WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

Lydia Cooper is a Lie by Meagan McIsaac - Lydia's life explodes after she defies her father and creates a social media account, not knowing that she's been in Witness Protection most of her life.

What did you recently finish reading?

What Happened to Those Girls by Carlynn Greenwald - When her friends die after ditching her to go camping, Emma teams up with the sister of one victim to uncover the truth about what happened.

What do you think you'll read next?

Where Lost Girls Go by Kody Kepplinger

Book review - Beware the Abbott Boys

 

Title: Beware the Abbott Boys

Author: Chelsea Ichaso

Genre: mystery

Age range: teen

Similar book: Murder Between Friends by Liz Lawson

Summary (provided by publisher): The Abbott boys, fraternal triplets Henry, Bram, and Adam, live in a mansion on the outskirts of Silver Creek. For decades, their family's been at odds with the town, long before Mariana Flores died in a fiery accident on the Abbott property last year. The police ruled out foul play, but ask anyone in Silver Creek about it and they'll say one of the Abbott boys killed her. They just don't know which one.

But Hayden, the girl who lives next door to the Abbotts, swears they're innocent. After all, Henry's her best friend—maybe he could be more. She's been worried about Adam ever since he was injured in the accident that killed Mariana. As for Bram, he's a little complicated, but he and Mariana had been in love.

When the new school year brings a new victim—a popular girl, found dead in the woods—the hunt for a monster begins anew. The security camera footage doesn't show the face of the boy she was last seen with, but from his hoodie he could be any one of the Abbott brothers.

To clear their names, Hayden starts investigating the new death, but the deeper she digs, the more uncertain she becomes. Is one of the Abbott brothers a killer? Or could they all be monsters? And what will the boys do to protect themselves and the truth?

What I liked: Ichaso handles the evidence well. We have a fair number of clues that could be interpreted in a variety of ways. With flashbacks to the original crime and the various figures involved, the truth is carefully threaded throughout the novel with plenty of red herrings making for compelling reading.

What I didn't like: All three Abbotts are named after figures in classic horror novels. Their personalities seemed to reflect this connection. But there's no payoff. Ichaso doesn't see that connection through, an addition that would have truly elevated this otherwise standard novel.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Listen with me

 

The Heirs by Faridah Abike-Iyimide

This book about prodigies, their secrets, and their father's murder could be fascinating. Let's find out together.

Listen with me

 

The Cove by Claire Rose

My first note on this book is that I struggled with some blatant factual errors. While some may not even notice these issues - when vegetables are ripe in a garden, the geography of Maine, whether books of the Bible are classified as Old or New Testament - they are also basic facts and easily verified, so every time I encountered one it jarred me out of the world of the book. Beyond that, this was moderately engaging but also not very resilient. It isn't a book that's going to hold up to repeat reads. The characters are not especially complex and the plot is thin. It's a decent listen once.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Thornbird

 

Title: Thornbird

Author: E. Kennedy

Genre: mystery

Age range: teen

Similar book: Have You Seen This Girl by Nita Tyndall

Summary (provided by publisher): Ten years after her father—the infamous serial killer Gabriel Thorn—was caught, Ryan Shipley is back in Starling, Tennessee, trying to lay low. No one can know who she really is. No one can know the truth about her past.

But as fresh eyes dig deeper into the case, old secrets refuse to stay buried. Cryptic texts, eerie coincidences, and a chilling note leave everyone wondering—does Ryan know more than she’s letting on? As the truth unravels, one thing becomes clear: in a town full of secrets, Ryan might be the biggest mystery of them all.

The world is hunting for answers. Now get ready for a thriller packed with twists you won’t see coming.

What I liked: Most serial killer centric novels are focused on getting to the truth about murders - proving definitively whether the widely accepted narrative is truth. That's not the case here. This book is primarily a girl coming to terms with the past and her own role in it. Ryan is a realistic character, trying to live a normal life and dealing with the fallout of her past.

What I didn't like: The final chapters go a bit off the rails as the town secrets and truths about her father are finally revealed. It detracts a bit from the overall net positive reading experience.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

Beware the Abbot Boys by Chelsea Ichaso - Hayden's been friends with the Abbot triplets since childhood and is determined to prove their innocence when a local girl is killed and everyone blames the Abbots.

What did you recently finish reading?

Thornbird by E. Kennedy - Ryan can't escape her past when she's forced to move back to the town where her serial killer father committed his crimes.

What do you think you'll read next?

Clock Hands by Marieke Nijkamp

Book review - Just Ask Elsie

 

Title: Just Ask Elsie

Author: Ari Koontz

Genre: realistic fiction

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: Margie Kelly Breaks the Dress Code by Bridget Farr

Summary (provided by publisher): Fractions and conjunctions—check.

Stressing about middle school—check.

Body-positive puberty class at church that also covers feelings and identities—check.

Okay, maybe that last one isn’t so normal. It’s a little weird (and awkward) to spend her Sundays talking periods, B.O., and pimples. But Elsie’s also learning a lot more than she’s heard in her public-school health class — like the difference between sex and gender, and what consent is, and what it might mean that she can’t stop blushing around a certain cute girl at her school.

When her puberty lessons become the school’s latest gossip, Elsie’s totally humiliated… until she finds an anonymous note in her locker from a classmate who wants to know more, and realizes that other kids might have embarrassing questions of their own.

Starting an underground advice board wasn’t exactly in her plans, but Elsie won’t pass up a chance to turn her reputation around — or to share words and labels that have not-so-accidentally been left off their curriculum. But when the principal tries to shut down the unauthorized puberty talk, Elsie has to decide what she’s willing to risk to tell the truth to kids who really need to hear it.

What I liked: The characters are realistic and age appropriate. These are clearly children. Their understanding of the world is simple and blunt and part of the plot involves beginning to understand nuance. As such, the solutions here aren't straightforward and easy. This is more about starting a journey than revolutionary change. The conversation around puberty is straight-forward and age appropriate. 

What I didn't like: There are some uncomfortable moments but nothing to the point of becoming unreadable. Mostly this is a solid read.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley