My Name Is Venus Black by Heather Lloyd

Venus Black is only 13 years old. She is the "perfect" student and dreams of becoming an astronaut but her dreams vanish on the night she commits a violent crime. The community is shocked, the media is hungry for the story.  Venus clams up, refuses to discuss the crime but is quick to blame her mother, fracturing an unstable relationship.

She is locked up and labeled a violent offender. Her biggest worry is being beat up - that is until her 7 year old brother, special needs brother, Leo goes missing.

5 years pass, Leo is still missing, Venus has no relationship with her mother and she is being released from prison. In an attempt to forget her life and move she obtains a fake id, new identity and moves from Washington to California. Venus makes it her mission to figure out what happened to Leo  find him and bring him back home.

It's nearly impossible to believe that this is Heather Lloyd's debut novel. Her story line is engrossing, her character development is spot on and the way her story flows from Venus to Leo's in streamless. Each character created by Lloyd contributes to the story in a perfect manner (no filler characters here!).

This is an epic read that will tug at your heart strings!

* I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Indecent by Corinne Sullivan

Imogene Abney has long been obsessed with the peculiar world of elite prep schools.  She's fresh out of college and despite having no teaching experience accepts a position teaching at  Vandenberg School for Boys. 
She is naive, clueless actually and  rather immature making her the perfect prey. She begins an illicit affair with the handsome, charismatic Adam Kipling. A student at the school. She becomes obsessed to the point in which this reader felt uncomfortable and irritated with her. I couldn't decided if I wanted to slap her or hug her.

Her inexperience with the opposite sex shines through and makes your cringe. I actually felt incredibly embarrassed for her actions and then I realized, Imogen is fragile and easily susceptible to the charms of others. Adam is just a young teenager boy who knows he is handsome and uses it to get what he wants until he no longer desires it and discards it (Narcissist, much?). 

Adam lures her in and stared for attention and insecure, Imogene jumps at every opportunity to be with him, regardless of the risks. The relationship is sex fueled. Adam sees her as a conquest as a sexual release but Imogene, poor, poor Imogene  thinks it's a relationship.

However this book is more complex that that --- as you're never quite sure who is taking advantage of whom. It sorta flip, flops back and forth especially since Imagone is an adult and in a position of authority and should know better.
Sullivan's characters are well developed. This is an excellent debut novel but be prepared to feel some second hand embarrassment and indecent if you read it in a public setting! This is a fast read that explores taboo relationships, sex and more sex.

* I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk

 The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk

Expected Publication: March 6, 2018 

*I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The Beauty That Remains is Ashley Woodfolks debut novel. It covers a variety of subject such as death, depression, LGBT and suicide. There is a great deal of grief and loss in this novel. Woodfolk does an exemplary job and expressing the deep and profound emotions that come with the loss of a love, emotion's that one doesn't understand until they have lost someone themselves.


Woodwork can capture emotions. I wanted desperately to love her novel but I struggled to connect with the storylines. There was just way too much going on and I found myself constantly trying to determine which character was telling their story. It took me nearly half the book before I was able to catch the cadence of her writing and the voice of her characters. Once I got past the struggle, I found myself much more involved in their stories and found the book to be more enjoyable.


The characters are Autumn, who's best friend, Octavia passed away in a tragic accident. Autumn struggles with this loss and as a means to heal and cope with the death of her friend, she continues to send her messages, spend the night in her (Octavia's) bedroom and form a bond with her brother.


Logan's ex-boyfriend, Bram is dead. He is full of regrets as his last words to Bram were harsh. He deals with his grief and guilty by consuming alcohol, being self destructive and unkind to his mind and body. Music is both his respite and pain.


Shay's twin sister, Sasha's life was taken too soon as a result of leukemia, leaving Shay "twinless" and alone. She struggles to cope with living her life without taking care of sister and having that constant in her life. Running, kissing and music are her coping mechanisms. Her struggles are further combated with the weakened relationship she has with her mom.


All of these stories are told separately but weave together. They overlap and music becomes the common factor in mending broken hearts.


I personally feel that this book would have been a lot stronger had there been more depth and background into the characters. It fell flat some but not horrible for a debut novel. I would give Woodfolk a second chance because the passion and ability to develop characters it there.


