This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

Author: Courtney Summers
Format: Paperback
Pages: 336
Date Published:  June 19 2012
Publisher: Saint Martins Griffin

Introduction
       The zombie apocalypse is here. Six kids have taken shelter in an old high school. While everybody else in the group is finding ways to fight for survival, Sloane Price is struggling to find a good reason to stay alive. Nothing in life is going right for Sloane. When she was to home, her father would beat her. The only thing that made life worth living was her sister Lily and their plans to run away together when Sloane got old enough. Six months ago, Lily ran away without her. With Lily gone her father was unbearable. When apocalypse came, Sloane left, and found 5 other kids, Rhys Cary, Harrison, Trace, and Grace. Now at the school, nobody is really ever in a good mood. Nothing looks good. Soon they will run out of water, eventually out of food, and they can never get enough sleep with all the zombies aching to get inside.

Cover
       The cover is pretty cool. I love the blood spatters in the corner.

Characters/Relationships
       The characters in this book are all pretty awesome. No huge complaints. Except, everybody gets super angry at Harrison for crying all the time. When in reality, that is probably what I would be like. I know that I wouldn't be the only one freaking out all the time. I mean, lets be real here, I can't handle a spider. I would not be brave in times like that.
       Rhys and Sloane might like each other, but in my opinion they were both just lonely. It was never super personal or serious.

Conclusion
      I really liked this book. It wasn't action, explosions, or all blood and gore. It tugs on your heart a little and you might end up shedding a tear, but you probably won't end up in a full out cry every time you read the book. I would recommend this book to anybody who likes zombies and is okay with sad elements. I wouldn't recommend this book to younger readers, as there is mention of sex and some clothes do get shed.

Velveteen by Daniel Marks

Author: Daniel Marks
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 447
Date Published: October 9 2012
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Introduction

       The purgatory is gray, ashen, and depressing. It's where you end up if you are not ready to go to heaven or hell when you die. At sixteen, Velveteen 'Velvet' Manroe was murdered. Velvet landed herself in the purgatory and boy, does she have a lot on her plate. She had sworn vengeance on her killer, Bonesaw, who's list of victims is growing. Another thing that seems to have everybody in the purgatory on edge is a group of people called the Departurists. They don't believe in the way the purgatory is run, want to destroy it, and go around possessing living people out in "The Daylight." Leaving the purgatory and haunting/possessing people is of course not allowed, unless given permission. If you get caught haunting, your soul could be bound to the purgatory and you are forbidden to move on to heaven or hell when you are ready. On top of all that, Nick a guy new to the purgatory, seems to have wriggled his way into Velvet's heart and she of course, doesn't have time for that.

Cover
       The cover of Velveteen is nice. Showing two obviously dead people lying down. So, I guess you can add me to the list of people who love this cover.

Characters
      I didn't really like any of the characters in this book. I really disliked Velvet. She isn't really ever nice, and she is actually kind of whiny. When you first start to read this book, you might be thinking things like,
Velvet is going to be so cool!
Yeah, she's such a rebel!
I wish I could be like her!

Nope. Like I said before, she is mean, whiny, and annoying.

Dislikes
       Sadly, reading this book wasn't always cookies and cream. The blurb on the dust cover is misleading. More than half of the blurb is about how she wants to haunt Bonesaw. It also mentions nothing about the Departurists. In the actual book though, haunting Bonesaw is about 10% of the book (more or less) and the other 90% is about the Departurists and Nick. Also when I first started reading this book I was a little confused. I took a few chapters for me to understand what was going on, and then right when I felt like I was on top of things, BAM! something confusing happens again. Another thing about the actual story, there are also super boring parts in the book. So boring in fact that you might need to stop reading and put the book down for a while.
      Then, we have the relationship between Velvet and Nick. Velvet saves Nick from being imprisoned in a crystal ball at about the 120th page mark. Soon after, they kiss. Then they have this whole complicated relationship thing going on. Velvet always swears after they kiss that, that kiss will be the last. It never is.

The Ending
        When this book ends, you will end up with a lot of questions. Nothing really feels finished. All I can say is that this book desperately needs a sequel. Although so far the're are no plans to write one.

Conclusion
       This book seemed really promising when I started to read it. It turned out to be somewhat of a disappointment. One of the biggest disappointments for me is the getting revenge on Bonesaw isn't a bigger part of the book. I think boys could read the book. I mean, the purgatory idea is really interesting, and the characters are pretty cool. Even though the protagonist is a girl, she isn't very girly. All boys would really have to look past is the romance and it could be a really good book for them too.

Wither by Lauren Destefano

Author: Lauren DeStefano
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 358
Date Published: March 22 2013
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Introduction
       In this broken world, everybody knows exactly when they will die. Long ago, a generation of people were born. They were perfect. No life threatening conditions ever infected their bodies, and most settled comfortably  into old age. When this generation had children however, something went wrong. This newer generation is a ticking time bomb. Females will die at age twenty, and males will die at age twenty five. sixteen year old Rhine only has four more years left to live. One night, she is taken from Manhattan and chosen along with two other girls to become a wife of a wealthy man named Linden. Linden lives in a mansion where you could lose yourself in illusions, But Rhine knows the only reason she Jenna, and Cecily are in the mansion is so they can bear children. While Linden is really nice to all the wives, All that is on Rhine's mind is escaping. She needs to get back to her twin brother Rowen, and she needs to spend her few remaining years where she grew up. With the help of a servant named Gabriel, and her sister wives, she just might be able to make it back before it's to late.

Characters/Relationships
       I like Rhine and Jenna, but Cecily can be a bit of a brat sometimes. I mean, I know that she doesn't fully understand what's going on, but she's never nice to the people that bring her the food, and she is barley ever nice to Jenna and Rhine.
       Rhine starts of hating Linden, later in the book she realizes it isn't his fault that she's stuck in the mansion.  He's as much of a prisoner as she is.
        The girls are at the mansion so that they can have children, they do mention sex, but nothing really happens.
      Aside from Jenna, most of the characters have really cool names. Rhine is the name of a river. Which is pretty cool. I've never heard the name Cecily before, but I quite like it. The only problem I have is that the two names, Rowen, Rhine's brother, and Bowen, a baby, sound too close to each other in my opinion. All you have to do is change ONE letter.
      I saw Rhine and Gabriel's relationship come from a mile away. I don't know if it was like that for anybody else who read the book, but to me it was obvious.
       On Goodreads, a lot of people have been having discussions on whether they liked Gabriel, or Linden better. I don't really like either of them. Gabriel doesn't have much of a personality, and Linden is completely clueless about the fact that neither Jenna nor Rhine actually want to be at the mansion. Which I guess isn't really his fault because that is probably what his creepy father wants him to believe, but still.

Conclusion
       I liked this book. It's nice change from what I usually read. This is the first book in The Chemical Garden Trilogy. I will pick up the second book entitled Fever if I get the chance.

Wake by Amanda Hocking

Author: Amanda Hocking
Format Hardcover
Pages: 309
Date Published: April 16 2013
Publisher: St Martin's Griffin

Introduction
       In the small town of Capri, the beaches are always full of tourists. When three stunningly beautiful girls show up seemingly out of nowhere, people are a bit suspicious. Especially because, a few days before, there were four of them. Now they have there heart set on becoming Gemma’s friend. While swimming one night, she finds Penn Lexi, and Thea, partying and they invite Gemma to join them. She wasn’t with them long before accepting a special drink. The next day, she wakes up at the cove, covered in bruises wrapped in a shawl. She doesn’t remember much after accepting the drink from the girls, but after that day she begins to change. She’s more beautiful than she ever was before, stronger, and a faster swimmer. A downside is that the water seems to be calling her. If she ever wants to find out why all this seems to be happening she will have to get closer to Lexi, Penn, and Thea than she’s comfortable with.

Cover       The cover to this book is very nice. Plus if have a hardcover copy and you happen to look under the dust cover, you’ll see this pretty bonus poster!

Dislikes
       Alright, let’s start things off with Gemma. For one thing, she is unrealistic. She starts finding big fish scales on herself (bigger than any fish around Capri) and just brushes it off. Then, when she needs advice on what to do about Penn, Lexi, and Thea, she goes to of all people, her mentally ill mother…I’m not even joking.
The beginning is super slow. Barley anything happens for about 100 pages. Then I still found that even after things get rolling, there were still large parts of the book where nothing happens.
       Gemma and Alex’s relationship doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. I mean Alex is the semi-geeky gamer guy, who isn’t much of an athlete. Then we have Gemma. Her whole life basically revolves around swimming and training. What do they have to talk about other than how creepy Penn, Lexi, and Thea are? They have nothing in common.

Harper
       Harper was a really good character. She defiantly had much more personality than Gemma had. Harper cares about Gemma a lot, kind of like a mother does. Gemma hates this, but her mother isn’t well enough to take care of her anymore and her dad works a lot and is never really home. I found Harper very realistic.

Conclusion
       This book was good. If you can get past the slow parts, you could defiantly enjoy it. I don’t think you would be able to find many boys who would jump at the chance to read the Watersong series, but if you can, that’s fantastic.

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.

Revived by Cat Patrick

Author: Cat Patrick
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
Date Published: May 8 2012
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Introduction
       Daisy "Appleby" is part of a program that tests a drug called Revive. As long as you don't have a disease when you die, you can be brought back to life. Daisy has died five times in the last the fifteen years. Every time she dies, she gets a new name, a new house and a new school. Last time she died, she was relocated to Omaha, Nebraska. Daisy is used to moving so she doesn't mind that she has to go to a new high school, she thinks it's going to be like every other high school she's ever gone to. All she has to do is blend in and not be noticed. On the first day at her knew high school, she meets Audrey, a pretty girl with a great personality, and her brother Matt, a cute and nice guy. They all become really good friends. As the book goes on, Daisy worries that she might be becoming too attached to Omaha and too close to her new friends.

Audrey
       I loved absolutely every character in this book. I especially loved Audrey. She is just so positive all the time, and I just love how no matter what happens she is always able to laugh and make jokes.
     
Mason
       Another character I liked was Mason. He cares about Daisy so much just like a real father would. Mason tries to share everything that he can with Daisy despite the protest from his partner Cassie.
     
Daisy    
       I did like Daisy, she was very realistic. I liked how even though she could be brought back to life, she doesn't spend her whole life taking stupid unnecessary risks. Yes, she makes stupid decisions but that's what everybody does at some point anyway.
     
Matt and Daisy
      I liked Matt and Daisy's relationship. They were a good match for each other. They actually have a lot in common plus they both have a good relationship with Audrey which is an added bonus.

Conclusion
       I loved this book. The characters were all really realistic, which is great. Boys could defiantly read this book. I would not recommend this book to people who don't like sad books very much. If you can handle some sadness and like, books about friendship, This book could be great for you.

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.