Title: The Lying Woods Author: Ashley Elston Genre: YA Thriller Release Date: November 13th, 2018 Publisher: Disney-Hyperion Source: ARC received from publisher which did not influence my opinion My rating: 5 stars
Synopsis: Owen Foster has never wanted for anything. Then his mother shows up at his elite New Orleans boarding school cradling a bombshell: his privileged life has been funded by stolen money. After using the family business, the single largest employer in his small Louisiana town, to embezzle millions and drain the employees' retirement accounts, Owen's father vanished without a trace, leaving Owen and his mother to deal with the fallout.
Owen returns to Lake Cane to finish his senior year, where people he can barely remember despise him for his father's crimes. It's bad enough dealing with muttered insults and glares, but when Owen and his mother receive increasingly frightening threats from someone out for revenge, he knows he must get to the bottom of what really happened at Louisiana Frac--and the cryptic note his father sent him at his boarding school days before disappearing.
Owen's only refuge is the sprawling, isolated pecan orchard he works at after school, owned by a man named Gus who has his own secrets--and in some ways seems to know Owen better than he knows himself. As Owen uncovers a terrible injustice that looms over the same Preacher Woods he's claimed as his own, he must face a shocking truth about his own past--and write a better future.
My Review: The synopsis of this was definitely one that sounded good, but concerned me as one I wasn't quite sure how much I would like it. However my doubts were definitely misguided, because I really enjoyed this one. The author did a great job in throwing in lots of hints and clues throughout the story, including chapters from Owen's father's viewpoint. Obviously those chapters were there to help you figure things out, or to at least add details to the story that would have been just an info dump from characters in Owen's present day. Even with those additional details, I was still surprised at some of the twists and what exactly Owen's father was guilty of, as well as why he did the things he did. It was hard to see just how his mother could be so believing of his father being guilty, based on the entries from his father, and how much they seemed to be in love. But then when you find out just what really was happening, it all clicked into place. A lot of "A-HA!" moments for me.
This was very hard to put down as I was reading. Each chapter gave just enough new drama or clues that I had so much trouble putting it down when I wanted to know the answers to whatever new question had arisen, or figure out where those clues could take the case. I always get irritated with characters being treated poorly for something someone else in their family did, like in this case, Owen getting pushed around because of what his father did. I liked how the author did bring in the other teens and their opinions and feelings, and how some of them did understand that about him, even if it took them a bit to come to the realization. And of course I enjoyed all the New Orleans and Louisiana tidbits in the story, since it is one of my favorite places!
Genre: Young Adult -- Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller
Source: ARC received from publisher which did not influence my review in any way
My rating: 5 stars
Synopsis:
From New York Times and USA
Today bestselling author CJ Lyons comes The Color of Lies,
a world drenched in color and mystery.
High school senior Ella Cleary has always been
good at reading people. Her family has a rare medical condition called
synesthesia that scrambles the senses—her Gram Helen sees every sound, and her
uncle Joe can literally taste words. Ella’s own synesthesia manifests itself as
the ability to see colors that reveal people’s true emotions…until she meets a
guy she just can’t read.
Alec is a mystery to Ella, a handsome, enigmatic
young journalist who makes her feel normal for the first time in her life. That
is, until he reveals the real reason why he sought her out—he wants to learn
the truth behind her parents’ deaths, the parents that Ella had always been
told died in a fire. Alec turns Ella’s world upside down when he tells her
their deaths were definitely not an accident.
After learning her entire life has been a lie,
Ella doesn’t know who she can trust or even who she really is. With her
adoptive family keeping secrets and the evidence mixing fact and fiction, the
only way for Ella to learn the truth about her past is to find a killer.
Perfect for fans of Caroline B. Cooney, Ally
Carter, and Jennifer Brown, The Color of Lies blurs the lines
between black-and-white facts and the kaleidoscope of reality.
I am a big fan of this author's YA books: Brokenand Watched. And I am also very intrigued by the whole synesthesia thing. I even have a really good friend who has the condition. I remember first reading about synesthesia when I was in college. Studying to be a science teacher, I had a subscription to Discover magazine, which I would read cover to cover. That story on people who always thought of certain numbers having a specific color, or sometimes words had a taste to them, that story stuck with me. This story was a really good one that used a few different types of synesthesia symptoms for characters in a family, since it is considered to be genetic. I feel like this author with her medical background is able to be very realistic about things like this disorder, the same as she was with the genetic heart defect in Broken. But we also had at the heart of this story a very good mystery. To me, this book is right up there with many adult mystery titles that have a medical aspect to them. It reminds me in a way of the good old fashioned Robin Cook novels. Less complicated and conspiracy theory-ish, but definitely as good of a mystery with things you know are coming, but don't always see completely until the bad guys begin giving their plots away. I guess that makes sense since the author does write those same books for adults. In this case I guess my point is that she does this well within the YA genre as well. Now I had a few questions about how it all wrapped up, and if there was more faking going on than just identities. And maybe those things were actually touched upon, but I was at the exciting action point of the book and probably reading faster to get to find out how we could keep both Ella and her friends and family safe. Other questions I pondered when I had to put the book down to go back to work included wondering if schools have synesthesia as something they might use to put a student on an IEP, or Individualized Education Plan, so that they could get help from the special education teachers. Because it seems to me that it could cause some learning environments to not be the best suited in some cases. At some point I mean to reach out to those types of teachers in my school just to find out for myself about this very topic. Highly recommended book, one I will be ordering for my school library with future budget money.
About the Author:
New
York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over forty novels, former
pediatric ER doctor CJ Lyons has lived the life she writes about in her cutting
edge Thrillers with Heart.
Two times winner of the International Thriller
Writers coveted Thriller Award, CJ has been called a "master within the
genre" (Pittsburgh Magazine) and her work has been praised as
"breathtakingly fast-paced" and "riveting" (Publishers
Weekly) with "characters with beating hearts and three dimensions"
(Newsday).
Learn more about CJ's Thrillers with Heart atwww.CJLyons.net
10PM:
Closing time at Café Flores. The door should be locked, but it
isn't, Scott Bradley and Winsome Sommervil are about to become
hostages.
TEN
MINUTES BEFORE CLOSING: Scott's girlfriend breaks up with him in the
café's basement storeroom because he's late picking her up for the
big end-of-the-year party. Now he can't go to the party, but he can't
go home, either--not knowing his dad will still be in a drunken rage.
Meanwhile, Winny wanted one night to let loose, away from her
mother's crushing expectations. Instead, she's stranded at the café
after her best friend ditches her in a misguided attempt at
matchmaking.
TEN
MINUTES AFTER CLOSING: The first gunshot is fired. Someone's dead.
And if Winny, Scott, and the rest of the hostages don't come up with
a plan soon, they may not live to see morning.
Told
from both Winny and Scott's perspectives, and alternating between the
events leading up to and following the hold-up, Ten
After Closingis
an explosive story of teens wrestling with their own challenges,
thrown into circumstances that will test their very limits.
Chapter 1 SCOTT Three Minutes After Closing I glance at my watch. Three minutes after ten. God, how long have I been down here, staring at crates of mustard and bags of non-GMO kale chips? As if that will somehow erase the memory of my girlfriend’s words, still a tornado in my mind. Correction: my ex-girlfriend. I force my brain to shut the hell up and straighten from my slumped position against the wall. Cool damp has seeped into my shirt from the bedrock lining the basement where Becky just dumped me. The sickly feel of the fabric sends a shiver through me, and I untuck my stained work polo to give my skin some breathing room. Too bad all my problems aren’t as easy to fix. Stretching my spine, I roll my head. My neck and shoulders are definitely feeling the two hours’ worth of work I’ve done tonight, though not as bad as they’d be after a full shift. And it’s not over yet. I head toward the doorway and the creaky stairs beyond, skirting the trap door that leads to the sub-basement. After the crack it let out when Becky stood on it before, I’m not taking any chances on it holding my weight. I don’t need a broken leg to go with my busted life. “Hey, Scott. You okay down there?” Sylvie calls from the top of the storeroom stairwell. Not out of anger—she’s too much of a softy for that. But if she catches on that something’s up with me, it will be just like the time I showed up to work with my wrist wrapped in an ACE bandage; she gave me the worried-mom look for weeks, offering her ear if I wanted to talk. Offering to talk to my parents. “I just want to help, Scott,” she said, when I brushed her off for the umpteenth time. “If you want to help me, then keep giving me shifts. The more the better.” Her renewed worrying will just make the whole thing worse, which is the last thing I need tonight. First the crap going on at home. Then Becky. And the night is still young—plenty of time left for me to get run over by a car or abducted by aliens. “Yeah. Be right up!” “’Kay. You have a visitor. A special visitor.” The door swishes shut overhead, cutting off what sounds way too much like a giggle. Could it be Becky, back for round two? Nah, she’d storm right down here if she still had a piece of her mind left to sling my way. Whoever it is, I’ll deal with them, do my work like everything is fine, and then get out of here. I freeze halfway up the stairs. And where, exactly, do I think I’m going after work? Not home, that’s for sure. After this afternoon and my mom’s voice message, I’m not planning on walking through that door until at least two or three, when he’ll be out for the count. There’s still the party, but can I even go now? Yeah, I can go. If I want to make a scene. Becky’ll be raring to start something in front of everyone, especially once she downs a couple of those God-awful hard iced teas. I can see her now, just like the day we had the showdown over the prom. Becky in her cheer uniform, looking hot and cute, with her hip cocked, right hand on her waist. Sweet but feisty. Until you take in her expression. That’s where the venom shows. Have fun working all the time and still being broke. I don’t need that shit. Not Becky’s whatever face and definitely not my name, acid in her voice. I already got that enough times tonight. And what if she’s with someone else? Ricky Belsen, maybe. I shake my head. She wouldn’t do that, but still, plenty of guys would love a chance to get with her. My muscles turn to lead, heavy and slow, and my hands are twin twenty-pounders hanging at the ends of my arms. Any fight I had in me earlier is gone, along with what little stomach for celebration I’d managed to scrounge up. What do I have to celebrate anyway? It’s not like I’m allowed to make plans like everyone else. Do I really want to hang with all those drunk assholes as they go on and on about next year? Schools, majors, frats. Sucking it up wasn’t so bad with Becky there to distract me, even if I was usually the only straight edge at the party, but no way I’m subjecting myself to that now. I’m tired of changing the subject when my friends start talking about plans for the future. How the hell do you explain sitting on three college scholarship offers just because you’ve got a messed-up family? Especially when that family would kind of prefer you go if only they didn’t need you to stay? That’s a question I’m not willing to answer. Not for anybody. Not even Winny. But if the party’s a no, then what? Doesn’t matter right now anyway. I’ve got a good half hour of work to look forward to. Plus my mystery visitor. I’d better get going. Everyone else will want to get out of here on a Friday night—like I did twenty minutes ago. My shitty life will still be there waiting when my shift is over. I plod the rest of the way up the stairs, but before I even reach the kitchen, I realize something is off. I pat my pocket. Damn. My phone is still down in the basement, tucked on the shelf between the plastic forks and knives for our take-out orders. Useless as the busted thing is, I turn back to grab it, but no more than three steps down, a scream stops me. Sylvie? I do a jump-spin combo, throwing out a hand to keep from tumbling backward down the stairs. Once I’m sure I’m not going to break my neck, I bolt the rest of the way up and through the door to the empty kitchen. Oscar and I cleaned up in here over an hour ago, when we stopped serving all but soup and pastries. Shouts. Bangs. Laughter, but not the good kind. Is Sylvie crying? My fists clench. “You slimy son-of-a-bitch!” That’s Oscar. “I don’t give a crap if he’s your brother!” “Oscar, no!” Sylvie shouts. “Ryan, please. No, Oscar, stay here! Don’t go near them. Please, everyone. Please, just stop!” A new voice speaks, but softly, and I can’t make it out. Everything on the other side of the door goes quiet, too quiet. Now, all I’m getting is mumbling. Can this day get any weirder? I peer through one of the windows set in the swinging doors, not sure I want to know what flavor of drama is happening out there. “Oh, shit,” I whisper, and my warm breath bounces off the glass back into my face. My special visitor is nowhere to be seen, unless it’s one of the three men blocking the way to the café entrance and the quiet street beyond. There’s Ryan, his blond hair and freckled complexion almost a perfect match to his sister’s. But who the hell are the other two? Something tells me they’re not here for a late-night scone. If they’re tight with Ryan, they’ve got to be asshats like him. Whatever went down between Sylvie and her brother in the past, it couldn’t have been pretty. His drop-ins, which have gotten more frequent lately, always end with Sylvie in tears, or in a screaming match between her and Oscar, who doesn’t like his brother-in-law any more than I do. The tension when Ryan worked here made every shift miserable. I know I wasn’t the only one who was glad when he left. How did Ryan and his friends even get in here? I check my watch. Nine minutes after closing. The doors should have been locked. Oh, right. That’s my job, and I’ve been in the basement, sulking. This little standoff isn’t looking like it’ll wrap up any time soon. I should just slip out the back door and jet. But I’m not done with my tasks for the night. If it hadn’t been for Becky and her bombshell, I’d be all finished and long gone. Now I’m stuck waiting for this family drama to play out. As if I don’t get enough of that at home. But I can’t leave Oscar and Sylvie alone to deal with this, and it’s some major shit, for sure. Sylvie’s in full-on sob mode. Oscar is behind the counter near the door to the kitchen, his back to me. The way he’s standing behind Sylvie, with his arms around her waist, brings me back to the afternoon, and memories of a power drill. Only one reason why Oscar would hold his wife that way: he doesn’t want her to run toward Ryan and his friends. He’s afraid she’ll run toward Ryan and his friends. The question is why. Ryan is ranting about something, but the words die before they reach the kitchen. Only his cold tone slices through the glass and wood. His friends flank him, a shorter guy who’s silent and still, and a tall, skinny dude who’s antsy as hell. What’s Ryan doing hanging out with those two, anyway? Forget the fact that he’s at least five years older than them; they look like he picked them up on the streets. Scabs and sores dot the taller guy’s sickly pale face, and he keeps shifting his weight from foot to foot and hiking up the jeans that hang off his narrow hips. The dude is seriously thin. The other guy—stockier, and way cleaner than the tall dude—wears a black leather jacket over a white tee and jeans, even though it’s warm enough outside for shorts. And he’s got on a pair of aviators, like no one told him the sun went down hours ago. He says something to Ryan, who shoots the guy a glance before returning his attention to his sister. This is all probably nothing, but best to hang tight, just to be sure. At least whatever’s going on will kill some time. “You heard me!” Ryan shouts, and I jump. Maybe I’ll be calling 911 today, after all. I grope for my phone again, but it’s still in the basement. I’m about to head back down to get it when Sylvie screams, “No, no! Please, don’t!” I pause and spin to peer through the window again. Everyone’s in motion. Oscar blocks my view of Ryan, but I’ve got a new angle on his friends. And what his friends have in their hands. Now I know why that dude needed a jacket on a warm June night. My stomach turns inside out and my heart slams to my ears as I stumble away from the door. “Oh, shit. Oh, motherfucking shit.” That’s when I hear the first gunshot.
Jessica
Bayliss is a fiction author with a Ph.D. in clinical psychology who
loves all things reading and writing. Author of the young adult
horror novella, BROKEN CHORDS, and her upcoming YA thriller, TEN
AFTER CLOSING (Sky Pony Press, September 2018), she has been a
lover thrillers and ghost tales since her days scanning VHS rental
shelves—admittedly with eyes half-averted from the gory covers. She
also loves to eat, cook, and exercise—in that order—and is a firm
believer that coffee makes the world a better place.
She
has authored thirteen novels and several short stories that appear in
anthologies such as BEWARE THE LITTLE WHITE RABBIT, FRIGHT BEFORE
CHRISTMAS, and ZOMBIE CHUNKS and in such literary magazines as
Sanitarium Magazine. Jessica is a Senior Editor for Allegory
Magazine.
In
the psychology world, she has more than fifteen years of experience
and training in the cognitive-behavioral model. She’s a
psychotherapist, a teacher, and a researcher. One day it hit her: Why
not combine writing and psychology? Just like that, PsychWRITE, her
series of lectures, workshops, and coaching services for writers was
born. Her blog features motivational posts for writers that combine
her passion for writing with her love of psychology.
Title: Death by the River Authors: Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor Genre: YA Thriller Release Date: October 2nd, 2018 Publisher: Vesuvian Books
Synopsis: Some truths are better kept secret. Some secrets are better off dead.
Along the banks of the Bogue Falaya River, sits the abandoned St. Francis Seminary. Beneath a canopy of oaks, blocked from prying eyes, the teens of St. Benedict High gather here on Fridays. The rest of the week belongs to school and family—but weekends belong to the river.
And the river belongs to Beau Devereaux.
The only child of a powerful family, Beau can do no wrong. Handsome. Charming. Intelligent. The star quarterback of the football team. The “prince” of St. Benedict is the ultimate catch.
He is also a psychopath.
A dirty family secret buried for years, Beau’s evil grows unchecked. In the shadows of the ruined St. Francis Abbey, he commits unspeakable acts on his victims and ensures their silence with threats and intimidation. Senior year, Beau sets his sights on his girlfriend’s headstrong twin sister, Leslie, who hates him. Everything he wants but cannot have, she will be his ultimate prize.
As the victim toll mounts, it becomes crystal clear that someone has to stop Beau Devereaux.
And that someone will pay with their life.
WARNING: Readers of Death by the River will encounter situations of violence and sexual abuse which could be upsetting.
"... a thrilling psychological work ... Catching the current vogue of teen psycho and revenge tales like Bates Motel and 13 Reasons Why ... a horrifically brilliant book ... Beau Devereaux could have easily been a clichéd psycho, but the plot constructed around him and his development during the novel really shone as a masterpiece of character creation ... much in the style of Dexter or Hannibal." ―K.C. Finn, Multi-Award-Winning Author
"Rare is the story that simmers and rises to a boil so naturally and constantly that the reader manages to be repeatedly shocked ... a full-speed rollercoaster that doesn't slow down until the final page. Employing an evocative setting, powerfully defined characters, and taking along hard look at the darker side of human desire, this novel will catch your breath and hold it until the very end. RECOMMENDED" ―Michael Radon, US Review
"While the authors have written a chilling story here, there's more to Death by the River than thrills. It's actually a fascinating study into the effects of good and bad parenting on children. Do it badly and parents, children and society as a whole pay the consequences. This book is not just an exciting read; it's a sobering one." ―Viga Boland, Retired high school English teacher and Author ofNo Tears for my Father: Viga's true story of incest
"While the story follows compelling characters, it also plunges readers into an intriguing setting. It is ironical that the horrors are taking place along the river that runs so close to a seminary, an establishment that should evoke a powerful sense of God and reverence for life. The characters are sophisticated and readers will learn to honestly hate the villain of the story -- he is well imagined and developed with skill. In a subtle way, the authors allow his crooked mind to reveal itself. Like most serial killers, he is a charmer and an intelligent young man, but beneath the cool surface is a cauldron of simmering evil. Weis and Astor have written a riveting crime tale with strong psychological underpinnings. Death by the River is ingeniously plotted, written in gorgeous prose, and featuring a strong conflict that propels the narrative forward. The suspense intensifies as the story moves on, with the reader always feeling as though something awful could happen at any moment, and this feeling grows in intensity until the explosive climax. A real thriller!" ―Romuald Dzemo, Readers' Favorite
"A suspense-filled thriller steeped in equal parts atmosphere, insanity, and revenge." ―Mary Ting, Award-Winning Author of ISAN: International Sensory Assassin Network
"Weis and Astor have created something so dark, edgy, and gritty, it will stay with you long after you close the book." ―Julieanne Lynch, Dragon Award Finalist: Horror (2018)
"... a crime thriller that pulls readers into the twisted mind of the protagonist and holds them engaged till the exhilarating finish. The writing is flawless ... Death by the River is psychologically engaging, emotionally rich, and utterly absorbing." ―Christian Sia
Book Trailer:
Excerpt:
Beau froze, almost afraid to
move when he spotted him. Gage Devereaux rested his hip against the black
granite countertop. Except for their height and physical prowess, Beau felt he had
nothing in common with his father.
He attempted to relax by shifting
his book bag on his shoulder. “Didn’t expect to find you still home.”
Gage set his coffee mug on the kitchen
counter. “I wanted to speak to you before you left for school.”
The hint of condescension in
his father’s voice tightened his chest—it usually signaled a lecture.
“I got a call from Ms.
Greenbriar yesterday afternoon. She said you visited her office after a run-in
you had with Carol Foster’s boy.”
Beau’s fingers twitched, the
way they did when his aggravation got the better of him. Great. The idiot woman
had called his father. The last thing he needed was Gage Devereaux up his ass.
“Derek is dating Dawn’s sister,
so I often see him at school.” He tempered the irritation in his voice, not
wanting to annoy his father. “I was talking to Leslie when Derek walked up. I
accidentally caught him with my elbow when I turned around. I apologized and
everything is fine.”
He waited, analyzing every move
his father made, searching his hard eyes for an inkling of his mindset.
“I’ve spoken to you before about
this.” Gage came around the breakfast bar. “This family is in a precarious
position with everyone in town. I don’t want your actions threatening our
business or our good name.” He gripped Beau’s shoulder. “What have I always
told you? What is our rule?”
Beau cringed as the words he’d
spent a lifetime dreading screamed through his head. He faced his father,
standing at attention. “Self-control in all things. Never let anyone see who
you really are.”
Gage leaned closer. “No matter
what anyone says, no matter what they do, you walk away. This includes your
girlfriend. Do you understand?”
Beau stiffened at the low,
menacing tone in his father’s voice. “Yes, sir.”
Gage lifted the left side of
his mouth ever so slightly. “Go to school.”
Beau stood by the breakfast
bar, not moving a muscle as his father headed to the garage. The door clicked
shut and a trickle of sweat ran down his temple. His jaw muscles cramped from
clenching, his heart rate slowed, and he glanced at his fists. His father’s
warning spinning in his head, Beau slammed his hand down on the copper bar.
Anger like molten lead ran
through him. Beau sucked in deep breaths to calm himself—something he
remembered from a long-ago therapy session. Then he relaxed his hand on the
bar, checking the indent he’d left in the copper. He wiped the smudge away,
stepped back, and raised his head.
Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, CRRN, ONC, PhD, is a multi award-winning author of over twenty-five novels, a screenwriter, ICU Nurse, and historian who was born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Having grown up in the motion picture industry as the daughter of a director, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective and began writing at the age of eight. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story moving and memorable. A permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, Weis rescues orphaned and injured animals. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans. Weis writes paranormal, suspense, thrillers, horror, crime fiction, and romance.
