"When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

I'm having a lot of mixed feelings on this one. On the surface, it was very entertaining. I mean it's another Hunger Games book, of course it's going to be fast-paced and exciting with lots of drama and chaos to speed read through. But once you sit down and really think about it, this book has so many issues.

Throughout the story the #1 thing I couldn't stand was how every older character in The Hunger Games just so happened to be a part of this Quarter Quell? Really? Not only is not believable in this story, it almost cheapens the OG trilogy as well. So Haymitch just happens to already know Mags, Wiress, Beetee, Plutarch, etc. and just never mentions it during Katniss's time? And he also has an extensive history with her family and the Covey family, so this entire time we're not really getting any new characters? It just seemed so lazy and far-fetched.

I think whereas The Hunger Games can be very smart and jaw-dropping, this book just came off as a cheaper version. None of the twists really hit as hard, Snow's actions were utterly predictable, and I just think it came off as very rushed. Now if I'm not comparing it to the trilogy at all, it was very addicting to read. But I think because we know what Suzanne Collins is capable of, it's a little disappointing. I'd give this a sold 3.5 stars, but I'll round it up because I did enjoy it more than The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes!"

"Having been crowned as the lead Marionette brings more horror than honor to Emerblyn as she buries her sister, taken too soon by the rot of a curse that haunts all in their trope. Being bound to their Puppet Master and forced to perform to perfection she and her sisters travel to a new theatre where secrets of the past threaten to unravel the threads that bind them.

What a haunting tragic fairytale like story we have.

I devoured this book fast than I anticipated, immediately I was hooked by this doomed collection of girls compelled to follow every demand of Malcom until it kills them. The anger of not fully being in control of your body is not lost on me in todays current climate and those little wins of defiance be it action or a cool smile when no one is looking was very powerful and I too hope we are able to find that kind of true freedom.

I loved the relationships between the sisters and while I wish we had more scenes of them together I understand why we could not. The journey Emberlyn needed to take in order to recognize the strength she always possessed within her could not be done in a situation where she felt the weight of responsibility for her friends at all times. Her friendships held her spirit but her lingering connection to the a Shadow helped her find her heart and that was truly beautiful.

There is so much to enjoy and be horrified with within this story leaving you with a feeling like falling into a dream that you don’t realize is a nightmare until the hooks are already buried deep within and I enjoyed every single second.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review** "

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DIFFICULT GIRLS by Veronica Bane

Thank you Netgalley, RHC, Delacorte, and Veronica for the earc (July 8)

Greta is reeling from an incident in her past, so she takes a job at Hyper Kid Magic Land to reinvent herself. What she doesn't expect is to be dragged into the world of Mercy, promised a secret that Mercy's been keeping. When Mercy doesn't show, Greta knows something happened. Something is wrong. So...Greta investigates, unearthing more than she ever thought possible.
DIFFICULT GIRLS is a thrilling tale where past and present mysteries intwine into one large mystery that's full of twists that I didn't see coming. Especially that last one. Like, I called half of it, but the actual whodunit left me baffled and all out shocked. It didn't cross my mind, and honestly I don't know why.
Not only is DIFFICULT GIRLS action-packed and full of mystery, it's full of new friendships, new relationships. What I loved most about DIFFICULT GIRLS was Greta opening herself back up and learning not to revel in the past no matter how difficult. The characters were likeable, even ones who shouldn't have been (of course only in the beginning, once the book picked up pace, the likeability of those ones dwindled until...BOOM, we see their true colors.)
DIFFICULT GIRLS is a must read for mystery/thriller lovers. This book has everything that makes a thriller thrilling. There's past and present drama, a mystery begging to be solved, and of course a little bit of a slow burn romance. "