Grave Things Like Love

Grave Things Like Love

by Sara Bennett Wealer

 

All of her life, Elaine has been the good girl. She has given up many of the things that other juniors in high school get to do because of her parents' business. She is asked to pick up the slack and help out whenever things go wrong, which seems to happen often.

Elaine's parents run the local funeral home and Elaine is being groomed to take over just like her dad did before her and his dad did before him. Their home and their business have been in the family for generations and it's expected that Elaine will continue that tradition.

When new guy, Xander, shows up, it's a breath of fresh air for Elaine and a reminder that she might not want to just always do what's expected of her.

When she and her friends accidentally wake up a ghost in her home, things get even more weird... 

Final thoughts: While billed as a ghost story, this really isn't one. The ghost seems to only be there to help move the motivation of the main character along rather than do anything on her own. Xander's entrance to the group is a little confusing since he's only just arrived but some people act like they've known him for years. The love triangle goes through all of the typical trope points, which isn't necessarily bad but doesn't breathe any new life into it all.

Rating: 3/5

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Summoned to the Thirteenth Grave

Summoned to the Thirteenth Grave

by Darynda Jones

After saving a life when she was not supposed to, Charley is exiled to another dimension forever. It's pretty boring there. There is not even a place to get coffee, so it really may be hell. 

However, after "one hundred seven years, two months, fourteen days, twelve hours, and thirty-three minutes", Charley is mysteriously sent back to Earth and back in her own body... in the middle of the Sahara Desert. 

It seems that over one hundred years is really just about 10 days on Earth, so Charley actually hasn't missed too much (except for coffee... 10 days without coffee). 

Now Charley and her gang of misfits must figure out how to close the quickly spreading hole to a hell dimension that she and Reyes unleashed about two weeks before, before it takes over the Earth and destroys all of the human souls on it.

Oh. And they have to find a couple of kidnap victims.

And maybe stop a serial killer.

Possibly even take out a few demons.

Still figure out how to keep Beep safe so that she can defeat Lucifer in the future.

And find out how Charley's mom really died all of those years ago.

Just a typical three days for Charley, really.

Final thoughts: What the actual...! As with all things Darynda/Charley, this one has a LOT going on. In fact, after twelve other books, everything has gotten very layered and often confusing. Jones tries hard to keep it all coherent, but it's really difficult. Even after rereading the other books before reading this one, I still got lost at times. I still love Charley's wit but I was frustrated by the lack of action at times. With only 3 days left before the end of the world, she's still focused on Reyes? I mean, I know that he's pretty awesome, but don't set up such a tight deadline and then have everyone distracted by other things.

In the end, this is really just a set-up for Beep's stories, which I assume are coming next. And the ending... are you kidding me?!?!?

Rating: 4/5

ARC courtesy of NetGalley

My Lunatic Life

My Lunatic Life

by Sharon Sala

Tara Luna has spent her life on the move. Her parents died when she was very young and she's spent most of her life living with her somewhat erratic and definitely nomadic uncle. 

When they move, once again, she's forced to start over at a new school, once again. She knows the ropes and how to navigate most of the "new girl" issues. What she's never ready for is how her psychic abilities and her two friendly ghosts will react to the new environment.

Add in a ticked off entity in her new home and a cheerleader with a chip on her shoulder and this school may be the most difficult to Tara to fit into.

Final thoughts: Yet another one with a great concept and horrible follow-thru. While the plot didn't completely tick me off (it just felt more like the outline of a story instead of a full, well-crafted plot), the writing did. This was so all over the place. It didn't help that a 3rd person limited PoV occasionally got taken over by a line or sometimes even a whole paragraph or two told with someone else's thoughts. You don't just switch PoV in the middle of a sentence just because you can't figure out how to communicate something any other way. It's Tara's story, but 3-4 other people just have their views shoved at you from nowhere and then are basically never heard from again. It was so poorly organized and that makes me angry because this could have been something good and original. Instead, it was something to push through and get finished. 