Lucas Astor, Lucas Astor is from New York, has resided in Central America and the Middle East, and traveled through Europe. He lives a very private, virtually reclusive lifestyle, preferring to spend time with a close-knit group of friends than be in the spotlight. He is an author and poet with a penchant for telling stories that delve into the dark side of the human psyche. He likes to explore the evil that exists, not just in the world, but right next door behind a smiling face.
Weis and Astor’s first collaboration was the multi-award-winning Magnus Blackwell Series.
PHOTO CONTENT FROM ALEXANDREA WEIS AND LUCAS ASTOR
Title: Project Prometheus Author: Aden Polydoros Series: Assassin Fall #2 Genre: YA thriller Release Date: August 28th, 2018 Publisher: Entangled Teen Source: Finished copy received from publisher which did not influence my opinion My rating: 4 stars
Synopsis:
The Academy stole everything
from Hades, their perfect assassin. Angry and leaving bodies in his wake, he
finds two other ex-assassins doing the exact same thing.
Tyler and Shannon once killed for The Academy. Now they’re tracking and hunting
down its scientists. So why is The Academy only after Hades?
Shannon will do whatever it takes to protect Tyler, even if it means teaming up
with a former rival. While she seeks answers to her past, Tyler wants to learn
the truth about the mysterious white room, which no one has ever seen except
him.
As for Hades? He simply wants revenge.
They all need answers, even if it means returning to the organization where it
all started.
My Review:
This second book was pretty close to as good as the first book. In book one you really felt the connection between Hades and Elizabeth, and you got to seeing him as a character that you had sympathy for and could definitely begin to like. By the end of this story, after all that happened, I felt even more sympathy for him, and really began to think of him as a favorite. Even with his attitude and ease toward killing, you feel it is all understandable. And then there is Apollo/Tyler and Artemis/Shannon. In their quest to find who was behind Project Pandora and make them responsible for what was done as well as exposing them to the public, they end up in more trouble. Tyler's injury leads to more details of their past, things they didn't remember. Things that bring even more trouble into their lives. We find out who Hades' real parent was, and when he learns things that he didn't know about Persephone/Elizabeth, he is set off and his need for revenge overcomes any hopes he ever even entertained for being a normal human some day.
There are more adults in this story. Dr. Miller is one of the first ones, and she has connections that take the story into the current title, Project Prometheus. So many new people to meet in this story, and so many that we have to wonder whether they are on "our" side, that of our Academy escapees, or if they are going to be there to bring them back into the fold, or maybe back into even worse scenarios. This was another easy, page-turning read, like the first book. And definitely we have left it open for a third book, which I will be eager to read and find out just where all of this will lead, and how will Hades fare in his quest for revenge. Another book I'll be adding to my school library for my students to read and enjoy.
Tyler Bennett trusts no one. Just another foster kid bounced from
home to home, he’s learned that lesson the hard way. Cue world’s tiniest
violin. But when strange things start happening—waking up with bloody knuckles
and no memory of the night before or the burner phone he can’t let out of his
sight— Tyler starts to wonder if he can even trust himself.
Even stranger, the girl he’s falling for has a burner phone just like his.
Finding out what’s really happening only leads to more questions…questions that
could get them both killed. It’s not like someone’s kidnapping teens lost in
the system and brainwashing them to be assassins or anything, right? And what
happens to rogue assets who defy control?
In a race against the clock, they’ll have to uncover the truth behind Project
Pandora and take it down—before they’re reactivated. Good thing the program
spent millions training them to kick ass...
Aden Polydoros grew up in Long Grove, Illinois, and now lives in
Arizona. He is a writer of young adult fiction. When he isn’t writing, he
enjoys reading and going on hikes in the mountains. Aden Polydoros is a 2015
Gold Medalist in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards and has published two
short stories in Best Arizona Teen Writing of 2015. PROJECT PANDORA (Entangled,
2017) is his debut novel.
