Hysteria by Megan Miranda

Publisher: Bloomsbury
ISBN: 9781408834848
Release Date: Feb 2013
Source: Netgalley/Purchased

From Goodreads: 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?

Fracture was one of those books that completely blew me away when I read it last year so I was definitely excited to read this one – and while I didn't love it quite as much as Fracture I must say it was really, really good!

Mallory is quite a hard character to like. I'm not sure if it’s because we are getting the story from her POV and she’s kind of an unreliable narrator in the sense that all these strange thing are happening and that she cant recall what happened that night or just that she doesn't initially seem particularly sorry for what happened? I’m not sure – I couldn’t really put my finger on it. Maybe I was judging her for her choice – but who knows what you would do if you were in her shoes. I certainly don’t!

Despite not being certain I actually liked Mallory I did find myself completely emerged in her story. Everything that happens is really creepy – is she being haunted or is something else going on? I never knew what to think, what to believe and that was really exciting – I couldn’t wait to finish the book and find out what was actually going on. And it didn't disappoint!

I wasn't sure about the friendship between Mallory and Colleen either but grew to like it as the story progressed. And I adored the relationship that builds between Mallory and Reid – so, so good!

I’m looking forward to seeing what this author comes up with next – I'll definitely be reading it!

Cover Wars: Hysteria

UK / US

I have to admit I'm not sure about the US cover - I want to like it but there is just something about it that I  can't quite put my finger on.  However, I love the UK cover!  I love the girl's eyes (creepy and beautiful!) and I like the tag line too.

What do you think?

Fracture by Megan Miranda

For Review: Bloomsbury
Published: 5 January 2012

From Goodreads:  By the time Delaney Maxwell was pulled from a Maine lake’s icy waters by her best friend, Decker Phillips, her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead.

But somehow Delaney survived—despite the brain scans that show irreparable damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be fine, but she knows she’s far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can’t control or explain, Delaney now finds herself drawn to the dying, and when she meets Troy Varga, a boy who recently emerged from a coma with the same abilities, she is relieved to share this strange new existence. Unsure if her altered brain is predicting death or causing it, Delaney must figure out if their gift is a miracle, a freak of nature—or something else much more frightening….

I seriously, seriously enjoyed this book. There is something really compelling about it - I was so engrossed in Delaney and her story that I couldn't stop reading.

I loved the idea behind the story. It has a paranormal aspect to it but reads as if it is a contemporary - and I really liked that. The repercussions of surviving something she really shouldn't have - and what that means - not just to her but those around her - was a story I found myself completely addicted to. I loved how it was written too - I really felt as if I was in Delaney's head - feeling what she felt.

As for Decker - I fell in love with him the moment he came running into Delaney's hospital room and collapsed sobbing on the bed. He is just utterly adorable and I loved the two of them together - as friends - and as maybe more. The two of them seriously have chemistry but it's more than that - I could see how close they had been in the past  - how close they are now - and how good they could be together. And I loved the way they met as kids - with him claiming "Tomorrow I'll make you smile."

Troy Varga on the other hand is a very complex character - he's interesting and intriguing - but I can't say I liked him. He, to me at least, just came across as creepy. But he plays an integral part in the story and is a  kind of balance for Delaney - he represents what she could be perhaps? And definitely makes you root for her to take a very different path.

As I said before this has a paranormal edge to it - but even if you take that away you are left with a completely absorbing read. I loved how Delaney struggles to come to terms with what has happened to her - and what is happening to her. The way it affects her relationship with her parents - her mother in particular - and how it brings memories to the surface for her mother. I also loved the impact it has on her relationship with Decker and her friends - how it forces them to make changes.

My only quibble is that I didn't get enough closure at the end. I wanted more - I wanted to know what the consequences were to the final scenes with Troy. What the last scene meant for Delaney and Decker. And what happened with their circle of friends? I know I can make my own decisions - and have - but I still would have like to have those questions answered.

Overall though this is a stunning debut - I am definitely going to check out whatever Megan Miranda writes next!

Fracture by Megan Miranda (Extract and Trailer)

I have been soooo excited to read Fracture by Megan Miranda - and I can tell you that it is all kinds of awesome.  I loved it!  I will have a review for you a bit nearer it's release date (5 January 2012) but in the meantime you can check out the trailer and the first chapter.  Enjoy:D

Fracture - first chapter

You can find out more about Megan Miranda at her Website and on Twitter.

I want to read that...

Fracture by Megan Miranda

From Goodreads: Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine - despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, 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?

For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the fine line between life and death.

Comparisons to Before I Fall and If I Stay makes this a definite must read for me - I loved them both! And I am loving the cover!

It's published January 2012