The Disappearance (Hardy Boys Adventures #18) by Franklin W. Dixon

Title: The Disappearance

Series: Hardy Boys Adventures

Author: Franklin W. Dixon (pen name)

Release Date: February 19, 2019

Publisher: Aladdin

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★★★☆☆

Synopsis:

It’s a case of hidden identities for brother detectives Frank and Joe in the in the eighteenth book in the thrilling Hardy Boys Adventures series.

The Hardy brothers and Frank’s new girlfriend, Jones, are attending a local comic book convention on the shore. They meet up with Jones’s friend Harper, a fellow comics super fan, on the boardwalk outside the convention. The four of them spend hours running from booth to booth and end the perfect day with pizza at Harper’s short-term rental apartment.

Things don’t stay so perfect, though. On the way home, Jones realizes she switched phones with Harper by accident and she is getting some really scary texts. When they show up at the apartment the next day, they find it totally destroyed and Harper is missing.

Frank and Joe start digging into their new friend’s life, hoping to find out where she might have gone, but the more they find out about her, the more mysterious she becomes. Can Frank and Joe find this secretive character? Or has she disappeared forever?

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My Review:

It's been a while since I've last picked up a Hardy Boys Adventures.

With its intriguing, catching cover, ever since its release, I've been wanting to pick up The Disappearance for a long time.

In this installment of the Hardy Boys Adventures series, the Hardys' friend, Harper, goes missing. The mystery was fishy. Before she disappeared, Harper was acting strange at the comic book convention. Looking around her like she was afraid of someone. We notice that about her right away as soon as we meet her. As someone who loves geeking out, I enjoyed the description of the comic book convention. Then the next day, when the Hardys returned to her apartment to return her phone, she was missing and her apartment was ransacked!

Harper was a mysterious character. After she disappeared, the Hardys find out fishy things about her. Who was she?

The Disappearance intrigued me until the end.

While I enjoyed The Disappearance, I've only got a few comments.

• Isn't Joe 17? Earlier in the book, it mentioned that he was around 16.

• Being into things like comics doesn't suit Frank. Isn't it more of a Joe thing? (I'm not sure if the author read the Hardy Boys before)

• I didn't like Jones, Frank's girlfriend. I felt like she was in the way of the Hardys, and I hated that there were a few times when Frank acted okay with the fact that she can be a replacement for Joe in the sleuthing. Frank annoyed me in that! That was not Frank!

• The cover didn't match the story. The cover may be intriguing and exciting, but it didn't happen in the story.

  
  

  Overall, while I enjoyed The Disappearance, it wasn't the best Hardy Boys I've ever read.

Rightfully Ours by Carolyn Astfalk

Title: Rightfully Ours

Author: Carolyn Astfalk

Release Date: April 26, 2017

Publisher: Full Quiver Publishing

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★★★★☆

Synopsis:

A coming-of-age story of first love, buried treasure, and discovering some things are worth the wait.

Sixteen-year-old Paul Porter’s relocation to Pennsylvania is a temporary move during his dad’s deployment. Or so he and his brother think, until devastating news lands on their doorstep.

Paul’s new home with the Muellers provides solace, especially in the form of Rachel, his friend and confidante. Their abiding friendship deepens as they work side by side to uncover what could be lost treasure.

Will they acquire the strength of character and virtue to take only what rightfully belongs to them or are they in way over their heads, with more than a few lost artifacts at stake?

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My Review:

My first book by this author.

As I mentioned earlier, I'm not a big romance reader, but I really liked this one. With a lot of the YA romances that are in the market these days, this is different. No words can describe how impressed I was by this book. A lot to say, I don't know how to start. I initially picked this book up for the fact that it has brothers, but because this is obviously a romance novel, the brothers wasn't the main focus. Despite that, I still enjoyed it, though. It was a sweet story.

Carolyn Astfalk's Rightfully Ours is a coming-of-age YA Christian romance that follows two teens, Paul and Rachel, who fall head over heels for each other and must be careful not to get ahead of themselves. Since it's a Christian romance, it was not only clean, but it acknowledges the fact that s*x is strictly reserved for married couples only. As a Muslim, I was IMPRESSED. It may be Christian, but it's almost similar to the values we have in Islam. It was not perfect since there were a lot of kisses here and there before marriage, but then, what do I expect? This is not a Muslim romance, but it's way better than the other romance books that are out there in the market these days.

The intense scene when Rachel got hurt while she and Paul were digging for treasure in their secret garden... This book shows us the meaning of true love.

Sean is a good brother; I loved how he advises Paul against s*x before marriage.

While I really enjoyed Rightfully Ours, there were only a few things that threw me off. The repetition; it was repeated many times how much Paul and Rachel loved each other and how they longed to be together and kissed each other every chance they got, we got it! Then there was this part when, after Rachel got better after the accident, Paul thanked God, but he also thanked his dead father. We should NEVER associate partners with God. That is considered shirk in our religion. Also, I was really hoping to see more interaction between Paul and Sean.

Overall, even though there was not much brother stuff, I really enjoyed it. Religious or not, I would recommend it to those who are in a relationship and to romance readers. Rightfully Ours is a good replacement for most of the romance books these days.

Chasing Forgiveness by Neal Shusterman

Title: Chasing Forgiveness

Author: Neal Shusterman

Release Date: October 13, 2015

Publisher: Turtleback Books

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★★★★★

Synopsis:

Preston Scott was only twelve years old when his father killed his mother. He never saw it coming. Despite his parents' constant fighting, Preston always thought they were perfect together. He never dreamed his father would be capable of murder. Then again, who could ever predict something like this?

Fast forward: Preston is now fourteen. His father has just been released from jail and is moving near his grandparents house, where Preston and his younger brother Tyler have been living. His grandparents forgave his dad long ago for killing their daughter, and although Preston tries to feel the same kind of forgiveness, it s not easy: he ll never see his mother again, and yet, he still loves his father. How is that possible? Will Preston ever be able to reconcile his dueling feelings for his father, and move past this tragedy?

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My Review:

Neal Shusterman's Chasing Forgiveness is one of my top favorite books.

I just finished reading it for the second time.

Chasing Forgiveness is a beautiful, coming-of-age story based on a true story about a family that experienced a tragedy. It's a story about forgiveness.

Preston Scott's father kills his mother. Even though Preston's grandparents - his mom's parents - forgave their son-in-law for killing their daughter, Preston struggles to feel the same.

I loved Preston's grandmother, Grandma Lorraine! I loved her patience and faith in God - the fact that what they're going through is a test from God. I loved the theme, especially the fact that the author incorporated religion and belief in God.

Even though I hated the mom, she didn't deserve to die. I felt bad for the dad, who went above and beyond to make her happy.

One note: when referring to God, He should always ALWAYS be capitalized.

This is a book that HAS to turn into a movie. As I was reading it, I kept thinking of how I could write it as a screenplay. ;)