Laura J. BurnsReseñas
Autor de Apocalypse Memories
Reseñas
barely believable,
squicked me out at times,
CLIFFHANGER ENDING,
private school,
experimentation,
one of those "rare" super memories that seem to happen so often in YA,
secret society,
looks like brain washing,
...hot mess.
In the foster care system since her parents' deaths when she was three years old, Sarah Merson cannot believe her good fortune when she is presented with a scholarship to attend the elite Sanctuary Bay Academy. Set on a secluded island off the coast of Maine, the majority of students are from privileged and wealthy families, so Sarah is out of her depth and uncertain of her reception by her classmates. Pleasantly surprised by their easy acceptance of her, she shares a suite with two other teenagers, Isobel "Izzy" Trescott and Karina Sharma and they are quick to include her in their circle of friends. Curious about her new roommates mysterious midnight excursions, Sarah follows them one night and when she is discovered, she is invited to join a secret society known as the Wolfpack. Seemingly harmless, she enjoys being a member of the pack, but when a prank goes too far one night and Karina goes missing, Sarah turns to Karina's indolent boyfriend, Ethan Steere, to help search for her.
Given her past, Sarah is somewhat guarded and finds it difficult to trust people. She has a bit of a chip on her shoulder and she is quick speak her mind when her temper gets the best of her. Sarah easily jumps to conclusions on occasion and lashes out at those around her when she feels threatened. She is little curious about some of the strange happenings but overall, Sarah is happy with her new school and she is grateful for the opportunity to make a better life for herself.
Ethan is indifferent to the opportunities provided to him at the academy and unlike most of his classmates, he is not happy about being on the island. He is deliberately antagonistic to many of the students and his relationship with Karina is rather rocky. He is a rule breaker who defies authority and he has a bad boy reputation with the school's administrators and his fellow students. Ethan's rebellion and antisocial tendencies make him the perfect person for Sarah to turn to when she needs help searching for Karina.
The first half of Sanctuary Bay is pretty ordinary with Sarah and her friends going to class and hanging out together. There are a few anomalies that pique Sarah's curiosity but she easily sets these troubling questions aside. It is not until she joins the Wolfpack that the plot turns a little more sinister. Even then, there is nothing too troubling other than a few creepy rituals which include drinking a concoction that heightens Sarah's senses and experiences. However, Karina's disappearance ups the ante and Sarah is truly frightened by her friends' inexplicable behavior. It is not until she and Ethan begin making progress with their investigation into Karina's disappearance that Sarah's fear turns to horror as they uncover shocking information about Sanctuary Bay.
With a compelling and unusual storyline, Sanctuary Bay is a fascinating young adult mystery. With one notable exception, the characters are well developed and three-dimensional. Although rather slow-paced in the beginning, the novel thunders to an action packed and exciting conclusion. Although most of the loose ends are tied up, a few unanswered questions will leave readers hoping that Laura J. Burns & Melinda Metz plan to write a follow-up novel starring Sarah and Ethan. All in all, an enjoyable contemporary young adult novel that I recommend to readers of all ages.
How did I feel about this book? Short answer: it's complicated. There were aspects that I really enjoyed, like the mythology and archeological sites, but I needed to suspend a lot of belief for this book to work. I also felt like the story progressed with very little conflict, despite the direness of their situation. Everything had a simple solution, and I would have preferred more risk and excitement. I love it when characters overcome challenges and obstacles!
I could tell the authors did a lot of research regarding the temples and various other sites Memphis and Ash travel to, but I was a little iffy on the language of Horus. I wish there has been more details surrounding this hidden language that only three people knew how to read. Was this a language the authors made up themselves, or was is based on fact and history? The language itself was never elaborated on, so I'm not sure about the specifics. Also, why were there only three people that could decipher the language, and how did her father learn? Maybe I missed something.
I wasn't fond of referring to Memphis as "M," but that was her preferred nickname for the majority of the book. It was just a weird thing to think as I read, and I actually like the name Memphis. She says only her friends and family call her M, but she never explains why.
Whenever Ash and M found themselves in a difficult situation, it was too easy for them to find a solution. They needed to search for an artifact that was underwater, and M happened to know a lady with a boat full of the equipment they would need. This lady also happened to be living in exactly the right place, and M was able to phone a friend. Speaking of the boat, Ash mentioned it belonged to a university and not the woman herself, but they never addressed what happened when they returned with a damaged boat. They were obviously able to get back to land, but how did they explain what happened?
When they were at another location, they thought the airports were being monitored and were afraid to buy plane tickets. Unsurprisingly, M knew a guy who knew a guy, and they were able to score seats on a private plane. It was too easy. Her phone seemed to full of endless contacts that could solve their every problem. Why weren't any of these people mentioned before? Why did she only think about them when Ash couldn't just throw money at it?
It also bugged me how quickly M and Ash were able to solve the riddles left in the hieroglyphs. They sped through the ancient map with relative ease, even though she's been working with Mike (this really random person she only ever texts for information) for nearly a year after her father's death. Additionally, this map is something her father worked on for years prior to his death, but they're able to solve it in a matter of days.
Ash's personal story had too many holes, and I'm surprised M wasn't able to see through them. The title is also misleading, because it's clear from the start that these two trust each other, even if they won't admit it out loud. They may have had two different motivations, but they were a team. Ash also has a unique quality that allows him to save M from two Nile crocodiles (very unrealistic part of the story), yet he doesn't use this same quality on the enemies they face. Why wouldn't that have been his first thought?
My feelings for I Do Not Trust You are complicated. It's probably not a book I will read again, but it was mildly entertaining while it lasted. (Side note: I think this book is listed as YA, but she's 18 and he's older, so I'm going to go with NA on this one.) Oh, and everyone uses Google a lot.
Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on September 22, 2018.
3.5 Stars
A young adult fantasy novel, I Do Not Trust You by Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz is about Memphis and Ash and their quest to save M's father and rescue the world from destruction at the hands of Mythological gods. Memphis "M" knows all about reading ruins, archeology trips, and everything related to Mythology. Ash is part handsome partner in crime and part secret cult member. The two don't click easily, but with a goal in mind that helps them both they set out together to find the pieces of a missing artifact.
Ancient lost languages? Check. Creepy cults? Check. A female heroine that readers have been comparing to Lara Croft? Check. COUNT ME IN. I couldn't say no to a book that features mythological fantasy mixed in with reality, taking us on a journey through the present day world, only there's cults that believe in ancient Gods and there's a huge threat of one of them coming back to life. Talk about creating a sense of urgency when it comes to a story. Told from alternating perspective, we get to know both M and Ash in great detail, gaining an understanding of their upbringing, the choices they had previously made, and seeing the thought process unfold as they make decisions that will change their futures.
Though the characters fall in the middle of the young adult and new adult, the story definitely reads like a YA book. I think it's easy enough to follow for Middle Grade and up readers, as much of the mythological concepts are explained in great detail. Plus, it's filled with action, friendship, and a significant message about perseverance and trust. I loved the various locations the two visited, though the timeline seemed quite crazy. I certainly wouldn't be as brave or independent as M! I Do Not Trust You was a fun break in my normal reading and I would recommend it to Mythology and Fantasy YA fans.
ARC provided.
Sarah is a hard to like character, but it works for this book. She's seen a lot of ugly in the world, questions everything, and judges everyone. You would think reading her constant inner monologue of judgement of people would get old, but it really just makes her who she is. I connected with her, with her protective layer over herself and her role as an outcast, even when she no longer was. She isn't the best secret keeper in the world, but she does have the qualities of a great best friend. The saving grace of this book though is Ethan. He's like John Bender from the Breakfast Club, like the criminal with a negative viewpoint, but he makes you think, he brings out the best in Sarah, and he really brings a lot of missing pieces to the puzzle. I really would like to know more about him and see his story line's conclusion. I definitely was surprised by everything in this book, you get the creepy crawlies just knowing Sarah is off to a school that's completely cut off from the outside world, but I didn't expect the twists and turns that did happen. I, for one, wouldn't want anything to do with a school connected to an insane asylum or a POW nazi camp.
