Review: Seasick

Seasick by Kristin Cast
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Naya and Yana used to be best friends, but that ended a long time ago.  They are thrown back together when both are accepted into a special group for Yatesville High’s best graduates.  There are many perks to being in this group; the first is a trip to Bermuda.  Everyone had to turn in their phones before joining the group on the yacht and that becomes a huge issue when one of their classmates is murdered and the crew is drugged unconscious.  Now they are stuck at sea, with no way to get help, and they must trust each other enough to find out who the murderer is and (hopefully) survive themselves.  Who can they trust?

Seasick is a psychological thriller that starts with blood everywhere and then the story backs up to the beginning.  Once the book takes off, it is all character development until the one-third mark when the first murder takes place.  I felt this book took too long for the mystery to get going.  As the storyline progressed, everything fell apart, and the overall plot felt forced.  Not recommended for true mystery fans.

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Review: Icon and Inferno

Icon and Inferno by Marie Lu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Winter has not been able to stop thinking about Sydney for the past year.  He may be a superstar, but that feeling is nothing like when he went undercover to take down one of London’s bad guys.  Now that rumors are flying about a tell-all book, Winter would like nothing more than to get away into Sydney’s secret world.  His wishes come true when Sydney and Winter are paired up for an extraction mission; an assassination goes wrong and now they are on the run.  Who is undermining their mission? 

Icon and Inferno is the second book in the Stars and Smoke series.  Currently, this romantic adventure is listed with only two books, but the “log” at the end of the book leaves these characters open for more adventures and maybe a little more romance.  Although it had been over a year since I read the first book, I was easily able to jump into this story without feeling confused at all.  The adventures felt natural and the book had a can’t-put-down feel the entire time.  I will read the next book … if it is ever written.  

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Review: The Queen of Poisons

The Queen of Poisons by Robert Thorogood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Mayor of Marlow dies during a town council meeting and traces of aconite are found in his coffee.  Aconite is known as the queen of poisons because of its toxicity.  Before Judith, Suzie, and Becks can meddle too far, they are brought in as civilian advisors to the police and the trio begin to investigate, even if they don’t follow normal police procedures.  This case appears to be more complicated than at first glance and the Marlow Murder Club must pull out all the stops to find the killer.  Who would want to kill the mayor?  Is anyone else on the murderer’s radar?

The Queen of Poisons is the third book in The Marlow Murder Club series.  These characters are so much fun to read about and even though it had been months since I read the second book, I was easily able to remember the quirks of each of these ladies and jump full tilt into this new mystery.  Thorogood has created a town with characters that most readers can relate to and another story that was hard to put down.  Although this could be read and enjoyed on its own, readers will have more fun if they read the books in order.

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Review: Storm: Dawn of a Goddess

Storm: Dawn of a Goddess by Tiffany D. Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ororo has been living on the streets of Cairo for years.  Ever since she survived the plane crash that killed her parents, she has been keeping her white hair covered and her blue eyes down.  Fortunately, she is good at what she does … taking things from tourists.  Her skill as a pickpocket isn’t her only feature, though.  Sometimes, if she is upset, sudden storms appear around her.  Her life may not be perfect, but it is hers until the Shadow King locates her and she must run and discover where her powers come from.  Will Ororo learn to control her powers?  What truths will she discover about her people?

Storm: Dawn of a Goddess is a stand-alone fantasy adventure story for fans of the Marvel Universe and even those who know nothing about it.  This origin story has many cameo appearances from beloved Marvel characters and the adventure that Ororo is subject to was exhilarating.  I found myself finding time to get back to the book quickly so that I could see how it would unfold.  Jackson hit the book out of the ballpark with this story and this updated world has more stories available if she wants to continue.

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Review: Stay Dead

Stay Dead by April Henry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Milan has just been expelled from her third boarding school.  Her mother is already traveling in their private plane and stops by to pick her up.  As they are journeying home, a bomb detonates, and the plane goes down.  Before her mom dies, she gives her a ring of keys and tells her there is evidence of a coverup that led to her father’s death.  She needs to get away, but the only way that will happen is if everyone believes she is dead.  Who can Milan trust?

Stay Dead is a fast-paced thriller that is not like the usual Henry books with a body being found.  The mystery is truly complicated and convoluted, yet it also is captivating.  As Milan navigates out of a snow-covered landscape into the heart of a criminal conspiracy, I wondered what I would be doing if it was me … and I will have to admit I probably would have died.  Stay Dead is a great read for all thriller fans.

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Review: The Girl in Question

The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nora is finally out of high school, and she should be looking forward to the next stage of her life, but since her stepdad is free and wants revenge, it is hard to concentrate on the future.  She decides that a 10-day hiking trip is needed.  A wrench is thrown in right away when Wes’s girlfriend comes along.  That wasn’t in the plans, and neither was Amanda getting kidnapped.  How did Raymond know where they would be?  Why was Amanda taken?  What secrets are being kept?

The Girl in Question is the sequel to The Girls I’ve Been.  The first book ended with a satisfying ending, but for those who wanted to know what happened next … this book will give you the answers.  There are some crazy timeline issues with all the flashbacks, but that was the same as the original and if you enjoyed that book, you would also enjoy this book.  The Girl in Question is a must-read for everyone who loved The Girls I’ve Been.

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Review: When Among Crows

When Among Crows by Veronica Roth
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Dymitr is a killer … of monsters.  This is such a part of who he is, he had to split his soul to make a sword … out of his spine!  Ala has inherited her mother’s curse.  This curse will kill her too, if she isn’t able to break it.  When Dymitr offers Ala a chance at a cure, she accepts without knowing what she is getting into.  With such a time crunch on the possible cure, will they be able to complete both tasks in time? 

When Among Crows is a stand-alone urban fantasy that sounds amazing but does not follow through.  I even restarted the book thinking that my mind must have wandered too much and the second time through was just as painful.  I’m sure there will be readers who love this story, but I found the tale flat and lifeless.  I won’t give up on Roth as a writer, but this is not one of her best.

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