Blog Tour: The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas

Today I am participating in the blog tour for The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas hosted by the publisher! 

The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas
Publisher: Delacorte
Release Date April 19th, 2016
Purchase: Amazon

The Darkest Corners is a psychological thriller about the lies little girls tell, and the deadly truths those lies become.

There are ghosts around every corner in Fayette, Pennsylvania. Tessa left when she was nine and has been trying ever since not to think about it after what happened there that last summer. Memories of things so dark will burn themselves into your mind if you let them.

Callie never left. She moved to another house, so she doesn’t have to walk those same halls, but then Callie always was the stronger one. She can handle staring into the faces of her demons—and if she parties hard enough, maybe one day they’ll disappear for good.

Tessa and Callie have never talked about what they saw that night. After the trial, Callie drifted and Tessa moved, and childhood friends just have a way of losing touch.

But ever since she left, Tessa has had questions. Things have never quite added up. And now she has to go back to Fayette—to Wyatt Stokes, sitting on death row; to Lori Cawley, Callie’s dead cousin; and to the one other person who may be hiding the truth.

Only the closer Tessa gets to the truth, the closer she gets to a killer—and this time, it won’t be so easy to run away.

My thoughts:
Wow this was a crazy filled roller coaster!  The Darkest Corners is one of those rare books where just when you think you know everything it slaps you in the face with an ending that you will never forget!

Tessa was a character that I felt sympathy for from the get go.  She never really had a family and when he life gets turned upside down after testifying at a trial she looses her best friend as well.  When she learns that her father is dying she returns to her old town and you can probably guess things start off crazy the moment she sets foot in her old best friends house.

I liked Tessa.  I like I said felt sorry for her and just wanted to give her a hug, that is if she would have let me touch her.  Tessa is quiet, reserved, and in all honesty felt like a frightened animal in front of headlights throughout the book.  She did grow a backbone though and I loved seeing her stand up for herself and finally seek out her truth.

And man what a truth it was!  This Kara Thomas is brilliant!  She managed to weave in not one but two stories that played into each other throughout and it was amazing!  I never knew to suspect and I loved that she kept me guessing.  I've read a lot of books that fall into this category, but none of them to date has surprised as much as The Darkest Corners. That ending was chilling and after reading it I had to sit there and just shudder for several minutes.

I liked the other cast of characters as well.  They each seemed to fit the small town life perfectly and I thought the author did a great job at interweaving everybody.  There were a few loose ends that I would have liked tied up though.  Katie and Ari both I think deserved a little bit more of a mention in the end and I also would have liked to have known more about the actual villain.  We get to see the crazy twist, but I wanted more closure in their story lines.

I think what's really interesting though is how closely this resembled Making a Murderer.  I know it wasn't intentional and I know that there are huge differences between the two, but since I watched the Netflix show recently I can't help, but to compare the two.  This story is about two girls trying to figure out that night when the unthinkable happened and the fall out from their testimony.  Was the wrong guy in jail??  This is the part that triggered my memory to the Netflix show and I loved it!  I thought it was a unique spin on this genre and I again I am still floored at Thomas' brilliance!

All in all this was a very VERY strong thriller that totally captivated me and I can't wait to see what Kara Thomas throws at us next!!

4.5 snowflakes

To find more about this incredible book check out the official website!

Click HERE 

About Kara Thomas

 Kara is the author of THE DARKEST CORNERS, coming April 2016 from Random House/Delacorte. She is also the author of the Prep School Confidential series from St. Martin's Griffin under the pen name Kara Taylor. Kara has written for Warner Brothers Television and currently writes full-time on Long Island, where she lives with her husband and rescue cat.

Be sure to visit the rest of the amazing blogs participating in the tour!

