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Review: Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy

Sep14

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Dumplin’ by Julie MurphyDumplin' by Julie Murphy
Published by Balzer + Bray on September 15th 2015
Pages: 384
Source: the publisher
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three-half-stars

Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked . . . until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.

Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.

With starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, Dolly Parton songs, and a wildly unforgettable heroine— Dumplin’ is guaranteed to steal your heart.

When I first heard about Dumplin’, I was really excited to read it. I’ve been hearing nothing but good things about it (based on early reviews) and how deeply it effected some people. Sadly, though, this book ended up being completely underwhelming for me.

I loved how unapologetic Willlowdean (Will) was about her fatness. She cares what people think, but only to a certain extent. She’s got that “I’m fat. Don’t like it? Don’t look” attitude that I wish I had. I could really relate to a number of things she dealt with, like not wanting to get out of the pool when a lot of people were around and not wanting to go shopping, especially at a store where you knew you’d never fit into anything. And don’t even get me started on trying to pick out Halloween costumes…

Yet, despite the fact that I could relate to a lot of what Will was going through, I still found myself disconnected from her. Her character growth had this weird up-and-down progress – sometimes, it seemed like she was growing and maturing and then, out of nowhere, she would take a huge step back. I didn’t completely mind this, because it felt very realistic – in life, we all have our ups and downs! But otherwise, her character just felt flat.

To be honest, I felt disconnected from all the characters. I couldn’t tell Amanda and Hannah apart for much of the story. Ellen was a pretty crappy friend to Will (though Will wasn’t much better to Ellen). Bo had some epic moments where I adored him, but otherwise I didn’t really care one way or another about him – and I’m not convinced of the chemistry between him and Will. I just didn’t see any sparks fly. I could see them as friends and, maybe over time, they could become more. But I just didn’t see that instant connection that most YA couples have. Same with Mitch. I sort of liked Millie, but I feel like we didn’t get to know her enough.

Will’s mom really annoyed me, though, I’ll definitely say that. I wish I didn’t know what it felt like to have a fat-shaming family member, but I do. So her words stung and I really wanted to slap her. Also, Callie. She reminded me of all the bullies who taunted me all throughout elementary, middle and high school.

Basically, what I mean when I say I felt “disconnected” from the characters is that.. I could relate to a lot of what they were going through, but I never felt like I was being pulled into the story. I liked some of the characters, but I never really cared what happened to them.

The ending was very underwhelming and felt very open-ended. I felt like a lot of the storylines were left dangling, like there was no sense of finality to the book. Honestly, I was shocked when I reached the last page – I kept trying to swipe my iPad, thinking there HAD to be another few pages.

Overall, I definitely love the body positivity message this book sends and I had so many moments where I could relate to Will. The pacing was perfect – I read 80% of the book in just a matter of hours. And it wasn’t necessarily a bad read… I just didn’t connect with the story as I’d hoped to. But I seem to be in the minority when it comes to this book – the majority of my friends and fellow bloggers LOVED it. So I still definitely recommend it! I’m still excited to read Murphy’s other book, Side Effects May Vary, and I’m excited to see what her third book will be about, as well.

three-half-stars

Review: The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead

Sep12
Review: The Ruby Circle by Richelle MeadThe Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead
Series: Bloodlines #6
Published by Razorbill on February 10, 2015
Pages: 348
Format: Hardcover
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three-half-stars

THEY WILL BE TESTED

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives.

Their forbidden romance exposed, Sydney and Adrian find themselves facing the wrath of both the Alchemists and the Moroi in this electrifying conclusion to Richelle Mead’s bestselling Bloodlines series.

When the life of someone they both love is put on the line, Sydney risks everything to hunt down a deadly former nemesis. Meanwhile, she and Adrian becomes enmeshed in a puzzle that could hold the key to a shocking secret about spirit magic, a secret that could shake the entire Moroi world and alter their lives forever.

Don't miss their unforgettable final chapter...

LOVE WILL CONQUER ALL

Fair Warning: If you haven’t read the Bloodlines series, this review does contain mild (or major, depending on how you feel about it) spoilers. Don’t read on if you don’t want to be spoiled. You have been warned!

As a huge, huge, HUGE Richelle Mead fan, it pains me to say that this was my least favorite book in the Bloodlines series. So many questions were left unanswered and so many things were open-ended. I also didn’t feel the sense of closure I usually feel with Mead’s books. Someone said that Mead hinted at another potential spin-off… If I knew for sure that was happening, I don’t think I’d mind the ending of The Ruby Circle as much. But since it’s still unknown whether another spin-off will actually happen, I’ve got to base this review off the assumption that this is the end. And this was a pretty disappointing end.

Between the six Vampire Academy books and the six Bloodlines book, these characters have done a lot of growing and maturing. But in this final book, it felt like their character growth became stagnant. Sure, they had to “grow up” and take on immense responsibility. They still had to do some self-reflection and make tough decisions. But I didn’t feel like they developed much beyond that. Some of them even seemed to regress a little, which was disappointing. Some of them even seemed to act out of character at times, which was even more disappointing.

I expected there to be more psychological consequences for Sydney in this book, after everything she went through in Silver Shadows. There were some, but not as many as I thought there would be. She was still fierce and badass and, if I compared her present self with how she was in book one, she’s truly changed in remarkable ways. Even thinking back to her role in Vampire Academy, she’s changed so much. But still, something feels… incomplete… with her. And I can’t quite put my finger on what.

I’ve been rooting for Adrian since Vampire Academy, since I adored him and felt bad for him, but couldn’t help but still ship Rose and Dimitri. His character felt a bit disconnected in this book and he did a lot of sitting around or talking to the voice in his head. I just expected him to play a bigger role in this book. He’s one of the characters that I felt regressed a little bit.

Despite all that, I still had some Sydrian feels – not as many as in the previous books, but I still totally ship them like crazy.

I loved seeing Rose and Dimitri in this book, but I felt this weird disconnect from them for some reason. They didn’t feel like the characters I had grown to know and love from Vampire Academy. I’m very pleased with how their story, ended, though.

I wanted more of Lissa, Jill and Eddie. Their stories, more than some of the other characters, REALLY felt incomplete. Crystal and I were discussing it, and we’re wondering if Jill and Eddie will be the focus of the next potential spin-off, if it happens. I’d definitely be interested in that and I feel like, from their story, we would see more closure for them, Lissa and many others (Sonya, Rose, Dimitri, etc).

I also wanted more with Ms. Terwilliger. She kind of just dropped off the face of the earth after her and her coven helped with Alicia. I wanted to see some kind of closure-conversation with her and Sydney. Something, anything!

Considering this was the last book, I felt like many of the secondary plots were unnecessary and took away precious pages that could have gone towards taking care of the “unfinished business” I mentioned above. A lot of things felt like they were not relevant to the end game. The epilogue sort of made up for the rest of the book. There were some intriguing developments and fun character revelations. But I’m still a little disappointed in all the extra, seemingly unnecessary plots. I can’t stress this enough – I wanted more closure.

Overall, if I look back at all six books and think about how it began and how it ended, I’m pretty pleased with the series as a whole. As I mentioned earlier, all of the characters have come a long way. We’ve seen tremendous character growth in them and I’m mostly happy with where their stories ended in The Ruby Circle. I would definitely like to see another spin-off, though, and see some of that closure that The Ruby Circle was lacking. If you’re a Richelle Mead/Vampire Academy fan, you’ll likely love this book and you’ll be begging the Book Gods for more!

three-half-stars

Review: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Sep11
Review: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. MaasQueen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #4
Published by Bloomsbury Children's on September 1, 2015
Pages: 656
Format: Hardcover
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five-stars

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

Warning: If you haven’t read Heir of Fire, this review contains Heir of Fire Spoilers. I tried NOT to include Queen of Shadows spoilers, but there may be some. So be cautious in reading this review, or don’t read it until you’ve read both Heir of Fire and Queen of Shadows! You’ve been warned…

Moving on! This will be my GIFiest review ever. Because after reading four Throne of Glass Books + the novellas, there are no words to describe how epic these books and Sara J. Maas are. So I required the aid of GIFs this time around. Now, on to the review! Enjoy!

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Excuse me, did I say that Heir of Fire broke my feels and stomped all over them? BECAUSE THAT WAS NOTHING COMPARED TO QUEEN OF SHADOWS! This book hit me right in the feels!

via GIPHY

Like… WHAT EVEN?!?!?! HOW?!?!? WHAT?!?!?! WHY?!?!?!

via GIPHY

But seriously, after a year-long wait – especially after the way Heir of Fire ended – Sarah J. Maas did NOT disappoint with her fourth book in the Throne of Glass series. The character development, the plot expansion (overall, from book one to book four), the world-building – I’m mind-blown by everything Maas has done and accomplished in these four books!

Celaena/Aelin is, without a doubt, my favorite female MC in all of YA history. She’s strong, brave, kick-ass and yet she’s still vulnerable and still has a lot of growing to do. Which is insane, because she’s grown SO MUCH since Throne of Glass. In Heir of Fire, she embraced/accepted her destiny and became Aelin. But in Queen of Shadows, she still had things she needed to take care of before she could completely let go of Celaena. By the end of the book, Celaena the Assassin fully and completely became Aelin, Queen of Terrasen. I’m excited to finally see her take up her throne.

Oh, Chaol… I was pretty angry with Chaol for most of the book. He had every right to be angry with Aelin, after everything they went through. But it was like he wanted to use her as his scapegoat and just blame her for everything. I hated that they constantly argued and I hated the things he said to her. But he definitely had moments where he redeemed himself. And I’m willing to cut him some slack because he was dealt some pretty tough blows between the end of Heir of Fire and throughout Queen of Shadows. In the end, I’m happy with the way his story played out. I can’t wait to see what happens for him next, especially with Nesryn. I REALLY ship them and have my fingers crossed they get their happily ever after!

As for Dorian… My goodness, I don’t even know what to say. Dorian has been through an emotional and physical ringer. My heart breaks for him! There were some EPIC revelations with him and the people who were… close… to him. There was also this crazy twist with him and a particular character and.. GAH! You know what, I can’t even discuss it because it’s too spoilery. But it was VERY intriguing…

ROWAN!!! OMFG, I love Rowan!

via GIPHY

For the first two books, I was one hundred percent Team Chaol. And I liked Rowan in Heir of Fire, but I wasn’t completely sold. But after Queen of Shadows??? No contest. Aelin and Rowan are my OTP of the Throne of Glass world! He’s strong, brave and loyal. He risked everything to stand by Aelin. And I loved him.

In Heir of Fire, I couldn’t stand Manon and the chapters with her and her Thirteen. At the beginning of Queen of Shadows, I felt similarly. But at some point, certain things happened and certain revelations were made and my opinion did a complete 180! I actually really love the progression of their story and the things we learned and I’m VERY excited to see where things go for Manon, Asterin and Elide in the fifth book!

