Release Day Review: ROTTEN FRUIT by D.W. Cole

 

ROTTEN FRUIT by D.W. Cole

Publication Date: November 27, 2023

Pages: 119

Source: Author | Purchased

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RATING

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis

What do you get when you have a fragile psyche, a knack for self-sabotage, and a slew of mommy issues? Killer instincts.

The battle of the mind can rage the most extensive war. That’s what Rue’s therapist always told her, and she was desperate to end the never-ending rug from being pulled from underneath her.

Determined to leave her troubled history behind, she relocates to Virginia for a fresh start. After significant strides to heal her wounds, Rue falls in love with Wyant Minnick, a seemingly perfect man with few flaws. After almost two years together, she believes she has finally found the love and stability she has craved since childhood. However, her fragile psyche starts to shatter when she discovers a lie that Wyant has been harboring. This devastating revelation sets off a chain of events that could have disastrous consequences for both.

Caught in an internal battle of self-sabotage, Rue transforms into an anti-hero, torn between her desire for a new life and the darkness within her. As the story unfolds, the lines between right and wrong blur, and Rue's secrets come to light. With each page, the suspense intensifies as Rue navigates the intricate web of her mind and grapples with her demons while struggling to come to terms with Wyant's potential betrayal.

In this gripping psychological thriller, delve into the complex world of Rue, a woman seeking solace from a haunting past. This captivating tale will have you on the edge of your seat, eagerly turning the pages to unravel the mystery that will keep your mind guessing until the end.

MY THOUGHTS

Who do you become when you're created out of spite, treated as though your existence is wrong, and convinced you're nothing but a burden? How do you find the light when all you have been shown is darkness? Author D.W. Cole shows readers exactly who in her debut novella ROTTEN FRUIT.

Written in a beautiful mix of poetry and prose, D.W. Cole has a style uniquely her own. ROTTEN FRUIT will have readers both mesmerized and intentionally unsettled. Readers will root for Rue to find the love she deserves, and be fearful of the wrath she can inflict. 

ROTTEN FRUIT is the jolt to your TBR that you need and D.W. Cole is an author to watch out for. I cannot wait to have this beautiful book in my hands!

Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC of this book for review consideration. I've purchased a final version of the book for my personal library. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mini-Reviews: THE GOOD LIE, THE GUILT TRIP, and THERE'S SOMEONE INSIDE YOUR HOUSE

 A collection of mini-reviews, quick thoughts, and books worth mentioning. Check them out!

THE GOOD LIE by A.R. Torre

Publication Date: July 20, 2021

Pages: 254

Source: Kindle Unlimited

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis (link to Goodreads)

My Thoughts

I read THE GOOD LIE through my Kindle Unlimited subscription. 

Fans of murder mysteries, podcasts, and CSI type shows will really enjoy this book. I loved the "who done it" aspect with all of the theories, media responses, and kept/withheld information that kept my guessing. It was fun playing detective and trying to figure out the motives and who the real killer is.

THE GOOD LIE has a high level of creepiness that kept me on edge until the very end. It was so good and now I get to decide which book by A.R. Torre that I get to read next. I'm excited to read more by this author!

THE GUILT TRIP by Sandie Jones

Publication Date: August 3, 2021

Pages: 320

Source: Purchased

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis (link to Goodreads)

My Thoughts

THE GUILT TRIP was another book that I read with my book club. I love the play on the title - the trip of a destination wedding and all of the guilty parties.

THE GUILT TRIP read like a soap opera and the best possible way. It was full of drama, secrets, scandals, and misdirection. It offered a lot to be discussed and considered during our book club and it left us with some questions that we still don't have the answers too. THE GUILT TRIP was a great book club selection.

