Why I Didn't Finish "Another Little Piece"

This will be a rare entry because I'm reviewing a book that I haven't actually read in its entirety. However, I felt the need to blog about it because 1. I don't want my readers to think I've fallen off the face of the earth or stopped reading haha and 2. This entry may intrigue some of you enough to read this book, or warn others of you not to!

The book in question is Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn. I can't remember why I picked out this book to read to be honest! I believe I saw it on a Buzzfeed Books YA list or something, and it looked interesting, but I had no idea what I was in for. I knew it would be a mysterious book about a girl who couldn't remember her past but that was about it. I think that had I read a summary, such as the one below from Amazon.com, I would have been better prepared for the dark plot.

Amazon's summary: "The spine-tingling horror of Stephen King meets an eerie mystery worthy of Sara Shepard's Pretty Little Liars series in Kate Karyus Quinn's haunting debut.On a cool autumn night, Annaliese Rose Gordon stumbled out of the woods and into a high school party. She was screaming. Drenched in blood. Then she vanished.A year later, Annaliese is found wandering down a road hundreds of miles away. She doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know how she got there. She only knows one thing: She is not the real Annaliese Rose Gordon. Now Annaliese is haunted by strange visions and broken memories. Memories of a reckless, desperate wish . . . a bloody razor . . . and the faces of other girls who disappeared. Piece by piece, Annaliese's fractured memories come together to reveal a violent, endless cycle that she will never escape—unless she can unlock the twisted secrets of her past."

This may, in fact, intrigue some of you who are fans of Steven King or similar. I was at first interested in the dark plot and original ideas. However, I decided to give up about halfway through, after becoming too disturbed by some of the darkness and having wacky dreams all night. I did look up the ending to satisfy my curiosity, and I think that if you are interested in dark, twisted stories, you will enjoy the book. It was just too much for me, but I figured I'd pass this review along to inform any of you who may be interested in the book or have come across it.

I've begun reading another book and will blog my review as soon as I'm done! Until then, happy reading!

"Pointe" Keeps Readers On Their Toes :)

Brandy Colbert's debut novel, Pointe, is about so much more than ballet (though if you're a fan of dance, you will appreciate the references)! Honestly, I think she should have chosen a better title, because the current one may defer some readers. However, the book was fantastic, and I hope some of you give it a chance, even if you're not quite into ballet.

The novel is about Theo, a teenage girl who has lived quite a tough life already. She was previously sent away to deal with her eating disorder, sparked by her quest for thinness that she thought would better her dancing. She was involved with an older boy at age 13, who had suddenly ditched her without warning and she never heard from him again. Oh, and her best friend, Donovan, also disappeared four years ago without a trace, kidnapped, leaving his parents, Theo, and the community stunned and scared.

Fast forward to the present: Theo is now 17, a junior in high school, with all of those problems in her past...sort of. She's trying to navigate high school life, including a potential romance, as well as training hard in the hopes of attending a prestigious ballet academy for her senior year. Then, just as suddenly as he was taken, Donovan is found, and returned home. Theo is shocked and relived, and excited to have her best friend back, but Donovan isn't talking, not even to her. As a trial is set to try Donovan's alleged kidnapper, Theo is forced to face much of her ugly past, and decide if she can let go of some of the secrets she's been holding for years.

Oooo isn't that intriguing? I should write book jacket summaries! :-p Anyway, the book really was intriguing, and I just loved it. I saw it as three major plot lines twisting together: Theo's journey with ballet and struggle to be thin, her high school drama and heartbreak, and the mystery surrounding Donovan's kidnapping. With all of this action and emotions running high, what's not to love?

The book kept me interested through the very last page, and the surprising, yet satisfying, ending. Pointe is a great summer read, because you can sit outside with it for hours, as you tan or hang out poolside, and never want to put it down. I found it to be a quick read, that artfully intertwined the different plots and subplots, and kept me guessing the whole way through.

If you happen to try the book, love it or hate it, let me know! I love to hear reviews from my fellow readers. :) Happy reading!