Review of Juliet by Anne Fortier

Title/Author: Juliet by Anne Fortier
Publisher/Date published: Harper, August 19th 2010
How I got this book: got it with a giftcard which I'd gotten for my birthday last year :) People give me books for my birthday! Yay!

Goodreads summary: "Of all the great love stories ever told, hers is perhaps the most famous. To me, she is the key to my family's fate. To you, she is Juliet.
When Julie Jacobs leaves for Italy per the instructions of her late aunt's will, she never imagines that she'll be thrust into a centuries-old feud, not to mention one of the most legendary romances of all time. However, as she uncovers the story of her ancestor, Giulietta, whose love for a man named Romeo proved ill-fated, Julie finds herself increasingly under threat, and can't help but feel that the past and present are very much connected."

Let me just start by saying how completely amazing this book was!! I so LOVED reading this book! I even wanted to slow down and just savor it instead of devouring it, but in the end the need to know what happened won out.

The writing was absolutely beautiful and I found myself getting lost in both present-day Sienna and the Sienna of the past. Seriously, old European cities are the best kind of setting for a book. Especially a city as romantic as Sienna. Or it sounded completely romantic in the book. I now feel a burning need to visit Italy (Sienna, Rome, Verona... ALL OF IT!).

I have to admit I've never read Romeo and Juliet or seen the play, but I know the gist of the story, which was enough. I had however heard rumours before that maybe Shakespeare didn't write all of his work himself and this novel presents an interesting idea: what if the tragic story was based on actual events? And what if the real Romeo and Guillietta lived in Sienna? And what if their descendants to this day aren't freed of the curse?

Gosh, it was just amazing! I loved Julie (or Guillietta), the main character, I felt I could really connect with her and to me that's SO important! I also really liked Alessandro, the mysterious guy with LOTS of secrets. So I guessed one big one pretty early on, there were still some others that I didn't expect.

I loved the romance and the whole plot with incredible twists! This book was such a treat! And it was a story within a story, don't you just love those? And I now have a new holiday destination for next year!

Seriously, if you're into historical fiction with some romance on the side, this is the perfect read for you! I'm gonna go check if Fortier has some other books coming out (this was her debut) for me to gush over :)

My rating: 5+ stars

Review of A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Title/Author: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Publisher/Date published: Bloomsbury, first published in 2007
How I got this book: bought it 3 years ago (it almost made the Top Ten Tuesday list of books collecting dust on my shelf)
Why I read this book: it fit nicely into a challenge from the College Students group and I always meant to read it anyway.

Goodreads summary: "Set like its predecessor in war-torn Afghanistan, A Thousand Splendid Suns uses that tumultuous backdrop to render the heroic plight of two women of different generations married to the same savagely abusive male. Born out of wedlock, Mariam was forced to marry 40-year-old Rasheed when she was only 15. Then, 18 years later, her still childless husband angrily takes an even younger wife. Hosseini renders the story of Mariam and her "sister/daughter," Laila, with persuasive detail and consummate humanity. Their abject situation leaves them no emotional space for idle philosophizing; their resistance is from the very core of their being."

I've heard people rave about Hosseini's books, both the Kite Runner and this one. And while I haven't read the Kite Runner, I can honestly say that this one deserves the praise. My copy had 387 pages and the story never once seemed to drag. I immediatley felt connected to Mariam.

From a young age, she hasn't had an easy life. And it doesn't really get better for her. I was SOO rooting for her to find happiness and someone to love who she wouldn't be taken away from. I felt she had such a big heart and so much love to give, but was never given the chance. Mariam is a really strong woman, she's faced every hardship coming her way and she really is someone to look up to.
***SPOILER ALERT, light up to read***
OMG, I cried when she was executed! She was so brave and such a beautiful person. I so wanted her and Laila's escape to work and for Mariam to finally get a break.
**END of spoiler***

I don't know very much about Afghanistan as a country. I know about the war and I know what's shown on television, but that's not what makes a country the way it is. This book has shown me its history and the daily life of someone who lives there and I really appreciate the view from this point.

The romance between Laila and Tariq was beautiful. I also really enjoyed the slowly developing friendship between Laila and Mariam, both brave women that find a way to make a life together, even with an abusive husband.

I loved the quote the book's title refers to:
"One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls."
Beautiful.

I absolutely loved this book, for me it lived up to the hype and I immediately passed it on to my mother, who I'm sure will enjoy it as well.

My rating: 5 stars

The Wild Rose by Jennifer Donnelly

Title/Author: The Wild Rose (The Tea Rose #3) by Jennifer Donnelly
Publisher/Date published: Hyperion, August 2nd 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "London, 1914. World War I is looming on the horizon, women are fighting for the right to vote, and global explorers are pushing the limits of endurance at the Poles and in the deserts. Into this volatile time, Jennifer Donnelly places her vivid and memorable characters:
- Willa Alden, a passionate mountain climber who lost her leg while climbing Kilimanjaro with Seamus Finnegan, and who will never forgive him for saving her life.
- Seamus Finnegan, a polar explorer who tries to forget Willa as he marries a beautiful young woman back home in England.
- Max von Brandt, a handsome sophisticate who courts high society women, but who has a secret agenda as a German spy;
- and many others."

Ok, so I read The Tea Rose, which is the first book in the series about 8 to 9 years ago I think. Let's just say it's been awhile and that it was in the era before I discovered Goodreads. And my mind is a little fuzzy on what I thought of it exactly, except that I liked it, enjoyed reading it.

I didn't really remember much about the storyline, except that it had Jack the Ripper in it, and that was about it. So I had a bit trouble starting off, cause though the book explains all the relationships and summarizes what happened in the past, it would have been handier if I actually remembered it all. Don't let it deter you from reading this if you haven't read the other two. Everything is understandable, but there are a LOT of people in these books and I needed to get into it a bit further and then felt very comfortable there.

Because that is what this is: a very comfortable read. For most of the book anyway. That doesn't mean nothing shocking happens, cause shocking things do happen, but well, this book felt like having tea with my mother. Relaxing, fun. This book has the time to be leisure, it's pretty big. But I like my books kinda big.

