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Showing posts with label Thriller. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thriller. Show all posts

Thursday, May 25, 2017

Review: Here Lies Daniel Tate by Cristin Terrill


Here Lies Daniel Tate by Cristin Terrill
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: June 6, 2017
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the author

Summary (from Goodreads):

A young, street-savvy runaway looking for a place to call home realized he might have conned his way into the wrong family in this fast-paced and thrilling novel from award-winning author Cristin Terrill.

When ten-year-old Daniel Tate went missing from one of California's most elite communities, he left no trace. He simply vanished.

Six years later, when he resurfaces on a snowy street in Vancouver, he's no longer the same boy. His sandy hair is darker, the freckles are gone, and he's initially too traumatized to speak, but he's alive. His overjoyed family brings him home to a world of luxury and comfort he can barely remember. In time, they assure him, he'll recover his memories; all that matters now is they're together again. 

It's perfect. A miracle. Except for one thing.

He isn't Daniel Tate.

He's a petty con artist who accidentally stumbled into the scam of a lifetime, and he soon learns he's not the only one in the Tate household with something to hide. The family has as many secrets as they have millions in the bank, and one of them might be ready to kill to keep the worst one buried.

What I Liked:

This book was trippy! It's a thriller and mystery novel, though it sort of reads as a psychological thriller (maybe it is one?). We have an unreliable narrator here, in the form of "Daniel Tate" who isn't actually Daniel Tate. I really enjoyed this book, though I want more. I couldn't believe it, when it ended!

Our protagonist, "Daniel Tate", isn't actually Daniel Tate. One day, to escape some trouble at a shelter for homeless kids, he gets into a tough spot, and he decides to impersonate a boy who has been missing for six years - Daniel Tate. This boy was ten at the time, the fourth child of a very rich family. It's the perfect scam for our protagonist, especially since he and Daniel would be around the same age, and their appearances are pretty similar. The family seems to welcome him back, though his mother and second older brother are a bit hostile. But as each day passes, he begins to realize that things are a little too perfect, and that he is in too deep to leave again. Things in this household are not as they seem, and something big is building up, waiting to explode. 

Here Lies Daniel Tate is nothing like All Our Yesterdays, a book that I read and loved several years ago. The two books are so different, yet equally as strong standalone novels. It's a true mark of an author's creativity, when he/she can write across different genres, and he/she does it well.

First, can I talk about the title of this book? I love it so much. It implies death - "here lies ___" is a phrase associated with death and cemeteries and tombstones. BUT. It is perfect because our protagonist, "Danny", is not actually Danny Tate, and he is such a liar. So it's like, here (at this place) lies (not telling the truth) Daniel Tate (not Daniel Tate). I love it!

I don't know what to call the protagonist other than "Danny", because we never find out his real name. The first thirty or so pages of the book show Danny's life in Vancouver, how he is homeless and destitute, living off help from shelters and temporary homes with other homeless boys. But it doesn't last, because he gets into some trouble at one place. He does a little research and decides to impersonate Daniel Tate, at least for a little bit, until he can run again. But things get a little out of hand when the family of Daniel Tate believe him, take him in, and completely integrate him into their lives. Danny is a petty con artist by circumstance, forced to survive in any way he can, but he didn't plan for everything to go so far. 

Danny is a hard character to crack. We know from the start that he isn't Daniel Tate - we get to see exactly how he "chose" Daniel Tate, but we don't really get to know much about him. He is a good actor, and a skilled liar. He looks out for himself, but as the story goes on, he finds that he can't just walk away from this family.

The family is made of four siblings (not including Daniel) and Jessica, their mother. Patrick and Lex are from Jessica's first marriage, and Nicholas, Daniel, and Mia are from her second marriage. Patrick and Lex are both in their twenties; Patrick is a lawyer and handles all of the legal work for Danny's return, and Lex is a 24-year-old on-and-off college student who is a stand-in mother for Danny, since Jessica is not interested in being anyone's mother. Mia is eight (I think?) and the cutest and most accepting sibling. Nicholas is seventeen and it's clear that he doesn't like Danny. Despite that, familial relationships are pretty important in this book (and not just in the way you think), even if Danny isn't actually related to any of these people.The family is dysfunctional at best, but Danny grows to care about each family member. 

Until things take a dark turn.

