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. 

Top Bookish News of The Past Week

Here are all of the top bookish stories, blog posts, pictures, and videos I found this past week. I put this post up every Sunday so come back again next week for more bookish awesomeness.

Click away and enjoy your Sunday!

ARTICLES

Have you watched Orange is the New Black on Netflix yet? Well you should, as long as you are okay with some pretty graphic scenes. Well if you are a fan and love books check out this awesome website, Books of Orange is the New Black.

Cover reveal for the short story "The Transfer" by Veronica Roth was this week. Pretty freaking awesome if you ask me. 

Jason Priestley signed a book deal that will dish on his 90210 days. I was a big Beverly Hills 90210 fan so I think I may have to read this. 

You should really take a minute to read 9 Popular Yet Terrible Kids Books. It's funny.

*Huge Sigh* Apparently the Crossfire series by Sylvia Day is being made into a television show. I've read the books (the last one was bad and the second one wasn't great either) and I'll probably check this out, but I'm just not all that sure this show would even be all that interesting. 

BLOG POSTS

Do you share your blog with the outside world, aka you friends and family? I share mine with my immediate family and a few very close friends but for some reason I haven't branched out more than that. Read My Novel Opinion's discussion post that is all about the topic of sharing your blog with people you know.

Jamie over at The Perpetual Page-Turner made a unique, cute, and interesting A to Z book blogger survey  I have yet to do this, but I plan to. Find out more about Jamie and join in on the fun.

Some Like It Paranormal focused this week on best friend romances. Find some reading suggestions if you are looking for some best friend love and participate in her giveaway! 

Do you need to figure out what television shows you want to watch this fall? Just follow the Set Your DVRs feature over at Parajunkee for a fall tv preview! 

PHOTOS

Review: Falling Kingdoms by: Morgan Rhodes

Falling Kingdoms by: Morgan Rhodes (2012)

412 pages

Genre: YA/High Fantasy
Publisher: razor bill

Source: The Library

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

Goodreads Summary: In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power—brutally transforming their subjects' lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:

Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.

Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished—and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.

Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword. . . .

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

My Review

Falling Kingdoms is kind of a PG-13 version of the Game of Thrones series. I did like this novel, but it lacked the elements to make me love it.

It took me a really long time to care about any of the characters in Falling Kingdoms. I’m not sure if it was because I only got a little bit of time with each one due to the rapid POV shifts, but I just didn’t really have a connection with any of them. Cleo was too naïve and spoiled and weak, although she does get better. Mangus was kind of a jerk, even though I kind of see where he is coming from. Lucia was somewhat boring, even considering her important role. Jonas was a somewhat irrational/a little crazy character. I could go on and on considering there are more characters who we get POVs from but I don't want to get into every single one of them. (See what I mean by a lot of POVs? I should have counted them all.) The romance in this book is crazy and weird, and not really in a good way. I did however love the romance between Cleo and her guard, even though it was insta-love. The other romance, well it was somewhat icky, I’ll just let you find out about that one on your own. Oh and then there was the romance where Jonas just uses someone to get his way and doesn't really like her thing. Sigh. I like drama, and I like crazy events in my books, but for some reason I just wasn't loving what was going down in Falling Kingdoms all the time, though at others times I was engrossed.

Falling Kingdoms is a well written fantasy novel. It was fast paced (seriously, crap hits the fan in the first couple of pages) and the general story was good. Rhodes did a wonderful job with the world building. The three lands are well described with a nice amount of background so the reader can easily understand what is going on in the book. Although I didn’t love this book and it wasn’t one of my favorites, I did start to get more into the book towards the end. So I will probably be reading the next one. (I mean this story isn't even close to being finished and I want to know what happens.) I loved the bloody battle scenes and the deaths that came unexpected that had me seeing red. Another great thing about this book, the lines between good and bad are blurred, it isn’t always cut and dry and that is a very nice change from the norm.

If you are looking for a young adult version of Game of Thrones (death, backstabbing, and crazy relationships) this should be your pick. Falling Kingdoms is also a good book for fantasy lovers who enjoy a good bloody battle among other things. 

RATING 3.5/5 

Teaser Tuesdays #5

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
• Make sure to share the title and the author too!