Some things that bothered me: Seamus being called Seamie. He's a big, strong man. Let's just call him Seamus and not baby him. And I hope they caught this in the finished copy: somewhere along they talk about Willa's 'ankles', plural. And she lost one of her legs, so she only has the one. I know, details, but it bugged me.
And well, let's just say that some deaths were a bit too convenient for my taste.

BUT: very enjoyable story, you may want to take your time to read this, because it's big and there are many characters for you to enjoy. I did. Go read it, or the other two books in the series (I actually have #2 sitting on my shelf...).

My rating: 4 stars

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson

Title/Author: Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson
Publisher/Date published: HarperCollins, June 1st 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Christine wakes up every morning in an unfamiliar bed with an unfamiliar man. She looks in the mirror and sees an unfamiliar, middle-aged face. And every morning, the man she has woken up with must explain that he is Ben, he is her husband, she is forty-seven years old, and a terrible accident two decades earlier decimated her ability to form new memories.
But it’s the phone call from a Dr. Nash, a neurologist who claims to be working with Christine without her husband’s knowledge, that directs her to her journal, hidden in the back of her closet. For the past few weeks, Christine has been recording her daily activities — tearful mornings with Ben, sessions with Dr. Nash, flashes of scenes from her former life — and rereading past entries, relearning the facts of her life as retold by the husband she is completely dependent upon. As the entries build up, Christine asks many questions. What was life like before the accident? Why did she and Ben never have a child? What has happened to Christine’s best friend? And what exactly was the horrific accident that caused such a profound loss of memory?
Every day, Christine must begin again the reconstruction of her past. And the closer she gets to the truth, the more unbelievable it seems."

Oh my gosh, it would be so scary to wake up every day and not know where you are, why there is a man in bed beside you you can't remember meeting and then finding out that you're more than 20 years older than you thought you'd be...

This is what Christine faces every day. And it's scary. And it forces her to depend on Ben, the man she wakes next to every day, who says he is her husband. Though she has no memories of a marriage or their relationship whatsoever. Given that every day she's told or tells herself through her diary what's happened to her, I think she copes pretty well. Sort of like the movie Fifty First Dates, only creepy. VERY creepy.

Throughout the whole novel I had the feeling something was wrong, and well, of course given the summary something IS definitely wrong. And I kept on guessing what it was, and yes, I also got it right somewhere in those guesses. If I ever develop a mental illness, I think it would be extreme paranoia; I see conspiracies everywhere.

I had a hard time not skipping to the end to find out what had really happened the night Christine became an amnesiac. OMG, it took so loooooong to get to the point where I knew! I mean, really long! And sometimes the plot barely seemed to crawl forward. But in the end, slowly but surely, we got there and I loved it! It was so creepy! I don't read creepy books often, because well, I get scared easily, but I really enjoyed this one. Even though the suspense sometimes turned more into a sort of stretched thin little band that made me want to just skip ahead 20 or so pages.

The plot is wonderfully complicated and I really enjoyed discovering everything that had happened. BUT this book also made me sigh in frustration when it happened so slowly!
So I'd say: read it if you like intricate, suspenseful stories, but not if you want instant gratification.

My rating: 3,5 stars

These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf

Title/Author: These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf
Publisher/Date published: March 1st 2011, MIRA (Harlequin)
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "When teenager Allison Glenn is sent to prison for a heinous crime, she leaves behind her reputation as Linden Falls' golden girl forever. Her parents deny the existence of their once-perfect child. Her former friends exult her downfall. Her sister, Brynn, faces whispered rumors every day in the hallways of their small Iowa high school. It's Brynn — shy, quiet Brynn — who carries the burden of what really happened that night. All she wants is to forget Allison and the past that haunts her.
But then Allison is released to a halfway house, and is more determined than ever to speak with her estranged sister.
Now their legacy of secrets is focused on one little boy. And if the truth is revealed, the consequences will be unimaginable for the adoptive mother who loves him, the girl who tried to protect him and the two sisters who hold the key to all that is hidden."

I think this book will haunt me for some time.

At first, I had a hard time getting into the story. It switches point of view constantly and therefore I didn't connect to the characters like I would have wanted to. After finishing it, I totally get why the author did this, but at the time it was a bit much for me.

We follow 4 different women, all with their own struggles to face. It was a bit hard to see the big picture with these alternate tellings of the story, but I got used to it and enjoyed this slowly unraveling tale.

I was ready to yell at the book (yes, I do that some time), to hurry up and tell me what happened already! Which means I got engaged in the end, which is what matters in my opinion.

I don't want to give anything away, but what really happened that night? It's horrifying and Oh my gosh, I did not see that ending coming! I did have a nagging feeling that there was something I was missing throughout a huge part of the book, props to the author for not giving it away until the last minute! I am horribly accurate at guessing what the plot point will be.

This is far darker than the books I usually read, but I really enjoyed it and like I said at the beginning: it will haunt me for some time to come.

My rating: 4 stars

Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella

Title/Author: Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella
Publisher/Date published: the House of Books B.V., first published in 2003
How I got this book: bought it cause I couldn't resist the nice shiny cover
Why I read this book: I reread it for a challenge

I've read this book for the second time and I loved it again. I first read it in 2006 or 2007, back when I read a load of chicklit on a regular basis. A lot of them haven't really stayed with me, but this one has. I must say that besides her Shopaholic series, I've loved every one of Sophie Kinsella's (or Madeleine Wickham's) books. They all have really likeable heroines, cute guys and great plots and are just relaxing reads. I always feel like I'm hanging out with one of my friends when I read one of her books and I think that's what chicklit is supposed to do. She and Jill Mansell are among my instant-buys when it comes to this genre. I'd totally recommend them, especially as beachreads.

But onto this one: Emma is a girl who keeps a little secrets like every other girl. There are those things you think about but never ever tell anyone else, except maybe your best girl friend and maybe not even her. Until she panicks on an airplane ride, thinking the plane will crash, and tells all to the man sitting next to her. Every emberassing little detail about her life. After she can't believe herself, but luckily he's a total stranger and she'll never have to look him in the eye again.
Except she's dead wrong about this and he turns out to be her new boss, who flew in from America to see to the English office. And he remembers. Everything.
How will she ever live this down?

