by Lisa Jewel

5 Stars

Watching You by Lisa Jewell

The book Watching You by Lisa Jewell, takes a turn on many events, making this book even more suspenseful than it already is. Watching You takes on many different perspectives, making your conclusions and assumptions take a quick turn. As I was reading the book, I didn’t see many events taking place, and they were so far from what I was expecting. The book takes place in a sweet neighbourhood where everyone seems to know each other. Everyone seems to get along, but it turns out that all those secrets are kept inside.  The title “Watching You” gives the book a creepier feel to it. It’s not like other typical suspense books, and the title really owns up to the book’s plot and story. In the book, there are multiple perspectives that really make you question who the antagonist really is. Who committed this? Did this person really do this? The author really took the time to make this story and plot eventful and suspenseful. Once you pick it up, it’s hard to put it down. Throughout the story, it is filled with drama, and you start to question who is watching who?  The mystery of who the real antagonist is, who has the darkest motives, must be decided through your judgment. Is it the teacher, Tom Fitzwilliam, who seems to be getting quite the amount of attention? Is it the neighbours down the street? Maybe even the teenagers attending the school, you may never know. After all, people don’t seem as innocent as they seem. Watching You is a really good thrilling experience if you want to be immersed in something for a while. 

Rhoanne A.

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The Echo Room

Parker Peevyhouse

Rett and Bryn, both sixteen, wake in a locked facility, unaware of how they got there, whether they can trust each other, and who or what is with them. As they explore the seemingly abandoned outpost, they find scarce stores of food, water, and equipment, as well as cryptic signs left behind by others. They also discover the outer door has been intentionally jammed from the inside. During their investigation, they black out and wake up memoryless again, which happens over and over until they discover the trigger. This is an irresistible premise Is this a psychological experiment? A test? A punishment? and Peevyhouse primes it for maximum suspense, keeping tight to Rett’s disoriented, frightened point of view.

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Insurgent

Veronica Roth

Insurgent is the second book the action-packed Divergent series by Veronica Roth. After the events of the Divergent, Tris is struggling to cope with all that she has lost. As the aftermath of the war is cooling down, Tris is on the run from Erudite extremists, and she must hide for her life while still trying to uncover the war’s purpose. A fight this grand doesn’t happen without purpose, and Tris and Tobias are determined to find out what is hidden from the eyes of the public. They both frantically search all they can to discover what lies behind the walls which cage their city. But that won’t be easy because whatever it is, Erudite is willing to kill to protect it. In this never-ending chase, Tris must resist the urge to join her parents, and truly learn the meaning of sacrifice and how much she means, which is not easy when you have the guilt of your past mistakes haunting over you. Will Tris be able to complete her mission or will the torment of the past envelop her soul?

Veronica Roth does a fantastic job presenting this story to the reader, and she has you engaged by page one. Tris’s story is captivating and still relatable at the same time. When we see Tris faced with guilt and loneliness, it is easy to relate and cheer her on. The Divergent series is a must read, especially if you enjoy dystopian novels and strong female protagonists. While hunting for answers, you’ll discover her messed up world may be more than what there were looking for and Roth will keep you on the edge of your seat while reading this extraordinary tale. – Ananya M.

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Rook

Sharon Cameron

In the Sunken City, which was once Paris, things have a way of repeating themselves. The new revolution means hundreds of opposing citizens are being executed, except for the ones who disappear. Countless prison cells are left empty, and in place of prisoners is a single red-tipped rook feather. The citizens of the city love the Red Rook’s work, but those in the government see them as a traitor. On the other side in the Commonwealth, a young Sophia Bellamy is preparing for her arranged marriage to Rene Hasard, the only way in which she can save her family from complete financial ruin. When the search for the Red Rook ends up right at her house, she discovers her fiancé has hidden information, but what her fiancé doesn’t know is that she hasn’t been completely honest herself. As tension in the Sunken City grows, Sophia and Rene are enveloped in never-ending chases, but all is not lost as Miss Bellamy has quite a few secrets of her own.

 

This daring novel will have you on the edge of your seat, with a suspenseful plot line and a new twist around every corner. Gripping action, heartwarming love, darings sacrifices, and killing suspense complete this outstanding novel. It will make you question the true meaning of heroism. Criminal? Spirit? Or last hope? Who is the Red Rook really? What dark secrets are the walls of the Bellamy house hiding? Sharon Cameron will keep you thirsty for answers as the mystery unfolds along the streets which were once Paris. -Ananya M.

