Month: October 2017

ARC Review: Follow Me by Sara Shepard

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Book cover for Follow Me by Sara Shepard

I received an e-ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Follow Me
Author: Sara Shepard
Publisher: Disney Book Group
Publication Date: November 7, 2017
Stars: 4.5/5

Summary (from Goodreads): It was the perfect night for a party.

That is, until twenty-one-year-old Chelsea Dawson disappeared. The social media star was last seen enjoying a beautiful summer night at the Jersey Shore with her friends. But after an explosive fight with her ex-boyfriend, she vanished without a trace.

When Seneca, Maddox, Aerin, and Madison hear about the suspected kidnapping, they notice a jarring detail about the victim: she looks exactly like Aerin’s sister, Helena, who was killed five years earlier. Seneca is convinced she knows who killed Helena, and she can’t shake the feeling that the same person has taken Chelsea.

Desperate for answers about the two girls, and the truth behind her mother’s murder, Seneca will stop at nothing to find out if the cases are linked. So when Maddox receives an invitation to the Shore from none other than their primary suspect, the Amateurs begin an intense new investigation.

Full of disturbing secrets, startling twists, and horrifying revelations, the second book in #1 New York Times best-selling author Sara Shepard’s The Amateurs series follows the team down a twisted path—one crafted by a brilliant killer.

Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

I have been dying for Follow Me since I finished reading The Amateurs last fall. This book follows a group of teen detectives who attempt to track down a killer. The multiple perspectives work nicely, and the main characters are all enjoyable. This is a perfect mystery series, and I can’t wait until the final book is released next year!

This is the second instalment in The Amateurs series, and is just as eerie as the first. It follows a group of teen amateur detectives who get back together to hunt down a serial killer. Follow Me is the kind of book that will frustrate you on behalf of the characters as the group tries to expose the killer while also being threatened by him. This book is filled with suspense as the main characters follow the clues to his location, and there are many shocking plot twists. However, compared to The Amateurs, Follow Me is a little bit lacking. In the first book, the characters try to figure out who is behind the series of murders, but in the sequel, we already know who the killer is, so the story is basically just them trying to find his location. It is still enjoyable, but I would have liked a bit more.

I really enjoyed the use of multiple perspectives in Follow Me. The reader gets to delve into not only the thoughts of the entire group, but also the killer. It is so interesting knowing what both sides are planning at the same time, and it really adds to the creepiness knowing what is happening to the girl who was kidnapped. I am always a fan of multiple POVs, but it worked especially well in this book.

There is a great cast of characters in this series. My personal favourite was Seneca, since she is great at interpreting clues and is so determined to find the killer. However, the rest of the group doesn’t seem to have as big of a role in this instalment, which is a little bit disappointing. I remember enjoying Aerin’s character in the first book, so I would have liked to see more of her.

Follow Me is the sequel to The Amateurs and tells the story of a group of sleuths trying to track down a serial killer. The multiple narrations is intriguing, especially the killer’s perspective, and the main characters are all so likeable. This series is perfect for the fall, and I would definitely recommend it to those searching for a super suspenseful mystery.

Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: My New Crush Gave to Me by Shani Petroff

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My New Crush Gave to Me
Shani Petroff
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: October 31st 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

This sweet, funny holiday romance from the author of Romeo And What’s Her Name features cute boys, plenty of rom-com mishaps, and a determined heroine readers are certain to fall for.

Charlotte “Charlie” Donovan knows exactly what she wants for Christmas: Teo Ortiz. He’s a star athlete, a National Honor Society member, and the most popular guy in school. Plus he contributes to the school paper, where Charlie is a co-editor. Basically, he’s exactly the type of guy Charlie’s looking for. The only problem is—he barely knows she exists.

But Charlie has a plan: rig the paper’s Secret Santa and win his heart with the perfect gift. The catch? She has no idea what to get him. Enter J.D. Ortiz–Teo’s cousin, and possibly the most annoying person on the planet. He’s easy going, laid back, disorganized, and spontaneous—the exact opposite

of Charlie (and Teo). But he knows what Teo wants, so she’s stuck with him.

Yet, the more time Charlie spends with J.D., the more she starts to wonder: Does she really know what, or rather who, she wants for Christmas?

Shani Petroff’s newest young adult comedy of errors, My New Crush Gave to Me, is the perfect read for those searching for some love and laughter along with their holiday spirit.

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Friday Reads #30: Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa de la Cruz

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Friday Reads

Book Beginnings is a book meme hosted by Rose City Reader where participants share the first sentence (or so) of the book, along with initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.

The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice, and the rules are quite simple: Grab a book, any book, and turn to page 56 or 56% in your e-reader. Find any non-spoilery sentence(s) and post.

