Author: megs14malloy

Review: #Murdertrending by Gretchen McNeil

~ megs14malloy

#Murdertrending (MurderTrending, #1)#Murdertrending by Gretchen McNeil
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Gretchen McNeil’s futuristic YA Dystopian novel #Murdertrending drops you straight into a world where the federal government has privatized part of the prison system.

After that decision was made the Postman app was launched.

Essentially the app turns capital punishment into a lucrative business by broadcasting death row as the ultimate reality show. Survivor has nothing on this, trust.

In addition to following the inmates, viewers can also follow their favorite executioners, collectively known as the Painiacs. There’s fandoms involved. It’s a whole thing.

The executions are also broadcast, with each executioner coming up with their own creatively brutally ways of taking someone out.

We follow Dee, who after being convicted of killing her step-sister is sent to Alcatraz 2.0, the most famous prison island, to serve out the last of her term. She is set to be executed, but you never know when it will happen.

That’s half the fun, am I right?

The inmates in Alcatraz 2.0 live fairly freely on the island itself. They have jobs and can socialize with one another. Because of this, Dee ends up making some friends.

The friend group is dubbed DRBC, the Death Row Breakfast Club, through social media. Since they all claim to have been wrongfully convicted, they desire to uncover the truth behind Alcatraz 2.0.

But what is the truth?

#Murdertrending is a unique and interesting read. I enjoyed the themes explored regarding the criminal justice system and social media’s effect on society.

It did take me a wee bit to get my bearings with this one because you are literally plopped down in the middle of Dee’s world. I just had to relax into it and trust that McNeil would ultimately reveal everything I needed to know about the world and she did.

I enjoyed learning about the inmates and executioners. The executioners all had special names that reminded me of the type of punny names people use in roller derby, which added to the air of over-the-topness. It was fun.

I also enjoyed the mystery surrounding the Postman app. You can tell there is some sort of conspiracy happening, but how far does it reach? I tend to enjoy evil corporation vibes and this one definitely channeled that.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t crazy about the final reveals. I really wish it had gone in another direction, but that is simply personal taste.

With this being said, even though it lost me a bit in the end, I am so happy that I finally made time for this one. I don’t think that I will be continuing on with this series, but am still happy to have read this one.

Thank you to the publisher, Freeform, who actually provided me of a copy to read and review back in 2018. My apologies for not getting to it before now. I should have because honestly, I had a lot of fun with it!

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Review: The Dinner Guests by Kiersten Modglin

~ megs14malloy

The Dinner GuestsThe Dinner Guests by Kiersten Modglin
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Piper, Beth and Lakynn have been best friends since childhood. They now all live on the same quiet street and enjoy spending a lot of time together.

Since the neighborhood is so quiet, when anything changes it’s a big deal. For example, when the most luxurious home on their street sells, they can’t help but spy on the new neighbors. Who are they? What’s their story?

When the ladies traditional methods of reaching out to the new neighbors fail, they’re at a loss. Are these people intentionally ignoring them?

Then the construction begins; a ginormous concrete wall quickly goes up surrounding the property. And the cameras! What the actual heck?

Weeks later, out of the blue, the friends receive very formal invitations to a dinner party at the now fortified mansion. Even though the invitations arrive last minute, they can’t say no. They’ve been itching to get into that house.

Thus, that Friday night Beth and her husband Leo, Lakynn and her husband Henry, along with Piper and her love interest Shane, all walk together to the mystery dinner.

After introductions, it is clear this isn’t going to be a normal evening. The couple is strange, the discussion topics are strange, the atmosphere is strange. It’s a whole thing.

As the dinner portion of the evening draws to a close, the friends discover there’s no way out. They’re forced to play a game, hoping if they win, they’ll be set free.

How do I best explain the experience that I had reading The Dinner Guests?

Let’s just say it was like being served a well drink when you are used to drinking top shelf.

It just was not for me; at all. I had never read anything by this author before, but have heard a lot of positive reviews for her previous works. I was fully expecting to enjoy this, maybe even love it.

I was actually surprised at how bad this turned out to be for me. It just seemed ridiculous. I could not get behind anything that was happening.

Let it be known that I frequently enjoy books that you have to suspend belief in certain areas, so it’s not that. It was everything else, the writing, the characters, the reveals, the ending…

I think maybe Modglin’s work just isn’t for me. I am glad I gave it a shot, but will most likely not pick up anything further from this author.

If this synopsis sounds fun to you though, you should definitely try it. Reading is completely subjective and just because something didn’t work for me, doesn’t mean it won’t work for you.

Thank you to the publisher, Dreamscape Media, for providing me with an audio-copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity!

