{Review} Rules For Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall

Page Count: 416

Published On: September 24, 2019

Published By: Viking Books for Young Readers

Genre(s): YA, Horror, Mystery 

Source: paperback ARC provided by publisher and Bookish First
Where To Find It: Amazon // Book Depository

My Rating: 3 stars

TW: suicide attempt, death of a loved one, loss of a sibling, domestic abuse, child abuse, murder, death, and gore







Goodreads synopsis:

In the faux-documentary style of The Blair Witch Project comes the campfire story of a missing girl, a vengeful ghost, and the girl who is determined to find her sister--at all costs.

Once a year, the path appears in the forest and Lucy Gallows beckons. Who is brave enough to find her--and who won't make it out of the woods?

It's been exactly one year since Sara's sister, Becca, disappeared, and high school life has far from settled back to normal. With her sister gone, Sara doesn't know whether her former friends no longer like her...or are scared of her, and the days of eating alone at lunch have started to blend together. When a mysterious text message invites Sara and her estranged friends to "play the game" and find local ghost legend Lucy Gallows, Sara is sure this is the only way to find Becca--before she's lost forever. And even though she's hardly spoken with them for a year, Sara finds herself deep in the darkness of the forest, her friends--and their cameras--following her down the path. Together, they will have to draw on all of their strengths to survive. The road is rarely forgiving, and no one will be the same on the other side.

~~~

TW: suicide attempt, death of a loved one, loss of a sibling, domestic abuse, child abuse, murder, death, and gore

Hey, guys!

When going into this book, I really thought I was going into a psychological thriller that I would be completely blown away by. This was not the case.

When I first read this book's sneak peek, I was so excited to read the story and finally be impressed with a YA horror novel. I've never really been one for a spooky, ghosty story -- I love a monster story, but this just wasn't the monster that I wanted. I truly expected a psychological thriller, rather than a fantastical horror situation.

I really liked the concept behind the format of this book, but, unfortunately, the format really inhibited me from connecting to the characters, their personalities, and their stories. I really wanted to care about them, but it really felt jarring when you would go from format to format and perspective to perspective. It was also really hard to differentiate between the characters and remember who they were.

Overall, this was a pretty fun book. I wasn't terrified, but the twists and turns were fun. I guessed some of them, but I was surprised enough to be entertained. It was also really great to have such a wonderfully diverse cast. They were great. 

Happy reading!

Olivia

~ Liv the Book Nerd ~

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{Review} A Whisper in the Dark by Louisa May Alcott

Page Count: 48 

Published on: June 17, 2004 (first published in 1996)

Published by: Entangled Teen

Genre(s): Classics, Mystery, Gothic, Feminist
Source: borrowed from Mallory

Age Rating: adult

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

Book Depository: {click here}

My Rating: 3 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

I yearned to go, and when I willed the way so on appeared; so careless of bonnetless head and cambric gown, I stretched my hands to him, saying boldly, "Play young Lochinvar, Guy; I am little and light; take me up before you and show me the sea.."He liked the daring feat, held out his hand, I stepped on his boot toe, sprang up, and away we went over the wide moor, where the sun shone in a cloudless heaven, the lark soared singing from the green grass at our feet, and the September wind blew freshly from the sea. As we paused on the upland slope, that gave us a free view of the country for miles, Guy dismounted, and standing with his arm about the saddle to steady me in my precarious seat, began to talk. 

~~~

Hey, guys!

    I borrowed this short story from my friend Mallory. This is the only piece by Louisa May Alcott's that she has read and I had never read it, so of course I had to borrow it! I love LMA! 

    A Whisper in the Dark was an intriguing look into Alcott's darker prose. Like her character Jo (Little Women), Alcott wrote many "blood and thunder" stories in her earlier writing career for newspaper columns and magazines. Her earlier work often discussed rather dark and taboo subjects that the public often did not want to discuss. During this time, women were considered quite unhinged if they were to write openly. Many women were put into asylums and hospitals for exhibiting behaviors that were considered irregular or too masculine. 

   In this short story, the main character: a young girl is sent to live with her uncle and cousin. She finds out that she is to be betrothed to her cousin in the future. She hears that her uncle plans to take her fortune and squander it. She plans to lead both of the men on and ensure her financial standing. When her uncle does the unthinkable, she becomes terrified for her future and emotional. She is then put into a mental institution and labeled as hysterical, though her emotions were understandable. 

