Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington

 

“You must work twice as hard to get half as much.

Adina Walker has known this the entire time she’s been on scholarship at the prestigious Edgewater Academy—a school for the rich (and mostly white) upper class of New England. It’s why she works so hard to be perfect and above reproach, no matter what she must force beneath the surface. Even one slip can cost you everything.

And it does. One fight, one moment of lost control, leaves Adina blacklisted from her top choice Ivy League college and any other. Her only chance to regain the future she’s sacrificed everything for is the Finish, a high-stakes contest sponsored by Edgewater’s founding family in which twelve young, ambitious women with exceptional promise are selected to compete in three mysterious events: the Ride, the Raid, and the Royale. The winner will be granted entry into the fold of the Remington family, whose wealth and power can open any door.

But when she arrives at the Finish, Adina quickly gets the feeling that something isn’t quite right with both the Remingtons and her competition, and soon it becomes clear that this larger-than-life prize can only come at an even greater cost. Because the Finish’s stakes aren’t just make or break… they’re life and death.

Adina knows the deck is stacked against her—it always has been—so maybe the only way to survive their vicious games is for her to change the rules.” - taken from Goodreads.

When a split second decision costs you everything you have worked for, to what lengths would you go to redeem yourself? That is the question that Adina Walker must answer in order to get her desired future back. She lost her composure and it cost her everything, including her acceptance to Yale. Her only hope to regain everything that she has lost is to secure an invitation to the Finish, a high stakes game sponsored by the uber wealthy Remington family. The winner gets the power and wealth of the family behind them. When she receives an invitation, Adina is ready to take back what was taken from her. But when a shocking event occurs the first night, Adina quickly realizes that she is in over her head and the outcome could be either life or death. Will Adina survive the Finish or die trying?

Visit Joelle Wellington’s website.

Ruling Destiny by Alyson Noel (Stolen Beauty book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Stealing Infinity, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“The second I stepped through the doors of Gray Wolf Academy, my world disintegrated. Here, time is malleable. It can be manipulated, shifted. Changed. And for those of us who Trip—or travel through time—the possibilities are infinite and perilous.

Now my life is caught in the secrets of everyone around me. Arthur, the eccentric billionaire who rules this school. Killian, who could be the only honest person here…or the biggest liar. And Braxton, magnetic, gorgeous, and unfathomable. The only thing I trust about him is our electric connection.

Whether we’re Tripping through Renaissance Italy or thieving from a ball in Regency England, my life’s become a web of lies and strange truths. And beneath the surface is an elaborate puzzle, filled with cryptic symbols and priceless treasures scattered across history—all somehow connected to my strange ability to see through time.

But Arthur has a dangerously ambitious agenda. And if what my dad taught me is true, I’m not just a threat to everyone at Gray Wolf

…I’m a threat to time itself.” - taken from Goodreads.

I think I have a serious case of whiplash with that love triangle. Once again, I loved the history and art aspects sprinkled throughout. And as Natasha begins to discover her true reason for being at Gray Wolf Academy, she learns who she can really trust. I didn’t realize that there would be a third book until the dwindling pages, but readers will be waiting for the next book after that cliffhanger ending.

Visit  Alyson Noel’s website.

Year on Fire by Julie Buxbaum

 

“Can a single kiss change everything?

It was a year on fire. They fell in love. Someone was bound to get burned.

The Spark: Just days before the start of junior year for twins Arch and Immie and their best friend, Paige, a spontaneous kiss shakes the very foundation of their friendship. But some ties run too deep to be broken by accidental betrayal.

The Fuel: Enter Rohan, new to Wood Valley High by way of London, who walks into school on the first day completely overwhelmed by his sudden move halfway around the world. When Paige calls dibs on him—he’s too cute to ignore—Immie is in no position to argue, certainly not after taking the fall for the disloyal kiss. Too bad for Immie that Ro feels like the best kind of familiar.

The Kindling: Former lab partners Arch and Jackson, Paige’s ex-boyfriend, have never considered themselves more than friends. But sometimes feelings can grow like wildfire.

The Flames: When the girls’ bathroom at Wood Valley is set ablaze, no one doubts it’s arson. But in this bastion of privilege, who’d be angry enough to want to burn down the school? Answer: pretty much everyone.” - taken from Goodreads.

Once again, another fabulous read from Julie Buxbaum, There are a couple of Easter eggs sprinkled in the story for fans of her previous books. A complicated love/friendship triangle/pentagon takes center stage in the plot of this story. Stick with this one until the end to see who the arsonist is.

Visit Julie Buxbaum’s website.

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

 

“When two Niveus Private Academy students, Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, are selected to be part of the elite school’s senior class prefects, it looks like their year is off to an amazing start. After all, not only does it look great on college applications, but it officially puts each of them in the running for valedictorian, too.

Shortly after the announcement is made, though, someone who goes by Aces begins using anonymous text messages to reveal secrets about the two of them that turn their lives upside down and threaten every aspect of their carefully planned futures.

As Aces shows no sign of stopping, what seemed like a sick prank quickly turns into a dangerous game, with all the cards stacked against them. Can Devon and Chiamaka stop Aces before things become incredibly deadly?” - taken from Goodreads.com

As I started this book, I wasn't sure where the storyline was going. Aces begins by targeting Devon while Chiamaka is gearing up to make her senior year stellar. Once Chiamaka draws Aces’ attention, the plot line really explodes. This is a dark, twisted academic tale where the mystery of who and why Aces is plotting against Von and Chia leads the two of them to team up to uncover the disturbing truth. Incredible ending to a book that tackles some brutally harsh topics. 

Visit Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s website.

The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson (Truly Devious book 3)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, Truly Devious and The Vanishing Stair, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Ellingham Academy must be cursed. Three people are now dead. One, a victim of either a prank gone wrong or a murder. Another, dead by misadventure. And now, an accident in Burlington has claimed another life. All three in the wrong place at the wrong time. All at the exact moment of Stevie’s greatest triumph . . .

She knows who Truly Devious is. She’s solved it. The greatest case of the century.

At least, she thinks she has. With this latest tragedy, it’s hard to concentrate on the past. Not only has someone died in town, but David disappeared of his own free will and is up to something. Stevie is sure that somehow—somehow—all these things connect. The three deaths in the present. The deaths in the past. The missing Alice Ellingham and the missing David Eastman. Somewhere in this place of riddles and puzzles there must be answers.

Then another accident occurs as a massive storm heads toward Vermont. This is too much for the parents and administrators. Ellingham Academy is evacuated. Obviously, it’s time for Stevie to do something stupid. It’s time to stay on the mountain and face the storm—and a murderer.

In the tantalizing finale to the Truly Devious trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson expertly tangles her dual narrative threads and ignites an explosive end for all who’ve walked through Ellingham Academy.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Wow, what a satisfying ending to this mystery filled trilogy. I loved how Stevie Bell worked everything out. Now to see how book four brings the Ellingham Academy gang back together.

The series continues with The Box in the Woods, due out on June 15, 2021.

Visit Maureen Johnson’s website.

The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson (Truly Devious book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Truly Devious, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

"All Stevie Bell wanted was to find the key to the Ellingham mystery, but instead she found her classmate dead. And while she solved that murder, the crimes of the past are still waiting in the dark. Just as Stevie feels she’s on the cusp of putting it together, her parents pull her out of Ellingham academy.

For her own safety they say. She must move past this obsession with crime. Now that Stevie’s away from the school of topiaries and secret tunnels, and her strange and endearing friends, she begins to feel disconnected from the rest of the world. At least she won’t have to see David anymore. David, who she kissed. David, who lied to her about his identity—son of despised politician Edward King. Then King himself arrives at her house to offer a deal: He will bring Stevie back to Ellingham immediately. In return, she must play nice with David. King is in the midst of a campaign and can’t afford his son stirring up trouble. If Stevie’s at school, David will stay put.

The tantalizing riddles behind the Ellingham murders are still waiting to be unraveled, and Stevie knows she’s so close. But the path to the truth has more twists and turns than she can imagine—and moving forward involves hurting someone she cares for. Nothing is free, and someone will pay for the truth with their life." - taken from Goodreads.com

Mysteries are solved and mysteries are found. Stevie is still on the Ellingham case but she soon finds more than she ever bargained for. As the story continues, readers will be drawn into the mysteries surrounding Ellingham Academy leading up to the dramatic conclusion.

The series continues with book three, The Hand on the Wall.

Visit Maureen Johnson’s website.

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson (Truly Devious book 1)

 

“Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. “A place,” he said, “where learning is a game.”

Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym “Truly, Devious.” It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history.

