The Window by Amelia Brunskill

The Window by Amelia Brunskill

Published: April 3rd 2018 by Delacorte Press

Anna is everything her identical twin is not. Outgoing and athletic, she is the opposite of quiet introvert Jess. The same on the outside, yet so completely different inside–it’s hard to believe the girls are sisters, let alone twins. But they are. And they tell each other everything.

Or so Jess thought.

After Anna falls to her death while sneaking out her bedroom window, Jess’s life begins to unravel. Everyone says it was an accident, but to Jess, that doesn’t add up. Where was Anna going? Who was she meeting? And how long had Anna been lying to her?

Jess is compelled to learn everything she can about the sister she thought she knew. At first it’s a way to stay busy and find closure . . . but Jess soon discovers that her twin kept a lot of secrets. And as she digs deeper, she learns that the answers she’s looking for may be truths that no one wants her to uncover.

Because Anna wasn’t the only one with secrets.

I am not going to lie, whilst I had this on my TBR, it wasn’t high on my radar. I haven’t really seen a lot of people talking about it – so I picked this up for my kindle on a bit of a whim because of the mood I was in. I am so glad I did because this book was just amazing in SO MANY different ways, and I feel that a lot more people should be reading it already!

I think my favourite aspect of this book was the way in which it was written. Interspersed between each of Jess’ chapters was a couple of lines from Anna, slowly telling the story. With the clues that Jess was trying to figure out, and the snippets of Anna’s story in between, the author managed to create a mystery that really had me guessing right up until the very end. I was constantly changing my theories and I love the way that this book twisted and turned and kept me on my toes. As soon as I had thought I had something figured out, something happened and everything was put back on its head. Fragments of what happened to Anna, and the clues that she left behind were constantly being questioned by Jess, and it left the reader wondering if Jess was reading too much into things, or if something really did happen to Anna… and it also put a lot of focus on the grieving process and what was happening to Jess throughout psychologically.

Grief plays a HUGE part in this book – especially the grieving process. I loved the way in which the author featured various different grieving processes and represented the idea that everyone grieves differently and that there is no wrong way to grieve. Whether it is trying to find closure, accepting what has happened and moving on or even trying to find a second chance amongst everything that happened, everyone in this book processed things differently and it added an extra element to the story itself.  Having said that, the author also managed to weave in the idea of whether grief can be taken too far and just how low we can sink when we are grieving.

I also liked the fact that the author didn’t just represent grief through the loss of a friend/daughter/sibling through death. The author used various plot points to highlight different forms of grief and loss – loss of innocence, self worth, love and relationships and childhood. Everyone was facing different issues and processing it in different ways and showing different forms of grief, even within their everyday lives.

The author also wove in different societal issues that we face today and showed how one can affect another and how that in turn can affect something else. It was written in such a way that focused on teens trying to find themselves and navigate the world around them and the way in which it can sometimes go completely wrong – Alcoholism, the date rape drug, death, corruption, pedophilia, blackmail, sexual assault. Brunskill tied everything together and this book contributed, I think, in a huge way to the discussion of various issues and I really think that, young people especially, should be reading this book.

I also loved the way that this book focused on good things in amongst the bad. The sibling bond that Jess and Anna had was beautiful. Being twins, they had a different kind of special bond, that often left people feeling a little left out, but it was a bond that stuck right up until the very end, and even after Anna’s death. They were loyal to each other, as many siblings are (myself and my brother included) and I loved the fact that it showed that, even though you might not always get along with your siblings or see eye to eye with them, they’ll always be there for you in the end.

The ending was extremely bittersweet. I don’t want to give too much away, but the development and the changes that Jess went through throughout the book, and the point that she had gotten to by the end was both heart warming and heart breaking. I was left ugly sobbing in the corner – that’s all I’m saying.

All in all, I loved this book. It was poignant and heart breaking, but also bittersweet right up until the end. It focused on so many different issues and wove them all together pretty seamlessly. I gave this book 5/5 stars

Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Published: March 13th 2018 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza—but who knows what they’ll find seven months after the invasion?

Meanwhile, Kady’s cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza’s ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys—an old flame from Asha’s past—reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict.

With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heroes will fall, and hearts will be broken.

I’m not going to lie, I don’t even know where to start with this review. Obsidio is a book that I had on pre order since last year May – so you can imagine my reaction when this baby FINALLY reached my door! Words cannot even describe. I loved this instalment so much and I am feeling bittersweet about it because it is the final book in the series. I am no ready to let go of this world and the characters and, honestly, I call for a spin off. Like… I need more!

Like with Illuminae and Gemina, I loved the layout of this book! It is so unique from everything else out there and it was easy to follow, despite the layout. It was fun, eye catching and is a huge reason that I fell in love with this book. The book itself is HUGE, and the layout really helps to cut through that amount of pages and really makes it a quick read, despite the size (or maybe I was just too obsessed?)

I also loved the fact that the characters from the previous book started to come together in this one, whilst also introducing us to new characters at the same time. The story of each and every one of these characters began to weave together as they got to know each other and become a part of their every day lives. All of the previous characters, along with the new characters, retained their unique personalities, so it was easy to see who’s perspective we were reading from. Each and every single character brought something new to the story and they all had their own purposes throughout – even as things and circumstances changed.

I loved Aidan’s character. The authors managed to weave him into an extremely complex character (considering the fact that he’s AI). He’s lovable in his own way, but then commits really horrific actions that has the readers struggling to deal with. His character is really morally grey, and will have the readers questioning their own morality. He was programmed to think and act logically, and save the most amount of people – so while his actions were horrific, they saved the most amount of people… I love the fact that readers are struggling to really decide if he is evil or not, a protagonist or an antagonist and I loved the fact that he brought something extremely complex to the story that could generate a debate for both good and evil.

The plot, like the first two book, was just fantastic. It was full of twists and turns that I never even saw coming; character deaths that I wasn’t expecting(don’t worry, no spoilers) and an ending that I really just reeled at. This book was a rollercoaster from beginning to end and I was just hooked the whole way throughout – I finished in less than a day, which had my husband really questioning how I managed to read that many pages in such a short amount of time.

This book even had me ugly (and I mean UGLY) sobbing in a corner… TWICE! I’m not going to mention what happened, either time, but it broke me… and then broke me all over again for completely different reasons and I really struggled to deal. I love the fact that the authors managed to suck me in completely and really had me invested in the plot and the characters to that extent.

Another thing I found relatively amusing (and actually pretty clever) was the way in which the author paid homage to OTHER AUTHORS throughout. Whether it was Claire LeGrand, Danielle Paige, Alex London amongst others, I thought it clever how they wove the names into the story, along with something that linked to their respective book series throughout. I had fun picking them out as I read.

All in all, I absolutely LOVED this instalment! I’m still up for a spin off after the ending and… I just want more from these characters and this world. I am not ready to say goodbye just yet – if ever! I gave this book 5/5 stars.

Cover Reveal: A Bond of Sovereigns and Souls by Karen Tomlinson

Hey guys! I hope you are all having a good weekend. I have a cover reveal for you guys today for the third book in one of my favourite series! I saw this cover a while back and I have just been WAITING to host it on this blog because I am so in love with it!

A Bond of Sovereigns and Souls by Karen Tomlinson

Expected Publication: June 16th 2018 – Self Published

Pre order on Amazon

A shattered bond. A world at war.

Diamond has learned to beat the odds but soon discovers triumph in one battle does not win a war.

The fae kingdom is in turmoil. The lord of Chaos is coming.

Ripped apart from Hugo, the fae warrior who holds her heart, Diamond embarks upon a perilous journey. Determined to save the souls of the mortal world, she risks everything to forge vital new alliances. But her only bargaining chip is the blood in her veins. Somehow, she must use it to persuade the sovereigns of the Eight Kingdoms to unite in war.

Utterly alone, Hugo endures unspeakable horrors. Fighting demons of his own, he must confront a painful sacrifice. His only hope? That the mighty dragons heed his plea for help. His world and heart will be doomed if he cannot save Diamond before the darkness can end her.

A Bond of Sovereigns and Souls is an action packed, high fantasy tale that will astound lovers of Sarah J Maas and Sabaa Tahir, transporting them into a world of magic, wizards and war.