This book is just hilarious. I had so much fun rereading it! I've been so caught up in romance books and YA and the occasional classic or Oprah-approved book that I forgot how much fun chicklit can be! Granted, there are lesser ones, but Kinsella is really good at what she does.

Emma is a really likeable character, she is so human with all her little secrets and the mortification she feels at facing the man who know every last one of them. I love that she takes her anger on one of her colleagues out on her plant, feeding him orange juice. And that she thinks her boyfriend looks like Ken, from Barbie.
And then she has the ones that are real, like the fact that she never told her parents she thinks they love her cousin, who lived with them since she was 13, more than her and that she feels intimidated by said cousin's success.

And she has the most amazing chemistry with Jack, her boss, who seems like a really good guy. He does make some major mistakes, but how can you help falling in love with a guy who pays the busdriver 500 dollars to drop you off in front of your house in a street where the bus doesn't ever normally go through? He's totally adorable and though their first couple of dates were less than great, I was rooting for them the whole time.

All in all, this book was just such a relaxing, funny read and I loved it. I bow down to Sophie Kinsella as one of the reigning queens of this genre.

My rating: 4,5 stars

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

Title/Author: The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
Publisher/Date published: Cossee in 2009, first published in 1995
How I got this book: bought it.
Why I read this book: I always try and read the book before I watch the movie. And I love Kate Winslet in almost any movie, so I knew I had to read this!

Goodreads summary: "Michael Berg is 15 when he begins a long, obsessive affair with Hanna, an enigmatic older woman. He never learns very much about her, and when she disappears one day, he expects never to see her again. But, to his horror, he does. Hanna is a defendant in a trial related to Germany's Nazi past, and it soon becomes clear that she is guilty of an unspeakable crime. As Michael follows the trial, he struggles with an overwhelming question: What should his generation do with its knowledge of the Holocaust?"

I don't know what it is exactly that I expected from this book, but let's just say that it was something.. well.. more than this. Though I have no special reason for it, I always dislike reading about World War II. I guess it's my living in Holland and it all being a bit too close for comfort. I know my grandma remembered those times, but though she told me a lot of stories, she never mentioned anything about this period in her life.

This book is not set during WWII, but it is definitely a huge part of the novel. Hanna is on trial in the aftermath of it and the whole of Germany is dealing with their country's dark past. It's all rather depressing.

The affair going on between 15-year-old Michael and the much older Hanna was not as tastfully done as I would have thought somehow (though I know it's ironic that I thought it would be tastful, seeing as weirdness surrounds the age-gap) and I did not connect with either of them. I did however cheer for Hanna when she noticed Michael skipped school to be with her and told him not to come if he skipped again.

Neither of the characters is very engaging and during the trial I was just baffled at the lengts Hanna went through to protect a secret. I mean, it's just crazy! I'd rather know a little shame than rot away in prison for the rest of my days. I can imagine trials dealing with WWII crimes going the way this one did. Everybody wants to lay the blame on someone else. And there has to be someone who is punished for something a lot of people were guilty of. This is probably not just something of the past.

I did think it was sweet that Michael continued his reading to Hanna, their relationship is so complicated. And weird. And I thought it was sad that their being together influenced Michael so much throughout his life, imagine what it would have been like had he never met her that one day.

Anyway, though this book was interesting, I did not feel invested and it somehow was less than I expected. I hope the movie will be better for me.

My rating: 2,5 stars

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Title/Author: Angelfire (Angelfire #1) by Courtney Allison Moulton
Publisher/Date published: HarperCollins, February 15th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Why I read this book: because ever since I first read the summary I felt the desperate urge to get my hands on it. Oh, and it's a 2011 YA debut, so it fits the challenge :)

If for your 17th birthday someone gave you insight into you being an ancient creature, constantly reborn, who fights off reapers intent on literally dragging your soul to hell, what would you say? No thank you comes to mind.
Unfortunately, Ellie does not have this choice. She is the Preliator, the only mortal who can fight these beings. And she has two kickass swords that light up with angelfire at her will to help her do this. And of course, there's Will, a mysterious boy who knows more about her than she does and who fights alongside with her.
Every time Ellie dies, her soul is reborn, this has been going on for thousands of years. At 17, her powers are awakened and so is her memory of her past lives. But somehow this time it's different, memories come terribly slow.
And Ellie does not have the time to sit around and wait for them to return, because her old enemy Bastian is searching for a creature who may well be able to destroy Ellie's soul once and for all, ending her rebirthing cycle and meaning a tipping of the scales in the war of good against evil.

There has been a lot of angel-YA showing up lately. While Halo wasn't for me, I loved Unearthly and had mixed expectations about this one. And was surprised. Pleasantly so, actually. This one is not about angels in the literal sense of the word, though the reapers can choose to sprout wings.

Ellie is a bit of a reluctant heroine. Sure she understands the need to fight the evil soulconsuming monsters, but does that have to interfere with her social life? There's no easy way to explain to your friends your skipping movienight to hang out with a college-aged guy you've known for 3 days because he's trying to help you remember all your fighting skills.

There's also no easy way to tell you parents exactly why there are clawmarks on the car you just got for your birthday. Or that it's totaled within a week. Needless to say, Ellie's homelife is tense. She constantly has to lie to her parents and friends and does not like it. Her father has been acting strange for a while, he used to be loving and now verbally abuses Ellie every time she runs into him.

***SPOILER, light up to read***
For those who've read it: how much will you bet Ellie's 'father' turns out to be a vir?
***End of spoiler***

What I did not get is that the big baddies had several chances to kill Ellie and didn't. Sure, I get that they want to get rid of her once and for all, but why not finish this rebirth-cycle, search for the real soul reaper and then just lie in ambush when she's reborn? Now she's trying to ruin their plan, it just did not make much sense to me.

A big revelation towards the ending was unexpected and I liked it a lot. I also thought the romance between Will and Ellie was really well done and I'd love to see more of it in the next book. Though it wasn't sitting on the edge of my seat exciting, it was an interesting tale and a great debut.

