One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus

On a scale of 1-5 stars with 5 being the best, what would you rate this book?
4/5 stars
2. What made you decide to read this book?
My friend recommended it to me.
3. What did you like about this book? Why?
I loved the suspense of the book. This book was extremely captivating and dealt with mystery, drama and plot twists. I liked how the story got interesting within the first few pages.
4. What didn’t you like about this book? Why?
I did not like the romance part of the story. This element seemed to take over the plot and seemed irrelevant to the story. 
5. Who would you recommend this book to?
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes crime thrillers and romance books. 
-Bhavika S. (Gum Spring Library)

Verity by Colleen Hoover

On a scale of 1-5 stars with 5 being the best, what would you rate this book?
5/5 stars
What made you decide to read this book?
My friend recommended it to me.
What did you like about this book? Why?
I loved the suspense of the book. The book kept me reading without taking a break. I held this book in my hand reading it as fast as I could. The story line kept you wanting more. I relate with the main character, Lowen because she loves to write. She is very brave and determined.
What didn’t you like about this book? Why?
I did not like how the author left things so vague at the end of the story. It did not say how long Verity was faking her paralysis for.
Who would you recommend this book to?
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes crime thrillers and romance books. I recommended it to my friend.

-Bhavika S. (Gum Spring Library)

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Kaz ‘Dirtyhands’ Brekker is the most feared con man in the Barrel, the slums of Ketterdam. When offered the chance to earn a rather large amount of money in a seemingly impossible quest, one thing is certain: his life has been a series of impossible events, so why not try this? So Kaz and his crew forge a plan to break into the most heavily guarded place. This will either be their last heist or their most victorious.

On a scale of 1-5, I would rate this book a solid 5. This is very literally my current favorite book, and I’ve reread it multiple times. The plotline is unique and the characters are so complex and deep that they seem real. There’s also a sequel to this that is just as good, and a Netflix show.

All in all, anyone who enjoys a fast plot and storyline, characters with important backstories, and a quick story that keeps you on your toes should definitely read this to mark the end of the year on a good note.

Thanks for reading!

-Akshara P. (Gum Spring Library)

Devil Bones by Kathy Reichs

UNC forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan is called by a plumber to investigate a nearby crime scene in the cellar of a house undergoing a renovation – and it’s nothing like she’s ever seen before. In the cellar, there lies a decapitated chicken, animal bones, cauldrons, and even the remains of a teenage girl. A couple weeks later, a decapitated teenage boy’s body is found on the banks of a lake. Engraved in his torso are “666” and a pentagram. As citizens start to fear that this was the work of the devil, a wave of paranoia erupts in the town. Are these cases connected? If so, how can Tempe prove that they are?

I read this book on my summer vacation and loved it. Reading the beginning felt tedious, as it was dull and I hadn’t read the series in order, so I was trying to piece together the characters and information that I was missing. The book was like this for the first 50 or so pages. However, when I got past that point and into the climax of the investigations, it was fantastic. The author uses great detail to describe scenes, so you feel like you’re a witness to the scene. In addition, the author obviously has a vast knowledge of forensic anthropology to write this book. Terminology, equipment, as well as describing the different religions (Santería, Voodoo, Satanism, etc) are super informative and add to the elevated level of detail to the book. Something else to note is that this book series is based on the Fox drama Bones. Anyone who loves crime podcasts, mysteries, and thrillers would thoroughly enjoy Devil Bones. I would rate it a 9/10 and recommend this book for ages 16+, due to mature content (violence, gore, sex scenes, etc).

-Katrina Williams (Gum Spring Library)

Girl, Stolen by April Henry

Cheyenne Wilson is a blind sixteen year old who suffers from pneumonia. While sitting in her car in the pharmacy parking lot, the car door opens. But Cheyenne discovers that it’s not her returning stepmother, but a stranger who is hijacking the car. The carjacker hadn’t meant to kidnap Cheyenne, but when the carjacker’s father learns that Cheyenne’s dad is the Nike president, they decide to hold onto her for ransom.

