Chantress Blog Tour: Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

Chantress (Chantress #1)
Author: Amy Butler Greenfield
Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal/Historical
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderberry Books

Buy Links: Amazon

Description:

Lucy’s Chantress magic will make her the most powerful — and most hunted — girl in England.

“Sing, and the darkness will find you.” This warning has haunted fifteen-year-old Lucy ever since she was eight and shipwrecked on a lonely island. Lucy’s guardian, Norrie, has lots of rules, but the most important is that Lucy must never sing. Not ever. Now it is 1667, Lucy is fifteen, and on All Hallows’ Eve, Lucy hears a tantalizing melody on the wind. She can’t help but sing — and she is swept into darkness.

When she awakes in England, Lucy hears powerful men discussing Chantresses — women who can sing magic into the world. They are hunting her, but she escapes and finds sanctuary with the Invisible College, an organization plotting to overthrow the nefarious Lord Protector. The only person powerful enough to bring about his downfall is a Chantress. And Lucy is the last one in England.

Lucy struggles to master the song-spells and harness her power, but the Lord Protector is moving quickly. And her feelings for Nat, an Invisible College apprentice and scientist who deeply distrusts her magic, only add to her confusion…

Time is running out, and the fate of England hangs in the balance in this entrancing novel that is atmospheric and lyrical, dangerous and romantic.  

Watch the Book Trailer:

From Chapter One: The Singing

I was digging in the garden when I heard it: a strange, wild singing on the wind.

I sat back on my heels, a carrot dropping from my mud-splattered hands.

No one sang here. Not on this island.

Perhaps I'd misheard-

No, there it was again: a lilting line, distant but clear. It lasted hardly longer than a heartbeat, but it left me certain of one thing: It was more than a gull's cry I'd heard. It was a song.

But who was singing it?

I glanced over my shoulder at Norrie, hunched over a cabbage bed, a gray frizzle poking out from under her linen cap. As far as I knew, she was the only other inhabitant of this lonely Atlantic island, but it couldn't have been Norrie I had heard. For if there was one rule that my guardian set above all others, it was this one: There must be no singing. Ever.

Sing and the darkness will find you.

We were still dripping from the shipwreck when Norrie first told me this. She had repeated it often since then, but there was no need. The terror in her eyes that first time had silenced me immediately - that and my own grief, so deep I was drowning in it. The sea had taken my mother and had almost taken me. That was enough darkness to last me a lifetime; I had no desire to court more.

Not that I could recall very much about the shipwreck itself. Even the ship that had carried us off from England seven years ago had left no impression on me. Was it stout or shaky, that vessel? Had it foundered on rocks? Had storms broken its masts? I did not know. We had boarded that ship in 1660, when I had been eight years of age. Surely eight was old enough to remember? Yet my only recollections of that night came in broken fragments, slivers that were more sensation than sense. The sopping scratchiness of wet wool against my cheeks. The bitter sea wind snarling my hair into salty whips. The chill of the dark water as I slipped through it.

"Hush, child," Norrie would say whenever I dared mention any of this. "It was a long time ago, and a terrible night, and you were very young. The least said about it, the better."

"But my mother-"

"She's lost to us, lamb, lost to the wind and the waves." Norrie's face would always pucker in sadness as she said this, before her voice grew brisk. "It's just the two of us now, and we must make the best of it."

When Norrie took that tone, there was no refusing her. So make the best of it we did, and if life on our island was not easy, it was far from desolate.

But we never sang. We never even whistled or hummed. We had no music of any kind. Any if anyone had asked me, I would have said I did not miss it at all...

Until now.

Chantress is a captivating and beautifully written young adult historical fantasy novel that follows our teenage heroine, Lucy Marlowe, as her life is turned upside down when she accidentally uses her magic to transport herself and her guardian, Norrie, back to London one day. Lucy learns the truth of her heritage: she is a Chantress, like her mother before her. She has the magical ability to sing things into being. In London, Lucy is taken in by Dr. Penebrygg and his apprentice, Nat, who fill her in on her heritage and what has been happening for the years while she was on the island with Norrie. England has become terrorized by the King's Protector, a terrible man named Scargrave who is using Chantress magic to torture and kill any people he deems a threat. The only way to stop Scargrave and save England is with Lucy's ability - she must sing a song that will break the magic holding Scargrave's power. Along with her growing powers, her unsure feelings towards Nat, and the entire country's well-being riding on her shoulders, Lucy must look deep inside herself to find the voice she's been taught to hide for so long.

