Book Spotlight: Shut Up by Anne Tibbets

Mary's older sister, Gwen, has royally screwed up her life.  Not only is Gwen pregnant at seventeen, but she's also decided to marry The Creep who knocked her up. Now Mary is powerless to stop her family from imploding.  Her parents are freaking out, and to top if off, The Creep has a gross fascination with Mary, while Gwen enjoys teasing her to tears for sport. Despite her brother's advice to shut up, Mary can't keep her trap closed and manages to piss off Mom so much it comes to blows. Mary doesn't know what to do, and all her attempts to get help are rejected.  When she finally plans her escape, she fails to consider how it could destroy them all.

SHUT UP is Anne Tibbet's latest YA contemporary, published by Premier Digital Publishing on April 15, 2012. Here's a bit from the author:

A little about myself:
I'm the Smashwords.com Best Selling author of Young Adult Fantasy THE BEAST CALL, and co-author of the Middle Grade time travel adventure THE AMULET CHRONICLES, BOOK ONE: THE JOURNEY HOME.  Starting my career as a playwright and screenwriter of children's television, I now live in the Los Angeles area with my family and many pets, whom I believe are secretly plotting my assassination.  For more information about me, visit my blog (link below).

And here's a quote about SHUT UP from NY Times Best Selling author, Christine Wiltz.

"Twelve-year-old Mary is running away from home.  She's sick of her school, her friends, and her family, especially her big sister, Gwen.  But this is not just the story of a girl with a case of adolescent angst.  It is all of us who ever experienced the fear of what fresh hell the next hour will bring, deep hatred of ourselves,despair, and the very real possibility that we will spend the rest of our lives with echoes of "You're stupid, you're ugly, shut up!" haunting our hearts, minds and spirits. There is physical violence and there is the hidden violence that poisons families and corrupts the soul and is as much a danger to a human life as any weapon of destruction.
 Anne Tibbets tells a fast-paced, page-turning suspense story about this kind of violence, and it has you rooting for Mary from the opening page.  Shut Up is one of the most vivid and absorbing stories I've ever read about the torments of the adolescent heart and the dangers of navigating those years.
ChristineWiltz, author of The Last Madam and Glass House."

You can read more about SHUT UP, as well as purchase it, from the following links (available in e-book & paperback):

Goodreads ~ Author's Blog ~ Amazon

 If you get the chance to pick up a copy, I'd love to hear what you think! Thanks for reading!

Book Review: Downburst by Katie Robison

Synopsis (from Goodreads.com): Kit’s only goal is to stay alive. Right now, that means dodging brutal gangs while peddling fake I.D.s on the back streets of Winnipeg. But things get complicated when Kit sells a license to a girl named Aura—a girl who could almost be her twin. Caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, Kit is plunged into an underground society with heart-stopping surprises at every turn. To protect herself, she’s forced to assume Aura’s identity. But storm clouds are gathering on the horizon, and when Kit learns the truth about Aura, she knows she has to get out before the storm breaks. There’s only one problem: escape isn’t an option. Suddenly, staying alive just got a lot harder.

My review: This book caught my interest from page one and didn't let go. You know, I'm a sucker for those books with the summer camps that aren't what they seem. Downburst had one of those! And it was fantastic! Of course, that wasn't the only fantastic thing, and I would define the book just by the summer camp. ;)


This was one that kept me on the edge of my seat. Downburst is very original and interesting and new. I was really excited to learn more about what was going on, and how everything worked. There was never a dull moment in the book. It was one of those where you keep guessing what's going to happen and then something else entirely happens that's just as exciting as what you thought would happen. 


There didn't seem to be a whole lot of emphasis on characters as individuals, but what I saw of the characters I liked. I think there was more emphasis on setting the stage and building the world, which has me really excited for book two, not even getting into the cliffhanger ending.... I would have liked a bit more insights to the characters, but I'm hoping to see more in book two. 


I highly recommend this book, and I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel! Congrats, Katie, for a fantastic debut! 

Here are some links if you'd like to read more about Downburst:

Goodreads ~ Website ~ Facebook 

Book Trailer: 

Thanks for reading!

Giveaway Winner: Spirits of Glory by Emily Devenport

The winner of the digital copy of Spirits of Glory is Diane! Thanks to everyone who entered! Diane has confirmed and received her copy already. 

Next week I'll be gone on a camping trip, so I won't be able to post regularly (not that I've been very good about that lately anyway ;). I'll see if I can get a few post scheduled. Thanks for reading!