Showing posts with label blog tour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog tour. Show all posts

Saturday, December 16, 2017

[Blog Tour] The Conspiration of the Universe by Kenneth Olanday

Posted by Nina L. on 6:00 PM in





The Conspiration of the UniverseAuthor: Kenneth Olanday
Release date: 2017
Publisher: Cloak Pop Fiction (Summit Books)
Series: N/A
Age Group:Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Purchase: Buy at Pop Fiction Bookstands!
Add to your library: Goodreads

 "Luke believes in a quote by his favorite author -- that is you want something so bad, the universe will conspire to help you get it.

Luke must have wanted to find love so much that Eureka, the heroine of his favorite book, comes to life and falls in love with him.

There is just one catch: once Eureka reaches the end of her book's storylike in the real world, then her story with Luke will end, too.

Will the universe conspire to help the star-crossed lovers find true happiness with each other?

One thing is for sure, Luke will do everything he can to keep Eureka forever. (via Goodreads)

I received a physical copy from Pop Fiction in exchange for an honest review. This however did not influence my opinion of the book or of the author in any way..

Review


         The Conspiration of the Universe started slow for me. I could have finished it in a day but I kept on stopping because the momentum wasn't there yet. Finally, I got intrigued when Luke and Eureka met. I mean, seriously? The girl of your dreams from your favorite book coming to life? What a treat! I was totally curious as to what will happen to the two of them.

        Eureka and Luke were funny and entertaining. I enjoyed the progress of their relationship. It seemed so real and natural. They just clicked and the rest was history. Still, I disliked Luke a bit when he refused to tell Eureka the truth. It was obviously for selfish reasons. Of course, it wasn't an easy revelation to Eureka. Yet the two of them worked it out. I guess both of them were just in denial that Eureka's storyline would have to come to an end anyway.

        The funny and light romantic feels of the story kept me entertained as I wait for the final moment. Will Eureka stay or not? That's one thing you need to figure out for yourself. I liked how it ended that way. Giving me the power to play with what happens next.

         I live for mysteries and thrilling reads so I enjoyed this one and liked it. However, the main idea of the story reminded me of the movie, Ruby Sparks. It's not totally the same but kind of. Yet the story of Eureka and Luke had its own appeal. I liked it as it is.



Don't forget to follow the blog tour schedule. Tomorrow will be the last stop!
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Tuesday, October 18, 2016

[Blog Tour] Stowaway by Jen Castleberry: Guest Post

Posted by Nina L. on 12:00 PM in

Stowaway (The Reservation Trilogy, #2)
Author: Jen Castleberry
Release date: October 15th 2016
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Series: The Reservation Trilogy # 2
Genre: Young Adult
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes and Noble  
Add to your library: Goodreads

Twelve years ago, Nathan was forcibly transferred into governmental custody.

Once a brother, a son, and an outsider, he is now little more than an instrument of the Continental Order.

At least, that's what his superiors think.

Now, the Order is shipping out, and a resurgence of destruction lies in wait for the continent.

Will Nathan break free and embrace the hostile outside world, or will he take his place on the last train scheduled for the Reservation?  (via Goodreads)

Guest Post: Favorite Book Genre


I have always read across many genres, and was, in fact, a fan of romance novels first, having read them almost exclusively throughout my high school years. In the decade post, I have been particularly fond of young-adult dystopian fiction. Recently, I’ve discovered Sarah J. Maas and have nosedived into fantasy, reading every Goodreads-recommended fantasy I can get my hands on. And VERY recently, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by a few YA contemporary reads, a genre I’ve always steered away from. My favorite reads this year include Maas’s ACOTAR and ACOMAF, Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen, and Nicola Yoon’s Everything, Everything. I’ve tried my hand at a bit of book-blogging, both on Goodreads and on my website, and this more than anything has expanded the parameters of my personal library.


About the Author

Jen Castleberry is a North Carolina native currently based in Virginia Beach, VA. She is a Communications graduate and proud ECU alum.

