Review: Last Seen

Read if you like: dark, twisty thrillers, mysteries that keep you guessing, and a tight-knit gang of friends

Last Seen | Sara Shepard

Series: The Amateurs

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller
Released: October 4th 2018
Pages: 293
Format: Ebook
Source: Publisher

At first, the mystery they're tasked with seems to have nothing to do with Aerin or her kidnapper. But as Seneca, Maddox and Madison hit the Jersey Shore to gather clues, they begin to uncover the true background of the killer and the horrors that shaped him into who he is. The scavenger hunt leads them to the family of a recently kidnapped boy and dark secrets they could never have seen coming. 

As Aerin struggles to play nice with the person who killed her sister in order to buy herself time, her friends work feverishly against the ticking clock that could mean her life, and every clue they uncover leads Seneca to suspect she's more connected to the killer's history than she ever realised ... 

Weirdly, this was my least favourite book of the series, even though we got loads of answers and the story arc wrapped up. I did enjoy it, and the mystery built nicely. I liked the insight into Brett, and how his past tied into the present case. I did like how it all wrapped up, and everyone got their happily ever after, whatever form that took, but the end ... something about it felt flat for me. Possibly because the book actually ended around 85%, so I thought something more was going to happen. And absolutely no hint in the blurb that this was the final book, which was irritating. But still, it was a really good book and I'd highly recommend this series to anyone who loves a twisty, compelling murder mystery.

4 stars

Review: The Hazel Wood

Read if you like: dark, dangerous fairy tales come to life, fantasy stories grounded in the modern world, and characters you can root for.

The Hazel Wood | Melissa Albert

Series: The Hazel Wood

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dark Fairy Tales
Released: February 8th 2018
Pages: 359
Format: Ebook
Source: Publisher

Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice's life on the road, always a step ahead of the strange bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice's grandmother, the reclusive author of a book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate - the Hazel Wood - Alice learns how bad her luck can really get. Her mother is stolen away - by a figure who claims to come from the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set. Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: STAY AWAY FROM THE HAZEL WOOD. 

To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began . . .

This took a bit of time to get going but I really liked it once it did. Suitably dark and fairy tale-y, with a couple of shocking twists (one was fun, one was not.) I liked the main characters (loved Finch) and there was enough secretive stuff to keep me guessing. The book really came into it own when it entered the Hinterland (fairy tale world), though - I loved all the darkness, bloodiness, and the world of Stories and their stories. 

My only complaint is I found the ending REALLY unsatisfying, and hope the sequel doesn't just spend time with Finch - I want Alice's story to continue too, she deserves so much more than this book!

Clever and inventive and dark as fairy tales are meant to be. A twisty, dangerous tale.

4 stars

Review: Weave A Circle Round

Read if you like: dangerous, unexpected magic, houses that have a mind of their own, and sweeping adventures through time and history.

Weave A Circle Round | Kari Maaren

Series: N/A

Genre: Young Adult/Middle Grade, Fantasy, Historical, Time Travel
Released: November 28th 2017
Pages: 336
Format: Ebook
Source: Publisher

The unexpected can move in next door

Freddy wants desperately to not be noticed. She doesn't want to be seen as different or unusual, but her step-brother Roland gets attention because he's deaf, and her little sister Mel thinks she's a private detective. All Freddy wants to do is navigate high school with as little trouble as possible.

Then someone moves into the house on Grosvenor Street. Two extremely odd someones.

Cuerva Lachance and Josiah aren't . . . normal. When they move in next door, the house begins to exhibit some decidedly strange tendencies, like not obeying the laws of physics or reality. Just as Freddy thinks she's had enough of Josiah following her around, she's plunged into an adventure millennia in the making and discovers the truth about the new neighbors.

I wasn't sure what to make of this book at first, but the mystery and the hints of magic and wrongness kept me reading - and I'm glad they did! I really enjoyed this book of strangeness and time travel magic and family, and I especially liked how Freddy, the main character, was a grumpy, contrary, angry girl who grew SO MUCH by the end. 

