Creeping Up Behind You

Published:  April 15th, 2014
Don't Look Back
By: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Disney Hyperion
ISBN-13:  9781423187738

Samantha is a stranger in her own life.  Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all - popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her before that night.  As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of.  The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies.  Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery.  She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her - even if the old Sam treated him like trash.

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts of what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory - someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet.  All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on.  But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

Review

     Sam is found wandering barefoot and bruised, far from home and with no memory of anything in her life before that moment.  She's been missing for days, and while everyone is relieved to see her, there is just one important question left: where is Cassie?  Sam's best friend disappeared at the same time as she did and hasn't returned, or been heard from since.  With the help of her parents and her twin brother Scott, as strange to her as they may be, Sam feels like she might be able to get a handle on herself soon.  But then she goes back to school and finds out that she is basically head bitch, and her boyfriend Del is far from the perfect guy everyone thinks.  The only one she seems to be able to trust is Carson Ortiz, the son of her family's groundskeeper.  They used to be friends, and he looked out for her even after Sam started treating him like a dirtbag.  Mysterious notes begin showing up in impossible places and the hidden secrets and lies of everyone in Sam's life make everyone a suspect.  Where is Cassie and what really happened to her?  Most frightening of all, is Sam going to be next?
     I have been a fan of Jennifer Armentrout's since I first read Obsidian, the first book in her Lux series (one of my first review books, actually).  So now, more than a few books later, I was intrigued to see her take a hand at mysteries in a style that reminded me a bit of the Lois Duncan books I was obsessed with in the late 90s to early 2000s.  The writing itself is extremely solid and gives just enough description to draw you in, just like with all her other books.  I kept reading, because I desperately wanted to know what happened next!  I quite liked Sam, though she did seem to take the amnesia thing rather too well.  And the attitude of acceptance towards the possessive and borderline brutish behavior of her so-called boyfriend Del, was a little bit off-putting.  It's mostly a matter of how you would react in a situation where you have no memories of anything or anyone, to tell you who to trust or how to act/react to things that are happening.  Especially when you're in a situation where someone potentially murdered your best friend/frenemie and could murder you if you recover from your amnesia.
     The build-up and resolution the the mystery of Cassie's disappearance/death was not all that surprising.  I was pretty sure by the time I was about halfway through who had done it.  Jennifer managed to drop a couple really emphasized remarks that served as some big, honkin' clues to who the murderer was and what exact motive they might have had.  It was very neatly tied up and I enjoyed the character transformation that Sam undergoes throughout the book and I liked that by the time the end came, she did get her memory back.  Change isn't true change until you can make a choice based on all the facts and experiences involved.  The brother/sister relationship rebuild between Sam and Scott was wonderful and yes, they didn't get along all the time.  But that's what made it that much more realistic.  And he stood by her, even when they had previously been enemies and he could've been an asshole instead.  True family bonds, people, are a thing of beauty.  The romance between Carson and Sam was pretty swoony and I enjoyed it, but I was also glad it wasn't the focus of the entire book.  All in all, I enjoyed this one but it was a little more two-dimensional than Armentrout's normal work and the mystery could've used something extra.

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

Cult of Personality

Expected Publication: March 1st, 2013

Being Henry David

By: Cal Armistead

Albert Whitman Teen

ISBN-13: 9780807506158

Seventeen-year-old "Hank" has found himself at Penn Station in New York City with no memory of anything --who he is, where he came from, why he's running away. His only possession is a worn copy of Walden, by Henry David Thoreau. And so he becomes Henry David-or "Hank" and takes first to the streets, and then to the only destination he can think of--Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. Cal Armistead's remarkable debut novel is about a teen in search of himself. Hank begins to piece together recollections from his past. The only way Hank can discover his present is to face up to the realities of his grievous memories. He must come to terms with the tragedy of his past, to stop running, and to find his way home.

