Back of Book: 

Seventeen-year-old Lauren is having visions of girls who have gone missing. And all these girls have just one thing in common—they are seventeen and gone without a trace. As Lauren struggles to shake these waking nightmares, impossible questions demand urgent answers: Why are the girls speaking to Lauren? How can she help them? And… is she next? Through Lauren's search for clues, things begin to unravel, and when a brush with death lands Lauren in the hospital, a shocking truth changes everything.

With complexity and richness, Nova Ren Suma serves up a beautifully visual, fresh interpretation of what it means to be lost.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Young Adult | Mystery | Mental Health 

Review: 🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

A boy, a murder, a girl, a secret. A YA novel about a shocking crime, told by a boy who died—and a girl who wants to know why.

Who was Todd Mayer, and why don't any of his fellow students at Albright Academy seem to know, or want to say, anything about him?

Todd Mayer is dead. Now a ghost, hovering over his body, recently discovered in a snow covered park, naked and frozen. As detectives investigate Todd's homicide, talking to the very people linked to the events leading to his death, Todd replays the choice that led him to his end.

Georgia didn't know Todd. But ever since she heard about his death, she can’t stop thinking about him. Maybe because they’re both outcasts at their school, or because they’re both queer. Maybe because the story of Todd people keep telling feels like a lot of fake stories Georgia has heard people tell. Plus Georgia has a feeling she’s seen Todd somewhere before, somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Young Adult | Mystery | LGBTQIA+ 

Rating: 🌟🌟 

Review: 

A story of a dead boy and a girl that accidental stumbles into the secrets surrounding his death.

Todd Mayer is found dead in a local park. Now, he haunts the living world as a ghost, spying on the detectives that are investigating his case. Georgia may not have known Todd, but she relates to him after she learns of his death. Like him, Georgia is an outcast, queer, and can't wait for high school to be over. As Georgia ponders Todd's mysterious death, she begins to think that she's seen him before. In person. While he was still alive. But where? And why?

This book was. . . odd? I didn't really understand why Todd was even in this story. He didn't add much to the narrative besides drop hints that made an already pretty obvious mystery even more obvious. It is also a bit strange that we follow Georgia, because she pretty much has nothing to do with Todd whatsoever. I didn't really connect with either Todd or Georgia, despite having several things in common with them, which made this book a bit boring for me.

The characters in this book were so dumb. I don't say this lightly. I mean, when things happen, they literally make the worst decisions ever. The way that Todd dies is quite sad, but wouldn't have happened if anyone that was present would have used their brains. Also, the romance elements that were present in this book were just icky.

Overall, I really appreciate the messages and contemporary issues this book is trying to conquer, but the execution was below par in my opinion. Members of the LGBTQIA+ community are often unfairly bullied, harassed, and targeted, which is a difficult truth that this book delves into. However, I didn't connect with any of the characters, found the writing to be a bit crude for no reason, and often felt myself drifting away due to the predictability of the plot. This is the second two star I've had of Tamaki's, so I'm thinking that maybe she's just not the author for me. I know this book hit home for many and for that I am grateful, but it didn't resonate with me at all.

Back of Book: 

The Darkest Corners is a psychological thriller about the lies little girls tell, and the deadly truths those lies become.

There are ghosts around every corner in Fayette, Pennsylvania. Tessa left when she was nine and has been trying ever since not to think about it after what happened there that last summer. Memories of things so dark will burn themselves into your mind if you let them.

Callie never left. She moved to another house, so she doesn’t have to walk those same halls, but then Callie always was the stronger one. She can handle staring into the faces of her demons—and if she parties hard enough, maybe one day they’ll disappear for good.

Tessa and Callie have never talked about what they saw that night. After the trial, Callie drifted and Tessa moved, and childhood friends just have a way of losing touch.

But ever since she left, Tessa has had questions. Things have never quite added up. And now she has to go back to Fayette—to Wyatt Stokes, sitting on death row; to Lori Cawley, Callie’s dead cousin; and to the one other person who may be hiding the truth.

Only the closer Tessa gets to the truth, the closer she gets to a killer—and this time, it won’t be so easy to run away. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Young Adult | Mystery 

Review: 🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

What you don't know can hurt you....

It’s been months since the accident that killed Ella’s best friend, Hayley, and Ella can’t stop blaming herself. Now Ella is back at school, and everywhere she looks are reminders of her best friend—including Sawyer, Hayley’s boyfriend. Little by little, they grow closer, until Ella realizes something horrifying...

