Review of One of Us Is Lying, by Karen M. McManus

Contemporary, Mystery, Starred Review, Teen Fiction Review 0

One of Us Is Lying

by Karen M. McManus
read by Kim Mai Guest, MacLeod Andrews, Shannon McManus, and Robbie Daymond

Listening Library, 2017. 10 hours, 44 minutes.
Review written June 9, 2024, from a library eaudiobook.
Starred Review

So — I finally got this wildly popular teen thriller read after hearing an interview with the author about her 2024 book, Such Charming Liars. I enjoyed this one tremendously.

The set-up is that five high school students get detention with the notoriously technophobic teacher at the school because someone planted a phone in their backpack – all five of them.

And then one of the students has a fatal allergic reaction after drinking water. They try to save him, but his epi-pen is missing, and all the epi-pens have been removed from the nurse’s office. It turns out there was peanut oil in the cup.

All four of the remaining students are suspects. It turns out that they, along with many other students at the high school, had strong motives for killing Simon. He ran a gossip website that was always accurate — and all four of them had secrets queued up on his admin site, ready to post.

There are four narrators to this audiobook because all four of the teens get to give their perspective. Their secrets have repercussions, and the pressures of the school finding out those secrets affect their lives beyond the murder investigation. And of course, there’s a murder investigation going on, too. The four kids include the girl who gets good grades and has her plans for Yale under control, the jock who’s getting recruited to play baseball, the rich girl who runs in the popular crowd, and the social outcast who’s already on probation for drug dealing. Because they’re all viewpoint characters, they all get our sympathy, and we become invested in the question of which one is the murderer.

This is an excellent thriller about interesting characters, and I’m happy to see it ended up being the start of a series, so I’ve got more books on my list immediately.

karenmcmanus.com

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Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

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Review of Nora Goes Off Script, by Annabel Monaghan, read by Hillary Huber

Audiobooks, Contemporary, Fiction Review, Romance, Starred Review 0

Nora Goes Off Script

by Annabel Monaghan
read by Hillary Huber

Penguin Audio, 2022. 6 hours, 57 minutes.
Review written July 29, 2024, from a library eaudiobook.
Starred Review

First, thanks to my friend, the librarian Amanda Sealey, for mentioning this author in a post. Yes, it’s an unashamed romance novel, and this book left me feeling happy – and also happy about my own life and my choices. So that’s a win!

Nora, our heroine in this story writes movie scripts for the Romance Channel. They always follow a formula and always turn out happy. The formula involves a big-city person meeting a person from the country and at first they butt heads, but they fall in love. Big City Person gets involved with the small community and helps with planning an important community event. But then BCP leaves, the one left behind is heartbroken – but something gives BCP an epiphany and they show up at the community event and they kiss and live happily ever after.

Well, this book didn’t *exactly* follow that pattern. But it was pretty darn close. All the same, there was enough introspection and thoughtfulness that it got me thinking about my own life and what love means and standing on your own and learning to let go and all sorts of other good things. And that made it rise above the formula for a win.

As the book opens, a movie company is taking over Nora’s yard and tea house to make a movie. But this time, it’s not for the Romance Channel. After Nora’s husband left her two years ago, she wrote a script about it, not following the formula, not bringing the guy back. And a big Hollywood producer picked it up. So two of the biggest stars in Hollywood are portraying Nora and her husband.

And then the big star sticks around. At first they butt heads, but soon fall in love. He starts helping with a community event – Nora’s fifth grade son’s play. Things are going according to the script, until they don’t.

A lot of the power in this book comes when Nora feels like she’s the kind of person people leave, and she figures out how to cope, with help from her friends. It hadn’t been as bad when her husband left, because things had died between them long before. Nora’s coping doesn’t come easily or flippantly, and I appreciated that.

I think it speaks well of the book that it got me thinking of my own life. My own divorce was much much harder, because I was very much still in love with my husband. For me, it’s now almost 20 years later, and it was nice to think about all the freedom I have as a woman on my own with a career I love – and I enjoyed that this book ticked off those reflections. I’m glad the romance part turned out happier for Nora, though!

annabelmonaghan.com

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Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

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Review of Beto’s Berry Treasure, by Jenny Lacika, illustrated by Addy Rivera Sonda

Contemporary, Mathematical, Picture Book Review, Starred Review 0

Beto’s Berry Treasure

by Jenny Lacika
illustrated by Addy Rivera Sonda

Storytelling Math (Charlesbridge), October 8, 2024. 32 pages.
Review written July 19, 2024, from my own copy given to me at ALA Annual Conference.
Starred Review

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Charlesbridge’s Storytelling Math series. In fact, I went up to their booth and gushed about them on the last day of this year’s ALA Annual Conference – and they gave me one of their copies of this newest entry in the series!

All the books have a cultural element, in this case two Mexican American kids who speak some Spanish. They also present in very simple terms an early math concept, with tips for parents to extend the ideas at the back. And it’s always found in a picture book story that will engage kids even if it weren’t teaching math concepts.

Beto’s Berry Treasure is about spatial relationships and making and following maps.

Beto wants his big sister Cora to play tea party with him, but she only wants to play pirate. So Beto decides to make a pirate map of hidden treasure – the treasure being berries for the tea party.

But Beto’s first tries don’t lead Cora to the treasure! How can he fix it?

And will there be any berries left by the time Cora finds the treasure?

This simple story is a fantastic conversation – and play – starter. And believe it or not, spatial relationships and being able to give step-by-step instructions (or a map) are early math concepts.

Another brilliant entry in the series.

jennylacika.com
astound.us/addy-rivera-sonda
charlesbridge.com/storytellingmath

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Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

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Review of The Box in the Woods, by Maureen Johnson

Contemporary, Mystery, Starred Review, Teen Fiction Review 0

The Box in the Woods

by Maureen Johnson
read by Kate Rudd

Katherine Tegen Books, 2021. 9 hours, 13 minutes.
Review written June 27, 2024, from a library eaudiobook.
Starred Review

I’ve been meaning to read this book for ages, probably since it came out in 2021. Not sure why I never did, but I’m not going to make the same mistake with the next book in the series.

The Box in the Woods features Stevie Bell, the teen detective of the Truly Devious trilogy. Because of her success with that case, Stevie is given an opportunity to look into another cold case – The Box in the Woods. In 1978, four teenagers were in the woods outside summer camp at night smoking pot, and they got stabbed to death. Three of their bodies were stashed in a box in the woods. It sounds like a teenage slasher film, but it’s real to the family members and the people of the town.

The new owner of the camp offers Stevie a summer case to solve, and she can bring her friends. What could be better than friends and murder?

Now, the folks in the nearby town aren’t thrilled about that old case getting dredged up. And sure enough, before long there’s a modern-day death of someone important to the case. The reader will not be surprised that investigating further puts Stevie and her friends in danger.

This book is a wonderful teen mystery/thriller. I liked listening to it, as the reader gave personality to the characters, including Stevie’s obsession with murder. The solution was one of those oh-yes-it-all-makes-sense revelations. We also got more insight into the relationships of Stevie and her friends.

You can read this as a stand-alone mystery without having read the first trilogy, but having the background makes it that much more fun.

maureenjohnsonbooks.com

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Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

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Review of And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps

Children's Fiction Review, Contemporary, Starred Review 0

And Then, Boom!

by Lisa Fipps

Nancy Paulsen Books (Penguin Random House), 2024. 244 pages.
Review written August 7, 2024, from an Advance Reader Copy sent by the publisher.
Starred Review

Lisa Fipps knows how to wrench your heart! She’s the author of Starfish, the Printz Honor-winning novel of a young girl who’s relentlessly bullied – even by adults – about her weight, as she learns to take up space. This book, And Then, Boom! is another novel in verse, this time about a boy dealing with poverty and hunger.

There’s a bit of foreshadowing at the beginning when our hero Joe explains that he’s not a superhero, even though he flew like Superman once. But like superheroes, he does have an origin story, and this book gives it.

At the beginning, he also explains why the world needs comic books – to give you hope and remind you that even when horrible things happen, it can all work out in the end. This statement is important to this book, because, honestly, I was angry at all the author put this kid through.

But yes! It works out in the end. All the same, this is the second book I’ve read this year where the grandma – the person who was the lifeline to the neglected child – dies and leaves him pretty much alone. Stop killing off Grandma, authors! I can’t take it any more!

And okay, I should probably give a spoiler alert – but it’s only about a third of the way into the book and maybe if you brace yourself, you can handle it better.

Joe has a mother who gets the Itch and leaves, so Joe’s been living with his grandma. And ever since they sold their house to pay his mother’s bail, they’ve been stretching to make ends meet. This is about that struggle.

Fortunately, Joe has some good friends looking out for him, a kind teacher who makes food available, and caring people in the community. But one thing after another happens to Joe, and let’s just say that I was tremendously relieved by the happy ending. But before the happy ending, he flies like Superman!

Now, it’s fair that Lisa Fipps put such hard things into a book, because I know full well that there are kids out there dealing with problems like this. May I take the story to heart and look for ways to make life better for kids in such situations. May this book give us all a little more empathy.

authorlisafipps.com

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Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

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Review of The Coquíes Still Sing, by Karina Nicole González, illustrations by Krystal Quiles

Contemporary, Picture Book Review, Starred Review 0

The Coquíes Still Sing

A Story of Home, Hope, and Rebuilding

story by Karina Nicole González
illustrations by Krystal Quiles

Roaring Brook Press, 2022. 40 pages.
Review written August 30, 2022, from a library book
Starred Review

This bright and beautiful picture book tells the story of a girl named Elena and her family who live in Puerto Rico. As the book opens, the girl is enjoying the mango tree outside their house, heavy with sweet fruit.

At night the coquí frogs in the tree and in the garden sing, “Co-quí, co-quí,” and Elena and her Papi sing back, “Co-quí, co-quí. Oh, how I love thee.”

But that night, the radio talks about a storm. Hurricane Maria is coming. The family shelters safe together in a closet, but the roof gets blown off their house. When they come out again, the mango tree has no fruit or leaves, and the coquí frogs are silent.

But this is a book about resilience and recovery. The community works hard and comes together, plants a garden, and makes repairs.

And to finish the story, some months later, the mango tree sprouts new leaves, and the coquí frogs sing again.

Six pages of back matter give details about Puerto Rico and the impact of Hurricane María, as well as work that still needs to be done.

Overall, this is a book of hope, created with a deep love for Puerto Rico that shines through.

karinanikole.com
krystalquiles.com
mackids.com

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Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

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*Note* To try to catch up on posting reviews, I’m posting the oldest reviews I’ve written on my blog without making a page on my main website. They’re still good books.

Review of Up High, by Matt Hunt

Contemporary, Picture Book Review, Starred Review 0

Up High

by Matt Hunt

Nosy Crow, 2024. First published in the United Kingdom in 2024. 40 pages.
Review written July 31, 2024, from a library book.
Starred Review

I love this simple, but bright and colorful picture book. It’s the story of a little boy going for a walk through the city to the park with his father, a big man with sleeve tattoos. When the city seems so crowded and busy, the boy asks to go “up high,” and his father let’s him ride on his shoulders.

Suddenly, I don’t feel so small any more.

There’s not a lot of text on each page, and it really gives us the kid’s perspective, from looking up at all the giant people standing around him to looking down from above the whole crowd. I love the spread where his dad stops to talk with a friend for a long time:

His hair feels tickly in my hands.
I pull it.

There are also pages of all the things the boy notices once he gets to the park.

It definitely brings to mind family walks when my own kids were small. And that happy trust on my kids’ faces when they went up high.

