Summer Solstice Sequels Tour and Giveaway!

SUMMER SOLSTICE SEQUELS TOUR – 4 books, 4 authors, 4 days of prizes! 

It’s the final stop on the Summer Solstice Sequels tour (*sniff*), where authors Lili Peloquin (THE INNOCENTS), Jessica Spotswood (BORN WICKED), Elizabeth Richards (BLACK CITY), and Fiona Paul (VENOM) have joined forces to celebrate the launch of their summer sequels! 

Today we’re spotlighting Lili’s upcoming novel, THIS SIDE OF JEALOUSY (The Innocents, book #2), due out on August 20!

About the Book

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Indie Bound | Goodreads

Publisher: Razorbill

Release date: August 20, 2013

Alice and Charlie haven’t stopped fighting since they arrived in Serenity Point two weeks ago. Those two weeks changed their lives. And Serenity Point has changed them.

While the sisters grapple with the terrible truth about their family, the one-year memorial of Camilla’s death looms. The tension mounts and sparks fly as bright as July Fourth fireworks. Alice and Charlie are desperate to find out the truth that everyone seems to be hiding.

Is Camilla their enemy and rival—even six feet under? Or is she their sister, whose memory they have to protect? And what really happened to her that night on the bridge? In a town built on secrets and lies, can the truth stay buried for long? 

Bio

Lili Peloquin is the author of The Innocents. She grew up in New England, where the first breeze of summer still reminds her of a whispered secret.

Find her at: Twitter | Facebook

Giveaway 4: Quotables!

Each day the authors have come up with a fun quiz for you to play. Today’s game is Quotables!

Rules

Each author has selected a quote from their summer solstice sequels. All you have to do is match the quote with the correct book, and then enter your answers in the form below. Simple, huh?  (HINT: Check out each author’s book highlight for a clue. Links are under the ‘Follow the tour’ section)

The contest will close at 12pm EST, June 28. Any entries after this date will not be counted. Winners will be notified by email. US only. Entrants must be over 13 years old. Entrants under that age must have a parent or guardian enter on their behalf.

Prizes

2 x ARCs of THIS SIDE OF JEALOUSY

Let’s play!

Quote 1:

Cass couldn't help herself. For a second, the two of them were back on San Domenico, kissing on a bench in her aunt's garden. For a second, desire budded and bloomed inside of her, as scarlet and fragrant as Agnese's roses. For a second, nothing had changed.

 Only everything had changed. 

Quote 2:

Alice could smell the blood even from more than a hundred yards away.  It hung on the air, sweet and sticky and faintly rotten.  And she could hear, above the din of the crowd, the roar of the ocean, the sharp crack of a fist on a face, bone colliding with bone, the dull thump of a knee in a midsection or groin, of a body crumpling in on itself.  In the distance, a police siren wailed, soft but growing louder.  Sickening sounds.

Quote 3:

That night, Elijah finds a bottle of spiced Shine hidden away in one of the cupboards. The boys drink—I haven’t the stomach for it—while we listen to music on the crackling radio, the stars glittering above us. Elijah shows us a traditional Bastet dance, which makes us giggle.

                “All right, your turn,” he says, disgruntled.

                Ash gets up and does a funny jig, which he claims is a Darkling folk dance, but I know he’s just making it up. I burst out laughing, as does Elijah.

                “You mocking my moves, blondie?” Ash teases.

                I nod.

Quote 4:

“I’m so glad to see you! What are you doing in New London?” I demand.

“We might ask you the same question, Sister,” Rory says.

Sachi’s dark eyes rest on my face. “What possessed you to join the Sisterhood, Cate?”

“I don’t know what you mean. I’m very happy here in New London,” I evade, glancing over my shoulder.                            

“Liar.” Rory isn’t one to mince words. “You’ve been crying, plain as day.”

“You don’t have to tell us now,” Sachi says, eyeing me sideways. “Father’s here for the duration of the council meeting. Finn, too. I take it you’ve seen him? Did he speak to you?”

I shake my head, unable to speak past the lump that’s reappeared in my throat.

“Oh, Cate, you look a mess.” She tosses me her bright pink lace handkerchief.

“Has he”—I wipe my eyes, battle my pride, and lose—“has he said anything about me?”

