Books in my Maybe Pile

Starting with Epic Reads list of 12 Debut authors to look for this year, catching my eye is The Lilies by Quinn Diacon-Furtado.  This story of time loops and secret societies comes out in May, just before another book that piques my interest.  Looking for Smoke by K.A. Cobell sounds a bit like One of Us is Lying if it took place on a Blackfeet Reservation.   Finally, in July we have  Trespass Against Us by Leon Kemp, the story of three teens who team up with a reality show ghost hunter to return to an abandoned school they visited two years before, in order to find out what happened to the fourth member of their first trip to the haunted school.

The Library Ladies look at recent release The Dark Fable which they note is one of many books to namedrop Six of Crows in an attempt to market the novel, but like most of the others it doesn’t quite live up to the comparison.  The review does acknowledge the book is very creative, featuring a large cast of characters with magical abilities and complex backstories.  But the story meanders for a while before a strong ending leads to a decent payoff.  So readers are rewarded if they stick with the story, but it can apparently be a bit of a slog at times.

This video review of The Dark Fable from Kayceeisbookish is more forgiving of the comparisons suggested by the book.  She praises the character development, which The Library Ladies saw as a weakness.

This collection of reviews from It Starts at Midnight’s Reviews in a Minute looks at two books that have caught my attention.  Under This Red Rock by Mindy Mcginnis follows Neely, who comes from a family with a history of mental illness, and who suffers from hallucinations herself.  Things look up for her when she forms a strong bond with Mila, until Mila is murdered, and Neely isn’t sure if she was the culprit.  This one gets a glowing review, while the other book in my maybe pile gets a more mixed, but still positive review.  

The Revenant Games by Maggie Fuston takes place in a world where warring vampires and witches hold a competition for humans to get involved in their supernatural conflict.  Whoever captures the highest ranking vampire will get someone of their choice raised from the dead, while capturing the most powerful witch leads to immortality.  Protagonist Bly hopes to resurrect her sister, while her best friend Emerson is dying, and needs to win the vampire-offered immortality.  The review notes that it starts slow, but says she got fully invested in the story as it went on.

Going back to Under This Red Rock, Reading in Wonderland offers another positive review of the book.  She praises the mental illness representation, and notes that while you really want to root for main character Neely as she reels after Mila’s death, you aren’t quite sure you can trust her.  Epic Reads presents the opening of this book for people still on the fence about buying it.

Kayceeisbookish looks at a YA horror that has long been on my list of books that I’m intrigued by, with Together We Rot.  She gives a very positive review of the story of two teens, one of whom is trying to find out why her mother vanished, and the other dealing with learning his family is part of a cult.

Books of 2024

Where Sleeping Girls Lie is the highly anticipated next novel from Ace of Spades writer Faridah Abike-iyimide.  This story follows new girl Sade’s investigation into the secrets of her boarding school after her roommate disappears and another student is found dead.  According to Confessions of a YA Reader, it is well worth the wait, giving it five stars in this review.

Sticking with Confessions of a YA Reader, while I so far prefer Kate Alice Marshall’s YA horror to her other works, she has a different opinion, offering a very positive review of the author’s new adult novel.  The story follows a daughter returning to her family home, and the legacy of the dead parents she may or may not have murdered.

The blogger has a slightly less enthusiastic response to Krystal Sutherland’s The Invocations, but still gives it a positive review.  The Library Ladies were less impressed, finding the writing heavy-handed and the characters hard to connect with, but still guessed it would appeal to the right audience.

Blogger Deepika was a big fan of Dead Things are Closer Than They Appear, praising both the plot and characters of the magical apocalypse story.  Meanwhile, Reading in Wonderland thought Bad Like Us was okay.  The story follows a murder at a private beach lodge, and the review praises the characters, while saying it is not author Gabriella Lepore’s strongest novel.  

