Calling All 2013 Authors – THE 2013 (UNNAMED) EVENT!

The 2013 (UNNAMED) Event

Oh yes, you read right!

SO, I (Rabiah @ Confessions of a Readaholic), and my bloggy [and real life!] friend Richa @ City of Books, have come up with a brilliant 2013 Year-Long event (which yes, is currently unnamed). And now...

WE ARE CALLING FOR THE ATTENTION OF 2013 AUTHORS!

(Fellow Bloggers, don't feel so sad! We're getting to you REAL soon ;D)

If you want us to feature your 2013-released book on our blogs, now's the time to listen up!

We will be featuring books that are to be released during the year of 2013 through reviews, interviews, guest posts, other various features, and giveaways throughout the next year. And we need your help! Because without any books... we won't have anything to feature!

There's a handy dandy form you need to fill out... but not without reading the rules and term thingies very carefully.

THE RULES/TERMS OF THIS EVENT:

  • Your book MUST be a Young Adult or Middle Grade book published in the year 2013 (Anytime from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013).

  • We are accepting 2013 debut novels, books apart of a series [sequels, prequels], standalone books, WHATEVER!

  • We are currently at the moment not accepting self-published books OR eBooks of any format. We're super sorry, but it just gets out of hand with eBooks. HOWEVER, we may accept eGalleys from NetGalley and Edelweiss later on. Keep posted for that! We ARE accepting: ARCs, Galleys, Finished Copies (Hardcover/Paperback), and Audiobooks. Keep in mind, we live in Singapore! (NOTE: We can however, share out a copy of the book if you're running low on stock/shipping cost, etc.)

  • If you are *gasp* an author who has TWO (or more!) books being released in 2013, and would like to feature the both of them in this event, you'll need to (pretty please!) fill out the form twice. I know, it's annoying :( but it's just so much more organized and we thank you to the dozen for it!

  • You may sign up to do one or more of the following: have your book reviewed by both blogs, have a giveaway for your book, be featured on one of the blogs in an interview or guest post, and/or have your book in a "special feature" post (such as cover reveal, etc.).

  • The event will start on January 1, 2013 and will end December 31, 2013.

I think that's all for the rules!! If there are any problems, please don't hesitate to email me at: iliveforreading AT hotmail DOT com

What am I Reading? ◆ September 29, 2012


The Waiting Sky by Lara Zielin

ARC for review
Currently on page 172 out of 224

My thoughts so far: I'm totally loving this contemporary! It's totally original, I'm loving Jane's struggles (she's seriously easy to relate to) and of course, Max is making me swoon to the nth degree. Loving the idea– it's totally original :)

The Opposite of Hallelujah by Anna Jarzab

eGalley for review
Currently on page 56 out of 458

My thoughts so far: I haven't been reading this book so much (lately), and should pick it back up again. It's a little slow, and yes, I'm kind of intimidated by the number of pages, but should hopefully be finished by the end of this week! I'm kind of teetering with my thoughts on the main character– I'm sympathizing slightly with her, but she also annoys me... so this should be an interesting ride!

What I'm going to read next...


Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer
The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

My last 5 reviews:

Confessions of an Angry Girl by Lousie Rozett My Review
Burning Blue by Paul Griffin My Review
The Raft by S.A. Bodeen My Review
Saving June by Hannah Harrington My Review
The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa ◆ My Review

What are you currently reading?

Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett

Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett

Release Date: August 28, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Series: Confessions, Book 1
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: NetGalley
Buy: AmazonThe Book Depository
GoodreadsWebsite


Rose Zarelli, self-proclaimed word geek and angry girl, has some confessions to make…1. I'm livid all the time. Why? My dad died. My mom barely talks. My brother abandoned us. I think I'm allowed to be irate,don't you?

2. I make people furious regularly. Want an example? I kissed Jamie Forta, a badass guy who might be dating a cheerleader. She is nowenraged and out for blood. Mine.

3. High school might as well be Mars. My best friend has been replaced by an alien, and I see red all the time. (Mars is red and "seeing red" means being angry—get it?)

Here are some other vocab words that describe my life: Inadequate. Insufferable. Intolerable.

