First Line Friday (25): Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

First Line Friday is a bookish tag hosted over at Abstract Books that is used to showcase your favourite first lines of books.

There really is something to be said about a good first line, and I'm going to be using this tag from now on to showcase my current read's first lines.

My current read this week is Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo.

Alex approached Black Elm as if she were sidling up to a wild animal, cautious in her walk up the long, curving driveway, careful not to show her fear. How many times had she made this walk? But today was different.

Goodreads synopsis

Find a gateway to the underworld. Steal a soul out of hell. A simple plan, except people who make this particular journey rarely come back. But Galaxy “Alex” Stern is determined to break Darlington out of purgatory―even if it costs her a future at Lethe and at Yale.

Forbidden from attempting a rescue, Alex and Dawes can’t call on the Ninth House for help, so they assemble a team of dubious allies to save the gentleman of Lethe. Together, they will have to navigate a maze of arcane texts and bizarre artifacts to uncover the societies’ most closely guarded secrets, and break every rule doing it. But when faculty members begin to die off, Alex knows these aren’t just accidents. Something deadly is at work in New Haven, and if she is going to survive, she’ll have to reckon with the monsters of her past and a darkness built into the university’s very walls.

Thick with history and packed with Bardugo’s signature twists, Hell Bent brings to life an intricate world full of magic, violence, and all too real monsters.

--

After reading Ninth House earlier this year and having a rather lukewarm opinion on it, I wasn't sure if I was going to bother picking up this sequel, but now that I'm a little under 100 pages into Hell Bent I think I'm glad that I'm continuing. I'm glad so far, anyway. You can add Hell Bent to your Goodreads TBR here!  

Moonvine by Lucy Hoden (The Nightgarden Saga #2)

Title: Moonvine

Author:  Lucy Holden

Series: The Nightgarden Saga (#2)

Publisher: Fehu Press

Publication date: October 16th, 2021

Young Adult

Goodreads Synopsis

Secrets. Lies. Danger.

Harper Ellory has a secret: nobody knows what the emerald on her left hand really means. Sometimes she wonders if she imagined Antoine Marigny.

Harper knows holding a party is a bad idea. There are deadly creatures sleeping in the cellar, a mysterious stranger asking suspicious questions, and rough boys from the bayou who know more about the mansion than they should.

Harper doesn't want Antoine running to her rescue. She's made her choices, and he his. The mansion, and the dark secret beneath it, are her responsibility.

But now the secret is out, and Harper's friends are in the kind of trouble that only Antoine's brand of dangerous is equipped to handle.

Now Harper isn't the only one facing choices. Choices that will have dangerous consequences - forever.

Moon Vine is the second gripping installment in the Nightgarden Saga. A YA paranormal romance full of southern gothic atmosphere, dark twists with high stakes, and heart wrenching romance that will tear your heart up, Moon Vine will keep you up late into the night.

If you're a fan of The Vampire Diaries, Twilight, and romance that rips your heart out, you'll love the Nightgarden Saga.

Quick Thoughts

In the second installment of the Nightgarden saga, we see the return of all the characters we loved from the first novel, with a little bit of a shift of focus. This book focused a lot more on Connor and Cass' relationship than on Antoine and Harper's, which wasn't quite what I was hoping for but definitely necessary for plot and character development.  

Speaking of characters and well, their development, a new supernatural element was added and I'm so excited to see where that could take us in the future books.

I also loved that this saga is still giving very much The Vampire Diaries vibes, with the romance and the atmosphere.

Overall I enjoyed the book and seeing the characters and plotline develop further in this book and can't wait to see where the third installment takes all the supernatural and romantic elements that were introduced here.

Red Magnolia by Lucy Holden

Title: Red Magnolia

Author: Lucy Holden

Series: The Nightgarden Saga (#1)

Publisher: Fehu Press

Expected Publication Date: September 15, 2021

Introduction

Looking for a fresh start, Harper and her brother Connor move into an old, run down mansion that seems to harbor history of curses, not to mention that something weird seems to be going on in the old cemented-up cellar. Nobody seems willing to let this history go, especially not Antoine, a mysterious man who seems hellbent on getting Harper and her brother out of that mansion, no matter what the cost.

Pace

This book, in epub. format, at least, is less than 200 pages, making this a very quick and fast-paced story.

Characters & Relationships

Generally, I liked all of the characters, but I have a few small gripes about Harper's friend, Avery, her interest in Harper's brother, Connor, and Harper's, in my opinion, weird acceptance of it. It seemed like the only reason Avery ever came around was to ogle at Connor, and she hardly actually seemed interested in being Harper's friend just for friendship's sake. Given that Harper just moved to town, it's fair to assume that she would take friendship with anybody, but it's hard to believe that she would just let Avery come around so often when she's obviously just interested in Connor, and I can see that becoming a conflict in later books (which I'm excited to see play out, if that happens.)

Vampire Element

The vampire history and origin story of the vampires in this book is pretty on par with other YA vampire books that I've read. I like that the vampires here have to drink human blood as opposed to going the "vegetarian" route with animal blood or other substitutes. I've grown used to reading about vampires that don't drink human blood because They're Good Vampires and Hate The Curse and Would Never Harm Anybody because that's Not Who They Are so I liked this more classic route.

Twilight Vibes (Slight Spoilers)

There are STRONG Twilight vibes in this novel. The party scene where Antione swoops in to save Harper from a bunch of scary men is stunningly similar to the the scene in Twilight where Edward does the same for Bella.

Even more similar was the way that Antoine made Harper say that he was a vampire instead of saying the words himself, just like Edward.

I'm definitely not saying that these similarities are a bad thing, I just think it's worth mentioning that they are there, so if you love Twilight, this book might be for you.

Conclusion

I liked this book. It was a very quick read and good for scratching a vampire story itch. I think depending on if you enjoyed Twilight might gauge how you feel about this book because as I mentioned, there are a lot of similarities. I shamelessly enjoyed Twilight, so this was a good book for me, and the similarities were welcome. I would like to continue with this saga and will be looking out for more from this author.

Mini Review: Hematite by Victoria Maderna and Frederico Piatti

Title: Hematite

Authors: Victoria Maderna and Frederico Piatti

Date published: June 23, 2021

Publisher: Europe Comics

Format: epub.

Pages: 82

Goodreads Synopsis

Hematite is a young vampire who is trying to find her way. As a member of the illustrious Blackwood family, she faces pressure to conform to high society standards, but such grandstanding isn’t for her. And neither is drinking blood—she’d rather have vegetable soup! So it is that she opts for the more diverse Wolven School, rather than joining the ranks of her fellow vampires at the Diaemus Academy. Being different can be hard, though, and doesn’t always help to make friends. Luckily for Hematite, she has her poetry, as well as Drunela—a draugr who won’t let their differences keep them apart—and Emile, a human boy fascinated by the occult who would just love to take a peek at the Blackwoods’ private library. Unfortunately, bridging societal divides isn’t always easy, and can lead to terrible consequences…

Quick Thoughts

This was my first time reading a graphic novel since I read Ghostopolis in 2013, so I felt a little out of my comfort zone when I picked it up, but I'm so glad that I did. I loved this so much. 

The art was absolutely beautiful, I loved the style. Plot wise, it was a great introduction to what will hopefully be many more volumes. I can't wait for future installments so I can watch character growth deepen and more of the plot unfold.

The only thing that I wish was different was the length, but that's because I was enjoying it so much that I wanted it to last longer. 

Overall, this was a lovely book that I will be gushing about to anybody who will listen while I await the next book.

The Dead And The Dark by Courtney Gould

Title: The Dead And The Dark

Author: Courtney Gould 

Publishing Date: August 3, 2021

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Pages: 352

Introduction

Something isn't quite right about the town of Snakebite, Oregon, and when now-paranormal-investigators go back to their roots to investigate the town, things get weirder. A teen disappears, and then teens start getting killed. People are holding on to old anger, and old secrets. Is something stranger than just a few missing teens going on in this sleepy town in the middle of nowhere? Something stranger? Something darker?

Cover

You're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but I will say that this cover is so gorgeous and it definitely grabbed my attention when I was browsing through Netgalley.

Tone

I loved the consistent slightly "off" vibe that runs through the whole story. Small town weird vibes are my favourite and this book delivered.

The Dark

I love the concept of The Dark being an entity of it's own. It reminds me of the "The Forest" element in We Were Restless Things by Cole Nagamatsu (review of that book here!) 

Alternating POVs

I loved the alternating POVs of Ashley and Logan and The Dark. Usually when I read a book that switches POVs I find myself being less interested in one of them, and eagerly waiting for the story to switch back to the POV I like better, but that didn't happen at all with this book, and that feels so refreshing for me.

Conclusion

I loved this book. I believe the editor described it "like Riverdale, but good," and I agree. With the small town vibes with an undertone of something strange going on, the shoe fits. Because of the general spookiness of the novel I would also recommend this book to fans of After Obsession by Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel, and, of course, We Were Restless Things. I will definitely be looking our for more from this author.

First Line Friday (9): Red Magnolia by Lucy Holden

First Line Friday is a bookish tag hosted over at Abstract Books that is used to showcase your favourite first lines of books.

There really is something to be said about a good first line, and I'm going to be using this tag from now on to showcase my current read's first lines.

For this week's First Line Friday I have the first line from Red Magnolia by Lucy Holden.

Goodreads 

"Dear Tessa, it's a year today since I watched you die. If one more person tells me not to feel guilty, I might actually lose it."

I'm a little bit more than halfway through this book, and I really like this as a first line. it really helps set the tone for the story.

Anyway, thank you for joining me on my 9th First Line Friday, and look out for the release of Red Magnolia on September 15, 2021!

Down World by Rebecca Phelps

Title: Down World

Author: Rebecca Phelps

Publication Date: March 30, 2021

Publisher: Wattpad Books

Pages: 368

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me access to this title in exchange for honest review

Introduction (Goodreads Synopsis)

Stranger Things meets the Netflix series Dark in this paranormal thriller where three mysterious doors in a highschool basement hold the key to unlocking the mystery of what really happened the night Marina's brother died.

As the site of a former military base, there have always been rumors that East Township High School was the site of experiments with space and time. For years, students have whispered in the hallways of a doorway created within the school, one that can access multiple timelines and realities, a place known as the Down World.

As the new kid in school and still reeling from the unexplained death of her brother Robbie, Marina O'Connell is only interested in one thing: leaving the past behind. But a chance encounter with handsome Brady Picelli changes everything. He will lead Marina to a startling discovery. The Down World is real and the past, present, and future are falling out of balance.

Brady is determined to help Marina discover what really happened to her brother. However, what is taken from one world, must be repaid by another. And Marina is about to discover that even a realm of infinite possibilities has rules that must be obeyed.

Plot

In the synopsis, Down World is compared to Stranger Things and I can definitely see why, there are some similar vibes between the two. I was impressed to find that the storyline/plot was easy to follow and nothing seemed to "get lost" which I feel is a problem for me in a lot of books that deal with different dimensions/worlds. I always find that in building different realities, some aspects of the realities are left under-developed, this was not the case here. Each different setting was developed fully, and I was very impressed.

Characters

I liked all the characters well enough, although none of them felt particularly unique. To me, they all seemed to have pretty much the same personality.

Pacing

This book took a very long time for me to get into, and at times, I felt a little bit bored reading it because not much was going on. However, once I reached about 60%, it picked up a little more and retained my interest until the end.

Conclusion

Overall, I thought this book was okay. The idea of Down World and the general world-building was fantastic and executed in a way that was easy to follow. And although the characters felt a little bland to me and it was a little bit slow at points, it's still well worth the read.

Between by Jessica Warman

Title: Between

Author: Jessica Warman

Publication Date: August 2, 2011

Publisher: Walker & Company

Pages: 454

Introduction

On the night of her 18th birthday, Elizabeth "Liz" Valchar dies. Stuck between life and death, she finds her body knocking against her family's boat long before her friends find her. Liz can't remember anything from her life, or her death. Everything has holes. She has no idea how she managed to drown on her 18th birthday, surrounded by her friends. The only way she can figure it out is by waiting for the memories to hit her, and by silently observing her family and friends as they grieve. 

Luckily, she isn't alone. With her in this limbo like state is Alex Berg, a boy who was hit by a car a year prior to Liz's death. They had no connection in life. Liz was popular, and had everything anybody could ever want. Alex was introverted, from a modest family, and spent his school days trying to avoid being bullied. They have no idea why they're together, but slowly, together, they're going to figure out what happened on the nights of their deaths.

Characters

Almost all of the characters are very difficult to like, which is usually what happens when all pf the characters are spoiled rich kids. They are the classic rich kid characters who are all troubled in some way, but I found a lot of their troubles fell a little flat. They are all very real and tough problems, but most of them weren't delved into deep enough for me to really care about them. As a result, a good number of the characters were never very interesting to me, and a couple of them felt completely pointless to the story.

Liz did a lot of growing and maturing throughout the book--a result of seeing herself in her memories--and seeing her grow into a less stuck up version of her was wonderful.

Mystery/Ending

I had predictions about the ending very early on in the book. probably less than halfway through, and when I got to the end, all of my predictions turned out to be right. The ending felt a little predictable to me, and because of this, I wouldn't label it the most effective mystery. However, even though I figured out what was going to happen early on in the book, I still enjoyed reading it as it all unfolded.

Romance

I was very pleased that no romance happened between Alex and Liz. I admit, I really expected that that was what was going to happen when I first started the book, but I think if it did happen, it would have made the story entirely different than what it was and I'm really glad that it didn't go that way.

Conclusion

Despite not truly connecting with many of the supporting characters and essentially figuring out the mystery long before the ending, I did find this book entertaining to read, and I think I will try to read more from Warman. This book does feature a few mature themes, and does depict disordered eating as a large part of Liz's life, so if that is triggering to you, I would stay away from this book.

BOOST by D.A Paul

Introduction (Goodreads synopsis)

       

       They call it a boost.

        It’s the buzz you get from absorbing the spiritual energy of the dead, and it absolutely terrifies Lidia Powell. 

       Shortly after meeting Ander at summer camp, Lidia is thrust into the world of psychic mediums and brought to a new school. At Mountain Heights Academy, even a casual pizza-date is accompanied by a ghost, and only a frightened uberdork would refuse the boost. To Lidia, the peer pressure to absorb phantom apparitions is horrifying, but to everyone else, it's the drug of choice. 

       However, when one of the students delves into dark energy, Lidia suspects that a boost isn’t as innocent as it seems. Soon, the boost becomes an addiction and Lidia must act fast before the changes become irreversible.

Cover

        

       The cover is stunning, I like the haunting sort of vibe it gives off and  I find extremely fitting for the book.

Lidia

      

       Lidia is without a doubt my favorite protagonist I've read in a while, her personality is awesome, and she's the perfect voice to the story.

Ethan

      

       I didn't have a problem with Lidia's boyfriend, Ethan, at all; he was a necessary character to keep the plot going, but oh dear lord if I was Lidia I would not be able to put up with him. To me he seems childish, so props to Lidia for being able to put up with him. *Spoiler. Highlight between the brackets to read (Especially after he slept with another girl while they were on a break. Honestly If somebody did that to me, we'd be taking a trip to splitsville) I do admit that they make a good couple, though.

Ander

       I love Ander. He's probably my favorite character overall in this book. He was so comical and I loved reading the most-of-the-time-light-hearted-rude-banter between him and Lidia. I honestly loved him from the moment he was introduced at the summer camp. I loved the relationship that he and Lidia had. It didn't seemed forced, it seemed pretty realistic especially in the way that they weren't always on the best terms, because no relationship, weather it's a friendship  or romantic is perfect, and I liked how their relationship wasn't written that way. It wasn't written to be perfect.

Alex

       

       Alex was a great character. He's not in the book as consistently as the other characters during the beginning but as the story goes on, he becomes a bigger and bigger part of the story and I loved reading his development. 

Plot

       

       The plot is so different than anything I've ever read before, and it drew me in from the very first page. I really want to stress the originality of it, especially of the concept of the "boost" itslef. I've read so many paranormal books where the protagonist is shipped off to a school for mediums, and some sort of dark magic is discovered, but the concept of "boosting" is so original and sets it apart in the best way possible from the other paranormal books I've read.

Ending

       

       The ending is yet another thing I absolutely loved. A lot of books end with a quietness after the climax dies down, and a lot of times it's fitting, but this book ends with an uncertainty of what is going to happen next and it's aggravating in a wonderful sort of way. Even though this book isn't even published yet, I'm already aching for the sequel.

Conclusion

       

       BOOST is hands down the best book I have read in 2015 and probably one of the best YA paranormal books I have ever read. I fell in love with everything about this book, the characters, the plot, the setting, everything. I'm probably going to recommend this to every single person I ever talk to. As I said, this book isn't even published and I desperately want more. I wouldn't really recommend this to people who are not settled nicely in the YA genre as there is mention of sex, a few steamy scenes, and some crude humor, but if you love paranormal books and are ready to be captivated by a wonderful book, this book is for you.

  

Emerge: The Awakening by Melissa Craven

Author: Melissa A Craven
Series: The Awakening (#1)
Date published: April 1st 2015
Publisher: Midnight Hour Studio

*Given to me from the author in exchange for an honest review

       This entire review contains spoilers, as it would have been difficult to talk about the characters without spoiling anything. If I didn't have some spoilers in, I would be delicately dancing around the whole plot, my dearest apologizes, but you have been warned. 

Introduction

       Allie knows there has to be a reason that people flinch at her touch, she knows that there has to be a reason why people have always treated like an outsider.

       Allie's family has always moved around a lot, but this move feels different, more abrupt than usual. It's on Kelleys Island that she meets Aiden McBrien. He treats her like she's normal, and with him she feels things falling into place. He introduces her to his friends who aren't quite as comfortable with her as he is, but they try as hard as they can to hide it.

       As Allie feels happy with her new friends, she's completely caught off guard when she awakes in agony, after struggling for a while to grasp what is going on, Aiden finally gives her answers. Allie is immortal, as he is, and as all of the friends they share are. He tells her that they have all suffered the agaony that she went through and they will get through everything that is to come, together, as one family, what is to come happens to be training to defend herself, as she is a target to people who wish to take what is her birthright. She has an even bigger target on her back, because she is a particularly strong immortal so she must learn to fight, to learn exactly how to hurt people, even if she has very little desire to do so.

Cover

       The cover is very pleasing to the eye and I love how Allie's red hair stands out against the otherwise dark colors.

Allie

       Allie was pretty cool, her sarcasm always kept things fresh and I enjoyed that. It was also very interesting to see her progress throughout the novel, I think she progressed very nicely, I liked how she made the progress slowly, and is still very far away from perfect even at the end of the book. It would have been unrealistic for her to completely change into a bad-ass fighter who is swift and elegant throughout the course of just one book.

Aiden

       Aiden was great! I can't pinpoint why but I really like the way that he speaks. When ever he speaks to anybody he has a way of making things seem like they'll be okay. He had sort of a relaxing comforting vibe with him. His gift(s) (especially the one that appears later in the book) are very, very cool and I am looking forward to seeing how he progresses more as the series goes on.

Vince

       I don't really have much to say about Vince, he seems  perfect in the book-boyfriend-y kind of way, not that I have anything against that. He balances out Allie's life nicely.

Sasha

       I really liked Sasha. Her gifts were very intriguing especially the one about being able to slightly control the temperature.

The rest of the family

       A lot of characters are introduced in this book, it would be difficult to write about all of them individually, so I'm just going to leave it at the fact that I liked all of them. They are all unique with the gifts and backstories they offer and I can't imagine the story without any of them.

Vince Allie & Aiden

        This book does feature a bit of a love triangle type deal and I had no problem with the love triangle thing that was present in this book because it wasn't a dramatic war between Vince and Aiden for Allie's heart.
     
       In understand why Allie loves Vince and chooses to be with him, but if I could offer my love advice to Allie here, it isn't good for Allie to love him, since he is a mortal. I do understand her argument that she feels like she still has a normal life when she's with him, but if we're being practical here, he's just going to die eventually and it'll suck for Allie to have to live without him. That said, I am not saying that she should be with Aiden, because there are some obvious issues with that as well, but I feel as though it would be best for Allie to not be with Vince, on account of the fact that she is going to live forever and he is not.

Overall story progress

       The beginning was kind of slow for me, but if you are reading this and are thinking the same thing, I encourage you to continue! Everything picks up and becomes very, very, fantastic.

Ending

       The ending kept me on the edge of my seat. As a matter of fact, I was on the edge of my seat since the 254th page action. The ending awesome and provided some great action.

Conclusion

       Although the book started out a bit slow, it still had me hooked from the first few pages. I really need to stop falling in love with books that end in cliffhangers...*Sigh* I guess I'll never learn... I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing where this story will lead in the future!

