April/May issue of VOYA

Sketchy by Olivia Samms (Amazon Children’s Publishing) – Just out of rehab but still surrounded by a culture of middle-class substance abuse, Bea Washington manages to hold onto common sense and humor most of the time. It helps that she makes a gay best friend with chutzpah on her first day at a new high school. Bea’s experiences hit home in the most genuine ways. Read more.

… Bea’s tough exterior and tumultuous inner life will draw readers in, and they will sympathize with her as she struggles to become her best self. Urgently paced, this teen murder mystery weaves in elements of the supernatural to draw a vivid tale of suspense.

Sketchy is a fresh, imaginative and honest story that’s almost impossible to put down: a page burner that artfully combines suspense and the supernatural.

***STARRED REVIEW*** …Samms’ debut launches a series that promises to be a fresh breath in the crowded YA paranormal genre. Bea has a realistic voice that doesn’t shrink from the truth about her world—not just drugs, but sex, racism, bullying, and violence are tackled in the book—and her experiences hit home in the most genuine ways. Read More

… teens who have burned through Lisa McMann’s similarly-themed novels, such as Crash, and those drawn to dark YA material in general, will eat this up, and the intriguing final lines will leave them eagerly awaiting the second title in the Bea Catcher series.