Kara's Book Cravings: Fright Night

 

This is the final Maren Stoffels book I have, and as far as I can tell, I've now read her entire catalog. I'm a little sad about that, but I'll be on the lookout for any new books she publishes. 

So, FRIGHT NIGHT is my absolutely favorite Maren Stoffels book. Another YA thriller, this one takes place in the woods during an event known as fright night. It's an event teens pay to attend that's part haunted trail and part Fear Factor. Each team has to walk through the woods at night, without the aid of any cell phones, and each member of the team has to face their greatest fears. 

Of course, as the story progresses, the fears get more intense, and then things really go horribly wrong. The bad guys show up and wreak havoc. 

This book does have some darker content that ties into everything at the end, but I can't say what because it really will spoil the twist ending. I will say that it dives a bit into child abuse, so fair warning about that. It's not graphic though, but it's very clear what's happening.  As uncomfortable as that topic is, it works very well within the context of this story and how it forms the basis for certain characters actions and motivations. 

Have you read this one yet? 

Do you know of any other books with a similar setting? 

Kara's Book Cravings: Room Service

 

Continuing with my binge read of Maren Stoffels backlist, after finishing her last book, I jumped right into ROOM SERVICE. 

This is another teen thriller, and yet another book that's contained within an enclosed setting. This time it's a hotel where the characters are celebrating a friend's birthday. 

The mystery in this book starts right from the first page with the main characters referencing something that happened a year ago, a friend getting injured or killed (it's not super clear, which I'm sure is the point, but the guilt they carry hints at something nefarious. 

There's one character in here that drove me crazy, and not in a good way. She was very annoying in a "why doesn't anyone like me" whiney sort of way. The overall mystery and thriller aspects, though, outweigh this one bad character. 

Like the rest of her books, this one ended with quite a twist! I really didn't see this one coming, which is always great, but I personally would've liked a tad more hints leading up to the big reveal. Overall, I enjoyed this book a bit more than the others, and it's a great addition to anyone who loves thrillers like I do. 

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?

Kara's Book Cravings: Escape Room

 

After my daughter gave me one of this author's books, I've been on a binge, reading everything she's published so far. Yes, I realize I'm reading "out of order" in terms of publishing dates, but all of these books are standalone stories that don't need to be read in order. They're also short and quick, which I like in between heavier books and series. 

Recently, I just finished ESCAPE ROOM by Maren Stoffels. This is another YA thriller, and is the author's second book involving an escape room, and while I really enjoyed it, I thought the other one I'd read (No Escape) was much better. That could be because the author has grown as a writer since then, or because I was able to easily see what the twist was in this book. Either way, I still loved the secluded setting, the fear of not being able to get out, the lies and secrets. And I really am a big fan of the author's writing style. I thought the ending of this one was a lot clearer, which made it a more satisfying read. I have two more of her books to read, and I'm excited for them. 

Have you read this book? What did you think? Do you have any good recommendations for books with secluded settings?

Kara's Book Cravings: Stranger Danger

I'd read and really enjoyed No Escape by Maren Stoffels, and the rest of her books sounded really good, too, so I bought them all. They've slowly been arriving on my doorstep via Thrift Books. (If you don't know what that is, Google it! My book loving brain loves it. My bank account doesn't. Haha)

I am a sucker for anything that has a secluded setting, so knowing this one was set at a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, I jumped right in! Stranger Danger by Maren Stoffels is a teen thriller that has a central theme about bullying, which is always a timely topic, and I thought the author handled it well. I'm also a really big fan of this author's writing style. Her books have that little something odd and extra that I find exciting. 

While I did like this book, I'm not quite sure how I feel about it now that I've finished and have had time to digest everything. 

Everyone in this book is a liar, which is fine. I mean, they're teens and learning their way in life. But the adults are liars, too. And they're creeps. (A married teachers is having an affair with his student, so head's up for that content. Also, fatphobia and eating disorders.)

In many places, the teens were actually way more mature than the adults. Beyond that, though, there's a twist in this book. Several, actually. I tend to like those, especially when I don't see them coming, but this time... The twists felt more like a deception, an intentional secret the author kept from the reader and then diverted the truth to seem like something else when it wasn't. Don't get me wrong, at the end, it all comes together beautifully, but the "bad guy" is a bit of a let down. Not the person doing it, but the reasons behind their actions. 

Overall, I'm conflicted on this one. I read it in a matter of a day, and it certainly held my attention, but now that I'm reflecting on it... I'm just not sure. I do have to give this book and the author props, though, because I know this will be one I continue to think about long after I've closed it. 

Have you read this book? 

What did you think? 

Or has any book ever made you feel so conflicted? 

Share in the comments!

Kara's Book Cravings: The Stranded

 

I got several gift cards for Mother's Day, and of course I chose to spend them at Barnes & Noble. I mean, duh, right?? So, my daughter and I made the drive to the closest one to us -- which is 45 minutes away -- and we spent a while wandering around. 

I typically go straight for the young adult section first, and while there, I stumbled upon THE STRANDED by Sarah Daniels. 

This is another YA thriller / dystopian / romance that takes place on a cruise ship. I've been in a mood lately for settings that are contained like this or for plots that revolve around the characters being somehow trapped. Something about it just really ramps up the stakes, and I like that. 

Anyway, a virus hit the world, and refugees from Europe came to the US on a cruise ship. Due to fear of infection, all the passengers have been stuck on this ship for decades! Some people have even been born on the ship. Due to age and weather, the ship is deteriorating badly, and life isn't all that great. 

Cue the rebellion and the plot to get people off the ship and onto land. There's a lot of political stuff going on, which is to be expected for this type of plot, but it's not overbearing to the point that it makes the story unenjoyable. I like all the characters, though they're not always nice to one another.

The amount of betrayal and deception and morally gray characters is both astounding and impressive. I really didn't think I could be any more surprised, but each chapter left me with my jaw on the ground. There is a character death that sucked big time, and I didn't see it coming. 

The ending is a tad predictable, but what I didn't expect was to get to the last page and find out this is just the first book. Now I have to wait a year or so until the second book drops. I'm not a very patient person when it comes to stuff like this. Haha. I will say, though, that the very last line in this book is chilling! 

Kara's Book Cravings: No Escape

 

My daughter found this book, and when she told me about, I asked to borrow it because it's a teen thriller, which is right up my alley. But what makes this even better is that it takes place in an escape room! I've been to a few of them myself (only ever gotten out once), and I've seen both of the movies. I'm lowkey fascinated by escape rooms and the possibility of getting stuck inside without anyone there to help you. I mean, the story options for this type of setting are limitless!

And so I took NO ESCAPE by Maren Stoffels with me to the gym one night and read while I walked on the treadmill. I read half the book without realizing it, (and spent over an hour on the treadmill) and then when I got home, I finished the book. So, yes, I read this in one day. 

The pacing is super fast, and there are quite a few twists and turns and reveals I hadn't expected. Despite being teens, each of the 4 main characters had very well-rounded and rich backstories that they were dealing with while trying to get out of the escape room. 

My only complaint is with the end. While the escape room aspect was resolved in if and how they get out, the reason behind everything was extremely confusing. A random character is introduced at the end who isn't given a name but has a narrative that's very mysterious. I don't know if there's another book planned or not, but the end left me scratching my head with confusion. 

I did, however, enjoy the author's style, and I'm now waiting for the rest of her backlist to arrive so I can read them, too. 

Kara's Book Cravings: Two Degrees

 

This is another book sale find. Or maybe I found it at a thrift store. I don't remember, but I do remember being intrigued by the cover. I'm also a big fan of anything that's doom and gloom and destruction, so of course I'd be interested in TWO DEGREES by Alan Gratz. 

This book really straddles the line between MG and YA because each section follows a different set of characters through a different natural disaster: a hurricane, a forest fire, and polar bears getting too close to humans due to global warming. 

