Blink Once by Cylin Busby

 

Blink Once

author : cylin busby

pages : [hardcover] 304

favorite characters : west & olivia

summary:

West is a high school senior who has everything going for him until an accident leaves him paralyzed. Strapped down in his hospital bed, slipping in and out of consciousness, West is terrified and alone. Until he meets Olivia.

She’s the girl next door-sort of. A patient in the room next to his, only Olivia can tell what West is thinking, and only Olivia seems to know that the terrible dreams he’s been having are not just a result of his medication. Yet as West comes to rely on Olivia-to love her, even-certain questions pull at him: Why has Olivia been in the hospital for so long? And what does it mean that she is at the center of his nightmares? But the biggest question of all comes when West begins to recover and learns that the mysterious girl he’s fallen in love with has a secret he could never have seen coming.

review :

Wow. I’ve been wanting to read this book for a long while and knew that it had the opportunity to be a really powerful read. I love the fantastical element in it of not knowing whether or not Olivia truly exists or if she is just a figment of West’s damaged mind. Because he’s trapped in his hospital bed for so much of the novel, it was definitely at risk for falling flat or trying to overreach and become philosophical in the times when West contemplates this change in his life and what it currently means for him. I love the way that it was all handled and hope to read more from Cylin Busby in the future.

West and Olivia were both imperfect characters just like the rest of the cast and that’s what I think I liked so much about them. Olivia is erratic, with mood swings that generally center around West, while he’s unable to do much more than communicating through blinking his eyes and then attempting to write some things out. But only Olivia is the one who allows him to try this with her. She’s the one he can really come to and he seems to be the only person she’s comfortable around. They need each other desperately and it’s in that that the reader can see that they’re really still two kids who are struggling to get through this stay in the hospital.

I really recommend this book to fans of suspense novels, medical mysteries, odd romance, and intriguing plot lines. I typically lean toward fantasy and dystopia this days so Blink Once is a refreshing voice in the YA genre. If you’re interested in picking up a great YA novel that might be unlike anything you’ve read lately, definitely reach for this one!

5/5 stars

Frozen by Mary Casanova

Frozen

author : mary casanova

pages : [hardcover] 264

favorite characters : owen & sadie

summary :

Sixteen-year-old Sadie Rose hasn’t said a word in eleven years—ever since the day she was found lying in a snowbank during a howling storm. Like her voice, her memories of her mother and what happened that night were frozen.

Set during the roaring 1920s in the beautiful, wild area on Rainy Lake where Minnesota meets Canada, Frozen tells the remarkable story of Sadie Rose, whose mother died under strange circumstances the same night that Sadie Rose was found, unable to speak, in a snowbank. Sadie Rose doesn’t know her last name and has only fleeting memories of her mother—and the conflicting knowledge that her mother had worked in a brothel. Taken in as a foster child by a corrupt senator, Sadie Rose spends every summer along the shores of Rainy Lake, where her silence is both a prison and a sanctuary.

One day, Sadie Rose stumbles on a half dozen faded, scandalous photographs—pictures, she realizes, of her mother. They release a flood of puzzling memories, and these wisps of the past send her at last into the heart of her own life’s great mystery: who was her mother, and how did she die? Why did her mother work in a brothel—did she have a choice? What really happened that night when a five-year-old girl was found shivering in a snowbank, her voice and identity abruptly shattered?

Sadie Rose’s search for her personal truth is laid against a swirling historical drama—a time of prohibition and women winning the right to vote, political corruption, and a fevered fight over the area’s wilderness between a charismatic, unyielding, powerful industrialist and a quiet man battling to save the wide, wild forests and waters of northernmost Minnesota. Frozen is a suspenseful, moving testimonial to the haves and the have-nots, to the power of family and memory, and to the extraordinary strength of a young woman who has lost her voice in nearly every way—but is utterly determined to find it again.

review :

I was originally interested in this book because the concept of an event being so traumatic that it leads to over a decade of silence was interesting to me. But the novel behind the idea seemed to fall flat. It almost felt like there was a good idea, right within reach . . and then everywhere it could have turned in that direction, it went the other way.

I’m trying not to spoil, so one of the main things that annoyed me cannot be detailed. But things from the past that I thought she would have trouble remembered, she recalls with intense detail at the strangest moments and it makes it feel as though she has had these memories with her all along. More than that, she can’t seem to decide whether she wants to fight for herself or give into other people’s expectations of her, sometimes in ways that make no sense.

