Speak No Evil + Giveaway
Speak No Evil
by Liana Gardner
on Tour October 1 - November 30, 2019
Book Details:
Genre: YA Mystery
Published by: Vesuvian Books
Publication Date: October 1st 2019
Number of Pages: 285
ISBN: 1944109366 (ISBN13: 9781944109363)
Synopsis:
What if every time you told the truth, evil followed?
My name is Melody Fisher. My daddy was a snake handler in Appalachia until Mama died. Though years have passed, I can still hear the rattle before the strike that took her from me.
And it’s all my fault.
Since then, I’ve been passed around from foster home to foster home. I didn’t think anything could be as bad as losing Mama.
I was wrong.
But I will not speak of things people have done to me. Every time I do, worse evil follows. Now, the only thing I trust is what saved me years ago.
Back when I would sing the snakes calm …
My Review
I did like this book. Melody's story was both a sad and intriguing one. However, I personally found myself struggling to connection on an emotional level with Melody and the rest of the characters.
I was reading the about Melody's story and feeling for her but at the same time I felt like there was a physical barrier that kept me from fully embracing all of the characters in this book. Melody for her part did have a story to tell. She needed someone to listen and she did find that in Miss Precott.
This book alternates between different age periods of Melody's life as she is bounced around from foster home to foster home. It all leads up to the present and the one event that caused Melody to find herself in the current situation that she is in. For the most part, I did find this to be a quick read.
Read an excerpt:
Uncle Harlan slammed my bedroom door open. “You’re going to learn to show the Lord respect, girl.” He grabbed my neck and forced me to walk in front of him.
My neck hurt where he dug his fingers in.
He took me outside and shoved me toward the shed. He slipped the key in the lock and removed it from the hasp. The door creaked as it opened and then he thrust me through.
“I’m not going to allow you to follow your mother’s footsteps. You’ll learn to make peace with snakes and not show them any fear. Or else.”
He grabbed a snake case from the shelf, put it on the ground, and opened it. He stepped backward out of the shed and swung the door shut. The latch clicked. Uncle Harlan on one side of the door, and the snake and me locked inside.
“I’ll come get you in time for school in the morning.”
His footsteps receded.
Light filtered through the cracks in the shed slats. In the dim light, the snake coiled in the corner, its tongue flicking out periodically. I slowly lowered to the ground and hugged Raksha Waya tight.
The inside of the shed was slightly warmer than outside. Staying warm might be a bigger problem than keeping the snake calm. It ignored me and remained coiled, but the cold seeped into my bones. I scanned the shelves. There had to be something in here I could use to help keep warm.
A tarp sat on a shelf on the opposite side of the shed from the snake. But I might not be tall enough to pull it down. Standing on tiptoes, I grabbed a corner and tugged. My fingers slipped. I set Rakkie on a lower shelf, then reached with both hands and tugged.
The weight of the tarp almost knocked me over as I caught it.
Making sure to keep my movements small so I didn’t threaten the snake, I unfolded the tarp and spread it out. Then I grabbed Rakkie and carefully crawled under a corner. Once settled with Rakkie on my lap, I pulled it over us and tucked it under my chin.
The hours passed as the light changed and moved through the shed. My tailbone ached and my back hurt from sitting still for so long. Twilight came. Surely Uncle Harlan didn’t really mean to leave me here with the snake all night.
When the darkness was complete and I could no longer see my hand in front of my face, I faced the hard truth—Uncle Harlan meant it. I’d spend the night locked in a small space with a pit viper.
While my toes still felt frozen, the rest of me was warmer with the tarp. My eyes drooped and closed. Then I heard it.
Hiss. Rattle. The whisper of something dragging across the floorboards.
The snake was on the move. The slight rattle as it slithered through the shed made my heart pound. I froze.
***
Excerpt from Speak No Evil by Liana Gardner. Copyright © 2019 by Liana Gardner. Reproduced with permission from Liana Gardner. All rights reserved.
