Review: Dangerous Lies by Becca Fitzpatrick

Title: Dangerous Lies

Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: 11.10.2015

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Thriller, Romance

Series: N/A

Source:  ARC from publisher

Rating: 3 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

A teen is forced to make a fresh start after witnessing a violent crime—but love and danger find her anyway in this novel from Becca Fitzpatrick, theNew York Times bestselling author of the Hush, Hush saga.

Stella Gordon is not her real name. Thunder Basin, Nebraska, is not her real home. This is not her real life.

After witnessing a lethal crime, Stella Gordon is sent to the middle of nowhere for her own safety before she testifies against the man she saw kill her mother’s drug dealer.

But Stella was about to start her senior year with the boyfriend she loves. How can she be pulled away from the only life she knows and expected to start a new one in Nebraska? Stella chafes at her protection and is rude to everyone she meets. She’s not planning on staying long, so why be friendly? Then she meets Chet Falconer and it becomes harder to keep her guard up, even as her guilt about having to lie to him grows.

As Stella starts to feel safer, the real threat to her life increases—because her enemies are actually closer than she thinks…

Review:

I feel like I spend the majority of time reading Becca Fitzpatrick's books and wanting to love them instead of actually loving them. But I must admit, DANGEROUS LIES is probably my favorite book she's written. Even if I nearly DNF'd because of 1 sentence.

Stella took awhile for me to get used to - she's a bit abrasive and happy to blame everyone for her problems in life. She's a bitch - she just is. While she does grow as a character throughout the book, it's that initial first 1/3 of the book that took a some muscling through. And then, when I thought she turned a corner, she thought one scathing remark (about if the pregnant teen mom ever wished her baby would die) that nearly set me off.

OK, it did set me off.

And I almost DNF'd the book. I put it down for several days but ultimately went back to it. I finished it and while I fell in love with Chet, all the over dramatic, soap-opera worthy plot twists mostly made me roll my eyes.

Fitzpatrick seems like a sweet, genuine author. But I'm starting to think her books just aren't for me.

Review & Giveaway: Damage Done by Amanda Panitch

Title: Damage Done

Author: Amanda Panitch

Publisher:  Random House Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: 7.21.2015

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Thriller, Mystery

Series: N/A

Source:  Finished copy from publisher

Amazon

Rating: 4 ½ Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

22 minutes separate Julia Vann’s before and after.

Before: Julia had a twin brother, a boyfriend, and a best friend.

After: She has a new identity, a new hometown, and memories of those twenty-two minutes that refuse to come into focus. At least, that’s what she tells the police.

Now that she’s Lucy Black, she's able to begin again. She's even getting used to the empty bedroom where her brother should be. And her fresh start has attracted the attention of one of the hottest guys in school, a boy who will do anything to protect her. But when someone much more dangerous also takes notice, Lucy's forced to confront the dark secrets she thought were safely left behind.

One thing is clear: The damage done can never be erased. It’s only just beginning. . . . 

Review:

WHAT JUST HAPPENED HERE?!

That was my reaction and mantra for most of this book. DAMAGE DONE is a twisted, brilliantly executed book that does not read like Amanda Panitch’s debut novel. My mind is still reeling from the multitude of bombs that went off.

I have to admit—I saw part of the twist coming. But only part of it. The other part? Holy. Crap. Never, ever saw that coming. It literally left me lightheaded and stunned. Pretty sure I was openly gaping at the book in front of me for a solid two minutes.

Julia/Lucy is a fascinating character to be in the head of the entire novel. You can see how much her past and present both scare her and she ultimately has to make a choice as to which will define her life. That struggle was executed wonderfully.

This book is addictive from the first chapter where you learn exactly why Julia Vann became Lucy Black to the chilling conclusion. It’s creepy, terrifying, and twisted in the best ways. 

Giveaway:
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Review: The Bodies We Wear by Jeyn Roberts

Title: The Bodies We Wear

Author: Jeyn Roberts

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: 9.23.2014

Pages: 368

Genre: Young Adult, Thriller

Series: N/A

Source: ARC from ALA

Rating: 4 ½ Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

People say when you take Heam, your body momentarily dies and you catch a glimpse of heaven. Faye was only eleven when dealers forced Heam on her and her best friend, Christian. But Faye didn’t glimpse heaven—she saw hell. And Christian died. 
 
