Review: Every Day

Stats:
Publisher: Knopf
Release date: August 26, 2012
Page count: 322
Would appeal to: Fantasy lovers, non-readers (I really think this would convince them to read more!), anyone who likes John Green (writing has that kind of lasting impression)

Favorite Quotes:
"I know from experience that beneath every peripheral girl is a central truth. She's hiding hers away, but at the same time she wants me to see it. And it's there, just out of my reach. A sound waiting to be a word."

"I tell her what she wants to hear, but she doesn't trust it. I feed her the right words, but she suspects they're threaded with hooks."

"Margaret quickly comes down with a cold. The kissing stops, and the doting begins. Sam is rather smitten, and he surrounds Margaret with the sweet quicksand of his love."
 
"The books sit crooked on the shelves, like rows of neglected teeth."

"Sometimes when you hit send, you can imagine the message going straight into the person's heart. But other times, like this time, it feels like the words are merely falling into a well."


Why You Must Read This Book:
1. Amazing concept! A wakes up in a new body every single day. But what happens when he falls for someone's girlfriend and he knows his time with her is coming to an end? Are you hooked yet? 

2. The insights. Levithan is one of those authors (like the above mentioned John Green with whom he wrote Will Grayson, Will Grayson) who makes me sigh because he gets it. His characters make everyday observations that I've often thought, only not as eloquently. It's like he's walked a mile in every person's shoes. A experiences the life of a twin football player, a gorgeous African American teen, a home schooled boy from a religious family, an addict. Some days are good, some days he can't get through quick enough. (I thought of A as a boy, so that's how I'll refer to him, but he's really just an "it").  A has the kind of maturity that none of us will ever attain because we don't really get to try on lives.

3. The twists. My advice is just start reading. The book blurb barely gives anything away, but Levithan's mind goes crazy places. He answers all the "What if..." questions I'd never think to ask.

4. The ending. I thought it really fit the reality that the story had built.

5. The main character doesn't have rules about his existence, so he makes his own. Because A doesn't understand much about what he is, he has to blindly accept his reality. That's what makes it exciting. He doesn't know whether the body he inhabits will remember what happened to them the day after he leaves. He lives his various lives cautiously, leaving as little behind as possible so as not to disturb the person's life. But Rhiannon changes everything, and soon, he's breaking the few rules that guide his existence.

What Bugged Me About This Book:
Nothing.
I read it in less than a day because I could not put it down. I just wanted to keep seeing life through the eyes of different people! And A's views on love are interesting. He doesn't get caught up with gender. He falls for the soul. You'll totally fall for his (couldn't resist).

 

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Review: The Fault In Our Stars

Stats:

• Publisher: Dutton Books
• Release Date: Jan. 10, 2012
• Page Count: 336
• Would Appeal To: Fans of My Sister's Keeper, Anyone who appreciates magnificent writing/simple but brilliant insights

Favorite Quotes: (Narrowed down from 13, had to omit certain sigh-worthy dialogue scenes to keep the element of surprise for future readers...Also, if you really want to read this, you might skip a few of these quotes so you can be just as truly satisfied as I was.)

 

"Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book. And then there are books like An Imperial Affliction, which you can't tell people about, books so special and rare and yours that advertising your affection feels like a betrayal."

 

"He played me a couple songs he liked by a band called The Hectic Glow, and they were good songs, but because I didn't know them already, they weren't as good to me as they were to him."

 

"And then the line was quiet but not dead. I almost felt like he was there in my room with me, but in a way it was better, like I was not in my room and he was not in his, but instead we were together in some invisible and tenuous third space that could only be visited on the phone."

 

"...rumbling with each inhalation and whirring as I exhaled. I kept thinking that it sounded like a dragon breathing in time with me, like I had this pet dragon who was cuddled up next to me and cared enough about me to time his breaths to mine."

 

"'Do you realize how rare it is to come across a hot girl who creates an adjectival version of the word pedophile? You are so busy being you that you have no idea how utterly unprecedented you are.'"

 

"The car was packed by six fifteen, whereupon Mom insisted that we eat breakfast with Dad, although I had a moral opposition to eating before dawn on the grounds that I was not a nineteenth-century Russian peasant fortifying myself for a day in the fields."

 

"The weird thing about houses is that they almost always look like nothing is happening inside of them, even though they contain most of our lives. I wondered if that was sort of the point of architecture."

 

Story: Hazel Grace Lancaster has terminal cancer. Her lungs continually drown themselves with fluid and she is forced to walk around with a tank of oxygen to help her breathe. One fated Support Group session, Augustus Waters has come to support his friend Isaac. Augustus, a rather up front, witty, and intelligent guy, finds out Hazel's favorite book-- An Imperial Affliction. Soon both teens become entralled with finding answers to a novel that had a very open ending. Video games, a park, and a heartbroken blind friend all swirl together to create a tale of romance, where the sick kids know better than anyone that life's not fair.

 

Why You Must Read This:

1. It's JOHN GREEN people! I'm about to dive into An Abundance of Katherine, Looking for Alaska, and then Paper Towns because he is just that incredible (and I'm awfully mad at myself for not yet reading any of his other work). His writing is the kind of fluid that makes you forget you're not a character in the story. He gets it. And by it, I mean EVERYTHING. (See first two quotes above.)

 

2. The dialogue. Holy crap. By the end of the first chapter, Augustus has already said some unabashed things to Hazel. You'll wonder why you didn't have a relationship like this in high school where everyone can be up front and playful and super smart sounding because they really are intelligent. Also, Hazel always answers in questions, like she's not quite sure. It showed me a lot about her personality. And she talks with a few "likes" thrown in, which were really quite perfect and not annoying in the Valley girl way.

 

3. Hazel and Augustus. Usually I like the boy more than the girl. Or the girl more than the boy. Not both equally. This story was different. They were meant to be, with their kind of philosophical thoughts and conversations. They've had lots of time to really ponder since they've both been in and out of the hospital. They're super deep with huge vocabularies but still teenager-y. For example, they both still fight with their parents and Hazel, especially, hates being hovered over.

