Book Review: Leah on the Offbeat

Title: Leah on the Offbeat (#Creekwood #2)
Author: Becky Albertalli
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary | Romance | LGBTQIA+
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: April 24, 2018
Source: Purchased
Format: Physical

Leah Burke—girl-band drummer, master of deadpan, and Simon Spier’s best friend from the award-winning Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda—takes center stage in this novel of first love and senior-year angst.
When it comes to drumming, Leah Burke is usually on beat—but real life isn’t always so rhythmic. An anomaly in her friend group, she’s the only child of a young, single mom, and her life is decidedly less privileged. She loves to draw but is too self-conscious to show it. And even though her mom knows she’s bisexual, she hasn’t mustered the courage to tell her friends—not even her openly gay BFF, Simon.
So Leah really doesn’t know what to do when her rock-solid friend group starts to fracture in unexpected ways. With prom and college on the horizon, tensions are running high. It’s hard for Leah to strike the right note while the people she loves are fighting—especially when she realizes she might love one of them more than she ever intended (goodreads). 

Well, that was a disappointment. 

Book Review: Shadowsong

Title: Shadowsong  (Wintersong #2)
Author: S. Jae-Jones
Genre: Young Adult | Historical Fantasy | Romance
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: February 6, 2018
Source: Publisher
Format:  eARC

Six months after the end of Wintersong, Liesl is working toward furthering both her brother’s and her own musical careers. Although she is determined to look forward and not behind, life in the world above is not as easy as Liesl had hoped. Her younger brother Josef is cold, distant, and withdrawn, while Liesl can’t forget the austere young man she left beneath the earth, and the music he inspired in her. 
When troubling signs arise that the barrier between worlds is crumbling, Liesl must return to the Underground to unravel the mystery of life, death, and the Goblin King—who he was, who he is, and who he will be. What will it take to break the old laws once and for all? What is the true meaning of sacrifice when the fate of the world—or the ones Liesl loves—is in her hands (goodreads)?

Shadowsong lacked in answers and fostering sympathetic characters. 

Book Review: An Enchantment of Ravens

Title: An Enchantment of Ravens
Author: Margaret Rogerson
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Romance | Fae
Publisher: Margaret McElderry Books
Publication Date: September 26, 2017
Source: ALA
Format: ARC

Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized among them. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes – a weakness that could cost him his life.
Furious and devastated, Rook spirits her away to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime. Waylaid by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the tainted influence of the Alder King, and hideous monsters risen from barrow mounds, Isobel and Rook depend on one another for survival. Their alliance blossoms into trust, then love, violating the fair folks’ ruthless Good Law. There's only one way to save both their lives, Isobel must drink from the Green Well, whose water will transform her into a fair one—at the cost of her Craft, for immortality is as stagnant as it is timeless.
Isobel has a choice: she can sacrifice her art for a future, or arm herself with paint and canvas against the ancient power of the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel (goodreads).

Welp, I should have known. 

Book Review: The Bone Season

Title: The Bone Season (The Bone Season #1)
Author: Samantha Shannon
Genre: Adult // Urban Fantasy // Magic
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Publication Date: August 20, 2013
Format: Physical
Source: Borrowed (Library)

The year is 2059. Nineteen-year-old Paige Mahoney is working in the criminal underworld of Scion London, based at Seven Dials, employed by a man named Jaxon Hall. Her job: to scout for information by breaking into people's minds. For Paige is a dreamwalker, a clairvoyant and, in the world of Scion, she commits treason simply by breathing.
It is raining the day her life changes for ever. Attacked, drugged and kidnapped, Paige is transported to Oxford – a city kept secret for two hundred years, controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. Paige is assigned to Warden, a Rephaite with mysterious motives. He is her master. Her trainer. Her natural enemy. But if Paige wants to regain her freedom she must allow herself to be nurtured in this prison where she is meant to die.
The Bone Season introduces a compelling heroine and also introduces an extraordinary young writer, with huge ambition and a teeming imagination. Samantha Shannon has created a bold new reality in this riveting debut (goodreads).

It's not you The Bone Season, it's me. 

