Mundie Moms

Thursday, March 23, 2017

A PSALM FOR LOST GIRLS by Katie Bayerl / Blog Tour: Book Review



Hello and welcome to the next stop on Penguin Teen's, A PSALM FOR LOST GIRLS, blog tour. Today's stop features my review Katie's Bayerl's debut and a giveaway! Be sure to enter to win at the end of the post. First, here's a little bit about the book. 

ABOUT THE BOOK


By: Katie Bayerl
Published by: Putnam
Released on: March 14th, 2017
Purchase from: The Publisher | Amazon | B&N
Add it to Goodreads
Source: ARC from publisher to review, in exchange for my honest review

Tess da Costa is a saint — a hand-to-god, miracle-producing saint. At least that's what the people in her hometown of New Avon, Massachusetts, seem to believe. And when Tess suddenly and tragically passes away, her small city begins feverishly petitioning the Pope to make Tess's sainthood official. Tess's mother is ecstatic over the fervor, while her sister Callie, the one who knew Tess best, is disgusted - overcome with the feeling that her sister is being stolen from her all over again.

The fervor for Tess's sainthood only grows when Ana Langone, a local girl who's been missing for six months, is found alive at the foot of one of Tess's shrines. It's the final straw for Callie.

With the help of Tess's secret boyfriend Danny, Callie's determined to prove that Tess was something far more important than a saint; she was her sister, her best friend and a girl in love with a boy. But Callie's investigation uncovers much more than she bargained for: a hidden diary, old family secrets, and even the disturbing truth behind Ana's kidnapping.

A Psalm For Lost Girls was a book I was intrigued with as soon as I read the premise. Told from alternating points of views, this is a story about closure, sisterhood, grief, shocking secrets, and the ugly truth they harbor, and mystery. I liked the way this story was told. Having the alternating points of views made it more interesting seeing the story from the three different ways. 

I'm normally a character driven reader, but I had a hard time liking Callie. I understand she's grieving in her own way, and that at first may justify her actions, but she more often than not, comes across as just mean. While I felt bad for her, I couldn't relate to her at all. Danny was someone I went back and forth on. Part of me liked him, but part of me had an issue with him, which ties into a part of the story I won't give away.

I liked getting to know Tess. We meet her through her journal entries, which is one of the alternating points of views from the story. Her journal is what allows readers to understand more of what's going on in the story, not just what with her personally, but also between her and her sister Callie, and over all.

The mystery surrounding this book is what kept me hooked. I'll be honest, I went back and forth with this book a lot. Part of me liked, and part of me struggled with it. I had a hard time with the pacing of the plot. There were times I found it engaging, and other times I found it uninteresting. I hate to say that some of those times were with Danny and Callie. Normally when I would have put the book down, I couldn't, because I wanted answers. That's what kept me reading.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR




When Katie Bayerl isn’t penning stories, she coaches teens and nonprofits to tell theirs. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and has taught creative writing in schools and a variety of community settings. Katie has an incurable obsession with saints, bittersweet ballads, and murder. A Psalm for Lost Girls is her first novel.

ENTER TO WIN


Enter for a chance to win one (1) of five (5) copies of A Psalm for Lost Girls by Katie Bayerl (ARV: $17.99 each).


NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between 12:00 AM Eastern Time on March 13, 2017 and 12:00 AM on March 27, 2017.  Open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 and older. Winners will be selected at random on or about March 29, 2017. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.  


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FOLLOW THE TOUR
Week One:
March 13 – Here’s to Happy Endings – Author Q&A
March 14 – Butter My Books – Guest Post
March 15 – Margie’s Must Reads – Spotlight
March 16 – Cynsations – Gust Post
March 17 – Ex Libris – 10 Favorite Moments from Psalm for Lost Girls
Week Two:
March 20 – Forest of Words and Pages – Like/Try/Why
March 21 – That Artsy Reader Girl – Debut Dish
March 22 – Twinning for Books – Review
March 23 – Mundie Moms – Review
March 24 – The Children’s Book Review – Guest Post

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