Review: Learning to Live by Kira Adams

Summary:

Ciera Nelson wants what any other outcast wants, invisibility. If she can just make it through the rest of her year with minor incidents and a head held low she will be able to put the hell hole they call school in her rearview. Unfortunately, life has different plans for her.

Topher Carlson is one of the biggest jocks on campus. All the guys want to be him, all the girls want to claim him. When secrets are uncovered, Topher’s life spins wildly out of control.

They are far from friends when the school year begins, but each will impact the other’s life in ways they never dreamed possible. Can Ciera help Topher realize that popularity and status mean nothing in the real world? Can Topher help Ciera learn the true meaning of living?

Sometimes you have to let go to really live. Sometimes being alive means taking risks.

Publication Date: January 2015

I haven’t read a good tearjerker in a long time and Learning to Live left me a bawling mess. I figured the book would be sad, but I was shocked over how devastated I was left by the end. This is the first book I read by Kira Adams, but it certainly won’t be the last.

Ciera and Topher are definitely characters that grow on you over time—especially Topher. Topher was a gigantic a-hole at the beginning of the book and some of the things he did to Ciera were pretty much unforgivable. But as I got to know Topher and learn about why he was such a head case, he earned my sympathy. For Ciera, I really wanted to reach into the book and shake her from time to time. Her forgiving nature definitely made her too saint-like.

CIera and Topher had good chemistry once they got over their issues. I liked that their relationship was gradual and that Topher had to really work to earn her trust. The book is told in dual POV, which was a huge plus. The reader got a glimpse of how their perceptions about one another evolved as they spent more time together.

SPOILER ALERT: This book is really, really a lot like A Walk to Remember. And since I adore the book and the movie, I was definitely into the storyline big time. And just like A Walk to Remember, I was hoping and praying for a different ending. I did see that there’s a novella about Topher that happens two years after the events of Learning to Live, but I don’t think I can move on from my heartache to read it. END OF SPOILER

The pacing in the book is solid and I read it in probably less than four sittings. Once you reach the final third mark, there’s no putting the book down. The epilogue was beautiful and tragic and will definitely leave you with a book hangover.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Guest Review: Girls Who Travel by Nicole Trilvas

Summary:

A hilarious, deftly written debut novel about a woman whose wanderlust is about to show her that sometimes you don’t have to travel very far to become the person you want to be…

There are many reasons women shouldn’t travel alone. But as foul-mouthed, sweet-toothed Kika Shores knows, there are many more reasons why they should. After all, most women want a lot more out of life than just having fun. Kika, for one, wants to experience the world.

But ever since she returned from her yearlong backpacking tour, she’s been steeped in misery, battling rush hour with all the other suits. Getting back on the road is all she wants. So when she’s offered a nanny job in London – the land of Cadbury Cream Eggs – she’s happy at the prospect of going back overseas and getting paid for it. But as she’s about to discover, the most exhilarating adventures can happen when you stay in one place…

Wise, witty, and hilarious, Girls Who Travel is an unforgettable novel about the highs and lows of getting what you want—and how it’s the things you least expect that can change your life.

Publication Date: December 1, 2015

About Guest Reviewer Joanna:

Joanna Franklin Bell is a writer living outside Baltimore, MD. Her articles can be read in "Baltimore Magazine" and various Patch.com sites; her award-winning short story can be found on the "Single Dad Laughing" blog; and her books can be found on Amazon. "Muse: A Cat's Story" is her children's chapter book, "Mrs. Just-So" is her children's picture book, and "Take a Load Off, Mona Jamborski" and "That Birds Would Sing" are her novels. Her third novel, "See No Demons, Hear No Demons" will be released in 2016. Catch up with Joanna on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/JoannaFranklinBell

Joanna's Review:

Buckle up your fanny pack dear reader, because we're going abroad with Kika Shores in "Girls Who Travel." We're hitting Europe and Asia and South America and Scandinavia and… well maybe not Antarctica.  We're going to discover hot beaches and quirky cities and exotic clubs and shake our moneymakers like the rent is due.

