Suspicion by Alexandra Monir

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Title: Suspicion

Author: Alexandra Monir

Length: 368 pages

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Classification: Young Adult, Paranormal, Mystery

Release Date: December 9, 2014

Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thank you so much Random House/Delacorte Press!)

Read: November 2014

Mysterious. Magnificent. Creepy. Welcome to Rockford Manor. "There's something hidden in the Maze." Seventeen-year-old Imogen has never forgotten the last words her father said to her seven years ago, before the blazing fire that consumed him, her mother, and the gardens of her family's English country manor. Haunted by her parents' deaths, Imogen moves to New York City with her new guardians. But when a letter arrives with the news of her cousin's untimely death, revealing that Imogen is now the only heir left to run the estate, she returns to England and warily accepts her role as duchess. All is not as it seems at Rockford, and Imogen quickly learns that dark secrets lurk behind the mansion's aristocratic exterior, hinting that the spate of deaths in her family were no accident. And at the center of the mystery is Imogen herself--and Sebastian, the childhood friend she has secretly loved for years. Just what has Imogen walked into? Combining a fresh twist on the classic REBECCA with a spine-tingling mystery and powerful romance, SUSPICION is an action-packed thrill ride. (From GoodReads)

GoodReads || Amazon || Barnes & Noble || Books-a-Million

***I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

My Rating: 

I love the cover and the summary sounded awesome, so I decided that this was a book I wanted to read.
I have never read REBECCA, so I can't really comment on how much they are or are not alike.
The only expectation I had going into this book was hoping that I will enjoy the story.

Imogen lost both her parents as well as her uncle and aunt in a fire when she was ten years old. For the past seven years she has lived in New York with her guardians. And she hasn't been back to Rockford Manor since the tragic event that changed her life forever. Until she finds out that her grandfather and cousin have both passed away, leaving her as the sole survivor of Rockford Manor. Imogen then decides to move back to the place that she doesn't really want to be. Accepting to become the duchess of Rockford Manor. She then discovers dark secrets and tries to uncover the mystery surrounding Rockford Manor.

It was very easy for me to get swept up in the story. And I like the way the story was presented, seeing a glimpse of the present, then going back years and months to find out what had happened up to that point.

I think that the story is a mystery with paranormal elements and a bit of romance.

I was really fascinated with the mystery in this story. I kept second-guessing my thoughts regarding what was happening and who was involved. And I didn't really see the ending coming. It really surprised me and I think it was definitely a twist. The ending isn't exactly realistic, but I don't really mind because unrealistic things in books don't bother me (a large majority of the time).

To me there wasn't as much romance as I thought there would be. And the bit of romance that was in the story didn't have much of a build up. I didn't feel like it was insta-love or anything, but I was hoping for more development in their relationship and romance.
I didn't really connect with Imogen's relationship, and I think it was mostly due to wanting there to be a bit more. Even though I wanted a little bit more, this didn't keep me from enjoying what I was reading.  And I do like that the romance isn't the majority of the story.

I like Imogen. I felt so bad for everything that she had been through. I found the paranormal elements to be very intriguing and was anxious to learn more about them and how it related to Imogen.

I was interested in the other characters and how they all fit into the story.

I feel like the ending had resolutions and some answers, but I was left wondering what else would happen and wanting to know more about certain things.

My Recommendation:
This book interested me and I enjoyed reading it. But I didn't fall in love with it. If you enjoy reading books that have mystery and some paranormal elements, then you might enjoy reading this book. There isn't as much romance as I thought there would be as I read. And the ending was a bit crazy, but overall, I found the book interesting.
I'd check it out at the library.

The Here and Now by Ann Brashares

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Title: The Here and Now

Author: Ann Brashares

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Length: 256 pages
Classification: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Time Travel

Release Date: April 8, 2014
Source: I received this as a pre-approved e-galley from NetGalley

My Rating:

Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love.This is the story of seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except Prenna didn’t come from a different country. She came from a different time—a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins.Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they’re from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth.But everything changes when Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves. (From Amazon)

This is a book that I would re-read again in the future.

I read The Here and Now pretty quickly. I found the book to be hard to put down. I loved the idea behind the story. Prenna and others traveling back from the future because there is nothing left for them there. I think I understood the blood plague and I didn’t think it was too far-fetched or unbelievable.

I loved the characters. I felt invested in their story. But I think the character I liked most was Ethan. When I finished reading the entire book, he is the character that made me think, “I need to know more about him and his life!”

I felt connected with the characters. These were characters that I loved. I felt heartbroken for them when they were sad or faced difficult situations. I felt emotionally connected to them.

I want to point out that even though I was able to predict a couple things, I don't think it really took away from the story. The author did a good job with having several plot twists and surprises in the story that I didn't see coming.

I loved reading this book and I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys reading Young Adult books that involve time travel.

I found the story to be fast paced, there wasn't a time when reading where I considered to put the book down and not want to read it anymore. I think the author did a wonderful job and I really hope that this is the first book in a series. 

***SPOILERS AHEAD. 

STOP READING IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW DETAILS FROM THE STORY!

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I didn't feel that Prenna and Ethan’s relationship was insta-love or rushed. They had been friends for a few years and it was noted that there was something strained between them. I don’t think they acted on their feelings until now, but I believe that you can be in love with someone without telling them or acting on it. So, I found the relationship to be believable.

But I did feel that the relationship wasn't very developed. I know that it is not the focus of the story. (Which is a good thing) but I also felt like there wasn't that much heat or even chemistry. Going into the book, I thought this was going to be an Epic Love, Epic Romance. But I didn't really feel that between them. I understand that the romance is forbidden. And I understand why they are not supposed to be together. But I also didn't feel like the world is going to end if they are not. (I also think that if there is a sequel to this novel the relationship (especially the forbidden part) will have a bigger role there.)

I also found a couple things to be very predictable. From the first time Prenna told us that her father just up and changed his mind not to come, I knew he found a way somehow and that he did make the trip back. I don’t know why he didn't go with them, and I didn't know where in the past he would be, but I guessed that he made the time travel trip. I guessed that Ben Kenobi (the homeless guy) was actually her father pretty quickly after meeting the character. I was surprised that she didn't know it was him. I understand that he aged. But I can still recognize my dad from his appearance and his voice even though he has aged and gained weight since I was a little kid. I would think that his voice would have given him away. And it isn’t necessarily a bad thing that she didn't realize it was him, maybe she was in denial or shock, but I was surprised that it took her so long to make the connection. I was surprised that he died and that she was there.

The other thing that I guessed quickly was that Andrew Baltos was Traveler One and that he started the blood plague. But the events that happened surrounding Andrew surprised me. I didn't see them coming.

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END OF SPOILERS

Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski

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Title: Don't Even Think About It
Author: Sarah Mlynowski
Length: 336 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary 
Release Date: March 11, 2014
Source: Netgalley uncorrected proof e-book. I received a pre-approved email for this book. 

We weren't always like this. We used to be average New York City high school sophomores. Until our homeroom went for flu shots. We were prepared for some side effects. Maybe a headache. Maybe a sore arm. We definitely didn't expect to get telepathic powers. But suddenly we could hear what everyone was thinking. Our friends. Our parents. Our crushes. Now we all know that Tess is in love with her best friend, Teddy. That Mackenzie cheated on Cooper. That, um, Nurse Carmichael used to be a stripper.

 Since we've kept our freakish skill a secret, we can sit next to the class brainiac and ace our tests. We can dump our boyfriends right before they dump us. We know what our friends really think of our jeans, our breath, our new bangs. We always know what's coming. Some of us will thrive. Some of us will crack. None of us will ever be the same.

So stop obsessing about your ex. We're always listening. (From GoodReads)

My Rating:

This book just wasn’t for me.

I finished reading the book, but it is not a book that I plan to buy or read again.