Book Review: Crimson Bound

 Title: Crimson Bound
Author: Rosamund Hodge
Genre: Young Adult // Retellings // Romance // Action // Fantasy
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date:  May 5, 2015
Format: eARC
Source:Publisher // Edelweiss

When Rachelle was fifteen she was good—apprenticed to her aunt and in training to protect her village from dark magic. But she was also reckless— straying from the forest path in search of a way to free her world from the threat of eternal darkness. After an illicit meeting goes dreadfully wrong, Rachelle is forced to make a terrible choice that binds her to the very evil she had hoped to defeat.
Three years later, Rachelle has given her life to serving the realm, fighting deadly creatures in an effort to atone. When the king orders her to guard his son Armand—the man she hates most—Rachelle forces Armand to help her find the legendary sword that might save their world. As the two become unexpected allies, they uncover far-reaching conspiracies, hidden magic, and a love that may be their undoing. In a palace built on unbelievable wealth and dangerous secrets, can Rachelle discover the truth and stop the fall of endless night?
Inspired by the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood, Crimson Bound is an exhilarating tale of darkness, love, and redemption (goodreads).

If you're looking forward to this book  because you think it's going to be an epic romance like Cruel Beauty, don't hold your breath. 

Plot: Guys, it physically hurts me to write this review, because I wanted to ADORE this book. But the deeper I got into the story, the less I was feeling it. We start with young Rachelle who is learning to be a woodwife from her aunt. Although she knows that she is never to venture out into the woods, curiosity gets the better of her in true Red Riding Hood fashion. Fast forward a few years, and Rachelle is a Bloodbound. Taken by the forest but allowed to live as long as she serves the Crown. From there, all semblances to Little Red Riding Hood are gone and it becomes and epic fantasy of rebellion and monsters. Let's through some romance in there for good measure. 

My main problem with Crimson Bound is that it tried to do too much for one book. The people are uneasy with their aging king so Rachelle is called to guard one of the king's (many) illegitimate sons from possible assassination. Along with that, Rachelle is on a secret mission to find two swords that will destroy a legendary evil - a legendary evil that no one else really cares about. Once I felt comfortable with a specific plot point and was starting to get into the story, I felt rushed to another conflict. 

Characters: I appreciate Hodge because she is not afraid to write flawed characters, and Rachelle is no saint. I liked Rachelle's determination to avenge loved ones and find redemption. Her friendship with Amelie was sweet, as it was evident that Rachelle didn't think she deserved any kindness in life, and I felt that she was her most vulnerable with Amelie. 

There is an odd sort of love triangle between Rachelle and two suitors. I was most looking forward to Crimson Bound because of the romance of Cruel Beauty left me breathless. Here, it's a nuisance. With so much happening, I didn't have time to care about Rachelle and her conflicted emotions, and her interactions with both guys lack any sort of emotion. 

World Building: The world of Crimson Bound is heavily French influenced from the language and fashion. The world is described like a high fantasy a la Game of Thrones. There is a kingdom, a magical forest, and uneasy civilians - everything sounds like the run of the mill high fantasy epic.

Short N Sweet: Crimson Bound was something I didn't expect. With so many subplots going on at the same time, I wish the romance hadn't been included at all.

[Book Review]Asylum

Title: Asylum (Asylum #1)
Author: Madeleine Roux
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: YA // Mystery // Ghosts // Supernatural
Format: Physical Copy
Source: Library

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 (goodreads).

A creepy ride that doesn't quite answer all of the questions that it poses. 

Plot: The title and the promise of a bunch of kids wandering around an old asylum made me pick up this book, regardless of the many negative reviews I've seen on the internet. This book reminded me a bit of Miss. Peregrine in the fact that the novel was accompanied by creepy images, so that made the reading experience more enjoyable. The beginning was full of so many mysteries and I had so many questions that I was excited to see how it all wrapped up. Instead of a conclusion, we get a pseudo-ending in which all the falling action happens within a page or two and all of the storylines are wrapped up in the same amount of pages. It wasn't quite the satisfying ending that I was looking for. :/

Characters: The main character is quite of an enigma, I couldn't really place his personality. Dan seemed to place an importance on education, but mocked others who were more studious than he was. He was kind of a jerk in my opinion. Dan is flanked by his two insta-besties, Abby, the love interest, and Jordan, Abby's insta-gay-best friend. Because the book is so short, their relationship seems to be on fast forward with weird mood swings in the middle (I like you one moment, then I hate you, then I'm sighing and apologizing. Repeat). I think the mood swings had something to do with the  ~negative energy~ of the asylum, but the matter was never really acknowledged. 

World Building :Asylum gets full points for this section mostly because of the images that were inserted in the novel as well. They were a great companion to the novel and definitely upped the creepy factor. There were images of the asylum, old medical tools and even the old staff. It delivered in the small-town-secret creepiness! 

Short N Sweet:Asylum was full of promises in the beginning, but I felt let down as the ending didn't answer most of the questions that it had set up; instead it chose to race through the action and left  me with a feeling of dissatisfaction. 

Book Review: The Girl in the Park

Title: The Girl in the Park
Author: Maria Fredericks
Publisher:  Schwartz & Wade
Genre: Young Adult // Murder // Mystery
Format: eBook
Source: Library

When Wendy Geller's body is found in Central Park after the night of a rager, newspaper headlines scream,"Death in the Park: Party Girl Found Strangled." But shy Rain, once Wendy's best friend, knows there was more to Wendy than just "party girl." As she struggles to separate the friend she knew from the tangle of gossip and headlines, Rain becomes determined to discover the truth about the murder. Written in a voice at once immediate, riveting, and utterly convincing, Mariah Frederick's mystery brilliantly exposes the cracks in this exclusive New York City world and the teenagers that move within it (goodreads). 

For a while I was stuck between a 2.5 rating and a 3 rating. Unfortunately, even though Maria Fredericks talks about series topics for the YA crowd, the formulaic plot couldn't raise this book to a 3. 

Plot: A young girl goes missing after a house party one night and she is found strangled and sexually assaulted the next day. I chose this book because it's the classic YA murder mystery, especially when it involves a strained relationship. The novel starts right in the action; our MC, Rain, receives a call early one morning from her ex-best friend's mother wondering if she knew Wendy's whereabouts. The novel progresses as Rain finds clues that leads her to believe that the culprit was a fellow classmate and she does whatever she can to bring justice to Wendy Greller. I really liked that Rain was a fragile creature with insecurities. This novel is as much about Rain's attempt to find herself as it is to find Wendy's killer. I also liked that Fredricks brings addresses the issue of victim-blaming and slut-shaming. These are very serious issues in the media and it was good to see it addressed for the high school crowd. Unfortunately, the mystery was too easy to solve and I felt like I was reading just to confirm my theory (it was confirmed). There were no new developments, just waiting for Rain to realize what you, the reader, had already realized. 

Characters: Rain is a very interesting main character. She was born with a cleft palate which made her the target for most of her young life. As the book is fairly short (just 224 pages) and was not enough to get to know the characters. We meet Rain who has the most development, Taylor who is Rain's best friend, and Nico who is the prime suspect. I didn't make a connection with any of the characters, I barely made one with Rain. There are hints about Rain's personal life situation, but not enough to form a full picture. 

Setting: The Girl in the Park takes place at an upper class New York high school. There isn't much to say about it. Rain moves mostly between her house and school, and I couldn't really make a clear image of what everyday life was for the residents. Many of characters allude to the socioeconomic status of the neighborhood and how there are outsiders, but I didn't get that. From anyone. 

Short n Sweet: Maria Fredericks' The Girl in the Park is a stereotypical "party-girl-found-dead whodunnit with no surprises or loops. The characters are mostly one dimensional but Fredericks does make the issue of slut shaming a focus and how people are eager to blame the victim rather than the true culprit.  

Review: Dead of Night by Lynn Viehl

True love . . . and an undying obsession
Catlyn Youngblood has a secret life. Despite being a natural-born vampire hunter like her two older brothers, Cat has fallen for Jesse--an ageless boy from a centuries-old vampire clan.
Cat's job cataloging rare, mystical texts at a bookstore allows her to meet with Jesse alone every evening. But when girls who look disturbingly similar to Cat start disappearing from town, Cat and Jesse discover frightening clues to their whereabouts within the book collection. Together, they must stop a crazed man from realizing his dark scheme-- one that would claim Cat's life.

