Endangered by Lamar Giles
Review by Lizzie Meade
Genre: mystery, thriller
Rating: 4/4 stars
Lauren, known as “Panda” to her friends and “Gray” on her photography blog, is in big trouble. She’s finally been discovered taking pictures of her mean classmates in embarrassing situations, and if she doesn’t do what her blackmailer wants, she will be exposed–or worse. As Lauren reads through cryptic emails, a girl she knows dies, and her best friends are threatened, she realizes that she must find her stalker before it’s too late.
If you like mysteries, relatable heroines, blogs, and rooftops, this book may be your next great read. The suspense is compelling right up to the last page, with a lot of twists and thrilling reveals along the way, but Lauren has a voice that is both refreshingly realistic and readable. Lauren is your average quiet, fairly studious character who is often overlooked at her school, but rather than trying to impress the popular kids or start her own band of outcasts like in many teen movies and books, she is fairly okay with not being popular and knows from the start that popularity isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I could relate to her struggles with balancing school, friends, and blogging, as many teenagers do. Any lover of cities and/or photography will also be interested in her journeys through climbing buildings (yes, climbing buildings), finding the right vantage points, and getting good angles. I recommend this book to any mystery fan looking for a story that aims high, delivers, and still remains somewhat down to Earth. If you like this book, you may also be interested in Giles’ other popular thriller, Fake ID, with a compelling male protagonist and an equally addictive story.