When I look at the cover of Martina Boone’s YA debut, Compulsion, I immediately think of autumn what with the orange color scheme and all of the leaves on the cover. It’s a cover that actually makes me feel simultaneously peaceful and longing for a pumpkin spice latte, although I will admit it does not take much to trigger that pumpkin spice longing. I obtained Compulsion at a luncheon hosted by Simon & Schuster at BEA and honestly, it probably would have languished in my TBR pile for some time, had I not been invited to join the Mundie Moms tour — and what a tragedy that would have been! Seriously, I am all for books that put me in a seasonal sort of mood. While this book takes place during summer, there’s this feel of fall in the air and again, I can’t help but think autumn thoughts while reading. It is one of those quintessential Southern gothic books where the creepiness is hidden among polite words and you don’t even notice it’s going in a scary direction until THERE IT IS. Friends, this book definitely exceeded my expectations.
Barrie’s mother, Lula, has died and her mother’s personal assistant and surrogate father Mark is dying of cancer. There’s no one in San Francisco who can take care of Barrie. Not that she knows many people, given that her mother was kind of a shut in. So, Barrie is forced by circumstances to fly out to South Carolina where she must live with her new guardian, her aunt Pru, who is a virtual stranger to Barrie. Upon arrival at the airport, no one is waiting for Barrie with open arms, so she cabs it to her aunt’s island plantation home. There, Barrie meets her aunt Pru who is railing against the decrepit house and Barrie is all, what the hell did I just get myself into. However, with the arrival of a super good looking boy who goes by the name of Eight on her doorstep, Barrie is determined to fit in on Watson Island and to unlock its secrets.
Barrie is the sort of main character where I immediately felt some sympathy for her, but it took me time to really warm up to her and care about her. First off, she’s got this cool ‘gift’ where she is able to find lost things or else if she ignores the pull, she feels an ache. She is so determined to do what she wants, even to the point of disregarding Pru’s instructions and also disregarding Eight. I bring this up because Barrie has this cousin named Cassie and she is determined to be her friend, only Cassie isn’t quite the person she seems to be. In fact, there’s something sinister going on with her. Now, if this was a movie, I would want her to examine her life choices, but because this is a book, I get Barrie’s motivations and even though her choices aren’t the best, I got it and felt for her. I have to say that yes, Barrie totally did end up winning me over in the end, even if parts of Compulsion felt like a learning curve, when it came to liking Barrie’s character.
You can read the rest of my original review here, but read below for the scavenger hunt.
Scavenger Hunt!
Don’t forget! There’s a fun scavenger hunt that’s part of this blog tour. Martina is releasing at least one new download each day! Visit each blog to find their code to unlock the the unique download and for more chances to win! You can find the full list of tour stops on the Tour Home Page.
For today’s codeword, keep reading below, and find the CODEWORD in all caps. You’ll find the instructions on what to do with that codeword down below as well!
COMPULSION by Martina Boone
October 28, 2014, Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Family, Legends, Myths, Fables, Mystery, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 448
Three plantations. Two wishes. One ancient curse.
All her life, Barrie Watson has been a virtual prisoner in the house where she lives with her shut-in mother. When her mother dies, Barrie promises to put some mileage on her stiletto heels. But she finds a new kind of prison at her aunt’s South Carolina plantation instead—a prison guarded by an ancient spirit who long ago cursed one of the three founding families of Watson Island and gave the others magical gifts that became compulsions.
Stuck with the ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she cannot see, Barrie must find a way to break free of the family legacy. With the help of sun-kissed Eight Beaufort, who knows what Barrie wants before she knows herself, the last Watson heir starts to unravel her family’s twisted secrets. What she finds is dangerous: a love she never expected, a river that turns to fire at midnight, a gorgeous cousin who isn’t what she seems, and very real enemies who want both Eight and Barrie dead.
Available Now in Hardcover, Paperback, and Audio
Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Walmart | Target | Book Depository (free worldwide shipping)
Pre-Order Heirs of Watson Island Book Two!
PERSUASION by Martina Boone
October 27, 2015, Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Family, Legends, Myths, Fables, Mystery, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 464
Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble | Amazon |  Book Depository (free worldwide shipping)
About the Author
Martina Boone spoke several languages before she learned English after moving to the U.S. She has never fallen out of love with words, fairy tale settings, or characters who have to find themselves. She is the author of Compulsion, the acclaimed first book in the Heirs of Watson Island trilogy. with Persuasion releasing 10/27/15. She is also the founder of AdventuresInYAPublishing.com, a Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers site, the CompulsionForReading.com book drive campaign for underfunded schools and libraries, and YASeriesInsiders.com, a site devoted to the discovery and celebration of young adult literature and encouraging literacy through YA series. Locally in her home state, she is on the board of the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia, helping to promote literacy and adult education initiatives.
13 Free Downloads, Word-Search Fun, and a Persuasion Pre-Order Giveaway
If you’ve read and loved Compulsion, good news! Persuasion releases October 27th!
- To say thank you to all the amazing readers who’ve let her know that they’re looking forward to reading the sequel packed with more mystery, magic, and romance–not to mention a ghost or two or six–and to celebrate Barrie Watsons gift of finding lost things, Martina has some great giveaways going on.
- There are thirteen code words in the grid below that relate to Persuasion and the Heirs of Watson Island series.
- From 8/31 to 9/11, the Compulsion paperback blog tour will reveal the code word or words that will unlock a special page at MartinaBoone.com that day. (Yes, somewhere on this page, there is a CODE WORD!)
- There are three great giveaways (see below!) plus even more giveaways that are exclusive to Martina’s website when you visit.
- As a code word unlocks a page, you can go to that page to download free items. There will be stickers, DYI origami bookmark, traditional bookmarks, door hangers, book plates, beautiful wallpapers, and more.
- To unlock a page, replace the word CODEWORD in the following URL with the actual code and type or copy the whole thing into the address bar of your web browser: martinaboone.com/index.php/books/downloadables/CODEWORD/
- ALL pages will be unlocked by 9/11.Â
- All downloads are free, and most are available whether or not you pre-order.
- A few downloads will only be available with a pre-order receipt or order number.
- Wherever you need a pre-order receipt, there’s also a special Rafflecopter with additional AMAZING giveaways.
- With pre-order, a limited number of people will also receive a signed bookplate, bumper sticker, and beautiful signed Compulsion and Persuasion charm bookmarks with ribbons.
Word Search Puzzle
Want a sneak peak at all the code words? Here’s the word search puzzle that contains all thirteen! But remember, one is unlocked for every stop on the blog tour, so you’ll need to stop by each of the tour hosts to find the code word that day so you can download the freebies!
Enter the Giveaways!
Prize One:
Prize Two:
Prize Three:
Compulsion For Reading Blog Tour
DON’T FORGET!Â
Follow the rest of the tour for more free downloads every day!
For daily updated links to all the tour stops and codes for free downloadables, plus more prizes and chances to win, go here:
martinaboone.com/index.php/books/downloadables/tour/
ROMANCE
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compelled to complete the Watson Island scavenger hunt