Acid by Emma Pass

Pages: 416

Genre: Dystopian

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Release Date: Mar 11, 2014

The year is 2113. In Jenna Strong's world, ACID—the most brutal controlling police force in history—rule supreme. No throwaway comment or whispered dissent goes unnoticed—or unpunished. And it was ACID agents who locked Jenna away for life, for a horrendous crime she struggles to remember. But Jenna's violent prison time has taught her how to survive by any means necessary.
When a mysterious rebel group breaks her out, she must use her strength, speed, and skill to stay one step ahead of ACID, and try to uncover the truth about what really happened on that terrible night two years ago. They have taken her life, her freedom, and her true memories away from her. How can she reclaim anything when she doesn't know who to trust?

I've been eyeing this book since early 2013, maybe even 2012, and you have no clue how disappointed I was when I found out that it released in 2014 in the US. Now I know how you INTL folks feel.

So the first thing I actually noticed about this book is that the given synopsis didn't seem to have anything to do with the story. After a while, you realize it has a lot to do with the actual story, and I sort of loved that little bit of obscurity.
The concept was rather unique too, although I didn't know how I felt about the only-girl-in-a-prison thing. It didn't make much sense--no other girl had ever done anything bad enough to land in jail? What? But I did love the rest of it, the on the run plot, and especially the second half of the book where she...re-rediscovers herself?

Yeah, the plot was badass and it was action packed, but there was still something about it that didn't...engage me as much as I wanted it to. I felt like it was too easy to put it back down at times, and the only thing that pushed me on was wanting to get to the ending. It wasn't the urge to figure out what was happening--it was easy enough to guess. The plot was sort of...undeveloped, I suppose. There were so many parts of it that didn't quite fit together and just seemed to be filler chapters. There was no one main goal--so I suppose Acid would be a fascinating TV show, but didn't seem to quite work as a book with it's pieced together plot, though it was still pretty enjoyable most times!

Jenna was such a kickbutt character at first, but after a while she turned...flatter. While she never really annoyed me, she didn't speak to me as much as she did at first. She lost her sass and her snark, and turned...blander, but still managed to be a pretty decent character, I suppose.

I'm unbelievably happy that there wasn't much focus on the romance, but her relationship with the would-be love interest seemed really rushed. She risked so many things for him, and I didn't understand why--maybe out of obligation? But it didn't make much sense, really. And that was about the extent of my feelings.

While it was a pretty decent read, Acid isn't really one I'd recommend much unless it really appeals to you. It maybe wasn't quite my kind of book, but I wouldn't completely turn away from it. 

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Imposter by Susanne Winnacker

Pages: 288

Genre: Thriller/Sci-fi

Series: Variants #1

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: May 28, 2013

Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she’s spent the last two years training with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI. When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again. Tessa hates everything about being an impostor—the stress, the danger, the deceit—but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she’d do anything to keep. Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself.

Damn, Imposter, I really didn't expect you or what happened.

Okay, so I absolutely loved the plot. While it wasn't very dark as a thriller, it was still a great mystery that absolutely hooked me. The first line? It starts with "The straitjacket corseted(...)" Umm, hello? Even before we're told about our mission, things are interesting. After? Oh God, everything just speeds up and has me flipping through excitedly (and a bit anxiously). It was absolutely kickass and I loved every second. Remember expect the unexpected? Well the unexpected is the expected...which could be the unexpected. And yes, I'm being confusing on purpose. But know that I could not guess who our killer was. At all. 

And oh, I loved the romance! We have Tess, our main character. We have Alec, our love interest. And we had Kat, the girlfriend. Things get...interesting. But the romantic tension between Tess and Alec? It made everything the better! I loved them the entire time and I really wanted to push Alec towards Tess! They were just too adorable with each other and, though we don't focus on the romance, you just can't help but love them. Even if Alec was a...tad overprotective.

