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Such Charming Liars by Karen McManus
Best-selling author of One of Us is Lying returns with a new mystery no longer based in a high school, but intertwined with a jewel-heist gone wrong. Such Charming Liars follows the reuniting of two estranged siblings, Liam and Kat, at a party hosted by a wealthy family. With both their parents pursuing their own criminal motives, Liam and Kat find themselves covering up for their separated parents, who are attending the party with criminal intent. When a murder occurs and a jewel heist is compromised, Liam and Kat find themselves involved in trying to solve the murder. The book follows their adventure as they realise the murderer now has their sights set on them.
Like all Karen M. McManus books, the mystery driving the story is well done, but it’s the characters and their arcs that stand out. The book is built on family conflict, and among the action and the mystery, it’s the character growth and resolution that make the book an enjoyable read. Issues like domestic violence are handled with a sensitive hand, and Kat and Liam’s rediscovery of the sibling relationship they lost is touching. Such Charming Liars mixes action, mystery and emotion in a fresh way, and is an easy and enjoyable read for teens.
Reviewed by Juniper Elder
The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop by Takuya Asakura
Translated by Yuka Maeno, this is a poignantly beautiful Japanese novel, which deals with the themes of grief and human connections. In just over 200 pages, the story unfolds over four seasons with the four short stories all connected by one magical bookshop, owned by the enigmatic girl Sakura and her wise cat Kobako.
The visitors we meet are Mio, a woman dealing with the aftermath of her mother’s death; Shingo, a retired train driver, living in the confusing world where all his memories are slipping away; Kaho and her twin sister Shiho, who have secrets to share before education leads them in different directions; and finally, Kozue, a young girl who may be the only one able to help her widowed father pick up a pen again.
Sakura and Kobako help their guests confront their lingering sadness through the power of stories, enabling them to move forward with renewed hope. This work is an ode to the written word and how stories can bring us solace or even change our direction.
Reviewed by Abby Soffe
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