HIDDEN PIECES by Paula Stokes

Rating: D-
Synopsis:
Embry Woods has secrets. Small ones about her past. Bigger ones about her relationship with town hero Luke and her feelings for someone new. But the biggest secret she carries with her is about what happened that night at the Sea Cliff Inn. The fire. The homeless guy. Everyone thinks Embry is a hero, too, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Embry thinks she’ll have to take the secret to her grave, until she receives an anonymous note—someone else knows the truth. Next comes a series of threatening messages, asking Embry to make impossible choices, forcing her to put her loved ones at risk. Someone is playing a high stakes game where no one in Embry’s life is safe. And their last move...is murder.

My thoughts on the book:
I really wanted to like this book. The synopsis had me hooked, and I couldn't wait to dive into it. However, this is one of the lamest "thrillers" I've ever read. The writing is subpar - all telling and no showing, the characters aren't likable, and the mystery/thriller aspect isn't very mysterious or thrilling. The only reason I gave this book a D- instead of an F is because I was actually able to finish it. 

Embry is not a likable character at all. She whines and insults herself constantly. She thinks she's a terrible person all the time, and she sounds like a broken record about it. Because of this, she makes stupid decisions and is too scared to be up front and honest with anyone in her life. There isn't much to respect about her, really. She's not very strong, even though she had been through a lot before the book started. Holden was a nice enough guy, but he changed mid-book, and it didn't really seem to fit. It seemed like two completely different people, and that was jarring... the change was pretty much for no reason, too. No transformative experiences happened to him. The secondary characters are all clichés, so I'm not even going to waste time talking about them. Even the creepo of the story is boring. 

The writing for this book isn't that good. This author didn't actually show anything. No pictures were painted. It was all Embry telling us stuff. There were very few scenes where she wasn't just going on about whatever her problem was for that minute. It was too much in her head and not enough in the outside world. The pacing is ridiculously slow. The person who is asking her to do absolutely stupid things comes up with even dumber "punishments," and there was no edge of your seat feeling to it because the whole concept felt thrown together at the last minute. It was like Jiminy Cricket had gone rogue or something... the whole "just be honest" message was too strong and ridiculous for anyone to buy into. It just didn't feel like a scary situation. It was just stupid. The supposed climax of the storing was boring and ridiculous. The ending was dull. 

Overall, I'd say skip this book. There are a lot of other thrillers out there that have deeper characters, better writing, and a plot that isn't just ridiculous. 

MORGAN IS MISSING by K. Hanson Blog Tour!

Morgan is Missing (Kayla Falk Series #2)
by K. Hanson
Genre: Adult/New Adult Thriller
Release Date: August 2018

Summary:

Kayla Falk is trying to move past the traumatic events of her mission in Syria and settle into a comfortable engineering job. However, when Morgan Bellamy, the younger sister of Kayla’s late best friend, disappears while on vacation, Kayla doesn’t hesitate to jump into action to find her. As Kayla investigates, she learns that Morgan has become trapped in a hellish human trafficking situation. Kayla is determined to find Morgan before she slips into the shadows forever.


Content Warning: This book is about sex trafficking. While I avoid explicit, graphic depictions of sexual violence, due to the nature of the subject matter, it is definitely implied that it takes place.

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Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D5JT6WL/

The Azrael Initiative (Kayla Falk Series #1) on Goodreads
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THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SLOANE SULLIVAN by GIA CRIBBS

Rating: A+
Synopsis:
No one wants me to tell you about the disappearance of Sloane Sullivan.

Not the lawyers or the cops. Not her friends or family. Not even the boy who loved her more than anyone. And most certainly not the United States Marshals Service. You know, the people who run the witness protection program or, as it’s officially called, the Witness Security Program? Yeah, the WITSEC folks definitely don’t want me talking to you.

But I don’t care. I have to tell someone.

If I don’t, you’ll never know how completely wrong things can go. How a single decision can change everything. How, when it really comes down to it, you can’t trust anyone. Not even yourself. You have to understand, so it won’t happen to you next. Because you never know when the person sitting next to you isn’t who they claim to be...and because there are worse things than disappearing.

