The Cousins by Karen McManus

The Cousins by Karen M. McManus
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Awesomely narrated by Sarah Skaer , Kate Reinders , David Garelik , Julia Whelan; I loved this narrated mystery!!! McManus is an author who writes mystery books you CAN'T put down! Milly, Jonah and Aubrey are cousins who are invited to work at their grandmother's summer camp. Their parents all hope to be back in the will and find out why they were disinherited with the words, "You Know What You Did!" which they don't. The suspense and thrills drew the reader in with present day and slipping back into the past from Allison's POV. The way the cousins interact after hardly knowing each other was nice to see and believe. The other characters like the demented doctor and his history buff daughter, Hazel, and Uncle Archer really fleshed out the mystery keeping the reading guessing about what is really going on. A spine tingling, thrilling must read!

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Fable (Fable1) by Adrienne Young

Fable by Adrienne Young
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh did I love this book! The character of Fable kept me turning those pages. Despite her father, his ruthlessness, and his 4 rules to live by in order to survive, Fable makes a hardscrabble life in The Narrows and can't wait to leave and make her way back to her rightful place on her father's boat. To get there, Fable pays for passage aboard the Marigold while the helmsman, West, has been buying her pyre for the last 2 years. This boat is different and Fable soon learns more than she should, all the while, trying to prove herself to the 5 members of the Marigold. Young's descriptions of the sea, the storms, boats, diving, kept me turning the pages as I rooted for Fable every page, while life turned against her at every turn. With Covid, sometimes this book was tough to read---Fable and the crew of the Marigold, had enemies at every turn and I ached for this awful world they lived in (and loved, but did they really all love this world, Willa???) and hope the final book, Namesake, is redemptive because the ending of Fable certainly WAS NOT! An intense, thrilling, gripping read!

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Wayward Witch (Brooklyn Brujas Book3) by Zoraida Cordova

Wayward Witch by Zoraida Córdova
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As much as I loved the first 2 books in this series, I really enjoyed Rose's adventures in this 3rd series. On her Deathday, Rose confronts her Dad who has returned after 7 years, remembering nothing (or so he says). They are both captured and taken to the kingdom of ADAS and Rose must make a deal woth the king to get her father back and go home. The problem with this kingdom is that any human who eats or drinks their food forgets everything. Since Rose has on a bracelet with charms she is protected, and she begins as Lady Siphon to help other guardians cure the rot that is destroying their kingdom. you will be biting your nails as Rose valiantly tries to overcome and defeat this black rot that is killing and destroying ADAS. A compulsively great read!!! with nods to the importance of family, customs, food, brujas, and more!

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Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow did I love this audiobook narrated spectacularly by Will Wheaton! Wade Watts is totally into the thrill of virtual games and compulsively following his idol, James Halliday, creator of the OASIS. Wade is not much for life in the real world; his real world is the OASIS and figuring out the puzzles set out after Halliday dies. Good and evil, this story packs alot of punch and takes place in the year 2044. I LOVED this audiobook!!!

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Junk Boy by Tony Abbott

Junk Boy by Tony Abbott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, this book was gripping, intense, and so true. Teens will love so much about this book and be sharing with their friends!!! Tony Abbott's novel in verse about Bobby Lang who is called junk boy because he lives in a house that is definitely a hoarding situation to anyone who sees the cars, junk, thrown out items, strewn throughout and around the yard and house. Bobby's dad is a drinker, doesn't work and belittles his son daily. In school, Bobby tries to be invisible but one day, he is drawn into fighting going on in a classroom. What he finds changes his life; a mother is slapping and yelling at her daughter (because she is gay). Once she leaves, after angrily demeaning him, Bobby helps the girl hang up art posters---thus begins the weird relationship of Bobby and Rachel. Rachel becomes his friend, dragging him to art shows and telling him how much she hates her mother. But things are not always good between them, Rachel has anger issues, lashes out, and Bobby becomes her target too. As their friendship grows, Bobby begins to seek help for himself and Rachel. As both teens experience abuse, will they both be able to rise above and become better? Highly recommended!

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Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson

Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read and love all of Tiffany D. Jackson's books and Grown is a compelling, gripping and essential read! Enchanted loves to sing and attends a mic night (with Mom in tow) to hopefully break into the music scene. In this ripped from the headlines story, Enchanted becomes famous singer, Korey Fields' find and as she dreams of making an album, Korey makes promises to her family as he takes her on the road and they make a good singing duo. But pretty quickly, we all see what Enchanted does not, Korey is insecure, controlling with out of control anger and punishments. I could not stop turning the pages as Enchanted becomes of prisoner of her own thoughts and Korey's awful techniques to control her. Another highly recommended read from Tiffany D. Jackson!

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Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved Juliet; she is real, funny, insecure except when she is not; leaving the Bronx for a summer internship with a writer in Portland Oregon who has written a feminist manifesto. Juliet comes out to her family before she leaves and that doesn't go entirely as planned. And when she arrives in Portland, there is a whole lot going on, Juliet's girlfriend broke up with her with a letter, and now that she is in Portland; Juliet is not really sure Harlow Brisbane is all she says she is...as she figures her life, her summer and her internship out, Juliet finds she will be alright, has many staunch friends looking out for her in Portland and don't forget her cousin Ava, and her mom!!! I learned alot as I read about Juliet and was glad I read this book! I loved Juliet's message and you will too!

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