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Jex Malone
A famous case. A missing girl. If they find her, will they be heroes? Or dead?
Bored out of her mind during a summer with her police detective father in Las Vegas, Jessica (aka "Jex") Malone starts doing what she does best--snooping. When she meets three new friends who share her passion for crime, from the geek to the fashionista, suddenly, the stifling desert days don't seem so long.
Her dad is never around, just like when her parents were married. But Jex's crew, the Drew-Ids, take the pledge of eternal secrecy and then get down to the good stuff--digging through the cold-case files in Dad's home office.
One of them, the thirteen-year-old case of Patty Matthews, is still a mystery. Finding Patty, who vanished into thin air, became such an obsession for Jex's father that it destroyed the Malones' marriage. So not only is this a big deal, it's personal.
Jex is determined to find out what really happened, and her excitement is contagious. Soon her friends are all on board and so is the missing girl's brother, the hunky Cooper Matthews.
But as they dig up more and more troubling information--more than the cops ever did--they also get the clear message that someone out there wants to prevent the truth from coming out. That somebody is also prepared to do anything, absolutely anything, to prevent it.
Jex isn't afraid; after all, she's a cop's daughter. But maybe she should be.
Laced with humor, toughness, and real CSI investigation techniques, Jex Malone could be the Nancy Drew for a new generation--but with a chilling twist. These wannabe detectives are on the brink of finding out the fate of poor missing Patty. But will they disappear without a trace, too?
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 15, 2014
5 people are currently reading
795 people want to read
About the author
C.L. Gaber
10 books219 followersI’m C.L. Gaber, an author and film journalist for the New York Times Syndicate and Chicago Sun Times. I also co-authored Jex Malone series. Originally from Chicago, I make my home in Nevada with my husband, bonus daughter and two unruly dogs.
My husband knows that Ascenders began with me in bathroom half the night writing on tiny notepads because I didn’t want to wake him. When daylight did roll around, I told him, ”Baby, I had the most incredible dream”.
My husband knows that Ascenders began with me in bathroom half the night writing on tiny notepads because I didn’t want to wake him. When daylight did roll around, I told him, ”Baby, I had the most incredible dream”.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
August 18, 2014
Initial Thoughts: This is a nice, light young adult read. It's geared towards fans of Nancy Drew and other female detectives and there is an unsolved murder mystery that Jex and her friends want to solve. It's an easy read and I enjoyed the quotes from famous TV/movie/book female detectives. I think that this will appeal to younger readers. If you suspend belief, you'll enjoy it more.
The Review:
Jex Malone was a fun little read and it brought back memories of reading Nancy Drew books late into the night. Jex (Jessica) fancies herself to be a sleuth along the lines of Nancy Drew and she even has her very own Drew-ids Code of Honor:
When Jex visits her father in Las Vegas, she makes friends with some girls in the neighborhood and together the girls set off to investigate a cold case.
I enjoyed this book. The friendship aspect was nice, although a little too quick and easy. I loved the clever quotes from famous female sleuths at the beginning of each chapter. Jex’s inner dialogue was amusing, if not a little dramatic.
I was a little disappointed in Jex’s father. For a parent who fought long and hard for a court ordered visitation, he was strangely absent for most of the book. You’d think that he would book some vacation time to spend with his daughter. Also, come on, what type of police detective makes his computer password so easy for his daughter to figure out?
Jex Malone was a light, quick read. Young adult readers will enjoy this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and F+W Media/Adams Merit Press for a review copy of this book.
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews. Check it out!
The Review:
Jex Malone was a fun little read and it brought back memories of reading Nancy Drew books late into the night. Jex (Jessica) fancies herself to be a sleuth along the lines of Nancy Drew and she even has her very own Drew-ids Code of Honor:
"A member of the Drewids is a girl who has a detective gene busting to come out.:
When Jex visits her father in Las Vegas, she makes friends with some girls in the neighborhood and together the girls set off to investigate a cold case.
I enjoyed this book. The friendship aspect was nice, although a little too quick and easy. I loved the clever quotes from famous female sleuths at the beginning of each chapter. Jex’s inner dialogue was amusing, if not a little dramatic.
I was a little disappointed in Jex’s father. For a parent who fought long and hard for a court ordered visitation, he was strangely absent for most of the book. You’d think that he would book some vacation time to spend with his daughter. Also, come on, what type of police detective makes his computer password so easy for his daughter to figure out?
Jex Malone was a light, quick read. Young adult readers will enjoy this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and F+W Media/Adams Merit Press for a review copy of this book.
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews. Check it out!
March 8, 2020
Solid Nancy Drew style mystery in which the young sleuth makes a dozen terrifying decisions that put their life in peril but manage to not only make it out alive but also solve the mystery.
March 16, 2014
My copy was provided by Netgalley.
Jex has lived the life of the child of divorced parents for ten years. After her mother divorced her father, Jex has lived with her mother for ten years, hardly making any contact with her real father. Yet he's making her spend the summer with him after a judge declares that Jex has to visit her father after Jex's mother ignored several warnings that Jex's father had visitation rights. So now Jex has to spend the whole summer with her father, but she does find ways to amuse herself.
Her father is a top detective, but he has a personal cold case that hasn't come close to being solved. Jex, along with her new friends, are determined to solve the case, no matter what. Yet the killer is still out there and he/she wants to stop Jex from getting too close.
I really liked how this book didn't just deal with the mystery of the cold case. Jex also had to deal with her father and her confused feelings about him. Like, how can he be a father to her when she doesn't even know him. She also has to deal with her new friends and decide if these are friends who she'll keep forever or if they're just interested in Jex because of her father.
I also liked how Jex wasn't alone. She wasn't considered crazy for wanting to solve the murder and she had friends who wanted to help. Instead of hunting after a killer alone, her friends stayed with her, even at the risk that they might disappear like Patty did. Her friends weren't background characters that didn't have any personalities.
These friends had problems of their own and I liked how the author included these issues in developing their personalities. All the girls related to Jex like how they're interested in solving the case just as much as Jex is.
The plot was fast-paced and exciting. I never got bored and it was a real page turner. I couldn't wait to read the ending and figure out the mystery. Like a good mystery book, this one kept me guessing the whole time and I when the truth was revealed, I was completely wrong! And that's a good thing!
The only thing I didn't like was how Jex appeared to be self-centered at times. I know all teens are self-centered, basically all the time, but it made me dislike her at times. She just sometimes seemed more worried about herself than others when it should've been the other way around.
This was a very intriguing book and I can't wait to read the next book about Jex and I really want to know how her relationship with Cooper progresses.
Jex has lived the life of the child of divorced parents for ten years. After her mother divorced her father, Jex has lived with her mother for ten years, hardly making any contact with her real father. Yet he's making her spend the summer with him after a judge declares that Jex has to visit her father after Jex's mother ignored several warnings that Jex's father had visitation rights. So now Jex has to spend the whole summer with her father, but she does find ways to amuse herself.
Her father is a top detective, but he has a personal cold case that hasn't come close to being solved. Jex, along with her new friends, are determined to solve the case, no matter what. Yet the killer is still out there and he/she wants to stop Jex from getting too close.
I really liked how this book didn't just deal with the mystery of the cold case. Jex also had to deal with her father and her confused feelings about him. Like, how can he be a father to her when she doesn't even know him. She also has to deal with her new friends and decide if these are friends who she'll keep forever or if they're just interested in Jex because of her father.
I also liked how Jex wasn't alone. She wasn't considered crazy for wanting to solve the murder and she had friends who wanted to help. Instead of hunting after a killer alone, her friends stayed with her, even at the risk that they might disappear like Patty did. Her friends weren't background characters that didn't have any personalities.
These friends had problems of their own and I liked how the author included these issues in developing their personalities. All the girls related to Jex like how they're interested in solving the case just as much as Jex is.
The plot was fast-paced and exciting. I never got bored and it was a real page turner. I couldn't wait to read the ending and figure out the mystery. Like a good mystery book, this one kept me guessing the whole time and I when the truth was revealed, I was completely wrong! And that's a good thing!
The only thing I didn't like was how Jex appeared to be self-centered at times. I know all teens are self-centered, basically all the time, but it made me dislike her at times. She just sometimes seemed more worried about herself than others when it should've been the other way around.
This was a very intriguing book and I can't wait to read the next book about Jex and I really want to know how her relationship with Cooper progresses.
