EXTASIA By Claire Legrand

February 17, 2022 by Leave a Comment

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.

EXTASIA By Claire LegrandExtasia by Claire Legrand
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 2/22/22
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Horror & Ghost Stories, LGBT, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 492
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Her name is unimportant.

All you must know is that today she will become one of the four saints of Haven. The elders will mark her and place the red hood on her head. With her sisters, she will stand against the evil power that lives beneath the black mountain—an evil which has already killed nine of her village’s men.

She will tell no one of the white-eyed beasts that follow her. Or the faceless gray women tall as houses. Or the girls she saw kissing in the elm grove.

Today she will be a saint of Haven. She will rid her family of her mother’s shame at last and save her people from destruction. She is not afraid. Are you?

Short and Sweet Review

In the village of Haven men are dying and our main character knows that when she becomes one of the four saints that she can stop the evil that has invaded Haven. She has seen beast and faceless women but she will tell no one because she will be the one to save her people.

This book was something. Something interesting, strange, different. Some of these things were good and others just had me wondering what was going on. The book starts off with our main character who won’t go by her name because it’s the name her mother went by and her mother brought shame upon their family. Anyway once she becomes a saint she goes by the name Amity. Unfortunately for Amity and the Village men are still being killed and the village thinks it’s because they made Amity a saint after everything her mother did. The other Saints, Mercy and Temperance invite Amity with them to a place called Avazel where Amity meets a coven of witches who use a power called Extasia. Their leader Malice admits that her and the coven have been killing the men in Haven basically to meet the devil. Amity decides that she’s going to find relics and meet the devil first to stop the evil taking place in Haven.

Extasia was nothing that I was expecting at all. There were a lot of religious tones. The men in the village had elders they looked to God and it was such an old way of thinking but they would find it acceptable to beat on the saints. The saints and other girls in the village dealt with a lot of abuse they shouldn’t have, but they followed the way of thinking. Amity who in the end becomes rage (lots of name changes) uses Extasia and has to keep it a secret because she knows what will happen if she’s found out and she still has a mission to complete. I liked watching Amity try to find the relics and slowly go from obedient to realizing that things in Haven aren’t as great as she once thought. Amity definitely had a lot of character development from the beginning to the end, she was stronger and much more sure of herself and willing to see change. I did like the sisterhood between the saints and how they realized that they were the ones who could save Haven. The romance we see a sliver of it so I’m not sure why it was made to be one of the big selling points for this book. I would say there’s maybe 3 to 5 scenes with the love interest and just one big one. The ending reminded me of books like Divergent or the Maze Runner and basically felt out of place.

There were things I liked about this book and other things that just confused me or made me want to put this book down. Overall it was different and not what I was expecting.

Filed Under: Reviews

THE NOBLEMAN’S GUIDE TO SCANDAL AND SHIPWRECKS By Mackenzi Lee

November 12, 2021 by Leave a Comment

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 NOBLEMAN’S GUIDE TO SCANDAL AND SHIPWRECKS By Mackenzi LeeThe Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks by Mackenzi Lee
Series: Montague Siblings #3
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 11/16/21
Genres: Action & Adventure, Fantasy & Magic, Historical, LGBT, Young Adult
Pages: 592
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Adrian Montague has a bright future. The sole heir to his father’s estate, he is an up and coming political writer and engaged to an activist who challenges and inspires him. But most young Lords aren’t battling the debilitating anxiety Adrian secretly lives with, or the growing fear that it might consume him and all he hopes to accomplish. In the wake of his mother’s unexpected death, Adrian is also concerned people will find out that he has the mental illness she struggled with for years.

When a newly found keepsake of hers—a piece of a broken spyglass—comes into Adrian’s possession, he’s thrust into the past and finds himself face to face with an older brother he never knew he had. Henry “Monty” Montague has been living quietly in London for years, and his sudden appearance sends Adrian on a quest to unravel family secrets that only the spyglass can answer.

In pursuit of answers about the relic, the brothers chart a course to locate their sister Felicity. But as they travel between the pirate courts of Rabat, Portuguese islands, the canals of Amsterdam, and into unknown Artic waters, the Montague siblings are thrown into one final adventure as they face a ghostly legend that threatens their whole family.

Short and Sweet Review

Adrian Montague, is the heir to his father’s estate and he’s an up and coming political writer, he has a fiancé who is an activist and inspires him. But what no one knows is that Adrian struggles with anxiety, his mother also had a mental illness that she struggled with and after her recent death things just seem unclear to Adrian. When Adrian comes in possession of a spyglass that was his mother’s he thinks it will uncover the mystery of her death. Along his journey Adrian meets the siblings he never knew he had, and as they sail the seas the siblings will face off with a legend that threatens their family.

Adrian Montague is the youngest Montague sibling but he doesn’t know that because he’s grown up his whole life believing that he’s an only child. When he’s given a spyglass that once belonged to his mother it brings him to Monty his older brother. The reunion is a shock and not really a joyous one. It only leaves Adrian with more questions and with the realization that there’s one more Montague sibling out in the world. With the spyglass in his possession Adrian decides he needs answers so he sets sail with Monty at his side. Adrian tries to find out what led to his mother’s death, he’s convinced that the spyglass was cursed by the Flying Dutchman and now we’re back on the seas with pirates traveling to different areas trying to find anything that will give Adrian the answers he’s looking for.

Adrian is a character that struggles with anxiety and OCD so seeing everything through his POV is interesting. He’s a character that struggles with speaking up for himself and keeping his emotions in check. We can see that some of the characters just meeting him didn’t know what to make of him, like at first Monty didn’t know what to do but Felicity knew that she needed to be more patient and be careful with how she worded things. I loved that we got to see characters from past books Monty, Felicity, and even Percy! Adrian is engaged but we only see his fiancé Louisa in the beginning and end so not so much in the middle but she did seem like a strong female character. The adventure that our protagonist goes on was exciting and I feel like it was needed for him to realize that everything he needs is what he already has. Adrian now has his brother and sister and a fiancé who loves and cares for him.

I loved the ending and I’m sad that this was the last book in the Montague Siblings series but the ending was wrapped up well and these are characters and voyages I won’t forget!

Filed Under: Reviews

WHITE SMOKE By Tiffany D. Jackson

September 10, 2021 by Leave a Comment

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.

WHITE SMOKE By Tiffany D. JacksonWhite Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 9/14/21
Genres: Horror & Ghost Stories, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Marigold is running from ghosts. The phantoms of her old life keep haunting her, but a move with her newly blended family from their small California beach town to the embattled Midwestern city of Cedarville might be the fresh start she needs. Her mom has accepted a new job with the Sterling Foundation that comes with a free house, one that Mari now has to share with her bratty ten-year-old stepsister, Piper.

The renovated picture-perfect home on Maple Street, sitting between dilapidated houses, surrounded by wary neighbors has its . . . secrets. That’s only half the problem: household items vanish, doors open on their own, lights turn off, shadows walk past rooms, voices can be heard in the walls, and there’s a foul smell seeping through the vents only Mari seems to notice. Worse: Piper keeps talking about a friend who wants Mari gone.

But “running from ghosts” is just a metaphor, right?

As the house closes in, Mari learns that the danger isn’t limited to Maple Street. Cedarville has its secrets, too. And secrets always find their way through the cracks.

Short and Sweet Review

Mari and her blended family have just moved from California to Cedarville. Her mom accepted a job with the Sterling Foundation and with that comes a free house, one that seems to be haunted. The construction workers can’t seem to get out of the house fast enough and Mari’s younger stepsister Piper becomes friends with someone named Ms. Suga. The house is in between dilapidated houses and the neighbors surrounding the area are less then welcoming. Things start to get strange when things go missing, voices can be heard through the walls, and there’s a smell coming through the vents. Mari learns that her house isn’t the only thing that’s dangerous, Cedarville is full of secrets.

When we meet Mari her and her family are arriving to Cedarville, we learn that something happened to Mari back in California that required her to need a fresh start but we aren’t entirely clued in until later on in the book. We also see that Mari has a phobia to bed bugs and it’s very extreme. Mari doesn’t have the best relationship with Piper or her stepfather Alec so when Piper keeps going on about this Ms. Suga wanting Mari out of the house they think Piper is talking about an imaginary friend. The hauntings in the house are creepy things are being moved, Mari’s phone is being messed with. After that Mari starts to do some more digging into the town’s history which gets her into trouble because someone in town is watching her every move. A small problem I had was the way Mari talked to Piper, I know Piper was annoying but the way Mari would cuss at her was a bit much.

White Smoke was creepy and held my attention until the very end. I just wanted to know what was going on in that house and in that town. I feel like the ending could have been better, I wanted to see them confront the Sterlings but oh well. Some elements of this book were based off of true stories and I’m interested in knowing what they are because Cedarville was an interesting town. White Smoke was a good book and it’ll keep you on the edge of your seat!

Filed Under: Reviews

WE CAN BE HEROES By Kyrie McCauley

September 2, 2021 by Leave a Comment

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.

WE CAN BE HEROES By Kyrie McCauleyWe Can Be Heroes by Kyrie McCauley
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 9/7/21
Genres: Contemporary, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Beck and Vivian never could stand each other, but they always tried their best for their mutual friend, Cassie. After the town moves on from Cassie’s murder too fast, Beck and Vivian finally find common ground: vengeance.

They memorialize Cassie by secretly painting murals of her around town, a message to the world that Cassie won’t be forgotten. But Beck and Vivian are keeping secrets, like the third passenger riding in Beck’s VW bus with them—Cassie’s ghost.

When their murals catch the attention of a podcaster covering Cassie’s case, they become the catalyst for a debate that Bell Firearms can no longer ignore. With law enforcement closing in on them, Beck and Vivian hurry to give Cassie the closure she needs—by delivering justice to those responsible for her death.

Short and Sweet

Bell is the home of Bell Firearms and has been for the past two hundred years. Five months ago the heir to Bell Firearms went to school with some firearms and killed his ex-girlfriend Cassandra Queen and himself.

Beck and Vivian never could stand each other but they did it for Cassie. Beck and Cassie feel like the town is moving on from Cassie’s murder to fast and they find common ground, they want vengeance and they also get some help from Cassie’s ghost. Beck and Vivian go around town painting murals of Cassie to remind the town that she won’t be forgotten. The murals begin to catch the attention of a podcast that has been covering Cassie’s case, they also catch the attention of law enforcement. Beck and Vivian know they need to work fast to get their point across and get Cassie the closure she needs.

Characters

Beck: Beck is one of main characters and she’s more fierce, she’s tough but deep down she has feelings. Beck likes to hide her feelings and when it comes to Cassie she feels like she needs to get vengeance for her and the best way to do that is to paint murals of Cassie around town.

Vivian: Vivian is our more level headed main character. She was injured in the attack at the school and she had plans to be a doctor but now she’s second guessing everything. I feel like this time she spends with Beck and Cassie really helps her and what she really needed was someone who could understand her pain which was why I was so happy when she reunited with Beck.

Cassie: We meet Cassie as a ghost and all of her sections are written in verse. We learn a lot about what Cassie’s life was like and how she felt during her time alive, the way she was written makes it feel like you know her and that she had so much more to offer the world if she just had the chance to do it. We see Cassie’s relationship with Nico and how it turned deadly and how all the warning signs were there and if someone just took her seriously everything could have been avoided or maybe turned out differently. I feel that Cassie realizes how strong she actually is and she uses her time as a ghost to prove it at certain times.