Entry form

Summer Solstice Sequels entry form

Twitter Party! 

Don’t forget to join us tonight, Thursday June 20, for the Summer Solstice Sequels Twitter party at 6.30pm EST (follow along using #SSSequels). Penguin Teen will be giving away loads of ARCs, so you won’t want to miss out!

FOLLOW THE TOUR

17 June

Good Choice Reading

 Spotlighting PHOENIX by Elizabeth Richards

18 June

Book Chic

Spotlighting STAR CURSED by Jessica Spotswood

19 June

Jean Book Nerd

Spotlighting BELLADONNA by Fiona Paul

20 June

Fiction Freak

Spotlighting THIS SIDE OF JEALOUSY by Lili Peloquin

Phoenix by Elizabeth Richards

Goodreads Blurb

Weeks after his crucifixion and rebirth as Phoenix, Ash Fisher believes his troubles are far behind him. He and Natalie are engaged and life seems good. But his happiness is short-lived when he receives a threatening visit from Purian Rose, who gives Ash an ultimatum: vote in favor of Rose’s Law permanently relegating Darklings to the wrong side of the wall or Natalie will be killed.
The decision seems obvious to Ash; he must save Natalie. But when Ash learns about The Tenth, a new and deadly concentration camp where the Darklings would be sent, the choice doesn’t seem so simple. Unable to ignore his conscience, Ash votes against Rose’s Law, signing Natalie’s death warrant and putting a troubled nation back into the throes of bloody battle.

First, I must squeal for one paragraph. I am sorry.

OMG. THIS WAS SO....ACK!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE I GOT AN ARC OF THIS. AND HOW GOOD THIS IS. WOW. THE WAY THIS WAS...ACK. BE STILL, MY HEART. THIS IS SO AMAZING.

That was like 1% of it, but I thought I'd better get on with the review, yeah?

Okay, I absolutely have to acknowledge the romance in this. The action and the rebellion were amazing of course, but the romance! Ash and Natalie and Elijah...and Giselle, but she appears and disappears quickly. (Thank God!) My heart broke so many times for Ash and Natalie. There's a giant twist that just changes everything between all of them, and I swear my heart dropped all the way through the Earth and made a beeline for China. I just...can't imagine. Natalie and Ash are so devoted to each other, every few pages I had to stop and smack a friend on the arm (whoever was closest to me. They can prove it.) and squeal! It was just so amazing, the way you could clearly see how in love they were. It's like a less messed up Romeo and Juliet! And Elijah. Elijah. How could you?!

Like I said, the action was definitely amazing itself. What Black City lacked, Phoenix definitely made up for it! There was definitely a lot more moving around than in Black City and there was definitely a lot more danger--and that's saying something! With President Rose a looming threat and both Sentry, Lupines, and citizens looking for them, Ash and Natalie were definitely in a fix. And yet, they somehow managed to survive it...until a giant betrayal I could never have expected!

Bringing me to another thing. There were a lot of betrayals I couldn't imagine, but with their lives' on the line, I guess some people forget to be selfless! But the first betrayal was a bit predictable. The second? Well. I think I may have died on the spot!
Phoenix was a book that while, at first was a bit slow, but quickly went uphill after the first few chapters or so! It's pacing was brilliant and I absolutely adored it!

Definitely not experiencing Sequel Syndrome or anything like that, Phoenix definitely surpassed my expectations and definitely beat Black City in the long run! Anyone who loved Black City will definitely adore this! Just like it's first book though, it's definitely one of those dystopias that the word dystopia perfectly describes!

Pages: 368
Genre: Dystopia/Romance
Series: Black City #2
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Release Date: June 4, 2013
Rating: 5 stars

Venom Readalong (1-8)

WEEK 1 OF THE VENOM READALONG!!! Made by MOI and Annabelle (Sparkles and Lightning!) Yes, this is late, but I just wanted to do Friday. You know, for no particular reason...

I will be answering this and pretending like I haven't read this awesome book already.
(Here are some other posts for this week! Just click here)

What do you think of Falco so far? Do you trust him?
So far? Absolutely NOT. I mean, he suddenly leaves before dawn for "work", he pops out of nowhere, and HE'S IN THE GRAVEYARD AT MIDNIGHT. I don't buy that story of reading...he's up to something.

Thoughts on Siena?
She seems very timid and super shy...that's about it!

If you were in Cass's place, would you sneak out and try to solve it or try your best to shake it off?
Probably shake it off. Actually, I wouldn't be IN a graveyard in the first place. Those things freak me out.

Is it stupid of Cass to trust Falco so much? Would you, in her place?

YES. I mean, hello random guy who lazes around in graveyards at night. Creepy, no? But I probably would. I mean, FALCO.

Do you think Cass' Aunt Agnese is smothering her?

Without a doubt! Stuffy lady...but I'm guessing not all the high society women were exactly like Cass, then. 

Did anything seem off about the funeral to you?

Nothing, unless you count the fact that the preacher's eyes seemed to dark to Cass at that one moment...

Short answers, but trust me, the next questions are going to definitely have more in depth answers!

NEXT UP:

Chapters 9-17!

Check out Fiona Paul's blog here!

Venom Readalong Sign-ups!

Hey guys! MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!!! I've got a treat for you today! :) So, if you've been following me on Twitter, then you know I've been planning for something. And if you've seen my rants, then you know I'm a HUMONGOUS fan of Venom by Fiona Paul! So, I teamed up with Annabelle from Sparkles and Lightning to bring you...
Links to my sign ups

<center> <a href="http://fiction-freak.blogspot.com/2012/12/venom-readalong-sign-ups.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Venom Readalong" src="http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj610/annabellelovell/VENOMreadalonggraphic.jpg" /></a> <div align="center"> </div> </center>

Links to Annabelle's sign ups!

<center> <a href="http://sparkles-and-lightning.blogspot.com/2012/12/venom-readalong-signups.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Venom Readalong" src="http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj610/annabellelovell/VENOMreadalonggraphic.jpg" /></a> <div align="center"> </div> </center>

THE VENOM READALONG!!! Sign ups are up for one week, starting today, so be sure to sign up by the 31! I love it--Christmas Eve to New Year's Eve? 

The readalong can finally give you the chance to read Venom if it's been stuck in your TBR or if you want to just read it again! And if that's not enough for you, we do have a few incentives...(US only! Sorry folks! But join in for the fun!)

4 Swag packs 

(including a Venom button, Venom bookmarks, a magnet, and possibly Belladonna bookmarks.)

1 signed copy of Venom + a swag pack

1 ARC of Belladonna.

And trust me, people, you want those prizes! I've had the pleasure of reading Belladonna early and...WOW.

Here's how it's going to work:

Starting from January, we'll email you about 6-9 questions and you MUST answer at least 3-6 of them. Then, every Monday or Tuesday visit Sparkles and Lightning who'll have a linky posted on her site. It may  not be the first one though, so be sure to enter your link for that week there! We'll be randomly choosing the winners for the swag packs from those lists and the winners for the Venom and Belladonna copies from the sign up list here! We WILL be checking to make sure you've posted though, and all prizes will be sent out at the end of everything! All questions can be sent to my email: piscesgirl1688@gmail.com! 

Rules and Guidelines

You MUST have a blog or tumblr. 

You must answer at least once a week, the appropriate amount of questions.

NO SPOILERS ALLOWED

Please start reading now! 

Week 1: Chapters 1-8

Week 2: Chapters 9-17

Week 3: Chapters 18-26

Week 4: Chapters 27-34

Sign Up for the Venom Readalong!

* indicates required

Email Address *

Website *

Name *

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Goodreads Blurb

In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power--brutally transforming their subjects' lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:
Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.
Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished--and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.
Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past--and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.
Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword...
The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

Ermmm...wow. That was really my reaction after reading it. WOW. Falling Kingdoms...it wasn't...wasn't what I expected at all. And I say that with 90% all the love in the world. Because the other 10%? It was a bit hesitant. Let me just say, that as the last and final Breathless Read, it didn't let me down, though it wasn't quite as good. But then, I haven't been a fan of 3rd person multiple POVs, so that probably has something to do with it!

And, I'm just saying, the Breathless Reads? I can now fully confirm--all of them will leave you breathless. There is no doubt.

So like I said, I am not a big fan of multiple POVs, especially not 3rd person. The characters are usually not well developed and while the characters weren't completely underdeveloped, they did fall a little under the line. The only really developed character, in my opinion, was Cleo and only because most of the book was from her perspective. But from what I gathered...

Cleo: Cleo was, by far, one of my favorite characters. She acts like a whiny princess at first, because after all, she was raised as one. But when she witnesses the murder of a wine seller's son (killed by her fiance, actually) she's plagued with guilt and it turns out she's a lot less whiny and spoiled than she seemed at first glance. And when her beloved sister gets sick, she turns out to be stronger than anything we expected. She defies her father, travels into enemy lands, all to look for magical healing seeds. Does it sound naive? Yes. But the fact that she'd do things she's definitely not comfortable with, all for her sister?  I loved her. 

Magnus: Can I pretty please kill him? I really wanted to rip my hair out whenever we got to Magnus' chapter. He was just...ugh. He was always thinking about Lucia, which I mean, I get. he's in love with her and wants to protect her and I loved that about her! But did he really just have to kiss her like that? I was expecting him to tell her first, then tell her his feelings, then kiss her. And I think I would've liked it a lot more if he did that. And he was so surprised when (SPOILER) she rejected him, I actually felt a little sad for him, but when he becomes cruel? Well. But then, I'm also a bit biased since he's Cleo's captor and basically her enemy. Not my favorite character in the least.

Jonas: Jonas is the brother of the guy who was brutally murdered by Cleo's fiance, and he's bent on revenge. He wants them to go through his pain or kill them, though the latter one sounds better to him. And he's...well, I couldn't blame him for trying to kill Cleo. She stood by while her companion killed his brother in front of him. But I was a bit disappointed in him for taking that route. But characters are only characteristically human!

Lucia: She's an important character, the "Chosen One" as it may be, and a very powerful sorceress--one who can wield all four elements. But we actually didn't read from her perspective for more than...two chapters? Three? It was just a bit disappointing since I was expecting more magic and practice from her. 

The plot though was...wow. It was seriously quick and action packed. Epic/High Fantasy is usually like that, but...wow. Falling Kingdom's plot was definitely more complicated and quick than I thought (for such a thick book) os plot-wise, Falling Kingdoms completely, utterly, destroyed my expectations for the plot. It was fun, a bit gory and bloody, full of betrayals, war, strategy, and more! 

There's a revolution brewing, a war to be fought and so much more and honestly? Let me say that the plot is the one thing that kept me reading the book. I just wanted to know what happened, but I refused to read the end (no matter how many times my friends told me too!) And that ending, by the way? I need the sequel now!

Worldbuilding? LOVED. I loved the magic, the legends, the goddesses, the whole thing! I loved the three kingdoms, how different they were, how the royal families operated. (Backstabbing mainly.) I absolutely love High Fantasy because of the worldbuilding, actually. It's fascinating, seeing what kind of world an author can create with only her mind and no restrictions! And Morgan Rhodes? She created one of my favorites. It was just a lush world (at least, Auranos is/was.) and the descriptions were detailed enough that we could clearly picture it all, without being boring and monotonous. I absolutely loved the legend of the Watcher and the goddesses and the magic! It was why I was a tad disappointed that we just didn't get to see more of it!

The romance was definitely iffy for me. There was this giant triangle (rectangle?) that was Cleo and her love interests: Nic, Theon, and (possibly?) Jonas. Nic is the boy next door, basically. Her best friend and always there for her, Cleo's never considered him as more than a friend, but when he shows sudden interest, she's a bit...caught in the middle. (SPOILER HERE) Theon was the guy I was actually rooting for, because I mean, come on, a guard and a forbidden love? What more can a reader ask for? But the thing is...when Cleo finally kissed him? He got killed about 5 pages later. And I. Wanted. To. Cry. But I was in school. But the fact remains--I absolutely hated that when Cleo, my favorite character, finally got with my favorite love interest...he died. I'm not sure if this is changed in the final copy, or not. I hope so! Then there was Jonas, and he didn't really show interest besides the fact that she was beautiful, but all us readers know that there's sure to be something between them later on. Right? Right.

Then there was Magnus and Lucia. One couple I was not rooting for, actually. It was just...weird how Magnus could be so cruel as to kiss her first then information-dump her. not necessarily cruel, but you get my drift. Long story short? Magnus holds an unrequited love for Lucia, and we're not quite sure if Lucia feels the same way later in the book. She cares for him, she admits, but we're not sure if it's a sibling-love or a romantic love.

