Review: A Cold Legacy by Megan Shepherd (ARC)

A Cold Legacy (The Madman's Daughter #3) by Megan Shepherd
Balzar + Bray (an imprint of Harper), 400 Pages
US Release Date: January 27, 2015
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!

After killing the men who tried to steal her father’s research, Juliet—along with Montgomery, Lucy, Balthazar, and a deathly ill Edward—has escaped to a remote estate on the Scottish moors. Owned by the enigmatic Elizabeth von Stein, the mansion is full of mysteries and unexplained oddities: dead bodies in the basement, secret passages, and fortune-tellers who seem to know Juliet’s secrets. Though it appears to be a safe haven, Juliet fears new dangers may be present within the manor’s own walls.

Then Juliet uncovers the truth about the manor’s long history of scientific experimentation—and her own intended role in it—forcing her to determine where the line falls between right and wrong, life and death, magic and science, and promises and secrets. And she must decide if she’ll follow her father’s dark footsteps or her mother’s tragic ones, or whether she’ll make her own.

With inspiration from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, this breathless conclusion to the Madman’s Daughter trilogy is about the things we’ll sacrifice to save those we love—even our own humanity.
-------------------Goodreads Summary

Notable Quote

“I want to know that this life is the only one that matters. When you can never die, do you ever really live?”

I’m feeling a little empty, knowing that Montgomery is no longer in my life now that this trilogy has ended. My love for him ran deep, and it was true, and I’m absolutely distraught there’s no more.

/dramatics.

I really do love him though.

Moving on. Guys, I can’t even with this series. I. Can’t. Even. It’s rare for me to find a series that I love all of it, but…this is it. I mean, sure—I had my problems with Book 2 having a bit of the Book Two Syndrome. And A Cold Legacy wasn’t perfect. But together, looking at the series as a whole, as a story arc with the twists and turns…it’s so fantastic and original. A Cold Legacy was decidedly less dark than the first two—which I was a bit sad about since you expect that from a book that takes after Frankenstein. But it actually kind of…fits. The tone of it, the overall feel flows so well with the action and story, and I enjoyed it quite a bit by the end.

One of the best parts was how much happened in this book. I’m not saying all of it was exciting and gripping and had me furiously flipping pages (some of it did!), but I felt like there was so much evolution, so much that happened overall. There were more questions, answers given, more questions raised, some bloodshed, lots of secret passages and tension…it was pretty fantastic.

I do have to admit that one of my disappointments was the traveling troupe and that character that…”reappeared” in the middle. I wanted so much more, I felt like there was so much more potential with him and his friends. The same with Edward and what happens to him…it felt very safe, very small what happens, and I kind of wish it had been at touch more dramatic and chaotic.

But the character I still love? Lucy. She’s flighty and hilarious and such a great friend. She’s also a little crazy, and actually pissed me off quite a bit at some points…but I still think she’s one of the best best friend characters in a book so far. She’s still so much more essential than Book 2 made her seem, and it was brilliant.

And of course Balthazar. Tried, true, so tender and amazing. I have no bad things to say about him, and only wish I had him in my life.

A Cold Legacy is one of the best endings to a series I’ve ever come across. It stands on it’s own as fantastic, with a plotline that moves in ways I’d never expect and still retains all the characters, confusions, and challenges I’ve loved forever. And together, all 3 of the Madman’s Daughter books create this terrifying, amazing, brilliant story about your nature versus your nurture, about discovering who you are and shaping who you want to become. It’s about your choices, what is inevitable, and what is created in between.

And it is bloody fantastic.

4.5 stars

Read my review of Book 1: The Madman's Daughter and Book 2: Her Dark Curiosity.

ARC Review: The Rules For Disappearing by Ashley Elston (ARC)

The Rules For Disappearing by Ashley Elston
Disney Hyperion, 320 Pages
Expected US Release Date: May 14, 2013
Format: ARC
Source: Around the World ARC Tours - thank you!
Challenges: Debut Author Challenge, Contemporary Challenge, SARC

She’s been six different people in six different places: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky . . . But now that she’s been transplanted to rural Louisiana, she has decided that this fake identity will be her last.