She’s in love with her dead best friend’s boyfriend.

Racked with guilt, Ella turns to Hayley’s journal, hoping she’ll find something in the pages that will make her feel better about what’s happening. Instead, she discovers that Sawyer has secrets of his own and that his relationship with Hayley wasn’t as picture-perfect as it seemed.

Ella knows she should stay away but finds herself inextricably drawn to him—and scared of everything she never knew about him. Perhaps it’s his grief. Or maybe his desires, cut short by tragedy. Or could it be something twisted only Hayley knew about?

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Young Adult | Mystery | Thriller | Romance 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Ella is secretly in love with her dead best friend's boyfriend. . . and her best friend seemed to have many secrets of her own.

An entire summer has passed since Ella crashed her car, inadvertently killing her best friend, Hayley. Ella is wracked with guilt over everything that happened that night. And her guilt only continues to grow as she begins to fall for Hayley's boyfriend, Sawyer. Consumed by her feelings, Ella turns to Hayley's diary to try to find peace with her desire for Sawyer. But instead she is assailed by vicious secrets, one's that allude to the fact that Hayley's life wasn't as perfect as she originally thought. Ella begins to question everything that Hayley never told her, and the dangerous secrets that Sawyer may be concealing from her.

I can full out proclaim that by no means is this book perfect. I did lap up every page of it, though. It was quite predictable, often hard to read, and the way the characters talked to each other could be grating from time to time. However, this book evoked so much emotion from me, that I would be lying if I didn't say that I enjoyed it immensely. I must say, there was a point in this story that I was like, "the author wouldn't do that, would she?" And then she did! I totally saw it coming, but I was shocked that the author actually wrote it; are you picking up what I'm putting down?

For some reason, books that deal with grief tend to be some of my favorites. Any book that makes me think about the loss of a loved one just really hits me in the feels. I can all too easily imagine Ella's situation happening time and time again in the real world, and this really broke my heart. It would be so hard to deal with the pain of losing any of my best friends and I would be just as lost as she was. My heart goes out for all those who find themselves in similar boats.

The complicated love triangle situation that was happening in this one made me a tad uncomfortable, but I didn't dislike it nearly as much as the situation that went down in Jandy Nelson's "The Sky Is Everywhere" (PSA: don't cheat on your dead sister with her fiancée). Sawyer rubbed me the wrong way at times, but I knew that the author wrote him semi-ambiguously so that the reader would be suspicious of him. Therefore, I could tell what was what rather swiftly. I would say that Ella and Sawyer's relationship moved way to fast for me, but I know some people do advance their relationships that quickly. The fact that the two had known each other for years was the main reason that I let it fly and it didn't bother me too much.

The immense amount that this book delves into domestic abuse and men preying on women was one of the major highlights. I don't want to talk about too many specific examples extensively due to spoilers, but there are some real creepos in this book (we're looking at you Sean!). I love the way this book pushes the importance of having a few trustworthy people in your corner and the way it cautions which people you put your faith in.

Overall, I am glad that I ended up liking "Everything We Never Said" way more than I usually like young adult thrillers. There were so many parts of this book that were hard for me to palate, but I still ended up consuming this book in one sitting. It made me thing about all the relationships in my life that I occasionally take for granted and what I can do to let them know how much they mean to me. If one enjoys deep looks into complicated relationships, grief, and society's injustices, "Everything We Never Said" might be the romantic thriller for you.

Back of Book: 

My name isn’t really Nick Pearson.

I shouldn’t tell you where I’m from.

I shouldn't tell you why my family moved to Stepton, Virginia.

I shouldn’t tell you who I really am, or my hair, eye, and skin color.

And I definitely shouldn’t tell you about my friend Eli Cruz and the major conspiracy he was about to uncover when he died—right after I moved to town. About how I had to choose between solving his murder with his hot sister, Reya, and “staying low-key” like the Program has taught me. About how moving to Stepon changed my life forever.

But I’m going to.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Young Adult | Mystery 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

Every year, they play the Game. 

At the beginning of summer, the seniors at Lincoln High play Assassin: low stakes, high intensity. People are placed on hush-hush teams with secret lists of targets. School is a safe zone—and you can only be eliminated if you're alone. 

Lia's been planning her stakeout strategy for months—whether she needs a mega drench-tank backpack or squirt gun, she's ready. And not only does Lia finally get to play, she's paired with her longtime crush, Devon Diaz. But this year, Assassin is no fun. It's real. 

