Triple Threat Blog Tour: Book Review: Hysteria by Megan Miranda

Today, Edwin and Emily are happy to be a part of the Triple Threat Blog Tour

hosted by Bloomsbury Teens. 

Hysteria by Megan Miranda

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: February 5, 2013
Publisher: Walker Childrens
336 Pages

Mallory killed her boyfriend, Brian. She can't remember the details of that night but everyone knows it was self-defense, so she isn't charged. But Mallory still feels Brian's presence in her life. Is it all in her head? Or is it something more? In desperate need of a fresh start, Mallory is sent to Monroe, a fancy prep school where no one knows her . . . or anything about her past.But the feeling follows her, as do her secrets. Then, one of her new classmates turns up dead. As suspicion falls on Mallory, she must find a way to remember the details of both deadly nights so she can prove her innocence-to herself and others. 

In another riveting tale of life and death, Megan Miranda's masterful storytelling brings readers along for a ride to the edge of sanity and back again.

VISIT THE AUTHOR:

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FIND THE BOOK:

Goodreads.Amazon.Barnes & Noble

Review:

After reading Megan Miranda's debut title, Fracture, and loving it, I looked forward to seeing how her writing would progress. When the cover for Hysteria was released, I knew I would enjoy this book. No, it's not the best book of all time, but it really is a exellent and eery tale.

Mallory can't remember the night she killed her boyfriend, Brian. She wasn't charged with a crime, since it was ruled self-defense, but her parents still decide to send her off to Monroe, her father's old prep school. She isn't happy with the idea, but is willing to go to get away from Brian's memory, which is haunting her. When a student at Monroe is killed, all eyes are on Mallory and people really start to question her. Was Brian's death really just self-defense?

Hysteria has some obvious plot twists, and the climax fell a bit flat, but what leads up to them is what kept me reading. I found myself captivated by Mallory's story. Even though more often than not, I didn't agree with her actions, it was impossible for me not to be drawn into her world. Mallory can be a difficult character. For me, at least, she's not a character that I immediately fell in love with. She's pretty selfish and immature. As the story progressed, my feelings towards her fluctuated, but my enjoyment of the story, did not.

The characters in this story had a lot of flaws, and not very much kindness. For the most part, the characters are stereotypical. You've got the mean girls, cruel boys who want into everyone's pants, and parents who don't know what the heck they are doing. Colleen and Reid were the only characters that I really liked. Reid's faith and the way he cares about Mallory are the two major reasons I liked him so much. Mallory's best friend, Colleen, and I didn't always get along. For the most part, I believe she is a good friend, but there were times in this book where I wanted to yell at her. That being said, there were also many times in this novel where I felt Mallory needed a good talking-to.

The plot was extremely creepy. We see flashbacks of Mallory's relationship with Brian, how the relationship started and… how it ended. The prose, the unstable main characters and the occurrences within the school pull together to make a truly spooky tale.

We also are introduced to a setting that is perfect for this thrilling story. The boarding school is perfect for this novel. The outside layout of the school, the forest, the ghost stories surrounding the school all made Hysteria that much darker. Miranda did an excellent job at creating a novel that was suspenseful in every nook and cranny.

I'm not sure what it is about Megan Miranda's work, but she knows just how to hook me. If I had to pick one thing that really sticks out, it's her compelling, haunting prose. She has a serious knack for it. I'm not all that into thrillers, but Ms. Miranda dispels my hesitancy and sucks me into her stories. 

Miranda's sophomore novel is as compelling and darkly fascinating as her first. Hysteria will provide its audience with a thrill ride that will keep them reading from start to finish. I cannot wait for the author's third book. It will definitely be one that I pick up immediately!

I received an e-copy of this novel for my honest opinion and review from the publisher via Netgalley.

Teaser Tuesday: Hysteria by Megan Miranda

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading!

To participate all you have to do is:

•Grab your current read

•Open to a random page

•Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!) 

 Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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"Scarlet was not the color of blood. And despite what Nathaniel Hawthorne led me to believe, it wasn't the color of shame either."
Chapter 1, 1% eARC
Hysteria by Megan Miranda

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Cover Reveals

Two of my favorite authors have released the covers of their next books!

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer

Release Date: February 5, 2013

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

464 Pages

This book will feature Cinder and Little Red Riding Hood and will take place in France.
Update

"Book two, Scarlet, is based on Little Red Riding Hood. It continues Cinder’s story as she attempts to escape Queen Levana’s vengeance and learn more about her past. The story also introduces readers to Scarlet, a girl living in southern France whose grandmother has mysteriously disappeared. In order to find her, Scarlet seeks the help of Wolf, a street fighter with more than a few mysteries of his own."

SCARLET HAS A COVER. OH DEAR GOD, THAT MEANS THAT TIME IS CLOSING IN. THANK JOHN TRAVOLTA.

Seriously, Scarlet is one of the books I'm most excited about that releases next year, if not the number one. I adored the first novel and have been not-so-patiently waiting for Scarlet's release. Plus the cover of book two matches that of book one. THANK YOU, FEIWEL AND FRIENDS, FOR STAYING ON THE PATH. Sorry about the shouty caps - they are quite addicting!

And the second reveal:

Hysteria by Megan Miranda

Release Date: February 5, 2013

Publisher: Walker Children's

336 Pages

Mallory's life is falling apart. Her boyfriend was stabbed. He bled to death in her kitchen. Mallory was the one who stabbed him. But she can't remember what happened that night. She only remembers the fear . . . 

When Mallory's parents send her away to a boarding school, she thinks she can escape the gossip and the threats. But someone, or something, has followed her. There's the hand that touches her shoulder when she's drifting off to sleep. A voice whispering her name. And everyone knows what happened. So when a pupil is found dead, Mallory's name is on their lips. Her past can be forgotten but it's never gone. Can Mallory live with that?

LOVE, LOVE, LOVED Fracture by Megan and I'm dying to get my hands on book two of that series, but Hysteria looks just as awesome and if it's anything like Fracture, I'll love it!