Gone too Far by Natalie D. Richards My rating: 3 of 5 stars The Gist Gone Too Far opens with an intriguing idea. Piper, a high school senior, finds out someone is using her photos to expose cruel classmates. She gets pulled into a dangerous game of vigilante justice. The setup feels fresh and full of potential. But the story never quite takes off. The Details Piper is meant to be relatable. She’s quiet, thoughtful, and trying to do the right thing. But she often comes across as naive and indecisive. Her thoughts loop in circles, and she hesitates too long before taking action. In a thriller, that hurts the…

One Was Lost by Natalie D. Richards My rating: 3 of 5 stars The Gist One Was Lost starts strong. A group of teens heads into the woods for a school camping trip. Then a flash flood cuts them off from their teachers. When they wake up, they find disturbing words written on their arms—like Damaged and Deceptive. One adult is unconscious. No one knows who to trust. It’s the perfect setup for a tense psychological thriller. The Details But while the idea is great, the execution misses the mark. The tension fizzles as the story goes on. Much of the middle drags. The characters wander, argue, and worry—but not…