My Teasers

I just finished this book but there are two awesome quotes/teasers that I have to share with you! How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) come True was a cute and funny read, Zoe is interning for the summer at a Fairy-tale amusement park.

"There was no getting around the fact that Tinker Bell was a little bitch." (pg. 1: first sentence of the book)

"Earlier today it had been discovered that Grumpy had fallen in love with Bo Peep and was now as cheerful as one of her lambs while Sleepy had become mildly addicted to energy drinks and seemed bent on singing "Hi, ho!" at warp-speed. Seriously, everything down at Snow's was all wrong." (pg. 105)

~ How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by: Sarah Strohmeyer

        

Share the link to your teasers below!

Review: The Only Exception by: Magan Vernon

The Only Exception by: Magan Vernon (2013)

272 pages

Genre: New Adult

Source: I received a free copy from the author for my honest review.

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | Amazon 

Goodreads Summary: **Due to sexual content and heavy subject matter, this book is recommended for
ages 16+**

Fiercely liberal Monica Remy prefers to blend in. Despite her tattoos, piercings, and outspoken personality, she transferred to Central to escape—before she finds out that her next door neighbor is the uber conservative governor's son, Trey Chapman.

No matter how hard she tries to avoid Trey, he still finds a way to get under her skin. Monica can’t stand his crisp white shirts or his staunch views on women. But she can’t help counting every freckle on his face and wondering what it would feel like to have him stop talking politics and kiss her.

A class debate project forces the unlikely pair to work together, and the political lines are blurred in late-night make out sessions. But despite their fiery chemistry, Trey’s politics threatens to smother their relationship for good.

My Review

         

The Only Exception is refreshing. It’s original and unique compared to many of the other new adult romance novels I have read. I enjoyed its captivating story line so much that I finished this book in one day. Although I enjoyed this book, there were a few flaws that kind of got on my nerves as well. So for this review I have decided to break it down in terms of likes and dislikes.

LIKES

It’s Unique – I haven’t read any new adult novels that focuses so much on politics. Also, I want to point out that the main male lead is not a bad boy! Yes you heard me correctly; the main guy is actually a good guy. It was so refreshing to see these new ideas in The Only Exception.

The Characters – Monica and Trey were fun characters. They were complex and entertaining.  Monica at times was too judgmental, but besides that she is a strong character that I felt for. I also liked the minor characters as well, although I don't think they received enough screen time.

The Romance – This book was romantic. It wasn't just sexy or overly intense, it had some very cute romantic scenes that will make your heart flutter. Monica and Trey are just plain cute.

It’s Dark and Light – Vernon took a serious topic and entwined it throughout the novel. I won’t tell you what that topic is because that will give some things away. However, I can say that she handled it very well. I also really liked how there was some lightness in the novel too so it wasn't just depressing but light hearted as well. The Only Exception not only made me cringe and feel sadness, but it also made me laugh.

The Cover - I really love this cover and think it works perfectly.

The Setting - The Only Exception has a college setting, and as you all probably know by now I love those. Vernon did a great job at describing the college campus and shinning a unique light onto college life.

DISLIKES

Slightly Unbelievable at Times – There were some character interactions that happened that just didn't seem plausible to me. This only happened a couple of times though so it wasn't that big of a deal. 

A Few Typos – I know almost every book has some and there are not enough in this book to keep you from reading but there were a couple I found that bothered me just a little bit so I thought I would mention it. (I can't help the editor in me.) **Typos have been fixed! You can ignore this point. :)

Repetitive – While reading you will be reminded over and over again that Trey is the governor’s son and that Monica is a liberal. It got old after a while and I just don’t think those two things needed to be mentioned all the time. Yes it is an important part of the book that Trey and Monica hold different political believes, but after a while I felt like the idea kept getting shoved in my face.

This book was a very enjoyable read. I would suggest The Only Exception to those that don’t mind politics in their book, are looking for some romance, and are looking for a unique New Adult novel. Give The Only Exception a chance. It's cute, uplifting, and emotional.

**Thanks to the author for a free copy of this book! This did not affect my honest review.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Top Bookish News of The Past Week

Here are all of the top bookish stories, blog posts, pictures, and videos I found this past week. I put this post up every Sunday so come back again next week for more bookish awesomeness.

