Seconds Away by Harlan Coben

Seconds Away (Mickey Bolitar #2) by Harlan Coben

September 18, 2012 bu Putnam Juvenile

Read for 2012 Sophomore Challenge

Summary from Goodreads:

When tragedy strikes close to home, Mickey Bolitar and his loyal new friends—sharp-witted Ema and the adorkably charming Spoon—find themselves at the center of a terrifying mystery involving the shooting of their friend Rachel. Now, not only does Mickey have to continue his quest to uncover the truth about the Abeona Shelter, the Butcher of Lodz and the mysterious death of his father, he needs to figure out who shot Rachel—no matter what it takes. Mickey has always been ready to sacrifice everything to help the people he loves. But with danger just seconds away, how can he protect them when he’s not even sure who—or what—he’s protecting them from?

I am really enjoying this series, which is no surprise considering I really enjoy Harlan Coben's mysteries for adults. Mickey has all the snark and wise-ass cracks that his uncle has, and the tension between the pair continues to make for great reading. Seconds Away takes place almost immediately after the conclusion of Shelter, so there is no time to wander around here--you are immediately swept back up into Mickey Bolitar's world, and this world is scary, dangerous, and, yes, even fun. Harlan Coben has created a great network of characters here, and I cannot wait to see them grow in future books.


I love that Harlan Coben was able to create a YA mystery series that is exactly the same as his adult books without the language and sex that adult mysteries are so soften full of. While I always recommend Harlan Coben to mystery readers at the library (ALWAYS support NJ writers!), I would also recommend these titles to my adult readers at the library who want a mystery series that isn't full of guts and gore. Kudos to Harlan Coben for another successful title!

ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Enjoy your reading!
Christi

Ten by Gretchen McNeil

Have you entered my Reading Road Trip Giveaway yet? Tomorrow's the last day!

Ten by Gretchen McNeil

Balzer & Bray, September 18, 2012

Read for 2012 Sophomore Challenge and 2012 Standalone Challenge

Summary from Goodreads:

And their doom comes swiftly.
It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.
But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.
Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

I just finished this book and I'm reminded of the fact that there just aren't enough murder-mysteries in YA fiction. I get why, really--the overly gruesome descriptions are usually a requirement for murder mysteries, and that can quickly put off many teen readers, or send them to the adult mystery section.

But Ten is a fun, fun read...well, as fun as a book about teenagers being tortured and murdered can be, at any rate! It's a perfect read for when you're looking for something scary and want some twists and turns. The cast of characters reads like any realistic scary movie--the linebacker, the computer nerd, the  overbearing girl, the "normal" girl and her unbalanced best friend--but like any realistic scary movie, you're anxious to see who's next to get offed, and how many people will have to die before the killer is revealed. Fun, like I said. :)

There are enough twists and turns to keep any reader guessing--I thought I had the killer figured out, but was wrong, and then wrong again--and the sense of hopelessness at being stranded in a gorgeous house, seemingly the only occupants on an entire island, with no method of communicating with anyone else and a serial killer methodically killing everyone? This is a great read, trust.

ARC won in contest. Ten will be released on September 18 and I urge you to pick it up!!
Enjoy your reading!
Christi

2012 Sophomore Challenge

Have you entered my Book Lover's Giveaway yet? Click here!

This sounds like an absolutely awesome challenge--basically, I'll be reading the second novels from some of my new favorite authors, many of whom appeared on my 2011 Debut Author Challenge! Chick Loves Lit is hosting this fun challenge.

Here are just some of the sophomore novels I'm looking forward to reading in 2012 (I put the debut novel in parentheses):

1. Truth by Julia Karr (XVI)
2. A Million Suns by Beth Revis (Across the Universe)
3. Thumped by Megan McCafferty (Bumped)
4. Insurgent by Veronica Roth (Divergent)
5. Fever by Lauren DeStefano (Wither)
6. The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour (Hold Still)
7. In Honor by Jessi Kirby (Moonglass)
8. Never Enough by Denise Jaden (Freefall)
9. Revived by Cat Patrick (Forgotten)
10. Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer R. Hubbard
11. Pieces of Us by Margie Gelbwasser

I'm sure this list will grow throughout 2012, but 11 is a great start, I think!

Enjoy your reading!

Christi