The Selection

The Selection

by Kiera Cass

America Singer lives in a dystopian future where the United States is gone, and a new kingdom is in its place, complete with a caste system where you stay in the level in which you're born unless something amazing happens.

Something amazing has happened to America.

Born a Five, she's selected to participate in a contest for the future king's hand.  One girl is selected from each of the 35 provinces in a Bachelor-like competition to become the future queen.

But America has already fallen in love with a Six.  She had her future planned out and this whole contest has put a serious crimp in her plans.

Sent to the palace, she's cleaned up, dressed up, and put up against 34 others.  Only one will get to become a One and marry the prince.  Only one gets to help her family get out of poverty and lift them out of their caste level.  Only one gets to be queen.

America's sure she doesn't want to be that one.  But the prince is a nice guy, the girls are almost all fairly decent people, her Six has abandoned her, and her family needs the money.

Can she do what's right and still find her happiness?

Final thoughts:  Billed as The Hunger Games meets The Bachelor, this is a dystopian romance that's more fluff than anything else.  The kingdom seems a little too messed up, with attacks on the palace being pretty regular and the country has very little stability, making the desire to have this reality competition for the prince's hand seem kind of stupid.  However, if you just let go of that and enjoy the fluffy cotton candy nature of it, it can be kind of fun.  Don't expect a deep, meaningful tale of warnings about the future.  It's not here.  Just relax and enjoy the ride.

Rating: 4/5

First Grave on the Right

First Grave on the Right

by Darynda Jones

Charley Davidson is a triple threat.  She's a decent bartender, a decent private investigator, and a kick ass Grim Reaper.

She's the bright shining portal through which the dead travel to get to the other side.

She's also got a ghost helper, a hover-ghost in the corner of her apartment, and a mysterious stranger who invaders her dreams in very naughty ways and saves her from danger.

But being a kick ass grim reaper with a wicked sense of humor isn't all fun and games.  She has to deal with peeping tom ghosts who won't cross over, abusive husbands of her PI clients, physical attacks, murders, and more events that require her special skills.

If only she could stop getting the crap beat out of her long enough to solve the mystery that is the Big Bad who seems to show up at the most perilous times, as well as solve the murders of 3 lawyers from the same firm!  Maybe today will be that day.  Or maybe tomorrow.

Final thoughts:  I LOVE Charley.  She is like the @TheBloggess version of a PI and I really enjoyed her voice.  "I did that thing where you scratch your eyebrow and flip someone off at the same time.  I'm good at multitasking like that." "You pretty much annoy me and thus can kiss my ass..." "...I contemplated possibilities for why all three lawyers might have stayed behind instead of crossing over. My calculations--allowing for a 12 percent margin of error, based on the radius of the corresponding confidence interval and the surgeon general's warning--concluded that they probably didn't stay behind for the tacos."  Her level of snark is almost unmatched.  My only real problem is that the author pretty much just drops you into Charley's world.  You don't get a few pages to get some exposition and back story; you're just THERE.  It's takes a bit to get settled in, but the ride is worth it.

Rating: 4/5

Blackwood

Blackwood

by Gwenda Bond

Roanoke Island is the stuff of legends... literally.  The first settled town of the new Americas, when those who left to get provisions came back three years later, all the people had disappeared.  There was no trace of them anywhere.  No bodies.  No note.  Just the word "Croatoan" on a post and all the homes were dismantled. 

It's an enduring mystery that many are still trying to solve today.

Miranda Blackwood has lived on Roanoke since birth; she's never even stepped across the bridge to go to the mainland.  All her life, she's lived with the stares and talk of the townspeople around her.  She's the curse-bearer.  She and her father bear the name of the betrayer.  In the eyes of the island natives, the Blackwoods will never amount to any good.

Phillips Rawling, son of the police chief, has his own issues.  He hears the voices of the dead. They fill his mind and prevent him from thinking straight.  After having been sent off the island, and subsequently away from the voices, years before, Phillips is back and he's just in time.

Because it's happened again.

Over a hundred islanders have disappeared without a trace.  Somehow, Miranda is involved.  And Phillips may be the only person who can help her set things right.

