Waiting on Wednesday: Take the Fall

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, where we spotlight a book we are eagerly anticipating.

My WoW this week is:

Take the Fall
By Emily Hainsworth
Expected Publication: February 16th, 2016
From Balzer & Bray

From Goodreads:

WHO KILLED GRETCHEN MEYER?

Fear grips the residents of Hidden Falls the night Sonia Feldman and her best friend, Gretchen Meyer, are attacked in the woods. Sonia was lucky to escape with her life, but Gretchen’s body is discovered at the bottom of a waterfall. Beautiful, popular, and seemingly untouchable, Gretchen can’t be gone. Even as Sonia struggles with guilt and confusion over having survived, the whole town is looking to her for information…could she have seen something that will lead the police to the killer?

At the top of the list of suspects is Gretchen’s ex-boyfriend—and Sonia’s longtime enemy—Marcus Perez. So when Marcus comes to Sonia for help clearing his name, she agrees, hoping to find evidence the police need to prove he’s the killer. But as Gretchen’s many secrets emerge and the suspects add up, Sonia feels less sure of Marcus’s involvement, and more afraid for herself. Could Marcus, the artist, the screwup, the boy she might be falling for have attacked her? Killed her best friend? And if it wasn’t him in the woods that night…who could it have been?


I figured something creepy was due for Halloween and even though this one won't be out for a while, I know it'll scare me silly when I read it. Emily's first book, Through to You, was amazing and I can't wait to read this next one from her!

What book are you waiting on?

Review: Finding Paris

Finding Paris
Author: Joy Preble
Published: April 21st, 2015
Hardcover, 272 pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads

Sisters Leo and Paris Hollings have only ever had each other to rely on. They can’t trust their mother, who hops from city to city and from guy to guy, or their gambler stepfather, who’s moved them all to Las Vegas. It’s just the two of them: Paris, who’s always been the dreamer, and Leo, who has a real future in mind—going to Stanford, becoming a doctor, falling in love.

But Leo isn’t going anywhere yet… until Paris ditches her at the Heartbreak Hotel Diner, where moments before they had been talking with physics student Max Sullivan. Outside, Leo finds a cryptic note from Paris—a clue. Is it some kind of game? Where is Paris, and why has she disappeared?

When Leo reluctantly accepts Max’s offer of help, the two find themselves following a string of clues through Vegas and beyond. But the search for the truth is a not a straight line. And neither is the path to secrets Leo and Max hold tightly.

The book intrigued me from the start. I love a good mystery and Paris certainly knows how to send her sister on one. Leo wants nothing more than to get out of Las Vegas and go to school in California. She doesn't love that her mom moves from city to city and guy to guy and her newest stepfather is no exception. The only person she loves is her older sister Paris and will do anything to protect Leo from the world. So when Paris leaves Leo alone in a diner, Leo doesn't understand it all there. There must be a reason why Paris only left her a small note and is suddenly sending her on a wild goose chase. Thankfully Leo has just met Max, a physics student who is willing to help Leo find Paris as soon as possible, even willing to drive her across the country to do so. Together, Leo and Max make their way through the Vegas evening into casinos, attractions and track down clues that Paris has left them in hopes of finding her.

This was such a quick read. It was fast paced and less than three hundred pages and I loved every minute of it. I wanted to find Paris just as badly as Leo did and the twists and turns along the way kept me guessing as to how this story would end. I can honestly say I did not expect the ending until it was too late and I was shocked in a good way. It took the world book to a new level and turned this into such an important book. I won't say a lot about it because the mystery behind this book is what drew me in, but I will say that Preble did a fantastic job conveying tension, mystery, and fear. There was also just enough romance to keep this somewhat light and I loved Max. He was full of just as much mystery as Paris was, as Leo knew very little about him and he didn't share that much info with her throughout the night. He was fun, flirty, and didn't leave her behind, even when she was fearing for her life at the top of a ferris wheel. 

This book had everything I was looking for and it was a thrill ride from beginning to end. The mystery aspect combined with how it all ended made for a great read. There are secrets everywhere in this book. Paris has them, Max has them and even Leo has them. I loved the sister relationship, I always love a good sibling relationship and this one was interesting. Paris would do anything to protect her sister and vice versa and that quality in a relationship can be great and dangerous. It's worth a read to me and if you can figure out the ending faster than I did, than kudos to you. 

Review: Vanishing Girls

Vanishing Girls
Author: Lauren Oliver
Published: March 10th, 2015
Hardcover, 357 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before the accident that left Dara's beautiful face scarred and the two sisters totally estranged. When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl, nine-year-old Madeline Snow, has vanished, too, and Nick becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances are linked. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it's too late. 

In this edgy and compelling novel, Lauren Oliver creates a world of intrigue, loss, and suspicion as two sisters search to find themselves, and each other. 

Lauren Oliver has a way with words. I would read her grocery list and she forever keeps me guessing. Since the beginning, I haven't been able to predict the endings of her books. They are never easy, they are never an escape and they rarely have the kind of happily ever after I strive for. She has a thing for ghosts and unhappy families, and Vanishing Girls took everything I've learned about her writing and pulled me into so many opposite directions that there was no way for me to know how it would end. Sisters Dara and Nick were the best of friends until an accident scarred Dara's face. Dara hides out in her room now as Nick tries to continue on with life, getting a summer job at the local amusement park. But when a young girl goes missing in town and suddenly Dara is gone on her birthday, Nick knows there must be a connection between the two and she won't stop until she finds her sister.

This is a novel about moving on. The accident left everything in ruins and neither sister is brave enough to do something to make it better. It starts out slow, like a contemporary novel just about two sisters trying to move on from a terrible accident. Told in both Dara and Nick's point of views, in both the present and the past, we get to see how the sisters used to be and what's going on in each of their heads now that things are different. Dara is the reckless sister, the one that puts on too much makeup and goes out to party late at night. Nick is the older, more responsible sister. She is calm in the face of panic and ready to go after Dara and bring her home. Then there's Parker, the boy who comes between the two sisters. But once Dara disappears, this quickly becomes a mystery book, where the ending is unknown and suddenly all the problems these sisters had didn't matter. Dara has let clues to help Nick find her, and the more digging Nick does, the deeper she gets into what Dara was really involved in. I loved that Nick worked at Fanland, a somewhat normal part of her life that gave her something to focus on instead of Dara. I liked that it brought her closer to Parker, their friendship not quite how it was since he got involved with Dara. And I especially loved that everything I thought was true was wrong and there was no telling how everything would end when or if Nick ever found Dara.

Oliver is a trickster and everything leading up to that ending couldn't have prepared me for it. It was fast, crazy and completely unpredictable and I must say this is the most she's surprised me yet. Her writing still amazes me and the relationship she built between Nick and Dara will stay me long after I've closed this book. I can't wait to see what she'll have in store for us next.

"Funny how things can stay the same forever and then change so quickly."

"Sometimes people stop loving you. And that's the kind of darkness that never gets fixed."

Review: Liars Inc.

Liars Inc.
Author: Paula Stokes
Published: March 24th, 2015
Hardcover, 368 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Max Cantrell has never been a big fan of the truth, so when the opportunity arises to sell forged permission slips and cover stories to his classmates, it sounds like a good way to make a little money and liven up a boring senior year. With the help of his friends Preston and Parvati, Max starts Liars Inc. Suddenly everybody needs something and the cash starts pouring in. Who knew lying could be so lucrative?

When Preston wants his own cover story to go visit a girl he met online, Max doesn't think twice about hooking him up. Until Preston never comes home. Then the evidence starts to pile up - terrifying clues that lead the cops to Preston's body. Terrifying clues that point to Max as the murderer.

