en-US Fri, 28 Feb 2025 01:20:02 -0800 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 4433985 24 Michael Margolis 0140502319 Rayne 3 3.00 1958
author: Michael Margolis
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.00
book published: 1958
rating: 3
read at: 2013/01/23
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: children-s-book, short-story, for-lit-class, your-sexism-is-not-welcome-here
review:

]]> 61219635 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781250886088.

A Novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes.

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.

The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success—not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone.

But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.]]> 304 Travis Baldree Rayne 4 4.17 2022
author: Travis Baldree
name: Rayne
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/06
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves:
review:

]]> 57800389
Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.

Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.

And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.]]> 301 Silvia Moreno-Garcia 052562080X Rayne 4 3.71 2020
author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2021/09/07
date added: 2024/12/18
shelves:
review:

]]> 22071887
Tarver still has nightmares about the night, six months before the Icarus crash, when he rescued a group of civilian researchers being held hostage by brutal mercenaries. Now Tarver and Lilac must reconcile his memories of that fateful night with the truth that they uncovered on a mysterious planet after the Icarus crashed.

Includes a bonus preview chapter from This Shattered World.]]> 109 Amie Kaufman 1484724194 Rayne 3 3.5 stars

A nice addition, though not really necessary and definitely not what I expected. I enjoyed spending time with Tarver and Lilac again, but I honestly can't say that the story did much for me. Fairly simple and straightforward, just a bit of cute fan service for the shippers, some cool action and some more intrigue and conspiracy for LaRoux Industries. Nice diversity and kickass female characters, as well. Plus, it's free, so there's really nothing to complain about.

Merged review:

3.5 stars

A nice addition, though not really necessary and definitely not what I expected. I enjoyed spending time with Tarver and Lilac again, but I honestly can't say that the story did much for me. Fairly simple and straightforward, just a bit of cute fan service for the shippers, some cool action and some more intrigue and conspiracy for LaRoux Industries. Nice diversity and kickass female characters, as well. Plus, it's free, so there's really nothing to complain about.]]> 3.78 2014
author: Amie Kaufman
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2014/10/12
date added: 2024/09/17
shelves: young-adult, between-3-and-4-stars, i-expected-better, companion-novel, romance, sci-fi, short-story
review:
3.5 stars

A nice addition, though not really necessary and definitely not what I expected. I enjoyed spending time with Tarver and Lilac again, but I honestly can't say that the story did much for me. Fairly simple and straightforward, just a bit of cute fan service for the shippers, some cool action and some more intrigue and conspiracy for LaRoux Industries. Nice diversity and kickass female characters, as well. Plus, it's free, so there's really nothing to complain about.

Merged review:

3.5 stars

A nice addition, though not really necessary and definitely not what I expected. I enjoyed spending time with Tarver and Lilac again, but I honestly can't say that the story did much for me. Fairly simple and straightforward, just a bit of cute fan service for the shippers, some cool action and some more intrigue and conspiracy for LaRoux Industries. Nice diversity and kickass female characters, as well. Plus, it's free, so there's really nothing to complain about.
]]> 13545075 Unwind, which Publishers Weekly called a “gripping, brilliantly imagined futuristic thriller.�

Thanks to Connor, Lev, and Risa—and their high-profile revolt at Happy Jack Harvest Camp—people can no longer turn a blind eye to unwinding. Ridding society of troublesome teens while simltaneously providing much-needed tissues for transplant might be convenient, but its morality has finally been brought into question. However, unwinding has become big business, and there are powerful political and corporate interests that want to see it not only continue, but also expand to the unwinding of prisoners and the impoverished.

Cam is a product of unwinding; made entirely out of the parts of other unwinds, he is a teen who does not technically exist. A futuristic Frankenstein, Cam struggles with a search for identity and meaning and wonders if a rewound being can have a soul. And when the actions of a sadistic bounty hunter cause Cam’s fate to become inextricably bound with the fates of Connor, Risa, and Lev, he’ll have to question humanity itself.

Rife with action and suspense, this riveting companion to the perennially popular Unwind challenges assumptions about where life begins and ends—and what it means to live.]]> 416 Neal Shusterman Rayne 4
I know I gave it 4 stars, but it is more of a 3.5 right now. I feel very conflicted and I will give this more thought before writing a real review (if I ever get the time to actually write one, anyway).

Merged review:

Honestly, I'm a bit disappointed with the book. The concept, along with the new-conspiracies surrounding the whole Unwinding Accord and the psychological developments and complications in the old and new characters were, as expected, amazing. But my love for the concepts go in discordance with my feelings for their executions. The three new protagonists were unlikeable and often cartoonish. Somethings they felt like they were there just to be the shadows of the original three. The same extends to the adult bad guys. Some side-plots came out of nowhere and the exits to some complications were too convenient as well. Even the writing read different at first, and that's not a good thing. It was only about half-way through the novel that it begun to read like a real Shusterman book. This one didn't make me feel nearly as much as the first one, nor was I invested in the characters as much.

I know I gave it 4 stars, but it is more of a 3.5 right now. I feel very conflicted and I will give this more thought before writing a real review (if I ever get the time to actually write one, anyway).]]> 4.24 2012
author: Neal Shusterman
name: Rayne
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2012/09/12
date added: 2024/08/26
shelves: between-3-and-4-stars, kickass-heroine, there-s-romance-in-there-somewhere, survival, dystopian, you-have-disturbed-me, young-adult
review:
Honestly, I'm a bit disappointed with the book. The concept, along with the new-conspiracies surrounding the whole Unwinding Accord and the psychological developments and complications in the old and new characters were, as expected, amazing. But my love for the concepts go in discordance with my feelings for their executions. The three new protagonists were unlikeable and often cartoonish. Somethings they felt like they were there just to be the shadows of the original three. The same extends to the adult bad guys. Some side-plots came out of nowhere and the exits to some complications were too convenient as well. Even the writing read different at first, and that's not a good thing. It was only about half-way through the novel that it begun to read like a real Shusterman book. This one didn't make me feel nearly as much as the first one, nor was I invested in the characters as much.

I know I gave it 4 stars, but it is more of a 3.5 right now. I feel very conflicted and I will give this more thought before writing a real review (if I ever get the time to actually write one, anyway).

Merged review:

Honestly, I'm a bit disappointed with the book. The concept, along with the new-conspiracies surrounding the whole Unwinding Accord and the psychological developments and complications in the old and new characters were, as expected, amazing. But my love for the concepts go in discordance with my feelings for their executions. The three new protagonists were unlikeable and often cartoonish. Somethings they felt like they were there just to be the shadows of the original three. The same extends to the adult bad guys. Some side-plots came out of nowhere and the exits to some complications were too convenient as well. Even the writing read different at first, and that's not a good thing. It was only about half-way through the novel that it begun to read like a real Shusterman book. This one didn't make me feel nearly as much as the first one, nor was I invested in the characters as much.

I know I gave it 4 stars, but it is more of a 3.5 right now. I feel very conflicted and I will give this more thought before writing a real review (if I ever get the time to actually write one, anyway).
]]> 17337128 42 Werner Linz Rayne 3 3.75 1968
author: Werner Linz
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.75
book published: 1968
rating: 3
read at: 2013/02/11
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: children-s-book, for-lit-class
review:

]]> 18071466 LES ANGES NE SONT PAS CE QUE L'ON CROIT. ILS DÉTRUISENT LE MONDE, ÉRADIQUENT L'ESPÈCE HUMAINE.


Désormais seule, Penryn cherche sans relâche Paige, sa petite soeur, dans les rues vides de San Francisco. Pendant ce temps, Raffe doit impérativement retrouver ses ailes, sans lesquelles il ne pourra revenir parmi les siens. Mais, une fois qu'il sera confronté à l'ultime choix � récupérer ses ailes ou sauver Penryn �, quelle sera sa priorité ?]]> 314 Susan Ee 147781728X Rayne 4 4.5 stars

A strong, action-packed, and deeply engrossing sequel that lives up to the high standards established by its predecessor. I think I connected more with Angelfall and also preferred the plot and atmosphere of the first book in the series, but this one is still pretty spectacular.
]]> 4.26 2013
author: Susan Ee
name: Rayne
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2013/11/25
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: 2013-favorites, action, angels-or-fallen-angels, kickass-heroine, mythology, post-apocalyptic, survival, there-s-romance-in-there-somewhere, young-adult, you-have-disturbed-me
review:
4.5 stars

A strong, action-packed, and deeply engrossing sequel that lives up to the high standards established by its predecessor. I think I connected more with Angelfall and also preferred the plot and atmosphere of the first book in the series, but this one is still pretty spectacular.

]]> 31076583 229 Sarah J. Maas 168119631X Rayne 1 fantasy, romance 3.77 2019
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2019
rating: 1
read at: 2018/05/29
date added: 2024/07/01
shelves: fantasy, romance
review:

]]> 6878480 And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which, as they kiss, consume.

When Romeo first lays eyes on the bewitching Juliet, it's love at first sight. But though their love runs true and deep, it is also completely forbidden. With family and fate determined to keep them apart, will Romeo and Juliet find a way to be together?

William Shakespeare's masterpiece is one of the most enduring stories of star-crossed love of all time. Beautifully presented for a modern teen audience with both the original play and a prose retelling of the beloved story, this is the must-have edition of a timeless classic.
(back cover)
-------
Also contains additional work, "Juliet's Story."]]> 384 William Shakespeare 0061965499 Rayne 3 play, classics
If you want a great love story written by Shakespare, check out Much Ado About Nothing. Romeo and Juliet have nothing on Beatrice and Benedict, mostly because Beatrice and Benedict are not two foolish pre-teens confusing hormones with ever lasting love and wreaking havoc on the lives of their loved ones and their own for it.

As far as Shakespeare's plays go, this is definitely not one of his best. Acceptable, of course, as are all pieces written by him, but hardly worthy of all the recognition it has as, most likely, Shakespeare's most well known work. I expected to hate it, and I was pleasantly surprised to see I'd enjoy it, even though I should've expected it considering how biased I am when it comes to Shakespeare. Romeo & Juliet is a nice enough play that's, sadly, been overdone and taken too far away from what it originally intended to be. ]]> 3.90 1597
author: William Shakespeare
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.90
book published: 1597
rating: 3
read at: 2014/09/05
date added: 2024/05/11
shelves: play, classics
review:
It will never cease to baffle me how Romeo and Juliet is considered the greatest love story ever told. Of course, what kind of English Lit graduate would I'd be if I didn't believe in everyone's right to interpret a story and see whatever they want to see in it? Like Oscar Wilde said, "The critic is he who can translate into another manner or a new material his impression of beautiful things." So, if people want to see this as a love story, then that's fine, but its reputation as the greatest love story is based almost entirely on hearsay and eye-roll inducing references to it, like those by a Swift song and Twilight, rather than actual and careful reading of the play. The love story is but the most basic of the play's elements, and for far too long this book has been twisted, it's message bastardized and whored to cater to the hopeless and tragic romantics. This book is not romantic and it's not about love. Quite the contrary, Romeo & Juliet is kind of a cautionary tale against the type of shallow, brief, lust-driven, and selfish young "love" that this novel is usually, - and ironically -, used to defend. Actually, both Romeo and Juliet are repeatedly told throughout the play that they are being kind of stupid and that they are confusing lust with love. Juliet was 13, for chrissakes, and Romeo had gone to the party at her house following another woman he claimed to love desperately, a woman he promptly forgets as soon as he sees Juliet and thinks her beautiful in his vaguely pedo way, and I don't think I need to point out that their very short lived romance had very dire consequences for several characters around them.

If you want a great love story written by Shakespare, check out Much Ado About Nothing. Romeo and Juliet have nothing on Beatrice and Benedict, mostly because Beatrice and Benedict are not two foolish pre-teens confusing hormones with ever lasting love and wreaking havoc on the lives of their loved ones and their own for it.

As far as Shakespeare's plays go, this is definitely not one of his best. Acceptable, of course, as are all pieces written by him, but hardly worthy of all the recognition it has as, most likely, Shakespeare's most well known work. I expected to hate it, and I was pleasantly surprised to see I'd enjoy it, even though I should've expected it considering how biased I am when it comes to Shakespeare. Romeo & Juliet is a nice enough play that's, sadly, been overdone and taken too far away from what it originally intended to be.
]]> 36039613
The high king’s second son, Corwin Tormane, never asked to lead. Even as he waits for the uror—the once-in-a-generation ritual to decide which of the king’s children will succeed him—he knows it’s always been his brother who will assume the throne. And that’s fine by him. He’d rather spend his days away from the palace, away from the sight of his father, broken with sickness from the attempt on his life. But the peacekeeping tour Corwin is on has given him too much time to reflect upon the night he saved his father’s life—the night he condemned the would-be killer to death and lost the girl he loved. Which is why he takes it on himself to investigate rumors of unrest in one of the remote city-states, only for his caravan to be attacked—and for him to be saved by Kate.

With their paths once more entangled, Kate and Corwin have to put the past behind them. The threat of drakes who attack in the daylight is only the beginning of a darker menace stirring in the kingdom—one whose origins have dire implications for Kate’s father’s attack upon the king and will thrust them into the middle of a brewing civil war in the kingdom of Rime.]]> 497 Mindee Arnett 0062652664 Rayne 0 3.86 2018
author: Mindee Arnett
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at: 2020/07/19
date added: 2024/03/22
shelves:
review:

]]> 36531619
So Leah really doesn't know what to do when her rock-solid friend group starts to fracture. With prom and college on the horizon, tensions are running high and it's hard for Leah to strike the right note while the people she loves are fighting - especially when she realizes she might love one of them more than she ever intended ...

