Are Those Really Diamonds Becky? (Tuther Village Adventure Book 4)

Reader's Digest Condensed Books

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Hostage Three by Nick Lake Ages 12—up The Somali pirates who capture a British yacht dehumanize the three captives by referring to them only by numbers. The life-threatening capture re-awakens her will to live, as does the budding romance with Farouz, the Somali interpreter.

Soulprint by Megan Miranda Ages 12—up Alina Chase 17 has spent her entire life imprisoned on an island, punishment for a crime committed in a past life as June Calahan, a destructive blackmailer. Amelia Anne Is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield Ages 14—up Becca has sex with her boyfriend James in the back of his truck on the night of her high school graduation, right before he breaks up with her. The next day the body of an unknown girl is found by the side of the road. Amelia Anne, the dead girl, had just graduated from college and was on her way to Cape Cod with her boyfriend.

In Mary Baines 13 is a lonely orphan at Thornhill when it is in the process of closing. Her few friends are adopted or moved to another orphanage, leaving Mary in the company of an unstable bully. As the staff is reduced, the bulling increases, and Mary plots her revenge. Adopted by a white American family, Lily has grown up knowing very little of her heritage. Now 17 and the only Asian in her high school, the racial slurs Lily has always endured grow worse with the Korean War.

Young Adult Books for Ages 12—up. A Novel of Forbidden Love in Afghanistan by Atia Abawi Ages 14—up Pastun landowners and Hazara farmers maintain a respectful peace in a small village in Afghanistan, but everyone knows that the two cultures never mix. Fatima is a dutiful and obedient Hazara girl who dreams of a future in Kabul where girls are allowed to be doctors, lawyers, and even artists. Samiullah is a Pastun boy raised to defend the traditions of his tribe who becomes disillusioned with the cruel indoctrination at his madrassa.

When he returns to the village, the childhood friendship between the two blossoms into love. When their attachment is reported to the local Taliban, horrific consequences follow for both families. This beautifully written books deals with the uncomfortable subjects of racial conflict, sibling rivalry, and marital discord.

Stranded on the island, Maya, her brother Peter, and baby sister Penny, find themselves surrounded by pirates and involved in one exciting adventure after another in this high-energy fantasy. The treat of being outed by Martin forces Simon into coming to terms with his sexuality in this poignant and funny novel full of wit and wordplay. Shauna, Charlotte, and Mildred vs. Jack, Linton, and Sonny. Luckily there is enough investigating to go around as a Russian owner of a UK football soccer team tries to bully an elderly woman into selling her house.

This graphic novel, first in the Bad Machinery series, is fast-paced and darkly funny. One night she begins writing in a blank journal, and begins a journey of self discovery. Half a Creature from the Sea: Raven Summer by David Almond Ages 12—up Liam is walking home with a friend when a mysterious raven leads them to an abandoned baby. Instead, he is consumed with thoughts of violence.

In the end, Liam is convinced that only an act of violence can save a friend. This thought-provoking coming-of-age novel explores the dark and conflicting urges of adolescence. On a trip to the Northumberland beach, Claire is fascinated by Orpheus, a wandering musician who plays the lyre. Ella and Orpheus fall in love, and Claire agrees to help them elope. This modern retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth is spellbinding. His two best friends are Holly Stroud, the dreamy girl next door, with whom he balances on a make-shift tightrope, and Vincent McAlinden, a complex neighborhood bully.

This coming-of-age story is powerful. This intense post-apocalyptic novel explores faith, betrayal, reconciliation, and triumph. The Possible by Tara Altebrando Ages 13—up Kaylee Novell 17 has managed to keep her past secret until the producer of a podcast called The Possible appears at her door. Four years old at the time, Kaylee was the prime witness for the prosecution. Does her mother really have telekinetic powers? Has she inherited those powers?

What really did happen thirteen years ago? Before her relocation she is reunited with a long-lost elderly relative in Kansas. Adri discovers a postcard dating back to when Lenore in England is dealing with the death of her beloved brother in WWI and about to set sail for a new life in America.

In Oklahoma, Catherine discovers the same postcard as her family is struggling through the economic uncertainties of the Dust Bowl. Then she meets Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland, and falls in love. The two teenagers are in the midst of sorting out their feelings about love, responsibility, freedom, and power, when a strange girl from England arrives. This dark retelling of the Peter Pan story is narrated by Tinker Bell.

Then someone begins killing teenaged girls, and the quiet little town suddenly seems menacing. Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson Ages 10—up As the Revolutionary War begins, year-old Isabel and her 5-year-old sister Ruth are about to be freed from slavery by the will of their Rhode Island mistress. However, the unscrupulous heir prevents the reading of the will and the girls are soon the property of an abusive Loyalist couple in New York. Isabel agrees to spy for the Patriots in exchange for passage back to Rhode Island for herself and her sister.

This well researched exploration of the treatment of slaves is contained in a gripping story. After staying for a few months in New Jersey, Isabel runs away to find her sister, a quest Curzon feels is futile. Curzon joins the army, passing as a freed slave, and suffers through the harsh winter at Valley Forge. His fragile acceptance is threatened when his owner arrives.

Readers will be anxious to read the final book in the trilogy to learn the fate of Curzon and Isabel. Now 12, Ruth has been cared for by the other plantation slaves, and has no use for her sister. Taking Ruth and Aberdeen, an escaped slave from the plantation, they head north to Williamsburg, Virginia, where patriots are preparing for an assault on Yorktown.

This gripping story is a satisfying conclusion to the Seeds of America trilogy Chains , Forge. For the past five years Hayley and her father have been on the road, as he struggles to escape the flashbacks of his service in Iran and Afghanistan.

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This difficult and engrossing novel also touches on self-mutilation and dysfunctional families. The Pox Party by M. Anderson Ages 14—up Octavian, a black youth in Revolution-era America, is raised in a Boston household of radical philosophers. He is given a classical education and kept with his mother, an African princess, in comfort.

As he matures, Octavian realizes he is an experiment to discover the intellectual capability of Africans. When his mother dies, Octavian runs away and joins the Patriot army. Though written in 18th century language in the form of letters, this powerful novel raises contemporary issues of racism, human rights, the causes of war, and the struggle of an individual to define himself.

The Kingdom on the Waves by M. Octavian soon realizes that his liberation is not a moral decision, but a political expediency. As the Revolutionary War, explodes around him, Octavian struggles with ideals of liberty and his own personal growth in this fascinating perspective on our national origins. Landscape with Invisible Hand by M. The vuvv offer advanced technology and cures for all diseases, which everyone is eager to purchase. So Adam and his girlfriend Chloe broadcast an exaggerated pay-per-view nostalgic version of their romance, which the vuvv are eager to purchase.

The Knight of the Lion by M. Anderson Ages 12—up Tina and her mother are refugees from the Congo. In Sangui City, Kenya, her mother finds work as a maid in the home of Roland Greyhill, a prominent businessman whose fortune was made from a life of corruption and crime.

When her mother is murdered, Tina is sure Greyhill is responsible, but no one listens to the refugee girl. Homeless, she is recruited by the Goondas, a gang of orphans and street kids, and trained to become a thief. Sylvie loves to run, and is always trying to run farther and faster than ever before. When she disappears while running in a Vermont forest to throw a wish rock into the river, everyone except Jules believes she is dead.

Meanwhile, a shadow fox, half real and half spirit, is born. The fox also loves to run. Alternate chapters are narrated from the perspectives of Jules and the fox. Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate Ages 10—14 Jackson 10 , his parents, and his younger sister are about to be evicted again. Then Crenshaw, a seven-foot talking cat reappears for the first time in three years. Jackson was sure he had outgrown Crenshaw, and is both pleased and concerned that Crenshaw has returned to offer playful antics to amuse him as well as thought-provoking answers to his questions and worries.

Max Cross has just been diagnosed with schizophrenia. The two meet at a weekend therapy camp for troubled teens. When the camp attendees are taken hostage by three masked men, Riley and Max are forced to trust each other in order to escape from the warehouse with sealed exits and no windows before they are killed.

Kids of Appetite by David Arnold Ages 14—up Vic Benucci 16 has a rare condition that prevents him from using most of his facial muscles. Mosquitoland by David Arnold Ages 12—up Mim Malone 16 is transported to Mississippi from Ohio to live with her father and new step-mother. Blind in one eye from a solar eclipse, suffering from unpredictable spells of vomiting, and medicated for a psychiatric diagnosis, Mim is unwilling to adapt to a new life in the wasteland of Mississippi.

Hopping a bus back to Cleveland to rejoin her mother, Mim begins a journey full of eccentric characters. This suspenseful science fiction adventure mixes adventure, first crushes, and social issues. Parallels between the historical pursuit of Communists and the current fight against terrorism highlight the price of security and the media's role in keeping secrets. Period photographs, movie posters, cartoons, and FBI documents illustrate this thought-provoking biography. But the Geless family finds room in their humble home for Willa, a homeless girl who saves Maks from a street gang.

The stark contrast between the struggles of the Geless family to survive and the easy splendor of the Waldorf make this historical fiction come alive. He falls in with Bear, a huge traveling juggler, and their relationship is the heart of the book. The Most Important Thing: Stories about Sons, Fathers, and Grandfathers by Avi Ages 10—up Relationships between fathers, sons, and grandfathers are the common theme between the seven stories in this book.

One boy sees the ghost of his father, one goes camping with the erratic grandfather he has just met, one interviews a candidate for the job of stepfather. Some boys have fathers at home and some do not. Some have close relationships with their fathers and grandfathers, some would prefer never to see the men in their lives again. She is happy with her life until an activist group led by a black teen named Moses targets her family.

Moses is living off the settlement money from a pharmaceutical company after one if its medications killed his parents. Four other teens who lost family in similar circumstances are part of the group led by Moses. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi Ages 12—up In this futuristic adventure, Nailer, a teenager on the Gulf Coast, works on a crew scavenging parts from grounded oil tankers.

Along with crushing poverty, Nailer must survive dangerous hurricanes and his violent and drug-addicted father. When a beautiful shipping heiress, nick-named Lucky Girl, is stranded on the beach, Nailer becomes aware of the extremes of class disparity. Defying both his crew and his father, Nailer helps Lucky Girl escape toward the ruins of New Orleans, expanding his understanding of the larger world around him and working to transcend expectations of who he is and what he can be.

Gangs of marauding soldiers sweep through the land, recruiting boy soldiers for half-remembered patriotic and religious causes, raping and pillaging as they go. Mouse is captured, and Mahlia makes a foolhardy rescue attempt with the help of Tool, a wounded bio engineered war beast. This violent and beautifully written thriller is set in the same horrific world as Ship Breaker.

Quinn has no memory of ever having sex, and is shocked to discover she is pregnant. When word gets out that she is both pregnant and claiming to be a virgin, devout pilgrims begin appearing at their Brooklyn home, hoping to witness the birth of the next messiah. Balcony on the Moon: As a high school student, Ibtisam accepts that she cannot do anything about the wars that surround her, instead concentrating on her schoolwork.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo Ages 12—up Ketterdam is a hub of international trade where just about anything can be bought for the right price. Young criminal mastermind Kaz Brekker is offered a small fortune to rescue a prisoner from the most secure prison in the world. Kaz assembles a team of six dangerous outcast to help him pull off the heist: Each of the six has ties to Kaz, but no reason to trust anyone else. Told from the perspectives of each of the characters, this thrilling fantasy is the first in a series.

The villagers are convinced that the wrong boy died, and the stuttering Ned becomes ostracized by the rest of the village. Lady Margaret Mountjoy is in denial, and Jane 15 and Maude 13 tend to the livestock and chop firewood, making them look more like peasants than proper ladies. Then Lady Mountjoy suddenly remarries, presenting her stunned daughters with a new step-father and a pampered new stepsister Isabella 13 who treats them like servants. They Called Themselves the K. The Birth of an American Terrorist Group by Susan Campbell Bartoletti Ages 12—up This accessible book presents the origins and development of the Ku Klux Klan through slave narratives, newspapers, congressional testimony, and other sources, against the background of the complex Reconstruction era of — Photographs, engravings, and illustrations provide a graphic context for KKK terrorism and the societal forces that provide a growth medium for hate and terrorist groups.

Can I See Your I. True Stories of False Identities by Chris Barton, Paul Hoppe Ages 12—up This fascinating book tells the true stories of 10 people who assumed false identities for amusement, profit, or survival. The 2nd person narration places the reader inside the mind of the masquerader, illustrated by bold graphics illustrations. The profiles include a teenager who impersonated a transit worker in order to fulfill his dream of driving a New York City subway train, a young woman who enchanted 19th century British society while pretending to be an Asian princess, and a woman who disguised herself as a man in order to fight in the Civil War.

Peeled by Joan Bauer Ages 12—up Hildy Biddle, a feisty and funny aspiring teen journalist in an appealing upstate New York town famous for its apples, loves her staff position on her high school paper. When the local paper publishes sensational ghostly happening stories, Hildy and her friends are determined to discover and publish the truth. Useless Bay by M.

Pixie has a reputatation for finding things with the help of her bloodhound Patience and her four brothers. This atmoshpheric thriller includes a touch of the supernatural. Each evening she haunts her ex-boyfriend, trying to get him back after rejecting him once too often. The March Against Fear: Black rights leaders like leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. Most hid their sexual orientation for fear of losing their jobs or becoming estranged from their families.

One hot night in June, the police raided the bar. But the crowd refused to leave quietly and the raid became a riot that triggered a demand for gay civil rights. This exploration of the Stonewall Riots and the national gay rights movement that continues to the present is powerful. Fall from Grace by Charles Benoit Ages 13—up Sawyer is an easy-going high school student with supportive parents, a sexy girlfriend, a job, and a car. Then he meets Grace who convinces him to participate in her wild plans to become a celebrity.

Kyle is bright, but unmotivated, and drifts through school. This quick-paced thriller is disturbingly realistic. Audrey is famous, and mortified. This irresistible debut novel captures teenage dialogue and wit. Oliver is found in New York City and returns to live next door with his mother. Emmy tries to rekindle the close friendship she shared with Oliver, but he is confused and disoriented, thrust back into a past he barely remembers and forced to reconsider his beloved father as the villain.

April can see the future, May can vanish, and June can read minds. At first the three use their powers to navigate the troubled waters of a new school, but when April foresees a disaster, the three work together to use their powers for a higher purpose. Narrated in turn by each of the sisters, this funny book celebrates the power of sisterhood. Now wheel-chair bound, Abe can no longer attend school, and makes new friends online, concealing his illness.

