BLOG TOUR | First We Were IV by Alexandra Sirowy + ARC GIVEAWAY!

Title: First We Were IV
Author: Alexandra Sirowy
Pages: 448 pages 

Release Date: July 25th, 2017
Source: ARC from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery

It started for pranks, fun, and forever memories. A secret society – for the four of us. The rules: Never lie. Never tell. Love each other. We made the pledge and danced under the blood moon on the meteorite in the orchard. In the spot we found the dead girl five years earlier. And discovered the ancient drawings way before that. Nothing could break the four of us apart – I thought. But then, others wanted in. Our seaside town had secrets. History. We wanted revenge. We broke the rules. We lied. We told. We loved each other too much, not enough, and in ways we weren’t supposed to. Our invention ratcheted out of control. What started as a secret society, ended as justice. Revenge. Death. Rebellion.
 

Preorder now! 

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So glad you could stop by for my tour post! In anticipation of Alexandra's new book, I'm going to share some of my favorite YA thrillers, ones that you can read while you're waiting for this baby to release. 

Alexandra Sirowy

Alexandra Sirowy is the author of the young adult thrillers THE CREEPING, the Bram Stoker Award® Nominated THE TELLING, and the upcoming FIRST WE WERE IV. Alexandra attended a women's college as an undergrad and received her graduate degree in International Studies. When she isn't writing, she loves to travel, read, eat, and get into mischief. She lives with her husband in Northern California.

Follow her! 

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GIVEAWAY!  

Winner of the giveaway will receive one signed ARC of First We Were IV.

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Follow the tour!

Week 1

March 27: Brittany's Book Rambles - Intro Post + Excerpt

March 28: YA and Wine - Most Mischievous YA Characters 

March 29: Rattle the Pages - Nail Art

March 30: Book Nerd Addict - Inventing A Secret Society

March 31: Fables Library - YA Books with Secret Societies

Week 2

April 3: Emily Reads Everything - Fancast 

April 4: The Eater of Books - History of Secret Societies

April 5: It Starts At Midnight - Author Guest Post: FIRST WE WERE IV vs. Alexandra's Previous Books

April 6: BookCatPin - Mystery YA List

April 7: A Book and a Cup of Coffee - Moodboard

Week 3

April 10: The Book Buzz - YA Thrillers You Need to Know About

April 11: The Candid Cover - Bookworm Initiation Quiz

April 12: Girl in the Pages - Book Recs for First We Were IV Characters

April 13: Stories and Sweeties - Author Guest Post - Story Behind the Title

April 14: Little Lillie Reads - Playlist

Week 4

April 17: Literary Legionnaire - Favorite Quotes 

April 18: Chapter by Chapter - Author Guest Post: Secret Society Initiation Rituals

April 19: Tales of the Ravenous Reader - Secret Societies You Never Knew Existed

April 20: YA Book Central - Author Guest Post:  3 Favorite Books About Secret Societies

April 21: The Bookish Feels - Author's March Favorites

Week 5

April 24: Waiting For Wentworth - Author Guest Post: Secret Society Rules

April 25: The Reader and the Chef - Book Inspired-Recipe 

April 26: Forever Lost in Literature - Author Guest Post: What We Do For Friendship

April 27: Flying Through Fiction - Favorite YA Friendships

April 28: One Way or an Author - Phone Wallpapers

Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig

Title: Last Seen Leaving
Author: Caleb Roehrig
Pages: 336 pages
Release Date: October 4th, 2016
Source: ARC from Fierce Reads
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult, LGBT
Rating: 4.5/5

Flynn's girlfriend has disappeared. How can he uncover her secrets without revealing his own?

Flynn's girlfriend, January, is missing. The cops are asking questions he can't answer, and her friends are telling stories that don't add up. All eyes are on Flynn—as January's boyfriend, he must know something.

But Flynn has a secret of his own. And as he struggles to uncover the truth about January's disappearance, he must also face the truth about himself. 

