#Natasha Preston

[bookaddict24-7]

NEW YOUNG ADULT RELEASES! (MAY 7TH, 2024)

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HAVE I MISSED ANY NEW YOUNG ADULT RELEASES? HAVE YOU ADDED ANY OF THESE BOOKS TO YOUR TBR? LET ME KNOW!

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NEW STANDALONES/FIRST IN A SERIES:

Bite Me, Royce Taslim by Lauren Ho

The Summer Love Strategy by Ray Stoeve

Perfect Little Monsters by Cindy R.X. He

Better Must Come by Desmond Hall

Fifteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton

Sixteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton

Spin of Fate by A.A. Vora

The Unboxing of a Black Girl by Angela Shanté

Blood at the Root by LaDarrion Williams

This Book Won't Burn by Samira Ahmed

The Dare by Natasha Preston

Lie Until It's True by Jessie Weaver

Hot Boy Summer by Joe Jiménez

Dispatches from Parts Unknown by Bryan Bliss

Sunhead by Alex Assan

Eyes Open by Lyn Miller-Lachmann

Breathe: Journeys to Healthy Binding by Maia Kobabe & Dr. Sarah Peitzmeier

Malicia by Steven dos Santos

The Ballad of Darcy and Russell by Morgan Matson

Queerceañera by Alex Crespo

Death's Country by R.M. Romero

Beastly Beauty by Jennifer Donnelly

Sweet Nightmare by Tracy Wolff

NEW SEQUELS:

More Than This (The Davenports #2) by Krystal Marquis

Pulled Under (Sixteenth Summer #2) by Michelle Dalton

Swept Away (Sixteenth Summer #3) by Michelle Dalton

Burning Crowns (Twin Crowns #3) by Catherine Doyle & Katherine Webber

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Happy reading!

[libertyreads]

October 2024 TBR--

We are getting so into spooky season this year with some spooky reads. I'm super excited about a couple of these books, but, also, the last book that I've had on my physical TBR since before January 1st of this year will be read this month. Everything else on my physical TBR is something I've purchased this year which is amazing to me. Let's get to the spooky reads.

Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio (New Release)-- This might be the book I'm most excited to read. We follow five people who cross paths as they work the late shift: a bartender, a rideshare driver, a hotel receptionist, the steward of the derelict church that looms over them, and the editor-in-chief of the college paper. One night they discover a hole in the churchyard that wasn't there before. Who dug this fresh, open grave? And for whom? These five people try to get the answer to this mystery.

The Enforcer by Avery Keelan (Kindle)-- My next hockey romance! This one follows Lakeside U hockey superstar Nash Richards and the girl whose heart he broke. She's forced to work with him all semester long and has to work not to fall for his charms a second time.

Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis-- From GoodReads: "It's bad enough waking up in a half-destroyed evil wizard's workshop with no eyebrows, no memories, and no idea how long you have before the Dread Lord Whomever shows up to murder you horribly and then turn your skull into a goblet or something. It's a lot worse when you realize that Dread Lord Whomever is...you." When I was standing in the middle of a bookstore reading this synopsis, I had so much hope that this would give me Assistant to the Villain Vibes. Let's hope it does.

Midnight at the Houdini by Delilah S. Dawson-- Anna, a diligent stage manager, has grown up in glitzy Las Vegas with her older sister Emily, but when Emily reveals a startling betrayal, Anna flees in the middle of a raging storm. She takes shelter in a boutique establishment she's never seen before: The Houdini. She discovers a magic hotel and a magical boy. When the clock strikes midnight, Anna will be trapped in the Houdini forever unless she can make an impossible escape.

The Dare by Natasha Preston-- Senior pranks are just beginning for Marley and her friends who egg houses, set chickens free on the quad, and fill the principal's office with glitter-filled balloons. But Marley's friend Jesse accepts a dare to drive a ten-mile stretch of winding road that's notorious for car wrecks called danger alley with no headlights. Now four friends are bound by a tragic accident and a dark secret that threatens their bright futures.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins-- The final book of my Hunger Games reread. In this one, Katniss has become the heart of the rebellion, but being a hero is hard when you also have PTSD. Things between the President and the Mockingjay come to a head in this finale.

Nightmares! by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller-- Charlie Laird has several problems: his dad married a woman he's sure is a witch, he had to move into a purple mansion, and he can't remember the last time sleeping wasn't a nightmarish prospect. Nightmares can ruin a good night's sleep, but them slipping out of your dreams and into the waking world is worse.

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia-- Domingo, a lonely garbage-collecting street kid, is just trying to survive in the heavily policed streets of Mexico City when a jaded vampire on the run swoops into his life. Atl, is smart, beautiful, and dangerous. Domingo is mesmerized. Atl needs to quickly escape the city, but her plan doesn't include Domingo. Little by little, Atl finds herself warming up to the scrappy young man and his undeniable charm.

I'm so excited about so many of my reads for the month of October. My Christmas love will get put on hold while we dive into all things creepy and scary.

[blogthefiresidechats]

Best 10 Books in.....Suspense/Thriller

I’ve comprised a list of the 10 best books from the suspense/thriller genre. This list is in no particular order and this list is only my opinions based on what books I’ve read in the past. Enjoy! A group of people gather at a lodge deep in the woods but it doesn’t end up being the retreat they think it is when a snow storm strands everyone there and people end up dying off one by one. My…

[ayyy-imma-ninja]

I wonder… have you read any books by Natasha Preston?

I read one called The Lost, and it was super interesting. Idk why but I imagine the SK boys using a torture method they used in the book. Maybe two, depending on how long they decide to torment a rulebreaker.

If you haven’t read it you should it’s so good I fukin SWEAR. (Pardon my language lmao)

I am not familiar with the author so I likely have not read anything by her.

I could look it up sometime, though.

[the-liliger]

If you like this book, you'll love this book: YA Murder Mystery Edition!

If you liked "One Of Us Is Lying" by Karen McManus, you'll love "Killer Content" by Kiley Roache. Why? A knives out-esque twist with lots of prolific characters... And we still don't know who's telling the truth.

If you liked "A Good Girl's Guide To Murder" trilogy by Holly Jackson, you'll love the "Truly Devious" trilogy by Maureen Johnson. Why? Watching as our main characters piece every bit of information is enthralling... Almost as enthralling as what happens when you tunnel vision on a well-known murder.

If you liked "They'll Never Catch Us" by Jessica Goodman, then you'll love "The Lake" by Natasha Preston. Why? Campy (one literally takes place at a summer camp) stories that can show the bond between two people... And how far they'll go to protect each other.

(All creation credits go to the bestest platonic-babe in ze world)

[horror-thrillerbookreviews]

You Will Be Mine - Natasha Preston

Welcome to the Valentine’s Day special!

5/5 Stars

This read was wonderful! My goal was to finish it before Valentine’s Day and it was quite the read! I loved the style, the story sucked me and it made me very anxious about what would happen next! It was definitely one of my favorite reads so far.

[thatpinkkwitch]

Hey y’all, welcome! 💐🫶🏻

I’m a hellenic pagan witch and plant medicine advocate. this is my digital diary!!!

DNI: homophobic, transphobic, racist, sexist, bigoted in any other way, a minor, solely nsfw, etc.

interests/get to know me below!!

My favorite color is pink but I love incorporating color in general to my life !!

My favorite book is Little Women! A few other favs are the Haunting of Hill House, the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, My Dark Vanessa, or anything by Natasha Preston :)

I’ve been a Taylor Swift fan almost my whole life and my favorite band is Summer Salt!! I also love Chappell Roan, Carpenter, and Yung Gravy!

Baking & decorating baked goods has been my fav stress reliever since i was 12 years old :)

I have a few chronic illnesses so I’ll touch on those from time to time as well!!

my messages are always open to new friends!!

[sunflowersandroses-blog]

The Fear by Natasha Preston

I enjoy her books because it's like watching a cheesy thriller movie. The entire book I thought I was right about the killer, got so excited that I was right, and then the last sentence ended with me my mouth falling open 😂

[unreadableee]

𝚖𝚢 𝚏𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚢 💭📖☕️

[clarislam]

Book Review: "The Island" by Natasha Preston

A trip to a private island goes wrong when murder is afoot in "The Island" by Natasha Preston! #NatashaPreston #TheIsland #bookreview #murdermystery

Cover of “The Island” by Natasha Preston   I’m back with another book review, and this time I’m reviewing “The Island” by Natasha Preston! Reading this book reminded me of my own murder mystery novel “Winner Takes All.” This is because both take place on isolated islands and, well, murder is involved. Here’s a quick summary so we know what it’s about: “Jagged Island: a private amusement park for…

[juniper-brontide]

Have you read any of Natasha Preston's books?

To be read Tuesday!! This book is definitely on my tbr list as I read the first book called The Cellar, and I really enjoyed it.

[bittyfromquotev]

I feel a bit better now.