All in all, I enjoyed this book and can I just say that I hate the books in all these wonderful new series having a year gap between being published?? The wait will kill me for sure..

Rating: 3.5 stars

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Title/Author: Delirium (Delirium #1) by Lauren Oliver
Publisher/Date published: Harper Collins, February 1st 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Why I read this book: a dystopian world where love is seen as a horrible disease. Do I really need a reason to read this?

Goodreads summary: "Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love - the deliria - blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.
But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: she falls in love."

I was so looking forward to reading this book, and I know that I'm probably the one-billionth person talking about this book, but I just have to say how much I loved it!

In other reviews I've read, I've heard people wonder why Lena would be the main character, because she seemed not-so-exciting at first. Let me say I did not have this problem. I thought it was SOO interesting to learn about this society through the eyes of a person that agrees with how things are done! With books like this one I always wonder why people accept the rulings of the goverment and seeing it through Lena's eyes is pretty enlightening.

Lena has a personal reason for wanting the treatment: her mother commited suicide because of this disease and Lena is afraid something like this will happen to her as well. She's horrified by the comments her best friend Hana makes, they seem rebellious and Lena fears for her well-being (and sanity). Even so, Hana manages to convince her to do some things that are not strictly considered legal. Then she meets Alex, a boy who is somewhat older than they are and therefore has already had the treatment. So it's considered safe for Lena to hang out with him. But is it really or is Lena in danger of catching the disease?

The transition in Lena's thoughts about the cure and the goverment in general is slow and because of that very believable. If you've been told one thing all your life, you wouldn't change your mind about it in a heartbeat either. But she does, for Alex.
Alex.. He sounds like a boy I'd fall in love with as well. He's sweet and patient and generally a good guy with strong opinions. He seems to be the right guy for Lena.

I really should know better than finish books like this right before going to sleep! It was so exciting and sad and I needed hugs after because I cried like a baby. And OMG, what a cliffhanger! I can't believe Pandemonium (the sequel) won't be out until 2012! This one has a bit of Hunger Games anticipation going on..

Anyway, as you can tell, I thought this book was amazing, so if you haven't already: add it to your to-read list or just go out and get it and READ.

My rating: 5 stars

Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder

Title/Author: Inside Out (Inside Out #1) by Maria V. Snyder
Publisher/Date published: April 1st 2010 by Harlequin
How I got this book: own it.
Why I read this book: I've loved every book of the author I've read, so of course I'm gonna read her new series!

Goodreads summary: "Keep your head down. Don't get noticed. Or else. I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I've got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? Not like it's all that dangerous - the only neck at risk is my own. Until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution..."

Snyder has done it again! She's created a really interesting world that I enjoy exploring and learning its secrets. As always with different classes, there's a lot of prejudice going on between them. The scrubs believe the uppers look down on them and have a much easier life than they do. Why would you trust someone like that? You wouldn't, unless you'd absolutely have to. And when you're trying to start a revolution, you kind of have no other choice.

Trella has never known her parents, most scrubs don't. She had a care-mother, a job, that like every other job in Inside, is assigned to you. There is no such thing as birth control, so the number of scrubs keeps growing, while their space to live remains the same. They have 100-hour weeks, everyone works 10-hour shift, after which you have 10 hours off to eat/sleep. There's not much time to have fun.

Trella is a bit of a loner, she only has one real friend: Cog, one of the boys who was in the same care group as she was. She's known as Queen of the Pipes, because she not only cleans them, but uses them to travel between the levels and even sleeps in them to get away from all the people crowding everywhere.

Every once in a while a Prophet comes along, someone who claims to know a way out of Inside. Because of her reputation the latest one contacts Trella: he needs her help retrieving something from the Upper levels. Before she knows it she's in way over her head and suddenly everyone seems to be counting on her to lead the revolution.

I loved Trella, she is extremely loyal to Cogon, and this is what gets her into the whole mess to begin with, because he asked her to. She's courageous and curious and I love her for it. She's a well-rounded character, like I've come to expect of Snyder. She's suspicious of other people, but once you've gained her trust you've got a friend for life. She's a reluctant heroine, but starts to believe in herself along the way.

And Riley is perfection! I've always loved the love-interest in Snyder's books and Riley is no exception to this. He's an upper and is just such a nice boy. I enjoyed the chemistry between him and Trella. And I LOVED Sheepy, that was just adorable.

It's actually pretty scary that I can imagine this kind of thing happening in the future and the society Snyder created is complex and interesting in all its different workings. Instead of the magic she normally has in her books, there's really cool technology, which I loved.

The ending leaves me wanting to start the next book (Outside In) soon! It's coming out February 15th, and I'm really excited to get to it.

My rating: 4,5 stars

Review AND *Giveaway* of Mystify by Artist Arthur

Title/Author: Mystify (Mystyx #2) by Artist Arthur
Publisher/Date published: January 25th by Kimani Tru
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Why I read this book: I enjoyed Manifest, the first book in the series.

Yes that's right, I'm having my very first giveaway! (Hooray!) Thanks to wonderful Lisa Roe, who represents Artist Arthur, I can give one lucky person a copy of Mystify. See at the end of the post for details.

Goodreads summary: "Sometimes being an outsider is the best way to fit in…
Sasha Carrington has grown up feeling like an outsider, and her parents are too concerned with scaling the Lincoln, Connecticut, social ladder to even notice her. They’d be really horrified to know about the supernatural abilities Sasha and her friends Krystal and Jake possess. But as part of the Mystyx, Sasha has found her place.
Now her parents have suddenly taken an interest in everything she does, and their timing couldn’t be worse. Sasha’s father wants her to become BFFs with snooty Alyssa Turner, who hates Krystal for stealing her boyfriend. Then there’s Antoine Watson, the boy Sasha has liked forever, the boy her parents would never approve of. But with the dark side getting more dangerous by the day, and the Mystyx’s own powers growing in unexpected ways, Sasha is facing choices that could affect her friends, her love life — and even her destiny…"

In the previous book you had Krystal as the MC. Admittedly, she was a bit of a whiny brat at first, but she redeemed herself in the end in my opinion and I could sympathize with her. I thought it was interesting that they discovered their powers and was looking forward to knowing more about them and seeing them developing said powers.

