Blast + Giveaway: Children of Refuge by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Children of Refuge by Margaret Peterson Haddix

After Edwy is smuggled off to Refuge City to stay with his brother and sister, Rosi, Bobo, and Cana are stuck alone—and in danger—in Cursed Town in the thrilling follow-up to Children of Exile from New York Times bestselling author, Margaret Peterson Haddix.

It’s been barely a day since Edwy left Fredtown to be with his parents and, already, he is being sent away. He’s smuggled off to boarding school in Refuge City, where he will be with his brother and sister, who don’t even like him very much. The boarding school is nothing like the school that he knew, there’s no one around looking up to him now, and he’s still not allowed to ask questions!

Alone and confused, Edwy seeks out other children brought back from Fredtown and soon discovers that Rosi and the others—still stuck in the Cursed Town—might be in danger. Can Edwy find his way back to his friends before it’s too late?

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY

Praise for CHILDREN OF REFUGE

This is a topical thriller that brings heart and thought to the sci-fi genre. ―Kirkus Reviews

The plot twists are multiple, exciting, and completely logical… An excellent dystopian adventure for tweens. ―Booklist

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Margaret Peterson Haddix grew up on a farm near Washington Court House, Ohio. She graduated from Miami University (of Ohio) with degrees in English/journalism, English/creative writing and history. Before her first book was published, she worked as a newspaper copy editor in Fort Wayne, Indiana; a newspaper reporter in Indianapolis; and a community college instructor and freelance writer in Danville, Illinois.

She has since written more than 40 books for kids and teens, including Running Out of Time; Double Identity; Uprising; The Always War; the Shadow Children series; the Missing series; the Children of Exile series; the Under Their Skin duology; and The Palace Chronicles. She also wrote Into the Gauntlet, the tenth book in the 39 Clues series. Her books have been honored with New York Times bestseller status, the International Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award; American Library Association Best Book and Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers notations; and numerous state reader’s choice awards. They have also been translated into more than twenty different languages.

Haddix and her husband, Doug, now live in Columbus, Ohio. They are the parents of two grown kids.

Photo Content from Margaret Peterson Haddix

WEBSITE: http://haddixbooks.com/

TWITTER: @MPHaddix

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14617.Margaret_Peterson_Haddix

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Margaret-Peterson-Haddix/99257275229

INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/haddixbooks

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Review: Follow Me Back by A.V. Geiger

Follow Me Back by A.V. Geiger

Tessa Hart’s world feels very small. Confined to her bedroom with agoraphobia, her one escape is the online fandom for pop sensation Eric Thorn. When he tweets to his fans, it’s like his speaking directly to her…

Eric Thorn is frightened by his obsessive fans. They take their devotion way too far. It doesn’t help that his PR team keeps posting to encourage their fantasies.

When a fellow pop star is murdered at the hands of a fan, Eric knows he has to do something to shatter his online image fast—like take down one of his top Twitter followers. But Eric’s plan to troll @TessaHeartsEric unexpectedly evolves into an online relationship deeper than either could have imagined. And when the two arrange to meet IRL, what should have made for the world’s best episode of Catfish takes a deadly turn…

Told through tweets, direct messages, and police transcripts.

Pages: 359

Format: E-Book

Published By: Sourcebooks Fire

Genre: YA - Contemporary, Mystery

Cover Review:
I really like the cover. You don't see Tessa's face, and I think it gives a good sense of what the book expresses regarding Tessa.

Rating:
✮✮✮✮

Review:

Follow Me Back was an interesting original YA novel about a girl and a guy falling in love over direct messaging via twitter. This book had a unique way of telling a story involving something that is very common in our lives today (social media). It's told through the DM, tweets, police transcripts, and a dual POV.

Something that I really loved about this book is that it deals with Agoraphobia, and personally, I think A.V. Geiger really captured the essence of what agoraphobia is like. It was different, but nice, to see a YA book about a mental disorder that wasn't an eating disorder or depression (not that it's bad that there are many that are focused on those disorders).

