Make Up Reading

4 out of 5 stars I would like to thank Netgalley and Mira books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. I discovered J.T. Ellison in November of this year and have become a fan of hers. I was super thrilled to be able to read this new book which will be released on December 30,2019. In the small town of Marchburg, Virginia there is an elite girl's school where only the best of the best attend. One October morning a girl is found dead, hanging from the gates.  We flash back to August when Ash arrives from England. The Goode school is a whole other world from what Ash is used to. With judgmental and snobbish girls, secret societies and the honor code, as well as being in a new country she wonders how and if she will survive.  J.T. Ellison is really good at slowly revealing secrets and characters true personalities and this novel is no exception. She leaves you interested in where the story line is going. This is a fun, twi...

5 out of 5 stars "White ribbons for the young girls, red for the grace year girls, and black for the wives. Innocence. Blood. Death." The sixteenth year of Tierney James life as she prepares to go on her Grace Year she dreams of a better life. A more promising life away from the county, in the outskirts working in labor as she would rather do that if she survives.  You see, in the county each Autumn every sixteen year old girl is given the chance to receive a veil from a male in the county. Those who do not get picked are sent out to become laborers or become prostitutes to service the men from the county. After the veiling ceremony the girls are sent out to spend a year far from the county to fend for themselves and to find their magic and get rid of it. You see, all the men in the county believe that girls and woman are the source of evil. Eve was the first woman and she tainted all woman that came after her. She carried with her a terrible magic and the only way that t...

4 out of five stars I would like to thank Netgalley and Wattpad Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. For as long as Clara cab remember she has had a crush on the boy next door Griffin Tomlin. When he finally notices her she can't believe her luck.  Then one Winter night during a party things change completely.  Clara begins to withdraw into herself, doing her best to stay away from Griffin. One early September, the day after the neighborhood Labor Day party Griffin is found dead and Clara's sister Emily is accused of his murder. Clara knows why she did it but she can't tell anyone the reason. When Clara meets Aniston who is determined to find out why Emily killed Griffin truly dark  secrets begin to come out and Clara begins to wonder if life will ever feel normal again. This is a dark story that covers some hard hitting topics. I read this very fast because I wanted to find out what happened to Clara and he...

Barely 1 star! I was very, very disappointed in this novel. You know how you will go to your favorite coffee shop and eye a yummy looking cupcake everytime you? Imagine buying the cupcake thinking you will get a yummy chocolate cream (or whatever your flavor is) and it tastes like the flavor you hate most? You walk away disappointed, right? Maybe even a little bit angry? That was my experience with this book!   I had it on my list for a long time and I finally took the plunge and bought it. A big mistake. This book was nothing like I thought it would be. While I would say the actual writing was not bad the story was not good. Most of the time when a book takes a surprising leap I enjoy it and go along with it but not here. I just couldn't follow along with this one. I won't go into details too much because I don't want to spoil anything. I will say that this is not your typical mystery in a very bad way.  

First off I want to thank NetGalley and  Delacorte Press for allowing me to read an advance copy of this novel for a full and honest review. This was a 3.5 stars read for me. This was my first Amanda Searcy book and I did enjoy it quite a bit. The novel had the feel of the old school YA mystery/thrillers that I used to and in reality still do really enjoy reading. It had the feel of Christopher Pike or R.L. Stine (Not Goosebumps R.L. Stine but the YA version). The novel begins with Jenny arriving from Ohio where she lived with her Mother, Step Father and half sister Hailey after an unfortunate incident. to a small town in New Mexico to live with her Father. Shortly after she arrives a slew of fires begin to appear within walking distance of the Motel she is staying in.  There is no point in hiding the fact that Jenny is the one starting the fires as it is revealed very quickly. We also find out quickly that she was in a fire herself as she has a burn that is an itches whenev...