Blog Tour

3/14 Fresh Fiction

3/15 Jessabella Reads

3/16 Book Addict Confessions

3/17 Hollywood News Source

3/18 Undeniably (Book) Nerdy

3/19 Curling Up with a Good Book

3/20 Out of Time

3/21 Supernatural Snark

3/22 Live to Read, review

3/23 Dark Faerie Tales

3/24 Ex Libris

3/25 Reading with Cupcakes

3/26 The Reader Bee

3/27 The Eater of Books!

3/28 Reading Teen

3/29 Chapter by Chapter

3/30 Winter Haven Books

3/31 Once Upon A Twilight

4/1 Intellectual Recreation

4/2 The Hiding Spot

4/3 Carina Books

4/4 Cover Contessa

4/5 Me Read A Lot

4/6 The Writer Diaries

4/7 Whimsically Yours

4/8 Hook of a Book

4/9 Reading Nook Reviews

4/10 Downright Dystopian

4/11 Such A Novel Idea

4/12 Across the Words

4/13 Reviews From a Bookworm

4/14 Itching For Books

4/15 Waste Paper Prose

4/16 The Irish Banana

4/17 The Book Rat

4/18 YA Reads

4/19 No BS Book Review

4/20 Serenity’s Lovely Reads

4/21 Pandora’s Books

Review: The Third Twin by Cj Omololu

The Third Twin by CJ Omololu 
Publisher-Delacorte BFYR
Released-Feb 24th 2015
Purchase- Amazon / B & N

Identical twins. Identical DNA. Identical suspects. It's Pretty Little Liarsmeets Revenge in this edge-of-your-seat thriller with a shocking twist.When they were little, Lexi and her identical twin, Ava, made up a third sister, Alicia. If something broke? Alicia did it. Cookies got eaten? Alicia's guilty. Alicia was always to blame for everything. The game is all grown up now that the girls are seniors. They use Alicia as their cover to go out with boys who are hot but not exactly dating material. Boys they'd never, ever be with in real life.Now one of the guys Alicia went out with has turned up dead, and Lexi wants to stop the game for good. As coincidences start piling up, Ava insists that if they follow the rules for being Alicia, everything will be fine. But when another boy is killed, the DNA evidence and surveillance photos point to only one suspect: Alicia. The girl who doesn't exist. As she runs from the cops, Lexi has to find the truth before another boy is murdered. Because either Ava is a killer…or Alicia is real.

My Thoughts:
The Third Twin, is a twisty whodunit young adult mystery thriller that was an instantly enjoyable escape from the first page, on. Ava and Lexi are identical twins right down to their DNA and when they were younger they invented an imaginary friend-sister, named Alicia. Anything they did wrong- Alicia did it, but as the twins got older they're starting to see that playing the Alicia-card is getting more dangerous and eventually...deadly.

When I first heard about this book I knew that I was interested in reading it but I didn't think I'd enjoy it as much as I did. From the first chapter I was hooked and couldn't wait to see how the twins deal with all these strange things happening to them, or well, to Alicia, a girl who's not even suppose to be real. CJ Omololu writing is very addicting and I love the voices she gave these characters but it was the storyline that had me completely glued to the pages. I might have guessed one of the twist loops but I never saw who the actual culprit was. I was shocked with the final revelation and loved how the Omololu managed to kept me on my toes.

The twins were likeable and easy to connect with. Lexi is smart, driven and focused while Ava is a little more vain and reckless. The twins bring out Alicia when they want to have a little fun since she's the more fearless and daring one. Alicia was great to have around when they were little since it would get them out of trouble, but in their senior days Alicia comes out to play when hot boys are around, that is till they find their 'keeper'. But when the boys that Alicia were dating turns up murdered, this harmless game isn't so harmless any more.

I really loved the girls, they're close and didn't have that sibling rivalry I find in so many other reads, sure they had there disagreements where Alicia was concerned and yes there was a lot of lingering doubts about Ava, but despite all the strange happenings around them, there wasn't to much drama, just straight suspense and an unsettling vibe that there is more to this story. I also really loved Zane! He was pretty awesome, supportive and protective and provided some sweeter moments when things got to intense. 