Preorder now! 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

**I received an advanced copy from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way.** 

Holy shit. Holy f'in shit. Where do I start with this book? I was expecting it to be more like a YA Gone Girl because of the whole missing-girlfriend-and-suspected-boyfriend aspect. IT WAS NOTHING LIKE WHAT I EXPECTED. Better yet, this book exceeded my expectations. Okay, let's just say that some of the YA thrillers I've read this year have been less than outstanding. Last Seen Leaving is a blow-you-out-of-the-water, heart-racing and headache-inducing kind of book. Don't be surprised if you want to chuck it out the window by the end because you can't believe what the f just happened. 

I totally stalked the author's Goodreads and website bio to obtain the following information. Caleb Roehrig is not only an author, but he's a freaking television producer. He's also a former actor with experience on both sides of the camera. You see, I didn't know this at first. I was reading the book thinking about how it would make a great movie. Now it all makes sense! There is no shortage of plot intrigue and unpredictable moments. 

I was truly impressed that this book took place in a span of a little under a month! The entire story - January's disappearance, Flynn being suspected and Flynn making it his mission to find out what happened - all felt like it should have been months before they found the truth. It wasn't until Flynn reminded us that it had only been 2 weeks after January's disappearance that they managed to track down what happened, did my jaw just drop to the ground. Roehrig managed to fit all that, in a vivid and compelling way, in under a two-week time space. I was thoroughly impressed. 

I was disappointed, however, in the lack of character development. Of course, there was character development but very little. I mean, I could see why it didn't contain as much, since it really wasn't a character-driven book but more plot-driven. The characters are rather fleeting, and we only get to see a lot of Flynn's growth. Flynn's growth is really phenomenal though, with keeping his secret to revealing it and then coping with it being out there for the world to know.

It just be no surprise to anyone that Flynn is gay. I know it's not explicitly revealed in the synopsis but it is implied that he "has a secret" and the book is labeled under LGBT on Goodreads. I apologize if I've spoiled anything you think to be major! The point is, the LGBT aspect took away from the thriller aspect and not in a bad way! I'm really appalled by how Roehrig was able to keep it thrilling, while also focusing on Flynn's self-discovery and the importance of accepting your sexuality. His sexuality played a huge role in January's investigation and Flynn's transformation from hiding to embracing it was truly a beautiful thing to watch.

I sort of crave that unreliable narrator in my thriller books, but this book did just as well with an open narrator. In the first few chapters of the book, Flynn reveals his sexuality to the reader but decides not to tell any other character. I felt a greater connection with the narrator through this secret, and I got giddy at times knowing that I was one of very few that understood the depth of his character.

This book surprised me in many ways. 1) It was the best of both genres- an exciting thriller and a coming-of-age/self-acceptance story. 2) You'll never see the ending coming, not in a million years. 3) The story and plot was very well-developed for a Young Adult thriller novel. Overall, this book exceeded my expectations. For anyone who's interested in reading this book, I suggest going into it knowing the bare minimum/ Trust me, you're going to want to know how this book ends!

With Malice by Eileen Cook | MYSTERY NOVEL OF THE SUMMER

Title: With Malice
Author: Eileen Cook
Pages: 320 pages
Published: June 7th, 2016
Source: Hardcover from The Strand Bookstore
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

It was the perfect trip…until it wasn’t.

Eighteen-year-old Jill Charron wakes up in a hospital room, leg in a cast, stitches in her face and a big blank canvas where the last six weeks should be. She discovers she was involved in a fatal car accident while on a school trip in Italy. A trip she doesn’t even remember taking. She was jetted home by her affluent father in order to receive quality care. Care that includes a lawyer. And a press team. Because maybe the accident…wasn’t an accident.

As the accident makes national headlines, Jill finds herself at the center of a murder investigation. It doesn’t help that the media is portraying her as a sociopath who killed her bubbly best friend, Simone, in a jealous rage. With the evidence mounting against her, there’s only one thing Jill knows for sure: She would never hurt Simone. But what really happened? Questioning who she can trust and what she’s capable of, Jill desperately tries to piece together the events of the past six weeks before she loses her thin hold on her once-perfect life.