Summary?

Pick this up! There were a few holes in the writing I didn't like, but honestly? I enjoyed the read! The plot definitely lived up to it's title as "Breathless Rebellion" and I think it's definitely worthy to be a Breathless Read! Any reader of High Fantasy will devour this in a blast and they'll love it for sure! There's a lot to be found in Falling Kingdoms! Because, in the end, who will fall? Aren't you curious?

Pages: 412

Series: Falling Kingdoms #1

Genre: High Fantasy

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: December 11, 2012

Rating: 4.5--->4 stars

Blog Tour: Black City by Elizabeth Richards

Hey guys! As part of the Black City tour (LOVED the book by the way! You can find my review here and my interview with Elizabeth Richards here) I'm interviewing Beetle and Day from Black City, Ash and Natalie's best friend, respectively. 

FF: Describe each other in 10 words MAX. And seriously.

Day: Beetle is ‘messy, lazy, gorgeous, brave, and a great kisser’.

Beetle:Cheers babe! Day is ‘a geeky, caramel goddess, and the love of my life’.

FF: Now, describe Ash and Natalie. In as many words as you need.

Day: Natalie is generous, kind, fierce, a little spoilt, and my best friend. Ash is tall.

Beetle: Ash is a really decent mate. He’s cool, loyal, and has always got my back. Plus he doesn’t mind sharing his smokes with me, which is handy since I can never afford any. Natalie’s blond.

FF: What do you think would’ve happened if you two had never met?

Day: I would’ve moved to Centrum, to pursue my dream of becoming an Emissary. Then probably married a smart, handsome guy like Chris Thompson.

Beetle:  Hey! I’m right here.

Day: Sorry. But he is cute.

Beetle:*glowers*

Day: You know I only have eyes for you, Matthias.

Beetle: Well, okay then.

Day: You haven’t answered the question.

Beetle: If I hadn’t met Day, I’d probably be wasting my life away in a Haze den somewhere. Being with her has made me want to be a better guy.

FF: If you could change one thing in your world, anything at all, what would it be?

Day: More opportunities for Workboots.

Beetle:Equality between humans and Darklings.

FF: Are there any tips you’d give a Black City newbie?

Day: Don’t go out after curfew.

Beetle: And always carry a can of Go Away Wrath Spray! You do NOT want to meet one of those down a dark alley.

Short Author Bio

Elizabeth Richards is an award-winning journalist, who spent her early career reviewing videogames before making the bold (or crazy) move into travel writing, despite suffering from terrible travel sickness. 

In her spare time, she ran a successful lifestyle website aimed at teenage girls, where she got to interview many of her favourite bands, go to gigs and basically blag loads of free swag all in the name of ‘research’.

Elizabeth lives in Buckinghamshire, England, with her husband. Black City is her debut novel.

Fun facts

·    She's an identical twin. (No, they don’t have psychic powers, and yes she is the evil one.)

·    She's a little bit in love with Daniel Radcliffe.

·    Her favourite book of all time is Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

·    Her second favourite book is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

·    Her third favourite is Harry…oh, you get the idea.

·    Her ambition is to see 10 volcanoes before she dies. She's already seen Stromboli, Vesuvius and Mt Etna. Just 7 more to go!

Black City Blurb

A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war. In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable--they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash's long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they're caught, they'll be executed--but their feelings are too strong. When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.

Contact Info

Elizabeth Richards's Website
Elizabeth Richards's Goodreads

Elizabeth Ricahrds's Blog

Elizabeth Ricahrds's Twitter

Elizabeth Ricahrds's Facebook

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Giveaway

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The Innocents by Lili Peloquin

Goodreads Blurb

Nothing ever came between sisters Alice and Charlie.
Friends didn't.
Boys couldn't.
Their family falling apart never would.
Until they got to Serenity Point.

(this will be a long review due to two main characters and two love interests etc.)