 1/2

ARC provided by Netgalley! Merci!

When I requested this book I didn't know that it was the second book in the series, but after reading this book....I have no idea what the first book could possibly be about. 

Vampire Hunter Cat has a secret. She is dating a vampire. With her supernatural BF, they discover a mystery in hopes of stopping girls from disappearing. 

As you can see from my rating, this book was just not my cup of tea. I did not find the plot engaging, nor did I understand what was going on for stretches of text. To be honest, I found myself glancing over pages because it seemed unnecessary. Nothing felt connected. We jump from Cat sneaking around with her boyfriend,  to working at an old bookstore and to tending to horses with her family. There was no aspect of this story that I cared about. 

In regards to the characters, they all fell flat. The most interesting characters, in my opinion, were Cat's brothers who struggle to give her a "normal" life. Cat was all over the place and Jesse had the whole "Edward" thing going it. He seemed to only live for Cat and that just does not make for an interesting love interest (if I'm correct...he lives in a cabin in the woods?). 

The writing could have used some polishing, but I think my lack of interest stems from Cat's point of view. There was nothing interesting about her and I grew bored listening to her prattle on about her struggle between making her family happy and loving Jesse. 

In short, this book was not for me. 

The Last Beginning

The Last Beginning (Curse of the Phoenix #3) by RACHEL FIRASEK

Though she’s always hated being a phoenix, Sadie has to admit immortality has its advantages. She’s seen and done more in the last 150 years than she’d ever dreamed of, but she can’t get past the fact that Osiris has done nothing but manipulate her and her fellow phoenixes. Or that, when her last incarnation as a phoenix comes to a fiery end, the fire slowly begins to consume her body.

Sun god Osiris is ashamed of his role as ruler of the Underworld, but unless he can figure out how to save Sadie, that’s exactly where she’s going to end up.

Permanently. Terrified he’s going to lose her, he takes her on a hunt for The Book of the Dead, which is the only way he knows he can save her—even if it means she’ll hate him forever (goodreads).

 1/2

Review:                                            Many thanks to Netgalley for this ARC

The Last Beginning is the final installment of the Curse of the Phoenix series. When I requested this novella, I did not know it was a the third in a series, but The Last Beginning can act like a stand-alone if you have yet to read the first two novels. I am sorry to say that despite its easy follow-along story, this book became a chore for me to finish. 

Sadie is a woman living during the Gold Rush and trying to make an honest living after her husband dies. Her pure soul catches the sights of the sun god Osiris who wants her more than anything but cannot have her. Despite Sadie not having an immoral bone in her body, Osiris takes it upon himself to make her a phoenix-a creature that must find the good in humanity and must die for every countless soul so that they may live on. One day after Sadie saves an old woman from certain death, she notices something different about herself-she's on fire. Sadie must team up with the man she hates the most to figure out what is happening. 

The plot is pretty straight forward. Sadie hates Osiris, Osiris loves Sadie, Sadie just might be dying, Osiris and Sadie fall in love. Rinse and repeat. I really wish that this wasn't a novella because this book definitely needed to be fleshed out. The action seemed to jump from scene to scene with no real flow. It was basically "we need to go to this place" and so they do. I was also disappointed that we really didn't get to see Sadie in her Phoenix-y element. Instead she runs between the Otherworld, and at the previous phoenixes' homes in an effort to bring back familiar characters from the previous two installments. 

My major issue with this book was the characters and their lack of personalities. Sadie is presented as a strong-willed character but yet, she falls into Osiris' arms just to remember that she hates him. I also despised Osiris. He went through RIDICULOUS lengths to makes Sadie notice him just to be surprised that she wasn't confessing her love for him. Yeah if I found out some guy was manipulating me for his own lust I don't think I would be that accepting either. Nothing Osiris did made any sense, and for such a strong woman Sadie sure did have many lapses in judgment. 

The writing was consistent but I did not find it to be very engaging. The writing seemed to tell more rather than do which I think is partly because Firasek wanted to include the stories of the past two phoenixes. 

