Better Than Revenge by Kasie West

 

“Seventeen-year-old Finley has only ever had one to become a famous podcaster. This includes coming up with the perfect pitch to land her on her school's podcast team. But when her football-obsessed boyfriend, Jensen, decides to also try out—and uses her idea—she's left confused and betrayed. 

Determined to get back at him, Finley and her friends try to find the perfect revenge scheme, but quickly discover that Jensen is almost-impossible to best. Keyword, almost. 

By chance, Finley discovers a knack for kicking and decides to take Jensen's spot on the football team. To help her train, she recruits Jensen's cute but conceited nemeses, Theo. Soon the two discover that their connection runs deeper than football. But Finley can't let herself get distracted, and Theo has secrets of his own. Is true love really better than the perfect revenge?   - taken from Goodreads.

So Jensen was a horrible boyfriend who backstabs Finley and takes her idea and what she perceives as her future. She wants to take what's important to him, the kicking position on the school’s football team. Theo offers to help train her for the tryouts. What begins as a revenge plot soon turns into something more. What will Finley do when it come down to it, take revenge or follow her heart?

Visit Kasie West’s website.

How to Find a Missing Girl by Victoria Wlosok

 

“A year ago, beloved cheerleader Stella Blackthorn vanished without a trace. Devastated, her younger sister, Iris, launched her own investigation, but all she managed to do was scare off the police’s only lead and earn a stern Once she turns eighteen, more meddling means prison-level consequences.

 

Then, a year later, the unthinkable happens. Iris’s ex-girlfriend, Heather, goes missing, too—just after dropping the polarizing last episode of her true crime podcast all about Iris’s sister. This time, nothing will stop Iris and her amateur sleuthing agency from solving these disappearances.

 

But with a suspicious detective watching her every move, an enemy-turned-friend-turned-maybe-more to contend with, and only thirty days until she turns eighteen, it’s a race against the clock for Iris to solve the most dangerous case of her life.”- taken from Goodreads.

This book reminded me of Courtney Summers’ Sadie. With the podcast aspect from Heather, the second missing girl who was trying to uncover information about the first girl who disappeared. For Iris Blackthorn, it’s personal. Her older sister Stella went missing just before the homecoming dance, never to be heard from again. Along with her friends, Samy and Imani, the trio start their own amateur detective agency in order to find some answers. After getting nowhere with Stella’s case, including a warning to stay out of the matter from the police, the trio work small cases at their high school.

When Iris’ former girlfriend Heather hires them to see if her boyfriend is cheating on her, Iris and her friends stumble onto their biggest case yet when Heather goes missing herself.

Visit Victoria Wlosok’s website.

A Long Stretch of Bad Days by Mindy McGinnis

“Lydia Chass doesn’t mind living in a small town; she just doesn’t want to die in one. A lifetime of hard work has put her on track to attend a prestigious journalism program and leave Henley behind—until a school error leaves her a credit short of graduating. Undeterred, Lydia has a plan to earn that credit: transform her listener-friendly local history podcast into a truth-telling exposé. She’ll investigate the Long Stretch of Bad Days: a week when Henley was hit by a tornado and a flash flood as well as its first—and only—murder, which remains unsolved.

But Lydia needs help to bring grit to the show. Bristal Jamison has a bad reputation and a foul mouth, but she also needs a credit to graduate. The unexpected partnership brings together the Chass family—a pillar of the community—and the rough-and-tumble Jamisons, with Bristal hoping to be the first in her family to graduate. Together, they dig into the town’s worst week, determined to solve the murder.

Their investigation unearths buried secrets: a hidden town brothel, lost family treasure, and a teen girl who disappeared. But the past is never far, and some don’t want it to see the light. As threats escalate, the girls have to uncover the truth before the dark history of Henley catches up with them.

This gripping mystery from award-winning author Mindy McGinnis shows the power of a name and one lie and how two girls can use their voices to change a town forever.” - taken from Goodreads

Social and academic opposites, Lydia Chass and Bristal Jamison are both in danger of not graduating due to the guidance counselor's mistake. Both girls are lacking a needed history credit. The two team up to use Lydia’s podcast to highlight the dark history of their small town known as The Long Stretch of Bad Days. The deeper the girls dig into the happenings of that week, the more the story turns darker. Can Lydia and Bristal survive once they uncover secrets that others want to keep buried?

I thoroughly enjoyed this story but the part I loved the most were the characters, especially Bristal and Lydia's mom who added those needed touches of humor in such a turbulent time.

Visit Mindy McGinnis’ website.

