Secrets That Find Us by Sahar Abdulaziz

Title: Secrets That Find Us

Author: Sahar Abdulaziz

Release Date: June 9, 2016

Publisher: Rukan Press

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★★☆☆☆

Synopsis:

Buried Secrets, protected lies, and cunning deception all play a pivotal role in Sahar Abdulaziz’s new Contemporary Fiction, Secrets That Find Us.

Seventeen years ago Terri Ann Stone began serving a life sentence, charged with the double homicide of her mother and stepfather. Up to now, Terri’s anger, hate, and relentless commitment to hiding the truth kept her alive behind bars. However, the bitterness that once fueled Terri's center begins to wane. Her pledge to secrecy dissolves. With no prospect of ever being set free, she reveals the entire ugly truth to the single person left in the world who still matters to her.

Riddled with intrigue and the ability to destroy, can the power of Terri’s secrets live on, or will disclosure at long last uncover the answers so desperately desired?

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My Review:

What a dark read. Sahar Abdulaziz's Secrets That Find Us is sure not for the sensitive heart.

I've been wanting to check out Sahar Abdulaziz for a long time, and Secrets That Find Us caught my eye. Purchased it on my Kindle and forgot about it for a while before eventually picking it up after a long time.

It took me almost a month to finish; I kept putting it down. I'm glad I finally finished it!

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I did not care for any of the characters (I hated Terri Ann Stone! She was so stupid!). Every time a chapter ended, I would gladly put it down.

If it weren't for all these juicy secrets, I would've stopped reading it, but curiosity kept me going as I wanted to know Terri's big secret. There were a lot of surprising twists. The only good thing I can say about it is that Sahar Abdulaziz has a way of making you turn the page.

Overall, it was a disturbing, disgusting story. Also, I didn't get the ending.

One Kid's Trash by Jamie Sumner

Title: One Kid's Trash

Author: Jamie Sumner

Release Date: August 31, 2021

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

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★★★★★

Synopsis:

A middle grade novel about a boy who uses his unusual talent for decoding people’s trash to try to fit in at his new school.

Hugo is not happy about being dragged halfway across the state of Colorado just because his dad had a midlife crisis and decided to become a ski instructor. It’d be different if Hugo weren’t so tiny, if girls didn’t think he was adorable like a puppy in a purse and guys didn’t call him “leprechaun” and rub his head for luck. But here he is, the tiny new kid on his first day of middle school.

When his fellow students discover his remarkable talent for garbology, the science of studying trash to tell you anything you could ever want to know about a person, Hugo becomes the cool kid for the first time in his life. But what happens when it all goes to his head?

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My Review:

Amazing! This is my first book by Jamie Sumner.

I'm glad I finally picked it up!

As someone whose cup of tea is often middle/high school dramas and friendship, One Kid's Trash was definitely for me!

It follows Hugo, a kid who's short for his age and who discovers his gift for reading people's trash to interpret who they are, which makes him popular at his new school as people give him trash for him to interpret; a girl wants to find out about the guy she likes, a guy wants to know about the coach to see how he can get into the basketball team, etc.

He's finally known for something other than his size. But what happens when it all goes to his head?

I gotta admit that I found Hugo a little adorable in the beginning, especially how he would shrink in his chair so he wouldn't appear small. 🥹

I'm not gonna lie, the beginning was extreeemely slow as we're introduced to Hugo and his world; moving to a new place and starting a new school. We're also introduced to Vijay "Vij", Hugo's cool cousin and one to show him the ropes. He introduces Hugo to his group of friends, the newsletter crew - Emilia "Em", Micah, and the twins, Jack and Gray.

Later, I started to get invested in the story and characters as Hugo discovers his gift for interpreting people's trash...

To learn something about someone based on their trash was something new for me. Interesting. What a creative idea for a story.

I found Hugo's relationship with his cousin, Vij, very realistic. They fight and then later act like nothing happened. That's how cousins are most of the time.

There were a few times when I was angry with Vij, though. While Hugo was being bullied for his size in the locker room, how could he just stand there and watch without doing anything about it? If I had a friend who did that to me honestly, I'd probably never look at them the same. How could he not stick up for his cousin and friend?!

It was so intense when Hugo let all the garbology stuff get to his head and does something horrifying and innapropriate...

It teaches us that revenge is never the answer, no matter what. If you get revenge on the bully, you are as bad as them. Admittedly, I guess that is a lesson for me as someone who usually has the urge to get revenge on people who were once mean to me. 🙈

I love how it stood up against bullying and emphasized the importance of speaking to a trusted adult when you're being bullied.