Overall this book was not for me. The plot and characters were very bare, with forced action and love scenes. There is a possibility that I may have liked this book more if I read the first two books, but at the moment I have no plans to pick up the first two. 

I recommend this novel for fans of the first two installments and those who like paranormal romances. 

The Mind Readers Review

The Mind Readers by LORI BRIGHTON

Cameron Winters is a freak. Fortunately, no one but her family knows the truth... that Cameron can read minds. For years Cameron has hidden behind a facade of normalcy, warned that there are those who would do her harm. When gorgeous and mysterious Lewis Douglas arrives he destroys everything Cameron has ever believed and tempts her with possibilities of freedom. Determined to embrace her hidden talents, Cameron heads to a secret haven with Lewis; a place where she meets others like her, Mind Readers.

But as Cameron soon finds out some things are too good to be true. When the Mind Readers realize the extent of Cameron’s abilities, they want to use her powers for their own needs. Cameron suddenly finds herself involved in a war in which her idea of what is right and wrong is greatly tested. In the end she’ll be forced to make a choice that will not only threaten her relationship with Lewis, but her very life (goodreads).

 1/2

Review: 

Lori Brighton's young adult novel opens up a world of mind reading, murder, and betrayal. With such a seemingly attention-packed plot, I felt that the delivery fell flat. 

Cameron Winters lives with her grandmother and has only one rule to abide to: don't let anyone know that she can read minds. This becomes difficult when a classmate turns up dead and she can hear the voice of the killer, but cannot place who the voice is coming from. Enter Lewis Douglas, a new transfer who seems to know her little secret and talks her into joining a school designed for people like her, others who can read minds and make a difference in the world. 

This book had all the fixings for a great novel, except it didn't live up for the various plot points that it set up for itself. The book opens up with Cameron using her mind reading capabilities to please her best friend who expects only envy and worship from her. It quickly jumps to the discovery of a dead classmate and the appearance of a new transfer student. The murder is wrapped up within 30 pages and Cameron finds her self headed to a school a la Professor X's School for Gifted Children. From here Cameron learns about her parents and has to decide who she can trust and who is holding something from her. The book had my attention for the first 50 pages or so until Cameron was shipped off to the mutant school. It seemed like some parts rushed just to do nothing, the latter half of the book is the constant jump between 'Can I trust you?' and 'are you SURE I can trust you??' I felt that it dragged until the last twenty pages. 

The secondary characters are almost non-existent. They appear sporadically when a plot development is needed but besides that they are barely seen. For a school for mind readers it's odd that Cameron only has conversations 3 people, not including the love interest Lewis. In my opinion, the most interesting characters were Cameron's classmates at her high school before she ran away to the X-Men-y school. 

The writing style is well polished, it is just the plot and overall organization that needs tweaking. Because The Mind Readers is told from the first person perspective, the audience experiences the unwanted mind reading and Cameron's constant confusion regarding who is looking out for her best interest and who is using her for her special skill. Lori does an excellent job tapping into Cameron's vulnerability and her insecurities. 

The Mind Readers takes readers on a roller coaster ride that will make the audience question the characters and their intentions. As interesting as the summary makes the novel seem, this novel was not for me. 

Recommended: I recommend this for readers who like schools for gifted children with multiple plot twists. 

Matched Review

Matched by ALLY CONDIE

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow (goodreads).

1/2

Review: 

I got swept up in the hype, that's the only way I can explain my indifference to this book. With Crossed coming out, everywhere I looked was something mentioning Matched: twitter, book blogs, good reads, everyone and their mother was talking about. Given the description, Matched seemed to be right up my alley so I was happy when I got in the mail, then one thing happened. Delirium happened.

I know I shouldn't have, but I couldn't stop comparing Matched to Lauren Oliver's Delirium which I have a soft spot for and sadly Matched didn't match up (ha. ha. ha). 

Matched is told from the perspective of 17 year old Cassia Reyes who is eager to have the government reveal her future husband. She is ecstatic to find out that the future love of her life is no other than Xander, her best friend since forever, but when she goes home to review the data she doesn't see Xander's name on her Matched profile. Cassia must choose between what is safe and what she wants as she begins to question everything the Society dictates and see the world for the first time. 