I felt that this book, especially the ending, was extremely suspenseful; I couldn’t put it down! I also enjoyed how realistic the main character is. The author does a great job of portraying what it’s like to be blind. However, I disliked how the book frequently switches between past and present events. While each of the past events provide new information that is important to the progression of the story, the switching between tenses does make the book slightly confusing and boring. In addition, Girl, Stolen is kind of predictable. From the first few chapters, I already knew how it was going to end. I highly recommend Girl, Stolen to anyone who is obsessed with thrillers or listening to true crime podcasts. In my opinion, readers should be at least 12+ due to situations of violence.

Katrina Williams (Gum Spring Library)

The Sculptress by Minette Walters

The Sculptress is about Olive Martin a woman who went to prison for decapitating her mother and sister. Rosalind Leigh, a journalist who hesitantly agrees to write a book for her publisher about Olive. Only when Rosalind visits Olive in person she has reason to believe that Olive is pretending about many things, perhaps even her innocence.

I don’t often venture in books written for adults, and when I do I usually drop them. Not with this one, it kept me captivated and engross me. A couple pages were slightly dull, but everything else overrode that.

Leisha Gadge (Gum Spring)

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

A 14-year-old girl named Salmon is kidnapped and murdered after coming home from school. However, Salmon is not exactly dead. She is in “the in between”, which is in between Heaven and Earth. She’s watching over her family deal with her absence while her family strives to find out who her murderer is. The anxiety and anger of Salmon’s family pushes them closer and closer to her murderer, realizing that her murderer was in front of them all along. 

Out of 5 stars, I would rate this book a 10. Yes, a 10/5. That’s how great this book is. This book will teach you so many life lessons, and creates curiosity and suspense throughout the story. So many incredible and unique events happen as you read this book, from exhilarating, heart-pumping moments to heartbreaking, painful experiences. If you are interested in trying something new, I definitely recommend you to read this book.

Sarah Saeed (Gum Spring)

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote recounts the murders of the Clutter family who lived in Holcomb, Kansas in the 1960s. This book is a non-fiction that discusses what happens before, after, and during the murders. This book made for an interesting read because it describes the social dynamic of small town America in the 60s when people left their doors unlocked and put their trust in the entire town. At times the book was confusing because it switched perspectives between the murderers,the victims, and the detectives so you had to read rather carefully. Capote is a meticulous writer so he included even the smallest of details which slowed the pace of the book especially in the  first and second part of the book. The most gripping part of the book was Part 3 which was when you got to read the killers account word-for-word of what went down on that horrible fall night. This section is when the reader gets to know motives behind the murder & the reaction of the town when they discover who they were. I would recommend this book to those who prefer murder mysteries and non-fiction. Due to the subject matter, I would recommend this book mainly to 11th and 12th graders

Bessie Tubman (Rust)

Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

  Devil in The White City by Erik Larson is a true account of the murders and events that occurred during the Chicago World’s Fair. Non-Fiction books can often be a dry read but Larson makes reading history bearable. The author gives an insight into the mind of Holmes, the man who posed as doctor and ran a fake practice to disguise that fact that he was a serial killer. Though we often hear the words psychopath and sociopath it is hard to come across a person who is the text-book definition of such a characteristic. The most chilling quote from the book was “I was born with the devil in me,’ [Holmes] wrote. ‘I could not help the fact that I was a murderer, no more than the poet can help the inspiration to sing.”. I have never read a book where I could remember a line word for word and yet I can never forget Holmes’ chilling words.  At points, the book is deeply disturbing, especially when the killings of innocent people are excplictly written or when reading Holmes’ manipulation of people. This book is definitely a mature read so I would recommend it to those highschool and above. Since this book mixes historical events along with the murders, it would be suitable for those into the horror and non/realistic fiction genres.

Bessie Tubman (Rust)

 

Caught by Margaret Peterson Haddix

This book is a great addition to The Missing series by Margaret Peterson Haddix. I would recommend it to anyone who likes time-travelling books, although sometimes it gets a little confusing.

In this book, Jonah and Katherine have to save Einstein daugther Lieserl, and prevent Einstein from discovering time travel. However, Einstein’s wife, Mileva, is also a time traveler. But, when Mileva tries to contact Jonah and Katherine, they disturb time greatly and they are sent to a time hollow. What happens next is a great combination of action, suspense, and time-travelling confusion.

I would rate this book a 7 out of 10 because mostly of the confusion that comes reading this book. Otherwise, I feel it is a great book that I recommend every teen reads.