Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers Release Date: September 13th, 2016 Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller, Fiction Page Count: 368
LOST. When six-year-old Laurel Logan was abducted, the only witness was her younger sister. Faith’s childhood was dominated by Laurel’s disappearance – from her parents’ broken marriage and the constant media attention to dealing with so-called friends who only ever wanted to talk about her sister. FOUND. Thirteen years later, a young woman is found in the garden of the Logans’ old house, disorientated and clutching the teddy bear Laurel was last seen with. Laurel is home at last, safe and sound. Faith always dreamed of getting her sister back, without ever truly believing it would happen. But a disturbing series of events leaves Faith increasingly isolated and paranoid, and before long she begins to wonder if everything that’s lost can be found again…
This is one of those books that has a funny way of making you feel nervous from the very beginning. Even though the events in the first few chapters seemed to be happy and touching for the better, the main character's unease sets the foreboding tone well. Clarke's writing style is very well done and descriptive which immerses you in the world and makes the effects of all her thrilling twists even bigger on the reader.
Faith was a character I very much enjoyed. Losing her sister has really dominated her whole life and molded her into the character she currently is. She honestly yearns to be normal, so it is ironic how her thoughts and ways of acting portray her like any other teen, and obviously her life gradually unravels. Somehow she makes it through and stays strong. The other characters were just as great and well developed. I was so eager to see how Laurel would cope with normal life and how she and her sister would get along. I couldn't even imagine being in that situation where Faith was meeting her long lost sister many years later. I very much appreciated how genuine all the characters felt.
If there is one thing Cat Clarke knows how to do, it is keeping you as a reader on your toes, and that is the most I will say about the book's plot. I went into the book blind and I believe the read will be just as enjoyable to those who go in blind as well. As I mentioned before, you will feel as if the events are about to take a turn throughout the beginning of the book, and when they do, it is completely gripping. Overall, I highly enjoyed this book and recommend it to those who love realistic thrillers that will definitely give them a bit of a ride.
Cat was born in Zambia and brought up in Edinburgh and Yorkshire, which has given her an accent that tends to confuse people.
Cat has written non-fiction books about exciting things like cowboys, sharks and pirates, and now writes YA novels. She lives in Edinburgh with a couple of cats, Jem and Scout, who spend their days plotting to spit up furballs at the most inconvenient times. She likes cheese A LOT, especially baked camembert.
The Killer in Me
by Margot Harrison Publisher: Disney-Hyperion Release Date: July 12th 2016
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Horror, Contemporary, Fiction
Synopsis:
Hasn't he lived long enough? Why not? I could take him like a thief in the night.
This is how the Thief thinks. He serves death, the vacuum, the unknown. He’s always waiting. Always there.
Seventeen-year-old Nina Barrows knows all about the Thief. She’s intimately familiar with his hunting methods: how he stalks and kills at random, how he disposes of his victims’ bodies in an abandoned mine in the deepest, most desolate part of a desert.
Now, for the first time, Nina has the chance to do something about the serial killer that no one else knows exists. With the help of her former best friend, Warren, she tracks the Thief two thousand miles, to his home turf—the deserts of New Mexico.
But the man she meets there seems nothing like the brutal sociopath with whom she’s had a disturbing connection her whole life. To anyone else, Dylan Shadwell is exactly what he appears to be: a young veteran committed to his girlfriend and her young daughter. As Nina spends more time with him, she begins to doubt the truth she once held as certain: Dylan Shadwell is the Thief. She even starts to wonder . . . what if there is no Thief?
I seriously almost did not finish this book, but not because I disliked it or thought it was bad. On the contrary, it was performing its purpose better than I expected, and I was unsure if I could handle more. Me being me, I continued because I was hooked and dying to know more This book was scary, mysterious, and thrilling all at the same time. I honestly did not expect it to put me on a psychological roller coaster, but I was strapped in and I stayed put for the entirety of this book.
So the cover for Mandi Lynn's upcoming novel, I am Mercy, was actually revealed last Thursday, but unfortunately I was not able to post it earlier. Nevertheless, I thought you guys might still want to see the cover and learn about this new book that is soon to come. If you do not already know, Mandi Lynn is a teenage, self-published author and I am Mercy will be her second published novel. Her debut novel is called Essence and is available on Kindle and Paperback from Amazon. You know I always have to support my fellow young adults when they write books.
Mandi Lynn started writing her first novel at thirteen, and at the young age of 17 her first novel, Essence, hit the press. Since the debut of her first novel, Lynn has taught writing workshops, appeared on television, newspapers, and most importantly, graduated high school. While attending college, Lynn works part time at a salon as a stylist and continues to write future novels. Lynn can be found online creating YouTube videos about books, publishing, and all things reading.
Imagine living every day, knowing your family doesn’t love you. Imagine living a life in a world that looks at you as a curse. In 14th century France Aida is accused of being a witch when the Black Death wipes through her village. Abandoned by her family she is surrounded by death and disease, but when a woman who may actually be a witch tells her how to cure the plague it may mean uncovering a dark magic. But if that means being able to save those you love, wouldn’t you do it? Even if they didn’t love you back?
Mandi Lynn's Cover Reveal Video
If you want to be notified when I am Mercy comes out
Series: Eve #1 Publication Date: August 12, 2015 Publisher: Jenna Moreci Genre: New Adult, Sci-Fi Page Count: 547
Eve is an outcast. A chimera. After years of abuse and rejection, 19-year-old Evelyn Kingston is ready for a fresh start in a new city, where no one knows her name. The esteemed Billington University in sunny Southern California seems like the perfect place to reinvent herself—to live the life of an ordinary human. But things at Billington aren’t as they seem. In a school filled with prodigies, socialites, and the leaders of tomorrow, Eve finds that the complex social hierarchy makes passing as a human much harder than she had anticipated. Even worse, Billington is harboring a secret of its own: Interlopers have infiltrated the university, and their sinister plans are targeted at chimeras—like Eve. Instantly, Eve’s new life takes a drastic turn. In a time filled with chaos, is the world focusing on the wrong enemy? And when the situation at Billington shifts from hostile to dangerous, will Eve remain in the shadows, or rise up and fight?
“And when it falls into silence again the void it echoes fills me with wonder. Wonder only because I no longer remember if this small entity isn’t real or if it whispers the truth.”
-Moonlight
C. Streetlight’s memoir, Tea & Madness, is a collection of prose and poetry separated into the seasons of her life. Each season is inspired by her experiences: grieving a lost baby, understanding depression, anger, betrayal, surviving rape and the acceptance that she cannot forgive. Balanced somehow within the darkness is the wonder in motherhood and empathetic relationships. As her seasons change, she continues trying to find the balance of existing between normalcy and madness.
My Review
Tea an Madness is a compilation of short stories and poetry based off of the life of the author, C. Streetlights. By reading this memoir, she takes you into her world and thoughts which are both joyful and heart wrenching. The writing style in this book is just so beautiful, yet not too overally done where it makes it cumbersome to read. I really enjoyed the themes present in this book and how they were portrayed. She talks about both the highs and lows of her life and you can see through all of it she was able to stay strong and hopeful. With each experience she shares, it is apparent that they have all made her into what she is today.
This book is VERY quotable. While reading it I hilighted so many quotes I thought were beautiful. It was not hard to relate to many of her passages. She talks about many hard topics like rape, death, and depression in the book. Her story about being raped and the death of her child were very sad, but at the same time empowering because even through hard times, C. Streetlights shows you can come out of them even stronger than before.
Now where does the tea come in? Well there was a very fun, interesting part at the end of the book that gives a tea 101 and basics. I am sure anyone who loves their tea will really appreciate it. All in all, I enjoyed reading this quick, inspiring memoir.
Author's Top 5
Top 5 Books You Think Should Be Considered Classics
1.) The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch
2.) Mother Night, Kurt Vonnegut
3.) The Book Thief, Markus Zusak
4.) On the Road, Kerouac
5.) Like Water For Chocolate, Laura Esquivel
About the Author-
She has met many fools, but admires Don Quixote most because he taught her that it didn’t matter that the dragon turned out to be a windmill. What mattered was that he chose to fight the dragon in the first place.
Streetlights now lives in the mountains with a husband, two miracle children, and a dog who eats Kleenex. She retired from teaching so she can raise her children to pick up their underwear from the bathroom floor, to write, and to slay windmills and dragons. She is happy to report that she can finally see the stars.
You can follow C. Streetlights on Twitter @cstreetlights, and on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest at C. Streetlights
Audience: Young Adult -Genre: SciFi, Paranormal -Format: E-book and Paperback -Publisher: Donnielle Tyner - Cover by: Kari Ayasha of Cover to Cover Designs - Editor: Jessica Nelson of Rare Bird Editing - Pages: 208 -ISBN-10: 069243299X - ISBN-13: 978-0692432990 - ASIN: B00YFPW3N8 - Date Published: 6/19/2015
During WW1, a meteorite crashed, releasing a mist that changed the DNA of all who were exposed. One hundred years has passed and society is divided between the Norms and the Caelians, whose changed DNA awakened dormant gifts, called Talents.
Sadie is over it!
She’s an orphan, her boyfriend was murdered, and she’s the only Caelian at St. Vincent’s without a Talent. Once she turns 18, there will be no place for her in the world. That is, until a chance encounter with Kian, a Caelian boy who makes her feel uncomfortable and alive at the same time.
Secrets of her past are uncovered and Sadie’s latent, rare Talent is exposed. With great power comes the hunters, hired by an egomaniac who wants to use Sadie’s power to establish Caelian dominance. On the run with Kian and her friends, Sadie will have to decide: hide or fight.