Someone is picking people off in alphabetical order, one by one. Kids are actually turning up dead. The whole school is in a state of panic. Someone Lia knows from class—someone they all know—is a killer. 

It's just a game. Or is it?  

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Young Adult | Mystery 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Best friends, big fans, a mysterious webcomic, and a long-lost girl collide in this riveting novel.

Once upon a time, two best friends created a princess together. Libby drew the pictures, May wrote the tales, and their heroine, Princess X, slayed all the dragons and scaled all the mountains their imaginations could conjure.

Once upon a few years later, Libby was in the car with her mom, driving across the Ballard Bridge on a rainy night. When the car went over the side, Libby passed away, and Princess X died with her.

Once upon a now: May is sixteen and lonely, wandering the streets of Seattle, when she sees a sticker slapped in a corner window.

Princess X?

When May looks around, she sees the Princess everywhere: Stickers. Patches. Graffiti. There's an entire underground culture, focused around a webcomic at IAmPrincessX.com. The more May explores the webcomic, the more she sees disturbing similarities between Libby's story and Princess X online. And that means that only one person could have started this phenomenon—her best friend, Libby, who lives.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Young Adult | Mystery | Thriller | Graphic Novel 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟 

A fast-paced read featuring two best friends who will do anything in their power to get back to one another. 

May and Libby weren't always best friends, but it didn't take them long to learn that they had a bunch in common. One fateful day, the girls end up stuck together and invent the character Princess X and the girls spend much of their free time expanding her character and creating the world that she lives in. That is, until Libby is killed in a tragic car accident and Princess X is lost forever. At least, that's what May thinks until she finds a sticker of Princess X stuck to a window in town. When she discovers that Princess X has been made into a webcomic portraying a devastating story, May can't help but assume that maybe Libby didn't die after all. But that raises a different question: Where in the world has Libby been the last three years? 

I had the strangest feeling of déjà vu while reading the beginning of this book. It felt so vividly familiar and I have absolutely no idea why. I have nothing more to share about this, but I can't not bring this up because it was such a strong feeling. 

I didn't expect this book to be a mystery/thriller, so that was quite the surprise right off the bat. The very start to the story was quite intense when May first finds out about Princess X, but unfortunately, once the reader figures out that Libby was kidnapped by some creepy dude, the urgency is pretty much lost for the remainder of the story. The one scene at the end is a little intense, but nothing unexpected goes down. 

I really like how this book tied in the graphic parts by including snippets of the Princess X comic. Without them, this book would have fallen pretty flat. There was also other forms of multimedia, which was fun. There may have made the book way more predictable, but I think they were truly this books saving grace. 

I appreciate the fact that this book focuses on the relationship between two friends and has literally zero romantic elements in it. This hardly ever happens in young adult fiction, so it is always a breath of fresh air when this happens. The lengths that these two will go for one another is super sweet; everyone should have a best friend that they can rely on as much as May and Libby rely on one another. 

Unfortunately, there are many parts of this book that are so extreme and unrealistic that it took away from the joy of reading a little bit. All of the things that Mr. McCreepster (Libby's kidnapper) does are a bit illogical and often crazy for no reason. He is a bit of a psycho though, so I tried to suspend my disbelief a little bit. The fact that Trick just happened to be a professional hacker that lived in the same building as May was also highly suspicious. For the sake of the story, I get it, but the odds of him being a hacker (and him publicly advertising this fact) are surreal. The ending was also very cinematic with little going wrong and everything turning out practically perfect in the end. Not the worst ending ever, but didn't do much to feed my imagination either. 

Also, this book was more dated than the average read. This book was totally published in a certain era (shoutout to Vine) and the technological elements of this book do feel pretty clunky because of it. This didn't take away too much from the entertainment value, but there are some pretty niche era references made throughout this book. 

Overall, "I Am Princess X" was a pretty simplistic story that elevated itself by with some semi-original content. The highlight was by far the inclusion of the Princess X webcomics throughout the story. Friendship is explored in this novel, which is always a good theme, but it didn't particularly push any limits. I do like the feminist highlights that this book has, which isn't always the case for me. If you are looking for a lighthearted thriller that isn't scary or disgusting, this could be one to look into. 

Back of Book: 

The last anyone saw of Thisbe Locke, she was standing by a car on the side of the bridge.

