Dangerous Girls

By: Abigail Haas

I had no idea what I was getting into when I picked up Dangerous Girls, but needless to say I was blown away. If you're looking for a thriller that will mess with your head, make you feel all the feels and leave you in a traumatized state wondering what just happened - look no further.

This is a story of a group of friends who have planned a luxurious, unsupervised and scandalous Spring Break trip to Aruba. Anna and her best friend Elise are especially excited for the trip. A couple of days in and everyone is having a blast, engrossed in non-stop fun and debachery fueled partying.

However, the trip is cut short when Elise is found brutally murdered in their rental condo. Best friend Anna, along with her boyfriend Tate, are the only friends in the group without an alibi and are subsequently accused of murder. Following the arrest, Anna must try to fight the charges and prove her innocence in a country far from home. 

I can't say much more about this; it's just too good. Be warned, this is a mature read with some disturbing elements, and not for the faint of heart. If you like murder mysteries full of suspense, anguish and mind-bending twists, check this one out.

Abigail Haas is a pseudonym for Abby McDonald, author of some other teen books that are much more light hearted.

The Leaving by Tara Altebrando

11 years ago six kids from the same kindergarten class went missing without a trace. Then one day out of the blue, five of the six returned. Now 16 years old, Lucas, Scarlett, Kristen, Sarah and Adam are home only they do not remember anything about their past lives nor where they have been for the last 11 years. All each of them remembers are strange images like hot air balloons and carousals. Not one of them remembers Max, the one child who still remains missing. 

The teens become famous overnight and experience a lot of unwanted attention. A lot of unanswered questions remain and many people including the police are skeptical that the teens truly do not remember anything.  As each of them tries to piece together memories of the past, they slowly start to discover clues that will help them determine who kidnapped them and why.

The Leaving is a fast-paced interesting read that is different from any other teen book I have read in a long time. If you like mysteries and or realistic fiction books, you are sure to enjoy The Leaving by TaraAltebrando.

Other books similar to The Leaving are Room, Panic, Bone Gap

Book of the Month - July: All Our Yesterdays

By Cristin Terrill

Em is being held prisoner on a secret military base. All that keeps her going is the voice of the boy in the cell next door and a list of instructions she finds inside the drain, written in her own handwriting. It appears that she and the neighbouring prisoner have made multiple attempts to stop the creation of a time machine that will destroy the world, but every visit back in time has landed them right back to this moment: trapped and tortured in a cell by the man known as "the doctor".

Meanwhile, Marina, an insecure private school girl has fallen in love with James. Not only is James handsome, sweet and shy, but he is also an incredibly gifted science prodigy from an esteemed family. When a tragedy causes James to lose it all one night, Marina is fiercely protective and will do anything to support him in his time of need. But as the hours pass, James' behaviour becomes increasingly erratic.

The instructions on the note are clear: Em has only one thing left to do, and this is her last chance...until Em and Marina's stories intertwine in a way that leaves both of them reeling.

Time travel is a concept that has always fascinated me, and while at times there are some real brain benders trying to figure out the logistics of how everything goes down here, it is worth the ride! 

Other books like All Our Yesterdays: The Reluctant Assassin by Eoin Colfer,  The Here and the Now by Ann Brashares, Obsidian Mirror by Catherine Fisher, and Hourglass by Myra McEntyre.

Ready Player One

Ready Player One

by Ernest Cline

Six long years into the search, Parzival has discovered the first key in James Halliday’s Easter Egg Hunt – a contest which will reward its winner with Halliday’s entire fortune. The winner will also gain control of the OASIS – a virtual reality in which most of Earth’s population spend the majority of their time.

In reality, Parzival is a 18-year-old boy named Wade Watts, with no real family, home, or money to his name. The year is 2044, and things have not gone well for humanity. So, like most people, Wade lives mostly in the OASIS, studying every aspect of 1980’s pop culture, as knowledge of Halliday’s beloved videogames, tv, movies, and music is the key to deciphering his clues.

But now the race is on, and Parzival is up against the IOI – a corporation bent on winning the hunt and seizing control over the OASIS by whatever means necessary – and he must rely on the help of three fellow gunters to win the contest, defeat the IOI, and save their virtual world.

This is a light, fun, and incredibly addictive read! 

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