FFBC Blog Tour: Lock Every Door by Riley Sager...Review & Giveaway!

Wednesday I shared my thoughts on The Bartholomew, the fictional hotel in Lock Every Door and today I am here to share my review!

Keep reading to find out more about Lock Every Door and more!

Lock Every Door
by Riley Sager
Publisher: Dutton Books
Release Date: July 2, 2019
Genre: Adult, Horror, Thriller

Synopsis:

No visitors. No nights spent away from the apartment. No disturbing the other residents, all of whom are rich or famous or both. These are the only rules for Jules Larsen's new job as an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan's most high-profile and mysterious buildings. Recently heartbroken and just plain broke, Jules is taken in by the splendor of her surroundings and accepts the terms, ready to leave her past life behind.

As she gets to know the residents and staff of the Bartholomew, Jules finds herself drawn to fellow apartment sitter Ingrid, who comfortingly, disturbingly reminds her of the sister she lost eight years ago. When Ingrid confides that the Bartholomew is not what it seems and the dark history hidden beneath its gleaming facade is starting to frighten her, Jules brushes it off as a harmless ghost story . . . until the next day, when Ingrid disappears.

Searching for the truth about Ingrid's disappearance, Jules digs deeper into the Bartholomew's dark past and into the secrets kept within its walls. Her discovery that Ingrid is not the first apartment sitter to go missing at the Bartholomew pits Jules against the clock as she races to unmask a killer, expose the building's hidden past, and escape the Bartholomew before her temporary status becomes permanent.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kobo | iBooks | IndieBound

Riley Sager is the pseudonym of a former journalist, editor and graphic designer.

Now a full-time writer, Riley is the author of FINAL GIRLS, an international bestseller that has been published in 25 languages, and the New York Times bestseller THE LAST TIME I LIED. His latest book, LOCK EVERY DOOR, will be published in July.

A native of Pennsylvania, Riley now lives in Princeton, New Jersey.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook 

Title: Lock Every Door

Author: Riley Sager

Format: Digital ARC

Source: Publisher/Blog Tour 

With Lock Every Door, Riley Sager has solidified himself as one of my favorite authors of thrillers and suspense. As he did with his previous two novels, The Final Girls and The Last Time I Lied, Sager created a story and characters that I’m not likely to forget any time soon. This time it all centered around a fascinating, old apartment building with a storied past, The Bartholomew.

Jules Larsen is having the worst luck ever when she gets the chance to live and work as an apartment sitter in the luxurious apartment building that she has dreamed about for years, The Bartholomew. It seems almost too good to be true and soon Jules begins to suspect it just might be with its strange rules, secretive residents, and dark past. Her suspicions kick into high gear when fellow apartment sitter Ingrid disappears and Jules learns all is not what it seems at The Bartholomew.

Lock Every Door is a page-turner that I couldn’t put down. Mystery, suspense, drama, horror, there’s a little bit of everything and a nice balance of all. As a fan of thrillers, I enjoyed every bit of this story, from the beginning where we get a brief glimpse of what’s to come to the shocking ending with its horrific twist. I could easily see Lock Every Door on the big or small screen someday as it reminded me of some of my favorite films from the thriller/suspense genre.

In addition to successfully handling the genre, Sager also manages to breathe life into The Bartholomew making me view it as its own character despite it being an inanimate building. From the wallpaper with flowers like faces and vents with openings like mouths that swallow dropped items, each description brought this building to life and made it real. It is just as important as the human characters in the story and it is probably my favorite part of the story. Just imagining the floor plans, the history, the residents, and extravagance of it all makes me wish I could see it as it was meant to be.

I also really enjoyed how Sager managed to tie Jules’s past to her present situation even though they seem completely unrelated. The Bartholomew is the setting of her missing sister’s favorite book, a book-within-a-book whose author turns out to be a resident at the apartment building. And fellow sitter Ingrid reminds Jules of her sister which sort of motivates Jules in her search for Ingrid and answers when the girl disappears. 

