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Defender
They call her Tiny, but Tyne Greer is six foot six, a high school basketball star who is hoping the game will be her ticket out of the slum. She lives in a run-down building called The Zoo, where her father is the superintendent. One day she discovers a crack in the wall of an abandoned basement room. And sealed up in the wall is a girl’s body. Horrified, she runs to get her dad. But after he goes to take a look, he comes back and tells Tyne that nothing’s there. No girl. No body. He tells her she must be seeing things in the dark.
Tyne is sure it was real, though, and when she finds evidence that the body was moved from the hole in the wall, she knows the only one who could have done it is her father. But why? What is he hiding?
Tyne’s search for answers uncovers a conspiracy of secrets and lies in her family. The closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous it becomes for her. Because some will do anything to bury the past…and keep her silent.
Tyne is sure it was real, though, and when she finds evidence that the body was moved from the hole in the wall, she knows the only one who could have done it is her father. But why? What is he hiding?
Tyne’s search for answers uncovers a conspiracy of secrets and lies in her family. The closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous it becomes for her. Because some will do anything to bury the past…and keep her silent.
227 pages, Hardcover
First published April 12, 2016
9 people are currently reading
434 people want to read
About the author
Graham McNamee
13 books114 followersGraham McNamee. Male. Caucasian. 5'10". Brown hair. Brown eyes. Do not approach. Extremely shy.
Author of: HATE YOU, NOTHING WRONG WITH A THREE-LEGGED DOG, SPARKS, and ACCELERATION. HATE YOU was an ALA Best Book for young Adults and an ALA Quick Pick, won the Austrian Children's Book Award, and was nominated for the Governor General's Award. SPARKS won the PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship.
Born and raised in Toronto, McNamee has been sighted in Vancouver. Present whereabouts unknown.
Author of: HATE YOU, NOTHING WRONG WITH A THREE-LEGGED DOG, SPARKS, and ACCELERATION. HATE YOU was an ALA Best Book for young Adults and an ALA Quick Pick, won the Austrian Children's Book Award, and was nominated for the Governor General's Award. SPARKS won the PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship.
Born and raised in Toronto, McNamee has been sighted in Vancouver. Present whereabouts unknown.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
May 7, 2016
“Defender” is a gritty mystery set in a downtrodden urban area of Toronto.
While I felt that the varied races of the characters and the realistic feel of the location were unique, there was something off about it all that I can’t quite put my finger on. It didn’t all come together in a way that could have taken it from okay to great. There were a lot of subplots occurring, and that may have been a barrier in keeping the story cohesive.
The mystery contained in the story was a good one with an ending I really appreciated. The look into the very real problems with the foster care system and the difficulty of being able to escape poverty were eye-opening. Many readers are sure to find characters they can relate to, which for many may be a rare occurrence.
“Defender” has its good and bad points, and I encourage those who are interested to give it a try. There is quite a bit of disturbing imagery, so those buying for younger or sensitive readers should keep that in mind.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
While I felt that the varied races of the characters and the realistic feel of the location were unique, there was something off about it all that I can’t quite put my finger on. It didn’t all come together in a way that could have taken it from okay to great. There were a lot of subplots occurring, and that may have been a barrier in keeping the story cohesive.
The mystery contained in the story was a good one with an ending I really appreciated. The look into the very real problems with the foster care system and the difficulty of being able to escape poverty were eye-opening. Many readers are sure to find characters they can relate to, which for many may be a rare occurrence.
“Defender” has its good and bad points, and I encourage those who are interested to give it a try. There is quite a bit of disturbing imagery, so those buying for younger or sensitive readers should keep that in mind.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 15, 2016
Defender by Graham McNamee is just what I'm looking for to hook my seventh-graders! It takes less than 15 pages (of quick-paced writing) to get to the DISCOVERY OF THE DEAD BODY IN THE BASEMENT! I mean, what more can a girl ask for?
Tyne (aka "Tiny") lives in a Toronto apartment building where her father is the super. As the oldest, Tiny does odd jobs around the building to help out. After the discovery of a dead body in the basement, Tiny runs to her dad, who goes to check it out alone, only to return to tell Tiny that there was no body to be found. However, when Tiny's dad starts acting suspiciously, she and her boyfriend Ricky (aka "Stick") start tracking clues, including going back to the scene to discover A FINGER!!
It's so great. This would have been on the shelf of my tween bookcase next to R.L. Stine's Fear Street Saga and my Christopher Pike books. So thankful to have discovered this at my public library! Buying a copy to book talk when school starts!
Tyne (aka "Tiny") lives in a Toronto apartment building where her father is the super. As the oldest, Tiny does odd jobs around the building to help out. After the discovery of a dead body in the basement, Tiny runs to her dad, who goes to check it out alone, only to return to tell Tiny that there was no body to be found. However, when Tiny's dad starts acting suspiciously, she and her boyfriend Ricky (aka "Stick") start tracking clues, including going back to the scene to discover A FINGER!!
It's so great. This would have been on the shelf of my tween bookcase next to R.L. Stine's Fear Street Saga and my Christopher Pike books. So thankful to have discovered this at my public library! Buying a copy to book talk when school starts!
July 10, 2016
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a copy of the eArc in exchange for a fair review...
This is one of the books I freely admit I didn't know too much about, people weren't talking I wasn't seeing it all over the other bloggers blogs, or tweets. But it seemed interesting when I looked at the synopsis..
They call her Tiny, but Tyne Greer is six foot six, a high school basketball star who is hoping the game will be her ticket out of the slum. She lives in a run-down building called The Zoo, where her father is the superintendent. One day she discovers a crack in the wall of an abandoned basement room. And sealed up in the wall is a girl’s body. Horrified, she runs to get her dad. But after he goes to take a look, he comes back and tells Tyne that nothing’s there. No girl. No body. He tells her she must be seeing things in the dark.
Tyne is sure it was real, though, and when she finds evidence that the body was moved from the hole in the wall, she knows the only one who could have done it is her father. But why? What is he hiding?
Tyne’s search for answers uncovers a conspiracy of secrets and lies in her family. The closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous it becomes for her. Because some will do anything to bury the past . . . and keep her silent.
Tyne discovers a body down in the basement of her building, and when she tells her father about it, he goes down and then later tells her there is nothing there. When she later finds a finger, she knows that she wasn't hallucinating about finding the body. She then tells Stick (her boyfriend) about what she found. They begin to investigate who she is and who could have possibly put her down there.
They were also convinced she was murder once they find proof that her father moved the girl's body. But the mystery doesn't end there, it is only just beginning.
I can't say too much more without spoiling it, this is a pretty good mystery. I really didn't guess what actually happened. It wasn't as dark or edgy as some of the other thrillers I have read. I did enjoy it and it was such a quick easy read. Maybe the lack of darkness is what is throwing me off. Really I enjoyed this, but I think for me personally what makes me love a mystery or thriller is that it is dark, twisty and keeps me on the edge.
October 12, 2017
Tiny lives in the slums and hopes to get out on a basketball scholarship. In the meantime, she helps her dad with his job as the maintenance guy at their apartment building. One day, she finds a dead girl's body. When her dad comes back from investigating, he tells her she must have imagined it. She knows what she saw, however, and is determined to figure out what happened. But there are people who don't want their secrets revealed and Tiny is in more danger than she realizes.
Perfect for those who like gritty, suspenseful reads. There are situations that one would expect to find in an inner-city setting: drug and alcohol use, prostitution, violence, etc. Not for naive or timid readers.
Perfect for those who like gritty, suspenseful reads. There are situations that one would expect to find in an inner-city setting: drug and alcohol use, prostitution, violence, etc. Not for naive or timid readers.
April 12, 2016
"Tiny" Greer isn't tiny - and she has a big heart
I am a woman who was 6' tall in the 5th grade so I can identify with 6'6" Tyne "Tiny" Greer a bit.
There are two stories being told in DEFENDER. There is Tiny's story, a high school senior basketball player who is recovering from a knee injury and hoping for a college basketball scholarship. She lives in a high rise tenement slum called the Zoo in Toronto with her parents and her younger brother. Her Dad is the building superintendent and Tiny sometimes helps him.
The other part of the story is about a girl's mummified body that Tiny finds in the basement of the Zoo after some nearby construction work causes the basement wall to crack and the girl's body falls out.
Tiny and her boyfriend Stick become amateur detectives, trying to find out who this girl was - made harder when the body disappears right after Tiny finds it.
I loved Tiny's character and Stick's - what an unlikely pair they are. The author makes them come alive on the pages of this book.
There are sports highlights, mystery, romance, family drama, along with some hard to read passages about physical abuse, drugs, and violence.
This is a Young Adult book but I wouldn't recommend it for younger readers. And I'm not sure if I agree with how the story played out in the end. This would be a good story for class or family discussion.
But I enjoyed this fairly short book - the characters AND the questions that arise. It made me think and wonder how I would have handled the situations that arose.
NOTE: I received this book from Random House Children's Books through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.
I am a woman who was 6' tall in the 5th grade so I can identify with 6'6" Tyne "Tiny" Greer a bit.
There are two stories being told in DEFENDER. There is Tiny's story, a high school senior basketball player who is recovering from a knee injury and hoping for a college basketball scholarship. She lives in a high rise tenement slum called the Zoo in Toronto with her parents and her younger brother. Her Dad is the building superintendent and Tiny sometimes helps him.
The other part of the story is about a girl's mummified body that Tiny finds in the basement of the Zoo after some nearby construction work causes the basement wall to crack and the girl's body falls out.
Tiny and her boyfriend Stick become amateur detectives, trying to find out who this girl was - made harder when the body disappears right after Tiny finds it.
I loved Tiny's character and Stick's - what an unlikely pair they are. The author makes them come alive on the pages of this book.
There are sports highlights, mystery, romance, family drama, along with some hard to read passages about physical abuse, drugs, and violence.
This is a Young Adult book but I wouldn't recommend it for younger readers. And I'm not sure if I agree with how the story played out in the end. This would be a good story for class or family discussion.
But I enjoyed this fairly short book - the characters AND the questions that arise. It made me think and wonder how I would have handled the situations that arose.
NOTE: I received this book from Random House Children's Books through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.
April 8, 2016
Defender will have you reading through to the very end in no time. This short 240 page book is well written, with easy transitions and a mystery that has you searching for clues alongside the characters.
Tyne Greer, aka Tiny, is six foot six, helps her dad maintain the building they live in and is in love with shooting hoops for her high school team. Stick is her long-time-friend-turned-into-boyfriend who is her ride or die and provides comic relief.
When Tyne comes across a dead girl's body, and the only two people who have been in the room where her father and herself, she has to really think about if she knows who her father truly is. Did he kill this girl? And when confronted, why did he lie? Why would he do that to a girl? Who was that girl? I can't blame Tyne for freaking out and avoiding her dad for a couple weeks. While she was avoiding him, she was busy looking for clues with Stick. Ultimately, everything comes to light, and as they say, you may think you want to know the answer to something, but some things are better left unanswered.
Defender covers a little of everything. From sports highlights, to mystery to family drama. Let's just stay there is a lot going for a short story. There is physical abuse, drugs as well as violence, so I wouldn't recommend this to the younger crowd. However, if you're 16 and up, I recommend that you pick this book and read it. It will keep you on your toes.
http://www.onceuponatwilight.com/2016...
Tyne Greer, aka Tiny, is six foot six, helps her dad maintain the building they live in and is in love with shooting hoops for her high school team. Stick is her long-time-friend-turned-into-boyfriend who is her ride or die and provides comic relief.
When Tyne comes across a dead girl's body, and the only two people who have been in the room where her father and herself, she has to really think about if she knows who her father truly is. Did he kill this girl? And when confronted, why did he lie? Why would he do that to a girl? Who was that girl? I can't blame Tyne for freaking out and avoiding her dad for a couple weeks. While she was avoiding him, she was busy looking for clues with Stick. Ultimately, everything comes to light, and as they say, you may think you want to know the answer to something, but some things are better left unanswered.
