It took me a long time to read this, but that is not the fault of this book. Some parts of this hit too close to home and it was, honestly, at times too much for me to think about. That being said, this was an incredible book. And once I really got going, it took about two days to read. 

Realistic and flawed characters who grew as the story went on. 
A plot that took its time in the best way possible. 
Depictions of enviable friendships.
Exploring relationships, love, family, loss, grief, therapy, and more.

Having never heard of Kenya Hunt before listening to this, I had no idea what to expect from this book. What I found was a collection of highly engaging, very well-written essays exploring many topics (motherhood, racism, police brutality, fashion, pop culture, music, and more). 

So, my kindergarten-aged son loves these. Which is why I continue to read them, despite the lack of character growth and my inability to suspend reality (these kids are repeatedly in seriously dangerous situations but somehow manage to survive every time; apparently everyone around the world and in all time periods spoke English; and Jack and Annie are possibly the best secret keepers of all time - I know my son would be telling me all about that treehouse).

Will I keep reading the series? Yes, but only as long as my son wants to find out what Jack and Annie are up to.

The action packed storyline made this the best in the series so far.

Another compelling detective story from S.A. Cosby. Gritty, graphic, well-plotted. This is Cosby's debut novel, which was rereleased after the success of Blacktop Wasteland and Razorblade Tears. 

What I liked about this book:

1. The subject matter. This is a story that needed to told. It needed to be brought to the public's attention. So much has resulted from these cells being taken.

2. The biographical sections about Henrietta Lacks and her family members.

What I think could have been better:

I understand why Skloot framed her book the way she did (basically covering her journey of learning about HeLa, researching and interviewing, writing the book, etc.), I think she included herself too much. I wanted more about Henrietta, her family, and, in some sections, a deeper dive into the science, medicine, and ethics. 

Okayyyyyy.....I have some thoughts. I was SO EXCITED to see that this was being published. That being said, I had some major issues with this one.

What I liked about this book

The Hand on the Wall is such a satisfying ending to the original Truly Devious trilogy. This book is full of action, wraps up multiple storylines, refers back to the original book in clever ways, and has a pretty solid ending. I am really glad that the author decided to continue the series, as Stevie is such a great character. 

This middle grades book explores family, friendship, growing up, justice, secrets, and more. For a middle grades book, I thought that it struck the right balance of serious topics and age appropriateness. The book was well-written, the main character was a delight, and the plot was believable. I do think that the ending (specifically the epilogue) wasn't as strong as the rest of the book. That being said, I will read the sequel once it comes out.

This was a solid debut novel. There were times it felt a bit overwritten, which added some unnecessary length, but overall an impressive story. Heartbreaking and intense, but realistic, with a very well-developed main character. The book explores race, sex work and sex trafficking, police corruption, poverty, family and parenting, survival, friendship, love, and more. Definitely not a feel good read.