The Thickety by J.A. White

I was introduced to The Thickety by pure chance at work when a really neat looking envelope arrived in the mail. I found myself constantly looking at the artwork and took it home at the end of my shift, fast forward a few hours later and I'd completed the book and sent a fan-girling email to the author. The moment I started the book I knew how phenomenal it was going to be, filled with vivid imagery and skill boosting vocabulary, this book is awesome for the intended age range of 8-12 and even better for all humans that like to read at all. In the time this book has been released I have sold just about 60 copies to readers ranging from 8-53 years old. Filled with beautiful scenery, terrifying beasts, laughter and heart ache The Thickety is a captivating read for any fan of the Harry Potter series.

When Kara Westfall was five years old, her mother was convicted of the worst of all crimes: witchcraft. Years later, Kara and her little brother, Taff, are still shunned by the people of their village, who believe that nothing is more evil than magic. Especially the dark that emanates from a lush forest advancing on the village, known by many names, Sorydyr's Realm, The Dark Wood, but mostly the Thickety. Lured into it's shadows by a strange bird and promises of secrets revealed, young Kara stumbles upon the answers she has always sought, but uncovers even more than she bargained for. Finding a powerful book, that may have belonged to her mother, Kara is overwhelmed by the power to right the wrongs done unto her and her family. Kara's adventure leads her on a roller coaster of trials and tribulations teaching her life lessons she never thought she'd need to learn.

Fast paced and exciting from beginning to end The Thickety is a four book series that you can not miss. The characters will make you love them and as you make your way through the strange forest of Sordyr you find not everything is always as it may seem. Watch the shadows and listen carefully, there are many hidden truths to be found all around you. Easily my most recommended read at all times, I can not stress how well I believe this series has the power to do.

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The Cellar by Natasha Preston

I like to believe I am at least 90% dead inside, but while reading The Cellar the amount of times I cried confirmed, I am not. Filled with heart stopping suspense and soul gripping sadness this novel had a depth I was not expecting from a YA title. What I thought would be a creepy story about a stolen girl turned into a heart wrenching tale of Stockholm syndrome and a mother's worst fear.

A regular night out with friends turns into a garish nightmare for 16 year old Summer when she's kidnapped just blocks from her home. Taken by a man demanding to be called Clover, she is thrust into a cellar made up into a full on apartment with three other girls. Her named is immediately changed to Lily and we learn all the girls have been renamed to mimic beautiful flora, Rose, Poppy and Violet. Clover has collected his perfect family that he will gladly kill to protect, even if that means destroying a flower and replacing her with a new one. Under the guise that he is cleansing the world of filth, we learn that Clover is a deranged man that was broken by his mother at a young age and spent his life trying to make her proud by killing "whores" who ruin perfectly good families. As Summer slowly begins to fade into Lily over a course of time, begrudgingly sliding into her role to accept the horrors she must face on a daily basis. With one girl hopelessly in love with her capture, another praying for escape but too fearful to try and the last so desperately reckless, Lily begins to lose hope. As the chapters jump between Clover, Summer and her beloved boyfriend Lewis, we learn no one on the outside has given up a single shred of hope. Day in and day out Lewis and her family tirelessly hunt for her, tracking any clue no matter how futile. Until a gut decision turns Lewis in the right direction, you are kept on the edge of your seat fearing Clover is too clever to be figured out.

A truly terrifying tale for any young girl, parent, lover or sibling The Cellar opens our eyes to the madness that could be behind any corner. Though I would've loved even more insight to Clover's life with his Mommie Dearest, his villainous character had so many well developed sides and emotions, he was able to strike fear with any mercurial stare. You will grow to love the lowers you watch wither in their tomb and pray for their safety and happy ending. Any heavy suspense or thriller fan will definitely love his novel as much as I did.

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You by Caroline Kepnes

Ever get tired of seeing a man stalk a woman and her taking it as a compliment and the story crafting him as a beautiful romantic? Well I know it kills me, and Caroline Kepnes' novel You put stalking, obsessive men in the right light. 

Your character Joe starts out as your average bookseller (I immediately bonded over that obviously) who sees a beautiful woman walk in, and does what every bookseller does in that scenario, watches you and judges the books you touch. Being slightly creepy myself, I see no harm in his strong desire to speak to this lass named Guinevere Beck, after their encounter at the register you think, well isn't he kinda cute. Until the next pages come along and you are very wrong. We've all done some social media stalking before, meet a cute guy, get his name, hunt his Facebook, well darling Joe takes it to a new extreme - he finds her Facebook and Twitter and home address and goes to stand outside her house, in full costume so she doesn't recognize him. If that isn't a well thought out romantic plan, I just don't know what is! The story progresses and Beck starts bumping into Joe, what a surprise to see you there!  Not really, he followed her, and stole her phone but you'll learn all about how much he needed it. Eventually, as these things tend to do, it spirals out of control - people in Beck's life go missing. As Joe becomes more and more convinced he and Beck were destined to be together and she remains a flighty social butterfly, he gets desperate to maintain his hold on her, no matter what that may take.

If you enjoy Stephen King's Misery or just want to see some light shone on what an obsessive stalker is actually like, you need to run out and get You - it has easily become one of my most favorite novels of this year.

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