The Never List by Koethi Zan

"The Never List"  is touted at this years "Gone Girl", but it falls short. It is about four young women who are abducted and held captive in a cellar for many years. The story flips back and forth, from the time in the cellar to present time.

Each women has her own demon's to deal with and when their captures time is up for parole, they each react differently. Sarah is essentially the main character and the story is mainly told for her point of view. Her character grows by leaps and bounds but the plot becomes over exaggerated and there are way too many coincident's to make things believable.

I have never met a bigger cast of idiotic characters before in my life, however the story managed to keep me drawn in and the ending does have a nice twist to it.

Grade: C+

Extinction Point by Jones, Paul Antony

Twelve hours after the red rain falls, people begin to fall ill and die. The world watches in horror as, city after city goes dark and death counts rise. The death's are bloody, violent and fast. Red rain falls on, New York city and one reporter is left behind. She appears to be the lone survivor.

Sounds, intriguing, right? It is --- that is, until it all falls apart. The character development is poor, the storyline drags and then everything becomes predictable and awkward. The best part of the book, is the dog.

The ending is abrupt, but it's safe to say that is a result of the writers need to leave us hanging in an attempt to pick up the next book in the series.  I have no immediate intention to read the second book, "Exodus" but in case you do -- it's already out and ready for you to read.

Grade: D

Letters from Skye: A Novel by Brockmole, Jessica

Letters from Skye draws you in from the moment you read the first words. It all starts in 1912, when David Graham an 18 year old from Illinois, writes a letter to a poet named, Elspeth Dunn. Elspeth is 24 years old and lives on the Isle of Skye in, Scotland. A simple fan letter turns into an exchange of letters over a long period of time.

The letters take place before and after WWI.  As a reader,  you,  also get to experience another letter exchange between others characters, during WWII. 

This novel of correspondence is a fast, entertaining read that explores the relationships between people through written word, an art form that is being lost with the technological face-paced world we live in. 

This lovely, little book will have a few surprises in store for you, despite having a star crossed lovers theme to it. 

Grade: B

The Silver Star: A Novel by Walls, Jeannette

The Silver Star is about two teen girls,who's mother leaves them alone, constantly to pursue her career. One of these trips, proves to be too much and they board a bus to visit their Uncle in, Virginia.

Their, Uncle is a recluse, odd and ornery, yet they manage to find away into his heart. They are able to develop more of a family dynamic situation and living in, Virginia allows them the opportunity to meet family they didn't know they had.

As, with many small towns, long hidden truths surface ...

I had a bit of trouble getting into this novel. It lacked something. I'm not entirely sure if it was character development, suspense or something else. I wasn't fully drawn into and more often then not it dragged yet, I felt compelled to read it, as it had been highly recommended to me.

Overall, this novel is unremarkable. I suggest borrowing it or checking it out from the library.

Grade: D

The Shade of the Moon: Life As We Knew It Series, Book 4 by Susan Beth Pfeffer

First and Foremost --- you must absolutely read the three previous books in this series or I guarantee you will be lost.

The Shade of the Moon is a very disappointing addition to a series that started of so fresh, strong and unique. The writing is stale and the character's are nearly indistinguishable. 

Pfeffer went from writing a post apocalyptic series to a dystopian. This change doesn't fit and makes things unbelievable. 

This is truly a sad decline to a series that had to much punch to it.

Grade: D

Overview [B&N]

 It's been more than two years since Jon Evans and his family left Pennsylvania, hoping to find a safe place to live, yet Jon remains haunted by the deaths of those he loved. His prowess on a soccer field has guaranteed him a home in a well-protected enclave. But Jon is painfully aware that a missed goal, a careless word, even falling in love, can put his life and the lives of his mother, his sister Miranda, and her husband, Alex, in jeopardy. Can Jon risk doing what is right in a world gone so terribly wrong?

The House Girl: A Novel by Conklin, Tara

House Girl if full of rich characters. It takes place from 1852 to 2004. The story switches back and forth  flawlessly between the two distinct time periods.

One story is that of a slave house girl named, Josephina and an attorney named, Lina. Lina and Josephina's stories become entwined when, Lina is working on a slave retribution case for a high profile client.

The story is intriguing yet there are too many coincidences to make it believable. The most interesting part of this novel, is a 20 page letter. The relationship between, Josephina and her mistress is very compelling and Josephina's life story, draws you in emotionally.

This is an above average debut novel --- not the very best but interesting enough to keep you turning the pages.

Grade: B-