Defender covers a little of everything. From sports highlights, to mystery to family drama. Let's just stay there is a lot going for a short story. There is physical abuse, drugs as well as violence, so I wouldn't recommend this to the younger crowd. However, if you're 16 and up, I recommend that you pick this book and read it. It will keep you on your toes.
http://www.onceuponatwilight.com/2016...
April 9, 2016
3.5 stars.
This was an okay read. Not a favourite but it was good and had some great plot twists around some corners but I do feel like it could've been written better. In the first half, I didn't really like the writing style. It did improve further through the book though, but still.
I was also pretty disappointed in the ending. I felt like it could've been dramatic or mysterious.
This book had such a great plot but I feel like it wasn't used properly, or as well as it could have been. Tiny's grandma's shed could've been talked about more, for instance as well as Vicky maybe or some of the other characters.
Other than those points, I did enjoy most of the book. I thought the whole 'detective' part of the story was done really well and was also super interesting.
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was an okay read. Not a favourite but it was good and had some great plot twists around some corners but I do feel like it could've been written better. In the first half, I didn't really like the writing style. It did improve further through the book though, but still.
I was also pretty disappointed in the ending. I felt like it could've been dramatic or mysterious.
This book had such a great plot but I feel like it wasn't used properly, or as well as it could have been. Tiny's grandma's shed could've been talked about more, for instance as well as Vicky maybe or some of the other characters.
Other than those points, I did enjoy most of the book. I thought the whole 'detective' part of the story was done really well and was also super interesting.
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 14, 2016
Tyne lives in the Zoo, a poor, rundown section of Toronto, where she helps her father, their building's super. When she discovers a girl's body hidden in the building's furnace, she inadvertently digs up dirt on her family. Who was this girl, why is she in her family's building's walls, and what does her dad have to do with all of this?
3.5 stars rated up, this was a well-written mystery that kept me on my toes. While the suspects are few, the novel keeps you guessing about what actually happened to the dead girl and why. Fast-paced with likeable scrappy characters, this is perfect for fans of April Henry or Caroline B. Cooney.
3.5 stars rated up, this was a well-written mystery that kept me on my toes. While the suspects are few, the novel keeps you guessing about what actually happened to the dead girl and why. Fast-paced with likeable scrappy characters, this is perfect for fans of April Henry or Caroline B. Cooney.
April 12, 2016
Solid 3 1/2.
July 30, 2021
Tyne, who's height has earned her the ironic nickname of Tiny, is working on recovering from a knee injury this Christmas break so she can get back on the court. She's also spending time with her boyfriend, Stick, who also lives in the rundown Toronto apartment complex where Tiny's father is the super. When emergencies hit, Dad ropes Tiny into helping him with repairs, so that's how she finds herself in the subbasement trying to stop a leak only to see a dead girl staring out from a crack in the wall local construction must have broken open. Tiny freaks out, tells her Dad, and he goes to check it out only to come back and say the drugs she's on for her knee must've made her see things. Tiny is 100% sure she didn't see things, so she ropes Stick into helping her find out who the girl was, what happened to the body, and who killed her in the first place.
McNamee has written a mystery that's very hard to put down. The need to figure out what happened makes the pages fly by. I like how he seamlessly wove in stuff about Tyne's pursuit of a basketball scholarship. There's very few books out there featuring teen girl basketball players, especially ones who are over 6 feet tall and have to also deal with tall girl issues. It is a gritty story, though, and definitely not for everyone. There's a lot of potential trigger issues woven in, and though handled pretty tactfully (such that the story could be shown on prime time TV no problem), know the reader you hand this to. For those who can handle the content, it's a unique mystery with the detective being who she is and well written.