When she's not writing, Castleberry works full-time as a Veterinary Assistant at a local animal shelter.

Her affection for all critters, large and small, comes home with her at the end of each day. She frequently lends her house and heart to homeless animals in need of foster.

Her own clan of silly creatures include an Akita, a Basset Hound, a Maine Coon, and of course, her active-duty husband.

At twenty-seven, Castleberry hopes to soon realize a life-long dream of writing professionally.

The first installment of her YA debut series premiered in January of 2016.
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Friday, January 30, 2015

[Blog Tour] I Was Here by Gayle Forman: Review

Posted by Nina L. on 11:30 PM in
I Was Here
Author: Gayle Forman
Release date: January 29th 2014
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Series: N/A
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary / Romance / Realistic Fiction
Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository 
Add to your library: Goodreads

This characteristically powerful novel follows eighteen-year-old Cody Reynolds in the months following her best friend's shocking suicide.

As Cody numbly searches for answers as to why Meg took her own life, she begins a journey of self-discovery which takes her to a terrifying precipice, and forces her to question not only her relationship with the Meg she thought she knew, but her own understanding of life, love, death and forgiveness. (via Goodreads)

A copy of this book was lent to me by Pinoy Book Tours. This however did not influence my opinion of the book or of the author in any way.

Review

I don't know what to say except that I was disappointed in a way when I finished reading this one. I've read a couple of novels regarding the people who have been left behind by someone who committed suicide. Of course, each novel is unique. I thought this one would be a friendship story. Sadly, at the end, romance won out. Not that I have anything against romance, you guys. It was just a little disheartening that the start of the novel reached out for a lot of potential (for me) but it only ended with a romance.

I told Dianne of PBT that I already got teary-eyed only with a few pages in this book. Gayle Forman definitely knows how to give the feels. Throughout the novel, I felt heavy. How will you react if your best friend committed suicide and it was all planned-out? I'd probably lose my shit if I was Cody. Cody though was a strong protagonist. She went out of her way to know the truth. But along the way she met a guy. I honestly didn't feel their connection. The only thing that connected the two of them was Meg. I somehow think that's the reason why Cody was pulled to him. But their romantic attraction? Nada for me. It sort of felt fake, actually.

The things that Cody found out about Meg's suicide was absolutely terrifying and sad. I can't imagine someone going through that. I already have a guess as to why Meg committed suicide and I was right. It wasn't something that Cody can control or anyone else for that matter. Along the journey of Cody, I realized that maybe she wasn't looking for the reason why Meg did it. It was more about her finding a way to make herself feel that it wasn't her fault. It's that guilt. The guilt that everyone feels when someone close to them commits suicide. This is the reason why I felt that the story kind of turned a different way. It would have been nice to actually delve more into that. It made me feel that even if Meg knew about things, it was the romance that saved it. I know it wasn't the point but the romance part somehow made the more important topic just on the sideline.

I Was Here is an emotional and heartbreaking journey of coming to terms with your other half  (you'll get it when you read the book) committing suicide. Despite me not liking the romance part, the reality of this book saved it for me. Be ready as Gayle Forman gives you another bunch of the feels!



About the Author

Gayle FormanGayle Forman is an award-winning, international best-selling author and journalist whose articles have appeared din numerous publications. She is the author of the New York Times bestsellers If I Stay and Where She Went, as well as Sisters in Sanity (HarperTeen)
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Friday, December 19, 2014

[Blog Tour] The Boyfriend Backtrack by Dawn Lanuza: Excerpt & Giveaway

Posted by Nina L. on 9:00 PM in


Author: Dawn Lanuza
Release date: October 3, 2014
Publisher: Self-Published
Series: N/A
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary / Romance
Purchase: Amazon 
Add to your library: Goodreads

