ARC Review: The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss

 

“An absolute winner—sharp, suspenseful, and so much fun.” —Karen M. McManus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying

An unforgettable YA murder mystery set in an escape-room themed game show, by Marissa Meyer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lunar Chronicles, and Tamara Moss, rising star and acclaimed author of Lintang series.

It’s all fun and games until someone ends up dead.

Six months ago, season four of The Escape Game ended in horror when contestant Alicia Angelos was found murdered on set.

Now season five is underway, and new contestants are ready to put their skills to the test solving the show's trickiest escape rooms. There's Adi, the cryptographer; Carter, the math whiz; Beck, the wannabe game master, and . . . Sierra Angelos, the girl who got away with her sister’s murder. Or so everyone believes.

But Sierra’s not just here to win. She’s here for justice.

When the contestants begin uncovering clues that hint at the identity of Alicia’s true killer, it becomes clear that the stakes aren’t high in this competition, they’re deadly. If these teens want to win—and survive—the game, they must solve the biggest mystery of who killed Alicia Angelos?

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer and rising star Tamara Moss comes a twisty thrill-ride, filled with sabotage, betrayal, and puzzles to die for.

Title: The Escape Game

Author: Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss

Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group

Publication Date: April 7, 2026

Review:

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I love Marissa Meyer and will read anything she writes. When I was contacted by the publisher to read an early copy of this, I jumped at the chance. I haven't read anything by Tamara Moss before but I figured Meyer knew what she was getting into when she chose to co-write this book, and I was right. This book was so much fun!

Firmly planted in the YA realm, a group of teens gets picked to star in The Escape Game, a television show centered around teams competing against one another to solve escape room puzzles in order to win a huge cash prize. I have never done an escape room, though I think it would be quite fun. One thing that struck me about this book was how well the authors showed me what theses rooms looked like and how the teams were able to solve the puzzles and escape. Of course you can't have escape rooms and teams competing without drama. And that drama came in the form of a mystery. A contestant from a previous season was found dead on the set of one of the rooms, and her sister has returned to this season to help build the drama. But also, she needs to find out who killed her sister as everyone thinks she did it.

Told in alternating POVS from the four team members, you get great glimpses of what each members strengths, weaknesses, and flaws are. Add to that their diversity and the story really does turn into something special. If I had to pick one character I liked more than the others, I really couldn't. Each one was unique and messy in their own way and this truly made them relatable.

Did I have to suspend my disbelief for this story a bit? Yes, yes I did. To truly think these teens could be solving these puzzles seemed a little out of the realm of a high school aged kid, but maybe I just don't know enough high school aged kids (by the way, I have three). But it was fun to think they could solve the puzzles all while trying to solve the mystery. And I enjoyed the element of found family. 

And then at the end, when you think everything has been tied up in a nice, neat bow, the authors throw you a little wrench to wet your appetite for what seems to be a second book. Yeah, I'd definitely read it.

If you're looking for a fun story with game action, a hint of romance, and a group of kids thrown together who become friends when they are truly needing some friends, pick this one up and watch them bond and solve the mystery!

Author:

I live in Tacoma, Washington, with my husband and beautiful twin daughters. Represented by Jill Grinberg. Learn more about me and my upcoming books at http://www.marissameyer.com.

Tamara Moss grew up in Perth, Western Australia. She has a BA majoring in Asian Studies and taught primary school for ten years. Inspired by her students’ love of adventure, Tamara wrote a middle-grade series starting with Lintang and the Pirate Queen. Her next novel, The Escape Game, is a YA murder mystery co-authored with NYT-bestselling author Marissa Meyer.

Tamara also writes adult crime and thrillers under the name Tamara M. Bailey.

Most Anticipated Releases Tuesday November 4, 2025

Here's what I'm looking forward to seeing release this week.

The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer

I love Meyer! I was fortunate to get a copy of this and I really enjoyed it. It was a unique fantasy based on Bluebeard. I don't know anything about that story so it was all new to me! You can see my thoughts HERE.

A Fate So Cold (A Fate So Cold #1) by Amanda Foody and C.L. Herman

I got a print copy of this from Tor and then was approved for the audio. I will say I wasn't a huge fan of the narrators but I did like the story. You can see my thoughts HERE.

Thrown for a Loop (New Your Legends #1) by Sarina Bowen

I love me some Bowen. But also I adore hockey romance. I knew she'd do it justice and I was excited to get an audio copy of this one. I cannot wait to see the next installment in this series. Check out what I thought of this book HERE.

What are you looking forward to?

 

ARC Review: The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer

 

From the #1 New York Times bestselling "Queen of Fairytale Retellings" and author of Cinder and Heartless, this is the tale of Bluebeard as it's never been told before—a thrilling romantasy and murder mystery.

Mallory Fontaine is a fraud. Though she comes from a long line of witches, the only magic she possesses is the ability to see ghosts, which is rarely as useful as one would think. She and her sister have maintained the family business, eking out a paltry living by selling bogus spells to gullible buyers and conducting tours of the infamous mansion where the first of the Saphir murders took place.

Mallory is a self-proclaimed expert on Count Bastien Saphir—otherwise known as Monsieur Le Bleu—who brutally killed three of his wives more than a century ago. But she never expected to meet Bastien's great-great grandson and heir to the Saphir estate. Armand is handsome, wealthy, and convinced that the Fontaine Sisters are as talented as they claim. The perfect mark. When he offers Mallory a large sum of money to rid his ancestral home of Le Bleu's ghost, she can’t resist. A paid vacation at Armand’s country manor? It’s practically a dream come true, never mind the ghosts of murdered wives and the monsters that are as common as household pests.

But when murder again comes to the House Saphir, Mallory finds herself at the center of the investigation—and she is almost certain the killer is mortal. If she has any hope of cashing in on the payment she was promised, she’ll have to solve the murder and banish the ghost, all while upholding the illusion of witchcraft.

But that all sounds relatively easy compared to her biggest learning to trust her heart. Especially when the person her heart wants the most might be a murderer himself.

Title: The House Saphir

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher:

Expected Publication Date: November 4, 2025

Review:

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Children's Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with a copies of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I had high hopes for this book. I absolutely adore Meyer's Lunar Chronicles. At the same time, I pushed that down because I knew it would not be the same and didn't want to be disappointed. This is in a totally different realm than that series but just as enjoyable!
I'll start with the narrator, Rebecca Soler. I really enjoyed her when I listened to her narrate The Empyrean series. As with that series, she brought this book to life. I enjoyed how she narrated the different characters. I was never confused who she was speaking as. Her cadence was great and she kept the pace of the book going really well. I also enjoyed the emotion she brought to the narration. It truly drew me in and had me wanting to continue listening and see what happened!
The supernatural part of this book was really fun. There's a witchy vibe for sure. Though the main character is technically a fraud. But I loved the idea of her being able to see ghosts and communicate with them. Meyer does a nice job with building the world out for the most part.
I don't know too much about Bluebeard, so I went into this book a bit blind with the background from that. I know Meyer truly is a great story teller when it comes to retellings (she showed me that with The Lunar Chronicles). But it didn't make the book unenjoyable to not really know that lore. I will say I would have liked just a bit more background into this lore. I expect that from a fantasy and I didn't quite get what I wanted in that respect for this story.
I liked the morally grey aspects of the characters in this story. There is nothing perfect about any of the characters. There's not good two shoes and always choosing to do the right thing. They choose the thing that keeps them safe, which sometimes is the right thing but not always. I love this aspect because it's so much more true to life and relatable. It makes the characters real and raw. Add to this the banter between the characters and it really made for some great development.
While I love a bit of romance, I honestly didn't 100% feel that in this story. I needed more attraction and chemistry than what was being presented. Even in YA books, this is possible to accomplish. The pining, the angst, it just wasn't as prominent as I would have liked.
My favorite part of this book is the found family trope. I just love when characters can find other characters that support them and make them feel loved.
While this book wraps up pretty well at the end, I can see some places where it could potentially be a series. I don't know if Meyer has that planned but I would definitely read more books in this world!

Author:

Marissa Meyer is the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Lunar Chronicles, Heartless, The Renegades Trilogy, and Instant Karma, as well as the graphic novel duology Wires and Nerve. She holds a BA in Creative Writing from Pacific Lutheran University and a MA in Publishing from Pace University. In addition to writing, Marissa hosts The Happy Writer podcast. She lives near Tacoma, Washington, with her husband and twin daughters.

Fat Stack Friday May 9, 2025

 

Here's what I got this week!

NetGalley/Edelweiss:

A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan

The squee I squee'd when this approval came through was LOUD. And I was in the middle of a surgery waiting room as my son had shoulder surgery! I'm so excited to read this. I love McEwan. Her Glacian trilogy is great. You should go read it! And check out my reviews of all three on the blog.

Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood

This came through as a NetGalley read now earlier this week. The author has another book coming out and the publisher has put this one back up to garner hype of that one. I won't request that one until I read this and see if I like the author's writing as this author is new to me.

A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim

This one came from the publisher. It sounds great. I hope it is!

Immortal Consequences by I.V Marie

I had requested this one on NetGalley and was declined. I was going to request it on Edelweiss but yesterday the publisher emailed and asked if I'd be interested in reviewing. So of course I said yes!

The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer

It honestly doesn't matter what this book is about because I will read anything Marissa Meyer writes. The Lunar Chronicles is one of my all time favorite series. I hope this one turns out to be just as good!

Libby/Hoopla:

The Cinnamon Bun Book Store (Dream Harbo #2) by Laurie Gilmore

This series is so cute. Cozy romance and just fun. Nothing strenuous on the mind. I enjoyed the first book so figured I'd continue on. Perfect to listen to while at work!

What did you get this week?

Waiting on Wednesday #92 :Heartless by Marissa Meyer @marissa_meyer @FierceReads

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly awaiting!

Blurb:


Title: Heartless 
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Fiewel and Friends
Expected Publication Date: November 8, 2016

Blurb:

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland — the infamous Queen of Hearts — she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the yet-unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend and supply the Kingdom of Hearts with delectable pastries and confections. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next Queen.

At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the king's marriage proposal, she meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the King and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship.

Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

I live in Tacoma, Washington, with my fiancé and our two cats. In addition to my slight obsession with books and writing, I'm big on road-tripping, wine-tasting, and hunting for antiques. I'm represented by Jill Grinberg.

Waiting on Wednesday #90: Stars Above by Marissa Meyer @marissa_meyer @FierceReads

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly awaiting!



Title: Stars Above
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Fiewel and Friends
Expected Publication Date: February 2, 2016

Blurb:
The enchantment continues....

The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories—and secrets—that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies?

With nine stories—five of which have never before been published—and an exclusive never-before-seen excerpt from Marissa Meyer’s upcoming novel, Heartless, about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Stars Above is essential for fans of the bestselling and beloved Lunar Chronicles.

--
The Little Android: A retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” set in the world of The Lunar Chronicles.
Glitches: In this prequel to Cinder, we see the results of the plague play out, and the emotional toll it takes on Cinder. Something that may, or may not, be a glitch….
The Queen’s Army: In this prequel to Scarlet, we’re introduced to the army Queen Levana is building, and one soldier in particular who will do anything to keep from becoming the monster they want him to be.
Carswell’s Guide to Being Lucky: Thirteen-year-old Carswell Thorne has big plans involving a Rampion spaceship and a no-return trip out of Los Angeles.
The Keeper: A prequel to the Lunar Chronicles, showing a young Scarlet and how Princess Selene came into the care of Michelle Benoit.
After Sunshine Passes By: In this prequel to Cress, we see how a nine-year-old Cress ended up alone on a satellite, spying on Earth for Luna.
The Princess and the Guard: In this prequel to Winter, we see a game called The Princess
The Mechanic: In this prequel to Cinder, we see Kai and Cinder’s first meeting from Kai’s perspective.
Something Old, Something New: In this epilogue to Winter, friends gather for the wedding of the century...

I live in Tacoma, Washington, with my fiancé and our two cats. In addition to my slight obsession with books and writing, I'm big on road-tripping, wine-tasting, and hunting for antiques. I'm represented by Jill Grinberg.

Waiting on Wednesday #15: Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles ) by Marissa Meyer @marissa_meyer @MacKidsBooks @FeiwelFriends

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly awaiting!

I am super excited about this. I was fortunate enough that Feiwel and Friends sent me an ARC of Cress. I thought I was going to have to wait forever for Winter (at least it seemed that way) but now I have this to look forward to, YAY!

Title: Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles #0.1)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Expected Publication Date: January 27, 2015

BLURB:

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now. 

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.

Marissa Meyer is the New York Times-bestselling author of The Lunar Chronicles. She lives in Tacoma, Washington, with her husband and three demanding cats. She’s a fan of most things geeky (Sailor Moon, Firefly, any occasion that requires a costume), and has been in love with fairy tales since she was a child. She may or may not be a cyborg.

Goodreads/Website/Facebook/Twitter

Author Interview Thursday: Welcome Marissa Meyer @marissa_meyer

Welcome to Author Interview Thursday hosted by the Never Too Old for YA and NA Books group on Goodreads.

Today we welcome author Marissa Meyer to the blog and group!

Do you know Marissa's AMAZING series: The Lunar Chronicles?

You haven't? Well What are you waiting for????

Welcome Marissa!

Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or did you want to be something else? 

Yes, I knew that I wanted to be a writer from the time that I learned such a job existed. I grew up an avid book lover, and I always had a crazy overactive imagination as a kid. Because of that, I was always making up stories – sometimes my cousin and I would act them out for our parents, other times I would tell them to my mom and she would type them up for me so I could illustrate them. So as soon as I realized that making up stories was something that you could do as a career, and that maybe someday I could have a book sitting on the shelves beside my favorites, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I did have a few periods of other dreams—Broadway singer, fashion designer—but writing is the one dream that never went away.

How long does it take you to write a book from start to finish?

It varies by book. Cinder took me just under two years, although I was working on some other writing projects during that time, as well as working full-time. Alternatively, Scarlet took about 9 months, Cress about a year, and Winter will clock in around 15 or 16 months by the time it’s done. These are strict working-on-that-project months, ignoring the week- or month-long breaks I often take in between drafts.

With my next book, Heartless, I’ve actually been keeping a time-log and recording how many hours I spend working on the project, breaking it down into researching, writing, revising, and editing tasks. I’m very curious to see what it all adds up to by the time I’m done!

Do you have a schedule of when you write? 

Not usually. I do set myself weekly goals, and then try to break down how  much I need to complete every day. But there will be days when I write all day long, and there will be days when I’m doing lots of promotional or marketing work, or traveling, or giving school presentations, and don’t write at all. Most days will be a mixture of the two. For an “average” day, if there were such a thing, I’d spend my morning answering emails and checking off some promo tasks, my afternoon writing, and the evening reading and relaxing.

Where do you write? 

Until recently I had a home office, but we’ve just converted it into a nursery (my husband and I are adopting our first child this year!). My husband has now started building me a detached writing studio in our backyard to replace the office, which I am very excited about.

I also love to get out of the house to write, and spend a fair amount of time at different cafes and restaurants.

Do you have any go to people when writing a book that help you with your story lines as well as editing, beta reading and such? 

Yes, I have three amazing beta readers who have all been with me since I was writing Sailor Moon fanfiction! I usually send them the manuscript once I feel like I’ve taken it as far as I can and I can no longer see the strengths and weaknesses—usually this is around the third or fourth draft. Then they read it and always offer up invaluable feedback and help me see the book in ways I never would have seen it otherwise. The books are infinitely better because of them—I actually dedicated Cress to them, because I just don’t know what I’d do without their help.

Are you working on anything now? 

I have a few projects going on right now! One is top-secret (to be announced this June!). I’m also finishing up the last round of revisions on Winter, the final book of the Lunar Chronicles, and working on Heartless, a stand-alone prequel to Alice in Wonderland. Then there are a couple short stories that I’m working on and I’m starting to outline my next series, as well—a trilogy inspired by superheroes. So many fun things to look forward to!

Thanks so much for being here today. It was a pleasure having you on the blog! We are looking forward to Winter and your other future works!

One of my first spoken words was “story” (right along with “bath” and “cookie”), my favorite toy as an infant was a soft, squishable book, and I’ve wanted to be a writer since I first realized such a job existed.

When I was fourteen my best friend introduced me to anime and fanfiction—over the years I would complete over forty Sailor Moon fanfics under the penname Alicia Blade. Those so inclined can still find my first stories at fanfiction.net. Writing fanfic turned out to be awesome fun and brought me in contact with an amazing group of fanfiction readers and writers. As Alicia Blade, I also had a novelette, “The Phantom of Linkshire Manor,” published in the gothic romance anthology Bound in Skin (CatsCurious Press, 2007).

When I was sixteen I worked at The Old Spaghetti Factory in Tacoma, Washington, affectionately termed “The Spag.” (Random factoid: This is also the restaurant where my parents met some 25 years before.) I attended Pacific Lutheran University where I sorted mail that came to the dorm, carted tables and chairs around campus, and took writing classes, eventually earning a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing and Children’s Literature. Knowing I wanted a career in books, I would also go on to receive a Master’s degree in Publishing from Pace University (which you can learn more about here). After graduation, I worked as an editor in Seattle for a while before becoming a freelance typesetter and proofreader.

Then, day of days, someone thought it would be a good idea to give me a book deal, so I became a full-time writer. CINDER is my first novel, though I have an adorable collection of unfinished ones lying around too.

I now live with my husband and our three cats (Calexandria Josephine, Stormus Enormous, and Blackland Rockwell III), who go in and out, in and out, about eight hundred times a day. My favorite non-bookish things include Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, re-watching episodes of Firefly, and playing all manners of dress-up.

Goodreads/Website/Facebook/Twitter

Review: Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer @marissa_meyer @MacKidsBooks

Blurb from Goodreads:

The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth...

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

Title: Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwell and Friends (Macmillan Kids)

Publication Date: February 5, 2013

Barnes and Noble

The Cover Contessa's Review:

The Lunar Chronicles is quickly climbing it's way to one of my most favorite series of all times. When I first started reading this series, I wasn't sure I would like it. I was skeptical about sci-fi and was sure that I might be bored if the book ran away from me with technical mumbo jumbo. I could not have been more wrong. While Meyer does use technical terms in the books, they are easy to understand and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this!

I have to say that the cover of this book is very plain. Not so plain that it's not beautiful, but it doesn't give any of the story away at all. Still, the red color is so eye catching to me, I find myself mesmerized by it. And since Little Red Riding Hood retellings are some of my favorite retellings, there was no way I wasn't going to jump right into this and see where it went!

This book picks up pretty much where Cinder ended. So, if you did not read the first book of this series, close this review right now because there might be a few spoilers that would totally ruin it for you! When I first started it, I kind of liked that it did not completely focus on Cinder. And I thought to myself that you could possibly read this without having to read the first book, as it introduces a bunch of new characters to the world Meyer built in Cinder. Characters with their own unique story. However, as you read on, you will find that it is very closely tied to Cinder, so you really need that background before you read this.

One of my favorites things about this book is Meyer's uncanny ability to write in third person and yet keep us totally connected to each character. I often find third person hard to get into. But Meyer really does it right. And I think it's totally necessary so we can truly see the characters from an omniscient perspective. She is able to keep her character's voices so distinct, which is truly a feat with this voice!

Scarlet is an awesome character. She is super strong, sassy, snarky and just all around a great girl to read about. She can be a bit impulsive at times, but I think this is one of the things that makes her very endearing to the reader. We can all have a bit of impulsivity when it comes to protecting the ones we love. She's a bit older than Cinder, in her later teens, so she has a bit more of an adult air about her. But that doesn't stop her from being a bit soft around some of her edges as her story slowly unfolds. We learn about her connection to Cinder, or at least her grandmother's connection. And we also learn some news about who Scarlet is and how she is connected to the Lunar Queen. She's a great contrast to Cinder's younger character for sure.

Wolf, well, he's just a sexy beast. He's predatory and unpredictable at times, but also can be gentle and caring. He's very different from Kai's character. Wolf is calculating and efficient. Everything is done with his predatory nature in mind. On top of it all, he's more complicated than anyone could imagine. He quickly becomes fiercely loyal and protective of Scarlet, though I thought perhaps their connection moved just a little too fast for my taste.

Finally, my new favorite character in this series, Thorne. This guy is super duper snarky and sarcastic. He's also got a head so big I would think you might bump into it easily if you were standing next to him. And, no matter the obstacle thrown at him, he feels he can take on any challenge and win. He's not afraid to throw himself in the thick of things, as long as it benefits him. At least that's what he tells everyone. But his thick headedness and constant conceit make him so much more endearing than I ever thought he could be. And I love his relationship with Cinder. They are like brother and sister with their banter and quarrels. It's just great to watch their relationship unfurl.

Of course we get to see characters we met in the previous book: Cinder, Iko (yay for her being back) and Kai, plus the Lunar Queen and her disgusting clan of lackeys who do her dirty work.

As for plot, this one is non-stop action and adventure. Meyer layers it so well, building on what we know from Cinder and added things slowly to help focus the reader in the direction she wants to take the book. There are twists and turns around every bend. Things you will not see coming at all and others you hoped would happen. When the characters are not fighting some kind of battle, they are racing towards something to find the clues they need to figure out how to outsmart the Lunar Queen. And when Cinder and Scarlet's worlds collide, it's so great! I love how all of a sudden they are just together and it's like nothing when they begin to help each other out! Meyer easily fuses the two stories with a build up that brings them together in a huge crash. It's amazing to watch the tale unfold. You know these characters are going to cross paths, but you're not sure how it's going to happen or when. So great.

Mostly I loved how Meyer took me from laughing to crying to cringing with such an easy flow I surprised myself. There was not a moment I wanted to put this book down (though life did get in my way and I had to attend to those things, silly life!). It really was a non-stop ride from beginning to end. Meyer takes a complicated story and makes it make sense, throwing in tension and other elements that keep the reader on their toes. I do believe that this is certainly one of my top reads for 2014. Now on to Cress!

One of my first spoken words was “story” (right along with “bath” and “cookie”), my favorite toy as an infant was a soft, squishable book, and I’ve wanted to be a writer since I first realized such a job existed.

When I was fourteen my best friend introduced me to anime and fanfiction—over the years I would complete over forty Sailor Moon fanfics under the penname Alicia Blade. Those so inclined can still find my first stories at fanfiction.net. Writing fanfic turned out to be awesome fun and brought me in contact with an amazing group of fanfiction readers and writers. As Alicia Blade, I also had a novelette, “The Phantom of Linkshire Manor,” published in the gothic romance anthology Bound in Skin (CatsCurious Press, 2007).

When I was sixteen I worked at The Old Spaghetti Factory in Tacoma, Washington, affectionately termed “The Spag.” (Random factoid: This is also the restaurant where my parents met some 25 years before.) I attended Pacific Lutheran University where I sorted mail that came to the dorm, carted tables and chairs around campus, and took writing classes, eventually earning a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing and Children’s Literature. Knowing I wanted a career in books, I would also go on to receive a Master’s degree in Publishing from Pace University (which you can learn more about here). After graduation, I worked as an editor in Seattle for a while before becoming a freelance typesetter and proofreader.

Then, day of days, someone thought it would be a good idea to give me a book deal, so I became a full-time writer. CINDER is my first novel, though I have an adorable collection of unfinished ones lying around too.

I now live with my husband and our three cats (Calexandria Josephine, Stormus Enormous, and Blackland Rockwell III), who go in and out, in and out, about eight hundred times a day. My favorite non-bookish things include Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, re-watching episodes of Firefly, and playing all manners of dress-up.

Goodreads/Website/Facebook/Twitter