Book Review: Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Ninth House Series: Alex Stern #1 Written by: Leigh Bardugo Published: October 15, 2019 by Flatiron Books (Macmillan) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. By age twenty, in fact, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most elite universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?   Still searching for answers to this herself, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies. These eight windowless “tombs” are well-known to be haunts of the future rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street and Hollywood’s biggest players. But their occult activities are revealed to be more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive.  The mesmerizing adult debut from #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo.

If you were not aware, I am a huge fan of Leigh Bardugo’s books. I have read, and loved, every single one of them. So I was extra excited when I heard she was coming out with a new Adult book that was about secret societies and ghosts. And seriously, you guys, this book did not disappoint. Ninth House was everything I wanted it to be and more.

First and foremost, I absolutely loved the plot development of this book. There were so many elements to this story and they all worked together to create something truly fascinating. This was one of those books with a complex and intriguing mystery which elements that slowly unfold throughout the story. I usually consider myself really good at figuring out mysteries but this one truly stumped me. I had no idea what was happening until the big reveal. And it’s not that there weren’t clues, there was just so many elements that you needed to know them all first. Leigh masterfully unraveled the mystery here and it truly had me on the edge of my seat.

Another fantastic thing about this book was the world. This is the perfect book to read during the Halloween and fall season because it really had amazing atmosphere. The main character of Alex can see ghosts so of course they were a huge element of the story but the magic and supernatural elements does not stop there. Each secret society has their own magic which is tied to their house. We only got the barest hint of each of their powers but I was fascinated by them. But we also only got a little of Alex’s powers as well. I don’t want to give too much away but there is so much more to explore in the next book.

Part of what made to world fantastic was the setting. I absolutely loved the New Haven and Yale setting. As a New Englander, I love books set in New England. But honestly, you don’t really see many books about New Haven. And after this book, I don’t really understand why. There is so much to this city and it made for the perfect setting for this book. First of all, there is the real ghost stories and unexplained phenomena of the city. I wonder how much research Leigh did into these elements. I know she went to Yale and was a part of a secret society but it is the actual history of the city that interested me most. I wonder how much of these are real those stories from New Haven. It for sure makes me want to go on a ghost tour the next time I am there. But the other thing that made this city a good setting for this book is the dichotomy between the haves and have nots. Most New England cities with Ivy League colleges have an element of that and I love the way it was explored in this book. It made for one more complex and engaging element of the book.

As far as the characters, this is one more example as to how good Leigh is at doing dark and odious characters. So many of the secondary characters were terrible people doing terrible things, which honestly was something I love. Then you have the main character Alex, who is one of those unlikable female protagonists that I love so much. She is prickly and sullen with a tortured past that she is still trying to get over. She’s not the kind of person you really want to relate to, but you can’t help but do it. I was definitely rooting for her, even when she was making stupid and sometimes self-destructive choices. Darlington, however, was easy to like. He’s charming and intelligent. My friend Pili pointed out that he has Gansey vibes and she is totally right. He is the kind of person who wants there to be magic in the world and is looking for it. They were great fools for one another and therefore made a great team. And honestly, I’m so glad there wasn’t a romantic element to their relationship. It didn’t need it, and I didn’t miss it. The characters here really were fantastic and complex.

Seriously, this book was so amazing. I have heard nothing but great things and I am not at all surprised I loved it. Leigh is a master storyteller and she did just as amazing job with an Adult paranormal mystery as does with YA high fantasy. This book was brilliant, dark, and complex.

I give Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: BUY! Definitely get this book. If you are a fan of Leigh's or not you should read this book. It is unlike anything she has previously written but still has all the elements of why she is one of my favorite authors. It is atmospheric and dark and is the perfect read for fall. You must pick it up!

Review: Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Title: Little White Lies Series: Debutantes #1 Written by: Jennifer Lynn Barnes Published: November 6, 2018 by Freeform (Disney) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: "I'm not saying this is Sawyer's fault," the prim and proper one said delicately. "But."  Eighteen-year-old auto mechanic Sawyer Taft did not expect her estranged grandmother to show up at her apartment door and offer her a six-figure contract to participate in debutante season. And she definitely never imagined she would accept. But when she realizes that immersing herself in her grandmother's "society" might mean discovering the answer to the biggest mystery of her life-her father's identity-she signs on the dotted line and braces herself for a year of makeovers, big dresses, bigger egos, and a whole lot of bless your heart. The one thing she doesn't expect to find is friendship, but as she's drawn into a group of debutantes with scandalous, dangerous secrets of their own, Sawyer quickly discovers that her family isn't the only mainstay of high society with skeletons in their closet. There are people in her grandmother's glittering world who are not what they appear, and no one wants Sawyer poking her nose into the past. As she navigates the twisted relationships between her new friends and their powerful parents, Sawyer's search for the truth about her own origins is just the beginning.  Set in the world of debutante balls, grand estates and rolling green hills, Little White Lies combines a charming setting, a classic fish-out-of-water story, and the sort of layered mystery only author Jennifer Lynn Barnes can pull off.

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for and honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

I loved Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ The Fixer series and I want to read more of her books so when I heard that she was coming out with a new book that was about debutantes with secrets I was completely on board. And while it was a pretty good read, it didn’t blow me away like I was expecting.