Notes on content: About 10 minor swears and 2 moderate ones. No sex scenes. It is stated that a teen guy and girl have a "love nest" and use it, but it isn't described at all. Some kisses are the only thing on page. Physical domestic abuse is a huge part of the story and that is often aggravated by alcohol abuse. Drug dealers/mules are also key to the plot (very little drug use actually talked about...and none on page). Stick is a foster kid and it is talked about how he has it pretty good and what some others less lucky have to go through. A nonviolent death, a death in a fire, and dismemberment of a corpse are somewhat described, as is a brutal beating.
McNamee has written a mystery that's very hard to put down. The need to figure out what happened makes the pages fly by. I like how he seamlessly wove in stuff about Tyne's pursuit of a basketball scholarship. There's very few books out there featuring teen girl basketball players, especially ones who are over 6 feet tall and have to also deal with tall girl issues. It is a gritty story, though, and definitely not for everyone. There's a lot of potential trigger issues woven in, and though handled pretty tactfully (such that the story could be shown on prime time TV no problem), know the reader you hand this to. For those who can handle the content, it's a unique mystery with the detective being who she is and well written.
Notes on content: About 10 minor swears and 2 moderate ones. No sex scenes. It is stated that a teen guy and girl have a "love nest" and use it, but it isn't described at all. Some kisses are the only thing on page. Physical domestic abuse is a huge part of the story and that is often aggravated by alcohol abuse. Drug dealers/mules are also key to the plot (very little drug use actually talked about...and none on page). Stick is a foster kid and it is talked about how he has it pretty good and what some others less lucky have to go through. A nonviolent death, a death in a fire, and dismemberment of a corpse are somewhat described, as is a brutal beating.
August 13, 2017
Defender certainly kept me hooks once things got going but I can't say it was entirely out of enjoyment. I've read my fair share of high school sleuth tales and have enjoyed a few but when the mystery involves a death I inevitable have a hard time getting behind it. I just can't picture teens willing to take on something like that. Unless they have a natural proclivity for finding the truth or have a personal stake in it most would either let the authorities handy it or push it to the back of their mind and move on. That being said McNamee does make it clear that Tyne has not only a personal stake in things but an understandable one. The characters actions don't always seem rational but they are believe for the situation.
I will say the mystery aspect is pretty good. McNamee gives the right amount of possible villains to keep the reader puzzling things out and when the big bad is reviled it doesn't feel entirely out of left field. Looking back it even felt obvious with McNamee having laid out hints without throwing them in your face.
I can say for sure that had McNamee axed the last three chapters I undoubtable would have enjoyed this more. For only taking up ten pages they felt over long and unnecessary. McNamee missed out on a chance to end the book on a powerful note.
I will say the mystery aspect is pretty good. McNamee gives the right amount of possible villains to keep the reader puzzling things out and when the big bad is reviled it doesn't feel entirely out of left field. Looking back it even felt obvious with McNamee having laid out hints without throwing them in your face.
I can say for sure that had McNamee axed the last three chapters I undoubtable would have enjoyed this more. For only taking up ten pages they felt over long and unnecessary. McNamee missed out on a chance to end the book on a powerful note.
October 11, 2018
Do you like books about kidnapping and crime, well if you do this book is for you. It starts out with someone who thinks shes a freak finding something in the trash, she confronts her dad about it and he moves making her think that shes going crazy. She then confines in her friend to help her solve this mystery with only one solid clue they start to solve the crime. Learning dangerous secrets that were kept in her family help them, they just did not understand that someone people like their privacy. Honestly the book was okay I just don´t think this was a book for me, it took a long time to explain things which just made it more mysterious and I don´t really like books that take so long to understand.
January 16, 2019
“If you want to get past me, you’re going to have to move this giant. Because that’s what I do. It’s what I am. A defender.”
Sometimes karma works on your side, other times you have to make your own karma. A lot of times in the world, the bad guys win. Or even if they lose in the end, they won a lot in the beginning (which cost people a lot). Tyne has inadvertently stumbled upon a decades’ old mystery that she strongly suspects involves her family, so her and her boyfriend “Stick” (his nickname) go to investigate in various places, such as yearbooks, the library, old news articles, dates and sign-in sheets, asking certain people certain questions…sometimes the wrong people. It’s kind of one of those “in the wrong place at the wrong time” sort of things, or “seeing something they weren’t supposed to”. And it gets weirder and weirder as the mystery unravels. Once we reach the conclusion of what actually happens, it’s not something I expected at all. And it was pretty disturbing.
