Gotham High

Written by Melissa de la Cruz and illustrated by Thomas Pitilli

A graphic novel for readers in grades 8 and up reviewed by Osauyi

        

Gotham High follows Batman, Catwoman, and The Joker as 17-year-olds Bruce, Selina, and Jack respectively. All three go to Gotham High School. When there is a kidnapping, Bruce tries to solve the mystery, and there is a lot at stake.

Gotham High is amazing. Not only is it drawn well, but its plot is also good. I liked how the author added different elements to the story (such as romance) and kept a rivalry going between Bruce and Jack. I would recommend this graphic novel to DC fans.

In the Hall With The Knife: A Clue Mystery

Written by Diana Peterfreund

A book for readers in grades 7 and up reviewed by Mia

        

In the Hall with the Knife: A Clue Mystery is based on the board game, Clue. In the book, there is a snowstorm on campus at a boarding school. The six unfortunate students trapped in this horrible situation are Beth Picach AKA Peacock, Orchid McKee, Vague Green, Sam Maestor AKA Mustard, Fin Plum, and Scarlet Mistry. When their headmaster is found dead, all six students are shocked that any one of them could have committed this horrible crime. The suspects try to figure out who killed their headmaster amongst themselves. Eventually, a majority of the group suspect Peacock. 

One of the many reasons I enjoyed In the Hall with the Knife: A Clue Mystery is because it is a mystery. I feel that mysteries are very exciting, and the one in this book kept me entertained. Throughout the book, I felt that the murderer was Peacock. Each page that I flipped through left me wondering if my opinion was correct.

The Inheritance Games

Written by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

A book for readers in grades 7 and up reviewed by Shayne

        

In The Inheritance Games, a girl named Avery Grambs is invited to a will reading in Texas during school by Grayson Hawthorne. After reluctantly accepting, she meets the book’s other characters at the Hawthorne House. They are Grayson, Jameson, Xander, Nash, Skye, and many other Hawthornes, as well as the house’s staff.

During the will reading, it is revealed that Avery is the heir to the Hawthorne House and many of Tobias Hawthorne’s other possessions, such as his vacation homes, charities, and billions of dollars. But, to obtain his house and fortunes, Avery has to live in the Hawthorne House for a year. During her time at the Hawthorne House, she becomes involved in a mystery and a death that occurs on the Hawthorne House’s grounds. Someone also attempts to assassinate her to benefit from Tobias Hawthorne’s will.

I like The Inheritance Games because the characters are really good and very funny. Grayson and Jameson grow throughout the book, as does their relationship with Avery and each other. The book is filled with red herrings and many revelations that make it really deep.

The Missing: Found

Written by Margaret Peterson Haddix

A book for readers in grades 3 and up reviewed by Shayne

    

In The Missing: Found, the main characters, who are 13-year-old Jonah Skidmore, Katherine Skidmore (Jonah’s younger sister), and Chip Winston, are all part of a conspiracy that involves disappearing planes, people, and kids throughout time. Jonah is an adopted kid who wants to find his biological parents. So, he asks his adoptive parents to look for his biological parents. They go to a guy named James Reardon after Chip (who is also adopted) finds his name on an adoption file in his father's safe.

Jonah's family goes to Reardon’s office to speak with him. When Jonah goes to the bathroom to throw up, he finds a man, who Katherine later calls JB (or Janitor Boy). Janitor Boy is a very important character who plays an essential role in The Missing series. He tells Jonah to memorize the things on Reardon's desk when he returns to the office. Jonah and Katherine work together to distract Reardon, then take pictures of a file containing the labels “Survivors” and “Witnesses.” Later, Jonah, Katherine, and Chip go to an adoption conference, where two guys named Gary and Hodge trap them in a time cave.

I really like The Missing: Found because of all its twists. Chip, Jonah, and Katherine’s relationship also really starts to develop throughout this book. The group's teamwork is really amazing, and their journey to discover the truth behind their adoptions is absolutely great and unreal. After everything I read throughout the book, I thought anything was possible.

I Know Your Secret

Written by Daphne Benedis-Grab

A book for readers in grades 3 and up reviewed by Kalyna

        

Four seventh graders named Owen, Gemma, Ally, and Todd are forced to work together to complete unusual tasks given to them by an anonymous blackmailer. None of the four students want to do this, but they have to in order to keep their secrets hidden from the world. While working on the blackmailer’s tasks, the students wonder: Who is the blackmailer, and how have they figured out my secret?

I personally found I Know Your Secret fascinating. Its mystery keeps the reader intrigued and anxious about what will happen next. I would most definitely recommend this book to people who love mysteries.

