by
Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz
Genre: Sci-fi, Mystery, Thriller, Young adult
When Sarah Merson receives the opportunity of a lifetime to attend the most elite prep school in the country-Sanctuary Bay Academy-it seems almost too good to be true. But, after years of bouncing from foster home to foster home, escaping to its tranquil setting, nestled deep in Swans Island, couldn't sound more appealing. Swiftly thrown into a world of privilege and secrets, Sarah quickly realizes finding herself noticed by class charmer, Nate, as well as her roommate's dangerously attentive boyfriend, Ethan, are the least of her worries. When her roommate suddenly goes missing, she finds herself in a race against time, not only to find her, but to save herself and discover the dark truth behind Sanctuary Bay's glossy reputation.
In this genre-bending YA thriller, Sanctuary Bay by Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz, Sarah's new school may seem like an idyllic temple of learning, but as she unearths years of terrifying history and manipulation, she discovers this "school" is something much more sinister.
When I started reading this book, I was so sure I would give this a 4 star rating. This book still contains a cliche that I usually encounter in my paranormal read and some underdeveloped ideas and story along the way. However, halfway through it, when the ridiculous and unpredictable plot without unnecessary romance kept me at the edge of my sit, I thought, screw this shit Imma give this sonavabitch a 5 star.
"Compared to them, hell, compared to pretty much anything, Sanctuary Bay was a paradise, no matter what lay hidden underneath it."Sarah, an orphan who pretty much lived her whole life bouncing from different foster home, suddenly and mysteriously received a scholarship from Sanctuary Bay Academy- an Elite Prep school in the middle of a nowhere island. Suspicious, should've been Sarah's first reaction, after all no once could've recommended her. She didn't even try applying there- not even in her dreams, but awe and confusion was all she felt.
"Sarah remained quiet. She didn't think her first thought, 'That's what we call a first-world problem, bitch,' was quite the right way to go about making friends."Reading Sanctuary Bay was such a breathe of fresh air. First, our perfectly flawed MC was transferred on a elite school, now that may sound a little unoriginal, but what I enjoyed here was that for the first time I read a book where people rich people were not being unreasonably bitchy to the new poor black kid in school, instead everyone was nice, and everyone was relatable. In fact, Sarah was the one being a bitch, and you really can't blame her when she grew up without a single friend around.
The relationship between the girls are so easy to relate to. Sarah doesn't whine like a bitch when her "new friends" decided not to let Sarah join to whatever they are doing in the middle of the night. She doesn't mind, because she knows how to mind her own business. She's also strong and doesn't got sway with pretty boys. Plus the love interest was someone you'd definitely root for. Ethan has a hint bad-guy reputation without being an obnoxious person. Anyway, there wasn't much a romance in the book, but it's there. A slight touch that made the book so much more interesting!
I thought I knew what this book was about when I was 40% of the way in, but this shit surprise and scare the hell out of me the more I flip on the next page. Sanctuary Bay will give you a plot with a very refreshing start-to-disturbing-to-mysterious-horrifying-to-compelling-to..
I would love to tell you more about this book, to persuade you to pick this book up and read it and fangirl with me, but I really rather not, because this is the kind of book people will definitely enjoy when you go in it blind.
Over all I believe that Sanctuary Bay is one of the best YA-thriller mystery I read so far, not that I've read a lot, but I wouldn't mind reading more from this genre when everything I'd read would be this fucking good.
P.S. I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THIS BUT I.NEED.THE.FUCKING.SEQUEL.
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Laura J. Burns has written more than thirty books for kids and teens, touching on topics from imaginary lake monsters to out-of-control Hollywood starlets. (Those two things have more in common than you'd think.)
With Melinda Metz, she has also written for the TV shows ROSWELL, 1-800-MISSING, and THE DEAD ZONE. Their next book is SANCTUARY BAY, coming in January 2016!
Laura lives in New York with her husband, her kids, and her two exceptionally silly dogs.
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