In this one, we focus on Sasha, who seems somewhat clueless. Her parents are forcing her to team up with a girl she doesn't like at all for something that's not that important and she doesn't know how to say no, even though she is completely against it. She doesn't know how to really stand up for herself to them and is slowly realizing that not making up your mind can be a decision as well. And that it does have consequences. Like Krystal, she redeems herself and becomes a stronger character because of it.

One thing I noticed in both books: these kids have some seriously messed up parents! I already had issues with Krystal's mom and dad, but Sasha's are equally strange. Makes me feel even more grateful for the family I have myself. I mean, it's pretty harsh for your parents to force you into a friendship with someone you absolutely do not like because they want to get ahead in business. Her dad especially is not a warm, cuddly sort of person. In the town, there's a lot of focus on social status based on where you live and how much money you make and Sasha's parents are among the elitists. Their viewpoints make me sad and angry, it reflects such ignorance!

There is a lot of teen angst in the book and the Darkness is not to be ignored. There's actual evil laughter involved and this time it's actively trying to mess up their lives. I won't give away what happens, but this thing/person/power (I really want to find out what it is exactly) is seriously disturbed and needs to be beaten!

I enjoyed learning more about their powers and where they came from. And Sasha's powers expand in a very logical way, which I liked. There's not a really great amount of action in the book, it feels as a build-up towards the real thing that's bound to come in the next book (fingers crossed!).
And I just have to say I'm still rooting for Jake (this will make sense if you've read the book). He seems like a really great guy.

My rating: 3,5 stars

And now for the giveaway details:

*Open *International!* (YAY! Thanks again to Lisa for being willing to ship internationally!)
*The only thing I ask is that you're a follower of my blog
*To enter: leave a comment with a way to contact you
*Open until February 9th, after which I will contact the winner

So, what are you waiting for? Enter already :)

The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern

Title/Author: The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern
Publisher/Date published: January 25th 2011 by HarperCollins
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Why I read this book: I enjoyed P.S. I Love You.

Goodreads summary: "Tamara Goodwin has always got everything she's ever wanted. Born into a family of wealth, she grew up in a mansion with its own private beach, a wardrobe full of designer clothes and all that a girl could ever wish for. She's always lived in the here and now, never giving a second thought to tomorrow. But then suddenly her dad is gone and life for Tamara and her mother changes forever. Left with a mountain of debt, they have no choice but to sell everything they own and move to the country. Nestled next to Kilsaney Castle, their gatehouse is a world away from Tamara's childhood. With her mother shut away with grief, and her aunt busy tending to her, Tamara is lonely and bored and longs to return to Dublin. When a travelling library passes through Kilsaney Demesne, Tamara is intrigued. Her eyes rest on a mysterious large leather bound tome locked with a gold clasp and padlock. What she discovers within the pages takes her breath away and shakes her world to its core."

I didn't like this book as much as I thought I would. I really wanted to, but it fell short somehow.

Tamara is not a very likeable character, I can understand her behaviour, seeing what she's been through, but it's not endearing. But on the other hand, she's completely aware of this and comments on it. I did think it was rather weird that people she didn't know and who had no idea of what happened to her father, somehow thought she was charming and wanted to spend more time with her. For all of her being obnoxious, she was too well-liked in my opinion.

And I don't get how her aunt managed to controll everything the way she did, it was weird and annoying. I didn't really connect with the characters, the only one I liked was one of the nuns who lived nearby, she was spunky!

I did like the idea of the diary, the entries (written in Tamara's own handwriting, to make it extra creepy) each day tell her what will happen the next day. I liked how Tamara reacted to it and tried to right the things she's done wrong according to the diary.

**Possible SPOILER**
I did not appreciate her sacrificing her mother's health in order to prove she was right about the diary. If it had been my mom, I would have rather been not believed by a possible friend than risk my mom not being ok.
**end of possible spoiler**

In the end, there was a whole lot of intrigue that I sort of had seen coming. Not the whole thing, but I guessed a lot of it. And I thought it was rather unrealistic and a bit weird.

In all honesty, I expected more of it and it gets 2 stars because I did like the idea of the diary and one of the nuns.

My rating: 2 stars

The Countess by Lynsay Sands

Title/Author: The Countess by Lynsay Sands
Publisher/Date published: January 25th 2011 by HarperCollins
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Why I read this book: I love historical romances.

Married life hasn't been what Christiana expected of it. Her husband, Dicky, was really sweet during their short courtship but after the vowels were exchanged that all went away. So after he drops dead, Christiana doesn't really mind and since one of her sisters needs to find a husband, the sisters decide to put him on ice and go to the ball that evening as planned. The only problem: Dicky shows up at the ball, all alive and well. Only this time it's the real Dicky, or rather Richard as he prefers being called. Christiana's husband was his twin and impersonated him after trying to murder him, to get at Richard's name and title.
Now these two are stuck together and must try and work it out or risk causing a huge scandal.

The whole idea of this novel is a bit outrageous. I mean, who would put their husband on ice in one of the rooms of his own home and hope for the best? And the whole towing around with a dead body, which happens more than one time, is a bit absurd. But after getting over this, I really enjoyed the book.

Christiana is a likeable character, in the past she wasn't one to be quiet and do as she was told and be a proper lady. But Dicky has managed to lower her selfconfidence so much with his remarks and behaviour that she starts to believe the things he says. I think this goes to show that verbal abuse can be just as damaging as physical abuse. I really enjoyed seeing her starting to get back to her former self.

I did however have a 'oh COME ON!' moment when she didn't figure out that Richard was not the man she married. I mean, sure, twins can look scarily alike, but when you've lived with someone for a whole year, you should be able to tell the difference. Especially with the completely different personalities.
And it shocks me again how clueless women were of the goings on in the marital bed, I don't know it it's an accurate portrayal of this, but imagine not knowing what's going to happen!

