One Was Lost by Natalie D. Richards

Publication Date: October 4, 2016

Series: Standalone

Genera(s): Mystery/Thriller

Subjects: survival, camping, murder

Setting: Southern Ohio

POV/Tense: 1^st person, present tense: Sera

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 320 pgs.

HC/PB: Paperback

List Price: $10.99

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Summary/ product description: “Damaged. Deceptive. Dangerous. Darling. Are they labels or a warning? The answer could cost Sera everything.

Murder, justice, and revenge were so not a part of the plan when Sera set out on her senior camping trip. After all, hiking through the woods is supposed to be safe and uneventful.

Then one morning the group wakes up groggy, confused, and with words scrawled on their wrists: Damaged. Deceptive. Dangerous. Darling. Their supplies? Destroyed. Half their group? Gone. Their chaperone? Unconscious. Worst of all, they find four dolls acting out a murder—dolls dressed just like them.

Suddenly it's clear; they're being hunted. And with the only positive word on her wrist, Sera falls under suspicion…”

My Review:  I received an ARC of One Was Lost from Anderson’s Bookshop for a pre-pub event, which I sadly can’t attend because of a night class.

One Was Lost is a standalone thriller set in the Appalachian wilderness of southern Ohio. A group of 6 teens are on a trip with two teachers. A rainstorm causes a flash flood. The bridge that they were supposed to cross the river with is broken. Sera, Lucas, Jude, Emily and Mr. Walker make it across, but Madison, Hayley, and Ms. Brighton get left behind as the river floods.

The group of five sets up camp, hoping the river level will go down the next day. The next morning they wake up to find word written on their arms and Mr. Walker unable to wake up. They figure out that they were drugged, probably by something in their water bottles. Most of their supplied have been destroy or stolen. Sera’s word is Darling, Lucas has Dangerous, Emily has Damaged, and Jude had Deceptive.

This book is full of brutally realistic survival and a freaky mystery. I had my guesses on who did it, but I didn’t expect who it turned out to be. I enjoyed the romance between Sera and Lucas. I thought Sera being a director of school plays made her a unique and interesting protagonist. I liked the fast pace of the story and I just wanted to know what happened next. I never read anything by this author before, but this book made me want to check her other books out.

I recommend this book to those who enjoy mystery thrillers, like anything by Alexandra Sirowy, Kimberly Derting, or Becca Fitzpatrick.

Cover Art Review: My ARC cover is orange. The new cover has a voodoo-doll made of sticks, which are mentioned in the book.

Deep Betrayal by Anne Greenwood Brown

Series: Lies Beneath (bk. 2)

Genera: Paranormal Romance

Subjects: supernatural, Lake Superior, Wisconsin, mermaids, mermen, merfolk, love, murder

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 303pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Random House: Delacorte Press

Summary/ product description: “It's been thirty days, two hours, and seventeen minutes since Calder left Lily standing on the shores of Lake Superior. Not that she's counting. And when Calder does return, it's not quite the reunion Lily hoped for. Especially after she lets her father in on a huge secret: he, like Calder, is a merman. Obsessed with his new identity, Lily's dad monopolizes Calder's time as the two of them spend every day in the water, leaving Lily behind.
Then dead bodies start washing ashore. Calder blames his mermaid sisters, but Lily fears her father has embraced the merman's natural need to kill. As the body count grows, everyone is pointing fingers. Lily doesn't know what to believe—only that whoever's responsible is sure to strike again. . . "

 

My Review: Awesome sequel! I read Lies Beneath and Deep Betrayal back-to-back, so I’m happy I got to read Calder’s perspective, and in this book, Lily’s perspective. I think I like Lily’s perspective the best. I wonder who’s perspective the third book, Promise Bound, will be in. My bet is on both based off the description.

Lily’s personality is fun and quirky at times. She’s really into poetry and geeky about it. She dresses in her own unique way. And she has a merman for a boyfriend. And she’s a strong, female heroine who in no way is similar to Bella from Twilight. Calder’s no Edward either. And there’s no love triangle, thank goodness, because we want Calder to be happy so he doesn’t have to kill people to survive. Lily’s feeding him love.

Lily’s also developing some abilities beyond her resistance to cold water. And her father, who transformed at the end of the last book, is learning to be a merman. And while that’s going on, there’s also almost-drownings that authorities are calling rip-currents, but based on what witnesses say, Lily and Calder believe it’s possibly Maris or Pavati’s doing. So, a lot is happening and the other possibly suspect is Lily’s dad, because he hasn’t been home much.

Still, my favorite part of this book is the setting. I went to Superior last year, and the Porcupine Mountains. I didn’t visit Bayfield (we stopped in Ashland though) or the Apostle Islands, but I did accumulate a lot of travel guides and maps and post cards, so picturing the setting is very easy. I love the Great Lakes, and Lake Michigan is the closest to Chicago obviously, but Lake Superior is so much more natural and clear. And has better rocks to find on the beach. See some of my photos below:

 

 

 

Of course, parts of this book did take place in Minnesota. In the beginning and near the end. There is no Copper Falls in any Minnesota State parks. I looked it up. Copper Falls State Park I’ve been to twice and its south of Ashland, WI. So some places in the book are made up, but essentially based off of real places. The author did a lot of renaming and rearranging for creativity’s sake.

 Bond Falls, MI:

 

Pattison State Park, WI

 

Below: Copper Fall State Park, Brownstone Falls.

 

 PHOTO BELOW ARE NOT MINE

 

 

We also get a bigger taste of the mermaid mythology and legends. I’m not sure if they are based off of real Native American legends, or if the author made them up, but I’m sure Google has the answer. There’re probably Lake Monster legends (I only know of the Loch Ness Monster, and Lake Champlain legend). I didn’t pay attention to that stuff last year on vacation because I was too busy asking where the best places to collect copper were. (I found a very small nugget).

And then the ending of this book was pretty epic. I didn’t think it would happen, but it did. Wow. And who’s the killer? You’ll just have to read the book to find out. I never suspected.

I recommend this series to fans of the Siren trilogy by Tricia Rayburn, Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs, or other mermaid books or books about lakeshore/seaside towns and natural areas. Seriously, if you love watery setting or nature in general, take a virtual vacation on this series. Go on Google Earth or Google Maps and look up Bayfield and look at the photos. Imagine you’re there. This sequel is the perfect summer read.

Also, I want Promise Bound ASAP!!! Anyone have an ARC handy?

Cover Art Review: I like the photo. I know the girl is supposed to be Lily because the hair color. I love the lighting of the photo. Looks awesome with the metallic stock paper. The stones remind me of the lake bottom. I still don’t like the san-serif typeface they chose for the title.