In a Nutshell Reviews

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights.

Sneaking Out
Chuck Vance
Series: Chased, #1
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Mystery
Publisher: Dunemere Books
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Could you sleep next to a murderer?

Luke Chase—yes, that Luke Chase, a modern hero ripped from the headlines—didn’t mean to get caught up in Mrs. Heckler’s murder. He just wanted to hook up with the hot new British girl at St. Benedict’s, and if that meant sneaking out to the woods after hours, then so be it. But little did he know someone would end up dead right next to their rendezvous spot, and his best friend and roommate Oscar Weymouth would go down for it. With suspects aplenty and a past that’s anything but innocent, Luke Chase reluctantly calls on his famous survival skills to find the true killer.

For fans of “A Study in Charlotte” and boarding school lit, “Sneaking Out” (book one in the “Chased” series) immerses readers in the privileged prep school world, with a mystery that exposes the dark side of life on a residential high school campus.

Sneaking out was a right of passage for all boarders at St. Benedict's, but maybe Luke would have been better off keeping to the straight and narrow. What should have been fun, put him right in the middle of a murder mystery, and re-awakened fears he has buried from his past.

• Pro: Boarding school settings are a favorite of mine, and Vance actually gives us a pretty good look into school life and the culture of St. B's. 
• Pro: Luke's backstory was awesome. The whole Kidnap Kid thing really added an extra layer to Luke, and I liked the way Vance worked in the flashbacks and complications that accompanied his resulting fame. 
• Pro: Pippa also had an interesting backstory, and I hope the teaser at the end of the book was legit, because I think it would be fantastic if her mystery was part of the the Chased series. 
• Pro: Vance assembled quite a suspect list, and he did a really good job keeping me guessing. There were many times I was ready to dismiss a suspect, and he would reveal something that would create doubt in my mind. That's the way I like my mysteries. 
• Pro: Luke's mentor is sort of creepy and scary, but I am intrigued as to what he has in store for us. 
• Pro: Bromances always make me happy, and I especially like when they arise between two unlikely people, such as Oscar and Luke. 
• Pro: I am really excited to get the next book. That speaks volumes for how fun and entertaining this book was. 

Overall: A fabulous mystery that kept me guessing and has me wanting more.

Emergency Contact
Mary H.K. Choi
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult/New Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

For Penny Lee high school was a total nonevent. Her friends were okay, her grades were fine, and while she somehow managed to land a boyfriend, he doesn’t actually know anything about her. When Penny heads to college in Austin, Texas, to learn how to become a writer, it’s seventy-nine miles and a zillion light years away from everything she can’t wait to leave behind.

Sam’s stuck. Literally, figuratively, emotionally, financially. He works at a café and sleeps there too, on a mattress on the floor of an empty storage room upstairs. He knows that this is the god-awful chapter of his life that will serve as inspiration for when he’s a famous movie director but right this second the seventeen bucks in his checking account and his dying laptop are really testing him.

When Sam and Penny cross paths it’s less meet-cute and more a collision of unbearable awkwardness. Still, they swap numbers and stay in touch—via text—and soon become digitally inseparable, sharing their deepest anxieties and secret dreams without the humiliating weirdness of having to see each other.

I was really excited about this book. I would like to think there is someone in this world for everybody, whether on a romantic or platonic level, who will serve as their "person", that someone who will be there for you, and will pick you up when your down, and I was not disappointed by Penny and Sam's story.

