What She Left Behind

    Suspenseful and chilling are the two words that best describes Tracey Bilen's debut novel, What She Left Behind. Readers looking for a character driven thriller may be disappointed, but those seeking for a page-turning plot What She Left Behind will fit your needs.

Description (from Goodreads): “Don’t even think of leaving… I will find you,” he whispered. “Guaranteed.”

Sara and her mom have a plan to finally escape Sara’s abusive father. But when her mom doesn’t show up as expected, Sara’s terrified. Her father says that she’s on a business trip, but Sara knows he’s lying. Her mom is missing—and her dad had something to do with it.
  With each day that passes, Sara’s more on edge. Her friends know that something’s wrong, but she won’t endanger anyone else with her secret. And with her dad growing increasingly violent, Sara must figure out what happened to her mom before it’s too late…for them both

Review: When we begin What She Left Behind, Sara and her mother are plotting to leave their town in a desperate attempt to escape from Sara's abusive father. They both agree to pack their bags with only their necessities and meet at the local Dairy Dream as planned, but her mother never shows up. Although her father claims she's on a business trip, Sara fears that something is terribly wrong. With her own growing anxiety and fears coupled with witnessing her father's increasingly erratic behavior, Sara puts on an exterior that says everything is okay until she can assemble enough clues to find her mother.
 Sara does a decent job in trying to be normal. She allows herself to get a bit sidetracked by getting involved in a budding romance with the high school football star. I was fine with the hint of romance in the book as it wasn't unnecessarily thrown in, but served a purpose. Sara's mother's disappearance follows her like a shadow so the light romance enables her to have just a few moments of lightness in her dark, dreary life. Despite the momentary smiles we witness during these moments of reprieve, we continuously feel Sara's isolation and confinement, which are clearly expressed in her free-writing assignments and internal dialogue.
  I often times wondered why Sara doesn't seek out help from the domestic abuse, but then I chillingly remembered that Sara's abusive father is a well known and liked retired cop in her small rural town, which means there is hardly anyone would either believe her or much worse, report back to her father. With the clock counting down, however, Sara has no choice in letting some people help her.
  Though I thought Sara was pretty likable, her father is repulsive but there is a very small part of me that felt sorry for him. We don't get too much information about her father, but we do know that he was traumatized by an incident on the job. He has also clearly suffers from mental illness which may have been sparked by the sudden death of Matt, Sara's brother. Sara's father has become delusional and acts as if Matt is still alive.  With a suspenseful plot and short chapters, Bilen effectively thrills the reader until the very last page and would be a good choice for high school reluctant readers. The ending reveals a chilling picture of domestic violence.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Words of Caution: The book contains strong violence and some language. Recommended for Grades 9 and up.  

If you like this book try: Blood Wounds by Susan Beth Pfeffer, Freaks Like Us by Susan Vaught

Manga Monday: Nana Vol. 16

Manga Mondays is a meme hosted by Alison at Alison Can Read where bloggers can share their passion for reading mangas. It's a great place to get new manga titles to try and to meet new bloggers. At the moment, I've got sucked into the world of Nana where music is the back drop and fuels the characters' passions and love and heart break go hand in hand. I'm coming close to where the series is at a stand still and I'm nervous that the series will end in a cliffhanger of sorts.

Description: Blast is at the top of the charts, and the band is making all kinds of P.R. appearances. Nana just wants to sing though, and all the marketing is starting to wear on her. A party planned for the loyal fans might be just what she needs to cheer her up. But there are secrets about her past lurking in Osaka, and the magazine Search Weekly is determined to bring them to light!

Review: In Volume 16 of Nana, we take a nice break from the melodrama surrounding the various romantic relationships in the book. Normally, I don't mind the drama as it makes the reading quicker, but I get so frustrated because I want to see all the characters (well, except for evil Takumi) to be happy! Happiness in the world of Nana is fleeting, which gives the series a melancholy touch.