    In this short story, Alcott has managed to discuss the mistreatment of the female sex during the late 1800s and creatively display to the public of the horrors that women had to face when falsely imprisoned and hospitalized for standing up for what they believe in. I really enjoyed seeing Alcott's stance on these issues through her work. I've already known that I deeply admire her, but this just further solidified my opinion of her. She was a pioneer for women and writing women alike. I just love her so much. This wasn't my favorite of her work, but I really enjoyed it nonetheless. She's a masterful writer. 

Happy reading!

Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

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{Q&A/Review With Bailey} Ruby & Olivia by Rachel Hawkins

Page Count: 240

Published on: October 24, 2017

Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Genre(s): Middle Grade, Mystery, Paranormal

Source: Paperback ARC - via publisher -- given to her by me

Age Rating: PG

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon // Book Depository

Bailey's Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

A spooky middle-grade story that's full of fun, friendship, and humor--perfect for fans of Ingrid Law and Lisa Graff.
Ruby is best friends with Emma, but she and Emma's twin sister Olivia are definitely not friends. Unfortunately, Emma will be away for the summer, while Ruby and Olivia are going to be stuck at a community service day camp for troublemakers--together. 
To kick off the spirit of service, the campers are outfitted with bright pink polka-dotted t-shirts with smiley faces on the front, then tasked with cataloging the contents of an abandoned mansion. Sorting through objects in an old house sounds boring, and working with each other is that last thing the girls want to do, but the stuff is actually pretty cool. There's everything from mink stoles to golf clubs to stuffed deer heads . . . and . . . wait . . . is that stuffed deer head watching them? 
When the taps run freezing cold and doors slam inexplicably, Ruby and Olivia wonder if the other campers are having a bit of fun, or if the abandoned mansion is looking for new residents. To solve the mystery, Ruby and Olivia will have to put their grudges aside and figure out how to be a team with or without Emma.

~~~

Hey, guys!

Today Bailey and I are bringing you an amazing Q&A review for Rachel Hawkin's Ruby and Olivia. Back in late October, I recieved an ARC for Ruby and Olivia and I reviewed it. It wasn't one of my absolute favorite middle grade novels and Bee wanted to read it, so I just gave her the ARC. In the past few weeks, Bailey has read and reread this book...she loves it...so we had to review it! I hope you love this review. We worked really hard to make this great and I'm so proud of how far she's come. Enjoy!

My Review of R&O: {click here}

~~~

Q: What is Ruby & Olivia about? Can you summarize it a bit?

A: It's about these kids who go to a mansion because Olivia's sister, Emma, is shoplifting and steals lipstick and Olivia takes the blame. Ruby did a prank at a different school where she did something with glitter in the hallways, so both of them are sent to Camp Chrysalis. They are sent to the Live Oak House mansion to clean up and they went to creepy rooms and creepy things kept happening, like a kid got bit by the house. 

      The reason that it's called the Live Oak House is because the house is built around a live tree. The tree actually almost killed Ruby and Olivia because it was kind of possessed by the spirits of Mr. Rexhall's dead twin sisters. 

Q: What would you rate this book? Why?

A: 5 stars. It's a good book! I like how it has an actual plot and the characters are cool. I like how it's a mystery...like one of the kids' hands gets bit and it was the end of the chapter!...I was like.... (holds up hands in awe) woah, I gotta keep reading! Olivia reminds me of you because she's respectful and well behaved and you might take the blame if Sarah stole a cactus or something. I don't think she would, but if she did I think you'd take the blame so she could go to a cool camp. 

[Sarah is actually my twin sister. She's a lover of plants, baking, and skincare. She would never steal anything, but she sure does love plants.]

Bailey continued to reread passages of this book to creep me out. She succeeded and I had to take the book from her so we could finish this interview review. 

Q: What did you like about this book? What did you dislike?

A: I liked that there were creepy dolls involved. That is the best kind of story. [Me: why??] I just like creepy dolls. I like their horrifying faces. It reminds me of when I look in the mirror.  [GUYS I'M NOT KIDDING SHE LITERALLY SAID THAT AND GIGGLED! WHO IS THIS CHILD???]

I didn't like how silent Wesley is. He barely said anything. I don't like it when other people give other people the silent treatment in books...and I don't like how he hides behind his hair. 

Q: So this book is a standalone. If it had a sequel would you read it? Do you think it needs a sequel?

A: Definitely. There is no way I'm saying no to a sequel. I think it needs a shorter sequel or something. You can't just end the story with the house disappearing. What happens next? I need to know!

Q: Do you have anything else to say to the people reading this?

A: I think this book was amazing....and I like chickens. 

Q: Why do you like chickens??? Why???

A: They supply you with food and they make noises like "quak" or "BOCK"

~~~

Thanks for reading this review! We hope you enjoyed it!

Happy reading!

Olivia & Bailey

~Liv & Bailey the Book Nerds~

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{Guest Post} Education & Espionage by Hannah Carmack

Hey, guys!

Today we will be discussing education and espionage. Hannah Carmack, the author of Seven-Sided Spy, wrote an amazing essay on the subject. We hope you enjoy!

~~~
Education and Espionage 
~Hannah Carmack~

Up until high school, I was not the best student. While a majority of my peers went into freshman year with a handful of AP course recommendations and impressive honor-roll records. I was going in seemingly lost. All my friends were smart enough for the excelled-English courses and excelled-mathematics, while I was stuck in entry-level classes. My grades usually lingered around a C/Low-B range, and I was never interested in the content being covered.

Now, pedagogy scholars could argue for days over whether the school was failing me or I was failing myself, but that’s not the point here. What matters is that I didn’t stay that way. Very early on in my freshman year of high school, I made the choice to take an AP History class against my academic advisor’s recommendations. This class is only reason my novel SEVEN-SIDED SPY is able to tote its historical fiction tag so proudly.

While some kids found their passion for biological chemistry in our Life Science class, or others their love of political science in AP Government, I found my love for espionage and international affairs in AP World History. SEVEN-SIDED SPY focuses on the intertwining story of seven intelligence agents –all from varying parts of the world – in 1963. We enter the book at the height of the civil rights-era, the beginning of the free-love moment, and the earliest days of the Vietnam war.

As you can imagine, the pressure was on. I found myself constantly repeating the mantra, fact-check yourself before you fact-wreck yourself. The time spent researching this project was endless. Even as we sent things off to the proofer, we were still looking up what the inside of a 1962 Corvair would look like, and figuring out if you could cram three adults into the back of a Karmann Ghia- the answer is yes, but not without sacrificing a couple arms and maybe a leg. We just recently caught a reference to cup holders. A major inaccuracy since cup holders didn’t show up in automobiles till around the 80’s. Then you’ve also got all your spy-tech, slang, political affair references to double, triple check. It made for a daunting project, easily softened by a love of history and a strong education system.

I’m not afraid to admit that this book wouldn’t be nearly as accurate or as seeped in its time period without having built a love of history early on. I wouldn’t have even known what inaccuracies to look for had I not been sitting 45 minutes a day listening to my teacher and peers discuss the history of intelligence work and the political tone for 1963.

That’s not to say all historical fiction needs to be written that way, more than I wouldn’t have been able to write historical fiction without it. For me, it was love at first sight with history classes. Things were easy to understand, while also spellbinding. History is the novel of past and the foreshadowing of our future –as it seems we are destined to repeat ourselves.  

Here is more information on Hannah's debut novel Seven-Sided Spy!

Published on: January 15, 2018

Published by: NineStar Press

Genre(s): Historical Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Young Adult

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon 

Average Goodreads Rating: 3.8 stars (18 reviews)

Synopsis:

In the midst of the cold war, the CIA’s finest and most fatal female agent, Diana Riley, vanishes. Kidnapped by the KGB and taken to the backcountry of North Carolina, she and her team of unsavory partners are forced to undergo illegal experimentation.

But, when the experiments leave them horribly deformed and unable to reenter society without someone crying monster, the previously glamorous and high-maintenance spies must escape KGB captivity and avoid recapture at the hands of Nikola, a ruthless KGB agent with an intense and well-justified grudge against her former flame.

~~~

Seven-Sided Spy is out now in eBook format!

Happy reading!

Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

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{Review} The Children's Horrible House by N. Jane Quackenbush

Page Count: --

Published on: November 10, 2015 & October 15, 2016

Published by: Smashwords Editions

Genre(s): Middle Grade, Fantasy, Mystery

Source: e-book: Provided by publisher

Age Rating: PG

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

Twitter: @hiddenwolfbooks

My Rating: 3 stars

~~~

Goodreads synopsis:

      Holly Spinatsch, a curious and rebellious tomboy, was forewarned by her siblings that if she didn't make her bed, she would be taken away to The Children’s Horrible House...and indeed she was. 

