The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings

Summary:
An action-packed, blood-soaked, futuristic debut thriller set in a world where the murder rate is higher than the birthrate. For fans of Moira Young’s Dust Lands series, La Femme Nikita, and the movie Hanna.

Meadow Woodson, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been trained by her father to fight, to kill, and to survive in any situation, lives with her family on a houseboat in Florida. The state is controlled by The Murder Complex, an organization that tracks the population with precision.

The plot starts to thicken when Meadow meets Zephyr James, who is—although he doesn’t know it—one of the MC’s programmed assassins. Is their meeting a coincidence? Destiny? Or part of a terrifying strategy? And will Zephyr keep Meadow from discovering the haunting truth about her family?

Action-packed, blood-soaked, and chilling, this is a dark and compelling debut novel by Lindsay Cummings. (from GoodReads)

Review:
I was pretty excited for The Murder Complex but ended up being disappointed in it.

It's funny looking back on my Waiting on Wednesday post for this book and how even back then I said that I didn't know what the "murder complex" was. That confusion continued through the first half of the book in which it was never explained! That was frustrating.

I also didn't like the insta-love between Meadow and Zephyr. It's bad in some books but it was especially bad here. I just don't get the appeal of having two characters literally fall in love after seeing each a few times.

A lot of people on GoodReads say this book is "anti-science" and I guess I would agree if you want to analyze the book but that sentiment isn't explicitly written anywhere.

Honestly, this just wasn't the book for me. I won't be continuing the series.

Rating: 4 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from library

2014/Greenwillow Books/398 pages.

Night Film by Marisha Pessl

Summary:
A page-turning thriller for readers of Stephen King, Gillian Flynn, and Stieg Larsson, Night Film tells the haunting story of a journalist who becomes obsessed with the mysterious death of a troubled prodigy—the daughter of an iconic, reclusive filmmaker.

On a damp October night, beautiful young Ashley Cordova is found dead in an abandoned warehouse in lower Manhattan. Though her death is ruled a suicide, veteran investigative journalist Scott McGrath suspects otherwise. As he probes the strange circumstances surrounding Ashley’s life and death, McGrath comes face-to-face with the legacy of her father: the legendary, reclusive cult-horror-film director Stanislas Cordova—a man who hasn’t been seen in public for more than thirty years.

For McGrath, another death connected to this seemingly cursed family dynasty seems more than just a coincidence. Though much has been written about Cordova’s dark and unsettling films, very little is known about the man himself.

Driven by revenge, curiosity, and a need for the truth, McGrath, with the aid of two strangers, is drawn deeper and deeper into Cordova’s eerie, hypnotic world.

The last time he got close to exposing the director, McGrath lost his marriage and his career. This time he might lose even more.

Night Film, the gorgeously written, spellbinding new novel by the dazzlingly inventive Marisha Pessl, will hold you in suspense until you turn the final page. (from GoodReads)

Review:I forget where this book was recommended, but I do remember it was around the time that I read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I love mysteries, thrillers, and horror and Night Film does a wonderful job of encapsulating these three genres. I would definitely recommend this book for fans of these types of novels.

Like I've said on countless occasions, I love watching scary movies and reading this book was similar to that type of experience. Especially in the beginning of Night Film I was pretty freaked out. I even had trouble falling asleep in the dark and that never happens! I was only really scared at the start of the book and that's because Marisha Pessl does such a great job of world-building and creating the universe in which Cordova and his films exist. Even though it's our world with a fictional director, while reading I was convinced that there was this legendary filmmaker whose films could only be watched through bootlegged copies and underground screenings. That is just so freaky to me. I wish I could actually watch one of his movies because they seem so scary!

It's within this world that investigative journalist Scott McGrath works and he is determined to find some dirt to condemn Cordova. He goes on a journey with two other characters who are also interested in the death of Ashley Cordova. Even though the book is long, the plot is pretty fast-paced and the characters move from one lead to the next. In the real world it probably wouldn't have been as smooth of a ride but I enjoyed seeing them go from clue to clue and learn more about the mysterious director and his family. Pessl is wonderful at building the suspense and tension. I couldn't wait to find out what was really going on.