Okay, so a bit more than a tad. He sometimes got a bit annoying, and I still don't understand why he's with Kate (thought I'm sure we'll find out in the sequel! There seems to be...something behind it.) but when he was with Tessa...you just can't help but love him a little more.
And oh Tessa. She was such a dynamic character and I absolutely loved her. But...it was so sad and a bit horrible to see how much she changed, from this bubbly and half carefree person to someone who was so hard on herself who was, while stronger, a bit colder and weighed down. It was a beautifully terrible transformation, but hopefully Alec warms her up...eventually. I loved how while she was a bit in the dark about some things, she wasn't naive or ignorant and she did whatever she could to help and was logical about it. That's sort of rare in these books, you know!

I do wish we'd delved into the Variants more, discovering why they were, why there were so many of them, how their powers developed, etc. And it did get a bit typical when we learned of the "rebellion" of Variants, though I'm hoping the sequel will be much more interesting than the cliches!

Imposter was a book that I didn't want to finish, for the sake of not having it end. But when it did, it left me absolutely astonished! I loved the originality, I loved how ended, I loved pretty much everything. I can not wait to get my hands on the sequel and to discover more about Tessa, Alec, and every secret that the government seems to be hiding (oh those governments. You know how they are.) Definitely pick this up for a fun read that's light on the sci-fi but heavy on the action! 

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Pretty Sly by Elisa Ludwig

Pages: 368

Genre: Suspense/Contemporary

Series: Pretty Crooked #2

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Release Date: March 18, 2014

Willa Fox was told to stay out of trouble. In fact, it was an order from a very serious juvenile court judge.However, that was before Willa found her house ransacked and a mysterious email from her mother telling Willa she had to leave Paradise Valley for a while and not to come looking for her. Willa knows her mom’s in danger and that no one at school will miss her after her recent sticky-fingered stunts with the Glitterati. So with the help of her pal Tre and with her degenerate crush Aidan as her wingman, Willa violates her probation and hits the California highway in search of her mom.But when Willa and Aidan’s journey turns dangerously criminal and they wind up being the focus of a national manhunt, they realize it’s sometimes easier to escape the law than the truth—and that everything Willa thought she knew about her mom, and her life, was wrong.

(I read this as the early early ARC that had the old cover, so I'm unsure whether it was significantly changed or not!)

I loved reading Pretty Crooked last year--it was sweet, it was cute, and it had an undercurrent of sinister happenings that undoubtedly perked my interest. In Pretty Sly, we explore those happenings and we discover that things are a lot more complicated than we thought and a lot more dangerous.

Pretty Sly starts off right where Pretty Crooked ended and things go crazy from there. Suddenly Aidan and Willa are on the run from cops in four states and, surprisingly have a fan club. And that's one of the things I really loved about this! Even though it isn't shown halfway throughout the book, the fact that they had a Facebook page and a Kickstarter and all these crazy things made me LOL so many times! It was another one of the cute elements that managed to sneak itself into the more dangerous plot and that's one of the things about it. Even though Pretty Sly should, by all means, be a thriller, it somehow ended up being as cute and hilarious as the first! And that's not a bad thing at all!
There were so many other things that made me laugh and giggle and I just loved it all. They were just little things like Willa leaving little notes behind and getting a free slice of cake or something and, even though technically they were so absolutely unrealistic, it just made the book so cute I couldn't help but fall in love with it!

Willa went through quite a bit of character development, though I'll admit--she did get on my nerves once in a while. She honestly didn't seem to have a plan and didn't seem to always understand how much the others were risking for her. But she was an amazing character who was hilarious and snarky and pretty much made my day! (We'd totally be BFFs.)

Aidan, oh Aidan. I never will know what runs through that boy's mind--but I'm sure it'd make me swoon and drop dead at his feet. He's sweet and cocky, charming and he knows it. I loved him so much and he's by far my most favorite character. He's a swoony love interest that was so sweet towards Willa and was unbelievably protective. He did make a few stupid decisions sometimes, though, but then again, who doesn't? (Or am I being blindsided by my love for him. Darn, not again.)

The plot was quick paced and I absolutely loved it, being whisked from one place to another quickly and never having a dull moment. It's an intense ride that you can't help but be sucked into and with all the twists, it's a ride you have to pay attention to! I couldn't predict anything and their next step was always surprising. I was anxious throughout the book, so sure that they'd be captured and locked up the next chapter in.

Pretty Sly is a thrilling sequel that absolutely must be read! I'm in love with the fluffy, yet enthralling and suspenseful feeling that Elisa Ludwig manages to capture and can absolutely not wake for book three! I need more Aidan! And Sly Fox. But mostly Aidan.

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Evertrue by Brodi Ashton

Pages: 336

Genre: Paranormal

Series: Everneath #3

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Release Date: Jan 21, 2014

Now that Nikki has rescued Jack, all she wants is to be with him and graduate high school. But Cole tricked Nikki into feeding off him, and she’s begun the process of turning into an Everliving herself... which means she must feed on a Forfeit soon — or die.Terrified for her survival, Nikki and Jack begin a desperate attempt to reverse the process using any means possible. Even Cole, who they expected to fight them at every turn, has become an unlikely ally — but how long can it last? Nikki needs to feed on Cole to survive, Cole needs Nikki to gain the throne in the Everneath, Jack needs Nikki because she is everything to him — and together, they must travel back to the Underworld to undo Nikki’s fate and make her mortal once more. But Cole isn’t the only one with plans for Nikki: the Queen has not forgotten Nikki’s treachery, and she wants her destroyed for good. Will Nikki be forced to spend eternity in the Underworld, or does she have what it takes to bring down the Everneath once and for all?

My thoughts are sort of incoherent right now so please excuse my jumble of a review.

So honestly I'd forgotten just how much I loved this series until now. Oh sure, Everneath was brilliant, and Everbound was pretty good, but after a year you sort of forget the emotional crippling pain. Brodi Ashton brought it all back.
I will hazard to say that Evertrue is probably the best book in the entire trilogy, and I don't say that lightly. Because OH GOD THE END.

Here comes the explosion:
Because guys, I just can't deal with this. I actually spent an hour in English clutching my head and repeating "I can't deal" over and over. The end of Evertrue is traumatizing and oh God someone help me survive. The ending was a shock to my little fangirl heart. Or maybe it wasn't and I was just really hoping it wouldn't happen. Either way, I teared up, had a book hangover, and was pretty much dead after the read. It is truly and utterly heartbreaking. (Literally.)

Let's just all, for the moment, talk about how much I just adore Cole. No matter what terrible thing he does, I'll always love him more than Jack because he does love her, in his own way, and he never stops loving her even though he knows she hates him. I always did have a weakness for literary bad boys!
So on that note, I should tell you that something...happens to Cole a quarter into the book, something that sort of...changes him. And I just missed the old Cole who was unbelievably flawed, but completely cocky and sweet, though admittedly arrogant and a bit douchey. And that was really the only thing I didn't absolutely love about it.

Plot wise, this book is damn near perfect. Fast paced and action packed, I couldn't help but get caught up in the events. While there weren't that many twists, the ones there were were absolutely shocking. Go big or go home right?
There was a point, when there was only 45 pages left, where I wondered how Ashton would wrap up the plot and romance, and everything else, so quickly, but she manages it without making it seemed to rush, which definitely impressed me.

So many things happen, so many sacrifices made, and I just found my heart being ripped open reportedly until I could've been stuck in the Everneath and wouldn't have noticed. Evertrue beautifully wraps up the trilogy in a perfect, but desperate way that made me want to cry.

Correction: it did make me cry.

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These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Pages: 374

Genre: Sci-fi/Romance

Series: Starbound #3

Publisher:Disney Hyperion

Release Date: Dec 10, 2013

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help. Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever? Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

I got These Broken Stars a little after release, and by then people were fawning over it, talking about how much they loved it, how amazing it was so suffice to say, I had high expectations. Very high expectations. So high I screwed studyimg for finals and read it instead.

And you know what? I loved it. Right from the start I loved it and it broke my slump of starting 8 books and finishing none of them. That's how amazing These Broken Stars was. Plus, that cover! 

