Here are reviews of some books I've read recently. Unfortunately, I didn't really enjoy these books that much.
*I received an advanced reader's copy of these books from the publisher for review. This does not affect my opinion or the content of my review. All thoughts/opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. I am an Amazon affiliate and (at no cost to you) I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase through one of my links.
Ultimate Sacrifice by S.E. Green
Publication Date: October 3, 2017 by Oftomes Publishing
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Horror
Pages: 298
Source: Publisher
Rating: ⭐⭐1/2 (2.5/5 Stars)
Synopsis:
Vickie has always lived a quiet, ordinary life in an equally quiet and ordinary small town. Yet one fateful night a child turns up dead in the woods behind her house in a ritualistic slaughter. Vickie and her family are suddenly thrown into a national spotlight. But as the investigation unfolds, she begins to realize her family isn’t so ordinary after all. Evil is inching closer to those she holds dear and Vickie isn't sure who she can ultimately trust.
My Thoughts:
Ultimate Sacrifice was a very strange and disturbing horror tale.
The main character, Vickie, spends most of the story trying to find the killer of her neighbor's young child. This book deals with cults, ritualistic killings, and just scary stuff, and it was disturbing the way the murder of a young child was described. It was way too gruesome, even for me!
I liked the mystery and this was a fast-paced read, but the main character just really got on my nerves. Vickie is not very smart and she does a lot of stupid things. I just wanted to shout at this character while reading this book because she repeatedly put herself in danger.
I thought the romance between Vickie and her friend was just unnecessary to the story. I didn't really think a romance was needed and I wish that part was left out.
I'm sad that I didn't like this book but I am still going to read more from this author because I did enjoy the mystery part of the story. I own one of her other books and I hope I'll enjoy that one more than this one.
The Hanging Girl by Eileen Cook
Publication Date: October 3, 2017 by HMH Books for Young Readers
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 320
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Rating: ⭐⭐ (2/5 Stars)
Synopsis:
Skye Thorn has given tarot card readings for years, and now her psychic visions are helping the police find the town’s missing golden girl. It’s no challenge—her readings have always been faked, but this time she has some insider knowledge. The kidnapping was supposed to be easy—no one would get hurt and she’d get the money she needs to start a new life. But a seemingly harmless prank has turned dark, and Skye realizes the people she’s involved with are willing to kill to get what they want and she must discover their true identity before it’s too late.
My Thoughts:
The Hanging Girl by Eileen Cook was a disappointing and unbelievable read.
I don't want to say too much about the plot because I don't want to give anything away, but this story follows Skye Thorn as she tries to find her missing classmate, Paige. The story is mostly told from Skye's perspective with certain chapters told by Paige's diary entries from when she was held captive.
The characters in this book were just annoying and I didn't really care about any of them. Skye was not a very likeable character. She lied about many things throughout the story and I just did not find her character appealing in any way. I also found Paige, and Skye's mother, to be unlikeable characters.
The plot of this book was just crazy. The story was unbelievable, especially the disappointing ending that just pissed me off. Also, I figured out the mystery early on and I just found the story to be a big let down.
On the plus side, I did read this book super fast and the story did keep me reading. I'll probably read the author's other books eventually.
Follow Me Back by A.V. Geiger
Series: Follow Me Back, Book 1
Publication Date: June 6, 2017 by Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 359
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Rating: ⭐⭐ (2/5 Stars)
Synopsis:
Tessa Hart’s world feels very small. Confined to her bedroom with agoraphobia, her one escape is the online fandom for pop sensation Eric Thorn. When he tweets to his fans, it’s like his speaking directly to her…
Eric Thorn is frightened by his obsessive fans. They take their devotion way too far. It doesn’t help that his PR team keeps posting to encourage their fantasies.
When a fellow pop star is murdered at the hands of a fan, Eric knows he has to do something to shatter his online image fast—like take down one of his top Twitter followers. But Eric’s plan to troll @TessaHeartsEric unexpectedly evolves into an online relationship deeper than either could have imagined. And when the two arrange to meet IRL, what should have made for the world’s best episode of Catfish takes a deadly turn…
My Thoughts:
I was not having any luck with some of the books I read recently. Follow Me Back was another disappointment. Maybe I've just been reading too many YA mystery/thrillers but I just found this book to be underwhelming and unbelievable.
I enjoyed parts of this book. It was sort of interesting and I liked that the book was told in a unique format, with tweets, text messages, and interrogation transcripts. However, the main characters grated on my nerves, especially Eric Thorn, who seemed like a narcissistic jerk. He had no respect for anyone, including his many fans, and I just really disliked his character. Tessa wasn't as unlikeable as Eric, but I still didn't really care what happened to her. You would think I would've related to her better, since I've had my own episodes with agoraphobia, but I really didn't find her character to be that interesting.
The relationship between Tessa and Eric was unbelievable and it just annoyed me. I guess the mystery in this book was done well, but I don't know if I'll be reading the second book in the series. The ending took a weird turn, so I might have to read the next one just to see what the heck happened.
_____________________________
Follow Me on Social Media
Subscribe to Tara's Book Addiction for Post Updates
