Posts Categorized: YA Romance

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Review: Light of Day by Allison van Diepen

December 2, 2015 Lily B Review 34 ★★★

Light of Day by Allison van Diepen
Series: Stand-Alone
Published by HarperTeen on November 24th 2015
Genres: Young Adult Contemporary
Pages: 320
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating:
Heat Rating: one-flame

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

Like any other Saturday night, Gabby Perez and her best friend, Maria, are out dancing. But this isn’t just another night. When a mysterious stranger warns Gabby their drinks have been drugged, she hurries Maria home. Sure enough, the next day, Maria can’t remember a thing. Gabby’s shaken by their close call. And she’s not going to stay quiet about it.
She opens up the airwaves on her radio show and discovers an even worse truth: the guy who drugged them was going to force them into prostitution. Then Gabby’s friend Bree never makes it home from a party, and Gabby fears the worst.
Gabby reaches out to the guy who saved her, the gorgeous stranger she knows only as X. As they dive into the seedy underworld of Miami, searching for Bree, they can’t ignore their undeniable attraction. Until Gabby discovers the truth about who X really is and the danger that surrounds him. Can their love survive the light of day?

This was an interesting story and an interesting concept. It basically follows Gabby an aspiring DJ, who is saved from being drugged at the club by a mysterious handsome stranger named ‘X’ and somehow gets tangled up into a darker world of girls getting kidnapped, pimps and sex trafficking.

The story was a quick read for me. I think in a way the author was trying to spread awareness about this issue that’s so big in this world right now, I just felt as far as the story went, it was a bit unrealistic. Entertaining, but unrealistic.

For me, all the steps that Gabby took felt dangerous and if this was taken by a girl her age in the real world, the girl would be long dead and probably would have hurt a lot of girls in the process for being so reckless. As nice and cleaned up the ending came out, there aren’t a lot of happy endings for a lot of the girls going through this.

In the book, Gabby was trying to find and rescue a girl from her school named Bree, so she uses the radio to spread awareness and is forward about the pimps and actually mentions the name once or twice. Somehow everything works out for Gabby, no one she cares about get’s hurt, only the bad guys. Unfortunately, this is not how it works. If anyone did what Gabby had done, it would never turn out the way it did.

Are there people out there like ‘X’ looking and rescuing the girls that are kidnapped and forced into the sex trade? I don’t know. I did not do a lot of research on that. I do know that sex trafficking numbers are high, that most of these girls never get a happy ending because they are never found, and if someone in real life announced the pimp’s name on the radio - the pimp would probably have disappeared into the night with these girls.

In truth the statistics are real and frightening. I wish the story was handled better, but nonetheless, it was entertaining and I am sort of glad that someone took a bold step to write about this. I just wish the actions of the main character wasn’t so reckless, uninformed and dangerous. Even the messy situation that she gets herself into in the end, she somehow comes out unscratched.

I gave the author 3 brownie points for at least trying.

The Statistics behind sex trafficking from http://www.equalitynow.org:

At least 20.9 million adults and children are bought and sold worldwide into commercial sexual servitude, forced labor and bonded labor.²
About 2 million children are exploited every year in the global commercial sex trade.³
Almost 6 in 10 identified trafficking survivors were trafficked for sexual exploitation.⁴
Women and girls make up 98% of victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation.⁵

Review: Soundless by Richelle Mead

November 18, 2015 Lily B Review 58 ★★★½

Soundless by Richelle Mead
Series: Stand-Alone
Published by Razorbill on November 10th 2015
Genres: Young Adult Mythology, Young Adult Fantasy
Pages: 272
Format: Hardcover
Source: Own Copy
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating:
Heat Rating: one-flame

From Richelle Mead, the #1 internationally bestselling author of Vampire Academy and Bloodlines, comes a breathtaking new fantasy steeped in Chinese folklore.
For as long as Fei can remember, there has been no sound in her village, where rocky terrain and frequent avalanches prevent residents from self-sustaining. Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom.
When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink and many go hungry. Fei’s home, the people she loves, and her entire existence is plunged into crisis, under threat of darkness and starvation.
But soon Fei is awoken in the night by a searing noise, and sound becomes her weapon.
Richelle Mead takes readers on a triumphant journey from the peak of Fei’s jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiugo, where a startling truth and an unlikely romance will change her life forever...

First Impression: A story of self-perseverance in the face of the unknown.

