Two Truths and a Lie by Sara Shepard

Two Truths and a Lie by Sara Shepard
The Lying Game #3
Release Date: July 17, 2012 (US)
Publisher: St Martin's Griffin
Source: Bought
Rating: Essential

Sutton Mercer watches from the afterlife as her long-lost twin, Emma Paxton, takes over her identity to solve her murder. But after ruling out her early leads, Emma still hasn’t found Sutton’s killer. A lot of people wanted her dead—but one name keeps popping up: Thayer Vega. When the gorgeous and mysterious Thayer returns to town, Emma has to move fast to figure out whether he’s back for revenge…or if he already got it.

Set in a town where friends can turn into dangerous enemies and everyone harbors dark secrets, The Lying Game is a juicy new series that fans of the #1 New York Times bestselling Pretty Little Liars series—and the hit ABC Family show—will love. - Goodreads

Hmmmm. These are getting a bit repetitive now. Is the Pretty Little Liars series like this too?

Honestly, there is not much I can say about this that wasn't already covered in my reviews of the previous two books in the series. I haven't read the fourth book yet, so I can't say if the author breaks the mould with that one or if it's just like the other three.

I think watching the TV show may have impacted my feelings for this series a little, because right now I'm finding the show so much more enjoyable than the books. Although, that never happens normally, so either it's a really good show or these books really are becoming dull.

I can't say I didn't like Two Truths and a Lie, because I did. Really. I just thought the plot was way too similar to the other novels, and it's lost the thrilling mystery it had before. I knew going into it what was going to happen with Thayer, and while I was reading the outcome I didn't feel shocked at all, which was really disappointing.

Sara Shepard does have a fantastic writing style, however, and that's what kept me reading and made me enjoy the book in the end. I loved how she introduced Thayer's character, and I also loved the new revelations on how Sutton used to be. I still don't like many of the characters, and I still don't know who killed Sutton. So. Yes.

I will be continuing with this series, because I desperately want to know who killed Sutton. But if all six plus of them are going to follow the same theme, I think I'm going to end up hating it.

Ethan is totally on the top of my list of suspects right now, by the way. If you've read the series, let me know who is on yours! Although, please try not to spoil the fourth book for me, because I haven't read it yet!

New Releases: November 13 - 19, 2012

All links go to Goodreads. I'm so excited about a lot of these, and they come out the day before my birthday which is even better!

Witch World by Christopher Pike

This is obviously about witches.

My Beautiful Failure by Janet Ruth Young

This is about a guy who volunteers at a suicide hotline and goes on to fall for a troubled caller.

Ashes of Twilight by Kassy Tayler

This is set in a domed city on Earth that was set up to protect the British royal family when astronomers saw a comet set on a collision course with Earth. My description wouldn't do it justice, so go read it! It sounds AMAAAAAZING.

Black City by Elizabeth Richards

I think everyone and their dog is excited for this book!

Renegade by J. A. Souders

This is about a girl who lives in an underwater utopia, and a guy who is a Surface Dweller. It reminds me a little of Dark Life by Kat Falls, purely because that also has people living both underwater and on the surface. It sounds good, I'll definitely be checking it out eventually!

Speed of Light by Amber Kizer

This is the third book in the Meridian series, which I have yet to read.

Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

This is about a girl who goes on a class trip to London and is partnered with her nemesis. I love the cover, and it sounds cute so I'll be reading it!

Truancy City by Isamu Fukui

This is a sequel so I have no idea what it's about!

Sacred by Alana K. Arnold

This is about a girl who lives on an island off the coast of California. Her brother dies, and she kind of gets neglected until a boy arrives on the island.

Reached by Ally Condie

This is the third and final book in the Matched trilogy. I still haven't finished Matched (it's been sitting on my shelf, half-read for nearly two years *headdesk*).

Echo by Alyson Noel

The second book in the Soul Seekers series.

Soul Screamers Vol. 2 by Rachel Vincent

This bind up contains My Soul to Keep (book three), My Soul to Steal (book four) and Reaper (novella). I LOVE THESE BOOKS! I already have them as standalones, so I won't be buying this, but if you get the chance and are interested in this series, you should totally buy the bind ups! This series is awesome.

Whew, that was a lot. Which ones are you most looking forward to? The Soul Screamers bind up? *wink wink nudge nudge*

Survive by Alex Morel

Survive by Alex Morel
Release Date: August 2, 2012
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Borrowed
Rating: Enjoyable

Hatchet meets Lost in this modern-day adventure tale of one girl's reawakening

Jane is on a plane on her way home to Montclair, New Jersey, from a mental hospital. She is about to kill herself. Just before she can swallow a lethal dose of pills, the plane hits turbulence and everything goes black. Jane wakes up amidst piles of wreckage and charred bodies on a snowy mountaintop. There is only one other survivor: a boy named Paul, who inspires Jane to want to fight for her life for the first time.

Jane and Paul scale icy slopes and huddle together for warmth at night, forging an intense emotional bond. But the wilderness is a vast and lethal force, and only one of them will survive. - Goodreads

This is a slightly newer novel which I have been wanting to read for quite a while now. I love survival stories, and I was expecting this to be awesome. It did turn out to be a good book, but it was nothing outstanding, unfortunately. 

The events that occurred in this novel once the characters were on the mountain were VERY coincidental. Which they had to be, if the story was to go forward. But I had a tough time accepting some of the things that happened. One of the things I had trouble accepting was the fact that only two characters survived the plane crash, Jane and Paul, and luckily Paul was an avid rock climber! This meant that Paul knew exactly what to do in this situation, and there wasn't much of a learning process for Jane, as she just got told what to and what not to do.

Another minor problem I had was the two characters smoking a cigarette while still on the mountain. Smoking a cigarette while dehydrated is definitely not a good idea, and I don't know why they thought it was. Is there something wrong with them? I mean, if they had given up hope then I would have understood, but they were still pretty determined to survive.

That said, I really did like the overall message that was in this book about the value of life. I almost got a bit teary eyed at the end over some things that were said concerning wanting to live. 

This is by no means a bad book, and I definitely liked it, but it's not something I would recommend to everyone and I wouldn't reread it. 

WoW: Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield

Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Goodreads

The Devouring by Simon Holt

The Devouring by Simon Holt
The Devouring #1
Release Date: September 1, 2008
Publisher: Little Brown
Source: Bought
Rating: Enjoyable

When Reggie reads about the Vours in a mysterious old journal, she assumes they are just the musings of an anonymous lunatic. But when her little brother, Henry, begins to act strangely, it's clear that these creatures exist beyond a madwoman's imagination, and Reggie finds out what happens when fears come to life.

To save the people she loves, Reggie must learn to survive in a world of nightmares. Can she devour her own fears before they devour her?

The Devouring is an engrossing tale of terror that will have you wondering: what if your worst fears became your living nightmare? - Goodreads

Everyone was talking about this trilogy a year or so ago, and I immediately wanted to pick it up once I heard it was a YA horror. Those don't happen too often! As a fan of Darren Shan, I was excited to read some creepy stories. 

I really enjoyed The Devouring. I loved the prologue at the beginning that introduced the story and the Vours. It really set the tone: dark, creepy and spine tingling. The Vours were an amazing concept, and I think they would creep anyone out, because having a something take over your body, or a body belonging to someone you know, it probably most people's worst nightmare. 

The characters were interesting enough, though compared to the story and horror aspect, they didn't really stand out. I really liked them, though, and I loved what was revealed about them all towards the end. 

I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy, because the twists and turns in this one are making me crave the second book, and I can't wait to find out what happens with the characters, and between the characters and the Vours!