September 11, 2016
I received Jex Malone from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I requested Jex Malone because the description (which I had to cut for length above) says that Jex “could be the Nancy Drew for a new generation.” I love Nancy Drew, so I was all over this book.
Jex, however, is the poor man’s Nancy Drew. Jex’s real name is Jessica but I guess Jessica Malone isn’t a catchy title. The above description is a lot more exciting than the book. Nancy would have been appalled at Jex and her friends’ tactics, from breaking into someone’s home (!) to jumping to conclusions and taking matters into their own hands. Okay, maybe not — Nancy wasn’t above a little trespassing herself — but she would have at least feigned being appalled.
Another reason for requesting Jex Malone was my interest in mission persons cases. I even lurk on a message board where people “sleuth” these types of cases. I mostly roll my eyes at their attempts to solve the cases and at their finger-pointing, but I find the threads and the discussions interesting, at least until they get repetitive as new posters show up and ask the same questions that have been answered twice three pages earlier.
It’s so sad how many people go missing. Most of them are found pretty quickly: teenage runaways, adults who want some space, people who just aren’t where they said they would be but return home on their own — and those who are not found alive. The ones that haunt you are the ones who are missing for some time before they’re found, and the ones who are never found. One of the cold cases that I most want solved is that of Amy Billing, a teenager from Florida who disappeared in 1974. Forty years. Her parents have grown old and died, not ever knowing for sure what happened to their daughter.
So I understand the curiosity that led Jex and her friends to decide to look into the disappearance for Patty Matthews. Patty was a local girl, having lived in — and disappeared from — their very neighborhood. She disappeared when they were about four, and Jex’s father’s obsession with the case led to his divorce from Jex’s mom. It’s natural that Jex would be interested for that reason. I’m just not sure how, even after I’ve read the book, they managed to get from the starting point to solving the case. Most of their sleuthing seemed to be a lot of floundering around, and walking right into clues. I do give Jex credit for finding a huge clue: Patty’s diary. The diary entries are the best part of the book, as Patty is infinitely more interesting than Jex or any of her friends. I really did want to find out what happened to her.
The book isn’t very well-written, which surprised me given that the authors are both long-time journalists. There’s a little too much going on: the investigation, Jex and her father trying to get to know each other after ten years apart, the pushy reporter with an agenda who follows Jex around, Jex dealing with her father’s new girlfriend who just so happens to be Patty’s former teacher, Jex meeting her new friends, and Jex’s possible first boyfriend. It’s a little overwhelming and so many storylines and angles leave the book feeling disjointed. The reporter and Jex’s father’s girlfriend could have been left out without much change to the story, and it would have left more time to devote to the relationship between Jex and her dad. It’s a big deal that she’s spending the summer with him, but in the end, the storyline doesn’t get the attention it deserves.
Jex’s friends — Deva, Nat, and Cissy — aren’t well-developed at all. The only thing I can tell you about them is that Nat wears a sweatshirt/hoodie in the Las Vegas heat, Deva has an American Express Black card and Cissy lives next door to Jex’s father. The three of them were friends pre-Jex, but I didn’t get the feeling that they really liked each other. They just seemed to be three girls of a similar age who hung out. Better character development in the first place probably would help with this.
The book isn’t bad. Like I said, the mystery interested me a lot. The book just doesn’t seem finished, but it’s possible that the problems I had with it have been worked out for the final, published version. There’s nothing special or unique about Jex as a character. She and her friends call their detective group the Drew-Ids after Nancy (and pronounced like druids), but Jex won’t truly rise to Nancy Drew’s level until she gets chloroformed a time or two. And probably not even then.
I requested Jex Malone because the description (which I had to cut for length above) says that Jex “could be the Nancy Drew for a new generation.” I love Nancy Drew, so I was all over this book.
Jex, however, is the poor man’s Nancy Drew. Jex’s real name is Jessica but I guess Jessica Malone isn’t a catchy title. The above description is a lot more exciting than the book. Nancy would have been appalled at Jex and her friends’ tactics, from breaking into someone’s home (!) to jumping to conclusions and taking matters into their own hands. Okay, maybe not — Nancy wasn’t above a little trespassing herself — but she would have at least feigned being appalled.
Another reason for requesting Jex Malone was my interest in mission persons cases. I even lurk on a message board where people “sleuth” these types of cases. I mostly roll my eyes at their attempts to solve the cases and at their finger-pointing, but I find the threads and the discussions interesting, at least until they get repetitive as new posters show up and ask the same questions that have been answered twice three pages earlier.
It’s so sad how many people go missing. Most of them are found pretty quickly: teenage runaways, adults who want some space, people who just aren’t where they said they would be but return home on their own — and those who are not found alive. The ones that haunt you are the ones who are missing for some time before they’re found, and the ones who are never found. One of the cold cases that I most want solved is that of Amy Billing, a teenager from Florida who disappeared in 1974. Forty years. Her parents have grown old and died, not ever knowing for sure what happened to their daughter.
So I understand the curiosity that led Jex and her friends to decide to look into the disappearance for Patty Matthews. Patty was a local girl, having lived in — and disappeared from — their very neighborhood. She disappeared when they were about four, and Jex’s father’s obsession with the case led to his divorce from Jex’s mom. It’s natural that Jex would be interested for that reason. I’m just not sure how, even after I’ve read the book, they managed to get from the starting point to solving the case. Most of their sleuthing seemed to be a lot of floundering around, and walking right into clues. I do give Jex credit for finding a huge clue: Patty’s diary. The diary entries are the best part of the book, as Patty is infinitely more interesting than Jex or any of her friends. I really did want to find out what happened to her.
The book isn’t very well-written, which surprised me given that the authors are both long-time journalists. There’s a little too much going on: the investigation, Jex and her father trying to get to know each other after ten years apart, the pushy reporter with an agenda who follows Jex around, Jex dealing with her father’s new girlfriend who just so happens to be Patty’s former teacher, Jex meeting her new friends, and Jex’s possible first boyfriend. It’s a little overwhelming and so many storylines and angles leave the book feeling disjointed. The reporter and Jex’s father’s girlfriend could have been left out without much change to the story, and it would have left more time to devote to the relationship between Jex and her dad. It’s a big deal that she’s spending the summer with him, but in the end, the storyline doesn’t get the attention it deserves.
Jex’s friends — Deva, Nat, and Cissy — aren’t well-developed at all. The only thing I can tell you about them is that Nat wears a sweatshirt/hoodie in the Las Vegas heat, Deva has an American Express Black card and Cissy lives next door to Jex’s father. The three of them were friends pre-Jex, but I didn’t get the feeling that they really liked each other. They just seemed to be three girls of a similar age who hung out. Better character development in the first place probably would help with this.
The book isn’t bad. Like I said, the mystery interested me a lot. The book just doesn’t seem finished, but it’s possible that the problems I had with it have been worked out for the final, published version. There’s nothing special or unique about Jex as a character. She and her friends call their detective group the Drew-Ids after Nancy (and pronounced like druids), but Jex won’t truly rise to Nancy Drew’s level until she gets chloroformed a time or two. And probably not even then.
April 27, 2014
I was sent an early copy of Jex Malone...and I LOVED IT!!! Jex is a really fun heroine who has a major adventure in both Las Vegas and Hollywood. I loved that Jex had real life problems. Her parents got divorced ten years ago, but she never knew her father growing up. Now, he's making her spend the summer with him. He's a top detective and sort of a jerk. So Jex shows him up and tries to solve his hardest cold case...a missing girl from the neighborhood. I loved that Jex struggles with meeting new friends and dealing with her confusing feelings for her Dad. Mostly, she just wants to be mad at him, but she wants a real Dad more than anything. She meets girls around the block who also have issues...one has parents who are never there, another hates her body. They're smart and they join her in solving the case. The other great thing is that Jex pretends she isn't into the old Nancy Drew books, but she learned a lot from Nancy and in a really clever way Jex REALLY is the new Nancy Drew. I can't wait for the second book in this series because I loved all the girls and I want to see what happens with Jex and Cooper, a boy she really likes. Oh, and you will laugh a lot reading this book too.
July 15, 2014
A new detective is in town and her name is Jex Malone. Along with her fellow Drew-Ids, Jex seeks to solve the case that ripped her parent’s marriage apart. The friends couldn’t be more different from one another; Jex is the sarcastically sassy one, Deva is the fashionista with funds, Cissy is the shy one, and Nat is the brains. Together they create an unstoppable cold case-solving agency.
