The Madness Underneath (Shades of London #2) by Maureen Johnson

Publication: February 26, 2013
Publisher: Speak / Penguin Group
Source: Bought/Own

After her near-fatal run-in with the Jack the Ripper copycat, Rory Deveaux has been living in Bristol under the close watch of her parents. So when her therapist suddenly suggests she return to Wexford, Rory jumps at the chance to get back to her friends. But Rory's brush with the Ripper touched her more than she thought possible: she's become a human terminus, with the power to eliminate ghosts on contact. She soon finds out that the Shades--the city's secret ghost-fighting police--are responsible for her return. The Ripper may be gone, but now there is a string of new inexplicable deaths threatening London. Rory has evidence that the deaths are no coincidence. Something much more sinister is going on, and now she must convince the squad to listen to her before it's too late. In this follow-up to the Edgar Award-nominated THE NAME OF THE STAR, Maureen Johnson adds another layer of spectacularly gruesome details to the streets of London that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

So Rory is back at home with her parents, trying to come to terms with what happened to her with the whole Ripper thing. But that’s not going so well for her at the moment. Because of the contract she signed, she can’t discuss what happened to her. Though it’s likely they wouldn’t believe her if she did tell them anyways, but still.  One day when she is out around town, she spots a ghost and tries to talk to him, but ends up making him disappear when she touches him...sending him into oblivion...She has become a terminus.

Stephen ends up discovering what she can do, and he pulls strings to get her to come back to boarding school. Once there, Rory begins investigating a string of murders that she believes to be connected, which leads her to some unusual situations and suspicious characters.

Because I liked The Name of the Star so much, I was really hoping to love The Madness Underneath. Unfortunately I did not like it as much as the first book, but I did enjoy reading it. It felt like it took a really long time for the story to pick up and for things to happen. I did like the surprises that popped up throughout the story. The one thing I wasn’t so keen on? That ending. I don’t want to say what happened and spoil it for those who have not read it yet, but I really wish things would have turned out a little differently. That being said, I am curious to see how everything plays out in The Shadow Cabinet; the third book in the series.

RATING: 3 out of 5.

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Feral by Holly Schindler Blog Tour

Publication: August 26, 2014

Publisher: HarperTeen

Source: The Author & FFBC

Thank you for joining me on my stop of the Feral by Holly Schindler Blog Tour! Take a look at my review below and feel free to pre-order the book if your interest is peaked. Oh and don't forget to follow the other tour stops and to enter the giveaway as well!☺

The Lovely Bones meets Black Swan in this haunting psychological thriller with twists and turns that will make you question everything you think you know. It’s too late for you. You’re dead. Those words continue to haunt Claire Cain months after she barely survived a brutal beating in Chicago. So when her father is offered a job in another state, Claire is hopeful that getting out will offer her a way to start anew. But when she arrives in Peculiar, Missouri, Claire feels an overwhelming sense of danger, and her fears are confirmed when she discovers the body of a popular high school student in the icy woods behind the school, surrounded by the town’s feral cats. While everyone is quick to say it was an accident, Claire knows there’s more to it, and vows to learn the truth about what happened. But the closer she gets to uncovering the mystery, the closer she also gets to realizing a frightening reality about herself and the damage she truly sustained in that Chicago alley…. Holly Schindler’s gripping story is filled with heart-stopping twists and turns that will keep readers guessing until the very last page.

The story focuses on Claire trying to re-adjust to life after a violent incident back in Chicago had her and her father moving to Peculiar, Missouri in hopes of a fresh start. Things don’t exactly go as planned when she stumbles upon the body of a dead teenager behind school grounds.

The author did a good job at making me question Claire’s sanity. I wasn’t sure if things that happened actually happened or if it was all in her mind.

Feral was an interesting read. There were a lot of creepy and strange things occurring. And I don’t think I will ever look at another cat the same way again. It didn’t seem to have a big air of suspense going on like I thought it would. But my curiosity regarding all of the strange occurrences that kept happening to Claire and in the town kept me reading.

If you are looking for something unique and a little creepy then you might want to check out Feral.

RATING: 3 out of 5.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Holly Schindler is the author of the critically acclaimed A BLUE SO DARK (Booklist starred review, ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year silver medal recipient, IPPY Awards gold medal recipient) as well as PLAYING HURT (both YAs).  

Her debut MG, THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY also released in ’14, and became a favorite of teachers and librarians, who used the book as a read-aloud.  Kirkus Reviews called THE JUNCTION “...a heartwarming and uplifting story...[that] shines...with vibrant themes of community, self-empowerment and artistic vision delivered with a satisfying verve.”  Bloggers also quickly fell for the book; Susan at Bloggin’ ‘bout Books said of THE JUNCTION, “Triumphant and compelling, this is one of those books that will make you cheer.  And look a little bit closer for the unique beauty in all of us.”  

FERAL is Schindler’s third YA and first mystery / thriller.  She encourages readers to get in touch, and can be found at hollyschindler.com, hollyschindler.blogspot.com, @holly_schindler, Facebook.com/HollySchindlerAuthor, and http://hollyschindler.tumblr.com/

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Dead Silent (Poppy Sinclair #2) by Sharon Jones

Publication: February 6, 2014

Publisher: Orchard Books / Hachette

A snow angel etched in blood. An elite society. A secret dying to get out. ​ The second Poppy Sinclair Thriller. When Poppy Sinclair and her boyfriend visit snowy Cambridge, she doesn't expect to discover the body of a student - arms outstretched in the act of smearing bloody angel wings on the chapel's floor. Suddenly, Poppy is faced with the possibility that the one closest to her heart might be the one committing the most malicious of crimes. Dodging porters and police, dreading what she might find, Poppy follows the clues left by a murderer bent on revenge... Long-hidden secrets are chillingly revealed, an avenging angel seeks forgiveness and red-hot vengeance must be quelled in the amazing new Poppy Sinclair thriller.

Dead Silent was a fun Teen/YA thriller.  Even though this is the second book in the Poppy Sinclair series, it was the first book that I have read in this series. It can be read as a solo book without having read the first one. A story involving murder, mystery, and a secret society? What’s not to like.

When Poppy Montgomery and her boyfriend Michael decide to visit Cambridge for Michaels interview, they did not plan on being involved in a murder investigation. But after Poppy stumbles upon a bloody murder scene and body, it’s what she gets.

I liked Poppy’s inquisitive personality. She wants to discover the truth and figure out who is behind it all, but she doesn’t get herself caught in anything too crazy thankfully. Though at times she made me feel frustrated. Especially when she decided to make some questionable choices.

You might like Dead Silent if you’re into Nancy Drew type mysteries and don’t mind a few gruesome murders occurring. The writing and the flow of the story were done well. And there was an air of mystery/suspense that was constantly maintained throughout the book.

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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Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan

Publication: May 1, 2014

Publisher: Dial Books

Perfect for fans of John Green and Rainbow Rowell, Love and Other Foreign Words is equal parts comedy and coming of age--a whip-smart, big-hearted, laugh-out-loud love story about sisters, friends, and what it means to love at all. Can anyone be truly herself--or truly in love--in a language that's not her own? Sixteen-year-old Josie lives her life in translation. She speaks High School, College, Friends, Boyfriends, Break-ups, and even the language of Beautiful Girls. But none of these is her native tongue--the only people who speak that are her best friend Stu and her sister Kate. So when Kate gets engaged to an epically insufferable guy, how can Josie see it as anything but the mistake of a lifetime? Kate is determined to bend Josie to her will for the wedding; Josie is determined to break Kate and her fiancé up. As battles are waged over secrets and semantics, Josie is forced to examine her feelings for the boyfriend who says he loves her, the sister she loves but doesn't always like, and the best friend who hasn't said a word--at least not in a language Josie understands.

Josie is very smart, sweet, and likes to think about things logically, with facts and numbers. She cares deeply for her family. And it was interesting to see how she interacts with others, like her sisters and her best friend Stu.

When her sister Kate comes over and introduces her fiancée Geoff to the family, Josie doesn’t particularly like it.  Josie cannot seem to fathom why in the world Kate is in love with Geoff to begin with.  Which is mostly due to the fact that Josie is a teenager and doesn’t quite understand much about falling in love and following your heart.

So she sets out with a plan to essentially ruin Kate’s wedding because she doesn’t believe they are right for each other. While she sets her plan in motion, she begins to question what love really is and how it works.

Even though I didn’t really relate to her, I was still able to enjoy Josie and the story-line. It was a little predictable, but I didn’t mind it. It’s a funny, sweet, and all around cute story.

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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