Book Review: Calvin by Martine Leavitt

Title: Calvin
Author: Martine Leavitt
Copy Obtained: Purchased

About the Book from Goodreads

As a child, Calvin felt an affinity with the comic book character from Bill Watterson’s Calvin & Hobbes.

He was born on the day the last strip was published; his grandpa left a stuffed tiger named Hobbes in his crib, and he even had a best friend named Susie. Then Calvin’s mom washed Hobbes to death, Susie grew up beautiful and stopped talking to him, and Calvin pretty much forgot about the strip—until now. Now he is seventeen years old and has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Hobbes is back, as a delusion, and Calvin can’t control him. Calvin decides that Watterson is the key to everything—if he would just make one more comic strip, but without Hobbes, Calvin would be cured. Calvin and Susie (is she real?) and Hobbes (he can’t be real, can he?) set out on a dangerous trek across frozen Lake Erie to track down Watterson.

One sentence review: An important look at mental illness - a window into understanding schizophrenia.

Best for readers who:  Want to learn more about mental illness or know someone with mental illness. 

Best Stick-with-You Image: The cars in the middle of that lake. That was amazing. 

Library Thoughts: Although it is clearly young adult, I will add it to my collection at the middle school.  There is nothing in that I think would concern parents. And I think it's an important topic to have for students who need it. 

This was a very quick read for me. I read it in one day. But an important read. I know very little about schizophrenia, so this book gave me some understanding that I was lacking before. I would like to know from someone with more experience how accurate a portrayal it is. My feeling is that it's pretty accurate, but I don't know for sure. 

I really liked Calvin. I felt for him, understood him and wanted him to be ok. His character really made schizophrenia real because he was a real kid in my mind. And because of that, I feel like I gained so much from his story. Sometimes I wanted to shake him, but I grew to understand that his actions were what he thought he should do in the state he was in. That was important for me to learn. What I really liked was that he was still a teenager. That made him so much more real to me. His feelings for Susie, his feelings about school - all of it typical teenage stuff. That was perfect. 

After this book, I hope to read more about mental illness.  If you have suggestions feel free to leave them!

I do need to add that I'm a HUGE Calvin and Hobbes fan, so that part of the book was so perfect for me. I understood it all! 

Unpopular Opinion Review: Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Title: Caraval
Author: Stephanie Garber
Copy Obtained: Purchased

About the Book from Goodreads
Remember, it’s only a game…

Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval…beware of getting swept too far away.

One sentence review: Clearly not a book for me. I was confused and didn't care about the characters. 

Best for readers who: Like books that blur reality and fantasy

Best Stick-with-You Image: Not sure....

Library Thoughts: I probably won't put it in my middle school library, but if I was in high school I would

Super unpopular opinion, but this book just wasn't for me. I probably got about half way through and just gave up. I kept hoping it would get better, but it just didn't. My main issue - I didn't care about Scarlett at all. She annoyed me, I didn't find her realistic and I didn't care about anything that happened to her. It made me very frustrated that she knew Caraval isn't real but kept "forgetting" that. Also - I felt it meandered around too much and that made it hard for me to follow what was happening. So in the end, I just couldn't finish it. Sorry, all you that love it! I really really wanted to because I heard such great things about it! 

Book Review: Once and for All by Sarah Dessen

Title: Once and for All 
Author: Sarah Dessen

This is only the 2nd Sarah Dessen book I've read (well listened to in this case). I really enjoyed this one. It had lots of heart. I really felt for Louna. She had been through such a difficult situation that my heart went out to her. But I really admired how strong she was. That was great to see. I think something else I really liked was her relationship with her mom. It was a great example of how teenagers and parents can be close, and how parents can be included in the story. Very well done. So many times the story defaults to absent or never talked about parents, so this was a positive to see.

I also liked that Louna didn't need Ambrose to come in and make everything better. She was working on that on her own. He just happened to be part of that process.

I'm glad I read this one. Encourages me to read even more of her books.

Note: This definitely falls in the upper young adult category. Luona is graduating from high school so keep that in mind. I work with middle schoolers, so I wanted to make sure that was noted.

Blog Tour: I Do Not Trust You by Laura J. Burns & Melinda Metz

Today I'm posting as part of the blog tour for a great new book out! 

