Review: One of Us Is Next (One of Us Is Lying #2)

Title: One of Us Is Next (One of Us Is Lying #2)
Author: Karen M. McManus
Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Contemporary
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: January 7, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

The highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling thriller everyone is talking about, One of Us Is Lying! There’s a new mystery to solve at Bayview High, and there’s a whole new set of rules.

Come on, Bayview, you know you’ve missed this.

A ton of copycat gossip apps have popped up since Simon died, but in the year since the Bayview four were cleared of his shocking death, no one’s been able to fill the gossip void quite like he could. The problem is no one has the facts.

Until now. 

This time it’s not an app, though—it’s a game. 

Truth or Dare.

Phoebe’s the first target. If you choose not to play, it’s a truth. And hers is dark. 

Then comes Maeve and she should know better—always choose the dare. 

But by the time Knox is about to be tagged, things have gotten dangerous. The dares have become deadly, and if Maeve learned anything from Bronwyn last year, it’s that they can’t count on the police for help. Or protection.

Simon’s gone, but someone’s determined to keep his legacy at Bayview High alive. And this time, there’s a whole new set of rules. 

Review:

This is another great thriller from Karen M. McManus.

The cliffhangers at the end of the chapters were great. I found it really difficult to put the book down, even when I was reading before bed. The big plot twists, like who was getting a “Truth or Dare” text from the mysterious person, were set up for a few chapters before happening, so I was kept guessing.

This is the first book by Karen M. McManus that I’ve read that I didn’t guess the ending before I finished it. Some of the clues to who is responsible for the “Truth or Dare” texts isn’t given until after they were revealed, so I don’t think you could figure it out before the end. However, there was a huge reveal in the final pages, which really shocked me. I hope there will be a third book in the series!

I loved this book!

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus

The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas

Other Books in the Series:

Have you read One of Us Is Next? What did you think of it?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – January 13

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 Every Other Weekend by Abigail Johnson.

What I’m currently reading:

I’m currently reading The Tenant by Katrine Engberg.

What I’m reading next:

Next I will be reading Echoes Between Us by Katie McGarry.

What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – January 12

Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:

I did 8 weekly blogging memes:

How was your week? What did you guys read?

Sundays in Bed With… Every Other Weekend

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 Every Other Weekend by Abigail Johnson.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Can life begin again…every other weekend?

Adam Moynihan’s life used to be awesome. Straight As, close friends and a home life so perfect that it could have been a TV show straight out of the 50s. Then his oldest brother died. Now his fun-loving mom cries constantly, he and his remaining brother can’t talk without fighting, and the father he always admired proved himself a coward by moving out when they needed him most.

Jolene Timber’s life is nothing like the movies she loves—not the happy ones anyway. As an aspiring director, she should know, because she’s been reimagining her life as a film ever since she was a kid. With her divorced parents at each other’s throats and using her as a pawn, no amount of mental reediting will give her the love she’s starving for. 

Forced to spend every other weekend in the same apartment building, the boy who thinks forgiveness makes him weak and the girl who thinks love is for fools begin an unlikely friendship. The weekends he dreaded and she endured soon become the best part of their lives. But when one’s life begins to mend while the other’s spirals out of control, they realize that falling in love while surrounded by its demise means nothing is ever guaranteed.

What book are you in bed with today?

Six for Sunday – 2019 Favourites

This meme is hosted by Steph at A little but a lot. The weekly prompts for 2019 can be found here.

This week’s prompt is 2019 Favourites Here’s my list:

1. Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

2. Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

3. Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford

4. Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass by Mariko Tamaki

5. The Last Resort by Marissa Stapley

6. The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air #3) by Holly Black

(All book cover images from Goodreads)

Did you write a #SixforSunday post? What was your list of 2019 Favourites?

Review: Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey

Title: Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey
Author: Kelley Puckett, Paul Dini, Chuck Dixon
Genre: Graphic Novel
Publisher: DC Comics
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: December 17, 2019
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

THE FUTURE OF GOTHAM BEGINS WITH THEM!

In celebration of the feature film Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) comes HARLEY QUINN & THE BIRDS OF PREY! Meet the characters that inspired the film in six classic tales starring: Harley Quinn, Black Canary, Huntress, Renee Montoya, Cassandra Cain, and Black Mask.

Review:

This is a collection of comics about the characters who make up the Birds of Prey. These are previously released comics which give a short tale about each character.

Some of the comics give a complete story in the short comic. I really liked the comics about Harley Quinn and Black Canary, because these were complete stories. Some of the others were just part of an ongoing story, such as “Mark of Cain, Part One,” which gives an introduction to Cassandra Cain. That was the first part of a story about her, and it ended abruptly so I don’t know what happened in the rest of it.

I love Harley Quinn, so I especially liked the comic about her. It was part of the Detective Comics series, and I had never read it before. One little detail I liked was that Harley’s prisoner number was 381993, which is also the date of her first appearance in the comics, August 3, 1993.