So I actually have no idea how to start this review. It's always hardest to write about a book you loved, I guess? But let's start with characters. 
I adored Lilac as a character. She was brilliant character who was completely amazing throughout the entire book. She was smart, witty, and was willing to do what she could. She pretended to be the flighty heiress everything thought she'd be, but her reasons for doing so was heartbreaking and I actually felt heartbroken by page twenty. She was a character I could sympathize with and it's amazing that Lilac went through some character growth without losing my admiration. 
Tarver was swoony. Can I leave it at that? Fine. He was sweet and swoony and amazing and swoony and I loved him and his swooniness. In all seriousness though, Tarver was just as brilliant as Lilac, though more street smart than book smart, and it showed. I loved how caring he was towards Lilac and how badass he was, though not without his vulnerability. 

The romance was swoon worthy, but I think I've already used that word too much. I'm always a fan of hate/love relationship which is definitely how their relationship seemed when they crashed. I adored how they first met though, although it did seem a bit insta lovey, but the romance after that was entirely amazing. And I actually loved the insta love part of it too, surprisingly. I'm pretty sure there's a meme that's like "True love is when you take care of each other even if you're angry." or something like that and it definitely applies to the book. Also? Let me just say that I couldn't contain my squeals (and screams) at all. 

The worldbuilding and the vivid descriptions were a giant part of the novel and the science part was...mind blowing and just...brilliant. It was amazing, the things behind the whispers, behind the mysterious terraformed planet and it's definitely a creative, if not somewhat original, idea. 

These Broken Stars is, at it's core, a survival story and I loved that. I never knew watching people walk could be so fascinating. Of course, that's not all that happens. There was a mystery on the edges of the book and you couldn't help but get enraptured, wondering, dying to know what was happening, what was causing this or that, whether they were going crazy, or if there really was something...other.
What I think I loved the most was that our characters reached the conclusion before we did, which is actually pretty hard to do. And it wasn't just some wild leap, there was actually evidence to back it up and it was...interesting, seeing where we'd be taken next.

These Broken Stars is, perhaps, one of my favorite sci-fi books out there and I can't wait to read book two, which I'm hoping will at least have a Lilac or Tarver cameo! (It has to guys, it has to.) Heartbreaking and awe inspiring, These Broken Stars is just one that'll have to  make it to the top of your TBR, no matter how towering it already is!

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Mini Freak Out: Find Me by Romily Bernard

Mini Freak Out

Goodreads Blurb

“Find Me.”
These are the words written on Tessa Waye’s diary. The diary that ends up with Wick Tate. But Tessa’s just been found . . . dead.
Wick has the right computer-hacking skills for the job, but little interest in this perverse game of hide-and-seek. Until her sister Lily is the next target.
Then Griff, trailer-park boy next door and fellow hacker, shows up, intent on helping Wick. Is a happy ending possible with the threat of Wick’s deadbeat dad returning, the detective hunting him sniffing around Wick instead, and a killer taunting her at every step?
Foster child. Daughter of a felon. Loner hacker girl. Wick has a bad attitude and sarcasm to spare.
But she’s going to find this killer no matter what.
Because it just got personal.

8: I never knew a cop could be so terrifying.
14: Holy crap.
17: SHIVERS.
22: Oh my God
30: Books teach me things that a 13 year old should not know. >:)
39: My heart hurts
42: O_O
63: CRAPSTICKS
68: THIS HAS TO BE THE WORST COP IN HISTORY. WHO EVEN.
73: Do I hate or love Lily.
78: I don't know about Lily, BUT I LOVE GRIFF
80: O_______O
98: Carson. Creepiest guy on Earth
105: OH GOD. UH OH. CRAP.
124: HOLY CRAP. JUST HOLY CRAP.
134: I love Griff
140: SQUEALS
146: My squeals of joy have become squeals of terror.
150: I love Lauren!
154: SO MANY REASONABLE SUSPECTS
167: TEEHEE
171: CRAP. CRAP. CRAP.
175: EERCTFHJKLPMNXAAWFHMLITEAJJLHEEKBSO
194: Yeah I love Griff
205: AHAHAHAHAHA *wipes away tears* I LOVE THEM
206: OMG I JUST.  <3
219: Oh God. Oh God oh God oh God.
223: I AM CRYING. CRYING.
230: OH GOD WHAT IS HAPPENING
237: GRIFF I LOVE YOU
238: OH MY CRAP. CRAP
241: WHAT
242: FYI.IUMEGBFNRYIULJRMTEGNTEHIEEDDWGRYJTYETHMYTEBERGTEH
271: OH MY FUCKIN GOD I CAN'T SOMEHOW OMG I CAN'T EVEN. LOCK THE DOORS AND SHUTTER THE WINDOWS AND RUN WICK RUN
274: YOU SICK PSYCHO
275: OMG I AM SO UNBELIEVABLY FREAKED OUT. IHBOUNOMPLKJBVTXESESCGHVBINKNK
280: Oh. My. Fuck.
282: OH FUCK. FUCK. SHIT. NO. OMFG. I CAN'T EVEN. BRB DYING.
303: I just can't.
End: THERE'S A SEQUEL?! I HOPE SO.