  As this volume unfolds, the plot focuses on the tabloids crazy obsession to find more dirt on Nana O. especially as her band Blast's popularity surges and sits comfortably at the top of the charts. Since they were unable to publish the rumored "Ren's having an affair!" headline thanks to Taukmi's smart diversion, the tabloids are now hunting any snippet of information regarding Nana's past, particularly about her family history.  

 Even though we are into 16 volumes of this series, we are left much in the dark about Nana's past. We do know that she was abandoned by her mother at a very young age and was raised by her grandmother. In this volume, we discover that Nana's mother is still alive, has been remarried, and now has two children. There has been no communication between Nana and her mother, who she presumed was dead. Nana has not even visited her hometown nor shows any desire to do so. So when Misato, Blast's biggest fan now turned Assistant Manager, and Nana K. catch wind about Nana's mother they try to keep the news away from Nana O. in fear of making her sad and angry. What Misato and Nana K. don't know is that Nana's half sister is actually at the party that Blast held for its biggest fans. Nana's half sister, also named Misato, is adorable. She really looks uncannily like Nana O. with the same hair style and physical features. The two girls meet but only as singer and fan.

  While I understand Nana K. and Assistant Manager Misato's attention of wanting to keep this information from Nana, I do think they are being a bit too presumptuous and cuddling Nana. Unlike Nana K. who falls apart with any hint of sadness that touches her life, Nana O. has endured pain and made stronger of it. Of course, Nana O. will be devastated to find out the news about her mother and siblings, but I think that continuous hole she feels inside of her might just close. 

  Hanging over this possibility is the cloud of doom that scares me most, as we are given a cruel sneak peek at the future where Nana O. has disappeared and feared dead. How's that for an attention grabber? 

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: Language, sexual situations, and crude humor. Recommended for mature teens and adults only.

If you like this book try: Nana Vol 17 by Ai Yazawa, Honey and Clover by Chica Umino, Tramps Like Us by Yayoi Ogawa

Author Interview: E.K. Henry

  Happy Friday, Everyone! Today I'm pleased to have author E.K. Henry here to give us a little sneak peek to her book Freak. Before we get to the interview, here is a little info about E.K.: E.K. Henry has always had a passion for books ever since she can remember. She has grown up spending countless nights being swept away by her favorite books into the wee hours of the night. She lives with her son and husband in Tennessee. Freak is her debut novel.

Welcome to Books in the Spotlight, E.K.! Freak is a paranormal story with dystopian elements. What made you decide to blend these two genres in your story?  

Well, I did not really plan for it to be that way; it kind of just happened.  I came up with the idea for Freak while reading a story about a Mormon family that was getting their own reality television show.  Most of the family seemed thrilled about the idea, but one child in particular wasn't.  They didn't want the world to see how different their family was from mainstream society.  This story got me thinking about what it would be like to be forced to participate in a show that was meant to spotlight how different you are than everybody else.  I tried to imagine the worst scenario that I would hate to be put in myself, and that is how Freak was born. 

Books featuring vampires are pretty abundant. How did you make your book different? What draws you to these creatures of the night?  

Yes, vampire books are abundant, but that is actually what inspired me to write one.  I wanted to challenge myself to write a new twist.  That twist included having humans be the minority, vampires that could go out in the sun, and a reality television show.  I haven’t seen anything else out there that had all of those elements.

What are some of your favorite scenes or lines from the book?

 My favorite scene is actually a spoiler so I can’t go into too much detail, but the scene is where Juniper reveals to her friend, Abi, her thoughts on what the medicine has done to her friend.  When I was writing it, it took a twist that even I didn’t see coming.

Do you have a favorite vampire from books or movies? If so, who and why?  

I love the main character [Selene] in Underworld.  She is strong woman who stays true to herself.

If you could live in any paranormal world, either in books or movies, TV, where would you live and why?

I would live in any of Stephen King's books because I love the world he creates. I still blame him for my irrational fear of clowns.

Did anything surprise you while writing Freak?  

Yes, these characters took on  life of their own and quite frankly my nice outline that I created went out the window because the characters didn't want to behave and started doing what they wanted.

In less than 10 words, how would you describe Juniper? 

Determined and spirited

October is the month we gear up for Halloween. What is your most memorable Halloween?  

The Halloween where I dressed up like a killer clown.  I hate clowns and to be dressed like a psycho one freaked me the hell out, but I did it.  It made me feel empowered because I fought through a fear.

What can readers expect from Freak? 

A quick fun read that is full of action.

What's next for you? 

I am planning on at least a sequel.  There are also some novellas in the works that go deeper into some of the other character’s stories.

Readers, if you would like to know more about and contact E.K. Henry, please check out her website, Twitter, and email. You can also find her at Goodreads too. 

Be sure to check out the awesome giveaway that I'm currently running for Freak. Just click on the cover below to enter the giveaway. There is still plenty of time to enter!

Await Your Reply

  Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon is not a book I would have probably chosen on my own, but I have seen it on several library's summer reading suggestions. I did pick the book up as it selected by a member of the book club I recently joined.

Description (from the publisher): The lives of three strangers interconnect in unforeseen ways - and with unexpected consequences - in acclaimed author Dan Chaon's gripping, brilliantly written new novel. Longing to get on with his life, Miles Cheshire nevertheless can't stop searching for his troubled twin brother, Hayden, who has been missing for ten years. Hayden has covered his tracks skillfully, moving stealthily from place to place, managing along the way to hold down various jobs and seem, to the people he meets, entirely normal. But some version of the truth is always concealed. A few days after graduating from high school, Lucy Lattimore sneaks away from the small town of Pompey, Ohio, with her charismatic former history teacher. They arrive in Nebraska, in the middle of nowhere, at a long-deserted motel next to a dried-up reservoir, to figure out the next move on their path to a new life. But soon Lucy begins to feel quietly uneasy. My whole life is a lie, thinks Ryan Schuyler, who has recently learned some shocking news. In response, he walks off the Northwestern University campus, hops on a bus, and breaks loose from his existence, which suddenly seems abstract and tenuous. Presumed dead, Ryan decides to remake himself - through unconventional and precarious means

Review: When I started Await Your Reply, I wasn't sure if I would like it. The disjointed narrative structure took a while to get use to, especially when I found myself rereading certain sections over and over again with a sinking feeling that I must have missed something because the transition to other characters were whiplash fast. It's not until reflecting on the story and having an insightful book discussion did I seem to actually digest the story.
  Await Your Reply may be set up like your ordinary suspense/thriller read, but it was unexpectedly philosophical which was a nice surprise and added a complex layer to the story. The book's central theme of the mutability of identity, which Dan Chaon explores through three seemingly (at first) unrelated narratives is absorbing. To narrow this broad theme a bit further is analyzing the extent of how identity is influenced, reinforced, or even granted to a person by others - especially those others whom we consider authority figures. Can a soul have more than one identity? Don't we all have multiple personalities if we put in different social situations? If so, can the personalities be completely separate?
  In a way the three stories in Await Your Reply are each examining the dangers of relying to heavily on others for one's sense of self. If you define yourself as a function of someone else, what happens when that someone else is not who you think they are? What if they disappear from your life and you have to go back to square one? Ryan, whom we meet in a gruesome introduction, has just met a man claiming to be his real father and so estranges himself from his newly-discovered-to-be-adoptive parents. Lucy is unable to cope with the death of her parents, abandons her sister, and runs away with a high school teacher in hopes of starting a new life full of possibilities  And Miles is lost and struggling to find his metaphorical phantom limb, his missing twin brother, who he's realizing has become insane. The characters, some invoking sympathies while others make us pensive, appalled, are constantly awaiting the reply of the other - the real father, the older lover, the missing twin brother to help make them whole  because they cannot close the loop on their own selves until that feedback is received.
  I enjoyed the deeper aspect of the book, while I wasn't too thrilled with the suspense part of the book. The first have of the book is extremely slow and that's where the philosophical portion takes root. The second half is more plot heavy and moves quickly. Unfortunately, the author doesn't spend much time showing the intimacy of the different relationships posed in the book, which I think could have added more depth to the story. Out of the three story threads presented, the Miles/Hayden tale was the most enjoyable to me, but I couldn't really figure out the timeline of those events as it jumped around quite a lot. The Lucy/George tale had a hint of Lolita in the story, but didn't the relationship didn't really do much as you couldn't really see the chemistry between these two supposed romantic couples. I felt that the Ryan/Jay story suffered a bit from not really have a lot for the characters to do, but kept suspense in the novel as their stories seemed to always end on cliffhangers until we returned to these characters.
  If you're looking for a meaty suspense read, I would give Await Your Reply a try. The plot twist and how these three different story lines converge is interesting though it might take patience to get there. Overall, I enjoyed it much more than I originally thought.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Words of Caution: Strong language, suggestions of sex, and strong violence. Recommended for mature teens and adults only.

