The Babysitter Murders by Janet Ruth Young

Title: The Babysitter Murders

Author: Janet Ruth Young

Publisher: Atheneum
Release Date: July 26, 2011

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Everyone has weird thoughts sometimes. But for seventeen-year-old Dani Solomon, strange thoughts have taken over her life. She loves Alex, the little boy she babysits, more than anything. But one day, she has a vision of murdering him that's so gruesome, she can't get it out of her mind. In fact, Dani's convinced that she really will kill Alex. She confesses the thoughts to keep him safe, setting off a media frenzy that makes "Dani Death" the target of an extremist vigilante group.

Through the help of an uncoventional psychiatrist, Dani begins to heal her broken mind. But will it be too late? The people of her community want justice . . . and Dani's learning that some thoughts are better left unsaid.

What originally drew me to The Babysitter Murders was the premise. I’ve babysat my fair share of young children and never had thoughts about hurting them in any way or form. So I was really interested to read the story and see how it all played out.

Ever since she heard about a father killing his stepdaughter on the news, Dani has had weird thoughts about hurting people she cares about and loves. Scariest thought of all is the one of killing Alex, the little boy she babysits. No matter what Dani does, the thoughts don’t go away and keep spreading to more and more people Dani cares about. Looking for ways to help herself, Dani tries to tell her friends and family but things backfire. Now things spiral out of control and Dani doesn’t know what to do anymore as she starts being the victim of personal attacks when her secrets are revealed to the world. Now Dani doesn’t know what to do anymore and becomes increasingly afraid that her thoughts might become reality.

The story was an interesting one to say the very least. It was one I had never even considered despite how realistic the subject matter is. I have to admit that when I first heard the premise, I was a little worried about what it might entail, especially how far the whole murder aspect of it all would be taken. But it turned out it was really well done and I really enjoyed the story. It was fast-paced and while some aspects of it were predictable, it didn’t make the book any less enjoyable. While I don’t necessarily have an interest in psychology, in this case it really added to the story and made it different from other books of its type.

The way the characters were written left me in a position I don’t normally find myself in when reading a book. For the most part, I would find myself feeling like the people in town did when Dani’s secret came out. I would want things done to ensure my safety and that of those I care about. But at the same time, I would probably do the same thing Dani did if I ever found myself in the same situation as her. To me this says that Janet Ruth Young did a really good job at writing all the different characters in the book. Most characters I liked, but Malcolm I just couldn’t seem to warm to. While I could understand to a certain extent where he was coming from, his actions just really didn’t feel justified.

The Babysitter Murders was a really interesting book, one that was different from most other books. In the future, I will definitely look out for more books of this type.

In My Mailbox (10)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. It's a post where we talk about the books we received during the week either for review, from the bookstore or anywhere else.

This week was relatively slow book wise. I didn't get anything in the mail but I did buy two books. So here's what I got this week:

Bought:

- The Alchemyst by Michael Scott (Delacorte Press May 22, 2007) - Like I so often do, I went to the bookstore just to browse and one of the employees came up and asked if I needed any recommendations. As it turned out this was the only book she recommended to me that I hadn't already read or didn't already own. So I decided I would pick it up and see what it's all about.

- The Maze Runner by James Dashner (Delacorte Press October 6, 2009) - I absolutely love dystopian books and this is one I haven't picked up yet. I've heard nothing but good things about this series and I look forward to reading it and discovering a new dystopian world.

Thankfully, I didn't add too much to my TBR pile this week. And unless I get books for review or from contests I hopefully won't be adding more myself. My roommate has challenged me to not buy any books for the next month, mostly because it has gotten to the point that she is reading some of my TBR books before I even get to them. We'll see how it goes. Maybe because it's not just me putting myself on a book buying ban but someone challenging me not to buy anything I'll actually stick with it.

That's it for me this week!

Heist Society by Ally Carter

Title: Heist Society (Heist Society #1)

Author: Ally Carter

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Release Date: February 9, 2010

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her to the Louvre...to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria...to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own--scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected.

Soon, Kat’s friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a good reason: a powerful mobster’s priceless art collection has been stolen and he wants it returned. Only a master thief could have pulled off this job, and Kat’s father isn’t just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help.

For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it’s a spectacularly impossible job? She’s got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully, just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family’s (very crooked) history--and with any luck, steal her life back along the way.

I have had Heist Society sitting on my bookshelf for the longest time but I didn’t actually pick it up until quite recently. And mostly I finally read it because I knew the sequel was coming out. But once I started reading it, I wanted to slap myself for not having picked it up sooner. It was a really fast read and one I enjoyed a lot.

Katarina Bishop thought she had gotten herself out of the family business after conning her way into private school. But that was only until she got herself expelled for something she didn’t do, despite the incriminating evidence, and before her father was accused of stealing a man’s private painting collection. Now Kat has to try to find those paintings and find a way to steal them back. But all that may be a whole lot easier said than done, because if she fails, everyone she knows and loves could be in danger. With the help of a teenage millionaire, her crazy cousin, a computer mastermind and Scottish brothers, Kat is going to have to pull off one of the greatest heist of all time, one everyone is telling her just isn’t possible.

This was the first time I have read anything by Ally Carter and I absolutely loved it. There was never a dull moment and it got to the point that I never knew what to expect next. The story was just plain interesting and it hooked me right from the start. I also loved the pace. I hate when the story drags on and this never even happened once. I also now know a lot about pick-pocketing, cons and planning heists, more than I ever thought I would know. Now if I will ever be in a situation that requires me to use that knowledge is a whole other story.