The characterization has this real Gilmore Girls feel. Our main character is the daughter of a former rich girl who got pregnant at seventeen and left home to raise her child. The difference is that these two didn’t have the charm and connection of Rory and Lorelei. It was like later seasons Gilmore Girls where they’ve had a falling out. The grandmother however had strong Emily vibes. She was like this tough an prickly woman who has a surprising heart of gold when it comes right down to it. I loved seeing her walls break down throughout the book along with Sawyer’s. They weren’t quite unlikable characters but they were pretty dubious ones and I always like that in a mystery.

But that was just the start of the dubious characters. This book was full of characters who walk the line between good and evil. So many of them do terrible things throughout the book, some for good reasons and some for terrible reasons. There were some truly devious characters like Campbell and some characters who just made really terrible decision like Lily. I was pleasantly surprised by the relationship that developed between the girls. It started out feeling like a catty mean girls sort of situation but by the end they really came together and made a great team.

However, I do think that the mystery here was kind of lacking. I come to expect JLB to write a twisty series full of last minute surprises so that’s what I wanted here. But it never delivered on that. I think the problem was there were just too many plot points so it lacked a cohesive story. The book was told with these interludes that were happening in the past (or was it the future) that were supposed to explain why the girls were arrested but honestly I think they just confused me needlessly. And then throughout the main novel there was the idea of who Sawyer’s father was thrown in with at least three more side storylines. They all were interesting they just took away from the overall connectedness of the story. I know JLB can write a good thriller, this just wasn’t her best work. I wish she had scaled back a little bit.

But all and all this was a good read. It was fast and entertaining. I read it on a train ride home from seeing my family for Thanksgiving and it was the perfect vacation read.

I give Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 8 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Borrow. I would recommend this book to someone who is not a huge fan of thrillers but wants a book with some mystery to it. I think contemporary fans will like it more than fans of mysteries.

Have you read Little White Lies? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Review: Campfire by Shawn Sarles

Title: Campfire Written by: Shawn Sarles Published: July 17, 2018 by Jimmy Books (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: While camping in a remote location, Maddie Davenport gathers around the fire with her friends and family to tell scary stories. Caleb, the handsome young guide, shares the local legend of the ferocious Mountain Men who hunt unsuspecting campers and leave their mark by carving grisly antlers into their victims' foreheads.  The next day, the story comes true.  Now Maddie and her family are lost in the deep woods--with no way out--being stalked by their worst nightmares. Because there were other, more horrifying stories told that night--and Maddie's about to find out just how they end...

I really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately it really didn’t work for me. I had picked up a copy of this at ALA and I definitely had high hopes. As a mystery/thriller under an imprint from a well-known mystery writer I was expecting a thrilling read that had me on the edge of my seat and that is not what I found.

I had been saving reading this to read as part of a joint review for my podcast because it has that classic teen horror vibe to it, like the Fear Street books we normally read. And honestly, that was one of the best things about this book. From purely a nostalgia feel it definitely hit all he right notes. If I didn’t know any better and you had told me this book was written 20 years ago, I would have believed you. But the thing is, this book was written this year, and I can excuse a lot of things for being outdated but a book written more recently, I expect better from.

Because the thing about this plot is that it was really basic. I read a lot of mysteries and I have gotten pretty good at figuring them out. I am constantly looking for that one which is going to shock and surprise. This book did not do that. In fact I figured out one aspect of the reveal pretty early on and then the other one just felt like it came completely out of nowhere. Instead of hooking me in the narrative i lost interest. Plus the concept here was really good, but it never delivered on it. The idea of ghost stories coming to life is totally brilliant but the stories really kind of felt like an afterthought. I wish they had more bearings on the actual plot of the story and weren’t just a means to an end.

I think my bigger problem with this book however was the pacing. Once again, a synopsis revealed a book’s entire plot. And once again I was incredibly frustrated at that. If it takes you two-thirds of the book to get to what your book is, then there is something wrong. Maybe this is just a problem with the synopsis and I shouldn’t blame to book for that, but I do.

The one thing I did like about this book though is that it went there. This is a book with a huge body count. When people end up dead, they are really dead and often in gruesome and grotesque ways. Like a lot of classic 90’s teen horror the author also reveals in the descriptions of the dead bodies too. It had some really good visuals and that definitely did a good job of capturing my interest.

But maybe I just wanted the characters dead because I really did not enjoy them. It’s not that they were bad characters there were just so many of them. It felt like this was the clown car of camping trips. People kept coming out of the woodwork and I found it so hard to remember who was who and how they were all connected. I needed a cheat sheet to keep it all straight. And because of that, I never really connected with anyone. I mean, the main character Maddie was fine, she just didn’t have that badass final girl vibe I was hoping for.

All in all, this was not my favorite read. I was hoping for a scary and intense thriller and instead I got what felt like a campy teen horror from the 80’s. Not a bad read just not what I was looking for.

I give Campfire by Shawn Sarles 7 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Borrow. If you are looking for a scary Halloween read this is not it. If you are looking for a thrilling mystery this is not it. If you are looking for a campy teen horror nostalgia romp this is it. And if you are going to read this book... do not read the synopsis.

