A little bit of mystery ...
- Fatima Zepeda
- Apr 6, 2020
- 8 min read
Updated: Apr 10, 2020
1
One of Us Is Lying
by: Karen M. McManus.
This book is a combination of the movie "The Breakfast Club" and the series "Pretty Little Liars" The truth is quite an entertaining story and it leaves you intrigued in multiples parts.
Although the main mystery may be a bit obvious and easy to guess, the secrets of each of the characters are not expected.
Also the end is quite surprising, you don't expect it.
What I like is that each of the characters has their own special personality and they make you want them to be happy.
I am not going to lie to you, yes there is a little romance, but the book does not cover that topic very much, only in about 3 chapters at the most.
Note: This book makes you want to have a Simon to make a gossip app at your school and find out all the gossip from your classmates. Obviously, as long as he don't gossip about you.
Here is a brief review:
"On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High's notorious gossip app.
Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention, Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn't an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he'd planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who's still on the loose?
Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them."
Genres:
Mystery
Young Adult
Thriller
Characters:
Simon Kelleher.
Bronwyn Rojas.
Nate Macauley.
Cooper Clay.
Addy Prentiss.
Jake Riordan.
Janae.
Maeve Rojas
Rating:
2
One of Us Is Next
by: Karen M. McManus.
Here is the second book in the series. The truth was that I had high expectations for this book because sometimes I don't like the second books in the series. And I can safely say that this book met my expectations.
I can even say that I liked it more than the first one. The characters here are related to the characters in the first book, for example, in this one there’s Bronwyn’s sister, Maeve.
Here the story is stronger than in the last book, and the idea of "Truth and Dare" is quite interesting and entertaining. The dares and truths are quite strong and you don't anticipate them; Now that I think about it, it looks a bit like the movie "Nerve".
I can tell you for sure, that you never, literally, never expect that ending, it leaves you in shock and really looking forward to the third book.
Note: As you read this book, you start to doubt all the people around you, oh and it also makes you want to eat empanadas.
Note #2: Characters from the past book also appear, so that makes this book more special.
Here is a brief review:
"A ton of copycat gossip apps have popped up since Simon died, but in the year since the Bayview four were cleared of his shocking death, no one's been able to fill the gossip void quite like he could. The problem is no one has the facts.
Until now.
This time it's not an app, though—it's a game.
Truth or Dare.
Phoebe's the first target. If you choose not to play, it's a truth. And hers is dark.
Then comes Maeve and she should know better—always choose the dare.
But by the time Knox is about to be tagged, things have gotten dangerous. The dares have become deadly, and if Maeve learned anything from Bronwyn last year, it's that they can't count on the police for help. Or protection.
Simon's gone, but someone's determined to keep his legacy at Bayview High alive. And this time, there's a whole new set of rules."
Genres:
Mystery
Young Adult
Thriller
Characters:
Maeve Rojas.
Knox.
Phoebe.
Luis.
Emma.
Owen.
Rating:
3
Two Can Keep a Secret
by: Karen M. McManus.
I know, another book by Karen M, but they are very good and not predictable, so please give them a try.
So, this book was intense.
It is a book that surprises you every two chapters. You never really expect what's going to happen and the ending leaves you so confused that you can't forget it for weeks.
From the beginning of the book things are already happening that leave you in suspense and you can't rest or think about anything else until you finish it.
I will not lie, the book becomes a bit dramatic, but in the end all the drama was worth it.
It is a pretty good book and I highly recommend it.
A little warning, the scenes that happen are a little strong.
Note: While reading this book, I was afraid to drive at night; when you read it you will understand me
Here is a brief review:
"Echo Ridge is small-town America. Ellery's never been there, but she's heard all about it. Her aunt went missing there at age seventeen. And only five years ago, a homecoming queen put the town on the map when she was killed. Now Ellery has to move there to live with a grandmother she barely knows.
The town is picture-perfect, but it's hiding secrets. And before school even begins for Ellery, someone's declared open season on homecoming, promising to make it as dangerous as it was five years ago. Then, almost as if to prove it, another girl goes missing.
Ellery knows all about secrets. Her mother has them; her grandmother does too. And the longer she's in Echo Ridge, the clearer it becomes that everyone there is hiding something. The thing is, secrets are dangerous--and most people aren't good at keeping them. Which is why in Echo Ridge, it's safest to keep your secrets to yourself."
Genres:
Mystery
Young Adult
Thriller
Characters:
Ellery.
Ezra.
Malcolm.
Lacey.
Declan.
Rating:
4
Truly Devious
by: Maureen Johnson
When I read the review of this book, I actually thought it was going to be one of my favorites, but it turned out it wasn't.
Don't get me wrong, it's a good book and it had all the potential to be spectacular, only it wasn't. I feel like I'm missing more, the book got a little boring and a little tedious. It is not one of those books that you devour in a day.