Another character I really loved was Lysandra. Which… considering her past? It’s weird to like her now. But she really redeemed herself – for so many reasons and in so many ways! Also, was it just me… I totally shipped Lysandra and Aedion!!! (Well, I know I’m not alone – Stacee and I had a full discussion regarding this ship and we agreed!). Also, obviously, I adored Aedion and the moment when he and Aelin finally met again… I CAN’T EVEN!!!!!

via GIPHY

Maas wrapped up a LOT of storylines in Queen of Shadows. There was a great feeling of closure on a number of plots and characters. But that also meant that a lot of things from the past were brought up – including Sam – and my heart couldn’t handle it!

via GIPHY

The last 100 pages had me like:

via GIPHY

The character development, the plot twists, the revelations.. I… I… I JUST CAN”T!!!!!!!! IS IT SEPTEMBER 2016 YET?!?!?!? I NEED BOOK FIVE NOW!!!!!

*Clears throat.* So… Can you tell how much I loved this book? Can you tell how badly it broke me? Do I even need to tell you that I HIGHLY recommend this book and that you need to buy it? Or that, if you haven’t read the first three books, you NEED to? Well, I’m going to anyway… I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK! IT’S A MUST READ!! IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THIS SERIES, YOU MUST!!!!

….

What are you still doing here? Go buy it! Go read it! Go!!

via GIPHY

five-stars

Review: The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich

Sep10

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: The Dead House by Dawn KurtagichThe Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich
Published by Little Brown Books for Young Readers on September 15, 2015
Pages: 432
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
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four-stars

Debut author Dawn Kurtagich is dead on in this terrifying psychological thriller!

Over two decades have passed since the fire at Elmbridge High, an inferno that took the lives of three teenagers. Not much was known about the events leading up to the tragedy - only that one student, Carly Johnson, vanished without a trace...

...until a diary is found hidden in the ruins.

But the diary, badly scorched, does not belong to Carly Johnson. It belongs to Kaitlyn Johnson, a girl who shouldn't exist Who was Kaitlyn? Why did she come out only at night? What is her connection to Carly?

The case has been reopened. Police records are being reexamined: psychiatric reports, video footage, text messages, e-mails. And the diary.

The diary that paints a much more sinister version of events than was ever made publicly known.

Pardon my language, but… This book was a complete mind*ck!!! And I mean that in the most epic way possible!

The Dead House was my #1 most anticipated book that I learned about and received from BEA 2015. While attending the NOVL Brunch, we were given a preview of some titles the NOVL team were especially excited for and The Dead House was one of them. From the second I saw the cover and title, I was intrigued. And then when they explained the premise? Heart-eye emoji! I loved everything about this book – the characters, the format (it’s written in journal entries, reports, newspaper clippings, emails, transcribed video, etc), the plot, everything.

The characters in this book were epic and felt like real people. Maybe the format had something to do with that, because it wasn’t just standard dialogue and description. It felt like I was really reading someone’s diary, really snooping on private emails, really reading the transcription of a video that had actually been filmed. This is also a testament to Dawn Kurtagich’s writing style – it really sucked me in and kept me hooked.

Kaitlyn and Carly were intriguing characters for so many reasons. First of all, I love psychology. If I could, I’d go back to school and get a degree in psychology. So the whole Dissociative Identity Disorder diagnosis was intriguing. The whole book gave me major “John Carpenter’s The Ward” feels.

I actually liked Kaitlyn more than Carly, but that might be because we saw more of Kaitlyn and got to know her more. I loved the Kaitlyn and Ari dynamic, but didn’t trust it to end well at all. Also, totally pictured Munro Chambers as Ari!

I didn’t like Naida, mostly because I didn’t trust her at all, especially after we discovered something about her. She creeped me out a bit and I was always waiting for her to do something horrible – which I guess she did, if I really think about it.. Also, The Naida/Kaitlyn dynamic is creepy. I didn’t trust either of them when they were together (and I never trusted Naida, as I mentioned). It was also highly suspicious that Naida was filming their lives just for a class. It feels too convenient, like maybe she just said that so the others wouldn’t question her.

Dr. Lansing is a hard character to discuss. Since I’m not a doctor myself, just really into psychology, it’s hard to say whether she did the right thing or not. According to the book, the medicine she had Carly on could have actually caused a LOT of Carly’s problems. And some of her treatments were.. well, less than ethical. But she firmly insisted she did what was right by Carly. So it’s really hard for me to say whether she was a good person who honestly tried everything or if she was blinded by her desire to “fix” this girl who was sick, who seemed like she couldn’t be cured, and she went overboard and actually ended up being the cause of Carly’s break. Considering how the story ended, I’m going to guess she was somewhere in between the two.

I wasn’t a fan of John. Like most of the characters in this book, I was suspicious of him and didn’t fully trust him. His talk of “seeds” made me think of drugs. But the way his story ended… Wow. I didn’t expect that and it came as a big shock!

There were a lot of secondary characters in this book, but I’m not going to go into too much detail about them. Though they were integral to the story and (again, because of the format of the book) felt like real people, not just characters, they really weren’t stand-out characters for me and I don’t have much to say about them. I didn’t dislike them, necessarily, I just wasn’t focused on them throughout the story – I was more focused on Kaitlyn, Carly, Naida and Ari.

Roughly halfway through the book, the pacing slowed down. It didn’t necessarily get boring, but it was a little bit repetitive and I think it could have been shorter. But the pacing didn’t effect my enjoyment of the book because it quickly picked back up again.

The only thing that disappointed me a bit was that everyone told me this book was super creepy – like, sleep with the lights on creepy. And I was only very slightly creeped out. Now, in the book’s defense, I’m a horror buff and not easily scared. I will say, though, that the second-to-last page gave me a creepy chill, so there’s that!

And speaking of the ending, holy crap, that ending! The book didn’t end on a cliffhanger, per se, but the reader is left to decide whether the book was simply about a young girl with a very severe mental disorder or whether there were actually paranormal elements at work. Honestly, I’m still not completely sure which I think it is, though I do know which one I’m kind of leaning towards. But I’m going to keep that thought to myself and let you read it and decide for yourself!

Overall, this book was beyond epic and – though it didn’t creep me out – everything I could have hoped for! I’m already anticipating the next book this author writes – The Dead House hasn’t even released yet and I already can’t wait to find out what Kurtagich is working on next and when it’ll be out in the world! *Grabby hands!!!*

So yeah… Obviously, I HIGHLY recommend this book! It’s epic and intense and amazing and a bit creeptastic! If you love horror and psychological thrillers, then you’re in for a real thrill ride! And if you’re easily scared? Well, keep the lights on….

four-stars

Review: A Whole New World by Liz Braswell

Sep8

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: A Whole New World by Liz BraswellA Whole New World by Liz Braswell
Series: Twisted Tales #1
Published by Disney Press on September 1, 2015
Pages: 384
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
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three-stars

What if Aladdin had never found the lamp? This first book in the A Twisted Tale line will explore a dark and daring version of Disney's Aladdin.

When Jafar steals the Genie's lamp, he uses his first two wishes to become sultan and the most powerful sorcerer in the world. Agrabah lives in fear, waiting for his third and final wish.To stop the power-mad ruler, Aladdin and the deposed princess Jasmine must unite the people of Agrabah in rebellion. But soon their fight for freedom threatens to tear the kingdom apart in a costly civil war.

What happens next? A Street Rat becomes a leader. A princess becomes a revolutionary. And readers will never look at the story of Aladdin in the same way again.

When I first picked this book up, I was hesitant. Almost all of my closest blogging friends DNF’d it roughly halfway in. I was super, super excited for this book, so that worried me a LOT. But the premise sounded intriguing. I ended up reading this in roughly three sit-downs, reading 100+ pages each time. Though I struggled with certain aspects of the book and with my final rating, I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would.

If you’ve seen the Disney animated movie, then you could almost skip the first 25% of this book. That’s probably the biggest complaint I’ve seen from reading other reviews. But I didn’t mind that so much because, though it was very similar, there was a little more to it than just a word-for-word of the movie. Certain parts were more “grown up” than the Disney movie – grittier and slightly darker. And once the book veers off into the “What if” portion of things, it gets intriguing.

The characters were all a bit flat and underdeveloped. This bothered me because it made it difficult to connect with them, but I kept picturing them as the characters from the movie and that helped a little. Also, we got to learn a bit more about some of the characters. We saw Aladdin as a young kid, met his mother and learned more about his background. We learned a bit more about the Genie and his backstory. We also saw a different side of Raoul, the meanest, nastiest palace guard in the movie. We see that he knew Aladdin and his mother and he actually has a soft spot for Aladdin. I wish there had been more scenes with Jafar, since this alternate “what if” storyline was supposed to be about him and what happens when he gets his hands on the lamp.

There were a couple characters whose fates were… unsettling… Because they were so beloved in the movie. But if I take a step back from the movie and view the book as its own thing, I get it. The people of Agrabah rebel against Jafar, creating a civil war – and in war, there are casualties. Still, it stung.

The pacing in this book was odd. One the one hand, it was slow and if felt like there were huge sections of the book that didn’t have a lot of action. On the other hand, as I mentioned earlier, I read roughly 100 pages each time I sat down to read. I think the book could have been a bit shorter, honestly.

My feelings regarding the ending are VERY mixed. Initially, I was very upset with something that happened. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was actually very fitting and it sort of (very loosely) paralleled the movie. Even though I’m still not entirely happy about it, I’ve come to terms with it.

I think the most important thing to do when reading this book is this: Push the movie out of your head. If you focus on the movie and sit there going, “Well, this is exactly like the movie” or “this deviates way too much from the movie!” then you’re going to drive yourself insane. And you won’t enjoy the book at all. If you try to treat it like its own entity, then you’ll likely enjoy it more.

Overall, though the characters were underdeveloped and the pacing was a bit slow, I found this to be a fun read. It could have been an amazing book – had the characters experienced more growth, had the pacing been a bit faster, had certain characters not suffered certain fates – but it was still an enjoyable book. As a big fan of fairy tales, it was intriguing to see the alternative events and subsequent consequences and outcome.

Despite not enjoying A Whole New World as much as I would have liked, I’m still very excited for this new series and I can’t wait to see which story gets “Twisted” next! I’m kind of hoping it will be The Little Mermaid, since that’s one of my absolute favorite Disney movies! Though Beauty and the Beat would be a fun “Twisted Tale,” as would The Lion King and Mulan.

three-stars

Review: The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender (Blog Tour + Giveaway)

Aug25

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender (Blog Tour + Giveaway)The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender
Published by Point on August 25, 2015
Pages: 336
Format: Hardcover
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
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four-half-stars

Asylum meets Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, in this riveting tale of ghosts, secrets, and family, from master of suspense Katie Alender.

Delia's new house isn't just a house. It used to be an insane asylum, a place to lock up "troubled" young women long ago. And a restless, wicked spirit is still at play--and it doesn't want defiant girls like Delia to go anywhere.

So the house kills her.

Now Delia is a ghost, trapped in her creepy home forever. As she meets the other ghost girls who haunt the narrow hallways, as well as the handsome ghost boy on the grounds, she learns shocking truths about the house's history. Delia also realizes that her alive and grieving sister might be the house's next target. Can Delia unlock the mystery of the old asylum, save her sister, and free herself?

Kirkus (starred review): "This superior ghost story keeps the creep factor high… A really scary and original ghost story, well told. Read it with the lights on."

School Library Journal: "Alender has created a chilling tale of forgotten tragedies and family secrets. A great choice for fans of horror or suspense novels."

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Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Goodreads

deadgirls 
Hey everyone! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender! I’m very excited to be a part of this blog tour! I absolutely loved this book and I hope you enjoy my review!

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As a lover of all things horror, I’m always keeping an eye out for creepy YA novels. Sadly, most of them don’t live up to my expectations. But The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall was full of epicness and creepiness! From the great writing to the awesome characters and the suspenseful plot, this book is definitely up there on my favorites list!

Before I get into the heart of this review, a little side note: This book sucked me in so much, I had trouble keeping detailed notes because I just read and read and read and didn’t want to stop reading long enough to jot down notes. So if some of this is really vague, it’s because I’m avoiding spoilers and also because I don’t have detailed notes to refer to, hehe :)

Delia was an intriguing character. She starts off a bit stubborn and – I want to say self-absorbed, only because I can’t think of a better word, but that’s not quite right. She loved her family, but they didn’t always get along. She was in complete denial when she first became a member of the undead population of Hysteria Hall and her attitude was very self-pitying – but who can blame her, right? Her character growth, as she began to accept her death and embrace her path in (the after)life, was great.

I didn’t like nor dislike Janie in the beginning. She was the stereotypical, annoying kid sister who did whatever she could to get Delia in trouble. But as the book progressed, the changes in her character were unbelievable, fueled mostly by the guilt she felt over Delia’s death. My heart was in my throat at the end of the book, awaiting her fate. I’m not even going to talk about Delia and Janie’s parents because there would be too many spoilers involved and I’d get ragey about sooooo many things!

I really liked Florence in the beginning. She reminded me of Daisy from Dead Like Me, but by the end… Wow. Did NOT see that coming! I never really trusted Eliza or Theo – I was always waiting for something to happen or for them to backstab Delia. I was pleasantly surprised with the way their stories ended, though. As for Maria, I had mixed feelings about her, but I really liked how her story ended, as well – maybe more than anyone else’s. I didn’t like nor dislike Penitence, though I had my suspicions about her from fairly early on. Her story was very intriguing, though!

As someone who loves being scared, this book could have been a touch creepier. However, it absolutely had its moments where I was like, “Okay, I need to put this book down or I’m not going to be sleeping tonight.” It reminded me of a less creepy teen version of House on Haunted Hill (the remake). There was also a lot of foreshadowing, which added to the creepiness. The ending wrapped up a little neater than I expected – almost like a Horror Movie Happily Ever After. I expected more of a creepy, twisty ending. But maybe that’s Alender’s signature move – I haven’t read anything else by her yet to know, but I’ll definitely be picking up more of her books now!

Overall, though I could have done with a little more creep factor, this book was epic. Then again, I’m not one to scare easily, so this book certainly has the potential to scare the crap out of people who DO scare easily. The Creepy Level didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book, though. Alender is an amazing writer with a knack for suspense and horror. If you’re looking for a twisty ghost story, I highly recommend this book!

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And now for the giveaway! 3 winners will receive a finished copy of THE DEAD GIRLS OF HYSTERIA HALL. US Only. To enter, complete the Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Katie Alender author photo 300x375About the Author:
 
Katie Alender is the author of The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall, Famous Last Words, Marie Antoinette: Serial Killer, and the Bad Girls Don’t Die series. She is a graduate of the Florida State University Film School and lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, and two dogs. When she’s not writing novels, she can usually be found quilting, reading, eating delicious high-calorie foods, and hanging out with her friends (on very special occasions, she manages to do all of those things at once).
 
 

Website | Twitter | Facebook

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Tour Schedule

Week One:
8/17/2015 – The Cover Contessa – Interview
8/18/2015 – Twisted Book Junkie – Review
8/19/2015 – Fiktshun – Guest Post
8/20/2015 – BITTERSWEET ENCHANTMENT – Review
8/21/2015 – Mundie Moms – Guest Post

Week Two:
8/24/2015 – The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club – Interview
8/25/2015 – Pandora’s Books – Review
8/26/2015 – bookaholics anonymous – Interview
8/27/2015 – A Dream Within A Dream – Review
8/28/2015 – Such a Novel Idea – Guest Post

four-half-stars

Review: The Secrets We Keep by Trisha Leaver

Aug10

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: The Secrets We Keep by Trisha LeaverThe Secrets We Keep by Trisha Leaver
Published by Farrar Straus and Giroux on April 28th 2015
Pages: 304
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-stars

A girl takes over her twin sister's identity in this emotionally charged page-turner about the complicated bond between sisters.

Ella and Maddy Lawton are identical twins. Ella has spent her high school years living in popular Maddy's shadows, but she has never been envious of Maddy. In fact, she's chosen the quiet, safe confines of her sketchbook over the constant battle for attention that has defined Maddy's world.

When—after a heated argument—Maddy and Ella get into a tragic accident that leaves her sister dead, Ella wakes up in the hospital surrounded by loved ones who believe she is Maddy. Feeling responsible for Maddy's death and everyone's grief, Ella makes a split-second decision to pretend to be Maddy. Soon, Ella realizes that Maddy's life was full of secrets. Caught in a web of lies, Ella is faced with two options—confess her deception or live her sister's life.

It took me two weeks to read this book and I’m honestly not sure why – I actually really enjoyed it! There were some frustrating moments, but there were also epic and heartbreaking moments, plus some crazy foreshadowing. The ending was a little predictable, but it hit me right in the feels.

Almost right away (within the first 5-7 pages), I knew I liked Ella more than Maddy and we hadn’t even really met Maddy yet and we barely knew Ella. But Ella talked about her love of B-rated horror movies, her dog and comfy jeans – all of which I can relate to! She went through a horrifying, traumatizing experience and made some major mistakes along the way, but I definitely think she learned her lesson and grew from it.

Again, we didn’t really get to meet Maddy – only through Ella’s eyes and only briefly before Ella “became” Maddy. So it’s hard to really know how I felt about Maddy. But from what we learned, it seemed like she was a good person who made bad mistakes that she regretted. She could have been a better sister and a better friend and she knew that. Given the chance to do it over, I think Maddy would have done the right thing the second time around. Or, at the very least, I think she would have apologized to all those she hurt.

I’m not sure how I feel about Alex. It seems like he did a lot of things out of true loyalty to Maddy, but it also felt like he worked really hard to get things back to normal because he didn’t want to rock the popularity boat. I think he wanted so badly for Maddy to be alive, he ignored some very obvious signs – signs that made it clear it was really Ella, not Maddy. But the more “Maddy” stopped acting like herself, the more he distanced himself from her and the more he drifted closer to Jenna – behavior that lost him most of the brownie points he earned during his “genuine” moments.

Speaking of, I couldn’t stand Jenna! She was mean and snobby and conniving, always looking down on others and actively seeking ways to make others feel bad about themselves. She even resorted to blackmail to get her way!

On the flip side, I adored Josh. I didn’t always like his attitude or the ultimatums he gave Ella – she was dealing with a LOT and, mourning or not, he could have been more supportive – but, overall, I really liked him and shipped him and Ella like crazy. They were just perfect for each other! And, of course, I loved the epilogue because of that!

I didn’t like nor dislike Kim, though she felt like an insubstantial character – like her only role was to make Josh unattainable when it was obvious that Ella and Josh were meant to be. She seemed nice, though, and she was kind to Ella when she was pretending to be Maddy. She also genuinely liked Josh, so I felt bit bad for her because it was clear that she’d never end up with him as long as Ella was around.

Another character I liked was Molly, though I would have liked to get to know her more. We mostly learned about her only in relation to Maddy and Jenna and everything that happened. Finally, I’m baffled by Maddy and Ella’s parents and their behavior – I thought parents of twins were supposed to be able to tell their kids apart? I think, deep down, they had a feeling, but with Ella doing her best to convince them otherwise and because they were in mourning, they just weren’t thinking/seeing things clearly and they just ignored that little voice that told them something wasn’t right.

Like I mentioned earlier, this book was just a bit predictable, for many reasons: There was major foreshadowing in the beginning of the book regarding the accident and how it would happen and why. There were a lot of hints dropped regarding the Molly thing. And the ending was pretty obvious, as well. Nothing ever really surprised or shocked me. But the predictability never took away from my overall enjoyment of the book or the “Aha!” moments when I got to those “reveals.”

Overall, this was a fun, though heavy and heartbreaking, book. I liked the characters and I liked seeing Ella’s growth and the way she learned from her mistakes. There was definitely a major Lying Game vibe to this book, so if you’re a fan of that series (I totally am!!!), you’ll most likely enjoy The Secrets We Keep. I really liked the author’s writing, character building and pacing and I’m definitely interested in reading some of her other books now! (I’ve heard amazing things about Creed and Sweet Madness looks EPIC!!!)

four-stars

Review: The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson

Aug8

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. PearsonThe Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson
Series: The Remnant Chronicles #2
Published by Henry Holt and Co. on July 7th 2015
Pages: 470
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
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four-stars

Intrigue abounds in this hotly anticipated sequel to The Kiss of Deception!

Held captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape. Desperate to save her life, Lia's erstwhile assassin, Kaden, has told the Vendan Komizar that she has the gift, and the Komizar's interest in Lia is greater than anyone could have foreseen.

Meanwhile, nothing is straightforward: there's Rafe, who lied to Lia, but has sacrificed his freedom to protect her; Kaden, who meant to assassinate her but has now saved her life; and the Vendans, whom Lia always believed to be barbarians. Now that she lives amongst them, however, she realizes that may be far from the truth. Wrestling with her upbringing, her gift, and her sense of self, Lia must make powerful choices that will affect her country... and her own destiny.

I loved The Kiss of Deception so much – it was one of my favorite books of 2014 – so I was really nervous to start The Heart of Betrayal, worried it wouldn’t live up to my expectations or would have Second Book Syndrome. It picks up right where The Kiss of Deception ended, plunging the reader right back into this amazing world. Despite the slow pacing in the middle of the book, this was an overall enjoyable read.

Lia is filled with sass and fire. Despite everything that happened to her, she remained strong and fierce. She’s determined to play the game and deceive the Komizar, ensuring Rafe’s safety and their freedom in the process. She played the game so well, I almost started to ship her and the Komizar! Though she falls apart a few time and she has some unlikable moments, she has a lot of growth in this book. And that evil cliffhanger…!!!! I NEED book three, like, now!

When I reviewed The Kiss of Deception, it was hard to talk about Rafe and Kaden, since their identities were a mystery (as far as which was the prince and which was the assassin). If you read that review, though, you know that this back-and-forth guessing game left me confused and frustrated and actually distracted me from the overall story. Going into The Heart of Betrayal, I had a lot of trouble remembering which guy I liked from book one and why because of the left-over confusion. So, because I couldn’t remember anything about my feelings for them from book one, I had to rely solely on how I felt about Kaden and Rafe based on their behavior in The Heart of Betrayal.

I’m pretty sure I liked Rafe more and shipped him with Lia in The Kiss of Deception, but to be honest, his chapters in The Heart of Betrayal bored me. And at times, I really shipped Lia with Kaden more. But they both had their moments of bad behavior and I almost got to a point where I didn’t ship Lia with EITHER of them. By the end of the book, I think I was back on Team Rafe – and I say “think” because I’m still not sure how I feel about certain things.

I struggled with my feelings for the Komizar, as well. At times, I couldn’t stand him and at times, I really liked him. I kept waiting for him to open up to Lia and soften towards her. I guess, in hindsight, that may have been a bit predictable and I’m almost glad it didn’t happen. He was the villain and that’s how it should be. The ending was INSANE, though. I kind of expected what happened to happen, but it still came as a huge WHOA moment. But since we didn’t get “final confirmation” on what happened, it still feels very open ended and like anything could happen next. I have a LOT of theories…

Some of my favorite characters – as was the case in book one, as well – were Pauline and Gwyneth. They’re hilarious together and I really want to see more of them! I actually really liked Calantha, even when she was being evil and manipulative. There was something about her character that intrigued me. The revelation of who she is was pretty epic. I also really liked Aster and my heart broke for her at the end. Finally, I really liked Griz and Eben, though it took me a while to remember who they were from book one.

And that leads me to the parts that were confusing… I barely remembered anything about the “ancient” characters from book one, so whenever they came up, it slowed me down while I tried very hard to remember. I think a “Who’s Who from Book One” character guide would have been helpful. And maybe a short page or two on the “History of Morrighan, Venda and Dalbreck.” I couldn’t remember who Gaudrel was from “The Last Testaments of Gaudrel” and it took me a long time to remember the history of Morrighan and Venda.

As I’ve mentioned a few times, the ending was an EPIC INSANE CLIFFHANGER OF INSANELY EPIC PROPORTIONS. I can’t even wrap my head around it and I finished reading it like a week ago! The ending almost makes up for the slow pacing and confusion in the middle of the book. I’m very excited for the third book and can’t wait to get my hands on it to see what happens next!!!

four-stars

Review: Lola Carlyle’s 12-Step Romance by Danielle Younge-Ullman

Jul27

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Lola Carlyle’s 12-Step Romance by Danielle Younge-UllmanLola Carlyle's 12-Step Romance by Danielle Younge-Ullman
Published by Entangled Teen on May 5, 2015
Pages: 304
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
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four-stars

Lola Carlyle is lonely, out of sorts, and in for a boring summer. So when her best friend, Sydney, calls to rave about her stay at a posh Malibu rehab and reveals that the love of Lola’s life, Wade Miller, is being admitted, she knows what she has to do.Never mind that her worst addiction is decaf cappuccino; Lola is going to rehab.

Lola arrives at Sunrise Rehab intent solely on finding Wade, saving him from himself, and—naturally—making him fall in love with her…only to discover she’s actually expected to be an addict. And get treatment. And talk about her issues with her parents, and with herself. Plus she has insane roommates, and an irritatingly attractive mentor, Adam, who’s determined to thwart her at every turn.

Oh, and Sydney? She’s gone.

Turns out, once her pride, her defenses, and her best friend are stripped away, Lola realizes she’s actually got a lot to overcome…if she can open her heart long enough to let it happen.

When I first learned about this book, I was intrigued by the premise. Though it wasn’t exactly what I expected and there were some moments that annoyed me, this book ended up being a really fun, cute and enlightening read. I really liked the characters, as well as the author’s writing style.

In the beginning, it was really hard to like Lola. She was very Stereotypical Hollywood: rich, a bit snobby/spoiled/entitled. I mean.. she wanted to go to rehab just so she could go on a “spa-like vacation.” And when things didn’t go her way, she got incredibly snippy, sneaky and rebellious. Plus, she was beyond obsessed with Wade Miller in the beginning.

The funniest part is, Lola doesn’t think she needs rehab, yet we as readers discover that she actually needs it desperately, just not for the reason that got her sent there in the first place. Lola din’t really start growing and showing character development until the second half of the book, but once she did, I really liked her.

Adam had his ups and downs. Sometimes, his attitude and the way he treated Lola were awful. But he had his reasons – He was her “mentor,” so he had to try to keep himself distant from her and be professional. But when he relaxed and they had their moments, they were epic and hilarious (their banter and back-and-forth arguments had me laughing out loud)! They weren’t without their issues (both together or individually), but I still shipped the heck out of them!

