Take Bleed by Laurie Faria Stolarz, for instance. The book's about a group of kids, mostly high school juniors, who are floundering around one summer trying to fill the emptiness in their lives. Nicole Bouchard's spending her school-less days obsessing over Sean O'Connell, who just happens to be going out with her best friend, Kelly Pickerel. Meanwhile, Kelly's in California, conveniently forgetting to call Sean while she sneaks out to meet the 21-year-old ex-con she's been secretly writing to for the last 5 years. Maria Krito's got only one thing on her mind: cutting. Just like her mother's boyfriend uses Maria to get what he wants, she uses other people to help her feel something. Anything. The problem is, not everyone wants to pierce her flesh with a safety pin. So, she convinces them. Derik LaPointe's a player, Joy just wants to be loved, and poor Sadie Dubinski - she wants to be accepted so badly that she's willing to do anything, even cut Maria, just to belong. And then there's Mearl Aremian. No one knows what to make of her, least of all herself. As the kids' paths cross and re-cross one sweltering summer in Salem, Massachusetts, they're lives become increasingly more interesting.

The back cover of this book offers very little in the way of story description, which makes sense since the novel itself has no discernable plot. Unfortunately, this aimlessness makes the whole book seem kind of ... pointless. I mean, yes, it's illuminating in some ways and yes, it kept me reading and, yes, I cared about the characters (some of them, anyway), but, overall, it's a depressing read that doesn't offer much in the way of hope or positivity. The writing's solid, but that just isn't enough in this case - I wanted plot, I wanted purpose, I wanted some kind of powerful message. And none of that shows up in Bleed. Bummer.

(Note: While this review will not contain spoilers for Deadly Little Lies, it may inadvertently reveal plot elements from its predecessor, Deadly Little Secret. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order. You wouldn't want to miss anything!)

Sixteen-year-old Camelia Hammond hasn't quite gotten over the trauma of being stalked and abducted by her creepy classmate, Matt. The fact that he's in faraway Louisiana - even though he should be in jail - should allow her to rest easy. But, she can't. Ben, her psychometric kinda boyfriend, took off and she misses him desperately. Things at home are strained because of Camelia's Aunt Alexia, who seems to be tottering on the brink of insanity. Plus, Camelia's stalker seems to be back. Either that, or she's as crazy as her aunt.

When Ben returns to school, Camelia's ecstatic. She needs to talk to him, be close to him, but he refuses to touch her, insisting it's better if they spend time apart. Except it's not. Camelia's lonely, confused and frightened. Strange things are happening - it's almost as if Ben's psychometry is rubbing off on her. Or maybe PTSD is causing her brain to go haywire. Whatever it is, it's freaking her out. The only thing that can calm her is sculpting at Knead, the pottery store where she works. Adam, Knead's attractive and very interested new employee, makes her laugh, something she hasn't done much of lately. Compared to Ben's intensity, Adam's a welcome - not to mention good-looking - distraction.

And if Camelia ever needed a distraction, it's now. The creepy notes, weird premonitions, and a general feeling of being watched, are making her jumpy. Her friends, her school counselor, even Ben, tell her to let it go, that it's probably someone's sick idea of a joke. Why, then, does she feel so afraid? The voices in her head are warning her - about impending doom or her increasingly fragile grasp on reality, she's not sure.

While the stalking, the premonitions, and the hint of more psychos on the loose should make Deadly Little Lies as freaky as Deadly Little Secret, it doesn't exactly. The second book has more depth (especially with the inclusion of Alexia's diary entries), which makes it a different kind of creepy. It's just more ... shivery than scary (except for the almost-end, which is, indeed, freaky). I liked the development of Camelia's character in the newer book, as well as the fact that Lies is "cleaner" than Secret, but I didn't love Ben in this one. His wishy-washiness annoyed me as much as it did Camelia. I wasn't wild about the ending of Lies either, but that's small potatoes in the grand scheme of things. The books draw me in and keep me reading. And that's saying a lot these days.

Grade: B

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love: Yeah, yeah, I got this for free. Disney/Hyperion sends me review books all the time. Some I like, some I don't. The grades I give are based solely on a book's merits.

Camelia Hammond should be dead. After all, Gloria Beckham's car came barreling straight toward her in the school parking lot. If it hadn't been for a handsome stranger saving her Edward Cullen-style, she'd have been a goner. She hasn't seen the guy since, but Camelia can't forget him, especially the strange electricity she felt when he placed his hand on her stomach. She tries to dismiss the whole episode, but she can't deny the weirdness of it - guy comes out of nowhere, saves her from sure death, touches her stomach, looks alarmed and takes off on his motorcycle before the ambulance even makes it to the school. Definitely an abnormal experience.
Three months later, Camelia sees her mystery man again. It's the first day of school and Ben Carter's just registered as a new student. His reputation has preceded him, however - rumors are already swirling about his alleged involvement in the death of a girl he was dating. Camelia's never been one for gossip; besides, he saved her life, he deserves a thank you. Only he denies he was ever in the school parking lot that day. She knows it was him - if nothing else, she recognizes the scar on his arm - but his strange denial is not the only odd thing about Ben Carter: He does his best to avoid people, even Camelia, who's been nothing but friendly. Still, there's something about him she can't resist, something about the way he keeps purposely touching her that she finds intoxicating. Her friends warn her away from the alleged killer, but she can't stay away. No one believes her, but the more time she spends with Ben, the more she believes in his innocence.
And then things get really weird. Someone's sending Camelia photos of herself adorned with hearts and freaky little notes. Then, there's the gift on her windowsill, the message on her bedroom mirror, and the anonymous phone calls. Is it someone's sick idea of a joke? Or is Ben Carter really the psychopathic killer everyone says he is? Could she be next on his hit list? Camelia knows Ben's different - in fact, she's the only one who knows exactly how different - but a murderer? It doesn't seem possible. Still, someone's watching her every move. Someone's sending her warnings. Someone wants her all for himself ...
Deadly Little Secret's the first book in a chilling new YA series by Laurie Faria Stolarz. It's a creepy story about obsession, paranoia and the fragility of the human mind. A hint of the paranormal makes it even eerier. The characters are simply, but skillfully drawn. Even though I found some of them annoying (especially Camelia's best friend, Kimmie), most of the players come off as round and real. I had Camelia's stalker pegged pretty early on, but the story still held me spellbound. I raced through it in a couple of hours, after which I immediately cracked open the sequel. My only real complaint about Deadly Little Secret is the abundance of sexual innuendo - I'm sure it's commonplace in the average high school, but still, it got distracting. All in all, though, this one really sucked me in. I enjoyed the fast-paced, deliciously chilling read.
I'm not sure how I feel about book trailers, but this one dramatizes Deadly Little Secret pretty well (even though the acting leaves much to be desired):
Grade: B+
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for heavy innuendo and some violence
To the FTC, with love: Disney/Hyperion provided me with 5 copies of Deadly Little Secret, but no monetary compensation.
Okay, now for my little secret. Thanks to the generous folks at Disney, I have 4 copies of Deadly Little Secret to give away. These are beautiful, brand new hardcovers. All you have to do to win one is comment on this post by midnight on November 24. Tweet about the contest or mention it on your blog and I'll give you extra entries. That's it - I won't even make you answer a question. This giveaway is open internationally. Oh! Please, please, please leave an email address if you don't have a public blog. I need a way to contact the winners. Thanks and good luck!