Blog Tour: Review of Second Verse by Jennifer Walkup & GIVEAWAY!

I'm excited to host a stop on the Second Verse blog tour, hosted by Book Nerd Tours.  To find the other stops on the tour and any additional information go to the post found HERE.

Second Verse by Jennifer Walkup

Hardcover, 288 pages

Published: October 1st, 2013 by Luminis Books

Source: Author/Publisher

Bad things come in threes. In Shady Springs, that includes murder.

Murder Now
Lange Crawford’s move to Shady Springs, Pennsylvania, lands her a group of awesome friends, a major crush on songwriter Vaughn, and life in a haunted, 200-year-old farmhouse. It also brings The Hunt: an infamous murder mystery festival where students solve a fake, gruesome murder scheme during the week of Halloween. Well, supposedly fake.

Murder Then
Weeks before The Hunt, Lange and her friends hold a séance in the farmhouse’s eerie barn. When a voice rushes through, whispering haunting words that only she and Vaughn can hear, Lange realizes it's begging for help. The mysterious voice leads Lange and Vaughn to uncover letters and photos left behind by a murdered girl, Ginny, and they become obsessed with her story and the horrifying threats that led to her murder.

Murder Yet to Come
But someone doesn’t like their snooping, and Lange and Vaughn begin receiving the same threats that Ginny once did. The mysterious words from the barn become crucial to figuring out Ginny's past and their own, and how closely the two are connected. They must work fast to uncover the truth or risk finding out if history really does repeat itself.

Find the book:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

I scare ridiculously easy and so I was a tad afraid going into this one.  But I really love ghost stories and for that reason I couldn't resist.  While I'm really glad I read this (really glad!) it was really scary.  I did read some of it at night and that was simply because I HAD to know what happened.  Even though it was terrifying, I just couldn't set the book aside.  I know those that read a lot of horror may not get as scared as I did, but those of you that are chickens like me, be aware, this book is pretty scary!

I really liked Lange a lot.  She's a new girl but she's already made friends and seems to fit in well.  Everything seems to change after she has a seance in her barn and hears some words spoken by what we would assume is a ghost.  It's only Vaughn who hears those words with her though and that kind of drives them together and the others away (though there's much more to that aspect).  Through the book Lange and Vaughn work together to piece the puzzle of the murder of Ginny and her entire family, together.  But someone is stalking Lange and Vaughn and they are very, very creepy.  And while Lange is clearly terrified, I have to say that girl is very brave.  I'm pretty sure my reaction would be to jump in a car and drive far far away and never look back.  I don't think I could have stayed in that house one more night.  But even though she's scared she continues with real life and getting through each day.  She's always been attracted to Vaughn, but through the book the attraction becomes more.  These two are adorable together, but unfortunately their time together is rather intense because they are trying to figure out what happened in the past, and what is happening to them, now.

This book has a lot of twists.  While there were a few milder things that were fairly easy to figure out, the big picture mystery totally blew me away!  I did not suspect any of it!  It was such a shocker that I'm pretty certain my jaw actually hit the floor.  And after that it felt like surprise after surprise.  It was amazing to have such great twists that I never saw coming and totally elevated my thoughts of the book big time! I liked it before, but that made me like it even more!

This is a mystery/thriller/romance/horror. All those things are in this book and it's the perfect read for October.  You can freak yourself out as you hide in your closet. ;)  But I do recommend this one, very much.  And while it has a conclusion, everything is wrapped up, there is room for a sequel and I very much hope that that happens!

Disclosure: I received this book for review purposes, all opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

About the Author

When Jennifer Walkup isn’t writing or reading, she’s spending time with her husband

and young sons, listening to Red Hot Chili Peppers, and coming up with costume ideas for Halloween. She’s obsessed with good coffee and new recipes and likes broccoli on her pizza, flowers in her hair, flip-flops on her feet, and the number 13. A member of SCBWI and RWA, Jennifer also serves as fiction editor for The Meadowland Review and teaches creative writing at The Writers Circle. Second Verse is her first novel.

Twitter | Goodreads | Blog |  Website

 

10 Winners will get a signed Bookmark (open internationally)

1 Winner will get: The Romance Pack
Stickers | Bookmark | Leather Love Journal | 2 Love Picture Frames | $10 iTunes Gift Card | French Kiss Lip Gloss | Love Ring | Touched by Corrine Jackson | Breathe by Abbi Glines | Guitar Notes by Mary Amato

1 Winner will get: The Mystery Pack
Stickers | Bookmark | Halloween Journal | Creepy Tree Candle | Skeleton Girl Trinket Box | $10 iTunes Gift Card | Glitter Nail Polish | Skeleton Key Necklace | Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma | Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross

ADDITIONAL GIVEAWAY!
If SECOND VERSE can get 75 Review ON AMAZON by November 1st (one month after release) Jennifer will do a giveaway for a KINDLE just for those who reviewed it! Winner will be chosen from the reviews, so don’t forget to read it and put that review up! ON AMAZON!

