The Fixer
4.7
12
5
1
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781619635982 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Bloomsbury USA |
| Publication date: | 05/10/2016 |
| Series: | Fixer (Tess Kendrick) Series , #1 |
| Edition description: | Reprint |
| Pages: | 400 |
| Sales rank: | 71,340 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.30(d) |
| Age Range: | 13 Years |
About the Author
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
The Fixer
4.7 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
12 reviews.
 |
It’s an amazing action book with lots of great characters
|
|
great
|
|
This book has ultimately become one of my favorites! I normally read romance novels, but I am so glad that I decided to branch out of my comfort zone and read this book. One of the main reasons why I enjoyed this book was due to all of the plot twists, and how it always kept me interested and left me not wanting to put the book down. Although, I rated this book four out of five stars mainly due to the fact that it somewhat got confusing at times when I was trying to remember all of the relationships between the characters in order to understand the story better. For example, Vivvie being the daughter of Major Bharani (who was the White House's doctor), Theo Marquette being the uncle of Asher, Emilia, as well as Henry, Tess being the daughter of Ivy instead of her sister, ect. Overall, I did thoroughly enjoy this book and I will definitely recommend it to someone who is looking for an action packed novel!
|
|
The Fixer is an interesting political thriller, complete with a mysterious death, cover-ups, and conspiracies, and shadiness abound. Tess Kendrick did not know what her much older sister did for a living - she was perfectly happy being on the ranch with her grandfather and occasionally righting social wrongs in her school. But when his dementia gets worse, her sister comes to take her to Washington, where she discovers that her sister is a fixer, someone who makes political problems go away.
While in her prestigious school (which also has other high-profile kids), she gets an unofficial status as a fixer, thanks to her sister's reputation, but when her new friend comes to her with a problem that is much higher on the ladder, she gets enmeshed in a bigger political scandal. Apparently, the death of a Supreme Court judge wasn't an accident, and proving it was so is going to be a harder task than she thought. But balanced by that is the fact that she doesn't trust her sister's motivations completely, or whose side she is really on. The political intrigue in this is deep, with reaches in the West Wing, and her own knowledge of what is right and wrong being questioned. She has a strong moral compass, but there are times when things have to be looked at from a pragmatic view, rather than an in black-and-white. Ultimately, the lesson is to question everything, and not always believe what is put in front of you.
There are surprising twists throughout in this book, and it keeps you on your toes. Along with Tess, we are also questioning the motives of various characters, and how innocent they may be. It can get a bit coincidental at times, but it is otherwise a solid plot. Her relationship with her sister is a key part of the novel, as they start to build one after years of being apart from each other. The reveal wasn't really surprising for me, since I actually saw it coming, but the identity of the person behind the plots wasn't revealed until the end (or was it). It also doesn't have a romantic subplot, which is awesome (honestly, focusing on the relationship between Tess and Ivy as a family was a better plot with a significantly more impact on the plot than any romance could have). Overall, an interesting story, and I would love to read more in this world.
|
|
|
|
Ever since I heard that Jennifer Lynn Barnes was writing a Scandal-esque novel, I've been super excited to read it. The beginning was a bit slow, but once things picked up it was excellent! As always when it comes to novels by Barnes, the plot is fully flushed out, the dialogue is whip-smart, and the characters are smart and innovative---I especially liked Tess's snark in this one. :)
|
|
Tess Kendrick is pulled from her life on her grandfather’s ranch into her sister’s high profile life as a D.C. fixer. Soon she is making friends, and enemies, with the offspring of the D.C. elite. When the latest Washington scandal impacts her inner circle, Tess is pulled into her sister’s footsteps, albeit a little against her will. Soon her social group is changing and she finds herself on the trail of a potential murderer.
This book was exactly what I needed. A fast-paced contemporary adventure with big players and high stakes. A YA Scandal with less romantic drama (though I wouldn’t be opposed to some romances developing over the course of the series). There were some plot points I could see coming, but the pieces were well placed and they were twists I wanted, so hey.
I loved Tess. She is strong, if stubborn. She believes in doing the right thing. She looks after the underdog, and her own. And she’s not one to jump to conclusions or judgements. She can actually see things from someone else’s point of view. I loved Tess’s classmates: Vivvie and Asher and Henry. Asher and Henry are perfect foils for each other. I loved the adults Ivy and Adam and Bodie. This was a great cast of characters and I look forward to getting to spend more time with them. I want to see how all of their arcs continue.
This is just a really well crafted novel. The pacing is superb. It moves at a quick pace, but everything is revealed and handled in a natural manner. I could feel the craft in making something move and feel this effortless.
If you’re looking for a quality YA mystery/thriller that will introduce you to some lovable characters, have at it! I am ready for the next book, and honestly hoping this is an open ended series. The only upside I can find to waiting this long to read this novel, is that I only have to wait until the beginning of June for the sequel. Even that feels too long.
|
|
This book was amazing and I couldn't put it down from the time I picked it up! I NEED the second book NOW!
|
|
I love political thrillers from authors like Vince Flynn and Brad Thor. However, this is the first YA novel that I have read that I would classify as a political thriller. It is a novel concept to tell such a story through the eyes of a teenager. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, plot, and settings described by Ms. Barnes. It was a truly gripping read. I stayed up WAY too late to finish the book because I wanted to find out what happened to Tess, Vivvie, Asher, Henry, and Ivy. I sincerely hope that this is the first in a series.
|
|
Love Scandal? You'll love this! - Review originally posted on Overflowing Shelf.
Hellooooo to The Fixer. Jennifer Lynn Barnes newest book sucks you in and takes you on one of hell of a ride. This is one one fun and entertaining book, and I'm addicted.