Title: I Do Not Trust You
Authors: Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz
Copy Obtained: From publisher

Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz, authors of Sanctuary Bay and the Edgar-nominated mystery series Wright and Wong, are back with a story that features their signature plot twists and uneasy ever-changing alliances. 

I Do Not Trust You is a thrilling journey at every turn that asks – what would you do to save the ones you love? Memphis "M" Engel is stubborn to a fault, graced with an almost absurd knowledge of long-lost languages and cultures, and a heck of an opponent in a fight. In short: she's awesome. Ashwin “Ash” Sood is a little too posh for M's tastes, a little too good looking, and has way too many secrets. He desperately wants the ancient map M inherited from her archeologist father, believing it will lead him to a relic with the power to destroy the world. M obviously can't trust him.

Equally desperate to find the relic for reasons of her own, M forms an uneasy partnership with Ash. From the catacombs of Paris, to a sacred forest in Norway, to the ruins of a submerged temple in Egypt, together they crisscross the globe in their search. But through it all, M can never be sure: Is she traveling with a friend or enemy? In their latest collaboration, Burns and Metz prove once again the magic that happens when two talented mystery authors work together. Going on M’s journey will have readers’ hearts race with every page. With its dangerous secrets and dark mythology, I Do Not Trust You is irresistible to any fan of YA thrillers.

About the Authors

Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz have written many books for teens and middle-grade readers, including Sanctuary Bay, Crave, and Sacrifice, as well as the Edgar-nominated mystery series Wright and Wong. They have also written for the TV shows ROSWELL, 1-800-MISSING, and THE DEAD ZONE. Laura lives in New York and Melinda lives in North Carolina, but really they mostly live on email, where they do most of their work together.

One sentence review: Combines Egyptian mythology and modern-day archeology into an action-packed ride that gave me a whole new view of hieroglyphs, history and finding treasure.  

Best for readers who: Like mystery, action, and tension.  And who are interested in archeology and Egypt.  

Best Stick-with-You Image: Can't say or I'll give something away! 

I just finished listening to Throne of Fire, and that book uses Egyptian mythology as its base.  So when I first started reading this book I felt like I had a leg-up because I knew who Set and Horus were! Actually having that background really helped pull me into the book even more.  I kept thinking  - I know this! But it was fun to see it in a different light.  The idea of Set and Horus had people who still believed in them and wanted to bring them back - was fun!  Ok beyond that I loved all the talk about the "map" and hieroglyphs and ancient languages.  I'm a former English teacher, so the structure of language - any language is interesting to me! 

Ok enough of that - the characters.  I really enjoyed Memphis and Ash.  Memphis was a beast.  That really is the best way to describe her.  She had no fear to do what she knew needed to be done.  And then, of course, she did it!  And I loved how that kept throwing Ash for a loop! Kinda made me giggle.  It was also nice to just have a girl who didn't need saving.  She was very capable of saving herself! 

The plot was great.  Lots of twists and turns which I like.  It slowed down a little at points, but not for so long that I got bored.  The tension builds great throughout the story, but not so much that I was just like - end it!  I get that way sometimes when it seems that too many crises happen.  I was ok with how this one built and finished.

Well done and enjoyed! 

Blog Tour Review: Sadie by Courtney Summers

I'm thrilled to be part of the blog tour for the book Sadie.  I'd seen some good buzz about the book, so when offered the chance to participate I jumped at it!

About the Book

Title: Sadie
Author: Courtney Summers
Copy Obtained: From publisher in exchange for honest review

Courtney Summers is already known for her well written and dark young adult novels, earning rave starred trade reviews on every book. With a fierce and independent female lead, SADIE (September 4, 2018; Wednesday Books) continues in this vein told in part as a podcast, similar to Serial, about a missing girl determined to avenge her sister’s death. A propulsive and harrowing read that will keep you riveted until the last page, Courtney Summers has written the breakout book of her career. 

Sadie hasn't had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she's been raising her sister Mattie in an 
isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water. But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie's entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister's killer to justice and hits the road following a few meager clues to find him.

When West McCray—a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America—overhears Sadie's story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie's journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it's too late.

