Review: The Fixer – Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Posted September 28, 2015 by Andi in Books, Review / 4 Comments

Review: The Fixer – Jennifer Lynn BarnesThe Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Series: The Fixer #1
Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Published: July 7th 2015
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This thriller YA is Scandal meets Veronica Mars.

Sixteen-year-old Tess Kendrick has spent her entire life on her grandfather's ranch. But when her estranged sister Ivy uproots her to D.C., Tess is thrown into a world that revolves around politics and power. She also starts at Hardwicke Academy, the D.C. school for the children of the rich and powerful, where she unwittingly becomes a fixer for the high school set, fixing teens’ problems the way her sister fixes their parents’ problems.

And when a conspiracy surfaces that involves the family member of one of Tess's classmates, love triangles and unbelievable family secrets come to light and life gets even more interesting—and complicated—for Tess.

Perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars and Heist Society, readers will be clamoring for this compelling teen drama with a political twist.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.



Just this past year I became a fan of the TV series Veronica Mars. I’m not sure why I never watched it before. I mean I love Kristen Bell and the idea of a teenage PI. IT just seemed to pass me by. But after some urging I ended up basically binging the series and the movie and I LOVED it! It had great romance and plot and snark. It was basically awesome. So when I was told The Fixer was Veronica Mars meets Scandal (although I don’t watch Scandal) I knew I needed to read it. Although those comparisons have the tendency to mislead I went for it anyway. I was not disappointed. The Fixer is totally Veronica Mars meets Scandal and I LOVED IT!

The Fixer is about Tess, a 16 year old girl that have been living with her grandfather for years even though his health is declining. When her sister Ivy gets wind she swoops in and brings her sister to live with her in D.C.. Suddenly Tess is going to school with rich and powerful teens in the political world. As she starts to get herself settled she learns her sister has a reputation as a Fixer, someone that helps the politically powerful fix problems they get themselves in. Not meaning to Tess’ reputation begins growing as a Fixer herself. And when a case comes in that effects both Tess and Ivy their worlds are both flipped upside down because really not everything in Washington is as it seems.

I seriously love a good mystery! I love a page turner that even if you think you know what is happening you aren’t sure if that is really what is happening. The Fixer does all of that. It keeps you guessing even when you think you have it figured out. So much in fact that you could care less if it is revealed you were right the whole time. The pace was fast but not overwhelming and the writing and plot was on point. The story doesn’t have much for romance but I was okay with it this time as everything worked even better without one.

I have never been to DC (it’s on my list of US places to go) so I found the setting awesome. Since I’m not familiar with any of the places mentioned it was fun to kind of make a picture up in my head. It was also a pretty unique setting as not many YA books actually take place in Washington politics. The city added to the story in the long run as the powerful people in Washington only made things for complicated for Tess and Ivy. Definitely a high point in The Fixer.

I liked Tess a lot. She had a sass to her that was fun and real. She wasn’t as snarky as Veronica was on the show, but she could hold her own. She had an amazing strength to her that I really loved. And she never once backed down when she thought she was right about something. But she also remained a teen which I think was important to the essence of the story. I also liked Ivy and all the other “minor” characters. They brought something to the story that was unique in terms of their personalities, but was also cohesive to the story telling. A+ in characters for sure.

In the end I really loved the vibe and storytelling of The Fixer. It was billed as Veronica Mars meets Scandal and I could see that with every turn of the page even without watching Scandal. It wasn’t some contrived story about a teenage PI. It seemed real and natural and made me happy to have read it. I can’t wait for book 2!

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4 responses to “Review: The Fixer – Jennifer Lynn Barnes

  1. I tried to watch Scandal and wound up not enjoying it. So when I started seeing this book compared to Scandal, I decided to call it a pass despite my deep and abiding love of Veronica Mars. In the past when I have read Barnes books they’ve been hit or miss where I either liked them well enough or did not enjoy them at all. Your lovely review now has me wondering if I should give her books one more chance with this one.

    Emma @ Miss Print recently posted: A Little in Love: A (Rapid Fire) Review

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