Blog Tour Review with Giveaway: Jane Anonymous by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Book info:

Title: Jane Anonymous
Author:  Laurie Faria Stolarz
Genre: YA contemporary
Release Date:  January 7th, 2020
Publisher:  Wednesday Books
Source:  E-galley from FFBC Tours which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  4.5 stars


Synopsis:
Bestselling author Laurie Faria Stolarz returns with Jane Anonymous, a gripping tale of a seventeen-year-old girl’s kidnapping and her struggle to fit back into her life after she escapes.

Then, “Jane” was just your typical 17-year-old in a typical New England suburb getting ready to start her senior year. She had a part-time job she enjoyed, an awesome best friend, overbearing but loving parents, and a crush on a boy who was taking her to see her favorite band. She never would’ve imagined that in her town where nothing ever happens, a series of small coincidences would lead to a devastating turn of events that would forever change her life.

Now, it’s been three months since “Jane” escaped captivity and returned home. Three months of being that girl who was kidnapped, the girl who was held by a “monster.” Three months of writing down everything she remembered from those seven months locked up in that stark white room. But, what if everything you thought you knew―everything you thought you experienced―turned out to be a lie?

BOOK LINKS

Add to Goodreads

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Google Books

My Review:

This book was really intense.  I could barely put it down.  We got what happened through Jane's eyes, but in flashbacks mixed with "Now" entries into her diary or journal that she felt would help her with the therapy everyone said she needed.  I wondered if she had a bit of Stockholm Syndrome, if that was what the story was going to be about.  But instead it seems that she falls in love or finds a connection with a fellow prisoner named Mason.  Honestly, I had a feeling about the whole situation from really early on, and my hunch was correct.  However the way the story went kept me guessing and thinking I must be wrong.  Seeing how it all went for Jane after she got home and how hard it was just to even get back to normal in any little way was very interesting.  How her friends and those around her dealt with it was also intriguing and made me wonder how it would be in real life.  I did get that she had trouble working with different psychologists and therapists, until she finally found one that she was able to connect with.  I know that for my own depression and anxiety I didn't click with the first person I was sent to, so I think it is a very important bit for people to realize that getting help isn't as simple as just talking to any person.

I only docked a half a star because some things were left unexplained or unanswered for me that I wanted to know.  But it makes me feel like one of the people that Jane hated talking to if I ask those questions.

About the Author:

Laurie Faria Stolarz grew up in Salem, MA, attended Merrimack College, and received an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College in Boston.

Laurie Faria Stolarz is an American author of young adult fiction novels, best known for her Blue is for Nightmares series. Her works, which feature teenage protagonists, blend elements found in mystery and romance novels.

Stolarz found sales success with her first novel, Blue is for Nightmares, and followed it up with three more titles in the series, White is for Magic, Silver is for Secrets, and Red is for Remembrance, as well as a companion graphic novel, Black is for Beginnings. Stolarz is also the author of the Touch series (Deadly Little Secret, Deadly Little Lies, Deadly Little Games, Deadly Little Voices, and Deadly Little Lessons), as well as Bleed and Project 17. With more than two million books sold worldwide, Stolarz's titles have been named on various awards list.

AUTHOR LINKS

Website: http://www.lauriestolarz.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/58846.Laurie_Faria_Stolarz

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lauriestolarz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauriestolarz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Laurie-faria-Stolarz-104028522980753/

Tour Schedule:
https://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2019/11/tour-schedule-jane-anonymous-by-laurie.html


Giveaway:
 

• Prize: Win (1) of (2) copies of JANE ANONYMOUS by Laurie Faria Stolarz (US/CAN Only)

• Starts: 7^th January 2020

• Ends: 21^st January 2020

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Review with Giveaway: Oasis by Katya de Becerra

Book info:

Title: Oasis
Author:  Katya de Becerra
Genre: YA science fiction
Release Date:  January 7th, 2020
Publisher:  Imprint Macmillan
Source:  E-galley from FFBC which did not influence my opinion
My rating: 4 stars


Synopsis: 

The oasis saved them. But who will save them from the oasis?

Alif had exciting summer plans: working on her father’s archaeological dig site in the desert with four close friends . . . and a very cute research assistant. Then the sandstorm hit.

With their camp wiped away, Alif and the others find themselves lost on the sands, seemingly doomed . . . until they find the oasis. It has everything they need: food, water, shade—and mysterious ruins that hide a deadly secret. As reality begins to shift around them, they question what’s real and what’s a mirage.

The answers turn Alif and her friends against one another, and they begin to wonder if they’ve truly been saved. And while it was easy to walk into the oasis, it may be impossible to leave . . .

Katya de Becerra’s new supernatural thriller hides a mystery in plain sight, and will keep you guessing right up to its terrifying conclusion.

BOOK LINKS

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29748453-oasis

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Nf0px2

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/oasis-katya-de-becerra/1129819260#/

iTunes: https://books.apple.com/br/book/oasis/id1447813177

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/oasis-38

Google Books: https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Oasis.html?id=dAHlvQEACAAJ&redir_esc=y

My Review:

 I've been intrigued for this one since I first saw it.  And overall I really enjoyed the book.  In the end it had the kind of vague/not definite ending that while can be okay, and I know a lot of people like, I'm not the hugest fan of.  I kind of like my endings tied up in little bows as much as possible.  Or at least to know what happened.  But the whole story up to that point was so good that I could barely put it down.  I loved the dig site parts, and the friendships and tension between the group was well done also.  There were some twists and turns that I didn't see coming, and that is something that I do really like in a story.  It was good to get the back stories of some of the characters to understand their motivation, but I do feel like we needed more about one of them, Luke, and maybe also Minh.  The oasis itself was fascinating and how the author described it was very vivid and kept you guessing at what was next.  The possible alien/ancient god aspect was a little iffy for me, I almost needed a little more of that.  I had a hard time deciding what to rate this.  I wavered between a 3.5 and 4 star rating.  In the end I am giving this 4 stars, because what happened at the end may just be a personal issue that I had, and I can see that a lot of other people might enjoy that, and it was very well written, and had a lot that kept me turning pages as fast as I could hoping to find out all the answers.

About the Author:

Katya de Becerra was born in Russia, studied in California, lived in Peru, and then stayed in Australia long enough to become a local. She was going to be an Egyptologist when she grew up, but instead she earned a PhD in Anthropology and now works as a university lecturer and a researcher. Katya is a short version of her real name, which is very long and gets mispronounced a lot. What The Woods Keep was her first novel (out now), which is followed by another standalone Oasis in 2020. She has also authored and co-authored academic articles, book chapters, guest posts and opinion pieces.

AUTHOR LINKS

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15140719.Katya_de_Becerra

Website: https://katyabecerra.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KatyaDeBecerra

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katyadebecerra/?hl=en

GIVEAWAY

• Prize: Win finished copy of OASIS by Katya de Becerra (US Only) 
• Starts: January 1^st 2020 
• Ends: January 15^th 2020

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Tour Schedule:

https://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2019/11/tour-schedule-oasis-by-katya-de-becerra.html

Blog Tour with Giveaway: Every Stolen Breath by Kimberly Gabriel

Book info:

Title:    Every Stolen Breath
Author:  Kimberly Gabriel
Genre: YA mystery/thriller
Release Date:  November 5th, 2019

Publisher: Blink YA

Synopsis: 

The Swarm is unrecognizable, untraceable, and unpredictable—random attacks on the streets of Chicago by a mob of crazed teens that leaves death in its wake. It’s been two years since the last attack, but Lia Finch has found clues that reveal the Swarm is ready to claim a new victim.

Lia is the only one still pursuing her father’s killers, two years after attorney Steven Finch’s murder by the Swarm. Devastated and desperate for answers, Lia will do anything to uncover the reasons behind his death and to stop someone else from being struck down. But due to debilitating asthma and PTSD that leaves her with a tenuous hold on reality, Lia is the last person to mount a crusade on her own.

After a close encounter with the Swarm puts Lia on their radar, she teams up with a teen hacker, a reporter, and a mysterious stranger who knows firsthand how the mob works. Together, they work to uncover the master puppeteer behind the group. Though if Lia and her network don’t stop the person pulling the strings—and fast—Lia may end up the next target.

BOOK LINKS

Goodreads

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

IndieBound

About the Author:

Kimberly Gabriel started writing in fourth grade when she wrote, bound, and gave away books of terrible poetry to family and teachers as holiday gifts. Today she is an English teacher, who still squanders all free minutes to write and uses it as the best scapegoat for her laundry avoidance issues. When she is not teaching or writing, Kimberly is enjoying life with her husband, her three beautiful children, and a seriously beautiful boxer in the northern suburbs of Chicago. Every Stolen Breath is her debut novel and a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection.

Website: https://www.kimberlygabriel.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KimberlyGabrielAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KT_Gabriel

Instagram: http://instagram.com/kimberlytgabriel

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/ESBGoodreads

Giveaway:

• Prize: Finished copy of Every Stolen Breath by Kimberly Gabriel + signed bookplate + poster (USA)

• Starts: 11/4/19

• Ends:  11/14/19

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

https://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2019/10/tour-schedule-every-stolen-breath-by.html

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Blog Tour Review with Giveaway: The Speed of Falling Objects by Nancy Richardson Fischer

Book info:

Title:  The Speed of Falling Objects
Author:  Nancy Richardson Fischer
Genre:  YA contemporary
Release Date:  October 1st, 2019
Publisher:  Inkyard Press
Source:  Finished copy from publisher which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  5 stars

Synopsis:

From the author of When Elephants Fly comes an exceptional new novel about falling down, risking everything and embracing what makes us unique. Don't miss this compulsively readable novel about the most unlikely of heroes.

Danger "Danny" Danielle Warren is no stranger to falling. After losing an eye in a childhood accident, she had to relearn her perception of movement and space. Now Danny keeps her head down, studies hard, and works to fulfill everyone else's needs. She's certain that her mom's bitterness and her TV star father's absence are her fault. If only she were more-more athletic, charismatic, attractive-life would be perfect.

When her dad calls with an offer to join him to film the next episode of his popular survivalist show, Danny jumps at the chance to prove she's not the disappointment he left behind. Being on set with the hottest teen movie idol of the moment, Gus Price, should be the cherry on top. But when their small plane crashes in the Amazon, and a terrible secret is revealed, Danny must face the truth about the parent she worships and falling for Gus, and find her own inner strength and worth to light the way home.

BOOK LINKS

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42903467-the-speed-of-falling-objects

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2XTbsUj

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-speed-of-falling-objects-nancy-richardson-fischer/1129922710

iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-speed-of-falling-objects/id1444066607

Bookdepository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Speed-Falling-Objects-Nancy-Richardson-Fischer/9781335928245?ref=grid-view&qid=1562931250699&sr=1-3

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-speed-of-falling-objects

Google Books: https://books.google.fr/books/about/The_Speed_of_Falling_Objects.html?id=Lkl7DwAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y