(Don't know what they mean? Look them up yourself.)

(Sorry. That was rude.)

I absolutely LOVED this funny and personal contemporary! Confessions of an Angry Girl had me head over heels from the start– it had a great range of emotion from all the characters, namely our MC, and come on! a book about anger? Now THAT's what I'm talking about.

I love our main character Rose. And when I say love, I mean it. She really does show the struggles of a real teen! She was so easy to relate to and her sarcasm... you gotta love that. I thought she was hilarious, just through her anger and you could really tell that the book was somewhat a diary– you could really connect with the character, really empathize with her as well.
Oh, Jamie. Seriously, I know I say this about all YA novel guys, but seriously? LOVE. HIM. He's so sweet, totally badass... but mostly sweet. I don't see how he and Regina could be together...ugh, speaking of which...
Regina is probably the worst thing I can think of. Try Hannibal the Cannibal in high school, preying on the hopes and dreams of girls everywhere. I seriously think that if I went to high school with her, I'd be living in hell. That's how bad she is! Really love to hate her though– and totally get angry with Rose! 
Tracy is Rose's best friend, and in this book I had a bittersweet relationship with her. I loved her confidence, her determination, and (when she's back to being a good friend) how she sticks up for Rose. I hated her however, for being pathetic at times, trying to be popular and such, but even that made me completely connect to her. I've been there, trying to climb the social ladder, and just that experience alone makes me cringe whenever I think about it. Tracy totally relived those moments for me and so yes, I was cringing along with Rose at every attempt to become a social wannabe.

The word and definition at the beginning of each chapter was an interesting touch. It kind of foreshadowed (yes, IB Higher Literature term here!) what was going to happen, so I was always on alert. What I really liked about this novel was that there never was really a dry spot. There was always something going on that kept me interested, and I whole-heartedly applaud the Rozett for that.

This book totally made me laugh, it warmed my heart, and by the end of it all, I was desperate to see what happens next. Confessions of an Angry Girl is that novel which teens can immediately relate to. That being said, I can't wait for book 2– looking forward to reading more angry confessions!


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Burning Blue by Paul Griffin

Burning Blue by Paul Griffin

Release Date: October 25, 2012
Publisher: Dial Books
Rated: YA 14+
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Buy: AmazonThe Book Depository
GoodreadsWebsite

When Nicole Castro, the most beautiful girl in her wealthy New Jersey high school, is splashed with acid on the left side of her perfect face, the whole world takes notice. But quiet loner Jay Nazarro does more than that--he decides to find out who did it. Jay understands how it feels to be treated like a freak, and he also has a secret: He's a brilliant hacker. But the deeper he digs, the more danger he's in--and the more he falls for Nicole. Too bad everyone is turning into a suspect, including Nicole herself.

Award-winning author Paul Griffin has written a high-stakes, soulful mystery about the meaning--and dangers--of love and beauty.

Paul Griffin's Burning Blue caught my eye with it's stunning cover and its premise. I've heard of the acid attacks against women in Pakistan and other developing countries... but never of one in an American high school. I was definitely intrigued.
I loved this book. I devoured it, literally flipping pages, insistent to figure out who the person behind the acid attack was before the story ended and found my attempts were a fail: the ending totally caught me off guard. Usually, I can figure out who is guilty, but with this book? Nu-uh. Caught by surprise and it made sense, tagging along with the plot. Some of the details were easy to guess, but the end was just mind-blowingly off my final suspect.

Because I'll never have it. 
Because I'll never be it.
Because after a little test run, I find that I like the sound.
The hissing.
She will burn.

I like that the book (like the quote above) is somewhat like a collection of "evidence" pertaining to this case, as well as two perspectives. You have the emails from the attacker, then you have bits of Nicole's diary (her perspective), and then we have Jay's point of view, the main plot and story. I liked looking at both sides of the story, more so when there was a huge development, or when Nicole was hiding something from Jay. It totally built up the suspense and left me grasping for more!

