The Fixer (The Fixer #1)

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Author(s)

Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Publisher

Bloomsbury USA Children's Books

Genre(s)

Age Range

12+

Release Date

June 07, 2015

ISBN

9781619635944

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When sixteen-year-old Tess Kendrick is sent to live with her older sister, Ivy, she has no idea that the infamous Ivy Kendrick is Washington D.C.'s #1 "fixer," known for making politicians' scandals go away for a price. No sooner does Tess enroll at Hardwicke Academy than she unwittingly follows in her sister's footsteps and becomes D.C.'s premier high school fixer, solving problems for elite teens. Secrets pile up as each sister lives a double life. . . . until their worlds come crashing together and Tess finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy with one of her classmates and a client of Ivy's. Suddenly, there is much more on the line than good grades, money, or politics, and the price for this fix might be more than Tess is willing to pay. Perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars and Heist Society, readers will be clamoring for more in this exciting new series.

Editor reviews

4 reviews

Overall rating

4.5

Plot

4.5(2)

Characters

4.5(2)

Writing Style

4.5(2)

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The fixer, the kingmaker, and the girl in the middle

July 25, 2015

Overall rating

4.0

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What I Loved:
The Fixer is one of the rare cases where the marketing terms actually match the book: this is definitely Veronica Mars meets Scandal. One of the storylines was actually in an episode of Scandal. I loved every second of it.

Tess in an awesome heroine. She’s witty, caring, and stands up for those being wronged. She doesn’t hesitate when one of her new friends asks for her help with something dangerous and secret and she goes out of her way to protect another of her new friends when she thinks he’s making a dangerous mistake. Basically these kids are involved with some messed up shit and trying to figure out the mystery alongside them is so much fun. I loved her new group of friends: friendly and sensitive Vivie, hilarious and vulnerable Asher, and fair and protective Henry. They’re a great crew and I just want to read about all of their adventures together.

The kids aren’t the only interesting characters. They’re balanced out with a diverse and sometmes terrifying adult group. From the fixer herself to the kingmaker to the first lady, Tess finds herself surrounded by the most powerful people in the country. And they all have agendas of their own.

Besides the tense political environment, we also get the emotional story of Tess’s relationship with her sister Ivy. They haven’t had an easy relationship, and watching them navigate this new living arrangement is heartbreaking at times. They have a lot of growing to do.

The Final Verdict:
The Fixer is an engrossing story with delicious twists and turns that leave readers begging for the next installment.

Ellie, Assistant Promotions Manager Top 100 Reviewer 59 reviews

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Changing schools is tough

May 27, 2015

Overall rating

5.0

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When Tess's grandfather's memory becomes progressively worse, her older sister, Ivy, steps in and whisks her away to Washington, while her grandfather is given excellent medical care in Boston. Tess is enrolled in Hardwicke, a private school where all of her classmates seem to have some connection to the upper echelon of Washington, D.C.'s ruling class. When Tess takes care of a bully for the vice president's daughter, she establishes the same reputation her sister has-- she fixes problems. Ivy's work is very secretive, but soon becomes enmeshed with the complications at Hardwicke. Henry's grandfather has died... Supreme Court Justice Marquette. Vivvie thinks her father might have had something to do with it... her father, Major Bharani, is the White House physician. Add into the mix "kingmaker" William Keyes, who seems to be behind the nomination for Judge Pierce to replace Marquette, and things get very complicated very fast. Tess, Vivvie and Henry, along with several other friends, try to figure out what's going on without telling Ivy too much. They make some progress, but the body count keeps climbing, and eventually Tess's life is imperiled as well. Between the government secrets and family ones, Ivy and Tess have a lot of ground to cover before they can connect as a family.

Good Points

For fans of Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series or Anabel Mongahan's A Girl Called Digit, this is a politically charged, convoluted mystery with a great private school connection. Even though Tess is new to the Washington scene, and her roots on a Montana ranch are never downplayed, she quickly becomes knowledgeable about the in and outs of political intrigue. While her initial investigations are spurred because of her concern for classmates, she quickly realizes that much more is at stake. This is all done in a convincing manner, which is important because... well, couldn't any of us arrive in Washington and soon work our way into the inner circle, uncovering all of its secrets? The Fixer allows the reader to plunge right into the story and be a part of the political machinations!

Even though there are a number of characters, Barnes does a good job at giving them all distinct personalities. While there isn't a romance in this book, there is a chance in the second book (coming out in 2016) to choose between the proper, respectful Henry and the goofy, irresponsible Asher. Ivy has just enough mystery about what she does to make her interesting, and I'm now really curious to see what her "driver", Bodie, has in his background. There are a number of characters killed off, but the murders occur off screen, making this a young adult book that is also suitable for middle grade readers, unlike The Naturals series, which was graphically violent.

Barnes is a facile writer, and The Fixer is a riveting page turner. There are several twists I should have seen coming and didn't, and I can't wait to get back to D.C. and find out what Tess's next adventure will be!

Karen Yingling, Staff Reviewer Top 10 Reviewer 2014 reviews

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User reviews

1 review

Overall rating

4.7

Plot

4.0(1)

Characters

5.0(1)

Writing Style

5.0(1)

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Another Barnes Hit

October 09, 2016

Overall rating

4.7

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Highly recommended - Hoping for a sequel.

Good Points

I loved The Fixer. Tess has been living with her grandfather in Montana, but he has been stricken with Alzheimer's. Tess's sister steps in and takes over moving her to Washington DC and their grandfather to a facility in Boston. It doesn't take long for Tess to get in trouble at her new school. but as it turns out, she gets it naturally. This was a real page turner that was enjoyable from beginning to end - a mystery on a national scale that is wrapped up in the life of a high school student.