Review: The Virgin Suicides

 

Title: The Virgin Suicides

Author: Jeffrey Eugenides

Reviewer: AJ Townsend

Rating: 3.5 stars


The Virgin Suicides was full of secrets and dark turns. Through the perspective of an unnamed teenage boy, we follow the five Lisbon girls and their fatal sadness. From afar, these girls seem beautiful, intelligent, and normal. But pretty faces always have something to hide. The youngest girl, Cecilia, is the first to end her life. Throughout a year, all the girls will follow. The neighborhood boys devote their lives to finding out what happened in their home and what made them end their lives.


It takes a lot for an author to write the entire summary of the book on the back cover and still surprise readers. When I picked this book out, I knew that this was about suicide and after reading the back cover, I felt I knew everything that would happen. Some part of me still wanted to read it and I am glad I did. Jeffrey Eugenides really encompasses what it means to be a teenage girl. The author goes into extreme detail about everything and that can be a little boring to read at times. Once you get past the descriptions, it is a riveting read.

Review: All Your Twisted Secrets

Title: All Your Twisted Secrets

Author: Diana Urban

Teen Reviewer: AJ Townsend

Rating: 5/5 Stars


All Your Twisted Secrets starts off with six seniors getting invited to a scholarship dinner. A loner, a stoner, a jock, a queen bee, a band geek and a valedictorian. When they all sit down to wait for the host, the door shuts and they are locked in. Locked in with a ticking bomb, a syringe filled with poison, and a note stating they must kill someone with the syringe or they will all die. These six students will fight for their lives. They start to think about who could have put them there and everyone they have wronged. As it starts to count down to single digits, they throw each other under the bus to try to save themselves. 


All Your Twisted Secrets is chock full of plot twists and wowing details. Through this book, I never knew who put them there and that was one of the best parts of this read. I loved how there were lots of flashbacks which really helped with character development. You really get to connect with the characters and understand the level of hysteria they are experiencing. I love a good thriller and this definitely made my top five list. This was a thrilling read from start to finish and I highly recommend it especially if you liked Karen McManus’ One of us is lying. A thrilling read down to the last word.