Review: Teen Titans: Robin

Teen Titans: Robin by Kami Garcia
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Slade is on the prowl and Raven, Garfield, Maxine, and Damian are on the run. H.I.V.E. wants to do experiments on them and they are not volunteers. Now, Dick wants to know what is going on with Damian since his tracking device stopped working. Where can they go and who can they trust?

Teen Titans: Robin is the fourth book in the Teen Titans graphic novel series. This story picks up shortly after the ending of the third book and this ending leaves readers wanting more (not quite a cliffhanger). This is a very short graphic novel (I read it in 2 sessions of about 30 minutes each) and the graphics give more depth to the story than if it was text only. I wish the next book was already out!


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Review: The Sinister Booksellers of Bath

The Sinister Booksellers of Bath by Garth Nix
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Susan is still learning about her magical heritage when a new killer appears.  Merlin gets in over his head and his sister, Vivien, comes to his aide with the help of Susan.  This is a centuries-old battle cycle that must be won, or it will repeat.  They must travel to magical worlds, battle living statues, and discover the secrets of this newest villain.  What will this unlikely trio need to overcome?

The Sinister Booksellers of Bath is the second book in the Left-Handed Booksellers of London series.  Readers’ memories will be nudged throughout the opening chapters and will quickly fall into this new story.  I found the action scenes pulled the storyline along and the book almost read itself.  Nix has taken a few classic characters and has introduced them with some new twists.  A fun read and it will be interesting to see if another will be on its way.

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Review: Kill Joy

Kill Joy by Holly Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Pippa is not looking forward to a murder mystery party with her friends.  She especially doesn’t like the 1920s costumes everyone must wear.  Once the game begins, though, she finds that trying to solve the murder is just the distraction she needs.  As the clues are slowly revealed, Pip finds her mind wondering about the murder-suicide that was in her town a few years earlier.  Readers of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and its sequels will find this prequel novella a nice diversion.  We also learn why Pip chose her specific topic as her capstone project.  And … there are no spoilers if someone wants to start with this novella first.

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Review: Royal Blood

Royal Blood by Aimee Carter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Evan has just been kicked out of ANOTHER boarding school … this time for arson.  In sweeps Jenkins to the rescue and Evan finds herself on a transatlantic flight to London.  Jenkins feels it is time for Evan to get to know her father, the King of England.  Yes, you read that right, Evan is the illegitimate daughter of the king and has been keeping it a secret her entire life.  Evan quickly learns that the monarchy is full of secrets and after a fun night ends with the death of the host, Evan is the prime suspect.  What really happened that night?  Will Evan ever be accepted into the family?

Royal Blood is the first book in a new realistic fiction series.  Real-life monarchies are full of drama and secrets, but most people don’t know what is really going on, we only see what is released in the news.  This book imagines what the people are saying, thinking, and doing to give readers some new insights to dream about.  I was hoping for a certain twist that did not happen, but maybe that twist will happen in the next book (still unnamed).  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the rest of the series to be completed.

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Review: The Headmaster's List

The Headmaster's List by Melissa de la Cruz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Spencer has survived a terrible accident that ended with the death of a fellow student.  She has only spotty memories of the events before the accident and none of the accident itself.  Her ex, Ethan, has been charged with the death of Chris, a passenger in the car.  Spencer doesn’t believe Ethan is at fault.  She doesn’t know why, so she starts to investigate what happened that night.  Is it weird that everyone involved is on the Headmaster’s List?  What truths will Spencer uncover?  Will she ever get her memories back?

The Headmaster’s List is a stand-alone mystery that has standard narrative sections with podcast transcripts throughout.  De la Cruz has taken a gander at a different genre and it is a success.  I did have an inkling of the twist at the end, but I did not expect the second and third twists.  This is not a very long read, so many readers will find themselves finished before they realize it.  A fun mystery for fans of the genre. 

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Review: Rapunzels and Powers

Rapunzels and Powers by Christina Bauer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Grayson and Dex are visited by … Grayson.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Grayson’s six-year-old self opened a portal into her future and cast a prophecy for herself.  One of the fascinating parts of this short novel is the knowledge of Dex and Grayson when younger.  Readers will learn more about who they are by reading about what they went through.  There are twists and turns throughout, yet their storyline is wrapped up neatly.  Dex and Grayson’s story has ended in this tenth book in the Fairy Tales of the Magicorum series yet this world is so complex, I can predict there will be more books set in this world.

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Review: The Island

The Island by Natasha Preston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Six teen influencers have been invited to a private island for a preview of an exclusive amusement park for the very rich.  They have millions of followers, yet each has a different niche.  The plan: to make posts and videos on their platforms to work up hype about the park.  The weekend starts out perfect.  The rooms are better than expected, the rides are more intense, and everyone is having a blast … until the first person goes missing.  Now they are trying to stay alive.  Who will get off the island?

The Island is a stand-alone mystery that is a very short read and many will want to set aside time to read it in a weekend.  The action moves quickly from scene to scene and the quirks of the characters are revealed just before that quirk is relevant.  Readers will deduce alongside the characters, but be aware that not everything is as it seems and there are many twists and turns to keep you turning the pages.  A great mystery that fans of the genre will enjoy.

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