Don't Let in the Cold by Keely Parrack

The storm isn't the only thing they'll have to survive.

It was supposed to be just one night in the cabin: one night for Lottie and her brand new stepsister, Jade, to try to get along. When a solar flare causes a massive blackout―no power or cell signal―Lottie knows they've got a long night ahead of them.

Then, in the dark, someone else shows up at the cabin―a stranger named Alex, claiming to be lost and needing shelter from the coming snowstorm. But later that night, Lottie spies him in the driveway talking to two mysterious men in a pickup truck, and she's sure he's lying about why he's here.

Before Lottie can find out more, a fire forces her, Jade, and Alex out into the blizzard, where they must rely on one another to get to safety―wherever that is. In the remote, freezing Tahoe wilderness, they have to survive more than just the elements. Soon it becomes clear that Alex's accomplices are hunting for all three of them, in a scheme that's gone too far and taken a chilling, deadly turn.

Goodreads Summary

I think in order to enjoy this book it would help if the reader kept an open mind to practically everything that can happen to the two most unlucky people in the world during a blizzard with a solar flare. With this perspective, I ended up liking the book in a generic way. It's a little difficult for me to truly become engrossed in a novel with unlikable characters. I wasn't a fan of Lottie, the main character. However, her stepsister Jade was a little redemptive. The entire plot seemed a little goofy: their parents threw them together in Jade's dad's Tahoe cabin while they went on a very quick honeymoon. From the beginning the reader should be thinking: this is just a bad idea. Well, it gets worse. Alex, another unlikable character, quickly becomes a thorn in their side and the source of some of the problems. 

I'm a little unique in reading others' reviews - I didn't hate the romance. I figured that if the author threw every problem under the sun that could occur to these two unfortunate teens then why not throw in a little romance. Overall, I didn't hate this book and I'm glad I finished it, but I would have preferred a book that isn't almost comically survivalist focused. 

3 Stars

This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews. COPYRIGHT © 2014 LIVE TO READ

I'm the Girl by Courtney Summers

The new groundbreaking queer thriller from New York Times bestselling and Edgar-award Winning author Courtney Summers.

When sixteen-year-old Georgia Avis discovers the dead body of thirteen-year-old Ashley James, she teams up with Ashley's older sister, Nora, to find and bring the killer to justice before he strikes again. But their investigation throws Georgia into a world of unimaginable privilege and wealth, without conscience or consequence, and as Ashley’s killer closes in, Georgia will discover when money, power and beauty rule, it might not be a matter of who is guilty—but who is guiltiest.

A spiritual successor to the 2018 breakout hit, Sadie, I'm the Girl is a masterfully written, bold, and unflinching account of how one young woman feels in her body as she struggles to navigate a deadly and predatory power structure while asking readers one question: if this is the way the world is, do you accept it?

Goodreads Summary

I love this author and was more than excited to pick up this book right around Halloween. It didn't disappoint. I quickly became engaged in the mystery behind who killed Ashley James. Georgia is introduced as a young sleuth who the world views as beautiful. Unfortunately, she's economically disadvantaged and hopes to utilize her beauty to break out of the poverty cycle she's trapped in. The world the author introduces us to is seedy and, at times, just gross. It was hard to read some of the more sexually charged scenes. I was happy that the author included a semblance of female friendship in Nora's character. I felt that Nora and Georgia worked very well together to tackle a world that neither is accustomed to. 

Georgia's character took some adjusting for me to get used to. I definitely didn't always like her and sometimes I regretted rooting for her, but I liked that the author was able to pull off writing about a character I didn't even really like and I still wanted to finish the book. I'm the Girl focused on character development and revealed possible struggles that young girls in Ashley's situation may go through. The ending, I will warn future readers, killed me. I was hoping for a different ending and the final scene that I read was not even one that I was anticipating. 

3 Stars

This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews. COPYRIGHT © 2014 LIVE TO READ

The Depths by Nicole Lesperance

A tropical island full of secrets. Two Victorian ghosts, trapped for eternity. And a seventeen-year-old girl determined not to be next.

Eulalie Island should be a paradise, but to Addie Spencer, it's more like a prison.

Forced to tag along to the remote island on her mother's honeymoon, Addie isn't thrilled about being trapped there for two weeks. The island is stunning, with its secluded beaches and forests full of white flowers. But there's something eerie and unsettling about the place.

After Addie meets an enigmatic boy on the beach, all the flowers start turning pink. The island loves you, he tells her. But she can't stop sleepwalking at night, the birds keep calling her name, and there's a strange little girl in the woods who wants to play hide-and-seek. When Addie learns about two sisters who died on the island centuries ago, she wonders if there's more to this place, things only she can see.

Beneath its gorgeous surface, Eulalie Island is hiding dark, tangled secrets. And if Addie doesn't unravel them soon, the island might never let her go

Goodreads Summary

I loved Addie's character. The plot of The Depths was unique in many ways, but what truly enticed me to finish the book in one sitting was Addie's character and wanting the best for her. The beginning of the novel started off with a bang: a video of Addie drowning and being resuscitated. Unfortunately, the video acts as a symbol of foreshadowing for Addie's upcoming adventures.

When Addie meets an unusual love interest on the sunny, wet, tropical island vacation for her mother's honeymoon she probably isn't aware that she's setting off a string of unusual events. As she delves more into the island's idyllic love for her and the two spooky corpselike beings that inhabit it she will find she has more than she bargained for. 

The story slowly unravels like a slow burn in a horror film. I found myself hoping for the best for Addie and Violet and kind of sick of Addie's mom, stepdad, and other useless adults that populated the book. I was a bit surprised by the ending and the "secret" behind the island. I loved how the author wove human anatomy into the island itself and somehow made it work. 

4 Stars

This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews. COPYRIGHT © 2014 LIVE TO READ