Witness Protection has taken nearly everything from her. But for now, they’ve given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a horrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has begged her father to answer one question: What on earth did he do – or see – that landed them in this god-awful mess? Meg has just about had it with all the Suits’ rules — and her dad’s silence. If he won’t help, it’s time she got some answers for herself.

But Meg isn’t counting on Ethan Landry, an adorable Louisiana farm boy who’s too smart for his own good. He knows Meg is hiding something big. And it just might get both of them killed. As they embark on a perilous journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that there’s only one rule that really matters — survival.
-----------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

I spend the next two placements being a total bitch to every boy who showed any interest in me. I never wanted to feel guilty for deserting someone who cared about me like that again.

Funnily enough, when I started doing my usual after-reading bullet point list of things I remembered/noted/wanted to talk about in my review, almost everything that came out was a negative. I'm not even exaggerating when I tell you of the 7 bullet points I have, 5 are quite bad. And the positive ones are more like back-handed compliments than anything. And after alllll that, what do I write?
"Definite room for a sequel, and I would read that in a heartbeat."

How is this possible?! Oh books, how you toy with me.

When I first read about this book, I wasn't sure if I wanted to give it a shot. I mean, the premise is definitely intriguing, and there are so many ways a YA book dealing with witness protection could go! But at the same time, there are SO many ways this book could go, and I had serious doubts that any of those ways would be very appealing to me. And even though I apparently had complaints, I'm really glad I ignored my doubts on this!

The plot of the novel was interesting in that it wasn't quite what I was expecting, but wasn't completely from left field, either - it was perfectly plausible and, while not at all relatable to me, one I could still feel for the characters. I did think it was a little lacking in the action and tension; in the situations they all found themselves in, there could have definitely been a little more variation. A lot of it felt like the same kind (someone's behind me, someone's watching, someone's there, etc) - and there was opportunity for so much more here! Especially the end, where it all seemed to end abruptly in a 2-page explanation. (Ok, that's a bit of hyperbole, but you get my point.)

I was also a little annoyed with Meg. I get that she's struggling, she's got a tough time trying to take care of her sister and deal with an increasingly distant family, but some of the decisions she made were so stupid I wanted to reach through the pages and shake her. She had so much disrespect for the program, and while some of it is justifiable, a majority of it was ridiculous. Plus, after so many relocations, I thought she'd at least learn something from them! Alas, I was wrong.

The secondary characters were a toss up for me as well. I couldn't stand Emma and Ben - I found their personalities very lackluster and device-y to me. I hate characters who have obvious parts in stories, and that was definitely them. I also felt the mom was a bit of a weird storyline. I understand how her part was necessary and even likely given the predicament, but I felt it took the tragedy of the story just a little too far. At the same time, I love love LOVED Teeny and Pearl. They were such vivacious characters with colours behind them, and I almost wish I hadn't loved them so much because I started comparing everyone else to them. If the author can write such brilliant characters like them, why couldn't the rest of them be the same way?! It was frustrating, but I just wanted to hang out with Teeny and Pearl in the back of the pizza kitchen and chatter away with them. Laura and Elle were also characters I found myself liking, even though their part was small and, in my opinion, a bit overdramatic. There was a lot of secrecy as to why Anna felt betrayed by them, and I felt the hype was a little more than the reveal. Still, I like them, and I'm glad how they end up.

One of my favourite things about this novel was so small and seemingly unimportant that it's probably a bit weird, but I can't help it: Anna remembers all her relocations and all the identities she and her sister went through, and I loved that. It really brought a human side out of her, really helped me feel for her and how lost she must feel given all these different lies and lives she has to go along with. Especially the scene where she's going through them with Ethan - somehow, it really touched me, and quite honestly may be the entire reason I ended up feeling positive about this book!

While The Rules For Disappearing had several misses for me (obviously), I can't help but endorse the book! It was interesting and different from most of the books out there right now, and a pretty fresh take on mystery and intrigue in YA.

