My Ramblings on Hysteria by Megan Miranda

Hysteria

By: Megan Miranda

Release Date: February 15, 2013

Author Website

Book Provided by NetGalley

Summary:

Mallory killed her boyfriend, Brian. She can't remember the details of that night but everyone knows it was self-defense, so she isn't charged. But Mallory still feels Brian's presence in her life. Is it all in her head? Or is it something more? In desperate need of a fresh start, Mallory is sent to Monroe, a fancy prep school where no one knows her . . . or anything about her past.But the feeling follows her, as do her secrets. Then, one of her new classmates turns up dead. As suspicion falls on Mallory, she must find a way to remember the details of both deadly nights so she can prove her innocence-to herself and others.

In another riveting tale of life and death, Megan Miranda's masterful storytelling brings readers along for a ride to the edge of sanity and back again. (from goodreads)

My Ramblings:

I read this book way back in January and was super excited to review it... then I got an email about participating in a blog tour so I held off.  I was worried initially that I wouldn't be able to remember the plot or the characters after all this time, but that really wasn't the case at all. Instead I found myself thinking about the book during the last few months, really looking forward to reviewing it and remember the things that really stood out about the book. It was really interesting trying to hold off the review. Now, I know I could have reviewed back in January and just scheduled it to post today, but I'm really glad I didn't. The waiting gave a different perspective on the book and it was kind of fun to look back when thinking this post out, instead of just sharing my immediate, off the cuff thoughts. So, here we go. 

This book centers around a girl named Mallory who killed her boyfriend Brian. She doesn't remember it. Not anything about it. She doesn't remember the events that led up to it and she doesn't remember the actual murder. She thinks it was self-defense, that's what everyone else believes and she is able to walk away without being charged. She also knows that her entire life is different now. She can't seem to get passed the incident, even if she doesn't remember it. It's haunting her. She leaves to go to a new school, a private school out in the woods, where no one is supposed to know who she is or what she's done. 

It's at the new school where the action and the mystery really ramps up. What I really loved about this book is that you see the story unraveling the way Miranda does. She has know idea what happened so as she begins to uncover little pieces, as she starts to remember, you, as the reader, begin to piece it all together as well. Often times books that center around a mystery try to pack in too many twists and turns OR the mystery is too easy to solve. This book does cram a lot in, there were a few moments as I was reading that I felt like it was too much and I got a bit confused about who was doing what and how it was all connected. However, Miranda really ties it all together in the end. This was one of the few times where as it pulled together I really went "Woah!" It sounds a bit cliche, but it really did all make sense in the end. 

Mallory as a main character is great. You really get the sense that she is right on the edge. She really doesn't know what is real and what is in her head, and you can see her grappling with her own sanity. Calling a book "Hysteria" holds a promise of the what you're going to find inside. Mallory's struggle definitely hold up to the promise. What I particularly liked was that not only weren't we sure whether Mallory was losing it or not, but neither was she. She actively acknowledges that fact. She questions her own sanity and she struggles with what it might mean if she is in fact losing her mind. 

The story about the school and everything that happens there is well constructed as well. There's a murder and a mystery and Mallory has to try and tie it all together before it's too late. She's obviously the easy scapegoat, and even she isn't 100% sure she isn't involved.  It all adds to her confusion and distress and she has to balance those feelings with her desire to figure it all out.

I also really loved the resolution of this story. The truth about what happened between Mallory and Brian was not what I expected. I don't want to give anything away, but part of it was easy to figure out. Any time that you see "self-defense" and "boyfriend" in the same story, you're mind (or at least my mind), goes directly to abusive boyfriend, and that's part of it, but Miranda makes it much then just that. Others are involved, there's a back story that brings them to that point that isn't just "over possessive guy pushes girlfriend too far" and I really, really appreciated that.

Overall this was a wonderful book. The story flows and it draws you in so quickly that you lose yourself in it. I can't wait to read more from Miranda.  