 

4. I haven't read book by many guy authors, and this one uses a female POV, but I seriously couldn't tell. Mostly, Hazel just wants to be normal, not a side effect of dying. She accepts her lot even though she doesn't always like it. But don't we all just want to be normal? You'll be able to relate to more than one thing in this story. I've never thought about Cancer Perks and how adults act weird around kids who are obviously sick. I couldn't imagine walking around with a cannula stuck up my nose, but here's a person who is different, and her friends are different, which allows her to really see what people are like, their motivations, their responses, and their fears. Another part of John Green really getting it.

 

5. I cried. I never used to cry reading books, and only really good, emotional writing brings that out in me. I also loved that Hazel's dad is a crier. Her parents are awesome. 

 

6. The plot. What reader doesn't want to read a book about a character who obsesses over her favorite book? Oh my gosh, I can relate. It's brilliant, really. The fact that Augustus is really into a book that she's introduced him to only makes him more lovable.

 

What Bugged Me:

1. Um, NOTHING. This is strange for me to have nothing to nit pick about, but...he flippin' nailed this whole story.

 

 

 

 

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Review: Pushing the Limits

Stats:

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: July 31, 2012

Page Count: 384

Will Appeal To: Romance lovers, anyone interested in psychology

 

Favorite Quotes:

• "If she grasped anything, it would be me. My thumb worked its way between her fingers and her sleeve and released her death grip on the material. I wrapped my fingers around Echo's fragile hand. Touching Echo felt like home."

  

• "'I loved her, Echo. She was that someone that tilted my universe.'"

 

• "The worst type of crying wasn't the kind everyone could see-- the wailing on street corners, the tearing at clothes. No, the worst kind happened when your soul wept and no matter what you did, there was no way to comfort it. A section withered and became a scar on the part of your soul that survived. For people like me and Echo, our souls contained more scar tissue than life."

 

Story:

Boy and girl are seeing same school social worker. Noah is trying to gain custody of his brothers and must turn around his bad boy act so a judge will grant him said custody. Echo has become a social pariah after an incident years prior that resulted in raised white and red scars up the lengths of her arms. Everyone thinks she tried to commit suicide or cut herself. She knows her bipolar mother had something to do with it, but her brain has repressed the memories. Both broken souls, the two work on finding out what's in their files, which should ultimately lead to answers and then happiness. Along the way, they find out that each of them needs the other in more ways than one. 

 

Why You Must Read This:

1. The dual points of view add such dimension to the story. Yes, the boy/girl switcheroo has been super popular as of late, but I'm not tired of it, especially not with characters like this. I wouldn't have minded if it was all in Noah's POV; however, Echo's story is so important, and one of her discoveries in the book made me tear up. One emotional ride. I felt what the characters felt as they learned new information.  

 

2. Characters are believable! Grace is a minor character, but that girl in school who's so concerned with her image that she has "public friends" and "private friends." Loved this element of realism. Noah is wonderful to watch as he changes from I-could-care-less-that-I'm-getting-high to a guy who's falling hard and fast for a girl who is complicated. He's a good guy at heart but a product of the foster system. And Mrs. Collins-- what a wonderful adult influence in both their lives. Love that she shows up in sweats and band t-shirts occasionally! Every single character has flaws.

 

3. Sexual tension. The need for Noah to control himself literally seeped through the pages!

4. Katie McGarry seriously understands how a teen's mind works. I became fully absorbed in both narratives and remembered how hard high school was and how unaccepting people can be. I could relate to so many parts of the story.

 

5. I felt a true sense of satisfaction at the end (except that I wanted it to go on longer!).

 

Things That Bugged Me:

1. Couldn't get on board with Noah calling Echo "baby." Just couldn't imagine him saying it after getting to know his character, but this is a super minor thing that I'm sure others disagree on. I wish it was a different pet name!

 

2. Echo had an awful lot of "pterodactyls" flying in her stomach. The first time I thought it was a cool metaphor. The third time I was sick of seeing it, but I do realize that certain people have a thing they say or think constantly.

 

3. I didn't mark many favorite quotes. The writing is super smooth and relatable but I wanted a few more things to really stick with me.

 

 

AND...with such minor flaws, how can you not pick up this book that everyone's already raving about? I CANNOT WAIT TO READ BETH'S STORY: DARE YOU TO.

 

Also, at the end of the book, there's a really cool playlist where McGarry reveals what songs she used for kiss scenes, which ones she used to get into character for Noah, Echo, and what shaped the novel as a whole.

 

*Copy of novel provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

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Review: My Life Next Door

Stats:
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Date of Release: June 14, 2012
Page Count: 395
Would appeal to: Fans of Sarah Dessen, Sarah Ockler, Sara Zarr, or anyone who wants to fall in love with a love story

Favorite Quotes:
"It's so weird sitting there in the kitchen with this woman I've seen from a distance for ten years. Like finding yourself in an elevator with a celebrity. I repress the urge to say 'I'm a huge fan.'"



"We watch the hawk circling for a few minutes, then he reaches over and takes my hand, squeezes it, and holds on. The river sighs around us, and the little gears in my body that were spinning at breakneck speed all day slow to the lazy speed of the hawk, and the slow beat of my heart."


"It's a far cry from Hodges, which is built like a fortress, with battlements, stained-glass windows, and portcullises. It even has a drawbridge, because you never know when your prep school might be attacked by the Saxons."


"Clay rests his hand in the small of her back, propelling her, as we edge out into the night, which isn't even really dark, kind of tea-colored, since we're in the city."


"I want to reach into her argument and pick out the thread that's wrong, but it all seems like a tangle."

So you know all those reviews that have been hyping this book? They know what they're talking about. You know that last $20 you have from your paycheck that's burning a hole in your wallet but you really shouldn't buy a book because you bought three last week? Ignore your conscience...get this book!

Samantha has watched the Garretts for years, but her state senator mother forbids her and her sister Tracy to have any contact with their next door neighbors. A family with eight kids that leaves toys on their lawn and the Christmas lights up longer than necessary is not a family they need to be associated with. When Jace comes over and says hi to Samanatha, everything changes. She is sucked into a different world. Although it's crazy, it's full of love. As she becomes babysitter, she finds this out quickly. Samantha has a big house, an up-and-coming mom, and the perfect boyfriend, but she learns everything can change in the blink of an eye.