My Thoughts

~ After Cassie’s death Beck and Vivian have stopped talking. Beck’s first mission is to start painting murals over town because the last thing she’s going to let this town do is let them forget about Cassie’s murder and let Bell Firearms know that justice will be served. When Vivian finds out what Beck is doing she’s apprehensive but deep down she knows she wants to fight for Cassie too. With Beck and Vivian together they learn that Cassie has been in Becks VW bus, it’s almost like them being together made Cassie strong enough to appear. With Cassie around the girls go around town painting murals of Cassie that portray her as strong female characters. Soon the murals begin to catch the attention of local law enforcement who want to put a stop to it and locals who are all for murals and know that Bell Firearms were in the wrong. As things start to heat up in town the girls rush to finish their murals and also try to find a way to give Cassie closure.

We have all three of the girls POVs and I love them all equally. They all have their own voice and each one is easy to connect to, you feel for each of them and the struggles that they’re going through and you want to cheer for them when they have a personal victory. The friendship they share is beautiful. We also get to read from the We Can Be Heroes podcast which is covering Cassie’s case. I really liked Merit who was the host of the show she left no stone unturned and she did a great job helping the girls.

Overall

This book was beautifully written! It’s also important and sheds light on domestic violence especially in teen relationships. This book was amazing and so were the characters who were relatable and so real. I was emotionally invested and hooked from page one!



Filed Under: Reviews

THE BOX IN THE WOODS By Maureen Johnson

June 16, 2021 by Leave a Comment

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 BOX IN THE WOODS By Maureen JohnsonThe Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson
Series: Truly Devious #4
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 6/15/21
Genres: Mystery & Detective, Young Adult
Pages: 400
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Amateur sleuth Stevie Bell needs a good murder. After catching a killer at her high school, she’s back at home for a normal (that means boring) summer.

But then she gets a message from the owner of Sunny Pines, formerly known as Camp Wonder Falls—the site of the notorious unsolved case, the Box in the Woods Murders. Back in 1978, four camp counselors were killed in the woods outside of the town of Barlow Corners, their bodies left in a gruesome display. The new owner offers Stevie an invitation: Come to the camp and help him work on a true crime podcast about the case.

Stevie agrees, as long as she can bring along her friends from Ellingham Academy. Nothing sounds better than a summer spent together, investigating old murders.

But something evil still lurks in Barlow Corners. When Stevie opens the lid on this long-dormant case, she gets much more than she bargained for. The Box in the Woods will make room for more victims. This time, Stevie may not make it out alive.

Short and Sweet

In 1978, at Camp Wonder Falls four camp counselors were murdered and the case was never solved. In comes Stevie, the new owner invites Stevie to come to the camp to help him with his true crime podcast about the podcast, Stevie agrees to this as long as her friends can come along. Now Stevie is spending her summer with her friends and investigating a decades old murder. In a small town like Barlow Corners people know more than they’re sharing and Stevie is in for more than she bargained for.

Characters

Stevie: Our favorite mystery solver is back! I love Stevie, seeing her thought process is amazing I like seeing how she thinks of different pieces of the case. We see Stevie get stumped a few times but we also see her figure things out she’s like a modern day Nancy Drew.

My Thoughts

In 1978, four teen camp counselors went into the woods at night and didn’t come back out and the case was never solved. Stevie is recruited to come because she just recently solved the Ellingham case. I was so happy that she was able to bring Janelle and Nate, we also see David later on. Anyway we meet the townspeople and a few of the people who were actually at the camp when the murders happened so anyone of them could be the suspects but they all have alibis but the police investigation back then wasn’t so great. Stevie tries to do some interviews but some of the people aren’t happy she’s there so they aren’t really willing to talk and then out of nowhere one of the townsfolk is murdered so the plot thickens! Now Stevie knows for sure someone has something to hide and she’s getting closer to finding out what it is. Stevie being Stevie ended everything in a way only she could and I loved it.

