You know that moment in a YA thriller when someone discovers a secret, and you think, obviously, tell someone!

Adorable. We’re so confident when it’s someone else’s fictional problem. Right!?😅

This week, the secret belongs to you.

Would you delete the evidence?

Here’s your scenario:

Someone at your school is about to take the blame for something they didn’t do. They could lose their scholarship. Their future. Maybe their freedom.

But you have proof.

One file. One conversation. One piece of evidence that could clear their name.

There’s just one tiny, catastrophic complication: it also exposes someone you love.

Maybe your best friend lied about where they were that night. Maybe your sibling was involved. Maybe your own messages reveal that you knew more than you admitted.

Then your phone lights up.

Please delete it. You don’t understand what will happen if this gets out.

You look at the file again.

Suddenly, that little trash-can icon feels very powerful.

What’s your next move?

🔎 A. Protect the truth.
Someone innocent shouldn’t pay for someone else’s choices. You’re handing over the evidence—even if the fallout follows you home.

🫣 B. Protect your people.
You know them. You love them. There has to be more to the story. You hesitate, wondering whether loyalty is becoming an excuse.

⏳ C. Find another way.
You won’t delete it, but you’re not ready to reveal it either. You want the full story first. Unfortunately, someone else’s future is already on the clock.

😱 D. Panic first.
You set down your phone, pace the room, and briefly consider becoming someone who has never encountered technology. An understandable opening move. A questionable long-term strategy.

The part that makes this thriller-worthy?

You don’t know whether that message is a warning, a threat, or someone begging you to protect them from the consequences of their own choices.

And being loyal doesn’t automatically mean you’re doing the right thing.

Neither does being certain you know the truth.

That’s what makes deleted messages, digital secrets, and morally messy mysteries so compelling: the evidence might be clear, but the decision rarely is. You can root for a character and still want to confiscate their phone before they make everything worse.

📚 A Book Worth Sharing

This week’s book:

Salt Water Blood by Manuia Heinrich

An Indigenous teen who hears the sea's prophetic thoughts must rely on the gift she's always feared to save her brother, and her island home, in this “gripping Polynesian mystery laced with Indigenous cultural knowledge, for fans of Angeline Boulley and Ari Tison” (SLJ, starred review).

Eighteen-year-old Moe hears the sea’s prophetic thoughts—not just hears them…she feels them. That’s how she experienced her father’s death before he did and how she felt her mother’s relief when she abandoned Moe and her younger brother, Tao, months after.

So when the sea warns Moe that Tao will drown, she’s determined to get in fate’s way and secures them passage off their island home. But those plans are ruined when Tao’s girlfriend goes missing and Tao is found where she was last seen, with blood on his hands—and no memory of what happened.

Moe will do anything she can to clear her brother’s name, even if it means swallowing her pride and teaming up with her annoyingly clever school rival, Temanea. And even if it means relying on the sea’s prophecies. Because her dreaded gift may be the only way to save her brother—and uncover the truth behind the sickness poisoning her community.

Why I’m sharing it:

I loved the lore and mystery and couldn’t put it down. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!

Read my full review and get the book:

Your turn: Would you delete the evidence?

Would you protect the truth, protect your people, or panic first?

Hit reply with A, B, C, or D—and tell me what might change your answer.

Does it matter who you’re protecting? How serious their secret is? Whether the person taking the blame is someone you even like?

No spoilers needed. Just your best attempt at surviving a situation we would all prefer to experience in paperback.

Happy reading—and may your biggest phone emergency be a low battery.

Kim

Book Reviewer | Young Adult Author | Ask the Girl

P.S. Next week, we’ll be asking, “Would you switch identities with someone?” Because someone else’s life may be so much better than your own, right!?!

This was an easy read in the best possible way. I could settle into the story, become invested in Moe’s struggle, and keep turning pages without noticing how much time had passed. Between the mystery, the sea’s unsettling warnings, and Moe’s determination to protect her younger brother, there was always something pulling me forward. My “just one more chapter” intentions didn’t stand much of a chance.

A Gift That Feels Like a Curse

Eighteen-year-old Moe can hear the sea’s prophetic thoughts, but her connection goes far beyond hearing a mysterious voice. She feels what the sea reveals. That distinction makes her gift especially haunting: she experienced her father’s death before it happened and felt her mother’s relief when she abandoned Moe and her younger brother, Tao.

With experiences like those, it’s easy to understand why Moe fears her ability. Knowing something before it happens doesn’t necessarily make it easier to face. Sometimes, it means carrying the pain before anyone else even knows there is something to fear.

When the sea warns Moe that Tao will drown, she decides she isn’t going to stand by and let it happen. She arranges passage off their island home, hoping to put distance between her brother and the future she’s been shown. Unfortunately, leaving becomes much more complicated when Tao’s girlfriend disappears—and Tao is found where she was last seen, with blood on his hands and no memory of what happened.

That setup had my attention immediately. How do you protect someone when you’re facing both a frightening prophecy and evidence that seems to point straight at them?

A Sister Worth Rooting For

Moe’s determination to help Tao gave this story its emotional pull for me. There’s a mystery to unravel, but at the center of it is a sister who refuses to give up on her brother. That personal connection makes the search for answers feel urgent.

She isn’t approaching the situation from a comfortable distance. This is her family, and she already knows what loss feels like. Now she has to find a way to help Tao while confronting the very gift she has every reason to distrust.

I appreciated that the premise puts Moe in such a difficult position. The sea’s prophecies have caused her pain, yet they may also offer the only way forward. Having to rely on something you fear adds another layer of tension to an already emotional situation.

Her search also means teaming up with her annoyingly clever school rival, Temanea. A desperate investigation is complicated enough; adding someone who can get under your skin certainly doesn’t make things simpler. That partnership adds another reason to stay invested as Moe works to uncover the truth.

The Culture and Lore Kept Me Reading, Too

One of my favorite parts of Salt Water Blood was learning about Polynesian myths, lore, and culture. My familiarity with some of these ideas largely came from Disney’s Moana, and I knew there were many more stories and beliefs beyond what a single movie could introduce.

This novel made me want to learn more. I loved having that sense of discovery alongside the suspense. There’s something especially satisfying about a book that entertains you while also reminding you how much you haven’t explored yet.

Moe’s connection to the sea makes that element especially compelling. The sea carries warnings, feelings, and knowledge that she cannot easily ignore. Even when she wants to escape what it tells her, its presence remains deeply personal.

For me, the cultural elements were a major part of what made this reading experience memorable. I came for an intriguing premise, but my curiosity about the myths and lore became another reason to keep turning pages.

Suspense With an Emotional Undertow

The mystery had me hooked, and Moe’s love for her brother kept me emotionally invested. I wanted answers about the disappearance, about what had happened to Tao, and about the sickness poisoning their community. Those questions give the story a wider reach while keeping Moe’s immediate concerns close and personal.

I also appreciated how much the premise gives her to contend with. Clearing Tao’s name would be difficult enough without a prophecy hanging over him. Together, those threats create the kind of tension that makes putting a book down surprisingly difficult.

For all its suspense, this was also an emotional read. Moe’s family history and her fear of losing Tao give weight to her decisions. I wasn’t simply curious about how the mystery would unfold; I cared about what those answers would mean for her.

My Final Thoughts

Salt Water Blood earns five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me. It combines a gripping mystery, an emotional sibling story, and Polynesian cultural elements that I loved discovering. It was accessible, absorbing, and a definite page-turner.

If you enjoy young adult mysteries with a supernatural thread, strong family stakes, and a setting that sparks your curiosity, put this one on your reading list. Heinrich kept me invested, and I’m glad I picked it up.

About the book:

Publisher: Sarah Barley Books / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Release Date: November 17, 2026
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — 5 stars!

Synopsis:

An Indigenous teen who hears the sea’s prophetic thoughts must rely on the gift she’s always feared to save her brother, and her island home, in this “gripping Polynesian mystery laced with Indigenous cultural knowledge, for fans of Angeline Boulley and Ari Tison” (School Library Journal, starred review).

Eighteen-year-old Moe hears the sea’s prophetic thoughts—not just hears them…she feels them. That’s how she experienced her father’s death before he did and how she felt her mother’s relief when she abandoned Moe and her younger brother, Tao, months after.

So when the sea warns Moe that Tao will drown, she’s determined to get in fate’s way and secures them passage off their island home. But those plans are ruined when Tao’s girlfriend goes missing and Tao is found where she was last seen, with blood on his hands—and no memory of what happened.

Moe will do anything she can to clear her brother’s name, even if it means swallowing her pride and teaming up with her annoyingly clever school rival, Temanea. And even if it means relying on the sea’s prophecies. Because her dreaded gift may be the only way to save her brother—and uncover the truth behind the sickness poisoning her community.

Content warning: child abandonment and neglect

Buy (Preorder) here!

Meet the author:

Manuia Heinrich is a Tahitian Chinese writer based in Aotearoa, New Zealand. She holds a PhD in Pacific studies from Te Herenga Waka–Victoria University of Wellington; she also cofounded Pacific Islanders in Publishing and was a We Need Diverse Books mentee. Salt Water Blood is Manuia’s debut novel.

Hello Book friends and nerds!

I’ve been watching the new Carrie series on Amazon Prime, and I have to say, I think I like this version better than the original 1976 movie.

Now, before anyone comes after me, I love the movie starring Sissy Spacek and directed by Brian De Palma. And of course, there’s Stephen King’s original 1974 novel.

But what I appreciate about this new adaptation is how much more developed the characters feel.

They’re not simply good or evil. They’re complicated. They have reasons for doing what they do, even when those reasons don’t excuse their behavior.

Take the popular blonde bully, for example. In the original movie, she’s your typical mean girl. She’s cruel because, well, she’s mean.

In the new series, we get a better understanding of where that cruelty comes from. We see why she’s so angry and hateful. It doesn’t make her behavior acceptable, but it makes her feel more like an actual person.

And I appreciate that.

The same goes for Carrie’s mother, Margaret White.

Margaret has always been a terrifying character, especially because of her religious beliefs and the way she treats Carrie. But this version gives us more insight into why she believes what she does.

I also appreciate the changes to her backstory, particularly that this version doesn’t rely on rape to explain her relationship with sex and religion.

Instead, there’s more emphasis on how Margaret views the outside world as dangerous and sinful, while their home is supposed to be a sanctuary of purity.

The addition of a father figure also adds something different to the story.

And I especially like that Carrie confronts her mother about never telling her about menstruation. It’s a moment that deserves attention because Carrie’s lack of knowledge about her own body is one of the most disturbing parts of her upbringing.

But there’s another scene that really got to me.

The School Active Shooter Drill

This is where I think the new adaptation does something particularly interesting.

Carrie has grown up completely sheltered. No television, no internet, and very little understanding of what happens outside her home. In fact, she’s never been to school, and the government or the city knew of her existence until her father died in a construction accident. They find Carrie and her mother in a closet, frightened and praying.

So when her school conducts an active shooter drill, she has absolutely no idea what’s going on.

And this isn’t a simple announcement over the intercom.

The school has someone pretending to be a shooter, carrying a gun and moving from classroom to classroom.

The other students know the routine. They’ve done it before. They stay quiet and wait for it to be over.

But Carrie?

She’s terrified.

And I don’t blame her one bit.

Can you imagine being completely unaware of school shootings and suddenly finding yourself in a classroom where someone is walking around pretending to shoot students?

What really caught my attention, though, was Margaret’s response.

She goes to the principal and complains about the drill.

And while Margaret certainly has some questionable beliefs, I found myself agreeing with her on this one.

Why are we putting children through something that could traumatize them? Why have we accepted that kids need to practice hiding from someone with a gun?

Why are we teaching children to conform to the threat of school shooters instead of doing more to stop the shooters?

I agree with Margaret here.

I think our gun laws need to change. It’s ridiculous that school shootings have become such a concern that children have to prepare for them as part of their education, along with fire and tornado drills.

And the fact that the other students treat the drill as routine makes Carrie’s reaction even more disturbing.

She’s the sheltered one—the girl who knows almost nothing about the outside world.

Yet in that moment, her terror feels like the most reasonable reaction in the room.

That scene really stuck with me.

Why I’m Enjoying This Version More

So far, what I appreciate about this adaptation is that it takes a familiar story and brings in issues kids and schools are dealing with today.

Bullying, religion, isolation, school safety, and the way adults’ beliefs and decisions affect children.

The original Carrie is already a powerful story about cruelty and what happens when someone is pushed too far.

But this version seems more interested in examining why people behave the way they do, including the people we’re supposed to dislike.

And that’s something I enjoy in storytelling.

Give me a villain with a believable reason for being awful. Give me characters who make me question their choices, even when I don’t agree with them.

I don’t need everyone to be likable.

I just want them to feel human.

Which brings me to this week’s book.

On the Bookshelf: Six Must Die by Victoria Wlosok

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Apparently, I’ve been in the mood for stories about people with secrets and questionable motives, because my latest read was Six Must Die by Victoria Wlosok.

And if you’ve ever thought an escape room sounded like a fun group activity, this book might make you reconsider.

A year ago, an escape room fire killed Matt Cesari and left Steffi Zamekova with missing memories of what happened that night.

She also lost her friends and the life she knew.

Now, on the anniversary of the tragedy, Steffi receives a mysterious invitation to another escape room.

Because apparently surviving one disastrous escape room isn’t enough.

She reunites with her former friends, hoping to find answers about Matt’s death.

But everyone has secrets, and it quickly becomes obvious that this isn’t going to be an ordinary game.

What I really enjoyed about this book were the unreliable narratives and the twists and turns.

I love a mystery where I’m constantly questioning what the characters are telling me. Who’s lying? Who’s leaving something out? And can I trust anything I’m being told?

That’s what kept me reading.

However, I did have a few issues.

Some of the twists felt forced, almost as if certain information was deliberately being kept from the reader just to make the mystery work.

And while I enjoyed the ending, I also found parts of it predictable.

It wasn’t a complete surprise, although there were still a few things I didn’t see coming.

So, for me, Six Must Die earns four stars.

It’s an entertaining YA thriller with plenty of secrets, suspicious characters, and twists to keep you guessing, even if some don’t work quite as well as others.

And as much as I enjoy mysteries, I think I’ll stick to escape rooms where everyone gets to leave alive.

Click below to read my full review and get the book!

One More Thought...

Between Carrie and Six Must Die, I’ve been thinking a lot about how much a character’s history affects the way we see them.

I don’t necessarily want to forgive a character for doing something terrible.

But I do want to understand what brought them to that point.

And sometimes, knowing why someone behaves badly makes a story even more unsettling.

I’m curious: Do you prefer villains who are simply evil, or villains whose behavior has a believable explanation?

Hit reply and let me know. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Until next time, happy reading!

Kim

The Brave Bookshelf • Young Adult Author • Ask The Girl

I gave this one four stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐.

I loved the twists and turns and all the unreliable narratives woven into the mystery. There were moments when the withholding of information felt a little too deliberate and interrupted the flow for me, but the book still kept me interested enough to finish. And the ending? A little surprising, a little expected—a combination that left me with a few things to think about.

Twelve months before the story’s present, an escape room fire changed everything for Steffi Zamekova. Matt Cesari, a charismatic and sometimes infuriating member of her friend group, died that night. Steffi survived, but her memories of what happened did not remain intact. Along with those missing pieces, she lost her popular blog and the close circle of friends who once filled her life.

When an ominous invitation arrives on the anniversary of the tragedy, Steffi sees a chance to finally get answers. The invitation leads her to a new escape room and reunites her with her former friends. Unfortunately, everyone seems to have something to hide, and the game becomes a fight for survival as participants are picked off. Steffi has to uncover their secrets while trying to recover her own memories. No pressure, right?

What I enjoyed most was the uncertainty. I love a thriller that gives me reasons to question what I’m being told, and the unreliable narratives were a big part of this book’s appeal. Steffi’s missing memories make the central mystery especially intriguing: she is trying to understand a night she experienced but cannot fully remember. That leaves plenty of room for doubt about what happened and how the pieces fit together.

The former friendships add another reason to be suspicious. These people share a history, but coming back together does not mean they are suddenly ready to be honest with one another. The setup invites questions about what each person knows, what they might be hiding, and why they agreed to participate. When everyone has their own reasons for showing up, even a seemingly simple explanation can start to look a little wobbly.

And then there are the twists. This was the part I really enjoyed. I like being able to form a theory, reconsider it, and wonder whether I’ve been looking in the wrong direction. Six Must Die gave me the turns and uncertainty I was hoping for. Having an idea about where a mystery might lead does not automatically take away the fun; sometimes the enjoyment comes from discovering how the author gets there.

The escape room premise also gives the story an immediate hook. Steffi enters because she wants the truth, but answering questions becomes tangled up with staying alive. There is something especially unsettling about a place designed around solving puzzles when the people inside may be keeping crucial information from one another. I enjoy a good mystery, but I would prefer to work on this particular one from a safe distance. My couch seems reasonable.

My main issue was how some information was held back. At times, I felt the author was trying a little too hard to keep certain details from the reader, and that affected how smoothly the story flowed for me. I wanted the uncertainty and the surprises, but occasionally I became more aware of the effort to preserve them than I wanted to be.

There is a balance in an unreliable narrative that can be tricky to maintain. I enjoy wondering whether I can trust someone’s version of events. I am less enthusiastic when I feel as though information is being kept just out of reach for the sake of extending the mystery. This book sometimes tipped into that second feeling for me. It was a noticeable frustration, even though it never outweighed my interest in finding out what happened.

As for the ending, my reaction landed somewhere between surprise and recognition. Some of it felt expected, but there was still an element that caught me off guard. It was not a complete “I never saw any of that coming” experience, and I would not describe it that way. Still, anticipating part of the destination did not erase my enjoyment of the twists along the route.

Six Must Die earned four stars from me for its twists, unreliable narratives, and intriguing mystery. The occasional awkwardness around withheld information kept it from being a five-star read, but I still wanted answers and kept reading to get them. If former friends, buried secrets, and a dangerous escape room sound like your kind of thriller, this one may belong on your reading list. I’ll just be keeping my next group activity considerably less deadly.

About the book:

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
Release Date: March 10, 2026
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Genre: Young Adult Thriller

Synopisis:

Twelve months ago, an escape room fire took everything from Steffi Zamekova. In just one hour, she lost it all: her popular blog, her close-knit inner circle, and her memories of the night that killed one of the group’s own … the charismatic (if infuriating) Matt Cesari.

On the anniversary of the bewildering tragedy, Steffi is still desperate to piece together what went wrong. So when she receives an ominous invitation in the mail summoning her to the new escape room across town, she seizes the chance for answers.

Reunited with her former friends, Steffi sees the game as a last chance to uncover the truth behind Matt’s death. But it’s soon clear that each participant has their own cagey reasons for accepting the challenge. And as tensions rise and the players are picked off one by one, it’s a race against the clock for Steffi to uncover their secrets and unlock her own memories before the game’s mastermind ensures that no one escapes the room alive.

Buy it here!

Meet the author:

Victoria Wlosok is the author of the young adult thrillers How to Find a Missing Girl and Six Must Die. A recent graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she majored in English and Business Administration, she now spends her time researching methods of murder for future books, attempting to break out of escape rooms, and teaching language arts in the mountains of the Czech Republic. She invites you to follow her on Instagram, TikTok, and X @xvictoriawrites, or visit her website at victoriawlosok.com

Thrillers love a villain.

The suspicious classmate.

The creepy neighbor.

The person everyone whispers about.

The one character who walks into the room and immediately makes you think:

Yep. Definitely them.

And then, somewhere around chapter twenty-seven, the author ruins everything by asking:

What if you’re wrong?

Honestly, rude.

So today’s question is:

Would you protect the villain?

Here’s the setup:

Something terrible has happened at school.

Everyone thinks they know who did it.

There were arguments.

Threatening messages.

A witness who swears they saw something.

Even the police seem convinced.

And the person everyone blames?

They’re not exactly helping themselves.

They’re secretive.

Angry.

They’ve lied before.

They have every reason to hate the victim.

Case closed.

Right?

Then one afternoon, they find you alone.

And they say:

“I didn’t do it.”

You tell them everyone says otherwise.

They hand you something.

A photo.

A message.

A piece of evidence no one else has seen.

And suddenly...

The story doesn’t quite fit anymore.

Then they say:

“You’re the only person who can help me.”

Wonderful.

You have officially entered the plot.

So… what do you do?

A) Help them because the evidence changes everything.

B) Walk away. If everyone thinks they’re guilty, there’s probably a reason.

C) Take the evidence to someone you trust before making any decisions.

D) Secretly investigate because apparently you’ve decided sleep is optional.

Kim’s Very Scientific Thriller Verdict

If you picked A, you have a good heart.

Possibly too good.

Because “I’m innocent, please help me” has launched approximately nine million terrible fictional decisions.

If you picked B, understandable.

Self-preservation is an underrated thriller skill.

Unfortunately, you’re probably going to discover three chapters later that you abandoned the only innocent person in town.

If you picked C, look at you making sensible choices!

Save the evidence.

Tell someone.

Do not meet a suspected murderer alone in an abandoned warehouse.

Growth.

If you picked D, congratulations.

You are now the amateur detective.

Please charge your phone and wear shoes you can run in.

Why This Setup Works So Well

One of my favorite things about thrillers is when the story makes me question who the villain actually is.

Because sometimes the obvious villain isn’t guilty.

Sometimes the “good” character has been lying.

Sometimes everyone has decided who someone is long before they know the whole story.

And sometimes the truth is much messier:

Maybe this person did something terrible.

Just not the terrible thing.

That’s where unreliable narrators, revenge stories, and morally gray characters get so interesting.

A strong thriller can make you suspicious of someone...

Then sympathetic toward them...

Then suspicious again...

Then suddenly you’re staring at the ceiling at midnight wondering why you trusted anyone.

Exactly how I like my mysteries.

Writer Aha: Let the Reader Get It Wrong ✍️

For thriller writers, one great way to create a twist is to let your readers build the wrong story from completely accurate information.

Maybe the suspected villain:

lied about where they were.

Hated the victim.

Deleted a message.

Had blood on their clothes.

Every clue can be true.

But the conclusion can still be wrong.

That’s much more satisfying than simply hiding everything from the reader.

The fun comes from letting us think:

Obviously, they did it.

And then showing us how quickly assumptions can become “facts.”

A good villain twist isn’t just:

Surprise! Wrong person!

It’s:

The clues were there. You just interpreted them the wrong way.

That’s the kind of reveal that makes me want to flip backward through the book and check everything again.

The Brave Conversation 💛

This setup also opens up a bigger question:

What happens when everyone has already decided who someone is?

The troublemaker.

The weird kid.

The bully.

The liar.

The angry girl.

Once someone gets a label, everything they do can start looking like proof.

But people are complicated.

Trauma doesn’t automatically make someone dangerous.

Being angry doesn’t automatically make someone guilty.

And having made bad choices before doesn’t mean someone made this one.

Books give us a safe way to explore that gray area.

Can someone hurt people and still deserve help?

Can someone be both victim and villain?

When does understanding someone become excusing them?

And what happens when justice is based more on reputation than evidence?

Those are exactly the kinds of messy questions thrillers are so good at asking.

Brave Bookshelf Watch: Halloween Edition 🎃📚

Speaking of things that are a little spooky, strange, and wonderfully bookish...

I’ve also been putting together a new video/podcast episode:

10 Spooky, Silly & Strange Books for Your Kid’s Halloween Bookshelf

I wanted to share some fun books families can add to their shelves for Halloween and spooky season.

Some are silly.

Some are creepy.

Some involve witches, strange creatures, chickens traveling through time...

Because apparently Halloween books can contain anything, and I fully support that.

Here’s what I’m featuring:

🐔 Time-Traveling Chickens: Bawk to the Future by Kaz Windness

🐔 Time-Traveling Chickens: Nugget and Tenders’s Eggcellent Adventure by Kaz Windness

🕸️ The Nest by Kenneth Oppel, illustrated by Susan Kao

🧠 Create Your Craniacs Quest with...: Escape from the Chrome Dome by R.L. Stine, illustrated by Joe Simko

🎃 Halloween Baby! by Karen Katz

👀 I Want Every Thing by Sophy Henn

🦇 Bitsy Bat Snow Star by Kaz Windness

✨ The Tiny Thing by Ellen Tarlow, illustrated by Laren Stringer

🔎 Have You Seen Axel? by Adam Jay Epstein and Ruth Chan

🚀I Need Space by Molly Harris, illustrated by Jon Corby

I love putting together lists like this because Halloween reading doesn’t always have to mean full-on scary.

Sometimes kids want creepy.

Sometimes they want funny.

Sometimes they want interactive.

And sometimes they apparently want time-traveling chickens.

There is room on the bookshelf for all of it. To get any of these books click on the link below to my video post:

https://www.kimbartosch.com/publish/post/221508513

Watch/listen to the full episode here:

And if you’ve read any of these with your kids, students, or library group, I’d love to know which one was the favorite.

Now I Want to Hear From You

Back to our suspected villain...

Would you help someone if everyone else thought they were guilty?

A) Yes — if the evidence gave me reason to doubt.

B) Absolutely not. I have seen how thrillers end.

C) I’d help, but I’d tell someone what was happening first.

D) I’d investigate secretly because I have apparently learned nothing from this newsletter series.

Hit reply and tell me.

And bonus question:

What book villain turned out to be completely different from what you expected?

No spoilers if you can help it.

Some of us have very ambitious TBR piles.

Warmly,
Kim

P.S. Next time, we may have to decide whether we’d delete the evidence that could save someone... if saving them meant exposing someone we love. Nothing complicated there.

Halloween reading doesn’t always have to mean ghosts, goblins, and things that go bump in the night. Sometimes it means witches, mysterious creatures, interactive adventures, adorable bats, and yes... chickens traveling through time.

