Review: Hysteria - Megan Miranda

Mallory's life is falling apart.

Her boyfriend was stabbed. He bled to death in her kitchen. Mallory was the one who stabbed him. But she can't remember what happened that night. She only remembers the fear...

When Mallory's parents send her away to a boarding school, she thinks she can escape the gossip and the threats. But someone, or something, has followed her. There's the hand that touches her shoulder when she's drifting off to sleep. A voice whispering her name. And everyone knows what happened. So when a pupil is found dead, Mallory's name is on their lips.

Her past can be forgotten but it's never gone. Can Mallory live with that?

Visit Megan Miranda's website for more information

Review:
Mallory's life was changed forever the day she killed her boyfriend. Although she was spared from facing murder charges thanks to her lawyer's plea of self defence Mallory actually has very little memory of what happened that terrible night. Sent away to boarding school by her parents Mallory is hoping to put the past behind her but in a school where secrets are a highly valued commodity it is only a matter of time before the truth comes out. Even worse is the fact that someone or something seems out to get her, she hears voices in empty rooms, wakes up with mysterious injuries and feels like she is being followed. When another student is murdered Mallory's past makes her the most likely suspect but can she get to the bottom of what is really going on before anyone else is hurt?

I absolutely loved Megan Miranda's debut novel Fracture so I couldn't wait to get my hands on her latest book Hysteria. Once again she has hit the spot and created a story that will grip you from the first page, a story with so many twists and turns that you will find yourself constantly questioning everything you have already been told. I love the way this author manages to write stories that almost have a paranormal feel to them but are at the same time firmly grounded in reality, both of her books have shown hints of what the human brain is capable of and I find that fascinating to read about.

Mallory has hardly any memory of the night that she killed Brian and she really has no idea what happened between them or how he ended up dying from a stab wound. She is now constantly doubting herself and wondering if she could have done something differently to prevent his death. Distressed by what happened she is now convinced that Brian is haunting her so when the opportunity to leave home and go to boarding school comes up she jumps at the chance hoping to leave him behind. When the strange events follow her to school she starts to worry that she is actually losing her mind. Mallory finds it very difficult to trust anyone and doesn't know where to turn when things get out of control, her fear was very realistic and my heart went out to her.

Since she has so many holes in her memory I found Mallory to be a very unreliable narrator, it was difficult to know whether she was telling the truth or recreating events in a way that made her feel better about what had happened. I went back and forth between being convinced that she was going crazy from the stress to thinking that someone was out to get her and worrying about her safety. I love a story that can tie me up in knots and make it impossible to guess how events are going to unfold and that is exactly what Hysteria did. I also really enjoyed the way the current timeline showing her life at boarding school was interspersed with flashbacks from the night of the murder. I was anxious to know what had happened that night but I was equally interested in finding out exactly what was going on at her school.

Hysteria was another fantastic thrill ride of a story that I can't recommend highly enough. I can't wait to see what Megan Miranda comes up with next, she is definitely an author to watch out for!

Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
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Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Fracture - Megan Miranda

If you had one day left to live, what would you do?

Eleven minutes might as well be eternity underwater. It only takes three minutes without air for loss of consciousness. Permanent brain damage begins at four minutes. And then, when the oxygen runs out, full cardiac arrest occurs. Death is possible at five minutes. Probable at seven. Definite at ten. Delaney Maxwell was underwater for eleven minutes. And she’s alive.

By the time seventeen-year-old Delaney is pulled out of the icy waters of a frozen lake, her heart has stopped beating. She is in a coma and officially dead. But Delaney pulls through. How? Doctors are mystified. Outwardly she has completely recovered. But Delaney knows something is very wrong. Pulled by sensations she can’t control, she finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her brain predicting death or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who lost his whole family in a car accident and emerged from a coma with the same powers as Delaney. At last she’s found someone who’ll understand what she’s going through. But Delaney soon discovers that Troy’s motives aren’t quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature – or something much more frightening?

Fracture is a stand alone story but there is a free short story prequel called Eleven Minutes that can be downloaded from the Fracture Facebook page (read my review of Eleven Minutes here).

Visit Megan Miranda's website for more information

Review:
When seventeen year old Delaney falls through the ice she is underwater for eleven minutes before her best friend Decker rescues her. After that long without oxygen she should be dead, at the very least she should have permanent brain damage so when she wakes from a coma showing no signs of injury she shocks the doctors. Results of her brain scans are far from normal but nobody can work out why. When Delaney finds herself drawn to people who are about to die she questions her sanity, until she meets the mysterious Troy who appears to have the same ability. But why are they able to sense the dying and can they do anything to prevent these deaths?

I know we're not far into 2012 but this is easily the best YA book I've read so far this year and I'd be surprised if anything knocks it out of the top spot any time soon. Fracture is an impressive debut that had me gripped from the first page and up until gone 4am so I could finish reading it in one sitting. I loved Delaney, she isn't a perfect character and is confused and scared by what happened to her and her new "ability". She isn't sure how to react around her friends who think of her as their miracle as they all played a part in saving her and she is struggling to cope with her mother's overprotectiveness. She was such a real character and you go through everything she does right alongside her.

I loved Decker from the minute we were introduced to him. He is Delaney's neighbour and has been her best friend since they were young children. The two of them are incredibly close and both of them obviously have feelings for each other that go way beyond friendship. Neither of them has been able to fully express that to the other though, it's a typical case of not wanting to risk their friendship by trying for something more. I loved the way they slowly admit their feelings to themselves before they are brave enough to talk to each other. If there was ever a couple I wanted to see having a happy ending it was these two, in spite of the misunderstandings they have along the way! I have to admit I wasn't a fan of Troy, from the minute he stepped onto the page he creeped me out. I didn't know what he was hiding but there was definitely something suspicious about him and I wanted to tell Delaney to run very fast in the opposite direction.

It's hard to know how to classify the story, Delaney's ability to sense the dying makes me want to call it a supernatural thriller but the way it is written makes it feel so realistic that it comes across more contemporary than paranormal. After all we really know so little about the human brain and what it is capable of. Whatever genre you want to call it Fracture is a gripping read full of heart in mouth moments, mystery, action and romance.Fracture is a story that will make you think about what is important in life and it really does make you question what you would do if this was your last day on earth. It's hard to believe that this is Megan Miranda's debut and I can't wait to see what she writes next - if it's half as good as Fracture then it's sure to be impressive!

Source: Received from Bloomsbury in exchange for an honest review

Other reviews of this book:
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Quick Review: Eleven Minutes - Megan Miranda

Fracture is told from Delaney's perspective, and if you've read the first two chapters, you know that she falls through the ice in chapter one, and she wakes up 6 days later. And what happens in between—well, that's Decker's story.

This is the story of those eleven minutes, and the six days that follow, from his perspective. Because while it must be terrifying to be trapped under the ice, it's a different kind of terror seeing your best friend trapped...

Especially if it's your fault.

Eleven Minutes is a short story prequel to Fracture (read my review of Fracture here) that can be downloaded for free from the Fracture Facebook page.

Visit Megan Miranda's website for more information

Review:
I absolutely loved Fracture and I have to confess to having a bit of a crush on Decker so I was excited when I found out about Eleven Minutes, a free short story told from his perspective.  Decker tells his version of what happened during the eleven minutes that Delaney spent underwater and the six days that she spent in a coma after being rescued.  Although this is a short story it is an emotional read and one that had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.

This makes a great introduction to Fracture so if you're not sure whether to try the book or not I'm sure this will help you make up your mind.  I love Megan Miranda's writing style, I loved her debut novel and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

Source: Downloaded for free from the Fracture Facebook page.

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Book Trailer: Fracture - Megan Miranda

Fracture by Megan Miranda is one of the 2012 debuts that I'm really looking forward to reading.  This is being published in the UK on the 5th of January by Bloomsbury so luckily we don't have too much longer to wait now!

If you had one day left to live, what would you do?

Eleven minutes might as well be eternity underwater. It only takes three minutes without air for loss of consciousness. Permanent brain damage begins at four minutes. And then, when the oxygen runs out, full cardiac arrest occurs. Death is possible at five minutes. Probable at seven. Definite at ten. Delaney Maxwell was underwater for eleven minutes. And she’s alive.

By the time seventeen-year-old Delaney is pulled out of the icy waters of a frozen lake, her heart has stopped beating. She is in a coma and officially dead. But Delaney pulls through. How? Doctors are mystified. Outwardly she has completely recovered. But Delaney knows something is very wrong. Pulled by sensations she can’t control, she finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her brain predicting death or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who lost his whole family in a car accident and emerged from a coma with the same powers as Delaney. At last she’s found someone who’ll understand what she’s going through. But Delaney soon discovers that Troy’s motives aren’t quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature – or something much more frightening?