She’d been depressed since she stopped seeing Clay, who humiliated her in front of everyone at his party. But would Thisbe really jump because of that?

Her sister swears she wouldn’t.

The police know that grief-stricken families always hope for a different ending. And that decisions about jumping can be made in an instant.

Either way, there’s no sign of Thisbe.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Young Adult | Mystery

Review: 🌟

Back of Book: 

For Adele, the dead aren’t really dead. She can see them and even talk to them. But she’s spent years denying her gift. When she encounters her ex-best friend Tori in a shallow grave in the woods—and realizes that Tori is actually dead—that gift turns into a curse. Without an alibi, Adele becomes the prime suspect in Tori’s murder. She must work with Tori’s ghost to find the real killer. But what if the killer finds Adele first?

Master mystery-write April Henry adds a chilling paranormal twist to this incredibly suspenseful young adult novel.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Young Adult | Mystery | Paranormal 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

Back of Book: 

Sam Sylvester has long collected stories of half-lived lives—of kids who died before they turned nineteen. Sam was almost one of those kids. Now, as Sam's own nineteenth birthday approaches, their recent near-death experience haunts them. They're certain they don't have much time left...

Still, Sam begins to settle into their new hometown with the help of their neighbor, Shep, whom Sam can't stop thinking about. Yet the past keeps roaring back—in memories and in the form of a thirty-year-old suspicious death. Sam can't resist trying to find out more about the kid who died in Sam's new home and who now seems to guide their investigation. When Sam starts recieving threatening notes, they know they're on the path to uncovering a murderer. But is Sam also approaching their own end? 

The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester explores healing in the aftermath of trauma and the joy in living a full life. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Young Adult | Mystery | LGBTQIA+ 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Holy smokes this book was not what I expected it to be!

"The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester" really knocked my socks off! As far as thrillers/mysteries go, I'm usually not too invested but MacGregor did a great job of drawing me in with their writing style and realistic characters. I loved Sam as the protagonist; they were so interesting to read about and they have such a complex life that I couldn't help but be curious of what they would do next. There were elements of the mystery that were a bit predictable, but there were several characters that I was a bit suspicious of that did absolutely nothing wrong, so kudos for that.

I know that everyone is gushing about the representation in this book, but it is truly splendid. Sam is not only queer and nonbinary, but also autistic too. This is the first book that I have read with an autistic character that was out of middle school, which was a nice change of pace. Their best friend, Shep, is a Latina girl who is also queer, and there are many other characters that identify as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community sprinkled throughout.

Another thing that I appreciated were all of the modern references to things such as Among Us, gaslighting, and "How to Train Your Dragon." It really added to the authenticity for me and gave way for many comical scenes.

Overall, I just really loved this one. It had me laughing out loud several times, the romance was wholesome, and it featured one of the best Dads of all time. There was little that I didn't love about this book and I hope that many people give this one a read! I would recommend for anyone who wants to learn more about people that are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community or on the autism spectrum or people who want to see themselves represented in a really cool protagonist. On a side note, I personally think this book would be a great read for a book club. :)

Back of Book: 

Devastated by her mom’s sudden disappearance and the evidence pointing to suicide, seventeen-year-old Noelle, an aspiring ballet dancer, doesn’t believe her mom would ever have taken her own life. She undertakes her own investigation to find out what really happened to her mother.

Meantime, Noelle is dealing with growing romantic feelings for Ravi, her best friend and fellow dancer. And she’s worried about her little sister, Whitney, who won’t talk about why she doesn’t want to visit their dad.

Threaded throughout the novel is also the story of Savannah, a young woman whose escape from an abusive marriage nearly two decades earlier turns out to be connected to Noelle’s investigation. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Young Adult | Mystery | Thriller | LGBTQIA+ 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

What would you do if your mom suddenly disappeared and everyone was convinced that she committed suicide? 

Noelle didn't have much to worry about besides her upcoming dance recitals and trying to pursue her dreams of becoming a professional ballet dancer. That is, until her mother suddenly vanishes and the authorities are convinced that she committed suicide. Unwilling to accept this as the truth, Noelle starts to dig into her mother's mysterious past and starts to uncover darker secrets than she ever could have imagined. As she investigates her mom's disappearance, other elements of her life also unravel, which causes Noelle to feel as though she is falling apart herself.  