I like how Tyne is a really tall girl. Even though I can’t relate to that at all, it’s an uncommon thing and makes her unique, so it’s nice seeing such a different type of trait in a character that we don’t tend to see too often. I also like her and Stick’s unwillingness to give up, their tenacity, throughout the whole mystery. But that it’s also realistic enough to the point where they can only do so much—they’re just teenagers. They are not private investigators, police officers, crime specialists/analysts, etc. Considering all this, it was impressive to me how much they were able to uncover all on their own, but at the same time, it was DOABLE. It wasn’t unbelievable. Anyone can look certain things up or ask around. I myself just don’t think I’d have thought of some of the things they’d thought of, which led them in the right direction. Some people just have a knack for mysteries. I see it all the time with people on the internet coming up with theories for things, that I myself had never thought of. But again, it all comes to a climax where more people (especially adults) get involved, because it’s not a kid’s game. So it had that nice balance of it being mostly a teen story, but with mature content.
“If you were looking for some moral or message, you’ve come to the wrong story. All I know is that his is over.” I like how realistic it is, in how it wasn’t a very sentimental or feel-good type of story, but it DID still leave me satisfied. . As of now, I think there’s only one other book by McNamee that I haven’t read yet. I hope he writes more in the future.
August 28, 2019
Tyne “Tiny” Greer, six foot six high-school basketball star, is an unlikely person to solve a murder that occurred in “The Zoo,” the tenement where she lives with her mother and father, the building superintendent since she was in high school. Her focus is on getting a college sports scholarship, the only hope she has of escaping the poverty in which she has been raised. When she discovers a body in a crumbling basement wall, her father insists that she only saw a
pile of trash and that side effects of pain pills she’s taking for a knee injury have caused her to hallucinate. Aided by Stick, her boyfriend, Tiny returns to the site for a closer look, delves into dangerous family secrets better left alone, and tips the delicate balance of her family dynamics.
pile of trash and that side effects of pain pills she’s taking for a knee injury have caused her to hallucinate. Aided by Stick, her boyfriend, Tiny returns to the site for a closer look, delves into dangerous family secrets better left alone, and tips the delicate balance of her family dynamics.
September 25, 2017
This is a fast paced, quick read that blends sports, mystery and family themes.
Tyne and Stick live in the Zoo - a run down, high rise slum in downtown Toronto. Tyne is 6 ft 6 and looking to basketball as an escape. Stick is a foster kid who is her boyfriend and best friend. When Tyne, or "Tiny", finds a girl's mummified corpse in the basement of her building, it sets her and Stick off trying to uncover the dead girl's identity. Only, will it unveil secrets close to home that might be better left buried? The resolution was unexpected, but realistic and satisfying.
Well written with great character development. Recommend to readers who enjoy mysteries/suspense.
Tyne and Stick live in the Zoo - a run down, high rise slum in downtown Toronto. Tyne is 6 ft 6 and looking to basketball as an escape. Stick is a foster kid who is her boyfriend and best friend. When Tyne, or "Tiny", finds a girl's mummified corpse in the basement of her building, it sets her and Stick off trying to uncover the dead girl's identity. Only, will it unveil secrets close to home that might be better left buried? The resolution was unexpected, but realistic and satisfying.
Well written with great character development. Recommend to readers who enjoy mysteries/suspense.
July 21, 2019
At six foot six, Tyne dominates the basketball court and hopes for a college scholarship. At home in a rough section of Toronto Tyne, or Tiny as she's called, has the support of her loving family lead by her father, Teddy, the building super. When Tiny uncovers something in the basement of her building that makes her question the motives of the father she loves along with the rest of her family, can she figure out the truth to a decades old mystery? Is the truth worth uncovering if it hurts those you love the most? Find out in this page-turning mystery.