Get it now!

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Yes. yEs. YES. Finally the summer mystery/thriller I've been longing before. As you all may know a few weeks ago I finished A Court of Mist and Fury. To say I wasn't torn apart by that book would be a lie because I was irrevocably messed up for the next week or so (give or take a few days) and couldn't read anything. Every book that I tried to pick up, I just put down soon after starting. The fact that this book got me out of a Sarah J. Maas-sized hangover speaks volumes.

The story begins with Jill Charron waking in a hospital bed, unaware of the incident that caused her to be there in the first place. She has no memory of the past few weeks in Italy, of her romantic fling with a cute Italian boy, of the car accident she got into and of her best friend who was killed in that accident. Now everyone thinks she's to blame. The car was in perfect working condition. People claim the two girls were fighting prior to the accident. Who else to blame than the best friend who was driving and survived the accident? The hands are all pointed at Jill as the killer. But did she really do it? Find out in this fast-paced thriller!

First I must state that the memory loss of Jill was done so wonderfully. I personally don't know professionally or medically how memory loss is supposed to occur but was pretty impressed, to say the least. It made sense. It was logical. The author got technical at times and brought up some medical terms like aphasia. I think it just made the story 1000x more believable. Well done, well done. I can just tell a lot of research was put into the backbone of this story. Throughout the story we know that Jill doesn't remember anything that happened in Italy so she's most likely not a trustworthy character and we, as the reader, can't depend on her to help us solve this mystery.

While we're still on this topic, I appreciate how the author dragged out the recollection of her memories. She didn't regain her memories all at one time and the most important memory made an appearance at the end! Now that was one big jack-in-the-box ending!

 

The author went the extra mile and decided to add a hodgepodge of the evidence in the story. The book would alternate between storytelling and then evidence, varying from things like interviews, police reports, news articles and blog posts. It was literally the coolest thing eva and made me enjoy the book so much more.

The way the author planned out the entire story was just mind-blowing. I obviously can't tell you the plot twist without spoiling everything, but I can tell you this. As the story unravels itself, you begin to realize things that you never imagined would happen. It kept me at the edge of my seat and it was all I could do not to flip to the end of the book and read the ending that everyone was talking about. I'm not even remotely talented at guessing the endings of books so I can't tell you if the ending was surprising, but it sure as hell was mind-blowing to me though.

So you're probably wondering, why not give it the five stars it deserves, Alex? Yes the ending was not what I was expecting at all,  but I thought it was mostly left unresolved. For some reason, I feel like this book should have ended differently or at least on a better note. It just felt like the author was trying to take the easy way out the entire time. You know what I mean?

*You see, even Phoebe knows what's up 

Besides that point, I really did enjoy this book. I knew I made a right choice in picking it up! I couldn't relate to any of the characters personally, but I liked the FOIL aspect of Simone and Jill's relationship. We're given that they're friends but we soon discover where that base of friendship comes from and what the true meaning of friendship really is. We even get dragged into the courtroom! Like.. how did that happen? I just finished watching a few episodes of How to Get Away with Murder and am now being dragged back into talk of law.

The portrayal of the media was so beautifully refreshing. Sure, we read books about famous celebrities that get so screwed by the media but never to the extent as it was portrayed in this story. In fact, the media makes Jill out to be some psycho killer who wanted to murder her best friend because of a little jealousy. She can't say shit that will back her up because she has no memory. Cook didn't shy away in showing her readers just how manipulative and malicious the media can be in these kinds of cases.

With Malice is exactly what's it made out to be. The ideal mystery/crime read that puts both the 'C' in crime and the 'M' in mystery. Also.. what a bomb-ass cover and title. 

Will you be getting your crime game on?

