Cover Reveal: Get Even by Gretchen McNeil

Welcome to the the Official Cover Reveal for Gretchen McNeil's GET EVEN (Get Even #1)

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About the Book

Release Date: September 16th 2014

Publisher: Balzer+Bray

SYNOPSIS: 

Follows the secretive exploits of four high school juniors - Kitty, Olivia, Margot and Bree - at an exclusive Catholic prep school.

To all outward appearances, the girls barely know each other. At best, they don't move in the same social circles; at worst, they're overtly hostile.

Margot Mejia – academically ranked number two in her class, Margot is a focused overachiever bound for the Ivy League.

Kitty Li – captain of the California state and national champion varsity girls' volleyball team, she's been recruited by a dozen colleges and has dreams of winning an Olympic gold medal.

Olivia Hayes – popular star of the drama program, she's been voted "most eligible bachelorette" two years running in the high school yearbook and has an almost lethal combination of beauty and charm. 

Bree Deringer – outcast, misfit and the kind of girl you don't want to meet in a dark alley, the stop sign red-haired punk is a constant thorn in the side of teachers and school administrators alike.

Different goals, different friends, different lives, but the girls share a secret no one would ever guess. They are members of Don't Get Mad, a society specializing in seeking revenge for fellow students who have been silently victimized by their peers. Each girl has her own reason for joining the group, her own set of demons to assuage by evening the score for someone else. And though school administration is desperate to find out who is behind the DGM "events", the girls have managed to keep their secret well hidden.

That is until one of their targets – a douchebag senior who took advantage of a drunk underclassman during a house party, videotaped it on his phone, and posted it on YouTube – turns up dead, and DGM is implicated in the murder.

Now the girls don't know who to trust, and as their tenuous alliance begins to crumble, the secrets they've hidden for so long might be their ultimate undoing.

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16005219-get-even?from_search=true

Pre-Order Links Will be available in the coming months, keep an eye on your favorite retailer for more information!

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About the Author

Gretchen is a former coloratura soprano, the voice of Mary on G4's Code Monkeys and she currently sings with the LA-based circus troupe Cirque Berzerk. She is a founding member of vlog group the YARebels where she can be seen as "Monday," and she is an active member of both The Enchanted Inkpot, a group blog of YA and middle grade fantasy writers, and The Apocalypsies, a group blog of 2012 children's debut authors.

You can find Gretchen on Twitter, Facebook, and on her blog.

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Giveaway 

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Impostor - Jill Hathaway

Synopsis: What if a killer took control of you?
Vee Bell's gift (or curse) of "sliding" - slipping into the mind of another person and experiencing life, briefly, through his or her eyes - has been someone under control since she unwillingly witnessed the horrific deaths of her classmates six months ago. 
But just as things are getting back to normal, Vee has a very bizarre experience: she loses consciousness and finds herself in a deserted area, at the edge of a cliff, with the broken body of the boy who took advantage of her on the rocks below.
As Vee finds herself in stranger and stranger situations with no memory of getting there, she begins to suspect that someone she knows has the ability to slide - and that this "slider" is using Vee to exact revenge on his or her enemies. (From Goodreads) 

It takes something special for me to pick up books in the mystery genre. They're just not my thing. But I picked up Slide last year and totally fell in love with the characters. So I was excited to get my hands on a copy of Imposter and it was just as great as the first book. Vee is amazing and Rollins is perfect, and I really just felt like I was able to fall back into their world as if no time had passed.

Of course, time has passed in real life and in Vee's world. The story picks up six months after the crazy conclusion to Slide. There was so much I wanted resolved and I feel like this book was the perfect follow up to the first. It was completely satisfying without feeling forced or fake. I like that there's a lot of forgiveness and shifting relationships happening in this book.

Samantha, Vee's ex-best friend comes back into play and I actually ended up kind of liking her - which unfortunately comes about through some terrible circumstances. But I think her character actually brings a lot of issues that face teens today into the light and kind of make you think about the way society is built to support some pretty awful behavior. Also, I love Vee's relationship with her little sister, Mattie, that stays really strong through everything. It's great to see siblings in a YA novel that have a healthy relationship.

Now, I have to admit, a big reason I came back to this series was Rollins. I know, this is probably sad, but sometimes I just need to gush on the boys. And I want to gush about him. He would have been my dream in high school. He's a good person, and he's understanding, he listens, he has an edge, and a lip ring. I just have such a clear image of who he is in my head and I just think he's wonderful. That's not to say I didn't want to smack him upside the head a few times for being dumb, but hey, he is a teenager and he's pretty much bound to make some bad decisions here and there.

In fact all of these characters are completely teenagers - there's no false wisdom or adult qualities about them. They aren't forced to grow up too early - or at least not as much as a lot of YA characters are. They get to accidentally stay out all night, make plans for prom, and come up with completely destructable revenge ideas while still thinking it's the perfect plan. I just absolutely love the way that Jill Hathaway stays true to her character's ages and creates a genuine reading experience.

Notice I haven't said much about the actual mystery. I liked it, it kept me on my toes, but like I said - mystery isn't really my thing. I acknowledge that it was the plot in this book, but I'm just so attached to these characters, I kind of feel like they could do nothing but shop, eat and go to class and I think I'd still love them.

Venom - Fiona Paul

Synopsis: Cassandra Caravello is one of Renaissance Venice’s lucky elite: with elegant gowns, sparkling jewels, her own lady’s maid, and a wealthy fiancé, she has everything a girl could desire. Yet ever since her parents’ death, Cassandra has felt trapped, alone in a city of water, where the dark and labyrinthine canals whisper of escape.
When Cass stumbles upon a murdered woman—practically in her own backyard—she’s drawn into a dangerous world of courtesans, killers, and secret societies. Soon, she finds herself falling for Falco, a mysterious artist with a mischievous grin... and a spectacular skill for trouble. Can Cassandra find the murderer, before he finds her? And will she stay true to her fiancé, or succumb to her uncontrollable feelings for Falco? Beauty, love, romance, and mystery weave together in a stunning novel that’s as seductive and surprising as the city of Venice itself. 

I had a pretty epically awful trip to Italy in 2006, and ever since it's kind of hard to think about Italy and not be a little sour. Don't get me wrong, the country is beautiful, the history fascinating, and everything about it is pretty amazing. I just have some bad memories and feelings associated with it. However, since I revisited it a couple years ago when I went to Rome with a couple friends, I've been slowly forgiving Italy. Now, after reading Venom, I'm so much closer to falling in love with the country. I couldn't help but relive some of my fonder memories while hanging out with Cass in Venice. Even memories that made me a little bitter at the time - like my little brother ditching me to give roses to random girls - filled me with happy nostalgia.

This book is a trip to Venice. Even better, it's a trip to historical Venice. I absolutely love that you get to see both sides, as well. You get the gritty, dangerous side with the masks, the frivolity, and the loose morals. But you also get the pious side where social protocol and religion govern the household. Fiona Paul is incredibly skilled at bringing such a beautiful place to life. The gondolas, the streets, the people, the graveyards - everything was described so wonderfully.

Then there's the mystery of missing bodies, girls being murdered, and an abandoned place with dead bodies. So chilling. I'm very selective about the mystery books that i read because they have a tendency to be disappointing to me. I picked this one up for the historical fiction aspect, more than the mystery. Yet, I'm so impressed with the way it was handled. It isn't your typical -figure out why this is happening and find the person responsible mystery. It's more complex than that and there really isn't one answer. Somehow, by the end the web seems more tangled, which is generally what happens when you start asking questions and getting answers.

