Fever by Lauren DeStefano Review

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From Goodreads: Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.

The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.

In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever.


Rating: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Ending: 5/5

Rhine and Gabriel have left the mansion and instead of finding the freedom they wanted, much to my disappointment but not shock, they get caught up in another new-world scheme: a "carnival". Madame, a first generation who is an addict and most often fakes a light French-German accent, runs a prostitution ring in a desolate area. All she cares for is money and when Gabriel is saved by Rhine's beauty and ability to gain some of Madame's trust. Rhine, once again, must blend in with her environment in order to escape and get to Manhattan.

Fever was as exciting and rich as Wither and I really enjoyed the new storyline. A lot more information was found out, secrets revealed, and depth was added to the story when I thought it was already perfect.Everything was planned perfectly and I didn't have many qualms about this book. It all seemed to fit together and was believable (for their world anyway). There was so much story packed into this book I thought it could have been 2 books!

I need to get my hands on the next book ASAP!

**SPOILERS**

The one thing I had a minor issue with the past two books of the series was the pro-naturalists. I don't get how anyone would not want to try to find a cure. I feel like, in Wither, a lot of history was condensed and I wish the reader could know more about the history and the first generations.

I always get the feeling that all first generations are creepy. Especially when Rhine, Gabriel, and Maddie stay overnight at the restaurant they find. It seems like they're all corrupted because of the death of their children and the seemingly end of their world.

I loved that Gabriel opened up more and become more dimensional. He and Rhine faced reality and this story definitely wasn't as cushy as the Florida mansion. Even Rhine is learning more about herself and seeing the faults in Rowan and the world; except that she can't accept the fact that she will die at age 20.

Although I was at first disappointed that we weren't clued in more with how Rhine's eyes are so special and what she has to do with a cure, I did come to realize that that wasn't the sole focus of the story and the next book, the last one, should explain everything. I hope Rhine finds her brother early on because there's going to be  a lot going on: finding Rowan, learning about her eyes and her parents, getting back to Gabriel. It's going to be intense but I trust Lauren DeStefano to end this series well.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman (Part 2 My Less Crazy and Emotional, Calmed Down Insight)

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From Goodreads: It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future-and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

Rating: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Ending: 5/5

I have been craving to read this book for the longest time. My recent break from blogging and college stopped me from reading anything, and this was one of the first books I picked up after my revival. I was hesitant when I learned what the sequel would be about: I did not want to read about a world where Mia and Adam had left each other when I had grown so much in love with them.

As usual, Forman's writing is beautiful and the way she can plot out a story, man, is just amazing. I love to write but she makes me want to forget that hobby, she is that good. I felt is was appropriate that Mia got a break as a narrator and Adam got a turn. The heartbreak and emotions the reader gets to experience with Adam is so real; I just want to reach into the pages and hug him until he's okay. His pain made me so mad; towards him, towards Mia, towards the accident, just like the first book.

The story was so different but still the same. Mia and Adam has grown so far apart but yet they were still so together. And then they meet again! Just for one night they get to explore what has happened between them, and when you read this, beware that there is no way to prepare yourself.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman Review (Part 1 YOU MUST READ THIS FREAKING BOOK)

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From Goodreads: It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future-and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

Rating: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Ending: 5/5

I just finished reading this no more than 5 minutes ago and I cannot explain the amount and intensity of emotions I am feeling right now. I have not fell in love with a book or characters so much in my life. I have read some amazing books before but for some reason this one was like no other.

I'm a very observant and analytical person, if you haven't been able to tell from other reviews, and I did not find myself question anything once. Not the motives of the characters the dialogue, the storyline.

Everything was perfect. I was crying and smiling and upset and mad and just everything.

As I said on Goodreads, I could die right now or have a terrible life but the experience of reading this book would have made it worth it.

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green Review

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From Goodreads: Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now. 

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault. 

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

Rating: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Ending: 4.5/5

I started this book technically 2 days ago and I have just now finished it. I stayed up for 5 hours tonight/this morning reading and I am in complete awe and feeling a lot of emotions right now. When I love a book, I think it's a good idea to write the review right away so I can accurately describe my feelings; I have a different opinion if I didn't like the book.

First, very few books have made me feel this...intensely. I have stayed up before for hours just reading a great book but this one is different. I'm thinking it's because I've never read a book so joyously depressing.  Without giving away any spoilers, Hazel and Augustus will break your heart and make it grow. They, and the other characters are all especially interesting and well-written. The focus though is placed on the two of them, as it should be.

