Falling

 

As a flight attendant, the premise of this novel was terrifying to imagine myself in! My family has been kidnapped and I am given a choice - crash the plane and my family lives, or land the plane and my family dies.

 Since this novel was written by a former flight attendant, the novel was authentic and believable. A debut novel from Newman, the author is a beautiful storyteller and shows the tense emotions behind this emotion-charged day. It's easy to put yourselves in the pilots' shoes and wonder - what would I pick? 

While some of the plot details are a little far-fetched and some scenes a little lacking, this was still a solid 4/5 star novel for me! Really enjoyed this debut thriller and read it in under 48 hours! I really believe even those not interested in aviation will still enjoy this one. Just released yesterday, go pick up this hot new novel today!

The Dead and the Dark

 

       
        
        Courtney Gould's debut novel is a nailbiter! Logan has just arrived in Snakebite, Oregon with her dads and everything is not okay. The dark is lurking throughout the town, teenagers are disappearing and everyone believes Logan's ghost hunting dads are responsible. So what does any teenager do? She sets out to find out what is happening and prove her dads' innocence. This novel is dark and dangerous, spooky and a bit creepy. The first  quarter or so was confusing, I won't lie. You're introduced to the darkness with no explanation and it's like you're left blindfolded with no one guiding you to any answers. But the answers slowly come around so buckle up for this wild ride. This novel is worth it - I loved that it was queer friendly, paranormal but not out of this world too much, a thriller but not really horror, well paced, and characters well fleshed out. 

7/10

Violet and Daisy: The Story of Vaudeville's Famous Conjoined Twins

 

      Sarah Miller does an amazing job of showing an as complete picture as possible of the lives of Violet and Daisy Hilton. I had never heard of these sisters prior to reading this novel, and I was unprepared for the hardships and heartbreak that these two women endured throughout their lives. From being abandoned by their mother at birth, to being abused by the person who was supposed to be their mother but instead exploited them, to having no privacy and always being on display for their guardians to profit off of. They never got to learn motherly love, never got to learn to manage the money they were making from being in the show business (once they finally were able to  take home the money they earned!) and as a result led very sheltered, isolated lives up until their death. Once they were no longer performing, they became broke and it was only because of the help of others that they were able to secure a job and home. Thankfully, they were able to peacefully live out the rest of their lives in North Carolina, but Violet and Daisy were robbed of so much in their lives and my heart breaks for everything they had to go through. 

Grab your copy of Violet and Daisy April 27th! 

Where the Road Leads Us

 

      Where the Road Leads Us, by Robin Reul, was such a delightful treat of a novel. I expected the content to be a lot heavier based on the synopsis, but the actual thick of the plot was lighthearted and fun! While the themes of grief, death, strained family relationships, and uncertainty about one's future certainly did come up in the novel, it didn't play center stage. Instead, the tale of three strangers taking a once in a lifetime roadtrip to right some wrongs, figure out where they're at in their own life and find out some more about themselves played out in a light hearted and upbeat adventure. How else can a road trip happen in a bright yellow buddha cab? The friendship forged between Jack and Hallie via this chance roadtrip is one that is not to soon be forgotten. 

Pick up your own copy April 6th! 

You Have A Match

 

You Have A Match, by Emma Lord, is such a gem of a novel! In this day and age where DNA tests have become popular, a YA novel centered around that what if question of discovering an unknown sibling was super fun! Abby is our main character throughout our journey here, and takes the DNA test at the nudging of her best friend Leo, who's adopted and wants to find out more about his heritage. So along with their other best friend Connie, they all take a DNA test together to lessen the nerves. But instead of Leo finding out about his past, Abby gets the shock of a lifetime when she discovers a full-blood older sibling named Savannah. Not only that, she's a popular Instagram influencer who reacher out to her and wants to meet her. Abby is curious, I mean wouldn't you be? One thing leads to another, and the girls find a way to go to summer camp together without their parents any the wiser. It's not love at first sight with Savvy, but they grow together and figure out their mysterious past while strengthening their relationship despite some personality differences. Throw in some relationship drama and pranks, and you have a five star novel! 

You Have A Match was released January 12th and is a Reese's Book Club Winter YA Pick! 

Slingshot

         This debut novel, Slingshot, by Mercedes Helnwin, starts out a little rough. Gracie is a 15 year old teenager who attends boarding school in a less than glamorous, inland Florida location. Her Dad pays to send her there - and that's about all he does, since he has a whole other family in California. She's on the bottom of the totem pole and has no friends going into this year. 

    The opening scene doesn't seem to contribute a lot to the plot or Gracie's overall character development and seems swept under the rug a little bit too much. It's issues are concerning and need to be addressed. After we move on from the almost teacher-student relationship, the novel goes to great places! I loved how real the novel could be with issues of loneliness and coming of age. I really enjoying the friendship that Wade and Gracie developed first before it blossomed into more, and was devastated when it shattered into pieces. The ending broke me as well, I could feel Gracie's pain as she was dealing with heartbreak and desertion. A solid four stars from me! 

Publish date April 27, 2021

Special thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review 

What Kind of Girl

      I've always been a big fan of Alyssa Sheinmel's, and was very excited to see another book of her's being published this month! What Kind of Girl is a raw, gritty novel that deals with tough, often stigmatized issues such as relationship abuse, self harm, anxiety, and bulimia. I appreciated that the novel started with a trigger/content warning for the topics that would be discussed within the novel's pages.
    The novel deals with two best friends, Maya and Juniper, who are also two of the most popular girls of their private school. Maya is dating the track school star Mike, who everyone loves. What no one knows is that Mike has gotten increasingly violent towards Maya, and most recently a slap has resulted in a black eye for Maya. Maya decides she can't take it anymore, and goes to the school's principal. What follows is the division of the school for who believes Maya and who believes Mike.
   Also woven into the novel is the friendship between Maya and Juniper. Both are dealing with intense issues that they've chosen not to disclose to each other. Throughout the book we see these coming to a head and their relationship transforming and being tested.
   What Kind of Girl started off a little confusing to me -- the chapter headings alluded to more characters than actually exist, but that could have just been me. Also, I don't like when novels finish inconclusive, and this novel left the reader with a lot of loose ends! I didn't feel satisfied when I turned that last page -- I had a lot of questions instead. I don't want to imagine my own ending, I want to know what the author intended for this pair, for better or worse.

One Last Child

      
      One Last Child, by Anni Taylor, is an exciting new thriller and the first in a new series - Tallman's Valley Detectives. Set in Australia, five three year olds go missing from a preschool picnic without a trace. The children aren't seen for years, and there's little to no leads on where they could be, until they're returned, unharmed, one by one to their families. Except for Ivy - the homicide detective's, Kate Wakeland, granddaughter, and all the other children say Ivy is dead. Now the hunt is on as to where the children have been kept for three years and who was behind kidnapping them and killing Ivy.
   With lots of twists and turns, relationship drama, and family turmoil, this book is a page turner that I didn't want to put down. I really appreciated that the main premise of the book was solved by the end of the book, but there was enough of a cliffhanger at the end to keep my excited for the next book in the series. I felt that parts of the book were a little bit too far fetched and too easily tied in a bow, and a couple times I struggled with too many characters, making me not quite able to give this five stars - more like four and a half. All in all a solid book that I highly recommend, especially for those who like thrillers!