Secrets in Ice by Kennedy Plumb

I am excited to dive into today's read. Not only is it a retelling of the Snow Queen, but it should be mystery pure. I, honestly, had visions of a romantic vibe when I first picked it up, but while preparing this post, I learned that it should be more sleuth-mystery. Now, that's more my thing! But I've run into another problem...

I also thought 'Hmmm...I can work in a nice, longer, YA read right after Thanksgiving when things die done Friday evening...' Which is true, but while putting this post together, I saw the 450+ page length and had to swallow. Looks like I'm going to be reading like a mad-woman tonight! (Yep, I'm writing this Friday morning) So, if this goes up a little later on Saturday, you know why.

I'm hoping this is a great launch into the Christmas season, so let's find out if it is or not!

SECRETS IN ICE

by Kennedy Plumb

YA Mystery   /  Fairytale Retelling

460 pages

It's been ten years since 17-year-old Nikki Sinclair's parents and sister left home and never returned.

Evidence uncovered at the scene caused the police to rule it a triple homicide, but since their bodies were never found, the case ran cold and was never solved. Living in her family's giant lonely estate all this time, the sole heiress to the huge fortune they left behind, Nikki has come to accept that her family is really dead. Lizzy, her sister - her best friend - is gone forever.

Until she begins receiving mysterious messages from an unknown number claiming to be her dead sister, leading to hidden clues only Lizzy could have known about and begging for help. Nikki begins to question everything. What actually happened to her family all those years ago, and could her sister really be out there somewhere? Is she in danger?

As the messages get more dire, and other circumstances make finding Lizzy more urgent, Nikki recruits the help of Kieran Bergstrom. He's the voice of her favorite true crime investigative podcast, and even though he turns out to be much harder to work with than she expected, she has no one else to turn to. She's desperate to find the truth and solve her family's case at any cost. All Nikki knows is this: if there's a chance even as small as a snowflake that her sister could really be alive, she'll walk to the ends of the earth in a blizzard to look for her.

A story of a sister's love, seeking justice against all odds, and not participating in the act of murder on your very aggravating, very arrogant, and very blonde colleague - who may or may not have some secrets of his own.

Frozen meets A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

GOODREADS    /     AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

Tension, mystery, trauma, and intrigue mix with wintery spirit to create a grabbing read with more than a few surprises.

Nikki might be born with a silver spoon and will be rich after her 21st birthday. Ever since the rest of her family died in a very strange car crash ten years before, she's been raised by her aunt with very controlled contact to the rest of the world. She has a butler, maid, and everything her heart could desire and doesn't seem to notice the golden cage. She's very kind and sweet, but isolation leaves a person naive. Her aunt is dying and refuses to receive treatment which might cure her disease. So, Nikki tries to figure out how to get to her inheritance ahead of schedule and save her aunt, since Nikki is still only 17. When she discovers that a marriage in a couple months, when she turns 18, would also unlock the funds, she immediately convinces her best and only friend, Hunter, who has just popped in after years of living in Canada for a visit. He agrees, but the timing might still be too late to save her aunt. Plus, there's suddenly reason to believe her sister isn't as dead as thought. So, Nikki reaches out to a podcast crime solver, who has solved a few cold cases. But that's when things really start going weird.

This was a very engaging story—so much more than I expected. The author switches gears between Nikki and the podcaster, Kieran, letting readers dive into each perspective and grab clues as they come. The characters do seem to stay a bit superficial (don't really dig deep on the emotions) thanks to the concentration on the 'what's happening',  but thanks to the thick intrigue, web of secrets, and tension, that this was not really an issue. It just would have been an icing on the cakes to make it an amazing read. But both characters have their own trauma to deal with and personalities, and this weaves wonderfully into their interactions and development. These two are up against a very dangerous, tightly planned conspiracy, which makes every step a grabbing moment with tons of possibilities as to where it was going to go.

The podcast inserts and text messages don't overwhelm and work their magic nicely to play with the mystery as it moves along. My mind was shooting in several possible 'guilty' scenarios from the get-go, which made it that much more interesting to mold and meld as more information came to light. And it does some huge flip-flops to keep readers on their toes.

As to the romance...because when I first picked it up, I was convinced it'd be heavy romance..., it's present but works into the plot and doesn't take it over. There's a slow build with each getting to know the other. Neither has romance in mind when it begins...and even the love triangle isn't what it seems. There's so much for crime and mystery fans to enjoy even on this level.

Oh, and there's the dog. Never forget the dog, who added a warm touch along the way.

Review: Buried by Kennedy Plumb

Today's review has been sitting in my pile for more than a few months as an ARC and was released this last November. Still, I refuse to ignore it and pass it up...and no, the publisher really doesn't mind. They gave a huge time frame on this one. 

I've been excited to dive into this one. Doesn't seem like it, I know, but my pile has been super huge. Honestly. Not only did the blurb catch my attention, but science fiction seems to get the short-end when it comes to young adult reads. Granted, this one does take place in a dystopian world, but even those aren't nearly as plentiful as they were a few years ago.

Am I babbling? Yep, with the best of them! So, off we go!

 

BURIED

by Kennedy Plumb

YA Science Fiction

410 pages

Life in the Underground United States really freakin’ sucks.

No freedom, no sunlight, and the whole place smells like armpit.

That‘s what life has been like for Sam and his little sister Ella for the past eight years, ever since the Draft took their parents. So pretty much hell. But at least they had each other.

​Until they didn’t.

​As if Underground life couldn’t get any worse, Ella mysteriously goes missing without a trace. Sam must now embark on a dangerous journey through the unknowns of the Underground to find her.

But will he find her before it’s too late?

Will a brother’s love be enough to save her?

GOODREADS   /   B&N   /   AMAZON 

BOOK DEPOSITORY   /   KOBO

MY TIDBITS

The wit and humor of the main character give this dystopian an unique spin, while still weaving through more serious themes.

Sam's parents were forced into the armed forces, while he and his much younger sister were forced to join those living underground. He never saw his or heard from his parents again. Life underground is separated into different levels, which he and his sister reside in the lowest class. They work for credits to pay for their food and such, and he is well-liked by one of the heads. Life isn't great, but when his sister goes missing, it takes an even worse turn. Now, he can only hope it will be possible to find her.

I do enjoy a good, YA dystopian, but this one was not what I was expecting. While there are cliches and things that remind me of other books in this genre, there's a humorous touch, which makes it unique. The main character, Sam, isn't happy with the state of things...nor should he be...but he packs sarcasm and keeps humor up. It's not that he cracks jokes, but rather, the way his thoughts flow and his comments give him a touch of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. This was strengthened by the illustrations of diagrams and notes he'd create. So, unlike other YA dystopians, which harbor serious circumstances and danger, this one takes a lighter twist...and still, adds in serious circumstances and, toward the end especially, danger.

The writing in this one flows well. It's written in first person from Sam's point of view, but even here, it's a bit original in that Sam speaks to the reader, at times, and switches between acting as a narrator and really sinking in as a character in the story. It makes it hard to say, which audience this book is intended for. Much of it screams middle grade, and I'd recommended it to that group if it weren't for some of the tougher scenes later on. Honestly, I'm not quite sure where to put this one.

The world building is well done and makes the underground world easy to picture. I also adored the sibling relationship, although I would have liked to have gotten to know his sister a little better. The other characters are very varied, and there the basis for the series is well set. While it is a longer read, the illustrations do keep it from bogging down and add a little fun. Still, there were more than a couple holes in the background information and reasoning to the world, which I do hope will still be explained in the next book(s)...but I am missing it already now.

This is an original and fun dystopian with a different flair. I'm going to recommend it for the very upper end of the middle grade and the very lower end of the young adult audience, and am sure the right readers will enjoy it quite a bit.