Poison Ivy: Thorns is the story of Pamela’s transition into Poison Ivy. Ivy’s origin story is heartbreaking but shows her perseverance. This graphic novel is vividly illustrated and fun to read. 5 stars!
Isa moves from Brooklyn, where she loves her life, to a small community that doesn’t seem to have much to offer. Isa, her mom and dad move into the Granger House, which was elegant and decadent a century ago but has faded and become decrepit. The house also has deaths in its history. The community is in awe of the Granger House because of the mysteries surrounding it. Bodies have been found, supposedly homeless vagrants; a teenage girl has disappeared from there; and the home owners’ unknown endings. Isabelle Granger was a beautiful model who many artists painted portraits of. These portraits are all over the house. Isabelle’s husband was discovering new art forms dealing with photography but his shop was burned to the ground but no one knows what happened to him. Isa meets an aspiring photographer at school and together they recreate Isabelle Granger’s portraits through photography and post them on an Instagram account that becomes very popular. Isa’s personality begins to change and she becomes impatient, arrogant and self-important. Her family and friends notice and they try to intervene before tragedy strikes. This is a spooky, suspenseful book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading, 5 stars!
Tansy is trying to adjust to being the Vampire Queen. She lives with her granny, who she trusts more than anyone else in the world. Tansy discovers more about her estranged mother and the father she’s never known. Her boyfriend Vaughn is dealing with life changing issues on his own. The book starts out recapping the events from the first book and moves onto more intensity. I enjoyed the mix of characters and events which made an enjoyable read, 4 stars!
Content warning for depictions of eating disorders, suicide, drunk-driving, date rape and drug and alcohol misuse.
The creepy cover promises something foreboding ahead. Several teens are mailed a note to meet at the old, abandoned pier where a carnival was burned down decades ago. The notes all ask the same question, “Can you keep a secret?” As they wander around the area, more teens appear, all with a similar note. As one of them walks on the pier, it collapses, trapping them away from the mainland. One of them dies, then another and the rest are scrambling to figure out how to get off of the island. Mysterious, suspenseful, and creepy! The cliffhanger at the end of chapter 17, when the group follows a trail of blood and ends up at the maze of mirrors, is deliciously ominous! This book is on the same line as It by Stephen King, but for young adults. Guilt feeds the dark entity and only one can survive. Creepy fun, 4 stars!
Thanks to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read and review Everything I Thought I Knew by Shannon Takaoka!
Damn good book! Mind-blowing, thought-provoking, and beautiful.
Chloe has cardiac arrest while running during cross country practice. She’s always been healthy but the doctor found her heart defect after her heart attack. She’s placed on the transplant list and receives a heart on December 18th. Chloe’s life changed dramatically after her heart defect was found. She had good grades, college goals, and future plans. Now she has to attend summer school to catch up and, for some reason, she craves surfing. She buys a board and gets the phone number of a young man who gives lessons. His name is Kia. Chloe learns to surf and the two of them build a relationship together. She hunts down the donor of her heart and she questions everything she’s ever known. A magnificent story, 5 stars!
Guide to making and keeping better habits!
Thanks to NetGalley And The Experiment for the opportunity to read and review Kaizen- The Japanese Secret to Lasting Change by Sarah Harvey!
The book’s contents include how to start Kaizen, health, work, money, home, relationships, habits and challenges, stumbling blocks, and change for good. “Kaizen isn’t about change for change’s sake, but about identifying particular goals-both short-term and long-term-and then making small, manageable steps to achieve those goals.” Taking small steps in making changes is the absolute key. Kaizen is meant to be tweaked to your individual needs and goals. Continuous improvement is the philosophy of Kaizen. This informative book is filled with helpful tips for every aspect of our lives that break everything into manageable pieces to make improvements easier! Educational, instructional, enlightening and inspiring! 5 stars!
The Thought Spot 