Even better, this book made me actually sit back and think for a few minutes. Cass has to make a decision between who she loves and who is "right" for her, but like the mystery in this story the answer isn't obvious. It had me thinking about who I would choose in that situation. A lot of books, a lot of stories, are about falling in love with the wrong person. Or the wrong person in the eyes of society. In dystopian fiction or historical fiction, the heroine is often given a choice. Choose the right boy - the one that won't rip your family apart, devastate your country, upset your social balance even though you don't have feelings? Or choose the wrong boy - the one who you can only be with after you give everything else up, but you know you can't live without him? Who do you choose? The right boy or the wrong boy?

This book is beautifully written and definitely intriguing. I wanted to applaud at the ending (if you've read it you're probably perplexed by this reaction, but to me she makes the right decision) and I believe the second book, Belladonna, will live up to the first. I'm very interested to see where Cass goes from here. And I'd really like to know what your answer is to my above question, who would you choose? Let me know!

The Liar Society - Lisa & Laura Roecker

Synopsis: Since when do the dead send emails?
Kate Lowry's best friend Grace died a year ago. So when she gets an email from her, Kate's more than a little confused.
Now Kate has no choice but to prove once and for all that Grace's death was more than just a tragic accident. She teams up with a couple of knights-in-(not-so)-shining armor-the dangerously hot bad boy, Liam, and her lovestruck neighbor, Seth. But at their elite private school, there are secrets so big people will do anything to protect them-even if it means getting rid of anyone trying to solve a murder... (From Goodreads)

 As a reader who rarely seeks out mystery novels, I was so happy to find myself enthralled with this one right away. It has the perfect blend of snooty private school and jaded, snarky main character. It was also the right amount fun and the right amount pure horror. Plus, there was a touch of romance and healing to pull me in emotionally. As far as mystery novels go, this one is awesome.

Kate kind of clashes with her private school, and I love it. She appears to fit in, despite the pink hair, yet there's something just a little off about her. When it comes to secret societies and age old traditions, she seems like she's the only one who could possibly find their dirty laundry and bring them down. And it's because she doesn't quite fit. She's also the only one who really doesn't have anything left to lose. One of the wonderful things about investing in Kate's story is watching her grow from having nothing to getting new friends, a purpose, and to move on with life.

There are pieces of this book that just remind me so much of Gilmore Girls. Kate has a bit of Lorelei's humor and all the secret society stuff reminds me a lot of the Puffs and the Life and Death Brigade. Although, the secret societies that Kate deals with are a lot more skeletons in the closet than just secret fun times. There were moments where my heart was actually racing because of something intense happening. One part that includes a clock tower, the ghost of a girl who committed suicide, and a group of people with candles had my pulse racing like crazy. It might be one of the most bone-chilling moments I've read in a long time.

I don't know if this has ever happened to you guys - but do you ever love a book even more after you've met the author(s)? It happened to me with this book. I met them at the Get Real tour stop in New York. They are bundles of fun energy and they are amazingly sweet women. I had so much fun meeting them, and hearing their voices behind Kate's story just makes it all that much more alive. I now love The Liar Society that much more and I'm even more stoked to read Lies that Bind. Can't wait to see what trouble Kate can unearth next.

Social Suicide - Gemma Halliday

Synopsis: Twittercide [twit-er-sahyd]: the killing of one human being by another while the victim is in the act of tweeting.
Call me crazy, but I figured writing for the Herbert Hoover High Homepage would be a pretty sweet gig. Pad the resume for college applications, get a first look at the gossip column, spend some time ogling the paper’s brooding bad-boy editor, Chase Erikson. But on my first big story, things went... a little south. What should have been a normal interview with Sydney Sanders turned into me discovering the Homecoming Queen-hopeful dead in her pool. Electrocuted while Tweeting. Now, in addition to developing a reputation as HHH’s resident body finder, I’m stuck trying to prove that Sydney’s death wasn’t suicide.I’m starting to long for the days when my biggest worry was whether the cafeteria was serving pizza sticks or Tuesday Tacos...(From Goodreads)

I absolutely loved Deadly Cool. It was smart and fun, and it felt like it was saying something very important. The ending totally snuck up on me, not only because the killer is revealed, but because I realized the book was a commentary on an important and relevant aspect of society. Plus, Hartley is one of those characters that you come to feel is one of your best friends by the time the story ends. So I was so excited for Social Suicide because I couldn't wait to see how it would surprise me, and I really missed the characters.

