 
The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly
Stephanie Oakes 
This is one of those books that I'm ecstatic to have a paper copy of. It'll join the others on my bookshelf of love. See, this is a rarity, reserved only for the books that I really, really took a liking too: five star books in my opinion.
I picked The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly up at my local library's annual book sale. Five dollars buys you a bag of treasure; stuffed to the brim and ripping a little from the weight of your newly discovered gold. I bought six bags. Anyways, the copy I purchased and read is the unedited, unfinished editors proof so there may be slight variations between my reading experience and yours, but it's such a powerful read.
“I could feel the window in which I viewed the world- no larger than a pinhole back then- broadening somewhere at the back of my mind just by looking at him.”
Minnow Bly and her family traveled to the middle of the woods when she was just a young girl, under the leadership of a prophet; to a new beginning. A beginning that would completely distort how she thought about the very world she lived in. Meteors became bombs, shooting stars’ weapons of mass destruction, and stars the eyes of god. "Fear floated around like constant pollen, but none of us were allergic." The prophet has been murdered, and the village set ablaze. Minnow finds herself in juvenile detention center and missing a lot more than just her hands. Will she ever be able to regain her freedom? To live a life with some type of normalcy away from the cult, and everything she's learned to be true?
I wasn't even five pages into the first chapter, and I knew this book was going to be a keeper. The text is easy to read, without being a cake walk, and the story unravels effortlessly. It is a longer read, with over 300 pages, but I absorbed every page to the fullest.
Rarely do I find myself "dog earring" a page or stopping to write a quote down, but there were just so many "ah-ha" moments in this book that I couldn't help myself. Definitely the type of story that makes you think and really evaluate how truly fortunate many of us are for the people and things we have in our lives. Things we often take for granted...like the ability to read. "Jude taught me what love was: To be willing to hold onto another person's pain. That's it." Thought provoking, entertaining and just an overall awesome read.
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The Winter People
Jennifer McMahon 
Here we go again! Another horror/mystery book just in time for the arrival of fall! This seems to be a genre that's peaked my interested as of late, and I must say I'm kinda digging it!
Every town has its share of horror stories, from gruesome murders to mysteriously abandoned houses, but for West Hall, Vermont, it's mysteries and legends are seriously spooky! Every mother and daughter share a unique bond, some more powerful than others. When little Gertie goes missing only to be found deceased at the bottom of an old well Sara, her mother, is completely shattered and broken. She spends countless days sequestered to her bed and heavily medicated. But, just when Sara’s husband begins to think there’s no hope, Sara begins to show signs of improvement. Little does he know, his wife has a secret and it involves their dead daughter... some people can never let go. Flash forward to present day and Sara's hold farmhouse is now occupied by Ruthie, Fawn and their somewhat eccentric mother, Alice. Alice abruptly, and mysteriously, disappears from home one evening leaving Ruthie to pick up the pieces and unravel the secrets of the past...her past. If only Sara knew how much her decisions would impact the lives of those after her.
I truly enjoyed reading this book. It was the kind of read that sucked you in and kept you up late into the night. It was finished, cover to cover, in less than 24 hours.
The premise of this book is unique and the characters well developed. It was like being on scavenger hunt, looking for the weapon, the room and the person responsible for the crime. There were clues shrouded in mystery, never giving away more than the reader needed to eventually put all the pieces together. So, if I loved this book so much why did I give it only 4 starts, or in my case books? Well, the ending. It was...predictable. I wish there would have been a bit more of a twist. Granted, there was somewhat of a twist when the reader finally learns what really happened the night of Sara's death, but I wanted more. Maybe that makes me a bit selfish, but a reader is allowed to expect the best! I highly recommend The Winter People if you are looking for an engaging read that keeps you guessing! There's a reason why it's currently in the top 20 best seller list!   
"I see dead people."
Billie lived a normal life until an accident put her in a coma for three days. When she wakes, she discovers a new ability. An ability to see the dead, sense their presence, and now she's faced with the reality that they just will not leave her alone.
"Murder House," a abandoned house on the outskirts of town rumored to be haunted, is scheduled to be demolished, but not before Billie and a few friends decide to take one last tour. Not only do the girls find more than they bargained for, but what they find opens a door into Billie's past that not even she knew existed. One thing I found less than appealing aboutThe Spookshow was the lack of background information. Billie often references things, and people from her past, but the reader is left in the dark until nearly the end of the book and even then, there are several unanswered questions. Granted, the answers to these questions may come later in Welcome to the Spookshow, The Women in the Walls, or any of the other books in the series, but I think The Spookshow desperately needed more explanation. Also, it's not really clear how old Billie or her friends are. It's just another cliff hanger that I feel lends towards my conclusion that the book needed more in-depth character building and clarification. I probably would have really enjoyed this book when I was 13 or 14, but not now. Overall, the premise of the book is good. Your local haunted house with a twist and a main character who share similarities with the little boy from The Sixth Sense.  
Mateguas Island
Linda Watkins 
"It's like being in the eye of a hurricane."
After loosing his job, and eventually his families home, Bill Anderson moves his wife, Karen, and their two twin daughters from their comfortable lifestyle in California to small Mateguas Island off the coast of Maine. Little do they know, their new home has a deep, dark history, and they're about to experience its grip.
This isn't your traditional ghost story in the sense that things go bump in the night, well...they do, but not in the same way as the ghosts in movies like "The Conjuring," or "Paranormal Activity." No ones being dragged from their bed by an invisible force, but there are invisible forces at play, and they are pretty frightening. One of the best things about Linda Watkin's characters is their believably, and the realistic way she goes about building their relationships and thought patterns. Karen and Bill Anderson's story is so realistic, the reader can't help but be drawn into the story. So why only three stars? Well, as much as I enjoyed this book, I didn't LOVE it. It just wasn't a book I was racing to get through, or finish. It certainly pulled me in enough to finish the book, but I'm not running to pick up the next book in the series. With that being said, if you're looking for a good read on a rainy, stormy day, give Mateguas Island a shot! |
AuthorAn avid reader with a thirst for knowledge, and adventure through words printed on paper. Books Read in 2018
*Beauty & the Beast: Lost in a Book *The Things You Find in Rockpools *Pretty Girls *Faithful *Every Last Word * I'm Judging You * A Wrinkle In Time * Wonder Archives
April 2018
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