Click away and enjoy your Sunday!

ARTICLES

Did you know August is Read-A-Romance Month?

Celebrate Harry Potter's birthday by reading why Harry Potter is awesome! Oh and don't forget that it was Neville's birthday too!

This list of hilarious horrible bookish event ideas will have you laughing till your side hurts.

Have you heard of BookVibe? It just popped up in my Twitter newsfeed, or at least I just now noticed it, apparently you can put in your twitter handle on their site and they will give you a list off all the books your followers are tweeting about. I find this to be pretty darn cool.

All of the new Harry Potter covers have been released! You have to read this awesome post. It compares the covers side by side to the old ones and shows what the amazingly awesome box set will look like. I already own these books but I'm obviously going to need to buy them again with the new covers. 

BLOG POST

Fueled By Fiction made a great list for music lovers that are also book lovers: YA Books With Music Themes

PHOTO

How else would you go to the bookstore?

Source

Review: A Dangerous Fiction by: Barbara Rogan

A Dangerous Fiction: A Mystery by: Barbara Rogan (July 25, 2013)

336 pages

Genre: Mystery

Publisher: Viking

Source: I received a free copy from Shelf Awareness and the publisher for an honest review.

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository

Goodreads Summary: A romp of a publishing mystery that introduces Jo Donovan, literary agent-cum-detective, that will delight fans of Janet Evanovich, Lisa Lutz, Alan Bradley, and ABC's Castle.

Jo Donovan always manages to come out on top. From the backwoods of Appalachia, she forged a hard path to life among the literati in New York City. At thirty-five, she’s the widow of the renowned author Hugo Donovan and the owner of one of the best literary agencies in town. Jo is living the life she dreamed of but it’s all about to fall apart.

When a would-be client turns stalker, Jo is more angry than shaken until her clients come under attack. Meanwhile, a biography of Hugo Donovan is in the works and the author’s digging threatens to destroy the foundations of Jo’s carefully constructed life. As the web of suspicion grows wider and her stalker ups the ante, she’s persuaded by her client and friend—FBI profiler-turned-bestselling-thriller writer—to go to the police. There Jo finds herself face-to-face with an old flame: the handsome Tommy Cullen, now NYPD detective.

A Dangerous Fiction marks the welcome return of Barbara Rogan and the start of a terrific new series.

My Review

A Dangerous Fiction is a witty and intense mystery novel for anyone who appreciates a good story. I can say that I have never read a book like this one before, it is definitely unique. I liked it way more than I thought I would and I am more than happy to try and convince you to read it. 

This was an incredibly fun read. The main character, Jo Donovan, is a literary agent and she views everything through that literary lens, making this a delightful read, especially for readers and writers. The reader gets a look inside the publishing industry and how it is for literary agents. Getting that inside look was probably one of my favorite things about this book. Jo is a very strong female, but she also has some flaws, making her more real. I can tell you with absolute certainty that I loved every single character in A Dangerous Fiction. They were all unique and each one added a little something special to the story. I grew attached to all of them. I would give you a run down but there are too many, so instead you should just read the book to find out. Oh and for you animal lovers out there, there is an amazing guard dog in this book that I think you will love. Side note: Jo's late husband reminds me a lot of Hemingway. This book is just full of little quirks. 

A Dangerous Fiction is incredibly more complex than it may seem at first. It’s full of twists and turns and a few omg moments. This book made me feel so many different emotions while reading, one minute I was laughing and the next I was crying. It will play with your emotions and once you hit a certain part of the story you will want to find this horrible stalker more than the main character herself. I had an inkling of who it may be, but I never guessed. It was really intense near the end of the book. I still get goosebumps thinking about it. I promise the bad guy reveal will be worth the read.

I recommend this book to everyone, but especially those of you who are avid readers, writers, or interested in the publishing industry. This was a unique mystery novel with memorable characters. Take a chance on A Dangerous Fiction and be ready for a well written novel that shows us just how much stories play a part in our everyday lives.  

** I received a free copy through Shelf Awareness and the publisher for my honest review. Thanks!