Because apparently Halloween books can contain just about anything, and I fully support that!

In this episode of The Brave Bookshelf with Kim Bartosch, I’m sharing 10 fun and wonderfully unusual children’s books that families can enjoy during Halloween and throughout the spooky season.

Some are creepy. Some are silly. Some are sweet. And others are just delightfully strange.

Whether you’re looking for a not-too-scary bedtime story, a fun read-aloud, an interactive adventure, or something completely unexpected, there’s a little something for every young reader.

📚 The 10 Books Featured in This Episode

1. 🐔 Time-Traveling Chickens: Bawk to the Future by Kaz Windness

2. 🐔 Time-Traveling Chickens: Nugget and Tenders’s Eggcellent Adventure by Kaz Windness

3. 🕸️ The Nest by Kenneth Oppel, illustrated by Susan Kao

4. 🧠 Create Your Craniacs Quest with...: Escape from the Chrome Dome by R.L. Stine, illustrated by Joe Simko

5. 🎃 Halloween Baby! by Karen Katz

6. 👀 I Want Every Thing by Sophy Henn

7. 🦇 Bitsy Bat Snow Star by Kaz Windness

8. ✨ The Tiny Thing by Ellen Tarlow, illustrated by Laren Stringer

9. 🔎 Have You Seen Axel? by Adam Jay Epstein and Ruth Chan

10. 🚀 I Need Space by Molly Harris, illustrated by Jon Corby

👻 A Little Something for Every Reader

One of my favorite things about putting together book lists is finding stories that celebrate all kinds of readers.

Some kids love a good scare. Others prefer something funny or quirky. Some want a mystery, while others enjoy books filled with imagination and surprises.

And some just want time-traveling chickens. Who am I to argue?

The wonderful thing about Halloween reading is that there’s room for all of it. You don’t have to love scary stories to enjoy spooky season.

So grab your favorite blanket, maybe a piece of Halloween candy (or three), and join me as we explore 10 books that deserve a spot on your family’s bookshelf.

💬 Let’s talk books!

What are your family’s favorite Halloween or not-so-spooky reads? Do your kids prefer creepy stories, funny adventures, or something wonderfully weird?

I’d love to hear your recommendations in the comments!

Happy reading, and have a wonderfully spooky season!

— Kim Bartosch

The Brave Bookshelf | Children’s Books, Reading Adventures & Stories Worth Sharing

Dear Brave Reader,

I have a question for you.

If you believed the Menendez brothers’ accounts of the sexual, physical, and psychological abuse they suffered at the hands of their father, would you still find them guilty of murder?

I’ve been thinking about this since watching Netflix’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.

And I have some thoughts.

The brothers admitted to killing their parents. That isn’t in dispute. But what has stayed with me is the question of why.

Their defense argued that years of abuse and fear led them to believe their lives were in danger. The prosecution painted a very different picture: two privileged young men who murdered their parents for their inheritance.

And then there was all that spending after the murders.

For the prosecution, that supported the argument that greed was the motive.

But I saw it differently.

What if spending that money wasn’t about greed? What if it was about freedom?

I kept wondering whether buying expensive things was their way of saying one final fuck you to a father they described as controlling and abusive.

I wondered whether money had been another weapon in that household. Another way to demand obedience. Another way to remind them who held all the power.

That’s my interpretation, not something I can prove. But I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

And their mother?

That part made me angry, too.

The brothers alleged that she knew about the abuse and failed to protect them. If that’s true, I find it heartbreaking and infuriating. A parent is supposed to be the person you can turn to when someone hurts you.

What happens when that person looks the other way?

Of course, I don’t know everything that happened behind closed doors. None of us watching a dramatized television series can claim that we do. And the distinction between understanding someone’s actions and legally justifying them matters.

Still, I keep returning to one uncomfortable question.

How much should a history of abuse change the way we judge someone who commits a terrible act?

I don’t have a tidy answer. But I do think it’s a conversation worth having.

📚 From My Brave Bookshelf: A Lake with No Bottom by H. D. Hunter

Speaking of painful histories and the truths people would rather bury, I recently finished A Lake with No Bottom by H. D. Hunter, and this one gave me a satisfyingly thrilling read.

The story follows Sidney Cromwell, who moves from Atlanta to rural Forsyth County, Georgia. All he wants is to fit in at his new high school.

But after nearly drowning in Lake Lanier, he begins experiencing terrifying visions and encounters with spirits connected to Oscarville, a Black community whose history lies beneath the man-made lake.

And those spirits have unfinished business.

One of the things I enjoyed most was Sidney and his new friend, Amy Jade. I found both characters endearing.

And the anxiety surrounding being the new kid at school?

Been there. Done that.

I know how uncomfortable it can feel trying to find your place somewhere unfamiliar, especially when all you want is to belong. I thought H. D. Hunter did a wonderful job capturing that feeling.

I also loved the folklore surrounding Lake Lanier.

There’s something about a haunted lake, mysterious deaths, buried history, and spirits demanding to be heard that immediately gets my attention.

Add in the gothic elements Hunter weaves throughout the story, and I was sold.

But what makes the premise especially disturbing is the human element.

Sidney is trying to uncover a history that people around him would rather ignore. And the more that history is denied, the angrier the spirits become.

The supernatural horror is frightening, but so is the idea of an entire community refusing to acknowledge the suffering that came before it.

For me, the mix of folklore, gothic atmosphere, history, and characters I genuinely cared about made this a satisfying thriller.

If you enjoy supernatural stories with a historical backbone and a little gothic darkness, this one might be worth adding to your bookshelf.

This book is a part of a book tour with Toppling Stacks Tours.

Check out my full review and get the book:

Before You Go…

I’m curious about where you stand on the Menendez brothers.

If you were sitting on that jury and believed the abuse they described, would you have voted guilty or not guilty?

And can you understand why someone might commit an act of violence without believing that act was justified?

I’d love to hear your thoughts, even if they differ from mine.

Until next time, keep reading bravely.

Kim Bartosch

The Brave Bookshelf Dispatch • Young Adult Author • Bookilicious

P.S. Do you like watching true crime or retellings of true crime murders? I must admit it’s been my guilty pleasure lately. 😅😅

This YA horror novel brings together a haunted lake, terrifying visions, and a community’s resistance to confronting its past. So far, the mystery and supernatural descriptions have pulled me in, even when certain character decisions and storytelling choices have left me scratching my head.

Sidney moves from Atlanta to rural Forsyth County, Georgia, hoping to fit in at his new high school. After he nearly drowns in Lake Lanier, however, fitting in becomes considerably more complicated. He begins experiencing disturbing visions and encounters with spirits connected to Oscarville, a Black community at the center of the novel’s buried history. Those spirits want justice, and Sidney finds himself caught between their demands and people who would rather leave the past alone.

One of the first things I connected with was Sidney’s experience as the new kid. Been there, done that, and would happily skip the reunion tour. Starting over somewhere unfamiliar means figuring out friendships, personalities, and where you belong while everyone else seems to have the instruction manual already. That part of Sidney’s situation gave me something familiar to hold onto before the supernatural trouble took over.

I liked having that relatable starting point. Sidney wants something ordinary: to belong. Watching that desire collide with experiences that make him stand out gives his situation another layer of difficulty. It’s hard enough to find your place without terrifying visions entering the conversation.

Where Hunter has worked especially well for me is in building mystery and suspense. There’s enough uncertainty surrounding Sidney’s experiences to keep me interested in what’s happening and why. The visions and nightmares are another strength. Their descriptions help communicate how frightening and disorienting this experience is for Sidney, and those passages have been some of the most effective parts of my reading so far.

My bigger frustrations involve how certain details are introduced and how characters respond to information they seem to possess.

For example, Sidney goes to Amy Jade for help, but she avoids him after getting in trouble over the incident in which he nearly drowned. Later, he encounters her mother in the school library, where she gives him a journal. That interaction suggests she knows something about what’s happening.

Then, in the next chapter, we learn that she (Amy Jade’s mother) nearly drowned in the same lake when she was a little girl.

That revelation left me wondering why she hadn’t said more during their library encounter. If she has experienced something connected to what Sidney is going through, why give him the journal without offering more explanation? From my perspective at this point, he needs help, and she appears to have information that could matter.

There may be a reason for her silence that I haven’t reached yet. I’m leaving room for that possibility. Still, the sequence felt abrupt to me, and the missing explanation made her behavior difficult to understand. I wanted a stronger connection between what she knows and what she chooses to tell him.

The journal entries have also been a stumbling block. I believe they belong to the boy in overalls who seems to be possessing Sidney, although I’m still piecing that together. The verse format feels intended to create a particular atmosphere or voice, but I’ve found the passages difficult to understand.

Instead of helping me connect with that part of the mystery, they often leave me confused and frustrated. I don’t expect every supernatural clue to arrive neatly labeled, but I want enough clarity to feel that I’m making progress. Here, I’ve sometimes struggled to understand what the entries are communicating at all.

At the halfway point, A Lake with No Bottom is a mixed reading experience for me, with some clear strengths. I connect with Sidney’s new-kid struggles, enjoy the mystery and suspense, and appreciate Hunter’s descriptions of the nightmares and visions. At the same time, abrupt revelations, unclear character motivations, and difficult journal passages have interrupted my engagement.

For now, I’m giving it 3½ stars ⭐⭐⭐✨. I’m interested in seeing where Sidney’s story goes—and whether the second half brings the clarity I’ve been looking for.

About the book:

Genre: YA Horror
Publication Date: October 20, 2026
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Rep: Black

Synopsis:

A Lake with No Bottom is a chilling young adult novel about a teenaged white boy who is haunted by the victims of a Black town erased from history and is recruited by the restless souls left behind to bring them justice.

When Sidney Cromwell moves to rural Forsyth County, Georgia from the big city of Atlanta, all he wants is to fit in at his new high school. But when Sidney nearly drowns in Lake Lanier, an allegedly haunted lake that is the site of numerous inexplicable freak accidents and deaths, he becomes a social pariah as he starts to suffer terrifying visions from the past and hauntings by apparitions calling him to Lanier.

Sidney returns to the lake for answers, and he finds in its murky depths the spirits of former residents from Oscarville, the Black town that lies beneath the man-made lake. They enlist Sidney to remind Forsyth of its devastating history and push its citizens to make amends so that the souls in Oscarville can finally rest.

But Sidney soon learns that people will go to great lengths to avoid facing truths they’d rather not hear. The people of Forsyth County refuse to acknowledge the past, and as Oscarville’s populace starts to lose their patience, their rage and thirst for vengeance rise like a tidal wave.

Poignant, timely, and utterly terrifying, this gripping supernatural tale is perfect for fans of Internment and She Is a Haunting.

Content warnings: Racism, discrimination, and deaths

Meet the author:

Hugh “H. D.” Hunter is from Atlanta, Georgia. He’s the author of Torment: A Novella, the Futureland trilogy, A Lake with No Bottom, and Something Like Right, as well as the winner of several international indie book awards for multicultural fiction.

Hugh is committed to stories about Black kids and their many expansive worlds.

Website | Instagram | Goodreads

The story follows Kylie Beckett, who returns to the small seaside town where she was born after the sudden death of her great-aunt. She lands her dream job as a forensic photographer, but her fresh start comes with complications that go well beyond settling into a new workplace. A series of murders and the theft of a dangerous relic pull Kylie into the dark history of her ancestors. With help from newfound family, she must learn to harness powers she didn’t know she possessed and stop the Pale Witch from unleashing a demonic spirit on Salem, Massachusetts.

On paper, that setup had plenty to draw me in. A forensic photographer caught between a murder investigation and her own supernatural family history? That sounds like a promising way to spend an October evening. Add Salem to the mix, and I was expecting a reading experience with a generous helping of dread. My Halloween reading list had a very specific assignment, and I wanted this book to bring the goosebumps.

What worked for me was the basic premise. There’s a worthwhile story idea here, with the mystery surrounding Kylie’s family giving the supernatural conflict a personal connection. She isn’t simply encountering trouble somewhere unfamiliar; she’s returning to her birthplace and discovering that her own history is tied to what’s happening. That combination of homecoming, hidden ancestry, and danger gave me a reason to be interested in where the plot would lead.

I also liked the potential in Kylie’s profession. Forensic photography is an intriguing starting point for a protagonist in a story involving murders and paranormal events. It brings a practical, investigative element to a premise filled with witchcraft and buried secrets. Those ingredients were part of why I picked this one up in the first place. Even though the overall reading experience didn’t fully click for me, I could see the appeal of the story being offered.

My biggest disappointment was the horror element. I wanted more of it. I went into this book looking for a scary seasonal read, and the experience didn’t give me enough fear or unease to satisfy that particular craving. Having witches, demonic danger, and a sinister history in the premise certainly raises expectations, but those elements alone weren’t enough to make this feel frightening to me. I wanted the tension to get under my skin and linger there.

That’s a personal response, of course. Readers have very different thresholds for what feels scary, and I’m reviewing this through the lens of what I wanted when I chose it. For my Halloween reading mood, I needed a stronger sense of menace. I wanted to hesitate before turning off the light, or at least give the suspicious hallway shadow a second look. This time, the hallway shadow got to carry on with its evening undisturbed.

The pacing was my other sticking point. The story moved a little too slowly for my taste, which made it harder for me to stay fully invested. A slower pace can work for me when the suspense keeps building, especially in a supernatural story. Here, though, the lack of scares meant the pace stood out more. I kept wanting a stronger pull forward and a little more urgency to match the danger suggested by the premise.

I wouldn’t call the plot bad. That distinction matters, because my three-star rating reflects a middle-of-the-road experience rather than a complete disappointment. There were ideas here that interested me, and I understood what drew me to the book. But being interested in the setup and feeling absorbed by the reading experience are two different things. For me, this one stayed closer to the first.

Readers who enjoy witch-centered paranormal stories and don’t need their supernatural reading to be especially frightening may have a better experience. If a more leisurely pace doesn’t bother you, the family secrets and magical threat may offer enough to hold your attention. I’d approach it with those expectations rather than choosing it specifically for a night of Halloween chills.

Ultimately, Whispers of the Pale Witch earns three stars ⭐⭐⭐ from me. It’s a reasonable option for a casual read between more anticipated titles, especially if its premise catches your interest. It wouldn’t be my first recommendation for someone seeking a truly scary October book, but it may suit a reader looking for a supernatural mystery at a gentler pace. I came for the scares and left wishing the witch had whispered something a little more unsettling.

About the book:

Series: Beckett Coven, Book One
Publisher: Rowan Prose Publishing
Genre: Adult Horror / Paranormal Thriller
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ — 3 out of 5 stars

Synopsis:

Some secrets should just stay buried.

After the sudden death of her great-aunt, Kylie Beckett lands her dream job as a forensic photographer in the small seaside town where she was born. But once there, a series of murders and the theft of a dangerous relic force Kylie to uncover the dark truth about her ancestors.

With the help of newfound family, she learns to harness unconscious powers to stop the vengeful and unstable Pale Witch before she unleashes a demonic spirit on Salem, Massachusetts once again.

Shall we begin?

Get the book!

Enter the Giveaway:

1 Whispers of the Pale Witch Swag bag (includes stickers, a bookmark, buttons, and a coaster)

1 Signed copy of Whispers of the Pale Witch

Enter Here!

Meet the author:

Drawn to playwriting from an early age, S.A. Sizemore began writing professionally while studying English and theater arts in college. After producing several plays regionally in Southern California, Sizemore pivoted to the themed entertainment industry. Whispers of the Pale Witch is the first installment of the Beckett Coven series inspired by Sizemore’s ancestral connection to the Salem Witch Trials. She is a full member of the Dramatists Guild of America, proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, European and Cherokee/Chickahominy decent, and resides in California with her wife and two dogs, Agatha and Harry.

Website: https://www.beckettcoven.com

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Threads https://www.threads.com/@beckettcoven

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@beckettcoven

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SASizemore/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beckettcoven

BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/beckettcoven.bsky.social

Readers Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1432502558353371/

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222468899-whispers-of-the-pale-witch

The one with boarded-up windows, an overgrown yard, and a front porch that looks like it might collapse if you sneeze too hard.

Nobody lives there. At least, that’s what everyone says.

Some claim a family disappeared without a trace. Others swear they’ve seen lights flickering in the upstairs windows.

And, of course, there’s always someone who knows someone who went inside and was never quite the same afterward.

You know the house I’m talking about.

So this week’s question is:

Would You Enter the Abandoned House?

Now imagine you’re standing outside it with your friends on a chilly October night.

One of them pulls out a crisp $100 bill.

“I dare you to go inside. Five minutes. That’s all.”

You laugh. Because obviously, you’re not stupid.

Then someone mentions that the house might hold the answer to a mystery you’ve been trying to solve.

Suddenly, five minutes doesn’t sound so bad.

So, what would YOU do?

🚪 A. Take the $100. Five minutes is nothing. Right?

🏃 B. Absolutely not. You’ve read enough thrillers to know how this ends.

🔦 C. Forget the money. If there are answers inside, you’re going in.

👀 D. Convince your friend to go first. That’s what friends are for.

Hit reply with A, B, C, or D. I want to know who’s surviving this YA thriller and who’s becoming the cautionary tale in chapter one.

Personally, I think the smartest character is the one who stays on the sidewalk. But where’s the fun in reading about that?

📚 What I’m Reading: Best in Murder by Lauren Carr

What’s the book about?

The trouble begins at the Mid-Atlantic Classic Kennel Club Invitational—Best in Show, held at the Spencer Inn. A priceless platinum-and-diamond collar disappears, turning an elegant event into the setting for a high-profile theft. Then two women connected to the show are murdered, and the investigation takes a much darker turn. Suddenly, far more is at stake than an expensive accessory or a coveted ribbon.

Mac Faraday and his German Shepherd, Gnarly, enter a world filled with valuable dogs, fiercely competitive owners, and egos that could probably use their own obedience classes. A missing Irish Wolfhound adds another layer to the mystery, while friction between Spencer PD and the county sheriff’s office complicates matters further.

My Rating: ⭐4.8/5

Best in Murder surprised me in the best way. Mac’s wit, Gnarly and Storm’s involvement, and the dog-show setting made this my favorite installment so far. It gave me an investigation I had fun following and a cast I genuinely liked. If you enjoy your mysteries with humor, memorable sleuths, and plenty of canine mischief, this one belongs on your reading list. Just don’t expect the dogs to observe resort etiquette.

🐾 Want the full scoop?

Read my complete review and get the book, Canine Chaos and a Mystery Worth Sniffing Out, for more of my thoughts on Best in Murder.

Until next time, stay curious, trust your instincts, and maybe don’t follow strange noises into abandoned houses.

Happy reading!

Kim

P.S. Be honest. Would you enter that house for $100? Or would it take the possibility of uncovering a secret to get you through the door?

Hi Bookish Friends! 🎃📚

Halloween has changed.

And maybe I notice it more because I grew up in the ’80s.

When I was around ten or eleven — maybe even younger — I remember heading out into the neighborhood with my friends to trick-or-treat.

No parents walking ten feet behind us.

No location sharing.

No group texts asking where we were.

No phones at all.

We just… went.

House to house.

Street to street.

Probably farther than we had any business going.

And somehow, at the end of the night, we made our way home with pillowcases full of candy and absolutely no photographic evidence of where we had been.

Which, looking back now?

Feels a little wild.

Halloween Then vs. Halloween Now 🎃

The Halloween I remember from the ’80s felt much more kid-driven.

You met up with friends.

You wandered.

You decided which streets had the best candy.

You dared each other to walk up to the creepy house.

You stayed out until someone’s porch light went off or somebody finally said, “We should probably go home.”

Today, Halloween can feel much more organized.

Parents are more likely to walk with younger kids.

Some families choose trunk-or-treat events, community celebrations, or designated neighborhoods.

Phones make it easier to keep track of everyone.

And Halloween itself feels bigger.

There are elaborate yard displays.

Entire stores devoted to Halloween.

Movie tie-ins.

Licensed costumes.

Matching family costumes.

Halloween décor that starts appearing when it still feels like summer.

I’m not saying one version is better.

But it definitely feels different.

And for a thriller writer?

That difference is fascinating.

In my research, I found even more thriller-worthy material hiding in Halloween memories from the ’80s.

PopSugar.com brought up the Tylenol scare, and I don’t know if anyone else remembers this, but it changed the way a lot of parents looked at Halloween candy.

There were stories about tampered medicine, razor blades hidden in candy, and other scary rumors about people putting dangerous things into treats meant for kids.

I remember coming home from trick-or-treating and immediately dumping all my candy onto the floor so my mom could inspect every single piece.

If the wrapper looked torn, crinkled, opened, or even slightly suspicious?

Into the trash it went.

And honestly, from a thriller-writer perspective, there is so much you could do with that idea.

Maybe someone really is poisoning the Halloween candy.

Maybe a predator is targeting one neighborhood.

Or maybe someone is experimenting with a strange formula that turns unsuspecting trick-or-treaters into zombies.

See?

One childhood Halloween memory and suddenly we have three new thriller plots.

Why the ’80s Were Perfect for Kid-Led Thrillers

Think about it.

No cell phones.

No GPS.

No texting a parent.

No security cameras on every other porch.

No instant internet search when something weird happens.

If you were twelve years old and saw something suspicious?

You had to figure it out yourself.

Want to know who owns the creepy house?

Bike to the library.

Need to call your parents?

Find a landline.

Think someone is following you?

Good luck checking their social media.

That lack of instant communication gives writers so much room to create tension.

And the kids had freedom.

At least where I grew up, we were outside.

Unsupervised.

Riding bikes.

Exploring woods.

Cutting through yards.

Knocking on doors.

Going places our parents probably assumed were much closer than they actually were.

That is basically a thriller setup waiting to happen.

Why So Many Horror Stories Keep Going Back to the ’80s 📺

I don’t think it’s an accident that so many horror and mystery stories keep returning to this era.

Stranger Things may be the most obvious example.

Kids on bikes.

Walkie-talkies.

Parents who don’t know where they are half the time.

A mystery the kids have to solve themselves because the adults either don’t believe them or don’t understand what’s happening.

Then there’s Paper Girls, which begins on Halloween morning in 1988.

Four girls are out delivering newspapers before dawn.

By themselves.

Already, you have a premise that would be much harder to create the same way today.

A few other stories that use the ’80s particularly well:

• My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

Set in the late ’80s, with teen friendship, horror, possession, and all the wonderfully strange cultural details of the era.

• The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson

A coming-of-age story set in the 1980s involving kids, ghost stories, urban legends, and the mysteries adults don’t always explain.

• Summer of 84 a film by RKSS on Apple TV

A group of teenage boys begin to suspect that someone in their neighborhood may be a serial killer. Naturally, they investigate.

Because apparently the official hobby of fictional ’80s kids was:

“Adults aren’t doing anything, so I guess we’ll solve it.”

And then there’s Totally Killer, which sends its teen protagonist back to 1987 and plays with all the differences between being a teenager then and now.

Not all of these are technically middle grade or YA books, but they tap into the same storytelling advantage:

Kids had space to get into trouble.

A lot of space.

Writer Aha: Take Away the Phone 📵

One reason the ’80s are so appealing to thriller writers is simple:

You don’t have to explain why the character didn’t just call someone.

That is a real problem when writing modern suspense.

You put your character in danger and immediately have to ask:

Does she have her phone?

Does she have service?

Why doesn’t she call 911?

Can someone track her location?

Did the security camera catch it?

Did anyone screenshot the message?

Technology gives characters more tools.

Which means writers have to work harder to take those tools away.

Set the same story in 1985?

Your character gets on her bike and rides into the woods.

Nobody knows where she is.

Done.

Terrifying.

Convenient.

Thank you, 1985.

And Halloween Makes It Even Better 👻

Halloween adds another layer.

Everyone is wearing costumes.

People are outside after dark.

Strangers are walking up to houses.

Masks are normal.

Someone screaming might be joking.

That person standing at the end of the street?

Probably another trick-or-treater.

Probably.

And if a kid came home in the ’80s and said:

“I think someone followed us tonight,”

there wasn’t necessarily a doorbell camera waiting to settle the question.

That uncertainty is thriller gold.

The Brave Conversation 💛

But there’s another side to all this nostalgia.

More freedom also meant kids sometimes had to handle things themselves.

Today we talk much more openly about supervision, bullying, stranger safety, mental health, consent, and when kids should ask adults for help.

That’s a good thing.

So I don’t think the interesting question is:

Were the ’80s better?

I think it’s:

What did kids gain from that independence — and what risks came with it?

Maybe that’s why the era still feels so powerful in fiction.

Kids had enough freedom to get into trouble.

And not enough technology to get out of it easily.

For a thriller writer?

That’s almost irresistible.

What I’m Reading 📚

This week, I’m sharing Night of Madness by Ryan Douglass.

About the book:

Horror fan Mara enters a contest hosted by legendary producer Jack Stanley, hoping to win $100,000 by spending the night on the set of his cult slasher Asylum. But what starts as a dream for horror lovers turns deadly fast. Trapped with four other contestants, Mara must fight to survive until morning—and face just how ruthless she’s willing to become.

What pulled me in:

Ryan Douglass delivers again! I loved Mara’s badass spirit and the unique personalities of her brother and best friend. The fast-moving plot kept me hooked, while the vivid gore and terrifying spider things had me checking under my bed. After loving The Taking of Jake Livingston, I was thrilled that Night of Madness brought more unforgettable scares.

Five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for this creepy, action-packed read!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the book and my honest review.

You can read my full review here and get the book:

Now I Want to Hear From You

If you grew up in the ’70s, ’80s, or ’90s:

How old were you when you started trick-or-treating without your parents?

And do you think you’d let a kid that age do the same thing today?

Hit reply and tell me.

I’m especially curious to know how far everyone wandered.

