Review: When We Go Missing

When We Go Missing by April Henry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Willow loves to take pictures and volunteer at Finding Home, an animal shelter.  After she finds a camera memory card with hundreds of pictures of teen girls, she takes it to the police.  They tell her there is no proof of a crime, but they will look into it.  That isn’t good enough.  Willow works with a new volunteer to determine what happened to these girls.  Both Willow and Dare have secrets that will need to be worked through as they attempt to unravel this mystery.

When We Go Missing is a stand-alone mystery that shows both the protagonist's and antagonist’s point of view.  Readers know there is a mystery early on, yet the “investigation” doesn’t start until after the halfway point, and then the resolution comes quickly.  Henry’s depiction of the thoughts of the villain enriches the story and allows the reader to make guesses on who may be the perpetrator.  This was a quick read similar to other Henry novels, yet the story was fresh and new.

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Review: Up in Smoke

Up in Smoke by Nick Brooks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cooper and Jason are looting during a protest when shots are fired, and a person is found dead.  Cooper fled the scene to later learn that Jason was arrested for the murder.  Coop knows Jason is innocent, but he can’t come forward without discussing what they were doing.  Jason’s sister, Monique, is willing to do anything to prove her brother’s innocence.  Cooper and Monique team up to investigate what happened, but when they start uncovering deeper secrets, they learn that this is way over their heads. 

Up in Smoke is a stand-alone mystery that covers many timely topics while also entertaining the reader.  Brooks weaves together police corruption and inner-city youth trouble and includes a mysterious spin.  Although the overall storyline is plausible, I don’t consider what the teens got away with believable, but most of us don’t read to experience the believable.  Up in Smoke is a good read for most mystery fans.

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Review: Murder Between Friends

Murder Between Friends by Liz Lawson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jake is being released from prison and everyone is thinking about what happened two years ago. One of the reasons Jake was convicted was because Grace said she saw him near the scene, but now she wonders if she saw Jake or someone wearing Jake’s jacket. Grace, Ally, and Henry (Jake’s brother) decide to rekindle their friendship and look for evidence to prove his innocence. Did Jake kill his English teacher? If he didn’t, then who did?

Murder Between Friends is a stand-alone thriller that immediately grabbed my attention and kept me engaged the entire time. I was fully invested in the results of this investigation and waited for the conclusion as the pages almost turned themselves. Lawson created characters that were believable with an investigation that was just as plausible. Murder Between Friends would be a fun read for all thriller fans.

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Review: The Family I'm In

The Family I'm In by Sharon G. Flake
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

John-John has had trouble relating to his father, who he never seems to measure up to. It is the end of his junior year, and everyone wants to know who he will take to the prom and where he will work this summer. If it was up to his dad, John-John would work for him and have lots of girls in his life. That is NOT what he wants, though. His friend, Caleb, struggles to make money to help his family after his father cannot work. These teens may be dealing with issues on opposite ends of the spectrum, but they both must learn to cope with the expectations of those in their lives.

The Family I’m In is the third book in The Skin I’m In series. Although it does include characters from the first two books, this is more of a shared universe series than a direct continuation of the story. Events from the first two books are mentioned, but this story could be read as a stand-alone novel. The characters deal with hard issues (family illness, mental health, and hybrid families just to name a few) and Flake covered these issues fairly without watering them down. The Family I’m In would be great for all readers, teens and adults alike.


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