Jex has lived with her mother for most of her life, successfully escaping the court-mandated summers with her father. The ignoring of court orders is swiftly put to an end with the threat of Jex’s mom having to do jail time. So Jex gives into the courts and sets off for a summer with her father. Jex Malone is a highly entertaining summer read, full of adventure, unlikely romance, and friendship.
Originally published on: http://cozycornerandcafebookreviews.b...
Jex has lived with her mother for most of her life, successfully escaping the court-mandated summers with her father. The ignoring of court orders is swiftly put to an end with the threat of Jex’s mom having to do jail time. So Jex gives into the courts and sets off for a summer with her father. Jex Malone is a highly entertaining summer read, full of adventure, unlikely romance, and friendship.
Originally published on: http://cozycornerandcafebookreviews.b...
June 14, 2014
I bought this book at a convention last week and I met the authors and had my copy signed, so I was very excited to read this book. I loved everything about this book, except the ending. I liked the ending...I just had suspected it a few times throughout the book. Given that the book is also aimed at young adults and teens, the ending is fitting. Although reading the part when Jex was in the neighbours house, I was scared lol. I had a hard time putting this book down and I really wanted to find out whodunit! I look forward to the next book!
January 2, 2015
Finally there's something for younger readers who like a bit of sleuthing or detective angles but feel the tried and true books to be too "old". This one has a fresh feel to it and offers an easy enjoyable read for the YA audience. The catchphrases and references are current and the writing is well done. As typical of YA novels some things happen easier than an older reader might expect but don't let this deter you from reading and enjoying this book. I received an ARC through Strategies in exchange for an honest review. This in now way influenced my opinion.
January 8, 2015
My love for reading was acquired during my youth and reading books from the Young Adult genre always seemed to be very cutting edge. Jex Malone delivers all of the excitement, angst and cheekiness of teen life at it's finest. C.L. Garber and V. C. Stanley have certainly created a modern day Nancy Drew in Jex Malone. With fun interactions, quirky kid humor and CSI crime-solving investigation techniques, be prepared for a mystery complete with storyline twists, turns and secrets that will keep you guessing until the very end.
October 30, 2020
Didn't Actually Finish It.. I read about 50 pages in, and while the concept of the story is something I like; the execution was not. The writing style is just not something that I could get into, felt (which this feels odd to say) too fast-pased. I just couldn't get with the story, 50 pages in and your already hoping into the main plot point; with little to no character development (what I read about the other characters [Cissy, Dava, Nat] life's is not what I would consider character development.) Overall I like the concept of the plot, just not the way that the author wrote it.
November 22, 2023
I wanted to like the main character, but the secondary characters left a lot to be desired. She seemed a strong main character, and needed secondary characters that challenged her more, and played to her strengths in a more interesting way. They were not challenging enough for her character type, and on first meeting her, acted like she was some movie star.
August 4, 2017
I thought this was a great easy read, something you can sit down and just devour in a couple of days. It was a great female detective story about the bond of friendship, broken homes, and a lost girl to bring every one together. It was definitely worth reading.
November 13, 2017
Absolutely wonderful jex is a powerful and positive role model
September 30, 2015
{my thoughts} – Jessica {Jex} is a seventeen year-old girl that is the product of a broken family. She lives with her mom in New Jersey and her father lives in Nevada. Jex doesn’t have a real relationship with her father and has used many many excuses to not go and spend the summers with him that she is suppose to per the custody agreement that was formulated during her parents divorce. This summer however, she isn’t able to get out of it and is forced by a judge to go to her fathers and spend the summer with him.
Jex is very uncooperative with her father in throughout most of the book. She is against him, she isn’t willing to get to know him or his girlfriend and she isn’t willing to listen to any of the rules that he lays down. One of the main rules he gives her is no sleuthing in the house and of course she does it anyways, however, she has help. The first day at her dad’s she ends up meeting Cissy, Deva and Nat. The four of them start snooping through her dad’s old case files and find the one’s about a girl named Patty Mathews that had disappeared 13 years ago during a fourth of July block party.
They read over the case notes, they get to know Patty’s brother cooper, they have a run in with a pathetic excuse of a reporter, but eventually after breaking many laws they get some answers. I am not saying that I agree with the fact that they attempted to break into Cooper’s house or that they did successfully break into Cooper’s neighbors house Mr.Forester. What I am saying is that a cold case, because of the girls had the potential to be a closed case. The four girls want answers and will stop at nothing to get them. They find clues on their journey and they follow those clues the best they can in an attempt to solve the mystery revolving around the disappearance of Patty.
When the fourth of July rolls around the girls think they know what happened to the girl. They believe that the girl was murdered by Cooper’s neighbor Mr. Forester. This is what the girls tell Cooper and with some other information the five of them go on a quest to try and find the burial site of the assumed dead body of Patty Mathews.
This book is full of suspense, and mystery. It has twists and turns and is well written. It has the building of a long term friendship between the girls and eventually Cooper. It has the solving of the drama between Jex and her father. It’s an emotional roller coaster at times. I agree with it being compared to that of a Nancy Drew mystery. It was just a fantastic read and was really difficult to put down. If you want to know what happens you’ll need to read the book. I promise if you like mystery you’ll enjoy it!
{quotes i liked} –
01} “You know – oh-mi-dios- translation, Oh my God!” the wide eyed girl replies. We keep staring at each other in uncomfortable silence for a few more seconds. “That’s how we say OMG.” – Cissy
02} Its a done deal. Signed. Sealed. Delivered. I like this girl. We have a bond. We hate the Girlfriend. -Jex
03} My mom would so kill me if she knew what I was doing now. Dad would kill me, too, come to think about it. It’s like ripping a scab off a very deep and old wound that would never heal. -Jex
04} My mom blamed the Mathew’s family for their daughter’s disappearance and would say, “They probably had unsavory friends. You lie down with dogs, you get bit by fleas,” Nat says.
05} It turns out a ghost doesn’t get to keep secrets – especially not if you find her paperwork. -Jex
06} My dad is a drunk and I clean up the evidence every night. Sometimes, I reach in and cut myself on a piece of broken glass, but that’s nothing compared to how cut up I feel inside about all of it. -Patty
07} Their problems on TV are totally nothing and their little town seems so cute and everyone is weird but nice. Why isn’t real life like that? -Patty
08} Kat takes her hand and shakes it firmly. Cissy giggles and offers hers too. “It’s so cool to meet and actual television star!”
“Oh Sweetie, I am not the star,” Kat announces. “The stars are the real people who invite me into their lives to tell their stories. Real people. Real stories. That’s what it’s all about.”
Jex is very uncooperative with her father in throughout most of the book. She is against him, she isn’t willing to get to know him or his girlfriend and she isn’t willing to listen to any of the rules that he lays down. One of the main rules he gives her is no sleuthing in the house and of course she does it anyways, however, she has help. The first day at her dad’s she ends up meeting Cissy, Deva and Nat. The four of them start snooping through her dad’s old case files and find the one’s about a girl named Patty Mathews that had disappeared 13 years ago during a fourth of July block party.
They read over the case notes, they get to know Patty’s brother cooper, they have a run in with a pathetic excuse of a reporter, but eventually after breaking many laws they get some answers. I am not saying that I agree with the fact that they attempted to break into Cooper’s house or that they did successfully break into Cooper’s neighbors house Mr.Forester. What I am saying is that a cold case, because of the girls had the potential to be a closed case. The four girls want answers and will stop at nothing to get them. They find clues on their journey and they follow those clues the best they can in an attempt to solve the mystery revolving around the disappearance of Patty.
When the fourth of July rolls around the girls think they know what happened to the girl. They believe that the girl was murdered by Cooper’s neighbor Mr. Forester. This is what the girls tell Cooper and with some other information the five of them go on a quest to try and find the burial site of the assumed dead body of Patty Mathews.
This book is full of suspense, and mystery. It has twists and turns and is well written. It has the building of a long term friendship between the girls and eventually Cooper. It has the solving of the drama between Jex and her father. It’s an emotional roller coaster at times. I agree with it being compared to that of a Nancy Drew mystery. It was just a fantastic read and was really difficult to put down. If you want to know what happens you’ll need to read the book. I promise if you like mystery you’ll enjoy it!