Rating: 2/5

How to Hang a Witch

How to Hang a Witch

by Adriana Mather

Samantha Mather is forced to move to Salem, Mass. after her father is suddenly in a coma and the bills start stacking up. She and her stepmother move into the home of Samantha's grandmother who also died recently. It's par for the course for Samantha, though. Everyone she knows seems to get hurt somehow. It's like she's cursed.

Upon moving into her dad's childhood home, Samantha immediately begins to discover strange things like a hidden stash of letters in her armoire's secret hiding spot and an entire stairway and room located behind a fireplace. That room is filled with her grandmother's journals, tons of books, and a few other secrets that still can't explain why people have started dying all over Salem. 

Samantha must also contend with the house ghost and his secrets as well as the mean girls of her new high school who, like her, are descendants of people involved in the Salem Witch Trials. But they won't accept her into their group because they are the descendants of accused witches and Samantha is the descendant of one of the men who started the whole thing.

It's up to Samantha to end the curse that has plagued her family since 1692, save her dad, free the ghost, and stop the cycle of vengeance. No pressure.

Final thoughts: Cotton candy read. I love reading about the Salem Witch Trials and I think the history of it is fascinating. The fact that the author really is a descendant of Cotton Mather is pretty cool. The story itself is a little messy at times and the antagonist was pretty obvious very early on, but I still enjoyed the read. What I think is more powerful is the overall message that bad things only happen when good people stand by and let them happen. That's a true today as it was in 1692 and might even be more true now than when the book was published in 2016.

Rating: 4/5

The Trouble with Twelfth Grave

The Trouble with Twelfth Grave

by Darynda Jones

Reyes went IN to a hell dimension, but it's not quite certain that he was in the Reyes body that came out. Now Charley must figure out if her husband still exists in the god-shell that emerged while also trying to figure out who is killing people in horrific ways (and hoping it's not said god-shell hubby). Throughout all of this, she must clear a friend of murder, avoid the anger of a mob-boss, keep off of the FBI's radar, and still solve the occasional supernatural mystery.

Strangely enough, this is just a normal week for Charley.

Final thoughts: Ah, Ms. Jones. You cruel, cruel woman. You start us off just after the cliffhanger, wind us through a typical Charley mystery, and then end on ANOTHER cliffhanger. Whhhyyyyyyy????

Rating: 4/5

ARC courtesy of NetGalley

Eleventh Grave in Moonlight

Eleventh Grave in Moonlight

by Darynda Jones

She can't look in on her daughter for fear that demons will follow her light and destroy her precious Beep to curry favor with Lucifer for ending the life of an infant who is prophesized to one day destroy him.

She can't figure out why her uncle wants her to stay home and/or why he's basically ignoring his wife and her bestie, making sadness abound.

She can't understand why her almost too-hot-to-handle-hubby wants her to drop a case.

She can't come up with a way to release the souls trapped in a hell dimension that she wears around her neck.

She can't figure out how to help her bestie's daughter to learn how to control her prophesizing powers while also catching the stalker who's sending her truly evil texts.

And she definitely can't figure out how to get rid of the angels that are following her everywhere.

With all the things that she can't do, will she ever be able to get used to the idea that she is a god?

Final thoughts: Yet another entry and still more amazing Charley. I really love this character and her sassiness. I REALLY wish there was a place to buy all the t-shirts mentioned at the chapter headings. My only issue... and it's pretty darn big... is that this one is a freakin' CLIFFHANGER!!!!  Ugh! Why couldn't the last chapter of this book have been the first chapter of the next instead? Why do I now have to sit around and wait to find out what happens?!?!?!  Sooooooo cruel!!!

Rating: 4/5

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Phantom Kiss

Phantom Kiss

by Chloe Neill

In between the proposal and the wedding are all those planning sessions, showers... and exorcisms.

Final thoughts: It's short, like a couple of chapters from a regular Chicagoland novel, so it doesn't have a lot of "meat" to it. It added some depth to the characters and the story, but it's not unforgettable. More than anything, I'm just worried about how this will all finally end in the next book, especially because we've had no further information on a Merit/Ethan kid, despite that being pretty dang important in the early books.

Rating: 4/5

The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall

 

 The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall

by Katie Alender

 
When Delia's aunt died, leaving her home to Delia and Delia alone, there was no way that the young girl could know how much her life would change.

The home she inherits is not just a home; she's inherited The Piven Institute for the Care and Correction of Troubled Females. Her aunt had been its custodian for her entire life and had never left until the day she died. Now Delia will find out the truth about this home, and she must do it soon because the house takes its job very seriously.

Final thoughts: Another formulaic entry with few actual scares, but there is a nice twist from the start. There were some interesting characters, but the overall effect was less thriller and more "huh" (said with a tilted head and shrugging shoulders). This also suffered from consistency issues, which I've noticed with Alender's work in the past. She sets up rules and then breaks them for the sake of the plot. It gets frustrating when characters can suddenly do things, just once, that they couldn't do before, or are stopped from doing what they've been able to do in the past. Ok. Not great, but isn't completely terrible, either.

BTW - did anyone else think that Janie's online advisor was Theo's long-lost twin?

Rating: 3/5

Famous Last Words

Famous Last Words

by Katie Alender

When Willa's mom marries a big-time Hollywood producer from Los Angeles, they pack up their belongings and leave Connecticut to move into his amazing mansion.

His amazingly haunted mansion.

As Willa tries to get settled in her new home and her new school, she's followed by strange events and pulled into memories that aren't hers. Visions of girls during their last moments of life, before being murdered by the Hollywood Killer, begin to take over her life.

Someone is trying to tell her something, but Willa isn't sure what and she's not sure who to trust with the secret of her visions.

Now the Hollywood Killer has set his sights on Willa and she's running out of time to figure out the clues before it's too late.

Final thoughts: Decent read. It flows and keeps up the tension pretty well, but is a little formulaic. Much like Bad Girls Don't Die, the danger is obvious to the reader even as the protagonist stays ignorant. Alender once again hides things until the last minute in an attempt to keep the reader from figuring it all out too fast, but it's cliché and a little insulting. Young adults will eat this up, but those who have read more will probably find this a little dull.

Rating: 3/5

Bad Girls Don't Die

Bad Girls Don't Die

by Katie Alender

Alexis has always known that she and her family have been the odd ones out. Her mother can never seem to get the promotion she's been seeking for years. Her sister is obsessed with dolls to the point of violence if someone touches them. And Alexis herself has never fit in, especially after calling out the people who seem to always rule the school.

But Alexis didn't really know how out of place her family was until strange things began to happen to her at her already strange house.

Now Alexis has to find out what's behind the brakes being cut on her mom's car, the sudden slamming doors, the chills in the air, and the dreams that show her people and events from long ago.

Can Lexi save the people she loves before it's too late?

Final thoughts: A somewhat formulaic thriller with a typical ghostly revenge tale. Alender tries hard to not make it too predictable by dribbling out bits and pieces of vital information, but the end is not surprising. However, it's still a decent read and written well for the teen audience that it's aimed at.

Rating: 4/5

The Ghost Files

The Ghost Files

by Apryl Baker

For Mattie Hathaway, every day is a day that she has to work to ignore the ghosts around her. She gained this curse after her mother tried to kill her when she was five and she's be traveling the foster home circuit ever since.

Normally, she just ignores them and they eventually go away.

But this time, she can't.

She can't ignore the ghost standing before her at the party with the gunshot in her head and the gag over her mouth.

She can't ignore her because she's Sally, the other foster girl living at her current home.

Now she's got to find a way to stop the killer before another child is murdered.

And now the murderer knows she's coming.

Final thoughts: This should be my kind of story. I'm a huge fan of stories that feature female characters who can see the dead (see my reading history if you don't believe me). However, Mattie is extremely dull as a character and her flashbacks are more like someone retelling a memory instead of actually seeing it take place. Her relationship with the rookie cop is awkward and makes me think the author is setting up for this to be her brother or something, especially considering the often repeated thoughts and comments about loving each other, but maybe not loving each other romantically and the fact that he was adopted. The end is a little graphic, yet doesn't really stir any emotions. And I'm starting to think this is a Charley Davidson YA knock-off with her seeing ghosts who thinks she's "bright" along with Reaper references. I kind of want to read the next one, only to see if my hunches are correct, not out of any desire to continue the story.

Rating: 2/5

The Fall

The Fall

by Bethany Griffin

All her life, Madeline Usher has lived within the manor that has been handed down through the family for generations. Every Usher who has lived there has been trapped there.

Once the House has you, it never lets you go.

And the House has Madeline.

Madeline is the House's favorite Usher. She's possibly the one that the House has loved more than any other. It has watched over her all her life and it has made sure she's never gotten far from it.

In the beginning, Madeline trusted the House and believed that it was watching out for her.

But now she knows better.

Now she knows how truly cursed she is and she must find a way to save herself and her brother before the House finds a way to trap them forever.

Final thoughts: This is a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" told from Madeline's point of view. The entire story is told in short chapters that initially alternate the timeline of Madeline's childhood and teen years. The book and the short story mashed together right near the end, which made for some confusion since I've never read the short story. It felt like the finale was rushed because the author assumed that the readers would know how it ended. The story itself is fascinating, though a little ponderous. It drags in places and wanders a little, but it's overall a decent read and worth the effort.

Rating: 3/5

This Is Your Afterlife

This Is Your Afterlife

by Vanessa Barneveld

It's only been a few months since her beloved grandmother passed away and Keira would give almost anything to see her again, but she wasn't born with the gift to see the dead.

Or so she thought.

When star football player Jimmy Hawkins disappears, the whole town hopes to see him again, but only Keira can.  He popped up in her bedroom with no knowledge of how he died and no idea where his body lies.

Now Keira must find help him find his body, find his killer, and find his peace.

Thank goodness Jimmy's brother, Dan, is around to help.

Final thoughts: Decent read. It reminds me a bit of The Body Finder series by Derting. The story flows pretty well and there are some good moments. The mystery is a little predictable and there are a few eye-rolling moments, but it's light and easy.

Rating: 3/5

The Screaming Staircase

The Screaming Staircase

by Jonathan Stroud

It's been over 50 years since the Problem arrived.

There had always been ghost stories around the world, but a sudden increase in paranormal activity has changed everything. Now adults come in at sunset, line their doorways and windows with salt and iron, and send children out to get rid of the spirits that haunt the land.

Lucy Carlyle comes to London after a disastrous ghostly encounter. She wants to get away from the bad vibes and get a job with a company that will respect her talents and instincts.

She finds what she's looking for with Lockwood & Co.. Most of their jobs are pretty small and easy, but they occasionally get a tough one that requires a firm hand. One of those jobs goes more than a little sour and now Lockwood & Co. needs a small miracle to stay in business.

With the necklace of a dead girl in her possession (that happens to be possessed), a ghost head in a jar, a murder mystery to solve, and a big payday on the way, Lucy and her colleagues have one night to clear a manor of some of the most dangerous ghosts ever located... and they also have to survive where no one else has.

Final thoughts: Cute mystery book probably aimed at upper elementary and middle school kids. Has a few great moments, a few good ones, and only a few bad ones.  Nice read. Recommend for preteens.

Rating: 4/5

Unbreakable

Unbreakable

by Kami Garcia

One month after Kennedy's mother dies of a supposed heart attack, Kennedy is herself attacked by a vengeance ghost and nearly killed.

"Nearly killed" because just as her breath is being stolen away, two boys show up and get rid of the ghost.  They then whisk Kennedy away just as a demon destroys her home and everything she's ever known.

On the run from ghosts, a demon, and the police who've put out an Amber Alert on her, Kennedy must face a few facts about her own heritage and the world around her.

With the help of the twin brothers who rescued her, a young genius, and a snarky teen girl, Kennedy is on a quest to find a way to destroy the demon who killed her mom and with all the guardians and loved ones of her companions.

But the demon knows who they are now and they are running out of time to get him before he gets them.

Final thoughts: Looking at other reviews, most comments are that this is pretty much a Supernatural fanfic written by a respected YA author.  I don't know about all of that, but I do know that this book is full of a few hits and a whole lotta misses.  There are too many moments where things just happen suddenly and I found that I had to go back an reread paragraphs to see if I missed something.  Sometimes I had missed something, and I'll admit that.  Other times, it was the author who missed something and just made a sudden left turn with no warning.  I did like a few things and was pleasantly surprised at times, but it just wasn't consistent.

Rating: 2/5

Ghost House

Ghost House

by Alexandra Adornetto

Just days after her mother suddenly dies, Chloe's grandmother takes her and her brother away from their home and their father and brings them back with her to England.  They wind up in a renovated mansion in the English countryside, away from distractions, including WiFi.

Now Chloe has nothing much to pass the time except a few horses, helping around the house, and chatting with the ghosts that haunt the home.

Because suddenly, without her mother to give her the strength she needed, Chloe's "gift" for seeing the dead has come back full force.  

The good = Alexander Reade - 150-year-old ghost of a 23-year-old man who is very good looking and seems to really like Chloe.

The bad = Isobel Reade - 150-year-old ghost who was the wife of Alexander's brother and Alexander's secret lover in life.

The ugly = the story that lead to their deaths and Isobel's desire to destroy anyone who could come between her and Alexander.

If only Chloe could ignore the pull she feels to Alexander... 

Final thoughts: Adornetto just can't seem to get her writing up to snuff.  She interrupts a great story with information that comes out of the blue and is truly unnecessary.  There are errors everywhere. The characters are inane and unsympathetic.  Chloe turns 18, but often whines like she's 8. She's completely incompetent and does nothing to fight the events around her.  She doesn't even really talk a good game.  This could have been a fascinating and gripping story in almost anyone else's hands.

Rating: 2/5

Madly, Deeply

Madly, Deeply

by Erica Crouch

As children, Annaleigh Wells didn't really like William Calloway.  They came from different classes and his wealth made him seem entitled and spoiled.

However, over time, Anna and Will became more than friends.  Their love was a love that was not to be denied.

When Will's mother died, his father abandoned him and his sister to the servants of their home.  The day Anna came back, after allowing him time for grief, she saved Will from making a horrible decision and sealed her own fate with the powers that surround everyone.

As their wedding day nears, Will's sister, Mary, tries to make everything perfect, hoping to avoid tragedy.  But fate is not that kind.

Can their love survive the worst that can happen?

Final thoughts: A modern novelization of Edgar Allan Poe's "Annabel Lee", the first half is pretty interesting.  However, around the second half, the story falls apart.  The focus changes from a love story to a grief story, with a final decision that just feels off.  It feels like it could have used a flash-forward or something like that.  It was a little unresolved.

Rating: 3/5

The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant

The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant

by Joanna Wiebe

Anne Merchant is used to living near the very rich.  Her dad is the mortician in a small, wealthy community and Anne is his "weird" daughter with the crazy, bipolar, dead-by-suicide mom.

Two years after her mother's death, Anne is sent to Cania Christy, a boarding school on a small island, dedicated to the education of the children of the ultra-wealthy.  Anne has no idea how her father can afford the tuition, considering his lack of funds, and she has no idea what the tuition would even be for a school where the students all wear the most trendy clothes from the choicest of designers.

