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3.13 AVERAGE
3.13 AVERAGE
From the first chapter I was hooked. A forbidden romance leaves a girl alone with her baby on the way. A hush hush adoption orchestrated by her father makes it impossible for the girl to do anything at all but leave her daughter behind.
Fast forward to present day when Blakely is coming back to her private school from summer break. Blakely knows she was adopted and was curious when she was younger but hasn't given it a second thought since. Enter Max the nephew of Princess Olivia's nanny. Max starts at Blakeley's school in order to get to know her and see if he can solve the mystery of the lost princess. What soon ensues between the two is much more than a journalistic story.
Fast forward to present day when Blakely is coming back to her private school from summer break. Blakely knows she was adopted and was curious when she was younger but hasn't given it a second thought since. Enter Max the nephew of Princess Olivia's nanny. Max starts at Blakeley's school in order to get to know her and see if he can solve the mystery of the lost princess. What soon ensues between the two is much more than a journalistic story.
The synopsis was intriguing, but the author was "telling not showing" the entire back story right out of the gate. It was very off-putting to read this in-depth, dramatic flashback about characters I know nothing about and don't care about at the very beginning of the book. After reading the first couple of chapters, I felt like there was nothing else to reveal. I can already predict the rest of the plot progression. The author gave away too much, too quickly.
It's also written very simply- as if for the 10-12 year old age group (or by a young adult). I have a hard time believing that the way this is written is going to be able to carry a story about college-aged characters. There is just no way. This is not a story for an adult reader. It's a story for very young readers who want to feeeeeeeel old.
I just can't.
This was a good idea, but I feel like it could have been executed differently in order to appeal to a wider audience. As it's currently written, I'd only recommend to the 10-12 year old age group.
Nothing about this pulls me in and makes me want to continue with this story. DNF
It's also written very simply- as if for the 10-12 year old age group (or by a young adult). I have a hard time believing that the way this is written is going to be able to carry a story about college-aged characters. There is just no way. This is not a story for an adult reader. It's a story for very young readers who want to feeeeeeeel old.
I just can't.
This was a good idea, but I feel like it could have been executed differently in order to appeal to a wider audience. As it's currently written, I'd only recommend to the 10-12 year old age group.
Nothing about this pulls me in and makes me want to continue with this story. DNF
This book was just not for me. I found the writing to be juvenile and immature, and really I just didn't care. I think the thing that bothered me the most that I couldn't shake off was the first chapter. I was expecting that this unwanted pregnancy (ending in adoption) was occurring in MUCH earlier times. It made sense to me then that there was royals, and people being ashamed that their daughter had a baby out of wedlock to someone under their status. NOT in present day time. So after that I just annoyed. I kept reading though, which is why I gave it 2 stars.
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
Hush started out boring for me but ended alright. I liked the plot of the book, but I didn't like the writing style. The story of the book is right for the age of the high school seniors presented in the book, but the tone felt like it was for MG. The characters acted like kids, not 18. The flow of the writing felt quite unnatural and tense too. Hush isn't particularly gripping or exciting or anything, it was more of a 'meh' book for me. What I liked though is how the continuum of the story wasn't interrupted despite covering the point of views of many different characters.
Based on this, I'm not sure whether I want to read the next book or not, but I guess I have to because I have an eARC. I just hope that the writing will be better in that one.
Hush started out boring for me but ended alright. I liked the plot of the book, but I didn't like the writing style. The story of the book is right for the age of the high school seniors presented in the book, but the tone felt like it was for MG. The characters acted like kids, not 18. The flow of the writing felt quite unnatural and tense too. Hush isn't particularly gripping or exciting or anything, it was more of a 'meh' book for me. What I liked though is how the continuum of the story wasn't interrupted despite covering the point of views of many different characters.
Based on this, I'm not sure whether I want to read the next book or not, but I guess I have to because I have an eARC. I just hope that the writing will be better in that one.
Hush was a quirky, interesting read that helped to pass the time while I waited for my power to return. The beautiful writing, intriguing plot, and truthful characters drew me into the story, causing me to forget about he impending danger of a tree falling on my house. The story was beautifully executed, but did appear to be missing a few minor components.