As much as I enjoyed the story, I did have issues with the narration (too lengthy at times). Pessl writes best when there's dialogue. It would have been neat to delve even deeper into Scott's character but I'm usually okay with a plot-based book. I do have to say that I absolutely loved the extra features. There were articles, blog posts, even a TIME photo slideshow detailing Cordova's life. Those elements made the story seem real and we're just really cool.

Overall, I love this genre and I love been scared so Night Film was right up my alley. I think this book would be awesome as an actual movie even though it's pretty long. I'm definitely interested in checking out Pessl's other work now too.

Rating: 9 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from the library

2013/Random House/602 pages.

Hysteria by Megan Miranda

Summary:
Mallory killed her boyfriend, Brian. She can't remember the details of that night but everyone knows it was self-defense, so she isn't charged. But Mallory still feels Brian's presence in her life. Is it all in her head? Or is it something more? In desperate need of a fresh start, Mallory is sent to Monroe, a fancy prep school where no one knows her . . . or anything about her past. But the feeling follows her, as do her secrets. Then, one of her new classmates turns up dead. As suspicion falls on Mallory, she must find a way to remember the details of both deadly nights so she can prove her innocence-to herself and others.

In another riveting tale of life and death, Megan Miranda's masterful storytelling brings readers along for a ride to the edge of sanity and back again. (from GoodReads)

Review:
So obviously everyone (including myself) is going to compare Hysteria with Megan Miranda's first novel, Fracture. They both have similar tones, feature the paranormal, and involve death. It's hard to say which one I liked more because both have their flaws, but I can say that I enjoyed reading Hysteria.

Since the two books are so similar, I have to do a small comparison. My main issue with Fracture (which I really liked), was that there was too much going on and not enough space for all the subplots to be developed and resolved. That problem isn't as prevalent in Hysteria because the author has cut down on the extra subplots. Even so, there are still a few storylines running throughout the novel: the flashbacks to before, during and after the homicide; the person who is following/harassing Mallory; her relationship with Reid; and the conflict between Mallory, Jason and Krista. Hopefully by the next book we can have a story with only one or two subplots! Even with all that was going on, the book was paced pretty evenly and the flashbacks were definitely appropriate. The death of Brian was so mysterious and I really wanted to know more. How could a sixteen-year-old stab someone in her own house? Was that really her only option? I'm still not sure of the answer.

Megan Miranda does a great job of creating a spooky atmosphere in both her books. I can't even imagine living in the house where I killed someone and I got the chills every time the author described the kitchen where the incident occurred. Even when Mallory leaves for boarding school, the feeling that something is watching her continues and Miranda effectively conveys the unease that Mallory frequently experiences. Weird things happen to Mallory, like a bruise on her shoulder in the shape of hand and you don't know if it's real or in her mind.

I seriously couldn't put this down because I wanted to know who was harassing Mallory. Was it Brian's ghost from beyond the grave? Or something more human? I think readers will be satisfied by the answer.

Overall I really enjoyed Hysteria and can't see what other creepy things Megan Miranda is going to write about next.

Rating: 8 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from the library.

2013/Walker Childrens/336 pages.

The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting

Summary:
In the end, all that’s left is an echo.

Violet kept her morbid ability to sense dead bodies a secret from everyone except her family and her childhood-best-friend-turned-boyfriend, Jay Heaton. That is until forensic psychologist Sara Priest discovered Violet’s talent and invited her to use her gift to track down murderers. Now, as she works with an eclectic group of individuals—including mysterious and dangerously attractive Rafe—it’s Violet’s job to help those who have been murdered by bringing their killers to justice.

When Violet discovers the body of a college girl killed by “the girlfriend collector” she is determined to solve the case. But now the serial killer is on the lookout for a new “relationship” and Violet may have caught his eye... (from GoodReads)

Review:
I am really enjoying this series and was excited to see that it's going to be longer than just a trilogy - the fourth book, Dead Silence, will be released this year.