I have to start this review out by saying that this book contains a lot of triggering topics that often come out of nowhere. The shock factors of some of these events had me gasping, but I feel that some of these things could be really devastating to some if they aren't ready for it. If you don't want the list of trigger warnings, skip to the next paragraph. This book includes depictions of domestic violence, obsessive drinking, pedophilia, racism, discussions of suicide, and other kinds of abuse. Some parts of this book were really hard to palate, but it does a great job of discussing many of life's hard topics. 

I think that it is super neat that Noelle and her best friend/crush, Ravi, are both ballet dancers. After playing a ballerina in a theatre performance, the subject of ballet dancing has quite intrigued me. Reading about Noelle and Ravi's duet they were prepping was one of my favorite parts of this novel, despite the fact that it had nothing to do with the main plot. 

Ravi is a Hindu from India I believe, and I loved this books portrayal of his overbearing parents and how controlling they are of his life. They place heavy expectations on Ravi about where he will go to college, what type of a career he will pursue, and the types of girls he is allowed to date. This portrayal of Indian American parents was super authentic, and I found this to be a great subplot that added a ton of tension between Ravi and Noelle. Ravi was definitely my favorite character, and I enjoyed seeing him grow the courage to stand up to his parents after years of being the angel child. 

The main plot about Noelle's missing mother and Savannah's abusive relationship really kept me flipping the pages. Many parts of this book were super predictable, but I was still so intrigued to see how all the different subplots were going to turn out that I read this book in one sitting. The ending wasn't the most satisfying, but I love how realistic it is. It isn't often that we get all the answers in real life, so I thought it was cool that this book left a ton unanswered. 

I don't want to say too much about Whitney's side arc, but it broke my heart immensely. I did really enjoy seeing Noelle step up as a mother figure to her little sister during this tough time. I also adore how Whitney loves Ravi. It is so cute that Noelle's little sister enjoys spending time with her big sister's best friend. 

I also want to comment on the double meaning of the title. "Missing Mom" most obviously refers to the fact that Noelle's mom vanished without a trace, but it also can be attributed to the fact that Noelle also misses her mom a ton. Her mother was her best friend, so it breaks her heart to think about anything happening to her. I dunno, I just think the title of this book is really neat. 

Overall, "Missing Mom" was a fast-paced mystery/thriller that was filled to the brim with all kinds of exciting subplots that had me rapidly turning the pages. I love how it deep dived into many tough topics such as abusive relationships and racial prejudices. I didn't expect this book to be filled with such in depth topics, but I'm not complaining. Noelle and Ravi were enjoyable characters and I don't regret spending an afternoon learning about them and their passion as dancers. I'm sure that many people who like darker thrillers that are reflective of real life would have a great experience reading this one. 

Back of Book: 

Mount Orange, Florida, is famous for two things: Cerulean freshwater springs, ideal for free divers who aren't afraid of lurking gators. And the gruesome cold case murder of best friends, Bailey and Celeste, twenty years ago.

Bailey and Celeste's murders cast a permanent darkness over sunny Mount Orange. Tru has always lived in that shadow. Now she's supposed to head to FSU in the fall with her boyfriend, but those unsolved murders—and the death of her own sister—invade her every thought. It’s only in the shadowy deep of Hidden Glen Springs that she can breathe.

When a strange girl named Rio rolls into town, hell-bent on figuring out who killed Bailey and Celeste, Tru can't resist entangling herself in the thrill of solving the decades old mystery any more than she can resist her familiar, aching attraction to Rio.

As the summer heat ignites, so does the spark between Tru and Rio... along with their other-worldy connection to Bailey and Celeste. But when someone begins stalking them, the girls become convinced the killer is back in town. And if they keep digging into the past, Tru and Rio know this time, it could be their blood that makes the springs run red. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Young Adult | Mystery | Thriller | Romance | Horror | Magical Realism | LGBTQIA+ 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

A thrilling mystery featuring two young girls who may have been destined to meet each other who will do anything to solve the murder that occurred in Mount Orange, Florida twenty years ago. 

Mount Orange, Florida is known for its beautiful freshwater springs where divers spend much of their time basking in the peaceful waters. It is also known for the Hidden Glen murders that happened twenty years ago and ended with Bailey and Celeste dead in the water. Now, the entire town remains paranoid that the killer remains among them even after all this time. After the accident that led to her sister dying, Tru can't help but be obsessed with all the needless death that has occurred in her hometown. When a young girl named Rio mysteriously appears and demands to know more about Bailey and Celeste's deaths, Tru's life changes forever as she begins to learn the truth about what happened to the two girls. And how deeply involved she is in the case. 

I've been wanting to read all of Myers Sain's books ever since I learned they existed, so I'm glad that I finally had the chance to pick one up. It was even better than I thought it was going to be! This is hands down one of the best thrillers that I have ever read; I know that the next time I'm looking for this kind of thrilling high, I will turn to another one of her books. 

I felt a connection to Tru from the very first page. I may not be as addicted to death as she is, but I can certainly understand wanting to escape the mundanity of life and the uncertainty that comes with trying to figure out one's future plans. The fact that she is a free diver is something I've never read about in a book, which was pretty cool. She has lived through so much trauma, grief, and horrific events but she is still so strong and resilient; it's hard not to cheer her on. 

There were many elements that I predicted about this book. Most of these incidents involved things appearing and disappearing at various times to add a super creepy scare factor. Despite predicting most of them happening, that didn't mean I knew exactly who was moving the things or how those things were going down. 

As the book progressed, I was very suspicious of a few characters. Despite feeling pretty confident I knew who was behind certain things, Myers Sain did such an amazing job pulling all of the main characters into suspicion toward the end of the novel and I truly didn't know who to trust. I was convinced that some people would never hurt a fly, but that didn't make the fact that Tru and Rio were stranded in the middle of the woods with nothing to protect themselves but a baseball bat and a prayer any less horrifying to experience. Camping and stranded in the woods horror is so freaky, and I couldn't imagine putting myself in these girls' shoes. It was a tad difficult to fall asleep after reading this one; I'm so glad I didn't bring this one camping with me. 

The magical realism aspects of this book play with the idea of reincarnation, destiny, and fated friendships. All of these topics are really neat, and I love thinking about them. Reading the author's note about this was very enlightening, too. I find the idea of there being certain people we are destined to meet to be very cool, and it would be amazing if the reason we connect with some people so deeply is because we knew them in another life. This definitely added a super mysterious and twisty element to this thriller, but I also love the authenticity that the author feels about this subject. 

The thing I was most split about in this novel is the romance element. Tru's long time boyfriend, East, is literally the sweetest man in the entire world. I am a sucker for the childhood friends to lovers trope, so it broke my heart watching Tru grow away from him. On the other hand, when Tru is destined to be with Rio, it is so hard to want them to stay away from each other. I am still extremely conflicted about this love triangle, but I also want the best for Tru. That doesn't stop East from being my favorite character. He goes through so much strife throughout the course of this book, and my heart really goes out to him. And the fact he is so loyal to Tru through everything is so cute and honestly inspirational. Everyone deserves someone who will go to the lengths that East does for Tru. Even if it is platonically. 

Overall, I was blown away by "One Last Breath." It is the perfect dose of wickedly twisted while also being so sweet and heartwarming. The murder mystery plot is enthralling, but the romance is also adorable. The whole fated meeting subtheme hits so hard and adds a magical element to this story that I just ate up. If you are a fan of thrillers with a hint of fantasy, I can't recommend this one enough! I am so excited to explore more of Myers Sain's work in the future; consider me a fan!

Back of Book: 

Who is the real Margo?

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs into his life—dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows. After their all-nighter ends, and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues—and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew...

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Young Adult | Mystery 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

From the bestselling author of I Am Still Alive comes a new nail-biter that's part survival story, part murder mystery, and all thriller—perfect for fans of Karen McManus and Holly Jackson!

Two years ago Mercy Gray was hailed as a hero for saving lives during a mall shooting. She still carries souvenirs from that incident: the fragment of a bullet lodged in her back, a mountain of medical debt, and guilt for ignoring her sister’s warnings that the sweet boy next door was anything but.

When billionaire-turned-TV-host Damien Dare recruits Mercy to compete on his new survivalist reality show, she can’t turn down a chance at the whopping cash prize that could send her sister to college—but when she and the other contestants arrive at the off-grid location, something isn’t right. The set is empty. The gates close without warning, trapping them inside. Then one of them turns up dead. What appeared at first to be a tragic accident quickly transforms as more contestants start dying. With time and resources running low, surviving this show takes on a new meaning. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Young Adult | Mystery | Thriller 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Eight teens go to a remote ghost town to compete in a survival reality TV show, but things take a darker turn when one of the cast members turns up dead. . .

