Pages: 310
Publication date: August 20, 2013

Publisher: Harper Teen

How I got the copy: Library

Rating:  3 Stars
  

    
  

From Goodreads:

Asylum is a thrilling and creepy photo-novel perfect for fans of the New York Times bestseller Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

For sixteen-year-old Dan Crawford, New Hampshire College Prep is more than a summer program—it's a lifeline. An outcast at his high school, Dan is excited to finally make some friends in his last summer before college. But when he arrives at the program, Dan learns that his dorm for the summer used to be a sanatorium, more commonly known as an asylum. And not just any asylum—a last resort for the criminally insane.

As Dan and his new friends, Abby and Jordan, explore the hidden recesses of their creepy summer home, they soon discover it's no coincidence that the three of them ended up here. Because the asylum holds the key to a terrifying past. And there are some secrets that refuse to stay buried.

Featuring found photos of unsettling history and real abandoned asylums and filled with chilling mystery and page-turning suspense, Madeleine Roux's teen debut, Asylum, is a horror story that treads the line between genius and insanity.

    The first time I ever laid eyes on this cover I got chills.  It's so creepy and definitely what my nightmares are made of.  But sadly, it wasn't scary at all.  Upon reading the last sentence of the book I was left thinking "this is not what I signed up for".  Where were the creepy ghosts that I was promised on the cover?

Number of Pgs.: 400

Publication date: May 28, 2013

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Mystery

How I got the copy: Won from April

Rating:  3 Stars
  

From Goodreads:

Things you earnestly believe will happen while your parents are away:
1. You will remember to water the azaleas.
2. You will take detailed, accurate messages.
3. You will call your older brother, Denny, if even the slightest thing goes wrong.
4. You and your best friend/bandmate Lukas will win Battle of the Bands.
5. Amid the thrill of victory, Lukas will finally realize you are the girl of his dreams.
Things that actually happen:
1. A stranger calls who says he knew your sister.
2. He says he has her stuff.
3. What stuff? Her stuff.
4. You tell him your parents won’t be able to—
5. Sukey died five years ago; can’t he—
6. You pick up a pen.
7. You scribble down the address.
8. You get on your bike and go.
9. Things . . . get a little crazy after that.*
*also, you fall in love, but not with Lukas.

Plot: 3/10

Characters: 3/10

Setting: 6/10

Pacing: 7/10

Style: 8/10

Cover:  The orange stands out among all those blue, black, and white covers that seem to be gracing the shelves these days.  I like that the girls hair has fluidity and seems wild...like the title suggests.

27+50=77 (3 Stars)

    In the notes that I took while reading the first few chapters, I actually wrote "Wtf did I just get myself into?".  I think that pretty much sums up my experience with this book.  I was thoroughly confused by the main character, yet highly entertained and intrigued at what she'd do next.  The underlying mystery of how her sister died and then what Skunk was hiding kept me turning pages.  And author takes her time revealing pieces to the puzzle so that your curiosity is killing you by the time you find out.

     But I just couldn't get past my dislike for the main character.  She has no self-preservation at all.  And what's worse is what happens is not realistic.  She goes to the ghetto to a hotel and trusts random strangers, at night, and didn't tell anyone where she was going.  And yet she manages not to get raped and chopped up into pieces and thrown into a ditch.  I understood she needed answers about her sister's death, but it just seemed so unrealistic and out of character for her since the beginning of the book she's little miss perfect.  I also get that the truth "wakes her up" and she kind of loses her mind from being lied to for so long.   It did make for an entertaining book, but personally it didn't work for me.

     What I did enjoy was the character Skunk.  He was like a big teddy bear, or a love bison as I think Kiri refers to him.  He's quirky and kind.  I'd never read another character like him before--especially not a love interest.  I also liked the author's writing style.  I think this is what kept me from DNFing the book the most.  Her writing is so descriptive and flows so poetically.  She uses a lot of similes which helped me become part of the story instead of just being an observer.  However, there was a simile every other sentence it seemed.  It got a bit excessive after awhile.  I was reading an ARC though so maybe the final copy was different.  

      If you can get past all the cray cray, the writing is worth it.  It was hands down the weirdest book I have ever read, but it was somehow captivating, entertaining, and interesting.

Number of Pgs.: 544

Publication date: October 23, 2012

Publisher: Simon & Schuster 
Genre: YA, Mystery, Paranormal, Supernatural, Thriller

How I got the copy: Bought

Rating:  5 Stars

From Goodreads:

Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.

She can’t.

She used to think her problems were all in her head.

They aren’t.

She couldn’t imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.

She’s wrong.

In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?

Plot: 9/10

Characters: 9/10

Setting: 10/10

Pacing: 10/10

Style: 10/10

Cover:  I love the covers for this series.  The color in this one is perfect.  It's dark and sets the mood of the book.  It also reminds me of the color of the dress she wears during the amazing beach scene.

48+50=98 (5 Stars)

    Wow.  Ladies and gentlemen I think I just found my new favorite series.  This book really messed with my mind, but in a good way.  I didn't know what was real and what was hallucinations.  I love that slowly pieces of the puzzle are starting to make sense.  I was a little confused with the flashbacks with India though so I hope that's clarified in book three. 

     While we're on this journey with Mara to unravel these secrets of her past, we are also getting a better understand of Noah and his pain.  I was able to predict a few minor things, but overall I was really surprised where Michelle went with the story.  While talking to Judy over at Paper Riot (you can find her review below), we discussed how it felt like there was a genre shift in this story.  I loved that though.

