Review: The Tower by Jade Varden

Spoiler warning! This is the 2nd book in the Deck of Lies series. If you have yet to read Justice then look away now, or read my Justice review right here!

The Tower by Jade Varden

Author: Jade Varden.Website, Twitter
Published: 28 May 2012 (CreateSpace)
Pages: 160
Amazon: paperback|Kindle
Smashwords: e-book
Barnes and Noble: Nook


Source: Free download from Smashwords (during sale)

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Death brings some families closer, but it’s ripped mine apart. I wanted to convince the police that they had the wrong suspect...but I never expected them to start suspecting me. Now, I have no choice but to keep searching for the truth, even if all my relationships fall to pieces around me.

Someone is trying to make me look guilty. I never thought my mission to prove my own innocence would lead me to more family secrets. I thought I had already discovered the truth about myself. But every answer raises more questions, and everything I think I know is about to change...again.

I have to find the truth, no matter how much it hurts -- before I get charged with murder.

My Review:
I really enjoyed Justice and I've been looking forward to reading The Tower for a while now. Picking up after the events of the previous book, Rain must try and get to the bottom of Laurel's murder and try and clear River's name.

As with the first book, I really loved the mystery element of the story. I really like crime fiction and having the police investigation and Rain's ongoing confusion and suspicion throughout the story made for a gripping, tense read in places. I really like Jade Varden's writing style. It's just so seamless and creates a great atmosphere.

I felt for Rain as she suddenly finds herself in the spotlight. Her determination to find out just what happened to Laurel kept me rooting for her. I really like the high school drama and atmosphere of Sloane Academy and I think my favourite scenes are probably those that take place at the school. Rain's friendship with Fallon was something I really liked in this book as well.

The first couple of chapters of the book go over what happened in Justice as a kind of recap. As Rain's love interests were recapped it reminded me that I really didn't like the number of romantic links she has. She's with boyfriend Owen, trying to clear River's name and at the same time trying to rebuild a relationship with Sawyer. It was just too much, and I became very confused as to where Rain's loyalties actually lie. I don't like Owen, and I was really hoping to hear more about River in this book but his character made very little appearance which was disappointing.

Just when I was really getting into the murder investigation, the book started to take some other twists. At first I loved the extra drama and all the things the author had managed to weave into the story. But after a while it just got too hard to keep track of. The book delves more into Rain's past and by the end I was not only lost as to who was who, but annoyed that yet more elements of Rain's past had been thrown into doubt. It just felt like one or two steps too far. There were a lot of names and connections to process and seeing as I didn't really like the twist in the first place, it was hard to remember and take in everything towards the end.

I feel like this series has a lot of potential. I like the writing, and the mystery and drama has me hooked for the most part. I just think it's gotten a little too out there. I'll probably still check out the third book because I really want to know what happens after the end of this one. A little disappointing, sadly.

Rating: 3*
What to read next: Death by Jade Varden, book 3 in the Deck of Lies series.
Books like this: Paper Towns by John Green

Review: Justice by Jade Varden

Justice by Jade Varden

Author: Jade Varden. Website, Twitter
Published:  24 December 2011
Pages: 190
Buy: Amazon, Smashwords

Source: Received free e-book copy from the author to review.

Plot Summary: (from Goodreads)
A House of Cards...

When you build an entire life on a foundation of lies, it only takes one truth for the whole thing to come crashing down. I never invited the truth in. I never went searching for it. I never had any reason to suspect that the two people I loved most were dishonest with me every second of every day.

I made one bad decision, and in a single day my entire world changed. If I'm ever going to discover the truth about myself and my parents, I have to trace all the lies back to their source. I have to try to find the truth that they're hiding.

The more I discover about myself, and my past, the more I realize that lies really are better than the truth. But now that I know the lies are all around me, I can't stop until I've discovered them all. I'll pull each lie away, one by one, and examine it to see what's underneath…until this house of cards crumbles into dust at my feet.

I just hope I can survive the crash

My Review:
I was sent a copy of this book and I've been meaning to read it for a while. This is the first book in the Deck of Lies series and I wasn't really sure what to expect (the cover doesn't give much away!) but as soon as I started it I was pretty much hooked. The story is all about Rain Ramey who, after winning a scholarship to the prodigious Sloane Academy, suddenly starts to discover things about her past and her family that she never could have dreamt were true.

The plot itself was gripping. There's plenty of mystery as Rain has to discover just what's happened to lead her to the situation she's found herself in. With a little help from a guy named River she has to do a little detective work. I love mystery books so it was great finding such an interesting mystery in a YA novel. There were plenty of twists and turns as well, so much I wasn't expecting!

I really loved the main character. You sympathise with her straight away and feel for her as her life is flipped upside down. It's told from Rain's perspective and I just loved her voice throughout the story.

Rain gets a few romantic interests in the story which I liked. It kept me as guessing as to who she would end up with! The male characters are really interesting people, too. There was maybe a little too much juggling of male interest at one point but for the most part I liked those subplots.

The only thing that bugged me a little was when Rain's narrative flashed back and forth from past to present. At some points she was narrating as if everything had already happened, but for most of the book she was in the present so it took me out of the story a little each time.

I really enjoyed reading this book, though, and it only got better towards the end. I can't wait to read the next instalment in the series. There's so much more I want to know! Justice is a really great YA mystery and a book I'd definitely recommend.

Rating: 4*
What to read next: The Tower by Jade Varden, the second book in the Deck of Lies series.
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