Book Review: Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick

Book Title & Author: Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick
Published by: Lerner Publishing Group on February 1st, 2012
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
Source: Gifted
Goodreads
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Synopsis: There are stories where the girl gets her prince, and they live happily ever after. (This is not one of those stories.)

Jenna Lord’s first sixteen years were not exactly a fairytale. Her father is a controlling psycho and her mother is a drunk. She used to count on her older brother—until he shipped off to Afghanistan. And then, of course, there was the time she almost died in a fire. 

There are stories where the monster gets the girl, and we all shed tears for his innocent victim. (This is not one of those stories either.)

Mitch Anderson is many things: A dedicated teacher and coach. A caring husband. A man with a certain... magnetism. 

And there are stories where it’s hard to be sure who’s a prince and who’s a monster, who is a victim and who should live happily ever after. (These are the most interesting stories of all.)

Drowning Instinct is a novel of pain, deception, desperation, and love against the odds—and the rules.

Review:
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book and to be honest, I was a bit hesitant to read it because I've DNFed another book by this author. I am a big supporter of giving authors more chances to wow me, plus Bekka had gifted me this book several years ago, so I put it on my desk and planned to read it this month.

I wasn't expecting to gobble it down like it was my last meal though. I wasn't expecting to be so captivated by the storytelling and by the characters themselves. Before you go into a book, you probably have some preconceived ideas about the book and about the characters. I know I did, and this book challenged my preconceived ideas from the very beginning. There isn't black & white actions going on here, it's a whole lotta grey actions.

I was expecting to feel sympathy for Jenna and the fact that she is being raised by an alcoholic mother and a psychotic father, and while I did feel a lot of sympathy for her, that wasn't the overwhelming emotion I felt when it came to Jenna. 

There was a lot of innuendo in this book. Things that were hinted out, but never outright stated. Most of that circled around Jenna's grandfather who had suffered 2 strokes shortly after a fire burned his house down around him. There was a lot there that wasn't outright stated, but I could read between the lines and figure out why the fire started and who started it. Not to mention the fact that grandpa was a lecherous old man.

Jenna's relationship with her teacher started out innocently enough, but then it unraveled into a passionate, forbidden romance that definitely seemed toxic at times. It seemed like Mitch Anderson used Jenna as an escape from his own hell. Instead of being a grown ass adult and handling his problems like one, he pulled Jenna into his world and made her the center of his world. Yeah, this relationship was not the healthiest one, the teacher/student thing notwithstanding.

It was true that Jenna needed an adult in her corner, but I do think Mitch Anderson got overly involved with her problems. It was clear to me that he liked "the broken ones" and that thought was echoed by another student who saw things shift between Jenna & Mitch. Jenna's parents weren't really fit to be parents and her older brother was gone, so I guess I shouldn't be shocked that she ended up in the arms of a much older man.

This book was nothing like I was expecting and I'm still not sure what exactly I read, but it was really good. Like dark chocolate good.

Final thoughts: If you want a book with complicated characters & complicated relationships, then you need to pick this book up.

Book Review: The Dark Beneath the Ice by Amelinda Berube

Book Title & Author: The Dark Beneath the Ice by Amelinda Berube
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire on August 7th, 2018
Genre: Horror, Paranormal
Pages: 320
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
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Synopsis: Something is wrong with Marianne. 

It's not just that her parents have split up, or that life hasn't been the same since she quit dancing. Or even that her mother has checked herself into the hospital. 
She's losing time. Doing things she would never do. And objects around her seem to break whenever she comes close. 
Something is after her. But a first attempt at an exorcism calls down the full force of the thing's rage. It demands Marianne give back what she stole. And Marianne must uncover the truth that lies beneath it all before the nightmare can take what it think it's owed, leaving Marianne trapped in the darkness of the other side.

Review:
I had been looking for a really good horror book lately, so I was excited to pick this one up. It looked really good and I couldn't help but be excited just based off the cover alone. The cover pulls you right in and that's what first excited me about this book.

So I dove into the book with excitement and high expectations. Maybe I shouldn't have had such high expectations because while it was an okay book, it was nothing like I was hoping it would be. The writing was actually my favorite part because it was so atmospheric and creepy. It actually reminded me of Nova Ren Suma's writing. I don't think I've ever read another book where the writing was like Suma's.

I did like that Marianne had an aunt that was so present in her life. We don't get to see extended family much in YA, so I feel like whenever we do, I have to at least make a mention of it. Marianne's Aunt Jen was a good surprise and I actually liked how she interacted with Marianne and how she interacted with her troubled sister.

I couldn't stand Marianne's father. In fact, I felt like he was a selfish man who ran when things got hard. And by things, I mean his wife's mental health. He called his wife's "episodes" Hurricane Laura. I mean, how much more unsupportive could he be? When he called Marianne's mom "Hurricane Laura" I almost always wanted to slap him. I know it's not easy to live with someone who has mental health issues, but he married her for better or worse and when things got "worse" he ran like a bat out of hell. Ugh, I cannot STAND that.

My heart broke for Marianne's mother. I couldn't imagine being so afraid of hurting people I loved. I couldn't imagine what was going on in her head. I couldn't imagine hoe scared she must have been when certain things started happening and she thought she was the cause of them. And to have her husband just walk out on her like that. Just because she was struggling with her mental health.

What I wasn't expecting was Marianne's romance subplot, but oh my god, I think I loved it more than I expected to. It was grin-worthy. I don't think I've ever used that phrase before, certainly not in a review, but I loved this romance. It brought some peace to the insanity that was Marianne's life.

I ended up being really disappointed by the horror/paranormal aspects of this book. I cannot believe I have to say this, but I was expecting something much scarier as the book continued on, and in fact, it got less scary and more confusing as the book went on.

Final thoughts: This book disappointed me in the paranormal/horror aspects, but for people who scare easily, this is a decent book to dip your toe in if you want to try horror. 

Book Review: And She Was by Jessica Verdi

Book Title & Author: And She Was by Jessica Verdi
Published by: Scholastic on March 27th, 2018
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 361
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
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Synopsis: Dara’s lived a sheltered life with her single mom, Mellie. Now, at eighteen, she’s dreaming of more. When Dara digs up her never-before-seen birth certificate, her world implodes. Why are two strangers listed as her parents? 

Dara confronts her mother, and is stunned by what she learns: Mellie is transgender. The unfamiliar name listed under “father”? That’s Mellie. She transitioned when Dara was a baby, shortly after Dara’s birth mother died.

But Dara still has more questions than answers. Reeling, she sets off on a road trip with her best guy friend, Sam. She's determined to find the extended family she’s never met. What she discovers—and what her mother reveals, piece by piece over emails—will challenge and change Dara more than she can imagine. 

From rising star Jessica Verdi, this is a gorgeous, timely, and essential novel about the importance of being our true selves.

Review:
I just love Jessica Verdi's books. I've been a fan of hers since I started blogging and have read the last 3 of her books, including this one, in ARC form. She just has this ability to write diverse stories with diverse settings & interesting characters and this book was no different.

June was the perfect month to read this book because of course it's Pride Month. I was excited to dive into this book and really see what happened with Mellie & her eventual transition and what happened with Dara's biological mother. I wanted to see how Dara found out and how she would react to the news.

Dara frustrated me a lot of the time. She took it so personally that Mellie never told her about her past. She was so angry with her mother and that really bothered me. I know Dara was only eighteen, but compassion and empathy go a long way. Dara frequently stated that her mother was selfish for never disclosing this earth-shattering secret, but Dara herself was being selfish with her insistence that her mother lied to her about her whole life, never even thinking about what the past eighteen plus years had been like for Mellie. She was just so angry with Mellie for "lying" to her, but like Mellie told her, it's not a crime to not come out as trans. It's not Dara who gets to decide who knows about Mellie's transition. It's Mellie.

I had issues with the budding romance between Dara & Sam. I liked them so much better as just friends. Their romance seemed forced to me, and I didn't see a whole lot of chemistry between them. I do think the book would have been stronger without the romance subplot. I did like how Sam called her out on her attitude and then later corrected people who misgendered her mother. Sam seemed to understand the trans issues a lot better than Dara did, and he seemed more willing to learn about than than Dara was.

I loved the emails about Mellie's past that she sent to Dara while Dara & Sam were on the quest to find Dara's biological maternal grandparents. I felt like that gave an extra something to the book rather than just having Mellie explain everything at the kitchen table or something as equally cliche. 

After awhile, the reasons Mellie distanced herself & Dara from both sides of the family became abundantly clear and even Dara couldn't argue with them. There were parts that I was horrified over, sickened over and downright angry about. But, to Mellie's credit, she let Dara figure it out on her own and that allowed her to form her own opinions.

Final thoughts: A book about a trans parent is so rare in the world, and I really wish there were more of them, but this is a start. Pick up this book if you are looking for a book about a trans parent or if you just want a really good book that tackles important issues head on.

Book Review: Little Monsters by Kara Thomas

Book Title & Author: Little Monsters by Kara Thomas
Published by: Delacorte Press on July 25th, 2017
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 336
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
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Synopsis:

Kacey is the new girl in Broken Falls. When she moved in with her father, she stepped into a brand-new life. A life with a stepbrother, a stepmother, and strangest of all, an adoring younger half sister.
Kacey’s new life is eerily charming compared with the wild highs and lows of the old one she lived with her volatile mother. And everyone is so nice in Broken Falls—she’s even been welcomed into a tight new circle of friends. Bailey and Jade invite her to do everything with them.
Which is why it’s so odd when they start acting distant. And when they don’t invite her to the biggest party of the year, it doesn’t exactly feel like an accident.
But Kacey will never be able to ask, because Bailey never makes it home from that party. Suddenly, Broken Falls doesn’t seem so welcoming after all—especially once everyone starts looking to the new girl for answers.
Kacey is about to learn some very important lessons: Sometimes appearances can be deceiving. Sometimes when you’re the new girl, you shouldn’t trust anyone. 

Review:

I don't know why it took me so long to buy this book. Especially knowing how obsessed I was with The Darkest Corners. When I got this book at the beginning of June, I didn't wait too long before I jumped into it. I knew almost immediately that I was going to love it.I on;y intended to read a little bit of it at a time in order to savor it. Whelp, I read the entire thing in one afternoon.

I had so many questions. About Kacey, Bailey and Jade. Not to mention Kacey's siblings: Stepbrother Andrew & half sister Lauren. Add in her stepmother, Ashley & her father who she barely knows and Kacey's circle was filled with intrigue.

I had my suspicions on who was responsible for Bailey's disappearance from the beginning, but like a truly awesome thriller, my suspicions were challenged and sometimes outright disproved along the way. I loved the ride I was on. I kept coming up with crazier and crazier theories that could fit and would explain Bailey's disappearance. 

This book made it impossible for me to trust anyone. I basically accused everyone in some way or the other. Because of the hints we got about Kacey's previous life with her mom, I actually thought it was her for a long time. Certain things come to light that made me rethink my suspicions.

Plotwise, this book was PERFECT. Like I said, it kept me guessing, kept my suspicions up & nearly constantly changing.

I want so much to keep talking about this book, but I really want to avoid spoilers, so I'll keep this review short and just tell you all to read it if you haven't already.

Final thoughts: If you like thrillers that keep you guessing, pick up this book.