Have you read Campfire? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Review: The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas

Title: The Cheerleaders Written by: Kara Thomas Published: July 31, 2018 by Delacorte Press (Random House) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: There are no more cheerleaders in the town of Sunnybrook.  First there was the car accident—two girls gone after hitting a tree on a rainy night. Not long after, the murders happened. Those two girls were killed by the man next door. The police shot him, so no one will ever know why he did it. Monica’s sister was the last cheerleader to die. After her suicide, Sunnybrook High disbanded the cheer squad. No one wanted to be reminded of the girls they lost.  That was five years ago. Now the faculty and students at Sunnybrook High want to remember the lost cheerleaders. But for Monica, it’s not that easy. She just wants to forget. Only, Monica’s world is starting to unravel. There are the letters in her stepdad’s desk, an unearthed, years-old cell phone, a strange new friend at school. . . . Whatever happened five years ago isn’t over. Some people in town know more than they’re saying. And somehow Monica is at the center of it all.  There are no more cheerleaders in Sunnybrook, but that doesn’t mean anyone else is safe.

I had really like Kara Thomas' two previous mysteries so I was excited to read this next one. I wanted to read it when it first came out but I didn't have a copy so I put a hold on the audiobook from the library. And honestly I forgot all about it until the hold came in. I needed an audio so I decided to give it a try. And while it was a good mystery, it didn't quite blow me away like I was hoping.

One thing I did like about this book was the plot development of the mystery. I am a big fan of mysteries and I am always looking for a YA mystery that isn't predictable and still has clues to solve. I like when a mystery brings everything together in the end for a big reveal which is exactly what this book did. There were a lot of moving parts and I wasn't exactly sure how they could have been connected but then by the end, everything lined up so nicely. I usually can figure out what happened in a mystery but this one surprised me a little bit. I knew one main aspect but how that played into the larger story I didn't quite know. But I do feel like the reveal could have been a little more exciting. From a procedural standpoint it was interesting but from an emotional standpoint I didn't quite feel it. After I finished reading the book I was talking to my friend Michelle and we actually came up with a really cool way we wish it would have ended. It's not that this wasn't a good mystery, it just could have been more emotional.

But I think maybe part of what the book was missing was thrilling pacing and high stake. It took a really long time for the book to get exciting. I'm with slower pacing if it ends with an exciting ending so I let that go in this book but the more I sit with it, the less okay with it I am. The book definitely had a cold case vibe to it, which is fine, but because of that the main character felt a little bit removed from the story. She wanted to figure out what happened but it didn't have any direct consequences on her life through most of the book. It's not that I wanted a body count and a threat of her being attacked but I just needed some higher stakes than I wanted to figure this out.

The other thing that I think impacted this was the characterization. I didn't really connect completely with the characters here. Monica was a fine main character and I liked her a lot in the beginning. She has to make a really tough decision in the first chapter and it definitely ways a lot on her throughout the book, but this didn't really connect to the larger story in the way I had hoped. She was a sympathetic character but I didn't quite get the empathy for her that is required for a character-driven mystery. I have read some mysteries like this, including a few recent ones, that I think accomplished this must better.

A lot of this book was really hit or miss for me. The best example of that was the setting. Kara Thomas does a great job establishing small town settings for her books. She does such a great job of establishing the interconnectedness of not only the people in the town but the people from nearby. That's perfect for mysteries because when everyone knows everyone's business it's easy to find clues and information for a mystery. But my problem for this book is that I couldn't quite place where this town was. The town they lived in was in Eastern New York State but the nearby towns were in Eastern Massachusetts. A person who isn't from there probably wouldn't even notice that but I did and it threw me out of the book completely. It's just a weird personal thing that was an issue for me.

All in all I thought this was an okay mystery. It had a lot of promise and some parts that I really enjoyed but it was mostly just an okay read for me.

I give The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas 8 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Borrow. I am honestly glad I snagged this from the library instead of buying a copy. It's not that it's a bad mystery, it's just one of those books to maybe pick up on your next library haul.

Have you read The Cheerleaders? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Review: The Agony House by Cherie Priest

Title: The Agony House Written by: Cherie Priest and Tara O'Connor Published: Septemebr 25, 2018 by Scholastic (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Denise Farber has just moved back to New Orleans with her mom and step-dad. They left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and have finally returned, wagering the last of their family's money on fixing up an old, rundown house and converting it to a bed and breakfast.Nothing seems to work around the place, which doesn't seem too weird to Denise. The unexplained noises are a little more out of the ordinary, but again, nothing too unusual.  But when floors collapse, deadly objects rain down, and she hears creepy voices, it's clear to Denise that something more sinister lurks hidden here.Answers may lie in an old comic book Denise finds concealed in the attic: the lost, final project of a famous artist who disappeared in the 1950s.  Denise isn't budging from her new home, so she must unravel the mystery-on the pages and off-if she and her family are to survive...

This book was amazing! Everything I wanted it to be and more. I loved I Am Princess X and I was really excited to hear that she had a new book coming out in a similar format. I saw copies available at ALA and I picked it up without even reading the synopsis. Then I read the synopsis and was even more excited.

It was incredibly apropos that I received a copy of this book at ALA in New Orleans because this is a book set in New Orleans, which is just one great thing about it. And the mystery and history of New Orleans definitely comes alive in The Agony House. It’s a city full of stories of ghosts and haunted houses. That seems to be the basis for this story and I really loved that. I love books that are set in mysterious old houses because I always wonder what happened in a place years ago. And seriously, this House was so creepy and fascinating. I'm not a huge fan of horror and I don't like being scared and this book had the perfect amount of creepy and mysterious that had me curious and freaked out in the best possible way. It definitely had this great horror movie vibe. It was compelling and cinematic made all the more interesting with the comics that were dispersed throughout.

