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: Follow Me

Read if you like: thrillers that leave you guessing, mysteries that throw twist after twist, a seriously strong cast of characters.

Follow Me | Sara Shepard

Series: The Amateurs

Genre: YA Mystery, Thriller
Released: October 5th 2017
Pages: 288
Format: Ebook
Source: Publisher

Everyone knows Chelsea Dawson. Day and night, her tens of thousands of followers on Instagram watch her every move. So when she goes missing from the sunny beachside town of Lafayette, it makes headlines.

The police are searching everywhere for her kidnapper, but when eighteen-year-old Seneca Frazier sees Chelsea's picture, she knows instantly who took her. Chelsea looks exactly like her friend Aerin Kelly's murdered sister - and Seneca's own mother, who was killed five years ago.

Seneca's suspicions are confirmed when the killer contacts her, threatening to hurt Chelsea if Seneca goes to the police with what she knows. Seneca makes the only move she can, reaching out to Aerin and Maddox and Madison Wright, her friends from Case Not Closed, an amateur crime-solving community. Together they go to Lafayette to work the case, to save Chelsea, and to bring the killer to justice.

But the killer has a plan of his own. He wants Seneca and her friends in Lafayette, but he wants them to play by his rules. One wrong step could mean the end for Chelsea - or the Amateurs. 

Not quite as good as the Amateurs but just as exciting and deadly. The secrets keep piling in this book, and not even the Amateurs can predict the next move of the killer - someone they thought was their friend. I loved every element of this, from insights into Brett's twisted mind to all the clues and cleverness. There's just enough emotional bits to temper the mystery and crime solving too, which I loved. These characters are so interesting and varied, a really strong team. And that ending... I'm so excited for book three!

This series is awesome.

5 stars

ARC Review: The Amateurs

The Amateurs: The Amateurs | Sara Shepard

Published by: Hot Key Books, October 6th 2016

Genre: YA, Mystery, Thriller

Pages: 336

Format: Ebook

Source: Hot Key Books, via Netgalley

Everyone's dying to know the truth . . .

When Aerin Kelly was eleven, she idolised her seventeen-year-old sister, Helena, and they did everything together. They made Claymation movies and posted them to YouTube. They made fun of Windmere-Carruthers, the private school they attended, they invented new flavours for their parents' organic ice cream shop, and they dressed up their golden retriever, Buster. But when Helena went into senior year things started to change. Rather than being Aerin's inseparable sister, she started to push her away. Then, on a snowy winter's day, Helena vanished. 

Four years later, Helena's body is found. Wracked with grief and refusing to give up on her sister, Aerin spends months trying to figure out what exactly happened to Helena and who killed her. But the police have no leads. A young, familiar officer named Thomas wants to help and suggests she checks out a website called Case Not Closed. Hesitantly, she posts, and when teenagers Seneca and Maddox show up on her doorstep offering to help investigate she accepts in desperation. Both have suffered their own losses and also posted to the site with no luck, so they are hoping this case might be the one they crack. But as their investigation begins, it seems that maybe it's no accident that they are all together, and that maybe the crimes have something - or someone - in common.

Thank God the next book comes out next summer because I don't think I can wait a full year. Actually, I could easily read another five books in this series right now. The mystery is next level, tense, dangerous, and twisty as hell (I expected nothing less.) 

But the characters! Look, I loved everyone, even That Guy (who I felt BAD FOR when Aerin didn't reciprocate.) Seneca especially - she's awesome and smart and I connect with her a whole lot. Everyone in this book is flawed, and messed up, and they're all the more real for it. Plus, two of them are WOC. Even minor characters have their secrets and are completely dynamic, I'm dying to know what happens to the amateurs next. 

I'm just stunned by how good this book is, and where it went. Holy hell, Sara Shepard, you don't do things by halves.

Characters ★★★★★
Setting/World ★★★★☆

Writing ★★★★★

The Lying Game (Review)

The Lying Game: The Lying Game | Sara Shepard

Published by: HarperTeen, December 7th 2010

Genre: YA, Mystery, Thriller

Pages: 307

Format: Ebook

Source: Purchased

I had a life anyone would kill for.

Then someone did.

The worst part of being dead is that there's nothing left to live for. No more kisses. No more secrets. No more gossip. It's enough to kill a girl all over again. But I'm about to get something no one else does--an encore performance, thanks to Emma, the long-lost twin sister I never even got to meet.

Now Emma's desperate to know what happened to me. And the only way to figure it out is to be me--to slip into my old life and piece it all together. But can she laugh at inside jokes with my best friends? Convince my boyfriend she's the girl he fell in love with? Pretend to be a happy, care-free daughter when she hugs my parents goodnight? And can she keep up the charade, even after she realizes my murderer is watching her every move?

From Sara Shepard, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Pretty Little Liars books, comes a riveting new series about secrets, lies, and killer consequences.

Let the lying game begin.

