ARC Review: Final Girls by Riley Sager

Title: Final Girls Written by: Riley Sager Published: July 18, 2017 by Dutton (Penguin Group) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Ten years ago, college student Quincy Carpenter went on vacation with five friends and came back alone, the only survivor of a horror movie–scale massacre. In an instant, she became a member of a club no one wants to belong to—a group of similar survivors known in the press as the Final Girls. Lisa, who lost nine sorority sisters to a college dropout's knife; Sam, who went up against the Sack Man during her shift at the Nightlight Inn; and now Quincy, who ran bleeding through the woods to escape Pine Cottage and the man she refers to only as Him. The three girls are all attempting to put their nightmares behind them, and, with that, one another. Despite the media's attempts, they never meet.  Now, Quincy is doing well—maybe even great, thanks to her Xanax prescription. She has a caring almost-fiancé, Jeff; a popular baking blog; a beautiful apartment; and a therapeutic presence in Coop, the police officer who saved her life all those years ago. Her memory won’t even allow her to recall the events of that night; the past is in the past.  That is, until Lisa, the first Final Girl, is found dead in her bathtub, wrists slit, and Sam, the second, appears on Quincy's doorstep. Blowing through Quincy's life like a whirlwind, Sam seems intent on making Quincy relive the past, with increasingly dire consequences, all of which makes Quincy question why Sam is really seeking her out. And when new details about Lisa's death come to light, Quincy's life becomes a race against time as she tries to unravel Sam's truths from her lies, evade the police and hungry reporters, and, most crucially, remember what really happened at Pine Cottage, before what was started ten years ago is finished.

*** 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 really enjoyed this book. I probably even enjoyed it more than I thought I would. In summer I love reading thrillers and mysteries full of crazy twists and turns which is exactly what I got in this book. An thoroughly engaging read with a plot full of mystery, great atmosphere, and complex characters.

I think the thing that impressed me most about this book was the atmosphere. When you read a mystery or a thriller one of the things you want in it is a good atmosphere. It had that psychological thriller feel where it messed with my head in the best possible way. I wanted to feel confused and intrigued, and frankly a little creeped out. And this book definitely confused me and creeped me out. It wasn't like a horror book where I was scared but it definitely kept me awake at night in a way that I didn't expect. The author did a great job in pulling you in and capturing your interest in such a great way. It's just what you want in a thriller.

The other thing that I want in a thriller is a plot full of mystery and shocking twists. Final Girls was absolutely full of mystery and twists. If you know me well you know that I am real good and solving twists and therefore am always looking for a book that can surprise me. This book did. There were so many twists and turns and that I think it would have been really hard to solve every aspect of it. Because even though one of my theory was partially true the big twist surprised the heck out of me. I didn't see it coming at all. But this is one of those mysteries where I start suspecting everyone and anyone because it is that complex. I really loved that about it.

I do think that much of the confusion about the plot came from the characters. This is a book full of complex characters. The main focus of it of course is on our Final Girls, a trope that you see a lot of in movies and in books. What I think the author did a great job of is playing with that trope. For one thing this is a book about these women AFTER their big traumatic survival. It takes you into the future of these resilient women which makes for some incredibly complex characters. Our narrator is Quincy who isn't really dealing with what happen to her. She's trying to forget it and just move on but she doesn't even really remember it. This makes Quincy into an unreliable character which I loved. I was totally second guessing her and wondering if she was lying or if she really didn't remember anything. Then you have Sam who cam out of her experience completely jaded. But while I do respect that he feelings were valid she was incredibly frustrating in the way she treated Quincy and that made me second guess her actions. But that was the case for every character. They were all dubious at best.

My only criticism about this book is with the pacing. It is a book that built to a thrilling conclusion and it did slowly built to that with a ton of twists and surprises along the way. Normally that would be a good thing. But I don't really like when books take too long to get to the "good stuff" and I feel like that's a little bit what Final Girls did. It almost felt like two separate books. The first half slowly plodded along as a study of the characters getting over their trauma and then the second half became about something more, a murder mystery. And at that point it really took off. I read the second half of the book in half the time it took me to read the first half. With a lot of books I just wish this one was a little more balanced.

But all in all this was an incredibly engaging read. It had everything that I want in a mystery and psychological thriller. It had an atmosphere that pulled me in a creeped me out, a plot full of mystery and surprises, unreliable narrators and complex characters, and great ending that had me totally shocked.

