Review: The Fixer

Title: The Fixer
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Series: The Fixer
Volume: 1
Genre: Mystery, Action
Release Date:
Goodreads

A Quick Introduction: Tess Kendrick hasn't seen her sister Ivy in three years when Ivy renters her life in a big way. Tess goes from living on her grandfather's ranch, where she's grown up, to Washington D. C., where Ivy holds an unusual job- she makes the problems of the rich and powerful go away. When Tess gets a reputation around school for skills similar to Ivy's she soon finds herself up to her neck in a conspiracy involving the death of a member of the U. S. supreme court, and, as she digs deeper, uncovers startling secrets about her own family.

Out of Ten: 8/10

Review at a Glance: A quick, enjoyable introduction to a YA political mystery.

Review: It seems like every Jennifer Lynn Barnes book I read, I enjoy more than the last. I wasn't crazy about The Naturals, but I really enjoyed the sequel. And then this novel comes along and blows me away! Where Barnes's previous novels faltered for me, this one didn't miss a beat, and turned out to be a really fast, enjoyable read.

I'm really enjoying the cast of characters in this one. Tess is a great combination of strengths and flaws, both of which play a part in her journey, which has only just started in this book. She wants to manage things on her own, but she's rapidly being dragged out of her depth. We are introduced to a whole host of new characters, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of them in future books.

Something I really liked in this novel was the pacing. It manages to be quite a quickly paced read without giving up focusing on characters as they build relationships. There's just enough suspense to keep the story moving apace, and the interactions between the characters themselves have a quick flow to them. The suspense and political aspects add intrigue, and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where that plot goes.

The plot balances juggling the suspicious death of an important official, as well as hints about Tess's own family secrets, and the relationships that Tess builds with Ivy and a host of new acquaintances. I loved that we got more of a focus on Tess forming a group of friends- while there are hints of a romance to come later in the series, it was nice to spends a book getting a groundwork on all these characters that the readers- and Tess herself- are just meeting.

Overall, this was a strong start to a new series, and my favourite Jennifer Lynn Barnes release so far. I'm looking forward to seeing what's next in store for Tess and company.