Review: Some Shall Break (None Shall Sleep #2) by Ellie Marney

Title: Some Shall Break

Series: None Shall Sleep #2

Previous book in this series: None Shall Sleep

Author: Ellie Marney

Genre: YA, mystery thriller

Publication date: June 2023

Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis: This electrifying, chilling sequel to the New York Times bestselling thriller None Shall Sleep focuses on junior FBI consultants Travis Bell and Emma Lewis with a new case that may unravel everything they’ve been working for.

After a harrowingly close contact with juvenile sociopath Simon Gutmunsson, junior FBI consultants Emma Lewis and Travis Bell went their separate ways: Emma rejected her Quantico offer and Travis stayed to train within a new unit of the FBI Behavioral Science division. But the unit’s latest case is feeling eerily familiar and Kristin Gutmunsson—Simon Gutmunsson’s eccentric twin—reaches out to Travis to send a warning: Emma is in peril.

When Travis and Kristin turn up evidence that points back to Daniel Huxton, the serial killer that Emma had escaped, things become more complicated. With a copycat on the loose, Emma returns to Quantico and is thrown back into her past traumas. Compelled to prevent more tragedy—even if it means putting herself in danger—Emma turns to Simon for help once again. But Simon is keeping secrets that could impact their entire investigation. Will the team be able to stop the Huxton copycat before time runs out for his next victims?

My rating: ★★★★★

I really enjoyed None Shall Sleep, but this book? I loved this book!

Review: None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney

Title: None Shall Sleep

Series: None Shall Sleep #1

Author: Ellie Marney

Genre: YA, mystery thriller

Publication date: September 2020

Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Source: Purchased hardcover

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Synopsis: A psychological thriller about two teenagers teaming up with the FBI to track down juvenile serial killers.

In 1982, two teenagers—serial killer survivor Emma Lewis and US Marshal candidate Travis Bell—are recruited by the FBI to interview convicted juvenile killers and provide insight and advice on cold cases. From the start, Emma and Travis develop a quick friendship, gaining information from juvenile murderers that even the FBI can't crack. But when the team is called in to give advice on an active case—a serial killer who exclusively hunts teenagers—things begin to unravel. Working against the clock, they must turn to one of the country's most notorious incarcerated murderers for help: teenage sociopath Simon Gutmunsson.

Despite Travis's objections, Emma becomes the conduit between Simon and the FBI team. But while Simon seems to be giving them the information they need to save lives, he's an expert manipulator playing a very long game... and he has his sights set on Emma.

Captivating, harrowing, and chilling, None Shall Sleep is an all-too-timely exploration of not only the monsters that live among us but also the monsters that live inside us.

My rating: ★★★★☆

A girl created by a serial killer who hunts serial killers.

If you're a fan of Criminal Minds like I am, then this is the book for you! It gave me some serious Criminal Minds vibes and I loved it!

Review: MARY: Unleashed (Bloody Mary #2) by Hillary Monahan

Title: MARY: Unleashed

Series: Bloody Mary #2

Previous book in this series: MARY: The Summoning

Author: Hillary Monahan

Genre: YA, horror

Publication date: September 2015

Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis:

Mary in the mirror.
Mary in the glass.
Mary in the water.

Mary lurks in the emptiness, in the darkness... in the reflection. That is, until Jess unleashes her into the world. Now Mary Worth is out and her haunting is deadlier than ever.

No one is safe.

Shauna, Kitty, and Jess must band together to unearth the truth about Mary's death to put her soul to rest for good. Their search leads them back to where it all began-to Solomon's Folly, a place as dangerous as the ghost who died there a century and a half ago. Quick sand, hidden traps and a phantom fog are the least of their worries. To stop Mary, they need to follow a dark string of clues and piece together a gruesome mystery that spans generations.

But time is running out.

As chilling facts come to light, Mary inches ever closer to her prey. Can Jess, Shauna, and Kitty break Mary's curse before it's too late? Or will history repeat itself until there is no one left to call her name...?

My rating: ★★★★☆

“If you don't want to get attacked by a ghost, don’t summon one.”

I really liked the first book in this duology—I remember it being pretty scary. And this one was not bad either! Although throughout most of this book, I couldn't really remember what happened in the last one. I mean, I had a vague understanding, but I just didn’t want to re-read book one beforehand. There was a super quick recap, which I appreciated, but I honestly don’t think my mind was jogged sufficiently 😂 We really need a “previously on” in books 😂

Review: Lucky Day (I Hunt Killers #0.2) by Barry Lyga

Title: Lucky Day

Series: I Hunt Killers #0.2

Novellas in this series: Down Time (#0.1)

Author: Barry Lyga

Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller

Publication date: April 2014

Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Source: Purchased ebook

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Synopsis:

This is the story of the small town sheriff who captured one of the world's most ruthless and cunning murderers.

It all started with Dead Girl #1 and Dead Girl #2, the first killings in the sleepy town of Lobo's Nod in decades. Two murders: just a coincidence, or something more sinister? One thing's for sure -- it was definitely inconvenient in a year when Sheriff G. William Tanner, a mourning widower, had to run for reelection.

With a trail gone cold, it's only luck that links the murders to the most notorious serial killer in memory. And in a town like Lobo's Nod, the killer must be someone Tanner already knows...

My rating: ★★★★☆

This is the story of the small town sheriff who captured one of the world's most ruthless and cunning murderers.

It was very interesting seeing how Billy Dent was finally captured after so many murders. There was a certain detail that propelled things forward and the sheriff completely missed it! I kept asking myself how he didn’t see that in the first place, but of course, I gotta cut him some slack since we knew what we were looking for.

Review: The Diviners by Libba Bray

Title: The Diviners

Series: The Diviners #1

Author: Libba Bray

Genre: YA, mystery, historical

Publication date: December 2013

Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Source: Owned paperback

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Synopsis:

Do you believe there are ghosts and demons and Diviners among us?

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It's 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.

Evie worries he'll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.

As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfurl in the city that never sleeps. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened...

My rating: ★★★☆☆
This book was weird in that I didn’t like it... but I did?

Review: Loki's Wolves (The Blackwell Pages #1) by K.L. Armstrong & M.A. Marr

Title: Loki's Wolves

Series: The Blackwell Pages #1

Author: K.L. Armstrong (AKA Kelley Armstrong) & M.A. Marr (AKA Melissa Marr)

Genre: Middle grade, urban fantasy, Norse mythology

Publication date: May 2013

Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Source: Won ARC in giveaway

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Synopsis:

In Viking times, Norse myths predicted the end of the world, an event called Ragnarok, that only the gods can stop. When this apocalypse happens, the gods must battle the monsters--wolves the size of the sun, serpents that span the seabeds, all bent on destroying the world.

The gods died a long time ago.

Matt Thorsen knows every Norse myth, saga, and god as if it was family history--because it is family history. Most people in the modern-day town of Blackwell, South Dakota, in fact, are direct descendants of either Thor or Loki, including Matt's classmates Fen and Laurie Brekke.

However, knowing the legends and completely believing them are two different things. When the rune readers reveal that Ragnarok is coming and kids--led by Matt--will stand in for the gods in the final battle, he can hardly believe it. Matt, Laurie, and Fen's lives will never be the same as they race to put together an unstoppable team to prevent the end of the world.

My rating: ★★★★★
I absolutely LOVED this book! I was so excited when I found out about it... I have not read any of Melissa's books, but I love Kelley's Darkest Powers and Darkness Rising series, AND I love mythology! Right then I knew I HAD to read this book! So, imagine my excitement when I got home from school one day and found an ARC waiting for me! Apparently, I won it in a giveaway and I didn't even have a clue about it! It totally made my day :)

Review: Monster High by Lisi Harrison

Title: Monster High

Series: Monster High #1

Author: Lisi Harrison

Genre: YA, paranormal

Publication date: September 2010

Published by: Poppy

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis:

From Lisi Harrison, the New York Times bestselling author of The Clique and Alphas, comes a new series with a fresh twist on high school, romance, and the horrors of trying to fit in.
They prefer to call themselves RAD (Regular Attribute Dodgers), but some call them monsters. So far, the "monster" community has kept a low profile in Salem, but this year two new girls enroll at Master High School, and the town will never be the same.

Created just fifteen days ago, Frankie Stein is psyched to trade her father's formaldehyde-smelling basement lab for parties and cheerleading. But with a student body totally freaked out by rumors of monsters who might be stalking the halls, Frankie finds that life in the "normi" world can be rough for a chic freak like her.

She thinks she finds a friend in fellow new student Melody Carver--but can a normi be trusted with her big secret?

My rating: ★★★★☆
I found out about this book through a TV commercial. Yeah, weird, I know lol. It was a commercial about a website for kids where they can play games and whatnot (www.monsterhigh.com). It featured a lot of cool paranormal creatures, ranging from vampires to werewolves, mummies, and even Frankie Stein herself. I always thought that was pretty cool…and later I find out that there are actually books! But Monster High wasn’t exactly what I expected. Is that a bad thing? No. I actually really liked the book! :)