I won't share too many details about the rest of the story (which is about half or more). I don't want to spoil a thing, because it is rather twisted and I was guessing wrong the whole time. I love how Terrill set things up that way! I'm impressed by how well the mystery aspect of the story was constructed. And how much I grew to like many of the characters - that was surprising, because each one of them had something to hide.

Romance takes a backseat in this book, and so it's there but not really. Danny meets a girl and they hang out from time to time. Ren is really cool and a little odd in her own way, but I like how free-spirited she is. I wish the romance had gone deeper or further, but at the same time, I like that the author didn't take it further. It makes sense, given who "Danny" is.

The ending does not disappoint, in that it is just as trippy as the whole book! Seriously, you will be just as surprised and perplexed. Read the book to find out what I mean!

What I Did Not Like:

No real complaints from me! This book is very different compared to my usual, and I liked it a lot!

Would I Recommend It:

If you're into thrillers and mystery novels, this is a good one! It's a combination of both and it will leave you questioning everything. Danny is the most unreliable narrator I've ever come across, which was amusing, rather than frustrating. Like I said above, this isn't my usual type of read, but I liked it and I wouldn't mind reading more books like this!

Rating:

4 stars. I wonder what the author will come up with next! I'm still hoping for a sequel to All Our Yesterdays, but I'm actually not crying for a sequel to this book. Given the ending, I think this book works really well as a standalone. But I think I need more Terrill stories!


Was this review helpful? Please let me know in the comments section!

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Swoon Thursday (#226): Here Lies Daniel Tate by Cristin Terrill


- From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering

- Try to make the swoon excerpt 140 characters (or less), if you are going to tweet about it. Use the hashtag #YABOUND when tweeting


This week, my swoon is from Here Lies Daniel Tate by Cristin Terrill!


I looked at her for a second, thinking about what I should say, what I should do, what someone other than me would say or do right now.

And then I thought, fuck it. I was already gone. No reason not to do exactly what I wanted.

I pulled her to me and kissed her, My bottom two fingers curled into the top of her pajama bottoms, which were cool and fuzzy-soft, and my top two fingers curled into her flesh, which was sleep-warm and smooth. She was startled, but she didn't pull away, and slowly, she raised one hand to touch my jaw with her fingertips.

I'd never kissed anyone like that before.

Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Ivy Bookshop


This week's swoon is a sweet first kiss! Catch my review of Here Lies Daniel Tate tomorrow. :D

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Waiting on Wednesday (#216): The Keep of Ages by Caragh O'Brien


"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.


This week, I'm featuring:


The Keep of Ages by Caragh O'Brien
Book Three of The Vault of Dreamers series
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Publication Date: August 29, 2017

Summary (from Goodreads):

In the fast-paced, high-stakes conclusion to the Vault of Dreamers trilogy, Rosie travels to a derelict theme park to shut down dream mining once and for all.

Determined to expose Dean Berg's dream mining operation to the world, and desperate to find her suddenly missing family, Rosie follows a series of clues across the country, where she discovers a derelict, horror-themed amusement park hiding a labyrinth of tunnels beneath its grounds. There, Rosie uncovers the vault, where her sister sleeps among the dreamers she is determined to set free. Meanwhile, nefarious subliminal messaging embedded within the Forge Show poses a danger to all who watch. And Rosie discovers the terrifying implications of mining and unlocking the consciousness of countless victims.

Propulsive and deeply speculative, The Keep of Ages concludes the Vault of Dreamers trilogy by taking readers on a wild and satisfying ride. 




I've enjoyed the series so far, so I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how things end!

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Promo and Excerpt: The Devil's Daughter by Katee Robert


Hey friends! Today I'm sharing an excerpt from an upcoming novel by Katee Robert, The Devil's Daughter! I hope you'll enjoy!


About the Book:


The Devil's Daughter by Katee Robert
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Publication Date: January 24, 2017

Official Summary:

Growing up in a small town isn’t easy, especially when you’re the daughter of a local cult leader. Ten years ago, Eden Collins left Clear Springs, Montana, and never once looked back. But when the bodies of murdered young women surface, their corpses violated and marked with tattoos worn by her mother’s followers, Eden, now an FBI agent, can’t turn a blind eye. To catch the killer, she’s going to have to return to the fold.