Richard was a good male main character and seemed really sweet and caring, though he doesn't necessarily make the right choices when faced with a problem. I also really liked Christiana's sisters and look forward to reading about them in the other books in the series.

All in all, this was an enjoyable read, though I think the 3 or 4 days the book spans is an awfully short time to fall deeply in love with someone.

My rating: 3.5 stars

The Lying Game by Sara Shepard

Title/Author: The Lying Game (The Lying Game #1) by Sara Shepard
Publisher/Date published: HarperTeen, December 7th 2010
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Why I read this book: it sounded interesting.

Goodreads summary: "I had a life anyone would kill for.
Then someone did.

The worst part of being dead is that there’s nothing left to live for. No more kisses. No more secrets. No more gossip. It’s enough to kill a girl all over again. But I’m about to get something no one else does — an encore performance, thanks to Emma, the long-lost twin sister I never even got to meet.
Now Emma’s desperate to know what happened to me. And the only way to figure it out is to be me — to slip into my old life and piece it all together. But can she laugh at inside jokes with my best friends? Convince my boyfriend she’s the girl he fell in love with? Pretend to be a happy, carefree daughter when she hugs my parents good night? And can she keep up the charade, even after she realizes my murderer is watching her every move?
Let the lying game begin."

Emma is the twin who seemingly got the short end of the stick. Dropping her of at a friend's house one day, Emma's mother never returned to pick her up and Emma hasn't seen her since. She's lived in foster homes and at the moment has an evil 'brother' who gets her thrown out yet again. A part of his scheme is a video he shows her fostermom of Emma being strangled as a sort of joke. Only one problem: it's not her. It's a girl who looks exactly like her, named Sutton. Emma didn't know she had a sister, let alone an identical twin. She tracks her down through Facebook and sends her a message to set up a meeting. She gets a message back, telling her where they can together. One minor detail: Sutton is dead, so who's sending the message?

When Emma arrives at the place, she's hauled inside by friends of her sister, no one seems to notice she's not Sutton and in the beginning she decides to play along, figuring Sutton will show up any minute. Except she doesn't. And now Emma's stuck playing the part, cause the one who killed Sutton wants her to keep pretending, or she'll be next.

It didn't sit well with me at first that literally no one noticed something off about 'Sutton', I like to think I would notice if one of my best friends was replaced. Even if it was by her identical twin. But later on we're shown that Sutton's 'friends' aren't what they seem to be and it leaves me wondering how much they really know about all of this.

Emma is shocked when she finds out some stuff about Sutton, The Lying Game for example. Sutton and her friends pull really extreme pranks on other people and even each other, which is ultimately the reason no one believes Emma when she claims to be Suttons long lost twin. Sutton's pulled stuff like that before. And apparently, no one informed Suttons adoptive parents of the fact she had a twin.

The fact you're not sure about any of the characters in the book makes it a great read! I didn't know what to expect, one minute the murderer seems to be one of her friends, then her sister.. It's all very paranoia inducing, which must be what it would be like to actually live it, the author did a really good job of expressing this through her writing.

Sutton herself has a voice in the story, she is forced to follow Emma around in her ghost-like state. She can only see what Emma sees, not remembering what happened herself, this and not being able to communicate with anyone frustrates her to no end. I really liked her, though I didn't like the girl she was alive if that makes sense. She seems to care more than she showed living and is shocked herself at the things she and her friends have done.

I'm looking forward to the next part of the series cause I NEED to find out what really happened!

My rating: 3.5 stars

Wicked Nights With A Lover by Sophie Jordan

Title/Author: Wicked Nights With A Lover (The Penwich School for Virtuous Girls #3) by Sophie Jordan
Publisher/Date published: Avon Books, December 1st 2010
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Why I read this book: did I mention yet that winter makes me want to read romance novels?

Marguerite Laurent has been making a living as a nurse to terminally ill patients. While caring for one of her patients, she runs into a fortuneteller who says she will die before the year is out. At first Marguerite shrugs it off, but after another prediction coming true, she decides she'll make the most of the time she has left. Step one is to take a lover. The night before she and her intended paramour are supposed to leave for Spain, she's summoned to the house of her father, who she's never met before. Leaving, she's abducted by the handsome Ash Courtland, a man who's helped her father build his empire and wants revenge on his business partner for betraying him. Ash is determined to marry one of the daughters, so as to get his hands on a larger part of the company. He wasn't expecting Marguerite to resist so much, even when it's clear she's attracted to him.
What Ash doesn't know is that the prediction foretold her death following her marriage. With mortal fear hanging over her will they find a way to be together after all?

As romance novels go, this was a really good one. I haven't read the other books in the series but I really enjoyed this one. It has the right mix of a likeable heroine, a swoonworthy, handsome man and enough storyline to give their lovestory a nice background.

Sophie Jordan has a way with words, the story flows nicely and I didn't want to put it down. Am I ever glad of owning and e-reader! I love the book, but I couldn't have taken it with me to work if I'd had the real thing, that cover would have been a bit embarassing, especially if patients got a look at it! I'm really not ashamed of reading romance novels, but the covers sometimes make me cringe a bit.

Anyway, let's forget about the cover: the book was great! Even though a voice in the back of my head said that this kind of story always ends well, I was still feeling anxious for Marguerite to be okay, cause everything pointed to her not surviving in the end.

The chemistry between Marguerite and Ash was great and I at least got tears in my eyes at some parts, which is always worth bonus points in my opinion. As villains go, Marguerite's father was a bully, but I was hoping to get a bit more information about him, his reasons and such.

There was one scene I didn't like: towards the end Marguerite uses sex to proove a point to Ash, which felt weird and as an unnecessary addition. Other than that I really enjoyed reading this book.

I was already looking forward to reading Firelight by the same author, but now I know her writing style is so engaging, I have even higher hopes for that one!
My rating: 4 stars

How To Wed a Baron by Kasey Michaels

Title/Author: How To Wed A Baron by Kasey Michaels
Publisher/Date published: HQN Books, an imprint of Harlequin, November 30th 2010
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Why I read this book: I always feel like reading romance books in when it's cold outside, I don't know why.