THERE'S SOMEONE INSIDE YOUR HOUSE by Stephanie Perkins

Publication Date: September 26, 2017

Pages: 287

Source: Purchased

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis (link to Goodreads)

My Thoughts

I've been a longtime fan of Stephanie Perkins and her YA contemporary books ever since I read ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS, so of course I bought a copy of THERE'S SOMEONE INSIDE YOUR HOUSE when she wrote a thriller. I wanted to read her talent in a new genre. However, it took me a while to finally read it. (I've had the book on my shelf since 2017). Once I found out that the Netflix release day of the movie adaptation was coming up, I decided I needed to read it ASAP. And I thought I wanted to be creeped out, so why not? Well, it did creep me out for sure. It's definitely a gory thriller. It was so gory (more than what I've read in a long time) that I was almost hesitant to watch the movie. Almost. Let me just say that I was covering my eyes in just the few minutes and if I'm being honest I did that pretty much throughout. 

If you like horror and being freaked out, then this book is for you. 

Review: THE GIRL IN THE PICTURE by Alexandra Monir

THE GIRL IN THE PICTURE

by Alexandra Monir

Publication Date: November 15, 2016

Published by Delacorte Press/Random House

Pages: 272

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Synopsis

Nicole Morgan has been labeled many things — the geeky music girl, the shy sidekick to Miss Popularity, and the girl with the scar. Now only one name haunts her through the halls of Oyster Bay Prep.

The Girl in the Picture.

After high school heartthrob Chace Porter is found dead in the woods near the school, the police are in search of the girl whose picture with Chace is the only clue found amongst his personal belongings. A girl who no one knew was even close to Chace–and whose dormmate, Lana Rivera, was Chace's girlfriend.

Nicole is that girl and now she's the primary suspect in his murder.

But what really happened that night? Were Nicole and Chace dating behind Lana’s back; were he and Lana over? Could either of them have killed him?

Told in alternating points of view, that of our suspect, Nicole Morgan, and her former best friend and roommate, Lana Rivera, readers will piece together the story of a starcrossed love, a fractured friendship–and what really happened the night Chace was killed.

My Thoughts

I decided to read THE GIRL IN THE PICTURE because I was in the mood to read a young adult mystery. I'd read some adult mystery/thrillers and a lot of YA contemporary/adult contemporary with very similar themes recently and I wanted something different. THE GIRL IN THE PICTURE gave me just what I was looking for - mystery and suspense and some additional drama between friends.

I liked the method of story telling with multiple narrators and alternating story lines from the past and the present because I got to know Nicole and Lana from their own thoughts and actions. And I was able to understand the dynamics of the friendship and their individual motivations. 

THE GIRL IN THE PICTURE is a thrilling read. I questioned everything. Were Nicole and Lana reliable narrators? And everyone was a suspect. There were times, in the beginning of the book, that I was trying to figure everything out. I had to tell myself to stop playing detective and let the story reveal itself.  

I was caught up in the story and only did I figure out the "great reveal" right before I read it. There were enough questionable actions to make everyone a likely suspect. My only complaint is that resolution was abrupt. The suspense could have been drawn out more for a greater shock value. 

Favorite Quote:

"The world can take nearly everything away from me -- my face, my friends, my love -- but as long as I have my music, I have something worth living and fighting for. I have a purpose." - Nicole (pg. 103)

I enjoyed THE GIRL IN THE PICTURE and would recommend it to readers who like YA mysteries and thrillers.

Disclaimer:  I received this ARC from the publisher. I was not compensated in any way other than the ARC provided. Quotes shared in this review were taken from the ARC and may differ from the final published version. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review: PLACID GIRL by Brenna Ehrlich

PLACID GIRL

by Brenna Ehrlich

Publication Date: August 25, 2015

Published by All Ages Press

Pages: 206

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

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from Goodreads

Punk was created for the malcontents, something that loner and aspiring drummer Hallie understands all too well. Trapped in a boring suburban life – dysfunctional parents included! – Hallie drowns her angst in the angry songs of Haze, a masked musician who has not been heard from in five years. So naturally she’s surprised – and more than a little skeptical – when someone who seems to be Haze starts flirting with her via her favorite photo-sharing app. Is he who he says he is? What does he want from her? The questions only multiply when Hallie — along with bandmate Sarah and aspiring music journalist Steve — roadtrip to Haze's comeback gig to unmask the reclusive musician once and for all.