November 13, 2016
I can almost guarantee that the fast action and simple language combined with the mystery of the dead body will entice my reluctant readers. Will be interested to see if it flies off the shelf as I suspect it will.
July 1, 2017
A good mystery that will appeal to your reluctant guy readers due to the sports theme. I think they will enjoy it, even though the main character is a female basketball player. Fans of John Feinstein's mysteries will enjoy this one.
November 10, 2018
This book is one you pickup and cannot put down. The writing was wonderful and the charachters a bit out of the norm. I will certainly be reading this author in the future, this was my first Grahm McNamee book.
May 7, 2019
This was a very good book but what I didn't like about the book is it took till the end of the book for things to start happening and unfolding overall I would tell people who like crime and mysteries to read this book.
October 28, 2021
Was not the book for me though it got boring. It was a mystery book and it didn't leave many cliffhangers in my opinion. It was well plot-driven and the plot was really well developed but other than that I didn't like it.
April 1, 2022
This would be a 4.5-star rating if I could do that. This is a very good book that builds suspense very nicely. The book stays organized the whole way through and is easy to understand. If you enjoy mystery or crime, I highly recommend this book to you!
August 5, 2023
Im not a huge horror book fan. This was honestly boring at first but I will say towards the middle I was addicted to the murder then it got pretty boring towards the end and was a little unnecessary I felt. Overall not the worst book I’ve read but it did take me a bit to finish.
September 9, 2018
I think it's a great book to read it have a great mystery in it about a daughter and her dad in a basement that has a dead girl in it
July 17, 2019
Enjoyable, fast read. I'm so glad to have another thriller/mystery to add to my recommendations for my students.
July 16, 2020
i'm on a quest to read more male authors because SO MANY of the ya books i read are by women. this isn't something i would usually pick up. but it wasn't bad, just not to my taste
March 22, 2022
2.75 ⭐️
August 16, 2022
3.5 stars
January 18, 2017
Tiny and her family live in a run-down apartment building. Her father is the building superintendent, but his job is stressful because the owner doesn't want to spend much on upkeep. One day after a broken pipe has flooded the basement, Tiny discovers a body wedged into a wall. After Tiny tells her father about what she's found, the body disappears. Could her own father have moved the body? Who murdered the girl and why? What would you think?
April 21, 2016
I liked the premise, but thought it could have pushed even further with the mystery. Loved the characters.
Tyne "Tiny" Greer is anything but tiny. She's 6'6" and trying to amp up her basketball game-- hoping it will be her ticket out of the slums of Toronto. Her dad is the maintenance man of their apartment building, called "The Zoo", and she helps out when she can. During one of these helping situations, she finds a body in the basement wall. Hidden for many years, she wonders who could have done this? When her dad seemingly covers it up, Tiny turns to her best friend/boyfriend, Stick. They decide to find out the truth-- and Tiny is really hoping the truth isn't that her dad is a killer.
My Thoughts:
Did you ever see the Kevin Bacon movie Stir of Echoes? If not, you SO should it's one of my favorite creepy thrillers. If you have, this book was definitely giving me the same vibes, just without the paranormal. This is the story of a girl finding a body in the basement of her apartment building and knowing that somehow her family is connected to the death. What would you do if you found out one or more of your family members has done the worst of the worst? It's such a tough dilemma because bringing the truth out is going to cause hurt to your family, but not doing anything is going to eat away at your conscious. In Tiny's case, she decides to find out the full truth before making a decision. Luckily her boyfriend, Stick, is a sleuth in the making and is able to lead her there.
What I loved about this book: The characters and the setting. This book has such an odd cast that I had fun just trying to picture all these people in my head. Tyne is a giant of a girl, basketball player, trying to fit into a world that is too small for her (literally). Stick is the opposite of Tyne. Called Stick for being so thin, and he doesn't care how odd he and Tyne look together. I felt all the characters have distinct personalities and backstories and issues. It's set in an apartment building in Toronto called The Zoo. I loved the feel of this run-down, almost hopeless place that the Greer family lived. It was a great setting for a body and a mystery to turn up.