*Readers will delight in this third instalment of The Goddess and the Guardians, a young adult fantasy series by USA Today bestselling author Karen Tomlinson.

I beta read this back in February and I absolutely loved it – so many things changed within this book that affected the way the whole series is going and I am so excited for the final book!

Circle of Ashes by Elise Kova and Lynn Larsh

Circle of Ashes by Elise Kova and Lynn Larsh

Expected Publication: April 9th 2018 by Silver Wing Press

EVERY WISH HAS A COST BUT WILL THE SOCIETY BE WILLING TO PAY IT?

Once a hacker-for-hire living in the shadows, Josephina “Jo” Espinosa is the newest member of a magical Society. Their mandate? To grant the wishes of mortals. A simple enough task until Jo is faced with an impossible wish – and her inability to grant it might spell disaster for her entire team, if not the Society itself.

Jo is used to high-pressure situations, but after a string of disasters, the last thing she needs is stakes of this magnitude. Especially given that neither she nor the Society know quite what the consequences of failing to grant a wish might be.

The only person with answers is the Society’s aloof and cryptic leader, Snow. Yet while Jo is enigmatically drawn to the man, all their clandestine encounters leave her with only more questions about the true nature of the Society, her magic, and her own history.

Time is running out for the Society, and an executioner will rise from among them to exact the price of failure.

Note: I received an ARC copy of this via the authors for an honest review. This in no way influences my opinion.

After reading Society of Wishes, I was anxious to get my hands on this book. I loved the first book and I just needed to know how this story and world were going to develop – and I was not disappointed. This book had me so hooked and I fell in love with this world even more!

I think the best thing about this book was the wave of emotion on every single page. The authors really did a great job of making the emotions jump off the pages and it really added to my reading experience! I was invested in each and every character… well.. almost every character ( I hate Pan, #justsaying) and I really felt everything they were feeling throughout the book. It felt as if I were there with them and friends with them. There were times that I was crying ugly tears because I was so invested and affected by what was going on.

The book was extremely easy to get lost in. The character and plot developments, along with the world building and the emotions really swept me up into this world and kept me turning the pages. I had to know what was going to happen next and I ended up reading this book in one sitting because of that!

We got to know more about the characters and how they came to be in the society! I loved the fact that we got into some of the characters wishes and how different they seem! I loved the fact that the authors used actual historical events and based a couple of wishes around them explain why history took the turn that it did – along with creating their own histories (since the book is set in the future) to explain history affecting the characters as well. I also liked the fact that, whilst some of the wishes were on a larger scale that affected the course of history, other wishes really only impacted the characters themselves and the people in their lives. It was an even balance between the two and I liked the fact that not every character did something to help a whole nation of people because it kept the characters relatable.

We also got a little more into Snows character and I am infatuated! I was so intrigued by him in book one and I just kept gravitating toward him as a reader and wanting to know more about him – the same can be said about this one! I am still extremely intrigued by him and the history that he and Jo share and … I just want to know  everything, ok? He’s been around the longest and has seen everything and I just want to know what he knows… I am also completely and utterly curious about what his history is and how he ended up in the/creating the society! I need answers!

As mentioned previously, I hate Pan. I don’t want to go too much into it because spoilers, but I hate her character. She is such a dark and twisted character and, whilst I am intrigued to know more about her and how she ended up the way that she did, I also just want her to be killed off already. She still reminds me of a gender reversed Peter Pan, but an evil one.

I don’t want to get too much into the ending because, again, spoilers, but it broke me. I loved the fact that the authors didn’t take an easy ending and showed the idea that some things just don’t work out the way you expect them to, but it still broke me. I cried ugly tears for a good long while after finishing the book!

All in all, I absolutely loved this instalment! I enjoyed both the character and the plot development and the wave of emotions that left each and every page! I gave this book 5/5 stars.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Published: January 2nd 2018 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

I’m not going to lie – I was skeptical about this book. I was worried about the amount of hype and praise this book was getting and the fact that I usually fall into the category of not loving the books that everyone else loves and raves about. So when I saw this in the book store, I bought it on a whim and hoped for the best. I can safely say that I am so GLAD I did because this book was just breathtaking!

Whilst there were a couple of scenes written in the human world, the vast majority of this book takes place in Faerie. The world building that went on in this book was just beautiful. It was vivid, lush and it really popped from the page. I easily got lost just in the world building alone and it was like I was there with the characters, watching what was going on. I loved the way in which the beauty of the world went against everything else about this book. It went against the dark nature of the creatures that inhabit the world and it fit together perfectly.

I loved all of the characters – even the horrible ones. Each and every character brought something new to the plot and the world as a whole and no two characters felt similar at all. I loved watching characters and personalities clash as the book went on, along with the subtle ways in which the characters went against each other and the way in which it all wove together. Each and every character was complex and had multiple layers to them. I also loved the fact that none of the characters had any inhibitions about the fact that they were manipulative and nasty. They knew exactly what and who they were and they revelled in it.

I was expecting hate Prince Cardan… and I just didn’t. He is a dark and twisted character, but has another side to him that no one else knows about. I have such mixed feelings about Cardan – I know he is horrible and nasty, but I still really like him as a character and I am totally on bored with this dark and twisted character and I just want MORE.

Locke was another character who I found extremely interesting. I had guessed his game from the very beginning, but I still felt convinced by him despite knowing what he was doing. I felt as betrayed as the characters by the end – despite knowing! I loved the way in which he manipulated and twisted his words (considering the whole Faeries can’t lie thing) and it really reinforced the dark and twisted nature of the Fey and their manipulative sides.

As mentioned throughout this review – the book was DARK… and I loved every second. The characters were manipulative and dark and the plot itself added to the whole theme. I loved the betrayals, the word games and just everything about this twisted book. I lost all expectations for this book because it was just so twisted and I was just completely hooked. I HAD to know what was going to happen next. I physically could not put this book down to save my life and it resulted in me finishing it in one sitting.

The plot itself was also complex. It had multiple plot points and layers and they all wove together and intertwined to come together as one thing at the end. The plot was extremely easy to follow and get lost in despite the various points – I never once felt lost or confused. The plot had a direct effect on the character development – and I loved it! Between Jude and Taryn’s relationship developments, along with Cardan and Judes etc. It all worked perfectly together. Can I also just mention that I am totally on board with the twisted canon that was going on in this book!

I also just want to mention the ending! :-O It was easy to forget that Jude can outright lie and I was just not expecting the ending that happened. I was left reeling and I just need the second book… like right now!

All in all, I absolutely loved this book! I am glad I decided to pick it up and I am totally lamenting the fact that I have to wait till NEXT YEAR for the next instalment. I think hibernation is in order. The dark and twisted nature of this book was so refreshing and unique and I cannot wait to return to this world full of twisted, manipulative characters and betrayals! I gave this book 5/5 stars.

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

Published: January 6th 2015 by Del Ray

Amazon: Golden Son

As a Red, Darrow grew up working the mines deep beneath the surface of Mars, enduring backbreaking labor while dreaming of the better future he was building for his descendants. But the Society he faithfully served was built on lies. Darrow’s kind have been betrayed and denied by their elitist masters, the Golds—and their only path to liberation is revolution. And so Darrow sacrifices himself in the name of the greater good for which Eo, his true love and inspiration, laid down her own life. He becomes a Gold, infiltrating their privileged realm so that he can destroy it from within.

A lamb among wolves in a cruel world, Darrow finds friendship, respect, and even love—but also the wrath of powerful rivals. To wage and win the war that will change humankind’s destiny, Darrow must confront the treachery arrayed against him, overcome his all-too-human desire for retribution—and strive not for violent revolt but a hopeful rebirth. Though the road ahead is fraught with danger and deceit, Darrow must choose to follow Eo’s principles of love and justice to free his people.

He must live for more.

I feel like I should really be kicking myself for not picking this series up sooner. I picked up this book as soon as I had finished Red Rising and, like book 1, this book had me hooked from beginning to end. What I liked most about this book was that it focused on other aspects of the world and the rebellion where the fist book didn’t – so I feel that the continuation really did a great job of building the events even more.

I liked the fact that this book focused more on the political side of things, rather than character building etc. like the first book did. Whilst there was character and plot building going on, I felt that focusing on the politics of the rebellion and the society really helped to solidify why Darrow was doing what he was doing, as well as give us a better understanding of the society itself and the Gold race. I loved the hypocrisy shown by the Golds within their politics and the system that they have created.

It was also interesting to watch Darrow struggle to come to terms with what he was doing and what he was becoming. He has friends amongst the Golds, which he never believed he would have, and a relationship with Mustang that he also believed he would never have – so he struggles to internalise that with everything that he has to do for the Rebellion to free his own people. I liked watching him grow as a character and how he faced and dealt with new problems and how he learned from new mistakes that he makes along the way. There were times where I really wanted to shout at him because I felt like he was acting pretty stupid, but that’s just Darrow.

It was interesting to see how the relationships between Darrow and other characters really formed and developed within the book. There was a lot of betrayal going on and it was difficult to really know who you can trust and who was going to stab Darrow in the back – and I often times chose wrong! There were characters who I really believed wouldn’t betray Darrow, despite the fact that he kept pushing them away because of the struggle he was having with himself, and there were other characters who I was expecting to betray Darrow, who really stuck by him throughout everything.

The plot itself was fast paced and had me completely hooked! I constantly wanted to know what was going to happen next, and there were a lot of twists and turns that I did not see coming! Can I also just mention the ENDING?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!? What even did I read in that end? I stared at my kindle for about 20 minutes before I even moved, I was that shocked.

All in all, I absolutely LOVED this instalment to the Red Rising series. I am currently reading Morning Star, but I haven’t gotten that far because of the hectic that was Christmas, however, I am hoping to get some more read later today! I really should have picked this series up sooner than I did *Facepalm* I gave this book 5/5 stars.

Find me Here: 

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Warcross by Marie Lu

Warcross by Marie Lu

Published: September 12th 2017 by G. P Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

Amazon: Warcross

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

I was extremely hesitant to buy a copy of this book purely because I haven’t liked any of Marie Lu’s previous works. I saw this in the bookshop quite a few times before deciding to buy it on a whim. I’d heard great things about it, so I thought I would give her another chance to blow me away. I am so glad I did because I absolutely LOVED this book! I can FINALLY say that there is a Marie Lu book out there that I like!

I would like to start off with the world building – it was rich, descriptive and definitely could have been something from the future – the near future at that. I constantly found myself wishing that someone would invent Video Tanaka’s Glasses already so that I could have some fun with them as well! I was completely drawn into the technology of the world and they way in which is was set up to be a part of the real world when you are wearing the glasses. The points system to level up was fun and even the bad aspects of Warcross made it all that much more realistic! I was a huge fan of the world that Lu built, around some technology that we already know, but was taken about 1,000 steps further.

I loved Emika as a character. She was definitely rough around the edges, as befitting the kind of life that she had, but she wasn’t apologetic about it. She was still a good person, despite having had a hard start and she stayed true to herself throughout the book. She would rather help people, than have them help her and that definitely hindered her in some aspects, but I loved watching her personality grow and change around the other characters and the way in which she was at the end with her other team mates. Her inner fangirling over meeting her hero (Hideo) was definitely relatable to me as a reader. I enjoyed watching their relationship grow as they got to know each other and the way in which the dynamic changed at the end.

I also enjoyed getting to know Hideo over the period of the book. We don’t find out a lot about him at the beginning because he is a very private character, but as he opens up toward Emika, we get to know him better – his past and the reason behind Warcross. I liked him throughout the book and often felt sorry for him and what he went through as a child. However, at the end of the book when everything was revealed, I felt torn about him as a character. I have so many questions about his past and what actually happened (if you have read the book, you will understand what I mean) rather than what he has created his memory to be… or recreated in this case.

This plot kept me completely hooked throughout the book. Between the legit Warcross games, to the hacking that was going on in between, going to the Dark World and meeting Zero, I couldn’t put this book down. The plot was fast paced and there was never really a moment where I felt bored or like I wanted to go an do something else. I constantly wanted to know what was going to happen next.

I had figured out who Zero was before Emika did an after a certain memory from Hideo and I was glad to see that I was right. Having said that, I now have SO MANY QUESTIONS about their past, what really happened, where he has been etc. that I just need the second book already. This book has definitely left me wanting more and I cannot wait for the next instalment!

Whilst I figured out who Zero was, I didn’t understand why he was doing what he was doing… until the very end. By the end of the book, I felt played like a fool and spat out on the other side… in a good way! The ending shocked me completely and I am so torn about how to feel. On the one hand, I understand based on other things that happened why the ending happened that did, but on the other side, it is so inherently wrong, that it is unforgivable! Especially with the questions I have about Hideo’s past and what truly happened, I am so excited to continue this series!

All in all, I absolutely loved this book! The world building was strong and the characters and plot line bounced off that strong world. I felt played as a reader and I loved every second of it! I cannot wait for the next instalment. I gave this book 5/5 stars!

Find Me Here:

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The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Published: September 27th 2011 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Amazon: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (The Mara Dyer Trilogy, Band 1)

Book Depository

Mara Dyer believes life can’t get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed.

There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.

She’s wrong.

I first read this book a few years ago and I absolutely loved it. I also read book 2 and enjoyed it just as much, but for some reason, I never actually picked up book 3! So, I thought I would have a re read of the first two books, so that I could finally pick up number three and then pick up the new instalment in this world – The Becoming of Noah Shaw! I loved this book just as much as the first time I read it and I cannot wait to move on to book 2!

Mara Dyer is a completely unreliable narrator. She suffers from PTSD after an accident that happened, so she hallucinates a lot and struggles to figure out what is real and what isn’t. As a reader, this makes it difficult to determine what is real and what isn’t and as soon as you think you have it figured out, something else happens to bring it all back into question. This left me completely on my toes, even though I read the book already.

I forgot just how great a character Noah is. He tries to help Mara, even though he knows he doesn’t have to and he sticks by her no matter how crazy she gets. I do wonder from where he knows her, because that was a detail that I completely forgot about and picked back up after my re read, so I am looking forward to seeing how these two are connected – where one character remembers and the other one doesn’t.

I wish we saw more of Jamie. I loved his character and the way he tried to help Mara based on his own experiences, even if they were slightly jaded or misplaced. He was an honest character and someone who really was a friend to Mara from the very beginning of the book and it was sad that we didn’t get to see much of him because of what happened – I am hoping that he will turn up some time later in the story again.

I loved the fact that Mara had an actual family at home who worried about her. A lot of books, whether contemporary or fantasy, often have missing family members or none because of certain circumstances etc. So it was a nice change to see a set of parents, together who, whilst they may have argued, cared about Mara and what happened to her and were willing to protect her – even if Mara thought they were being too overprotective. Daniel is a great support system for Mara, as well as being the annoying brother sometimes, which balanced out his actions some.

The plot kept me on my toes, largely because we didn’t know what was real and what wasn’t and the fact that certain things started happening without any idea as to why etc. I loved the way that everyday news helped make the plot what it was and it was done a subtle way that crept up the on the reader, rather than just being there in your face.

All in all, I loved this book as much as I loved it the first time! I am absolutely looking forward to re reading book two and I cannot wait for my copy to get here so that I can! I gave this book 5/5 stars.

Find me Here:

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Other Reviews:

The Reader’s Bay

Ana @ The Book Smugglers

Chasing Faerytales

Release Day Spotlight: Alone by Cyn Balog

Alone by Cyn Balog

Published: November 7th 2017 by Sourcebooks Fire

When her mom inherits an old, crumbling mansion, Seda’s almost excited to spend the summer there. The grounds are beautiful and it’s fun to explore the sprawling house with its creepy rooms and secret passages. Except now her mom wants to renovate, rather than sell the estate—which means they’re not going back to the city…or Seda’s friends and school.

As the days grow shorter, Seda is filled with dread. They’re about to be cut off from the outside world, and she’s not sure she can handle the solitude or the darkness it brings out in her.

