Author: rachel.churcher

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YA Review: One Of Us Is Lying

Title: One Of Us Is Lying
Author: Karen M McManus
Edition: Kindle
Rating: 4/5

A high-school locked-room murder mystery, narrated by the students suspected of the crime. One Of Us Is Lying is a cleverly constructed story that kept me guessing as the suspects slowly revealed their secrets and pieced together the evidence against them.

Five students find themselves in detention together – the athlete, the prom-queen wannabe, the gossip king, the high-achiever, and the drug dealer on probation – but only four will leave the room alive. The survivors find themselves questioning what happened during detention, and working together to understand what the murder means for each of them. All of them have something to hide – but which of them has a motive for murder?

The story unfolds gradually, with each survivor narrating their own chapters as the evidence builds. I was completely hooked, turning the pages to find the next twist and the next motive, and developing theories as each character confessed more about their lives.

Keeping secrets from the reader when the book is written in alternating first-person chapters is difficult, but the author manages to reveal her surprises and plot twists gradually, without making readers feel cheated or misled. We feel as if we’re getting to know the characters as they get to know each other, and this ensures that the first-person revelations feel entirely natural as the story unfolds.

The four suspects feel very different, with different concerns, ambitions, and family backgrounds. With each new twist, another character comes under suspicion, and the reader is constantly guessing who has a secret worth killing for. The supporting cast adds depth to the story, with friends, sisters, parents, teachers, and boyfriends and girlfriends adding to the tangled web of grudges, motives, and opportunities.

It’s a clever premise and a gripping story with a satisfying ending – and a sequel, which is definitely on my wish list.

Have you read One Of Us Is Lying? What did you think of the story? Will you be reading the sequel? Click through to the full blog to access the comments section, and share your thoughts! No spoilers, though – you can post those on GoodReads!

Review cross-posted to GoodReads.

Please keep your comments YA appropriate. Be patient! We want to hear from you, but comments are moderated, and may take some time to appear.

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YA Review: The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks (Montague Siblings #3)

Title: The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks
Author: Mackenzi Lee
Edition: Hardback
Rating: 4/5

I loved the other books in Mackenzi Lee’s Stonewall-Honor-winning historical adventure series, and I’ve been waiting for the final novel for far too long!

Adrian is the youngest of the three Montague siblings – so much younger that he doesn’t remember his brother or his sister. Both left home to pursue unconventional careers and lifestyles (Henry/Monty to live with his partner Percy, and Felicity to become a doctor in spite of her gender), and their parents have hidden their existence from Adrian for nineteen years.

On the cusp of adulthood, Adrian is living in London. He’s engaged to a political activist (the wonderful Louisa), and is expected to take his father’s seat in the House of Lords. But his politics are directly opposed to his father’s Conservatism, and he’s never felt able to confess this. When a package of belongings throws doubt on the official report’s of his mother’s recent death, Adrian finds himself on an unforgettable journey in search of the truth.

Mackenzi Lee once again throws her protagonist into a grand adventure – by sea to exotic destinations, helped (and hindered) by the friends and enemies his older siblings have made in their travels. It is wonderful to meet Monty and Felicity again – older, wiser, competent (Felicity) and disaster-prone (Monty), and to see them for the first time through their younger brother’s eyes. The story is exciting and gripping, with just a touch of magic alongside the historical facts.

The most remarkable aspect of the book is the focus on Adrian’s anxiety and mental health. He experiences intrusive thoughts, spiralling emotions, and debilitating panic, all of which are described with absolute sympathy and understanding. His symptoms are based on the author’s own anxiety, and throughout the book the other characters treat Adrian with love, and with validation and positive messaging. As the story progresses, he becomes more at home in his own skin, and less ashamed of his natural reactions. It’s a brilliantly positive message, and an absolutely organic part of his adventure.

A wonderful conclusion to the trilogy, and definitely worth the wait!

Have you read The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks? What did you think of Adrian’s adventure? And what about meeting Monty, Percy, and Felicity again? Click through to the full blog to access the comments section, and share your thoughts! No spoilers, though – you can post those on GoodReads!

Review cross-posted to GoodReads.

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YA Review: The Supreme Lie

Title: The Supreme Lie
Author: Geraldine McCaughrean 
Edition: Audiobook
Rating: 5/5

What can I say about this book? The second book by Geraldine McCaughrean I have read proved to be every bit as quirky, wonderful, and unpredictable as the first (The White Darkness), and I was completely hooked.

Fifteen-year-old Gloria is a maid to the absolute ruler of Afalia, Madame Suprema. She is used to keeping her head down, serving meals with minimum fuss, and trying to stay invisible. When catastrophic floods devastate the country, Madame Suprema realises that she will be held responsible, and flees her home to avoid the consequences. Rather than allow the government to fall at such a critical moment, Gloria is chosen to impersonate the Suprema and bring the people of Afalia through the disaster.