But the house was only the start when it came to establishing the setting of this book. It takes place in the present day so the book has to deal with Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath. I really liked why Cherie Priest did with this aspect of the story. She didn’t shy away from talking about some of the terrible things that happened to the city of New Orleans and the people who lived there. She also really addressed the idea of gentrification and people coming into a blighted neighborhood and wanting to make it better at the expense of the people who had been there for generations. It’s such an interesting concept and I loved that she talked about it here. It gave the book a lot of depth and also grounded it in reality.

And that reality was shown in sharp contrast to the amazing supernatural elements in this book. I’m not a big fan of horror but I like a creepy book that makes me look over my shoulder and question things about old houses which is exactly what this book did. The ghost elements were really well done and had me really thinking that this house could certainly be a stop on a New Orleans ghost tour if it existed. And the ghost tour I went on was one of the highlights of my trip so that made me incredibly happy.

The other thing about this book that made me very happy was the mystery. I really loved the way it all unfolded. Like I Am Princess X this one had a comic that was dispersed throughout the story which gave clues that lead to the big reveal at the end (and in this case also showed what run ins with the resident ghost would be like). But unlike Princess X, I felt like this mystery was a little less obvious. It still was solvable and there were hints but it felt like a more mysterious and complex narrative which I appreciated. It was also an incredibly addicting read. It’s a short book and therefore it’a not too surprising that I finished it in two days but I also could not put it down. I keep telling myself “just one more chapter” and before I knew it I had read another forty pages. It had that much of my attention.

All in all, this was an amazing read. It is the perfect combination of supernatural thriller and historical mystery plus there is the comic thrown in for even more amazingness.

I give The Agony House by Cherie Priest 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. I really loved and definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a fast and compelling Halloween read. If you liked I Am Princess X then definitely get this one, or even if you didn't read it and we want a creepy and fast read for fall get it.

Have you read The Agony House? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Review: Sadie by Courtney Summers

Title: Sadie Written by: Courtney Sommers Published: September 4, 2018 by Wednesday Books (Macmillan) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Sadie hasn't had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she's been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water.  But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie's entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister's killer to justice and hits the road following a few meagre clues to find him.  When West McCray—a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America—overhears Sadie's story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie's journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it's too late.  For the complete experience: The Girls Podcast

I was really interested in picking up a copy of this book at ALA because I have been wanting to read a Courtney Summers book for awhile. My friend Michelle is a huge fan of hers (her number 1 fan according to the signed ARC of this book she got at ALA), And I am so glad that I did read it because this book was really fantastic and totally the mystery I have been wanting to read.

Because seriously, this is a great mystery. It's one of those books with a lot of different layers and strylines all working together to create one over-arching mystery and it did that effortlessly. It's sometimes hard to do this because it's easy to make one more complicate which then pulls focus. But both of these were really interesting and engaging. I'm a bit of mystery snob. I like when a mystery is possible to solve but isn't too obvious. Here I felt like it wasn't at all obvious but it wasn't really solvable either and I still enjoyed it. As the book went on, elements of the mystery unfolded in ways that explained things but still left you wondering. It was so engrossing that I didn't want to put it down. I needed to keep reading to find out exactly what had happened.  I appreciated that in a way I don't always because when everything was said and done I was still thinking about it. If you read my Monday review then you know sometimes being vague can go horribly wrong, but other times it can go right. Here it went right.

But I think what made the mystery so good was the format of this book. It was a completely unique and interesting format which I really enjoyed. Most of the book was about what happened to Mattie but it was told from the perspective of Sadie trying to hunt down her killing and get revenge and Wes McCray trying to find out what happened to Sadie. Wes' portion was probably the most unique part because it was told in a podcast format with interviews and his own interpretation. I really loved this aspect of the story. It had this fantastic True Crime feel in that way. I listened to the audiobook for this one because I saw that it had a full cast and the format was perfect for this book. It was like I was listening to the podcast and it really came alive with individual voices for the characters.

And as for those characters, these were really complex characters. What I liked most about them is that weren't perfect. The main character is obviously the titular one, Sadie. And Sadie was a really likable character who I empathized with pretty quickly. You are in her head for a lot of the book and she is very open about her rough childhood and how devastated she was by the loss of her sister. It made her easy to root for. But it wasn't a non-stop pity part with Sadie. She's tough and brash most of the time. The other interesting thing about Sadie is that she has a stutter. I loved the way her stutter was handled in the book. It was a part of her character and it made things challenging but she didn't let her stop her from doing what she set out to do. Courtney Summers is all abut the unlikable female protagonist and I feel like Sadie is a really good example on how a character who may otherwise be unlikable is a likable heroine.

Then there is the secondary characters. This book has some truly terrible characters. And I don't mean terrible in terms of how they are written. No, they are so well written that I hated them so much. Like a few characters in this book are the literal worst and it made the book all the more interesting. That being said, this is not the kind of book for the faint of heart. It is a book that deals with some really difficult and hard to read topics. It doesn't shy away from some of the more unsavory things that you can sometimes come across when it comes to True Crime. The secondary characters are terrible for a reason. If you don't like books that deal with abuse then this is not going to be the book for you, but if you want to read a difficult to read book which addresses issues in a sensitive way then you will like it.

On the whole I really enjoyed this book. It was difficult to read at times but it was incredibly engrossing with a great mystery, complex characters, and a unique format. It was the YA mystery I have definitely been wanting to read all summer.

I give Sadie by Courtney Summers 95 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of mysteries and True Crime. If you are a fan of more serious and difficult to read books then definitely read this one.