Review

     A seventeen year old boy wakes up in Penn Station with a small amount of money in his pocket, a copy of Walden by Henry David Thoreau and no idea who he is, or where he came from.  Calling himself Hank (after Thoreau), he manages to get on the wrong side of a drug dealer and is forced to flee the city.  With very few clues to his past, Hank travels to Concord, Massachusetts to visit Walden Pond and hopefully figure out who he really is - and how to get back home.  With the help of some new friends and some painful memories will Hank be able to piece things together?  More importantly, will he even want to return to his old life once he knows the horrifying truth of why he left to begin with?  I normally stay away from books that sound like they might be shaping up to be murder mysteries or thrillers.  The synopsis and the first half of the book give that impression to a reader.  However, once the second half starts things really begin to clear up and show this book for what it is - a book about a broken family, guilt, friendship and second chances.  Hank is a character that's easy to empathize with.  Not knowing anything about yourself kind of makes it really hard to know where to go or what to do with yourself.  I liked the relationships that Hank formed with Thomas, the librarian and H.D. Thoreau re-enactor, and Hailey, a girl his apparent age with issues of her own.  The slow and painful revelations that come to Hank are tough to read about but very well-written.  The truth of why he left home and what really happened is heartbreaking and made me want to cry for him.  But near the end Hank learns that you can go home again sometimes - just never the same way twice.  Overall a really great coming of age book, with some interesting characters and great writing.  My main complaint would be the lack of obvious reason for street kids Nessa and Jack, other than as plot devices.  And the slow pace did get to me sometimes.   Otherwise highly recommended by me as a reader.

VERDICT:  4.5/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is March 1st, 2013.*

One Moment Is Just Too Long

Expected Publication: June 26th, 2012

One Moment

By: Kristina McBride

Egmont USA

ISBN-13: 9781606840863

This was supposed to be the best summer of Maggie’s life. Now it’s the one she’d do anything to forget.

Maggie Reynolds remembers hanging out at the gorge with her closest friends after a blowout party the night before. She remembers climbing the trail hand in hand with her perfect boyfriend, Joey. She remembers that last kiss, soft, lingering, and meant to reassure her. So why can’t she remember what happened in the moment before they were supposed to dive? Why was she left cowering at the top of the cliff, while Joey floated in the water below—dead?

As Maggie’s memories return in snatches, nothing seems to make sense. Why was Joey acting so strangely at the party? Where did he go after taking her home? And if Joey was keeping these secrets, what else was he hiding?

The latest novel from the author of The Tension of Opposites, One Moment is a mysterious, searing look at how an instant can change everything you believe about the world around you.

Review

   Maggie Reynolds was really happy with her boyfriend Joey.  They were in love and about ready to spend the summer before their senior year with a group of the best friends they could ever have.  Kicking off the summer with a party and hanging out at the gorge seem like great ideas.  Until Joey and Maggie climb up to dive off the cliff - and Joey ends up dead at the bottom.  Now Maggie has amnesia.  She can remember walking up the cliff with Joey, but nothing after that until he was dead at the bottom.  Trying to find out what really happened on the cliff, Maggie comes to the realization that Joey was keeping some big secrets from her.  They might not have been as happy as she thought and when she uncovers the truth, the hurt and betrayal threaten to consume her.  Can Maggie regain her memory, come to terms with whether or not Joey's death was her fault and forgive him for his mistakes - most important of all, can she forgive herself?  Maggie has blinders on for most of the book and I seriously wanted to crack her over the head.  How dumb can you really be???  I was disgusted with the idiocy and betrayals of most of her so-called friends.  I disliked that Maggie felt as if Joey was her entire life, that she couldn't live without him.  Maggie was completely pathetic to me and needed a guy to feel strong.  She was unable to be by herself, as evidenced by the romance that was crammed in last minute between her and Adam.  The conflict with Shannon felt extremely contrived, with the other girl painted as the villain and Maggie as the poor, helpless victim.  It made me gag.  The only thing at all that I really appreciated about this book was that it was descriptive and well conceived.  It just wasn't very well executed.  This book reminded me of a particularly annoying episode of The Secret Life of The American Teenager - only without all the pregnancy.  There was plenty of talk about sex though and that got on my nerves as well.  It was definitely NOT the book for me personally.  Perhaps fans of Lauren Barnholdt should give it a try?

VERDICT:  2/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is June 26, 2012.*