Carmilla – Kim Turrisi

Carmilla by Kim Turrisi

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
Published: May 7th, 2019
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Pacing: Normal/Slow
Recommended Age: 12+
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Mystery, Paranormal, LGBTQIA+, University Life

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BLURB:

Newly escaped from the stifling boredom of a small town, college freshman Laura is ready to make the most of her first year at Silas University. But when her roommate, Betty, vanishes and a sarcastic, nocturnal philosophy student named Carmilla moves into Betty’s side of the room, Laura decides to play detective. Turns out Betty isn’t the first girl to go missing ? she’s just the first girl not to come back. All over campus, girls have been vanishing, and they are completely changed when (or if) they return. Even more disturbing are the strange dreams they recount: smothering darkness, and a strange pale figure haunting their rooms. Dreams that Laura is starting to have herself. As Laura closes in on the answers, tensions rise with Carmilla. Is this just a roommate relationship that isn’t working out, or does Carmilla know more than she’s letting on about the disappearances? What will Laura do if it turns out her roommate isn’t just selfish and insensitive, but completely inhuman? And what will she do with the feelings she’s starting to have for Carmilla?

The Center of the Universe – Ria Voros

The Center of the Universe by Ria Voros

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
Published: April 2nd, 2019
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Pacing: Normal/Fast
Recommended Age: 12+
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Family, Mystery, Romance, Friendship, Astronomy

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BLURB:

Grace Carter’s mother — the celebrity news anchor GG Carter — is everything Grace is not. GG is a star, with a flawless wardrobe and a following of thousands, while Grace — an aspiring astrophysicist — is into stars of another kind. She and her mother have always been in different orbits. Then one day GG is just … gone. Cameras descend on their house, news shows speculate about what might have happened and Grace’s family struggles to find a new rhythm as they wait for answers. While the authorities unravel the mystery behind GG’s disappearance, Grace grows closer to her high school’s golden boy, Mylo, who has faced a black hole of his own. She also uncovers some secrets from her mother’s long-lost past. The more Grace learns, the more she wonders. Did she ever really know her mother? Was GG abducted … or did she leave? And if she left, why?