I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick

 

“What happened to Zoe won't stay buried...

When Anna Cicconi arrives to the small Hamptons village of Herron Mills for a summer nanny gig, she has high hopes for a fresh start. What she finds instead is a community on edge after the disappearance of Zoe Spanos, a local girl who has been missing since New Year's Eve. Anna bears an eerie resemblance to Zoe, and her mere presence in town stirs up still-raw feelings about the unsolved case. As Anna delves deeper into the mystery, stepping further and further into Zoe's life, she becomes increasingly convinced that she and Zoe are connected--and that she knows what happened to her.

Two months later, Zoe's body is found in a nearby lake, and Anna is charged with manslaughter. But Anna's confession is riddled with holes, and Martina Green, teen host of the Missing Zoe podcast, isn't satisfied. Did Anna really kill Zoe? And if not, can Martina's podcast uncover the truth?  - taken from Goodreads.com

First of all, this story is loosely based on Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca. Next, the points of view are Anna in the past (the summer she nannied in Herron Mils), Anna in the present, and Martina in the present. We soon learn that Anna Cicconi confesses to accidentally killing Zoe Spanos. Readers quickly realize through Anna’s past that she is having serious issues with Deja Vu and that there are plenty of secrets waiting to be uncovered. Come along for a suspenseful tale of who done it. Perfect read for fans of Holly Jackson’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.

Visit Kit Frick’s website.

Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holy Jackson (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Pip is "not" a detective anymore.

With the help of Ravi Singh, she released a true-crime podcast about the murder case they solved together last year. The podcast has gone viral, yet Pip insists her investigating days are behind her.

But she will have to break that promise when someone she knows goes missing. Jamie Reynolds has disappeared, on the very same night the town hosted a memorial for the sixth-year anniversary of the deaths of Andie Bell and Sal Singh.

The police won't do anything about it. And if they won't look for Jamie then Pip will, uncovering more of her town's dark secrets along the way... and this time "everyone" is listening. But will she find him before it's too late?” - taken from Goodreads.com

Pip solved the mystery surrounding the death of Andi Bell and Sal Singh. It has brought her both good and bad notoriety. After completing a podcast about the case and the following court trials related to it, Pip is a bit of a celebrity. Although she wants nothing more to do with solving missing person cases, Pip soon finds herself at the heart of another disappearance when the police refuse to investigate. Toll through a current-day narrative and Pippa's podcast, readers will soon find themselves immersed in another case. 

Sadie by Courtney Summers

“A missing girl on a journey of revenge. A Serial―like podcast following the clues she's left behind. And an ending you won't be able to stop talking about.

Sadie hasn't had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she's been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water.

But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie's entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister's killer to justice and hits the road following a few meager clues to find him.

When West McCray―a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America―overhears Sadie's story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie's journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it's too late.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Everyone was telling me that I needed to read this book so when I realized the audio version is performed with a full cast, I had to give it a try. Boy was I glad that I did. Sadie is told from two points of view, Sadie herself and radio personality West McCray, who is making a podcast of Sadie’s story. The audio version of Sadie includes full productions of West’s podcasts and they are incredible. This book was heartbreaking and kept me on the edge of my seat. For me, the story made a lasting impact.

Visit Courtney Summers’ website.

Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West

“Talking to other people isn't Kate Bailey's favorite activity. She'd much rather be out on the lake, soaking up the solitude and sunshine. So when her best friend, Alana, convinces Kate to join their high school's podcast, Kate is not expecting to be chosen as the host. Now she'll have to answer calls and give advice on the air? Impossible.

But to Kate's surprise, she turns out to be pretty good at the hosting gig. Then the podcast gets in a call from an anonymous guy, asking for advice about his unnamed crush. Kate is pretty sure that the caller is gorgeous Diego Martinez, and even surer that the girl in question is Alana. Kate is excited for her friend ... until Kate herself starts to develop feelings for Diego. Suddenly, Kate finds that while doling out wisdom to others may be easy, asking for help is tougher than it looks, and following your own advice is even harder.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This book was probably one of the best I've read from this author lately. I wasn't really sure where all of the characters were going, I was surprised by the direction Kate Bailey's life took. Not immediately sure we reach boy's attention was focused, I think everyone was able to overcome what each perceived as inescapable obstacles. Kate really grew as a character who saw that there was more than one path available in her future. Casting old grudges aside and seeing other others problems more clearly, Kate's Awakening isn't overnight or sugar-coated. One of the best parts of the book is the open ending for the Raider to ponder the future of each of the characters you will grow to love.

Visit Kasie West’s website.