Review: The Devil You Know by Trish Doller

Summary:

Eighteen-year-old Arcadia wants adventure. Living in a tiny Florida town with her dad and four-year-old brother, Cadie spends most of her time working, going to school, and taking care of her family. So when she meets two handsome cousins at a campfire party, she finally has a chance for fun. They invite her and friend to join them on a road trip, and it's just the risk she's been craving-the opportunity to escape. But what starts out as a fun, sexy journey quickly becomes dangerous when she discovers that one of them is not at all who he claims to be. One of them has deadly intentions.

A road trip fling turns terrifying in this contemporary story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Publication Date: June 2, 2015

The Devil You Know was a good YA suspense read that kind of reminded me of the premise of “The Last House on the Left.” I almost felt like the subtitle should have been “This Is What Happens to Good Girls Who Make One Bad Choice.” Cadie makes some questionable decisions and ends up paying for them tremendously.

Cadie was likable and I felt for her a lot. She’s had a lot of responsibility thrown on her since her mom died and she’s been kept from having any kind of social life. She decides to go out to a party one night and ends up meeting two handsome cousins. Because she’s so desperate for adventure, she makes the impulsive decision to accompany the two on a road trip.

The beginning was a little slow going, but I was finding the book to be such an easy read, I didn’t feel dreadfully bored and screaming “When will something happen already?!” I think the plot was also moved on by the incredible chemistry between Cadie and Noah.

The book became a nail biter by the halfway point, but this was also the point when Cadie went from being reckless to just plain stupid. But in her defense, she is still a teen and I think some of her rash decisions were her way to finally rebel after having so many responsibilities thrust on her. I wanted to shake her from time to time, but I never stopped liking her as a character.

I probably would have given the book 4.5 or 5 stars if the whodunit part was stronger. I thought it was pretty obvious who the killer was and guessed very early on before the reveal. There was no jaw dropping moment in the conclusion that made the book a home run for me.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

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

Review: Twisted Fate by Norah Olson

Summary:

When Alyson meets Graham Copeland, the new boy next door, she instantly feels like he’s a kindred spirit—shy and awkward like her, someone who has trouble making friends. It’s impossible to resist having a crush on him.

As usual, her sister, Sydney, sees things differently. In Sydney's mind, Graham's odd personality and secretive past scream psychopath, not sweetheart. Her gut is telling her to stay away from him, and to protect a love-struck Alyson from her own naïveté. But despite her instincts, Sydney is surprised to realize that a part of her is drawn to Graham, too.

And the more Sydney gets to know him, the more she realizes just how right—and wrong—she is about everything.

Perfect for fans of Michelle Hodkin, and E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars,Twisted Fate is an unputdownable novel, teeming with suspense.

Publication Date: January 20, 2015

Twisted Fate was one creepy book! For the most part, I liked the story of Sydney, Alyson and Graham and I was drawn into the complexities of their relationships with one another. However, there was a twist that I felt was a little unnecessary and took away some of my enjoyment of the novel.

Twisted Fate is told in multiple points of views with many of the chapters narrated by Sydney, Alyson and Graham. Sydney was the most relatable of the three. Graham’s chapters were seriously disturbing while Alyson’s chapters were strange and mostly about how happy she was about baking and having met Graham.

The pace was a little slow in the beginning, but as Graham’s mental state starts to unravel, the book became more interesting. His character made my skin crawl and I really hoped Sydney and Alyson would be able to get away from him.

One of the main problems I had with the book was the use of foreshadowing. A lot of the twists were easy to guess and it took away from the overall suspenseful feel of the novel. A few of the twists were a little over the top and I didn’t really felt like they were necessary to move the plot along. The conclusion wasn’t what I hoped for either.

Overall, Twisted Fate was interesting and had some unique plot elements. I’d recommend the book to mature teens who are looking for a contemporary psychological suspense novel.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

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