I love the fact that this one looks so different from my usual paranormal reads and I think it's going to be really interesting.  What do you think?  Is this one you're looking forward to?

Publisher Spotlight: Bloomsbury - January - March 2012

I thought it would be fun to start spotlighting new releases that different publishers have coming up over the next few months for us to look forward to.  I'm constantly looking for new books to add to my wish list and thought it would be a nice way of spreading the bookish love with other bloggers.  I'm not sure how regular the posts will be yet but I have quite a few lined up already and we'll see how things go over the next few months.  So in the spotlight today we have . . .

Bloomsbury always seem to have exciting titles coming out and the beginning of next year is no exception.  They have some fabulous YA books that I can't wait to get my hands on!  Check out the Bloomsbury website for more information.

January 2012:

First up we have debut novel Fracture by Megan Miranda which will be available on the 5th of January.  As a huge fan of anything supernatural I love the sound of this one, it sounds very different from anything else I've read & I'm looking forward to reading it.  For more information visit Megan Miranda's website.

If you had one day left to live, what would you do?

Eleven minutes might as well be eternity underwater. It only takes three minutes without air for loss of consciousness. Permanent brain damage begins at four minutes. And then, when the oxygen runs out, full cardiac arrest occurs. Death is possible at five minutes. Probable at seven. Definite at ten. Delaney Maxwell was underwater for eleven minutes. And she’s alive.

By the time seventeen-year-old Delaney is pulled out of the icy waters of a frozen lake, her heart has stopped beating. She is in a coma and officially dead. But Delaney pulls through. How? Doctors are mystified. Outwardly she has completely recovered. But Delaney knows something is very wrong. Pulled by sensations she can’t control, she finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her brain predicting death or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who lost his whole family in a car accident and emerged from a coma with the same powers as Delaney. At last she’s found someone who’ll understand what she’s going through. But Delaney soon discovers that Troy’s motives aren’t quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature – or something much more frightening?

Also released on the 5th of January is Alyxandra Harvey's new novel Stolen Away.  I have to admit I don't have the best track record when it comes to books about faeries but I'm a massive fan of Alyxandra's so if anyone can write a faerie book that I enjoy it will be her and I definitely want to try this one.  For more information visit Alyxandra Harvey's website.

For seventeen years, Eloise Hart had no idea the world of Faery even existed.  Now she has been abducted and trapped in the Rath of Lord Strahan, King of Faery. Strahan was only meant to rule for seven years, as Faery tradition dictates, and then give up his crown to another. But he won’t comply, and now chaos threatens both worlds.

The only one who can break his stranglehold on the Faery court is his wife, Eloise’s aunt, Antonia. Using Eloise to lure Antonia, Strahan captures his wife, desperate to end the only threat to his reign. Together with her best friends Jo and Devin, Eloise must place her trust in Lucas, her handsome protector, and Strahan’s mysterious son, Eldric, and forge alliances with other Fae in a dangerous attempt to free Antonia for ever.

Next we have another 2012 debut The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan which will also be released on the 5th of January.  I've not read many verse novels so I'm really looking forward to this one, it sounds like it will be a beautifully written story.  Visit Sarah Crossan's website for more information.

Armed with a suitcase and an old laundry bag filled with clothes, Kasienka and her mother head for England. Life is lonely for Kasienka. At home her mother’s heart is breaking and at school friends are scarce. But when someone special swims into her life, Kasienka learns that there might be more than one way for her to stay afloat.

First love, friendship and quiet courage combine in this spare and beautiful story. The Weight of Water can be devoured in one sitting or dipped in and out of as a set of poems. Crossan’s style is as lyrical as Sharon Creech and will appeal to fans of Love That Dog. The intelligence and naivety of Kasienka’s voice is reminiscent of Christopher’s voice in Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Harrison’s in Stephen Kelman’s Pigeon English. This remarkable debut is thought-provoking, heartbreaking and uplifting. Sarah Crossan is an author to watch in 2012 and beyond.

