CAN'T WAIT TO READ: Tell Me No Lies by A.V. Geiger

Series: Follow Me Back #2
Release date: June 5th 2018
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Love. Obsession. Jealousy. Murder.

No one knows what happened to pop icon Eric Thorn. His Twitter account? Frozen. His cell phone? Cracked and bloody, buried in the snow. 

Agoraphobic fangirl Tessa Hart knows the truth, but she's finally left her #EricThornObsessed days behind. She has no intention of ever touching her Twitter app again. But Snapchat... That's safer, right?

After months of living under the radar, Tessa emerges from hiding, forced to face the deadly consequences of her past. But in the interrogation room, answers only lead to more questions in the pulse-pounding conclusion to the Follow Me Back duology.

About the Author

A.V. Geiger writes contemporary young adult fiction. Her debut novel, FOLLOW ME BACK, will be published by Sourcebooks Fire in 2017. 

A.V. is a popular author on Wattpad, where her original fiction has frequently ranked #1 in the Mystery/Thriller genre. Her writing career began as a hobby, posting celebrity fanfiction online, and her work draws extensively on her own experiences with fan culture and social media. 

She lives with her family in New Jersey.

WEBSITE | Twitter | Wattpad

Review: The Secrets We Bury by Stacie Ramey

Release date: March 6th 2018
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

In an effort to escape his family, Dylan sets out on the Appalachian trail—but he can't escape his past—or his secrets in this novel from the author of The Sister Pact.

Dylan Taggart is on the run. His family is trying to put him in a school for psychologically challenged students, and he gets it—he has issues. But a special school is a complete overreaction. And in six months, he'll be a legal adult, so Dylan decides to disappear on the Appalachian Trail until he can make his own decisions.

Dylan wanted independence, but setting out on a 2,190-mile hike by himself is more than he bargained for. And he keeps crossing paths with another teen hiker, known only as "The Ghost." This mysterious girl is also making the trek alone, and Dylan can tell she's trying to escape too. But from what? When disaster strikes, how can they trust each other if they can't face their own secrets?

*Publisher approved request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was first introduced to Ramey's storytelling in her previous novel, The Sister Pact, which I truly liked. As for The Secrets We Bury, while it is an interesting story, it just didn't work that much for me.

First off, I just couldn't connect with Dylan or Ghost and that was one major issue for me throughout the story because I couldn't genuinely care about their situation. Also, it felt somewhat drawn out to the point where I'd become distracted or end up feeling lost while reading. I'm not saying it's not a good story, the thing is it didn't work that much for me. I was also a bit annoyed with Dylan and all he was putting his family through. I know everybody goes through different things but I feel that after what had happened with his father, he shouldn't add more distress to the situation. The same for Ghost. Her attitude frustrated me a lot. Good thing both had a little growth by the end.

All the issues aside, I can see readers relating to Dylan's character in some ways. And I did like how he went out of his way to help other people, and all the things he did toward the end of the story were commendable.  The writing is also great, with the exception of those draggy moments. Again, not a bad story. I was just expecting so much more. 

About the Author

Stacie Ramey learned to read at a very early age to escape the endless tormenting from her older siblings. Where the Wild Things Are was her first favorite book and she swore she’d only marry a man who could prove he had rumpus in his heart!

She attended the University of Florida, where she majored in communication sciences, and Penn State where she received a Master of Science degree in Speech Pathology. She also met her future husband at Penn State, who surprised her one day with all of the stuffed Wild Things’ characters, proving his worth. Stacie currently works with high school aged Autistic kids, introducing them to the literary worlds she grew up loving. When she’s not working or writing, she engages in Netflix wars with her children or beats her husband in Scrabble, all while watching the Florida Gators and Penn State Nittany Lions play (Go Gators). She lives in Florida with her husband, children, and rescue dogs.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Review: Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp

Release date: January 2nd 2018
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Best friends Corey and Kyra were inseparable in their snow-covered town of Lost Creek, Alaska. When Corey moves away, she makes Kyra promise to stay strong during the long, dark winter, and wait for her return.

