Before you read this review, do me a favor. Lock your doors. Close the blinds. Grab a bat for protection. Install a panic room. Ok, seriously, if you don't feel completely creeped out within the first 10% of this book, I applaud you. As a horror junkie, especially psychological thrillers, it takes A LOT to give me the heebee jeebees. The Killer in Me totally did, over and over again.

What kind of girl invents a psychopath?

Nina fears sleep for she finds herself in the mind of a serial killing sociopath when she closes her eyes. She self medicates to try to fix this but quickly finds that is not a long term solution. Here she engages her long time friend (and love interest), Warren, in a road trip to find the man who haunts her dreams. On this road trip, she meets the alleged killer, Dylan, and starts to question if her mind is reliable. As the audience, you'll also start to question if there really is a connection or if it's her mind creating false memories to fill in gaps (this is an actual psychological occurrence). Around page 180, you're going to have whiplash. Consider yourself warned.

There's a lot that happens in this book, which I realized as I was trying to describe the plot and characters to someone else. The story is told through the multiple perspectives of Nina, Warren, and a bit of Dylan, who I enjoyed for each of the parts they played. One thing I found especially enjoyable is that there were certain characterizations that were created not to further the plot or even to build up the main characters. For example, Margot does an appropriate job of setting up Nina's adopted mom as lesbian. This fact simply is and does not add or take away from Nina's character.

The pacing in this book is akin to a psychological thriller movie. Slow build, but once you hit halfway through, there's a major twist and the action just keeps on going. The pacing is the one thing I took issue with in this book. The book could stand to lose 50 pages or at least get to the action a little faster because it did drag a little at the beginning.

This book was so dang cute. I want David and Nina to write more books together!

Things I loved:

1. The characters. I loved all of them, but especially Kate and Mark. Their journeys separately and together were relatable and realistic.
2. The timeline. I wondered how in the world David and Nina were going to write a full story arc in the matter of a week's time, and in the matter of 270 pages. But dang did they kill it. Everything about the pacing was perfect.
3. The setting. There's so much to take in during pride week and the pair captured the sentiment and feeling perfectly. They also captured the best (and possibly worst) parts of SF.
4. The subject matter. This was a story of love, but it was also a story of friendship. It wasn't perfect, but that's the point. Humans, and teenagers, are messy. Let them be messy. Let them do stupid things and say stupid things and have to get out of it. Let them fall and be picked up again by the people who love them. And be real about all of it. This book spoke the truth and David and Nina captured the youth today with precision.
5. The narrators. Not just the characters but in the audiobook. They were the perfect fit and I highly recommend the audiobook if you're looking for something sweet and short.

Last book I read took me nearly two weeks to read. This took me a few hours. And left a smile on my face.

I'm so metaphorically screwed.

Little Black Dresses, Little White Lies needs to go on your summer TBR stat! Summer internships, NYC, drama, friendships, and cute boys. This book embodies the best of summer contemporaries.

Harper gets the surprise of her life when she's offered a chic NYC summer internship with Shift, a magazine poised to take over the viral internet. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine she would be chosen, so it's no big that she submitted a salacious true-event inspired story from her bff's life, right? Riiiiiighttt. There's one other problem: she's been selected as the teen dating blogger and has basically never been on a date in her life.

Jet setting off to the east coast, Hannah starts her internship off like any great contemporary story...Making tons of enemies in a foreign place. These girls are all out to win the top spot, earning them a two page spread in the back-to-school issue of Shift. Nonetheless, Harper makes amends and the team become quite close.

On the flip side, Harper is learning how to be a New Yorker, professionally and personally. Writing cutesy blogs is not going to cut it; she has to get out and experience the dating world. Cue cute boys next door and douchebags galore. The girl goes on the most horrendous date for the sake of blogging. I'll admit, it was pretty great and I'd read blogs like that all day.

All is not fair in love and war and Harper soon realizes her command of viral blogging, dating, and friendship might still need a little finessing.

Harper was just adorable, and her friends and family were also likeable. Young adults and adults alike will find parts of themselves in Harper because she's so dang relatable. She also grows quite a bit from her experiences; you'll love her even more when she really shines at the end. Even the douchey guys were on point (as much as a douche can be). And boy next door, Ben? Sign me up for his dog walking services because that little move with mussing up his hair? Yes please.

Little Black Dresses, Little White Lies is reminisce of the Devil Wears Prada meets Supergirl meets Sex and the City meets Gossip Girl - If there's girls, boys, and NYC involved, there's probably a piece of it here. There are so many cute and funny moments housed within a familiar story of summer. Laura Stampler does a great job of keeping the heart in this one while also showing that it's not all fun and rainbows out there. You'll gobble this like gluten free mac and cheese (ok, maybe not) one sitting. Oh, and there's a PUG PROM.

Raise your hand if you read a ton of VC Andrews in middle and high school? Don't even play - I saw all y'all reading those mass market paperbacks from the library under the covers at night! It's been a while since I read that level of crazy, so it only makes sense that I couldn't stop reading the insanity that is The Cresswell Plot. Before we get too far, remember, this is the book that bloggers got buried in a box of dirt.

Ok, we've established that this book is going to be a little out there. Cults. Sibling marriage (or the mandate of such). Mysterious death of a brother who has been reincarnated. This book has everything!

I didn't know what abuse felt like because I didn't know whether I was experiencing it or not.

Castella and her siblings are living within the cult confines of a religious-extremist family where her overbearing father has written his own version of the Bible and they spend most of their time reading it. The kids only go to school because at some point Child Protective Services got involved and mandated it - Father doesn't believe they need to be educated and besides, the only pure people are the ones within their family. Hence the mandate of marriage within. Luckily the kids don't buy this 100% and start to rebel. The questioning only leads to further clamping down and time spend in God's Chamber, a hole in the ground where you fast of human interaction as well as food while you pay penance. It only goes downhill from there, as you can imagine.

At times it's hard to read because you don't want to believe that there are families and children still living this life, being indoctrinated about their sin and needing to be sheltered lest they become less pure. That's what makes your skin crawl as you read it. This stuff actually happens daily here, where you can see it! You can watch it on TV. Gross. But real. And terrifying.

DNF @ 40%. Ugh. This book faces all the challenges of the first (too long, slow slow start and pacing issues throughout, characters who are only interesting when they're being malicious) and I just can't do it again.

I got 70% through before I had to throw in the towel. There's just nothing about the book - not the story, characters, premise - that could keep me going. It's one of the only times in my life I can remember giving up on a story.

I had the pleasure of meeting Alex at the PassTruth book tour and became excited about reading the book as she spoke of her research process. Unfortunately, the depth of the descriptions about the actual time periods seems very narrow, especially considering the book feels description heavy and conversation light.

I also didn't feel especially connected to any of the characters except Alice. The romance felt forced and unnatural, even though I was really rooting for them.

The use of language was the only upside for me. I did enjoy having to look up unfamiliar words, especially as they related to the alternate time periods.

When was the last time you thought you might die?

Has there ever been a time when Three Truths and a Lie has gone well? Something always comes out that people don't want them to. Add that to a trip to a secluded cabin well out of cell phone range and you've got the perfect recipe for a book that will make you want to yell at the people running up the stairs when they should be running out the door. Fans of 90s/00s horror movies - Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Swimfan - this book is totally for you.

Let's examine our four main characters. Rob and Liam, and Mia and Galen. In this corner, we have Rob and Liam, the perfect couple set out to have the perfect weekend. Both golden boys. Rob has super understanding, chill parents. Liam has a more "realistic" family. Rob is likeable and relatable. Liam is equally charming. On the other side of the ring are Mia and Galen, misfits that somehow fit perfectly. Mia is a bit of a wild child and Galen is the perfect balance for her, with his evenness and slightly mischievous glint in his eye. Mia is slightly irritating with her antics but it's clear she's there to stir up a bit of trouble. No one is as they appear on the surface...or are they?

There's something not right about this town.

The cabin the group is headed to isn't just any cabin. It's a cabin in a scary little town with scary little people. Their first experience is in a Big 5 filled with guns, and they run into the neighbors with longstanding beef with Mia's family. After being thoroughly creeped out, they head deep into the woods, miles and miles off the main road, where cell phones don't work and the most obvious form of civilization is an outhouse that is destined to blow over (and does). Hartinger describes this world in depth, to the point where I could feel the cobwebs and ingrained dust in the cabin. I could see the lake described in the midnight moonlight. I get a chill thinking about the trip wires placed in the yard.

Hartinger leads you down a dark, dark path with the characters. There's one shocking moment after another, at first quite innocent and then becoming darker and darker until you can't see the light anymore. And then when you think you've gone far enough, he takes you further. I closed the book and just sat. What did I just read and how can I trust another person ever again?! I started revisiting moments, kind of like after you get the big reveal in The Sixth Sense. Definitely had to go back and reread parts.

Hey, let's play three truths and a lie...

Nancy and I listened to 738 Days together and basically consumed this 14 hour audiobook in less than two days. Since you all don't need two reviews, we decided that I would interview her on her thoughts. So these are my questions, her thoughts, but both of our sentiments.

Describe 738 Days in 7 words.

Broken girl, recovering boy, together find love.

Ok, give it to us straight. Why is this book getting rave reviews on Goodreads?

Not only is 738 days a dark contemporary that supports a fantastic cast of characters that deal with some very tough issues. It also showcases an endearing couple that you respect and admire and that you want to see them succeed in all their endeavors.

Tell us about the characters, Amanda and Chase. Who would their book besties be?

Amanda is a young woman recovering from an abduction that she endured years ago. Every day is a struggle, a fight to survive, but she is a fierce warrior. Amanda has decided that she no longer wants to be a victim and she takes her life back. Chase is an actor, once famous and untouchable. Then his guilt and addiction got the better of him and he fell from grace. On the road to redemption his path intersects with Amanda's and in an odd twist of fate, they become each other's life line's, friends and lovers. Their book besties would be Nastya and Josh from The Sea of Tranquility.

*Side note: The Sea of Tranquility made Nancy's top 10 best books she read, top 10 best book boyfriends, and top 10 books that made her ugly cry in 2014. So, there you go.

738 Days features pretty heavy subjects - child abduction and sexual assault. How did the author portray the abduction and Amanda's journey after?

I think Stacey Kade did a fantastic job of portraying Amanda and her abduction and her recovery. It was a fine line that she danced on providing enough pertinent information without making the story too dark and oppressing. I liked how we got to see how her abduction and recovery affected her entire family and in very different ways. I was able to find understanding in all their perspectives but what I liked most is that Amanda was a work in progress and trust she continued with therapy and was willing to move forward and make that change in her life. She had an increased support system.

What do you think the author was trying to convey through the story? Was she successful?

I think Stacey Kade was trying to write a story about redemption and self forgiveness and that with love all things are possible.

Finish this sentence:

If you liked The Sea of Tranquility, you'll love 738 Days.

Since I read and reviewed Nerve in anticipation of the movie, I'm including our full Novel to Reel post, which has a movie review and a comparison between the movie and book. But first, a book review!

We've learned an interesting rule about fame. Those who seem desperate for it are the people that others least want to see.

This book is sold with the tagline "For fans of The Hunger Games" but really, it's like Hunger Games meets Jackass. Jeanne uses Nerve to explore our culture's obsession with reality tv coupled with taking things a bit too far. She also explores how people can use the information we post online to hurt us.

Vee is desperate for the attention her best friend, Sydney, seems to garner without any effort. In a moment of reckless abandon, she enlists Tommy, obvious guy-who-pines-for-the-girl-who-can't-see-him, to film her completing a relatively harmless dare. Due to a wardrobe malfunction, she earns a fandom (and some new kicks) and is invited to complete more risque challenges. One of these challenges pairs her with Ian, an attractive boy from a different school. The two of them immediately hit it off and essentially cheer each other on. Eventually they end up in over their heads and there are literal lives on the line.

Nerve goes from zero to sixty in a few pages flat! This isn't a preachy story about starry-eyed people idolizing celebrities; this is a story of how far humans will go if they have the "right" motivation and encouragement. Jeanne effectively pairs our fascination with celebrity and our human nature to succumb to peer pressure (via "watchers" who pay to observe the challenges), and she does it in an equally horrifying and enchanting way. This is the train wreck you can't look away from, even though you know it's going nowhere good.

Movie Review

First things first...While the premise of the movie is the same as the book, none of the things that take place in the trailer happen in the book. It's been four years since the book published so I'm sure there needed to be some updating and sensationalizing so I let that go.

Let's talk casting. Do Emma and Dave embody Vee and Ian? How about other characters?

In short, yes, Emma and Dave portray Vee and Ian pretty much on target with their personalities in the book. Emma plays a convincing girl who plays it safe, only to take some major risks throughout the movie. Dave plays Ian as the charming and sweet guy who may have something to hide. Together they're a dynamic couple who risk losing parts of themselves in the name of the game. Most of the action is focused on the two of them so everyone else really is secondary. Everyone is portrayed appropriately, though.

Ok, so they're pretty great. But what about the plot? We've all seen Allegiant. And Eragon. And The Mortal Instruments. *shudders*

Can we take a moment to say a prayer for the books referenced above and hope that when someone opens a time capsule in 500 years, those cinematic representations will have died out? Anyways.

I frequently found myself holding my breath through the dare scenes and Nancy was squeaking and shaking her seat. I think I even saw her peeking out through her fingers at times. The short of it? The movie was an adrenaline rush, thrill seeking movie and we loved it. Vee and Ian were put to the test with realistic dares, things you see people do (often unsafely and at the egging on of their peers) either on YouTube or other means.

Reel Story...How did the movie compare to the book?

Our theater was packed with teens and we were some of the few adults there. So much gasping and clapping and everyone on the edge of their seat!

You're still responsible even if you're just watching.

If you go into an adaptation wanting each scene to represent a chapter in the book, you'll be disappointed in Nerve. The director took the concepts - social media saturation, peer pressure, viral mentalities - and "modernized" it to appeal to the current teenage generation. I see this as a good thing because teens really are expected to question their actions (and reactions) and also the amount of information they're sharing. The sentiment remains the same; the execution is different.

All in all? Two thumbs up from the Ravenous Readers.

The Heart of Betrayal firmly dumps you into the action in Venda and takes you on a ride from cover to cover. Lia just can't seem to keep herself from trouble, even when she's being held captive by the Vendan Komizar, a formidable leader of sorts who came into the job by murdering the former Komizar on orders of his daughter. Yeah. These people don't play! Lia and Rafe spend their days trying to figure out how to escape captivity while Kaden is just trying to keep Lia safe. Choices are made along the way and we need book three RIGHT NOW.

This is one of the few sequels that really holds its own. This is no bridge book and is arguably a much stronger story than The Kiss of Deception. There's so much more character development and world building. Since this is set in a whole new community (Venda), Mary has the opportunity to develop the physical surroundings and the culture. All we know about the Vendans is their barbaric nature, which becomes murkier as Lia gets to know them.

Speaking of Lia, she continues to grow as a princess and leader, even though she has neither opportunity and is constantly being reminded of such. Kaden also begins a journey through development as he weighs his feelings for Lia against his loyalty to the Komizar. Oh, and Rafe? He's developed a pretty great poker face.

The book ends on several major cliff hangers and truly, the story could take any direction.