Book Review of Antisocial by Jillian Blake

Antisocial by Jillian Blake is another ARC I received from the First In Line VIP program of an upcoming YA release (May 16th), which, like One Of Us Is Lying, is a mystery/suspense story that prominently features misuse of technology in a high school setting. They also have similar covers--in this case, it is a single girl's face that's obscured. The girl is Anna, Antisocial's protagonist. Though I like the rainbow effect of the cover background, I can't decide which I find more distracting: the hashtag slashing through Anna's face, or the fact that the girl who is supposed to depict Anna (a character of Colombian descent, who is frequently compared to Sofia Vergara in appearance), but I can tell you which one upsets me.

While covering Anna's eyes is an artistic choice, misrepresenting her as a white girl is a racist one made by marketing department employees who decided a white girl would sell more books. This crap happens all the time in YA (and publishing in general). I can't say how Jillian Blake feels about this issue, but I can say that, if I'd gone to all of the trouble she did to include details about how guys think calling Anna South American while hitting on her will get them points, and how people who aren't Colombian seem to believe all people of Colombian descent look the same and then my publisher slapped a white girl on the front of my book instead of one who actually resembled my protagonist of Colombian descent, well, I'd be pissed.

By the way, The US cover is on the left, and the UK cover is on the right. I guess the marketing department thinks YA readers in the UK are less racist? I addition to the US cover being a diversity representation fail and yet another victim of whitewashing, the UK cover also depicts an actual plot point from the book, as well as conveying the mood of the story much more effectively than the US cover.

Anna is returning to school after Winter Break of her Senior Year--a break during which her longtime boyfriend dumped her without explanation. Suddenly, the social life she built around her dating relationship crumbles, and her Social Anxiety Disorder rears its ugly head. While Anna was busy trying to fit in with the ultra popular crowd where her boyfriend's buddies sat during lunch, she neglected and betrayed her actual friends. Upon her return to school, she finds herself boyfriendless, friendless, and drowning in a sea of anxiety-related symptoms. This isn't the best position to be in under normal circumstances, but then kids' phones start getting hacked around school, and their darkest secrets are revealed. The popular students (friends of Anna's ex) are the targets, and nobody can figure out who the hacker might be, because so many different kids stand to gain from unseating the popular kids from their thrones. Everyone has something to hide, and to lose... including Anna.

While Blake's representation of someone with Social Anxiety Disorder was solid, I found it super distracting that she constantly referred to it as SAD. I've always known SAD to stand for Seasonal Affective Disorder, so I kept having to stop and remind myself that isn't what Blake was talking about when the acronym appeared, which took me out of the story again and again. This is a small detail that made a big difference in my reading experience (for the negative). If Blake was looking for a shorter or less clunky way to refer to Anna's Social Anxiety Disorder, I wish she would've just said anxiety. Since Blake carefully described Anna's diagnosis and symptoms early on, I don't think using a general term like that would've taken away from the story like using SAD did. 

Speaking of Social Anxiety Disorder, Antisocial begins slowly, with an opening that feels like it was ripped out of one of those middle school speeches starting with a dictionary definition of a word. The whole first chapter felt like a backstory and information dump, making it difficult to get into the story and develop empathy for the characters or anticipation about the mystery plot. Unfortunately, the whole book failed to build the excitement it should have. As the story progressed, my interest decreased with every chapter. If I wasn't writing a review, I would've put the book down well before the halfway mark and not picked it back up. 

Since Antisocial deals with cell phones, hacking, and quite a bit of social media, there are lots of little excerpts and quoted sections from those sources. However, the way they're presented is frustrating an annoying, rather than creative and amusing, so I found myself wanting to skip them, even though I knew they could contain important clues as to the hacker's identity. Some of the characters (even the secondary characters) were well-written, but there were far too many to keep track of, and there were several kids (at the lunch table, for example), who didn't need to be named and described as if the reader was supposed to remember who they were, because they hardly factored in later, if at all. 

Ultimately, Antisocial suffers from a slow-to-develop plot that feels boring, clunky inclusion of social media, and a whitewashed cover. It had every opportunity to get me interested, and it fell flat each time. If you're looking for a new YA release with elements of mystery and suspense that involves lots of technology, check out One Of Us Is Lying. Antisocial is definitely one to skip.

Book Review of One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus is an ARC I received from the First In Line VIP program. I was excited to read it as soon as I heard the story compared to The Breakfast Club, Gossip Girl, and PLL. Though I'm not sure I agree with all of those comparisons--it certainly doesn't have the wit or self-awareness of Gossip Girl, or the level of highly-stylized suspense of PLL--I will say that there's plenty to recommend this intricately-plotted novel. ...perhaps nothing more than the fact that this line from the cover is completely true, "Pay close attention and you might solve this." I will say that I'd describe it as Death Joins The Breakfast Club. There were some points where the pacing lagged, and others where things didn't make sense because a question was asked in dialogue right after it was answered in action or narration. But, for all of McManus' shortfalls, she does engage in one of the most difficult things a mystery and suspense writer can achieve: she delivers 100% on the cover's promise of fair play while spinning a compelling yarn.

Speaking of the cover, while I like the general idea for the concept, I hate the (pardon the pun) execution of it. Bronwyn is supposed to be half Colombian, and she looks just like any other white girl with dark hair, which is a super frustrating example of yet again even more cover whitewashing in YA specifically (and publishing, in general). I wonder how McManus feels about such a design choice, considering all of the ultra-aware content she included in the book regarding Bronwyn's racial background and ignorant reactions of people she encounters. As an important sidenote, I was quite impressed with the way Bronwyn's character was written with regard to race. McManus dealt simply with issues of racism and ignorance, and used a light touch while still sending a strong message that these behaviors aren't okay.

Also, the book constantly refers to how perfect Addy's hair is, and its stringy, disheveled appearance bothers me here because it doesn't fit with that description. I think having the suspects' faces covered with notebook paper cutouts is more distracting than it is provocative or chilling (or whatever the cover design team was going for here). And I would've liked to see Simon's picture on the cover as well, especially since he was included in the list of five characters on the back.

The premise of One Of Us Is Lying is simple: five kids (Bronwyn the brain, Addy the beauty, Nate the criminal, Cooper the athlete, and Simon the outcast) are sent to detention after mysterious (and forbidden) burner cells are found in their backpacks during school. While in detention with a Luddite Science teacher who notoriously despises technology, Simon helps himself to a drink of water, and then drops dead. Because Simon maintains an app curating and disseminating the latest gossip about his fellow students, each of the other students has a motive for wanting him dead. The four other students quickly become suspects, and the rest of the book unfolds as they react to Simon's death, and to the investigation regarding who might have caused it, and why.

As regular readers of my blog will probably recall, I'm notorious for guessing the endings of books, and this was no exception. However, McManus did have me hedging my bets with two suspects for the first third of the story. Still, the fact that I was able to accurately guess who killed Simon means that McManus (for all of the plot twists and turns, and red herrings she included... and there were many), played fair, and I also doubt that the ending would be easy for other readers to predict.

Simon was found to have died from exposure to peanut oil, as he had a severe anaphylactic allergy to peanuts. As someone who has several anaphylactic allergies and has to carry EPI pens everywhere, I appreciated the realism with which McManus included details about this plot point. (So often, when authors include a plot point about a medical problem I share, I'm distracted because they got the details blatantly wrong!) For example, she accounted for the EPI pens in Simon's bag and in the Nurse's office. She also explained the type of peanut oil that would've had to have been in Simon's water, and how someone would know what kind to use. Obviously, though, since Simon's death is the inciting incident for the book, readers don't get to see much about his allergies from his perspective.

Speaking of perspective, one of the most interesting things about One Of Us Is Lying was the narrative style. The narration rotated amongst Bronwyn, Addy, Nate, and Cooper, giving readers four pleasingly unique perspectives on the story, and allowing for more clues to be dropped without being obvious or absurd.

One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus comes out May 30th, and is currently available for preorder. Though I recommend this book to those who love to read mysteries and play along in an attempt to solve them, I caution book buyers that this is a story they may only find enjoyable once, so borrowing it from the library may be a wiser choice than making a purchase in this case.

Book Review of The Last Good Girl by Allison Leotta

I checked out The Last Good Girl by Allison Leotta from the library to read and review on the suggestion of a friend who knew I enjoyed books by Kimberly McCreight and noted their similarities. After finishing the book, I can definitely say it was an apt comparison. The book doesn't look like much, though. The cover is possibly the biggest letdown about the whole publication. Though it has imagery that makes sense with the story, the whole style is too soft and picturesque for the gruesome, gritty tale held within its pages.

Unfortunately, while this particular tale is based in fiction, readers need look no further than the nearest college campus for evidence that the themes Leotta included are all too relevant. Fraternity abuse of privilege, sexual assault on college campuses, policies that put assault victims on trial more than their attackers, Title IX enforcement that is lax or nonexistent, fundraising politics overshadowing ethical obligations, class disparities, and female students allowed to be intimidated when they attempt to speak out about their terrifying experiences are all factors of the modern college landscape.

