An Interview with PJ Hoover! (Questions by Jeannie Jones)

This interview was conducted by Jeannie Jones, our newest and youngest reviewer. She enjoys all types of fiction and is a member of our new NSCG middle grade branch. See her review of PJ Hoover's The Emerald Tablet here. For those who have already read The Emerald Tablet, look for it's sequel, The Navel of the World.

1. When you were a kid, did you enjoy writing as much as you do now?

No way! I never wanted to write as a kid. I didn't think I was very good, and all I wanted to write were humorous poems. I thought I could never find enough words to make up an entire novel and was always astounded by authors and their ability to do just this.

2. Which do you enjoy more- writing or reading?

Writing when the words are flowing, and reading when they aren't. Actually, I think it's important to have a great mix of the two. Reading makes my writing better, and writing makes my reading more interesting.

3. What are the books you’ve published since The Emerald Tablet about?

THE NAVEL OF THE WORLD is the second book in the trilogy that started with THE EMERALD TABLET. It just came out in October 2009. That's the only one published so far, but here's to keeping fingers crossed! And the most fun part about THE NAVEL OF THE WORLD is time travel :)

4. Does your real life ever inspire your books and writing? If so, how?

I love finding inspiration everywhere I can. I use books, TV, music, and hobbies, just to name a handful or inspirational sources. I love Rubik's Cubes, and so I created the Kinetic Orb in my books. I loved the song ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK, and so I set a scene in THE EMERALD TABLET in Bangkok. Finding inspiration everywhere is one of the most fun parts of being a writer.

5. When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer?

I only realized I REALLY wanted to be a writer after the birth of my second kid. I was an electrical engineer for fifteen years, but had a hard time balancing the demands of engineering and giving my kids all the attention I wanted to give them. I started writing to see how it would go, and I found I loved it. It suited my personality super well, and I enjoy the heck out of it.

6. How did you get your first book published?

I met an editor at the SCBWI conference in New York one year who offered to read my manuscript. She gave me amazing feedback, and once I revised, I asked her if she'd read it again. She did, and after a couple more rounds, she bought the entire trilogy.

7. What are your favorite books to read?

In middle grade, I loved the PERCY JACKSON series and am enjoying the GREGOR series immensely. In YA, I loved THE HUNGER GAMES and THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH. These are books I would have loved to have written!

8. How did you pick the names of the characters in The Emerald Tablet?

There were various ways. For some of the more common names, I looked to my yearbooks. For the more unusual ones, I had fun using a random name generator. For example, Proteus Ajax came up via a random name generator. Pretty cool, huh?

9. Are there any special locations where you like to write best?

I have an office in my house, so at home, that's the only place I write. When I need to escape from the house, I head to the library. I find getting away from distractions like laundry and the dishwasher help me get more done.

Thank you so much for having me!

-PJ Hoover

The Emerald Tablet by PJ Hoover (review by Jeannie Jones)

For our first review in our middle grade branch, Jeannie Jones has reviewed PJ Hoover's The Emerald Tablet. Later today an interview with the author will be posted. Make sure to stop by!

Note: All MG reviews and interviews are composed by MG-aged NSCGs.

The book, The Emerald Tablet, is one of the best books I have ever read. The thing I love most about it is the fantasy and suspense. It is about a boy whose name is Benjamin, and he thinks he is just as normal as everyone else. But one day his mom disappears into a pinprick of light, and Benjamin doesn’t know what happened to her. Then a man appears on Benjamin’s mirror.

What do you think will happen to Benjamin and his mom? Join Benjamin on his wild journey to find out.

Lovers of books full of fun and action will enjoy this novel. They won’t want to put it down. Trust me!

JEANNIE JONES

Upcoming: The Unveiling of a New NSCG Branch and a Green Books Campaign

Some exciting events are coming up for the NSCGs.

1. Thursday, Nov. 5: The Unveiling of a New NSCG Branch- While we typically do reviews for YA and older, there has been so much interest in Middle Grade fiction that the NSCGs have added a MG Branch. This branch will feature MG books reviewed by MG-aged readers. Our first review will be of PJ Hoover's The Emerald Tablet. An interview will be included. Both the review and interview were conducted by a middle grade reviewer. (Note: If any MG publishers/authors are interesting in sending us a book for review, send an email to not_so_cg@yahoo.com)
   
2. Tuesday, Nov. 10: Green Books Campaign- NSCG goes green in the Green Books Campaign. We will be reviewing the environmentally-friendly Only Milo in support of this campaign.