The overall plot was solid, but I was not interested. There was never a moment when I was dying to find out what happened next. Even though the story moved along at a steady (and maybe sometimes slow) pace, I felt some actions happened entirely too quickly. I would have loved to get to know some of the characters (besides Cassia) better, but they were glossed over to pave way for the love story. I felt that Condie's world got the short end of the stick as well, I would have loved an in depth introductory rather than spend most of the novel on 'the Hill.' 

The love story was more of a love triangle which I have come to the conclusion that I do not like. Cassia may or may not have romantic feelings for Xander, but it's obviously that she is falling in love with Ky quite quickly. None of the love stories were developed; her and Xander's arc was based on the expectations that they were in love, while her and Ky's romance was based on a series of passed notes and drawings. I didn't buy it.

 Condie mistake was making things too 'flowery.' The romance, the writing, it was all overdone in my opinion. Condie writing is very poetic which does not seem suitable for a 17 year old girl. Even the romance was done too poetically. Cassia falls in love with Ky based on his scrap pieces of paper and drawings which he uses to describe to Cassia his past. It seemed forced, like Condie was trying to make this  the next literary classic, I would rather that she tone it down a bit with the language and have the kids fall in love the old fashion way, by hanging out. . 

I realize that I pointed out a lot of negative aspects about this book, I didn't hate it, I was just bored with it. This is partly the fault of Delirium which I kept longing for while reading Matched. I know it's not fair to Matched but I can't help how my brain works. I may pick Crossed up out of sheer curiosity. 

 I recommend this novel for those who are interested in a story centered around a love story and also those who are fans of dystopia.

Wish You Were Dead Review

Wish You Were Dead by TODD STRASSER

Str-S-d:
I’ll begin with Lucy. She is definitely first on the list. You can’t believe how it feels to be in the cafeteria and turn around and there she is staring at me like I’m some disgusting bug or vermin. Does she really think I WANT to be this way? I hate you, Lucy. I really hate you. You are my #1 pick. I wish you were dead.
The day after anonymous blogger Str-S-d wishes the popular girl would die, Lucy vanishes. The students of Soundview High are scared and worried. Especially frightened and wracked with guilt is Madison Archer, Lucy’s friend and the last person to see her the night she disappeared.
As days pass with no sign of the missing girl, even the attention of Tyler, an attractive new student, is not enough to distract Madison from her growing sense of foreboding. When two more popular students disappear after their names are mentioned on Str-S-d’s blog, the residents of Soundview panic.
Meanwhile, Madison receives anonymous notes warning that she could be next. Desperate to solve the mystery before anyone else disappears, Madison turns to Tyler, but can she trust him when it becomes clear that he knows more than he’s sharing?
The clock is ticking. Madison must uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearances . . . before her name appears in Str-S-d’s blog.(goodreads)


Review: 

1/2

Wish You Were Dead tells about the strange coincidence of a mysterious bloggers wish for all the mean popular kids and the sudden disappearance of well...mean popular kids. 

This book...this book. I wanted to like it so bad but I just did not care about anything. The premise was something right up my alley. A mysterious bloggers wish comes true and a bunch of nasty kids get killed? Yes please! Sadly the execution fell flat. 

My main issue with the novel is that all of the characters are stereotypes except for the main character who is popular and as sweet as they come. She's perfect. Which is annoying when she is the only one who defies a stereotype. We have the rich bitch, the typical jock, the goth/punk/whatever and the angry lesbian. NONE OF THEM HAD PERSONALITIES. Which I partially blame on the use of the first person. 

The novel opens during a course of actions. Madison the main character and her goth crush are dropping off "rich bitch" Lucy when she is kidnapped. And from there the story develops. The main character does not give adequate background on characters, all we know is that "Character A" and "Character B" are friends but no longer. Why? What was the explosion that ended the relationship. My brain needs more information!

Also there are so many gaping plot holes. It's like the author had an idea, got bored with it, and expected us to forget as well. 

The plot itself was decent. Although a bit predictable, it didn't keep me from guessing. The ending is what rose my final rating from a 2 start to a 2 and a half star. It was clever and entertaining, but that doesn't make up for the other 200 pages I struggled through.