"Never trust a shiny surface. They hide a multitude of flaws."

Masquerade by Melissa de la Cruz

Synopsis:

Schuyler Van Alen wants an explanation for the mysterious deaths of young vampires. With her best friend, Oliver, Schuyler travels to Italy in the hope of finding the one man who can help- her grandfather. Meanwhile, back in New York, preparations are feverishly under way for the Four Hundred Ball, an exclusive gala hosted by the city’s wealthy, powerful, and unhuman- a true Blue Blood Affair.

But it’s at the after-party, a masquerade ball thrown by the cunning Mimi Force, that the real danger lurks. Hidden behind the masks is a revelation that will forever change the course of a young vampire’s destiny.

Rich with glamour, attitude, and vampire lore, this second installment in the Blue Bloods saga will leave readers thirsting for more.

Review:

I actually really enjoyed this book. It took a little while to get back into the story. I think the beginning could have been a little better, but everything else I believe fell into place nicely. 

I really started getting into the book at the Masquerade Ball. I really enjoy reading about Schuyler and Bliss and I find myself getting angry when i read about Mimi. I just think she is such a spoiled brat and she needs to get taken off of the pedestal, badly. The problem is, Mimi Force is centuries old, so being taken off the pedestal is basically impossible. I think Melissa de la Cruz did a great job with her characters. I mean, Mimi Force is beautiful and popular, and she knows it. I hate that, I have always hated people like that, thinking they are better than everyone else. Melissa de la Cruz did a great job portraying the spoiled brat who knows she is great. 

The best part is the ending. It really does leave you wanting more. Unfortunately I have about 5 more books on my nightstand before I can go to the library and pick up the 3rd book. 

Cover: 10/10

Beginning:   3/5

Ending:        5/5

Plot: 10/10

Characters: 10/10

Satisfaction: 10/10

Grade:      Publish Post   48/50 = A

"If that was life, then it was twisted..."

     Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Grade:         48/50 = A

Synopsis:

Everybody told him to be a man.

Nobody told him how.

High school senior Tyler Miller used to be the kind of guy who faded into the background. But since he got busted for doing graffiti on the school, and spent the summer working outdoors to pay for it, he stands out like you wouldn’t believe. His new physique attracts the attention of queen bee Bethany Milbury, who just so happens to be his father’s boss’s daughter, the sister of his biggest enemy-and Tyler’s secret crush. Soon his life is a roller coaster, with fantastic highs, devastating lows, and no seat belt to protect him. he has no choice. He’ll have to ride it out...

Review:

So the beginning started off slow for me. I didn’t feel like I couldn’t put it down, like I have with other books. I felt like it didn’t matter if I kept reading or not. But then I got really into the book and Tyler’s story. I mean his life is definitely twisted, like the title suggests. I really like Tyler, I think he is genuinely a good person who is just trying to find who he is. After years of abuse, whether physical or verbal, from his dad and his peers, he took a stand. Not a smart one, but a stand. After the incident, he got arrested and spent the summer working with the school janitors and working for a landscaping company. Over the summer, he changed from a dorky boy to a grown man. 

We meet Tyler at the end of summer and we follow him on this journey to finding himself. While we go on this journey with him, we see him playing a game called Tophet a lot. The moral of the game is to get to the last level of hell and Tyler has no idea what happens when he beats the game. 

I really like how this book was written. It was crazy, and like it says before you actually start reading “This book is not for children.” Laurie Halse Anderson did a great job describing her characters. I felt like I could have been in my own high school when she was talking about the popular kids. The popular girls in my school mostly played basketball and soccer instead of tennis though. I think she did a great job with Tyler’s sister as well. We see her in the beginning as this little frosh and even though she stays the kid sister, she definitely has times where she sounds like a grown up. And here I must give an example, because I love this quote and I wish I heard it back when i really needed to... “The popular kids aren’t really popular. They’re obnoxiously loud, good-looking, and rich. Nobody likes them, but they rule the place.”

Ok so I need to add that towards the middle of the book, I found myself starting to get angry at a lot of the other characters. I got really angry at Tyler’s dad who just seems like a complete ass. I just felt like a father should really try to see what his kid is actually going through instead of blaming him for everything. I feel like his dad thought he ruined his life, and I feel like if you aren’t going to try to be a good parent, then why bother having kids. 