His mother, worried about his isolation, convinces him to invite two of his new friends over, and the friendships survive the truth. As his condition grows worse, his counselor gives him a book about samurai death poetry, and Abe decides he wants to meet his own death with equal dignity. Prima Ballerina by Carmen T. The body of another girl from the same small village who went missing at the same time was found in the stream. Judith is shunned by the village, and even her own mother.

The stone is stolen and sold to a prince and Lucinda sets out to get it back. A clever twist on the Cinderella story, this funny and suspenseful fantasy is also a fast-paced adventure. She is rescued by Botille, a young matchmaker who runs a tavern with her two sisters in the seaside town of Bajas. They try to keep the fugitive hidden, but Dolssa feels called to heal the sick and her small miracles bring the wrath of the Church to Bajas, endangering everyone in the small town.

The girls decide to pretend that everything is normal while hunting for the murderer. This hilarious Victorian farce is full of mystery, surprising plot twists, and a hint of romance. Her parents blog is called 50 Homes in 50 States. But Griswold was recently attacked by thieves and is now in a coma, leaving the game in limbo. Bick Ages 14—up Wisconsin high school senior Ben hopes to go to Yale and become a doctor. The rumors and fears result in Ben witnessing a hate crime against Jimmy.

Chime by Franny Billingsley Ages 12—up Briony 17 believes she is a witch. New technology has arrived in her tiny town of Swampsea, England, with the turn of the 20th century, and a new pumping station is built to drain the bog. But the supernatural Old Ones have sent a fever to punish Swampsea. Then Eldric arrives, and Briony is torn between her attraction to Eldric and her overwhelming guilt. Doll Bones by Holly Black, Eliza Wheeler Ages 10—14 Zach, Poppy, and Alice have been friends forever, playing imaginative games of pirates, thieves, mermaids, and warriors.

Ruling over every game of make-believe is the Great Queen, a bone-china doll who attacks all who displease her. But now that Zach is 12 his father insists that he give up playing games and takes all his action figures to the dump. Alice and Poppy convince him to take part in one last game, a bus trip to bury the Great Queen doll, which Poppy insists is made from the bones of a murdered girl.

Tara was only six when her mother was infected by a vampire, turning on her own daughter in a desperate quest for blood. Now 17, Tara awakes one morning after a wild party, to discover that almost everyone else at the party has been killed by vampires, leaving only Gavriel, a vampire, and Aidan, her newly infected ex-boyfriend. Tara decides to take them to Coldtown, a walled city for vampires and their infected human pets, even though crossing the barricades into Coldtown may mean Tara can never return to the world outside.

White Cat by Holly Black Ages 14—up Cassel Sharpe 14 comes from a family of curse workers, people who have to power to change luck, emotion, or memories with the touch of a finger. Curseworking is illegal, so all curse workers are mobsters or con artists, and everyone wears gloves to avoid being taken advantage of.

Cassel has tried to bury that event in the past, but now he is having dreams of a white cat that wants to tell him something, and he fears that he may be in the middle of the biggest con ever. Red Glove by Holly Black Ages 14—up Cassel Sharpe 17 is a transformation worker, the rarest type of curse worker who can transmute people and objects into whatever he wishes. Growing up in a crime family, Cassel is used to being on the wrong side of the law, but now the mob boss wants him to become a hit man, and US agents want him to become an informant.

This dark fantasy is the second in the Curse Workers series, following White Cat. Peter 13 lives in a garbage dump and makes a tenuous living catching rats for sportsmen and their dogs and working for Dr. Ross-Gibbon, a scientist who wants to wipe out all the rats in London. Cassandra is haunted by visions of dying gods as the Greek gods are living out their final days in war and suffering. The gods realize that Cassandra has a connection to their world, and reach out to her for help.

This eerie thriller is the first in a planned series. Then Gretchen meets Daniel Cohen, a reporter who believes that her father is not a Nazi hero, but instead a murder victim. The emergency provisions stored in the house keep Pen alive until men break into the house. Eventually they arrive in Las Vegas, the contemporary land of the dead, and confront the evil genius behind the destruction of the world.

Anonymous notes, an attractive older boy, and two new friends who are also outcasts help Louise transform herself into Weetzie, the artist. Julie enters her senior year in a new school where she meets Clark, who is also mourning a loss, and discovers they are both fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She befriends two other outcasts at school: The three come to believe that Bee is a changeling, a hideous elf who was switched at birth for the human Bee. This spooky short novel includes tantalizing fragments of poems by Yeats and Shelley.

Mug shots and crime scene photographs capture the lawlessness of the period. An epilogue highlights recent shootings, legislation, and continuing questions about guns in America. Evie 15 and her mother set off for Florida with her stepfather Joe. A suspicious boating accident forces Evie to re-examine her relationships with Peter, her mother, and her stepfather. This stylish novel has the atmosphere of a glamorous old movie. Soon Kit is way over her head, caught in a web of intrigue, love, betrayal, and murder.

Above by Leah Bobet Ages 14—up Safe is an underground refuge for the misfits and the sick who have escaped from Above. Matthew is the Teller of Safe, responsible for remembering and guarding the stories of all who live in Safe. Then the only person ever to have been exiled from Safe returns with an army of shadows and Matthew escapes with Jack Flash, who can generate electricity, and Ariel, who turns into a bee when stressed.

As the three try to reclaim Safe they must grapple with long-hidden secrets and truths. This magical fantasy blends the real and the fantastic into a complex and heartbreaking whole. An Inheritance of Ashes by Leah Bobet Ages 12—up Set in a future North America where civilization has reverted to a 19th century level, Hallie 16 and her older sister Marthe wait on the family farm for whoever will return from the distant battlefield to the south.

The battle is against the Wicket God Southward, who arrived through a rent in the universe along with its Twisted Things. Jimmy has been leading a gang that goes out on Saturday nights looking for Latinos to terrorize. Now Jimmy and his best friend Sean have been arrested for a vicious beating of a young El Salvadoran, who dies of his injuries. This powerful novel honestly deals with the theme of a racially motivated hate crime within a community determined to cover it up.

The Compound by S. Bodeen Ages 12—up Ellis, the year old son of a billionaire, has spent the last six years in the massive underground shelter his father built to shelter the family from the nuclear war that destroyed the world above. The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker Ages 15—up Elizabeth 16 and her best friend Caleb hunt witches for the Inquisitor, Lord Blackwell, in an alternative medieval England where witchcraft of any kind is banned.

Elizabeth firmly believes that witches are evil and deserve to be burnt at the stake, until her own innocent possession of herbs causes Lord Blackwell to arrest her and sentences her to death.

What to read this summer: 75 best books, from novels to biographies

Elizabeth is rescued by Nicholas Perevil, a wizard who hopes Elizabeth can rescue him from a deadly curse. The Journeys of 16 Extraordinary Black Souls by Tonya Bolden Ages 10—14 The 16 short biographical stories are presented in chronological order, beginning with Venture Smith, the son of a West Aftican prince who was sold into slavery, freed himself and his family, and fought in the Revolutionary War. An badly injured French woman gave Gloria her baby to care for. Her classmates teased her unmercifully, and the Parvi Pennati a Small Person with Wings who hates to be called a fairy moved out.

Now 13, Mellie and her family move into an inn inherited from her grandfather. Before long Mellie finds that she has not left her problems behind. The inn is infested with Parvi, and Mellie learns that her family must honor a thousand-year old agreement to provide a home for the Parvi. Themes of bullying and alcoholism are explored in this clever and humorous fairy story. Saving Hamlet by Molly Booth Ages 12—up Emma is excited about the start of her high school sophomore year.