Amazing story about friendship.

Finally, while I really loved and enjoyed One Kid's Trash, I've got only a few comments.

• Chance doesn't match the name of a bully. To be honest, I usually imagine the name 'Chance' more suitable for an innocent kid, don't ask why. 🤷🏻‍♀️

• Okay, so while I find it really cool how you can tell about someone based on their trash, realistically, just because a trash can is in someone's room, home, or wherever, doesn't mean the contents inside the trash is only theirs. They could have gotten visitors that threw their trash in thier garbage. For example, I eat a chocolate bar in my room. I don't have a trash can in my room, but my parents' does. So I go to their room and throw my trash there. Makes sense?

• I didn't understand why Hugo still chose to hang out with Andrew even when he didn't stick up for him in the locker room when he was being bullied by Chance. Yes, besides Vij, also Andrew. As I mentioned earlier, I don't think I'd forgive a friend who does that to me.

• As a writer, I learned that when you mention a gun hanging on the wall, later, it should go off. When Hugo broke into Chance's locker and found a Star Wars folder, I predicted that maybe Hugo and Chance will find something in common with each other and become friends or something, but the Star Wars folder was never mentioned again. I felt like the resolution with Chance was a little rushed.

Overall, One Kid's Trash was amazing, and to be honest, I was a little sad when I finished it. I was really invested in the characters, especially Hugo - loved him! I would definitely recommend to young readers. It was a very clean read.

The Mystery at Lilac Inn (Nancy Drew #4) by Carolyn Keene

Title: The Mystery at Lilac Inn

Series: Nancy Drew

Author: Carolyn Keene

Release Date: January 1, 1961 (revised ed.)

Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap

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★★★★★

Synopsis:

Nancy and her friend Helen visit their friend Emily Willouby at the Lilac Inn, which Emily now owns, to help her plan her wedding. Emily plans on selling inherited diamonds in order to help fix up the Lilac Inn. However, Nancy soon learns that someone has been impersonating her and making expensive purchases under her name. Soon after, Emily's diamonds are stolen! Can Nancy find the thieves and recover the missing diamonds?

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My Review:

An intriguing, fishy mystery that kept me reading until the end.

This is one of the Nancy Drew books that have been on my TBR for a long time. Like The Bungalow Mystery, the cover drew me in. For a long time, I've wondered about the mystery at Lilac Inn. 👀

I was so happy when I finally got it.

In this installment of the Nancy Drew series, Nancy and her friend, Helen Corning, visit their friend, Emily Willouby, who recently bought the old inn along with her fiancé, Dick. As soon as Nancy and Helen arrive, though, they instantly notice that there is something wrong with Emily. They learn that there has been trouble at the inn; strange things have been happening, such as a stolen lilac tree, and one of the waitresses claimed it was haunted!

The Mystery at Lilac Inn was intriguing right from the first page!

While on their way to Lilac Inn, Nancy and Helen run into Doris Drake, Nancy's friend, who wonders how Nancy and Helen canoed from River Heights so fast, as her friend Phyl informed her that she was just talking to Nancy at the Elite Drug Store in River Heights half an hour ago! Nancy got surprised and claimed that she and Helen were on their way at the time.

Doris's friend, Phyl, was talking to Nancy at the Elite Drug Store in River Heights half an hour ago, but Nancy was on her way at the time! How could that be? Intriguing!

Then Nancy and Helen's canoe suddenly gets capsized! How did that happen? Was it a floating log? Strange! And who was that man with the crew cut who saw them but rowed away, not bothering to help them? What a rude man!

Strange things have been going on at Lilac Inn. Then Nancy gets a phone call from their housekeeper, Hannah Greun, and learns that there had been a burglary at their home! And then she learns that she owes Burk's Department Store for merchandise worth two thousand dollars! Right then, we learn that Nancy has an impersonator, who's been making expensive purchases under her name!

Then Emily's diamonds get stolen at Lilac Inn...

A lot of exciting and intense scenes in this Nancy Drew book, with a lot of bravery and smart sleuthing. I was really impressed with Nancy's bravery despite the danger going on. She was pro!

That intense scene when Nancy dared to dress like her impersonator at night...

The Mystery at Lilac Inn was a very well-written mystery that would keep the reader reading until the end! Every chapter ended with a cliffhanger!

While I really enjoyed The Mystery at Lilac Inn, I've got only one comment.

I'm not sure if it was just me, but at times, I felt like a lot was going on that I would have to go back to previous pages to remember the incidents and who was who. Overall, I loved it and would recommend it to Nancy Drew and mystery fans.