This is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. In this post we highlight a book that’s highly anticipated.
The book that I’m waiting on this Wednesday is Such a Quiet Place by Megan Miranda. The expected publication date is July 13, 2021.
Goodreads Synopsis:
We had no warning that she’d come back.
Hollow’s Edge used to be a quiet place. A private and idyllic neighborhood where neighbors dropped in on neighbors, celebrated graduation and holiday parties together, and looked out for one another. But then came the murder of Brandon and Fiona Truett. A year and a half later, Hollow’s Edge is simmering. The residents are trapped, unable to sell their homes, confronted daily by the empty Truett house, and suffocated by their trial testimonies that implicated one of their own. Ruby Fletcher. And now, Ruby’s back.
With her conviction overturned, Ruby waltzes right back to Hollow’s Edge, and into the home she once shared with Harper Nash. Harper, five years older, has always treated Ruby like a wayward younger sister. But now she’s terrified. What possible good could come of Ruby returning to the scene of the crime? And how can she possibly turn her away, when she knows Ruby has nowhere to go?
Within days, suspicion spreads like a virus across Hollow’s Edge. It’s increasingly clear that not everyone told the truth about the night of the Truett’s murders. And when Harper begins receiving threatening notes, she realizes she has to uncover the truth before someone else becomes the killer’s next victim.
Title: Sisters of the Snake (Ria and Rani #1) Author: Sarena and Sasha Nanua Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy Publisher: HarperTeen Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook, paperback arc Release Date: June 15, 2021 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
A lost princess. A dark puppet master. And a race against time—before all is lost.
Princess Rani longs for a chance to escape her gilded cage and prove herself. Ria is a street urchin, stealing just to keep herself alive.
When these two lives collide, everything turns on its head: because Ria and Rani, orphan and royal, are unmistakably identical.
A deal is struck to switch places—but danger lurks in both worlds, and to save their home, thief and princess must work together. Or watch it all fall into ruin.
Deadly magic, hidden temples, and dark prophecies: Sisters of the Snake is an action-packed, immersive fantasy that will thrill fans of The Crown’s Game and The Tiger at Midnight.
Review:
Princess Rani is stuck in a palace, wishing to escape to freedom. Ria is a thief, stealing for her next meal. When Ria goes into the palace to steal some jewels on Diwali, she meets Rani, who has her face. They are long lost twins who didn’t know the other existed. Since they each have the lives that the other wants, they decide to switch places. Rani wants to search for the Bloodstone that will win her father’s war. Ria wants to find out the secret of her birth and why she was raised in an orphanage instead of with her family. Both of their worlds have hidden dangers, which they must face to save each other.
I’m an only child but I’ve always been fascinated by stories about twins. The Parent Trap was one of my favourite movies when I was a kid. The idea of seamlessly switching places with someone who looks exactly like you sounds so fun, but it comes with many problems. Ria and Rani had to get used to the new rules of their worlds when they switched places.
The concept of freedom was explored in this book. Both Ria and Rani were searching for freedom in their own ways. Ria wanted the freedom of not having to steal and having a safe place to eat and sleep. Rani wanted the freedom to travel outside of the palace and make her own rules. They saw each other as being free, yet they had to realize that both worlds have sets of rules.
Sisters of the Snake is a fun new fantasy! I can’t wait for the next book!
Thank you HarperCollins Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
Hunted by the Sky by Tanaz Bhathena
The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala
Have you read Sisters of the Snake? What did you think of it?
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and it is now hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is Bookish Wishes because it’s That Artsy Reader Girl’s birthday! Happy Birthday! Here’s my Book Wishlist:
1. Don’t Breathe a Word by Jordyn Taylor
2. In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens
3. Seasons of the Storm by Elle Cosimano
4. Revenge of the Sluts by Natalie Walton
5. The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) by Alyssa Sheinmel
6. Heiress Apparently by Diana Ma
7. The Lake by Natasha Preston
8. A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown
9. This is How We Fly by Anna Meriano
10. Most Likely by Sarah Watson
(All book covers from Goodreads)
What’s your list of books on your Top Ten Tuesday?
Title: Pride and Premeditation (Jane Austen Murder Mystery #1) Author: Tirzah Price Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Mystery Publisher: HarperTeen Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Audiobook Release Date: April 6, 2021 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Perfect for fans of the Lady Janies and Stalking Jack the Ripper, the first book in the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries series is a clever retelling of Pride and Prejudice that reimagines the iconic settings, characters, and romances in a thrilling and high-stakes whodunit.
When a scandalous murder shocks London high society, seventeen-year-old aspiring lawyer Lizzie Bennet seizes the opportunity to prove herself, despite the interference of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, the stern young heir to the prestigious firm Pemberley Associates.
Convinced the authorities have imprisoned the wrong person, Lizzie vows to solve the murder on her own. But as the case—and her feelings for Darcy—become more complicated, Lizzie discovers that her dream job could make her happy, but it might also get her killed.