My thoughts on the book:
Wow. This book seriously blew my mind. I sat down not really knowing what I was getting into, and from the prologue to the epilogue, I could not put my Kindle down. I even read while I ate lunch. I have never read a book quite like this one. Cribbs has earned a spot on my favorite authors list. The emotional depth in these characters and in their relationships is stunning and realistic and raw and painful and beautiful. The descriptions and Sloane's perceptions and everything just make this book so real. I fell for the lies right along with Sloane. I fell for everything. There was a surprise around every corner, and while I suspected one of the big reveals, I wasn't expecting it to be SUCH a big reveal. This is a novel that will grab you and not let you go until the very last page. Cribbs' beautiful writing style, the flawless weaving together of the past and present, and the constant surprises will captivate any reader. If you only read one book this year, it needs to be this one. 

Sloane is the narrator, and while she's not 100% trustworthy, you can't help but believe her as she draws you into her story. It's clear from the start that she is a strong, logical, and good heroine. She is just one of those people who radiates goodness. She wants to do the right thing, and it's important to her. Her integrity is obvious early on, and that really gives the reader a sense of trust. We need more YA heroines like Sloane, to be honest. She never once complained, and she never acted like some boy crazy teenage girl (I hate when teenage girls are depicted that way). Mark is a really complex character, but I couldn't help but love him and feel sympathy for him as his story unfolded. Jason is wonderful and amazing. Even the crappy people in the novel are so wonderfully developed that you just feel something for them because they feel real. That is so hard for authors to accomplish, and Cribbs did so flawlessly. 

The story itself is so complex and intrinsically woven that you will be immersed in this world full of deceit, murder, and treachery before you realize it. Everyone seems so "normal" on the surface, but as their demons are uncovered, you quickly learn that nothing is what it seems. I am in awe of the emotional depth that Cribbs was able to convey, not just from the characters, but the strong emotional bonds between characters, as well. I laughed and cried and smiled and held my breath in suspense more times than I can count in the 5 or so hours it took me to read this book. The reveals and surprises were believable, though some things seemed ridiculously convenient, it all made sense, and it was certainly plausible that things would work out that way, especially with certain explanations at certain points throughout the novel. Therefore, I was easily able to suspend my disbelief and dive head-first into the story. Not only was the story itself amazing, but the ending was a wonderful surprise. Everything about this book was just beautiful, heartfelt, and real. Words can't express how much I loved it. 

Obviously I'd recommend this book to anyone. If you enjoy any kind of YA novel, especially, you will adore this book. 

WATCHING YOU by Shannon Greenland Release Day Blast!

If you love a great YA romantic suspense be sure to pick up Watching You by Shannon Greenland today!

About Watching You

Viola’s always been that girl from that family, so a scholarship to a prestigious private school in Florida was supposed to be her ticket out of poverty and into a brand-new life. But Viola’s secrets have followed her. Her relationship with the intelligent and gorgeous Riel should have been the salvation she needed—he understands her troubled past better than anyone. But then weird things start to happen.

Frightening messages.

Missing personal items.

The unsettling feeling that she’s being watched.

Viola’s never been one to give her trust easily, but she’ll need to trust in Riel if she’s going to survive her stalker. Because she’s not fighting for a new life anymore—she’s fighting to stay alive.

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THE LIES THEY TELL by Gillian French

Rating: F
Synopsis:With shades of E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars and Gayle Forman’s I Was Here, this dark and twisted mystery will be the page-turner of the year.

Everyone in Tenney’s Harbor, Maine, knows about the Garrison tragedy. How an unexplained fire ravaged their house, killing four of the five family members. But what people don’t know is who did it. All fingers point at Pearl Haskins’s father, the town drunk, who was the caretaker of the property, but she just can’t believe it. Leave it to a town of rich people to blame “the help.”