Tiny and Stick were practically perfection. I loved that the relationship was more than just romantic. It was a true friendship and a "where you go, I go" sort of love. Because of Tiny's size, she's gawked at, and really doesn't fit in, but it was nice to know she always had someone who didn't care about all that. He accepted her 100%, knew that they looked ridiculous together, and truly gave zero fucks about it.
What I didn't love: The premise was awesome-- find a body and wonder if someone in your family could be responsible-- but when all was said and done, I was hoping for more. I wanted the revelation to be bigger, worse, or something that really made me think. While this book was full of villains, the big reveal almost wanted to sympathize the villain, only to do a 180 and convince you that he/she really is evil. It was sort of a wishy-washy feeling that I didn't really love. Also, why so many nicknames? It seemed like none of the characters actually went by their given names-- instead there was Squirrel, Tiny, Stick, Mad Dog, etc. I'm all for a good nickname, but I don't want everyone in one book to have one.
OVERALL: I really enjoyed this quick, entertaining read. It had unique, thoroughly developed characters, a cool setting, and a creepy mystery. If not for the oddness of the ending, I would be shouting recommendations for this one.
My Blog:
Tyne "Tiny" Greer is anything but tiny. She's 6'6" and trying to amp up her basketball game-- hoping it will be her ticket out of the slums of Toronto. Her dad is the maintenance man of their apartment building, called "The Zoo", and she helps out when she can. During one of these helping situations, she finds a body in the basement wall. Hidden for many years, she wonders who could have done this? When her dad seemingly covers it up, Tiny turns to her best friend/boyfriend, Stick. They decide to find out the truth-- and Tiny is really hoping the truth isn't that her dad is a killer.
My Thoughts:
Did you ever see the Kevin Bacon movie Stir of Echoes? If not, you SO should it's one of my favorite creepy thrillers. If you have, this book was definitely giving me the same vibes, just without the paranormal. This is the story of a girl finding a body in the basement of her apartment building and knowing that somehow her family is connected to the death. What would you do if you found out one or more of your family members has done the worst of the worst? It's such a tough dilemma because bringing the truth out is going to cause hurt to your family, but not doing anything is going to eat away at your conscious. In Tiny's case, she decides to find out the full truth before making a decision. Luckily her boyfriend, Stick, is a sleuth in the making and is able to lead her there.
What I loved about this book: The characters and the setting. This book has such an odd cast that I had fun just trying to picture all these people in my head. Tyne is a giant of a girl, basketball player, trying to fit into a world that is too small for her (literally). Stick is the opposite of Tyne. Called Stick for being so thin, and he doesn't care how odd he and Tyne look together. I felt all the characters have distinct personalities and backstories and issues. It's set in an apartment building in Toronto called The Zoo. I loved the feel of this run-down, almost hopeless place that the Greer family lived. It was a great setting for a body and a mystery to turn up.
Tiny and Stick were practically perfection. I loved that the relationship was more than just romantic. It was a true friendship and a "where you go, I go" sort of love. Because of Tiny's size, she's gawked at, and really doesn't fit in, but it was nice to know she always had someone who didn't care about all that. He accepted her 100%, knew that they looked ridiculous together, and truly gave zero fucks about it.
What I didn't love: The premise was awesome-- find a body and wonder if someone in your family could be responsible-- but when all was said and done, I was hoping for more. I wanted the revelation to be bigger, worse, or something that really made me think. While this book was full of villains, the big reveal almost wanted to sympathize the villain, only to do a 180 and convince you that he/she really is evil. It was sort of a wishy-washy feeling that I didn't really love. Also, why so many nicknames? It seemed like none of the characters actually went by their given names-- instead there was Squirrel, Tiny, Stick, Mad Dog, etc. I'm all for a good nickname, but I don't want everyone in one book to have one.
OVERALL: I really enjoyed this quick, entertaining read. It had unique, thoroughly developed characters, a cool setting, and a creepy mystery. If not for the oddness of the ending, I would be shouting recommendations for this one.
My Blog:
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