(Image from Barnes & Noble)

On an ordinary Monday at Bayview High School, five teens walk into detention.  There's Brownwyn Rojas, the brilliant Yale-bound senior; Nate Macauley, a 17-year-old drug dealer; Addy Prentiss, a pretty, popular homecoming princess; Cooper Clay, the well-liked basketball star; and Simon Kelleher, creator of a gossip app which Bayview kids view with both fear and fascination.  How Simon gets his surprisingly accurate intel remains a mystery, but everyone knows he's not afraid to use what he knows to stab his classmates right where it hurts most.

Although Simon is hardly Mr. Popularity, it's still shocking when he dies in detention following an allergic reaction to peanut oil.  It soon becomes apparent that his death was no accident.  The only question is: Who murdered Simon Kelleher?  He was just about to publish damaging secrets about Brownwyn, Nate, Addy, and Cooper, giving all of them motive to kill the app maker.  But which one of them actually did the deed?  All profess to be innocent.  Are they telling the truth?  Is someone on the outside framing the four teens?  If so, who?  Who wanted Simon dead bad enough to take such elaborate measures in order to close his digital mouth forever?  With a whole school full of suspects who know more than they're saying, finding the killer won't be easy ...  

I love me a good murder mystery, so I was excited to give this YA version a go.  One of Us Is Lying, a debut novel by Karen M. McManus, definitely opens with an intriguing premise.  It's essentially a locked-room mystery with a cast of unlikely suspects.  Tense and twisty, the story reveals secrets about all of the characters, adding to their realistically complex lives while upping the tale's intensity.  While I guessed whodunit without too much trouble, I appreciated the plot's build-up and the surprises it did offer.  Overall, this is a suspenseful novel with important messages about acceptance, honesty, and true friendship.  It's also a depressing little drama starring some seriously disaffected teens.  All in all, then, I didn't love One of Us Is Lying like I wanted to.  I enjoyed it enough, though, to keep reading and to keep an eye out for more from McManus.  

(Readalikes:  Reminds me a little of This Is Our Story by Ashley Elston)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for strong language, violence, sexual content, and depiction of underage drinking and illegal drug use

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

(Readalikes:  Um, I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for brief, mild language (no F-bombs) and violence

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Death Below Stairs from the generous folks at Berkley (an imprint of Penguin Random House).  Thank you!

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Although she descends from a powerful, long-time magical family, Amber Sand is certainly not a witch.  The high school senior got gypped in the sorcery category.  Her "gift" is very specific and totally lame.  She has the ability to see a person's true love within seconds of gazing into their eyes.  While she's able to make a few bucks playing matchmaker at her mother's magic shop on Navy Pier, Amber's ability is pretty much useless.  She can't even discern her own true love.  How ridiculous is that? 

When Charlie Blitzman comes to Amber for help, she's confused.  Especially since he's not asking for romantic advice, but for her aid in finding his father's missing girlfriend.  Amber can't say no.  After all, Charlie's dad is the mayor and Amber's mother's best friend.  It doesn't hurt that Charlie's gorgeous and the most sought-after guy at her school either.  Although Amber can tell instantly that she is not Charlie's true love, she can't help falling for him.  As she tries to unravel both a mystery and her growing feelings for a boy who clearly isn't meant for her, Amber will have to figure out her place in the equally confusing worlds of magic, love, and high school.  

The Best Kind of Magic, a debut novel by Crystal Cestari, is a fun, light-hearted romance that highlights the everyday sorcery at work in all our lives.  While I found the rules of its magical world a tad confusing, I enjoyed the story overall.  It's an engrossing novel that will appeal to teens who like their contemporary fiction sprinkled with a little bit of magic.  With the next book in the series—The Sweetest Kind of Fate—coming out on February 13, now is the perfect time to get caught up in Amber Sand's enchanting Windy City world.  It's no Harry Potter, but the series promises to be enjoyable and engrossing.

(Readalikes:  Um, nothing is coming to mind.  You?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (no F-bombs), violence, and mild sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of The Best Kind of Magic from the generous folks at Disney/Hyperion.  Thank you!

In evaluating my reading year, I realized that I actually read a lot of new-to-me authors in 2017, so today's Top Ten Tuesday topic should be a breeze.  Picking my ten favorites will be the tough part.  While I contemplate that question, why don't you click on over to The Broke and the Bookish and join in the TTT fun?  All you have to do is read a few simple instructions, make your own list, and start hopping around to different blogs.  The book blogosphere is full of a variety of fun sites.  It's always exciting to discover new ones and revisit old favorites.  Trust me, you want in on the action!

Okay, here we go with the Top Ten New-to-Me Authors I Read in 2017:

1.  Megan Miranda—I read three books by Miranda this year, so she definitely needs to be on this list.  I enjoy her twisty mystery/thrillers.  I have Fragments of the Lost out from the library right now and plan to read others by her this year.

2.  Anna Lee Huber—Lark introduced me to this author's Lady Darby mystery series.  I read the first two books last year and plan to read at least that many more this year.  

3.  A.J. Jacobs—Like many members of my church, I'm a *little* obsessed with family history.  While at RootsTech a few years ago, I heard A.J. Jacobs speak about his goal to organize a global family reunion by researching his roots and inviting all his "cousins" to New York City for a giant get together.  He's a charming and funny speaker, so I have been anxious to read It's All Relative, the book he wrote about this project.  It was such an enjoyable read that I want to read more from Jacobs.  I didn't get to his Drop Dead Healthy before I had to return it to the library a couple weeks ago, but I'm going to start with that one.

4.  Ashley Weaver—The Amory Ames mystery series is another discovery I made this year.  I read the first two books in 2017 and plan to continue with the series in 2018.  I've been trying to read cleaner, less gruesome mysteries lately and these fit the bill nicely.  

5.  John Marsden—This Australian author is best known for Tomorrow, When the War Began, his YA dystopian series about a group of teens who are hiking in the outback when their town is invaded by an army from a distant country.  The books follow the kids in their efforts to figure out what's going on and fight back against a powerful enemy.  I read the first three books in the series last year and plan to finish the last four this year.

6.  Jenny Colgan—I read The Bookshop on the Corner by Scottish author Jenny Colgan  back in May and really enjoyed it.  I'm definitely planning to read more of her books this year.

7.  Hugh Howey—I've only read one book by Howey, but I really enjoyed Wool, the first book in his SILO trilogy.  I'm planning to read the next two this year.

8.  Emily Bain Murphy—One of my favorite books of the year, The Disappearances, is this author's debut.  I don't know what Murphy has in the works, but I'm excited to read it!

9.  Anne Corlett—I forgot all about The Space Between Stars when I was making my "Best of 2017" lists, but I loved this debut novel.  I'll definitely be watching for more from this author.

10.  Lisa Wingate—I enjoyed Before We Were Yours, Wingate's newest novel (2016), last year.  I need to look for more of her books in the new year.

Who did you discover this year?  I'd really like to know as I'm always on the lookout for new authors to love.  Leave me a comment and I'll happily return the favor.

Happy TTT!