If you haven't guessed by now, our two main characters are Jay and (surprise!) Nicole. I really thought that these characters were unique to others within the YA genre. Like Jay for example, has seizures and is a loner, yet he's on the wrestling team, a hacker, gets quite a large amount of attention from girls, and can seriously throw a punch. Nicole is your popular girl, but not in the way you'd think. These characters were so easy to connect to, and empathize with– I wanted their story to go on!

Burning Blue is a story which I wish I hadn't devoured so quickly. I wish that savored the rich descriptions more, and prolonged the speed at which I was reading. I can only blame myself for this. It's an amazing thriller– the kind which makes your eyes bulge out and your  heart beat loud as a drum. Paul Griffin's writing twists and turns, erratic yet intensely compelling, leading you to an end which leaves your mouth hanging agape. Loved it!


Thank you to Jessica Shoffel from Penguin for sending me Burning Blue for review!


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The Raft by S.A. Bodeen

The Raft by S.A. Bodeen

Release Date: August 21, 2012
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: NetGalley
Buy: Amazon • The Book Depository
GoodreadsWebsite

Robie is an experienced traveler. She’s taken the flight from Honolulu to the Midway Atoll, a group of Pacific islands where her parents live, many times. When she has to get to Midway in a hurry after a visit with her aunt in Hawaii, she gets on the next cargo flight at the last minute. She knows the pilot, but on this flight, there’s a new co-pilot named Max. All systems are go until a storm hits during the flight. The only passenger, Robie doesn’t panic until the engine suddenly cuts out and Max shouts at her to put on a life jacket. They are over miles of Pacific Ocean. She sees Max struggle with a raft.

And then . . . she’s in the water. Fighting for her life. Max pulls her onto the raft, and that’s when the real terror begins. They have no water. Their only food is a bag of Skittles. There are sharks. There is an island. But there’s no sign of help on the way.

Wow. There is no way now I'm thinking that Hawaii is just a tropical getaway. The Raft just blew my mind. Sure, there were a few things that I didn't like about it, but it was still one 
hell of a ride. Being a fan of survival stories, I was certainly taken away by this book– I finished it in one sitting. It's a pretty short book, but contains so much for a short period of time.

This book has two main characters, Robie and Max. Robie was a very strong-willed character, and I liked that about her. She was determined to survive, and I love how knowledgeable about the Hawaii islands she was. It was definitely interesting to learn more about the marine and island life there. Her descriptions are amazing and I just thought that her character suited this book very well. She may have been a bit demanding at some parts, a tad bit annoying, but I like the way she thinks!
Max was a bit spacey, being knocked out when the plane crashes and waking up every now and then. There's a reason for this, but I won't give it away... you'll just have to read it!

I love it when books put something in the book towards the end which completely flips the story over and works with the plot. Something Shutter Island-esque. The Raft definitely had this moment (where I went completely mind-blown). It's a definite jaw-dropping moment, and when it happens, you'll go, "Oh! It totally makes sense now!".
The only real problem I had about this book (aside from minor problems with Robie) was the writing style. The writing tended to describe everything that Robie was doing from the beginning of the book to the end. Like, while stuck on the raft, she'd drink water, eat skittles, sleep, dream, watch Max, etc. It was pretty repetitive, and it annoyed me a little. The sentence structure was also slightly repetitive with point-blank, plain sentences. I mean, sure, you'd want little dramatic moments along the way, but not every step of the way. It worked when there was a lot of action, but not when, for example, she was out with her aunt at the beginning.

Overall, I liked The Raft! I would love to see this one become a movie, with the plane crash and the survival on the raft to look forward to. S.A. Bodeen has writing a enticing novel– a survival story meets psychological thriller. It gave me the goosebumps, the shivers and made my heart pound. Definitely can't wait to read some more of her books in the future.


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Waiting on Wednesday – Week 73

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's to spotlight on upcoming reads which I'm DYING to get my hands on.


This week's WoW is:
Shadow of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

**Warning– Spoilers if you haven't read the first book, Carrier of the Mark**
Life for Megan Rosenberg just got a lot more complicated.

While she evoked the air element, and her feelings for Adam intensified, a web of lies, deceit, and betrayal was spun around her. With the Order tightening its hold, and the reinstatement of the Mark Knights, Megan has more questions than answers as the Marked Ones grow in strength. 