Hartley is still her sparkling self and Sam is still a great sidekick. Chase is still dreamy and he still has that little bit of an edge. And there's a whole new parade of high school students who each are wrapped up in their own dramas and schemes. I do think, minus the body count, Gemma Halliday does an excellent job of portraying snap shots of high school life - as far as I can tell anyway. There are a few issues raised, particularly the nature of cheating and the competition between teenagers. But I was a little disappointed that I didn't get that same dawning realization that there was something really important behind the drama and the humor. This book just didn't hold the same weight as Deadly Cool did.

My other disappointment was the lack of growth in the characters. While they've all gone through so much, they still seemed to be in pretty much the same place they were at the end of the first book. But, it's a good thing Hartley and her Scooby gang are so likeable. This really is a group of people I'd love to be friends with.

Even with these few minor short-comings, I still thoroughly enjoyed this sequel. It's a quick read and it's thoroughly entertaining. And while I know that if more people drop dead around Hartley, it's going to start being slightly more implausible, but I will definitely will keep reading if the series keeps going.

Slide - Jill Hathaway

Synopsis: Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered. 
Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body. 
Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane. Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again. (From Goodreads)


About a year ago I went with two of my friends to Barcelona. I got pick-pocketed within the first five minutes, we got lost - a lot, one of my friends hurt her knee and couldn't walk, our hostel was dirty and ridiculously loud (I'm talking reggae music BLASTING at seven in the morning loud), and it rained the whole time. Yet, I absolutely loved Barcelona. I knew it was a special city because even though the trip itself wasn't ideal, I had a great weekend. Why am I telling you this? Because, I'm not big into mysteries, yet I loved this book and that's how I know that it's something special. Vee is one of those characters that I'd like to think is like Barcelona - beautiful, vibrant, real, and quirky no matter the circumstances.

Vee is an exceptional heroine. She's strong, smart, and loyal. She shoulders a lot of burdens and it takes a lot for her to ask for help. She's pretty much assumed that she has to walk alone because of her condition. But really, what would you do if you passed out and slid into someone else's body? Would you tell people about it? I loved the way that Jill Hathaway handled that aspect of the story, because it added this magical realism element that really upped the level from ordinary to extraordinary. Then there's Rollins - one of my new favorite book boys. He's an angry teenage dream. He's got the secrets and the darkness, he's a writer, he's tough - oh, and his lip is pierced. Perfect.

What struck me most while reading, though, was that this is one of the best representations of a high school that I've ever read. Or at least it felt exactly what it felt like when I was in high school (minus the murder). I don't know if it's because Jill Hathaway is a teacher and her surroundings just bled into her writing naturally or if it was Vee's ability to slide into other people and thus present different views of high school. All I know was I had some serious flashbacks to my own high school days with the way she talked about hallways and lockers, the principal sneaking up out of no where, the cool teachers, the scary teachers - OH and the way that these kids actually go to class. Funny how many books have school as a central setting, but so rarely actually talk about characters going to class.

Oh, and there's a murder but people think it's a suicide so there's the mystery that threads through the story. But, after reading this, that's just the hook and the force driving the reader through. There are other things much more important going on - family, friends - who can you trust, how do you escape bad memories, how do you deal with losing people - either to death or by distance? How do you come together? Understand one another? Give a little and let someone really know you? These are the things that make reading this book worth it.

