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Spin
Sixteen-year-old Paris Secord's (aka DJ ParSec) career--and life--has come to an untimely end, and the local music scene is reeling. No one is feeling the pain more than her shunned pre-fame best friend, Kya, and Paris's chief groupie, Fuse. But suspicion trumps grief, and since each suspects the other of Paris's murder, they're locked in a high-stakes game of public accusations and sabotage.
Everyone in the ParSec Nation (DJ ParSec's local media base)--including the killer--is content to watch it play out, until Kya and Fuse discover a secret: Paris was on the verge of major deal that would've catapulted her to superstar status on a national level, leaving her old life (and old friends) behind. With the new info comes new motives. New suspects. And a fandom that shows its deadly side. As Kya and Fuse come closer to the twisted truth, the killer's no longer amused. But murdering Paris was simple enough, so getting rid of her nobody-friends shouldn't be an issue...
Everyone in the ParSec Nation (DJ ParSec's local media base)--including the killer--is content to watch it play out, until Kya and Fuse discover a secret: Paris was on the verge of major deal that would've catapulted her to superstar status on a national level, leaving her old life (and old friends) behind. With the new info comes new motives. New suspects. And a fandom that shows its deadly side. As Kya and Fuse come closer to the twisted truth, the killer's no longer amused. But murdering Paris was simple enough, so getting rid of her nobody-friends shouldn't be an issue...
400 pages, Hardcover
First published January 29, 2019
92 people are currently reading
3293 people want to read
About the author
Lamar Giles
32 books616 followersLamar "L. R." Giles writes books for teens and adults. FAKE ID, his debut Young Adult Thriller, will be published by HarperCollins in 2014. He is represented by Jamie Weiss Chilton of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency and resides in Chesapeake, VA with his wife.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 248 reviews
September 7, 2024
Mr. Giles’ Spin is a suck-you-in-so-fast YA suspense novel centered around teen-aged rising star, DJ ParSec. Or maybe more honestly, her murder.
Childhood friend and confidante, Kya, is incredibly proud of Paris’ success. Not just because of her own countless contributions in creating ParSec’s first set up. Kya has always been her biggest fan, staunchest supporter and most fierce defender. But, when one event shatters a huge part of Kya’s life and she desperately needs her best bud, she gets the persona, ParSec, and a cold shoulder instead.
That isn’t the only relationship crumbling for the frustrated DJ. She and fan-turned-friend, Fuse, had been spatting more than planning lately. Creative differences, nothing to do with the boy who may or may not have caused this wedge.
Oh, and the boy—well, his motives have been questionable since he’s come onto the scene.
From the outside looking in, it seems that there was a riff with Paris and three of the most important people in her life. But when delving deeper, the reader is reminded that things are not always as they appear and sometimes, the very real danger is cleverly disguised.
Spin epitomizes the stories I love to share with “my” students. Realistic, relatable characters with actual issues, sometimes solved by the very real strength of friendship.
Childhood friend and confidante, Kya, is incredibly proud of Paris’ success. Not just because of her own countless contributions in creating ParSec’s first set up. Kya has always been her biggest fan, staunchest supporter and most fierce defender. But, when one event shatters a huge part of Kya’s life and she desperately needs her best bud, she gets the persona, ParSec, and a cold shoulder instead.
That isn’t the only relationship crumbling for the frustrated DJ. She and fan-turned-friend, Fuse, had been spatting more than planning lately. Creative differences, nothing to do with the boy who may or may not have caused this wedge.
Oh, and the boy—well, his motives have been questionable since he’s come onto the scene.
From the outside looking in, it seems that there was a riff with Paris and three of the most important people in her life. But when delving deeper, the reader is reminded that things are not always as they appear and sometimes, the very real danger is cleverly disguised.
Spin epitomizes the stories I love to share with “my” students. Realistic, relatable characters with actual issues, sometimes solved by the very real strength of friendship.
July 17, 2019
Fun, fast-paced, gripping mystery. I had an inkling about the whodunit part but there were a few other twists that I didn't see coming.
February 25, 2019
First, if you're looking for diverse characters, this is for you. It's not 'diversity for diversity's sake'. In other words, this isn't some dude jumping on the diverse YA bandwagon. He's been writing for a while. The author himself is a POC and (shock!) he understands that POC aren't all the same. We have rich people, poor people, people who love music, people who code. Of all races. This will appeal to any YA reader.
Looking beyond the diversity tag, we simply have an excellent YA thriller. It's a pretty clean read, but it's not without drama, danger, and (yes!) girl power. Our girls may get off track a little at first, but friendship and power come into play here as they try to solve the murder of one of their own.
I loved the characters and loved trying to figure out who did it.
This author needs much more exposure and I'm so happy I read this!
Looking beyond the diversity tag, we simply have an excellent YA thriller. It's a pretty clean read, but it's not without drama, danger, and (yes!) girl power. Our girls may get off track a little at first, but friendship and power come into play here as they try to solve the murder of one of their own.
I loved the characters and loved trying to figure out who did it.
This author needs much more exposure and I'm so happy I read this!
August 1, 2019
This book was DOPE.
The mystery was well done, with enough red herrings to keep me entranced. And the beautiful acknowledgment and integration of current and past hip-hop was extremely on point.
My only complaint was the audiobook, which would have done better to secure younger narrators to match the tone of the text. Bahni Turpin is always amazing, but there were a lot of times throughout the book where it was easy to forget the intended ages of the characters. AND one of the other narrators tended to use inflection and emphasis on the wrong words making it difficult to follow.
I also think that this was a great book to read just after "Monday's Not Coming", as they both dealt with the differences in which violence against black girls is handled in comparison to white girls.
Recommend.
The mystery was well done, with enough red herrings to keep me entranced. And the beautiful acknowledgment and integration of current and past hip-hop was extremely on point.
My only complaint was the audiobook, which would have done better to secure younger narrators to match the tone of the text. Bahni Turpin is always amazing, but there were a lot of times throughout the book where it was easy to forget the intended ages of the characters. AND one of the other narrators tended to use inflection and emphasis on the wrong words making it difficult to follow.
I also think that this was a great book to read just after "Monday's Not Coming", as they both dealt with the differences in which violence against black girls is handled in comparison to white girls.
Recommend.
June 16, 2020
Not only does this book feature a brilliantly gripping mystery, it also superbly explores the all too prevalent and dangerous issue regarding the lack of interest/effort from the public and police when it comes to looking for justice for crimes against Black girls and women.
Despite a somewhat slow start, I found myself entirely hooked to this story. I loved Kya, Fuse and Paris's distinct voices (which were especially well portrayed in the audiobook narration).
It's got a gripping mystery, fantastic social commentary, a wonderful slow burn friendship, powerful teens, exploration of the dark side of fandoms and some Veronica Mars style detective work. Basically, this book has truly got it all.
Despite a somewhat slow start, I found myself entirely hooked to this story. I loved Kya, Fuse and Paris's distinct voices (which were especially well portrayed in the audiobook narration).
It's got a gripping mystery, fantastic social commentary, a wonderful slow burn friendship, powerful teens, exploration of the dark side of fandoms and some Veronica Mars style detective work. Basically, this book has truly got it all.
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December 23, 2018Man, this was so good. I always think Giles's thrillers are good but I think this is my fave so far. I just loved the voices, loved the pacing, loved the way he incorporated the dark web, fandom (and standom), and social justice, and also made it a friendship story, not to mention I thought the mystery went to a very cool place. I am such a fan and this was honestly even better than I thought it'd be.
March 19, 2019
3.75
I wish Giles would take some thriller writing workshops from E. Lockhart or Jennifer Lynn Barnes because this book could have been so good. He was missing some character development that would have made this book a 4 star or more.
This book is basically a thriller/whodunit in the music/rap world which in itself is nuanced. Considering the mysterious deaths of Biggie and Tupac, this setting is not out of the ordinary.
My issues with this book are minor but it was a lot of little things that added up.
The pacing was my biggest issue. The first third was a set up for our two main characters and things didn't start kicking in until 35% in. Kya was an interesting character and had a lot of grief that had little to no focus in the first 35% I wish Giles would have gone into her her mental state and her relationship with her mother more. For the first 35% the narrators were barely grieving and the investigation into Paris' murder was absent from the page. I watch a lot of crime TV and I know that detectives try to solve a murder within the first 48 hours but weeks had gone by with no police interaction with the characters. The police eventually did come on page but it was really late. Which leads me to my next issue...
Giles tried to do too much in the first 35% of the book which made it drag. Giles tried to use Paris, the murdered girl, as a commentary on how the police and the media ignore the deaths of Black girls over White girls. And while this is prevalent, I just watched a documentary on Amazon called Unseen and you should check it out because it's fascinating, it doesn't quite fit Paris' case. Police ignore common missing Black girls not celebrities. Paris seemed to be equivalent to DJ Khaled-very well known in Virginia and about to be worldwide. The police wouldn't ignore a murder of a well known celebrity. I think the inaction of the police in the first 35% of the book was trying to show the inaction of the real police but once again, they wouldn't ignore a celebrity-I wasn't buying it. If that topic is so strong to Giles, he should have written that book and it probably would have been good.
The other BIGGEST issue was the Dark Nation. I understand that Giles was trying to do something different and I applaud it but that just didn't land for me-too farfetched. The Dark Nation was comparable to The Beehive except they were online and in person-they came after you on social media AND in person. WHAT?! They were kidnapping people and threatening physical harm because Paris' case wasn't moving fast enough and they stopped because they were given unreleased music? WHAT? No, just no. The attacks on social media was realistic and okay and when they were at the concert at the end and they all came together was realistic and okay but the kidnapping was just stupid.
Now for the minor issues. There was not enough of Paris. The story began the night of her death and we meet Paris during the months before. I thought Paris was an interesting character but she wasn't on the page enough. She quickly began to spiral out of control during her rise in success but we didn't see the before Paris and if we had, her spiral would have made a larger impact to her story. I liked Paris a lot and she just didn't get enough page time. I liked Paris A LOT more than Bri in On the Come Up.
Now for the likes. I liked how Giles used social media. I thought Fuse's social media savviness was authentic and added to her character. I liked the female friendships and I liked that THERE WAS NO ROMANCE!!! Giles didn't create some stupid romance that would have distracted the reader from the thriller or Paris-THANK YOU. I liked Fuse's relationship with father and the resolution at the end. The pacing on the last two thirds of the book was pretty good; I read almost the whole thing. I usually skip through the end of most books because I'm over it. I guessed who the murderer was when Giles basically wanted the reader to guess so it wasn't predictable from the beginning and it wasn't some rando character. I liked how the murder was revealed and I thought it was well written.
Giles has a lot to say and he is a good writer. His characters were pretty spot on and the whole mystery aspect was pretty good. I liked the diversity of the Black characters. There are poor Black people and wealthy Black people and book smart Black people and talented Black people and Black people who are raised by their grandparents and Black people who have two parents and a lot of times in books like this, that is the focal point. But in this book, they were just Black and Hispanic teens who happened to come from different neighborhoods with different families and I appreciated that. I thought the inclusion of old school rap and new school was just enough and I thought Spin was much better than On the Come Up. I know they are different genres and dealt with different issues but Giles writing and execution was far better than Thomas' in On the Come Up.
If you are a librarian, I think this is a pretty good book for book club as there is a lot to discuss and it's a great book talk title.
I wish Giles would take some thriller writing workshops from E. Lockhart or Jennifer Lynn Barnes because this book could have been so good. He was missing some character development that would have made this book a 4 star or more.
This book is basically a thriller/whodunit in the music/rap world which in itself is nuanced. Considering the mysterious deaths of Biggie and Tupac, this setting is not out of the ordinary.
My issues with this book are minor but it was a lot of little things that added up.
The pacing was my biggest issue. The first third was a set up for our two main characters and things didn't start kicking in until 35% in. Kya was an interesting character and had a lot of grief that had little to no focus in the first 35% I wish Giles would have gone into her her mental state and her relationship with her mother more. For the first 35% the narrators were barely grieving and the investigation into Paris' murder was absent from the page. I watch a lot of crime TV and I know that detectives try to solve a murder within the first 48 hours but weeks had gone by with no police interaction with the characters. The police eventually did come on page but it was really late. Which leads me to my next issue...
Giles tried to do too much in the first 35% of the book which made it drag. Giles tried to use Paris, the murdered girl, as a commentary on how the police and the media ignore the deaths of Black girls over White girls. And while this is prevalent, I just watched a documentary on Amazon called Unseen and you should check it out because it's fascinating, it doesn't quite fit Paris' case. Police ignore common missing Black girls not celebrities. Paris seemed to be equivalent to DJ Khaled-very well known in Virginia and about to be worldwide. The police wouldn't ignore a murder of a well known celebrity. I think the inaction of the police in the first 35% of the book was trying to show the inaction of the real police but once again, they wouldn't ignore a celebrity-I wasn't buying it. If that topic is so strong to Giles, he should have written that book and it probably would have been good.
The other BIGGEST issue was the Dark Nation. I understand that Giles was trying to do something different and I applaud it but that just didn't land for me-too farfetched. The Dark Nation was comparable to The Beehive except they were online and in person-they came after you on social media AND in person. WHAT?! They were kidnapping people and threatening physical harm because Paris' case wasn't moving fast enough and they stopped because they were given unreleased music? WHAT? No, just no. The attacks on social media was realistic and okay and when they were at the concert at the end and they all came together was realistic and okay but the kidnapping was just stupid.
Now for the minor issues. There was not enough of Paris. The story began the night of her death and we meet Paris during the months before. I thought Paris was an interesting character but she wasn't on the page enough. She quickly began to spiral out of control during her rise in success but we didn't see the before Paris and if we had, her spiral would have made a larger impact to her story. I liked Paris a lot and she just didn't get enough page time. I liked Paris A LOT more than Bri in On the Come Up.
Now for the likes. I liked how Giles used social media. I thought Fuse's social media savviness was authentic and added to her character. I liked the female friendships and I liked that THERE WAS NO ROMANCE!!! Giles didn't create some stupid romance that would have distracted the reader from the thriller or Paris-THANK YOU. I liked Fuse's relationship with father and the resolution at the end. The pacing on the last two thirds of the book was pretty good; I read almost the whole thing. I usually skip through the end of most books because I'm over it. I guessed who the murderer was when Giles basically wanted the reader to guess so it wasn't predictable from the beginning and it wasn't some rando character. I liked how the murder was revealed and I thought it was well written.
Giles has a lot to say and he is a good writer. His characters were pretty spot on and the whole mystery aspect was pretty good. I liked the diversity of the Black characters. There are poor Black people and wealthy Black people and book smart Black people and talented Black people and Black people who are raised by their grandparents and Black people who have two parents and a lot of times in books like this, that is the focal point. But in this book, they were just Black and Hispanic teens who happened to come from different neighborhoods with different families and I appreciated that. I thought the inclusion of old school rap and new school was just enough and I thought Spin was much better than On the Come Up. I know they are different genres and dealt with different issues but Giles writing and execution was far better than Thomas' in On the Come Up.
If you are a librarian, I think this is a pretty good book for book club as there is a lot to discuss and it's a great book talk title.
August 8, 2019
I've read other works by this author before in anthologies so I was excited to read a full length novel. It did take me some time to get into the story but once I did, I was hooked. I enjoyed how in depth this book was when it came to music, shady people and the intense fandom as well. This book also touched on the lack of media coverage when a person of color is killed which I thought was an important topic as well. When the killer is revealed I honestly wasn’t expecting it to be that person. I had my money on someone else. Way to keep me on my toes! I love the fact that book had diverse characters and not just your stereotypical black characters as well. As a black woman I found this very refreshing! Overall, I did enjoy this book and look forward to reading more books from this author.
'Shelly's Book Corner received a review copy from Amazon Vine and voluntarily provided an honest review. This does not affect the opinion of the book or the content of the review.'
'Shelly's Book Corner received a review copy from Amazon Vine and voluntarily provided an honest review. This does not affect the opinion of the book or the content of the review.'
October 24, 2020
"How much grief, on average, does it take to break a person?"
This novel follows two girls who must work together to figure out who murdered their respective friend, a DJ named Paris. Kya is a soft-spoken tech genius, while Fuse is a charismatic rich girl great at marketing. They don't like each other at first, but slowly form a bond as they track down Paris's killer. I loved their dynamic, and the dialog between them was perfect. Kya and Fuse were well-developed characters, even if no one else was. Paris, who readers get a few chapters from, came across as whiny and stuck up, and I couldn't bring myself to care about her death. The plot was okay, though the ending felt a little rushed. There was a creepy fandom that did HIGHLY illegal things, but that was ignored once it was no longer central to the plot.
"It doesn't take much grief at all to break a person, and nothing's wrong with that. Broken things can be fixed."
As a person who doesn't really listen to rap or hip-hop, many of the references went over my head, but I still managed to enjoy the story. The writing itself was good, and it was easy to get lost in the story. There was a slight thriller aspect to the book, but none of it felt dangerous because it was in the public eye. Additionally, the characters ignored their grief when the plot picked up. Overall, Spin was a fun mystery, even if it some of it fell a little short.
This novel follows two girls who must work together to figure out who murdered their respective friend, a DJ named Paris. Kya is a soft-spoken tech genius, while Fuse is a charismatic rich girl great at marketing. They don't like each other at first, but slowly form a bond as they track down Paris's killer. I loved their dynamic, and the dialog between them was perfect. Kya and Fuse were well-developed characters, even if no one else was. Paris, who readers get a few chapters from, came across as whiny and stuck up, and I couldn't bring myself to care about her death. The plot was okay, though the ending felt a little rushed. There was a creepy fandom that did HIGHLY illegal things, but that was ignored once it was no longer central to the plot.
"It doesn't take much grief at all to break a person, and nothing's wrong with that. Broken things can be fixed."
As a person who doesn't really listen to rap or hip-hop, many of the references went over my head, but I still managed to enjoy the story. The writing itself was good, and it was easy to get lost in the story. There was a slight thriller aspect to the book, but none of it felt dangerous because it was in the public eye. Additionally, the characters ignored their grief when the plot picked up. Overall, Spin was a fun mystery, even if it some of it fell a little short.
February 4, 2020
I absolutely loved this one! Very Veronica Mars meets IQ. I cannot recommend the audiobook enough- the three narrators were really wonderful, and had me glued to phone, listening until the very end. I already adore Lamar Giles, and so glad that he's a Virginia author, and Spin was everything I loved (murder, mystery, teen sleuths) and more! I would read a whole series with Fuse and Kya, navigating their friendship, eating at Five Guys and solving mysteries.
May 22, 2023
I picked this one up when I saw it on the middle grades list for our state book award for the year. While I think it has 1 foot in middle grade and another in young adult, I also don’t think it was for me. That being said, I wouldn’t hesitate to put this in a student’s hands. The intersection of social media and influencing and music and friendship would definitely appeal to many young readers. A little long-winded for serving its purpose, but I can imagine the right young person devouring it.
January 30, 2019
I love Giles’ characters and this time he gave me three great ones! DJ ParSec, real name Paris Secord, is a sixteen-year-old up-and-coming DJ ready for fame and most importantly fortune–or was before she was murdered. Being questioned in the police station are Fuse, basically her social media hype girl, and Kya, her childhood best friend. But the questioning doesn’t last long because the girls’ parents refuse to let the police keep questioning them, plus they swear they just found Paris dead and don’t know what could have happened. This alternates between the present where Kya and Fuse, who don’t like each other, try to figure out what happened to Paris while reconciling how their relationships had deteriorated prior to Paris’ death. We get to know Paris in flashback chapters that show her rise and struggle with leaving it all behind in order to “make it.” Giles gives us three different girls, with different families and struggles who are all trying to find their way, while shining a light on the inequalities of social justice, obsession, and the dark side of social media and fame. If you haven’t read Giles’ novels yet you really should–he’s writing some fantastic teen characters in the crime genre.
--from Book Riot's Unusual Suspects newsletter: https://link.bookriot.com/view/56a820...
--from Book Riot's Unusual Suspects newsletter: https://link.bookriot.com/view/56a820...
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January 24, 2019A really compelling mystery about a murdered DJ, her two closest friends/fans who -- at the time of her death -- were on the outs with her, and about police brutality, black justice, racial inequality in the media (there was a lot here reminiscent of Tiffany D. Jackson's MONDAY'S NOT COMING), and about social media and technology and the Dark Web. The twists here are solid and compelling, and both Kya and Fuse both have outstanding voices. This is my first Giles and won't be my last. Though Angie Thomas's ON THE COME UP isn't a mystery, I'd hand this book to readers who absolutely love that book. Lots of interesting similarities.
November 11, 2021
DJ Parsec, a popular teen DJ, was found murdered on her turntables. Now, her best friends, Fuse and Kya, are suspects. These girls despise one another, but are thrown together to solve their mutual friends’ murder.
I really liked this YA murder mystery set inside the music world, equipped with the stan-base “ParNec Nation”. It was very much like what you see in social media where artists have their extreme followers, i.e. Bey Hive, Barbz, etc. being so deeply involved in an artists dealings and working overtime on speculation and conspiracy theories. When the cops let go and move on for lack of interest, the stans are hellbent on finding out what happened.
The story itself was fast-paced, twisty and bingeable! The entertainment factor was A1! I liked getting all 3 girls’ insights and how each one brought a different spin - Parsec - the DJ, Kya - tech savvy, Fuse - the marketing genius. It was full of hip hop culture jewels, but also highlighting serious social/racial issues.
🎁Thank you @booknerdfam for gifting me this copy. If you’re looking for a book to spark a love of reading for a teen in your life, this is a great place to start!! Also, a great parent/child buddy read & book discussion!
I really liked this YA murder mystery set inside the music world, equipped with the stan-base “ParNec Nation”. It was very much like what you see in social media where artists have their extreme followers, i.e. Bey Hive, Barbz, etc. being so deeply involved in an artists dealings and working overtime on speculation and conspiracy theories. When the cops let go and move on for lack of interest, the stans are hellbent on finding out what happened.
The story itself was fast-paced, twisty and bingeable! The entertainment factor was A1! I liked getting all 3 girls’ insights and how each one brought a different spin - Parsec - the DJ, Kya - tech savvy, Fuse - the marketing genius. It was full of hip hop culture jewels, but also highlighting serious social/racial issues.
🎁Thank you @booknerdfam for gifting me this copy. If you’re looking for a book to spark a love of reading for a teen in your life, this is a great place to start!! Also, a great parent/child buddy read & book discussion!
December 28, 2018
Giles has a winner here!! Gripping from the start, I loved this mystery about the murder of a talented young DJ.
I think teen readers will LOVE this book- the social media, the friendships, school life and language was all spot on. And it will certainly appeal to our high taste readers (s/o to Nic Stone) even with the length.
Giles manages to layer in a lot here: the characters meditate on class, race, and whose story gets told in the media and why.
I will absolutely be purchasing two copies for my high school library! Bravo! 👏🏻🎧👏🏻🎧👏🏻
I think teen readers will LOVE this book- the social media, the friendships, school life and language was all spot on. And it will certainly appeal to our high taste readers (s/o to Nic Stone) even with the length.
Giles manages to layer in a lot here: the characters meditate on class, race, and whose story gets told in the media and why.
I will absolutely be purchasing two copies for my high school library! Bravo! 👏🏻🎧👏🏻🎧👏🏻
March 22, 2020
I think a younger crowd (read: my students) would really like this book. There was a mix of music, drama, hip hop culture, and mystery. Not my usual meal of detectives and who-done-its, but a nice little snack nonetheless.
February 10, 2019
I really enjoyed this fast-paced YA mystery! A riveting story of two high-schoolers thrown into solving the mystery of their best friend’s death. After popular teen DJ, Paris Secord is murdered, two of her friends (who are not on speaking terms) come under public suspicion. Both girls are forced to band together against a group of darkly fanatic supporters, uncooperative police staff, and other hindrances to their efforts.
This novel is captivating, and I finished the 10-hour audiobook in two days. It addresses the use of social media, music fandom, and police response to Black homicide. Especially remarkable in this one is the absence of foul language which is a breath of fresh air for me. Narration: A+ Would recommend.
This novel is captivating, and I finished the 10-hour audiobook in two days. It addresses the use of social media, music fandom, and police response to Black homicide. Especially remarkable in this one is the absence of foul language which is a breath of fresh air for me. Narration: A+ Would recommend.
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October 7, 2019 I’ll be honest and say I’ve never been a huge fan of murder mysteries. I feel all books written as so are pretty predictable as it is more likely of a reader nowadays to evidently know who the killer is. Nonetheless, Spin by Lamar Giles completely reversed my opinion with its radical take on the classic murder mystery. The School Library Journal agrees with me in their review on Amazon Books stating, “This novel transcends its genre.” The book’s unique twist on its genre and strong message made this the perfect package for me to start a new journey in murder-mystery books.
A typical plot for these books is to have the main characters race the clock to find out the killer, who ends up being someone close to them and it’s a huge shocker. Giles switches up the game where the killer is quite evident for almost half the story and instead focuses on how the murder effects the relationship between the two friends of the deceased. The rivalry of two both thinking they’re the better friend proves to be a very interesting plotline and ends in a heartwarming reconciliation of how the murder affected their connection. This all amounts into a unique story never done before and is quite refreshing when I’ve done so many outside reading projects over the years. Structure wise, the story being told by the three main girls’s perspectives instead of chapters gave me a look on both sides of the story and made it harder to figure out the final reveal.
On top of this, Giles’s message is a vital message for the world to see and it made the story that more ravishing to read. Richelle Robinson touches on this in her Goodreads review saying, “This book also touched on the lack of media coverage when a person of color is killed which I thought was an important topic as well.” The book touches on that and diversity as a whole and handled it very well. When Par-Sec is killed, she was on top of the charts as a teenager and had an amazing unique life, yet was completely left out of the media when she was murdered. This book acts as a social justice warrior in these times of darkness in the world towards diversity. Giles shows that people of diversity can be rich, poor, like music, can code, and are all the same race. Reading it makes you feel empowered and makes for a great feeling leaving the book.
Giles wraps up a perfect package incorporating a unique storyline and enlightening message to radicalize the genre he’s writing in. Now, if Par Sec hadn’t been murdered, do you think Kya and Fuse would obtain their deep connection back ever?
A typical plot for these books is to have the main characters race the clock to find out the killer, who ends up being someone close to them and it’s a huge shocker. Giles switches up the game where the killer is quite evident for almost half the story and instead focuses on how the murder effects the relationship between the two friends of the deceased. The rivalry of two both thinking they’re the better friend proves to be a very interesting plotline and ends in a heartwarming reconciliation of how the murder affected their connection. This all amounts into a unique story never done before and is quite refreshing when I’ve done so many outside reading projects over the years. Structure wise, the story being told by the three main girls’s perspectives instead of chapters gave me a look on both sides of the story and made it harder to figure out the final reveal.
On top of this, Giles’s message is a vital message for the world to see and it made the story that more ravishing to read. Richelle Robinson touches on this in her Goodreads review saying, “This book also touched on the lack of media coverage when a person of color is killed which I thought was an important topic as well.” The book touches on that and diversity as a whole and handled it very well. When Par-Sec is killed, she was on top of the charts as a teenager and had an amazing unique life, yet was completely left out of the media when she was murdered. This book acts as a social justice warrior in these times of darkness in the world towards diversity. Giles shows that people of diversity can be rich, poor, like music, can code, and are all the same race. Reading it makes you feel empowered and makes for a great feeling leaving the book.
Giles wraps up a perfect package incorporating a unique storyline and enlightening message to radicalize the genre he’s writing in. Now, if Par Sec hadn’t been murdered, do you think Kya and Fuse would obtain their deep connection back ever?
July 7, 2020
Frustrated, I said, "We already told you we didn't do it!"
"We heard you. But our demand is simple: Find out who did."
Paris Secord, also known as DJ ParSec, has begun to make a name for herself. But she's still reaching when her life is cut painfully short. She's found dead, sprawled on her own turntable, by her two best friends: Kya Caine, the girl who was Paris's only best friend before her fame, and Fatima "Fuse" Fallon, the fan-turned-friend who helped manage Paris's social media. The girls are sworn enemies, but they both claim one thing: that while they weren't necessarily on good terms with Paris, they weren't the ones that killed her. While the police run out of leads and the public moves on, Paris's fans refuse to let go. One such sect, the "Dark Nation" push Kya and Fuse together with one demand: discover Paris's killer.
Spin is a (mostly) likable, music-infused murder mystery. I will admit that it took me a bit to get into the book, and for the first 50 or so pages I considered not bothering. It got exponentially better around page 100. 3 stars.
The novel is told by the narratives of Kya and Fuse, with interludes in Paris's voice, told in the months before her death. I struggled with the two main narrators at first; I found them annoyingly petty. However, after they're forced to work together, I enjoyed seeing the way that their partnership advanced from self-proclaimed enemies to close friends.
In terms of the mystery, I thought it was fairly well written. I fell for a few red herrings (not uncommon for me, I'm notoriously bad at solving mysteries) but I did manage to identify the killer with over 100 pages left in the book (go me!)
Honestly, while this is a murder mystery, it's also a story of friendship--how they form and how they fall apart--and a rather timely discussion on police violence and the stratification of race and social class. I enjoyed it in the end, but you have to be willing to hang around for a while for it to get interesting.
September 3, 2019
3.5/5
This is the most 2019 book I've ever read. The pop culture references in this book will NOT stand the test of time, but the murder mystery had me hooked! Multiple narrators help drive the plot, and readers first meet Kaya and Fuse in the police station, shortly after they both find their friend and up and coming musician, Par-Sec, dead.
Kaya has been Par-Sec's friend since they were children, both commiserating over having absent fathers, living a life made up of thrift store finds and hand me downs. Fuse, on the other hand, has wealthy parents, lives in a gated community, and befriends Par-Sec to help manage her social media presence, helping skyrocket Par-Sec to fame.
Readers wonder who the real killer is, as all three female characters take turns narrating. The terror is real when the fandom Fuse creates, "Par-Sec Nation," becomes a menacing threat to the girls. This is a fast-paced book that will entice readers of this YA generation to enjoy reading again, as this book is heavily saturated in social media language and pop culture references. I came for murder mystery and it didn't disappoint, but I'm pretty sure I'll giggle at this book in 10 years!
This is the most 2019 book I've ever read. The pop culture references in this book will NOT stand the test of time, but the murder mystery had me hooked! Multiple narrators help drive the plot, and readers first meet Kaya and Fuse in the police station, shortly after they both find their friend and up and coming musician, Par-Sec, dead.
Kaya has been Par-Sec's friend since they were children, both commiserating over having absent fathers, living a life made up of thrift store finds and hand me downs. Fuse, on the other hand, has wealthy parents, lives in a gated community, and befriends Par-Sec to help manage her social media presence, helping skyrocket Par-Sec to fame.
Readers wonder who the real killer is, as all three female characters take turns narrating. The terror is real when the fandom Fuse creates, "Par-Sec Nation," becomes a menacing threat to the girls. This is a fast-paced book that will entice readers of this YA generation to enjoy reading again, as this book is heavily saturated in social media language and pop culture references. I came for murder mystery and it didn't disappoint, but I'm pretty sure I'll giggle at this book in 10 years!
September 6, 2021
What a Ride!
This book was so good. It was packed with so many twists and turns. I was able to guess two of the villains, but not their motives. The suspense kept me so engaged. The storyline was very interesting. The drama between the main characters was intense. Watching them work through it made for a great read. At first, I thought that the antics of the super fans were overdramatized. I figured it works for the younger target audience. Then I started thinking that I could see Beyoncé’s loyal, fanatical BeyHive being this extreme. He did a great job bringing authenticity to the characters and the plot. This is the second book that I’ve read by Lamar Giles. Both of them have been pleasant surprises. I’m looking forward to working my way through the rest of his catalog.
This book was so good. It was packed with so many twists and turns. I was able to guess two of the villains, but not their motives. The suspense kept me so engaged. The storyline was very interesting. The drama between the main characters was intense. Watching them work through it made for a great read. At first, I thought that the antics of the super fans were overdramatized. I figured it works for the younger target audience. Then I started thinking that I could see Beyoncé’s loyal, fanatical BeyHive being this extreme. He did a great job bringing authenticity to the characters and the plot. This is the second book that I’ve read by Lamar Giles. Both of them have been pleasant surprises. I’m looking forward to working my way through the rest of his catalog.
January 24, 2019
Thank you to Edelweiss and Scholastic for the advance Kindle copy of this 1.29.19 release. All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this engaging thriller. When teen DJ ParSec (Paris, to her friends) is found dead, her childhood best friend and new friend/groupie/promoter have to put aside their (major) differences as they search for her killer. They find themselves being pursued by a dangerous fan group as they near the truth. I absolutely love that this book has older characters and a gritty premise while still being accessible to middle school readers. It also features a diverse cast of characters, which I love. It is exactly what I have been looking for to add to my collection. Highly recommend for grades 7/8+.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this engaging thriller. When teen DJ ParSec (Paris, to her friends) is found dead, her childhood best friend and new friend/groupie/promoter have to put aside their (major) differences as they search for her killer. They find themselves being pursued by a dangerous fan group as they near the truth. I absolutely love that this book has older characters and a gritty premise while still being accessible to middle school readers. It also features a diverse cast of characters, which I love. It is exactly what I have been looking for to add to my collection. Highly recommend for grades 7/8+.
June 15, 2020
Paris Secord, the famous DJ ParSec, is dead, and her two close friends discover her body. One of them, Kya, is a childhood friend who has felt ostracized since Paris became a rising star. The other, Fuse, helped Paris become DJ ParSec. The girls are sworn enemies, but now they have something in common: they want to find Paris’s killer. The police don’t seem to have any leads, but members Paris’s loyal fanbase, ParSec Nation, are willing to go to the extreme to get justice. As Kya and Fuse begin hunting throwing Paris’s past for clues, what they stumble across puts them both in danger.
A suspenseful murder-mystery that many of my students will like!
A suspenseful murder-mystery that many of my students will like!
February 29, 2020
This was one of the first books I picked up when I started planning my middle school visit tour.
And it did not disappoint.
As I told the middle schoolers, Spin tells the story of a DJ who gets murdered, and the two people who have to find out who did it.
I loved the social media and music business content, the vivid characters, and felt that the story was served exceptionally well by the alternating perspectives, as Kya and Fuse's perspectives on each other changes in so many stark ways.
I loved the fact that this is a mystery, and ownvoices, and doesn't feel like it could be set in any other decade. Great world building, solid characters, exciting plot.
This should be a hit.
And it did not disappoint.
As I told the middle schoolers, Spin tells the story of a DJ who gets murdered, and the two people who have to find out who did it.
I loved the social media and music business content, the vivid characters, and felt that the story was served exceptionally well by the alternating perspectives, as Kya and Fuse's perspectives on each other changes in so many stark ways.
I loved the fact that this is a mystery, and ownvoices, and doesn't feel like it could be set in any other decade. Great world building, solid characters, exciting plot.
This should be a hit.
March 25, 2019
Overall, it was a decent mystery. I was a little disappointed in the "reveal" because a) I'd already figured it out; and b) it was a little anti climatic. I liked the main two girls, though I sometimes struggled remembering which point of view I was in. I did like the style and that it was a diverse book written by a diverse author. I may check out some more books by Lamar Giles.
Content Warning: Some fairly mild language and a little violence.
2019 challenge: An "own voices" book
Content Warning: Some fairly mild language and a little violence.
2019 challenge: An "own voices" book
April 13, 2019
This was fun! Liked the mystery, like the girls’ personalities. The mystery wrapped up a little fast for the pace of the rest of the story. I’d love to actually here these tunes.
Re: classroom library: the characters are in high school and might be a little out of middle schoolers’ interest, but there wasn’t anything worrisome or inappropriate so I’d be OK putting this in my 6th/7th library (if this was my copy! I actually borrowed it from our school librarian).
Re: classroom library: the characters are in high school and might be a little out of middle schoolers’ interest, but there wasn’t anything worrisome or inappropriate so I’d be OK putting this in my 6th/7th library (if this was my copy! I actually borrowed it from our school librarian).
November 25, 2019
Overall, I was impressed and intrigued by how much Giles put into this book without taking anything away from the main plot or clogging up the mystery. It was engaging and thrilling from beginning to end, with some real emotional punches thrown in every couple of pages. I really loved it and I can’t wait to read more books written by this author.
Find my full review on the blog.
Find my full review on the blog.
July 4, 2019
This book seriously blew my mind! I couldn't stop reading and immediately knew I would have students who loved this. It is a great murder mystery, but it also deals with some pretty serious issues: race, class, social media, fame, family, friendship. One of my favorite books that I've read this year.
December 29, 2018
Can you say Beyhive? I enjoyed reading this young adult mystery, and my students are going to love it also! The pop culture references were excellent!
March 7, 2019
i didn't feel any type of connection towards this story, but it wasn't bad at all, it just wasn't my cup of tea.
actual rating: 2.75/5
actual rating: 2.75/5
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