She has joined the drama club and is given the job of assistant stage manager for the production of Hamlet. But everything goes wrong very quickly: Then Emma falls through a trapdoor and comes out in the Globe Theater in With her short hair everyone, including Will Shakespeare, thinks she is a boy and she struggles to understand Elizabethan English while learning the job of backstage assistant in the premiere of Hamlet. When he discovered that the image was being used as Holocaust-denying propaganda, he decided to share his memories.

Assisted by his daughter Debbie, he learned that of the 3, Jews living in Zarki, Poland before the Holocaust, fewer than 30 survived. This moving memoir gives a very human face to the horrors of the Holocaust. The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow Ages 14—up Four centuries after an AI known as Talis took over the world to prevent humanity from destroying itself, peace is maintained by keeping one child of each world leader hostage.

If a war is started, the child of that leader will be killed. Greta is used to her role, but the arrival of Elian, a new hostage from the American Alliance who has no intention of playing by the rules, changes everything. Then the American Alliance declares war on the Pan Polar Confederacy, putting both of their lives at risk. When she returns for the start of the next school year, she is worried that everyone will find out. Marianna, the new girl in town, wants Amber for her best friend, and Wren is compromised by the secret she is hiding.

Then Wren learns that Marianna had to ask the same questions that Wren is worrying about now. He is attacked by a gang and fleeing a group of armed men when he stumbles across a toddler, Jen, and her teen-aged mother, Becky. Blade becomes their unwilling protector as he tries to elude his pursuers, unsure if they are after him or Becky. This intense and bleak thriller ends with a cliff-hanger. Disguised as a boy, Kate 18 sets off west in search of vengeance. She is joined by Jesse and Will Colton, brothers in search of gold, and guided by Liluye, an Apache girl.

Young Jack is rescued by a powerful Samurai who adopts him and trains him to join the warrior class. Since he is a foreigner, Jack is treated as an outcast at Samurai school and must use all his wit and skill to survive and succeed. First in a projected trilogy, this fast-paced adventure set in medieval Japan is full of spellbinding bits of history, culture, and martial arts.

On alternating weeks, Ray and Sascha, who he has never met, stay in the same bedroom at the summerhouse. One summer Emma gets engaged, Mattie discovers a family secret, and Ray finally gets to meet Sascha. This funny and tragic novel explores the long-held grudges of split families. Going Bovine by Libba Bray Ages 14—up Cameron Smith 16 is coasting through high school in the shadow of his perfect sister. In the hospital he is visited by Dulcie, a neon pink angel who just may be a hallucination.

Dulcie convinces Cameron to go on a quest to find a cure and save the world with the help of Gonzo, a neurotic dwarf, and Balder, a Norse god who is trapped in the form of a garden elf. Merrow by Ananda Braxton-Smith Ages 14—up Neen Marrey 12 has been raised by her aunt Ushag since she was a toddler, her father downed while out fishing, and her mother disappeared soon afterward.

Mad River (Virgil Flowers, #6) by John Sandford

The villagers of Carrick whisper unkind speculations, but Neen, who loves the tales of blind fiddler Skully Slevin of merrow mermaids , selkies, krakens, and changelings, secretly believes that her mother returned to her merrow family to live below the sea. Poppy is a troubled teen, causing trouble wherever she goes. Ember is a young witch, struggling to make a place for herself within the coven. After a chance meeting in the woods they become friends, they share knowledge of their different worlds and discover the reason for their uneasiness — the evil witch Raven Hawkweed switched the babies at birth.

A homeless boy named Leo captures both of their hearts and drives them apart, just as they are trying to come to terms with their true identities. The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough Ages 12—up Flora is black and Henry is white, and the odds of them becoming a couple in depression-era Seattle are slight. But their similarities outweigh their differences: And they are the current pawns of Love Henry who plays bass and baseball and Death Flora who sings and wants to be a pilot. Airplanes and music bring the two together with surprising results.

Black Rabbit Summer by Kevin Brooks Ages 12—up Five teens, formerly close friends and now acquaintances, visit their long-abandoned hideout. The next morning Raymond, who believes his black rabbit can talk, and a young starlet who was taunting him the evening before are missing. As the police hunt for the celebrity, Pete searches for Raymond. This brooding thriller explores teenaged alienation and the nature of relationships. Touching portrayal of tough issues with an empathetic narrator who introduces shades of gray into the usual black and white view of sexuality and gender. Stories of selflessness and courage are balanced against examples of racism, incompetence, and criminality.

Marking the ten year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina,a portion of the proceeds from this book has been donated to Habitat for Humanity New Orleans. As a graduation present, her best friends Bethany and Zack have the road trip all planned. Then Alex falls for Cole, a new senior who she feels truly loves and understands her. But Cole is jealous of her friendship with Zack, and prone to violent rages. When Nick brings a shotgun to school and begins shooting people on the list before killing himself, Val is wounded trying to stop him. Their family life centers around establishing routines to make Grayson feel comfortable, so Kendra compensates by trying to be perfect academically and personally.

When a cheating scandal threatens to destroy her academic success, Kendra snaps and drags Grayson off on a road trip from Missouri to California, hoping to find a way to fix both their lives. The bond and rivalry between siblings is sensitively explored in this road trip novel. In , Mary and her family left Illinois to settle in California. Mary cares for her younger siblings, helps move rocks and trees blocking the wagons, and endures thirst in the desert.

The worst is the final ordeal when they become trapped in the ice and snow at Donnor Pass, resorting to cannibalism in order to survive. Spark is horrified to discover that Stowney House has no modern conveniences, not even a telephone or electricity. The handwritten notebooks begin in the court of Louis XIV in Versailles and continue to the present, all written in the same handwriting. John Stone is a year-old semperviven, both blessed and cursed with very long life, who hopes that Spark will help him and the other sempervivens hide their true nature.

At the age of three Felix was accidentally fused with Zyx, a hyper-intelligent being from the fourth dimension. A risky procedure to separate them is scheduled in 29 days. Luckily Felix is supported by his loving parents, his piano prodigy older sister, and his gender-fluid grandparent who alternates between Vera and Vern. Laughing at My Nightmare by Shane Burcaw Ages 14—up This frank and funny autobiography describes what it is like to grow up dependent on other people for nearly everything.

Shane Burcaw was born with spinal muscular atrophy SMA leaving him confined to a wheelchair and unable to care for himself. Now 21, Shane has blogged about his disability and launched a nonprofit to spread his message of using humor to deal with adversity. Now 12, and living with his loving adoptive American family, Matt is still haunted by memories of the family he left behind. The Hit by Melvin Burgess Ages 14—up Everyone is talking about the expensive new drug is called Death, which gives the ultimate high for a week and then kills you.

When Adam learns that his brother Jess is also dead, taking Death himself sounds like the perfect escape from his dead-end life in Manchester. Jessie is beginning her junior year at Wood Valley High, an exclusive prep school, and feels totally unprepared for fitting in at her new school. Jessie comes to depend on the emails from SN, but is not sure how far she can trust the advice, and is constantly wondering who SN really is.

He forages for food in dumpsters or steals, protected by his well-trained dog and his own courage. Inside the card he discovers a lottery ticket he had forgotten about, containing the winning numbers. Bully has only five days to find an adult he can trust to help him claim his prize. Janks, a pit bull breeder who runs dog fights, learns of the ticket and pursues Bully. Sometimes crude but always funny, this book will appeal to teenaged male readers. While swimming in Lake Union she discovers the body of Anna Youngwolf Floyd, who jumped off a bridge.

