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M. J. Beaufrand

Autor von The Rise and Fall of the Gallivanters

2 Werke 75 Mitglieder 4 Rezensionen

Werke von M. J. Beaufrand

Useless Bay (2016) 34 Exemplare

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USELESS BAY by M.J. Beaufrand is a heart-pounding thriller with elements of magical realism.

The Gray quintuplets along with their adopted dog are known for their search-and-rescue skills. However the disappearance of a young boy and the discovery of his dead stepmother become a mystery that’s difficult for even the Gray siblings to solve.

Librarians will find that fans of mystery and detective novels will devour this exciting story set on Whidbey Island in Washington state. The magical realism and touch of romance will broaden its appeal. The short sentences and fast-paced approach make it an effective choice for reluctant readers.

Published by Amulet, a division of Harry N. Abrams on October 18, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.
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eduscapes | 2 weitere Rezensionen | Oct 15, 2017 |
The Gray quintuplets have lived their whole lives on Whidbey Island, Washington. It seems like they are more a part of the island’s ether than merely its inhabitants. The four boys and one girl, named after Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack (Peter, Frank, Lawford, Sammy and Marilyn, aka Pixie), are an integral part of the community, performing search and rescue operations and owning the bloodhound with the best nose in the state.

Bazillionaire Rupert Shepherd’s family are weekend and summer residents, owning the adjacent land that separates the Grays from the sea. Ten year old Grant Shepherd is a constant Gray visitor, especially on Sunday nights, hiding to delay his trip back to the mainland. So when Grant is missing one Sunday evening, Rupert immediately suspects the Grays of having a hand in it. However, this is the one time Grant is not there. While no one knows where he is, Pixie was the last Gray to be with him, earlier that morning, stating he was afraid of something.

Useless Bay combines the perfect proportions of mystery and mysticism in this absorbing missing person story. While searching for Grant, Pixie communes with the long deceased Joseph Whidbey, skipper of the HMS Discovery, who in 1792 discovered the island bearing his name. There is an ample amount of search and rescue hampered by wind and driving rain, mystery as bodies are discovered, a touch of romance and a good dose of danger. Astute readers will figure out ‘who done it’ about two thirds of the way through the book, but that doesn’t dampen (yes, pun intended) the reading pleasure. Useless Bay is a perfect read for middle and high schoolers when the wind is howling outside and the rain is pounding against the windows. This is one of the few teen mysteries I really liked.
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EdGoldberg | 2 weitere Rezensionen | Oct 31, 2016 |
As someone who was a teen in Portland in the 80s, I really wanted to love this book. I wanted it to capture the feel of the scene that I skirted the edges of. Instead, it offered a sanitized version of Portland's punk culture. As young suburbanites, it's possible the kids would have been unaware of some of the seedier aspects of the scene, but for there to be no reference to drug use other than a little pot seems beyond naive. There was no violence, except at school. There was also the weird mega-microbrewery at a time when the Portland microbrew culture was just coming into being (the McMenamins started brewing in 1983 and the Widmer Brothers opened their brewery in 1984). Even the single mention of Satyricon--the Pine Street, Starry Night, and 13th Precinct never even got that much--had the patrons swilling microbrews. Which, no. And, yeah, I know it's fiction and it's not meant to accurately reflect reality, but this was so far from the reality of the scene it wanted to evoke that it was somewhere between sad and laughable.

BUT...

I liked the story. I liked the characters. The writing was snappy. Had it been set in another place and time--one I wasn't as familiar with--I would have enjoyed this book immensely.
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BillieBook | Mar 1, 2016 |
Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
 
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fernandie | 2 weitere Rezensionen | Sep 15, 2022 |

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Werke
2
Mitglieder
75
Beliebtheit
#235,804
Bewertung
½ 3.3
Rezensionen
4
ISBNs
9

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