Thursday, January 28, 2016

Blog Tour Book Review, Excerpt, and Giveaway: Sanctuary Bay by Laura J. Burns & Melinda Metz

Welcome to my stop for the Sanctuary Bay Blog Tour!

This was such a fun and different kind of read. I hope you will all take a minute or two to check out my review for it, read the excerpt and of course, enter the giveaway.




Release Date: January 19, 2016 
St. Martin's Press
Genre: YA Fantasy
Series: Book One



Book Description:

In this genre-bending YA thriller, will Sarah Merson's shiny new prep school change her life forever or bring it to a dark and sinister end?

When Sarah Merson receives the opportunity of a lifetime to attend the most elite prep school in the country-Sanctuary Bay Academy-it seems almost too good to be true. But, after years of bouncing from foster home to foster home, escaping to its tranquil setting, nestled deep in Swans Island, couldn't sound more appealing. Swiftly thrown into a world of privilege and secrets, Sarah quickly realizes finding herself noticed by class charmer, Nate, as well as her roommate's dangerously attentive boyfriend, Ethan, are the least of her worries. When her roommate suddenly goes missing, she finds herself in a race against time, not only to find her, but to save herself and discover the dark truth behind Sanctuary Bay's glossy reputation. 

In this genre-bending YA thriller, Sanctuary Bay by Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz, Sarah's new school may seem like an idyllic temple of learning, but as she unearths years of terrifying history and manipulation, she discovers this "school" is something much more sinister.







About the Authors:

Laura J. Burns has written more than thirty books for kids and teens, touching on topics from imaginary lake monsters to out-of-control Hollywood starlets. (Those two things have more in common than you'd think.)

With Melinda Metz, she has also written for the TV shows ROSWELL, 1-800-MISSING, and THE DEAD ZONE. Their next book is SANCTUARY BAY, coming in January 2016!

Laura lives in New York with her husband, her kids, and her two exceptionally silly dogs.



SANCTUARY BLOG TOUR EXCERPT:

Daddy  pressed his finger to his lips, shushing Sarah quiet as he slid the door to the tunnel back on. She wrapped her arms tightly around  her knees and pressed her cheek against her arm, trying to pretend she was back in her  own  room.  But it didn’t smell like her room. Even the spicy smell of Daddy’s cologne had faded now  that the tunnel was closed.  And  grayness was all around her. She was almost four, and that was too old to be scared of the dark. But it wasn’t all dark. It was just gray dark.
She tried not to think of monsters crawling toward her. Daddy said there were no monsters. But monsters  liked tunnels. They liked little girls.
Sometimes when she was scared she liked to sing the Maggie song. But that was against the rules. She had to be quiet. She had to be still. She had to wait until Daddy  or Mommy  opened the door and got her.
Thinking  about  the rules  helped.   She  could  almost hear Daddy  saying them, as if he was hiding in the tunnel with her. Even though he was way too big. If something bad happens, wait until the room is safe. If you leave the tunnel, put the funny slit- ted door back on. Run fast. Find a lady with kids. Tell her your name is Sarah Merson. Merson. Merson. Merson. Merson. Ask for help.
  Her nose started twitching, itching from the thick air. Mak- ing her want to sneeze. But she had to be quiet.
Then she heard Mommy screaming. Mommy never screamed. Were the monsters out there and not in the tunnel?
On  hands and knees she started creeping  toward the slits of light, heart pounding.
“Kt85L is our property,” a man said. “You had no right!”
Out there. Mommy  on her knees facing the hotel room wall. Someone’s legs. A hand  reaching  down.  A silver bird stared at Sarah from a ring on the finger. Stared with a horrible  little black eye. The finger pulled  the trigger of a gun.
A bang. Her ears filling with bees. Mommy  collapsing on the floor. Red spilling out.
Sarah shoved her fingers into her mouth. Quiet. The rule was be quiet.
Shouting. Daddy’s legs running by, out of the room. The bird man chasing. The door banging closed.
Something bad happening.
The  room  was safe. The  bird  man  was gone. So she had  to get out. Mommy  was on the floor. Daddy  was gone.
She shoved the door and it fell out onto the floor. Near Mommy. Near  the red. But the rule was to put  the funny  door back on. She picked  it up and shoved  it over the tunnel like Daddy  had shown her.
Sarah  didn’t  want to look at Mommy.  She looked  out the window  instead. The window  was always open  and there was never a screen. Daddy’s voice came from the hallway, yelling. Screaming.
Another bang.
Sarah pressing her hands over her eyes. Not looking. Not look- ing. Something bad happening.
Daddy  was quiet now. Something bad. She had to run fast.
Sarah climbed  on the chair under  the window.  The chair al- ways went under  the window.  She stuck her legs through the window  and jumped down.  Now run fast.
She ran fast, looking for a lady with a stroller or a kid her age. A mommy  would  help  her.  She would  say she was Sarah Merson.