I give Final Girls by Riley Sager 9 out of 10 stars 

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. If you like thrillers and are looking for a fantastic one to read this summer I would definitely recommend this book. I absolutely loved it and I think a lot of people will enjoy it as well.

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

Discussion Post: How Do You Decide What Books to Buy?

I think a few months ago I promised I would do a discussion about why I'm no longer on a book buying ban. That post never happened. I never even got close to writing it either. Because honestly the real reason is because I really wasn't on one in the first. I have never not bought books.

It's one of the unfortunate (read fortunate) side effects of being a book blogger. You are hyper aware of all the upcoming releases. Whether that is because you need to have your pulse on what is coming next from publishers for reviews or because you are just entrenched in the world and seeing them in your Twitter feed, Bloglovin list, or on Goodreads those upcoming releases are in your face. Before I started blogging I would made learn about a few exciting books a year and now I know about a dozen a week. This is great because I learn about all kinds of amazing books I want to read but it's also really bad on the wallet.

I don't know about you but I don't have much of an expendable income. I can spend some money on books but not as much as I would like to, especially with the fact that I know so many books that are coming out and want to read so many of them. This means I need to prioritize the books that I do buy. So instead of talking about my lack of book buying ban I decided to talk about that as my discussion post this month. So here is how I decide which books to buy.

1.) I Only Buy Books I Know I Am Going to Read

Now, I know that this is not going to be something that everyone can do. Many of you and many people out there in the world are mood readers and therefore they will read whatever they feel like at any given moment. It's hard to plan out your books if you are a mood reader. I'm not a mood reader. I will sometimes want to read something different but for the most part I am a hardcore planner. Most of you know I do theme months here so I plan out what I'm going to read. Because of that I can definitely say that I can and will read a book that month and therefore feel okay buying it.

This also helps me prioritize the books I buy because usually the ones that I know I am going to read are the highly anticipated releases I can't wait to read because they are the ones that I have already been waiting on. Often times these are sequels or new releases from favorite authors. They are the standards and favorites that I want to read really badly and therefore I can buy them knowing that I will read.

Well the main reason I only buy books that I know I'm going to read is so that I don't have a massive TBR and bookshelf full of books I have not read. It's so easy to do that as a book blogger and I really try to avoid that. I already have enough of that. The other reason that I do this is because I make sure I don't waste my money. Not that buying any book is a waste of money. But I think you get more bang for you buck if you are ensuring that you read the books you buy. But easier said than don, amiright?

2.) I Prioritize Preorders

This I think helps me do the first one on this list, which is buying books I know I am going to read. Because if I care enough about a book to order it before it is even released then I know that I really want to read it. Plus if you are ordering them early you can often get deals from places like Amazon and Barnes and Noble, and many authors do fun preorder rewards so you can get fun things like bookmarks or buttons. It's a nice bonus.

This is of course harder in months where a ton of really anticipated releases comes out. I kind of have to prioritize this even more (I'll give you some of my tips for that later). In those months, like the upcoming September and October which are full of books I really want to read, I have to be even more thoughtful about the books I want to preorder. I try to only get one book a week and because of that I need to think much more about what I know I will read.

The other real benefit to this is that it prevents impulse buys. I mean this in two ways. One, it keeps me from just going on line and buying a book just because it's one sale. And two, it prevents me from seeing something I didn't know that I needed when going into a bookstore. I used to (and sometimes still do) buy books all the time just going into Borders (may it rest in peace) and just pick up whatever. Or

3.) I Don't Buy Books if I Already Have an ARC

Okay so this one kind of makes me feel like a little bit of a jerk. I know there is no benefit to the author or the publisher if you don't buy the book. Publishing is business and if you want to support them the only way to do that is to actually buy the book. So why am I advocating not doing that? Well, if you are on a budget and don't want to buy too many books buying one you already have a copy of is the way to do that.

For me this is especially the case if I have a physically ARC of the book. I prefer paperbacks anyway so having a physical ARC is like having a paperback to me. Yes, sometimes they're not as pretty because the cover is not final or they don't have the embossing, the shininess, or the cool dyed edges but still. To me having a copy of the book already

I also try to prioritize reading my ARCs. Besides those preorders and highly anticipated reads I Now I also try to limit the amount of e-books that I buy by prioritizing my e-ARCs that I have. I would say I read the same amount of physical books as e-books each month so by prioritizing my e-ARCs I am keeping myself from reading e-books and therefor keeping myself from buying e-books  because they are not books that I know I am going to read.


4.) I Pick a Format and Just Buy That One.

I know there are some people out there who are collectors, they want all the books in all the formats and that is totally fine. If you can get a book in hardcover, paperback, foreign edition, audiobook, cover redesign and you want to do that more power to you. You do you. But if you are trying to limit the amount books you buy then maybe don't spend money buying a book that you already have.

But this is also the case when it comes to upcoming releases that you are super excited about. As book bloggers and bookish people we read books in any number of formats. You can buy a physical book, an e-book, or even the audio for a book. It's sometimes hard not to get carried away and buythe book in all the formats, especially if it's a highly anticipated book and you want to read ASAP. Maybe you need that e-book so you can start at midnight or the audiobook so that you can listen at work. But again if you need to reduce your spending, limit that as much as possible.

The hardest for me is audiobooks. I really love audiobooks and I want to have a physical copy of the book and then listen to the audio. In these cases I try to decide which I would rather have. Do I love the cover and want to look at how pretty it is? Then I'll get a physical copy? Do I love the narrator and would rather listen to them tell me the story? Then I will get the audio. But I am very weak to it for favorite series. But I'm getting better. Plus I'm trying to spend my one free audiobook wisely now that I have just that and I would rather spend it on a book I can't read.

There you have it, the way I decide which books I am going to buy a month and some tips for deciding which books not to buy. I hope if you are on a book buying ban or you just want to spend your book budget wisely they help you. I know they have really helped me. Despite a few months where I bought more than usual, I've been only buying a few books every month.

How do you decide which books to buy or which not to buy? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Waiting on Wednesday:

A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: The Knowing Series: The Forgetting #2 Author: Sharon Cameron Published: October 10, 2017 by Scholastic (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Samara doesn't forget. And she isn't the only one. Safe underground in the city of New Canaan, she lives in a privileged world free from the Forgetting. Yet she wonders if she really is free, with the memories that plague her and secrets that surround her. Samara is determined to unearth the answers, even if she must escape to the old, cursed city of Canaan to find them.  Someone else is on their way to Canaan too . . . a spaceship from Earth is heading toward the planet, like a figment of the city's forgotten past. Beck is traveling with his parents, researchers tasked with finding the abandoned settlement effort. When Beck is stranded without communication, he will find more in Canaan than he was ever trained for. What will happen when worlds and memories, beliefs -- and truths -- collide?

Why I'm Waiting:

I LOVED The Forgetting. It was probably the book that surprised me the most in 2016. Not only was that because I couldn't believe how much I enjoyed it but because it had a huge surprise at the end of the book. I went into the cook expecting it to be more of a traditional dystopia but it was so much more than that. Something happened in the book to give it more of a hard Sci-Fi vibe and I loved that so much.

And because I loved The Forgetting I am super excited for it's sequel. I don't want to give too much away but I know that the twist at the end of the last book is going to make for a really interesting read in The Knowing. This is sort of the opposite of that book and that's going to be really fun and interesting I think. Not to mention when I met the author at ALA she mentioned that this books is set 100 years in the future and is more of a companion novel, which again is very cool.

I know I am in for a really engaging and mysterious book full of adventure and lots of surpising twists. I am also in store for a unique world. I can't wait to see what has happened to Canaan in the years since the last book. And I am sure the Sci-Fi vibes will be back and with a bigger role now that we know that aspect of the world.

This is one of my most anticipated reads of the fall. As I said, I met the author at ALA well I also picked up a copy of book. I was so excited to do both. I of course gushed to Sharon Cameron about how much I loved The Forgetting and how excited I was for The Knowing. I'm so excited to read it!