Leotta addresses these issues deftly and with purpose in telling the story of Emily, a missing college Freshman who was last seen leaving a bar while pursued by Dylan, a fraternity brother from her campus whom she had accused of sexual assault. As the search for Emily (or, potentially, her body) escalates in the blighted Detroit area just outside of the verdant college campus where the alleged assault took place, the amount of impropriety, intimidation, and other abuses discovered in conjunction with the investigation is staggering. And, still, no Emily. 

One of the things I liked about this book, aside from the timeliness and the importance of the issues Leotta included, is that the plot kept me guessing. I didn't figure out the ending until there were mere chapters left to go--a feat for Leotta, considering that I find most suspense/thriller/mystery books frustrating in their predictability. 

I didn't much care for protagonist Anna Curtis, the prosecutor who is leading the search for Emily. I felt Leotta included an overwhelming and unneeded amount of detail about Curtis in an attempt to flesh out the book. I would've liked more scenes showing students reacting to Emily's vlogs once they went live, or other similar inclusions that would've added to the main plot of Emily's disappearance and other students' reactions to it, instead. I didn't find Anna to be a particularly empathetic character, and I got bored of reading about her struggle in choosing between the two men who are interested in her, and the two cities where she could live. If forced to read more about Anna at all, in order to unravel what happened to Emily, I would've liked to read more about Anna's relationship with her sister Jody, as I felt it meshed better with the look at sisterhood and female activism themes in the story, especially later when Jody became involved in the investigation.

All in all, The Last Good Girl was hit-or-miss for me. The suspense plot was riveting and relevant, but the protagonist was boring and eye roll-inducing. If the current issues and well-plotted mystery thread are enough to keep you reading, I'd recommend it, but if you require a protagonist you can really root for to lead such an investigation, The Last Good Girl by Alliston Leotta is one to skip.

Book Review of You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott

I put You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott on hold at the library after learning about it via Shelf Awareness. What I read about it in that newsletter made me wonder if it would turn out to be like Make It Or Break It-goes-to-the-dark-side. It was, and I was far from disappointed. The cover, however, is a different story. Also, the title left much to be desired, in my opinion. After truly enjoying the book, I'm baffled at the cover art and title choice, as they feel completely unrelated to the story.

You Will Know Me gives readers a look into a strange world, the secret machinations of which they'd never otherwise be privy to, and that world is US Elite Women's Gymnastics. That title may be a bit deceptive, because, by  the title of "women," you might think they're adults. Nope. The gymnast in question in this story is Olympic hopeful Devon and, though there are some plot inconsistencies regarding her age, she is purported to be 15. She spends at least 30 hours in the gym per week, and her parents have a second mortgage on their house just to fund her Olympic dreams. She does not go on dates, indulge in sleepovers, chill, hang out, have an after school job, or a hobby, or do anything else that most teenagers do. Devon lives her life in pursuit of one goal, and everything she does (and her family does, by extension), is in service of it.

Unlike many families wherein such single-mindedness on the verge of seeming insanity is at play, it is Devon--not her parents--who has chosen this life for herself, and whose drive pushes them all forward. From the other girls at the gym to her coach, from her parents to her little brother, to the other gym parents, everyone in Devon's orbit operates to serve the goal of Devon competing in the Olympics. That, in and of itself, is both awe and horror-inducing... but then, when Abbott forces readers to confront the question of what those within Devon's insular world would do to protect and ensure that Olympic dream, a whole other level of horror sets in.

Abbott has selected Devon's mother, Katie, as the protagonist of the story. After finishing the book, I'm not so sure this was the best choice. I would've much preferred to hear the story unfold as from Devon's younger brother Drew's perspective. I think that would have both underscored the level of terror and also balanced the question of reality vs. hallucination/fantasy/nightmare nicely, as adults frequently disbelieve Drew throughout the story about things he has observed.

Devon's foot was disfigured in a truly disturbing accident involving a lawnmower when she was just a toddler. Not only does this give the otherwise impervious Devon a compelling weakness (both physically and emotionally), but it also adds an interesting twist to the story that a gymnast competing at the highest level doesn't look completely like the airbrushed/flawless young women we're used to seeing on the vault and beam. Also, her foot is an interesting litmus test for readers as to the true personalities of some of the other characters: seeing how certain people react to her foot's altered appearance all these years after it has healed shows us more about the character doing the reacting than it does about Devon, herself. And its inclusion in a story about a girl who seems superhuman is interesting, too, as most people would think of such a disfigurement as a disability.

Sadly, I was able to predict the real outcome of the main plot from not far at all into the book. I really wish Abbott had added more plot twists so that I would've at least had to work for it a bit. But, that predictability didn't stop me from paging forward with a horror-filled expression on my face as I watched events unfold just as I had feared. Even knowing what was going to happen didn't make Devon's world any less strange or interesting. If an overly predictable version of Make It Or Break It gone suspense thriller is your jam, I recommend You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott.