Make sure to stop by for both events!
~bella aire~

Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines (review by Bella Aire)

Synopsis:
Lyn is a neo-gladiator’s daughter, through and through. Her mother has made a career out of marrying into the high-profile world of televised blood sport, and the rules of the Gladiator Sports Association are second nature to their family. Always lend ineffable confidence to the gladiator. Remind him constantly of his victories. And most importantly: Never leave the stadium when your father is dying. The rules help the family survive, but rules—and the GSA—can also turn against you. When a gifted young fighter kills Lyn’s seventh father, he also captures Lyn’s dowry bracelet, which means she must marry him... For fans of The Hunger Games and Fight Club, Lise Haines’ debut novel is a mesmerizing look at a world addicted to violence—a modern world that’s disturbingly easy to imagine.

Review:
This book was certainly one to pique my interest. The premise was a promising one, and it possessed a theme that I suspect will hit a wave in young adult popularity in these next few years (not unlike the popularity seen with pirates and vampires in this age group).

Girl in the Arena has a wonderful idea...but a poor execution. The violent dystopian spin on this novel is reminiscent of great works such as 1984 and, as the inside cover boasts, Fight Club. Like those novels, Girl in the Arena makes a reader pause to think..what if? Books such as these serve as a reminder to our culture to be wary of the direction in which we are heading, and, for that reason, these novels are always useful.

This novel didn't stop at creating a warning through the plot; it proceeded to issue warnings through the characters. For example, Lyn's mother has married seven times and no longer knows how to keep her life together without a man's presense in it. As the novel progresses, we learn that her seven husbands weren't exactly strong candidates for that role (with her second husband perhaps being the sole exception). The only interruption in her role as a wife is her role as a mother. Unfortunately, this interruption is not strong enough to fight her identity as a wife. In addition, Lyn's mother has to follow a strict set of rules as the wife of a gladiator and holds little, if any, freedom in life. This character makes it obvious that no woman should live for a man...nor should she be completely reliant on him.

Other than the strong social commentary, Girl in the Arena proved to be a rather weak novel. The writing was choppy and uneven in certain places, and the book ended somewhat abruptly. But what bothered me most was the lack of connection between the author and Lyn. This author/protaganist connection is vital to any strong novel. This does not mean that the author has to like their character (some of the greatest classics in literature have some of the most unlikable protaganists). Rather, the author has to fully understand their character. I didn't get the feeling that Haines reached out and truly felt what Lyn was thinking, feeling, or seeing.

Still, despite its lack of finesse in certain areas, Girl in the Arena serves as a good compare-and-contrast novel against the world we live in today. I particularly recommend it to anyone interested in dystopia and the decline of humanity. However, if a reader really wants a strong, modern, Young Adult novel in this catergory, I would have to reference them to The Hunger Games, the first in Suzanne Collins' brilliant trilogy.

always,
~bella aire~


Check out this amusing Girl in the Arena YouTube video here.
Or stop by Lise Haines' site.

Finally, you can purchase Girl in the Arena here.

An NSCG Return

Phew! After a very eventful summer, the NSCGs are ready to get back to reviewing. We have plenty of material in our To-Be-Reviewed pile and can't wait to get started.

Much more later,
~bella aire~

Meet a Blogger...Krista of Tower of Books

Hello, readers! Meet Krista of Tower of Books. My favorite thing about her site is how many new books you can discover there.! The following is a short interview so that you can learn more about her. If you have any questions, just leave them in comments.

What inspired you to begin a blog?
I've wanted to have a review blog for quite some time, so when I stumbled upon a few book blogs last year, I realized a book blog would be perfect me.

What is your favorite classic book?
Do plays count? If so, I would have to say MacBeth. I absolutely loved the ending and the characters.

What is your favorite "guilty pleasure" book?
I don't really have a guilty pleasure read. I'm not embarrassed by any of the books I've read.

If you had to pick a song to describe this past week, what would it be?
Weightless by All Time Low because of these lyrics:
"And maybe it's not my weekend
But it's gonna be my year
I'm so sick of watching while the minutes pass
As I go nowhere"

I'm been spending way too much time at home lately. :-P

And last, but certainly not least...what makes you a geek?
I love to find out random facts whenever I can and mention them when the time is right. There's just so many interesting facts out there that I want others to know about!


Thanks, Krista!
And readers- don't forget to stop by Tower of Books here.


always,
~bella aire~

My Big Nose (And Other Natural Disasters) by Sydney Salter (review by Bella Aire)

Synopsis:
It’s the end of junior year, and summer is about to begin. The Summer of Passion, to be exact, when Jory Michaels plans to explore all the possibilities of the future--and, with any luck, score a boyfriend in the process. But Jory has a problem. A big problem. A curvy, honking, bumpy, problem in the form of her Super Schnozz, the one thing standing between Jory and happiness. And now, with the Summer of Passion stretched before her like an open road, she's determined for Super Schnozz to disappear. Jory takes a job delivering wedding cakes to save up for a nose job at the end of the summer; she even keeps a book filled with magazine cutouts of perfect noses to show the doctor. But nothing is ever easy for accident-prone Jory--and before she knows it, her Summer of Passion falls apart faster than the delivery van she crashes. In her hilarious and heartbreaking debut novel, Sydney Salter delivers a story about broadening your horizons, accepting yourself, and finding love right under your nose.

Review:

My Big Nose (And Other Natural Disasters) is a heartfelt and hilarious tale of one teen’s torments and troubles.

At first I was worried that Jory, the narrator, would be a whiny/angsty/cliché teen…but I didn’t have to worry long. Jory’s sarcastic marks were witty and her concerns genuine, if somewhat exaggerated. The author (Sydney Salter) proves her genius in the awkward but side-splitting situations that Jory finds herself in throughout the novel.

Not one to shirk on relationships, Salter thoroughly develops the familial, camaraderie, and romantic based connections in My Big Nose. The male characters are an absolute delight- each one with a distinct and unique personality.

Jory’s preoccupation with her features can be sometimes overwhelming and off-putting. However, with the external obsession that society displays today, it does not come off as a far-fetched plot point. Though I felt that the nose-fixation dragged at points in the novel and sometimes distracted from the amusing tales of Jory’s summer, beauty fixation is an important issue that needs to be addressed to reverse much of the damage that modern magazines and “perfect girl” images have done to female teens. Jory’s interaction with her mother moved me most regarding the beauty topic.

Wrapping up with a superb and beautiful ending, My Big Nose was truly a lovely coming-of-age novel.

always,

~bella aire~

Purchase My Big Nose (And Other Natural Disasters) here.

Meet a New Blogger...Reggie of The Undercover Book Lover

Hey, readers! Meet a fellow geek and book blogger, Reggie of The Undercover Book Lover. I'm loving the organization and set-up of her blog and reviews. Reggie is a bit new to the blogging world, so I've asked the following questions so we can get to her a bit better:


What gave you the idea of beginning a book blog?
I saw a blog called A Garden of Books. It's by Iryna. I loved it and thought that I could share how FANTABULOUS books are. I wanted to show people how talented people (authors) can be.

What was your favorite book as a child?
I HATED books as a child. Up until the fourth grade, I hated them with a passion but my dad and my aunt pushed and pushed me until I learned to love them. Now, I'm a total book nutt!

What is your current favorite genre?
My favorite genre is YA paranormal romance. It seems cliche, but many of the debut 2009 authors have amazing fantasy(ish) books! Of course, I also love verse novels (*ahem* Lisa Schroeder).

What is your favorite time period to read about?
My favorite time period to read about is the present. I'm not really into old, medieval and futuristic times. One exception is Academy 7. I LOVED it!

If you had to pick a favorite song based on lyrics alone, what would it be?
It would have to be Ready to Fly by Amy Pearson. She's Australian and she isn't that well known but she is the BEST!

And, last but certainly not least...what makes you a geek?
You should ask my family. They think I'm a total book geek. I actually joined this contest in our local bookstore called Book-Geek of the Month. I qualified, but I didn't win. But what truly makes me a book geek is that I have at least three books in my bag. Anytime, anywhere.


Thanks for stopping by, Reggie! Keep up the good work.

Don't forget to visit Reggie here at The Undercover Book Lover. And if you have any additional questions for Reggie, just leave a comment, and I'll make sure that she gets it.

always,
~bella aire~

New Winners for Suite Scarlett

Unfortunately, out of our five winners, two did not respond in time! So now the new winners are:

Sarah Brooke
and
MssJos

I will be sending out an email shortly- please respond within 3 days. Thanks for entering!

Suite Contest Winners!

'Ello luvs. Guess what made me so absent for the majority of this month?

England! What a wonderful country. But more on that later. Right now it's time to announce the winners of our contest. Each winner will receive a copy of Maureen Johnson's Suite Scarlett.

Robby
Cynthia
Nicole
Ninja Fanpire
Reese

Thank you all for participating in the contest.

I've contacted each of the winners in some way, and they have a week to send me their addys before a new winner is picked.

~bella aire~

Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson (comment for an extra contest entry)

Synopsis:
Her new summer job comes with baggage

Scarlett Martin has grown up in a most unusual way. Her family owns the Hopewell, a small hotel in the heart of New York City, and Scarlett lives there with her four siblings - Spencer, Lola, and Marlene.

When each of the Martins turns fifteen, they are expected to take over the care of a suite in the once elegant, now shabby Art Deco hotel. For Scarlett's fifteenth birthday, she gets both a room called the Empire Suite, and a permanent guest called Mrs. Amberson.

Scarlett doesn't quite know what to make of this C-list starlet, world traveler, and aspiring autobiographer who wants to take over her life. And when she meets Eric, an astonishingly gorgeous actor who has just moved to the city, her summer takes a second unexpected turn.

Before the summer is over, Scarlett will have to survive a whirlwind of thievery, Broadway glamour, romantic missteps, and theatrical deceptions. But in the city where anything can happen, she just might be able to pull it off.

Review:

Suite Scarlett is a bright addition to Maureen Johnson's already fabulous list of works. Fun and bubbly, but with a capacity for more serious subject matter, this novel is filled with a wonderful range of character and emotion. Readers will quickly grasp Scarlett's delightful sense of humor as the novel progresses. However, our narrator isn't the only character well fleshed-out. There is the older brother Spencer who, though charming, has some faults. And who could forget about our romantic interest- the delectable Eric? Though he may seem flat at first (a stereotyped southern gentleman), his secrets and somewhat odd sense of logic add depth to his personality.

What I loved most about Suite Scarlett, though, is it's focus on family. Many novels today make the romantic interest everything. The crushes/boyfriends/husbands/heroes become the entire reason for the novel...and the heroine's entire reason for existence. While I like romance as much as the next girl, too many novels of such a variety could create a skewed and dangerous outlook on life. And that is what makes Suite Scarlett so refreshing. This is a novel where family is more important than the romantic interest.

Interested? Purchase Suite Scarlett here.

Or...you could enter the NSCG 5 Copy Giveaway. Don't forget to leave a comment here for an extra entry!

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender (review by Viola)

Synopsis:
Alexis thought she led a typically dysfunctional high school existence. Dysfunctional like her parents' marriage; her doll-crazy twelve-year-old sister, Kasey; and even her own anti-social, anti-cheerleader attitude.

When a family fight results in some tearful sisterly bonding, Alexis realizes that her life is creeping from dysfunction into danger. Kasey is acting stranger than ever: her blue eyes go green sometimes; she uses old-fashioned language; and she even loses track of chunks of time, claiming to know nothing about her strange behavior. Their old house is changing, too. Doors open and close by themselves; water boils on the unlit stove; and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough to see their breath in.

Alexis wants to think that it's all in her head, but soon, what she liked to think of as silly parlor tricks are becoming life-threatening--to her, her family, and to her budding relationship with the class president. Alexis knows she's the only person who can stop Kasey -- but what if that green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore?

Review:

So I wish Bella had told this book was a bit on the scary side before I started reading it at around 2 AM by myself and got completely caught off guard! Nevertheless, I ended up liking her choice for me, as usual.

Katie Alender named her book, Bad Girls Don't Die, well. No matter how many times you try, they just don't die. They just end up possessing teenager Alexis' young little sister, Kasey, who does the world's evil with a smile. Thanks to their residence's creepy history of a teased little girl falling to her death, the house is pretty much haunted. As if this wasn't bad enough, the only way to stop Kasey from murdering people is for pink-haired Alexis to get along with the super snotty popular girl in school who scared off her best friend by calling her fat. Now think about this... Is that really worth it?

No, this book really isn't that creepy. Promise. So don't let that scare you off from reading this. My only complaint? That everything worked out so perfectly... Otherwise you're in for a really great paranormal adventure!