Romily Bernard is a genius with suspense. I can't even tell you how many times my heart pounded throughout this entire thing and how many times I was nervous for Wick. (Okay maybe I can. Hint: It was all the time.) There were several twists I couldn't see coming, that just smacked me in the face, and while the major plot twist was sort of predictable...it still absolutely killed me. And, of course, shocked me so much I ended up gaping at the pages for a good bit. 
But the mystery of "Find Me", of Tessa Waye, wasn't the only plot line that catches your interest, as thrilling as it is. Wick just happens to be the daughter of a drug lord on the run, and she has to deal with that as well as trying to ward off Carson, a certain cop who can't seem to stay away. So, of course, nothing's easy for our poor characters. 

Oh, our characters. How I absolutely love them! Wick was a fierce character, broken and hardened by years under the thumb of her father and the ghost of her mother's suicide haunting her. She's independent, but has a vulnerable side, one that she rarely shows. She's a fascinating character, a realistically portrayed one, and her voice was amazing! 
We also have Lily, the little sister. I...didn't love her so much. I never felt like she understood what her sister had gone through or what her sister feels and I couldn't help but resent her. Just a little! She was still awfully adorable.

Do I get to talk about Griff now? Because oh my freaking God, I loved him! He was sweet and a little rough around the edges. And absolutely swoony. He was hilarious too and cared so much for Wick. I loved their romance which wasn't really insta-love, but you can immediately feel their chemistry. Which made me giggle happily so many times.

Thrilling and unpredictable, Find Me is possibly my favorite suspense I've read in ever and I absolutely have to recommend! It's unforgettable and gripping, not letting you go until the end.

Pages: 307

Genre: Suspense/Thriller

Series: Find Me #1

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: Sep 24, 2013

Rating: 4.5

3:59 by Gretchen McNeil

Goodreads Blurb

Josie Byrne's life is spiraling out of control. Her parents are divorcing, her boyfriend Nick has grown distant, and her physics teacher has it in for her. When she's betrayed by the two people she trusts most, Josie thinks things can't get worse.
Until she starts having dreams about a girl named Jo. Every night at the same time—3:59 a.m.
Jo's life is everything Josie wants: she's popular, her parents are happily married, and Nick adores her. It all seems real, but they're just dreams, right? Josie thinks so, until she wakes one night to a shadowy image of herself in the bedroom mirror – Jo. 
Josie and Jo realize that they are doppelgängers living in parallel universes that overlap every twelve hours at exactly 3:59. Fascinated by Jo's perfect world, Josie jumps at the chance to jump through the portal and switch places for a day.
But Jo’s world is far from perfect. Not only is Nick not Jo's boyfriend, he hates her. Jo's mom is missing, possibly insane. And at night, shadowy creatures feed on human flesh.
By the end of the day, Josie is desperate to return to her own life. But there’s a problem: Jo has sealed the portal, trapping Josie in this dangerous world. Can she figure out a way home before it’s too late?

I don't usually start reviews like this, but...
Oh my fucking God. I am dead. I can not live. Guys. I just. No. My heart. It fails me. GUYS. Oh my fuck. I can not even. But. Just.

Everything hurts.

So I absolutely have to start off with the sci-fi aspect of this. There is a ton of sci-fi in there and Gretchen McNeil obviously did her research. There were so many theories thrown around, not to mention a ton of...oh God, I don't even know what to call them, much less understand! But the sci-fi is hardcore in 3:59, and you just have to love the scientific explanations and...other. I can't guarantee you'll understand, but I can promise that it'll blow your mind away!

And you guys, the plot. I can't even. It was filled with suspense and anticipation (read: me hyperventilating) and I just couldn't put it down! It hooked me in straight away and then proceeded to kill me several times. It was filled with so many twists I hadn't seen a mile away and smacked me in the face, leaving me astonished and shocked. Not to mention, the ending? Oh, it just breaks your heart.

I just loved our characters who were so brilliantly written (much like the rest of the book) and so wonderfully flawed, especially in the parallel world.
Josie is the kind of character you have to love. She's been through a lot and she's easy to relate to. I loved her voice and how she wasn't the perfect character. She had her selfish moments and she had her brave ones. She was smart and a bit nerdy, but wasn't the stereotypical "loser" nerd.
Nick was sweet in our world, but, of course, was a dick later on. But in the parallel world? Oh God, you have to love him! Madison...I couldn't believe her, how she could change personalities so quickly! It was disgusting and I sort of hated her. But she was definitely kickass in the parallel world and I loved seeing the few, but definitely interesting, interactions Josie had with her!

The romance isn't a big part of the book, but you can't help but cheer Nick and Josie on! I can't say much, but I need an epilogue. That is all.

This was my first Gretchen McNeil book, but you can count on it not being my last. With the amazingness that is 3:59, I'm now scrambling to read her other works! While I haven't read Ten (despite having a copy), my friends have read and loved it, so I can only assume that McNeil is as much a genius with all her books.

I absolutely was not expecting to love 3:59 this much. I had high hopes for sure, but...oh God, they were just completely blown away. And that's saying a lot. 3:59 is a gorgeously written sci-fi thriller that literally had my heart pounding from chapter one and wanting to sob an ocean in the last.
I have to recommend to absolutely everyone, sci-fi fans or no, everyone has to read this so they can scream with me.

Pages: 368

Genre: Thriller/Suspense/Sci-fi

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Release Date: Sep 17, 2013

Rating: 10/5 stars

Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor

Goodreads Blurb
In this breathtaking debut that reads like Gossip Girl crossed with Twin Peaks, a Queen Bee at a blue-blooded New England prep school stumbles into a murder mystery.
Anne Dowling practically runs her exclusive academy on New York’s Upper East Side—that is, until she accidentally burns part of it down and gets sent to a prestigious boarding school outside of Boston. Determined to make it back to New York, Anne couldn't care less about making friends at the preppy Wheatley School. That is, until her roommate Isabella’s body is found in the woods behind the school. 
When everyone else is oddly silent, Anne becomes determined to uncover the truth no matter how many rules she has to break to do it. With the help of Isabella’s twin brother Anthony, and a cute classmate named Brent, Anne discovers that Isabella wasn’t quite the innocent nerdy girl she pretended to be. But someone will do anything to stop Anne’s snooping in this fast-paced, unputdownable read—even if it means framing her for Isabella’s murder.

Oh God, I wanted so badly to like this! It had a great premise and I love mysteries, but I could barely stand it! Or, rather, her.

My biggest issue with this book was definitely Anne. I knew there might be a chance I wouldn't like her, but I knew that there would be some kind of character development. And there was!But all that changed was her snobbishness, and that wasn't where my annoyance with her ended. She was so assumptive and paranoid too! The slightest thing and she would suspect someone in the murder without giving them a chance. Soon enough she had about ten suspects and was nowhere closer that she was before her "investigation". There was this one moment I hated when she called someone else "nosy". It was pretty hypocritical considering she was breaking into offices and stealing things. Anndddd she also judged Lee (a suspect) without even talking to him. And he just...gah! She also acted like she knew Isabelle better than her other classmates when she only knew her for a week compared to their years of knowing her!

