One of the best YA mysteries I've read in a while
937501
One Of Us Is Lying is without doubt one of the best YA mystery stories Ive read so far this year. This is unreliable narrators and plot twists at its best; I did kind of guess part of the ending early on, but there is no way this story won't at least partly surprise you. The story starts out strong and it sets the tone for the rest of the story. The main characters start out as high school cliches, but as you continue reading they slowly start to evolve and their development is very well executed. Despite the cliches its really easy to connect to the four suspects and they are one of the reasons this story works so well. My favorites would be Cooper and Bronwyn, but all four have their charm. The plot twists are excellent and definitely make you wonder what is true and who is lying; the ending wasn't a complete surprise but was still satisfying. If you like the genre and you're up for a healthy dose of high school secrets and excellent twists, One Of Us Is Lying is the book for you!
303443
I loved a book that starts off with a good party scene, especially when the main character is debating on doing 'the deed' with her sex crazed boyfriend for the first time. LOL Hooked me in right away. The mystery in this story is what kept me hooked. There just wasn't something quite right with those youth group people. This book took a turn I wasn't prepared for when I found out there was a cult involved and Faith's dead might not be a suicide after all.

Alis was my favorite character in the book. He was so darn cute and awkward in a normal teen setting because he'd been home schooled. He was a well written character.

I really liked this novel. Although there was some religious overtones in it, I didn't feel like it got too preachy, so I think the general population of YA readers will enjoy this one.
1594250
Review
Lately, Ive been in a bit of a mystery/thriller mood and ah this book totally delivered. This book follows a couple different POVs and that was one of the strengths we had. Learning how the different characters felt about the events going on simultaneously really added a level of depth to this novel.

Im not going to act like its the most unique story out there because its not. The ending is something that you can figure out if you want to, maybe when the book first starts, maybe just a page or two before its revealed, or maybe you won't guess the ending. What I love is that regardless if you do guess the ending or not, reading the story is still super enjoyable. Oh and I like how the story takes time to develop but doesnt linger too long. There was time for things to happen, for characters to process things and have time to develop, but the book still felt like a fast read. I listened to the audiobook for this one and just wanted to up the speed so I could find out what was happening.

I also enjoy the characters. No one is clearly good or clearly bad, they all do shitty things, but you can also sympathize with them. It wasn't explicitly stated, but I was wondering if Natasha was asexual due to her thoughts revolving around sexual relationships. People who are ACE, mind weighing in?

Final Thoughts
This book was fast-paced, fun, and kept me up because I was so invested in the story. I thought this was a great YA mystery, there were some twists and turns that kept me wanting more. The POVs added to the depth of this story and the characters were so enjoyable to read about.

If you're looking for a YA mystery to keep you up all night or to fly through for a readathon, I think this is the book for you! I loved it way more than I was anticipating.

Rating
  4/5 Stars
4906630
Mark Eldrichs Imaginary Boy turned out to be a great read. The title led me to the conclusion that this was a YA tale, and while I wasn't wrong, I believe this would appeal to teen and adult fantasy and mystery readers.

From the first page, Imaginary Boy was compelling and grabbed my attention. While this story begins as a dark tale, turning the pages was easy. The chapters were short, helping them flow seamlessly, and the authors writing style keeps the story clipping right along.

Benji, the protagonist, and his mother are well built characters as are all the others. Mr. Eldrich makes great use of unmentioned history between characters to keep up the tension. Moreover, his descriptive talents are wonderful and captivating. Here is an example:

Something familiar was tickling his nose. Smoke. Little tendrils rising up all around he that he could smell, but not see. He shifted his body so he could see partly down the chimney shaft what he saw horrified him. Fire. That light was fire. Whoever was down there was trying to roast him alive. He screamed and kicked again. Fingernails ripped from his flesh as he scraped the walls. The heat intensified and the smoke thickened causing him to cough in mad fits.

The only bump for me came at Chapter 19 which while as good as the other chapters, caught me as a bit strange. Im curious why the discussion of Benjis being in the river and his complete appearance with Thomas didn't happen long ago. And another thing, why didn't Benji mention Eve while they were there?

All and all, this was a great read, and I was very pleasantly surprised with it. Mr. Eldrich weaved a wonderful conclusion that wrapped up the tale nicely. I wholeheartedly recommend this book, and its very unlikely youll regret having purchasing it.
2551063
A really fun YA adventure book.  Amulet Keepers follows Alex and Ren as they travel to England to try to find the latest Death Walker to surface -- and find Alex' mother as well, they hope.  The characters are engaging and smart, the plot is tight and fast-paced; this is the second in a great young adult series that will get kids of all ages reading.  The online components are also well-done and contribute well to the whole Tombquest Universe.
2458197
This ended up being a complete surprise of a book for me; but such a neat YA read! I think people are really going to appreciate the unique plot this one has, and the fact that it's a stand alone novel as well!

Reasons to Read:

1. Unpredictable twists:

While I was reading, I was so curious about what was going to happen and I was having a hard time trying to predict what I thought would happen- well, I was wrong. There aren't very many books out there that I can say this about, so Jordan Dane earns points for being able to do this successfully. And I was really pleased with how nicely Jordan tied things up in the end.

2. Admirable characters:

There were so many different characters I liked in this book; especially that the teens all had parents who were involved and active in their lives in one way or another. I especially liked reading about Nate's parents, who I thought were so wonderful! I'd kind of like them to adopt me. Nate and Tanner ended up being two of my favourite characters, because they were such real, all-around great guys. Abbey is a lucky girl to know these two, just putting it out there.
Abbey, on the other hand, was a different story. I had a hard time getting past how annoying she was; she was hyper-obsessed over her crush, and not in a typical YA way. In a creepy, stalker kind of way. It just isn't normal, and I was so fed up with her.

And I wasn't thrilled by the way she narrated; perhaps it was just the way it was written, but it was noticeable during the first few chapters that there seemed to be too many bad jokes and puns. Once or twice, they would have been cute or clever but they overwhelmed the text.

There also wasn't as much explanation regarding the background and reasons for what happened, which would have been nice towards the end. It wasn't mythology I was familiar with and it was so interesting to read about, but it felt like it was lacking some of that extra information to really pull it all together.

e-galley received from publisher via Net Galley.
2870098
When I think about all of the YA I've read recently it shouldn't surprise me that the theme of so many of the fantasy books is "where am I, who am I, and what's happening?".  I mean, almost in a literal sense isn't that a typical YA reader's daily mantra? This book treads that metaphorical ground and it does it very well.

This is not a paranormal story in vampire/werewolf terms. It's not an "I am the gatekeeper and you are the keymaster book". This is one of those tales in which an amnesiac heroine wakes up in a strange, scary, creepy place, (not high school), and has to figure things out. She has allies and enemies. There are monstrous antagonists. The atmosphere is dark, the rules are confusing, and there is menace, (human and supernatural), and danger.

Sometimes these worlds are variants of or improvisations on Wonderland or Neverland or some mythical realm or a dark city. Here, the author is more ambitious and starts her story in a place created from scratch and entirely of her own devising.  We have a certain logic to what is happening, but a great deal of mystery. Thankfully, the author does not drag out the confusion and weirdness until we get frustrated or bored. Our heroine makes friends and begins to figure out what's going on early enough to get us involved and keep us engaged. This is a well plotted book and the author sets us on a clear trail early on, so it's not all ambiguity and head scratching.

Along with a compelling plot we also get a number of well rounded and interesting characters. Everyone isn't a type, our heroine isn't just a one-note, and many characters are unpredictable and hard to pin down. That keeps the interest level up and makes the payoff at the end more rewarding. There is a romantic element that is written with great restraint and is the more satisfying because it is present but a bit underplayed. It's not pulse pounding or hearts-and-violins all of the time, but Ms. Diemer knows how to turn up the volume at just the right times. It's hard to pace romance and action and suspense so that they complement each other instead of getting in each other's way, and the author does a nice job with that here.

So, the upshot for me was that this book was intriguing, engaging and satisfying, and struck me as well crafted and tightly written. That works.

Please note that I found this book while browsing Amazon Kindle freebies. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
1310979
This book surprised me.
With that being said, I have to admit I enjoyed it. It was a quick read with enough oomph to keep me interested. There were a few parts in the beginning that left empty spaces and a few times descriptions seemed lacking in a sense that it left a hole in the imagery. There is a major part that I felt was a little "too convenient" but it was rectified toward the end and it's use in the story worked out well. There was only one noticeable typo, and the grammar was superb. As a first novel, I have to say that it was well written and the story flowed nicely. I truly couldn't put it down, especially towards the end. I teetered between 4 and 5 stars but I believe it deserves 5. Overall this is a great YA novel that has enough of a storyline that anyone can enjoy it. I can't wait for the next book to be released.
3619337
Really enjoyed this book! Took me a little while to get into, but the mystery & characters really kept me interested! I finished this in less than 2 days. Perfect for YA mystery/thriller lovers!
1277772
Ten was one of those books that slipped past my radar. It was a great read and when it put me on the edge of my seat, it kept me there through the rest of the book. I fell in love with this book almost immediately. The protagonist Meg was just so believable and represented a normal teenage girl who was trying to have fun and lead a normal life. She was nervous when the first got on the island that their friends party was going to take place.

  While this is supposed to be a normal party, it ends up being everything but ordinary. From the synopsis you can tell that all the of teens at the party are being hunted. What got me the most about this story was the characters. The characters were amazing, and how Gretchen weaves a story between them and makes their each uniqueness intertwine between the characters. She does a great job making not only the characters believable, but understandable and relatable.

  It's just a gradual learning through the book how the characters are involved, as they are slowly murdered in numerous ways. I thought the mystery would be a bit different, but my version of the mystery wouldn't do this justice at all, and I applaud McNeil for a wonderful job. I guarantee you won't figure out who the killer is, until all the pieces are put together for you. I thought I nailed who the killer was, but McNeil did it again and pulled the one trick out of her hat, and literally blew my mind.

  Minnie was one of my favorite characters in this book. Mainly because she was so unstable. We understand that Minnie goes into this rage fits or something of that nature, or some sort of OCD meltdown; anyways, she for some reason keeps her cool for the beginning of the worst. When things start and her meltdown takes over she begins to burrow into herself and the trauma shows clearly all over her persona. I loved her the most out of all the character, because she is relates to how any normal person reacts and was a great distraction to keep your mind off the other issues and trying to figure out who the killer was.

  A major issue I found was Meg, her character seemed to be pushed around more often than what she did at the party. There were more times at the party that Meg showed she was the one in control, she was the one taking charge of things and piecing together who the killer was, but when you look at the past it says complete opposite. You learn through the book, that Meg more often than not drops things, and bends over backwards for Minnie at any cost, and I found that frustrating. She's this push-over in her past, but in the present she's the one in charge; it just confused me more than it made sense.

  The problem I have with books like these though, is the lack of re-readability. I can't re-read this unless I bury it in a hole and find it many years down the road and read it to one of my children (I don't have yet). On that note, I actually cannot wait to read to my children one day and share my passion with them. So I guess in that aspect it's got some, but nothing like a plot driven book has. Maybe that's why I don't normally go for Mysteries as often, they lack the re-readability I enjoy from time to time.
4560972
This amazing novel follows three vibrant teenagers, all connected loosely through a local band. Each character is on their own grief journey, that guides them all together.

Woodfolks prose is lovely and easy to read, beautiful and poignant when it needs to be. Music was my life as a teenager, so the lifeline that it serves for all these characters was a world I know well, and don't see often enough in YA.

I especially loved how each of the characters dealt with their own grief and their own struggles in such different ways. It paints grief as the unique experience it is.

Woodfolks voice is so unique in YA, and I cant wait to read her next book.
1978123
My favorite YA novel in a while. Told from four different points of views by narrators who are not entirely reliable. Keeps you guessing until the very end. Reminded me a bit of "Thirteen Reasons Why" but with different POV's. Very tense that builds to the end. I bought the Kindle copy AND got a hardback. That is how much I liked this novel.
4874058
Holding Court by K.C. Held was a fun book to read. This is a YA mystery. I love that it is a clean book. The book is about 16-year-old Jules Verity, she lives with her Mom and Grandmother, they each have a unique gift. Jules gift is blurting out strange psychic sentences that she has no control over. Jules gets a job at a castle turned dinner theater Tudor Times.  She is happy but nervous. She even has some psychic outburst that seem to eventually make sense. The blurb about this book talks about how she has to wear an awful costume instead of a cool sexy style one.  Of course she is happy that her secret crush works there.
 She sees him and another person walking down the hall and she hides next to an armor knight, somehow she hits the ax and ends up in another room, it is dark and she finds the light, and she finds a dead body. She leaves as quickly as she cans and when she gets back in the hallway the crush Greyson is there. By the time they get help, the body is gone.
I really found this story enjoyable, it is what you would expect from reading a mystery. I loved that it was in a castle, and with costumes. I felt it was realistic and the characters were developed and I could follow along with no problems. I loved the interaction of the characters. I read a lot of mysteries and even though this is a young adult, anyone who likes to read a clean, but interesting mystery this book is really good.
I received a copy of this book from Chapter by Chapter. I received a free copy of a book in exchange for an honest review
4649493
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting was a wonderful read. One of the things I most enjoyed was it's simplicity and originality.

I'm not gonna lie, I've gotten a little tired of the seemingly formulaic YA books that have been released and super hyped recently, especially the paranormal types. I get tired of the predictable love triangles, instantly falling deeply in love with supernatural beings, repetitious and overly predictable plot lines etc. I do enjoy them sometimes, but I can't read too many too close together. I end up spending the whole time rolling my eyes because I can't get over it's absurdities long enough to really enjoy the story.

I was more than happy to discover that The Body Finder had none of these elements. Violet is a great character. She is strong and independent with a definite sense of self, even though she is still questioning certain parts of that self. I love knowing that Violet is aware she still has places to grow, even though she is okay with who she is. I also loved Jay and their relationship. Jay is a great friend to Violet, and really wants what's best for her. And, it's nice to read about a love story that has a real foundation in friendship before growing into love.

We also get to experiences several chapters from the POV of the killer. That is another awesome example of Derting's great characterization skills. I've always been fascinated by serial killers, and (I probably shouldn't admit this,) but I know a lot about them and how they think (ish). And I have to say, I believed in this guy. He really creeped me out, and I found myself with a mild case of the shivers when he popped up.

My favorite genre in my teenage years was murder mysteries and I especially loved Mary Higgins Clark. Can I just say that I loved that the major plot arc here was a murder mystery!? I still love a good murder mystery, so I truly enjoyed stepping back into those familiar reading shoes.

I was also very intrigued by the idea of Violet's power and the echoes death creates. That would be a horrifying ability to posses, especially for a young girl. I've never come across anything like it before and I found myself deliciously intrigued, and morbidly wondering what type of echo I would leave behind.

And, I must also speak about Derting's writing, and her ability to manipulate the mind of the reader and direct them where she will. I really enjoyed her writing style and found myself pushed and prodded into thinking what she wanted me to know at that point that I didn't even notice the pushes until something new came up and exposed them, which is something that does not often happen to me while reading mysteries. It definitely tossed me for a loop or two. Even when I knew without a doubt that she was throwing out a red herring, I still found my heart racing a little faster, because the writing was just that good.

I found that this story contained a believable plot with great characters that I was excited to root for and plausible/realistic situations. I am definitely in eager anticipation of the sequel, Desires of the Dead.
3407352
I don't know why I have started reading more YA novels recently, but I am impressed with the quality of many.  This one did not disappoint.  I gave it a try because it was free and now I am willingly going to pay to get the follow-up books.  I thought it was well written and compelling.

It is about a girl who is moved to a new place where she is most definitely the outsider.  Different religion (wiccan), different way of dressing, city girl in the country, and the popular girl hates her.  It should be very cliche, but I came to really like the characters.  I want to find out what happens to them.
3595578
Great start to a new YA mystery trilogy. Looking forward to reading the conclusion and finding out whodunit! Because who doesnt love secret passages, hidden rooms, coded messages, and a good murder or two?
3536595
I was so excited for a new book by Ashley Elston because I loved her debut duology THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING and THE RULES FOR BREAKING! Im always looking for more YA mysteries and thrillers because there weren't a lot for a very long time and the insurgence of them now is so exciting! When I heard about THIS IS OUR STORY, it immediately went on my list of books I added to get my hands on!

One thing I really loved about this book is how well it was set from a teenagers perspective. I think the hardest thing about YA mysteries is making a believable reason for why a teen is involved in the case and why they wouldnt go to an adult or the police. In the case of THIS IS OUR STORY, main character Kate works for the district attorneys office (as does her mother) and she assists her boss by dictating and spotting details for him, as he has failing eyesight and isn't ready to step down from his job yet. Kate acts as an extra pair of eyes for him throughout his investigation of the River Point Boys, a group of kids involved in the murder of one of their best friends. I really loved how well this concept worked because it allowed Kate to have access to the case and obtain more details than a normal kid or outsider.

The book was interesting from start to finish but I didn't get quite as into the story as I had hoped. Ive gotten sucked in to quite a few mystery/thrillers and I did enjoy the whole book but it wasn't as gripping as some other books Ive read. The story was still very well put-together and carefully crafted. Ashley Elston did a great job with the character relationships, keeping identities secret, and weaving in doubt and suspicion.

I would say her first books/series were my favorite so far but THIS IS OUR STORY was also a very solid read! I wished I had been able to get into it a bit more, but Ive had such limited reading time lately and a lot going on that it could always be situational and not the book. It was a very good mystery still and I really did enjoy it! It didn't stand out as much as I had hoped but a wonderfully solid book and one Id recommend!