Bottom line, I had a lot of fun reading this book and while it may not be exactly new, I still love Omololu's take for this genre. The pace is steady, the writing is strong, the characters are realistic and the twist and turns made it a blast trying to guess this thrilling mystery.
A solid escape! 

Find the author:

Goodreads/ Website                                4 snowflakes

Blog Tour Review: Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton

Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Release Date: Feb 10, 2015

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Their Legacy is…A calling. An Honor. A lie.

#SeekerSeries

The night Quin Kincaid takes her Oath, she will become what she has trained to be her entire life. She
will become a Seeker. This is her legacy, and it is an honor.

As a Seeker, Quin will fight beside her two closest companions, Shinobu and John, to protect the weak and the wronged. Together they will stand for light in a shadowy world.

And she’ll be with the boy she loves—who is also her best friend.

But the night Quin takes her Oath, everything changes.

Being a Seeker is not what she thought. Her family is not what she thought. Even the boy she loves is not who she thought.

And now it’s too late to walk away.

 Seeker Reviews
“Fans of Veronica Roth’s Divergent, Marie Lu’s Legend, and Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games series: your next obsession has arrived.” —School Library Journal

“[A] powerful beginning to a complex family saga . . . Dayton excels at creating memorable characters.” —Publishers Weekly

“A tightly woven, action-packed story of survival and adventure, Seeker is perfect for fans of Game of Thrones.” —Tahereh Mafi, author of the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series

“Secrets, danger, and romance meet in this unforgettable epic fantasy.” —Kami Garcia, #1 New York
Times bestselling coauthor of Beautiful Creatures and author of Unbreakable

My Thoughts:
You need this book in your life.  I know I haven't personally met you (you being the wonderful readers of this blog) and I don't know your reading tastes, but that doesn't matter.  I can guarantee that you will love this book.  It will be in your top 5 of all time and you will have all the feels for days to come...I solemnly promise this to be true.

Have your attention yet??  Did you run to your nearest online store and order this?  What in the world are you waiting for??  Okay here let me list all the reasons why you need this...

1. The setting is over the top amazing.  The setting is in Scotland and Hong Kong which is super different and fun.  I myself get tired of the same ole high school setting in the middle of some small town so having this story set in a whole other country was awesome.  The scenery background descriptions were so vivid and I felt like I could really see what the author envisioned.

2. The world building OMG the world building.  If you are like me you have probably read it all, but let me tell you you haven't read this before.  Different with a huge capitol D! I loved the Dreads, the magic behind everything and just the whole immensely dark world that was created.  After finishing this I am left really wanting a prequel and that almost never happens for me.  I am a huge character driven reader so backstory usually never enters my mind, but with this world I want to know the hows, whys, whos and holy molys of everything.  There is so much in this story that could be developed and I know I would read every bit of it if given the chance.

3. The characters where to even begin.  This is the first book that I have read in maybe ever that lets a main love interest be the bad guy that he is.  Do you know in the beginning that he's a baddie no, but when the time came for him to be the villain I wasn't sure if the author would let him given the whole love triangle angle that was forming, but she did it. She let him become immersed in his own life and needs.  I loved this so hard.  Yes there were moments of regret, but honestly this character is in so deep that I'll be devastated if he is redeemed.  I want him to be the villain and I know that's weird but I do.  I am crossing my fingers that the triangle is long forgotten on one end and that this particular character will get to bask in his evilness...okay not really evilness because there is a driving force behind what he is doing, but I want him to stay on his path until the very end.
 I loved the other characters as well.  Quinn was amazing and I get why she chose her paths when she did.  I respect her and I can't wait to find out what she does with her new knowledge.  She was a really strong heroine and probably one of the best I have ever read.  Her moral compass is pointing in the right direction and I only hope it continues to do so.

