Source: Review Copy
Genre: YA Romantic Thriller
Format: Paperback
From the Publisher…
Bad things come in threes. In Shady Springs, that includes murder.
Murder Now
Lange Crawford’s move to Shady Springs, Pennsylvania, lands her a group of awesome friends, a major crush on songwriter Vaughn, and life in a haunted, 200-year-old farmhouse. It also brings The Hunt: an infamous murder mystery festival where students solve a fake, gruesome murder scheme during the week of Halloween. Well, supposedly fake.
Murder Then
Weeks before The Hunt, Lange and her friends hold a séance in the farmhouse’s eerie barn. When a voice rushes through, whispering haunting words that only she and Vaughn can hear, Lange realizes it’s begging for help. The mysterious voice leads Lange and Vaughn to uncover letters and photos left behind by a murdered girl, Ginny, and they become obsessed with her story and the horrifying threats that led to her murder.
Murder Yet to Come
But someone doesn’t like their snooping, and Lange and Vaughn begin receiving the same threats that Ginny once did. The mysterious words from the barn become crucial to figuring out Ginny’s past and their own, and how closely the two are connected. They must work fast to uncover the truth or risk finding out if history really does repeat itself
From Me…
This is one of the best Young Adult debut novels I have read, maybe ever.
The plot is very fun while being instantly gripping. I was amazed at how unique this story truly was. Several times I thought I knew what was coming, only to realize how wrong I had been. I was expecting what I always expect, but got the unexpected. Though, every once in a while (very seldomly), the dialogue felt stilted, it was nothing in comparison to the parts where the dialogue seemed to flow effortlessly.
I have read many YA romances, but have never felt this sort of respect for the author and the characters she created. In many YA’s, the protagonists are instantly and inexplicably drawn to one another. We are asked to believe in this improbable connection, though I am assuming most have never experienced a love that works like this. Here, the book initially appears to adhere to this model; however, Ms. Walkup goes against convention by thoroughly explaining Vaughn and Lange’s bond.
Their love not only compels the story but anchors it. In this book the romance is as vital to the story as the mystery, both becoming integral plot points. Thus, this romance novel is elevated past guilty pleasure and into must read fiction. This is a book you recommend to your friends. I am recommending it to you.
About the Book – About the Author – Prizes!!!
Welcome to another exciting publishing house spotlight tour from Novel Publicity. Join us as two new titles from Luminis Books–we’re calling them the Luminis Dyad–tour the blogosphere in a way that just can’t be ignored. And, hey, we’ve got prizes!
About the prizes: Who doesn’t love prizes? You could win either of two $25 Amazon gift cards, an autographed copy of Second Verse by Jennifer Walkup, or an autographed copy of its tour mate, The Field by Tracy Richardson. Here’s what you need to do…
- Enter the Rafflecopter contest
- Leave a comment on my blog
That’s it! One random commenter during this tour will win a $25 gift card. Visit more blogs for more chances to win–the full list of participating bloggers can be found HERE. The other $25 gift card and the 3 autographed books will be given out via Rafflecopter. You can find the contest entry form linked below or on the official Luminis Duo tour page via Novel Publicity. Good luck!
Pick up your copy of this Young Adult/ Paranormal/ Thriller l through Amazon US, Amazon UK, or Barnes & Noble.
Learn more about Second Verse‘s tour mate HERE.
Amy – What a stunning review! And you completely got the connection between Vaughn and Lange. Jennifer Walkup did indeed create a wonderful novel, and we are so happy that you love it, too!
thanks for stopping by, and I am so glad that I read this book too!!!
Loved your review! I too read Second Verse and was impressed with the story line and the characters! This is Jennifer Walkup's first book! I'm looking forward to future reads from her!
I am so surprised that this was her first book since it was written and paced so well.
Great review! I totally agree with you about the romance in this book. It's one of my favorites ever–I'm so impressed with it, both as a reader and a writer!
Especially since the romance wasn't easy or even pure. I mean, for part of the book he could have been the villain!!!
Awesome review, Amy, and such high praise for SECOND VERSE. I'm so glad you loved it! Thank you for joining us on this tour and for taking a moment to cross-post to Amazon and GoodReads. Oh, and don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter and random commenter contests for yourself.
Em 🙂