Book Look/ Mini ReviewsHaunted by Joy Preble & Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard

 Book Looks are mini reviews of books I have read. Today, I will be using a format created by Staci at Life in a Thumb  where she reviews books using only six sentences for each review.

Anne is trying her best to live a normal life, but she's still got some power sparking inside her. She's hearing and seeing things that she tries her best to ignore-like being haunted by a Russian sea nymph that claims the princess Anastasia is still alive.

That's when Ethan Kozninsky-he of the stunning blue eyes, thick brown hair, and former immortal status-returns. Anne soon realizes that everything she's been trying to forget might be impossible to bury. (Publisher's summary from Goodreads)

Haunted by Joy Preble was an exciting sequel to Dreaming Anastasia, and while I did not read the first book in this series I can honestly say that Haunted did stand strongly on its own. What I truly enjoyed about this book was Anne’s attempt to adjust to life after Anastasia and Ethan. She has a boyfriend, but because of the previous events she and Ethan shared, she cannot seem to get him out of her mind. The Russian folklore was fascinating and I loved how masterfully Joy weaves it through the story. I also absolutely adored Anne’s best friend, Tess, who encourages Anne and has her back. Finally, I enjoyed the book’s fast-pace and the extraordinary ending that left me breathless and wanting more. 

 Source: Received book from publisher for review

It's hard finding beauty in the badlands of Washokey, Wyoming, but 14-year-old Grace Carpenter knows it's not her mother's pageant obsessions, or the cowboy dances adored by her small-town classmates. True beauty is wild-girl Mandarin Ramey: 17, shameless and utterly carefree. Grace would give anything to be like Mandarin. When they're united for a project, they form an unlikely, explosive friendship, packed with nights spent skinny-dipping in the canal, liberating the town's animal-head trophies, and searching for someplace magic. Grace plays along when Mandarin suggests they run away together. Blame it on the crazy-making wildwinds plaguing their Badlands town. Because all too soon, Grace discovers Mandarin's unique beauty hides a girl who's troubled, broken, and even dangerous. And no matter how hard Grace fights to keep the magic, no friendship can withstand betrayal. (Publisher's summary from Goodreads)

Like Mandarin is a quietly arresting contemporary novel that delves into two very different characters. Grace is smart, and lost wanting only to be like Mandarin, who is beautiful confident and sensual, and when Grace is asked to help Mandarin with a school project, she get the chance to befriend and get a close up view of the object of her obsession. Hubbard’s writing is often understated and certainly fluid and as the plot unfolds the reader is mesmerized by the story as much as Grace is with Mandarin. As is often the case, Grace ends up finding out that the life she thinks see wants is more broken than the one she has, but only after allowing herself to be subjugated to Mandarin’s whims. I loved Grace and ended up reveling in her growth over the course of the story. Like Mandarin is a book that provides a windy look at relationships and obsessions and the need to step back and see both from different angles.

ReviewMystify by Artist Arthur

Sasha Carrington has grown up feeling like an outsider, and her parents are too concerned with scaling the Lincoln, Connecticut, social ladder to even notice her. They’d be really horrified to know about the supernatural abilities Sasha and her friends Krystal and Jake possess. But as part of the Mystyx, Sasha has found her place.

Now her parents have suddenly taken an interest in everything she does, and their timing couldn’t be worse. Sasha’s father wants her to become BFFs with snooty Alyssa Turner, who hates Krystal for stealing her boyfriend. Then there’s Antoine Watson, the boy Sasha has liked forever, the boy her parents would never approve of. But with the dark side getting more dangerous by the day, and the Mystyx’s own powers growing in unexpected ways, Sasha is facing choices that could affect her friends, her love life—and even her destiny. (Publisher's summary from Goodreads)

In Arthur Artist’s second Mystyx novel, Mystify we follow Sasha and her Mystyx buddies, Jake and Krystal as they try to unravel and adjust to their supernatural abilities and attempt to find out more about The Darkness that is haunting them.

Unlike the first book in the series, which was told from Kyrstal’s POV, Mystify is narrated by Sasha and provides much insight into her life as a “Richie” and the problems that creates for her friendships and love life.

I am fascinated by these teens’ supernatural powers and remain more than a little curious as to exactly what The Darkness is. Unfortunately, Artist only teases us with a few more hints and an ancient curse. There is a connection between the Goddess Styx and it is clear that the Mystyx are the forces meant to battle The Darkness, but exactly how this will play out is still a mystery.

I did enjoy Sasha’s story and admired her ability to stand up to her father’s rich man mentality. She came across as an independent thinker who did not hold with her parents’ beliefs. The budding romance between Sasha and Antoine, a boy who her parents feel is way below Sasha’s station in life, dominated much of the story. However, Sasha does takes the lead in trying to figure out how the Mystyx are going to fight The Darkness and manages to keep the group from breaking apart.

If this review seems more than a little cryptic, that is because, the story left me confused. There are way too many unanswered questions, vague leads, and a new addition to the group, whose role is unclear. Guess I will just have to wait for the next book and see where it leads me and the Mystyx. 

Source: Received ARC copy from Publisher

  

ReviewThe Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver

Seventeen-year-old Riley, the only daughter of legendary Demon Trapper, Paul Blackthorne, has always dreamed of following in her father's footsteps.  The good news is, with human society seriously disrupted by economic upheaval and Lucifer increasing the number of demons in all major cities, Atlanta’s local Trappers’ Guild needs all the help they can get – even from a girl. When she’s not keeping up with her homework or trying to manage her growing crush on fellow apprentice, Simon, Riley’s out saving distressed citizens from foul-mouthed little devils – Grade One Hellspawn only, of course, per the strict rules of the Guild. Life’s about as normal as can be for the average demon-trapping teen.