Final thoughts: I will start off by saying that a large part of the problem I had with reading this book was the formatting of the NetGalley ARC I got on my Kindle.  There are serious spacing issues, which cause confusion when points of view change but there's no identifier like a paragraph space to show that a change in narrator is occurring.  However, the writing overall is fairly poor.  There's just not enough detail of the major events.  There are sudden shifts in location without explanation.  One moment she's one place and the next, she's somewhere else.  Some things are stressed as fairly important and then ignored later, while other things barely mentioned suddenly become essential.  The story is interesting (though the author admits to taking tons of liberties with the history, the actual location, and other facts), but the follow-thru is lacking.

Rating: 1/5

What I Didn't Say

What I Didn't Say

by Keary Taylor

Jacob Hayes had it all.  He was on the football team that was headed towards an amazing season.  He was getting ready to graduate senior year as one of the most popular guys at school.  He was on his way to joining the US Air Force, making his love of flying the career of his dreams. And he was finally going to tell Samantha Shay that he loved her and had always loved her since she'd arrived on their small island of Orcas eleven years before.

Unfortunately, his first true moment of bravery in going to speak to the love of his life happened when he and his buddies were drunk at a party.  And that moment became the absolute worst moment of his life when he and his drunk buddies rolled off the road and a T-post went straight through Jake's throat, permanently destroying his vocal chords and ruining any chance he ever had of speaking those three little words.

Now, Jake has to live with the consequences of his drunken actions.  

He can't ever speak. He has to change most of his classes.  He'll never be able to pilot a plane again.  The USAF is out.  He's got to learn sign language, even though he's horrible at it.  He has to deal with the looks of pity and horror as people constantly see the scars on his neck.  And he has to see Samantha Shay every day, and never be able to speak the words he wishes he'd said during all those opportunities before.

But Samantha has her own secrets and consequences.  And Jake is about to find out that losing your voice isn't the worst thing that could happen to you.

Final thoughts:  Solid realistic fiction.  I understand why there was so much focus on the notebooks, but I wish there had been more about ASL in there.  Sam's troubles were definitely troubling, but maybe just a little too easily resolved.  Nice bit of romance, and it was realistically portrayed, given the circumstances of the novel.

Rating: 4/5

Otherkin

Otherkin

by Nina Berry

Desdemona (Dez, for short), is just trying to fit in.  An adopted child with scoliosis of the spine, Dez just waits (somewhat) patiently for the day when she won't have to wear her stupid back brace ever again.  In the meantime, friends are rare and boyfriends are rarer (because who would want to date a girl who's made of hard plastic and fiberglass from hip to shoulder?).

One day, after finally getting asked on a date by the best looking boy in school, Dez completely freaks out and runs the moment he touches her "waist" and the brace around it.  In a rare fit of anger, she tosses the brace and then her humanity aside when the anger she feels helps to transform her into a rare Siberian tiger.

Seconds later, she's sedated by a member of the Tribunal and taken to be "studied" and "cured".

At the facility, she wakes to find herself naked in a silver cage with a very gorgeous boy in another cage nearby.  They work together to escape only to find that there are a more than just cages out there that can trap a person.

Can she and her new, completely amazingly beautiful (boy who may be more than a) friend reveal all the secrets around them (and within them) before it's too late?

Final thoughts:  Solid story with a good pace that draws the reader in and almost forces you through it.  My only problem is that it feels like the publisher accidentally cut out the first few chapters.  I've checked my Kindle and the first page of the story does say Chapter 1, but it starts as if it's mid-scene in chapter 3 or 4.  We're just thrown into the story and the exposition comes in trickles throughout the rest of the plot.  That and a few tiny nit-picks are all the stops this from being amazing.  I'm looking forward to the next book.

Rating: 4/5

Everneath

Everneath

by Brodi Ashton

After feeling abandoned by the men around her, Nikki Beckett abandoned them.  She left them to have her emotions drained in the Everneath by an Everliving and the Shadows.

Now, after one hundred years in the Everneath (though it was only six months on the Surface), Nikki has come back.  She has six months to set things right.  She has six months to make up with her dad.  She has six months to prove to her younger brother that she didn't completely abandon him.  She has six months to prove to her friend that she didn't go to rehab for a heroin addiction.  And she has just six short months to prove to her boyfriend that she still loves him.

Unfortunately, she also only has six months before she's dragged back forever by the Shadows and forced to become a kind of battery in hell, keeping the Everlivings and their Shadows alive.  And she also has to spend those six months dealing with Cole, the Everliving who started the whole thing.

When she left, she thought there was nothing to live for and therefore nothing to lose.  Now she knows how very much there is to keep her alive, if she can only figure out how.

Final thoughts:  A very good read.  This one pulls you in and keeps right on going.  Jack is a true hero, both flawed and genuine.  While his constant seeming need to walk away from Nikki can get frustrating at times, it's all firmly rooted in real emotion.  Cole is a hard read, but I'm curious to see what happens next with him.  The ending was both sad and filled with a little hope.  All around, it's worth reading.  Plus, I LOVE the cover.

Rating: 4/5

The Council of Mirrors

The Council of Mirrors

by Michael Buckley

It's time for the final battle.  

There's almost no one left to fight, but they'll fight anyway.

Witches, fairies, knights, bears, princesses, and more, but what it really comes down to is two girls.

Together, the Mirrors have presented a prophecy that states that the only hope to survive and defeat the First is the skills and determination of the Sisters Grimm: Sabrina and Daphne.

Unfortunately, Sabrina can't bring herself to believe that she and her sister can save the 20 or so remaining Everafters from the thousands who are determined to defeat them.

It's time for the final battle... and the entire world depends on two young girls.

Final thoughts:  I really wish I'd re-read the series before reading this one; there is just too much going on and too many references to past events going all the way back to the first book.  Sabrina finally comes into her own and stops whining (esp. after others point out that fault to her), so that was nice to see.  I will ALWAYS love Puck.  And Daphne was a kick to see, but there was too little of her in this story.  The final resolution was reminiscent of Harry Potter, which was a bit of a disappointment.  The time lapse at the end was also HP familiar, but too short for me.  There was also a hint of a possible second series, so I'm not sure if Buckley will push this any further.  Overall, it was a solid end to the story and one, when read from start to finish with the rest of the series, that will surely satisfy.

Rating: 4/5

The Last Echo

The Last Echo

by Kimberly Derting

Not long after surviving a murder attempt by a man who had finally been found out for killing his own wife years before, Violet has now joined with the people who helped save her.

It's hard to balance school and this new job, but it's even harder when her job essentially entails using her "gift" to find the dead via their echos and then finding their murderers via their imprints.  Each time she comes across an echo or an imprint, she's haunted for days, has trouble sleeping, and simply can't relax.  And now she's supposed to do it for a living.

Her colleagues include a medium, an empath, a boy who knows the past of an object by touching it, and a young man who can see the future by touching an object belonging to the person affected. 

But none of these people has figured out how to stop "the collector": a man who "collects" girlfriends, kills them, and leaves them for Violet and her crew to find.

Throw in a gang banger killer, a flirty co-worker, and a somewhat jealous (but still completely hot and awesome) boyfriend, and Violet's life has definitely not gotten any easier.

Final thoughts:  This was a good, solid continuation of the series, but I still like the first one best.  I didn't see nearly enough Jay and the final events just seemed really rushed. (Jay was missing too much from those events, too.)  The Collector was creepy enough to start and his story rolled along, but there just seemed to be a sudden shift at the end where everything just pushed through quickly without the same care as the beginning and middle.  The final scene was also a little strange and felt out of context.

Rating: 4/5

The Shapeshifter's Secret

The Shapeshifter's Secret

by Heather Ostler

Julia was just trying to get by in high school.  Her dad won't let her go anywhere.  Her mother is nowhere to be found.  And her teacher really really seems to hate her.

But trying to get by in high school is nothing like trying to NOT turn into a white tiger when you're ticked, which is made more difficult when you didn't even know you could do that.  

Julia just found out.

She also just found out that she's descended from an old family and an old name in an old world linked to our own.

Now she must go back to that world, survive the journey, survive love, survive the school... Heck! She just has to survive.

Final thoughts:  

AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID!!!!

This is a wanna-be Harry Potter and it's horrendous.

A "chosen one" who is needed by the enemy to make the enemy stronger.  Check!

A best friend and roommate.  Check!

A third friend who knows the (quite literal) castle and it's secrets/rumors/history and who just happens to like the best friend. Check!

The secret passages/rooms leading to secret things and only the hero can get into them/find them (with the help of the third, knowledgeable, friend).  Check!

The hero willing to jump into the line of fire to prevent others from being injured on his/her behalf.  Check!

Magical castle with magical guards and magical protections.  Check!

The enemy trying destroy this magical world through the government so that he/she can rule with absolute power while others form a rebellion/group against the enemy. Check!

The secrets are left by someone with the initial 'S'.  Check!

Studying in the library for subjects like plants/herbology and the detailed history of this world.  Check!

Portals (portkeys/floo) to travel around everywhere.  Check!

Someone leaving messages that basically encourage genocide of the non-pure/non-cat (whatever!) and then making others think the hero did it.  Check!

And so, so, so much more.

On top of all that, the author writes in a kind of shorthand.  It's obvious that SHE knows what's going on, but she's not very good at sharing it with others.  And when she does share, she OVER-shares.  How the HECK did Julia fall in love with this boy when she barely knows him??  Either Ostler skipped over tons of conversations/letters that we missed OR Ostler just decided to tell us all that Julia was in love.

Awful.

AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID!!!!

Rating: 0/5  (yes, it's that bad)

As an added note: publishers/editors/author... please take a moment and check your spelling!!  Is it Solider Union or Soldier Union?!?!  It kept switching back and forth.  For a chapter or two it was Solider and then Soldier for a bit and then Solider.  And this wasn't just once or twice; it was a CONSTANT problem throughout the book.

Gift

Gift

by Andrea J. Buchanan

Daisy Jones has tried her entire life to be "normal".  Born with the gift to control (or fry) electronics, she spends each day just trying to keep her powers from destroying every cell phone and computer near her.

After being sent one day to find a classmate who'd been gone on a pass a bit too long, Daisy finds that she's not the only girl with a strange secret.

Daisy, her friend Danielle, and this new, mysterious girl, Vivi, end up being drawn into a strange adventure, complete with ghosts, past lives, and possessions.

Lucky for Daisy, she meets Kevin, a cute senior with issues of his own.  Together, they may actually be able to survive the coming ordeals.

Final thoughts: It was a decent read.  I got distracted by the constant referrals to aura colors, especially when it was never discussed how Daisy could read them.  Every person that walked into her life had calming colors or angry colors; purples, greens, reds, yellows, and more were just everywhere.  I also had some problems with the fact that her powers are mentioned in the beginning and then aren't really talked about until about two-thirds of the way through the book.  The powers themselves don't seem to follow their own rules.  Daisy can't have a TV or a cell phone because she tends to accidentally fry them, and even school fire alarms and clocks react, but she can use a regular phone??  Those someone nit-picky things kept pulling me out of a fairly decent, though sometimes inconsistent story.

Rating: 3/5

Lucky Fools

Lucky Fools

by Coert Voorhees

When he was younger, David Ellison was cast in a small, local commercial and got bit by the acting bug.  Now, that is his only focus in life.  While all of his classmates are considering Ivy League schools, David only wants to go to Julliard and the auditions are coming up fast.

As David prepares for the most important four minutes of his entire life, he's also preparing to star in his school's play adaptation of The Great Gatsby, and he's preparing with the first new girl to arrive at their fairly exclusive private school in years.

The fact that David has been dating one girl, his near perfect match in high school terms, for the last two years doesn't seem to stop him from wanting Vanessa, even while Ellen tries to help him with everything that's going on around him.

To top it all off, someone calling him (or her)self "The Artist" has been going after the seniors, embarrassing them on the school's bulletin board, and exposing their deepest secrets.

As one of the best known and most high-profile seniors, is David the next target?

Final thoughts: It's going to be hard for most teens to get into this one.  Focusing on the problems of the fairly-to-mega wealthy is difficult to pull off when most people wish they would have those kinds of problems instead of their own.  The beginning starts off well, but the middle drags, and the ending is like falling off a cliff.  One moment, you're just walking along, trying to follow the path of the story, and the next, you've tumbled over the edge and the story ends.  I was also really disappointed in The Artist; it seems that the entire plot point was created to be just a peg in the final story, rather than an actual problem to be resolved (and it never is).

Rating: 2/5

White Witch

White Witch

by Trish Milburn

Jax is a witch and always has been.  Her family has been building strength over the generations and rule with an absolute power in Miami.  However, they use Dark Magic and Jax just isn't a fan.  She is tired of constantly using and abusing humans because her family tells her to do so.  In her mind, there has to be a way to get away from the power.

So she leaves.  She takes off and runs.  She knows the consequences if she gets caught.  Her mother faced them years before, but for Jax, it's worth it.

She only wants normal.  She wants school, friends, and maybe even the chance to have a real boyfriend.

But normal seems to want nothing to do with her and the family isn't far (enough) away.

