"Camp Creepy" by Kiersten White

Camp Creepy (Jan. 3, 2023) by Kiersten White.

*This is the third novel in a series.*

From the Sanguine Spa, the Sinister-Winterbottoms and their friend from Fathoms of Fun, Edgar, find themselves at Camp Creek, a mysterious summer camp where everything is fun and good and normal, normal, normal! There’s a zip line, a climbing wall and archery! There are rope swings and canoeing, boondoggle-making and buffet-style eating! Swimming in the lake and so many kinds of cereal, one could really go wild and mix them in the same bowl! Where the counselors are enthusiastic and tie-dyed everything is the theme and everything is an exclamation! Normal! Except it’s not, especially when Theo witnesses Alexander rope-swing himself into the lake. From worrying about making a fool of himself by rope-swinging wrong to brain-eating amoeba getting to him if he gets lake water up his nose, that is not Alexander’s normal. He even tells Theo it’s okay to call him Alex, something that’s not okay. And Wil! Wil hasn’t just become a camp counselor in glaring tie-dye, but she’s given up Rodrigo, her most prized ... phone! She should be going through some horrible withdrawal but is as smiley and exuberant as every other tie-dyed counselor. The counselors and campers are braindyed, all but Theo and a sulking boy named Henry Hyde. She must un-braindye Alexander, Wil, Edgar and even Quincy, former lasso-wielding friend who might still come through as a friend once things are able to be talked out. Without so many exclamation points!

            To be fair, I tend to love everything I read by Kiersten White, but I honestly love the books in her Sinister Summer series the most! Far from scary (think more like the hijinks of Scooby-Doo), her stories read at a fast clip and they are so genius that I’m using an excessive amount of exclamations, even in my head as I type this! I can’t stop! Only kidding. I totally can. The adventures of the Sinister-Winterbottoms are slightly outrageous, but completely clean and fun. White’s writing is clever and is easy to follow, even as characters from the previous books converge and new characters are added. “Camp Creepy” is another satisfyingly sinister, wonderfully weird, middle-grade installment that contains positive messages about the acceptance of oneself and others just the way they are, quirks and anxieties and all.

            Book 1: Wretched Waterpark

            Book 2: Vampiric Vacation

"Critical Threat" by Lynette Eason

Critical Threat (Jan. 3, 2023) by Lynette Eason.*

*This is the third novel in a series.*

A serial killer must be stopped. FBI Special Agent Grace Billingsley, specializing in psychiatry and behavioral analysis, and prison psychiatrist Sam Monroe are both called in to consult. They’ve met before, and Grace thought they’d made a real connection, but Sam never called or texted. Because he was dreading having to tell her that he’s the son of the serial killer Peter Romanos. It comes to light early on, Grace handling the information with, well, grace, and Sam’s the one who turned Peter in. The killer they’re trying to track has an MO that shares similarities to Peter’s. Sam suspects Peter must somehow be involved, but he can’t pinpoint how. Sam may have to do the one thing he’s avoided all these years: speak with his father. It can’t come a moment too soon, because Grace has been targeted by the killer all because he wants to know what she said. There doesn’t appear to be a connection amongst the victims, but the killer’s too organized and methodical for them to be chosen randomly. What is the link?

            This story is a race on a gruesome path to the finish line that stops a serial killer. God guides Grace and Sam and faith strengthens them during their investigation and as trust builds and a deeper relationship grows. Eason deftly manages a swift-moving plot, harrowing suspense, determined protagonists and a nasty antagonist with the comforting undercurrent of faith all working to propel the story to its conclusion. It runs the gamut of emotions through the different character perspectives, from fear to anger, sadness to determination, desperate hate to fierce love. It’s high-octane from Chapter One and Eason’s stories continue be a Christian suspense favorite of mine!

