Blog Tour: Uninvited by Leah Spiegel and Meg Summers Review

Hi Everyone!

Today I am happily participating in the book tour for Uninvited by Leah Spiegel and Meg Summers. Gosh, this book is completely hilarious! The blog tour is ran by Xpresso Book Tours.

Uninvited by Leah Spiegel and Meg Summers 

Publication Date: February 11th, 2012

Source: Electronic Review Copy

Rating: 4/5 LOVABLE STARS

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Book Synopsis:

When Alley started her senior year at Upper East High in the South Hills area, it was supposed to be the usual drag of hanging out with people who spent more on one outfit than Alley did on her entire wardrobe. That was until Kirsten, a girl in their clique, suddenly goes missing and the only people who seem to care are her friends. All evidence leads to the new comer Shane, a cocky and self-pretentious person in Alley’s opinion, but the police seem uninterested so she and the rest of the girls start a little investigation of their own. But they are nowhere closer to finding Kirsten than when they started and now they had the police’s attention; just not in the way they expected. The girls have to start over and discover that maybe it wasn’t an outsider who took Kirsten, but someone within their own clique who has something to hide; a secret that just might have gotten Kirsten killed.

About the authors:

Although we moved down to North Carolina several years ago, we’re originally from the Pittsburgh area. (That’s why a lot of our characters either live in the Burgh or reference our hometown football team, The Pittsburgh Steelers.) And yes, we even have the Southern accents to show for it now. Although Megan’s is considerable thicker, Leah still can’t understand the locals.

We are known as ‘the sisters’ among our neighborhood; when actually we’re probably really known as ‘the sisters with the Yorkies’. Our pups, Skippy Jon Jones and Captain Jack Sparrow, were given long names to compensate for their small size but not their large personalities.

If Leah’s not glued to her electronic devices, AKA her Kindle Fire and various laptops, you can find her training ‘the attack dogs’, running on the treadmill while conceiving the next great book idea with the Dave Matthews Band, Muse, Florence and the Machine, The Lumineers, and Pink (just to name a few) blaring out of her earphones.

If Megan’s not glued to her electronic devices AKA her iPad and Nook Color, you can find her teaching fourth graders, swimming marathon style at the pool, or cuddling with ‘the attack dogs’ as she watches Duck Dynasty, Gold Rush, Scandal, Person of Interest, Morning Joe, etc.

Leah graduated from Edinboro University with a BA in Art Education. Megan received her teaching degree from Edinboro University and Masters in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Technology from Grand Canyon University.  

My review:

“Honestly, I didn’t know what we were doing here as I jerked the jeep into the first available space next to the stadium. What did they expect to find at a soccer game; Kirsten tied up in the locker room?” pg. 176

Uninvited by Leah Spiegel and Meg Summers is the first of a trilogy. In this book, the protagonist Alley, her best friend Val and her friends Kayla and Libby search for their missing friend Kirsten. First suspect? Shane. The mysterious new student who Libby saw having a mysterious conversation with Kirsten. The new kid the police just do not both to consider as a suspect at all. 

The antics these four amateur investigators encounter on their search for their friend’s whereabouts are wonderful. At first, I did not like how Alley was so cynical that she viewed her friends as Val friends and her own. But then, I realize she was feeing like she did not belong, a feeling I sometimes felt as a teenager. And as the book strolled along, Alley never was close to Kayla or Libby, but they did have a good time.

I liked how all four were fantastic people. Val is a cheerful klutz who is smart and tenacious. Libby is a bit insecure in regards to her relationship with her boyfriend and reluctant to independently search for Kristen kidnapper. Kayla is funny and caring as she encourages Libby to help with the search. Alley may be fashionably challenged and cynical at times, but she stays true to finding the truth as she does anything for a girl she found unlikeable. All four of them are brave.

Shane. Boy, he was clever. I give him lots of love. 

Shane and Alley’s interactions were delightful making their “not-a-romance-yet” the best relationship in the book. I love how Shane’s feelings toward Alley transformed from amused to annoyed to spiteful to caring to all those feelings at the same time. And how Alley’s feelings towards Shane were annoyed to annoyed to spiteful to liking to crushing all these feelings at the same time.

However, what causes this book to rock is the humorous exchanges. The writers have a knack on writing comedic lines. I tried to eat some raspberries while reading and ended up giving up on ever eating (till the book was over). I just could not stop laughing. What type of laughter did I own? The type where I laughed so hard it hurts. The humor reigns in banter that is silly and loveable.

A Humorous Clip:

“Ah,” he added happily from somewhere in the living room, probably on the leather couch if I had to guess. “This is cozy,” he said, causing me to narrow my eyes suspiciously. Either he was nuts and liked to talk to himself, or he was enjoying himself way, way too much.

“I think I’ll just watch some baseball. Yep.” He took a sip of his drink. “Sounds like an plan.” pg 136

I had no trouble discovering why the police ignored the Shane posibility. They mystery to who took Kirsten had the surprising results. I mean I did suspect the culprit, but I also suspect many other characters. I am glad the mystery diverges from the typical murder mystery.

This book is wonderful. A delightful experience I relived yesterday. Yes, this is a rare mystery that can be re-read because the resolution is not what caused me to love this book. Instead it was the humor, the writing and the characters.

I am eager to see what Alley, Val, Kayla, Libby and Shane do next in the second two books of the trilogy.

To conclude is a terrific exchange between Alley and my favorite boisterous cop.  

“I’m doing surveillance,” he cleared his throat and explained.

“Of my house?” I tilted my head a fraction as if to say, why?

“No.” He pointed four houses down. “Of that house.”

Turning to look at a brick house with white shutters, I asked, “Mrs. Ollis’s house?”

“Yep.”

“The kindergarten teacher?”

“No...umm,” he continued, “the next house down.”

“Mr. Rodgers, the preacher?” “

No,” he said with an edge. “The next one.”

“Mrs. Herman, the elderly lady?”

“What do you live on, freaking fairy lane?” he grumbled and then typed something on his laptop nearby. “Sorry, I mean the next house.”

“Mr. Nadler, the firefighter?”

“Yep, Mr. Nadler.” He suddenly grinned.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I asked, “And why would you be watching his house?”

“Just to make sure little boys aren’t going in and out,” he said with a wink.

“Oh my god, he’s a perp?” Pg. 239-240

Thanks for reading!