That last turn of phrase I stole from the author, Nicole Trilivas, and it's as good an example as any of the irreverent, joyful humor that she infuses her character Kika with. Kika made me laugh once per page, beginning when she is schlupping her way through New York City working for corporate America, bundled against the cold, wondering how she ended up as part of the rat race when she had so recently been traveling the world, free as a bird in an unraveling bikini. Her arch-nemesis in NYC is another scrabbling yet slutty peon on the corporate ladder who couldn't be less like Kika, and her delicious and malicious manipulations set the stage perfectly for Kika's fall from grace.

But that's ok. Kika was never very graceful anyway, and we love her for it.

Through Kika, we yearn for the rough and mysterious Lochlan, her traveling companion whom she had to leave when her money ran, forcing her inevitable return to America. Lochlan continued on alone, eventually finding himself also returning to his native Ireland when his "da" became sick, so after a year apart the two lovebirds find themselves both anchored, and neither is happy about it. As luck would have it, they are anchored on the same continent now that Kika got a job as an au pair in London for an American family who is living abroad. Coincidence? Not really. The family is the same one that got Kika her NYC job, and corporate ties do not acknowledge oceans.

So now our Kika is in London, inadvertently teaching her young charges how to swear like a sailor, and she's catching the eye of the hottie next door who's clearly too posh for his pants and is barely worth a moment of Kika's time. But when she hears his playing his guitar in his garden one day, she can't help but wonder whether there is more to him than his money, and, now that she's thinking about it, why has Lochlan seemed so strange since he learned they could meet up again? Hmmmm.

That's all you get, because another word would spoil all the rest of the plot. Major props to the author for crafting a new take on the NA genre that crosses over to good old Contemporary Lit or Women's Fiction, humble thanks to the publisher for an advance reader's copy that I received in exchange for an honest review, and bon voyage to the rest of y'alls as you pack it up to go on a journey with Kika.

5/5 Stars

Review: Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace

Summary:

For fans of Holly Black and Nova Ren Suma, a gripping, hauntingly atmospheric novel about murder, revenge, and a world where monsters—human and otherwise—lurk at the fringes.

When seventeen-year-old Breezy Lin wakes up in a shallow grave one year after her death, she doesn’t remember who killed her or why. All she knows is that she’s somehow conscious—and not only that, she’s able to sense who around her is hiding a murderous past. In life, Breezy was always drawn to the elegance of the universe and the mystery of the stars. Now she must set out to find answers and discover what is to become of her in the gritty, dangerous world to which she now belongs—where killers hide in plain sight and a sinister cult is hunting for strange creatures like her. What she finds is at once empowering, redemptive, and dangerous.

Tense, complex, and wholly engaging, Shallow Graves is a stunning first novel from Kali Wallace.

Publication Date: January 26, 2016

Shallow Graves was a strange little book that I enjoyed much more than I thought. It’s definitely a quirky read and a novel where you’re not likely able to guess where the plot is going. The beginning of the novel really grabbed me and I found myself turning pages way into the night to see what would happen with Breezy.

Breezy is a not exactly human creature who finds herself awakening in her grave after a year of being trapped in between life and death. Magical realism novels are definitely hit or miss for me, so I was very happy to find myself loving Shallow Graves. I found Breezy a refreshing main character and I was captivated by her ability to see a person’s murderous past by just looking at him or her.

The middle of the book wasn’t my favorite with the introduction of a lot of characters. The novel started to feel really busy with too many subplots going on at once. The middle didn’t make me give up on the book, but I did feel like it took away from the creepy vibe that had been so apparent at the start of the novel.

The ending was haunting and really brought the book together for me again. I absolutely cannot wait to read another novel by the author. Her writing style did remind me of Holly Black, another author whose work I really enjoy.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Guest Review: Tragedy Girl by Christine Hurley Deriso

Summary:

Of course Anne would be drawn to Blake. He’s good looking, he’s friendly, and they both bring sob stories to the table: her parents died in a car wreck, his girlfriend, Cara, drowned. Of course Blake would understand what she’s gone through. And of course they can help each other work through the pain. It’s like it was meant to be.

But just as Anne starts to feel she’s finally found something good in all the tragedy, she can’t ignore signs that something’s off. Her friends rarely let her be alone with Blake. Even those closest to Blake seem uneasy around him. And then there are the rumors about the death of Cara, whose body was never recovered. Rumors that suggest Blake’s pain is hiding something darker than Anne can even begin to comprehend...