My neck hurt where he dug his fingers in.
He took me outside and shoved me toward the shed. He slipped the key in the lock and removed it from the hasp. The door creaked as it opened and then he thrust me through.
“I’m not going to allow you to follow your mother’s footsteps. You’ll learn to make peace with snakes and not show them any fear. Or else.”
He grabbed a snake case from the shelf, put it on the ground, and opened it. He stepped backward out of the shed and swung the door shut. The latch clicked. Uncle Harlan on one side of the door, and the snake and me locked inside.
“I’ll come get you in time for school in the morning.”
His footsteps receded.
Light filtered through the cracks in the shed slats. In the dim light, the snake coiled in the corner, its tongue flicking out periodically. I slowly lowered to the ground and hugged Raksha Waya tight.
The inside of the shed was slightly warmer than outside. Staying warm might be a bigger problem than keeping the snake calm. It ignored me and remained coiled, but the cold seeped into my bones. I scanned the shelves. There had to be something in here I could use to help keep warm.
A tarp sat on a shelf on the opposite side of the shed from the snake. But I might not be tall enough to pull it down. Standing on tiptoes, I grabbed a corner and tugged. My fingers slipped. I set Rakkie on a lower shelf, then reached with both hands and tugged.
The weight of the tarp almost knocked me over as I caught it.
Making sure to keep my movements small so I didn’t threaten the snake, I unfolded the tarp and spread it out. Then I grabbed Rakkie and carefully crawled under a corner. Once settled with Rakkie on my lap, I pulled it over us and tucked it under my chin.
The hours passed as the light changed and moved through the shed. My tailbone ached and my back hurt from sitting still for so long. Twilight came. Surely Uncle Harlan didn’t really mean to leave me here with the snake all night.
When the darkness was complete and I could no longer see my hand in front of my face, I faced the hard truth—Uncle Harlan meant it. I’d spend the night locked in a small space with a pit viper.
While my toes still felt frozen, the rest of me was warmer with the tarp. My eyes drooped and closed. Then I heard it.
Hiss. Rattle. The whisper of something dragging across the floorboards.
The snake was on the move. The slight rattle as it slithered through the shed made my heart pound. I froze.
***
Excerpt from Speak No Evil by Liana Gardner. Copyright © 2019 by Liana Gardner. Reproduced with permission from Liana Gardner. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
Liana Gardner is the multi-award-winning author of 7th Grade Revolution (most recently the recipient of a 2018 Nautilus Book Award) and The Journal of Angela Ashby. The daughter of a rocket scientist and an artist, Liana combines the traits of both into a quirky yet pragmatic writer and in everything sees the story lurking beneath the surface.
Liana volunteers with high school students through EXP (expfuture.org). EXP unites business people and educators to prepare students for a meaningful place in the world of tomorrow. Working in partnership with industry and educators, EXP helps young people EXPerience, EXPand, and EXPlore.
Engaged in a battle against leukemia and lymphoma, Liana spends much of her time at home, but her imagination takes her wherever she wants to go.
Liana is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
Catch Up With Liana Gardner On:
lianagardner.com, Goodreads, BookBub, Twitter, & Facebook!
Tour Participants:
Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!Enter To Win!:
This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Vesuvian Books and Liana Gardner. There will be 1 winner of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card and 2 winners of a signed print copy of Speak No Evil by Liana Gardner. The giveaway begins on October 1, 2019 and runs through December 2, 2019. Open to U.S. addresses only. Void where prohibited.
a Rafflecopter giveawayGet More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours
Tour Participants:
These are the stops on the tour as of September 16 and are subject to change. Please, let me know if you have any questions.
10/01 Review/showcase @ Novels N Latte
10/02 Guest post @ BooksChatter
10/03 Review @ The World As I See It
10/04 Showcase @ Tess Burnside - Author
10/07 Interview @ Quiet Fury Books
10/08 Showcase @ Just Books
10/09 Review @ Book Babble
10/11 Showcase @ My Reading Life
10/12 Review @ WTF ARE YOU READING
10/13 Review/showcase @ Cy Wyss: Author and Artist
10/14 Review @ Buried Under Books
10/14 Showcase @ Eien Café
10/15 Review @ Eclectic Moods
10/15 Review @ sunny island breezes
10/16 Showcase @ The Bookworm Lodge
10/17 Showcase @ Reading A Page Turner
10/18 Review @ Forever the Wanderer
10/22 Review @ Wall-to-wall books
10/23 Review @ Book Reviews From an Avid Reader
10/25 Review @ Simply Kelina
10/30 Guest Post @ CMash Reads
10/5 Review @ @ love_my_dane_dolly_
11/01 Review @ Lynchburg Mama
11/06 Guest post @ Nesies Place
11/12 Showcase @ Celticladys Reviews
11/13 Review @ Cheryls Book Nook
11/14 Review @ Book Fidelity
11/25 Showcase @ fundinmental
11/27 Review @ JBronder Book Reviews
11/30 Review @ Tess Burnside - Author
10/01 Review/showcase @ Novels N Latte
10/02 Guest post @ BooksChatter
10/03 Review @ The World As I See It
10/04 Showcase @ Tess Burnside - Author
10/07 Interview @ Quiet Fury Books
10/08 Showcase @ Just Books
10/09 Review @ Book Babble
10/11 Showcase @ My Reading Life
10/12 Review @ WTF ARE YOU READING
10/13 Review/showcase @ Cy Wyss: Author and Artist
10/14 Review @ Buried Under Books
10/14 Showcase @ Eien Café
10/15 Review @ Eclectic Moods
10/15 Review @ sunny island breezes
10/16 Showcase @ The Bookworm Lodge
10/17 Showcase @ Reading A Page Turner
10/18 Review @ Forever the Wanderer
10/22 Review @ Wall-to-wall books
10/23 Review @ Book Reviews From an Avid Reader
10/25 Review @ Simply Kelina
10/30 Guest Post @ CMash Reads
10/5 Review @ @ love_my_dane_dolly_
11/01 Review @ Lynchburg Mama
11/06 Guest post @ Nesies Place
11/12 Showcase @ Celticladys Reviews
11/13 Review @ Cheryls Book Nook
11/14 Review @ Book Fidelity
11/25 Showcase @ fundinmental
11/27 Review @ JBronder Book Reviews
11/30 Review @ Tess Burnside - Author
10/02 Guest post @ BooksChatter
10/03 Review @ The World As I See It
10/04 Showcase @ Tess Burnside - Author
10/07 Interview @ Quiet Fury Books
10/08 Showcase @ Just Books
10/09 Review @ Book Babble
10/11 Showcase @ My Reading Life
10/12 Review @ WTF ARE YOU READING
10/13 Review/showcase @ Cy Wyss: Author and Artist
10/14 Review @ Buried Under Books
10/14 Showcase @ Eien Café
10/15 Review @ Eclectic Moods
10/15 Review @ sunny island breezes
10/16 Showcase @ The Bookworm Lodge
10/17 Showcase @ Reading A Page Turner
10/18 Review @ Forever the Wanderer
10/22 Review @ Wall-to-wall books
10/23 Review @ Book Reviews From an Avid Reader
10/25 Review @ Simply Kelina
10/30 Guest Post @ CMash Reads
10/5 Review @ @ love_my_dane_dolly_
11/01 Review @ Lynchburg Mama
11/06 Guest post @ Nesies Place
11/12 Showcase @ Celticladys Reviews
11/13 Review @ Cheryls Book Nook
11/14 Review @ Book Fidelity
11/25 Showcase @ fundinmental
11/27 Review @ JBronder Book Reviews
11/30 Review @ Tess Burnside - Author
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