Why You Need to Run Right Out and Buy This Right Now:
I can't believe this is Huntley Fitzpatrick's first novel. She writes with the flow and insight of an author with several books. She says on her website that she kept some of her teenage diaries and reread them, and she definitely channeled her inner-teen. There are so many great my-life-is-over moments, particularly with young Andy who's trying to kiss her first boy ever.

It's full of great characters. You can't not love George, the little four year old obsessed with the Discovery channel, fearing things like black holes and what ice cream's made of. He says the best, most random things that give this story a ton of its humor. I love Alice's overprotectiveness of Jase. Andy's obsession with kissing correctly the first time. And Patsy's interesting first words as the baby.

Ever been to a zoo? The Garrett house is like that. In the best way possible.You'll be swept up in the little moments. I liked the way each sibling takes on a role within the family and how it's easy to tell each sibling apart early on because each is unique. And their parents are in the kind of love that gives you hope!

Jace is wonderful, in fact, very easy to fall for. Sometimes you think, Seen this guy before, but Jace stood out for me. He can fix anything. He loves animals and helping any and all creatures or humans. He carefully thinks through any kind of problem, even his words, so he won't offend Samantha. He's not embarrassed to try out something new that Samantha has also not tried out (no spoilers here). Oh my gosh, I wish I had one of him growing up! Not everyone has to be the bad boy!

If you're a girl, you will appreciate the friendship between Nan and Samantha. Nan shows an interesting, imperfect side of herself that actually reminds me of one or two people I knew growing up. And then there's the ever-wasted, habitual screw-up, Tim, her brother. Great character. Lots of depth. Became one of my favorites by the end.

Intense plot turn! This story asks hard questions about the difference between right and wrong. I really got into Samantha's head when things started unravelling. The chapters are short and have great need-to-turn-the-page moments. This book will make you sigh out loud. It will stick with you until you have to take it out again.

My Issues:
Jace is almost too understanding at times. I feel like there could have been longer fights between him and Samantha, especially since Jace is so kind and would expect that in return from his girlfriend.

When Jace calls Sam his "girlfriend" for the first time in public, even if it's just Tim, there's no acknowledgement from Sam like "Did I really just hear that correctly?" They didn't have a talk as to their status prior to that, so I'd assume she'd have a moment of giddiness/freakout/celebration at that point.

Final verdict:
Samantha and Jace's experience with first love will make you long to revisit yours; the quickening heartbeat, the reaching for tissues, the knowledge that someone else is rooting for your success in such a crazy world.

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Review: This Is Not A Test

Stats:
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Date of Release: June 19, 2012
Page Count: 322
Unique elements: No chapter numbers (time goes on forever in a zombie apocalypse)
Would appeal to: Anyone who is turned off by zombie novels, it was that good!

Favorite Quotes:

"The way she says it, the way she's beside him--I want to be between them. I want to be in the direct path of their togetherness so I can steal some of the feeling for myself."

"When this is over, society will need entertainment to get past it. We'll make movies about it, hundreds of movies, and in every one of them, we'll be the heroes and the love interests and best friends and winners and we'll watch theses movies until we are so far removed from our own history, we'll forget how it really felt to be here."

"Cary pulls Trace away from the window but Trace is made of the kind of energy people with hope have."

"They also don't tell you about how you can share your deepest secrets with someone, kiss them, and the next hour it's like there's nothing between you because not everything can mean something all the time or you'd be crushed under the weight of it."

"Time has a way of shifting funnily in situations like these. There is not enough of it or there is too much of it and it's always one when you need the other."

I'm trying something new with reviews so they're a little quicker to read. Hopefully no one will miss the Goodreads summaries!

Why you have to read this:
Hate zombies? That's okay. This has dead people walking around trying to munch on anything living, but it's about so much more. It's about survival and how people act in life or death situations.  I mean, with the impending zombie apocalypse that everyone is freaking out about, it could seriously (not really) happen-- 6 teens trapped in their high school who get in fights and need human touch and haunted by the people loved ones left behind. There's whiskey and Never Have I Ever and a gun. There's jealousy and the locking up of boys and a mysterious voice on the radio. Just the faintest touch of Lord of the Flies...there's always a power struggle when a group is trapped together without a leader. But I didn't like LOTF, and I loved this book.

It's evokes gritty, raw emotion. I gasped out loud. I cussed at least once at something I didn't see coming. I felt overwhelming sadness for different types of losses. You've got to admire an author not afraid to explore death because that's what's real.

I read this so fast because it flows so well your eyes flit across the page. The writing is so convincingly teenager that I got lost in the words and became invested in everyone, from Sloane, who tells the story, to Cary, who's done awful things in his past. At points, Sloane's sentences are stream of consciousness, and it's so natural that I recall myself thinking, I would think the exact same things.  I couldn't put it down and would have liked to devour it in one sitting without interruptions.

Trace. He's mean and stubborn and bossy. He will do anything for his sister Grace. I thought the rhyming names would be annoying, but it served to showcase their closeness. Even though he was a jerk and bully to everyone at some point, especially Cary, and I first hated him, I found myself understanding his motives; my hate lessened into plain old dislike and then pity. He was in a situation with too much sorrow. It was nice not to hate him through the whole novel.

No details are just handed over to the reader. You learn about Sloane's awful past slowly and through small memories. Without her sister, she is nothing. There's the betrayal of both her father and her sister Lily to contend with, only one of which was expected. I felt her wounds. I felt her need for it all to be over long before the end of the world arrived.

What I wasn't that crazy about:
The ending. It's a little more open than I would have liked. I have so many questions. I am left wanting more. I read the ending four times like more words would actually appear on the page. That is the only thing preventing me from giving this a five star rating. Please, Courtney Summers, save us all this anguish and torment, by creating a sequel!!