Those three things are only the tip of the iceberg.  I didn't even mention the Dreads and that whole wonderfully weird storyline.  It almost felt like at times there were two different stories being told and then at the last minute they came together.  I cannot wait to see what happens in the next installment.  I am left hanging on the edge of my seat because I know the next book is going to be explosive!  And I mean the kind of explosive you know was coming after Katniss found out about the District not being dead!!  Yes that explosive!

So have I convinced you???  If you need more convincing then make sure to check out the rest of the blog tour. I promise by the end if you haven't already bought this you will have it in your cart!  Oh and there is going to be a movie!!!  You are a reader you know you have to read the book first!!

Blizzard Read!!

 

About Arwen:

Arwen Elys Dayton spends months doing research for her stories. Her explorations have taken her around the world to places like the Great Pyramid (which she explored by a single fading flashlight whe researching Resurrection), Hong Kong and its many islands, and lots of ruined castles in Scotland. She enjoys creating complete worlds inhabited by characters who charm, frustrate or inspire.

Arwen lives with her husband and their three children on the West Coast of the United States. You can follow her @arwenelysdayton on Twitter and Instagram.

Website/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads/Instagram

Giveaway Details:

5 winners will receive finished copies of SEEKER, US only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:
2/9/2015- Spiced Latte Reads- Review
2/9/2015- Supernatural Snark- Interview
2/9/2015- The Cover Contessa- Guest Post

2/10/2015- Once Upon A Twilight- Review
2/10/2015- Reading YA Rocks- Guest Post
2/10/2015- The Eater of Books!- Interview

2/11/2015- WinterHaven Books - Review
2/11/2015- Paranormal Book Club- Interview
2/11/2015- Literary Meanderings- Guest Post

2/12/2015- A Dream Within A Dream- Review
2/12/2015- I'd So Rather Be Reading- Guest Post
2/12/2015- Bookhounds ya- Interview

2/13/2015- Bookish- Review
2/13/2015- Bewitched Bookworms-Interview
2/13/2015- Nerdophiles- Guest Post

Teaser Tuesday #43

Welcome to Teaser Tuesdays! 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 that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser Tuesday is for the following...

 STEELHEART by Brandon Sanderson

Publisher: Delacorte

Publication Date: September 24, 2013

Series: Reckoners #1

Goodreads

 

 

 

 

Quotes from Pages 138 

 

"How do we trust this guy?" I asked.

 

"Best to never trust a weapons merchant, my friend. They all sell to both sides, and they are the only ones who win if a conflict continues indefinitely."

 

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your ‘teasers’ in a comment here if you don’t have a blog Thanks!

 

 

 

Review: Mystic City by Theo Lawrence

Mystic City by Theo Lawrence

Release- Oct 9th 2012

Publisher- Delacorte

Purchase- Amazon / B & N

Aria Rose, youngest scion of one of Mystic City's two ruling rival families, finds herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her parents' sworn enemies. The union of the two will end the generations-long political feud—and unite all those living in the Aeries, the privileged upper reaches of the city, against the banished mystics who dwell below in the Depths. But Aria doesn't remember falling in love with Thomas; in fact, she wakes one day with huge gaps in her memory. And she can't conceive why her parents would have agreed to unite with the Fosters in the first place. Only when Aria meets Hunter, a gorgeous rebel mystic from the Depths, does she start to have glimmers of recollection—and to understand that he holds the key to unlocking her past. The choices she makes can save or doom the city—including herself.

My Thoughts:

Mystic City has just about everything one would enjoy in an escape. It's has a quaint Romeo and Juliet story line, a political background, a sci-fi flare and magic laced in every page.
Add conspiracy, betrayal, true love and tainted memory lost and how could you go wrong?

Theo Lawrence pens a brilliant imaginative and creative world. It's set in a futuristic Manhattan and there are two kinds of people. One are the Mystics who have special powers and forces of energy. They are meant to be dangerous and a nuisance to the Non-Mystic folks. Aria Rose just happens to be the daughter of a very important political family. She is the key to bring peace to their country by joining two rival families together through marriage...but only if she doesn't remember enough of who she really loves.

