All These Bodies by Kendare Blake
I really enjoyed this book but when I went to Goodreads to grab the synopsis, I noticed it doesn’t have great reviews. I thought this was quite clever and I liked the writing style. You get little glimpses into the future, which you’d think would give away the plot, but they don’t. It’s a very interesting way of telling a story.
The tension builds throughout the whole book to the point where you feel like skipping to the end to find out what happens. I genuinely really enjoyed this book and I do think about it from time to time. It was one of the first YA thrillers I read and it created my love for the genre.
Synopsis: Sixteen bloodless bodies. Two teenagers. One impossible explanation.
Summer 1958—a string of murders plagues the Midwest. The victims are found in their cars and in their homes—even in their beds—their bodies drained, but with no blood anywhere.
September 19- the Carlson family is slaughtered in their Minnesota farmhouse, and the case gets its first lead: 15-year-old Marie Catherine Hale is found at the scene. She is covered in blood from head to toe, and at first she’s mistaken for a survivor. But not a drop of the blood is hers.
Michael Jensen, son of the local sheriff, yearns to become a journalist and escape his small-town. He never imagined that the biggest story in the country would fall into his lap, or that he would be pulled into the investigation, when Marie decides that he is the only one she will confess to.
As Marie recounts her version of the story, it falls to Michael to find the truth: What really happened the night that the Carlsons were killed? And how did one girl wind up in the middle of all these bodies?
The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord
At the time of reading this book, Emery was my probably favourite contemporary author. I’ve only read two of her books but at the time that was a lot. She isn’t my favourite now as I haven’t read anything else from her since then, but she had a way of making me so invested in the characters and plot that both times I read her books I finished them in one sitting.
This book, in particular, is definitely more of an early teen read, although it does face issues of death and grieving. The writing style is simple and the plot is very easy to follow.
You will love the characters in this book. I started out not really liking Paige as she was constantly pining over Ryan, who she is clearly not meant to be with. She really grew throughout the book and I found that I really liked her in the end.
If you are a fan of slow-burn romance then you will love this. Actually, can it be classed as a slow-burn if it’s a standalone? I don’t make the rules so I don’t know, but let’s go with yes.
Synopsis: Can you plan happiness?
It’s been a year since Paige’s first boyfriend died in a swimming accident and it’s time she rejoined the real world.
So she makes a plan:
1. Date a boy (long standing crush Ryan Chase seems like the perfect choice)
2. Attend parties (with best friends by your side: doable)
3. Join a club (simple enough, right?)
4. Travel (might as well be a dream)
5. Swim (terrifying. Impossible)
But when she meets Ryan’s sweet (but so nerdy) cousin, Max, he opens up her world and Paige’s plans start to change…
Is it too late for a second chance at life?
Check out Young Creative Press on all socials
You can also check out my StoryGraph here
Like this post? Why not read this one too: Graphic Novel Review: Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova