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Review: The Killing Code by Ellie Marney

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The Killing Code by Ellie Marney

The Killing Code
Ellie Marney
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published September 20, 2022

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About The Killing Code

A historical mystery about a girl who risks everything to track down a vicious serial killer, for fans of THE ENIGMA GAME and A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER.

Virginia, 1943: World War II is raging in Europe and on the Pacific front when Kit Sutherland is recruited to help the war effort as a codebreaker at Arlington Hall, a former girls’ college now serving as the site of a secret US Signals Intelligence facility in Virginia. But Kit is soon involved in another kind of fight: Government girls are being brutally murdered in Washington DC, and when Kit stumbles onto a bloody homicide scene, she is drawn into the hunt for the killer.

To find the man responsible for the gruesome murders and bring him to justice, Kit joins forces with other female codebreakers at Arlington Hall—gossip queen Dottie Crockford, sharp-tongued intelligence maven Moya Kershaw, and cleverly resourceful Violet DuLac from the segregated codebreaking unit. But as the girls begin to work together and develop friendships—and romance—that they never expected, two things begin to come clear: the murderer they’re hunting is closing in on them…and Kit is hiding a dangerous secret.

My Review

Every time I read a great historical novel, I feel like I end up saying I need to read more historical books. I loved that THE KILLING CODE explores another part of World War II and specifically what was happening in the United States during the war. I also loved that it focuses on the relationships between women.

Moya and Kit alternate telling us the story. A few scenes kind of zoom out and give us a more omniscient view, setting up the scene before returning to that close third-person viewpoint. I really liked both Kit and Moya, so I loved getting to see both their perspectives. The transitions heightened tension and some romantic suspense, too.

THE KILLING CODE is the first book I’ve ever read by Ellie Marney, and after reading it, I definitely want to read more. The historical setting felt immersive without being distracting, and the murder mystery had me hooked from that early chapter where Kit finds the girl’s body.

I loved that the girls use their codebreaking strategies as their approach to solving the murder. That connected both their identities as codebreakers as well as the historical and murder mystery story elements.

Also, each chapter of THE KILLING CODE begins with a quote about solving puzzles or codebreaking. Some of the quotes are from real codebreakers like Elizebeth Friedman. I thought the author cleverly used those quotes both in connecting the story to history and giving some teasing hints about the upcoming chapter.

All in all, I enjoyed this book a lot. I definitely got caught up in the mystery and the high stakes race to find the serial killer before he strikes again.

Content Notes

Content warning for mentions of rape and attempted assault. Characters smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Point-of-view characters are white. Both are women who’ve had romantic relationships with women.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Mentions of rape. When Kit sees the body of a murdered girl, she realizes the girl has also been raped. No details. Some scenes show kissing between two girls. In one scene, a murdered threatens women, clearly intending to rape and kill them.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A man attacks women, using a knife to threaten and harm them. A serial killer has been murdering women in the DC area. One murder scene is described.

Drug Content
Moya smokes cigarettes. The girls drink alcohol together in Moya’s room and at a club and hotel party.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of THE KILLING CODE in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Defend the Dawn by Brigid Kemmerer

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Defend the Dawn (Deft the Night #2)
Brigid Kemmerer
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published September 20, 2022

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About Defend the Dawn

To save their kingdom, they must embark on a dangerous journey…

The kingdom of Kandala narrowly avoided catastrophe, but the embers of revolution still simmer. While King Harristan seeks a new way to lead, Tessa and Prince Corrick attempt to foster unity between rebels and royals.

But the consuls who control the Moonflower will not back down, and Corrick realizes he must find a new source for the lifesaving Elixir.

When an emissary from the neighboring kingdom of Ostriary arrives with an intriguing offer, Tessa and Corrick set out on an uncertain journey as they attempt to mend their own fractured relationship.

This could be their only chance to keep the peace and bring relief to the people of Kandala, but danger strikes during the journey to Ostriary, and no one is who they seemed to be. . .

My Review

I love this series, but I don’t know that I would truly classify it as young adult. The issues that Tessa and Corrick deal with are more adult– figuring out your career path and relationships– rather that the more figuring out who you are and what you believe about the world stuff typical of YA.

That said, I’d probably also call it a crossover because Brigid Kemmerer has written other young adult novels and has a pretty significant (well-deserved) following among YA readers.

Okay, so onto the book itself. The story of DEFEND THE DAWN is divided into three points of view: Tessa, Corrick, and an Outlaw. Tessa and Corrick face challenges to their relationship and doubts about each other’s feelings and values. The Outlaw has to navigate his dual roles as a masked helper to the poor by night and a powerful man by day. I found it easy to invest in all three characters, and some of the side characters kind of stole the scene a few times, too. Lochlan, the rebel leader, Quint, the king’s right-hand man, and Rian, the captain of the ship all had some great moments. I’m really excited to see what happens with each of them in the next book.

In terms of the plot, I felt like the pacing moved really nicely. I felt like there was a bit of a lull around the middle where Corrick and Tessa kind of rehash the same conflict they’d been having, while I was ready to move on.

I really liked the directions that DEFEND THE DAWN flowed in, though. We learn so many new things about the kingdom and the politics between the crown and the consuls. We also learn some things connecting events of the past, when Corrick and Harristan’s father was king, to issues in the present. I felt like that painted a much bigger picture of what was going on and why some things had happened earlier on in the book and series.

Reading the next book will be easy– I really want to know what happens next! Waiting for it to come out will be a little harder.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
The Outlaw character (a man) is attracted to men.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Some derisive comments insinuating that a girl is only useful because she sleeps with a powerful boy. Kissing between boy and girl. Flirting between two boys. In one scene, a boy opens a girl’s top and touches her. In another, a couple spend a night in his bed, just sleeping.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
References to torture and execution. Situations of peril. Some battle scenes in which characters receive injuries.

Drug Content
Some discussion of which plants are used to poison and which to heal.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of DEFEND THE DAWN in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Ghosts of Rose Hill by R. M. Romero

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The Ghosts of Rose Hill
R. M. Romero
Peachtree Teen
Published May 10, 2022

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About The Ghosts of Rose Hill

Magic will burn you up.

Sent to stay with her aunt in Prague and witness the humble life of an artist, Ilana Lopez—a biracial Jewish girl—finds herself torn between her dream of becoming a violinist and her immigrant parents’ desire for her to pursue a more stable career.

When she discovers a forgotten Jewish cemetery behind her aunt’s cottage, she meets the ghost of a kindhearted boy named Benjamin, who died over a century ago. As Ilana restores Benjamin’s grave, he introduces her to the enchanted side of Prague, where ghosts walk the streets and their kisses have warmth.

But Benjamin isn’t the only one interested in Ilana. Rudolph Wassermann, a man with no shadow, has become fascinated with her and the music she plays. He offers to share his magic, so Ilana can be with Benjamin and pursue her passion for violin. But after Ilana discovers the truth about Wassermann and how Benjamin became bound to the city, she resolves to save the boy she loves, even if it means losing him—forever.

With spellbinding verse prose, R.M. Romero channels the spirit of myth into a brilliantly original tale, inspired by her experiences restoring Jewish cemeteries in Eastern Europe.

My Review

What an amazing novel-in-verse. It’s part fairy-tale, part love story, part celebration of history and culture and faith. I fell into this book right from the first chapter and didn’t surface until the last page. I loved the Prague setting and the way Ilana cared for the graveyard out of reverence for her faith and the impact that it had on the people around her.

Lots of things about the story surprised me– in good ways. I loved Ilana’s relationship with her aunt. I didn’t expect some of the conversations they had, and I loved the ways her aunt shared her own stories.

And Benjamin. I loved him, too. I knew he was going to break my heart, and he did, but I loved the journey anyway.

THE GHOSTS OF ROSE HILL is the kind of book that’s going to stick with me awhile. I already want to go back and read it again. It reminds me a little bit of THE BOOK THIEF in its other-worldly-ness. Or VASILISA by Julie Mathison. I think it’s a perfect fit for readers who are aging out of middle grade but not ready for upper YA just yet. And perfect for anyone who enjoys a modern fairytale.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Ilana is Jewish and Cuban American. Other characters are Czech.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Ilana meets a boy who is a ghost. He lives with three other ghost children and a man who has some magic abilities.

Violent Content
Ilana learns of a monster that eats memories.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review: It Looks Like Us by Alison Ames

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , ,

It Looks Like Us
Alison Ames
Page Street Kids
Published September 13, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About It Looks Like Us

The remote terror of THE THING meets the body horror of WILDER GIRLS in this fast-paced Antarctic thriller.

Shy high school junior Riley Kowalski is spending her winter break on a research trip to Antarctica, sponsored by one of the world’s biggest tech companies. She joins five student volunteers, a company-approved chaperone, and an impartial scientist to prove that environmental plastic pollution has reached all the way to Antarctica, but what they find is something much worse… something that looks human.

Riley has anxiety–ostracized by the kids at school because of panic attacks–so when she starts to feel like something’s wrong with their expedition leader, Greta, she writes it off. But when Greta snaps and tries to kill Riley, she can’t chalk it up to an overactive imagination anymore. Worse, after watching Greta disintegrate, only to find another student with the same affliction, she realizes they haven’t been infected, they’ve been infiltrated–by something that can change its shape. And if the group isn’t careful, that something could quickly replace any of them.

My Review

Horror isn’t usually something I read very often– it tends to get into my head too much and then revisit me at night– but I tend to really enjoy books by PageStreet, so I decided to give IT LOOKS LIKE US a try.

And I was NOT disappointed!

From the very first, I needed to know what would happen to Riley. She’s smart and anxious and I found it so easy to identify with her. I loved the way she forged relationships with others on the team and even how confrontations with the monster who appeared as her team members affected her emotionally. Those scenes exploring how she felt hearing their voices and seeing their faces as part of something she knew was trying to kill her were some of the most gripping for me.

At less than 300 pages, IT LOOKS LIKE US is a pretty quick read. Scenes from after Riley escapes frame the story, and it begins with two people she refers to as Good Cop and Bad Cop interrogating her. As she answers their questions, she takes us back into the story of what happened. We watch things unfold knowing that grim things are to come. I felt like that format heightened the tension for me, and I loved it.

So… in the story, Riley and the team go to Antarctica on a research trip arranged by a mega wealthy billionaire who has rockets that go to space and a company that makes electric cars. Named Anton Rusk. Yep. Kind of made me laugh when the story introduced him.

On the whole, I devoured this book. I loved its energy. I also loved the way cleverness and desperation and some of the relationships between characters. Though horror will never be my preferred genre, I’m really glad I had a chance to read this one.

Content Notes

Content warnings for violence and body horror. Brief alcohol use and presence of drugs.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Riley has anxiety and panic attacks and is ace.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Two people undress and climb into a sleeping back together to ward off hypothermia. One reassures the other that he isn’t trying to have sex with her, he’s trying to help her survive.

Spiritual Content
Riley and her team encounter an otherworldly monster that can shapeshift and speak to them.

Violent Content
Some descriptions of violent death. The monster shapeshifts in very unsettling ways, sometimes melting from one shape to another. Sometimes its bones seem to crack and shift. Mouths open up in strange places.

Drug Content
In one scene, after a confrontation with the monster, Riley and her friends drink gin they’ve found. In another scene, Riley discovers weed among one of her team member’s things. The two people who interrogate Riley pump her full of some types of medications that prevent her from experiencing the pain and trauma of her injuries while they question her.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of IT LOOKS LIKE US in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Shades of Rust and Ruin by A. G. Howard

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Shades of Rust and Ruin
A. G. Howard
Bloomsbury
Published September 6, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Shades of Rust and Ruin

Embrace the mysterious. Invoke the magical. Enter the Mystiquiel…

Phoenix “Nix” Loring knows her family is under a Halloween curse. When she was three, her parents tragically died on October 31st. Eleven years later, her twin sister Lark suffered a similar fate.

Ever since, Nix has battled survivor guilt. She can’t even find comfort in Clarey, Lark’s boyfriend and the one person who understands her pain, because Nix’s hidden feelings for him go far beyond friendship. All that remains are her sketches, where she finds solace among the goblins and faeries in her imaginary world of Mystiquel. When her depression starts affecting her ability to see color, Nix all but gives up on her art, until her uncle goes missing on Halloween day. Hot on his trail, Nix and Clarey step through a portal, becoming trapped inside a decaying version of their town filled with Nix’s own sketches come to life.

As Nix and Clarey search for her uncle within the sinister and dangerous world of Mystiquel, Nix discovers there’s more to her family curse and otherworldly artwork than she ever imagined—and unless she can solve the Goblin King’s maze before the clock strikes midnight, her life won’t be the only one the curse claims next.

Set in a gritty, steampunk-inspired fantasy world, New York Times bestselling author A.G. Howard launches a thrilling new duology full of romance, twists, and betrayals.