Because I have a feeling our parents thought we were three streets away when we were actually halfway across town.

Warmly,
Kim

P.S. Thriller writers: if your plot gets stuck because everyone has a smartphone, you can always move the story to 1987. Problem solved.

The trouble begins at the Mid-Atlantic Classic Kennel Club Invitational—Best in Show, held at the Spencer Inn. A priceless platinum-and-diamond collar disappears, turning an elegant event into the setting for a high-profile theft. Then two women connected to the show are murdered, and the investigation takes a much darker turn. Suddenly, far more is at stake than an expensive accessory or a coveted ribbon.

Mac Faraday and his German Shepherd, Gnarly, enter a world filled with valuable dogs, fiercely competitive owners, and egos that could probably use their own obedience classes. A missing Irish Wolfhound adds another layer to the mystery, while friction between Spencer PD and the county sheriff’s office complicates matters further. Meanwhile, the dogs are doing their part to make sure the Spencer Inn never has a dull moment. It’s a setup with plenty of opportunities for both intrigue and mischief.

One of the things I appreciated most was how quickly Carr gets into the action. Compared with the previous Mac Faraday novels I’ve read, this one felt more immediately engaging. I like a mystery that gives me something to investigate early, and Best in Murder did exactly that. The story got moving, the questions started piling up, and I was ready to join Mac in figuring out what was going on. That approach really suited the kind of reading experience I enjoy.

Mac himself remains a big part of the appeal. He’s charming, lovable, and witty, and I enjoy following a sleuth whose personality makes the investigation entertaining. His wit was one of my favorite things about him here. A murder mystery naturally has serious business to handle, but spending time with Mac gives the story a sense of fun alongside the crime-solving. I liked being in his company while trying to piece everything together.

Still, my favorite characters were Gnarly and Storm. I love that Carr includes them in the sleuthing and makes them part of solving the crime. They’re involved in the very thing I came to the book for: the investigation. Watching Mac work with his canine companions made the mystery especially enjoyable for me. There’s something wonderfully entertaining about following a case when the four-legged members of the team are among the characters you’re most excited to see.

I liked the rest of the characters, too, but the dogs were the standouts. With so many of them involved this time, the dog-show setting felt particularly well suited to the series. The competition brings together polished appearances, expensive prizes, and people with plenty to gain or lose. Then the canine chaos keeps everything from becoming too proper. I enjoyed that combination of an elegant event and an investigation that refuses to behave itself.

The biggest compliment I can give this book is that I had fun trying to solve the crime alongside Mac and his canine sleuths. I wanted to follow the investigation and see how the different pieces would connect. For me, that’s one of the pleasures of reading a mystery: getting involved enough to start working through the possibilities yourself. Best in Murder gave me that experience while also giving me characters I enjoyed spending time with.

At times, the book reminded me of the playful mystery appeal of Only Murders in the Building and Knives Out. Mac’s charm and wit also brought to mind the fun of Dorothy L. Sayers’s Lord Peter Wimsey. Those comparisons describe the feeling I had while reading: an entertaining investigation with personalities that help make the puzzle enjoyable. If that sort of mystery appeals to you, you’ll understand what I liked about spending time in this story.

My only real criticism is that a few sections dragged. There were moments when I thought the story could have been tightened and some material left out. Since the opening gets into the action so quickly, those slower stretches stood out. They weren’t serious enough to spoil my enjoyment, though, and I still liked the ending. That’s why I landed at 4.8 stars: a little room for trimming, but a whole lot to enjoy.

Best in Murder surprised me in the best way. Mac’s wit, Gnarly and Storm’s involvement, and the dog-show setting made this my favorite installment so far. It gave me an investigation I had fun following and a cast I genuinely liked. If you enjoy your mysteries with humor, memorable sleuths, and plenty of canine mischief, this one belongs on your reading list. Just don’t expect the dogs to observe resort etiquette.

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — 4.8 out of 5 stars

About the book:

Series: A Mac Faraday Mystery, Book 15
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Release date: October 13, 2026
Genre: Adult mystery
Content rating: PG-13; murder, occasional mild swearing, and sexual content kept behind closed doors

One Collar. Two Dead. Total Chaos.

When a priceless platinum-and-diamond collar vanishes at the Mid-Atlantic Classic Kennel Club Invitational—Best in Show at the Spencer Inn, it looks like the ultimate high-society theft. But when two women connected to the glittering event are murdered in quick succession, the case explodes into something far more deadly.

Mac Faraday and his troublemaking German Shepherd, Gnarly, dive headfirst into the glamorous, cutthroat world of championship dog shows. Amidst perfectly groomed champions worth small fortunes, ruthless competitors, and million-dollar egos, the trail leads to a missing Irish Wolfhound whose value goes well beyond his blue-blood pedigree.

As tensions rise between Spencer PD and the county sheriff’s office, Mac’s team races to untangle a web of greed, betrayal, and long-buried secrets—all while the elegant resort descends into delightful canine chaos. With show dogs of every shape and size turning the Spencer Inn into their personal playground, Gnarly does what he does best: stir up trouble and sniff out the truth.

Fast-paced, laugh-out-loud funny, and packed with four-legged mischief, Best in Murder proves that in the high-stakes world of Best in Show, the biggest prizes come with the deadliest risks.

Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Audible
BookBub
add to goodreads

Meet the author:

Lauren Carr is the author of over thirty acclaimed mystery novels, with more than half a million copies sold worldwide. Her fast-paced series—the Mac Faraday Mysteries, Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries, and more—blend twists, suspense, humor, and unforgettable characters (including clever German shepherds!).

It's Murder, My Son organically hit #1 in Mystery on Amazon, and her books consistently rank in the Top 20 Police Procedurals in the US and international markets.

A popular speaker and publishing consultant, Lauren lives on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV, with her husband and three spoiled rotten German shepherds.

connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ X/twitter ~ pinterest ~ goodreads

The setup immediately caught my attention. Mara is a horror buff whose connection to the movies of filmmaker Jack Stanley is tangled up with her relationship with her dad. His eighties slasher films represent some of their few happy memories together. When Stanley announces an overnight competition on the recreated set of his movie Asylum, the opportunity sounds almost too good to pass up. Five teen influencers will spend the night, and anyone who lasts until morning can win a hundred thousand dollars.

Mara could really use that money. The problem? She isn’t exactly a famous influencer. With help from her brother and best friend, she finds a creative way to build an online presence and get noticed. Soon, she’s among the chosen contestants, heading into what should be a horror fan’s dream experience. Of course, a dream can turn into a nightmare pretty quickly when the scares stop being special effects. Suddenly, making it to morning means a whole lot more than collecting a prize.

Mara was easily one of my favorite parts of this book. She is such a badass, and I loved having her at the center of all this madness. When a horror story gets this intense, I want to care about the person trying to survive it. Mara gave me that investment. I wasn’t simply waiting to see what terrifying thing would happen next; I was rooting for her through the chaos.

I also loved her brother and her best friend. Those three felt like interesting, unique individuals, and they were the characters who stood out most to me. Even with a premise built around influencers and a competition, it was this trio that gave me the strongest connection to the story. Their involvement in helping Mara get her chance adds another reason to become invested before the overnight experience takes its frightening turn. The book has plenty of spectacle, but I appreciated having characters I actually wanted to follow.

The other contestants felt more like recognizable character types. There’s the vain, egotistical fashionista influencer, the boy who is into sports and working out, and the shy, seemingly innocent singer who has plenty of secrets. I could picture those personalities almost immediately. Compared with Mara, her brother, and her best friend, they felt more stereotypical to me. That was the main distinction I noticed in the cast, although it didn’t stop me from enjoying the story or change my five-star rating.

What really kept me hooked was the pacing. The plot moves quickly, and Douglass does a fantastic job of keeping the action engaging. I stayed invested as the situation became more dangerous, and the story kept giving me reasons to keep reading. An overnight competition already comes with a built-in countdown, but once survival becomes the real concern, that countdown takes on a much nastier meaning. Morning suddenly feels very far away.

The horror descriptions deserve their own moment here, because they did their job a little too well. The gore is vivid, the scares are unsettling, and those spider things had me checking under my bed. I am keeping that description vague on purpose because I don’t want to spoil the experience. Just know that my imagination did not need any encouragement after reading those scenes. Apparently, the space beneath my bed required an inspection. For safety. And science.

I loved how invested I remained in the action even when the descriptions made me want to squirm. That combination is a big part of why this worked so well for me: I wanted to know what happened next, even when I suspected I wouldn’t enjoy picturing it. Douglass kept me turning pages while also giving me images that lingered afterward. A horror novel that follows you away from the page has certainly accomplished something.

Then there’s the edition itself. The publisher lists sprayed stenciled edges for the first hardcover printing while the special-edition supply lasts. If that’s the version you want, I’d look for a copy while it’s available. I gave mine away, and now I kind of wish I hadn’t. Sharing books is wonderful. Remembering how much you loved the one you just handed over? That’s where the tiny bookish regret sneaks in.

Night of Madness gave me a badass main character, a memorable trio, quick-moving action, and enough gruesome scares to make my own bedroom feel suspicious. After loving The Taking of Jake Livingston, I’m happy to say Ryan Douglass didn’t disappoint me here either. Five stars all the way. If you enjoy YA horror with a slasher-movie setup and plenty of gore, this is one to check out. Just consider checking under the bed afterward, too.

About the book:

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
Author: Ryan Douglass
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: Young adult horror

Synopsis:

For the first printing only! This hardcover features sprayed stenciled edges while the special edition supply lasts.

Teen influencers compete in a horror movie–themed overnight competition, only to realize the real test is staying alive in this chilling, blood-soaked horror novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Taking of Jake Livingston and the production company behind Clown in a Cornfield.

Mara is a horror buff whose only fond memories of her dad are bonding over movies by Jack Stanley—the producer of the eighties. Stanley’s campy slasher movies may have kept Mara’s fraught parental relationship on life support and gained a cult following, but the man himself has faded from the public eye…until he announces a contest centered around Asylum, his most terrifying film. Five teen influencers will be invited to spend the night on the fully constructed set; whoever sticks it out until morning wins a hundred thousand dollars.

Stuck in a dead-end job, Mara seriously needs that cash. She may not be a famous influencer, but there has to be a way to manufacture an online presence that will capture Stanley’s attention. With the help of her brother and best friend, Mara finds some creative solutions to her dilemma and lands herself onto the roster of the lucky chosen few by way of her engaging authenticity.

When Mara and the other contestants arrive on set, it’s a horror fan’s dream being immersed in the asylum setting, but as the night wears on, they realize the danger is more than movie magic… They’re not there to win or lose but to live or die. As Mara fights to survive, she discovers an inner ruthlessness she didn’t know she had. Just how far will she go to see the sunrise—and will she still recognize herself by the end?

Buy Here!

About the author:

Ryan Douglass is the author of the young adult horror novel The Taking of Jake Livingston, a New York Times bestseller and an ALA Rainbow Book List Pick; The Great Disillusionment of Nick and Jay, a reimagining of The Great Gatsby set in 1920s Harlem; and Night of Madness, a collaboration with the company behind Clown in a Cornfield. His work explores the ways young people fight to survive in hostile worlds. He lives in Atlanta with his dog and spends his free time baking ambitious desserts and scoping out true crime documentaries. You can follow and connect with Ryan Doulgass on Instagram @ryan_souflee

Every school has that kid.

The one who doesn’t talk much.

The one who notices everything.

The one everyone labels before they ever really get to know them.

Quiet.
Weird.
Dramatic.
Too intense.
Probably imagining things.

Which is exactly why, in a YA thriller, that person is usually the one I’m watching.

Because while everyone else is busy laughing?

They’re paying attention.

So today’s question is:

Would you believe the quiet kid?

Here’s the setup:

There’s a student at your school who mostly keeps to themselves.

They sit in the back of class.

They eat lunch alone.

They barely talk unless a teacher calls on them.

Most people don’t know much about them.

Then one afternoon, they stop you in the hallway.

They look terrified.

And they say:

“Something bad is going to happen tomorrow.”

You ask what they mean.

They won’t explain.

They just tell you not to come to school.

You mention it to your friends.

They laugh.

Someone says the kid is always weird.

Someone else says they just want attention.

A teacher tells you not to feed into rumors.

Then that night, you get a message.

It’s from the quiet kid.

Just one sentence:

“I tried to warn them before, too.”

So… what do you do?

A) Believe them and stay home.

B) Go to school, but keep your eyes open.

C) Tell a trusted adult and push until someone takes it seriously.

D) Message the quiet kid back and ask them to tell you everything they know.

Kim’s Very Scientific Thriller Verdict

If you picked A, understandable.

Will everyone think you overreacted?

Probably.

Will you care if something actually happens?

Absolutely not.

If you picked B, bold choice.

You are officially the main character now.

Please wear sensible shoes.

If you picked C, excellent.

You may be the only person in this story making responsible decisions.

Which, unfortunately, means nobody will listen until chapter twelve.

If you picked D, strong detective energy.

But please do not meet them alone behind an abandoned building at midnight.