Mads tows the body ashore and becomes obsessed by the dead woman and her grieving son, Billy, who frees dogs from owners he considers unfit. When Mads and Billy meet they connect through the book he always carries in his pocket: The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Tess tries to keep the plant alive and make a new life for herself with the help of a boy she meets at the library. Each chapter begins with information about a seed, underscoring the theme of rebirth and growth. When her own romance also disintegrates, Quinn wonders if there are any good men out there.

Then she discovers that her womanizing father, Prince Charming, may have stolen more than the hearts of the women he charmed. She is stunned and delighted to be offered the role of Echo, and when the world-famous director asks Zara to promise she will have no outside commitments to distract her from the play, she is eager to comply. Zara finds a dead body during her first visit to the theater, a second death occurs during rehearsals, and Zara receives ominous warnings. Entangled by Amy Rose Capetta Ages 14—up The scattered remains of the human race live as second-class citizens on alien worlds, weakened by a sickness brought on by space travel.

When the Noise suddenly stops, Cade learns she is the product of an experiment and has been entangled since birth with a boy named Xan, now held captive in an area of space infested with black holes. With the help of a human smuggler, an alien captain, and his sentient ship, Cade sets out to rescue Xan. Rigg 13 lives a quiet life with his father in the backwoods, using his ability to see the trails left by animals and people anywhere from minutes to thousands of years earlier. The second story is that of starship captain Ram Odin, whose interspacial jump to a new colony planet causes a paradox with far-reaching consequences.

The twin stories stretch across centuries in this fascinating series opener. Heap House by Edward Carey Ages 10—up The Iremonger family of Filching has made a fortune from junk, and the extensive family lives in a mansion constructed from salvaged materials. Each Iremonger possesses a birth object like a sink plug or mustache cup that they must always keep close or face death or transformation. Clod is considered strange because he can hear the birth objects speak. Orphaned Lucy Pennant comes to Heap House as a servant, and Clod finds himself falling in love as he and Lucy uncover dark Iremonger family secrets.

Carleson Ages 12—up Laila 15 grew up believing she was a princess. When her father is killed in a coup and Laila and her mother escape from the war-torn middle east to the United States, she learns the rest of the world viewed her father as a cruel dictator. But Sophronia quickly realizes that the school, a giant dirigible floating above the moors, is not quite what her mother envisioned. Along with the other young ladies, Sophronia learns the skills of deceit, espionage, and assissination along with etiquette.

This skillful blend of paranormal and steampunk is the first in the Finishing School series. The floating school travels to London to witness a technological breakthrough: She is plain, overweight, and has never done anything remarkable, though she does hold the rare and mysterious Godstone embedded in her stomach. Offered a safe marriage with a handsome neighboring king, Elisa agrees, but is surprised when she arrives to her new home and discovers that her husband wants to keep their marriage a secret.

Then Elisa is kidnapped by an invading army and realizes she is also being hunted by dark magicians. Instead of crumbling in the face of danger, Elisa grows in strength and resourcefulness. This engaging fantasy is the first in a planned trilogy. The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson Ages 13—up Queen Elisa 17 fears there is a possible traitor in her palace and is being pressured by her council to either marry or give up her power to a regent. Evading assassination and kidnapping, Elisa is guided by the mysterious Godstone embedded in her navel to search for the zafira — the soul of the world and the source of all magic.

This gripping romantic novel is the sequel to The Girl of Fire and Thorns. The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson Ages 13—up Queen Elisa 17 heads off to enemy territory with her companions to rescue the man she loves. Meanwhile, a traitor at home plots to overthrow her. The journey takes the young sorcerer queen through the bitterly cold land of Invierne, where she she hopes to destroy the source of their magic and win peace, and to the Basajuan desert where peace will be even more difficult to attain. Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson Ages 13—up Leah 15 lives in an isolated part of Georgia with her ailing parents in the early s.

Leah has the ability to know when gold is near, and uses her talent to support her parents. When a gold rush hits Dahlonega, her parents are murdered, and Leah flees her uncle who wants to utilize her talents. Disguised as a boy, Leah joins a wagon train headed to California with her friend Jefferson, who is half-white and half-Cherokee. This exciting adventure is the first in the Gold Seer trilogy.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore Ages 14—up People with special talents, called Gracelings, are identified by their unusual eyes. Katsa has one green and one blue eye, but it is not until she is eight that her special talent is discovered—killing. By age 18 she is henchwoman to the king. Hating her job, Katsa creates a secret council to work against corrupt power. Teens and adults struggling to put their own talents to good use will enjoy this riveting novel.

Fire by Kristin Cashore Ages 14—up Fire, an orphan with hair as red as her name, can control the minds of everyone around her. Young King Nash is barely holding on to his throne, while rebel lords in the north and south build armies in hopes of taking over the throne. This suspenseful and romantic companion volume prequel to Graceling , shares one pivotal character. The house is build into a green hillside, and has a yew tree as one wall. Clare discovers that the tree has a door, and Finn, a sort-of-human boy, lives on the other side.

This luminous fantasy is often quite scary. She is invisible and helpless. Then Anke makes the volleyball team at school and her confidence builds until she begins to hope that her voice will soon be loud enough to rescue everyone at home, including herself. This powerful novel in poems is devastating yet offers empowerment and hope. Narrated by the nameless elderly author, this engaging examination of love and the art of storytelling is intricately told.

The Testing is an intensive mental and physical trials to choose the best and the brightest youth to attend the university and work to repair the damage to their world by the Seven Stages of War. Fat Angie by E. Charlton-Trujillo Ages 14—up Angie, a high school freshman, is bullied at school and belittled by her mother and adopted brother. When KC Romance, a beautiful new transfer student dressed in bad girl clothes arrives in Dryfalls, Ohio, the unlikely pair bonds over shared broken homes, troubled pasts, and love for classic TV shows.

The friendship blooms into romance between the two girls who have learned to look beneath the surface to the true person hidden inside. When We Was Fierce by E. Charlton-Trujillo Ages 14—up Theo 15 lives in a bad neighborhood full of drugs and rival gangs. When he witnesses the brutal attack on a mentally-impaired young man he tries to help and is badly beaten up. Along with his friends, T is in the spotlight of both the police and the gangs. This unflinching novel of survival is narrated mainly in street dialect.

When Sefia is 15, Nin is kidnapped, leaving her completely alone. None of her survival skills help her discover where Nin has been taken. The only clue is the strange rectangular object her father left behind. She learns that the strange object, bound paper covered with symbols, is called a book. Reading and writing are unheard of in the land of Kelanna, but Sefia is determined to decipher the hidden secrets of the book. He sets off with Carl Sagan to the Southwest High-Altitude Rocket Festival in New Mexico, where he meets other space fanatics and persuades two new adult friends to take him to Las Vegas in search of his perhaps-dead father, where he learns the truth about his family.

Ror never attended high school, but she learned about art and literature from her father and longs to be an artist. When her father burns down their home and himself in , Ror and her mother are left homeless and nearly penniless. Ror meets Trey, a street artist, and becomes fascinated with graffiti. She finds the art form a perfect channel for expressing her grief, but worries about being caught. With the help of classmate Clancy Crew, Ruby ventures out to prevent the theft of a priceless jade Buddha.

