As a reader, do you gravitate towards relate-able, conventional, sweet narrators and stories that follow a comforting and predictable arc, ending in the literary version of “All is well”? If so, then read no further. Christopher Bollen’s page-turning, stomach-churning, prediction-spurning Havoc is not the novel for you.
Bollen’s sole narrator is octogenarian Maggie Burkhardt, a Wisconsin expatriate in Egypt during the pandemic, and Bollen’s use of the first person pays satisfying homage to its origin as an “unreliable narrator.” The book’s synopsis gives us a strong nudge in the “be wary of this narrator” direction, but it also complicates matters by adding an 8-year-old boy, arriving at the shabby-chic hotel on the edge of the Nile in the Sahara Desert with his harried mother, who quickly morphs into an unsettling and eerie nemesis for Maggie.
The peripatetic, well-heeled guests, Ben and Zachary, an American gay couple whom Maggie has befriended and feels comfortable with, as well as Ahmed, the local hotel manager with the proverbial heart of gold, who has warmly welcomed Maggie since her arrival from a mysteriously swift departure from Switzerland, provide rich and believable layers of characterization and sub-plots that robustly deliver from start to finish. But there’s never a doubt that Maggie is the axis around which this beguilingly straightforward yet actually quite twisty plot revolves.
While busying herself with ruminations about which guests might need her special “help” in overturning their lives for the good (ahem)—something Bollen makes sure that readers know is not a newly developed habit--Maggie tries and, to her astonishment, spectacularly fails to befriend young Otto. Subsequently, she becomes convinced that the precocious and troubled 8-year-old, who has quickly inserted himself into the homey interpersonal fabric of the sprawling and laid-back hotel, is on to her. As it happens, she may be right.
Bollen skillfully lays a crumb trail for readers—though never too many crumbs at once!—to suss out and/or add puzzlement to Maggie’s history and motives. Was Maggie’s long-time marriage to Peter who predeceased her as perfect as she recounts? And what’s going on with their daughter who appears in brief, hazy recollections as both a child and an adult when “she died”? The uneasy pleasure of this novel rests in the interwoven nature of Maggie’s unreliable memory and self-talk with the disturbing and escalating aspect of her and Otto’s game of one-up-man-ship. Is Maggie right about her suspicions of this child? Is the kid, in this case, “all right” or….decidedly not? And when friendly Ahmed finally cools towards Maggie because he’s heard just one too many contradictions in her back-story, should we feel pity for someone whose sanity is unraveling or a fervent hope that she be caught out before something worse happens?
The answers to these questions may possibly differ for every reader. But the staggering conclusion, rendered with an admirable combination of nail-shredding suspense and gut-punching abruptness, seemed worthy of Poe to this reader. Kudos to Bollen on his rendition of a “tale of mystery and imagination!”

Pip has vowed not to get herself tangled up in mysteries. However when her friend goes missing and the police fail to take action, Pip steps up knowing the risks of getting caught up in mysteries. This book was honestly amazing, filled with twist and turns. As you continue to read the book, the more invested you get. I picked this book due to reading her previous book. 'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder'. Holly Jackson truly has got a gift for writing these mysteries. This is a fantastic read that is definitely worth it

Who was the real killer of Andy Bell? Was it her boyfriend or was it someone you would never think of. Well reading this book was one of the best times I could hardly put it down. I loved how we got to help solve it in away and there was never a mount that u never had something to ask. Like who was the killer? if not who? and why did they do it? There are just so many good things about the book. The only bad thing is you never get sleep cause you can't put it down.

This book is the best YA mystery book I have read in a long time! This book follows a seventeen year old girl named Cassie Hobbes, who had been recruited to work for a Secrate CIA department as a profiler. As a murder starts killing more and more people Cassie and her team start to dig into the case, but as they do, this case starts connecting more and more to Cassie. This is an amazing book and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes mystery.

Great book keeps you on your toes with a jaw dropping ending.

What if your parents could choose to just ... get rid of you? If their child is 13-18 years old, the parents in this book can. The children are put to good use, essentially used as organ donors for those who need it. This young-adult novel details the adventures of Connor, Risa, and Lev, three children who were chosen to be unwound. This was for different reasons in different situations, but it results in their lives being thrown together on the same path.

Shusterman is very good at creating realistic, living characters that interact in a detailed web of situations and settings. I would recommend this book to anyone, but warn that some of the scenes can be scary for those who don't do well with too much suspense. Every part of it was engaging, and it manages to perfectly add philosophy and moral dilemma to an excellent story without compromising the believability or soul of the book. This is definitely worth a read, and it is the first installation of a series, so if you enjoy it as much as I do, check out the rest.

If I could recommend any book I've ever read, its this one. This book is a minute by minute recount of a school shooting at a high school, which as a teenager in America, feels like a very real situation that can feel almost bound to happen. The storytelling is unparalleled, and as a reader I felt as if I was in that high school, sitting on the bleachers, waiting to see what was going to happen next. It has such good raw emotion- fear, anger, sadness, terror. From the second I started reading I could not put it down, and by the end you feel neither unsatisfied nor satisfied, just as I believe the author intended. It does cover a very dark topic, and is very descriptive, so be careful if you are sensitive to that kind of material.

"One of Us Is Lying" by Karen M. McManus is an addictive blend of suspense, secrets, and teenage drama. McManus crafts a gripping narrative filled with twists and turns that kept me hooked from start to finish. The characters are multi-dimensional, each with their own motivations and secrets, making it impossible to trust anyone completely. The story unfolds through multiple perspectives, allowing for a deeper exploration of each character's psyche and adding layers of complexity to the mystery. McManus's writing is sharp and atmospheric, creating a palpable sense of tension that lingers throughout the novel. As the plot unravels, the stakes escalate, leading to a thrilling conclusion that will leave readers on the edge of their seats. "One of Us Is Lying" is a must-read for fans of suspenseful thrillers with a compelling cast of characters.

"The Inheritance Games" by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a captivating rollercoaster of mystery and intrigue. Barnes masterfully weaves together a tangled web of secrets, puzzles, and unexpected twists that kept me guessing until the very end. The protagonist, Avery Kylie Grambs, is a complex character whose journey from obscurity to inheriting a billionaire's fortune is both thrilling and thought-provoking. The dynamic between Avery and the Hawthorne family is filled with tension and suspicion, adding layers of depth to the plot. Barnes's writing style is engaging, with vivid descriptions and sharp dialogue that bring the story to life. The pacing is brisk, ensuring that there's never a dull moment as Avery navigates the treacherous waters of the Hawthorne estate. Overall, "The Inheritance Games" is a gripping read that will leave you eagerly anticipating the next installment in this thrilling series.

The Reappearance of Rachel Price tells the story of Bel Price, whose mother has gone missing when she was two, and her family life. In the story, Bel’s family agrees to a documentary about Rachel’s disappearance, only then Rachel unexpectedly shows up. With cameras still rolling, Bel tries to figure out the truth of Rachel’s disappearance and uncovers many buried family secrets on the way, leading her to doubt who she should trust: her “dead” mother, or the family she knew her whole life.
I found this book enjoyable because I love all of Holly Jackson’s novels, and the plot twist in this one truly blew me away! However, it took a little while for things to start happening in the book and it kinda felt like I was forcing myself to read. But when things did start happening, the story really took shape and was a wild book to read! I especially loved Bel’s character development. She wasn’t a very likeable character as she pushes people away and is just a general rude person. But as she continues to grow, her character gets so much better and I love how Jackson incorporated that into the mystery!