Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne

Harbinger
Sara Wilson Etienne
February 2nd ,2012
320 pages (hardcover)
Putnam JuvenileSource - Publisher (unsolicited)

Plagued by waking visions and nightmares, inexplicably drawn to the bones of dead animals, Faye thinks she's going crazy. Fast. Her parents beleive Holbrook Academy might just be the solution. Dr. Mordoch tells her it's the only answer. But Faye knows that something's not quite right about Dr. Mordoch and her creepy, prisonlike school for disturbed teenagers. 
What's wrong with Holbrook goes beyond the Takers, sadistic guards who threaten the student body with Tasers and pepper spray; or Nurse, who doles out pills at bedtime and doses of solitary confinement when kids step out of line; or Rita, the strange girl who delivers ominous messages to Faye that never seem to make any sense. What's wrong with Holbrook begins and ends with Faye's red hands; she and her newfound friends--her Holbrook "family"--wake up every morning with their hands stained the terrible brown of dried blood. Faye has no idea what it means but fears she may be the cause....

At Holbrook Academy, students learn to become better. That might sound nice to some people, but Faye isn't interested, even if she does have constant and unusual hallucinations. And so, Harbinger begins with a little intrigue and plenty of excitement. The strict confines and rules of Holbrook succeed in creating an immediate bond between the reader and Faye (along with her Family, other Holbrook residents that she is grouped with). Nothing is what it seems at Holbrook. The deeper Faye delves into its secrets and walks on the edge of her sanity, the more shocking revelations she finds. 
Sara Wilson Etienne's debut exudes an eerie feel and a pull that keeps its readers flipping the pages and eager for so much more. In Harbinger, just when you figure something out, another surprise surfaces to take hold of you. However, the tone of the story changes in the second half, and it becomes somewhat tedious to continue as everything is revealed in ways you may (or may not) expect. In the end, the truth will likely either fully satisfy or slightly disappoint readers¹. 
Highlights: The eerie feel kept me glued to the pages. You never quite know what character to trust, or even what's going on. Faye is instantly easy to side with, as well as the members of her Holbrook Family, yet even they make you wonder if you can believe them. Faye's visions were detailed and fascinating. All in all, Harbinger is a great mystery. 
Lowlights: It seemed like answers came too fast - I kept backtracking because I felt like I missed something. The last hundred or so pages just weren't up to par with the rest of the book. I didn't enjoy the twist, and I didn't believe in Kel as a love interest. 
Rating: 

1 I wasn't particularly fond of the ending and twist, but the story was undeniably intriguing. 

Cover + Summary from Goodreads

Awesome Book Trailers

Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne

Holbrook Academy's website

When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn't expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she's going crazy. Fast.
But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she's come home. She's even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red.
Faye knows she's the reason, but what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can't trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her - and the rest of the world too.

I love how true to the story this trailer is. 
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Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave. 
Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word . . . especially after she finds her mother's diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra. 
If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

Book trailers are so amazing lately...
Both books are going to be released by Putnam Juvenile on Februrary 2nd and February 7th, respectively.

Top Ten Tuesday (4)

For more information on how to participate in Top Ten Tuesday and this week's topic, visit The Broke and Bookish for details!
Top Ten Books On My TBR List For Winter
1. Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood - I think I might have died when I got this one in the mail. The gorgeous cover! And it's about witches! It can't go wrong. 
2. Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne - Odd occurrences, red stained hands, mysteries...I'm totally in.  
3. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater - I really want to see what all the fuss is about, because it seems like everyone is raving about this book. Deadly water horses? Beautiful prose? It just sounds amazing. 
4. The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey - Aylee's review convinced me to buy it, and the Printz Honor award on the cover was pretty convincing too, so it's sitting impatiently on my shelf until I get to it.
5. Article 5 by Kristen Simmons - I have very high hopes for this one, so I hope it manages to be unique in a sea of dystopians. 
6. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - I have read and reviewed this trilogy already, but with the upcoming movie, I feel like I need a refresher before spring. 
7. Harry Potter series by JK Rowling - Yet another reread I want to do, especially with a series I already adore. Magic, surprises, great world building and fantastic characters...you can't go wrong with a JK Rowling book. 
8. Forgotten by Cat Patrick - I love the sound of the plot, very Memento-like. I can't wait to see what happens.
9. Graceling by Kristin Cashore - I only vaguely remember this book, so I think it's time it got bumped up in my TBR pile (especially since Cashore's newest book will be out in the summer). 
10. Brightest Kind of Darkness by PT Michelle - After reading Melissa's review, this book got pushed up much higher on my TBR list. Any story with a great protagonist automatically gets me interested.

In My Mailbox 61

Hi everyone! I've been absent from blog this month due to some personal reasons (as well as more technical issues - my laptop stopped working, and I have thankfully gotten it fixed), but the blog will have a few posts this week and YA Book Queen should be completely back on track by December :)

So now, IMM from the last few weeks....

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For Review (requested & unsolicited)Unleashed by Nancy Holder & Debbie ViguieShatter Me by Tahereh MafiA Million Suns by Beth RevisImmortal City by Scott Speer Born Wicked by Jessica SpotswoodRadiant Days by Elizabeth HandTruth by Julia Karr The Right and the Real by Joelle AnthonyHarbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne
BoughtThe Scorpio Races by Maggie StiefvaterThe Monstrumologist by Rick YanceyBirthmarked by Caragh O'Brien (for Kindle)
WonThe Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler (signed!) + Mad Libs The Death Cure by James DashnerForgotten by Cat Patrick
Extras in Born Wicked package

Extras in Harbinger package 

I honestly wasn't expecting many of the books I received, so it was quite a surprise to see all the packages! Many thanks to whomever I won Forgotten from (I cannot believe that I don't remember who I won it from, but thank you so much!), Jay Asher + Carolyn Mackler, Goodreads, Amazon Vine, and the lovely folks at Penguin USA for all of the surprise packages!