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

Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen

Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen

by Donna Gephart

Olivia has always been the master of trivia.  Terrible things await those who interrupt her Jeopardy! time on any given night.  She's as good, or even better, than the adults on the show.  Her only weakness is the dreaded Geography.

Each year, Jeopardy! devotes one week to kids and it's Olivia's last chance to enter before she ages out of the competition.  With the help of her mother, brother, maybe-not-so-evil-almost-stepfather-Neil, and her maybe-not-so-evil-cute-boy-next-door-Tucker, Olivia hopes to train up and get on that show before it's too late.

Of course the one person she desperately wants to help her is the dad who left her family to marry her former best friend's mother and move them across the country to California.  Maybe, just maybe, if she can get on to Jeopardy!, which is filmed in Culver City, CA, maybe she can finally see her dad again and get him to remember his original family.

But, even if she gets there, can she win, get oodles of cash to help her family, and maybe get her dad to remember she exists?

Final thoughts:  Upper-elementary book and it shows.  Officially, Olivia is 12, but seems to have the emotions of an 8-year-old and the extreme trivia knowledge of a 20-year-old who studies trivia 24/7.  Her obliviousness to her dad's treatment of her and her brother is sometimes annoying, like you want to reach through the book and shake her a little while you shout, "He's a gambling addict!  He cares more about the high of winning than he does about YOU!  Neil is the dad you SHOULD have!  Pay attention!!!!"  The book ends a little suddenly and there are a few unresolved issues left hanging, which is frustrating.  Children of divorced parents, especially those struggling through these tough financial times, will appreciate many of Olivia's problems and be able to relate to those.

Rating: 3/5

Hades: Lord of the Dead

Hades: Lord of the Dead

by George O'Connor

According to Greek mythology, when you die, you are escorted by Hermes to the River Styx where Charon will then take you on his boat, past Cerebus, and to the other side of the river.  There, you join the masses of dead and wander the Underworld forever under the watchful gaze of Hades.

Above, in the world of the living, Demeter and her daughter are struggling to get along.  Kore just wants to have a little freedom from her mother's control. However, she never thought that the way should would finally escape would be when Hades himself comes to take her down to his world to be his bride.

Now Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest, is neglecting her duties as she tries to find her daughter.  But, having renamed herself Persephone and having found a new identity, it's possible that the girl formerly known as Kore doesn't want to be found.

Final thoughts:  O'Connor admits to taking a few liberties with the story on this one, but it's worth it.  Except for a few panels where Kore/Persephone and her mother seem to be speaking in modern teen/mom talk instead of something a little older, and the switching of viewpoints from 2nd to 3rd and back again, I just don't have much to complain about.  This is yet another great tale from O'Connor that makes the Greek myths accessible and extremely visual.  It's one thing to read the words, but it's another to see O'Connor's amazing illustrations.

Rating: 5/5

Intertwined

Intertwined

by Gena Showalter

If there is anyone who could use a few minutes by himself, it's Aden Stone.  Except he's never alone.  Aden has four souls living in his brain.  They've been there as long as he can remember.  None of them know how they got there.

Unfortunately, while the souls can speak inside Aden's mind, Aden can only communicate with them by speaking out loud and this leads to everyone physically around him thinking that he's completely insane.

It doesn't help that each of the souls has a power that can transfer to Aden when needed.  One can travel through time.  One raises the dead.  One can predict the future. And one can possess any human with physical contact.

The future predicting soul has seen a girl who will be Aden's dream and his nightmare.  He's also seen that one of the souls will be freed if the right choices are made. 

So now Aden has to find the girl and make all the right choices to either save himself or destroy himself.