My Thoughts

I first heard about Placid Girl when I received a publicist review request. Initially I didn't accept the request even though it sounded like kind of book I would LOVE. I'd committed to too many reviews lately and I'd read a lot of books about musicians. (I have a weakness for them.) It was after I read some high praise blurbs and a few more promotional posts for Placid Girl, and that oh so tempting Read Now option on Netgalley that I decided to read it. I figured that I'd get to it when I got to it. Well, I got to it sooner that I expected and realized that I shouldn't have been so blasé about it, because it is a really compelling story. It was humorous and mysterious, and it taps into the complexities of social media and celebrity worship.

This book had me from the opening scene where Hallie is in a state of terror from stage fright. While the story and the characters hooked me, no doubt about it, I have to admit, it took a while to get used to the writing style. I can't pinpoint why it seemed different, but I would notice that I'd reread a few passages over to grasp the rhythm and get into the flow. Eventually I became used to the style and wasn't distracted from the story. 

I loved reading about Hallie and discovering the different facets of her personality. She's a badass drummer with enviable talent, who loves her place behind the drum kit, but not necessarily on stage. She is confident when playing the drums, but she has many doubts in most all other aspects of her life. She's not always the best of a friend to Sarah, and you don't immediately know why. They have some stuff that they need to work out, but her current stance is to avoid conflict, which, of course, builds tension between them and puts even more strain on their friendship. 

What I loved:

• How the story portrays the connection of music and emotion, and sometimes, obsession 
• The song lyrics at the beginning of each chapter
• Hallie's explanation of a crush and how, for her, it's more about admiration and wanting to be the person than actually being with the person 
• A perfectly timed pun
• Hallie as she begins to empathize with other people (through her new friendship with Steve). Her obsession with Haze makes her very narrow-sighted creating a tunnel vision and she doesn't always realized what is going on around her. More often though, she obsesses over Haze so she doesn't have to deal with the heavy stuff going on in her life.
• Creepy moments that kept me guessing - there are too many of these (not really, I loved them)

Some favorite quotes:

Early on in the book:
" . . . every time I sit down to write lyrics I feel like a liar. Like I don't know anything about living at all so who the hell am I to make some kind of grand statement about it that people can also dance to?"

Near the end of the book:
"We're too young to look this sad. We should try to do all this living five years from now when we're ready."

The second quote is very telling. The characters go through a lot and in just a few days she's changed and feel like she's aged. (She got the experience, "living", she was looking for in the previous quote.)

More favorite quotes:

"My use of innuendo is painfully obvious. I blame my chronic virginity."

"It's funny what a little dirt will do to your image."

"But you don't need me to tell you who you are. You know it."

I highlighted a bunch more quotes throuhout, but these are my favorite.

Placid Girl will entertain readers and keep them on edge until the very end. Anyone who loves music deep in their soul will see a piece of themselves in Hallie. I know I did. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to more books by Brenna Ehrlich.

Disclaimer:  I received this e-ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.  I was not compensated in any way other than the e-ARC provided. Quotes used are from the e-ARC and may differ from the final published version. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

FERAL Blog Tour: Bookstore Memories with Holly Schindler

 Today I am hosting Holly Schindler as part of the FERAL Blog Tour. FERAL, a YA psychological thriller was published August 26, 2014 by Harper Teen. For my stop on the tour, I've asked Holly to share her favorite bookstore memory. 

Welcome Holly!!!

What is your favorite bookstore memory (either as a reader or an author)?

Like many areas through the country, my hometown of Springfield, Missouri was hit fairly hard by the recession.  Our supply of indie bookstores was already dwindling, and the recession did a good job of closing the last few remaining indie doors.  Today, my hometown’s main source of physical book-buying is a Barnes and Noble (and venues with smaller bookshelves like Walmart or Target).  I’d say that primarily, when a Springfieldian now wants to browse bookshelves to discover a new author, they head to one of our libraries.

