I got a loooot of new releases on my to buy lists and I got some of them:

 

1. Wink Poppy Midnight - April Genevieve Tucholke 
2. Summerlost - Ally Condie 
3. Fool Me Once - Harlan Coben 
4. Seven Ways We Lie - Riley Redgate 
5. Lady Midnight - Cassandra Clare 
6. The Queen's Poisoner (The Kingfountain Series Book 1) - Jeff Wheeler 
7. Flawed - Cecelia Ahern 
8. A Study in Charlotte - Brittany Cavallaro 
9. Girl Last Seen - Heather Anastasiu,Anne Greenwood Brown 
10. In Real Life - Jessica Love 

 

Tomorrow I'm flying back home -  a midterm break and I might finish some of my currently reading list. I have a few reviews to write and do the march wrap-up.

 

Did you get any new releases? Or any other books you are excited about?

This review was originally posted on Bookish Things & More

Review

This book completely surprised me.  At first I was kind of meh about it because I didn't care for any of the characters.  They all have an ugliness in them, and it bugged me.  But Girl Last Seen also deals with issues I think we should all pay attention to.  Bullying is a big thing in this book.  Some of these kids had their lives ruined, or even moving, because of the actions that certain people made.  And I think it's also safe to say that just because your friend is a complete a-hole doesn't mean you should follow along with them.  There's also possible redemption.  We all make mistakes, but we shouldn't let them define who we are in the future.  Growing up does happen.

The plot kept me hooked.  I loved the mystery and intrigue.  Kady's disappearance rocks the community in her small town. She's a beloved internet star, and everyone thinks she can do no harm.  But Jude and Lauren know better than anyone that isn't true, and both have motive.  You don't really know who you can trust throughout the book.  Is Mason, Kady's boyfriend, capable of kidnapping her? Or does her friend, and the boy they humiliated, have something to do with her being gone?

I also loved the fact that just because you portray yourself a certain way on the interwebs doesn't mean that's how things really are.  We get a big dose of this throughout the book.

All in all it was a 3.5 star book for me.  Not because of the story because like I said, it hooked me.  But because I didn't like the characters.  Kadence is egotistical, Lauren spent her friendship with Kady being a complete pushover and doing whatever Kady wanted, and Jude is just plain creepy a lot of the time.  But they had room for growth, and they either did it for the better or the worse.  But I won't tell you, because it would ruin the book.

Girl Last Seen is a mystery that will keep you guessing, and wondering what the mess is happening.

Giveaway

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Tour Schedule

March 7th Book Hounds YA REVIEW
March 8th Literary Meanderings REVIEW
March 9th A Leisure Moment 10 RANDOM THINGS
March 10th Dream Within A Dream REVIEW
March 11th Storybook Slayers REVIEW

March 14th Bookish Things And More REVIEW
March 15th In Wonderland REVIEW
March 16th The Hollow Cupboards REVIEW
March 17th The Cover Contessa AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 18th Me, My Shelf and I REVIEW

I thought this was an excellent whodunit novel. The cover of the novel did nothing for me but the synopsis pulled me in and I enjoyed that there wasn’t a parade of characters but just a few who lined the pages. The history of two of the main characters played an important role as Kady and Lauren were bullies who preyed on the weak as teens and now in high school. It is these weak individuals who just might be the suspects who targeted Kady. Hearing Lauren’s side of the story, Kady was the initiator and Lauren, followed in her footsteps. The girls began their own musical duo years ago which is now a musical sensation. Kady loved to be out in the public’s eye doing all the public speaking whereas Lauren was the quiet one, working on their song lyrics. They were on top of the world until Lauren got sick and now she can no longer sing.  

 

As if this is not enough tension and misfortune for these two girls, there is also an incident with Mason, Kady’s boyfriend that has put a strain on the girl’s relationship. Kady has continued singing without Lauren, the two have exchanged words about this situation and Lauren’s still has deep feeling about this issue.   Jude, a previous friend of Lauren’s has now moved back into town and his presence has me questioning his intentions.   The book takes a drastic turn when one of the girl’s turns up missing.   Kady’s sudden disappearance has everyone pointing their fingers at the individuals who are closest to her, while I tried to keep myself a neutral party. Kady’s loud and flamboyant personality had me wondering if perhaps a fan wanted something more from Kady than she was willing to give. Everyone claims that they were innocent, for of course they are, but I figured it out before the author reveals the guilty party. I liked how the author led you down a path and the path veered, making your wonder if you chose the right direction.   The ending was terrific, it was impressive.   Everything lined up perfectly, almost too perfectly, that I actually cheered at the end for it was a perfect performance for someone who walked in those shoes.

 

Thank you NetGalley and Albert Whitman & Company for sending me a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

Eighteen-year-old Lauren DeSanto was loving the attention.  She and her best friend, Kadence (Kady), were putting their songs on YouTube and they were going viral.  Then, there was a lapse to the recordings.  Lauren had succumbed to a throat infection and after several weeks, her beautiful voice had still not returned.  Instead, it was now more of a croaking sound.  Eventually, in order to keep their fans happy, Kady began singing solo.  Lauren even talked her manager into allowing Kady to sing before their Cuppa Cuppa (coffee shop) crowd.  But, by the time Kady took the stage, she and Lauren were no longer on good terms.  Lauren put on a good front for the crowd, but Jude was watching her.  He could tell she wasn’t happy.  He used to know her well … back when they were friends.

 

When Kady goes missing, there is no shortage of suspects, but Lauren is a primary one because of a recent boyfriend double cross issue.  All of a sudden Jude comes back into Lauren’s life.  He was Nathan back when they were friends.  Now he’s using his middle name, Jude.  Nathan had severe acne.  Lauren stood by him … until Kady ruined their friendship, even causing Lauren to harshly snub him.  Jude, with the help of medicine, has overcome his acne and recovered from the physical scars.  Lauren now finds him to be ‘exciting’.  Can Jude help Lauren to clear the suspicion on her?  She must solve the mystery of Kady’s disappearance.

 

This is a wonderfully twisty teen thriller (age range 14 – 18).  The reader will wonder who is trustworthy; who is not?  I liked the various narration shifts giving us different character perspectives.  It allows us to see what each character was really thinking.  Even teens can pretend to like someone.  The author has constructed characters that are both likable and abhorrent.  They are, by no means, cut and dry.  However, a portion of the novel does require the reader to suspend believability.  Rating: 4 out of 5.

#GIRLLASTSEEN  5 STARS!!  AVAILABLE 3/1/16  @AnneGBrown @h_anastasiu  @AlbertWhitmanA girl goes missing. No one has heard from her for days. The list of suspects is short. Until you start learning about Kadence. Then the list of suspects grows and grows. You even want to add yourself to the list because you know if you were one of the people that she wronged, you would have killed her yourself.

About three quarters of the way through the book, your wanting to give an award to whoever did it. This girl was just bad, I mean evil. Before the end, you figure it out. However, the ending, definitely throws you for a loop.

This is being promoted as a YA book, but as an adult, I very much enjoyed it. There a lot of plot twists and little things that happen that you don't really see as anything until the very end. Because you can't see all the little strings being pulled, it's not really one that keeps you up all night. However, the explanations at the end will definitely send shivers down your spine. And these are teenagers!!! That's the scariest part of all.

I highly recommend this book. I am still creeped out by some of these characters and what they did and I finished the book hours ago. This one will haunt you a long, long time.

Huge thanks to AW Teen for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review. Write this one down - GIRL LAST SEEN!!!