Sheriff Zach Owens isn’t comfortable putting Eden in danger, even if she is an elite agent. And he certainly wasn’t expecting to be so attracted to her. As calm and cool as she appears, he knows this can’t be a happy homecoming. Zach wants to protect her—from her mother, the cult, and the evil that lurks behind its locked gates. But Eden is his only key to the tight-lipped group, and she may just be closer to the killer than either one of them suspects… 




About the Author:


New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. She found romance novels at age twelve and it changed her life. When not writing sexy contemporary and speculative fiction romance novels, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her wee ones, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.  

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram


The Excerpt:

“Martha.”

Her mother’s eyes lit up and she half pushed to her feet. “Eden. I admit, when Abram told me you were back in town, I could hardly believe it.”

“I’m not back.”

Her smile dimmed, and Eden called herself an idiot ten times over for wanting to do something to bring it back. Manipulation, that’s all it is. Martha motioned to the cups in front of her. “I got your favorite.”

There was nothing else to do but take the empty seat and get this over with. She took a sip—sweet with lots of cream—and didn’t bother to tell Martha she’d switched over to drinking her coffee black a few years back. It would serve no purpose, and her entire goal was to get out of here with the least conversation possible.

“It’s been a long time.”

She shifted, not sure how to take the searching look her mother was giving her, as if she was trying to memorize Eden’s features—or, possibly, was comparing them to the ones she’d had ten years ago. What was there to say? I hated the life you created and forced me into, so I left. You won’t change, and neither will I. This will never be what you want it to be. She couldn’t force the words past her closed throat, so she took another drink of coffee.

Martha hesitated, and then mirrored the motion. “A lot is different from when you were last home.”

Not nearly enough, she’d wager. But if her mother was offering information, she’d be a fool not to get everything she could from Martha. “Oh?”

“Our community has grown. It’s flourishing.” She gave a small self-deprecating smile. “But, then, you didn’t come back to talk about Elysia. How have you been?”

Over the years, she received phone calls from Abram, demanding information at odd times in that quiet terrifying way of his. He never asked more than a few questions, and she never offered more than strictly necessary for those forced check-ins—whatever it took to get him off her back. She didn’t want to now, either. “I’m still working for the government.” Safe enough to admit, since her mother already knew about it.

Sure enough, Martha’s lips thinned. “The FBI.”

“Using the skills I learned from you.” She knew better, but she couldn’t help the dig.

“I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Of course she didn’t. Because Elysia most certainly wasn’t a cult. Right. She didn’t roll her eyes, but it was a near thing. “You might like to pretend otherwise, but I know for a fact that Elysia has been on the FBI watch lists for years, so you’re not fooling everyone.”

“Eden Magdalene, you might be a woman grown, but that doesn’t mean you can take that tone of voice with me.”

Or speak too many truths, apparently. Eden stared at her coffee cup, suddenly exhausted. “I don’t suppose you know anything about a photograph showing up in my email yesterday?” It had all the hallmarks of one taken for an official police investigation, but that didn’t explain how it had found her. She’d had a friend in the tech department try to trace it, but it had been routed through several IP addresses before disappearing into the Internet-ether. Call her paranoid, but her first instinct was that her mother had something to do with it. How was the question, though.

Martha cocked her head to the side, frowning. “I’m not sure what you’re speaking of.”

Of course she wasn’t, though Eden was at a loss to decide if that was truth or because she didn’t want to admit to somehow being the leak in a murder investigation. She sighed. “What am I doing here, Martha? You know very well we couldn’t sit in the same room without going for each other’s throats when I was eighteen, and it would seem nothing’s changed since then.”

“I want what I’ve always wanted, baby. I want you to come home.”

There’s no home for me to come to, not now. Not ever. No matter how much I wish that wasn’t true. She cleared her throat. “I—” Think. Think fast. A hard no would just have Martha digging in her heels, and she wasn’t sure yet if Zach would change his mind. “I’ll think about it.” The lie rolled off her tongue with the ease of long practice. She wasn’t going back. She’d set herself on fire before she willingly walked through the gates of Elysia and put herself under her mother’s control again. The only reason she was here was to make sure no other girls turned up dead.

“It would mean so much.” Martha’s smile brightened, and a traitorous part of Eden brightened in response. It was how it always was with her mother. She rarely had to take the stern role when she could manipulate much more effectively with a soft word and a particular look. And when that wouldn’t work? Well, she wasn’t above getting her hands dirty, either.

Did you do it? Did you see that girl killed?