Becky Albertalli returns to the world of her acclaimed debut novel, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, in this warm and humorous story of first love and senior-year angst.]]> 343 Becky Albertalli 0241331056 Rayne 0 3.82 2018
author: Becky Albertalli
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at: 2020/06/14
date added: 2024/03/09
shelves:
review:

]]> 11973176
That is� until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he's stuck in 2007 and can't get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it's not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these "Enemies of Time" will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit� or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he's willing to go to save Holly� and possibly the entire world.]]> 352 Julie Cross 1429990597 Rayne 0 got-it 3.97 2011
author: Julie Cross
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/02/23
shelves: got-it
review:

]]> 1002694
In a visual rendering like no other, Creative Editions proudly presents Little Red Riding Hood. Over three centuries, millions of readers the world over have come to know and love this fable of innocence undone by evil. A young country girl, 'the prettiest creature who was ever seen,' sets out for her grandmother's house on a path through the heart of the forest. There she meets the wicked and hungry Wolf. But it is only upon reaching her destination that Little Red Riding Hood learns-too late-of the Wolf's treachery. In bold and unforgettable style, Sarah Moon's striking photographs combine with Charles Perrault's classic text to form a dark, contemporary portrayal of Little Red Riding Hood's ill-fated journey.]]> 32 Charles Perrault 1568461437 Rayne 3 3.78
author: Charles Perrault
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.78
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2013/02/11
date added: 2024/02/12
shelves: for-lit-class, children-s-book
review:

]]> 17286959 Cracked Up To Be, Perfect Parker Fadley isn’t so perfect anymore. She’s quit the cheerleading squad, she’s dumped her perfect boyfriend, and she’s failing school. Her parents are on a constant suicide watch and her counselors think she’s playing games…but what they don’t know, the real reason for this whole mess, is that a horrible thing has happened and it just might be her fault. In Some Girls Are, climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard--falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome. And just like the other members of this all girl clique, she was both feared and revered by the students of Hallowell High... that is until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around.]]> 480 Courtney Summers 1250038448 Rayne 0 4.13 2013
author: Courtney Summers
name: Rayne
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/28
shelves:
review:

]]> 46249012 From #1Ìý New York Times Ìýbestselling author Kathryn Purdie comes a high-stakes fantasy duology flush with doomed romance and macabre magic, perfect for fans of Stephanie Garber and Roshani Chokshi.

Bone Criers are the last descendants of an ancient famille charged with using the magic they draw from animal bones to shepherd the dead into the afterlife—lest they drain the light from the living.


Ailesse has been prepared since birth to become their matriarch, but first she must complete her rite of passage: to kill the boy she’s destined to love.

Bastien’s father was slain by a Bone Crier and he’s been seeking revenge ever since. Now his vengeance must wait, as Ailesse’s ritual has begun and their fates are entwined—in life and in death.]]> 480 Kathryn Purdie 0062798774 Rayne 4 2020-favorites 3.63 2020
author: Kathryn Purdie
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2020/02/09
date added: 2024/01/13
shelves: 2020-favorites
review:

]]> 24396858 Three students: dead.
Carly Johnson: vanished without a trace.

Two decades have passed since an inferno swept through Elmbridge High, claiming the lives of three teenagers and causing one student, Carly Johnson, to disappear. The main suspect: Kaitlyn, "the girl of nowhere."

Kaitlyn's diary, discovered in the ruins of Elmbridge High, reveals the thoughts of a disturbed mind. Its charred pages tell a sinister version of events that took place that tragic night, and the girl of nowhere is caught in the center of it all. But many claim Kaitlyn doesn't exist, and in a way, she doesn't - because she is the alter ego of Carly Johnson.

Carly gets the day. Kaitlyn has the night. It's during the night that a mystery surrounding the Dead House unravels and a dark, twisted magic ruins the lives of each student that dares touch it.

Debut author Dawn Kurtagich masterfully weaves together a thrilling and terrifying story using psychiatric reports, witness testimonials, video footage, and the discovered diary - and as the mystery grows, the horrifying truth about what happened that night unfolds.]]> 400 Dawn Kurtagich 0316298689 Rayne 2 2.5 stars

This is the third book I've read this year with analogous style and premises, the other two being The Boy Meets Girl Massacre and Diary of a Haunting, both of which similarly employ the diary/journal device to tell the story of an unreliable girl's horrifying paranormal circumstances, and for the most part, I think The Dead House is marginally more successful than the previously mentioned because of the better quality of the writing and plotting. But while The Dead House provides with a much more satisfying and technically superior execution, it loses control of the story halfway into the novel and ends up being far too long-winded for its own good. By the time the climax rolls around, my excitement had dwindled considerably, almost to the point of exasperation and boredom.

All in all, The Dead House is a decent novel as far as YA horror goes. It provides a unique angle to the tired journal device by layering the storytelling with interviews, notes, video transcriptions, psychological and police reports and newspaper cut outs, effectively providing an interesting clinical and seemingly objective tone to the entire narrative and allowing the story to expand beyond the narrator for a more complex cluster-fuck of a read. The downside to all of this is that it becomes repetitive, and after the techniques lose their newness as the story goes on, they become fairly tedious to get through as well.

I understand and commend the author's intention in wanting to develop her main character's insanity/horrors and to give space to all these background information to settle and provide the reader with a dual perspective on the story that could easily go either into psychological or paranormal explanations, which, for the most part, worked pretty decently. But I think the novel is far longer than it needs to be and that worked against the quality of the story because it started to rely on the same devices, character interactions and actions over and over, turning the scenes that were supposed to be disturbing, unsettling and horrifying into crutches to move the story forward.

The Dead House does provide with fairly entertaining thrills and nicely-written scenes of terror and violence. But the in-betweens make the story drag and ruin the effect of some of the scenes, plus, it over-complicates what is a fairly simple story that doesn't want to settle in what exactly it wants to be, jumping far too much from psychological thriller to horror without as much cohesiveness and conciseness as it should've had. It's weird, but by the time I finished this novel, I felt like I had read about 4 book's worth of content.

And for a novel with so much time spent on seemingly meaningless character interactions, most of them ended up being little more than puppets as far as their complexity and definition went. We had vague descriptions of who they were physically, a handful of lines dedicated to their emotional and mental states, and so their actions throughout the story felt jerky, pulled only by the strings of the author's desire and needs. There isn't much reason why anyone in this novel do the things they do. We are supposed to just label them crazy, damaged, disturbed or simply slaves to their teenage desires and that's it. Two fairly important secondary characters, Naida and Ari, always appeared ridiculous to me, their characterization, motivations, actions and conversations far too outrageous and forced into the narrative of the story. The romance, likewise, felt strained, forced and underdeveloped.

For the first half, this book was actually very enjoyable and engaging, but as the story dragged, the pages went on and on and on with basically the exact same scenes and conversations, my feelings for the novel changed drastically. There are some really decent plot twits in there, but the novel is so single-mindedly focused on delivering twist after unexplained, underdeveloped twist that even that grows tired after a while. Moreover, some sub-plots were left hanging and no clear answer is given at the end for, well, anything at all.

The novel is okay, entertaining to a degree and surprisingly engaging. It's too much of a cluster-fuck, too needlessly convoluted and complex, and it drags too much, but still, a decent read, all in all.
]]> 3.67 2015
author: Dawn Kurtagich
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2015
rating: 2
read at: 2015/09/10
date added: 2024/01/09
shelves: young-adult, you-have-disturbed-me, horror, mystery, thriller, there-s-romance-in-there-somewhere, psychological, school-life, unpopular-opinion, unnecessary-romance, i-expected-better, stalking-means-love, stand-alone-novel, paranormal, no-idea-how-to-rate-you, not-for-everone
review:
2.5 stars

This is the third book I've read this year with analogous style and premises, the other two being The Boy Meets Girl Massacre and Diary of a Haunting, both of which similarly employ the diary/journal device to tell the story of an unreliable girl's horrifying paranormal circumstances, and for the most part, I think The Dead House is marginally more successful than the previously mentioned because of the better quality of the writing and plotting. But while The Dead House provides with a much more satisfying and technically superior execution, it loses control of the story halfway into the novel and ends up being far too long-winded for its own good. By the time the climax rolls around, my excitement had dwindled considerably, almost to the point of exasperation and boredom.

All in all, The Dead House is a decent novel as far as YA horror goes. It provides a unique angle to the tired journal device by layering the storytelling with interviews, notes, video transcriptions, psychological and police reports and newspaper cut outs, effectively providing an interesting clinical and seemingly objective tone to the entire narrative and allowing the story to expand beyond the narrator for a more complex cluster-fuck of a read. The downside to all of this is that it becomes repetitive, and after the techniques lose their newness as the story goes on, they become fairly tedious to get through as well.

I understand and commend the author's intention in wanting to develop her main character's insanity/horrors and to give space to all these background information to settle and provide the reader with a dual perspective on the story that could easily go either into psychological or paranormal explanations, which, for the most part, worked pretty decently. But I think the novel is far longer than it needs to be and that worked against the quality of the story because it started to rely on the same devices, character interactions and actions over and over, turning the scenes that were supposed to be disturbing, unsettling and horrifying into crutches to move the story forward.

The Dead House does provide with fairly entertaining thrills and nicely-written scenes of terror and violence. But the in-betweens make the story drag and ruin the effect of some of the scenes, plus, it over-complicates what is a fairly simple story that doesn't want to settle in what exactly it wants to be, jumping far too much from psychological thriller to horror without as much cohesiveness and conciseness as it should've had. It's weird, but by the time I finished this novel, I felt like I had read about 4 book's worth of content.

And for a novel with so much time spent on seemingly meaningless character interactions, most of them ended up being little more than puppets as far as their complexity and definition went. We had vague descriptions of who they were physically, a handful of lines dedicated to their emotional and mental states, and so their actions throughout the story felt jerky, pulled only by the strings of the author's desire and needs. There isn't much reason why anyone in this novel do the things they do. We are supposed to just label them crazy, damaged, disturbed or simply slaves to their teenage desires and that's it. Two fairly important secondary characters, Naida and Ari, always appeared ridiculous to me, their characterization, motivations, actions and conversations far too outrageous and forced into the narrative of the story. The romance, likewise, felt strained, forced and underdeveloped.

For the first half, this book was actually very enjoyable and engaging, but as the story dragged, the pages went on and on and on with basically the exact same scenes and conversations, my feelings for the novel changed drastically. There are some really decent plot twits in there, but the novel is so single-mindedly focused on delivering twist after unexplained, underdeveloped twist that even that grows tired after a while. Moreover, some sub-plots were left hanging and no clear answer is given at the end for, well, anything at all.

The novel is okay, entertaining to a degree and surprisingly engaging. It's too much of a cluster-fuck, too needlessly convoluted and complex, and it drags too much, but still, a decent read, all in all.

]]> 62649010 A modern masterpiece, this is a classic Gothic thriller-fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Erin A. Craig, about doomed love, menacing ambition, and the ghosts that haunt us forever.

In a manor by the sea, one sister is still cursed.

Despite dreams of adventures far beyond the Salann shores, seventeen-year-old Verity Thaumas has remained at her family’s estate, Highmoor, with her older sister Camille, while their sisters have scattered across Arcannia.

When their sister Mercy sends word that the Duchess of Bloem—wife of a celebrated botanist—is interested in having Verity paint a portrait of her son, Alexander, Verity jumps at the chance, but Camille won’t allow it. Forced to reveal the secret she’s kept for years, Camille tells Verity the truth one day: Verity is still seeing ghosts, she just doesn’t know it.

Stunned, Verity flees Highmoor that night and—with nowhere else to turn—makes her way to Bloem. At first, she is captivated by the lush, luxurious landscape and is quickly drawn to charming, witty, and impossibly handsome Alexander Laurent. And soon, to her surprise, a romance . . . blossoms.

But it’s not long before Verity is plagued with nightmares, and the darker side of Bloem begins to show through its sickly-sweet façade. . . .]]> 544 Erin A. Craig 0593482557 Rayne 0 4.11 2023
author: Erin A. Craig
name: Rayne
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/31
date added: 2023/12/31
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]]> 60652997 Wealth. Power. Murder. Magic. Alex Stern is back and the Ivy League is going straight to hell.

Find a gateway to the underworld. Steal a soul out of hell. A simple plan, except people who make this particular journey rarely come back. But Galaxy “Alex� Stern is determined to break Darlington out of purgatory―even if it costs her a future at Lethe and at Yale.

Forbidden from attempting a rescue, Alex and Dawes can’t call on the Ninth House for help, so they assemble a team of dubious allies to save the gentleman of Lethe. Together, they will have to navigate a maze of arcane texts and bizarre artifacts to uncover the societies� most closely guarded secrets, and break every rule doing it. But when faculty members begin to die off, Alex knows these aren’t just accidents. Something deadly is at work in New Haven, and if she is going to survive, she’ll have to reckon with the monsters of her past and a darkness built into the university’s very walls.

Thick with history and packed with Bardugo’s signature twists, Hell Bent brings to life an intricate world full of magic, violence, and all too real monsters.]]> 481 Leigh Bardugo 1250313104 Rayne 0 4.09 2023
author: Leigh Bardugo
name: Rayne
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
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]]> 56030268 Everyone in Gardiners Bay has a secret.

When Jenna Dallas and Adam Cole find Colleen O'Dell's body floating off the shore of their coastal town, the community of Gardiners Bay is shaken. But even more shocking is the fact that her drowning was no accident.

Once Jenna's best friend becomes a key suspect, Jenna starts to look for answers on her own. As she uncovers scandals inside Preston Prep School leading back to Rookwood reform school, she knows she needs Adam on her side.

As a student at Rookwood, Adam is used to getting judgmental looks, but now his friends are being investigated by the police. Adam will do whatever he can to keep them safe, even if that means trusting Jenna.

As lies unravel, the truth starts to blur. Only one thing is certain: somebody must take the fall.]]> 320 Gabriella Lepore 1335418601 Rayne 0 3.56 2021
author: Gabriella Lepore
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
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]]> 58510253
Mercy never has a moment to herself. She’s been single-handedly keeping Birdsall & Son Undertakers afloat in defiance of sullen jerks like Hart, who seems to have a gift for showing up right when her patience is thinnest.

After yet another exasperating run-in with Mercy, Hart finds himself penning a letter addressed simply to “A Friend�. Much to his surprise, an anonymous letter comes back in return, and a tentative friendship is born.

If only Hart knew he’s been baring his soul to the person who infuriates him most � Mercy. As the dangers from Tanria grow closer, so do the unlikely correspondents. But can their blossoming romance survive the fated discovery that their pen pals are their worst nightmares � each other?]]> 449 Megan Bannen 0356518655 Rayne 0 4.04 2022
author: Megan Bannen
name: Rayne
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
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]]> 56978096 In this young adult novel by award-winning author Anna-Marie McLemore, two non-binary teens are pulled into a magical world under a lake - but can they keep their worlds above water intact?

Everyone who lives near the lake knows the stories about the world underneath it, an ethereal landscape rumored to be half-air, half-water. But Bastián Silvano and Lore Garcia are the only ones who’ve been there. Bastián grew up both above the lake and in the otherworldly space beneath it. Lore’s only seen the world under the lake once, but that one encounter changed their life and their fate.

Then the lines between air and water begin to blur. The world under the lake drifts above the surface. If Bastián and Lore don’t want it bringing their secrets to the surface with it, they have to stop it, and to do that, they have to work together. There’s just one problem: Bastián and Lore haven’t spoken in seven years, and working together means trusting each other with the very things they’re trying to hide.]]> 304 Anna-Marie McLemore 1250624142 Rayne 0 3.90 2022
author: Anna-Marie McLemore
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
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]]> 58437704 In this dark academia young adult thriller for fans of The Female of the Species and People Like Us, a teen girl’s search for answers about her mother’s mysterious death leads to a powerful secret society at her new boarding school—and a dangerous game of revenge that will leave her forever changed.

Six years ago, Calliope Bolan’s mother drove the family van into a lake with her three daughters inside. The girls escaped, but their mother drowned, and the truth behind the “accident� remains a mystery Calliope is determined to solve. Now sixteen, she transfers to Tipton Academy, the same elite boarding school her mother once attended. Tipton promises a peek into the past and a host of new opportunities—including a coveted invitation to join Haunt and Rail, an exclusive secret society that looms over campus like a legend.

Calliope accepts, stepping into the exhilarating world of the “ghosts,� a society of revolutionaries fighting for social justice. But when Haunt and Rail commits to exposing a dangerous person on campus, it becomes clear that some ghosts define justice differently than others.

As the society’s tactics escalate, Calliope uncovers a possible link between Haunt and Rail and her mother’s deadly crash. Now, she must question what lengths the society might go to in order to see a victory—and if the secret behind her mother’s death could be buried here at Tipton.]]> 416 Kit Frick 1534449736 Rayne 0 3.37 2022
author: Kit Frick
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.37
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
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]]> 58874675 From Ryan La Sala, the wildly popular author of Reverie, comes a twisted and tantalizing horror novel set amidst the bucolic splendor of a secluded summer retreat.

Mars has always been the lesser twin, the shadow to his sister Caroline's radiance. But when Caroline dies under horrific circumstances, Mars is propelled to learn all he can about his once-inseparable sister who'd grown tragically distant.

Mars's genderfluidity means he's often excluded from the traditions -- and expectations -- of his politically-connected family. This includes attendance at the prestigious Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy where his sister poured so much of her time. But with his grief still fresh, he insists on attending in her place.

What Mars finds is a bucolic fairytale not meant for him. Folksy charm and sun-drenched festivities camouflage old-fashioned gender roles and a toxic preparatory rigor. Mars seeks out his sister's old friends: a group of girls dubbed the Honeys, named for the beehives they maintain behind their cabin. They are beautiful and terrifying -- and Mars is certain they're connected to Caroline's death.

But the longer he stays at Aspen, the more the sweet mountain breezes give way to hints of decay. Mars’s memories begin to falter, bleached beneath the relentless summer sun. Something is hunting him in broad daylight, toying with his mind. If Mars can't find it soon, it will eat him alive.]]> 344 Ryan La Sala 133874531X Rayne 0 3.79 2022
author: Ryan La Sala
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
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]]> 59222466 Veronica Mars meets Moxie in the hilarious and thought-provoking sequel to Margot Mertz Takes it Down.

Margot faces senior year working on a campaign for local election while helping a fellow student run for class president—but when a mysterious blackmail plot emerges, and a loathesome opponent rises in the class race, Margot might have to return to the cleanup job she thought she’d left behind.

It’s senior year. And Margot’s on a mission to be a better Margot. Which means saying goodbye to her old cleanup ways� and their inherent moral ambiguities� and saying hello to� more yoga maybe? (Probably not, Margot hates exercise.)

To fill her time and round out her college application, Margot volunteers for Shep Green’s state senate campaign and in a twist, finds she actually enjoys being part of a team. She loves her new boss/mentor Priya. And of course it doesn’t hurt that the candidate is Avery Green’s dad. Yes, Avery and Margot are just friends, but it’s still nice to see his too perfect face from time to time.

Meanwhile at Roosevelt High, Margot finds herself roped into a second election, this one for school president. Melanie Jenkins is running against one of the monsters who created the revenge porn site Margot took down last year. Needless to say, Margot is #teamMelanie.

With Margot rocking both campaigns and maybe even making friends, it seems like she’s well on her way to being a better person. But when Priya asks her to look into an anonymous email threatening Shep Green, one that could potentially torpedo his entire election, Margot finds herself slipping back into her old habits.

She’s tried to keep her hands clean. But politics is a dirty job.]]> 384 Carrie McCrossen 0593205286 Rayne 0 3.82 2022
author: Carrie McCrossen
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
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]]> 54017816 A young witch tries to unravel the mystery of who is framing her for dark magic in Georgia Bowers' creepy YA debut fantasy, Mark of the Wicked.

Magic always leaves its mark.

All her life, Matilda has been told one thing about her magic: You use only when necessary. But Matilda isn't interested in being a good witch. She wants revenge and popularity, and to live her life free of consequences, free of the scars that dark magic leaves on her face as a reminder of her misdeeds.

When a spell goes awry and the new boy at school catches her in the act, Matilda thinks her secret might be out. But far from being afraid, Oliver already knows about her magic - and he wants to learn more. As Oliver and Matilda grow closer, bizarre things begin to happen: Animals show up with their throats slashed and odd markings carved into their bodies, a young girl dies mysteriously, and everyone blames Matilda. But she isn't responsible -- at least, not that she can remember. As her magic begins to spin out of control, Matilda must decide for herself what makes a good witch, and discover the truth...before anyone else turns up dead.]]> 352 Georgia Bowers 125077389X Rayne 0 3.52 2021
author: Georgia Bowers
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.52
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
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]]> 57413711 A mystery about a girl whose family secrets are as threatening as the desert that surrounds her—but whose quest to expose the truth may tear apart reality itself.

Rylie hasn’t been back to Twentynine Palms since her dad died. She left a lot of memories out there, buried in the sand of the Mojave Desert. Memories about her dad, her old friends Nathan and Lily, and most of all, her enigmatic grandfather, a man who cut ties with Rylie’s family before he passed away. But her mom’s new work assignment means their family has to move, and now Rylie’s in the one place she never wanted to return to, living in the house of a grandfather she barely knew.

At least her old friends are happy to welcome her home. Well, some of them, anyway. Lily is gone, vanished into the desert. And Twentynine Palms is so much stranger than Rylie remembers. There are whispers around town of a mysterious killer on the loose, but it isn’t just Twentynine Palms that feels off—there’s something wrong with Rylie, too. She’s seeing things she can’t explain. Visions of monstrous creatures that stalk the night.

Somehow, it all seems to be tied to her grandfather and the family cabin he left behind. Rylie wants the truth, but she doesn’t know if she can trust herself. Are the monsters in her head really out there? Or could it be that the deadliest thing in the desert . . . is Rylie herself?]]> 368 Tara Goedjen 1524714801 Rayne 0 3.66 2021
author: Tara Goedjen
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
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]]> 58784475 In this exhilarating novel, two friends—often in love, but never lovers—come together as creative partners in the world of video game design, where success brings them fame, joy, tragedy, duplicity, and, ultimately, a kind of immortality.

On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn't heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won't protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts.

Spanning thirty years, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Venice Beach, California, and lands in between and far beyond, Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a dazzling and intricately imagined novel that examines the multifarious nature of identity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. Yes, it is a love story, but it is not one you have read before.]]> 401 Gabrielle Zevin 0735243344 Rayne 0 4.12 2022
author: Gabrielle Zevin
name: Rayne
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
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]]> 51553705 A companion to There's Someone Inside Your House.

Bears aren't the only predators in these woods.

Best friends Neena and Josie spent high school as outsiders, but at least they had each other. Now, with college and a two-thousand-mile separation looming on the horizon, they have one last chance to be together—a three-day hike deep into the woods of the Pisgah National Forest.

Simmering tensions lead to a detour off the trail and straight into a waking nightmare; and then into something far worse. Something that will test them in horrifying ways.]]> 224 Stephanie Perkins 0525426027 Rayne 0 3.06 2021
author: Stephanie Perkins
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.06
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
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]]> 55959429 In this daring tale of female agency and revenge from a New York Times bestselling author, a girl becomes a teenage vigilante who roams Victorian England using her privilege and power to punish her friends' abusive suitors and keep other young women safe.

Adele grew up in the shadows--first watching from backstage at her mother's Parisian dance halls, then wandering around the gloomy, haunted rooms of her father's manor. When she's finally sent away to boarding school in London, she's happy to enter the brightly lit world of society girls and their wealthy suitors.

Yet there are shadows there, too. Many of the men that try to charm Adele's new friends do so with dark intentions. After a violent assault, she turns to a roguish young con woman for help. Together, they become vigilantes meting out justice. But can Adele save herself from the same fate as those she protects?

With a queer romance at its heart, this lush historical thriller offers readers an irresistible mix of vengeance and empowerment.]]> 304 Betsy Cornwell 0358306647 Rayne 0 3.42 2022
author: Betsy Cornwell
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.42
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2023/12/30
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]]> 59029564 In this seafaring fantasy, a soft-spoken and empathic teen must chart her own course to rescue the ruthless pirate who raised her

If there’s one thing Thea Fowler has learned from her mother, it’s that the only way for a woman to survive in a man’s world is to make herself strong—invulnerable, even. Strength, after all, is how Clementine Fowler survived after her world was washed away by ash and lava and became one of the most notorious pirates the world has ever known.

Unfortunately, Thea has inherited none of her mother’s ruthlessness and grit.

After a lifetime of being told she is a disappointment, Thea longs to escape life under her mother’s thumb. And when she falls for a handsome sailor named Bauer, she thinks she’s found her chance at a new life. But it’s not long before first love leads to first betrayal, and Thea learns that there’s more than one way to be strong.]]> 272 Laura Brooke Robson 0525554068 Rayne 0 3.75 2022
author: Laura Brooke Robson
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
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]]> 59406591
After taking down a corrupt margrave, breaking a deadly curse, and finding romance with the vexingly scrupulous Junior Prefect Emeric Conrad, Vanja had one great mystery left: her long-lost birth family� and if they would welcome a thief. But in her search for an honest trade, she hit trouble and invented a god, the Scarlet Maiden, to scam her way out. Now, that lie is growing out of control—especially when Emeric arrives to investigate, and the Scarlet Maiden manifests to claim him as a virgin sacrifice.

For his final test to become a prefect, Emeric must determine if Vanja is guilty of serious fraud, or if the Scarlet Maiden—and her claim to him—are genuine. Meanwhile, Vanja is chasing an alternative sacrifice that may be their way out. The hunt leads her not only into the lairs of monsters and the paths of gods, but the ties of her past. And with what should be the simplest way to save Emeric hanging over their heads, he and Vanja must face a more dangerous question: Is there a future for a thief and a prefect, and at what price?]]> 512 Margaret Owen 1250831164 Rayne 0 4.24 2023
author: Margaret Owen
name: Rayne
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
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]]> 51939798
In the hidden desert city of Qalia, secret spice magic awakens affinities in those who drink the misra tea. With an affinity for iron, seventeen-year-old Imani wields a dagger like no other warrior, garnering her the reputation as the next greatest Shield for battling the dangerous djinn, ghouls, and other monsters that lurk in the sands beyond city limits.

Her reputation has been overshadowed, however, by her brother who tarnished the family name after he was discovered stealing their nation's coveted spice - a tell-tale sign of magical obsession. He disappeared soon after, believed to have died beyond the Forbidden Wastes, and leaving Imani reeling with both betrayal and grief.

But when Imani uncovers evidence her brother may be alive and spreading their nation's magic beyond the desert, she strikes a deal with the Council to find him and bring him back to Qalia before he can reveal the city's location. Accompanied by Qayn, a roguish but handsome djinni, and Taha, a powerful beastseer whose magical talents are matched only by his arrogance, they set out on their mission.

Imani will soon discover there are many secrets that lie beyond the Forbidden Wastes - and in her own heart - but will she find her brother before his betrayals endanger the fate of all of Qalia?

In this epic and action-packed fantasy, one young heroine navigates the treacherous road between protecting the ones you love and staying loyal to the place you call home.]]> 411 Maiya Ibrahim Rayne 0 3.70 2023
author: Maiya Ibrahim
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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]]> 54304115 A debut fantasy about two teens who must brave a frozen wasteland and the foes within it to save their loved ones and uncover a deadly secret.

Everyone in Shadow Springs knows that no one survives crossing the Flats. But the threat of a frozen death has never deterred the steady stream of treasure hunters searching for a legendary prize hidden somewhere in the vast expanse of ice. Jorie thinks they’re all fools, which makes scavenging their possessions easier. It’s how she and her sister, Brenna, survive.

Then Jorie scavenges off the wrong body. When the dead man’s enemy believes Jorie took something valuable from the body, he kidnaps Brenna as collateral. He tells Jorie that if she wants her sister back, she’ll have to trade her for the item he thinks she stole. But how can Jorie make a trade when she doesn’t even know what she’s looking for?

Her only source of information is Cody, the dead man’s nephew and a scholar from the South who’s never been hardened by the harsh conditions of the North. Though Jorie’s reluctant to bring a city boy out onto the Flats with her, she’ll do whatever it takes to save her sister. But anything can happen out on the ice, and soon Jorie and Cody find they need one another more than they ever imagined—and they’ll have to trust each other to survive threats beyond their darkest nightmares.]]> 320 Ellie Cypher 1534465693 Rayne 0 3.32 2021
author: Ellie Cypher
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.32
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
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]]> 60017811 Gotham meets Strange the Dreamer in this thrilling young adult fantasy about a cowardly girl who finds herself at the center of a criminal syndicate conspiracy, in a city where crooked politicians and sinister cults reign and dreaming means waking up as your worst nightmare.

Ever since her sister became a man-eating spider and slaughtered her way through town, nineteen-year-old Ness has been terrified—terrified of some other Nightmare murdering her, and terrified of ending up like her sister. Because in Newham, the city that never sleeps, dreaming means waking up as your worst fear.

Whether that means becoming a Nightmare that’s monstrous only in appearance, to transforming into a twisted, unrecognizable creature that terrorizes the city, no one is safe. Ness will do anything to avoid becoming another victim, even if that means lying low among the Friends of the Restful Soul, a questionable organization that may or may not be a cult.

But being a member of maybe-cult has a price. In order to prove herself, Ness cons her way into what’s supposed to be a simple job for the organization—only for it to blow up in her face. Literally. Tangled up in the aftermath of an explosive assassination, now Ness and the only other survivor—a Nightmare boy who Ness suspects is planning to eat her—must find their way back to Newham and uncover the sinister truth behind the attack, even as the horrors of her past loom ominously near.]]> 384 Rebecca Schaeffer 0358647304 Rayne 0 3.76 2023
author: Rebecca Schaeffer
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
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]]> 53138230 From New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Renée Watson comes a new YA--a love story about not only a romantic relationship but how a girl finds herself and falls in love with who she really is.