This clever novel packed with puzzles is the first in a new adventure series. Ruby Redfort is the fictional heroine of Clarice Bean. The twist is that the school caters to the descendents of the Greek gods and goddesses, cleverly mixing mythology into the usual high school cliques. Stolen by Lucy Christopher Ages 14—up This intense psychological thriller begins when Gemma 16 , steps away from her British parents for a moment at a layover in the Bangkok Airport, to get a cup of coffee.

Ty, the handsome young Australian who pays for her coffee seems oddly familiar. After drugging the coffee, Ty whisks Gemma away to the home he has built in the isolated Australian outback, believing he is rescuing her from her shallow parents and a city life in London where she could never be happy. At first repelled by both her kidnapper and her new environment, Gemma slowly warms to both as she realizes she must either come to terms with her new reality or die trying to fight it. The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco Ages 12—up When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, Tea learns she is a bone witch, able to raise and control the dead.

Her fearful power cause her to be ostracized by her community. An older bone witch takes Tea and her brother to another land for training. This dark fantasy is the first in the Bone Witch series. The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco Ages 14—up Okiku, a vengeful spirit, wanders the world in search of those who abuse and murder children, killing them in order to free the souls of the tormented children.

Okiku discovers that Tark Halloway 15 is possessed by a violent spirit. Okiku feels an unexpected fondness for Tark and his cousin Callie, and their journey to Japan allows Okiku to confront her own tragic origin. This scary tale is based on a Japanese legend. But Brendan secretly struggles with his desire to sometimes be a girl. Then Brendan meets transgendered Angel, who introduces Brendan to terms like gender identity. As the two grow older, Clementine feels guilty about her own luck and financial security. Clementine goes to university while the ever more depressed Fan suffers through an unhappy teenaged marriage and children before she is ready for them.

This heart-felt novel captures the powerlessness of children to change their circumstances while celebrating the power of friendship illustrated by the bond between the cousins despite their different situations. Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant by Tony Cliff Ages 12—up Delilah Dirk abandons proper court life to become a globe-trotting soldier of fortune. Captured and held prisoner in s Constantinople, the swash-buckling Delilah escapes with mild-mannered Turkish Lieutenant Erdemogul Selim, whose quite life revolves around a perfect cup of tea.

The funny adventures of the two mis-matched companions come to vivid life in this beautifully illustrated graphic novel.

His mother, a lapsed witch, had mocked the power of the coven, and Ryder is pretty sure she was right. But a terrifying new magic threatens the village and the coven, and Ryder must confront all his beliefs, even his hatred of the Baen. Frank depictions of violence are set in a dark fairy tale world. Pointe by Brandy Colbert Ages 14—up Theo Cartwright 17 , from one of the few black families in her Chicago suburb, is a gifted and driven ballet dancer.

Theo is also working hard to control an eating disorder and hiding secrets about her best friend Donovan, who disappeared when they were When Donovan returns home after enduring four long years with his kidnapper, he refuses to talk about what happened. Theo can no longer suppress her memories of the past, and begins to relive the abduction. This blend of horror, humor, and science fiction is the first in the W. Every year 24 teenagers are chosen by lottery to fight in the Hunger Games, a reality TV show where the only rule is that you cannot eat the dead contestants.

Katniss takes the place of her younger sister and is soon being groomed for maximum camera appeal. As Katniss struggles to win both the Games and audience approval, the reader is forced to confront the question: What happens if we choose entertainment over humanity? Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins Ages 12—up Katniss Everdeen and won the annual Hunger Games against all odds and should be enjoying the new prosperity their win brought to their district. And the upcoming Hunger games will be the 75th anniversary so there are sure to be some extra-special challenges for the next round of Hunger Game contestants.

A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts: A Collection of Deliciously Frightening Tales by Ying Chang Compestine, Coleman Polhemus Ages 12—up This collection of eight gruesomely delightful tales feature hungry ghosts—the spirits of those who died hungry or unjustly and have returned to seek vengeance. The chilling tales are illustrated with lurid images of the ghosts and their victims. When Cassia turns 17 she is Matched with her best friend Xander.

But her neighbor Ky also shows up on her Match disk. She is amazed to find that Ky has a unique secret—creativity. As Cassia begins to understand that their are options other than being controlled by the Society, things get uncomfortable. Reached by Ally Condie Ages 12—up Cassia, Ky, and Xander are separated, each doing their part as agents of the Rising rebellion, working against the repressive Society. An introduced plague saps the resources of the Society, allowing the Rising to step in with a cure and prove itself the better choice for the people.

But the plague mutates out of control, and the trio work together to fight it. Poorly educated, abused in some way or another, and nearly-sympathetic morons who, for one reason or another make a stupid decision to start killing people. Plausibility is a key ingredient for any writer: Would a group of killers on the Orient Express really commit gross overkill when they could have just pushed the victim out the door? We generally set these cynical questions aside to enjoy the story.

His gritty, realistic killers start out as simple minds executing what should be a simple plan. Then things spiral out of control. Then you find yourself feeling sorry for them. Sorry for their stupidity. Your rational mind is torn between jailing them and just killing them. This time around, Mr. Not only does he create the excellent criminals we love to hate, but he also makes a good guy who shakes our faith in the criminal justice system and makes us examine our personal concepts of right and wrong.

There is a scene in this book that blew me away. I saw it coming but refused to believe that a good guy could do something so heinous. And he did it so well he might get away with it. Whether he should or not could keep you thinking for a long time. Personally, I have no reservations. I know exactly what should happen to this good-bad guy, but this is a book review, not a political statement.

You can thank me later. In the climax, Mr. Sandford creates another situation in which we must examine right versus wrong and justice versus vigilantism. In doing so, he leaves certain issues unresolved. Some people like iron resolutions. This is not one of them. And reality is never pretty. You will think about it long after you close the book. Somewhere in the vastness of the Internet, I found something written by Mr.

Sandford about his background in journalism.

See a Problem?

I searched like the crazy to find it again for this review, but you know how fast that river flows … gone. He said he was surrounded by great writers wherever he worked in the newspaper business. He does it with ease and an honest mid-western voice. He does it with confidence and beautifully written passages.

Whatever background he had produced one of the strongest voices in fiction today. You can hear the Midwestern accents in his characters, you can feel the dusty farm roads, you can smell the tilled earth. It is a brave author who can write stories filled with real people who use real four letter words and think real thoughts about sex and religion. In these godless days, many authors leave religion, and its accompanying quagmire, out entirely. Below is a passage from his character Virgil Flowers, who is the son of a Midwestern pastor: Was it possible that politicians and hedge-fund operators were some kind of garbled cosmic computer code?

Mad River is a must-read for intelligent readers. You might like it too. It also makes a good holiday gift for that know-it-all friend of yours who always spouts left or right wing dogma. Shut him up for a week. Peace, Seeley For more reviews, visit my website SeeleyJames. So far, so good. I have no relationship, financial or familial, with the authors.

I do not expect, but would not refuse, any reciprocal reviews or recommendations. Dec 01, Andrew Smith rated it really liked it. My initial impression, from the first Flowers book, was that any story featuring Davenport's sidekick from the Prey series as the lead character would be be no more than a snack leaving readers hungry for another helping of the main course - the next Lucas Davenport tale. I've since read a couple more Flowers books well what else can you do when you've already ticked off off the available adventures in the Prey series and I have to say I've become a Virgil Flowers convert.