I really connected with Tessa. Her character was just so real, and strong. It was interesting to see her progress throughout the story. And I liked Eric, but I didn't connect as much as I did with him as I did with Tessa. I wasn't completely sold on their romance, but I did like their relationship, and I thought Eric and Tessa were cute together. But I felt like a lot was lacking chemistry-wise between the two of them.

And that ending... I don't even know what to think after an ending like that. All I know is I desperately need my hand on the second book right now, because I really need to find out what is going on. So many questions, so many thoughts... and I want them answered now.

I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a good YA novel. Especially if you are looking for something different, which I thought this book was, hands down.

Review: Real McCoys by Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr

Real McCoys by Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr

Her name's Moxie. Moxie McCoy.

Bold, opinionated, and haplessly self-confident, the world's greatest fourth-grade detective faces her biggest challenge! When someone kidnaps beloved school mascot Eddie the Owl, Moxie is on the case--but she's forced to fly solo now that her best friend (and crime-solving partner) has moved away.

Moxie must interview her classmates--both as potential new best friends and as possible suspects. She finds clues and points fingers but can't save the owl on her own. Enter Moxie's little brother, Milton. Quiet, cautious, and boring as a butter knife, he's a good listener.

Can the Real McCoys form an unlikely alliance and solve the crime of the century?

Pages: 323

Format: Hardcover

Published By: Imprint

Genre: MG - Mystery
FTC Disclaimer: I received this book free to read and review, thanks to Imprint and Jean BookNerd.

Cover Review:
I think this is a really cute cover, the illustrations are amazing, and I like the color choices.

Rating:
✮✮✮✮

Review:

Real McCoys was an entertaining, cute Middle Grade story. Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr made the story come alive with interesting characters Moxie and Milton were both very smart children with big imaginations that I believe many children, who read this story, would relate to and love, and even want to be like. I loved the distinct personalities of all of the characters.

Robbi Behr's illustrations were absolutely amazing, and I believe would hold younger children's attention, and they added to the story by helping bring it alive. Another thing that I absolutely loved about the book was the way in which the story was written around the illustrations.

I think this is a great book for parents to read to their children. I also think this is a great book for others who enjoy reading Middle Grade books. It's very enjoyable, and I found myself flying through the story - although it is written in a way that I felt like didn't take long to get through the story.

Review: Gone Too Far by Natalie D. Richards

Gone Too Far by Natalie D. Richards

Keeping secrets ruined her life. But the truth might just kill her.

Piper Woods can't wait for the purgatory of senior year to end. She skirts the fringes of high school like a pro until the morning she finds a notebook with mutilated photographs and a list of student sins. She's sure the book is too gruesome to be true, until pretty, popular Stella dies after a sex-tape goes viral. Everyone's sure it's suicide, but Piper remembers Stella's name from the book and begins to suspect something much worse.

Drowning in secrets she doesn't want to keep, Piper's fears are confirmed when she receives an anonymous text message daring her to make things right. All she needs to do is choose a name, the name of someone who deserves to be punished...

Pages: 320

Format: E-Book

Published By: Sourcebooks Fire

Genre: YA - Mystery, Romance, Contemporary

Cover Review:
I'm typically not a fan of covers with full people on them, but I think this one works. I also really like the simplicity of it.

Rating:
✮✮✮✮

Review:

I absolutely enjoyed reading Gone Too Far by Natalie D. Richards. I sped through the book because it hooked me from the first chapter. Natalie has a way of writing a story that keeps you completely focused. I was halfway through the story, and it felt like I had only been reading for a short amount of time.

One of the reasons that I didn't love the book is because I didn't connect with Piper. I enjoyed her character, and I liked seeing the growth in her character throughout the story. I thought she was a great character because she's not perfect, she's flawed - and she knows that she's flawed, which is part of the reason she grows.

I really liked her relationship with Nick, although I felt like it was somewhat stiff. I thought Nick was a great match for her and leveled out her personality with his. I just wish there had been more chemistry between the two of them. But I still really enjoyed it, and I thought they were a very cute couple. And it doesn't take too much away from the story, which was wonderful.

One thing that I really loved about this book is that even though I didn't agree with how Piper and her mystery partner handle their revenge, I sympathize with why they do handle it the way they do.

I would highly recommend this book if you love mysteries that keep you on the edge of your seat, waiting to know what will happen next.