I liked a lot about this book - the house on Grosvenor Street, which grew rooms and lost them and filled with chairs and spider plants at random intervals, the mysterious and maybe menacing characters of Josiah (who I adore and want more stories of please!) and Cuerva Lachance, who has lived forever and has been reincarnated as all kinds of people - notably a Viking man and a cavewoman-type - and all genders. Sometimes she's a man, sometimes she's a woman - she just is, and I loved how Freddy shrugged and accepted it for what it was. Pretty cool way of teaching gender fluidity to teenagers. I liked Freddy's siblings, young Mel who's obsessed with mysteries, and deaf Roland, who is secretly a hero. But I especially loved the different time periods the book went to, and how each was different and imaginative in their own ways!

I'm really not done with these characters and their stories. More please!

4.5 stars

Review: The Plastic Magician

Read if you like: magical, mysterious stories that are equal parts daring and fun, studious girls who would rather get work done than adventure, and sinister plots.

The Plastic Magician | Charlie N. Holmberg

Series: The Paper Magician

Genre: New Adult, Fantasy, Historical, Romance
Released: May 15th 2018
Pages: 236
Format: Ebook
Source: Publisher

Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg returns to the enchanting world of The Paper Magician.

Alvie Brechenmacher has arrived in London to begin her training in Polymaking—the magical discipline of bespelling plastic. Polymaking is the newest form of magic, and in a field where there is so much left to learn, every Polymaker dreams of making the next big discovery.

Even though she is only an apprentice, Alvie is an inventor at heart, and she is determined to make as many discoveries—in as short a time frame—as she can. Luckily for her, she’s studying under the world-renowned magician Marion Praff, who is just as dedicated as Alvie is.

Alvie’s enthusiasm reinvigorates her mentor’s work, and together they create a device that could forever change Polymaking—and the world. But when a rival learns of their plans, he conspires to steal their invention and take the credit for it himself.

To thwart him, Alvie will need to think one step ahead. For in the high-stakes world of magical discovery, not everyone plays fair…

Plastic - and magic? Surprisingly it works. 

I love this world, and I have since I read The Paper Magician (I love their little cameos in this!) so I had a feeling I'd like this. And I did. Alvie is a sturdy, serious sort of girl with thick glasses, trousers in a time where dresses are the norm, and a very studious mind. I fricking love her. There's some romance in this (it's okay, but I accidentally fell for her tutor, Marion Praff, whoops) but mostly, this is a fun magical mystery that's full of heart, excitement, and feminism. Oh, and a villain with an evil lair, a magic comic con, and prosthetic limbs! There is nothing by Charlie N. Holmberg that I won't read.

4.5 stars

Review: Gilt Hollow

Read if you like: bad boys and sweet girls, angsty romance, dark thriller vibes in your contemporary, and an underlying mystery.

Gilt Hollow | Lorie Langdon

Series: N/A

Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Mystery, Romance
Released: September 27th 2016
Pages: 304
Format: Ebook
Source: Publisher

Willow Lamott’s best friend is a murderer, and no one in the small town of Gilt Hollow will let her forget it. For four long years, she’s tried to fade into the background—but none of that matters when Ashton Keller comes striding into school, fresh out of juvie and fueled by revenge. The moment their eyes meet, Willow no longer feels invisible. Drawn to the vulnerability behind Ashton’s mask of rage, she sinks deeper into his sinister world and begins to question whether he’s a villain, a savior, or both.

Ashton thought he wanted vengeance, until Willow reminded him what he’d been missing. Now he longs to clear his name and become the person she sees in him. But the closer they get to uncovering the truth, the darker the secrets become, and Ashton fears his return to Gilt Hollow will destroy everyone he loves, especially the girl he left behind. 

A bad boy out for revenge against those who wrongfully convicted him. A best friend trying to live in the aftermath of defending him. An angst-ridden, emotional romance, and a quest to clear his name PLUS death threats, secrets, and a conspiracy? Damn, I should have read this book sooner. I loved the characters, the little quirks of Halloween parties and the record shop and the motorbike, and all the details made this book something more and bigger than a regular mystery. I really loved it.

4.5 stars