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(This review can also be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).

Those who know me know that YA horror is my favourite genre. I was lucky enough to be asked by Jolly Fish Press to review a book that fit that genre. The book was Pitch Green (Dimensions in Death #1) by The Brothers Washburn. I definitely wasn't disappointed with this book.

Camm and Cal have been best friends forever. They've pretty much gone through everything together including the disappearance of Camm's little brother seven years ago. As Camm and Cal dig deeper to solve Cal's little brother's disappearance, they discover that more children have gone missing in their little hometown starting back in 1941. They also discover that some sinister force is behind the disappearance. Will Camm and Cal lose their life in the process of uncovering this mystery or will they lose their sanity?

Okay, I don't really get the title of this book. I understand the whole "green" part of the title which I won't explain due to small spoilers, but I don't understand the "pitch" bit. It's definitely an unusual title, that's for sure. However, I don't like or dislike the title. It just leaves me perplexed.

I'm definitely a fan of this spooky looking cover! I love the spooky green font and the creepy looking grandfather clock with the hanging man pendulum which features quite frequently in the book. I do believe that the cover of this book gives its readers a glimpse into what to expect.

I enjoyed the world building. I could definitely picture the creepy mansion in my mind, and because I live by lots of plants (not the green kind), I could totally relate to the Trona plant mentioned throughout the book.

I enjoyed the pacing of this book although I must admit that there was a chapter or two when I thought that the pacing was going to be slow. However, it quickly picked up, and I was hooked. I finished Pitch Green sooner then I had anticipated...that's how great the pacing was!

The only problem I had with this book was the fact that Camm and Cal seemed a bit younger than 18. They came across, to me, as being about 12 or 13 years old due to their actions, dialogue, and thoughts. Other than that, they were quite enjoyable characters. I loved how much of a wise cracker Camm was.

As I said before, the dialogue didn't match that of two 18 year olds. Don't get me wrong, the dialogue did make me laugh quite a bit, but it was off. The dialogue wasn't that bothersome after I got farther into the book and just imagined Camm and Cal to be two 14 year olds talking to each other. As for language, there is only one swear word.

I will definitely be buying the next book in the series. The ending of this book definitely left me wanting more despite the characters acting younger than their age.

I'd definitely recommend this book to everyone aged 13+ especially those who are fans of the horror genre.

(I was given a copy of this book from the publishers in exchange for a fair and honest review).
  
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Island of the Blue Dolphins
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Scott O’Dell | 1960 | Children, Young Adult (YA)
10
8.3 (18 Ratings)
Book Rating
Strong heroine (2 more)
Accurately conveys feelings of loneliness
Brings a little known piece of history to attention
Pretty depressing for a middle grade book (1 more)
Themes of loneliness will likely be missed by many given the age group
The story of the Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island
This was my absolute favorite book growing up and I still cherish it more than a decade later.

Island of the Blue Dolphins is based on The Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island: Juana Maria, a Nicoleño Native American left alone on San Nicolas Island for 18 years. She was the last surviving member of her tribe and died after she was rescued. This incredible story has largely been lost in the greater narrative of American history.

The story follows a young girl named Karana as she learns to survive on her own. Facing certain death, her tribe flees the island and Karana is left behind. The story has plenty of adventure as Karana fights to survive, learning how to be resourceful – hunting for food and materials for clothing, building shelters, and dealing with the local wild dogs and other dangerous creatures on the island. Where this book really shines is how the writing managed to portray Karana’s feelings of isolation and loneliness which really struck a chord with me.

The book is beautifully written and I’ve read it countless times since it was first gifted to me in elementary school. I look forward to when my own daughters grow older and I can share this story with them. This is a wonderful book for all ages that I absolutely adore. Fantastic for middle grade girls just getting into reading.
  
TE
The Espressologist
2
2.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Thoughts: Ok, so if you like to sit down on the couch in front of your Christmas tree with a cup of hot chocolate or a coffee, a blanket, and a cute fun light-hearted book that will make you smile and laugh a bit, this one is for you. There was a grand total of two kisses (no sex!), and no (zero!) bad words. It’s appropriate for ages 8-14.

But I wouldn’t go higher than 14. With that in mind, I’m 18. I guess I didn’t see what was great about this book. Maybe I’m hard to please (though I doubt it, because I was pleased by Perfect Chemistry. That sucked too.) but really, this book was pretty lame. There were parts where I thought “oh that’s cute” or “oh no!” but that’s about as exciting as it got, and that was the extent of my interaction with the plot. There was a lot of drama, and all of it was ridiculously unrealistic. The characters were shallow and had no relatability, and had what I call “happyland syndrome” when it came to their dialogue. I just didn’t like the dialogue—the things they said were either too perfectly thought out to be realistic, or just sounded silly. The writing was very mediocre, even for a contemporary YA novel. Lastly, the ending was weak.

Again, in for a light-hearted-relax-goof-off-waste-my-time kind of book? The Espressologist is for you. If not? Skip it. You aren’t missing much.

**Thank you to Kathryn from Henry Holt In Group for supplying my review copy**
  
Forever Layla
Forever Layla
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
David Foster is 17 years old, a few days away from being 18, on the road as a sound guy for his best friend, Michael's Band, and his life is about to change forever.
Layla is 24. She's in town from California and when she see David for the first time, like this, she's not quite sure what to do.
How does Layla know so much about David? Did his friends put her up to this as a prank for his birthday? But Layla knows things he would never tell Michael. So as David gets to know Layla better and as she gets to know the David she already knows in a whole other way, they form a bond that is not so easily broken.

Forever Layla is a story of love, happiness, trust, and science all wrapped up in one. David is living in 1994 and Layla shows up in his life from 2014. David is the kind of man every girl dreams of meeting, but Layla is afraid to mess up his life what she already knows. How can she make a life with him without giving away too much about who she is and how and why is now in his life.

This is a very well written book and it was very difficult to put down.

I loved the story of David and Layla. I was rooting for them to be together Forever as the title suggests. Their love was intense and amazing. To have a love like that with someone that you are willing to give up so much of yourself in order to make them happy and make their dreams come true.