This was a truly enchanting novel that swept me off my feet from the beginning and didn't slow down until the final page. I found myself eagerly reading each word and wondering what would happen next. The characters were all well written and unique - they each had strength and weaknesses, along with quirks and flaws that made them very realistic and easy to identify with. I loved Lucy as the main character. She's completely uprooted from her home, transported to a place where people like her have been obliterated and the rest are hunted down, she doesn't know a soul, and she finds out she has magical abilities. Taking all of this into account, along with the new knowledge behind her mother's fate and the fact that she is the only hope these people have, Lucy is very mature for her age and acts with a grace and intellect that most would envy. She's still human though, and she has to deal with failures, crushes, uncertainty, and self doubt. It makes her a very likable main character and one that I definitely rooted for throughout the novel. The plot of the book was incredibly fascinating and original. I have never read anything quite like it and I relished reading as much as I could about the Chantresses. I'm hoping that the next book will delve a bit more into their history and abilities because I found it so interesting to read about. The historical aspect of the book was very well researched and I enjoyed that part of it as well. The imagery of the book was so vivid and descriptive that I could easily close my eyes and feel as though I was right beside Lucy and the others. The writing itself was incredibly well done with a fast pace that kept me eagerly turning the pages and it also wove the various story lines together with ease. The wonderful thing about this book was it's ability to break down genre walls and effortlessly blend various types of fiction. It has a bit of everything: mystery, adventure, fantasy, history, magic, romance, action, and more. It easily appeals to fans of several different genre types and is the type of book that everyone will enjoy reading. This is easily one of the most riveting and enchanting novels I've read this year and I'm already eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series. Fans of YA fiction will not want to miss out on this one!

Amy Butler Greenfield was a grad student in history when she gave into temptation and became a writer. Since then, she has become an award-winning author. 
Born in Philadelphia, Amy grew up in the Adirondack Mountains and later studied history at Williams College, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Oxford. She now lives with her family in England, where she writes, bakes double-dark-chocolate cake, and plots mischief.

Official Links: www.amybutlergreenfield.com | twitter.com/ab_greenfield

 

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Nantucket Blue Blog Tour: Excerpt & Giveaway

Nantucket Blue
Author: Leila Howland
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Buy Links: Amazon
 
Description:

For Cricket Thompson, a summer like this one will change everything. A summer spent on Nantucket with her best friend, Jules Clayton, and the indomitable Clayton family. A summer when she’ll make the almost unattainable Jay Logan hers. A summer to surpass all dreams.

Some of this turns out to be true. Some of it doesn’t.

When Jules and her family suffer a devastating tragedy that forces the girls apart, Jules becomes a stranger whom Cricket wonders whether she ever really knew. And instead of lying on the beach working on her caramel-colored tan, Cricket is making beds and cleaning bathrooms to support herself in paradise for the summer.

But it’s the things Cricket hadn’t counted on--most of all, falling hard for someone who should be completely off-limits--that turn her dreams into an exhilarating, bittersweet reality.

A beautiful future is within her grasp, and Cricket must find the grace to embrace it. If she does, her life could be the perfect shade of Nantucket blue.  

"Come on." Zack took the bag with the champagne and jumped out of the boat and pulled it almost all the way to shore.
"Is this public?" I asked as I took off my flats and hopped out. The water was ankle-deep and surprisingly warm.
"No," he said, dragging the little boat up onto the beach.
"But I've always thought this little beach would be the best spot to see the fireworks."
"So, this is someone's private land?"
"Yeah, but she won't bother us. She's just some super old lady who barely comes out of her house. She's a famous miser and she has the best view on the island. She should want to share it."
"So, are we like, trespassing?"
"Yes, but whose land really is it?"
"Ah, hers?"
Zack spread out a blanket, secured it with four rocks.
"Wrong. It belongs to the children of tomorrow. And they don't mind that we're here. Now, let's open that bub!"
"Who's down there?" said an old voice.
"Oh, shit," Zack said, our eyes locking.
"Who's on my property?" said the voice.
"Uh, just a couple of friendly youths," Zack said, shoving the blanket in the bag. I took off my shoes again and stuck them in there.
"We're really sorry," I said. We ran to the shore and pushed the boat in the water. Above us the sky was in gold and silver hysterics. The old lady searched for us with a high-powered flashlight.
"You're trespassing and it's against the law!" She made it halfway down the stairs, shining the light right on us. For a super old lady, she sure was quick. The boat scraped the sand until it was deep enough to float. The bottom of my shorts were now soaked. Zack hoisted me by the waist and I hopped in. He followed, the boat wobbling. I scrambled to the seat in the stern, pulling my wet shorts away from my body. Zack bit his lip as he fumbled with the oarlocks.
He lifted an oar while I guided it into place. Zack rowed us quickly away, out to sea, both of us cracking up.
"Youths?" I asked.
"It's what we are," he said, and then shouted, "Happy Fourth of July!" The old lady said something in response, but we couldn't understand. Above us the fireworks were in a riot. Little rockets of light shot upward and popped open, full of sequins.
"Look," I said as the explosions quick-fired, getting bigger and more dramatic. "The grand finale."
"The Fourth of July, aboard La Principessa!" Zack added in an Italian accent.
"Oh! Champagne!" I said and clapped my hands.
"Yeah, get it."
I unwrapped the gold paper and tried to pull off the wire cage over the top of the bottle, but couldn't  figure it out.
"Here," Zack handed me the oars. His knees were outside mine. Our legs touched, his knees squeezing mine. He untwisted the wire and popped the bottle. The cork flew into the water and champagne spilled over the top of his fingers and all over my lap.
"Sorry," he said and tried to wipe it off with the bottom of his T-shirt. We were both laughing. The bubbles were cool and tingly on my thighs.
"I'm totally soaked!" I said. I looked up; he was so close.
Our cheeks touched.
"You are just..." he said into my ear. My eyes closed, eyelashes like matches striking my cheeks, setting them on fire. He kissed me, long and sweet, on the mouth.
"Just what?" I asked when we came up for air, stunned, heart stomping like a parade, wrists aching from holding the oars.
He seemed unable to finish his sentence with words.
He pulled the wet oars inside the boat, wrapped his arms around me, and kissed me again. He gripped my waist. His fingers slipped down the back of my shorts.
"She'll kill me," I said, pulling away. "Literally."
"She'll kill me twice," he said, and pulled me closer.
"That's impossible," I said.
"Not if I turned into a zombie."
"Zack." I removed his hands and placed them on his own knees. I put my hands behind my back and took three deep breaths. "It can't happen again."
"Okay," he said. A warm wind twisted my hair. The boat drifted and his hands did, too, back to my legs, up my arms and neck. We kissed. We drifted and kissed and drifted and kissed as the sky flashed and clapped and bloomed and broke.

LEILA HOWLAND loves to read, explore L.A., and engage in funny and meaningful conversations with her friends and family, especially her brother who calls from Washington D.C. whenever he’s waiting for the bus. A lot gets discussed in those phone calls, but they tend to end abruptly when the bus shows up. She can really cut the rug, but wishes she could sing without people covering their ears. A graduate of Georgetown University, Leila spent five years acting in New York where she was a company member of the award-winning Flea Theater in Tribeca. It was a lot of fun and she often talks about “getting back into it.” The closest she has come was a stint as an extra on The Young and the Restless in 2010. Leila now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two dogs. She teaches high school English and blogs for HelloGiggles. NANTUCKET BLUE is her first novel.

Official Links: leilahowland.tumblr.com | twitter.com/leilahowland

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The Last Academy Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway

The Last Academy
Author: Anne Applegate
Genre: YA Paranormal Mystery
Release Date: May 1, 2013
Publisher: Point/Scholastic

Buy Links: Amazon

Description:

What is this prep school preparing them for?

