Trapped

by Michael Northrup
PRMS discard, paperback 232 pages
genre: YA suspense, survival

Published in 2011, I removed this from my collection because of water damage it had sustained (not sure when or by whom). It sounded intriguing enough that I wanted to read it to see if it was worth replacing. Seven kids are stuck at school when a monster snowstorm sends everyone else home early. Theoretically, parents are on the way to get them. The teacher who is with them goes out to get help, since all phone lines are down. He never comes back. It keeps snowing. The power goes out. The heat goes off. The roof collapses on part of the building.

This book had suspense, but not much action (or dynamic character development). The author does a great job of foreshadowing! But not much really happens. And only one person dies for sure (that we know of by the end of the book). Scotty Weems is our narrator, along with his buddies Pete and Jason. Bad boy Les, outcast Elijah, and beautiful girls Krista and Julie are the not-so-interesting kids.

I did like on page 122 and page 155 when the characters decide to pray (since they're on day four and the snow is about 18 feet deep).

 "It was probably the ten thousandth time I'd heard Jason say "Jesus," but it was the first time I'd heard him mean it." So true! People use that precious name of power and sacrifice in such casual and even profane ways. But when people get desperate, they call on Him differently.

 

"Oh, such, now you're religious. Where was that on about fifty-one of the last fifty-two Sundays?" Love this!

 

The Rediscovered Railway Mysteries & Other Stories

by John Taylor
Hennepin County Library audiobook 2 CDs
read by: Benedict Cumberbatch
genre: mystery

Inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's work, the author created four new adventures (theoretically "old" ones) told from Watson's point of view. Although not as good as Doyle's stories, they were enjoyable (though Louie always guessed the villain before me). The vocal work was wonderful, of course.

Crusher

by Niall Leonard
Hennepin County Library audiobook 6 discs
read by Daniel Weyman
genre: YA mystery adventure

This was pretty intense! Finn Maguire is a dropout working a crappy job at a fast-food place with a pinhead boss. When he comes home from work one day, he finds his dad dead. Things go from bad to worse when the cops see him as the prime suspect, he gets tangled up with organized crime, and people betray him. Poor kid! There were a few little bright spots, but mostly it was a dark story. Definitely worth listening to, though. Finn is a believable and likable character. Weyman's vocal work is superb.

Truth Stained Lies

by Terri Blackstock
Hennepin County Library hardcover 299 pages
genre: Christian fiction, mystery

Liked:
- quick read
- suspence
- character of Michael

Disliked:
- not a very well-developed story
- book club discussion - only two of us read it and the other reader panned it!

"Cathy Cramer is a former lawyer and investigative blogger who writes commentary on high-profile homicides."

When her brother Jay is arrested in connection with his wife's murder, Cathy and her sisters Juliet and Holly work hard to exonerate him and save their nephew.

The first part of the book was full of mystery and clues; the second half was suspenseful.

I marked a bunch of spots but don't want to blog about them. Mostly characters struggling with their faith and some witnessing to others. I also liked Holly being kind to Mrs. Haughton.

Take Me There

by Susane Colasanti
Hennepin County Library audiobook 6 discs
read by Macleod Andrews, Angela Dawe, and Sarah Grace
genre: YA realistic fiction, romance

I think what I like best about Colasanti's books are the catchy covers . . . the two stories I've read so far haven't really made me a fan. This one has three narrators telling the same story from their individual perspectives in two overlapping story chunks. James was my favorite character by far. I especially like his home life and connection to Mrs. Schaefer. Most of the hand-wringing by Rhiannon and Nicole is immature and overwrought. Nicole's very serious secret gets overshadowed by the angsty teen approach to everything from note-passing to crushing on her math teacher. The slang seemed horribly outdated, but perhaps it's coming back into vogue and I'm just not aware? At least this is "clean" enough for my middle school kids.

Savage Drift (Monument 14 #3)

by Emmy Laybourne
PRMS hardcover 305 pages
genre: YA dystopian

When the teens see a picture of Josie in a newspaper, Niko determines to go get her out of the "O Camp." Astrid's pregnancy is not smooth, but she's terrified of being taken away like other pregnant women who have disappeared. Jake and Dean fight constantly. Action. Adventure. Danger. Another exciting story about teens impacted by a future apocalyptic weather and NORAD-based emergency. Wonderful writing! I hope she is working on more books, though I'm glad she wrapped up this story in three books.