Just a happy and joyful slice of life.

matthuntillustration.com
nosycrow.us

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Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

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Review of Aviva vs. the Dybbuk, by Mari Lowe

Children's Fiction Review, Contemporary 0

Aviva vs. the Dybbuk

by Mari Lowe

Levine Querido, 2022, 172 pages.
Review written August 5, 2022, from a library book

This book tells about an girl named Aviva who lives with her mother in an apartment over a mikvah next to the shul in their Orthodox Jewish community. They’ve lived there since Aviva’s father died, and it’s all her mother can manage to take care of the mikvah.

But there’s a dybbuk, a mischievous spirit, in the mikvah, and only Aviva can see him. She can’t control him, but she can clean up after him.

Meanwhile, at school Aviva and her former best friend get in trouble and assigned to do a project together. Maybe that will build some bridges. But why is the dybbuk getting even worse in the trouble he’s causing?

There’s a lot of sadness in this book. But ultimately a hopeful ending as events in the book help both Aviva and her mother start to go beyond their sad loss with the help of their loving community.

levinequerido.com

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Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

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*Note* To try to catch up on posting reviews, I’m posting the oldest reviews I’ve written on my blog without making a page on my main website. They’re still good books.

Review of Royal Scandal, by Aimée Carter

Audiobooks, Contemporary, Starred Review, Teen Fiction Review 0

Royal Scandal

by Aimée Carter
read by Kristen Sieh

Listening Library, 2024. 11 hours, 21 minutes.
Review written July 16, 2024, from a library eaudiobook
Starred Review

Royal Scandal is a sequel to Royal Blood, but left me frustrated because I’m going to have to wait to get a finish to the story.

In the first book, we learned about the alternate reality world of this book where King Edward VIII did not abdicate his throne to marry Wallis Simpson, and the history of the British monarchy has been completely different since then. Our protagonist is Evangeline Bright, known to her friends as Evan, the illegitimate daughter of the reigning King of England. She grew up in America, living with her grandmother and then in boarding schools. But at 18, she was brought to England and King Alexander acknowledged her as his daughter. And the furor that ensued was the topic of Royal Blood.

In this book, the scandal and chaos only deepens. Someone’s leaking information to the tabloids about the long failed marriage of the king and queen, and they don’t know where the leak lies.

But then things get deadly. The day after the assassination attempt against former President Trump, I listened to an episode in this book where someone shoots at Evangeline. Somehow that made it seem very real. And things escalate horribly even from there, with signs that a terrorist group is responsible. And someone seems to be trying to pin it on Evan.

But how can Evan fight the weight of public opinion? How can she possibly clear her name? And how can anyone get proof that it’s not her?

By the end of this tension-packed book, they’ve figured out who is responsible, but they don’t have details as to how, and they don’t have any proof. But Evan has a plan….

All I have to say is this author better hurry up and write the next book!

aimeecarter.com

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Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

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Review of Apple Crush, by Lucy Knisley

Children's Fiction Review, Contemporary, Graphic Novel, Starred Review 0

Apple Crush

by Lucy Knisley

RH Graphic, 2022. 202 pages.
Review written June 16, 2022, from a library book
Starred Review

Graphic novels are the perfect format for middle school contemporary stories. Picturing all the roller coaster emotions of middle school helps show the humor and humanity in them.

Apple Crush is a sequel to Stepping Stones, though it’s easy to catch up if you haven’t read the first book.

Jen from the city is still adjusting to life on the farm, as she and her mother are living on a farm with her mother’s boyfriend — and his daughter, who’s Jen’s age, and is there on the weekends.

In this book, Autumn is coming and they’re helping with the Haunted Hayride and Pumpkin Festival at a neighboring farm. And Jen has to start a new school, far from the city and her old friends.

Much to Jen’s annoyance, it seems everyone around her is falling in love. And they tease her about the one friend she makes who loves the same series of books about dragons — but Jen insists they’re just friends, and it’s not about romance.

And that all sounds simple when summarized, but the execution is delightful. We’ve got Autumn on a farm. And love is in the air, whether Jen likes it or not.

lucyknisley.com
RHKidsGraphic.com

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Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

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