Final thoughts:  UGH!  I swear, I've almost forgotten how to use my Kindle because I've avoided it so much as I've been reading this book.  I tried and tried and tried to finish this thing.  Kindle says I'm at 76%.  But I just can't force myself anymore.  This is a mess.  It starts off with Aden "accidentally" raising the dead when he wanders into a graveyard and then there is the girl he has a physical reaction to whenever she comes near, the vampire, the werewolf, the "powers" that for some reason have to all be demonstrated one after the other, the obligatory and repetitive references to people thinking he's insane (or, at least, highly unstable, which he seems to be), etc...  Plus he's a badass with weapons tucked into his boots, but is a wimp who is constantly worrying more often than not and making horrible choices (lucky for him that his vampire girlfriend can screw with people's memories and cover his mistakes).  There was just too much here trying to cover too much ground and not really getting anything done.  I literally put down the Kindle and ignored it for a week, opened it for an hour of struggling through this, and then closed it for another week.

Ah, Amazon... you have failed me with you recommendation.

Rating: 1/5

Shut Out

Shut Out

by Kody Keplinger

After yet another make-out session with her boyfriend is ruined by the rivalry between the football and soccer teams, Lissa decides she's had enough.  She's sick of the fight coming first.  She's sick of her boyfriend leaving her to do battle.  And she's really sick of people getting hurt.

So she decides to do something about it.

She gets all the girlfriends of soccer and football players together and proposes a radical plan:  a sex strike.

No more sex.  No more nookie.  Not even second base until the guys arrange a truce and stop the tricks, the pranks, and the injuries.

But Lissa didn't count on her boyfriend being a jerk.  

She didn't count on the guys fighting back. 

And she definitely didn't count on Cash Sterling.

Final thoughts:  Cotton candy book.  It's cute, but no great shakes.  Interesting little teen romance that's OK, but not written well in some places.  I was frustrated by some of the inconsistencies and the constant references to the Lysistrata.  It felt a little forced, like the author was saying, "GO OUT AND READ THIS GREEK PLAY!!!"  However, past that, it was still sweet and Chloe, Lissa's best friend, was a fun read.  It was also good to see girls finally TALK about sex in a realistic way.

Rating: 3/5

Drink Deep

Drink Deep

by Chloe Neill

It's been two months since the Master of Cadogan House was murdered in front of Merit's eyes.  The House is still devastated.  The vampires are still reeling.  Merit is still alone.

On top of that, a representative from the GP has taken over the running of the House, rationed food and blood, reinstated archaic rules, and prevented the vamps from doing their jobs.

As an added bonus, nature itself seems to have gone completely wonky.  The water has become a black, magical vacuum.  The skies have turned red and is shooting out deadly lightning.  And the supernatural creatures around Chicago are all at a loss for what's wrong.

For Merit, the time for mourning is over, even as her dreams of Ethan have become more vivid and her best friend has all but disappeared as she works to pass her sorceress exams.

The Sentinel also has someone who's interested in her as more than just a friend or partner, even if she's not yet ready for that.

And the bad times just keep on coming...

Final thoughts:  I'm glad I trusted Neill even after the last book.  I was a little nervous walking into this book, but I was rewarded.... mostly.  While in the last book, the writing was tightening up and getting more focused, now it's bare minimum.  I missed the relationship between Merit and Ethan, which, of necessity, had to be lacking, but was really important just because it was key to all of the previous books.  The ending felt really rushed and a little obvious.  This is more of a book to connect the previous one and the next one, so I'm not jumping up and down, but it's still Merit, so I'm still happy to have read it.

Rating: 4/5

My Very UnFairy Tale Life

My Very UnFairy Tale Life

by Anna Staniszewski 

For years, Jenny has been an adventurer.  With the help of her somewhat helpful gnome guide, Jenny has been traveling from world to world, helping to find the lost, rescue the stupid, and solve unsolvable problems.

But after one too many adventures that leave her scarred physically and emotionally, Jenny has had enough.  It's quitting time.  All she really wants is homework and some friends.

Unfortunately, the adventuring world needs her more than ever.  Can she really have a normal life in the human world?  Is normal for her different than everyone else's normal?

