Tightly plotted and thrilling, this book will grab readers by the throat.
Supernatural terror is unleashed in London.
Niamh leaves her hometown in Ireland for the London Academy of Dramatic Arts summer course she’s worked hard to afford. But focusing on classes and her work placement at the Victorian Street Museum, where she plays Jane, the daughter of a mill owner, proves difficult. Classmates Sara and Tasha, both of whom have long, dark hair and freckles like Niamh, are victims of brutal attacks. Niamh has her own creepy encounters with a mysterious entity. Niamh finds some distraction at the museum, where handsome volunteer Tommy stares at her intensely. Is it because, in costume, Niamh is the mirror image of freckled, dark-haired Jane, who died tragically? Or is romance brewing between them? Haunting, gothic overtones appear as new friend Jess helps Niamh research attacks similar to the ones on her friends—some of which took place in Victorian times. In an eerie twist, Niamh begins to feel as though Jane is trying to communicate something to her. There are red herrings throughout, and the reveals are deliciously paced. Readers will be on edge trying to determine the link between the historic attacks and the current-day events and how Tommy fits into everything. Niamh may read as swoony, but at critical moments she proves quite capable of saving herself. The cast is primarily white; Jess has brown skin and “tight curls.”
Tightly plotted and thrilling, this book will grab readers by the throat. (Thriller. 13-18)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9780593705544
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense.
Everyone believes that Salil Singh killed his girlfriend, Andrea Bell, five years ago—except Pippa Fitz-Amobi.
Pip has known and liked Sal since childhood; he’d supported her when she was being bullied in middle school. For her senior capstone project, Pip researches the disappearance of former Fairview High student Andie, last seen on April 18, 2014, by her younger sister, Becca. The original investigation concluded with most of the evidence pointing to Sal, who was found dead in the woods, apparently by suicide. Andie’s body was never recovered, and Sal was assumed by most to be guilty of abduction and murder. Unable to ignore the gaps in the case, Pip sets out to prove Sal’s innocence, beginning with interviewing his younger brother, Ravi. With his help, Pip digs deeper, unveiling unsavory facts about Andie and the real reason Sal’s friends couldn’t provide him with an alibi. But someone is watching, and Pip may be in more danger than she realizes. Pip’s sleuthing is both impressive and accessible. Online articles about the case and interview transcripts are provided throughout, and Pip’s capstone logs offer insights into her thought processes as new evidence and suspects arise. Jackson’s debut is well-executed and surprises readers with a connective web of interesting characters and motives. Pip and Andie are white, and Sal is of Indian descent.
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-9636-0
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019
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