The final January the 5th release I'm going to mention is In Darkness by Nick Lake.  This looks like it is going to be a fantastic read, I've never come across anything set in Haiti before and know practically nothing about the country so I'm really looking forward to reading it.  I couldn't find a website for Nick but you can find out more about his books at his author page on Goodreads here.

Shorty is given a choice.  But is he man enough to make it?

In darkness, I count my blessings like Manman taught me.
One: I am alive.
Two: there is no two.

In the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake, a boy is trapped beneath the rubble of a ruined hospital, thirsty, terrified and alone.

Shorty is a child of the slums, a teenage boy who has seen enough violence to last a lifetime, and who has been inexorably drawn into the world of the gangsters who rule Site Soley; men who dole out money with one hand and death with the other.

But Shorty has a secret: a flame of revenge that blazes inside him and a burning wish to find the twin sister he lost seven years ago.  And he is marked.  Marked in a way that links him to Toussaint L'Overture, the Haitian rebel who led the slave revolt and faced down Napoleon to force the French out of Haiti two hundred years ago.

As he grows weaker, Shorty relives the journey that took him to the hospital, with a bullet wound in his arm.  In his visions and memories he hopes to find the strength to survive - perhaps then Shorty and Toussaint can find a way to be free . . .

February 2012:

On the 2nd of February we can look forward to This is not Forgiveness by Celia Rees.  I've been wanting to pick up a copy of her book Witch Child ever since Mary Hooper mentioned it at the Bloomsbury event a few months ago so although this is definitely very different to her historical novels I'm still really curious about it.  You can find out more at Celia Rees' website.

Everyone says that Caro is bad news, but Jamie can’t help himself. He thinks of her night and day and can’t believe that she wants to be his girlfriend. Gorgeous, impulsive and unconventional, she is totally different to all the other girls he knows. His sister, Martha, hates her. Jamie doesn’t know why, but there’s no way he’s going to take any notice of her warnings to stay away from Caro.

As Jamie falls deeper and deeper under her spell, he realises there is much more to Caro than he first thought. She disappears for days on end, she has small scars on her wrists, she talks about revolutions and taking action, and then there are the rumours he hears about the other men in her life.

Always in the background is Rob, Jamie’s older brother, back from Afghanistan and traumatised after having his leg smashed to bits there. Jamie wants to help him, but Rob seems to be living in a world of his own and is increasingly difficult to reach. With Caro, the summer should have been perfect . . . but that isn’t how things work out in real life and Jamie is going to find out the hard way.

March 2012:

On the 1st of March you'll be able to pick up a copy of Drive By by Jim Carrington.  Although this isn't the kind of book I would usually pick up I like the sound of the themes of the story - guilt and facing up to the decisions you have made - it sounds like this is a book that will really get you thinking.  Visit Jim Carrington's website for more information.

Johnny and his friends have finished school for the summer. One sweltering day, on their way back from a water fight at the park, they spot an old lady who has wound them up by bursting their football. They make a bad decision. The boys pedal up to the old lady’s parked car and commit a drive-by soaking, before pedalling away as quickly as they can.

Revenge isn’t all that’s on Johnny’s mind, however, as he spots an impossibly cool, black-clad, pale-skinned girl on the bus. He can’t stop thinking about her, but has she even registered his existence?

When Johnny discovers that the old lady suffered a heart attack after the drive-by and subsequently died, he is totally guilt-stricken. And when Johnny wakes up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night, feeling a presence in his room, he believes that he’s being haunted and the strain starts to show . . .

An incredibly dramatic, pacy novel about getting in over your head, guilt and facing up to your decisions.

Finally I thought I'd mention that the paperback version of Mister Creecher by Chris Priestley will also be released on the 1st of March.  The hardback version was released back in October and I've heard really good things about it so it's one I'm looking forward to reading.  You can find out more at Chris Priestley's website.


Please note that this is the hardback cover, the
final paperback cover is currently unavailable.

Billy is a street urchin, pickpocket and petty thief. Mister Creecher is a monstrous giant of a man who terrifies all he meets. Their relationship begins as pure convenience. But a bond swiftly develops between these two misfits as their bloody journey takes them ever northwards on the trail of their target ...Victor Frankenstein.

Friendship, trust and betrayal combine to form a dangerous liaison in this moving and frightening new book from Chris Priestley.








So what do you think of the books Bloomsbury has lined up for us in the new year? Which of these are you most looking forward to?