TESSA TALKS BOOKS

Thriller

Thank you, @celadonbooks, for the free book!

🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸

🌷Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera🌷

• One-word review: Riveting
• Emojis: 🧐🫣🤯
• Rating: 5 🌟s

My thoughts:

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera is a riveting murder thriller. It unfolds the tale of an unresolved murder case from the perspective of the suspected but never-confirmed murderer, Lucy. Her distinctive blend of sarcasm and self-deprecation drew me in from the very first page. Returning to her hometown – the crime scene – for her grandmother’s birthday, she encounters true crime podcaster Ben Owens. He persuades Lucy to team up with him to uncover the real murderer – even if it turns out to be her.

The story’s pacing is one of its strongest aspects, racing along at a thrilling speed. The mystery is meticulously plotted using interviews of the people who were part of Savy’s life (the victim) at the time of the murder and gradual revelations as Lucy’s memory resurfaces. Although I managed to identify the murderer halfway through, the motive remained a mystery, and the final revelation was genuinely mind-blowing.

The secrets about the town’s residents kept me engrossed and made it nearly impossible to put this book down. I found myself irked if anyone dared to interrupt my reading. There’s something special about a thriller that you simply can’t and don’t want to put down, even for those tasks that demand your attention.

This could very well be my favorite read for 2024. It will, at the very least, be in the top ten.

YA Thriller

Thank you, @penguinteen, for the free book!

🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸

🌷One Last Breath by Ginny Myers Sain🌷

• One-word review: Creepy
• Emojis: 😟🫣🤐
• Rating:  4.5🌟s

My Thoughts: 

One More Breath by Ginny Sain is incredibly atmospheric from beginning to end, giving me that underwater feeling like when they’re free diving in the story. This also kept the intensity strong and the pages flipping. You can imagine that I did not want to put this one down.

All the teens felt much older than their chronological years, especially Tru and Rio, who teamed up to solve an unsolved murder from 20 years prior. I loved all the small details, the red herrings and misdirections, and the shocking twists and turns. It worked seamlessly to keep me on the edge of my seat, not knowing what to expect.

The setting is just perfect, too, with all its natural dangers as well as the unnatural ones. Just the thought of alligators in the water gives me cold chills, and their presence just notched up what was already at a fever pitch – not to mention the oppressive heat and humidity of a Florida summer.

I don’t want to say anymore because this story is one of those that the less you know, the better your reading experience. So, I’ll end it by saying everything about this story is artfully chosen to create a murder mystery that had me reading long into the night and left me shocked and dumbfounded at the conclusion.

YA Contemporary

Thank you, @penguinteen, for the free book!

🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸

🌷Rules for Rule Breaking by Talia Tucker🌷

• One-word review: Hopeful
• Emojis: 🤭🚗🥰
• Rating: 4 🌟s

My thoughts:

Rules for Rule Breaking by Talia Tucker is a captivating road trip narrative.

 Winter and Bobby, two Korean Americans, stand out in their high school as the only ones of their culture. Their relationship, far from the typical high school romance, is marked by a fierce rivalry. When their parents insist they embark on a college trip together, they are forced to confront the source of their animosity.

Their journey, filled with struggles and poignant moments, was a joy to read about. Despite the unlikelihood of such a trip in real life (I don’t know about you, but my parents would never have let me drive up and down the East Coast with another teen, especially a boy), it felt somewhat authentic due to the characters. With their drive and focus, these characters reminded me of students I’ve encountered- their determination sometimes bordering on obsession. The ironic title, Rules for Rule Breaking, encapsulates Winter’s need for structure even when she breaks the rules.

Winter’s grandmother, a beacon of wisdom in this tale, plays a significant role. Her insights surpass those of her granddaughter, Bobby, and their friends. She encourages them to break free from their self-imposed rules, sensing their need to loosen up. Her character adds depth and wisdom to the narrative, reminding the reader that breaking a rule now and then won’t bring the world to an end.

Rules for Rule Breaking will resonate with teens and take adults back to that time in their lives.