Deadly Little Secrets by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Publisher: Disney/Hyperion
Age Group: YA
Rating: 4/5
Source:Bought


Some secrets shouldn't be kept...

Up until three months ago, everything in sixteen-year-old Camelia’s life had been fairly ordinary: decent grades; an okay relationship with her parents; and a pretty cool part-time job at the art studio downtown.  But when Ben, the mysterious new guy, starts junior year at her high school, Camelia’s life becomes anything but ordinary.

Rumored to be somehow responsible for his ex-girlfriend’s accidental death, Ben is immediately ostracized by everyone on campus. Except for Camelia. She’s reluctant to believe the rumors, even when her friends try to convince her otherwise.  She’s inexplicably drawn to Ben…and to his touch.  But soon, Camelia is receiving eerie phone calls and strange packages with threatening notes. Ben insists she is in danger, and that he can help—but can he be trusted? She knows he's hiding something... but he's not the only one with a secret.

 

 

I first became familiar with Laurie Faira Stolarz when I read her BLUE IS FOR NIGHTMARES series. That series had everything from mystery to horror to romance. And when I found out she was beginning a new series, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.

 

DEADLY LITTLE SECRETS is the first book in the series and it starts off with Camelia almost being hit by a car and dying, but that doesn't happen because Ben comes and saves her. He denies that he saved her, but she still insists that he did. Now, I know this sounds a lot like TWILIGHT and while reading it, I did get that deja vu feeling as well, but the book is different than TWILIGHT. Ben has this psychic gift called psychometry that he can see the future to anyone her touches - which is why he refuses to touch Camelia or anyone else. He sences that Camelia is in danger and she herself relaizes that as well and begins worrying about it and the entire time, I was trying to figure out who the murderer was, but I could never find him. Everytime I thought it was someone, it turned out to be someone else.

 

The ending is a total shocker and I was blown away when I read it. This book is a quick read since it about 270 pages long and the font size is quite a bit big. But besides that, it keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time and you just can't stop reading.

 

I love the cover and the vintage dress the girl is waring and it seems as though she's laying there still or dead (can't figure it out), but that too gives the book a creep factor.

Future Reads

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

(Greewillow Books - 9/20/11

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger
(Poppy - 9/5/11)

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay
(Delacorte Books for Young Readers - 9/13/11)

Melody Burning by Whitley Strieber
(Henry Holt, CO. - 12/6/11)

Pure Red by Danielle Joseph
(Flux - 9/8/11)

Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach

Publisher: Speak

Age Group: YA
Rating: 5/5
Source: Publisher

Caitlyn Monahan knows she belongs somewhere else. It's what her dead mother's note suggested, and it's what her recurring nightmares allude to.

Desperate to flee these terrifying dreams--and her small town--she accepts a spot at a boarding school in France. Only, when she arrives, her nightmares get worse.

But then there are her amazing dreams, so vivid and so real, with visits from an alluring, mysterious, and gorgeous Italian boy from the 1500s. Caitlyn knows they are soul mates, but how can she be in love with someone who exists only in her dreams?

Then, as her reality and dream world collide, Caitlyn searches for the real reason why she was brought to this school. And what she discovers will change her life forever.

When I first began reading WAKE UNTO ME, I was grabbed from the beginning. I found myself not able to leave this book since it was all heart pounding action and mystery. This is the type of book I've been waiting for such a long time to read!

Caitlin has been haunted by her dreams since she was a little girl. Some of them aren't harmful, but others are lurid. She is trying to find herself, but always sees that she does not belong in Oregon and to her suprise, she receives a full scholorship to Chateau de la Fortune in France. There, in her dreams, she meets a handsome boy, Raphael, in her dreams. She feels this close attractiveness to him that she can't explain and both of them find a mystery of their school, but the frightening part is when Caitlin finds her destiny and what she is.

During the beginning of the book, I was happy that Caitlin was about to find herself and feel happy in Chateau de la Fortune, but once the middle of the book came, I just couldn't stop reading. I had to know what the secrets were and what was going to happen to Caitlin.

There were so many twists and turns in this book that I found myself wanting to read faster just to find out what was going to happen because the anxiety just kept on building up. I can't even find words to descibe this book on how amazing it was.

The cover too is beautiful with the boy who is a ghost and the girl holding onto him. So mysterious, yet thrilling.

Overall, this was a great book and I recommend you buying this one when it comes out on March 31, 2011.

Future Reads

The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen
(Egmont USA - 9/27/11)
This cover looks amazing and it just seems like it's going to be a mysterious, creepy read.

Lola and the Boy Next Door (Book #2) by Stephanie Perkins
(Dutton Juvenile - 9/29/11)
I loved Anna and The French Kiss and this one seems that it's going to be equally great!

Crossed (Book #2) by Ally Condie
(Dutton Juvenile - 11/1/11)
Sequal to Matched!!

Die For Me by Amy Plum

(HarperTeen - 5/10/11)

Sounds so cool and look at the cover ... beautiful!

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

(Pilomel - 7/26/11)

Sequal to Nightshade! I loved that book so much.

Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey

(Penguin - 5/8/11)

Look at that cover ... stunning, plus it sounds amazing as well. Can't wait for this one!

Still Waters by Emma Carlson Berne

(Simon Pulse - 5/20/11)

Sounds creepy..!!

The Pledge by Kimberly Deting

(Margaret K. McElderry - 4/15/11)

It's Kimberly Derting and all her books are scary and great!! Can't wait to get my hands on this one.

