naturally becomes her partner in crime. Their project evolves into a mission to prove Sal’s innocence and find out who might have really killed Andie. 

 As they dig deeper, Pippa’s list of people of interest grows longer, even including her best friend’s sister. There are numerous burning questions in your mind: Who truly killed Andie? Is Andie really dead? Did she deserve her fate? Because as we learn more about her, we discover she was a bully, a drama queen, a drug dealer, and a blackmailer. Her less-than-stellar attributes made me want to give her a piece of my mind. It’s strange because I’ve never felt the urge to confront a presumed dead person—or someone I’m not even sure is deceased! But this character is a living, breathing (or not) scoundrel! Who framed Sal? Did Sal actually do it? His portrayal as a nice, humble, angelic guy led me to nickname him Castiel, like the angel from ‘Supernatural.’ But we can sense he’s been hiding something. His friends changed their testimonies regarding his whereabouts and the time he left their gathering, refusing to be his alibis. So where was he at the time of the murder? Who was sending threatening messages to Pippa, trying to stop her investigation? 

 I devoured this book, and my detective skills failed me completely until the final pages. The author always stayed ten steps ahead of me! I feel blessed to be outsmarted by her brilliant writing. I can already picture this as an amazing YA mystery movie or a limited Netflix series (anything to replace the third season of ‘13 Reasons Why,’ which might as well be titled ‘13 Reasons Why Did You Even Make a Third Season?’). It was an emotional, enjoyable, nail-biting, mind-bending, thrilling, and ultimately satisfying read. I savored every page, every clue, and every heart-pounding moment of this book. I highly recommend it! It’s even better than ‘One of Us Is Lying.’ And the best news is there are three more sequels to look forward to! I’ve already started my excitement dance, which is a blend of Beyoncé’s ‘All the Single Ladies’ moves and John Travolta’s ‘Staying Alive’ grooves. Yay!