Blue Moon Mystery Saloon

When the Beat Drops

A Novel by Anna Hecker, Sky Pony Press, May 2018.

When the Beat Drops by Anna Hecker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

* An e-galley was provided by Sky Pony Press and Edelweiss for an honest review.

 You know those stories written in present tense that feel stilted and unnatural? WHEN THE BEAT DROPS, by Anna Hecker, is sooo definitely not one of them. In fact, I was on page 21 before I realized it was in present tense. That’s because this book draws you in and won’t let you go until the end.

Mira’s not looking forward to a boring summer alone. Especially when she drives her two friends to music camp even though she’s unable to go. Her summer will consist of nothing but working and practicing her trumpet to prepare for her audition to a prestigious jazz conservatory. Quite unexpectedly, her older sister Britt and a friend of hers from college encourage Mira to join them at a rave. Mira’s initially concerned that the party’s in a rundown, abandoned warehouse district. The loud music and packed dance floor doesn’t help. But everyone is so nice and the music is amazing. It’s here that Mira meets Shaye, the girl who shows her how to spin music, and Derek, the hunky party promoter who will become her love interest. The story follows Mira through the summer as she develops her DJ skills, maneuvers through life at the party scene, deals with how drugs impact her family, and decides who she wants to be while still being true to herself and her dreams.

Themes:
1. Not fitting in - Mira is a misfit in her high school. She likes jazz, is in a band with two other misfits, and she’s poor.
2. Abandonment - Her only two friends are spending much of the summer at her favorite music camp, while she stays at home (due to her parents’ bad money and life management abilities). She feels alone and dreads the boring summer stretching out before her.
3. Unrealized expectations - Mira’s older sister Britt was a soccer star and all around favorite girl at her high school. At Pepperdine University, she feels alienated by the other girls on the soccer team because she’s on a scholarship.
4. Drug dependency - Britt’s turned to “Molly,” a drug supposed to make you happy with everyone and everything. Her new friend from college has encouraged Britt to try it and now Britt relies on it.
5. Being true to yourself - Mira has to decide who she wants to be while keeping her values and realizing her dreams.

Summary:
WHEN THE BEAT DROPS is an enjoyable book worthy of your reading time. The author is adept at writing dialogue, developing in-depth characters, and creating tension. And though I’m not normally a fan of books written in present tense, I’ve made an exception for this story. The writing is solid and so true to life, that it took 21 pages for me to realize it was in the present tense. Readers who like music will like the behind-the-scenes look into DJing and passages about jazz history. It’s a good book that I highly recommend. Once again Sky Pony Press has published a timely, thought-provoking YA book!

Note: Because of a few sex scenes, I recommend this book for mature teenagers and/or readers aged 16 or older.

If You Like This, You May Like:
TONE DEAF by Olivia Rivers, LIFE BEFORE by Michele Bacon, THE ART OF FRENCH KISSING by Brianna R. Shrum, THE TAMING OF THE DREW by Stephanie Kate Strohm, DIRTY LITTLE SECRET and GOING TOO FAR by Jennifer Echols


View all my reviews

Switching Gears

A Novel by Chantele Sedgwick, Sky Pony Press, February 2017.

* An e-galley was provided by Sky Pony Press and Edelweiss for an honest review.

 

Switching Gears by Chantele Sedgwick
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sky Pony Press is starting to be my go-to publisher for young adult books. Their newest addition, SWITCHING GEARS, a follow up to LOVE, LUCAS by Chantele Sedgwick, is a wonderful example of what I think makes a great young adult romance. The writing is easy-flowing and never bogs down, the action is exciting and plentiful, and the lead characters have realistic flaws and grow throughout the story. And, of course, the heroine gets her HEA.

Seventeen-year-old Emmy Martin loves mountain biking. It's what makes her feel alive. As the story begins, she still mourns the death of her best friend, neighbor, and secret love Lucas, who died from cancer the month before. She strains to finish a race in first place but is passed by her nemesis, Whitney. Irritated at always coming in behind Whitney, she asks for a rematch. A cocky Cole offers to help her train, but Emmy chooses to do it by herself. She's afraid to get close to too many people, since she fears they might leave her. So she keeps only Kelsie as her friend and confidant.

Kelsie is Emmy's best friend and an exceptional one, too. She refuses to let Emmy wallow in her sadness, constantly pushing and prodding her to get out and enjoy life. She makes Emmy laugh, and she encourages her to give Cole a chance. She is perfect BFF material.