Near Enemy by Adam Sternbergh

Title: Near Enemy
Author: Adam Sternbergh
Pages: 320 pages
Published: October 6th, 2015
Source: Paperback from Penguin RH
Genre: Thriller, Noir
Rating:

New York is toxic-- decimated by a dirty bomb. The only people still in the city are those too stubborn to leave-- and those rich enough to escape to a virtual-reality haven, oblivious to the horrors raging outside their windows.

But for Spademan, the city's still home. And for a hit man, it's not a bad place to earn a paycheck.

At least, that is, until a routine job reveals a secret he can't ignore: terrorists are getting ready to attack the city again. This time in a way that should be impossible-- and that will leave the crippled city in ruins.

Spademan may be a killer, and New York may be a wasteland, but he'll be damned if he doesn't try to stop what's coming. And unless he can figure out who his true enemies are, he may be damned either way.

Buy it now! 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I'm stepping out of my comfort zone to try some hard-hitting literary fiction. Near Enemy is a book that packs a punch and takes place in a reality that doesn't seem so far off into the future. For fans of Ready Player One, Near Enemy is one heck of a novel that will have you seriously messed up by the end. 

The reason I compare this book with Ready Player One by Ernest Cline is due to the fact that it deals with the virtual reality concept. Reality sucks so people have to rely on a virtual reality world to get the most out of what's left of their lives. There was a similar concept between the two books but they were not played out in the same way. The virtual reality world is called the limn and it's primarily for anyone who could afford it. As a virtual reality world it gives free will for people to enjoy themselves except for one very important rule-- You can't be killed through the limn. It's not until speculating evidence gives light to the possibility of death through the limn does Spademan begin to realize that virtual reality isn't the safe haven the world has been looking for after the terrorists attacked. 

This book is more a mix of a mystery/crime scene novel and a thriller. You're obligated to follow the clues, along with Spademan, and find out the truth behind the killings and possible murders. This book doesn't stop short of anything. You're always on another lead, stuck in another situation, or even getting it down with a naughty nurse. The fact that this book didn't focus much on romance brings such a relief because I believe I've had my fair share with romance-- especially with YA romances, which are kind of cliche and unrealistic.

The writing style is... peculiar. The only real problem I had with this novel was particularly the writing style. At times it bugged the hell out of me and at others, I was indifferent. The author doesn't use quotation marks in dialogue and everything's just really staggered. I got stuck sometimes where I wouldn't know when a character was talking because I didn't see any quotations. I'm kind of curious, however, as to why the author doesn't use quotation marks. I mean, don't get me wrong. It's a pretty cool perspective and looks good on paper, but I personally wasn't a fan. 

How else do I say this? This book was so in and modern. I don't know how to fully articulate this point but being a girl from the city that never sleeps, there were so many references that made my heart flutter. If you're a sight-seer or wanderlust-er, this book will probably convince you to visit New York. There's talk of Hoboken, Times Square, and even Chinatown. 

On Goodreads it says that this book is the second installment in the Spademan series. I did not read the first book and don't think it's necessary to fully enjoy this novel. In fact, the beginning of this book doesn't even sound like a sequel. This book is just a follow up to its predecessor and another story about the same character, Spademan. It's not necessarily a 'sequel'. 

I think I've covered everything I wanted to talk about. My review doesn't do this book justice. The best way I can describe it is as a book that can be compared to others but is nothing alike. The writing style takes a long while to get used to but it's nothing we book-lovers can't handle. A gritty novel with twists and turns you'll never see coming. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Adam is a contributing editor at New York Magazine and Vulture, and the former culture editor of The New York Times Magazine. His first novel, SHOVEL READY, is a future-noir thriller about a garbageman-turned-hitman set in a dystopian New York City.

Raised in Toronto, he now lives in Brooklyn with his family.
Author Website

A Thrilling Story- You by Caroline Kepnes

Title: You (#1 in the You series) 

Author: Caroline Kepnes

Pages: 422 pages

Published: September 30th, 2014 

Genre: Thriller, Mystery 

Source: Barnes & Noble Reserved Copy

Rating: 

When a beautiful, aspiring writer strides in the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card. 

There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she'll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight- the perfect place for a "chance" meeting. 