With her disgraced father now trying to find work in between booze benders, Pearl’s future doesn’t hold much more than waiting tables at the local country club, where the wealthy come to flaunt their money and spread their gossip. This year, Tristan, the last surviving Garrison, and his group of affluent and arrogant friends have made a point of sitting in Pearl’s section. Though she’s repulsed by most of them, Tristan’s quiet sadness and somber demeanor have her rethinking her judgments. Befriending the boys could mean getting closer to the truth, clearing her father’s name, and giving Tristan the closure he seems to be searching for. But it could also trap Pearl in a sinister web of secrets, lies, and betrayals that, once untangled, will leave no life unchanged . . . if it doesn’t take hers first. 

My thoughts on the book:
Let me start off this review by saying that the biggest lies and betrayals that are associated with this book are in the synopsis. I was so excited to dig into this novel, expecting so many twists and turns that I could hardly keep up. What I got was a boring and clunky narrative that read more like a Laguna Beach rerun than a thriller or mystery. There are plot holes bigger than the mansion the novel talks about, and there are no twists or turns to keep the reader interested. The only reason I kept reading was because I was waiting on something huge to happen and blow my mind. Nothing happened that I couldn't see coming a mile away, and needless to say I was disappointed. I want those hours of my life back. 

Pearl is probably the most boring character I've ever read. She's super one-dimensional, and even though she claimed to have emotions, the emotions didn't actually come across. I couldn't feel anything. I didn't connect to her at all; I had no empathy or sympathy for her. I really didn't care what happened to her because she was so dull. Her best friend is a jerk, and she is a doormat for him. Yet he's somehow painted as some good guy/hero, and I don't understand that. Reese isn't someone worth wasting time on. Her Dad isn't a real character... he is more a caricature of a drunk, and again there is no emotion from him, really. Tristan acts like a narcissistic zombie, Bridges acts like a lap dog with no mind of his own, and Akil is an even bigger jerk than Reese, somehow. The other filler characters are just as dull, and I can't even remember their names. 

The plot makes little sense, and the pace is super slow. Nothing really happens, either. It just reads like some teen reality show. Characters overreact about strange things, but the emotions feel false. The writing is clunky at best. The third person limited narrative for this type of story is actually jarring at times and removes you from the dull tale. It is obvious who the guilty party is from the beginning... so obvious that I thought the guilty party couldn't be who it obviously is. The guilty part is who it obviously is, though. There is not a single twist or turn in this book. The ending also makes no sense. There should have been some fallout from Pearl's actions, but there is nothing. They throw some circumstantial evidence around, and boom everything is perfect. Nothing is actually explained. There is no surprise with anything, and the unrealistic ending was just the final straw for me. 

If you can't tell, I'm irritated that I spent hours of my life reading this book. I just kept hanging on to the false hope that something exciting would happen. I feel deceived by the synopsis, and I hate plot holes and endings that don't even make sense. If you're looking for an intriguing and thrilling summer mystery, do yourself a favor and look elsewhere. This is the worst book I've read in a long time. 

BLACKBIRD by Anna Carey

Rating: D+
Release Date: 9/16/14
Synopsis:
This twisty, breathless cat-and-mouse thrill ride, told in the second person, follows a girl with amnesia in present-day Los Angeles who is being pursued by mysterious and terrifying assailants.

A girl wakes up on the train tracks, a subway car barreling down on her. With only minutes to react, she hunches down and the train speeds over her. She doesn’t remember her name, where she is, or how she got there. She has a tattoo on the inside of her right wrist of a blackbird inside a box, letters and numbers printed just below: FNV02198. There is only one thing she knows for sure: people are trying to kill her. 

On the run for her life, she tries to untangle who she is and what happened to the girl she used to be. Nothing and no one are what they appear to be. But the truth is more disturbing than she ever imagined. 

The Maze Runner series meets Code Name Verity, Blackbird is relentless and action-packed, filled with surprising twists.

