One Of Us Is Lying, by Karen McManus ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Bullying, Drugs, Dysfunctional Relationships, Mental Illness, Mystery, Social Media, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: May 30th, 2017

368 Pages

Synopsis: Pay close attention and you might solve this. 

On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.

Bronwyn, “the brain”, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.

Addy, “the beauty”, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.

Nate, “the criminal”, is already on probation for dealing.

Cooper, “the athlete”, is the all-star baseball pitcher.

And Simon, “the outcast”, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon’s dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or, are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?

Everyone has secrets right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.

I requested One of Us Is Lying because the mystery was appealing and it sort of reminded me of The Breakfast Club and Pretty Little Liars. To my surprise though this wildly exceeded my expectations. The story is related from the POVs of the four main characters. While at first Bronwyn, Nate, Addy and Cooper seem to fit the ubiquitous high school stereotypes, they are so, so much more. They all have secrets and issues they’re trying to deal with and they come across relatable and sympathetic. I liked every single one of them, even while it was constantly in the back of my head that one of them may be a murderer. Karen McManus does a fantastic job at capturing what modern-day high school life is like, especially with the use of social media. With this realistic setting and likable characters, I completely got distracted in regards to the actual mystery, so it wasn’t until the last couple of chapters that all the puzzle pieces began coming together for me and I guessed who the person was behind Simon’s death. The ending is perfect, but not in the way where everyone rides off happily into the sunset. While there are some positive moments, there are others where certain people have to face the consequences of their actions and there were some plot lines that were purposely left open. I was fine with all of it, because like the rest of the story, it made everything messily real. There’s just one aspect that prevents me from giving this a perfect rating, and I’m sorry that I have to be vague. I can’t really go into it too much because that would involve unveiling a major spoiler. All I can say is that it involved mental illness and I thought it was glossed over a bit. Otherwise, this book is bound to be a phenomenal hit with teens and adults who enjoy YA fiction. It would also make a terrific movie or even tv series. I honestly can’t wait to see what Karen McManus comes out with next!

 

 

Advertisements

NEED ~ by Joelle Charbonneau – 2.5 Stars

Tags

Cyberbullying, Government Conspiracies, Social Media, Thrillers, YA Fiction

 I received this e-Arc from NetGalley and HMY Books in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: November 3rd, 2015

Synopsis: Teenagers at Wisconsin’s Nottawa High School are drawn deeper into a social networking site that promises to grant their every need…regardless of the consequences. Soon the site turns sinister, with simple pranks escalating to malicious crimes. The body count rises. In this chilling YA thriller, the author of the best-selling Testing trilogy examines not only the dark side of social media, but the dark side of human nature.

“Congratulations, you have been invited to NEED–the newest, invitation-only social media site for Nottawa High School students. Join your friends in discovering how much better life can be when you are presented with an anonymous way to express your thoughts and are given the tools to get the things you Need.”

Despite an interesting premise, NEED is one of those YA books that will probably appeal to young teens, but will frustrate anyone older than fourteen or fifteen due to enormous plot holes and unbelievabl, unlikable  characters.

The idea behind it is intriguing and creepy at the same time. A social network site that will give you anything you want: concert tickets, computers, a new kidney for your ailing brother. Of course there’s a catch. In order to have your “Need” fulfilled, you have to pay the price, and do whatever NEED asks you. It seems pretty innocent at first. Leave a box of cookies on a fellow classmate’s doorstep, slip a slightly risque note under a neighbor’s door. But then, people start dying, which leads to the true mystery: who is behind NEED, and what is their endgame?

The story is told in the 3rd person from multiple POVs, which makes it difficult to to really get to know any of the characters, let alone emphasize with them. The one character who stands out is Kaylee, who’s POV is the only one told in the first person. She’s also the only person who doesn’t come across as being a self-absorbed teen obsessed with material things. She’s the sole participant whose request is for someone other than herself, and her concern and caring for her younger brother DJ who desperately needs a kidney, is touching. 

The adults in this story are all basically clueless and especially aggravating is Kaylee’s mother. She blames and mistrusts Kaylee because of some poor choices made by her, yet Kaylee wouldn’t have made these decisions if her mother wasn’t keeping secrets. The law enforcement figures are laughable, and basically stumble around, never asking the right questions. 

The villain is obvious almost from the beginning, and the only question is why, and for whom are they working for. Quite honestly, by the time the big reveal comes with the typical posturing and grandstanding, I had long since ceased to care.

I will say, the plot is fast-paced, and I wound up reading it in one sitting. I do think it will appeal to that small demographic of young teens, but otherwise, I’m sorry to say, I can’t recommend this. 

The Silence of Six ~ by E. C. Meyers -4.0 Stars

Tags

Computer Hackers, Conspiracy Theories, Contemporary Fiction, Politics, Social Media, Teenagers, Thrillers, YA Fiction

 This review is for an ebook provided by NetGalley and Adaptive Books in exchange for an honest review.

“WHAT IS THE SILENCE OF SIX, AND WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?”

These are the final words of Max Stein’s best friend Evan as he hacks into a live stream of a Presidential debate taking place at their high school. Shortly after, he tragically kills himself. Armed only with some cryptic information Evan has sent him, and not knowing who he can trust, Max now finds himself on the run, a victim of a conspiracy that has far reaching implications. Will he be able to uncover the plot in time to save not only himself but the two people who are trying to help him? This is an exciting and timely conspiracy thriller set in the time of Julian Assange and Eric Snowden and the ever growing world of social media. I zoomed through it in two sittings. Even though it’s got a lot of hacker and technical computer terminology, I had absolutely no problem following the plot, which for a technically-deficient person like me is really saying something! The characters are interesting, if a little too good to be true. For example, seventeen year old Max is immediately able to successfully evade capture using his neglected hacker skills, outwitting some extremely powerful people, with only two teen sisters to help him. Also, I felt the dialogue was a little bit stilted in places. Overall though the pros far outweigh the cons. I recommend reading the ebook version as it provides links to click on which take you to the news blog of Courtney Garcia, Max’s girlfriend, at http://fullcortpress.tumblr.com and a conspiracy theorist blog Fawkes Rising at http://www.fawkesrising.com This just adds to the fun and uniqueness of this book.  I think teens and adults will enjoy this fast-paced novel especially if they’re into computers. If you want to check out the book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Diptk5Q9ziM

  And finally, if you want to get an idea of what this is all about, check out “SOS” the prequel to The Silence of Six on Wattpad at http://www.wattpad.com/story/25238632-sos-a-prequel-to-silence-of-six