And Then Everything Unraveled, by Jennifer Sturman

I feel like I've been complaining about this a lot recently, but seriously, authors: if your book is a series installment, you need to make that clear from the start. I really liked Jennifer Sturman's debut YA novel And Then Everything Unraveled, but I was not best pleased to discover that it was only half of a story.

When sixteen-year-old Delia Truesdale's tech-genius mother disappears on a research trip to Antarctica, Delia is the only person who believes she might still be alive. Obeying the instructions in her mother's will, Delia is shipped off to New York City, where her two aunts become her guardians: she moves in with her loving, free-spirited Aunt Charley, while her chilly, detail-oriented Aunt Patience organizes her education. Delia's life has spun completely off its axis, but nothing—not even the super-cute and obviously-interested boy at her ritzy new prep school—will distract her from finding her mother.

It's always nice to read a YA book that doesn't involve the heroine making an ass of herself, and Sturman's Delia is consistently smart, likeable, and self-possessed (outwardly, anyway). Sure, she finds herself in a some pretty far-fetched situations, but I'm willing to swallow any number of ridiculous plot twists when they're accompanied by a resourceful heroine, a charming romantic storyline, and an intriguing mystery. Of course, And Then Everything Unraveled lost several entertainment points once I discovered that I would need to shell out $17 if I wanted to find out what happens with the above-mentioned heroine, romance, and mystery, but it's still a quick and engaging read.

Review based on a publisher-provided copy.