Chelsea Ichaso

A compulsively readable debut with a narrator you just can't trust, perfect for fans of Natasha Preston. As a child, Cassidy Pratt accidentally started a fire that killed her neighbor. At least, that's what she's been told. She can't remember anything from that day. She's pretty sure she didn't mean to do it. She's a victim too. But her town's bullies, particularly the cruel and beautiful Melody Davenport, have never let her live it down. In Melody's eyes, Cassidy is a murderer and always will be. When Cassidy overhears what sounded like an abduction and Melody goes missing, Cassidy knows she should go to the cops, but... She recently joked about how much she'd like to get rid of Melody. She even planned out the perfect way to do it. It's up to Cassidy to figure out what really happened, because if she comes forward without a suspect, she knows people will point fingers at her. Again. And she can't let that happen. But the truth behind Melody's disappearance will set the whole town ablaze.

Little Creeping Things

Arianna DeWitt

THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD. I LOVED THE WAY IT WAS WRITTEN. SUCH A BIG PLOT TWIST TOO. 
I EXPECTED SO MANY OTHER THINGS TO HAPPEN, BUT THE ENDING WAS WAY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I THOUGHT. BUT IT WAS SO GOOD. I 100% RECOMMEND.

Tatiana Alvarez 

This book was sent to me for an upcoming tour from the Chelsea Ichasco, Sourcebooks, and MTMC tours.

I was immediately captivated by the title and the suckered in with the cover. I'm not one for mystery novels, simply because I think they are predictable and slow, but this one was a face paced read and it appealed to my teacher side.

I teach 8th graders and I thought this book would be perfect for a book talk.

Cassidy Pratt is the town's weird girl because of a fire that accidentally killed her best friend when she was younger. In such a tight-knit community, these horrific events leave a long lasting impression on the town, and to make matters worse, Cassidy does not remember everything that happened that day.

Now another girl, this time Cassidy's worst enemy, ends up dead in the exact way Cassidy wrote about it in her journal. Firstly, you can tell that Cass is different than others because who writes down explicit murder plots for their archenemies? I mean, we might all think them, but I don't think I would ever think of a diabolical plan and write them down.

This book gave off some Pretty Little Liar vibes because as the killer is at large, they are texting Cass threatening messages. She knows that she needs to locate the killer fast or else the police would have enough evidence to blame her for the disappearance of Melody Davenport. Naturally, this makes Cass reckless and makes her question everyone in her friend group. She's unsure if she can even trust her best friend Gideon.

Why this appeals to my teacher heart is the character of Cassidy and whether or not she is a reliable or unreliable narrator. We know right off the bat that something crazy happened to her friend that resulted in her friend's death as a child. Cass has many moments of confusion and questions whether or not she even trusts herself. Since this book is written in 1st POV, we only can judge the situation through her eyes.

The ending was really good and I enjoyed how it wrapped up. With mysterious, I always feel like the endings are lackluster, but I actually liked how things were wrapped up.

This book is definitely good for middle and high schoolers. I think they would most enjoy trying to solve a mystery. It is a good read for anyone that wants a quick read between long series as well!

Trigger warnings: (view spoiler)[alleged sexual harassment, suicidal ideation (hide spoiler)]

This isn't going to be an in-depth review because, honestly, this book wasn't that in-depth. 

Little Creeping Things is very much a gateway YA thriller. The story is fine, the characters are fine. But nothing stood out or blew me away. It's the kind of book that is okay in the moment but I quickly forgot the details once I finished. 

I found both the characters and the plot pretty flat and one-dimensional. While I enjoyed the idea of the main character's backstory, it felt like just an idea. I was never fully engaged with what happened, even when the backstory and plot tie together for a/n (equally mild) plot twist. 

I was further disengaged with the story by some unnecessary school-yard bullying of a character pretty much unknown to the reader. It was pointlessly included and honestly pretty gross. 

Overall, if it's on your shelf and you haven't read a tonne of YA thrillers, by all means pick it up. But there are plenty of better recommendations in the YA thriller sphere, in my personal opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advanced copy of this book. This does not impact my opinions whatsoever.

Nadia Leontescu

This thriller was definitely super solid. The characters were well presented, and the mystery of it kept me going. I felt sucked into the case, and I was ready to find out who it was! I sort of predicted the outcome, but it took me some subtle hints that I had to deeper think about. I highly recommend it for those looking for something slightly creepy but super enticing.

Little Creeping Things

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