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Review: Beneath Cruel Waters by Jon Bassoff

~ megs14malloy

Beneath Cruel WatersBeneath Cruel Waters by Jon Bassoff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Holt Davidson essentially fled his hometown of Thompsonville, Colorado, as soon as he was old enough.

After he receives news that his estranged mother has committed suicide, he decides it has to be done; he has to go back for the first time in over twenty-years.

The dread he is feeling about returning is substantial, but he’s also hoping to maybe fill in some pieces of his murky childhood memories. He wants to finally be able to make peace with it all and put it behind him.

Until this point, Holt has been haunted by his past, but it’s actually unclear as to why.

Once he returns to Thompsonville, he even stays at his mother’s home in his old bedroom. Alone in the house, he begins exploring, searching for clues from the past.

Instead of your typical nostalgic childhood items, however, Holt discovers a gun, a mysterious love letter and a picture of a dead man lying in his own blood.

These aren’t the type of things you can ignore, so Holt begins an investigation. He’s determined to discover the secrets of his past, whether he’s going to like it or not.

He enlists the help of his mother’s oldest, dearest friend and gains a lot of useful information from her, including insight into his sister who has been institutionalized since she was a teen. It’s not long before Holt’s own traumatic memories begin to resurface.

One of my favorite tropes in a Thriller is when a main character returns to their hometown after an extended absence, so in theory this was the perfect set-up for me.

Luckily, the theory was proven correct in this case. I enjoyed this one a lot. Once I started I didn’t want to put it down.

I found Bassoff’s writing to be highly readable. It was fast-paced and smooth, with just the right amount of details. I love the POVs coming from both past and present to help to piece the truth together.

I thought the reveals were well handled. Although predictable, it still managed to keep me fully captivated so it didn’t really influence my opinion of the overall story.

I was really surprised by this one and definitely recommend it to fans of Crime Thrillers, especially if you enjoy the use of both past and present perspectives together.

Thank you to the publisher, Blackstone Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to reading more from Bassoff!

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Review: Only a Monster (Monsters #1) by Vanessa Len

~ megs14malloy

Only a Monster (Monsters, #1)Only a Monster by Vanessa Len
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Only a Monster is an engaging start to an all-new YA SFF trilogy. Admittedly, the first thing to attract my attention to this book was the gorgeous cover.

I’ve definitely fallen victim to the infamous cover buy on more than one occasion. Sometimes that works out and other times, not so much. I am happy to report, in this case, the content is just as fun as the cover.

This story follows 16-year old, Joan, who recently moved to London to live with her late-mother’s family, which includes an eccentric Grandmother and cousins.

Joan has secured a job she likes and has even managed to make a few friends. One of those friends is a handsome boy, Nick, who she happens to work with. When Nick asks Joan out on a date she’s so excited and nervous.

She’s been crushing on him for a while, so is elated that her feelings may be reciprocated.

As the date approaches, however, a wild and crazy thing happens to Joan, causing her to miss her date. That’s devastating, but worse than that, this event reveals the secret truth surrounding her family.

They’re monsters with hidden powers.

Part of their power is the ability to travel through time, which really throws Joan for a loop. It’s hard to wrap your mind around something like that out of nowhere.

Joan’s Grandmother had mentioned before that they were monsters, but Joan never took that seriously. She can’t believe it. Her world has been flipped upside down.

As the plot escalates, Joan finds herself under attack from a monster hunter, who happens to be the cute guy, Nick. Just her luck, am I right?

Joan is forced to pair up with Aaron, a boy from a rival monster family, to try to stop Nick and avenge their families.

I really enjoyed the world Len created here and am excited to see this narrative expanded upon in the next book. It was fast paced and ended up drawing me in a lot quicker than I anticipated.

I found the monster aspect of her family fascinating. They are never given a specific name, they are simply called monsters throughout, and I liked that obscurity.

Once you put a label on something, like zombie, werewolf or vampire, you put certain parameters around what those monsters can do. We all know what those creatures are supposed to be like, so to me it made sense for Len to write Joan’s family the way she did.

If I had to compare them to anything, I would say vampires would be the closest, but using time versus blood. If you’ve read Doctor Sleep this won’t be a foreign concept to you.

I did think the time travel element was done well. It was very interesting. There’s a lot covered in this book and I think it was a good foundation.

I definitely think there is still a lot of room to grow with this story and I am looking forward to seeing where Len goes with it.

I would recommend this to YA Readers, particularly if you like time travel, or a darker tone to your stories.