So, talking about what I did like, were the chapters narrated in the past, the story that tells us about Albert Ellingham and what happened to his family. These chapters were quite entertaining and they do leave you wanting to know more.
I also loved school, they just put a map at the beginning of the book and it looks amazing, it makes you want to live there.
To be honest, I don’t like everything about Stevie, her personality is a little boring and it's a little stressful sometimes.
Note: With this book you want to have a super talent. Too bad my only talent is sleeping and eating avocados :(
Here is a brief review:
"Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. “A place,” he said, “where learning is a game.”
Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym “Truly, Devious.” It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history.
True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case. That is, she will solve the case when she gets a grip on her demanding new school life and her housemates: the inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester. But something strange is happening. Truly Devious makes a surprise return, and death revisits Ellingham Academy. The past has crawled out of its grave. Someone has gotten away with murder.
The two interwoven mysteries of this first book in the Truly Devious series dovetail brilliantly, and Stevie Bell will continue her relentless quest for the murderers in books two and three."
Genres:
Mystery
Young Adult
Thriller
Characters:
Stevie Bell.
David Eastman.
Dottie Epstein.
Rating:
5
The Vanishing Stair
by: Maureen Johnson
I hoped this book was better than the past. My hope was crushed.
I really didn't like it much, I just finished it because I don’t like leaving books unfinished, it was more for commitment than pleasure.
It had its suspense parts and it wasn't such a bad book; I just didn’t get caught up in the plot and didn’t want to read the third one.
Many people love the ending, but for me it was like “seriously, is that all?”
I may not be a big fan of these mystery and murder books, but everyone has their tastes, so if you want books where there is death and suspense, this may be your ideal book.
Here is a brief review:
"All Stevie Bell wanted was to find the key to the Ellingham mystery, but instead she found her classmate dead. And while she solved that murder, the crimes of the past are still waiting in the dark. Just as Stevie feels she’s on the cusp of putting it together, her parents pull her out of Ellingham academy.
For her own safety they say. She must move past this obsession with crime. Now that Stevie’s away from the school of topiaries and secret tunnels, and her strange and endearing friends, she begins to feel disconnected from the rest of the world. At least she won’t have to see David anymore. David, who she kissed. David, who lied to her about his identity—son of despised politician Edward King. Then King himself arrives at her house to offer a deal: He will bring Stevie back to Ellingham immediately. In return, she must play nice with David. King is in the midst of a campaign and can’t afford his son stirring up trouble. If Stevie’s at school, David will stay put.
The tantalizing riddles behind the Ellingham murders are still waiting to be unraveled, and Stevie knows she’s so close. But the path to the truth has more twists and turns than she can imagine—and moving forward involves hurting someone she cares for. In New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson’s second novel of theTruly Deviousseries, nothing is free, and someone will pay for the truth with their life."
Genres:
Mystery
Young Adult
Thriller
Characters:
Stevie Bell.
David Eastman.
Dottie Epstein.
Rating:
6
The Leaving
by: Tara Altebrando
I decided to read this book, because seeing the cover caught my eye and so did the review and I thought it had the potential to be one of my favorite books.
Okay, being totally honest, I don't know what to say about this book, it confused me a lot.I don't mean the plot, I'm confused because I don't know whether to recommend this book to you or not.
It is one of those books that you read because you cannot live with the doubt of what happens at the end, it is not one of those books that you read because you love it and you cannot stop reading. It has its entertaining and intriguing moments and sometimes you are shocked.
The bad, the end left me so unsatisfied that I wanted to hit someone (lucky for me, my brother was close so I could hit him).
The way it is written is a little different than normal, There are 3 different Povs, they alternate between Avery, Lucas and Scarlett. Avery's chapters are like a normal book, Scarlett's are a bit more poetic, (literally the letters form shapes) and Lucas's are a combination of poetic and normal. If you are looking for a very different book than the conventional one, I recommend it.
Here is a brief review:
"Eleven years ago, six kindergarteners went missing without a trace. After all that time, the people left behind moved on, or tried to.
Until today. Today five of those kids return. They're sixteen, and they are . . . fine. Scarlett comes home and finds a mom she barely recognizes, and doesn't really recognize the person she's supposed to be, either. But she thinks she remembers Lucas. Lucas remembers Scarlett, too, except they're entirely unable to recall where they've been or what happened to them. Neither of them remember the sixth victim, Max. He doesn't come back. Everyone wants answers. Most of all Max's sister Avery, who needs to find her brother--dead or alive--and isn't buying this whole memory-loss story."
Genres:
Mystery
Young Adult
Thriller
Characters:
Avery.
Scarlett.
Lucas.
Max.
Kristen.
Sarah.
Adam.
Rating:
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