{quotes i liked} –
01} “You know – oh-mi-dios- translation, Oh my God!” the wide eyed girl replies. We keep staring at each other in uncomfortable silence for a few more seconds. “That’s how we say OMG.” – Cissy
02} Its a done deal. Signed. Sealed. Delivered. I like this girl. We have a bond. We hate the Girlfriend. -Jex
03} My mom would so kill me if she knew what I was doing now. Dad would kill me, too, come to think about it. It’s like ripping a scab off a very deep and old wound that would never heal. -Jex
04} My mom blamed the Mathew’s family for their daughter’s disappearance and would say, “They probably had unsavory friends. You lie down with dogs, you get bit by fleas,” Nat says.
05} It turns out a ghost doesn’t get to keep secrets – especially not if you find her paperwork. -Jex
06} My dad is a drunk and I clean up the evidence every night. Sometimes, I reach in and cut myself on a piece of broken glass, but that’s nothing compared to how cut up I feel inside about all of it. -Patty
07} Their problems on TV are totally nothing and their little town seems so cute and everyone is weird but nice. Why isn’t real life like that? -Patty
08} Kat takes her hand and shakes it firmly. Cissy giggles and offers hers too. “It’s so cool to meet and actual television star!”
“Oh Sweetie, I am not the star,” Kat announces. “The stars are the real people who invite me into their lives to tell their stories. Real people. Real stories. That’s what it’s all about.”
July 3, 2017
Rating: 3
I won a copy of this book for an honest review. This will never effect how I like or rate a book.
In the middle months I seem to go through a bit of book lag. Or at least that's the only explanation I can find for why it took me so long to finish this book since normally it would of been a pretty quick read for me and of course should of been. My lack of reading wasn't because of the book (this time), I just didn't really feel like reading. So I do feel bad for this book on that count and in fact plan to read it again some time. Having a feeling I might have a more fun experience with it on a next go round. Yet here's how I feel about this book at the moment.
I feel slightly disappointed. Maybe I've been reading too many stories with lots of action lately but this book just didn't really have a whole lot going on in it. The story was still interesting and it was an easy read but for being a detective type YA it was lacking on the action it seemed.
For the characters I find myself surprised. In the beginning I really didn't care for Jex's new friends. In fact I didn't see how anyone could really like people like that but actually near the middle or so I found myself coming around. Or at least more so on Nat and Deva. Cissy, well she wasn't awful. Cooper played his part well enough, he was fine if not all that interesting. I also liked the adults for the most part, except maybe Sandy, but I feel that was a bit intentional to say the least.
I did kind of wish that Jex had been the one to really start digging into the case and such, going into the book thinking that she was already the detective type. My main reason for only giving this book three stars though is that even though the mystery is interesting (if a bit predictable), the characters just really didn't seem too smart once they did get some big evidence later in the book. Or really it was just their theory I didn't find smart. Finding myself just shaking my head at it. The only other thing was the book trying to explain its reasoning to me on how this all happened. I'm sorry I just couldn't quite believe it. It had to be taken with a grain of salt it seems.
At the end of the day though it was still a fast light read and did have plenty of enjoyable moments. I'd recommend it to people who love mysteries/detective type stories and the YA lovers out there. Who knows, when I get around to re-reading this it might just get boosted up to a 3.5 or even a 4. We'll just have to see. Till then I hope now my reading will pick up again since my ever growing book piles haven't decreased since my book reading lag.
I won a copy of this book for an honest review. This will never effect how I like or rate a book.
In the middle months I seem to go through a bit of book lag. Or at least that's the only explanation I can find for why it took me so long to finish this book since normally it would of been a pretty quick read for me and of course should of been. My lack of reading wasn't because of the book (this time), I just didn't really feel like reading. So I do feel bad for this book on that count and in fact plan to read it again some time. Having a feeling I might have a more fun experience with it on a next go round. Yet here's how I feel about this book at the moment.
I feel slightly disappointed. Maybe I've been reading too many stories with lots of action lately but this book just didn't really have a whole lot going on in it. The story was still interesting and it was an easy read but for being a detective type YA it was lacking on the action it seemed.
For the characters I find myself surprised. In the beginning I really didn't care for Jex's new friends. In fact I didn't see how anyone could really like people like that but actually near the middle or so I found myself coming around. Or at least more so on Nat and Deva. Cissy, well she wasn't awful. Cooper played his part well enough, he was fine if not all that interesting. I also liked the adults for the most part, except maybe Sandy, but I feel that was a bit intentional to say the least.
I did kind of wish that Jex had been the one to really start digging into the case and such, going into the book thinking that she was already the detective type. My main reason for only giving this book three stars though is that even though the mystery is interesting (if a bit predictable), the characters just really didn't seem too smart once they did get some big evidence later in the book. Or really it was just their theory I didn't find smart. Finding myself just shaking my head at it. The only other thing was the book trying to explain its reasoning to me on how this all happened. I'm sorry I just couldn't quite believe it. It had to be taken with a grain of salt it seems.
At the end of the day though it was still a fast light read and did have plenty of enjoyable moments. I'd recommend it to people who love mysteries/detective type stories and the YA lovers out there. Who knows, when I get around to re-reading this it might just get boosted up to a 3.5 or even a 4. We'll just have to see. Till then I hope now my reading will pick up again since my ever growing book piles haven't decreased since my book reading lag.
July 31, 2014
A famous case. A missing girl. If they find her, will they be heroes? Or dead?
Bored out of her mind during a summer with her police detective father in Las Vegas, Jessica (aka "Jex") Malone starts doing what she does best--snooping. When she meets three new friends who share her passion for crime, from the geek to the fashionista, suddenly, the stifling desert days don't seem so long.
Her dad is never around, just like when her parents were married. But Jex's crew, the Drew-Ids, take the pledge of eternal secrecy and then get down to the good stuff--digging through the cold-case files in Dad's home office.
One of them, the thirteen-year-old case of Patty Matthews, is still a mystery. Finding Patty, who vanished into thin air, became such an obsession for Jex's father that it destroyed the Malones' marriage. So not only is this a big deal, it's personal.
Jex is determined to find out what really happened, and her excitement is contagious. Soon her friends are all on board and so is the missing girl's brother, the hunky Cooper Matthews.
But as they dig up more and more troubling information--more than the cops ever did--they also get the clear message that someone out there wants to prevent the truth from coming out. That somebody is also prepared to do anything, absolutely anything, to prevent it.
Jex isn't afraid; after all, she's a cop's daughter. But maybe she should be.
Okay, so this one is going to be short since I wasn't much impressed with it. It started off well, the main character was quirky and humorous and there was that cute girl-spy-club thing going on, but as the book wore on, I was looking for that mystery spark and honestly I was let down when even halfway through the book nothing significant had happened. The so-called club had only one actually doing the sleuthing and most of it was just filler conversation. They chase down flimsy clues, make horribly wrong assumptions from incomplete evidence and with the predictability of the storyline, it doesn't make for a good mystery novel, see? There was no sense of danger, even during the supposedly tense part. The writing was, however, okay and on basis of humor alone, it is quite good. The girls are a hoot and the romance between Cooper and Jex was cute but nothing to be joyous about. Read if you want something light and fun-filled but not hardcore into mystery.
Received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Bored out of her mind during a summer with her police detective father in Las Vegas, Jessica (aka "Jex") Malone starts doing what she does best--snooping. When she meets three new friends who share her passion for crime, from the geek to the fashionista, suddenly, the stifling desert days don't seem so long.
Her dad is never around, just like when her parents were married. But Jex's crew, the Drew-Ids, take the pledge of eternal secrecy and then get down to the good stuff--digging through the cold-case files in Dad's home office.
One of them, the thirteen-year-old case of Patty Matthews, is still a mystery. Finding Patty, who vanished into thin air, became such an obsession for Jex's father that it destroyed the Malones' marriage. So not only is this a big deal, it's personal.
Jex is determined to find out what really happened, and her excitement is contagious. Soon her friends are all on board and so is the missing girl's brother, the hunky Cooper Matthews.
But as they dig up more and more troubling information--more than the cops ever did--they also get the clear message that someone out there wants to prevent the truth from coming out. That somebody is also prepared to do anything, absolutely anything, to prevent it.
Jex isn't afraid; after all, she's a cop's daughter. But maybe she should be.
