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Martinez, Jessica
4 Reviews
(3)
YA
After discovering, in a particularly brutal fashion, that both her father and her boyfriend are murderers, Valentina flees Miami and heads to Montreal, where she tries to make a fresh start under an assumed name. But it's not so easy to escape the past. Readers willing to suspend disbelief will enjoy this thriller's frequent twists and brisk plotting.
Reviewer: Norah Piehl
(4)
YA
Platonic teenage best friends Mo (short for Mohammed) and Annie have always been there for each other, so Annie decides to marry Mo to avoid his being deported to Jordan. Though both characters are smart, they're also short-sighted and don't realize the consequences, personally and legally, of their choice. The alternating narration--particularly Mo's snarky voice--propels the somewhat over-packed story.
Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor
(4)
YA
To avoid gossip in their conservative small town, seventeen-year-old Amelia and her younger pregnant sister, Charly, are sent to stay with their aunt in Canada. Amelia builds new relationships, reevaluates existing ones, and eventually stops blaming others for her own unhappiness. She is a sympathetic, distinctly drawn character, but the rushed ending weakens the impact of her transformation.
Reviewer: Lana Barnes
(3)
YA
With the biggest violin competition of her life only weeks away, the last thing Carmen needs is a distraction; and Jeremy King is definitely a distraction. How can two violin prodigies competing for the same prize make a friendship--or even something more--work? The well-paced and compelling story explores overbearing parents, questionable motives, and self-confidence.
Reviewer: Kari Allen
4 reviews
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