Can Max find the real killer before he foes to prison for a crime he didn't commit? In a story that Kirkus Reviews called "Captivating to the very end," Paula Stokes starts with one single white lie and weaves a twisted tale that will have readers guessing until the explosive final chapters.

Wow. Paula has gone in the complete opposite direction from her last book, The Art of Lainey, and man did she do a fantastic job with it! This book was a mystery right to the end and Paula has captured the voice of a high school boy while keeping us on our toes as we try to figure out what exactly happened. From the start you do not know who to trust and who not to. Max's friends give off hints of distrust this way and that and it made for so much subtle tension and mystery. Max is great at lying and he and his friends use it to their advantage by founding Liars Inc., a company helps forge parents notes and fake phone calls. Things are going great for the friends, they are making money and gaining popularity, but when Preston asks Max to cover for him and the next day Preston disappears, suddenly it's all on Max and he's being followed and suspected of murder.

I can't give anything away, because I want you all to go out and read this book. Thrillers and mysteries are still rare in YA so when I find a good one, I devour it. I love not knowing whodunit and the progress of finding out. With so many unreliable characters and so many twists and turns along the way, this book kept me guessing until the very end. Max is a great protagonist I was rooting for him from the start, but kind of hoping he'd learn he didn't need Preston or Parvati to survive high school. Neither of them seemed like the kind of people I'd want to be friends with and Parvati was certainly not the best girlfriend. The more that went wrong in Max's life, the more I hoped he got his happy ending. Paula captured the essence of a teenage boy as well as I can picture (I mean, who really knows what goes through a boy's head besides boys?) His dialogue and inner thinkings were so well written.

The plot wasn't the only great thing about this book. There were diverse characters, something that is still too rare to see. Parvati is half Indian and Max's adopted twin sisters are Korean. Max also comes from a different background from most characters. He grew up in an orphanage and was adopted when he was around 10 years old. He has some family issues as he's still too scared to give himself fully over to his new family and while everything else was going on in his life, his parents were always there for him and wanting to be let in. I love seeing family relationships in books, whether it's a healthy relationship or something that takes some time to be better.

If you'll looking for a quick, fast paced read that will leave you guessing and craving more, this is one to pick up. A great mystery for a younger audience or those who love these kinds of books.

A lot of kids think high school represents the best years of their lives, but others recognize that it's mostly irrelevant bullshit, and that life doesn't even begin until afterward."

Review; Every Breath

Every Breath
Author: Ellie Marney
Published: October 14th, 2014
Hardcover, 352 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

When James Mycroft drags Rachel Watts off on a night mission to the Melbourne Zoo, the last thing she expects to find is the mutilated body of Homeless Dave, one of Mycroft's numerous eccentric friends. But Mycroft's passion for forensics leads him to realize that something about the scene isn't right - and he wants Watts to help him investigate the murder.

While Watts battles her attraction to bad-boy Mycroft, he's busy getting himself expelled and clashing with the police, becoming murder suspect number one. When Watts and Mycroft unknowingly reveal too much to the cold-blooded killer, they find themselves in the lion's den - literally. A trip to the zoo will never have quite the same meaning to Rachel Watts again. 

I'm a big Sherlock Holmes fan and James Mycroft has taken Holmes to a whole new level. He's young, sexy, and just eccentric enough to make you want to change him. Rachel Watts is the perfect Watson, eager to please and help Mycroft in anyway possible. Having him next door is both wonderful and time-consuming and Watts spends most of her time watching him experiment with forensics and try to solve cases. The biggest case yet is something they stumble on during their usual trip to the Melbourne Zoo to hang out with Homeless Dave, only he's been murdered and it's left up to them to solve it, the police figuring it's just a random homeless death. With Mycroft's forensics skills and Watts's way with people, the two of them get to the nitty gritty bottom of it all.