Have you read Sadie? What did you think about it? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: A Room Away from the Wolves by Nova Ren Suma

Title: A Room Away from the Wolves Written by: Nova Ren Suma Published: September 4, 2018 by Algonquin Books for Young Readers (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Bina has never forgotten the time she and her mother ran away from home. Her mother promised they would hitchhike to the city to escape Bina’s cruel father and start over. But before they could even leave town, Bina had a new stepfather and two new stepsisters, and a humming sense of betrayal pulling apart the bond with her mother—a bond Bina thought was unbreakable.  Eight years later, after too many lies and with trouble on her heels, Bina finds herself on the side of the road again, the city of her dreams calling for her. She has an old suitcase, a fresh black eye, and a room waiting for her at Catherine House, a young women’s residence in Greenwich Village with a tragic history, a vow of confidentiality, and dark, magical secrets. There, Bina is drawn to her enigmatic downstairs neighbor Monet, a girl who is equal parts intriguing and dangerous. As Bina’s lease begins to run out, and nightmare and memory get tangled, she will be forced to face the terrible truth of why she’s come to Catherine House and what it will take for her to leave...

I love Nova Ren Suma books and I was so excited to hear that she was coming out with a new one. The Walls Around Us is one of my favorite mysteries and that book is the perfect example on how an author can totally shock the reader at the very end of the book. I was really pumped to get a copy of this book at ALA and read this one. Unfortunately it was not as good as I was hoping.

One thing I will say about this book is how brilliant Nova's prose is. I'm constantly amazed at how beautiful and atmospheric Nova's writing books are and this one was no exception. It had this ethereal quality to it that was gorgeous and visual in a way that I completely loved. She has this great way of creating unique and engaging atmosphere that really draws the reader into the world. It's not over the top either, it just pulls you in with beautiful descriptions and writing that has been the the hallmark of here career.

However, that being said, I think this book relies too heavily on atmosphere. In terms of the world building, there isn't really any and there was a lot of opportunity for it. The setting of this book is very cool and interesting. Catherine House was truly fascinating. I love weird old houses with hidden passageways and secrets for the characters to uncover. Some of the best parts of this book were when they were finding things within the house. But we never got any information about it. And that was only the tip of the iceberg. I feel like sometimes when it comes to settings and worlds with magical realism, which is maybe what I would call this book, you have to remember that less is less. I get wanting to leave things open for interpretation but you need a world that is grounded in something.

But the plot of this book was also open for interpretation and that was even more confusing than the plot. I don't mind when mysteries have a crazy twist at the end of the book, but this felt different for some reason. I also don't mind when a book is left open for interpretation. Usually when that happens I'm left wondering what really happened and I desperately want to know. But here for some reason it felt like the book was being purposefully obstinate. I met Nova at ALA, when I picked up a copy of this book, and she said that this one leaves things totally up for interpretation which makes me thing she did all of this on purpose. Like she didn't want there to be an answer and I kind of realize I need an answer.

The one thing however I did like was the characters. Bina in particular was a really good main character. It was easy to root for her as the kind of character who has been through a lot of hardship and you want her to end up in a better place than she started with. I do think that she could have had better character development though. There were also some interesting secondary characters too. The people at Catherine House were really mysterious and intriguing. I wanted to know more about them and kind of wish we had gotten some answers about them, particularly Catherine herself.

On the whole, I think this showed a lot of promise that it never delivered on. I was totally excited to read it because I love Nova's writing but this one just felt purposefully obtuse and like it relied way too heavily on atmosphere. The mystery could have been much better and the world more grounded and engaging if there were some actual answers.

I give A Room Away from the Wolves 7.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Borrow. Not my favorite from this author. If you are a fan of Nova check this book out but it has some of the worst qualities of her previous books. If you are looking for a atmosphere heavy mystery that leaves you wondering what is going on them maybe pick this one up at the library.

Have you read A Room Away from the Wolves? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: Girl at the Grave by Teri Bailey Blake

Title: Girl at the Grave Written by: Terri Bailey Blake Published: August 7, 2018 by Tor Teen (Macmillan) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Early Libba Bray meets Stalking Jack the Ripper and William Ritter’s Jackaby series in this richly atmospheric Gothic tale of murder and romance in 1850s New England  Valentine has spent years trying to outrun her mother's legacy. But small towns have long memories, and when a new string of murders occurs, all signs point to the daughter of a murderer.  Only one person believes Valentine is innocent—Rowan Blackshaw, the son of the man her mother killed all those years ago. Valentine vows to find the real killer, but when she finally uncovers the horrifying truth, she must choose to face her own dark secrets, even if it means losing Rowan in the end.  Debut author Terri Bailey Black unearths the long-buried secrets of a small New England town in this richly atmospheric Gothic tale of murder, guilt, redemption, and finding love where least expected..

When I first heard about this book I immediately knew I needed to read it. It's such a me book. A historical mystery set in New England? Yes, please. So I was completely excited when Tor approved my request on Netgalley. And while this was an interesting and atmospheric read perfect for fall, I didn't love it.

One thing that I did like was the setting. I am a complete sucker for books that take place in New England. I live in New England and I love it so much so when I find books that take place here that capture the spirit and atmosphere of New England I am all for it. This book definitely did that. It didn't lean to hard into it either. I'm not sure it had a distinctly New England feel but it had the vibe and felt familiar. It had an atmosphere that I loved. The other great thing about the setting is the small town aspect of the story. Mysteries are perfect in small town settings because everyone knows everyone and is in one another's business which makes suspects out of so many people. And this was definitely an interesting small town where that was the case.