We have discussed this.

Why This Setup Works So Well

I love stories where the person everyone dismisses turns out to be the one who saw the truth first.

Because the tension isn’t only:

Are they right?

It’s also:

Why doesn’t anyone believe them?

That gives a thriller two different kinds of danger.

There’s the threat itself.

And then there’s the isolation of knowing something is wrong while everyone around you insists it isn’t.

That second part can be just as frightening.

Because what happens when being quiet makes people overlook you?

What happens when being different makes people doubt you?

What happens when a kid has been labeled “dramatic” so many times that even the truth sounds like another story?

That’s where the emotional stakes get really interesting.

Writer Aha: Make the Warning Easy to Ignore ✍️

If you’re writing a thriller, one way to create tension is to give your characters a warning that sounds just believable enough to worry about — but just strange enough for everyone else to dismiss.

Maybe the quiet kid says:

“Don’t take the bus tomorrow.”

Or:

“Someone is going to disappear.”

Or:

“I saw your name on the list.”

The warning itself creates curiosity.

But the real tension comes from how everyone reacts.

Who believes them?

Who laughs?

Who gets defensive?

Who seems a little too interested in shutting the conversation down?

That last person?

I’m watching them.

A good thriller warning doesn’t always give the reader answers.

Sometimes it creates better questions.

The Brave Conversation 💛

This kind of story also gives us a way to talk about something bigger.

Kids and teens don’t all communicate the same way.

Some talk constantly.

Some need time.

Some are anxious.

Some are shy.

Some are neurodivergent.

Some have learned that speaking up gets them laughed at, ignored, or punished.

And sometimes the person saying the least is noticing far more than anyone realizes.

That’s one reason I love books that let us step into someone else’s perspective.

A story can make us stop and ask:

Who are we overlooking?

Who have we already decided not to believe?

And what would make us listen before something goes wrong?

Sometimes being heard can make all the difference.

What I’m Reading 📚✨

This week, I’m reading The Southern Sorority of Superstitious Witches by Katie Ortiz as part of a book tour with Toppling Stacks Tours.

About the book:

In Katie Ortiz’s The Southern Sorority of Superstitious Witches, three women enter an experimental university program in 1870s Alabama. Facing brutal harassment, they form a coven disguised as a sorority, using Southern folk magic to fight back—and uncover a darker threat determined to drive them out.

What pulled me in:

This book hooked me from page one! I love Lucille’s spunk, Catherine’s sweetness, and the blend of Southern folklore and witchcraft. Watching these women cast spells against their tormentors is satisfying. I wish the magic started sooner, but halfway through, I’m giving this spooky-season read 4.6 stars!

You can read my full review here:

Thank you to Toppling Stacks Tours, the author, and the publisher for including me on the tour.

Now I Want to Hear From You

What would make you believe someone everyone else ignores?

Would it be:

A) How scared they looked

B) A specific detail they shouldn’t know

C) Evidence that backs up their story

D) Just a gut feeling that they’re telling the truth

Reply and tell me.

Because in a thriller?

The quiet kid usually knows something.

The question is whether anyone listens before it’s too late.

Warmly,
Kim

P.S. Next time, we may be talking about whether you’d enter the abandoned house. Which is clearly a terrible idea. So naturally, we’re going there.

Lucille, Catherine, and Victoria arrive at a prestigious Alabama university for a trial semester that could open the door to higher education for women across the state. Each has her own reason for accepting. Lucille wants freedom from her controlling father and distance from a first love who betrayed her. Catherine hopes to escape an arranged marriage intended to suppress her attraction to women. Victoria carries guilt over the death of a fellow mill worker and wants a way forward.

Their opportunity comes with an awful catch: they must succeed in an environment where some male students are actively trying to make them fail. As the harassment escalates, the women form a coven disguised as a sorority and turn to Southern folk magic to fight back. The premise also promises a darker force working against them, making their place at the university even more precarious.

What has stood out most to me is how thoroughly Ortiz makes these women’s circumstances feel oppressive. Their treatment is horrible, and the scenes of bullying and assault are difficult to read. The cruelty made me think about how much freedom I take for granted. These women are trying to learn, yet even that becomes something they must defend.

The historical atmosphere and language have also impressed me. I can’t confirm the accuracy of every detail, and I don’t yet know how much of the university experiment draws on actual history. What I can say is that Ortiz has created a setting that feels convincing to me as a reader. The expectations placed on these women shape their choices, their fears, and the risks they take. That sense of restriction gives their desire for independence real weight.

Lucille is a particular favorite. I love her spunk, especially considering the cruelty she faces from her father. Her personality made me root for her early on, and I want to see her find the freedom she deserves. There is something especially satisfying about a character whose spirit keeps showing through despite the people trying to control her.

Catherine has won me over, too. I love her sweet demeanor and her desire to change things for herself and the other women. Watching her respond to their mistreatment makes me care about what happens to her. Her father’s financial involvement in the school and program adds another detail to consider, especially alongside the different ways the enrolled women are treated.

Victoria’s guilt gives her story a different emotional starting point. Together, the three main characters arrive with distinct burdens, and I appreciate that Ortiz takes time to introduce us to each of them. Their individual circumstances help me understand why this opportunity matters so much.

One of my favorite things to think about is the connection between the women and the magical elements of The spirit, The sacrifice, and The superstition. As I understand the book’s witchcraft so far, those elements are involved in making a spell work. My current interpretation is that Catherine brings the superstition, Lucille the spirit, and Victoria the sacrifice. I could be wrong by the ending, but I love considering how their personalities and experiences might fit together within the magic.

And when the spellcasting against their tormentors finally begins? Yes, please. After watching these men bully and hurt these women, I was ready for them to face some consequences. My main pacing complaint is that I wish this happened sooner. The magical retaliation arrives around the halfway point, and I had been eagerly waiting for it. Still, I appreciate the character development that comes first; knowing the women makes those moments more satisfying.

My other reservation concerns the trial semester’s admissions premise. Two of the ten women enrolled are women of color, and I found myself wondering how their inclusion would have been arranged at this particular university in post–Civil War Alabama. Given the setting, I wanted more explanation of the institution’s decision and the barriers involved. I’m only halfway through, though, so that explanation may still be ahead. Ortiz does portray these women receiving even worse treatment than their white classmates, which makes the question more significant for me.

So far, this is a compelling spooky-season read with characters I care about and magic I’m eager to see develop. The harassment and violence make it a heavy read in places, but the women’s growing resistance keeps me turning pages. My current rating is 4.6 out of 5 stars, and I’m looking forward to discovering where their sisterhood—and their spells—takes them next.

Content warnings: Sexism, discrimination, homophobia, blood, death, murder, self-harm for witchcraft purposes, physical assault, sexual assault, psychological assault, and a graphic force-feeding scene.

My rating so far: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ 4.6/5 stars

About the book:

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction
Publishing date: October 6, 2026

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Rep: Sapphic, Trans, LGBT+

Synopsis:

In this spellbinding Southern Gothic novel, three women weave together old Southern folklore and magic to fight sexism and educational discrimination in post-Civil War Alabama, perfect for fans of Hester Fox and Louisa Morgan.

When Lucille, Catherine, and Victoria are invited to participate in a trial semester for women at Alabama’s most prestigious university, they each have their own reasons for accepting. Lucille wants freedom from both her father’s control and reminders of her traitorous first love. Catherine wants to escape an arranged marriage meant to halt her attraction to women. And Victoria wants to run from the guilt that haunts her after the death of one of her fellow mill girls.

The trial semester will determine whether or not women across the state will be allowed to attend other universities. But the enrolled women quickly learn that success is not guaranteed, and some of their male cohorts are determined to see them fail. When the men’s pranks go too far, Lucille, Catherine, and Victoria form a coven under the guise of a sorority and call upon witchcraft steeped in the traditions of southern folklore to fight back.

As they gather their fellow witches, they discover there is something darker at work at the university, a force that is determined to expel all the women at the university, and they’ll need all the allies they can get if they want to succeed.

For fans of Witchcraft for Wayward Girls and Weyward, this historical speculative novel explores the darker side of human nature and the ways in which women navigate—and survive—oppressive, male-dominated societies.

Meet the author:

Katie Ortiz is a writer, teacher, wife, feminist, and cat mom from Alabama. She’s a member of the Alabama Historical Association and writes accessible historical fiction with a speculative twist. Her writing often explores the darker sides of human nature and the ways in which women navigate and survive in oppressive, male-dominated societies. She attended the 2023, 2024, and 2025 Alabama Writing Day Workshops and the 2023 Atlanta Writers Conference. When she’s not writing at her favorite local coffee shop, she fights for the right to education every day as a public school teacher, reads witchy books, or takes her two cats on walks.

Website | Instagram | Goodreads

Hi Bookish Friends! 📚🚗

Every once in a while, I come across a true-crime story that makes my thriller-writer brain stop and think:

If this were fiction, would readers believe it?

That’s exactly what happened with the case of Mackenzie Shirilla.

Before I go any further, though, I want to acknowledge the two young men whose lives were lost.

Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan were only 20 and 19 years old when they died. My heart and condolences go out to their families, friends, and everyone who loved them.

I’m discussing this case because it raises interesting questions about evidence, perception, unreliable narration, and the way true events can resemble the structure of a thriller. I am not sharing it to sensationalize what happened, minimize their deaths, or turn their tragedy into entertainment.

Two young men lost their lives, and that should remain at the center of the real story.

Content note: this newsletter discusses murder, a fatal car crash, toxic relationships, and the deaths of two young people.

The Case That Feels Like a Thriller Setup

On July 31, 2022, seventeen-year-old Mackenzie Shirilla was driving a Toyota Camry in Strongsville, Ohio, with her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, and his friend Davion Flanagan inside.

The car reached nearly 100 mph before crashing into a commercial brick building.

Russo and Flanagan were killed. Mackenzie Shirilla survived.

What made the case especially striking was the evidence prosecutors later presented.

According to reporting, the Netflix documentary “The Crash,” and the sources I’ve been reading, data from the car showed the accelerator had been fully engaged for several seconds before impact, with no braking beforehand. It also showed that someone had tried to put the car in neutral and that the emergency brake had been engaged.

Prosecutors argued that the crash was intentional.

They also presented evidence of tension between Shirilla and Russo, including an earlier threat she allegedly made during an argument about crashing a car with him inside.

The defense argued something very different.

Shirilla’s attorneys said the crash was accidental and raised the possibility of a medical blackout related to POTS.

The judge rejected that explanation.

In 2023, after a bench trial, Shirilla was convicted on multiple counts, including murder, and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.

And that is where my writer brain kicked in.

Because if you turned this basic setup into a fictional thriller?

You would have one fascinating unreliable narrator.

Writer Aha: What If the Main Character Says It Was an Accident?

Imagine opening a novel with a teenage girl waking up after a catastrophic crash.

Two people are dead.

She survived.

She insists she doesn’t remember what happened.

Maybe she says she blacked out.

Maybe she says the car malfunctioned.

Maybe she says she loved the person sitting beside her.

And maybe she believes every word she is saying.

But then the evidence starts arriving.

A surveillance video.

A text message.

A threat from three weeks earlier.

Car data showing no attempt to brake.

A location she may have visited before.

Now the reader has a problem.

Do we believe her?

That’s the kind of tension unreliable narrators are built for.

Why Unreliable Narrators Work So Well in Thrillers

An unreliable narrator does not necessarily have to be lying to the reader.

Sometimes they are lying to themselves.

Sometimes they remember events incorrectly.

Sometimes trauma changes what they can recall.

Sometimes they deliberately leave information out.

And sometimes the reader realizes that the version of events they’ve been given from page one simply cannot be true.

That’s where the fun starts.

For thriller writers, the question becomes:

How long can I let readers live inside one version of the truth before I show them the cracks?

A character might say:

I never meant to hurt him.

But the evidence says:

She made a threat.

She knew the location.

She accelerated.

She never hit the brakes.

Now the reader has to decide whether those pieces prove intent—or whether there is still another explanation hiding underneath them.

That gap between story and evidence creates suspense.

The Netflix Documentary Adds Another Layer

The Netflix documentary The Crash adds another interesting piece to that question of perception.

According to the documentary, viewers see Shirilla crying and receiving support from Dominic Russo’s parents during the aftermath.

That image complicates the story emotionally.

If you were reading this in a novel, that might be the moment designed to make you question everything.

She looks devastated.

People close to the victim appear to support her.

So maybe it really was an accident.

Right?

Then the investigation begins to tell a different story.

That is exactly the sort of contradiction thriller writers use to keep readers off balance.

The emotional evidence says one thing.

The physical evidence says another.

And suddenly the reader no longer knows which version of the character to trust.

A Thriller Writer’s Toolbox: Building an Unreliable Character ✍️

If I were taking inspiration from a setup like this for fiction, these are the questions I’d play with:

What does the character genuinely remember?
Maybe there are missing pieces rather than outright lies.

What does the character want everyone else to believe?
The police? Parents? Friends? The reader?

What evidence contradicts their version?
Texts, videos, timestamps, GPS data, witnesses, search history.