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

Written by Holly Jackson

A book for readers in grades 9 and up reviewed by Lauren

        

Holly Jackson’s novel A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder tells the story of high school senior Pippa Fitz-Amobi. For a school project, she decides to reexamine the tragic murder of Andie Bell in their small town, which was committed by Andie’s boyfriend, Sal Singh. However, through her analysis of the case, Pippa begins to uncover the secrets of her town, putting herself in danger as she discovers that Sal was framed for the crime.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder keeps the reader guessing throughout as they uncover the mystery with Pippa. The plot is bone-chilling, as Pippa’s personal life interconnects with the case even more than she originally believed. The novel is filled with different twists and turns that are impossible to predict, as well as characters that one cannot help but love.

Don't Turn Around

Written by Michelle Gagnon

A book for readers in grades 9 and up reviewed by Jose

        

Michelle Gagnon’s Don’t Turn Around is about sixteen-year-old Noa Torson, who wakes up in a warehouse with little memory of what happened to her. On the same night she escapes from the warehouse, Peter Gregory discovers the AMRF corporation’s Persephone Project when he hacks into their database.

After teaming up with Peter, Noa hacks into AMRF’s database and discovers a file with her name in it. This causes her to become further entangled with Project Persephone alongside Peter as they try to understand its purpose.

I liked Don’t Turn Around because Noa’s story of trying to understand why she was taken is compelling. In the beginning of the book, the story alternates between Noa’s and Peter’s points of view, giving a nice contrast between the two and showing how they are entangled in Project Persephone. Overall, this book is worth reading if you like stories where the protagonist is trying to solve a mystery about themselves and the situation that they’re in.

Scat

Written by Carl Hiaasen

A book for readers in grades 5 and up reviewed by Jose

    

Carl Hiaasen’s Scat is about Nick Waters and Marta Gonzalez, two students at the Truman School in Florida. They go on a field trip to the Black Vine Swamp with their teacher, Mrs. Starch. When a small wildfire breaks out there, she goes missing. 

Distraught by the news, Nick and Marta try to find their missing teacher. Eventually, they discover a secret operation occurring at the swamp.

Overall, Scat was enjoyable to read. I liked the book’s characters because I felt that they were expressive. I also liked Mrs. Starch’s character development throughout the story. She really grew on me after her motives were revealed.

Truly Devious

Written by Maureen Johnson

A book for readers in grades 9 and up reviewed by Caitlin

    

Truly Devious follows Stevie Bell, who is about to attend the infamous Ellingham Academy to pursue her passion for true crime. For her final project, she decides to solve the crime that was committed at Ellingham Academy years ago. However, as Stevie gets closer to solving the crime, she begins to feel that the killer may have returned!

I finished Truly Devious in one sitting because every chapter made me want to read more. Maureen Johnson’s page-turning writing absolutely captivated me. There have even been sequels to this book, since it was so popular.

One of Us is Lying

Written by Karen M. McManus

A book for readers in grades 9 and up reviewed by Emily

    

One of Us is Lying follows a group of four high school students, who are being investigated after the recent, seemingly orchestrated death of their classmate. The four students, who are named Addy, Bronwyn, Nate, and Cooper, were all in detention at the same time as Simon, who suddenly died after drinking a cup of water with traces of peanut oil. To discover who premeditated Simon’s death, they are questioned by authorities and each other. They are also worried that their secrets will be uncovered after a post on Simon’s social media app insinuates that they each have something to hide. 

One of Us Is Lying is one of my favorite books that I have read in the past year. From the unique characters to the suspenseful plotline and dramatic plot twists, I enjoyed every aspect of it. This novel had me on the edge of my seat, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a mystery.

Shutter

Written by Laurie Faria Stolarz

A book for readers in grades 9 and up reviewed by Stefanie

    

This book is about how Day Connor, the main character, views her life through the lens of her camera. Thinking the perspective of her camera lens is everything, she views her camera differently than everyone else. She believes that photographs never tell a whole story, and I agree with that. Pictures just show where people are and might show them being happy, but we don't really know what they're actually going through.

When Day crosses paths with Julian, the world she observes and the truths she believes completely change. Julian is not armed and dangerous, but he has escaped from the police. They are searching for him, but his alibis don't add up. So, they believe he's guilty.

Day wants to find out if Julian is innocent or guilty. Later on, she develops feelings for Julian, which confuse her. This leads to things beginning to change.

I read Shutter because I like how it describes how the main character views things. I usually don’t read books or like reading, but this book just kept me hooked. I like mystery and romance, so reading Shutter was so amazing. From Shutter, I learned we can't judge someone if we don't know their entire story. This is shown with Julian, who was being chased by the police and felt like the entire world was against him while he was going through some things.

I would recommend this book to everyone, especially teens.

We Were Liars

Written by E. Lockhart

A book for readers in grades 7 and up reviewed by Molly

    

We Were Liars tells the story of Cadence Sinclair, a teenager from a rich family who's suffering from countless illnesses. Every summer, Cadence and her extended family spend their time in one of their lavish mansions on an island off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. They paint the picture-perfect image of a beautiful family. They seem authentic until Cadence retells her stories of each summer.

Cadence's cousin, Johnny, brings along his friend Gat, who will continue to return for countless summers. Eventually, Cadence falls in love with Gat. Not only does he provide a stark contrast to what Cadence may view as “normal,” but he also becomes part of a decision that will change both of their lives forever.

Of all the books I've ever read, We Were Liars is easily my favorite. Lockhart’s writing kept me hooked from the beginning. Not only was the plot interesting, but the imagery was engaging and attention-grabbing. Since my first time reading this book, I’ve definitely returned to re-read it at least four times.

We Were Liars

Written by E. Lockhart

A book for readers in grades 7 and up reviewed by Rida

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart is a suspenseful Young Adult novel. Johnny, Mirren, and Cadence are part of the rich Sinclair family. Their grandfather bought an island, where he made a house for each of his daughters. Johnny, Mirren, and Cadence, along with an outsider named Gat, are the liars mentioned in the book's title. They have a very close friendship, but a big tragedy happens out of nowhere.

I enjoyed the book's plot and thought it ended with a real twist, but I found myself bored during some parts. I wish its plot had a few more exciting events to grab the reader's attention a little more.

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

Written by Evelyn Hardcastle

A book for adult readers reviewed by Sarah

    

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton presents an entirely new spin on the murder mystery genre. The story is set in Blackheath House during a masquerade party hosted by the illustrious Hardcastle family. However, Aiden Bishop, the story’s protagonist, is unaware that someone is out to kill Evelyn Hardcastle, and he is the special someone responsible for finding her killer. Until Aiden is successful in his task, he must relive the day from within the body of another guest at the party. He will have to use that guest’s unique attributes and connections to solve the mystery. He has eight days - and eight bodies - to save Evelyn from her inevitable death. As he struggles with his own identity, Aiden must be perseverant, clever, and (above all) quick.

I personally thought this novel was one of the most creative, unpredictable books I have ever read. Turton incorporates classic murder mystery and whodunnit tropes, as well as time-loop tropes akin to the movie Groundhog Day, into his story. By smashing these genres together, as well as adding his own sprinkle of whimsy and stunning plot twists, Turton has created a truly captivating novel for all ages to enjoy.

The Mystery of Mrs. Christie

Written by Marie Benedict

A book for adult readers reviewed by Stefanie

    

The main character of The Mystery of Mrs. Christie is Agatha Christie, but she’s missing. No one knows where was she is. Investigators search through all of her belongings. They also check her car, which they find on an edge near a pond. The investigators start to form ideas, but the only clue they can find is a fur coat left in her car. Mrs. Christie’s husband and daughter don’t know what she does on a regular basis or her current whereabouts, which makes you curious about and suspicious of them. Eventually, Agatha reappears out of nowhere with amnesia, so she can’t explain how and why she disappeared.

The Mystery of Mrs. Christie caught my attention from the beginning. It makes you curious about what happened to Agatha Christie. I really recommend this book because it will make you want to continue reading to learn what happened to her.

Local Woman Missing

Written by Mary Kubica

A book for adult readers reviewed by Stefanie

    

In Local Woman Missing, people have gone missing. A mother and her six-year-old daughter are the first to go missing, then another woman goes missing nearby. Like in every missing person case, a search is done. Years later, the six-year-old returns. Everybody wants to know what happened to her, and they don’t leave her alone. Without giving away spoilers, what they find out is something really big and shocking.

I had Local Woman Missing for a while and never got the chance to actually read it. However, when I started reading it, I was hooked. I would really recommend this book to someone who’s into mystery.

One of Us Is Lying

Written by Karen M. McManus

A book for readers in grades 9 and up reviewed by Rida

    

In the book One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus, five students one day get detention at Bayview High. They are Bronwyn (the nerd), Nate (the troublemaker), Simon (the outsider), Addy (the popular cheerleader), and Cooper (the athlete). For some of them, it’s their first time in detention. For others, this might be a daily routine.

Simon is the creator of a high school gossip app, which he uses to expose people. This is creepy because Simon doesn’t make it out of detention alive. He had a plan to expose the other detention goers' secrets in a few days, which makes everyone who was there a suspect. This book has the biggest plot twist that you’ll never see coming your way.

I really, REALLY loved this book. It had lots of suspense and foreshadowing throughout the story, which I personally love. The ending left me shocked for days!