My Review:
I really enjoyed the first book by this author, so I was definitely interested in reading this one.  And I was not disappointed.  The detail that went in to all of the types of creatures and plants and environment of being stranded in the Amazonian rain forest was incredible.  I shivered with disgust at all the bugs and snakes and caimans as they appeared and landed on characters or bit characters or even just peeked up out of the swamp water as our characters passed by them.  I shuddered and gagged at the thought of eating the nasty sounding grubs that they had to eat in order to survive at one point.  But getting past the forest as an actual character in the book, like it was, the characters themselves were all so perfectly developed that they made the story even more than just what you kind of expected to happen.  There was the hot young movie star, but he wasn't the perfect guy, and even when it seemed that he and our main character, Danny - otherwise known as Danger Danielle Warren, were kind of connecting, he still had issues that ended up causing more strife between them and teen strife at that!  In the middle of the Amazon!  And Danny's dad, Cougar, wow, I just wanted to slap him or punch him sometimes for how he interacted with. his daughter.  While in a way there were setups woven into Cougar's filming plan, the crash itself was an actual terrible accident, and it was done in a very realistic, deadly way. With a death right after the crash, and other deaths in the days following the crash that had been caused by injuries received from that accident.  In the end the relationships are what really stand out and some will be saved, some will be lost even as they are saved, and new ones will be formed and hopefully last beyond our final chapter.


About the Author:

I'm a published author with children's, teen and adult titles including: The Golden Globe, Lyric's World and Promises (Junior Jedi Knights Trilogy) for LucasFilm (Berkeley Press), Feel No Fear, The Power, Passion and Politics of a Life in Gymnastics (Hyperion), Monica: From Fear to Victory (HarperCollins), A Journey: The Autobiography of Apolo Anton Ohno (Simon & Schuster), Nadia Comaneci: Letters to a Young Gymnast (Basic Books), and Winning Every Day with Shannon Miller (Bantam Books). 

I've written for a circus, a graduate school, tried my hand at waitressing (I was terrible!), baking carrot cakes (I was messy but good!), and been lucky enough to ultimately do what I love - write.

I live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband and our mostly wonderful (but sometimes vorpal) Vizsla. When I'm not conjuring a story, I love to kite-board, bike, ski or plan adventures with my two guys, who both make me laugh for different reasons and are the best partners in fun a gal could ever imagine.

If you want to learn more about my latest novel, When Elephants Fly (publication date September 04, HarperCollins/Harlequin Teen), please visit my website: www.nancyrichardsonfischer.com

AUTHOR LINKS

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/98412.Nancy_Richardson_Fischer

Website: http://nancyrichardsonfischer.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nfischerauthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nanfischerauthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nanfischerauthor/

-->  Giveaway:

PRIZE: Win a copy of the SPEED OF FALLING OBJECTS by Nancy Richardson Fischer (US Only)

Starts: 25^th September 2019

Ends: 9^th October 2019

-->   a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

https://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2019/08/tour-schedule-speed-of-falling-objects.html

-->  

Blog Tour Review with Author Interview and Giveaway: Tiger Queen by Annie Sullivan

Book info:

Title:  Tiger Queen
Author:  Annie Sullivan
Genre:  YA fantasy, retelling
Release Date:  September 10th, 2019
Publisher:  Blink YA
Source:  Physical ARC from publisher which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  5 stars

Synopsis:

From Annie Sullivan, author of A Touch of Gold, comes Tiger Queen, a sweeping YA fantasy adventure that tells the story of a fierce desert princess battling to save her kingdom. Fans of Rebel of the Sands and Meagan Spooner will devour this retelling of Frank Stockton’s famous short story, “The Lady, or the Tiger?”

In the mythical desert kingdom of Achra, an ancient law forces sixteen-year-old Princess Kateri to fight in the arena to prove her right to rule. For Kateri, winning also means fulfilling a promise to her late mother that she would protect her people, who are struggling through windstorms and drought. The situation is worsened by the gang of Desert Boys that frequently raids the city wells, forcing the king to ration what little water is left. The punishment for stealing water is a choice between two doors: behind one lies freedom, and behind the other is a tiger.

But when Kateri’s final opponent is announced, she knows she cannot win. In desperation, she turns to the desert and the one person she never thought she’d side with. What Kateri discovers twists her world—and her heart—upside down. Her future is now behind two doors—only she’s not sure which holds the key to keeping her kingdom and which releases the tiger.