3.5 Stars

Review: Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza (ARC)

Mila 2.0 (Mila 2.0 #1) by Debra Driza
Katherine Tegan Books (an imprint of HarperTeen/HarperCollins), 480 pages
Expected US Release Date: March 12, 2013
Format: Print ARC
Source: Borrowed from friend (thanks Natasha!)
Challenges: Debut Author Challenge

Mila 2.0 is the first book in an electrifying sci-fi thriller series about a teenage girl who discovers that she is an experiment in artificial intelligence.

Mila was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was a girl living with her mother in a small Minnesota town. She was supposed to forget her past —that she was built in a secret computer science lab and programmed to do things real people would never do.

Now she has no choice but to run—from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology. However, what Mila’s becoming is beyond anyone’s imagination, including her own, and it just might save her life.

Mila 2.0 is Debra Driza’s bold debut and the first book in a Bourne Identity–style trilogy that combines heart-pounding action with a riveting exploration of what it really means to be human. Fans of I Am Number Four will love Mila for who she is and what she longs to be—and a cliffhanger ending will leave them breathlessly awaiting the sequel.
------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

I felt that same tiny flare of hope from before...that same rise of breathless anticipation that maybe, just maybe, I'd come to the wrong conclusion, even though I knew better.

"I'm sorry, Mila."

Three words, I realized with a choked sob. That's all it took for hope to die.

Mila 2.0 is one of those books I went into with reservations, because I had wanted it for SO LONG. I had anticipated it so much, had so much hope and expectation, that I was like there is no possible way for it to live up to what I want it to be. I've known Debra for several months at this point (almost a year!) and I adore her, and I was like "can it be possible that this brilliant woman I know in real life translates to the page too!?" It seems impossible.

Oh, but it is not. She does it fantastically, improbably, and so, so amazingly.

If you were to look at my past in books, you'll see one thing in common: contemporary romance. I adore it. I am all about the love stories, the swoon and the emotions and feelings. Something not really there? Action. I don't not like it, I just...I don't gravitate to it at all. Sometimes I think it's hard to read about because I want to see it, sometimes I'm just not feeling it.

Mila 2.0 is 80% action, 20% romance AND I DON'T EVEN GIVE A DAMN I LOVE IT.

This is one action-packed, non-stop book. I swear every other page felt like we were on the run from something, or hiding, or fighting - and the pages that weren't were filled with the delicious tension of waiting for it to happen because you knew it was inevitable. The beginning does start out a little slow (and bitchy - anyone else want to slap Kaylee?!), but power through guys! Trust me that it will pick up, because we have to see the human side to Mila to understand just how difficult it is for her to come to terms that she's actually not one. And even though I do say it's 80% action and movement, the best part is how balanced this entire novel felt. Sure, you're speeding at a million miles a second, but I never felt rushed. I never felt like we were missing important details, and what was given to us is perfect.

I really loved all of Mila's Android capabilities, too - they're so much fun! I loved how she discovered or was told each one, and the part they all played. It was so creative, and her flaw of emotions were brilliant to see. There is one part that I'm not going to spoil, but let's just say we get to see what she's supposed to be versus how she's "too human," and it is fantastic. Such a great additional element to this story.

There's really not much else I can say about Mila 2.0, except this is an amazing debut from an equally amazing writer. You're immediately drawn in, and even though it is a hefty word count (almost 500 pages!), you won't even notice it. You fly through the pages because there's a certain ease to Debra's writing that just connects to you. Seriously, reading this is like watching a movie! There are so many fantastic scenes that have a great tension or emotion or feeling to it, and I can't recommend it enough.

And ok, like I could really do a review without talking about the love interests/boys (even if they are only 20% of the story)! They're not too big of a deal, but the scenes they are in? So good. I can easily fall in love with both of the boys that show up here, especially Lucas. He's got that nerdy scientist hot thing going - at least in my head, anyway haha. Their scenes are short, but meaningful, and I cannot wait to see what part they play in the rest of the trilogy.

