ARC Review: This Darkness Mine by Mindy McGinnis

Hi guys! Man, September is halfway done! This is probably one of the busiest months of the entire school year, especially with so many things like auditions and tests going around at this time. Thankfully, I am able to finish a book or two every week or two, which is good compared to my busy schedule right now. Today I am so glad to be reviewing Mindy McGinnis’s This Darkness Mine, which I was jumping up and down when I received it in the mail from Harper Collins. I hope you enjoy!

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About the Book

Sasha Stone knows her place—first-chair clarinet, top of her class, and at the side of her oxford-wearing boyfriend. She’s worked her entire life to ensure that her path to Oberlin Conservatory as a star musician is perfectly paved.

But suddenly there’s a fork in the road, in the shape of Isaac Harver. Her body shifts toward him when he walks by, her skin misses his touch even though she’s never known it, and she relishes the smell of him—smoke, beer, and trouble—all the things she’s avoided to get where she is. Even worse, every time he’s near Sasha, her heart stops, literally. Why does he know her so well—too well—and she doesn’t know him at all?

Sasha discovers that her by-the-book life began by ending another’s: the twin sister she absorbed in the womb. But that doesn’t explain the gaps of missing time in her practice schedule or the memories she has of things she certainly never did with Isaac. As Sasha loses her much-cherished control, her life—and heart—become more entangled with Isaac. Armed with the knowledge that her heart might not be hers alone, Sasha must decide what she’s willing to do—and who she’s willing to hurt—to take it back.

Edgar Award–winning author Mindy McGinnis delivers a dark and gripping psychological thriller about a girl at war with herself, and what it really means to be good or bad.

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Disclaimer: I received a free ARC copy of this book from Katherine Tegen Books and the author in exchange for an honest review. This will not affect my review in any way.

This Darkness Mine is definitely one of the most chilling and creepiest (and strangest) stories I have ever read. I fell in love with McGinnis’s novel from the very beginning, and I found my eyes glued to the pages. It’s very unique, and I mean unique. My mind is still reeling from the aftereffects of this book as I write this review. The author definitely did not disappoint with her latest YA novel; I will easily remember This Darkness Mine as one of the most haunting and makes-your-heart-pound psychological thrillers I have ever read. I am in awe of McGinnis’s writing style and creative imagination in her stories, the first book of hers I read being The Female of the Species. Now I just want to read more of her books!

My August Reading Re-Cap!

Hi guys! So my first month of school has just gone by! Whoo, what a ride! Currently, I’m on a 5-day break for Labor Day, so as I write this, I’m trying to get some needed rest and relaxation (and productivity). Junior year is definitely becoming really stressful right now, so I’m going to be reading and blogging less. Actually, even though the blog stats have decreased a bit lately, the two-posts-a-week schedule works so great for me so I’m not too stressed to make so many posts a month. Because I’m reading less, there will be less books on my reading re-cap, but I am going to include my posts from throughout the month in case you missed it! Hope you enjoy!

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Nyxia by Scott Reintgen

Submerge by Tobie Easton

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Brooding YA Hero: Becoming a Main Character (Almost) as Awesome as Me by Carrie Ann DiRisio

This Darkness Mine by Mindy McGinnis

Summer of Authors Launch: Exclusive Interview with Mindy McGinnis!

Hi everyone! Today I’m am launching the Summer of Authors, a two-month event that last from the start of June to the end of July. We are showcasing and hosting many authors who have or are going to release their books in 2017, and we are holding some fun and awesome interviews, guest posts, and giveaways! Now to start off the Summer of Authors, I had the honor to interview the wonderful and amazing Mindy McGinnis, author of books such as The Female of the Species, Not a Drop to Drink, and her latest fantasy Given to the Sea!

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About Given to the Sea

Khosa is Given to the Sea, a girl born to be fed to the water, her flesh preventing a wave like the one that destroyed the Kingdom of Stille in days of old. But before she’s allowed to dance – an uncontrollable twitching of the limbs that will carry her to the shore in a frenzy – she must produce an heir. Yet the thought of human touch sends shudders down her spine that not even the sound of the tide can match.

Vincent is third in line to inherit his throne, royalty in a kingdom where the old linger and the young inherit only boredom. When Khosa arrives without an heir he knows his father will ensure she fulfills her duty, at whatever cost. Torn between protecting the throne he will someday fill, and the girl whose fate is tied to its very existence, Vincent’s loyalty is at odds with his heart.

Dara and Donil are the last of the Indiri, a native race whose dwindling magic grows weaker as the island country fades. Animals cease to bear young, creatures of the sea take to the land, and the Pietra – fierce fighters who destroyed the Indiri a generation before – are now marching from their stony shores for the twin’s adopted homeland, Stille.

Witt leads the Pietra, their army the only family he has ever known. The stone shores harbor a secret, a growing threat that will envelop the entire land – and he will conquer every speck of soil to ensure the survival of his people.

The tides are turning in Stille, where royals scheme, Pietrans march, and the rising sea calls for its Given.

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1. Why do you love writing? When did you first have a love for writing, and how was it formed? 

Honestly I think most authors will tell you we don’t necessarily love writing. It’s work, sometimes almost impossible work. We put it off, and find other things to do instead as often as possible. I wouldn’t say I love it – I’d say that I can’t not do it. I’ve always had stories in my head, but I didn’t write my first novel until I was in my 20s.

2. What are your favorite books, genres, and authors? Which ones have impacted you and you writing style the most? 

I don’t really have favorites. I read widely and write widely. If its good, I’ll read it. I don’t really know who has influenced me either, as I do read SO much, it would be hard to pin any one thing down.

3. What do you do when you’re not writing? Is writing a part-time or full-time job? 

Writing is the full time job! I was working full time AND writing full time up until about a year ago.