True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case. That is, she will solve the case when she gets a grip on her demanding new school life and her housemates: the inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester. But something strange is happening. Truly Devious makes a surprise return, and death revisits Ellingham Academy. The past has crawled out of its grave. Someone has gotten away with murder.” - taken from Goodreads.com

OMG! That ending was incredibly cruel. I don't want to give anything away since this mystery story was excellent. A definite, agonizing cliffhanger that makes me incredibly ecstatic that book two is at my fingertips 

The series continues with book two, The Vanishing Stair.

Visit Maureen Johnson’s website.

Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon (St. Rosetta’s Academy book 1)

 

“Will the princess save the beast?

For Princess Jaya Rao, nothing is more important than family. When the loathsome Emerson clan steps up their centuries-old feud to target Jaya’s little sister, nothing will keep Jaya from exacting her revenge. Then Jaya finds out she’ll be attending the same elite boarding school as Grey Emerson, and it feels like the opportunity of a lifetime. She knows what she must do: Make Grey fall in love with her and break his heart. But much to Jaya’s annoyance, Grey’s brooding demeanor and lupine blue eyes have drawn her in. There’s simply no way she and her sworn enemy could find their fairy-tale ending…right?

His Lordship Grey Emerson is a misanthrope. Thanks to an ancient curse by a Rao matriarch, Grey knows he’s doomed once he turns eighteen. Sequestered away in the mountains at St. Rosetta’s International Academy, he’s lived an isolated existence—until Jaya Rao bursts into his life, but he can't shake the feeling that she’s hiding something. Something that might just have to do with the rose-shaped ruby pendant around her neck…

As the stars conspire to keep them apart, Jaya and Grey grapple with questions of love, loyalty, and whether it’s possible to write your own happy ending.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This was a cute retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale where a generations-old curse and the misplaced need for revenge bring together Jaya and Grey. There is a lot of back story to helpful in the reader on the history of the curse throughout the book. The best part of the story isn't Jaya and Grey’s slow-burn Romance or the details from the fairytale sprinkled throughout, but the Rao sisters’ relationship. The build-up for the next book in the series does take place in the second half of this novel.

Book two in the series, Of Princes and Promises, is due out Feb. 1, 2021.

Visit Sandhya Menon’s website.

On the Jellicoe Road (Jellicoe Road) by Melina Marchetta

“I'm dreaming of the boy in the tree. I tell him stories. About the Jellicoe School and the Townies and the Cadets from a school in Sydney. I tell him about the war between us for territory. And I tell him about Hannah, who lives in the unfinished house by the river. Hannah, who is too young to be hiding away from the world. Hannah, who found me on the Jellicoe Road six years ago.

Taylor is the leader of the boarders at the Jellicoe School. She has to keep the upper hand in the territory wars and deal with Jonah Griggs—the enigmatic leader of the cadets, and someone she thought she would never see again.

And now Hannah, the person Taylor had come to rely on, has disappeared. Taylor's only clue is a manuscript about five kids who lived in Jellicoe eighteen years ago. She needs to find out more, but this means confronting her own story, making sense of her strange, recurring dream, and finding her mother—who abandoned her on the Jellicoe Road.” - taken from Goodreads.com

These are the first lines from Jellicoe Road, as it was titled in the U.S.

“My father took one hundred and thirty-two minutes to die.

I counted.

It happened on the Jellicoe Road. The prettiest road I’d ever seen, where trees made breezy canopies like a tunnel to Shangri-La. We were going to the ocean, hundreds of miles away, because I wanted to see the ocean and my father said that it was about time the four of us made that journey. I remember asking, 'What’s the difference between a trip and a journey?' and my father said, 'Narnie, my love, when we get there, you’ll understand,' and that was the last thing he ever said.”

This book is about journeys, not only Taylor Markham’s, but some of the most important people in her life that are unknown to her. Told in alternating voices between modern-day Taylor and gang and a hidden story that she comes across from eighteen years earlier. That story tells of an unspeakable tragedy five life-long friends together. As Taylor begins to explore more of her background, readers will be taken in by her story and how the past collides with the present day.  And Jonah Griggs! What can I say about him without giving any important details? I now see what all of the fangirling from book reviews is all about.

Jellicoe Road has resided on my TBR pile for years and now I’m going to kick myself for not reading, or in my case, listening, to it sooner. From the opening lines, the reader becomes entranced by the events that occurred along the Jellicoe Road. Overall, the story caused this reader to cry her eyes out and look ahead to the book’s ending before finishing it. One of my all-time favorite reads!

Visit Melina Marchetta’s website.