Sarah Merson, and something bad happened.



This book was like an old couch that is well worn and used. One that you have to sit in for awhile, wiggle down and find that just perfect position before you truly can relax and feel at home in it. 

In other words, it took me awhile to warm up to Sarah and the story it's self, but once I did, I was hooked and in for the long hall. 

This story is a hard one to describe. It has some familiar tropes but some new and interesting ones as well, all  combined to create a unique story that will leave you anxious to know the outcome and eager to turn the pages.

It took me no time at all to start guessing and jumping to conclusions, only to have those thoughts and guesses stomped on and my having to start over again. This book was so strange in its uniqueness and so much fun to guess and speculate at. Before I knew it I had gobbled it all up and was sad that it was over. I can't find any info about this being a series but I'm really hoping it is because I think it would be so much fun to go back and explore everything once again and to learn more.





a Rafflecopter giveaway

43 comments:

  1. Oh a unique page turner that keeps you guessing??? This sounds really amazing. Great review!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I haven't been seeing your posts in my Bloglovin feed lately and turns out somehow Bloglovin has unfollowed you! UGH! >.< I've fixed it now!
    Anyways, I digress!

    I love your first paragraph description of this book. It sounds really interesting though! And I'm very curious about the uniqueness and strangeness. Thanks for putting this on my radar, Ali!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gah! Mine's been acting up lately as well since the "upgrade" or whatever they did to it. Glad you got it fixed!!

      Delete
  3. This sounds right up my alley! Sorry it didn't grab you immediately, but I'm glad you warmed up to it and enjoyed it. Fantastic review as always. :D

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love the old couch analogy Ali! I completely understand and have read a number of books where it's taken me a little while to settle in, but then I fall in love once I'm able to. Glad this was that type of read for you, and that all you guesses were wrong. I love being wrong!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I like books that keeps me thinking.. You really made me feel that this one's my type of read. Great review! :)

    czai @ the Blacksheep Project

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Happy to hear that, I hope if you try it you end up liking it as much as I did!

      Delete
  6. This sounds so good!! It arrived on my doorstep the other day and was a total surprise. I had never even heard of it before. You've definitely convinced me to check it out now. It sounds awesome!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I didn't know this book was YA! It sounds really good! I have to add it to my to-read list!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love the old couch analogy, too! I'm glad you settled in and enjoyed the stoy and with a few new twists as well. The setting sounds so mysterious...
    Definitely going to add this to my tbr pile, Ali :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I've read some other good reviews of this one. I do like the sound of it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was definitely fun and different and a nice change of pace.

      Delete
  10. Oh I love your couch analogy. I love the premise and have always been a sucker for these school type settings. Glad you got comfy and enjoyed this one Ali.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm a sucker for the boarding school types as well, I blame the H.P. series for that. ;)

      Delete
  11. Ahh love the couch analogy. I am about something unique and full of twists and turns. I haven't seen this one around, so thanks for introducing me to it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you like it is you decide to give it a try.

      Delete
  12. Omg, I was just considering to purchase this book for my school library. How cool is that?! I like how this book keeps you guessing and is unique.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Love it! I hope you do and the kids all like it!

      Delete
  13. The excerpt floored me. I need this book in my life.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay! Happy to hear that, I truly hope you like it.

      Delete
  14. I really liked this one too! Can't wait to share my thoughts next week. Great review!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So happy to hear you did too! Can't wait to read your review!

      Delete
  15. Mastery and uniqueness are two of things I loved so much about Roswell; I'm hoping this too is developed into a series of books. I keep seeing positive review too, which is great!

    ReplyDelete
  16. This sound great. I love unique books.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do too and they are sadly, hard to come by anymore it seems.

      Delete
  17. It sounds like a fantastic book. I love the cover. Thanks for having the giveaway.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I really like the sounds of this one. I does sound like something I would really enjoy. Great review.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Love the start of your review - I completely get what you mean! Glad to hear it got better as you went along. It does sound really interesting.

    -Lauren

    ReplyDelete
  20. You definitely have me intrigued! And the excerpt! Wow. This does sound like something I would like so it's going on the Amazon wish list. Excellent review Ali :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. I like this kind of books - one that don't show its beauty until you're fully immersed in its pages. Glad you enjoyed it, Ali!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Really enjoyed the excerpt. Happy you liked this one.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Late to the party, but thank you for the giveaway. I love the premise!

    ReplyDelete