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The Masked Truth

Kelley Armstrong

Teenage Riley has experienced and witnessed something no adult or person could even fathom: a double murder. Worse, the people murdered were the parents of the child she was babysitting. Shocked, confused, and feeling guilty for living while the child’s parents both died right in front of her, Riley allows her mom to bring her to an overnight therapy ‘sleepover’ with other kids who are also suffering mentally. However, unexpectedly three masked men barge into the renovated warehouse they are staying in and hold both the therapists and the group of teens hostage. The kidnappers claim they want ransom money and no one will get hurt if they follow orders.

Things go horribly wrong when the group tries to escape and many of the teens are shot and killed right on the spot. Only some make it away and are hiding in the warehouse running from the masked men who are on a prowl hunting for them. Riley meets Max who is also a patient, and they escape together running through the warehouse trying to find a way out. Although, later in the book, they find out that this kidnapping is linked to many more people than originally thought as well as the plot is much more sinister than anyone would have expected.

Personally, I really enjoyed reading this book and all of the action, and craziness throughout it. The book, however, has some vicious and fierce parts, so I wouldn’t recommend this book to you if you do not like books with some very intense scenes. Overall, I would definitely suggest this book to anyone seeking action packed novels that provide a great thrill.

– Juliana M.

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She Said / She Saw

Norah McClintock

Teagan was in the backseat of a vehicle during a drive-by shooting, in which her close friends Martin and Clark were brutally murdered. Maybe a random killing spree? Or maybe just a misunderstanding? But as much as Tegan wants to deliver justice for Martin and Clark, she has not seen the killer, or so she says. Considering the circumstances, no one believes her — she was in the back seat while someone pulled out a gun and murdered the two people in front of her. Almost impossible for Tegan to not as much as catch a glimpse of the killer, which is what the police, Tegan’s friends, family and practically everyone around her seem to think. Life for Tegan gets immensely challenging, on top of all the trauma and emotional damage. All her relationships start to fade as everyone thinks that the only reason Tegan is not naming anyone is that of her selfishness and need to keep her name clear, so she would not put herself in harm’s way. However, there is a lot more to this case than Tegan and everyone thinks. Maybe some people thought to be clean of any crimes are the ones buried under piles of them. Tegan has to do something, anything to help Clark and Martin and herself.

In this book that is written in two points of views -Tegan and her sister Kelly’s- discover all the sacrifices and decisions Tegan has to make to make things right. Get your hands on this book as soon as you can, you won’t regret it. An amazing read that keeps you in suspense yet wanting more and more as you continue. – Oshadi G.

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Genuine Fraud

E. Lockhart

From the author of the unforgettable New York Times bestseller We Were Liars comes a masterful new psychological suspense novel—the story of a young woman whose diabolical smarts are her ticket into a charmed life. But how many times can someone reinvent themselves? You be the judge.

Imogen is a runaway heiress, an orphan, a cook, and a cheat.
Jule is a fighter, a social chameleon, and an athlete.

An intense friendship. A disappearance. A murder, or maybe two.
A bad romance, or maybe three.
Blunt objects, disguises, blood, and chocolate.
The American dream, superheroes, spies, and villains.
A girl who refuses to give people what they want from her.
A girl who refuses to be the person she once was.

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She Said / She Saw

Nora McClintock

This novel is told from two points of views: sisters Tegan and Kelly Tyrell, who have completely different interests. Tegan (the older sister) sees her life in a novel, but Kelly (the younger sister) views her life as if it is a movie. You can know which sister is narrating by the style and the name of the sister after the chapter’s number. The novel focuses on the shooting of Tegan’s best friends, Martin Genovese and Clark Carson, when they are driving home from a party in Clark’s car. Tegan, who was not shot and is the only witness, says that she did not see who did it. Unfortunately, nobody believes her; not the police, not the victims’ families, not her best friend, not even her sister Kelly. Everybody thinks that Tegan is hiding something and each person uses their own way to find it, which drives Tegan crazy because she claims that she has nothing to hide. The novel also shows the struggle Tegan experiences after seeing a murder and how her relationships with other people have changed after the incident. Tegan must decide whether to stand up and do the right thing or to stay out of the way.

The novel contains mystery, twists in plots, and gives a sense of suspense. In my opinion, I enjoyed reading it and I recommend it because I found it a little different. Most of teen books focus on romance and drama, but this novel focuses on mystery and crime. It was a good move for me to try another style of teen books. Overall, this is a good book enjoyed by teens for all genders, not recommended for people under the age of 14 years. – Suzan N.

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