But then a Grade Five Geo-Fiend crashes Riley’s routine assignment at a library, jeopardizing her life and her chosen livelihood.  And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, sudden tragedy strikes the Trappers’ Guild, spinning Riley down a more dangerous path than she ever could have imagined. As her whole world crashes down around her, who can Riley trust with her heart – and her life?

In Jana Oliver’s debut into the YA genre, The Demon Trapper’s Daughter introduces a world in trouble. Cities are being over run with demons and the local Trapper’s Guilds have their hands full especially now that the demons appear to be working together something here to for has never happened. Oliver combines both the paranormal with a setting that is part dystopian and introduces us to the hierarchy of both the Trapper Guild and demons. It is within this world that we meet 17 year-old Riley, who finds herself fighting to be accepted by the male dominated Guild. Thankfully, master Demon Trapper, Paul Blackthorne, Riley’s father, is teaching her the ropes until a demon trapping goes horribly awry, and he is killed.  Now Riley is alone and fighting not only demons, but the guild members too.

Riley is an outstanding character and one I immediately embraced. A typical teenager she is trying hard to finish school so she can follow in her dad’s footsteps as a demon trapper. She is strongly focused on her goals, but still has insecurities that only make her more endearing. She would like nothing more than to spend time with her father, but with the city being over run by demons, a stack of bills left by her mother’s hospitalization and death, Riley often has to take a back seat to her father’s job, and does so without turning into a whiny complaining teen. She is also trying to get over a crush she had on Beck, her father’s demon trapping partner. Part of her still likes Beck and the other part sees him as a jerk. I thoroughly enjoyed the back and forth love hate relationship. With a life that is less than ideal, Riley takes things in stride and never really loses sight of what is important. Even after her father is killed and her already fragile world is shattering around her, she still manages to work through her pain and continues to be brave.

I also really enjoyed Oliver’s secondary characters many of who are potential love interests.  Beck was a tough guy who loved and respected Riley’s father. Beck has a hard time coming to terms with his feeling for Riley. He feels a certain amount of protectiveness because of his relationship with Riley’s father, but he also is seeing Riley as the young woman she is close to becoming. I liked Beck’s smart ass attitude and how Oliver allowed us to see past his bravado and into his emotional caring side. I also like Simon, a demon trapper apprentice, who definitely has feelings for Riley and goes out of his way to help her especially with his mentor, Harper, who takes over Riley’s training after her father dies. Harper is the most senior trapper in Atlanta, and is less than happy to have a female demon trapper in their guild and does not fail to make that very clear every chance he gets. Finally, there is Peter, Rilely’s school-mate and long time BFF, who is often her sounding board when she has no one else to turn to. Peter definitely wants to be more than the BFF.

The Demon Trapper’s Daughter plot is complex and deals with several mysteries. I loved how Oliver carefully built the world of the trappers and demons, and I am quite anxious to find answers to several questions brought up in the book. There is quite a lot of action, and the climax is incredible. While the ending isn’t a total cliff hanger, it does leave the reader with a strong desire to read more. I have high expectations for the next book in this series, and based on Oliver’s writing thus far, I doubt I will be disappointed.

 Source: Received ARC copy from publisher

Review/Clarity by Kim Harrington

When you can see things others can't, where do you look for the truth? 

This paranormal murder mystery will have teens reading on the edge of their seats. 

Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift. 

And a curse. 

When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case--but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother--who has supernatural gifts of his own--becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

Kim Harrington’s debut novel Clarity has been highly anticipated since the first peek of the book's beautiful cover made its rounds on the blogs. Like everyone else, I was excited about reading the book, and I am happy to say that not only was I not at all disappointed, but I  hope that Harrington has plans to write more about Clarity and her family.

Clare (Clarity) Fern is one terrific character. She lives in a small coastal town on Cape Cod with her mother, and brother. The family earns their living as psychics, which makes Clarity a freak in the eyes of most of her (townie peers). What I loved about Clarity was her ability to ignore or stand up to those who ridiculed her about her ability, and her unerring strength. Unlike many YA characters whose decision often stem from their emotions, most of Clarity’s decisions are well thought out.  I also loved the strong family unit and Clarity’s loyalty especially to her brother. Finally, I applaud Clarity’s wherewithal to stand her ground with her ex-boyfriend, who cheated on her with the town skank, even though he did seem extremely sincere about his feelings for Clarity.

Aside from the great characterization, I was also very impressed with Harrington’s plot, which revolves around the murder of a teenage girl. Clarity is asked to help her ex-boyfriend whose father is the mayor of Eastport by using her psychic abilities in an unofficial capacity. She is teamed up with Gabriel, the son of Eastport’s new detective, who is less than thrilled to be working with a psychic. Sparks fly, both romantically and otherwise as Clarity and Gabriel investigate the murder. There are political implications thrown in for good measure, and the fact that Clarity’s brother, who is a bit of a player, spent part of the evening with the dead girl only adds to the suspense. While I tried to figure out whodunit, Harrington successfully threw in enough red herrings that the ending was not as predictable as I thought.