Camden Fisher arrives at boarding school haunted by a falling-out with her best friend back home. But the manicured grounds of Lethe Academy are like nothing Cam has ever known. There are gorgeous, preppy boys wielding tennis rackets, and circles of girls with secrets to spare. Only . . . something is not quite right. One of Cam's new friends mysteriously disappears, but the teachers don't seem too concerned. Cam wakes up to strangers in her room, who then melt into the night. She is suddenly plagued by odd memories, and senses there might be something dark and terrible brewing. But what? The answer will leave Cam—and readers—stunned and breathless, in this thrilling debut novel. 
 

Stupid thing was practically indestructible. I beat it with no mercy. A couple of times by hand racked the metal cradle. I couldn't stop, though. Blood welled up under my skin and left hot  blue bruises across the back of my hand. I beat that phone until a tiny part of inside me stood back and said: Whoa, you're scaring me. Then I threw the handset. It swung and dangled in midair like it hand hung itself. Like whatever part held my father inside it was hanging there dead. It was true, then. My family didn't want me anymore. The idea kicked me in the stomach so hard I thought I might throw up. Instead, I fell against the wall of the squash court and crumpled to the cold cement.

I didn't hear the bleat of the disconnected phone until the sound stopped. Mark Elliott stood there, in his jogging clothes, his hand on the hung-up handset.

"You planning to beat the phone to death, or just show it who's boss?" he asked. It sounded like a serious question. I could hardly look at him. Everything inside me felt wrong.

"No offense, but go away, OK?" I said. The idea of anybody seeing me, after what had happened, was kind of unbearable. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for him to leave. When I opened them, he held out his hand. I wanted to scream: My own family doesn't want me, and I don't know why. I put my hand in his. I couldn't help it.

We were too close when I stood up. He didn't say anything. He didn't step back, either. I could feel how warm his body was, even though he wasn't touching me. Maybe the jogging made him warmer than normal. Plus I was pretty cold. His breath tickled my collarbone.

I died a little, wondering what he'd heard. Could he guess the rest? Probably. Probably someone who was deaf with a vision problem could have figured out most of the end of that particular phone call, anyway. My chin started in on me, getting all trembly. The more I tried to make it stop, the more these sobs hitched in my chest, until I couldn't even breathe without them spilling out all over the place. It was worse than if he had seen me in granny panties, picking my nose under fluorescent lighting.

"Please go away." I tried to talk normally. You know, like I was the announcer on TV when the station goes wonky: I'm having technical difficulties. Please stand by. Instead, it sounded like I was being strangled.

He brushed hair out of my face. This isn't where you belong anymore, my dad had said, and the wounds his words had left on me were so painful I wailed. Mark Elliott pulled me into his chest and gave me a hug.

Then I was crying. I mean, those ugly, hoarse brays where your mouth hangs open. I didn't know if I was going to die of embarrassment or shame or dehydration or what. He smoothed my hair down and rested his chin on the top of my head. 

After a while, I took a few deep breaths and watched the rise and fall of his chest from the eye I had pressed up against his shirt. I swear, I could see the thrum of his heart beating. "Sorry," I said. He didn't say anything. I didn't want to look at the guy. Ever, if possible. But at the same time, I had to. Even if it turned out that he was disgusted with me. So I gave my nose a wipe and looked.

He had the weirdest expression on his face. It was nowhere close to smiling. Before I could figure out what it meant, Mark Elliott kissed me.

The Last Academy is an exciting young adult paranormal mystery novel that follows main character Camden "Cam" Fisher as she begins her high school years at a new boarding school in California - far away from her home, her old friends, and her family. Cam loves her new school - she's making new friends, crushing on a gorgeous upperclassman, and a beautiful campus. When one of Cam's new friends at school goes missing, she begins to notice that everything at the school isn't quite right and things are getting stranger by the minute. There are weird people in her room in the middle of the night who then mysteriously disappear, strange memories that she doesn't remember happening, and a creepy man who is on the board for the school. Cam knows that something isn't right at Lethe Academy and that something dark and terrible is going to happen. She doesn't know what it is or how to stop it - will she be able to figure it out in time?