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Review: My Summer Darlings by May Cobb

~ megs14malloy

My Summer DarlingsMy Summer Darlings by May Cobb
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

My Summer Darlings begins in a very intriguing way. You get the perspective of a woman lying in the woods, bleeding profusely, contemplating her death.

You don’t know who she is or who has harmed her, but it is clear she ended up in her predicament by nefarious means.

You are then sent 6-weeks back in time to follow the perspectives of Jen, Kittie and Cynthia.

The trio have been best friends since childhood and even though Jen moved away for a bit, once she returned to their East Texas town after a messy divorce, they picked up right where they left off. They’re thick as thieves through all the ups and downs of their bougie lifestyles.

The women each have their own personal concerns of course, Jen for example, post-divorce is actually really struggling financially. Luckily her friends and parents never mind helping her out. They’re just happy she is finally away from him.

Cynthia and Kittie are both very well off and their husbands are great, but you know life.

When Will Harding moves to town, a drop-dead gorgeous man who ends up in the most luxurious home in the neighborhood, the three women are intrigued.

Will could be exactly the type of man Jen needs to move past her divorce. Will’s presence in town however stirs things up for the trio more than they ever could have expected. We’re talking secrets, lies and shady alibis.

There is no denying that May Cobb has a knack for writing rich people drama. With this novel, as with The Hunting Wives, once I started, I could not put it down.

I loved the set-up; the way it began and then going back to piece together what had lead that mystery woman to that point, it was so engaging.

While I was addicted to the drama, however, there were a few things toward the end that I found to be a touch too convenient for my tastes. Hence the 3.5-stars rounded up.

Regardless, that is still a great rating and it’s undeniable that I really enjoyed this. It was a ton of fun. If you enjoy over-the-top, reality show-levels of ridiculously entertaining drama, you have to check this one out.

I think if you go into this expecting a strict to the genre Thriller, you may be disappointed. Just know this is more of a Domestic Drama centering around the friend group, with a touch of mystery running throughout.

At this point, I am sold on May Cobb. I love the risqué drama she’s serving up. I’m here for it and will continuing coming back.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I appreciate it and look forward to seeing what crazy hijinks Cobb comes up with next!

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Review: Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tolá Okogwu

~ megs14malloy

Onyeka and the Academy of the SunOnyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tọlá Okogwu
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Onyeka is a twelve-year-old girl living in the U.K. with her Mom. They moved there from their native Nigeria when Onyeka was very young. In fact, she was so young she doesn’t remember anything about her life in Nigeria where they lived with her father.

All Onyeka knows is that when they moved to the U.K. it was just the two of them. Onyeka’s Mom keeps their past shrouded in mystery, preferring to ignore the topic rather than answering any of Onyeka’s questions.

This sounds sad and if she dwells on it, sometimes it does make Onyeka a little sad, but overall her and her Mom have a great relationship.

Her Mom is a strong woman who only wants the best for Onyeka. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, but you can tell the two love each other fiercely even if they don’t always see eye-to-eye.

When our story begins Onyeka and her best friend, Cheyenne, are visiting the local public pool on a hot day. Even though Onyeka doesn’t adore swimming, for Cheyenne she’s willing to join in the fun.

However while they are both playing in the water something happens and Cheyenne ends up in distress. Onyeka, not a strong swimmer to begin with, cannot sit by while her best friend drowns. She has to help her, thus she learns the magic power of her hair.

Yes, you heard that right. The only thing saving Cheyenne and Onyeka that day was the power of Onyeka’s hair.

After the very public spectacle at the pool, Onyeka gets home to a Mom that is not happy. Through their heated discussion regarding the days events, Onyeka’s Mom reveals that Onyeka is a Solari, a child with special powers.

Before she can even wrap her mind around all this new information, Onyeka finds herself, along with her Mom, on a private jet being whisked off to Nigeria. Their destination is the Academy of the Sun, a school developed just for Solari.

Arriving at the School, Onyeka is overwhelmed by it all. She has to learn about this entire hidden world she knew nothing about before.

Crazier still is that she’s one of them and she’s powerful. Her hair, that has always been a nuisance to her and a frustration for her mother, is actually her greatest strength.

She just needs to learn to control it.

The Reader gets to go along with Onyeka as she learns all about the Solari, their history and challenges. She trains with other students, who although all Solari, have very different powers from one another.

It was a lot of fun to be in a magic school setting. There were a lot of interesting characters and Onyeka learned so much about herself from interacting with the others. She made some close friends and was able to really be herself for the first time.

I absolutely adored this story from the very first chapter. Getting to know Onyeka, she is such a special character, the kind who is easy to root for.

The story is action-packed, with a slight mystery-edge to it. I loved the themes explored, such as embracing the hidden power within yourself, letting your uniqueness shine and so much more!!!

I would definitely recommend this book to any Middle Grade Reader, particularly if you are looking for diverse, culture-filled, immersive OWN-voices stories.

You can’t go wrong with this absolute ray of sunshine. It filled my heart reading this.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Margaret K. McElderry Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I truly hope this isn’t the last story I get to read following this lovable protagonist. Onyeka has so much more room to grow and I want to be there for every moment of it!

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Review: For the Throne (Wilderwood #2) by Hannah F. Whitten

~ megs14malloy

For The Throne (Wilderwood, #2)For The Throne by Hannah F. Whitten
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

For the Throne is the final book in the Wilderwood duology by Hannah F. Whitten. This Adult Fantasy story follows two sisters, princesses Neve and Redarys, known as Red.

In their kingdom tradition claims the first daughter is for the throne while the second daughter, Red in this case, is for the Wolf of the Wilderwood.

In the first book we follow Red as she journeys into the Wilderwood to fulfill that obligation. Once there she finds that the Wolf is much different than she expected.

He’s not a vicious beast, but a man who she comes to know and love. It was a slow burn story, but one that I thought was good and also a great set-up for a second book.

Red has a type of earth magic that really came alive once she entered the Wilderwood; I enjoyed watching that power blossom. The setting was fantastic, I loved the dark atmosphere and reading about the lore behind this world.

Neve, the first daughter, is left behind in their kingdom when Red enters the Wood. Neve will eventually take over the throne as queen. She’s fine with that, but she’s not fine with sacrificing her sister for that purpose.

She wants Red back. She just needs to figure out a way to make it happen.

Although she had a smaller role than Red in the first book, I was most intrigued by Neve’s perspective. She was adept at scheming and I never knew what lengths she was going to go to next to reach her goals.

In this book, Neve plays an equal role in the narrative to Red. Actually, I feel like she’s sort of the star of the show in this one as she evolves into a new type of queen.

In this second book though it’s not just Neve trying to save Red from her fate, but now Red feels equally compelled to rescue Neve as well.

Neither one feels like their sister is in the right place and their love for each other keeps them highly motivated throughout it all.

I would say there is much less of a romance element in this one. There’s still a little there, particularly between Neve and the individual she is forced into an alliance with, but personally I didn’t mind the less romance.

I definitely preferred this narrative over the first book, however the story still failed to ever truly capture me. It moved so slowly…

While I can fully appreciate that this is a good story with a well-built world and characters, it just wasn’t for me. I liked it, it was fine, but it wasn’t captivating enough for me to give it a higher rating.

I do know that a lot of Adult Fantasy Readers will adore this one though. If you think the premise sounds like something you would enjoy, you absolutely should pick it up. Particularly if you like slow-burn romance and dark atmospheres.

Thank you to the publisher, Orbit Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity to provide my opinion.

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Review: Castles in their Bones by Laura Sebastian

~ megs14malloy

Castles in their Bones (Castles in their Bones, #1)Castles in their Bones by Laura Sebastian
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Castles in their Bones is the start of a YA Fantasy trilogy from beloved author Laura Sebastian.

This story follows three princesses, Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz, who have been raised by their mother, the Empress Margaraux, with one goal in mind: to one day reign over the entire continent of Vesteria.

The triplets are now 16-years old and ready to marry. They’ve had husbands selected for them pretty much since birth, whoever would be most advantageous as far as alliances go. You know how it is to be royalty.

What’s love got to do with it?

Margaraux has trained her girls in the arts of deception, seduction and violence. For their part, the girls have soaked it in. They know what they are supposed to do.

In spite of this, it’s going to be difficult. They’ve never been away from one another. Surviving on their own is something completely foreign to them.

As their adult lives begin, the girls face new challenges and new tests on their loyalties. They discover things as well, about the greater world around them, things they’ve maybe never taken into consideration before.

As you follow the ladies into these positions, you can actually feel their mother’s chess pieces moving on the board. The tension builds until you’re aren’t sure who you can trust. It was cleverly plotted. Well done by Sebastian!

I was really impressed with this. I went in expecting a fairly standard YA Fantasy, but this was anything but. I loved how intricate the scheming and plotting was.

Absolutely diabolical!

I really enjoyed all three of the girls. I loved getting to know them and watching each of their journeys as they moved to their future husband’s courts.

They ended up in vastly different circumstances and watching them navigate through the challenges they faced was so interesting. You could really see how the core of their personalities shaped the decisions they were making.

I found Daphne to be the character I personally connected with the most. I appreciated how she was able to keep her emotions at arms length from her tasks. She knew what she was there to do and she was really quite cunning about her interactions.