Goodreads summary: "He is but a pawn in someone else's game. With no choice but to do the prince regent's bidding, Justin Wilde must marry a woman not of his own choosing. And for the man notoriously referred to as the Bad Baron, marriage is the last thing he wishes to consider. Especially when the bride has the beauty of an angel but the devil's own temper….
Stunned to find herself betrothed to a stranger, Alina vows to uncover the reason behind their forced union. Yet the more time she spends with her roguish husband-to-be, the less the past seems to matter. But when the truth behind their wedding at last emerges, will it strengthen their fragile bond—or shatter their lives forever?"

Justin has a troubled past, he's been exiled by his king for killing a man in a duel, defending the honour of his deceased wife. After 8 years spent across Europe, he gets a message telling him he will be pardoned in exchange for one thing. This one thing turns out to be marriage to Alina. Justin doesn't know why the Prince Regent is forcing this union upon them, but he can't turn down the opportunity to finally be able to come home again. Even though he never wanted to marry again after his first disastrous marriage.

Alina basically had two options: marry Justin or be married off by her aunt to a man of her aunt's choosing. And her aunt doesn't much care for Alina, so there isn't much hope for her there. Besides, she really wants to meet her mother's family in England. Meeting Justin, she's pleasantly surprised he's not some sort of ogre. But of course there's trouble ahead, will it serve to drive them apart of keep them together forever?

I enjoyed reading this book, it started pretty slow and I didn't really like Justin in the beginning. He had a pompous ass air hanging over him, very noticeable in the first part of the book because he was mostly interacting with the Prince Regent and one of his male servants, who he both looked down upon. Later on he turns out to be pretty charming, even though he's still a bit of an ass to his servant. To be fair, the man is portrayed as pretty silly, so maybe he can't help it.

Anyway, I thought Alina was a pretty good heroine, she's free spirited and knows her own mind, she's also pretty optimistic, which was nice. Sometimes I didn't understand her reactions to the things happening, but hey, in real life I also get baffled by choices other women make and it didn't really bother me reading the book.

Normally in romance novels I see the clue coming from miles away and this time I didn't, so props to the author for that!

I have one 'but' to add, one thing I felt was missing: I didn't cry. And I'm a HUGE sap, I almost always cry reading romance novels. Even when it's not sad. The emotion portrayed in the book wasn't enough to trigger my tear ducts, and that's a shame, cause I love it when books make me cry.

My rating: 3 stars

Undeniably Yours by Shannon Stacey

Title/Author: Undeniably Yours by Shannon Stacey
Publisher/Date published: November 1st 2010 by Carina Press
How I got this book: it was sent to me by the publisher through NetGalley
Why I read this book: it was one of those times I felt like reading a romance novel

Goodreads summary: "One-night stand + two percent condom failure rate = happily ever after?
Bar owner Kevin Kowalski is used to women throwing their phone numbers at him, but lately he's more interested in finding a woman to settle down with. A woman like Beth Hansen. If only their first meeting hadn't gone so badly...
Beth's tending bar at a wedding when she comes face-to-face with a tuxedo-clad man she never thought she'd see again. She tries to keep her distance from Kevin but, by last call, she can't say no to his too-blue eyes or the invitation back to his room. Then she slips out before breakfast without leaving a note and, despite their precautions, pregnant.
Kevin quickly warms to the idea of being a dad and to seeing where things go with Beth. After all, he's not the player she thinks he is. But she's not ready for a relationship and, given his reputation, it's going to take a lot to convince her to go on a second date with the father of her child..."

I thought this was a sweet read. I really warmed up to Kevin, not so much to Beth. I did like the storyline, but I thought it dragged a bit in the middle.

Kevin and Beth got off on the wrong foot, which is a problem when you're having a baby together and therefore being around each other a lot. Kevin is a family guy through and through, his whole family is charming with their loud and friendly nature. I could see how the lot of them could be overwhelming to Beth, who is an only child.

Beth wanted to be independant from a very young age and never stays in the same place for too long. Always ready to pack up her stuff and get on the next bus when the mood strikes her. So having to settle down and do the sensible thing for her baby means a big change. She takes Kevin's urge to take care of her as overbearing and tries to push him away, because she's afraid to lean too much on him and then not being able to do it on her own again if he decides to leave.

Kevin has a hard time convincing her he's ready to be in a real relationship, with her. The constant stream of women leaving him their napkins with lipstick kisses on them, inviting him to spend the night, doesn't really help him win her over. But he's determined to keep trying.

I thought Kevin was really sweet, even though I found it a bit hard to believe he had baskets full of before mentioned napkins. He genuinely cared for Beth and thought she was beautiful even after she'd spent 3 sleepless nights looking after the baby.
Beth was harder for me to relate to. I get that she hates the women in the bar throwing themselves at Kevin, but she should have given him the benefit of the doubt in my opinion on discovering he hadn't acted upon it since they slept together the first time. I found her immediate refusal of anything that could possibly help her, provided by someone else, hard to believe. And I really felt sorry for Kevin at her constant refusal of him.

All in all, I did like the story, it was sweet and I loved the sensitive guy Kevin really was.
My rating: 3 stars

You Wish by Mandy Hubbard

Title/Author: You Wish by Mandy Hubbard
Publisher/Date published: August 5th 2010 by Razorbill (the Penguin Group)
How I got this book: got it from my brother as a birthday present (I have an awesome brother who buys me books :D )
Why I read this book: I wanted to. Best. Reason. Ever!!

I LOVED this book! Reading has been slow the last couple of weeks, I couldn't concentrate on the book I read before and it took me four bloody weeks to finish it! Not that the book wasn't great, cause it was, I just had so much going on it was hard to focus on anything else.
This one read like a dream. The story flowed naturally, I loved the main character and the story line.. I love getting books for my birthday, especially if they turn out to be really good.