Clarity & Perception - Kim Harrington

Synopsis for Perception:When you can see things others can't, what do you do when someone's watching you? 
Everybody knows about Clarity "Clare" Fern. She's the psychic girl in school, the one who can place her hands on something and see hidden visions from the past. 
Only Clare would rather not be a celebrity. She prefers hanging back, observing. Her gift is not a game to her. But then someone starts playing with her head . . . and heart. Messages and gifts from a secret admirer crop up everywhere Clare turns. Could they be from Gabriel, the gorgeous boy who gets Clare's pulse racing? Or from Justin, Clare's hopeful ex-boyfriend who'd do anything to win her back? One thing is certain. Clare needs to solve this mystery, and soon. Because the messages are becoming sinister, and a girl in town has suddenly disappeared. (From Goodreads)

I read Clarity and Perception in the same day, so I'm just going to talk about them together here. (If you want the synopsis for Clarity just click on the cover.) 


Anyways, I liked these books quite a bit - they definitely kept me entertained. The whole mystery solving genre isn't really my thing, but I thought the fact that Clare has psychic ability would make it interesting. It certainly helped; however, what kept me reading these books was Clare herself. I enjoyed her personality and her thought process, and I was entertained by the status of her many relationships. 


I didn't care for the sleuthing parts - which was kind of the point of these books, so I think I missed something here...But, in Clarity the process of elimination and all the not-so-subtle clues felt a bit like watching a Scooby-Doo episode (which is great, but without Scooby and Shaggy - not quite as entertaining). In Perception, though, the emphasis was less on trying to solve a mystery and more on Clare herself. Thus, I liked Perception much more and by the time the ending came, I actually had a chance to be surprised. 


If you like Kimberly Derting's Body Finder series, I'd suggest giving Clarity a shot. It has many of the same elements. I would just warn you that Clarity feels a bit juvenile, but then Perception steps up and matures a bit. Perception is released on Thursday, March 1st. So if you loved Clarity I definitely suggest you pick up a copy. If you haven't read either yet, now's a good time to start because then you don't have to wait to continue Clare's story. 

Deadly Cool - Gemma Halliday

Synopsis: First I find out that my boyfriend is cheating on me. Then he’s pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And now he’s depending on me to clear his name. Seriously?
As much as I wouldn’t mind watching him squirm, I know that he’s innocent. So I’m brushing off my previously untapped detective skills and getting down to business. But I keep tripping over dead bodies and I’m still no closer to figuring out who did it. And what’s worse: all signs seem to point to me as the killer’s next victim.
I really need to pick a better boyfriend next time.


I had read so many raving reviews about this book, most saying that the story was actually much deeper than it appeared to be. Yet, I was still completely shocked when it turned out to be a smart and perceptive social critique. I just want to say right off the bat, that if you are skipping over this book because you think it looks shallow or superficial, then stop it. Trust the reviews - this book is so worth reading. 


It does come off as a simple, light read - which is why I picked it up in the first place. I wanted something fun. And it is fun, despite the grisly murder that the whole book revolves around. I thoroughly enjoyed Hartley's narration. Her voice was just so wonderful, and I honestly felt like she was one of my best friends by the time I finished. After I closed the book, I felt like my BFF went home after a slumber party, only I wished my parent's would have consented to let her live with us. (You can't deny that you've had a friend like that!) I also loved that she does sometimes talk like she's a peppy, air-headed teenager, but she actually is very smart - whether it's figuring out ways to solve a murder or just knowing when enough is enough and kicks her boyfriend to the curb. 


I finished this book and felt like Gemma Halliday was performing magic tricks - playing with the distraction of *look at this shiny object over here, while she was laying down the foundation of some really important topics over there* - so by the end I saw something amazing, but I didn't know how it happened. I think my best guess is that the secret lies in the secondary characters. They all carry some piece of the puzzle and they all serve significant purposes, whether it's representing beliefs, demonstrating different teenage issues, or acting to unite different social circles. Even if some of the secondary characters are stereotypes, they still have some depth, particularly when seen through Hartley's eyes. 


I'm so excited that Hartley will be back in Social Suicide, which is slated for release on April 24, 2012. I would say that I don't know if I can get enough of Hartley and her sleuthing, but it worries me how many people would keep dying around her. Still, April can't come soon enough! I just highly recommend that if you haven't picked up Deadly Cool yet, or if you have but haven't opened it, then you should do that as soon as possible.