In the end, I found Clarity to be a fast-paced engaging read with a satisfying ending. I also am quite sure that there is much more to learn about Clarity and her family, and will be looking forward to Harrington’s next book.

Source: Receive ARC copy from Publisher

As part of my 21 Day Blogoversary & Birthday Bash you can enter to win your own ARC copy of Clarity here.

21 Day Blogoversary & Birthday Bash: Day 3 Review and Giveaway of Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

Welcome to Day 3 of my 21 Day Blogoversary & Birthday Bash

Today, I have a review of Demonglass; Rachel Hawkins' second book in her Hex Hall series. The release date for this book is Feb. 15, 2011, but I have an ARC copy to giveaway, and trust me if you liked Hex Hall you will love Demonglass.

 

Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.

That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.

But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning  is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Acher to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she? (Publisher's summary from Powell's Books)

So, I have to say this up front, that while I really thoroughly enjoyed Hex Hall, I absolutely, unequivocally loved Demonglass.

In my review of Hex Hall last March, I predicted that in book two we would learn more about Sophie’s dad and my prediction was correct. Demonglass moves the action of the story across the ocean to a mansion in England, where Sophie, and her vampire friend, Jenna, and Cal, the hot caretaker of Hex Hall are spending the summer with Sophie’s dad. Once there she gets to know here father and finds out that one: she is betrothed to Cal, two: that there are two more demons teens, whose existence is a major problem for the Prodigium and three: that The Eye is still very much a threat to Prodigium and Sophie. The story is chuck full of new conflicts and Sophie is smack dab in the middle of it all.

Once again Sophie’s is a major reason why I love this series. Quick-witted as ever Sophie has a better understanding about herself than she did in Hex Hall. I was glad to see that her experiences over the course of a year at school helped her glean a better understanding of her magical capabilities. I was also happy to have Jenna, her vampire roommate, and best bud back. I will admit I was surprised to find that Cal, who was primarily in the background in Hex Hall, elevated to play a much larger role, and while Sophie’ heart still yearns for Archer, Cal makes for a great love triangle.

I was also glad that Hawkins brought back Archer. Because in Hex Hall Archer left us all wondering whether he was a good guy or a bad guy.  Archer’s role in Demonglass adds much to the action and suspense, and it will be interesting to see how things will play out between Sophie and him in book three.

While many questions that were left unanswered at the end of Hex Hall are brought to light, Demonglass opens up a mansion load more, which means that book three will be anxiously anticipated. Demonglass is a very fast read and quite satisfying. Between the new conflicts facing Sophie, the love triangle, and the surprising ending, I can honestly say that Demonglass is a fantastic addition to the series. 

An now here's your chance to win an ARC copy of Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins. Just fill out this form and leave a comment. Tell me what you liked about Hex Hall.

You can also enter the other day's giveaway posts here.

 

 

Review/Deception by Lee Nichols

When her parents leave on a mysterious business trip, Emma Vaile has the perfect excuse to rebel throw some parties, get a tattoo (or maybe just a piercing), and enjoy the first few weeks of junior years. But when the cops crash her party, she finds herself in the hands of a new guardian her college-age knight in J.Crew armor, Bennett Stern and on a plane to his museum-like mansion in New England.

After enrolling at Thatcher Academy, Emma settles in by making friend with the popular legacy crowd but can’t shake the strange vision that are haunting her. She has memories of Thatcher she can’t explain, as if she’s returning home to a place she’s never been. Emma doesn’t trust anyone anymore expect maybe Bennett. And he’s about to reveal a ghostly secret, one that will explain the vision ... and make Emma fear for her life.

When Deception first came out this summer, I read some great reviews, which of course made me want to read the book for myself. I am happy to say that I was not disappointed.

Deception introduces Emma Vaile, a normal teenager, whose family runs an antiquities shop in San Francisco. The plot quickly turns fast-paced, and Emma’s life turns into a nightmare when she throws a party that gets busted by the police, who find out she has been left alone by her parents. Enter Bennett Stern, a college friend of her brother, and to Emma’s surprise her guardian. While I found this set up a tad far-fetched, I also found myself going with it for the sake of the story and once over that bump, my curiosity got the better of me. Bennett sweeps in and uproots Emma to his home in Boston and to a new private school. Once there, Emma begins to have visions of another time attached to her new surroundings. Fearing she is going crazy (again) she does her best to ignore them.

What I like best about Lee Nichols' debut novel was the mystery behind what was happening to Emma. Nichols builds suspense throughout the story by revealing little bits of information slowly, but steadily. I found myself with lots of questions, but just as quickly as they formed, Nichols would provide enough of an answer that I then moved on the next question.The plot has some very interesting twists, which made the mystery fresh and unpredictable.

I also liked Nichols complete cast of characters. Emma was a very well rounded character. She has been left alone many times by her parents and does a good job at the whole being responsible thing. When things wrong Emma calmly takes it in stride and doesn’t freak out the way most teens would in the same situation.  However, internally she worries a lot, and with good cause. Her ability to see ghosts is tied to a dark and sinister twist in the plot and one that kept me quickly turning pages. Along with Emma’s character, I was also fascinated with her guardian Bennett, who Emma has a crush on. His character is a bit of an enigma, and like Emma, I was frustrated by his on again off again attentions.I also found the various characters at Emma's new school to be realistically imagined, and added an authentic touch to the story.

Deception is a fantastic debut novel, and  start to a series. The ending left me anxious to read more about Emma, and I will be first in line for the next book Betrayal due out in March.