BOOK LINKS

Goodreads
Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Book Depository

My Review:
If you follow me, you know I love any kind of a retelling, and while I hadn't ever really read The Lady or the Tiger, I know the gist of that story, so it made this work for me.  I love that we once again have a strong female character who is fighting to be her own person.  The characters really had a lot going on, lots of good background stories that really tied in to wrap the whole story together.  Each little history for the characters brought it all in to make the ending and the way things wrapped up perfect.  The fight that you knew had to come at the end was different than it was originally planned or even how you thought it would be as the story progressed. But it wasn't just an easy win for her, an all of a sudden it just is easy for her, she's suddenly better than Rodric after her short time training with Cion.  It was still a hard fight, and she had to use the things she'd learned, but also apply them to new situations or things as they happened in the moment.  

The setting was beautiful, the whole story was beautifully told and imagined, and I look forward to reading more by this author in the future!


Author Interview:

1.    So far the stories I've read from you are retellings.  What are some stories that you'd either like to do retellings on in the future, would like to see someone else do a retelling of, or that you feel do not need any more retellings? 

I love retellings and could probably never get enough. I have a few more retellings in the works. Nothing I can talk about right now. Some are very classic stories, but some are a little more off the beaten path. Honestly, one of the few I HAVEN’T written a retelling of is Beauty and the Beast. I think I just love that story so much that I’m not sure that I could retell in a new way. But who knows! Maybe someday I will.

2.    I am an aspiring writer myself, and so I always wonder if authors edit as they go or wait till they finish before editing.  How many times would you say you go over it yourself before you are ready to have another set of eyes look it over? 

I do edit as I go along. If something changes, I cannot move forward until I’ve gone back and changed everything that might have been affected by that change. I need everything before where I’m currently writing to be pristine before I move forward. So typically, once I finish a draft, it goes straight to my beta readers because it’s a clean copy with nothing left to change.

3.    Are you part of a writers group that gets together and helps each other with their writing? 

No, I’m not. I found it hard to find one that did full length novels, and I’ve never been a fan of reading chapters at a time. I like discussing an entire book so I can give feedback on character arcs and things that are only visible when you read the novel altogether instead of spread out over months or years. I do know writers who love these groups though, so don’t discount them. They may work for you!

4.    Where is your ideal place to write?  Do you have an office or do you like to go sit in a coffee shop/library, etc? 

Ha! I do most of my writing from either my bed or my couch. In my house, I have a library (aka an extra bedroom that I just covered with bookshelves) that I put a desk in specifically for writing. I’ve maybe used it twice in 2 years for writing. I guess I just like being really comfy when I’m writing.

5.  Some fun questions:

Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin? Gryffindor all the way!!!

Lannister, Stark, or Targaryen? So full confession, I read the books years ago when they were coming out, but I never watched the TV show. So I know enough to discuss them, but I don’t know where they all ended up in the show. So I don’t want to pick one without knowing that!

Captain Kirk or Captain Picard? Can…can I pick Captain Kirk played by Chris Pine? If not, then Captain Picard!

DC or Marvel? Marvel.

Physical book, ebook, or audiobook? Physical book!!!!!!!! 

About the Author:

Annie Sullivan is a Young Adult author from Indianapolis, Indiana. Her work has been featured in Curly Red Stories and Punchnels. She loves fairytales, everything Jane Austen, and traveling and exploring new cultures. When she’s not off on her own adventures, she’s teaching classes at the Indiana Writers Center and working as the Copy Specialist at John Wiley and Sons, Inc. publishing company, having also worked there in Editorial and Publicity roles. You can follow her adventures on Twitter and Instagram (@annsulliva).

Website: https://anniesullivanauthor.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/annsulliva

Giveaway:

Prize: Tiger Queen poster and signed bookplate (USA only)

Starts: 9/4/19

Ends:  9/13/19

   a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR SCHEDULE

http://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2019/08/tour-schedule-tiger-queen-by-annie.html