Publication Date: April 8, 2016

About Guest Reviewer Joanna:

Joanna Franklin Bell is a writer living outside Baltimore, MD. Her articles can be read in "Baltimore Magazine" and various Patch.com sites; her award-winning short story can be found on the "Single Dad Laughing" blog; and her books can be found on Amazon. "Muse: A Cat's Story" is her children's chapter book, "Mrs. Just-So" is her children's picture book, and "Take a Load Off, Mona Jamborski" and "That Birds Would Sing" are her novels. Her third novel, "See No Demons, Hear No Demons" will be released in 2016. Catch up with Joanna on Facebook at:  https://www.facebook.com/JoannaFranklinBell

Joanna's Review:

"Tragedy Girl" was far from a tragedy and I thank the publisher for the free copy I got in exchange for an honest review. In fact, "Tragedy Girl" was a breath of fresh air – I've stumbled upon some stinkers this week, and this book made up for them. I was beginning to think there was no such thing as YA or NA decent books on the horizon, so this restored my faith a little bit in the genre.

That said, it's not without the tireless cliché that every YA/NA seems to lead with: our heroine, Anne, is an orphan! And a recent one! Her parents died together in a car crash! Right before her senior year in high school! If I had a nickel for every time THAT story has been trotted out, I could build a nickel tower and shout as people walk by it, "LOOK AT HOW MANY NICKELS I HAVE!" I could even add that Anne's parents were "T-boned," which was not only mentioned using this unlovely phrase TWICE in the book, but this is the second book in a week where the heroine's parents were "T-boned" in a fatal accident! Is it something in the water? A silent signed agreement in the super-secret YA/NA author's club? A fad? I dunno, but I hope the fad passes. Also, why is Anne going into her senior year in high school, specifically? Why are all the heroines in today's books? I assumed it was so there could be some legal steamy not-underage-anymore sex, but in "Tragedy Girl" Anne doesn’t get past first base. Hmmm. Anyway.

So I docked a star for that. I ALSO docked a star because the author told me THREE TIMES that one of her characters looks like River Phoenix. 1) Do not ever, ever, ever compare your characters to celebrities. It's your job, Author, to think of original stuff, so do not show your hand wherefrom you draw your inspiration. It's clumsy, and it's classless—make up your OWN character for chrissake. 2) Do not ever, ever, ever tell me more than once, if you insist on doing it at all. You must trust your reader to have followed along and understood and remembered—the second you start beating me over the head because you don't really think I was listening the first time, I Reader have lost my relationship with you Author. This author repeated a number of things, actually (two examples: how Anne is an "eleven on the hotness scale," and how her uncle used a particular phrase meaningfully – these were repeated to the point of ridiculousness. You can have something ringing in a character's ears without jamming it into your readers'), and clearly thinks her readership is operating at an IQ below 70. Which is a shame. I hope her savvy editor gets rid of all that nonsense before this book sees the actual light of day. (We're like 4 months pre-release here.)

SO I docked a star for that, too. However, I added one of them back in because this book was soooooo goooooood!! Whee! I couldn't put it down. No real reason – it's not like I highlighted beautiful turns of phrase that I wanted to remember for the rest of my days, and it's sure not like there was anything particularly original about the plot where Anne goes to a new school as a recent orphan and must make new friends and stumbled upon a hot guy and then unwittingly becomes part of a mystery… Yeah. That's been written a few hundred thousand times before, eh? But every author is unique, clichés aside, and Christine Hurley Deriso sure as shootin' knows how to keep a reader on the hook, guessing, committed, involved, and awake all night as the lure of the next page beckons.

I really appreciate how, actually, the characters were under-described. Gone were the "full lips" and "thick tresses" and blah blah blah. The characters were much left for me to envision on my own. There were a few markers for me to anchor my own mental image on (and yes, Anne has high cheekbones... sigh... but there's actually kind of a reason for that description so she gets a pass), but other than that, the author did not pander to the always-beautiful characters that must populate every book. So props to the author there for rising above that, and letting the plot dictate the action and not someone's beautiful dark-lashed limpid eyeball pools... or whatever. And there was zero mention of how slender/willowy/slim anyone was either. Especially for YA/NA, I appreciated the heck out of that omission too. In fact, I don't think a single girl's build was described, ever. Nor should it be, frankly. Not in this culture, and not in this decade at least. We need to get one generation of girls beyond all that before we re-introduce it, maybe...

