Review: Gem Stone by Dale Mayer

Gem Stone (A Gemma Stone Mystery) by Dale Mayer
Synopsis (Goodreads):

A juvie kid trying to stay on the right path stumbles into trouble...

Gemma takes her camera everywhere. From juvie hall to a halfway home, the new hobby gives her a focus she'd never had before and... hope in a future. Until she takes pictures of something that could get her killed.

And not just her...after she and another juvie girl are chased by a stranger to the halfway home that same night, the other girl goes missing and Gemma knows she needs help. But who can she trust?

Not the authorities that's for sure. Trusting them is impossible for a girl with her damaged history, and besides, who cares about a troubled kid...especially when trouble just naturally seems to find her.

My Thoughts: I must say that this was a fun little book. Following a group of kids that have to fight the perceptions of society as they struggle to do the right thing was engrossing. The hints of a possible romance brewing between Gem and one of the her partners in crime made me grin. In fact, I am stupid excited to see where that leads in the future.

But this book isn't just about the romance (that's just a tease and it's more like the icing on the cake). This book is about Gem and her drive to do the right thing. She's happy in the halfway house - at least, she's happier than she was in juvie - and she's determined to stay out of trouble so that she can enjoy the freedom and the second chance she's been given. When circumstances step in and put her firmly in the spotlight, she doesn't back down from the fight in front of her. She's spunky and smart and she's not afraid to use her resources.

Probably the only thing I did question as how self aware these kids were. They form strong bonds when things start to go bad and they have to rely on one another and they're very quick to see this. This wasn't a deal breaker by any means (and I liked that they saw themselves as a family), but it was difficult for me to see these kids - some of whom had come from some really horrible situations - as being able to vocalize this closeness so easily.

Overall, it's a solid start to a new series. I really, really, REALLY liked that we got a touch of potential romance that didn't overpower the overall story. Oh, and the bad guy? I didn't guess who it was until the very end. Like usual.

Books in this series
1. Gem Stone - Kindle

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Gem Stone was provided for review.