Second Impression: I liked how the story was written. It uses certain costumes and vaguely bases a fantasy world around it. I found it quite impressive. The people of a small village where Fei is from known only one way of life. They are split into different classes. The miners, mine for the metals that keep their village alive for the village is on top of a mountain with no way down and the only thing that keeps them fed is sending metal down through a line in exchange for food. The artists supervise the daily life of the village and return to report it in an expressive artistic way that will be displayed the next day for the whole town to witness. They must only observe and never intervene.

For you see, everyone in town is deft. Their only way of communication is through sign language and reading the painted word from the artists. Unfortunately the town is also suffering from people going blind, and no one known why this is happening. It’s interfering with the mining and thus causing the man managing the zip-line below to send them more food. When Li Wei’s (a miner) father dies in an accident in the mine because he was losing his vision, Li Wei sets out to try and climb down the mountain and have the lineman reconsider sending them so little food. Fei is forced to go with him when her own sister’s sight begins to fail, and the last thing she wants is for her to become a beggar. Especially in the world so scares of food.

The only thing is, Fei is the only one that can climb down the mountain because her hearing has returned and she is the only one in the village that can hear the rock slide and thus avoid getting killed.

When Li Wei and Fei make their way to the world below, what they discover not only stuns them, but the mystery and betrayal towards her people leaves them wanting the same salvation and pleasures of life the people in the township are experiencing. As they try to get back to their people and enlighten them of the deceiving lies, the danger follows them.

Third Impression: The book was okay. No, you must understand, I really enjoyed it. I must have if I finished it so damn quickly right? And I did. I like the underlying feel of the story, it felt diverse from the normal reads that keep popping up in my kindle lately. Fei was an interesting character, but where she was strong and brave, she was also a bit naive and weak. I know she wanted what was best for her people, but ultimately failed to see the bigger picture. The entire time I was reading this book, I was curious to how she was going to accomplish what she was set out to do.

Okay, I must say the ending was a bit of disappointment. I kind of expected that it was going to happen in such way, but it still left a bitter pill in my mouth. I wanted something more, I wanted to see the people stand up and rebel. I wanted to see them use that anger and sorrow that they had battled for so long and unleash it on the cruelty that kept them on top of the mountain. Yes, I admired the village folks for doing everything they can in order to survive under their circumstances, but I also envisioned some kind of a revolution for them. Not just become a sort of a fish out of the water and hope that a myth saves them.

There was also a bit of romance in the book and it was cute, but everything did end a bit too perfectly. Sure, the author did not take it to the extent of making your teeth ache, but Fei seemed to have literally got everything she could ever want. It left me wanting a bit more meat on these dry bones, so to speak and wishing that the story was not a stand-alone – maybe it would have been better for it. This is one time that I did not feel it had a strong ending and left me feeling a bit disappointed, but I guess it does bring closure to those that needed in light of the events and HEA.

I did enjoy the writing and the story telling. It had a folk book feeling, and even thought it wasn’t detailed, it was understandable. It did not bore me to tears with an influx of information, therefore I did not find the book dry. I enjoyed every minute of it, despite wanting a better, stronger, and possibly overall a different ending. Thought I liked it just fine, I felt that the story in general had a lot of potential. But, if it meant to feel like a folklore, in which it absolutely does, then it is understandable.

Review: Dangerous Lies by Becca Fitzpatrick

November 14, 2015 Lily B Review 26 ★★★★½

Dangerous Lies by Becca Fitzpatrick
Series: Stand-Alone
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on November 10th 2015
Genres: Young Adult Mystery Thriller
Pages: 400
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating:
Heat Rating: half-flame

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

A teen is forced to make a fresh start after witnessing a violent crime—but love and danger find her anyway in this novel from Becca Fitzpatrick, the New York Times bestselling author of the Hush, Hush saga.
Stella Gordon is not her real name. Thunder Basin, Nebraska, is not her real home. This is not her real life.
After witnessing a lethal crime, Stella Gordon is sent to the middle of nowhere for her own safety before she testifies against the man she saw kill her mother’s drug dealer.
But Stella was about to start her senior year with the boyfriend she loves. How can she be pulled away from the only life she knows and expected to start a new one in Nebraska? Stella chafes at her protection and is rude to everyone she meets. She’s not planning on staying long, so why be friendly? Then she meets Chet Falconer and it becomes harder to keep her guard up, even as her guilt about having to lie to him grows.
As Stella starts to feel safer, the real threat to her life increases—because her enemies are actually closer than she thinks…

Estella Goodwinn has witnessed a terrible crime and upon agreeing to testify against the man who is sitting in jail, she must enter the witness protection program in order to keep her from the dangerous crime world the man is involved with. Because Danny Balando is pissed, and his connections in the cartel will want to find the girl who tossed him in jail.

I am completely stunned by this book, Becca Fitzpatrick really blew this one out of the water for me. She took the main character, made her utterly unlikable and through careful character development and growth, swiftly changed how I felt about Stella. At the beginning I wanted to grow at how inconsiderate and ungrateful Stella was. These people were putting their lives on the line to protect her and kept hitting the wall of snob that this character came built with. I wanted to throttle her. I literally put the book down for a few days because I was so angry at how she was handling her situation. After calming down, I plowed on, because despite my utter hate for Stella’s character, Becca Fitzpatrick’s writing was absolute perfection. Her way with words really knows how to pull you in, and her talent for writing really shines through the book. Once I was engrossed and trapped, I could NOT put this book down.

Mystery, secrets, lies and the mix characters of Thunder Basin, Nebraska made this book a real page turner. I loved seeing Stella grow and develop as a character. I love seeing her shed her jaded ways and accept Thunder Basin for what it was and the people surrounding her as friends. I also came to admire her as a character. In the end, I saw her for what she was, at the beginning a scared and lost girl who lashed out at everyone because she was losing her identity and growing into a strong and remarkable woman. I was glad to see her refuse at being pushed around when she ran into her troubles with Trigger and proud that she took action instead of letting the guy get away with everything he was getting away with, just because of who he was to the town.

I admired the way she treated the character’s close to her, including Inny and Chet. The growth of trust and relationship building between her and Carmina, the woman who took her under her wings when she entered the protection program.

There was just so much going on, never really a dull moment. The secrets and lies Stella told really were taking a toll on her and made her question her morals.

Learning about Carmina’s past, really made you feel for the character. It’s devastating, it’s poignantly sad and it touched my emotions on so many levels. It left me a bit startled that after everything she went through, she wasn’t a more jaded character.

The romance in this was slow-burn and I loved it. I was so glad because it was such a refreshing change from all the recent insta-love. Because of Stella’s previous relationship that she had to leave behind, and all the lies she has to keep secret, her and Chet’s relationship starts as friendship that very slowly blooms into something more. It was believable and fantastic because I totally adored Chet. He has his own share of demons in the closet, things in the past that he has to live with because a part of the town does not seem to want to let him forget. He is such a strong, moral character with a heart of gold. The way he felt he needed to take care of his brother was both as heart breaking as respectable. The ending only made me love him ever more.

Chet was a good guy - a great guy. He didn’t deserve the deception and heartache that would come from getting involved with me.

Despite Stella’s mother being a sorry excuse for a human being and bringing all this trouble coming down on top of her daughter’s head, there was still a strong sense of family in this book, especially when Carmina and Stella started to form a deeper bond. The care was obviously there, especially a moment that moved the bonds of their relationship and made it stronger.

Another part wanted to hug her. Maybe even shed tears of gratitude. She had my back. I wasn’t alone.

I didn’t like Stella’s mother’s character, she was a junkie who Stella as a minor ends up taking care of because the drug addiction and depression was so strong she could not function as a normal mom.

A glimpse of blue sky, a singing bird on the windowsill. Or, in my case, not having the weight of caring for my mom dragging me under. What if Thunder Basin was my chance to come up for air?

I think the only reason I did not give this book 5 stars is because everything happened in the end so quickly, all the actions and the sense of forbodding that was happening in this book exploded and wrapped up rather quickly. I was also confused with what happened to Reed, the author never really touched on that in the wrap up.

Outside of that. I really enjoyed the masterfully writing that kept me turning the pages late into the night. Even if it did give me a couple of black circles under my eyes, it was totally well worth it. I adored it all and can’t wait to see what Fitzpatrick has in store for me next.

I leaned my back against the wall and shut my eyes. I rested a hand on the windowsill and let the cool air wash over my clammy skin. I breathed deeply, trying to plant my feet solidly in Thunder Basin.

My problems receded into the shadows and life seemed simple again. I felt cool, sweet relief. Tonight Thunder Basin didn’t feel like a prison. It felt like a set of open doors at the end of a long, painful road, beckoning me closer.

Review: The Glass Arrow by Kristen Simmons + Giveaway

November 7, 2015 Lily B Giveaway, Review 26 ★★★★

The Glass Arrow by Kristen Simmons
Series: Stand-Alone
Published by Tor Teen on February 10th 2015
Genres: Young Adult Dystopia
Pages: 336
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating:
Heat Rating: half-flame

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

The Handmaid’s Tale meets Blood Red Road in Glass Arrow, the story of Aya, who lives with a small group of women on the run from the men who hunt them, men who want to auction off breeding rights to the highest bidder.
In a world where females are scarce and are hunted, then bought and sold at market for their breeding rights, 15-year old Aya has learned how to hide. With a ragtag bunch of other women and girls, she has successfully avoided capture and eked out a nomadic but free existence in the mountains. But when Aya’s luck runs out and she’s caught by a group of businessmen on a hunting expedition, fighting to survive takes on a whole new meaning.

Guys, I could not believe this! I was going through my 2015 list, compiling my favorites for the year and I noticed that I have missed reviewing The Glass Arrow. At first I was shocked because I liked it so much, then I was confused and then I looked at my Goodreads shelf and everything came to light. I read The Glass Arrow literally the day before my son was born.

So despite this being several months late. I figured it was still better late then never.

Wow, I have to admit, this was my first time dipping my toes into Simmons writing and I do not regret it. The Glass Arrow, did it for me. It hooked me from the beginning and continued to hold on until the very end. It was wonderful, it was emotional, and it was addictive. I did not want to let this book go.

Simmons introduces us to a darker world where women are haunted, sold, and used as breeders. The girls that are caught in the wild are brought to this jail like place called the Garden, where they are groomed to be sold. Aya was born in the wild, outside of the city limits, and when she was caught, she did everything in her power to try and stay away from being sold in the auctions - injuries, fights, pissing off the woman in charge. I think the fact that she wasn’t born within the city is what drove her will for survival and her wild like instincts to keep herself from being sold like a piece of meat. She was strong, resilient and she did things that I probably would never have the guts to do. She also has a sort of a pet wolf Brax who I adored.

I was a little perplexed about the way these girls treated each other in the Garden. I was really hoping sisterhood would prevail at a time of need. In a way, later in the story, it does. Still, it saddened me how easily the girls accepted their faith, that this is all they think they will amount to.

The romance in this was slow building, and I was so happy that it was not insta-love. Kiran is a Driver, who is equally as brave as Aya. They meet when Aya get’s tossed into solitary due to her behavior, and after a rocky start they eventually form a kind of bond. Aya thinks that Kiran is a mute as he does not speak, and so there were a lot of one sided conversations between the two. Aya does not trust Kiran at first, but eventually it became kind of hard not to when he tries to help her.

The world building was fabulous. I was shocked how well Simmons had woven everything together into one Stand-Alone novel. For the most part, I think she has managed to cover everything and how the world worked. From how the girls were groomed to be sold, to Drivers, and the food pills.

The ending was action packed and a bit of a nail biter for me. I wanted to know what happens, how will it end. Daphne, one of the girls from the Garden and her sudden resilience surprised me. Her relationship with Aya is rocky and not well liked, but both do what they have to in order to survive. Aya is loyal to a fault and I loved that about her. I loved learning about her past and who she is. I applaud Aya for the sacrifices she had made, seriously the ending made me cry, and if you read the book you know exactly why. I almost gave up on the book there and then, I couldn’t believe it happened. I think that was the major part that took away 1 star for me from the book

Because I am feeling generous today I am giving away an e-book copy of this book from amazon, or B & N or wherever I can send a copy to you from. Open INT. Yay!

Rules

Must be 13 years old or older to enter. (People under must have a parent enter for them)
Must be a follower of the blog
Winners will be notified by e-mail within 72 hours of the giveaway ending and will have 72 hours to respond to that e-mail or else a new winner will be chosen. So please do not skip the option of putting in the e-mail that you check most frequently.
Entries that do not follow the rules will be disqualified.

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Review: Blood and Salt by Kim Liggett

November 5, 2015 Lily B Review 34 ★★★½

Blood and Salt by Kim Liggett
Series: Blood and Salt, #1
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers on September 22nd 2015
Genres: Young Adult Paranormal
Pages: 352
Format: Hardcover
Source: Own Copy
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating:
Heat Rating: one-flame

Romeo and Juliet meets Children of the Corn in this one-of-a-kind romantic horror.
“When you fall in love, you will carve out your heart and throw it into the deepest ocean. You will be all in—blood and salt.”
These are the last words Ash Larkin hears before her mother returns to the spiritual commune she escaped long ago. But when Ash follows her to Quivira, Kansas, something sinister and ancient waits among the rustling cornstalks of this village lost to time.
Ash is plagued by memories of her ancestor, Katia, which harken back to the town’s history of unrequited love and murder, alchemy and immortality. Charming traditions soon give way to a string of gruesome deaths, and Ash feels drawn to Dane, a forbidden boy with secrets of his own.
As the community prepares for a ceremony five hundred years in the making, Ash must fight not only to save her mother, but herself—and discover the truth about Quivira before it’s too late. Before she’s all in—blood and salt.

