Official Review: Second Hand Stops by Katie St. Claire

[melbuhtoast]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Second Hand Stops" by Katie St. Claire.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Second Hand Stops is the first book in a new YA sci-fi series by Katie St. Claire. The story is told from the perspective of Julia Malone, a girl abandoned by her family at an early age who comes to live in a manor with five other individuals. They all have one very important thing in common: they're telepathic.

Nic, Sebastian, and Dutch Maye are a set of brothers as different as night and day. Nic is protective and shares a deep connection with Julia, Sebastian loves to play mind games and get under everyone's skin, and Dutch is sensitive and sweet. Lyra Twerth is the only other girl at the manor, and has always come across as a little unhinged. Lincoln Sackinstock is defiant and dark, and everyone in the manor is unsettled by him except for Lyra.

Once all of them have turned eighteen, they are forced by their headmistress, Lillian, to take a drought of an elixir that is meant to prolong their lives, the thought of which makes Julia nervous. One by one, each of them takes the elixir, and weird things begin to happen - Nic becomes even more protective, Sebastian even more sadistic, Dutch more sensitive, Lyra more unhinged and Lincoln even more dark. For Julia, the change is apparent to everyone else but herself. Once the elixir has been taken, they learn their benefactor, Claude Van Buren, has made provisions for their employment at his company, and they must all prepare to move to New York City. Julia and Nic are the first to make the move, and things don't go quite as planned. Suddenly they find themselves mixed up in the cross hairs of some dangerous people hell bent on getting their hands on the secret of the elixir.

Overall, I found this book to be an incredibly fun read. The moment I began reading I was hooked and it was hard to put down. The beginning started a little slow, but only because the author took the time to develop and describe each of the characters, which I liked because it gave me a better sense of who they are and the roles they would play in the story. There were some situations where the teenage angst and melodrama were a bit much, but overall it seemed about right for YA fiction.

The one thing I really wished for once I got to the end was that it was a bit longer. The ending is quite abrupt, and you don't yet have an idea of what is really going on, so while you're left with a cliffhanger, I felt it could've been done more effectively by beefing up the storyline and letting more happen. All that to say, I would definitely recommend this book and look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Overall I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I think I would've given it a 4 if the teen angst was toned down just a little and the story hadn't ended so abruptly.

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Second Hand Stops
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[katiestclaire]

Thank you so much for this incredible review! There are a lot of shocking revelations in books II and III, which wraps up the entire series with an explosive farewell. Book II has a much softer landing at the end, but all three will be released at the same time so readers can move from one to the next without having to wait. I left it on the premise that there may be a second generation of Van Burens.

I'm so pleased it kept you entertained and engaged; and thank you again!

[Duende Knocking]

I was going to ask if there was a sequel but it looks like the author answered my question!

Great review, OP, and this looks like a good read. I know a couple of people who would probably really like this and may pass the title along to them.

[melbuhtoast]

Thank you so much for this incredible review! There are a lot of shocking revelations in books II and III, which wraps up the entire series with an explosive farewell. Book II has a much softer landing at the end, but all three will be released at the same time so readers can move from one to the next without having to wait. I left it on the premise that there may be a second generation of Van Burens.

I'm so pleased it kept you entertained and engaged; and thank you again!

Thank YOU for writing such an engaging book! I am really looking forward to books II and III. Do you know when the others will become available?

[PashaRu]

Thanks for a nice review! I don't typically read YA, but I enjoyed reading your review. It is well-written, insightful, and specific.

[katiestclaire]

I'm in editing and beta, but all three books will release by the end of March. It really was a fantastic and thorough review...and great tips. Very appreciative!

[melbuhtoast]

I was going to ask if there was a sequel but it looks like the author answered my question!

Great review, OP, and this looks like a good read. I know a couple of people who would probably really like this and may pass the title along to them.

Thanks for the positive feedback on the review. I would absolutely recommend this book!

-- 26 Feb 2015, 09:12 --

Thanks for a nice review! I don't typically read YA, but I enjoyed reading your review. It is well-written, insightful, and specific.

Thanks for the great feedback - it will help me with future reviews!