When Nala Robertson reluctantly agrees to attend an open mic night for her cousin-sister-friend Imani's birthday, she finds herself falling in instant love with Tye Brown, the MC. He's perfect, except . . . Tye is an activist and is spending the summer putting on events for the community when Nala would rather watch movies and try out the new seasonal flavors at the local creamery. In order to impress Tye, Nala tells a few tiny lies to have enough in common with him. As they spend more time together, sharing more of themselves, some of those lies get harder to keep up. As Nala falls deeper into keeping up her lies and into love, she'll learn all the ways love is hard, and how self-love is revolutionary.

In Love Is a Revolution, plus size girls are beautiful and get the attention of the hot guys, the popular girl clique is not shallow but has strong convictions and substance, and the ultimate love story is not only about romance but about how to show radical love to the people in your life, including to yourself.]]> 304 Renée Watson 1547600608 Rayne 0 3.66 2021
author: Renée Watson
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
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]]> 60099660 actually invisible.
Ìý
When her parents drop the news that they can no longer afford her tuition, even with the scholarship, Alice hatches a plan to monetize her strange new power—she’ll discover the scandalous secrets her classmates want to know, for a price.
Ìý
But as the tasks escalate from petty scandals to actual crimes, Alice must decide if it’s worth losing her conscience—or even her life.

In this genre-bending YA debut, a Chinese American girl monetizes her strange new invisibility powers by discovering and selling her wealthy classmates� most scandalous secrets.]]> 346 Ann Liang 1335915842 Rayne 0 4.01 2022
author: Ann Liang
name: Rayne
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
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]]> 53138099 Finlay Donovan is Killing It.

Finlay Donovan is killing it . . . except, she’s really not. She’s a stressed-out single-mom of two and struggling novelist, Finlay’s life is in chaos: the new book she promised her literary agent isn’t written, her ex-husband fired the nanny without telling her, and this morning she had to send her four-year-old to school with hair duct-taped to her head after an incident with scissors.

When Finlay is overheard discussing the plot of her new suspense novel with her agent over lunch, she’s mistaken for a contract killer, and inadvertently accepts an offer to dispose of a problem husband in order to make ends meet . . . Soon, Finlay discovers that crime in real life is a lot more difficult than its fictional counterpart, as she becomes tangled in a real-life murder investigation.

Fast-paced, deliciously witty, and wholeheartedly authentic in depicting the frustrations and triumphs of motherhood in all its messiness, hilarity, and heartfelt moment, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is the first in a brilliant new series from YA Edgar Award nominee Elle Cosimano.]]> 355 Elle Cosimano 1250241707 Rayne 0 3.99 2021
author: Elle Cosimano
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
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]]> 58469350
But she’s determined to start fresh when she boards a four-hour flight along with her classmates for their senior class ski trip. Devon never could have guessed those secrets would surface in the most terrifying way when a supernatural creature hijacks their flight and gives the students a deadly ultimatum:

Choose one among them to sacrifice before the end of the flight. Or the plane will crash.

As the clock ticks down, the creature slowly unearths the passengers� deepest, darkest secrets—and reveals that one of the teens on the plane is responsible for Emily’s death. The students must agree on a sacrifice, or there won’t be any survivors. But can Devon find a way to stop the creature, or will she give in to her anger and let revenge take control?]]> 304 Amy Christine Parker 0593563042 Rayne 0 3.61 2022
author: Amy Christine Parker
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
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]]> 61319750
The only way to heal him is to cast an extremely difficult spell that requires perfect control. And the only person willing to help is her former best friend, Xavier, who’s grown from a sweet, shy child into someone distant and mysterious.

Xavier asks a terrible price in return, knowing Clara will give anything to save her father. As she struggles to reconcile the new Xavier with the boy she once loved, she discovers how many secrets he’s hiding. And as she hunts for the truth, she instead finds the root of a terrible darkness that’s taken hold in the queendom—a darkness only Clara’s magic is powerful enough to stop.]]> 352 Catherine Bakewell 0063214598 Rayne 0 3.46 2023
author: Catherine Bakewell
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
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]]> 53171415
Aspiring artist Fanny Price is an unwelcome guest at her uncle Sir Thomas Bertram’s estate. It’s his affection for Fanny that’s keeping her from being forced out by her cousins Tom and Maria and nasty Aunt Norris, back to a home to which she never wants to return. But then Sir Thomas dies in a tragic accident inside his art emporium, and Fanny finds evidence of foul play that, if revealed, could further jeopardize her already precarious position.

Edmund, her best friend and secret crush, urges Fanny to keep quiet about her discovery, but Fanny can’t ignore the truth: a murderer is among them.

Determined to find the killer, Fanny’s pursuit for justice has her wading into the Bertram family business, uncovering blackmail, and brushing with London’s high society when Henry and Mary Crawford arrive at Mansfield Park with an audacious business proposal. But a surprising twist of fate—and the help of local legends Lizzie Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy—brings Fanny more complications than she ever expected and a life-altering realization about herself she never saw coming.]]> Tirzah Price Rayne 0 3.54 2023
author: Tirzah Price
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
shelves:
review:

]]> 60763351 The Wilds meets One of Us is Lying in this survivalist YA thriller about seven teens who are stranded on a desert island, and the one who is out for revenge.

No matter how you try to hide it, the truth will always come out . . .

When a small plane crash ends with a group of seven teens washed up on a deserted island, their first thought is survival. With supplies dwindling and the fear of being stranded forever becoming more of a reality, they quickly discover that being the most popular kid in high school doesn't help when you're fighting to stay alive.

And when strange and terrifying accidents start to occur all around them, the group realizes that they are being targeted by someone who was on the plane, and that the island isn't their only danger. A terrible secret from a party the night before the flight has followed them ashore--and it's clear that someone is looking for justice. Now survival depends on facing the truth about that party: who was hurt that night, and who let it happen?]]> 277 Laura Bates 1728206766 Rayne 0 3.20 2021
author: Laura Bates
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.20
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
shelves:
review:

]]> 58437812 She’s All That meets What If It’s Us in this swoon-worthy hate-to-love YA romantic comedy from #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of Five Feet Apart Rachael Lippincott and debut writer Alyson Derrick.

Alex Blackwood is a little bit headstrong, with a dash of chaos and a whole lot of flirt. She knows how to get the girl. Keeping her on the other hand…not so much. Molly Parker has everything in her life totally in control, except for her complete awkwardness with just about anyone besides her mom. She knows she’s in love with the impossibly cool Cora Myers. She just…hasn’t actually talked to her yet.

Alex and Molly don’t belong on the same planet, let alone the same college campus. But when Alex, fresh off a bad (but hopefully not permanent) breakup, discovers Molly’s hidden crush as their paths cross the night before classes start, they realize they might have a common interest after all. Because maybe if Alex volunteers to help Molly learn how to get her dream girl to fall for her, she can prove to her ex that she’s not a selfish flirt. That she’s ready for an actual commitment. And while Alex is the last person Molly would ever think she could trust, she can’t deny Alex knows what she’s doing with girls, unlike her.

As the two embark on their five-step plans to get their girls to fall for them, though, they both begin to wonder if maybe they’re the ones falling…for each other.]]> 384 Rachael Lippincott 1534493794 Rayne 0 4.09 2022
author: Rachael Lippincott
name: Rayne
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
shelves:
review:

]]> 35608668
Until one day, telling her nothing, her parents whisk her off to Rio de Janeiro. Determined to find out why, Ella takes her chance and searches through their things.

And realises her life has been a lie.

Her mother and father aren't hers at all. Unable to comprehend the truth, Ella runs away, to the one place they'll never think to look - the favelas.

But there she learns a terrible secret - the truth about her real parents and their past. And the truth about a mother, desperate for a daughter taken from her seventeen years ago . . .]]> 344 Emily Barr 0141367008 Rayne 0 3.03 2018
author: Emily Barr
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.03
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
shelves:
review:

]]> 50892004 Love & Gelato meets Don’t Date Rosa Santos in this charming, heartfelt story following a Miami girl who unexpectedly finds love—and herself—in a small English town.

For Lila Reyes, a summer in England was never part of the plan. The plan was 1) take over her abuela’s role as head baker at their panadería, 2) move in with her best friend after graduation, and 3) live happily ever after with her boyfriend. But then the Trifecta happened, and everything—including Lila herself—fell apart.

Worried about Lila’s mental health, her parents make a new plan for her: spend three months with family friends in Winchester, England, to relax and reset. But with the lack of sun, a grumpy inn cook, and a small town lacking Miami flavor (both in food and otherwise), what would be a dream trip for some feels more like a nightmare to Lila…until she meets Orion Maxwell.

A teashop clerk with troubles of his own, Orion is determined to help Lila out of her funk, and appoints himself as her personal tour guide. From Winchester’s drama-filled music scene to the sweeping English countryside, it isn’t long before Lila is not only charmed by Orion, but England itself. Soon a new future is beginning to form in Lila’s mind—one that would mean leaving everything she ever planned behind.]]> 320 Laura Taylor Namey 1534471243 Rayne 0 3.74 2020
author: Laura Taylor Namey
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
shelves:
review:

]]> 59470553
But when that fate comes for Leto, death is not what she thought it would be. Instead, she wakes on a mysterious island and meets a girl with green eyes and the power to command the sea. A girl named Melantho, who says one more death can stop a thousand.

The prince of Ithaca must die—or the tides of fate will drown them all.

Sarah Underwood weaves an epic tapestry of lies, love, and tragedy, perfect for fans of Madeline Miller, Alexandra Bracken, and Renée Ahdieh.]]> 432 Sarah Underwood Rayne 0 3.42 2023
author: Sarah Underwood
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.42
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
shelves:
review:

]]> 63242162
Everyone has heard the story of the Narrow. The river that runs behind the Atwood School is only a few feet across and seemingly placid, but beneath the surface, the waters are deep and vicious. It’s said that no one who has fallen in has ever survived.

Eden White knows that isn’t true. Six years ago, she saw Delphine Fournier fall into the Narrow—and live.

Delphine now lives in careful isolation, sealed off from the world. Even a single drop of unpurified water could be deadly to her, and no one but Eden has any idea why. Eden has never told anyone what she saw or spoken to Delphine since, but now, unable to cover her tuition, she has to make a her expenses will be paid in return for serving as a live-in companion to Delphine.

Eden finds herself drawn to the strange and mysterious girl, and the two of them begin to unravel each other’s secrets. Then Eden discovers what happened to the last girl who lived with she was found half-drowned on dry land. Suddenly Eden is waking up to wet footprints tracking to the end of her bed, the sound of rain on the windows when the skies are clear, and a ghostly silhouette in her doorway. Something is haunting Delphine—and now it’s coming for Eden, too.]]> 384 Kate Alice Marshall 0593405145 Rayne 0 3.72 2023
author: Kate Alice Marshall
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
shelves:
review:

]]> 58920677 When eighteen-year-old witch Iris Gray accidentally enacts a curse that could have dire consequences, she must team up with a boy who hates witches to make sure her magic isn't unleashed on the world.

Iris Gray knows witches aren't welcome in most towns. When she was forced to leave her last home, she left behind a father who was no longer willing to start over. And while the Witches' Council was lenient in their punishment, Iris knows they're keeping tabs on her. Now settled in Washington, Iris never lets anyone see who she really is; instead, she vents her frustrations by writing curses she never intends to cast. Otherwise, she spends her days at the wildlife refuge which would be the perfect job if not for Pike Alder, the witch-hating aspiring ornithologist who interns with them.

Iris concocts the perfect curse for Pike: one that will turn him into a witch. But just as she's about to dispel it, a bird swoops down and steals the curse before flying away. If the bird dies, the curse will be unleashed―and the bird is a powerful amplifier, and unleashing the curse would turn not just Pike, but everyone in the region, into a witch.

New witches have no idea how to control their magic and the consequences would be dire. And the Witches' Council does not look kindly on multiple offenses; if they found out, Iris could be stripped of her magic for good. Iris begs Pike to help her track the bird, and they set out on a trek through the Pacific Northwest looking for a single bird that could destroy everything.]]> 309 Rachel Griffin 1728229456 Rayne 0 3.89 2022
author: Rachel Griffin
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
shelves:
review:

]]> 57911600 Prepare to die. His kingdom is near.

Sixteen-year-old trans boy Benji is on the run from the cult that raised him—the fundamentalist sect that unleashed Armageddon and decimated the world’s population. Desperately, he searches for a place where the cult can’t get their hands on him, or more importantly, on the bioweapon they infected him with.

But when cornered by monsters born from the destruction, Benji is rescued by a group of teens from the local Acheson LGBTQ+ Center, affectionately known as the ALC. The ALC’s leader, Nick, is gorgeous, autistic, and a deadly shot, and he knows Benji’s darkest secret: the cult’s bioweapon is mutating him into a monster deadly enough to wipe humanity from the earth once and for all.

Still, Nick offers Benji shelter among his ragtag group of queer teens, as long as Benji can control the monster and use its power to defend the ALC. Eager to belong, Benji accepts Nick’s terms…until he discovers the ALC’s mysterious leader has a hidden agenda, and more than a few secrets of his own.

A furious, queer debut novel about embracing the monster within and unleashing its power against your oppressors.]]> 416 Andrew Joseph White 1682633241 Rayne 0 4.12 2022
author: Andrew Joseph White
name: Rayne
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
shelves:
review:

]]> 52516406 High school nemeses fall in love in this queer YA rom com perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Casey McQuiston.

After losing spectacularly to her ex-girlfriend in their first game since their break up, Scottie Zajac gets into a fender bender with the worst possible person: her nemesis, the incredibly beautiful and incredibly mean Irene Abraham. Things only get worse when their nosey, do-gooder moms get involved and the girls are forced to carpool together until Irene’s car gets out of the shop.

Their bumpy start only gets bumpier the more time they spend together. But when an opportunity presents itself for Scottie to get back at her toxic ex (and climb her school’s social ladder at the same time), she bribes Irene into playing along. Hijinks, heartbreak, and gay fake-dating scheme for the ages. From author Kelly Quindlen comes a new laugh-out-loud romp through the ups and downs of teen romance.]]> 288 Kelly Quindlen 1250209161 Rayne 0 3.93 2021
author: Kelly Quindlen
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
shelves:
review:

]]> 65213595 A grim and gothic new tale from author Alix E. Harrow about a small town haunted by secrets that can't stay buried and the sinister house that sits at the crossroads of it all.