I don't read many contemporary thrillers, or mysteries, or whatever this book actually is. So I don't have much to judge this against. But I REALLY enjoyed it. I expected the bitchiness of the characters to put me off and make me DNF but there's enough intrigue and suspicions to drive the story. And the characters aren't so much bitchy as psychopathic. I expected to guess who the murderer was right away but all the characters are so dodgy that I have No Idea. AND I reaaaaaaaaaaally like the love interest. Like really. He's a solid, supportive guy and he's an astronomer. I want one.

Loved this way more than expected. I'm surprisingly eager to read the next book.

Characters ★★★★☆

Setting/world-building ★★★☆☆

Writing ★★★★☆

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Reading round up (79)

Reading round up is a weekly journal where I record my daily reading progress, my thoughts on each book as I read it, and any books I've acquired during the week. 

8th June

I wanted to finish Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen today but it just didn't happen. I read 94 pages and I totally forgot about the guillotine scene!! I still think the book hit a peak in the tunnels and then dipped considerably, though. This ending feels more like a beginning of the next book...

9th June

I skim read the last 70 or so pages of Stolen Songbird and I still really think the ending is WAY less interesting that the labyrinth-almost-beheaded thing. 

I also started Ashes by Ilsa. J. Bick because I was in the mood for something post-apocalyptic. I've read 93 pages and I LOVE IT. So, so cool. Reminds me of The Darkest Minds and The Immortal Rules so far.

10th June

I read 74 pages of Ashes and it's SO GOOD. A love interest was introduced and it ... STRENGTHENED the story. Whaaaaaaaaaaaat. What is happening here???

11th June

Lost track of what I read today. Some pages of Ashes, I think.

12th June

Alright I spoiled myself accidentally with Ashes and now I have no interest in finishing it because that spoiler is the opposite of what I wanted. So I'm stalled at page 242 and sad about it. This was gonna be one of my faves ever, but that had to happen.

I read 16% of The Lying Game, though, and it's still fairly good. The mystery has dropped off a lot, though.

PLUS I started A Thousand Nights by E. J. Johnson. Which is really good so far - and has diverse main characters!!! So that's cheered up my reading list considerably.

13th June

I read 44% of A Thousand Nights, and it is so good. The setting is authentic and just, everything feels respectful of the culture. Thank you, E. K. Johnston.

14th June

Today I finished A Thousand Nights, and it was perfect. I also started A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas, and my galley is missing a bunch of letters that makes some paragraphs difficult to read but I am NOT abandoning this book. 

Books finished this week: 2
Books DNF'd this week: 1

For review:

I'm not listing these or linking them because I'm lazy/ Thanks to Harper Collins + imprints, and Angry Robot for these lovely, shiny galleys.

Amazon Freebies:

The Cure | Stephanie Erickson

Reading round up (78)

Reading round up is a weekly journal where I record my daily reading progress, my thoughts on each book as I read it, and any books I've acquired during the week. 

1st June

Today I read 43% of In The Air Tonight by Lori Handeland, finishing it, and it was really good at the end. I also read 47 pages of With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent, my fave.

2nd June

I read 74 pages of With All My Soul, and I'm continually shocked at how good these books are. Also the cover model looks SO much like Lindsy Fonseca!

3rd June

I finished With All my Soul (166 pages read!), and with it the entire Soul Screamers series, and it killed me. I've literally been brought back as a reaper to type this update from beyond the grave. Tod/Kaylee are too cute. Nash's character development is too important to me. And Sabine/Sophie being adoptive sisters IS SOMETHING ELSE. Thank you, Rachel Vincent, for this absolute gift.

4th June

Today I started my reread of Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen. I now own the pretty paperback, which I am very happy about. I read 57 pages and it's as awesome as I remembered.

I also impulse bought and immediately started reading The Lying Game by Sara Shepard, because I'm LOVING PLL being back and I've been waiting for a kindle sale on her books for ages. I've read 20% and colour me pretty darn interested. Don't go downhill from here, please!!

5th June

I read 89 pages of Stolen Songbird and hello Tristan my love *heart-eyes*. I also read another 9% of The Lying Game, and I think it's about to get cooler.

6th June

I have absolutely no idea what I read today. All my progress and page numbers got mixed up.

7th June

Today I read 16% of The Lying Game, bringing me to 45%, and I am actually really into the love interest. Well played, Sara Shepard, making him interested in astronomy. I also read 96 pages of Stolen Songbird, and my heart is in pain rn.

Books finished this week: 2
Books DNF'd this week: 0

For review:

NOTHING AGAIN!!!!

Hell yiss.

Bought:

The Lying Game | Sara Shepard

Rush | Eve Silver

As you see above, I've already started The Lying Game. It's pretty cool. And I've been wanting to read Rush for YEARS. It's one of those books I never got around to. But I hate the UK cover, and I've just realised it's a game-based sci-fi (I've read three of these and DNF'd all of them) so we'll see...

Chameleon Moon | RoAnna Sylver

Adamant | Emma L. Adams

These are two LONNNNG overdue purchases for me. Chameleon Moon sounds amazing and unique and has HELLA DIVERSITY. And Adamant will count towards my Saruuh Explores NA... project!!!

In The Air Tonight (3 STARS)