artsy musings of a bibliophile

mystery

Review: Golden by Jessi Kirby

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ABOUT THE BOOK
young adult contemporary road trip published by Simon & Schuster on 14 May 2013 

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.

THE RATING

THE REVIEW
There are books that leave you feeling breathless, then there are the ones that leave you feeling overwhelmed. The ones that leaves you restless like a thought that has come to a halt after reaching a point of realization and words that die on your lips. Golden left me feeling all three of these and more. So much more. A ‘love and a question.’
Each chapter begins with a line from a poem, the words just enough to travel inside the words written on the page. The beautiful, beautiful words which made me fall in love with the book. I’ve always been attached to words. Silence is something which will always be something you put in a corner and pick it up from time to time. But words, words are alive, the center of the being. Especially written words because they’re a mixture of silence and sound. The words of Julliana Farnetti.
Parker Frost is someone I could’ve been a few years back if I haven’t gathered my bearings and took a stand to study something in life that I wanted to instead of just driving myself crazy in order to become a doctor. It’s just something I thought I needed to become so I completely understand the choices she makes and why.
However, Parker is one of those who needs proof they can see and feel before they can believe in something. It is stupid yes, but for certain things in life, it’s all you need. A shock, a trigger, a flash and belief is there. Just like Kat’s believe in carpe diem. 
Kat, the one I admire so much. She’s one of those people who make you realize that it’s okay not to be perfect and do your own thing. A reminder like that never hurts because really, it is all about seizing the day which cannot be done if we’re acting on choices others make for us.
In between Parker’s hesitation and Kat’s boldness in life, Trevor Collins proved to be awesome. Really, there is no other word to describe him. His words are full of smiles and are true to the core. He’s substantial and real and yin to Parker’s yang. Chasing after the mystery of the love that was, it’s beautiful to read about the love that could be.
Golden is one of those books that do more than just tell a story. They change something inside of you. As I read Golden, I was reminded that poems are essential in life. They’re the fire and ice of words in life. And in the end, ‘nothing gold can stay.’ But y’know what? I’m glad the words of Golden will forever stay inside me.
THE QUOTES

‘But it seems to me that the experiences that stay with you, the things you’ll always remember, aren’t the ones you can force, or go looking for. I’ve always thought of those things as the ones that somehow find you.’

‘I sink into it completely, letting everything else fall away so all that’s left is this. A moment like a poem.’

Review: The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

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ABOUT THE BOOK
The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston
young adult contemporary mystery published by Disney-Hyperion on 14 May 2013
first book in the The Rules for Disappearing series

She’s been six different people in six different places: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky . . . But now that she’s been transplanted to rural Louisiana, she has decided that this fake identity will be her last.

Witness Protection has taken nearly everything from her. But for now, they’ve given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a horrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has begged her father to answer one question: What on earth did he do – or see – that landed them in this god-awful mess? Meg has just about had it with all the Suits’ rules — and her dad’s silence. If he won’t help, it’s time she got some answers for herself.
But Meg isn’t counting on Ethan Landry, an adorable Louisiana farm boy who’s too smart for his own good. He knows Meg is hiding something big. And it just might get both of them killed. As they embark on a perilous journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that there’s only one rule that really matters — survival.

THE RATING

THE REVIEW
Mystery always pull me in so it’s no surprise that I wanted to read The Rules for Disappearing. It’s like a book about multiple personality disorder without the actual disorder. It made me think and think hard about life on the run. It isn’t always glamorous. It isn’t always oh-so-cool. The reality hit me hard and left me on the floor, my mouth gaped open.
There is irony in the way each chapter begins with a rule, the rule that Meg then simultaneously breaks. I felt her pain and I kept thinking why did Ashley Elston chose a rural town for all hell to break loose? Why did it took six identity changes for Meg to finally hit rock bottom, emotionally and physically? These questions kept me going.
It’s clear from the narrative that life as Meg is as far and opposite from her original life as it could be. Nondescript clothing, hair that makes her look like a boy, dull brown eyes and riding in a school bus as a senior is almost too much to bear. And it doesn’t help that she meets Ethan Landry in her first moments on the first day of school. The new-girl-in-the-middle-of-school-year is bound to attract attention and she does attract attention. Of the most popular girl in high school (as popular as one can get in Natchitoses anyway).
For most part of the book, Meg is at the edge of her nerves and it shows. Her mother is an alcoholic, her father is being way too mysterious and acting suspiciously and Teeny is on the verge of a breakdown at only eleven years of age. It seems Meg is the only one keeping it together. Or at least the one trying the hardest.
But I was waiting for a twist to arrive, a hand to pull back the curtain on the mystery a little bit. So I was a little disappointed when it came in the form of a nightmare on Meg’s part. Clichéd. Then she gets paranoid by thinking that someone is out to get her. And oh, she also owns a secret notebook in which she writes her thoughts and feelings.
Meg knows that the only way out is to go back to the beginning and then it gets crazy. We did get glimpses of her past life, her crush and her BFF betrayal throughout the book but the reality is pretty twisted. I got to say, I was not expecting that kind of a mystery at all. But it wasn’t the ohmiGod-is-this-really-happening kind of a mystery at all, it was more low-key and oh-so-that-was-what-we-were-getting-at one. The book also has a little road trip which made my heart soar a little bit. So yay for that.
Ethan is a sweet farm boy and I liked how he kept coming in the pizza place where Meg took a job. They have a hot-and-cold thing going on because Meg knows that getting attached only leads to hurt and Ethan has no idea what he is getting into. Teeny is a great character, I loved the sisterly relationship she has with Meg.
Overall, The Rules for Disappearing is a dynamic read. I’d still recommend it to readers because it offers a good character development, well-placed plot and is a quick read. It’d be interesting to see how the series proceed now that we finally know her real name and the mystery.
THE QUOTES
‘But there is one part of this that hurts. The carefree, normal part. The part of me that was lost when we first moved and that I’ll never get back.’
‘Rules for Disappearing by Witness Protection Prisoner #18A7R04M: Don’t fall into a routine. Shake things up. Doing the same thing over and over makes you feel comfortable. And feeling comfortable is bad.’
Thanks to Disney Hyperion and NetGalley for providing me an eARC of The Rules for Disappearing for review.

Review: Kings & Queens by Courtney Vail Blog Tour

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Title: Kings & Queens (Kings & Queens, #1)

Author: Courtney Vail
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery
Publisher:  Little Prince Publishing
Release Date: 7 July 2011
Pages: 328 (eBook)

Synopsis
Seventeen-year-old Majesty Alistair wants police to look further into her father’s fatal car wreck, hopes the baseball team she manages can reclaim the state crown, aches for Derek…or, no…maybe Alec…maybe. And she mostly wishes to retract the hateful words she said to her dad right before slamming the door in his face, only to never see him again.
All her desires get sidelined, though, when she overhears two fellow students planning a church massacre. She doubts cops will follow up on her tip since they’re sick of her coming around with notions of possible crimes-in-the-works. And it’s not like she cries wolf. Not really. They’d be freaked too, but they’re not the ones suffering from bloody dreams that hint at disaster like some crazy, street guy forecasting the Apocalypse.
So, she does what any habitual winner with zero cred would do…try to I.D. the nutjobs before they act. But, when their agenda turns out to be far bigger than she ever assumed, and even friends start looking suspect, the truth and her actions threaten to haunt her forever, especially since she’s left with blood on her hands, the blood of someone she loves.
My Rating
* * * *
The Review
Kings & Queens takes place in a time period of 6 weeks, 5 months after Majesty’s father dies. Majesty is still raw from the whole ordeal and is trying very hard to go on in life without being irritated by her mother’s new friend, Paul and the fact that she’s in love with one of her best friends, Derek. In fact, Alec, the other best friend, is the only person keeping her on her toes, patient and just being there for her.
The way Kings & Queens begins will surely take the reader on a confusing ride for at least a few pages. Things start to get clearer though, when Majesty, manager of her high school baseball team, is in the woods playing assassination hide-and-seek with the baseball players and the coach. It’s a tradition they perform after every win.
So it’s understandable that she has almost no idea that her life is going to get a hell lot more complicated than she can ever imagine. Why is Preston being all nice all of a sudden seeing that it is an alien thing for him to be. Warren looks like a sure bad boy with his spikes and all. She loathes Blake like anything. Even Paul’s behavior is getting suspicious as hell. Derek is drooling over Cynthia the slut. Bobby is being Bobby as he dumps Aislyn and Alec is moving in on his ex. Is Majesty actually jealous of that? What?
Kings & Queens have a lot of crazy characters. The mystery is so good it kept me guessing about the person behind the whole church massacre scene and then being adamant to take Majesty’s life. As the story progresses, Majesty’s list of possible killers is getting longer by the minute. There is so much going on in her life that I didn’t want to stop reading at all! 
Kings & Queens is definitely a juicy read. I would highly recommend it to lover of mystery with a dash of romance thrown in for good measure. There’s also violence, murder and mayhem. Who doesn’t want all that in a good unputdownable mystery and a young adult one at that?
Best Quote:
“Oh, really? Do you wake up heaving from bloody dreams that promise destruction like some crazy street guy forecasting the Apocalypse? Did you slam a door in your dad’s face hours before he died? Does everyone, cops included, think you’re a pestering loon ’cause ‘accident’ doesn’t sit right with you, nor the many other freakouts, like the car that keeps showing up on your street, with someone sitting in it, doing like, nothing? No? Oh no? Didn’t think so. Life sucks for everyone. Jump or deal with it.”
About the Author

Courtney Vail writes totally twisted YA and adult suspense. She enjoys braiding mystery, suspense & romance with some kind of weirdness. Her addictions to crazy coffee concoctions, Funny Bones, Ben & Jerry’s, and bacon keep her running and writing. She currently lives in New England with a comedian stud and a wild gang of kidlets.
Courtney Vail can be found at 
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Buy Kings & Queens (Kings & Queens, #1)

Review: Before I Go to Sleep by S J Watson

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Title: Before I Go to Sleep
Author: S J Watson
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Doubleday
Release Date: 14 June 2011
Pages: 368 (Hardcover)


Synopsis
‘As I sleep, my mind will erase everything I did today. I will wake up tomorrow as I did this morning. Thinking I’m still a child. Thinking I have a whole lifetime of choice ahead of me …’

Memories define us. So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love – all forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may only be telling you half the story.

Welcome to Christine’s life.


My Rating
* * * 
The Review
I started reading Before I Go To Sleep with a lot of expectations and well, it all turned out to be a very twisted, almost unemotional, ending to a promising story. The cover is very striking and the synopsis had me intrigued from the get-go.
However, every day Christine has to go through the part where she discovers she’s 47 and not in her twenties. Due to these descriptions, I felt that she found herself ugly just because she found her skin to be wrinkly and saggy. It is normal for her age; but the descriptions had me in doubt about her looking more as if she’s 75 and not 47. And the repetitions didn’t really help, of course.
Moving on, I have two rather contradictory opinions about this book. The first one veers me towards everything that is likable in the novel. The second of course, makes me want to roll my eyes at the un-likability factor when the mystery part is taken into perspective.
I liked Christine, her character grew very stably and it was very moving for me to read about her lost hopes at a future. And that feeling, of being helpless of knowing that, in her own words, “The worst thing is that I don‘t even know what I don‘t know. There might be lots of things, waiting to hurt me. Things I haven‘t even dreamed about yet.”

Before I Go To Sleep could have easily deserved 4 stars but the whole chase didn’t help the case. The ending was bland, cold and not even in line with the rest of the story. Only a single paragraph telling the hours she spent reconciling with Ben. Taking into account that with almost no contact for years, her real husband suddenly realizes that he wants to be with her? After all this time? Just…wow. Plus, the son. It seems highly unlikely that they didn’t try to contact Christine on a regular basis.

These are just a couple of nagging little thoughts I have been having. From the book, it is apparent that Claire is on seemingly normal terms with Adam. And if there is that chance then how come Adam doesn’t know that his parents are apparently back together? Why all the unnecessary miscommunication?

Moreover, when she had all those glimmers or flashes of memory something doesn’t set in right.In all of the book, she is unable to see a single memory flash of Ben and then she has it finally. Plus, she also comes to know of all the time they spent together shortly after that. Maybe the particular truth triggered her memory, but how far can fiction be twisted?

However, S.J.Watson made a good effort at writing about something written many times before and forming a novel story line. I wanted to more than like Before I Go To Sleep, the writing was beautiful and the expressions profound. Her sorrow at the uneventful turnout of her life stretching into a long wait of dying every day waiting for the actual death to arrive. Of feeling lost. But, in the end, I just keep getting the feeling that something small, something crucial is truly amiss from the story.
Best Quote:

“I step back further, until I feel cold tiles against my back. It is then I get the glimmer that I associate with memory. As my mind tries to settle on it, it flutters away, like ashes caught in a breeze, and I realize that in my life there is a then, a before, though before what I cannot say, and there is a now, and there is nothing between the two but a long, silent emptiness that has led me here, to me and him, in this house.”