{Audiobook} Review: Where Silence Gathers by Kelsey Sutton

Title: Where Silence Gathers
Author: Kelsey Sutton
Narrator:  Jorjeana Marie
Series: Some Quiet Place, book #2
Length:  10 hrs 30 mins
Publisher: Audible Studios
Publication Date: July 8, 2014
Source: borrowed from library
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

In this companion novel to the critically acclaimed Some Quiet Place, Alex must choose between Revenge and Forgiveness.

Seventeen-year-old Alexandra Tate sits outside Nate Foster's house, clutching a gun. After serving ten years for the drunk driving accident that killed Alex's family, Nate has been released from prison. Every night, Alex waits out of sight, building up the courage to exact her own justice. There's just one problem: Forgiveness. Alex has been able to see personified Emotions for as long as she can remember, and Revenge is her best friend. But when Forgiveness suddenly appears, he offers Alex a choice--getting even or moving on. It's impossible to decide when Revenge whispers in one ear . . . and Forgiveness whispers in the other.

Where Silence Gathers is a companion novel to Some Quiet Place, a novel a thoroughly enjoyed reading last year. And I was glad that although Fear -- and a few of the other personified emotions we met in the last story -- made a few brief cameo appearances in this follow-up novel, this book largely held a completely new cast of characters, all with their own macabre story to tell.

The second novel from Kelsey Sutton is no less melancholy than the first, but for many reasons, this one left me feeling bereft in comparison to the previous book. In this story, Alex is grieving -- has been grieving for years -- over the loss of her family at the hands of a drunk driver who has just been released from prison. Her best friend Revenge is right there with her, ready to help her exact her vengeance on the man who took everything from her. Until she is given another Choice: Forgiveness. While Alex believes herself to be in love with Revenge, she can't deny the pull she feels toward the enigmatic Forgiveness.

Whereas Some Quiet Place made it difficult to connect with the unfeeling, somewhat emotionally stunted Elizabeth, it's almost impossible not to despair with Alex as she explores her own grief and the Choices presented to her. The focus in the first book was on the Emotions and their paranormal aspect, but in this companion, everything revolves around Alex's desire to avenge her family's deaths and the Choices that attempt to influence her one way or the other.

That synopsis smacks of a love triangle, but there is a distinct lack of romance in this novel when you get to the thick of things. There's definitely a connection between Revenge and Alex and even one between Alex and Forgiveness, but to act on any of these feelings is basically forbidden. First and foremost, a Choice needs to be made, emotional connection or not.

I originally received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, but I didn't get to it before the release date, so I opted to borrow a copy of the audiobook from my library. This narrator was new to me, but I think she did a great job of bringing Alex's terrible sadness to the surface of the story. Alex tried to put a brave front up for her friends, but Jorjeana Marie brought a certain vulnerability to the character that I might not have had I read the text of the story myself. I think it helped me to connect to the character when others seem not to have.

I was a huge fan of the author's debut, and this sophomore entry is no less evocative. The sorrowful intensity so palpable in the first book simply manifests itself in a completely different way in this story, much to my delight. Though I would have loved to read more about Fear and the other Emotions, I very much enjoyed this exploration into Alex's grief and the Choice she has to make in order to overcome it.

GIF it to me straight:

Lots of feels in this book...mostly the depressing kind.

About the author:

Kelsey Sutton has done everything from training dogs, making cheeseburgers, selling yellow page ads, and cleaning hotel rooms. Now she divides her time between her college classes and her writing, though she can also sometimes be found pounding out horrible renditions of Beethoven on the piano and trying bizarre drinks at her local coffee shop. Kelsey lives in northern Minnesota with her dog and cat, Lewis and Clark.

Find Kelsey:

Blog | Twitter | Goodreads

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Labels: audiobooks, beautiful covers, flux, kelsey sutton, mystery, paranormal, reviews, some quiet place

Review: No One Needs to Know by Amanda Grace

Title: No One Needs to Know
Author: Amanda Grace aka Mandy Hubbard
Series: n/a
Publisher: Flux
Publication Date: Sep 8, 2014
Source: From Publisher via NetGalley
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Sometimes, the cost of love is too steep

Olivia's twin brother, Liam, has been her best friend her whole life. But when he starts dating, Olivia is left feeling alone, so she tries to drive away Liam's girlfriends in an effort to get her best friend back.