I am really happy I finished the book. The ending was amazing, the last line was amazing. I was moved with this book, just like I was with Speak. But I guess I shouldn’t have though otherwise with a great author huh?

Cover: 10/10

Beginning: 4/5

Ending:         5/5

Plot: 10/10

Characters: 10/10

Satisfaction: 10/10

"I've heard you have one eye green as the Middluns grasses, and the other eye blue as the sky."

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Synopsis:

In a world where people born with an extreme skill- called a Grace- are feared and exploited, Katsa carries the burden of a skill even she despises: the Grace of killing. She lives under the command of her uncle Randa, King of the Middluns, and is expected to execute his dirty work, punishing and torturing anyone who displeases him. 

When she first meets Prince Po, who is Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change.

She never expects to become Po’s friend.

She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace- or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away...a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

Review:

First and foremost...I loved this book. I think this story is better than Romeo and Juliet (which I have loved forever and it has now been passed over for Graceling.) I loved the adventure of this book, I loved the love story, I loved the fear that I felt when reading this. I have to say, I have probably experienced every emotion possible while reading this story. I laughed, I cried, I wished I was living in this world. I wondered what my Grace might be if I had one...then I decided I probably wouldn’t have had one. But how cool would it be to have two different colored eyes?

So back to the review. This book is a complete fairy tale, set in a different world with kingdoms and royalty and special abilities. It had the love story that all disney princesses get, but it had the adventure of a James Bond film. It was just a complete story that seemed very real. I read this book and kept thinking that if they made this into a movie, who would play who? Could a movie really portray the beauty of Lienid? I don’t think my imagination could even see all the beauty of this world, as much as I wanted too (maybe on the second read?) 

I loved the beginning of the book where we learn mostly about Katsa and her life as a killer. I loved the ending of the book, I think Kristin Cashore did an amazing job with a last sentence. Even though I really didn’t want the book to end, I just wanted to keep going and read more about Katsa and Po and where their lives would now take them. I really enjoyed how the story unraveled and I loved the thought process I put into trying to figure out what was really going on along with Katsa and Po. Kristin Cashore did an amazing job with her characters. She must have one crazy imagination that I wish I had as well. 

I feel as though Graceling would be a book that both boys and girls, adults and teenagers, would thoroughly enjoy. I think it had something for everyone and it was just very well rounded. I was so satisfied with this book that I feel I feel I must thank the author for writing something so brilliant and I cannot wait to pick up Fire (once I read the other 10 books on my nightstand.)

Cover: 10/10

Beginning: 5/5

Ending: 5/5

Plot: 10/10

Characters: 10/10

Satisfaction: 10/10

Grade: 50/50 = A+

"You're okay for a bloodsucker..."

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

Synopsis:

Cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse is on a streak of bad luck. First, her coworker is murdered and no one seems to care. Then, she’s face- to- face with a beastly creature that gives her a painful and poisonous lashing.  Enter the vampires, who graciously such the poison from her veins (like they didn’t enjoy it).

Point is, they saved her life. So when one of the blood-suckers asks for a favor, she complies. And soon, Sookie’s in Dallas using her telepathic skills to search for a missing vampire. She’s supposed to interview certain humans involved. There’s just one condition: The vampires must promise to behave- and let the humans go unharmed. Easier said than done. All it takes is one delicious blonde and one small mistake for things to turn deadly...

Review:

I am really enjoying this series. I like that Sookie Stackhouse isn’t portrayed as a normal main character that I read about. Basically, I like that she isn’t extremely skinny. She is voluptuous and pretty, and I found out in this book a size 8. As much as I enjoy books that include the stereotypical main female character that is a size 2 and gorgeous, I really really like when authors bring in average females into the mix.

Other than Sookie’s supposed looks, I like how she thinks. While I read this book, I was trying to decide if I would have made the same decisions as Sookie made. I like how Charlaine Harris makes you think. I like that in this book, there were 2 mysteries. Who killed Lafayette and who had taken Farrell. You get so involved with what happened to the missing vampire in the middle of the book, that you seem to forget about who killed the cook (sounds like clue doesn’t it?) Charlaine Harris makes you think a little. As much as I enjoy easy reads (which are great when I am actually teaching and my brain hurts to think so much), these are the books that I enjoy when my brain doesn’t hurt. These are the books that won’t turn my brain to mush when I read too many of them because they keep me thinking. 

So in my rating, I said the cover was a 10 out of 10. I think I should explain this. At first glance the cover is confusing. Sookie is on a coffin flying above a city. I didn’t understand until I read the book, and then I thought it was a genius idea. 

Cover: 10/10 Beginning: 5/5

Ending:          5/5         Plot: 10/10

Characters: 10/10 Satisfaction: 10/10

                                     Grade: 50/50 = A+

"Welcome to Hollywood"

LA Candy by Lauren Conrad

Synopsis:

Los Angeles is all about the sweet life:

hot clubs, cute guys, designer...everything. Nineteen year old Jane Roberts can’t wait to start living it up. She may be in LA for an internship, but Jane plans to play as hard as she works, and has enlisted her BFF Scarlett to join the fun. 

When Jane and Scarlett are approached by a producer who wants them to be on his new series, a “reality version of Sex and the City,” they can hardly believe their luck. Their own show? Yes, please!

Soon Jane is TV’s hottest star. Fame brings more than she ever imagined possible for a girl from Santa Barbara- free designer clothes, the choicest tables at the most exclusive clubs, invites to Hollywood premieres- and she’s lapping up the VIP treatment with her eclectic entourage of new pals. But those same friends who are always up for a wild night are also out for a piece of Jane’s spotlight.

In a city filled with people chasing after their dreams, it’s not long before Jane wakes up to the reality that everyone wants something from her, and nothing is what it seems to be. 

Review:

I had been wanting to check out this book since I first heard about it, what seems like forever ago. I loved watching Lauren Conrad on Laguna Beach and the Hills (which totally went downhill when she left.) I think she did a pretty good job writing this book. It completely comes from experience which I am sure made it easier, but I think she has a knack for writing. I loved the beginning, I thought it was creative, and it gave us a sense of what the main characters were like before the cameras. I liked how the chapters went back and forth between Jane and Scarlett with a few other random characters thrown in once in awhile. 

While reading this, I found myself wondering if Jane and Scarlett’s friendship was like Lauren’s and Heidi’s friendship, and if the girls would last as friends throughout the series. I also found myself wondering if MTV helped Lauren get her apartment, like in the book. I guess I couldn’t help wondering if the fiction was truly fiction, or if everything happened to Lauren the same way. Maybe this is why I enjoyed the book so much, I thought I was getting an inside look at the Hills. However, I will be checking out the next book, and I hope it will be as enjoyable as this one was. 

I think this book would be good for anyone who wants an easy, beach type read. It didn’t include much mystery, so it didn’t involve as much thinking as say a Dan Brown book might. 

Cover: 10/10 Beginning: 5/5

Ending:           5/5         Plot: 9/10

Characters: 10/10 Satisfaction: 9/10

                                    Grade: 48/50 = A

"Nothing says love like a cookie"

Fat Cat by Robin Brande

Synopsis:

And that’s when I realized: I wanted to be her.

Not her in the sense that I wish I had to fight saber-toothed hyenas just to get a decent meal, but her in looks. I want- and I know this sounds incredibly shallow, but science requires the truth- I wouldn’t mind for once in my life seeing what it’s like to actually look...good. Or at least better than I do right now. Maybe even pretty, if that’s possible. When I wake up in the morning, it’s like I’m wearing this giant fat suit, and if only I could find the zipper, I could step out of it and finally go start living my real life.

Review:

I had heard about this book through other blogs. I saw a couple reviews, and when I saw it at the library on the New Books shelf, I figured “why not?” Well I am glad I picked it up. I’m so  insanely happy that I picked it up. This book was absolutely the best book that I have read in awhile. I loved everything about it, the characters, the plot, the descriptions of how Cat felt with Greg. I cannot express how much I loved it just by writing (I guess I need to work on that?)

At first when I started reading it, I just thought it was about a girl who wanted to be skinny and got the chance to achieve that goal in a very weird way. But as I read more, I learned a lot, about Cat, about life, about friends, and about myself. That is what makes this book so great. I feel like any girl, no matter how old, can learn something from reading this. They might not relate to the main character as much as I do, or as much as others, but I think the book has something to give to everyone. I really think Robin Brande did a great job writing this book. She did a great job explaining the characters, she did a wonderful job expressing Cat’s feelings for things. And I really like how we didn’t find out what exactly happened between Cat and Matt until almost the very end. So even though my review might not be that great (but hey I’m still learning) I think that this book would be a great read for anyone at any age. I mean, it must be good if I want to start reading it again as soon as possible right?

Cover: 10/10

Beginning: 5/5

Ending: 5/5

Plot: 10/10

Characters: 10/10

Satisfaction: 10/10

Grade: 50/50 = A+

Ramblings:

This is where I am going to put up some awesome, funny, possibly creepy things that has happened to me in the past 24 hours (at least today). So here it goes:

• On Monday I received my Clarisonic Mia and I finally got to use it last night. I am amazed. My acne has not started to clear up yet (but I mean after 1 night c'mon.) but my skin is so much smoother. My make up went on so nicely this morning, I was actually happy with it when I left for work. 
• Today we had a delayed opening because of all the ice. So many teachers called out, everyone had to cover extra classes (not just the 4 subs that were there either, teachers were covering for teachers) it was a madhouse. 
• At 2 pm, while I was subbing for honors language arts (7th grade) we watched the clock go from the 12 to the 3 in about 30 seconds. Is that creepy or what?
• And lastly, I got some caramel hot chocolate from Dunkin Donuts this afternoon on my way home from work. I think I am in love. 

I hope everyone has a great night. 

Book Review: Sookie Stackhouse book 1

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Synopsis:

Sookie Stackhouse is a small time cocktail waitress in Bon Temps, Louisiana. She’s quite, keeps to herself, and doesn’t get out much. Not because she’s not pretty. She is. It’s just that, well, Sookie has this sort of “disability.” She can read minds. And that doesn’t make her too datable. Then along comes Bill. He’s tall, dark, handsome - and Sookie can’t hear a word he’s thinking. He’s exactly the type of guy she’s been waiting for all her life...

But Bill has a disability of his own: he’s a vampire with a bad reputation. But he is an interesting addition to the town, and Sookie can’t help but listen to what everyone else thinks about Bill...especially since she’s starting to fall for the buff bloodsucker. But when a string of murders hits town - along with a gang of truly nasty vampires looking for Bill - Sookie wonders if having an undead boyfriend is such a bright idea.

And when one of her coworkers is killed. Sookie realizes that Bill and his friends may have some special plans for a woman who can read minds...

Review:

The summer of 2009 was when I first heard about Sookie Stackhouse. I was watching TV with my parents and my mom turned on True Blood. I stayed for a little, and then decided that it bit off Twilight and left to watch TV in my room. Well, I am happy to say, I was wrong. Maybe if I started watching the series at the beginning, or if I heard of the books before the series came on, I would have felt different. Yes both Twilight and Dead Until Dark deal with vampires, but Charlaine Harris took the normal approach to vampires. What I mean by this is that she went with vampires not being able to be out in the day, and how vampires can be killed with a silver stake and so forth. But what I think makes this book good, is that Sookie is special. I think her “disability” gives this book something that most vampire books don’t have. I just feel like there is something more magical about it, and yet there are no wizards or witches involved, go figure.

So what I really liked about the book was the conversations about Sookie and Bill. Reading them I thought it was so easy going, I felt like Sookie was comfortable around Bill in the normal human way, but nervous in the girl liking guy way (does that make sense to any of you?) I just thought it was sweet. I also really liked how Sookie felt like she needed to protect Bill from the people in her town and yet Bill thought he was protecting Sookie. I just really felt like this book was a great read. I think Charlaine Harris did a great job writing it, and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series. 

Cover: 9/10

Beginning: 5/5

Ending:         5/5

Plot: 10/10

Characters: 10/10

Satisfaction: 10/10

Grade:          49/50 = A+

Book Review

Lust by Robin Wasserman

Synopsis: 

Alpha girl Harper is used to getting what she wants, 

and that means Adam, 

Beth’s all-American boytoy.

Blonde, boring Beth, who Kane,

the charming playah, secretly wants too.

Miranda thinks Kane is out of her league,

but she wants him all the same.

And then there’s the new girl,

Kaia, who only wants trouble,

and he’s definitely on his way.

Review:

Like the book Private, I randomly picked this book up as well. When I first saw it, I  thought of the movie Seven, with Brad Pitt, and I just brought it to the library counter without even reading the back. This book is basically a young adult soap opera staring high school seniors who live in a small boring town out in the middle of nowhere. The whole book is about who loves who and who has sex with who, it almost reminds me of Beverly Hills 90210 just in book form.

The first sentence of the book made me gasp, then laugh completely out loud, people stared (it’s not the first time though, I tend to laugh a lot in public while reading books). So just a taste of this book for y’all...”‘And it was the best sex I ever had.‘ Harper finished off  the story with her favorite line and a lascivious grin.” And as sad as it might be, I was kinda hooked. I wanted to know about all the drama that these small town kids were going through. Little did I know it really was all about sex and love and loving someone who doesn’t love you back and the thrill of the chase and blah blah blah. However, it was interesting enough to finish. 

I feel like the plot of the story could have been a little bit better with more to it, I wasn’t really expecting much when I picked it up off of my nightstand so I don’t really know (unfortunately.) I think the characters were basic young adult characters that I have seen in other books, like Gossip Girl. The boys were gorgeous, one being an All-American, very athletic, great to his girlfriend, and the other being a complete player. The girls were all pretty in different ways, except possibly one, which she ended up being my favorite character. I mean she had FLAWS, she had body image issues and it was great to read about. One girl was from a big city and acted all that, the other was all that in her small town. It was almost like you have seen it before. The ending actually made me want to see what was going to happen in the next book, it left me with a cliff hanger and I just want to know if it works out, so I will be reading book 2 titled Envy.

Cover: 9/10

Beginning: 4/5

Ending: 4/5

Plot:  7/10

Characters: 8/10

Satisfaction: 8/10

Grade: 80%= B-

Book Review

Private by Kate Brian

Synopsis:

Tradition, Honor, Excellence...and secrets so dark they’re almost invisible.

Fifteen-year old Reed Brennan wins a scholarship to Easton Academy- the golden ticket away from her pill-popping mother and run-of-the-mill suburban life. But when she arrives on the beautiful, tradition-steeped campus of Easton, everyone is just a bit more sophisticated, a bit more gorgeous, and a lot wealthier than she ever though possible. Reed realizes that even though she has been accepted to Easton, Easton has not accepted her. She Feels like she’s on the Outside, looking in.

Until she meets the Billings girls.

They are the most beautiful, intelligent, and intensely confident girls on campus. And they know it. They hold all the power in a world where power is fleeting but means everything. Reed vows to do whatever it takes to be accepted into their inner circle.

Review:

I randomly picked this book up from the library in December, and finally began reading at the beginning of this month. The first thing I saw was the title, which intrigued me slightly. When I read the synopsis, and knowing in the back of my mind reading challenges I wanted to participate in this year, I decided to try it out. The cover isn’t that amazing, I feel like it could have been done better, like maybe if the 3 girls on the front were in some sort of conversation and then the girl that you don’t see on the back is actually on the front cover, so you get the whole picture. Just maybe, I am not creative in that way, my sister is the artist, i am the musician, so I don’t know amazing ways to make it better looking. 

So the beginning of the book was ok, just simply ok. It wasn’t so amazing that I couldn’t put it down because I wanted to know more, and it wasn’t so terribly bad that I had to put it down because just the thought of finishing it made me go crazy. The book seemed to get better during the middle and the end, making me want to know more about the Billings Girls and Reed’s crush, Thomas. At some points during the book, I got really angry at the main character, Reed. She knew that the Billings girls were using him, yet she still wanted to be one of them, still thought that they were so much better than the girls on her floor. (BTW I really hope I am not saying too much) 

As for the characters themselves, I thought Kate Brian did a pretty good job describing them, at least as much as she could in the first book. I really want to know more about the Billings girls, but I know that I need to keep reading the series to find out all I can about them. Especially since the ending definitely through me for a loop concerning these girls. I gave this book an 8 for satisfaction while reading. It was an easy read, and it was enjoyable for the most part, and I really enjoy Kate Brian’s work, at least I really enjoyed a book that she wrote using her real name, Kieran Scott. I do think I will read the rest of the series in hopes to learn more about what is going on at the school. 

Cover: 7/10

Beginning: 3/5

Ending:     5/5

Plot: 8/10

Characters: 10/10

Satisfaction: 8/10

Grade:         82%= B-

Book Review: Ruined by Paula Morris

Synopsis:

WELCOME TO NEW ORLEANS: 

CITY OF VOODOO AND BEAUTY.

 OF HURRICANES AND HAUNTINGS.

Rebecca couldn’t feel more out of place in New Orleans. She’s staying in a creepy house with her aunt, who reads tarot cards. And at her snooty prep school, a pack of filthy-rich girls treat Rebecca like she’s invisible. Only gorgeous, unavailable Anton Grey gives Rebecca the time of day, but she wonders if he’s got a hidden agenda. Then one night, in Lafayette Cemetery, Rebecca makes a friend: sweet, mysterious Lisette. There’s just one catch.

Lisette is a ghost.

A ghost with a deep, dark secret, and a serious score to settle.

As Rebecca is drawn into a web of curses and cryptic customs, she uncovers startling truths about her own history. Will Rebecca be able to right the wrongs of the past, or has everything been ruined beyond repair?

Review:

I originally saw this book (and bought it) at Barnes and Noble in October, around Halloween (my favorite holiday). The first thing that caught my eye was the cover, I mean it is amazing. I loved every detail about the cover, the colors, the girl dressed in a long white dress, and how the title of the book looked as though it was the name of the cemetery. Once I read the synopsis on the back of the book I realized I had to buy it. (Have I mentioned that when I go into Barnes and Noble I have to buy something, whether it is a book, magazine, or just a coffee...it’s a problem, really.) The thing that drew me in was the mystery of what had happened to Lisette, and why Rebecca could see her. I had to find out.

Now it took me about a month to start reading the book because I was finishing the Georgia Nicolson series, and trying to finish the It Girl series as well as reading the Psychic Eye Mystery series (can you tell I love to read series of books?) I finally decided to pick up this book when I finished the last Georgia Nicolson book and I didn’t own the tenth It Girl book and the last Psychic Eye book I needed didn’t come in at the library yet. I should probably also tell you that it took me a little while longer to read this book, a total of 9 days. For some 9 days probably doesn’t seem like such a long time (like if you are one of my students and believe that reading turns your brain into mush) but for me, since all I do is read at this point in my life (and because I am just a substitute teacher) it is a slight problem.

The reason for it taking 9 days instead of 3 or 4 like usual, the beginning of the book wasn’t very interesting. However, once I got up to chapter 6, I couldn’t put the book down (shocking turn of events right?) So even though I did not like the beginning of the book, the middle and the ending were great, as well as the plot. I also really enjoyed the characters and the descriptions that the author gave them, it made them seem almost real.

And now for the good part: the rating system. I came across a blog called the Book Shopaholic and I really liked the way that she was rating the books and then giving them a grade, and since I am a teacher (well sort of) grades and I go together pretty well. So here it goes:

Rating:

Cover: (10/10)

Plot: (10/10)

Beginning: (2/5)

Ending: (5/5)

Characters: (10/10)

Satisfaction: (8/10)

Grade: 90%= A-

Book Review: Death Perception

Last Monday I started the book Death Perception by Victoria Laurie. It is the 5th book in the Psychic Eye series, and I think my favorite out of all 5 (at least so far). By Saturday I had read less than half of the book, I was on page 126 out of 314. On Saturday night, I could not stop, I just had to see how it ended. I ended up finishing the book at 2:30 on Sunday morning (really 1:30 since the clocks went back, yay daylight savings) This book gave me a reaction that I have never gotten from a book before. I was so into the book, and the end was so suspenseful and a bit scary, that I was actually, physically shaking. I wasn't cold though, in fact I was really hot, my dad had the heat on way to high for the beginning of November. The only thing that could have caused my tremors was this amazing book.

So in this book, Abby Cooper, a psychic, goes with her boyfriend Dutch to Las Vegas to search for Dutch's cousin who has been kidnapped along. Abby has this ability where she can look at a picture and tell if someone is dead or alive, so she is able to tell that the cousin is alive, which is a good thing. But while investigating the kidnapping with Dutch, Abby keeps having dreams predicting Dutch's death.

Honestly, the summary doesn't give the book any justice. Any mystery lovers would find this a great read, and I think non-mystery lovers would as well. Reading the ending of this book was intense, almost like I was there with Abby trying to figure out what was going on. If I had to rate this book on a 1-5 scale (5 being the best) I would definitely give it a 5.