And we have two reviews for Melissa Albert’s The Bad Ones, the story of Nora’s investigation when her estranged best friend Becca is one of a handful of people to disappear one night.  The Library Ladies had a mixed take, praising the complex friendship between Nora and Becca, while finding the supernatural elements to be a weaker part of the novel.  My Bookish Ways had a more wholly positive take, giving the book five stars.

Penguin Teen’s 2024 preview includes The Invocations, as well as another magical murder mystery, These Deadly Prophecies.  Bookcheshire Cat’s list of anticipated novels (from January to June) includes Kate Alice Marshall’s new adult novel, as well as other adult mysteries from Simone St. James and Riley Sager.  Meanwhile, Bloody Disgusting’s list of 10 upcoming horror books includes YA options like The Invocations and the third book in Adam Cesare’s Clown in a Cornfield series.  They also mention Simone St. James upcoming novel, as well as two books by Stephen Graham Jones.

Ranking Recent Reads 29 – The Luminaires, Find Him Where You Left Him Dead, Where He Can’t Find You, Those We Drown, The Wicked Unseen

5.  The Luminaires by Susan Dennard

What it’s About:  Winnie Wednesday is a resident of Hemlock Falls, where the citizens protect humanity from the monsters that rise up in the forest surrounding the town.  But Winnie and her family have been shunned after her father was exposed as a traitor, and Winnie hopes to take the dangerous hunter trials to prove herself and regain her family’s good standing.

What I Thought:  Supernatural mysteries are always going to pique my interest.  Unfortunately, this just wasn’t a very memorable read.  The characters were forgettable, and the plot failed to generate any real surprise or investment.  One potentially interesting thread was left dangling for the sequel.

4.  Find Him Where You Left Him Dead by Kristen Simmons

What it’s About:  Four years ago, five friends played a seemingly innocent game.  Only four of them survived.  Now the ghost of the dead one has summoned the estranged group back together to finish the game and bring him home, only for them to be dragged into a nightmarish alternate reality.

What I Thought:  For the most part, this was okay, but nothing special.  I just couldn’t get into the adventure as much as I wanted too, but then there were a handful of times that I did find myself truly invested in what was happening.  Unfortunately these moments didn’t last, and I was left with a frustrating experience,  

3.  Where He Can’t Find You by Darcy Coates

What it’s About:  A group of friends live in a small town haunted by a killer known as The Stitcher.  People dissapear, and turn up dismembered and sewn back together.  Everyone has given up on bringing the man or monster behind the deaths to justice, including the friends.  But things change when one of the group becomes the latest victim to vanish, things change. 

What I Thought:  A creepy small town boogeyman story.  Surprisingly, within the first few pages the book points an accusing finger at a prime suspect behind the killings, which might seem like it would reduce the tension, but Coates proves she knows what she’s doing with that decision, and everything comes together in a satisfying way.  One complaint I would have is that while the characters stand out as a group of friends (the Jackrabbits), they don’t really jump off the page to me as individuals.

2.  Those We Drown by Amy Goldsmith

What it’s About:  Liv is elated to win a scholarship for a semester on a cruise ship, but the dream turns to a nightmare when her best friend disappears on the first night.  Everyone else assures her he is just sick, but Liv becomes increasingly convinced that something else is going on.   But is there anyone she can trust amongst her fellow students, the ship’s crew, or the trio of beautiful influencers known as the Sirens?

What I Thought:  This seems to be a love it or hate it novel.   I lean more to the former, but I can see why some readers had problems with it.   On the plus side, the characters are memorable, if not necessarily likeable.  While the book doesn’t hide where it’s headed, the journey still sucked me in.  The climax felt like it could have used a little more meat on it’s bones, and the book seems to play a little fast and loose with the rules of the world.  I’ll go into more detail at the end of the post, so beware spoilers there.  Not perfect, but a fun read, and I’ll be looking for more from this author.

1.  The Wicked Unseen by Gigi Griffis

What it’s About:  Audre and her family move from the big city to a small town in the 90’s, and find a community fully in the grip of the Satanic Panic, convinced a cult is operating the woods of the town.  Audre’s family sticks out like a sore thumb, and when preacher’s daughter Elle goes missing, it isn’t long before fingers begin pointing at the newcomers.

What I Thought:  An absorbing read that reminds us that true horror in this world can be a lot more scary than any demon, or siren.

And Now

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Going back to Those We Drown, it is stated that the sirens kill those who are offered to them as sacrifices.  But during the book, a couple of characters are killed for asking too many questions.   That’s fine, except these deaths then seem to get lumped in with the sacrifices, even though no one offered them up to the sirens.

Top Ten Book/Comic Adaptations I Hope To See

My New Year’s wish list of adaptations.

10.  The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw.  I have a love/hate relationship with this one.  There are some problematic elements, but it’s also a unique, very atmospheric tale, and I’d love to see if a movie or miniseries could bring the atmosphere from the page to the screen.

9.  Virals by Kathy and Brendan Reichs.  I’m surprised this TV series hasn’t happened already.  You have the name recognition of the Bones author, and the “same, but different” of being a sort of science fiction take on werewolves.

8.  100 Bullets by Beian Azzarello.  A dark noir and conspiracy comic about revenge that has been in the works as either a TV series or film in the past, but a series would seem to be the way to go.  

7.  The Sixth Gun by Cullen Bunn.  A weird west comic that came close to being made into a TV series once before, and there seemed to be a fair amount of excitement about the prospect.  Why not take another shot at adapting it to the small screen?  

6.  The Lioness saga by Tamora Pierce.  A girl pretends to be a boy to become+a knight.  A nice, simple concept that could give rise to a great heroine.

5.  The Finishing School series by Gail Carriger.  Another option that could lead to a great new Katniss or Buffy, as a girl attends a finishing school that turns out to be a training school for assassins, set in a unique steampunk and supernatural world.

4.  Insignia by S.J. Kincaid.   Harry Potter meets Ender’s game without the problematic authors?  What’s not to love? In all seriousness, this series is an underrated gem.

3.  Renegades by Marissa Meyer.  I’ve noted in the past that the main characters in this series are frustrating, to me at least, and the superhero boom may be coming to an end, but I’d still love to see someone take a chance on adapting this series.

2.  Die by Kieron Gillen.  A roleplaying game transports its players into the world of the game.   All but one of them make it back, only to return again years later.

1.  Fear Street by RL Stine.  I know there is the trilogy of movies, but they felt to me more like an original idea with the Fear Street brand slapped on.  Still, they did well enough that more movies are on the way, so why not a TV series that focuses on doing straight adaptations of the books?

Happy Halloween… Reading

Looking for a good Halloween book?

If short stories are your thing, you might want to check out Too Scared to Sleep by Andre Duplessie.  Reading in Wonderland praised the book, noting how the stories were grouped together according to theme, and also appreciating that each story has a QR code that links to a video relating to the story.  On the other hand, Forever Young Adult was less impressed, arguing that the stories were too short to really work well.

Moving to novels, The Library Ladies offered a somewhat mixed review for the Scream meets Clueless story Your Lonely Nights are Over.  The review notes that the twists were predictable, but found the theme of loneliness very powerful.  The site also offers a mixed take on Bittersweet in the Hollow, a story of missing girls and mothmen.  Though the book did a good job of building tension, the pacing began to drag as the story moved forward, and the characters failed to draw the reviewer into the tale.

A Study in Drowning got a more unequivocally positive review from the site, procaliaming it a masterclass on how to write a gothic fantasy.  On the other hand, the clunkily titled Find Him Where You Left Him Dead got a more negative review.  While the book delivers on the Jumanji with Japanese mythology premise, this was another case of the characters failing to appeal to the reviewer.  The book might have been helped by having fewer point-of-view characters.

It Starts at Midnight looked at Find Him Where You Left Him Dead in a group review post, and was more impressed.  While the beginning was slow and the end would have been better received if it was clear that the book would have a sequel, this review praised the characters along with the premise, and said that there were some great twists once the story got going.  The review looks at other Halloween-eque books, like the magic apple book Black River Orchard and the creepy corn maze book What Stalks Among Us.  Both got very positive feedback in the post.

