Black Dawn by Rachel Caine

Title: Black Dawn
Author: Rachel Caine
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: May 1st, 2012
Publisher: NAL Trade
Pages: 367
Format: Paperback
Acquired: Bought
Interest: Series
Others in the Series: Glass House, The Dead Girl's Dance, Midnight Alley, Feast of Fools, Lord of Misrule, Carpe Corpus, Fade Out, Kiss of Death, Ghost Town, Bite Club, and Last Breath
Age Group: Young Adult

Ever since the draug—mysterious creatures that prey on vampires—took over Morganville, the lives of student Claire Danvers and her friends have been thrown into turmoil. Most of the town’s residents have evacuated, but Claire, Shane, Eve and Michael have chosen to stay and fight.Using the city’s water system to spread, the draug have rapidly multiplied. Things in Morganville look grim, especially since vampire Amelie—the town founder—has been infected by the master draug’s bite.

Now, if Claire and her friends don’t figure out how to cure Amelie and defeat the draug, it looks like Morganville will become little more than a ghost town…

Morganville is falling apart, but Rachel Caine is truly building something even cooler.

Things are heating up or watering up now with the draug slowly taking over Morganville. Now that the gang and pretty much the whole time are cornered up, an attack has to be placed in order to take back their town.

I still love how Rachel Caine is mixing it up by changing point of views. Unlike the other ones that started out slowly with one point of view here and there, and then giving whole chapters, but still focusing heavily on Claire, to giving a lot of equal time to many of the characters.

Things between Eve and Michael are a little rocky, Amelie is falling deeper and deeper into her sickness, Oliver has sort of taken over/fawning over Amelie, Shane is protective, Myrinn might be in love with Claire, and the said Claire is trying to make it another day.

Yep. Caine knows how to keep the interest in the series. I love how she added this, just so effortlessly, while still closing up what remind of the last few story-lines.

I'm very excited the way things are going. The story is getting more and more complex, the characters more interesting (or in the case of Eve, more annoying) and I am truly sad knowing that the series is coming to an end soon, because I don't know what I'll do knowing that I won't have my favorite quartet to look forward to.

Le sigh. You win some you lose some, I guess. 

The Kings of Charleston by Kat H. Clayton

I participated in the blog tour hosted by Giselle from Xpresso Book Tours

Title: The Kings of Charleston
Author: Kat H. Clayton
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: July 10th, 2012
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 348
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: From Author
Interest: Series
Age Group: Young Adult

Casper Whitley is forced to move to Charleston, South Carolina where she’ll be the new kid her senior year of high school. Casper’s upset about the move until she meets the Roman family’s gorgeous son, Cal, but there’s a problem. A mystery surrounds him which can be summed up in one word…Kythera. Never heard of it? Neither has Casper until she finds the word tattooed on cars, paintings and all her new friends.

After Casper’s life is threatened, someone is forced to tell the truth about her parents, the Romans and Kythera’s motives for her being in Charleston. Once the truth is revealed, she must decide whether to protect her family and Kythera’s secrets or walk away from everything she has ever known

A fun mixture of romance and mystery all thrown together into one big novel, where a central theme keeps asking the same question and wondering what is going on.

When Casper moves to Charleston, South Carolina she finds more there than what she had originally anticipated, especially when it comes to Cal and his family. And when it comes to the town as a whole and the one mysterious word: Kythera.

Why I liked the mystery aspect of this so well is that Clayton didn't say that 2+ blank = 5. She gave an entire equation into the mystery instead of laying it out for the reader to see, and that added to the tangled mystery and how it worked to the benefit of the story as a whole.

Her writing, on top of that, was amazing. The words connected and drew the readers in from page one. The one thing that kept going was on what Kythera meant, and just who was Casper herself.

And of course the story between Casper and Cal - well, I'm always a sucker for a good romance. 

While there were a lot of great aspects to the story, some parts left me a little shaky. One of them had to deal with the characters. Her writing was well, but sometimes I kept going back to the characters and seeing that there wasn't much development at all. While resolutions may have happened, I didn't see the growth that I would have liked.

And I think what set my teeth on edge a little was what happened in the end. I know this is a series, especially since book 2 is about to be released, so I wasn't expecting the wrap up that happened in this book until the last one or at least to let it hang over into the second novel. Yet, Clayton closed up like that was the final and even beginning a new plot, or at least from where I stood that's how it felt like.

Despite these moments, I still found the book enjoyable enough to make it to the end and even anticipate the second book.

Broken Harbour by Tana French

Title: Broken Harbour
Author: Tana French
Info: Website |  Facebook
Release Date: July 24th, 2012
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Pages: 533
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: ARC; Netgalley
Interest: Series
Others in the Series: In The Woods, The Likeness, & Faithful Place
Age Group: Adult

In BROKEN HARBOUR, a ghost estate outside Dublin - half-built, half-inhabited, half-abandoned - two children and their father are dead. The mother is on her way to intensive care. Scorcher Kennedy is given the case because he is the Murder squad’s star detective. At first he and his rookie partner, Richie, think this is a simple one: Pat Spain was a casualty of the recession, so he killed his children, tried to kill his wife Jenny, and finished off with himself. But there are too many inexplicable details and the evidence is pointing in two directions at once.

Scorcher’s personal life is tugging for his attention. Seeing the case on the news has sent his sister Dina off the rails again, and she’s resurrecting something that Scorcher thought he had tightly under control: what happened to their family, one summer at Broken Harbour, back when they were children. The neat compartments of his life are breaking down, and the sudden tangle of work and family is putting both at risk  

Tana French! I was sucked into her world when I first read In The Woods, and while I may have had to jump two books in order to review this one (since I don't pay too much attention apparently) I'm glad to say that I wasn't too confused!

Welcome to Dublin, where crime is all around. Once again, French proves her talent as being one of the best authors around. She has a writing style that is both unique and gripping and takes the reader into a world that one never wants to leave.

The world came to life in my hands, and the words just danced right off the page and into my imagination.

Honestly, French brings realistic characters into the world with a plot that takes the readers on a roller coaster ride.

Scorcher was a character I wanted to pity but at the same time I was frustrated with him. There was just a lot of conflicting emotions between both the case and the personal lives.

If one wants a mystery that takes people away, this is the book to read.

Ten by Gretchen McNeil

Title: Ten
Author: Gretchen McNeil
Info: Twitter | Website | Facebook
Release Date: September 18th, 2012
Publisher: Balzer + Bay
Pages: 294
Format: Hardcover
Acquired: Bought
Age Group: Young Adult

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?

I finished this book in less than seven hours, I know this because I was reading it on a car ride that lasted for seven hours, and I have to tell you that the only reason I did that is because I couldn't stop reading. This book sucked me in and refused to let go.

When Meg and Minnie, best friends who have a serious unhealthy relationship, are invited to a party on Henry Island, they expect it to be one of the best weekends ever. But shortly after arriving they soon realize that something is incredibly wrong. And the messed up DVD that freaks them out does no one any good.

I'll admit that when I was first reading this I kept searching for clues from any of the characters. Even as the story was unfolding, I kept pointing fingers at each character, and some I think were just made to be the obvious choice. Honestly, McNeil took me by complete surprise. And when Meg was putting the pieces together, I just kept waiting for the killer to come out.

This story takes the reader by surprise. At every turn something unexpected happened that had me jumping out of my seat!

And the plot twist at the end? So unexpected! Which is why it's called a plot twist, ha!

The relationship that was forming between TJ and Meg, comparing to the relationship with Meg and Minnie showed so many different sides to Meg. The codependency of her friend and her own wants and needs. I kept feeling sorry for her, except at one point where I didn't because she did a stupid thing. Either way, I enjoyed reading about Meg and the others!

I do wish though that McNeil took a little time to unravel each character. Granted, the story would have been longer but it just felt like each character was dying off before the reader got the chance to see them as a person and not just as a one dimension figure that didn't matter because they were going to die anyways. The story may have been better had it been longer, I think.