The only thing about the setting that I didn't love was the historical aspect. I was super pumped to read a historical mystery because it is one of my favorite subgenres. However, this book was just a mystery with a historical setting. In my opinion, if you are going to write a historical novel you need to root the story in history. It doesn't have to be about a specific event but it should feel like the time period. This book just felt timeless and that's not really a good thing. Sometimes I would forget it was not set in the modern era and then they would talk about carriages. I don't know if it was a lack or research or just lack of historical grounding. I think the author should have just leaned into the historical setting more than she did.

The plot however was kind of hit or miss for me. I will say, I loved the mystery. It was a really fantastic mystery with lots of things that unfolded throughout the book. This is one of those mysteries where I suspect everyone at one point or another so I am able to figure out who the culprit is but their motives and what actually happened didn't get revealed until the end which I liked. However, there was so much focus on the romance in this book. There's one very small mention about finding love in the synopsis but it was definitely a big part of the plot. Which wouldn't have been that big a deal if I liked the romance, but I didn't. It was a love triangle that annoyed me so much because the character kept changing her mind. But then again, I am hard to please when it comes to romance.

As far as the characters, they were fine but didn't impress me much. Valentine is a fine protagonist and is relatively easy to sympathize with. She's the town outcast and I can feel compassion for her in that respect and I wanted her to solve the mystery but throughout the book she got very frustrating. For one thing she kept thinking she figured everything out and was always wrong. After awhile I stopped trusting her and that is never the good thing in a mystery protagonist. And then there is the romance. Because seriously, both romantic leads were not likable. Maybe I kept them at arms length because I suspected them of being involved in the murder in some way, or maybe they just weren't my find of characters but either way, I was not a fan. But it's kind of the name of the game when it comes to mysteries when you suspect everyone of murder.

All in all this was an okay read, but not the book I was hoping for. It had a good setting and an engaging mystery but there was way too much romance and I didn't connect with the characters. I wanted to love it, but sadly I did not.

I give Girl at the Grave by Teri Bailey Black 7.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Borrow/Bypass. If you are a fan of historical romances and want one with a good mystery then check this book out but I would not really recommend it to anyone who doesn't like romances.

Have you read Girl at the Grave? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Audiobook Review: Providence by Caroline Kepnes

Title: Providence Written by: Caroline Kepnes Published: June 19, 2018 by Lenny (Random House) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: A propulsive new thriller about the obsessive nature of love when an intensifying relationship between best friends is disrupted by a kidnapping.  Growing up as best friends in small-town New Hampshire, Jon and Chloe are the only ones who truly understand each other, though they can never find the words to tell one another the depth of their feelings. When Jon is finally ready to confess his feelings, he's suddenly kidnapped by his substitute teacher who is obsessed with H.P. Lovecraft and has a plot to save humanity.  Mourning the disappearance of Jon and facing the reality he may never return, Chloe tries to navigate the rites of entering young adulthood and "fit in" with the popular crowd, but thoughts of Jon are never far away.  When Jon finally escapes, he discovers he now has an uncontrollable power that endangers anyone he has intense feelings for. He runs away to protect Chloe and find the answers to his new identity--but he's soon being tracked by a detective who is fascinated by a series of vigilante killings that appear connected.  Whisking us on a journey through New England and crashing these characters' lives together in the most unexpected ways, Kepnes explores the complex relationship between love and identity, unrequited passion and obsession, self-preservation and self-destruction, and how the lines are often blurred between the two.

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

I loved the You duology and I was super excited to check out her new book because it takes places where I live, in Providence. And even though this is a very different book, I was not disappointed. Kepnes really knows how to write an engaging book with complex characters.

What I loved about this book is that it's not your typical mystery or thriller. Yes, there are elements of that here. Kepnes writes a story that has you wondering and questioning from beginning to end. She does a great job of establishing a cat and mouse narrative where you root for both of them to succeed which adds a lot to the drama and adventure. But there was more too it then that. There is kind of a science fiction/horror element here. It's inspired by an H.P. Lovecraft story so that should give you some indication of what we are working with. And Kepnes did a great job of weaving the two together to craft an engaging and interesting story.

The book alternates perspectives between Jon, Chloe, and Eggs. This is kind of hit or miss for me but here it worked. The first half of the book is just Chloe and Jon. When Jon gets kidnapped Chloe, his best friend, is pining for him. It's a sweet story of friendship and seeing both perspectives you want them to reunite. But the really interesting part is when Eggs joins the narrative. There is a lot of mistaken intentions and misunderstandings that make the book full of conflict and drama. But I also think this was aided by the fact that for most of the book I listened to the audiobook and each character had a different narrator. They all did a really good job. I picked up the audio because Jon is narrated by MacLeod Andrews who I love, but I also really enjoyed the narrator for Eggs. He had the perfect Rhode Island accent. It wasn't too over the top and I loved that. Plus he has narrated some Lovecraft which was extra cool.

Kepnes also did a great job with establishing the characters. I loved in You how she was able to get you to sympathize with a serial killer, and in this book she gets you to sympathize with two different people who are on opposite ends of the conflict. It's not hard to sympathize with Jon. He was kidnapped and the backlash from what happened to him has crazy consequences. It was cool seeing him grow and develop throughout the book and become a little bit more grey in what he was doing morally. Eggs however lives in the grey. These are the types of characters who are doing the wrong thing for the right reasons or the right things for the wrong reasons. But either way, those are the kinds of characters that I love reading about.