I loved the idea that Theo Lawrence introduced. Always was a sucker for amnesia type books and this one had a really great twist. I also loved the magic in this. It truly did give a mystical feel to the whole story-line giving it an enchanting glow. And while politics usually leaves me cold, it was easy to understand and go along with. Even the romance was sweet in it's own way.
So why only 3.5 snowflakes you might wonder? I'm thinking it has to do with the pacing and the fact that it was way to predictable. The flow of the book felt a tad off. We start off with Aria at her engagement party but she doesn't remember who her fiance is or feel the love she's suppose to have for him. Then almost in the same breath she's saved from someone who she feels instantly connected too. It felt to fast to give out such important facts right from the start. Invading any real mystery from then on.
It also wasn't hard to guess the intentions of the characters. Who was bad, who was good and the why's of the situation. Making it feel somewhat lacking.

However, I did enjoy all the characters. I felt badly for Aria. She's been used and betrayed through out the entire story and yet she has quite a fiery determination about her that you just have to respect.
Hunter is the kind of character that's funny and sweet and playful. Someone you can feel like you can trust right away but you also know that there is more to him.
The romance wasn't over the top in this book, but it still had it's moments where I couldn't help but sigh.
Also, I'm not sure why, but I felt badly for Thomas, even though he was partly at fault, he wasn't a bad guy and I'm not sure he deserved what he got.

With that said, I still enjoyed this story. It may not be a favorite, but I still think it was a fascinating read. The writing is good, the characters are likable and the plot was intriguing. Lawrence brings something shinny and bright into the world of dystopian reads. The ending actually has me curious enough to want to know what happens next, so I may have to pick up the next book; Renegade Heart.

Find the author:
Goodreads / Website                               

                                                                   3.5 Snowflakes

Review: Meant To Be by Lauren Morrill

Meant To Be by Lauren Morrill
Publisher- Delacorte
Release date- Nov 13th 2012
Purchase- Amazon  / B & N

Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question.

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").
But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.
Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

My Thoughts:

Meant To Be is a story about a girl named Julia Lichtenstein who's on her school trip in London and to her absolute horror gets buddy-up with the most obnoxious guy in her class, Jason Lippincott. After Jason plays the 'be responsible and stick to your buddy' card, Julia agrees to go to a local party. To many drinks later and a hangover from hell, Julia starts getting romantic texts and Jason makes a little deal to help her out if she helps him out in return. Soon enough these two unlikely friends find themselves on a fun-filled adventure around the streets of London to find Julia's mystery text guy, but Julia wasn't prepared for what she found in the end.What was meant to be.

Aww, this was such a cute and witty story about falling for flawed and being better for it. Julia and Jason have such a unique and enthusiastic voice that makes you hang on ever word. I really loved both these characters. Julia is an uptight little thing, a 'book licker' and always follows the rules and has romantic sentimental ideas of what love is suppose to be. It wasn't always easy to like her attitude and most of the time she needed to just unclench, but I liked her take-risk attitude. Jason is the kind of guy I'd love to be friends with. He has a very infectious personality. Likes to have fun but knows his boundaries. He's spontaneous and fun and while he doesn't always do or say the right thing, he has a really good heart. 
I really enjoyed the writing. Loved the dialog. Lauren Morrill  captures a realistic portrayal of two teenagers who are totally opposite of each other but challenge one another every step of the way. I also love reading all about London. The art and museums and the history and culture but I also loved discovering the hidden gems that Jason showed Julia. 
It was gorgeously conveyed in this book. 
The ending was simply perfect. So sweet and sincere with a great twist I never saw coming.  

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It's a lighthearted,  fun and an adorable read that makes you believe that- soul mates, fate, destiny, the one,  meant to be- anything is possible when it comes to love. It's unpredictable and messy and worth falling for.

Find the author:
Goodreads / Website
                                                                   4 Snowflakes