I was g I was wrong. I was gripped by this tale of a redneck chase across Southern Minnesota. The difference between Virgil and Lucas does come across strongly courtesy of the conversations the reader observes between the two. Ok, they're both good looking law enforcement officers with an eye for the ladies but increasingly it's their differences I was drawn to not their similarities.

I like the exploration of the religious tensions here as Virgil's upbringing as a preacher's son is offset against the violent, bad guy world he inhabits. In fact, tension is probably the wrong word as Virgil certainly doesn't seems uncomfortable with where he sits on religion; if it's not quite a belief then it's certainly not a denial and it does seem to give some direction to the actions our hero takes. He's a passionate about enforcing the law but ultimately he is able to take a view and follow a path that is, shall we say, more flexible.

View all 7 comments. Dec 04, Sue rated it really liked it Recommends it for: There's a lot of testosterone in Sandford's novels, lawmen in the cities and wilds of Minnesota fighting against all manner of depraved law breakers. But there are also plots woven with some interesting details of detection, some character development that is a bit unexpected, especially with Virgil Flowers.

Once again I liked this latest installment in the series t There's a lot of testosterone in Sandford's novels, lawmen in the cities and wilds of Minnesota fighting against all manner of depraved law breakers. Once again I liked this latest installment in the series the other is the Lucas Davenport series and they often appear in each other's books in cameos.

It was a bit bloodier than usual but also had a bit more complex trail to follow. Recommended for the right reader. Aug 31, Lynnski rated it really liked it Shelves: At times it kept me on the edge of my seat and other times it had me laughing out loud. He is a fantastic cop with honor, compassion and a touch of sarcasm. I will definitely be reading more of his adventures. Another fun read with Virgil Flowers and the gang. It's a good story, with a bit of meat to chew on, and the usual fun dialog and jokes. The basic story is fairly straightforward, and we know the perpetrators all along - a trio of young, very dumb losers who begin killing people, presumably over jealousy about an expensive diamond necklace worn to a reunion.

But if that were all there was, it would be pretty boring, so there's another possibility - perhaps someone paid the killer to do the deed Another fun read with Virgil Flowers and the gang. But if that were all there was, it would be pretty boring, so there's another possibility - perhaps someone paid the killer to do the deed for some reason. So, they follow the money, figure out who probably did it, but there's one problem: But with witnesses either dying or disappearing, it becomes very possible that he may just get away with it. Jan 16, Mary rated it really liked it.

Love this series from John Sandford! Sep 23, Sarescent rated it really liked it Shelves: Another solid effort from John Sandford. Mad River's villains are a misfit Bonnie and Clyde pair on a killing spree through the Minnesota countryside. It starts with what seems like a pointless murder during a house robbery and soon, Jimmy and Becky great names for this pair are killing everyone in sight, looking for money, and day-dreaming about running off to Texas, Mexico, or Australia. Virgil Flowers the greatest of great names is chasing after them while dealing with a bloodthirsty loca Another solid effort from John Sandford.

Virgil Flowers the greatest of great names is chasing after them while dealing with a bloodthirsty local sheriff and his growing suspicion that there was more to the first murder than meets the eye. This book was a non-stop thrill ride and I finished most of it in one night. I found it interesting that the reader knows who the killers are the whole time and we have to watch Virgil spinning his wheels, so to speak, trying to catch them.

There is also a great depiction of how the media's relentless coverage of horrific crimes like these affect the cops trying to solve them, and how "Have Badge, Will Travel" cops like Virgil have to figure out a way to do what they think is right while not alienating local sheriffs and cops. As always, Virgil uses his schmoozing skills to work the case.

There is a great scene of a prison focus group where Virgil is trying to narrow down where Jimmy and Becky could be hiding out. I also thought the characterization of Jimmy, Becky, and their loser third-wheel friend were excellently done. You see how the three of them were doomed early on, just fucked-up arrested development teenagers who have no life skills or realistic dreams.

Sandford has created an amazing character in Virgil, and I am eagerly waiting for his next adventure. Another enjoyable audio listen, this time read by Eric Conger. This book is part of the Virgil Flowers series by Sandford. Flowers is a BCA Bureau of Criminal Apprehension - weird name for a state police agency if there ever was one agent working under Lucas Davenport who makes several cameo appearances.

This is not an investigatory police procedural. The story alternatives between Flowers and the killers' narratives. There's never any doubt who's guilty, the only mystery being their ultimate Another enjoyable audio listen, this time read by Eric Conger. There's never any doubt who's guilty, the only mystery being their ultimate motivation for the first killing.

Mostly it's the chase of three dysfunctional kids who go on a rampage following a simplistic contract killing. They are totally sociopathic and embark on an unintentional soon becoming otherwise killing spree. As the killing intensifies and the killers remain at large, the tension escalates into a conflict between Virgil and the local cops as to how best to deal with the miscreants. That provided one of the subtexts that I found interesting: I think I prefer the Flower series to the Davenport. Flowers just seems to be a more interesting and introspective than Lucas who often strikes me as superficial.

Jan 17, Kathy Davie rated it it was amazing Shelves: Sixth in the Virgil Flowers detective mystery thriller series and loosely affiliated with the Lucas Davenport series. This revolves around Virgil, a laidback detective who enjoys the hunt, writes outdoors articles, and loves indie bands. It takes place in Minnesota in early April. My Take It starts bad and only gets much, much worse. I may not enjoy the same types of music that Virgil does, but I do like how Sandford personalizes Virgil. His pass Sixth in the Virgil Flowers detective mystery thriller series and loosely affiliated with the Lucas Davenport series.

His passion for music, his enjoyment of ticking off fellow cops and unsettling witnesses with those T-shirts, his writing — although I do miss how Sandford used to have him writing up scenarios about his crime scenes, his wondering if "politicans and hedge-fund operators were garbled cosmic computer code" while God was writing viruses after drinking Big Gulps and Satan was running denial-of-service attacks, and he must be hell with the ladies… "'Listen, I gotta tell you.

Oh the joys of small town living, lol. Geez, that Sheriff Duke…hoo, boy. Sounds like a real pisser what with that concentration camp he wanted to set up. I did appreciate what Virgil had to say about what court orders couldn't do, lol. Just think, what if it could do that!! I hafta agree with Virgil. I don't like the Bare County sheriff's department either. There have been a number of good cops in this series, and the Lucas Davenport series, and then there are the idiots who don't think past their noses.

Still, Virgil should have told Duke his concerns about the real reason for Ag Murphy's death. I am curious as well as to why Virgil got called in to the deaths in Shinder. I can't imagine it was all that much different from most murders…? And I'm torn between not having to deal with the stupid schmucks and wondering about the other stupid schmucks. It was cold-blooded murder. Shrake is the one with whom I agree. Any excuse would be fine, but not what Duke and his men did. Then there are the politics afterwards… I hate politics.

That they affect so many decisions about our lives. It's kind of vague, but he makes a good point about some aspect of a subject will grab your attention. Sally's experience with her dad's business runs along this same line of attraction. We finally get some real interaction with Virgil's parents. His father cracked me up with that contrast between his obsession with Genesis and Ishmael at the start and then his willingness to take a gun and go in with Virgil.

Then we swing around to that doubt Virgil has about his mother and Darrin Wanger. Certainly does provide a, hmmm, "rounded" perspective on the Flowers family. I love how tight the O'Learys are. How concerned they are for each other. How they take each others' temperaments and abilities into account, even how Virgil takes into account the good the O'Learys provide society. For contrast, there is the stupid threesome. How they lasted long enough to become adults, or should I ask why they lasted this long? Reading of their reactions to the people they kill. The betrayal and stupid stories they come up with.

Of course, then the stories wouldn't seem so possible, would they? Virgil is using a survey along the lines of what George Peck from Shock Wave , 5, suggested but with the Stillwater inmates. It truly amazes me how Sandford keeps coming up with one story after another that is so good!! The Story Bonnie and Clyde, they thought. The Characters The laid back Agent Virgil Flowers roams a section of Minnesota and is pulled in for the really hard cases.

He does, however, have a new-to-him boat, a Ranger Angler. Even the director of the BCA said it was okay. Johnson Johnson is an old friend of Virgil's. Beatrice Sawyer is a crime scene tech along with Don Baldwin. Jenkins and Shrake are a couple of agents whom Davenport sends along when thugs are needed. Cletus Boykin is a highway patrolman and a friend of Shrake's. Henry Sands is the BCA director. Rose Marie Roux is the overall boss. Ruffe Ignace is a reporter with the Star Tribune in Minneapolis who has helped the police in the past.

Sandy Hunstad and Brett Thomas are special prosecutors. Bare County is run by… … Sheriff Lewis Duke , a. Bob Drake is their crime-scene guy. Dave Jennings is the duty officer that day. Ross Price is investigating the Bigham murders. Mickey Burden is a public defender. Josh Meadows is the county attorney.

Margery Garfield was their neighbor. Mickey Berenson keeps track of everybody. Jolene O'Hara was Jimmy's mother who took off. Ralph was one of the teachers. Harvey , Earl , and Sue are some of the townspeople. John O'Leary , a doctor, is her husband. Mary Hogan is Marsha's mother. Emmett Williams was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Virginia McCall is Tom's mother and doesn't deny a thing. Robert Frett is the assistant principal in charge of discipline. George is a young teller. Bud Wright is an editor at the Bigham Gazette willing to put in Virgil's request.

Marshall, Minneosta is… …in Lyon County and the town where Virgil grew up. Flowers , Virgil's father, is with the Lutheran church. Darrin and Marcia Wanger he's president of a local bank in Marshall are friends of the Flowerses. Father Paul Berry is a Catholic priest at St. Mary's and one of Rev. Carew lives next door to the Boxes; his wife, Viv , wants to know about the Buds.

Barbara is a student who rents a garage loft from Sally. Dick Murphy is Agatha's estranged husband. Stan Murphy is his jerk of a father who always swings towards the money. Randy White is a friend of Dick Murphy's, and he works for the county road department. Stan is Randy's supervisor. I can't help but like his reactions, lol. Donny Morton shoots pool with Dick. Marjorie Kay talked to Becky at the pool parlor. George Petersen is an over-the-road trucker.

Martha Atkins is Royce's mother. Honor Roberts , a fence, is one of the people in Lucas' database. Clarence and Edie Towne lived in a farmhouse. Dale Jones works a gas station by the Mad River. Arnie Schmidt and his wife foster four kids who are all mentally challenged. Gates lives alone on his farm. Jimmy Sharp is the leader of this stupid pack. And I do mean stupid, lordy.

Becky Welsh was pretty enough to think she should go to Hollywood, but what she learns in the old guy's house…yep, she's gotta be stupid not to have figured this out. The useless Tom McCall was in high school with them and has been hot for Becky since 9th grade.

Mankato, Minnesota, is… …where Virgil lives. Cornelius Cooper owns the Rooster Coop in Mankato. Bob "Bob-Bob" Roberts is a cop there. I think Georgina is the police dispatcher. Ronald Deutch is Tom's landlord in St. Daisy Jones is an on-camera reporter. Doctors Rogers and Wu treat Virgil. Mary Lawson and that Momentus golf club of hers went to town on Rolf. The Cover and Title The cover is in the style of a classic painting with a less than classic landscape: The painting at the bottom of the cover takes up less than half with a brief notation of the series information. Above is a deep burgundy background with the author's name in an embossed gold and white.

The title is the ultimate meet-up at the Mad River bridge. Flowers is quite the character. His idea this time was a real hoot, but makes sense. I'm not so sure I buy the ultimate disposition of one criminal, but thought it was well done even so. On to the next Prey book. Nov 24, Tom Swift rated it really liked it.

I went back to back with Virgil Flowers this week. Mad river is another great read from Sandford. Virgil is on the hunt for a couple of teenagers on a Bonnie and Clyde type crime spree in rural Minnesota. Oct 12, Dotti Elrick rated it really liked it. The more I read about Virgil the more I love him. In Mad River we meet his parents. Virgil is a lot like his dad. It was a nice glimpse of normal family life.

We meet our three bad guys or two guys and a girl on the first page. On the way to rob a family. The robbery goes bad, and they end up killing a woman. As they are making their escape, they kill a man for his car. Jimmy, Becky and Tom are three kids from small town America. Who grew up poor with no hope of improving their lives.

They trie The more I read about Virgil the more I love him. They tried making a go of it in the cities, but couldn't hold down jobs. Now they are broke, hungry, homeless and carrying a big chip on their shoulders. When an opportunity arises to rob the house of a wealthy family, they take it. And everything goes downhill from there. Jimmy gets a thrill from the killings. They head back to their home town and take out their parents and others that they feel have more than they deserve. When they kill a cop during the robbery of a credit union, and Jimmy is badly injured, they dig in and try to wait out the cops.

Virgil is also dealing with a sheriff he really does not like and the politics that go along with small town elected officials. And looking into rumors that the first murder was a paid hit. I liked this newest Virgil novel. It was fast paced, and well written. A very tense ending. I was a little disappointed with the ending. All the questions are answered, and everyone ultimately gets what they deserved, and I understand why it was done the way it was.

I guess I just wanted more. But don't get me wrong, I loved the book, and highly recommend it! Oct 08, Monnie rated it it was amazing. If I don't count Harry Potter - who's in a league all by himself - my favorite fictional character has to be Virgil Flowers, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agent in Minnesota. He's got it all: Good looks, quick wit and an uncanny ability to solve complex murder cases. In Mad River , the most recent addition to author John Sanford's series, I was reminded of the reasons I love Flowers and the books by the time I hit the second chapter.

The streets to the south of Main Street in the small town to If I don't count Harry Potter - who's in a league all by himself - my favorite fictional character has to be Virgil Flowers, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agent in Minnesota. The streets to the south of Main Street in the small town to which Flowers is headed, it seems, are named after fruits, in alphabetical order. To the north, they've got tree names - also alphabetically. Thus, a parent, or law enforcement, could pinpoint a location if told to go to the corner of, say, Pear and April.

Set in Minnesota's backwoods and small towns, they manage to avoid capture and lead law enforcement officials on a trail strewn with dead bodies. Does everything turn out well in the end? Well, yes and no; as well as being a thrill-packed adventure, this story is a study in circumstance-forced choices that make readers at least consider the fact that life doesn't always happen in black-and-white. Definitely one of Sanford's best!

Oct 04, Rex Fuller rated it really liked it. A woman is murdered in the course of a robbery. Neither was shooting the guy who showed up on the scene by accident. They could never get anything quite right. If you can ig A woman is murdered in the course of a robbery. Dec 03, Pete rated it really liked it.

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