Review:
When there’s a scandalous murder in London, aspiring lawyer Elizabeth Bennet uses the opportunity to get some experience. She comes up against Fitzwilliam Darcy, a lawyer at Pemberley Associates. Lizzie wants to prove to her father that she can be a lawyer at their law firm by solving the murder and prove that Darcy’s friend Bingley is innocent. However, the case is much more complicated than Lizzie expected and puts her life in danger, with Darcy being the only one who can save her.
This is a fun twist on Pride and Prejudice. I love different retellings of this classic romance. This one was set in the late 1800s, with Lizzie aspiring to follow her father’s footsteps in their law firm. If she can’t prove herself to him, the law firm will be inherited by his cousin, Mr. Collins. Many of the themes and relationships were the same as the original story, but they had the added layer of a murder trial.
I really liked the ending of this book. All of the characters that I didn’t like in Pride and Prejudice had to face justice in this book. This was a slightly more modern take on the story, since Lizzie wanted a career as a lawyer, yet it was still historical fiction. I listened to the audiobook edition. It was really well done and easy to follow.
Pride and Premeditation is a great adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.
Thank you HarperTeen for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
Have you read Pride and Premeditation? What did you think of it?
This blog meme is hosted by Book Date. It is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile!
What I just finished:
This weekend I finished Sisters of the Snake by Sarena and Sasha Nanua.
What I’m currently reading:
I’m currently reading The House of Serendipity by Lucy Ivison.
What I’m reading next:
Next I will be reading Take Me Home Tonight by Morgan Matson.
What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?
The meme that dares to ask what book has been in your bed this morning? Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl.
This Sunday I’m reading Sisters of the Snake by Sarena and Sasha Nanua.
Goodreads Synopsis:
A lost princess. A dark puppet master. And a race against time—before all is lost.
Princess Rani longs for a chance to escape her gilded cage and prove herself. Ria is a street urchin, stealing just to keep herself alive.
When these two lives collide, everything turns on its head: because Ria and Rani, orphan and royal, are unmistakably identical.
A deal is struck to switch places—but danger lurks in both worlds, and to save their home, thief and princess must work together. Or watch it all fall into ruin.
Deadly magic, hidden temples, and dark prophecies: Sisters of the Snake is an action-packed, immersive fantasy that will thrill fans of The Crown’s Game and The Tiger at Midnight.
Title: You’re So Dead Author: Ash Parsons Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Thriller Publisher: Philomel Books Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: June 15, 2021 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
A hilarious Agatha Christie-inspired YA thriller-comedy about three best friends who sneak into an influencers-only festival event (gone wrong), only to discover a killer is in their midst–and they have to uncover the truth and solve the mystery before it’s too late. Perfect for fans of One of Us Is Lying and Truly Devious .
Plum Winter has always come in second to her sister, the unbelievably cool, famous influencer Peach Winter. And when Peach is invited to an all-expenses paid trip to a luxurious art and music festival for influencers on a private island in the Caribbean, Plum decides it’s finally her time to shine. So she intercepts the invite–and asks her two best friends Antonia and Marlowe to come along to the fest with her. It’ll be a spring break they’ll never forget.
But when Plum and her friends get to the island, it’s not anything like it seemed in the invite. The island is run-down, creepy, and there doesn’t even seem to be a festival–it’s just seven other quasi-celebrities and influencers, and none of the glitz and glamor she expected. Then people start to die…
Plum and her friends soon realize that someone has lured each of them to the “festival” to kill them. Someone has a vendetta against every person on the island–and no one is supposed to leave the island alive. So, together, Plum, Antonia, and Marlowe will do whatever it takes to unravel the mystery of the killer, and fight to save themselves and as many influencers as they can, before it’s too late.
Review:
When Plum Winters finds an exclusive invitation to an influencer festival addressed to her older sister, she has to go. Plum arranges for her two best friends to travel with her to the Pyre Festival to spend spring break with celebrities and influencers. But when they arrive, the festival isn’t what they expected. There are only seven other minor influencers there at the rundown villa on a private island. Then, people start to die. They realize that they’ve been lured to the fake festival in a revenge plot. Plum and the other people on the island have to figure out who is out to get them before they’re killed next.
This was a fun horror twist on a classic murder mystery party. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie is one of my favourite books. In that book, the seemingly unrelated people who were invited to a private island are slowly killed one by one over a weekend. This story has a similar plot, though it had different twists. The obvious horror tropes used also made it a funny thriller.
Even though this story was quite dramatic and had some cheesy horror moments, there was an underlying message about cyber bullying. All of the influencers had done something to the killer, but they didn’t know what they did. When everything was revealed at the end, it all made sense. The original plan that the killer had wasn’t obvious at first, but when I thought back to the rest of the story after I knew who it was, it made sense. It’s important to be thoughtful in your actions, because even something that doesn’t seem like bullying or that it’s harming someone else, could leave lasting effects.
You’re So Dead is a funny horror mystery!
Thank you Penguin Young Readers for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
Girls Save the World in This One by Ash Parsons
One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
Have you read You’re So Dead? What did you think of it?
Jill's Book Blog 