Don' t totally rule this book out, give it some time to tell you it's story and you will find that it is worth your time.

House Rules by Jodi Picoult

House Rules (I read it in March of 2010 for the first time) is about a young man with Asperger who is  accused of murder. Jacob is intelligent, fascinated with criminal investigation and forensics. He lacks social skills and fundamental "normal" human emotions. His syndrome makes it easy to point to him as the perpetrator to those who don't really know or understand Jacob and Asperger's. Jacob's Asperger's might land him behind bars and it's up to his mother and lawyer to prove his innocence despite evidence pointing the crime in his direction.

House Rules is written from the perspective of 5 different individuals, which is very common for Picoult's storytelling. The collection of characters vary in interest and together they tell a story. 
I don't have much experience with Asperger's but it appears to be well researched. The trial is a bit long winded and repetitive and I could have done without some of it but I was entertained enough but I don't believe I will be reading this book again.


  

Animal Farm by George Owell

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

Animal Farm is one of those books that has always been on my To Be Read list --- I finally decided to take the plunge and read it. I took less than one day and it's rather frightening at how closely it relates to today's politics.

 It is basically a novel about revolution and the ensuing government but animals tell the story and we are all animals after all, aren't we?

Basically the animals converge together to overthrow, Farmer Jones and take over. Initially everything is in a Utopian state but the pigs (45, anyone?) team up together and use various tactics to overpower the rest of the animals. The use lying, overwriting history, backstabbing to take control and sabotage the original plans set forth.

This little book packs a lot of messages, the most important one being that power corrupts. Owell was a genius and his book stands the passage of time, which is a bit scary if you ask me.

Rust & Stardust by T. Greenwood

Rust and  Stardust by T. Greenwood

Expected publication: August 7th 2018

*I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
 

Rust and Stardust is based upon the real life kidnapping of Sally Horner that took place in 1948. Her kidnapping also inspired Vladimir Naboko, Lolita. 

Sally is only 11 years old and desperate to fit in with the popular girls and become part of the in crowd. In an effort to impress them she steals a 5 cent notebook. Frank LaSalle, an ex-convict recently released from prison uses this chance opportunity to pose as an FBI agent and "arrest", Sally.

Sally being naive, trustworthy and scared falls for his ruse and becomes his victim. He convinces, Sally that in order for her to avoid jail she must cooperate with him. Sally obliges. The book then chronicles the next two years in which, Sally is physically, mentally and sexually abused. The move from one location to another to avoid detection. 

 

Greenwood tells this story from multiple points of views. The reader hears Sally's view, her families, the police and those few individuals who pop in and out of her life for various reasons.

 

 Greenwood gives a voice to, Sally with tact and emotion. Your heart will break over and over again. You will cringe, your skin will crawl in particular as the desperation, fear and loneliness come to life across the pages. Rust and Stardust is well written, dark and real.

 Be prepared to go on an emotional journey.

 

 

The Party by Robyn Harding

Hannah is turning sweet sixteen and has invited a few friends over for a night of celebration but things take a turn for the worse and tragedy strikes.

The party is to be low key and quiet but the girls have other things in mind. Things get out of control and Kim is awoken by Hannah with blood on her hand. One of the girls has been badly hurt. Fingers are pointed, Hannah's parents are sued and the school is divided.

Secrets spill off the pages because like any good mystery books, secrets are the key and no one event is responsible for the outcome but a series of events.

The story is told in 3rd person and from the point of view of 4 of the 5 characters. The story is revealed over six months focusing on different perspectives. Expect an easy and fast read.
This is one of those rare books in which it's difficult to like any of the characters  and the ending wasn't what I wanted or expected. Wasn't exactly sure if , I wanted to toss the book across the room or just stew in the moment of an ending that wasn't justified.

See All the Stars Aug 14, 2018 by Kit Frick

See All the Stars by Kit Frick

Hits bookstores August 14, 2018   

*I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

See All the Stars will draw you in and have you hooked from page one. 

There is a host of characters but our main character, Ellory is our storyteller. 

Her story flips back and forth between her, Junior and Senior year in, High School.