Eden, Kentucky, is just another dying, bad-luck town, known only for the legend of E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth-century author and illustrator who wrote The Underland--and disappeared. Before she vanished, Starling House appeared. But everyone agrees that it’s best to let the uncanny house―and its last lonely heir, Arthur Starling―go to rot.

Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses or brooding men, but an unexpected job offer might be a chance to get her brother out of Eden. Too quickly, though, Starling House starts to feel dangerously like something she’s never had: a home.

As sinister forces converge on Starling House, Opal and Arthur are going to have to make a dire choice to dig up the buried secrets of the past and confront their own fears, or let Eden be taken over by literal nightmares.

If Opal wants a home, she’ll have to fight for it.]]> 320 Alix E. Harrow 1250799058 Rayne 0 3.77 2023
author: Alix E. Harrow
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
shelves:
review:

]]> 36253143 The incredible conclusion to the trilogy that started with the instant New York Times bestsellers Furyborn and Kingsbane!

In this epic finale to the Empirium Trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Claire Legrand, two queens, separated by a thousand years must face their ultimate destinies.

Queen Rielle, pushed away from everything she loves, turns to Corien and his promises of glory. Meanwhile, whispers from the empirium slowly drive her mad, urging her to open the Gate. Separated from Audric and Ludivine, she embraces the role of Blood Queen and her place by Corien's side, determined to become the monster the world believes her to be.

In the future, Eliana arrives in the Empire's capital as a broken shell of herself. Betrayed and abandoned, she fights to keep her power at bay--and away from Corien, who will stop at nothing to travel back in time to Rielle, even if that means destroying her daughter.

But when the mysterious Prophet reveals themselves at last, everything changes, giving Rielle and Eliana a second chance for salvation--or the destruction their world has been dreading.

Praise for Furyborn:
A BuzzFeed Most Anticipated Title of Spring 2018
A Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Most Anticipated Title of Spring 2018
A Bustle Most Anticipated Title of Spring 2018
"A must-read." --Refinery29
"A series to watch." --Paste magazine
"Visionary." --Bustle magazine
"One of the biggest new YA fantasies." --Entertainment Weekly
"Empowering." --BuzzFeed]]> 592 Claire Legrand 1492656690 Rayne 0 3.97 2020
author: Claire Legrand
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
shelves:
review:

]]> 58132544
As Jack and Adaira reluctantly work together, they find they make better allies than rivals as their partnership turns into something more. But with each passing song, it becomes apparent the trouble with the spirits is far more sinister than they first expected, and an older, darker secret about Cadence lurks beneath the surface, threatening to undo them all.]]> 480 Rebecca Ross 0063055988 Rayne 0 4.06 2022
author: Rebecca Ross
name: Rayne
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/30
shelves:
review:

]]> 62919216 A baker’s apprentice reluctantly embarks on an adventure full of magic, new friendships, and a prince in distress in this deliciously romantic young adult fantasy.

It’s not all sugar and spice at Basil’s Bakery, where seventeen-year-old Aurelie is an overworked, underappreciated apprentice. Still, the job offers stability, which no-nonsense Aurelie values highly, so she keeps her head down and doesn’t dare to dream big—until a stranger walks in and hands her a set of Seeking stones. In a country where Seeking was old-fashioned even before magic went out of style, it’s a rare skill, but Aurelie has it.

The stranger, who turns out to be a remarkably bothersome bounty hunter named Iliana, asks for Aurelie’s help rescuing someone from the dangerous Underwood—which sounds suspiciously like an adventure. When the someone turns out to be Prince Hapless, the charming-but-aptly-named prince, Aurelie’s careful life is upended. Suddenly, she finds herself on a quest filled with magic portals, a troll older than many trees (and a few rocks), and dangerous palace intrigue.

Even more dangerous are the feelings she’s starting to have for Hapless. The more time Aurelie spends with him, the less she can stand the thought of going back to her solitary but dependable life at the bakery. Must she choose between losing her apprenticeship—or her heart?]]> 384 Emma Mills 1665926910 Rayne 4 3.85 2023
author: Emma Mills
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/04/18
date added: 2023/11/09
shelves:
review:

]]> 59414960 A lush gothic fantasy about monsters and magic, set on the banks of a cursed lake. Perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and Brigid Kemmerer.

There are monsters in the world.

When Violeta Graceling arrives at haunted Lakesedge estate, she expects to find a monster. She knows the terrifying rumors about Rowan Sylvanan, who drowned his entire family when he was a boy. But neither the estate nor the monster are what they seem.

There are monsters in the woods.

As Leta falls for Rowan, she discovers he is bound to the Lord Under, the sinister death god lurking in the black waters of the lake. A creature to whom Leta is inexplicably drawn�

There’s a monster in the shadows, and now it knows my name.

Now, to save Rowan—and herself—Leta must confront the darkness in her past, including unraveling the mystery of her connection to the Lord Under.]]> 380 Lyndall Clipstone 1250843405 Rayne 2 3.39 2021
author: Lyndall Clipstone
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.39
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2021/12/26
date added: 2023/08/20
shelves:
review:

]]> 35115574 Three generations of women uncover an ancient evil in this epic genre-bending horror-fantasy -- a "fearless" Faustian tale perfect for fans of Kendare Blake and Ransom Riggs" - Cat Winters

Before the birth of time, a monk uncovers the Devil's Tongue and dares to speak it. The repercussions will be felt for generations . . .

Sixteen-year-old photography enthusiast Zoey has been fascinated by the haunted, burnt-out ruins of Medwyn Mill House for as long as she can remember -- so she and her best friend, Poulton, run away from home to explore them. But are they really alone in the house? And who will know if something goes wrong?

In 1851, seventeen-year-old Roan arrives at the Mill House as a ward -- one of three, all with something to hide from their new guardian. When Roan learns that she is connected to an ancient secret, she must escape the house before she is trapped forever.

1583. Hermione, a new young bride, accompanies her husband to the wilds of North Wales where he plans to build the largest water mill and mansion in the area. But rumors of unholy rituals lead to a tragic occurrence and she will need all her strength to defeat it.

Three women, centuries apart, drawn together by one Unholy Pact. A pact made by a man who, more than a thousand years later, may still be watching . . .

"This haunting, captivating, and "delightfully disturbing" mystery redefines horror and fantasy" - Kirkus]]> 447 Dawn Kurtagich 0316478474 Rayne 2 3.64 2019
author: Dawn Kurtagich
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2019
rating: 2
read at: 2019/06/30
date added: 2023/08/02
shelves:
review:

]]> 677591 136 John Stuart Mill 1594625328 Rayne 4 for-lit-class 3.92 1869
author: John Stuart Mill
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.92
book published: 1869
rating: 4
read at: 2013/02/12
date added: 2023/07/29
shelves: for-lit-class
review:

]]> 13571953
Miki Jones's carefully controlled life spins into chaos after she's run down in the street, left broken and bloody. She wakes up fully healed in a place called the lobby - pulled from her life, through time and space into some kind of game in which she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures.

There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Every moment of the game is kill or be killed, and Miki has only the questionable guidance of Jackson Tate, the team's alluring and secretive leader. He evades her questions, holds himself aloof from the others, and claims it's every player for himself. But when he puts himself at risk to watch Miki's back, he leaves her both frustrated and fascinated. Jackson says the game isn't really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival. And the survival of every other person on the planet. She laughs. He doesn't. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.]]> 364 Eve Silver 0062192132 Rayne 2
I'll just call it a 2.5 stars book so that I can try to feel better about dropping this one in a rating category that I don't think it deserves. I'm sure there will be people out there who will like this one, but for me it is just a big 'is not you, it's me' case. ]]> 3.88 2013
author: Eve Silver
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2013
rating: 2
read at: 2013/08/03
date added: 2023/07/26
shelves: no-sequel-for-me, young-adult, wth-just-happened, you-go-girl, victims-of-the-insta-love-monster, totally-saw-that-coming, there-s-romance-in-there-somewhere, stalking-means-love, school-life, no-idea-how-to-rate-you, i-expected-better, action, aliens
review:
I... I honestly don't know how to feel about this book. I didn't exactly enjoy it much, but... I didn't hate it enough for the two star rating I know I have to give it. The thing is that, objectively speaking, the book does deserve two stars because it made absolutely no sense whatsoever, pulled an insta-love of enormous proportions, incorporated silly high school drama where it didn't need it and it had no general plot that I could find. But it is entertaining, full of non-stop action with a very capable and strong protagonist and, of course, drops gamer terminology and gaming references that I loved and quickly related to. It's just... aliens, man. I can't deal with them. Simple as that. Place them in a totally nonsensical plot and, it won't matter how nice your writing is or how engaging your protagonist might be or how many gaming references you drop, I just won't get into it.

I'll just call it a 2.5 stars book so that I can try to feel better about dropping this one in a rating category that I don't think it deserves. I'm sure there will be people out there who will like this one, but for me it is just a big 'is not you, it's me' case.
]]> 11737266
Becca has always longed to break free from her small, backwater hometown. But the discovery of an unidentified dead girl on the side of a dirt road sends the town--and Becca--into a tailspin. Unable to make sense of the violence of the outside world creeping into her backyard, Becca finds herself retreating inward, paralyzed from moving forward for the first time in her life.

Short chapters detailing the last days of Amelia Anne Richardson's life are intercut with Becca's own summer as the parallel stories of two young women struggling with self-identity and relationships on the edge twist the reader closer and closer to the truth about Amelia's death.]]> 304 Kat Rosenfield 0525423893 Rayne 4 3.34 2012
author: Kat Rosenfield
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.34
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2012/07/15
date added: 2023/07/21
shelves: contemporary, death, favorites, mystery, stand-alone-novel, there-s-romance-in-there-somewhere, thriller, you-have-disturbed-me, young-adult, 2012-favorites
review:
Disturbing and haunting, this book has fantastic writing, a compelling plot and a very twisted and dark look at how the death of someone, maybe someone you didn't even know, affects everyone. Review coming later.
]]> 55883882
Collects MONSTRESS #1-6

About the Creators:

New York Times bestselling and award-winning writer Marjorie Liu is best known for her fiction and comic books. She teaches comic book writing at MIT, and leads a class on Popular Fiction at the Voices of Our Nation (VONA) workshop. Ms. Liu's extensive work includes the bestselling "Astonishing X-Men" for Marvel Comics, which featured the gay wedding of X-Man Northstar and was subsequently nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for outstanding media images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Prior to writing full-time, Liu was a lawyer. She currently resides in Boston.

Sana Takeda is an illustrator and comic book artist who was born in Niigata, and now resides in Tokyo, Japan. At age 20 she started out as a 3D CGI designer for SEGA, a Japanese video game company, and became a freelance artist when she was 25. She is still an artist, and has worked on titles such as "X-23" and "Ms. Marvel" for Marvel Comics, and is an illustrator for trading card games in Japan.]]> 192 Marjorie M. Liu 1632157098 Rayne 4 3.96 2016
author: Marjorie M. Liu
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2016/09/24
date added: 2023/07/13
shelves: 2016-favorites, comics-or-graphic-novels, signed
review:

]]> 30333227
Collects MONSTRESS #1-6]]> 208 Marjorie M. Liu Rayne 4 3.93 2016
author: Marjorie M. Liu
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/07/12
shelves:
review:

]]> 40914164
There are eight days, and eight witnesses for you to inhabit.

We will only let you escape once you tell us the name of the killer.

Understood? Then let's begin . . .

Evelyn Hardcastle will die. Every day until Aiden Bishop can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others . . .

The most inventive debut of the year twists together a mystery of such unexpected creativity it will leave listeners guessing until the very last second.]]> 458 Stuart Turton 149267012X Rayne 4 3.75 2018
author: Stuart Turton
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2021/09/07
date added: 2023/06/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 55759015 Filled with mystery and an intriguingly rich magic system, Tracy Deonn’s YA contemporary fantasy Legendborn offers the dark allure of City of Bones with a modern-day twist on a classic legend and a lot of Southern Black Girl Magic.

After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus.

A flying demon feeding on human energies.

A secret society of so called “Legendborn� students that hunt the creatures down.

And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin� and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw.

The mage’s failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates.

She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society’s secrets—and closer to each other. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur’s knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down—or join the fight.]]> 503 Tracy Deonn 1534489916 Rayne 3 signed 4.39 2020
author: Tracy Deonn
name: Rayne
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2020/11/29
date added: 2023/05/06
shelves: signed
review:
solid book, even though the world building was hard to follow at times. i just lacked a connection with it, and because it is so long, my mind sometimes wandered. truth be told, the story truly held my absolute interest and undivided attention at the beginning and the end. because of that, it's unlikely that i'll continue the series.
]]> 17072247 Ìý
Suspense, mysticism, and history encircle three separate but related narratives in this fantasy novel. Today, Sulis, a teenage girl with a mysterious past, arrives in Bath with a new identity, trailed by the person she's trying to outrun.Ìý In 1740, Zac is apprenticed to an architect obsessed with Druidic mysteries, but has his own secret—and destructive—agenda.Ìý In ancient England, a druid king discovers the healing waters of a magical spring, where he founds a great city, and the heart of Fisher’s story. Through each voice, the mysteries are revealed, linking Sulis, Zac, andÌýtheÌýkingÌýthrough the circles of time.]]> 298 Catherine Fisher 0803738196 Rayne 3 3.25 2013
author: Catherine Fisher
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.25
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2016/12/20
date added: 2023/05/01
shelves: cillian-stamp-of-approval, young-adult, historical-fiction, shifting-pov, cool-concept, fantasy
review:

]]> 61150759
Once upon a time, a man who believed in fairy tales married a beautiful, mysterious woman named Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada. He was a scholar of myths. She was heiress to a fortune. They exchanged gifts and stories and believed they would live happily ever after—and in exchange for her love, Indigo extracted a promise: that her bridegroom would never pry into her past.

But when Indigo learns that her estranged aunt is dying and the couple is forced to return to her childhood home, the House of Dreams, the bridegroom will soon find himself unable to resist. For within the crumbling manor’s extravagant rooms and musty halls, there lurks the shadow of another girl: Azure, Indigo’s dearest childhood friend who suddenly disappeared. As the house slowly reveals his wife’s secrets, the bridegroom will be forced to choose between reality and fantasy, even if doing so threatens to destroy their marriage . . . or their lives.