If you like this book try: I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb, Blame by Michelle Huneven, American Rust by Philipp Meyer 

Storm (Elementals #1)

  Usually when you think of paranormal your mind instantly goes to vampires, werewolves, zombies, demons, and et. al., but what about highly gifted humans? Storm, the first book in the Elemental series by Brigid Kemmerer is a refreshingly human paranormal romance that will keep you glued to the pages.

Description (from Goodreads): Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys all the ones she doesn't want. Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her. Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They're powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.
  And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca. Secrets are hard to keep when your life's at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who's hiding the most dangerous truth of all. The storm is coming.

Review: I had no idea what to expect when I picked up Storm, but after reading many positive reviews from fellow trusted bloggers I knew I was in good hands. Reading Storm was a lot like watching a really good pilot episode of a promising TV show. You get introduced to a large cast of characters, some of which you align yourself instantly after a few dialogues are exchanged while others you release a sigh of frustration when the opposing side appears. The closest thing I could describe Storm to is a paranormal re-imagining of one of my favorite reads growing up: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Both books contain similar elements, particularly the strong bond between a group of brothers that are left alone and struggle to survive along with the feeling of always being on the outer fringes of their society, which enthralled me the moment I began to read the book to the excitement of knowing the story continues in a new installment.
   Storm is not a complex read and the writing may not draw your attention, but the story is very straightforward. The dialogue like the characters feel realistic and natural. The series revolves around the Merrick brothers who all have a very strong elemental connection. Eldest brother and sole legal guardian Michael controls earth, where as the twins Gabriel and Nick control fire and air respectively. Youngest brother Chris can control water. All four of them are far more powerful than they should be which causes the rift among other Elementals and inspires fear and hate.
  When we first meet Chris, he is at his most vulnerable state both physically and emotionally. He has been ambushed and beaten to a pulp by two older boys. Chris can't use his powers to defend himself because he has yet learned to master his strength and is afraid to lose control. Luckily, Becca comes to his rescue, some how wards off the boys, and takes him home. There she is met with much hostility from the other Merrick boys, who are suspicious of her kindness. Chris doesn’t really know Becca though they share some classes together. He is definitely aware of rumors of her promiscuity that follows her like a shadow. Becca, however, is far from the girl she is perceived to be. Smart and snarky, she avoids the spotlight and tries to fight against slander. I think she sees similarities between herself and Chris. Then, suddenly, she is thrust into the middle of Chris’s drama, and a gorgeous new boy is showing a real interest in her.
  Yes, there is a love triangle brewing in the story and normally I would moan and say "Not again" but while reading Storm, I didn't have any qualms about it because I liked how Kemmerer takes her time to unfold all the individual relationships with a natural pacing with just enough surprises to keep us on our toes. I would have liked more romantic moments in the book, but I really do think this is a budding romance that will definitely become sweeter as it grows.
  While there is no cliffhanger per se at the end of Storm, there are many unanswered questions left. I can't wait until I read the next book which features Gabriel. This would be a series that I wouldn't hesitate in recommending to teen boys as there is plenty of action and the romance doesn't overtake the plot. As a side note, I highly suggest reading the prequel found at the back of the book (really publishers? how does that make sense?) to really understand Michael. After reading his beginnings, he may not seem as prickly in Storm. Personally, I think he's an awesome older brother trying to do the best that he can.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: Strong language, underage drinking, attempted sexual assault, and crude sexual humor. Recommended for Grades 9 and up.

