Posts Tagged 'family secrets'

The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Barnes

Published October 22, 2021 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Number of pages: 326

Kira was left to fend for herself in the woods as a child until Cady Bennett and one of her search and rescue dogs found her. Cady is well known for being an exceptional search and rescue person and she has trained her two kids, Kira and Jude, and the neighbor, Free. When Cady’s father suddenly turns up and asks for her help in finding a missing girl they all pack up to drive several hours to help locate her. It’s strange for the three teens, however, because up until now they had never seen Cady’s dad. They know there was a falling out, but that is all they know. As they all begin searching for the little girl it becomes obvious that some family secrets will start to spill out, as well as some old memories of living in the woods for Kira. Can they rescue the little girl who they believe might have been taken? Can they reconcile as a family? Can Kira deal with the demons of her past?

Many people do not know much about search and rescue dogs and handler training, which makes this story unique and interesting right from the start. Then, there is the mystery of what happened to the little girl, but as the book goes on there are several other exciting plot twists. The characters all have their own baggage and it takes awhile for all of them to help each other face it. The ending has some dramatic, unexpected surprises that will thrill both mystery fans and fans of survival fiction. Recommended for reluctant readers.

The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Barnes

Published October 15, 2021 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Mystery

Number of Pages: 258

In this sequel to the Inheritance Games, Avery is still navigating her new life as an heiress. When rumors begin spreading that Tobias Hawthorne’s son, Toby, is still alive Avery and her cousins begin trying to find out where he is and why he ran away from the family in the first place. Meanwhile, there are definitely people trying to steal Avery’s money and they don’t care who they have to hurt to get it. For example, creepy things have been left in her room despite her having 24/hr security. She’s also noticed that the longtime Hawthorne employees definitely do not feel like she belongs at the manor and go out of their way to treat her as such. Plus, Avery’s long lost father has returned and is threatening to try and get custody of her, and by extension, her billions. Who can Avery really trust? Is Toby really alive and if so why doesn’t he want his inheritance? What are Grayson and Jameson’s intentions toward her?

This book was really a continuation of the first and was just as much fun with several twists and turns along the way. Avery and the Hawthorne’s definitely keep things interesting as they try to find new clues left behind by Tobias, the patriarch. No one living seems to know all of the Hawthorne secrets and even people who think they know everything get surprised at one point or another in this book. Despite the many changes that Avery has experienced in a short amount of time, she is always so curious to find out what happens that she doesn’t seem to worry too much about her own personal safety. She is definitely unsure of how to handle the potential affections of the Hawthorne Brothers. Fans will want to see more from this fun, fast paced mystery story and its lively characters.

Cousins by Karen M. McManus

Published January 21, 2021 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Mystery

Number of Pages: 321

Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah are the only three grandchildren to the wealthy and influential Mildred Story. They have never met her, though, because before they were born their parents all received a letter from their mother saying she was cutting off all contact with them because “they knew what they did.” They all claim that don’t know what they did and they tried for years to reconcile, but to no avail. Then, all three cousins receive a letter from their grandmother inviting them to come to her vacation island to work for the summer at her resort. They all have their reservations about this, but their parents are so eager to mend fences and get back in the will that they all agree to go. When they arrive it becomes very clear that their grandmother did not invite them and has no interest in getting to know them, which disappoints their parents. The three cousins are enjoying getting to know each other, though, and refuse to leave the island when Mildred’s business manager tries to get rid of them. Can they find out what happened between their grandmother and their parents? Can they get to know their grandmother at all while they are here?

This exciting story follows a wealthy family who has a lot of secrets they do not want to get out. As Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah try to find out what went wrong between their parents and their grandmother all those years ago they find that some of the facts just simply do not add up. Can they uncover the truth before they are forced off the island? Will secrets of their own be revealed along the process? Fans of We Were Liars and other suspenseful mysteries will struggle to put this one down for even a second! Highly recommended.

The Snows by Sharelle Byars Moranville

Published October 30, 2008 Historical Fiction , RAC 1 Comment
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Genre: Historical Fiction

Age Level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 225 p.

RAC Book: Yes

The Snows follows four generations of the Snow family who live in Jefferson, Iowa. The four sections of the book focus on when one of the Snows was sixteen and the turmoil that year brought to the entire family. The first section takes place in 1931 as the Snows struggle through the depression. The second section takes place in 1942 when Cathy Snow gets unexpectedly pregnant and her family has to deal with a teen pregnancy during a time of low tolerance. The third section follows Jill in 1969 during a time of rebellion and protest over the Vietnam War. Finally, the last section connects the previous three sections together when Mona goes home for a family funeral in 2006 and reunites with many family members whom she has not seen much in her sixteen years.

The Iowa backdrop for this story will appeal to any Iowans because there are mentions of specific towns and places that any Iowan will know. The first two sections seem the most compelling as they introduce the family and their dynamic. The section in 1969 reveals some strong language in the protest for the war. The protest is not explored in depth enough for those readers who do not know a lot about this time. The final section is used as a way to pull the four parts together. All in all a nice read, but may be difficult to sell to young adults.

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