This week’s book:

33602143Summary (from Goodreads): Darcy Fitzwilliam is 29, beautiful, successful, and brilliant. She dates hedge funders and basketball stars and is never without her three cellphones—one for work, one for play, and one to throw at her assistant (just kidding). Darcy’s never fallen in love, never has time for anyone else’s drama, and never goes home for Christmas if she can help it. But when her mother falls ill, she comes home to Pemberley, Ohio, to spend the season with her dad and little brother.

Her parents throw their annual Christmas bash, where she meets one Luke Bennet, the smart, sardonic slacker son of their neighbor. Luke is 32 and has never left home. He’s a carpenter and makes beautiful furniture, and is content with his simple life. He comes from a family of five brothers, each one less ambitious than the other. When Darcy and Luke fall into bed after too many eggnogs, Darcy thinks it’s just another one night stand. But why can’t she stop thinking of Luke? What is it about him? And can she fall in love, or will her pride and his prejudice against big-city girls stand in their way?

Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

I know that it’s only a few days before Hallowe’en, however, those new holiday reads are hitting the bookstores I am only a little bit into this one, and so far it seems like a fun retelling. The gender swap is an interesting twist and it definitely has all the components of a great story for the season.

Book Beginning:

A Taylor Swift cover of “Last Christmas,” originally recorded by Wham! in 1986, strummed from the stereo of the sleek, black town car, where Darcy was sitting in the backseat.

Friday 56:

The light pierced through blue gingham curtains, jolting Darcy awake. Her head throbbed with the aftermath of too much eggnog. Where am I?

 

Wishlist Wednesday #127: Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter

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Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by  Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about and have yet to read.

This week’s book:

35238072Title: Not If I Save You First
Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: March 27, 2018

Summary (from Goodreads): Maddie thought she and Logan would be friends forever. But when your dad is a Secret Service agent and your best friend is the president’s son, sometimes life has other plans. Before she knows it, Maddie’s dad is dragging her to a cabin in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness.

No phone.
No Internet.
And not a single word from Logan.

Maddie tells herself it’s okay. After all, she’s the most popular girl for twenty miles in any direction. (She’s also the only girl for twenty miles in any direction.) She has wood to cut and weapons to bedazzle. Her life is full.
Until Logan shows up six years later . . .
And Maddie wants to kill him.

But before that can happen, an assailant appears out of nowhere, knocking Maddie off a cliff and dragging Logan to some unknown fate. Maddie knows she could turn back- and get help. But the weather is turning and the terrain will only get more treacherous, the animals more deadly.

Maddie still really wants to kill Logan.
But she has to save him first.

Goodreads | Amazon

I am such a big Ally Carter fan, so I am super excited for her newest book. I am very intrigued by the fact that one of the main characters is the daughter of a Secret Service agent and the other the son of the president. The Alaskan woods setting is also unique, and it seems so eerie. I have very high hopes for this one, since I have yet to read a bad Ally Carter book, so I am eagerly awaiting the release of Not If I Save You First this spring!

ARC Review: They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

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I received a copy of this book from the publisher at HCC Frenzy Presents.

Title: They Both Die at the End
Author: Adam Silvera
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: September 5, 2017
Stars: 4.5/5

Summary (from Goodreads): On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today. Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure and to live a lifetime in a single day.

Goodreads | Amazon 

They Both Die at the End is unlike anything I’ve read before. It is a story about living life to the fullest as it follows the last day of two new friends. The characters are both likeable, and the writing brings a lot to the book. Although I knew the ending right from the beginning, it still came as a bit of a shock.

This book is one of the most inventive books I’ve read. Basically, everyone gets a phone call on the day they are going to die. They don’t know how or when, just the date. Enter Mateo and Rufus, who meet through an app designed to help people find a friend to spend their last day with. The book follows their first and last day together and their developing relationship. I enjoyed the new technology in the book that almost has a sci-fi vibe to it and the inspiring message. I would definitely recommend this one, even if it is an emotional rollercoaster.

I loved the characters in They Both Die at the End. Mateo is such a sweetheart who is also overcoming social anxiety. He is determined to break out of his shell on his last day and live the rest of his life to the fullest. Throughout the book, I 100% supported Mateo, and his transformation is so heartwarming. Rufus is pretty much the opposite of Mateo, as he is a pretty reckless character. He does have a soft side, and he also changes a lot as the book progresses. I personally liked Mateo’s character more, but Rufus grew on me.

The writing in this book is also different. The story is told through multiple points of view, primarily Mateo’s and Rufus’s. However, every once in a while there is a chapter told from a side character’s perspective. I enjoyed characters such as the person from Death-Cast who calls Mateo and how they all connect to the main plot line. There is also a lot of suspense to the story since the reader knows that the main characters will die, but it is hard to predict how. The writing is filled with emotion and will definitely bring on some tears.

They Both Die at the End is a creative story about two people who meet on their last day of life. I enjoyed the characters and their complexity, especially compassionate Mateo. The writing is phenomenal as well, making the book even more moving.