To say this book is action packed would be an understatement. Every page was full of high stakes adrenaline, life and death scenarios, and very vivid imagery. I was on edge quite a bit while reading this book. There's a horse involved, but I can tell you that the horse is fine! No animal deaths, which is good for me, because if that had happened, I would've stopped reading. 

This book was clearly written with a purpose, and that was to educate kids about the climate crisis. While that topic is certainly important, this book hammered it home a little too hard, in my opinion. By the end, I felt like the author was force feeding me a lesson. As an adult, I don't like that. I can't imagine younger readers will, either. BUT! The facts about the climate crisis were included seamlessly and in a very engaging way. 

Kara's Book Cravings: Quarantine Series

I found the third book of this series at a local book sale. (Let's be honest, that's where I find so many of my books. Ha!) As soon as I saw the cover and read the blurb, I knew I needed the rest of the series. So, I went to Amazon and bought the rest. I mean, an end of the world event, an enclosed setting, teens fending for themselves? You betcha I was reading this!

THE QUARANTINE SERIES by Lex Thomas is actually 4 books: The Loners, The Saints, The Burnouts, and The Giant. I've only read the first three. Why? Because the fourth book is more of a spin-off that follows one of the side characters. I wasn't that invested in this character to want to read an entire book about him. I'm sure it's as good as the rest, but by the time I finished the third book, I was ready to move on to something else. 

This is a YA series that starts on the first day of school. Upon arriving, there's an explosion, and all the students are now trapped inside. At first, they expect a quick rescue, but that doesn't happen. Turns out, there's a virus on the loose that is carried by teens but kills adults. (Cool, right?) And so the world has decided to quarantine all kids and teenagers who aren't of age until they can figure this out.

There's a major Lord of the Flies feel to this series as the kids fight to survive and to become leaders. They quickly form gangs and an entire community that's full of fights and parties and, of course, a romance. There's a love triangle in this series, too -- sort of. This one is more a necessity of circumstances, but it's handled very well. There are some pretty graphic scenes of violence, but I never felt any of it was gratuitous. A character death near the end really pissed me off, thought that's my largest complaint about the series. 

Overall, if you like YA end of the world, dystopian, romance then you have to check out this series!

Kara's Book Cravings: The Ever Trilogy

 

Y'all know I'm a huge lover of anything teen paranormal, so when I saw THE EVER TRILOGY by Jessa Russo pop up in a recent promotion, I had to snag it. The series contains three books: Ever, Evade, and Entwined.

This is a YA paranormal romance unlike anything I've read before. It's not vampires, shifters, witches, dragons or anything like that. This has ghosts and Soul Collectors! Now, I'm sure this has been done before, but this was my first time reading about these types of beings, (soul collectors) and I was very intrigued. 

Each book is more like a novella, but despite the shorter length, each story is complete. Though, the first two do end in some wicked cliffhangers, so if you're going to take a chance on this, buy the boxed set so you can just read through all three at once. 

I enjoyed most of the characters -- there was one who I didn't like, but I know that was intentional on the author's part -- but overall, each of them were well rounded and likable. There was also a love triangle in this series, and I thought it was done very well, and like just about everything else in this series, there was a cool twist. So many twists and turns I never saw coming, and that really just makes this entire series that much better. 

Kara's Book Cravings: Landry Park

I found LANDRY PARK by Bethany Hagen at a local book sale. The cover intrigued me, and so did the blurb. Figured it couldn't hurt to check it out. I mean, second-hand sales like this are how I often find new-to-me authors and books. I can't count how many times I've found one book in a series, loved it, and then went on to buy the others. 

This is a YA dystopian romance story about a young girl who is essentially royalty. And then she slowly -- and very reluctantly -- begins to learn the truth of her lifestyle, how she has what she does because others suffer and die for it. Like so many other YA books in this genre, war and rebellion are brewing. Our heroine gets sucked into it and now must choose between her family and lifestyle or doing the right thing for those less fortunate. 