The Fixer is dubbed as Scandal meets Veronica Mars...and that's pretty damn accurate. Throw in some Pretty Little Liars or Gossip Girl as well to really round it out. If you are at all familiar with any of those shows (and hello, you probably are), be ready to be entertained.
Our main character, Tess Kendrick, is forced to move to DC with her estranged sister Ivy and gets wrapped up in some pretty serious political intrigue. Ivy is essentially Olivia Pope. If someone has a problem, they call Ivy Kendrick to fix it. Tess accidentally ends up taking on much the same rule among her high school peers. In the words of Olivia Pope, the Kendrick girls have got it handled.
While it might seem a little far-fetched that a sixteen year-old high school student would get involved in a high profile political conspiracy involving murder, suicide, blackmail and cover-ups, Barnes makes its work. I liked that Tess didn't go seeking out this big mystery, but ended up involved because she was trying to help a friend. Since her school is filled with the offspring of political bigwigs, it made sense that Tess could get wrapped up in something much bigger than her. The progression and escalation of the drama ends up seeming plausible.
The plot is what really drives this novel. I loved, loved, loved the mystery that Tess got wrapped up in. I definitely was not able to predict the outcome of this story. Barnes throws in twists and turns that were unexpected, but make totally sense once you see the whole picture. It got pretty intense by the end and I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT. I loved it! It's an expertly crafted political thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.
I really liked that their was no romance for Tess in this book. Romance, especially in a book like this, would get in the way of everything else going on. Instead, the narrative focused on Tess's relationship with her family and friends. Tess and her sister don't get along, but it was great to see that relationship develop and understand why Ivy made the choices she did that originally created the wedge between.
I cannot wait to pick up the next installment of this series. The first book was so entertaining and I found myself flipping pages as fast as I could. The ending was definitely a kicker that will stir up a lot more drama in book 2 and I cannot wait to see how Tess, Ivy and the whole gang handle it (haha more Scandal puns). The Fixer is definitely book crack and I cannot wait for my next hit. Pick this up if you are looking for something that will keep you entertained from the front to the back!
|
|
More of a 4.5
This review is also posted on my blog The Little Book Affair
I love Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ writing so much. I fell in love with her writing after I read the first two books in The Naturals series, so naturally I had to pick up The Fixer ASAP. I was definitely not disappointed. A young adult political thriller from an author I love? Uh, yes please! It was everything I could have wanted.
I liked Tess, the main character, right away, which is great. I also liked Bodie and Vivvie right away, too. I went back and forth on whether or not I liked Asher and Emilia, but I do like Asher and Tess together. Sometimes the supporting characters were just fantastic. I was very interested in Ivy and what she was all about and I loved figuring out her secrets. I thought it was enjoyable watching Tess and Ivy trying to work through their past struggles. And that twist towards the end, with Tess and Ivy, oh my God! I never would have guessed that!
The writing was gripping and entertaining. I was just flying through the pages dying to know what came next. I couldn’t wait to figure out how all the characters were connected to each other and I couldn’t wait to uncover the secrets and the lies. This is my first time reading a political thriller but I’m definitely interested in reading others.
I can’t wait to read the second book, and I’m definitely going to try to get my hands on Jennifer’s other books.
|
|
4.5/5 stars
Oh wow. This book completely blew me away! I loved every minute of it! That comparison to Scandal and Veronica Mars is on point too. I loved meeting Tess and seeing her inadvertently get immersed in the political world and all the power hungry, scandalous individuals that come with it. I was sad we didn't get any romance in this book, but surprisingly, it didn't bother me too much. The plot has so much action, twists, turns, and invokes so many questions that I was completely engaged by those things alone.
I liked Tess as the main character. She is uprooted from her life in Montana and brought to Washington D.C. to live with her sister, as her grandfather is ailing from Alzheimer's. Tess isn't happy with this because Tess believes her sister abandoned her and she really carries some hurt feelings over this. There is a lot more to this story than meets the eye and I confess I guessed the truth pretty early on.
Tess's new school is known for being the one a lot of political kids attend, so everyone seems to know who Tess is by her association with her sister Ivy. Ivy is well known for her ability to fix things and make problems disappear, and it looks like Tess may share that attribute with her sister. However, Tess ends up getting involved in quite the mess, just by who she associates with at school.
Ivy and Tess's relationship drove me a little crazy because Ivy doesn't want Tess to get wrapped up in any part of what she does for a living and she doesn't tell Tess ANYTHING. I get Ivy's wanting to protect Tess, but if Ivy were a bit more open about certain things, maybe Tess wouldn't have gone searching for answers of her own. Ok. She totally would have. LOL.
I did love Ivy's friends, Bodie and Adam. They were both great and I liked how easily they accepted and got along with Tess. I am totally shipping Ivy with Adam and I hope that happens because I really liked him and how caring he was of both girls. Bodie was also a lot of fun and I like that he realized Tess wasn't easily dissuaded just by telling her to leave well enough alone. He got that and so he expected her questions and really understood her plight.
As I said, there's not a romance in this one, but I could see one potentially form between her and Henry. Henry is a pretty stoic kid, which makes sense as he has just endured a tragedy, but because of his dislike of Ivy, he and Tess don't really get off on the right foot. So I could see something spark there between them. There is another guy in this one, Asher, but I don't know that I would consider him for Tess. He's a complete goofball and a flirt- and he just didn't give off that vibe like Henry does.
Even though I figured out one of the big plot twists, I could not figure out the whodunit aspect. The book resolves a lot of the current questions raised, but not all. I am definitely excited to read the sequel to see how Tess and Ivy will handle what's happened at the end of the book. I forsee more manipulation, more twists and turns, and definitely more action in the sequel's future!
|