This was a thrilling mystery novel that had me guessing for almost the entire book. The plot was an interesting one - I liked the premise and the twists and turns throughout the story definitely had me reading as fast as I could to see what would happen next. The characters were written well, although some felt a bit stereotypical - there was the gorgeous upperclassman who our leading character had a crush on, the beautiful "sort of" friend who had secrets, the dorky yet kind friend, etc. Cam was a good main character for the book. She was smart, friendly, and easy to identify with for the reader. The writing itself was well done, although some of the phrasing and conversations felt awkward or forced, which threw the rhythm of the story off a bit for me. Otherwise, it was a great mystery with a fast pace and easy flow to the plot. Like I mentioned, the mystery part of the plot was really intriguing and I loved trying to guess what was really going on and I enjoyed all the twists and turns the plot took on. Overall, this was a fun and interesting paranormal mystery that fans of the YA genre will definitely want to get their hands on.

Anne Applegate was born in Chico, California. Most of her childhood was spent moving across America with her family, nomad style.

When Anne was fourteen, her parents sent her to boarding school so she could spend four years in a single educational system.  As it turned out, her family then promptly settled into a small mid-western town and lived there for the next sixteen years.  Anne still hasn’t figured out if this means something.

After graduation, she went on to Tufts University in Medford, MA, where she had a wicked good time. Eventually, she  wound up back on the west coast, where she married a fantastic Californian guy.  Together, they have three children.

For the last twelve years, Anne has lived  in San Luis Obispo County.  This is by far the longest time she has stayed in any one place her whole life.  She immensely enjoys living  where 1) the sun always shines and 2) she isn’t the weirdest person in town.

www.anneapplegate.com | twitter.com/AnneApplegate

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The Forgotten Ones Blog Tour: Excerpt & Giveaway

The Forgotten Ones (The Danaan Trilogy #1)
Author: Laura Howard
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: April 30, 2013

Description:

Allison O'Malley's plan is to go to grad school so she can get a good job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She has carefully closed herself off from everything else, including a relationship with Ethan, who she's been in love with for as long as she can remember.

What is definitely not part of the plan is the return of her long-lost father, who claims he can bring Allison's mother back from the dark place her mind has gone. Allison doesn't trust her father, so why would she believe his stories about a long forgotten Irish people, the Tuatha de Danaan? But truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother's sanity. 

