Review: The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. But now, in the summer before college, Emaline wonders if perfect is good enough.

Enter Theo, a super-ambitious outsider, a New Yorker assisting on a documentary film about a reclusive local artist. Theo's sophisticated, exciting, and, best of all, he thinks Emaline is much too smart for Colby.

Emaline's mostly-absentee father, too, thinks Emaline should have a bigger life, and he's convinced that an Ivy League education is the only route to realizing her potential. Emaline is attracted to the bright future that Theo and her father promise. But she also clings to the deep roots of her loving mother, stepfather, and sisters. Can she ignore the pull of the happily familiar world of Colby?

Emaline wants the moon and more, but how can she balance where she comes from with where she's going?

Sarah Dessen's devoted fans will welcome this story of romance, yearning, and, finally, empowerment. It could only happen in the summer.

My Review:

The Moon and More is another fantastic Sarah Dessen book.  I have now read all eleven of her books.  This is a great summer read since it takes place in the beach town of Colby, a place that has been visited in many of Dessen's other novels.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD

This novel has a rather strong focus on Emaline's family.  Her mother got pregnant with her in high school, and the father who got Emaline's mother pregnant does not get involved in her life at all.  In fact, Emaline doesn't meet him until she is eleven.  When Emaline is about two years old, her mother marries another man who has two daughters.  He is technically her stepdad, but Emaline thinks of him as a real dad, and she thinks of her stepsisters as sisters.  She calls her stepdad her dad, and she calls her biological dad her father.  Emaline's mother obviously cares about her very much, as does her dad.  Her older sisters, Amber and Margo, care about her too, though she does have some fights with Margo, and she gets annoyed when Amber and her mom hang out in her room.  Her father, on the other hand, can't necessarily be counted on to keep the promises that he makes to his daughter.  He ends up disappointing her in many cases.  He has a young son, Benji, who is Emaline's half brother.  Emaline gets to know him in the book, and he is a sweet kid.

There is a love triangle in this book between Emaline and two guys, Luke and Theo.  Luke is the guy who's been her high school boyfriend for the past four years, and Theo is the guy from New York who is in town to film a documentary on a local artist.  Both of these boys have their flaws, and they have good things about them too.  Luke seems like a sweet guy, but he is also a bit pushy about sex.  Theo is into big romantic moments, and he is very good to Emaline.  The problem with him is that he doesn't really understand her town and her life.  He really wants to get Clyde Conaway to talk to him for the documentary, and he doesn't understand that Clyde probably wants to be a reclusive artist.  Theo is very pushy about getting Emaline to talk to Clyde for him.

The friendships in this book are well done.  Emaline has two best friends, Daisy and Morris, who are dating each other.  Morris is a sweet guy who is often lazy about doing the work he needs to do, and he always moves to places at a slow pace.  Daisy is a very fashionable girl who is planning on going away to school many hours away.  She knows that will put her far away from Morris, who is planning on attending a local community college, but thinks they can do a long-distance relationship.  Their relationship is sweet, and Emaline has a good friendship with both of them.

If you like YA contemporary, read this book.

Katie          

Review: Vortex by Julie Cross

Julie Cross's Vortex is the thrilling second installment of the Tempest series, in which the world hangs in the balance as a lovelorn Jackson must choose who to saveJackson Meyer has thrown himself into his role as an agent for Tempest, the shadowy division of the CIA that handles all time-travel-related threats. Despite his heartbreak at losing the love of his life, Jackson has proved himself to be an excellent agent. However, after an accidental run in with Holly—the girl he altered history to save—Jackson is once again reminded of what he's lost. And when Eyewall, an opposing division of the CIA, emerges, Jackson and his fellow agents not only find themselves under attack, but Jackson begins to discover that the world around him has changed and someone knows about his erased relationship with Holly, putting both their lives at risk all over again.

My Review:

Vortex is a great sequel to Tempest, a book that I loved.  There is some crazy time-travel stuff happening in this one, with half jumps, Thomas jumps, and alternate universes.  Some new characters are introduced and they are quite interesting.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD

After reading this book, I am now rooting for a romance that is probably never going to happen since both the people are hung up on someone else.  A new character named Lily Kendrick is introduced.  She is a member of the CIA, and she is partnered with Jackson for missions.  The friendship that develops between Kendrick, as everyone calls her, and Jackson, is sweet, and I was really hoping that it would lead to more than friendship.  I was upset when Jackson found out she had a fiancé because I figured then that there was probably no hope for a Kendrick-Jackson romance.  Also, Kendrick was probably my favorite character in this book, aside from Jackson.

Another character that I loved was Jenni Stewart, a member of the CIA who was mentioned a few times in Tempest (the first book).  Stewart puts up walls around herself and makes herself always seem tough, but she still has her moments of weakness.  There were some moments between her and Jackson that made me think they would make a great couple.  So, while I'm still rooting for a Jackson-Kendrick romance, I'd also be happy with a Jackson-Stewart romance.

Holly has changed a lot since the first book.  Somehow, in making sure his path didn't cross with Holly's, Jackson managed to change her future.  She is involved with some crazy CIA stuff involving Eyewall, which basically makes her Jackson's enemy, since Eyewall is an opposing division to Tempest.  At this point, I don't really want Jackson to end up with Holly.  If she somehow turns back into the girl he loved in the first book, I would probably be fine with them together.  But at this point, I would like him to end up with one of the two other girls I mentioned in the review.

If you like YA sci-fi, read this book.

Katie            

Books I'm Bringing With Me On Vacation

Usually, I just bring whatever books I currently have out from the library with me or have bought, but haven't read, with me on vacation.  This year, I decided I want my vacation books to all have a common theme: summer.  My one requirement for these books is that they must take place in the summer.  If they take place at the beach, that's even better.  I've found a few books that fit my criteria that I will be bringing.

 I actually bought this book the week it came out, and it came out on May 7th.  So I've have it over three months, but I've been saving it to read on this vacation.  I will be starting this book in the car on the way there, because I am excited to read it and don't want to have to wait much longer.

 

I just checked this one out from the library the other day for vacation.  I'm not sure if this entire book actually takes place during the summer, but there is a beach on the cover.  It looks like a light and fun summer read.

I originally read this book either at the end of elementary school or beginning of middle school, but I have read the sequels more recently.  This book takes place during the summer, and I look forward to revisting Rosalind, Skye, Jane, and Batty.

I may be stretching the definition of a "summer read" with this book, but it does take place in the summer.  It's also a book that I've read three times, and I never tire of it.  I'm pretty sure I'll still love it once I read it a fourth time.  I love so many books, but this book may be my favorite book ever.


Again, this book isn't exactly light summer fun, but it is a great book that takes place in the summer.  I would love to reread this book, and get to fall in love with this story and these characters all over again.

Katie

Review: Tidal by Amanda Hocking

The magical world of Watersong is about to change forever. The answers Gemma and her friends have been searching for are finally revealed - but evil is closing in and time is running out....

Gemma and Harper Fisher are facing the fight of their lives. Gemma has been cursed with extraordinary powers that have a terrifying dark side, but she's finally found what she needs - a way to break the curse and become human again. However, finding the means to do it will be her greatest challenge yet. And now Penn, Lexi, and Thea - the gorgeous but deadly creatures who cursed her - are determined to kill her before she has a chance. Making matters worse, Penn has her sights set on Daniel - the guy Harper loves - and Penn always gets what she wants.

As Gemma and Harper race to break the curse before it's too late, they're thrust deeper into a mythical world of immortal secrets. They must into their enemies' past to find the answers they need, even if it means being drawn deeper into their savagely beautiful world. But one of the girls is not what she seems...and Gemma finds an unlikely ally as she struggles to save herself. Will it be enough to break an ancient curse that no one has ever escaped from alive?

My Review:

Tidal continues the story of the Watersong Quartet.  I really loved this book, just like I loved the previous books in the series.  The character relationships continue to develop and grow, and the siren mythology is expanded on as well.  I'm excited to read Elegy, the final book in the series.

SPOILERS FOR WAKE AND LULLABY

In this book, Gemma and Harper are still trying to figure out how to break the siren curse in a way that doesn't end in Gemma's death.  Harper's library coworker, Marcy, has a friend who knows about mythology.  They go meet her, and she tells them about the scroll.  The scroll contains all the information about the curse, possibly including how to break it.  Gemma knows she must find this scroll, and the sirens probably have it with them.  Searching for the scroll is an important part of this book.

Harper and Daniel are officially a couple by the beginning of this book.  They are so cute together.  I liked their dates that they went on.  Unfortunately for Daniel, Penn has an obsession with him.  She wants to be with him.  She is also fascinated because he can resist the siren song.  In this book, we do find out why he is immune to their song.  Daniel makes a deal with Penn.  I won't say what the deal is, but it will interesting to see whether or not he follows through with the deal in the next book.

Alex is dealing with the repercussions of what Gemma did to him at the end of Lullaby.  She used her siren song on him to convince him that he didn't love her, but she didn't know how much that would mess him up.  Alex no longer really cares about anything, and it feels like he is missing a part of him.  He starts drinking and getting in fights.  He wakes up every morning hating Gemma, but part of him knows that he is actually supposed to love her.  Gemma realizes that she must find a way to undo what she did to him.

If you like YA paranormal, read this book.

Katie

Review: Golden by Jessi Kirby

Love, tragedy, and mystery converge in this compelling novel from “an author to watch” (Booklist).

Seventeen-year-old Parker Frost has never taken the road less traveled. Valedictorian and quintessential good girl, she’s about to graduate high school without ever having kissed her crush or broken the rules. So when fate drops a clue in her lap—one that might be the key to unraveling a town mystery—she decides to take a chance.

Julianna Farnetti and Shane Cruz are remembered as the golden couple of Summit Lakes High—perfect in every way, meant to be together forever. But Julianna’s journal tells a different story—one of doubts about Shane and a forbidden romance with an older, artistic guy. These are the secrets that were swept away with her the night that Shane’s jeep plunged into an icy river, leaving behind a grieving town and no bodies to bury.

Reading Julianna’s journal gives Parker the courage to start to really live—and it also gives her reasons to question what really happened the night of the accident. Armed with clues from the past, Parker enlists the help of her best friend, Kat, and Trevor, her longtime crush, to track down some leads. The mystery ends up taking Parker places that she never could have imagined. And she soon finds that taking the road less traveled makes all the difference.

My Review:

Golden is a fantastic read that kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next in Parker's life.  Of the two Jessi Kirby books that I have read, Moonglass and Golden, I would say that Golden is my favorite.  I still haven't read In Honor, but I'll have to read it soon.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD

Parker is a fantastic protagonist to tell this story.  She is the type of person who is always afraid to take risks in life.  She is a senior, and is the valedictorian who was accepted into Stanford and is one of the people up for a full-ride scholarship to the school.  She experiences much character growth as the story in this book progresses.  She does things that the old Parker would have never done.  Many of these changes in her life start when she finds the journal of Julianna Farnetti among the journals that the teacher she is TA for assigned ten years ago.  Since ten years have passed, she is supposed to find the addresses of these students and mail them their journals.  When she finds Julianna's journal, she keeps it and reads it because she knows who Julianna was.  Everyone in town does.  She was part of the golden couple - Julianna Farnetti and Shane Cruz - who died in a car crash ten years ago, but the bodies were never found.  As she reads the journal, Parker comes up with some crazy theories.  What if Julianna Farnetti didn't actually die?

Trevor Collins is the guy who always flirts with Parker.  He is sweet and he's been waiting for years for her to finally admit she likes him.  He was fine with being friends with her in the meantime, though he wanted more than friendship.  Parker's had a crush on him since seventh grade, and despite how obvious it was that he's liked her too, she never admitted she liked him back.  Near the end of this book, a sweet romance starts developing between these two, and it was great.  Trevor and Parker make a great couple.

Kat is Parker's best friend, and a person who is her opposite in many ways.  She didn't do nearly as well in school as Parker did, and she's not planning on going off to college in the fall.  Instead, she's planning on staying in the town that she and Parker have lived in.  Parker has tried to convince her to move into an apartment near Stanford with Parker so they don't have to live away from each other, but Kat thinks she has to stay home with her mom.  Kat wants Parker to do something big and more impulsive before she graduates, which is part of the reason that Parker decides to take a trip with to see if Julianna is still alive.  Kat also works on pushing Parker and Trevor together, which ends up working out pretty well.

If you like YA contemporary, read this book.

Katie 

Review: Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn

The spine-tingling horror of Stephen King meets an eerie mystery worthy of Sara Shepard's Pretty Little Liars series in Kate Karyus Quinn's haunting debut.

On a cool autumn night, Annaliese Rose Gordon stumbled out of the woods and into a high school party. She was screaming. Drenched in blood. Then she vanished.

A year later, Annaliese is found wandering down a road hundreds of miles away. She doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know how she got there. She only knows one thing: She is not the real Annaliese Rose Gordon.

Now Annaliese is haunted by strange visions and broken memories. Memories of a reckless, desperate wish . . . a bloody razor . . . and the faces of other girls who disappeared. Piece by piece, Annaliese's fractured memories come together to reveal a violent, endless cycle that she will never escape—unless she can unlock the twisted secrets of her past. 

My Review:

Another Little Piece is a fascinatingly creepy read.  This book is so weird and unique, and it takes a while for the main character's life to make sense since she isn't really Annaliese Rose Gordon.  There is some stuff in this book that is quite gory, so if you can't handle any of that, this isn't the book for you.     

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD

The way that this story was told was quite interesting.  Anna, the protagonist didn't seem to really remember anything at first, but then some things that happened would trigger a memory.  The memories helped her realize that she had lived in the bodies of many different girls.  She has memories of her own life before she started becoming other girls, and occasionally, she is able to unravel more of Annaliese's past.  She feels a detachment from Annaliese's life since she was not actually her.  She refers to Annaliese's parents as the mom and the dad, but I loved how she still came to love them as if they were actually her own family.  

Dex, the boy who lives next door, was so sweet, even though he has some problems of his own.  I loved how Anna was able to tell him the secrets about her past, and he believed her instead of thinking she was crazy.  I liked the romance that developed between these two.  He liked her for herself instead of liking her as Annaliese.  The other guy in the book, Logan, was being nice to make up for leaving Annaliese in the woods after sleeping with her.  He didn't know that Anna wasn't really Annaliese anymore.

Some really creepy and weird stuff happens in this book too.  The process of Anna becoming each new girl is a gory and disgusting process.  Throughout the book, there are mentions of brujas and a Physician.  I'm not sure about the brujas, but I believe the Physician is someone in charge of the whole changing into other girls thing that Anna does.  There is also Eric, a boy who changes into different boys.  I'm not sure what his process is like, but he freaks Anna out.  He acts like he likes her, and he finds her in school sometimes and says stuff to her about the Physician.  I wasn't a fan of Eric.

If you like YA paranormal that is creepy, read this book.

Katie     

Review: Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

Paradise quickly gets gruesome in this thrilling page-turner with a plot that’s ripped from the headlines and a twist that defies the imagination.

It’s Spring Break of senior year. Anna, her boyfriend Tate, her best friend Elise, and a few other close friends are off to a debaucherous trip to Aruba that promises to be the time of their lives.

But when Elise is found brutally murdered, Anna finds herself trapped in a country not her own, fighting against vile and contemptuous accusations. As Anna sets out to find her friend’s killer, she discovers harsh revelations about her friendships, the slippery nature of truth, and the ache of young love.

Awaiting the judge’s decree, it becomes clear to Anna that everyone around her thinks she is not only guilty, but also dangerous. And when the whole story comes out, reality is more shocking than anyone ever imagined...

My Review:

Dangerous Girls is an absolutely amazing mystery that I kept turning the pages of because I wanted to know who the killer was.  At the end of this book, you do find out who killed Elise, and it is shocking.  This ending was completely brilliant, just like the rest of this book.  The book leads you to believe one thing, and then the ending changes all of that.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD

There are so many things I want to say about Anna, but many of them spoil the ending.  If you highlight the next part, there will be MAJOR spoilers, so don't highlight unless you want to know how the book ends.  Anna is a great liar, and that is not a compliment of her character.  She is extremely good at making the reader, and the judge of the trial, believe she is innocent.  That is why finding out that she was guilty came as such a major shock.  Anna is clearly messed up, since she would murder her best friend for sleeping with her boyfriend.  When she was on the Clara Rose show, she said she thought about Elise every day and that she missed her so much.  After reading the end, I don't think Anna deserves to mourn Elise's death since she was the one who murdered her.  Essentially, I don't really know what to think of Anna's character since the ending changed my opinion.

I liked the way that this story was told.  It took place through scenes from many different timelines.  There were scenes with Anna and Elise before the trip, scenes on the vacation, scenes directly after the murder, scenes when Anna is in jail awaiting the trial, scenes during the trial, some scenes that showed TV coverage of the murder and trial, and a scene after the trial.  By showing all these different scenes, Haas allows readers to discover the full story.  This also makes Elise become a fully developed character, despite the fact that she is already dead when the book begins.

The friendship between Anna and Elise is intense, and not necessarily a healthy relationship.  The two of them were rather obsessed with each other.  They would tell each other how much they loved each other, and they took each other away from other people quite a bit.  Elise got jealous when Anna started dating Tate because Anna had to divide her time between Elise and Tate.  This was the first strain on their relationship.  They had some fights, but the fights weren't bad enough to cause Anna to murder Elise.  It was obvious how much they cared about each other.

The courtroom scenes were done really well.  This book showed how so many things could be taken out of context and used as evidence in a case.  Dekker, the prosecuting detective, did whatever he could to make Anna look bad in court.  He even hid some evidence about another guy who was following Elise on the day of the murder.  He was determined to bring Anna down.  Anna's lawyer had to work hard to counteract that evidence.  Dekker had photos, and he had the testimony of Anna's own friends against her. 

The TV show excerpts of the Clara Rose Show showed that the people in America didn't think she was innocent either.  No one was protesting her arrest.  When Anna watched the show in jail, she was surprised that it had such a one-sided view against her.  Clara Rose brought pyschologists on the show to explain how Anna's behavior matched the behavior of a killer.  She also brought on Anna's friend, AK, so he could tell about times that she had seemed violent in the past.  Basically, the TV show made Anna look bad.

If you like dark YA murder mysteries, read this book.

Katie   

Review: Lullaby by Amanda Hocking

Don't miss the next chapter of Watersong, a bold new series that will enchant you, entrance you, and hold you captive under its spell

Now that Gemma Fisher has inherited Penn, Lexi, and Thea's curse - and all the strange new powers that come along with it - she has no choice but to run away with them. Devastated that she has to leave everyone she loves behind, she's still determined not to give in to the unspeakable hungers that plague her. Unfortunately, they're growing stronger every day, and she's not sure how much longer she can resist.

Harper won't give up on finding her sister Gemma, vowing to get her back no matter what the cost. The search draws her closer to too-gorgeous-for-his-own-good Daniel, and tests her fiercely guarded independence like never before. She's always been the strong one who everyone else depends on.... Can she let herself depend on Daniel?

As Gemma and Harper plunge deeper into a magical world they barely understand, it becomes painfully clear that Gemma's old life may be lost forever. But can she still hold on to her humanity?

My Review:  

Lullaby is a fantastic story that continues the tale that began in Wake, the first book in the Watersong series.  I loved getting more character development and a continuation of the plot as these characters face even more awful circumstances.  They have a lot of challenges to face in this story, and by the end of the book, the problems aren't over for Gemma and Harper.  I will be getting Tidal soon so I can see what happens next.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD

Now that Gemma has left with the sirens, there is definitely some crazy stuff going on in her life.  She is feeling sick because she refuses to feed the way that sirens must feed at least four times a year.  She also refuses to swim because she doesn't think she should be able to do something that she actually likes to do.  She keeps herself in the house that Penn has enchanted, Sawyer, a human into giving to the sirens.  Sawyer is under a spell, so he does anything that Penn asks him to do.  Gemma avoids enchanting Sawyer through her voice because she is still in love with Alex.  I think it is noble of Gemma to stay with the sirens because she knows that Penn will go after her family if she doesn't.

We got to see some more development of the sirens in this book, especially Thea.  I liked Thea more than the Penn and Lexi.  She had some good conversations with Gemma, and she proves that the sirens don't have to be completely evil.  I think she was really trying to help make the siren transition easier for Gemma.  I am also interested in finding why she decided to go without feeding for a year.  I have a feeling that she probably feels guilty like Gemma does when it comes to feeding as a siren.

Harper and Daniel make an adorable couple.  She tries to push him away because she doesn't want him to be endangered by all the things that Gemma is dealing with, but he refuses to leave her life.  I love how she finally admitted to him that she likes him.  I hope there is more romance between these two in the next book, because they are so cute together.  I also loved how Harper and Alex worked hard to find out about sirens and find Gemma.  Even Marcy from the library helped them.  She accepted that Gemma and the girls were sirens without thinking Harper was crazy.

If you like YA paranormal, read this book.

Katie  

Books I've Acquired in July

During July, I purchased three new books, and all of them happened to be books that released in July.  I have already read and loved The Distance Between Us and Dangerous Girls.  Since I purchased Prep School Confidential on the last day of July, I haven't gotten the chance to read it yet, but I'll be sure to read it soon since it looks awesome. 

 

The Books:

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor

Katie

Review: Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART
Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

My Review:

Incarnate is a very interesting utopian story.  Utopias aren't something that you get much in YA since there are more dystopias.  It was fascinating to read about this fantasy/utopian society.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD

Ana is a great main character, even though she believes that she is a nosoul.  Her awful mother, Li, has raised her to believe that she is a nosoul who can't love because she hasn't been alive for 5,000 years like the rest of the people in Range.  Li treats Ana badly, so Ana hasn't had the best first eighteen years of life.  It makes sense that she leaves Li's house as soon as she turns eighteen.  One great part of this book is seeing Ana's feelings about herself change.  She begins to realize that, just because she is a newsoul, that doesn't mean her life is worth nothing.  It doesn't mean that she doesn't matter. 

I loved Sam's character.  He was such a sweet guy.  I loved how he didn't judge Ana for being a newsoul.  He accepted her and liked her as a person.  He takes her in when the Council of Heart says that Ana must have a guardian and teacher to be a citizen of the city.  I loved the music lessons that Sam and Ana have together, and how he composes a song that is "her song."  He tells her that the title will be Ana Incarnate, so, even if she only has one life, she will be immortalized through the music. 

There is some interesting stuff going on Range.  Heart is the walled city, and the walls actually have a pulse.  Sylph and dragons like to attack the city sometimes.  There is a temple in the center of Heart, and this temple is to worship Janan.  There is an interesting scene when Ana somehow manages to end up inside of this strange temple.  There is some crazy stuff going on inside this temple, and it just really interesting.

If you like YA fantasy or utopia, read this book.

Katie           

Review: Insomnia by JR Johansson

Her eyes saved his life.
Her dreams released his darkness.

After four years of sleeplessness, high school junior Parker Chipp can't take much more. Every night, instead of sleeping, he enters the dreams of the last person he's made eye contact with. If he doesn't sleep soon, Parker will die.

Then he meets Mia. Her dreams, calm and beautifully uncomplicated, allow him blissful rest that is utterly addictive. But what starts out as a chance meeting turns into an obsession; Parker's furious desire for what he needs pushes him to extremes he never thought he'd go. And when someone begins to terrorizing Mia with twisted death threats, Parker's memory blackouts leave him doubting his own innocence.

My Review:

Insomnia is a thrilling page-turner that I sped through, loving every page.  I had trouble putting this book down because I wanted answers to the mystery.  Luckily, even though this is the first in a series, the mystery is solved at the end of this book.  

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD

One of the cool things about reading from Parker's POV is that he isn't even sure if he's innocent or not.  He has memory blackouts at night, and he worries that he could be the one sending creepy emails to Mia during those blackouts.  He knows he has a darker side, and he calls it Darkness.  The book shows how difficult it would be to be in Parker's situation.  Near the beginning of the book, he finds out that Mia's dreams give him real rest.  This makes him determined to meet her eyes every day so he can be in her dreams.  When he waits for her in the parking lot after her job, or goes into the store where she works right before closing, it makes sense that she would be freaked out.  He scares her, but he is desperate to get his rest.  I can see why Mia would assume the creepy emails are from Parker after seeing his stalkerish behavior.

Mia was a character who had been through a lot, so she really didn't need a creepy stalker added to her list of problems.  Parker finds out about some things that happened to her in the past when she starts having nightmares.  She has one nightmare that always turns into this other nightmare where Parker is the villain.  Mia doesn't realize that he isn't really the bad guy.  Mia lives in a foster home with the Sparks family.  Their son, Jeff, is the captain of the soccer team, with Parker as his co-captain.  Mia becomes the captain of the girls' team.

Finn and Addie were great characters as well.  Finn is Parker's best friend.  They are both on the soccer team.  They have some issues when Finn calls out Parker on his stalker behavior, but eventually Parker confides in him.  Addie is Finn's sister who is a year younger than Parker and Finn.  She becomes friends with Mia, so she is mad at Parker when he starts stalking Mia.  I hope there will be some more romance between Addie and Parker in the next book.  I think once they tell Finn, they will make a good couple.  Parker just needs to stop worrying about breaking the bro-code.

If you like YA paranormal, read this book.

Katie           

August Releases I'm Most Excited For

August 1st:
Canary by Rachele Alpine - This sounds like a great story with some tough issues in it.  Also, I love this cover.  It has a color scheme and look to it.



August 6th:
Gated by Amy Christine Parker - This sounds like a fascinating and frightening story about a cult.  I look forward to meeting these characters, and seeing how Pioneer influences them.

 

August 15th:
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke - This book sounds like a really fascinating read.  I'm sure it will be creepy with a romance in it that shouldn't really happen.



August 27th:
Taste Test by Kelly Fiore - This sounds like a cute read about a cooking show.  From the synopsis, I'm thinking a sweet romance will develop as well.  This cover looks good too.
The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider - This sounds like a great male POV book.  I'm interested in knowing what the tragedies are in this book.  Also, I love this cover.

 

Katie