I really didn’t like Wade. He seemed so fake and full of himself. I had a feeling early on that he was just meant to be that “light bulb” moment for Lola, so she could see how far she had come and what a great guy Adam was in comparison, so I tried not to let it bug me too much. Plus, I shipped Lola and Adam so hard, in my mind, the book could only end with them together or I would have thrown it across the room (Well.. it’s my iPad.. so maybe I would have figuratively thrown it…)

I liked Talia and Jade for the most part. Talia was a bit annoying, with how star-struck she was and how she always seemed to be sucking up to Lola. One of the revelations about her was slightly startling but not incredibly shocking. I’m happy with her small amount of character growth, but I felt bad for her near the end. And Jade was brutal and honest, which could sometimes come off as mean and cruel. But I still liked her and I was heartbroken with where her story ended.

Though it wasn’t without its issues, this book was oddly enjoyable, as well as a fast read. The author is a great writer, the plot was intriguing and, though the characters are Stereotypical Hollywood, they were still likable enough and several of them had great character development, so that softened the dislike a bit. My biggest issue with the book (and it wasn’t even that big a deal) was that, at times, it felt like an over-dramatic soap opera and/or a cheesy romantic comedy. But if you can overlook that, it’s a fun, quick read. Though it deals with some tough topics, it does it in a light-hearted way, so you don’t feel overwhelmed.

I would definitely recommend this book and I’m definitely excited to see what the author does next.

four-stars

Review: Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge

Jul21

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Crimson Bound by Rosamund HodgeCrimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge
Published by Balzer + Bray on May 5, 2015
Pages: 448
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
three-stars

When Rachelle was fifteen, she was good—apprenticed to her aunt and in training to protect her village from dark magic. But she was also reckless— straying from the forest path in search of a way to free her world from the threat of eternal darkness. After an illicit meeting goes dreadfully wrong, Rachelle is forced to make a terrible choice that binds her to the very evil she had hoped to defeat.

Three years later, Rachelle has given her life to serving the realm, fighting deadly creatures in an effort to atone. When the king orders her to guard his son Armand—the man she hates most—Rachelle forces Armand to help her find the legendary sword that might save their world. As the two become unexpected allies, they uncover far-reaching conspiracies, hidden magic, and a love that may be their undoing. In a palace built on unbelievable wealth and dangerous secrets, can Rachelle discover the truth and stop the fall of endless night?

Inspired by the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood, Crimson Bound is an exhilarating tale of darkness, love, and redemption.

I had the most frustrating love/hate relationship with this book imaginable – More so than with any book I’ve read recently. One minute, I wanted to DNF; the next, I felt the book was picking up and getting better. The back-and-forth of those two sentiments was so frequent, I sometimes felt like a ping pong ball! The plot was intriguing, but the pacing was slow and I couldn’t really connect with any of the characters (though some of them had their moments). Yet there was something about this book that kept me reading. I’m not sure what or why or how, but for whatever reason – and despite it taking eight days for me to finish the book – I kept pushing until the very last page.

I didn’t like nor dislike Rachelle; however, as silly as this is, I kept tripping over the pronunciation of her name and it slowed me down and really annoyed me. I know, I know, that’s REALLY silly, but.. I can’t help it! I also didn’t like nor dislike Armand, though I didn’t appreciate the insta-love between him and Rachelle. I don’t mind insta-love when it’s well-done, but I just felt like it wasn’t believable – at least, not in the beginning. If it had happened a bit slower, I think I would have liked it more. I could see the potential chemistry between Armand and Rachelle, but I didn’t see it when the insta-love first started to kick in.

I adored Erec in the beginning – he and Rachelle had a hilarious rapport. However, by the end… Gah! I can’t go into detail because of spoilers but… While I wasn’t surprised with the way Erec’s story ended, I was definitely a bit upset! On the flip-side, I really liked Amelie! I actually liked her more than Rachelle! There were a ton of other secondary characters, but none were memorable or notable. However, the one intriguing thing about the characters in this book (even the ones I didn’t care for as much)? They all reminded me of the “wolf grandmother” from the original Little Red Riding Hood, in that everyone had secrets and no one was who you thought they were. So that kept me guessing/on the edge of my seat a bit.

My biggest issue with this book (besides not connecting with the characters) was the fact that, in the beginning of the book, we were thrown into the world and we were hit with a lot of terminology. I was honestly so confused, I didn’t understand what was going on at all. I think if I re-read the book, I would understand it a LOT better. But just based on the first read, I was totally lost for at least half the book and that was super frustrating.

Finally, as someone who read Cruel Beauty, I can say that, though I liked the fairy tale and Greek myth that Cruel Beauty was based on a whole lot more than I did the fairy tale that Crimson Bound was based on, I still found Crimson Bound to be a lot better than Cruel Beauty. With Crimson Bound, I was more intrigued by the plot and more invested in the characters. That’s still not saying much, since I spent a great deal of this book debating whether or not I should DNF. But I still enjoyed it more than Cruel Beauty, overall.

I also want to point out that Fairy Tale Retellings and Greek Mythology retellings are my Book Drug of Choice. They’re my absolute favorite thing in the world!!! So the fact that I didn’t enjoy this (or Cruel Beauty) as much as I had hoped is.. Well, disappointing, to say the least. However, Rosamund Hodge is such a GORGEOUS writer! Her writing is smooth and melodic and it just sucks you right in! Her writing, more than anything, kept me from DNFing Crimson Bound (and, back when I read it, Cruel Beauty). It was just… beautiful. And for that reason alone, she’s staying on my To Read list for all future books – I’m beyond excited for her new 2016 release, Bright Smoke, Cold Fire!!

So if you loved Cruel Beauty, I definitely recommend Crimson Bound. Or if you love Fairy Tale Retellings or, specifically, Little Red Riding Hood, I say give this book a chance! You might enjoy what I didn’t and you might fall in love with the characters and plot.

three-stars