The Fantastic Flying Book Club: Find Me by Romily Bernard

Find Me 

Romily Bernard

307 pages

Publisher: Harper Teen / Simon & Schuster UK

Release Date: September 24th, 2013

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Romance

Rate: Loved it

FIND. ME.

Those words are the key to enter Wicket's mystery word. And believe me, Book Addicts, you won't regret it. Not just because Wicked is the most wonderful character I've ever read about, with a badass site and a real attitude, but because Romily Bernard brings the mystery and the creepy side of this story to a another level. To an incredible and magnificent level. 

I am definitely bookstruck, creep out and eager to know more about Wick's story. And what made this book even more mysterious and that brings the reader to the point of missing the "dead" character, are Tessa Waye's diary entries.

I think that these entries are really important since we don't really get the chance to meet the character that provoked all the chaos in Wicket's life. You don't really know, at first, why this matter. She committed suicide. It's not a common thing, but it's not like someone actually kill her. So you just read some dark entries that Tessa wrote. However, there's more to the story and when you keep reading, the entries get more interesting, dark and mysterious. Like she's trying to say something, without saying it. It makes the story even more mysterious, If that could even happen. 

Everyone thinks I'm a good girl. If they only knew.

-Page 11 of Tessa Waye's diary

Let's start with a little sneak peak into the story. Wicket, or Wick, and her sister, Lily, are in the foster system after their father did some pretty bad stuff and got him arrested. But the bad news for both girls, is that he got away and they are really afraid of him turning back. He's seriously bad news. 

What's even sadder, is that her mother committed suicide a long time ago, so they don't have anyone else.

But what makes Wicket a really cool character is that she's some sort of hacker-genious. It comes almost naturally and she has a lot of expertise since she did all her father's dirty job (scamming, getting information...). Not that she wanted! However this skill, allows her to have her own "business". She knows what volatile can be being in a foster home, so she needs the money to be prepared. Just in case. She even has a scary cop that seems to have some sort of fixation with her and she's afraid that he knew about her skills. Also he wants to know about her dad.

Everything changes when she receives Tessa Waye's diary after she committed suicide. And a letter: FIND ME. Mysterious?

She isn't so happy about this. Her secret's out and someone knows about her skills. Despite this, when she discovers that Tessa's death might not be as much of a simple suicide, but a scape, that makes her want to know more. And when she knows that the person who hurt Tessa so much to scape in that kind of way is hunting Lily, is when it just gets personal.

I don't think about my life as having to live up to my parents' expectations. I want to. I'm just doing an epically shitty job of it.

-Page 14 of Tessa Waye's diary

This story is pretty amazing. I was so scared after reading it that I double checked my wardrobes (just in case), my whole bedroom and my computer. Yep, I'm like that. 

Despite my compulsive reaction of being afraid of... well... everything, I couldn't stop reading this book. The mystery was way too much. I couldn't stop thinking what really happened to Tessa, what was her story, what was going to happen and, most important, who was the bad guy. 

We don't have guns. My mom keeps the knives locked up... There has to be another way.

-Page 51 of Tessa Waye's diary

The characters are something different. And I loved it. The main character Wick, is strong, kind of badass and has seen how messy and awful life can be. She has her fears and insecurities, like any other person. She has an awful past and she just feels the need to protect the only person she has left and that she loves the most: her sister, Lily. 

I couldn't keep thinking about her as a mother to Lily, even If she didn't intent to be. And I truly admire her. 

What also makes you laugh a lot is her relationship with her school mates. Not what they do to her, but her interactions after that with Griff. She's afraid of standing out, but she can't help it. She need to do some remark or comment when someone is being mean or bitchy. 

But what makes you just love her is her sarcastic humor and badass attitude. I'm not sure I really can describe her, so here's an example of her humor:

Jenna has a finely ground glitter smeared across her face and shoulders, and I can't really stop staring. She kind of.... twinkles. I'm sure Jenna thinks it's fabulous.

But I think she looks like she was molested by a fairy.

Lily is sweet, innocent and naïve. Everything Wick's not. And Wick wants to keep her that way. She believes everything's okay because they now have a home and two foster parents than seem to care about them and that anyone is capable of being bad, apart from their father. 

I didn't like just one tiny little thing; how she blames Wick. For everything bad that comes their way. I wanted to scream: "She's protecting you, ungrateful girl!". But I remember that Lily is a little sweet, innocent kid and that she is the bait in this story, so I couldn't yell at her. How could I?

And Griff... Wow, that boy brings sexy and hot to the nerdy team. He's, what Wick's says, a nerd with some good and hot attributes that would make you faint or/and scream. He's a good boy, even when he wants to be a bad one. He's totally adorable. And he calls Wick, Wicked. Hot, good, nerd and funny. I might be in love, again.

"Okay, fine, but close the window after me." Griff's devious grin has returned. He straddles my windowsill with more grace than you would think such a thin, tall guy would have. "You never know who might climb up that tree again, Wicked"

And what really stole my heart was that we really cared about Wick. Not the Oh-I-just-saw-you-so-call-me-maybe kind. He saw her, really saw her, a long time ago and he was waiting, I don't really know, something from her, maybe a normal conversation and something more. But it definitely steals your heart. 

"Three years, Wicked. I waited three years, and you were worth every damn second,"

What truly impress you is how Romily Bernard created a perfect teenage romance in the middle of all the suspense, mystery and thriller, without losing the mysterious touch that truly defines this story.

Find Me captivate me from the first page. And I'm not just talking about the amazing cover that reminds me of some sort of hacking code and the promise of mystery that this story brings its readers, I'm talking about the actual story. Wick's story. I loved everything: the suspense, the romance, the mystery, the creepy parts and the anxious parts. Yep, there's also an anxious part. 

"Come Out, Come Out,

Wherever You Are..."

Romily Bernard couldn't have write a better debut novel and I'm truly proud and honored to have had the chance to host a blog tour for her mind-blowing book. 

I'm giving this story a five gorjuss well-deserved dolls and I'm looking forward to reading more stories by this incredible author. And, definitely, will be waiting anxiously to read the following books in the Find Me series. Because, Book Addicts, there's more mystery coming our way!

I hated that heroine. You know, the girl from Twilight. She just... got consumed by Edward. She didn't just fade into him. He devoured her. I said I'd never be like that, and yet... here I am. I feel like he's eaten away every part of me.

-Page 31 of Tessa Waye's diary

Avril Lavigne as Wick

Alex Pettyfer as Griff

Elle Fanning as Lily

What do you think, Book Addicts

Romily's Dream Cast:

Ellen Page as Wick
Logan Lerman as Griff
Dakota Fanning as Lily

BY NATALIE D. RICHARDS (Author of SIX MONTHS LATER)

Okay, I should preface this with the statement that I loved everything about this book. From cover to cover, Find Me is a hotrod on crack, with hairpin turns and breathless descents into terror. It is So. Darn. Good. 

But I will try to give you a quick play by play of just why I love it. 

F is for Fierce. And fierce is for Wick. This character will live with me forever. She breaks my heart and makes me laugh. Bernard writes her with so much honesty and skill that it's a little mind-blowing. Lines like this one..."When Griff touches me, I feel like something inside me pitches sideways and breaks." 

I is for Intense. Brace yourself. This book isn't for the faint of heart. It's a heart-pounding thrill ride from page one to page three hundred and seven. 

N is for No, Please Don't End. I devoured this book so fast that I was desperate for the next installment the second I closed the first. While the conclusion does satisfy (oh, boy does it satisfy!) Wick's story is far from over and I want more. Thank God Remember Me (Book Two!) is due out next year. 

D is for Dangerous. Bernard knows how to make the stakes matter. This book isn't dealing with a girl who's worried about a stolen car. This is a race for survival and no scene is wasted on the unnecessary. Tightly woven and perfectly paced, it is everything a thriller should be. I read, holding my breath, wondering if anything resembling a happy ending was possible. Pure genius. 

M is for Masterful. Bernard's voice is fresh and intoxicating. Chapter endings like this one hooked me in, making me sigh and keeping me on the edge of my seat at the same time: 

"I press my cheek between Griff's shoulder blades and hear my fear grow pulse and breath. The faster we go, the faster it follows." 

I mean, really? Wow, right? 

E is for Exciting. I think I've already made it clear this book is exciting, so that's not what I'm talking about. Reading this book made me feel like an early explorer. Like I'd stumbled across something new and untouched, a fresh voice that I have no doubt will be a huge force in this genre. 

In short -- though nothing about this is short! -- this is a stunning debut from an author who's going to do some amazing things to the YA landscape. Can't wait to see what's next for Ms. Bernard because after finding Find Me, I know I'll need more!

Read an interview with Romily

I graduated from Georgia State University with a Literature degree. Since then, I’ve worked as a riding instructor, cell phone salesgirl, personal assistant, groom, exercise rider, accounting assistant, and, during a very dark time, customer service rep. 

So don’t let anyone tell you a BA degree will keep you unemployed.

Don't forget to enter the SIX MONTHS LATER giveaway!

HUGE PRIZE:

Win (1) autographed book of SIX MONTHS LATER by Natalie D. Richards

Win (1) Starbucks Gift Card

Win some promo goodies: bracelet, bookmark, button and personal note!

**US/CAN ONLY**

1) What do you think about the Dream Cast, both Romily's and ours?

2) What would you do If you where in Wicket's situation?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to our beloved team for making this event possible. 

The Fantastic Flying Book Club: Find Me by Romily Bernard

Welcome to the 5th Fantastic Flying Book Club, Book Addicts!
For this event we have an awesome book to share with you, guys. It's Romily Bernard debut novel: FIND ME.

We are madly in love with it and we wanted to share everything we can with you. And Romily is just fantastic! She surely belongs to our club. She's amazing and she's the one making the giveaway for this event possible, Book Addicts!

We thought you would love to know a little bit more about her and her debut novel, FIND ME, so we have an exclusive interview with her for the opening tour day! YAY!

So what are we waiting for? Showtime!

Find Me 

Romily Bernard 

307 pages 

Publisher: Harper Teen / Simon & Schuster UK 

Release Date: September 24th, 2013 

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Romance

Synopsis via Goodreads: 

“Find Me.” 

These are the words written on Tessa Waye’s diary. The diary that ends up with Wick Tate. But Tessa’s just been found . . . dead. 

Wick has the right computer-hacking skills for the job, but little interest in this perverse game of hide-and-seek. Until her sister Lily is the next target. 

Then Griff, trailer-park boy next door and fellow hacker, shows up, intent on helping Wick. Is a happy ending possible with the threat of Wick’s deadbeat dad returning, the detective hunting him sniffing around Wick instead, and a killer taunting her at every step? 

Foster child. Daughter of a felon. Loner hacker girl. Wick has a bad attitude and sarcasm to spare. 

But she’s going to find this killer no matter what. 

Because it just got personal.

What songs inspire you? Share with us in the comments or tweet @RomilyBernard!

I graduated from Georgia State University with a Literature degree. Since then, I’ve worked as a riding instructor, cell phone salesgirl, personal assistant, groom, exercise rider, accounting assistant, and, during a very dark time, customer service rep. 

So don’t let anyone tell you a BA degree will keep you unemployed.

Oh, man, I have to pick one? Um. THIS IS NOT A TEST by Courtney Summers…wait, no, HUNGER GAMES. I also loved MADMAN’S DAUGHTER. And ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE. And…um, can I go with ‘yes’?

Any time I’m not having to drag the words out of me letter by letter. 

I recently discovered FRINGE and I’m obsessed. I’m also, what? Five years late to the party? Unfortunately, this is typical of me.

THE USUAL SUSPECTS.

Hitting 2000-2500 words before lunch so I can spend the afternoon reading.

Oooo. Great question. At the moment? Probably CUT by Jimmy Eat World.

Almost anything with carbs. I have a serious problem. 

Sean Kendrick from THE SCORPIO RACES

Both!

YA, but I’ve been known to try almost anything

“The first time someone shows you who they are, believe them.” Maya Angelou

Hi!! *waves furiously* I’m so glad to see you guys!! Thank you for coming by!!

Thank you so much for having me! I had an idea about a teenage girl hacker who was trying to work while a cop circled her house. No idea what kind of work she was doing. Or why the cop was trying to break in. But I wanted to find out. Some days were definitely easier than others. I tend to write myself into a corner, which is great…until I have to write my way out of the corner. The eventual solution usually involves a lot of flailing around and eating frosting straight from the tub. I am not a graceful writer.

FIND ME is about a teenage hacker trying to get out of the game who gets blackmailed into finding a classmate’s rapist. Some people have told me they really like the romance in the book. Others prefer the hacking. Personally, I like the creep factor.

Wick’s a reluctant hacker. She learned from her criminal mastermind father and, lately, has been using her talents to help women track down cheating husbands and boyfriends. She’s smart, prickly, and sarcastic.

Yeah, the name thing. Some people love and some people hate it. I have a thing for weird names. Probably because my name is rather weird. For some reason, I just knew she was named Wick because “it’s what you light to set stuff on fire.” That’s the way Wick describes herself and it felt so right for a hacker.

Probably her loyalty to her little sister, Lily. She would do anything for her.

Yes!! How about the truth behind Wick’s mother suicide? Only I can’t tell you about it until the second book, REMEMBER ME, comes out.

Griff’s a green-eyed, dark-haired hacker who has been crushing on Wick for years. 

Probably his loyalty too. Griff will protect Wick at any cost.

Well, there is that whole background about how he got into hacking in the first place. Hopefully, I’ll get to explore it further in a novella from Griff’s perspective.

No. And we won’t reflect on what horrible things that says about my personality. 

Close, but increasingly strained. Wick doesn’t believe in happy endings. Lily does. She wants Wick to give up hacking, stop expecting their new life to disintegrate and Wick can’t bring herself to do it.

I didn’t actually know the ending until I wrote it. I was surprised too because I really liked that character. 

Yes! FIND ME is actually the first in a trilogy. REMEMBER ME, the second, picks up a few months after FIND ME’s end and deals with the fall out. Griff and Wick’s relationship is tested. Lily starts to come into her own. And there’s a little problem with a completely hot and completely arrogant new hacker who thinks Wick should embrace her talents instead of hiding them.

Ooo. That’s another good one. I think Ellen Page would make a great Wick. Yeah, the blonde hair is a bit of a problem, but we could work with that, right? As for Griff…what about Logan Lerman? He was in THE PERKS OF BEING A WALFLOWER and has that whole hot guy, under-the-radar-thing going on. I think a younger Dakota Fanning would be a perfect Lily. She’s intense and precocious and knows exactly what she wants.

TWITTER PARTY

Book Addicts, there's more #FINDME surprises! September 24th at 7 PM ET/ 6 PM CST/ 5 PM MST/ 4 PM PST, there will be a Twitter Party hosted by Musings of a Blodger and Ensconced in YA for Romily's debut novel. It will be Release Day twitter party! And who's going to miss such an awesome party where there would be a lot of FIND ME fans and lots of prizes!?

See the details/rules/tips/info here: #FINDME Twitter Party

Who's going to be there?

SEPTEMBER 18th

The UnofficialAddiction Book Fan Club & A Reading Nurse -> Welcome to the Fantastic Flying Book Club

SEPTEMBER 19th

Coffee, Books and Me -> Review + Favorite Quote + Playlist

Literary Meanderings -> Review

Reader Rising -> Review + Interview
Oops! I Read A Book Again -> Review

SEPTEMBER 20th

The Bookish Daydreamer -> Review + Favorite Quote

Peace, Love And Fangirl -> Review + Excerpt

Bookcase to Heaven™ -> Review + Guest Post
A Dream Within A Dream -> Review

SEPTEMBER 21st

Musings of a Blogder -> Review

Imaginary Reads -> Review

Sarah Elizabeth's Bookshelf -> Review + Dream Cast
Curling Up With A Good Book -> Review

SEPTEMBER 22nd

Paperback Princess -> Review + Guest Post

The Book Cellar -> Review

Working for the Mandroid -> Review + Dream Cast
Tressa's Wishful Endings -> Review + Excerpt

SEPTEMBER 23rd

Read. Sleep. Repeat -> Review + Excerpt

Enticed by Books -> Review + Dream Cast

Forever 17 Books -> Review
Paranormal Book Club -> Review

SEPTEMBER 24th

Read Books And Live Green -> Review + Interview + Playlist
Read Books And Live Green -> Interview

Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile -> Review + Favorite Quote

Book Cover Justice -> Review
Istyria Book Blog -> Review

• There will be two winners
• You must be 13 or older to enter this giveaway
• It's an US ONLY giveaway. Sorry international readers.
• Each day there will be available a #QOD (question of the day) in each participant blog. You can earn more points by answering the answers.
• For those who don't know how this works, the winners will be those who have participated the most. Meaning, the winners will be those who have more points. No Rafflecopter luck this time, Book Addicts. This is all on you now! If there's a draw, then the odds will decide and this time the Rafflecopter luck would be a major factor deciding if you win or not.

Win (1) of (2) signed hardback copies of FIND ME by Romily Bernard and some slapbands
(US ONLY)

Tell us something about yourself, like Romily did, and If you are expecting this book as much as we are.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to our beloved team for making this event possible.