House of Hearts by Skyla Arndt ARC Review

This is a spoiler-free review! House of Hearts will be available on September 2, 2025.

I would first like to thank NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group / Viking Books for Young Readers for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review. I have been itching for a gothic dark academia book, and when this standalone popped up, I knew I had to dive in. With Violet searching for answers after her best friend passes away at an exclusive school, she is determined to attend and finally set the record straight - was her friend murdered, or was there something more at play?

As Violet assimilates herself into the school environment and meets the students she believes played a role in her friend's passing, she soon discovers that there is much more than what meets the eye when it comes to the secret society's true intentions. She forms an unusual yet enticing bond with Clavin Lockwood - the brother of the very boy she believes killed her friend or at least had a hand to play in the "freak accident" that lead to her demise. As Calvin and Violet interact, it is clear that their relationship will certainly have an interesting course.

The "intermission" chapters from Anastasia definitely added an extra element to the story that allowed readers to take a step back from the story at hand and look at the origins of what is driving this society's interests. As Violet's journey progresses, the information that we learn from these interlude chapters sheds light on information Violet uncovers and leaves little clues on where her story is headed and what revelations she will make as she works with Calvin. It would have been interesting to see even more development on Anastasia and Helen's sisterly relationship and what caused such a riff between the two - while we do get brief glances, more interactions would have beneficial for the significance of what plays out.

This book was a lot shorter than I expected, and I honestly wish it was longer - to no fault to the author, the plot moved very quickly, and I would have loved to see the background lore expanded upon, along with Calvin and Violet's banter and back-and-forth to develop as a more will-they-won't-they situation. That being said, I flew through this book in just about two hours, and the writing did have me locked into the story. I do think that the side characters, while important, did take up a lot of story space that could have been dedicated to more intriguing plot points.

This book has the same vibes as Boys with Sharp Teeth by Jenni Howell and We Are Villains by Kacen Callender but with a touch of paranormal whimsy that is seen in Bunny by Mona Awad and Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. I had a fun time reading this and truly enjoyed the paranormal aspects that the author added it to the story - it made the stakes higher and drew me in to understand how everything would turn out for Violet, Calvin, and the rest of the Lockwoods.

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We Are Villains by Kacen Callender ARC Review

This is a spoiler-free review! We Are Villains was released on March 25, 2025 and is now available for purchase at select retailers.

I would first like to thank NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I have really been in the mood for a mystery book and when the approval came through on NetGalley, I was quick to download and get started. The premise reminded me of a few other mystery books I have read in the past, and I was interested to see where things were headed for Milo as he attempted to uncovered who killed his friend, Arianna.

Much like Boys with Sharp Teeth by Jenni Howell, our protagonist is on the hunt to determine who killed his friend, and is willing to go to extreme lengths to reveal the truth and get justice by any means necessary. Milo appears to be a wallflower and tends to stay in the shadows of others, but as more attention is drawn to him as the days go on, he is thrown into a whirlwind of events that have consequences for everyone. As readers learn more about Milo and his life outside of Yates, we are also exposed to his relationships with the students and how he views himself as an individual and on a deeper level.

The perspective changes nearly every chapter, and with short chapters, it became more of a challenge to keep track of who was talking - especially considering the perspectives are written in first person. While I do appreciate multiple perspective books, it felt as though this should have been limited to three perspectives instead of the larger amount that we had in the book. There were a number of characters who were more interesting to read about, and I would have loved to dive deeper into the more sinister individuals rather than dwell on some characters that in my eyes were not nearly as intriguing.

As this is a young adult book, I expected a certain ceiling or threshold that the author would reach without going into adult territory, but I fear that they kept this book hovering over more middle grade than young adult. I felt a little out of my element when reading this, and wish that the maturity was turned up a tad - considering this is a murder mystery, I wanted the stakes to be higher in certain scenarios. That being said, there were definitely chapters or events that fell into the young adult category, but it would have been great if the book felt more cohesive when detailing particular actions or diving into characters and their personalities.

This is a super quick read and you will be able to tackle it in a couple of hours - I was entertained, but felt as though it was missing a little something that would push it over the edge into something memorable for me. The mystery element was played well, and I have to say it definitely kept me intrigued throughout the entirety of the story.

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Boys with Sharp Teeth by Jenni Howell ARC Review

This is a spoiler-free review! This is an ARC review - Boys with Sharp Teeth will be available on April 8, 2025. 

I would first like to thank NetGalley and Roaring Book Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. The premise of this book - and its gorgeous cover - drew me in immediately, and I was thrilled that a paranormal mystery would be making its way into my pile. This book does not waste any time in introducing the main character and the haunting reason on why she has enrolled in Huntsworth Academy. Right off the bat, I was reminded of how I felt when reading The Secret History by Donna Tartt - there was something sinister in the air, and you could tell that there were secrets hidden between the walls of this school and its students.

Marin has infiltrated this prestigious school in order to uncover her cousin's murderer, and in order to do so, she has enrolled under the alias Jamie Vane, and is quick to associate herself with the group of students she suspects of being guilty. With Henry, Adrian, and Baz at the top of her list, she begins her quest to gain evidence and confessions to the crime that took her cousin from her, all while trying not to tip them off or reveal her true identity. However, things are not as they seem at this school, and something much more unnerving has encompassed the lives of some of these students. As Marin grows closer to her peers, she unknowingly thrusts herself into a paranormal conundrum that has its talons in the very individuals she seeks answers from.

Henry and Adrian's relationship is so incredibly complex and as readers, we are able to see how co-dependent and intricate it is, even without necessarily having their perspectives throughout the book. We see their lives tethered together through Marin's eyes and the slow progression of Marin herself being weaved into their intimate and alluring dependency. My mind kept referring to the trio as the evil Challengers - everything from their interactions to their intimacies are convoluted and go well beyond the surface level. Adrian and Henry go in tandem with one another - where one is, the other follows - and this certainly causes some riffs as the story goes on and Marin develops differing relationships with the boys.

I fell in love with the setting of this book - Howell does an excellent job immersing the reader into the story and making you feel as though you are walking the halls or attending the parties with the students. The introduction of paranormal elements was a great choice - much like Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, we are able to enter a dark academia setting while experiencing something greater than mortal beings. This addition to the story only solidified my interest and captured me into the plot - we discover everything as Marin does, and it allows us to stay oblivious to the true nature of some of the students until the very moment the information is revealed and we are thrust into the mortifying truth.

Boys with Sharp Teeth was one of my most anticipated 2025 reads and it truly lived up to all of my expectations. Rarely do I see a young adult mystery that captures the true horrors of what people are capable of while also diving into the unknown and paranormal. This is the perfect book for those looking to ease into the genre without being overloaded with information. Howell's incorporation of Decartes and classical literature elevated the undertones of this novel to the fullest extent, and makes me even more excited to Meditations, which has been sitting on my shelf for a few months begging me to crack it open.

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The Final Gambit (The Inheritance Games, #3) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my reviews of The Inheritance Games and The Hawthorne Legacy on my blog, now!

Guys... I do not know how much longer I can go through this. The fake curse words, the inability to solve puzzles on their own despite being known for doing so, and the fact that Jameson is the love interest is making this series increasingly difficult to push through. I am a Grayson Hawthorne defender until my dying breath, and the fact that he continues to get put through the ringer at any chance causes me to become tired of the constant torment he suffers. Everything that happens to Avery in this book, let alone the series as a whole, is outlandish for a teenager to have to handle. While she does have a support system, it feels as though they are always looking out for the Hawthornes, rather than Avery.

Considering how The Hawthorne Legacy ended, it was no surprise to the twists that occurred in this installment - much like the second book, this was just as predictable and fell short of keeping me on the edge of my seat. Everyone in this book, sans Avery, seem to be incredibly trusting of random new individuals that just pop up out of nowhere and insert themselves into the Hawthorne family. It becomes hard to sympathize with these characters when they continue to make dumb choices and throw their common sense out of the window.

Despite how much I think Avery does not use her brain or is two seconds late to every discovery, she seemed to be the only person in this book that was weary of the right people and found a heap of common sense towards the end of the book when everything was on the line. I was not loving her decision by the end of the book, but it fits with her character and it would not have been true to her development if the book took a different direction at the end. That being said, I understand why she chose to do what she did, but I was not thrilled with her decision.

To the surprise of absolute no one, we learn that a number of characters are actually horrible people. Shocking! This could be seen from a mile away with one eye closed since the very first book with a particular someone who I will not name. I will say that the last few chapters of the book were actually interesting had pulled me into the story for about fifty pages - it was just unfortunate that the majority of the book felt lackluster compared to a few chapters towards the very end.

I truly wanted to enjoy this series, and while it is not my cup of tea, I can say that those looking for a young adult mystery will likely be pleased with these books. There was an improvement compared to The Hawthorne Legacy, and I was happy to see that I enjoyed this book more than its predecessor. If the stakes were more severe or the plot twists less predictable, this series could have won me over - I plan to see it through to the end, and am hoping that these characters have some more development by the last installment.

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The Hawthorne Legacy (The Inheritance Games, #2) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of The Inheritance Games on my blog, here.

I completely forgot that this takes place in Texas and that everyone has Texan accents.. got the ick all over again. The first installment was a little slow to start and had me weary about continuing on with the series, but I kept finding myself thinking about what was going to happen next. However, this sequel was not what I had expected, and left me underwhelmed and unsatisfied with a number of plot issues and character development. From his first appearance, I stood by Grayson Hawthorne, and this book seems to abandon him as a possible love interest in trade for Jameson?? Am I supposed to be rooting for Avery and Jameson now?

Avery is on yet another hunt to solve what seems to be a hundred mini riddles in order to figure out exactly why Tobias left her everything, and yet she is the one who seems to be able to figure out the least -- she puts everything together at the last minute and only when every piece of information is set in front of her, practically gift-wrapped for her. There is some interesting stuff going on with her dad, and that was truly the only interesting part of the story for me. I frankly did not care for the other Hawthorne family members fighting the inheritance any longer, it became repetitive and juvenile. 

Are these characters allergic to using real curse words? It makes the story read as if it is taking place in elementary school instead of being young adult, and caused me to be thrown from the story every single time. It honestly was too much of a distraction than it should have been, and I wish it did not derail the tone of the book for me. The side characters are simply not that intriguing this time around, and their characterizations are pretty surface level, with the exception of a few that become more fleshed out in the last few chapters. There are far too many family tree issues and revelations that distract from Avery's story.

All of these private jet trips... oh I know their carbon footprint is off the charts. Avery constantly states how shocked she is that she has all of these things now, but girl, you are literally a billionaire, it should not surprise you for much longer. Her inheritance is still being handles by actual responsible adults, and she should be thankful for it -- she whines too much and does not seem to be able to get a grasp on the situation she is in. I was truly hoping that Avery would have a more well-rounded character arc in this sequel, but she was just a two-dimensional as she was in the first book. 

This dead old man really set up Avery to have the most complicated inheritance in history. He basically has set her up to go into dangerous situations, and seemed to not care at all when he decided to give everything to her. He gives nothing to his kids, and honestly I had to laugh. From the constant struggle with the will and inheritance, to the consistent arsons and bombings, the plot was lost and became erratic towards the end of the book. On top of Avery nearly being killed every other chapter, she is living her Mamma Mia moment with trying to find her biological father, and the Hawthorne family drama truly was dragging on.

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A Study in Drowning (A Study in Drowning, #1) by Ava Reid Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I was ready to dive into a stand alone, when to my surprise, I saw that a sequel was in the works for this book. Riding off of the faerie world as I just finished The Folk of the Air series by Holly Black, this seemed like the perfect path to head down as I continue to make my way through my never-ending TBR pile and transition to fall with a little gothic fantasy.

The beginning of the book was a touch slow to start, mostly due to the fact that readers are becoming acclimated to the world, but there was something missing that I could not quite put my finger on. I felt as though the world-building could have been expanded upon before we were thrown into the plot, as there were points in the book where I felt disconnected from the story. The second half of the book definitely makes up on this front, and I found myself truly enthralled with everything that had finally built up over the first two hundred or so pages.

Effy and Preston... I could feel the tension just by his name being written in the Borrower list for every book Effy wanted to check out in the library. I loved the academic rivals to teaming up with one another dynamic, and while Effy and Preston are not quite academic rivals, Effy does want to be in the literature college, and Preston had no problem being admitted. The way they interact once they are basically forced to cohabitate has a sweet slow-burn to it, and I only wish we got to see Preston's perspective.

This was the perfect read to start transitioning into fall weather, and the author was able to encapsulate such an exact environment when setting the scene for this book. I loved the way the characters were influenced by the manor itself, almost as if the manor was a character itself. The backstory of the Myrddin's faults and the allure of the tales of the Fairy King cause Effy and Preston to join forces and find answers that may reveal harsh truths. I truly felt transported to the book's setting, which made the read all the more enjoyable.

There were equal parts magic and mortal to this story, and they were equally addressed through Effy's true belief of the Fairy King's existence and Preston's hunt for human faults. Nothing magical ever felt as if it was being forced onto the reader, but rather flowed naturally as the story progressed. I appreciated the way Myrddin's book was a work of art within this book, which created a more tangible mystery to the reader as we joined Effy and Preston on their search for hidden truths. Reid tackled issues that went beyond magic and mortal, and touched upon a number of important topics that elevated the story while not becoming repetitive.

For fans of Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson and Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, readers will be taken on a journey of libraries, monsters, and just a hint of romance. The perfect gothic fantasy read, just in time for fall and cozy weather.

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The Inheritance Games (The Inheritance Games, #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I fully walked into this book with the idea that it was essentially Knives Out but with young adults, and I seemed to have been a bit off the mark. I must have somehow missed the part that this book takes place in Texas, because imagine my surprise when everyone was suddenly speaking with Texan accents -- for the entire book, I was picturing everyone in cowboy hats, no matter how much I tried to picture them as they were actually described. Imagine literally inheriting billions of dollars out of the blue, and the requirement is that you have to live in a mansion with four hot brothers... Avery needed a little reality check because she should have been jumping up and down.

Every single old Hawthorne family member was out here bullying a seventeen-year-old girl they had known for about forty-eight hours... embarrassing! Yes, I understand that they were weary of her being named as basically the sole inheritor of the fortune, but the way they jumped to conclusions of elder abuse was wild. The author seemed to love reminding readers that Libby has blue hair, and apparently it is such a major piece of information because it is mentioned almost every other chapter... we get it.

I will admit, Avery with Grayson and Jameson was very much giving Katherine "It's okay to love them both, I did" Pierce and I have to respect her game on that front. Both Grayson and Jameson were such interesting characters, and the mystery behind both of them certainly had me invested on what their next moves would be, and how Avery would handle her attraction to both of them. Jameson's little nickname for Avery had me giggling and kicking my feet, it was cute and snarky. On the other side of the coin, Drake was literally the opposite of these boys, and was giving me an aneurism every single time he showed up. Libby needed to get a restraining order against him, and yet barely seemed concerned that he was actually like an obsessed stalker.

Why was Avery so incredibly impressed when the girls doing her hair did two french braids? I honestly was so confused because it is such a common hairstyle, and considering that this book was published in 2019, it was even more popular, especially pinned to her head in the style depicted. A lot of the commentary in this book was a little dated, and I much prefer authors that try to avoid locking a specific time period's outfits, styles, etc. into a book.

The mystery and intrigue throughout the book definitely kept me interested, but the riddles/puzzles/clues felt a little lackluster compared to what they could have been. They were easy to solve and left me feeling as though anyone in the book could have put two and two together, and did not need Avery to solve them. Chapters moved quickly enough that the story moved at a decent pace in order to keep the reader locked in, but some went on for much longer than necessary. Tobias Hawthorne really decided to leave nearly every single one of his family members with more trauma the second he died, and while some members needed a reality check, others were put through the ringer more than they deserved.

I have to say I stand teetering on the edge deciding my overall feelings for this first installment. This was a really interesting idea to put to paper, but the execution fell off for the middle portion, leaving me wanting more to be on the line for the characters. A lot of the reveals were a touch predictable and made me feel as though there was not as much to lose as it was made out to be. Whenever I decide to continue on with this series, I hope the other brothers because more fleshed out and are more involved in the plot along with Grayson and Jameson.