Overall

I really enjoyed this book. The setting was great maybe because its summer right now so the camp vibes were perfect. I was hooked until the very last page trying to figure out what could of happened back in 1978 and I was not disappointed. I’m just so happy that I got to read this book and I would read it again. If you haven’t read this series, do it!


Filed Under: Reviews

THE INITIAL INSULT By Mindy McGinnis

February 16, 2021 by Leave a Comment

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 INITIAL INSULT By Mindy McGinnisThe Initial Insult by Mindy McGinnis
Series: The Initial Insult #1
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 2/23/21
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Tress Montor’s family used to mean something—until she didn’t have a family anymore. When her parents disappeared seven years ago while driving her best friend home, Tress lost everything. The entire town shuns her now that she lives with her drunken, one-eyed grandfather at what locals refer to as the “White Trash Zoo.”

Felicity Turnado has it all: looks, money, and a secret. One misstep could send her tumbling from the top of the social ladder, and she’s worked hard to make everyone forget that she was with the Montors the night they disappeared. Felicity has buried what she knows so deeply that she can’t even remember what it is . . . only that she can’t look at Tress without feeling shame and guilt.

But Tress has a plan. A Halloween costume party at an abandoned house provides the ideal situation for Tress to pry the truth from Felicity—brick by brick—as she slowly seals her former best friend into a coal chute. Tress will have her answers—or settle for revenge.

Short and Sweet Review

In Amontillado, Ohio, your last name means more than how much money you have. Tress Montor used to be important until her parents mysteriously disappeared while driving her best friend, Felicity home. Now Tress lives with her grandfather Cecil at his trailer with a wild animal attraction in the back that the townsfolk like to call “White Trash Zoo.” No one knows what happened the night Tress’s parents disappeared and Tress knows that the only person who would have answers is Felicity. So at a party Tress gets Felicity to go with her into the basement and Tress ambushes her and puts her in a coal chute, because Tress will get the answers she wants even if it means sealing Felicity behind a wall.

Tress and Felicity are our main characters. They used to be best friends but after the night Tress’s parents went missing things changed. After their friendship ended Tress is more worried about making it, her life with Cecil is way different than how it was with her parents. Tress ends up taking care of the animals, struggling with money, and sells drugs to the other teens. Felicity on the other hand has the looks and the money and she has to keep her social standing, but she also has a secret she keeps from everybody. We get both of these girls point of views and the point of view from the panther that escaped from the zoo (I’ll get into that later.)

So this book is a retelling of a Edgar Allen Poe story, and they both have interesting plots which is what drew me in. Tress wants answers and revenge and she’ll get them. You can tell that Felicity still cares about Tress and that’s probably why she was so trusting and met her in the basement. Tress also has some fond memories of when her and Felicity were friends but she also has somethings that she wasn’t so happy with. We get flashbacks from different points in the girls lives from the night Tress’s parents went missing, to when they first met, basically flashbacks from elementary school to high school. I’m glad we get both of the girls point of views because some things aren’t as they seem. There wasn’t one perspective I liked more than the other mainly because I wanted to know what happened so that kept me flipping pages. But there is one POV that I thought was totally unnecessary and it was of the Panther that escaped. Why did we even need it? It was strange and I feel like the book would have been fine with out it. We learn that the Panther escaped from the zoo and now its somewhere around town and funny enough it also ends up at the party and is talking about the kids in its weird POV.

I enjoyed this book. I felt like the ending left me wanting more so I’m interested to see what’s going to happen in the next book especially because this is a duology. Seeing Tress and Felicity go back and forth and slowly unraveling the events that happened seven years ago will have you hooked and invested in the mystery, it also gave a lot of background on how they got to where they are now. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat! Pick it up and get sucked into Amontillado!

Filed Under: Reviews

EARLY DEPARTURES By Justin A. Reynolds

September 18, 2020 by Leave a Comment

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.

EARLY DEPARTURES By Justin A. ReynoldsEarly Departures by Justin A. Reynolds
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 9/22/20
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Pages: 480
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

What if you could bring your best friend back to life—but only for a short time?

