Jon Ripslinger

*Book source ~ A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Walter Bohannon is blind-sided when his mom invites Adam Kingsley and his daughter Kristi to live in with them prior to her marrying Adam. Walter wants his mom to be happy, but he’s afraid love is blinding her to the real Adam. After all, she hasn’t talked to him since they were in high school and the only recent contact has been online or phone calls. He tries to like the guy, but there’s just something bugging show more him about the too-smooth operator. So he goes digging. And what he finds is nothing like he imagined.

Walter is a nearly 18, hormonal teenager whose position of Man of the House is being displaced. He truly wants his mom to be happy, but this Adam guy is really bugging him. Don’t get me started on Kristi. Wow. What a cunt nugget that wench is. She is totally dislikeable and Walter made me want to slap him upside the head like a million times during the course of the book. From the beginning Adam comes across as a slickster and Walter’s mom is so totally in love with a guy she barely knows that she doesn’t want to hear anything bad about him. Unfortunately, all of this adds up to a completely relatable situation. Well, hopefully the ending is not relatable to the majority of us, but other than that I think this tale will resonate with many of us imperfect humans. Yes, even Kristi has her redeemable qualities, but not until much later. Though I have to say Walter is much more forgiving than I am. If you’re looking for a wonderfully written YA story flavored with suspense then don’t pass this one up. show less

The Weight of Guilt by Jon Ripslinger is a 2015 Red Adept Publishing release. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a solid YA mystery thriller centered around John Hawk, an eighteen year old high school senior who has moved in with his sister to finish out the last semester of school, after a horrific car crash takes the life of his girlfriend, Riley.

John tries to keep to himself, keep his head down, and stay out of trouble. He is all tied up in knots show more over Riley's death, although he was not at fault. However, a young and popular girl named Megan decides to take John under her wing and coerces him into being her date for the prom. John knew deep down it was a bad idea, but Megan wouldn't take no for an answer. But, when an ugly confrontation at the prom with Megan's ex- boyfriend transpires, the couple leave together, but only one of them makes it home.
The next day John finds himself the number one person of interest in Megan's disappearance. When her body if found four days later, John knows he needs to find out what happened to his friend because it's obvious he is being framed for her murder.

Once more I picked up a YA novel without realizing it was firmly set in that category. So, let me explain that YA are a hit or miss with me because at my age I just can't always relate to teen characters, or the story is just not complex enough for my taste, but at other times YA is just as riveting as any other type of novel. For me this one was not challenging enough for me, but putting on the old critical thinking cap, I believe the story is perfect for the age range it is primarily written for. This is a mature YA novel, with some language, sexual situations and violence. The themes are mature and definitely meant for older teens or the early twenties crowd.

John and Megan bond over their crappy lives, both having been dealt a sorry hand of cards when it came to parents and bad luck. Both of them acted out because of the issues in their home lives, and both of them were hurting. But, before anything could come of the relationship, Megan is murdered.
When John begins searching for clues he approaches Charley, Megan's best friend, hoping she might have some answers. The two get off on the wrong foot initially, but Charley slowly begins to realize she and John are on the same side and they begin trying to figure out who killed Megan together.

The story is told with the alternate perspectives of John and Charley...

I liked Charley a lot and for me she made the story enjoyable. She was the most centered and balanced character, the one who thought fast, was smart , funny, and genuine, and provided the most interesting dialogue. John's character was so weighted down with huge issues and with such a heavy burden on his shoulders he rarely had a positive thought, made a joke, laughed, or found much to feel happy about. He was quiet and serious, and as such, despite knowing his history, and background, he was a little too unemotional, seemed to speak in a monotone, and was often stilted. He was likable enough and of course I felt bad for his situation, but do wish he had had a little more fire in his personality.

The mystery is truly twisted as morally bankrupt adults play fast and loose with the law and a young girl pays the price for their sins. John and Charley make a pretty good team and it would be fun to see them come back some day to solve more crimes.

I recommend this book for those who like an uncomplicated, character driven mystery without a lot of graphic violence or for those who enjoy a mature YA mystery with an edge to it. 3.5 rounded to 4 show less

Walter has been man of the house ever since his dad passed away. Now suddenly out of the blue his mother is getting remarried to a man she hasn't seen in years, after reconnecting with him over the internet. Adam and his daughter move in as they prepare to become one big happy family, but Walter finds the whole thing suspicious and begins digging into Adam's past, at least when he is not busy lusting after his soon to be step-sister.

This was a quick read at under 300 pages.
It caught my eye show more since I am a fan of movies like The Stepfather where clueless mom hooks up with Mr. not so nice guy. I am a bit confused as to who the target audience would be, it is less intense than what you may expect for adults but not quite as clean as books that are geared towards teens.

I received a complimentary copy for review show less

Reviewed by Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

Wendell "Stony" Stoneking's life is about football, his girlfriend, Mindy, and weekend parties. His future plans include marrying Mindy, having kids, and probably working at the local stone quarry like his father and his grandfather. Most of his time is spent at football practice, making out with Mindy, or helping his mother in the family bait and tackle shop. Everything seems to be moving along nicely until his American Lit show more grade threatens to plummet below acceptable standards for football eligibility.

Robyn is the tutor assigned to help Stony raise his Lit grade. They work together in the library during seventh hour and things begin to change. Stony finds that maybe with a little effort American Lit is not that difficult. He finds that Mindy is jealous of Robyn and ends their relationship. Stony also discovers that he wants to know more about Robyn. What little he's learned is that she lives with her sister and brother-in-law, and that she has a kid.

Life for Stony begins to get complicated. The tutoring and his improved grade in American Lit have opened up possibilities for his future. Maybe college would be an option instead of a "going nowhere" job at the stone quarry. Although he loves his mother and father, Stony realizes that the life they have is not what he wants. All of a sudden Robyn and her son, Logan, have set Stony's sights on a different horizon.

Ripslinger's riveting story draws the reader into the growing relationship between Stony and Robyn. There are more complications to Robyn's life than meet the eye, and they create a dramatic situation that draws the book to a fast-paced conclusion. This book will appeal to teen boy and girl readers alike. It's well worth checking out. show less