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Hunting Prince Dracula (Stalking Jack the Ripper, #2) by Kerri Maniscalco Review

This is a spoiler-free review! The version I am reading is an ARC -- any changes made for the final publication are not reflected in this review.

I am going to be completely honest and say that I did not immediately remember how Stalking Jack the Ripper actually ended -- I read the book about four years ago and from what I can remember, I had to power through. Hunting Prince Dracula basically picks up right where the first book left off and throws you right back into the thick of it with Audrey and Thomas, our little workplace romance lovers that cannot seem to do anything with each other besides send longing glances each other's way.

Maybe it is because I usually do not read historical fiction, but this book was dragging on like no tomorrow. Every fifty pages I was crossing my fingers hoping something exciting or unpredictable would happen, and every fifty pages I would be disappointed. It was either riddled with Audrey complaining about Thomas or having her sneak off into the night, only to find some horrific crime scene or potential clue to solving the murders, which always ended up with her being interrupted. It became very repetitive very quick into the book, and I had to push myself to finish this second installment -- the last fifty pages somewhat made up for it though.

I wish we were able to have chapters with a perspective from Thomas -- it would have balanced out the story much more effectively, and we would have been able to see his thought processes behind a lot of the things he did throughout the story. Instead, we were given just little bits of letters between him and Audrey, which basically told us the bare minimum of what we needed to know about his decisions. Additionally, Audrey's constant references to the Jack the Ripper case had me wanting to pull my hair out. I understand that the case left some uneasiness behind on her, but mentioning it every other page seemed a but much.

The side characters provided a bit of relief from the constant complaining that Audrey never seemed to cease -- especially Anastasia, who was an absolute riot. The other boys who came to the academy also added a little bit of fun, some much more than others. With murders occurring left and right, you would think the involvement of these characters would increase, but they remained on the sidelines for quite some time before any of them seemed to get a line or two of dialogue.

Maniscalco did a fantastic job on describing anywhere that Audrey and Thomas found themselves -- the scenery was heavily detailed and really felt like you were in Romania at Bran Castle. Readers will definitely be able to immerse themselves into the story and gain a real grasp on the environment, which is much different compared to the streets of London where Stalking Jack the Ripper took place. I am a sucker for all things gothic and vampiric, so I can say with much certainty that I liked this setting more than the setting in the first book.

There was something about this book that just was not clicking for me, which is a shame because the premise and scenery really sounded intriguing. Audrey and Thomas has me giggling one minute and then wanting to throw my book across the room the next. At first I was on the fence if I would be continuing on with the series, but now I feel like I will only move on to the next to see what happens with Audrey and Thomas, rather than for their next case.

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Ace of Shades (The Shadow Game, #1) by Amanda Foody Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I finally picked up Ace of Shades and I am so glad that I did! With similar vibes to Caraval by Stephanie Garber and Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, we enter a fantasy world of card games and trickery as Enne goes on a journey to the City of Sin to find her adoptive mother. Along the way, she meets Levi, a con man who is in severe debt, and sees an opportunity to pay off that debt with the help of Enne's payment to find her mother. In an unfamiliar city with all etiquette thrown out the window, Enne is lost and losing hope, but with Levi's help, she may be able to find her mother before it is too late.

I loved the entire environment that Foody takes the readers into -- casinos, cabarets, and city streets where people are up to no good. The reader is really able to immerse themselves into the story through the level of detailing when they are exposed to a new part of the city. You are immediately thrown into the plot as Enne arrives in the City of Sin, and from there the world-building feels never-ending as the author continues to expand on this new world. Both the readers and Enne are experiencing the city for the first time, so you are able to learn everything alongside our female lead.

You can feel the urgency in the city and how the people are cautious about anything and everything, especially when it comes to illegal activity and paying off debts. Levi knows the inner workings of this casino-lead world like the back of his hand, whereas Enne merely has an old guidebook filled with dos and don'ts to help her. These two character could not be more different -- Enne has completed finishing school and is the picture of perfection and elegance, while Levi is in a gang being roughed up and running from debt. As usual, opposite attract and we find ourselves with their dual perspective as they both work toward their end goals -- Enne finding her mother, and Levi gathering up the funds to pay off the ten thousand volts he owes.