Combining the lush, haunting atmosphere of Mexican Gothic with the dreamy enchantment of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a spellbinding and darkly romantic page-turner about love and lies, secrets and betrayal, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive.]]> 289 Roshani Chokshi Rayne 0 3.68 2023
author: Roshani Chokshi
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2023/04/18
date added: 2023/04/18
shelves:
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]]> 60190092
Pristine beaches, lush greenery, and perfect weather, the island of Kisapmata would be the vacation destination...if not for the curse. The Philippine locals speak of it in hushed voices and refuse to step foot on the island. They know the lives it has claimed. They won't be next.

A Hollywood film crew won't be dissuaded. Legend claims a Dreamer god sleeps, waiting to grant unimaginable powers in exchange for eight sacrifices. The producers are determined to document the evidence. And they convince Alon, a local teen, to be their guide.

Within minutes of their arrival, a giant sinkhole appears, revealing a giant balete tree with a mummified corpse entwined in its gnarled branches. And the crew start seeing strange visions. Alon knows they are falling victim to the island's curse. If Alon can't convince them to leave, there is no telling who will survive. Or how much the Dreamer god will destroy...

Creepy and suspenseful, The Sacrifice is perfect for readers looking for:
* Spooky, scary books for young adults
* Horror novels
* Ghost story books for teens
* East Asian folklore]]> 287 Rin Chupeco 1728255910 Rayne 4 3.5 stars 3.73 2022
author: Rin Chupeco
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/04/18
date added: 2023/04/18
shelves:
review:
3.5 stars
]]> 60784619
But the moment Andie arrives, the rest of her plans go off the rails. Her rocky relationship with her boyfriend Connor only gets more complicated when she discovers he transferred out of Blue Ridge to her community college. Her roommate Shay needs a major, and despite Andie’s impressive track record of being The Fixer, she’s stumped on how to help. And Milo, her coffee-guzzling grump of an R.A. with seafoam green eyes, is somehow disrupting all her ideas about love and relationships one sleep-deprived wisecrack at a time.

But sometimes, when all your plans are in rubble at your feet, you find out what you’re made of. And when Andie starts to find the power of her voice as the anonymous Squire on the school’s legendary pirate radio station–the same one her mom founded, years before she passed away–Andie learns that not all the best laid plans are necessarily the right ones.

Filled with a friend group that feels like family, an empowering journey of finding your own way, and a Just Kiss Already! romance, Begin Again is an unforgettable novel of love and starting again.]]> 352 Emma Lord 1250783364 Rayne 3 3.69 2023
author: Emma Lord
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/04/18
date added: 2023/04/18
shelves:
review:

]]> 63331415 Who is Mister Magic? Former child stars reunite to uncover the tragedy that ended their show—and discover the secret of its enigmatic host—in this dark supernatural thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hide.

Thirty years after a tragic accident shut down production of the classic children’s program Mister Magic, the five surviving cast members have done their best to move on. But just as generations of cultishly devoted fans still cling to the lessons they learned from the show, the cast, known as the Circle of Friends, have spent their lives searching for the happiness they felt while they were on it. The friendship. The feeling of belonging. And the protection of Mister Magic.

But with no surviving video of the show, no evidence of who directed or produced it, and no records of who—or what—the beloved host actually was, memories are all the former Circle of Friends has.

Then a twist of fate brings the castmates back together at the remote desert filming compound that feels like it’s been waiting for them all this time. Even though they haven’t seen each other for years, they understand one another better than anyone has since.

After all, they’re the only ones who hold the secret of that circle, the mystery of the magic man in his infinitely black cape, and, maybe, the answers to what really happened on that deadly last day. But as the Circle of Friends reclaim parts of their past, they begin to wonder: Are they here by choice, or have they been lured into a trap?

Because magic never forgets the taste of your friendship. . . .]]> 295 Kiersten White 0593359267 Rayne 0 3.56 2023
author: Kiersten White
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2023/04/18
date added: 2023/04/18
shelves:
review:

]]> 57945316 From award-winning author R. F. Kuang comes Babel, a historical fantasy epic that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British Empire

Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.

1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel. The tower and its students are the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver-working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made the British unparalleled in power, as the arcane craft serves the Empire's quest for colonization.

For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide . . .

Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?]]> 544 R.F. Kuang 0063021420 Rayne 0 4.17 2022
author: R.F. Kuang
name: Rayne
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2023/04/18
date added: 2023/04/18
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]]> 61198133 A runaway queen. A reluctant prince. And a quest that may destroy them both.

Eight years have passed since the Battle of the Serpent. But in the icy north, Lady Nore of the Court of Teeth has reclaimed the Ice Needle Citadel. There, she is using an ancient relic to create monsters of stick and snow who will do her bidding and exact her revenge.

Suren, child queen of the Court of Teeth, and the one person with power over her mother, fled to the human world. There, she lives feral in the woods. Lonely, and still haunted by the merciless torments she endured in the Court of Teeth, she bides her time by releasing mortals from foolish bargains. She believes herself forgotten until the storm hag, Bogdana chases her through the night streets. Suren is saved by none other than Prince Oak, heir to Elfhame, to whom she was once promised in marriage and who she has resented for years.

Now seventeen, Oak is charming, beautiful, and manipulative. He’s on a mission that will lead him into the north, and he wants Suren’s help. But if she agrees, it will mean guarding her heart against the boy she once knew and a prince she cannot trust, as well as confronting all the horrors she thought she left behind.

#1ÌýNew York TimesÌýbestselling author Holly Black returns to the opulent world of Elfhame in the first book in a thrilling new duology, following Jude's brother Oak, and the changeling queen, Suren.]]> 356 Holly Black 0316592706 Rayne 2 i was bored ¯\_(ãƒ�)_/¯ 3.92 2023
author: Holly Black
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2023/04/18
date added: 2023/04/18
shelves:
review:
i was bored ¯\_(�)_/¯
]]> 63933651 A teen girl looking for the truth about her missing mother forms a reluctant alliance with her former best friend...in exchange for hiding him from his cult-leading family.

Wil Greene's mom has been missing for over a year, and the police are ready to call the case closed--they claim she skipped town and you can't find a woman who wants to disappear. But she knows her mom wouldn't just leave...and she knows the family of her former best friend, Elwood Clarke, has something to do with it.

Elwood has been counting down the days until his 18th birthday--in dread. It marks leaving school and joining his pastor father in dedicating his life to their congregation, the Garden of Adam. But when he comes home after one night of after a final goodbye with his friends, already self-flagellating for the sins of drinking and disobeying his father, he discovers his path is not as virtuous as he thought. He's not his father's successor, but his sacrifice. For the woods he's grown up with are thirsty, and must be paid in blood.

Now on the run from a family that wants him dead, he turns to the only one who will believe him: Wil. Together, they form a reluctant partnership; she'll help him hide if he helps her find evidence that his family killed her mother. But in the end they dig up more secrets than they bargained for, unraveling decades of dark cult dealings in their town, led by the Clarke family.

And there's a reason they need Elwood's blood for their satanic rituals. Something inhuman is growing inside of him. Everywhere he goes, the plants come alive and the forest calls to him, and Wil isn't sure if she can save the boy she can't help but love.]]> 272 Skyla Arndt 0593526279 Rayne 0
a slow pacing hides the overall lack of a solid plot and the writing moves between amateurishly simple and overwrought. very interesting concept, though. ]]> 3.54 2023
author: Skyla Arndt
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2023/04/18
date added: 2023/04/18
shelves:
review:
2.5 stars

a slow pacing hides the overall lack of a solid plot and the writing moves between amateurishly simple and overwrought. very interesting concept, though.
]]> 60376658 A teenage girl must save her town from a memory-devouring monster in this piercing exploration of grief, trauma, and memory, from the author of The Valley and the Flood.

For generations, a monster called the Memory Eater has lived in the caves of Whistler Beach, Maine, surviving off the unhappy memories of those who want to forget. And for generations, the Harlows have been in charge of keeping her locked up—and keeping her fed.

After her grandmother dies, seventeen-year-old Alana Harlow inherits the family business. But there’s something Alana doesn’t know: the strange gaps in her memory aren’t from an accident. Her memories have been taken—eaten. And with them, she’s lost the knowledge of how to keep the monster contained.

Now the Memory Eater is loose. Alana’s mistake could cost Whistler Beach everything—unless she can figure out how to retrieve her own memories and recapture the monster. But as Alana delves deeper into her family’s magic and the history of her town, she discovers a shocking secret at the center of the Harlow family business and learns that tampering with memories never comes without a price.]]> 336 Rebecca Mahoney 0593524608 Rayne 4 3.79 2023
author: Rebecca Mahoney
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/04/18
date added: 2023/04/18
shelves:
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]]> 60597201
"Deliciously chilling and edge-of-your-seat suspenseful.�
—Nina LaCour, Printz Award–winning author of We Are Okay

Sacramento, 1885 Ìý

Edie and Violet Bond know the truth about death. The seventeen-year-old twins are powerful mediums, just like their mother—Violet can open the veil between life and death, and Edie can cross into the spirit world. But their abilities couldn’t save them when their mother died and their father threatened to commit them to a notoriousÌýasylum.ÌýÌýÌý
Ìý
Now runaways, Edie and Violet are part of a traveling Spiritualist show, a tight-knit group of young women who demonstrate their real talents under the guise of communing with spirits. Each night, actresses, poets, musicians, and orators all make contact with spirits who happen to have something to say. . . notions that young ladies could never openly express. But when Violet’s act goes terribly wrong one night, Edie learns that the dark spirit responsible for their mother’s death has crossed into the land of the living. As they investigate the identity of her mysterious final client, they realize that someone is hunting mediums…and they may be next.Only by trusting in one another can the twins uncover a killer who will stop at nothing to cheat death.]]> 368 Amanda Glaze 1454946784 Rayne 3 3.81 2022
author: Amanda Glaze
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2023/04/18
date added: 2023/04/18
shelves:
review:

]]> 60636428
But Lydia needs help to bring grit to the show. Bristal Jamison has a bad reputation and a foul mouth, but she also needs a credit to graduate. The unexpected partnership brings together the Chass family—a pillar of the community—and the rough-and-tumble Jamisons, with Bristal hoping to be the first in her family to graduate. Together, they dig into the town’s worst week, determined to solve the murder.

Their investigation unearths buried secrets: a hidden town brothel, lost family treasure, and a teen girl who disappeared. But the past is never far, and some don’t want it to see the light. As threats escalate, the girls have to uncover the truth before the dark history of Henley catches up with them.

This gripping mystery from award-winning author Mindy McGinnis shows the power of a name and one lie and how two girls can use their voices to change a town forever.]]> 368 Mindy McGinnis 0063230364 Rayne 4 4.00 2023
author: Mindy McGinnis
name: Rayne
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/04/18
date added: 2023/04/18
shelves:
review:

]]> 58484026
A new YA psychological thriller from Kate A. Boorman, author of What We Buried, about four teenage girls who descend into a dangerous underground cave system in search of a lake of local legend, said to reveal your deepest fears.

When the cops arrive, only a few things are clear:
- Four girls entered a dangerous cave.
- Three of them came out alive.
- Two of them were rushed to the hospital.
- And one is soaked in blood and ready to talk.

Amelie Desmarais' story begins believably enough: Four girls from a now-defunct thrill-seeking group planned an epic adventure to find a lake that Colorado locals call "The Sublime." Legend has it that the lake has the power to change things for those who risk―and survive―its cavernous depths. They each had their reasons for going. For Amelie, it was a promise kept to her beloved cousin, who recently suffered a tragic accident during one of the group’s dares.

But as her account unwinds, and the girls� personalities and motives are drawn, things get complicated. Amelie is hardly the thrill-seeking type, and it appears she’s not the only one with the ability to deceive. Worse yet, Amelie is covered in someone's blood, but whose exactly? And where's the fourth girl?

Is Amelie spinning a tale to cover her guilt? Or was something inexplicable waiting for the girls down there? Amelie's the only one with answers, and she's insisting on an explanation that is more horror-fantasy than reality. Maybe the truth lies somewhere in between?

After all, strange things inhabit dark places. And sometimes we bring the dark with us.]]> 368 Kate A. Boorman 125019170X Rayne 1 3.61 2022
author: Kate A. Boorman
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2022
rating: 1
read at: 2023/04/18
date added: 2023/04/18
shelves:
review:
terrible pacing and an ending that makes the entire book pointless.
]]> 32620332
Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the �80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story nears its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.]]> 389 Taylor Jenkins Reid 1501139231 Rayne 4 4.39 2017
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: Rayne
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2023/04/18
date added: 2023/04/18
shelves:
review:

]]> 59947642 With writing that sparks off the page, New York Times bestselling author Jodi Lynn Anderson tells a story of saints and floods, secrets and truths, rage and love—and the bravery it takes to bet your whole life on a new kind of hope.

The day the train fell in the lake, Cassie stopped believing in much of anything, despite growing up in a devout Catholic family. Then she set her mind to forgetting the strange boy named Elias who was with her when it happened.

When Elias comes back to town after many years away, Cassie finds herself talked into sneaking out at night to follow him ghost-hunting—though she knows better than to believe they will find any spirits.

Still, the more time she spends with Elias—with his questions, his rebelliousness, his imagination that is so much bigger than the box she has made for herself—the more Cassie thinks that even in a world that seems broken beyond repair, there just may be something worth believing in.

An unmissable novel for fans of Nina LaCour and Jandy Nelson!]]> 256 Jodi Lynn Anderson 006239357X Rayne 3 3.44 2022
author: Jodi Lynn Anderson
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.44
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2023/04/18
date added: 2023/04/18
shelves:
review:

]]> 61317668 In this thrilling YA fantasy/mystery duology from award-winning author Katy Pool, cursebreaker Marlow Briggs reluctantly pretends to be in love with one of the most powerful nobles in Caraza City to gain entry into an illustrious—and deadly—society that holds clues to her mother's disappearance. Perfect for fans of Veronica Mars, These Violent Delights, and Chain of Iron.

Since fleeing the gilded halls of Evergarden for the muck-filled canals of the Marshes, Marlow Briggs has made a name for herself as the best godsdamn cursebreaker in Caraza City. But no matter how many cases she solves, she is still haunted by the mystery of her mother’s disappearance.

When Adrius Falcrest, Marlow's old friend and scion of one of Caraza's most affluent spell-making families, asks her to help break a life-threatening curse, Marlow wants nothing to do with the boy who spurned her a year ago. But a new lead in her mother’s case makes Marlow realize that the only way to get the answers she desperately seeks is to help Adrius and return to Evergarden society—even if it means suffering through a fake love affair with him to avoid drawing suspicion from the conniving Five Families.