Must be 13+ To Enter – Shipping in the US Only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Don't forget to stop by Rainy Day Ramblings for Kendare Blake: Antigoddess on the Something Wicked Returns event!

 

Young Adult Book Review~ Confessions: The Private School Murders by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

Confessions: The Private School Murders (Confessions #2) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

Hardcover, 448 pages

Expected Publication: Oct. 7th, 2013 by Little, Brown and Company

Source: Publisher/ Big Honcho Media

Wealthy young women are being murdered, and the police aren't looking for answers in the right places. Enter Tandy Angel. Her first case was the mystery of her parents' deaths. Now she's working to exonerate her brother of his girlfriend's homicide. And danger just got closer.One of the recent victims was a student at Tandy's own elite school. She has a hunch it may be the work of a serial killer... and Tandy perfectly fits the profile of the killer's targets. Can she untangle the mysteries in time? Or will she be the next victim? James Patterson keeps the confessions coming as Tandy delves deeper into her own tumultuous history and the skeletons in the Angel family closet.

It's kind of amazing, I read the first book and this book back to back, one right after the other.  I NEVER do that.  I don't remember the last time I was able to read two books from a series back to back.  So that actually speaks volumes about how much I've enjoyed these books.  Not to mention, I had a HUGE grin on my face the entire time I was reading them.

I absolutely ADORE Tandy and her family.  These are characters that really stand out. Characters that you want to know personally, that you want to hang out with and even live with.  They are fun and crazy and weird and so, so awesome!  If you read my review of the first book you saw that Tandy was an unreliable narrator and you actually find out why.  Things change a lot for this book; the narration, while similar, has changed because Tandy has changed.  She's changed a lot actually.  And I love it! I loved her from the beginning, but you'll see... there's a reason for some change here.

This book is full of mysteries and the Private School Murders is only one.  And in my opinion, is one of the lesser ones.  But fortunately that keeps the description spoiler free, because there's a major mystery from the first book that's carried over into this one where it's explored more thoroughly.  There's another, smaller mystery regarding some stuff happening in the building she lives in, then another that's carried over from the first book that isn't exactly a mystery, but sort of turns into one, and then the private school murders on top of that.  Poor Tandy has her hands full! But she's pretty brilliant in figuring things out, put Tandy on the case and it's sure to be solved! 

An amazing cast of characters with twisty and unpredictable mysteries and you've got an unputdownable story! I read this sucker in only hours while running my errands and hated every time something was finished and I had to put it down.  I read this book at the auto repair shop, a diner and a tire store and in each place I got a lot of comments as there were lots of expressions shooting across my face.

This book has a conclusion, while there are still things that could be explored, the mysteries have been solved.  I really hope that this is a series that continues on as I'm not at all ready to say goodbye to this amazing cast of characters!

Disclosure: I received this book for review purposes, all opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

Young Adult Review: All the Truth That's In Me by Julie Berry

All the Truth That's In Me by Julie Berry

Hardcover, 288 pages

Expected Publication: September 26th, 2013 by Viking Juvenile

Source: Gift

Four years ago, Judith and her best friend disappeared from their small town of Roswell Station. Two years ago, only Judith returned, permanently mutilated, reviled and ignored by those who were once her friends and family. Unable to speak, Judith lives like a ghost in her own home, silently pouring out her thoughts to the boy who’s owned her heart as long as she can remember—even if he doesn’t know it—her childhood friend, Lucas. But when Roswell Station is attacked, long-buried secrets come to light, and Judith is forced to choose: continue to live in silence, or recover her voice, even if it means changing her world, and the lives around her, forever. This startlingly original novel will shock and disturb you; it will fill you with Judith’s passion and longing; and its mysteries will keep you feverishly turning the pages until the very last.

All the Truth That's In Me is one of the most emotional books I've read this year.  I felt so much while reading it and for that reason I can definitely say I enjoyed it.

I was caught off guard with it being a historical fiction. I had read reviews so I guess I had forgot, but the cover had me thinking it was a YA or NA contemporary modern day book, maybe a mystery thriller.  Fortunately I like historical fiction, so once I settled in this wasn't a negative, it only caught me off guard. The next thing is that this is in 2nd person narration, Judith talking to the boy she loves (which is revealed pretty quickly).  I didn't like this narration and while I did settle into it eventually it was the one aspect I never did grow fond of.