Just days before Corey is to return home to visit, Kyra dies. Corey is devastated―and confused. The entire Lost community speaks in hushed tones about the town's lost daughter, saying her death was meant to be. And they push Corey away like she's a stranger.

Corey knows something is wrong. With every hour, her suspicion grows. Lost is keeping secrets―chilling secrets. But piecing together the truth about what happened to her best friend may prove as difficult as lighting the sky in an Alaskan winter...

*Publisher approved request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm still a bit iffy about this novel. I didn't really connect with the main character and was often confused by the story, but I did like the setting and the subject of mental illness and how it is viewed in this small and eerie community. But while the writing is good, it came off somewhat poetic in dialogues and I found myself constantly wondering why these people are talking like this and how it doesn't really fit the time in which the story is set. Unless it's just me and this is how people speak in Alaska? 

It's just a strange story, which I'm often drawn to, but with this one I feel like it could have been so much more. Whenever the atmosphere got tense, it would fizzle with not much resolve, and in the end it seems as though Corey left Lost Creek as confused as the moment she returned.  I would have loved for something to happen, some kind of change or awakening in this crazy community, but I guess every story can't end like that. Still, I wish there was...more. 

To conclude, Before I Let Go is certainly dark and intense and has an interesting premise. And while it didn't completely work for me, maybe I just didn't get the intention of the story and you might enjoy it more. So I still recommend giving it a read.

About the Author

Marieke Nijkamp a storyteller, dreamer, globe-trotter, geek. She's the author of THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS and the forthcoming BEFORE I LET GO. 

Her short stories can be found in: PILGRIM PLAYWRIGHT GENIE GUARD, FERAL YOUTH, and THE RADICAL ELEMENT.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Spotlight & Giveaway: Rules of Rain by Leah Scheier

Release date: December 5th 2017
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

A dramatic novel about the bond between a teen and her twin brother.

Rain has taken care of Ethan all of her life. Before she even knew what autism meant, she's been her twin brother's connection to the hostile world around him. She's always prepared—when her father abandons them, when her mother gets sick, when Ethan is tortured by bullies from school—Rain is the reliable, stable one holding them all together. She's both cautious carer and mad chef, preparing customized meals for her family and posting crazy recipes on her cooking blog.

Each day with Ethan is unvarying and predictable, and she's sure that nothing will ever change—until one night when her world is turned upside down by a mistake she can't take back. As her new romance with her long-time crush and her carefully constructed life begins to unravel, she discovers that the fragile brother whom she's always protected has grown into a young man who no longer needs her. And now, for the first time, she finds that she needs him.

~EXCERPT~

“Do you want me to get your weight blanket?” I ask him.

He shakes his head and swallows loudly.

“So the surgery thing didn’t go well?”

He shakes his head again. “It went very well. The surgeon said that I had a lot of promise. Liam told me he never says that about anyone.”

“That’s fantastic!” I smile. “Then why the yoga?”

He sighs and slowly gets to his feet. “I feel better now,” he says, ignoring my question. “I’m going to my room to study.”

“Okay. Are you sure you don’t need anything—”

“I’m fine,” he retorts. “Good night, Rain.”

“Good night.”

I drag my book bag to the coffee table and pull out my text books. Normally I study in my bedroom, but today I’m waiting for Ethan to change his mind. He seemed so fragile just now, and I’m sure that he’ll come stumbling out into the hallway at any moment.

It was such a big week for him. He’d gone to his first party, seen his mother through a hospitalization, and started on his path to becoming a doctor. Until recently, any one of those things would have caused a violent short circuit. How was he handling all three together? He should need me right now; I should be holding him, wrapped tightly in the safe embrace of his weight blanket.

But his bedroom door stays closed, and the landing is quiet.

An hour passes, and there’s no sound to break my loneliness. Finally, I shuffle off to my room and swing my door shut with a bang. I want him to know that I’m awake if he needs to talk. But he doesn’t. There’s no tap at the door, no restless movement on the other side of my wall. He’s okay.

He’s okay without me. And I know that the thought should make me happy. It’s what I’ve worked for, isn’t it? Then why am I wishing that I hadn’t taught him the yoga pose, all those breathing exercises to calm himself? It’s a horrible, selfish thought, and I know I would never admit it to anyone. I’m supposed to be the perfect sister. My mother is always bragging about my competence and caring; Hope even thinks my relationship with Ethan is impressive. But what would they think if they knew the real me? I used to believe everything I did for Ethan was out of love. But what if that isn’t true? What if my love is a messy, twisted thing? Maybe I’m just a charming imposter who’s managed to fool everyone, including myself. I can’t keep pretending to be a good and loving sister, if deep down I’m dreading the day he breaks from me. It isn’t real love if I need Ethan to need me.

This quiet feels so unnatural; I can almost hear my brother breathing on the other side of the wall. My phone is lying next to me on the pillow. I scroll through my friends’ names and tap out a greeting to our WhatsApp group, then quickly delete it. What’s the point in chatting? Might as well just go to sleep. I slide over to the edge of my bed and tap the wall between us, count out five, sharp knocks.

Like I do every night.

There’s a short pause, and for the first time in my life, I’m terrified that he’s not going to respond. That he’s fallen asleep without waiting for my good night.

I shut my eyes and take a deep breath. Let it out, in a slow, cleansing exhale, just as I’ve taught Ethan to do. I focus on each breath, concentrate on the rise and fall of my chest. Ten beats pass.

And then his voice comes through the wall.

“Good night, Rain.”

He says it like he always does, in his clipped, low monotone, but to me the words sound almost musical, like a child’s bedtime story. I feel my heart rate slow, my muscles relax. It’s going to be okay, I tell myself. I can go to sleep now. My brother’s still there.

About the Author
Leah Scheier was born and raised in Baltimore, MD. As a child, she was inspired by her favorite authors, Arthur Conan Doyle, Lloyd Alexander, and C.S. Lewis to dream up tales of adventure and romance. Now grown up with daughters of her own, Leah works as a pediatrician and continues to create new stories. 

www.leahscheier.com | twitter.com/LeahScheier

~GIVEAWAY~

2 copies of Rules of Rain provided by the publisher

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Alone by Cyn Balog

Release date: November 7th 2017
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

You’re never really alone in this new suspenseful novel from the author of Unnatural Deeds, which Kirkus praised as “a PG-13 version of Gone Girl.”

When her mom inherits an old, crumbling mansion, Seda’s almost excited to spend the summer there. The grounds are beautiful and it’s fun to explore the sprawling house with its creepy rooms and secret passages. Except now her mom wants to renovate, rather than sell the estate—which means they're not going back to the city…or Seda's friends and school. 

As the days grow shorter, Seda is filled with dread. They’re about to be cut off from the outside world, and she’s not sure she can handle the solitude or the darkness it brings out in her.

Then a group of teens get stranded near the mansion during a blizzard. Seda has no choice but to offer them shelter, even though she knows danger lurks in the dilapidated mansion—and in herself. And as the snow continues to fall, what Seda fears most is about to become her reality…

*Publisher approved request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I had no idea I would end up liking this story and all its craziness as much as I did, with how slow the first few chapters were and me not really being pulled in by the main character. But once things started to pick up and the situation went awry, I became well-investigated and needed to know if my suspicions were accurate, especially about Seda. I knew she wasn't all the way there, but I did not see her remarks toward the end coming. 

Before I get into why this dark and twisted story ended up entertaining me, I have to address the fact that there were just too many siblings. I mean, I like kids but for a book of this nature, it was way too many for me. I couldn't keep up with who was who and by the time the mystery was underway, I'd forgotten all about them. As for the mother, she needed to have some senses knocked into her. She was just not realistic and wasn't as concerned about her children's best interest as she ought to be. Children shouldn't be uprooted and brought to a place like that, I don't even care if she would eventually sell the place. I just strongly feel that she should never have done such a thing. And I also can't believe she didn't figure out the severity of Seda's mental state. That very reason shows how detached she was.

Anyway, back to the overall plot. I had suspected the group of teens from the moment Seda spotted them before the blizzard, and when they just happened to get stranded nearby it became even more clear to me something was up. But I had no idea the mother was going to bring up doing such a game in celebration of her teen daughter's birthday, and when scary things started happening I began second-guessing myself. Was it all real? Or were they all messing with Seda? I had to wait until the very end. And boy was that an ending, especially when the truth was revealed and that book cover made sense at last. I honestly had no idea it would play out like that and I love how the story ended with me having questions. One thing, in particular, I'm curious to know is what will happen once the mother knows?

Overall, great writing and interesting concept. Although it started out slow, I was still intrigued by the story for the most part and it held my attention in the sense that I wanted to figure things out and understand Seda's character better. I recommend reading this if you're looking for a spooky psychological thriller with a twisted ending.

About the Author

Cyn Balog is a normal, everyday Jersey Girl who always believed magical things can happen to us when we least expect them. She is author of young adult paranormal novels FAIRY TALE (2009), SLEEPLESS(2010), STARSTRUCK (2011), TOUCHED (2012), and her most recent release: DEAD RIVER (2013). She lives outside Allentown, Pennsylvania with her husband and daughters.

She also writes under the pen name Nichola Reilly. Nichola Reilly is Cyn Balog's post-apocalyptic fantasy-writing alter-ego. The first book in her series, DROWNED, will be releasing from Harlequin TEEN sometime in 2014, followed by a sequel, BURIED, in 2015.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

CAN'T WAIT TO READ: Rules of Rain by Leah Scheier

Release date: December 5th 2017
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

A dramatic new novel about the bond between a teen and her twin brother.

Rain has taken care of Ethan all of her life. Before she even knew what autism meant, she's been her twin brother's connection to the hostile world around him. She's always prepared—when her father abandons them, when her mother gets sick, when Ethan is tortured by bullies from school—Rain is the reliable, stable one holding them all together. She's both cautious carer and mad chef, preparing customized meals for her family and posting crazy recipes on her cooking blog.

Each day with Ethan is unvarying and predictable, and she's sure that nothing will ever change—until one night when her world is turned upside down by a mistake she can't take back. As her new romance with her long-time crush and her carefully constructed life begins to unravel, she discovers that the fragile brother whom she's always protected has grown into a young man who no longer needs her. And now, for the first time, she finds that she needs him.

About the Author

Leah Scheier is the author of Secret Letters and Your Voice is All I Hear. She was born and raised in Baltimore, MD. As a child, Leah was inspired by her favorite authors, Arthur Conan Doyle, Lloyd Alexander, and C.S. Lewis to dream up tales of adventure and romance. Now grown up with daughters of her own, Leah works as a pediatrician and continues to create new stories.

www.leahscheier.com | twitter.com/leahscheier

Review: Remember Me Always by Renee Collins

Release date: October 3rd 2017
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository{Affiliate Link}

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Shelby is nervous to start her senior year after spending the whole summer away from home. After all, it's hard to be carefree when you're trying to protect a secret.

Shelby was in a devastating car accident, and everyone in town thinks that she was undergoing more physical therapy in Denver. Instead, Shelby's mother enrolled her in a clinical program to stop the panic attacks that started after the crash. The treatment erased Shelby's memory of the accident, but she can't help feeling as if a piece of herself is missing, that the treatment took more than the doctors claimed.

So when Shelby starts hallucinating a boy with dark and mysterious eyes, she knows it must be a side-effect of the clinical program. Except you can't kiss hallucinations. And this boy insists that they know each other and are in love...

*Publisher approved request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I fell in love with Renee's writing in Until We Meet Again, which turned out to be one of my favorite romance novels. So when I saw Remember Me Always I just knew I had to read it, especially after getting pulled in by that blurb.

The story starts off with Shelby returning home after receiving some sort of procedure that wiped away her memory of a terrible accident, along with other things that mattered to her. This is the second time I've read a book surrounding the erasure of bad memories and while I disagree with altering the mind, I'm understanding of this treatment being used on individuals with PTSD, like soldiers or others who have experienced abuse.

Right away I'd suspected there was more to the accident and to this boy trying to convince Shelby they were in a relationship. Her apprehension to talk to him came off a tad annoying at first but then I started to see things from her perspective, in the sense that she wasn't sure about who to trust since she couldn't recall important details. Once her defenses came down and she realized that her heart refused to deny this guy, I liked how she opened up to the idea of relearning about herself and the intense feelings that came so naturally toward him. The whole thing seemed sort of strange though and I had a lot of questions throughout, but those were all answered as the story progressed even though by the time the truth was revealed I had already figured it out.

In regards to the characters, Shelby was the only one I trusted since she was a blank page who didn't know anything and was pretty much a confused girl desperate for answers. Her "boyfriend", best friend, and even her mother were all hiding things. The latter, mind you, I could not stomach for the majority of the story. I found her rather insensitive at times and very controlling, which was something Shelby struggled with. As for her step-father, I wish he was more present in the story. I would have liked to know his feelings about the whole thing and how he could tolerate being married to Shelby's mother. I kid you not, the woman was a trip. She encouraged her daughter to run away from her problems instead of facing them head-on, and basically pressured Shelby into doing the procedure. The woman even dragged her back when she felt like her daughter just wasn't conforming to her ways. Like seriously, I could hardly stand her scenes.

Aside from that, loved the premise of the story and how Shelby dealt with the situation before and after everything was revealed. And even though I had figured out the truth a tad earlier, it still was an interesting read and I liked how it ended with new beginnings for each character. It left me feeling hopeful for them, yes even for the mother. 

Overall, this is another great Renee Collins book. Loved the writing and the perseverance of Shelby's character. She's not perfect but I found her quite likable in spite of what happened. Please do give this one a read if you're curious about the memory erasing thing and most importantly, how powerful love can be. As crazy as it seems, somehow the heart always know even when the mind doesn't remember, and the truth always comes out no matter what lengths are taken to forget it. So yeah, definitely check this out, especially if you love emotional young adult stories.

About the Author

Renee Collins grew up on a beach in Hawaii. Sadly, she never met anyone from the past on those shores, but she did go on to get a degree in History, which is almost the same. She currently lives in Colorado with her family. 

WEBSITE | TWITTER  

Review: Follow Me Back by A.V. Geiger

Series: Follow Me Back #1
Release date: June 6th 2017
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Purchase: Amazon | B&N

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Tessa Hart’s world feels very small. Confined to her bedroom with agoraphobia, her one escape is the online fandom for pop sensation Eric Thorn. When he tweets to his fans, it’s like his speaking directly to her…

Eric Thorn is frightened by his obsessive fans. They take their devotion way too far. It doesn’t help that his PR team keeps posting to encourage their fantasies.

When a fellow pop star is murdered at the hands of a fan, Eric knows he has to do something to shatter his online image fast—like take down one of his top Twitter followers. But Eric’s plan to troll @TessaHeartsEric unexpectedly evolves into an online relationship deeper than either could have imagined. And when the two arrange to meet IRL, what should have made for the world’s best episode of Catfish takes a deadly turn…

Told through tweets, direct messages, and police transcripts.

*Publisher approved request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I must admit, I hadn't enjoyed the few books I've read about pop stars and their fans in the past, but after reading that blurb and picking up a sort of suspenseful vibe, I really wanted to give Follow Me Back a try. So glad I did, because I ended up seriously liking the story. 

At first, Tessa's character turned me off because of her star-crazed ways and how she'd spend so much time fangirling over Eric Thorn. I mean, I was sympathetic to her condition and the difficulty in leaving the safety of her room after what she'd experienced. But whenever she would post about Eric and be so concerned with what he was doing, I felt like she needed to put all that effort into dealing with her agoraphobia. It basically justified Eric's paranoia about the intentions of his "fans" and how obsessive they could be. 

Eric Thorn seemed like a real-life celebrity. Everything he was going through came off raw and it made me wonder how many entertainers were truly dealing with the same thing. He not only had trouble with his record label, but he was having a tough time with the way many of his fans behaved online. And Eric was also in a dilemma because while he had paranoia after the murder of another star by a fan, he was pressured by his label and manager to feed the obsessiveness by showing off his body or posing seductively. It was all marketing, regardless of his fears. So I could understand his anger and his intentions behind the decision to do what he did. 

I liked how he hinted at all his issues as a celebrity to Tessa when they developed an online relationship, and while it reached a point of frustration when he kept his true identity a secret for that long, after they'd virtually gotten so close, it just kind of made sense to me and I liked his plan of how to get them to meet. 

The real dark side of the story didn't start to come to play until a little past the middle, in my opinion. For the most part, it was about both characters bonding online and sharing their individual issues. But towards the end when things started to unravel, my eyes literally went wide and I was yelling at Tessa for making that naive move. But then again, anyone else probably would have done the same thing if they'd grown to trust someone so much after months of talking. Still, having dealt with what Tessa had gone through and had developed agoraphobia from it, I feel like she should have been more careful. 

In spite of that a little issue, I loved how Eric and Tessa finally met in the end, even if it almost didn't happen. And the author left us with such a creepy and confusing ending that I'm now constantly on the look out of details about the next book because it doesn't seem good for both characters and I want for nothing more than to see them be happy, together. 

Overall, it's a very intriguing story with good writing. Totally a great debut. But I have questions A.V.: What happened to Eric? Had a psycho fan done something horrible to the characters? I need that sequel like yesterday! 

About the Author

A.V. Geiger writes contemporary young adult fiction. Her debut novel, FOLLOW ME BACK, will be published by Sourcebooks Fire in 2017. 

A.V. is a popular author on Wattpad, where her original fiction has frequently ranked #1 in the Mystery/Thriller genre. Her writing career began as a hobby, posting celebrity fanfiction online, and her work draws extensively on her own experiences with fan culture and social media. 

She lives with her family in New Jersey.

WEBSITE | Twitter | Wattpad

Review: One Was Lost by Natalie D. Richards

Release date: October 4th 2016
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Damaged. Deceptive. Dangerous. Darling. Are they labels or a warning? The answer could cost Sera everything.

Murder, justice, and revenge were so not a part of the plan when Sera set out on her senior camping trip. After all, hiking through the woods is supposed to be safe and uneventful.

Then one morning the group wakes up groggy, confused, and with words scrawled on their wrists: Damaged. Deceptive. Dangerous. Darling. Their supplies? Destroyed. Half their group? Gone. Their chaperone? Unconscious. Worst of all, they find four dolls acting out a murder—dolls dressed just like them.

Suddenly it's clear; they're being hunted. And with the only positive word on her wrist, Sera falls under suspicion…

*Publisher approved request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is my third time reading a Natalie D. Richards book and honestly, I was hoping for more after that blurb. It filled me with intrigue, seeing as the characters were camping in the woods. I like that setup; it's dark and alluring, the perfect mix for a suspense novel. But throughout One Was Lost, while the mystery held my attention, I kept wanting more. 

I liked how it started out with the characters already in the woods and about to start heading back. It would have been fine like that, but then Sera hinted at a kiss that happened with one of the guys and the roller-coaster emotions between them that went on was just frustrating. In fact, I didn't care for it at all. In their present situation, I felt like the romance could've stayed out of it. I don't know, it just didn't seem to blend in with the rest of the story, especially after realizing a dangerous person was lurking around your camp planning to kill you and you weren't even sure if it was one of the people you were with. 

There was also the issue of not really connecting with them. But that didn't deter me and aside from that and the romance thing, I did enjoy the mystery and wanted to know who had drugged them and had written on them. I liked that the author kept us guessing. I mean, I suspected ALL of them. Even Sera, thought maybe she had split personalities or something lol. And then I believed it was the guy she so loved and pretended not to. Then I was convinced it was their remaining teacher. I mean, why take his students out to a place where tragedy had occurred before? That was suspicious on his part. So yeah, the mystery of who the culprit was kept the story alive for me and in the end, I was truly surprised by who it turned out to be. 

To conclude, not a bad novel with a dark setting and creepy moments so fitting for the season. The writing was fluid. The overall mystery will keep you hooked.

About the Author

Lifelong Ohioan, Natalie D. Richards, spent many years applying her writing skills to stunningly boring business documents. Fortunately, she realized she’s much better at making things up, and has been writing for teens ever since. A champion of aspiring authors, Richards is a frequent speaker at schools, libraries, and writing groups. She lives in Ohio with a Yeti, a Wookie (her dogs) and her wonderful husband and children.

www.nataliedrichards.com | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

Review: The Cabin by Natasha Preston

Release date: September 6th 2016
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

There may only be one killer, but no one is innocent in this new thriller from Natasha Preston, author of The Cellar and Awake.

When Mackenzie treks to a secluded cabin in the woods with six friends, she expects a fun weekend of partying, drinking, and hookups. But when they wake to find two of their own dead and covered in blood, it's clear there's a killer among them.

As the police try to unravel the case, Mackenzie launches her own investigation. Before long secrets start to emerge, revealing a sinister web of sins among the original seven friends. The killer is still free. Every one of them is a suspect. And Mackenzie starts to realize that no one is innocent…

*Publisher approved request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What would you do if you went away with some friends and two of them ended up murdered? The doors are locked and there's no sign of forced entry. Would you maintain that trust in the friends that survived, or would you suspect them? 

I kept asking myself this for the most part of the story. I honestly wanted to give each character the benefit of the doubt and consider the fact that maybe someone else with a key came in while they were all wiped out from drinking and killed their friends. I even went as far as to suspect Blake's mother. She was a strange one. But the more I got to uncover about each "friend", the more I realize that none of them were innocent, as indicated in the blurb. They all had a reason, but the question was, which had it in them to actually commit murder.

The Cabin started out pretty interesting and I liked how it was a murder mystery involving friends; the fact that it tested friendships and how well you thought you knew someone. However, I did have some issues throughout. One of the major things that threw me was Blake's personality. I get that some people have different ways of dealing with grief and other hurtful things in their lives, but I found his behavior and the things he'd say a tad inappropriate in various scenes. Mackenzie got caught up in it at times too, and one scene in particular that turned me off was the way they were acting when another murder occurred. They were basically flirting with each other right after getting the terrible news and it just didn't seem... realistic. I mean, who thinks about sex or makes jokes after hearing about a murder? That didn't make any sense to me. And that happened a lot throughout the book, which is the main reason why the story fell short for me. When it comes to this genre, I like a more serious, dark, and suspenseful theme with a little bit of light outside of serious moments, but instead it seemed like this one was mostly straddling the edge of humor. 

The ending was also crazy and even though I'd suspected that friend was the killer, I never anticipated it would play out in such a way. Overall, interesting plot and nice writing. And I am curious as to what will happen in the next book because surely there will be a follow-up after that cliffhanger. 

About the Author

UK native Natasha Preston grew up in small villages and towns. She discovered her love of writing when she shared a story online—and hasn’t looked back since. She enjoys writing romance, thrillers, gritty YA, and the occasional serial killer.

www.natashapreston.com

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