Well, I'm getting tangential. Read this book with pleasure, it's really very heart-warming even though it's got tragedy at the root of it. The scenes with Anne's aunt and uncle, the scenes between Anne and her psychiatrist, and even a couple of scenes with Melanie and Lauren who are two friends Anne makes are handled very, very well. There are comments on families and personalities and commitment and friendships and futures, and all of it is worth reading, and in fact, should be far more present in so much more of what we give our young girls and new women to read. Cheers, chicks!

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Review: Hotel Ruby by Suzanne Young

Summary:

When Audrey Casella arrives for an unplanned stay at the grand Hotel Ruby, she’s grateful for the detour. Just months after their mother’s death, Audrey and her brother, Daniel, are on their way to live with their grandmother, dumped on the doorstep of a DNA-matched stranger because their father is drowning in his grief.

Audrey and her family only plan to stay the night, but life in the Ruby can be intoxicating, extending their stay as it provides endless distractions—including handsome guest Elias Lange, who sends Audrey’s pulse racing. However, the hotel proves to be as strange as it is beautiful. Nightly fancy affairs in the ballroom are invitation only, and Audrey seems to be the one guest who doesn't have an invite. Instead, she joins the hotel staff on the rooftop, catching whispers about the hotel’s dark past.

The more Audrey learns about the new people she's met, the more her curiosity grows. She’s torn in different directions—the pull of her past with its overwhelming loss, the promise of a future that holds little joy, and an in-between life in a place that is so much more than it seems…

Welcome to the Ruby.

Publication Date: November 3, 2015

I liked the concept of Hotel Ruby and I definitely find hotels a very creeping setting for horror novels, but I didn’t fall in total love with the characters in the novel. I normally don’t continue with a book when I don’t connect with at least one of the characters, but the mystery kept me reading.

The main problem I had with the characters were that I found them to be very, very bland. For the life of me, I couldn’t remember their names when I picked the book back up. There wasn’t anything particularly wrong with Audrey and Daniel and they had a tragic back-story, but I felt no emotional pull to them; even the “mysterious” stranger Elias came across as a yawn.

Hotel Ruby did have a good atmospheric vibe going for it. I’m not a fan of blood and guts horror, so ghost stories are definitely more up my alley. The pace was slow, but I kind of liked gradually learning about the devastating history that took place at the hotel years ago. There was also a really good twist that helped save the book for me.    

Although Hotel Ruby wasn’t my favorite book, I still enjoy the author’s other works immensely. I would highly recommend her series’ The Program to YA dystopian fans.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book for review!

Review: Underwater by Marisa Reichardt

Summary:

Morgan didn’t mean to do anything wrong that day. Actually, she meant to do something right. But her kind act inadvertently played a role in a deadly tragedy. In order to move on, Morgan must learn to forgive—first someone who did something that might be unforgivable, and then, herself.

But Morgan can’t move on. She can’t even move beyond the front door of the apartment she shares with her mother and little brother. Morgan feels like she’s underwater, unable to surface. Unable to see her friends. Unable to go to school.

When it seems Morgan can’t hold her breath any longer, a new boy moves in next door. Evan reminds her of the salty ocean air and the rush she used to get from swimming. He might be just what she needs to help her reconnect with the world outside.

Underwater is a powerful, hopeful debut novel about redemption, recovery, and finding the strength it takes to face your past and move on.

Publication Date: January 12, 2016

I’ve read novels in the past about school shootings, but this book was unlike anything I’ve picked up before. Underwater offers the unique perspective of a school-shooting survivor suffering from severe PTSD. The narrative was beautifully done with a level of authenticity I rarely see in the genre.

The heart of the novel lies with Morgan and her journey of getting back all that she has lost since surviving a school shooting that left many of her classmates dead. She gets to the point that she’s unable to leave the house from fear of the outside. The book starts months after the shooting when Morgan meets her new neighbor Evan.

Evan and Morgan’s romance is light and sweet and I liked how he was the catalyst to get her to heal from the tragedy. Their relationship felt very realistic and I enjoyed how Evan was able to call her on her B.S. My only complaint is that I would have liked less romance and more about Morgan’s life before the shooting.

There was so much emotion in between the pages of Underwater. Not many authors can keep my interest with so little action going on, but Reichardt managed to make me feel so much that I didn’t find myself bored or skimming pages to get to the meat of the story. I loved how the author made Morgan’s journey to finding herself again meaningful and believable.