This book was great. It's been awhile since I read something that was completely 100% mystery with no paranormal activity going on or some dysfunctional society - though it did have a lot of dysfunctional people! So, this was a well needed break I think, and if someone is looking for something different or at least to go back to the classic mystery stories, I think this book fits the bill!

Phoenix by A.J. Scudiere

Title: Phoenix
Author: A.J. Scudiere
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: October 2nd, 2012
Publisher: Griffyn Ink
Pages: 410
Format: Electronic
Acquired: ARC; From Publisher
Age Group: Adult

Jason Mondy’s world is unraveling.

His seemingly secure job as a fire fighter is suddenly thrown into chaos. The bright spot in his week is that he rescued two children from a house fire, but he returns home that night to find all his furniture is missing. His girlfriend has left him without warning and his nightmares keep him from sleeping. Even just a simple trip home to find some rest leads his adoptive mother to sit him down and tell him that maybe his troubles aren’t quite as innocuous as they seem. Then his she divulges a secret she’s kept for over twenty-six years . . .

Jason has a brother he doesn’t remember existed.

He doesn’t remember his life before he was adopted at age seven. He only knows that he was rescued from the fire that took his birth mother’s life. But the story is deeper than that, and the foundation on which he built his world is now cracking. The brother he doesn't remember it out there somewhere, left behind.

Armed with only this stunning new piece of information, Jason embarks on a quest to find the truths buried deep in his past. As he searches, one by one the pieces of his life fall like dominoes. And the more he uncovers, the more everything he thought he knew about himself and his past begins to turn to ash.

When this book first fell into my lap I was instantly interested. Nothing better than a little mystery and a little bit of world rocking. Who wants to be the person to find out that once upon a time their life was working in perfect order and the next things start to change rapidly? What if you discovered you had a missing brother that you never knew about? And how far would you go to get the truth?

Jason was a character I had the hardest time connecting to. Originally I felt like I had to force the connection, but there was always this shadow around him that wouldn't let me near him. He was so closed off and there were just moments when I wish he would just say what was on his mind. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if he was a mystery to the author as well.

And because I had this poor connection with him, the start just dragged on and on and on. I put the book down for days and didn't pick it up because I just couldn't deal with how emotionless Jason was. From the beginning reader's see that there is something in Jason's life that is missing, even if he doesn't know right away.

I think that Jason is just a very emotionally closed off type of guy and it comes through in the novel. Not to mention a whole lot of complaining as well, but I guess that comes with the territory. I would be a little moody as well if my boyfriend had just walked out on me - or girlfriend in Jason's case.

When the mom finally confessed the truth it was when the story started to pick up. I wasn't happy that it took almost to chapter five, but I was happy with the way things went. The story lines that are weaved into this complicated story make every page turn a mystery and the reader just has to know what's going to happen.

I was taken by surprise a lot of the time, and I wish I could say, "I saw that coming," but that wasn't the case with this book.

Mysterious and interesting, this book will have you on your seat...if you could just get through the first few pages that is!

Who's Your Daddy, Baby? by Lisa Pell

Title: Who's Your Daddy, Baby?
Author: Lisa Pell
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: July 24th, 2012
Publisher: Aberdeen Bay
Pages: 327
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: From Publisher; ARC; Netgalley
Age Group: Adult

Inspired by the author’s experience, Who’s Your Daddy, Baby? is the story of Lori McGuire Pomay, a happily married career woman living in suburban Washington, D.C. Lori undergoes genetic testing for in vitro fertilization and her world is rocked when she is told the dad she always knew could not possibly have been her biological father. This mid-life shocker sends her into an alternately hilarious, heartwarming, and heartbreaking search for truth about her heritage – from Appalachian Cherokees to Purple Kings on a church stage, with high-rolling gamblers, car dealers, dentists, and all manner of confused amnesiacs in their seventies along for the ride.

With Lori’s mother having died in the 1990s, taking many of the answers to her questions with her, the situation was rife with miscalculations. Initially, the protagonist Lori McGuire Pomay’s only clues to a prospective unknown biological father’s identity are memories of her late mother discussing pre-marital dating in the mountains of southwestern Virginia, and faded old letters from several paternal contenders, written around the time of her conception in the apparently swinging spring of 1958. The hunt eventually involves possibly ten paternal prospects; their families and friends; the membership of two churches; the high-rolling gambler ex-husband of a famous Hollywood actress; two families of car dealers; several free-spirited road trips around Virginia, and numerous humorous telephone calls and e-mails.

It all boils down to timing and opportunity. Lori learns more than she ever wanted to know about the vagaries of female fertility, the fallibility of half-siblingship DNA testing, problems with blood type testing/mutations, the impact of several genetic mutations – and her late mother’s courtships. Readers learn more than they might have known about Appalachian heritage, northern European ethnicity, inbreeding, sex and Rock n’ Roll in the 1950s, the bonds of motherhood, and the nature of paternity. Throw in the onset of a puzzling hereditary vertigo condition set off by hormone injections, plus a trip to the hospital for chest pains, and "Who’s Your Daddy, Baby?" will leave your head spinning.  

The last thing someone wants to hear is that the father they grew up with is not their biological father, but this is the case for Lori. After this married woman finds out that her father cannot be hers, she goes on a wild search for her biological father, and along the way finding interesting characters.

When I was first asked to participate in the blog tour, I absolutely had to ask for this book. It went into a world of the sexual revolutions of the 1960's and the double standard that takes place on women.

This book was a look into the author's own experience when she discovered the truth. In many ways it can be read as a memoir, because the raw emotion expressed in this novel can shake up anyone.

The reason it received a four had been because I had a hard time relating to Lori. And not just because I discovered my father wasn't my father, but I just didn't get feel her in many ways. Sometimes I wanted to put down the book and not really bother and call this one a quitter, but I was driven by the desire to find out who the father was, which I think Pell did an amazing job keeping the reader's hooked for it.

What I found interesting had been the way Lisa went about trying to find her biological father, and most interesting had been the ending. But, the book does keep the reader interested in some areas, while others I just got the feeling of wanting to roll my eyes and move along.

Quirky, interesting, and original the story goes through the process of finding oneself and the people who come along the way to aid and support you. This story was not just about finding your biological father, but about finding your heritage and knowing where you come from.

Murder for Choir by Joelle Charbonneau

Title: Murder for Choir
Author: Joelle Charbonneau
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: July 3rd, 2012
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 304
Format: Paperback
Acquired: From Publisher
Interest: Series
Age Group: Adult

Evan as a struggling opera singer, Paige Marshall has never seen anything like the cutthroat competition of the Prospect Glen High School show choir. Coaching these championship-hungry students may be her toughest gig yet... 

Especially when her best young male singer is suspected of killing the arrogant coach of Prospect Glen's fiercest rival. To clear his name, Paige will have to sort through a chorus of suspects, and go note-for-note with a killer who wants her out of the spotlight for good

When I first got asked to participate in a blog tour I was really excited to read this book. I wasn't sure what Paige would be like or if I would even like her, but I found myself laughing from page one to the end.

I absolutely loved this book. Paige was so real and very three-dimensional. There wasn't a single moment when I wished that she would bring a little of herself out, because she was already there for the world to see.

She use to be an opera singer, but as she waits for more work to come her way, she took up a job working as the couch for the glee club. But, this is not the laid-back, easy going glee club that people see on TV; this is intense, fierce competitions, where the weak go home crying, and if your feet aren't bleeding, your not good enough. Okay, I wouldn't go that far with that last point, but it certainly isn't easy for Paige. She's already being shunned by her students and has to slowly earn her way to gain their trust, but it won't be easy, and top of that there's a murder.