New people arouse suspicion, the DeRises start behaving strangely, and Megan begins to unravel a destiny shrouded in mystery. It’s a destiny the Order has struggled to hide, and a destiny someone from the past… far in the past, has already laid claim to.

Alliances will be made, and friends will be lost, as the Order’s dark secrets are revealed by the very thing they sought to destroy.

Goodreads ◆ July 9, 2013

Okay, WOW. I gotta say, even though the cover is pretty much the same (other than the color and shade/weather of the background) as the first book, I'm LOVING it. So pretty! I may be a little skeptical however, going into this book, because I didn't enjoy Carrier of the Mark as much as I wanted to, but hopefully this one will be better :)


What are you waiting on?

Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Release Date: November 22, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: NetGalley
Buy: Amazon  The Book Depository
GoodreadsWebsite


‘If she’d waited less than two weeks, she’d be June who died in June. But I guess my sister didn’t consider that.’

Harper Scott’s older sister has always been the perfect one so when June takes her own life a week before her high school graduation, sixteen-year-old Harper is devastated. Everyone’s sorry, but no one can explain why.

When her divorcing parents decide to split her sister’s ashes into his-and-her urns, Harper takes matters into her own hands. She’ll steal the ashes and drive cross-country with her best friend, Laney, to the one place June always dreamed of going, California.

Enter Jake Tolan. He’s a boy with a bad attitude, a classic-rock obsession and nothing in common with Harper’s sister. But Jake had a connection with June, and when he insists on joining them, Harper’s just desperate enough to let him. With his alternately charming and infuriating demeanour and his belief that music can see you through anything, he might be exactly what she needs.

Except June wasn’t the only one hiding something. Jake’s keeping a secret that has the power to turn Harper’s life upside down again.

Going into this book I had no idea what to expect– but in the end I was surprised with how much I enjoyed it. Granted, I'm a person who is easily content with the books I read, but I really didn't look at the blurb for this one, so I had no real idea of what the story was going to be like.

Harper was a great character– totally the opposite of June, as you'd have guessed. She has that whole badass thing working for her, yet her emotions through the novel are so well played out, her whole struggle with accepting her sister's dead and respecting her wishes makes the reader empathic to her problem.
Laney is another great character. Harper's friend is much more bubbly, open and adventurous than she is (which is what you'd usually expect from the "sidekick" to be honest!) and she's just such a great support, and she has her own little story as well, which I thought blended into the plot very well.
Oh. My. God. JAKE! I'm flipping out right now from over-fangirling. He. Is. PERFECT. Love him. Love his love for music, and since I've always had this thing for musicians, he's even more than perfect.

Speaking of music, there is a TON on the road-trip which these three characters take. I'm absolutely smitten with some of them, and I made an entire playlist for songs to get from this book. Completely inspirational :)
Honestly, I have no idea what took me so long to get to this book. I feel kind of like an idiot right now, reading it so long after it published. Seriously, I'm beating myself up about this, because I'm so full of regret at the moment.

Even though it seemed like a typical young adult contemporary, Saving June is far from that. It's deep– it's got that raw deep emotion in it, which preys on the hearts of humans, evoking tears and laughter. Hannah Harrington has written a brilliant debut, and I can't wait to start on Speechless!


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BYE for two weeks...probably

Hey Everyone,

As you can see by the title, I'll be gone for two weeks...and yes, again to India. And I have this feeling that there's going to be no internet, so yes this means a hiatus for two weeks unfortunately :(

I'll miss you all, and thank you for being so supportive of me and Confessions of a Readaholic. I shall be back, with more posts.

As for giveaway winners, even that too is on a pause. So yes, also a ton of winners will be announced then.

Thank you so much, and see you (hopefully) soon.

Until then, Happy Reading and hope you have a wonderful October.

xoxo,

Rabiah

Happily Ever After Giveaway Hop!

The Happily Ever After Giveaway Hope is hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Murphy's Library.

YES, ANOTHER ONE. I just may have signed up for too many hops. I think this one will be the last for this year, because of the amount of hops I've participated in lately :(
Any-hoo, today's giveaway hop has to do with fairy-tales! WOOHOOO!

DA RULZ:
  • You must be 13+ and this giveaway is open internationally to those whom The Book Depository ships for free to. Not sure? Check here!
  • This giveaway runs from October 9-14, and ends at 12:01 on the 15th.
  • Enter by leaving a comment below the post (what you need to include will be below the book choices)
  • I am not responsible for any lost/damaged packages.

On to your choices now!

I'm giving away a choice of Cinder by Marissa Meyer, OR a PRE-ORDER of it's sequel, Scarlet!


I absolutely loved Cinder and can't wait for Scarlet!

To enter, leave a comment.
You must be a follower by GFC or Networked Blogs, so leave a comment with your book choice, follower name + how you follow, and your email address.

That's it!

May the odds ever be in your favor :)

Check out all the other blogs in this giveaway hop!

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The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Release Date: October 26, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Series: The Iron Fey, Book 4
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: NetGalley
Buy: AmazonThe Book Depository
GoodreadsWebsite

Read my review of The Iron King HERE.
Read my review of The Iron Daughter HERE.
Read my review of The Iron Queen HERE.

"My name--my True Name--is Ashallayn' darkmyr Tallyn. I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her. My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl..." To cold faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase--a half human, half fey slip of a girl--smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the unwelcome company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end--a quest to find a way to honor his vow to stand by Meghan's side.

To survive in the Iron Realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. And along the way Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

I feel ashamed. I feel so ashamed. Honestly, this book came out around a year ago. This being an eGalley, I got it even earlier than that. ONE. YEAR. To flippin' write a review on this book. I repeat my statement: I feel ashamed. Even more so, I actually read the book in April. Okay, so that's around 6 months after the book was published, and I'm writing the review for this AMAZING book 5 months later. Un-flipping-believable. I want to cry knowing how long it's taken me to do this.
Of course, I have my reasons. However, none of them can be considered "real" in the shadow of this fabulous book which I devoured within 24 hours of starting it.

Of course, you may have (or may not have) heard me ramble on and on about this series. I wasn't too sure of how this series was going to continue after the heart-pounding ending to The Iron Queen, which left me in pieces. When I heard there was going to be one more book, and from the view of ASH of all people, I nearly died of happiness. I couldn't wait to start this one... but at the same time, I didn't want to.
What? Oh yeah, you heard me correctly. I. Didn't. Want. To. Read. This. Book. Yes, another shame on me. But could you blame me? I don't ever want this series to end. NEVER. EVER. Meghan and Ash's story shall not end, according to me, and I didn't want to read that happening, therefore reinforcing the fact that it will (kind of) literally end. (NOTE: Not through my imagination though. They will live on forever there).

In this book, there's the return of some old and some new characters. Once again, Ash and Puck make a hilarious team, throw in the ever-so sarcastic Grim, you have one hilarious (yet dangerous) thrill ride. There is one character, however, who I did not expect to make an appearance in this book. It totally caught me off-guard. I won't give it away, but prepare to be shocked.

The challenges in this book are pretty awesome, yet I was cringing with every twist and turn, every complication and every casualty. There's some sinister stuff in this book and sometimes it completely boggled my mind as the characters got confused as well.

I know this won't be the last review for Julie Kagawa's books, especially since a new novella came out, and there's a spin-off series to this, but it's definitely the end of a fabulous paranormal saga. The Iron Knight, the last novel of the Iron Fey series, concludes perfectly in my opinion: it ties up all the knots, but there's still some things left to the reader's imagination. If you have not read this series, you'd better do so quickly, because a horde of Team Ash and Team Puck fans will chase you down to clobber you. I can't wait to read The Lost Prince– I'm longing for my return to the Nevernever.


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Waiting on Wednesday – Week 72

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It's to spotlight on upcoming books which I'm DYING to get my hands on :)

This week's WoW is:
The Almost Truth by Eileen Cook

From the author of Unraveling Isobel and The Education of Hailey Kendrick, a smart, romantic novel about a teenage con artist who might be in over her head. Sadie can’t wait to get away from her backwards small town, her delusional mom, her jailbird dad, and the tiny trailer where she was raised…even though leaving those things behind also means leaving Brendan. Sadie wants a better life, and she has been working steadily toward it, one con at a time.

