THIN AIR | Kellie M. Parker
10.17.2023 | Razorbill
Rating: 4/5 stars
Eight hours. Twelve contestants. A flight none of them might survive.
Seventeen-year-old boarding school student Emily Walters is selected for an opportunity of a lifetime—she’ll compete abroad for a cash prize that will cover not only tuition to the college of her choice, but will lift her mother and her out of poverty.
But almost from the moment she and 11 other contestants board a private jet to Europe, Emily realizes somebody is willing to do anything to win. Between keeping an eye on her best friend’s flirty boyfriend and hiding her own dark secrets, she’s not sure how she’ll survive the contest, much less the flight. Especially when people start dying…
As loyalties shift and secrets are revealed, Emily must figure out who to trust, and who’s trying to kill them all, before she becomes the next victim.
You all know I love a locked room mystery, so how could I pass up the chance to read one with such a unique setting? A luxury plane filled with teenagers competing against each other…sold!
Right from the start there is a sense of tension and unease as readers get to know our main character, Emily. She’s got some serious secrets that she wants to keep hidden and it seems like someone is out to get her on this plane. It’s not just Emily who has earned herself a spot on the killer’s radar, however, so the readers are treated to getting to know our secondary characters in quite a bit of detail. There are a few standouts that we get to connect with on a deeper level, who plan a vital role in helping Emily put together the clues to our mystery.
Parker manages to connect the reader fully to the situation at hand, while building a fantastic sense of anxiety, by keeping the pacing of the story at a relatively quick rate. I loved guessing what was going to happen next, who would fall victim, and who I could trust. Parker even throws a bit of romance into the story, which normally isn’t my cup of tea, but I felt like it lends itself to the story and the actions of our main character.
If you enjoy YA reads and locked room mysteries, this is definitely one to check out!
A huge thank you to Penguin Teen for my gifted copy!
What Jess Reads 