But I did admire her quick thinking and how she tried to do what was right. I sort of loved how the popular crowd just seemed to gravitate towards her and that it wasn't that cliche "Queen Bee Turned Loser" scenario. She was snarky and fun, so I sort of love/hated her (although she did annoy me more than I wished.)

The mystery was absolutely amazing and I had no idea who the killer was and what to expect. I loved how many clues Anne discovered, to the murder and other...scandals. It was fabulously deceiving and wonderfully plotted, and I have to hand it to Taylor--she sure knows how to write a suspense.  It was a super fun adventure and an engaging mystery for sure!

The romance...love triangle, le sigh. Anne just sort of latched onto the two most "important" guys. School Golden Boy Brent and dead roommate's delinquent brother. It was kind of awkward, but I absolutely loved Brent. He was sweet and adorable and I loved how he acted around Anne! On the other hand, Anthony...well, I didn't really understand him. Kara Taylor did manage to create awesome realistic characters, I'll give her that but they weren't really easy to connect to or really understand.

While a brilliant novel, the main character and supporting characters brought my rating down by a lot. I definitely would've enjoyed this better if I could've ignored Anne's...misgivings, but I couldn't and was just irritated the entire book. The mystery was absolutely brilliant though, and I seem to be a black sheep in this, so I recommend giving it a go!

Pages: 305

Genre: Suspense/Drama

Series: Prep School Confidential #1

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Release Date: July 30, 2013

Rating: 2.5

Money Run by Jack Heath

Goodreads Blurb

Take two child geniuses (thieves in their spare time), one obsessed assassin, and the richest man in the world to create a compelling, completely unpredictable young adult thriller. Fifteen-year-olds Ashley and Benjamin have concocted a daring master plan: to steal billionaire Hammond Buckland's most precious belonging, hidden in the depths of his conspicuous corporate building. But Hammond Buckland has a most elaborate plan of his own - and none of them have counted on Peachey, the hit man with a determination to finish the job - at any cost!The beginning of a dazzling new series from Jack Heath, author of The Lab and Remote Control.

This was definitely an interesting read for me, considering I've never really read suspense or real thrillers. Psychological thrillers, sure. But the closest thing I've gotten was either Burnin Blue or Gallagher Girls--and those two were nowhere near as complex as this.

There were a lot of amusing things with this--plans within plans within plans. Hints disguised as casual conversation, and actions predicted half a year ago. Reading from Ash's POV was fun and reading about all her ingenious plans was definitely eye opening. She was so devilishly smart and could pretty much get herself out of every tight spot thrown at her. She was an incredible quick thinker and I have to hand it to Heath--he certainly knew what he was writing about! The plans were so amazingly complex and they made sure to inspect things from every angle to make sure that they wouldn't be going to jail anytime soon.

Except...
The stupidest mistake they could ever make and something I didn't understand. They went into this mission to find $200 million, but they had no clue what form it was in. For all they knew it could've been a giant statue, piles of cash, or really ANYTHING.  Who would do that? If you can buy enough, anything could be worth $200 million. I found it completely idiotic that they were risking pretty much anything for this--and having no idea exactly what they were stealing.

Another problem I had--there were so many switching POVs, we never really got to fully meet the characters. We know that Ash and Benjamin are best friends, super close, and literally trust each other with their lives. We know they're both insanely intelligent, but beyond that, we don't really learn anything about them. And the same goes for pretty much all the characters. I guess it's just the result of switching third person POVs. But most of the characters we did see, no matter how briefly, annoyed me.

The plot was so amazing though! It's truly surprising how much Heath managed to fit into less than a day and still have it not seem rushed. There were so many twists that were seriously, SERIOUSLY, unpredictable, but saying that would be spoiling too much! I guess you'd have to find out yourself!

This was a light read that I fully enjoyed that! Assassins, heists, and a whole complicated bunch of plans create a fun book that ends up having a little moral lesson at the end. I may not have loved it, but it was definitely pretty hard to put down! *Read it in one sitting*

Also. Love Buckland. His character was definitely my favorite of the book.

Pages: 256
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Series: Ashley Arthur #1
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: April 1, 2013
Rating: 3.5 exactly