Remarkable story of adolescence with convincing characters and a bit of mystery.
A West Coast teen, shaken by his parents’ split, finds solace in notes and literary gifts from an anonymous friend in Craddock’s YA tale.
Josh Reece idolized his mother, a writer who shares her love of books with her son. But their relationship falters when Mom seemingly chooses her work over the family. Moving into an apartment with his father and his little sister, Josh has trouble adjusting to this altered life. As the new kid in school, he meets a genial soul in pink-haired Teagan Carter. Unfortunately, Josh also drifts toward a popular, rich kid who takes advantage of the much brighter Josh. This culminates in someone accusing the teen of a crime he didn’t commit. Meanwhile, Josh comes across a crate of books behind a dumpster near his apartment. He eventually reads them; some include notes written to Josh and are signed “Reader.” As he rediscovers his fondness for relatable literary characters, like Roald Dahl’s Matilda, Josh wants to know who Reader is. Is it his estranged mother or someone else who’s helping the teenager cope? Craddock’s coming-of-age novel stars an appealing, believably flawed protagonist. For example, Josh sometimes takes his anger out on the wrong people, like his kid sister. The author tackles weighty issues—racism, White privilege, and child abuse. On the lighter side are Josh and Teagan’s scenes. The two bond quickly, and romance seems inevitable. The conversational tone is courtesy of Josh’s first-person perspective. Though it’s not difficult to deduce Reader’s identity, the ultimate reveal segues into a wonderful, bittersweet final act.
Remarkable story of adolescence with convincing characters and a bit of mystery. (author bio, acknowledgements, author’s note)Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2020
ISBN: 979-8-66-996748-2
Page Count: 395
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
A lukewarm thriller.
In England, a group of teenagers tries to stay alive when a long weekend in an abandoned castle goes wrong.
When Bessie and her friends decide to join a party their classmate Allegra is throwing in her family’s abandoned castle before it’s converted into apartments, they think the biggest issues they’ll face are making it there before a big storm hits and keeping their plans secret from their parents and teachers. Once they arrive at the castle, however, Bessie and best friend Kashvi discover menacing graffiti and evidence that someone has been staying in the cellar. They also learn that protestors from the nearby village are angry about the development plans for the castle—one of them even argues that it would be better to burn it down. A handful of classmates manage to get there before the storm gets too severe. But when the teens wake up the next day to discover one of their own dead, and the storm makes it impossible for them to leave, they quickly realize that they’re in danger. But is the killer one of the members of the Facebook protestors’ group…or one of their own? Despite the book’s intriguing setup, the prose is dominated by repetitive conversations that convey little substance. Still, readers may still find themselves propelled forward by a need to discover the identity of the murderer. The central cast is racially diverse.
A lukewarm thriller. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Dec. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9780593704080
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
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