Turtles All the Way Down

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Turtles All the Way Down by John Green opens with Aza as she struggles with self-confidence and feeling like she never belongs. Her best friend and support is Daisy and the two of them set out to earn a reward for finding a missing billionaire. This mystery brings more interest to the story and the dynamic characters are fun, humorous and entertaining as well deep thinking. The three main characters, Aza, Daisy and Davis all bring a lot of interest to the story plus the side characters add an extra depth. I appreciate how John Green portrays mental illness with realism and deeply detailed prose. The author’s note at the end offers insight into his own personal struggles and also help and hotline information. 5 stars for a great portrayal of the human mind and its struggles!

All Things New by Lauren Miller

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Thanks to NetGalley and Three Saints Press for the opportunity to read and review All Things New by Lauren Miller. Jessa struggles with anxiety and panic attacks. She can’t seem to deal with life very well. After her accident, she’s dealing with so much more than she was before, plus the scars on her face. She refuses to talk about why she’s angry with Wren or anything that’s bothering her. Jessa agrees to move to Colorado with her dad and attend an art school. She makes some friends and builds a relationship with her dad while learning to deal with the aftermath of the accident. Along with her anxiety and scars, Jessa sees bruises and scars on people even though their faces are blemish free. She realizes that she’s hallucinating and her mind is seeing what isn’t there. Jessa works on her confidence, the relationship with her father and building friendships and trust in others. As she’s doing these things, Jessa grows and understands more than the eye can see. 4 stars for this eye-opening realistic fiction novel for young adult readers!
I received a complimentary copy of this book for voluntary consideration.

 

Jek/Hyde by Amy Ross

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Teen for the opportunity to read and review Jek/Hyde by Amy Ross! Lulu is best friends with Jek, Jayesh Emerson Kapoor, who’s a scientific genius. It seems that someone named Hyde has stolen Jek’s bank account information and Lulu wants to get to the bottom of it. This guy Hyde also paid off a teenage girl that he presumably assaulted and people are talking about him and not at all in a good way. Lulu, with the rest of the community, is trying to figure out who Hyde really is and how he’s connected to Jek, especially since Hyde seems to be wreaking havoc and ultimately commits murder. When Lulu discovers the mystery of all that is Hyde, her life changes forever. 5 stars for this engaging young adult mystery with an ending that leaves space for the imagination!
*I received a complimentary copy for voluntary consideration

Rosemarked by Livia Blackburne

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for the opportunity to read and review Rosemarked by Livia Blackburne! Zivah has been an apprentice for years and now she’s a healer because she has passed the required test. Rose plague has broken out and Zivah is helping the other healers take care of the ailing patients. Dineas has suffered through the rose plague, healed, recovered and developed brown splotches and has been labeled as umbertouched. They meet under wary circumstances but become allies. The storyline becomes complicated but the author describes everything perfectly, which erases all confusion. I enjoy Dineas’ humor and personality and Zivah’s perseverance and outlook on life. Wonderful characters and an ending that leaves me anticipating the sequel make a 5-star fantasy adventure!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book for voluntary consideration.

Haven by Mary Lindsey

Posted on by lynndellwatson

Haven by Mary Lindsey- Rain loses his mother and is sent to live with her twin, his aunt Ruby, in a small town. Rain unknowingly falls into an age-old legend as he’s trying to help a fellow classmate. He gets so much more than he bargained for. I don’t want to give anything away because the mystery is a big part of the story. Rain’s life grows more complicated and the suspense builds. He will do anything it takes to protect the people he cares about. 5 stars for this supernatural read! Entangled publishing surprised me with this wonderful box full of goodies!

The Mortician’s Daughter: One Foot in the Grave by C.C. Hunter

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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The Mortician’s Daughter: One Foot in the Grave by CC Hunter- Riley lost her mother when she was four years old. She lives with her father who is a mortician. She’s been attending her new school for less than two weeks and knows only a few people. They have moved twice lately due to her father losing his jobs. Riley is worrying about whether or not he’s an alcoholic or depressed. Riley gets visits from ghosts of the people her father has helped prepare for burial. The visitors need Riley’s help and until she helps them they keep visiting. I have a soft spot for Ford Mustangs and it’s cool that Riley has a Mustang and deals with the car’s maintenance and mechanical issues with her dad. The more I read, the more I realized how complicated Riley’s life is. I don’t want to give anything away, but the story just kept getting better and better. The dynamic characters are interesting and the suspense grows in intensity and I was on the edge of my seat as the story ended! I want the sequel now!!! 5 stars for pure supernatural entertainment!

Remember Me Always by Renee Collins

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to read this book! Remember Me Always by Renee Collins is a bit of a dystopian because of the mind memory erasing. Shelby is the victim of an accident she can’t remember because of a memory-erasing treatment. In her latest treatment session, Shelby sees a young man that she doesn’t remember. Later, as she sits waiting for a capture-the-flag game to end, that young man approaches her and cautiously says hello to her. His name is Auden. Little by little, Shelby gets to know Auden and he helps her fill in parts of her memory that she’s lost. Complex, dynamic characters help build this into a strong story that’s hard to put down. The story is mysterious because everyone seems to be hiding something from Shelby and suspenseful as she begins to unravel the mystery surrounding her missing memories. Justice and the importance of faith in one’s self come through in this realistic fiction for young adults. 5 stars!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book for voluntary consideration.

Book of Lies by Teri Terry

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Book of lies by Teri Terry immediately pulled me into the story about twins separated at birth and then meeting for the first time when they are seventeen. Piper was raised by their mother, while Quinn was not. There’s a mystery surrounding the twins and, while Quinn was forced to live with their grandmother, hidden away and having few unhappy visits from their mother, Piper enjoyed a happier and more comfortable life being raised by their mother. They both seem to be hiding secrets from others and each other. Supernatural forces take hold of the twins while the story twists and mysteries are revealed and secrets are told. I couldn’t stop reading this book and finished it quickly. Great read for fans of mystery, suspense and a touch of the paranormal; 5 stars!

 

Saving Brad by Siobhan Davis

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Saving Brad by Siobhan Davis is the fifth book in the Kennedy Boys series. The author brings the reader up to speed with perfection and the complex storyline continues with the characters returning to their sophomore year at Harvard. Rachel and Brad deal with their tumultuous relationship among both of their families’ problems. They realize that they’re becoming friends after they both finally let their guard down. Suspense filled storyline and dynamic characters are Siobhan Davis’ mark and make this book another highly recommended new adult read. 5 stars!

I voluntarily reviewed an advance complimentary copy of this book.

The Rattled Bones by S.M. Parker

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Thanks to NetGalley and Simon Pulse for the opportunity to read and review The Rattled Bones by S.M. Parker. Rilla lives with her grandmother. After her father dies, she’s unsure about college because she worries about leaving her grandmother and she wants to keep her father’s fishing business going. The story is a bit odd but starts to pick up around chapter four when Rilla meets Sam on the small island where he’s doing research on an archeological dig. Sam knows about the Malaga Island history and he shares his research with Rilla. Rilla is worried that she’s following her mother’s footsteps because she’s seeing a ghost and hearing her voice. Rilla’s mother talked to the water people and she left her family when Rilla was very young because she wanted to keep her family safe. All Rilla knows about her mother is that she waded into the ocean with heavy rocks in her pockets weighing her down and then she admitted herself into a mental institution. Rilla has kept the apparition to herself and continues to do so until she grows comfortable enough with Sam to confide in him. She also needs his help to keep herself safe and to figure out the ghostly mystery. Little by little, the two of them piece together the visions and the island’s history and uncover a tragic event that connects Rilla and her family to Malaga Island. I love it when authors share their research with readers and explain their reasoning behind the story they’ve created. When a book is based on historical facts, I always want to dive into the research and study the truth that helped create the fiction. 4 stars for an intriguing story that pulled me into a lesser known part of American history.