Review/ Beautiful Dead: Arizona

ISBN: 9781402239458
Author: Maguire, Eden
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: October 2010

There's been no sign of the Beautiful Dead for weeks. Darina achingly misses Phoenix all over again. But surely he will return with the rest of the Beautiful Dead as so much still remains unresolved. It's been ten months since Arizona drowned in Hartmann Lake. Suicide, it would seem. But something doesn't add up. Drowning herself in a hidden-away lake does not sound like strong, confident, Arizona: Ellerton High School's high-maintenance drama queen. Darina needs to help Arizona the way she helped Jonas. But time is running out ...

Not having read Eden Maguire’s first book in the Beautiful Dead series I had no expectations when I began reading book two, Beautiful Dead: Arizona. While I found myself a bit lost at first, I quickly caught on to what I found to be an extremely fascinating and suspenseful story.

The plot of Beautiful Dead: Arizona revolves around Darina, who is very much alive, and very much in love with Phoenix, one of several beautiful dead, who have recently died under unusual circumstances. Each of the beautiful dead have come out of limbo to find out the particulars of their deaths and Darina is a link to the world of the living. Without her help, they cannot find peace. As long as Darina is helping she is allowed to see Phoenix. In this second book, Darina has only a few months to find out whether Arizona committed suicide by drowning and the story follows Darina’s investigation while providing more insight into the beautiful dead.

I was really thrilled with most of the characters in the story. From the beginning of the book, it is obvious that Darina, is way over the top in love with Phoenix and is willing to do anything to keep him around. Darina, has lot more courage than I would have dealing with both the dead and the living. She stand up to Hunter (Darina calls him the zombie overlord and at times he is one scary dead guy), and she boldly investigates Arizona’s life, which ends up putting her in harms way several times. I could also understand Darina’s feelings for Phoenix, who even in death loves her and wants to protect her and keep her safe. Finally, like Darina, I found it hard to like Arizona, but as the story unfolds and Darina delves deeper into Arizona’s death by drowning, Maguire slowly reveals important information about Arizona and here life, which helps explain a lot about her complex and abrasive attitude.

Beautiful Dead: Arizona is a quick read, and the combination of paranormal and mystery was very exciting. Maguire incorporates a sense of immediacy to Darina’s  investigation into Arizona’s death and creates tension and suspense scene by scene. One aspect that I really liked about this series is that the ending did not leave me hanging. Maguire ties up all the loose ends of Arizona’s death, so that in the book three, Darina she can move onto the next beautiful dead’s death.  She also connects this book with the first book about Jonas, and provides enough foreshadowing to definitely hook me into wanting to know what will happen next. I am also very interested in how Maguire will eventually help Darina deal with her strong attachment to Phoenix, but I won’t get the answer to that until book four.

If you enjoy the paranormal, romance, and mysteries then I recommend you give Beautiful Dead: Arizona a read. I will definitely be back tracking to read book one and will be anxious to read book three and four when they are released.

Source: Received ARC from publisher

Review/ Manifest by Artist Arthur

When fifteen-year-old Krystal Bentley moves to Lincoln, Connecticut, her mom's hometown, she assumes her biggest drama will be adjusting to the burbs after living in New York City. But Lincoln is nothing like Krystal imagined. The weirdness begins when Ricky Watson starts confiding in her. He's cute, funny, a good listener—and everything she'd ever want—except that he was killed nearly a year ago. Krystal's ghost-whispering talents soon lead other "freaks" to her door—Sasha, a rich girl who can literally disappear, and Jake, who moves objects with his mind. All three share a distinctive birthmark in the shape of an M and, fittingly, call themselves the Mystyx. They set out to learn what really happened to Ricky, only to realize that they aren't the only ones with mysterious powers. But if Krystal succeeds in finding out the truth about Ricky's death, will she lose him for good?

In her debut YA novel, Artist Arthur writes a suspense filled story that had me reading non-stop and left me wanting more.

Manifest’s cultural diverse cast of characters and its paranormal mystery is a definite treat. It is also a terrific coming of age story. While Krystal does come off as snarky especially with her mother and new step-father, I was not put off by this at all. After all, she has been uprooted from NYC to a small town in Connecticut, she hasn’t a clue why her mother divorced her father, and she has a ghost badgering her for help. I’m thinking I might be a bit cranky too. Eventually, Krystal learns all the particulars of her parent’s break-up, and to her credit Krystal makes amends.

The plot revolves around Ricky a ghost who has asked Krystal to help him figure out who murdered him. As Krystal begins to understand why it is that she is able to see ghosts, she also begins to make friends with Sasha and Jake who like her have abilities that are manifesting and are tied to a mysterious birth-mark that all three of them have.  Together they attempt to not only help Ricky, but to seek out answers about themselves.

I found Arthur’s characters completely relatable and the dialog authentic. The addition of sex-texting added a creep factor to the mystery and helped build tension. Arthur also threw in enough red herrings that it took me a few false guesses before I figured out who killed Ricky.

Since this is the first book in a series, there are of course a lot of questions left unanswered, about Kyrstal and her friend’s abilities, but I am sure that Arthur will provide more in the next book.

I thoroughly enjoyed Manifest. It is a great addition to the YA genre appealing not only to those who love the paranormal, but mysteries too.

