Archive for April, 2022

For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing

Published April 29, 2022 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Teddy Crutcher is an English teacher at an elite prep school where money talks and appearances definitely matter. Whenever he feels a student is spoiled or entitled he often tries to find a way to take him or her down a peg and in his mind he is actually helping the student to learn that not everything in life can be bought. Enter Zach Ward, a rich and entitled student with very demanding parents who cannot handle their son not getting straight As in order to set up his entire future. Zach isn’t as worried about his grades as his parents are, but he definitely isn’t used to teachers not liking him and believing every word he says so he starts to keep a closer eye on Mr. Crutcher. Then, during a party at the school a very overbearing mom suddenly drops dead during the speeches. Everyone is shocked to learn that she was actually poisoned, but was it murder or an accident? Was she even the intended target? Soon, everyone at school is alarmed and the growing chaos leads to more gossip and false leads. Sadly, it also leads to more unfortunate incidents at the school that leaves everyone, including police, reeling and struggling to make sense of it. Who is trying to hurt people at this school and is it random or calculated?

In a place where everyone has secrets it can be hard to expose others without your own getting revealed. This story follows several different characters who all have connections to the Belmont Academy and their motivations are quickly revealed, as well as how far they will go to get what they want. The students and staff all feel superior to others in their own way and believe they deserve everything they want. Many are truly surprised when things do not work out as planned. The set up of this school is incredibly believable as students are more competitive than ever to get into prestigious colleges so they can enter enviable careers. It’s not hard to imagine how much tension there can be in an environment where everyone has such lofty goals. Teddy’s motivations are revealed quickly, but several other characters are concealing shady secrets of their own to the point that it’s hard to know who to root for. Fans of crime fiction and true crime podcasts will enjoy this title as it creates an eerie but realistic vibe.

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys

Published April 22, 2022 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Historical Fiction

Cristian is a seventeen-year-old boy living in Communist Romania with his entire family, including his elderly grandpa, in a tiny apartment. His Grandpa Bunu is very vocal about his displeasure for the Communist leader and how Bucharest has changed in recent years and Cristian’s mother is worried his opinions will get them all in trouble. Cristian goes to school 6 days a week while the rest of his family works ridiculous hours, and they still do not have the essentials they need such as proper food or clothing. They take turns waiting for hours in lines to get rations that still do not keep them nourished, and they know that there are spies and listening devices all over so they never feel they can speak freely. Cristian is shocked when he is approached at school to become an informer on an American diplomat’s son he recently met through his mother’s employment. He refuses at first, but then it becomes apparent they have been watching him and know exactly how to make him do exactly what they want. He hates himself for agreeing to spy, but it also makes him realize that if he can be blackmailed who knows who else around him is spying for the government as well. At one time or another he suspects most of those around him. Slowly they start to hear rumblings about a revolution and despite his mother’s warnings to keep his head down and stay safe, Cristian knows that if given the chance he would fight for a better Romania for its citizens. Will Cristian be able to outwit his handler or will he always be a step ahead? Will Cristian ever find out who he can trust among his family and friends? Will Cristian live long enough to see real change in his country?

Once again, Sepetys has highlighted a time in history that many people know very little, if anything about. The life Cristian, his family, and his school mates lead is unbelievably bleak, especially when you consider the final insult that they all suspect there are listening devices planted in their homes. The way the story is written it becomes easy for the reader to truly feel what it would be like to live this type of restricted, depraved existence, which is terrifying. Cristian is easy to identify with, but it still feels like he’s living in a no-win situation that can only end horribly. Recommended.

Castles In Their Bones by Laura Sebastian

Published April 15, 2022 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Fantasy/Romance

Beatriz, Sophronia, and Daphne are princesses and triplets who were raised for the sole purpose of marrying the three nearby princes so that their mother could secretly find weaknesses that would allow her to invade and someday rule all of the land. They understood their purpose and endured a lifetime of training in poisons, code breaking, fighting, seductions, and so much more. Yet, once they are all sent to their new kingdoms things are not as simple as they first appeared and they start to realize there is more at play than they originally thought. Daphne arrives to find that her situation has changed irrevocably just prior to her arrival and is scrambling to re-strategize. Beatriz really likes her prince, but there is a problem that neither of them can ignore regarding their relationship. Sophronia, considered by their mother to be the weakest, starts to notice discrepancies in the way the kingdom collects and spends taxpayer dollars and starts to believe her and her new husband could potentially be really good rulers…if she doesn’t let her mother’s plotting get in the way. Can the three sisters who are so far from each other work together to untangle all the betrayals and secrets? How will they know who they can truly trust?

This exciting plot twists and turns from the beginning right up to the end. Fans of Grace and Fury and The Ash Princess series will devour this book and clamor for more. The three main characters are all placed in very different yet equally precarious situations that they must figure out largely on their own. All of them uncover betrayals and secrets that leave them shocked, which is saying something considering they were all raised with the sole purpose of overthrowing kingdoms. Their mother, while not a big character, is felt throughout the story and clearly has more power than even they could have predicted. The ending reveals some answers, but there are still many more to be had. Recommended.

Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon

Published April 8, 2022 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Romance

Yvette’s world shatters when her parents announce they are getting divorced and her belief is true love is put to the test. She does not react well to the news that her mother, her sister, and her must move out of their family home and into a smaller apartment and decides it is time to downsize her belongings as well. She takes all of her favorite romance books to donate to a free library. When she is there a mysterious woman convinces her to take a book in return for her donation and she grabs the book titled Instructions for Dancing. After receiving this book, Yvette notices that every time she sees a couple kiss she see flashes of their entire relationship from beginning to end, and they always end. This only cements her belief that love never lasts and she decides if she gets rid of the book she might not see these premonitions anymore. She notices that there is an address inside for a local dance studio and goes to return the book, but the instructor sees something in her and convinces her to practice for a big ballroom dancing competition. Yvette does not know why, but she feels drawn to the dance floor and her magnaminous partner, X. Can she really get involved with someone when she is so down on romance at the moment? Will she ever be able to reconcile with her father after he tore their family apart?

Fans of Nicola Yoon will not be disappointed with this story about two very thought out characters and their struggle to find their way in a complicated world. There are also many interesting side characters that prove nothing is ever as cut and dried as it first appears. Not all young adult readers enjoy reading romances, but this one truly has something for everyone if they are willing to give it a chance. The characters are all going through very relatable issues and most everyone can find something they can identify with. Highly recommended.

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

Published April 1, 2022 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Mystery

Hannah has been married for over a year and it has been going relatively well except for the fact that her husband’s teenage daughter does not care for her. She’s still hoping that things will get better when she receives a note from her husband, delivered by a stranger, asking Hannah to protect his daughter. That is the moment that Hannah learns her husband has gone on the run and she has no idea why. His daughter, Bailey, is equally confused and hurt once she discovers that he left her a bag full of cash and no further instructions. Hannah and Bailey reluctantly work together to find out the truth about Owen, but the more they learn the more they discover they didn’t know about him. First of all, his name was not actually Owen and he is not from New England like he had said. It’s not a coincidence that Owen went on the run after his company was highly publicized for fraud and other charges, but Hannah isn’t convinced that is the issue he’s running from. She thinks there’s something from his past that he is terrified will find his daughter, but the question is what and will they ever see him again? Can Bailey ever trust her enough to find out the truth together?

Fans of The Woman in Cabin 10 and the Woman in the Window will enjoy this title, but it is not as dark as those. As Hannah begins to find answers, the reader will most likely be surprised at why Owen ran and the difficult choices Hannah feels she needs to make going forward. Recommended for readers looking for a fun, fast paced mystery or for a book club looking for an engaging mystery.

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