If you’re looking for a YA contemporary with a lot of heart, then you must read Underwater.

Rating; 4/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book for review!

Free Book Weekend: Falling for Autumn and Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

Get your free copy of my New Adult contemporary Falling for Autumn now through Monday! Pick up your copy and enter to win a $20 Amazon gift card giveaway!

Summary:

Autumn Dorey had no problem leaving her hometown of Newpine and the friends there who’d betrayed her. Everyone thought they knew what happened the spring night Autumn’s world fell apart. Vicious rumors about the incident circulated, and she had to be homeschooled the last year of high school to escape her tormentors. All she wants now is to get away from it all and start over at Cook University. She leaves everything but the memory behind—something she swore she’d never forget—and sets off to rebuild what was broken.

Blake Preston is precisely the type of guy Autumn wants to avoid. He’s gorgeous, arrogant and the college’s beloved football star. As much as she believes he’s someone she should steer clear of, avoiding him proves to be impossible. He shows up everywhere around campus, offering her a no-strings attached friendship.

Autumn can’t deny Blake stirs up emotions she thought fled years ago. But things he’s been hiding begin to emerge and collide with her past, leaving her heart ravaged in their wake.

New Adult Romance-Ages 17+ Due to Strong Language and Sexual Situations

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Falling-Autumn-Heather-Topham-Wood-ebook/dp/B00JMHTHV0

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Falling-Autumn-Heather-Topham-Wood-ebook/dp/B00JMHTHV0

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Book Blitz: Thirst by RP Channing

After a near fatal accident (and getting cheated on by her 'boyfriend'), and beating up the lead cheerleader (with whom the boyfriend cheated...), and being labeled as having 'issues' in her school because she, uhm, sees ghosts, Kira is left with two choices:

1. Continue her 'therapy' (where she's told the ghost is a hallucination and also gets her legs ogled too often...)

Or

2. Go to Starkfield Academy, a boarding school for "Crazies and Convicts" (as the social media sites call them.)

She chooses the latter...

~ Cory Rand ~

Cory Rand has not had an easy life. His mother died in a car accident when he was twelve, and so did his mother's best friend...sort of. You see, Janice made a promise to take care of Cory just before she died, and so she lingers. Undead. A ghost that watches out for him.

Brought up in an abusive home, Cory quickly falls into a life of disreputable behavior. After his third offense (which was prompted by a girl, as usual - he has a weakness) he's left with two choices:

1. Be tried as an adult and share a cell with a guy named Bubba (he thinks...)

Or

2. Go to Starkfield Academy, which Cory is pretty sure is run by vampires. But, hey, at least he'll get an education.

He chooses the latter...

It's at Starkfield that Kira meets Cory Rand, a boy with an insatiable Rage who sees ghosts, too. As well as other things, other things from his past, things that confuse him, things like fire and witches and demons.

Things he's always ignored.

Until now.

Genres:

Young Adult Romance

Paranormal Romance

High School

Vampires, Demons, Witches

Dark Fantasy

Horror

Buy Links

Amazon US
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018M5GTLI
Amazon UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B018M5GTLI

Kindle Unlimited

$20 Amazon Gift Voucher Giveaway

At the back of the book there is a giveaway link. Once the book hits fifty reviews on Amazon, one of those reviewers will win a $20 (US Dollars) Amazon Gift Voucher!

Author Bio

R P Channing started writing three years ago, but never published anything even after churning out over a million words of fiction. Thirst: Blood of my Blood is the first book he dared to publish. When asked why, he said, “Because it’s the first thing I wrote that my wife actually enjoyed reading.” When not hammering away (most literally) at his keyboard, he can be found buried in a book, reading anything from romance to horror to young adult to non-fiction to comedy. If it has words in it, I’ll take it.

Author Links

Website
http://blog.rpchanning.com

Twitter

@rpchanning

Amazon

http://amazon.com/author/rpchanning

Guest Review: Angels Burning by Tawni O'Dell

Summary:

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Oprah Book Club pickBack Roads comes this fast-paced literary thriller about a small town police chief who’s forced to dig into her own shadowy past as she investigates the murder of a teenage girl.

On the surface, Chief Dove Carnahan is a true trailblazer who would do anything to protect the rural Pennsylvanian countryside where she has lived all fifty of her years. Traditional and proud of her blue-collar sensibilities, Dove is loved by her community. But beneath her badge lies a dark and self-destructive streak, fed by a secret she has kept since she was sixteen.

When a girl is beaten to death, her body tossed down a fiery sinkhole in an abandoned coal town, Dove is faced with solving the worst crime of her law enforcement career. She identifies the girl as a daughter of the Truly family, a notoriously irascible dynasty of rednecks and petty criminals.

During her investigation, the man convicted of killing Dove’s mother years earlier is released from prison. Still proclaiming his innocence, he approaches Dove with a startling accusation and a chilling threat that forces her to face the parallels between her own family’s trauma and that of the Trulys.

With countless accolades to her credit, author Tawni O’Dell writes with the “fearless insights” (The New York Times Book Review) she brought to the page in Back Roads and One of Us. In this new, masterfully told psychological thriller, the past and present collide to reveal the extent some will go to escape their fate, and in turn, the crimes committed to push them back to where they began.

Publication Date: January 5, 2016

About Guest Reviewer Joanna:

Joanna Franklin Bell is a writer living outside Baltimore, MD. Her articles can be read in "Baltimore Magazine" and various Patch.com sites; her award-winning short story can be found on the "Single Dad Laughing" blog; and her books can be found on Amazon. "Muse: A Cat's Story" is her children's chapter book, "Mrs. Just-So" is her children's picture book, and "Take a Load Off, Mona Jamborski" and "That Birds Would Sing" are her novels. Her third novel, "See No Demons, Hear No Demons" will be released in 2016. Catch up with Joanna on Facebook at:  https://www.facebook.com/JoannaFranklinBell

Joanna's Review:

Tawni O'Dell's mother must have hated her, or, had no aspirations for her daughter beyond swinging from a stripper pole. I cannot imagine why else she'd have named her baby Tawni. Since a mother like this doesn't often exist, I assume of course that dear Tawni named herself in an attempt to really sell the white-trash factor of tawdry romances that she pens.

This is what I expected when I opened "Angels Burning," and it got no better when I read the first sentence of the first chapter which ended, "…trying to grope my recently ripened breasts." Yes, that's how the FIRST SENTENCE OF THE BOOK ends.

Strikes one, two, three, and fifteen hundred right there, Tawni. Lord above, I must be so much better than you.

Well thank goodness I had nothing better to do and felt like I could keep on judging this hapless writer and her ridiculous romance. So I kept reading.

And here's where I tell you how quickly I reversed my position and decided that Tawni and her uniquely spelled colorful name was probably just a product of the late 1960s and the creative spirits that birthed her, because this chick can WRITE. And I mean, WRITE. And, yes, she is so much better than ME. Her name could be Larry Curly Moe Joe and it wouldn't matter. You know how long it's been since I highlighted passages because I loved them so much, and not because they contained horrifying crimes against the English language? It's been at least a decade. I cannot wait to read everything else Tawni has ever written, because if it's half as good as "Angels Burning," I'm already a fan. I don't even care if one ends up being a romance.

No formulaic love story here: the main character is a 50-year-old chief of police named Dove, because DOVE had the white-trash mother! I had to laugh. (I do wonder if Tawni knows wherefrom she speaks…) Dove was named after her neglectful mother's favorite soap! Dove's sister, Neely, was named after "Valley of the Dolls," and their brother Champ was named after the mom's childhood dog. If these three don't serve to characterize their mother, who is long dead before the book even begins, nothing will.

The mother's long-ago death interweaves itself with the current crime: the murder of a teenaged girl, whose body was stuffed in the fictional version of Centralia, Pennsylvania's burning ghost town where underground coal mine fires still heat the ground and spew smoke through the cracks. The town in the book is much the same, or at least a section of it is—the police risk their own lives trying to retrieve the girl's body, tying Dove with a rope while she lowers herself into the hell pit to wrap her arms around the charred body, almost lovingly saving the girl, although of course she is far too late.

And the story begins.

Can't tell ya any more without spoiling it… There's nothing I wouldn't recommend about this book. If you read it and love it and highlight passages of your own, tell me what they are—I'd love to know if what spoke to you deeply is what spoke to me deeply. Dove (and Tawni through her) have plenty of deep thoughts to share.

5/5 Stars