House of Hollow by. Krystal Sutherland | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: House of Hollow

Author: Krysta Sutherland

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 304

Publication Date: 4/6/21

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Horror, Magical Realism

Seventeen-year-old Iris Hollow has always been strange. Something happened to her and her two older sisters when they were children, something they can’t quite remember but that left each of them with an identical half-moon scar at the base of their throats.

Iris has spent most of her teenage years trying to avoid the weirdness that sticks to her like tar. But when her eldest sister, Grey, goes missing under suspicious circumstances, Iris learns just how weird her life can get: horned men start shadowing her, a corpse falls out of her sister’s ceiling, and ugly, impossible memories start to twist their way to the forefront of her mind.

As Iris retraces Grey’s last known footsteps and follows the increasingly bizarre trail of breadcrumbs she left behind, it becomes apparent that the only way to save her sister is to decipher the mystery of what happened to them as children.

The closer Iris gets to the truth, the closer she comes to understanding that the answer is dark and dangerous – and that Grey has been keeping a terrible secret from her for years.

Now this was a very interesting story to read before bedtime! The closer I got to the end, the more horrified my face looked and my husband had to ask me what was wrong. 😅 I said the book was a little disturbing.

I wasn’t sure what I was going to get with this story but House of Hollow is dark, mysterious, eerie, filled with disturbing images of death smelling flowers and bugs coming out of bodies.

Iris Hollow and her sister’s Vivi and Grey are famous for an event that took place when they were children. They disappeared and reappeared a month later with a scar on their neck. Iris and Vivi have no recollection of what happened in that month they were gone, but Grey knows. Now they are older, and Grey has gone missing again – what happened to her, and what happened to them when they were children?

We get to know the infamous Grey as her sisters investigate clues about her life so they can find her. It is apparent these girls are close and love each other a lot. I loved how each girl was very different, they had their own style and personality. The mystery is about the disappearances – it’s one thing if people stayed missing but to reappear again with no recollection of what happened? That was suspicious. The other thing that I enjoyed was Tyler, Grey’s boyfriend who brings the humor to this dark tale.

There are many female empowerment themes in this story. It mentions the dangers of girls walking out after dark or finding themselves alone with a man and getting unwanted attention. Iris is the most docile of the sisters and afraid to use her power, whereas Grey will threaten and manipulate people to do her bidding.

I couldn’t put the book down and needed to know what was up with these Hollow sisters, even if horror is not my favorite genre to read. The clues they were finding about Grey really kept my attention and a few twists in the story shocked me. Thankfully I didn’t get any nightmares after reading this because the imagery was really good, even though if it’s something I didn’t really want to “see”. It reminded me a bit of The Hazel Wood.

Triggers: missing children, suicide, mental breakdown, violence, bugs (coming out of body parts), grief

It’s horror so the ending was shocking and disturbing but overall so fitting. It just made me sad because the grief was triggering and it made me angry to learned what really happened to these girls.

The ending is left open – so will there be a book two?

The imagery in this story is so good but again, this is horror so flowers and bugs coming out of bodies kind of images. 😝

This is the type horror I can read, because it had a bond between sisters that is powerful, a mystery that kept me on my toes and magical realism to keep things even more bizarre. It’s a dark fairytale that revolves around grief and asks the question what would one do to save the people that they love. For me, the story is heart-breaking on both sides of the situation. This one is perfect for those who like dark fairytales.

📚 ~ Yolanda

The Cousins | Book Review

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

Title: The Cousins

Author: Karen M. McManus

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 330

Publication Date: 12/1/20

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Family, Thriller, Mystery, Young Adult, Romance

Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each other, and they’ve never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they’re surprised… and curious.

Their parents are all clear on one point—not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother’s good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it’s immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious—and dark—their family’s past is.

The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn’t over—and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.

This is a fun book and much needed after reading so much fantasy and romance lately. There is a little bit of romance in this one but this one is all about family and the secrets we keep.
I liked the three perspectives told by the cousins: Milly, Aubrey and Jonah. They had distinct voices – I love them all. They worked well as a team trying to figure out why their grandmother disinherited their parents and never had an interest to get to know her grandchildren.
The setting of an island on the east coast lends it that mystery feel. We know the Story family has money and the kids lived in privilege but what happened to make Mildred Story, the matriarch of the family cut her kids out of their life. Were they that awful? It’s Milly, Aubrey and Jonah’s job to find out and make amends but soon they are surrounded by Story lore, scandals and fame.
I was definitely engaged in this story from the moment I met the cousins because I liked learning about their parents and learning what happened. I loved the twist at the end.

I loved the three perspectives but I wish Allison’s perspective (Milly’s mom) came in just a bit earlier in the book. We get to know the kids and it builds up as we get to know who they are, their parents and personalities but once they get on the island it’s still a big mystery as to why their grandmother reached out in the first place. There’s a time period where they are getting settled in and nothing really happens except them working. Not even Grandma Mildred makes much of an appearance.
The ending is the big reveal where the dots are connected. But for the most part the story keeps it all a mystery.