And then there's Cole. Hot, cocky and a mountain bike racing fiend. Emmy doesn't like him at first, especially after he's named captain of their school's mountain biking team, the one she started the previous summer. She's wary of him when he offers to train her for the rematch with Whitney. So Emmy turns him down. He continues to try and help her and eventually asks her out. He's supportive, treats her well and likes to tease her. But most of all, he cares enough to challenge Emmy to be her very best.

The story includes issues of abandonment, grief, self-doubt, guilt, and believing in yourself. It has funny parts mixed in with some sad passages, but it's a wonderful story overall. The only con is that it ended too soon. (I would have liked to see the last chapter expanded to include some of what happened through the year before the Epilogue occurs.) So I'm giving the book a strong 4.5 stars

SWITCHING GEARS is a sweet romance that should appeal to younger teenagers, but older teenagers and adults will enjoy the story too. And it's a book you'll want to keep on your shelf to revisit from time to time.

If You Like This, You May Like: LOVE, LUCAS and NOT YOUR AVERAGE FAIRY TALE by Chantele Sedgwick, LIFE BEFORE by Michele Bacon, THAT BURNING SUMMER by Lydia Syson, BY YOUR SIDE by Kasie West, FIRST YEAR by Sarah Hocut, STOLEN KISSES by Kerttu-Liis Kiili, SAINT ANYTHING and JUST LISTEN by Sarah Dessen 

View all my reviews

Lock & Mori: Mind Games

A LOCK & MORI MYSTERY (Book 2) by Heather W. Petty, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, December 2016

 * An e-galley was provided by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers and Edelweiss for an honest review.

Mind Games by Heather W. Petty
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In LOCK & MORI: MIND GAMES, Heather W. Petty has written a tight, intriguing mystery filled with interesting twists and turns and several unique Sherlock Holmes references. Though it ends in a cliffhanger, the path to that point contains such a captivating storyline with well-drawn, compelling characters (and a pinch of small side cases to appeal to young Sherlock Holmes fans), that the story is well worth the time it takes to read it and wait for the next installment.

The story begins shortly after the end of the series' first book, with high school friends Sherlock "Lock" Holmes and James "Mori" Moriarty practicing Bartitsu, a type of martial arts, to add to Mori's self-defense arsenal. Strong, self-sufficient, and intelligent Mori is still recovering from the brutal beating she received as her father, Detective Sargeant Moriarty, tried to kill her, and she needs to be mentally and physically ready to keep her three young brothers safe from their father's cruelty by insuring he remains in jail. But with the help of fellow officers wanting to exonerate one of their own from being charged as a murderer, DS Moriarty strives to have Mori charged as the killer, so he can get out of jail and take the boys where no one can find them.

Mori's worries multiply when she begins receiving threatening letters and the police start believing tips implicating her as the Regent Park murderer. She feels she can only rely on herself to prove her innocence. But her brilliant, frustrating, gorgeous Lock won't be pushed away from helping Mori. She is the one person he cares so much about, and he promises she can trust him. In a race against time, they travel around London following clues to the third player's identity. Through it all Mori realizes what lengths she's willing to go to protect her family and for justice to be served.

Issues of physical and mental abuse, school bullying, and the ethics of right and wrong actions are interwoven with the grief of losing a parent and trusting others. The burgeoning romance between Lock and Mori has just the right amount of teen angst, internal dialogue, and hesitant touches. The book is fast paced and full of action, and Sherlock Holmes fans will enjoy the several scenes of Lock's experiments and examples of his deductive reasoning.

Petty has a definite winner in LOCK & MORI: MIND GAMES. It's a great addition to the series and a smart mystery for both teens and adults. I look forward to the final book in the trilogy, to be released in Fall 2017.

If You Like This, You May Like: LOCK & MORI (Book 1) by Heather W. Petty, CHARLOTTE HOLMES NOVELS by Brittany Cavallaro, STOKERS & HOLMES SERIES by Colleen Gleason, GLASS AND STEELE SERIES by C. J. Archer, THE BASKERVILLE AFFAIR SERIES by Emma Jane Holloway, EMBASSY ROW SERIES and HEIST SOCIETY BOOKS by Ally Carter

View all my reviews

How to Make Out

By Brianna R. Shrum, Sky Pony Press, August 2016.

 * An e-ARC was provided by Sky Pony Press and Edelweiss for an honest review.