Final thoughts:  Blah.  This was boring and dull.  There were a few moments when it looked like something truly sinister was happening, but those ideas were ignored and the story moved in different directions.  Jenny's one great skill is cheesy cliches.  Her idea of "crisis mode" seems ridiculous.  And does anyone really think she'd be able to convince an entire school that she, at 12, would be directing a movie with no cameras around and a giant monster flying in?  Really?  It may be cutesy to some, but it was really just annoying to me.  Finally, there was nothing "fairy tale" about it.  Yes, there were gnomes and unicorns, and talking sheep, but nothing that was reminiscent of a fairy tale anywhere.  The title just does not fit.

Rating: 2/5

If I Die

If I Die

by Rachel Vincent

Kaylee Cavanaugh is used to dealing with death.  She's a bean sidhe, a singer of souls; it's her job to sing souls to the great beyond.

But when death tells Kaylee she's on the list to die in just a few days, that's a bit of a surprise.

To take her mind off of her definite impending death (turns out you can only avoid the Reaper once, and she did that when she was three), she decides that her math teacher has to die, too.

She hasn't suddenly become homicidal; it seems that her new math teacher is also an incubus who has been feeding off the lust of mothers, while working to impregnate their daughters with future incubi.  He also has now set his sights on Emma, Kaylee's best friend.

With the help of Sabine (her frenemy), and Tod (something more than a friend), Kaylee is determined to take down the threat to all high school girls before he can take another life.

Final thoughts:

I spent almost the entire book going saying to myself, "She wouldn't.  She wouldn't!  She so would NOT do that!!!!" and then it was "She did WHAT?!?!"  The books keep getting better.  It's like a supernatural soap opera.

Rating: 5/5

Forever

Forever

by Maggie Stiefvater

When Sam appeared to be cured of his regular winter conversions into a wolf, he and Grace thought they would finally be able to be together.  But even they could not have imagined the horror of Grace suddenly changing.  

Now they must go back to waiting for one of them to become human again so that they can be together once more.

If that isn't enough, another body has been found near Sam's home and this one is the last straw for the true humans in Mercy Falls.  Now the hunt is on... literally.

Now Sam, Cole, and Isabel must work together to protect Grace and the rest of the wolves, while also trying to find a cure.

In this final book of The Wolves of Mercy Falls, everything becomes much more serious and love may not be able to save the day.

Final thoughts:  Wow.  What a wild ending.  I never would have thought it would go the dark direction it did.  Sam went from completely confident in his fate and his love to completely unglued with worry.  I struggled with some of this one, but in the end it was all worth it.  Good, solid, final book.

Rating: 4/5

The Knife of Never Letting Go

The Knife of Never Letting Go

by Patrick Ness

It's the future.  Generations into our future.  Colonists have left our planet for New World to create a haven and a sanctuary away from the wars of men.

But they get more than they bargained for when the Noise comes.

They can hear the thoughts of men.  The thoughts are everywhere.  There's no way to get away from them.

In an effort to end it, the colonists kill off the creatures who were already living there when they arrive, but it doesn't end the Noise.

Over twenty years later, Todd Hewitt is only a month away from becoming the last man of Prentisstown.  All of the women are dead and he was the last baby, so he's the last of the dying settlement to reach manhood.  

However, everything Todd has ever known about his town gets flipped on its side when he and his dog, Manchee, find Quiet.

Now Todd has a new journey to manhood.  One he never expected to take.

Final thoughts:  This was a tough read.  The book was great.  The characters were extremely well drawn.  The suspense was nearly constant.  And that's the problem.  There was a large amount of suspense and very little downtime.  It was also gory, violent, and sometimes downright scary.  I truly felt for the main characters and nearly cried a few times when they faced a few painful events.  It's from another trilogy, but at least this time the other two are already out.  However, I may still have to switch to something else for a while, because this was just hard to read.

Rating: 5/5