This was a lot of fun to read and I loved how it kept me in the story by tossing some clues here and there, a little romance, revenge, parents acting badly, family secrets and then the big reveal. i enjoyed the characters and how Milly and Aubrey now have each other. Great read if you are into young adult mystery/thrillers.

📚 ~ Yolanda

I Know You Remember | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: I Know You Remember

Author: Jennifer Donaldson

Format: Hardcover (own)

Pages: 326

Categories: Mystery, Grief, Recovering Addicts, Mental Health, Young Adult, Thriller, Twist

Zahra Gaines is missing.

After three long years away, Ruthie Hayden arrives in her hometown of Anchorage, Alaska to this devastating news. Zahra was Ruthie’s best friend–the only person who ever really understood her–and she vows to do whatever it takes to find her.

Zahra vanished from a party just days before Ruthie’s return, but the more people she talks to, the more she realizes that the Zahra she knew disappeared long before that fateful night. Gone is the whimsical, artistic girl who loved books and knew Ruthie’s every secret. In her place is an athlete, a partier, a girl with secrets of her own. Darker still are the rumors that something happened to Zahra while Ruthie was gone, something that changed her forever…

As Ruthie desperately tries to piece together the truth, she falls deeper and deeper into her friend’s new world, circling closer to a dangerous revelation about what Zahra experienced in the days before her disappearance–one that might be better off buried.

My Attention: read in one night

World Building: Anchorage, Alaska – rugged trails and terrain, trailer parks, diverse population

Writing Style: quick read

Crazy in Love: not a romance

Creativity: major twist I didn’t see coming

Triggers: violence, racism, mentions of drug abuse, physical abuse, abuse in a church

My Takeaway: You think you know…but then you don’t.

Ruthie’s dad is a recovering alcoholic, and her mom just died. She is trying to deal with it when she moves back home to her dad in Anchorage, Alaska. Now she has a step-mom and step-sister, Ingrid who is her age. But all Ruthie wants to do is see her best friend, Zahra. But Zahra is missing, so Ruthie does her own investigating.
I like the diversity represented in this book, since I don’t know a lot about Alaska. I enjoyed the Native American and Samoan representation. Alaska is the perfect setting for this book too, because bears? (Frightening), woods and trails where you can get lost in (and maybe get mauled by a bear?) haha…but it lent the story some of the creepy vibe.
Usually mysteries bore me, but this one really had me guessing. We get a cast of characters who last saw Zahra and so one by one we follow Ruthie as she tries to find out what really happened to her.
I liked Ingrid. She seems sweet and cheery but underneath all of it is a past where her mom was a meth head, they lived in their car for awhile, so she did not have things easy.
The twist was good, in a messed up way. I had some suspicions but couldn’t quite put the puzzle together totally.

There were some parts along the way to the twist that made me think…what does this have to do with Zahra? It was a slow build but I really wanted to know what happened to Zahra so I stuck with it.

I bought this book last year and I haven’t read it until now because I was waiting for the right time. I don’t read many thrillers but since Halloween is near, I felt I was ready to read this and I really enjoyed it! It’s a quick read that led to a twist that was so unexpected. If you like to read mysteries and young adult thrillers, this one might be something you would enjoy.

💕~ Yolanda

Burn Our Bodies Down | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Burn Our Bodies Down

Author: Rory Power

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: July 7, 2020

Categories: Young Adult, Thriller, Mystery

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Ever since Margot was born, it’s been just her and her mother. No answers to Margot’s questions about what came before. No history to hold on to. No relative to speak of. Just the two of them, stuck in their run-down apartment, struggling to get along.

But that’s not enough for Margot. She wants family. She wants a past. And she just found the key she needs to get it: A photograph, pointing her to a town called Phalene. Pointing her home. Only, when Margot gets there, it’s not what she bargained for.

Margot’s mother left for a reason. But was it to hide her past? Or was it to protect Margot from what’s still there?

The only thing Margot knows for sure is there’s poison in their family tree, and their roots are dug so deeply into Phalene that now that she’s there, she might never escape.

Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

My Reactions:

My Attention: the mysteriousness of the story pulled me along but I got frustrated at some points

World Building: story takes place on a farm

Writing Style: definitely felt all of Margot’s despair, distrust, and her neglect

Bringing the Heat: it brings literal HEAT, and I mean from a fire 😟

Crazy in Love: nope none

Creativity: okay the truth that is revealed in this story is creative and…strange

Mood: unsettled

Triggers: toxic family relationship, death

My Takeaway: I think I’m still processing this – but my takeaway? Family secrets suck. 🤷🏻‍♀️ And the truth needs to come out before healing can take place.

This story was different and I didn’t expect the direction it was taking at all. There is an interesting twist in the story that surprised me. The author did such a great job really keeping me guessing until the end.
It definitely had a creepy factor to the story and it kept me on my toes trying to guess what was going on. Grandma was creepy but the horror emerges at the ending of the story. It was more like a mystery/thriller than horror.
Margot is a complicated character. She’s a teenager that has been absolutely neglected by her mother. So when Margot leaves to find out more about her “family”, she realizes there are so many secrets to uncover about her mom’s past. Margot makes many hard decisions in the end, but she had to – the secrets were getting out of hand.