Eden couldn’t ask. The sheriff had already refused her help, and she’d have to be a special kind of stupid to go investigating on her own. There was nothing she could do without the power of the law on her side. If she tried…

Well, if she tried, there were plenty of unmarked graves in Elysia. What was one more?

Monday, August 15, 2016

Interview with Paula Stokes, Author of Vicarious (and GIVEAWAY!)

Hi folks! Today, I'm sharing my interview with Paula Stokes, author of Vicarious, as well as The Art of Lainey, Liars Inc., and Girl Against the Universe. It's the publication day of Vicarious, and you could win a copy of the book!

Vicarious review | Girl Against the Universe review 


Meet Paula Stokes:


Alyssa: Hi Paula! Thanks for joining me today! And congratulations on another publication! How does it feel to have seven (full-length) books published and out in the world?

Paula: Thank you, Alyssa :) It feels exhausting! But it’s also pretty awesome. I’m looking forward to releasing three more books next year with more on the way after that! :D

Alyssa: You’ve now worked with three different publishers (with regards to those seven novels). How has the experience been different, with each set of books?

Paula: For the books I wrote for Penguin in collaboration with Paper Lantern Lit, I was given a chance to give input on the cover, flap copy, and title, but I was a work-for-hire writer, and as is customary in that type of agreement, the ultimate decisions were made by Penguin and Paper Lantern Lit. 

HarperTeen has also involved me in all of those decisions, and all of my HarperTeen titles were made up by me. I was once asked to rename a book, and I did so after a couple days of pouting ;) (I really liked the title Bad Luck Charm, but now I like Girl Against the Universe even more.) And Tor Teen has involved me more than anyone, showing me stills from the cover photo shoots and asking my opinion on fonts, author blurbs, etc. Working on this book has been very exciting! I also titled Vicarious and the sequel, whose title I am keeping secret for a while ;)

Alyssa: Speaking of titles, how did Vicarious become this book’s title?

Paula: The original title, going back to mid 2012 when I drafted this, was Goodbye Rose. The book started out as more of a missing persons story and later transitioned into a murder mystery, after which I felt like that title didn’t fit. At the same time as I was thinking about titles, I knew I needed to come up with a proper name for the technological experiences Gideon sells. (Throughout drafting I was calling them SIMS, just because I didn’t have a better name and didn’t want to waste brainpower on it.) 

I wanted the word to be an acronym or something easy to pronounce and I toyed with a lot of different words like “sensory”, “amplified”, “integrated”, “realistic”, “neural”, “vicarious”, “neurological”, “simulations”, “scenarios”, “experiences” etc. I finally settled on ViNEs (Vicarious Neural Experiences) but the Vine app launched right when I had this book with beta-readers in early 2013, and my agent decided we should rename the tech just in case Vines became a Thing. (Cue more pouting on my part.) I literally brainstormed everything from AViNEs to SiNEs to ViSEs to RAVEs, to RiNEs, and ViSEs (Vicarious Sensory Experiences) just felt like the best fit. From there the title Vicarious just felt natural because the best titles work on multiple levels and it definitely does. Plus bonus points because it’s the name of a Tool song :)

Alyssa: What are some books that influenced you while writing or coming up with the idea for Vicarious?

Paula: I can’t think of any books that inspired Vicarious. This story is heavily influenced by the time I spent teaching English in Seoul, as well as 90s alternative music like Tool, System of a Down, and NIN, as well as movies like The Matrix, Strange Days, and Inception. I’ve had a while to think about comparison titles, and I feel like fans of Starters, Reboot, The Murder Complex, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and the TV show Mr. Robot will probably enjoy Vicarious.

Alyssa: What is one message that you’d love young readers to take away from Vicarious? There must be! :)

Paula: One message is that there are a lot of different ways to live hollow lives. Winter does a ton of amazing things like snowboard, rock climb, shark dive, and jump off bridges. But there is a point in the book where she realizes that all of the dangerous things she does is her compensating for the fact that she has no social life—she pushes herself not to be afraid of her stunts because that keeps her from having to face the fact that she’s afraid of human interaction. I’m hoping none of my readers are in Winter’s particular situation, but I’m betting there are several people who are so focused on all of their academic pursuits or career goals that they’re basically filling up their lives with things that might not be giving them true meaning. (I am probably one of these people. I find the messages I put in my books are often ones that I need to hear.)

Alyssa: What’s another 2016 YA thriller that you’ve really enjoyed?

