The Hollow City by Dan Wells

If you know me at all, you know I'm a big Dan Wells fan (his I Am Not a Serial Killer series and recent YA Partials are brilliant.) And lucky for me, one of my crit partners is his assistant, and I managed to snag and ARC of his next book. So ladies and gents, I give you: The Hollow City.

"Michael Shipman is paranoid schizophrenic; he suffers from hallucinations, delusions, and complex fantasies of persecution and horror. That’s bad enough. But what can he do when some of the monsters he sees turn out to be real?


Who can you trust if you can't even trust yourself? The Hollow City is a mesmerizing journey into madness, where the greatest enemy of all is your own mind."

I read the entire thing in one sitting. I mean, did you read that cover copy with that brilliant premise? How could I not keep reading? The murder mystery angle gives the story a familiar base to start from, and from there it twists off into one of the freshest reads I've had in a while. Dan has a real talent for taking slightly twisted characters (like John Cleaver in I Am Not a Serial Killer) and making them sympathetic and engaging. Michael, the main character, was one of the most brilliant unreliable narrators I've ever read-- and one that I loved. I spent half the book questioning what was real, and the other half of the book constantly going OH MY GOSH, WHAT?? Seriously, people, I cannot recommend this book enough.

This book completely blew my mind with its engaging premise, twisty plot, and brilliant characters. I can't recommend it enough! It comes out July 3rd, so less than a month to wait!

True Spirit by Jessica Watson

Blurb: On May 15, 2010, after 210 days at sea and more than 22,000 nautical miles, 16-year-old Jessica Watson sailed her 33-foot boat triumphantly back to land. She had done it. She was the youngest person to sail solo, unassisted, and nonstop around the world.

Jessica spent years preparing for this moment, years focused on achieving her dream. Yet only eight months before, she collided with a 63,000-ton freighter. It seemed to many that she’d failed before she’d even begun, but Jessica brushed herself off, held her head high, and kept going.

Told in Jessica’s own words, True Spirit is the story of her epic voyage. It tells how a young girl, once afraid of everything, decided to test herself on an extraordinary adventure that included gale-force winds, mountainous waves, hazardous icebergs, and extreme loneliness on a vast sea, with no land in sight and no help close at hand. True Spirit is an inspiring story of risk, guts, determination, and achievement that ultimately proves we all have the power to live our dreams—no matter how big or small.

The afterglow:

I followed Jessica's journey while it was happening through her blog, and was inspired with every post. So it's no surprise I bought her book as soon as I heard it was out. Seriously, folks, AMAZING. The book was written by Jessica herself, pulling from her blog posts, and I loved that the story came out in Jessica's own voice.

The book is so full of hope, enthusiasm, and encouragement, I feel like it's practically a self-help book on achieving your dreams. Only so much better, because you get an incredible story into the bargain. It's well written, engaging, and TRUE. I was tugged along for an emotional, exciting ride with Jessica and felt lucky I got to share even a little bit in something I'd never be able to do: sail solo around the world.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, enlightening, and enthusiastic read.

Shallee reviews The Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roecker

Kate Lowry's best friend Grace died a year ago. So when she gets an email from her, Kate's more than a little confused.
To: KateLowry@pemberlybrown.edu
From: GraceLee@pemberlybrown.edu
Subject: (no subject)
Kate,
I'm here... sort of.
Find Cameron. He knows.
I shouldn't be writing.
Don't tell. They'll hurt you.

Now Kate has no choice but to prove once and for all that Grace's death was more than just a tragic accident. She teams up with a couple of knights-in-(not-so)-shining armor-the dangerously hot bad boy, Liam, and her lovestruck neighbor, Seth. But at their elite private school, there are secrets so big people will do anything to protect them-even if it means getting rid of anyone trying to solve a murder...

I was lucky enough to win a copy of this, and I have to say the book surprised me. It sounded like an exciting read with some interesting twists. It was that, but it was so much more. Kate's character was deftly drawn, which helped bring out some of the deeper issues in the book-- grief, betrayal, tragedy, and secrets. The depth of feeling the book brought out in me was not what I expected, but I loved it.

I also loved the romantic relationships here. It's got a bit of a love triangle, but it's a completely different love triangle than I've ever seen. I loved each of the boys, and I loved the complexities of the relationships that emerged between everyone.

All in all, the mystery was intriguing and page turning, the emotional depth was stronger than expected, and this was just an all-around good read!

Shallee reviews The Healing Spell by Kimberley Griffiths Little

Hey folks! I'm excited to be a new member of Afterglow. I write YA myself, so a lot of my reviews will probably tend toward YA books. Today, though, I've got a fabulous middle-grade to review: The Healing Spell.

Eleven-year-old Livie is terrified when her father insists that they bring her comatose mother home from the hospital. How can she look at, much less touch and care for, Mamma when she alone knows that she caused her illness? As Mamma continues to languish in bed, Livie grows more and more estranged from her family, a chasm that begins to close only after she gathers her courage to visit the local traiteur, who gives her the formula for a healing spell. As Livie collects the spell's necessary ingredients, she begins to open up to the knowledge that she is loved and cherished by her family.

The first word that came to my mind to describe this was "rich." The book was rich in emotion, rich in culture and setting, and rich in characters. Watching the family pull together and break apart through Livie's eyes took me through a myriad of emotions. The characters are so deftly drawn that they became real to me, heightening that emotional connection.

The landscape of the book-- the Lousiana bayou-- is delicious. I'm a sucker for stories with a strong, unique setting, and this one was perfect. The setting didn't just exist; it became another character as Livie and the rest of the family interacted with their world. It made the world more real for me, and took it beyond the basic family story into a place that was unique and enthralling.

I highly recommend this to anyone wanting to bask in the afterglow of an original, emotional contemporary middle-grade. And, if you're interested in my writer's perspective on the book, you can find it here.