The first half of the book holds all the mystery and it was slow going. I kept wondering what could be happening on this farm? Why is the community so secretive about the Nielsen family? I had many questions. It was frustrating because no one would talk and I felt like the story wasn’t getting anywhere.
Margot’s grandmother…she made me go hmmm all throughout the book!

This story explores the dysfunctional family and secrets that can tear a family apart. I enjoyed it because it was different, strange and the truth that was revealed was horrifying. But I also thought it was just okay and maybe I spent more time trying to make sense of some things that happened in the story? I have mixed feelings about this one but I think many people who enjoy a young adult thriller will enjoy it.

ARC Review: T-Minus

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: T-Minus

Author: Shannon Greenland

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: August 6, 2019

Categories: Suspense, Young Adult, Thriller

I am the daughter of the first female POTUS, and today is about to become the longest day of my life…

24 hours—that’s how much time I have to save my mother before terrorists assassinate her. But now my father and brother are missing, too. This goes deeper than anyone thinks. Only someone on the inside would know how to pull this off—how to make the entire First Family disappear.

I can’t trust anyone, so it’s up to me to uncover the conspiracy and stop these madmen. Because little do they know, they picked the wrong person to terrorize.

My name is Sophie Washington, and I will not be a victim. No one, I repeat no one, is taking me or my family down. But the clock is ticking…

Thank you to Entangled: Teen and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this eArc.

If you like shows like 24 and Homeland, then this book is for you. I can’t say I ever watched 24 but Homeland is one of my favorite shows. T-Minus takes place in a span of 24 hours. Right away I get thrown into Sophie Washington’s life and she’s being taken to a safe house because a plot to assassinate her mother, the President of the United States is underway. She’s separated from her mom, dad and brother and doesn’t know who to trust.

But Sophie is no ordinary president’s daughter – she and a bunch of her friends underwent TIA training. Something similar to special ops training but for teens! So yes, she and her friends are skilled at espionage, fighting, hacking, you name it, each of them excels at what they were trained to do.

The clock ticks down as Sophie and her friends have to find out who is behind this plan that is killing people she loves. This story is fast-paced and full of suspense. I sort of suspected early on who the villain was but that didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the story. And sometimes it’s unbelievable to think teenagers can be the ones to save the day in a situation like this. But I think Sophie and her friends convinced me they could handle any situation with the training they went through.

I believe this is a standalone novel but I feel like there could be a whole series devoted to Sophie and her friends saving the day. This is an entertaining page-turner with lots of thrilling action to keep anyone engaged

Get it here: Amazon

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Book Review: LUCID

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Author: Kristy Fairlamb

Format: E-book

Length: 248 pages

Publication Date: April 23, 2019

Categories: Paranormal, Dreams, Romance, Young Adult, Mystery

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

Book Blurb:

A Terrifying Power. A Horrifying Curse.

Lucy Piper lives a lonely existence on the precipice between life and death. She possesses the horrifying ability to resurrect real-life tragic events in her nightmares, reliving over and over, as if she were there, the last few moments before the victim takes their final breath. Car accidents, drownings, plane crashes – Lucy has seen it all. No one understands what it’s like living death by night and fearing sleep by day.

When Tyler Sims and his family move to town to escape past traumas, Lucy is drawn to him. The two of them are linked through their dreams, and with Tyler’s trust and friendship, hope for a brighter future returns to Lucy’s world. But Tyler’s presence awakens something else in Lucy, and with this new knowledge she will be forced to make impossible decisions. Decisions that will change history, and the future.

Chilling, haunting and compelling, this novel is the first in a two-part series for fans of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and The Hidden Memory of Objects that will leave you breathless for days.

MY REVIEW

I wanted to read something different from the romance and fantasy novels on my TBR list so thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC of this book. LUCID, is more mystery than thriller, but still very unique.

What I really enjoyed about this book was venturing into Lucy’s dreams, or should I call them nightmares? After Lucy hears about an event or an accident, she dreams about it. I would not want to have her gift – saving people’s lives is cool yes, but enduring the nightmares, NOPE. For most of the beginning of the book, Lucy wonders why she dreams these things.

Tyler moves to her small town, which happens to be a mountain tourist town in Australia known for their snow. And he and Lucy are drawn to one another, but not because they find each other attractive – which they do. But Lucy has seen him before, in her dreams. Tyler has a past that is linked to one of her dreams. So what will happen if she alters the dream that he is tied to? Does she have the strength to do it, if it means losing Tyler?

The one thing I wanted more from this book was information about why she dreams this way. Her Grandma Tess has had similar dreams before so I’m thinking it runs in the family but I felt like Lucy needed someone who could give her concrete answers. With a power like altering reality, I would think there would be someone to guide her to do the right thing. Grandma Tess does her best, but even this is out of her realm, at least that’s the way it seems. Lucy eventually figures things out on her own, but still, what a responsibility to have on her shoulders.

Overall this was an enjoyable, solid debut from this new author. It was a quick read at only 248 pages. I am very curious to see what happens next in Lucy’s dreams!