Jess is a struggling makeup artist trying to make ends meet in New York City. She overhears a client who is thinking of turning down an opportunity to make $500 taking part in a research study and decides to go in her place. It is as simple as honestly answering questions about ethics and morality.  Ultimately the unasked questions were the spine of this novel:  what would you do for love?  And what would you do for money?

An Anonymous Girl is a roller coaster of a read. This definitely has psychological thriller written all over it.  It was creepily clinical in places and anxiety-inducing in others.  The story is written in the first person from the points of view of both the protagonist and antagonist. Although, the characters were not very likable and the Jess seemed a little too naïve at points, the story was captivating. 
The plot was labyrinthine; every twist and turn led you to another twist and turn and the authors gave you just enough bread crumbs to start to figure out what was happening but surprised with the details.   

Overall, this was a great read and hard to put down 4.5 stars.

Under my Skin

A year after the murder of her husband and her subsequent breakdown, Poppy is intent on finding answers. 

The first portion of the book is a slow paced and disjointed as Poppy is trying to resume normal life while trying to retrieve lost memories.  The memories, flashbacks, dreams and hallucinations are often hard to differentiate, purposefully so that the reader is just as confused at times as the narrator.

The second portion moves much more quickly and many more breadcrumbs are dropped along the way leaving the reader guessing and second guessing the end. 

Overall an interesting read, despite the pacing.  If the first portion had a smoother feel, it likely would have been 4 stars.

When Elephants Fly

Beautiful, sweet, thought-provoking and a real cry-fest. 

When Elephants Fly: Lily has lead a careful life and plans to continue to live a careful life in an attempt to skirt the mental illness that made her mother try to kill her.  When the internship at the local paper has her cover the birth of an elephant, and the elephant is later nearly killed by its’ own mother,  Lily has to reevaluate what it means to live.

The plot is touching and beautiful.  The themes are tough, scary and heart-breaking. 
Although there was a best-friend, parent issues and a love interest, this book goes above and beyond your run of the mill YA; much more focus was given to the issues of mental illness, self-discovery, animal abuse and conservation.  I loved that the ending wasn’t necessarily a happily ever after.

This was a fantastic read.

For Better and Worse

While on a date in law school, Natalie and Will discuss how to get away with murder.  Years later, after they are married, Natalie, now a criminal defense attorney, finds that she is more than willing to commit a murder and knows just how to do it and get away with it.  Kind of.

Although listed as a thriller, this novel is less thriller and more “how done it”.  The writing is solid and the plot moves along at a good pace.

I didn’t find either of the main characters to be very likable and the ending was more than a little far-fetched but overall it was a very readable book.

The Similars

After the apparent suicide of her best friend, Ollie, Emma returns to find her boarding school in turmoil after it has admitted six clones, including the clone of her best friend.  The story revolves around who the clones are and why they were created…sort of.

Emma’s other best friend is attacked; Ollie leaves her a message from the grave; other people leave her notes and clues inside of books.  It’s a hunt to find out the truth behind her friend’s attack, her other friend’s death and the real story behind the Similars.  

While the subject matter was interesting, the character and plot development didn’t bolster it the way I had hoped.   It was a little too predictable at times and didn’t flesh out enough at others.   There were lots of unanswered questions and anomalies that were just left hanging out there.

The Memory Box

I received a free e-copy of The Memory Box by Eva Lesko Natiello from NetGalley for my honest review.

Suburban supermom googles herself only to realize that she has no memory of pivotal events in her life.  The Memory Box is part psychological thriller, part mystery, part roller coaster.

Although the premise is great and the ending is unexpected, the plot starts out slow and disjointed.  The story solidifies at the half-way point and leaves you a little out of sorts.

That cover, though, would draw me in to read the book regardless of what it was about.  I am a sucker for a good cover. 

The Confession

The Confession is built around one confession that unwrap another confession that hides srill more confessions in the many layers.

Codependancy, family and the idea of what it means to love end up twisted and interwoven until ultimately, lives are destroyed and ended.

What started as what appeared to be a police procedural quickly turned into a tale of confession shrouded in manipulation .  

A great read!