A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares by Krystal Sutherland Blog Tour: Would You Rather + Giveaway

Blog Tour Organized by Penguin Teen

See below for the full schedule

I always love learning more about characters through a Would you Rather interview. Plus they're just so fun to do! 

Today, I'm excited to be playing Would You Rather with the author and cast of A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares.

A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares
by Krystal Sutherland 
Read: July 29 - 31, 2017
Published: September 5, 2017 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Source: HC from publisher (TY!)
Category: YA, phobias, Contemporary, Magic, 
Find: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Indiebound

Book Description: From the author of Our Chemical Hearts comes the hilarious, reality-bending tale of two outsiders facing their greatest fears about life and love one debilitating phobia at a time.

Ever since Esther Solar's grandfather was cursed by Death, everyone in her family has been doomed to suffer one great fear in their lifetime. Esther's father is agoraphobic and hasn't left the basement in six years, her twin brother can t be in the dark without a light on, and her mother is terrified of bad luck.

The Solars are consumed by their fears and, according to the legend of the curse, destined to die from them. 

Esther doesn't know what her great fear is yet (nor does she want to), a feat achieved by avoiding pretty much everything. Elevators, small spaces, and crowds are all off-limits. So are haircuts, spiders, dolls, mirrors and three dozen other phobias she keeps a record of in her semi-definitive list of worst nightmares. 

Then Esther is pickpocketed by Jonah Smallwood, an old elementary school classmate. Along with her phone, money and a fruit roll-up she d been saving, Jonah also steals her list of fears. Despite the theft, Esther and Jonah become friends, and he sets a challenge for them: in an effort to break the curse that has crippled her family, they will meet every Sunday of senior year to work their way through the list, facing one terrifying fear at a time, including one that Esther hadn't counted on: love.
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My mini review

This book is a great mix of serious and really quirky. I liked how the story starts off feeling very placeless and enchanting, but slowly goes deeper while the picture sharpens. A lot of serious topics are handled, including mental illness, physical abuse, self-harm and suicide, all with a dose of weirdness that makes the tale feel not so heavy as it could have been. I really loved following Esther on her adventures as she tries to conquer her fears, and though I didn't like him at first, I adored Jonah Smallwood so much by the end. I am a huge fan of sibling bonds, especially twins and Esther and Eugene's relationship is one of my favorite parts of this book. My only complaint is the end was way too abrupt and one aspect of it threw me off. But as a whole, this is a story not to be missed. 

Love Triangle Factor: None
Cliffhanger Scale: Standalone

What is on your list of worst nightmares -

Maybe feeding birds out of your hand?

Photo from my bookish Instagram @loveisnotatriangle

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Would You Rather Interview 
with Esther, Jonah and author Krystal Sutherland

Hey guys! I’m excited to be sitting down with all of you to play a round of Would You Rather.  No skipping questions, and feel free to elaborate.

1) Would you rather wear the same outfit every day for the rest of your life OR eat the same meal?

Esther: Same outfit, as long as it’s an elaborate costume.

Jonah: Same outfit, as long as it’s ‘70s threads from a thrift store.

Krystal: Same outfit, as long as it’s pajamas. And warm. Warmth is very important to me.

2) Would you rather have a rewind button OR a pause button in your life?

Esther: A pause button. It would give me a little extra time to breathe and focus and not let my anxiety spiral out of control.

Jonah: I wouldn’t use either. You can’t rewrite the past, or dwell in any one moment for too long.

Krystal: It has been my dream ever since high school to have a pause button. I could procrastinate as much as I wanted and still get my work in on time!

3) Would you rather be on a survival reality show OR dating game show?

Esther: If I’m being honest, I’d probably be out in the first round on both.

Jonah: If I’m being honest, I’d probably win both.   

Krystal: I’d go on If You Are the One in a heartbeat. It’s more brutal than any survival show. Where else could you tell potential suitors that “Apart from your appearance, you’re a very good candidate” and “I turned you down because you’re wearing red pants”?

4) Would you rather suffer from spontaneous shouting OR unpredictable fainting spells?

Esther: Give me the fainting. More publicly acceptable.

Jonah: I’ll take the shouting. Why not? I don’t mind causing a scene.

Krystal: Shouting seems less likely to lead to a serious brain injury, so sign me up for that.

5) Would you rather only age from the neck down OR the neck up?

Esther: Neck down. You can hide your old body under clothes (preferably costumes), but there’s no masking crow’s feet.

Jonah: I’m just gonna continue to age naturally, all over, because I’m gonna look all kinds of distinguished when I hit my mid-forties.

Krystal: I still get carded at 27 (and the drinking age in Australia is 18!) so I’m gonna go with neck up. Hopefully that way my face will catch up to the rest of my body and people will stop thinking I’m a teenager. (True story, I answered my front door recently, and the salesman asked me if my parents were home, because he needed to talk to an adult.)

6) Would you rather never play OR play but always lose?

Esther: Never play. Playing sounds dangerous.

Jonah: Play but always lose. I love a bit of adventure, no matter the outcome. 
Krystal: I’m probably with Esther on this one. By “playing” I’m imagining sports, and I have no hand-eye coordination to speak of.  

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About the Author

Krystal Sutherland was born and raised in Townsville, Australia—an inhospitable land where crocodiles, snakes, and jellyfish are always on the prowl. She grew up living directly across the road from the local library and spent almost every day after school (and weekends, too) having adventures between the pages of books (mainly because it was too dangerous to go outside).

She moved to Sydney for college (and safety), where she cut her writing teeth as the editor of the student magazine at the University of New South Wales. She kept gathering tales as an exchange student in Hong Kong and as a foreign correspondent in Amsterdam. Her first book, Our Chemical Hearts, was released in 2016, and was published in over twenty countries.

Her three greatest fears are heights, dark caves . . . and (perhaps worst of all) frogs.

Find Krystal Sutherland: Website | Twitter | Goodreads

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Follow the Tour

Week One:

September 4 – Mrs. Leif's Two Fangs About It – Review & Excerpt
September 5 – Tales of the Ravenous Reader – Chase Away the Nightmares: A Playlist
September 6 – Arctic Books – Reviews
September 7 – YA Wednesdays – Favorite Quotes
September 8 – Feed Your Fiction Addiction – Author Guest Post: Krystal's Top 10 Addictions

Week Two:

September 11 – Swoony Boys Podcast – Dream Casting
September 12 – Twinning for Books
September 13 – Love is Not a Triangle – Author Guest Post: Would You Rather? With the Cast of ASDLOWN
September 14 – Forever Young Adult – Review
September 15 – Adventures of a Book Junkie – Author Q&A

Week Three:September 18 – Xpresso Reads – Review & My Top 5 Fears/Phobias
September 19 – Chasing Faerytales – Review
September 20 – Boricuan Bookworms – Review
September 21 – YA and Wine – Author Guest Post: Krystal's Biggest Fears
September 22 – A Book and a Cup of Coffee – Psychology of Phobias

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Giveaway

Enter for a chance to be one (1) of three (3) winners to receive a hardcover copy of A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares by Krystal Sutherland. (ARV: $17.99 each).

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between 12:00 AM Eastern Time on September 4, 2017 and 12:00 AM on September 25, 2017.  Open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 and older. Winners will be selected at random on or about September 27, 2017. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

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