Breakout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon

“For Thurgood Marshall Academy's best and brightest--five friends who've been thick as thieves since kindergarten--this spring break is all about forgetting: they want nothing more than to wash away last year's tragedy, and the human-shaped hole it left in their friend group.

It's a hole the new kid, Anthony Brooks, seems to fit right into. So when he invites the Five to join him on a private island for a week at his dad's luxury resort, they agree with zero hesitation. No one's counting on a freak tropical storm swooping in and killing the vibe. And speaking of killing, they're also ill-prepared for the mounting collection of dead bodies... including (another) one of their own.

As their dream trip unravels, everything they tried to leave behind--secrets, lies, betrayals, dead best friends--seems to be washing up on the shore of their lives for everyone to see. Will any of them make it out alive?” - taken from Goodreads.

This book is the third collaboration between this team of six authors. Instead of a set of interconnected love stories like the previous two titles, breakout is a spring break trip that goes horribly wrong. Six teens head to a private island but become stranded when a hurricane hits and soon the dead bodies begin to pile up that have nothing to do with the aftermath of the storm. The trails, lies, and secrets are uncovered leading up to the end of the book. Readers will be guessing at who makes it off the island alive.

This Is Where We Die by Cindy R. X. He

“Eight friends went on a trip. Only six made it out alive. Now a killer has one night to make sure the survivors pay for what they did … so that zero make it out alive. 

Sadie, Will, Isla, Anthony, Emily, and Charlie are survivors. They were the six (out of eight) to return from a ski holiday turned nightmare two years ago. Although … nobody knows exactly what happened; the details hushed up via the wealth and connections of Sadie's rich parents.

When an exclusive private island with a mansion for rent goes viral on social media, their graduating class persuades Sadie to rent it for the weekend. The six arrive first by helicopter and wait for the rest of their classmates to join them by boat the next day.

But nobody ever comes.

Cut off from the rest of the world with no cell service and no means off the island, paranoia and terror mount as they start to be picked off one by one by an unseen killer. Their past has finally caught up with them, and they'll need to figure out who is killing them before they all wind up dead.” - taken from Goodreads.

This is a YA take on Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. Eight friends went on a ski trip but only six survived and no one talks about what happened. Now with graduation over, they decide to have one last night together before some other friends arrive on the private island that they rented for a party. Sadie, Isla, Emily, Charlie, Will, and Ant are all bound by the horrific secret that no one talks about. As soon as the six arrive on the island, they realize that they are trapped and at the mercy of someone who wants them to pay for what happened on that ill-fated ski trip. Told from six points of view with flashbacks to the ski trip, who will survive the weekend and who wants them dead?

Visit Cindy R. X. He’s website.

House of Salt & Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

“In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls' lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn't sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?

When Annaleigh's involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it's a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I had heard lots of good things about this book so I decided to give it a try. I adored this book so much that I had a hard time putting it down and even peeked at the ending to see what would happen. Thank goodness I didn't spoil too much of an unexpected and haunting ending. Based on the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, our story opens up with our main character Annaleigh, the sixth born sister attending one of her older sister's funeral. Four older sisters and their mother have all passed on and the town folks believe that the Thaumas sisters are cursed. When a mysterious young man enters her life, Annaleigh is determined to prove that there is no curse and that someone is seeking vengeance on the Thaumas family. Chilling, haunting, and mysterious read with a romantic interest thrown in, readers will devour this book.

Visit Erin A. Craig’s website.

Illusion by Martina Boone (The Heirs of Watson Island book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, Compulsion and Persuasion, Stop! I don’t want to ruin one of my favorite series for you.

“Barrie must rescue her beloved and her family from evil spirits in the masterful conclusion to the Heirs of Watson Island trilogy.

Caged by secrets all around her and haunted by mistakes that have estranged her from Eight Beaufort, Barrie Watson is desperate to break the curse that puts her family in danger—without breaking the beautiful magic that protects Watson’s Landing. To do that, she must heal the rifts that have split the families of the island apart for three hundred years, unravel the mystery of the Fire Carrier and the spirits he guards, and take control of forces so deadly and awe-inspiring they threaten to overwhelm her.