But when Sadie’s mother wipes out Sadie’s savings, her escape plan is suddenly gone. She needs to come up with a lot of cash—and fast—or she’ll be stuck in this town forever.

With Brendan’s help, she devises a plan—the ultimate con—to get the money. But the more lies Sadie spins, the more she starts falling for her own hoax…and perhaps for the wrong boy. Sadie wanted to change her life, but she wasn't prepared to have it flipped upside down by her own deception. With her future at stake and her heart on the line, suddenly it seems like she has a lot more than just money to lose....

Goodreads ◆ December 4, 2012

I can't wait for this one! I've heard a TON of amazing things about Cook's books...which I unfortunately have not read :( But anyway, this one sounds so good!!! Kind of reminds me of Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott. Heard some good things about this one (or rather the sneak peek into this one), and it should be an interesting read.

What are you waiting on?

Fangs, Fur & Fey Giveaway Hop!

The Fangs, Fur & Fey Giveaway Hop is hosted by I'm A Reader, Not A Writer and Reading Lark.

YAY! Another giveaway hop! Before I get onto what your choices for this hop's gonna be, here's some rules:

DA RULZ

  • This giveaway is open to anyone over the age of 13 and is international to wherever the Book Depository ships to for free. Not sure? Check here!
  • One winner will win their choice of book from below.
  • Enter in the Rafflecopter.
  • This giveaway runs from October 2nd to the 8th, 2012.
  • I am not responsible for any lost or damaged packages.

AND NOW...YOUR CHOICES!!

Fangs...


Fur...


Fey...


or 3-in-1's...(Fangs, Fur, AND Fey!)


And that is it for your choices! Enter in the Rafflecopter below:


Check out all the rest of the stops on this giveaway hop!


Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Release Date: February 15, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: The Body Finder, Book 2
Rated: YA 14+
Format: Paperback
Source: Borrowed
Buy: AmazonThe Book Depository
GoodreadsWebsite

Read my review of The Body Finder HERE.

Violet can sense the echoes of those who've been murdered—and the matching imprint that clings to their killers. Only those closest to her know what she is capable of, but when she discovers the body of a young boy she also draws the attention of the FBI, threatening her entire way of life.

As Violet works to keep her morbid ability a secret, she unwittingly becomes the object of a dangerous obsession. Normally she'd turn to her best friend, Jay, except now that they are officially a couple, the rules of their relationship seem to have changed. And with Jay spending more and more time with his new friend Mike, Violet is left with too much time on her hands as she wonders where things went wrong. But when she fills the void by digging into Mike's tragic family history, she stumbles upon a dark truth that could put everyone in danger.

I had to end up re-reading this one, because I had The Last Echo but couldn't really remember what happens in this one. WOWIE. That suspense is still there. Even though I started remembering a lot of the details along the way, I was chilled to the bone and freaked out until the end. The suspense was brilliantly built up and crescendoed to the climax, which I did not see the first time round reading this book.

Much like Nora from Hush, Hush I didn't like Violet in the second book as much as I did in the first. She's definitely a great character, but she can be pretty moody at times (who can ever get mad at Jay?!) and it kind of annoyed me at times. Oh well...
Speaking of, JAY JAY JAY. LOVE HIM! Best male character...ever. Oh fine, okay, he's up there in the top ten. Love him in this book. He's just so sweet and protective of Violet! and Oh My GOD, Rafe is amazing. I definitely can't wait to read The Last Echo to find out more about him :)
The stalker in this book is really creepy. It slowly reveals who it actually is, and I thought Derting did this so well with selective detail. The whole twist at the end was such a shocker (even the second time round) and I was totally holding my breath the whole time. THAT GOOD PEOPLE. All of Derting's books (which I've read) have this sudden twist and it's just like, WOW, every single time.

This was a short review, but definitely do not skip over this series! Desires of the Dead is a fabulous sequel to The Body Finder and I can't WAIT to get started on The Last Echo. And if I was freaked out, reading this book the second time round, it's one not to miss.


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