Thursday, May 31, 2018

Review: White Rabbit by Caleb Roehrig

White Rabbit

I had the pleasure of meeting Caleb at a Fierce Reads BEA event back in 2016 and was immediately sold by his killer personality.  I'd never heard of him prior to the event, but his book, Last Seen Leaving, moved to the very top of my TBR list ahead of several books I spent weeks plotting to get.  It was the first BEA book that I read and I absolutely loved it, so it should be no surprise that I read his latest book as soon as it was released.

Rufus Holt is a sixteen-year-old high school student who is far from the top of the social ladder.  He stumbles into a twisted murder mystery thanks to an unexpected call from his half-sister April.  She is part of their high school's elite who were gathered at Fox Whitney's family cottage for a Fourth of July party that went terribly wrong.  They aren't close, but she tells him he is the only one she can trust.  Her compelling plea for help has him convinced her life may be in danger.  He never could have anticipated how the rest of his night would play out.

The majority of the book takes place over the course of that one evening.  Rufus and his ex-boyfriend, Bash, find April covered in blood while holding the knife that was presumably used to murder her boyfriend.  She insists she isn't guilty and asks him to help her find the real killer.  There were six people at the party and one of them is now dead.  April insists it wasn't her, so that leaves 4 suspects, unless someone else stumbled upon the remote property.  

As additional bodies turn up and a shooting match takes place, Rufus and Bash realize they have uncovered something much larger than they ever could have imagined.  All of the people involved are telling half of the story to cover their own indiscretions, but they soon gather enough information to get them to start spilling the dirt on the other party goers.  

I had several ideas of who the killer was throughout the book, but I wasn't even close.  It all comes full circle in the final few chapters and we can see how all of the clues come together.  I have always been a fan of mysteries and thrillers, so this was right up my alley.  I have to compliment Caleb on his vocabulary throughout the book.  He definitely didn't hold back on the word choice even though it is geared for YA readers.  I can't wait to read his next book, Death Prefers Blonds, which has an anticipated release date of January 29, 2019.

Bookish Goals Status Update: May 2018



In an effort to help keep myself on track, I am going to post monthly status updates showing where I stand for each of my 2018 Goals.

Anything highlighted in gray is currently in progress, but not yet completed.

  • Read and review at least 36 books 
    1. Crossed by Ally Condie
    2. The Becoming of Noah Shaw by Michelle Hodkin
    3. Onyx by Jennifer Armentrout
    4. Love Show by Audrey Bell
    5. Invaded by Melissa Landers
    6. The Grift of the Magi by Ally Carter
    7. Finding Felicity by Stacey Kade
    8. Reached by Ally Condie
    9. United by Melissa Landers
    10. White Rabbit by Caleb Roehrig
    11. A Painted House by John Grisham
    12. Don't Kiss the Messenger by Katie Ray
  • I am participating in the Try Something New challenge hosted by The Herd Presents.  I'm going to aim for level 2 with 11-20 books. Any book over 80 pages qualifies as long as it is new to you.  New author, new genre, new series, etc.
    1. The Becoming of Noah Shaw by Michelle Hodkin (Shaw Confessions #1) - New Series
    2. Love Show by Audrey Bell - New Author
    3. Don't Kiss the Messenger by Katie Ray (New Series)
  • Read at least 10 New Adult books (My definition of NA = protagonists are post high school, but under 30)
    1. The Becoming of Noah Shaw by Michelle Hodkin
    2. Love Show by Audrey Bell
    3. Finding Felicity by Stacey Kade
    • Read three of the books that had been on my TBR list the longest.  I now have 45 books that were all added on September 7, 2010 that would qualify.  
      1. A Painted House by John Grisham

    • Finish reading at least 5 series I have already started.  (I have several trilogies with final books I still need to read. 
      1. Reached by Ally Condie - Book 3 in the Matched Series
      2. United by Melissa Landers - Book 3 in the Alienated Series
    • TBR Challenge.  For this challenge I want to read at least 20 books that were on my TBR list AND were published prior to January 1, 2018. 
      1. Crossed by Ally Condie
      2. The Becoming of Noah Shaw by Michelle Hodkin
      3. Onyx by Jennifer Armentrout
      4. Love Show by Audrey Bell
      5. Invaded by Melissa Landers
      6. The Grift of the Magi by Ally Carter
      7. Reached by Ally Condie
      8. United by Melissa Landers
      9. A Painted House by John Grisham
      10. Don't Kiss the Messenger by Katie Ray
    • I joined the New Release Challenge hosted by Unconventional Book Views and Books, Movies, Reviews Oh My! My goal is to reach New Release Newbie level with 12 new releases read/reviewed during 2017.  The minimum length for a book to qualify is 100 pages. 
      1. Finding Felicity by Stacey Kade - Released 3/20/18
      2. White Rabbit by Caleb Roehrig - Released 4/24/18

    Monday, May 21, 2018

    COYER Summer Birthday Bash Sign-Up


    It is almost time for the Summer COYER challenge.  The official sing-up post is over at the COYER Challenge Site.  The challenge begins June 9th at 12 am EST and ends August 31st at 11:59 pm EST.  The review linky and giveaway widget will remain open until September 1st at 11:39 pm EST. 