With the spirits that cursed Watson Island centuries ago awake and more dangerous than ever, she finds an unlikely ally in the haunting and enigmatic Obadiah, whose motivations and power she still can’t read—or trust. His help comes at a price, however, plunging Barrie into a deadly maze of magic and wonder, mystery and intrigue that leads through history to places she never imagined she could go.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Picking up immediately where Persuasion left off, Barrie is attempting to figure everything out, make amends and keep everyone happy. In the end, Barrie is going to have to confront some issues from her past before she can move on.

Will Barrie and Eight reconcile? Can the bindings be broken? Why did the bindings and curse occur in the first place? What secrets did Emmett Watson take to his grave? What is the curse of the Fire Bringer? Will the Colesworth gold be found? What are Obadiah’s true intentions? Can everyone have their happily ever afters?

Visit Martina Boone’s website.

Persuasion by Martina Boone (Heirs of Watson Island book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book the series, Compulsion, Stop! I don’t want to ruin one of my favorite series for you.

Barrie has returned to Watson's Landing after spending four days in San Francisco to retrieve her Godfather's ashes. What Seven and Eight Beauford neglected to tell her while they were gone is that reporters and ghost hunters have been hanging around since the story about the boat explosion made the news. Pru and Seven decided to close up the tea room over concerns of unwanted visitors. Barrie is upset because she doesn't know how to keep Watson’s Landing safe if she doesn't know what is going on. Seven reassures her that the excitement will die down after Cassie’s hearing and Wyatt's funeral. He believes that everything can go back to normal then.

Eight and Barrie go outside to steal some time together. Eight states that he would like to be rid of his gift but Barrie has embraced hers, even though she develops migraines upon leaving Watson’s Landing. Her gift ties her to the house. Eight says that things would be simpler if she was free of her gift. Barrie just wants the reporters and ghost hunters to quit looking for the Fire Carrier. She is afraid someone else will get hurt. Eight tells her that Wyatt and Ernesto chose to be drug runners and their death is the result of their choices. Barrie is broken when she realizes that the whole time they were in California making plans for their future restaurant, Eight knew they wouldn’t come to fruition. She wishes that they had more time together before he leaves for college. Eight drops the bomb on Barrie that he turned down his baseball scholarship to USC to stay in South Carolina and be close to her. Barrie wants to know if he is staying because he wants to or because of his gift of knowing that she wants him to. They get into an argument over his change of heart over leaving the island. When the implications of what Eight is assuming over a possible future between the two of them, she gets scared. She runs off, leaving a miserable Eight behind.

Barrie’s not mad at Eight, just all of the circumstances that have come their way. Rounding the corner of the house, she realizes that the yunwi are agitated and try to get her to leave. Her gift pulls her to a green object on the ground. Barrie bends over to pick up the token and sees that there is a raven on the backside. She looks for the person who dropped it but doesn’t see anyone at first. Then a man in a dark suit with dreadlocks materializes. Barrie realizes that it is the same man she thought she saw on on the wall the day she came home.  He remarks that he wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t witnessed it, saying that he didn’t think the gift would still be around after all this time. Barrie wants him to leave but he tells he that she has no reason to be afraid of Obadiah. She tries to scream but finds that she cannot. Obadiah tells her that he isn’t there to hurt her and that the Beaufort boy isn’t needed. He overheard their argument earlier and is there to help. He knows Eight wants to be rid of his gift gone. Barrie finds that she can let out a muffled scream and Obadiah is gone. Eight comes running and asks what is wrong. She tries to tell him about Obadiah, but the harder she tries to recall her memories, the hazier they become. Barrie finds that she cannot remember him.

Later, Seven has a chat with Barrie. He wants her to make sure that Eight leaves Watson’s Island while he still has the chance. It is up to her to convince him that she no longer wants him. Barrie is stunned to discover that Eight doesn’t know that his gift will tie him to the island. His father refuses to tell him and won’t answer any of Barrie’s questions. Seven does tell her that a future together with Seven isn’t in the cards. Each will be tied to their respective family homes. If they live together in the future, one would always be in pain. Barrie is left with seeing Seven in a new light and wondering what the future holds.

Who is Obadiah? Can he really take away Eight’s gift? What did he mean when he realizes that Barrie still had the Watson gift of finding things? Why does Barrie have issues recalling any memories of Obadiah?  Is there buried treasure at Coleworth Place? Will Barrie be able to convince Eight to leave Watson’s Island before his gift ties him to Beaufort Hall? What isn’t Seven telling either Barrie or Eight about the family gifts? Do the ghost hunters finally leave Watson’s Island? Is there a chance that Barrie and Eight can have a future together?

Barrie’s story will conclude with Illusion due out on October 25, 2016.

Visit Martina Boone’s website.

Compulsion by Martina Boone (Heirs of Watson Island book 1)

"Three plantations. Two wishes. One ancient curse."

Barrie's Aunt Pru is three hours late to pick her up from the airport. Her mother, Lula, died a week ago and Pru is her only living relative. They haven't met before today and ddidn'tknow about each other until seven days ago. Giving up, Barrie takes a cab to Watson's Island, an hour away, to arrive at her new home. Pulling up to the plantation house that has been in the Watson family continuously since 1692, Barrie is shocked to see Pru sitting on the steps. Pru is her mother's twin and she didn't realize that three hours have passed since she sat down. The cabbie asks Barrie if she wants to stay. Having the Watson gift of finding things, Barrie tells him that she is where she needs to be.

Inside, Aunt Pru grabs one of Barrie's suitcases and starts climbing the staircase. Barrie takes the other and follows. Half way up, Barrie wonders if she should worry that Pru is gasping for air but she herself needs to take a rest. Suddenly the doorbell rings and Aunt Pru panics. She knows that it is Seven because he was bringing Eight over to introduce him to Barrie. Seven cannot know that she didn't make it to the airport. He is the lawyer who worked with Lula’s to make the arrangements for Barrie. Tears begin to stream down her face. She asks Barrie to answer the door and to see if Seven to come back after dinner. Tell him that Pru has some baking to do for the tearoom and that she will make him a chocolate whoopie pie cake for dessert. The doorbell keeps ringing. Barrie says that she will cover for her and her aunt heads up the stairs to hide. Barrie walks to the door to find the Beauforts waiting. The older man introduces himself as Charles Beaufort, Seven as he is known and Eight, his son. Shaking hands with Seven, she reaches for Eight before looking. Glancing up, Eight is grinning down at her. The grin disappears as they shake hands. Barrie has a reaction to Eight, like she has when she finds something, that she not sure if he felt it too. Seven wanted to take them to dinner but for whoopie pie cake, they will be back later that evening.

Back inside, Barrie looks at Pru and is taken back. She imagines this is how her mother would look had it not been for the scars. Barrie wonders why her mother left home to live in San Francisco and stayed after the fire that killed her husband. She also questions why she let everyone on Watson's Island believe that she was dead instead of horribly burned with a newborn baby she couldn't care for. Barrie hopes to find the answers to her questions here and her aunt looks like she needs someone to help her. At the top of the stairs, the house divides into two wings. Barrie feels a sense of loss towards the left but Aunt Pru heads to the right. When Barrie asks what is in the other wing, she answers that it is in disrepair and dangerous. She has enough rooms to clean as it is. At the far end of the hallway, Pru takes her to a bedroom with a balcony overlooking the river. Pru wipes away the tears as she tells Barrie that her mother loved to look at the river. Pru apologizes for the tears but Barrie knows that it must be difficult for her to discover the truth about her sister after years of lies. She leaves and Barrie sees Seven and Eight get in a boat at the dock to go back across the river to Beaufort Hall. She watches them land at their dock and a dog comes to greet them. Eight begins to play with the dog as Barrie stares from the window. He pulls his shirt off and Barrie’s mouth drops. Eight looks up as if sensing her staring at him. He and the dog jump in the river. Barrie has noticed that Eight is more like a nine.