Source: ARC copy received through We Love YA Tours

Review Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

Claire is having the perfect sixteenth birthday. Her pool party is a big success, and gorgeous Matthew keeps chatting and flirting with her as if she's the only girl there. But that night, she discovers something that takes away all sense of normalcy: she's a werewolf. As Claire is initiated into the pack of female werewolves, she must deal not only with her changing identity, but also with a rogue werewolf who is putting everyone she knows in danger. Claire's new life threatens her blossoming romance with Matthew, whose father is leading the werewolf hunt. Now burdened with a dark secret and pushing the boundaries of forbidden love, Claire is struggling to feel comfortable in either skin. With her lupine loyalty at odds with her human heart, she will make a choice that will change her forever?

In the last few weeks, I have read a total of four books on werewolves. Like each of the previous books, Christina Johnson’s Claire de Lune offers something original not only her in werewolf mythology, but her plot as well.

There are several elements in Johnson’s book that I liked. I was impressed by the idea that her werewolves were female and that they had to mate with human men. I was also impressed how she carried this through by providing background on how pregnant werewolves could only go full term if the baby was a girl. It was also interesting how she showed the pack’s devotion to the goddess and to tradition.

Johnson skillfully maintains tension throughout the story by weaving several different conflicts. First, there is the budding romance of Claire and Matthew. The romance itself was tense because it is Claire first crush, and she is shy and unsure of herself. Johnson adds to this tension by creating further conflict between Claire’s mother and Matthew’s father, Dr. Engle, who has a drug that supposedly cures lycanthropy. In addition to the romance, when Claire finds out she is a werewolf she must deal not only the knowledge, but also the secrecy that comes with it. Finally, there is a renegade werewolf killing humans, whose existence is threatening the pack’s safety. Needless to say, these conflicts add up to a compelling story that kept me engaged.

The only element that I found less than perfect was the characterization especially of Claire. Johnson went out of her way to portray Claire as sheltered. Her mother was away a lot and because of this Claire has as au pair, so yes, I could understand her being naïve. However, Claire all too quickly begins taking risks that I found hard to believe her capable of, such as going out alone and practicing her transformation, meeting Matthew, after being told not to see him, and lying a lot. I just had trouble accepting all these changes occurring in such a sort period of time. I also felt that much of the dialogue seemed forced and that the relationship between Claire and her best-friend was more contrived than real. Finally, Matthew was just so so, which made the romance so so, too.

Christine Johnson definitely has created a good first novel, that more than adequately shows her potential as a writer. I did enjoy Claire de Lune and will certainly read more from this new author.

 

Show Me Five/ Firespell by Chole Neill

 Show Me Five is a weekly meme created by  That's a Novel Idea.
Each Saturday You will post the answer to these questions. The number indicates the number of answers you will provide.

1 Book you read: Firespell by Chloe Neill

2 Words that describe the book

Paranormal Adventure

3 Settings where it took place or characters you met

The setting takes place in downtown Chicago at  St. Sophia’s School for Girls. The school was once a convent and is vividly described as having “dismal grey stone," "tall skinny windows with one giant round one in the middle"  and "fanged grinning gargoyles" perched at each corner of the steep roof.”  

The school is located on Michigan  Ave which is filled with tall steel and glass building. Quite the contrast from the gothic architect of the school.

Lily, the protagonist, is sent to St Sophia when her parents go off on a sabbatical to Germany. needless to say Lily is unhappy about being sent to a new school in a new city. She feels abandoned and overwhelmed. She uses her sacarstic wit and natural curiosity though and makes friends with her new roommate Scout.

Scout is outspoken and fearless and quickly makes Lily feel welcome. Scout has been at St Sophia since she was twelve and definitely knows the inner workings, including the basement tunnels that connect St Sophia with the underground of Chicago.

4 Things you liked and/or disliked about it:

I loved how the setting was so intricate to the plot of the story. Neill's vivid and detailed descriptions of the school allowed me to feel like I was there.

I also liked the characters. Scout was intriguing and I really enjoyed her outspokeness and her frankness. Lily was also a very interesting character and while I felt sorry for her situation, I was glad that she was able to overcome her sadness and make the best of it. The two characters together made for an interesting and exciting read. I also like the secondary characters including Jason, who I want more of, and the "Brat Pack", who depite the fact come off as your typical stock mean girls, still added an interesting twist to the story.

Finally, I like Neill's plot. Almost from the start I knew that this was going to be different than many of the paranormal plots I have read. Scout's mysterious disappearance at night and Lily's need to know why her parents suddenly abandoned her to St Sophia's  made for a fast-paced read. There is even a little romance, which I got a feeling will heat up quite a bit in the next book

I disliked that part of the mystery was not totally solved at the end of the book. I was left confused and wondering about Lily's parents and their involvement with St Sophia and why exactly they felt the need to leave Lily. I can only hope that much of my confusion will be cleared up in the sequel.

5  Your rating? I gave this novel a 4 out of 5 cherries, because I felt that the plot, setting and characters worked well to create and compelling story, but because I wanted some things cleared up in the end, I couldn't give it a 5.