I'm not sure if I'm just too caught up in the details, but something was missing in Sanctuary Bay. For all the background we get, I still don't feel like I really understand. The "wolfpack," or secret society, aspect of the story really threw me. I love secret society books, I will read any you give me, but this one confused me. Once you tie in the thing leading the society
I'm really hoping this book is part of a series, because even though I didn't full understand everything I do really want to know what happens to Sarah and Ethan, as well as with the Bromcyan. There are several story lines that didn't reach conclusion, especially Sarah's life and Ethan's family. I could also easily see a prologue, one involving Sarah's parents, being written, because it sounds so interesting. Like I said, I'm a sucker for the details, but overall this book was a good read. Just enough YA/NA mixed with creepy mystery.
I was offered a copy of this book for review, and I'm glad I got around to reading it. I love stories based on mythologies, and I have a thing for scavenger hunt-type stories around the world. I Do Not Trust You is about two groups worshipping Egyptian gods fighting each other for their own god, but it also addresses other cultures, other gods, and what makes something sacred.
I admit that the beginning was a little tough - being introduced to M, who has a unique name, goes by her initial, and knows history even better than her teacher made me roll my eyes super hard, but in the end, both she and Ash grew on me.
This book also had several plot twists that I appreciated - some I figured out in advance, some I didn't, but I liked how they complicated the story and the relationships between the characters. (Mike is the best!)
I can't really speak for the accuracy of all the historical facts and mythological stories, but this book is either very well-researched or very imaginative, because the stories work well with the puzzle.
In short, this is a fun adventure that I recommend if you like mythological scavenger hunts.
Sanctuary Bay was a title I was really excited to read and I admit that I hate that I pushed this to the back of my queue due to the release date (I had received an invite to read this last year). As someone just getting into the thriller genre, I wanted to add something new to the list. Before reading, I decided to read through a few of the negative reviews this book was getting. One of the main issues that I noticed was that some people were confused. This made me pay extra attention to this book to see where one could start getting confused, but let's start with the things that I really liked.
The main character, Sarah, is what I would understand to be a "nobody" (please mark the quotes because it is not meant to insult anyone living in her reality); she doesn't have a family or a home and she's... (more via website)
This was nothing like I had expected.
Sarah Merson has lost her parents when her home was invaded, and only she was able to escape the assailants. After years going from one family to another, having the worst experiences, she was invited to an elite school with an immersion program. This meant she was to live there for two years receiving top grade education, which would increase her chances of getting into college. To make the deal sweeter, she actually enjoys her roommates and feels she can finally trust people for the first time since her parents death.
I confess I wanted to read this book because the description teased me more than informed the content. Half the story keeps the rhythm. We arrive at this beautiful school, filled with rich but friendly people, and I'm not exaggerating when I say this reminded me of Hogwarts. This isn't a witchcraft school but it felt magical and warm, which was the ideal for Sarah, who was more scarred than Harry Potter. So what happens? The thriller you feel building on in the details—they live on an island that had been both an asylum and a POW prison? And people forget important events or even fail to notice them?—keeps you turning a page after the other.
I confess I didn't buy much of Sarah but this didn't irritate me. The romance sounded like someone read the story and said, "you know, this lacks some love interest," and the author(s) edited it in afterward. It not only didn't play any part in the events but the two boys around the MC's life didn't seem meant for her. Which was also okay. I should add I found all the characters, or at least the non-evil ones, quite likable. The villain(s) was(were) more on the plain type of characters.
What really matters with a plot as such is whether development lives up to expectation. Here I'd say it surpassed what I realistically expected of a Young Adult book but it was only average when it came to my optimistic expectations. You have a resolution, you don't want to kill anyone for it but there were still issues. First, the explanations lacked depth. And second, but somehow connected, the ending was to quick-paced in a bad way—to the point I wondered, did she have a page limit? Or a time limit?
