Six students enter their high school just before the school year begins. They all have their reasons for being there. When a series of bombs go off, they come together to survive. They see rescue personnel outside the building but not going in because of threats of more bombs going off! They later learn that one of the bombers has been caught and the other is one of them. This was a quick read because I just couldn't put it down. Told in multiple points of view so you can get in each character's head. This was a great strategy because it really keeps you guessing as to who the second bomber is until the climax of the story.
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Mischa Abramavicius has spent her high school career doing whatever she can so she can get into an Ivy League school. She has received a scholarship to attend Blanchard Prep. She studied hard to keep her grades up and her SAT score high. She participated in as many clubs as she could manage. However, when the acceptance letters and emails are sent out, Mischa receives rejection letters one after another. Even her safety school, Paul Revere, said no! With the help of her best friend and the Ophelia Syndicate, a group of hackers, Mischa investigates why she was refused entry to all of the colleges she applied for. This was a unique mystery with elements of romance, humor, and realism. Mischa does go through a depression which makes sense. If the dreams you've worked so hard for were suddenly shattered, you too would suddenly question what's the point of doing well in school and participating in everything. I recommend this story to those who enjoy mysteries or a good story about high school. This young adult mystery takes place in detention. Five students enter detention only one does not survive. Who killed Simon? They all had a motive because they were all going to be featured in Simon's gossip blog exposing their secrets.
Told in the viewpoints of all four suspects, I found this novel a fun read. It's The Breakfast Club gone horribly wrong. Sure, the characters are a bit cliched: the brain, the jock, the beauty queen, the outcast, and the drug dealer; but they were likable. If you like whodunits, pick up this novel. Cadence is a Sinclair. The Sinclairs are a wealthy family who spend their summers on Beechwood Island, their own private island. Cadence, her cousins Mirren and Johnny, and friend Gat, call themselves The Liars. One summer, Cadence is found in the half in the ocean with a severe brain injury. Since the accident, she gets these migraines and she has no memory of what happened. Why did she go for a swim in the middle of the night by herself? Why didn't her cousins and Gat, the boy she loves contact her or visit her when she was recovering? This was a fun book to read with an amazing plot twist, that despite all the clues I was not expecting. This fast-action and suspense-filled novel reads like a typical James Patterson novel. President Jonathan Duncan finds himself on the verge of being impeached after reports of him corresponding with a known terrorist. What the public and key lawmakers does not know, he is trying to save the country from having a computer virus unleashed destroying every computer and network system. He suspects that someone close to him is leaking information to the terrorist, so he doesn't know who to trust. To clear his name and save the nation, he must go missing... Don't take the short chapters for granted. Just like any James Patterson novel, you can't read just one short chapter. Each one ends with a hook that yanks you into the next one. The next thing you know, is that you've read half the book! I don't know how "realistic" it is, however, it was a fun read. Those who are interested in politics and suspense thrillers will enjoy this novel. This is the sequel to Caraval and this book lives up to the expectations of the first. Once you open up the book, it is hard to put down.
Legend has decided to hold another Caraval. Scarlett and her sister Donatella decide to return. This time it is Tella who is determined to play the game. This time the game entails finding their lost mother who is trapped in a card of the Fates. There is romance, magic, and of course danger throughout the novel. I strongly recommend this book to those who enjoyed the first and enjoy magical dark adventures.
Spanish author Carlos Ruiz Zafon has written a beautiful and mysterious series featuring a strange bookstore in Barcelona, Spain, that is hidden away where people rescue books that have been long forgotten. The stories do not center around the bookstore but it appears in all three books.
In Shadow of the Wind, Daniel Sempere is taken to the bookstore by his father in 1945 where he discovers a book called Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax. He loves the book and wants to know more about the author, but he finds himself in danger when someone is going around trying to destroy every copy of the book. The Angel's Game tells the story of David Martin who is a struggling author living in an abandoned mansion. A mysterious publisher offers him a deal he cannot refuse, he jumps at the chance, but is this deal too good to be true? The Prisoner of Heaven takes place in 1957. Daniel is now married and with a infant son. When a stranger comes into their bookstore with a mysterious message for their family friend, Fermin Romero de Torres, Fermin sits down with Daniel and tells him about when he was held prisoner in the 1940s. There in the grotesque prison, he met a writer -- David Martin! Not only are all three novels dark, suspenseful, and beautifully written, what made these books enjoyable to me are the characters. Ruiz Zafon brings them alive so much they grab onto your heart and latch on even after you finished the last page and return the book back on the shelf. I look forward to when The Labyrinth of the Spirits is released in English. Strongly recommend this series to those who like gothic style literature, suspense, and strong characters. Seventeen-year-old Cassie is waitressing. She has a knack of reading people, picking out the slightest details about a person. Then the FBI approaches her and offers her an opportunity she can't help but join. She joins the Naturals, a secret FBI program and brings in teens with unique abilities and they look into cold cases. However, when a serial killer strikes, Cassie can't help but think they are related to the murder of her mother when she was a young girl. I thought the characters were likeable. There are a lot of twists and turns that leave you guessing. It ends with a lot of strings unsolved in preparation of the sequel. I recommend this book to those who enjoy thrillers and mysteries. If you enjoyed Barry Lyga's I Hunt Killers, then you'd probably enjoy this series. This is the story of Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson, descendants of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. They meet at a boarding school in Connecticut. When a bully is murdered, Charlotte and Jamie find themselves as the prime suspects and must work together to find out who the murderer is. Charlotte and Jamie are not perfect characters which I found interesting. Although they may show some characteristics of their famous family members, they are not replicas. They are also teenagers and act their age. If you enjoy a good mystery and especially are fans of Sherlock Holmes, I recommend this novel to you. This is the first book of the Charlotte Holmes series. |
AuthorMr. Andrusyk is a school librarian at IC Catholic Prep in Elmhurst, Illinois. Past Book RecommendationsClick here to view a listing of Mr. Andrusyk's list of favorite authors, series, fiction, and nonfiction. Archives
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