Book Review of Snowbirds by Crissa-Jean Chappell

When I was enrolled in a professional writing program in college, Amish fiction was trendy in publishing. Everywhere you looked, it seemed there was another murder mystery where the killer or the main witness was hiding out in Amish country, a forbidden romance featuring quilts and buggies, or a novel about the joys of a basic lifestyle far from the trappings of the Internet and the modern world. Our local newspaper even featured a column--part slice-of-life, part recipe--written by a local Amish woman who gave her English neighbors a peephole into her world. I couldn't have been less interested. Ditto, the tabloid-esque shows on TLC. I had a writing instructor who joked that, if you wanted to get published, you should write a novel about "the Amish."

But, the thing is... while Snowbirds by Crissa-Jean Chappell does take place within Amish (and Mennonite) communities (and also differentiates twixt the two, for those readers who may be confused and think they're the same thing), it isn't really about being Amish. It's simply about being a teenager in a world where adults make the rules, and they feel too restrictive. Which is, as most people know, simply put--being a teenager. So, upon realizing this was likely the case from the book's description, I checked it out from the library. Though I completely understand the symbolism and aesthetic choices behind the cover design, and I feel they are appropriate to the story, they really aren't my cup of tea.

Though it may not seem, from the outset of the book, like protagonist Lucy has much freedom, her best friend and longtime penpal Alice doesn't see it that way. While Lucy is part of a Mennonite community in Florida, Alice comes down from the north every winter with her more conservative Old Order Amish mother. Alice is jealous of the pastel-colored dresses Lucy gets to wear, while Lucy is jealous that Alice can participate in Rumspringa. Neither actually has many choices of self-determination, but each is determined to carve her own path for herself, community opinions and rules be damned. So, when hard-partying rebel Alice goes missing, Lucy risks everything to find her.

Chappell provides an accurate and compelling picture of both Old Order Amish and Mennonite life, and shows the contrasts beautifully. Snowbirds feels as if it was written respectfully, while still posing questions about what such societies can truly offer young women, and how such communities can evolve to become more functional, instead of simply good-looking on the surface. The mood--stubborn piousness, suspicion of outsiders, quickness to shun--is conveyed well, and is the cornerstone upon which Snowbirds sits.

One of the most interesting relationships is that of Lucy and her dad. It provides a stark contrast to the sad well of dysfunction that is relationship between Alice and her mom. Even though things between Lucy and her dad are far from perfect, he seems to want good things for his daughter, and to desire to protect her. Alice's mom merely appears to care about her own reputation within the community. 

Unfortunately, what could be a suspenseful plot--Lucy frantically investigating Alice's disappearance--is somehow turned into a slow, poetic amble, thanks to Chappell's snail-paced prose. Chappell puts a premium on flowery visual description, which frequently came at the price of holding my interest as a reader. At times, I felt like I was reading a bad parody of Walden, rather than a YA novel about a girl searching for her missing friend. 

If you like pretty descriptions of nature infused with occasional faith or teenage-angst-based intrigue, Snowbirds is for you. If you get bored with suspense novels that don't drive steadily forward or annoyed with novels that feel stark with not altogether satisfying endings, Snowbirds by Crissa-Jean Chappell is one to skip.

Book Review of The Girl Before by JP Delaney

The Girl Before by JP Delaney is supposed to build suspense by unspooling the story of what happened to Emma before, when she moved into a strange house with even more bizarre rules for occupancy, and what is happening to Jane now, as she puts herself in the same position. It is supposed to contrast a hazy portrait of the house's enigmatic architect with stark, seemingly never-ending descriptions of the house itself.

Instead, it includes more description of this imaginary house than if it were a real one featured in latest issue of Minimalissimo magazine, echoing the psychological torture experienced by Emma and Jane with the very real torture experienced by Delaney's readers, as they are treated to yet another page about the technological features of the house, the imposing exterior of the house, the neighbors' objections to the house, and the interior of the house. One wonders why Delaney didn't just include a blueprint of One Folgate Street and get it over with. Not only does this counteract the suspense the dual narratives are obviously trying to build, it pours the cold water of boredom over any smoldering concern readers may feel for either Jane or Emma, and the vicarious panic they might otherwise experience.

Ultimately, The Girl Before doesn't know what it wants to be. Is it a suspense novel written by someone obsessed with minimalist architecture? Is it wordy ad for One Folgate Street, with two threads of unneeded prose woven in? Either way, it fails at both.