I gave myself a couple of hours, but I have come to an inevitable conclusion, I have a like and dislike relationship with this book.

What was there to like?

The world building. I actually enjoyed the world building in Blood and Salt, It was a bit interesting. I mean come on, a secret civilization of people that you can only get to by walking through the corn? Yes please. From what I understood, the people where suppose to be sort of stuck in time. There was a bit of an overlap as far as modern civilization went and old costumes of Quivira. In it’s entirety it did have a cult feel to it. A bunch of people living in a town that was meant only for the chosen bloodlines, following a woman who promises them immortality if she should find a vessel for herself and the love that she lost. They did not care what it would cost the person to give up, as long as their leader Katie would return to them in a different body. Yup, definitely had a cult feel to it.

This book felt a bit like an illusion. Thought it seems like there was suppose to be a fine line between good and evil, darkness and light, the ending takes everything that you thought you knew and threw it out the window. Kim Liggett did an interesting job blurring the lines between good and evil when it came to the characters in Blood and Salt, thought a bit predictable, the whole concept was kind of interesting. I did not feel that there was a straight good and straight bad in this book, in a way the characters flaws and the deep rooted beliefs is what drove them to their action. Love played a powerful culprit in this novel as far as the length a person can go no matter how good their intention may seem, can ultimately be their downfall.

The writing. I liked Liggett’s writing for the most part. I think she created an interesting world and an interesting concept. But at times it felt a little hectic, and I will get to that later. It was a bit dark and a bit gritty and if you are looking for a happy ending to the first book, go look elsewhere.

I also did enjoy the emphasis on the brother and sister relationship and watching how much Rhys was protective of Ash.

So what didn’t I like?

The romance, the insta-love, oh my god made me want to tear my hair out. I get it, you know. Soul-mates and all of that, but the transition was so quick and rapid, it left my head spinning. For one, the main character Ash has never been in love and never had crushes, so when she meets Dane, she acts like a love sick puppy. They get so handsy and googly eyed, its a miracle their clothes stayed on for as long as it did. But Dane is not what it seems, so eventually the ending made me question how everything leading up to it was possible, but whatever.

Ash and Rhys, the twins in the book. Ash is the main character. Thought her intentions were good, she came to save her mother, at times she made me want to kick her. Rhys was well, odd for a 17 year old. Blood made him uneasy, he wanted to puke every time he saw it. Girl’s made him awkward as hell and in the end, he just felt a bit immature, but so did Ash so hum.

There were ironic moments, corny moments, and moments that really just made me kind of go….really?

The ending. The final battle? What happens in the end, there were two moments, and if you read the book you know what I am talking about, that made me take away one star rating. One, seriously, how do you discuss boys and love with your mother when in reality you should probably do something about that evil person who is just literally left a bit vulnerable to your attack? Two, the ultimate sacrifice that Ash had to make made me kind of….angry…annoyed… disturbed? It just did not work for me. If I wasn’t already so damn invested already, I almost put the book down and walked away. Yes, it was a bit dark, yes it totally made me feel uncomfortable, possibly even shed a tear, and yet it must not have been easy for the author to write either.

The ending made my head spin, there was just so much going on it literally felt a bit chaotic like it lost some kind of order. Kind of like black Friday when the stores open their doors for shopping to a mass of people, you know?

To top it off, after everything was said and done, everything was falling too easily for Ash into place in the final scenes of the book, almost kind of ironic.

Despite all the stuff I did not like. This book did have me hooked, the world and the plot were a bit addictive, but I am not sure if everything was for a good reason. It sure turned out to be quite a bumpy roller-coaster. I am glad this is a series, because this book did not have a happy ending and now I need closure. So I will be reading the next book in hopes that it will provide that.

Wicked Reads: The Appearance of Annie van Sinderen by Katherine Howe

October 28, 2015 Lily B Review, Uncategorized 54 ★★★★

The Appearance of Annie van Sinderen by Katherine Howe
Series: Stand-Alone
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers on September 15th 2015
Genres: Young Adult Paranormal, Young Adult Mystery
Pages: 400
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating:
Heat Rating: half-flame

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

A haunting, contemporary love story from the New York Times bestselling author of Conversion
It’s summertime in New York City, and aspiring filmmaker Wes Auckerman has just arrived to start his summer term at NYU. While shooting a séance at a psychic’s in the East Village, he meets a mysterious, intoxicatingly beautiful girl named Annie.
As they start spending time together, Wes finds himself falling for her, drawn to her rose petal lips and her entrancing glow. But there’s something about her that he can’t put his finger on that makes him wonder about this intriguing hipster girl from the Village. Why does she use such strange slang? Why does she always seem so reserved and distant? And, most importantly, why does he only seem to run into her on one block near the Bowery? Annie’s hiding something, a dark secret from her past that may be the answer to all of Wes’s questions . . .

From the moment I picked up The Appearance of Annie van Sinderen I knew I was going to have a difficult time putting it down. Howe’s writing alone was wonderful as she wove a story of heartbreak, love, and tragedy in a haunting ghost story.

Wes is starting his summer term at NYU and when he finds himself roped in to help a fellow friend film a séance, he meets a mysterious girl that he later learns is named Annie. But Annie is not like anyone he has ever met before, there is something different about her dark eyes, the outdated dress and her lingo. Why is she so hard to find?

The story was good. I really enjoyed it. This was more of an older YA novel as Wes himself is 19 years old and in college. He is a film student who finds himself fascinated with Annie and another girl in the book named Maddie. Maddie is a Goth girl he meets at the séance, who is also a squatter with an interesting past and becomes Wes’ love interest. Throughout this book felt like it had a love triangle in it, once you get to know Annie, you kind of realize it really isn’t.

Annie’s tragic past is just that, it’s tragic. It’s an unfortunate mistake that was meant to be for the greater good but ended up costing. I liked how this story was told from both Wes’ and Annie’s side of the story because not only do we get to see what Wes sees and how he experiences the phenomena that’s Annie, but we also get to see what Annie is experienced through her journey as well. I loved when all the pieces clicked together and painted the vivid picture of what was happening. Haunting and mysteries, the story was well done. If you are looking for something super scary, this is not, but if you love a ghost story, this might be right up your alley.

Thought I liked the characters and the bits of different mysteries about Annie’s life and what had happened to cause everything to go wrong. I found myself not connecting with the romance part of the book. I didn’t feel it, that doesn’t mean I didn’t like it, It just honestly the story could have done without it. I didn’t understand the attraction of Maddie either. Thought a sweet girl, there really wasn’t any spark between her and Wes, no tension, nothing.

I liked the mystery, thought it was simple and the big reveal that happens about Annie’s family feels like something that was recently done in a book I just read, so it was a bit of eye rolling, but I liked how Howe weaved history into this story.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I really liked Annie. I liked the interesting take on ghosts by Howe and the writing was great.

“Go away!” I shout at the fog.

Still it inches ever closer.

“Go away, I don’t want you! I want to stay here!” I shout.

A tendril of fog gently touches my toe, and I kick at it. The fog spreads and dissolves, but then re-forms itself and moves softly, smoothly over the top of my ft, sending a delicate finger up the hem of my dress

What about you? What ghost stories do you enjoy? Or which wicked read are you looking forward to this Halloween?

Penguins Teen is also holding #TwitterGhostStory, the week-long event (taking place 10/26-10/31) in which you can write a spooky story in 140 characters or less using #TwitterGhostStory to enter for the chance to win a prize pack of the featured titles. They also have two more Twitter chats taking place this Friday and next Friday at 4pm that are being hosted by @YAbookscentral and @mashreads, respectively. The authors participating are:

10/23:

Peter Kujawinski (twitter.com/kujawinski) author of Nightfall
Jake Halpern (https://twitter.com/JakeHalpern) author of Nightfall
Kim Liggett (twitter.com/kim_liggett) author of Blood and Salt
April Genevieve Tucholke (https://twitter.com/apriltucholke) author of Slasher Girls & Monster Boys

10/30:

Danielle Vega (twitter.com/dvegabooks) author of The Merciless and Survive the Night
Peter Kujawinski (twitter.com/kujawinski) author of Nightfall
Kim Liggett (twitter.com/kim_liggett) author of Blood and Salt
April Genevieve Tucholke (https://twitter.com/apriltucholke) author of Slasher Girls & Monster Boys
Carol Goodman (https://twitter.com/C_Goodmania) author of Blythewood series
Sally Green (https://twitter.com/Sa11eGreen) author of the Half Bad series