Killing Rachel by Anne Cassidy My rating: 1 of 5 stars Initial reaction: Argh, this hurts to write. You know, despite my criticisms of it in some modes, I actually did like Anne Cassidy’s first book in this series, “Dead Time”. Rose was a flawed protagonist in that, but at least she owned up to … Continue reading »
The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington My rating: 4 of 5 stars Initial reaction: Solid YA mystery with paranormal elements. I’m usually fond of ghost stories and I found something to like not only in Jade’s respective journey, but also in the unfolding murder mystery that kept the ball rolling right up to the … Continue reading »
Lost Summer by Alex McAulay My rating: 1 of 5 stars There’s only so much suspension of disbelief you can have in a single story. I think in Alex McAulay’s “Lost Summer”, that suspension was used up well before the book hit the 10% mark, at least for me. Even in the most far-fetched of … Continue reading »
Identity Theft by Anna Davies My rating: 4 of 5 stars Initial reaction: I’m really glad I had the opportunity to read “Identity Theft”, considering it’s among the kind of stories I usually enjoy. It took a while to find its stride and I think I was put off a little by the info-dumpish, pop … Continue reading »
Hysteria by Megan Miranda My rating: 2 of 5 stars Initial reaction: You know those times when you start off really liking a book but then as you go along it feels like a balloon that deflates as time goes on, which by the end it’s no longer floating but barely tracing the ground? That’s … Continue reading »
The Girl in the Wall by Daphne Benedis-Grab My rating: 4 of 5 stars Initial reaction: Whoa, this turned out to be quite the engaging read, and I’m surprised how quick it transpired in both the narrative flow and for events. This is probably one of the better stories of its kind in YA that … Continue reading »
Poison Shy by Stacey Madden My rating: 1 of 5 stars Initial reaction: I have many words to spare on the content and portrayal of this book, but it wasn’t what I thought it would be at all. I went into “Poison Shy” with the idea that it might be a decent murder/disappearance mystery, even … Continue reading »
Deep Betrayal by Anne Greenwood Brown My rating: 3 of 5 stars Initial reaction: Ooh, this was actually better than Lies Beneath in my opinion, but I’ll admit that there were points where I hit a bit of a bump in the story progression. I think Lily’s voice was much easier to warm up to … Continue reading »
The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith My rating: 3 of 5 stars I don’t even know what to say about Andrew Smith’s “The Marbury Lens”. Because this is one of those novels where I’m sitting right on the fence and I’m not apt to fall on either side – like or dislike. I had my … Continue reading »
Don’t Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon My rating: 2 of 5 stars Initial thoughts: I really wanted to like this novel more than I did, but for the sparse worldbuilding and lack of connectivity as far as the characterization and events goes, this didn’t deliver. I’m hoping I can explain more in my full review. … Continue reading »
The Light by D.J. MacHale My rating: 2 of 5 stars Initial reaction: Not that impressed, not even considering this book was well narrated by Nick Podehl, who’s one of my favorite audiobook readers. That was probably the main reason I picked this up and it was my first read from D.J. MacHale (I do … Continue reading »
Firelight by Kristen Callihan My rating: 4 of 5 stars I’m wondering why it took me so long to read Kristen Callihan’s “Firelight” – the first book in her “Darkest London” series. It’s easily one of the best gothic adult paranormal/supernatural novels I’ve read in quite some time, and interestingly enough has quite a convincing … Continue reading »
Transcendence by C.J. Omololu My rating: 4 of 5 stars Initial reaction: “Transcendence” had many elements that intrigued me – mystery, suspense, romance, loose ties to Egyptian lore, a decent time travel story, and nice characterization. It does start a little sluggish with setting the pieces and people in the story in place, but once … Continue reading »
Dead Time by Anne Cassidy My rating: 3 of 5 stars Anne Cassidy’s “Dead Time” was a captivating read for me, for the most part. I have a love for mystery/suspense/thriller novels, and I don’t see that many of them often in the YA genre. The story commences with a protagonist named Rose, who lives … Continue reading »
Blackout by Mira Grant My rating: 5 of 5 stars Initial reaction: Oh my word. This was brilliant. I think I have a new favorite trilogy to add to my list. *** Full review: I don’t know if I can describe the experience of Mira Grant’s “Blackout” in a succinct enough capacity to share how … Continue reading »
