Book: Live Through This by Mindi Scott
Pages: 304
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Incest
Source: Library
Short Synopsis: Nicole's (Coley) life seems like a fairly normal life. But it is anything but. With a troubled brother, a best friend who's mad at her, and a step-father trying to fit into the family. But Nicole has a biggest secret of all.
My Thoughts: The first part of the novel felt like any other ordinary novel, but the second half of the novel was not what I expected it to be.
From the outside, Coley Sterling’s life seems pretty normal . . . whatever that means. It’s not perfect—her best friend is seriously mad at her and her dance team captains keep giving her a hard time—but Coley’s adorable, sweet crush Reece helps distract her. Plus, she has a great family to fall back on—with a mom and stepdad who would stop at nothing to keep her siblings and her happy.
But Coley has a lot of secrets. She won’t admit—not even to herself—that her almost-perfect life is her own carefully-crafted façade. That for years she’s been burying the shame and guilt over a relationship that crossed the line. Now that Coley has the chance at her first real boyfriend, a decade’s worth of lies are on the verge of unraveling.
In this unforgettable powerhouse of a novel, Mindi Scott offers an absorbing, layered glimpse into the life of an everygirl living a nightmare that no one would suspect.
--From Goodreads
Book: Between The Lines by Jodi Picoult, Samantha Van Leer
Pages: 358
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: Library
Short Synopsis: Delilah is a young girl in high school who is known as the school's outcast. Her life gets turned upside down one day when she reads her favorite fairy tale story, and the main character, the Prince, starts speaking to her.
My Thoughts: This is the first Picoult novel I've picked up, and I absolutely loved everything about it!
Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.
And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.
Delilah and Oliver work together to attempt to get Oliver out of his book, a challenging task that forces them to examine their perceptions of fate, the world, and their places in it. And as their attraction to each other grows along the way, a romance blossoms that is anything but a fairy tale.
--From Goodreads.
On the night Malcolm and Maud Angel are murdered, Tandy Angel knows just three things: 1) She was the last person to see her parents alive. 2) The police have no suspects besides Tandy and her three siblings. 3) She can't trust anyone--maybe not even herself. Having grown up under Malcolm and Maud's intense perfectionist demands, no child comes away undamaged. Tandy decides that she will have to clear the family name, but digging deeper into her powerful parents' affairs is a dangerous-and revealing-game. Who knows what the Angels are truly capable of?--From Amazon
My Teasers: "Caputo hadn't gotten anything from Matty, but he'd forced me to face my own suspicions. My brother hated our parents. He was a 215-pound profession football player, a cunning brute. Was he also a killer?" --P.g. 31, "Confessions of a Murder Suspect," by James Patterson
Book: The Blessed by Tonya Hurley
Pages: 416
Genre: Young Adult, Occult
Source: Library
Short Synopsis: Three girls, Agnes, CeCelia, and Lucy, come together after spending one night in a hospital, searching for the man they met that very night, hoping to get the answers they need.
My Thoughts: I was not as impressed as I thought I would be. A bit confusing, distracting, and not enough information was given.
From the author of the New York Times bestselling ghostgirl series, the start to a captivating and haunting teen trilogy about three girls who become entangled with an enigmatic boy—a boy who believes he is a saint.
What if martyrs and saints lived among us? And what if you were told you were one of them?
Meet Agnes, Cecilia, and Lucy. Three lost girls, each searching for something. But what they find is Beyond Belief.
--From Goodreads
E-book: Playing For Keeps by R.L. MAthewson
Pages: 220
Genre: Fiction, Erotica
Source: Bought
Short Synopsis: Haley's whole world is turned upside down the minute that Jason moved in right next door.
My Thoughts: Wasn't as erotic as some of the novels I've read, but I was still addicted nonetheless, and I enjoyed the author's writing style.
Done with being the world's biggest pushover, Haley decides that things are going to change starting with the aggravating neighbor who has too much charm and not enough restraint. What she didn't expect was to sucked into his world, but Haley has a game plan and she won't let herself forget just what the bad boy next door is capable of.
The last thing Jason expected was for his little shy neighbor to go Rambo on him over some ruined flowers. After he decides to take her under his wing he can't help but notice that she fits very nicely in his life. Now the only left is to convince her that this is anything but a game.
--From Goodreads
From the outside, Coley Sterling’s life seems pretty normal . . . whatever that means. It’s not perfect—her best friend is seriously mad at her and her dance team captains keep giving her a hard time—but Coley’s adorable, sweet crush Reece helps distract her. Plus, she has a great family to fall back on—with a mom and stepdad who would stop at nothing to keep her siblings and her happy.
But Coley has a lot of secrets. She won’t admit—not even to herself—that her almost-perfect life is her own carefully-crafted façade. That for years she’s been burying the shame and guilt over a relationship that crossed the line. Now that Coley has the chance at her first real boyfriend, a decade’s worth of lies are on the verge of unraveling.
In this unforgettable powerhouse of a novel, Mindi Scott offers an absorbing, layered glimpse into the life of an every girl living a nightmare that no one would suspect.
--From Goodreads
My Teasers: "I take a deep breath, let it out slowly, and then smile big, hoping my enthusiasm will be contagious. "Oh, hey. I wanted to tell you all. I found out that one of my friends is going to meet us up at Whistler for the last couple days of our trip. So that will be fun, right?'"
--P.g. 23, "Live Through This," by Mindi Scott
Book: Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brenan
Pages: 344
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Source: Bought
Short Synopsis: Mel lives in in New Whitby which is infested with vampires, and it isn't until a vampire starts going to the same school, that Mel is starting to get fed up with vampires, especially when the new vampire student starts having feelings for Mel's best friend.
My Thoughts: I enjoyed this novel very much. Though a bit cheesy at times, it was still a refreshing read on the vampire genre.
Just because Mel lives in New Whitby, a city founded by vampires, doesn't mean she knows any of the blood-drinking undead personally. They stay in their part of town; she says in hers. Until the day a vampire shows up at her high school. Worse yet, her best friend, Cathy, seems to be falling in love with him. It's up to Mel to save Cathy from a mistake she might regret for all eternity!
On top of trying to help Cathy (whether she wants it or not), Mel is investigating a mysterious disappearance for another friend and discovering the attractions of a certain vampire wannabe. Combine all this with a cranky vampire cop, a number of unlikely romantic entanglements, and the occasional zombie, and soon Mel is hip-deep in an adventure that is equal parts hilarious and touching.
Acclaimed authors Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan team up to create a witty and poignant story of cool vampires, warm friendships, and the changes that test the bonds of love.
--From Goodreads
Summery:
Evie's paranormal past keeps coming back to haunt her. A new director at the International Paranormal Containment Agency wants to drag her back to headquarters. The Dark Faerie Queen is torturing humans in her poisonous realm. And supernatural creatures keep insisting that Evie is the only one who can save them from a mysterious, perilous fate.
The clock is ticking on the entire paranormal world. And its fate rests solely in Evie's hands.
So much for normal.
--From Goodreads
Summary:
Girl, Interrupted meets Beautiful Creatures in this fast-paced thriller
When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn't expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she's going crazy. Fast.
But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she's come home. She's even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red.
Faye knows she's the reason, but what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can't trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her - and the rest of the world too.
Rich, compelling writing will keep the pages turning in this riveting and tautly told psychological thriller
--From Goodreads
Book: First Light by Samantha Summers
Pages: 327
Genre: Young Adult, Romance
Source: Sent from a Tale Of Many Reviews
Short Synopsis: Ronnie is grieving after the loss of her father, as she struggles to get her life back together, dealing with her very lax sister, and meeting a mysterious boy named Kal.
My Thoughts: This novel grips you with the tale of a grieving Ronnie, along with Kal's sorrowful past story, as the two come together, and try to make it work.
What do you do when you've always dreamed of a hero; your knight in shining armour, only to find when he arrives he isn't a hero at all? ... He's a killer.
Ronnie Rose is trying to cope with the loss of her father; now it looks like she might lose everything else that's dear to her too. Huge debts threaten to destroy her family, her childhood home and her future. Only one person cuts through her pain. Kalen Smith has just moved to town. He's trouble and everyone knows it. He and his mysterious friends keep to themselves and the town likes it that way. But when Kalen mourns at her dad's funeral, Ronnie wants to know why and her investigation plunges her into a dangerous world of murky government secrets, with deadly consequences. Ronnie knows she should walk away from Kalen before it's too late. Problem is, she's falling for him...
Can we choose who we fall in love with?
E-book: Reason To Breathe by Rebecca Donovan
*May contain spoilers
Pages: 374
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Bought
Short Synopsis: Emma has a secret. No one tries to get involved with her, and the only other person who knows what's going on is her best friend, Sara. But can Emma survive her secret long enough until graduation?
My Thoughts: Wow. A very emotional tale, I was bawling my eyes out till the end, and I couldn't get enough.
"No one tried to get involved with me, and I kept to myself. This was the place where everything was supposed to be safe and easy. How could Evan Mathews unravel my constant universe in just one day?"
He knows there’s something more to the girl sitting in the back of the class the moment he sees her. She’s beautiful, intelligent, and athletic – but she slips quietly through the crowded halls, trying not to exist. Determined to get to know the elusive girl, Evan soon discovers…
Emma Thomas is hiding a terrible secret.
Reason to Breathe is an electrifying page turner from start to finish, a unique tale of life-changing love, unspeakable cruelty, and one girl’s fragile grasp of hope.
Book: The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
*May contain spoilers
Pages: 544
Genre: Young Adult, Psychological
Source: Library
Short Synopsis: Jude continues to haunt Mara in every waking moment, as Mara struggles to get a hold of her life, as she is constantly admitted in and out of different mental facilities that try to help Mara get better.
My Thoughts: Though the book definitely did have its moments, it felt a bit dragged out, and had some not believable incidents.
Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.
She can’t.
She used to think her problems were all in her head.
They aren’t.
She couldn’t imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.
She’s wrong.
In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next.
Girl, Interrupted meets Beautiful Creatures in this fast-paced thriller
When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn't expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she's going crazy. Fast.
But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she's come home. She's even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red.
Faye knows she's the reason, but what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can't trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her - and the rest of the world too.
Rich, compelling writing will keep the pages turning in this riveting and tautly told psychological thriller.
--From Goodreads
My Teasers: "What am I doing here? The drugs were definitely kicking in. My thoughts inched their way through my brain, trying to come to some sort of conclusion. I clutched at the rim of the window, letting the solid stone steady me."
--P.g. 16, "Harbinger" by Sara Wilson Etienne