The romantic interest seemed to be thrown in as a last minute detail. Actually, many parts of the story seemed to be underdeveloped, something I think could have been solved by making the story longer. There were portions of it that were interesting and I wanted to learn more about that were simply left behind and never mentioned again, something that greatly distracted my reading.

I had high hopes for Frozen, but they grew colder the longer I immersed myself within the pages. Especially the ending. While I did like the turn that it took, again, it fell flat and just felt monotonous.

Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Chronicle of a Death Foretold

Author:  Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Pages: [hardcover] 150

memorable quote:
“When I wake up,” he said, “remind me that I’m going to marry her.”

summary:

A mysterious and haunting tale of romance and murder, that begins with the marriage of a man and a woman in love. But when he inexplicably mistreats his beloved on the night of the wedding, he is in turn murdered by her brothers, and we are left with a strange sense of inevitability and passions gone terribly awry.

review:

I was reluctant to start this one-even if I was being forced to read it for an assignment-because, really, how much can you do with a tiny little story like this where you know before you begin that Santiago dies? Well, a lot, apparently, because I ended up devouring it in a few hours and loving it immensely. It’s written like a long newspaper article, with the narrator referring to investigations, personal witness accounts, his own experiences, and adding whatever details come his way. And the whole mystery of it is entirely captivating. Did he or didn’t he do it?

The setting and culture were greatly described both with the plot and with the characters. I loved that it was so different from how different things are here and now. In the story, women have less rights, men have different responsibilities, there are obligations of religion and honor. Of course I don’t agree with half of what went on and it annoyed me, as a person, but I was able to become fully immersed in the action and see things from their perspective.

I didn’t like how everything was so jumbled; it would have been nice to get the information in a more convenient order, chronological or by way of the person being questioned. While this method did add to the intrigue and really had me working to think it over, I think I might have enjoyed it more if I could spend less time pondering the intricacies of how it was made up.

I recommend this book for people who like puzzles, only have a short amount of time for reading or who like fast and short reads, or who enjoy elaborate settings and don’t need much action within the plot. I give Chronicle of a Death Foretold 4/5 stars. While some points of it frustrated me, I really enjoyed it overall, and will definitely come to read it again!

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

 

Anna Dressed in Blood

Author:
Kendare Blake

Pages: [hardcover] 316

memorable quote:
“It feels so separate, like I’ve touched something that’s taken the color out of me. Or maybe I’m in color now and they’re in black and white.”

favorite characters: Thomas & Cas

summary:

Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story. . .

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

review:

 I started this thinking I was in for a good, creepy ghost story, and knew that somehow romance would be thrown into the mix. Even though I knew it wouldn’t be a conventional paranormal story, it fell slightly short of my expectations, though I still enjoyed it.

For those looking for a psychological horror, this isn’t for you. It’s full of horrific ghosts, murders, mayhem, battles with spirits-and great descriptions of all of those. The writing in that respect was brilliant, and I could easily imagine a movie being made of this. The dialogue fell a little flat, as did the characters. Some of the things they did didn’t seem to make any sense, with their pasts, and some didn’t have reactions at all when something extremely life changing happened to them, just because they weren’t the main guy. Even he had his down moments.

I liked the new-ish take on the bad guys. While it’s hard to be original about ghosts, these weren’t the typical bump in the dark kind. Each one had their separate story, their own tricks up their sleeves, and a knack for killing people who happened to wander their way. This book isn’t for those who get squeamish at death scene descriptions.

 I did not, however, know that this is going to be a series. While I’m going to read the next book, whenever it comes out, I really need to start paying attention to that, so I’ll know what to expect. I thought everything would be resolved by the end of Anna Dressed in Blood, and while most was, there was still enough to keep me hooked. Which was the point. And . . I think it could have worked well enough as a stand alone.

GHOULISHLY GRUESOME. 4/5 stars

Held by Edeet Ravel

Held

Author: Edeet Ravel

Pages [hardcover]: 252

Summary:

What happens when the source of your worst fears becomes the object of your affection?

Seventeen-year-old Chloe’s summer vacation in Greece comes to an abrupt end when she is suddenly bound, gagged and whisked away to an unidentified location. Waking up from a drug-induced sleep, she finds herself in a squalid warehouse. Chloe can only imagine the worst.

After several days of total isolation and utter despair, Chloe faces a new threat when her kidnapper appears, but she also feels a sense of relief. His revelation that she is being held as ransom for a prisoner exchange, however, does little to allay her fears.

The weeks pass and, haunted by terrifying dreams and with only her thoughts to keep her company, Chloe fights to remain calm in an impossible situation. At least her kidnapper, although cold and distant, visits frequently, often bringing gifts. Before long, Chloe begins to have feelings for him that take her by surprise. Though still fearing for her safety, she now fantasizes about a life together. And is it her imagination, or does her captor share those feelings? Even when she is finally released, Chloe vows to protect her captor at any cost.

This powerful psychological thriller, written by renowned novelist Edeet Ravel, leaves readers wondering at every suspenseful turn: Is Chloe experiencing Stockholm syndrome

Review:

I really loved this book! Not only was it impossible to put down, it also really made me appreciate everything that I have today and every day. Maybe people shouldn’t take the things they have for granted. Not that everyone will be kidnaped and held like Chloe, but it poses a multitude of ‘what if’ questions. Chloe’s time in captivity presents a mystery that haunts a majority of the pages. Is what she feels for her hostage-taker real, or not? Is she just a victim of the Stockholm Syndrome? Are they just trying to brainwash her? Or does she actually see something in him worth appreciating?

And, most importantly-can you trust anything that she says? She makes herself into an unreliable narrator, making it so that the entire thing could actually be a well fabricated lie. A fantasy world. And if that doesn’t mess with your mind . . .

Chloe is an awesome character, and not only because she’s the only one the book fixates around for a while. You see everything purely from her perspective as she reflects back on her time in captivity. As soon as I started the book and realized that right on the first pages we are told she is saved, I figured that was a horrible move by the author. I was so glad I was proved wrong. Every page was addicting, because it was more a representation of psychological struggles and survival than one of how she actually physically got away.

This is one YA novel that will stick with me for a long, long time. I hope to read more by this author soon. Held was brilliantly crafted, and anyone who thinks a book with so few characters and settings will be boring can prove themselves wrong by giving this a read. You won’t regret it. At all.

Envy by Gregg Olsen

Envy

Author: Gregg Olsen

Pages [hardcover]: 352

Empty Coffin #1

Favorite Characters: Taylor & Hayley

Summary:

Murder is such a dirty word…

New York Times bestselling adult true crime author Gregg Olsen makes his YA debut with EMPTY COFFIN, a gripping new fiction series for teens based on ripped-from-the-headlines stories…with a paranormal touch.

Crime lives–and dies–in the deceptively picture-perfect town of Port Gamble (aka “Empty Coffin”), Washington. Evil lurks and strange things happen–and 15-year-olds Hayley and Taylor Ryan secretly use their wits and their telepathic “twin-sense” to uncover the truth about the town’s victims and culprits.

Envy, the series debut, involves the mysterious death of the twins’ old friend, Katelyn. Was it murder? Suicide? An accident? Hayley and Taylor are determined to find out–and as they investigate, they stumble upon a dark truth that is far more disturbing than they ever could have imagined.

Based on the shocking true crime about cyber-bullying, Envy will take you to the edge–and push you right over.

Review:

Because I’m just starting to get into crime writing, I wondered whether I’d like Envy, even if it was young adult. But I shouldn’t have doubted that gorgeous cover (the greatest mix of creepy/mystery/curiosity I’ve seen in a while) because from the first page, I couldn’t put this book down.

The novel switches points of view several times, mainly focusing on the twins, Taylor and Hayley, as they look into their not-really-a-friend, Katelyn’s, death. There are a host of original, interesting characters to back them up, from the reporter that seems intent on stalking their lives to the woman next door who never leaves her house. Even the most minor ones seemed to have something gripping and real about them.

The plot twisted and turned in ways that I could never have expected, and I loved that! I wanted to figure out what had happened to Katelyn, and what was going on with the twins, but only began to suspect about a page before I was actually told what was going on. With so many books easily predictable, Envy definitely different in that respect. And what makes it even more interesting is that nearly all of it is based on a true crime.

The only complaint I have is that sometimes it felt like the writing was strained into being some representation of what someone who isn’t a young adult thinks that young adults talk like. Or text like. One of my favorite parts of the book was that it showed text conversations between some characters. Yet the words were abbreviated so much, it was obvious that it was more work to figure out how to not spell out a word than to actually do so. No one I know would text like that.

Despite that tiny detail, I loved Envy, and give it 5/5 stars. I really hope to continue on with this series, and see where it goes from here! I recommend this to anyone, even those who haven’t read crime/murder mysteries. I haven’t, and I ended up enjoying it immensely.

Envy is set to release Sept. 6, 2011! Look for it in stores then, or preorder it now!

Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen

Past Midnight

Author: Mara Purnhagen

Pages [paperback]: 216

Memorable Quote:

Favorite Character: Charlotte 

Summary:

Let me set the record straight. My name is Charlotte Silver and I’m not one of those paranormal-obsessed freaks you see on TV…no, those would be my parents, who have their own ghost-hunting reality show. And while I’m usually roped into the behind-the-scenes work, it turns out that I haven’t gone unnoticed. Something happened on my parents’ research trip in Charleston—and now I’m being stalked by some truly frightening other beings. Trying to fit into a new school and keeping my parents’ creepy occupation a secret from my friends—and potential boyfriends—is hard enough without having angry spirits whispering in my ear.

All I ever wanted was to be normal, but with ghosts of my past and present colliding, now I just want to make it out of high school alive….

Review:

 This book was a quick, fun read that I enjoyed although it held no lasting impressions. I didn’t know what to make of it at first, though I loved how Charlotte’s parents aren’t your typical ‘Ghost Hunters’. They strive to disprove any spiritual phenomenon possible, and make a career off of that alone. But when things start actually getting ghostly, they need to face something they’ve never prepared to come against.

Charlotte was an okay character, a typical teenager who is embarrassed of her parents and wants nothing more or less than a normal life. She tries to make friends while keeping them in the dark about her parents’ true profession. I personally couldn’t understand why she was so paranoid of people knowing this, as no one I know would be exceptionally bothered by it, or ready to tease someone about it, and the examples she gave seemed . . . lacking. Some of the decisions she made seemed to make no sense; she’d be terrified of the ‘ghosts’ one moment, then ready to openly engage them the next.

The book was a little slow, with some of the big revelations and secrets predictable, or less shocking than they should have been. Some things seemed to fit together perfectly, while others seemed to miss a little . . . pizazz.

All in all, it was a good read, though not impressive. I probably won’t pick it up again, but I recommend it if you’re into paranomal YA titles or looking for an easy read to get through the day. I give Past Midnight 3/5 stars.

Insatiable by Meg Cabot

Insatiable

Author : Meg Cabot [also wrote Avalon High, Size 12 is Not Fat, and Airhead]

Pages [hardcover]: 451

Favorite Characters:
Mary Lou & Jon

Summary:

Sick of vampires? So is Meena Harper.

But her boss is making her write about them anyway, even though Meena doesn’t believe in them.

Not that Meena isn’t familiar with the supernatural. See, Meena Harper knows how you’re going to die (not that you’re going to believe her; no one ever does).

But not even Meena’s precognition can prepare her for what happens when she meets—then makes the mistake of falling in love with—Lucien Antonescu, a modern-day prince with a bit of a dark side . . . a dark side a lot of people, like an ancient society of vampire-hunters, would prefer to see him dead for.

The problem is, he already is dead. Maybe that’s why he’s the first guy Meena’s ever met that she could see herself having a future with. See, while Meena’s always been able to see everyone else’s future, she’s never been able look into her own.

And while Lucien seems like everything Meena has ever dreamed of in a boyfriend, he might turn out to be more like a nightmare.

Now might be a good time for Meena to start learning to predict her own future . . .

If she even has one.

Review:

 I love Meg Cabot. I’ve been branching out of her young adult fiction and have started reading her books geared more toward adults. Insatiable had an interesting premise, especially because it seems everyone and their mother is writing about vampires these days. My first thoughts were, “Oh, no, not you too.” But then I saw that the main character was as over the blood sucking craze as I am. That redeemed it for me, and made me want to pick it up. I ended up reading it with mixed results.

I really liked the main character, Meena, for a majority of the book. I thought she was very strong, knew what she wanted out of life, and how exactly to get that. She wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself, but she wasn’t above having petty concerns, either. Somewhere before the climax of the novel, she started to change. I can’t exactly put my figure on what was different. But her actions weren’t fitting with her personality that had been established. That distracted and annoyed me.

There were other, odd little bits that didn’t quite mesh for me. The Dracul were stereotypical bad guys, who seemed like they were trying really hard to be intimidating, while working against Lucien, who seemed nearly invincible, most of the time. Characters that I was led to believe were important were killed without another mention of them.

While it didn’t capture my attention the way I’d hoped, it wasn’t a complete disappointment. I might continue on with this series, I might not. Maybe if it comes into the library, but I won’t be going out of my way to buy the sequel. I give Insatiable 3.5/5 stars.

Cloaked by Alex Flinn

 

Cloaked

Author: Alex Flinn [also wrote: A Kiss in Time & Beastly]

Pages: 341

Memorable Quote: He bursts into tears, and not some manlike tears either, where you pretend you’re brushing something off your face and, incidentally, wipe a tear. Nope. He starts bawling like a kid who spilled his Slushie…

Favorite Characters: Meg & Todd

Summary: 

I’m not your average hero. I actually wasn’t your average anything. Just a poor guy working an after-school job at a South Beach shoe repair shop to help his mom make ends meet. But a little magic changed it all.

It all started with a curse. And a frognapping. And one hot-looking princess, who asked me to lead a rescue mission.

There wasn’t a fairy godmother or any of that. And even though I fell in love along the way, what happened to me is unlike any fairy tale I’ve ever heard. Before I knew it, I was spying with a flock of enchanted swans, talking (yes, talking!) to a fox named Todd, and nearly trampled by giants in the Everglades.

Don’t believe me? I didn’t believe it either. But you’ll see. Because I knew it all was true, the second I got cloaked.

Review:

 I love Alex Flinn! Every book I read by her just makes me love her a little more. Twisted or modernized fairy tales are a bit of a guilty pleasure for me, but Cloaked takes off a bit of the guilt by making me feel like I’m learning about new stories that may not have had the spotlight they’ve deserved in recent years. Sure, I’m completely familiar with The Elves and the Shoemaker and The Frog Prince. Ever heard of The Six Swans or The Valiant Tailor or The Salad? I hadn’t, until I read this. Now I’ll definitely have to look up a few of those, especially the last. The title is . . . interesting. By mixing elements from all of the aforementioned titles as well as many more, Alex Flinn serves up a brand new fairy tale that will have you flipping the pages to find out what happens next.

Johnny, a poor and overworked shoe repair guy, with dreams of designing his own shoes, is a great main character. While he does have several unselfish motives, he still does a few things solely for himself (a shoe pun? Did I just do that?). I liked how while most of his intentions were pure, he was still realistic. I don’t know of many people who would put their lives on the line for a complete stranger, albeit a very beautiful one.

This book was funny one moment, serious the next, and overall it had a ‘quest’ feel to it that made it seem like an old tale while the setting was modern day Florida. It had a little bit of everything in it; romance, suspense, comedy, evil villains, brave heroes . . .

Cloaked was wonderful, and definitely a novel I’ll remember for a long time! It’s as great as the other two twisted fairy tales by the same author, Beastly and A Kiss in Time. I can’t wait to read more and branch out into the other books written by Alex Flinn. I’m sure they’ll be just as good!

I give Cloaked 5/5 stars.

Related articles

• Cloaked by Alex Flinn (bookjourney.wordpress.com)
• Book Review:Cloaked (teensread.wordpress.com)

Sanctuary by Meg Cabot

Sanctuary

Author: Meg Cabot [also wrote Avalon High, Size 12 is Not Fat, and Airhead]

Book 4 of the 1-800-Where-R-You Series!
Book 1: When Lightning Strikes Book 2: Code Name Cassandra
Book 3: Safe House

Pages [paperback]: 240

Favorite Characters: Rob & Jess

Memorable Quote: “The peace sign is with two fingers not one.”

Summary:

JESS MASTRIANI

Knew she wasn’t going to be able to hide her psychic powers from the U.S. government forever. But she never thought that she and Dr. Krantz, the special agent brought in to convince Jess to join his elite team of “specially gifted” crime solvers, would have something in common.

When a local boy’s disappearance is attributed to a backwoods militia group, it turns out that Jess and Dr. Krantz have the same goal. Suddenly Jess finds herself collaborating with one enemy in order to stop a far worse one. In an atmosphere of hate and fear, Jess and Dr. Krantz must work together to unite a community and save a life…without loosing their own.

Review:

This. Book. Was. So. Intense. From the first page, it had me hooked, and I finished this in a day and a half. Jess was especially witty, Rob seemed especially hot, and the entire thing fit into one action-packed book. Filled with angry motorcycle gangs, evil backwoods militia groups, and creepy FBI agents, this book will definitely have you on the edge of your seat.

I love Jess. She’s a great female lead, telling the story with sarcasm that has me wanting to roll on the floor laughing. She’s independent, doesn’t take no for an answer, and knows how to get her point across with her fists. She’s not afraid of danger, but in no way is she naive.

Oh, how I wish more books had characters like her. I’d be in reading heaven.

Rob, though I didn’t really like him in the first book, is quite fantastic in this one.

I flew through this one, and can’t wait to get my hands on the next, and final, book! I’m not looking forward to the end of this series, because I don’t want to have to say goodbye to these characters. And yet, I desperately want to know what will happen . . .

The contradictions are killing me!

Sanctuary, book 4 of the 1-800-Where-R-You series, gets 5/5 stars. It’s a fun, fast read that will leave you craving more!