Reading in Wonderland looks at a couple of novels that sound like great fall reads.  Thin Air is a murder mystery on a plane, but it only got a mixed review, praising the concept but having some issues with the execution.  Dark Academia All that Consumes Us gets a far more positive review, but fair warning, the review reveals what seems like a pretty big spoiler.   So read the review at your own risk, but know that the review proclaims the novel to be a perfect October book.

Finally, the Boockcheshire Cat provides an extensive list of possible options for October reading, helpfully separated into various categories, and age ranges.   Check it out to see all the mysteries, horror, paranormal romances and graphic novels that could put you in the perfect fall mood.

Some options for October Reading

Checking out more reviews.  

In my last collection of reviews, Confessions of a YA Reader was noted for offering more positive takes on divisive books, but here she offers a more negative review for I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me, the story of an ambitious ballet student who strikes a deal for supernatural power.  The review notes that the book was too slow for her tastes, but suggests it might appeal to horror fans.

My previous post included a very positive review for YA horror Together we Rot.  The Library Ladies offers a more mixed take on the story.  This review praises the book’s atmosphere, but feels it is too short for its own good, lamenting that there is not enough time to flesh out the characters.  The short length of the book also resulted in the plot feeling rushed.  In spite of these misgivings, the review still gives the book a score of seven out of ten.

Another novel for horror fans is Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstong, reviewed here by Gizmo’s Reviews.  Ally Condie’s The Only Girl in Town certainly sounds like a horror story, following a girl who suddenly finds that everyone else in her town has mysteriously vanished.  But the review from Reading in Wonderland notes that the book goes in unexpected directions. 

One more option for horror fans is Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig, the story of a magical apple orchard.  Rae’s Reading Lounge noted that it was a bizarre story filled with unlikeable people, saying that only one of the characters was particularly sympathetic.  It should be noted this was actually a fairly positive review.

Thriller Secrets Never Die was unfortunately not all that thrilling, according to Rae’s Reading Lounge.  Her review notes that the secrets in question were not particularly compelling, though she does admit that she enjoyed one of the characters.  She was much more impressed with Thieves Gambit, praising the characters and plot.  

Bookcheshire Cat offers a very positive review of Susan Dennard’s The Hunting Moon, sequel to The Luminaires.  Fair warning, the review will only make sense if you have read the first book in the series, and gives some spoilers for that book.

Numerous reviews have looked at There’s No Way I’d Die First by Lisa Springer, the story of a Halloween party set upon by a killer clown.  Most have been very positive.  Charli’s Book Box gives the book a perfect five stars, while forthenovellovers praised characters and action scenes, but was less impressed with the romance.  Reading Stewardess praised the fact-paced plot that grabs and keeps readers attention, while BoozyBook Blog called it an electrifying rollercoaster ride.  My Bookish Ways offers a somewhat more negative take, criticizing the romance and finding the final twist lacking, but still praised the book for being a great horror movie in book form.

A Handful of Books to Choose From

Checking out reviews.  

If you’re looking to get into dark academia or you already love the genre, Merrily Kristin provides a video list of books to choose from.  Be sure to check out her video summary for more books that aren’t mentioned in the genre.

Not into dark academia?  Maybe horrorromance is worth a try.  Absorbing Reads checks out Together We Rot as a way to sample that genre.  While not generally a fan of horror, she gave this upcoming release a perfect score.  Unlike her I’m far more into horror than romance, but her review still made me even more interested in this book, which was already on my radar.

Moving to a third genre, Penguin Teen lists nine small town mysteries.  Many of the books mentioned could also be called small town horror, including Kate Alice Marshall’s The Narrow and the upcoming The Only Girl in Town and Bittersweet in the Hollow.  Jessica Goodman’s The Counselors and the upcoming Your Lonely Nights are Over may be the only two books on the list without any magic involved in the story, though that’s just a guess when it comes to the slasher-esque Your Lonely Nights are Over.