The concept of The Body Finder series is so chilling; even after three books that fact that Violet can sense dead bodies and murderers is still super creepy. But I must say, it makes for great reading. In The Last Echo, Violet has started working with a team of psychics in order to help the police solve baffling crimes. It was nice to see Violet actively use her ability for good; in the previous novels she would accidentally stumble upon cases and then try to help the police. Also it was good for Violet to be around people like her and in The Last Echo you could see her open up more to the other members of the team.

The villain in The Last Echo is so creepy and I loved his chapters the best! Getting inside his mind and seeing how he thinks was extremely interesting, especially for me as a psychology major. Kimberly Derting is so good at writing scenes that make your skin crawl.

I wish we could have seen more of Violet's school friends and her boyfriend Jay - they were lacking in this book. Potential love interest Rafe definitely had a bigger role and I can't tell if I enjoy the love triangle or not. I like Rafe but Jay and Violet work so well together that I hope the author doesn't mess that up.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Last Echo and the rest of the series as well. If you like thrillers definitely pick this up. You won't be disappointed.

Rating: 8 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from the library.

2012/HarperCollins/360 pages.

This is Not a Drill by Beck McDowell

Summary:
Two teens try to save a class of first-graders from a gun-wielding soldier suffering from PTSD.

When high school seniors Emery and Jake are taken hostage in the classroom where they tutor, they must work together to calm both the terrified children and the gunman threatening them--a task made even more difficult by their recent break-up. Brian Stutts, a soldier suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in Iraq, uses deadly force when he's denied access to his son because of a custody battle. The children's fate is in the hands of the two teens, each recovering from great loss, who now must reestablish trust in a relationship damaged by betrayal. Told through Emery and Jake's alternating viewpoints, this gripping novel features characters teens will identify with and explores the often-hidden damages of war. (from GoodReads)

Review:
When I received This is Not a Drill in the mail, I was excited to read it. I really enjoy movies and books that are thrillers, and this novel sounded like it would fit into that genre. I wish I could say that gunmen in schools and other public places never happened in our society, but the fact that it does made this book even more freaky. Heck, even my high school was on lock-down when a gunmen held a bar down the street hostage a few years ago.

I could definitely understand the terror and fear that Emery and Jake feel when Brian Stutts comes into their classroom with a gun. They have to take care of a bunch of first graders, who have no idea what's going on. I don't know how they held it together because I would have been a mess.

I liked that the author tried to make the gunman into a real person. It's obvious that he is suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and his life has been changed by his time in Iraq. As a psychology student, I feel so bad for people who don't have the opportunity to seek mental health services or decide not to based on the stigma. I know that's a big problem in the military, but it needs to be an attitude that we change.

I wish This is Not a Drill could have been a little more exciting - even though the classroom is being held hostage, it's actually boring at times. Most of the book is Emery and Jake trying to entertain the kids. Overall, it was a quick read and I would recommend to anyone interested in this subject.

Release Date: October 25, 2012
Rating: 7 out of 10.
FTC: sent by publisher.

2012/Nancy Paulsen Books/224 pages.

Frost by Marianna Baer

Summary:
Leena Thomas’s senior year at boarding school begins with a shock: Frost House, her cozy dorm of close friends, has been assigned an unexpected roommate: confrontational, eccentric Celeste Lazar. But while Leena’s anxiety about a threat to her sanctuary proves valid, it becomes less and less clear whether the threat lies with her new roommate, within Leena’s own mind, or within the very nature of Frost House itself. Mysterious happenings in the dorm, an intense triangle between Leena, Celeste, and Celeste’s brother, and the reawakening of childhood fears, all push Leena to take increasingly desperate measures to feel safe. Frost is the story of a haunting. As to whether the demons are supernatural or psychological . . . well, which answer would let you sleep at night? (From GoodReads)

Review:
I love thrillers and spooky stories, so I was really excited to read Frost. I haven't read a thriller in awhile because sometimes they aren't that good, but I'm happy to say that I really enjoyed Frost!

