A Dream Within A Dream: Lies That Bind Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Lies That Bind (Anastasia Phoenix #2)
Author: Diana Rodriguez Wallach
Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller
Release Date: March 6, 2018
Publisher: Entangled Teen

Description:

What do you do when you learn your entire childhood was a lie? 

Reeling from the truths uncovered while searching for her sister in Italy, Anastasia Phoenix is ready to call it quits with spies. The only way to stop being a pawn in their game is to remove herself from the board. But before she can leave her parents’ crimes behind her, tragedy strikes. No one is safe, not while Department D still exists.

Now, with help from her friends, Anastasia embarks on a dangerous plan to bring down an entire criminal empire. From a fire-filled festival in England to a lavish wedding in Rio de Janeiro, Anastasia is determined to confront the enemies who want to destroy her family. But even Marcus, the handsome bad boy who’s been there for her at every step, is connected to the deadly spy network. And the more she learns about Department D, the more she realizes the true danger might be coming from someone closer than she expects…

Lies That Bind is the exciting second installment in a young adult mystery/thriller series that fans of the genre are sure to love. The story continues to follow our main character, Anastasia, a teen who thought she knew the people she loved and trusted turned out to be nothing but lies - and dangerous ones. In this book, Anastasia realizes that she can never really move on with her life until Department D is destroyed for good - and it's up to her to do it. I thought the plot was fascinating and loved following Anastasia on her quest for the truth. It takes her across the globe and deep into the past - all of which I loved. The author wrote a tight mystery with lots of thrills and twists that keep the reader guessing at what the truth and what's going to happen for the majority of the book. That's a huge plus for me, as most mysteries can't keep me as engaged anymore. There were times, however, that seemed to drag on a little bit - but that wasn't a big detriment for me as a reader.

I liked getting to know Anastasia even better and watching her grow as a person throughout the story. She's down to earth, smart, resourceful, determined, and fiercely loyal to the people she loves. She endures a lot throughout the novel, and she goes through many different emotional stages as well. Her character is definitely complex and unique, which is a nice change from most stereotypical teen characters. Another huge plus for me was the author's choice of writing style. The book is told from the first person point of view - from Anastasia's perspective. I'm a huge fan of this style and I'm so happy that the author chose to tell the story this way. It wouldn't have had such a good impact on me as a reader if it had been done in a different manner. Since Anastasia tells the story, we get to know her on a deeply personal level - which allows us to connect and identify with her early on and throughout the book. I'm definitely eager to see where the author will take Anastasia next. I definitely recommend this book to fans of mysteries, thrillers, suspense, contemporary, action and adventure, and even romance.

Diana Rodriguez Wallach is the author of the Anastasia Phoenix Series, three young adult spy thrillers (Entangled Publishing, 2017, ’18, ‘19). The first book in the trilogy, Proof of Lies, was named by Paste Magazine as one of the “Top 10 Best Young Adult Books for March 2017.” Bustle also listed her as one of the “Top Nine Latinx Authors to Read for Women’s History Month 2017.” Additionally, she is the author of three award-winning young adult novels: Amor and Summer Secrets, Amigas and School Scandals, and Adios to All The Drama (Kensington Books); as well as a YA short-story collection entitled Mirror, Mirror (Buzz Books, 2013).

She is an advisory board member for the Philly Spells Writing Center, a school-based Workshop Instructor for Mighty Writers in Philadelphia, and has been a Writing Instructor for Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth since 2015. She holds a B.S. in Journalism from Boston University, and currently lives in Philadelphia.

Author Links:

Author Website: www.dianarodriguezwallach.com

Author Blog: http://dianarwallach.tumblr.com

Author Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dianarwallach

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dianarwallach/

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianawallachauthor/

Buy Links: https://entangledpublishing.com/lies-that-bind.html