Review: How to Survive Your Murder by Danielle Valentine

Title: How to Survive Your Murder

Author: Danielle Valentine

Genre: YA, mystery thriller

Publication date: August 2022

Published by: Razorbill

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis: Alice Lawrence is the sole witness in her sister’s murder trial.

And in the year since Claire’s death, Alice’s life has completely fallen apart. Her parents have gotten divorced, she’s moved into an apartment that smells like bologna, and she is being forced to face her sister’s killer and a courtroom full of people who doubt what she saw in the corn maze a year prior.

Claire was an all-American girl, beautiful and bubbly, and a theater star. Alice was a nerd who dreamed of becoming a forensic pathologist and would rather stay at home to watch her favorite horror movies than party. Despite their differences, they were bonded by sisterhood and were each other’s best friends.

Until Claire was taken away from her.

On the first day of the murder trial, as Alice prepares to give her testimony, she is knocked out by a Sidney Prescott look-alike in the courthouse bathroom. When she wakes up, it is Halloween night a year earlier, the same day Claire was murdered. Alice has until midnight to save her sister and find the real killer before he claims another victim.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

If you don't come with me, I might die.
Those were the last words my sister ever said to me.

I have not had very good luck with these sorts of horror books where the protagonist is a huge horror movie fan. They always claim to be experts in the genre and then fail spectacularly at being a final girl when being put in that position. Maybe it’s because they’re in the middle of all the chaos, but it’s just so annoying how dumb they are. And the protagonist in this was no different.

Review: Flirting with Fate by J.C. Cervantes

Title: Flirting with Fate

Author: J.C. Cervantes (pen name of Jennifer Cervantes)

Genre: YA, contemporary romance

Publication date: April 2022

Published by: Razorbill

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis: Ava Granados will never forgive herself for being late to her beloved nana's deathbed. But due to a flash flood that left Ava in a fender bender with a mysterious boy, she missed her grandmother's mystical blessing—one that has been passed between the women of her family upon death for generations.

Then Nana's ghost appears with a challenge from beyond the grave. As it turns out, Nana did give Ava a blessing, but it missed its target, landing with the boy from the night of the storm instead. Was it fate? Ava refuses to believe so. With the help of her sisters and Nana's rather bumbling spiritual guide, she's determined to reclaim her share of the family magic and set Nana free.

For guarded Ava, befriending some random boy is the last thing she wants to do. She's gotten along just fine protecting her heart--keeping people at a distance is a great way to ensure no one ever hurts you. But as Ava embarks on her mission to retrieve the lost blessing, she starts to wonder if getting close to thunderstorm boy is worth the risk.

My rating: ★★★★☆

On July 7 at precisely 9:01 p.m., a boundless, unforeseen storm claimed one life, two hearts, and six destinies.

I don’t read a lot of contemporaries but this book had a lot of different things that really appealed to me: first of all, it had a little bit of a supernatural twist with Nana passing on gifts to her granddaughters upon her death.

Review: Lying in the Deep by Diana Urban

Title: Lying in the Deep

Author: Diana Urban

Genre: YA, mystery thriller

Publication date: May 2nd 2023

Published by: Razorbill

Source: eARC for review from publisher via Netgalley

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Synopsis: A juicy mystery of jealousy, love, and betrayal set on a Semester at Sea-inspired cruise ship, with a diverse cast of delightfully suspicious characters who’ll leave you guessing with every jaw-dropping twist.

After being jilted by her ex-boyfriend and best friend, Jade couldn't be more ready to embark on the adventure of a lifetime—11 countries in 4 months, all from the luxurious Campus on Board ship—and to wedge an entire globe between her and the people who broke her heart.

But when Jade discovers the backstabbing couple are also setting sail, her obsession with them grows and festers, leading to a shocking murder. And as their friends begin to drop like flies, Jade and her new crush must race to clear her name and find the killer they’re trapped at sea with... before anyone else winds up in body bags.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

I was really looking forward to this book because it sounded very Suite Life on Deck, but you know, with murder. Lol. But I don't know... I didn't end up enjoying it as much as I thought I would.

Review: The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

Title: The Space Between

Author: Brenna Yovanoff

Genre: YA, paranormal

Publication date: November 2011

Published by: Razorbill

Source: Owned Hardcover

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Synopsis:

Everything is made of steel, even the flowers. How can you love anything in a place like this?

Daphne is the half-demon, half-fallen angel daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. Life for her is an endless expanse of time, until her brother Obie is kidnapped - and Daphne realizes she may be partially responsible. Determined to find him, Daphne travels from her home in Pandemonium to the vast streets of Earth, where everything is colder and more terrifying. With the help of the human boy she believes was the last person to see her brother alive, Daphne glimpses into his dreams, discovering clues to Obie's whereabouts. As she delves deeper into her demonic powers, she must navigate the jealousies and alliances of the violent archangels who stand in her way. But she also discovers, unexpectedly, what it means to love and be human in a world where human is the hardest thing to be.

My rating: ★★★★★
The Space Between was so amazing and heartbreaking--I loved it! I find the Lilith myth very intriguing, and that is one of the things that finally made me pick up this book. That and the fact that our main character Daphne is daughter of the demon Lilith and fallen angel Lucifer, yes please! I seriously loved the mythology in this book!

Review: Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow

Title: Strange Angels

Series: Strange Angels #1

Author: Lili St. Crow

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: May 2009

Published by: Razorbill

Source: Owned paperback

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Synopsis:

Dru Anderson has what her grandmother called “the touch.” (Comes in handy when you’re traveling from town to town with your dad, hunting ghosts, suckers, wulfen, and the occasional zombie.)

Then her dad turns up dead—but still walking—and Dru knows she’s next. Even worse, she’s got two guys hungry for her affections, and they’re not about to let the fiercely independent Dru go it alone. Will Dru discover just how special she really is before coming face-to-fang with whatever—or whoever— is hunting her?

My rating: ★★★☆☆

My father went way-out wack after my mom died and now he travels around hunting things that go bump in the night... --Dru

Basically this:



But now Dru's dad is also dead... err, undead.




Does this sound familiar to anyone else?? It's basically Supernatural, in book form! I was shocked to see so many similarities between the show and this book. It was crazy!

Review: Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3) by Richelle Mead

Title: Shadow Kiss

Series: Vampire Academy #3

Previous books in this series: Vampire Academy (#1) | Frostbite (#2)

Author: Richelle Mead

Genre: YA, paranormal romance

Publication date: November 2008

Published by: Razorbill

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis:

Is Rose's fate to kill the person she loves most? It's springtime at St. Vladimir's Academy, and Rose Hathaway is this close to graduation. Since Mason's death, Rose hasn't been feeling quite right. She has dark flashbacks in the middle of practice, can't concentrate in class, and has terrifying dreams about Lissa. But Rose has an even "bigger" secret . . . .She's in love with Dimitri. And this time, it's way more than a crush. Then Strigoi target the academy in the deadliest attack in Moroi history, and Dimitri is taken. Rose must protect Lissa at all costs, but keeping her best friend safe could mean losing Dimitri forever...

My rating: ★★★★★
Rose cant be with Dimitri, and her best friend Mason, who also loved her, died (I miss him!) Things cant possibly get any worse...only they do.

Review: Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2) by Richelle Mead

Title: Frostbite

Series: Vampire Academy #2

Previous book in this series: Vampire Academy

Author: Richelle Mead

Genre: YA, paranormal romance

Publication date: April 2008

Published by: Razorbill

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis:

Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose...

It’s winter break at St. Vladimir’s, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy’s crawling with Guardians—including Rose’s hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn’t bad enough, Rose’s tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason’s got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa’s head while she’s making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy’s not taking any risks... This year, St. Vlad’s annual holiday ski trip is mandatory.

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price...

My rating: ★★★★☆
After a Strigoi attack (which Rose and Dimitri witnessed the aftermath of), the school goes under extreme lock down with extreme security. I know, its extreme! lol. The school is packed with guardians...including Rose's famous mother O.O Yeah, that was as interesting as it sounds, lol. I know they don't get along...but whoa! Anyway, to keep students extra safe, they decided to go to a ski resort place for winter break. If they only knew what would happen...

Review: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Title: Vampire Academy

Series: Vampire Academy #1

Prequel story: Sunshine

Author: Richelle Mead

Genre: YA, paranormal romance

Publication date: August 2007

Published by: Razorbill

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis:

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger...

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

My rating: ★★★★☆
I’m not a big fan of vampire books, so I usually tend to stay away from them. And I know I sound like a hypocrite ‘cause I used to be a huge Twilight freak (don’t worry, that phase of my life has passed :P lol). But the fact that vampires drink human blood is what bothers me the most. And since the Cullen’s in Twilight were “vegetarians” and only drank animal blood, I was okay with that. Now let’s get one thing straight, it’s not that blood grosses me out or bothers me; I’m going into the medical field, so I obviously have to be okay around blood. In fact, I have seen a real life open heart surgery and a C-section (and by the way, both were totally awesome and an amazing experience), so no, blood is not a problem for me. I just don’t like that vampires need human blood to survive. *shivers* But that’s just my opinion :)