If they say that life flashes right before your eyes when you die, do you also get a flashback of your exes when your perfect boyfriend is proposing to you? At least that's the case for Regina Cortez. There's her dramatic high school boyfriend, her first college crush, the irresistible heart breaker, and the ever elusive one. By backtracking to her past, will Regina make it to 'I Do'? Or will she just keep running away? (via Goodreads)


Excerpt


I watched Dirk for days when he came in. Not that I was waiting for him to notice me; it’s just that the more he tries to blend with the background, the more I see him in the foreground. He would always sulk under the bleachers and light a cigarette even if smoking wasn’t allowed on school grounds. At night, he would be hanging out in the parking lot of a convenience store, waiting for his older friends to get him packs of cigarettes and beer. He still doesn’t smile even if he was already with his friends.

So after following him for two weeks – from a distance of course – I had a breakthrough. We were having lunch by the kiosk while he was sulking under the bleachers, smoking, when he caught my eye. This happened a couple of times before, but I always manage to look away or pretend that I was looking at Amy, my friend who is usually talking about her hair. But that day, I didn’t look away and neither did he. So we stared at each other for a whole minute. Maybe less, but that felt like eternity in teenage

I didn’t come near him, not for another month or so, but since that day, Dirk and I would have a staring competition during lunch. I always lose, because my eyes would get watery and sometimes, Amy shoves her hair right in front of my face so I can check if she has split ends.

Then one day, while we were in the middle of our staring match, he and his deep intense stare turned into something more than I’ve bargained for.

Dirk smiled.

Generally, when you meet someone for the first time, they give you a smile, as if they’re welcoming you into their lives. His smile wasn’t just an invitation.

It cracked his whole world open.

      About the Author




Dawn Lanuza has been imagining and writing love stories since she was a kid. She works for the music industry by day, and writes about meet cutes and snappy comebacks by night. She writes short stories, chick lit and young-adult fiction. She has a degree in Development Communication from the University of the Philippines.
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Friday, October 31, 2014

[Blog Tour] Street Food and Love by H.A. Enri: Interview

Posted by Nina L. on 9:00 PM in

Street Food and Love
Author: H.A. Enri
Release date: Summer 2014
Publisher: Martin Sisters Publishing
Series: N/A
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Tour organized by: Xpresso Book Tours
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes and Noble  
Add to your library: Goodreads

Sole Eaby, seventeen, has a few complaints he’d like to lodge against life, the main one being that his dad, Cedro, has recently quit his job and withdrawn his entire life savings, which included Sole’s college fund. Why? To launch a food truck business he knows nothing about.
To cope, Sole uses his knifelike wit to moonlight as a stand-up comedian, and so far, it’s paying off. He’s not only replenishing his college treasury, he’s making people laugh; but it’s one person in particular he performs for. Her name is Ava. When the fated bond of humor joins the two, and they begin a sort of quasi-romance, things begin to seem somewhat bearable. Of course, that’s when an ill-timed event decides to put another spin on things. Just when Sole is ready to move on with his own life and disconnect himself from his father and the family business, he suddenly finds himself in charge of the food truck he desperately loathes. Here is where Sole must realize that the answers to love and life are not to be found apart but, rather, are more like a savory recipe: only by combining the ingredients will the wonderful flavors reveal themselves. When comedy isn’t enough, the future seems ever bleak, and a fledgling love has barely had a chance to bloom, where will Sole turn? (via Goodreads)


Interview with H.A.


Have you always wanted to be a writer?
I've actually known I've wanted to be a writer since I was twelve. The brief excerpt of that mini epiphany is on my website’s FAQ's. As for YA, I didn’t know I actually wanted to write for young adults until about eight years ago. This book made it through the publication portal, but there are other predecessors on my hard drive, many young adults megabyte format wondering why they never got to graduate from being mere Word docs to full blown, bound, edited and printed books.