As for those answers, I can’t lie and say I didn’t see them coming...well some of them...but I enjoyed watching them play out. And as I read the ending, I realized little clues had been dropped along the way (which is one reason why I wasn’t completely surprised...I had my Nancy Drew hat on). Now I want to reread the book to see what clues that I might have missed!

I can’t wait to see what Riley Sager has in store for us next!

*I received a free digital ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.*

7 copies of LOCK EVERY DOOR by Riley Sager

US Only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the other stops on the Tour to learn more about Lock Every Door!

Click here for the schedule!

FFBC: Lock Every Door By Riley Sager...My Favorite Character & aGiveaway!

I am not going to lie, Riley Sager is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. I have enjoyed each of his previous books, The Final Girls and The Last Time I Lied. And Lock Every Door is one of the best books I’ve read this year, if not the best. 

So I am super excited to be able to tell you about the book today!

Keep reading to find out more about Lock Every Door and to learn about my favorite character and more!

And be sure to check back Friday for my review!

Lock Every Door
by Riley Sager

Publisher: Dutton Books

Release Date: July 2, 2019

Genre: Adult, Horror, Thriller

Synopsis:

No visitors. No nights spent away from the apartment. No disturbing the other residents, all of whom are rich or famous or both. These are the only rules for Jules Larsen's new job as an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan's most high-profile and mysterious buildings. Recently heartbroken and just plain broke, Jules is taken in by the splendor of her surroundings and accepts the terms, ready to leave her past life behind.

As she gets to know the residents and staff of the Bartholomew, Jules finds herself drawn to fellow apartment sitter Ingrid, who comfortingly, disturbingly reminds her of the sister she lost eight years ago. When Ingrid confides that the Bartholomew is not what it seems and the dark history hidden beneath its gleaming facade is starting to frighten her, Jules brushes it off as a harmless ghost story . . . until the next day, when Ingrid disappears.

Searching for the truth about Ingrid's disappearance, Jules digs deeper into the Bartholomew's dark past and into the secrets kept within its walls. Her discovery that Ingrid is not the first apartment sitter to go missing at the Bartholomew pits Jules against the clock as she races to unmask a killer, expose the building's hidden past, and escape the Bartholomew before her temporary status becomes permanent.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kobo | iBooks | IndieBound

Riley Sager is the pseudonym of a former journalist, editor and graphic designer.

Now a full-time writer, Riley is the author of FINAL GIRLS, an international bestseller that has been published in 25 languages, and the New York Times bestseller THE LAST TIME I LIED. His latest book, LOCK EVERY DOOR, will be published in July.

A native of Pennsylvania, Riley now lives in Princeton, New Jersey.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook 

Now it’s time for me to share some of my random thoughts...well, maybe not-so-random...I’ll let you decide...

My Favorite Character from Lock Every Door...

One of my favorite things about Riley Sager’s writing is his knack for creating fascinating and complex characters that you want to know more about. And Lock Every Door definitely doesn’t lack colorful characters. Each character has its own idiosyncrasies and unique personality that makes them memorable. They also have a backstory that makes them intriguing and you long to discover more about what brought them to this particular moment in life. My favorite character in Lock Every Door has all of these traits and just happens to be The Bartholomew, the apartment building in which the main character and most of the other characters reside. 

Yes, there are plenty of human characters in the story that I could have easily chosen. The residents of The Bartholomew are definitely eccentric, secretive people who make you curious to know their story and what brought them to this apartment building. There are quite a few I loved. But Riley Sager manages to bring The Bartholomew to life giving it its own quirks and personality as well as providing it with a fascinating back story. From the wallpaper that looks like tiny faces to the giant gargoyles to the old-fashioned elevator, everything about The Bartholomew intrigues me.

The Bartholomew is more than just a setting or building to me, it is integral to the story because without it and its supposed curse, the story falls apart and loses what makes it so interesting. I won’t say anymore...you’ll just have to read to find out what exactly happens and judge for yourself. But to me, it is a character in the story.

But The Bartholomew isn’t the only building that is important or could be looked at as its own character throughout literature or fiction. Can you imagine the Harry Potter series without Hogwarts? The Shining without the Overlook Hotel? The Haunting Of Hill House without Hill House? These are just a few examples.

