Out by Natsuo Kirino REIVEW

Summary:

This mesmerizing novel tells the story of a brutal murder in the staid Tokyo suburbs, as a young mother who works the night shift making boxed lunches strangles her abusive husband and then seeks the help of her coworkers to dispose of the body and cover up her crime. The coolly intelligent Masako emerges as the plot's ringleader but quickly discovers that this killing is merely the beginning, as it leads to a terrifying foray into the underbelly of Japanese society.

My Thoughts:

While slow at first, it quickly picks up the pace. Yayoi, a young working mother finally strikes back at her abusive husband and kills him. Not knowing what to do, she calls Masako for help, who enlists Yoshie and Kuniko to help dismember and dispose of the body. But after the work is complete, everything seems to fall apart. Parts of the body were found, as Kuniko dumped them in the park instead of somewhere where they wouldn't likely be found. A man in charge of a club is arrested due to a previous altercation with the deceased, but is later let go. And the man is out looking for revenge on whoever actually did the crime.

The writing is slow but suspenseful, and I really like the characters of Masako and Yoshie. However, the ending seemed abrupt and disjointed from the buildup. If the ending was different, I likely would have rated it higher, but it felt out of place. Despite that, I would recommend reading this, as it was very suspenseful and entertaining up until the end.

My Rating: 3 stars 

Theme Music by T. Marie Vandelly REIVEW

Summary:

For the lucky among us, life is what you make of it; but for Dixie Wheeler, the theme music for her story was chosen by another long ago, on the day her father butchered her mother and brothers and then slashed a knife against his own throat. Only one-year-old Dixie was spared, becoming infamously known as Baby Blue for the song left playing in the aftermath of the slaughter.

Twenty-five years later, Dixie is still desperate for a connection to the family she can't remember. So when her childhood home goes up for sale, she sets aside all reason and moves in. But as the ghosts of her family seemingly begin to take up residence in the house that was once theirs, Dixie starts to question her sanity and wonders if the evil force menacing her is that of her father or a demon of her own making.

In order to make sense of her present, Dixie becomes determined to unravel the truth of her past and seeks out the detective who originally investigated the murders. But the more she learns, the more she opens up the uncomfortable possibility that the sins of her father may belong to another. As bodies pile up around her, Dixie must find a way to expose the lunacy behind her family's massacre in order to save her few loved ones who are still alive - and whatever scrap of sanity she has left.

My Thoughts:

This book, while slow to get into, became very intriguing to me. Against the advice of her loved ones, Dixie decides to buy her childhood home where her family was butchered. When she finds the police file on the murder hidden in her late uncle's desk, Dixie contacts the detective who was investigating and forms a friendship while trying to make sense of the disaster of her past. As the house begins to feel haunted, Dixie starts experiencing black outs from her memories and is unsure if she may be responsible for the recent murders.

The writing and character building was fantastic here, and I love all of the side characters because they were also developed well. The twists toward the end were shocking and I did not see any of them coming. Writing a haunting atmosphere for a non-haunted house book is probably very difficult, but the author pulls it off very well. I would definitely recommend picking up this book.

My Rating: 5 stars

Shine by Jessica Jung REVIEW

Summary:

What would you sacrifice for a chance to live your dreams?

For eighteen-year-old Korean American Rachel Kim, the answer is almost everything. Seven years ago, she was recruited by DB Entertainment - one of Seoul's largest K-pop labels, known for churning out some of the world's most popular stars. The rules are simple: Train 24/7, be perfect, don't date. Easy, right?

Not so much. As the dark scandals of an industry bent on controlling and commodifying beautiful girls begin to bubble up, Rachel wonders if she's strong enough to be a winner, or if she'll end up crushed . . . especially when she begins to develop feelings for K-pop star and DB golden boy Jason Lee. It's not just that he's charming, sexy, and ridiculously talented. He's also the first person who really understands how badly she wants her star to rise. 

My Thoughts:

This was so much fun to read, especially as someone who is a fan of Jessica and Girls Generation.

Rachel is only allowed to train on weekends, and her dad is struggling with his business. Her fellow trainees are nice for the most part - except for Mina, who hates her for seemingly no reason at all. When they all get a chance to audition for a feature in Jason Lee's new song, Mina sabotages her by inviting her to a party (under the pretense of practicing) and drugs her so that she is late to the audition. Rachel's audition ends up being terrible, but she finds a way to get a second chance - she sings karaoke with Jason one night and the video goes viral. She is finally able to see a future as a star, but her growing feelings for Jason and Mina's constant sabotage are starting to get in her way.

I love the huge part Rachel's family plays in the book, especially her dad and little sister. I really enjoyed getting to know them. That being said, the character of Mina is very one-dimensional so far. We'll see what happens in the sequel, but here she just seems like the typical one-dimensional bully. However, I would definitely recommend giving this a read.

My Rating: 4 stars 

Wilder Girls by Rory Power REVIEW

Summary:

It's been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty's life out from under her.

It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don't dare wander outside the school's fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything.

But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there's more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true.

My Thoughts:

I had high hopes for this one, but sadly they were not met. The book takes place after the breakout and after the quarantine was put in place. We barely know anything about the girls' backgrounds, not even the main character. The novel took about halfway through to get interesting, but even then it was lackluster. We get hints of answers throughout the second half, but barely anything is truly revealed. There are almost no flashbacks to pre-quarantine to know what it was like before. The CDC is trying to find a cure by experimenting on infected students, but we barely know any details about that. I think there should have been a section of the book from the point of view of the CDC scientists and another section from the remaining adults in charge of the school. Staying mysterious about the origin of the disease would be fine if the characters were developed well enough. 

My Rating: 1 star

K-Pop Confidential by Stephan Lee REVIEW

Summary:

Candace Park knows a lot about playing a role. For most of her life, she's been playing the role of the perfect Korean American daughter. But she has a talent that she's been keeping from the world: she can sing. Like, really sing. And when she's chosen from thousands to train for a spot in the biggest K-pop label's first-ever girl group, she'll have her chance to show the world.

But plunging into the grueling life of a K-pop trainee will be tougher than she ever imagined. In the label's headquarters in Seoul, Candace must hone her performance skills to within an inch of her life, all while navigating the complex hierarchies and rules. Rule number one? NO DATING, which soon becomes impossible to follow. And the closer Candace gets to the limelight, the closer she gets to a scandal lighting up the K-pop fandom around the world.

Is a spot in the most hyped girl group of all time really worth risking her friendships, future, and everything she believes in?

My Thoughts:

This was a blast to read and I love all the different references to real K-pop artists along with the fictional ones in this book. Candace wants to do something with her voice, but her parents insist she play viola and work on getting good grades in school instead. When she skips study prep to audition for a K-pop agency, Candace doesn't think she'll be picked. After all, it will be difficult to convince her parents to let her travel to Seoul and have a music career before graduating high school. But she does get picked, and narrowly convinces her parents to let her go - at least for the summer. While training, she develops new friendships, and even starts to have feelings for a male trainee.

I loved the development of the side characters that Candace trains with - they aren't just one-dimensional characters that exist for the sake of the main character and plot. The writing is simple and easy to read, especially if you are already into K-pop and know the lingo. But even if you don't, there is a dictionary at the end. This was such a fun read for me.

My Rating: 5 stars