THIS IS NOT THE REAL WORLD By Anna Carey

May 12, 2023 by Leave a Comment

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

THIS IS NOT THE REAL WORLD By Anna CareyThis Is Not the Real World by Anna Carey
Series: This Is Not the Jess Show #2
Published by Quirk Books on 5/24/22
Genres: Dystopian, Mystery & Detective, Science Fiction, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 288
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Months after Jess escaped from the set of Stuck in the ’90s, the nostalgic reality show she believed was her real life, the teen star is getting to know the outside world for the first time. But she can’t outrun her fictional life forever—or the media empire that owns it.

After Like-Life Productions tracks her down and forces her boyfriend to return to the show, Jess teams up with an underground network fighting to uncover Like-Life’s schemes. To expose the truth, Jess must go back to the set and take Like-Life down from the inside . . . but getting revenge might just cost her everything.

Short and Sweet Review

Jess and Kipp have been in hiding for months, but Life Like Productions (LLP) have finally tracked them down and force Kipp to return to Swickley to finish out the rest of his contract. Jess knows that she needs to go back for Kipp, but she’s also helping Beyond1998 a group that is trying to expose LLP for who they really are and they need someone on the inside to get the intel. Even though Jess used to be the star of the show her return isn’t the welcome home she thought it would be and some people are really out to get her.

I felt bad that Jess and Kipp were thrown back into a life that they tried so hard to leave and now they’re back on set and you can tell that people are treating them like they’re less than. Anyway the other actors on set are not right, they think what they’re doing is right and they basically profit off of exploiting Jess’s life. Theres also Chrysalis one of the producers and she’s trying to keep Jess on a tight leash. There’s always cameras following Jess and she usually has a mic so she has to be careful about sneaking around set and that’s when things are pretty suspenseful because we don’t know if she actually got away with anything or if someone was watching the whole time.

This book was pretty good, we didn’t know who we could trust, but there was always an end goal. Things got dangerous on set and there were some twists that I wasn’t expecting. I will say the book is short so things felt rushed, the ending shows that not everything has a happy ending but I was pretty pleased with how everything was wrapped up.

Filed Under: Reviews

SCARLET By Marissa Meyer

May 8, 2023 by Leave a Comment

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

SCARLET By Marissa MeyerScarlet by Marissa Meyer
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #2
Published by Feiwel & Friends on 1/1/13
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Retellings, Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 464
Format: Ebook, Paperback
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

Short and Sweet Review

In France we meet Scarlet Benoit whose grandmother has disappeared. Scarlet is looking for any clue that could lead to where she is but she doesn’t realize the kind of danger her grandmother could be in until she meets wolf. Wolf is from Luna and has been modified and is in Queen Levana’s army. Scarlet reluctantly teams up with Wolf to try to find her grandmother and ends up running into members of wolf’s pack who are looking for information about Princess Selene that Scarlets grandmother would have. Cinder on the other hand is breaking out of prison and that’s where she meets Captain Carswell Thorne. Together Cinder and Thorne escape and make it to his ship and they end up going to France because Cinder is also trying to find Michelle Benoit for information about her past.

Every book in this series just gets better and in this sequel we meet Scarlet, Wolf, and Thorne. Scarlet just has a fire about her she’s not afraid to do what’s right and she’s not going to back down. We learn that there’s things that even Scarlet didn’t know about her grandmothers past so she’s surprised but she’s still determined to save her. Wolf is an interesting character he was made to serve the queen but he wants to break away, which is why he helps Scarlet. I think the bond that Scarlet and Wolf form is cute, they really look out for each other. Carswell Thorne is like comedic relief. Thorne is a serial flirter and it’s funny because not everyone is trying to be wooed by him and sometimes he doesn’t get it. We see Scarlet and Wolf go around France looking for her grandmother and fighting off others who have been modified like Wolf. Cinder and Thorne on the other hand are fugitives who are trying to evade capture. I love that we also get to see more of Iko but this time she’s the ship that Cinder and Thorne are in.