Okay, so this one is going to be short since I wasn't much impressed with it. It started off well, the main character was quirky and humorous and there was that cute girl-spy-club thing going on, but as the book wore on, I was looking for that mystery spark and honestly I was let down when even halfway through the book nothing significant had happened. The so-called club had only one actually doing the sleuthing and most of it was just filler conversation. They chase down flimsy clues, make horribly wrong assumptions from incomplete evidence and with the predictability of the storyline, it doesn't make for a good mystery novel, see? There was no sense of danger, even during the supposedly tense part. The writing was, however, okay and on basis of humor alone, it is quite good. The girls are a hoot and the romance between Cooper and Jex was cute but nothing to be joyous about. Read if you want something light and fun-filled but not hardcore into mystery.
Received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
August 23, 2014
We follow the story of Jex Malone through this novel, she is the product of divorce and lives with her Mother full time in New Jersey, and her Father lives in Las Vegas. She has to go and spend the summer with her Father, and she is not happy about it, even tries going to the Judge in the case and asking if she can not go, this meeting does not work in her favour, and she is ordered to go and spend the summer with him.
When she gets there, she is immediately introduced to three new girls that live in the area, and things start to look up for the "crappy" summer that she was expecting. She immediately let's them see that she has broken in to her Father's work computer that gives access to all the files in the Las Vegas Police Department. They start to sift through the files, and come across one for Patty Matthews, the 16 year old girl that disappeared from her home thirteen years ago almost to the day.
This starts out their summer of trying to find Patty. The authors did a great job of developing characters and the plot line, I read this book in two days! It keeps you going with all the evidence and everything that they find and it goes really quickly.
I really loved the relationship that Jex has with her Father, it is a very realistic view of what it is like for a lot of kids these days unfortunately. It is very strained and they are unsure of how to act around each other, however, by the end of the book they have found their stride.
I loved all the side characters that you meet as well, and some of my favourite characters were not the main ones, they were the ones that kept you guessing whether they were on the good side or the bad side, and there are a few that will keep you guessing like that!
We learn a lot about Patty during the novel, so much so that she seems like the main character even over Jex and her friends. Patty's life was not an easy one by any means, and the lengths that she went to to keep herself safe from the people around her were understandable, especially from her Father, he was not a very nice person.
The ending I think was perfect, and I would have never saw that coming!
If you are looking for a good mystery novel, this is one for you, I think anyone would enjoy it, I give it a 4/5!
When she gets there, she is immediately introduced to three new girls that live in the area, and things start to look up for the "crappy" summer that she was expecting. She immediately let's them see that she has broken in to her Father's work computer that gives access to all the files in the Las Vegas Police Department. They start to sift through the files, and come across one for Patty Matthews, the 16 year old girl that disappeared from her home thirteen years ago almost to the day.
This starts out their summer of trying to find Patty. The authors did a great job of developing characters and the plot line, I read this book in two days! It keeps you going with all the evidence and everything that they find and it goes really quickly.
I really loved the relationship that Jex has with her Father, it is a very realistic view of what it is like for a lot of kids these days unfortunately. It is very strained and they are unsure of how to act around each other, however, by the end of the book they have found their stride.
I loved all the side characters that you meet as well, and some of my favourite characters were not the main ones, they were the ones that kept you guessing whether they were on the good side or the bad side, and there are a few that will keep you guessing like that!
We learn a lot about Patty during the novel, so much so that she seems like the main character even over Jex and her friends. Patty's life was not an easy one by any means, and the lengths that she went to to keep herself safe from the people around her were understandable, especially from her Father, he was not a very nice person.
The ending I think was perfect, and I would have never saw that coming!
If you are looking for a good mystery novel, this is one for you, I think anyone would enjoy it, I give it a 4/5!
September 9, 2014
Review first appeared on my blog: Book Addict 24-7
I received a copy via Merit Press in exchange for an honest review
Jex Malone by C.L. Gaber & V.C. Stanley is a novel that takes place in the heat of Las Vegas. Gaber and Stanley's mystery involves some serious sleuthing on the part of four girls, a father-daughter relationship that needs some serious mending, and a mysterious boy who somehow, ends up being a love interest. In all, this is a pretty fun book.
Jex, the protagonist, is adamant to not spend the summer with her estranged father, but when she is forced to spend time with him, she becomes a kind of Veronica Mars in the small desert town.
I'm a huge fan of VM, so I was immediately excited.
The mystery is intelligently crafted to make you question everything and suspect everyone. Jex's sass is fun and her ability to see through all of the facts was entertaining. It was also great to see her character grow as the summer progressed--especially her relationship with her father.
But Jex isn't the only character who grows. Her new friends all have their own issues that need solving and it was sweet to see them all facing their fears together, while each struggled to find the answer to the novel's mystery.
The pacing was a bit slow in the beginning, but sped up once the murder mystery became the main theme of the novel. The writing and dialogue is fun because each character has his/her own unique personality, which made Jex Malone an even more entertaining read. Also, the quotes at the beginning of the chapters were genius, since they paid tribute to past female detectives and helped us get more excited as the story progressed.
The conclusion was a bit unexpected, but also a bit predictable, since I kind of started guessing what would happen about midway through the story. The reactions around the girls, once the mystery is solved, were a bit cliche, but understandable and heartwarming, given the circumstances.
If you enjoy mysteries, unexpected outcomes, difficult parental relationships, and sass, lots of sass, then you might enjoy this one!
I received a copy via Merit Press in exchange for an honest review
Jex Malone by C.L. Gaber & V.C. Stanley is a novel that takes place in the heat of Las Vegas. Gaber and Stanley's mystery involves some serious sleuthing on the part of four girls, a father-daughter relationship that needs some serious mending, and a mysterious boy who somehow, ends up being a love interest. In all, this is a pretty fun book.
Jex, the protagonist, is adamant to not spend the summer with her estranged father, but when she is forced to spend time with him, she becomes a kind of Veronica Mars in the small desert town.
I'm a huge fan of VM, so I was immediately excited.
The mystery is intelligently crafted to make you question everything and suspect everyone. Jex's sass is fun and her ability to see through all of the facts was entertaining. It was also great to see her character grow as the summer progressed--especially her relationship with her father.
But Jex isn't the only character who grows. Her new friends all have their own issues that need solving and it was sweet to see them all facing their fears together, while each struggled to find the answer to the novel's mystery.
The pacing was a bit slow in the beginning, but sped up once the murder mystery became the main theme of the novel. The writing and dialogue is fun because each character has his/her own unique personality, which made Jex Malone an even more entertaining read. Also, the quotes at the beginning of the chapters were genius, since they paid tribute to past female detectives and helped us get more excited as the story progressed.
The conclusion was a bit unexpected, but also a bit predictable, since I kind of started guessing what would happen about midway through the story. The reactions around the girls, once the mystery is solved, were a bit cliche, but understandable and heartwarming, given the circumstances.
If you enjoy mysteries, unexpected outcomes, difficult parental relationships, and sass, lots of sass, then you might enjoy this one!
August 21, 2014
Check out my full review on my blog, SleepsOnTables
Jex Malone was such a fun read. It brought back memories of playing detective and watching and reading Nancy Drew and other crime novels. One really cool thing about it was that it made you reminisce about all of the awesome sleuthy ladies at each chapter. How is this possible? Well each chapter opens with a "Famous Girl Detective Quote." These famous girl detective range from the classics like Agatha Christie to Nancy Drew to Brenda from The Closer to Gracie from Miss Congeniality, which made it so fun because many of them I'd forgotten all about and of course each of the quotes were a sort of precursor to what happened in the chapter.
Another aspect I admired about Jex Malone is Jex and her humor. She's really the kind of girl that's more comfortable on the outskirts but she's the girl that you want to be friends with because she cool, funny, and snarky. (Not to mention she can make a sleepover fun by digging up some old case files to sleuth through!) Really each of the characters had different personalities that probably wouldn't have worked on their own, but once they were meshed together into the storyline, it worked well.
I think we can admit that what was wanted most out of this book and what was required to be the most well done was the mystery aspect. I will admit to not reading very many mystery novels so I'm not exactly the best person of reference to ask about the relevance of mystery content. However, I thought the mystery was very well done. It started off a little slow in the very beginning, but once Jex and her friends immerse themselves into the case it picks up quickly. The plot as it pertains to how the girls work through the case is well done and intense. As I was reading I was finding it hard to put the book down because I wanted to know what they were going to discover next and I'll admit I did not see the ending coming and I am soooooo glad with how it turned out!
So, how did I feel about Jex Malone? I really liked it!
