Review: Places We've Never Been

Places We've Never Been by Kasie West
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Skyler moved away four years ago and Norah misses her childhood best friend.  When he first left, they talked all the time, but it eventually evolved into liking each other’s posts on social media.  The moms (who are best friends) decide to plan an RV road trip for both families.  Norah can’t wait!  When Skyler arrives, though, he acts as if he would rather be anywhere else.  Why is Skyler so distant?  What will Norah discover about their families and herself as they drive up the west coast?

Places We’ve Never Been is a stand-alone romance that was quick to read and quick to forget.  I enjoyed the fact that this book could be quickly devoured in a weekend, especially since it is almost summer, but I also wanted to know more about these characters and what they were feeling and thinking.  This romance is “clean” and can be enjoyed by even the youngest teen and I will easily recommend it to all my library visitors.

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Review: Hide

Hide by Kiersten White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fourteen people are asked to spend seven days hiding.  The prize is $50,000 and the chance this might become a reality TV show.  Everyone has a reason to win and not just the money.  Mack feels she is better at hiding than anyone.  She is alive because she was able to hide as a kid.  When people keep disappearing, Mack wants to know what is going on.  Will anyone make it out alive?  What is happening?

Hide is a stand-alone supernatural thriller that had me wondering what was going to happen.  I thought I had an idea, but that was easily smashed as the story unfolded.  White has created a storyline that was a fun escape without dragging it out.  It wasn’t too short and definitely not too long.  I enjoyed this book, but am glad it is not a series (because it isn’t needed).

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Review: What Can't Be Seen

What Can't Be Seen by Brianna Labuskes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dr. Gretchen White is known as a top-notch psychologist and has worked closely with the Boston PD to solve many cases.  The one case she hasn’t been able to solve … the death of her aunt.  Most people believe she killed her aunt because she was found over the body holding a bloody knife.  It has been 30 years and Gretchen wants to prove her innocence.  Did Gretchen kill her aunt?  If she didn’t, can they discover who did?  What secrets will be uncovered along the way?

What Can’t Be Seen is the second book in the Dr. Gretchen White series.  This psychological thriller took a bit of time to get rolling, but once I was invested in the story I couldn’t put it down.  Did this person do it?  Did that person do it?  Who did it?  That is what kept going through my mind as I turned the pages.  This book is worth the time to get to the real killer.

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Review: Bravely

Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It has been a few years since Merida had her last big adventure and she assumed her life would stay as it is.  She loves her family, but she is bored and longs for another adventure.  When she runs into Feradach, a being whose job is to get rid of doomed things, she makes an agreement to save DunBroch.  Will she get her family to change their ways … within a year?  Will DunBroch be saved?  What will Merida learn through her newest adventure?

Bravely is a stand-alone fantasy adventure that readers can enjoy even if they never saw or read the original tale.  Stiefvater has taken a character that many are familiar with and given her new depths and additional escapades to read about.  This book should be geared towards teens, yet it feels as if the author let it also be readable by younger people looking to learn more about Merida.  As long as older readers know that the audience is wide, this lower level of complexity can be overlooked.  I enjoyed the adventure and couldn’t wait to find out how it would end.

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Review: An Unreliable Magic

An Unreliable Magic by Rin Chupeco
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Nameless Sword has been found.  Legend says that whoever can wield the sword will be the most powerful warrior of their time.  Who will try and take the sword?  Who will be able to use it?  The Snow Queen is still out in the world causing mischief and Tala needs to find out what to do next.  When will the Snow Queen attack again?  Who is on her side and who is with Tala?

An Unreliable Magic is the second book in the A Hundred Names for Magic series.  Overall I enjoyed the storyline, but there were too many places that dragged and my mind started wandering.  I enjoyed the alternate history with fairy tale magic dispersed throughout, but I didn’t enjoy the way Chupeco included gender role discussions that seemed to be pushed in because of what is going on in our real timeline.  Overall this was an enjoyable read and I will look for the next book whenever it is released. 

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