Disney Book Review: Four Letter Word by Gretchen Mcneil!
In Four Letter Word, teenage Izzy lives in a small Northern California fishing town. Life isn’t easy for Izzy, she finds herself feeling lost when her crush ghosts her and her mom sinks deeper into a debilitating depression. Things seem to perk up when her mother announces that an Italian exchange student will be moving temporarily into their home. When the student Alberto arrives, he quickly ingratiates himself into Izzy’s life seeking acceptance from her family and friends.
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Soon Izzy can’t quite shake the feeling that something is off with Alberto. As an avid follower of the latest true crime news, Izzy begins to suspect that Alberto might not be what he portrays to her community. When a local girl turns up murdered, Izzy starts her own investigation and finds herself at the end of several dangerous mishaps. Is Alberto the “Casanova Killer” or is Izzy’s imagination just playing tricks on her?
Four Letter Word is a young adult book by Gretchen McNeil and for those who want to dip their feet into thriller and suspense novels, Four Letter Word is a great start. Appropriate for high schoolers and those not yet ready for Megan Miranda or Riley Sager books, Four Letter Word is a solid thriller.
Four Letter Word offers a gripping tale set in a small Northern California fishing town, where teenage Izzy grapples with the complexities of life amidst personal turmoil. The narrative gives off a sense of mystery and intrigue, as Izzy navigates the highs and lows of adolescence, compounded by her mother’s debilitating depression and the sudden arrival of an Italian exchange student, Alberto.
The author easily creates a web of suspicion around Alberto, drawing readers into Izzy’s world as she grapples with doubts about his true intentions. As Izzy delves deeper into her investigation and paranoia, fueled by her fascination with true crime, the tension in the novel escalates.
While I do think that the book Four Letter Word serves as an engaging entry point for young adults wanting to get into the world of thriller and suspense, it does have its shortcomings. Some of the evidence in the plot may come across as obvious and predictable, and Izzy’s family isn’t particularly likable, in fact, the way they interact with each other is pretty annoying. Nonetheless, these minor flaws do little to detract from the overall appeal of the book, particularly for its target audience of young adult and teenage readers.
Other Disney Books Reviews:
Disney Books Review: Go the Distance A Twisted Tale
Disney Book Review: Okoye To The People
