Jaws Is Everywhere (Except in This Book)

 

TITLE: Blood in the Water

AUTHOR: Tiffany D. Jackson

PUBLISHER: Scholastic Press

PUBLISHING DATE: July 1, 2025

PAGES: 272   

SOURCE: ARC

FROM GOODREADS: This summer, there's blood in the water...watch out for sharks! 

Kaylani is a born-and-bred Brooklyn girl. She expects to feel like a fish out of water spending the hot and sticky summer on Martha's Vineyard with family friends, the Watsons. But her mother insists, especially since Kaylani still spends long hours on the phone with her imprisoned father. 

The Watsons live in the town of Oak Bluffs, a place with a rich Black history that fascinates Kaylani. Though the Watsons' daughter, London, is snobby and unfriendly, Kaylani ends up connecting with some other kids in the town, who show her around. The beach IS really nice, and there's good ice cream to be had. Maybe there's something to Martha's Vineyard... 

But then a shocking murder--or was it a drowning? A shark attack?--rocks the community to its core. 

Kaylani is determined to solve the mystery but in order to do so, she will come face-to-face with sinister truths and shocking secrets that promise to forever change her life as she knows it.

MY THOUGHTS: I've enjoyed everything I've read by Tiffany D. Jackson so when I saw she was venturing into MG, AND saw the word "shark," I knew I wanted to give this one a go.  I'm really glad I did but will say do not expect many sharks to pop up on this reading journey.

Kaylani's father has been recently incarcerated for a white-collar crime she knows he didn't commit.  Family friends have offered to have Kaylani visit Martha's Vineyard for a few weeks while their grandchildren are visiting as they all used to be friends.  However, London, who is Kaylani's age, has clearly adopted the Vineyard lifestyle and attitude and doesn't want to entertain her old friend for the summer.  Soon after Kaylani's arrival, there is a mysterious death on the island. Chad used to date London's sister Cassie last summer.  Initially they believe Chad was a victim of a shark attack but soon everyone learns that isn't the case.  Kaylani and Chad's brother start investigating, but will they regret their actions and will one of them be the next victim?

I'm clearly not the target audience for this MG book but I have to admit, that didn't keep me from enjoying this thriller and experiencing a few "aha" moments while reading it.  I loved Kaylani and how committed she is to prove her dad's innocence and even though London was an extremely annoying character, managed to show some character-growth as the novel progressed.  For a MG book, the ending was kind of shocking, and my only real complaint is there wasn't enough sharks.  However, sharks are referenced quite a bit and there are several mentions of the movie Jaws being filmed there so it was fitting for release this July.  

If you enjoy MG thrillers or the author in general, I don't think you will go wrong by giving Blood in the Water a try. It's an extremely quick read and one I found quite enjoyable for my summer vacation.

MY RATING: 4 PAWS