ARC Review: No One Else Can Have You

by Kathleen Hale
4/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2014
380 pages
YA Contemporary Thriller
Scheduled to release January 7, 2014

Source: Received an ARC through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

Before reading this book, I had seen a few reviews that mentioned its quirkiness and how that would impact people's enjoyment of the book. Though several of my blogger friends were not able to get through it, I was pleased to realize I did like it and found it to be an intriguing read.

Kippy Bushman's best friend Ruth is found murdered in a most gruesome fashion. Though a culprit is quickly identified, Kippy ends up unconvinced of his guilt and starts investigating uncovering a host of suspects all of whose out there personalities left me confused about who might have done it. As Kippy came closer to unraveling the mystery, I found myself on the edge of my seat hoping it wasn't who I was starting to suspect only to discover in fact that it was.

So let's talk about that quirkiness. It's set in the small town of Friendship, Wisconsin where everyone pretty much knows everyone and greets them by saying their full name; additionally Kippy's father has all sorts of special nicknames for her like "Pickle." I mostly blipped past these but did notice them. Kippy also has a bit of an obsession with Diane Sawyer, which some people found weird but which makes complete sense to me. I'm more of a Brian Williams girl but if Diane aired at 5, I'd totally watch her first. Taxidermy and hunting also get a lot of page time as popular pastimes in the town with a support group for violent people making several humorous appearances especially as the book continues.

I think it helped that I approached this book expecting some level of quirkiness. If I had anticipated a straight read, I might have been upset but because I knew some of what was to come, I was able to prepare myself and hopefully help to prepare you if you decide to pick up this book!

Cover: I love the sweater-like texture of the front while the hanged moose is appropriate if super creepy to me on a personal aesthetic level.

Find Me

Find Me by Romily Bernard
3.5/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2013
307 pages
YA Contemporary Thriller

Source: Received an ARC through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

This wasn't originally on my radar until I saw some reviews that left me intrigued. I *hate* the main character's name (Wicket, abbreviated to Wick) but I love her hacking prowess and the fact that she is motivated to find a killer by love of her younger sister. I'm always down for a protective older sister (see also Everdeen, Katniss) so I requested this one.

Wick knows she doesn't fit in. How could she with a mother who committed suicide and a father on the run from police charges? Where could she belong? But she does learn she's important when the journal of her former now deceased best friend shows up on her foster family's doorstep with a note saying, "Find me." Her skills as a hacker may make her uniquely qualified to discover the identity of her killer. Though initially Wick resists, the discovery that the man who tormented the best friend in her final months is eying Wick's younger sister Lily motivates her. Can Wick discover the killer and protect her sister?

Honestly I still can't get over the name. I mean, isn't wicket a term used in both cricket and croquet? It's not a name! And then it becomes Wick, which is part of a candle! Her sister's name is Lily (Harry Potter flashback), which is a lovely name and the other characters have names I recognize but Wick is just horrid to me.

Wick as a name is horrid to me, I mean. The person is difficult at times but also quite captivating. I say she's difficult for a few reasons. One is her attempts to investigate this killer, which seemed to veer off-course sometimes. Most notably is via her romance with fellow computer geek Griff. I was not upset that she didn't immediately jump into a romance with him no matter how much he made her weak in the knees; it was perfectly understandable to me that she would be hesitant and not trust his words as hardly anyone has shown her even a scrap of kindness. But at one point, he announces that he can get the IP address and her excitement about this is derailed into flirtation and other stuff before they go back. It made me question her commitment to solving this case.

I was very impressed with myself because I pinpointed the killer almost right away with Wick also thinking it might be him early on before following other potential leads. Then we find out for sure who it is and things get intense. Even though I was anticipating a confrontation with this person, I was not sure exactly how it would play out. Those final pages are filled with tension and were more unpredictable than  As for her other investigations, it was a little choppy. She is still involved with her on the lam father's con operations due to various threats and this sometimes interferes with her other sleuthing but we didn't get much insight in to that area. I also mentioned her lack of logical investigation into the case itself; yes, it was her first of this kind but she's conducted others before and thus I would have assumed she had more skills for laying out a plan than are demonstrated here.

Overall: A predictable mystery that is lifted by compelling personalities and a final confrontation filled with suspense, leading us into a possible sequel that I would certainly be interested in reading.

Other Opinions:
Curling Up With a Good Book
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics
Rather Be Reading
Realm of Fiction

ARC Review: The Naturals

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
4/5 stars
Hyperion, 2013
308 pages
YA Thriller Contemporary
Scheduled to release November 5

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I saw quite a few mixed reviews before I picked this up, which made me nervous as this is only my second experience with Barnes' writing. Well, no worries! This was well within the kind of snappy writing I expect from Disney-Hyperion and I read it all pretty quickly until the ending where my pleasure with the novel went rapidly downhill. But let's start at the beginning.

Cassie has always been able to read people, by nature and also nurtured by her psychic mother. During her teenage years, the FBI comes a knocking seeking to add Cassie to their team of Naturals, young people with some kind of extraordinary talent (such as profiling as Cassie can do) to tackle cold cases. Cassie agrees with the thought in the back of her head of being able to solve her mother's murder, long since cold. At the group home, she meets four other special teenagers and they must battle their feelings and hormones to catch a serial killer before he strikes at Cassie.

Like I said, I really liked the writing style. There are lots of quips and sarcasm throughout and the book moves quickly. We get some insight in to how Cassie can spot and assess as much as she does but it's also somewhat cryptic because it just comes so naturally to her. She and the other teenagers in the program astound the adults, who are also very good at these skills but only because of years of intensive training and experience.

Apparently some readers don't like the trope about a group of extraordinary people gathered together. Personally I do though and this group mostly worked for me because I like reading about really smart, knowledgeable people getting to exercise their talents. No surprise to those who've read this that my fave was Sloane, who can rattle off statistics like no one else. Cassie is a close second with master liar/lie spotter Lia rounding out the top three. But who else is in the house? Why, it's two boys: Michael, who helped recruit Cassie and can parse emotions; and Dean who is a profiler like Cassie with his own dark past. Initially it seemed like Cassie might really like one but it soon becomes a love triangle as is acknowledged by the end with Cassie being urged by the one guy to think about her feelings for the both of them. Ugh, did I find this unnecessary! I think the book could have focused more on the complex feelings and tensions within the group home without needing to add this bundle of hormones.

The other thing is the resolution. We have a serial killer who seems to be going after women like Cassie and eventually to want to take out Cassie. On the one hand, there is a great twist with this that I won't share for fear of spoilers. But on the other hand, it was not as satisfying as I expected. I think this might be partly because it will end up being part of a series and there are still some loose ends to tie up. If you've read this and would like to discuss, let's!

Overall: A surprisingly fun (because who expects to have fun when tracking a serial killer?) compelling thriller with snappy dialogue and strong pacing. I sincerely hope the love triangle will be quickly resolved in the next book or it may dominate my feelings about the series as a whole in a negative way.

Other Opinions:
Alice in Readerland 
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics
Lectus
The Social Potato
Xpresso Reads
Young Adult Book Heaven

Truly, Madly, Deadly

Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne
3.5/5 stars
Sourcebooks Fire, 2013
262 pages
YA Contemporary Thriller

Source: Bought

This was another book I bought without really looking at reviews, only to see them be middling. Still I loved the idea behind it so much that I was glad to have some space in my busy review schedule to actually read a book I own.

The part of the summary that I loved was Sawyer thinking her boyfriend died in an accident only to discover that someone carefully plotted his death and assumes she would be grateful for those actions. That assumption comes from knowledge that the boyfriend was abusive to Sawyer, something that she never shared with anyone. Then a teacher who harassed Sawyer ends up dead and things really start getting crazy.

I found this book very easy to read though its writing certainly isn't deep nor do the characters have much development. The most intriguing part was how Sawyer has been prescribed medication (understandable given the death of her boyfriend and also lingering tensions from her parents' divorce) and her narration of events may or may not be accurate depending on how she's coping. Personally I was completely caught off-guard by the reveal of who is behind everything though there wasn't really a large suspect pool-I feel like it could have been one of four people, based on who is named and who is close enough to Sawyer and it was one of those four. But that's only in hindsight. While reading I was completely caught up in the story.

So the writing keeps you gripped. But the characters, where the novel really makes or breaks it, weren't much of anything. I adored the flashbacks of Sawyer to memories of her boyfriend: how he always said he wanted her which felt so good after the turmoil of her parents' relationship but how that turned dark. I apparently have a high tolerance for books with abusive relationships so I valued seeing those sections and how it influences Sawyer's decision in this later chapter of her life. She feared no one would believe her about the abuse because they seemed like the perfect couple and she fears no one will believe her about these other incidents especially because when she does try to go to the police, the small fragments of evidences she has are dismissed as coincidence. Other characters include her best friend Chloe who adds some welcome moments of humor and new love interest Cooper who I didn't get much of a feel for (I pretty much pictured him as a younger Cooper from Meg Cabot's Heather Wells series because they share a name.)

Overall: Addictive writing but not an outstanding example of characterization. Pick it up for a quick read, maybe even this month as there are a few chills within these pages.

Other Opinions:
Alison Can Read
I Swim for Oceans
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics
Rather Be Reading
Supernatural Snark
The Book Babe's Reads

Asylum

Asylum by Madeleine Roux
4/5 stars
Harper, 2013
310 pages
YA Horror Thriller

Source: Received an ARC through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

I am a complete sucker for books with historical photos included so upon discovering that Asylum was one of those books, I was eager to check it out. As an ARC, it was missing a few pictures but for the most part they were present and really added to the creepy vibe.

The whole premise is pretty dark and creepy though to be honest. Dan is thrilled to be spending his summer attending a college prep course, to be surrounded by other people with a healthy intellectual curiosity instead of being derided for his smarts. Almost instantly he hits it off with two people, one being the prettiest girl he's seen. That night they decide to explore the office of their dorm, formerly a mental asylum for the seriously deranged. This triggers many unpleasant occurrences and leads them to fear for their lives as they attempt to unravel the dark history of this asylum and end up fearing for their own mental health.

See-doesn't that premise promise some thrills? And while I'm admittedly a wimp, I thought this book was very atmospheric and successful in delivering on that. I had no idea what was going on as ghosts seem to threaten their lives...or is it all in Dan's imagination given his own fragile mental state? I had my suspicions and the fast pace of the book and easy writing style quickly confirmed or shot them down.

I don't think this book could be characterized as being heavy on drawing the characters' personality being more interested in spooky going-ons so if you're a reader who likes vivid characters whose souls you get to know inside out, this probably isn't the book for you. If you like a breakneck pace though, you can slip easily into this book for a few hours, coming out at the end with your neck tingling. Could be a fun read for October/Halloween!

Other Opinions:
Ems Reviews Books
Good Books and Good Wine
Moirae (the fates) book reviews
Once Upon a Twilight

The Edge of Normal

The Edge of Normal by Carla Norton
4/5 stars
Minotaur Books, 2013
313 pages
Adult Thriller

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Have you ever read a book where something kind of silly just makes it difficult for you to connect? That happened for me here as the main setting for this book is Jefferson City, Jefferson County, CA. Well, there's no such place as I know abundantly from my work (random factoid: North Carolina has 100 counties-don't ask why I know that) and every time the county was mentioned, I grimaced. It was a little tic that got me constantly throughout the book especially because San Francisco and some other (real) big cities are mentioned indicating that the location is supposed to be plausible.

The premise for this book is quite chilling as is made abundantly clear by the cover. Reeve is a survivor of a kidnapping and captive situation; she has worked hard for six years to move past her time in captivity. Thus she is not thrilled to be called in to give support to another girl just rescued from her captor. She wants to move on, she doesn't want to receive more media attention but she can't just ignore another girl in such a similar situation. Once she's there, she also begins to play detective and stunningly makes several excellent deductions that may just end the work of a serial killer for good.

Moving on to the book's actual qualities, I was very impressed. As the story wore on, I was able to start making a lot of connections where earlier pieces of information paid off in satisfying ways. The characterization wasn't as deep as I'm used to in first-person centric YA narratives but I got a good picture of Reeve and her bravery as well, unfortunately, of the creep perpetrating these crimes. Reading from his perspective was creepy and yet so engaging because of his knowledge (of surveillance tactics for example), strategic abilities (planning out the abduction and torture of at least three girls without being caught), and determination to complete his course. And the most terrifying part is how ordinary he seems instead of looking like the disgusting pig he is.

One thing I was sad about is how Reeve's psychiatrist Dr. Lerner plays increasingly less of a role as the book progresses. He is an important character from the start and is the reason Reeve ends up in Jefferson City and involved in the case in the first place. But because she gains more confidence and because she has such a unique experience, he ends up out of the picture. I liked him so that made me sad. Another disappointment was the incorporation of Reeve's abductor whose menace hangs over her and who resurfaces from his continuing stint in a mental hospital. But nothing really happens from him and it felt choppily integrated. I would have liked his appearance to have more of a point to the plot.

Overall: Very chilling-the pace definitely ramps up as the book progresses, making you desperate for every word just the way a thriller ought!

Cover: Love the key-this has a really great meaning as the book progresses.

Content: The book is pretty clean except for some choice words and discussion of rape that may be triggers.

You Know What You Have to Do

You Know What You Have to Do by Bonnie Shimko
3/5 stars
Amazon Children's Publishing, 2013
230 pages
YA Contemporary Thriller

Source: Received an ARC from Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

Mary Magdalene or Maggie was saddled with quite the name by her young mother but has managed to grow up relatively normal. Oh, except for the voice in her head that tells her to kill people. Sometimes those people are the abusive alcoholic father of her friend; sometimes the voice singles out innocent little babies though. As Maggie's fear of this voice grows, will she be able to resist the darkness it shouts? Spoilers are necessarily contained as I need to explain exactly how this book affected me.

Firstly the characters didn't do much for me. My understanding was that Maggie would be a quirky original voice but I found her somewhat annoying. I hated all her complaining about her mother and best friend, the former of whom didn't seem that bad although the latter's true colors are revealed later. For one thing, Maggie is almost raped in a movie theater by a boy she liked and trusted. When she tells her friend, she says it was Maggie's fault and she should call and apologize! In fact Maggie complains a lot, which does ring true from my memories of being a teenager but is not what I like to read.

For me the ending of this book though was really where my problems came out though. She NEVER tells anyone about the voice and in fact seems to be embracing its instructions to mete out vigilante justice. I am never a fan of vigilantism and found this conclusion very unsettling. Despite meeting with many psychiatric professionals, she does not want to be deemed crazy and thus holds her tongue. I think she needed help and wish the good work of the doctors could have been appreciated.

Not everything I say is negative. I did find the writing pleasant enough and I don't think I've read another YA book quite like this one. Just overall, I feel like this was not a successful outing for me.

Shadowlands

Shadowlands by Kate Brian
3.5/5 stars
Hyperion, 2013
328 pages
YA Thriller

Source: Library

This book grabbed my attention with its stunning cover and the promise of a serial killer. I don't know why but stories with serial killers are of great interest to me so that was enough to hook me despite mixed reviews.

I ended the book myself with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I found it a very fast read where I could not stop turning the pages. I'd put the book down to go do something else only to find myself picking the book back up. I also found the chapters from the serial killer's point of view totally gripping. But on the other hand, the characters were not well-developed and I didn't find the twists and turns that interesting. I was just reading because it was easy.

Main character Rory lives in the shadows. Her older sister Darcy is a cheerleader, popular and pretty while Rory studies science intently and consistently places third in her track meets. But she is marked out when a serial killer goes after her although she manages to escape, with her family sent off to an island. There Rory is the special one to Darcy's dismay, falling in with a group of mysterious teens on an island where nothing is what it seems.

My summary emphasizes the sister-sister relationship partly because that is something I always find interesting and partly because I feel like the comparison of the girls was important to the story. Rory is blond to Darcy's brunette (I think); Rory is shy to Darcy's extroverted personality; Rory is nervous while Darcy easily flirts. However I did feel like Rory was made out to be perfect and Darcy near villainous at times especially with Rory easily attracting the attention of all the guys Darcy liked.

The main reason for reading this book though is for the plot, which ends on a big twist (do not read ahead if you are the kind of person who reads the last page first). It helps put most of the book in a different perspective but I still have some lingering questions. I'm undecided if I definitely want to read the second book or if I just want to beg for some answers from someone who reads it.

Cover: Not sure why the girl on the cover is brunette as it is very clearly established that main character Rory is blonde. There is a blonde girl on the back cover but she ought to be on the front.

Other Opinions:
Buried in Books
Good Books and Good Wine
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics

ARC Review: In the Shadow of Blackbirds

In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters
4/5 stars
Amulet Books, 2013
404 pages
YA Historical Thriller
Scheduled to release April 2

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I hope this isn't too morbid but I find the Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918 absolutely fascinating. Like it's not bad enough to have all the death from war, this catastrophic disease had to spread too. Yet I didn't really know that much about it. Well this book takes us deep into that time, latching on to the paranoia and terror felt by people in addition to their deep grief as almost every family is deeply affected either by the loss of a serviceman and/or someone to influenza. These deaths also fuel a craze for spiritualism such as taking photographs in the hopes of seeing your lost loved one as demonstrated in the cover photo.

Our protagonist is Mary Shelley Black, named for the excellent author and daughter to a now deceased physician mother and a father arrested on suspicion of treason. I wish we could have learned more about him but it seems that he has some German heritage and is very anti-war, reason enough to get the authorities involved.

Therefore Mary Shelley journeys from their home in Portland to live with her widowed aunt in San Diego. Their relationship is strained as Mary Shelley was caught kissing her friend Stephen whose cruel brother Julius spread the story that it went much further. This aunt is also deeply paranoid about the flu, draping their house in onions (apparently a real attempt). Julius has a spirit photography business that is booming in this time of tremendous loss and uncertainty but Mary Shelley pines for her sweet friend.

The bulk of the narrative is about Mary Shelley somehow being able to commune with Stephen, a sensitive young man who enlisted early and shares with her a story of torments from blackbirds. Mary Shelley spends most of her time attempting to puzzle out if the blackbirds are literal or figurative. She figures it out partially but doesn't put it all together until it is almost too late in a terrifying sequence. The writing around Stephen's torture and the suspense of what exactly happened led me to classify this book as a thriller and I think it may be too intense for some younger readers so read with caution.

Overall: A fast-moving thrilling story with a smart strong heroine and focusing on a lesser known time period: in short, it's good. 

ARC Review: Mind Games

Mind Games by Kiersten White
4/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2013
237 pages
YA Paranormal Suspense
Scheduled to release February 19

Source: Received an ARC through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

I think I've mentioned once or twice that I love books about sisters and then I've been a fan of White throughout her Paranormalcy series in addition to meeting her three times at book signings and following her blog. I also love stories told through flashbacks. So this book was kind of made for me!

Going in to the book, I had already skimmed a bunch of reviews (see some links below) and was prepared for a very different story from the Paranormalcy trilogy. Or at least I thought I was prepared.

I fell pretty quickly for sister one Fia, the younger unpredictable wild assassin. She is almost uncontrollable, laced with guilt, and pretty funny if not as quick with a quip as Evie. The other sister Annie is blind and kept locked up; love of Annie is Fia's motivation. As long as their captors have a grip on Annie, they can pretty much control all of Fia's actions. The ending of this book hints at a way Fia can fight back so we'll see what comes.

Why are the girls in captivity? Well their parents are deceased and their guardian had little interest in raising them. Their captors discovered Annie's ability to see the future and offered her a place at their school but Fia ended up being the real find with her perfect instincts. She can make winning stock picks, choose the unloaded gun, and do almost anything.

Besides the sisters, we meet a few other important characters. One is Eden, who can feel what others feel which Fia manipulates to amusing effect. The other two are boys. James is among the crowd who are keeping Fia and Annie contained; he and Fia have an incredibly complicated relationship. Adam is a boy Fia is supposed to assassinate in the beginning chapters but she finds herself unable to do so. He causes a fluttering of emotions in Fia and the push/pull of the two boys against the different parts of Fia's personality are fascinating to read. Because the book is short, I didn't feel like we got to spend as much time with them as I would have liked.

For the next book, for me to really become a fan, I will need more explanation of what Fia is fighting against. "Keane" is not a sufficient answer-who is Keane? Beyond desire for power, what is Keane's ultimate goal and motivation? I would also like to get a bit more insight into Annie-she came off as pretty weak and passive despite her attempts to be more and I would like her to be stronger. But despite these complaints, I will definitely be back for book 2!

Other Opinions: My blogging friends have talked about this a lot so I'm linking to more than usual
A Life Bound by Books-3.5/5
A Reader of Fictions-2/5
Beauty and the Bookshelf-Eh
Book Labyrinth-4/5
Reading Under the Willow Tree-5/5
The Book Lantern-1/5
The Midnight Garden-4/5
The YA Kitten-2.5/5

ARC Review: The Madness Underneath

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson
4/5 stars
G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2013
290 pages
YA Thriller Supernatural
Book 2 in the Shades of London
Scheduled to release February 26

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

*Spoilers for book one*

After adoring first book The Name of the Star, I was chomping at the bit for this sequel and am so pleased to be providing an early review. I was mostly satisfied with the novel but had some big problems with the ending which will be discussed at the very bottom under the spoiler heading.

If you liked the snarky opinionated personality of Rory in book one, I am happy to report that she is back. Despite almost dying in the first book, Rory is too tough to be kept down although she is struggling with the discovery that ghosts exist and she can see them as well as recovering from her attack. She is recuperating in the countryside with her parents but craving the chance to know more about her powers. Somehow she returns to school but mostly ignores schoolwork in favor of spending more time with Stephen, Callum, and Boo.

However despite the strong narrative voice, this book kind of suffers from second book syndrome although I thought of it more in terms of films. You know how Pirates of the Caribbean was an excellent (and profitable) movie so they decided to make sequels? Then the second film set up a lot of stuff but it didn't pay off until the third? Yeah, that's kind of what happened here. Some things do happen but I feel like the third book is where things are really going to happen especially in regards to the spoiler below.

Thinking back over the book, I am remembering a few plot elements but mostly I get the feeling of waiting for something big. I appreciated that The Name of the Star was almost a standalone and loved the mystery revolving around Jack the Ripper. This book's plot is much less strong in my opinion although as I said, I do believe it will pay off in the third book, which of course I am eagerly anticipating! (Despite it not being currently listed on goodreads!)

Other Opinons:
The Compulsive Reader
Lisa Loves Literature
Pure Imagination

SPOILER:

What the heck? Where is Stephen? Rory better find him is all I can say.

END SPOILER

Hysteria

Hysteria by Megan Miranda
4/5 stars
Walker and Company, 2013
323 pages
YA Contemporary Thriller

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was very nervous to start reading this because one of the first reviews I saw was a DNF (linked below). What if I had the same problems? This is why I have a love-hate relationship with reading reviews early. I know I shouldn't because they get me nervous or they raise the level of hype but I'm really bad at stopping myself.

Anyway I picked up the story apprehensively but I ended up pretty much liking it. The basic story is that Mallory killed her boyfriend-no ifs, ands, or buts about it. She killed him good and now is suffering from all the guilt that comes from it, including his angry mother, her awkward parents, and legal woes. To protect her, her parents ship her off to her father's alma mater, a private boarding school. There she continues to feel her dead boyfriend's presence while also struggling to assimilate into the climate.

What I ended up liking most was the friendship between Mallory and her best friend Colleen who admittedly doesn't play that big of a role (Mallory's possible hallucinations get more page time as does the new boy, I'm pretty sure). But it is crucial for one of the themes and is a great example of a YA friendship. Although not perfect, the two are there for each other and I saw some of my own friendships reflected.

I also found this book very thrilling. Miranda doles out little pieces of information at a time and though I thought I was putting it together well, I was still on the edge of my seat to get the full story. Would this veer into a paranormal with an actual ghost haunting Mallory? Does Mallory actually belong in the psych ward? Who will survive? Then the ending effectively wrapped everything up-no cliffhanger here!

On the less positive scale, there is a new romance for Mallory at school, with a perfectly nice boy who did seem a bit unnecessary. I liked him (didn't swoon for him) but it seemed extraneous. I also was kind of mad at Mallory who only started dating her boyfriend because she had a crush on his brother who had a girlfriend. That never ends well as we see all too clearly here.

Overall: Interesting premise that should keep you on the edge of your seat.

Cover: I am possibly coveting that dress. I do own one red dress but I wouldn't mind another especially one that's tighter in the bodice and looser in the skirt. I love looking at pretty dresses.

Other Opinions:
The Book Scoop 
Books Live Forever
From the TBR Pile
In Which Ems Reviews Books-a DNF
Pure Imagination
Reading Under the Willow Tree

The Madman's Daughter

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd
3/5 stars
Balzer + Bray, 2013
420 pages
YA Historical Thriller Sci-Fiction

Source: Received an ARC through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

To start, I thought I had read The Island of Doctor Moreau but about halfway through this book, I looked at the wikipedia page and realized that I had not in fact read the book. That explained why so much seemed unfamiliar. Now that I have read the synopsis I do not expect to ever read it as I do not think I will enjoy it.

What I Liked: I loved the beginning, which is just a straight historical. Juliet Moreau is the daughter of a disgraced now deceased doctor, plunged from genteel life to eking out a living as a maid and fending off advances from predatory males. After stumbling across students attempting to duplicate her father's vivisections, the controversial procedure that led to his downfall, she is shaken but reunites with her family's servant Montgomery who reluctantly agrees to take her to her father's island for it is either that journey or resigning Juliet to a life of prostitution. The historical details were just the kind I liked-painting a vivid description of the dark side of Victorian London. Although there are some creepy moments as Juliet ponders her father's experiments, it is mostly the calm before the storm.

What I Was Neutral About: Once on the island, Juliet has an uneasy reunion with her father and learns more about how he has continued his work, playing God by attempting to turn animals into human-like creatures. She is mostly horrified as she knows polite society would be but she feels that she in part takes after her father and is thus also impressed with his work. This mix of feelings causes her great unease. Despite the measures taken to protect the safety of the island's human inhabitants, the wrongness of the experiments still hangs over and the unrest of the animal-men adds a very scary element to the book.

What I Disliked: or more appropriately perhaps, "What I Loathed": there is a love triangle. Montgomery is one component, having been close to Juliet in her former life and having now grown into a fine young man. The other is Edward Prince, a gentleman and thus closer to Juliet in status, who was shipwrecked and brought to the island due to Juliet's compassion. It's not that I hated either guy (although I didn't really like them); it's that I hated Juliet's feelings about the guys. Oh my, she could not have been more back and forth about them. One sentence she'd talk about how into Montgomery she was and then the very next sentence would be gushy about Edward. It was awful and ever so annoying.

Overall, because of how much time was spent on the back and forth over the two guys, I did not like this book and I think there will be others who hate that same aspect. On a more personal note, I as someone who was creeped out by the very descriptive scenes surrounding Moreau's work in creating his new animal-men-those of us with weaker stomachs will likely be turned off.

Cover: I've read quite a few Waiting on Wednesday posts that gushed over the cover but I don't really like it. I know I love covers with pretty dresses but this dress is not pretty and I find the red type so close to her red ribbon distracting.

Question: Have you read The Island of Doctor Moreau? If you did and if you liked it, can you give me some reasons why I shouldn't just write it off?

Other Opinions
Beauty and the Bookshelf-loved it!
Reading Under the Willow Tree-4/5 stars
The YA Kitten-3/5 stars

ARC Review: What We Saw At Night

What We Saw At Night by Jacquelyn Mitchard
4/5 stars
Soho Teen, 2013
243 pages
YA Mystery Thriller
Scheduled for release January 8

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I originally requested this book under the impression that it was some kind of science-fiction novel with aliens invading the world and these three kids who are awake at night being the only ones who know what is going on. Now while I happen to think that is kind of a cool premise, it's not even close to what is actually happening in the book.

Yes, there are three teens who spend their awake time at night when almost everyone else is asleep. That is because they have Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP), a fatal allergy to sunlight. To occupy their time and to compensate for the fact that XP-ers often die young, they embark on learning Parkour, something I learned about via Jake Gyllenhaal in "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" so I was glad to have those images to fall back on (I also believe there are many videos on youtube if you're interested).  The discipline can be dangerous but what actually ends up being most dangerous is what main character Allie sees at night. That is she thinks she sees two murders but when even her two best friends don't support her, she starts to have doubts.

This is the moment when the story really shifts as Allie tries to find out more while friends Juliet and Rob pull away. Then we discover that Juliet knows way more than she's shared and other plot threads start coming out, such as the small-townness of where they live and Allie's budding interest in criminal justice and serial killers. The latter part of the book also brought out more of Juliet's characterization and I saw a bit of Julie from Code Name Verity in her (an extremely positive comparison). Rob didn't make much of an impression despite being Allie's love interest but the girls' friendship really tugged on my heartstrings.

I've read some reviews that didn't like the writing style. It is written in first-person past tense with occasional interjections from present-day Allie. This reminded me of Gabrielle Zevin's Birthright trilogy and I read comfortably. But I know it's not for everyone so I just wanted to warn you.

The ending was abrupt and is what caused me to add thriller to my genre categorizations above. There is no clear-cut resolution and everything is set up for a second book, a sample of which was available in the e-ARC I read. I enjoyed the writing and plot enough that I will definitely want to check out the sequel.

Other Opinions:
YA Between the Lines
ReaderAlex
Library Lady

The Girl in the Wall

The Girl in the Wall by Daphne Benedis-Grab
4/5 stars
Merit Press, 2012
186 pages
YA Contemporary Thriller

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm starting by admitting that I was sad to see that the cover had changed as the pink cover on the ARC had been what initially caught my attention when browsing titles on Netgalley. However I do think the pink suggets a more lighthearted story than is actually contained within this book as this is a very high-stakes, no-holds barred suspense story.

It starts deceptively calm with Sera dreading going to her best friend Ariel's birthday party. Why? Well, the two are actually estranged after Sera shared something and Ariel marshaled her wealth and popularity to ostracize Sera for that "betrayal." However Sera's father makes her go, with at least the plus side being that Sera gets to see heartthrob Hudson Winters perform.

The party is disrupted though when masked men burst in and kill Ariel's father and friend who they mistook for Ariel. In all the chaos, Ariel sneaks out to hide in the walls of her ginormous mansion while Sera struggles to remain calm. The two girls will have to work through their differences in order to get out alive.

I did think the story was a bit of a slow starter as I kept waiting for someone to disappear in the walls. Then it started and I kept closing my nook after each chapter feeling so tense and needing to decompress from what I had just read, only to pick it up again immediately because I had to know what was coming next. In addition to the girls rebuilding their friendship, there is also a mini-romance for each (just mini because surviving is more of a priority) and the suspense behind the attack. Obviously Ariel was a target but why and who? You'll need to read to find out!

Cover: I preferred the pink cover for the ARC but this one is okay-it's not my favorite or anything. It actually makes me think of a molestation story with the girl's eyes looking particularly vulnerable.

Perry's Killer Playlist

Perry's Killer Playlist by Joe Schreiber
4/5 stars
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2012
209 pages
YA Contemporary Action

Source: Received an ARC through Amazon Vine.

Although I liked Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick and wanted to know more about the titular chick, known as Gobi, I wasn't entirely sure a sequel was necessary. The first book had its own contained story. Still I enjoyed it enough that I instantly wanted the second and after a bit of waiting, I got to it.

I missed the first book's chapter framing device of responding to college admissions essays but this time we have song titles from classic rock, appropriate for Perry's new status as bassist for his rising band. I believe they were mentioned a bit originally but more space is spent this time. His life is pretty good-as I said, he's got the band who are embarking on a European tour and are close to cutting a CD and personally he's dating a hot older woman. Until that is they arrive in Venice and Perry seeks out Gobi and everything goes BLAM, a hundred miles an hour.

I don't want to spoil anything about the twists and turns but rest assured that it feels similar to the first book and each chapter ends leaving you wanting to start the next one immediately, which is super fun when you're reading on your lunch break, let me tell you! We get to spend more time with Perry and Gobi as well as meeting some new assistance and villains who always keep you guessing. I had no idea which way the plot would veer next and it was exciting.

I would definitely recommend reading the first book first so that you know what exactly went down there: not just Gobi's mission in New York that is a catalyst for so many actions in this book but also to see Perry's family drama. You could be brought up to speed in this book but they might feel sketchily drawn without that prior knowledge. It feels like there might be a third book to compose a trilogy but there's no cliffhanger promising that. Just as Au Revoir was primarily self-contained, Perry's Killer Playlist is too.

Tokyo Heist

Tokyo Heist by Diana Renn
4.5/5 stars
Viking, 2012
369 pages
YA Mystery Thriller Contemporary

Source: Received an ARC from Jen Ryland/YA Romantics.

A Missing van Gogh Painting
A Burglarized Mansion
A Ransom Note
Two Japanese Gangsters on the Loose
Four Destroyed Paintings
An Unexplained Suicide
And Two Girls who must solve the mystery, save the art, and catch the criminals.

This caught my interest for being a YA relatively uninterested in romance as well as for its contemporary Japanese setting. Though there's more to the story, these statements are fairly accurate.

Our main character is Violet and she adores manga, so much so that she is drawing her very own incorporating some of her real-life interests into the art. She plans to continue adding to it over the summer while staying with her father and working at a comic book store. However it seems that her father was unprepared for her arrival, not even telling his girlfriend about Violet's existence! This does not start the holiday off well but the situation picks up when Violet discovers she is going to accompany her father to Japan so he can paint a mural. She also gets to flex her detcting muscles when she learns about a missing van Gogh painting and sketches and the Japanese mobsters who are after her father's patron. Can Violet crack the case?

While writing my summary above, I realized that there are so many little threads in this book (including several I didn't feel like could fit in that already stuffed synopsis). I think that one of my big enjoyments was seeing them all come together especially since they seemed so bewildering in the beginning. Of particular enjoyment to me was Violet's attempts at detection, which she incorporates into a new manga, allowing her to puzzle items out. My disappointment though was that while the drawings are described in depth, they are not included. This is a great example of how artwork could enhcance a reading experience and I feel like this was a missed opportunity.

As I mentioned, there are a lot of threads in this book and though most are juggled and brought in well, I would have liked a lot more aboout two in particular. One was Violet's relationship with her father. He hasn't been very present in her life since she lives with her mom but he also loses himself in his art even when she is around. She is able to challenge him on his disengagment but I wasn't fully satisified.