Paula: I really enjoyed The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas. That book had a very similar feel to Dark Places by Gillian Flynn and I will definitely be picking up Thomas’s next thriller. I’ve also read some great adult thrillers this year and particularly enjoyed Dare Me by Megan Abbott.

Alyssa: Can you share anything from the book?

Paula: Since I talked about one of Winter’s realizations, let’s do a sneak preview. Also, this interview is lacking in Book Boy Jesse, who I’m sure everyone is dying to meet :D So this passage is about two thirds through the book but not spoilery. Winter and Jesse, her stunt training partner who likes her, are in a hotel room talking the night before they’re going to record a shark diving ViSE.

“Is now a bad time to tell you I’m afraid of sharks?” I ask. “Normally I’d be already nervous about tomorrow, but I’ve been focusing so much on finding Rose’s killers that I’m too exhausted to worry about anything else.”

“Your fear is what’s going to make this an epic ViSE.” Jesse’s voice is full of pride. “I love how you’re the kind of girl who runs toward the thing that scares you, not away from it.” 

I can’t bring myself to tell him he’s only partially right about me, that what scares me the most is other people, and that I run away from almost all of them. That the only people I even talk to are the ones who haven’t grown weary of chasing me. That’s partially why I do all the adventure stuff, why no job is too dangerous for me. Because I’m compensating. Because if I do a bunch of incredibly daring things, then no one can call me a coward. 

“What about my fear of elevators?” I ask.

“You’re not afraid of them. You just don’t like being enclosed,” Jesse says. “That’s a survival instinct. A lot of military guys won’t take elevators either, because being in one is an indefensible position. Plus,” he adds, “no one would pay for an elevator ViSE, so who cares?” 
He’s got a point. And as usual, he knows exactly what to say to make me feel better.

Alyssa: That is it from me! Thank you again for doing the interview, Paula!

Paula: You’re welcome. And thanks for being such a great supporter and long-time reader of my work :)


About the Author:

Paula Stokes is the author of several novels, most recently Vicarious and Girl Against the Universe and Liars, Inc. Her writing has been translated into eleven foreign languages. Paula loves kayaking, hiking, reading, and seeking out new adventures in faraway lands. She also loves interacting with readers. Find her online at authorpaulastokes.com or on twitter as @pstokesbooks.



About the Book:


Vicarious by Paula Stokes
Book One of the Vicarious series
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: August 16, 2016

Summary (from Goodreads):

Winter Kim and her sister, Rose, have always been inseparable. Together, the two of them survived growing up in a Korean orphanage and being trafficked into the United States. 

Now they work as digital stunt girls for Rose’s ex-boyfriend, Gideon, engaging in dangerous and enticing activities while recording their neural impulses for his Vicarious Sensory Experiences, or ViSEs. Whether it’s bungee jumping, shark diving, or grinding up against celebrities at the city’s hottest dance clubs, Gideon can make it happen for you, for a price.

When Rose disappears and a ViSE recording of her murder is delivered to Gideon, Winter won’t rest until she finds her sister’s killer. But when the clues she uncovers conflict with the neural recordings her sister made, Winter isn’t sure what to believe. To find out what happened to Rose, she’ll have to untangle what’s real from what only seems real, risking her life in the process.



The Trailer:



The Giveaway:

Win a copy of Vicarious, courtesy of Tor Teen! USA only. Ends 08/31. Good luck!

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Cover Reveal and Giveaway: 100 Hours by Rachel Vincent


Hey bibliovores! Are you excited for the official cover reveal for 100 Days by Rachel Vincent? I know I am! I've only read one Vincent book - Menagerie - which I liked and definitely want to continue the series. That's an adult series!

Before we get to the cover... Rachel Vincent has a message for us:

In my upcoming YA suspense 100 HOURS, Genesis and her cousin Maddie come from opposite ends of the privilege spectrum, but when they wind up kidnapped for ransom during spring break in Colombia and have no one else to count on, they discover they have more in common than either of them thought.

 If you’ve read any of my previous releases, 100 HOURS probably seems like a departure for a Rachel Vincent book. And that’s what I thought, back when it was just me and an idea. But as I wrote the story and got to know the characters, I realized that even though this book is set in the Colombian jungle and these characters have no supernatural abilities, 100 HOURS is very much a book about the themes that draw me in over and over. Survival. Family friction and loyalty. High-stakes pulse-racing action. Twists, turns, secrets, and revelations. Girls who can fend for themselves—and for anyone else who needs help.