I found that Emily @ Emily's Crammed Bookshelf has started a movement. It's worth a shot. Read this-- no, DEVOUR this, because you will--and then tell me you don't want a book #2...
I need more heart achingly real drama, more spot-on character development, more of Rhys, please! He's not the typical dreamy hero, but I did find myself loving his take-charge attitude that wasn't overbearing. And he's so gentle and I was excited to see the one really vulnerable moment he experienced. Help a girl out, Courtney Summers. Actually, help out a crap ton of fans!!!

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Review: The Night Circus

"The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart."

-Goodreads

Stats:

• Publisher: Doubleday
• Release date: September 13, 2011
• Page count: 387
• Unique elements: Designs on pages, the way sections are divided
• Would appeal to: Lovers of magic, fans of Harry Potter, kids at heart!

Favorite Quotes:
"He reads histories and mythologies and fairy tales, wondering why it seems that only girls are ever swept away from their mundane lives on farms by knights or princes or wolves. It strikes him as unfair to not have the same fanciful opportunity himself."

"As the course progresses, when she is not distracted by the astounding quality of the food, Celia makes a game of deciphering the relationships between the guests. Reading the way they interact, intuiting the emotions hidden beneath the laughter and conversation, catching the places that gazes linger."

"There is the softest of sobbing...but it is difficult to pinpoint who it is coming from, or if it is instead a collective sound of mingled sighs and wind and shifting feet."

"It is a different sensation than watching the stars while lying in a field...There are no trees creeping into the edges..."

"'Did Widge tell you that?' Bailey asks, wondering if the thought is so strong that it sits on him, evident and readable."

"Only hours ago, she was certain. Now, sitting in this cave of lightly perfumed silk, what had seemed constant and unquestionable feels as delicate as the steam floating over her tea."

Wow! I said it out loud when I finished reading. This book, with its complicated interwoven storylines, must have taken immense planning, yet Erin Morgenstern has sewn it so effortlessly together. Most of that is thanks to her gorgeous story-telling. This lady can write and I'm already looking forward to her next novel! Her sentences fit the time period--no contractions, and her vocabulary ROCKS! I didn't know a lot of the words, but that didn't distract me. Some sentences were so powerfully compelling or uniquely stated that I read them four times before moving on ("far-flung friends" is my new favorite phrase). See if you notice a pattern with some of the chapter headings.

As for the story...who doesn't like the circus? This is even better than an ordinary circus. Anything you could ever dream awaits attendees in the multitude of black and white tents. It appears out of nowhere, stays an indetermined amount of time, and leaves in the night without notice, traveling to an unannounced location. From the tantalizing smell of carmel and delicious chocolate mice with licorice tails to the air of mystery given off by the large clock at the entrance of Le Cirque des Reves, the circus is one I fully hope someone tries to replicate. After each particular tent was described, for example, the Cloud Maze or the Ice Garden, I could imagine it perfectly. And all of these tents that are popping up are part of a giant game started when Marco and Celia were children; they are merely pawns in an ancient dispute, seared red scars on their fingers from binding rings. The only instructions they truly understand are that there must be a winner, even though they don't know they're opponent or the rules of the game.   

The details transform this book from good to brilliant. Morgenstern takes her time describing little things-- the color of a scarf, the see-through hand of a father, the broken wing of a paper raven. A love of books is definitely instilled in both Marco and Celia, so if you like ink, Shakespeare, poetry, or libraries, you will love the ways all of them are incorporated. I loved the relationship between Marco and Celia, even though it took time to develop. The dialogue between them is honest and flows so naturally. Not all romances are heated and fast and many YA books describe. I think it's also important to mention how fleshed out the minor characters were. I fell in love with the eccentric clockmaker and the lavish man who threw midnight dinner parties (names witheld so you can find out who they are yourself!). I appreciated the fact that there is a character not loved back...in fact, perhaps more than one, depending on your interpretation of events. The best thing about this circus is that they aren't seen as misfits, neither to the circus performers or the attendees, because each person appears to have been born of magic, from the barely moving statues to the acrobats to the twins who perform with their kittens.

The author was also fabulous at providing tiny hints of what was to come. I guessed one event before it occurred, partly thanks to my college psychology class, but many other events I didn't see coming. Penelope, or Poppet, was actually my favorite character, as she was genuinely well-meaning and sweet. More than one romance unfolds along the course of the story!

This would normally get a five star rating, however, the beginning was very hard for me to get into. I found the jumping around of time periods confusing and often looked back to see how much time had passed. I became fully immersed and interested in the story at about page 100. That was my single and only disappointment in the novel. Please don't let that fact scare you, as I know it'll be different for each reader. The black and white stripes in the inside cover made me dizzy when I'd get a glimpse of them, but I absolutely loved the black and white theme throughout. It made the tents and their contents that much more vibrant.

It was more than worth sticking out the slow start. I got extremely teary eyed at the end because I became so attached to the characters, but even more than that, the circus as a whole. It could be argued that Le Cirque des Reves is a character in itself. I will tell everyone I know about this book. Although it contains magic from start to finish, some real and some learned, it IS magic itself! What a fabulous fantasy world to escape to. I would happily purchase the author's imagination from her if it were up for sale (creepy, but not untrue).  

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Review: Amplified

"When privileged 17-year-old Jasmine gets kicked out of her house, she takes what is left of her savings and flees to Santa Cruz to pursue her dream of becoming a musician. Jasmine finds the ideal room in an oceanfront house, but she needs to convince the three guys living there that she's the perfect roommate and lead guitarist for their band, C-Side. Too bad she has major stage fright and the cute bassist doesn't think a spoiled girl from over the hill can hack it. . .

In this fresh new novel by critically acclaimed author Tara Kelly, Jasmine finds out what happens when her life gets Amplified."- Goodreads

Stats:

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Release date: Oct. 25, 2011

Page count: 293

Would appeal to: If I Stay/Where She Went fans, music lovers, Audrey Wait! fans

 Favorite Quotes:

"I hope they didn't expect me to dance. Jason told me I dance like a cat with Scotch tape on its paws."

"A solo without a story was like a singer with perfect pitch but a dead voice. Technique got a musician only so far."

"Unveven bits of stubble ran along his jaw, as if he'd rushed shaving. It made him seem less together, more human."

There's also one about Veta trying to forklift information from Jasmine's mind, but I can't find it at the moment.

So you know when you read those books that have some sort of technical jargon, and you think, "Man, this author seriously did her research" or "Man, this author must have lived this because it's so detailed"? The second is true for Tara Kelly in her book, Amplified. She knows her equipment and does a good job having the characters explain it (not everyone in the band is familiar with some of the guitar aides Jasmine uses). The author describes music effortlessly. I've never read a story about music that puts me right there in the audience listening while the singer riffs and the guitarist changes frets and the keyboard player rolls an underwater synth bass. I finished this book in less than a day. It helped that the author's own passion shined through her words.

What, besides the music, makes this book a great read?

-The romance: It's gritty and awkward with the right mix of argumentative moments. There's the guy you love to hate, even more so when you fall for him. But Sean is so three dimensional. He paints, studies marine biology, and works on cars. He's heartbroken over an ex who cheated on him, but she keeps trying to come back and restart their relationship. But every time this punk of a girl with a guitar, Jasmine, says something idiotic, he's there to smirk or call her out. They have amazing back and forth moments.

-The characters: Veta is great. She speaks her mind, will go to bat for those she loves, and takes Jasmine in like she's a lost puppy. Felix has blue hair he likes to wear in pigtails. They do makeup together. Bryn is bullheaded and arrogant with a soft side. Sean, Veta, Felix, and Bryn make an awesome team, each bringing something different to the band, but Jasmine adds a whole new level of professionalism with her guitar playing. I also liked Zoe, Veta's little sister, and their mom, psychic Tina. A Spanish family that only half believes in ghosts. Their family almost made me forget how angry I was with Jasmine's father for kicking her out and not calling.

-The dialogue: Real conversations. Hilarious moments. I smiled and laughed out loud.

-Lots of parties. And not the cliched red Solo cups overflowing with beer ones.

-The message: Obvious but not preachy. You can get mistakes, live through screw-ups. The important part is that you live doing what makes you happy.

This is a fun read to get lost in. I haven't read a whole lot of contemporary lately, but this put me in a great summer mood! Thank you, Kristan @ Lost Amongst the Shelves for recommending this one! It didn't disappoint, and I appreciated the ending.

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Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

"Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it."

- Goodreads

Stats:

• Publisher: Poppy/ Little, Brown & Co.
• Release date: Jan. 2, 2012
• Page count: 236
• Would appeal to: Fans of an amazing love story, Sarah Dessen fans, Sarah Ockler fans

Favorite Quotes:

"She felt a tiny seed of resentment take root inside of her. It was like the pit of a peach, something small and hard and mean, a bitterness she was certain would never dissolve."

"She wishes they could turn around and fly back in the other direction, circling the globe backward, chasing the night they left behind."

"'Those are cumulus clouds. Did you know that?...They're the best ones.' 'How come?' 'Because they look the way clouds are supposed to look, the way you draw them when you're a kid. Which is nice, you know? I mean, the sun never looks the way you drew it.' 'Like a wheel with spokes?'"

"...Hadley wonders if they'll be able to stop at all. But they do, of course they do, and everything goes quite again; after traveling nearly five hundred miles per hour for almost seven hours, they now commence crawling to the gate with all the unhurried speed of an apple cart."

"Even when she was old enough to read herself, they still tackled the classics together, moving from Anna Karenina to Pride and Prejudice to The Grapes of Wrath as if traveling across the globe itself, leaving holes in the bookshelves like missing teeth."

I'm still left squealing from how cute and perfect this book is!

First of all, this is a quick read. Cuddly but somewhat bumpy love story, multi-dimensional family relationships, funny dialogue, and believable characters.

What girl doesn't imagine falling in love at an airport or with a guy next to her? The great thing about this story is we've all been there-- getting into a conversation with another passenger and never even exchanging names. Learning all about someone's family history and goals and job, and it doesn't even matter because we don't plan on seeing that person again. You might be the other type who never says a word, but it's such close quarters. I remember when my husband said the lady next to him clutched his hand on takeoff because she was so scared. Close proximity provides a level of comfort.

Though I'm a huge fan of the love story element, the backstories of the characters were entirely believable and allowed me to forget I was reading fiction. Some of the flashbacks from Hadley's life delivered such an emotional punch and were perfectly placed. She can't seem to accept that her dad has moved on and is getting married. He's made several mistakes in the route he took, sure, but she is determined to hate her new stepmother because she's a reason their family is broken. I enjoyed watching the relationship between Hadley and her dad go from awkward to a lesser version of the term. It was very realistic in its development.

The story is told in 3rd person present tense, which threw me at first. After I gave it a chapter two, I couldn't imagine it being told another way.

Oliver, the cute British guy who helps Hadley with her bags, is so funny. He is doing a summer research study at Yale, though it could be about a number of things because he likes to make jokes. Also, on the plane, Hadley and Oliver talk about the most interesting topics. In some ways, they avoid what's important, in other ways, they cover everything that's important. The seven hour flight becomes much too short. Hadley and Oliver might never see each other again. Except for the fact that both revealed tiny details about where they were going. Or big ones, as in Hadley's case.

Great twist in the story that it took me a while to see coming. Seriously, go get this one! It's a combination of heavy and light, fun and sad. Love, love, love the romance!!!

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Review: Shatter Me

"Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel."
- Goodreads

Stats:

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: November 15, 2011
• Page count: 352
• Would appeal to: Dystopian lovers, aspiring authors (for amazing writing)
• Unique elements: Utilizes the strike through throughout, uses numbers instead of spelling them out

Favorite Quotes:
"The tilt of his head cracks gravity in half. I'm suspended in the moment. I blink and bottle my breaths."

"I turn on his shower at the same time I turn on my own and his complaints drown under the broken bullets of the barely functioning spigots."

"His eyes are the perfect shade of cobalt, blue like a blossoming bruise, clear and deep and decided."

