Overturned by Lamar Giles - ADVISABLE

Giles, Lamar. Overturned, 341 pgs. Scholastic Press (Scholastic Inc.), 2018. Language – PG (20 swears, 0 “f”), Mature Content – PG; Violence – PG.

Nikki Tate’s life changed when her father, Nathan Tate, was thrown into jail for murder five years ago, and she can no longer be that girl from before. However, when Nathan is proven innocent and released from death row, Nikki somehow expected him to be the same man he was before being an inmate. As Nikki digs to figure out why her father is acting so weird, she is led to further investigate both the murder that Nathan was framed for and what the murderer is doing now that her father has been released.

While the beginning was not the hook that Giles probably intended, I pushed through the first 20 pages and found a story that captured my attention and pushed me to the edge of my seat. When Nikki was angry, I was angry. When Nikki was sad, I was sad. When Nikki was ecstatic about finding a piece of the puzzle, I was ecstatic about her finding a piece of the puzzle. I was right with her the entire time and didn’t want to be anywhere else. Nikki’s story has all the intrigue of a good mystery and all the action of a good heist story—this heist being about information rather than money.

HS – ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen