Scarlett Undercover
Author: Jennifer Latham
Series: None
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Mystery, Fantasy
Release Date: May 19, 2015
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Summary:
Meet Scarlett, a smart, sarcastic, kick-butt, Muslim American heroine, ready to take on crime in her hometown of Las Almas. When a new case finds the private eye caught up in a centuries-old battle of evil genies and ancient curses, Scarlett discovers that her own family secrets may have more to do with the situation than she thinks – and that cracking the case could lead to solving her father’s murder.
Jennifer Latham delivers a compelling story and a character to remember in this one-of-a-kind debut novel.
First Sentence: The kid was cute.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
My Review:
My first thought when I first saw Scarlett Undercover was this book looks promising! Not only did Scarlett Undercover introduce a Muslim American heroine (yay for diversity!), it also promised to be like Veronica Mars, a show I absolutely adore. Plus, Scarlett Undercover also has a gorgeous red cover (red covers are my weakness when done right). I hoped I would enjoy Scarlett Undercover because how can a book like that not be awesome? I’m happy to say Scarlett Undercover definitely didn’t disappoint!
My tails were not.
…They weren’t keen on being seen, but I’d already ditched them once, and they didn’t look ready to let it happen again. I crossed the street, waited until they’d done the same, then crossed back, just to mess with them. (ARC 137)
Like I said above, Scarlett Undercover promised to be like Veronica Mars and it definitely kept that promise. Scarlett had Veronica Mars’ humor and snark, her take charge attitude, and her realistic look at life. Add the fact that Scarlett Undercover is a mystery book and it definitely gave off major Veronica Mars vibes. Even though Scarlett Undercover has very few fantasy elements to it, it didn’t affect the Veronica Mars vibe it gave off at all.
As I’ve mentioned before, Scarlett is a Muslim-American heroine (again, yay for diversity!). Throughout Scarlett Undercover, we see aspects of Scarlett’s religion. Scarlett prays, talks about how she’s supposed to act, and the kind of clothes she can wear. Scarlett also says some words in her language throughout the book, sometimes with no explanation of what they mean, which really annoyed me. Yes, I the type of person that’s too lazy to look up the words online.
There was a huge plot twist in Scarlett Undercover at the one-half mark of the book that I managed to predict when I was less than one-thirds into the book. However, there was another huge plot twist at the end of the book that I never saw coming until two to three pages before it actually happened. I usually predict plot twists coming a long time before they actually happen, but the end of Scarlett Undercover managed to actually surprise me.
“You’re not as tough as you think, Scarlet,” he said.
“Probably not.”
“And you’ve got a lot to learn.”
“I know.” (ARC 107)
After reading Scarlett Undercover, I still had some lingering questions on my mind, questions that were never answered in the book. I’m pretty sure Scarlett Undercover is a standalone, meaning that I may never get the answers that I want. That is the main reason why I couldn’t give Scarlett Undercover a rating of four stars or higher – I want some answers!
Overall, Scarlett Undercover is definitely a fun, sassy read that will keep you entertained into the dark hours of the night. If you’re a fan of Veronica Mars, you’ll definitely be a fan of Scarlett Undercover too.
Awww, I’m glad you enjoyed this. I’m definitely curious for all the reasons you mentions – Veronica Mars similarity and Diverse characters. And although I generally like the color red, I do really like this cover.
Quinn @ Quinn’s Book Nook recently posted…Audio Review: The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise
Wow I can’t wait to read this. Just the Muslim American heroine part has me intrigued!
YAY for diversity!
Claire recently posted…Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Definitely adding this to my wishlist! I’ve been on the lookout for more YA/MG mysteries/thrillers! Great review. :)
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I hate it when books toss words out there without some explanation. I mean, we know that it’s diverse, so make it easier for people to understand that diversity in your book!
On another note, yay for Veronica Mars! I’m glad that you enjoyed it, but I’m sad that it’s a standalone, and it still left you feeling unsatisfied at the end.
Shannelle C. recently posted…ARC Review: Inked by Eric Smith
promising indeed after reading your review of this…i haven’t read a book with a muslim american main heroine in it either…aaaand me and my sis used to have the Veronica Mars phase before so i’m all for mysteries :) too bad this is a stand alone if there are still some issues that is plaguing you…who knows there might be a surprise sequel from this.
Great review. I wasn’t sold on this one, but after reading your review, I’m definitely more likely to read it.
Thanks for sharing.
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I wish I was a fan of Veronica Mars, but I haven’t watched any of the episodes or even the movie. I definitely need to get on that someday so I can see what you mean about it being similar to this book. And I feel like I’ve heard of this story before, but never put any mind to it. I’m kind of curious now though. Especially since you liked it more than you didn’t. At the same time, I understand what you mean about unanswered questions which I also dislike because then I feel like I have to make up my own answers to stop obsessing over those questions. :/
Oh my goshhh. I heard about this book a month or so ago, but then forgot until a few days ago. The Veronica Mars comparison definitely DEFINITELY got my attention. I love the show as well. :) I love that this features a Muslim-American, that’s just fantastic.
Gah, I hate when books incorporate foreign language and then don’t tell you what it means. :( Thank God I have a Kindle which has a translation option on it. Such a lifesaver.
I’m interested in seeing how the fantasy aspect plays out with genies and curses. Hmm…
Ugh! I hate when books end with loose ends when it’s just a standalone. :( It’s the worst feeling ever, that makes me sad.
Anyway, I’m glad you liked this! I’ll be definitely checking it out around release day.
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This is a first for me…a Muslim American heroine??
Am so gonna put this one in my TBR list. :)
the heroine sounds fun
I recently-ish just re-watched all of Veronica Mars! Happy to hear this was a sassy, good read! Might need to check this out than. Thanks for the review!
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