The writing style is easy and engaging. There are lots of secrets and deception, along with some twists I hadn't expected. Oh, and the hint of a love triangle, which is so my thing! 

While the end is decent and isn't a cliffhanger, it does hint at a second book. Sure enough, when I looked this up on Amazon, there is a second book available. I haven't yet decided if I'm invested enough to buy it. I mean, sure, I'm curious about what happens next, but I'm not so entrenched that I need to know right now. Maybe someday I'll come back around to this series, but for now, I'm moving on to other things. 

Kara's Book Cravings: Atomic Habits

I'm generally not a self-help book type of person. Writing and craft books? Yup! True crime? Sign me up! But self-improvement books? Not so much... But my daughter read ATOMIC HABITS by James Clear, and she really liked it. She borderline harassed me until I agreed to read it, too, and because I want to encourage her to read more, I agreed. 

I have to give my daughter props -- this book was really good! It was very clear and straightforward and had some really actionable steps you can take to create better habits while breaking bad ones. 

I really enjoyed the examples the author provided, too. As someone who often struggles to balance work, life, and my health, the tips given in this book have been invaluable. He talks quite a bit about implementing these tips for creating good exercise and eating habits. As an author himself, he discusses the habits around writing goals, too, which I found refreshing. 

Everything he discusses in this book is really very doable. They are small steps that build into something life changing. And it's not just the "do this" attitude, either. He speaks so much about your mindset and how that can impact your daily habits, for bad or good. 

As soon as I finished the book, I signed up for his newsletter and his free email course that gives a lot more information and even worksheets to help implement the strategies he talks about. 

If you're looking for a book to help you shift your mindset about life and attaining your goals, and you want something that will actually work, I highly suggest this book. It changed my life!

Kara's Book Cravings: Kingdom of the Wicked

 

I've been on a romantasy kick lately, and so I've been buying a lot of these types of books. Naturally, when I saw KINGDOM OF THE WICKED by Kerri Maniscalco I was immediately drawn to the cover. And then the blurb sold me, so I went and bought the entire trilogy. 

I eagerly dove right into the first book, Kingdom of the Wicked, and... well, it took me a while to get through it. I really wanted to love this book more than I can say, but the pacing was rather slow, in my opinion. Felt like it took a long time for anything major to happen, and then once it did, we were at the end! 

But this book does have a little bit of everything: witches, death, lots of secrets, princes of Hell, dark magic... it really has everything I love in a romantasy. I'm not sure why I struggled so much. Maybe I wasn't in the right mindset or mood when I started this, or maybe I simply don't vibe with the author's style. 

I do own the other two books in the series, and I'm sure I'll eventually read those because I'm a completionist, and because everyone who's read this series promises it does get better. I was told the same thing when I struggled to get through the first ACOTAR book, and everyone was right, so I trust that they'll be right about this series, too. I'm taking a break from this for now, but I'll try book 2 soon. 

Kara's Book Cravings: The Four Horsemen Series

 

THE FOUR HORSEMAN SERIES by Laura Thalassa is a very adult book series that features each of the four horseman -- Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death -- as they come to destroy the world. In each book, a sole woman falls victim to the horseman when she tries to stop him. Throughout the journey, the horseman finds humanity and love. 

This type of series isn't my go-to genre by any means, but I kept seeing these books on the shelves at Target every time I was there (which is a lot!), and I kept going back and forth. I love the covers, and I'm a sucker for anything that's end of the world or dystopian. I figured, what the hell? 

And I am sooooo glad I bought these books. Yes, they are dark in certain parts. I mean, it's the end of the world. I didn't expect anything less. What I wasn't expecting, though, was the humor and the heat! Both were an extremely pleasant surprise. My favorite of the series is hands-down PESTILENCE with DEATH being a close second. The others are great, too, but the first and last really stood out to me. 

I really enjoy the author's writing style, too, and so I've since bought two more of her series, and I'll be diving into those soon. So, if you're a fan of heat and humor and stories that are a little out there, then you're going to want to pick up this series. I recommend it to everyone now! 

Kara's Book Cravings: Lying in the Deep

 

Back in February, I took a cruise, and I had grand plans of reading while laying in the sun. Well, I did lay in the sun, but sadly, I didn't get much reading done. But that's okay. The trip was a blast! 

Anyway, I'd bought LYING IN THE DEEP by Diana Urban to take with me on my vacation. Why? Because it's a teen thriller / murder mystery set on a cruise ship, and I thought it would be cool to read that while on an actual cruise ship.

I'm sorry it took me so long to finally read this! It was so good. Definitely had lots of teen drama and complicated relationships. The lies and deceit were incredibly well written. The pacing is really fast, but the book itself and the characters are so deep and well-rounded. 

The mystery of the whodunit was complex and difficult to figure out as you were reading, but once you read the end you have that moment where you're like, "Oh yeah, it all makes sense now!" I love books that do this. 

I loved all the twists and turns, too. The reveal at the end made my jaw drop. Part of me was happy with it, but another part of me was a little bummed. I'd wanted something a little darker, I guess. I'm not sure. Either way, the book was fantastic, and I'll definitely be reading more by this author. 

Kara's Book Cravings: Killer Content

I am not a TikTok girl. I don't like making videos, and I don't understand the whole influencer thing -- yeah, yeah. I know. I'm showing my age. And that's what this book is mostly about: teen influencers living under one roof, competing for sponsors, views, followers, etc. So, I wasn't sure I was going to like this book when I bought it, but it was only $5.00, and I figured I'd give it a shot.  

I'm glad I did. 

KILLER CONTENT by Kiley Roache is a YA thriller / murder mystery. As I said above, a group of TikTok influencers live together in a house and are doing sponsored ads and collaborations, etc. While I don't fully understand that life, I found myself oddly invested in it. 

But then one of the housemates ends up dead, and everyone inside the house becomes a suspect. Each person had clear motive to kill, and so it really was a crazy ride trying to figure out who did it. 

And then the twist is revealed, and my jaw dropped! Now, I've seen this twist used before (I don't want to spoil anything, hence the vagueness), but never done as well as this was. What also shocked me was that the reveal of "whodunit" was done near the middle of the book, rather than closer to the end. I thought that would effect the overall pacing and my enjoyment of the book, but it really didn't. If anything, it kept me engaged even more because I needed to know what was going to happen next. I really do love books that make me feel that way :-)

It's safe to say that I really liked this book. I don't know if this author has written anything else, but I plan to find out!

What was the last book you read that really surprised you?

Kara's Book Cravings: Little Monsters

Again, I found this book at 5 Below and was super intrigued. Of course, I've seen this author's books at almost every bookstore I've gone to, so I knew her name, but I've never read any of her stuff. Until now...

LITTLE MONSTERS by Kara Thomas is a wild ride! This is another YA thriller / mystery that really hit all the right notes for me. 

Told from various points of view, this book kept me guessing right to the very end. Dealing with blended families, step-families, friends, and the pressures of those relationships, this was  both emotional and shocking. Sadly, though, the "friendships" in this book are all too realistic. When you think someone is your friend but they're really not... When nasty rumors start floating around that you can't disprove...  When you think you know someone but really don't...

The twist at the end of this book was fantastic! I didn't see it coming, which is always good, but when I look back on everything, it all makes sense. 

I really liked the author's writing style, too, so I'll be reading more of her books. I have THE CHEERLEADERS on my shelf, and I'll be diving into that one soon, but I'll definitely be investing in her other books, too. 

Have you read any Kara Thomas books? 

What's your favorite?

Kara's Book Cravings: The Game

 

This was yet another 5 Below find, and I read this is a matter of a day or two. Books like this are great to read in between longer series, and thankfully, I have a lot of books like this one.