Chapter 1

I rounded the corner of our farmers’ porch, and caught a glimpse of my mother staring out the den window. She held her violin loosely under her chin and the bow dangled from her fingertips.
Her jaw was slack. Her eyes locked on something in the trees beyond me. I froze. I knew that
haunted expression.
I swallowed hard as her eyes shifted to me. The violin fell from her chin and I could see the
trembling in her bottom lip.
I should have been used to her reaction when she saw me during an episode.
But I wasn’t.
I flew into the house as fast as my feet would carry me. The screen door crashed behind me as I came to a halt outside the den. My mother clutched fistfuls of her blonde hair, garbled words spilling from her lips.
“I have to. I have to go out there,” she said. “He’s waiting for me.”
The lights were off and the only other sound was the hum of the ceiling fan. I squeezed the door jamb as I watched my grandmother approach her. She placed her hands on my mother’s shoulders. On contact, my mother’s body stopped quaking. Gram crooned, rocking her back and forth as she pulled her into her arms and led her away from the window.
My stomach tightened, and I backed away to leave them alone.
My mother had just started to calm down when the floor under me creaked. She jerked her head in my direction. Her eyes widened when she saw me and she began shaking again. Breaking away from my grandmother, she stumbled back toward the window.
She raked her fingers down her face and hair as she moaned, “Liam.” Tears streamed down her cheeks, causing thick strands of hair to stick to her face.
I entered the room slowly, desperate not to step on another squeaky floorboard. Her green eyes burned into mine, but I would not look away. No matter how many times she fought my attempts to soothe her, I had to keep trying.
I reached for her shoulders.
“Mom.”
She flinched. I knew she recognized me. I’d never met my father, but under my mattress I hid the only scrap I could find with his image. The picture, a strip of them really, was taken before I was born in a photo booth in Ireland. My gut told me that when she was like this, she saw my father in me.
She resumed writhing and clawing at my hands. Gurgling sounds came from somewhere deep in her throat, but I knew she was still saying my father's name.
I placed my hands gently over hers, my gaze steady, as though approaching a wounded animal. I took deep, soothing breaths the way Gram had shown me.
I could feel the weight of Gram's stare, watching for my mother’s reaction. I had to prove that I could do this. To Gram and to myself.
“Shh, you’re okay,” I repeated over and over, until her breathing became even, more normal.
“You’re okay.”
It felt like hours, but at last the tension in her fingers loosened as she stopped trying to resist me.
My grandmother walked slowly out of the room. I continued to make shushing sounds until the panic in my mother's eyes faded.
I exhaled and led her to sit on the couch. The same woman who had just been in the throes of a schizophrenic episode was now completely unresponsive.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Gram standing just outside the doorway. I released my mother's hands and got up to follow Gram down the hallway to the kitchen. She smelled like oranges and cloves – familiar and comforting.
I opened the refrigerator to find a bottle of water and slouched down at the kitchen table.
I tried to smile as I unscrewed the cap of my water bottle. Inside I was struggling with the
gratification of being able to bring my mother down from her episode versus the pang of guilt for being the one who caused her condition in the first place. Before I was born, she’d been a bright, happy college student. I blamed myself for her spiral into schizophrenia, whether it was rational or not.
My parents met during my mother’s final year of college. She had traveled to Ireland for her last semester to study music at Trinity College in Dublin. She came back heartbroken and pregnant.
She’d never been the same since.
“Have you eaten, honey?” Gram asked, nailing me in place with her eyes.
I flipped the bottle cap in my fingers. “No, but I'm fine.”
“Oh, no you don't. We had a nice steak for supper, cooked just the way you like. You'll have
some, won't you?”
I had to laugh, because with Gram there was no choice. I sat down at the table while she whirled around the kitchen. In minutes I had a steak dinner complete with steaming mashed potatoes and green beans in front of me.
“You spoil me, you know,” I said between bites. “I'm never going to be able to take care of
myself if you keep this up.”
Gram smiled at me. “You'll have plenty of time to take care of yourself. Let me spoil you while I still can.”
I swallowed down the guilt, knowing she didn't see raising me for the past almost twenty-two
years as a burden. But I couldn't help the feeling.
As I ate, my mother walked into the kitchen. She sat down at the table quietly without looking at either of us.
“Hi, Mom.” I spoke as softly as I could, so I didn't alarm her.
“Hello.” She spoke in barely more than a whisper, chewing on her fingernail and staring absently out the window. Even with her hair framing her face in knots, my mother looked lovely. Her eyes were sage green and her skin was flawless. She was forty-three, but didn't look a day over thirty.
“That was a beautiful tune you played earlier, Beth.” Gram said as she took my mother's hands in her own. “I could practically smell the breeze blowing in off the Irish sea.”
“Mm hmm,” my mother answered, mostly detached, but a tiny smile lifted the corner of her
mouth.
My cell phone buzzed in my pocket. I opened it to find a message from my cousin, Nicole.
I need ice cream tonight
I laughed as I put my phone back into my pocket. I’d worked all afternoon at my grandfather’s hardware store. But it was Friday night – I should’ve known I wouldn’t be able to just relax with a good book. Nicole was twenty, one year younger than me, and we were as close as sisters. But our ideas of a perfect Friday night were very different.
I glanced out the window to Nicole’s driveway. When I’d gotten home, it had been full of the
cars of her friends. I was grateful to only see her little Jetta. Hanging out with Nicole I could
handle.
Her friends were a different story. Especially when that included Ethan Magliaro.

Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.

Official Links: laurahoward78.blogspot.com | @laurahoward78

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The S-Word Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway

The S-Word
Author: Chelsea Pitcher
Genre: YA Contemporary/Mystery
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster - Gallery Books

Buy Link: Amazon

Description:

First it was SLUT scribbled all over Lizzie Hart’s locker.

