Review: The Devil You Know by Trish Doller

The Devil You Know by Trish Doller

Publisher: Bloomsbury Kids

Publication Date: June 2, 2015

Rating: 3 stars

Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

Eighteen-year-old Arcadia wants adventure. Living in a tiny Florida town with her dad and four-year-old brother, Cadie spends most of her time working, going to school, and taking care of her family. So when she meets two handsome cousins at a campfire party, she finally has a chance for fun. They invite her and friend to join them on a road trip, and it's just the risk she's been craving-the opportunity to escape. But what starts out as a fun, sexy journey quickly becomes dangerous when she discovers that one of them is not at all who he claims to be. One of them has deadly intentions. 

A road trip fling turns terrifying in this contemporary story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

What I Liked:

I feel like this book was good, or could have been better, but it didn't leave up to its fullest potential. I'm not sure what it proved, in the end. This book was too short for me to be satisfied, but not in terms of the story, but in terms of the character development. I feel like this book could have been more developed, and at least one hundred pages longer in story. I thought it was a good story, but it could have been better. Not my favorite of Doller's books, but I'm glad I read it.

Cadie wants to have fun, but she's tied down by responsibility. She works and goes to school (sounds like yours truly, except in college - bigger bills), but has to take care of her four-year-old brother because her father just doesn't do the fathering thing anymore. Her mother died from pancreatic cancer, and her father hasn't been able to move on. When Cadie goes out one Friday night (for the first time in forever), she meets handsome cousins. They agree to go on a road-trip for the next few days, totally spontaneous, with strangers. But the trip turns dangerous and deadly very quickly, and Cadie doesn't know how to trust or where to go.

So many three-star reads lately! This week, I challenged myself to read all contemporary novels. Monday through Friday, five contemporary novels. So far, three of the five of them have received a 3-star rating. But I have high hopes for the remaining two. I had high hopes for this one too! I loved Doller's Something Like Normal and Where the Stars Still Shine. This one didn't impress me.

I definitely could connect with Cadie on a certain level - I feel the same way that she does. Bogged down with responsibilities and obligations, especially financially, to your education and your family. Never having fun, never having time to have a serious committed relationship. I understand her desire to get out, to be spontaneous, to live a little. 

Cadie goes a little too far, in my opinion. She meets Matt, and thinks he's cute. Then she meets his cousin Noah, and the two of them hit it off immediately. She goes too far when she agrees to go on the road-trip with him and Matt (they're not from the area, just passing through). Tell me who does that?! With random strangers?! More on that later.

The story itself is very intriguing and creepy! Holy crap, I was totally creeped out at multiple parts of this book. Job well done, Doller. The psychological thriller part of this book is well written! In general, Doller is an amazing writer. I personally think there should have been more to this book, but the structure was good. 

The ending is expected, in my opinion, and things wrap up way too fast. See below!

What I Did Not Like:

Woah this book was short. This bothered me because the story could have been so much more! I felt like an element of the story was missing. I couldn't say what should have been added and whatnot, but this book felt way too short. Not in the omg-I-need-to-read-more way, but in the where-is-the-rest-of-this-it-doesn't-make-sense way.

Well, the story flowed and made sense. But I felt like the story did not live up to its fullest potential. There could have been more, another layer to the story, more creepy strikes from the killer. Instead, this story came off as a bit cliche, because it was a very basic story. If that makes sense. I feel like I've read this story before... because this one felt like the skeleton of something bigger and more developed.

I didn't really connect with either male protagonist. There really is only one - Noah - but I connected with neither him nor Matt. I expected to at least connect with Noah, to be rooting for him or something, but I didn't really feel much towards him. I mean, I guess he's an attractive and totally swoon-worthy love interest, but that is really all that he is. 

The background of Matt and Noah didn't really impress me or shock me. I just didn't care at that point. I raised an eyebrow and was like, really? Okay. I don't know what I was expecting but I wasn't impressed by what I got. 

The murder and the creepy stuff was very creepy and chilling. At the same time, they seemed very random and not coordinated? Meaning, the acts seemed scattered and not well linked together. I guess this could be a good thing or a bad thing, but I didn't really like it.

The romance was... weird. I think I liked it? I have no idea. I'm all for feminism and the empowerment of a woman's decisions when it comes to intimacy and partners and whatnot, but I don't necessarily agree with Cadie's actions. I personally don't hook up with strangers, or take things further with a person I've known for a day or two, but that's me. Not trying to say she's wrong, but I wouldn't do those things.

I don't really understand the point of this book. What did Cadie learn? Is she satisfied from her adventure time? Has she learned to be more cautious? Or to take even more risks, after this experience? What changed for Cadie? I don't understand the character development.

And then the ending itself - it was predictable, but then it wrapped it so quickly! There was one event that was SO coincidental, I totally squinted at the book in irritation. Also I didn't really get a feel for the aftermath of the climax, like Doller felt the need to end the story as fast as possible, in five pages. Unnecessary, as this book is like, 250 pages long (i.e. very short). I think nearly a year passes after the climax, in the last chapter, and I didn't really pick up on this. Why does so much time have to pass? The climax just happened. 

So I had issues with the book. It didn't feel complete, though I could see that this is a great story. I know Doller can do better!

Would I Recommend It:

Eh, no. Three stars is okay but I'd recommend Doller's first book, Something Like Normal or Where the Stars Still Shine, before recommending this one. I like how Doller incorporates mental and emotional trauma and issues in her books, but I wasn't impressed by this book. I'll still be reading any of Doller's books in the future, of course!

Rating:

3 stars. Another three-star read - I feel like nearly all of my last two or three weeks of books have been three star reads. Hopefully tomorrow's read - another contemporary - will be better! I have high hopes for Gina Ciocca's Last Year's Mistake.

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Boldly Bookish Blog Tour and Giveaway!

Welcome to the Boldly Bookish Tour! Today, I'll be sharing with you the responses of four wonderful ladies, as well as information about their books, and a chance to win a great prize! Check it out below!

What is something bold that one of your characters does in your book that you couldn't see yourself doing?

Tiffany Schmidt:

I have an overactive sense of ‘stranger danger.’

I blame my mom—but also hold her completely blameless. When I was little, I was the type of kid who didn’t hesitate to try and climb in the mail truck and leave with the mailman—so that I could finish telling him the story about the inchworm I found on my porch. Or, I’d wander out of my yard and into the neighbor’s kitchen to show her a picture I painted. Clearly my mom had to do something. And that something was to borrow EVERY safety video our local library had and make me watch them on repeat until I had every ‘Don’t talk to strangers’ song memorized and internalized. To this day, my first reaction to strangers is to think please don’t abduct me and start mentally humming ‘Stranger Danger,’ which naturally makes me the world’s smoothest small talker.

In Hold Me Like a Breath, Penny Landlow’s mother doesn’t need to do any brainwashing by PSA—because Penny’s not allowed to leave her family estate. When Events Transpire in the book and Penny ends up alone in New York City, she talks to everyone.  EVERYONE. Just the thought of this many stranger interactions gives me the panics.  I definitely need to learn to channel some of Penny’s boldness when it comes to meeting new people.

Emery Lord:

My main character in The Start of Me and You, Paige, is pretty reserved. But her best friend Tessa often attends concerts alone—because she’s just there for her own, personal experience with the band. I never would have been secure enough in high school to go to a show solo!! It may not be swashbuckling or skydiving, but I think doing things entirely for yourself, by yourself, can be not only bold but empowering.

Trish Doller:

Any one thing I would pick would be a spoiler, so I think everything Cadie does in THE DEVIL YOU KNOW is something I would not have been bold enough to do at her age. But that's kind of why I wrote her. In some ways, she's the girl I wish I had been when I was eighteen.

A.C. Gaughen:

Well, there’s the whole climbing around trees thing—Scarlet seems to do that a lot and the last time I tried to, like, roller skate, I ended up doing this thing where I stuck my butt out and put my hands out in front of me and then couldn’t figure out how to move forward without falling, so…yeah I’m not the most athletically coordinated. 

That and having crazy fighting skills.  I would REALLY like to have crazy fighting skills, but I’m more of the “use my words” type. 

About the Authors:

TIFFANY SCHMIDT is the author of Send Me a Sign and Bright Before Sunrise. She lives in Pennsylvania with her saintly husband, impish twin boys, and a pair of mischievous puggles. Visit Tiffany online at www.TiffanySchmidt.com and on Twitter @TiffanySchmidt.

EMERY LORD is the author of Open Road Summer. She lives in a pink row house in Cincinnati, with a husband, two rescue dogs, and a closet full of impractical shoes. Open Road Summer is her first novel. Visit her online at www.emerylord.com and on Twitter @emerylord.

TRISH DOLLER is the author of Something Like Normal and Where the Stars Still Shine. She's a former newspaper reporter and radio personality who now works as a bookseller at the Ft Myers B&N. She lives in Fort Myers, Florida, with her two mostly grown children, two dogs, and a pirate. (For real.) Visit her online at www.trishdoller.com and on Twitter at @TrishDoller.

A. C. GAUGHEN is the author of Scarlet and Lady Thief. She serves as the Director of Girls’ Leadership for the non-profit Boston GLOW, creating opportunities to encourage and engage teen girls in the Greater Boston area. She has a Masters in Creative Writing from St. Andrews University in Scotland and a Masters in Education from Harvard University. Visit A. C. online at www.acgaughen.com and on Twitter at @acgaughen.

About the Books:

Penelope Landlow has grown up with the knowledge that almost anything can be bought or sold—including body parts. She’s the daughter of one of the three crime families that control the black market for organ transplants.

Penelope’s surrounded by all the suffocating privilege and protection her family can provide, but they can't protect her from the autoimmune disorder that causes her to bruise so easily.

And in her family's line of work no one can be safe forever.

All Penelope has ever wanted is freedom and independence. But when she’s caught in the crossfire as rival families scramble for prominence, she learns that her wishes come with casualties, that betrayal hurts worse than bruises, that love is a risk worth taking . . . and maybe she’s not as fragile as everyone thinks.

Following her pitch-perfect debut Open Road Summer, Emery Lord pens another gorgeous story of best friends, new love, & second chances.

Brimming with heartfelt relationships and authentic high-school dynamics The Start of Me and You proves that it’s never too late for second chances.

It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for two years, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?

Eighteen-year-old Arcadia wants adventure. Living in a tiny Florida town with her dad and four-year-old brother, Cadie spends most of her time working, going to school, and taking care of her family. So when she meets two handsome cousins at a campfire party, she finally has a chance for fun. They invite her and friend to join them on a road trip, and it's just the risk she's been craving-the opportunity to escape. But what starts out as a fun, sexy journey quickly becomes dangerous when she discovers that one of them is not at all who he claims to be. One of them has deadly intentions. 

A road trip fling turns terrifying in this contemporary story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

The eagerly-awaited conclusion to the Scarlet trilogy delivers another action-packed and romance-filled adventure.

Scarlet has captured the hearts of readers as well as the heart of Robin Hood, and after ceaseless obstacles and countless threats, readers will finally find out the fate of the Lady Thief.

Imprisoned by Prince John for months, Scarlet finds herself a long way from Nottinghamshire. After a daring escape from the Prince's clutches, she learns that King Richard’s life is in jeopardy, and Eleanor of Aquitaine demands a service Scarlet can’t refuse: spy for her and help bring Richard home safe. But fate—and her heart—won’t allow her to stay away from Nottinghamshire for long, and together, Scarlet and Rob must stop Prince John from going through with his dark plans for England. They can not rest until he’s stopped, but will their love be enough to save them once and for all?

The Giveaway:

This giveaway is for the winner’s choice of any of the four books featured on this tour: The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord, The Devil You Know by Trish Doller, Lion Heart by A.C. Gaughen, and Hold Me Like a Breath by Tiffany Schmidt. This is a US only giveaway and entrants must be 13 years or older to enter.

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Follow the Tour!

May 19th -- The Eater of Books!

May 20th -- Mary Had A Little Book Blog

May 21st -- Jessabella Reads

May 22nd -- Blue Sky Shelf

May 25th -- Ageless Pages Reviews

May 26th -- Mundie Moms

May 27th -- Reading Teen

May 28th -- On Starships and Dragonwings

May 29th -- The Quiet Concert

Waiting on Wednesday (#112): The Devil You Know by Trish Doller

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I'm featuring:

The Devil You Know by Trish Doller

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Publication Date: June 2, 2015

Summary (from Goodreads):

Eighteen-year-old Arcadia wants adventure. Living in a tiny Florida town with her dad and four-year-old brother, Cadie spends most of her time working, going to school, and taking care of her family. So when she meets two handsome cousins at a campfire party, she finally has a chance for fun. They invite her and friend to join them on a road trip, and it's just the risk she's been craving-the opportunity to escape. But what starts out as a fun, sexy journey quickly becomes dangerous when she discovers that one of them is not at all who he claims to be. One of them has deadly intentions. 

A road trip fling turns terrifying in this contemporary story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Author Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Something Like Normal review | Where the Stars Still Shine review

As you can see from above, I've LOVED Doller's other two books! I know I'll love this one as well.

Review: Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Publication Date: September 24, 2013

Rating: 5 stars

Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she’d like to forget completely. But when Callie’s mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie’s real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love--even with someone who seems an improbable choice--is more than just a possibility.

What I Liked:

I love this book so much! I'm keeping this review short because it's such a beautiful book, in almost all aspects. I'm actually drawing a blank when I try and think about what I didn't like about this book. Everything was so perfectly constructed, built, broken down, and put everything back in a different and interesting way. READ IT! 

Callie has quite the life. Her mother hasn't stayed in one place in years. She hasn't met her father. She doesn't know a "normal" life, with family, friends, trust, and love. But then, in what I would call an excellent change in the direction of her life, Callie is separated from her mother, and sent to live with her father.

Callie dislikes everything about that plan, at first. She doesn't want to be a part of a large Greek family, eat Greek food, know all the people in her community, work, look after her father's children, and so on. She doesn't want to make friends with anyone, to be close to her new family. She just wants to go back to her mother, take care of her, and simply run. Run from the life that she should want.

Callie doesn't expect to find an amazing, close-knit family, kind father, supportive stepmother, two adorable step-siblings, a great friend... and a HOT male in the form of Alex. Suddenly, Callie has things worth living for, worth fighting for, worth staying for. Callie becomes conflicted between what used to be important, and what seems more important.

I love seeing this struggle in Callie. It is expressed SO WELL, and it seems believable. Doller has a way of portraying Callie and her feelings in a way that you totally get why Callie would do something, or want to do something. Like, we all know that Callie's mother is clearly unstable, and Callie shouldn't be around her. BUT, we also see Callie's point-of-view, that she doesn't want to leave the person that raised her, that she wants her to get better, that she doesn't want to leave the one constant in her life (or what seemed to be the one constant in her life, for the majority of her life).

Therefore, I think that Doller does an amazing with the characterization. Callie is such a complex character, and the character development is thoroughly evident throughout the book. Doller puts Callie through so many trials and tests, which clearly demonstrate Callie's character traits and growth. 

And the other characters are well-developed or also experience growth. Alex, the love interest, grows in this book, from awesome and hothothot, to even more awesome and SUPER steamy hot. Like, he is one of my favorite male protagonists in Young Adult contemporary novels, ever. I love how he grows as a character in this book, with everything going on in his family.

Callie and Alex's relationship is so beautiful! I love how it starts - not in the traditional manner in which most relationships in YA literature start. It starts with a bang and picks up the kind of steady speed that I loved, throughout the book. You can't help but root for Callie to stick with Alex, and vice versa. Both have their own complex problems, and both of them need each other. 

Added bonus - no love triangle!

The climax and ending of this book is thrilling and terrifying. The ending made me a tiny bit sad, but I loved it nonetheless, because it just FIT. The ending is so perfect for this book, for Callie, for Alex, for Callie's mother, for Callie's father and step-family. I'm impressed by the way that the author delved into the story and characters, and pulled out a true, real ending. NOT saying that other endings in YA literature aren't true or real. 

But you know what? It's Trish Doller. I expect nothing less!

What I Did Not Like:

I really can't remember what I didn't like about this book. Some people didn't completely enjoy the ending, but I loved it. So, nothing for this section.

Of course, I'm not saying that this book is perfect.

Would I Recommend It:

I definitely would! I mean, I'm giving it five stars. That's not very common, with me! But in all seriousness, you need to read this one. It has a more mature YA tone, but not in terms of sexual content. But it's certainly one of those books that everyone needs to read, for literary purposes and for the demonstration of life issues. JUST READ IT!

Rating:

5 stars. I actually read this book in July, and here I am reviewing it in September. But I can still remember the story as well as if I had read it in July. It's such a fabulous read! I am certain that the majority of the people that read this book will love it!

Author Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

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Review: Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Publication Date: June 19, 2012

Rating: 4 stars

Source: Public library

Summary (from Goodreads):

When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.

What I Liked: 

Recently, all I have been wanting to read is contemporary novels. My favorite genre is fantasy, and then perhaps paranormal and science fiction. But it is books like this one that makes me love contemporary over and over.

The only other book that I have read that had to do with the United States military is If I Lie by Corrine Jackson. While If I Lie did not deal with a soldier's experience with war, Something Like Normal did (I am not comparing the two, I promise! Just making a connection).

I loved that this book was written entirely in Travis' point of view. I loved seeing what was going on inside of his head - the mind of a broken Marine, a lost son, and a man who lost his best friend. Travis' life is so complicated, on all ends, and his reactions to each situation placed in front of him is intense and real. While I disliked him for what I did with Paige, I sort of understand. But I still disliked him for that.

I loved his dynamic relationship with Harper, even if it was a little rushed at the beginning. Harper is an amazing young adult. I think she is one of the strongest and most assertive heroines I have encountered in contemporary novels. She is not overly sassy or catty, but she stands up for herself and does not let Travis control her (not that he would, from my view).

Overall, I loved getting a view inside a Marine's head, after combat. It made this book so powerful, so real, and so effective at making readers realize what the Marines do for us.

What I Did Not Like: 

As I mentioned before, I did not really like Travis' dalliances with Paige. I understand, but it still is not okay. I did like when things came to light, how Travis handled that with Harper. No excuses.

That was one of my favorite parts of the book. And, as I said before, I felt like Travis and Harper's relationship was a little rushed in the beginning (like, from them meeting again at the party, to them kissing). You knew that was coming, so it is not a spoiler (I hope...).

Would I Recommend It: 

To all contemporary lovers out there, this is definitely a book you do not want to pass up on. It is very short, and totally worth it.

Rating: 

4 stars. What a great debut! I look forward to more of Doller's books.

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