The best way to describe this books is my title for this review. This book is The Skulls Meets One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. If you have seen both of those movies, I think it accurately describes what you'll get with this book. SANCTUARY BAY is a young adult psychological thriller/mystery that left me turning the pages, anticipating each new revelation, and loving every second of it.
When I started the book, I wasn't sure how I would like it, but I LOVED it. The book brings the main character Sarah--an orphan who's never had much--to the prestigious school of Sanctuary Bay on a scholarship. The school is mostly full of children of wealthy socialites and other uber successful people, so naturally, Sarah feels a little jaded and like a misfit. But this is her opportunity to have a better life, so she takes it. The school is like living on a collage campus, except they have the extravagance of technology that most schools don't. The buildings are posh and everything seems like a dream, except once the kids attend there, they stay there through all of high school, and neither them or the staff are allowed to leave. Ever. Oh, and it's built on an island, isolated from society, sits over an old POW camp from WWII, and is on the same premises as an abandoned psych ward. *Cue creepy Psycho-slasher music.*
As you read further into the book, you discover that there is a secret society on campus, which Sarah, incidentally gets invited to join. But soon, there's a murder, and she finds that the little family she's developed through this society at Sanctuary Bay isn't all that it seems. It turns out the school has some majorly dark secrets. I don't want to say more because it will spoil the book, but it was sooooo good! If you're not afraid of a book with a bit of a dark side and like psychological thrillers, you'll love it. If you've seen the movie The Skulls and loved it, this book is a safe bet. One Flew Over the Cukoo's Nest is a hint at what is really going on at Sanctuary Bay, but I'll leave it at that.
Buy this book. It was so different than anything I've read in a long time. I loved every second of it and I'm truly hoping there is a sequel!!!
*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review, which I have given.
PURCHASE
BLURB
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment