Category Archives: Sourcebooks Fire

September 14, 2020 · 11:57 pm

Review: Even If We Break by Marieke Nijkamp

Title: Even If We Break by Marieke Nijkamp
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Mystery, LGBTQ
Length: 248 pages
Book Rating: C+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp comes a shocking new thriller about a group of friends who go to a cabin to play a murder mystery game…only to have the game turned against them.

FIVE friends go to a cabin.
FOUR of them are hiding secrets.
THREE years of history bind them.
TWO are doomed from the start.
ONE person wants to end this.
NO ONE IS SAFE.

For five friends, this was supposed to be one last getaway before going their separate ways—a chance to say goodbye to each other, and to the game they’ve been playing for the past three years. But they’re all dealing with their own demons, and they’re all hiding secrets.

Finn doesn’t trust anyone since he was attacked a few months ago. Popular girl Liva saw it happen and did nothing to stop it. Maddy was in an accident that destroyed her sports career. Carter is drowning under the weight of his family’s expectations. Ever wants to keep the game going for as long as they can, at all costs.

When the lines between game and reality start to blend with deadly consequences, it’s a race against time before it’s game over—forever.

Are you ready to play?

Perfect for readers who love:

  • teenage mystery books or YA horror
  • LGBT stories about intersectional groups of friends
  • Karen McManus, Gretchen McNeil, or Natasha Preston

Review:

Even If We Break by Marieke Nijkamp is an intriguing young adult mystery.

With some of the group leaving for college in a few months, five friends go to a remote cabin to play their role playing game one last time.  Liva Konig’s wealthy family owns the cabin and she is the group’s costume designer. She is looking forward to one last game before she sets out on the course her parents have set for her. Non-binary Ever is the game master and they created and set up everything for this final game. They just completed their junior year and they are very devoted to taking care of their father and sister. Maddy is autistic and she relies on body language to help her gauge other people’s emotions. She is struggling with the changes in her life following an auto accident. Her friend Carter works for Liva’s family’s business and his parents urge him to work hard to get ahead. Finn is transgender and suffers from chronic pain due to arthritis. Finn has been estranged from the group for several months and harbors misgivings about the get together.

Everyone arrives together and after settling into their rooms, they begin playing their final RPG. Liva’s ghost stories add a layer of unease as they settle into their various roles. Despite some of the tension between friends, they are soon immersed in solving their final mystery. After an unexpected change in the game, things begin to go wrong. Strange occurrences are disconcerting and they make the mistake of splitting up to investigate a shocking discovery. Fearful of what is going to happen next, they agree to stay together as they plan their escape to safety.

Even If We Break is a young adult mystery with a clever storyline and interesting characters. While the characters are diverse, they are not very well developed. The narration shifts between each of the characters and some of their voices are too similar to tell them apart. The RPG element is unique and role playing readers will definitely enjoy the scenes where the final game takes place. The first part of the story is fast-paced but the last half becomes mired in long, repetitive passages of dialogue and internal monologues.  The mystery aspect is predictable and the perpetrator’s motive is bizarre. With the characters undergoing a touching journey of self-discovery, Marieke Nijkamp brings the novel to a satisfying conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Even If We Break, Marieke Nijkamp, Mystery, Rated C+, Review, Sourcebooks Fire, Young Adult

January 29, 2020 · 11:57 pm

Review: What Kind of Girl by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Title: What Kind of Girl by Alyssa Sheinmel
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Fiction
Length:384 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

What kind of girl stays after her boyfriend hits her?

The girls at North Bay Academy are taking sides. It all started when Mike Parker’s girlfriend showed up with a bruise on her face. Or, more specifically, when she walked into the principal’s office and said Mike hit her. But her classmates have questions. Why did she go to the principal and not the police? Why did she stay so long if Mike was hurting her? Obviously, if it’s true, Mike should be expelled. But is it true?

Some girls want to rally for his expulsion—and some want to rally around Mike. The only thing that the entire student body can agree on? Someone is lying. And the truth has to come out.

From New York Times bestselling author Alyssa Sheinmel comes an unflinching and resonant tale that examines how society treats women and girls and inspires the power to claim your worth.

Review:

What Kind of Girl by Alyssa B. Sheinmel is a cleverly written young adult novel with a socially relevant storyline.

After months of dating, Mike Parker’s girlfriend walks into school Monday, heads straight to the principal’s office and reports him for hitting her.  Principal Scott is disconcerted by the revelation and uncertain what her next move will be. Mike is the school’s Golden Boy, beloved by his teachers, classmates and teammates. Even though she reported him, his girlfriend grapples with her remaining feelings for him, doubts about what constitutes abuse and most importantly, why she stayed with him for so long after he first hit her. Having allowed Mike to isolate her from her best friend, she has no one to turn to except the school slacker, Hiram Bingham.

Her best friend is currently living in her own bubble of troubles as she grapples with mental health issues and her relationship with her girlfriend Tess.  Although they have been best friends for years, they drifted apart when the relationship with Mike began. Shaken by the news, she listens to her parents’ advice and rallies the school into a protest march.  Although they are now spending time together, are they ready to reveal their secrets and bridge the gap that looms between them?

Divided into three parts, the first segment unfolds from The Popular Girl, The Girlfriend, The Burn-Out and The Bulimic’s points of view. All but one person remains unnamed and it is quite interesting trying to piece together how they fit into the story.  Just as the identity is revealed, the narrative switches to The Anxious Girl, The Activist, The Cool Girl and The Best Friend.   This narrative is filled with anxiety as she tries to live up to a pact with parents, keep her relationship with Tess on track and support her friend. The third part reunites the friends as they attempt to deal with their respective issues and the final three days leading up the school’s decision about Mike’s fate. This part of the storyline is compelling as they begin to understand the importance of being honest with themselves and others about the issues they are struggling with.

With an innovative narration style, What Kind of Girl is a timely young adult novel. The main characters are well-developed with distinctive personalities and relatable, true to life problems. The domestic abuse aspect of the storyline is well-developed and presented in a realistic manner.  With both young women making progress on addressing their issues, Alyssa B. Sheinmel brings the novel to a surprisingly upbeat conclusion.  A frank discourse on domestic abuse, bulimia, anxiety, OCD and self-harm that I recommend to older teen and adult readers.

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Filed under Alyssa B Sheinmel, Contemporary, Fiction, Rated B, Review, Sourcebooks Fire, What Kind of Girl, Young Adult

September 25, 2019 · 11:58 pm

Review: I’m Not Dying with You Tonight by Gilly Segal & Kimberly Jones

Title: I’m Not Dying with You Tonight by Gilly Segal & Kimberly Jones
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Fiction
Length: 272 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Over the course of one night, two girls with two very different backgrounds must rely on each other to get through the violent race riot that has enveloped their city.

Lena has her killer style, her awesome boyfriend, and a plan. She knows she’s going to make it big. Campbell, on the other hand, is just trying to keep her head down and get through the year at her new school.

When both girls attend the Friday-night football game, what neither expects is for everything to descend into sudden mass chaos. Chaos born from violence and hate. Chaos that unexpectedly throws them together.

They aren’t friends. They hardly understand the other’s point of view. But none of that matters when the city is up in flames, and they only have each other to rely on if they’re going to survive the night.

Review:

I’m Not Dying with You Tonight by Gilly Segal & Kimberly Jones is a fast-paced and engrossing young adult novel.

Newcomer Campbell Carlson is working the concession stands during a football game at her new school. With little help from the volunteers, she is working hard to keep up with orders when a racially charged fight breaks out. Campbell does not know anyone and she is utterly helpless as the fight descends into chaos. When shots ring out, Campbell knows she has to escape but she is paralyzed with fear. That’s when fellow classmate, Lena James, takes charge. She is desperately attempting to convince her boyfriend to pick her but he talks her into to meeting him instead. Lena and Campbell then begin an unexpectedly perilous  journey that takes them into the heart of a peaceful protest that quickly devolves into another riot.

After her mom takes a job out of the country, Campbell has to move in with her dad and go to an entirely different school for her senior year. She has not yet made any friends and she does not have any extracurricular activities to keep her busy. With her dad leaving her on her own each weekend, Campbell is just hoping the year goes by quickly so she can go onto the next phase of her life.  Although she and Lena have classes together, the two young women do not know one another.

Lena is confident and outspoken with a vibrant personality. She is sneaking around with her boyfriend behind her Pops’ back and she is hoping to spend time with him after she leaves the football game. Neither her Pops nor her cousin Marcus are fans of her man, but Lena does not put much stock into their opinions.  She is extremely frustrated by his refusal to pick her up from the game, but she insists on joining him no matter how dangerous her and Campbell’s journey turns out to be.

Lena and Campbell have nothing in common and both have preconceived ideas about the other based on their skin color. Their differences are immediately apparent by their completely opposite reactions to the arrival of the police at the high school. Campbell, who is Caucasian, views the police as their saviors from a violent situation. Lena, who is African American, quivers with fear and absolutely refuses to go anywhere near the cops.  With only one route open to escape the events at the high school, Lena and Campbell travel through a dangerous neighborhood only to discover they have walked into yet another highly volatile and charged situation. Lena and Campbell continue working together to escape their danger surrounding them.

Set against the backdrop of racial tension and violence, I’m Not Dying with You Tonight is a thought-provoking young adult novel with a socially relevant storyline. Campbell and Lena are engaging characters but both of them are guilty of making ill-thought out decisions.  While Gilly Segal & Kimberly Jones bring the novel to a mostly satisfying conclusion, the ending is somewhat abrupt.  I highly recommend this topical novel to older teen and adult readers.

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Filed under Contemporary, Fiction, Gilly Segal, I'm Not Dying with You Tonight, Kimberly Jones, Rated B, Review, Sourcebooks Fire, Young Adult

September 2, 2019 · 11:57 pm

Review: We Are Lost and Found by Helene Dunbar

Title: We Are Lost and Found by Helene Dunbar
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Historical (80s), LGBT, Young Adult
Length: 304 pages
Book Rating: C

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

A poignant, heartbreaking, and uplifting, story in the tradition of The Perks of Being a Wallflowerabout three friends coming-of-age in the early 1980s as they struggle to forge their own paths in the face of fear of the unknown.

Michael is content to live in the shadow of his best friends, James and Becky. Plus, his brother, Connor, has already been kicked out of the house for being gay and laying low seems to be Michael’s only chance at avoiding the same fate.

To pass the time before graduation, Michael hangs out at The Echo where he can dance and forget about his father’s angry words, the pressures of school, and the looming threat of AIDS, a disease that everyone is talking about, but no one understands.

Then he meets Gabriel, a boy who actually sees him. A boy who, unlike seemingly everyone else in New York City, is interested in him and not James. And Michael has to decide what he’s willing to risk to be himself.

Review:

Set in New York during 1983, We Are Lost and Found by Helene Dunbar is a poignant young adult novel set against the backdrop of the beginning of the AIDS crisis.

Sixteen year old Michael Bartolomeo is navigating his life with best friends James Barrows and Becky Kaplan.  He is gay but considering his parents kicked out his older brother Connor after he came out, Michael is struggling to remain in the closet. He escapes the pressures of his home life through music and evenings dancing at The Echo.  Michael is also quite close to James, who is making his mark in the theatre world and Becky who lives on tenterhooks due to her mother’s drug use. Michael’s budding romance with Gabriel takes place at the start of the  AIDS epidemic.  With little information available about how to protect himself against this frightening disease, will Michael be willing to jump into a relationship with Gabriel?

Michael is an interesting narrator but the lack of quotation marks and the abrupt scene changes between the vignettes makes it difficult to connect to him and the unfolding story. The story does not really come together until well after the halfway point as Michael truly understands the realities of being gay during a deadly health epidemic. His brother Connor’s reckless and risky decisions also serve as a cautionary tale as Michael begins to fall in love with Gabriel.

We Are Lost and Found is a thought-provoking young adult novel with an interesting storyline. The plot is well-researched, quite informative and offers a realistic portrait of coming to age at such a fraught time period.  While the writing style might work not for everyone, this young adult novel by Helene Dunbar highlights a compelling and important part of LGBT history.

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Filed under Helene Dunbar, Historical, Historical (80s), LGBT, Rated C, Review, Sourcebooks Fire, We Are Lost and Found, Young Adult

June 2, 2019 · 11:57 pm

Review: That Night by Cyn Balog

Title: That Night by Cyn Balog
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Some secrets are best left buried…

It’s been a year since Hailey’s boyfriend Declan died, and Hailey is still far from okay. She’s lost almost all her friends, her grades are falling, and she pretty much lives wrapped up in bed. Everyone says Declan’s death was a suicide—after all, his father’s gun was found near his body—but Hailey knows that the happy, confident Declan she knew would never do that. She’s positive. The problem is, she can’t remember anything from the day he died.

Kane, Declan’s stepbrother and Hailey’s best friend, thinks that everyone should move on—why relive the pain? But when Hailey sees a strange picture with a threatening message amongst Declan’s belongings, she’s convinced she has proof that there’s more to the story. Hailey starts searching for answers and throws herself into memories her subconscious tried to make her forget…and the deeper she looks, the more she remembers.

But the truth she uncovers will be more dangerous and more devastating than she could have ever imagined.

Review:

Weaving seamlessly back and forth in time, That Night by Cyn Balog is a compelling young adult mystery.