While this one started a little slowly, it definitely went out with a bang. I cannot believe how long I am going to have to wait for the continuation of this story.

How you play me like that, Laura Sebastian!?

The very final portion of this left me absolutely shook. It explained a lot and I am seriously at the edge of my seat with anticipation to get my hands on the next installment.

Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Bring on the sequel!

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Review: Hide by Kiersten White

~ megs14malloy

HideHide by Kiersten White
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

One of my all-time favorite tropes is a competition, so when I heard the synopsis for Kiersten White’s Adult Debut, Hide, I instantly added it to my TBR.

In this story we follow fourteen contestants competing in a Hide-and-Seek contest at an abandoned amusement park.

Seemingly selected at random from some sort of need-based selection process, the fourteen individuals are complete strangers and come from locations scattered throughout the United States.

From the very start the contest is shrouded in mystery. The only things they really know are that it is hosted by a sporting goods company and the prize is $50,000.

We follow multiple different perspectives as the contest begins and a Hunger Games-type vibe falls over the narrative.

With two contestants getting caught and out of the game each day, the tension increasingly mounts. Additionally, it’s not clear at all who, or what, the Seekers are.

The main individual we follow is a young woman named Mack, who has a very violent, traumatic past. As she sees it, her biggest gift is her ability to hide. She’s been doing it her whole life.

The things Mack observes as she hides chill her to the bone. This game may be more dangerous than anyone initially anticipated.

It’s taken me a long time to come to grips with how I feel about this book. I liked some aspects and I really disliked some aspects. Therefore, it made sense to give this a 3-star rating; just slice it right down the middle.

I’m disappointed, but I’m not mad.

The writing was a little wonky for me from the very start, but I was intrigued to see where it was going regardless.

There were so many perspectives and characters. Additionally, it jumped around a lot, it was hard to engage with any of the characters or what they were feeling. Mack, who was the person whose perspective you read from the most, didn’t do it for me. I hated being in her head.

Also, there was a plot device used to help explain the background of the contest which generally I like, but here, the execution of it, I just felt like it was too convenient. I didn’t enjoy it.

Further, I promise this is it for complaints, the horror aspects were kept too obscure. I wanted more. I liked the build and tension initially.

The not knowing was sort of like when you first started watching Lost and you knew something was in the jungle, but you could never tell what it is. I liked that, but eventually as you discover the truth behind the park, it could have gone deeper into those elements.

Overall, this is a good book and I know a lot of Readers will love it. I was expecting a bit more, but even though this was a slight miss for me, I will continue to pick up anything White writes.

Thank you to the publisher, Del Rey Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity!

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Review: Below Zero (The STEMinist Novella #3) by Ali Hazelwood

~ megs14malloy

Below Zero (The STEMinist Novellas, #3)Below Zero by Ali Hazelwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Below Zero is the second of the STEMinist Novellas from Miss Ali Hazelwood that I have read.

Being aware that this is technically the third in the series, it interested me the most, so I was super pumped when my audiobook hold came through from my local library. I couldn’t put it off. I had to dive in right away!

Throughout this trilogy we follow the stories of a trio of girlfriends: Mara, Sadie and Hannah. This is Hannah’s story.

Out of the three, Hannah has the most difficulty letting people in. She is fairly guarded by nature and even found it uncomfortable at first getting close with Mara and Sadie. She has her reasons.

Fresh out of graduate school Hannah finds herself new in her career as a NASA aerospace engineer. Some may say she got there via some helpful tips from a man named, Ian, but she would never say that. He’s irrelevant.

Although if we’re being honest, Ian is never far from her mind. Ian is her rival, her nemesis and the man who haunts her most lurid dreams.

When Hannah finds herself on the brink of disaster, injured and stranded at an Arctic research station, Ian is the one who risks everything to save her. Hannah’s so confused. Why would he do this?

He legitimately tried to stop her research and sabotage her career. What could be his motivations now and why does her stomach feel so queasy anytime he’s around?

This novella bounces around a little as the different stages of Hannah and Ian’s relationship is pieced together. I enjoyed it so much. Watching the blanks be filled in and their connection grow.

I related a lot to Hannah. I found her to be such a convincing main. I liked that she was the type of person who didn’t let people in easily. It made you really recognize how special those people she has chosen to be in her life are.

This had some steamy scenes. In the novellas there aren’t a ton, it’s only 124-pages, so obviously there’s not going to be that much. However, what is there is top notch stuff.

Hazelwood can get your motor running, that’s for sure.

I’m really looking forward to getting to the final novella, Stuck on You, soon. I’m sure it won’t disappoint!

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