Book Review: The Fair Weather Friend by Jessie Garcia

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The Fair Weather Friend  by Jessie Garcia  opens with Faith Richards, a popular meteorologist in Detroit, never returning back to the news station after her dinner break. The next day, her news station releases a story that she's been found, strangled to death not far from the station. The Fair Weather Friend , as Richards is referred to by adoring fans, had some deep, dark secrets. As those skeletons come to light, other peoples' lives start to unravel, and things are not what they seem. I'd like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for approving my request for an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Jessie Garcia's The Fair Weather Friend . A digital copy was provided to me for free in exchange for my honest review. All opinions of the novel are my own. There were many things I absolutely enjoyed about Jessie Garcia's sophomore novel including multiple point of views, the character development, and numerous red herrings. Overall, the story being told from a var...
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Book Review: Music From The Dead by Bebe Faas Rice

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YA Horror Book Review of Music From The Dead by Bebe Faas Rice
Music From The Dead by Bebe Faas Rice is a young adult horror novel that was originally published in April 1997. The story follows Marnie and her cousin Peter as they drive to Stonycraig, a sprawling mansion that Marnie’s father has rented for the summer. Arriving ahead of her father, the cousins begin settling into the grand, mysterious home. Marnie is immediately uneasy when she thinks she sees a shadow in one of the windows, and her unease grows when she starts hearing a woman crying late at night. Are the ghost stories surrounding Stonycraig true, or is there another explanation for the strange occurrences in the mansion?

I first read this book as a teenager and remember being captivated by both the story and the writing. Recently, I decided to revisit Music From The Dead as an adult to see if it lived up to my memories, and I was thrilled to discover that it exceeded them. The book remains exceptionally well-written and completely unputdownable.

Even though certain plot points came back to me as I reread, the story retained its eerie, suspenseful atmosphere. It has the perfect balance of chilling moments and subtle tension, with just a touch of romance that is entirely appropriate for tweens and teens. The only minor drawback is the author occasionally introduces a word and immediately provides its definition, a choice that I found slightly distracting both as a teen and now.

Overall, I give Music From The Dead by Bebe Faas Rice a full five out of five stars. It’s a fantastic read for children eleven and up who enjoy horror stories, ghostly mysteries, and suspenseful adventures. This book is a hidden gem in young adult horror and remains just as compelling decades after its original publication.

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