And now, the cover!


100 Hours by Rachel Vincent
Book One of the 100 Hours trilogy
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: March 28, 2017

Official Summary:

Maddie is beyond done with her cousin Genesis’s entitled and shallow entourage. Genesis is so over Miami’s predictable social scene with its velvet ropes, petty power plays, and backstabbing boyfriends.

 While Maddie craves family time for spring break, Genesis seeks novelty—like a last-minute getaway to an untouched beach in Colombia. And when Genesis wants something, it happens.

But paradise has its price. Dragged from their tents under the cover of dark, Genesis, Maddie, and their friends are kidnapped and held for ransom deep inside the jungle—with no diva left behind. It all feels so random to everyone except Genesis. She knows they were targeted for a reason. And that reason is her.

 Now, as the hours count down, only one thing’s for certain: If the Miami hostages can’t set aside their personal problems, no one will make it out alive.



About the Author:


Rachel Vincent is a former English teacher and an eager champion of the Oxford comma. She shares her home in Oklahoma with two cats, two teenagers, and her husband, who’s been her # 1 fan from the start. Rachel is older than she looks and younger than she feels, and she remains convinced that writing about the things that scare her is the cheapest form of therapy—but social media is a close second.



The Giveaway:

Courtesy of the author, there is a blitz-wide giveaway for:

ONE (1) winner will receive a SIGNED SET of a paperback copy of THE STARS NEVER RISE + an ARC of THE FLAME NEVER DIES

Giveaway is US only. Must be 13 or older to enter. Giveaway ends on July 11th at 11:59 PM Pacific.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Review: Vicarious by Paula Stokes


Vicarious by Paula Stokes
Book One of the Vicarious series
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: August 16, 2016
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

Winter Kim and her sister, Rose, have always been inseparable. Together, the two of them survived growing up in a Korean orphanage and being trafficked into the United States. 

Now they work as digital stunt girls for Rose’s ex-boyfriend, Gideon, engaging in dangerous and enticing activities while recording their neural impulses for his Vicarious Sensory Experiences, or ViSEs. Whether it’s bungee jumping, shark diving, or grinding up against celebrities at the city’s hottest dance clubs, Gideon can make it happen for you, for a price.

When Rose disappears and a ViSE recording of her murder is delivered to Gideon, Winter won’t rest until she finds her sister’s killer. But when the clues she uncovers conflict with the neural recordings her sister made, Winter isn’t sure what to believe. To find out what happened to Rose, she’ll have to untangle what’s real from what only seems real, risking her life in the process.

What I Liked:

What a twisted, mind-blowing novel! Part sci-fi, part thriller, this book was exceptional from start to finish. There were so many layers to the story, and to the protagonist, and I couldn't stop reading. I can't really pick out a "favorite" Stokes book, but this one is in my top two!

Winter and her older sister Rose have escaped the orphanage in South Korea, and human trafficking in L.A. Three years after Gideon took her and her sister away from the trafficking, Winter has adjusted well to her life. She suffers from PTSD, but she's better. Gideon has created technology to capture neural impulses, which enables the ViSE (Vicarious Sensory Experiences) user to experience the physical feelings of something, like bungee jumping, or kissing another person. Winter has been doing stunts like jumping off bridges, and running from the police. Rose does something a little different... and one night, she doesn't return home. A ViSE is found in their home, and it's of Rose dying. Winter is determined to find the killer, but the clues are strange. Something isn't adding up, and Winter isn't sure what is real and what is not.

I'm going to be honest - I wasn't sure I wanted to read this one. I've seen the author talk about the conditions that Winter struggles with in this book, such as PTSD, and more. I don't usually like to read books with "tough issues". Books dealing with addiction, rape, prostitution, and so on... I prefer not to read (it's too real, and I'm all about the not-so-real escapism!). But I've read Stokes' other six books, so I figured why not keep going (especially when the publisher drops a galley in your lap. Thank you, Tor!). I'd also like to thank my friend Pili, as this is my June '16 Pili-Pushed choice!

Let's start with Winter. On the outside, she seems like an intense, somewhat cold/distant Korean girl. On the inside, she doesn't like to be touched, and she represses a lot of bad memories from her past. She and her sister have had terrible pasts, going from an orphanage to human trafficking, used as sex slaves. Winter is living with PTSD, and she blacks out and sleep-walks and represses memories subconsciously, but she's been doing really well recently. She lives with her sister, and Gideon (her sister's ex-boyfriend, like a brother to Winter). Jesse Ramirez works for Gideon, and he's Winter's friend. He and Winter record stunts for Gideon.

My heart broke for Winter over and over. At one point, I honestly wanted to stop reading. This really isn't the type of book I personally like to read, especially since Winter's conditions were brought so heavily to the forefront of the book. BUT. It's incredible how well-written everything about Winter's condition and life is, how PTSD affects her in every aspect of living. It blew me away and broke my heart, and I have got to tip my hat to Stokes. What an incredible and powerful story to write.

While this book shows a lot of Winter's struggle with PTSD, it also follows her struggle to find out what happened to her sister. After seeing her sister murdered from a ViSE, Winter is determined to find out more. She and Jesse visit various clubs that Rose used to go to, and they try to hunt down clues and follow Rose's original recordings, before her death. As far as mysteries go, this one was a good one.

I was in NO way prepared for the ending, the final twist. I knew that certain things had to do with the ending and what really happened to Rose... but the way it happened, how Stokes brought it about... wow. My mind was totally blown. I think I had chills at one point. I was and wasn't expecting it - mostly wasn't. I wasn't expecting that magnitude of how-crap-ery. I have no idea HOW Stokes is going to top that twist, in book two!

There is romance in this book! It's not terribly important to the book, but it becomes a bigger part towards the ending, both in a good and bad way. I wanted to shake Winter just a little, at the very end, but then I reminded myself that she had every right to react the way she did. In general, the romance is sweet. And a little sad - Winter had and has a lot going on, but I felt bad for Jesse. It's complicated! As is practically everything in this book.

I am zipping my lips! There are a ton of things that I feel like I could accidentally spoil, which I don't want to do. You'll WANT to have your mind blown by this book and it's ending, trust me. Maybe it's just me but I was so bug-eyed, reading the rest of the book after the big climactic twist. 

I didn't mention anything about the world-building or genres - this novel as science fiction and thriller elements. Science fiction, because of the ViSE tech, which is pretty cool. It's kind of like virtual reality? But not really? Basically you can experience the real feeling of bungee jumping while viewing it, but it feels real because someone actually did it, and recorded his/her neural impulses as he/she was doing it. If that makes sense? And then this book is somewhat of a thriller too. 

Overall, I liked this book. Yes, I'm not a fan of YA books with such a big tough-issue focus. They're just not for me, and yet, I still enjoyed this book very much. And a high-five to Stokes for the diverse characters who didn't seem like they were simply filling an archetype/role!

What I Did Not Like:

Ehh, little things niggled at me, nothing to make me feel negatively towards the book. I've already mentioned that I'm generally not a fan of books with tough issue concepts - but I still liked this book, and thought Stokes did a great job writing the "tough issue" aspects. 

I didn't like that Winter didn't apologize (or get the chance to apologize) at the very very ending. This won't make sense to you since you may not have read the book, but I personally think the author could have ended the book with a short scene including Winter apologizing to a certain someone. She NEEDS to do this, and I really hope she does, in book two. Part of me wants to make excuses for her behavior because she's been through a lot, but then I also remember that she is a teenage girl and overreacted. A lot. Issues or not, she crossed a line. But I'm hoping this is addressed in book two. 

Just a general thought - I hate it when a guy messes up and has to beg and grovel and basically die before the girl forgives him, but if the girl messes up, she doesn't have to apologize or grovel. This is wrong, and romanticizes the idea of relationships. Boys do NOT magically forgive you without you apologizing or talking about it. Nope. This is a pet peeve of mine in fiction, both in YA and adult novels. It drives me crazy!

Would I Recommend It:

I'd recommend this book! It's worth the read, especially since it felt like there was a part of the story that would appeal to this crowd or that crowd. Sci-fi fans, thriller fans, tough-issue fans, etc. The issues I had with this book are fairly minor (ignore the fact that the previous section seems long), and pretty much specific to me/my preferences.

Rating:

4 stars. I'm excited about the sequel for several reasons - I need a sequel to this crazy ride, and it's the conclusion to the series! I do love this duology trend in YA. Less annoying waiting and forgetting-all of-the-details-of-the-series-by-the-time-the-next-book-publishes!


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