If you were a dish on a food truck, what would you be called?
I would be a patty of thick, ground, kobe beef, topped with cheese, caramelized onion, tomato, guacamole and a special sauce, all between buttered and toasted, thick sourdough. I’m simple, like a burger, but I am also not just your regular driver through or diner burger either (does this sound like some dating site profile? Ha!). In any case, it would be called the Soul Melt because more than deeply satisfying the palate, it would penetrate the soul of anyone who ate it. P.S. I really am into the world “soul” and all it connotates.

Novelists who inspired you?
The list is long. In YA we have Sarah Dessen, Gary Schmidt, Caroline Cooney, Ned Vizzini, I will add that not many people mention Vizzini—God rest his talented soul, and it’s shocking. He’s been considered a pioneer of the modern YA lit genre, and I agree. Hopefully, I see him on the other side and we can collaborate.

Talk about YA Lit.
It is summarily different than it used to be even twelve years ago. And pre 2000’s—forget it. That was like reading Homer. Seriously, I mean you have to practice writing effective scenes during commercials (do don’t delete them, you aspiring YA writers, from your DVR. They may prove to be useful yet) in order to match the pace of the current ideal YA. Secondly, don’t forget the lingo the characters used in your favorite sitcom right before the commercial. It should be transposed to your novel. Remember they used to teach, “Don’t write how you speak”? Not so anymore. Those teachers, apparently, were wrong. And no, I haven’t perfectly mastered the art of copy-matching-and-pacing at commercial speed in my writing style. you remember reading with a dictionary handy? Hey, with apps now, it should be easier, except that rarely do YA books require readers to have to use one anymore. Remember when you read something and went WTF? Even after three reads! And it wasn’t because you checked out. Sometimes it was like the writer just wrote and invited you to his house but said, “There’s the fridge and stove. If you’re hungry, do your best.” I’m not saying I don’t appreciate what is happening now and don’t get it, I do and am not against it. But something in my writing approach still doesn’t mind if readers are expected to sort of work through certain language tones and aspects.

Love and romance aren’t depicted the way the YA genre seems to be going in your novel. Why?
Have you been around a high school aged lately? Till death do us part, mad love isn’t en vogue. Most young adults aren’t really sure where love fits into their lives, and to begin to truly to answer that is scary enough for many people, let alone young people. I wanted Sole to reflect a kid who didn’t just zero in on one girl and know she was the one. That’s usually not how it works anyway, at least not when your age still has “teen” as a suffix. As for Ava, many young girls with allure have older guys after them, and that’s why I wanted to show that in the first chapters. That’s reality for many young adult girls of her capacity. Sometimes, too, they chose those guys. I don’t think this makes my book not YA. Upper YA? Sure. But still YA definitely.

I sense an intentional avenue in your book carved out, specifically referring to your focus of a father and son conflict. Explain that.
Well, it’s got nothing to do with my own relationship with my father. We have an outstanding and close one. But you’re correct about the father and son aspect. Many fathers take a backseat in literature or are two dimensional caricatures who are hands off and don’t really permeate the minds of the young adult protagonist. Really? That is most dads? Huh... Anyway, I wanted to write not for guys, but so that guys could related to the literature as easily as girls could and do. Let’s face it: girl readers vastly outnumber young males, and I sort of wanted both to equally relate here. I can say I’ll probably continue to develop that in other novels.

You have a lot of comedy in your book. What’s the best joke (keep u clean) that you’ve ever heard?
I heard Dennis Miller onstage and, though I’m not saying this is my favorite, I’ll mention it because it just came to mind: he was speaking of the past and with subtlety, in his verbal memoir, he said, “It was hot back then...” and he paused. It was all about the way he said it. The audience slowly got it. Then he said, “The sun was still hot then, right?” He was comparing it to the way people think the past happened in black and white. The genius was, he didn’t even have to say that part to get audience in on it. Brilliant.

Are any of the characters in the book based off of someone you know?
Most characters are concoctions of many people in various forms—those we know, those we’ve heard about, those we’d like to know and those we knew. Once you put all that together, my answer, like a writer, would technically be kind of but not really. Not very technical, is it...

               About the Author


H.A.'s love for all things caffeinated is what keeps him awake and alert so he can pursue that glorious tyrant called Nostalgia. And after all, isn't that what provokes most adult authors to write stories about the teenage years they long ago left behind (referring to Nostalgia, not the caffeine...he hopes)? When he isn't writing, H.A. can be found quaffing coffee (Yes, he might be addicted--don't judge) reading, riding his bike, snapping photos, making music, working on his theory of everything, and, on rare occasions, attempting to discover the elusive, and maybe impossible, secret to time travel. H.A. lives in So Cal. Street Food and Love is H.A.'s first novel.
 
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Saturday, October 4, 2014

[Blog Tour] The Sweetest Thing You Can Sing by C.K. Kelly Martin : Review & Giveaway

Posted by Nina L. on 1:00 AM in

The Sweetest Thing You Can Sing
Author: C.K. Kelly Martin
Release date: September 1st 2014
Publisher: Dancing Cat Books
Series: N/A
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary 
Tour organized by: Xpresso Book Tours
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes and Noble  
Add to your library: Goodreads

Losing weight over the summer gains Serena some popularity, but it also means discovering first-hand the pains of being a fifteen-year-old girl in a world that both sexualizes and shames young women. After narrowly avoiding exploitation in a shortlived relationship, Serena aligns with a new friend who was the victim of an explicit image that was shared at school. When Serena finds herself in a relationship with a new guy, she is surprised to find a different set of expectations. But have her previous experiences damaged her too much to make it work? As Serena struggles to find who she is as opposed to who she is expected to be, she begins sighting Devin – her older brother who disappeared months earlier. (via Goodreads)

I received an e-copy of this from C.K. Kelly Martin and Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This however did not influence my opinion of the book or of the author in any way.

I had this feeling that I would totally like this one. Yet when I got to a certain point in the book, I thought that it wasn't what I expected. Then again I reached another point in the book and realized that I liked it more than I thought I would. Judgments and conclusions are not really enough, huh?

Everything about Serena's life is more of a cliche. Still it did not bore me entirely. The things that happened to her, how she managed them and how the people around her managed them were all a little expected. Though I guess that's a given in a contemporary novel. What set out this one apart is the realistic thoughts and actions that the characters had. They said and did things one will say and do in real life. It may be rude and all but it's the truth and you can't always get that. At first, I didn't like Serena. Like I've said, the characters were realistic and so she was being a fifteen year old obsessed-with-herself kind of girl. As the story went on, I learned how to soften with her. She had her reasons and stuff. Though that's one thing I didn't exactly feel genuine with. It was like I just read she was having her closure in the end and that's it. I don't know why but it seemed a little rush for me when that happened. I didn't get to feel that heavy weight lifted off my chest.

This novel may be about Serena trying to be contented with herself, trying to find her brother, trying to be enough for her parents. But for me, it was more than that. It was about being fat, about swearing off guys, about judging people based on their looks, about how you cannot help people when they don't want your help, about family issues and just about everything else. I guess anyone can relate to these things even in the most indirect way. So you definitely won't get bored with this. 

I have to commend Kelly's writing for making this novel entertaining while still tackling the issues in a serious way. Truly one of the most realistic light-but-heavy novels I've read with realistic concerns.


  About the Author


C.K. Kelly MartinC.K. KELLY MARTIN’s bestselling debut novel, I Know It’s Over, was published in 2008. It was followed by One Lonely Degree, The Lighter Side of Life and Death, My Beating Teenage Heart and the sci-fi thriller, Yesterday. A graduate of the Film Studies program at York University, Martin loves good books, movies, music, web design, and Ireland. She currently resides in Oakville, Ontario. 
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Tuesday, August 26, 2014

[Blog Tour] Proxy (Proxy # 1) by Alex London: Excerpt, Giveaway + Signing Event Details

Posted by Nina L. on 1:00 PM in


Proxy (Proxy, #1)
Author: Alex London
Release date: June 18th 2013
Publisher: Philomel
Series: Proxy # 1
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Dystopia
Tour organized by: Pinoy Book Tours
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository 
Add to your library: Goodreads

Knox was born into one of the City’s wealthiest families. A Patron, he has everything a boy could possibly want—the latest tech, the coolest clothes, and a Proxy to take all his punishments. When Knox breaks a vase, Syd is beaten. When Knox plays a practical joke, Syd is forced to haul rocks. And when Knox crashes a car, killing one of his friends, Syd is branded and sentenced to death.

Syd is a Proxy. His life is not his own.

Then again, neither is Knox’s. Knox and Syd have more in common than either would guess. So when Knox and Syd realize that the only way to beat the system is to save each other, they flee. Yet Knox’s father is no ordinary Patron, and Syd is no ordinary Proxy. The ensuing cross-country chase will uncover a secret society of rebels, test both boys’ resolve, and shine a blinding light onto a world of those who owe and those who pay. Some debts, it turns out, cannot be repaid. (via Goodreads)
 (via Goodreads)

Excerpt


     He swiped through his datastream, clutching the wheel with just his palms, and locked onto a holo of a long-faced puppy, its tail wagging and its little pink tongue hanging out. It bounded to her side of the windshield and licked her in 3D. She laughed. It was an old stock pic; he’d used it a thousand times before, but it never failed him.
     She waved her fingers around the glowing projection in the air and tossed a text back to Knox.
    CUTE, lit up on the windshield in front of him.
    She wasn’t just talking about the puppy. Knox half-smiled and bit down on his lower lip.
    She noticed. He was watching the road, but he knew that she noticed.
    Alice? Debbie?
    Her mother was on one of those Benevolent Committees. Saving the orphans or matching organ donors or something. Maybe both. They’d go well together. Her father was a mining executive for one of the big firms, data not dirtware. The real value was in data. He was a client of Knox’s father’s company, but that didn’t narrow it down much. Everyone was a client of Knox’s father’s company.
    Her father was bald, right? Knox thought he remembered a shiny bald head when he’d met the man. Must be nostalgia, like her old fashioned name. No one with money needed to go bald. He was probably a history buff. Or was that the last girl’s father? It was hard to keep these fathers and their hobbies straight. Charming fathers was so much more work than charming their daughters, with so much less reward.


               About the Author


Alex LondonAlex London writes books for adults (One Day The Soldiers Came: Voices of Children in War), children (Dog Tags series; An Accidental Adventure series) and teens (Proxy). At one time a journalist reporting from conflict zones and refugee camps, he is now a full time novelist living in Brooklyn, NY, where he can be found wandering the streets talking to his dog, who is the real brains of the operation.
In 2011, James left teaching to write full-time and now lives in London.

Hollow Pike is his first novel for young adults.







TO ALL FILIPINOS:
I'm inviting each and every one of you to go on Saturday at Alex London's Signing Event. Please see details below. See you there.

 Let's not forget to thank NBS for making this event possible.
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Tuesday, July 29, 2014

[Blog Tour] Misplaced by Lee Murray: Review & Giveaway

Posted by Nina L. on 9:00 PM in
 

Misplaced
Author: Lee Murray
Release date: December 1st 2013
Publisher: Leapy Sheep
Series: N/A
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary / Mystery
Tour organized by: Xpresso Book Tours
Purchase: Amazon 
Add to your library: Goodreads

Dream cars have no registration plate...

One evening, Adam’s mum pops out for the milk and doesn’t come back, launching a frantic nationwide search. Yet after weeks with no leads, the television crews drift away, the police start asking hairy questions, and Adam’s dad starts seeing someone else. Adam’s life is falling apart. But then he meets Skye, who it seems has misplaced a parent too, and things start to look up. That is, until a body is found...(via Goodreads)

 I received an e-copy of this from Lee Murray and Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This however did not influence my opinion of the book or of the author in any way.