      On her search for kinship in this seemingly haunted jail like mansion, she discovers a mystery lurking and breathing, crying out for discovery.
However, when she and her friends attempt to solve the mystery, they are only left with more questions.

~~~

Hey, guys!

      I was contacted by N. Jane Quackenbush to read The Return to the Children's Horrible House. She sent me e-copies of The Children's Horrible House and The Return to the Children's Horrible House for honest reviews. I was pretty excited to get into these books because they looked super cute and like something that my little sister would really enjoy. This book follows Holly Spinatsch who refuses to make her bed and clean her room. She's sent to The Children's Horrible House, a reform school for kids who disobey their parents. Holly discovers mysterious happenings during her stay at TCHH and she starts a little investigation with the friends that she' made at TCHH. Here is my review of book one!

      The only things that I really enjoyed during this book were the names of the characters, the concept of the plot, the flashbacks, and the ending. The names were really cute. The Spinatsch family all had first names that are plant names and I thought they were really cute. The flashbacks for the background story of the house were really interesting and I loved reading those bits. The ending was really intriguing and I think that's the main reason that I'm giving the book a lower rating...

      I didn't enjoy the characters themselves because they were either really annoying, they jumped around, their personality traits kept jumping around, or I basically just hated them. For example, Holly was supposed to be a young girl who didn't really enjoy or pay attention in school. She would keep using these words that were way past her comprehension. She's about the same age as my little sister and whenever she used huge words that young kids don't usually use, I would get really irritated. 

My review for book two will be up within the next couple weeks, so stay tuned!

Happy reading!

Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

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@LivTheBookNerd on Books

Bad Luck by Pseudonymous Bosch

Page Count: 288

Expected Published: February 9, 2016

Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Genre(s):  Fantasy, Middle Grade, Humor, Mystery, Adventure
Source: Netgalley-ebook

Age Rating: PG-11

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

Twitter: @isthisPBosch

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

The plot thickens in the brilliant sequel to Bad Magic! 

At Earth Ranch, things can get a little magical (some might say strange). Intrepid readers will discover a runaway boy, fishy cruise ship, strange cave paintings, dragon-like footprints, and other mysteries that Clay and his friends need to solve. Danger, adventure, mischief, mystery, llamas, and a delightfully irreverent and hilarious narrator make bestselling author Pseudonymous Bosch's anticipated new novel irresistible. 

~~~

Hey guys!

      I managed to get a copy of Bad Luck off of NetGalley, and I was sooo excited to get my hands on this book. I've been a huge fan of Bosch for maybe 6 years. I adored his Secret series when I was in middle school, and when I found out about his newest series, the Bad series, I was so excited! The Bad series follows Clay. One day the words "Magic Sucks" appear on the wall of his school. Clay is accused of putting the graffiti-ing his school and is sent to Earth Ranch. Earth Ranch is full of surprises, and Clay never knows what to expect. The first book, Bad Magic, is really funny, really well written, and so original. I adore P. Bosch's books and I know I will read anything he writes.

      Bad Luck is the sequel to Bad Magic, and it was just as good as the first. I read this book on my kindle, and if you have read any of Bosch's books before you know that he includes these hilarious footnotes randomly throughout his book to expand on a joke that he included, to explain a character's actions, or explain a historical reference, etc.; I just love those footnotes...they're just very nostalgic for me, and they remind me of when I first read his books. They were also very fun, and just a great addition to the book. Bosch's books are very addicting and very easy to read. His characters are very gripping, and I want to get closer to them every time I pick up one of his books. His plots are always really original and intriguing and I can't get enough of them. I cannot wait for the third book.

     There are only a couple of things that I didn't like about the series overall. Now, honestly I think the only reason that I've made this decision is because I'm comparing the books to the Secret series. Honestly I like the characters from the Secret series better, I don't think I'm as connected to the characters as I was to Cass and Max-Ernest in the Secret series. I don't think I can love this series as much as I loved the Secret series. But it was fantastic, so y'all should read it because it's so great. 

      Ok guys. There are a couple things that I love um..visually? The cover is STUNNING! Oh my goodness. The covers for this series are soooo beautiful, and probably better than the Secret series' covers...I mean check them out! They're gorgeous! 

      I cannot wait to read the rest of the series, and I hope I am able to get my hands on the sequels when they're sent to NetGalley...Ok have a lovely day guys and I will see you on my BookTube channel and during my next review or T5W! 

Happy Reading!
Olivia
~livthebooknerd~
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