We Are The Goldens by Dana Reinhardt

Publication: May 27, 2014

Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books

Nell knows a secret about her perfect, beautiful sister Layla. If she tells, it could blow their world apart. When Nell and Layla were little, Nell used to call them Nellaya. Because to Nell, there was no difference between where she started and her adored big sister ended. They're a unit; divorce made them rely on each other early on, so when one pulls away, what is the other to do? But now, Nell's a freshman in high school and Layla is changing, secretive. And then Nell discovers why. Layla is involved with one of their teachers. And even though Nell tries to support Layla, to understand that she's happy and in love, Nell struggles with her true feelings: it's wrong, and she must do something about it.

We Are the Goldens is told from the POV of Nell. Nell feels extremely close to her older sister Layla. She looks up to her and is over the moon excited about starting high school at the same one Layla goes to. Their close relationship changes one day however when Nell discovers Layla’s big secret. That is the major turning point in their relationship. Things are never the same for them and the closeness they once shared becomes more strained by lies and distance.

Nell has a huge choice to make…telling someone what she knows or keeping Layla’s secret. I didn’t envy her that decision. She knows the right thing to do, it’s just a matter of should she do it or not.

All in all I thought that We Are the Goldens was a good quick read. The book reads as if it were Nell writing letters to her sister. It was just hard for me to get into the narrative style at first. But once I got over that, I was able to enjoy the story-line. The relationship between sisters can be a delicate one and I thought that the author did a god job of showcasing that.

  

RATING: 3½ out of 5.

**I received this book on behalf of the publisher in exchange for nothing but my honest opinion. Thank you.**

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Palace of Spies by Sarah Zettel

Publication: November 5, 2013

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

A warning to all young ladies of delicate breeding who wish to embark upon lives of adventure: Don't.  Sixteen-year-old Peggy is a well-bred orphan who is coerced into posing as a lady in waiting at the palace of King George I. Life is grand, until Peggy starts to suspect that the girl she's impersonating might have been murdered. Unless Peggy can discover the truth, she might be doomed to the same terrible fate. But in a court of shadows and intrigue, anyone could be a spy—perhaps even the handsome young artist with whom Peggy is falling in love... History and mystery spark in this effervescent series debut.

After being thrown out of her home by her uncle for refusing to agree to the arranged marriage he has put together, Peggy is left with nowhere to go. That is until she agrees to take a job as a spy at King George’s court. Now she must impersonate Lady Francesca (the real Lady Francesca having died). Life at court is never dull and there is always something mysterious going on. It isn’t long before Peggy suspects foul play, and being the curious girl that she is, she decides to find out what really happened to her.

Peggy is smart...though sometimes a bit naïve, determined, inquisitive, and not afraid to say what she thinks and do what she believes to be right

Palace of Spies was a fun book to read. Once I got through the first chapter, it was pretty easy to keep going. I had fun venturing into her world and getting caught up in her life at court. There is a good amount of background and history, but not so much that I got bored or felt bogged down by it. I enjoyed discovering more about how life was for women during that time; their social lives, parties, and clothes.  

There is some romance, mystery, and a few sticky situations…enough to keep me well entertained. As a fan of historical fiction I enjoyed almost everything, but towards the ending things felt a little too rushed for me.

RATING: 3½ out of 5.

**I received this book on behalf of the Publisher in exchange for nothing but my honest opinion. Thank you**

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Shadowlands by Kate Brian

 

 

Publication: January 8, 2013

Publisher: Hyperion

Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it. Rory survived and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection program. Entering the program alongside her, is her father and sister Darcy. The trio starts a new life and a new beginning leaving their friends and family behind without a goodbye. Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children but now they can barely stand each other. As the sisters settle in to Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems like their new home may be just the fresh start they need. They fall in with a group of beautiful, carefree teens and spend their days surfing, partying on the beach, and hiking into endless sunsets. Just as they’re starting to feel safe again, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?

I love a good mystery/thriller. The cover of Shadowlands is simply gorgeous. That combined with the synopsis and I was sold. I haven’t read many young adult titles involving serial killers and the Witness Protection Program. So naturally I was read to dive into this bad boy…I think my expectations were set a little too high for this one.

These were some of my issues with Shadowlands:

A.    If the FBI knows right off the bat, the criminal they are dealing with is highly skilled, always manages to evade capture, and always catches his prey, then why would you have the victims’ house crawling with cops in uniform. Knowing that he would try and strike again. And how can anyone explain the fact that even though the house and neighborhood were crawling with those said cops, how the bad guy was able to break into Rory’s house undetected to leave her a note. Seriously?

B.     Because of the danger that Rory and her family are in, they have to go into witness protection. That I can completely understand. But what I don’t quite get is, why after giving them their fake names, and the place they will be going, the FBI just sends them on their way, With GPS instructions. How strange is that? What is to stop the guy from just following them? They didn’t even get a police escort or anything. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me nitpicking, but I thought it was odd.

 

Once I was able to get past those issues, I began to get into the story.  Rory was a pretty good character. Her sister Darcy however was not that much. Her father was so-so to me. Neither one of them seemed to care too much about what Rory was going through.

Being able to see the point of view of the serial killer was a neat concept. It added more to the story and it grabbed my interest at the beginning of the book. The mystery and weird occurrences throughout the story kept me reading. I wanted to see how it would end.

Even though this book wasn’t exactly how I hoped it would be, it does have promise. The ending left me more questions than answers, so I’m interested in checking out the next book, Hereafter to see how everything plays out. Hopefully I will enjoy it a little more than I did this one. 

RATING: 2½ -3 out of 5.

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