I was drawn to this story by the attractive book cover, and knew I needed to read it after I read the synopsis. I enjoy stories that have My Thoughts:
I was drawn to this story by the attractive book cover, and knew I needed to read it after I read the synopsis. I enjoy stories that have sibling relationships, and thought it would be neat to read about sisters, with one of them having a big secret, turning up dead, and one of the remaining sisters investigating, to try to find out what happened.
Ms. Hillyer writes beautiful prose that are poetic and lyrical. Her words effortlessly painted this story in my mind. Frozen Beauty takes place in the small town of Devil's Lake, and is the story of the Malloy sisters.
We learn about the eldest, senior in high school, Kit, who is the "perfect" sister. She gets excellent grades, and volunteers her time. Middle sister, Tessa, often gets overlooked, and doesn't have many friends. The youngest sister, Lilly, a sophomore in high school, is a bit immature, likes being the center of attention, and often times feels left out, because the two oldest sisters are closer. Right smack dab in the middle of the sisters is their friendship with next door neighbor Boyd, who is a junior in high school alongside, Tessa, and they are best friends. Each of the sisters have feelings for Boyd, but keep their feelings about him a secret from one another. As for Boyd's feelings, he gives mixed signals to the sisters.
One night, when Lilly is spending the night at her best friend Mel's house, she wakes up to find her missing. When she goes to look for Mel, she is shocked to see Kit and Boyd together in his truck arguing, and then kissing. The next day Kit turns up dead, and Boyd is locked up. Boyd claims his innocence, but based on what Lilly saw, and the fact that Kit's DNA is all over his truck, the police believe they have a solid case against Boyd. Tessa believes in Boyd's innocence, and is determined to prove that he isn't the one that killed her sister...
Frozen Beauty is told in chapters alternating between what happened before Kit's death, and what happened after her death. We get a prologue by Boyd, as well as the majority of the story narrated by Tessa and Lilly. The story casts a suspicious light over a few characters, and has the wheels in the reader's mind turning to try to piece together the puzzle of who murdered Kit.
I enjoyed the author's writing style, and learning about the Malloy Sisters. The plot unraveled rather slowly. This was a mystery that I was excited to solve, and along the way various serious topics were addressed. We learn a lot about Lilly's best friends Mel, the pushy leader of the group, and Dar, who has an eating disorder and struggling with coming to terms with her sexuality. We learn about Patrick Donavan, Lilly's eventual love interest, who is the resident bad boy. We get little poems sprinkled throughout the story written by Kit, and one thing quickly becomes clear; she was keeping a lot of secrets from her sisters.
This story deals with the grief of losing a loved one; as Tessa, Lilly, and their mother struggle to move forward with their lives. If you are looking for a murder mystery with seamlessly beautiful writing, interesting characters, and a quick, effortless read, check out Frozen Beauty....more
I love the beautiful and artistic cover on What I Want You to See. Once I read the synopsis, I was intrigued, and knew this was a book I wMy Thoughts:
I love the beautiful and artistic cover on What I Want You to See. Once I read the synopsis, I was intrigued, and knew this was a book I wanted to read. What I Want You to See was a super fast read. The chapters are short, and the writing flows effortlessly. I love how the author gave just enough description of the setting, characters, and plot, that I could easily visualize everything, without being bored or making the narrative drag.
The story is told from college art student Sabine Reyes' point of view. She is in her first year of college and attending the California Institute for the Visual Arts, after being awarded the prestigious Zoich Scholarship. We get the present, as well as flashback's in to Sabine's past, through memories, and her reflection on sketches that she previously created. We learn of her painful, sad, and heartbreaking past.
Sabine has high hopes of becoming a famous painter one day, and learning from the renowned Professor Collin Krell, who also happens to be the department head. However, Sabine quickly realizes that she will not get what she had hoped for from her professor. During group critique he constantly humiliates Sabine and puts down her paintings. Then Sabine meets Adam, Master's candidate and work study grunt. He offers her a solution to her struggle with Krell. Is this the answer to her problem? Can she trust Adam, or is he not who he appears to be?
What I Want You to See had a very important theme in it about not just looking at the surface of things, but delving much deeper, and looking past anger, hurt, and fear. We see it when Professor Krell is trying to teach Sabine about art, as well as when it comes to looking at the people you meet. Many times our perceptions are blurred when we just take things and people at face value.
Art has always been a passion of mine, and I took three years of it in high school. So I was completely enraptured as Sabine learned about light, reflective surfaces, color, texture, negative space, etc. I could easily visualize her pencil and pastel drawings, as well as her paintings.