Frost does a good job of starting out slowly and drawing the reader in. Everything seems fine at first and then little things start happening, but they are things that could be explained by natural causes. All the weird stuff that happens usually targets Leena's new roommate Celeste. Frost was different than other supernatural stories because in the beginning Leena is strangely immune to the odd occurrences. She actually feels safe in the house, which is the opposite of Celeste. But the secure feeling that Leena gets in the house starts turning creepy, like how she is drawn to the closet and likes to sit in there.

There is kind of a triangle between Leena, Celeste and Celeste's brother David. They are super close so when Leena starts falling for David, it makes things a little weird between her and Celeste. I liked David and I liked how much he cared for his sister; I thought it was sweet. But Leena thought it was annoying how he wanted her to be his personal updater on his sister's life.

What I really liked about Frost is that the ending could go several different ways. Was there a scientific explanation for the happenins in Frost House? Was the house haunted? Was it an effect of mental illness? It's very open-ended so the reader can decide what ending they think fits best.

That being said, I enjoyed Frost a lot. The boarding school setting is always fun and the spooky happenings make Frost a great novel to read when you're home alone at night. Or maybe you'll want to wait until it's light out....

Rating: 9 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from library

2011/Balzer & Bray/400 pages.

Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Summary:
Violet can sense the echoes of those who've been murdered—and the matching imprint that clings to their killers. Only those closest to her know what she is capable of, but when she discovers the body of a young boy she also draws the attention of the FBI, threatening her entire way of life.

As Violet works to keep her morbid ability a secret, she unwittingly becomes the object of a dangerous obsession. Normally she'd turn to her best friend, Jay, except now that they are officially a couple, the rules of their relationship seem to have changed. And with Jay spending more and more time with his new friend Mike, Violet is left with too much time on her hands as she wonders where things went wrong. But when she fills the void by digging into Mike's tragic family history, she stumbles upon a dark truth that could put everyone in danger. (from book jacket)

Review:

I really liked The Body Finder, so when I heard that there was going to be a sequel, I was super excited. I thought Desires of the Dead was a great continuation of series, and added a whole new element to Violet's world.

Desires of the Dead follows The Body Finder in that Violet is still finding dead things, animals and humans, alike. However, in this case, she is discovered by the FBI after leaving an anonymous tip about a body. The FBI calls and are interested in her talent, but it's obvious that even they might not know what exactly Violet can do. I liked the addition of this special subdivision of the FBI into Violet's world; I think it sets up nicely for future books and allows Violet to use her ability for good.

Violet and Jay are still dating in Desires of the Dead, and I loved their relationship. Jay is a great guy, and it was nice to see him care for Violet. There were points in this book that their relationship bordered on melodramatic, a specific time occurs after they have a fight. Both Jay and Violet are depressed and Violet misses school, which I thought was slightly ridiculous. Regardless, I still liked reading about them, even if I wished Violet would open up to and talk to Jay more. She's very secretive at times, though I can't blame her because I might be the same way.

In addition to Violet being pulled towards dead things, she also seems to have a stalker, which seems ominous but ends up not being the central conflict. I liked the the parts of the book that dealt with newcomer Mike and his family; there was a nice twist in regards to his mother's disappearance.

Overall, I enjoyed Desires of the Dead and think there's a great set-up for future novels. GoodReads states that there are plans for two more books, which I will definitely be reading.

Rating: 8 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from library.

2011/HarperTeen/355 pages.

