Wander In The Dark by Jumata Emill

Amir Trudeau has no interest in the elite social scene at Truman Academy, and his strained relationship with his half-brother, Marcel, isn’t making his new school experience any easier. But Marcel is determined to fix things between them.

When Amir gets a text from Chloe Danvers—Marcel’s best friend and one of the school’s most popular juniors—inviting him to Marcel’s birthday party, he hesitates but decides to go. Later that night, he keeps Chloe company at her house. The last thing he remembers is hanging out with her before he passes out.

When he wakes up, Chloe is dead, her bedroom ransacked, and the evidence is stacked against him. Before he can even process what’s happening, Amir is arrested. Now, he’s out on bail, but the clock is ticking toward a trial that could end with his conviction—or worse, the death penalty.

Marcel is torn between grief for his best friend and loyalty to his brother, but one thing is clear: Amir is innocent. With his freedom on the line, Marcel must become his own detective to unravel the truth.

This queer YA novel is more than just a thrilling mystery—it’s a gripping exploration of family, friendship, and the fight for justice. It also sheds light on the realities of racial bias and the ongoing impact of the Black Lives Matter movement. While the ending might be a bit chaotic, the journey is an intense and compelling ride.

Daun pandan

Menjadi pulak daun pandan belakang rumah. Selalunya sendu je. Nak guna 3, 4 helai je buat bubur kacang buka puasa nanti. Yang lain nak buat bunga rampai.

Strange Pictures by Uketsu

This is yet another five-star read that I absolutely loved! Strange Pictures captivated me from the very first page. Uketsu's debut novel is a brilliant example of layered storytelling, expertly intertwining multiple narrators and shifting points of view. The various timelines keep you engaged until the final reveal in this compelling whodunit.

At the heart of the novel lies a chilling mystery: the brutal and unsolved murder of Yoshiharu Miura, an art teacher who was found stabbed to death on a mountainside. A lone sketch of the mountain was left at the crime scene, serving as an eerie, silent witness to the crime. Miura was not particularly well-liked; his students disliked him, and his family relationships were strained. But was that enough motive for murder? The police were unable to find an answer.

Three years later, Shunsuke Iwata, one of Miura’s former students, sets out to investigate. In a shocking turn of events, he, too, is murdered in the exact same fashion. A twisted pattern begins to emerge—one that suggests a serial killer is lurking in the shadows.

What makes Strange Pictures truly fascinating is its deep psychological undercurrents. Through the lens of childhood art, the novel explores how social alienation and suppressed emotions can fester into something much darker. The eerie, almost poetic way Uketsu ties artistic expression to the unraveling of the human mind adds a unique, unsettling dimension to the story.

The Mercy Chair by M. W. Craven

In this gripping sixth installment, Washington Poe and his brilliant yet socially awkward sidekick, Tilly Bradshaw, are called to investigate a brutal and ritualistic murder—a man tied to a tree and stoned to death. Given Christianity’s fraught history with this form of execution, Poe suspects a religious motive.

The victim, Cornelius Green, was a founding member of the Children of Job—a secluded religious retreat offering conversion therapy with devastating psychological consequences. To some, Green was a devout "Christian soldier." To others, he was a zealot—a monster who justified his twisted practices in the name of faith. His death shakes the foundation of the group, but as Poe and Tilly dig deeper, they realize Green’s murder is far more than an act of revenge or fanaticism.

Green’s body, covered in cryptic religious tattoos, holds the key to a much darker mystery—one that stretches back sixteen years to the infamous Bowman family massacre. And in a chilling twist, the case is also linked to a corpse Poe unearthed months prior, buried under a coffin where it never should have been. The deeper they go, the more tangled the web becomes, leading to a breathtaking conclusion.

This book is an absolute masterpiece! The intricate plot, relentless suspense, and shocking twists left me reeling, and the ending—oh, the ending! I spent a week trying to process the horror that unfolded. If you love dark, intelligent thrillers, this series is a must-read. Now, I’m counting the days until The Final Vow! 5⭐

Selamat Berpuasa

Semoga ibadah puasa kita diterima Allah S.W.T. Amin.