Do you have a favorite building from literature? Would you consider it a character?

7 copies of LOCK EVERY DOOR by Riley Sager

US Only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the other stops on the Tour to learn more about Lock Every Door!

Click here for the schedule!

And be sure to check back here on Friday for my review!

Blog Tour: Always Forever Maybe by Anica Mrose Rissi...Some Random Thoughts & a Giveaway!

Today I am a stop on the Always Forever Maybe Blog Tour!

It’s an emotional read about abuse in a relationship and I share some rambling (but hopefully coherent) thoughts on the topic, so keep reading!

Always Forever Maybe

by Anica Mrose Rissi

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: June 5, 2018

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Synopsis:

When Betts meets Aiden at the candy store where she works, their connection is like a sugar rush to the heart. Even before they share a first kiss, Betts already knows the two of them are destined to become an us.

Betts has a bruised, cautious history with love, but she feels safe and empowered in Aiden's arms. He trusts her with the darkness in his troubled past, and his devotion opens up a new future for Betts just as everything else in her world is changing. With graduation inching closer, Betts and her best friend, Jo, have been sliding slowly apart, and that fissure is blown wide open by Aiden.

Betts has only ever kept one secret from Jo, but suddenly there's a long list of things she won't tell her, things Jo wouldn't understand. Because Jo doesn't see how good Aiden is for Betts. She finds him needy. Possessive. Controlling.

She's wrong. With a love like this, nothing else matters.

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Anica Mrose Rissi grew up on an island off the coast of Maine. After college, she moved to New York City, where she worked as a cheesemonger and book editor. She now writes, fiddles in the electro-country band Owen Lake and the Tragic Loves, and walks with her dog, Arugula, near their home in Princeton, New Jersey. Anica is the author of several books for younger readers, and her essays have been published by The Writer and the New York Times. Always Forever Maybe is her YA debut. Visit her online at anicarissi.com, and follow her on Instagram and Twitter at @anicarissi.

The Rambling Thoughts of This Reader...

When I first read the synopsis of Always Forever Maybe, a million post ideas ran through my head for this. Now, as I sit here trying to write down exactly what I want to say, I am struggling. This book and its subject matter is a tough one, both to read and to write about...especially if you’ve lived it or are currently living it.

Now, I don’t want to give you the wrong idea, I was never in a controlling or possessive relationship like the one portrayed in the book...no, I was the friend who wanted to help, the family member who watched a loved one suffer at the hands of her abuser, the one who always said, “That won’t be me” and still prays it never is.

But I can easily understand how it could happen...even more so now that I am an adult than when I was a teen and that’s what is so hard for me about abuse in teen relationships. Because many teens don’t get it, they don’t see or know the signs because no one has told them or they interpret them as something else. Some long for any attention or affection and sometimes that comes with a price...sometimes they tell, sometimes they don’t. And occasionally friends don’t want to get involved or don’t want to ruin a friendship or are unsure themselves of what’s going on so they stay quiet, too. Like I did...a decision I still regret all of these years later.

Guess I better start at the beginning with that one. I knew a girl in elementary school who became more of a friend in middle school. We weren’t super close, but we had lunch and gym together so we would hang out and talk then. Around this time Reese Witherspoon and Mark Wahlberg had a movie out called Fear about a teen girl who gets involved with an older boy who ends up being possessive and abusive (this movie was actually the very first thing I thought of reading the synopsis for Always Forever Maybe). While I absolutely hated the Wahlberg character, my friend loved him and thought he was so sexy and romantic. He was an abusive jerk, I would say and she’d counter with, but he loved her a lot. I was left wondering if we saw the same movie. Then it clicked...my friend had an older boyfriend, one she rarely talked about, but everyone at school knew about. Could he be like Wahlberg’s character? I dismissed the thought because surely my friend would’ve said something or left him or something. I began paying more attention to things after that. Small bruises on her arms and legs...I bruise easy, she’d say. A few weeks later, she came to school with her arm in a brace and a black eye...a door she said. I finally called her out on the lie and asked her who hurt her and she told me it was him, but her parents had pressed charges so it was over. She was also moving. I felt terrible for not voicing my suspicions to someone before it had gotten to this point and told her so. She said that it wouldn’t have mattered because no one would’ve believed me without proof and she would’ve just lied...she still loved him. She moved a few weeks later and I never saw her again. But I still wonder about her.

I can’t help but also wonder if she and other teens would have benefited from one of the best college classes I ever took: Self Defense. Yes, I learned ways to defend myself against would-be attackers, but we also spent a lot of time discussing a topic you wouldn’t think you’d need to know about in this type of class...abuse in relationships. We learned warning signs to look for in people we date, warning signs in other people’s relationships, where and how to get help for ourselves and others, and so much more. We shared personal stories and it opened my eyes to things that I might not have realized were warning signs before. It also gave me a better understanding of those who stay in abusive relationships and the cycle these types of relationships creates. My only regret is that I didn’t get this information until my 20s...I believe that teens, especially those who date, could really benefit from of all of this info and I hope there are programs that provide it.

Earlier I mentioned the film Fear, and how the synopsis of the book reminded me of it, there is another movie I want to bring up because it brings to light the fact that it’s not just females who are the victims, for lack of a better word, in abusive relationships. Years ago, network TV stations would air “Movies of the Week” that were like Lifetime movies, but better (in my opinion). There is one that has stuck with me since I was a child...Men Don’t Tell. In the film, the husband is being physically abused by the wife but no one believes it and he gets blamed because he is the male in the relationship. It takes the couple’s daughter asking if Mommy was going to get in trouble for hurting Daddy for people to finally start to understand what’s really happening. This film struck a chord with itty bitty kid me and stuck with me for years because it is one of the first times where I had seen them portray the man as the victim. It’s important and I wanted to mention it because we often forget that guys can also be victims of abusive relationships as well and deserve the same help and consideration as girls.

There are so many examples of toxic, unhealthy, and/or abusive relationships portrayed on television, in film, and in books. If you find yourself in a situation that you feel may be dangerous or unhealthy, I hope you know that you are not alone. There are ways to get help. YOU ARE WORTH IT!

• Prize: 1 copy of ALWAYS FOREVER MAYBE
• Starts: 5/29
• Ends: 6/14

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Blog Tour: This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada...Review, Favorite Quotes, & Giveaway!

So excited because today is my stop on This Mortal Coil Blog Tour!

Keep reading to learn more about this fascinating SciFi story that I loved, to check out my review, and to see a few of my favorite quotes!
Plus, you can enter to win your own copy!

This Mortal Coil

by Emily Suvada

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: November 7th 2017

Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Science Fiction

Synopsis:

In this gripping debut novel, seventeen-year-old Cat must use her gene-hacking skills to decode her late father’s message concealing a vaccine to a horrifying plague.

Catarina Agatta is a hacker. She can cripple mainframes and crash through firewalls, but that’s not what makes her special. In Cat’s world, people are implanted with technology to recode their DNA, allowing them to change their bodies in any way they want. And Cat happens to be a gene-hacking genius.

That’s no surprise, since Cat’s father is Dr. Lachlan Agatta, a legendary geneticist who may be the last hope for defeating a plague that has brought humanity to the brink of extinction. But during the outbreak, Lachlan was kidnapped by a shadowy organization called Cartaxus, leaving Cat to survive the last two years on her own.

When a Cartaxus soldier, Cole, arrives with news that her father has been killed, Cat’s instincts tell her it’s just another Cartaxus lie. But Cole also brings a message: before Lachlan died, he managed to create a vaccine, and Cole needs Cat’s help to release it and save the human race.

Now Cat must decide who she can trust: The soldier with secrets of his own? The father who made her promise to hide from Cartaxus at all costs? In a world where nature itself can be rewritten, how much can she even trust herself?

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Emily Suvada was born and raised in Australia, where she went on to study mathematics and astrophysics. She previously worked as a data scientist, and still spends hours writing algorithms to perform tasks which would only take minutes to complete on her own. When not writing, she can be found hiking, cycling, and conducting chemistry experiments in her kitchen. She currently lives in Portland, OR, with her husband.