I have to admit, one of my earliest (and fondest) book-buying memories happened…in a grocery-store.  I used to get a new Little Golden Book every week, when I went grocery shopping with my mom.  (When I outgrew picture books and we sold them off at a garage sale, we had a MOUNTAIN of Little Goldens on display on a picnic table.)  

But the bookstore I loved (and now miss) the most was a little place tucked into a strip mall…I have a hard time remembering the exact name of it, but do know it was in the Fremont Shopping Center in Springfield (so we’ll call the store the Fremont).  The feel of the Fremont was just incredible.  It had giant heavy doors complete with carved lion heads.  And it had multiple levels inside, and ladders to help booksellers reach the highest shelves.  It truly was like the quaint bookstores that occasionally show up in movies—think The Shop Around the Corner in YOU’VE GOT MAIL.  

I remember finding so many of my early chapter-book loves there—books by Judy Blume or Beverly Cleary.  I remember buying some of my first classics there, too: ALICE IN WONDERLAND, for example.  (I’m also fairly certain the LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE set I received for Christmas came from that store).

 

I remember the Fremont so fondly: the peaceful atmosphere, the perfume of new books, the assurance that something new and delicious was on the shelves just waiting for me to finally discover it.  Later on, I became a literature major—and I still dearly love to read the classics.  Often, I think that, to a great extent, my love of literature was born in that favorite childhood bookstore, as I wandered the aisles and tugged colorful spines from the shelves…

 

 FERAL

by Holly Schindler

Published by Harper Teen

August 26, 2014

  432 Pages

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 Purchase Links
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound

 

 

 About FERAL

The Lovely Bones meets Black Swan in this haunting psychological thriller with twists and turns that will make you question everything you think you know.

It’s too late for you. You’re dead. Those words continue to haunt Claire Cain months after she barely survived a brutal beating in Chicago. So when her father is offered a job in another state, Claire is hopeful that getting out will offer her a way to start anew.

But when she arrives in Peculiar, Missouri, Claire feels an overwhelming sense of danger, and her fears are confirmed when she discovers the body of a popular high school student in the icy woods behind the school, surrounded by the town’s feral cats. While everyone is quick to say it was an accident, Claire knows there’s more to it, and vows to learn the truth about what happened.

But the closer she gets to uncovering the mystery, the closer she also gets to realizing a frightening reality about herself and the damage she truly sustained in that Chicago alley….

Holly Schindler’s gripping story is filled with heart-stopping twists and turns that will keep readers guessing until the very last page.

 

Holly Schindler Bio:

Holly Schindler is the author of the critically acclaimed A BLUE SO DARK (Booklist starred review, ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year silver medal recipient, IPPY Awards gold medal recipient) as well as PLAYING HURT (both YAs). 

Her debut MG, THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY, also released in ’14, and became a favorite of teachers and librarians, who used the book as a read-aloud.  Kirkus Reviews called THE JUNCTION “...a heartwarming and uplifting story...[that] shines...with vibrant themes of community, self-empowerment and artistic vision delivered with a satisfying verve.” 

FERAL is Schindler’s third YA and first psychological thriller.  Publishers Weekly gave FERAL a starred review, stating, “Opening with back-to-back scenes of exquisitely imagined yet very real horror, Schindler’s third YA novel hearkens to the uncompromising demands of her debut, A BLUE SO DARK…This time, the focus is on women’s voices and the consequences they suffer for speaking…This is a story about reclaiming and healing, a process that is scary, imperfect, and carries no guarantees.”

Schindler encourages readers to get in touch.  Booksellers, teen librarians, and teachers can also contact her directly regarding Skype visits.  

Find Holly online:

Website / Goodreads / Blog / Twitter / Facebook

FERAL Trailer:

Link:

http://vimeo.com/90169956

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