What I liked most about this murder mystery was that the author gave so many suspects and they all looked super guilty. I use to think watching CSI or Criminal Minds would give a girl some indication in order to tell who the murderer is, but Charbonneau kept me second guessing all the time. This woman made a tangled mess, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it unravel.

The first in what I hope will be an amazing series, Charbonneau is an author worth noting. She makes the characters real and they are easy to connect with. This show will bring out the sleuth in all of us.

What I didn't like though, because let's be honest, every book has that little fault, was the relationship between Paige and the detective. Now, I was assuming something would happen, but I was also assuming that would gradually occur as the series took off, so I was kind of shocked by how things were laid out. And also a little surprised by a potential love-triangle that might happen, or at least that's what I'm thinking. I may be wrong, but we will just have to see.

This book was a quick read and it'll leave you laughing at every turn.

Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

Title: Deadly Cool
Author: Gemma Halliday
Release Date: October 11th, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 303
Format: Paperback
Acquired: Bought
Interest: Series
Age Group: Young Adult

Hartley Grace Featherstone is having a very bad day. First she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the president of the Herbert Hoover High School Chastity Club. Then he’s pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And if that weren’t enough, now he’s depending on Hartley to clear his name.

But as much as Hartley wouldn’t mind seeing him squirm, she knows he’s innocent, and she’s the only one who can help him. Along with her best friend, Sam, and the school’s resident Bad Boy, Chase, Hartley starts investigating on her own. But as the dead bodies begin to pile up, the mystery deepens, the suspects multiply, and Hartley begins to fear that she may be the killer’s next victim

First her boyfriend cheats on her and then he shows up at her doorstep asking for help after a dead body is found in his room, of the girl actually, who he was cheating on Hartley with.

I have to say, if it were me, I would tell my boyfriend to take a hike and maybe go asking someone else he's stuck his dick in for help. I mean, seriously, this guy has some nerve! And Hartley, good Lord she has more patience than I would ever have. But she agrees to help him, and the instant the story started I knew I would like her.

But first, I would like to direct your attention to the cover of this book. Isn't it amazing? I mean, look at this eyes! And it's so simple, yet on closer look it holds a million little details that reflect the story (okay, not a million, but a few). Whoever came up with this book cover is a genius!

Now is time to turn your direction to our regularly scheduled review.

This book actually reminded me of my Nancy Drew days, but much cooler. See, when I always read them I always thought of what Nancy would be like with a little style and sass, and who knew that Halliday would beat me to it with Hartley. Okay, so the style thing is just a reference to the whole 50's-60's look that Nancy always sported, but the sass is refreshing.

Hartley's voice came through loud and clear, and I could almost imagine what it would be like to be in her shoes. Not very pretty in some scenes but she handled it all very well, for the most part.

Hart's character shows a world of promise for the continuing series, and I am keeping a close eye on Chase. I feel for him right away and even before his name was known, people could tell he would become important.

This was a refreshing mystery and a little saner after my last read. And this book added a much needed break from the paranormal world (both young and adult).

I cannot wait to read the next book. While, I can't say this book was predictable, because honestly I was betting I would know who did it before Hartley, but that didn't seem to be the case, this book was entertaining. I think that's what I like most about this book: the author does not take us ten steps forward secretly, while fooling us into thinking we are with the protagonist in discovering the truth. Halliday literally leaves us with Hartley the entire time.

Deadly Cool, if not read already, should be people's summer reading list. Young girl detectives are back people! And I think this book could be enjoyable read, especially if done so in the backyard or park with a cool class of lemonade or something.  I can see it now.

I loved this book and I can tell that I am going to love the series.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Title: Gone Girl
Author: Gillian Flynn
Release Date: June 5th, 2012
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
Pages: 415
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: ARC; Netgalley
Age Group: Adult

 On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?
   As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

What can I say? This book, I had thought, was a cut and dry novel and all fingers pointed to the husband. All I could do was say, "It was him! It was him!" I mean, seriously, Nick gave me plenty of reasons to hate him. He was so...irksome.

