The early Dana Girls books have glossy internal illustrations.
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What started as a game turns into something much darker in this fast-paced YA thriller with a plot to die for, perfect for fans of Natasha Preston and Hannah Jayne.
Harper Jacobs and her friends are just looking for some fun when they decide to start breaking into one another's houses. It's enough to give them a rush, and it's pretty harmless since they all promise not to take anything that can't be replaced. But when they target the home of a classmate, it crosses a line, and one of the group turns up dead.
Harper needs to figure out what's happening fast…or else she might be next.
I found the early part of the book to be extremely interesting. After Harper's friend dies, the plot seems to stall. The story is not very interesting for a large chunk of the book. Towards the climax, the story becomes interesting again, but not nearly as much as the beginning of the story. This book is just okay.
The early Dana Girls books have glossy internal illustrations.
Click on each image in order to see it at a higher resolution.
Don't Let In the Cold by Keely Parrack was published on September 6, 2022 by Sourcebooks Fire.
A claustrophobic, high-stakes thriller that will have you fearing what waits out in the cold.
It was supposed to be just one night in the cabin: one night for Lottie and her brand new stepsister, Jade, to try to get along. When a solar flare causes a massive blackout—no power or cell signal—Lottie knows they've got a long night ahead of them.
Then, in the dark, someone else shows up at the cabin—a stranger named Alex, claiming to be lost and needing shelter from the coming snowstorm. But later that night, Lottie spies him in the driveway talking to two mysterious men in a pickup truck, and she's sure he's lying about why he's here.
Before Lottie can find out more, a fire forces her, Jade, and Alex out into the blizzard, where they must rely on one another to get to safety—wherever that is. In the remote, freezing Tahoe wilderness, they have to survive more than just the elements. Soon it becomes clear that Alex's accomplices are hunting for all three of them, in a scheme that's gone too far and taken a chilling, deadly turn.
The early Dana Girls books have glossy internal illustrations.
Click on each image in order to see it at a higher resolution.
Swarm by Jennifer D. Lyle was published on November 7, 2023, by Sourcebooks Fire.
On a sunny September morning, the creatures first appear. Shur sees one of them hovering outside the window in history class: it looks like a giant butterfly, at first too beautiful and strange to seem like a threat. But when emergency alerts light up everyone's phones around her, she realizes something very, very wrong is happening outside. These… things are everywhere.
By the time Shur makes it back to her house with her brother, Keene, and their two best friends, it's clear they must face whatever comes next on their own. A terrifying species the world's never seen before has suddenly emerged, and few living things are safe. As the creatures swarm and attack outside, life for Shur and her friends becomes a survival game. They board the windows, stockpile supplies, and try to make sense of the news reports for as long as the power stays on.
Yet nothing can prepare them for what follows. The butterflies are only the beginning. The next onslaught will be deadlier, and even closer to home.
Here are my previous posts on the Forgotten Secrets.
The Forgotten Secrets
More on the Forgotten Secrets
This post contains MAJOR SERIES SPOILERS. Stop reading NOW if you have not already read all of the books including #8.5 and #9.
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I started thinking about the chronological order of the Forgotten Secrets after reading a post on Reddit that pointed out an inconsistency. Sophie, Dex, and Oralie view the Forgotten Secrets in random order based on which color crystal they select.
We know for certain that the secret with Bronte, Kenric, and the dead gnome comes first chronologically. This is because Kenric's hair is in a ponytail, and the event occurs before Oralie becomes a Councillor.
If we go by what is stated in Stellarlune, then Kenric and Prentice in Kenric's library comes last chronologically.
Kenric and Prentice in Kenric's library
Stellarlune,
Page 251: He just held up the cache and studied the glints of color.
There were only six secrets at that point. The blue crystal was
missing—which made sense, since it was the memory they were currently
watching.
This is impossible, however, since the memory cannot be the final one saved. Kenric mentions Prentice's exile in one of the other secrets. Prentice was exiled after Kenric recruited him as Keeper.
Kenric and Oralie questioning Fintan about stellarlune/Kenric reveals to Oralie that he knows about Project Moonlark
Unlocked, Page 531: "I saw how upset you were when Prentice was exiled. And I saw the look on your face when Alden brought us that strand of DNA."
The secret presented in Unlocked must come after the secret from Kenric's library, even though the secret from Kenric's library was supposedly saved last. This does appear to be a plot inconsistency. However, Kenric is a tricky fellow. Perhaps Kenric figured out a way to remove secrets that he had already placed in his cache. This would allow for more secrets to be saved after the one with Prentice in the library, resulting in the seven secrets.
Here I give what I think is the true chronological order of the Forgotten Secrets. I have included a few new observations I made on this rereading of the Forgotten Secrets. I also have included the colors of the crystals, since the colors used must have meaning.
1st: Bronte and Kenric dealing with a dead gnome (green crystal)
This one must come first because Kenric's hair is long and in a ponytail. He cut it short after Oralie became a Councillor and made fun of it.
2nd: Kenric and Oralie arguing in Kenric's readying room (red crystal)
This secret is from Oralie's first-year-as-Councillor celebration. Kenric's hair is short in this secret. Kenric and Oralie don't get along at all.
3rd: Kenric requesting a matchmaker give him the hypothetical match lists for himself and Oralie (pink crystal)
Kenric is now in love with Oralie. In this memory, he makes sure that number one matches will provide the DNA for Project Moonlark.
4th: Kenric and Prentice in Kenric's library (blue crystal)
Kenric ostensibly asks Prentice to be his personal Keeper, although he is actually recruiting Prentice to be the Keeper of the Black Swan. This could have occurred before Project Moonlark was initiated, but I'm going on the assumption that Kenric recruits Prentice after he sets Project Moonlark into motion.
[Note: Wylie was three in this secret, and he is said to be about 20 in Book 2. In Book 2, Sophie is 13, so Wylie is seven years older. This places the Forgotten Secret with Prentice as occurring before Sophie's birth.]
5th: Kenric and Oralie questioning Fintan about stellarlune (orange crystal)/Kenric reveals to Oralie that he knows about Project Moonlark (blue crystal)
This memory is from after Sophie's birth, since the Moonlark is mentioned. Prentice's exile is mentioned, so this memory is after Kenric recruits Prentice.
Orange as the crystal color must refer to the orange glow of the Noxflares.
On this reading of the scene with Fintan, the following passage stands out.
Stellarlune, Page 239: "Have you ever heard of Stellarlune?" "Stellarlune?" Fintan repeated, dragging out the syllables. "Can't say that I have."
Later in the book, Mr. Forkle makes this remark.
Stellarlune, Page 291: "Stellarlune,"
Mr. Forkle repeated, dragging out each syllable. "You'll have to
forgive me—sometimes the abundance of strange terms gets the better of
me. Stellarlune is one of Lady Gisela's projects, isn't it?"
I wrote in my previous post, "Mr. Forkle is definitely playing dumb by dragging out the syllables in 'stellarlune.' He's heard of it." Fintan is playing dumb as well. Ah, these former Councillors and their games...
6th: Oralie and Kenric in Elysian (yellow crystal)
I believe that Kenric gained some information about Elysian from Fintan's memory when he and and Oralie questioned Fintan. If so, then this memory comes after the one with Fintan.
7th: the map of Elysian (purple crystal)
I assume that Kenric created a map of Elysian after he and Oralie visited Elysian.
All of my past Keeper posts are linked from this page:
Keeper of the Lost Cities Summaries, Reviews, and Theories
The early Judy Bolton books have glossy internal illustrations.
Click on each image in order to see it at a higher resolution.