Final thoughts: This is a quick read and has a decent story, but I really wish Milburn had taken a little more time with it. Things were rushed.  There were tons of Tell moments instead of a gradual Show.  We are constantly Told that Jax and her crush are really in love.  Everyone else Tells Jax over and over again.  There's no real time for the relationship to develop.  One moment they meet; the next, they're in love.  Time felt really rushed.  I couldn't tell how many days had passed because the author herself seemed unclear.  There were moments of conflict that were either pushed through, jumped over, worked around, or completely ignored.  Just when you think there will be something to really worry about, it's resolved outside of view.  Action sequences were sped up to a fast-forward version, like watching a movie at x10 speed.  The ending felt rushed and unfinished.  Here's to hoping the sequel has a little more to it.

Rating: 3/5

Goddess Interrupted

Goddess Interrupted

by Aimée Carter

Exactly six months after leaving her new husband for Greece, doing so only because that is the deal that had been struck with Persephone hundreds of years before, Kate is finally back.  She's ready to be a wife and she's ready to be Queen of the Underworld.

But just as she's about to make her final vow and take on her new duties, her world is attacked by Cronus, King of the Titans.  When her husband (Hades), along with Walter (Zeus) and Phillip (Poseidon) are kidnapped, it's up to Kate, Ava (Aphrodite), and James (Hermes) to seek out the one person who can lead them to Cronus's prison... Persephone.

How is she to find her husband when she is forced to work with the woman who stole his heart and broke it so long ago?

Final thoughts:  The first book was better.  This book was a broken record of "I LOVE Henry, but he doesn't seem to love me!!" followed by everyone else saying "Yes, he does!" then "You're right! He does!... No, wait!  He doesn't."  Kate threatens to leave often while also promising to never go if Henry would just say the magic words (or something like that).  It's a giant pity party for Kate.  It's frustrating because she's suddenly become very whiny.  I just wanted to reach through the book and shake her a few times. The pacing is also awkward and strange.  There are long section where we just read Kate whining, then something HUGE happens, and then we're back to whining, with little explanation of that huge thing.

I'll read the third book, if only because of the cliff-hanger.

Rating: 3/5

Grave Mercy

Grave Mercy

by Robin LaFevers

Ismae wasn't meant to be born.

She was meant to be murdered in utero by the poisons forced by her father on her mother.

Poisons he purchased because Ismae wasn't his daughter; she was the daughter of death... literally.

Years later, after a failed attempt to marry her off to a violent man, Ismae is taken to the convent that worships the God/Saint Mortain: the god of Death.

For years, she is trained in the art of assassination.  She learned every possible way to kill a person from daggers, to garrotes, to poison (the poison one being her specialty, since she is completely immune to all of them).

Once trained, she begins the final steps to becoming a sister of the Order and assassinates the first two of the three she must kill as part of her initiation.  Unfortunately, the men she killed were on someone else's list, and now she must work with that someone to get to the bottom of a plot to destroy the very country Ismae lives in and loves.

But leaving the convent to save the country could mean ending all Ismae has ever thought she new about her world.

Final thoughts: This was OK, but I don't think I'll seek out the next one, especially since it seems to be following a different character who was mentioned a few times in this book, but not really discussed in depth.  Ismae and Duval's relationship felt a little forced.  However, my main issue comes from the author trying to explain, in detail, both the religious world and political world of her characters.  People keep referring to this as "historical fiction" and that's only true in a very broad sense.  Don't expect any real accuracy to time, people, and events here.  There were lloooonnngggg discussions about politics here that maybe needed some trimming.  And LaFevers' religious world seems to rely a LOT on Greek mythology with Mortain's story of love mirroring Hades and Persephone. 

And one more issue I have... why is Duval constantly grabbing Ismae's arm and dragging her from place to place?  It is mentioned at least once every few pages once they meet.

Rating: 2/5

Putting Boys on the Ledge

Putting Boys on the Ledge

by Stephanie Rowe

Blueberry Waller has always known that her life is a little more "interesting" than most teens.  Her parents are the kind of crazy that can be a social death sentence.  Her dad knows a number of different wolf howls and bird calls, which he shares whenever possible.  Her mother rules her wardrobe with an iron fist, preventing her from wearing anything even vaguely "sexy".  And her younger sister seems to pick all the wrong moments to speak up.

But things might just be looking up when Blue gets cast in the school musical and even gets a scene or two with the extremely handsome senior, Heath, who seems to like Blue, even though she's a freshman.  The fact that she can't sing a note, can't dance, and is playing his character's mother, doesn't make for ideal romancing, but she'll do what she can with what she's got.