I need some Billford in my life and also someone who has read The Lost by Natasha Preston because I love that book so much and I wanna talk about it with someone

[libertyreads]

Book Review #61 of 2024--

The Dare by Natasha Preston. Rating: 2.5 stars.

Read from October 9th to 11th.

Besides the gorgeous cover pulling me in to read this one, I thought it would be the perfect read for Fall. Warning that this review is pretty spoiler filled. I tried to keep it as vague as possible, but I do think I give some stuff away in the review. You have been warned. The Dare follows a group of high school friends who are dared to race down a dangerous road at night without any lights. A fatal accident leads them down a road of lies, deceit, and backstabbing. I thought this was going to be such an amazing Mystery Thriller for the spooky season. That wasn't quite what I got.

There was a section of about 50 pages toward the end of the novel that I would have given 4 stars but the rest of the book was just so bad. On top of that there was a ton of bad line edits that took me out of the story. From the get go, I had trouble suspending my disbelief. Teens are all scared of the rich and powerful family in town so when one of them becomes a senior and announces dares they feel they have to go along with them. On top of that, after the accident, the group of friends performing the dare make zero sense and fall into line so quickly. Maybe it's the fact that I haven't been a teenager for over a decade and a half, but I really couldn't get past them just immediately going with what one friend wants. Especially when it's something as serious as a fatal accident. The rest of the story falls into the same vein of unbelievability, but there was a section of this book that really got me.

I love a revenge plot. I read the whole of The Count of Monte Cristo because I heard it has a revenge plot. (And have you seen the size of that thing??) I had no clue going into the final third of this novel that there would be a revenge element to the story. It is really what dragged that star rating up to a 2.5 instead of less than 2. Is it all still impossible to suspend disbelief over? Absolutely. Did I still eat that shit up? Absolutely. I found the setting and characters to be pretty bland, but there were a few gems hiding in the rubble. Especially in the last 5 pages or so. Did I love the ending? No. Was it still beautiful? Yes.

Overall, this one is a mixed bag for me. I didn't like the book most of the time, but that last third really got me going. When I was picking this one up at the bookstore to read the synopsis, if I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have let that beautiful cover draw me in. But I still think this could be an okay book for a younger reader with less experience with Mystery and Thriller books.

[paperback-bitch]

Review: The Island

By Natasha Preston Hardback: n/a – Paperback: $12.99 – E-book: $8.99 Approx. 336 pages – Audiobook: 8 hours YA Thriller/Mystery

SYNOPSIS

They said goodbye to their friends and family for the weekend. They weren’t counting on forever.

Jagged Island: a private amusement park for the very rich—or the very influential. Liam, James, Will, Ava, Harper, and Paisley—social media influencers with millions of followers—have been invited for an exclusive weekend before the park opens. They’ll make posts and videos for their channels and report every second of their VIP treatment.

When the teens arrive, they're stunned: the resort is even better than they’d imagined. Their hotel rooms are unreal, the park’s themed rides are incredible, and the island is hauntingly beautiful. They’re given a jam-packed itinerary for the weekend.

But soon they'll discover that something's missing from their schedule: getting off the island alive.

Themes: Conflicting personalities, Serial Killer, Murder mystery

Tropes: Bullshit cliffhanger, Trapped with strangers, Picked off one by one

Warnings: Graphic violence (including matricide) and mentions of abuse.

REVIEW

I HATED THE ENDING OF THIS BOOK.

Okay, I just had to get that out of my system. It’s been the one burning constant on my mind since I read that diabolical final line, and I’m still so angry. Up until then, I was enjoying this one. Natasha Preston is a great writer, and I really liked the concept – although admittedly, we got a kind of underdeveloped look at the world compared to what I would have preferred. For a thriller set in an amusement park, we really only get descriptions of one or two rides and the hotel itself. It made it difficult to follow the characters at some points, since the layout was more or less a vague concept.

Honestly, the lack of fleshing things out is one of my biggest gripes with this book, because the characters are also pretty opaque. We spend so little time with the cast before the first murder that you can kind of tell who’s next on the chopping block based on who we know the least about. Not to mention some of the characters were essentially two dimensional, which is a shame because the characterization we do see is witty and engaging and I would have loved to see everyone fleshed out that way.

As far as the premise goes, it did feel slightly irrelevant that the main characters are influencers. The plot point only serves to get them to the titular island, under the guise of reviewing the amusement park for their large audiences. It’s a cool concept and I would have liked to see more done with it, but ultimately it’s just used as a plot device and quickly becomes irrelevant.

