Review: The Never List by: Koethi Zan

The Never List by: Koethi Zan (2013)

320 pages

Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Source: I received an ARC copy from fellow blogger Christine over at Buckling Bookshelves. Thanks Christine! This did not affect my honest review. 

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

Goodreads Summary: For years, best friends Sarah and Jennifer kept what they called the “Never List”: a list of actions to be avoided, for safety’s sake, at all costs. But one night, against their best instincts, they accept a cab ride with grave, everlasting consequences. For the next three years, they are held captive with two other girls in a dungeon-like cellar by a connoisseur of sadism.

Ten years later, at thirty-one, Sarah is still struggling to resume a normal life, living as a virtual recluse under a new name, unable to come to grips with the fact that Jennifer didn’t make it out of that cellar. Now, her abductor is up for parole and Sarah can no longer ignore the twisted letters he sends from jail.

Finally, Sarah decides to confront her phobias and the other survivors—who hold their own deep grudges against her. When she goes on a cross-country chase that takes her into the perverse world of BDSM, secret cults, and the arcane study of torture, she begins unraveling a mystery more horrifying than even she could have imagined.

My Review

The Never List is a great beach read for those of you who are looking for a thriller that will make your heart race and give you a reason to stay on the beach just a little bit longer because you have to get to the ending. I will not be going into great details with this review because I don't want to spoil any of the OMG moments that this book will bring you.

Sarah, hhmmmm, I’m not even sure where to begin in describing this intense and complex character. She slowly faces her many fears and starts to gain control over her life again once she finds out the man who locked her in a basement for three years is trying to get out on parole from prison. She decides that there is no way she is going to let that happen and she sets out to find some clues of how dangerous this man really is, starting with the letters he sent her from prison. I really felt for Sarah and the other girls that were locked up in that cellar, my emotions ran high throughout the entire book. There is no lack of emotional storytelling or dynamic characters in The Never List.

There are many OMG moments in this book, starting with the very first page. This is a graphic novel so it isn't for the faint of heart. The book is a puzzle where the reader gets to walk right beside the characters on their journey to find a way to get the evil monster who tortured them locked up forever. The story is a mix of flashbacks of the past and the present. The stories of the past and present unravel wonderfully and is not hard to follow. I can guarantee that The Never List will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. You will be appalled by what the girls go through locked up in that basement and you will cheer them on when they are trying to make sure he stays locked up in prison forever, and there will even be a few times where you will think Sarah is pretty dumb, like in a horror movie where you yell at the character to not open the freaking door. But most importantly, you will be shocked to the core by the ending. You won't see it coming.

The Never List is an amazing thriller that will keep you sweating until you get to the crazy blow your mind conclusion. Sadly after the mind blowing conclusion there isn’t a lot of closure given, which was frustrating. I would have liked to see an epilogue or something. Anyway, you really should make The Never List be your next thriller of choice.

** I received an ARC copy from fellow blogger Christine over at Buckling Bookshelves. Thanks Christine! This did not affect my honest review. 

Review: The Archived by: Victoria Schwab

The Archived by: Victoria Schwab (2013)

Publisher: Hyperion

336 pages

Genre: Young Adult/Suspense/Thriller/Fantasy

Goodreads Summary: Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often—violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

Being a Keeper isn’t just dangerous—it’s a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da’s death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.

My Review

This book exploded on the internet and I was eagerly awaiting its release. So here is the big question with this one… did it live up to its hype?  I’m going to have to say yes and no. I think all of the hype from other bloggers made my expectations too high. So here it is, my four star review of The Archived. 

Let's start with the characters. I was really excited about Mackenzie Bishop. Her character starts off strong and promising, I really couldn't wait to read a book with a strong female lead. However, as I got farther into the book my love for her wavered.  I can’t go into great detail here because it would ruin some of the plot, but let’s just say that I expected a little bit more out of her. I will note that I was hesitant about loving Wesley, I’m not a huge guyliner black nail polish wearing fan, but his personality was so amazing that I didn't care. I however didn't like the fact that we don’t get that much interaction with this character, I wanted more.

I really enjoyed Schwab’s writing style. I love how she seamlessly incorporates Mackenzie's past relationship with Da into the novel to help us better understand The Archive. There were some scenes that were so well written I got goosebumps, and not just from the creepiness of this novel. Which by the way, I advise that you don’t read this book late at night when it is super dark and your husband is sound asleep. It gets scary.

The action in this novel was very fast paced. The plot moved forward so quickly that at times I think I got whiplash. Although I enjoyed that it was full of mystery and action, I was kind of hoping for it to slow down just a little. I would have loved to get to spend some more time with Mac being a keeper and her general life before the conspiracies and such popped into the story. I just wanted a little more.

I really did enjoy this novel. It was definitely different and full of suspense. I just can’t give it a five because, and I am sorry to say this, but I didn't love it enough. I am still recommending this book to others, especially those looking for a amazingly written creepy novel. Enjoy!

Rating: 4/5   BUY The Archived                                            

Review: The Evolution of Mara Dyer by: Michelle Hodkin

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by: Michelle Hodkin (Mara Dyer #2) (2012)

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

537 pages

Genre: Young Adult

Summary: The book jacket: “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?”

Review: WOW! Just WOW. Who is Mara Dyer?

I couldn't read this book fast enough, my eyes can only read so fast and I can only turn the pages so quickly without ripping them. It was one of those novels, the kind where you read so fast to get to the ending only to remember that there is another one coming out that you will have to wait for and once you reach the ending it will heartbreakingly be over.

This was just as good as the first novel in the trilogy, if not better. We finally start to get some real answers, but don’t get your hopes up too high; we still have a long way to go before we find out the whole truth. I will however warn you: You will beyond a doubt get frustrated. At times I wanted to not so nicely throw this book across the room, and not because it was bad, but because it was so good and I was so into it that I wanted answers just as much as Mara and Noah, I felt for them. It got so intense near the end that I’m pretty sure I was having a panic attack while reading. I can’t even mention the ending, not only because I don’t want to give anything away, but because I am at a loss for words.

Okay, now it is time for a little Noah Shaw love. One of the things I love most about this novel is that the reader gets to find out more about the complex character that is Noah. With every new piece of information that I received, I fell more in love with him, if that is even possible. Sure he has his faults, but his awesomeness outweighs everything else. I’ve had some issues with teen romances in past young adult books, but there is just something about Mara and Noah that make me root for them, for better or for worse. I also want to remind everyone of Mara’s brother Daniel, who is still beyond a doubt one of my most favorite characters ever. His relationship with Mara is amazing, heartwarming, and comical.

I don’t want to give anything away so I’m going to go ahead and wrap this up.

If you liked the first book you will definitely like this one. Heck, even if you were not a huge fan of the first one you will probably like this one.

The only downside, we have to wait a while longer for the last novel in this gripping trilogy to be released.

Rating: 5/5   BUY The Evolution of Mara Dyer

My review for the first novel in this trilogy The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer