Kiss and Tell by Jacqueline Green

Kiss and Tell by Jacqueline Green
Release Date - February 3, 2015
Publisher Website - Hachette/Little Brown
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 288 pages
My Rating - 3/5
**received in exchange for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Since their dangerous game of truth or dare began, Tenley Reed, Sydney Morgan, and Emerson Cunningham have lost almost everything. Closely guarded secrets, romantic relationships, and sought-after spots at the top of their school's social hierarchy-all gone in the blink of an eye.

Now the darer has upped the stakes, leaving another body behind in the girls' isolated beach town of Echo Bay. And if they can't untangle the twisted web leading to whoever is behind the mysterious deaths, one of them could be next. But what happens when the trail leads to those they trusted, those they loved?

Filled with intoxicating twists and shocking betrayals, the final installment in the Truth or Dare trilogy will keep readers guessing until the very end. 

The game of Truth Or Dare takes a deadly turn in this series that proves secrets never stay buried. The conclusion to the series offered up a satisfying ending, and a few surprises. Fans of the previous novels will devour this final installment as it offers up everything they would have loved in the first two books.

The 'darer' is finished playing childish games. They are willing to reveal everything and let those left standing deal with the aftershock. This felt like it was a long time coming, and having everything laid out there was refreshing. Conversations that I wanted to happen were able to finally happening. Questions that had been nagging are answered. It read the strongest out of the three books in the series simply because it is the one that gives the reader what had been promised to them in book one - a conclusion to the mystery.

The connection with the characters never really happened for me. They remained distant right until the very end. I knew who each was by surface descriptor. Emerson was the model. Sydney the one who set fires. Tenley was the girl who came back to Echo Creek. Sure, we know other things about them, but their surface  level things. It made it harder, for me at least, to get invested in them, their romances and the outcome. The stakes, which should have been high as this author showed she was willing to kill characters off, never felt high enough. I knew that any of them could have been killed at any time, but I didn't care enough for that to matter. This novel was more about the plot than the characters and that created a barrier for me.

It was the mystery element that, for me at least, kept me reading. The ending is the pay off in series like this. It can make or destroy a series where mysteries are the focus because some much is dependent on how it all comes together. The reveal is satisfying, but a little rushed. The pacing felt off as the ending comes like a freight train compared to the rest of the novel. The identity of the 'darer' does make logical sense, and all of the clues fit with who it is. It creates this cohesive narrative. The why for everything is accounted for. The reasoning for the game, the people involved, and how it all connects was the element that was the strongest aspect of the novel. Every little thread ties together in the end. There were no misleading clues. Nothing was a coincidence in this novel. Everything that happened directly links back to the bigger mystery.

This novel sort of reminded me of candy. It's good while you're reading it, but it doesn't have that lasting impact. It'd be a perfect series to binge while on vacation but it's not going to stay with you once you've turned the final page.

A trilogy that is sure to be a hit with fans of shows like Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars. A twist filled thrill ride that didn't completely win me over, but ended up offering a satisfying ending to the series.

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews).

Love, Lucy by April Linder (Goodreads)
The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, Sarah Rees Brennan (Goodreads)
Kiss and Tell by Jacqueline Green (Goodreads)

A huge thank you to Hachette Canada for two of these pretties, and my sister got me a hardcover of The Bane Chronicles for Christmas. It was basically impossible to take a nice picture of it though as it's so shiny.

I also got two book related movies for Christmas. Both are ones I really enjoyed when I saw them in theatres.

If I Stay and The Fault In Our Stars. I am excited to re-watch both!

Happy weekend, and happy reading!

Secrets and Lies by Jacqueline Green

Secrets and Lies by Jacqueline Green

Release Date - May 6, 2014

Publisher Website - Little Brown/Poppy
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 320 pages
My Rating - 3/5
**received in exchange for an honest review from the publisher**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Can you keep a secret?

Tenley Reed and Sydney Morgan have never seen eye to eye -- until now. United by a common goal, they are determined to find out who was behind their friend's murder. Joined by Emerson Cunningham, a gorgeous but troubled teen model, the girls start their own investigation. But in the isolated beach town of Echo Bay, it's hard to know who's a friend and who's an enemy.
Secrets and Lies is the second book in the Truth or Dare series -- and will keep readers in suspense from beginning to end.

You may recall that the first novel in this series, Truth or Dare, didn't quite win me over. I decided to give the sequel a chance mostly because of the bold, and intriguing ending. I did end up enjoying Secrets and Lies much more than Truth or Dare, and found myself drawn into the story in a way that I hadn't been with the first one.

The choice to kill off Caitlin, a major character, at the end of Truth or Dare injected some much needed stakes into the story. It rejuvenated my interest, and left me cautiously hopeful about the sequel. The pay off of this bold choice was peppered throughout this sequel, and it proved to be the right decision. Caitlin's story is still a huge part of the novel, even more than I was anticipating. Part of me was scared her story arc was going to be a dropped thread, but it's woven into the story seamlessly.

The stakes in this one felt higher. This 'Darer' does not shy way from violence. The tension created by this 'cat and mouse' game was palpable, and is the strongest element in the story. I felt like these girls were being hunted, and because of that I was able to immerse myself into the story.

Likewise, the reasons for the girls keeping quiet felt more dangerous too. I was not a fan of the secrets in the first novel. In the second we see that other people could be hurt by things being revealed, and that the consequences are much graver than previously thought. It made me more sympathetic to these girls, and what they are going through.

The reveals, especially about Caitlin's ties to everything, were what kept my interest. This is much bigger than first known. We find out that others are being targeted, and that it goes back much further than I expected. This widening of the 'world' in terms of who is impacted by this 'game' helped the story immensely. The explanation for why the game is still going on after the definitive ending of the first book also felt reasonable, and true because of this new information.

These girls are much more resourceful and proactive than I was expecting. They are not just sitting back and being passive about their situation. They are on the defensive. They are able to, and rather quickly, unravel some huge clues. The ending feels like a step in the right direction for them to unmask everything. This is where my only concern comes in. Series of this nature tend to go on much longer than needed. These girls are capable, and it doesn't feel realistic for this to be drawn out more than one other book. I hope the third installment wraps this up tightly, because I see potential here for the series as a whole.

These types of novel are quick, entertaining reads and this one will appeal to a very specific market. It is a case of 'what you see is what you get' and that is a good thing if you're in the mood for this type of book. If it's what you're looking for I think you'll enjoy your time spent with it, otherwise it may not hit the mark. There is plenty within the pages that left me, personally, looking forward to the upcoming installment, and all the questions still yet to be answered.

Fans of the Pretty Little Liars series should consider picking this series up. It's got all the secrets, betrayals, and scandals to keep you turning the pages. While I like this one more than the first, I am hoping for a third book that continues to improve the series the way this one did and a spectacular finish.

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews).

A few awesome sounding titles made their way into my mailbox this week. I hope The Geography of You and Me is super cute, and I hope Secrets and Lies fills in some of the stuff I wanted from the first book.

Secrets and Lies by Jacqueline Green (goodreads)

The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E Smith (goodreads)

Thank you Hachette Canada for both of these titles. I can't wait to read them.

Let me know what you got in your mailbox this week!

Happy weekend, and happy reading!

Truth or Dare by Jacqueline Green

Truth or Dare by Jacqueline Green
Release Date – May 14, 2013
Publisher Website - Hachette/Little Brown
Publisher Social Media -  Twitter
Pages - 416 pages
My Rating- 2.5/5
**obtained for review from publisher**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

When a simple round of truth or dare spins out of control, three girls find it’s no longer a party game. It’s do or die.

It all started on a whim: the game was a way for Tenley Reed to reclaim her popularity, a chance for perfect Caitlin “Angel” Thomas to prove she’s more than her Harvard application. Loner Sydney Morgan wasn’t even there; she was hiding behind her camera like usual. But when all three start receiving mysterious dares long after the party has ended, they’re forced to play along—or risk exposing their darkest secrets.

How far will Tenley, Caitlin and Sydney go to keep the truth from surfacing? And who’s behind this twisted game

Set against the backdrop of Echo Bay, an isolated beach town haunted by misfortune, Truth or Dare is a highly charged debut that will keep readers in suspense from beginning to end.

Got a secret? Want to keep it? Take the dare. This first in a series of novels that twists the iconic game from many people's childhoods into something sinister, and dangerous.

This is a first novel in what is expected to be a series. I almost would have preferred a stand alone. It could be have been a tighter paced, and more cohesive if it was not drawn out to accommodate a series. The little drops and teases for the next books did pique my interest, but I felt like it took an effort to be invested.

Truth or Dare has a lot in common with the Pretty Little Liars series. Fans of that series will naturally gravitate to this similar sounding plot, and I do think there will be those who find much to love between these pages. For me I found the characters unrelateable, and the plot moved a little slowly.

Pacing issues plagued my enjoyment of this novel. It felt really long, and perhaps, as I mentioned, it could have been tightened up a bit. The ending flowed much better than the beginning.

I was expecting scandalous characters who were flawed. They are, but I felt distanced from them. The development seemed secondary to the plot. I think that plot heavy readers will enjoy it more, but character driven readers may have a harder time with it.

The secrets these girls are keeping have more to do with them not wanting to lose social standing than truthfully high stakes. One is scared that her plastic surgery will become common knowledge, another is worried her reputation will be tarnished. It made the dares, which quickly escalate into having real consequences, seem not worth it. It made the characters motivations lack any real urgency. It made the characters themselves seem rather shallow. Once other people (who appear to not be directly involved) could be harmed by these dares was when I wanted to slap sense into these girls.

The ending of the novel is much stronger than the first half. It starts the wrap up with a rather predictable unveiling of who is sending the dares, but ends on an unsettling note that will propel the series into what I hope is darker territory. There is potential here, and I would love to see this series live up to it. Sydney's dark past, the possible love triangle with Guinness, and the unanswered questions all leave much to explore.

The author didn't shy away from rising the stakes at the end either. It's the type of stakes I wish had been in place since the beginning. This game of truth or dare is deadly. The fact that many unanswered questions were left unanswered regarding the characters who die left me feeling unsettled. I can only hope that even though the characters are not around that these questions will get closure.

A novel that may not have blown me away but gave me enough to want to check out the sequel. Fans of Pretty Little Liars may enjoy this one, and I do urge you to check out other review before deciding to read it.

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews).

An awesome mailbox again this week. A HUGE thank you to Hachette Canada and Raincoast Books for the incredible reads. I can not wait to start all of them.

Truth or Dare by Jacqueline Green (goodreads)
This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E Smith (goodreads)
Icons by Margaret Stohl (goodreads)

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (goodreads)
Game by Barry Lyga (goodreads)

My cat Aria kept getting in the pictures. She especially seemed to like Marissa Meyer's Scarlet (and yes, she's the cutest cat ever).

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!

Waiting on Wednesday....Truth or Dare

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My pick this week is Truth or Dare by Jacqueline Green.

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Some say the seaside town of Echo Bay is cursed. They may be right. When a game of truth or dare spins out of control, three beautiful teen girls start receiving mysterious dares containing hints to dark secrets long buried. For artsy outcast Sydney Morgan; perfect, popular Caitlin "Angel" Thomas; and queen bee Tenley Reed, the truth is not an option.

This is no party game-it's do or die.

And it's their turn to play.

This sounds awesome. The cover reminds me of Pretty Little Liars for some reason. This has a creepy sounding vibe, and I am so very much looking forward to unraveling Echo Bay's secrets.

Expected release date -  May 1, 2013

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

Here are my obsessions this week:

BOOKS

Stephanie Perkins new book news

Stephanie announced that she has 2 new books with Penguin coming out after Isla and the Happily Ever After. The first novel is the only one we have details for and it's completely different from her previous novels and it sounds AWESOME. As per the publisher it is "a horror novel in the vein of the movie Scream in which a cadre of high school students are being stalked and attacked by a mysterious killer with no obvious motive"

Scream is a great, fun movie. It doesn't take itself seriously and points fun at the usual horror cliches. LOVE THIS. I bet Stephanie's will blend horror with humour and some sexiness.  I am very excited about this and can't wait for other details (eg title, cover, etc).

cover of Game (Jasper Dent #2) by Barry Lyga

I really liked I Hunt Killers. Jasper Dent is so chilling, so charming and fascinating! I hope this sequel delivers everything I loved in the first book, and more. I happen to also like this cover. If you haven't already be sure to add it to your Goodreads to be read list.

cover and synopsis for Truth or Dare by Jacqueline Green

I have not heard much about this book, but I knew I wanted to read it when I saw the cover! It totally reminds me of the opening sequence for the TV show Pretty Little Liars. The Goodreads synopsis also sounds amazing and I can't wait for this one to be released in 2013.

TV

Once Upon A Time season 2

I can not believe I have yet to include this. I heard about it awhile ago. I am a huge Peter Pan fan so this video made me extra excited.



So Hook is for sure part of season 2 of this addictive show. I am hoping that means we will get to see Peter, Wendy, and Tinkerbell as well. I am counting down until the fall TV season starts....really missing my shows!

MOVIE

The Mortal Instruments movie cast

The casting for the movie is complete and I can now freak out over the unbelievable actors they have lined up.

The last big announcement was the casting of Valentine (who is the the villain) and it tipped my excitement to epic levels. Jonathan Rhys Meyers will be portraying the cold, dangerous and cunning Shadow Hunter.

The rest of the cast is also very happy making with Kevin Zegers lined up to play Alec Lightwood, and Aiden Turner set to play Luke. They join the already large cast. There is a movie website already set up and the full casting details are provided there if you are curious.

So what you are obsessed with this week?