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2024 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (Hosted by Yours Truly)

My Progress:


30 / 30 books. 100% done!

2024 Literary Escapes Challenge

- Alabama (1)
- Alaska (1)
- Arizona (1)
- Arkansas (1)
- California (11)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut (2)
- Delaware (1)
- Florida (3)
- Georgia (4)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho (3)
- Illinois (4)
- Indiana (4)
- Iowa (1)
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- Kentucky (2)
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
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- Massachusetts (4)
- Michigan (1)
- Minnesota (2)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri (1)
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska (1)
- Nevada (2)
- New Hampshire (1)
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- New York (10)
- North Carolina (4)
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- Ohio (3)
- Oklahoma (2)
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania (2)
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- Texas (4)
- Utah (5)
- Vermont (2)
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- West Virginia (1)
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- Washington, D.C.* (2)

International:
- Argentina (1)
- Australia (6)
- Austria (1)
- Bolivia (1)
- Canada (4)
- China (2)
- England (27)
- France (2)
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- Ireland (4)
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My Progress:


51 / 51 states. 100% done!

2024 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

My Progress:


52 / 50 books. 104% done!

2024 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge


36 / 50 books. 72% done!

Booklist Queen's 2024 Reading Challenge

My Progress:


52 / 52 books. 100% done!

2024 52 Club Reading Challenge

My Progress:


51 / 52 books. 98% done!

2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge

My Progress:


37 / 40 books. 93% done!

2024 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge


18 / 40 books. 45% done!

2024 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge

My Progress:


25 / 25 cozies. 100% done!

2024 Medical Examiner's Mystery Reading Challenge

2024 Mystery Marathon Reading Challenge

My Progress


5 / 26.2 miles (4th lap). 19% done!

Mount TBR Reading Challenge

My Progress


51 / 100 books. 51% done!

2024 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge

My Progress:


99 / 109 books. 91% done!

Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge

My Progress


52 / 52 books. 100% done!

Disney Animated Movies Reading Challenge

My Progress


139 / 165 books. 84% done!

The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge

My Progress:


88 / 100 names. 88% done!

The Life Skills Reading Challenge

My Progress:


45 / 80 skills. 56% done!
Saturday, November 03, 2018

YA Thriller Can't-Put-It-Down Compelling, If Not Wholly Believable

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Three years ago, Skye Gilchrist fled her hometown in the wake of a tragic school shooting that left four of her classmates dead.  One of the students was her brother, Luka.  If he had been a victim that would have been one thing, but he wasn't.  Luka was one of the shooters.  Ever since the shooting, Skye has been wracked with grief and confusion.  How could her only sibling have committed such a hateful act?  She simply can't believe Luka would have done such a thing.

Now 16, Skye has returned to live in a town still haunted by what her brother did.  She's barely stepped off the plane when she realizes Luka's sins have not been forgotten.  Not by a long shot.  Since he's not around to take the blame, Skye becomes the recipient of the town's anger.  Even though he lost his brother in the shooting, Jesse Mandal—Skye's former best friend—is the only one who shows any empathy.  Together, the two of them uncover inconsistencies about the school shooting, evidence that may clear Luka's name.  The more they dig into the past, however, the more dangerous their present becomes ...

Since I've been enjoying Kelley Armstrong's Rockton series for adults, I thought I'd give one of her YA novels a go.  Aftermath sounded intriguing and it is, although I didn't end up loving the book overall.  While I did find it a compelling, couldn't-put-it-down thriller, it also seemed far-fetched and melodramatic to me.  The fact that everyone in the mid-size town knew Skye on sight (even though she was the sister of a shooter and it had been three years since she lived there) and felt so vehemently vicious toward her just didn't ring true for me.  Also, the kids in the book didn't act like 16 year olds—they seemed much older and their parents/guardians didn't seem to care a lick what they did.  Totally unrealistic.  So, yeah, there were definitely things about Aftermath that bugged.  Still, it's a fast, engrossing read that had me burning through the pages to find out what was going to happen.  Based on this, I'll for sure read Armstrong's other teen thrillers.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult)  

Grade: 


If this were a movie, it would be rated:


for language (no F-bombs), violence, blood/gore, depictions of/references to illegal drug use, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find
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Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie

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The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth



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2024 Reading Challenge

2024 Reading Challenge
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2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction

2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction

2023 - Middle Grade Fiction

2023 - Middle Grade Fiction

2022 - Middle Grade Fiction

2022 - Middle Grade Fiction

2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction