Review: The Secrets She Carried by Barbara Davis

Publisher: NAL Trade
Pages: 368

Received: Received a copy from the publisher through Edelweiss

Release Date: October 1, 2013


Goodreads Synopsis:

When a young woman returns to North Carolina after a thirty-year absence, she finds that the once grand tobacco plantation she called home holds more secrets than she ever imagined.

Though Peak Plantation has been in her family for generations, Leslie Nichols can’t wait to rid herself of the farm left to her by her estranged grandmother Maggie—and with it the disturbing memories of her mother’s death, her father’s disgrace, and her unhappy childhood. But Leslie isn’t the only one with a claim to Peak.

Jay Davenport, Peak’s reclusive caretaker, has his own reasons for holding onto the land bequeathed to him by Leslie’s grandmother. Before she died, Maggie hinted at a terrible secret surrounding Adele Laveau, a lady’s maid who came to Peak during the 1930s and died under mysterious circumstances. Jay is haunted by Maggie’s story, yet the truth eludes him—until Leslie uncovers a cryptically marked grave on the property.

As they delve into the mystery of Adele’s death, Leslie and Jay discover shocking secrets that extend deep into the roots of Leslie’s family tree—secrets that have the power to alter her life forever.

My Review:

I love books that revolve around family secrets, I find it is always interesting and really shows that at times it shows you a different side to people. This book was all about people carrying secrets and how those secrets affected their past and present lives.

The story goes back and forth between two different stories, the story of Leslie Nichols, who has returned home after being gone for almost 30 years. The other story is Adele's, and eventually these two stories start coming together and we learn more about the history of Peak Plantation. I was really intrigued by Adele's story and found myself enjoying that one much more than Leslie's. I loved Adele's character and I find she really grows up a lot in the novel and tries to get through the mistakes made in her life.

I did feel for Leslie throughout the book as well though, she has dealt with a lot in her life and ends up as an adult with a lot of trust issues (especially when it comes to men). I really like that as she learns more about the history of the Peak, and the many secrets surrounding it, she learns a lot about herself, and slowly she learns how to forgive. I really enjoyed her relationship with Jay and how they help one another out and learn to really open up and live again.

As much as I liked Jay, his story was a little far-fetched for me, I wanted a little more development from him because he is such a big character in the book. I found that when Leslie's father makes an appearance he really overshadowed Jay (maybe the author intended this to happen though...) I think the best part of this book for me was the whole family secret (which is very easy to figure out early on, but it's nice to see the way that it is discovered). I liked that the romance aspect of the book was really on the side compared to learning about the Plantation, I am a huge fan of family books and I definitely think this one is a beautiful family story.

Review: Longbourn by Jo Baker

Publisher: Knopf
Pages: 352

Received: Received a copy from Random House of Canada in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: October 8, 2013
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Goodreads Synopsis:

Pride and Prejudice was only half the story 

If Elizabeth Bennet had the washing of her own petticoats, Sarah often thought, she’d most likely be a sight more careful with them.

In this irresistibly imagined belowstairs answer to Pride and Prejudice,the servants take center stage. Sarah, the orphaned housemaid, spends her days scrubbing the laundry, polishing the floors, and emptying the chamber pots for the Bennet household. But there is just as much romance, heartbreak, and intrigue downstairs at Longbourn as there is upstairs. When a mysterious new footman arrives, the orderly realm of the servants’ hall threatens to be completely, perhaps irrevocably, upended.

Jo Baker dares to take us beyond the drawing rooms of Jane Austen’s classic—into the often overlooked domain of the stern housekeeper and the starry-eyed kitchen maid, into the gritty daily particulars faced by the lower classes in Regency England during the Napoleonic Wars—and, in doing so, creates a vivid, fascinating, fully realized world that is wholly her own.

My Review:

I really ended up enjoying this book, it has been awhile since I read Pride and Prejudice, but I loved it, and it's interesting to see a different take on the story. I think Baker took a great approach to this book, and I think it was very well done.

Following the overlooked characters of Pride and Prejudice and seeing how much they could add to the story and that they are important people too. It was interesting to see how these people were treated at that time and how their lives were so different from the ones they took care of. Sarah came to Longbourn as a young girl and has not known much else than what she has learned there, but she is someone who wishes for more and to really be able to see the world outside of this one house, this story is really about her life and how quickly everything can change.

I really enjoyed Jo Baker's writing style throughout this book, she captured the feeling of a Jane Austen novel perfectly (in my opinion). This is a different side of a classic book and still in the same way, the characters act similar. There is still the view of jumping to conclusions about someone before really getting to know them and how things change when you really find out the truth.

I loved this new story behind the doors of the servants and seeing how their lives still have a large effect on the lives of the Bennett family. The great things about this book is that you don't have to read Pride and Prejudice before reading it, but it is definitely an enhanced experience, and they really add to one another. Jo really has you see the other side of things, it's a beautiful story that will make you fall in love with Jane Austen's world all over again.

Review: Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Pages: 240

Received: Received an ecopy from Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: August 27, 2013
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Goodreads Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Penelope (Pen) has lost everything—her home, her parents, and her ten-year-old brother. Like a female Odysseus in search of home, she navigates a dark world full of strange creatures, gathers companions and loses them, finds love and loses it, and faces her mortal enemy.

In her signature style, Francesca Lia Block has created a world that is beautiful in its destruction and as frightening as it is lovely. At the helm is Pen, a strong heroine who holds hope and love in her hands and refuses to be defeated.

My Review:

Hmm... what to say about this book, the cover really stuck out for me and I was intrigued with the whole female Odysseus idea brought up in the synopsis. Now that I have finished the book I'm still sitting here wondering about what it is exactly that I have just read. In so many ways, this book was beautiful and I loved it, and yet I am confused about the story as well.

I really enjoyed how Francesca Lia Block wrote this story, it was like an evocative adventure and everything is described in such detail that you feel as if you are Penelope. There were so many quotes throughout the book that relate to real life for readers and I wanted to highlight all of them... though one of my favourites was "The true warrior isn't immune to fear. She fights in spite of it." This sums up the main character perfectly!

I love reading a book where the MC is not always strong, and Pen is definitely that type of character. She is someone who continually acknowledges her fear of what is happening and yet fights through it because she is determined to find her family. She is unsure about herself and there are times where she considers just running away to hide.

The only small issue I had was that I felt like I was continually being told and shown any way possible that this is a retelling of The Odyssey. The characters continually reference the book and there are quite a few times where Pen thinks about how this happens in The Odyssey. I just felt like it was a little too much and that I needed to be told this over and over so that I would understand, I was hoping it would be a little more subtle.

This book was very well done, and I really enjoyed the adventures that Pen goes on and the interesting characters we meet along the way. I do wish that there were a few things that were explained a little more that were discussed. But Francesca Lia Block definitely had me engrossed in this tale with her beautiful writing, and I loved being taken into a modern day Odyssey.

Review: Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund

Publisher: Balzer and Bray
Series: For Darkness Shows the Stars #2 (Companion novel)
Pages: 464

Received: Received a copy from Harper Collins Canada in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: October 15, 2013
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Goodreads Synopsis:

Centuries after wars nearly destroyed civilization, the two islands of New Pacifica stand alone, a terraformed paradise where even the Reduction—the devastating brain disorder that sparked the wars—is a distant memory. Yet on the isle of Galatea, an uprising against the ruling aristocrats has turned deadly. The revolutionaries’ weapon is a drug that damages their enemies’ brains, and the only hope is rescue by a mysterious spy known as the Wild Poppy.

On the neighboring island of Albion, no one suspects that the Wild Poppy is actually famously frivolous aristocrat Persis Blake. The teenager uses her shallow, socialite trappings to hide her true purpose: her gossipy flutternotes are encrypted plans, her pampered sea mink is genetically engineered for spying, and her well-publicized new romance with handsome Galatean medic Justen Helo… is her most dangerous mission ever.

Though Persis is falling for Justen, she can’t risk showing him her true self, especially once she learns he’s hiding far more than simply his disenchantment with his country’s revolution and his undeniable attraction to the silly socialite he’s pretending to love. His darkest secret could plunge both islands into a new dark age, and Persis realizes that when it comes to Justen Helo, she’s not only risking her heart, she’s risking the world she’s sworn to protect.

In this thrilling adventure inspired by The Scarlet Pimpernel, Diana Peterfreund creates an exquisitely rendered world where nothing is as it seems and two teens with very different pasts fight for a future only they dare to imagine.

My Review:

Dear Diana Peterfreund, please never stop writing your stories. Your characters are all so easy to fall in love with, and the story is beautiful and emotional. These books are hands down my favourite stories and will always have a special place in my heart.

I fell in love very quickly with For Darkness Shows the Stars, and Across A Star-Swept Sea delivers the same kind of story that readers will love just as much. This book is different in many ways, and you don't need to read For Darkness Shows the Stars to understand the story... but you do see some returning characters in this book to tie them together.

I loved the characters in this book, especially Persis. She is a strong character and has a great attitude, I loved the way she was there for the princess and how easily she hid her motivations from everyone around her except for those that helped her. I loved the relationship her and Justen had, they are always unsure about each other and yet grow closer as they learn about each other. Justen on the other hand is a character that is intriguing and yet you are unsure about his motivations and why he is so intent on doing what he was.

 I think Diana Peterfreund does a beautiful job with romance in her books, she keeps you guessing about what is happening between the two characters and she really has the romance grow over the course so that it actually makes sense as to why these two fall in love. This book is very political, and I liked that we got to see both sides of the coin and how it affected the others. I was really interested in the storyline of the princess and how she handled herself amidst all the doubt surrounding her.

This is one book that as soon as I finished it, I hugged it because of how much I loved everything I had just read. Everything about this book was amazing and so much fun to read, and definitely puts Diana Peterfreund high up on my authors I love list! I hope to see more of this world that Diana has created!!

For more information on Diana Peterfreund and ACROSS A STAR-SWEPT SEA check out the HarperCollins Canada website!

Review: The Wishing Thread by Lisa Van Allen

Publisher: Ballantine Books
Pages: 400

Received: Received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley

Release Date: September 3, 2013
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Goodreads Synopsis:

For fans of Jennifer Chiaverini and Sarah Addison Allen, The Wishing Thread is an enchanting novel about the bonds between sisters, the indelible pull of the past, and the transformational power of love.

The Van Ripper women have been the talk of Tarrytown, New York, for centuries. Some say they’re angels; some say they’re crooks. In their tumbledown “Stitchery,” not far from the stomping grounds of the legendary Headless Horseman, the Van Ripper sisters—Aubrey, Bitty, and Meggie—are said to knit people’s most ardent wishes into beautiful scarves and mittens, granting them health, success, or even a blossoming romance. But for the magic to work, sacrifices must be made—and no one knows that better than the Van Rippers.

When the Stitchery matriarch, Mariah, dies, she leaves the yarn shop to her three nieces. Aubrey, shy and reliable, has dedicated her life to weaving spells for the community, though her sisters have long stayed away. Bitty, pragmatic and persistent, has always been skeptical of magic and wants her children to have a normal, nonmagical life. Meggie, restless and free-spirited, follows her own set of rules. Now, after Mariah’s death forces a reunion, the sisters must reassess the state of their lives even as they decide the fate of the Stitchery. But their relationships with one another—and their beliefs in magic—are put to the test. Will the threads hold?

My Review:

Well, what a book this was for me. I was intrigued with the premise of knitting and magic tied together and the cover really stuck out to me as a cute book, but this book had a lot of emotion amidst the cuteness. I was a tad wary because I wasn't sure how a book about knitting would really appeal to me, but this book is so much more than a person who knits, it's really about what brings people together.

The Van Ripper women are always thought of as witches in their little town, and are always on the outside of society and in a way some of them have fled from this town. But when the matriarch, Mariah, passes away it brings the three Van Ripper sisters back together to deal with a lot of issues that have been pushed aside. I feel like there is a lot of back story that slowly comes out, you need to learn about what each of the sisters has been up to for the past few years, and I think that took a lot of the story to do.

I really enjoyed the differences in the sisters and watching their relationship change as they learn more about each other and begin to help each other through their problems. I think I connected with Aubrey the most in this book, she is shy and unsure of herself, except for when she is knitting. I really loved her growth throughout this book the most as she realizes what is most important to her.

Honestly, I had difficulties starting out with this book understanding what was going on and really getting into the knitting storyline. But as the book continues on, I saw that the knitting was kind of a throw into the idea of what in life knits people together... This is a book that is very character driven as they learn to fight together for what they believe in. I fell in love with this story by the end.

Review: The Storycatcher by Ann Hite

Publisher: Gallery Books
Pages: 352

Received: Received a copy from the publisher through Edelweiss

Release Date: September 10, 2013
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Goodreads Synopsis:

Shelly Parker never much liked Faith Dobbins, the uppity way that girl bossed her around. But they had more in common than she knew. Shelly tried to ignore the haints that warned her Faith’s tyrannical father, Pastor Dobbins, was a devil in disguise. But when Faith started acting strange, Shelly couldn’t avoid the past—not anymore.

Critically acclaimed, award-winning author Ann Hite beckons readers back to the Depression-era South, from the saltwater marshes of Georgia’s coast to the whispering winds of North Carolina’s mystical Black Mountain, in a mesmerizing gothic tale about the dark family secrets that come back to haunt us.

My Review:

So when I finally got around to reading this book I completely forgot what the synopsis was and just knew there was something about it that interested me. I really enjoyed the era that this story takes place in and the story was definitely intriguing but it was very slow-going for me. This is a story about learning the family secrets and how those secrets can come back to haunt you.

The one big thing about this book that made it difficult to read for me was the many different characters, there are a lot of different people that have a purpose to this book but I found myself getting confused at how they were all connected in the beginning. There are a lot of haints (ghosts) flying around trying to help unravel the mystery of the Dobbins family secret to help this family from becoming hurt even more.

Though despite how much I was confused I was intrigued with the mystery of this book and what happened to these people that their ghosts are still hanging around. I can definitely say this story was very dark and at some point you don't really want to put the book down because you want to know what is going to happen to everyone.

Even though I found it difficult to follow the many different characters I also found that it added to the build up of the story as the secret slowly begins to unravel and danger starts seeking out certain characters. I think Ann Hite did a beautiful job building the story and having you understand what the characters have gone through, she helps you connect with them. The ending keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering if and what could go wrong.

A lot of the things that are revealed at the end are completely shocking and in my mind changed the whole story. This was definitely an interesting story despite a few hiccups along the way.

Review: Unbreakable by Kami Garcia

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Series: The Legion #1
Pages: 320

Received: Received a copy from Hachette Book Group Canada in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: October 1, 2013
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Goodreads Synopsis:

Supernatural meets The Da Vinci Code in this action-packed paranormal thriller, the first book in a new series from New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia. 

I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.

When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.

Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.

Suspense, romance, and the paranormal meet in this chilling urban fantasy, the first book in a new series from Kami Garcia, bestselling coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures novels.

My Review:

I think this is one book I have been really excited about this year, the cover itself promises a creepy read and I think Kami Garcia delivered pretty well on that aspect in this book. I was really taken with this story and wanted to know more about the characters.

What I really loved about this book were the action scenes, there are a lot of times where the characters are off fighting ghosts to destroy a demon that is wreaking havoc on them. I felt that Kami Garcia really brings to life the idea of ghosts being real, and I can say that her ghosts are creepy and are ones that I would never want to encounter. I am really interested to learn more about the history of The Legion, there are still a lot of questions left unanswered by the end of the book (I honestly felt that this was a book that just kept me coming up with more questions instead of answering anything, so I can say I will come back to this series).

The one little problem I had with this book was the romance... I felt that it was unnecessary in this book, and in my opinion it made no sense. Everything happened so quickly, one moment Kennedy has no idea who these people are and the next minute she is in love with the twins Jared and Lukas.... I just felt that everything was too convenient and the romance aspect was a filler for the story.

The one thing that I did love was all the characters, they all have such strong personalities and bring something different to the story. Priest had to have been my favourite character, he was quirky and smart, and even though he is the youngest I believe he is one of the toughest characters in this book! I could connect easily with all of them in different ways since they all bring something new to the table.

I'm excited for what will come next, especially with the cliffhanger ending we were left with, but I really want to see less of the romance and a lot more action (not that this book didn't have enough action itself). This is a great read for Halloween coming up!

Review: The F-It List by Julie Halpern

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 256

Received: Received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley

Release Date: November 12, 2013
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Goodreads Synopsis:

With her signature heart and humor, Julie Halpern explores a strained friendship strengthened by one girl’s battle with cancer.

Alex’s father recently died in a car accident. And on the night of his funeral, her best friend Becca slept with Alex’s boyfriend. So things aren’t great. Alex steps away from her friendship with Becca and focuses on her family.

But when Alex finally decides to forgive Becca, she finds out something that will change her world again--Becca has cancer.

So what do you do when your best friend has cancer? You help her shave her head. And then you take her bucket list and try to fulfill it on her behalf. Because if that’s all you can do to help your ailing friend--you do it.

My Review:

This was a bit of an interesting book for me, it went by very quick but I'm kind of unsure of how I completely feel about it, I enjoyed some things and other things I felt were not really explored enough. After months of not talking because of a huge fight, Alex finds out that her best friend has cancer and she hasn't been there for her, now Alex will do anything to be with Becca and to help her through things.

Alex does everything to help her best friend through the hardest time of her life, I liked the idea of a bucket list but I think Alex needed to help Becca experience them more than her fulfilling the list. What I really enjoyed about this book was what Alex learned about herself, and learns how to let people in. I will say I wanted more interactions between Becca and Alex, I think for a book about mending a friendship and helping out with things that this friendship took a bit of a back road to the relationship Alex began with Leo.

I also feel like this is a book that meant to deal with some grief and some of that was pushed aside, the book needed to be longer to really delve into Alex's grief more. She has to deal with the loss of her father, and her best friend sleeping with her boyfriend on the day of the funeral. And then months later to find out that her best friend has cancer (even though they haven't spoken for months), a few things just felt a little rushed.

I really enjoyed what Julie Halpern tried to do with the story, and she adds in some great humour and awesome cultural references throughout, but I think it needed a little more of the emotional side of things to really add to the story. I enjoyed a lot of things about this book and it definitely has a lot of heart, but I just wanted a little more, I think it ended too soon for me.

Review: Mother, Mother by Koren Zalickas

Publisher: Crown (Random House)
Pages: 384

Received: Received a copy from Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: September 17, 2013
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Goodreads Synopsis:

From Koren Zailckas, author of the iconic memoir SMASHED: an electrifying debut novel about a family being torn apart by the woman who claims to love them most

Josephine Hurst has her family under control. With two beautiful daughters, a brilliantly intelligent son, a tech-guru of a husband and a historical landmark home, her life is picture perfect. She has everything she wants; all she has to do is keep it that way. But living in this matriarch’s determinedly cheerful, yet subtly controlling domain hasn’t been easy for her family, and when her oldest daughter, Rose, runs off with a mysterious boyfriend, Josephine tightens her grip, gradually turning her flawless home into a darker sort of prison.

Resentful of her sister’s newfound freedom, Violet turns to eastern philosophy, hallucinogenic drugs, and extreme fasting, eventually landing herself in the psych ward. Meanwhile, her brother Will shrinks further into a world of self-doubt. Recently diagnosed with Aspergers and epilepsy, he’s separated from the other kids around town and is homeschooled to ensure his safety. Their father, Douglas, finds resolve in the bottom of the bottle—an addict craving his own chance to escape. Josephine struggles to maintain the family’s impeccable façade, but when a violent incident leads to a visit from child protective services, the truth about the Hursts might finally be revealed.

Written with the style, dark wit and shrewd psychological insight that made SMASHED a bestseller, Zailckas’s first novel is unforgettable. In the spirit of classic suspense novels by Shirley Jackson and Daphne DuMaurier, MOTHER, MOTHER is the terrifying and page-turning story of a mother’s love gone too far, and the introduction of a commanding new voice in fiction.

My Review:

This book was creepy and scary because of how real it is, thinking that there are people like that out there. The story is told from the perspectives of Josephine's teenage daughter and son, both with different views on things. This is a story about a woman who believes everything is perfect and will stop at nothing to keep it that way. As the story slowly unravels many secrets are revealed that show you the way people act in public could be completely different behind closed doors.

This story truly creeped me out, as a reader you don't know what is actually happening and what story is the truth until you get closer to the end and you start understanding more. Violet's story was interesting, she sees that her older sister has gotten away and she longs for that same freedom, though she wants to be able to help her brother as well. The stories that you hear from Violet are distrubing, but interspersed are Will's views on things, and it's actually scary how he views his life.

Will has been diagnosed with epilepsy and Aspergers and is now homescooled by his mother Josephine, who seems to know best. The way Josephine acts with her family and outsiders would definitely creep any normal person out, I don't know anyone who would really do things like that but the idea that someone like her could be out there makes me wonder about people I know and if I really know everything about them.

This story felt like a puzzle to me, slowly trying to work through what is real and what is not when you have two completely different views and beliefs. You get to a point in this book where you just need to keep reading as everything unravels so you can find out what exactly happens next and how this family deals with all the secrets that were hidden.

Blog Tour: The Night Has Claws by Kat Kreuger

Publisher: Fierce Ink Press
Series: The Magdeburg Trilogy #2

Received: Received an e-copy from Fierce Ink Press in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: September 24, 2013
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Goodreads Synopsis:

What happens when you’re the thing that goes bump in the night?

Connor Lewis and Arden LaTène are experiencing a reversal of fortunes. Arden, once a prominent werewolf, has been cured against his will. As a result, he’s now considered dead by his former pack and has lost his longtime girlfriend in the mix. Connor, a newly created werewolf whose DNA has inadvertently led to the creation of the cure, now has to make some important decisions about his future and is not sure who to trust. Should he join a pack or try to go it alone?

When Connor is summoned by the Hounds of God to testify against the human scientist who developed the cure, he’s forced to choose sides. Comprised of humans bitten by werewolves, the Hounds have been the lawmakers and enforcers for hundreds of years, ensuring werewolves don’t endanger the lives of humans and exacting justice upon those who do. On the other hand, the pack werewolves have been persecuted for centuries and are seeking to tip the balance of power. Adding to his confusion is Madison Dallaire, the girl Connor has complicated feelings for, who has embarked on a path of corporate espionage.

In the second book of The Magdeburg Trilogy, Connor’s loyalties are pushed to the limits as he faces the challenges of being a modern werewolf caught in the grip of an ancient feud.

My Review:

THE NIGHT HAS CLAWS starts up right where we ended in THE NIGHT HAS TEETH, with a huge reversal in lives, we now see Connor as a werewolf and Arden has now become human. I can say happily that this book does not fall into the second book problem that many trilogies have of information dumping and just lagging a little bit behind the other books because the story needs a bit of a segue. Kat definitely keeps the surprises coming with this book and really gets you more invested in her story.

I found myself loving the characters that Kat has come up with so much more after this book, what I really loved was the relationship that Connor and Arden strike up. In the beginning they really help each other out (even though Arden is still mad about this change in his life). It was great to get a sense of Connor really learning how to control himself and his urges, he begins to understand more about this new life he has. But with this comes a huge decision for Connor as well, join with a pack (even though he is something different) or try to be out in the world alone. There are many events and secrets to come out that will lead up to Connor's eventual decision.

Interspersed throughout the story are added chapters from Madison's perspective which I really enjoyed, it gives readers a deeper look into her history and how she feels about everything. It was also interesting to see a more scientific approach to the werewolf history, and how these characters were able to become something different when bitten.

Kat also has added in a great amount of humour among all the darkness happening around, many of the characters are very sarcastic and it definitely lightens the mood at the perfect time. This book takes readers more into the Hounds of God group and how they came to be and really leads up to what I can guess is a great series ending.

Thanks to Fierce Ink Press for having me as part of this tour!

Review: All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Series: All Our Yesterdays #1
Pages: 368

Received: Received a copy from Hachette Book Group Canada in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: September 3, 2013
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Goodreads Synopsis:

"You have to kill him." Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside.

Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was.

All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.

My Review:

This book was so much fun to read! I absolutely loved it and had trouble putting it down to do anything else. I was really intrigued by the idea of these two characters trying to save those they love even if it means doing whatever is necessary. This is a story about sacrificing those you love to save them even though it hurts.

I really think Cristin did a great job with the time travel aspect of this story, it was interesting and the scientific aspects made sense, which made this story so intriguing. I really loved the characters, especially Em. Seeing what Em had to deal with and how she will stop at nothing to save herself and prevent the machine from being created is difficult, especially when you learn more about her past and how emotional it must have been for her. Many of those emotions come through for Em when she needs to do something and you can see her struggles because of what it means to her.

I really wanted to kick Marina at times, and yet I could understand what she was going through. She is a teenager who is in love with the boy next door and will give anything for him to notice her in that way, and in doing so she gives up so much of herself. James is slowly seeing Marina and then a huge event changes his life and Marina will do anything to help him fix it.

The plotting of this story is well done and slowly builds up to an engaging ending that you just need to read! It's a race against time and showing how every little decision can change the future. It was interesting how things were explained, how Em has gone through different scenarios that end up leading her to this one quest.

I really think the way things ended in this book were perfect and there were a lot of reveals that surprised me, and some that I kind of saw coming. I really liked how Cristin Terrill ended the story, there are still questions but I think it wrapped up well (though I have recently realized there will be a sequel). This was definitely a great story, I loved everything about it, the slow build up making this book an even more intense read.