Just like Mr. Green's other novels, I feel it was written and crafted to perfection. Even the ending, which seemed a little rushed to me, was appropriate and anything else I might have like would have been detrimental to the writing. I was looking forward to this book for quite some time and am glad and saddened to have finished the experience of reading it.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini Review

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From Goodreads: A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan's last thirty years, from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding, that puts the violence, fear, hope and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives, the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness, are inextricable from the history playing out around them.

Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heart wrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love, a stunning accomplishment.


Rating: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Ending: 4./5


After reading A Kite Runner (review TBA) by Hosseini, I was adamant to get my hands on this book as soon as I could. Then, like an angel had heard my prayer, I saw the book among the hundreds my one high school teacher had in her room. Yes!! I walked into Art Class with it, having only gotten through the first chapter or so, when my Art teacher saw it and warned me not to read it. She explained a gruesome part of the book that made her cry and feel so terrible that she couldn't continue on; it sounded terrible too, but I soldiered on and prepared myself for what was coming. When it came, it wasn't as terrible as I thought, for a had some warning.

Another novel set in the troubled Afghanistan, this one covers more history, the same and past what Hosseini's first novel did. It gives outsiders a view into the many cultures of Afghanistan and it's surrounding areas. It was as much a history lesson as it was an intense story. A story about love, freedom, culture, life, and heartbreak. I felt like I was literally transported into someone else's life--not many books have succeeded in doing that for me--and I learned as much as they did in their own story.

The women, good and questionable, are so human it makes me cry and feel like we, meaning those lucky enough to live in a  world with fairness and equality, are aliens who do not deserve the amazing treatment we have. They are an inspiration. This novel is definitely one I will buy, cherish, and keep on my shelf for my own family to read.

Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher Review

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From Goodreads: You only hurt the ones you love.

Logan Witherspoon recently discovered that his girlfriend of three years cheated on him. But things start to look up when a new student breezes through the halls of his small-town high school. Sage Hendricks befriends Logan at a time when he no longer trusts or believes in people. Sage has been homeschooled for a number of years and her parents have forbidden her to date anyone, but she won’t tell Logan why. One day, Logan acts on his growing feelings for Sage. Moments later, he wishes he never had. Sage finally discloses her big secret: she’s actually a boy. Enraged, frightened, and feeling betrayed, Logan lashes out at Sage and disowns her. But once Logan comes to terms with what happened, he reaches out to Sage in an attempt to understand her situation. But Logan has no idea how rocky the road back to friendship will be.

Rating: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 4/5

Ending: 4/5

Wow. This book was so intriguing and it did not disappoint! While I don't think it's an original plot, it is very new to the YA genre, in my experience. I was drawn in to the plot because I wanted to know how a guy would handle the situation, if it were to happen to him. And while I didn't like all of the things Logan did and thought, it was truly realistic and I think a greatly written novel.

I really loved Sage and thought, after reading the back cover, that Sage was just a transgender woman who didn't really care about how she affected others because obviously, in my mind, she wouldn't have done this to Logan if she cared about him. But I was wrong in my assumptions and understood Sage and her life.

Some problems I had with this book were the setting. Maybe it's just because I'm a suburban girl and cannot imagine a place like theirs really exists, but I didn't buy the whole small town boy who wants to experience life thing. Also, Logan was really freaking annoying sometimes. But you'll have to come back Wednesday so I can share some spoliers and discuss the book if you've read it already!!!

Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly Review

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From Goodreads: Sixteen-year-old, music- and sound design-obsessed Drea doesn’t have friends. She has, as she’s often reminded, issues. Drea’s mom and a rotating band of psychiatrists have settled on “a touch of Asperger’s.”

Having just moved to the latest in a string of new towns, Drea meets two other outsiders. And Naomi and Justin seem to actually like Drea. The three of them form a band after an impromptu, Portishead-comparison-worthy jam after school. Justin swiftly challenges not only Drea’s preference for Poe over Black Lab but also her perceived inability to connect with another person. Justin, against all odds, may even like like Drea.

It’s obvious that Drea can’t hide behind her sound equipment anymore. But just when she’s found not one but two true friends, can she stand to lose one of them?

Rating: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 4/5

Ending: 4.5/5

Asperger's is one of the many things in the world I think I know everything about, but am always proven wrong. First why I picked up this book, I was interested about Drea and also, as a romantic, how her love story would work. Again, judging a book by it's description was a bad idea. I thought the book would be the first of many that wrote of topics that many teens aren't familiar of, but that it wouldn't be a wonderfully written YA book with substance. I knew from the first few pages that my impression was wrong. It's actually interesting how my impression of the book can be compared to people's impression of Drea once they find out why she's a little different than everybody else.

Most of the characters in this book were realistic and I could see how the dynamics could play out in my life, in my school. As I said, most of the characters were realistic, but the events and how everything happened seemed unrealistic in my mind, but Tara Kelly did a great job so that it didn't seem odd or out of place and in a way you still loved the characters.

Sing Me To Sleep by Angela Morrison Review

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From Goodreads: THE TRANSFORMATION
Beth has always been “The Beast”—that's what everyone at school calls her because of her awkward height, facial scars, and thick glasses. Beth's only friend is geeky, golden-haired Scott. That is, until she's selected to be her choir's soprano soloist, and receives the makeover that will change her life forever.


THE LOVE AFFAIR
When Beth's choir travels to Switzerland, she meets Derek: pale, brooding, totally dreamy. Derek's untethered passion—for music, and for Beth—leaves her breathless. Because in Derek's eyes? She's not The Beast, she's The Beauty.


THE IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE
When Beth comes home, Scott, her best friend in the world, makes a confession that leaves her completely torn. Should she stand by sweet, steady Scott or follow the dangerous, intense new feelings she has for Derek?


THE HEARTBREAK
The closer Beth gets to Derek, the further away he seems. Then Beth discovers that Derek's been hiding a dark secret from her …one that could shatter everything.

Rating: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Ending: 4/5

Beautiful. Magical. Windsweeping. Funny. Entertaining. All these words describe this book and how it made me feel. I'm a big fan of makeover shows like Extreme Makeover and What Not To Wear, so I loved that "The Beast" was transformed and turned into a beautiful girl. I didn't feel like the book was promoting perfection, which I thought it might. Beth was just a shy girl who didn't have the confidence or need to make herself better. I'm not all about looks, but I do think they matter when a person just doesn't try and they have the potential.

There's also a component of music in this book. I'm a big music person, although I have no talent in the area besides playing clarinet, and I swear I could hear all the singing that went on this book. It was acyually really exciting to follow Beth and her group on their journey. I was so excited reading this book because I knew form the back cover what was going to happen, so I could enjoy what was going on with Beth.

But then there was the love triangle. It was very subtle and not complicated, which was refreshing considering all the deep ones in other YA non-contemporary books. I'm going to start picking up my Discussion Wednesdays again so tomorrow I'm going to be talking about the end of the book. So check back in tomorrow!!

Try Me by Parker Blue Review

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From Goodreads: This part-demon teen vampire fighter and her faithful terrier hellhound are once again patrolling the dark city streets of San Antonio, Texas. Val's hunky human partner, Detective Dan Sullivan, is giving her the cold shoulder since she beheaded his vampire ex-fiancée. Vamp leader Alejandro is struggling to keep the peace between vamps, demons and humans. The mucho powerful Encyclopedia Magicka has been stolen, someone in the Demon Underground is poisoning vamps, and Val's inner lust demon, Lola, is getting very restless since Val's now partnered with sexy Shade, the shadow demon with the blond good looks of an angel.



The second book in Parker Blue's Demon Underground urban fantasy series plunges readers deeper into a heady world of passion, friendship, intrigue and mystery.
Parker Blue lives in the wilds of Colorado with her own faithful hellhound, and she's hard at work on the next Val Shapiro book in the Demon Underground series.


Rating: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Ending: 5/5

I'm so thankful to the publishers for sending me a copy of this book because I absolutely loved the first book, Bite Me! Fang and Val are amazing characters and I was so happy I could read more of them. This book is a little different than the first book because of the character dynamics. Val is now involved with Shade instead of Dan and most of the book isn't Dan and Val running around San Antonio tracking down rogue vamps. The beginning, middle, and end was, as always, very interesting, funny, sweet, and attention-grabbing. The plot is so new but also so simple, easy to understand, and not predictable. Val is one of my favorite heroines in fiction and I wish this series got more attention.

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard Review

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From Goodreads: Everyone has something to hide—especially high school juniors Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna.

Spencer covets her sister's boyfriend. Aria's fantasizing about her English teacher. Emily's crushing on the new girl at school. Hanna uses some ugly tricks to stay beautiful.

But they've all kept an even bigger secret since their friend Alison vanished.

How do I know? Because I know everything about the bad girls they were, the naughty girls they are, and all the dirty secrets they've kept.

And guess what? I'm telling.

Rating: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Ending: 5/5

Wow, I can't believe I waited so long to read these books! The author is a great writer and although the book could've been cheesy and cliche, it toally wasn't. The characters could've been easily hateable but I loved all of them. I loved how they were developed and you really got to know them. They all had depth and thta's impportant in a book that's contemporary. I was hesitant to read this because the characters seemed rich and spoiled, plus then the show started and I didn't want to be a conformer.

The whole idea of your best friend, who really wasn't a friend, going missing and then moving on with your life only to have your past come and bite you in the ass. I also usually think books can get boring when you're reading flashbacks, but Sara made it so it was integrated into the story and you didn't get annoyed with the change of place.

Hanna is a great character and I could relate to her in many ways. Aria is one of my favorites because she changes when she moves to Iceland and she's sure within herself. Emily is so loveable and confused, you just want to give her a big hug. And lastly, Spencer is the girl I though I would'nt like but became one of my favorites.

Now, for you romance-lovers like moi, there's some love in this book! Although some of the things the girls do in the first book may be seen as slutty, I think they're realistic. After all, they are teenagers. You can tell  by my rating that I loved the whole book. I highly recommend this series! On to the 2nd book for me!!

How To Ruin Series by Simone Elkeles Review

I just saw a review at Cem's Book Hideout and remembered how much I loved this series: My favorite of Simone Elkeles' books. These books are so amusing and fun. I'm gonna skip the Goodreads description and just do it myself this time.

Amy Nelson is an American teenager with an Israeli father and a blond mother. She hasn't seen her father in years but now that her grandmother in Israel, that she didn't know existed, is sick, he wants to drag her all he way to Israel for the summer! As if she wants to go to the war country! But she's forced to go and doesn't expect to mature and find out more about herself and her cultural background.

Amy kinda reminds me of Cher in Clueless. She's a spoiled, brand-obsessed American teen who doesn't like getting down and dirty to do work. Nonetheless, I love her. She's hilarous--so funny that she sometimes is so naive I cringe while I'm reading. Not only is this story about love, family, and adventure, it's also about culture. I loved learning about Israel and the Jewish culture. I recommend this series to everyone!!!

Mini Reviews: The Body Finder, The Sky Is Everywhere, and Tell Me A Secret

So I was voting on a list on Goodreads and saw that it was Kristi from the Story Siren's list for the 2010 Debut YA and Middle Grade Authors. So here are some mini-reviews for some book I've read and loved butt for some reason I don't remember, didn't review.

Rating: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Ending: 5/5

This book is so original and well-written you can't help but love it. I remember reading this in class for days because I couldn't put it down! Violet is just the everygirl teenager and I felt like I related to her--you know, besides being able to smell murderers and track dead things. And then, like any YA novel, the romance. Jay is a great guy and I wish he was real! He and Violet definetly belong together and I loved the tension and the scenes with them. One of the reasons this book is different is because there's an adult's perspective, in this case the murderer. I think it was great that we got to see his side of things and experience his life--it made the story more rich and real in my opinion.

Rating: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 5/5
Ending: 5/5

Such a sad topic but a fun, intense read. After Lennie's sister suddenly dies, she and her grandmother don't know how to move on. Lennie's situation becomes even more confusing when she starts having little trysts with her late sister's boyfriend, Toby. But wait, there's more. She's also falling for the new French boy, Joe. They both fufill her but for different reasons. Lennie needs help to accept her sister's death, fgure out who she really loves, and get back to her life of music

 

Rating: 4.5/5

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 4.5/5

Ending: 4.5/5

Like many of the debut novels of 2010, there was a lot of buzz surrounding this novel. I think I was expecting something a little different going into this book. I thought Miranda was really in love with her boyfriend and that the story would be a little darker but nonetheless, the book was great and emotional and I loved it! I cried and was so tense while I was reading this book. I felt so bad for Miranda and wanted to slap all the people who hurt her! My mom was a teen mother so I was wondering the whole time what her experience was like. But I recommend this book to everyone it just might not be what you expected.

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson Review

From Goodreads: Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn't seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she's coming to terms with her father's death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.

Rating: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Ending: 5/5

Favorite line: Too many great pages to choose from!

This is one of new favorite books! And one of my favorite contemporary novels. I loved the idea of a road trip, even though it seems cliche, the whole story line made it unlike any other road trip. Amy has lost her father and can't/won't open up to her family or friends. Roger is just a normal, college guy who's recently had his heart broken. This was not exactly a coming-of-age story, but I did feel like both Amy and Roger grew. Their romance was sweet but not overwhelming. I'm glad, like some books I've read, Amy's problems didn't go away or become suddenly solved just because she falls for a guy.

Another great thing about this book was the traveling. I loved the descriptions of the diners, the people, and all the places they went to. I felt like I was actually with them on their trip. At the end of the book, I felt like it was days after I started reading! Actually, the day after I read the book, I started thinking about this one scene from the book. But I didn't realize it was from this book, I thought it was a whole other book! That's how story-filled it is.

I love that Matson wrote a contemporary YA novel that wasn't shallow. As soon as I opened up the book I knew it was going to be good. How you ask?? By the font. I know, weird. But the font was small and that meant a lot of writing. Good writing considering the reaction I've heard around the blogosphere before I read it.

Sea by Heidi R. Kling Review

From Goodreads: Haunted by recurring nightmares since her mother’s disappearance over the Indian ocean three years before, fifteen-year old California girl Sienna Jones reluctantly travels with her psychiatrist father’s volunteer team to six-months post-tsunami Indonesia where she meets the scarred and soulful orphaned boy, Deni, who is more like Sea than anyone she has ever met.

She knows they can’t be together, so why can’t she stay away from him? And what about her old best friend-turned-suddenly-hot Spider who may or may not be waiting for her back home? And why won’t her dad tell her the truth about her mother’s plane crash? The farther she gets from home, the closer she comes to finding answers.

                                      And Sea’s real adventure begins.

Rating: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Ending: 5/5

Favorite line: "I wanted to tell him that you can meet someone and they can change your life forever, even if you have only known him for a short while, that when you leave, you're a different person than before you met him... and I undertstand that because of meeting Deni."

Whenever there's a lot of buzz surrounding a book, I'm somehow always hesitant to pick it up. I don't know why, but I'm glad I didn't shy away from this one. It was one of the most well-rounded books I've ever read, in terms of YA. The story had romance, culture, and a very believable coming-of-age story. And all set in the aftermath of 2005 Indonesian tsunami! Heidi Kling is a great writer and I'm anxious for what she'll write next!

Sienna's, aka Sea's, life has been forever changed since the disappearance of her mother over the Indian Ocean. She lives right on the beach and doesn't go into the water, has stopped talking to one of her good friends, Spider, and has nightmares and anxiety attacks. On her 15th birthday her father asks her to come with Team Hope, his volunteer group, to Indonesia to help at an Orphanage with children who lost their parents to the disastrous tsunami. Reluctant at first, she agrees to go. While there, Sienna helps with young girls with PTSD, but also ends up with a kind of therapy herself.

She finds a friend in Deni, a sexy, mysterious boy who lost his family. Together, they each come to terms with their losses and figure out what's important to them. The romance between Sienna and Deni was very sweet and swoon-worthy. Especially in the setting they were in. But there was also her relationship with her old friend, Spider. It was oddly nice to see her relationships with both of them- it showed her evolution.

I really enjoyed learning about Indonesian culture, their language, and the great imagery Heidi put into her book. I honestly don't remember hearing or seeing much about the tsunami in the news, besides people raising money, so it was a very educational read that didn't feel educational.

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens Review

From Goodreads: On the day she was abducted, Annie O’Sullivan, a thirty-two year old Realtor, had three goals—sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever- patient boyfriend. The open house is slow, but when her last visitor of the day pulls up in a van as she's about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all.

Interwoven with the story of the year Annie spent captive of a sadistic psychopath in a remote mountain cabin, which unfolds through sessions with her psychiatrist, is a second narrative recounting events following her escape—her struggle to piece her shattered spirit back together and the ongoing police investigation into the identity of her captor.

The truth doesn’t always set you free.

Rating: 4.85/5 Stars

Characters: 5/5 Stars

Ending: 4.75/5 Stars

Annie O'Sullivan is your regular, modern-day woman. She has a boyfriend, her own house and dog, and works as a realtor. Unfortunately, her wonderful job is what gets her in trouble. While trying to sell an important house to a seemingly nice and rich man, she is kidnapped by him. After, being drugged she wakes up on a bed ina cabin with absolutely no open doors, windows, or even any crakcs. There are no weapons or any means of escape. She is horrifed, as anyone would be, and soon learns the rules of her kidnapper, aka The Freak.


The sequence of the novel starts and ends with Annie talking to her shrink, and the middle are her experiences with The Freak. You learn more of what she went through and what her lfe is like now- her relationships, eating habits, and peeing schedule(no lie). But most importnatly, you learn the true nature of her kidnapping.

Chevy Steven's writing is great- she made you feel the character's emotions but also made it light and comical at times. I was so emotional the whole time I was reading this. Annie's emotions were so real and all over the place the entire book, and mine followed suit. I wish Goodreads had half stars but...oh well. The only itsy bitsy problen had with this book was the end. Everything up until the felt realistic- like it could happen to anyone. I mean, what does happen technically could but it just changed my view.