Review/Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Adopted by the Alpha of a werewolf pack after a rogue wolf brutally killed her parents right before her eyes, fifteen-year-old Bryn knows only pack life, and the rigid social hierarchy that controls it. That doesn't mean that she's averse to breaking a rule or two.
But when her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers Chase, a new teen locked in a cage in her guardian's basement, and witnesses him turn into a wolf before her eyes, the horrific memories of her parents' murders return. Bryn becomes obsessed with getting her questions answered, and Chase is the only one who can provide the information she needs.
But in her drive to find the truth, will Bryn push too far beyond the constraints of the pack, forcing her to leave behind her friends, her family, and the identity that she's shaped? (Publishers comments from Powell's Books)

Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is my first werewolf novel and it completely took me by surprise. Unlike many of the paranormal YA books, Raised by Wolves revolves around a mystery and not a love story. Barnes deftly sets about intricately weaving the story, piece by piece, through first person narration and flashbacks. I was drawn into the story by Byrn’s defiant voice and her extremely independent and rebellious nature. I loved being a part of Byrn’s thought processes from which I gained an understanding of what life for a human was like inside the hierarchy of the pack’s society. I also gained an intimate look at several other great characters through Byrn’s interactions with them.

Callum, the pack’s Alpha, and Bryn’s guardian was a very interesting character albeit somewhat of an enigma. Bryn’s connection to him is conflicted. After her parent’s brutal murder by “the Rabid” wolf and the stories antagonist, Callum was the one who saved her, marked her, and brought her into his pack. He has the whole patriarchal thing down pat. It was obvious that while the pack came first, his devotion to Bryn sometimes made it very difficult for him as a leader, and some of the things he did, which really ticked Bryn off, were done to protect her and bring out her strengths. 

As I previously mentioned, this is not a love story; however, there are two male characters with potential for becoming love interests in the future (and I am definitely hoping that Barnes plans on writing more about Bryn in the future). Devon, Bryn’s BFF is a definite possibility. I really enjoyed Devon’s character. He is a dichotomy. Although one of the youngest member of the pack,  he is a purebred, which makes him one of the packs strongest wolves. However he is also a “metrosexual” and loves his human side. He wears name brand clothes, loves musicals, and bantering with Bryn in various accents. All of these characteristics make him a very endearing character, and he ends up choosing Bryn over the pack, which to me is a sign that his feelings run deeper than just being friends.

The other male character and a strong possibility as a future love interest is Chase, a human who almost dies after a horrific wolf by the same “Rabid” wolf who killed Bryn’s parents. As a result of the attack, Chase is now a were. Before Chase comes into Bryn’s life, she was unaware that a werewolf’s bite could change a human into a were, and it is this fact that spurs her actions and the plot forward. Bryn finds she has the ability to connect mentally with Chase and this ability not only saves him, but also creates a powerful bond between them.

Barnes’ dynamic characterization truly enhances the story. The steady building of background events and action leads to an exciting climax. Barnes also provides a few surprises, and ends with an astounding revelation that although not a cliffhanger definitely left me wanting more. Finally, Barnes aptly embeds ideas about democracy, leadership, and maintaining one’s individuality within a group. All these elements combine to make an extremely well crafted story. 

I truly relished my first taste of the world of werewolves thanks to Barnes’ gripping novel, and I will certainly be sampling more in the near future.

Review/ Glimmerglass by Jenna Black

It's all she's ever wanted to be, but it couldn't be further from her grasp... Dana Hathaway doesn't know it yet, but she's in big trouble. When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, again, Dana decides she's had enough and runs away to find her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the captivating, magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn't just an ordinary teenage girl--she's a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and the only person who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie. Soon, Dana finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone's trying to kill her, and everyone seems to want something from her, from her newfound friends and family to Ethan, the hot Fae guy Dana figures she'll never have a chance with... until she does. Caught between two worlds, Dana isn't sure where she'll ever fit in and who can be trusted, not to mention if her world will ever be normal again...

I was totally engrossed by Glimmerglass. I found the setting quite interesting and unique perhaps because Avalon has the ability to conjure the very essence of magic for me. Dana is a really a strong character, whose decision to runaway was understandable. After all, a sixteen-year-old should not be responsible for an alcoholic parent. The book is so fast-pace that I was amazed at how quickly I was turning pages. This was because from the moment Dana arrives in Avalon she is dealing with one drama after of another, all because of fae politics, which includes both the Seelie and Unseelie court and the fact that Dana is a Faeriewalker. I was completely enthralled with Black’s imaginative world and was highly disappointed when it ended because I really wanted to read more about Dana. Unfortunately, I will have to wait for the next book in this great new series. Hopefully Ms. Black will write fast.

Blog Tour Review/The Turning Book One: What Curiosity Kills

Mary Richards is a normal sixteen-year-old girl living in Manhattan. Well, almost normal. She goes to private school on the Upper East Side, having been saved from a life of squalor by an adoptive family. But she's also slowly transforming into a cat. Struggling to hide her physical metamorphosis, Mary discovers that she isn't alone. A whole race of cat people prowls the streets of Manhattan at night, including Mary's long-time crush, Nick. Aside from heightened feline senses, hanging out with Nick is the best thing about discovering her inner kitty. But Mary's transformation is special and could decide the outcome of a citywide turf war. She must decide whether to embrace her powerful feline side and become a pack leader or go back to being a normal teenage girl. Can she land on her feet or will curiosity be her downfall? (Synopsis from Powell’s Books)

I received an ARC of The Turning Book One: What Curiosity Kills  by Helen Ellis as part of blog tour. The plot revolves around Mary, a sixteen year-old girl, turning into a cat, and not any ordinary cat, but a ruler cat.  The originality of the storyline definitely intrigued me enough be curious about the rest of the book, and while I found Ellis' writing engaging and the book fast paced, there were aspects of the book that left me unenthusiastic.

