The Girl Is Trouble

The Girl Is Trouble by Kathryn Miller Haines
4/5 stars
Roaring Brook Press, 2012
325 pages
YA Historical Mystery

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Although not enthused with the behavior of main character Iris in The Girl Is Murder, I loved the setting and was eager to return. Thus I was very pleased that my request was accepted on Netgalley and I happily dove into this part two.

More good news-Iris has somewhat learned her lesson about lying and sneaking around although she still does quite a bit in this book. But unlike last time, it didn't really bother me. In fact, I was very much Team Iris, supporting her through her trials and travails.

And it is very good that I liked Iris so much as she is our guide through this book ramping up the suspense and danger. Iris' first problem is the threatening notes Jewish students at her school are receiving; although Iris is no longer practicing, her family background in investigation makes her an obvious candidate to figure out who is harassing them. One of the suspects is her best friend Pearl, who has been ostracized and given the unfortunate nickname Pearl Harbor. But Iris cannot imagine Pearl doing such acts and wants to get to the bottom of the case.

That is, she wants to do so until she uncovers some shocking new evidence in her mother's suicide. Let's just say there is nothing simple or straightforward but instead lies and undercover shady acts abound. This comes to consume Iris and test her beyond anything she's done so far. Because of the personal nature of the case, I was easily able to feel for Iris. Her entire world was rocked and Iris' bravery in pursuing the truth really impressed me even as she was sometimes foolhardy when considering the potential danger.

So I've shared that I liked Iris in this book but what about the other characters? First, Pearl-one of the best best friends I've read in YA lately. She is in sync with Iris and aids her at several key junctures besides just being good emotional support. Then there is Iris' love interest, the bad boy Benny. Although I don't usually like the bad boy in YA lit, it helps that he seems to have a sweet heart deep down below his juvenile delinquent antics. As for the adults, I loved Iris' aunt and continue to adore her Polish landlady. I also loved getting to know more about Iris' mother in her final days-the love she had for her daughter and husband is touching and her end is very heartbreaking. The villains, being largely pro-Nazi/anti-Semitic, are quite easy to dislike and mostly receive their justice by the end. That may not always be the case in the real world, but I'm glad it usually happens in book world.

Overall: A strong second book, successfully evoking the 1940s WWII era while also strengthening the characterization and tying together two strands of mystery into one cohesive story. I'm expecting there to be a third book that will even top this!

Cover: I love pretty much everything about this, even including the fact that she's kind of looking at me-I think it helps that her face is pretty small and she seems suspicious of me. I really love her skirt as polka-dots are my favorite pattern. It's actually the same outfit as on the cover of the first book, which is great as not much time as passed and Iris doesn't have money for new clothes.

The Girl Is Murder

The Girl Is Murder by Kathryn Miller Haines
Roaring  Brook Press, 2011
342 pages
YA; Mystery; Historical Fiction
3.5/5 stars

Source: Library

I love the cover for this, as it immediately conjures up a historical mystery for me. This one is set in 1942 New York City, with a young girl and her injured private detective father (lost his leg at Pearl Harbor).  Beyond references to the war and topical events like the zoot suits beatings, the most obvious reference to the time period was the slang. There was a lot of slang, which was a little jarring with how much is peppered through the novel but still easy enough to understand.

Obviously the war plays a huge role. Most of the characters have at least one relative serving or who has served and the uncertainty about their fates hangs over them; food and cloth is rationed and the draft is about to be implemented which will call up most of the young men at the main character's school. I really enjoyed all of these elements as they painted a vivid picture and created a great world. I felt immersed.

What I didn't like was the main character Iris, who starts the book out okay. She's worried about her father and his ability to pay the rapidly piling up bills; she's missing her dead mother; she's scared about starting at a public school after years at a tony private girls school; she seems pretty normal. As the book progressed though, she grated on me. She lied and lied and lied and continually acted in ways that she knew were wrong! She was also a bit of a snob in her transition from private to public school, although the quality of her education definitely decreased.

The other characters were a mix of fun and annoying. They definitely had suspicious qualities and they also had their own changes in personality, with lying, wrong-doing, and double-crossing. They were not nice people. The only characters I liked were the adults, Iris's father and Mrs. Mrozenski, who owns the place where Iris and her father are lodging. She is an immigrant who gives Iris space but does care for her.

I did not solve the mystery and actually ended up a little confused with all of the players involved and their twisted motivations and actions. But I think there is the possibility for more stories in this mystery setting and hopefully Iris will have learned her lesson and behave more correctly.

Cover: Beautiful-love her hair! However it does remind me of some other YA covers so perhaps it isn't exactly distinct enough.