A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson is an incredible young adult mystery novel. The story follows Pippa Fitz-Amobi through her senior capstone project and her eventful uncovering of the so-called ‘solved disappearance’ of Andie Bell, a 17-year old girl, who was only one year younger than Pip herself. After a while of searching Pip reveals some secrets and winds up leading her own investigation, but her actions come with consequences.
Cadence has grown up in a wealthy family that never talks about any of the bad parts of life. Every summer her mother’s family comes together on their private island and, with her group of friends, she has the most amazing summers. But one summer, everything goes wrong. Cadence can’t remember exactly what happens but she isn’t allowed back to the island and everyone in her family is treating her differently. When she returns to the island after some time away she will uncover the events that took place during summer 15.
Pray for Silence, the sequel to Sworn to Silence, again follows Chief of Police Kate Burkholder in the mixed Amish and “English” town of Painters Mill, Ohio. On a chilly night in October, a family of seven was found murdered on their farm. With little clue to work with, Kate is desperate to catch the murder, even if she has to put herself in danger.
Two people wake up abducted, imprisoned, and left alone with a gun. Only one person will walk away. Detective Helen Grace faces off against a notorious anonymous serial killer, known for abducting victims in pairs and forcing them into traps similar to those seen in the Saw movies. After finishing Eeny Meeny, I was a little disappointed at the lack of character development.
It started with a hoax. A simple prank to convince the entire school that Missy and Claire Vianello were not just cousins, but identical twins. What seemed like a simple prank led to a story of untangling of a secret buried under years of deception. Three Black Swans is a YA suspenseful fiction book by Caroline Cooney. Overall, I would rate this book a 2.5 stars out of 5. The concept was interesting and the beginning of the book was engaging.
Set in the rural town of Painters Mill, Ohio, a gruesome serial killer shattered the sense of safety held by the Amish and “English” residents. Now, sixteen years later, Kate Burkholder returns to Painters Mill as Chief of Police. All is well until a new body is found. Kate must prevent more deaths, and by doing so may put those who mean the most to her in danger.
The Color of Lies is a mind-bending story that will keep you hanging by the edge of your seat. When the main character, Ella, meets the mysterious Alec, her world gets turned upside down. Together they will unleash deep family secrets that will change Ella’s life forever. The imagery the book possessed was surreal, it really felt like I was living inside the story.
Katie Zhao’s How We Fall Apart is a murder-mystery with amazing Asian representation. Nancy Luo is a scholarship student and the best friend of the top girl, Jamie Ruan, at Sinclair Prep, an elite high school. Jamie is everything Nancy isn’t, rich, the valedictorian, and powerful. After Jamie is found dead, the people that once were closest to her, Nancy, Krystal, Akil, and Alexander, are the suspects.
The Mary Shelley Club is a book that follows the members of a horror club, each with their secrets. The book takes place in Manchester Prep, a rich private school in Manhattan. The scholarship student, Rachel Chavez, is haunted by an accident that resulted in a murder. However, her fresh start turns rotten after she accidentally goes head on with the most popular girl at school, Lux. After a mini investigation, Rachel figures out the prankster, or pranksters, that caused the situation with Rachel and Lux.
This story is centered around Morgan, who is grieving the loss of her boyfriend, Flynn. Guilt overwhelms her everyday, as she believes she could have prevented his death. Despite this, her best friend Toni, encourages her to post a picture of him on social media to have some closure. That is until the photo is tagged with someone who looks exactly like her dead boyfriend. Who is this “Evan Murphy”?
