Novel Review: Shackled by Tom Leveen

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Genre: YA Realistic, Thriller, Romance

Publisher: Simon Pulse (Simon & Schuster)

Release Date: 2015

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Goodreads Synopsis:

From author Tom Leveen comes a taut, suspenseful novel about a girl’s abduction that leaves her best friend emotionally paralyzed, until a chance encounter points her toward the truth…and a terrifying new danger.

Sixteen-year-old Pelly has a master plan. After years of therapy, medication, and even a stint in a mental hospital, she’s finally ready to re-enter the world of the living. Pelly has been suffering from severe panic attacks ever since her best friend, Tara, disappeared from a mall six years ago.

And her plan seems to be working, until an unkempt girl accompanied by an older man walks into the coffee shop where she works. Pelly thinks she’s seen a ghost, until the girl mouths “help me” on the way out, and Pelly knows she’s just seen Tara.

Too shocked to do anything, Pelly helplessly watches Tara slip away again as she steels herself against a renewed spiral of crippling anxiety. But rather than being overcome by anxiety, Pelly feels more energized than she has in years. Determined to track down enough evidence to force the police to reopen Tara’s file, Pelly’s master plan takes a turn for the dangerous.

Pelly decides she cannot be shackled by her past—and the anxiety, fear, and grief that comes with it—any longer if she wants to save Tara. But in seeking answers through whatever means necessary, she’ll come face-to-face with true evil. And not all the shackles are in her head...

The Cover:

I really like this cover. It's simple, and not a cheesy YA one, but shows exactly what's important with this book and what you're getting. It displays the scary elements, the anxiety, well, I think.

Review:

Pelly can barely keep her job, what with her fear of being outside her home. She can't go to school. And then she thinks she sees her best friend from childhood who was kidnapped. And she has to do something.

I really admire the way that Leveen can make so many different voice so very realistic. I love reading his books so much, because each time you're right inside the characters' head, and every time it is very different. Pelly is afraid of being outside, and she's terrified of a lot of things, and has panic attacks. And it's very evident in the writing.

I really liked the way that Pelly pushes herself. She's terrified, but she makes herself keep going. She makes herself do something about the girl she sees, even when no one else believes her. She even drags one of her co-workers along, even when he doesn't believe her but wants to help anyway.

I wasn't terribly surprised by the twist at the end regarding who the girl was, but I did like it. I really liked how Pelly got out of the situation, too. It was exciting, and it made sense.

I'm definitely a reader of Leveen at this point. This book was fast and intriguing, and it was an easy read to the end.

Novel Review: The Shadow Cabinet (Shades of London, #3) by Maureen Johnson

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Genre: YA Paranormal Mystery Romance

Publisher: Putnam (Penguin)

Release Date: February 2015

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Teaser Tuesday. Wishlist Thursday. 

Goodreads Synopsis:

The thrilling third installment to the Edgar-nominated, bestselling series.

Rory and her friends are reeling from a series of sudden and tragic events. While racked with grief, Rory tries to determine if she acted in time to save a member of the squad. If she did, how do you find a ghost? Also, Rory’s classmate Charlotte has been kidnapped by Jane and her nefarious organization. Evidence is uncovered of a forty-year-old cult, ten missing teenagers, and a likely mass murder. Everything indicates that Charlotte’s in danger, and it seems that something much bigger and much more terrible is coming.

Time is running out as Rory fights to find her friends and the ghost squad struggles to stop Jane from unleashing her spectral nightmare on the entire city. In the process, they'll discover the existence of an organization that underpins London itself—and Rory will learn that someone she trusts has been keeping a tremendous secret.

The Cover:

I don't mind this cover. I think it works, especially this one for this book, and it is pretty. But it's not my favorite, and I don't find it particularly eye-catching.

Review:

I’m surprised that I didn’t love this book as much as I thought I would. That I’m not loving this series as much as others are, or that I thought I would.

I’m a fan of Johnson, of course, and this is a very good series. I just don’t love it.

This was a slow moving book, as the characters try to deal with what happened at the end of the previous one. Rory is in shock, convinced she can find Stephen, no matter what she has to do. We find out what Jane has really planned, and what she wants Rory for. The last part of the book was pretty exciting, and really an interesting concept.

Jane is crazy, especially now that I see what she was really planning. Sid and Sadie are even worse, and I’m really not surprised by what they did at the end of the book. That makes sense, after everything else.

I liked where Rory and Stephen and the group were by the end. I’m intrigued to see what happens in the next one, what they’re going to do about what Sid and Sadie have planned.

Even if I’m not in love, I did enjoy this book. I like what’s going on, and I enjoy Johnson’s writing, how creative she can be. I will definitely be picking up the next book.

Novel Review: The Girl Who Was Supposed To Die by April Henry

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4

Genre: YA Contemporary Mystery Romance

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Release Date: June 2013

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Teaser Tuesday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

“Take her out back and finish her off.”

She doesn’t know who she is. She doesn’t know where she is, or why. All she knows when she comes to in a ransacked cabin is that there are two men arguing over whether or not to kill her.

And that she must run.

In her riveting style, April Henry crafts a nail-biting thriller involving murder, identity theft, and biological warfare. Follow Cady and Ty (her accidental savior turned companion), as they race against the clock to stay alive.

The Cover:

I really like this cover. I think it looks nice, and it represents the book really well. It's not showing an actual scene in the book, but it's something that surely happened on the way. It gives a great feeling for the book, too.

Review:

I was surprisingly impressed with this book. I’m not usually a mystery reader, but I was in the mood, and I found this for a good price.

It was exciting, for sure. Cady wakes up not knowing who she is or where she is, but that the two men around her want to kill her. The book starts really fast, too, with short chapters. It was exciting, finding everything out along with Cady, about herself and what’s happening to her, and meeting people on the way.

Finding out what had happened and what’s going on with her parents and brother was fun, and intense. I liked Cady, too. She’s tough, and smart, and it was neat to see the contract of being a normal teenage girl in her memories as they show up.

There was also a surprising amount of romance. Ty ends up helping her, even though they meet that night, and he’s great. He’s helpful and he’s there for her. The conclusion was nice, too.

The only thing I think I would have liked, would be to see Cady reunite with her family, particularly her brother. Given the twist that was thrown in, seeing that moment would have been nice, and powerful.

Overall, though, this was a really good book. It was exciting and fast, and I will definitely be picking up another of Henry’s books.

Novel Review: The Last Echo (The Body Finder, #3) by Kimberly Derting

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Genre: YA Paranormal Thriller/Romance

Publisher: HarperTeen (HarperCollins)

Release Date: 2012

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Teaser Tuesday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

In the end, all that’s left is an echo.

Violet kept her morbid ability to sense dead bodies a secret from everyone except her family and her childhood-best-friend-turned-boyfriend, Jay Heaton. That is until forensic psychologist Sara Priest discovered Violet’s talent and invited her to use her gift to track down murderers. Now, as she works with an eclectic group of individuals—including mysterious and dangerously attractive Rafe—it’s Violet’s job to help those who have been murdered by bringing their killers to justice.

When Violet discovers the body of a college girl killed by “the girlfriend collector” she is determined to solve the case. But now the serial killer is on the lookout for a new “relationship” and Violet may have caught his eye....

The Cover:

I like all of the covers in this series. They're simple and eye-catching and very pretty. They give a good feel of the novels, too.

Review:

I’ve been meaning to read this book forever, but I finally got to it. And I’m glad I did.

I was a little under enthused with the last book, as it was a bit forgettable. This book was better, I’m happy to say.

The romance was a little downplayed in emotion, though. I still like Jay, but I was definitely feeling the attraction between Violet and Rafe, and surprisingly even seeing the good side of them being together instead. But mostly the romance, the feelings on Violet’s side, just weren’t really coming through for me. I wanted them to, but I wasn’t fully feeling it.

I didn’t remember anything about Rafe or Sara from the previous book. But I liked them. I liked most of the gang, although Gemma’s backstory, Derting’s trying to give her a background and reason, didn’t really work for me. She was still a jerk, and I didn’t really understand why. I definitely saw why Violet would stay with them, though. She related to them in a way that she doesn’t with anyone else, and she needs that.

The mystery in this book, the murderer, was very powerful, though. I saw why he was the way he was, and was still thoroughly creeped out by him. After everything that happened with Violet and him, I understand her decisions. It was intense and violent and scarring. Which makes the ending even more exciting, more interesting.

I believe the next book is the last, and I’m interested to see what happens in it.

Novel Review: Colters' Gift (Colters' Legacy, #5) by Maya Banks

Rating (Out of 5): ~2.5

Genre: Erotica/Adult Contemporary Romance/Menage

Publisher: Berkley (Penguin)

Release Date: November 2013

Spoilers?: Not really.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Goodreads Synopsis:

BONUS: ALSO INCLUDES A NEW ORIGINAL COLTER NOVELLA!

New York Times bestselling author Maya Banks’ enthralling saga continues as two men, and one resilient woman hiding from the past, brace themselves for an emotional storm of unavoidable danger and unmatched desire….

Lauren Wilder fell for the wrong man, trusted the wrong man, and she paid a very dear price for it. Now broken and wounded, she's retreated to the bosom of the Colter family and the unshakeable love and support they offer. But the man she once loved and trusted is not without his own power, and he'll use every bit of his money and resources to make sure he gets Lauren back, no matter whom he destroys doing it.

Liam and Noah were hired by Lauren's brother to watch over her. But with danger looming, they head to the Colorado mountain—where Lauren has found temporary sanctuary. In her wounded eyes, Liam and Noah see the woman she once was—and could be again. They’re determined to show her everything a man can be—someone who will love her, cherish her, satisfy her, and when the time comes, put their very lives on the line for her.

The Cover:

I don't mind this cover. It doesn't look bad, it's predictable, but it represents the book well enough.

Quotes:

• "'Then goddamn it, he raped you. He forced himself on you,’ Noah said fiercely. ‘If you said no. If you even thought no. If you had no power to make him stop, then how could it be anything else? You sure as hell didn’t give him your consent.’” (Paperback, pg. 76)
• "Denial didn’t change the outcome of anything.” (Pg. 95)

Review:

This book started pretty good, and it sounded very good. But about halfway through, I just got bored with it.

I didn’t mind any of the characters, including the heroine and her men. They didn’t particularly stand out to me, but I didn’t dislike them. The attraction between them was fast, but it worked just fine for me. The sex was all right, some even good. The overall storyline wasn’t too bad, either, with Lauren’s ex-husband. I guess some of it was exciting, maybe.

I was mostly just bored with it, honestly, and that made it hard to finish. Lauren and her ménage relationship didn’t stand out to me as anything different from Banks’ other ménage stories. The entire storyline, including the romance, just didn’t seem very different from so many others I’ve read. The conclusion didn’t stand out, either. And, honestly, the amount of gushing love confessions, the characters stating how much they love each other over and over again, in such cheesy language, got on my nerves. It was just too much, and so unneeded, which is something I’ve noticed in quite a few of Banks’ books recently. And the sex kind of became boring to me, too, maybe because there was so much and none of it was all that different from each other, but also because I was just bored at that point with everything.

It also bothered me how easily the story wrapped up, that the characters didn't seem that emotionally wounded after everything, particularly the heroine. And it bothered me that, after everything she went through, no one mentioned therapy, or her getting help in any way other than from her family. Her family is important, yes, and she needs time, which they seemed to be giving her, but I thought she needed more, and the idea wasn't even brought up.

I enjoyed seeing the characters from the previous books, but I haven’t even read all the other books in this series. And now I’m wary to read the first two at all.

This book just got too gushy and boring for me. I wanted to like it a lot, but I didn’t.