Will Sadie accept her new reality or will she stay lost?
My Review
Lost was the story of a girl named Sadie who is a Caelian. Caelians are descendants of those who experienced a change in DNA during an event in WW1 and most of them carry a talent of some sort. Except Sadie, she cannot find her talent and has become depressed due to the loss of her boyfriend to Caelian violence. She runs into trouble while discovering the secrets of her family and her abilities. I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did, but I am definitely so glad I did!
This book's plot holds your attention and keeps you engaged. There was never a time I felt like the story was just dragging on and the plot never got boring. Donielle Tyner paced the book beautifully all the way until the end. It keeps you on your toes! I never had a clue where the plot was going and I enjoyed this aspect of my reading experience very much. The ending was no cliffhanger, but I am still eager for the next book. Thank you Donielle for sparing my heart some ache with a decent ending for a first book in the series.
Now the plot was great, but I believe the characters are what really played a key part in my enjoyment of this book. Sadie was a great protagonist who was strong yet flawed enough to be believable. Kian (the love interest) was creepy at the beginning in the way he followed Sadie around, but he had his reasoning and at least Sadie did not pretend being stalked was all fine and dandy (like some YA novels I know). All of Sadie's friends were really great supporting characters. It made me wish I had friends similar to them. Lost by Donielle Tyner really had the full package. It was a quick and satisfying read.
I put my phone back in my back pocket. Crossing my arms, I looked up at the stars again. The night was devoid of clouds, unusual for spring. Golden stars glittered across the heavens, winking at me from the endless arch of the void and transporting me to a place of tranquillity. The peace of space poured into my soul.
“What’s a Liam moment?” Kian’s gruff voice whispered. I felt his hot breath caress my ear. His closeness both startled me and sent a shiver down my spine. I straightened my back.
“I thought I told you I wasn’t interested.” I attempted to make my voice sound forceful, but it came out soft. I felt the heat from his body as he stepped closer to me.
“What’s your name?” Kian asked. The gruffness of his voice from earlier had left. This new voice was smooth and flowed like poetry. My heart sped up and I heard the blood pulsing in my ears. I was sure he could hear it. What kind of Talent was he using to cause me to react this way?
“Quit using your Talent on me,” I hissed.
“I’m not. If I was, you’d know it,” he replied with a chuckle.
“Oh.” I didn’t understand what was happening. He placed a hand on my waist and the warmth was searing. I was sure it would leave a mark. My eyes closed and my breath deepened. Tingles flowed from his hand, spreading throughout my body and stirring something in my soul. I released a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding. “Take your hand off me and back away before I break your fingers.”
Kian snickered. “Spunky.”
“Creepy,” I replied.
Kian chuckled again, his hot breath shooting sparks right to my stomach.
“Don’t make me ask again.” I felt his hand tense. His fingers increased their pressure against my waist right before the coldness swept in as he removed his hand. I released the breath I was holding.
Donnielle Tyner has held down many jobs, but never found satisfaction until she became a freelance writer and stay at home mom. She began writing in junior high when a teacher gave her a book of poetry. Ever since, she found a deep passion for reading and writing. Donnielle is from North Texas and enjoys her chickens, garden, and most of all her children.
This group was created to help book bloggers and booktubers make friends and support each other. This group is meant to be a family of YA bloggers and youtubers who give advice and help promote those who are a part of this group. This is the place to come for support, blogger/booktube help, tips and tricks, book news, collaborations, co-bloggers, co-vloggers, buddy reads, readathon host help and many more things.
I would really appreciate it if you guys went and checked it out!
Now On To The Books I Got This Week
For Review
Believarexic by J.J.J. Johnson - Edelweiss
A Blind Guide to Stinkville by Beth Vrabel - Edelweiss
Beyond Reach (True Calling #2) by Soibhan Davis - Netgalley
Bought
Little Bee by Chris Cleave
Incendiary by Chris Cleave
Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols
The Other Normals by Ned Vizzini
A Tale For The Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
(All From Book Outlet)
From the Library
The Epic of Gilgamesh by Anonymous
The Pearl by John Steinbeck
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Prodigy by Mary Lu
Thank you guys again. Definitely link your Stacking the Shelves posts in the comments so I can check them out. Also, let me know what you think I should read first. You Should Probably Go Check Out:How to Reduce the Number of Unread Books You Own
FTC Disclaimer: Books specified to be in the "ARC" or "eARC" format were sent to me for free by the publisher or author in exchange for an honest review. How I acquired these items does not have an effect on my opinions and thoughts on them in my reviews. Everything written on this blog are my honest opinions only unless otherwise stated!
All book cover photos and synopses used in my posts were either sent to me directly by the author/publisher or gotten directly off of Goodreads and/or Amazon.
I currently do not get paid money for anything written, posted, or hosted on this blog!
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