R.I.P. Chester Bennington ~ 1976 – 2017

Tags

R.I.P. Chester Bennington

Chester Bennington who was the lead singer for Stone Temple Pilots, Dead By Sunday, and Kings of Chaos, as well as being the frontman for Linkin Park, is the latest devastating loss to the music world. Close friends with the late Chris Cornell, he’s reportedly committed suicide on what would have been Chris’s 53rd birthday. The father of six, battled with drug and alcohol abuse. I’m completely heartbroken over the death of this incredibly influential and gifted musician, and I really can’t come up with anymore words right now, so I’m going to leave you with some inspiring words from Chester Bennington himself.

You can’t be afraid of people willing to hurt you, cause if you fear life, then you will never live.

 

Little Monsters, by Kara Thomas ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Dysfunctional Families, Mysteries, Teen relationships, Thrillers, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Release Date: June 25th, 2017

336 Pages

Synopsis: Kacey is the new girl in Broken Falls. When she moved in with her father, she stepped into a brand-new life.  A life with a stepbrother, stepmother, and strangest of all, an adoring younger half sister.

Kacey’s new life is eerily charming compared with the wild highs and lows of the old one she lived with her volatile mother. And everyone is so nice in Broken Falls–she’s even been welcomed into a tight new circle of friends. Bailey and Jade invite her to do everything with them.

Which is why it’s so odd when they start acting distant. And when they don’t invite her to the biggest party of the year, it doesn’t exactly feel like an accident.

But Kacey will never be able to ask, because Bailey never makes it home from that party. Suddenly, Broken Falls doesn’t seem so welcoming after all–especially once everyone starts looking to the new girl for answers.

Kacey is about to learn some very important lessons: Sometimes appearances can be deceiving. Sometimes when the you’re the new girl, you shouldn’t trust anyone.

Little Monsters has been one of the more hotly anticipated books of 2017, and I’m happy to say that it more than lives up to the hype. 

I love stories about the darker layers of the human psyche, especially in regards to teens. It would have been easy to turn this into a more horror/thrillerish ripoff of Mean Girls, but Kara Thomas has made her characters fascinating if not always likable. Kacey herself, is a sketchy character. There were times when I really liked her, especially during her interactions with her stepbrother and half sister, and other times, I had doubts in her innocence, even though she seemed determined to discover what happened to Bailey. The other characters are equally well written. I especially loved Bailey’s journal entries, which showed how much someone can change in a fairly short amount of time. Their inclusion gives the already suspenseful story an additional creepy and menacing layer. 

The story itself moves along at a steady pace and because I was so invested in the characters I finished it in two sittings. There are a lot of red herrings, so I didn’t really guess who was behind Bailey’s disappearance until right before the big reveal. The only reason why I didn’t give this a perfect 5 is because I thought the supernatural plot device of the “Red Lady” was interesting, but ultimately never went anywhere. 

In the end, I have to agree with the many other reviewers who have commented that Little Monsters is a perfect book for fans of Pretty Little Liars. It’s an enjoyable, twisty mystery and thriller that will keep you guessing right up until the end!

Senator John McCain

Tags

John McCain

We are taught to understand, correctly, that courage is not the absence of fear, but the capacity for action despite our fears.

~ John McCain ~

If you live in the United States, you’ve probably already heard that Senator John McCain has been diagnosed with one of the most virulent forms of brain cancer. When you hear Senator McCain’s name, two words usually come to mind: Hero and Patriot. While I oftentimes disagree with his politics, Senator McCain is someone I’ve always respected and admired. He’s a man who on numerous occasions has shown his willingness to put country before party. Having survived five years of captivity and torture at the hands of the North Vietnamese, if anyone can beat this, it’s this Maverick of the Senate. While Washington and our country remains divided, I think one thing we can all agree on, is sending our thoughts, prayers, and best wishes to Senator McCain and his family.