Blakey Henry grew up in a small town with her loving, adoptive family. She was adopted via a closed adoption service, and, after several unsuccessful attempts, Blakely has given up on finding her biological parents. Putting these thoughts aside, Blakely excitedly departs for her senior year of high school at Lakeview Academy, an elite Canadian boarding school. Before the start of the school year, Blakely vows to avoid dating altogether, hoping to eliminate an unnecessary distraction from her life. She never expects to break this promise until foreign exchange student, Max Ryder, arrives on campus. Unbeknown to Blakely, Max holds the keys to her past, a secret that would change her life forever.
I loved Blakely's bubbly, happy-go-lucky personality. She was able to make the best of every situation that she encountered, encouraging her friends to do the same. At the same time, Blakely was portrayed as an independent individual who stood very firmly by her convictions. She was extremely loyal, readily jumping to the defense of anyone around her. The ideal heroine, however, shouldn't be composed of solely admirable traits. Blakely's gullibility and indecisiveness made her appear realistic and believable.
In the first three or four chapters, we are introduced to Blakely's wide circle of friends at Lakeview Academy. When Blakely first arrives on campus, all of these characters are introduced in a rapid, flurry of names. No further details are provided about her friends, making it challenging to differentiate between them. Most of these characters play minor roles in the book, appearing intermittently throughout the book. As the story progresses, more and more is revealed about these characters. I would have preferred, however, to receive a bit of background information on each individual when we were initially introduced to them. This would have eliminated quite a bit of confusion as I struggled to connect a name with a character later on in the book.
I was immediately captivated by the plot and interesting premise. The plot follows the lives of three separate individuals, whose stories eventually become intertwined. I found these separate storylines confusing - quite a few characters were simultaneously introduced and minimal background information and explanations were provided. As the novel progresses, the plot takes a suspenseful turn, leaving readers with baited breath and sweating palms. There are quote a few twists and turns along the way with several near-death encounters.
Hush is one of my favorite YA mystery novels, which speaks volumes; especially in recent years, I've struggled to find good YA mysteries, but Hush surpassed my expectations. I'm glad I decided to pick up this thrilling and exciting read, and I am looking forward to beginning the second book in the series, Whisper.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Blakey Henry grew up in a small town with her loving, adoptive family. She was adopted via a closed adoption service, and, after several unsuccessful attempts, Blakely has given up on finding her biological parents. Putting these thoughts aside, Blakely excitedly departs for her senior year of high school at Lakeview Academy, an elite Canadian boarding school. Before the start of the school year, Blakely vows to avoid dating altogether, hoping to eliminate an unnecessary distraction from her life. She never expects to break this promise until foreign exchange student, Max Ryder, arrives on campus. Unbeknown to Blakely, Max holds the keys to her past, a secret that would change her life forever.
I loved Blakely's bubbly, happy-go-lucky personality. She was able to make the best of every situation that she encountered, encouraging her friends to do the same. At the same time, Blakely was portrayed as an independent individual who stood very firmly by her convictions. She was extremely loyal, readily jumping to the defense of anyone around her. The ideal heroine, however, shouldn't be composed of solely admirable traits. Blakely's gullibility and indecisiveness made her appear realistic and believable.
In the first three or four chapters, we are introduced to Blakely's wide circle of friends at Lakeview Academy. When Blakely first arrives on campus, all of these characters are introduced in a rapid, flurry of names. No further details are provided about her friends, making it challenging to differentiate between them. Most of these characters play minor roles in the book, appearing intermittently throughout the book. As the story progresses, more and more is revealed about these characters. I would have preferred, however, to receive a bit of background information on each individual when we were initially introduced to them. This would have eliminated quite a bit of confusion as I struggled to connect a name with a character later on in the book.
I was immediately captivated by the plot and interesting premise. The plot follows the lives of three separate individuals, whose stories eventually become intertwined. I found these separate storylines confusing - quite a few characters were simultaneously introduced and minimal background information and explanations were provided. As the novel progresses, the plot takes a suspenseful turn, leaving readers with baited breath and sweating palms. There are quote a few twists and turns along the way with several near-death encounters.
Hush is one of my favorite YA mystery novels, which speaks volumes; especially in recent years, I've struggled to find good YA mysteries, but Hush surpassed my expectations. I'm glad I decided to pick up this thrilling and exciting read, and I am looking forward to beginning the second book in the series, Whisper.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy!