Jex Malone was such a fun read. It brought back memories of playing detective and watching and reading Nancy Drew and other crime novels. One really cool thing about it was that it made you reminisce about all of the awesome sleuthy ladies at each chapter. How is this possible? Well each chapter opens with a "Famous Girl Detective Quote." These famous girl detective range from the classics like Agatha Christie to Nancy Drew to Brenda from The Closer to Gracie from Miss Congeniality, which made it so fun because many of them I'd forgotten all about and of course each of the quotes were a sort of precursor to what happened in the chapter.
Another aspect I admired about Jex Malone is Jex and her humor. She's really the kind of girl that's more comfortable on the outskirts but she's the girl that you want to be friends with because she cool, funny, and snarky. (Not to mention she can make a sleepover fun by digging up some old case files to sleuth through!) Really each of the characters had different personalities that probably wouldn't have worked on their own, but once they were meshed together into the storyline, it worked well.
I think we can admit that what was wanted most out of this book and what was required to be the most well done was the mystery aspect. I will admit to not reading very many mystery novels so I'm not exactly the best person of reference to ask about the relevance of mystery content. However, I thought the mystery was very well done. It started off a little slow in the very beginning, but once Jex and her friends immerse themselves into the case it picks up quickly. The plot as it pertains to how the girls work through the case is well done and intense. As I was reading I was finding it hard to put the book down because I wanted to know what they were going to discover next and I'll admit I did not see the ending coming and I am soooooo glad with how it turned out!
So, how did I feel about Jex Malone? I really liked it!
December 2, 2014
I (shamefully) judge books by their covers. So, when I received my free copy of Jex Malone in the mail for review, I didn’t expect to like it. The cover didn’t speak to me, the graphics looked slightly pixelated, and I assumed that little thought had gone into designing it – so, naturally, I didn’t have great expectations for what I would find in between.
I couldn’t have been more wrong. I loved this book, and was surprised to find that there came a point where I didn’t want to put it down (extremely annoying when you read on your one-hour lunch break). And, it’s important to note that this is coming from someone who has never read a Nancy Drew novel and has never really been interested in the mystery genre as a whole.
Jex Malone is a light read despite its not-so-light themes of murder, betrayal and divorce. The tidbits of family and friendship and self-discovery that are sprinkled throughout its pages suck you in. While other reviewers have mentioned the characters seem very one-dimensional, I have to argue that I didn’t experience that at all. The characters occasionally surprised me, and there is nothing (literally, nothing) that I love more in a good book than a strong female lead.
The reason I gave this book a four star rating is because there are some discrepancies and a bit of repetition (editing errors really bother me). I also felt that the story was a bit too drawn out in places, and that it doesn’t go quite as deep into the relationships that I would have liked (everything just seems too easy – but that might just be the cynical twenty-something in me talking).
All in all, though, I thought this was a great read and truly hope that this book gets discovered in a much broader sense. I think it has great potential in the young adult community, and is an appropriate read for those in their teenage years, and possibly those in their early to mid-twenties who are looking for an easy read.
I couldn’t have been more wrong. I loved this book, and was surprised to find that there came a point where I didn’t want to put it down (extremely annoying when you read on your one-hour lunch break). And, it’s important to note that this is coming from someone who has never read a Nancy Drew novel and has never really been interested in the mystery genre as a whole.
Jex Malone is a light read despite its not-so-light themes of murder, betrayal and divorce. The tidbits of family and friendship and self-discovery that are sprinkled throughout its pages suck you in. While other reviewers have mentioned the characters seem very one-dimensional, I have to argue that I didn’t experience that at all. The characters occasionally surprised me, and there is nothing (literally, nothing) that I love more in a good book than a strong female lead.
The reason I gave this book a four star rating is because there are some discrepancies and a bit of repetition (editing errors really bother me). I also felt that the story was a bit too drawn out in places, and that it doesn’t go quite as deep into the relationships that I would have liked (everything just seems too easy – but that might just be the cynical twenty-something in me talking).
All in all, though, I thought this was a great read and truly hope that this book gets discovered in a much broader sense. I think it has great potential in the young adult community, and is an appropriate read for those in their teenage years, and possibly those in their early to mid-twenties who are looking for an easy read.
December 7, 2014
Jex has lived with her professor mom ever since her parents got divorced. She wants nothing to do with her dad, a homicide detective who lives in Las Vegas. She's supposed to spend every summer with him, but so far, she's been able to make up excuses to blow him off every year. Jex's mom has had enough, so she takes Jex before a judge who orders her to go.
It doesn't take long for Jex to find some friends once she's in Vegas, and it seems that they are a little obsessed with a local tragedy - the one that broke up Jex's parents' marriage. Patty Matthews.
When the girls discover that it was Jex's father that was the lead detective on the case, it is all they can talk about. Plus Jex has this penchant for snooping. And since Patty Matthews was never found, they are determined to finally put this case to rest.
Whadja Think?: One of my mom's friends loaned me her original set of Nancy Drew books when I was a kid. I loved to read them, because of the mysteries, of course, but also because they were so quaint/dorky. All of the characters were strictly defined; Nancy's father was handsome with graying temples; Nancy had a blue roadster with running boards, and they said things like "swell." Jex Malone pays homage to Nancy and her ilk, with quotes at the beginning of each chapter from well-known girl detectives. But while this story doesn't get much scarier than a Nancy Drew novel, it is certainly less homogenized and more modern.
To Read or Not To Read: I hope that the authors intend to make this a series. It's time Nancy steps aside with her earnestness and her blonde bob and makes way for something a little grittier.
Jex Malone by C. L. Gaber & V. C. Stanley was published June 18, 2014 by Merit Press. A free copy of this book was given to Ink and Page in return for an honest review. Big thanks to Merit Press and the Authors.
Rating: 3
Genre: Young Adult Fiction Contemporary Mystery
Ages: 13 and up
You Might Want to Know: Nothing of note
It doesn't take long for Jex to find some friends once she's in Vegas, and it seems that they are a little obsessed with a local tragedy - the one that broke up Jex's parents' marriage. Patty Matthews.
When the girls discover that it was Jex's father that was the lead detective on the case, it is all they can talk about. Plus Jex has this penchant for snooping. And since Patty Matthews was never found, they are determined to finally put this case to rest.
Whadja Think?: One of my mom's friends loaned me her original set of Nancy Drew books when I was a kid. I loved to read them, because of the mysteries, of course, but also because they were so quaint/dorky. All of the characters were strictly defined; Nancy's father was handsome with graying temples; Nancy had a blue roadster with running boards, and they said things like "swell." Jex Malone pays homage to Nancy and her ilk, with quotes at the beginning of each chapter from well-known girl detectives. But while this story doesn't get much scarier than a Nancy Drew novel, it is certainly less homogenized and more modern.
To Read or Not To Read: I hope that the authors intend to make this a series. It's time Nancy steps aside with her earnestness and her blonde bob and makes way for something a little grittier.
Jex Malone by C. L. Gaber & V. C. Stanley was published June 18, 2014 by Merit Press. A free copy of this book was given to Ink and Page in return for an honest review. Big thanks to Merit Press and the Authors.
Rating: 3
Genre: Young Adult Fiction Contemporary Mystery
Ages: 13 and up
You Might Want to Know: Nothing of note
March 1, 2015
17 year old Jessica Malone (yet another curly redhead) has lived with her mother in New Jersey since her parents’ divorce when she was small. She’s supposed to spend summers with her father in Las Vegas, but has managed to avoid it until now—she and her father haven’t really connected, and she has no warm feelings for him. A court order, though, forces her to the desert and a summer with her father, Detective Malone. Jessica—whom her father calls Jex—isn’t expecting much, and is not disappointed. The house is so small she has no proper bedroom, and her father spends most of his time at work or with his spandex-wearing, fitness obsessed girlfriend. Soon, though, Jex falls into friendship with three neighbor girls, Hispanic (?) Cissy, Jamaican Nat, and Indian Deva. Together they form the “Drew-Ids” in honor of Nancy Drew, and decide to solve the thirteen year old missing persons case that caused Jex’s parents to split up—the disappearance of neighborhood teen Patty Mattews. After all, her father’s old case files are just lying around, and it took her all of three tries to break the password on his computer. Soon the quartet is off sleuthing, and Jex is falling for Patty’s now grown-up little brother Cooper. But where will it all lead?
