quippe | Entries tagged with lauren james

The Blurb On The Back:

Ten years ago an obsessed fangirl known as Gottie set out to prove that two male actors were dating. But her online investigations uncovered far more than she bargained for.

In the ensuring frenzy, one of the Hollywood actors was killed. The other was charged with his murder.

And Gottie disappeared without a trace.

Now it’s time to crack the case wide open …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Lauren James’s standalone YA thriller is very strong on fame, fandoms and toxic fan behaviour but the murder aspect was under-powered for me with the villain too easy to guess and a final twist that didn’t ring true. At the same time, Delilah’s backstory was too busy and a sub-plot involving her best friend Nida feeling superfluous. That said, it is a fast-paced read and James has something to say so I would check out her next book.

LAST SEEN ONLINE was released in the United Kingdom on 1st August 2024. Thanks to Walker Books for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Can you fall in love with someone you’ve never met, never even spoken to – someone who is light years away?

Romy Silvers is the only surviving crew member on a spaceship bound for a new planet. She is the loneliest girl in the universe, until she hears that a second spaceship has launched from Earth, with a single passenger on board. A boy called J.

Their only communication is via email, and the messages take months to transmit, yet Romy finds herself falling in love. But what does she really know about J? And what do the strange new messages from Earth mean? Sometimes, there’s something worse than being alone …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Lauren James’s YA SF psychological thriller is strong on the psychological elements (with Romy’s depression and anxiety being credibly portrayed) but the thrills are weak and predictable, the antagonist two dimensional and I found the ending to be a bit of an anti climax such that while I would read James’s other books, this didn’t really work for me.

THE LONELIEST GIRL IN THE UNIVERSE was released in the United Kingdom on 7th September 2017. Thanks to Walker Books for the review copy of this book.