I loved, loved, loved this! It brought me back to my childhood reading of lost princesses but in a more mature way. I always love a good boarding and would sign Lulu up for Lakeview as soon as she came of age.
The characters really helped make the story. They were all just so real and likeable. Who wouldn't want a friend like North?! I loved Blakely's relationship with her parents. It's so refreshing to read a YA with a good parental relationship that really felt real.
Speaking of real, I found the princess storyline to be quite realistic. Since I am (mostly) out of fairytales, I thought I'd possibly find it cheesy. It wasn't though. I could totally see this as a CW or ABC Family Tv series that becomes quite popular.
I loved the author's writing style and look forward to reading more by her. I love that shes writing a book for each of her daughters. I love her naming style too!
I loved, loved, loved this! It brought me back to my childhood reading of lost princesses but in a more mature way. I always love a good boarding and would sign Lulu up for Lakeview as soon as she came of age.
The characters really helped make the story. They were all just so real and likeable. Who wouldn't want a friend like North?! I loved Blakely's relationship with her parents. It's so refreshing to read a YA with a good parental relationship that really felt real.
Speaking of real, I found the princess storyline to be quite realistic. Since I am (mostly) out of fairytales, I thought I'd possibly find it cheesy. It wasn't though. I could totally see this as a CW or ABC Family Tv series that becomes quite popular.
I loved the author's writing style and look forward to reading more by her. I love that shes writing a book for each of her daughters. I love her naming style too!
I am conflicted. On one level, I didn't like the book at all. It felt like a rip-off of The Princess Diaries, except in this case I didn't connect with any of the characters. They felt flat and one dimensional to me. It didn't matter to me what happened to them because I felt like the whole thing was contrived and fake. The pacing was too fast -- things happened in hours that should take more time to develop. And everything was too happy, too perfect. This tone made the moments of crisis feel fake and there was never any fear that things wouldn't work out perfectly.
At the same time, I know many of my students would love the book. It has a nice romantic story line to it and some great Harry Potter references. Fans of the Princess Diaries might find it a nice enjoyable read. It is a quick, light read that would be very easy for most of my students. I didn't love it, but I think many of my students might.
At the same time, I know many of my students would love the book. It has a nice romantic story line to it and some great Harry Potter references. Fans of the Princess Diaries might find it a nice enjoyable read. It is a quick, light read that would be very easy for most of my students. I didn't love it, but I think many of my students might.
With this book Stacey Campbell became one of my favorite authors.
This book is awesome. it's so well written that it sucks you in and won't let you go until the last page. And even then you want more and reach for the second book and read through the night.
Well, maybe that doesn't happen to everyone, but it did to me.
I can't wait for more of this series. It's better than "Pretty Little Liars", it's as awesome as the "Private" series.
This book is awesome. it's so well written that it sucks you in and won't let you go until the last page. And even then you want more and reach for the second book and read through the night.
Well, maybe that doesn't happen to everyone, but it did to me.
I can't wait for more of this series. It's better than "Pretty Little Liars", it's as awesome as the "Private" series.
I received a copy of this YA book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
It is the story of young man named Max who finds a picture and an address in his aunt’s desk which peaks his interest. His research takes him to a boarding school in Canada where he meets Blakely, a young lady he believes to be a princess that was secretly given up for adoption at birth. The story that follows is exactly as you would expect it to be - no surprises. Although the main characters are 17 and 18 years old, the story is written more at the level of a 11 or 12 year old.
It is the story of young man named Max who finds a picture and an address in his aunt’s desk which peaks his interest. His research takes him to a boarding school in Canada where he meets Blakely, a young lady he believes to be a princess that was secretly given up for adoption at birth. The story that follows is exactly as you would expect it to be - no surprises. Although the main characters are 17 and 18 years old, the story is written more at the level of a 11 or 12 year old.
Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I needed an easy read with no major drama, no high expectations, none of the nonsense I had been reading. Hush happily filled all of those criteria. I found it to be light, easy to read and entertaining and I love that the author is writing one book for each of her daughters.
I needed an easy read with no major drama, no high expectations, none of the nonsense I had been reading. Hush happily filled all of those criteria. I found it to be light, easy to read and entertaining and I love that the author is writing one book for each of her daughters.