11/17/2014
Nobody believes that Grace saw a scarred man shoot her mother three years ago, insisting that she died in an accidental fire. Now, after being hospitalized and treated like she is “crazy,” 16-year-old Grace is getting a fresh start with her grandfather, the American ambassador to a fictional European country called Adria. But when the troubled and impulsive teen sees the scarred man in Adria and overhears him threatening another murder, she and her Embassy Row friends—Rosie, a former gymnast; Megan, a genius and hacker; and loyal Noah—try to stop him from striking again. This first book in the Embassy Row series from Gallagher Girls author Carter has plenty of promise, including clever characters, an underground tunnel system, and Grace’s hard-boiled narration (“whatever chance I had for normal disappeared three years ago”). The characters and setting are somewhat underdeveloped, and plotting can be farfetched, including Grace’s admission that she never wondered why someone would kill her mother. Even so, Carter knows how to construct a gripping thriller, and she leaves enough unanswered questions to keep readers eager for the next book. Ages 12–up. Agent: Kristin Nelson, Nelson Literary Agency. (Jan.)
On teens’ must-read lists this month: book one in a thrilling new series about an ambassador’s vengeful daughter, a steampunk fairy tale, and a spellbinding story of survivor’s guilt and self-discovery from the indispensable Gayle Forman. Here are the month’s most exciting YA reads.
In this month’s most exciting books for teens, mermaids battle an ancient evil, two tortured souls find love in their darkest hour, and the granddaughter of a political superstar seeks to avenge her mother’s death when nobody else will. Pulses will pound, hearts will break, and pages will fly. Here are the teen books you should […]
For every hero who was obviously destined for greatness (Superman, I’m looking at you), there’s a totally inconspicuous, unexpected counterpart. You know, the kind of awkward, hopeless type who’s constantly tripping over pebbles or telling terrible knock-knock jokes. But really, the unexpected ones are the best kind of hero—so here are some of our favorites.
It’s finally here: Snow day season! If the weather gods cooperate, we can expect at least one unexpected stay-at-home-reading day, and you don’t want to find yourself unprepared. This month’s must-reads include heroines shouldering their families’ burdens, a proud band geek who will NOT go down quietly, an epic battle between evil and the damned, […]
Season two of Agent Carter is back tonight, and we’re already obsessed with it. And what’s not to love? There’s a kickass woman protagonist who’s intelligent and powerful; there are historical details including a non-anachronistic take on sexism; and there are the spy thriller storylines, which keep you on the edge of your seat. When you watch Peggy Carter trying to […]