You are aware that an incident has occurred because the close knit group of friends, suddenly becomes torn apart, with Ellory becoming ostracized. Frick captures the mean girl, herd mentality relationships that happen among teen girls and how secrets and lies tear apart the foundation of relationships, regardless of how tightly knit the appear to be. 

The story line is well thought out and the characters are well developed. The words leap off the pages and keep you mesmerized. This is a stunning debut, with twists and turns. One of them is very predictable but the other one keeps you in the dark and when it is revealed everything falls into place, wrapping this book up with perfection. 

If you love, Pretty Little Liars, you will love, See all the Stars! 

  

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez

Julia is a first generation, Mexican-American teen girl living in, Chicago. Her older, "perfect" sister is dead. Her relationship with her parents is strained at best. She will never live up to the expectations her mother has set for  her, she will never be Olga. Her father ignores her. Her parents are hardworking, strict and want, Julia to be a different version of who she really is.

Julia has realistic relationships with her friends, teachers and family. She is angry, brash and emotional all very common and understanding emotions from someone so young who is going through a tough time, later in the book her character undergoes an event that makes you understand her character at a deeper level and her character undergoes a change.

Julia  uncovers a secret(s) that her sister, Olga had and as they unravel, she realizes that, Olga isn't this perfect version, that she is very much human and she yearns for a different relationship with her sister. Wishing they had known one another better, been closer ....

This book is raw, gripping and grief fueled. There is, Spanish thrown in and it was very natural for me, as I often forgot I was reading passages in español. 

I am a first generation, Mexican-American and I connected with, Julia on so many levels. There are so many expectations and weight put on the shoulders of the generation of 1st born, Americans. We have to navigate both worlds, that of our parents and family and that of our own. We have to learn how to fit into both worlds and we often find ourselves slipping through the cracks. The struggles is real.

We are judged, we struggle, we overcome but we lose a bit of ourselves along the way. We are embarrassed and learn pride later on, our voice is seldom heard but yet we persevere. We are,  American and we are Americans. Julia is all of these things and more.

I'm Thinking of Ending Things By Iain Reid

Ever read a book and think to yourself, "What the fuck did, I just read?" because that just happened to me. It took me a while to actually unravel it all in my head and come up with my own theory/conclusion, which is what the writer wants you to do.

Here is the basics: We have our main character, Jake, who is an unreliable narrator. He is peculiar to say the least but very intelligent. He and his girlfriend embark on a trip to meet his parents. She uses this time to reflect in her mind if she should or shouldn't stay with, Jake. The visit to his parents house could be described as creepy and odd at best. After spending a short time there and having dinner they head back. It's a dark, snowy night and they are traveling the roads of a rural area when, Jake decides to make a stop at a school.

Right here.. this stop at the school is the unraveling of Jake and the creepy notch factor goes up. This is when things get out right confusing and you're scrambling to figure it all out.  I found myself re reading passages (something I seldom do) as I was certain I was missing something vital but I also wanted to finish the damn book as I was becoming increasingly irritated with it. Then it ends and you are left at WTF!

I suppose this might be one of those books that if you re read you would catch things and feel different about the entire thing but I don't want to reread it as I didn't care for it much in the first place. The characters and the story didn't deliver and I would suggest you pass on this one or read it if you don't have anything else in you to be read pile.

Bring Her Home by David Bell

Two teenage girls go missing and then their badly beaten bodies are found in the city park. One is dead and the other is clinging to life. 

Bill Price the father of Summer (the girl who is still alive) runs to his daughters side. Life can't seem to give him a break. He lost his wife a few years ago to an accident and now his daughter is in a coma.  Bill makes it his mission to find out who harmed his daughter and killed her friend, Haley, however things make a turn for the worst when he finds out the girl laying in the bed in a coma is Haley and not his daughter Summer.

Bill pushes himself further into the investigation intent on finding out who is responsible but he might just end up with more than he bargained for as the unraveling of secrets proves how little we really know about the people we love.

I found this book entertaining enough but was slightly disappointed because the mystery element of the story, wasn't suspenseful as it is loosely based on the true life story of  Laura van Ryn and Whitney Cerak. If you aren't familiar with their story you can find it HERE.

There is a lot of drama, a lot of weird things are happening and it's fairly predictable but it is an easy read as Bell knows how to tie things together and simplify them.