Down World by Rebecca Phelps

Title: Down World

Author: Rebecca Phelps

Publication Date: March 30, 2021

Publisher: Wattpad Books

Pages: 368

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me access to this title in exchange for honest review

Introduction (Goodreads Synopsis)

Stranger Things meets the Netflix series Dark in this paranormal thriller where three mysterious doors in a highschool basement hold the key to unlocking the mystery of what really happened the night Marina's brother died.

As the site of a former military base, there have always been rumors that East Township High School was the site of experiments with space and time. For years, students have whispered in the hallways of a doorway created within the school, one that can access multiple timelines and realities, a place known as the Down World.

As the new kid in school and still reeling from the unexplained death of her brother Robbie, Marina O'Connell is only interested in one thing: leaving the past behind. But a chance encounter with handsome Brady Picelli changes everything. He will lead Marina to a startling discovery. The Down World is real and the past, present, and future are falling out of balance.

Brady is determined to help Marina discover what really happened to her brother. However, what is taken from one world, must be repaid by another. And Marina is about to discover that even a realm of infinite possibilities has rules that must be obeyed.

Plot

In the synopsis, Down World is compared to Stranger Things and I can definitely see why, there are some similar vibes between the two. I was impressed to find that the storyline/plot was easy to follow and nothing seemed to "get lost" which I feel is a problem for me in a lot of books that deal with different dimensions/worlds. I always find that in building different realities, some aspects of the realities are left under-developed, this was not the case here. Each different setting was developed fully, and I was very impressed.

Characters

I liked all the characters well enough, although none of them felt particularly unique. To me, they all seemed to have pretty much the same personality.

Pacing

This book took a very long time for me to get into, and at times, I felt a little bit bored reading it because not much was going on. However, once I reached about 60%, it picked up a little more and retained my interest until the end.

Conclusion

Overall, I thought this book was okay. The idea of Down World and the general world-building was fantastic and executed in a way that was easy to follow. And although the characters felt a little bland to me and it was a little bit slow at points, it's still well worth the read.

Revenge of the Sluts by Natalie Walton

Title: Revenge of the Sluts

Author: Natalie Walton

Expected Publication Date: February 2, 2021

Publisher: Wattpad Books

Pages: 320

Introduction

As a student journalist at her high school, Eden has covered lots of stories, none of them very interesting. She's covered the basic things, like the school's theatre shows and athlete profiles. Nothing big ever hits the Warrior Weekly.

Until something does.

The nude photos of seven students were anonymously sent in an email to the entire school. Eden is determined to get to the bottom of the email. She wants to know who would be so vindictive that they would expose multiple girls, at the risk of getting caught. But her motive is more than just uncovering the story for an article. She wants to uncover the truth and give the girls who were effected a voice, and together, they'll challenge the double standard, no matter what it takes and what rules that they have to break. Justice must be served, no matter what the cost.

Characters

I absolutely loved all the characters. The author did a great job in giving them each their own distinct personality. This is especially evident in the characters of the seven girls who had their nudes leaked. They each have their own separate reactions and ways that they want to handle the situation. They each process the situation differently and I think that's what makes the book so powerful to me. Their reactions feel so real and different from each other, it's almost impossible to not see a little bit of yourself in each of these girls. 

St. Joe's Opposition

I loved that there was an opposition from the school about Eden publishing an article about the leak. I obviously disagree from a personal standpoint, but the opposition was perfectly written. If there was no opposition, I think it would have been unrealistic, so I'm glad that it was included as a conflict.

Eden's Investigation

I usually try to stay away from books that involve a lot of teen detective work, so I will admit that I was a little wary going into this book, but I am so glad I did. Eden's work trying to discover who leaked the nudes didn't feel cheesy, over-the-top, or unrealistic, which I think is my problem with most teen investigations, regardless of the context. But Eden's work felt authentic and something that a real teen would do, and I loved that she had a genuine interest in getting to the bottom of the situation for the sake of the girls involved, not just for an article in a high school newspaper.

Ending

I didn't see the ending coming. I had not thought that the person behind the email could have been the person that it was revealed to be, but the explanation and reveal of the person behind the email made sense, and I was pleased with the ending. For that reason, I am labelling the mystery of the anonymous email a successful one.

I also liked that an epilogue was included, because it provided many details that helped enhance the story and I was satisfied with the way it wrapped everything up.

Conclusion

I loved this book. I loved absolutely everything about it. I loved watching the girls come together. I loved the raw and open emotion. In other reviews, I saw people call this book nothing short of a revolution and I
agree with them. The messages and themes are extremely relevant, and I couldn't get enough of it. I think this book stands a chance of being the best book I have read so far in 2020, and I will definitely be on the lookout of future releases from this author.