5 Stars

Review: Pivot Point by Kasie West (ARC)

Pivot Point (Pivot Point #1) by Kasie West
HarperTeen, 320 Pages
Expected US Release Date: February 12, 2013
Format: Print ARC
Source: Around the World ARC Tours - thank you!
Challenges: Debut Author Challenge

Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.
----------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

He shrugs. "Doesn't help to waste my time thinking about would've-beens."

Laila whispers, "He says to the girl with a mind full of them."

If you had the opportunity to see the outcomes of a choice, would you? Would you knowingly see what would happen on either side to make your decision? I'm not sure I would, to be honest. It'd be tempting, and I might do it once or twice - but I think it's a dangerous thing to know. How can you knowingly choose something over another? If it were a simple decision, it'd be easier to live with, of course - but if it were a decision like Addison's? I'm not sure I'd have the strength for it.

I loved Pivot Point so much, you guys. It's a fantastic concept with just the right amount of tension and worry and swoonage. The world of the Paranormals is so much fun to learn about, and I love that it's one that co-exists in a Normal world - not a true Dystopian, but one that's like a hidden society (that I would TOTALLY love to be a part of! I want an Ability!). It's a little bit paranormal with a little thriller, a little science fiction, and the best part to me? Totally reads like a contemporary!

Something I was a little iffy on was the idea of Addison's parents getting a divorce - I know it has to happen to make her Search her futures and see what would happen depending on who she opts to live with, but it felt like such a flimsy reason and a little too device-y for me. It's one of those plot elements that's necessary, but I personally resent them because they're forced and make me feel like I'm being manipulated to believe it. Especially since it's such a small portion of the novel anyway; it's the catalyst, but most of the pages are dedicated to each of her futures. The divorce hardly gets revisited, and while I don't want to dwell on that part or turn Pivot Point into some emo novel, I was definitely expecting it to be a larger part.

But that's a small annoyance, and I only had 2! The other is that the conclusion comes pretty fast. I read 300+ pages, for it to be done in what felt like 5. There is the set up for more (as this is part of a series, it makes sense), but it's quick and I seriously feel like if you blink too fast, you're going to miss the end to this. Which I suppose is fine, but it messed with my pacing for just a brief few moments.

Other than that? I LOVE THIS BOOK. I had no idea how much I would love it! It's fascinating getting to see Addie's life in the Norm world trying to assimilate versus her life staying in the Compound and getting to have a life using Abilities and being surrounded by people with abilities. And while I of course had my favourite path, I enjoyed both extraordinarily. The entire plot concept is so clever, because I definitely went into reading this wondering if I'm just going to read two versions of this girl's life, she'll figure out which one is ultimately better (sure, there'd be heartache, but it'd be worth it in the with her upstanding and humane decision), and then we move along. But it is SO SO much more, and I loved that moment where it clicked that these two futures are irrevocably tied together. Especially when one starts to influence how you see the other; Kasie's writing is fabulous and works so well making you heart leap between the two Futures.

How could I possibly do this without chatting about the boys?! Duke, the asshole douche with a heart that you can't help but love; and Trevor, the quiet cowboy with a solid stance and secret behind his eyes. It was never a question which one I prefer (I don't really do cowboys but there is absolutely ZERO way to resist Trevor), but I have to say I was surprised how much I liked Duke, too. He's so typical and charming and you want to hate him, but he's perfectly the character you can't help but laugh at. We all have those boys in real life, and Kasie does him wonderfully to make him real, too. There was a brief, flickering moment where I thought "Oh no, do I like Duke more?!"....but then I read the Norm future with Trevor and was like "Nope. Not a question. Nope nope nope." I usually scoff at readers who "claim" characters and say this boy is hers or that boy is hers for keeps - but omg, I CLAIM TREVOR.

Wow. That got ugly.

Pivot Point is a fantastically tense novel, with tons of characters to love, situations to agonize over, and decisions to make. You will feel every bit of anxiety and pressure Addison does, just as you will come to understand how impossible the decision is to make. You will love it, I assure you.

4.5 Stars / 5

Review: The Archived by Victoria Schwab (ARC)

The Archived (Archived #1) by Victoria Schwab
Disney-Hyperion, 336 pages
US Release Date: January 22, 2013 (go buy it!)
Format: Print ARC
Source: ALA Annual 2012 - thank you Hyperion!