Now we have a few more characters joining Cinder and each character is important to helping Cinder take down Levana. I’m just excited to read Cress next and see where our characters will end up!

Filed Under: Reviews

CINDER By Marissa Meyer

May 5, 2023 by Leave a Comment

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

CINDER By Marissa MeyerCinder by Marissa Meyer
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #1
Published by Feiwel & Friends on 1/1/12
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Retellings, Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 400
Format: Ebook, Paperback
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.

Short and Sweet Review

Cinder is a futuristic retelling of Cinderella. We follow our main character Cinder who is also part cyborg and lives in the commonwealth of China. Cinder lives with her stepmother Adri and two stepsisters Pearl and Peony. Cinder also has a super cool android named Iko. Anyway Cinder works at the market as a mechanic and is basically the breadwinner for the family and is treated like dirt by everyone except for Peony. One day Prince Kai comes to Cinders market stand to ask for help fixing his android. The sparks between Cinder and Kai fly and Cinder knows that she doesn’t really have a chance with a Prince so she tries to fight off her feelings but he does ask her to go to the ball with him. Cinder is obviously told she can’t go to the ball and unfortunately her sister Peony ends up getting Letumosis a disease that has killed millions. Cinder is blamed for this and Adri signs Cinder up for the cyborg draft which subjects cyborgs to be tested on to find an antidote. It’s there that the head scientist realizes that Cinder is not only a cyborg but Lunar and she needs to keep a low profile because Queen Levana of the Lunars is coming to the Commonwealth and she won’t want Cinder alive, because Cinder may be the only one who can stop her. It’s interesting to see how some Lunars have powers and others don’t. Cinder never knew she was a Lunar until she met Dr. Erland who was able to tell her things about her past that she didn’t know, like she’s the lost Princess of Lunar!

Cinder is such a fun and different take on Cinderella. I loved the futuristic elements and that Cinder is a mechanic and a cyborg. Iko is a great sidekick to Cinder. There was a lot of world building and it’s great. We’re introduced to some characters that are going to be paramount in the next three books in the series and just rereading this book I see a lot of things that I may have missed the first time around. The Lunar Chronicles is one of my favorite series and Cinder is just setting everything up for what’s to come in the next installments. This series is a lot of fun and I love retellings and it’s going to be fun rereading this series and seeing where Cinder will end up and who she’ll meet.

Filed Under: Reviews

KINGDOM OF ASH By Sarah J. Maas

May 3, 2023 by Leave a Comment

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

KINGDOM OF ASH By Sarah J. MaasKingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #7
Published by Bloomsbury YA on 10/23/18
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 992
Format: Ebook, Hardcover
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Aelin has risked everything to save her people-but at a tremendous cost. Locked within an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. Aware that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, though her resolve begins to unravel with each passing day…

With Aelin captured, Aedion and Lysandra remain the last line of defense to protect Terrasen from utter destruction. Yet they soon realize that the many allies they've gathered to battle Erawan's hordes might not be enough to save them. Scattered across the continent and racing against time, Chaol, Manon, and Dorian are forced to forge their own paths to meet their fates. Hanging in the balance is any hope of salvation-and a better world.

And across the sea, his companions unwavering beside him, Rowan hunts to find his captured wife and queen-before she is lost to him forever.

Short and Sweet Review

Kingdom of Ash continues where Empire of Storms ended. Aelin is being held captive by Maeve and is being tortured by Cairn until she gives them the information they want. Rowan, Gabriel, Lorcan, and Elide make it their mission to find Aelin. Aedion and Lysandra are still trying to rally the troops while also still pretending that Lysandra is Aelin. Manon and Dorian are trying to find the Crochan witches to form an alliance and get their help in this war. Chaol, Yrene, and Khagan’s army are also on their way to fight in this war.

Kingdom of Ash was epic. I was wondered what would happen seeing as Aelin wasn’t around the other characters for a bit of time but the other characters added a lot and really held the story together. I will say seeing Aelin in a helpless position broke my heart. I did like seeing how each character had their own missions and how they were holding it down without Aelin to be their guiding force. Seeing all of the character reunite was my favorite thing, just seeing the interactions made me happy. I also liked that almost every character had a mate and that we’ve seen these relationships grow over the course of the books. There was a lot of action and I was ready for Maeve and Erawan to be stopped. Dorian and Aelin also had to make some had decisions just to have an advantage in this war. I will say some of the loses were really sad but it was all for the greater good and everyone believed in the future they were fighting for.

I loved this series and just following Aelin and the other characters across the course of seven books was worth it. This book will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions but its a series full of lovable characters, it’s action packed, and everything you would want in a series where someone needs to reclaim their throne.

Filed Under: Reviews

TOWER OF DAWN By Sarah J. Maas

April 28, 2023 by Leave a Comment

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

TOWER OF DAWN By Sarah J. MaasTower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #6
Published by Bloomsbury YA on 9/5/17
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 675
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Chaol Westfall and Nesryn Faliq have arrived in the shining city of Antica to forge an alliance with the Khagan of the Southern Continent, whose vast armies are Erilea's last hope. But they have also come to Antica for another purpose: to seek healing at the famed Torre Cesme for the wounds Chaol received in Rifthold.

After enduring unspeakable horrors as a child at the hands of Adarlanian soldiers, Yrene Towers has no desire to help the young lord from Adarlan, let alone heal him. Yet she has sworn an oath to assist those in need, and she will honor it. But Lord Westfall carries his own dark past, and Yrene soon realizes that those shadows could engulf them both.

Chaol, Nesryn, and Yrene will have to draw on every scrap of their resilience to overcome the danger that surrounds them. But while they become entangled in the political webs of the khaganate, long-awaited answers slumber deep in the mountains, where warriors soar on legendary ruks. Answers that might offer their world a chance at survival . . . or doom them all.

Short and Sweet Review

Chaol and Nesryn are in Antica to try to forge an alliance with the Khagan, whose large armies could be the turning point in the war that is on the horizon. Chaol has also come seeking the Torre Cesme to see if some of the wounds he received in Rifthold can be healed. Yrene Towers is the healer who has been chosen to heal Chaol but after all of the horrors she witnessed as a child from Adarlans Soldiers, she’s not sure she can even be around Chaol let alone heal him. Even though our characters are in a different continent there’s still danger that surrounds them.

If you were wondering where Chaol was in Empire of Storms he was here in Antica trying to get the Khagan to form an alliance to help with the war in Erilea. Everything about this book was perfection. I loved seeing new characters involved and seeing Chaol try to negotiate on Aelin behalf. Chaol and Yrene have a relationship that is rocky at the beginning but the more time they spend together seeing each others demons, the more their relationship began to bud. These two were perfect for each other and it made my heart just happy to see them realize that they belong. Nesryn on the other hand forms a bond with Prince Sartaq and ends up going with him and his ruk to the mountains, where they learn some interesting things. There’s a lot of good things happening in this book that will keep your interest. I didn’t think I would enjoy seeing what Nesryn was doing but her and Sartaq ended up learning some interesting things that changed everything. I also liked their relationship, because I didn’t think she belonged with Chaol.

This book was full of action that we’ve come to expect from this series and it explains Chaol’s absence from the last book. I’m so excited to see what the next book brings because so many things were revealed here!

Filed Under: Reviews

SHE IS A HAUNTING By Trang Thanh Tran

April 24, 2023 by Leave a Comment

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

SHE IS A HAUNTING By Trang Thanh TranShe Is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran
Published by Bloomsbury YA on 2/28/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Gothic, Horror & Ghost Stories, LGBT, Young Adult
Pages: 344
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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When Jade Nguyen arrives in Vietnam for a visit with her estranged father, she has one goal: survive five weeks pretending to be a happy family in the French colonial house Ba is restoring. She's always lied to fit in, so if she's straight enough, Vietnamese enough, American enough, she can get out with the college money he promised.

But the house has other plans. Night after night, Jade wakes up paralyzed. The walls exude a thrumming sound while bugs leave their legs and feelers in places they don't belong. She finds curious traces of her ancestors in the gardens they once tended. And at night Jade can't ignore the ghost of the beautiful bride who leaves cryptic warnings: Don't eat.

Neither Ba nor her sweet sister Lily believe that there is anything strange happening. With help from a delinquent girl, Jade will prove this house--the home they have always wanted--will not rest until it destroys them. Maybe, this time, she can keep her family together. As she roots out the house's rot, she must also face the truth of who she is and who she must become to save them all.

Short and Sweet Review

Jade Nguyễn arrives in Vietnam with her sister Lily, to spend five weeks with her estranged father and help him set up a website for the B&B he’s opening in exchange for tuition money. When Jade first arrives at the house she knows something isn’t right but neither Lily or her father acknowledge that anything seems off. Jade wakes up each night paralyzed and sees the ghost of a bride who gives her warnings. The house won’t stop until it gets what it wants but Jade is determined to stop it and keep her family together.

It’s always the synopsis that draws me in, and who wouldn’t like a story about a monster house? My problem with this book is our main character Jade. She just comes off as a brat, I get that her father wasn’t there but she’s not so great to her mom either. For someone who came to Vietnam for some money she’s not entirely grateful and the way she goes about treating her dad is awful. Anyway Jade bounces between caring about her sexuality for a few chapters, then her not really knowing Vietnamese and not feeling Vietnamese enough, to going back to caring about the house. Jade meets a girl named Florence who is also helping with the website design and they have feelings for each other, these wasn’t a romance I liked mainly because Jade didn’t know what she wanted so it was almost like she was toying with Florence’s feelings. Florence also tries to help Jade figure out what’s going on in the house. The whole house thing is weird because there’s also ghost who are involved but it’s like the house is its own entity. I don’t think the book came off as creepy or chilling, I wasn’t on the edge of my seat. I found myself annoyed more often than not at Jade and the things she did.

This book just wasn’t good. I was bored and there were a lot of elements that the author tried to tackle and just fell short. If this book picked a lane and stayed there I’m sure it would have been better than what I actually read.

Filed Under: Reviews

THE SILENCE OF BONES By June Hur

April 19, 2023 by Leave a Comment

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

THE SILENCE OF BONES By June HurThe Silence of Bones by June Hur
Published by Feiwel & Friends on 4/21/20
Genres: Historical, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 343
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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I have a mouth, but I mustn't speak;
Ears, but I mustn't hear;
Eyes, but I mustn't see.

1800, Joseon (Korea). Homesick and orphaned sixteen-year-old Seol is living out the ancient curse: “May you live in interesting times.” Indentured to the police bureau, she’s been tasked with assisting a well-respected young inspector with the investigation into the politically charged murder of a noblewoman.

As they delve deeper into the dead woman's secrets, Seol forms an unlikely bond of friendship with the inspector. But her loyalty is tested when he becomes the prime suspect, and Seol may be the only one capable of discovering what truly happened on the night of the murder.

But in a land where silence and obedience are valued above all else, curiosity can be deadly.

Short and Sweet Review

It’s 1800 and we’re in Joseon, Korea. Seol is an orphan and is indentured to the police bureau, and she is given the task of helping an investigator look into the murder of a noblewoman. As their investigation progresses, Seol forms a friendship with the investigator but things take a turn when he becomes one of the suspects.

The synopsis is what drew me into this book, to go back in time in Korea sounded amazing, and also a mystery? Count me in. Unfortunately this book wasn’t as great as I thought it would be. Seol lives by strict rules because she’s basically a servant so she can’t speak out of turn, but luckily for her Inspector Han has a sort of respect for her opinions. Korea in the 1800s is so interesting, the noblewoman was also a Catholic and that is looked down upon which is why she was killed, for her beliefs. Seol and Inspector Han do the basic detective work, going around talking to people who knew the noblewoman and dig deeper into her life. Sadly a few more people are killed and time is running out to find the killer. We see Seol do her own detective work and she starts to question whether Inspector Han is the man she thought he was. We also have a side plot of Seol trying to find her older brother, whom she was separated from as a child.

All of the elements of the story were great, unfortunately I found myself confused more often then not. I think it was all of the characters and names and just trying to remember their importance. Also the first half of the book didn’t really hold my attention and that might have been because of what I mentioned above, but the second half of the book is where things started to pick up for me and I was interested to see how the mystery would wrap up.

I would recommend this book, it was fun getting transported to Korea and solving a mystery and you can really tell that things that are acceptable now were looked down upon then. Seol is an interesting character to follow and she had character development as the book progressed and her story is an interesting one.

Filed Under: Reviews

THIS IS NOT THE JESS SHOW By Anna Carey

April 3, 2023 by Leave a Comment

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

THIS IS NOT THE JESS SHOW By Anna CareyThis Is Not the Jess Show by Anna Carey
Series: This Is Not the Jess Show #1
Published by Quirk Books on 2/2/21
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 319
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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The year is 1998: Titanic just won six Oscars, boy bands are dominating MTV’s airwaves, and like any other teenager Jess Flynn is just trying to survive high school. Between a crush on her childhood best friend, overprotective parents, and her sister’s worsening health, the only constant is her hometown of Swickley, which feels smaller by the day.

Jess is resigned to her small-town life, until the day she discovers a mysterious device with an apple logo, causing her to question everything and everyone she’s ever known. As more cracks appear in Jess’s world, she faces a choice: can she live the rest of her life knowing it’s a lie, or should she risk everything for the truth?

Short and Sweet Review

It’s 1998 and Jess is trying to survive high school and live her best life. Jess hangs out with her best friend, has a crush on a boy, is worried about her sister’s health, and has overprotective parents. At school Jess sees a strange device with an apple logo on it and she begins questioning everything and everyone around her.

This Is Not the Jess Show, was a pretty entertaining book. Jess lives on a TV set and she doesn’t even know it, but when she finds the apple phone she starts asking questions, and someone finally admits the truth to her. Jess knows that she can’t let people know she’s on to them so she tries to keep calm. Jess eventually escapes with Kipp another actor and in the real world Jess realizes that everything she thought she knew was actually made up for the show. It’s not 1998 its actually 2037 and that just throws everything off. Even though Jess makes it off the set, that’s half the battle. She and Kipp still have to find some way to avoid being detected and find a safe place to stay.

I liked that Jess had to run from everything she thought she knew and that people were still searching for her. I felt bad for Jess, she didn’t even know what kind of life she was living, and that millions of people would tune in to see her. This was like a game of cat and mouse and I just really wanted Jess to succeed. I’m excited to read the second book and see how some unanswered questions are answered and how Jess wraps everything up.

Filed Under: Reviews

OCULTA By Maya Motayne

March 29, 2023 by Leave a Comment

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

OCULTA By Maya MotayneOculta by Maya Motayne
Series: A Forgery of Magic #2
Published by Balzer + Bray on 4/6/21
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 541
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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After joining forces to save Castallan from an ancient magical evil, Alfie and Finn haven’t seen each other in months. Alfie is finally stepping up to his role as heir and preparing for an International Peace Summit, while Finn is traveling and reveling in her newfound freedom from Ignacio.

That is, until she’s unexpectedly installed as the new leader of one of Castallan’s powerful crime syndicates.

Just when Finn finds herself back in San Cristobal, Alfie’s plans are also derailed. The mysterious organization responsible for his brother’s murder has resurfaced—and their newest target is the summit. And when these events converge, Finn and Alfie are once again forced to work together to follow the assassins’ trail and preserve Castallan’s hopes for peace with Englass.