There were several twists in this novel, that goddamned ending included, and they were done with varying degrees of success. I predicted the culprit early on, though the motivation was unclear. The reveal for their motivation was a nice twist, but ultimately opened the door for some plot holes and required a little suspension of disbelief for me. There was a secondary twist that I definitely didn’t see coming and did enjoy, but it ended up feeling wasted when it was rendered irrelevant almost immediately. And then that ending. I enjoyed the twist for about .05 seconds, until I turned the page and was abruptly greeted by the acknowledgements page. My heart sunk. I blinked rapidly, flipping back a page to see if I misread the line somehow. No dice.

I’m not going to hold back the spoiler here, because I was legitimately enraged by it and I want to warn people. The book ends with the main character Paisley being dragged underwater, and we have no clue if she lives or dies. I recognize that this lends some ambiguity for the reader to more or less “choose your own ending”, but I hated it. It’s one thing to leave us wondering what happens, or exactly how something turns out, and I’ve enjoyed open endings in the past. But this kind of abrupt, unresolved ending in the middle of a happy resolution just gets under my skin like nothing else. It happened to me recently in another book that I may or may not end up reviewing, and I just can’t stand it when authors pull what’s essentially a cheap gag twist out of thin air for shock value and “mystery”.

When I come into a book, I expect it to have a concise ending. Good or bad, I expect to end a book with the story resolved and my questions answered in some way – especially in a thriller or mystery. To essentially do that and then go “haha gotcha!” with the last line of your book feels like, to risk sounding dramatic and ridiculous, a breach of contract. A violation of the promise of storytelling, in a way. And for the record, I checked – this is not intended to have a sequel. After reading a few other reviews, this type of ending seems to apparently be one of Ms. Preston’s defining conceits, and while I respect that, it’s definitely not my vibe.

FINAL THOUGHTS

2/5 stars for me, purely because of the ending. It was a solid 3 until then, with just the aforementioned pacing and character issues I had, but I was just so turned off by the ending that it leaves me hesitant to read her other works.

RECOMMENDATIONS

If you don’t mind open interpretation in your book endings, I’d say go ahead and read The Island. It’s standard thriller fare with a modern angle, and not a bad book even if it’s not especially noteworthy. I’d compare it most closely to All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers, or books by Natalie D. Richards.

[the-book-wyrm-reviews]

The Haunting

By Natasha Preston Book Wyrm's Review is under the cut

Page Count: 354 Estimated Word Count: 80,800 Genres: Horror, Young Adult Year of Publication: 2023

Overview

Haunted by the past . . . terrified of the present. Penny knows she must forget about her ex, Nash. Ever since his father was revealed as the brutal serial killer who traumatized their small town last Halloween, Penny’s parents have forbidden her to have anything to do with Nash or his family. It’s hard not to think of him—but she’s trying. That stops when she goes shopping with friends for a costume. What she finds instead is ripped from a horror movie: someone from school bleeding out on the floor of a dressing room. Stabbed. People are quick to blame Nash and his sister, Grace, but as Halloween nears and the body count rises, Penny can’t help thinking this copycat killer is someone no one else suspects. . . .

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧

★★★★☆ = 4/5 Stars

This was an amazing read and I'm honestly glad that I was sucked into reading it! Reading this book wound up taking less than 48 hours total from the time I picked it up to finishing it! And while it was an amazing read, kept me on the edge of my seat and always wanting to turn the next page, I do have one complaint: its "unfinished", and I use that term loosely since obviously the book is being sold already. I am quite upset with the ending personally, the final showdown with the killer, the height of the climax, cops heard pulling up the main girl and her boyfriend about to die when the killer rushes and of all the ways it could have ended, it was with BANG!!!

I praise Ms. Preston with her skills in keeping a reader attached to characters and the storyline but having an ending like that? And not planning / actively not doing sequels to her stories? It feels like a rush only for you to find out someone tore the last few chapters out of the library book before returning it to the shelf. We will never know the true ending, we wont know how the killer finds their end, or if the hero's of the story make it out unscathed other than prior damage, do the cops catch the killer? We can only speculate.

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧

Would you like your own copy? Grab one at the link below! I am not Sponsored or Affiliated with Amazon

[jonathanpongratz]

Book Review: The Island

  Howdy Readers! It’s been really rainy in Kansas City lately, so how ironic is it that I found a stormy novel to accentuate that? It was dumb luck, really. Today I’m reviewing The Island by Natasha Preston. I had no idea that Natasha Preston was so famous for her YA thrillers going into this. But if you follow this blog, then you know that I love the macabre and all that comes with it. I also…