#kara thomas
On sale 4/19/16
Some books I have LOVED reading that are on sale TODAY, 4/19.
- Eligible - Curtis Sittenfeld:This update to Pride and Prejudice nails every beat by smashing up the story and putting it back together. Set in Cincinnati, the book includes a Bachelor-style TV show, Crossfit, family barbecues, and more, all with the wit and love of the original.
- The Darkest Corners - Kara Thomas: A YA novel with a true-crime feeling about a teenage girl missing in a small town where a serial killer roamed ten years ago - and may be back now. The problem with this is that someone was jailed for this last time it happened, and Tessa Lowell’s childhood account was part of the crucial testimony to put him behind bars. More than a “lost girl” thriller, this is about the aftermath of a serial killer on a small town, the story of what life looks like ten years later, and the dark suspicion that maybe not everything was wrapped up as neatly as hoped for a decade ago.
- Scarlett Epstein Hates it Here - Anna Breslaw: Independent and caustic Scarlett is a staple in the fandom of her favorite TV show, and when it gets canceled, the Internet - and Scarlett - goes into a tailspin of what-to-do-next. This nails contemporary fandom without being condescending or unrealistic. If you liked Fangirl, you’ll love this.
New in paperback:
- Spinster - Kate Bolick: Bolick’s memoir-cum-deep dive into historical spinsterdom covers her own life as an unmarried woman and weaves into the narrative the lives of women writers considered “spinsters”. A real examination of the word and its history, as well as why we focus on marriage instead of what women can accomplish alone.
- Re Jane - Patricia Park:Inspired by Jane Eyre, this contemporary Korean-American novel set in NYC tells the story of Jane, whose story is loosely based on the classic. Breaking the mold works here, too, as Park examines the story through a contemporary lens.
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The CheerleadersReview
My Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trigger Warning(s): Suicide, adult/minor relationships
Synopsis: Five years after the five deaths of Sunnybrook High’s cheerleaders, Monica Rayburn, sister to one of the cheerleaders, starts finding letters in her step fathers desk, and a stranger in her sister’s phone, causing Monica to begin to wonder, what really happened to the cheerleaders?
Non-Spoiler Review: This book had been on my wishlist for awhile, so I was super excited to read this. I can’t say this book was my absolute favorite, but it truly was a good read!
This book had enjoyable characters, my favorite being Ginny and Jennifer. Each character was constructed to have amazing backgrounds, and it was so fun to learn about each one throughout the book!
Also, I would have never guessed the culprit in this story. However, after I found out, I was like “wait, how did I not get that???” so it may be easier for certain readers to catch on compared to me. There were still plenty of twists and action packed scenes that excited me as a reader.
The only thing that kept me from really enjoying this book is that some parts were really difficult for me to follow, especially the beginning.
Spoiler Review: If I were to recommend this book to someone, I’d give it to someone who enjoys learning about character backgrounds.
I really enjoyed Ginny and Jennifer as characters because I learned the most about them. Jennifer (one of the dead cheerleaders and Monica’s sister) had her own chapters from her own POV (since it’s the book is all in Monica’s POV) that made it fun to see what everything was like before Jennifer died. And the final chapter with Ginny’s POV was a huge plot twist that made everything come to full circle.
Also, the character emotions in this book were amazing! You can truly see that some of these characters are still grieving the death of these girls, and the author captures these emotions perfectly. I remember one scene that Monica shared with her mom and it’s where they truly accept that Jennifer did indeed commit suicide, and I could feel there emotions.
I would have never guessed that Brandon killed Susan and Juliana at the start of the book. In the middle of the book, I did question his purpose in the book (since it made no sense to me that he was just there to have a relationship with Monica), but then it came in full circle when it was revealed.
Again, the beginning of the book was a bit hard to follow, and it did discourage me from reading until things started to make more sense to me. This book was still fun to read despite this though!
Conclusion:Overall, if you enjoy YA mystery, this a really fun read! There are definitely twists and plenty of character emotions and development!
