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Brown, Jennifer
10 Reviews
(4)
YA
Shade Me series.
This finale to the trilogy begun with Shade Me finds Nikki Kill, who has synesthesia, trying to uncover the truth behind her mother’s death, although her police-detective ally and romantic prospect now suffers from amnesia. Significant suspension of disbelief is required, particularly with the gimmicky synesthesia, but fans of this fast-paced mystery series will be pleased to see loose ends tied up satisfactorily.
Reviewer: Norah Piehl
(4)
YA
Shade Me series.
This sequel finds noir-ish heroine Nikki Kill framed for the murder of Peyton Hollis, her half-sister (and the victim in Shade Me's central mystery). Meanwhile, Nikki's self-destructive tendencies and romantic tension with a young police detective both deepen. The gimmicky focus on Nikki's synesthesia as a crime-solving aid (she sees letters, numbers, and emotions as colors) distracts from a well-constructed mystery.
Reviewer: Claire E. Gross
(4)
YA
Despite no apparent connection to her, Nikki Kill is the last person her famous classmate Peyton calls before an attack leaves Peyton comatose. Nikki, whose extrasensory synesthesia gives her a leg up on crime-solving, follows the satisfyingly twisty mystery to her own doorstep. Though the synesthesia is gimmicky, Nikki's world-weariness, self-destructive tendencies, and risky relationships make her a classically appealing hard-boiled detective.
Reviewer: Claire E. Gross
(3)
4-6
Seventh grader Luke feels betrayed by his older brother, who enlisted in the Marines and will soon leave for boot camp. Things seem even worse when Luke is forced to join his school's robotics club, but a new friendship with an intimidating classmate, also from a military family, helps Luke accept his brother's decision. Oddball characters balance the family drama for a satisfying story.
Reviewer: Russell Perry
(3)
4-6
Twelve-year-old Arty, obsessed with space and extraterrestrial life, is devastated by his family's planned move to Las Vegas, where it's too bright for stargazing. And how can he leave his best friends, Tripp and Priya, or his grouchy neighbor Cash, a real-life astronaut? A sweet, funny story exploring themes of family, friendship, science, and the clash of expectations with reality.
Reviewer: Amy Bennett-Zendzian
(3)
YA
When a tornado devastates her Missouri hometown, sixteen-year-old Jersey loses her house, her mother, and her half-sister. While Jersey is shuffled among relatives she's never met--some of them happier to see her than others--she reconciles unsavory family secrets while also processing her significant, immediate grief. This depiction of the emotional consequences of natural disasters is intense and affecting.
Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald
(3)
YA
When high school junior Ashleigh texts her boyfriend a nude photo, she never envisions that their relationship will take a turn for the worse, resulting in the picture's widespread dissemination and criminal charges for them both. Brown's timely depiction of the sexting issue largely refrains from moralizing or nostalgia for pre-technological times, instead adeptly handling the complex emotional fallout.
Reviewer: Allison Cole
(4)
YA
Caught in a cheating scandal at school, perfect-student and perfect-daughter Kendra goes on the lam, taking her older brother, Grayson, with her in an attempt to cure him of his severe OCD. Though a little overlong and not always believable, this sibling road-trip novel features a close-up, credible look at the ripple effects of mental illness on a family. Reading list, websites.
Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander
(3)
YA
Alex feels that her boyfriend Cole is the only one who loves and understands her. So she forgives his occasional aggressive actions: being rude to her best friends, squeezing her wrist too tightly. As these incidents become increasingly violent, Alex finally accepts that she's being abused. Brown deftly captures the complexities of enduring--and escaping--domestic violence in this sensitive novel.
Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith
(3)
YA
Bullied by their classmates, outcasts Valerie and Nick compile a "hate list." To Valerie's horror, the list serves as a roster for Nick's school shooting spree. Set post-massacre and powered by flashbacks, the story intimately explores Valerie's struggle to cope with the tragedy, including coming to terms with her complicated feelings for Nick and understanding her role in the violence.
Reviewer: Lauren Maggio
10 reviews
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