Then a group of teens get stranded near the mansion during a blizzard. Seda has no choice but to offer them shelter, even though she knows danger lurks in the dilapidated mansion—and in herself. And as the snow continues to fall, what Seda fears most is about to become her reality…

I just want to start out by saying Happy Book Birthday to Cyn Balog! I received an ARC of this book a couple of months ago via Netgalley and I absolutely LOVED it! There was a creepy vibe from the very beginning of the book and there were twists and turns that I didn’t see coming! The ending – do not even get me started on that amazing ending. This is definitely must read! Cyn Balog is easily becoming one of my favourite authors in the horror genre and I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us next! There will be a Rafflecopter giveaway link at the bottom of this post for residents of America and Canada!

Excerpt:

 Sometimes I dream I am drowning.

Sometimes I dream of bloated faces, bobbing on the surface of misty waters.

And then I wake up, often screaming, heart racing, hands clenching fistfuls of my sheets.

I’m in my bed at the top of Bug House. The murky daylight casts dull prisms from my snow globes onto the attic floor. My mom started collecting those pretty winter scenes for me when I was a baby. I gaze at them, lined neatly on the shelf in front of my window. My first order of business every day is hoping they’ll give me a trace of the joy they did when I was a kid.

But either they don’t work that way anymore, or I don’t.

Who am I kidding? It’s definitely me.

I’m insane. Batshit. Nuttier than a fruitcake. Of course, that’s not an official diagnosis. The official word from Dr. Batton, whose swank Copley Square office I visited only once when I was ten, was that I was bright and intelligent and a wonderful young person. He said it’s normal for kids to have imaginary playmates.

But it gets a little sketchy when that young person grows up, and her imaginary friend decides to move in and make himself comfortable.

Not that anyone knows about that. No, these days, I’m good about keeping up appearances.

My second order of business each day is hoping that he won’t leak into my head. That maybe I can go back to being a normal sixteen–year–old girl.

But he always comes.

He’s a part of me, after all. And he’s been coming more and more, invading my thoughts. Of course I’m here, stupid.

Sawyer. His voice in my mind is so loud that it drowns out the moaning and creaking of the walls around me.

“Seda, honey?” my mother calls cheerily. She shifts her weight on the bottom step, making the house creak more. “Up and at ’em, buckaroo!”

I force my brother’s taunts away and call down the spiral staircase, “I am up.” My short temper is because of him, but it ends up directed at her.

She doesn’t notice though. My mother has only one mood now: ecstatically happy. She says it’s the air up here, which always has her taking big, deep, monster breaths as if she’s trying to inhale the entire world into her lungs. But maybe it’s because this is her element; after all, she made a profession out of her love for all things horror. Or maybe she really is better off without my dad, as she always claims she is.

I hear her whistling “My Darlin’ Clementine” as her slippered feet happily scuffle off toward the kitchen. I put on the first clothing I find in my drawer—-sweatpants and my mom’s old Boston College sweatshirt—-then scrape my hair into a ponytail on the top of my head as I look around the room. Mannequin body parts and other macabre props are stored up here. It’s been my bedroom for only a month. I slept in the nursery with the A and Z twins when we first got here because they were afraid of ghosts and our creepy old house. But maybe they—-like Mom—-are getting used to this place?

The thought makes me shudder. I like my attic room because of the privacy. Plus, it’s the only room that isn’t ice cold, since all the heat rises up to me. But I don’t like much else about this old prison of a mansion.

One of the props, Silly Sally, is sitting in the rocker by the door as I leave. She’d be perfect for the ladies’ department at Macy’s if it weren’t for the gaping chest wound in her frilly pink blouse. “I hate you,” I tell her, batting at the other mannequin body parts descending from the rafters like some odd canopy. She smiles as if the feeling is mutual. I give her a kick on the way out.

Despite the morbid stories about this place, I don’t ever worry about ghosts. After all, I have Sawyer, and he is worse.

As I climb down the stairs, listening to the kids chattering in the nursery, I notice the money, accompanied by a slip of paper, on the banister’s square newel post. The car keys sit atop the pile. Before I can ask, Mom calls, “I need you to go to the store for us. OK, Seda, my little kumquat?”