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.

In this haunting, richly imagined novel, Victoria Schwab reveals the thin lines between past and present, love and pain, trust and deceit, unbearable loss and hard-won redemption.
------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

Ignorance may be bliss, but only if it outweighs curiosity. Curiosity is a gateway drug to sympathy...

The Archived is unlike anything I've ever read before. The concept itself was fascinating and immediately drew me in - mostly because I couldn't help but think of drone-like shells of people sitting on shelves, heads drooped in sleep mode - and I have to say, it did not disappoint!

It baffles me that people refer to this book as a Dystopian, because I just don't see that anywhere. It's hard to pin down, actually - a little bit fantasy, a little bit science fiction and paranormal, a little bit thriller and mystery. Whatever way you want to try and categorize it, just know that you will find something you like within it. My favourite part was the concept of The Archived itself and how Histories can be woken to the point of escape. It's such a clever, unique idea, and I can't wait to see what the rest of the series will bring to us.

I'll admit that it took me a little bit of time to get into the story - while the beginning is necessary by ways of explanation, there was something just a little too slow for me. But past the first 50 pages, I was absolutely, totally in. I highly suspect that Victoria meant it to be that way, actually - it made getting caught up in the story that much more of a whirlwind. Suddenly, your heart is pounding as she's in the narrows and hunting Histories, and you're screaming at the book for her to turn around, he's got a knife!

If I told you that I actually got scared by this book, would you believe me? Because you should. And it's not like it's an exceptionally scary book, or made to be terrifying or horror. Because it's not! But there was something about the writing and the scenery, the Narrows and how I imagined them to be the stuff of horror movies (dim hallways, fog drifting and lighting up only certain white chalk marks and vague doors that lead to God-Knows-What...), how it's about dying people who have been disturbed and are now trying to figure out where they are. Add in the idea of Keepers being able to read people and their pasts through a simple touch, and my imagination just goes wild. It is thrilling, in a disturbingly awesome way.

And...ok, we have to talk about the boys. Wesley first, since OMG I WANT HIM.  Guyliner and all (actually sometimes it can be hot...but we'll pretend I never said that). He's so hilarious and witty and surprising - sometimes a little too perfect, but I can accept it here because it works so well off Mackenzie. I'm not going to give away what part he plays with the whole thing, but...I believe in him. I believe in his abilities and his personality and his support and what he can do and omg can I just have him in my life, PLEASE?!

Moving on to Owen. Who I'm not going to say what he is or does either, but...I knew it. I KNEW IT. How dare Victoria toy with me in regards to him! I was so on the fence, and then I was so certain, but then it was all ripped away, but then I doubted the ripping...he's a fantastic character for getting me all riled up and invested. He's such a mystery, and then when I finally learned what he was doing, I wished so hard it could go back to the mystery. I hate him as much as I love his role.

But this story isn't just about boys, no matter how much I'm making it seem so. It's about love and family and how that can transcend the planes of existence into the Archived and what that bond can do. It's about friendship and coworkers and teams and just what is done to maintain that. It's about the belief in yourself and what you can do, and what you need to do to maintain who you are to those around you and who are you to yourself. It's about strength, and weakness, and how often one of those needs the other.

I am so excited for the rest of the series. I'm glad that Victoria says she doesn't do cliffhanger endings, because I seriously think a little bit of me would have died if she'd ended The Archived any other way. But how she does is a perfect setup for what's to come, too. There are still so many questions I have, and I love how much we learn about The Archived and its "employees" towards the end. Definitely whet my appetite, and I am going to be anticipated Book 2 like crazy now!

PS. MAJOR COVER LOVE. One of my favourites yet.

5 Stars

Review: Ten by Gretchen McNeil (ARC)

Ten by Gretchen McNeil
Balzer + Bray, 294 Pages
Expected US Release Date: September 18, 2012
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher at ALA Annual 2012 (thank you Harper Teen!)

And their doom comes swiftly.

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?
---------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

"I know you, Meg Pritchard. You don't say anything unless you mean it."

Meg winced. That was true, the fip side being that she didn't say half of what she wanted to.

Fair warning, I'm a damn scaredy-cat. I don't watch scary movies, I don't do horror or thriller or any of those. I still jump while watching I Know What You Did Last Summer, I definitely scream during Scream (PUN!), I hid through most of The Ring, and you can tell how long it's been since I've even attempted terrifying movies by how dated those examples are. I read some scary books, but I learned my lesson when I was 11 and reading Stephen King's Misery at 1am (add in that I even wanted to be a writer then, and you can imagine my pure terror) and have not done that since.

So I went into Ten a wee bit scared. I'd heard it was nail-biting, and I wasn't even going to play with that. But I'd also heard great things, I think Gretchen is possibly the most adorable and awesome author I've ever seen (I was so close to meeting her at ALA! We were at the same party! But alas, it shall have to wait until the release party.), and when I realized it was reminiscent of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie - one of the classic, well-deserved mystery thrillers that everyone needs to have read if they haven't - I knew I'd give it a shot. And I'm so glad I did!

Under the ruse of a party thrown by a popular girl, ten teens gather on a remote island for the weekend of a lifetime - unknowingly the last weekend for most of them. We focus mainly on Meg, who has her own connections to a few of the select ten teens, and only later learn how they are all interconnected. From the moment Meg and Minnie step off the ferry onto the rainy island, I think my heart jumped into my throat and never, ever came back down until I closed the book.

Truthfully, it wasn't as terrifying as I thought it would be. There were definite moments I had to remind myself to breathe, and the entire last 40 pages or so I had to make sure I read in daylight - but the majority is that twisted thriller type, where it's the anticipation and the thinking that messes with you the most.  That half-knowing but whole-wondering that drives a person absolutely mad.

In terms of the characters, I was a bit underwhelmed - they were mostly flat, I found Meg to be a bit forced, and I felt the story lacked a bit of "show." We were told details, told who they were, told everything - and that's fine in a sense, but I never connected with any of them. I just had to take it at face value, and I never believed in any of them. I much prefer seeing their stories, really understand who they are, rather than being presented with details - and I was disappointed, because there was so much potential here! It would have made the book much longer, yes, but done right? That background detail would have been awesome.

However, I do understand that in some ways, the author couldn't give those details because it would detract from how we're taken through the story: through the diary. I can't say much more about it, because it would spoil a lot of the book, but I get why this is written this way. I don't have to like it, but I get it.

The story totally makes up for my disappointment with the character development though. COMPLETELY. This is a classic whodunit type story, where everyone and no one is innocent and guilty. (Schrodinger's cat, WHATUP!) I was questioning, and even though some parts seem a bit predictable to me, I was completely wrapped up in everything. I wanted to scream when I got scared, I held my breathe whenever a chapter ended, and I was totally taken by the story as a whole. Bodies were piling up everywhere, and I kind of loved how quickly kids were dying, in a terribly twisted way. I also loved the creativity behind the book: how people died, why they were dying and why they were chosen to die that way...so good. All of it.

The scary touches of scenery and the DVD and slashes on the wall were a cherry on top of a thrilling novel. Like I said, I don't like scary things, but I do love this book. There's something so engaging and suspenseful about the whole thing, and I absolutely could not put it down or look away. I even may have maybe sorta possibly taken an extra few seconds (or a whole minute, whatever) during my work breaks and lunches just so I could keep reading. (If my bosses or co-workers are reading this: TOTALLY KIDDING NO I DIDNT I SAID MAYBE.)

Read this book. Even if you're like me and hate scary stuff and want to hide in a corner under a blanket and stick the book in the freezer* at the mere mention of darkness and an abandoned mansion and house boat on an island, you will love Ten. It is that good.

PS. Have you seen the trailer? Trust me when I say it portrays the feel of the book PERFECTLY. Plus, that's the author singing! How awesome is that?! (if you can't see the vid below, check out this post for it!)

PPS. Join the Army of Ten!

4 Stars

*if you get this reference, you are my new best friend.