There was not one character in this book that I disliked. Kat was great and unpredictable. I honestly rarely knew what she was going to do next. She was also a big part of why I enjoyed the book so much. She was different from a lot of other protagonists, mostly because she wasn’t boy crazy which was absolutely refreshing. But there was still Hale. I don’t really know how to describe him. He’s mysterious and sounds like he would be an amazing friend. No matter how crazy Kat’s ideas were, Hale was always the first to jump on board. The rest of Kat’s crew was interesting to say the least. Gabrielle always seemed to have the right outfit for everything, Simon was always a little hesitant but somehow still wound up helping and the Bagshaws just seemed to love making stuff explode. Like I said, interesting.

Heist Society was an awesome book. So much so that I ended up at the bookstore a few days later when Uncommon Criminals came out. Now I will definitely go back and read some more of Ally Carter’s books.

In My Mailbox (9)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. It's a post where we talk about the books we received during the week either for review, from the bookstore or anywhere else.

The Canada Post strike is finally over!! I finally received three books I was waiting on and bought some more. And once again I went to Chapters and the Buy 3 Get the 4th Free sale was still going on, and I just couldn't buy one book for obvious reasons. Anyways, here's what I got this week.

Bought:

- Tithe by Holly Black (Margaret K. McElderry June 20, 2008) - I have read and loved the first two books in Holly Black's Curse Workers series so I decided to pick this one up. If it's anything like the Curse Workers books then I'm sure I'll love it. Plus it's about faeries so I can't really go wrong here.

- The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (Delacorte Press February 9, 2010) - This book has been around for quite some time already but I have never actually read it. I've heard so many great things and read so many great reviews for it that I decided I would finally give in and pick it up for myself.

- Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson (Point May 1, 2009) - A couple of months ago I read 13 Little Blue Envelopes and I absolutely loved it. I haven't read the sequel yet but I decided to pick up this one simply because I loved Maureen Johnson's writing the first time around.

- The Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver (St. Martin's Griffin February 1, 2011) - This book came out earlier this year and received a lot of rave reviews. If I'm not mistaken the second book is coming out soon really soon, so I decided I would read this one and so that I can pick up the second one when it comes out.

- Hourglass by Myra McEntire (EgmontUSA June 14, 2011) - I have heard nothing but good things about this book. Plus I love stories that involve time travel so I can't wait to dive right in to this one.

Won/Gifted:

- Sweet Little Lies by Lauren Conrad (HarperCollins February 2, 2010) - Much to my surprise I enjoyed Lauren Conrad's first book when I read it last year. Now, thanks to K of The Lady Critic's Library I can see what happens next in this story.

- The Ivy by Lauren Kunze with Rina Onur (Greenwillow Books August 31, 2010) - I've heard good things about this one, plus it's a YA book that takes place in university so maybe I'll be able to relate that much more to the characters. Thanks to April at Good Books and Good Wine for giving these away.

- Secrets by Lauren Kunze with Rina Onur (Greenwillow Books June 1, 2011) - This is the sequel to The Ivy and that's pretty much all I can say about it. Once again, thanks to April at Good Books and Good Wine for giving these away.

That's all for me this week. Comment and let me know what you got in your mailbox and I'll come check it out!

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

Title: The Iron Witch (The Iron Witch #1)

Author: Karen Mahoney

Publisher: Flux

Release Date: February 8, 2011

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed Donna Underwood’s father and drove her mother mad. Her own nearly fatal injuries were fixed by alchemy--the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. Now seventeen, Donna feels like a freak, doomed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. Only her relationship with her best friend, Navin, is keeping her sane.

But when vicious wood elves abduct Navin, Donna is forced to accept her role in the centuries-old war between human alchemists and these darkest outcasts of Faerie. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous guy with faery blood running through his veins and secrets of his own, Donna races to save Navin--even if it means betraying everything her parents fought to the death to protect.

There were many things that made me want to read The Iron Witch. First, it is part of the debut author challenge; and second I had heard only great things about it. But most of all, the gorgeous cover is what drew me in more than anything. As it turns out, the book was a lot more than just a pretty cover.

When she was young, Donna lost both her parents to the fey. Her father was killed saving her and her mother is now in a mental facility not even able to recognize her own daughter. But something also happened to Donna’s arms and now they are mostly made of iron and covered with an intricate pattern. Everything was going fin with Donna’s life. She was living with her aunt and her best friend, Navin, is next door. but then at a party Donna meets Xan and things start to change. Wood elves start attacking Donna and even go so far as abducting Navin. With the help of Xan, Donna goes after to wood elves to save Navin. But in order to get Navin back, Donna may just have to betray the alchemists who saved her as a child and everything her parents believed in.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading this book. I had read other books about fey but never ones that revolved around alchemists so I was a little intrigued. To be honest, I could not have enjoyed it more. Basically it became addicting really fast and I found myself getting the book out every time I had a spare few minutes. Karen Mahoney wrote a fast-paced and action-packed story in a way that made it hard to believe that this is her first book. The story was incredible and beautifully written. I particularly liked that the story was written from the third person point of view. As much as having books told from the first person point of view can help me relate more to characters, but every once in a while, third person is a nice change.

The characters were all interesting and unique. Donna was not necessarily your usual protagonist. While she was an outside like most of them tend to be, Donna was more than just the typical outsider. She had never really fit in at school and had even gotten herself expelled. To me that made her more real and made me want to get to know her more. I loved her friendship with Navin, it was simple and perfect. It even reminded me of the relationship I have with my own best friend which made me enjoy the book that much more. As for Xan, I still don’t quite have him figure out but I did like him a lot. I loved how quickly and how willing he was to help Donna despite barely knowing her or what she needed help with. Plus he sounded quite dreamy and that’s never a bad thing.

The Iron Witch was a superb debut novel that I could simply not get enough of. I can’t wait to read more from Karen Mahoney, especially the sequel to The Iron Witch.