Remember Me

July 15, 2014
Wicket Tate returns, her happily-ever-after ending from Find Me (2013) disintegrating into troubles with police detective Carson, boyfriend Griff, and new pal and fellow hacker Milo.She's got family troubles too: Her foster mother is sticking with her even though she exposed her foster father as a rapist and thug, but it's taking a toll. A little bit of private skullduggery at a political event turns complicated when the gruesomely murdered body of a girl is found, and Wick becomes involved. The layering of motivations and actions should provide intrigue and suspense, but it often ends up being confusing. With so many red-herring trails to follow, it's impossible to determine whether the many people attempting to control and direct Wick's actions are benevolent or just using her. This seems to be a middle muddle of a trilogy entry, as a third title is clearly indicated at the end. Wick is represented as an expert hacker, but most of her attempts to get information involve impersonation, theft, and breaking and entering rather than computer know-how. Despite the introduction of a second possible beau, even the romance turns tepid, though the body count continues to climb.Reserve this for dedicated fans of the first book. (Suspense. 12-16)

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July 1, 2014

Gr 8 Up-Wicket Tate is back to solving grotesque murders with her superlative hacking skills in this substantial sequel to Find Me (HarperCollins, 2013). Months after Wick's "miraculous" capture of Todd, her psychotic, pedophilic foster dad, Wick is trying to rebuild her bond with Bren and Lily. Ideally, Wick plans to finally break free of Detective Carson's blackmailing grip and live the poster-child life she presents to the outside world, but after attending a high-end party with Bren and coming face-to-face with a dead girl carved with the chilling words "Remember Me," Wicket is sinking deeper than ever. Readers watch dejectedly as Wick pushes her rock, handsome boyfriend and fellow-hacker Griff, farther and farther away as she becomes obsessed with self-sacrifice and saving her family. In addition to the murders, an anonymous stalker shares DVDs of Wick's mom at the most inopportune moments, calling her mom's suicide into question and spurring Wick to even more crime in her efforts to discover the truth. These plotlines pile together with a new love triangle sprung between Wick, Griff, and Milo, a super techie hacker who can't keep his eyes-and hands-to himself. Themes of corrupt law enforcement and dual identities keep readers fully engrossed and guessing that every new character is guilty. Bernard's heroine is a victim of circumstance who, through a series of good intentions and worse decisions, seems to become corrupt herself. The fast-paced thriller abruptly ends with Wick's carefully constructed tower of lies imploding, leaving readers restive for the sequel.-Jamie-Lee Schombs, Loyola School, New York City

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