Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Every smile in this place hides something. And the suspense tiptoes behind you so quietly, you don’t even realize you’re holding your breath until the danger is right in your face.

Thanks to the author and Atria Books for providing the gifted ARC via NetGalley.

Imagine checking into rehab and landing in a five-star retreat. We’re talking gourmet meals whipped up by your private chef, acupuncture that melts away your stress, a private cottage you’ll never want to leave, and a care show more manager ready to jump at your every whim. Who’d want to get clean with this setup? But beneath the luxury, three new arrivals disrupt the calm, stirring up secrets no amount of pampering can conceal.

If you’re hungry for a story that truly keeps you guessing and squirming, add this one to your must-read list now. Don’t miss out. Grab your copy of “Such Sheltered Lives” as soon as you can! show less

I didn't like this at all. As someone who's struggled with an eating disorder for nearly 5 years, and has spent 3 of those years trying to get better, this book did not portray an eating disorder at all. It had me grimacing at some points because it's so unrealistic.

This book could have been really good, the premise was good. The writing was choppy and Sethie was decently likeable. But her eating disorder was all about just being thin to her, when for most people being thin becomes more of show more a symptom than a goal. Usually people enjoy the emptiness, or how they have control. Yes, sometimes at first its just to be thin, but it escalates quickly. However, for Sethie her reasoning stayed the same. And the ending? It was like a switch just turned on, and suddenly she was all better.

This book could have had the same story, but touched on the mental parts of the disorder a little more, and I would have enjoyed it. Maybe not, but I at least wouldn't have been grimacing at it. show less

For whatever reason, I expected this to have a supernatural flavor. Instead, it does have magic in it, the magic of healing and emotion. Moira has been buried in grief following the death of her best and only friend, Nathan, buried so long and so deeply, her parents have given up any hope of rescuing her on their own. Instead, they ship her off to a remote and daunting school in Maine. The Castle School isn't what she expected when Moira first heard of it. She expects a jail-like show more environment, but her perceptions begin to be challenged by the boy who picks her up at the airport. They continue to be challenged the more she learns about the other eleven girls living there. Then she and her roommate follow mysterious music, climbing down a tricky set of bars and through the snowy darkness. What follows is magic of a sort, the kind that pulls Moira inch by inch, kicking and screaming, out of the dark shell of despair and self-loathing she's erected around herself. I particularly like the way her guilt and grief regarding Nathan, are drawn out gradually as well as the interspersed chapters serving as mini-bios of the other girls. Plenty painful, but very redemptive and a dandy choice for most libraries. show less

So I read Peter Pan and I hated it. Peter is a selfish little boy and Wendy just felt like she was being used. But, I still have always enjoyed the story whenever I've seen retellings or sequels of it in a movie version. Second Star is what I wish the story of Peter Pan was like. I wish there was more depth to the characters and there was in Second Star. I wish there was an actual connection between the characters and there was with Second Star. And I wish that Wendy not only learned from show more her experience, but also got something out of her experience which she did in Second Star. I never liked that Peter Pan would take away Wendy's daughter to visit Neverland at the end of the story. I understood the message of how children can be selfish when they are young. However, there's nothing to learn or care about with the story of Peter Pan. Second Star completely changed the way I saw the main characters from Peter Pan.

I actually like Wendy. I've never liked her before. Wendy is driven to find her brothers. She can't accept their deaths because she isn't provided any real proof of their deaths. She is just meant to move on and accept people's sympathies. Wendy is an intelligent student who is going on to Standford in the fall. She has never felt passion for surfing like her brothers did. Her brothers always used to skip school. They always left in the morning to find the perfect waves to ride. They were always carefree and magical when they surfed. That's why Wendy can't accept that they died because they were too good to have died that way. I really saw the maternal Wendy in this story but in a way that Wendy was more than a maternal figure. She cared deeply about her brothers but also she had so much depth to her.

Wendy finds Pete in a hidden cove where the waves are practically perfect. She knows her brothers would have gone there so she goes to do some investigating. Pete is a lot more likable than he was in his original story. Although, he still has the same major flaw he had in Peter Pan which is his selfishness.

It was so crazy finding all the characters from Peter Pan in Second Star. I was so excited to see Tinkerbell as Belle even though she's such a pain to Wendy. I really love the version of Tinkerbell in the kids movie versions. Not so much when she is her jealous self but, I still enjoyed her character. I really liked seeing Captain Hook as Jas. He's a drug dealer so he fits the whole villain role. So since I don't like Peter Pan, I liked the relationship between Wendy and Jas although their relationship seemed to be very fast. Pete's relationship with her also didn't make that much sense to me just because I didn't understand why she felt so much for him right away too. So the romance wasn't the greatest but, it wasn't like it was horrible. Also, the ending was like what? I didn't understand what was going on. I don't know why it went the way it did. It was a weird ending to say the least. I really wish there was a sequel. I really want to know some reactions to things and how everybody's life turns out. Everything has a sequel. Why can't you!?

There was one thing that Second Star did that I love above else. It made me want to learn to surf. If you can make me want to do something if in a million years I would never want to do then that author really knows how to write a descriptive, compelling story. show less