"My eyes are 2 professional pick-pockets, stealing everything to store away in my mind. I lose track of the minutes we trample over."

"My heart is a field of lilies blooming under a pane of glass, pitter-pattering to life like a rush of raindrops."

"It's the only reason I have asylum from the preying eyes of hundreds of lonely men. It's the only reason Adam is staying with me-- because Warner thinks Adam is a cardboard cutout of vanilla regurgitations."

Juliette-- a main character for whom my heart wept. Her touch could kill a person. So no one came near her. Not her parents. Not the kids on the playground who threw rocks at her. She was always a monster. Until she was finally locked up in a cell for an accidental crime, her parents more than willing to see her go.

For three years she's been away from her home. For 264 days she hasn't touched a soul. Then a boy is thrown in with her. Is he crazy? She doesn't know. Is he gorgeous? She finds it hard to look away. She recognizes those blue eyes. But he must not remember her.

Thus begins several nights where Juliette huddles in the corner. He asks so many questions. So does she. They hardly get answers. Juliette is let out by a leader in the army named Warner. The army that's taking over and enforcing the Reestablishment for the supposed good of a dying society living on a dying earth. He wants to use her "gift" for his own purposes. He's also busy leading an army. Killing soldiers who disobey. Trying to obtain the unattainable, namely, her.

Author Tahereh Mafi weaves words like nobody's business: descriptions to die for. The story is perfect from Juliette's view. The repetition of certain words three times really convey urgency, and the strike throughs are an interesting way to see what her subconscious is trying to supress or the words she's embarrassed to think. The story's pace was perfect; I certainly couldn't put it down. Action, creativity, fun dialogue, and especially juicy romancy-- this book's got it all. I wonder how long it took for Mafi to create such sigh-worthy love scenes. It's impossible not to root for the two young lovebirds.

Adam is the perfect guy-- his loyalty, dedication, and bravery are doubled when Juliette's safety is at stake. The minor character of Kenji was just the right amount of cocky to make me laugh. And Adam's younger brother James is so adorably fearless. Warner is gross and pathetic, but will there be electricity between him and Juliette in the next book? I'm sensing something developing...

I'm so eager to find out more about the world Mafi has created. The ending was good but still left me wanting more. My only bone with this-- the phrase "bleeding" was a little overused in the middle, and mostly it was the figurative kind of bleeding. Still, I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone, if not for the plot, for the writing alone.

 

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Review: The Bronze and the Brimstone

What could go wrong in the 14th-century
for three time-traveling teens?
How about – EVERYTHING!
Hansum, Shamira and Lincoln, three teens from the 24th-century, are trapped in 14th-century Verona, Italy. They’ve survived many deadly experiences by keeping their wits about them and by introducing futuristic technology into the past. Principal among these inventions is the telescope, which brought them to the attention to the rich and powerful.
But standing out can get you into unexpected and dangerous situations. The nobles of Verona now believe Hansum is a savant, a genius inventor, especially after he brings them plans for advanced cannons and black powder. Being the center of attention is great, but the potential for trouble is now exponentially greater because people are watching Hansum’s every move.
Meanwhile, artistic genius Shamira has fallen for a Florentine artist with bloody and disasterous consequences. Lincoln, considered an incompetent back home in the 24th-century, has blossomed – at least until he’s shot in the head with an arrow. And Hansum, after secretly marrying his new master’s beautiful daughter, Guilietta, is offered the hand in marriage of lady Beatrice, daughter of the ruler of Verona. To refuse could mean calamity for all the teens.
Amazingly, none of this is their biggest challenge. Because a rash illness is spreading across Verona – and it is threatening to consume everyone.
Do they have a future in this past?

Stats:

• Publisher: The Fiction Studio
• Release date: June 7, 2011
• Page count: 336

This is book number 2 in The Verona Trilogy, and I have to say, the I was completely captivated at the start! In my review of book one, I mentioned how I thought the book was hard to get into and was slow starting. This was completely the opposite. By page 30 I couldn't put the book down. Kaufman nailed the pacing of this book. I was never bored.

Guilietta and Hansum are in love, and the Master, Guilietta's father, is aware of this because Hansum has asked her father's permission. Hansum and Guilietta, however, have arranged a secret elopement like any young couple in love who can't wait to be together. This is foiled when Hansum goes to see the Podesta, a rich and powerful noble who has been told of the invention Hansum introduced in the last book on the advice and plans of his genie, Pan. History may or may not be permanently effected, the Podesta is about to go on a greed overload using this new tool and Hansum's plans for advanced cannons and a new formula for gunpowder, and the Podesta knows he must keep this savant in his services. What better way than to offer up his daughter's hand in marriage? With Hansum as a part of his family, he could surely become an undefeated leader.

But Hansum refuses. Politely. Still...

No one insults the Podesta's daughter like that. Hansum had better look out.

So begins a plot full of twists, suspense, and even bits of comedy. As always, Lincoln, the younger teen who now has two young apprentices to look over, provides some rich dialogue. Shamira falls in love (hooray!). Lincoln, who has found his place assisting with making discs of the eyes, is shot! 

I liked the fact that right off the bat, Hansum has to experience an important situation without the assistance of Pan. I was cringing right along with Pan (who was stuck in Hansum's cap on the table, observing) and hoping he'd say the right things to impress an obviously treacherous man (mostly so he would avoid any type of torture or execution!). After all, the kids are living in the 14th century, the rogue History Camp guide who brought them there has been murdered, so whatever they do has the potential to effect (or even end) their lives.

You must pick this series up! The second book of a series tends to be a bridge that will simply lead to the end. Not so with this middle book! What a breath of fresh air. I can't ruin anything about what has happened to history-- have the kids changed it forever? Will they ever get back to the 24th century, see their families and their A.I.'s again?

Fall in love with these characters, the beautiful but not-always-so-pleasant ancient Verona, and a bond established between "orphans" and their master that is unusual for the time period. 

