Solve the Case • The Fixer

The truth is, were it not for my friends and their positively glowing reviews, I would likely not have picked up a copy of The Fixer. That would have been a tragedy, as this was a great YA mystery novel! It's the story of a girl named Tess Kendrick, who is uprooted from her life at her grandfather's ranch by her estranged sister Ivy and thrust into a life of politics and power in Washington D.C. It is at her prestigious new school where she learns about her sister's real job - a fixer who makes problems disappear - and where, with every new acquaintance made and information learned, Tess finds herself embroiled in a complicated and dangerous situation of her own.

The initial fourth of The Fixer acts as a set-up section that introduces the reader to the setting and the main players, and it was the part of the novel I found the weakest. It felt really roughly drafted, and it had me a little worried that I wouldn't get into the story. However, when the reader starts being made privy to details and thrown for a loop by them, things start to change. I found myself eagerly turning the pages of the (surprisingly brief) chapters, wondering what in the world Tess would learn next and what she was going to do about it. While fairly simple in set-up, I was pretty satisfied by the way that Barnes wrote the main plot of this tale - and intrigued by how things are left by the end of the book.

All in all, I'd say that The Fixer was a fun read. I flew through it really quick once the plot picked up, and I want to learn more about the characters too. And after that ending, I know I'm going to have to read its sequel. If you're in the market for an enjoyable and exciting YA mystery adventure, with hints of Scandal and Veronica Mars, then The Fixer might just be the book for you to add to your TBR!

The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes | Series: The Fixer #1

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books | Publication Date: July 7, 2015

Source: Owned | Buy It: Book Depository | Amazon | IndieBound

This was my second read for The Picky Pledge Reading Challenge we came up with for 2017! I'm really excited to cross an item off my TBR for this challenge. Apart from reading one book every month, Hannah & I also decided we would answer a set of questions to post with our reviews.

1) How long has this book been on your TBR? It’s officially been on my physical TBR since November 2016, when I acquired it. But I'm fairly certain I learned about it and added it onto the virtual TBR pile because of Rachel's review and general yelling from friends on the internet. 

2) Who recommended the book to you? I first learned about it from Rachel, who also was the one who told me I should read it when I asked her about it. However, a lot of people have mentioned this one online before too! 

3) Do you know (or have a guess) why they recommended the book for you? I'm fairly confident in believing that Rachel & I have very similar tastes in books, so she recommended this one to me because she herself enjoyed it.