The Memory Game by Sharon Sant

Author: Sharon Sant
Pages 116
Date Published: September 30 2013
Publisher: Lightfoot Press

Introduction
       After a fight with his mother David Cottle goes to do his paper run, while taking the quick way around his village, he becomes the victim of a hit-and-run.
       Although his body is dead, the spirit of him is still hanging around and he doesn't know why. While hanging around his old school, he discovers that Bethany Willis, the weird girl that everybody at school bullies, including David,--when he was alive-- can see him. At first, David only talks to her because he's lonely with nobody to talk to and he believes that she might know why he's stuck here after his body has died, but as time goes on, they find that sometimes not everything ends after you die.

Cover
       I really like the cover of this. Assuming that the face is the face of David of course.

Title
       I understand the significance of the title being a reference to the actual "memory game" that Beth and David play to help David remember simple things about life that he seems to be forgetting. Although the memory game is  sweet, a better title for the book probably could have been chosen.

David
       It's refreshing reading a book with a male protagonist. I've read so many books with a female protagonist that I welcome the change. David's character is such a realistic 15 year old boy. The writing of his thoughts and his character himself really sound like what a 15 year old boy would. I enjoyed his character development throughout the book and reading the way his opinion changes on Bethany was great as well.

Bethany (Slight spoilers)
       Bethany is known as the "weird girl" at school and she doesn't have any friends. Her mom died a year prior to when the story takes place, so it's just her and her father, but she pretty much takes care of him instead of the other way around. As for the secrets she keeps, you can take a pretty good guess at what's going on after the first chapter or too, which might seem kind of quick to find out what she's hiding, but the book itself isn't very long, so I think that the character development of Beth was well done.

Ending
       I kind of expected the book to end like this, but I'm not disappointed. It was a very bittersweet ending but I am pleased with the way it went.

Conclusion
       I didn't think I was going to be able to get attached to David or Beth due to the length of the book. I just didn't think I was going to have enough pages to really get to know them, or like them at all. But I was wrong. This book was lovely and a little sad. I enjoyed every moment of reading. I think boys could read this, although this is classified as a love story, it isn't too heavy on the relationship front between David and Beth. I wouldn't recommend this book to younger readers as it deals with sensitive and mature topics such as self harm, alcohol, and domestic violence and I believe very brief mention of sex through I'm not sure of that one.

Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter

Author: C.C Hunter
Format: Paperback
Pages: 398
Author Website
Date Published: March 29 2011
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin


Introduction
         Everything in Kylie's life is falling apart. Her parents are getting a divorce, she feels that her dad doesn't love her like he used to, she's still grieving over her dead Nana, and to make matters even worse, she has a stalker that only she can see. Her shrink, Ms. Day, convinces her mom to send Kylie to Shadow Falls, a summer camp for juvenile teens after she gets stuck at the wrong party. Kylie wants nothing to do with the juvenile kids at the camp, and right when she gets on the bus, she can tell that something is off about these kids. Kylie is at the camp all of five minutes when she is informed that everybody at the camp is supernatural. Vampire's, witches, fae, werewolves, and even a few necromancers are present at the camp. Kylie doesn't think she belongs at Shadow Falls, but every argues that she does. She is different. She's even different from everybody else at the camp. Nobody can figure out what she is, so that makes her interesting. Even though Kylie is sure that she doesn't belong at Shadow Falls, she's stuck at the camp for the summer so she might as well make the most of it.

Cover
       I like the cover, with the creepy looking tree and the shiny purple background, what I don't like is the girl standing in the middle of the tree. I think the cover would look much better if she wasn't there.

Love interests.
       Enter the love triangle square. Yeah, that's right Kylie kind-of sort-of has feelings for three guys. First we have Trey. A mortal, and he happens to be Kylie's ex-boyfriend that broke up with her after almost a year because he wouldn't go all the way with him. Kylie is not fully over him, and it doesn't help when he says that he wants her back. Personally, I think Trey is a huge waste of time. If he is going to be such a jerk, then she needs to move one, and not consider going back to him.
       Next we have Lucas. A werewolf boy with whom she shares a secret past. (Or so it says in the synopsis on the back of the book.) Now you should think if they put it like that, it should be really interesting. It's not. It's not as interesting as the synopsis makes it sound. But besides that, I liked Lucas. He was pretty cool.
       And last, is Derek. A half-fae. He seems the most determined to be her boyfriend out of the three. I liked him also. He had some pretty cool gifts, like how he can partially communicate with animals, and how he can manipulate feelings. Of course the fact that he can manipulate feelings has Kylie on the edge. She needs to know that her feelings for him are pure. Another thing that has Kylie on edge is the fact that Derek just so happens to look like Trey.
       The one thing that bothers me, is at some point she makes out with all three of the guys. It's true, she picks one guy in the end, but something happens near the end of the book that makes the other two guys unable to be with her, so basically she ran out of choices. I am happy with who she ended up with, but I do suspect that the other two guys that  she didn't choose to be with are going to be back in the second installment.

Della
       Della is one of Kylie's roommates. (The cooler one if you as me.) She's a newly-turned vampire. She has to put up with Kylie telling her how blood is gross, and I admire he for keeping her cool so well, with Kylie being so insensitive about what Vampires need to do to survive.

Grammar
       I did catch a few grammar mistakes. Simple rules that should be second nature, like when something that already ends in an s is plural you don't add the extra s afterwards.

Conclusion
       It seems that I have a soft spot for books that involve supernatural camps and schools, and this one did not disappoint. It didn't focus on Kylie being super-natural all the time, had chapters focusing on what Kylie's life is going to be like when she goes home. Now that her parents are divorced and I liked that. It added a realistic element to the story. I liked the ending of Born at Midnight, and I am intrigued to see what will happen in Awake at Dawn.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Author: Michelle Hodkin
Author Website
Author Twitter
Publication Date: September 27 2011
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers


Introduction
       Mara Dyer wakes up in the hospital with no memory of the last few days. She is informed that her friends died when a building collapsed. She was with them, but she somehow managed to escape the same fate. She shouldn't be alive, she should be dead, along with everybody else. She isn't dead, but she isn't what she used to be. Mara starts hallucinating. beginning to doubt whats real, Mara downplays everything that is going on so that her family doesn't worry, but most importantly, doesn't have her committed. Mara's whole family moves to Florida in hopes to have a new beginning, but the hallucinations still follow her. She doesn't know how long she can hold herself together, but she also knows that she can't fall apart.

Cover
       I really like the cover of this book. I mean, really like it. I don't really know why, but it probably has something to do with the fact that I have never seen one much like it

Noah
     I liked Noah. His easy banter with Mara was hilarious. Even though he has a lot of money, I never really thought he was spoiled or bratty, like many authors make higher-class people out to be.

Jamie
       Jamie was probably my favorite character. Because he is one of Mara's only friends, he is in a lot of the book. You are probably not going to believe me, but even before it was mentioned in the book, he reminded me of Yoda.

Hallucinations
       Mara's hallucinations are consistent throughout the book. I enjoyed how while Mara was having a hallucination, there was no giveaway that she was having one. It wasn't written differently, it didn't go into another chapter. It was all written the same way. I liked that, because this way, it's a little bit of a guessing game at some points, just like it would be for Mara.

Plot Twist
       I have to say, I did not see this plot twist coming, and that actually makes me really happy. A lot of times, I predict the plot twists, and it kind of takes away most of what you should be feeling at the plot twist point. This book did manage to put a nice plot twist. It's not a earth shattering twist, but I liked it, nonetheless.

Conclusion
       I am extremely happy with The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. It has pretty much a little bit of everything. it had some paranormal aspects, it had Mara just trying to live a normal life, the romance between Mara and Noah was great. It was in most of the book, but it wasn't overwhelming. I will defiantly be recommending this to my friends. I believe that both genders would enjoy this book, and I can't wait to read the second installment in the trilogy.

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Author: Rachel Hawkins
Format: Paperback
Pages: 323
Date Published: March 2 2010
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH

Introduction

      
        Sophie discovered her powers three years ago. Ever since then, she's been struggling with them. Being a witch isn't easy. After doing a love-spell at her prom, she is exiled to Hecate; a reform school. Otherwise known as  The Hex Hall. The Hex Hall is on an isolated island and houses anything from withes and warlocks to shape-shifters and faeries. As if starting off at a new school with mythological creatures wasn't bad enough. Sophie already has three super powerful and beautiful enemies, a killer crush on the cutest boy in school, a mysterious ghost, and made friends with the only vampire in school. So to sum it up, she isn't doing very well. When people around The Hex Hall start dying in suspicious ways Sophie discovers some terrible things woven into her father's side of the family, and that terrible thing just so happened to reach all the way down the family tree until it got to her.

Cover
       
        I like the cover, aside from the ugly face that the model for Sophie is making.

Sophie & Archer
       
       Sophie and Archer almost sort of like each other. During the book, they start making out in a cellar and while they are doing that, Sophie thinks something along the lines of:
     
       "I really don't want my first time to be in a cellar
       
       Then
     
       "Actually, never mind. A cellar is fine."

Whoa.

Whoa.

Whoa

       That escalated way too quickly. Cool down.

Archer

       
       I liked Archer well enough. He was funny and was always cracking jokes with Sophie. I also happen to really like his name.

Conclusion

       
      This book was very fast-paced, maybe a little to faced-paced. Only dwelling on things for a very short time. Even the big huge plot twists. Oh yeah, and about the twist where you find out how some of the people around campus are dying. I CALLED IT. 

Rouge by Isabella Modra

Author: Isabella Modra
Format: Pdf.
Pages: 293
Publish Date: August 20, 2013
Published By: Isabella Modra
Author's Website: Isabella's Website 
*Received from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Introduction
       When Hunter's guardian Joshua tells her that she has inherited pyrokinesis from her long dead mother, it seems impossible, but it does make sense. When Hunter is experiencing very strong emotions, things seem to spontaneously catch on fire. But really? Pyrokinesis? It's a little hard to grasp. Then Joshua explains another long hidden secret: What really happened the night of her parents death. Now burdened with all these hidden secrets, plus a new power that she has to learn to control, while also keeping it a secret. Hunter is struggling to hold on to the little bit of normalcy that she had before her life started spinning out of control.

Hunter
       Sometimes, I wanted to run up to Hunter and give her a hi-five, other times I wanted to scream at her. For example, in the beginning of the book before she learned of all this crazy stuff, she met Eli while at a university benefit party for Joshua. After Joshua received his award for his efforts, Hunter thought it would be the best idea ever to leave with Eli and go get a coffee. What?! Why would you even consider leaving? You were at the benefit to support Joshua, and so you leave. Anyway, I liked Hunter...most of the time.       

Cover
       Is this not the coolest cover that you have ever seen? It's one of the coolest I've ever seen.

The Fire Talks!
       Yes. The fire talks. It was a really cool addition to the story. The fire does't have an actual voice or anything. It talks to Hunter inside her mind. It was awesome. Sometimes it will comment on things that Hunter has done in her daily life. Things like,

"That was dumb Hunter."

"Hunter, calm down."

Ending
       I knew it. Not that the ending was predictable, but within the book it hints at what the ending could be, and I just happened to put everything together before Hunter had officially figured it out. Even then, it still had a few twists that I wasn't expecting. I was very happy with the ending.

 Sequel?
       How many pretties do I have to put before please for you to publish a sequel? Even though this book is still technically not even released yet...

Conclusion
    This book was amazing. I loved this book so much that I am considering even buying a physical copy of the book when it is released. Trust me, for me to read a book twice, it has to be pretty amazing. So, CONGRATULATIONS ISABELLA. You have written a book awesome enough for me to read it twice.

The Summoning by Kelly Armstrong

Author: Kelley Armstrong
Pages: 390
Format: Paperback
Date Published: July 1 2008
Publisher: HarperCollins

Introduction

       Chloe Saunders is normal for a kid her age. Until one day, she lands herself in the Lyle House. A group home for unstable teens. Chloe can see ghosts. However, because nobody else can see them, after a few meetings with the counselor at the Lyle House she’s diagnosed with schizophrenia. She’s trying her hardest to ignore the ghosts that are trying to speak to her while, also trying to get along with the other kids that are stuck in the group home. It is at the Lyle House where she meets Derek and Simon. They offer her some answers about why she can see ghosts: Chloe is a necromancer. She can communicate with ghosts. While listening to a ghost, she finds out the Lyle House has a dark history and she, Simon, Derek, and a few other of her new friends are in grave danger.

Cover

            The cover to The Summoning is nice. I like how they made Chloe’s necklace stand out against all the dark colors.

Characters/Relationships

            I liked learning about the characters in this book. Since they are all at the Lyle House because they have something about them that’s “unstable” it was interesting to learn about them and why exactly they are at Lyle House.

            Not really any love story in this book, but I suspect that something is going to happen between Simon and Chloe in the next book in the trilogy.

Conclusion

            I can see why this book is popular along with the other books that Kelley Armstrong has written. It offers a fresh twist on a paranormal book. I am very excited to read the sequel.

After Obsession by Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel

Author(s): Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel
Pages: 336 pages
Date Published: November 13 2012
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children



Introduction
       After Obsession is the story of Alan and Amy. They have both inherited strange things from their parents. Alan's cousin Courtney is also Amy's best friend. Amy is worried about Courtney. Courtney has recently lost her dad and is obviously not taking it very well. Other than that, They have a good life right?... Wrong. Everybody's angry, and people are not acting like themselves. Something evil is lurking just beneath the surface of Maine and Courtney is stuck in the middle, and Alan and Amy need to find out a way to make everything normal again

Cover
       The cover of this book is super amazing. It is one of the prettiest covers I have seen in a while.

Characters/Relationships
       I liked the characters in this book well enough I guess, it's just the relationships in this book I have problems with. Let's start with Blake and Amy. They breakup right in the beginning. The whole breakup scene was so terrible. I mean I know that people are not acting like themselves but, no. Just no.
       Then comes Alan and Amy. They have a connection. I get that, but Alan's in town for all of a week and him and Amy are already saying that they love each other. The relationship goes at an extremely fast pace.

Conclusion
       I have never read any books by Steven E. Wedel, but as soon as I saw Carrie Jones' name on the cover, I knew that I had to read it, and let me tell you this book did not disappoint. Boys could read this book too. Even if they don't like female protagonists, this book switches POV's between Alan and Amy quite often.

The Vampire Stalker by Allison Van Diepen

Author: Allison Van Diepen
Pages: 272
Date Published: June 1 2011
Publisher: Point

Introduction

       Amy, like many other people in Chicago, are obsessed with The Otherworld, a book series about a tall, handsome vampire stalker. His name is Alexander, and his entire life is devoted to killing a very powerful vampire named Vigo. Amy has spent more than a few days thinking about what it would be like if Alexander were real. One day after getting off the bus after dark, Amy is jumped by a man and is panicking, when suddenly a tall man comes to her rescue. Later when thanking him, she realizes his striking resemblance to the Alexander on the covers of the Otherworld series. After questioning him a little bit, Amy realizes that he really is the main character from the books. She also knows another thing. Vigo is here too, and Alexander won't leave until Vigo is either back in the Otherworld or dead. Soon people start showing up dead with two marks on the their necks. Amy knows that Vigo has began killing, but she and Alexander are no closer to capturing Vigo. Alexander then reads the Otherworld books that have him as the main character. He then discovers many secrets about Vigo that he didn't know before. Hes one step closer to killing Vigo and one step closer to going home.

Cover

        The Vampire Stalker has two covers. The one that I had, was a girl with her back turned and a man looking out from behind a wall, as a man is coming down the street. I love the mist in that cover, it makes it seem mysterious. The other cover is a girl with a sad/angry/scared expression on her face. With the same silhouette. I am usually not a fan of books having whole faces as the covers but I don't mind this one so much.

Character/Relationships
       I had some issues with the characters in The Vampire Stalker. For one, Amy seemed really unrealistic. A guy shows up from a book and she keeps going about her daily about her life, and thinks more then once about what it would be like to actually date Alexander. I mean, there is a vampire going around the city KILLING kids and she's thinking about what it would be like if she and Alexander were dating. Alexander was kind of boring too. Seeing that he comes from a different world, I would think he would be a little more interesting to read about.
       It's obvious that Alexander and Amy like each other throughout most of the book. Amy's is almost always thinking about Alexander and the relationship quickly becomes:
      Oh my gosh Alexander! I luv you!
      Slow down Amy. I know you love the books about him but please control yourself.

Conclusion

       Honestly, this book wasn't that great. As I said, Amy spends a lot of her time thinking about Alexander, While Alexander is more focused on trying to catch Vigo. I had not read anything else like this before, but I am sadly disappointed. 


     
      

The Replacement By Brenna Yovanoff

Author: Brenna Yovanoff
Pages: 343
Date Published: September 21 2013
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin Group

Introduction
       In Gentry, one day you will have a perfectly normal baby and things will seem great. Then the next day your baby will be gone, replaced with a strange creature that is in no way the baby you had yesterday. Many replacements don't make it in the human world very long and die shortly after being left. Only a few make it  past a few months. Malcom (Mackie) one of the few replacements has made it to the age of 16. Unfortunately he is getting weaker and weaker in the human world do to the fact that he gets extreme reactions to even being near blood or iron. Recently a girl that Mackie knows from school, Tate, had her sister Natalie pass away. Before she died Tate noticed some changes in her sister. Mackie comes to a conclusion that Natalie was replaced. After while he finds out that she could still be alive. As Mackie struggles to just to stay alive, he must find a way to get Natalie back before all saints day when she will be sacrificed. So thus begins this dark story of ugly things


Cover
       The cover of this book is absolutely stunning. I could hardly tear my eyes from it. It is unlike any cover I have ever seen. The whole cover just gives me this eerie feeling that suits this book perfectly.

Characters/Relationships
       I loved every character that was in this book. Everyone of them seemed so thought out, real and believable. They all had very realistic relationships with each other. I loved the friendship between Roswell and Mackie. Roswell is always calm and collected. Never asking to many questions. Plus he still likes Mackie even though many other people truly believe that he is a freak. Another friendship that I loved was between Emma and Mackie. Emma and Mackie are not really related but Emma loves him and protects him like they really are related.

       I wasn't completely convinced with Tate and Mackie dating it didn't really interest me very much. I was much more interested in how they were going to get Natalie back, than what was going on between Tate and Mackie.

Conclusion
       I loved this book and would easily pick this up for a second read. It drew me in from the very first page. I recommend this book for anybody that has grown tired with the same old story about a girl who falls in love with a supernatural boy.

The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington

Author: Kim Harrington
Originally titled: Glimmer
Pages: 295
Date Published: January 1 2013
Publisher: Scholastic Point
Introduction

     Jade's family is average. They used to live in a small house in a small town. That changes when they can suddenly afford a beautiful big house in a great town. Of course she has to start at a new high school. She doesn't mind all that much. That is until people start whispering about the beautiful house she is currently living in. After snooping around in her dad's office she finds why her family was able to buy the house. Kayla, the former queen bee of the high school died in the house. Her death was caused by falling down the stairs, although some say that she was pushed. Of course the only person that would know the answer to that is Kayla. In the beginning of the book, Jade's brother Colby confides in Jade saying that he sees a glimmering girl. She talks but no words come out. Plus she's angry. Jade is worried about Colby, who never lies. She tries to tell her step-mother Marie but she completely denies the idea. Telling her dad would be completely useless seeing that he would probably agree with Marie anyway. Despite everything Jade leads an okay social life. Even that has it's flaws though. She has a crush on a boy named Donovan. Who happens to be Kayla's ex-boyfriend, and when she gets forced into throwing a party, someone brings a Ouija board to contact the ghost of Kayla. They get responses, saying that she didn't fall down the stairs, she was in fact pushed. But she didn't see who did it. Jade soon realizes that using the Ouija board was a big mistake. It opened a door, allowing Kayla to posses Colby whenever she wanted to. The first time she did, she commanded that Jade find who was responsible for her death. If she didn't, Colby would be the next one to "fall" down the stairs. Willing to do anything to protect her brother, Jade starts to investigate. She soon finds out that the people in her new town have more secrets than it seems.

Cover
       The Dead and Buried has two covers. The one that I have has, what I presume is Kayla lying dead. The other cover was a girl (probably Kayla) walking down the stairs you can't see her face it's more like a silhouette. I like this cover because it looks mysterious. I think both are gorgeous.

Characters/Relationships
       I really liked all the characters in this book. Everyone of them were fantastic. They all had different personalties. Donovan was a gamer and an artist. Alexa is an overachiever. Colby is the sweet little boy. Kane is everybody is quick to judge, the list goes on. I have to say, my favorite character on the book is Donovan. He has been through a lot, and is so much more than what people see him as.
       Jade likes Donovan, The quiet, shy guy that still seems to be hung up on Kayla. She doesn't know what to do about him. Plus she doesn't have that much time to really get into a relationship, her brothers life at stake and all. Despite everything, they still become an item but need to keep it secret due to the fact that if Jade is going to find out who pushed Kayla, it might require a little bit of flirting. Also Jade is sure that dating her old boyfriend would not make her the happy.

Conclusion
       This book left me amazingly happy. The characters were great, and the mystery of who killed Kayla kept me guessing. I think this is more recommend girls, due to the fact that a large amount of the book has to do with Kayla's relationships with her old friends and boyfriends.