But will they be able to stop these sinister foes before a new war threatens their kingdom?

Short and Sweet Review

After the events of the first book, Alfie and Finn haven’t seen each other in months. Alfie is preparing for a peace summit with Englass, a place where magic has been outlawed and their citizens are treated as less than. Meanwhile Finn is enjoying her freedom, but unbeknownst to her she becomes the new leader of a powerful crime organization. Alfie and Finn are brought back together when there are multiple murders occurring in the city and they seem to be attacking people related to the summit.

Alfie has a lot on his plate, the summit is actually something his brother Dez wanted to happen and Alfie feels an obligation to make sure everything goes right. It doesn’t help that there are murders occurring around Castallan during the time of the summit. Alfie and Finn try to find out who is calling the shots when it comes to these murders and they’re doing a lot of digging and at times I felt that this changed the pace of the book and things were moving so slowly. It doesn’t help that Alfie has to try to make the Englassian Royals feel welcome, he tries to make sure Prince Marsden feels the most welcome because it seems he’ll be the hardest to convince, Princess Vesper on the other hand seems to try to help Alfie with convincing her family that the summit is a good idea. Finn is on the other side working with a crime syndicate and she knows she needs to succeed in finding out who’s in charge so she can pass on the title of leader. Finn and Alfie obviously like each other, but they try to fight their feelings for whatever reason. They both know that they basically complete each other so this ridiculous take on we should fight our feelings didn’t work for me. The ending was intense and a lot of great stuff happened there, but I think it took way too long to get there. This book could have been 100 pages shorter.

This book had such a different vibe from Nocturna. I was waiting for more magic and fun but I think this book took on a darker tone. The ending was great the twists and turns were unexpected and I’m interested to see what the last book has in store.

Filed Under: Reviews

CREEP: A LOVE STORY By Lygia Day Peñaflor

March 27, 2023 by Leave a Comment

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

CREEP: A LOVE STORY By Lygia Day PeñaflorCreep: A Love Story by Lygia Day Peñaflor
Published by Clarion Books on 9/27/22
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 269
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Laney Villanueva and Nico Fiore are the perfect couple: beautiful, popular, talented, and hopelessly in love. Everyone looks up to them at Holy Family High School.

But Rafi doesn’t just admire them. She watches them. She’s drawn to them.

Intent on becoming their closest friend, Rafi weaves her way into their lives. She starts small: taking photos of the senior class for the yearbook, joining Laney’s club, and babysitting Nico's little sister. And it works—soon they invite her to parties, take her on joyrides, and ask her for favors. Rafi’s actions quickly turn invasive, delving deeper and deeper until she’s consumed by their most intimate secrets.

When tragedy strikes the young lovers, Rafi’s obsession spirals, and she will do anything to keep the perfect couple together. Anything . . .

Short and Sweet Review

Laney and Nico are the perfect couple, at least they are in Rafi’s mind. She watches them and takes it one step further by infiltrating herself into their lives. She starts babysitting Nico’s younger sister, she goes to parties with them, and even gets rides home from them. This isn’t enough for Rafi, she wants to know everything about them, but when it seems like things aren’t going great for the couple, Rafi will do anything to keep them together.

I get the concept of the book, I really do. Rafi is obsessed with Laney and Nico and it’s uncomfortable how she’s not self aware that their kindness is not an actually invitation for her to do the things she’s doing. It’s kind of interesting because this is not the first time Rafi has become obsessed with someone, she’s not a first time offender. I think it would be nice to know what made her the way she is but I think that could be attributed to her parents relationship not working out. Reading from Rafi’s POV and seeing how delusional she is was hard, it also made me feel like I was creeping with her. The ending was not good. ITs not often that I don’t want a main character win but Rafi is not a character I liked, I kind of wanted her to get locked up and evaluated but that’s not what happened. Again I get what was happening her but maybe the execution didn’t work as well as it was supposed to.

Filed Under: Reviews