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Review: The Lens and the Looker

"There's hope for the future, but what about the past?
It’s the 24th century and humans, with the help of artificial intelligences (A.I.s) have finally created the perfect post-dystopian society. To make equally perfect citizens for this world, the elders have created History Camps, full sized recreations of cities from Earth’s distant pasts. Here teens live the way their ancestors did, doing the same dirty jobs and experiencing the same degradations. History Camps teach youths not to repeat the mistakes that almost caused the planet to die. But not everything goes to plan.
In this first of a trilogy, we meet three spoiled teens in the year 2347. Hansum almost 17, is good looking and athletic. Shamira, 15, is sassy, independent and an artistic genius. Lincoln, 14, is the smart-aleck. But you don’t have to scratch too far beneath the surface to find his insecurities.
These three “hard cases” refuse the valuable lessons History Camps teach. But when they are kidnapped and taken back in time to 1347 Verona, Italy, they only have two choices; adapt to the harsh medieval ways or die. The dangers are many, their enemies are powerful, and safety is a long way away. It’s hardly the ideal environment to fall in love – but that’s exactly what happens. In an attempt to survive, the trio risks introducing technology from the future. It could save them – or it could change history."

-Goodreads

Stats:

• Publisher: Fiction Studio
• Date of release: March 16, 2011
• Page count: 336
• Format: Paperback
• Unique elements: Book divided into three different mini-books, each one starts over at Chapter 1

Favorite Quotes:

"'Well, for a mouth breather like Ugilino, his sights can't be set too high,' Hansum snorted. 'This daughter must be a real dog too.'"

"'Oh, a thousand apologies, magnificent spawn of nobody-knows-who. The pot at this time does not have noble merda in it, only that of a peasant.' 'Whose?' Lincoln asked, his eyes burning. 'Me. It is mine from last night and this morning. Oh, it was a magnificent evacuation.'"

"'Father Aaron once told me that life is a dance. A dance where we live with one foot in Heaven and one foot in Hell. We dance back and forth between the two and are given a choice. Life is learning always to always dance back into Heaven.'"

The first in The Verona Trilogy, The Lens and the Looker was different than anything I've read. It seems a little more geared for middle readers, even though Hansum is 17. Still, I did enjoy it. I like the concept of History Camps-- the method the future society uses to reform unruly young people. At the History Camp based on old Verona, as Hansum, Lincoln, and Shamira discover, it is meant to seem like you are living back in the past when such luxuries as Aritifical Intelligence personal robots don't guide your every move. Hansum already knows how fake the camps are, and the kids hash out a plot to disrupt the play acting adults, so much so that they lose their accents in frustration. Everything changes when a man they think is another History Camp enactor, Arimus, comes on the scene and takes the three kids back to the real Verona back in 1347.  

I thought some of the descriptions of future life were interesting. It would be pretty cool to have a little brass lamp with a tiny mischevious genie inside that was all-knowing and appears as a holographic image. This book is divided into three books, and I couldn't fully immerse myself into the text until Book 2, which was page 87. When Arimus shows up and only speaks in rhyme, I could appreciate the hard work that author Lory Kaufman put into making the prose flow perfectly. I couldn't quite understand all the tecnical descriptions of the lens making machine, but Kaufman also did his research on the machinery and architecture of the time. There's even a moment when Ugilino (love that name, especially since he's ugly!) bites his thumb as an insult, which is true to the times! 

When the kids landed in the past and I didn't know what would happen next, that's when the story became intriguing. In the hopes that the History Camp elders will bring them back, they begin to tamper with history by introducing technology that has yet to be developed. Will changing time history erase them from existence?

At times, mostly in Book 1, I felt there was too much telling and not enough showing, or imagery, going on. I also thought that some of the chapters just ended; there was no true hook to make me keep reading. It was a nice touch that there were little hour glasses to separate sections within the chapter to go along with the time traveling theme. 

However, I did like the 3rd person limited narrative because I could experience different characters' thoughts. The fact that the reader doesn't get into the head of all the characters leaves a bit of mystery. The romance between Hansum and Guilietta developed at a nice pace. It's great to see the class divisions-- that Hansum, as an "orphan" lens maker's apprentice, would not be an ideal match for the daughter of a lens maker. Then there's the creepy Prince Feltrino who only has eyes for Guilietta, and mostly so he can treat her as a conquest. Hansum is not permitted to stand up for her with Feltrino because of his status. He's always held back by some adult, including a monk at one point. Starcrossed lovers are always an interesting element in any story. Lincoln's sense of humor and quirky jokes, even his future slang word "zippy," brought life to the story.

I came to enjoy the plot twists, especially the huge one at the end of Book 2. I actually remember gasping out loud! I'm looking forward to checking out Kaufman's second book, The Bronze and the Brimstone, because of the cliffhanger at the end of The Lens and the Looker.

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The Weeping Blog Tour: Review and Character Interview- O'Dell Hutchison

Welcome to a stop on The Weeping Blog Tour hosted by Book Twirps. You Can See the Entire Tour Schedule HERE.

O'Dell Hutchison's first novel, a paranormal thriller called The Weeping, is set for release in just three days! Below is an interview with two prominent characters from the story, followed by my review.

Character interview: Catherine

1. It is obvious that Phillip was the love of your life. You were just a freshman and he was a senior in high school when the relationship started. He was popular and athletic, you were more quiet -- a loner, as some might say. How did such a match come about?

Honestly, I didn’t expect it at all. I was always very quiet and didn’t really interact much with kids at school. I’d known Phillip for years — it’s a small town — but other than the occasional “hello” we’d never really talked. The first time we had a real conversation was over the 4th of July weekend before I started high school. He was carrying a bunch of stuff to the beach for a barbecue and his package of napkins was open and scattered across the beach. I helped him pick them up and he invited me to sit with him and his family. From there we started talking whenever we would see one another and then he asked me to Homecoming when school started and it just went from there.

2.  It is one thing to be in love, but another entirely to make that love the only focus of your life, especially as a teen. Did you ever think some of your actions -- showing up in the middle of the night and calling to Phillip outside his window, planning to follow him across the country, calling him all the time -- were too extreme? 

Looking back on it all, I would say yes, but at the time he was all I had. I was young and so alone. He was my world. I had no stability before I met him and when he broke up with me I didn’t want to go back to the uncertainty of my real life. It scared me.

3.  What prompted you to try out for Our Town? Why wait until your last year of high school to make theatre a hobby?

 Actually, I’d been involved with theatre before. I usually worked crew or helped paint sets. I also had a few small roles in some other shows. It was Ms. Marilyn who encouraged me to come out and audition for the show. I was in a really dark place at the time, and she thought it would be good for me. I never expected to get a lead role. 

4.  When the theatre building caught on fire, why did you not rush after the actors who were running off stage? 

It all happened so fast. I didn’t even know there was a fire. I remember we were performing a funeral scene. My character had died and was watching her funeral. All of the actors were on stage for that scene, so it was crowded. I thought I smelled smoke, and then I heard screaming. People pushed past me and I fell — I couldn’t get up. By the time I was able to stand the stage was filled with smoke. I didn’t know where to go…

Character interview: Heath

1.  Your parents sent you away for the summer to Uncle Vic's to recover after your accident. Did you have any hopes that you could heal there?

Well, at first I just wanted to get away. I was really willing to go anywhere. I wasn’t really sure what was going to happen when I moved. I guess, in a way, I hoped I’d get better. I hated feeling the way I did.

2.  Do you think your dreams were a portal to the spiritual world? 

I really don’t know. I was definitely connected to something. I just don’t understand how. It’s weird, ya know?

3.  When you first met Molly, you described her as having a dancer's body, but not breathtaking, just "normal." As you got to know her personality, did she become more attractive than just "normal"?

I didn’t mean that in a bad way at all. I always thought she was attractive. What I meant was she didn’t have to try to be pretty. She wasn’t all dolled up like she was trying to make an impression and she wasn’t dressed for attention like so many girls at my old high school. She was pretty without trying. 

4.  When you were working the light cues for the first time, you heard static and whispering that no one else, including the stage manager Luke, heard. Was there any point that you truly thought, "I'm going crazy?" 

That was kind of the clincher for me. At that point in time I knew something was up. I wasn’t dreaming — I was wide awake. That’s when I knew that whatever was happening was happening just to me and since I didn’t believe in ghosts, I thought for sure I had completely lost it.

5.  Why did Vic insist on restoring an old theatre that was rumored to be haunted?  

Hmm, I dunno really. I mean, I don’t think anyone thought that the place was haunted. Josie said there were rumors that people would hear things and occasionally smell smoke, but nothing major had happened. Not until I got there.

My review:

"Twenty years ago, Catherine Whitley was the victim of a horrible crime. Betrayed by her friends, including the boy she loved, she was left to die when the Rock Harbor Opera House caught fire, taking a disturbing secret with her to her grave.

Seventeen-year-old Heath Ingram was driving the night his Jeep careened off the road, killing three of his closest friends. Once a popular, outgoing athlete, Heath now suffers from severe depression and crippling anxiety. His parents decide to send him to stay with his uncle in Rock Harbor, Oregon for the summer, praying that by getting away he will be able to put this awful tragedy behind him.

When Heath starts working at the newly renovated Rock Harbor Opera House, he meets Molly, a young dancer who awakens in him a desire to start over and move on. But, when he begins having visions of a half-burned girl in a white dress, he starts to think he may be slipping even further over the edge.

As the apparent hauntings become more intense, Heath begins to fear for his safety. With the help of his friend Josie, Heath discovers an unsettling secret that ties the mysterious girl to both their families. When two of their friends die unexpectedly, Josie and Heath realize that something, or someone, is after the children of those who wronged Catherine, and they are next."
- Goodreads

Stats:

• Publisher: H, C & B Publishing
• Date of release: March 6, 2012
• Page count: 282 (hardcover)
• Format: Kindle ebook

This novel grabbed me right from the start, made me want to learn more. Why is Catherine alone in the smoke? Why is her brain telling her she's stupid for thinking a boy named Phillip cares for her, that he won't come back? As part of the stage crashes to the floor, why does no one come to rescue her from the deadly flames?

Flash forward several years. Heath is in a car with his parents, traveling to Oregon to stay with his Uncle Vic for the summer. Heath needs to get away, get his mind off the memories of flipping his jeep with his best friend next to him and two girls in the back seat. But he relives these nightmares in his sleep, Jake's lifeless, bloody body, frightened cries for help that turn to nothing.

Vic puts Heath to work right away in the town's old theater that he is reopening. Strange occurences begin happening, but Heath is the only one who seems to notice-- weeping from the stairwell, a whispering voice on the headset, even a ghostly figure with a burned face.

Heath's new friends try to help him investigate. Molly, the petite dancer who's super sweet, captures his attention from the start, even though he knows Luke, the stage manager, has a crush on her. Then there's Josie, the punk costume designer. They have an instant bond, and she believes in ghosts and even helps conduct a seance. It is obvious the ghost is Catherine, but what does she want, and more importantly, who is she after?

The secondary characters were well-developed, and Juda was an entitled rich kid I loved to hate.  There are quite a few secrets about Catherine the reader discovers along the way, as well as the adults who were part of her high school life. The only part that truly shocked me was ending, which I felt was too abrupt. I wanted a more definitive resolution and also for the story to go on longer.

Heath was a great narrator. I actually felt that some of his thoughts about Molly were much cleaner than I'd expect of a 17 year-old boy. At times, I wondered why Heath didn't make connections faster when certain facts (for example, bits of Catherine's diary) came to light. Even though I liked Luke at the beginning of the story, I felt he was way too possessive of Molly. However, this shows a vulnerable, jealous side of a teenage boy in love and isn't an inaccurate portrayal.

It was crazy how clingy Catherine was. I guess when the love of your life up and leaves you, even if he didn't feel the same way, it's heartbreaking. Her focus was always on Phillip and how she could mold her life around his. Again, not an untrue representation of an infatuated woman blinded by love.

Final verdict:
Hutchison mixes suspense and mystery in the right portions to create genuine intrigue. He builds believable character relationships that will make you truly concerned for the well-being of each character, especially when death starts invading the small community of Rock Harbor. 

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