My thoughts on the book:
I wasn't sure if I would like Blackbird or not because of the second person POV. It turns out that reading a book in the second person did bother me. A lot. Aside from that, the story could have been fantastic and kept me on the edge of my seat, but all of its potential was ruined by a subpar romance. Novels like this don't even need romance, in my opinion. Also, the plot didn't feel fully developed, which bothered me. I just feel like this book could have been a lot more, if written in the first person and minus the romance. 

None of the characters were very well developed. I mean I get it with Sunny because she has amnesia, and what we did learn about her made her a bad ass. She had the potential to be a great YA heroine, but she just fell short. Her relationship with Ben made her a typical YA leading female, and while she could fight, her character just didn't feel well-rounded to me. Ben was all right. Typical YA "bad boy" who is really just a nice guy with issues. He didn't do much for me. I didn't like him or hate him, and again, he just didn't seem fully developed. All of the other characters were cookie cutter, including the villains. No one was unique, which was a disappointment. 

The plot itself had great potential, but much like Sunny, it fell short. The first half of the book had a ton of coincidences, and I hate when authors manipulate the story like that. The last half was faster paced and full of suspense, but it felt rushed. The second person writing really bothered me. I felt like I was either being lied about or told what to do. I know that's probably just one of my quirks and it won't affect others like this, but it didn't work for me. The writing itself didn't stand out one way or the other. The twist at the end did surprise me, at least, and I enjoyed that. The romance felt forced and really detracted from the story, in my opinion. The ending just barely scratches the surface with answers, setting up the sequel perfectly. 

Overall, if you're looking for something different (at least in some ways), then I'd say give this book a try. It didn't really work for me, but that doesn't mean that you won't enjoy it. In my opinion, this novel had the potential to be a fantastic and unique work and fell short due to the aforementioned issues, but the second person narration does give it a different feel, if you can tolerate it. 

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LIE STILL by Julie Heaberlin

Lie Still
Julie Heaberlin

Rating: B
Release Date: 07/09/13
Synopsis:
In the tradition of Lisa Unger’s Beautiful Lies and Nancy Pickard’s The Scent of Rain and Lightning comes a twisting, riveting novel of shifting trust and shattered lives. Lie Still delves deep into the heart of an opulent Southern town, where gossip is currency and secrets kill.
 
When Emily Page and her husband move from Manhattan to the wealthy enclave of Clairmont, Texas, she hopes she can finally escape her haunted past—and outrun the nameless stalker who has been taunting her for years. Pregnant with her first child, Emily just wants to start over. But as she is drawn into a nest of secretive Texas women—and into the unnerving company of their queen, Caroline Warwick—Emily finds that acceptance is a very dangerous game.
 
It isn’t long before Caroline mysteriously disappears and Emily is facing a rash of anonymous threats. Are they linked to the missing Caroline? Or to Emily’s terrifying encounter in college, years earlier? As the dark truth about Caroline emerges, Emily realizes that some secrets are impossible to hide—and that whoever came for Caroline is now coming for her.

My thoughts on the book:
Lie Still is not the type of book that I'd normally pick up. As you guys know, I much prefer paranormal to "real life" type novels, but this one stood out to me, so I requested it anyway. I was not disappointed. Lie Still addresses many important issues surrounding contemporary society all while keeping the reader hooked with an intriguing plot and sympathetic, albeit flawed, characters. I was kept on the edge of my seat for this entire book, and I could not put it down. If you're looking for captivating and thrilling mystery, then look no further. 

I really connected with Emily and felt badly for her throughout the novel. I also admired her for her strength and tenacity. She does not let her past define her, and she moves on to make a life for herself in spite of it. Emily is a well-developed and intriguing character. The secondary characters in this novel also stood out and were extremely realistic. Caroline, the "mean girl" in this group is very multi-faceted, as are the others. I really enjoyed the contrast between people like Letty (pageant queen, anyone?) and Caroline and Emily. It showed just how different people can be and how people will ignore those differences in the name of social acceptance. 

The plot was nothing short of an emotional roller coaster, and Heaberlin wastes no time diving right in, showing the reader Emily's date rape. The detail of the scene was a bit much for me (if reading about things like that bother you, then you may want to skip this book), but it was clear from that scene that Heaberlin is a master of showing instead of telling. I pushed on through the scene and was rewarded with an unforgettable mystery. Also, it was obvious that Heaberlin is addressing a very important issue with this rape, and the way she detailed it was to help people who haven't suffered through an experience like that one to understand the ones who have. This scene was not for "entertainment value," that's for sure. 

I found the setting itself to be extremely realistic, and as someone who grew up in the south and dealt with petty crap most of my life, I can attest that this is what life there is like. The fake niceness and cliques fit in with what I experienced and saw while I lived there. To this day, the people who go to a certain church in the town in which I grew up are treated much better than the people who don't. It's ridiculous and childish, but it is what it is. This book really touched on the issues of small town, southern life, and I'm glad that someone was finally honest and open about it. The writing itself is done beautifully, and the prose is absolutely captivating. The pacing is spot-on, and the ending ties up all the loose ends. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book to people who enjoy good mysteries, intriguing characters, and wonderful writing. This novel addresses some very important issues, and I commend Heaberlin for having the nerve to address them in a public forum. If you're looking for a good, but very serious, read, then this book is for you. 

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THE ABOMINATION by Jonathan Holt

The Abomination
Jonathan Holt

Rating: A
Synopsis:
When the clock strikes midnight on the feast day of La Befana, Venice is aglow as a cascade of glittering fireworks bursts above the city. Masked figures crowd the vaporettos, the trattorias are humming with grappa-soaked gossip, and the possibility for random passion heats the frosty winter air.

Across the Grand Canal, beneath the stunning white dome of one of Venice's grandest landmarks, Santa Maria della Salute, a body with two slugs in the back of the head has been pulled from the icy waters. The victim is a woman. To the dismay of the police, she is dressed in the sacred robes of a Catholic priest--a desecration known as the Abomination.

Working her first murder case, newly promoted Captain Kat Tapo of the Carabinieri embarks on a labyrinthine trail that soon proves as elusive and confusing as the city's twisting backstreets. Her investigation leads from a crumbling asylum on a deserted island to the impenetrable complex of American military bases ringing the medieval city--and deeper, into an eerie virtual Venice that is both alien and familiar.

The influential and highly secretive simulated world of Carnivia.com holds the city's secrets, dark knowledge that reaches into the highest levels of government and the church, involving its most influential figures. The site's founder is a notorious hacker and the scion of one of Venice's oldest families--a man already convicted of cybercrimes whose life is threatened by an anonymous group determined to silence him and destroy his virtual city.

Just when every lead seems to send a frustrated Kat in a new direction, the various trails go cold, evidence goes missing, and the case is officially shut down. What follows is the unraveling of a dark conspiracy whose roots go back seventy years, revelations that will test Kat's loyalties and remind the dedicated cop of a simple truth: that unless old crimes are punished, corrupt forces will continue to repeat their mortal sins. . . .

My thoughts on the book:
The Abomination by Jonathan Holt is an edge-of-your-seat thriller that cannot be missed. The characters are well-developed, the setting is magnificent, the mystery is captivating, and Holt's writing is top notch. While I'm not a huge fan of non-paranormal mysteries, this book grabbed me and did not let me go. I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this novel and would recommend it to anyone. 

Kat is a terrific leading character. She's independent and strong, but she also has heart. She's flawed, but still extremely likable. The secondary characters are also strong. Each one has his or her own personality and doesn't serve as a simple filler character. The evolution of Kat is organic, and I enjoyed watching her change throughout the novel. 

I absolutely adored the setting. Venice is such a unique place, and I can't think of a better area to set this novel in. Holt paints Venice in an accurate light (from what I've heard about it from friends who have traveled there), and his details allow the reader to picture the city, even if they've never visited, which I haven't. I felt as if I was in the city, though, which was a nice touch. Holt's writing is clear and concise. The plot itself is reminiscent of The Da Vinci Code, but somehow this novel still stands on its own. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves good mysteries. This is a fantastic debut novel. 

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