If you’re looking for a straight mystery with no supernatural elements, Reading in Wonderland looks at Everyone’s Thinking It by Aleema Omotoni.  The book follows two cousins on different ends of the social sphere at an English boarding school whose lives are upended when everyone’s secrets are mysteriously revealed.  The review called the book an addicting read that would be a good option for fans of mean girls.  For anyone on the fence about the book, there is also this excerpt from Epic Reads.

Reading in Wonderland looks at another mystery, Suddenly a Murder, wherein a murder occurs at a party, leaving the six guests as potential suspects.  She seemed less impressed with this one, calling it predictable, but she still does recommend it.  Confessions of a YA Reader offers a more unequivocally positive review, and definitely didn’t think anything was predictable.

And on She Reads looks at another YA mystery, How to Find a Missing Girl.  The story follows Iris, who launched an investigation after her sister’s disappearance, ending up with nothing but angry police officers to show for it, who now sees her ex disappear as well, and once again determines to do everything she can to find out what happened.  The review praises the characters and calls author Victoria Wlosok a name to watch.

The Reunion by Kit Frick is another YA murder mystery, following a murder at a family reunion.  Rae’s Reading Lounge offers a fairly negative review, noting that characters seemed to blend together, and calling the reveal lackluster.  Confessions of a YA Reader again offers a more positive review. 

Moving back to a more supernatural mystery, Reading in Wonderland was very impressed with What Stalks Among Us by Sarah Hollowell.  This story follows two friends who realize they are stuck in a time loop while trying to make their way through an abandoned corn maze, and since they find their own dead bodies, the loop apparently doesn’t end very well for them.  The site also has a positive review for Rachel Moore’s The Library of Shadows, which follows Este as she enrolls in her father’s old school to learn more about him, unconcerned with the school’s haunted reputation.

House of Marrionne is a fantasy about a young woman trying to gain membership into a magical society of elite debutantes, in order to conceal her forbidden magic and hide from the people who would kill her for it.  Rae’s Reading Lounge was less than impressed, finding the main character and the romance unappealing, while also criticizing the plotting and world-building.  Once again, Confessions of a YA Reader offers a more positive take.

Summer Scream Part 2

Want some chills to beat the heat?  

First, youtube channel WhatCulture reveals tricks used to generate suspense in some famous horror movies, ranging from not letting the villains interact with their victims behind the scenes, to creepy background images.

Epic Reads suggests 28 YA books that could be made into horror movies.  The list includes slasher Clown in a Cornfield and Carrie-update The Weight of Blood.  Werewolf graphic novel Squad and ghost hunter tale Anna Dressed in Blood also make the cut.

Penguin Teen offers scary mysteries separated into different categories for your reading pleasure.  Upcoming release Suddenly a Murder falls into the Parties Gone Wrong category, along with new release The Legacies.  Locked Room Mysteries take you to European castles with Go Hunt Me, cruise ships with Lying in the Deep, and a plane with the upcoming Thin Air.  Other categories are Killers on the Loose and Haunted Houses, including Kate Alice Marshall’s These Fleeting Shadows.  Future releases The Last Girls Standing and Bittersweet in the Hollow land in the Danger in the Woods and Cold Cases category, respectively.

Moving to deeper looks at specific terror tales, Reading in Wonderland looks at Holly Horror.  The story follows Evie Archer as she moves into a house that another girl mysteriously disappeared from a couple decades earlier.  When strange things begin happening, Evie begins to investigate the previous disappearance, lest she end up suffering the same fate.

Forthenovellovers offers a spoiler filled look at A Guide to the Dark, about a mysterious, seemingly supernatural hotel room.  When two best friends stay in the room, one of them senses something off and ultimately sees a ghost, while her friend experiences nothing out of the ordinary.  They discover that numerous people have died in that room, and it appears that some force or entity in the room attaches itself to people who are struggling with negative emotions.