Purchase Bad Girls Don't Die via Amazon here.

5 Copy GIVEAWAY! Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

In celebration of Suite Scarlett's paperback release (today!), we are giving away 5 paperback copies of Suite Scarlett. (Isn't the new cover adorable?!)

What others have said:

"I can't wait until my room at the Hopewell is ready." - Meg Cabot

"This book is made of funny and smart and whimsical deliciousness (really, lick a page and taste for yourself)" - Libba Bray

"I couldn't put it down." - Michele Jaffe

"I loved it!" - E. Lockhart

"An utterly winning, madcap Manhattan farce, crafted with a winking, urbane narrative and tight, wry dialogue." - ALA Booklist, starred review.

Synopsis:
Her new summer job comes with baggage

Scarlett Martin has grown up in a most unusual way. Her family owns the Hopewell, a small hotel in the heart of New York City, and Scarlett lives there with her four siblings - Spencer, Lola, and Marlene.

When each of the Martins turns fifteen, they are expected to take over the care of a suite in the once elegant, now shabby Art Deco hotel. For Scarlett's fifteenth birthday, she gets both a room called the Empire Suite, and a permanent guest called Mrs. Amberson.

Scarlett doesn't quite know what to make of this C-list starlet, world traveler, and aspiring autobiographer who wants to take over her life. And when she meets Eric, an astonishingly gorgeous actor who has just moved to the city, her summer takes a second unexpected turn.

Before the summer is over, Scarlett will have to survive a whirlwind of thievery, Broadway glamour, romantic missteps, and theatrical deceptions. But in the city where anything can happen, she just might be able to pull it off.

About the author:
Maureen Johnson is one of my all-time favorite authors. The first Maureen Johnson I read was The Key to the Golden Firebird. A book as moving as that leaves a lasting impression. My favorite of all her works (so far) is Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes.

Maureen's blog is so much fun and definitely one of my favorites, so don't miss that. Or, if you'd like to check out her website, stop by here.

Want to learn a bit more about Maureen and Scarlett? Check out this video here.

And last but not least, a direct link to Amazon here if you'd like to puchase Suite Scarlett right now.

The Rules:
Enter by leaving a comment below including your email address. Five (5) winners will receive a copy of Suite Scarlett! If you are uncomfortable leaving your email address below, feel free to shoot me an email at not_so_cg[at]yahoo[dot]com instead with the subject "Suite Contest". This is a contest for US only.

Extra Entries:
+1 Leave a comment on the NSCG review of Suite Scarlett
+1 Visit Maureen's website or blog and tell me about one thing you learned there about Maureen or her books in your comment (do your best not to use a fact already mentioned in a previous comment)
+1 If you become a NSCG follower
+2 If you were a follower before June 22nd
+4 If you link to this contest in a post, sidebar, etc (a link to this must be left in your comment)

Make sure to leave all extra entries specifics in your comment/email.

This contest closes one month from today (July 20). The winners will be announced and contacted soon after.

NOTE: Only one comment per entrant, please. If you need to post a second comment, etc. because of an error/change, make sure to delete your previous comment(s).

One Lonely Degree by C. K. Kelly Martin (Review by Karilee)

Synopsis:
Fifteen-year-old Finn has always felt out of place, but suddenly her world is unraveling. It all started with The Party. And Adam Porter. And the night in September that changed everything. The only person who knows about that night is Audrey—Finn's best friend, her witness to everything and the only person (under thirty) Finn trusts implicitly. So when Finn's childhood friend Jersy moves back into town—reckless, beautiful boy Jersy, all lips and eyes and hair so soft you'd want to dip your fingers into it if you weren't careful—Finn gives her blessing for Audrey to date him. After all, how could she possibly say no to Audrey?

With Audrey gone for the summer, though, Finn finds herself spending more and more time with Jersy, and for the first time since September, for the first time in her life maybe, something feels right—absolutely, stunningly right. But Finn can't be the girl who does this to her best friend...can she?

Review:
One of the first things I must note about C. K. Kelly Martin’s One Lonely Degree is that the whole concept of Finn stealing her best friend’s boyfriend is WRONG. However, it is also the most admirable thing to take into consideration. As a reader, I couldn’t help but take Finn’s side, despite the wrong-ness, and hope that she and Jersy eventually do end up together. Not only is it easy to identify with the narrator, but it is also very easy to sympathize. Her whole world is crumbling around her, and the only comfort she has is the love of her best (and only) friend’s boyfriend.