I loved Mycroft. I mean, who wouldn't? He was a little random, a little unorganized, and just the right amount of crazy to want to be near him. His smarts certainly got him in trouble but they also outsmarted the police in every situation. Watts was lovely and I loved the subtle moments where she noticed things about Mycroft she tried not too, like the way he looked without a shirt on and it made me crave the moment when things would change between the two of them. I'm a big fan of romance (as I'm sure we've all discovered by now) and the moment of the first kiss is my favourite part to experience in a book. All I'll say was that I was not disappointed in this one.

The mystery behind Homeless Dave's death was well done. I certainly didn't see the ending coming and I was surprised and pleased with how it all played out. The players involved each had their own reasons that may have made them the killer, but Marney weaved such an interlocking web there was no telling who actually murdered the victim. I was so engrossed with this book that I didn't put it down and read it in one sitting. The writing is fluid and I revelled in the Australian lingo that spun throughout. I reckon I'll enjoy the second book, Every Word, even more.

"If you looked inside his brain at this moment you'd see all the little synapses, Catherine wheels and penny bangers and skyrockets, all firing off into space in some sparkling display of gathering momentum. I don't want to look into his brain. Looking into his eyes is bad enough."

Review: Top Ten Clues You're Clueless

Top Ten Clues You're Clueless
Author: Liz Czukas
Published: December 9th, 2014
Paperback, 304 pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Top Five Things that are Ruining Chloe's Day

5) Working the 6:30 a.m. shift at GoodFoods Market

4) Crashing a cart into a customer's car right in front of her snarky coworker Sammi

3) Trying to rock the "drowned rat" look after being caught in a snowstorm

2) Making zero progress with her crush, Tyson (see #3)

1) Being accused - along with her fellow teenage employees - of stealing upwards of $10,000

Chloe would rather be anywhere than locked in work jail (aka the break room) with five of her coworkers... even if one of them is Tyson. But if they can band together to clear their names, what looks like a total disaster might just make Chloe's list of Top Ten Best Moments. 

I picked this up right away because I heard that it was a little Christmas-y and I like me some holiday reading around this time of year. It turned out to be the cutest holiday book and a great read all around. Chloe is stuck working the morning shift at GoodFoods Market on Christmas Eve. Waking up early sucks any day, but it's Christmas Eve and the weather sucks and she'd rather be in bed. Everything is going wrong and to make matters worse, the money from the holiday donation box is missing and someone has accused the young-ins of stealing it. Suddenly Chloe is playing detective while also trying to make friends with the girls at work, flirt with Tyson, and get home in time for Christmas dinner with her mom and brother.

Top Five Reasons You'll Love This Book:

1) It's very Breakfast Club-esque. Six kids from very different cliques are forced to spend time together and slowly get to know each other and realize they all kind of dig one another.

2) Lists! I'm a huge fan of lists and Chloe does not disappoint. Her lists are clever, fun, and down right funny. I loved when she listed the movies she wished she lived in, especially since her list was exactly the the same as mine!

3) Work antics. If you've ever worked fast food, grocery, retail, any job really, you know what it's like to work with people you don't like, or do like and want to know better. The cast of characters in this book was so diverse, it seemed so real. I related to Chloe perfectly as I've worked many jobs like this. I loved reading about working at Christmas time and the madness that goes with it.

4) A bit of drama. Chloe has diabetes and because the store is a madhouse, she hasn't been eating all day. When it finally catches up to her, it's a little nuts, but it doesn't take over the whole story. It was great to see how everyone reacted and tried to help her get through it.

5) It's a cute holiday story that will warm your heart. It's a little corny with the mystery of the money, but in the best way possible. It will make you like your job more (maybe) and make you realize that the people you work with have the potential to be really good friends. We spend so much time at work, it's a much better time when you love the people you work with.