But she meets her match in Zoey, Liam's latest fling. A call-it-like-she-sees-it kind of girl, Zoey sees right through Olivia's tricks. What starts as verbal sparring between the two changes into something different, however, as they share their deepest insecurities and learn they have a lot in common. Olivia falls for Zoey, believing her brother could never get serious with her. But when Liam confesses that he's in love with Zoey, Olivia has to decide who deserves happiness more: her brother or herself?

When No One Needs to Know popped up on Netgalley, it was Gay/Lesbian month. So I thought, why not, I’ll give it a try. I have a ton of gay friends, so it’s nothing I shy away from, but still a subject you don’t find as often in books.

The whole story had a ton of promise but not well executed. I’ll explain. Olivia and her twin brother Liam are close. They have always been, but recently started drifting apart. Their parents are not around. Like at all, only in memories. They are filthy rich and their parents are out of town 100 percent. How convenient? I didn’t like how they were just out of the picture, I felt like that was a bit of a cop out.

Enter Zoey, girl from the poor side of town.She meets Liam one night and they start hanging out. She also gets paired up with Olivia for a school project. Again … how convenient? Olivia is this goodie two shoes perfect kind of girl on the outside. So at first, her and Zoey don’t get along as well, but then things change.

Meanwhile, Zoey is sort of dating Liam… though I wouldn’t say it’s a love triangle, because Zoey knows who she ultimately wants to be with. It was just awkward. All of their relationships just weren't realistic and didn't work for me.

The writing overall is kind of amateur to be honest. It was interesting but I think it could have been so much more. What I didn’t like is Olivia is a very stressed out girl. She strives to be perfect in everything. The fact that she just starts having feelings for Zoey out of the blue and its’ no big thing? That bothered me. Isn’t she worried about what people will think? What her parents will think? That’s a big realization I think. I had assumed there would be more inner struggle with that. Struggle with coming out, which never really happens. Which is strange, right? I thought that's what this book would partially be about. And then there is her brother who she cares about so much, but has no problem making out with his girl. If you could call it that.

Also, the ending came pretty easy and cheesy. I had expected a bit of a train wreck, but even that let me down. It was uneventful and unrealistic. It’s like the little book that tried to be deep but just couldn’t. I don’t want to say I disliked this book, because I didn’t. It was okay. I was able to finish it and that earns it some stars. I probably wouldn’t recommend it though.

About the author:


Amanda Grace is a pen name for Young Adult author Mandy Hubbard (PRADA AND PREJUDICE, YOU WISH). She lives near Seattle, Washington, with her husband and young daughter.

Mandy Hubbard is the author of PRADA & PREJUDICE and YOU WISH, both novels for teens now in stores. In 2011, her releases include BUT I LOVE HIM (written as Amanda Grace) and RIPPLE. She is also a literary agent for D4EO Literary Agency. For more information, visit her website.

Find Jessica:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Labels: amanda grace, awkward, flux, lgbt, mandy hubbard, No one needs to know, reviews

Waiting on Wednesday: The Lovely and the Lost & Where Silence Gathers

"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's WoW selection is...

Title: The Lovely and the Lost
Author: Page Morgan
Series: The Dispossessed, book #2
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: May 13, 2014

Ingrid and Gabby survived the Underneath. They saved their brother, Grayson, from a future of dark servitude and exposed a plot to undermine the Alliance. But danger still lurks in the streets of Paris, and the Dispossessed, perched on the city's bridges and rooftops, might not be able to save their human wards this time.

Gargoyles!!!  I loved The Beautiful and the Cursed, and I can't wait to see what's in store for Ingrid and company in this next installment.  Also, I love these covers....soooooo pretty!

Title: Where Silence Gathers
Author: Kelsey Sutton
Series: Some Quiet Place, book #2
Publisher: Flux
Publication Date: July 8, 2014

In this companion novel to the critically acclaimed Some Quiet Place, Alex must choose between Revenge and Forgiveness. Seventeen-year-old Alexandra Tate sits outside Nate Foster's house, clutching a gun. After serving ten years for the drunk driving accident that killed Alex's family, Nate has been released from prison. Every night, Alex waits out of sight, building up the courage to exact her own justice. There's just one problem: Forgiveness. Alex has been able to see personified Emotions for as long as she can remember, and Revenge is her best friend. But when Forgiveness suddenly appears, he offers Alex a choice--getting even or moving on. It's impossible to decide when Revenge whispers in one ear...and Forgiveness whispers in the other.

Not gonna lie, I'm sad that this is a companion novel because I found Elizabeth and Fear equally intriguing in Some Quiet Place, but I am very much looking forward to the pull of Revenge and Forgiveness in this story. I'm still quite fascinated by the personified Emotions in this series, and I can't wait to see what the author has in store for us this time around.  Also, more pretty covers!!!  :D



Now that you know what I'm dying to read, what are you waiting on this week?  Feel free to share it in the comments or leave a link so I can stop by!

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Labels: favorites, flux, gargoyles, kelsey sutton, must-read, page morgan, paranormal, random house, some quiet place, the dispossessed, waiting on wednesday (wow)

Review: Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton

Title: Some Quiet Place
Author: Kelsey Sutton
Series: n/a
Publisher: Flux
Publication Date: July 8, 2013
Source: received from publisher via Netgalley/finished copy provided
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I can’t weep. I can’t fear. I’ve grown talented at pretending.

Elizabeth Caldwell doesn’t feel emotions . . . she sees them. Longing, Shame, and Courage materialize around her classmates. Fury and Resentment appear in her dysfunctional home. They’ve all given up on Elizabeth because she doesn’t succumb to their touch. All, that is, save one—Fear. He’s intrigued by her, as desperate to understand the accident that changed Elizabeth’s life as she is herself.

Elizabeth and Fear both sense that the key to her past is hidden in the dream paintings she hides in the family barn. But a shadowy menace has begun to stalk her, and try as she might, Elizabeth can barely avoid the brutality of her life long enough to uncover the truth about herself. When it matters most, will she be able to rely on Fear to save her?

The fact that Kelsey Sutton was eighteen when she wrote Some Quiet Place notwithstanding, this is a phenomenal debut.  It would be a uniquely captivating story regardless, but when you take into account the author's youth, it makes it even more so.  The mystery of Elizabeth's existence was compelling and her isolation from the feeling world was complete.  And yet I wanted to know the why and how, unravel the enigma that was Elizabeth in her emotionless state.

Some readers will find it difficult to connect with such an uncaring and unfeeling character as Elizabeth Caldwell.  But that's if the reader chooses to view Elizabeth as she portrays herself.  The deeper you delve into Elizabeth's life, her world, the easier it is to see that she is unable to emote like the rest of us.  She feels twinges and twitches that alert her to the fact that she should feel something...the emotions just can't break through the barrier that's been erected around her.  Emotions can't touch her -- not the Emotions personified, nor the sensations they radiate.

But Fear is enraptured with her very existence.  His touch alone should leave her enveloped in terror, yet she feels nothing.  He tests her again and again, sure that her hard exterior will have to crack one day.  While everyone else, those in her human life and those in the other plane (the other Emotions and Elements) have all but given up on her, Fear becomes more and more intrigued by Elizabeth.  Oddly enough, this obsession didn't squick me out.  Maybe because I'd already figured out what role Fear was to play or maybe because he was the only one who seemed to care about Elizabeth anymore, but whatever the reason, I was hopeful that his presence would do just as he intended.

Just as I was shipping a Fear/Elizabeth romance, though, Joshua entered the picture.  And I thought to myself, This could be the kid that breaks through the wall.  I know, I know...a love triangle?  How is that even possible when the girl feels NOTHING?  It wasn't...not really.  And I think I'll leave it at that...except to say that this romantic triangle won't leave you with a bad taste in your mouth.  Because it's almost nonexistent.  But there are feelings that need to be resolved...and they are.  And now I've said more than I meant to.  *sigh*

Anyway, the Emotions and Elements themselves were a nice addition to the cast of characters.  To see each one embodied, to see the sway they held over humans...it was atmospheric and intense.  And kind of creepy.  The setting only added to that, with all the corn fields, the shadowy barns, and creaky screen doors.  Not to mention that Emotions like to appear out of nowhere.  Not that that really bothers Elizabeth.

I'd already guessed the big reveal halfway through the book but not to the detriment of my reading experience.  In fact, knowing what likely happened to Elizabeth made concentrating on the how that much more intriguing.  Usually, I mind coming to revelations pages or chapters before the characters do, but in this case, it made complete sense that it took Elizabeth so long to get there.  It did make for some slow pacing at times, but the beautiful imagery and the shock and awe of it all kept me engrossed in the story.  I should mention that the story does touch upon some rather tough subject matter, and yes, maybe it should have been examined further, but as it wasn't the primary focus of the story, I am going to refrain from judging it too harshly. Since the rest of the story was so compelling, I'm willing to overlook it this time.

I really love how this story came together.  I loved the beings from the other plane.  I even loved the tragedy of the fact that Elizabeth couldn't experience sorrow or hope or fear -- even when she knew she should feel them -- and how she was portrayed in those moments.  I think I kind of even love Fear.  I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to read this story, and I was even more excited to learn that the author is slated to write another story set in this world, scheduled for release next year.  I hope the cover is just as gorgeous as this one!

Rating:  

About the author:

Kelsey Sutton has done everything from training dogs, making cheeseburgers, selling yellow page ads, and cleaning hotel rooms. Now she divides her time between her college classes and her writing, though she can also sometimes be found pounding out horrible renditions of Beethoven on the piano and trying bizarre drinks at her local coffee shop. Kelsey lives in northern Minnesota with her dog and cat, Lewis and Clark.

Find Kelsey:

Blog | Twitter | Goodreads

Read More

Labels: flux, kelsey sutton, mystery, paranormal, reviews, some quiet place, superpowers

Teaser Tuesday #62: Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton & 45 Pounds (More or Less) by K. A. Barson

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here are the books we're teasing this week:

Title: Some Quiet Place
Author: Kelsey Sutton
Series: n/a
Publisher: Flux
Publication Date: July 8, 2013
Source: received from publisher via Netgalley/finished copy provided
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I can’t weep. I can’t fear. I’ve grown talented at pretending.

Elizabeth Caldwell doesn’t feel emotions . . . she sees them. Longing, Shame, and Courage materialize around her classmates. Fury and Resentment appear in her dysfunctional home. They’ve all given up on Elizabeth because she doesn’t succumb to their touch. All, that is, save one—Fear. He’s intrigued by her, as desperate to understand the accident that changed Elizabeth’s life as she is herself.

Elizabeth and Fear both sense that the key to her past is hidden in the dream paintings she hides in the family barn. But a shadowy menace has begun to stalk her, and try as she might, Elizabeth can barely avoid the brutality of her life long enough to uncover the truth about herself. When it matters most, will she be able to rely on Fear to save her?

     It's as if thinking of him has brought him, because it's Fear's voice slicing through the stillness. "I'm gone for a few days and what's this? I come back to a little high school romance. Interesting pair, really. The girl who can feel nothing and the boy who feels too much."

-- p. 127 of finished copy

I'm almost finished with this one -- in fact, I may have finished by the time this post is live -- and it's surprised me with how well it's held my attention.  I even stayed on the elliptical twenty minutes longer than I'd planned!  That's really saying something. =)  I love the Emotions personified and the nothingness that consumes Elizabeth and just trying to unravel who and what she is and how she came to be.

Title: 45 Pounds (More or Less)
Author: K. A. Barson
Series: n/a
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Publication Date: July 11, 2013
Source: ARC from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Here are the numbers of Ann Galardi’s life:

She is 16.
And a size 17.
Her perfect mother is a size 6.
Her Aunt Jackie is getting married in 10 weeks, and wants Ann to be her bridesmaid.
So Ann makes up her mind: Time to lose 45 pounds (more or less) in 2 1/2 months.

Welcome to the world of informercial diet plans, wedding dance lessons, embarrassing run-ins with the cutest guy Ann’s ever seen—-and some surprises about her NOT-so-perfect mother.

And there’s one more thing. It’s all about feeling comfortable in your own skin-—no matter how you add it up!

     "You okay?" He looks up at me. His eyes scan my face. How many chins do I have at that angle? Can he see up my nose? Oh, God, please don't let there be anything up there.

-- p. 146 of ARC

Ugh...gawd...every girl's worst nightmare, right?  Chatting up your crush and realizing you've got a flapper or worse.  I just started this, but I can already tell it's going to be cute.  :)


What are you teasing this week?  Share it in the comments or leave a link so we can visit!

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Labels: 45 pounds, contemporary, flux, k. a. barson, kelsey sutton, mystery, paranormal, penguin, some quiet place, superpowers, teaser tuesday, tough subject