Initially, Gloria is expected to follow a script and deceive the government and the people into believing the Suprema is still in control. As she finds herself drawn into the political turmoil and begins to witness the effects of the flooding, Gloria can’t help getting involved. While the Suprema’s husband is desperate to convince his young maid to stick to the script, Gloria’s interventions begin to draw attention from senators, factory owners, and the people she hopes to protect. Small decisions turn out to have catastrophic consequences, and Gloria finds herself risking the lives of her people as she desperately tries to do the right thing.

This is an absolutely gripping story with characters who grow more engaging as the complexities of the plot reveal themselves. There are no predictable moments, and no predictable outcomes as each decision brings further problems and complications. Gloria is a wonderful character, driven by compassion for the people and a conviction that she must use her new position to dispense help and justice instead of continuing the despotic self-serving actions of the real Suprema. The supporting cast includes the downtrodden husband of the Suprema, various devious politicians, Gloria’s childhood friend, and three dogs – two of whom expand the story in their own point-of-view chapters. Did I mention it was quirky?

The author uses humour and the absurdity of the situation to sneak some horrific events under the reader’s radar. Much of the narration feels lighthearted, while dealing with life-and-death decisions and disasters, and this technique allows the author to tell a sometimes harrowing story without plunging the reader into despair. Gloria’s optimism and determination to save people keeps the narrative feeling upbeat, and even when the reader can see danger in her actions, the maid-turned-Suprema keeps pushing for a positive outcome. The contrast between Gloria’s good intentions and the devious self-serving actions of the politicians adds menace to an already precarious setup, and the Suprema’s husband finds himself treading a careful line between the maid’s ambitions and the credibility of the lie.

The audiobook, read by Ailsa Joy, brings a perky 1920s newsreel atmosphere to the narration. It’s perfect for a quirky story that touches on so many serious issues, and I very much enjoyed listening.

Have you read The Supreme Lie? What did you think of Gloria’s story? What would you do in her place? Click through to the full blog to access the comments section, and share your thoughts! No spoilers, though – you can post those on GoodReads!

Review cross-posted to GoodReads.

Please keep your comments YA appropriate. Be patient! We want to hear from you, but comments are moderated, and may take some time to appear.

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Friendship v. Romance

Let’s talk about friendship v. romance in dystopian fiction. Which do you prefer?

The Battle Ground Series is deliberately friendship based, centred around a lives-on-the-line-for-each-other male/female friendship. These are teenagers, fighting for their country and their lives – and they’re not taking time out to look for romance. They’re busy surviving, dodging soldiers and bullets, trying to be brave, and keeping each other safe.

Did we mention Book One is FREE today? Grab your Kindle edition now!

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YA Review: Believe Me (Shatter Me Novella)

Title: Believe Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Edition: Paperback
Rating: 4/5

When I finished Imagine Me, I predicted that Tahereh Mafi would write another novella to tie up the loose ends that explode in the final chapter, and happily I was right. I also predicted that it would be narrated by Kenji, best friend to the series protagonist Juliette – but on this prediction I was wrong.

Deliciously, the entire novella is narrated by Warner, offering the reader a vivid insight into his relationship with Juliette. It also highlights his resistance to building friendships with the people they worked with to survive the rest of the series, and his own dark assessment of his value to the other characters.

Believe Me has everything we need to feel a sense of closure for the Shatter Me series. Warner’s devotion to Juliette, and his ambivalence to everyone else in their compound. The struggle to bring about a sense of normality in a dramatically changing world. Juliette’s ability to bring people together, and the support she inspires in the people around her. And of course the romantic and very sexy scenes we have come to expect from this series.

It might be a short book, but it is full of big feelings – disappointment, jealousy, surprise and devotion. Warner’s journey is tough, but the author teases us with the possibility that his infuriating inability to connect with the people around him could be redeemed by his adoration for Juliette. The Bad Boy of the series tells us that he would do anything to make sure Juliette is safe and happy, and as he frequently wobbled in his resolve, I found myself willing him to demonstrate that she was genuinely the centre of his world. Warner and Juliette’s relationship might not be a healthy romance, but it is absolutely a convincing one. This is a frustrating, rewarding, emotional, and fitting end to the series.

Have you read Believe Me? What did you think of Warner’s narration? What about the ending? Click through to the full blog to access the comments section, and share your thoughts! No spoilers, though – you can post those on GoodReads!

Review cross-posted to GoodReads.

Please keep your comments YA appropriate. Be patient! We want to hear from you, but comments are moderated, and may take some time to appear.