One year after her boyfriend Declan Weeks’ suicide, Hailey Ward is still struggling to make sense of his death. The past year has not been easy for her since she spent time as inpatient at a psychiatric facility. Although back in school, Hailey is drinking and self-harming in an attempt to stop her emotional pain. She is also still trying to recover the memories she has suppressed about the weeks leading up to Declan’s death.  Equally confusing is her uneasy relationship with her longtime friend and Declan’s stepbrother Kane. But what Hailey finds most upsetting is the troubling discovery of a photo bearing an ominous message in Declan’s belongings. Hailey becomes even more convinced her deeply devout boyfriend’s death might be murder. But will her slowly returning memories bolster her supposition?

Despite her hospitalization, Hailey has still not come to terms with Declan’s death.  After seeing the photograph, she becomes insistent in her quest to uncover the truth. Kane is reluctantly helpful but Hailey resents how easily he has moved on. She is extremely distressed by some of the memories that gradually return in the months after the anniversary of his suicide.  Is Hailey fully prepared to handle the shocking details of what really happened during the weeks before Declan died?

That Night is an intriguing young adult mystery. Through a series of flashbacks, Hailey’s life in the present is cleverly interwoven with her romance with Declan in the past. With an absolutely unanticipated stunning plot twist, Cyn Balog brings this riveting novel to jaw-dropping conclusion. A very engrossing young adult that I recommend to older teen and adult readers due to content such as suicide, self-harming, and underage drinking.

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Filed under Contemporary, Cyn Balog, Mystery, Rated B, Review, Sourcebooks Fire, Suspense, That Night, Young Adult

January 30, 2019 · 11:58 pm

Review: A Danger to Herself and Others by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Title: A Danger to Herself and Others by Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Girl, Interrupted meets We Were Liars in this gripping new novel from New York Times bestselling author Alyssa Sheinmel.

Four walls. One window. No way to escape.

Hannah knows there’s been a mistake, She doesn’t need to be institutionalized. What happened to her roommate at that summer program was an accident. As soon as the doctor and judge figure out that she isn’t a danger to herself or others, she can go home to start her senior year. Those college applications aren’t going to write themselves. Until then, she’s determined to win over the staff and earn some privileges so she doesn’t lose her mind to boredom.

Then Lucy arrives. Lucy has her own baggage, and she’s the perfect project to keep Hannah’s focus off all she is missing at home. But Lucy may be the one person who can get Hannah to confront the secrets she’s avoiding-and the dangerous games that landed her in confinement in the first place.

Review:

A Danger to Herself and Others by Alyssa B. Sheinmel is an intriguing young adult novel.

Seventeen year old Hannah Gold is certain she has been placed in a mental institution by mistake.  She had nothing to do with her roommate and friend Agnes Smith’s accidental fall out of a window. But Agnes’ parents are convinced she is guilty of harming their daughter, so a judge orders Hannah into an institution for further evaluation. At first, Hannah refuses to discuss anything of value with her therapist, Dr. Lightfoot. However, the arrival of her roommate Lucy Quintana is a turning point for Hannah as she finally realizes that in order to earn “privileges”, she has to be honest with Dr. Lightfoot.  With Hannah divulging the events that occurred in the weeks preceding Agnes’s accident,  Dr. Lightfoot makes a shocking diagnosis that completely upends Hannah’s view of herself.  And with the hearing into her role in what happened to Agnes and Hannah’s reunion with her parents fast approaching, is she prepared for how everyone will react to her unexpected diagnosis?

Hannah is an extremely intelligent, high achieving only child. Her parents have always treated her as an adult, so she is quite mature and very composed. Hannah is very fixated on not falling behind in school but Dr. Lightfoot wants her to concentrate on her therapy. Initially, Hannah is positive that she did not harm Agnes, but after she is placed under observation, self-doubts begin to creep in.  But  why would she have wanted to harm her best friend?

Lucy’s arrival provides Hannah with a distraction from her own problems. The two girls hit it off fairly quickly and they are soon swapping stories and finding ways to pass the time. Once Hannah realizes Lucy has earned privileges that provide her with a modicum of freedom, she becomes more open with Dr. Lightfoot. But will her gradual self-awareness prepare Hannah for the doctor’s diagnosis?

A Danger to Herself and Others is a thought-provoking  young adult novel with a somewhat unreliable narrator. The majority of the story takes place mainly in Hannah’s room at the institution so it is easy for readers to empathize with her as she tries to come to terms with her current situation. Despite a bit of repetition, the storyline is interesting and the characters are relatively well-developed. Hannah comes across as a typical teenager, so Dr. Lightfoot’s diagnosis will catch readers off guard.  Alyssa B. Sheinmel deftly handles the subject of mental illness with sensitivity and provides insight into a misunderstood disease. An engaging young adult novel that I recommend to older teen and adult readers.

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Filed under A Danger to Herself and Others, Alyssa B Sheinmel, Contemporary, Rated B, Review, Sourcebooks Fire, Young Adult