Meh. This felt like a Disney movie for teens, with lots of unbelievable coincidences (seriously, there was NO REASON for Patty to leave behind her journal, and how convenient was it that someone’s sister had connections to get new birth certificate, etc.?). The characters were one-dimensional, though Patty, through her journal, had a little more depth. I didn’t really like Jex very much, either. The writing was a bit clunky—I hated how the author would have the same character speak in adjacent paragraphs, when there was absolutely no need for it. Overall, it was entertaining, but the way Enid Blyton is entertaining. I did like the quotes at the starts of the chapters.
Meh. This felt like a Disney movie for teens, with lots of unbelievable coincidences (seriously, there was NO REASON for Patty to leave behind her journal, and how convenient was it that someone’s sister had connections to get new birth certificate, etc.?). The characters were one-dimensional, though Patty, through her journal, had a little more depth. I didn’t really like Jex very much, either. The writing was a bit clunky—I hated how the author would have the same character speak in adjacent paragraphs, when there was absolutely no need for it. Overall, it was entertaining, but the way Enid Blyton is entertaining. I did like the quotes at the starts of the chapters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2014
Jex Malone is the latest in a long line of girl detectives (although I think Nat deserves most of the credit). To be 100% honest, I never read Nancy Drew as a kid (I was too busy reading Saddle Club and Pony Pals), but I did find myself enjoying this one.
Let's start with my favourite part of this book: diversity. While our heroine Jex and her new crush Cooper may have both been white, Jex's friends did show some diversity. Deva's parents are Indian, Nat's family is Jamaican and I think Cissy is Latino. So it was nice to see a bit of diversity in YA.
I did have a few issues with this one though. These girls are insane. Lots of the stuff they did made no sense to me at all. There was a lot of sneaking around and withholding of evidence from Jex's dad, who is a police officer. Although I'm sure that evidence would never stand up in court, which Nat should have known if she was as smart as we're led to believe. And the whole thing at the end was beyond silly for these girls. Maybe that's the adult in me talking, but I just couldn't get behind these girl's crazy ideas.
I also wasn't a huge fan of some of the characters. Deva annoyed me with her spoiled-rich-girl thing, Nat was so nosy, especially when she first meets Jex and Cissy just kind of faded into the background most of the time. And Cooper was okay, although I have no idea why he didn't get these girls to leave him alone instead of following them on their crazy plan.
Overall, it was fun to follow these girls on their crazy adventure, as long as I ignore the fact that I had no clue why they were being so crazy. I did guess the ending, although I never know if this is because the ending is obvious or if I am just good at guessing.
Let's start with my favourite part of this book: diversity. While our heroine Jex and her new crush Cooper may have both been white, Jex's friends did show some diversity. Deva's parents are Indian, Nat's family is Jamaican and I think Cissy is Latino. So it was nice to see a bit of diversity in YA.
I did have a few issues with this one though. These girls are insane. Lots of the stuff they did made no sense to me at all. There was a lot of sneaking around and withholding of evidence from Jex's dad, who is a police officer. Although I'm sure that evidence would never stand up in court, which Nat should have known if she was as smart as we're led to believe. And the whole thing at the end was beyond silly for these girls. Maybe that's the adult in me talking, but I just couldn't get behind these girl's crazy ideas.
I also wasn't a huge fan of some of the characters. Deva annoyed me with her spoiled-rich-girl thing, Nat was so nosy, especially when she first meets Jex and Cissy just kind of faded into the background most of the time. And Cooper was okay, although I have no idea why he didn't get these girls to leave him alone instead of following them on their crazy plan.
Overall, it was fun to follow these girls on their crazy adventure, as long as I ignore the fact that I had no clue why they were being so crazy. I did guess the ending, although I never know if this is because the ending is obvious or if I am just good at guessing.
July 29, 2014
An entertaining mystery with just enough serious to ensure that I cared about the characters while maintaining a sunny weekend read kind of vibe.
Jex’s police detective dad became so consumed with a teen’s disappearance that it busted up their family, as a result, Jersey girl Jex barely knows her dad, and she’s none too thrilled to spend the summer with him in sweltering small town Nevada.
However, Jex’s summer isn’t looking like it’ll be such a snore once she meets three neighborhood girls, and they decide to tap into their inner Nancy Drews, determined to succeed where her dad failed in the missing teen investigation.
I guessed the basics of what happened to Patty before the big reveal, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book, to me the girls were a bigger draw than the mystery anyway, it was fun to go along for the ride with them. There was a lot to like about the Drew-Ids, from their diversity, to their distinct personalities, to their relatable issues, be it Cissy’s overactive fears, or Nat hiding her body beneath baggy clothes.
There is a romance here, though if that’s not your thing, don’t worry, it doesn’t monopolize the story. If romance is your thing, Jex and Cooper are cute together; he’s an outcast, a little broody though mostly sweet.
I couldn't help thinking what a fun, warm weather TV series this would make, every summer we check in with Jex as she reunites with her girls, falls a little more in love with Cooper, and together, they solve a mystery, though I’ll be happy to just to read more of them in another book.
I received this through a Goodreads giveaway.
Jex’s police detective dad became so consumed with a teen’s disappearance that it busted up their family, as a result, Jersey girl Jex barely knows her dad, and she’s none too thrilled to spend the summer with him in sweltering small town Nevada.
However, Jex’s summer isn’t looking like it’ll be such a snore once she meets three neighborhood girls, and they decide to tap into their inner Nancy Drews, determined to succeed where her dad failed in the missing teen investigation.
I guessed the basics of what happened to Patty before the big reveal, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book, to me the girls were a bigger draw than the mystery anyway, it was fun to go along for the ride with them. There was a lot to like about the Drew-Ids, from their diversity, to their distinct personalities, to their relatable issues, be it Cissy’s overactive fears, or Nat hiding her body beneath baggy clothes.
There is a romance here, though if that’s not your thing, don’t worry, it doesn’t monopolize the story. If romance is your thing, Jex and Cooper are cute together; he’s an outcast, a little broody though mostly sweet.
I couldn't help thinking what a fun, warm weather TV series this would make, every summer we check in with Jex as she reunites with her girls, falls a little more in love with Cooper, and together, they solve a mystery, though I’ll be happy to just to read more of them in another book.
I received this through a Goodreads giveaway.
December 5, 2014
I won Jex Malone on a giveaway via Net Galley.
Summary: The story focuses on Jex, a sassy 17 year old girl, who goes to live with her father in Las Vegas for the summer. While there, Jex and her new friends set off to discover what happened to Patty Matthews, a girl who went missing when Jex was a child. The book not only focuses on Jex’s attempt to solve the Patty Matthews case, but also on her reestablishing a relationship with her father.
My Review: Jex Malone was a fun summer read. The book kept me laughing, and the premise was intriguing.
Although I couldn’t relate to any of them, the characters in the story were well-developed. Maybe I am too old for this book. I felt like Jex, her friends, and every other character popped straight out of a Disney channel sitcom. This aspect made the story a lighter read, and added a really fun aspect to the book.
The mystery aspect of the story is good, however, there were several times when I was frustrated at Jex and her friends for jumping to conclusions after getting vague clues. They would gather so-called “evidence” and completely freak out, making crazy assumptions about what happened to Patty. Maybe it’s because they were supposed to be seventeen.
There was a great twist at the end of the story. The mystery was solved, and all the loose ends were tied up.
Conclusion: I gave the book 1/5 stars because I felt like it was a bit too young for me. I would recommend it to young adults between the ages of 12-14, or anyone looking for something fast and light.
Summary: The story focuses on Jex, a sassy 17 year old girl, who goes to live with her father in Las Vegas for the summer. While there, Jex and her new friends set off to discover what happened to Patty Matthews, a girl who went missing when Jex was a child. The book not only focuses on Jex’s attempt to solve the Patty Matthews case, but also on her reestablishing a relationship with her father.
My Review: Jex Malone was a fun summer read. The book kept me laughing, and the premise was intriguing.
Although I couldn’t relate to any of them, the characters in the story were well-developed. Maybe I am too old for this book. I felt like Jex, her friends, and every other character popped straight out of a Disney channel sitcom. This aspect made the story a lighter read, and added a really fun aspect to the book.
The mystery aspect of the story is good, however, there were several times when I was frustrated at Jex and her friends for jumping to conclusions after getting vague clues. They would gather so-called “evidence” and completely freak out, making crazy assumptions about what happened to Patty. Maybe it’s because they were supposed to be seventeen.