Ellis’ characterization of Mary did not quite click with me. Mary seemed younger than her sixteen years. She had never had a boyfriend, never been kissed and she had been in foster care for a long time before being adopted. Because of this, I felt Mary should have been more street-wise than Ellis portrayed her. On the other hand, Octavia, Mary’s sister, seemed more true to life. She too spent several years in foster care before being adopted and came across as much more aware of herself than Mary. Octavia was, at least for me, more dynamic and by the end of the story seemed to change more that Mary did.

The fact that this is the first book in a series means that a lot of what was not explained will hopefully come to light in the next books. Obviously, since Mary was adopted, there has to be more background about her that will be revealed. Many references to other turnings were also made, but never fully explained either, so this was frustrating too. However, Ellis did set the stage for a great deal of conflict in her upcoming books as Mary and the reader learn more about upcoming turf wars between the doms, domestic cats who turn and the strays or pure-cats.

I did enjoy Ellis’ style of writing. The narrative was very straightforward and I think Mary has a great deal of potential to grow as a character. I also like Ellis’ secondary characters all of which added to the story in one way or another. I will definitely be interested in reading Ellis’ next book in this series to see how she develops Mary’s story further.

In the Middle Monday Review/Suddenly Supernatural by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel

As an eighth grade middle school teacher, I tend to read more young adult fiction than those often designated as middle school. However, as a committee member of an Area Wide Book Battle I am also responsible for finding books that will appeal to sixth and seventh graders too. Some young adult books, in my opinion work for all the middle school grades, but there are many that do not. 

Therefore, In the Middle Monday Reviews will be a place for me to specifically review middle level books geared for tweens. 

In the tradition of the loveable but flawed heroines from Louise Rennison's Georgia Nicholson Books, Kathleen O'Dell's Agnes Parker novels, and Lois Lowry's Anastasia Krupnik books comes Elizabeth Cody Kimmel's Kat Roberts. All Kat wants is to be normal, or at least to look that way to students at her new school. But her mother is a medium, and not the kind that fits in between small and large; Kat's mom is the kind of medium who sees spirits and communicates with them. And, even worse, Kat has just discovered that she can see spirits too. In fact, she seems to be the only one capable of helping a spirit at her school cross over successfully. The question is can she do it without needing to switch schools herself? (Publisher's comments from Powell's Book)

I picked up Suddenly Supernatural: School Spirit by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel because it is a 2010/2011 nominee for Missouri Association of School Library Mark Twain Reader’s Award. This means that teachers, librarians, students and parents felt the book was original and it’s literary value may enrich children’s lives. After reading the book I can see why it was chosen.

I found Kat, the main character, quite relatable and easy to connect with because she is like most seventh grade girls; she wants to fit in and have friends. Unfortunately, Kat has a few things that make fitting in difficult. First, she is relatively a newbie to the school; next, her mother is an “incense burning, Indian-skirt-wearing vegetarian who interacts with dead people;” lastly, ever since Kat turned thirteen, she has started seeing ghosts. Kat is unsure how to deal with her new ability, mainly because she feels that it will cause her be the brunt of jokes and untold other embarrassments from her junior high classmates.

Kat is joined by two other characters, who help make Kat’s adjustment to her ghost seeing ability easier. Kat’s mother is one. I loved the relationship Kat has with her mother. Her mother is very supportive and is quick to listen to Kat when she has a problem and her advice is solid. The other character is Jac, short for Jacqueline. Jac is even newer to school than Kat and she drags around a cello that is almost as big as she is. What I really liked about Jac was she could care less about being part of the popular crowd. Together Kat and Jac share each other’s secrets and a mysterious ghost helps both girls wrestle their inner angsts.

School Spirit is a cute story whose main message is about learning to accept one’s self. It speaks strongly about standing up for what’s rights instead of blindly following what is most popular. It is a perfect story for the tween audience. Kimmel also has three other books in this series, Crossing Over, Unhappy Medium, and her newest release Scaredy Kat.

I have included a video I found where Kimmel talks about her series. I will definitely be reading more from this series.

Review/ Fang by James Patterson

On a trip to Africa, Max and her Flock meet a mysterious billionaire whose intense scrutiny of the Flock makes her fear the worst. Then canny birdkid Angel makes a dire prophecy about Max's soul mate: "Fang will be the first to die." Max's desperate desire to protect Fang brings the two closer than ever.

I have been a fan of James Patterson’s Maximum Ride series from the beginning. His first first three books The Angel Experiment, School’s Out Forever, and The Final Warning were exciting and action-packed with great characters and plots. However, while Patterson’s new addition to the series, Fang, brings back all of the same characters that I love and presents some interesting surprises, it has some definite flaws.

The plot centers around Max and Fang’s growing feelings about each other. Complications arise with Angel’s prophetic announcement that the flock isn’t always going to be together and Fang is going to be the first die. There is also a new villain introduced, Dr. Hans  Gunther-Hagen. Max’s feelings for Fang are complex and distract her from the leadership role she has always maintained. When Max and Fang fly off together for a little alone time, the rest of the flock is attacked. Incriminations fly aimed at Max’s ability to continue as the flock’s leader. She is usurped by Angel when the flock votes Max out. Oh and there is a new birdkid, Dylan, and he is handsome and the same age as Max. Dylan is supposedly the perfect mate for Max, but she is having none of it.

Like all Patterson’s Maximum Ride books, there is the whole saving of the world, fighting for their lives, and Max to the rescue. The main reason I thoroughly enjoy these books is Patterson’s very consistent with his characters. Since Max is the narrator, I always feel like I am being caught up on what is happening by my tough, snarky, and brutally honest girlfriend. Patterson uses the first-person narration to give readers an up close look at everything Max is thinking, and despite the fact that this type of narration often is bias, Max’s love of her flock is always obvious.

Angel has also been a favorite character. As the youngest member of the flock, I have watched Angel grow up. So, when she tries to take over the flock it was not a surprise. Despite her youth, Angel has always been very smart and out spoken, kinda like Max only less snarky about it, and Angel has always felt that she would make a good leader. Angel ends up getting the rest of the flock in trouble and Max and Fang end up coming to the rescue.

I was surprised by the introduction of Dylan into the flock, and was immediately suspicious of him. But he rose to the occasion when the fighting began. Still I have my doubts as to whether or not he will turn out to be a good birdkid or not in the next book, and it will be interesting to see if Dylan will be able to win Max’s trust and affections.

My biggest complaint with Fang is the plot seems concocted and confusing. The appearance of Dr. H-G and Dylan in Africa where the flock is doing humanitarian work was just too coincidental. Another incident that was never fully explain was the appearance of Erasers (human wolf hybrid), who are suppose to be extinct. But the biggest inconsistency in the plot came during the climax, when Dr Chu, a villain from the last book ends up being exposed as a boyish looking green scaly freak. Patterson never explains this revelation or what happens to either Dr Chu or Dr. H-G after the final fight.

There is a surprise ending (which was fairly predictable), and while I do understand why authors leave their readers hanging, I really don’t like having to wait yet another year to find out what happens next.

If you have never read any of the Maximum Ride books, this one does provide enough background information that you will not be lost. However, I strongly recommend you read the first one The Angel Experiment as it is definitely the best of the bunch.

Review/ Killer Pizza by Greg Taylor

Toby McGill dreams of becoming a world-famous chef, but up until now, his only experience has been watching the Food Network. When Toby lands a summer job at Killer Pizza, where pies like The Monstrosity and The Frankensausage are on the menu, things seem perfect. His coworkers, Annabel and Strobe, are cool, and Toby loves being part of a team. But none of them are prepared for what’s really going on at Killer Pizza: It’s a front for a monster-hunting organization!

As a debut novel Greg Taylor’s Killer Pizza isn’t half bad. The premise, a pizza parlor as a front for an organization that hunts monsters, was cute.  Taylor’s monsters, the Guttatas were inventive too …

A cross between a human and an animal…A hairless, elongated head with a pronounced jaw. Eyes set in deep, dark sockets. Ears …well, the creatures had not ears. Chest abnormally large even for its six-foot tall frame. Fingers and toes, long and muscular and accented by sharp talons… distinctive looking skin. Tough as leather, it was irregularly spotted light and dark, camouflage-like.

I liked Taylor’s characters even if they did seem a bit too stock, pretty but smart girl, tough, but not too bright jock, and Toby, the reluctant hero, round out the trio of protagonists. The story had a decent pace throughout, and the climax was action packed and exciting.

I think Killer Pizza will definitely appeal to the younger middle school grades, because Taylor’s writing consists of simple sentences and vocabulary that is accessible to all readers. In addition, the jaunty dialogue makes for a quick read. There are enough tense and creepy moments that kids who want a little horror in their reading will more than satisfied.

Review/The Body Finder by Kim Derting

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies — or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world... and the imprints that attach to their killers. Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him. Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer — and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer... and becoming his prey herself. (From Goodreads)

Like many bloggers I have been waiting for Kim Derting’s debut novel, The Body Finder since I first caught wind of it in January. I was not disappointed. The Body Finder delivers both an exciting mystery and romance that kept me glued to the pages until the end.

The first element that drew me to Derting’s book was definitely the premise. How can you not be intrigued by a girl who can sense dead bodies? I thought that Derting did a fantastic job providing background about Violet’s ability starting with the first chapter, which immediately pulled me into the story. I have to say though that there is way more to the plot than just Derting innovative premise. Everything worked for me. Her choice of third person limited was right on. I also felt that providing chapters from the mind of the killer added a lot to the overall experience, and I have to admit I missed several of the hints about the killer because I was speeding headlong into the story to stop and reason it all out. It wasn’t until almost the end that I actually began to suspect who the killer was and with a major twist that Derting threw in, I was effectively thrown off course ( a least for a little while) with my suspicions. 

Derting characterization was the other major element that made this book a fantastic read. The budding romance between Violet and Jay was the perfect distraction from the murders, and Derting weaves their romance throughout the story adding yet another type of tension. Violet and Jay have a long history of being best friends. Jay is the only other person besides Violet’s parents who knows about Violet’s power to sense dead things. Now that Jay has become the hottie, Violet is having a difficult time figuring out where her feelings for Jay as her best friend end and her attraction for him as a love interest begins. It is clear from Jay’s actions that he is not having these same problems. He is supportive, protective, and unfaltering in his devotion to Violet.  There were a few times when I  wanted to shake Violet because she just kept ignoring all the clues that Jay had the hots for her and was totally devoted. In the end, Jay does everything right and Violet finally gets it.

The Body Finder is an amazing first novel, and clearly, Derting has a great writing career ahead of her. Unfortunately, her next book Desires of the Dead is not due for release until next year.