Monday, March 30, 2015

Portraits of Celina

Hello Luvlies!


Publisher: Switch Press
Author: Sue Whiting
Pages: 352
Publication date: April 1, 2015


    "It's as though the wooden chest is luring me, urging me to open it-daring me almost. Open me up. Look inside. Come on, just for a second; it won't hurt." Celina O'Mally was sixteen years old when she disappeared. Now, almost forty years later, Bayley is sleeping is Celina's room, wearing her cloths, hearing her voice. What does Celina want? And who will suffer because of it?


    Can I just say how unexpected this book was? When I first received the advanced copy of it I was a little skeptical of it, it seemed like it would follow the classic story line of any ghost novel you see sitting on the shelf. It was so much more than that, from the very beginning I was grabbed and thrown into an extremely detailed story that was full of emotion! I'm so glad that I didn't give up on downloading it, I had to install the ARC on my old dinosaur (laptop) with a flickering screen. It must have had some temper given it overheated all the time, even when it was sitting on a laptop fan, LOL.

     From the first page I fell in love with the family, especially little Seth (6 years old). AH, he was so cute! He would pull his earlobes and run around in his little batman cape with such enthusiasm! It was so sweet how he looked to Bayley as the head of the house. I mean let's face it, their mom wasn't the most 'capable' at times. While on the topic of the boys, let's talk about Oliver! Goodness, that boy for a 'dumb hillbilly' as Bayley's sister Amelia called him, was one stinking hottie! He was so kind and gentle not only to Bayley but to Seth, too. He called Seth 'batman' and taught him to kayak, it's not too often you see a hot boater in a YA book!

    Celina was one pushy girl, she knew just what she wanted and she knew just how to get it! At the beginning of the book Celina is portrayed as a sweet and innocent girl, but once you meet her, there is no going back! Her story was so sad to read, but it was fascinating to learn about her in small bits throughout the book until the end when all is revealed. The title suddenly made so much sense at the end of the book. I love how Sue Whiting incorporated everything so well and kept that eerie sense through the book, not to mention what happens at the end. Now that was intense!

    Over all I loved the book, It exceed my expectations in so many ways. It had a little romance, a little murder mystery, and a whole lot of her sister, Amelia, and her rebellious attitude which lead to some serious problems. On April 1, I challenge you all to go pick up your copy of the book and see for yourself just how dangerously addictive it is, after all, I read it in a few hours!


Favorite quote: "And despite all the grief and anguish of the day, my mouth twists into a sly smile. Careful what you wish for, cousin."


Cupcake rating:





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*All opinions are my own and do not apply to others, I am open to all opinions.*

As always, leave comments about what you thought of the book, this review, or what YOU think I should review next!
Much love!

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