I thought that the idea for the book was interesting. Students developing telepathy after a getting a flu vaccination. And the events that happened were interesting.

But the fact that it went from following a collective “we” of about three or four girls to almost an entire class was a bit confusing for me. It was a bit difficult to remember all their names and what all was happening. Even though it focused on a handful of students’ lives and the rest of the class interjected here and there, I still didn’t remember everything that was going on.

It took me a while to get into the book, and if I wasn’t reviewing it, there is a good chance I might not have finished it. I didn’t feel the curiosity or need to find out how the book ended.

The good:

 I did like the fact that it didn’t concentrate on one or two point of views. I thought that the fact that we didn’t really know which character was the main narrator to be unique and interesting. I can’t recall ever reading a book with such an interesting point(s) of view.

I also liked some of the characters. And found that thinking of myself as a teenager, I could relate to some of them. But more specifically I really liked the character Olivia. I felt that she was the most developed and had the most character growth from the beginning of the story to the end. We get to watch her start to believe more in herself and exert more confidence. 

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

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Title: Steelheart

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Length: 394 pages

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Classification: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopian

Release Date: September 24, 2013

Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics.
But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his will.
Nobody fights the Epics . . . nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.
And David wants in. He wants Steelheart—the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father. For years, like the Reckoners, David's been studying, and planning—and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience.
He's seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.

My Rating:

I LOVED this book! It was awesome. FANTASTIC! This is my first Brandon Sanderson book. And I really enjoyed his writing, so I plan on looking into some of his other books and add them to my to read list.

I really loved Sanderson's take on Superheroes. In this world superheroes are really called Epics. And they are not your average superheroes that help the troubled and save lives. No Epics are all about themselves. They definitely don't appear to be running around the cities saving people's lives. No, Epics are the ones with the power and the ones that are running things. Controlling the cities. Some of them even take lives. In this book the ones that we would have called Superheroes (guys and gals with abilities/powers) are actually kinda evil. (Well maybe not all of them.)

And that is where the Reckoners come in. They want to take down the Epics.

This book is packed with action. Fast-paced, heart-pounding, incredible action that made the book hard to put down.

I loved the characters! They are all so interesting! And I felt that I could form connections to these characters.

And I felt that it had some really good plot twists. This book kept me guessing. I only made a couple guesses that I felt confident about, and I only got one of them PARTIALLY right.

I finished this book wanting more. I can't wait until the next book in this series comes out!


SPOILERS AHEAD.



STOP READING IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN THE BOOK.
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I really loved when David joined the Reckoners. Finding a way to take down Steelheart is pretty much all that David has focused on since his father's death. And I liked that he was able to find a group that he believed that he needed to become a part of.
I think in some ways this book was a bit different then the books that I usually read. With the biggest difference being there is no HUGE EPIC ROMANCE!
In fact several times while reading this book I had to keep reminding myself: "This is not a romance".
I really wanted David to be with Megan. And I think that is because I read a lot of romance books where they end up being together.
And it is obvious that he has some feelings for her!
I wasn't really sure how she felt about him.
So one plot twist that got me- Prof. Prof is an Epic! Oh my goodness. I was so surprised. Him coming and saving Megan and David, it was so great. I found his character to be even more interesting then I had originally thought. I am looking forward to learning more about him.
Okay. So when Megan died, I just had the feeling that she wasn't really dead. I didn't know how or why, but I just kept thinking she must be an Epic or something. She can't really be dead. Plus she couldn't use the tensor.
But I didn't realize that she would be Firelight! Seriously, I think that was the biggest plot twist for me!!! And she seems to be so confused. Like she doesn't know what she should do. After finding out her secret, all I could think was, "makes total sense." All the little things about her added up.
Now that Steelheart is dead, I am interested in the Epic that will take his place. Will it be Firelight? Will Firelight be evil or try and change things?
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END OF SPOILERS!

I am really interested to see what happens next. I am so excited that there will be a book 2. According to GoodReads it is titled Firelight and will be published in 2014. Not sure when exactly. But I am looking forward to it.