Teen Mystery Program

Book Review: Blank Confession

• Blank Confession

  By Pete Hautman
• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• ISBN-10: 1416913289
• ISBN-13: 978-1416913283

Review by Anneliese G.

This book was AMAZING!

It is all about a group of people all caught up in the wrong situation. George Rawls is the detective that gets involved in the murder case involving Shayne Blank. Shayne Blank is the mysterious new kid at school who is brave and stands up for people. Then there is Mikey Martin, the short little Mexican-looking kid who isn't Mexican. Mikey is a loud-mouth sarcastic guy who quickly befriends the weird Shayne. Mikey's sister is, unfortunately, dating the Wellstone's school drug dealer Jon. Jon gets Mikey in some trouble and then Mikey owes him some money; which Mikey doesn't have. This leads to Shayne in an interrogation room with George claiming he murdered someone, but who?

Book Review: The Shattering

The Shattering 

by Karen Healey

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (September 5, 2011)
• ISBN: 978-0316125727

Reviewed by Leah S. 

The Shattering was a magnificently written book though I would not recommend it to any child under the age of eleven due to explicit language and material used throughout the book.  Karen Healey helped to portray the reality, despair, and frustration of the situation that the main characters were in by using the tone that many teens can relate to today.  This tone made the book an easy and relatable read.  With each chapter narrated by alternating characters, the reader will be able to connect to the way the characters portray themselves and really delve into their personality traits.  Keri, Sione, and Janna (extremely different from one another but all have one thing in common) had each lost their older brother due to apparent suicides. However, when they start to put the puzzle pieces of the suicides together and discover a pattern; they come to the conclusion that their brothers did not commit suicide-- they were murdered.  Throughout the book, Healey describes obstacles that the three friends encountered throughout their journey; Sione must discover who he is and what he wants to do in life, Janna deals with her true love, and Keri reveals her best-kept secret.  Little did the friends know, there was something more than a murderer behind the deaths of older brothers over the years, something supernatural that was keeping their town of Summerton from falling apart.  People that they trust are now suspected of the murders and many stones are overturned with secrets and hints hiding beneath them.  The Shattering is recommended to anyone who wants to read a gripping and page-turning novel or anyone who had geared their preferences toward science fiction, fantasy, or mystery.  Karen Healey prevails with this thoughtfully-written, infatuating piece of literature that is sure to astound any reader.