Now Faye spends her days hiding her secret from the kids at school, and her nights training to take revenge on the men who destroyed her life and murdered her best friend. But life never goes the way we think it will. When a mysterious young man named Chael appears, Faye's plan suddenly gets a lot more complicated. Chael seems to know everything about her, including her past. But too many secrets start tearing her world apart: trouble at school, with the police, and with the people she thought might be her friends. Even Gazer, her guardian, fears she's become too obsessed with vengeance. Love and death. Will Faye overcome her desires, or will her quest for revenge consume her?

Review:

Heam, short for Heaven's Dream, allows you a glimpse of a beautiful place that many claim to be Heaven. So why wouldn't you want to try it? Even if you could die the first time. Faye can give plenty of reasons.

Faye is 17 but she seems so much older. What she has gone through and what she is working towards have aged her. It started when she was 11. Can you imagine keeping hate that long locked inside? When you finally learn why, you understand. It ruined more than just her life.

The world you get brought into is some depressing. Heam has completely changed it. Roberts has done an amazing job filling in the smallest details, yet important, to give you a world that justifies Faye's hate. Cue Chael and the light he brings with him.

Once Faye realizes who he is, everything in her little world goes upside down. The emotions she goes through are something anyone would feel. Roberts certainly knows how to carry those emotions out of the pages.

This is definitely one that I'll remember.

Buy: The Bodies We Wear

Review: Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick

Title: Black Ice

Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: 10.7.2014

Pages: 400

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Thriller, Mystery

Series: No

Source: ARC from BEA

Rating: 3 ½ Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Sometimes danger is hard to see... until it’s too late. 

Britt Pfeiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn't prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage. 

In exchange for her life, Britt agrees to guide the men off the mountain. As they set off, Britt knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there... and in uncovering this, she may become the killer’s next target. 

But nothing is as it seems in the mountains, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally? 

Review:

BLACK ICE is a tense, thrilling ride with a lot of danger, gasp-worthy moments and head-spinning twists and turns. It’s the kind of book that deserves to be read alone, at night, with a warm cup of tea/coffee to maximize dramatic effect.

Becca Fitzpatrick does a splendid job of hurtling her readers into the frigid wilderness with Britt. I legit felt cold reading this in the middle of summer, sun blazing outside. She’s that good at transporting the reader into the middle of the action. The desperation is palpable throughout the majority of the book.

I know what you’re thinking—Then why the 3 ½ star review, Hannah?

Sadly BLACK ICE is a book that didn’t know when to quit. This is the type of book I wanted to end with a BANG and then be wrapped up in a chapter or two towards the end. But this book limped along at the end. The last 50 or so pages were full of unnecessary drama that made the overall plot seem cartoonish and ridiculous.

This book was phenomenal for the first ¾ of the novel. But then it seriously derailed to the point where I could only sigh and shake my head. It’s definitely worth a read, just proceed with caution.

Review: Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Don’t Look Back

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: 4.15.2014

Pages: 384

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller

Series: No

Source: ARC from ALA MW

Rating: 5 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend. 

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash. 

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

Review:

Jennifer L. Armentrout has been an “auto-buy” author for me for quite some time now. I’ve yet to read something of hers I didn’t love and DON’T LOOK BACK is no exception. But more than that, Armentrout continually proves herself to be a versatile writer. She has mastered steamy scenes, made me fall for a demon, a gargoyle, a god, and an alien, but now she once again proves no genre is outside of her reach with the creepy contemporary thriller.

I loved Sam from the beginning. I loved her snark and wit and that her inner monologue was what I expected my own to be if I woke up with a blank memory. I thoroughly enjoyed watching her break away and question her friends, not blindly led around by people she was supposed to love and trust.

Carson was my hero. I need one of him in my life. The way he protected and challenged Sam was exactly what Sam needed.

This plot takes more twists and turns than a rollercoaster. Nothing is what it seems, everyone has an ulterior motive, and if you think you know what happened, I promise you don’t. Fans of Armentrout’s undoubtedly had this one on pre-order, but for those who haven’t been WOWed by her before or never got into her paranormal novels, DON’T LOOK BACK is a wonderful place for you to fall in love with her writing.

 Buy: Amazon

Review: Don't Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon

Title: Don’t Turn Around

Author: Michelle Gagnon

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: 8.28.2012

Pages: 310

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Series: Yes (PERSEPHoNE #1)

Source: ARC from publisher

Rating: A

Summary (from Goodreads):

Sixteen-year-old Noa has been a victim of the system ever since her parents died. Now living off the grid and trusting no one, she uses her computer-hacking skills to stay safely anonymous and alone. But when she wakes up on a table in an empty warehouse with an IV in her arm and no memory of how she got there, Noa starts to wish she had someone on her side.