The fantasy aspect of Ace of Shades is so intruguing -- characters have two talents, one blood talent and one split talent, with the blood talent being the dominant ability. These talents can vary from dancing, seeing auras, counting, controlling fire, and so much more. I found it so interesting that the talents were a combination of typical skills people could excel in and talents that possessed more magical components. The author did a very good job at not overwhelming the reader with complicated explanations for the talents, and worked them into each character's personality and appearance to the point where you could tell these skills were so incredibly natural to them.

I am always up for a romance subplot, and this book did not disappoint one bit. You can literally see the tension building off the page as the days go on as Enne and Levi work together to accomplish their goals. Especially with getting both of their perspectives, the readers are right inside their heads and are there from the very first thought they have about one another. This is a pretty intense slowburn, and when I say slowburn, I mean it. It had me giggling and kicking my feet until the very end, rooting for even a near touch to happen between Enne and Levi.

You can see Enne's confidence grow as the story goes on, which was so nice to see, especially because she was rather stoic at the beginning of the book. As she got more accustomed to the City of Sin, she begins to adopt more characteristics of her fellow Iron Lord friends she has made along the way. Even from the beginning, she was always assertive and knew what she wanted, and while just a tad annoying during some chapters and lacking a touch of common sense in others, she made a great lead to follow.

Levi is probably one of the most Kaz Brekker-coded characters I have ever come across, while also being quite the opposite of our favorite Crow Club leader. He has got trauma, plays card games, loves money, and has seemingly fallen for a girl who has a skill for acrobatics and dancing. While our dear Kaz does not mind getting some blood on his hands, Levi does not have a taste for that sort of thing. But lucky for him, Enne does not mind having to do what needs to be done in order for the both of them to get want they want.

One qualm I did have with this book is that the made up curse words were absolutely driving me up a wall. Understanding that this is a young adult, you do not need a curse word every other page, but given that we are literally in the City of Sin, it would have been fine to throw in some normal curse words instead of hearing "Muck!" every other page when something went wrong.

This was a great introduction to The Shadow Game trilogy, and readers looking for a romantasy will be pleasantly surprised at the world-building and pacing of this first installment. For fans of Leigh Bardugo and Stephanie Garber, this is for you!

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Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I was in the mood for a standalone novel, and because I will always have a love for the Hush, Hush saga, I knew it was time to dive into Fitzpatrick's young adult thriller. With the tag line of having a forbidden romance with your kidnapper, how could I refuse? And as a lover of the dark romance genre, I knew that this would not cross nearly as many lines as I am used to reading, but all the same I was excited to finally read this book.

Britt is a high school senior, ready to go on her spring break trip up in the mountains with her best friend Korbie... and her ex-boyfriend Calvin. Could it be any more awkward? She plans on putting the past behind her as they go to Korbie and Calvin's family cabin, where she also plans to go on an adventure of her own by backpacking forty miles. A blizzard has other plans for Britt, Korbie, and Calvin, and lands Britt and Calvin with two strangers that are certainly not friendly.

We really get to see how hard Britt fights to stay alive and make sure that she and Korbie have a chance to make it home from the unexpected experience of being essentially kidnapped and snowed in on what was supposed to be a final hurray before senior year came to an end. Britt is prepared to do whatever it takes, and was immediately suspicious of Mason and Shaun, whereas Korbie was using her one brain cell to insult the canned chili after they were "rescued" from the snow.

I have to say, I was so very grateful that Korbie did not play a big role in the book, because if she showed up even more, I would have ripped out the pages before I saw her name one more time. From what we learn from Britt and what we witness from Korbie herself, it is safe to say that she is probably the worst person for Britt to be friends with, especially because Korbie is so insecure that she likes to tear down Britt every chance that she gets. It is obvious that she is a "pick me" and that is further proven when they meet Mason and Shaun.

The pacing of the book was done very well, and it moved in such a way where you can feel the urgency that Britt feels as she runs through the snowy mountain, and especially when she realizes that Mason and Shaun are not the best people to be stuck in a secluded cabin with in the middle of a blizzard. Fitzpatrick did an excellent job in making Britt's internal monologue really come through and show her thought process as she learned more about the men holding her hostage and what exactly they are capable of when no one is watching.

While Britt is smart, I did find myself yelling at the pages a number of times -- she claims to be well prepared for a forty mile trek in the Teton Range, but failed to bring more socks? Maybe it was the fact that they were in the moment of being stranded with no way to call for help, but I personally would have grabbed a few more things before leaving my Jeep behind.

Mason seemed to be a more complex character compared to Shaun, who was very much the brooding type that would sit in a corner and sulk for the rest of his life if he could. We see Mason take a backseat as Shaun runs the show, but not everything is as it seems as the night goes on. With a number of obstacles that are thrown in Britt's path as she tries to get away, she finds herself drawn to Mason in an unexpected way, leading her to do things she never thought she was capable of. The sides of Mason come out as the story moves on, and we gather more and more pieces of who he really is right along with Britt.

As a young adult novel, I would say that a number of twists are predictable if you are taking everything in and cataloging the information that Britt is observing as she and Korbie are being held in the cabin, as well as when Britt is out in the wilderness. I wish the tension was higher between Britt and Mason, and I do think that Fitzpatrick could have upped the stakes when it came to throwing in her curveballs. The constant back and forth that Britt went between Mason and Calvin was making me a little crazy, and if it went on for any longer I would have thrown the book across the room. Even with being predictable, I had a fun time reading the story and it was a great quick read to get me ready for my next book.

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Where Darkness Blooms by Andrea Hannah Review

This is a spoiler-free review! The version I am reading is an ARC -- any changes made for the final publication are not reflected in this review. A list of trigger warnings is available in the beginning of the book.

We are given four point of views throughout the story -- Delilah, Jude, Whitney, and Bo -- all of which have lost their mothers in unexplainable disappearances in their small town of Bishop one night. Everyone who lives there says that nothing bad happens, except for the occasional woman going missing or being found dead in their front yard. But no worries! The town seems completely unfazed by these tragic events, which does not sit right with any of the girls.

Living in a run down house, the girls work through their feelings of mourning due to the belief that their mothers are dead, despite no bodies being recovered, unlike some girls who have been found dead all over town. The land of the town is more than dirt and sunflowers, but something more -- it is alive, and requires much more than water and sunlight in order to thrive and grow. There is something sinister happening to these women, and the girls are determined to get to the bottom it before something happens to another girl.

I really enjoyed the multiple point of views that the author gives -- it really lets you dive into the minds of each of the girls and understand their own unique lives. They each had a different relationship with their mothers, and the author does an excellent job showcases what the girls are going through. Bo in particular had the most strained relationship with her mother, while Delilah seemed to have the strongest bond with hers. Jude and Whitney's relationship with their mother is somewhat in the middle of Bo and Delilah's, yet we see more of their struggle in the relationship they have with each other as twins.

As the story goes on, more secrets are revealed and more questions are asked -- about the disappearances, who the girls can trust, and what in the world is going on with all of these sunflowers. In addition to trying to figure out what happened to their mothers, the girls have their own problems to address, starting with their personal relationships and struggles. Whitney is still recovering from the death of her girlfriend, Jude and Delilah seem to be falling for the same boy, and Bo has gone through something horrific that no one knows about.

The paranormal aspect of the book was very well done -- I did not find it overwhelming, and it was woven into the story at a pace that made the reader understand what was happening, while still leaving some mystery until the very end. The mystery of what the land desires and how it is given what it needs plays out as we get more into the minds of each girl, and characters come into play as more is discovered.

Hannah's writing style has great prose, and adds a sort of unknowingness into the story as you are not sure if what each girl says is true or an influence from the town. There was a ton of potential for the story to conclude on a really big bang, and while I was satisfied with the ending, there was room to really push barriers with the characters and plot. If you are really paying attention from the beginning, you can call the ending right away, but it doesn't take away from the read.

If you are looking for something to fill the void that Sharp Objects left you, this may be the book to launch you back into mystery and thrillers. The eerie atmosphere that the town provides would make this book the perfect autumn read.

You can add Where Darkness Blooms on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

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