Tuesday, July 7, 2015

The Fixer ~ Jennifer Lynn Barnes (earc) review [@jenlynnbarnes @bloomsburykids]

The Fixer (The Fixer #1)
Bloomsbury Children's
July 7, 2015
384 pages
add to Goodreads/buy from Book Depository/or Amazon

This thriller YA is Scandal meets Veronica Mars.

Sixteen-year-old Tess Kendrick has spent her entire life on her grandfather's ranch. But when her estranged sister Ivy uproots her to D.C., Tess is thrown into a world that revolves around politics and power. She also starts at Hardwicke Academy, the D.C. school for the children of the rich and powerful, where she unwittingly becomes a fixer for the high school set, fixing teens’ problems the way her sister fixes their parents’ problems.

And when a conspiracy surfaces that involves the family member of one of Tess's classmates, love triangles and unbelievable family secrets come to light and life gets even more interesting—and complicated—for Tess.

Perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars and Heist Society, readers will be clamoring for this compelling teen drama with a political twist.

The Scandal meets Veronica Mars description of The Fixer is incredibly apt.

I have loved the other titles I have read by this author, with Taken by Storm (Raised by Wolves #3) probably my favorite - until now, maybe. I love her characters, their wit and intelligence and their loyalty to each other. I adore The Fixer's characters. Tess is strong, smart, doesn't abide by bullies, loves her grandfather, has a complicated relationship with Ivy and refuses to give up. The characters taht become part of her life at Hardiwcke - and outside of it, as well - have intriguing lives and personalities, aspects of both which may cuase Tess trouble.

In some ways the boys she befriends reminded me of Devon from the Raised by Wolves series and his and Bryn's friendship. Less because they have the same personalities (though that humor is definitely present) but because of their interactions .(Particularly, perhaps, when a the headmaster's office and mentions of sexism were involved.) I loved it.

There are some truly great relationships and dynamics at play in The Fixer. There are the different family relationships (siblings, parent/child) that we see (more than one example of each), some more balanced and healthy than others but all very real, complex and complicated. Mixed in with those are the power struggles and the political and power hierarchies.

When the really well done characters, their relationships with each other and others and the political and power dynamics are all mixed together, you get one fantastic story.

I certainly don't want to be in the kind of trouble or danger Tess finds herself in and some of her decisions (while perfectly befitting the story) made me anxious, I really cannot wait to read more about her. I am all but counting the days until I can next join Tess, Ivy, Bodie, Vivvie and the others in the world of The Fixer.










digital copy received for review, from publisher, via NetGalley

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