THE GAME by Linsey Miller is a teen thriller. This book was very reminiscent of PANIC by Lauren Oliver, which I absolutely loved. The show on Amazon Prime was pretty great, too. Naturally, I was eager to dive into THE GAME. 

Every year, seniors play a game in which they have to "assassinate" their fellow classmates with a water gun. It's supposed to be very hush-hush, and there are some very strict rules that, if broken, will result in being disqualified. 

Our heroine has been waiting and planning for her turn to play this game for years, and she is prepared! But then someone starts actually killing the players, and she's being framed. 

The author did a great job making me guess who the killer really was, and the motives behind the killings was well thought out, too. And sadly, it's something that I'm sure a lot of teens feel. 

Overall, this was a good read and a nice break from the romantasy I've been reading. 

Kara's Book Cravings: Prom House

My girls love to shop at 5 Below, and so I'm often dragged along for the ride (and the money). LOL. It's always fun to look around, and naturally, I always stop at the their book table. Imagine my surprise when I found a selection of YA thrillers! I just had to grab them--I think I got 3 in total--and this was the first one...

PROM HOUSE by Chelsea Mueller is a classic teen slasher.  A group of friends rent a beach house for a weekend after-prom party. One by one, the friends end up dead. And to make matters worse, a hurricane hits, and so everyone is trapped inside the house. They soon realize that one of them is a killer, and they begin to turn on each other. 

This book reminded quite a bit of SCREAM, the movie, which is one of my all time favorites. The plot, while simple, kept me on the edge of my seat. I didn't figure out who the killer was until almost the very end. 

Overall, this was a quick read, and I could easily picture this as a movie in my head. The only thing I didn't like was the last couple of pages felt like the author was giving me a lesson and it felt a little "preachy." But it didn't affect my enjoyment of the book as a whole. I highly recommend this for anyone who likes slasher flicks / books. 

Kara's Book Cravings: Playing With Fire

 

This was another thrift store find that I snagged at the same time I'd bought The Girl in the White Van by the same author.  I think I'm quickly becoming a fan of this author's work...

PLAYING WITH FIRE by April Henry is another young adult thriller and just as faced paced as the author's other book I read. This one really checked all my boxes -- "stranded" setting in that they are trapped on a hiking trail while trying to outrun a wildfire, survival elements, a romance, and a random group of people thrown together and forced to work as a team if they want to live. 

There's quite a bit of danger and mystery in this book, which I loved. I do have to caution you, though, that the backstory of our main character is intense. She survived a house fire as a child, but her baby brother did not. The circumstances surrounding that are much darker than the blurb leads you to believe. So, if child death is a dealbreaker for you, then you might want to skip this one because the author does not shy away from this trauma. I will say that it's handled well, but as a mom, this was hard to read about. Thankfully, the flashback chapters are minimal. 

Overall, this was another quick read that's a good addition to my YA thriller collection. 

Kara's Book Cravings: The Girl in the White Van

 

In one of my many trips to a my local Goodwill and used bookstore, I stumbled on THE GIRL IN THE WHITE VAN by April Henry. This is a young adult thriller, which we all know is one of my favorite genres!

The cover is okay, but the blurb is what really grabbed my attention. Basically, this is a story about a teenage girl who is kidnapped while walking home from Tae Kwon Do class. She's kept prisoner in a ratty old RV, along with another teen girl who'd disappeared almost a year prior. 

This was on the shorter side, less than 150 pages, and I was able to read it in one evening. The pacing was tight, and the tension was incredible!

The concept of this book is every woman's nightmare, and definitely every mom's fear. My heart was racing at points, and I had a surge of adrenaline at the end, which is always a sign of a good thriller. 

What I really liked about this book, though, was that the author didn't fall back on the girls being raped or sexually assaulted in anyway. They were simply being held captive by a deranged man with some very messed up ideas about gender roles. I also really enjoyed seeing the two girls take control, fight back, and save themselves. Yes, they have help eventually, but for the most part, they don't just sit around and wait. 

I also snagged another book by this author, and I'm excited to dive into that one next.