What about you? What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Are you waiting on The Knowing along with me? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter

Title: Only the Good Spy Young Series: Gallagher Girls #4 Written by: Ally Carter Published: June 29, 2017 by Disney Hyperion (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis:When Cammie Morgan enrolled at the Gallagher Academy, she knew she was preparing for the dangerous life of a spy. What she didn’t know was that the serious, real-life danger would start during her junior year of high school. But that’s exactly what happened two months ago when Cammie faced off against an ancient terrorist organization dead set on kidnapping her.  Now the danger follows her everywhere, and even Cammie “The Chameleon” can’t hide. When a terrifying encounter in London reveals that one of her most-trusted allies is actually a rogue double-agent, Cammie no longer knows if she can trust her classmates, her teachers—or even her own heart.   In this fourth installment of the New York Times best-selling series, the Gallagher Girls must hack, spy, steal, and lie their way to the truth.as they go searching for answers, recognizing that the key to Cammie’s future may lie deep in the past

This series keeps getting better. I am really taking my time reading them at a rate about one a year but I am loving my summer read of a Gallagher Girls book. They are such fun and engaging spy novels with fantastic characters and a lot of action and mystery.

I think the best thing about this book is the way that the world has developed over time. With each book everything keeps getting bigger as we learn more about the world and the spy organizations that are affecting it. It's not often that I come across a contemporary, mystery or otherwise, that has such a developed mythology to it and this is one that definitely has that. In this book we learn a lot more about the Circle of Cavan and I found it quite interesting but there is still so much to learn.

And because there was still so much to learn it made for a book full of mystery, but there was a lot more to the plot than that. What I really enjoy about this series is that there is the plot for the series that this books services but each one also has it's own individual plot as well. And both the individual and larger plot were very interesting. This is a spy novel and therefore the book is full of action and adventure. The characters were going on missions, breaking into places they were locked out of, breaking codes, and narrowly missing being captured during the whole time. It makes for a totally engaging plot that had me whizzing through it's 250 pages.

But I will say, I didn't totally love the pacing of this one. Yes, it is a fast read. it's incredibly engaging and there are only 250 pages so it's easy to finish this book in a day or two. It's a fast and fun read that is the perfect palette cleanser. But it also had some weird lulls to it. It didn't flow as well as I remember some of the other books. Maybe because it serves as a more transitional book for the series or maybe because it has just been a while since I read the others but I felt like it was a little disjointed and almost too fast. I would have appreciated a little more development with some parts of the book.

However, I always love my time I spend with these Gallagher Girls. Ally Carter really knows how to write fun and likable characters. In these four books I have definitely have connected with Cammie and all her friends. What I appreciate about Cammie is that she is this kickass spy do just about anything but she also surrounds herself with a team of friends to help her. There is a real story of friendship and teamwork here that I enjoy a lot. However her friends did take a bit of a backseat here to Zach. He was the star secondary character here, well and Mr. Soloman. And both of them were interesting in the same way. They are characters who have you questioning what they are doing and why they are doing it. I really like those characters and I like both of them for that reason. But in general I think Ally does a great job with her characterizations.

On the whole I really enjoyed Only the Good Spy Young. It was a really fun and action-packed read with a fantastic world and likable characters. I;m really enjoying this series and hoping to find time over the next few months to finish the last two books.

I give Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter 8.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. I really enjoy this series. I wish I had taken the time to read it early.  If you are looking for a book that on the more lighthearted side but you want an interesting mystery then definitely check it out.

Have you read Only the Good Spy Young? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine

*** This is the third book in a series. If you have not read Ink and Bone and Paper and Fire read those first. Seriously, they are amazing. What are you waiting for? Go read them! ****

Title: Ash and Quill Series: The Great Library #3 Written by: Rachel Caine Published: July 11, 2017 by Berkley (Penguin Group) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: The unforgettable characters from Ink and Bone and Paper and Fire unite to save the Great Library of Alexandria from itself in this electrifying adventure in the New York Times bestselling series.  Hoarding all the knowledge of the world, the Great Library jealously guards its secrets. But now a group of rebels poses a dangerous threat to its tyranny....  Jess Brightwell and his band of exiles have fled London, only to find themselves imprisoned in Philadelphia, a city led by those who would rather burn books than submit. But Jess and his friends have a bargaining chip: the knowledge to build a machine that will break the Library’s rule.  Their time is running out. To survive, they’ll have to choose to live or die as one, to take the fight to their enemies—and to save the very soul of the Great Library....

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

I absolutely LOVE this series and this book proved it even more. It's a book and a series that is full of action and adventure, complex and likable characters, an amazing world, and such a thrilling plot. It's seriously everything I want in a book and more.

One of the things that continues to impress me about this series is the world building and atmosphere of the series. In Ash and Quill, the author was able to further develop the world with the trademark atmosphere and darkness. In this book we are first taken to Philadelphia. I was super excited to see what the US is like in this alternative reality I was not disappointed. Philly is controlled by the Burners (hey Burners, stay away from my part of Pennsylvania). As the political intrigue of the series continues it was fascinating to see a group of people and a place that rejects Library control for similar reasons but very different ways. It added a lot of interest and drama.

But honestly, most of the drama and amazing world building comes from The Great Library itself. Normally a library would be an amazing part of the world of a book. It's the place where our book loving protagonist finds knowledge and people who also love books. And yes, that happens here but The Great Library is the main antagonist. And as crazy as this sounds, it is a brutal antagonist. It is super hardcore and one of the most brutal dictators I have ever seen in a dystopian. It makes for a really interesting story to hate the library. And the more we learn about it and the more we see in this book, the more I do just that.

And with a brutal antagonist like this, you know there is going to be an exciting plot. And Ash and Quill had a really amazing plot. As the series develops, the stakes become even higher and was how it was here in Ash and Quill. This is a book that is full of action, adventure, and mystery. From the first page to the last the action didn't stop. It took you on a wild ride full of daring escapes, thrilling fight scenes, and plenty of surprises. Rachel Caine's writing gives it a really cinematic quality. I am not the kind of person who often visualizes what is happening but here I can't help it. It really built to an exciting conclusion that had me absolutely in need of the next book. I even found myself attempting to turn the pages at the end of my e-ARC because I needed more and I needed it ASAP.

However, I think what really connected me to this book was the characters. Over the past three books I have become so attached to each and every one of them. This is one of those book that has a group of diverse people from different walks of life that come together to make an unlikely team. And what a great team they make. I loved seeing them interacting throughout the book. There's fantastic banter, shippable romances, great friendships, complex family dynamics, and a brilliant mentor/mentee relationship. And it handles all these relationships beautifully. Caine doesn't take it easy on these characters though. Every time I found myself thinking how much I loved a character something else would happen to them. But they are all so smart, tough, and resourceful especially our main character Jess. The way this book ended I am incredibly worried about what is going to happen to them next, but I can't wait for that ride.

Because if these three books have been any indication we are going to be in for one amazing ride in the next two books in the series. Ash and Quill was an amazing read and I loved every second of it. It's a truly thrilling adventure novel with a fascinating dark world, amazing characters, and a great plot.

I give Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: BUY! If you read the first two books and loved you need to read this book. If you haven't have read them and you are looking for a unique dystopia or alternative history or book with a ton of action then check this series. Everyone should read it and then talk to me about it because I am OBSESSED!

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

ARC Review: Every Last Lie by Mary Kubica

Title: Every Last Lie Written by: Mary Kubica Published: June 27, 2017 by Park Row Books (Harlequin) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author of THE GOOD GIRL, Mary Kubica is back with another exhilarating thriller as a widow's pursuit of the truth leads her to the darkest corners of the psyche.  "The bad man, Daddy. The bad man is after us."   Clara Solberg's world shatters when her husband and their four-year-old daughter are in a car crash, killing Nick while Maisie is remarkably unharmed. The crash is ruled an accident…until the coming days, when Maisie starts having night terrors that make Clara question what really happened on that fateful afternoon.  Tormented by grief and her obsession that Nick's death was far more than just an accident, Clara is plunged into a desperate hunt for the truth. Who would have wanted Nick dead? And, more important, why? Clara will stop at nothing to find out—and the truth is only the beginning of this twisted tale of secrets and deceit.  Told in the alternating perspectives of Clara's investigation and Nick's last months leading up to the crash, master of suspense Mary Kubica weaves her most chilling thriller to date—one that explores the dark recesses of a mind plagued by grief and shows that some secrets might be better left buried.

Every summer I devote a month to reading mysteries because nothing says beach reads like a thriller messing with your head. It has become a bit of a tradition to read a Mary Kubica book as a part of that month. Her books are some of my favorites and this one was really good.

As far as the mystery goes, this was not one of my favorites. Now don't get me wrong, it was interesting and very engrossing. I've read every single on of Kubica's books and she definitely has a way of making me question everything. I love that in my mysteries. I love spending the whole book doubting who could be responsible and how it all went down. But I also love when the mystery is solvable. I like when there are subtle clues along the way that help you figure things out so that when you get to the big reveal you feel vindicated and like you accomplished something. And while the mystery here was technically solvable it didn't have as big an impact when it all came out. It just fell a little flat for me.

But that isn't to say that this had bad pacing in plot development. No, in fact it had amazing plot development and pacing. The book slowly built to a thrilling conclusion that had me completely on the edge of my seat. I seriously did not want to put this book down as it neared the climax and big reveal. It was seriously so thrilling. I would probably say this book is more of a psychological thriller. The plot development is more of the mess with your head kind of book and less the detective, or even average person, solving some crime. I'm totally okay with the thriller aspect I just went into it thinking it would be more of a mystery.

I think a lot of the thriller aspects also came from the characterizations. This is a book full of complex characters. I mean with a title like Every Last Lie you have to imagine that the book is going to have plenty of lies and there definitely were. The characters were all so untrustworthy. On top of that the narrators totally had an unreliable narrator vibe to them. The book alternated perspectives between Clara and Nick. Clara's were the after and Nick's were the before. I think because of these two things, Every Last Lie had a bit of a Gone Girl vibe as you spent a lot of the book trying to figure out what happened and who to trust. Clara in particular had that unreliable thing going as she was not dealing with what happened very well and much of this book is her downward spiral. But it absolutely made for interesting and engaging characters. I really enjoyed this aspect of the book.

But the thing that Kubica does really well is make you connect with the characters. Despite the fact that, or maybe because of it, Clara is not dealing with the crash very well you are rooting for her. Her world is torn apart and you want to help her piece it all together. You want her to find closure and solace in what happened to Nick so she can move on. And as far as Nick's story despite all the lies and bad decisions that unfold throughout the book you can't help but like Nick. He's sweet and compassionate and loves his family. That's what is at the heart of this book. It's about family, loss, and so much more.

On the whole this was a good read. I do wish the big reveal had more of an impact but this isn't really a mystery. It's a psychological thriller about a woman who is figuring out what happened to her husband after she shortly gives birth. In that respect it was a great read.

I give Every Last Lie by Mary Kubica 8.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. If you like Mary Kubica or similar thrillers and mysteries in the vein of Gillian Flynn or Paula Hawkins definitely check this one out. If you're looking for a gripping read that will keep you hooked from beginning to end this summer check this one out.

Have you read Every Last Lie? What did you think? What's your favorite psychological thriller? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Waiting on Wednesday: Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray

A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: Before the Devil Breaks You Series: The Diviners #3 Author: Libba Bray Published: October 3, 2017 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: After battling a sleeping sickness, The Diviners are up against a group of new and malevolent foes--ghosts! Out in Ward's Island sits a mental hospital full of lost souls from people long forgotten. Ghosts who have unusual and dangerous ties to the Man in the Stovepipe Hat also known as the King of Crows. With terrible accounts of murder and possession flooding in from all over New York City, the Diviners must band together and brave the ghosts haunting the asylum to bring down the King of Crows

Why I'm Waiting:

I'm a huge fan of Libba Bray. I have read almost all her books (all except Going Bovine which I own but still haven't read). The Diviners is the series that made me want to read her but it is not the first of her books I read. It is however my favorite.

I really ;love this series. It is everything I love in a book and more. It perfectly combines historical fiction, supernatural fantasy, mystery, and even horror into one amazing story. I really loved the first two books in the series when I read them a few years ago. They creeped me out and kept me on the edge of my seat building to such amazing climaxes. This is the third book in the series and I am so excited to learn more about what is going on within the world and also read a new and fascinating story.

I also really love the characters in this series. This is a book that has a tone of main characters that all get a little attention and perspective. I normally have a hard time with that kind of thing but it really works here. All the characters are so different and the story so involved that it gives you a lot to connect with and makes for a more well-rounded character. Plus Libba Bray really does a great job with developing interesting and complex characters. In all her books I have loved the large cast of characters she creates and this series is no different.

In general this is just going to be such a perfect read for the fall. it's atmospheric and creepy in a way that I think people will love if they are or are not a fan of horror. I have been anxiously awaiting this book for like two years and I can't believe it's almost here. I'm so excited to read it.

I already have this book preordered and I am super pumped to read it soon after it comes out. Although I may need to read the other books in the series. It has been awhile since I read them and I could use a refresher. Plus they are both amazing. Can't wait!

What about you? What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Are you waiting on Before the Devil Breaks You along with me? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!