I blink, startled, and it’s not because of the stupid nickname. I don’t have a license, just a learner’s permit. My mom had me driving all over the place when we first came here, but that was back then. Back when this was a simple two–week jaunt to get an old house she’d inherited ready for sale. There wasn’t another car in sight, so she figured, why not? She’s all about giving us kids experiences, about making sure we aren’t slaves to our iPhones, like so many of my friends back home. My mother’s always marching to her own drummer, general consensus be damned, usually to my horror. But back then, I had that thrilling, invincible, first–days–of–summer–vacation feeling that made anything seemed possible. Too bad that was short lived.

We’ve been nestled at Bug House like hermits for months. Well, that’s not totally true. Mom has made weekly trips down the mountain, alone, to get the mail and a gallon of milk and make phone calls to civilization. We were supposed to go back to Boston before school started, but that time came and went, and there’s no way we’re getting off this mountain before the first snow.

Snow.

I peer out the window. The first dainty flakes are falling from the sky.

Snow. Oh God. Snow.

Buy Links:

Amazon | B&N | BAM | Indigo | IndieBound 

About the Author: 

Cyn Balog is the author of a number of young adult novels. She lives outside Allentown, Pennsylvania with her husband and daughters. Visit her online at http://www.cynbalog.com.

Rafflecopter giveaway:

This giveaway is for members of the U.S and Canada and will be running until November 17th. Enter to win a copy of Alone.

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I hope you all enjoy this book as much as I did and I cannot wait to see what Cyn Balog does next!

Find Me Here: 

Instagram/Twitter/Goodreads/Litsy @ Lauren’s Page Turners

Reviews:

My Review

Alaina @ An Infinite Book World

My Guilty Obsession

Megan @ Under the Book Cover

 

Hoax by C. L. Stone

Hoax by C. L. Stone

Published: October 16th 2016 by Arcato Publishing

Someone tried to kill Kayli Winchester. That someone is going to pay.

After going overboard and nearly drowning, Kayli regroups and joins Axel, Corey, Brandon, Marc, and Raven back on board the Lucienda. This time, she’s brought reinforcements. Liam and Henry join the team in an all-out hunt for a killer. It can’t be too hard; there’s only so many places to hide on a cruise ship. But the number of suspects is climbing.

Tensions are high, and everyone is on alert, but along the way, there’s way too many distractions–very hot distractions. Kayli’s done hiding her feelings. She’s showing her hand, come what may. She’s never held back before she met this team–why start now?

But when one of their team members disappears, all clues point to mutiny. Is the team going to fracture because of her? Did someone throw her overboard because of jealousy?

Kayli refuses to believe it, but she’ll have to provide proof before the murderer finds out she’s still alive and comes back to complete the job.

C. L. Stone is easily one of my absolute favourite authors out there. I could easily jump into any one of her books and know that I am going to love it! It has been a while since I read the previous book in this series and I didn’t feel like I was missing any information or that I needed to go back and remind myself as to what happened.

This book starts exactly where the previous one left off. There is no time lapse in between the ending of the previous book and the start of this book, which I quite like because there was no explanation needed as to what had happened in between. I don’t want to go into too much because of spoilers, but it was easy to remember what had happened within the previous books.

I absolutely LOVE Kayli as a character. She completely slays everything she does, but at the same time she has her character flaws, which keeps her relatable to the readers. I enjoyed reading her interactions with all of the boys and the way in which the relationships grew and changed as the circumstances began to change – the relationship dynamic has become something completely different and I cannot wait to see how it continues to grow throughout the next book!

The plot of this book was fast paced and kept me on my toes throughout. There was always new information coming out and the twists and turns that revealed themselves throughout kept me hooked. This was a really quick read for me purely because I was loving every second of it – both plot wise and character wise.

Please excuse me whilst I go for a cold shower! The scenes between Kayli and the various boys (don’t judge it before you read it) was absolutely amazing and, as mentioned, I needed a cold shower! There was such a connection between her and each one of the boys and the dynamic between each of them helped keep each relationship fresh and interesting. I also liked the way that the author represented a gay couple – they were absolutely adorable and I cannot wait to see their relationship (finally) develop and grow, along with the relationship dynamic with Kayli.

All in all, I LOVED this book and this author is most definitely one of my favourites. I cannot even wait for the next book in this series and I am so looking forward to the way things play out – especially after the ending with Raven. I gave this book 5/5 stars.