This book is brilliantly bizarre. Then She Was Gone, by Lisa Jewell, had presented itself as something different to me, but although it's not my favorite genre, this book kept me hooked and waiting for the next twist. Each twist was riveting and unique, and my jaw dropped several times. The plot unraveled beautifully at the end, in a way that made you think, "That makes sense." I felt that the book explored the antagonist beautifully, if not too in detail.
This mystery thriller, Ink and Ashes by Valynne E. Maetani, follows the story of a girl named Claire Takata, who lives in a family of four with her mom, stepdad, and two brothers. On the anniversary of her dads death, Claire finds a letter from her deceased father that was written to her now stepdad. Turns out, Claire's father is a part of a Japanese crime syndicate. Her new discovery opens up many previously closed doors, with secret agents coming at her left and right.
Cadence Sinclair comes from the seemingly perfect Sinclair family, who visit their private island, Beechwood Island, each summer. Together with her cousins Johnny and Mirren, plus family friend Gat, the four teens form a group self-proclaimed as “the liars”. The reader learns that the Sinclairs aren’t quite as perfect as they seem, with Cady’s mother and aunts obsessed with money and a grandfather obsessed with power, leading to multigenerational family drama that keeps the novel engaging and relatable to many readers.
Spy School Goes North is another inclusion to the Spy School series by Stuart Gibbs. This book is fantastic, as it includes laughs, action, mystery, and more! I love that the book captures many of the characters very well and the plot of the story is also very thrilling and keeps you guessing while progressing further into the book. This is one of my favorite books of the series, and if you enjoy mystery, thriller or action books, then this is a must read for you!
Summary: One of Us Is Lying is a gripping young adult mystery that unfolds in a high school setting. The story revolves around five students - Bronwyn, Addy, Nate, Cooper, and Simon - who find themselves in detention together. Simon, the creator of a notorious gossip app at school, was about to reveal devastating secrets about his fellow classmates, but suddenly dies under mysterious circumstances in the detention room. The remaining four students quickly become suspects in what turns into a murder investigation.
One of Us Is Next, the sequel to BookTok sensation One of Us Is Lying, is a young adult mystery/thriller that will have you hooked from the start! Rather than following the original Bayview Four, we instead get a glimpse into the life of three new main characters with their own juicy secrets. In this twisty thriller, Bayview High is still in recovery after the whole fiasco involving Simon. Several copycat apps have been created in his wake, though none of them last long. Until now.
The Inheritance Games is a book about a girl who loves chess and taking chances. Avery Kylie Grambs is a nobody in New Castle, Connecticut, working at a diner and living with her sister in law. One day, she finds out multi-billionaire Tobias Hawthorne has just passed, and Avery has been called to be present at the reading of his will. She finds out that Tobias has left her all of his fortune, house, and most belongings, and not his own family.
Pippa-Fitz Amobi, a senior in high school, must complete a research project on a topic of her choice; something she is passionate about. She looks into a past murder case of a girl named Andie Bell. Sal Singh, along with Andie, had been found dead in the forest. According to clues at the scene of the crime, all hints pointed to one scenario: Sal killed Andie (who is also his girlfriend) and killed himself afterwards as a result of guilt and regret. Despite the case being declared closed by the authorities, Pip finds it hard to believe. It seemed a bit too obvious.
The Third Twin by Cynthia James Omololu is a mystery thriller about 2 identical twins who have to figure out why their dates keep turning up dead. Ava and Alexa (Lexi) are seniors who are part of a relatively wealthy family in California. When they were younger, the twins made up an imaginary third twin named Alicia who was blamed for their naughty actions. However, when they got older Ava and Lexi decided to date and dump boys with the persona of Alicia.
I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick is about Anna, a girl working as a nanny in a small town in the Hamptons who is trying to figure out her weird connection to the local girl who went missing not many months ago, Zoe Spanos. The community was left on the edge by the disappearance of the girl, and Anna shockingly resembles the girl, she becomes intrigued by her life and the reasons surrounding her disappearance.