What emotional detail makes us want to believe them anyway?
Grief. Fear. Love. Regret. Trauma.

What secret are they protecting?
And is it the same secret the reader thinks they’re protecting?

That last one is especially fun.

Maybe the character is lying.

But not about the murder.

That gives you another layer of mystery.

The Brave Conversation 💛

True crime can make us want neat answers.

Villain.

Victim.

Motive.

Proof.

Case closed.

Real life is often messier than that.

And fiction lets us explore that messiness without pretending we know what someone was thinking in a real-life case.

That distinction matters.

We can look at the evidence in a real case.

We can look at what prosecutors argued.

We can look at what the defense argued.

But once we start talking about inner thoughts, hidden motives, or what someone “really felt,” we’re stepping into speculation.

That’s where fiction becomes useful.

A novelist can take the type of dilemma and build an entirely new character around it.

What happens when everyone believes you’re innocent?

What happens when the evidence starts proving otherwise?

And what if the person you’ve been lying to most is yourself?

That is a thriller I would read.

What I’m Reading 📚🌲

This week, I’m reading Where the Bones Took Root by Juniper Klein as part of a book tour with Toppling Stacks Tours.

About the book:

In Where the Bones Took Root by Juniper Klein, Jayde has failed four times to resurrect Soleste, the girl she loved, using forbidden magic. Convinced she needs the life of Soleste’s murderer, she agrees to help an alchemist’s son named Barrick infiltrate a secretive alchemy cult. Bound together by a magical oath, they uncover secrets that challenge everything Jayde believes about Soleste’s death. As her feelings for Barrick grow, Jayde must decide how far she will go to reclaim the past—and what she is willing to sacrifice.

What pulled me in:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — I couldn’t put Where the Bones Took Root down, thanks to its forbidden magic, tangled secrets, and compelling characters. Jayde’s grief and willingness to use blood magic make her a complicated heroine I loved following. Her slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance with Barrick hooked me with its embarrassed reactions and accidental touches—tiny moments, big tension! I also enjoyed the banter between Barrick and his brother, the suspicious supporting characters, and the mysterious cult. The magical world, especially the idea of magic as borrowing or stealing from the earth, brought everything together for a five-star read.

You can read my full review and get the book here:

Thank you to the author/publisher and Toppling Stacks Tours for including me on the tour.

Now I Want to Hear From You

When you read an unreliable narrator, what makes you suspicious first?

Is it:

A) Something they conveniently “don’t remember”
B) Evidence that contradicts them
C) Another character calling them out
D) That little reader instinct that says, “Nope. Something is off.”

Hit reply and tell me.

Because personally?

The minute a narrator says:

“You have to believe me.”

I immediately do not.

Warmly,
Kim

P.S. Have you watched The Crash? Did the documentary make you think differently about how evidence and emotion can tell two very different stories?

I gave this one five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ because I loved how its pieces worked together. Jayde’s grief drives the story, the secrets kept me questioning everyone, and her slow-burn relationship with Barrick gave me another reason to keep turning pages. There is plenty to untangle here, emotionally and magically, and I could not put the book down.

A Resurrection Plan with Dangerous Stakes

Jayde has tried four times to resurrect Soleste, the girl she loved. Each attempt has failed, but Jayde believes she knows what is missing: the life of Soleste’s murderer. That belief sends her down an increasingly dangerous path, where finding a killer and bringing someone back from the dead become tangled together.

Then Barrick, an alchemist’s son, catches her after her latest failure. He offers her a choice: face exposure for her crimes or help him infiltrate the alchemy cult she believes is hiding Soleste’s killer. Jayde agrees and binds him to her through a magical oath. Nothing says “promising partnership” quite like secrets, blackmail, and forbidden magic.

As they work their way into the cult, the questions multiply. What was Soleste hiding? What does Barrick know? How much of Jayde’s understanding of the past can she trust? I loved that the mystery reaches into her relationships as well as the circumstances surrounding Soleste’s death.

Jayde’s Grief and Complicated Choices

Jayde was one of my favorite parts of the book because she is such a complex main character. Her decision to use blood magic makes her determination impossible to dismiss. She is willing to cross frightening boundaries to bring Soleste back, and that willingness gave me a lot to think about while I followed her search.

Her grief also makes the mystery personal. She is investigating the death of someone who mattered deeply to her, so every secret has the potential to change both her plans and her memories. I enjoyed that tension between wanting answers and wanting to preserve what she believes about Soleste.

Although the synopsis describes Soleste as the girl Jayde loved, my impression of their romantic connection came primarily through Jayde’s memories. I did not feel that the book showed scenes clearly establishing a romance between them. Instead, the way Jayde remembers Soleste led me to read that bond as romantic. That distinction stayed with me: the depth of Jayde’s feelings is apparent, while their relationship is largely filtered through her recollections.

The Slow Burn Had Me Hooked

The enemies-to-lovers romance subplot between Jayde and Barrick was a highlight for me. I loved how gradually the tension builds, especially through embarrassed reactions and accidental touches. Those small moments can do so much when an author gives the relationship time to develop.

There is something wonderfully awkward about characters trying to navigate attraction when their partnership already comes with reasons to distrust each other. Jayde and Barrick have secrets, separate motivations, and a magical oath complicating matters. A little brush of contact suddenly has a lot riding on it. Very inconvenient for them. Excellent for me.

I appreciated that the romance develops alongside the mystery. Their changing feelings add another layer to the question of what binds them together. With magic already involved in their connection, the growing attraction gives Jayde something else to untangle. I kept wanting more of their interactions, which is exactly what I hope for in a slow burn.

Banter, Secrets, and Suspicious Company

I also really liked Barrick and his brother, particularly the banter between them. Their exchanges were another enjoyable part of the character dynamics, and I appreciated having that relationship alongside the tension between Barrick and Jayde.

Meanwhile, the secrets gave me plenty of reasons to stay suspicious. Jayde and Barrick both keep things hidden, and the cult adds an entire hierarchy of uncertainty. I loved following a story where the central characters themselves contribute to the mystery.

Then there is Ronan, Jayde’s orphan friend and a thief, who also struck me as suspicious. Add the mysterious Chymist, whom Jayde believes is responsible for Soleste’s death, and my mental suspect list was getting crowded. I enjoyed having so many people and possibilities to question without knowing how everything would connect.

Magic That Leaves Questions Behind

The world’s magic was another element I loved. There are numerous rules surrounding its use, along with alchemists and forbidden practices, and the world retains a sense of mystery as those components come together.

One detail that especially caught my attention was a flashback in which Soleste uses magic to help plants grow. She describes borrowing from the earth, while magic is also described as stealing. I liked that explanation because it made me think about the exchange involved: where does the power come from, and what does taking it mean?

That idea adds weight to Jayde’s blood magic and resurrection attempts. I enjoyed how the magical rules, the cult’s secrets, the character relationships, and the search for Soleste’s killer all connect. Each component gave me another reason to stay invested.

Where the Bones Took Root earned its five stars from me with a complicated heroine, an absorbing mystery, and a slow burn full of those deliciously awkward little moments. If forbidden magic, buried secrets, and enemies becoming something more are your kind of reading combination, this is one to put on your radar. My biggest problem was finding a good place to stop reading.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5/5

About the book:

Genre: YA Fantasy
Publishing date: October 6, 2026

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Rep: LGBTQ+

Synopsis:

Four times, Jayde has tried to resurrect Soleste, the girl she loved, with forbidden magic. Four times, she’s failed—and she’s convinced it’s because she’s missing the secret ingredient: the life of Soleste’s murderer.

When an alchemist’s son named Barrick catches her in the wake of her latest failure, he offers her a choice: he can expose her crimes, or she can help him infiltrate the alchemy cult she’s certain is hiding Soleste’s killer. Desperate, Jayde agrees—and binds him to her side with a magical oath.

But as Jayde and Barrick deceive their way through the cult’s hierarchy, her hunt for Soleste’s killer unearths buried truths. Soleste may have been keeping secrets of her own, and Jayde’s growing feelings for Barrick can no longer be explained by the magic that binds them.

The closer Jayde gets to the truth, the more it threatens everything she believed—about Soleste, the night she died, and her enemy-turned-accomplice.

To bring Soleste back, Jayde will have to confront her grief and decide how far she’s willing to go for the girl she loved… and whether it’s worth sacrificing the boy who accepts every dark piece of her.

Meet the author:

Juniper Klein is a YA fantasy author based in Houston, Texas, where she battles the humidity and serves as a devoted butler to her White Swiss Shepherd.

A Texas A&M University graduate and a former engineer, Juniper writes emotionally driven fantasies that explore grief, memory, and the dangerous things people will do for love. Her stories blend dark magic, immersive settings, sharp banter, and lovers who were meant to be enemies.

When she’s not writing, Juniper can usually be found taking French classes, planning her next escape to somewhere wild or less humid, or pushing herself beyond her comfort zone.

She is represented by Paula Weiman at ASH Literary.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

I have a confession.

If someone adds me to a giant group chat without warning, my first instinct is not:

“Oh good! New friends!”

It is:

“Why am I here, and how quickly can I mute this?”

Because group chats are chaos.

Twenty-seven notifications while you’re brushing your teeth.

Inside jokes you missed.

Someone responding only with a skull emoji.

And at least one person who somehow knows everything before everyone else.

Now put all of that inside a YA thriller?

Absolutely not.

So today’s question is:

Would you join the server?

Here’s the setup:

A friend from school sends you an invite to a private gaming server.

At first, it seems fun.

Everyone from school is there.

People are gaming together after class.

There are channels for memes, homework help, music, gossip, and whatever game everyone is currently obsessed with.

Some people use their real names.

Others have usernames you don’t recognize.

There’s even a private channel called:

#off-the-record

Which should already concern us.

But you join anyway.

Because apparently we have learned nothing from previous newsletters.

At first, it’s funny.

Someone posts a terrible cafeteria photo.

Someone else shares a meme about your math teacher.

Then a new account joins.

No profile picture.

No recognizable username.

No one seems to know who invited them.

And they start posting things.

Not jokes.

Secrets.

A screenshot of a private conversation.

A photo taken through someone’s bedroom window.

A rumor about a student that only three people were supposed to know.

Then someone asks:

Who are you?

The account replies:

You know me.

A few seconds later, you get a private message.

It contains a photo of you.

Taken yesterday.

You never posted it anywhere.

Then another message appears:

Don’t leave the server.

So… what do you do?

A) Stay in the server and watch everything because now you need to know who’s behind the account.

B) Screenshot everything, save the username, and leave immediately.

C) Message your friends privately and start comparing what everyone knows.

D) Pretend nothing is wrong while quietly changing every password you have ever created.

Kim’s Very Scientific Thriller Verdict

If you picked A, I understand the curiosity.

I also need you to understand that “I’ll just watch” is exactly what people say before becoming extremely important to the plot.

If you picked B, excellent.

Evidence first. Exit second.

You may actually make it to the final chapter.

If you picked C, strong detective energy.

But choose those friends carefully.

Because if someone inside the server is leaking secrets…

Well.

That narrows things down in a very uncomfortable way.

If you picked D, relatable.

There is nothing like discovering a stranger has your photo to suddenly inspire excellent password hygiene.

Why This Setup Works So Well

A creepy server or group chat works beautifully in a thriller because you never really know who is in the room.

In person, you can see everyone.

Online?

A username could belong to your best friend.

Your enemy.

Someone pretending to be a student.

Someone who has been watching quietly for months.

And that gives thriller writers all kinds of ways to create tension.

A deleted message.

A private channel.

A screenshot with one name cropped out.

Someone leaving the server right after a secret drops.

A voice appearing in chat that no one recognizes.

Or my personal nightmare:

Someone typing…

Stopping…

Typing again…

Then disappearing without sending anything.

No thank you.

The Creepiest Part? It Feels Normal

That’s what makes online thrillers work for me.

The scary thing isn’t always some mysterious dark-web hacker sitting in a basement.

Sometimes it’s just the place everyone already hangs out.

The server where you game.

The chat where your friends joke around.

The account you’ve followed for months.

The person who always seems nice.

Then one small thing changes.

A message feels wrong.

A photo appears that shouldn’t exist.

Someone knows something they shouldn’t know.

And suddenly a familiar space feels completely different.

That’s where the thriller starts.

Writer Aha: Let the Digital Space Become the Locked Room ✍️

Classic mysteries love locked rooms.

Everyone is trapped together.

Someone is lying.

No one knows who to trust.

A private server can work the same way.

Only instead of asking:

Who was physically in the room?

The writer gets to ask:

Who had access?

That opens up so many possibilities.

Maybe someone has two accounts.

Maybe a moderator is deleting evidence.

Maybe screenshots are being altered.

Maybe the person everyone suspects isn’t even online when the messages appear.

Maybe someone outside the friend group has been watching everything.

For thriller writers, the trick is to make the technology create the mystery — not solve it too easily.

Give your characters information.

Then make them question whether they can trust it.