Finally, numerous blogs are taking a look at the newest YA horror from Kate Alice Marshall, The Narrow, a ghost story set at a boarding school.  Most of the reviews are very positive, but Enunciate This says the pace was a bit too slow, and the end somewhat jumbled.  DB’s Guide to the Galaxy praises the characters and friendships, as does Rae’s Reading Lounge.  My Bookish Ways offers another very positive review, as does And on She Reads.  Charli’s Book Box gives the book five stars in spite of not being a fan of ghost stories, while Bookcheshire Cat calls it a perfect YA horror read.  Mallory Books was also a fan of The Narrow, calling it the most unique paranormal story she’s ever read, while Jenjen reviews praised the twists and turns.  Bookish in Bed posts 30 reactions shed had while reading the book, which gets a bit spoilery.  All in all, it sounds like Kate Alice Marhsall has another very good YA horror to go with Rules for Vanishing, Our Last Echoes, and These Fleeting Shadows.

A Summer’s Scream

This post looks at new books perfect for the Halloween season.  Wait…

Read more: A Summer’s Scream

Upcoming release Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington is said to be a mix of Ace of Spades and Squid Game.  It follows a young black woman who must enter a deadly contest to regain her lost Ivy League acceptance.  Charli’s Book Box  was impressed, noting that characters are either very likeable or immensely hateable.  She also praises the writing style and the ending.  Confessions of a YA Reader is also a fan, calling the book messed up in a good way.

The Wicked Unseen is the story of a missing girl in a town which believes the neary woods are the home of a Satanic cult.  The Book Duchesses interviewed author Gigi Griffis, who reflects on how her upbringing during the Satanic panic as well as the current state of the world helped inspire the creepy tale.  My Beauty My Books presents five reasons to read the story, acknowledging the real history that makes its way into the pages, also praising the fast-paced, engaging mystery.  Charli’s Book Box was a big fan, but acknowledged the true history and religious elements in the book may mean the story is not for everyone.  Finally, The Clever Reader praises the book’s portrayal of the life of an outsider.

Wendy Heard’s We’ll Never Tell seems to lean more towards thriller than horror, but it’s still a mystery story about someone being attacked at a spooky, abandoned “murder house”.  The Clever reader offers a positive review, as does Charli’s Book Box.

Epic Reads list of books based on tales from The Brothers Grimm includes new book Greymist Fair and upcoming release Creeping Beauty.  Also mentioned are House of Salt and Sorrows, which has a sequel on the way, and Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron.

Bayron also wrote You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight, the story of a “Terror Camp” where the fear becomes all too real.  Confessions of a YA Reader was impressed, calling it a quick read that felt like watching a movie.

Charli’s Book Box has another pair of positive reviews for creepy sounding YA novels.  You Won’t Believe Me by Cyn Balog is the story of a young woman who finds herself tied to a bed by a mysterious old woman… who dies.  But there is also a strange teen boy in the house.  This Delicious Death by Kayla Cottingham takes place in a world where a small percentage of the world have been afflicted with the need to eat human flesh.  Thankfully, a synthetic version of flesh has been created, allowing these people to continue to live among the normal humans.  When one of the afflicted suddenly goes feral, her friends realize that there is a conspiracy affoot targeting them.

Abigail’s Lost in a Book presents five unique horror novels to check out.  The Shadow Sister deals with the disappearance and return of a biracial girl.  Holly Horror follows a girl who moves into a house where two previous girls vanished without a trace.  Strange and Unearthly Things is a love story combined with psychics and demons.  House of Hollow follows three sisters who disappeared for a month, and came back a little different.  And It Looks Like Us sounds like a YA version of The Thing.

Finally, anyone looking for a good YA horror could probably do a lot worse than checking out Kate Alice Marshall’s upcoming book The Narrow, mentioned here by Twirling Book Princess.  Marshall previously knocked it out of the park with Rules for Vanishing, Our Last Echoes and These Fleeting Shadows, so this tale of mysterious happenings at a boarding school is a good bet to check out.

