Dollar Tree

Plot According to Goodreads: When thirteen-year-old Angela Gracie Chapman looks in the mirror, someone else looks back–a thin, pale stranger, a sixteen-year-old with haunted eyes. Angie has no memory of the past three years, years in which she was lost to the authorities, lost to her family and friends, lost even to herself. Where has she been, who has been living her life, and what is hiding behind the terrible blankness? There are secrets you can’t even tell yourself.

My Thoughts: WOW! This book is the kind of book that stays with you long after you’ve read the last page. There is a lot I want to tell you about this book but it’s best to find things out on your own. I went into this book expecting a typical kidnapping story and got something completely different, but in a good way. The main character, Angie, is very likable, I wanted to reach through the book and give her a hug several times while reading. The plot was fascinating, focusing on a controversial and confusing subject, but explained in a way that made a lot of sense and provided a lot of insight. It eluded to some of the grittier parts of Angie’s captivity, but the author only showcases a tiny glimpse into the horrors of her experience, and allows the reader to imagine the rest. The focus of the story is more on how Angie copes with who she is after her ordeal, rather than on the 3 years she was missing. On the negative side, there were a few blaring plot holes, but they didn’t take away from the story and were necessary to make the story more gripping, in my opinion.

I would classify this book as one of my favorite books of 2015. It is definitely worth a read if you are a fan of thrillers and psychological stories.

My rating: 5/5 stars

So you may not know this but I am a huge bargain shopper. I could probably count on 2 hands the amount of times I’ve paid full price for a book. One of my favorite places to find brand new books is The Dollar Tree. Years ago, I wouldn’t even bother to look at the Dollar Tree books because I assumed that they only had books that nobody would want to read…but I was wrong. I have been amazed at some of the books I’ve found there and even if it does turn out to be a bad book, I’m only out a dollar. The books pictured above are my most recent finds at The Dollar Tree…

So Damn Lucky by Deborah Coonts: Lucky O’Toole—Head of Customer Relations at The Babylon, premier mega-resort on the Vegas Strip—thinks it’s just another night in Las Vegas. But then a magician pulls a disappearing act, right under Lucky’s nose. Is it a stunt? Or something worse?

I bought this one because it sounds like a funny, light story that would be perfect to read in between the scary or depressing books that I often read. I also love that it’s set in Las Vegas.

Stay Awake by Dan Chaon: In these haunting, suspenseful stories, lost, fragile, searching characters wander between ordinary life and a psychological shadowland. They have experienced intense love or loss, grief or loneliness, displacement or disconnection—and find themselves in unexpected, dire, and sometimes unfathomable situations.

From what I gather, this is a book of short stories that are disturbing and creepy. The main reason I bought it was because there is a story about a father with a son who experiences night terrors. Unfortunately, I can relate because my son also has horrible night terrors. I’m very intrigued but also very nervous to read this one.

The Colour of Milk by Nell Leyshon: Mary is a sharp-tongued farm girl, and she will do anything to learn to read and write. But as she does so through four seasons of one extraordinary year, she discovers that nothing comes for free. Told by a narrator whose urgent, unforgettable voice will break your heart, The Colour of Milk is an astonishing novel.

This is a book that I almost purchased from Book Outlet in the past so I was very excited to find it at the Dollar Tree.

Midnight City by J. Barton Mitchell: Lord of the Flies meets War of the Worlds in J. Barton Mitchell’s alien-invaded post-apocalyptic world where two teens and a young girl with amazing powers must stop the aliens’ mysterious plan.

This was the one I was the most excited about as I almost purchased it several times from several different places. I love the cover and the story sounds great!

The Perfect Marriage by Kimberla Lawson Roby: Denise and Derrek Shaw are the perfect American couple. Happily married for fifteen years, they have a wonderful daughter, Mackenzie, successful careers, and a beautiful home in a posh Chicago suburb. They are attractive, respected . . . and hiding a shocking secret: a dangerous addiction to drugs.

This one sounded very good and it’s a fairly short book (which I like at times).

If you are a bookworm, I implore you to pop into The Dollar Tree the next time you drive by one and check out the book section. You might be surprised at what you find. I love the feeling of finding a $27 hardcover book and only paying $1 for it!

Here are some of the other books I’ve scored at The Dollar Tree: