There will be Lies

There will be Lies
by Nick Lake

Shelby is 17 years old when she is hit by a car and it changes her life.  She lives with her mom, is home-schooled, and is deaf.  She didn't hear the car coming.  After she is in the hospital, her mom tells her they are going on vacation and suddenly they are traveling.  Her mom is acting strange as they never go on vacation and timing right after her accident is just odd.

This ended up to be a quick read, I wanted to know what was going on.  Why was her mom acting strange?  What was the truth and what was a lie?  Because she wasn't given a straight, honest answer.  

And then in between these chapters of Shelby on the run with her mom, there were parts of another world.  Shelby wold go into a science fiction dreamlike world.  That part was a bit weird and I wasn't expecting that.  I don't mind reading science fiction, I guess I just wasn't expecting it in this book.  I just didn't care much for that part.  I was more interested in what was happening to Shelby and her mom.  

Shelby being deaf and communicating via sign language and reading lips was interesting.  If someone wasn't facing her when they were talking, she couldn't read their lips and so couldn't understand them.  And people couldn't tell that she was deaf unless they told them as it's not something that is obvious.

You do eventually find out what's going on.  Why Shelby's mom was suddenly basically on the run and what she was afraid of.  Yes, there is a reason.  Interesting and makes you wonder what you would do if you were them, the different people that were effected by Shelby's mom's decision.  

I Know who you are

I know who you are
by Alice Feeney

This novel rotates between two characters.  Aimee is an actress who has hit her big break and is now well-known and on her way to stardom.  Aimee has been married two years and one day, after a fight, her husband just up and disappears.  It looks suspicious.  Where is her husband?  What happened to him?

The other chapters feature a little girl, only 5 years old who wandered away from home.  Her real family wasn't all that warm and loving and neither are the new family that basically kidnapped her.  Just a sad little girl.

This was such a good book.  Twists and turns that I didn't see coming.  I kept reading to find out what was going on.  I wondered where her husband was and what had happened to him.  

Early on she is suspected of murdering him, which I didn't think she did.  Someone was framing her, but I didn't know who.  Who can Aimee trust? I wasn't sure.

I also wondered what happened to the little girl's original family.  What did they think when their little girl disappeared.  Did they care?  They blamed her for the mom's death, what a lot to put on a little girl who had no control over that.

A pretty good page turner with twists.

Stay Sexy and don't get Murdered

Stay Sexy and don't get Murdered
by Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Harstark

I ended up finding this book when it was recommended in one of my Facebook book groups. At the time the title gave me a laugh.  I have never heard of Karen or Georgia and I have never heard their podcast, I have actually never listened to any podcasts at all.  I'm probably missing something.

I saw in another review how if you have never heard their podcast that you wouldn't like their book as so much of it would just go over your head.  Well, I don't know how much of it did go over my head, but I can tell you that I still enjoyed the book.

It was quirky, down to earth and at times just plain interesting hearing their stories.  They discussed past mistakes they overcame such as drug use, alcohol, and eating disorders.  They reflected on these past events and how it helped make them who they are today.

Anyway, genuinely an interesting book, even for someone who has never heard of them or their podcast.  

My favorite half-night Stand

My favorite half-night stand
by Christina Lauren

Millie is a professor, she is an expert on serial killers, and she likes to joke around with her group of guy friends.  Her group of friends are single and when a black tie event is coming up, they decide to try online dating to try to get a date for the event.  

Millie is matched with her friend Reid, and Millie makes a joke thinking Reid will realize it's her.  He doesn't.  They continue to correspond via email.  Reid starts to get know a different side to Millie and they start to fall for each other.  Meanwhile, in real life Millie and Reid keep sleeping together and he is also corresponding with another girl via this online dating app.  And that makes Millie jealous.

It was a light, funny read.  The banter between the group of guys was fun, particularly when they were messaging each other.  I would like to see another book featuring some of the other guys in the group.  The online dating aspect of it was amusing as they talked about their matches.  

Of course everything works out.  You would think Millie and Reid would worry a little more about ruining their friendship.  They don't.  This group of friends seems to be the only friends Millie really interacts with, so if she alienated them she would be alone.  She still risks it.  

Anyway, an amusing, light read.

Girls on the Verge

Girls on the Verge
by Sharon Biggs Waller

It is the summer before Camille's senior year and she is going to a prestigious theater program when she finds out she is is pregnant.  She is scared to tell her parents.  Camille ends up reaching out to a girl she don't know well, Annabelle, for help.  Camille wants an abortion and those are not easy to get in Texas, particularly for someone unmarried and her age.  

Camille's best friend, Bea, also ends up going with them on the road trip. Bea is religious and is having a hard time with Camille's choice, but she wants to support her friend.  Camille, Bea, and Annabelle are on a road trip to southern Texas / Mexico to try to buy illegal pills that are supposed to cause a miscarriage.  

It was scary how these teens girls were traveling so far to basically purchase illegal pills.  This sounds dangerous, what if something had gone wrong?  Camille could have gotten very sick from the pills, or they could have been attacked as they were not going into safe neighborhoods.  And then they end up traveling across the state for an abortion.  Scary.  Both scary what might happen to them and scary that they are traveling so far to decide what will happen to their own body.

Camille made a poor decision when she had sex.  And unfortunately, it did only take the one time.  And then she had to face hard decisions.  Does she have the baby and it changes her life? Does she have the baby and give it up for adoption?  That still changes her plans to go on to her acting school.  Or does she have an abortion and try to move on with her life?  

I do not agree with abortion, but that is still such a scary situation for someone so young.  Her parents needed to know what was going on, but she was too scared to tell them.  And then her friend, Annabelle, seemed to know so much more than Camille and Bea.  What their choices and options might be.  Annabelle also knew more about just plain birth control which is something that all the girls should know about.

The double stigma.  Here Camille is scared, what does she do about this baby?  And the father of the baby knows nothing.  They mention another girl at school who was pregnant and picked on, yet the boy was left alone.  That is so not far, a baby does not happen by itself.  

This one was interesting and very thought provoking.  This book would make a really good book discussion book for teens.  It would open up a discussion on abortion, birth control, and sex.  Something that should be talked about.