Tag: YA Fiction

‘The Accident’: A Gripping Tale of Secrets, Lies, and a Small-Town Tragedy

‘The Accident’ is the new YA thriller by Lori Miller Kase. Photo: Barnes & Noble

Book Spotlight: The Accident by Lori Miller Kase

The Accident is a tense, emotionally charged YA novel that explores how one terrible moment can fracture families, friendships, and a teenager’s sense of right and wrong.

Overview

Hannah has a secret: She thinks she knows who’s behind the hit-and-run accident that killed a popular high school football player in her small Connecticut town. But could it really be her brother, Rob? Or worse, his best friend Zach, the first boy to show her any romantic attention? (Barnes & Noble, 2026)

As the police investigation unfolds and Hannah falls hard for Zach, she vows to protect them both. Consumed with guilt, she finds herself lying to her parents and her friends alike.

The Breaking Point

Tensions mount as Hannah discovers she and Rob aren’t the only ones in the family with a secret. As her friends turn against her and two different versions of the truth emerge, she is forced to decide where her loyalties lie: With her brother? Or with her boyfriend?

The Accident is a story about choices and consequences, secrets and lies, and what happens when you follow your heart instead of your conscience.

Review: A Deep Dive into Moral Complexity

Set in a small Connecticut town, Kase captures the claustrophobic pressure of secrets where everyone watches and rumors spread faster than facts. Hannah’s guilt feels palpable as she convinces herself that loyalty is the same as love.

What Makes This a Must-Read:

  • Vivid Imagery: The narrative is written in the first person with poetic language. Kase writes: “A bright yellow or red leaf clings stubbornly to a limb here and there, but most of the foliage now litters the grass and the walkways like giant pieces of confetti.”
  • Fast-Paced Plot: Short chapters keep the action flowing seamlessly, making it a “one-sitting” kind of read.
  • Relatable Themes: By exploring family, identity, and betrayal, the book avoids easy answers. It forces readers to sit with uncomfortable questions about self-deception and the cost of protecting the people we love.

The Bottom Line: The Accident is a suspenseful family drama and a sharp reminder that choices, once made, never come without consequences. Fans of YA coming-of-age fiction will find Hannah’s journey of self-reflection deeply relatable.

“I stand outside The Music Shoppe and stare after the boy and his babysitter long after they disappear from view. Then I walk home and cry. For the boy, for Tyler, for all their family has lost.”

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

About the Author

Lori Miller Kase is an award-winning journalist, short story writer, essayist, and young adult author. Her work has appeared in prestigious publications including The Atlantic, Vogue, Literary Mama, Brain, Child, and Discover.

With a background as a reporter-trainee at The New York Times and a health editor at Vogue, Lori has covered everything from neuroscience to clean beauty. However, as a lifelong lover of books, her true passion lies in writing for children and young adults.

*Thank you to Meryl Moss Media for the gifted copy for review consideration. I haven’t been compensated for this review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

New book release: ‘The Darkness Within’ by Crystal Oliver

‘The Darkness Within’ is the new young adult thriller by Crystal Oliver. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

In book news this week, there is a new young adult thriller out by Crystal Oliver. “The Darkness Within” is a thrilling tale of a young girl’s journey of self-discovery and supernatural powers. Will Emma be able to master her abilities and defeat the Darkness, or will she become its next victim? Get your copy today of this action-packed young adult thriller. It is on sale for the next few days for $2.99 at the Kindle Store. It is also available on Books2Read. (Crystal Oliver, 2023)

“The Darkness Within” – Sixteen-year-old Emma wakes up to a nightmare: blood in the living room, her mother missing, and a darkness lurking in the mist outside. As people are dying, Emma discovers that the government has created a terrifying creature that not only escaped from their facility but is on a killing spree. To make matters worse, the creature seems to have a strange connection to the girl. As Emma struggles to come to terms with her new reality, she must also master her growing psychic powers that seem to have come out of nowhere. With the help of Eric, a government soldier with his own special abilities, Emma learns to control her powers and take on the Darkness.

As the creature closes in on Emma, she realizes that it’s not just a mindless killer. It has a purpose, and Emma might be the only one who can stop it. As the final battle approaches, Emma must confront her fears and use all of her powers to save her town and herself.

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Book of the week: ‘Terra Nova: Book 1’ by MTG

‘Terra Nova: Book 1’ is the first book in the Terra Nova series by MTG. Photo: Amazon

MTG has worked in numerous positions, mainly in managerial and executive roles. These include the editor-in-chief of a cultural magazine, an executive director, and most recently, the manager of a non-profit organization that works with immigrants and refugees. She has extensive experience working and studying abroad, including Germany, Italy, Korea, Abu Dhabi, and Pakistan; these experiences taught her about many cultures and worldviews, which influenced her writing. “Terra Nova,” her first publication, is Book 1 of a series. The series’ concept emerged when she, like the protagonist, was diagnosed with the blood disorder paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), and her then-boyfriend (now husband) joked she was becoming a vampire. (MTG, 2022)

“Terra Nova” – Evangeline is living the life of a normal teenager until she starts getting mysterious, severe symptoms. After passing out in the middle of a party, life as she knows it spirals beyond her grasp. She is diagnosed with a rare, genetic blood disorder that causes her body’s white blood cells to kill the red ones. In the delirium of her deteriorating health, a door to a parallel world opens before her; however, once she steps through it, the portal closes, and she is unable to return to Earth.

Evangeline now finds herself in a place called Terra Nova, a world where vampires rule supreme and there are no traces of humanity left. Curious but afraid, she quickly learns that Terra Nova is not the shadow-side of Earth, but rather the tragic result of government experimentation. In order to survive, she must keep her mind open and accept the changes her body is undergoing; soon enough, those who she initially thinks are murderers become her trainers, whose help she must enlist if she ever hopes to return home—and soon enough, a romantic bond begins to bloom.

Back on Earth, Evangeline’s brother and friends are trying to figure out what happened to her, how the government is involved, and how to bring her home. Then there is the mysterious outcast Bambi, whose secrecy disguises her power in making a devastating choice: save one world at the risk of destroying the other.

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