Whenever I hear news about missing people, my heart aches for the people left behind. How will they continue to live without knowing what has happened to their loved one? At least with death comes a tiny little bit of closure but with missing, you'd have to cope with the hope that they'd come back which for me is far worse than anything else because it would only leave you hanging. Like your life is put on a pause because your loved one is nowhere to be found and life wouldn't just continue because of that.

I was pretty sure I'd love this because hey, a story like this is as compelling as just knowing its synopsis. How can I not be moved by a story as real as this one? A person goes missing everyday. Some of the missing ones before even emerges like they just went somewhere to buy food or anything. I remember hearing from news before that a missing woman was found almost after ten years. I cannot imagine how her family has felt that time. I'm just happy for them. But as unfortunate as life is, some people aren't found just like Adam's Mom, Tiffany. And I know this is purely fictional but for me, this novel is more of a representation of what happens to the ones left. Knowing that the author has a missing friend, my heart goes for you, Lee.

It happened all fast. If only Adam went to buy the milk. If only Adam wasn't as engrossed in his game. If only Adam didn't somehow took her Mom for granted that day. If I were Adam, I know I'd somehow end up blaming myself. His Mom asked him to buy the milk. If he did, would he be the one missing? Endless questions and What Ifs.

The way everything happened was heartbreaking, at least for me. I knew that Adam's Dad was in that situation which breaks my heart more because his Mom suddenly disappeared. Did she know what was going on? Did she run away because of it? I hate to say this but Adam's Dad was such a douche. Don't get me wrong. I know he had his own down moments about his wife missing. But the way he handled things weren't quite the way I imagined a Dad would. Especially with his new special someone in the picture. I'm not even saying that he shouldn't move on and stuff but Tiffany wasn't even missing for a year. The thing is, your wife is missing. You don't know where the hell is she and you have the time to be flirty with another woman? You're not even taking care of your only son. So how's that, right? Oh and yeah, different people has different ways of coping and that's his way so let him be.

Adam's relationship with Skye was cute and somehow fast. I know the author didn't want to put much detail into their relationship at the start because this would seem like a romance novel. Yet everything was fine because those two just connected at some point. What they did at the latter part of the novel was dangerous and an ironic thing. Adam just left without telling anyone except his best friend. He didn't even think of what his father would think or of Skye's mother. Though I guess those two learned a lesson or two.

At a situation like this, I'm thankful that Adam's Granddad has Alzheimer's. He will only have to remember how her daughter keeps on visiting him and not being missing. I know he knows deep inside what happened but somehow he just chose to remember the good times. Him having Alzheimer's made Adam realized that no matter what, his Mom will always be with him though not physically.

Aside from Adam's Dad, another thing that somehow bothered me was Tiffany's best friend. Her awkwardness made me think if she knew where Tiffany was or that she just cannot face what happened. It just seemed so weird. Yet just as they say, you'd know the people who truly loves you in times of trouble.

I know I'm saying a lot already but given that this is almost a reflection of reality, I just want to keep talking. And I know that no words can ever amount to comfort those who are left behind. The only thing I can think of is just pray that somewhere your loved one is already safe may it be in death or the living.

Misplaced is a heart-wrenching take about a missing person. It's not your guide on how to cope after missing your loved one. It's more of a companion to your situation that somewhere in this world, you are not alone in facing such hardships.

P.S. I felt like I wrote an essay and not a review so forgive me for that. The topic of this novel is just so real that I cannot help but say those insights.



                About the Author


Lee Murray is a full-time writer and editor with masters degrees in science and management. Lee wrote Misplaced after a friend, Florence, went missing from her home in France in 2003. Sadly, Florence is still missing. Lee lives in Tauranga, New Zealand with her husband and their two teenaged children. 


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