• Pro: I love this concept of having "your person", that someone who will support you, listen to you, and will bring you comfort, and I was really happy that Penny and Sam were able to find each other and fill that role for one another. 
• Pro: Both Penny and Sam were grappling with some serious emotional baggage. How lucky were they to finally find someone, who they could trust, and would help them "unpack" some of that baggage. 
• Pro: Lots of introspection in this one, which I enjoyed, as it was well done. Penny and Sam both ran quite deep, and had a lot to think about and share.
• Pro: This courtship was so 21st century. First, there were a ton of texts exchanges, which later evolved to phone calls, and then actual face-to-face interactions. And the fear they had of taking it outside the phone was too real. I loved it! 
• Pro: I was totally in love with both Sam and Penny for the first half of the book. I could not get enough of their thoughts and banter. I just loved every second of it. 
• Con: There was a bit of time given to Penny's sic-fi story, but I thought it was a little overkill. I think it was supposed to correspond to her personal growth, but I felt like it went on for a little too long. 
• Pro: It was easy to relate to both Sam and Penny in some way. I felt their pain, loneliness, and confusion, and I wanted to hug them both, and help them in any way I could. 
• Pro: These two had the hardest shells around them, and it was truly gratifying to see them begin to crack. Penny and Sam each experience a lot of growth, and I, for one, was happy with the leaps they made. I was especially pleased with the peace they made with their family situations. 
• Pro: A cast of interesting and colorful characters added to my enjoyment of this tale. 

Overall: A lot deeper than I expected, and a rather beautiful look at how life can be complicated and messy, but so much better when we share it with someone.

**Bonus: 5 Reasons You Must Read Emergency Contact

Someday, Somewhere
Lindsay Champion
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: KCP Loft
Rating:  4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Dominique is a high school junior from a gritty neighborhood in Trenton, where she and her mom are barely getting by.

Ben is a musical prodigy from the Upper East Side, a violinist at a top conservatory with obsessive talent and a brilliant future.

When Dom's class is taken to hear a concert at Carnegie Hall, she expects to be bored out of her mind. But then she sees the boy in the front row playing violin like his life depends on it --- and she is transfixed.

Posing as an NYU student, Dom sneaks back to New York City to track down Ben Tristan, a magnetic genius who whisks her into a fantasy world of jazz clubs and opera, infatuation and possibility. Each sees something in the other that promises to complete them.

As Dom's web of lies grows, though, so does Ben's obsessive need to conquer Beethoven's famous Kreutzer Sonata. But Ben's genius, which captivates Dominique, conceals a secret, and the challenges of her life may make it difficult to help him.

Alternating perspectives and an unreliable narrator create suspense and momentum, romance and heartbreak. Author Lindsay Champion's deep roots in theater and music are evident on every page --- structured like a sonata with hints of West Side Story, her debut novel hits all the right notes.

This love-at-first-sight story had me instantly hooked, and I kept reading because I was so invested in the outcome for these two.

• Pro: I was instantly in love with Dom and cheering for her the whole time. I wanted more for her, and was beyond happy with where Champion took her story. 
• Pro: Ben was so intense. I have a certain admiration for the dedication those who perform at an elite level have, and that intensity came through ten-fold with Ben. Watching him spiral out was really difficult, because I wanted him to succeed. The look we got into his world was quite intriguing as well, and I found all the musical references fascinating. 
• Pro: The romance was wonderful! From the meet-cute to how Ben found Dom again. It all made my heart flutter. 
• Pro: The setting was wonderful. I have a special place in my heart for NYC. I lived there until I was in my teens, and it is still my hometown. I love revisiting places I know, and Champion took us on a fun tour. 
• Con: I had such a love/hate thing with the ending. I felt like I had enough closure for most of the characters, but I was still left a little wanting.  
• Pro: These kids were my kind of people, as they shared my love for old movies, especially musicals.  
• Pro: The mental health issues were well done. I diagnosed Ben well before his problems were acknowledged in the story. 
• Pro: Cass was a top-notch friend. I absolutely adored him, and you could see how much he loved Dom. It was in everything he did for her. 
• Pro: Dom's life was not easy. She was poor, and lived in an unsafe neighborhood, hoping to have enough to make ends meet, but Dom and her mom had each other, and their bond was quite beautiful. 
• Pro: I loved the way Champion divided the book, and matched the pacing to it's musical equivalent. Ben was learning this sonata, and at one point, he explained the three movements of it, and I thought using the movements was an interesting way to divide the book. 
• Pro: Though the book deals with some heavy issues, it was never too heavy. 

Overall: An equally heartbreaking and heartwarming story. 

** ARCs received in exchange for honest reviews.

Have you read any of these books?

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