Ranking Recent Reads 28 – Bad Things Happen Here, Dig Two Graves, Friends Like These, Ace of Spades, Our Crooked Hearts

5.  Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow

Read more: Ranking Recent Reads 28 – Bad Things Happen Here, Dig Two Graves, Friends Like These, Ace of Spades, Our Crooked Hearts

What it’s About:  Luca believes the seemingly idyllic island she lives on is cursed.  Unsolved deaths of young women, including her best friend, hint at a rot beneath the polished appearance of her home.  And the curse strikes again when her sister is found dead. 

What I Thought:  So, I mostly enjoyed this mystery, and had no problem with the actual climax of the story.  But there is something that comes at the very end that just didn’t sit right with me.  I’ll come back to it after finishing the list, so beware spoilers at the end of the post.

4.  Dig Two Graves by Gretchen Mcneil

What it’s About:  Neve heads off to a summer camp to recover from the betrayal of her former best friend, and thinks she has found a replacement friend in Diane.  At the end of the camp, Diane suggests she could kill Neve’s treacherous friend in exchange for Neve eliminating her step-brother, but it’s all just a joke.  Or maybe it isn’t, as Neve’s former friend turns up dead, and Diane sends Neve a message telling her she needs to live up to her end of the bargain.

What I Thought:  A fun homage to the old Strangers on a Train trading murders plot, though it gets a bit convoluted in the end.  It takes a while to get going, as there is a lot of set up required before the mystery can get started. 

3.  Friends Like These by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez

What it’s About:  Jessica and her boyfriend Jake go to the end-of-summer party hosted by Tegan, Jessica’s former friend and her boyfriend’s ex.  What could possibly go wrong?  Well, a video prank goes awry when Tegan and Jake are filmed hooking up with each other, and Tegan later disappears, leaving Jake and Jessica as the obvious suspects.

What I Thought:  A solid YA mystery, that definitely lives up to it’s title.

2.  Ace of Spades by Faridah Abike-Iyimide

What it’s About:  The two black students at an elite private academy, who have no connection to each other besides the color of their skin, become the targets of a mysterious texter named Aces

What I Thought:  An excellent book that provides exactly what you expect when you hear that the story is “Get Out meets Gossip Girl.”  My one complaint is that the latter part of the book feels a bit rushed, and some of the side characters could have used more fully defined fates at the end.  There is one story arc in particular which leads to a huge reveal, and is then dropped after one quick “fallout” scene, while there seemed to still be a good deal of mileage left in the arc.

1.  Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert

What it’s About:  After nearly running over a mysterious young woman with her car, Ivy’s life is suddenly beset by strange events, like a dead rabbit in the driveway and a bizarre item buried by her mother in the backyard.  These occurrences are somehow tied to her mother’s own teenage years, and the supernatural forces she experimented with.

What I Thought:  Albert’s The Hazel Wood was a huge hit, but it just didn’t work for me. Thus I didn’t have the highest of hopes for this book, intriguing though it sounded.  But this time the author definitely hit the mark for me, with a book that feels like a spiritual successor to The Craft.

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Going back to Bad Things Happen Here, it turns out that Luca’s sister was killed by her own best friend, because the sister had been getting fed up with some of her friend’s secrets, and the friend didn’t want to potentially lose her trust fund or fiancee if her secrets were revealed.  Because there is no curse on the island, just petty people doing horrible things.  That’s fair enough, and Luca ultimately decides that she won’t be able to get the friend arrested for the crime, so she just leaves the island to find a fresh start elsewhere.  

The problem here is, while she might not be able to make the friend face legal repercussions, if she loudly proclaimed the truth of her sister’s murder to everyone, she could still cause some problems for the killer, such as losing her fiancee or trust fund, the things she was willing to kill for in the first place.  I just didn’t buy that she would leave without even trying to punish her sister’s killer first.