There was a great twist at the end of the story. The mystery was solved, and all the loose ends were tied up.
Conclusion: I gave the book 1/5 stars because I felt like it was a bit too young for me. I would recommend it to young adults between the ages of 12-14, or anyone looking for something fast and light.
June 22, 2014
I'm so happy I read this one! As a little girl, I devoured every Nancy Drew book I could get my hands on, and I loved the mystery and suspense. Jex is a modern-day Nancy Drew, complete with iphones, fashion, and a little teen-parent drama that teenagers today can relate to. The character development is rich, with four main teenage girls who have very different personalities. They are loyal, funny, and struggling for independence from their parents. I fell in love with the main character, and by the last few chapters I was already thinking I'm going to miss Jex when this book is over. I bought another copy to give to my 17-year-old niece, who is not usually eager to read. But I described the characters and the plot, which got her attention, and she began reading it right away. Only two days later, she is almost half-way through the book. Although it's focused on teenage girls, I highly recommend this book for any women who enjoyed Nancy Drew or other mystery books when they were kids. It's also a good way for moms or mentors to connect with teenage girls and get them engaged in reading. "Jex Malone" is easy-to-read fiction that allows you to escape for a bit and live vicariously through four adventurous young ladies who are coming of age. It's going to be a series, and the second book is already in the works. I just hope someone buys the movie rights because it would be so much fun to see the characters come to life on the big screen.
August 19, 2014
The simplicity that makes up a Nancy Drew mystery is just too much for today’s generation to handle. It’s not the poor girl’s fault she isn’t the apple of every tween girl’s detective eye nowadays. Nancy just hasn’t aged with her audience. She doesn’t have the social media sites or the cell phone or any of the fancy gadgets that sleuths use today. Nancy’s decline in popularity begs the question: who, if anyone, can live up to today’s expectations of a teenage investigator?
C.L. Gaber and V.C. Stanley, both having a history of professional journalism, try to tackle this quest with their new novel, Jex Malone. Jex is a sixteen year old girl raised in a single parent home in New Jersey. She wasn’t born in a single parent home; in fact she wasn’t even born in New Jersey. Jex is originally from the outskirts of Las Vegas in Nevada, her mother being a professor and her father being a well-known detective. But her father’s claim to detective fame is his good looks and also, unfortunately, his inability to solve the disappearance of a young girl who vanished into thin air. Jex’s father’s obsession with the case is ultimately what led to her parents’ divorce.
Due to her parents’ custody agreement and the powerful threats of a judge, Jex is forced to spend the summer of her sixteenth year with her father...
Full review can be found here.
C.L. Gaber and V.C. Stanley, both having a history of professional journalism, try to tackle this quest with their new novel, Jex Malone. Jex is a sixteen year old girl raised in a single parent home in New Jersey. She wasn’t born in a single parent home; in fact she wasn’t even born in New Jersey. Jex is originally from the outskirts of Las Vegas in Nevada, her mother being a professor and her father being a well-known detective. But her father’s claim to detective fame is his good looks and also, unfortunately, his inability to solve the disappearance of a young girl who vanished into thin air. Jex’s father’s obsession with the case is ultimately what led to her parents’ divorce.
Due to her parents’ custody agreement and the powerful threats of a judge, Jex is forced to spend the summer of her sixteenth year with her father...
Full review can be found here.
July 22, 2014
Jessica "Jex" Malone is not happy about being shipped off to her dad's house for the summer. After her parents' messy divorce, the judge orders her to live with her father, a police detective, for the summer. Jex is sure that it's going to be horrible and boring. Luckily, she meets new friends and being as nosy and curious as she is, she and her new friends decide to see if they can solve one of her father's cold cases. Hey, at least it's something to do!
This was a really fun read and I think it will appeal to a lot of YA readers. This book is very much in the vein of a Nancy Drew novel - there is enough action to keep you excited and into the book but the subject matter is still pretty tame. I loved the mystery in the book and I loved how the authors were able to keep the readers guessing about what happened with the girl whose disappearance Jex and her friends decide to take on.
The other thing that I really liked about the book was Jex's voice in the story. There is a lot going on in her life besides just solving the disappearance. She is trying to figure out how to have a relationship with her father as she feels that he was mostly an absentee father and may have only wanted her to live with him for the summer to spite Jex's mother. Jex has a super smart voice that was very original too! I loved following her adventures in the book.
I flew through this book! The characters were good and I loved the twists and turns. This was a thoroughly fun read!
This was a really fun read and I think it will appeal to a lot of YA readers. This book is very much in the vein of a Nancy Drew novel - there is enough action to keep you excited and into the book but the subject matter is still pretty tame. I loved the mystery in the book and I loved how the authors were able to keep the readers guessing about what happened with the girl whose disappearance Jex and her friends decide to take on.
The other thing that I really liked about the book was Jex's voice in the story. There is a lot going on in her life besides just solving the disappearance. She is trying to figure out how to have a relationship with her father as she feels that he was mostly an absentee father and may have only wanted her to live with him for the summer to spite Jex's mother. Jex has a super smart voice that was very original too! I loved following her adventures in the book.
I flew through this book! The characters were good and I loved the twists and turns. This was a thoroughly fun read!
July 6, 2015
This book wasn't completely bad, but it wasn't completely good either. It was what this two star rating means: okay. There was a lot of things that bugged me about this book. The plot was REALLY slow for the first hundred pages and the introduction of Cissy, Nat and Deva was kind of confusing because they kept talking and the dialogue was hard to follow a couple of times. Also, the. book. kept. doing. stuff. like. this. THIS is what made me cringe the most because it kept putting periods next to every word at the most unnecessary times. It's alright to do that maybe once or twice in a book, when it's absolutely needed to give it a certain feel, but Jex Malone did it so many times I can't even count it.
The plot was also very, very predictable. To me, at least. I KNEW exactly what happened to Patty Matthews and who (at least one person I was very sure of) was involved.
There were some things that I enjoyed and like I said, it wasn't a COMPLETELY bad book. I don't know, maybe it just wasn't my style of book. Obviously with an almost four star average rating, people really like Jex Malone. So, don't let my complaining turn you away from it! You might very well like this book if you're into crime mysteries, summer friendships and some adventure.
I do see the potential in C.L. Gaber and V.C. Stanley and when it comes to any of their other books, I WILL check them out!
The plot was also very, very predictable. To me, at least. I KNEW exactly what happened to Patty Matthews and who (at least one person I was very sure of) was involved.
There were some things that I enjoyed and like I said, it wasn't a COMPLETELY bad book. I don't know, maybe it just wasn't my style of book. Obviously with an almost four star average rating, people really like Jex Malone. So, don't let my complaining turn you away from it! You might very well like this book if you're into crime mysteries, summer friendships and some adventure.
I do see the potential in C.L. Gaber and V.C. Stanley and when it comes to any of their other books, I WILL check them out!
Read
October 6, 2014Jex Malone has avoided visiting her father every summer since her parents split up, but this time she’s court ordered to go visit. Now Jex is in Las Vegas while her father is working cases for his job as a police detective. So Jex starts to snoop around the house while he’s gone and finds files on Patty Matthews, a girl who went missing thirteen years ago. When she meets Cissy, Nat, and Deva, they discuss the case and decide to form their own investigative agency – the Drew-IDs. They spend all of their free time researching the case and interviewing people who may know more than they’ve told over the years. Will their interest in Patty Matthews’ disappearance put them in the sights of a killer?
Like Jex, I too had read every Nancy Drew book when I was younger and lost myself in their pages. JEX MALONE inspires the feeling of nostalgia, but brings a more adult and modern tone to the teenage sleuth genre. The four girls quickly bond, but thankfully, their personalities and voices remained distinct, which can be a challenge at times. I loved the Drew-IDs’ confidence and ability to go beyond what the police could during their initial investigation. I think JEX MALONE will appeal to the next generation of mystery lovers.
Like Jex, I too had read every Nancy Drew book when I was younger and lost myself in their pages. JEX MALONE inspires the feeling of nostalgia, but brings a more adult and modern tone to the teenage sleuth genre. The four girls quickly bond, but thankfully, their personalities and voices remained distinct, which can be a challenge at times. I loved the Drew-IDs’ confidence and ability to go beyond what the police could during their initial investigation. I think JEX MALONE will appeal to the next generation of mystery lovers.
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