Thursday 7 January 2016

Review - Sanctuary Bay by Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz




Title: Sanctuary Bay
Author: Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz
Pages: 320
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release date: 19th January 2016

Blurb from Goodreads: 

In this genre-bending YA thriller, will Sarah Merson's shiny new prep school change her life forever or bring it to a dark and sinister end?

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.

 








My Review:
 
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley*

1.5/5 stars

Sarah Merson has been offered a place at Sanctuary Bay, an exclusive school located on an isolated island. Having spent her childhood in various foster homes after the murder of her parents, Sanctuary Bay is completely different to anything Sarah has experienced before.
Sarah soon makes friends with her roommates Izzy and Karina and things at Sanctuary Bay are normal . . . until Sarah sees something she shouldn't. Things start unravelling as someone goes missing and Sarah discovers that things at Sanctuary Bay aren't as they seem.
Will Sarah survive her time at the school?


Sanctuary Bay was a YA thriller with an interesting premise.
Sarah was an okay protagonist but I didn't like how she always put people into catagories; Hispanic, blonde, etc. The idea of Sarah having an eidetic memory that allowed her to be sucked back into memories was interesting.
I enjoyed the start of the story but around 30% of the way through Sarah made a decision that I didn't agree with. After that it was downhill for me - my attention wandered and I didn't find the action or twists interesting. I knew some things before they happened and found myself wishing for the end.


Overall this was a disappointing read.





No comments :

Post a Comment