The beginning was crazy intense for me because I desperately needed to know what had happened to Judith.  Pretty quickly we get pieces and can put it all together, or at least think we do.  There are still unanswered questions, but the way the story is told it wasn't really something I felt myself dying to know.  I felt like I had most of the answers and the pieces stopped coming until closer to the end when we discover there is more mystery, we just didn't really realize it.  Or we had forgotten because we were focusing on something else.  In my case it was the way that these townsfolk treated Judith (and some others).  She had been kidnapped and kept captive and they blame HER, they accuse HER.  Her own mother even treats her differently.  I felt so much anger at everyone and felt so horrible for Judith.  I desperately wanted her to speak up, to stand up for herself. And I understood, Judith is mute, but she also knows that no one will believe her.  I understand why she didn't speak up.  I have to say that the ending was immensely satisfying.  I was as happy as I could possibly be about it. 

I really liked Judith a lot, but it took me awhile to warm up to her, to feel like I knew her.  Through this unique narration we see a wider scope of her as we read.  Like a note in the beginning of the ARC I read says, it's like a pinprick that gets wider and wider and we see more and more as we read.  We know nothing but hints of things and as it goes on our knowledge of what's going on gets bigger and bigger.

We don't get to know Lucas well until the end, but we see memories of Judith's and know he's a good guy.  But because we are Judith we don't know how he feels at all until later.  I liked having a romance that wasn't really a romance at all.  At least not one with two people, because it's mostly just Judith loving him.  However, the ending is wonderful and the romance made me smile.  This definitely has one of the best endings I have read about.

While this is sometimes a slower paced story, it was never actually boring and for some reason I found it incredibly hard to put down.  I just wanted to keep reading.  So I read this book in under a day.  This is also a clean read and appropriate for younger YA readers but is still something that would appeal to mature YA readers and adults.

Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book as a gift from another blogger. All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

Young Adult Review: Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson and Maxine Paetra

Paperback, 372 pages

Published: September 24th, 2013 (in paperback, hardcover was Sept. 2012) by Little, Brown

Source: Publisher/ Big Honcho Media

James Patterson returns to the genre that made him famous with a thrilling teen detective series about the mysterious and magnificently wealthy Angel family . . . and the dark secrets they're keeping from one another.

On the night Malcolm and Maud Angel are murdered, Tandy Angel knows just three things: 1) She was the last person to see her parents alive. 2) The police have no suspects besides Tandy and her three siblings. 3) She can't trust anyone—maybe not even herself. Having grown up under Malcolm and Maud's intense perfectionist demands, no child comes away undamaged. Tandy decides that she will have to clear the family name, but digging deeper into her powerful parents' affairs is a dangerous-and revealing-game. Who knows what the Angels are truly capable of?

This was my first James Patterson book and wow, I was blown away! I have been in the mood for more mysteries lately, which is weird as I use to not really read mysteries at all.  But unraveling things as the story goes on, piecing clues together and being surprised over and over again is turns out to be a lot of fun!  And I really enjoy the young adult mysteries even more for some reason.

In this book we get a different style as Tandy is talking directly to us, the reader.  She addresses us as the reader and everything.  If I hadn't just read it and experienced it, I would say that that is weird and that I probably wouldn't like it.  But that wasn't the case at all, I loved it!  It not only made it a different experience, but it allowed even more mystery.  Tandy is one we could say is an unreliable narrator.  She even addresses that in the beginning of the book.  As we read on we see that's not exactly right, but there are things from her past that are a mystery to us, and even a mystery to her, she's unraveling these things that she partly knows, but partly doesn't.  That may sound confusing, but it isn't.  As a matter of fact, this book was very easy reading.  It was easy to understand, but not easy to piece the clues together.  There was twist after twist after twist and I honestly had no clue which direction the book would take.  When things finally came together and we found out the truth my jaw dropped.  I was NOT expecting that.  And I loved being surprised!

Tandy was a great character to read, I really loved her voice and how she addressed us.  But in this book we see her grow and change quite a lot.  There's a big reason for that, which is one of the twists in the book so I won't be telling you.  Tandy's family is eccentric, to say the least.  They've been raised to be geniuses in one way or another.  They have not had a conventional child hood in any way, shape or form.  I felt bad that they never got to be normal kids and I saw that pretty much everyone had a reason to kill the parents.  On the other hand we see the good in the parents that were killed as well, and this made some good reading because my emotions were all over the place.

While it would be too lengthy to talk about each secondary character individually I will say that they each stood out in some way.  They had strong personalities that made them each memorable.  We see the good and the bad in each of the children.  While they are a little crazy in their own ways and while we don't know what to think of them, we can't help but love each of them a little. Or in some cases, a lot.  It's very easy to spoil things for this book, so I'll leave it at that.

I was surprised with how much I loved this book.  I've gone back and forth on my rating.  I'm giving it 4 stars, but it's good enough that I would say even 4.5 wouldn't be too generous.  Now I'm off to read the next book, Confessions: The Private School Murders.  I look forward to reading more about this crazy and eccentric family and to see what happens next as there are still plenty of unanswered questions.

Disclosure: I received this book for review purposes, all opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

Review: Betrayal by Gregg Olsen

Betrayal (Empty Coffin #2) by Gregg Olsen

Hardcover, 288 pages

Expected publication: Sept. 4th, 2012 by Splinter

Source: Gift 

In this action-packed thriller sequel to Envy, foreign exchange student Olivia Grant is stabbed to death after a party--and the prime suspect is her best friend. As twins Hayley and Taylor Ryan get pulled into the aftermath of this Amanda Knox-like crime, they realize nothing is what it seems. Could it be betrayal of the ultimate kind?
Betrayal features real-life crime-solving techniques, heart-stopping suspense, plenty of red herrings, hard-hitting ethical questions, and information about the Amanda Knox case that inspired the novel. As the crime unravels, so does the twins' past…and they must face off against a family member who may unexpectedly have carried out the worst betrayal of all. 

I wasn't the biggest fan of the first book, Envy.  I didn't dislike it, but I didn't have a connection with it.  The writing style wasn't really for me and it felt slow and confusing.  So I was shocked at how much I loved this book!  This time around I had a better idea of what to expect and I actually really enjoyed the writing style.  I also was never bored with this one.  I desperately needed to know 'who did it' and could hardly stand putting the book down.  And since I now 'know' the twins, Taylor and Haley, I was able to get into their bits of the story and never felt confused about anything.

This book has it's own murder mystery in it separate from the one in Envy.  This murder mystery comes to it's full conclusion in this book.  But we also have some continuing story line regarding the twins Taylor and Haley. This portion of the book is something that will continue on.  A mystery that we get pieces of in each book.  And while there's not a major cliffhanger it leaves off with some new information that definitely has us curious for more of the story.  It's this part with Taylor and Haley that has paranormal-like elements.  Realistic paranormal, in my opinion.

Gregg Olsen is a true crime writer (other then this series).  And I think if you go in knowing that his style is different then we're use to seeing in YA you will enjoy the first book more.  I think maybe I was just caught off guard or something with the first book.  I'm not sure if it was just me and my mood or if the book just really didn't work so well for me, but after reading this book I'm inclined to think that it's just me.

The murder mystery worked well for me.  For one, I loved how crazy these people were.  From absent parents (or downright BAD parents) to teens who really are more concerned about themselves and their own comfort rather then the dead girl, this book really left me guessing who was a murderer because there were just so many that weren't very good people.  I didn't really guess who it was, though I did figure out parts, there was so much more to it.

I loved how emotionally invested I was in this book and the characters.  I felt furious at people for their callousness, for their ridiculous accusations at the completely wrong people and for their completely inappropriate behavior.  It worked fantastically well in this book.

I recently visited Port Gamble and I don't think it had a big impact on my overall feel of the book, but I did enjoy being able to picture the homes and places where everyone went.  I had even toured the home that Haley and Taylor live in so being able to picture everything so well was just an added bonus.

I definitely recommend you check this series out.  If you don't love Envy I still suggest you try Betrayal, perhaps you'll be like me and discover that you really do like the books.

Disclosure:  I received this book free of charge and all opinions expressed are my own.  I was not paid or influenced in any way.

Review: Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

Deadly Cool (Deadly Cool #1) by Gemma Halliday
Young Adult Murder Mystery
Paperback, 303 pgs.
Published: Oct. 11th, 2011 by HarperTeen
Source: Gift

Hartley Grace Featherstone is having a very bad day. First she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the president of the Herbert Hoover High School Chastity Club. Then he's pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And if that weren't enough, now he's depending on Hartley to clear his name. Seriously? Not cool.

But as much as Hartley wouldn't mind seeing him squirm, she knows he's innocent, and she's the only one who can help him. Along with her best friend, Sam, and the school's resident Bad Boy, Chase, Hartley starts investigating on her own. But as the dead bodies begin to pile up, the mystery deepens, the suspects multiply, and Hartley begins to fear that she may be the killer's next victim.

Deadly Cool was a rather fun murder mystery.  The fun mostly being Hartley and her fabulous personality and the snark her inner voice voices quite loudly.  While it was fun it had plenty of more intense moments and a lot of moments that I felt I would go insane if I didn't figure out the murderer.  With life or death at stake there are some serious scenes but I do appreciate that the author kept this a bit on the lighter side and I found it much more enjoyable for that reason.

Now I wasn't sure how I would feel about Hartley, I mean why would she want to help her ex boyfriend who cheated on her?  Well, the reason is quite simple and it's because she's a good person and knows he's innocent.  So she becomes quite the Nancy Drew.  Armed with her best friend and the hottie Chase they track down clues as to who is responsible.  

Chase is everything I look for in a guy.  While there's no real romance between Hartley and Chase you see the spark and the banter between them.  And when Hartley starts to notice he's not hard on the eyes, well I started to see her point!  I definitely want to see if anything more develops between them (it better!) in the next book.  And Chase is going on my book boyfriend list right now!  I think sometimes just the spark is better then any actual romance.  Well, it's part of the build up I guess because you really get behind them and hope that something will happen already.  You know, where you chant in your head "Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss ALREADY!"  

Hartley was a great character and I really loved how devoted she was in finding the killer.  But I have to say that her devotion to finding him/her made her kind of stupid.  While in the end it didn't ruin the book or anything I have to mention it because I was kind of screaming at her.  I mean, people are dying here and she seems to think she's invincible.  Why would she totally disregard any common sense whatsoever?!  So that was the biggest downside to this book.  

But regardless of that one issue I had with Hartley I really enjoyed this one and it's a series I'll definitely have on my to-buy list.  I must have them on my shelves! 

4/5 stars

Book Review: Envy by Gregg Olsen

Envy by Gregg Olsen

Hardcover, 285 pgs.

Published Sept 6th, 2011 by Splinter

Reading Level: Young Adult

Source: Publisher *for review*

 

 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.

 Oh ack, this is one of those difficult reviews to write.  Because I was half and half about this book.  I really didn't care for the first half of the book.  I was kind of bored to death.  The style of the writing and the POV's wasn't grabbing me, I wasn't growing attached to any characters and I really wasn't even caring too much about the story and the mystery like I should have been.  I forced myself to continue reading and about halfway it started getting easier and the mystery became more important to me as more details were revealed.  But it wasn't until the last quarter of the book that I could sit down and read straight through and actually not want to put the book down and really was desperate for answers.  I was finally feeling a little more attached to the twins in the story, Hailey and Taylor and their own secrets (or secrets about them) outside of Katelyns death.  So I would say that the last half and especially the last quarter of the book pushed this up to three stars for me.  I also liked the more contemporary issues like the cyber bullying and the realistic parts of the issues the characters had and had to work through.

Now, I know lots of people loved this book so I want to make sure you understand what it was that bothered me.  I didn't care for the style of writing.  It just wasn't for me.  It wasn't that it was bad, it just wasn't something I was feeling, that I connected with, that compelled me to keep reading.  It was a third person style and jumped around to the different people.  From the twins, to the different mothers, a couple of friends, and even a reporter.  I think maybe seeing all the different thoughts was suppose to maybe add to the mystery, but it just wasn't really working for me.  However, I think fans of mysteries and true crime would enjoy it, just don't go into it expecting to be all creeped out cause it wasn't really all that creepy like I usually imagine a thriller to be.  It was just a mystery with a touch of paranormal like stuff (notice I say touch and paranormal-like, it's definitely not a strong paranormal type theme).  

Once the book picked up, once the pieces started coming together more, I began to feel like I could start making guesses and the book was suddenly much better for me.  I started feeling the mystery and felt like I knew who did what, etc.  And to be honest, I was actually right.  But guessing it correctly didn't ruin the ending in any way. There were many details I hadn't figured out so there was still plenty of surprise. 

Now this is the first in a series so I wondered where it could go and if it would leave off on a cliffhanger, or what?  Well, the book wraps up this mystery but at the end there's a little opener for the next one.  And the finished copy I read had the sneak peek of the next book and it was pretty intense.  I think I'm actually really wanting to read it.  

So although this book sent lots of mixed feelings through me I felt like I could say I like it okay when I'd finished, so I'm giving it three stars and I do recommend it to fans of mysteries, true crime and thrillers (light style thrillers ;).   This one has loads of positive reviews, so be sure to check them out before you cross this one off your list.  

Find the author:

Website | Empty Coffin Website
Readers Discussion Guide

Purchase:

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository

Disclosure: I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.