Review: A Madness So Discreet

TITLE: A Madness So Discreet
AUTHOR: Mindy McGinnis
PUBLISHER: Katherine Tegen Books
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/6/2015
FORMAT: Hardcover
PAGES: 384
SOURCE: Bought
MY RATING:

SUMMARY (FROM GOODREADS): She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum.

When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.

MY THOUGHTS: I was super excited to see this book in one of my monthly subscription boxes from Owl Crate. I do admit that I was expecting to find this book extremely creepy and spooky, which it was not, but I still really enjoyed it. It took me a little bit to get used to the dialog because some of the language sounded like something you'd hear in the past, but that added to the story because this book takes place in the past.

The first part of the book did a great job at pulling me in and making me want to keep reading to find out what was going on and what was going to happen next. The middle of the book slowed down a little bit, but I still enjoyed following Grace, the main character, around trying to figure out the mysteries.

I really loved the characters in this book, especially the other girls that were in the insane asylum. They just had so much personality, and even though they were in an institution, they were still just girls being girls and having fun.

Four Review

Goodreads

TITLE: Four

AUTHOR: Veronica Roth

PUBLISHER: Katherine Tegen Books

PUBLICATION DATE: 7/8/2014

PAGES: 285

MY RATING: 

(3.75/5)

INSIDE COVER SUMMARY: Two years before Beatrice Prior made her choice, the sixteen-year-old son of Abnegation's faction leader did the same. Tobias's transfer to Dauntless is a chance to begin again. Here, he will not be called the name his parents gave him. Here, he will not let fear turn him into a cowering child.

Newly christened "Four," he discovers during initiation that he will succeed in Dauntless. Initiation is only the beginning, though; Four must claim his place in the Dauntless hierarchy. His decisions will affect future initiates as well as uncover secrets that could threaten his own future--and the future of the entire faction system. 

Two years later, Four is poised to take action, but the course is still unclear. The first new initiate who jumps into the net might change all that. With her, the way to righting their world might become clear. With her, it might become possible to be Tobias once again.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: This book was great. I loved seeing Four's perspective on things and getting a glimpse inside his head. I've never really understood when people claim to have "book boyfriends" but Four's character made me come really close to understanding the meaning of it, he is by far my favorite male love-interest that I've ever read about, and that was after having read just the Divergent series. This collection of stories made me love him even more. I loved getting the inside look at his life and how he turned into the Dauntless member we met in Divergent.

CHARACTERS: I've already pretty much covered this. I loved the character of Four and I'm glad to have more of an understand of what makes him the way he is.

COVER: 5/5. I love this cover so much! It is super shiny and eye catching. I love that it ties into the rest of the Divergent series.

Dear Killer Review **MAJOR SPOILERS**

Goodreads

TITLE: Dear Killer

AUTHOR: Katherine Ewell

PUBLISHER: Katherine Tegen Books

PUBLICATION DATE: 4/1/2014

PAGES: 368

MY RATING:

SUMMARY FROM GOODREADS: Rule One--Nothing is right, nothing is wrong.

Rule Two--Be careful.

Rule Three--Fight using your legs whenever possible, because they're the strongest part of your body. You're arms are the weakest.

Rule Four--Hit to kill. The first blow should be the last, if at all possible.

Rule Five--The letters are the law.

Kit takes her role as London's notorious "Perfect Killer" seriously. The letters and cash that come to her via a secret mailbox are not a game; choosing who to kill is not an impulse decision. Every letter she receives begins with the "Dear Killer," and every time Kit murders, she leaves a letter with the dead body. Her moral nihilism and thus her murders are a way of life--the only way of life she has ever known.

But when a letter appears in the mailbox that will have the power to topple Kit's convictions as perectly as she commits her murders, she must make a decision: follow the only rules she has ever known, or challenge Rule One, and go from there. 

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I'm intrigued by the plot. It's a really strange and twisted situation, which makes for good reading in my eyes.

I did not like the ending at all. For me, a perfect ending would have been Kit killing Alex and getting away with everything. And that being her last murder, she moves with her mom and starts over with a normal life, with nobody ever finding out. I feel like Kit giving herself up at the end goes against her personality and is not something that she would choose to do.

CHARACTERS: I liked Maggie a lot, so it was kind of hard for me reading this knowing that Kit was planning on killing her. I was kind of hoping that she would change her mind, but I also knew if she did change her mind that would go against everything she has ever known and the rules that keep her in line.

COVER: The cover is okay. I like the script in the background that looks like it could be one of the letters she receives.

**I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine for my honest review.

Divergent Trilogy Review

TITLE: Divergent -Insurgent - Allegiant

AUTHOR: Veronica Roth

PUBLISHER: Katherine Tegen Books

PUBLICATION DATES: 2/28/2012 - 5/1//2012 - 10/22/2013

PAGES: 487 - 525 - 526

SUMMARY (From Divergent.wikia.com): The Divergent Trilogy is a series of three young-adult dystopian/science-fiction books by Veronica Roth and published by Katherine Tegen Books. It is set in the future of a dystopian Chicago. The society is composed of five factions, where members of each faction dedicate themselves to the cultivation of a particular virtue.

My Thoughts on Divergent: I absolutely fell in love with this book. I loved every minute of it. The last third of the book was so amazing and intense. I couldn't stop reading and I was biting my nails the whole time. I really enjoyed the progression of the romance between the two main characters (Tris and Four). So many books have "insta-love," but I feel like in this book, their relationship is natural and develops over time.

My Thoughts on Insurgent: This book picks up right where Divergent left off, which I really liked as I marathoned the whole series back to back. I really enjoyed this book too, but just a smidge less than the first one. My biggest gripe about this book is the interaction between Tris and Four. I feel like neither one trusted the other, and they were both asking the other to do things they were unwilling to do themselves. The plot of the book was excellent. It was extremely exciting and action packed.

My Thoughts on Allegiant: This was my least favorite of the trilogy. I was a little reluctant to start reading this one as I heard there was an event that happens and I know many people were extremely upset by that. After reading the third book, I now know what the event was, and I understand why people were upset, but I didn't really mind what happened at all and I feel like it makes sense with the story. I didn't like this book because I felt like it was very boring. There wasn't a lot of action in this book compared to the other books and I just feel like it was very bland, especially after having just read the first two books which were nothing but action.

OVERALL RATING FOR THIS TRILOGY:

I haven't seen the movie yet, and I probably won't be seeing it until it comes out on DVD and I can watch it at home, but I am excited to see it and compare it to the first book.

Let me know your thoughts on this series, I'd love to hear them!

The Beginning of Everything Review

Goodreads

TITLE: The Beginning of Everything

AUTHOR: Robyn Schneider

PUBLISHER: Katherine Tegen Books

PUBLICATION DATE: 8/27/2013

PAGES: 352

MY RATING:

SUMMARY (from Goodreads): Golden boy Ezra Faulkner believes everyone has a tragedy waiting for them--a single encounter after which everything that really matters will happen. His particular tragedy waited until he was primed to lose it all: in one spectacular night, a reckless driver shatters Ezra's knee, his athletic career, and his social life.

No longer a front-runner for Homecoming King, Ezra finds himself at the table of misfits, where he encounters new girl Cassidy Thorpe. Cassidy is unlike anyone Ezra's ever met, achingly effortless, fiercely intelligent, and determined to bring Ezra along on her endless adventures.

But as Ezra dives into his new studies, new friendships, and new love, he learns that some people, like books, are easy to misread. And now he must consider: if one's singular tragedy has already hit and everything after it has matter quite a bit, what happens when more misfortune strikes?

OVERALL IMPRESSION: This wasn't as amazing as I had hoped it would be, but I still liked it. A lot of the book was slow moving, but there were a few places with a lot of feels. There was also a twist that I didn't expect at all that really helped draw me into the story.

CHARACTERS: I really liked Toby. He just seemed very genuine and like a great friend. I loved the character development that Ezra, the main character, goes through as the book progresses. We see him change as he tries to figure himself out.

COVER: The cover is extremely relevant to the book both with a physical occurrence that happens in the book, as well as the symbolism of the ups and downs that these characters go through. I don't have many yellow books, so I love the colors they used.

**I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine for my honest review.

Not a Drop to Drink Review (ARC)

Goodreads

TITLE: Not a Drop to Drink

AUTHOR: Mindy McGinnis

PUBLISHER: Katherine Tegen Books

PUBLICATION DATE: 9/9/2013

PAGES: 320

MY RATING:

BACK COVER SUMMARY: Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water. Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most important, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirst or doesn't leave at all.

Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand.

But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. They mysterious footprints by the pond, the nighttime threaths, and the gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won't stop until they get it...

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I had no idea what to expect or what this book was about, I honestly just picked it up because of the cover. I was pleasantly surprised. This was a good story. It kept me interested the whole way through. It made me think about the things that I have in my everyday life that I take for granted and how far would I go to protect them.

The epilogue left everything in a good place and I feel satisfied with it.

CHARACTERS: I love the characters of both Neva and Eli. Neva is so sweet and innocent and she just makes you fall in love with her. Eli tries really hard and is very caring. I actually liked every one of the characters in this book and enjoyed reading about them all.

COVER: I really like the cover. The yellow tinge to it gives it a very post apocalyptic feel.

**I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine for my honest review.

MILA 2.0 Review

Amazon

TITLE: MILA 2.0

AUTHOR: Debra Drizer

PUBLISHER: Katherine Tegen Books

PUBLICATION DATE: 3/12/2013

PAGES: 480

MY RATING:

BOOK SUMMARY (From Goodreads): Mila 2.0 is the first book in an electrifying sci-fi thriller series about a teenage girl who discovers that she is an experiment in artificial intelligence. 

Mila was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was a girl living with her mother in a small Minnesota town. She was supposed to forget her past--that she was built in a secret computer science lab and programmed to do things real people would never do.

Now she has no choice but to run--from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology. However, what Mila's becoming is beyond anyone's imagination, including her own, and it just might save her life.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: This was a really fun and exciting book to read. There were so many action packed scenes that kept me riveted. There were no dull moments in this book and I can't wait for the next book in the series to find out what happens next.

I have heard that this book is going to be made into a t.v. series and I am really excited about that. I think that with a t.v. series they could actually expand upon the idea of this book and run with it.

CHARACTERS: There were a lot of characters in this story that I want to know more about and I'm hoping that we will find out some more information on them as the series progresses. One person I want to know more about is Nicole, Mila's "mom". What made her get into her profession and what really happened that led up to her leaving. I also want to know more about Lucas. I'm really interested in his back story and I wonder if there will be more of him in the next book. I'm also really excited that we get to see more of Hunter going forward. I really enjoyed his character and his chemistry with Mila.

COVER: I love it. I really like the way the image pulls off of the page and has a very robotic look to it.

**I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine for my honest review.

In My Mailbox #21

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

For Review:

Pretty Girl-13 Review (Spoilers)

Amazon

TITLE: Pretty Girl-13

AUTHOR: Liz Coley

PUBLISHER: Katherine Tegen Books (Harper Collins)

PUBLICATION DATE: 3/19/2013

PAGES: 352

MY RATING:

SUMMARY FROM GOODREADS: Reminiscent of the Elizabeth Smart case, Pretty Girl-13 is a disturbing and powerful psychological mystery about a girl who must piece together the story of her kidnapping and captivity.

Angie Chapman was thirteen years old when she ventured into the woods along on a Girl Scouts camping trip. Now she's returned home...only to find that it's three years later and she's sixteen-or at least that's what everyone tells her.

What happened to the past three years of her life?

Angie doesn't know.

But there are people who do--people who could tell Angie every detail of her forgotten time, if only they weren't locked inside her mind. With a tremendous amount of courage, Angie embarks on a journey to discover the fragments of her personality, otherwise known as her "alters." As she unearths more and more about her past, she discovers a terrifying secret and must decide: When you remember things you wish you could forget, do you destroy the parts of yourself that are responsible?

Liz Coley's alarming and fascinating psychological mystery is a disturbing and ultimately empowering page turner about accepting out whole selves, and the healing power of courage,  hope, and love.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: This is such a hard review for me to write. The story itself was captivating and intense, but I have trouble actually saying that it was "good" because the subject matter of the story is so terrible. The book sucked me in from the moment I picked it up and I refused to put it down once I got into the story. My heart was pounding the whole way through.

CHARACTERS: This is the part that gets a little spoiler-y. The main character, Angie, was a pretty like-able character. She was a confused and frustrated girl just trying to figure things out. I really liked all of the different alters and I came to think of them as their own characters. I feel like I wanted to learn a little bit more about them, specifically Angel. Girl Scout was my favorite alter. She was very straight forward and had the biggest personality of them all.

COVER: The cover is okay. It symbolizes the story well, but I feel like they could have done it a little differently.

*I received an advanced reader's copy of this book from Amazon Vine for my honest review.

Pulse Review

Amazon

TITLE: Pulse

AUTHOR: Patrick Carman

PUBLISHER: Katherine Tegen Books (Harper Collins)

PUBLICATION DATE: 2/26/2013

MY RATING:

SUMMARY (From Goodreads): The year is 2051, and the world is still recognizable. With the help of her mysterious classmate Dylan Gilmore, Faith Daniels discovers that she can move objects with her mind. This telekinetic ability is called a "pulse," and Dylan has the talent too.

In riveting action scenes, Faith demonstrates her ability to use her pulse against a group of telekinesis masters so powerful they will flatten their enemies by uprooting street lights, moving boulders, and changing the course of a hurtling hammer so that it becomes a deadly weapon. But even with great talent, the mind--and the heart--can be difficult to control. If Faith wants to join forces with Dylan and save the world, she'll have to harness the power of both.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: This book has great imagery. From the very opening scene, I could picture everything perfectly. Carman does a great job of painting a picture for us to imagine in our minds. I really liked the scene towards the beginning of the book in the old elementary school library.

About halfway through the book, I felt like I got slapped in the face (in a good way) by something I never saw coming. And then after that, the book lost it's way for me.

I feel like the book switched points of view way too often and in the most awkward of places. I would have enjoyed the story much more if it had only been from Faith's (the main character) point of view.

My mind got very distracted while I was reading a lot of this story because I just wasn't interested in the story line. I feel like I don't know what the point of the story was. The characters were preparing for a battle, but I don't know what the battle was about or why it was occurring  I also feel like I didn't know who many of the characters were or what their part was in everything.

I'm sure the next book will clear a lot of this up, but I will probably not be fighting to get my hands on a copy. It just wasn't for me.

Memorable quote: "Once everyone had a table, no one wanted these [books] anymore. But there's something different about holding them in your hands." (p. 40).

CHARACTERS: I didn't really feel a deep connection with any of the characters. I feel like they weren't able to develop enough for me to care about any of them, but I did enjoy the character of Hawk.

COVER: The cover is nice. It does make sense with the story and has meaning behind a vital piece of information that we find out.

*I received an advanced reader's copy of this book from Amazon for my honest review.

Hemlock Review

 

TITLE: Hemlock (arc)

AUTHOR: Kathleen Peacock

PUBLISHER: Katherine Tegen Books (HarperCollins)

PUBLICATION DATE: 5/8/2012

PAGES: 416

MY RATING:

BACK COVER BLURB: Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.

Since then, Mac's life has been turned upside down. Not only is she being haunted by Amy in her dreams, an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac's hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy's suspected killer: a white werewolf.

Lupine Syndrome--also known as the werewolf virus--is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.

Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy's murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows about Amy's boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.

Kathleen Peacock's thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spellbinding supernatural mystery series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Loved it!This was such a great book, I wished I had read it sooner. The story line was interesting and held my attention the whole way through. I needed to know what was going to happen and who was going to do what. The very first line of the book drops you into the middle of the action and I love it when books do that.

CHARACTERS: It is easy to relate to the main character, Mac. I feel for her and go through the emotions with her as events in the story unfold. I really like the character of Kyle. He seems like a very sweet character and an all around good guy to have around.

COVER: I like the cover. I love the vines that are incorporated into the title of the book and I love the dress that the model is wearing.

*I received an advanced reader's copy of this book from Amazon Vine for review.