Summer of Fear by Lois Duncan

Summary:

Julia, Cousin Julia. From the moment she arrived that summer, she seemed to seep into Rachel Bryant's life like a poison. Rachel knew she should feel sorry for her seventeen-year-old cousin. But why didn't Julia seem more grieved over her parents' recent deaths? Everyone else was enchanted by Julia - Rachel's parents, her brothers, her friends, and even her steady boyfriend. No one but Rachel seemed to notice Julia's frigid stare, her womanly body, the strange possessions she took pains to hide. Rachel's normally gentle little dog feared and loathed Julia from the start. What was it about her? What did she want with the Bryants? Soon all Rachel's questions were replaced by terror, as she desperately tried to bridge the gap that had sprung up between herself and those she cared about most.

For suddenly she realized who Julia really was, and the summer turned bone-cold. (from book jacket)

Review:

Lois Duncan is one of my favorite authors because she writes the best thrillers. Her books are always simply written, not a lot of detail or complex plots, but the mysteries are always spooky and really nicely done. Summer of Fear definitely isn't my favorite of hers, but it was a decent book all the same.

As from the summary, Summer of Fear starts out with Rachel learning that her aunt and uncle have perished in a car accident, and her cousin will coming to live with her family. Rachel hasn't seen Julia in awhile, so she knows it will be weird to have another girl around and to share her room. What Rachel isn't prepared for her family's sudden attraction to Julia; they even seem to like her more than Rachel! It's not until Rachel starts seeing some of Julia's idiosynchracies that she suspects something is going on.

I don't want to say too much about Julia because Rachel figures out what is going on with her pretty quickly and most of the book is spent having Rachel trying to convince her family that Julia is not who she seems. Some of Lois Duncan's books are downright creepy, but Summer of Fear wasn't too bad. It was pretty tame and I was never that scared during it, which was a little disappointing.

While I enjoyed Summer of Fear and its simple mystery, some of Lois Duncan's other books are way better in that they are actually creepy. But this was still a good read.

Rating: 7 out of 10.

FTC: borrowed from library.

1976/Little, Brown/217 pages.

Spray by Harry Edge

Summary:

A group of teens sign up for an assassination game on the streets of a big city. Their weapons: pressurized water guns. It's meant to be a game, a sport. But for some it's more than harmless fun. To win, they'll use any means necessary.

Two hundred players. Three weeks of tense cat-and-mouse action. Every stalker is being stalked and only one player will be left standing. No one will be the same.

Through multiple points of view, Harry Edge puts readers right into the middle of the action - watch your back! (from back cover)

Review:

It's been a long time since I've read any action novels. Actually, I don't think I've read that many action novels at all, since I'm not a big fan of action movies. But I really liked Spray and it's thrilling and fast-paced plot.

It's sort of my life goal to play the game Assassin, and hopefully while I'm at college someone will get the game going. For those who don't know, Assassin is kind of like tag, but you have a target and you are also someone else's target. There's different variations, and in Spray you have to spray your opponent with a water gun.

If the game Spray came to my city, I would definitely want to play. However, since it's city-wide, it's pretty likely you won't know your target, and a lot of time is spent staking them out, trying to hit them in valid locations (for example, you can't spray someone in transportation or while they are at work). I don't know how well this game would work in real life, because you get the home and work address of your target and to me that's a little creepy. But I suspended my disbelief and really got into the action.

Spray is a little confusing, because they are a ton of different points-of-view, and I started to forget who was who and who was after who. You also don't get any in-depth characterizations of any of the characters, which could be a minus to those who like character-driven novels. By the end it's a little better, but I understood why the author wrote it this way, so the reader could see a lot of things going on at once. And you really do get sucked into the book. I was reading this in the library waiting for my next class, and when I got up to leave I started looking around and felt like I was in the game myself.

There's also this interesting backdrop that the country is in a major drought and it's becoming a world-wide problem. Ironically, the players are still playing Spray with water guns. I thought this theme would have been really cool if it was explored more, however the author left it in the background.

I would recommend Spray for fans of action and thriller books/movies, because it has a fast-paced plot. This book isn't a masterpiece by any means, but it's definitely a fun read if you're in the mood for a lot of action.

Rating: 7 out of 10.

FTC: reviewed through the Henry Holt InGroup program.

2010/Feiwel and Friends/228 pages.

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Violet has always been different. She was born with a special skill that has enabled her to find dead bodies. It sounds gruesome and macabre, but for Violet it's her life. However, when Violet starts discovering dead human bodies, in an almost serial manner, things change. As her small town begins to panic because more and more young girls are turning up missing and/or dead, it's up to Violet to use her power to find the killer before it's too late.

The Body Finder was extremely creepy, but that's what I liked about it. I love horror/thriller movies, so the fact that this book fit into that genre was awesome. There was a love interest (as usual) and even though it turned out to be the cliched best friend, I still loved the romance. Things actually started getting hot and steamy between Violet and Jay, which I shall attribute to pent-up sexual tension.

Surprisingly, I really liked the supporting characters, who came in the form of Violet's girl friends. They were funny and added something to the plot. I wish we could have seen more of them because most of the time it was The Violet and Jay Show, so I actually kind of forgot about them half-way through the book.

Also, a lot of reviews mention a "twist" that takes place in The Body Finder. There was one, but it wasn't as big of a reveal as I was hoping. It didn't help that I kind of guessed the ending before, but I usually do that anyway so that doesn't mean everyone else won't be surprised. So besides a few things that I didn't like, I thought that The Body Finder was a pretty solid book. It had good description, fun characters, a hot romance and just the right element of suspense.

8.5 out of 10.

FTC: I received this book for the One ARC Blog Tour and mailed it back to the author.

Gallows Hill by Lois Duncan

Sarah can see people's secrets in an ordinary crystal paperweight. Too bad they still believe in witches in Pine Crest. And they don't like them at all. Sarah is about to relive a horrible ordeal that happened hundreds of years ago--unless she can undo a terrible wrong.

I usually write the summary myself, but I thought the summary on the back sounded so mysterious and spooky. Don't worry, though, I'll give my own summary, too:

Sarah has just (unwillingly) moved to Pine Crest, Missouri, with her lovesick mother who is following her new boyfriend. Never mind that Ted is still legally married, Sarah's mother has been swept off her feet by this overbearing and contemptuous man. Obviously, Sarah and her mother are not welcomed with open arms into this tight-knit, and extremely conservative, community. So Sarah agrees to read fortunes at a Halloween carnival to make some friends, and she begins to see things in crystal paperweight her mother gave her. Things that come true. When Sarah starts a fortune telling business with two kids from school, people start to believe she's a witch. And that could have deadly consequences in a town like Pine Crest.

If you like thrillers and supernatural type books, you definitely have to read Lois Duncan. Most people have never heard of her, but she wrote the book I Know What You Did Last Summer, which was later turned into a movie. (By the way, the book is a lot better. Just saying.) Her books are like Goosebumps for teens, but instead of vampires and mummies, she uses themes like reincarnation and immortality. So her books are really good. And Gallows Hill was no exception. It was so suspenseful, I didn't want to stop reading. The book was a lot like the Salem Witch Trials, where everyone started accusing people of being witches for riduculous reasons. But I don't want to give anything away, so you'll just have to read it to find out what happens.

8 out of 10.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

Robert Langdon, a Harvard professor of symbology, is in Paris to give a lecture. He's supposed to meet up with Jacques Sauniere, the curator of the Louvre, but Sauniere never shows. Later that night Robert is informed that Sauniere was murdered and left a trail of clues to unlock one of mankind's most important secrets. Teamed with French cryptologist Sophie Neveu, Robert takes on the quest, even with the French police and a rigorous Catholic cult on their tails.

This is one of my new favorite books! It was extremely well-written, and even though it was a thriller, it was actually funny at times. The plot is amazingly intricate, and the story even switches points of view to give the reader a feel of what the other characters are thinking. There is so much history and symbology, and all of it is well explained and well researched. It was fun to travel to real-life places, such as the Louvre and Westminster Abbey, and learn about the history of them. And even if you are a Christian, you should still read the book because it is fiction and the author, Dan Brown, stated that he wanted the novel to spur religious debate.

9 out of 10