SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About TLT
  • Reviews
    • Book Reviews
    • A to Z Book Lists
    • Book Review Policy
  • Teen Issues
  • Middle Grade Mondays
  • Programs
    • TPiB
    • Tech Talk
  • Professional
    • Teen Services 101
    • Things We Didn’t Learn in Library School
  • MakerSpace
  • Projects
    • #SVYALit
    • #FSYALit
    • #MHYALit
    • #Poverty in YA Lit

January 7, 2015 by Karen Jensen, MLS

Book Review: Suspicion by Alexandra Monir

January 7, 2015 by Karen Jensen, MLS   Leave a Comment

Publisher’s Description: “A modern-day twist on the classic thriller, Rebecca, with a dash of the supernatural, a powerful romance, and a deadly family mystery.

“There’s something hidden in the maze.”

Seventeen-year-old Imogen Rockford has never forgotten the last words her father said to her, before the blazing fire that consumed him, her mother, and the gardens of her family’s English country manor.

For seven years, images of her parents’ death have haunted Imogen’s dreams. In an effort to escape the past, she leaves Rockford Manor and moves to New York City with her new guardians. But some attachments prove impossible to shake—including her love for her handsome neighbor Sebastian Stanhope.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Then a life-altering letter arrives that forces Imogen to return to the manor in England, where she quickly learns that dark secrets lurk behind Rockford’s aristocratic exterior. At their center is Imogen herself—and Sebastian, the boy she never stopped loving.

Combining spine-tingling mystery, romance, and unforgettable characters, Suspicion is an action-packed thrill ride.”

Suspicion combines the paranormal with a gothic feel and a bit of a mystery to create an entertaining read. As a long time fan of The Secret Garden and just the idea of mazes and labyrinth’s in general, I was immediately interested in this title.

When Imogen returns to the English manor, the story really picks up with all the tradition things that go bump in the night, subtle clues, and those household staff that just put you on edge. For a while you aren’t sure who is the whodunnit, and as the pieces begin to fall into places I was satisfied. I did think there was a twist element that required a huge suspension of disbelief, and I do mean HUGE. It will be interesting to see whether or not teen readers will be satisfied by the ending or find themselves with the same sense of “huh” that I found. But the truth is, in terms of paranormal mysteries, this is pretty decent and I can see it circulating.

Imogen as a character is interesting; she struggle with her loss and I was actually quite surprised when she made the decision to go back to run the manor in large part out of a sense of duty that I don’t think she would necessarily have had having been removed from that life for so long. I actually really like the main character and her support network in New York. And I liked that she recognized her privilege and felt compassion for others who did not have that same privilege.

For me, the most interesting part was the idea of the maze and the mystery component. It would have been just as effective for me without the paranormal element, but the paranormal element is there and it doesn’t detract from the story. It gives the character some interesting challenges to navigate and add some back story to the mystery.

The love story part is kind of a hot mess, but no more so than anything else out there at the moment and it too is part of the twists and turns necessary to help make the basic plot all come together in the end.

This is definitely a midlist title with readability but some flaws, so if you have the space and the money I would recommend it.

Published December 2014 by Delacorte

Filed under: Book Reviews

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Karen Jensen, MLS

Karen Jensen has been a Teen Services Librarian for almost 30 years. She created TLT in 2011 and is the co-editor of The Whole Library Handbook: Teen Services with Heather Booth (ALA Editions, 2014).

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

June 2023

Book Review: Code Red by Joy McCullough

by Karen Jensen, MLS

May 2023

Book Review: Pardalita by Joana Estrela, Lyn Miller-Lachmann (Translator)

by Karen Jensen, MLS

May 2023

Book Review: Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang

by Karen Jensen, MLS

May 2023

Book Review: Finally Seen by Kelly Yang

by Karen Jensen, MLS

May 2023

Book Review: I Have Something to Tell You--For Young Adults: A Memoir by Chasten Buttigieg

by Karen Jensen, MLS

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Watch The Yarn LIVE with Kate DiCamillo at ALA!

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Review of the Day: Papá’s Magical Water-Jug Clock by Jesús Trejo, ill. Eliza Kinkz

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Teen Titans | Series Review

by Esther Keller

Heavy Medal

More Mock-Newbery Titles Needed: Share June Suggestions Now

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Why Sad Books are Vital in Kidlit, a guest post by Cassandra Newbould

by Amanda MacGregor

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

Trying Something New: SPEED ROUND w/ Marla Frazee, Doug Salati, Dan Santat, and Amina Luqman-Dawson

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

10 Manga Titles for Teens Who Watch Anime

17 Immersive Graphic Novels for Teens | Summer Reading 2021

More Than Voting: 6 Election-Themed YA Novels Tackle Relationships and Political Engagement

Seven Not-to-Miss 2022 YA Books with Latinx Protagonists

2020 All-Star Read-Alikes: Three Teen Rom-Coms for Fans of 'Never Have I Ever' on Netflix

Commenting for all posts is disabled after 30 days.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

Follow This Blog

Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

Primary Sidebar

  • News & Features
  • Reviews+
  • Technology
  • School Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Age Level
  • Ideas
  • Blogs
  • Classroom
  • Diversity
  • People
  • Job Zone

Reviews+

  • Book Lists
  • Best Books
  • Media
  • Reference
  • Series Made Simple
  • Tech
  • Review for SLJ
  • Review Submissions

SLJ Blog Network

  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal
  • Neverending Search
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn

Resources

  • 2022 Youth Media Awards
  • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
  • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
  • Summer Reading 2021
  • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
  • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
  • Summer Programming Survey
  • Research
  • White Papers / Case Studies
  • School Librarian of the Year
  • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
  • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

Events & PD

  • In-Person Events
  • Online Courses
  • Virtual Events
  • Webcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Media Inquiries
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Content Submissions
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Sale
  • FAQs
  • Diversity Policy
  • Careers at MSI


COPYRIGHT © 2023


COPYRIGHT © 2023