I also really appreciated the setting of this book. As I said before, I live in Providence and I was a little nervous that this book wouldn't capture the city that I love but I think that it didn't. The entire book didn't take place in Providence, but the part in the city was great. There were landmarks that I recognized and she captured what it is like living in a college town (they are sometimes as annoying as she let on). Kepnes must be familiar with the city or she did her research. Either way I really appreciated that. Her books are usually show a lot of affection for New England and I appreciated that.

On the whole this was a really good read. It didn't blow me away like You and Hidden Bodies did but it still struck a cord emotionally. It had a lot of conflict and an engaging plot, great characters, and a setting that I really enjoyed.

I give You by Caroline Kepnes 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. I would definitely recommend this to fans of more mysteries or want to try something with subtle science fiction/fantasy elements. It's also a good book if you like reading thrillers with dubious characters.

Have you read Providence? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Audiobook Review: Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson

Title: Undead Girl Gang Written by: Lily Anderson Published: May 8, 2018 by Razorbill (Penguin Group) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Mila Flores and her best friend Riley have always been inseparable. There's not much excitement in their small town of Cross Creek, so Mila and Riley make their own fun, devoting most of their time to Riley's favorite activity: amateur witchcraft.  So when Riley and two Fairmont Academy mean girls die under suspicious circumstances, Mila refuses to believe everyone's explanation that her BFF was involved in a suicide pact. Instead, armed with a tube of lip gloss and an ancient grimoire, Mila does the unthinkable to uncover the truth: she brings the girls back to life.  Unfortunately, Riley, June, and Dayton have no recollection of their murders, but they do have unfinished business to attend to. Now, with only seven days until the spell wears off and the girls return to their graves, Mila must wrangle the distracted group of undead teens and work fast to discover their murderer...before the killer strikes again..

This book sounded totally up my alley, a little bit fantasy mixed with a little bit of mystery. On top of that I read Anderson's debut and really liked it. So this was definitely on my TBR and when I saw that the audiobook was narrated by one of my favorite narrators, Rebecca Soler, I grabbed the audio to listen to this month. And I am so glad that I did because it was fantastic.

One of my favorite things about this book was the voice. Anderson does such a great job writing sassy and smart characters and this book was no exception. I really loved Mila and being in her head. She's sarcastic and snarky, someone who has been shaped by the bad way people have treated her. But she's still got a great heart and is an amazing friend. I think I definitely to Mila a lot. She's a little bit of high school Cassi, but like a better version of high school me. But that being said she was relatable and likable.

The real heart of this book however was the friendships between Mila and her "undead girl gang." Riley, who is her best friend and the reason she brought everyone back. Riley is the most like Mila in that she's snarky and rough around the edges. But they have this really great friendship. They care so much about each other and I could feel for Mila when she lost Riley and her desire to bring her back. But I think I liked the other two a little bit more. June and Dayton are totally different characters. They were the popular girls and not very nice to Mila and Riley while they were alive. However throughout the book you get to learn more about them and realize they are actually really nice people. Dayton is silly and energetic and June is sweet and smart. I loved the friendship they developed throughout the book and it was really nice to see that they could overcome their history. It gave this book a lot of heart and I really enjoyed that.

The other thing that I liked about this book was the plot. Like I said in the intro, it was part fantasty and part mystery. I think I heard that this book was marketed as Veronica Mars meets The Craft and I would say that that is an apt description. There was a subtle magical element to it. What I liked is that the magical stuff wasn't over the top. It very easily could have gotten weird but it didn't. It was kind of a means to an end. The end being the mystery. This book had a really good mystery. It was the kind of mystery that I love in that it was solvable but not obvious. I mean, I thought it was a little obvious but over the years I have gotten really good at spotting red herrings so I can move on to the real culprit. Either way, I liked following along with the characters as the truth unfolded. It was a fast and engaging read that had me engaged from beginning to end.

I really loved this book. It was a great contemporary that had just enough mystery and fantasy for someone like me who doesn't read a ton of contemp, and just enough friendship and character-based moments for fans of more contemporary stories. Not to mention that Rebecca Soler did a great job with the audiobook. She really brought these characters to life and kept me interested throughout the entire thing.

I give Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. This book was really fantastic. I definitely recommend it to fans of YA Mysteries in the vein of Veronica Mars. It's the perfect blend of plot and character moments. You should definitely read it.

Have you read Undead Girl Gang? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: In Her Skin by Kim Savage

Title: In Her Skin Written by: Kim Savage Published: April 17, 2018 by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux (Macmillan) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old con artist Jo Chastain is about to take on the biggest scam of her life: impersonating a missing girl. Life on the streets of Boston these past few years hasn’t been easy, and Jo is hoping to cash in on a little safety, a little security. She finds her opportunity in the Lovecrafts, a wealthy family with ties to the unsolved disappearance of Vivienne Weir, who vanished when she was nine. When Jo takes on Vivi's identity and stages the girl’s miraculous return, the Lovecrafts welcome her back with open arms. They give her everything she could want: love, money, and proximity to their intoxicating and unpredictable daughter, Temple. But nothing is as it seems in the Lovecraft household—and some secrets refuse to stay buried. As hidden crimes come to the surface, and lines of deception begin to blur, Jo must choose to either hold onto an illusion of safety, or escape the danger around her before it’s too late.