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Check out this great trailer for Hysteria

 

My Ramblings on Spellbinding by Maya Gold

Spellbinding 
By: Maya Gold
Release Date:
Book Provided By: NetGalley
Author Website

Summary:

There's more than one way to be powerful . . .

It is during a routine school project that Abby Silva--sixteen and nearly friendless--makes a startling discovery: She is descended from women who were accused of witchcraft back in 1600s Salem. And when Abby visits nearby Salem, strange, inexplicable events start to unfold. Objects move when she wills them to. Candles burst into sudden flame. And an ancient spell book somehow winds up in her possession.

Trying to harness her new found power, Abby concocts a love potion to win over her longtime crush--and exact revenge upon his cruel, bullying girlfriend. But old magic is not to be trifled with. Soon, Abby is thrust headlong into a world of hexes, secrets, and danger. And then there's Rem Anders, the beautiful, mysterious Salem boy who seems to know more about Abby than he first lets on.

A reckoning is coming, and Abby will have to make sense of her history--and her heart--before she can face the powerful truth.

My Ramblings:

It's been awhile since I've had the time to sit and read a book. When I finally had some free time I checked what was next on my TBR pile and picked up this book. I was instantly hooked. Gold did a great job at connecting her story to traditional Salem Witch Trial lore and it was fun to read. I so wanted to love this book from start to finish, but there a few little things that let me down in the end. 

First the good:

My Ramblings on Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass
By: Meg Medina
Release Date: March 26, 2013
Author Website
Book Provided By: NetGalley

Summary:

One morning before school, some girl tells Piddy Sanchez that Yaqui Delgado hates her and wants to kick her ass. Piddy doesn’t even know who Yaqui is, never mind what she’s done to piss her off. Word is that Yaqui thinks Piddy is stuck-up, shakes her stuff when she walks, and isn’t Latin enough with her white skin, good grades, and no accent. And Yaqui isn’t kidding around, so Piddy better watch her back. At first Piddy is more concerned with trying to find out more about the father she’s never met and how to balance honors courses with her weekend job at the neighborhood hair salon. But as the harassment escalates, avoiding Yaqui and her gang starts to take over Piddy’s life. Is there any way for Piddy to survive without closing herself off or running away? In an all-too-realistic novel, Meg Medina portrays a sympathetic heroine who is forced to decide who she really is. (from goodreads.com) 

My Ramblings:

I loved this book. Loved. Even though it's about a latina teen trying to find her place in a new school- the story itself is universal and so many kids (and adults) can relate. Everyone has those moments where they don't fit in and too many kids find themselves in situations where they are the target of a bully. Piddy is forced to just try to survive every day without being physically and mentally assaulted, and the rest of her world begins to spiral out of control. 

Medina does a great job showing how bullying can change who you are, how you see yourself and how you interact with the world. You begin to believe what people are saying about you and you begin to become someone new. You can become the person they think you are, or you can retreat and pull yourself away from everyone. Watching Piddy trying to figure out what to do was very interesting and a good reminder of what kids go through every day. I saw myself a bit in Piddy, but more then that I saw my students. They deal with things outside of school that I can imagine, but I can't even begin to understand. The fact that they show up everyday, the fact that Piddy tries to keep moving forward, is a testament to their strength. 

The secondary characters in the story are also top notch. The people around Piddy all seemingly want the best for her, but they each have their own ways of doing it. Her mother wants to keep moving forward without ever looking back and that hurts Piddy, who desperately wants to know who her father is. Her mother so desperately want's something more for Piddy and doesn't want Piddy to make the mistakes she did, that she doesn't see her daughter falling apart in front of her. Piddy's friends, especially the neighbor boy who she grew up with,  offer her an escape when things get bad. They don't pressure her to say what's wrong, because they are all t familiar with what pain looks like. I don't want to give much away on this book. I enjoyed going on the journey with Piddy too much and I don't want to ruin that for anyone else. 

This is another one that I will be adding to my library collection for next year.