![]() In her YA novel, Richards takes readers through a scavenger hunt which reveals clues Cleo must use to solve the mystery of who is sending her the clues and why. The clues all center around landmarks and experiences Cleo had with her ex-boyfriend Declan who she believes died in a rafting accident the year before. As the clues unravel Cleo, her friend Hope, and her brother Connor begin to question whether Declan is actually dead. Texts and videos begin to surface that shed light on the clue sender's motives and what actually happened during the rafting "accident". If you enjoy mystery and suspense, you might want to add this read to your list. Approximate Grade Level - 9th grade+ - Although this is considered a YA novel, there were some pretty "heavy" issues included within the pages such as physical abuse, drugs, blackmail, and violence. Because of aforementioned issues, I would not personally recommend the novel for middle schoolers despite it potentially being on the reading level of some 7th and 8th graders.
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![]() Sometimes when I read a young adult book, I wonder why it is classified as young adult. This is one of those books. The characters in the book are teens to young adults, so I guess that is why it is classified as a YA novel, but I think it would be equally liked by adults. This book was recommended in one of the graduate classes I am taking, and I knew nothing about it other than that, but I must say, it was not what I expected. Within this book lies a pair of brothers - Finn and Sean who were abandoned by their family and only have each other to cling to until Roza comes along. Roza is a beautiful young woman from Poland who brings mysteries of her own, and the boys fall for her, until she disappears. This book includes a bit of everything - -obstacles that must be overcome, mystery, coming of age aspects, romance, a hero's journey, suspense, fantasy, and some magical realism. As I was reading the book, I couldn't pin down whether I was enjoying it or not, but I kept picking it up, and wanted to finish it. In the end, I enjoyed the book because of the characters and the writing style, but I am still not sure whether I liked the storyline. There are a few sexual scenes that border on racy, a really creepy character, and a young lady who is objectified and held against her will; add that to a somewhat convoluted writing style and storyline, and I would definitely not recommend this book for readers under the 10th grade. Approximate grade level - 10th grade + |
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