Mercy Gray survived a deadly shooting two years ago and was hailed a hero when she helped save a whole crowd of people from certain death. She still carries guilt for refusing to believe that her sister, Jamie, was right about Ryan's darker nature under his boy-next-door facade. When given the chance to compete on a survival reality TV show with a huge cash prize, Mercy enrolls in the hopes of winning the money to fund her sister's college endeavors. But when she arrives on set, no one is there except the other seven competitors. The eight young adults find themselves stranded in an abandoned ghost town with few resources and slim chances of escape. When one of the cast members turns up dead, things take an even scarier twist, and the young adults find themselves fighting for their literal lives. 

This was a fun, quick read that had me invested the whole way through! The reality TV show element of this book intrigued me greatly, and it turned out that was more just part of the set-up. Reading about these young adults trying to escape from the set of the show was entertaining regardless of the fact that the show was cancelled before they even arrived. 

The members of this crew end up being so tight. There are a few of them that are really suspicious, and no one really likes, but the ones that make it to the end are literally family members by that point. It took me a bit to figure out who I should place my suspicions on, but I was right in the end (which is always a fun feeling when you are reading a mystery). The bonds between people that go through hard events together end up being super powerful, and this book did a great job of representing that. 

A prevailing theme in this one is toxic masculinity and trusting one's instincts when something doesn't seem right. Ryan, the person that shot Mercy was obsessed with her sister, Jamie. Mercy thought that he was such a kind gentleman who was nothing but amazing to her sister, but she didn't see the darker side to him. Ryan kept forcing himself on Jamie and wouldn't leave her alone, regardless of what she did. It saddens me greatly that there are men out there who go to such extreme lengths in the hopes of obtaining the women that they want to be theirs. No woman should ever have to experience any such toxic behaviors, and it is crazy how often stalker situations end with extreme acts of violence. Mercy finds herself haunted by Ryan and questioning every male that she comes across. Later events in the storyline also add to this theme, but I'm not going to discuss those, because I want all of you to have the fun experiences with deciphering the mystery yourself. 

Speaking of the mystery, I found that I could predict much that was going down a little after three quarters of the way through the book. At the beginning, there was so many characters to keep track of, but it became clear to me that a few of them were a tad more suspicious than the others. The ones that I had suspicions about ended up being guilty for one thing or another, so this is definitely a mystery that the reader can unravel much of themselves. Despite this, Marshall still did a stunning job of keeping me on edge with all the events that she set up. 

Another thing I feel I have to touch on is Damien Dare's character himself. I'm going to dive into spoiler territory a little bit here, because I want to analyze a bit of his nature, so you have been warned! Okay, so Dare is definitely one of those crazy believers that think that the world is going to end in some apocalyptic way and that only the strongest will survive. He doesn't just think this, he also preaches this to his followers of his podcast and in the book that he has written. Dare also believes that people must be tested with their own personal crossroads, before the world encounters the crossroads that he is foretelling. For this reason, he is addicted to people going through traumatic events and testing them again and again to see who the cream of the crop is. I always find those with apocalyptic cult mindsets to be interesting, though it scares me to think about people like him existing in the real world. 

And I suppose I'll do a quick character breakdown before I go. Mercy is a strong, independent main character who yearns to trust others despite all that she has gone through. Harrison is my favorite of the group, with his ADHD mannerisms and all sorts of trivia that he procures, especially surrounding true crime. Miles is the goofy nice one, who is always willing to lend a hand. Eli is a trans man who used to live on a farm and has a bit of a temper. Piper is a sweet Asian girl who starts off with a bit of a rough start with the crew, but they come to forgive her quickly. Colby is the only twenty-year-old of the group and is physically quite strong. Alethea is a model who is famous for a yacht accident and her Instagram following adores her. Finally, we have Spencer who is a bit of a nerd and a tad obsessed with Damien Dare. An odd group of young adults who have all survived some crazy stuff and now are forced to work together to survive another deadly experience. 

Overall, "We Won't All Survive" is a thrilling book that makes for a fast-paced reading experience. The themes that focus on toxic masculinity and trusting one's instincts are so important and seeing them explored in this thrilling nature was quite interesting. The mystery of who was behind trapping the kids on the set of the reality TV show kept me intrigued until the very end, even if I was able to predict many elements of this book. I'm glad that Mercy and a few of her friends got to reclaim their title of survivor and show the world that there isn't one right way to overcome traumatic experiences. I would be interested in reading more of Marshall's work in the future!