Elizabeth and Zenobia

by Jessica Miller

Elizabeth is sort of a sad little girl. No mom, and a dad who seems to care more about his career than his only daughter. She does have a friend, Zenobia, but unfortunately no one else seems to be able to see her. When Elizabeth's father moves them to Witheringe House, his childhood home, Zenobia is fascinated by its history, and wants to explore places that are forbidden, hold seances, and basically get Elizabeth into trouble.

I agree with other reviewers who advise to skip reading the description of this book. Part of the fun for me was finding out what mystery the east wing held. If you read the intro, unfortunately you basically already know.

I enjoyed the sassy Zenobia character, and the little mystery from Elizabeth's father's past.

This is our Story

by Ashley Elston

Five rich, handsome, private school senior boys go out hunting. One of them fires a shot into Grant, killing him instantly. The gun that killed Grant was his own shotgun, which they had all handled earlier in the day. It's covered in all of their fingerprints. The boys all say it's an accident, but as facts unfold, it becomes increasingly clear that's not the case. They get expelled from their fancy pants school, and have to slum it in public school while the investigation is in progress.

Kate works for the DA's office part time, and attends the public high school. She's tasked with helping the DA process some of the case information. He trusts her with sensitive info about the case, but she has a little secret. She'd been texting Grant for the past few weeks, and was totally falling for him. She tries really hard to make sure her emotions don't jeopardize the case, but you know how that goes...

OHHHH, the twist in the middle of this one! What a great little mystery! Kate is spunky and relatable. The boys are so easy to picture. Don't we all know a few dudes like the River Point Boys? The plot is tightly structured--very little fluff keeps the pace moving quickly. The resolution isn't earth-shattering, but it's satisfying. I really liked this one!

Steelheart

by Brandon Sanderson

When a new moon descends out of nowhere, certain humans begin to exhibit unusual powers and abilities. Unfortunately, most of the people, known as Epics, choose to use their new powers for evil and personal gain. At the beginning of the crisis, David's father believes that good Epics will rise up against the bad ones, and he thinks Steelheart could be the hero they're looking for. David and his dad have misfortune of being trapped in a bank that is being attacked by Epics. David's dad saves Steelheart's life, but is then killed by Steelheart. But the bullet from David's father's gun grazes Steelheart, and he bleeds. David now knows Steelheart is vulnerable. Fast forward several years, and the Epic problem is worse. David is an expert on them. He wants to kill Steelheart, and he thinks joining a group called the Reckoners will do it. But will the Reckoners want his help?