     Noah is just so swoon-worthy it's a tad ridiculous.  He's up there next to Daemon and Aiden on my list of book boyfriends I wish were real.  And Mara's a great character too.  She's a little self deprecating and whiny in this one by thinking she deserves bad things to happen to her.  But I guess if I was doing what she was I'd hate myself too.  I like that there were some new characters introduced and some old favorites, like Daniel, were back and didn't disappoint.  I love that Mara's family seems to be really close.  You don't see that much in YA books anymore.

     This book was the perfect balance of humor, steamy romantic scenes, and action.  There was some paranormal/sci fi thrown in and mystery as well.  Be warned though, there is a cliffhanger...I'm pretty sure I need book three asap.  Standing ovation for Michelle Hodkin!

Number of Pgs.: 452

Publication date: September 27, 2011

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Genre: YA, Mystery, Paranormal, Supernatural, Thriller

How I got the copy: Bought

Rating:  5 Stars

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.

Plot: 9/10

Characters: 9/10

Setting: 9/10

Pacing: 10/10

Style: 10/10

Cover:  I love underwater covers and this one is no exception.  The first time I read this book it was because the cover caught my eye at the library!

47+50=97 (5 Stars)

     I had reviewed this book the first time I read it, but it was when I was first starting out blogging and it was on my old blog so here it is reposted and then a paragraph about my rereading experience.

-Electrifying physical and emotional attraction between main characters

-Fast paced action scenes
-Well Written
-Suspense
-Murder Mystery 

Check, check, and check!  This book had all of the above and more, making it one of the most unexpectedly exciting reads of 2011.  I only wish I had picked it up sooner.  I immediately connected with the main character, Mara.  Here sarcastic, yet hilarious, sense of humor had me laughing out loud at times.  It's very rare that you see an author write dialogue that is close to how teens actually speak to each other.  (I will advise that there is some cursing in there, for those of you readers who might take offense.)  Mara's love interest, Noah, is British, rich, an animal lover, and hot!  He is also very mysterious and sly.  The way those two interacted was very entertaining and had me laughing one moment and on the edge of my seat the next. 

I am proud to say I figured out who the murderer was halfway through the book!  I liked that the reader is provided with enough clues.  I always get frustrated during Law and Order when they introduce the murderer in the last three minutes of the episode.  It's no fun when you can't guess.  I also liked how even once I knew who did it there was still a bigger mystery that we won't figure out until book two.  My one complaint is that Mara is a little self hating in the end and it comes off a little whiny and ridiculous, but other than that I love everything about this book.        

    In my rereading experience I fell in love with this book even more if that's possible.  After blogging for a year and reading a lot more books than I had the first time I read this, I can honestly say this is in my top five books I love.  So if that's not enough of a reason for you to go read it check out the quotes I love below or read some more reviews.

Number of Pgs.: 288

Publication date: April 9, 2013

Publisher: Soho Teen
Genre: Science Fiction, YA, Mystery

How I got the copy: From publisher in exchange for an honest review (Thanks Soho Teen!)

Rating:  4 Stars

From Goodreads:

17-year-old Sophie lies on her deathbed in California, awaiting the inevitable loss of her battle with cancer…
17-year-old Declan stares down two armed thugs in a back alley in Galway, Ireland…
17-year-old Anat attempts to traverse a booby-trapped tunnel between Israel and Egypt…

All three strangers should have died at the exact same moment, thousands of miles apart. Instead, they awaken together in an abandoned hospital—only to discover that they’re not alone. Three other teens from different places on the globe are trapped with them. Somebody or something seems to be pulling the strings. With their individual clocks ticking, they must band together if they’re to have any hope of surviving.  

Soon they discover that they've been trapped in a future that isn't of their making: a deadly, desolate world at once entirely familiar and utterly strange. Each teen harbors a secret, but only one holds the key that could get them home. As the truth comes to light Sophie, Declan, Anat, and the rest must decide what to do with a second chance at life—if they can survive to claim it.

Plot: 8/10

Characters: 4/10

Setting: 6/10

Pacing: 8/10

Style: 6/10

Cover:  The cover caught my attention right away.  I love the dark figures and how they're positioned.  It's creepy and mysterious.

32+50=82 (4 Stars)

    I was looking for something different than the predictable dystopian/paranormal books I had been reading lately.  Strangelets broke that streak for me.  I was entertained the whole time because I couldn't figure out how the characters would make it out alive.  And to my surprise some of them didn't!  It was so fast paced that it was like being on that roller coaster, Kingda Ka.  It shoots up on one high speed and then ends abruptly.  Right from the first page the adventure begins immediately which I loved, but the ending wrapped up a little to quickly for my liking.  I was really excited that this was a standalone because those are few and far between these days, but I thought that it should have had a more satisfying ending.  I wanted to know more, but maybe the author is planning a companion novel or something.
     Since this was definitely a more plot driven book, the characters kind of fell flat for me.  The only character I cared about was Declan because he had the most personality and Sophie a little bit too because she was sick.  Since we get the perspective from three characters it was kind of hard to connect with them.  But I absolutely loved that one of the characters turns out to not be who you think they are.  I didn't see that coming at all.
     The style of writing reminded me of City of Bones in that ever chapter ended in a cliffhanger and then switched perspective.  It made it impossible to put down because I just had to know what happened to the characters from two chapters previous.  I also loved the Science in this book.  I hadn't read any YA that had wormholes/portals that weren't fantasy or paranormal.  I liked that the characters came from all over the world too so I got a look into other cultures and settings.  Despite my struggles to connect emotionally with the characters, I was glad that they were realistic.  It wasn't like those scary movies where I'm screaming at the tv because the character does something stupid.

 

     Basically, if you're looking for a quick, dark, mysterious read with a pinch of Science Fiction you should definitely get this book.