Jamal’s best friend, Q, doesn’t know that he died, and that he’s about to die . . . again. He doesn’t know that Jamal tried to save him. And that the reason they haven’t been friends for two years is because Jamal blames Q for the accident that killed his parents.

But what if Jamal could have a second chance? A new technology allows Q to be reanimated for a few weeks before he dies . . . permanently. And Q’s mom is not about to let anyone ruin this miracle by telling Q about his impending death. So how can Jamal fix everything if he can’t tell Q the truth?

Short and Sweet

Jamal and Q haven’t been friends in two years, mainly because Jamal blames Q for the accident that killed his parents. But at a party Q jumps into the ocean to save someones life and Jamal jumps in after him unfortunately Q ends up dying. This isn’t the end for Q because he’s about to be reanimated with advanced health care technology. Now Jamal has a second chance to make things right and fix the friendship they once had.

Since the death of his parents Jamal just lives with his older Whit, he also has a girlfriend Amber, and he spends his time avoiding Q. After Q’s death Jamal learns that making things right are important and all he wants is to make things right with Q. First of all the reunion between these two was not a happy one, which is understandable considering the fact that Jamal hasn’t talked to Q in two years. Also Q’s mom does not want him to know that he was reanimated, which Jamal doesn’t agree with. I should also mention that Q doesn’t have much time before he dies again.

Jamal isn’t a perfect main character he’s still dealing with PTSD from what happened with his parents, he also makes a lot of mistakes. One thing about Jamal though is he’ll try his best to make things right. I really loved Q, we get his point of view at some point during the book but he always tries to look at the brighter side of things. With his time dwindling down everyone tries to spend as much time as they can with Q. My favorite thing about this book was how much each of the characters genuinely cared for and loved each other. I’m glad that Jamal and Q got a chance to reconnect and do things in life that made them happy. I usually get sad when characters die but with Q, I felt a peace mainly because he knew how he wanted to spend his final hours and he was surrounded by his loved ones. The greatest thing is that even though Q was gone his spirit was still with everyone and everyone still showed that same love for each other even though he was gone.

This was an incredible book. Even though most of us don’t get the chance to fix things with someone who died I’m glad that Jamal got to make things right with Q. I wish they had more time together. Early Departures reminds us that life is short and we should make the most of it and try to make things right even when it’s hard to do.

Filed Under: Reviews

GROWN By Tiffany D. Jackson

September 12, 2020 by Leave a Comment

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.

GROWN By Tiffany D. JacksonGrown by Tiffany D. Jackson
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 9/15/20
Genres: Contemporary, Mysteries & Detective Stories, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

When legendary R&B artist Korey Fields spots Enchanted Jones at an audition, her dreams of being a famous singer take flight. Until Enchanted wakes up with blood on her hands and zero memory of the previous night. Who killed Korey Fields?

Before there was a dead body, Enchanted’s dreams had turned into a nightmare. Because behind Korey’s charm and star power was a controlling dark side. Now he’s dead, the police are at the door, and all signs point to Enchanted.

Short and Sweet Review

*Trigger Warning: Sexual abuse, Rape, Drug Use, Mental Health

Enchanted wants to be a singer so when she catches the eye of Korey Wise a famous singer she thinks this is her chance. When Enchanted wakes up one morning with no recollection of what happened the night before and Korey dead, all fingers are pointing to her.

Enchanted is 17 years old and an aspiring singer. Enchanted is the older sister so she takes care of her younger siblings, she’s on the swim team, and in Will and Willow. Enchanted is a smart girl but sometimes the fact that she wants to be a singer clouds her best judgement. At an audition she meets Korey Wise. Korey seems like someone who can be like a mentor to Enchanted and help her get her foot in the door. Korey seems like someone who genuinely wants to help but this man is a monster, but we’ll get into that later. After her audition Enchanted starts spending more time with Korey at his studio and this is when we see glimpses of his controlling side and how crazy this man actually is but it gets worse when she decides to go on tour with him.

The things Enchanted had to endure while with this man were horrible it made my blood boil. Like I said earlier Enchanted is 17, Korey is 28! This man is a predator and it’s just heartbreaking to watch Enchanted get trapped in this web. Anyway while on tour Korey convinces Enchanted that he’s in love with her but he would drug her, and abuse her sexually, mentally and physically. The thing is Enchanted is being manipulated and at some points she thinks the way she’s being treated is love, she thinks she can change him. Korey is a sick creep, he likes young girls and thinks he can get away with his behavior because no one has held him accountable for his actions. Honestly reading about his behavior just made me uncomfortable and all I wanted was for Enchanted to do was get away, “run girl!” I felt so bad for her family they were worried about her and Korey just cut off her communication with them.

This book was a rollercoaster ride. I knew what I was getting into when I read the synopsis I was ready to be made uncomfortable, angry, and heartbroken. We follow Enchanted from the beginning of her journey to the present, I like how the book alternates from past and present. Enchanted’s story is not something that is surprising to hear in today’s society but I was upset just reading about how instead of being the victim she was made out to be the monster. I’m glad I got to read this book and I think it’s a great read, it deals with hard topics but these are topics that need to be addressed.

Filed Under: Reviews

PARACHUTES By Kelly Yang

May 19, 2020 by Leave a Comment

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.

PARACHUTES By Kelly YangParachutes by Kelly Yang
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 5/26/20
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Pages: 496
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

They’re called parachutes: teenagers dropped off to live in private homes and study in the United States while their wealthy parents remain in Asia. Claire Wang never thought she’d be one of them, until her parents pluck her from her privileged life in Shanghai and enroll her at a high school in California.

Suddenly she finds herself living in a stranger’s house, with no one to tell her what to do for the first time in her life. She soon embraces her newfound freedom, especially when the hottest and most eligible parachute, Jay, asks her out.

Dani De La Cruz, Claire’s new host sister, couldn’t be less thrilled that her mom rented out a room to Claire. An academic and debate team star, Dani is determined to earn her way into Yale, even if it means competing with privileged kids who are buying their way to the top. But Dani’s game plan veers unexpectedly off course when her debate coach starts working with her privately.

As they steer their own distinct paths, Dani and Claire keep crashing into one another, setting a course that will change their lives forever.

Short and Sweet

Parachutes are what teenagers are called when they come to the United States to go to school while their wealthy parents remain in Asia. Claire never thought she’d be one but her parents decide to send her to a school in California, now she has a host family and a lot of freedom. Dani lives in California and she is not happy that her mom rented out a room for to Claire. But Dani has bigger things to worry about she’s an all star debater an her only goal is to earn her way into Yale but she has to compete with the privileged kids at school. Claire and Dani have a lot more in common than they think but while they’re navigating their struggles alone they eventually are brought together.

Characters

Claire: Claire seems like she would be like the other parachutes rich and superficial, but she was smart and thoughtful. Claire has just wants to succeed and have fun, for the first time in her life her parents aren’t controlling her every move. I didn’t agree with everything that she did but coming to America and having the feeling of being free she kind of went crazy.

Dani: Dani is smart and she’s on scholarship and her goal is to make it to Yale one day. Dani is on the debate team, she’s honestly a great debater and puts her heart and soul into it. Dani just wants things to work out but in the end things go off course.

Romance

Claire and Jay: This relationship was so superficial. Jay is also a parachute and his family is really rich. Jay would buy Claire gifts and it would seem nice and he would talk about wanting to be with her, but the way he treated her was awful. He couldn’t be trusted he was a cheater and he seemed very needy, but when the tables were turned he would get so upset. The way Jay treat Claire was awful and what he did was unacceptable.

Claire and Zach: Claire and Zach meet while swimming and it seems that Zach has a genuine interest in Claire. I liked these two but it was rushed and that was one thing I didn’t like.

Quotes

~ “Show ’em you don’t need a parachute to soar!”

My Thoughts

~ *Content Warning* This book mentions: Rape, Sexual Harassment, and Racism.

~ Dani is great at debating but she wants to feel like she’s on the same level as her classmates who have private coaches so her coach Mr. Connelly decides to coach her in private. I was so upset with this because he was inappropriate and when she wouldn’t accept his advances she would get punished in some sort of way, he would tell her that her speeches were awful and he didn’t pick her to go on a debate trip. I felt so bad for Dani because she’s worked so hard but it felt like no one at the school would take action.

~ Claire on the other hand had to deal with Jay and he was crazy. Jay ended up raping Claire. The way some people overlooked what happened to her was disgusting.

~ Claire and Dani may have been living under the same roof but they didn’t have a lot of interactions. Towards the end of the book I was happy when they came together but I wish there was more, they could have helped each other.

~ Claire’s friends were awful I couldn’t stand them especially Jess. I don’t know how Claire was friends with Jess I just thought she was a trash friend.

~ It was interesting to see how different Claire and Dani lived their lives. Claire still lived a lavish lifestyle while in California but Dani and her mother weren’t well off.

~ It was interesting to learn about parachutes even after reading this book I did some more research.

Overall

This book was hard to put down, I just wanted to know what would happen next. Both of these girls had to deal with so much I felt for both of them. I had a range of emotions while reading this book, I was happy, I was sad, I was angry, and outraged at the injustice. I felt like I was with the characters and the writing was amazing. I’m so happy I read this book I’m still thinking about it. I would definitely recommend it, its beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time but I loved seeing how Dani and Claire ended up supporting each other!

Filed Under: Reviews

REDEMPTION PREP By Samuel Miller

April 7, 2020 by Leave a Comment

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.

REDEMPTION PREP By Samuel MillerRedemption Prep by Samuel Miller
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 4/16/20
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery & Detective, Young Adult
Pages: 416
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Everyone knows Emma. Neesha’s her best friend, Aiden’s her basketball star boyfriend, and Evan’s her shadow, following Emma’s every move.

Emma stands out, which is hard to do at Redemption Prep, a school where every student has been handpicked to attend its remote campus in the forest of Utah. So when she goes missing in plain sight during mass, everyone notices.

And everyone becomes a suspect, especially at a school with so many rules: Don’t skip mass. Don’t break curfew. Don’t go into the woods.

Emma’s disappearance ignites an investigation, and Neesha, Aiden, and Evan all want to find her—for different reasons. But they each have their own secrets to hide, and not everyone wants Emma to be found.
As the search continues, the students start to realize that they’re not the only ones trying to hide something. Redemption Prep has secrets, too—secrets bigger than any of the students could have imagined, and Emma could be the key to finding out the truth . . . if anyone can find her.

Short and Sweet Review

Redemption Prep is an elite prep school in the forest of Utah. Everyone knows who Emma is, so when she goes missing everyone notices. Neesha is her best friend, Aiden is her boyfriend, and Evan is her shadow. Each of them wants to find Emma but for different reasons.

We get three different point of views Neesha’s, Aiden’s and Evan’s, I didn’t like one more than the other, I feel like each of them had their own motives for finding Emma. Neesha was selling a drug named Apex with the help of Emma, and Aiden is obviously trying to find his girlfriend, and Evan is kind of like a stalker. Even though Evan has never talked to Emma he did have good intentions.

The book is a fast read its paced quickly. I liked the whole mystery aspect of the book, it was interesting to see how each student went about trying to find Emma and how they also learned that redemption prep was not what they thought it was. I did like how in the end the students teamed up for the greater good. I was really excited to read this book but I felt like the ending was rushed and I was still left a little confused about the motive of the school. Overall this book was okay but it didn’t wow me like I thought it would and the whole thing about Emma going missing ended up being a disappointment.

Filed Under: Reviews