BLOG TOUR: The Victoria Lie (The Butterfly Effect #2) by Sarah Marie Graye

I'm really excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for The Victoria Lie, the second book in The Butterfly Effect Series. Thanks so much to Rachel's Random Resources and Sarah Marie Graye for letting me be a part of this fun tour! I received a free copy of The Victoria Lie for honest review.

Title: The Victoria Lie (The Butterfly Effect #2)

Author: Sarah Marie Graye

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Synopsis: When is a lie a lifeline? To Tori lies are everything.

ZOE wants to end her life. But she can’t just leave a note. She needs to say goodbye to boyfriend JAMES and best friend ALISON.

TORI is waiting in the wings to fill the space ZOE will leave behind, wanting to claim both James and Alison for herself.

But with ZOE still alive and Alison's childhood friend RUBY now on the scene vying to fill the gap, TORI realises she has her work cut out.

Just what lengths is TORI willing to go to in order to claim Alison and James for herself?

(Trigger warnings: Suicide, depression, IRA bombings, ADHD, Autism, manipulative characters.)

My Thoughts: When I first saw the cover for this book, I thought it was going to be a lighthearted, fun kind of story, but it ended up dealing with darker subject matter than I expected. I mean, reading the synopsis should have clued me in. That's what I get for judging books by their cover. I still really enjoyed the story though, it dealt with a lot of different topics. There are many trigger warnings in this story, so sensitive readers should be aware.

This is also the sequel to The Butterfly Effect, which I have not read. It probably would have helped if I had read the First Book first, but I was still able to read and enjoy The Victoria Lie without being totally lost.

The Victoria Lie was a really good, thought-provoking book. It dealt with suicide, depression, autism, and very, very manipulative characters. It really left an impact after I turned that last page. It really made me think.

I thought The Victoria Lie was very well written and I'd be interested in reading more from this author. I'm glad I got to give this one a read!

Meet The Author

Sarah Marie Graye

British writer Sarah Marie Graye is the author of The Butterfly Effect series, which looks at suicides and those left behind. The Second Cup, the first book in the series, was published in July 2017, and this Blog Tour is to celebrate the launch of the second book in the series, The Victoria Lie.

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Thank you for stopping by my Blog Tour Stop for The Butterfly Effect!! Thanks so much to Rachel's Random Resources and Sarah Marie Graye for including me on this fun tour. Be sure to check out the special offer and the giveaway! (Giveaway is UK Only)

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Fresh Releases: September 25, 2018

Fresh Releases!! They're Fresh Fresh!

 

-- A Dastardly Plot (Perilous Journey of Murder and Mayhem #1) by Christopher Healy --

I've been waiting forever for this one!!!! I loved his The Heroes Guide to Saving Your Kingdom series and was scared that was the only series I would ever get for him. 

-- Vengeful (Vicious #2) by V.E. Schwab --

Another one that I've waiting for forever!!! I'm so excited for this one.

-- Give the Dark My Love (#1) by Beth Revis --

I know Beth Revis from the Across the Universe Trilogy, which I still haven't read yet. This one sounds good and I'm excited to read it.

And those are my Fresh Releases for this week! I know I missed a bunch, but that's the story of my life. Which books are you excited for?

Review: Rat Queens, Volume 1: Sass and Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch

Title: Rat Queens, Volume 1: Sass and Sorcery

Story by: Kurtis J. Wiebe

Art by: Roc Upchurch

Letters by: Ed Brisson

Edits by: Laura Tavishati

Published by: Image Comics

Released: 2015

Summary: Who are the Rat Queens? 

They're a pack of booze-guzzling, death-dealing battle maidens-for-hire and they're in the business of killing all the god's creatures for profit. Meet Hannah the Rockabilly Elven Mage, Violet the Hipster Dwarven Fighter, Dee the Atheist Human Cleric and Betty the Hippy Smidgen Thief. 

This modern spin on an old school genre is a violent, monster-killing epic that is like Buffy meets Tank Girl in a Lord of the Rings world on crack! 

Collecting Rat Queens #1-5! (Synopsis From Goodreads )

My Thoughts: I've heard about this comic series for a while and I finally decided to give it a read. It was good! I really did enjoy it. It was fun, full of adventure, and sassiness. I really liked the art style and colors. It was really good art. If a comic is visually pleasing to look it, I'm definitely going to enjoy it more.

This kind of reminded me in a way of the I Hate Fairyland comics. I couldn't tell you which came out first, but they kind of had a similar kind of vibe. The characters in both worlds tend to destroy a lot of stuff on their adventures.

I enjoyed the whole mercenary vibe of the Rat Queens. I also liked how Rat Queens had a continuous story flow to it. I come across some comics that have episodes that don't really seem to connect, so I appreciate when a comic has a beginning, middle, and an end.

I'm definitely interested in reading more of this comic series. I won't say I'm on the hype train for it yet, but I definitely did enjoy it. I also wonder what else is going to happen with Royal Guard Sawyer. He's cute. It seems so many cute guys share the name Sawyer. Right? Right.

So yes, continuing with Rat Queens is definitely in the cards for me.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

Sassy and Good!

Reading Right Now! (177)

What I'm Reading Right Now! is...

-- The Hating Game by Sally Thorne -- This is an adorable book! It's so cute, steamy, romantic, and it really, really makes me want a Josh Templeman of my very own. I do find it very unrealistic though, at least I could never imagine myself doing some of the stuff Lucy does. I mean, describing that dream she had in the office, no no no. And she does just kind of drape herself over him very fast. But what do I know? I'm singgglllle, forever aloooooone.

