Heartwood Box

A dark, romantic YA suspense novel with an SF edge and plenty of drama, layering the secrets we keep and how appearances can deceive, from the New York Times bestselling author. In this tiny, terrifying town, the lost are never found. When Araceli Flores Harper is sent to live with her great-aunt Ottilie in her ramshackle Victorian home, the plan is simple. She'll buckle down and get ready for college. Life won't be exciting, but she'll cope, right? Wrong. From the start, things are very, very wrong. Her great-aunt still leaves food for the husband who went missing twenty years ago, and local businesses are plastered with MISSING posters. There are unexplained lights in the woods and a mysterious lab just beyond the city limits that the locals don't talk about. Ever. When she starts receiving mysterious letters that seem to be coming from the past, she suspects someone of pranking her or trying to drive her out of her mind. To solve these riddles and bring the lost home again, Araceli must delve into a truly diabolical conspiracy, but some secrets fight to stay buried...

Heartwood Box by Ann Aguirre - release date July 9, 2019

I honestly wasn't sure about this book when I picked it up because the cover gives off a rustic vibe that I wasn't sure if I would be in to. It did stay true to its initial vibe, but it also had so much more depth to the plot that I was not expecting. There was a lot packed into every page and that took the book in ways I never would have expected when I started reading. The author definitely knows how to make use of the space that she's working in and it made for a great read!

My favorite character in this story was Logan. He wasn't the main character and honestly acted more like a puppy than anything else in the beginning, but there were little quirks about him that really brought him to life for me. I was not a in love with how quickly Araceli fell for Oliver. I liked his character and the concept that they could communicate not only through their box but also through their dreams. What detracted from their relationship the most for me was that it felt like it wasn't necessarily in line with Araceli's character; however, I will say that the author made up for this with the connection that she brought into play at the end of the book! The author also gave just enough of a storyline to all of the side characters that it made them feel more real and present in the plot even when they were no where to be seen. 

First off, the author was able to tackle far more in this book than just having the characters solve a simple mystery. It was fun to read a storyline that existed in the same time frame and plane of reality that I am living in and was certainly a change from what I am used to. There were a few points in the book that I thought the author was trying to tackle too much and it seemed like she was stretching the story in odd ways to make it work, but at the same time everything seemed to fit into the plot no matter how outlandish and the characters made it work within the plot in a realistic manner so I appreciated that.

Normally this is not the type of book I would go for, but I found that I genuinely enjoyed reading it! 3.5/5 stars but I am sure that if this is the type of story you like then it would rank much higher in some of your ratings. I read the book in four days and it moved in a fast pace that still managed to balance all of the plot twists the author threw into it!

~Alyse

Reviewed on July 8, 2019

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The Beckoning Shadow

Vesper Montgomery can summon your worst fear and turn it into a reality—but she’s learned the hard way that it’s an addicting and dangerous power. One wrong move and you could hurt someone you love. But when she earns a spot in the Tournament of the Unraveling, where competitors battle it out for a chance to rewrite the past, Vesper finally has a shot to reverse the mistakes that have changed her forever. She turns to Sam Hardy, a former MMA fighter who’s also carrying a tragedy he desperately wants to undo. However, helping heal Sam’s heart will mean breaking her own, and the competition forces her to master her powers—powers she has been terrified of since they destroyed her life.

The Beckoning Shadow by Kathryn Blair - release date July 2, 2019

My sister read this book before me and when she handed it to me she looked me dead in the eye and told me that it was so good it nearly reached the level reserved for our favorite series of all time (Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas). So, obviously, I had extremely high expectations for this book before I even cracked the spine. This book certainly did not disappoint, between the unique types of powers that each character possessed and the mysteries that drive the plot forward I was absolutely enthralled in this book. 

The book follows the perspective of Vesper and does an outstanding job tying the action packed plot into her emotions, both for Sam and otherwise. I actually enjoyed complications that Sam's former girlfriend brought into the story because it added a few interesting nuanses into the plot. For those who hate to read anything with love as part of the plot, do not worry! The crushing that goes on in the book is sweet and does not take away from the action.

This is a silly complaint, but my only discrepancy with the book is the bandages on Vesper's face on the cover. I don't know why it bothers me, but something about the way they are drawn just doesn't look up to par with the art style displayed on the rest of the cover. Other than that, there is nothing that could improve this book, other than the sequel being released ASAP!! :)

There's no question that this is a 5/5 star novel! This is the type of book that I read and it makes me wonder how I have not heard more about the author who wrote it because the way this book was crafted felt so relatable and real, yet it still managed to hold the perfect amount of fictitious adventure in it to make it spectacular. At first I wasn't sure if there would be a sequel, because the ending almost ends off perfectly, but don't worry, this is only book #1 in the series! I finished the book in 3 days and would suggest that anyone in the mood for stories involving super powers or a fight club-esque  feel should definitely turn to this book!

~Alyse :)

Reviewed on July 1, 2019

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