If you like this book try: Chronicles of Nick series by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Intertwined series by Gena Showalter, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

Nana Vol. 15

  The week would seem incomplete without reviewing a volume of Nana, the popular manga series where love and heart break go hand in hand. Reading this manga series is like going on an emotional roller-coaster every week. Always anxious to see who is enjoying happiness and who is wallowing in sorrow.

Description (from Goodreads): One of the tabloids hounding Blast and Trapnest have photos that make it look like Reira and Ren are having an affair. With Nana and Ren's engagement recently made public, the photos could spell doom for both bands. Takumi's willing to do whatever it takes to save his band, but how will it affect Nana K. and the happily ever after she's still hoping for?

Review: After Search’s cruel engagement gift which contained suggestive photos of Ren and Riera at the end of volume fourteen, this volume opens with the fallout from that and Takumi’s cunning efforts to keep the photos and bad publicity out of the papers. Unfortunately, the ramifications of the photos aren't easily rectified as Nana O's and Ren's relationship begins to fray further and they have to confront one another. Nana K. and Takumi are finally get married, thanks to Takumi’s sly plans of diverting the intention from Nana O. and Ren to himself and Nana K. Yasu and Miu begin to solidify their relationship as well, which makes me really happy because both of these characters do so much for other people's happiness. Of course all this new news brings Nana O’s abandonment issues to the fore front as she watches the most important people in her life drifting further away from her. Nana O. isn't a perfect heroine by any means and she can be quite self centered, but you can understand how she uses Yasu and Nana K. as her own anchor. In the earlier volumes, she came off as a strong, independent, force of nature, but I think she's terrified of being abandoned again and her fear is quickly triggered.  Like Nana O. and Ren, Shin, too is dealing with the aftermath of the Search incident as Reira, suddenly aware of how vulnerable her world is to scandal, suggests they stop seeing each other. I was incredibly sad for Shin as I think he has finally fallen in love with a person who returns his feelings without making him feel like a prostitute.
  Nana can easily follow the path of a soap-opera with the wild melodramatic plot twists, but what I think that elevates this story from that level is the attention to human interactions in the series. With her brilliant close-up shots of the characters, you can actually delve deeper into the psychology of each of the characters. No character is absolutely good or evil. Even as much as I hate Takumi (and boy do I hate this guy), I can't help but give him kudos for thinking on his feet. I also love the simple inner monologue lines that are written on the page which can exude so much truth that it can make you flinch with its brutal honesty. It is this attention to the details that keep me riveted and wanting to continue reading this series.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: Sexual situations, crude humor, some language, and nudity. Recommended for mature teens and adults only.

If you like this book try: Nana Vol 16 by Ai Yazawa, Honey and Clover by Chica Umino, Tramps Like Us by Yayoi Ogawa

Character Interview: Lucy Day from Dead Girl + Giveaway!

  Happy Monday! I have another wonderful opportunity to introduce you to a brand new author and Lucy Day, the heroine of Deadgirl by B.C. Johnson. Lucy was suppose to have a great time on her first date with Zack. Instead she gets killed and wakes up alive the next morning trying to sort things out. Help me welcome Lucy to the blog and learn about her current predicament. If you're interested to learn more about Lucy, check out the giveaway at the bottom of this post.

  Before we get to the interview, here is the book cover and description of Deadgirl by B.C. Johnson:

Fifteen-year-old Lucy Day falls between the gears in the machinery of the afterlife. She is murdered while on her first date, but awakens a day later, completely solid and completely whole. She has no hunger for brains, blood, or haunting, so she crosses “zombie,” “vampire,” and “ghost” off her list of re-life possibilities. But figuring out what she is becomes the least of her worries when Abraham, Lucy’s personal Grim Reaper, begins dogging her, dead-set on righting the error that dropped her back into the spongy flesh of a living girl.

Lucy must put her mangled life back together, escape re-death, and learn to control her burgeoning psychic powers while staying one step ahead of Abraham. But when she learns the devastating price of coming back from the dead, Lucy is forced to make the hardest decision of her re-life—a decision that could save her loved ones...or kill them.

Hey Lucy. Welcome to the blog! In Twitter style, how would you describe yourself?

Confusingly hilarious, occasionally terrified, slightly less stubborn than a herd of donkeys. Atlanta High School resident student smartass.
 
Who is Zack?

Zack is . . . complicated. We had a mess of a non-relationship our Freshman year. One of those "will they won't they ah crap they messed it up" kind of deals. If either of us had guts or a working head on our shoulders things might have turned out differently.

Zack is smart, Zack is brave, Zack makes me want to be a better person just by being around him. Zack makes me stronger, and I like to think I make him stronger too. I don't know.
 
What was the first thought that popped into your head when Zack asked you on a date?

Probably something like "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH." What do you think when you try not to pee yourself? I guess I just couldn't believe he'd finally asked, really. Why had he finally asked? What had taken a year of flirting and significant glances to finally say "Hey Luce, wanna hit the movies? By the way, I want to kiss you."

Unfortunately, your dream date didn't happen, but what did you hope for?

Certainly not for what happened. I don't know. It was my first date - I'm not exactly an expert. A million Julia Roberts / Kate Hudson movies have told me there ought to be flowers, a stunning act of heroism, maybe lips. Yeah, lips. Lips are good. Oh, and maybe the coat-over-the-rain puddle thing. I'm a sucker for the classics. If somehow a puppy could have been involved . . .

What are you exactly?

Lucy Day, fifteen-year-old girl who is completely normal and nothing at all weird happened to her. Some people disappear for a day. It happens.

In honesty? I've heard the word Phantom thrown around, but I don't know what any of that means. My sole source of information is a mute dude. It's less "ironic" and more "terrifically irritating." I tell you this - I'm alive. I'm not a monster. Woe to the person who tries to disagree.
 
Best thing about being re-animated? Worst thing?

Best thing? Not bleeding out in a bank parking lot. I'd call that the incredible upside.

Down side? I guess it's a toss up between "being stalked by a monster made of light" and "never having to sleep." I'll tell you what - sleeping is highly underrated. Do you have any idea how hard it is to fill the time when you don't sleep? I guess I need to take up crochet or sculpting or brain surgery. I've got a LOT of time to kill.
 
What's the most important lesson that you learned so far?

Never give up. Never stop. Never let anyone tell you what you can't be, and never let anyone try to take from you what's yours. All the strength you'll ever need is already there.

There's always a catch with getting a second shot at life, what's yours?

Let's just say that my body doesn't run off sandwichesanymore.

If you could change one thing about yourself it would be...

If I look in the mirror, plenty. Heh. I guess I'd say my heart - I have no ability to hold back. I just can't. I wish I could get a rein on that thing, but I don't think I'm in the driver's seat. I just feel.I love hard, I die hard, and I'm fiercely protective of my friends. I make bad decisions sometimes, I mess up, I leap to spectacularly wrong conclusions. I wish my heart wasn't pumping right there on my sleeve. I guess I'm saying a cold-calculating-logic injection wouldn't go amiss.

What would you like to say or do if you were to meet Abraham, the Grim Reaper, face to face?

I'll go with the "non-profanity" version. I guess it'd be something like: "You just signed up for the hardest gig of your life, buddy. I'm a weed with deep roots, I'm a cockroach, I'm Superman. Good luck you son of - " Sorry. No profanity, got it.

Thanks for stopping by, Lucy, and I hope you figure things out quickly.

  GIVEAWAY

This giveaway is open to U.S. and international readers! Please read the details below:

For U.S. READERS: ONE (1) lucky reader will get 1 (one) signed paperback copy of Deadgirl along with 1 (one) signed bookmark. 

For INTERNATIONAL READERS: ONE (1) lucky reader will get 1 (one) ebook copy of Deadgirl. 

To enter the giveaway, please leave your name and email address so I can contact you if you win. The giveaway will be held until SATURDAY, November 17th. The winners (one U.S. and one international) will be chosen randomly by Random.org and will announced on my blog on SUNDAY, November 18th. Good luck!