But one week after Lizzie kills herself, SUICIDE SLUT replaces it—in Lizzie's looping scrawl.

Lizzie’s reputation is destroyed when she's caught in bed with her best friend’s boyfriend on prom night. With the whole school turned against her, and Angie not speaking to her, Lizzie takes her own life. But someone isn’t letting her go quietly. As graffiti and photocopies of Lizzie’s diary plaster the school, Angie begins a relentless investigation into who, exactly, made Lizzie feel she didn’t deserve to keep living. And while she claims she simply wants to punish Lizzie’s tormentors, Angie's own anguish over abandoning her best friend will drive her deep into the dark, twisted side of Verity High—and she might not be able to pull herself back out.

Debut author Chelsea Pitcher daringly depicts the harsh reality of modern high schools, where one bad decision can ruin a reputation, and one cruel word can ruin a life. Angie’s quest for the truth behind Lizzie’s suicide is addictive and thrilling, and her razor-sharp wit and fierce sleuthing skills makes her impossible not to root for—even when it becomes clear that both avenging Lizzie and avoiding self-destruction might not be possible. 
 

The S-Word is a haunting and gritty look at the aftermath of a teen suicide due to bullying. It follows main character Angie as she desperately tries to pick up the pieces of her life after her best friend's suicide. Angie goes on a mission to figure out what drove her friend to take her own life and to make those responsible pay for what they did to Lizzie. Angie has severe guilt of her own over how she treated Lizzie during the last couple weeks of her life and holds herself personally responsible for at least part of Lizzie's torture and death. Will Angie succeed in making those she deems responsible for her best friend's death pay or will she only unravel and destroy those in her path - including herself?

The description of this novel grabbed me right away - it sounded like an intriguing mystery surrounding the deeper issues of teen suicide and bullying. I normally don't like contemporary young adult novels, but this one sounded different and I'm incredibly glad I gave it a chance. It far exceeded any notions or expectations I had for it and still has my mind reeling after finishing it. The plot of the story is centered around the bullying and subsequent suicide of a teenage girl. Her best friend goes on a mission to find out who played key parts in her torment and caused her death - and intends to make them pay. She has no illusions that she herself didn't participate in her friend's bullying and she is constantly in a state of guilt and self torment. Angie is a raw and emotional lead character. She's incredibly realistic in her thoughts, feelings, and actions throughout the novel - both before and after her friend's death. Angie definitely has her flaws and issues, but she also has great qualities too - loyalty to her friend, hope for a better future, and underlying kindness and the ability to forgive. 

The writing was phenomenal and I was immediately drawn into the story from the beginning lines of the book. The imagery and descriptions were vivid and I easily found myself immersed in the situations alongside the characters. The mystery behind the writings at school along with all the secrets the characters were hiding really added a new depth and interesting twists to the plot that kept me eagerly turning the pages. It seems as though all the characters had secrets of their own - some bad, some hurtful, some just about themselves - and I couldn't wait to learn what they were hiding and to piece together what really happened to Lizzie. The situations in the book are definitely heavy topics that are of great concern in our society - bullying, teen suicide, rape, etc. These made the story very emotional and most readers will be able to identify with at least one aspect of the deeper issues discussed. I experienced similar events in high school with the bullying, so the novel had a very emotional impact on me. I easily connected with the characters and the events, more so than I normally do. The writing was absolutely captivating and shows the immense talent that the author has - it was hard to believe that this is a debut novel. I know I will be thinking about this book for a long time after I've finished it. Overall, this was a beautifully enthralling novel about some really difficult topics that also speaks of hope and forgiveness - and is definitely one that readers will not want to miss out on. Very highly recommended!

Chelsea Pitcher is a native of Portland, OR where she received her BA in English Literature. Fascinated by all things literary, she began gobbling up stories as soon as she could read, and especially enjoys delving into the darker places to see if she can draw out some light. 

Official Links: chelseapitcher.com | @Chelsea_Pitcher

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