The other element was Violet's romance. For a long time, she's been in love with her best friend but is afraid to jeopardize their friendship. Consequently, when there are movements toward romance, it is not swoony and dreamy but is instead based on their solid longstanding but mostly unseen and unfelt by the reader friendship.

Overall: A really fun ride through artwork, deception, and love with an exciting Tokyo/Japan backdrop. Highly recommended!

Ten

Ten by Gretchen McNeil
4/5 stars
Balzer + Bray, 2012
294 pages
YA Mystery Thriller Contemporary

Source: Bought (an autographed copy!)

As a long-time Agatha Christie fan and a huge fan of retellings, this book inspired by her classic And Then There Were None was of immediate interest to me. It's a tricky story where I was unable to solve the mystery (although to be honest, I rarely figure out the murderer in a Christie) but I had hopes for doing so in this case. Alas they were misguided as I was caught completely off-guard by the actual murderer after thinking it was someone else. But let's go back to the beginning.

This book gathers ten teens together for a weekend with a raging party. Although not everyone knows each other, those who do have simmering tensions. Best friends Meg and Minnie both have a crush on popular boy TJ whose best friend Gunner used to date Minnie. Gunner's new girlfriend is also there as are a few more kids. But Meg is our main character although she does not narrate in first person, which kept throwing me. I am so used to YA main characters narrating that I often struggle to connect with third-person narration. This was the case here although I think the plot itself also helped with my disconnect. As the story turns dark, everyone is potentially a murderer and who wants to identify with a murderer?

So while I didn't connect with the characters, I did really appreciate the atmospheric setting. They're on a basically deserted island without power during a massive storm, which served to ratchet up the tension. I'm not usually one to notice the setting but it was very evocative here.

One last item to mention is something that also bothered me about the original book-I am just so uncomfortable with this vigilante justice. The murderer firmly believes in his/her cause, which would likely not be prosecuted had legal means been pursued but I hate the idea of a person deciding to claim their own justice through such means. It's the nature of the story but I really hate it.

Overall: Not at all character driven but full of suspense for fans of such.

The Vanishing Game

The Vanishing Game by Kate Kae Myers
Bloomsbury, 2012
353 pages
YA; Thriller
4/5 stars

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I did not know much about this book going in to it. And my curiosity was not immediately slaked as the book tossed me in to the middle of the thrills. Jocelyn has been struggling for several weeks from the death of her twin brother Jack, except is he dead? She received a letter from him indicating that he is not dead but perhaps on the run from dangerous forces.

For some reason, she chooses to return to the city of their horrific childhood in a foster home where she reconnects with their friend Noah from that time period. This was the most confusing part to me as it seemed a little forced that she would choose to go back there. I'm not sure why she decided meeting up with Noah was the best idea but it does stimulate the rest of the story. His first reaction is to almost strangle her, which would have made me question the wisdom of asking for his help but that incident doesn't stop them from eventually teaming up to hunt down Jack.

Once they've met up, they discover more clues about Jack's existence and doggedly pursue them, despite many threats and some supernatural occurrences.  My mind tried to follow the twists and turns but all I could really do was hang on and keep reading-I wasn't figuring anything out. And then we have the stunning conclusion-my mind was blown! I could not believe that was the answer to the questions Jocelyn was asking throughout the story.

One fun publicity element is the chance to try to unravel Jack's clues for yourself. They are available at this link. I looked at them before starting the book but ended up deciding that I didn't want to put forth the effort.

Overall: A tense and suspenseful YA thriller with twists and turns galore.

Operation Napoleon

Operation Napoleon by Arnaldur Indridason
Translated by Victoria Cribb
Minotaur Books, 2011
Originally published 1999
328 pages
Thriller
4/5 stars

Source: Received an ARC through Amazon's Vine program in exchange for an honest review.

This book was definitely me going out of my comfort zone. First it's a translation from Icelandic; second it's an adult book; and third it's a thriller. I don't read many of those! But after seeing Captain America, I was kind of primed for some WWII suspense so I took a chance.

I mostly ended up enjoying this. The characters didn't have a great deal of depth, being defined largely by one or two traits but I'm not sure I usually expect more in my thrillers. For one-offs, as I think this is, I want to be on the edge of my seat watching people narrowly escape dangerous and reading about things blowing up. The characters don't have to engage my sympathy or even much of my interest for me to be able to enjoy the book.  It's good that I wasn't very attached as several of the characters were casually dispatched by other characters in chilling scenes of murder.  There was no hesitation; just boom! Dead.

I thought it succeeded as a thriller because I was very much on the edge of my seat trying to piece together the puzzle of what is Operation Napoleon? However I'm still not entirely sure I understand it; whether that's the nature of the book or of the translate or possibly even my own slowness, I don't know. I would have preferred more answers.

Something that was very unique to me was that the villains were the Americans, who apparently have a very complicated relationship with the people of Iceland.  On the one hand, their military base pumps a lot of money into Iceland's economy; on the other hand, they are overbearing, arrogant, and rude, bossing around top Icelandic government personnel in order to pursue their own agenda. No wonder they're not popular.

Overall: A fine thriller with exciting scenes and a daring main character who manages to evade a lot of threats.