Also, even though it does have a conclusion to the main story, I'd say there is a sequel at least planned. As I feel I understood enough, I'm not sure I want to read it, even if more books could give more depth to what is happening—what would be of Harry Potter if it weren't seven books?—but I do want to follow the authors' next stories. They have that something different we always appreciate on our YA's.
The story itself was interesting and there was enough twists to keep me reading but it lacked depth and explanation. There was too much of a focus on the characters instead of what was going on behind the scenes at the school, which was the best part of the book in my opinion.
The pacing was inconsistent, it went from slow to perfect and then into overdrive. The book started out well, I was intrigued and interested after the initial scene but once other characters started to come into the story it slowed down quite a bit. The pace started to pick up around a third of the way in and stayed that way for almost the rest of the book until the ending which felt very rushed. The pacing in the last section of the book was too fast, like perhaps it had to be squeezed into a limited amount of pages, it didn't work for me.
All in all it wasn't a bad read but it wasn't a great read either. There isn't much in Sanctuary Bay that makes it stand out from other young adult books, it's built on the same framework as many others out there: stereotypical characters, girl meets boy, girl meets another boy, which boy will she choose.
The synopsis of this book really intrigued me but while reading the book I realized that the synopsis didn't really do it justice. Sarah just got a scholarship to this super elite prep school that's on an isolated island in Maine. The school has a "total immersion" policy. Students, teachers, staff are not allowed to leave the island or have communication with people off the island until they graduate. They have their own closed circuit cell phone network and the phones are also used to track where the students are. They have access to internet but not Facebook, email, Twitter or Instagram. This totally had me on the hook! And then some crazy stuff starts to happen. Sarah's roommates disappear in the middle of the night so she decides to follow them one night and discovers they are a part of a secret society. There are so many twists and turns in this book, it is sure to keep you hooked! I know I was. The only thing that I didn't like so much was that the last chapter seemed to end a little abruptly. The epilogue wrapped a few things up but I'm really hoping this is going to have a sequel to find out what happens with Sarah and Ethan.
Wright and Wong are on the case again, solving this mystery in their town of Bottomless Lake, Arizona.
A hurried note, a cell phone left behind and pictures missing from one of the photo albums are the clues that tell Agatha Wong and Orville Wright something is wrong. And that something is Nana Wong has been kidnapped!
Orville, who has Asperger's Syndrome, is the detail man. He sees and observes not so obvious or logical things that Agatha tends to miss. Agatha is the big picture partner, coming from a large and colourful family, she manages to put the pieces in order. Between the two, they solve any muster that comes their way.
This is #2 in a 4 books series. It is a fun read with funny stuff and stuff that makes your heart skip a few beats.
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 4/5 stars
My Review:
Sarah Merson has been in the foster system since she was a toddler. She heard her parents die and since then has relived the moment and many other super-shitty moments thanks to her eidetic memory. The only benefit her eidetic memory has ever offered her is the ability to kick ass and take names in school. Because of her academic success, Sarah has been tapped to receive a full scholarship to Sanctuary Bay, an elite academy populated by mostly uber-wealthy kids who have more money than sense.
Knowing she hit the foster kid lottery, Sarah goes into Sanctuary Bay with the intention of doing her very best so she will have a chance when she graduates. Her first impression of the Academy is one of wonder and awe as it is a completely isolated island which the students (and faculty) never leave. The classes are easy for Sarah but fitting in with the wealthy kids is a bit harder. With two roommates, one super nice and one a bit scary, Sarah has a sort of instant social circle which she works hard to fit into. Before long, Sarah isn’t just a part of the in-crowd but is also asked to become a member of an exclusive secret society. The group is beyond weird and into some somewhat sketchy stuff but for the first time in her life, Sarah feels like she belongs. And then everything takes a left turn at Albuquerque.
Sarah has done her level best to avoid contact with her roommate’s boyfriend, Ethan. In Sarah’s estimation, Ethan generally has a very bad attitude and underappreciates the opportunities offered to him by the Academy. However, some of his crazy starts to make sense when things with the secret club start going sideways. Ethan has been at the Academy for a lot of years and when Sarah begins asking questions about Sanctuary Bay, the asylum ruins, and the island’s history, Ethan becomes a valuable source of information. When the information starts coming together into a cohesive whole, Sarah finds she needs Ethan more than ever especially if the two of them want to stay alive. Holy Hannah!! What Sarah and Ethan discover about Sanctuary Bay goes beyond even the wildest imaginings of the most ardent conspiracy theorist!!
The Bottom Line: Sanctuary Bay is one wild ride. Just when I wrapped my head around high school kids having near-orgies and classrooms filled with millions of dollars’ worth of tech, and a site so remote not even the teachers leave, the left turn at Albuquerque happens. The turn Sanctuary Bay takes is a pretty wide left turn and may turn some readers off but I found its weirdness to be right in line with everything else about the Academy. Sanctuary Bay isn’t just about a bunch of rich kids at an ultra-exclusive school. Oh, no!! Sanctuary Bay is about a bunch of rich kids (and Sarah!) ant an ultra-exclusive school that has a sordid and nasty history that involves so many levels of deception and deceit as to be nearly implausible. I sort of loved it and the deeper I got into the read the more I enjoyed the crazy. This isn’t your typical high school read and I would caution any reader to go into this with a completely open mind because the turns this one takes will leave you reeling. Now you totally want to read this, don’t you?? My work here is done . . .
Sarah Merson is a midwestern teenager whose parents died under mysterious circumstances when she was very young. Since then, she has been raised by a series of foster families. She learned to keep her head down and fly under the radar to hopefully survive the foster system. Gifted with a photographic memory, she makes excellent grades, and her junior year she suddenly receives a full scholarship to attend an exclusive boarding school located on an island off the coast of Maine.
Even before she steps foot on Sanctuary Bay, Sarah notices things are a little “off”. She cannot find any mention of Sanctuary Bay on the internet, and the local ferry isn’t allowed to take her all the way to the island. Instead, they drop her off at a wind turbine farm,where a boat from Sanctuary Bay picks her up. She brushes these concerns aside when she meets her new roommates and friends at Sanctuary Bay. For the first time, Sarah feels accepted by the cool kids, and the place is just so nice and state of the art. But as the oddities mount, Sarah must confront her feelings that things are not all right at Sanctuary Bay.
I don’t want to say much more, because I don’t want to give away any spoilers. But, I will say that I couldn’t put this book down. I kept reading until I got to the very end. I *thought* I knew where things were going, but I was wrong. I am delighted when that happens. It’s no fun when I figure things out only one-third or halfway through a book.
There are a couple reasons why I didn’t give this book a straight-up A+. For one, there were a few mysterious things that happened and Sarah would notice them, but then she would never ask anyone about them. She just dropped it. I believe most people would have asked questions. However, I do understand rationalizing away suspicious happenings, especially as a teenager. She was desperate to find acceptance and belonging. We are all often willing to overlook warning signs for that. The second issue I had was with the dialogue. I know I am a 40 something mom, but some of the dialogue seemed forced and contrived. I am not entirely sure teens talk that way.
The ending left things open for a possible sequel. If that is the case, I will definitely read it. I enjoyed this book immensely. If you are attracted to mysteries and YA books, I believe you will enjoy it too.
Emily Reads Everything
It was (is) incredibly difficult for me to synthesize this book into a review.
When I started this book, I knew it was a thriller set on an island. I knew it was supposed to be a little scary. Those two things are still fairly true.
I really enjoyed this book until about the 65% mark. The school had secrets that were interesting and made sense. The students made a collective decision that could affect them for the rest of their lives. They made a mistake and had to cover it up. That’s when I decided this was some sort of psychological thriller. I was excited. The characters were interesting and I was looking forward to seeing how they got themselves out of the situation.
The next chapter completely flipped everything. Now that I know, I can see how there few subtle clues of what was going to happen. However, when it happened, I was gobsmacked. It seemed like the book changed directions and genres suddenly and completely. It happened so fast, I was left behind.