Kayla is a snarky 16 year old, who doesn't like to conform to what the popular girls in school think is normal. She dances to her own tune and bleats at people when she thinks they're exuding herd-behaviour. And I loved her for it.
She had some real issues with her parents, her dad left them and moved to Italy and her mom started her own company, is really succesful, but spends less time at home than Kayla would like. Thrown in together with having just one friend, who got a boyfriend and because of that has less time for Kayla and Kayla herself crushing pretty hard on said boyfriend, you've got yourself a very real teenage life. Except for the bright pink life-size My Little Pony with an icecream cone on its butt, of course.

Kayla's not having fun at her Sweet Sixteen party and blowing out the candles wishes for her wishes to come true, because they never freakin' do! And they start to come true after that. Besides a My Little Pony eating up her mother's shrubs, she has to worry about her Raggedy Ann doll coming to life and the guy resembling Barbie's Ken following her around everywhere. All her past wishes come back to bite her in the behind and Kayla tries desperately to stop it, because last year she wished Ben would kiss her and he's her best friend's boyfriend. That would be a serious violation of girl code if there ever was one.

Kayla struggles with trying to keep all of the wishes appearing a secret, not letting Ben and Nicole know she has a crush on Ben and the feeling she's losing her best friend all at the same time, while not getting the support she needs at home with a brother who has his own issues and a mother who cares, but is very busy providing for the family.

I loved how Kayla learns to get to know her old self again and comes to realise a few things about herself and the changes she went through. She learns you should be careful at judging people based on assumptions and to be a bit more openminded.
And I loved the pink My Little Pony with the icecream cone on its butt. I think if my birthday wishes ever came true, I would have one as well. And I would get a letter from Hogwarts. And be a fairytale princess.

Anyway, all in all, this book was amazing and I'm looking forward to reading more by Mandy Hubbard!
Rating: 5 stars.

Looking back, what is the most funny/embarassing/awesome thing you ever wished for on your birthday?

Austenland by Shannon Hale

Title/Author: Austenland by Shannon Hale
Publisher/Year published: Bloomsbury, 2007
How I got this book: own it
Why I read this book: I love Pride and Prejudice. Enough said really.

Goodreads summary: "Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined.

Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen;or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It's all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?"

Like many women, Jane dreams of Mr. Darcy (don't we all?) and hasn't been able to find one in real life. I was a bit surprised at how she hides the DVD's as if it's something to be ashamed of. I love watching the movie adaptation with Keira Knightley and Matthew McFadyen and am not afraid of showing it off.

I mean, isn't he just dreamy in all his anguish of having just been refused by the woman he loves (after a clumsy proposal, I'll give you that):



Anyway, enough of my obsession, let's get back to Jane's. She decides to go to Pembrood Park, a trip that her recently deceased aunt left her in her will. There are other guests as well as actors there and at first Jane doesn't feel really into it all, because she feels fake somehow. Especially after meeting and having a fling with one of the gardeners, Martin. Then she decides, what the heck, I'm only here once, let's just roll with it. And she starts to enjoy herself. There's one actor, Mr. Nobley, who seems inspired by Mr. Darcy in his manners. But in stead of immediately falling for him, Jane thinks he's frustrating.
But not everyone is what they seem to be and Jane just might have a chance to find real love after all.

I loved how Jane gets swept up in it all, with the dresses and the fact that ladies are not supposed to be alone with a gentleman. She notices that with a minimum of touching that is allowed, while dancing for example, there can be more tension than she imagined.

At the beginning of each chapter, we see the story of one of Jane's boyfriends or sometimes just one time encounters and they were really funny.
The romance unfolding was really sweet and I loved the ending! There was something that even I had not expected and I'm horribly correct at guessing what's off or the clue to a mystery. I saw on the author's website that she has a book coming out that's called Midnight in Austenland, which I assume will be a sequel and I'm excited to find out what happens in that one. I also saw a picture of her newborn babies there, who are just too cute!

My rating: 4 stars

Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter

Title/Author: Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter
Publisher/Date published: De Bezige Bij (the Busy Bee :) ), first published in 2001 by William Morrow/Harper Collins
How I got this book: I bought it
Why I read this book: it had been staring at me from my shelve for over a year and it fit rather nicely into the fall/winter challenge from the College Students group on Goodreads

Goodreads summary: "The sleepy town of Heartsdale, Georgia, is jolted into panic when Sara Linton, the town's pediatrician and coroner, finds Sibyl Adams, a young college professor, dead in the local diner. As well as being viciously raped, Sibyl has been cut: two deep knife wounds form a lethal cross over her stomach. But it's only once Sara starts to perform the postmortem that the full extent of the killer's brutality starts to become clear.
Police chief Jeffrey Tolliver - Sara's ex-husband - is in charge of the investigation, and when a second victim is found, crucified, only a few days later, he has to face the fact that Sibyl's murder wasn't a single personal attack: They're dealing with a sadistic rapist turned killer who is terrorizing rural Grant County.
Jeffrey isn't alone in his search. Lena Adams - the county's sole female detective - wants to see justice done since her sister was the first victim. Sara, too, cannot escape the terror. A secret from her past could hold the key to finding the killer - unless he finds her first."

I almost never read thrillers, I used to read a lot when I was younger and for some reason I don't remember went off them. Maybe it's the fact that as a medical student I get to see enough icky stuff and don't need it in my books. Besides, murderers scare me.

This was a fast read, Slaughter writes very engaging and apart from the a 'seriously?' reaction at Sara being a pediatrician as well as the coroner (that doesn't happen in Holland, I don't know about the US, but here pediatricians work in a hospital and they most certainly don't have a job as a coroner on the side) it was a smooth read.

I was horrified at the sick mind of this murderer, it was just sick what he did to his victims! Especially the first one, that was just plain awful. But I appreciate Slaughter's storytelling in this, there's real creativity involved. The way she describes the community and the dysfunctional relationship between Sara and Jeffrey is wonderful. I was rooting for them to work it out, but maybe that happens in one of the sequels.

I did guess who the killer was way before it was revealed, but I don't know why I thought that, I'm for some reason annoyingly accurate at guessing this. It wasn't overly obvious or something.

Anyway, though I don't think I'll be starting to read a lot of thrillers again, I really enjoyed it. If you have a weak stomach, I wouldn't recommend reading this one.

My rating: 3.5 stars