I enjoyed getting to know the secondary cast, and Sabine's friends, Taysha and Kevin were wonderful characters, but my favorite was Mrs. Mednimov, Sabine's sweet, generous, and nurturing landlady. These three made up a surrogate family/support system for Sabine, and I enjoyed her interactions with all of them. There was a light romance in the story, but the focus was the art, the mystery behind Adam and what takes place in the plot, and the overall message.
There were some serious topics addressed in the story, such as death of a loved one, homelessness and poverty, as well as depression and suicide. If you are an art lover, enjoy a suspenseful little mystery, light romance, and a fast-paced story that will keep you eagerly turning pages, I suggest you check out, What I Want You to See by Catherine Linka....more
I have had the book, Thirteen Reasons Why, on my TBR for quite some time. I clearly remember that there was a lot of positive hype surrounMy Thoughts:
I have had the book, Thirteen Reasons Why, on my TBR for quite some time. I clearly remember that there was a lot of positive hype surrounding this book after it was first published. I will be attending the Ontario Teen Book Festival soon, and Jay Asher is one of the guest authors attending, so I wanted to familiarize myself with his books. This gave me the perfect excuse to read a book that I have been longing to read for years.
Thirteen Reasons Why tells us the story behind Hannah Baker's choice to commit suicide. Her death impacted many, especially Clay Jensen, the guy who had a huge crush on her. A surprise delivery arrives for Clay, and he is in turmoil when he discovers that the box contains cassette tapes recorded by Hannah herself, explaining the thirteen reasons (which include thirteen people) why she decided to kill herself. Clay is to listen to the tapes, and then pass them on to the next person on the list. If at any time, someone on the list does not pass them on, there is a second set of tapes that will be revealed to everyone.
This story had a very unique format. We get Hannah's story told through cassette, and simultaneously, Clay's narrative is interwoven with hers. Clay goes through many afflictive emotions as he listens to Hannah's tapes. He feels guilt that he didn't give Hannah the help she needed, as well as anger and frustration towards the people and events that lead to her suicide. I felt Clay's emotions right alongside him. I could understand the way that he analyzed ever action and bit of dialogue between himself and Hannah, thinking of what he should have done differently.
Hannah as a character gave me mixed emotions. At first it seemed that some of her reasons for committing suicide were trivial, and didn't make sense. However, as the story went on, the author did an excellent job of showing readers how every event connected, had bigger consequences than could have been first predicted, and "snowballed." Hannah felt like she didn't have control over her life, and as each person she counted a friend betrayed her trust, she felt like she didn't have anyone to talk to, or even anyone that genuinely cared about her.
Thirteen Reasons Why sent a clear and powerful message. Mr. Asher did an excellent job of creating an authentic female teenage voice. He gave readers a lot to think about. Information on the signs of a person being suicidal, such as a drastic change in appearance, giving away their belongings, etc. was invaluable. He made me contemplate the fact that as human beings we have a huge impact on others, and sometimes we don't even realize it. I felt like he was sending a message directly to readers. We need to be aware of how our actions effect others, be on the lookout for suicidal behavior, and not give up on someone when they give us the brush off, because we might just be the one to save their lives.
My Rating:
I give, Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher, 4 Mysterious Cassette Tapes, Destructive Rumors, Anguish, Turmoil, You Can Make a Change Filled Stars! I am looking forward to reading more by Jay Asher, and recommend this book to parents of teenagers, teachers, school counselors, and high school students, to bring much needed awareness, prevention, and change to the current escalation of teenage bullying and suicide.
How to Disappear leads readers on a dark and twisted winding road of suspense, danger, deceit and thrills. This is a story that begins witMy Thoughts:
How to Disappear leads readers on a dark and twisted winding road of suspense, danger, deceit and thrills. This is a story that begins with a ton of mystery and illuminates the plot by giving us one puzzle piece at a time. As readers we are in the dark, biting our nails, and waiting impatiently anticipating the next climatic revelation.
The main character, Nicolette Holland, is on the run. She needs to completely disappear, and to do this, must frequently change her appearance, name, job, and location. Jack Manx has been put in a horrible position by his criminal and sadistic older brother. He has been told that Nicolette killed their mutual friend, and he must hunt her down and kill her, or face the consequences of some extremely dangerous killers. As readers, we are in the dark, and do not know if Nicolette is innocent or guilty. Did she commit murder, or did she witness something that she wasn't suppose to see?
When Nicolette and Jack meet one another, the attraction and amicability that they find with one another complicates matters. Will Jack kill Nicolette? Will she figure out his true identity before it is too late? This is a story that makes readers think, and gives us an endless array of questions from beginning to end...
If you enjoy a suspense filled mystery, that constantly has you guessing and questioning the main characters next moves, you need to read, How to Disappear. Add in a small bit of romance, and a fast-paced addicting plot to the mix, and you have the ingredients for a great story!
My Rating:
I give, How to Disappear, by Ann Redisch Stampler, 4 Thrilling, Dangerous, Deceit-Filled Stars!...more
Modern Monsters was a thought-provoking read. There are certain circumstances that are revealed during the story that had me questioning hMy Thoughts:
Modern Monsters was a thought-provoking read. There are certain circumstances that are revealed during the story that had me questioning how I would feel and what I would do if I was placed in a similar situation. I cannot reveal these situations, because I do not want to spoil the story for anyone, but I must mention that I enjoy a book that makes me contemplate, question, and reflect.
Modern Monsters is told soley from Vic Howard, a senior in high school's, point of view. Vic attended a party with his best friend Brett. During the party, a classmate of his, Callie Wheeler, was extremely intoxicated and getting sick in the bushes. Vic ends up helping taking Callie to an upstairs bedroom and lays her down on her side, so that she can feel better. He then returns to the party. The next morning Vic is shocked and traumatized to learn that Callie was raped, and she is accusing him of being her rapist. Vic eventually gets to know Callie's best friend Autumn, and convinces her, along with Callie, of his innocence. From this point on, Vic and Autumn decide to investigate and figure out who Callie's perpetrator really was.
The pacing of the story was very slow. We get to know Vic really well, and I loved his character. He is a bit awkward, and shy. Vic is a loner and his only friend is Brett. I loved how genuine, sweet, and sympathetic Vic was. He is not your typical main character, and could have easily been the boy next door. The first two-thirds of the story focused on the harsh treatment of Vic by his mother (I couldn't stand her,) his peers, and the small community that he lived in. It also focused on the foundation of friendship that was built between Vic and Autumn. I loved Autumn's character as well. She was sassy, independent, and knew how to take charge. She was fiercely loyal and supportive, as well as caring and compassionate.
The plot didn't pick up until the last third of the story. This was the point in which Vic and Autumn's investigation really begins to reap results, and their friendship turns in to something more. Callie was more of a secondary character in this story, but I enjoyed seeing her strength, bravery, and resilience. She may have been victimized, but she held her head up high, and faced her demons!
My Rating:
Modern Monsters was more character driven than plot driven, which surprised me. I really enjoyed the main characters, but would have liked the plot to move forward faster. It was a bit stagnant, until the last third, when all of the plot twists, and action came in to play. I give Modern Monsters, by Kelly York, 3.5 Deceitful, Crime-Solving, Thought-Provoking Filled Stars!
I am a huge fan of the horror genre! Whether reading a really scary book or watching a really creepy move; I love to scare myself. I watchMy Thoughts:
I am a huge fan of the horror genre! Whether reading a really scary book or watching a really creepy move; I love to scare myself. I watched, The Amityville Horror movie, and thought it was one of the scariest movies that I have ever seen. Therefore, when I heard about Amity, which was inspired by the movie, I knew I had to read it! Plus, the fact that Publisher's Weekly compared it to "classic Stephen King," who in my opinion is the best author in the horror genre, sealed the deal for me.
In Amity, we learn about two different families, as we are given alternating viewpoints. The first family's story takes place ten years in the past, and is narrated by Connor, who has a twin sister Jules, a younger six year old brother, Abel, an abusive father, and fragile mother. Connor shows psychopathic tendencies. He has trouble empathizing with others, is anti-social, likes to torture animals, and has major anger and violence issues. The only person that he cares about is his twin, Jules, who is a sweet and quiet young girl.
The second family's story takes place in the present, and is narrated by Gwen. Unfortunately, Gwen's parents think that she is mentally unstable. She just got released from a mental hospital, and they though country living would be good for her healing process. She has an older brother named Luke, who looks out for her, and her Aunt Ro, who is the only person who understands her.
As these two families experience Amity during their own time, we see many similarities, such as the hearing of voices, seeing scary things, having night terrors, and the gradual instability of each person's mental health as the days pass. Amity was a very creepy story! I'll tell you one thing; I don't plan on buying an old house, and if I was considering it, I would definitely research both the history of the house, and the land it's sitting on.
The author did great with painting scary and gory pictures with her words. Amity was a living, breathing entity, that gave me goosebumps, and caused me to keep the lights on at bed time! At times the story was slow and dragged on, and at other times it was very fast-paced, and I couldn't put it down! I didn't really connect with any of the characters, but I felt more like I was watching a really scary movie play before my eyes.
My Rating:
I give, Amity, by Micol Ostow, 3 Imaginative, Horrifying, and Frightening Filled Stars!!! If you are a fan of young adult horror, and enjoyed, The Amityville Horror, you might enjoy Amity.
My Favorite Quote:
"That night, I dreamed, and in my dreams, Amity's shuttered panes burst open, shrieking and spiraling. Calling to me. Calling for me. Foretelling. Forewarning. Foreseeing no hope of escape. Amity called to me, insisting that I understand: her anger, her power. Her energy. Everything. Insisting that I see." (eARC, Loc. 1244)
I was so excited to get the opportunity to read Til Death, by Kate Evangelista! I had heard how amazing her writing was, so when I got offMy Thoughts:
I was so excited to get the opportunity to read Til Death, by Kate Evangelista! I had heard how amazing her writing was, so when I got offered the opportunity to review this book, I took it. Unfortunately, I have very mixed feelings about this story.
On the negative side, the pacing of this story was very slow. It really dragged for me, and I found myself taking a lot of "reading breaks." I do not DNF books, so I was determined to get through this story, and I'm glad that I did! The pacing finally picked up at around 60%, and then I was all in.
I loved the characters. Selena was a great main character. She was mysterious, loyal to her friends and family, and her power of having visions of the future fascinated me. I loved her best friends Kyle and Penny. They were great secondary characters, and some of my favorite parts of the story centered around the three of them having conversation. Bowen was the hot, ex-boyfriend stalker. I found him a little pushy and annoying, but at the same time felt sorry for him, when I realized the reason behind why he did what he did to end him in the "ex" column.
Dillan played a very significant role in this story. He was part of the Illumenari, a secret and closed group that have supernatural power, and use it to protect humanity. Unfortunately, he had been demoted, and cast aside, when he failed to do his duty. He was forced to leave his previous home in Turkey, and move to Wyoming with his Uncle Rainer. For obvious reasons, Dillan was filled with anger, and had a sarcastic edge to him.
When Selena and Dillan meet, they feel a strong connection and pull to one another, and whenever the touch, they literally get a strong electric shock. Dillan is not too happy about this connection, and shows it by constantly being rude to Selena. She doesn't understand why he acts the way he does, and therein grows a push-pull, love-hate, type of relationship between the two. Dillan is assigned to investigate the fact that tons of dogs are missing and being murdered daily. Selena keeps having visions of her own death, and her visions are never wrong. As creepy, and unexplained events unfold, Selena and Dillan are pushed together, as they encounter danger at ever turn.
The plot of the story was pretty predictable, except for the ending. We encounter various types of supernatural creatures throughout the story, and I found them interesting. However, I guessed who the "bad" guys were and what was going on fairly soon in the story. There was a little romance, but the story focused more on the mystery of what Selena was, and the things happening in her small town. I think this story is best suited for young teens, around 13-15 years of age. The ending was awesome, and completely took me by surprise. It was the perfect set-up for the next story in the series, and let us know that Dylan and Selena's trouble's are far from over!
My Rating:
I give Til Death, by Kate Evangelista, 3 Mysterious Stars! The pacing of the story was a bit slow for me, but then things picked up, and I wanted to know what would happen next! I enjoyed the characters and learning about the Illumenari, and other supernatural entities.
My Favorite Quote:
"Dillan didn't just kiss. He slow danced. We moved in sync. I wanted to lose myself in him. In his touch." (eARC, Loc. 2988)
Don't Look Now, by Michelle Gagnon, was an excellent second installment in the Persephone Series! The story grew more intense, and I didn'My Thoughts:
Don't Look Now, by Michelle Gagnon, was an excellent second installment in the Persephone Series! The story grew more intense, and I didn't realize that was even possible! Zeke and Amanda played a much larger role in this installment, new characters were introduced, more suspense and danger ensued, and romance was added to the plot! It wasn't central to the story, and it was very limited, but I felt like it added another dimension to the story, and I enjoyed this book even more than the first one in the series.
In this segment, Noa and Peter are both forced to go their separate ways in order to further the cause. Noa and Zeke have gathered an army of teenagers to go on raids and rescue as many abducted teenagers as possible. Noa is the leader of the group that she has named, "Persephone's Army," and Zeke is her right hand man. Peter is busy trying to hack in to Pike & Dolan's servers so that he can collect data of likely warehouses where the abducted teens are being held as prisoners, and being experimented on. Peter than passes on the information to Noa and her team. However, things start to get complicated when Persephone's Army begin to disagree on how to proceed, and with danger at every corner for both Peter and Noa, things start to spiral out of control.
I connected more with the main characters in this installment of the series. I worried about Amanda's health, stressed out about Peter getting caught while he was spying, was curious about the changes Noa was going through, and worried about Zeke getting his heart broken. I loved meeting, and getting to know Teo, as well as Daisy (two of the teens in Persephone's Army,) and thought that their romance was really sweet. There were a ton of twists and turns in this sequel, and I loved how I never knew what would happen next.
My Rating:
I give, Don't Look Now, by Michelle Gagnon, 4 Gripping, Action-Packed, Unpredictable, "I need the next installment now," Stars!!! This is an amazing sequel to a great series! This series just keeps getting better and better! I read this book really fast, and am really excited to see how it all ends! The Persephone Series is such a captivating, fast-paced, "on the edge of your seat," roller coaster ride! I highly recommend this series for teens that enjoy an action-packed thriller, full of secrets, conspiracy, mystery, and suspense!
Don't Turn Around, by Michelle Gagnon, was an intriguing story and very different from anything I have read in quite a while. The beginninMy Thoughts:
Don't Turn Around, by Michelle Gagnon, was an intriguing story and very different from anything I have read in quite a while. The beginning of the story hooked me, and before I knew it, I was turning pages as fast as I possibly could. The story began with 17 year old Noa, lying on a cold table, having no clue where she was and what was going on. She notices that she has a large incision on her chest, is hooked to an I.V., and that the two men in the room with her don't look like real doctors. Fairly quickly, she realizes that she is in danger, and makes a run for it, with numerous people chasing after her. Shortly after, she learns that three weeks have lapsed and she is left with no memory of what happened to her during that time.
Peter comes from a wealthy home, but his parents don't pay any attention to him. His older brother, Jeremy, died of PEMA, a critical disease, and his parents have left him to feel like it was the wrong son that they lost. Peter is a talented hacker, who founded, Alliance, a site where vigilante hackers use the internet to bring about justice to societal degenerates that prey on the weak. One day when Peter is bored, he gets in to his father's locked files and see's something that doesn't look right. Out of curiosity, he decides to hack in to a website that his father is involved with, and immediately has dangerous looking men in black, breaking down his door, and warning him to stop what he's doing. Of course, this just piques Peter's curiosity even more, and he enlists the help of an anonymous fellow hacker who is part of Alliance. This fellow hacker ends up being Noa.
Peter and Noa don't trust one another at first, and have no idea how the other is involved. However, as they help each other out, pull resources, and keep in contact, they realize that they both have a common enemy that will stop at nothing to catch them. Don't Turn around, by Michelle Gagnon, was filled with mystery, danger, suspense, and secrets! This story was one very action-packed thrill ride, that contained crazy twists, turns, conspiracy, murder, unsurmountable odds, and intrigue. The descriptions were absolutely flawless and created vivid imagery. I enjoyed secondary characters, Amanda (Peter's ex girlfriend,) and Zeke, an acquaintance of Noa's. I have no doubt that the both of them will play an even larger role in the next installment of the series. This story was extremely fast-paced and a great first installment in the Persephone Series! (I would have liked to have a little romance, (there was none whatsoever,) but this story didn't need it. Don't Turn Around is perfect for fans of action packed thrillers, and is full of suspense, and mystery! Michelle Gagnon, is the John Grisham of YA. I can't wait to continue this crazy roller coaster ride and see what happens next!
My Rating: I give, Don't Turn Around, by Michelle Gagnon, 3.5 Intense, Spellbinding, Hold Your Breath, Suspense Filled Stars! This story would make a great movie and I think it's perfect for teens. In fact, I'm recommending it to my nephews, who are 15 and 17 years old. I love that this story wasn't gender specific and it will appeal equally to male and female readers. I love stories that make readers think. In Don't turn Around, you encounter a multitude of puzzle pieces and I for one enjoy unraveling mysteries, learning about conspiracies, and watching the "bad guys" meet their match, as Noa and Peter use their brains, team work, and courage to take on powerful and corrupt enemies! If you are a huge fan of action packed, suspenseful thrillers, reminiscent of John Grisham stories, and The Bourne Movies, add Don't Turn Around to your TBR!!!