Excerpt

Hey guys, I was bored and started writing. Tell me what you think about this and if I should continue it, thanks!

Chapter 1

Finally, the day was here. Ever since the first day of freshman year I had been dreaming about the time when I would become a senior. There would be no more aggressive jocks and peppy cheerleaders to push any juniors around, at least none but us. Boy did it feel good to be at the top of the food chain.

            I crept out of bed, careful not to wake my mom. The clock read 6:25 and the sun had yet to creep out of the darkness, so I wandered to where my clothes lay in the dark. I’d fix my outfit later.

            After getting ready and heading downstairs, I struggled to think of what to make for breakfast. As if on cue, my cell phone buzzed from the kitchen counter and I picked it up, finding myself staring at Stella’s face.

            “Stell, what are you doing calling this early?”

            I heard a yawn from the other end. “Just wondering what you were eating for breakfast.” Best friends think alike.

            “I haven’t decided.” I said while picking up a box of cereal from the cabinet. “Actually, make that frosted flakes.”

            “Huh, I thought you’d go for cheerios.”

            I rolled my eyes. “Are we really gonna talk about breakfast the first day of senior year?” Of all the things Stella was good at, conversation was not one of them.

            “Fine. Do you need a ride?”

            “Since I’m not walking two miles, yes.”

            “Then see you in five.” And the conversation was over.

            I set the phone back and tried hard to keep my eyes from wandering to the picture frame sitting on the counter next to it. It would ruin my day. It would bring me back into a whole state of wondering and questioning, trying to find the truth.

I lost the battle.

I found myself staring at the picture. Me, with my brown hair all curly and untamed around my shoulders, I had my head turned away from the camera while I looked to the girl behind me. She had the same green eyes as me, the same smile. I wondered what it would be like if we were going to school together today. I wondered what it would be like to be a senior with my sister.

It wasn’t long ago that she disappeared, just four years. Only I remember it like it was yesterday.

It had been hot, one of those sticky and moist days in Briarfield, North Carolina. Everything had been the same; there hadn’t been a sign or a clue that things might be different that day. I remember thinking about how humid it was. I remember wishing I had gone along with Anya to her volleyball practice instead of walking home.

I’d stepped inside the air-conditioned house, instantly feeling better. I had sat down on the leather couch and waited and waited for Anya to come home. Only she didn’t come. She hadn’t picked up her cell phone, her friends hadn’t seen her, and she hadn’t been at practice. She’d simply disappeared.

I remember running up to my bedroom that night and crying myself to sleep. I’d prayed and prayed that this was all a dream, that I had gone with her to volleyball, and that we’d both be doing our homework right now, as if nothing had happened.

But I hadn’t. And even now, I think it’s my fault.

Beep! Beep! I snapped out of my trance, Stella was waiting for me outside.

I grabbed my backpack and headed out the door, forgetting about breakfast and for the most part, about Anya.

            “Hey, girl! Ready for the first day of the rest of your life?” Stella asked as I stepped into the car.

            “Ready as I’ll ever be.” Stella gave me one of her looks and rolled her eyes as she drove down the street. 

 ALL THE RIGHTS TO THIS EXCERPT BELONGS TO ME!!!

Death by Denim

Hola there! Long time no see, huh? Haha. Well, I'm being lazy today, so the summary for this book is from the actual book, not mine. So here's the review!

Aphra Connolly is being chased by some very dangerous people. She knows her survival depends upon staying far away from love interest Seth, and listening to her mom’s lectures on the finer points of anonymity and survival. But how is a girl supposed to live under the radar and not think about her boyfriend when she’s in Paris—the most romantic city in the world? When her mom’s contact in Paris is found floating in the Seine with a deadly message stuffed in his mouth, Aphra realizes that she will never be able to stop running unless she confronts the situation head-on. Sneaking away from her mom, Aphra tracks down the criminal mastermind in Italy, only to unwittingly reveal Seth’s location. And her mistake has just put them both in mortal danger. . . .
Well, I have to say, this book was even better than the last two! There were so many twists and unpredictable things. I never knew what was going to happen. The ending was a little sad, but I guess I saw it coming.
Aphra was just as outgoing as before, she did the most dangerous things in order to save her and her friends life, and the consequences just made the book even more interesting. There was less of Seth in this book, but still enough for me to think how awesome he is. Ryan though- throughout the whole book I was like, "Ryan has to be a good guy, he CAN'T be a bad guy." And up until the very end I had no idea what the answer would be. The book managed to capture my attention from page one and overall proved to be a very good read!