Enter Peter Gregory. A rich kid and the leader of a hacker alliance, Peter needs people with Noa's talents on his team. Especially after a shady corporation called AMRF threatens his life in no uncertain terms.

But what Noa and Peter don't realize is that Noa holds the key to a terrible secret, and there are those who'd stop at nothing to silence her for good.

Review:

After a bit of a reading slump, I picked this book up off my shelf and, suffice to say, my reading slump is now over. Don’t Turn Around renewed my love for books within the first chapter. Michelle Gagnon grabs you in a vise and doesn’t let up ever. This book stole my breath in the best possible way.

The moment the book opens with Noa waking up, the action starts and doesn’t let up. This book is heavily compared to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, and I get the similarities. But Noa is not Lisbeth Salander. While both are tech-savvy geniuses who have lived on their own for a while, Noa has a heart that Lisbeth just never got. Noa is endearing, frustrating, and thrilling.

I will say that this story definitely focuses more on plot than characters, but that totally works here. I felt like I had a good grip on the characters—they were engaging, unique, and had chemistry—but the real gem is the plot. Gagnon spares no expense as she dives into the world of corporate and government conspiracies. She creates this complex and intricate plot that weaves together into an ingenious literary knot.

I am so thrilled that there will be more books because I did not nearly get my fill of Noa (and Peter—especially Noa with Peter) and this crazy world. I’m usually the girl who has to have a romantic storyline to really fall hard for a story, but that wasn’t the case here. Yes, there’s some fun moments between Noa and Peter, and I truly hope their relationship evolves through the series, but the story itself was so exciting, I was addicted from the first sentence. Gagnon already had an established fanbase with her adult audience and that it sure to increase significantly with the YA crowd. She wrote a novel that will easily appeal to teens and adults.

Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository

Review: Stay by Deb Caletti

Title: Stay

Author: Deb Caletti

Publisher: Simon Pulse (Simon & Schuster)

Publication Date:  4.5.2011

Pages: 352

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Contemporary Thriller

Series: No

Rating: B-

Summary (from Goodreads):

Clara’s relationship with Christian is intense from the start, and like nothing she’s ever experienced before. But what starts as devotion quickly becomes obsession, and it’s almost too late before Clara realizes how far gone Christian is—and what he’s willing to do to make her stay.

Now Clara has left the city—and Christian—behind. No one back home has any idea where she is, but she still struggles to shake off her fear. She knows Christian won’t let her go that easily, and that no matter how far she runs, it may not be far enough....

Review:

The premise of Stay is interesting enough, and sadly enough, very relevant to teens today. Clara falls fast and hard for Christian. After a few months of dating, Christian’s intense jealously and controlling ways push Clara to her breaking point. After a messy breakup Clara’s father takes her and they head to a small beachside town for the summer.

Deb Caletti does a wonderful job of making your heart break for Clara. Unfortunately Clara’s situation is all too realistic, and I’m certain most reader will either identify with Clara or know someone who acted just as impulsively as she did. Clara is a rich character, complex and fighting to make sense of where things went wrong and what role, if any she played, in Christian’s downward spiral. Watching her try to make sense of their relationship was heartbreaking; I just wanted to hug her.

The biggest problem I had with this book was the format. Every other chapter switched back to past tense while the others were present tense. It was too jarring for me. I would have much preferred to read about Clara and Christian’s relationship, and then gone through the breakup with Clara leaving the city for the beach, finishing up with her quest for self-discovery. I’ve read several books where the author constantly switched back and forth in time and it didn’t bother me, but this one really did. Maybe it was because the present tense chapters would really get rolling and then they would end abruptly as you were forced to travel months back in time and then be lurched forward to the present again. After an entire novel of this, it got tiresome.

I also didn’t like all the footnotes. The novel is told entirely from Clara’s point of view, but there were footnotes to add detail. I didn’t understand why the detail couldn’t have just been put into the paragraph. I would be reading at the top of the page and have to skip to the bottom to read an explanation of something and then go back up and find the sentence I was reading. This book seemed part essay and part novel.

While, again, most of my issues were just the way the book was compiled, it is a beautiful story about how desperate young love can be to the point of blindness. I think this is also a very important novel for teens to read because it shows that abuse in a relationship isn’t strictly physical. I loved the premise and the characters Caletti brought to life, I just wish she would have done it in a more flowing way.