Lily Ding '20 starts off the term with two books full of suspense and surprise, guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Things We Have in Common by Tasha Kavanagh
Things
We Have in Common by Tasha Kavanagh is a dark,
suspenseful story of how a teenage girl’s loneliness leads to a dangerous
obsession. Yasmin is fifteen years old, overweight, obsessive, and a social
pariah at her high school. Her father died five years ago, and she is now stuck
living with her mother and her judgmental stepfather with whom she does not get
along. To cope, Yasmin has created a friendship completely in her mind with
another girl at school named Alice.
One day during recess, Yasmin notices a man
watching Alice. Days later, Alice goes missing and Yasmin is possibly the only
person who knows who has taken her. This leads Yasmin to a new obsession: the
man who may or may not have taken Alice. What follows is a series of shocking
events that surround Alice’s all-consuming obsession with her new “friend.”
My reaction to this novel was split: while I
thoroughly enjoyed the way Yasmin was portrayed, I felt that the plot of
the story was lacking. Kavanagh was able to create a complex character who
readers can connect with. Even though she lies and has little to no
self-control, the reader feels mostly sympathy for her. Kavanagh paints a
portrait of Yasmin in a compelling, yet unsettling way. Yasmin is on one hand a
young girl trying to figure out her life, but on the other hand, her obsessions
are disturbing and unsettling. Yasmin’s character was crafted thoughtfully and
Kavanagh was very careful about how she portrayed Yasmin’s obsession. Her
writing, full of twists and turns, is beautiful and creepy at the same time.
The plot, however, is not as compelling. I
expected this book to be a page-turner and a quick read, but it was slow from
the start. It does not seem very realistic that Yasmin, a slightly paranoid and
obsessive young girl, would befriend a much older man who may have kidnapped
someone that she considers a friend. In every one of her other relationships in
Things We Have in Common, Yasmin
pushes people away and makes it hard for people to connect with her. However,
in this one instance, she immediately reaches out to a stranger. However, the
ending is not only startling, but will leave readers wanting more.
Verdict: Overall, I would recommend Things We Have in Common to readers who
enjoy suspenseful novels that are full of plot twists and shocking moments.
One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
Five high school students walk into detention,
but only four make it out alive. One of
Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus is a page-turner that instantly draws the
reader in from the very first page. Simon runs a gossip app, “About That,” and
using it as a platform to spread gossip about his classmates. He, along with
overachieving Bronwyn, beautiful-but-naive Addy, athletic Cooper, and
drug-dealing Nate, goes to detention. Sounds like something straight out of The Breakfast Club -- but then there is
a twist: Simon never makes it out alive. Later, it is revealed that Simon’s
“next big scoop” involved Bronwyn, Addy, Cooper, and Nate. This means they could all have a motive! What ensues is a
whodunit type novel that tries to figure out what happened to Simon.
McManus manages to create a lively, intricate,
and clearly written novel. It is full of suspense that engages the reader
throughout the novel. She writes in a straightforward and lucid language with
shorter sentences and simple words that younger readers are able to
understand. Each of the four main
characters take turns narrating the story, which allows the reader to get a
fuller backstory of not only the four characters, but also their families,
teachers, and investigators. Bronwyn, Addy, Cooper, and Nate all have secrets
to hide that slowly get revealed with each chapter.
Verdict: I highly recommend this book to
anyone who is interested in mystery books regardless of their age. The question
is not whether to read the book, but what happened to Simon?