But I'm really enjoying this book. Super, super cute! If I was participating in #contemporaryathon I would totally count this.

That's what I'm Reading Right Now! What are you Reading?

Review: The Girl I Used To Be by April Henry

Title: The Girl I Used To Be

Author: April Henry

Published by: Henry Holt and Company

Released: 2016

Source: Library

Summary: Fourteen years ago, a three-year-old girl was the only survivor at a horrific murder scene. Now she’s determined to search for the truth—and the killer is even more determined to stop her.

When Olivia’s mother was murdered and her father disappeared, everyone suspected her father had done it. Fast-forward fourteen years. New evidence now proves Olivia’s father was actually murdered on the same fateful day her mother died. That means there’s a killer still at large. Can Olivia uncover the truth before the killer tracks her down? ( Synopsis from Goodreads )

My Thoughts: I liked this little YA Thriller. It was a lot of fun, it was fast, and it kept me turning the pages. For the thriller purists out there, this one would probably be a little ho-hum, but for teens just getting into the thriller genre, this would be a lot of fun to read.

I was really interested in the premise of the story, a girl whose parents were murdered before she ever really knew them. A girl who has always grown up with the knowledge that her dad killed her mom, but then that all changes. It was interesting seeing her discover who her parents really were and the life she missed out on. I also liked how she was able to come back to town without anyone knowing it was her. The premise of The Girl I Used To Be was probably my favorite part.

It was super fast-paced too. The chapters weren't very long and the book wasn't very long, which meant that I flew through it in no time.

I do think it could have been a little longer though. It could have used more time to build up the story, the suspense, the reveal. For example, it could have thrown in some false leads or something fun. 

It did lack a little bit of the shock and surprise that comes from reading a really good thriller. This was like Thriller-Lite.

I also wasn't shocked by the bad guy reveal. You could kind of see it coming.

I really did enjoy this YA Thriller. It was fun and fast. As an introduction to thrillers for younger readers, I think it did a good job.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.8/5

A Fun Little Mystery

Fresh Releases: September 18, 2018

Fresh Releases, Get Your Fresh Releases Here!!
As always, I don't have a lot of books on my list just because I don't know when a lot of books are specifically releasing, and I'm too lazy to do research and look them up. So, I'll just tell you the ones I know.

-- The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton -- I am very excited to read this one! I was lucky enough to get my hands on a hard copy. It sounds like Clue meets Groundhog Day, and that description peaked my interest. Hopefully, I'll read it soon.

Annnd that's all I got. What are some releases you're excited for? Let me know.

Review: Trail of Lightning (The Sixth World #1) by Rebecca Roanhorse

Title: Trail of Lightning (The Sixth World #1)

Author: Rebecca Roanhorse

Published by: Saga Press

Released: 2018

Source: Library

Summary: While most of the world has drowned beneath the sudden rising waters of a climate apocalypse, Dinétah (formerly the Navajo reservation) has been reborn. The gods and heroes of legend walk the land, but so do monsters.

Maggie Hoskie is a Dinétah monster hunter, a supernaturally gifted killer. When a small town needs help finding a missing girl, Maggie is their last—and best—hope. But what Maggie uncovers about the monster is much larger and more terrifying than anything she could imagine.

Maggie reluctantly enlists the aid of Kai Arviso, an unconventional medicine man, and together they travel to the rez to unravel clues from ancient legends, trade favors with tricksters, and battle dark witchcraft in a patchwork world of deteriorating technology.

As Maggie discovers the truth behind the disappearances, she will have to confront her past—if she wants to survive.

Welcome to the Sixth World. ( Synopsis From Goodreads )

My Thoughts: This was a pretty fun book. I liked it. It was very fast-paced, a lot of action, and a very interesting world. I really liked how it focused on Native American culture, myths, and people. It's a segment of the population that I don't really get to read about that much.

In a way, it reminded me of American Gods by Neil Gaiman. If you've read American Gods, I think you'll get what connection I'm talking about.

Trail of Lightning was a mix of urban fantasy with a post-apocalyptic spin. I don't know if I really needed the post-apocalyptic spin to it though. Maybe I needed to see the disaster and devastation for myself to really feel it. There's supposed to have been this monster flood that wiped out a good portion of the world, but the Native Americans ended up building a wall, cutting themselves off from the disaster. I don't know if I needed that spin to it. Not a lot was done with it, it was just there.

There were a lot of Native American terms sprinkled through the text, which was cool, but I had no idea what most of them meant. It needed some explanation, maybe a glossary. I don't like struggling to figure out what things mean.

I liked the characters. Maggie was very serious, kind of aloof. Hopefully in the next book, she loosens up a little. I enjoyed Kai. I liked the dynamic of Maggie and Kai. I thought their backstories were pretty cool. The stuff we found out about them was interesting to read.

I do feel like the plot could have been a little tighter. Most of the book was them traveling from place to place. Sometimes I didn't get why they would have to go to this place or that place, it was only at the end that everything really came together for that WHAM finale. 

I liked Trail of Lightning a lot and can't wait to read the next book in the series. I really like having a Native American book written by a Native American author. It's got a cool world, monster slayers, action, danger, magic, and I'm here for it.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.8/5

Pretty Cool