Book Review: Conspiracy Girl by Sarah Alderson

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Conspiracy Girl
Author: Sarah Alderson
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Release Date: February 12, 2015
Review Source: Simon & Schuster | Netgalley

Everybody knows about the Cooper Killings – the Bel Air home invasion that rocked the nation. There was only one survivor - a sixteen year-old girl. And though the killers were caught they walked free.

Now eighteen, Nic Preston - the girl who survived - is trying hard to rebuild her life. She’s security conscious to the point of paranoia and her only friend is a French Mastiff bulldog, but she’s making progress. She’s started college in New York and has even begun dating.

But then one night her apartment is broken into and the life Nic’s worked so hard to create is shattered in an instant.

Finn Carter - hacker, rule breaker, player – is the last person Nic ever wants to see again. He’s the reason her mother’s killers walked free from court. But as the people hunting her close in, Nic has to accept that her best and possibly only chance of staying alive is by keeping close to Finn and learning to trust the person she’s sworn to hate.

Fleeing across a snowbound New England, frantically trying to uncover the motive behind the murders, Nic and Finn come to realize the conspiracy is bigger than they could ever have suspected. But the closer they get to the truth and the closer they get to each other, the greater the danger becomes.

I love Sarah Alderson. She’s one of those authors where I know I’m going to love her book before I even know a single thing about the book. She’s that kind of author. Despite having other books in line to be reviewed first, I was cheeky and dived into Conspiracy Girl. I couldn’t wait, knowing it was sitting pretty on my Kindle.

It’s the mystery which got me in Conspiracy Girl. Exactly 35% into the book and I’m dying to know what’s going on. Who killed her parents? Why are people going missing? Who’s involved?  I had no idea whatsoever.  And despite that at this point I knew nothing; I knew I was in for a shock. Sarah Alderson has a knack for the unexpected and is good at making my jaw drop.

Conspiracy Girl is Nic’s journey. Two years ago her mother and stepsister were both brutally murdered and two years later they’re back—and this time, they’re after Nic. The one who got away. But why now? Why two years later?

As always, Ms. Alderson made an amazing story. I was hooked the whole way through and I loved Finn and Nic’s characters. He’s completely loveable and has this vibe about him, with his unbelievable hacking skills, no one can keep him from knowing things, which is why he's the perfect person for finding the real murders of her mother and stepsister. And Nic, what didn’t kill her made her stronger. I respected her character a lot, and I think she’s one of my favourite characters I’ve discovered in 2014.

That shock I was on about....yeah, I got it. It was unexpected. But it leads up to a perfect ending.

Book Review: The Sound by Sarah Alderson

The Sound
Author: Sarah Alderson
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary | Mystery
Released: May 13th 2014
Review Source: Simon Pulse

When aspiring music journalist Ren Kingston takes a job nannying for a wealthy family on the exclusive island of Nantucket, playground for Boston's elite, she's hoping for a low-key summer reading books and blogging about bands. Boys are firmly off the agenda.

What she doesn't count on is falling in with a bunch of party-loving private school kids who are hiding some dark secrets, falling (possibly) in love with the local bad boy, and falling out with a dangerous serial killer...

The gripping new stand-alone novel from the author of Hunting Lila. Out August 2013

The Sound, a beautiful beach with a beautiful view, but when girls keep turning up dead the beauty seems to dissipate. Ren Kingston who has recently had her heart broken jumped the pond for the summer to be a nanny for The Tripps, but as the summer deepens secrets begin to unravel.

Ren Kingston an inspiring music journalist wanted to escape for the summer, but what she thought was going to be a quiet summer nannying has turned out to be a bit of a crazy ride. Not only has she recently made friends with the trust fund gossip girl kids, specifically the hot boy Jeremy, she’s also caught the eye of the town’s bad boy Jesse. With everyone’s warnings to stay away from Jesse, Ren just can’t seem to stay away, thankfully because hello who doesn’t love a bad boy. Aside from the elite, the bad boys, and the babies, there have been multiple murders happening in Nantucket, specifically murders of nannies, a definite problem for Ren.

First of all I love this book just for the Robert Pattinson and Twilight references, (hardcore twihard over here). Then second I loved the bad boy Jesse, who in my opinion didn’t get enough airtime. Ren has to learn for herself that everything is not what you expect, and she has an entire summer learning this the hard way. When I read the blurb about this book I was excited for the mystery aspect of it, but unfortunately there wasn’t much of it, until the end at least. I’m a Law & Order SUV addict and love getting the clues, all the suspects and all the craziness involving a serial killer take down. So that for me was a disappointment reading this, but that does not mean I didn’t love the book, just wish there was more of it.

The Sound covered it all though, bad boys, pretty boys, friendly girls, snarky mean girls, murders, and an attempt at a summer fling. I loved when Ren was spending time with the kids as well, more or less with the little girl Brodie who was filled with personality and the right amount of kid sass. This is a great summer contemporary with a tad of thriller, but more importantly Jesse. Go ahead pick it up, the cover is absolutely beautiful.

Book Review: Out of Control by Sarah Alderson

Out of Control
Author: Sarah Alderson
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: May 22nd 2014
Review Source: Author

When 17 year old Liva witnesses a brutal murder she’s taken into police custody for her own protection. But when the police station is attacked and bullets start flying it becomes clear that Liva is not just a witness, she’s a target.

Together with a car thief called Jay, Liva manages to escape the massacre but now the two of them are alone in New York, trying to outrun and outwit two killers who will stop at nothing to find them.

When you live on the edge, there’s a long way to fall.

Sarah Alderson has done it again! Out of Control had my mind reeling, jaw dropping and loving the blossoming romance. I loved every second of it. Time flew by when I was reading this. One minute I was at 3% and the next it was 97%, I had to double take because I couldn’t believe how fast time had gone by!

Liva (Olivia), a girl traumatized as a murder witness, meets Jay who’s also at the police station, though his reasons are vastly different to hers. She’s a witness to a murder; he’s getting done for grand theft auto. Then dangerous circumstances bring them together and the find themselves running for their lives, and not fully understanding why.

The action gets your heart pumping- even if action isn't your thing- and routing for Liva and Jay. Speaking of Liva.. bad ass female, anyone? She sure can kick ass. What I loved about her is she start off as being portrayed as this innocent, naïve girl but blossoms into a independent, smart, looks-can-be-deceiving woman. What does that tell you? Don’t judge a book by its cover, people! And Jay, I loved his humour. More than once I found myself smiling away at what he’d said. Typical double meaning/dirty minded teenager.

As the story gets on things start to unravel, things start clicking into place. If there’s one thing Sarah’s good at, it’s the plot twists. Never, in any of her books, do I expect what I get. I gasp (and curse a little) with a “did not expect that one coming” when all is revealed. My heart broke a little for Olivia, then swelled for Jay. But the ending was perfect. This is definitely one of my 2014 favourites!