The problem with this book was a I really liked the first half. I was interested in the story and I wanted to know how it was going to be solved. Then I felt the resolution just didn’t fit in with the world I was expecting or the world the author created. It almost felt like taking the easy way out. I would love to have read the same book set in the contemporary world. That way they would had to figure out a real world solution to the problems.
Sanctuary Bay starts out slowly and it is confusing. I got tired of Sarah’s attitude quickly. She is judgmental and has a big chip on her shoulder (about rich and privileged people). The book does get better though (you have to keep reading). The way it started out you would think it was going to be a paranormal novel (I think it would have been better if it had been). This book took a direction that I did not suspect (but I liked it). I give Sanctuary Bay 4 out of 5 stars. The book does have some of the normal teenage angst and romance, but I skimmed through those sections (I used by speed reading skills).
I received a complimentary copy of Sanctuary Bay from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
She's greeted warmly, first by two students who meet her at a floating wind generator, then when her roommates, Izzy and Karina, unfurl a huge banner welcoming her. Despite the greeting, Sarah has difficulty warming and trusting at first, partly because of her foster care experiences, but also because it seems everyone there is well off and she has nothing.
The plot cranks up quickly and involves secrets, lots of secrets-tunnels where Nazi POWs were held during WW2, an abandoned insane asylum on the other side of the island, her roommates disappearing at night and a secret society. All of these are part of an even bigger secret that fuels the remainder of the story.
I have a few problems, though. Before arriving, Sarah's told they can access the web for research, but nothing can go out, no Facebook, email, etc, yet there are extremely smart students and millions of dollars worth of technology in the labs. At least one kid could have figured out a workaround and hacked the system. I also can't buy the head of a quasi-govenment corporation bragging all their secrets to a couple teens when billions of dollars and who knows how many lives are at stake.
Even with my reservations, I liked the book and am looking forward to a more polished sequel.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the Isms" "Wesley's Wars" "To Whom It May Concern" and "Tell Me About the United Methodist Church"
My (High!) Opinion : Sacrifice was a thrilling sequel and last novel in the series Crave. It was great and awesome to read.
I commanded this book via Internet (Chapters/Indigo) about two weeks ago, and I was thrilled to get it yesterday in the mail!! I squealed and did a happy dance :
I was sooooo happy! I started reading it right away (after going through a hard choice of what book I should start with, since I had 4 other books), and I read as much as I could as fast I could. I finished it at school, and the end had me happy; I loved the way it ended.
Gabriel had me surprised *spoiler* I didn't think he would even be able to kill Sam. And, I mean, it just pops up! I wonder why the author didn't mention it before, they should have! *okay, the spoiler is done!* I really didn't like that part! I disliked how Ernst was the problem, how he had to hold a kind of grudge over Shay and her mom because of his dead lover... I mean, really? Selfish much ?*sigh*
I thought Shay kind of grew up in this book and took responsibilities. Before, she was sick girl; the girl everyone helped and didn't want anyone to see hurting. Now, in the book, she took responsibilities and became a kind of woman.
The writing of the book was good and entertaining. It was easy to read; I read it really quickly.
I like the cover; it's cute and beautiful.
4/5 stars!
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Ned and Brink Springer are brother. Ned loves fixing and making clocks and Brink enjoys being a young boy. Neither boys have anything in common other then the three girls Zerie, Tabitha and Vashti. They both share an interest in liking each as a friend or more then a friend. Do the girls feel the same? I don’t know, might read the book to find out.
The girls meet up in the forest to practice magic and discover they were being watched. Tabitha is captured and the other two have to run for their lives. They meet a silly cat that tells them to go to Glinda the good witch in Oz and seek her help in getting their friend back. This sets them out on the adventure and it is one adventure, that is for sure.
This was a very slow going book for me at first, but once their adventure had picked it it got to be a much quicker and easier, and enjoyable read. I really think that readers that enjoy retellings will be able to enjoy this book. It is nicely written, it is innocent enough that a younger audience can enjoy it as well. It isn’t what I would say is typical of the Wizard of Oz type setting, but it is nicely done none the less.