The In-Between: A Memoir in Verse by Katie Van Heidrich

The In-Between: A Memoir in Verse by Katie Van Heidrich
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Based on the author's life, this novel in verse details Katie and her siblings constant, surprise moves from place to place by her mother (who has some issues) and how it affects Katie at home, school, and with her visits to her Dad (now remarried to an Asian woman). I was so saddened by Katie's voice- her embarrassment, confusion, longing, and many unanswered questions. But this book also provides hope and determination by Katie and will resonate with middle grade & YA readers! Highly recommended!

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Framed! (Framed #1) by James Ponti

Framed! by James Ponti
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many thanks to my twitter friend (reading buddy) @lhnatiuk for recommending this awesome series! I am now going to be reading the Framed series and City Spies by James Ponti and of course, passing them along to my granddaughter! Florian Bates is such an engaging character--I love the way he thinks (TOAST), speaks and acts and with his best friend, Margaret---watch out world because these 2 will be solving mysteries and even become helpful to the FBI! An awesome read, I have the next 2 in the series on hold at my library!!! I can't wait to read them!

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The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh did I love this compelling must read about search and rescue dogs, a missing girl (plus Kira was found as a child in a ravine), keeping secrets, protecting family and a thrilling plot that kept me turning the pages. I was riveted to Kira's story, how she has come from wildness under Cady's loving hands and her vast knowledge of search and rescue dogs saved Kira. Kira's family of Jude and Free, teens close in age to Kira and their dogs, NATO, Silver, and Saskia were smart, fierce and knew their jobs, in addition to loving their human masters. It is when a little girl goes missing that the mystery deepens and secrets begin to spill. A must read for animal lovers!

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Marathon (Jonathan Stride #8) by Brian Freeman

Marathon by Brian Freeman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Number 8 in this series kept me reading with the thrilling plot, old beloved characters and new good/bad characters! Stride is now married to Serena, YAY!!! Maggie has a boyfriend YAY!!! Cat enters a new time in her life all the while the Duluth Marathon is destroyed by a bomber; according to Dawn Basch #noexceptions, who whips the masses into believing a terrorist is responsible and then when Michael M tweets out the wrong bomber's picture, OMG, hold on for a gripping, sad, sometime hateful plot that kept the detectives chasing leads and forming their own hypothesis; I could not put this book down! Highly recommended!

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Stalked (Jonathan Stride, #3) by Brian Freeman

Stalked by Brian Freeman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Kudos to Brian Freeman for another spine tingling thriller in the Jonathan Stride series! I was so glad to see Maggie back but oh what secrets she will not divulge as she is accused of murder. I was so creeped out by the predator, I kept turning those pages though. Jonathan and Serena are back in Duluth, Jonathan as Lieutenant and Serena as a PI; as they investigate crimes and jobs, the suspense is unbelievable. I will be ordering the next one in the series, but I am also going to begin one of Freeman's other series books too, Bone House, a Cab Bolton series.

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A Box of Bones by Marina Cohen

A Box of Bones by Marina Cohen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this creepy, alluring middle grade story by Marina Cohen! Kallie is very comfortable in her skin, smart, and kind of a loner. When Kallie accompanies her grandfather Jess to a Local Festival of Fools she is confronted with some strange goings on beginning with a faceless man giving her a puzzle box. As she sets herself the task of unlocking the box’s secrets, Kallie is drawn into a mystery of another time and place where Liah is a bone carver in training who must overcome an evil empress with a box of bones. What readers will really enjoy about this book is the mystery and eerie plot that set Kallie and her friends investigating. Pole and Kallie have grown up together and are very much alike in their personalities. It is the new student, Anna and the fantasy book, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe that throw Kallie’s belief system into questions and turmoil. As the plot thickens and Liah, the bone carver’s chapters are interspersed; readers will be turning the pages as they race to find out how the stories, mysteries, and lies fit together. I particularly enjoyed Kallie’s discussion with her English teacher, Ms. Beausoliel about fact and truth especially “stories are the truth in our humanity.” I appreciate author Marina Cohen and #BookJunkies for sharing this novel with me in exchange for my fair and honest review. Highly recommended!

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Twelve (The Naturals #4.5) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Twelve by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh do I love getting back with the gifted teens, Cassie, Dean, Michael, Sloane and Lia. In this prequel, we find out backstories of the main characters as they rush to talk a teen off a ledge who beseeches The Naturals to solve 3 teen "deaths" she knows are murders. I just love getting back into each of the Naturals "gifts" profiling by Cassie and Dean, Lia, the lie detector, Sloane the numbers and computer genius, Michael the face reader. I especially enjoyed how Barnes reveals how their past plays into their present job of FBI profilers and cracking impossible cases. Loved this series and would read love to read more with Cassie and crew solving cases using their gifts!!!

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City of Ghosts (Cassidy Blake, #1) by Victoria Schwab

City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I just continue to fall more and more in love with Victoria Schwab (& pseudonym V.E. Schwab) books!!! I read this book as part of the #yearofYA twitter chat on Middle Grade Books taking place 10/6 at 8PM EST, please join us!!! Cassidy Blake died and was brought back by a ghost who becomes her best friend, Jacob. As she navigates her "new" life, the Veil, her parents who hunt ghosts for a living; she is part and parcel of a new adventure when her parents surprise her with a documentary TV show "The Inspecters" they are hosting that takes them to Edinburgh. I reveled in Cassidy, her joys and fears, her hauntings were riveting, and I can't wait to join her continued adventures (hopefully Lara will follow her) with Jacob as she is dragged to a new TV ghost location in Book 2!!! Highly recommended!

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The Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices #2) by Cassandra Clare

Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As this series continues I am enthralled by Julian's love for his family and Emma. his parabatai. Their world of Shadowhunters, downworlders, Nephilim just continue to grip me as their world is plunged toward war because of Cold Peace rancor. I love the introduction of new and different characters - Kit and Mark, Christina and Hymie, Annabelle and Diana- so much is going on but they (Jules and Emma) continue to try to solve their problem... and keep the secrets of their world from the Clave and others who would judge them. Cassandra Clare's characters and worlds are multi-layered, deep and authentic. Can't wait for the next book in the series because I was crushed by the ending in this book.

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All In (The Naturals #3) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

All In by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved this 3rd book in The Naturals series and I love Jennifer Lynn Barnes' writing. It is suspenseful, psychologically thrilling and disturbing and the teens in this series just keep getting better as the reader gets to know them more with each book. As the teens profile a series of serial killings in Las Vegas, they uncover so much more than the FBI ever thought was involved in the case. Also Cassie's mother's remains are discovered and this adds another layer to Cassie's anxiety but also reminds her that these teens are her friends and "home" which means everything to Cassie. Also Sloane who finds patterns in numbers is really helpful with Fibonacci spirals and patterns. Sloane also meets her brother, Aaron (who wants to get to know her) & her father who just wants her gone from his sight and his casino. I am really looking forward to #4 but I am also going to read her new book in a series, The Fixer. All these mysteries will be discussed 4/26 in a twitter chat #yearofya at 8PM EST. If you like mysteries (my fave genre) read some in April and
join in the discussion!

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Rook by Sharon Cameron

Rook by Sharon Cameron
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Finished this dazzling drama just hours before the #2jennsbookclub twitter chat! Sharon Cameron's characters (The Bellamy family and The Hasard family) were oh so good. Sophia Bellamy and Rene Hasard are engaged to be married and oh do they have secrets aplenty!!! Sophie is trying to save her family's heritage, home, and business. It is Rene Hasard, very good looking, loud, and very annoying (to Sophie) who is going to pay the money that will save the Bellamy name. But an even juicier plot is the do-gooder (known as the Red Rook, who frees the masses and leaves a red rook feather)who is helping save the unjustly accused and stay one step ahead of the government and their favorite tool, the guillotine. As Sharon Cameron wove this mesmerizing story of revolution, the insidious Allemande and LeBlanc, killing all in their path; I could not stop turning the pages as daring Sophia, close brother, Tom, childhood friend, Spear, staunch maid, Orla all stealthily worked as ONE to right the wrongs of the ruthless government injustices. All the while, Rene and his family have mysteries aplenty in their past and present. Will the Red Rook triumph or will the hands of Fate keep their date with death? I highly recommend Rook if you love a spell binding epic with spies, heroes, and daring drama!

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