What I’m Reading 📚

Today, I’m sharing “Where the Light Shines In” by Jenny Mattern.

The story follows thirteen-year-old Gloria, who has been adopted into a loving family but still feels like part of her own story is missing.

She and her dad love solving crossword puzzles together, but Gloria starts to see her own life the same way — too many blank spaces and not enough clues.

For years, she has searched strangers’ faces, wondering if one of them might belong to her birth mother.

Then she finds someone who looks exactly like her.

The problem?

The woman is in an obituary.

That discovery sends Gloria on a secret mission to figure out who this woman was and whether she might be connected to her own past.

At first, getting answers feels like exactly what Gloria needs.

But the more she searches, the more lies she tells — and the closer she gets to her biological family, the farther she begins to feel from the parents who have loved and raised her.

This is an emotional story about identity, adoption, family, grief, belonging, and the complicated need to understand where we come from.

You can read my full review here:

The Brave Conversation 💛

Online friendships can be real friendships.

Gaming with someone every night can create genuine connection.

Group chats can become support systems.

Private servers can give people a place to belong.

But those spaces can also create pressure.

Who gets included?

Who gets kicked out?

Who controls the chat?

What happens when someone shares something private?

And what do you do when staying silent feels safer than speaking up?

That’s where books can help start the conversation.

Not:

“Technology is bad.”

But:

How do we use it without letting it use us?

How do we know who to trust?

When should we save evidence?

When should we leave?

When should we tell someone?

And how do we protect other people’s privacy when one screenshot can suddenly become everyone’s business?

So now I need to know:

Would you stay, screenshot everything, or leave?

Reply with A, B, C, or D and tell me your group-chat survival plan.

No essay required.

Unless you have strong feelings about mysterious usernames, secret channels, or people who say:

“Don’t worry, this server is private.”

Because that sentence alone sounds like chapter one of a thriller.

Warmly,
Kim

P.S. Next time, we may be talking about whether you’d believe the quiet kid when they tell you something terrible is about to happen.

Hi Bookish Friends! 📚🪓

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about women, murder, and the stories we tell about both.

Part of that came from watching Netflix’s Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story.

What fascinated me wasn’t just the infamous axe-murder case.

It was the way the series connected Lizzie Borden’s story with Aileen Wuornos — two women separated by nearly a century, very different circumstances, and very different crimes, but whose names both became tangled up with the idea of the “female monster.”

And that sent my thriller-writer brain down a rabbit hole.

Because when a woman commits extreme violence, we seem to ask a different question:

What made her become this way?

Lizzie Borden and the Crime That Wouldn’t Die 🪓

Even if you don’t know the details of the case, you probably know the rhyme:

The real story is much more complicated.

In August 1892, Lizzie’s father, Andrew Borden, and her stepmother, Abby, were brutally killed inside their Fall River, Massachusetts, home.

Lizzie was eventually charged with both murders.

The case became a sensation.

Part of the fascination was the violence of the crime itself.

Part of it was Lizzie.

She came from a respectable, financially comfortable New England family. She attended church. She did not fit the image many people at the time had of someone capable of committing such a vicious crime.

There were also tensions inside the Borden household.

Andrew was wealthy but famously frugal. Lizzie and her sister Emma reportedly wanted a lifestyle more in keeping with some of Fall River’s wealthier families.

Money and property caused friction as well. Andrew transferred property to a relative on Abby’s side of the family, and that apparently contributed to tension between the daughters, their father, and their stepmother.

But whether money had anything to do with the murders remains a theory.

And then came the trial.

Lizzie was acquitted in 1893.

The jury was entirely male — women in Massachusetts were not serving on juries at the time — and historians have long discussed how nineteenth-century ideas about femininity may have influenced perceptions of her.

Could a respectable woman really commit this kind of violence?

But that wasn’t the only problem for prosecutors.

The case also involved weak forensic methods by modern standards, disputed evidence, conflicting testimony, and important evidence that was excluded from trial.

So more than 130 years later, we still have the question:

Did Lizzie Borden do it?

And that unanswered question may be exactly why we’re still talking about her.

Then There’s Aileen Wuornos

Aileen Wuornos’s story is very different.

Wuornos was a sex worker who killed several men in Florida between 1989 and 1990.

She said at various times that she had acted in self-defense after being attacked or sexually assaulted by customers. Prosecutors disputed her accounts, and she was convicted of murder and eventually executed in 2002.

Her life before the murders was filled with instability, abuse, abandonment, homelessness, and violence.

That history does not erase what she did.

But it does raise an uncomfortable question that crime stories often ask:

How much does a person’s environment matter when we try to understand violence?

Understanding something isn’t the same thing as excusing it.

And I think that distinction is where some of the most interesting thriller and horror stories live.

Why Are We So Fascinated by Female Rage?

There’s been a lot more discussion lately around what people call female-rage fiction.

It isn’t really new.

Women have been writing angry, frightened, violent, rebellious women for a very long time.

But contemporary YA, horror, and thrillers seem increasingly willing to let girls and women be furious.

Not politely angry.

Not adorably sarcastic.

Furious.

At men who hurt them.

At systems that failed them.

At families that silenced them.

At expectations about what a “good girl” is supposed to tolerate.

And sometimes, in fiction, that anger becomes monstrous.

Which is where things get interesting.

Because the monster isn’t always the girl with blood on her hands.

Sometimes the story asks us to look at everything that happened before she picked up the weapon.

5 Books for Readers Who Like Female-Rage Stories 🔥📚

1. Wake the Wild Creatures by Nova Ren Suma
A natural fit for this conversation, especially if you like stories about girls, anger, danger, and the wild places society would rather keep contained.

2. The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis
One of the YA books I immediately think of when talking about female rage, violence, justice, and what happens when someone stops trusting the system to protect people.

3. The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson
A YA horror novel inspired by Carrie that tackles racism, cruelty, bullying, and what happens when years of humiliation finally explode.

4. The Grace Year by Kim Liggett
Girls are sent away because society fears their supposed power. The result is brutal, unsettling, and full of questions about misogyny, survival, and the ways women are encouraged to turn against one another.

5. The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland
Witches, murdered women, female friendship, revenge, and girls realizing that something much larger is happening around them. Dark, angry, and wonderfully creepy.

What I like about books like these is that they don’t necessarily ask us to approve of everything their characters do.

They ask us to look closer.

Some notable books you may want to consider are “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood and “The Housemaid” by Freida McFadden. These hit female rage but also many other issues of trauma, abuse, gaslighting, women’s rights, and political tension.

The Brave Conversation 💛

That may be the conversation I find most interesting.

When we read about a violent woman, do we judge her differently than we judge a violent man?

How much do we want an explanation?

Does learning about trauma change how we understand someone without changing how we feel about what they did?

And why are readers so drawn right now to stories about women who stop being nice?

Those are messy questions.

Which probably explains why I like them.

Thriller writers live for messy questions.

What I’m Reading: The Antique Picker’s Daughter 📚

Last week, I finished reading The Antique Picker’s Daughter by Melanie Dugan.

I give this one 3.5 stars mainly because I think the main character Frankie, was so detached from what was happening to her, and I wanted more emotion and distress. Regardless, it did keep me hooked to the end.

This one does go into some difficult territory, including trafficking, young people who run away, vulnerability, and the dangers facing people who can disappear without enough of the world noticing.

Abandoned first by her father, and then by her mother, Frankie has been left in the care of her deeply religious grandmother. When her grandmother’s religious convictions tip into delusion, Frankie decides to run away.

Life on the street in Toronto is hard, and with winter coming, it gets tougher. This is when Frankie first meets Francis, a man old enough to be her father. He starts training her in “the game,” as she comes to call it; buying, stealing, and reselling “inventory” at inflated prices. Through winter, spring, and early summer, the two become a team, traveling around small towns and villages in southern Ontario.

As Frankie discovers, life on the road holds dangers she can’t anticipate, and her precarious world tips into disaster when Francis abandons her in an unfamiliar town. Betrayed, alone, and deserted, Frankie realizes she’s in a dangerous situation — will she be able to find her way out on her own?

What interests me about this story is the idea of the people we overlook.

Who notices when someone disappears?

Who goes looking?

And what happens when the person everyone dismisses is connected to something much bigger?

I’ll have more to say in my full review. Check it out and get the book:

You can read it here:

Content notes: trafficking, runaways, physical abuse, sexual exploitation, and rough language.

Now I Want to Hear From You

Do female-rage stories appeal to you?

And when you read about a woman who does something terrible, what interests you more:

What she did… or what happened before she did it?

Hit reply and tell me.

I have a feeling this one might start an interesting conversation.

Warmly,
Kim

P.S. I’m also curious: Lizzie Borden — guilty, innocent, or permanently filed under “we are never going to know”?

Gloria and her dad enjoy solving crossword puzzles together, but the puzzles she faces in her own life don’t come with enough clues. She has spent years studying the faces of women around her, wondering whether one of them might be her biological mother. Gloria and her best friend even play a game of looking for women in their thirties who could be a match. It sounds playful at first, but it also shows how often the question is on Gloria’s mind. She can be out living her life and still be looking for an answer.

Then Gloria sees an obituary photo of a woman who looks remarkably like her. Suddenly, the possibility she has imagined for years feels close enough to investigate. There is a painful catch: the woman in the photo has died. Gloria sets out to learn who she was and whether their resemblance means anything, keeping her search secret from the parents who have always been there for her.

I loved Gloria. Her desire to find her biological mother felt understandable and deeply personal. She isn’t searching because her adoptive parents have failed to love her. She wants to know where she came from, whom she resembles, and what pieces of her story she hasn’t been told. Mattern makes that longing feel like a missing piece and a mystery Gloria can’t stop trying to solve. I wanted answers right along with her.

The family dynamic between Gloria and her parents was another highlight. Their love gives the story warmth, but it doesn’t make Gloria’s questions disappear. That balance matters. Gloria can appreciate the family she has and still wonder about her biological family. As her search pulls her into more secrecy, the tension comes from caring about everyone involved. I wanted Gloria to discover what she could, and I also worried about the growing distance between her and the people who love her.

Mattern does a good job building that tension through Gloria’s determination. An obituary photo is a striking place to find a possible clue about your beginnings, and it gives her search an emotional weight from the start. Each step toward an answer feels important to Gloria. At the same time, each lie makes it harder for her to let her parents into what she’s experiencing. The mystery kept me reading, but Gloria’s feelings kept me invested.

I especially liked how the game with her best friend helped establish Gloria’s search as part of her everyday life. This isn’t a question that appears only after she finds the photo. She has been wondering and watching for a long time. By the time she spots that resemblance in the obituary, I understood why she would feel compelled to follow it, even when keeping it to herself became difficult.

I did have one question that stayed with me: I was surprised Gloria’s parents seemed to be in the dark about her biological family, too. I wondered whether her adoption was closed and why her parents didn’t reach out to the adoption agency to help her look for information. It’s possible the book addressed that reasoning and I missed it—I read enough books that details occasionally get confuffled together! Still, I wanted a little more clarity on what her parents knew and what options they had when Gloria needed answers.

That question didn’t take away from what I enjoyed most. Where the Light Shines In is a lovely, emotional read about a girl trying to understand her story while learning how hard it is to carry big questions alone. Gloria’s search has the pull of a mystery, but the heart of the book is her relationship with her family and her hope that she can make sense of the spaces she feels inside.

I give it 4.8 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨.

I’d recommend it for middle grade classrooms and readers who enjoy thoughtful family stories, especially young readers exploring questions about adoption and identity. Gloria’s experience is her own, but her wish to understand where she comes from is one many readers can connect with. Bring tissues if family stories tend to get you; this one has plenty of heart.

About the book:

Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary
Publishing date: September 29, 2026

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Rep: adoption

Synopsis:

“…if there’s one thing my thirteen years of life have taught me, it’s that having parents who love you doesn’t erase the somebody else who brought you into the world.”

Despite being adopted into a loving family, thirteen-year-old Gloria feels as if her life is a bit too much like the crossword puzzles she and her dad enjoy solving together: too many empty spaces and not enough clues.

For as long as she can remember, Gloria has studied the faces of random women in the hopes of finding her birth mother. But when she finally lands on the perfect candidate, it’s in a place she never could have expected—an obituary photo.

Determined to learn more about this dead woman who looks just like her, Gloria embarks on a secret mission to fill in the gaps of her origin story.

At first, finding answers about her past feels exactly right. But as the lies Gloria tells keep piling up, and each step toward her biological family takes her farther from the parents who have loved her forever, she starts to wonder if she’ll ever be able to fill her empty spaces. Because how can you feel truly whole when you’re shattering from the inside out?

Meet the author:

Jenny Mattern is a crafter of stories, a fledgling poet, and a cake-for-breakfast enthusiast who wishes she lived in a tiny cottage on a windswept cliff above the sea. Alas, she lives in the mountains in a landlocked state—lovely, yes, but much too far from the roar of the ocean for her liking.

Born and raised in the Seattle area, Jenny now lives in Montana with her family and a menagerie of pets. Where the Light Shines In is her debut novel.

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