I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the DON'T by Gabriella
Batel Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
About The Book:
Author: Gabriella
Batel
Pub. Date: October 31, 2022
Publisher: Crown of
Thorns and Roses Press
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 326
Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/DONT
A heart-pounding debut ready for fans of Cory Anderson's What
Beauty There Is and Marieke Nijkamp's This Is Where It Ends.
"This ambitious debut novel...marks this young author as one to
watch." —Corinna Turner, author of the Carnegie Nominated I Am
Margaret series
Don't play. I saw you.
Paityn’s awake. Her near-terminal lupus keeps her that way. That’s how she
crosses Tony Suarez again. That’s how she becomes the only witness to something
she wasn’t supposed to see.
The first time, Tony shot Paityn’s stepfather. Now he wants Paityn. He wants to
keep her quiet about what she saw. And the best way to keep Paityn quiet is to
silence her family.
But Paityn’s not going to let Tony touch her family—not while she’s still
alive. And she’s not dead yet.
Book Playlist
First, I’d like to take a
minute to appreciate how hard it is to make a playlist without giving spoilers!
I did manage it (barely), but there are a couple songs where I think you’ll get
more out of it with an extra piece of information…but that information might
give a minor spoiler—it happens pretty early in the book, but it’s still a
thing. So I decided to let you choose. If you want the extra piece of info and
a (very) minor spoiler, it’s at the bottom, and it only applies to the songs
with an asterisk after them.
“Hero” (Orchestral) by
Faouzia
This song nails the
beginning of Don’t. Paityn and Tristan are each other’s heroes, there
for each other “at five a.m. on the weekend, through the thick and the thin,”
even when it seems like it might not last.
“Arcade” (feat. FLETCHER) by
Duncan Laurence
This was actually a
recommendation from a friend and beta reader! I didn’t even know this song
existed until she said, “Hey, have you heard ‘Arcade’ by Duncan Laurence? I
think it fits some of Paityn’s relationships.” And then I listened to it and
thought, YES! A couple of people Paityn loves most keep bringing her pain, but
she’s still there for them so fiercely. And the music part feels as gutting to
me as I want those relationships to feel.
“Déjà Vu” by Dionne Warwick
Besides Dionne Warwick’s
lovely voice and the soothing arrangement as a break from the past to
heart-jerkers, this one’s a direct nod to Paityn’s interaction at the cemetery
with the nameless ‘Man from the Cemetery’ (no spoilers!). She knows she
recognizes him from somewhere but—and knows it’s a good recognition, not
foreboding—but can’t put her finger on it. The déjà vu (*winks*) nags her until
the very end…
“Speechless” (from the Aladdin
OST) by Naomi Scott
Paityn and Jasmine from
2019’s Aladdin have something in common: the antagonists want them
quiet. In Paityn’s case, it’s Tony, the perpetrator of a crime she caught him
in—he wants her to keep her mouth shut, or he’ll come after her and her family.
But Paityn won’t be intimidated, she “won’t go speechless,” and she’s not going
to let Tony get away with it. She’ll bust him and protect her family too.
“This Mountain” by Fouzia
Back to Faouzia’s stunning
songs and deliveries, “This Mountain” encapsulates Paityn’s attitude. Everyone
against her thinks she’ll buckle and fail—she’s a frail, sick girl. But Paityn
has news for them: she’s unbeatable.
“Strange Sight” (from the Tinkerbell
and the Legend of the Neverbeast OST) by KT Tunstsall
If you’ve seen the movie,
this song takes place when the main character is relentlessly trying to make a
connection with a closed-off newcomer. It reminded me of Paityn’s and Tristan’s
relationship: he’s closed himself off from Paityn for reasons she can’t figure
out, but Paityn’s not about to let this treasured friendship. No matter how
much loving persistence it takes, she’ll break through to the boy she knows.
Plus, the music gives me chills.
“I Will Survive” (Epic
Trailer Version feat. Blu Holliday) by J2*
Paityn’s survived a deadly
disease, and she’s not about to die of heartbreak. And this cover brings out
the epic proportions of Paityn’s rising up.
Speechless (from the Aladdin
OST) (Epic Version) by Frostudio Chambersonic
The stakes are upped now,
and so we had to kick Naomi Scott’s awesome rendition up another notch!