Advanced praise for SADIE:

"SADIE is an electrifying, high-stakes road trip—a gripping thriller with a true—crime podcast edge. Clear your schedule. You're not going anywhere until you've reached the end." —Stephanie Perkins, New York Times bestselling author of There's Someone Inside Your House and Anna and the French Kiss

"A haunting, gut-wrenching, and relentlessly compelling read. SADIE grabs you and won't let you go until you've borne witness."—Veronica Roth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Carve the Mark and The Divergent series

“We love a good podcast mystery, so we are here for this fall 2018 release from Wednesday Books.” – RT Book Reviews

About the Author
COURTNEY SUMMERS lives and writes in Canada. She is the author of What Goes Around, This is Not a Test, Fall for Anything, Some Girls Are, Cracked Up to Be, Please Remain Calm, and All the Rage.

One sentence review: Wow what a ride!

Best for readers who: 15+, like books that slowly unravel the whole story, are ok with mature themes

Best Stick-with-You Image: The old house Sadie enters and finds something.  Really found it a turning point in the story.

Library Thoughts: As much as I liked the book, it isn't a book I'd put in the middle school library.  The content is a bit more mature.  I would put it in a high school library. 

Honestly I really really didn't like Sadie (the character not the book) at first.  I found her so pulled into herself that I felt like I couldn't connect to her or her story.  But over the first fourth of the book, I slowly grew to like her and her toughness.  I liked her because she chose to not sit around and do nothing.  Instead, she did what she felt she needed to do and pulled a lot of strength from deep-down.  By the end, I loved her and felt a ton for her!

Over-all that's how I felt about the book as a whole.  At first, I wasn't sure about it.  I struggled reading the podcast parts (more on those later!).  I just wanted Sadie's part of the story.  But as the story went along I realized that I had to hear/read the podcast part because they created a fuller story.  The podcast rounded Sadie out.  It made her more 3-dimensional.  It also made me feel for her more because I knew that what she thought wasn't always the truth, and it was sad that she didn't know it! 

I loved how this story unraveled.  It came in bits and pieces to the characters outside of Sadie.  She of course, knew the full truth of what she was doing and why.  But watching the others slowly put the puzzle together was amazing.  Very well done.  So many little bits you think are gone show up later and bring the whole plot more depth.  They all clicked nicely into place.

The ending - It was a wow one for me.  I'm still struggling with it.  I'll leave it at that! I will warn you that the book covers some topics I didn't realize would be there - so heavier topics.  The ending was part of that.  I don't want to give anything away, so I'll leave it at that.  

About the podcast portions of the book - I didn't know they were actually going to make some of the podcasts from the book.  I found them a while into the book.  So glad I found them because they helped pull me into the book even more!  There are parts of the podcasts that are stilted because it's acted not real, but for me listening to them helped me read them better in the book!  Here's the link if you want to check them out. The Girls Podcast I strongly suggest listening to them.

In all, I really enjoyed the book! It does pull you in, and you need to know what happens.  I felt for Sadie - for all the characters really.  I wanted peace for her.  

Book Review: This Darkness Mine by Mindy McGinnis

Title: This Darkness Mine
Author: Mindy McGinnis
Copy Obtained: Bought

About the Book From Goodreads
Sasha Stone knows her place—first-chair clarinet, top of her class, and at the side of her oxford-wearing boyfriend. She’s worked her entire life to ensure that her path to Oberlin Conservatory as a star musician is perfectly paved.

But suddenly there’s a fork in the road, in the shape of Isaac Harver. Her body shifts toward him when he walks by, her skin misses his touch even though she’s never known it, and she relishes the smell of him—smoke, beer, and trouble—all the things she’s avoided to get where she is. Even worse, every time he’s near Sasha, her heart stops, literally. Why does he know her so well—too well—and she doesn’t know him at all?

Sasha discovers that her by-the-book life began by ending another’s: the twin sister she absorbed in the womb. But that doesn’t explain the gaps of missing time in her practice schedule or the memories she has of things she certainly never did with Isaac. As Sasha loses her much-cherished control, her life—and heart—become more entangled with Isaac. Armed with the knowledge that her heart might not be hers alone, Sasha must decide what she’s willing to do—and who she’s willing to hurt—to take it back.

Short Version: Holy cow what a ride! 

Ok so I LOVE unreliable narrators - I ones that might be.  I love stories that I don't know what I can or cannot trust.  Like those are some of my favorite kind of books.  And this one fits the bill completely.  I never knew if I could trust Sasha.  Like never! I'd think I could but then something would happen and I would question it.  I mean knew parts of it were true - like the fact she was a twin and that twin absorbed.  But after that - no clue! 

So many times too, this book had me saying "Wait what? Did I read that right??".  It took a turn about halfway through that completely through me.  But it worked.  I liked it because it through the story in a whole direction I wasn't expecting.  When a book can throw me off like that it's great! 

I do have to comment on Sasha and whether I liked her or not.  I fluctuated all the way through the book.  Sometimes I really really felt for her, but other times I was like "Girl calm down". She was just all over the place! 

Ok I know this is kinda vague review, but there is so much I'm afraid to give away, so I'm just going to leave it at that.  

Best stick-with-you image: Knife and tree.  WOW!
Best for readers who: Reread my first paragraph under LONG VERSION. 

Library Thoughts: As much as I loved this I won't put it in my middle school library.  I have 5-8th grade.  This book is young adult for sure, so it's not a right fit for my library.  

Blog Tour: A Room Away From Wolves Review +GIVEAWAY

Excited to be a part of the blog tour for A Room Away From Wolves blog tour hosted by Fantastic Flying Book Club!

TOUR SCHEDULE

ABOUT THE BOOK

A Room Away From the Wolves

by Nova Ren Suma

Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers

Release Date: September 4, 2018

Genre: Young Adult, Magical Realism, Mystery

Synopsis:

Bina has never forgotten the time she and her mother ran away from home. Her mother promised they would hitchhike to the city to escape Bina’s cruel father and start over. But before they could even leave town, Bina had a new stepfather and two new stepsisters, and a humming sense of betrayal pulling apart the bond with her mother—a bond Bina thought was unbreakable.

Eight years later, after too many lies and with trouble on her heels, Bina finds herself on the side of the road again, the city of her dreams calling for her. She has an old suitcase, a fresh black eye, and a room waiting for her at Catherine House, a young women’s residence in Greenwich Village with a tragic history, a vow of confidentiality, and dark, magical secrets. There, Bina is drawn to her enigmatic downstairs neighbor Monet, a girl who is equal parts intriguing and dangerous. As Bina’s lease begins to run out, and nightmare and memory get tangled, she will be forced to face the terrible truth of why she’s come to Catherine House and what it will take for her to leave...

Find the Book

Goodreads

Amazon 

Barnes & Noble

Book Depository

Kobo

IndieBound

iBooks

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nova Ren Suma is the author of the YA novels THE WALLS AROUND US as well as the YA novels IMAGINARY GIRLS and 17 & GONE, which were both named 2014 Outstanding Books for the College Bound by YALSA. Her middle-grade novel, DANI NOIR, was reissued for a YA audience under the title FADE OUT. She has a BA in writing & photography from Antioch College and an MFA in fiction from Columbia University and has been awarded fiction fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, the Djerassi Resident Artists Program, the Millay Colony, and an NEA fellowship for a residency at the Hambidge Center. She worked for years behind the scenes in publishing, at places such as HarperCollins, Penguin, Marvel Comics, and RAW Books, and now she teaches writing workshops. She is from various small towns across the Hudson Valley and lives and writes in New York City.

Find Nova online at novaren.com and on her blog distraction99.com.

Two sentence review: Who do you believe?  What do you believe? Mystery and ghosts all mixed together. 

Best for readers who: Are ok with being kept in the dark some - not having the whole picture. 

Best Stick-with-You Image: The opening scene - grabbed me right away.

Library Thoughts: If I had a high school library I'd consider it, but it's really not for middle-grade students. 

This is a story that captures your attention from the beginning and doesn't let go.  I've loved previous books from Nova Ren Suma, so I was super excited to jump into this one.  I wasn't disappointed.  As usual, I questioned what was happening.  Did a trust what I was being told?  Could I believe it?  It wasn't until the end that I felt like I had all the answers - well at least enough to be satisfied.

I liked the character of Bina - well mostly.  At first, she was really hard to like!  When you first meet her, her mother is sending her away for issues with her step-sisters.  I wanted to believe that it was all their fault - that they were mean to Bina, but there were hints that I shouldn't completely believe that.  BUT as the story went along, she really grew on me!  I found her strong, smart and willing to act.  She drove the story and at times it was a bumpy ride. 

I love ghost stories and mysteries, and this book had some of both.  And in typical Nova Ren Suma style that mystery is created by a writing style that is both detailed and shaded.  I had to get used to it again, but once I did I fell into the world and got swept away with Bina.

GIVEAWAY

Prize: 1 copy of A ROOM AWAY FROM THE WOLVES by Nova Ren Suma

US Only

Starts: 8/20

Ends: 9/5

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Audio Review: Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick

Title: Black Ice

Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

Narrator: Jenna Lamia

Brit Pheiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn’t prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage.

Britt is forced to guide the men off the mountain, and knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there…and in uncovering this, she may become the killer’s next target.

But nothing is as it seems, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally?

There were parts of this book that I really liked, but there were also parts I really wasn't thrilled with.  

First what I liked: I did like the mystery in the story. Who is Mason? Can he be trusted?  Is he really bad or is there more to his story?  That part was interesting to me.  It really was what kept me reading.  And for once I also liked that I thought I had parts of the story figured out.  Usually, I hate that! But it kept me reading because I really wanted to know if I was right!  I also liked the change in Britt.  At first, I did not like her very much at all!  But I did like seeing her grow and change as the story went along.  I wouldn't say she became a character I really loved by the end, but I did like her a whole lot better! 

What I wasn't thrilled with: I pretty much hated Britt's friend!  She was so mean to Britt (but I was also mad at Britt for being ok with it!).  She was just a brat! I didn't like that they were friends when the relationship seemed toxic to me.  I also didn't like Britt's relationship with Calvin.  She was so hung up on him, and I wanted to shake her and say he wasn't worth it!  Actually what I didn't like about the book basically boiled down to the type of person Britt was at the start.  She was shallow and let people walk all over her AND she made very immature decisions.  Now she did change from that quite a bit but it was a long time coming!  I also didn't like that she was in a very dangerous situation and yet was thinking about her capture as good looking etc.  It didn't seem realistic to me! 

Did I end up liking the book?  Pretty much.  It was ok but I didn't love it at all.  

Thoughts on the library: I don't think I'd put this in my middle school media center.  It was bit mature and since I didn't love it I think I could find something else to spend the money on.

Thoughts on the audiobook: The narrator did a good job.  Her voice was easy to listen to and she did a good job differentiating the characters' voices.  

Final Thoughts: Ended up liking it better than I thought I would, but still not fantastic. 

Blog Tour: The Window by Amelia Brunskill - Review

Today I'm happy to be a part of the blog tour for:

The Window
by Amelia Brunskill

About the Book

Anna is everything her identical twin is not. Outgoing and athletic, she is the opposite of quiet introvert Jess. The same on the outside, yet so completely different inside--it's hard to believe the girls are sisters, let alone twins. But they are. And they tell each other everything.

Or so Jess thought.

After Anna falls to her death while sneaking out her bedroom window, Jess's life begins to unravel. Everyone says it was an accident, but to Jess, that doesn't add up. Where was Anna going? Who was she meeting? And how long had Anna been lying to her?

Jess is compelled to learn everything she can about the sister she thought she knew. At first it's a way to stay busy and find closure . . . but Jess soon discovers that her twin kept a lot of secrets. And as she digs deeper, she learns that the answers she's looking for may be truths that no one wants her to uncover.

Because Anna wasn't the only one with secrets.

So I'm a sucker for any book that has twists and turns and gets me questioning everything and everyone.  When I was offered the chance to review this book for the blog tour I knew I needed to because it seemed to have all of that.  And let me tell you - it did!  I'm going to keep things a little vague, so there isn't a chance I'll give something away.  I think what was most intriguing was how it wasn't just one layer of secrets and twists but many.  It was the case of thinking - just like Jess - that ah ha! I've got but then finding it all twisted around again.  That type of story keeps me reading!

But there was more than that.  I liked Jess.  She was real.  Her emotions.  Her reactions - they were all real.  I totally bought into her as a character.  And I really liked how Brunskill had her grow over the course of the of the book.  I really saw her mature.  She had to go through a lot to get there, and I felt for her.  But I really did like the character development.  By the end of the story, she had much more depth and strength to her. 

Final thoughts: Twists and turns galore but even more than that! 

Media Center Thoughts:  I'd put in the media center for the 8th graders.  I think they'd really enjoy it. 

Blog Tour: Pitch Dark by Courtney Alameda - Review +GIVEAWAY!

I'm very excited to be participating in the blog tour for Pitch Dark by Courtney Alameda hosted by Rockstar Book Tours.  

I loved Shutter by Alameda, so I was thrilled to read her latest book.  

About the book

Title: PITCH DARK
Author: Courtney Alameda
Pub. Date: February 20, 2018
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 384
Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Find it: Amazon, B&N, iBooks, TBD, Goodreads

Set against a future of marauding space scavengers and deadly aliens who kill with sound, here is a frightening, fast-paced YA adventure from the author of the acclaimed horror novel, Shutter.

Tuck has been in stasis on the USS John Muir, a ship that houses Earth’s most valued artifacts—its natural resources. Parks and mountains are preserved in space.

Laura belongs to a shipraiding family, who are funded by a group used to getting what they want. And they want what’s on the Muir.

Tuck and Laura didn’t bargain on working together or battling mutant aliens who use sound to kill. But their plan is the only hope for their crews, their families, and themselves.

In space, nobody can hear you scream . . . but on the John Muir, the screams are the last thing you'll hear.

About the Author

A veteran bookseller and librarian, Courtney Alameda now spends her days writing thriller and horror novels. Her debut novel, SHUTTER, was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award and hailed as a "standout in the genre" by School Library Journal. Her forthcoming novels include the science fiction/horror mashup, PITCH DARK (Macmillan/Feiwel & Friends 2018), and SEVEN DEADLY SHADOWS, an urban fantasy set in Japan. (Co-authored with Valynne Maetani. HarperTeen 2018).

Courtney holds a degree in English literature with an emphasis in creative writing. She is represented by John M. Cusick of Folio Literary. A northern California native, she now resides in Utah with her husband, a legion of books, and a tiny five-pound cat with a giant personality.

Member HWA, SFWA, SCBWI; and SDCC Creative Professional.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Tumblr | Goodreads

I really enjoyed this book! I'm not usually one for science fiction type books, but this one was great.  Right from page one the story grabbed me, and so much kept happening that I couldn't stop reading.  I really loved Laura. I loved how smart she was and how unwilling she was to quit! She knew what she deserved - what her family deserved, and she wouldn't let it go. I would love to have her in m corner anytime.  I liked Tuck as well, but how much I like Laura overshadowed that. 

I need to talk about the world building.  It's got to be difficult to build a whole futuristic world.  Alameda did a great job.  I loved how the bits of our world were pulled into the future.  It was enough to help me understand everything.  I also liked the concept of the future and what happened to Earth.  I found it super interesting and well thought out.  

The plot was fast-paced and edge-of-your seat much of the time.  And when it wasn't that it was filled with mystery and suspense.  This came mainly because Laura and Tuck where never fully sure who they could trust.  That kept me not trusting everything as well.  I like that! 

Oh and I need to comment on the creature/mutated humans that Tuck and Laura encounter.  They were scary! I can't imagine have to survive them especially ones that kill with sound! How do you battle that?  Completely amazed at Alameda's ability to create them.

Over-all:  Great read that never slows down. 

Visit the other tour stops:

Week One:

2/19/2018- Here's to Happy Endings- Review

2/19/2018- Adventures of a Book Junkie- Interview

2/20/2018- The Blonde Bookworm- Review

2/20/2018- BookHounds Ya- Guest Post

2/21/2018- A Gingerly Review- Review

2/21/2018- Literary Meanderings- Excerpt

2/22/2018- Howling Libraries- Review

2/22/2018- YA Books Central- Interview

2/23/2018- The OWL Book Review Blog- Review

2/23/2018- Pretty Deadly Reviews- Review

See the rest of the stops HERE!

Giveaway Details: 

3 winners will receive a signed finished copy of PITCH DARK & pin with a quote that’s important to the story.

US Only.

Ends on March 6th at Midnight EST!

a Rafflecopter giveaway