My Review

SHADES OF RUST AND RUIN is the first book by A. G. Howard that I’ve ever read. I have ROSEBLOOD, and I really want to read it, but haven’t managed to yet. All that to say, I went into this book without really knowing what to expect other than the information in the cover copy.

I liked the writing a lot. It’s emotive and dark– more spooky than creepy. The story world was pretty immersive. I definitely found myself getting lost in Mystiquiel. SHADES OF RUST AND RUIN is a retelling of “The Goblin Market” by Christina Rosetti, and I loved the references to the poem and the way the goblin market lore was used in the book.

If you know me at all, you know I absolutely adore sister books. The cover copy kind of undersells this part of the book because it makes it sound like Nix’s guilt and grief are spread over all her losses. But Lark wasn’t just Nix’s sister, she was her twin. Nix was the one who found her after she’d died. That’s the loss that has destroyed her. She spends a lot of the book still struggling to orient herself after her sister’s loss. I thought that was one of the most powerful parts of the story.

From what it says in the cover copy, I thought there would be more of a blossoming romance between Nix and Clarey. There’s a bit of a story there, but I thought it was a lot more understated than the cover copy led me to believe it would be. The last chapter of the book makes it seem like the second book in the duology is going to involve the romance a lot more, though.

I think readers who enjoyed DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor or SEA WITCH by Sarah Henning will enjoy this book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Characters are white. Nix and her sister are said to be part albino. Clarey has panic attacks and trouble with spaces with a lot of people. His dog has a mechanical leg.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief kiss between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
The story contains goblin and fairy-like creatures who have some magic abilities. In their world, Nix has some magic herself.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Brief battle violence. Descriptions of Lark’s death.

Drug Content
The story references fruit from the goblin market and its affect on humans. It’s supposed to be very addicting. In the story of “The Goblin Market” one sister nearly dies after consuming fruit from the market because she can’t stop craving it.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of SHADES OF RUST AND RUIN in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Naomi Teitelbaum Ends the World by Samara Shanker

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Naomi Teitelbaum Ends the World
Samara Shanker
Atheneum
Published September 6, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Naomi Teitelbaum Ends the World

A magical Bat Mitzvah gift gets out of control and thrusts a girl into a supernatural quest with the fate of the world at stake in this spooky middle grade adventure that’s perfect for fans of Aru Shah.

Naomi Teitelbaum is so ready for her Bat Mitzvah. Her prayers are memorized and she’s definitely got a handle on her Torah portion (well, almost). Then she gets a mysterious gift: a tiny clay Golem. To Naomi’s shock, it comes to life—and obeys her every command.

At first, this small magical helper seems like the best Bat Mitzvah gift ever. But with each command, the Golem grows…and gets harder to hide. And creepy, unnatural creatures like dybbuks, demons, and a congregation of ghosts have started following Naomi around. To keep herself out of trouble and the Golem out of harm’s way, Naomi gives the Golem well-intended instructions: save the world.

Unfortunately, this leaves more room for interpretation than Naomi thought. Before long, the Golem is wreaking havoc all over Los Angeles, and only Naomi and her friends can stop it.

My Review

I had a lot of fun reading NAOMI TEITELBAUM ENDS THE WORLD. I loved Naomi and her friends Becca and Eitan. It’s clear from the way they talk to each other that they have a lot of history and close bonds with one another. They would banter back and forth or give each other a hard time sometimes, but it always came from a place of knowing and loving each other.

Another element of the story that I liked was Golem character. There was something sort of sinister about the way he grew larger with every task he completed. The fact that using the Golem opened up a spirit world around Naomi and her friends also added some spookiness to the story. I liked that some of those encounters were spooky and others ended up being helpful.

All in all, I think readers looking for a wild, world-saving adventure will really enjoy this one. It’s a perfect read for the spooky season. I think fans of THE DARKDEEP by Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs will love this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Major characters are Jewish. Naomi has two moms.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
References to Jewish celebrations and religious ceremonies. Naomi and her friends are studying for their Bat Mitzvah or Bar Mitzvah ceremonies. Naomi asks her rabbi questions about her reading from the Torah. A rabbi tells her stories from Jewish folklore. Naomi’s Golem comes to life, just like the Golems in Jewish folklore. After that happens, Naomi begins to see other spirits and demons.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Some of the spirits Naomi and her friends encounter try to capture them.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of NAOMI TEITELBAUM ENDS THE WORLD in exchange for my honest review.