 

How to Make Out by Brianna Shrum
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

HOW TO MAKE OUT, by Brianna R. Shrum, is an enjoyable book about 16-year-old Renley Eisner and her quest to fund her math club trip to New York City. Along the way, she discovers she can be whomever she wants, but she may not like what she becomes.

Fairly invisible in school and home, Renley spends much of her time with April, her fellow math geek, and Drew, her next door neighbor. She doesn't have a boyfriend, and Drew goes through girls fairly quickly. He really cares a lot for Renley, but she only sees him as a really good friend.

Renley wants to go on the trip with April but doesn't have the $3000 needed to get there. She hates to ask her father for the money, so she decides to create an anonymous How-To blog and charge for answering readers' questions. She's unskilled in a lot of areas, so when she has a question to answer, she researches the best processes online and tries them out on herself before posting the best one on her blog. As Renley improves herself and her blog brings in cash, she becomes noticed at school and attracts the attention of a really cute boy she's crushed on in her Home Ec class.

As she and her blog become popular, she practically abandons her two best friends. Questions arise about who created the blog at the same time as Renley's life starts failing apart. Ultimately she has to decide what is really important in her life.

The story's main characters are well written and experience evolving maturity throughout the book. Each chapter is headed with a How-To (the first being "How to Do Long Division"), and follows Renley's progress with her blog and herself. Though the topics of friendship, personal growth, and truthfulness are addressed, trust is the overall issue, both in how a person can become trustworthy and how a person's actions can affect the trust of friends and family.

HOW TO MAKE OUT is a lighthearted, fun book that tackles important life issues, especially for teenagers. It may be a better fit with more mature teens, as some of the How-To topics are a tad bit scandalous, but Renley's discovery of herself and what's important in her life will resonate with most readers. It's a quick, enjoyable read that even adults can appreciate.

If You Like This, You May Like: SAINT ANYTHING by Sarah Dessen, DIRTY LITTLE SECRET and GOING TOO FAR by Jennifer Echols, PAPER TOWNS by John Green, THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER by Jennifer L. Armentrout, GAME ON by Michelle Smith, GOING GEEK by Charlotte Huang



View all my reviews

Life Before

A Young Adult Suspense by Michele Bacon, Sky Pony Press, June 2016.

Life Before by Michele Bacon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

* An e-ARC was provided by Sky Pony Press and Edelweiss for an honest review.

LIFE BEFORE is a young adult suspense by Michele Bacon. The serious issues of physical and emotional abuse, homelessness, murder, and being forced to run for your life are just some of the topics touched upon in this book.

Xander Fife has been living with his mom, Helen, since her divorce from his abusive dad, Gary. Xander tries to live his life as a normal kid with a normal family. But he has secrets that he can't reveal, even to his best friend Jill.

One day Xander and Jill are planning their Infinite Summer. The next, he's hiding from his murderous father. Xander ends up in Burlington VT, intending to stay off the grid (essentially disappear) until Gary is captured and thrown in jail. While in VT he meets some friendly and intriguing people who help him survive day to day, teach him to approach life with curiosity and wonder, and encourage him to live in the present instead of waiting until some future accomplishment to begin his life.

The characters in LIFE BEFORE are fully-developed with clear identities and motivations. The descriptions of places and things are so vibrant, one feels as if you're standing beside Xander as he stumbles through his days, constantly on the outlook for danger.

Xander's poignant story is both sad and beautiful. Sad for what he's had to suffer throughout his young life. Beautiful for his strength and growing confidence. Though the issues raised are serious, the story isn't depressing. It is, at times, funny and always full of friendship and hope. Xander comes to realize he has the ability to take care of himself and that he is far from alone, as he has wonderful friends who support him and who accept him for who he is.

LIFE BEFORE is perfect for readers of John Green, Jennifer Echols and Sarah Dessen and a quick read for vacation. There are a few kissing scenes and descriptions of feelings, but more involved sexual interactions are either off-scene or just implied.

If You Like This, You May Like: SAINT ANYTHING by Sarah Dessen, DIRTY LITTLE SECRET and GOING TOO FAR by Jennifer Echols, PAPER TOWNS by John Green, THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER by Jennifer L. Armentrout, HOW TO DISAPPEAR by Ann Redisch Stampler, A STUDY IN CHARLOTTE by Brittany Cavallaro, TELL ME THREE THINGS by Julie Buxbaum

View all my reviews