As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck's life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck's perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way- even if it means murder. 

Get it now!

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As most of you know I'm a hermit on Instagram and taking pictures of books is my life and soul. You has been the Instagramed pic of the month of August that I've decided to give it a try and the summary was all the convincing I needed. Queen of Shadows got me in a good ole' reading slump (you guys remember those?) and I haven't been able to read since I picked up this book. So let's get started into the review.

**BE WARNED: This book is for mature audiences only as it contains sexual content, foul language, and violence.** 

Plot

The plot sounds like a thousand other stalker book summaries you've read before. But that's exactly it.. because it's not! This book is totally unique in a beautiful and lyrical way that even I enjoyed being in the head and being the eyes of a obsessive, love-sick narrator. This book is 2nd person point of view so there is a lot use of the word "You" as the narrator, Joe, observes Beck and judges her every move. It's more than just some stalking, but the stakes get higher as he becomes obsessive with the idea of this girl being his and he goes as far as violence, kidnapping, and even murder to let her find herself in his arms at the end of the day. 

The book takes us on this point in his life where he can't stop thinking about Beck and everything that he does is about her. It's like he's writing this for her because it's directed to her when he uses the pronoun 'you'. This book is geared toward older audiences than the normal YA audience that the acclaimed novel Stolen by Lucy Christopher is made for. It's an exciting read that will keep you interested at every point and turn in the book! It has a rising creep factor that increases with every chapter as the obsessed gets greater and Joe is so close to procuring the one thing he's crazy about. 

Characters

Let's talk about our narrator. The book is told in second person point of view by Joe Goldberg, a guy who works in a bookstore. Because of the fact that he's worked in this bookstore since he was very young, he just lives around books and literature. He's fond of it and that's shown in the way he speaks; how he automatically and without knowing, refers to literature and classics when he compares them to people or talks about someone else's actions. He's a very cynical character that thinks he's up to par with the idea of an image of a perfect boyfriend for Beck. He talks fondly of himself but judges everyone else including Beck's friends, ex-boyfriend, and family for being phonies. He kind of reminds me of an version of Holden Caulfield... but IN LOVE. I wouldn't go as far as to say he's crazy because someone can be totally sane and still be in love. Also the definition of crazy has varied in society so much that it's been scarred. I will say, however, that he does go a little bit too far and for what? A beautiful girl that just happened to walk into his bookstore that one day?  But it does surprise me how one could have so many sexual fantasies about a girl he's barely talked to. 

Beck, on the other hand, is like any normal woman living in the city. She's spunky, has a great personality, and loves to flirt, which all ladies know is the key to surviving in a well-populated area (wink wink). I thought her character was one I really admired and yet she was so oblivious over the fact that this guy was stalking her and watching her from her window. I don't know about you guys but I can sense shadows and feel people's presence! 

Romance

How else can I word this? The romance in this book is sick! Being stalked by a sexual-driven and obsessive man is not fun. It's really not and I think this book truly showed me what we all have to be afraid of. This may not be based off of a true story, but it sure can be! Even though it's obvious that this was insta-love, it wasn't as cliche as most insta-loves are made out to be. You know what I mean? What I'm trying to say is that the author, from the start, expands on this problem that the main narrator has. He's the kind of person that becomes obsessed and overprotective of one thing for a while and once he has it, he moves on to something else. He's characterized wonderfully and Caroline Kepnes did a marvelous job at making him sound like a creep and someone you just wouldn't want to encounter. 

Summary: 

Caroline Kepnes brings a moving and hypnotic thriller to the table that will give you the chills for years and, not to mention, make you want to purchase seals for all your windows around your house. Not only did it feel so real almost like a true story, but we get a glimpse into the eyes of a broken character that didn't have a perfect childhood or gets way too attached to things easily. She brings this scary story to life and the eeriness of the story is something you'll dearly miss soon after you're finished reading it. Frightening till the last page... I couldn't recommend a better book than this one! 

For audiences of...

Have you read this book? What did you think?