April Book Reviews
contributed by Brace Books
The following book reviews appeared in the print issue of Ponca City Monthly magazine. Get full access to all online articles, videos, and content by becoming a paid subscriber. We offer free and paid subscription plans. Find rack locations to pick up your free print copy here, or subscribe here to get online access plus exclusive content.
Stars and Smoke
by Marie Lu
Winter Young: Rookie backup dancer turned global pop phenom. A son whose mother wishes her other son was the one who had lived.
Sydney Cossette: Covert ops organization Panacea Group’s youngest agent. The daughter whose father and brother made her life a living hell.
Penelope Winter: Only daughter of criminal tycoon Eli Morrison. Winter Young’s biggest fan.
With Winter’s life in the spotlight and Sydney’s life in the shadows, their paths should never cross. That changes when Morrison arranges to make his 19-year-old daughter’s dearest birthday wish a reality – a private concert with Winter Young – during her week-long birthday celebration.
Panacea is desperate to stop Morrison’s massive shipment of a nerve agent described as “chemical warfare’s answer to the atomic bomb.” They’ve never been able to get an agent close to the crime boss. Winter is their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to infiltrate Morrison’s inner circle and prevent distribution of the nerve agent.
Winter is recruited by Panacea for this one mission only, then he’ll return to breaking first-week sales records and selling out stadiums from Los Angeles to London. Panacea pairs Winter with Sydney. She’s placed undercover as his bodyguard. Panacea provides them with super-cool tech gadgets that would make James Bond and Q totally jealous.
These new partners don’t instantly hit it off. In fact, Sydney may be the only person in the world immune to Winter’s charm. Their handlers order them to figure out how to get along with each other. The pair is given one week to learn to work together while Sydney gives Winter a Cliff’s Notes version of Panacea agent training. Once they’re invested in the mission, they’ll need each other to survive – literally.
I found Stars and Smoke to be an unputdownable spy caper, and I’m looking forward to reading its sequel, Icon and Inferno.
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Reviewed by Lorrie Layton
What Happened to Rachel Riley?
by Claire Swinarski
Anna Hunt is the new kid at East Middle School in Madison, Wisconsin. Her big sister is a coding genius. Her mom teaches law at the University of Wisconsin. Her dad is also a lawyer and is amazing in the kitchen. Anna misses Chicago, the Polish community in Chicago and her Babcia (grandmother).
Anna’s a die-hard podcast enthusiast. Her favorite podcast is Stories of Our Lives With Mimi Miller. Mimi interviews all kinds of people, not just famous ones – although she did interview Kate Middleton about her charity work. She has spoken with janitors, chefs, teachers and stay-at-home parents about who they are and what matters to them. Mimi makes everyone seem real.
At East Middle School, birthdays are announced at lunch each day. Anna’s birthday gains polite applause, even though very few people know her. Anna is shocked when another girl’s birthday is met with complete and utter silence. That girl is Rachel Riley. Anna met Rachel on her first day at East. Rachel seemed really nice. Anna cannot fathom why all the eighth-graders seem to hate Rachel.
Anna asks a few students, including Rachel, why the whole eighth-grade class seems to hate Rachel. No one wants to talk about it. Anna reasons, “Not every eighth-grade girl will stop and help a new kid, about to burst into tears, find their homeroom. And if they do, they deserve some applause on their birthday.” Anna decides to research the Rachel Riley situation, just like Mimi Miller would.
Anna continues to ask questions and researches any small lead she can find. Of course, her choice to pursue this matter means she ends up sitting by herself at lunch – just like Rachel. Anna doesn’t give up; she is persistent. She’s shocked when she finally learns the truth. This book ends amazingly!
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Reviewed by Lorrie Layton
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