Despite the novel’s emotional control over the reader, there were many things that, as a picky reader, I was annoyed about. For about 150 pages I, for the life of me, had no idea what “HMV” (what I later found out is the title of the music store in the mall) was. It was probably just an error of an unobservant reader, however it must be noted that something so small distracted me from the actual plot. That is not to say that the book was boring, but that I expected what was happening next. Having read the back of the book, I knew that Finn would eventually fall for Jersy and vice versa, but what I did not know is how long that would take. The only thing the synopsis left for the reader to discover is what happens after they fall for each other. But, because it isn’t until the end that they do eventually betray Audrey, there is little information and plot that the reader is surprised about.

Even with my over-analyzation of the plot’s format, what was left for the reader to discover was very interesting and an enjoyable read. One Lonely Degree shows the reader that even though the world as you know it can completely change, it’s still possible to find happiness, even if it seems as though happiness is impossible.

I had a difficult choice between two songs to describe C. K. Kelly Martin’s One Lonely Degree. Although I made my decision, there is a quote from the song that didn’t make the cut. “Oh, instincts are misleading; you shouldn’t think what you’re feeling.” As much as Death Cab For Cutie’s line from “Lightness” captures the plot of the novel, the winner, “Run” by Snow Patrol (one of my all-time favorite songs!), I feel suits the feel of One Lonely Degree better.

Despite the negativity of the majority of my review, I truly did enjoy reading One Lonely Degree, and I can’t wait to read more from C. K. Kelly Martin. I hoped you enjoyed my review and that you get the chance to read One Lonely Degree.


Sincerely,
Karilee




One Lonely Degree by C. K. Kelly Martin can be purchased HERE.

Uninvited by Justine Musk (Review by Karilee)

Synopsis:

Kelly Ruland's world fell apart when her brother Jasper walked away the sole survivor of a car accident...and kept walking right out of town. She doesn't want to believe that Jasper was at fault - but then why did he run away? How could he abandon Kelly and her parents? Now, former star student and athlete Kelly struggles to care about anything anymore, sleepwalking through school and experimenting with dangerous behavior as she tries to fill the void inside her.

Then one night, Jaspers returns...but he's not alone. Someone has followed him home. Someone who hides in the space behind the truth, who hovers in the shadows between the known and the unknown. His name is Archie, and he is the stranger they never asked to know, the guest they never invited. And he's about to challenge Kelly and Jasper to a game that demands a price they may not be willing to pay...

Review:
I must confess that I cracked the spine of Justine Musk’s Uninvited with a GREAT deal of skepticism. The sci-fi feeling of the synopsis in addition to the “MTV Books” label both led me to believe that no matter how it turned out, it just wasn’t going to be something I’d read on my own. But, to my pleasure and surprise, Uninvited quickly contradicted my initial assumptions. It was unbelievably captivating and I found myself incapable of putting it down. The plot, the characters, and the setting were all fully developed and as a reader it was easy to visualize the novel, even in the parts that were sci-fi-ish.

It is very easy for a mystery novel to have many unsolved mysteries at the start that remain unsolved, even when the book comes to a close. Uninvited, however, pieced together every question posed earlier in the novel while still maintaining an original resolution that the reader could never predict.

Unlike previous novels I’ve had the joy of reviewing, there was nothing that was absolutely, positively, and obnoxiously wrong with it. There were some parts that dragged on for a bit, but were promptly followed by edge-of-your-seat parts. If there was one thing I had to find wrong with it, it would definitely be the resolution of the main character, Kelly’s, love life. However, for the sake of not giving anything away and not over-analyzing a miniscule aspect of the novel, I will not get into that.

All in all, I was thoroughly impressed, and, as always, I look forward to reading more from Justine Musk, and maybe more from “MTV Books.” I highly recommend Uninvited to anyone who loves a captivating mystery.

The song for Justine Musk’s Uninvited is “For Real” by Okkervil River.
Although lyrically it doesn’t necessarily fit Uninvited, I feel as if the tone and feel of it can easily be associated with the novel.

I hope you found my review helpful and that you decide to read Justine Musk’s Uninvited.

Sincerely,
Karilee

Uninvited by Justine Musk can be purchased HERE.