Spin Kindle Edition

I rated this book five stars because it was a thrilling read from start to finish and it left me guessing as to who the bad person was. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who reads YA fiction.

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery & suspense thriller. The story was highly compelling. I previously read, “Fake ID” which inclined me to seek another title from this author. Needless to say I wasn’t let down.

Intriguing & fast paced. This was my first Lamar Giles but it won’t be my last. Will be very popular in my middle school library.

I love Giles’ characters and this time he gave me three great ones! DJ ParSec, real name Paris Secord, is a sixteen-year-old up-and-coming DJ ready for fame and most importantly fortune–or was before she was murdered. Being questioned in the police station are Fuse, basically her social media hype girl, and Kya, her childhood best friend. But the questioning doesn’t last long because the girls’ parents refuse to let the police keep questioning them, plus they swear they just found Paris dead and don’t know what could have happened. This alternates between the present where Kya and Fuse, who don’t like each other, try to figure out what happened to Paris while reconciling how their relationships had deteriorated prior to Paris’ death. We get to know Paris in flashback chapters that show her rise and struggle with leaving it all behind in order to “make it.” Giles gives us three different girls, with different families and struggles who are all trying to find their way, while shining a light on the inequalities of social justice, obsession, and the dark side of social media and fame. If you haven’t read Giles’ novels yet you really should–he’s writing some fantastic teen characters in the crime genre.

Paris Secord, known as DJ ParSec to her adoring fans, is a popular up and coming DJ in the music industry. However, her career is cut short when she is found dead on the turntables by her two closest friends, Fatima (Fuse) Fallon and Kya Caine. When Fuse and Kya become the prime suspects for ParSec’s murder, the two girls must set aside their differences and work together to bring ParSec’s killer to justice and protect their own lives. With danger lurking around every corner, it is up to the girls to solve the mystery and find the killer before someone gets hurt. Working side by side, Fuse and Kya unearth the dirty secrets of ParSec’s life and ParSec Nation (a group of adoring fans who will go to extremes to support ParSec and her music). Filled with suspense and shocking twists, Spin by Lamar Giles will leave you reeling long after you finish the last page! In my opinion, this book was crafted skillfully and was a thrill to read. The plot kept my mind spinning faster than the ParSec’s turntables. The book had plenty of red herrings and plot twists to keep the reader fully engaged with the storyline. I found myself reading this book for hours, often into the early morning. The storyline was slow in the beginning, but the book quickly picked up pace. I really enjoyed how the author shifted perspectives and wrote from the viewpoints of Fuse, Kya, and ParSec. This added further depth to each character’s storyline and allowed the reader to gain insight into the minds of the girls. I recommend this book to teenagers, as some scenes were intense and graphic. In addition, I appreciated how the author included the use of technology because it gave the story a modern feel which I was able to connect to. Spin is an excellent murder mystery set in a tech-savvy era which will keep you at the edge of your seat.Review by Roksanna K, age 14, Broward County Mensa

Mr. Giles’ Spin is a suck-you-in-so-fast YA suspense novel centered around teen-aged rising star, DJ ParSec. Or maybe more honestly, her murder.Childhood friend and confidante, Kya, is incredibly proud of Paris’ success. Not just because of her own countless contributions in creating ParSec’s first set up. Kya has always been her biggest fan, staunchest supporter and most fierce defender. But, when one event shatters a huge part of Kya’s life and she desperately needs her best bud, she gets the persona, ParSec, and a cold shoulder instead.That isn’t the only relationship crumbling for the frustrated DJ. She and fan-turned-friend, Fuse, had been spatting more than planning lately. Creative differences, nothing to do with the boy who may or may not have caused this wedge.Oh, and the boy—well, his motives have been questionable since he’s come onto the scene.From the outside looking in, it seems that there was a riff with Paris and three of the most important people in her life. But when delving deeper, the reader is reminded that things are not always as they appear and sometimes, the very real danger is cleverly disguised.Spin epitomizes the stories I love to share with “my” students. Realistic, relatable characters with actual issues, sometimes solved by the very real strength of friendship.

At first, I didn't think I was going to like this story. It starts with with a dead body and then it gets a bit lost within itself for just a little while. When it picks up though, it really picks up.When Paris Secord, otherwise known as DJ ParSec, is found dead the local music scene is thrown into mourning. Two of her best friends, one before fame, Kya, and one after, Fuse, already completely despise each other but things soon get a lot worse between them. Not only did they both discover the body together they also find themselves in a huge mess when some extremist followers of DJ ParSec decide to take things into their own hands when the police aren't able to do their jobs.I won't tell you more about this because it all happens in stages and phases that you have to read in sequence for it all to come together so perfectly.This story is very well written but there are times when things happen that leave you scratching your head for a bit. However, when it all comes to an end you can look back and see just how good of a story you just read. It's a good little murder mystery thriller type story that is entertaining to see play out to the very end.