Graphic Novel Mash-Up Review #3

Time for another graphic novel mash-up review! These three don't have much in common and all attracted me for different reasons. 

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

Hex Vet by Sam Davies: This was a little graphic novel I was given at ALA. You can tell right away that this is meant for children, but it was so adorable and right up my alley. Witches and animals? Count me in! This story is about two witch vet interns, Clarion and Annette, who have to save the clinic when trouble breaks out and the adults are out of the office. The art style is adorable and it's all done in fun pinks and purples and blues.  It was a very simple story but again, it's for children, and I still really enjoyed it!
4 out of 5 Stars

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

Robot Dreams by Sara Varon: This one has been out for a while, but I just now got around to picking it up. I honestly don't understand the hype here. This story was about a dog who befriends a robot, then leaves him on the beach to rust, spending the following year trying to replace him. It was sad and melancholy. This story also had no text, just images. There might be a deeper meaning here somewhere, but I just didn't get it and the story left me feeling depressed. The art was good though. 
2 out of 5 Stars

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

Pandora's Legacy by Kara Leopard and Kelly and Nichole Matthews: This was another ALA acquisition! In this story, siblings accidentally open Pandora's Box, releasing a bunch of creatures into the world. Discovering that their family is actually tasked with guarding the box, they team up with Prometheus, who has inhabited their pet cat for the time being, to put the creatures back. I liked the Greek references here, and how it was educational in addition to fun. It did feel very rushed at times. The art style was not what I am normally used to, but I did like it, and would continue this series if there were more. 
3 out of 5 Stars

American Royals by Katharine McGee

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

I loved Katharine McGee's Thousandth Floor series (although I still need to read the final book!) so I was excited to see that she had a new release coming out. American Royals is the story about the American Royal Family, or what the country would look like today if George Washington became king rather than president. 

Beatrice is laser-focused on her role as future Queen. Samantha is grappling with being the "extra," the future Queen's sister with no real point or direction in life. The younger brother Jeff is trying to have a normal love life with a commoner, and Nina (the commoner) is struggling with having a royal boyfriend and best friend (Sam). And outsider Daphne is just trying to get her clutches into everything.

This story was told from something like 5 different perspectives, some of which were more useful than the others. Beatrice reminded me a lot of Elizabeth in The Crown, accepting her duty without hesitation (most of the time). I thought Samantha was way too entitled, Jeff was clueless, Nina was naive, and Daphne was just plain cruel. I didn't really like any of the characters except for Beatrice, and even then I think it was more that I felt bad for her rather than truly liked her. I did like the pop culture references in this book, and occasional nods to the British Royal Family, but overall I was pretty let down.

I honestly don't know if this is supposed to be a standalone or the first in a series. If it's a standalone, I'm super disappointed in the ending. And if it's a series, unfortunately I'm not sure I liked it enough to continue. **Sidebar: Just looked it up. It's a series. Crap. ** 


Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars

I received an ARC of this book at the ALA Annual Conference. American Royals by Katharine McGee is out now!

Graphic Novel Mash-Up Review #2

Halloween is quickly approaching, so I have been all about the spooky reads! I just can't get enough of these, so today's mash-up review is for 3 middle-grade spooky graphic novels. Even though I didn't love them all, they will definitely set the mood for the Halloween season!

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreadds

Suee and the Shadow by Ginger Ly and Molly Park: In this story, Suee finds her shadow come to life right around the time that kids in her school are turning into zombies. Could her shadow be behind this, and if so, how does Suee stop it and get her friends back? This one really seemed like a knock-off of Anya's ghost to me, but not nearly as good. I liked the art, but the story left much to be desired.
2 out of 5 Stars

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel: When a ghost hunter comes into the human world, Garth is accidentally taken back to the spirit world with him. He has to figure out a way back before the evil mayor of Ghostopolis gets him, and he even gets to meet the ghost of his grandfather along the way. I loved this story! I really enjoyed this art style, and there were some super cool skeleton animals in this one!
4 out of 5 Stars

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

Graveyard Shakes by Laura Terry: In this graphic novel, sisters Victoria and Katia go off to boarding school. When they get in a fight and Katia runs away, she finds herself in the underworld of a graveyard. Victoria has to find and help her before Katia falls victim to madman Nikola. Unfortunately this one was way too all over the place for me. It had some good lessons in it, but the story was extremely hard to follow and disconnected.

2 out of 5 Stars

Minor Prophets by Jimmy Cajoleas

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

I absolutely adored Jimmy Cajoleas' last book, The Good Demon, so I was really excited to discover he had another release coming out. Minor Prophets follows Lee and his sister Murphy after their mother dies, leaving them to defend themselves against their step-father and flee to their estranged grandmother's house.

To make matters worse in this tense and terrifying situation, Lee isn't a normal kid. He has visions, visions that tell the future that his mother has always discouraged him from sharing or acting on. But now that she's gone, his grandmother is encouraging the visions, pushing Lee to the destiny he never knew he had. And his sister Murphy doesn't know what to think, other than that something is seriously wrong with their grandmother, her farm, and the residents of the small town they now call home. 

Based on the fact that this story is full of things I typically love, like spooky atmospheres and creepy cults, you would think I would have really enjoyed this book. Unfortunately, I didn't. It was just entirely too much, and while the overall plot was good, the execution left much to be desired. I couldn't stand the main character Lee, or his sister and grandmother, and everything they did or said just made me angry.  Some parts were pretty disturbing and shocking for YA as well, and while that normally doesn't bother me, I don't think they added anything to this story.

The plot had a lot of American Horror Story vibes which I absolutely adore, but it just didn't work and I think the potential was wasted here.

Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars

Thanks so much to Abrams for an ARC of this read! Minor Prophets by Jimmy Cajoleas is out now!

The Retreat by Sherri Smith

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

It's always so disappointing to me when a book starts off really well and just tanks as it goes. Unfortunately The Retreat by Sherri Smith was one of those books.

Katie Manning is a washed up child actor. Having played the famous Shelby Spade as a girl, her life is now in shambles as an adult. As she blows through her money and drinks herself into oblivion, Katie realizes she needs to make a change. So when her future sister-in-law suggests a wellness retreat, ending with a transformative hallucinogenic tea experience, Katie can't say no. Not wanting to be alone with Ellie, Katie decides to invite her two best friends Ariel and Carmen along as well.

While this book started off engaging enough, I very quickly started to lose interest. I flew through the first 75 pages or so, but after that point had to basically force myself to get through this. This book was told from the points of view of all four main characters: Katie, Ariel, Ellie, and Carmen. To me this made the whole story feel disjointed, almost as if I was reading 4 different books instead of one. There was entirely too much going on. From a missing guest to an inappropriate relationship with the retreat leader to a drug plot and more, I just didn't know which way was up, and as such just wanted to abandon the whole story.

The ending was just chaos. So much didn't make sense, and I found myself more confused than thrilled or excited. This story had so much potential and I hated to see that it was wasted. 

Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars

Thanks so much to Forge for a finished copy of this read! The Retreat is out now!

Your Life is Mine by Nathan Ripley

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

I really enjoyed Nathan Ripley's first book, Find You In The Dark, so I jumped at the chance to review this one. Your Life is Mine follows Blanche, the daughter of a cult leader who committed a mass shooting at a shopping mall when she was a child. 

Blanche has tried her whole life to escape the legacy her father left behind. From moving away from home and changing her name, to breaking all ties with her mother and her old life, Blanche seems to be doing a good job ignoring her past. But when her mom suddenly shows up to speak with her, then ends up dead just days later, Blanche can no longer avoid the past she fought so hard to disconnect herself from. Is the cult her father started back? Are people in danger? Is the tragic shooting that happened so long ago going to happen again?

Unfortunately, I didn't feel the same way about this book that I did about Find You In The Dark. It was not scary at all (whereas Find You in the Dark terrified me and left me with a super unsettling feeling). It really dragged and it felt like nothing happened for 98% of the book. It started off well but quickly I realized that it was going nowhere fast. I kept pushing through hoping something exciting would take place but it never did. I was expecting a twist that I never got. When I finally finished it, I was left disappointed and empty. 

Blanche was an annoying and self-centered character and I couldn't like her no matter how hard I tried. She was cold and unforgiving, which makes some sense given her past, but I couldn't care less whether or not she made it out of this story alive.

I'm very fascinated by cults, but I didn't get as much cult content as I was hoping for. And with mass shootings being front and center in our society right now, I feel like an author needs to tread lightly and do them correctly. I don't think he did. 

Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars

Thanks so much to Atria Books for an ARC of this read. Your Life is Mine by Nathan Ripley is out now!

A Good Enough Mother by Bev Thomas

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

This suspense novel absolutely drew me in with its gorgeous cover. A Good Enough Mother by Bev Thomas is a suspenseful drama that follows trauma psychotherapist Ruth. After her son Tom goes missing, she is assigned a patient, Dan, that reminds her so much of him-appearance and all. Desperate to help Dan as she was unable to help her son, she struggles to keep the rigidness in place that she normally exhibits with her patients as the professional lines start to blur. 

I thought this book was fine, but I was kind of hoping for more. The thriller element didn't really come into play until towards the very end and until that point the plot moved fairly slowly. Much of the story was more emotional, focusing on Ruth's grief, the relationship she has with her family, and how these things impact her work as a therapist. A lot of pieces of the story didn't come together until the very end, so throughout most of the book I was wondering why they were relevant. I'm glad I finished it as the ending was worth it, but there were many times I struggled to keep going.

I was very engaged by her patient Dan, and found it interesting how he referenced so many movies throughout his treatment. I also liked the added dynamics from Ruth's relationship with her daughter, ex-husband, and trusted adviser. 

Being that this book does center around trauma therapy, there are some triggering elements mentioned, such as rape, suicide, self-harm, child disappearances, and sudden death.

Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars

Thanks so much to Pamela Dorman Books for a copy of this read! A Good Enough Mother by Bev Thomas is out now!

Last Girl Lied To by L.E. Flynn

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

I usually can figure out YA thrillers pretty easily, but this one did manage to surprise me. Last Girl Lied To by L.E. Flynn follows Fiona after her best friend Trixie commits suicide. Only Fiona doesn't believe it was suicide. Teaming up with Jasper, Trixie's friend with benefits from before she died, Fiona tries to piece together clues that might give them an idea of what actually happened to Trixie, and if she is still alive. Maybe disappearing was what Trixie wanted all along.

I did enjoy how this was told in alternating chapters between past and present, and how this showed you glimpses of Fiona and Trixie's friendship. Trixie fit the manic pixie dream girl mold that all my readers know I adore so much. I enjoyed Fiona's side plots with Beau and her other friends. And like I mentioned previously, I actually didn't figure out the twist in this one when usually I can. 

That all being said, overall I was still not a fan of this book. Just because I didn't figure out the twist doesn't mean it was a good one, and I was not at all satisfied with the ending. There were a lot of times where it got really slow and it was hard for me to push through. I also thought it was unnecessarily long and took a decent amount of time to finish for a YA. Other than Trixie, I didn't really care about any of the characters, and honestly kept thinking that Fiona was an idiot for some of the choices she made. I feel like this book could have been so much better, but unfortunately it ultimately fell flat.

Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars

Thanks so much to Imprint for an ARC of this read! Last Girl Lied To by L.E. Flynn is out now!

Corpse & Crown by Alisa Kwitney

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

I'll start this by saying I completely missed that this was the second book in a series when I requested it. That being said, it was still very easy to figure out what was going on. Corpse & Crown by Alisa Kwitney is a YA historical fiction blended with sci-fi (with a little bit of a retelling thrown in!) that is definitely different from anything on the market today.

It's the Victorian era in England, and Aggie is training to be a nurse. The hospital where she is completing her studies is controversial due to its research in Bio-Mechanicals: human robot hybrids. The hospital becomes aflutter when the Kaiser plans a visit hoping to pit his bio-mechanical soldier against British technology, but thus far nothing they have produced has been successful enough to face the challenge. Aggie doesn't like the focus placed on this research, and would instead rather help the average patients that walked through the door. But she gets trapped in the Bio-Mechanical research, like it or not, and soon discovers things she never would have imagined.

I liked the story fine, but nothing special jumped out to me. As unique as this was, I just didn't feel any attachment to the book or the characters. Between the sci-fi elements, the historical fiction setting, and the Oliver Twist retelling, I honestly thought this book was trying to do to too much. Two of these elements combined might have been more successful rather than trying to squeeze in all three. 

There were too many story lines to follow and too many points of view for my liking. I kept losing track of who each chapter was about, and with so many characters to care about I ended up not really caring about any of them at all. I don't think reading the first book would have made a difference for me in these opinions, as my struggles were more with the writing style and too much content, rather than not understanding the back story. This was one of those books that I couldn't wait to get through so I could read something else.

I will absolutely give credit where credit is due however, and I thought the world building in this book was phenomenal. I also appreciated Kwitney's inventiveness and creativity, even if it didn't quite hit it out of the park for me. All this being said, I do actually want to give the first book, Cadaver & Queen, a shot if I can fit it into my reading schedule, as I did like the overall premise and this may just be a case of "second book in a series slump."

Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars

Thank you to Inkyard Press for an advanced copy of this read! Corpse & Crown by Alisa Kwitney is out now!

Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

So the irony with this book was that it arrived in a hurricane. This book about no water was physically soaked through by a tremendous rain storm. After several rounds with a blow dryer and placing it under a pile of heavy stuff to flatten out for a few months, I was finally able to get to Dry, a YA dystopian by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman!

In Dry, water has become a scarcity, and panic ensues when people realize that it is no longer readily available. Riots break out, and friends and families turn on each other as days go by. When Alyssa's parents set off to try to find water and don't return, Alyssa has to take control of the situation to ensure that she and her little brother survive.

Unfortunately I did not love this one. I think the Scythe series wrecked it for me, since that series was so good and I didn't think this one matched it in quality. Page after page I found myself cringing at the decisions these kids made. Many plot points in this book did not seem plausible to me at all, and overall it was more annoying than entertaining. I was pretty happy to be finished when it was over. 

I do think the concept was really good, and definitely something we could see happen in our lifetime. I also thought this was an interesting discourse on human nature, our survival instincts, and how we as a society handle disaster. But that wasn't enough to save the rating from the poor characters and plot line.

Also, this book made me hella thirsty.

Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars

Thanks so much to Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman! This YA dystopian is out now!

Lost Soul, Be At Peace by Maggie Thrash

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

This is the first graphic novel ARC I've ever received, and the black and white threw me a little bit. I had to keep reminding myself that the final version would be in color, and keep trying to imagine what the color palette would be. Lost Soul, Be At Peace by Maggie Thrash is a graphic novel that acts as a pseudo-memoir and follows Maggie as the main character. When Maggie's cat Tommi goes missing in their own home, Maggie goes in search of her, only to find a ghost boy instead. Who is he, and what does he want? 

This book touched on a lot, and I mean a lot, of hard hitting subjects, including eating disorders, physical abuse, and sexual assault. It also focuses very heavily on Maggie's relationship with her parents. There was some LGBTQ+ representation, which I did enjoy, but overall this story seemed like a hodge-podge of topics thrown together. 

Unfortunately I did not like this story. It made no sense, and aside from maybe 10 panels, I didn't really see the point. I also did not like the art style, because like the story, it seemed rushed and thrown together. There was also a scene that seemed to make fun of a Chinese accent and that really rubbed me the wrong way.

I have not read Maggie's other book, Honor Girl, so I don't know if it's like this one or not. Personally, I don't understand the point of calling a book a memoir then saying at the end that only parts of it were accurate representation. Luckily this was a quick read, so I didn't waste too much time on it.

Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars

Thanks to Candlewick Press for sending me an ARC of this read! Lost Soul, Be At Peace by Maggie Thrash is out now!

You Are The Everything by Karen Rivers

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

When this book was sent to me, I was excited because I thought it was something I would really enjoy. Unfortunately it just missed the mark for me. You Are The Everything by Karen Rivers is a YA contemporary that follows Elyse Schmidt, a teenage girl with a hopeless crush on a classmate named Josh Harris. But when Elyse and Josh are the only survivors of a terrible plane crash, suddenly everything falls into place. It's almost as if they were destined to end up together, and that alone is what allowed them to live while everyone else perished. 

Then Elyse starts experiencing confusion, memory loss, and other symptoms of PTSD and her life is suddenly not looking as perfect as it initially seemed. Will destiny prevail, or will everything turn out to be different than originally thought?

I just personally couldn't connect with this book. I didn't care about the characters, and nothing that happened really mattered to me. Elyse was just not likable, and even though I wanted to feel for her, I just couldn't make myself care. Everything that happened just seemed too perfect, too serendipitous, even when you factor in the twist (which I also saw coming from a mile away). It was also written in second person point of view, which while it was interesting and a nice change, got really old very quickly. The stream of consciousness was just too much.

I did really appreciate the representation of an interracial relationship here, and thought that was a great thing to address. 

Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars

Thanks to Algonquin Young Readers for sending me a finished copy of this book! You Are The Everything by Karen Rivers is out now!

Giant Days by Non Pratt

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

I've heard so much about the Giant Days graphic novel series, but I've never managed to pick it up and see for myself. This was somewhat remedied when I found out that there was a novel based around the same characters. Giant Days by Non Pratt follows the same three girls as the graphic novel: Susan, Esther, and Daisy, as they navigate their first year of college (university). I'm not quite sure where on the timeline this story takes place, but it definitely isn't the very beginning of their friendship.

The story is about these three girls trying to find themselves and their place in the world of college. Esther tries to befriend an ultra-cool goth girl and bends over backwards trying to impress her. Susan throws herself headfirst into her medical studies to escape her past. And Daisy joins every club possible hoping to find something that sticks. Chaos ultimately ensues leading the girls to need each other more than ever, and really learn the value of true friendship in the process. I do want to put a trigger warning on this for roofies and a scene that could have led to rape.

As much as I wanted to love this book, unfortunately I just didn't. The only real action happened in the last few chapters, so it was hard to push through until then. Normally I'm fine with this in character-driven novels, but the characters didn't even really change or develop enough to keep me interested until that point. The main characters were fine, and while I liked Esther and Susan, Daisy really rubbed me the wrong way. And the side characters were just awful in my opinion, and didn't really serve a purpose until the very end. I also don't understand the title. Maybe it makes more sense if you've read the graphic novels. I'm glad I took a stab at this book, and am still definitely interested in learning more about the Giant Days world as a whole, but this isn't a memorable read for me.

If you're a fan of the graphic novels and love these three girls, definitely pick up this read! But if you're new to the Giant Days world, you should probably start with the graphic novels then segue over to this novel. I think it would be a great addition to an already established world, but as a stand alone it unfortunately fell flat for me.

Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars

Thanks so much to Amulet Books for sending me an advanced copy of this read! Giant Days by Non Pratt comes out TOMORROW, August 21st, so if this sounds up your alley or you love the graphic novel series, be sure to pick up a copy! 

Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering

"You have to be careful of girls that are too pretty, though. 

They hold a power that they never had to earn."

-Carola Lovering, Tell Me Lies

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

With every great reading streak, you're bound to encounter a dud sooner rather than later, and this book was unfortunately that dud for me. Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering had so much promise, but just fell flat. This story follows two main characters, Lucy and Stephen. Lucy is perpetually stuck in Stephen's charismatic trap, even though he treats her terribly. Each of them have their own individual issues going on outside of each other, which makes the toxic relationship even worse, but the only real growth that happened in the book happened so late in the game that everything up to that point was like watching paint dry.

Normally I really enjoy character-driven stories, even if there isn't much plot, but this was such a drag! The story just chronicled their college years in dual narrative format, and all the story really focused on was each time Stephen ensnared Lucy only to begin treating her like crap fairly soon after.

I've been Lucy myself-the girl fully absorbed in a guy and completely ignoring how badly he treats her, listening to lie after lie, and believing that he will change. Observing this from the outside though, all I wanted to do was scream at Lucy to get a grip and leave the loser, even though personally I know it's not that easy.

The book also kept referencing one specific incident in the past that Lucy and Stephen both have ties to, but neither knows it. I honestly didn't see the point of this addition whatsoever. This could have been done so much better to turn this story into a somewhat-mystery. I liked all the side characters a lot, and I think stories about them would have been much more interesting than this. I especially loved Pippa, and was absolutely fascinated by CJ.

The only other redeeming quality I could find in this book was the abundance of Fleetwood Mac references. Lucy sure did have good taste in music. That and the fact that I really like the book cover.

Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars

Thanks to Atria Books for an advanced e-copy of this book! Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering is out now, so if this sounds up your alley be sure to pick up a copy!

Island Games by Caleb J. Boyer

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

Island Games by Caleb J. Boyer follows two teenage boys, Matthew and Ryan, after they are randomly dropped on a desert island and forced to survive a series of traps and solve puzzles to try to escape the island. The boys soon discover that truly working together is their only hope for survival. As the story progresses, the boys are transported to different quadrants on the island, ranging from tropical to desert, prairie to frozen tundra. Each quadrant comes with its own set of challenges, which when successfully passed results in a bounty of supplies for the boys designed only to last until the next test.

I think this book is decent as a middle grade, but way too juvenile to be really considered young adult. The reading level and vocabulary just aligns much better with 6-8 grade than 9-12. The characters to me also acted more in the middle grade age range than high school range. Matthew and Ryan were smart, but also acted incredibly juvenile. In a life or death situation like survival on an island, I would hope there would be more seriousness and planning and less joking around. Yes, humor is a way to make light of a difficult time, but sometimes it just didn't suit the situation in this story.

The plot and overall concept were excellent. I think it's an interesting survival mix of the plot and excitement of The Hunger Games and the relationship building and conflict in Lord of the Flies. The writing, however, was less than fantastic. It was basic and extremely repetitive. Yes, I do have to acknowledge that the author is only 12 years old, but unfortunately that's pretty obvious from the writing. Boyer uses the exact same phrases over and over within the same paragraph, and I'm pretty sure if one of the characters said "Wow!" one more time I would have thrown the book across the room. Boyer would have greatly benefited from the use of a thesaurus.

I was also really displeased with the ending. It ended as if there was going to be another book, but there was no clarity in the author's note or anything else as to when that is actually happening (although the Amazon page definitely says this is the first in a series). So many questions were left up in the air without any clarification. I hate finishing a book and not knowing what happens, especially if I don't know when I can anticipate the next installment. Island Games was still an interesting and fun story, but unfortunately just didn't live up to my expectations of good writing.

Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars

Thanks to Online Book Club for digital access to this novel! Island Games by Caleb J. Boyer is out now.

Long Black Veil by Jennifer Finney Boylan

Cover Art Courtesy of  Goodreads

Well, it was bound to happen. I've had a pretty good reading month so far so I knew it was about time for a dud. Unfortunately it was this book. Long Black Veil by Jennifer Finney Boylan had promise, but it just didn't deliver. Long Black Veil follows a group of friends who experienced a tragic event years ago and are now living with the consequences. After a night accidentally ends with the group trapped in Eastern State Penitentiary and one of them missing, the group drifts apart, only brought back together when the body is found years later.

Instead of being a mystery/thriller, this really was a story of a trans woman with the crime as almost an afterthought. Now don't get me wrong, I have no problem at all with trans characters and diverse representation, and I really love seeing more of them as main characters literature today. What I do have a problem with is a book masquerading as something that it's not, ultimately tricking the reader into picking it up only to be let down the further in they get. I was really looking forward to a good thriller, and because I was mislead, it left me with a bad taste in my mouth as I progressed through this book. If you go into it knowing that the main idea isn't surrounding the murder, but rather focuses on self-discovery and how to reconcile who you once were against who you are now, you might enjoy this story a lot more. Knowing what I do now, I can say that this was a great own voices novel, just not at all a good thriller.

The scenes that took place in Eastern State were excellent, and for the first almost half of the book I couldn't get enough. But that's where my enjoyment ended and boredom began. The ending was chaotic and hard to wrap my head around, but honestly by that point I didn't even care what happened. I did enjoy some of the character development, especially that of Rachel and Quentin/Judith, but I also thought some of the side stories were unnecessary. Another thing that really rubbed me the wrong way were the scenes regarding animal euthanasia. Maybe that's just me and my huge bleeding heart, but when I read things like that I'm immediately turned off.

I had high hopes for this book, but disappointingly it wasn't at all what I thought it was going to be.

Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars (as a mystery/thriller, which is what it was advertised as)

Thanks to Blogging for Books for sending me a copy of Long Black Veil in exchange for an honest review!