What Anne does know is that there are secrets at Cania Christy.  Every student has a guardian who watches them 24/7, grading them on every tiny decision and mistake.  Every student has a PT, or "theme" that guides them through all of their classes.  The student who succeeds the best at achieving his or her PT is the Valedictorian of the class.  And being Valedictorian is what everyone wants... everyone.

So Anne must now find out the truths that everyone else seems to know, before she gets expelled from what could be her last chance.

Final thoughts: I liked it as I read it, but now have questions after it's done.  Some of those questions are spoiler-ish, so I won't go into them here, but they are bugging me.  It also ended on a kind of cliffhanger that felt kind of forced and like the author wants a guarantee that the reader will be back, instead of making the reader want to come back with an excellent story.  Anne was OK.  Ben was a snooze.  Villius was evil incarnate.  And the rest of the students were caricatures and stereotypes.  The mystery itself was actually quite mysterious, though.  Don't look deep at this one as you read and you could really have a good time.

Rating: 3/5  (4/5 as a read it... but the questions... the many questions...)

The Dead and Buried

The Dead and Buried

by Kim Harrington

Jade's a small town girl in a big, new town, which means new cliques at school, new gossip, new teachers, a new home, and her first ever brand-spanking-new ghost.

It turns out that the only reason Jade's dad and stepmother could afford their amazing new home is because someone had died in it just months before.

And that someone didn't leave with the body.

Now Jade must not only deal with all the usual problems a new senior in a new school must cope with, but she now must also figure out who murdered the girl who lived there before.

If she doesn't catch the murderer soon, her little brother could suffer at the ghost's hands.

Final thoughts: Harrington has an interesting take her on Du Maurier's Rebecca, though it might have been nice if she hadn't brought up the original work within this one.  Once I knew what was up, I got distracted by trying to figure out which character was which in comparison, though that shouldn't be a problem for people who've never read the classic.  Jade's a bit bland as a character and I never really feel for her situation.  Her brother's cute, but only randomly there and more inserted as a plot device than an actual character.  I never really felt much for Donovan and Kane because they just didn't have much of a presence.  It's a simple story that really could have been fleshed out more, but still does a decent job maintaining interest.

Rating: 3/5

In the Shadow of Blackbirds

In the Shadow of Blackbirds

by Cat Winters

It's 1918 and the world has gone insane.

Mary Shelley Black's father has just been beaten and arrested for treason.  Mary Shelley escaped out the back just in time and ran to the train station, as her father had ordered, only to end up living with her aunt in San Diego.

And it's not just World War I, the War to End All Wars, that's got the country on edge; it's the Spanish Influenza.

Just about everyone thinks they know a way to ward off the terrible symptoms.  From salt in the nose, to burning sulfur, to keeping a potato in the pocket, everyone has tried everything, and nothing has stopped it.  

Everyone wears masks to try and prevent breathing in the disease.  

It's like walking through Death's playground.

When Mary Shelley arrived at her aunt's, she had hoped to meet up with a childhood friend (and recent romantic interest), only to find out that he has died in battle.

But his soul hasn't left yet.  And in a world where everyone is clinging to life so much that they believe certain people can take pictures capturing the images of the souls of loved ones, even the very practical and scientific Mary Shelley isn't able to remain a skeptic. 

Final thoughts:  I liked this one, but I fought it the whole way.  The real problem was that I kept trying to predict what was going to happen, only to find half of my predictions fly out the window throughout the book.  It was frustrating to think the book would zig when it actually zagged (more than once).  I also got a little tired reading about onions, since that seemed to be the only thing people ate (and that just started me thinking about the horrid smells and awful breath of the people back then).  In the end, when I just relaxed and stopped trying to predict everything about it, it became pretty good.

Rating: 4/5

 Even Mary Todd Lincoln (Abraham Lincoln's wife) believed in spirit photography.