All in all, this was a nice little contemporary read that I read in two days. It was a lot of fun, made me laugh, and kept me guessing on who could have stolen the money. The cast of characters was the perfect mix and the Christmas Eve at a grocery store was a great setting for this little bit of charm. If you're looking for a cute holiday read, I'd definitely pick this one up!

"I'm not sure the rest of the world has gotten the memo, because I still feel like a pretty big dork compared to a lot of people at my new school. And being insecure makes me want to write more lists, which makes me feel more nerdier, which makes me write more lists... You can see my problem."

Review: Veronica Mars and the Thousand Dollar Tan Line

Veronica Mars: Thousand Dollar Tan Line
Author: Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham
Published: March 25, 2014
Paperback, 324 pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Ten years after graduating from high school in Neptune, California, Veronica Mars is back in the land of sun, sand, crime, and corruption. She’s traded in her law degree for her old private investigating license, struggling to keep Mars Investigations afloat on the scant cash earned by catching cheating spouses until she can score her first big case.

Now it’s spring break, and college students descend on Neptune, transforming the beaches and boardwalks into a frenzied, week-long rave. When a girl disappears from a party, Veronica is called in to investigate. But this is no simple missing person’s case; the house the girl vanished from belongs to a man with serious criminal ties, and soon Veronica is plunged into a dangerous underworld of drugs and organized crime. And when a major break in the investigation has a shocking connection to Veronica’s past, the case hits closer to home than she ever imagined.


If you know me, you know I'm a Veronica Mars fan. I re-watch the show at least once a year, diving back into the sleuthing and drama that was Neptune, California. When they announced the movie, I was so happy. I was even happier when the whole cast returned and the movie was well done and perfect. So when they announced a new book series, I squealed. I get Veronica in every form now and it's fantastic. This book starts right where the movie left off, Veronica is back in Neptune and she is in charge of Mars Investigations while her dad recovers from his injury. Life is much different here than it was in New York. Veronica gave up a job at a huge law office to come back home so the money certainly isn't as good as it was. But this life called to her and now she just needs a big case to fill it. So when a girl goes missing during spring break, Veronica is on it, doing everything she can to bring the girl back alive. Madness ensures, as it does, for Veronica.

This book had the humour and twists that I loved about the show, but something fell flat for me. I think it might have been because it was in third person and in the show, we were always inside Veronica's head. And it missed her sass, her wit, that we all love, which didn't really come across the page well. But all my favourite characters were there - Veronica and Logan (though not enough Logan!), Wallace and Mac, and of course, Keith Mars. The mystery was well done, as always, and kept me guessing until the end. Rob Thomas has a knack for making you think one thing while something completely different is happening right over there. Veronica is a smart girl, yet she always gets herself into tough situations. When this happened in the book, it reminded me so much of the show and I couldn't wait to find out how she'd get herself out of it.

There is a fantastic twist that took everything we knew and messed it all up. It was a nice addition to the story, as it was a plot line we hadn't seen in quite some time. There was some nice closure, some nice tender moments between Veronica and Keith that we all love, but I wanted more Veronica and Logan, of course, because they are my favourite couple. I understand why he wasn't there, but maybe just a moment, just a flash into the future at the end, to rest my weary heart? Though I do know that this is going to be a series, and I can't wait for more Veronica. Seriously, Rob, I will read/watch/live anything you are willing to put out there about my girl. Thank you for keeping her alive.

“It’s hard to look the people you love in the face when they’ve seen you fuck up everything you touch. Sometimes, it’s easier to rebuild your life if you’re with someone who’s been as low as you’ve been.” 

Review: Golden

Golden
Author: Jessi Kirby
Published: May 14, 2013
Hardcover, 278 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

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.

A pair off lovers die tragically one night and become the golden couple. Their names set in stone on a sign at the edge of town. They are known to everyone, they are who everyone strives to be. Parker Frost looks to them as most others do, the reason why the school has a great scholarship. She is ready to graduate and take that scholarship and get out of there. But when Parker gets ahold of Juliette's journal, she discovers that this couple may not be as golden as everyone thought and suddenly she wants to discover exactly how the lovers ended up at the bottom of a lake. So she decides to do something she'd never think of doing, this girl who has never skipped school, never disobeyed her family, goes on the road to piece together the story of Juliette and Shane that Juliette's journal is really telling her. Mix in Robert Frost poems at the beginning of every chapter and slight hints of his work throughout the novel, and this book wraps itself into a beautiful mystery full of lost love, new love, and finding out who you really are.

This is the perfect story of a girl on the cusp of life. She has everything planned out but decides that she wants to do something before she sets off on the plan. When she comes across the journal, she knows this is her key to going off the road she's planned to travel all her life. And the more she finds out about Juliette, the more she wants answers. Parker will remind you of yourself in many ways. A girl following the rules because she knows that's how she'll get the most out of life. But how long can you follow the rules until you realize that you're not living? I love that she took this risk, that she read Juliette's words and wanted to know more. Because as soon as she opened Juliette's journal, I was hooked. I wanted to know more about her life, her relationship with Shane, and of course about the mystery guy she met one night and can't get out of her head. Juliette is as much a character as Parker or her best friend Kat, or her crush Trevor. She breathes through the pages of her journal, begging Parker to find out what happened it her. And I needed to know too. I would have done the same in Parker's situation and I loved uncovering the mystery behind Juliette's death along side her. 

I devoured this book. The writing was beautiful and the mix of poetry added to the dreamy quality of the whole thing. Parker finally starts living life by taking the road less travelled. This is great, quick, adventure of a girl finding out who she is by finding out who someone else really is. There is bonding, romance, and a question about who we really are and how our perception of people changes the more we know about them. This was the perfect read about life on the verge of starting and people on the verge of living.

“One often meets her destiny on the road she takes to avoid it.” 

“But sometimes life gives us those rare moments where we do see chance as it’s happening. And in those moments, we have a choice. And sometimes we have to take a risk. And it’s scary. It makes us vulnerable. But I know now it’s worth it.” 

Review: Imaginary Girls

Imaginary Girls
Author: Nova Ren Suma
Published: June 14, 2012
Paperback, 348 pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.

But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.


This book gave me the chills from beginning to end. The opening chapter promises mystery, lush settings, and possibly even murder. Even the cover haunts me as I still try to get this story out of my mind. It begs not to leave, it promises to stay with me in the dark, under the water, in the woods, and in my dreams. Ruby and Chloe are characters I've never encountered before and don't think I ever will again. There's nobody like them out there, no one with quite the same bond that these sisters share, a bond that threatens to suck me in with them and never let go.

Ruby is the kind of girl everyone loves. She rules the small town her and her sister, Chloe, have grown up in. Ruby raised Chloe and would do anything for her. Chloe is cool by association, invited to parties because her sister will be there, and looked at by boys because she has the long almost black hair like her sister. When Ruby tells her friends that Chloe can swim across the town reservoir one night, a blackened pool of water that seems to have no end and holds the mystery of the sunken town of Olive, Chloe jumps in without hesitation, knowing her sister will take care of her. When her swim finds her in the middle of the reservoir looking at a dead body in a rowboat, Chloe's life is suddenly ripped apart. She is sent to live with her dad, separated from Ruby. The chapters she spends there are the saddest in the book. It's clear Chloe loves Ruby and doesn't feel like the same person without her. Two years later, Chloe returns to town and things  are certainly not what they seem. Suddenly Chloe is deep in a world she's never known, keeping secrets from Ruby and feeling a strange pull to the town of Olive. Only Ruby knows the truth and Chloe is determined to seek it out.

This small town is just as much a character as Ruby or Chloe. The way that everything seems to revolve around Ruby is enough to send a shiver up my spine. And Olive, the sunken town under the reservoir, is even more haunting. Ruby tells stories of the people who still live down there, gils instead of lungs, and hoping for people to go swimming so they can pull them under. At any mention of Olive, I gripped the pages tighter, knowing there was no way for me to be prepared for what could happen next. Every setting stood out: The house that Ruby and Chloe live in, unfinished and strategically placed by the reservoir. The old cemetery where the people of Olive are buried, and the reservoir itself, black and endless with more secrets than you can count. 

Chloe is the perfect narrator for a tale like this. She is unreliable, a girl obsessed with her sister and willing to do whatever it takes to be with her. And Ruby, a mysterious girl full of secrets and magic, even more unreliable than Chloe. Both girls leave haunting words on every page. They have a relationship unlike anything I've ever read, almost obsessive, but full of love. They only know each other, they know there is no one else that can be counted on, and they go through life needing each other. The further into the book I got, the less I knew about these two girls. Shrouded in mysteries, the girls are just as obscure of the town of Olive; it was hard to know if they actually really existed. Most of the time, I wasn't sure if they were real. I wasn't sure if any of the story was real or if it was all in Chloe's head. That's the beauty of this book. It tightroped along the line of reality and fantasy just enough to make me question everything I read. Who existed and who was just in Chloe's head? Was the town of Olive real? Is it still under the water just like Ruby says it is? None of these questions are answered, like I knew they wouldn't be. The story went in a direction that I couldn't have imagined, but in the end made perfect sense. 

The mysterious and haunting nature of this book  keeps me thinking about it days after finishing it. It's the kind of book I could read four times and still not have answers to my burning questions. Just like the girls in this book, this book is unreal and chilling, leaving me breathless and scared to go near dark waters at night. Suma is a brilliant writer, someone who can make me believe everything she wrote even though I was confused and scared most of the time. I hope the people of Olive enjoy this review and stay away from me when I'm swimming.

“The story you choose to tell isn't always the story you believe.” 

7. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Book # 7: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Author: Michelle Hodkin

Published: September 27, 2011

448 Pages

(Summary from Goodreads)

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.

There aren't a lot of ways to explain the plot of this book. We know something is wrong with Mara Dyer. We know she has been through a lot and that she is still trying to figure out what happened the night her friends died. She thinks she's crazy, but I know there must be much to her than we know by the end of this novel.

I don't want to ruin anything that happens in this book because everything that happens is a spoiler. Things are not what they seem, let's keep it at that. We follow Mara as she spins out of control, trying to piece together a part of her life that doesn't make sense all while trying to avoid the way she feels around the gorgeous Noah Shaw. Now Noah is your typical high school playboy. He has a reputation that Mara knows should keep her away from him. He seems a little over the top to me. He has a British accent, lives in a huge house, and can pretty much have anything he wants. And of course, he wants Mara. I know there is much more depth to him and I'm sure we'll discover more about him throughout the series, but on the surface he seems shallow and uninteresting. But who knows, maybe I'd fall for him too.

The secondary characters give us some insight into Mara's home life. We don't know much about her friends from the accident, but I have a feeling we will get to know them better as well throughout the next pieces of this story. Mara's older brother Daniel, keeps Mara as sane as she can be. He is always there for her and will have her back when it comes to their parents. In a way, he reminds me of my older brother and that's probably why I connected with him quickly. Joseph, her younger brother, is too smart for his own good, but also does whatever Mara asks him to for her sake. While her parents may want to put her in a mental institution, we know her brothers would never allow it. We caught a glimpse at her only friend in her new school, Jacob, but he was gone before we could really get to know him. Instead we get lost with Mara as she gets lost in Noah and it is realistic and entertaining.

The course of events throughout the book kept me going to the last page and continuing on in hopes as getting more to the story. The mystery of the accident and everything else Mara has discovered about herself kept me on the edge of my seat. How long do I have to wait to get my answers?

"I was going to kiss him, and I was going to regret it. But at that moment, I couldn't bring myself to care."