Okay, so I'm jumping a little ahead of myself. First, I just want to say, this novel is not like any crime mystery book where all the evidence is laid out for the reader and it isn't until our protagonist makes the connections that everyone does a mental hand slap and think, "Ooh," or, at least that's how it is for me. Anyways, this wasn't the case at all.

From page one I could tell that these two were not your...typical, let's say, couple. In fact, they were just two people who could make a girl afraid of marriage. I have seen a lot of happy marriages last thirty plus years, but reading this, I just wanted to duck and cover at the prospect of it. The story is told from Nick's side and from Amy's diary entries, and on both sides it all just sounds so bad. Nick feels Amy is too cold to him, and Amy feel that Nick is too cold to her. And how the startling revelation of it all really puts the idea of marriage into prospective.

I can't really speak on the subject too much. I mean, I'm a nineteen year old girl who's never been on a date before, so I have no experience on how relationships in general should work, but I have some ideas. And one thing this book points out that I think is the central theme is simple: You never really know who you are married to. Some couples can swear on their graves they know their significant inside and out, but I can honestly say that no couple here can claim to know every thought their significant other has had. Every secret they've kept and who, exactly, are they when no one is looking?

It's chilling to think that the person that you wake up to in the morning, sit down and have breakfast with, hold conversations for so many years, is someone you know intimately and know them inside and out, but another side of them comes out whenever you aren't looking.

When it comes time for Nick and Amy to look into their relationship, the prospect gives me chills.

Some people, and I do use this loosely, wear different masks all the time. Shedding one mask and putting on another for different people or at different points in that person's life can become as easy as taking off and putting on clothes. Done so effortlessly that the people around that person have no idea, at times, just who they are dealing with. This becomes something that sticks out a lot for me when I was reading this book, and I find it to be true. And what makes it even worse is that when your true self or the true self of your significant other comes to light there's really no way to go back and undo.

And, I don't want to give too much away, but the novel is constructed in three parts. And as it progresses, I found myself reading part three almost like a bad comedy. I can't go too deep into this, but I still felt like sharing. I laughed at some of the most inappropriate places and I don't know if that was the intention of the author or not, but it couldn't be helped.

Overall, I gave this book five stars because Flynn is a mastermind of plot twists. Once you think you know where the story is going she suddenly surprises you by doing a complete 180 leaving you wondering what just happened. For all the mystery lovers out there, I would say take a look at this. For all those reader's out there that love good mind games, hit this one up. I highly recommend it.

The Girl in the Park by Mariah Fredericks

Title: The Girl in the Park
Author: Mariah Fredericks
Release Date: April 24th, 2012
Publisher: Random House
Pages: 224
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: ARC; Netgalley
Age Group: Young Adult

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.

I have had my head stuck in the Paranormal and Romance/Erotica novels that something like a good mystery is actually really refreshing. A break from everything else is always nice.

The last time I read a good mystery book like this has been a while (that is where ghost, werewolves, faeries, vampires, and time travelers do not count), like back to my Nancy Drew days.

I admit that it took me a while to get into it. I just felt like Rain was very disconnected character and for me, it was like she wasn't all there. Thinking about it I almost feel like the author had intentions for doing that, but still, it was hard to get into. But as the novel started to pick up, Rain's character started to shine through a little more and I could almost see her being assembled right before my eyes.

And I loved how the author really made the pain of the loss hit home. With Wendy's death, family and friend's grieved over this, and it takes the reader right into the book.

There were so many pieces that had key roles, especially when looking into how the media handled the entire situation. It was sad and in some cases even an eye-opener. This looks at the sad, but true side of Manhattan elites and their role is in all of this.

In a lot of ways, for me, this book hit a little too close to him because I am from Manhattan, but she gives an absolute true account, because people do behave this way. But, Fredericks was also kind enough to not pass judgment on them; she states what it is and goes from there. 

This book had it all: loss, sadness, mystery, drama - everything. I recommend this book be put on someone's summer reading list because this will be one of those touching books that can be looked back on and think, "Wow."

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and look forward to more of Fredericks work.