October 15, 2021
Riley's return to the Marine Corps base Twentynine Palms after four years is supposed to be a fresh start, but reality has different plans for her. When Riley's family goes back to her late grandfather's house in the Mojave Desert for the first time since her dad died, the place is full of both sad and happy memories. Riley is eager to see her friends Nathan and Lily again, the brother and sister whose company she enjoyed all those summers ago. But she discovers that Lily went missing a year ago after last being seen near Riley's grandfather's cabin--and she's one of many people who have disappeared without a trace in the local area. It seems there is a vicious serial killer on the loose. Then Riley herself starts to feel marooned when she experiences gaps in her memory and sees things that are not there. Is she losing her mind, or is there something strange happening in Twentynine Palms? This riveting thriller mixes an intriguing narrator with elements of science fiction and horror to tell a character-driven story that focuses on family, friends, and, above all, love. Although Riley's actions can be frustrating, she is refreshingly not alone in her investigations, and she is able to count on many of those around her. Riley is assumed White; there is ethnic diversity in the supporting cast. An eerie and imaginative science-fiction thriller.(Thriller. 14-18)
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October 25, 2021
When incoming high school senior Rylie Caruso, presumed white, returns to her late grandfather’s house in the middle of the California desert after a several-year absence, she feels conflicted about the move. Though she looks forward to reconnecting with old friends, her mother’s assignment at Marine Corps base Twentynine Palms also means reawakening memories of her deceased father and grandfather. But upon arrival, Rylie quickly learns that her friend Lily has been missing for the past year. Other things are amiss as well: a murderer is on the loose, and following a hiking trip gone awry, Rylie begins experiencing hallucinations and moments of amnesia, and noticing scratches that won’t heal. After Rylie discovers evidence linking Lily’s absence to that of other missing people, she’s determined to find her friend and uncover the truth about whatever’s going on. If the ending feels slightly abrupt, Goedjen (The Breathless) effectively plays with expectations in this unsettling genre-bender, slowly peeling away layers of ambiguity while skillfully keeping readers off-balance. Rylie’s attempts to discern reality from nightmare are engaging, as is her genuine effort to emotionally reconnect with the people around her. Ages 12–up. Agent: Catherine Drayton, InkWell Management.
December 1, 2021
Grades 9-12 There are a lot of adjustments embedded in Riley's family's move back to California's Twentynine Palms, and the 17-year-old isn't particularly excited about any of them. Once the location of happy family vacations, it became the site of the tragic accident that took Riley's father's life. Her mother's recent military assignment there has meant returning as a newly blended family and confronting relationships she'd left behind. Mystery swirls around Twentynine Palms as Goedjen peppers in news reports of a potential serial killer in the area, the disappearance of Riley's childhood friend Lily, and strange interview tapes left behind by Riley's late grandfather. An undercurrent of violence runs through everything, even perhaps through Riley, who is beset by strange gaps in her memory and inexplicable visions of coyote-like beasts. Riley's endeavors to solve these intertwined mysteries create an intriguing but overstuffed plot that never has a chance to be fully developed. However, her relationships with her stepbrother and her former best friend anchor the wide-ranging action, which should appeal to Miss Peregrine fans.
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January 1, 2022
Gr 9 Up-Seventeen-year-old Rylie is reluctant to move back to the military base in Twentynine Palms with her mother, brother, and stepfamily. Especially since the last time she left, after the accident that killed her father, her grandpa cut all ties with her and her family. Things steadily worsen upon her arrival, as Rylie learns one of her old friends has vanished into the Mojave Desert, and the disappearance may be tied to her grandfather And something may be wrong with Rylie herself: she begins to lose large chunks of time and is being followed by coyotes. Could these incidents be connected? Rylie is determined to find the truth, no matter the cost. With the novel's focus on plot rather than character development, Rylie, an unreliable narrator, struggles to disentangle the layers of mystery around her, one thread after another. The beautiful and deadly desert setting provides an eerie backdrop to Rylie's struggle, while rock climbing and bouldering metaphors are scattered throughout to underscore the main theme of fighting through despair and failure. The mixture of genres-realistic fiction and mystery, with elements of sci-fi-slowly merge together to create a shocking but still believable ending. Although race isn't mentioned, the wide cast of characters includes a range of people of various diversity and ability: vision disability; Jewish, Latinx, and Mi'kmaq heritage; and an LGBTQIA+ relationship. VERDICT This genre-bending work will appeal to longtime lovers of mystery as well as those new to the genre.-Maggie Mason Smith
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