Dark Visions by L.J. Smith

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Age Group: YA
Pages:
Rating: 4/5
Source: Bought

GIFTED AND CURSED
Kaitlyn Fairchild has always felt like an outsider in her small hometown. Her haunting eyes and prophetic drawings have earned her a reputation as a witch. But Kait's not a witch: She's a psychic. Tired of being shunned, Kait accepts an invitation to attend the Zetes Institute, where she can have a fresh start and study with other psychic teens.

Learning to hone her abilities with four other gifted students, Kait discovers the intensity of her power -- and the joy of having true friends. But those friendships quickly become complicated when Kait finds herself torn between two irresistible guys. Rob is kind and athletic, and heals people with his good energy. Gabriel is aggressive and mysterious, a telepath concealing his true nature as a psychic vampire, feeding off of others' life energy. Together, Rob and Gabriel's opposing forces threaten the group's stability.

Then one of the experiments traps the five teens in a psychic link. A link that threatens their sanity and their lives. And Kaitlyn must decide whom to trust...and whom to love.

After falling in love with the TV show THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, I was eager to read DARK VISIONS by L.J Smith and see her books. The writing was not complicated and the book would go by in a breeze. The chapters were very long though and I have a habit that I enjoy stopping before a new chapter begins, but it took forever here for a new chapter to begin.

Kaitlin was a fun character with unique abilities. All her life she was made fun of for looking like a witch and now she finally found a hoe where she feels safe and better, only to find out secrets in it. The book did get slow at times and I found myself skimming through all the detail that was taking away from the story. But this story does have a love triangle and I've noticed all of L.J Smith's stories do (hence THE VAMPIRE DIARIES).

I really liked how Simon Pulse combined all the books in the trilogy into one since it makes it easier to carrie around one large book rather than three individual books. The cover chosen is very mysterious, yet simple. There's not much going on and doesn't give away anything since all the books are combined together.

Overall, if you're a fa of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES T.V. show or have read other L.J Smith books, give this one a try since it was a great read.

Along For The Rise by Sarah Dessen

Publisher: Viking
Age Group: YA
Pages: 416
Rating: 5/5
Source: Bought

It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.
A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.
In her signature pitch-perfect style, Sarah Dessen explores the hearts of two lonely people learning to connect.

I immediatly fell in love with this book after I read the synopsis on the front jacket. I'm not a big fan of chick-lit books, but this one caught my attention and I thought to myself, why not give it a try. This book totally changed my mind about chick-lit novels.

Auden has insomnia and her parents are divorced. For the sumer beofre college she goes to the beach town where her dad lives and there she meets Eli. Eli is an amazing, sweet guy who cares a lot about Auden and too has insomnia. While everyone is asleep at night, the two are out.

This isn't the first book I've read by Sarah Dessen, but it is my favorite. The story was so well developed and the characters were so well formed that I felt as though I was in the story myself. The ending was a bit confusing for me and I reread it a couple of times, hoping that I would understand it, but it still was hard.

The cover is very cute. With Eli and Auden together on the cover and the bicycle there is the book all together. P.S the bike does play a part in the book for Auden.

Overall, if you're a fan of Sarah Dessen, go and read this book. It's amazing and it's a great story.

Lemniscate Quote Hope

Lemniscate Quote Hop is leading up to the release of Lemniscate!!!! On March 21 I, along with other blogs (check out the blogs on Jennifer Murgia's website), will be posting Chapter 1 of Lemniscate!

Whoever comments will be entered to win signed copies of LEMNISCATE and ANGEL STAR!!! Now is that exciting or what. I cannot wait for ths book to be released!

Lemniscate Description:

For Teagan, these last few months have been heaven on earth- especially now that Garreth, her boyfriend and guardian angel, is earthbound. But perhaps Garreth is becoming a little more human than either of them expected.
Now, Teagan must realize that her world is once again about to shift, as she questions the faith she held in others against those once considered enemies.
In this continuation of Angel Star, Lemniscate will draw you even deeper into the world of dark and light as Teagan realizes the angel who could possibly save them all is the one angel she feared the most.



“Yeah, but it still smells like socks.”

The Mark by Jen Nadol

Publisher: Razorbill

Age Group: YA
Pages: 240
Rating: 4/5
Source: Publisher

Cassandra Renfield has always seen the mark—a glow around certain people reminiscent of candlelight. But the one time she mentioned it, it was dismissed as a trick of the light. Until the day she watches a man awash in the mark die. After searching her memories, Cassie realizes she can see a person’s imminent death. Not how or where, only when: today.

Armed with a vague understanding of the light, Cassie begins to explore her “gift,” seeking those marked for death and probing the line between decision and destiny. Though she’s careful to hide her secret—even from her new philosophy-obsessed boyfriend—with each impending death comes the temptation to test fate. But so many questions remain. How does the mark work? Why is she the only one who sees it? And finally, the most important of all: If you know today is someone’s last, should you tell them?

It took me a while to write a review for this book. I didn't really know what to think of it. It was a very different book from others that I've read, but yet good. Cassie has the ability to see a trick of light which basically shows her that that person will die soon, but she doesn't know when or how and she's never able to save them. And that's what hurts her most.

Cassie's ability was very unique because I've never read about it before, but at times I did find the book going a bit slow. I was wishing for more action, but towards the end, the book did pick up and it bcame interesting.

Cassie was a fun and likable character. She wasn't too full of herself and I sympathized for her. The entire time I was reading the book, I was wondering what would I do if I was in her shoes with her ability. I probabaly would just go crazy and would try my best to ignore it. But my favorite part of the story was when Cassie meets this psychiatrist and she shows Cassie so much, especially about her mother and the connection between Cassie, her mother, and her ability.

Also, the cover is GORGEOUS. I love purple and the light surrounding the flower on the girl just captures the mystery of Cassie's ability in a way that sort of hard to understand.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and will be reading the sequal, VISION, when it comes out.