Barrie calls her friend Mark back in San Francisco. He is unable to be Barrie’s guardian because he is dying from pancreatic cancer. She tells him that she is going to be alright but has decided against selling her mother’s things at auction. She asks Mark to ship them to Watson’s Landing. He will be happy as long as he knows that she is happy. After she finishes unpacking, Barrie heads downstairs to join her aunt for dinner. Setting the table, she is shocked to see that her mother used the same dinnerware as Pru, only Lula’s was in much better condition. Barrie realizes that she could help her aunt out by replacing her broken and worn things with what her mother had. She only hopes that Pru won’t be upset. Over dinner, Barrie offers to help Pru around the plantation. Pru politely declines, saying that she needs to settle in before school starts. The conversation then turns to Lula. The girls weren’t identical twins and Barrie realizes that Pru doesn’t know about her mother’s scars. Barrie didn’t bring any pictures with her and Pru’s father threw away every photo that Lula in it when she left. Pru notices that it is eight o’clock. She hasn’t made the cake yet and rushes off to the freezer to find something else. She knows that Seven is always early. Barrie starts washing the dishes and Pru comes back with tears in her eyes. She tells Barrie to relax but then asks about how Lula died and if she suffered. Barrie asks her what the lawyer told her about the devastating fire and Lula’s injuries. Pru didn’t know and drops a plate. She falls to the floor and cuts her knees. She pulls Barrie down and starts to cry on her shoulder. Standing at the kitchen door, Seven tells Barrie that he will take care of Pru. He asks Pru what in the world she is doing. Eight tells Barrie hello but her tongue is tied when she tries to return the  greeting. Seven tells Eight where the first aid kit is in the pantry and Eight goes to get it. Seven and Pru begin arguing and Barrie wishes she could disappear. Eight tells Barrie he will show her the path to the river. She doesn’t move. In case she hasn’t picked up on it, that’s their cue to leave.

Outside, Eight pulls Barrie down against the wall to eavesdrop. Touching, Barrie gets the not-lost feeling again and wonders if Eight noticed it that time. He tells her to be quiet and makes a comment that reminds her of home. Upset, she rushes away as Eight tries to apologize. Wishing she were back home and not dropped into a strange new life, she heads towards the woods. Eight catches up and walks backwards in front of her. He apologizes but Barrie also sees that he is confused. He realizes that she is still in shock and tells her about when his mother died. He holds her as she realizes how angry she is at her mother. Breaking apart, Eight wants to find how his father and Pru know each other so well if they hadn’t talked in years. Pru hasn’t left the house in years, just like her father. Eight fills in Barrie on the history of their two families. She heads towards the woods but Eight stops her and tells a very unconvincing lie about why she shouldn’t go there. Turning to head back to the house, a boat catches their attention. Looking up the river, Barrie sees the ruin of a plantation and asks Eight about it. It's Colesworth Place. Eight realizes that she didn't know her father was also from Watson's Landing. Her uncle Wyatt is trying to rebuild the house Sherman burned on his through march through the South. Lula always said that she hoped her father burned in hell. He was a cocky, deceitful man and Barrie should not fall in love with that type of man. Eight really doesn't want to go any further into details but does say that she has two cousins whom she will go to school with. Needless to say, it's a feud amongst the Colesworths and everyone else in town. Seven believes that Wyatt is after any money Lula might have had.

How come Pru didn’t come to the airport? Why did Barrie’s mother run off? What was the reason no one on Watson’s Island knew that she had survived the fire? How come her parents ran off and the love affair ended? Why does Barrie have the ability to find lost things? How come the house is calling to Barrie? What is the connection she feels with Eight? What is going on between Pru and Seven? What secrets does Watson’s Island keep hidden? What is the real reason the Colesworths’ are interested in Barrie? What happened between the families? Can Barrie and Eight fight their attraction to one another?

Book two in the Heirs of Watson Island, Persuasion, is due out in 2015.

Visit Martina Boone’s website.