Jenny Valentine

Trigger warnings: Fire, burns, near-death experiences, pyromania

6/10, I picked this up from one of the two libraries I go to and I saw this had a low rating so I lowered my expectations as a result but even so this realistic contemporary YA novel underwhelmed me, what's wrong with them? The cover looked amazing, so I thought it would be a good novel, but my expectations were subverted. The story itself was utter trash (the main character, who is a pyromaniac, meets her dying father, he dies and turns out to be a really good art forger), and the characters were either flat, boring, or annoying since none of them experienced character development. I especially hated the main character Iris since needs help like seeking the nearest mental health service, she can't just burn someone's property all the time just to make her feel better and argue with people, and wish that people would die quickly (like her father) but she never gets help and she waits until she almost dies to stop her fiery proclivity. I couldn't root for Iris, unfortunately, and the plot made me not enjoy this book. Read Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eagar or The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin if you want a better book about death.… (mais)

3.5 Stars

Well this was a very engaging YA mystery and I am thrilled we have 3 copies of this in the library!

Chap is a teenage orphan living on the streets who dreams of a loving family and place to call home. An opportunity falls into his lap when, in a case of mistaken identity, he steps into the shoes and life of Cassiel Roadnight who went missing a couple of years ago. The family's desperation to believe he has been found and the fact that he is the spitting image of Cassiel means he slots straight into family life. However, when local teen outcast, Floyd, demands to know what happened 'that night' and why Cassiel told him his life was in danger, Chap realises he may have walked into the shoes of someone who was actually murdered. This is a great novel for Readers looking for a reasonably straight forward YA mystery with a very engaging main character. Shame about the really weird cover! It looks like one of the bully ghosts from Casper.… (mais)