Stars: 5

Status: Must Read!

Help

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Death by Latte

IF YOU HAVEN'T READ DEATH BY BIKINI YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO READ THIS REVIEW!
This is the first book I've read that beat the greatness of the first book. I loved it! It had so much more action and suspense and all the awesome stuff I can't talk about because it will give it away.
Aphra escaped death by a CIA agent once already. And now its about to start again. After traveling to Seattle to find her mother, Aphra not only finds that her mother isn't about as happy to see her as she was, but neither was Seth. After being demanded by Seth to give back the ring that Aphra had gotten from him without a hi or hug, everything changed. The CIA is after Aphra and Seth again and this time, there is no one they can trust. Aphra, Seth, her mother are now on the run, trying to save their lives.
Sorry about the short summary, I can't give too much away or it will ruin the book for you. First thing I'll say is that I liked this book a lot better than the first one! I mean, the first one rocked too but this one was in a totally new atmosphere with different characters and surprises. I was a little confused in the end about who was the bad guy and who wasn't, but loved it all the same. Aphra was just as daring and smart as before, and with her mother added to the mix they were an unstoppable team. Seth almost broke my heart in the beginning of the book, but it gets better. The ending made me cry, but good thing I had Death by Denim to read right after!
I loved how everything was so different from the first book and yet just as amazing. The twists were awesome, I never saw them coming, and the plot was simple and yet intriguing. Whether you're a Linda Gerber fan or not, you have got to read this book!

Stars: 5

Status: Must Read

Death by Bikini

Hola there guys. I've been having a good day today. It's sunny and 72 degrees and I've been lying in the sun reading :). How has your day been going??? I finished Death by Bikini by Linda Gerber and loved it, so here's the review:

Aphra's mom left four years ago. For years Aphra has been feeling alone while she lives with her dad on their island resort. Usually, life on the resort in boring. Celebrities come and go and all Aphra does is clean up after them. But when the mysterious Smiths arrive at the island, everything changes. First, a dead girl is found on the beach, her bikini top choking her. Then, there's the mysterious Adam Smith, and his dad, who Aphra thinks is the killer. Who can Aphra trust when even her father seems to be keeping stuff from her? How can she stop herself from liking Adam when she's pretty sure he's dangerous? Read this awesome book about family, mystery, and humor.
I wasn't really expecting this book to be much. I thought it would be like all the other books that I've read. But as the book progressed, the book took a whole new turn. First of all, the setting is different, its on an island. And second, there's nothing about a stalker/killer, which is the stuff I usually read. Like Blue is for Nightmares and stuff. And of course, Aphra was a wonderful character. She was smart and clever and I felt like I knew her better than anyone else. I loved how the story went to places I never expected it to. The book's plot was pretty sweet, you can't just read the first book and not read Death by Latte or Death by Denim, you gotta finish the series. Over all, this book exceeded my expectations and Linda Gerber once again made me fall in love with a book.

Stars: 5

Status: Must Read

Before I Fall

So remember Delirium??? The book I was totally and completely in love with??? (I bought it a couple weeks ago <3) well, the wonderful author, Lauren Oliver, has another completely amazing book! Before I Fall, may not have been as super duper amazing and heart warming and fabulous and awesome and- well you get the idea, as Delirium, but it definitely made it to my favorite books list.

Sammy didn't think her average Cupid Day could be any different from the other years. Maybe just a few more roses for her then the previous times. But life couldn't have hit her more surprisingly as it did that day. As they drove back from a party, Sammy and her friends got into a car crash. Just like that, driving down the road and BAM! car crash. But when Sam woke up, it was not what she expected, because once again, it was Cupid Day.
The journey begins from there. From then on, Sammy lives the same day over and over again. And throughout the days, she begins a journey finding who she really is.
This book was so sad and amazing and touching at the same time. I really enjoyed it! First of all, even though it was the same day over and over again, it never got boring! Second, this is probably the one book that I have read that had tremendous character development. I mean, Sammy was barely the same girl at the end of the book. I loved how she did the most outrageous things during her many days on Cupid Day, I loved how she changed so much about herself. I think throughout the whole thing I knew what was going to happen, but that didn't stop me from re-reading the ending over and over again just making sure that what I had just read really happened. Lauren Oliver once again amazed me with her touching book. A must read for any Delirium fan or really any book reader at all! Before I Fall was Lauren Oliver's first book and since I read Delirium before I read Before I Fall, I knew I was ready to be amazed.

Stars: 5

Status: Must Must Read!