Book Review: Sanctuary Bay by Laura J. Burns & Melinda Metz

Title: Sanctuary Bay
Authors: Laura J. Burns & Melinda Metz
Published: January 19, 2016
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

 

In this genre-bending YA thriller, will Sarah Merson's shiny new prep school change her life forever or bring it to a dark and sinister end?

When Sarah Merson receives the opportunity of a lifetime to attend the most elite prep school in the country-Sanctuary Bay Academy-it seems almost too good to be true. But, after years of bouncing from foster home to foster home, escaping to its tranquil setting, nestled deep in Swans Island, couldn't sound more appealing. Swiftly thrown into a world of privilege and secrets, Sarah quickly realizes finding herself noticed by class charmer, Nate, as well as her roommate's dangerously attentive boyfriend, Ethan, are the least of her worries. When her roommate suddenly goes missing, she finds herself in a race against time, not only to find her, but to save herself and discover the dark truth behind Sanctuary Bay's glossy reputation.

In this genre-bending YA thriller, Sanctuary Bay by Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz, Sarah's new school may seem like an idyllic temple of learning, but as she unearths years of terrifying history and manipulation, she discovers this "school" is something much more sinister.

The first time I saw this book in NetGalley I got curious right away. I feel like reading it just to get away from my comfort YA zone but this book surprised me. I got hooked on it. I read the book and never stopped, since I was busy at work too I really made time finishing this like one hour per day or two. It's really that interesting. Another thing is the cover of the book. It is simple yet appealing. I like how it was designed. It is actually good in my book collection though... PERFECT!

The story of the book at first was scary and interesting at the same time. It was scary for I really don't know what it was on the very first place (that's what you get when you are not reading the blurb LOL). But anyways, I just got scared for some interesting reasons, one is that the people here are scientifically aware of what they were doing to the students, so what I mean is that the book isn't just YA but it has also science and psychology topics involved. It was just awesome. The characters of the book are all like guinea pigs, they were tested by people in the school. That's where the book become more exciting, when I, the reader found out the truth about Sanctuary Bay. I really should suggest that people read this one.

Well all in all... it was mind-blowing!!! I felt like I'm with them and got crazy too. just kidding. Also, it was heart-stopping, in the near ending I knew they weren't finally free but I didn't expect the twist of the story. 

My Ratings

Laura J. Burns has written more than thirty books for kids and teens, touching on topics from imaginary lake monsters to out-of-control Hollywood starlets. (Those two things have more in common than you'd think.)

With Melinda Metz, she has also written for the TV shows ROSWELL, 1-800-MISSING, and THE DEAD ZONE. Their next book is SANCTUARY BAY, coming in January 2016!

Laura lives in New York with her husband, her kids, and her two exceptionally silly dogs.