Gone Too Far Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Gone Too Far by Natalie D. Richards

Release Date: January 6, 2015
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: NetGalley
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository ● B&N ● iTunes ● Kobo
Goodreads ● Website

Keeping secrets ruined her life. But the truth might just kill her.

Piper Woods can't wait for the purgatory of senior year to end. She skirts the fringes of high school like a pro until the morning she finds a notebook with mutilated photographs and a list of student sins. She's sure the book is too gruesome to be true, until pretty, popular Stella dies after a sex-tape goes viral. Everyone's sure it's suicide, but Piper remembers Stella's name from the book and begins to suspect something much worse.

Drowning in secrets she doesn't want to keep, Piper's fears are confirmed when she receives an anonymous text message daring her to make things right. All she needs to do is choose a name, the name of someone who deserves to be punished...

Oh my god: WHAT. A. THRILL. Holyyyyyy crap. I love books that have a twist that turns your insides, makes your heart stop and your eyes pop. Gone Too Far had this twist. Sure, it’s a little strange how things turned out, but holy moly, I did NOT expect it to be who it was. I guessed and I guessed, but totally didn’t see it coming. Yeesh. Normally I tend to expect the usual from “these” kind of books, but I was seriously surprised by this one– and really enjoyed it.

For one thing, I truly never got Piper. Sure, she’s the photographer, but I really understood her character or seemed to go more in dept into her emotions. Despite the fact that it was a first-person narration it seemed very third-person featuring a focalised narrative. Nonetheless, the only times when we actually get a glimpse of emotion is when she’s around Nick. Guys: I’m in love with the jock. I like how he goes against the stereotypes and for once, the girl actually gets with the popular guy, not the typical loner-esque, artsy one in the end. Defying clichés, woohoo!

As I mentioned before, I couldn’t really guess who it was in the end. I mean, I had my suspicions at the beginning, but then quickly ruled them out foolishly. There were two possibilities (not gonna mention who!), but even they got ruled out because of events in the book. While the reveal was quite a shock, the actual reasons behind it I didn’t understand. I was probably hoping for something more, I don’t know, scandalous? something that we completely missed out? Nonetheless, the twist is like a punch to the stomach, and I was honestly so shocked that I just kinda sat there for a while with my mouth wide open, wondering what the heck just happened.

Overall, while I had some problems with the end, Gone Too Far was a spine-tingling thriller that I couldn’t put down. Be prepared for chills, thrills, and feels (try to imagine that rhymes... so “fills”?), because Richard’s sophomore novel is action-packed and will have you flipping pages, desperate to find out what happens next.

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EXCERPT

Chapter One

Late. So late. I slam the car door behind me and race across the parking lot. My hair is tangled in the strap of my messenger bag, my shoes are untied, and I have no idea how I’m going to get to my locker without getting caught. I have to try because I need those chemistry notes.

Technically I needed them last night when I’d actually had the time to study for my midterm, but I didn’t think it was a big deal. I know the materials and I figured I could do a little last-minute cramming during first period homeroom. It was a decent plan until my phone battery died, taking my morning alarm down with it. Now I’ll be lucky to catch the last ten minutes of first period.

I hop the curb and slow as I slide into the shadow of the ancient brick school. It’s probably not classy to barrel through the door like an escaped convict. Of course, it probably wasn’t classy flying into the parking lot doing Mach 2 either.

I check my barely charged phone for the time as I climb the first step. My foot slips on something halfway up the stairs. It’s like hitting a patch of ice. I lunge for the handrail and jerk myself upright, glaring down at the thing that tripped me –a dropped notebook.

Nothing special. It’s a plain, spiral-bound pad, the kind you can get at the drugstore for less than a buck. Pretty much worthless, excerpt I know it’s probably chock-full of notes. Notes someone will need during midterm week. 

Oh, fine.

I snatch the notebook off the steps and shove it into my bag. Lost and Found is going to have to wait though. It’s in the student store, which is on the opposite side of the school. 

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NATALIE D. RICHARDS

At seven, Natalie D. Richards wrote about Barbara Frances Bizzlefishes (who wouldn't dare do the dishes.) Now she writes about awesome girls, broody boys, and all things dark and creepy. Natalie lives in Ohio (Go Bucks!) with her techno-wiz husband, three amazing kids, and a seventy pound dust-mop who swears he's the family dog. Her psychological thriller, Six Months Later, will be released in October 1, 2013 by Sourcebooks Fire. Until then, you'll probably find her writing her next book or trying to wade through the towers of dog-eared paperbacks that have taken over her bedroom.

Website ● Blog ● Goodreads ● Twitter ● Facebook ● Pinterest

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Giveaway time!

Enter to win...

A finished copy of Gone Too Far, a copy of Six Months Later and some swag!

US only
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Thank you so much to FFBC Blog Tours for having me along!

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Click on the button above or on the tour banner at the top of the post to follow the rest of the blog tour!