Her three friends are guaranteed to help her out however they can, and she even gets a few pointers from Colin, another senior who her parents hired to take over some of her chores while she's at rehearsals.

But is Heath really worth all the fuss?  Duh!

Final thoughts:  Ugh!  Usually I love YA high school romances, but this is just awful.  There is absolutely no character development.  The plot is rushed.  Blue and her "OMG! Heath!" crush is completely annoying, as is her crazed stalker-like attitude whenever he's near her.  Her complete cluelessness about the facts when it comes to senior boys and freshman girls is ridiculous, esp. when one of her best friends has an older sister who's already done the high school thing and has been giving advice to the girls for years.  And why oh why would a second senior fall head over heels for her, date another girl to make her jealous, and then dump that girl the moment he had a chance?  

Just... bad.

Rating: 1/5

Blood Bound

Blood Bound

by Rachel Vincent

Six years ago, Liv left her long-time boyfriend moments before he was going to propose to her because her friend, a seer, warned her of a future with him too horrible to imagine.

Now, Liv is forced to work with her ex again to find the killer of the husband of another friend from her past.  Her friend has called on a childhood oath, bound with magic impossible to break, so she must do this.  

She hates being with him again almost as much as she still loves him, but she has no choice, though she's not sure that she really minds.

But being the best blood tracker around means that Liv doesn't just have to worry about her ex; she also has to deal with her current employer and his very dangerous contract with her.

Just when things finally seem to work out, Liv stumbles upon an even bigger and more dangerous plot, along with a number of untold secrets.

Can she make it out alive despite the foretelling of death?

Final thoughts:  I still love Rachel Vincent, but this book needs a little help.  **Spoiler alert** There are a few logic problems like if the mother had "seen" her own future, her daughter's, and the future of all of her friends when she was only 12, and she had the power to manipulate it all, why wouldn't she just avoid the father in the first place?  If she'd done that, she may not have had her baby (for all of 9 months before getting killed), but she'd have been alive and her friends would have been able to avoid all the dangers and pitfalls.  The main characters could have lived happily ever after on their own if the seer had just changed one little point in time.**End spoiler**  The switch between PoV's was annoying, as well.  If it had been consistent, it would have worked.  Instead, it starts out pretty regular and then suddenly just becomes Liv's story, ignoring Cam's voice altogether.  There were parts that would have been great from Cam's side, but Vincent just stopped using his voice mid-way, which didn't serve the story well.

Rating: 4/5 (more of a 3.5)

Grave Dance

Grave Dance

by Kalayna Price

Left feet suddenly start showing up in Fae territory.  Just left feet.  Nothing else.  And Alex Craft is called in to try and get a read on them.  Unfortunately, even though Alex can now see across multiple realities without really trying, she still can't see the memories of the dead that once wore them. 

She's also dealing with magical constructs trying to kill her and the Queen of the Winter Court suddenly has become very interested in claiming all the Fae in Nekros, including (or maybe, especially) Alex herself.

The two loves of her life have suddenly reappeared in her life after disappearing for the past month, so Alex must deal with their feelings about her (love) and about each other (hate).

And on top of everything, she's attracted the attention of a very wealthy, very powerful man who wants her to open the Aetheric for him and his followers so they can touch it for themselves and get blissed out on the feeling.

Somewhere in all of that, she must also keep her old friend safe, figure out a way to keep all of her current clients, and stop accidentally creating holes to the Aetheric that are causing more than a little trouble.

Final thoughts: I read it. I finished it.  But I don't remember much of it.  I know it was ok as I read it, but after I put it down, I was done.  I'm not sure if I'll read the next one.

Rating: 3/5

Grave Witch

Grave Witch

by Kalayna Price

Alex Craft is a "magic eye" (though she hates that term).  She's a private investigator who uses her grave sight power as a witch to call up the memories of the dead and get them to pass information on to the living.

She's got an important case coming up, which is good because she's completely out of cash and needs the money.  The person who hired her is her younger sister who she never sees, and the dead guy is the now-dead governor who she's not supposed to be near, so it's not complicated at all, right?

Actually, it's a high-profile case that's way above her access level and the lead investigator is more than a little angry that she's interfered.

Add to that a soul-sucking curse that will kill her in days if she doesn't stop the spell-caster, repeated kidnapping attempts, a slaver who wants to sell her to the highest bidder, an attempt on her life, a father who hates her magic, and the press everywhere, and Alex has her work cut out for her.

And did I mention that Death follows her?  Literally?

Final thoughts:  A quick read with a lot to offer, but not the best supernatural urban-lit I've read.  I understand the need to establish the magical guidelines like shielding and planes of existence, but the constant descriptions became really annoying.  Over and over and over again.  At least it became less descriptive over time and more of a quick mention.  I wish we'd seen a few of the other characters more, but Alex was gritty, realistic, and relatable.  

Rating: 3/5

Never to Sleep

Never to Sleep

by Rachel Vincent

Sophie Cavanaugh has had to deal with far too much family drama.  Her cousin is definitely not normal and it's hurting Sophie's social game.  As she is getting ready to claim her spot as the first ever junior captain of the squad, she's suddenly faced with something completely amazing and something else completely nightmarish.

If she can survive one, maybe she can claim the other...

Unless it's all just in her imagination and she's just as crazy as her cousin seems to be.

Final thoughts:  TOO SHORT!  Sophie's story (a very short novella) was great and I want to read more.  The fact that I have to wait until summer to read Vincent's next Soul Screamers story is torture and I'm not yet sure if this is helping to tide me over or making it worse.  MORE!

Rating: 5/5

New Girl

New Girl

by Paige Harbison

She's the new girl at Manderley and she only wants to fit in.  Unfortunately, from the moment she walks through the doors to her new boarding school for her senior year, she's reminded constantly of HER.

Becca.

She'll never be as pretty.  She'll never be as popular.  And she'll never have Max, no matter how much she tries.

But Becca is gone.  She's been missing since the end of the previous year.  And while no one wants to believe she's dead, most don't really believe she's alive.

So the new girl must live in her shadow or fight for her right to be there.

Final thoughts:  Yet another surprise retelling.  I don't know why I'm not paying attention to the publisher's notes.  It was when the new girl was dressing for the Halloween party when I finally put together the pieces that this was Daphne DuMaurier's Rebecca.  Sometimes I feel really dense.  And once again, I'm faced with a truly poor retelling.  This is simply bad.  If, like Rebecca, we'd only seen things from the new girl's point of view, it might have been ok, even suspenseful, but we kept slipping over to Becca's vision and that was just a mess.  It got truly messy by the end of the book when the author seemed reach a point where Becca's POV just wasn't good enough and we got treated to three other people's views for just a few pages.  No one in the book seems to have a reason for liking Becca.  She's extremely manipulative and the two guys who seem to care at various point also seem to know exactly what she's doing.  There's also far too much drinking, drugs, and casual sex.  The final discovery at the end was junky and haphazard.  It also doesn't bode well that even the publisher spells the name of the school differently from the author on the book's description.

Rating: 2/5

me@you.com

me@you.com

by KE Payne

Imogen Summers has a great boyfriend; everyone thinks so... except Imogen herself.  Recently, Immy has been thinking that there might be more than just hanging out, the occasional kissing, and the nightly walk home.  

Isn't dating supposed to be exciting?

Things change when Immy finds an online site about her favorite TV show, which includes two lesbian characters as the leads.  In the chat room and forums, Immy finally feels free to say what she wants and she finally feels like maybe she's not completely different than all the other people around her.

When Imogen meets a girl in the forum named Fickle, she also feels that she may finally get what everyone else is talking about when they use the word "love".

Could it be that Immy isn't the straight girl she always thought she was?  Could it be that her thoughts have never been with the guys she's dated because she's never really wanted to date them?

Final thoughts:  This was an OK book about coming out, both herself and to others (though never to her family, which is disappointing).  However, it was a little stilted and Immy's self-discovery was awkward.  There is definitely a struggle for those who are dealing with this issue, but Immy's emotions seemed strangely controlled most of the time and then extremely wild at odd times.  This book is a good conversation starter for those who are trying to figure themselves out, but there are other, better books out there for LGBTQ kids.  My other struggle is that this is set in England, so the English is a little different.  It didn't completely detract from the book, but having to translate slang like Soz (sorry... which is used on almost every page) and words like trainer (shoes) and jumper (sweater), got a little distracting.

Rating: 3/5

Epic Fail

Epic Fail

by Claire LaZebnik

Elise and the rest of the Benton clan move from Massachusetts to Los Angeles when her parents are hired at a very upscale prep school where it's actually surprising if you're NOT the child of someone famous.

Upon arriving, Elise meets Derek Edwards and is both immediately smitten and completely turned off.  Her sister, Jules, falls for the super-cute, super-nice Chase, who is Derek's best friend.  In order to help her shy sister date Chase, Elise must hang with Derek so they can all go out and do things together.

Derek's the hottest thing at Coral Tree Prep and knows it, but doesn't seem to care.  He also doesn't seem to care about Elise, until she starts hanging out with Webster.  Then, the sparks fly for more than one reason.

Can Elise keep all of her sisters on track, while falling for a guy who she can't even figure out?

Final thoughts:  When I started to read this, I'd forgotten it was a modern Pride and Prejudice, but it didn't take long to figure out.  It's almost a point-by-point recreation, except for the high school updates and the lack of a marriage proposal (it's a date to the semi-formal instead).  It's so very obvious in so many ways.  Elise Benton = Elizabeth Bennet.  Derek = Darcy.  Chase = Charles Bingley.  Webster Grant = George Wickham.  Layla = Lydia.  Georgiana = Georgia.  And more...  It's ok, but not amazing.  The characters are a little flat and Elise's parents are frustrating with their strange rules and odd timing for forgetting and enforcing those rules.  This could have been much better, but it wasn't really bad, either.

Rating: 3/5

Catching Jordan

Catching Jordan

by Miranda Kenneally

Jordan Woods is the star QB of the high school football team.  They're on their way to way to a championship season if everyone can keep their heads and stay focused.

Of course, that becomes a bit of a problem when Ty shows up.

Ty was the QB at his school before he was forced to move to Tennessee.  He's talented.  He likes to be in charge.  He's used to being in charge.  And he's completely gorgeous.

That last one wouldn't be such a problem if Jordan weren't the first female QB with legitimate college prospects, who had also previously been completely oblivious to boys and completely focused on football.

Now Jordan has to contend with a real threat to her position on the team, a real threat to her college hopes, and a real threat to her love life.

Final thoughts:  This is a mess of a book.  Ty is the enemy; now he's a good guy, just misunderstood. Nope! He's a bad guy... nope, just has a past.  Jordan has never even kissed a boy, is suddenly worried that some people might think she's a slut, and then immediately loses her virginity without even thinking about the consequences to her reputation.  She's going through such angst that she ditches school, and football practice, multiple times, even though football is her LIFE! (or so she says).  There's the constant problems with her dad, which are suddenly resolved somehow.  Overall, cutesy, but not great.

Ranking: 3/5

Halflings

Halflings

by Heather Burch

Nikki's lives a relatively normal life.  She likes school, martial arts, motorcycles, and art; but she doesn't really seem into boys.  Of course, that all changes when three of the most gorgeous boys suddenly enroll at her school and two of them develop an almost unhealthy interest in her.

This comes after she's attacked by hell hounds, but before she finds out exactly what the boys are: halflings.  They are half angel, half man and all Adonis-like in appearance.  One attracts her with his sensitivity and genuine affection, while the second appeals to her danger-loving and butt-kicking side.

As the halflings and their angel mentor try to find out what Nikki is and why she's being attacked by hell hounds and demons, Nikki struggles to find out what her parents are doing hanging around with a man she's never met, but who claims to have known her for years.

Mix that in with a burned out research facility full of the dead bodies of scientists working on genetic manipulation, and there's some real trouble heading Nikki's way.

Final thoughts: Maybe I've just overloaded on supernatural young adult books, but this was just awful.  The writing was poor and kept skipping around like someone with a thumb jammed on the remote control.  One scene would finish up and transfer to the next, only to start up mid-conversation with no real transition.  Nikki is revealed early on to be a Seer, using her artwork to draw the future, but this is only used once and seems to exist only to further the plot as it is NEVER done again.  It's only even mentioned once or twice from that point.  By the end, there's no resolution or explanation to anything.  And let's have yet another Twilight comparison, shall we?  Mace is gorgeous, strong, constantly watching over Nikki (almost like a stalker), enters her house without permission, follows her, saves her life more than once, won't teach her to fight for herself, almost leaves because it would be better for her if he left (but then he changes his mind because she needs him), etc...  Raven is also gorgeous, strong, doesn't feel the need to constantly watch Nikki, but is there when she needs him, he is more "dangerous" and willing to let her do dumb things, and is having problems getting along with Mace because she seems to love him more.  There's a whole list of other problems, especially with the story line, plot structure, and missing information.  I'm soooo not reading the next one.

Rating: 1/5