    I have participated in the COYER challenges since the summer of 2015 and always look forward to them.  To help celebrate their 5th Birthday they are bringing back some of their favorite challenges from the past 5 years.  The only requirement is to link your sign-up post prior to the start of the challenge.  From there you can participate in as many or few of the challenges as you like.  Just remember to link your reviews.

    Since it is summer and I should hopefully have more free time, I'm going to try to reach the Spring Clean level with 11-20 books read/reviewed.

    The following is my List for the Summer Challenge:
    1. Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry - Currently Reading
    2. Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
    3. The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead - Completed
    4. Shopaholic Takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella - Completed
    5. See How They Run by Ally Carter - Completed
    6. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
    7. Bad Blood by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - Completed
    8. Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter
    9. High Five by Janet Evanovich 
    10. One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake
    11. Biggest Flirts by Jennifer Echols
    12. Between the Lines by Tammara Webber
    13. Never Never by Colleen Hoover
    14. The Sixth Man by David Baldacci
    15. Cress by Marissa Meyer - Completed
    16. The Emperor's Code (39 Clues #8) - Completed
    17. Twelve by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - Completed
    18. Take the Key and Lock Her Up by Ally Carter - Currently Reading

    Friday, May 4, 2018

    Bookish Goals Status Update: April 2018



    In an effort to help keep myself on track, I am going to post monthly status updates showing where I stand for each of my 2018 Goals.

    Anything highlighted in gray is currently in progress, but not yet completed.

    • Read and review at least 36 books 
      1. Crossed by Ally Condie
      2. The Becoming of Noah Shaw by Michelle Hodkin
      3. Onyx by Jennifer Armentrout
      4. Love Show by Audrey Bell
      5. Invaded by Melissa Landers
      6. The Grift of the Magi by Ally Carter
      7. Finding Felicity by Stacey Kade
      8. Reached by Ally Condie
      9. United by Melissa Landers
      10. White Rabbit by Caleb Roehrig
    • I am participating in the Try Something New challenge hosted by The Herd Presents.  I'm going to aim for level 2 with 11-20 books. Any book over 80 pages qualifies as long as it is new to you.  New author, new genre, new series, etc.
      1. The Becoming of Noah Shaw by Michelle Hodkin (Shaw Confessions #1) - New Series
      2. Love Show by Audrey Bell - New Author
    • Read at least 10 New Adult books (My definition of NA = protagonists are post high school, but under 30)
      1. The Becoming of Noah Shaw by Michelle Hodkin
      2. Love Show by Audrey Bell
      3. Finding Felicity by Stacey Kade
      • Read three of the books that had been on my TBR list the longest.  I now have 45 books that were all added on September 7, 2010 that would qualify.  


      • Finish reading at least 5 series I have already started.  (I have several trilogies with final books I still need to read. 
        1. Reached by Ally Condie - Book 3 in the Matched Series
        2. United by Melissa Landers - Book 3 in the Alienated Series
      • TBR Challenge.  For this challenge I want to read at least 20 books that were on my TBR list AND were published prior to January 1, 2018. 
        1. Crossed by Ally Condie
        2. The Becoming of Noah Shaw by Michelle Hodkin
        3. Onyx by Jennifer Armentrout
        4. Love Show by Audrey Bell
        5. Invaded by Melissa Landers
        6. The Grift of the Magi by Ally Carter
        7. Reached by Ally Condie
        8. United by Melissa Landers
      • I joined the New Release Challenge hosted by Unconventional Book Views and Books, Movies, Reviews Oh My! My goal is to reach New Release Newbie level with 12 new releases read/reviewed during 2017.  The minimum length for a book to qualify is 100 pages. 
        1. Finding Felicity by Stacey Kade - Released 3/20/18
        2. White Rabbit by Caleb Roehrig - Released 4/24/18

        Thursday, May 3, 2018

        Review: Reached by Ally Condie

        Reached (Matched, #3)

        Goodreads Overview:

        Cassia’s journey began with an error, a momentary glitch in the otherwise perfect façade of the Society. After crossing canyons to break free, she waits, silk and paper smuggled against her skin, ready for the final chapter.

        The wait is over.


        One young woman has raged against those who threaten to keep away what matters most—family, love, choice. Her quiet revolution is about to explode into full-scale rebellion. With exquisite prose, the emotionally gripping conclusion to the international–bestselling Matched trilogy returns Cassia, Ky, and Xander to the Society to save the one thing they have been denied for so long, the power to choose.

        Review:

        Reached is the third and final book in the Matched trilogy.  In this installment Cassia, Ky, and Xander are reunited and must work together to find a cure for the plaque that has taken over the Society.  They once thought the Rising and the Pilot would save them from the controlling Society, but they are beginning to see that even the rebellion has its flaws. 

        While I really enjoyed Matched, I struggled a bit with the pace and length of this book.  It seemed to go on FOREVER.  I never really got into the poetry aspect and the fixation on "paper" was lost on me.  In this day and age when everything is digital, I can see where they are coming from with the lack of writing on actual paper, but I don't see the lack of paper itself as being detrimental. I would have connected more if the focus was on free thinking, creativity, and the fine arts that were all but eliminated from life in the Society vs. the lack of paper.

        Overall, I think this story could have been told in half as many pages and would have been considerably more enjoyable. As it was, I rally had to force myself to keep reading.  Ally did bring everything to a nice conclusion, but if I were to go into this series knowing what I do now, I would have stopped after reading Matched.  I don't feel like I really gained much over the course of the final two books.