            Lines that made me think: “I think God can do anything, but I also believe he gives us a choice. If the people your dad works with can acknowledge that what they did was wrong and they’re truly remorseful, then yes, I believe that God can ‘fix’ them. Or at least forgive them. So, with that hope, I think your dad’s work is really important. Because they all have souls, and if your dad can reach just one, then that’s a victory for the good guys.” “And a defeat for the enemy.” (p. 139)

            Lines that made me laugh: ”He’d flip, wouldn’t he?” “Faster than an Olympic gymnast.” (p. 181)

            Book 1 in the Extreme Measures series: Life Flight 

            Book 2 in the Extreme Measures series: Crossfire

 

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

"Seoulmates" by Susan Lee

Seoulmates (Sept. 20, 2022) by Susan Lee.

*This is a standalone novel.*

What’s a girl to do when life imitates a K-drama? Hannah Cho’s plans involved hanging out with her boyfriend and enjoying her senior year with their friend group, but Nate Anderson dumped her at the top of summer. He’s into all the Korean things she has shunned (K-dramas, K-pop, K-everything) to try to fit into her American identity. She plots to win him back, but her former best friend, Jacob Kim, is back in town (town being San Diego). When Jacob left, she cut him out of her life due to her hurt and always feeling like everyone in her life leaves her (Jacob, her sister Helen, their dad in Singapore). But Jacob returns as Kim Jin-Suk, his Korean name and the name all of his fans know him by. Yes. In the interim years since leaving San Diego, Jacob has come to know K-dramas so well that he’s starring in one with the beautiful but awful Shin Min-Kyung (a.k.a. Minky). When time away from set is encouraged, Jacob’s mom takes the two of them, plus his 12-year-old sister Jin-Hee, to stay with the Cho family, the moms being best friends. Jacob has a list of things he wants to do in San Diego that he’d never be allowed and/or have time to do in Korea (like taste-test his way to find the best burrito or go to LEGOLAND), but since he can’t drive, he needs Hannah. He’d like to reconnect with her and figure out what went wrong with their friendship, painful as it will be, and then, perhaps, they can navigate their teenager feelings for each other. Is it love? Is Jacob the rebound guy and Hannah the summer fling before Jacob has to return to Korea? Are they Seoulmates?

            I’m going to get this out there right away, but why is this not the first Asian American-centric YA story I’ve read in recent months where the lead female character has perceived abandonment issues? Is this a new, recurrent them? Or has it always existed, and I simply haven’t read those stories until now?

            For anyone looking for a K-drama in literary form, Lee’s YA debut is perfect for K-drama fans. A swoon-worthy romance? Check. A super good-looking K-drama star? Check. Drama? Check. Korean food? Check. This novel is told in alternating perspectives and is one that celebrates friendship and Korean culture through expressive, fast-paced, thoughtful writing. It meaningfully examines the harder aspects around Korean American identity, but in an honest, believable-teenager way. The way everything K has become so popular surprises me, pleasantly so, like being a book dragon (previously, book nerd) is cool these days, at least compared to when I was one of the rare avid readers in my class growing up. Amongst themes of friendship and the predictable budding romance, the novel explores finding one’s inner strength and the role family dynamics can play, especially when love may not be expressed when someone is looking for that support and validation and picturing oneself as unlovable. This story is daebak, and it won’t be for everyone (I struggled at times, because, well, teenagers) but I expect it will attract a wide range of readers who are already K-drama and K-pop fans.

            P.S. I’m not a big watcher of K-dramas, but I did watch “Crash Landing on You” and “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” last year and was immersed in both of them.

Happy 2023!

Photo by Olia Danilevich via Pexels

Happy New Year! We’ve closed the doors on 2022 and are greeting 2023. Whatever 2022 brought you - the good, the bad and the in-between - I wish for you a wondrous new year ahead. If you seek a better job, may a better job come your way. If you want to travel, may your travel-bug heart traverse new roads and familiar roads to get you to your destinations. If your health has been of concern, may good health take the place of ill this year. I hope anyone reading this finds encouragement all the year round. Remember that you’re never too old to learn new things, so go ahead and try that thing you’ve been talking yourself out of or telling yourself you’ll get to when you “have more time.” Remember that the world is full of different people, those you’ll meld with and those you won’t. Be a light unto others, for you never know when you’ll be the light to someone’s darkness. And be always a work in progress, for we are all worth the time it takes to invest in ourselves!

What are your goals/dreams/hopes for 2023?

Wishing you all the best,

Lisa