This is a good introduction to the characters of Birds of Prey. I’m excited to watch the upcoming movie.

What to read next:

Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass by Mariko Tamaki, Steve Pugh

Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale by Lauren Myracle, Isaac Goodhart

Have you read Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey? What did you think of it?

Stacking the Shelves – January 11

This is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and Reading Reality. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Surprisingly, I didn’t receive any new books this week! This is the first time in a long time that this has happened, so I can just catch up on the books I already have.

What books did you get this week?

Review: Loveboat, Taipei (Loveboat, Taipei #1)

Title: Loveboat, Taipei (Loveboat, Taipei #1)
Author: Abigail Hing Wen
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: January 7, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

“Our cousins have done this program,” Sophie whispers. “Best kept secret. Zero supervision.” 

And just like that, Ever Wong’s summer takes an unexpected turn. Gone is Chien Tan, the strict educational program in Taiwan that Ever was expecting. In its place, she finds Loveboat: a summer-long free-for-all where hookups abound, adults turn a blind eye, snake-blood sake flows abundantly, and the nightlife runs nonstop.

But not every student is quite what they seem:

Ever is working toward becoming a doctor but nurses a secret passion for dance.

Rick Woo is the Yale-bound child prodigy bane of Ever’s existence whose perfection hides a secret.

Boy-crazy, fashion-obsessed Sophie Ha turns out to have more to her than meets the eye.

And under sexy Xavier Yeh’s shell is buried a shameful truth he’ll never admit.

When these students’ lives collide, it’s guaranteed to be a summer Ever will never forget.

Review:

This was an exciting book about a group of teenagers sent to Loveboat, where they are supposed to learn about their culture but end up partying instead.

The characters were complex in this story. They each had a detailed backstory and storyline, though Ever was the main character. They had all been through things, which shaped the choices they made. They also changed throughout the story, so my opinions of them were different by the end from when they were first introduced. I was surprised at how some of the characters developed, but I won’t give the names so it isn’t spoiled.

The kids in this book were pretty wild. They snuck out of Loveboat and had wild parties. There was also tons of romance. It was fun to read, because it seemed like a summer long party.

I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you HarperCollins Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life by Rachel Cohn

Our Wayward Fate by Gloria Chao

Have you read Loveboat, Taipei? What did you think of it?

First Lines Friday – January 10

This is a weekly meme hosted by Wandering Words, where you give the first few lines of a book to hook your readers before introducing the book.

Here are my first lines:

“‘Take my baby.’
I flinch at the brittle, scratchy voice. I’m standing on the subway platform as I do every day after work, waiting for the train to come.”

Do you recognize these first lines?

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And the book is… Woman on the Edge by Samantha M. Bailey.

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Goodreads synopsis:

A moment on the platform changes two lives forever. But nothing is as it seems…

‘Take my baby.’

In a split second, Morgan’s life changes forever. A stranger hands her a baby, then jumps in front of a train.

Morgan has never seen the woman before and she can’t understand what would cause a person to give away her child and take her own life.

When the police question Morgan, she discovers none of the witnesses can corroborate her version of events. And when they learn Morgan longs for a baby of her own, she becomes a suspect.

To prove her innocence, Morgan frantically tries to retrace the last days of the woman’s life. She begins to understand that Nicole Markham believed she and her baby were in danger. Now Morgan might be in danger, too.

Was Nicole a new mother struggling with paranoia?

Or was something much darker going on?

Pulse-pounding, heartrending, shocking, thrilling. This is one book you won’t be able to stop thinking about. 

Have you read Woman on the Edge? What did you think of it?

Review: Martin Luther King Jr. (Little People, Big Dreams)

Title: Martin Luther King Jr. (Little People, Big Dreams)
Author: Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, Mai Ly Degnan
Genre: Children’s, Nonfiction
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: January 7, 2020
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Little Martin grew up in a family of preachers: his dad was a preacher, his uncle was a preacher, his grandfather was a preacher… so maybe he’d become a great preacher too. One day, a friend invited him to play at his house. Martin was shocked when his mother wouldn’t let him in because he was black. That day he realized there was something terribly unfair going on. Martin believed that no one should remain silent and accept something if it’s wrong. And he promised himself that – when he grew up – he’d fight injustice with the most powerful weapon of all: words. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the inspiring activist’s life.

Review:

This is a great book to teach children about Martin Luther King Jr.

At the beginning of the story, young Martin plays with his friends and doesn’t notice that they look different from him. It isn’t until his friend’s mother won’t allow him into their house that he realizes they are different. This shows how children aren’t naturally racist, but have it taught to them. Martin goes on to fight against prejudice by teaching others.

I always remember learning about Martin Luther King Jr. in school, so I really liked this book. This is a great children’s book.

Thank you Quarto Publishing Group for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Stephen Hawking (Little People, Big Dreams) by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, Matt Hunt

Mahatma Gandhi (Little People, Big Dreams) by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, Albert Arrayas

Have you read Martin Luther King Jr.? What did you think of it?