“Enemy” by Tommee Proffit,
Sam Tinnesz, Beacon Light*
It’s excruciatingly hard for
me not to spoil something right now, but if you listen closely to the lyrics,
it captures the journey of Paityn and one of her enemies throughout the entire
story, sometimes almost word for word, right down to the end. And the vibes,
between the rapping and score, are flawless.
“Gangsta’s Paradise” (Escape
Velocity Cover) by 2WEI
Tony’s trying to start his
own fledgling gang when he crosses Paityn: what better song than ‘Gangsta’s
Paradise’? And 2WEI gave me the enormous excitement of making it BEYOND epic.
“No Time to Die” (from the No
Time to Die OST) by Billie Eilish*
This song is the anthem to Don’t.
Its story is Paityn’s story.
“Dynasty” by MIIA
“Dynasty” is when we finally
see Paityn’s heartbreak. She’s been indomitable the whole time, but at some
point, she’s still a person with a beating, bleeding heart. She’s been hurt,
and it all pours out in this song.
“I Have Nothing” (from The
Bodyguard OST) by Whitney Houston
Without giving too much
away, I’d like you to change the connotation of this song from romantic to the
tightest friendship. I’d also like you to think about a key event in the music
video—a bit of foreshadowing there while Whitney Houston plucks out heartstrings.
“Gone” (from the Snow
White and the Huntsman OST) by Ionna Gika
You know that bit in every
single story where something devastating happens? That’s this.
“Sacrifice” by John Lennon
John Lennon, without lyrics,
managed to embody the rise to the grand finale. Everything’s gone quiet after
that last song, but it isn’t over yet, and Paityn isn’t done. She’ll do
whatever it takes.
“Hero” by Elizaveta
I could swear this song was
written for my climax. It’s all about Paityn protecting those she loves
most—convince me otherwise. If you look, a couple references apply directly to
the rest of the book (*cough* “let the fever rise”).
“Survivor” (Sequels Cover)
by 2WEI and Edda Hayes
Before, Paityn survived
grief. Now she’s surviving for her actual life. And every hit makes her
stronger. (*Squeals as 2WEI hits us with another starstriking epic cover.)
“Strange Sight Reprise”
(from the Tinkerbell and the Legend of the Neverbeast OST) by KT
Tunstsall
I really will spoil
something if I explain this one too much. Let’s just say the same love of the
original ‘Strange Sight,’ but the tone’s different. And if you’ve seen the
movie, you might be able to guess what’s going on. Iykyk.
“Dos Oruguitas” (from the Encanto
OST) by Sebastian Yatra
Here’s the hope at the end
of the story. Yes, there’s been pain and fear and loss, but Paityn gets to heal
and flower into something new and beautiful.
“Thick and Thin” by Faouzia
We started with Faouzia, and
we’re ending with Faouzia. And if “No Time to Die” was the book’s anthem,
“Thick and Thin” is the anthem to the theme and ending of the book. Paityn has
been and always will be there for the people she loves, not matter what they
do. And someone’s been there for her too…
Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/78P4kzaQyXOgrRqgcqVXhq
YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj2XloVubqxUyH2pfxkN-QCn41J4Cug3C
*These songs apply to Paityn
and Luiz’s relationship.
About Gabriella Batel:
Gabriella
Batel is a vibrant young Catholic woman with an adrenaline craving and a
passion for God, her family, movies, and all things YA fiction. Don't is her
debut novel, and she's already working on the next thrill ride.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Goodreads | Amazon
Giveaway Details:
1 winner
will receive a signed finished copy of DON'T, US Only.
Ends May 31st, midnight EST.
a Rafflecopter giveawayTour Schedule:
Week One:
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5/13/2024 |
Playlist/IG Post |
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5/13/2024 |
Top 5 Scenes |
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5/14/2024 |
Top 5 Books |
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5/14/2024 |
IG Post |
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5/15/2024 |
IG Post |
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5/15/2024 |
IG Post |
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5/16/2024 |
Interview/IG Post |
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5/16/2024 |
IG Post/TikTok Post |
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5/17/2024 |
IG Review |
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5/17/2024 |
IG Review |
Week Two:
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5/20/2024 |
Review/Top 5 Movies/IG Post |
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5/20/2024 |
Review/Fan Cast/IG Post |
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5/21/2024 |
IG Review |
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5/21/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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5/22/2024 |
IG Review |
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5/22/2024 |
IG Review |
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5/23/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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5/23/2024 |
IG Review |
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5/24/2024 |
IG Review/TikTok Post |
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5/24/2024 |
IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post |
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