My Summary

Alice and Charlie’s mom just married Richard Flood the Third, an insanely rich man who’s wife died of cancer and who’s daughter, Camilla, died merely months after. They almost immediately move to Serenity Point, a beach area filled with rich people, all with their own sinister secrets surrounding Camilla and her demise. But even more creepy, Alice happens to look exactly like Camilla and there’s no way she can let those secrets stay hidden. Not when her sister is pulling away and these secrets seem to affect her family personally. But maybe the people at Serenity Point aren’t the only ones with secrets.

Writing

The writing? There was just something I can’t pinpoint that made me completely love the writing. It was just…gorgeous. I mean, I could read one word and be completely sucked in immediately. I could barely put it down!

And yes, The Innocents is written in the 3^rd person POV, and maybe sometimes it seemed that it should be in the 1^st, but this way The Innocents could switch between Alice and Charlie’s POV without any confusion and much more ease. It may seem weird at times that in the beginning one chapter was all Alice, another all Charlie, and that after it would switch between one then the other in a paragraphs, but they switched at exactly the right time if that makes sense. But mainly, Alice was our narrator and I found it so much more enjoyable!

The Sisters

Which leads us to characters. Alice was definitely my favorite sister. She’s a bookworm (Which basically everyone reading this can connect to), quiet, shy, but she watches. She’s the one who notices the little things, the one who can usually catch on before anyone else, and it was just amazing that we went through 80% of the book from her perspective. Because she caught the details when Charlie blew them off as paranoia. Alice is the older, more wiser sister you could say. She knows when enough is enough and she won’t bend to ANYBODY’S will. Completely the opposite of her sister.

Charlie.  Oh Charlie, Charlie, Charlie. Most of these characters I loved to hate, but especially her. She was just so…agh. I don’t whether it was because I liked Alice more, but Charlie just annoyed me so much especially when abandoning her sister for a guy (who I’ll talk about later) or told Alice that she was just being a downer. Please. But when you read from her point of view…you just can’t blame her (no matter how much disdain you’re nursing). She’s the wild, unpredictable one. She always fits in.She’s never had much trouble in guys, until Jude. More on that below. I definitely think both of these sisters are two characters all readers can relate to. If not one, then the other!

The Love Interests

Since we started with Alice, let’s start with her love interest. Tommy. Yes, the name sounds a bit awkward lol. But Tommy is such a sweet guy, with such a nice personality. Like incredibly incredibly sweet. He fit Alice perfectly, quiet and understanding. But of course, the Innocents is all about secrets. And he has secrets of his own. Ones that could maybe, and quite probably, change everything.

Jude. Can. I. Kill him? Pretty please? Okay, I totally wanted to murder Jude. He was such a tool. He played with Charlie, drawing her away from Alice, and not even really caring about her. And Charlie knew that. But she was just so desperate for him. I don’t even know why! He was cute. His personality isn’t exactly a gem. Jude was, quite frankly, a son of a bleep. He’s the other character I loved to hate. He strung Charlie along, but the worst part is…well, you’ll have to read and find out.

Plot/Plot Twists

They weren’t so much as twists as things that were already there. Secrets that become unveiled, reasons and intents become clearer, and all of them are slowly leading up to the big giant, juicy plot twist that’s just waiting to be read. While some people think that there was only the one twist, there were so many more subtle ones that would’ve been hard to catch if you weren’t looking for them.

All of these…ohmygoodness, there were so many hints lying around. I would collect them but I wouldn’t connect the dots and was so shocked! You guys…be sure you aren’t in a squeal-free zone like the library when you finish the last hundred pages or so. Also, ghosts. Yes. Ghosts.

The Bad

With a few grammar errors, my complete lack of understanding as to why Jude was such a catch, those were pretty much my only complaints on the novel. While it was uber amazing, it didn’t affect me quite as much emotionally as I’d hoped. But still. Amazing.

Overall

The Innocents is a stunning debut with gorgeous writing and even more gorgeous content. This debut is definitely a favorite and takes a whole new meaning to “dangerous secrets”. With main characters the readers can relate to, the Innocents will both shock you and make you giddy for more. Filled with secrets, lies, and…unrequited love? The Innocents is one to grab for those who are looking for something new in the contemporary section. One that will make you grit your teeth and squeal at the same time, this is not a book to be taken lightly! After all, when everyone has a secret, who can you really trust?

Pages: 288

Series: Innocents #1

Genre: Contemporary/Romance

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: October 16

Rating: 4.5--->5 stars