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

I am always game to try a new YA mystery and/or thriller. I had heard good things about this author so when I had the opportunity to join the blog tour for this one I thought I would take advantage of my desire to read the author and give it a try. This was a really unique thriller and I did enjoy it but it wasn't one that blew me away.

One of the things that I did love about this book is the tension. When you are reading a thriller this is definitely what you want, you want to be thrilled. You want a book that is tense and leave you curious and questioning. That's exactly what this book did. It kept you wondering what was going to happen next, when the other shoe was going to drop, and when the con was all going to go south. Because of that I kept reading in the hopes of something crazy and intense happening. It kept me engaged and reading because of that.

That being said, the plot here was not exactly what I was hoping for. It was interesting and it did keep me curious, but it never really delivered on any of the anticipation for me. I think my biggest frustration what the plot however was that it was so basic. This is a short read, which is fine, but I wanted more depth. I've read some short reads that were jam-packed but this wasn't one of them. The tension was there but my mind was spinning with all kinds of possibilities and none of them came true. When it did reach the conclusion for me things just kind of fizzled out. There were some big reveals early in the book but they didn't quite have the weight that I was hoping for. But this was probably my fault because of the way I was imagining things. I should have just experienced the book instead of imagining the possibilities.

As far as the characters go, however, they were really interesting and complex. Our main character in this book is Jolene. Jolene is a con artist and therefore not the kind of character who you think that you would sympathize with, but Savage does a great job of making her likable. She has a bit of a tragic past and is the kind of character who you want to see settled and happy. But maybe I like Jo so much because all the other characters were so odious. The Lovecrafts definitely had secrets and I kept keeping them at arms length. They were definitely odious though, especially Temple, and honestly that is one of the things that made them likable and interesting.

All in al this was an interesting and engaging read. It was a fast and unique mystery that had a lot of really good tension even if the plot didn't exactly blow me away.

I give In Her Skin by Kim Savage 8.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Borrow. This was a good read but not a super complex mystery. If you are a big fan of YA thrillers and you want something to blow your mind you will not find that here. But if you are looking for a fast and tense read check this out.

Have you read In Her Skin? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

In Her Skin Blog Tour: Author Guest Post and Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK

In Her Skin by Kim Savage
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
Release Date: April 17, 2018
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery

Synopsis: A dark, suspenseful young adult novel about crime, identity, and two girls with ever y- thing to lose.

Fifteen-year-old con artist Jo Chastain takes on her biggest heist yet — impersonating a missing girl. Life on the streets of Boston these past few years hasn’t been easy, and s he hopes to cash in on a little safety, some security. She finds her opportunity with the Lovecrafts, a wealthy family tied to the unsolved disappearance of Vivienne Weir, who vanished when she was nine.

When Jo takes on Vivi ’ s identity and stages the girl ’ s miraculous return, the Love-crafts welcome her with open arms. They give her everything she could want: love, money, and proximity to their intoxicating and unpredictable daughter, Temple. But nothing is as it seems in the Lovecraft household — and some secrets refuse to stay buried. When hidden crimes come to the surface and lines of deception begin to blur, Jo must choose to either hold on to an illusion of safety or escape the danger around her before it ’ s too late. In Her Skin is Kim Savage at her most suspenseful yet.

GUEST POST / MINI INTERVIEW

I asked the author Kim Savage to talk more about her writing process for a mystery/heist novel. Here are her answers to my questions/

What are the steps to writing a heist novel?

1. Create a character who is savvy but vulnerable. The reader needs to care!
2. Give her skills that can only get her so far.
3. Give her a formidable opponent to create conflict. Dear reader, meet Temple Lovecraft.

How do you start?

With In Her Skin, I started with the motivation of the Lovecrafts. How could they be fooled by an obvious con? Jo’s eyes are a different color than Vivi’s, she doesn’t recall the same memories, and her kidnapping story has holes. I realized the question wasn’t how they could be fooled, but why would they choose to be.

Do you have to plot it out or can you pants it?

I write chapters with bullets, then lay down the bones of a story in a messy first draft. You really can't pants suspense, or you'd end up with logic problems. At least I can’t!

I hope that has interested you in reading the book. Having finished it myself I can definitely say she achieved that goal in writing a book about why someone would want to be tricked. If you want more info on my thoughts on the book, come back tomorrow for my full review.

BOOK LINKS

Goodreads /  Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Book Depository / Kobo / IndieBound / iBooks

TOUR SCHEDULE

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

KIM SAVAGE is the author of three critically acclaimed young adult novels, After the Woods, Beautiful Broken Girls (named by Kirkus as one of the 10 Best YA of 2017), and In Her Skin (releasing March 27, 2018), all with Farrar, Straus, Giroux/Macmillan. He r novels have been published in Spain, Brazil, and Turkey, and have been optioned for TV. Kim presents at conferences and book festivals natio n- wide; has been featured on NPR, Herald Radio, and on local cable stations; and she reads from her novels at bookstores across the country. A former reporter with a Master degree in Journalism from Northeastern University, Kim's stories are based in and around Boston. She lives with her family near Boston, not far from the real Middlesex Fells Reservation of After the Woods. Kim and her husband have three children, each of whom beg to appear in her books. They shouldn't.

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Prize :1 finished copy of IN HER SKIN by Kim Savage (US Only)

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