As the investigation draws Marlow into a web of deadly secrets and powerful enemies, a shocking truth emerges: Adrius’s curse and her mother’s disappearance may just be clues to an even larger mystery, one that could unravel the very foundations of Caraza and magic itself.]]> 352 Katy Rose Pool Rayne 2 4.02 2023
author: Katy Rose Pool
name: Rayne
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2023/04/18
date added: 2023/04/18
shelves:
review:
nothing like the author's previous series, which would usually be a good thing but in this instance just helped to make even more obvious the flaws in this one when compared to the story she told before. strange but familiar world-building, flat characters, and a mostly-uninteresting mystery driving forth the plot, everything about this book always edged way too close into generic territory to ever rise above being mildly entertaining.
]]> 60784841 Mexican Gothic.

When Jade Nguyen arrives in Vietnam for a visit with her estranged father, she has one goal: survive five weeks pretending to be a happy family in the French colonial house Ba is restoring. She’s always lied to fit in, so if she’s straight enough, Vietnamese enough, American enough, she can get out with the college money he promised.

But the house has other plans. Night after night, Jade wakes up paralyzed. The walls exude a thrumming sound, while bugs leave their legs and feelers in places they don’t belong. She finds curious traces of her ancestors in the gardens they once tended. And at night Jade can’t ignore the ghost of the beautiful bride who leaves her cryptic warnings: Don’t eat.

Neither Ba nor her sweet sister Lily believe that there is anything strange happening. With help from a delinquent girl, Jade will prove this house—the home her family has always wanted—will not rest until it destroys them. Maybe, this time, she can keep her family together. As she roots out the house’s rot, she must also face the truth of who she is and who she must become to save them all.]]> 352 Trang Thanh Tran 1547610816 Rayne 3 3.36 2023
author: Trang Thanh Tran
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.36
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/04/18
date added: 2023/04/18
shelves:
review:
wanted to love this one, but issues with the pacing and the absolutely chaotic storytelling during the climax and ending made it really hard for me to connect with the story.
]]> 31373240
Niall and Mór escaped their homeland for a new start, and lost themselves in what they found.

Declan has grown up as the responsible son, the responsible brother--only to find there is no way for him to keep his family safe.

Ronan has always lived on the edge between dreams and waking... but now that edge is gone, and he is falling.

Matthew has been the happy child, the brightest beam. But rebellion beckons, because it all feels like an illusion now.

This world was not made for such a family--a family with the power to make a world and break it. If they cannot save each other or themselves, we are all doomed.]]> 336 Maggie Stiefvater 1338188410 Rayne 3 4.28 2022
author: Maggie Stiefvater
name: Rayne
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2023/04/18
date added: 2023/04/18
shelves:
review:

]]> 28096526
As Angie drags Jess further into Margot's circle, Jess finds more than her friend's growing crush. Secrets lie just beneath the carefree surface of this world, and when they come out, Jess knows Angie won't be able to handle the consequences. When the inevitable darkness finally descends, Angie will need her best friend.]]> 288 Malinda Lo 073522742X Rayne 2 3.24 2017
author: Malinda Lo
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.24
book published: 2017
rating: 2
read at: 2023/04/18
date added: 2023/04/18
shelves:
review:
intriguing if slow start, then an abrupt change in theme, pacing and storytelling that depended entirely on actually caring about a mystery the book didn't seem to care about much itself, all closing with a rushed ending that actually should've been the focus of the story all along.
]]> 61361706 Greymist Fair is a suspenseful and inventive murder-mystery inspired by the lesser-known fairytales of the Brothers Grimm. Greymist Fair will bewitch readers of Rachel Vincent’s Red Wolf, Liz Braswell’s A Twisted Tale series, and fans of Into the Woods.

Features chapter decorations by the author throughout, as well as a map.

Two roads lead into a dark forest. They meet at Greymist Fair, the village hidden in the trees, a place kept alive by the families that never leave. The people of Greymist Fair know the woods are a dangerous and magical place, and to set foot off the road is to invite trouble.

When Heike, the village’s young tailor, discovers a body on the road, she goes looking for who is responsible. But her quest only leads to more strange happenings around Greymist Fair.

Inspired by the original, bloody, lesser-known fairytales of the Brothers Grimm, acclaimed author Francesca Zappia crafts an enthralling murder-mystery that will keep readers turning the pages. Told from multiple points of view, with each narrative building on the crime discovered by Heike, Greymist Fair examines the themes of childhood fears, growing into adult responsibilities, and finding a place to call home amid the trials of life and death.]]> 336 Francesca Zappia 0063161699 Rayne 4 3.81 2023
author: Francesca Zappia
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/04/18
date added: 2023/04/18
shelves:
review:

]]> 60784600 A thrilling new fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blackwood!

Eighteen-year-old Victoria is a Wildblood. Since she was kidnapped at the age of six and manipulated by the Exotic Lands Touring Company, she’s worked as a tour guide ever since with a team of fellow Wildbloods who take turns using their magic to protect travelers in a Jamaican jungle teeming with ghostly monsters.

When the boss denies Victoria an earned promotion to team leader in favor of Dean, her backstabbing ex, she’s determined to prove herself. Her magic may be the most powerful on the team, but she’s not the image the boss wants to send their new client, Thorn, a renowned goldminer determined to reach an untouched gold supply deep in the jungle.

Thorn is everything Victoria isn't - confident, impossibly kind, and so handsome he leaves her speechless. And when he entrusts the mission to her, kindness turns to mutual respect, turns to affection, turns to love. But the jungle is treacherous, and between hypnotic river spirits, soul-devouring women that shed their skin like snakes, and her ex out for revenge, Victoria has to decide - is promotion at a corrupt company really what she wants?

A fierce, lush fantasy by New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blackwood, Wildblood tells the story of a girl who must find the strength to defeat the demons of the jungle as well as her own to find where she truly belongs.

"A lyrically told story of healing after trauma and finding home, Wildblood is as fierce as it is beautiful, and as hopeful as it is heartbreaking." - Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf

"Wildblood is a poignant, thrilling, emotionally complex story of love and sacrifice. Victoria's tense journey through the haunted jungle is filled with terror and beauty, both supernatural and human, and will grip you until the very last page." - L. Penelope, award-winning author of the Earthsinger Chronicles

]]> 336 Lauren Blackwood 1250787130 Rayne 1 3.41 2023
author: Lauren Blackwood
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.41
book published: 2023
rating: 1
read at: 2023/04/18
date added: 2023/04/18
shelves:
review:
having really enjoyed the author's debut novel, it was absolutely shocked to see so many amateur/debut author mistakes in the plotting, characterization and in the romance. as in, there was no plotting to be found, no complexity to the characters and the worst case of insta-love i've read in quite a while. by the end, it was clear that, while there were some themes in there that were worth reading about, they were mostly unexplored or clumsily-handled, and that there was no real point to this story at all.
]]> 61294937 Shannon Chakraborty, the bestselling author of The City of Brass, spins a new trilogy of magic and mayhem on the high seas in this tale of pirates and sorcerers, forbidden artifacts and ancient mysteries, in one woman’s determined quest to seize a final chance at glory—and write her own legend.

Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Ocean’s most notorious pirates, she’s survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.

But when she’s tracked down by the obscenely wealthy mother of a former crewman, she’s offered a job no bandit could refuse: retrieve her comrade’s kidnapped daughter for a kingly sum. The chance to have one last adventure with her crew, do right by an old friend, and win a fortune that will secure her family’s future forever? It seems like such an obvious choice that it must be God’s will.

Yet the deeper Amina dives, the more it becomes alarmingly clear there’s more to this job, and the girl’s disappearance, than she was led to believe. For there’s always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savor just a bit more power…and the price might be your very soul.]]> 483 Shannon Chakraborty Rayne 4 2023-favorites 4.25 2023
author: Shannon Chakraborty
name: Rayne
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/04/18
date added: 2023/04/18
shelves: 2023-favorites
review:

]]> 58484148 Godslayers--Zoe Hana Mikuta's high-octane sequel to Gearbreakers--is perfect for fans of Pacific Rim, Pierce Brown's Red Rising Saga, and Marie Lu's Legend series.

The only way to kill a god is from the inside...

The Gearbreakers struck a devastating blow against Godolia on Heavensday, but the cost of victory has been steep. Months later, the few rebels who've managed to escape the tyrannical empire's bloody retribution have fled to the mountains, hunted by the last Zenith--Godolia's only surviving leader.

Eris has been held prisoner since the attack on the capital city, which almost killed her. And she begins to wish it had when she discovers Sona--the girl she loves, the girl she would tear down cities for--also survived, only to be captured and Corrupted by the Zenith. The cybernetic brainwashing that Sona has forcibly undergone now has her believing herself a loyal soldier for Godolia, and Eris' mortal enemy.

With the rebellion shattered and Godolia moving forward with an insidious plan to begin inducting Badlands children into a new Windup Pilot program, the odds have never been more stacked against the Gearbreakers. Their last hope for victory will depend on whether Eris and Sona can somehow find their way back to each other from opposite sides of a war...]]> 416 Zoe Hana Mikuta 1250269520 Rayne 2 3.93 2022
author: Zoe Hana Mikuta
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2023/04/18
date added: 2023/04/18
shelves:
review:
the first one was fun in a mindless-action, anime-ish kind of way. this one just made even more obvious the flaws in the world-building, the characters and the terrible dialogue.
]]> 59440716 A dazzling new fantasy from New York Times and indie bestselling author Joan He, Strike the Zither is a powerful, inventive, and sweeping fantasy that reimagines the Chinese classic tale of the Three Kingdoms.

The year is 414 of the Xin Dynasty, and chaos abounds. A puppet empress is on the throne. The realm has fractured into three factions and three warlordesses hoping to claim the continent for themselves.

But Zephyr knows it's no contest.

Orphaned at a young age, Zephyr took control of her fate by becoming the best strategist of the land and serving under Xin Ren, a warlordess whose loyalty to the empress is double-edged—while Ren's honor draws Zephyr to her cause, it also jeopardizes their survival in a war where one must betray or be betrayed. When Zephyr is forced to infiltrate an enemy camp to keep Ren's followers from being slaughtered, she encounters the enigmatic Crow, an opposing strategist who is finally her match. But there are more enemies than one—and not all of them are human.]]> 368 Joan He 1250258588 Rayne 3
my focus shifted almost immediately after i started reading this novel and it thoroughly failed at holding my attention. i had really enjoyed the author's previous books, so it was disappointing to be so instantly bored, but it could've just been a case of picking up the book at the wrong time. ]]> 3.70 2022
author: Joan He
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2023/04/18
date added: 2023/04/18
shelves:
review:
2.5 stars rounded up because it might've been a me/timing problem

my focus shifted almost immediately after i started reading this novel and it thoroughly failed at holding my attention. i had really enjoyed the author's previous books, so it was disappointing to be so instantly bored, but it could've just been a case of picking up the book at the wrong time.
]]> 58724958 Protect the girls

Arlee Gold is anxious about spending the summer at the college prep Camp Rockaway—the same camp her mother attended years ago, which her mother insists will help give Arlee a “fresh start� and will “change her life.� Little does Arlee know that, once she steps foot on the manicured grounds, this will prove to be true in horrifying ways.

Even though the girls in her cabin are awesome—and she’s developing a major crush on the girl who sleeps in the bunk above her—the other campers seem to be wary of Arlee, unwilling to talk to her or be near her, which only ramps up her paranoia. When she’s tapped to join a strange secret society, Arlee thinks this will be her shot at fitting in...until her new "sisters" ask her to do the unthinkable, putting her life, and the life of her new crush, in perilous danger.]]> 304 Julia Lynn Rubin 1250757290 Rayne 1 3.12 2022
author: Julia Lynn Rubin
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.12
book published: 2022
rating: 1
read at: 2023/02/06
date added: 2023/02/06
shelves:
review:
where is the plot? where is the development? where is...*gestures wildly* anything at all? this reads like a near-incoherent fever dream.
]]> 55923578 A darkly enchanting fantasy debut about a morally gray witch, a cursed prince, and a prophecy that ignites their fate-twisted destinies—perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and Serpent & Dove.

Violet is a prophet and a liar, influencing the royal court with her cleverly phrased—and not always true—divinations. Honesty is for suckers, like the oh-so-not charming Prince Cyrus, who plans to strip Violet of her official role once he’s crowned at the end of the summer—unless Violet does something about it.

But when the king asks her to falsely prophesy Cyrus’s love story for an upcoming ball, Violet awakens a dreaded curse, one that will end in either damnation or salvation for the kingdom—all depending on the prince’s choice of future bride. Violet faces her own choice: Seize an opportunity to gain control of her own destiny, no matter the cost, or give in to the ill-fated attraction that’s growing between her and Cyrus.

Violet’s wits may protect her in the cutthroat court, but they can’t change her fate. And as the boundary between hatred and love grows ever thinner with the prince, Violet must untangle a wicked web of deceit in order to save herself and the kingdom—or doom them all.]]> 364 Gina Chen Rayne 2 3.50 2022
author: Gina Chen
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2023/02/06
date added: 2023/02/06
shelves:
review:
to quote the children, this whole thing was "cringe".
]]> 57503085 The fifth novel in the bestselling and award winning Graceling Realm series focuses on Hava, Queen Bitterblue's spy, and her harrowing journey back to Monsea after the events of 2021's Winterkeep.

In the immediate aftermath of the events of Winterkeep, Bitterblue and her entourage begin the journey back to Monsea with the only copies of the formulas for the zilphium weapon. Bitterblue must decide what she will do with her world-shaping power. But before they've even made it halfway home, storms drive their ship off course and then wrecking them in the ice far north of the Royal Continent. The survivors must make a harrowing trek across the ice in order to make it back to Monsea.

Seasparrow is told entirely from the point of view of Hava, Bitterblue's personal spy and secret half-sister. And while Bitterblue grapples with how to carry the responsibility of a weapon of mass destruction, Hava must decide what she will do with herself in the new world Bitterblue will make.]]> 624 Kristin Cashore 0593616030 Rayne 4 4.06 2022
author: Kristin Cashore
name: Rayne
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/06
date added: 2023/02/06
shelves:
review:
I will read anything and everything Cashore publishes. I just love the strange, more human direction this series took. absolutely adore the more introspective angle, the complex and unlikable heroines, and the lack of heavy romance. over 600 pages that flew by like nothing. more blue foxes, please.
]]> 51828348 300 Melinda Salisbury 1407180290 Rayne 4
pleasantly surprised]]> 3.93 2020
author: Melinda Salisbury
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/06
date added: 2023/02/06
shelves:
review:
3.5 stars

pleasantly surprised
]]> 60320573 Monster. Butcher. Bloodwinn.

Ranka is tired of death. All she wants now is to be left alone, living out her days in Witchik’s wild north with the coven that raised her, attempting to forget the horrors of her past. But when she is named Bloodwinn, the next treaty bride to the human kingdom of Isodal, her coven sends her south with a single directive: kill him. Easy enough, for a blood-witch whose magic compels her to kill.

Except the prince is gentle, kind, and terrified of her. He doesn’t want to marry Ranka; he doesn’t want to be king at all. And it’s his sister—the wickedly smart, infuriatingly beautiful Princess Aramis—who seems to be the real threat.

But when witches start turning up dead, murdered by a mysterious, magical plague, Aramis makes Ranka an offer: help her develop a cure, and in return, she’ll help Ranka learn to contain her deadly magic. As the coup draws nearer and the plague spreads, Ranka is forced to question everything she thought she knew about her power, her past, and who she’s meant to fight for. Soon, she will have to decide between the coven that raised her and the princess who sees beyond the monster they shaped her to be.

But as the bodies pile up, a monster may be exactly what they need.]]> 480 Rebecca Mix 1534493514 Rayne 1 3.74 2022
author: Rebecca Mix
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2022
rating: 1
read at: 2023/02/06
date added: 2023/02/06
shelves:
review:
aside from the racial considerations that people are bringing up in other reviews (which are certainly valid), the book is just bad in basically every other aspect. the worldbuilding is shallow, the politics are near incomprehensible, the characters are underdeveloped and their relationships, but especially the romance, were flatlines for me. the plot twists and character motivations were convoluted and near nonsensical, and I was particularly bothered with the careless way language was used in this novel.
]]> 50485649 Six friends.
One college reunion.
One unsolved murder.

A college reunion turns dark and deadly in this chilling and propulsive suspense novel about six friends, one unsolved murder, and the dark secrets they’ve been hiding from each other—and themselves—for a decade.

Ten years after graduation, Jessica Miller has planned her triumphant return to southern, elite Duquette University, down to the envious whispers that are sure to follow in her wake. Everyone is going to see the girl she wants them to see—confident, beautiful, indifferent—not the girl she was when she left campus, back when Heather’s murder fractured everything, including the tight bond linking the six friends she’d been closest to since freshman year. Ten years ago, everything fell apart, including the dreams she worked for her whole life—and her relationship with the one person she wasn’t supposed to love.

But not everyone is ready to move on. Not everyone left Duquette ten years ago, and not everyone can let Heather’s murder go unsolved. Someone is determined to trap the real killer, to make the guilty pay. When the six friends are reunited, they will be forced to confront what happened that night—and the years� worth of secrets each of them would do anything to keep hidden.

Told in racing dual timelines, with a dark campus setting and a darker look at friendship, love, obsession, and ambition, In My Dreams I Hold A Knife is an addictive, propulsive read you won’t be able to put down.]]> 345 Ashley Winstead 172822988X Rayne 0 3.80 2021
author: Ashley Winstead
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2023/02/06
date added: 2023/02/06
shelves:
review:

]]> 60188249
Winnie Wednesday wants nothing more than to join the Luminaries, the ancient order that protects Winnie's town—and the rest of humanity—from the monsters and nightmares that rise in the forest of Hemlock Falls every night.

Ever since her father was exposed as a witch and a traitor, Winnie and her family have been shunned. But on her sixteenth birthday, she can take the deadly Luminary hunter trials and prove herself true and loyal—and restore her family's good name. Or die trying.

But in order to survive, Winnie enlists the help of the one person who can help her train: Jay Friday, resident bad boy and Winnie’s ex-best friend. While Jay might be the most promising new hunter in Hemlock Falls, he also seems to know more about the nightmares of the forest than he should. Together, he and Winnie will discover a danger lurking in the forest no one in Hemlock Falls is prepared for.

Not all monsters can be slain, and not all nightmares are confined to the dark.]]> 294 Susan Dennard 1250194040 Rayne 2 3.66 2022
author: Susan Dennard
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2023/02/06
date added: 2023/02/06
shelves:
review:
I've read the first book in every one of Dennard's series and I've yet to genuinely enjoy any of them, which is a shame because I actually like her, but I just can't seem to connect with her writing. at least with the first two series it was a matter of taste, not entirely quality, but this one? this one is just undercooked in pretty much every dimension. reads too young, is not original enough and it feels incomplete, both character, world and story-wise. there's just not enough of anything going on in there to make this memorable, remarkable or worth following into further sequels. guess this is where I saw goodbye to Dennard. can't say I didn't try.
]]> 61313902 Eight hours.
Six friends.
One sniper . . .

Eighteen year old Red and her friends are on a road trip in an RV, heading to the beach for Spring Break. It’s a long drive but spirits are high. Until the RV breaks down in the middle of nowhere. There’s no mobile phone reception and nobody around to help. And as the wheels are shot out, one by one, the friends realise that this is no accident. There’s a sniper out there in the dark watching them and he knows exactly who they are. One of the group has a secret that the sniper is willing to kill for.

A game of cat-and-mouse plays out as the group desperately tries to get help and to work out which member of the group is the target. Buried secrets are forced to light in the cramped, claustrophobic setting of the RV, and tensions within the group will reach deadly levels. Not everyone will survive the night.]]> 391 Holly Jackson, Five Survive 0755504402 Rayne 3 kinda dumb but entertaining. 4.09 2022
author: Holly Jackson, Five Survive
name: Rayne
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2023/02/06
date added: 2023/02/06
shelves:
review:
kinda dumb but entertaining.
]]> 52329752 The beach read you have been dying for! When ten of America's hottest teenage influencers are invited to an exclusive island resort, things are sure to get wild. But murder isn't what anyone expected. Will anyone survive?

Everyone knows Unknown Island—it’s the world’s most exclusive destination. Think white sand beaches, turquoise seas, and luxury accommodations. Plus, it’s invite only, no one over twenty-one allowed, and it’s absolutely free. Who wouldn’t want to go?

After launching with a showstopping viral marketing campaign, the whole world is watching as the mysterious resort opens its doors to the First Ten, the ten elite influencers specifically chosen to be the first to experience everything Unknown Island has to offer. You know them. There’s the gamer, the beauty blogger, the rich girl, the superstar, the junior politician, the environmentalist, the DJ, the CEO, the chef, and the athlete.

What they don’t know is that they weren’t invited to Unknown Island for their following—they were invited for their secrets. Everyone is hiding a deadly one, and it looks like someone’s decided it’s payback time. Unknown Island isn’t a vacation, it’s a trap. And it’s beginning to look like the First Ten—no matter how influential—are never coming home.]]> 320 Kate Williams 0593304861 Rayne 4
actually pretty decent retelling of And Then There Were None, although it makes the twist predictable, and pretty solid mystery/thriller on its own right, as I've read several other books in recent months with the exact same premise and this one was executed far better. I do have to say, I wish the deaths hadn't been so rushed and, oftentimes, off-camera, as it made it even harder to care about them. rounding up to four stars for entertainment value. ]]> 3.48 2022
author: Kate Williams
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.48
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/06
date added: 2023/02/06
shelves:
review:
3.5 stars

actually pretty decent retelling of And Then There Were None, although it makes the twist predictable, and pretty solid mystery/thriller on its own right, as I've read several other books in recent months with the exact same premise and this one was executed far better. I do have to say, I wish the deaths hadn't been so rushed and, oftentimes, off-camera, as it made it even harder to care about them. rounding up to four stars for entertainment value.
]]> 55959425 The past never forgets...

Before an ambush by enemy soldiers, Lord Cassia was an engineer's apprentice on a mission entrusted by the king. But when plague sweeps over the land, leaving countless dead and devastating the kingdom, even Cas� title cannot save him from a rotting prison cell and a merciless sickness.

Three years later, Cas wants only to return to his home in the mountains and forget past horrors. But home is not what he remembers. His castle has become a refuge for the royal court. And they have brought their enemies with them.

When an assassin targets those closest to the queen, Cas is drawn into a search for a killer� one that leads him to form an unexpected bond with a brilliant young historian named Lena. Cas and Lena soon realize that who is behind the attacks is far less important than why. They must look to the past, following the trail of a terrible secret—one that could threaten the kingdom’s newfound peace and plunge it back into war.]]> 324 Makiia Lucier 0358272092 Rayne 4 4.04 2021
author: Makiia Lucier
name: Rayne
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/06
date added: 2023/02/06
shelves:
review:
nothing like what I expected, but in a good way. even if the resolution was kind of rushed and the magical/supernatural aspect was completely unnecessary to the main story.
]]> 60011125
This hilarious, fresh take on a classic vampire tale follows a pair of hundred-year-old teenage vampires who are turned mortal and must face the greatest nightmare of all—high school.

Charlie and her brother, Reg, have been vampires for…a very long time. For a century, they enjoyed the glitz and glamour of life as members of the wealthiest vampire clan. But now, after one careless mistake, they’ve been expelled from the vampire community and dumped in the middle of Nowhere, Iowa, to live as mortals.

Suddenly Charlie has to deal with zits, tears, and—worst of all—high school. But things start to change when she and Reg find a group of friends, including the deliciously good-looking Dexter. And though Charlie would give anything to be vampire again, she begins to appreciate some of the new experiences that humanity brings too.

But nothing could make them forget the life they’ve left behind. When they’re offered a second shot at immortality, Charlie is desperate to seize it. It’ll just mean a total betrayal of all her new friends, who will have their minds wiped of their memories of her. She can handle that if it means she can live forever…right?]]> 368 Erin Jade Lange 0063219115 Rayne 3
this was just fine. nothing special or particularly memorable about it at all. but I read this was supposed to be like What We Do In the Shadows and let's just say the book falls really short on that comparison. ]]> 3.51 2022
author: Erin Jade Lange
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2023/02/06
date added: 2023/02/06
shelves:
review:
2.5 stars

this was just fine. nothing special or particularly memorable about it at all. but I read this was supposed to be like What We Do In the Shadows and let's just say the book falls really short on that comparison.
]]> 60495147
Relief comes when David invites Stevie and her friends to join him for study abroad, and his new friend Izzy introduces her to a double-murder cold case. In 1995, nine friends from Cambridge University went to a country house and played a drunken game of hide-and-seek. Two were found in the woodshed the next day, murdered with an ax.

The case was assumed to be a burglary gone wrong, but one of the remaining seven saw something she can’t explain. This was no break-in. Someone’s lying about what happened in the woodshed.

Seven suspects. Two murders. One killer still playing a deadly game.]]> 445 Maureen Johnson 0063032651 Rayne 3 3.79 2022
author: Maureen Johnson
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2023/02/06
date added: 2023/02/06
shelves:
review:
I've loved these books for a while and eagerly look forward to each new installment, but this time around the mystery took a back seat, the actual mystery solving was held together by a thread and the focus on the romance was unbearable. Of course I'm reading the next one, as they are still incredibly fun and I am loving the standalone mystery aspect of each book, but less David drama next time, please.
]]> 59816818
When Springville residents—at least the ones still alive—are questioned about what happened on prom night, they all have the same explanation � Maddy did it.

An outcast at her small-town Georgia high school, Madison Washington has always been a teasing target for bullies. And she's dealt with it because she has more pressing problems to manage. Until the morning a surprise rainstorm reveals her most closely kept secret: Maddy is biracial. She has been passing for white her entire life at the behest of her fanatical white father, Thomas Washington.

After a viral bullying video pulls back the curtain on Springville High's racist roots, student leaders come up with a plan to host the school's first integrated prom as a show of unity. The popular white class president convinces her Black superstar quarterback boyfriend to ask Maddy to be his date, leaving Maddy wondering if it's possible to have a normal life.

But some of her classmates aren't done with her just yet. And what they don't know is that Maddy still has another secret � one that will cost them all their lives. "]]> 416 Tiffany D. Jackson 0063029146 Rayne 0 4.18 2022
author: Tiffany D. Jackson
name: Rayne
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2022/12/31
date added: 2022/12/31
shelves:
review:

]]> 56905125
Maxwell Oliver is supposed to be enjoying the summer before his senior year, spending his days thinking about parties and friends. Instead he's taking care of his little sister while his mom slowly becomes someone he doesn't recognize. Soon he suspects that what he thought was grief over his father's death might be something more...sinister.

When Maxwell and Vera join forces, they come face to face with deeply disturbing true stories of cults, death worship, and the very nature that drives people to evil.]]> 336 Diana Rodriguez Wallach 0593427513 Rayne 0 3.72 2021
author: Diana Rodriguez Wallach
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2022/12/31
date added: 2022/12/31
shelves:
review:

]]> 54860447 A queer YA #MeToo reimagining of Thelma & Louise with the aesthetic of Riverdale, for fans of Mindy McGinnis, Courtney Summers, and Rory Power.

When Trixie picks up her best friend Lux for their weekend getaway, she’s looking to escape for a little while, to forget the despair of being trapped in their dead-end Rust Belt town and the daunting responsibility of caring for her ailing mother. The girls are packing light: a supply of Diet Coke for Lux and her �89 Canon to help her frame the world in a sunnier light; half a pack of cigarettes for Trixie that she doesn’t really smoke, and a knife—one she’s just hanging on to for a friend—that she’s never used before.

But a single night of violence derails their trip and will forever change the course of the girls� lives, as they go from ordinary high schoolers to wanted fugitives. Trying to stay ahead of the cops and a hellscape of media attention, the girls grapple with an unforgiving landscape, rapidly diminishing supplies, and disastrous decisions at every turn. As they are transformed by the media into the face of a #MeToo movement they didn’t ask to lead and the road before them begins to run out, Trixie and Lux realize that they can only rely on each other, and that the love they find together is the one thing that truly makes them free.

In rushing, powerful prose Julia Lynn Rubin takes readers on “a blistering, unapologetic thrill ride� (Emma Berquis) that will leave them haunted and reeling. Trouble Girls is “a powerful, beautifully-written gut punch� (Sophie Gonzales).]]> 272 Julia Lynn Rubin 125075724X Rayne 0 3.31 2021
author: Julia Lynn Rubin
name: Rayne
average rating: 3.31
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2022/12/31
date added: 2022/12/31
shelves:
review:

]]>