To be completely honest, I’m not quite sure how to describe what I just read, but I do know I enjoyed every bit of it. This Mortal Coil is unlike anything I've read and completely fascinated me from start to finish..I just couldn't put it down. This is a complex story that is going to be a hard one to review without spoilers, but I shall do my best.

In a world where everyone and everything can be (and is) genetically modified through technology, hacker Catarina Agata and millions of others are struggling to survive Hydra, a deadly virus that is sweeping the world. Catarina’s world is turned upside-down when her father, a world-renowned geneticist, is kidnapped by Cartaxus, an organization that wants him to find a cure for the deadly virus. 

After two years of struggling to survive on her own while hiding from the organization that took her father, once again Catarina's world is shaken when a Cartaxus soldier appears supposedly with a message from her father. Suddenly Catarina’s thrown into the thick of things as her hacking skills and more are needed to unlock the cure to the deadly virus. The problem is the more she learns, the more questions she has. Now Catarina isn't sure who to trust and is more confused than ever.

As Catarina works to complete her father’s mission, she uncovers things that confuse her and make her realize that things might not be what she has been led to believe.  Sheltered much of her life, she has been raised to believe one thing about herself, her father, and his past, and only has her father’s version of events to go by, who obviously is probably a bit biased. Plus her own views on Cartaxus and their work is colored by her experiences and what others have taught her.

As the story progresses and new information is revealed, suddenly Catarina is not quite sure what to believe or who to trust and it’s very difficult for her. It was interesting to see what she discovers and her reactions to everything she discovers. She is definitely an intriguing character...independent, intelligent, and greatly affected by her past and the world around her.  Yet, despite her tough and fierce exterior, she still has managed to maintain a grasp on humanity and all of the emotions that come with it. With only her point of view in the story, we are as unsure as she is about what might truly be going on and each new discovery gives not only Catarina a glimpse at the truth and answers to what is happening, but readers as well. This makes for a very exciting read and adventure.

And This Mortal Coil is definitely exciting…from the very first page until the last, the excitement and thrill of the story never really slows.  Each new discovery or revelation brings new challenges and more characters are introduced making for a complex yet cohesive story and world that keeps you guessing as to what might happen next.

With This Mortal Coil, Emily Suvada has not only created a fascinating world that could plausibly become the future as technology becomes more and more advanced and a part of life and as new scientific discoveries are made, but she has also managed to show the dangers that come with such advances and gives a glimpse of the negative effects it could have on humanity. She does this not only with the main plot of the story, but with little details such as DRM food or weaponized nanites. 

To be honest with you, This Mortal Coil is filled with quite a bit of scientific and technological terms and concepts that some may find to be too much, but I found it all to be fascinating and was mesmerized by the author’s vision of modified genetics and technology. Just don't ask me to explain how any of it works…my geekery only goes so far.  But all of Suvada’s ideas manage to come together to create a story that I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. Her imagination and knowledge is a little bit terrifying and a lot brilliant. 

With all of the technology and science mumbo jumbo there is still, at the core of this story, emotion, heart, and a connection between characters that goes beyond all of that. Suvada managed to portray the intricacies of human emotions such as kindness, compassion, and love as well as pain, regret, and sadness through her all of characters. Despite all of their technological advances and genetic modifications, they are still human. I couldn't help but become connected to the characters and invested in their story...I felt their heartache, disappointment, joy, fear, and excitement.  

And the apocalyptic world Suvada describes is like something straight out of a sci-fi/horror movie. From the virus and how it affects people to what people can do for temporary immunity, it was all so gruesome and dramatic, I could feel the desperation that motivated the characters to find a cure.  And it's such an intense story with something happening every minute and so many surprises. You never know what to expect nor do the characters.  

This Mortal Coil is a riveting story that I'm not likely to forget any time soon and definitely one I'd recommend to sci-fi fans.

*I received a free digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.*

It was so hard to find quotes that wouldn't spoil the story as each page seemed to reveal something new and relevant to the plot, but I tried my best and here are a few quotes that really stood out to me…

1 copy of THIS MORTAL COIL by Emily Suvada 

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