Release Date: 05/01/12
BOOK BLURB:
What happens when you discover you aren't who you thought you were? When the person you love is the person who must betray you. If fate is already determined - can you fight it? Lucas Gray is half Shadow Warrior, half human, and a member of the Brotherhood - a group of assassins tasked with killing the last purebred Hunter on Earth before she can fulfil a dangerous prophecy. The Hunter's name is Evie Tremain. Evie Tremain is seventeen-years-old, a waitress and has just discovered she is the last in a long line of demon slayers - and an unwilling participant in a war between Hunters and unhumans that has raged for the last thousand years.
REVIEW:
Does life follow a set course? Are we masters of our souls? The Captains of our ships or are we just a strand woven into a greater tapestry where our lives touch on others to create a greater whole than ourselves? These are some of the questions that you find yourself asking in this story by Sarah Alderson and whilst she’s added a supernatural element to the story (almost Buffyesque) it’s the complexities as well as fully fleshed characters that get you to stay.
Don’t get me wrong, the plotline is strong, the twists wonderful but when you get a character that you just love to be around such as Evie, you really can’t put the book down for fear of missing something huge in her life. This, for me, is the sign of a good author and as such I read this book in a very short time.
Add to this a good use of pace, a wonderful sense of humour alongside an author who knows how to twist the emotional worries of everyday within and it’s a story that I absolutely loved. I really can’t wait to read more by Sarah and hope that its not too long a wait for her next offering.
Release Date: 03/02/11
BOOK BLURB:
The Cursed Ones, or vampires, have made their presence known to mankind. They promised to help bring peace to the world but then declared war on humanity. The identity of their leader is unknown. Most people are too afraid or unwillingly to take a stand against them. Others, like eighteen-year-old Jenn Leitner, train secretly to become vampire fighters and risk everything in the process. Alongside her is fellow Hunter, Antonio de la Cruz. But Antonio has a secret - he is a vampire fighting on the side of humanity. Jenn must battle with her hatred of all things vampire, and her love for Antonio. For together only they can bring light into the darkness the vampires have drawn over the face of the planet...
REVIEW:
Having felt a little cheated with the least book that I read by these two authors (Dark Secrets 3) I was a little apprehensive to start a new series. I shouldn’t have been but you know when that little niggle has wormed its way between your shoulder blades that makes you wonder if it’s worth spending out for? Well that had been there for some time and unfortunately it had put me off starting this title.
Afterwards when I looked back, I can understand why it was there but did feel a little silly when I started this title and was pleasantly surprised as elements that I’d liked from the two authors writing styles came flooding back with some great characters, some interesting premises and a kick ass plotline that blew my expectations away. I really wondered why I’d delayed and with most of my niggles soothed away by the authors writing I suddenly rediscovered with a crash why I’d come to doubt them.
Whilst the concept and majority of the book felt like reinvention to a certain degree, when the principle heroine collapsed in the third act (mentally and physically) I suddenly remembered why I’d been put off the authors as this sequence felt more like a way to pad out an idea that was only half baked. Yes that top part was gooey, delicious and full of all sorts of wonder but the rest, not so much, just a big mess that needed more time before being taken out of the oven.
That said there is still a lot of interest to be had within but the authors really need to find a serious fix for the principle heroine and one that will allow the readers to see why she was suddenly given a lot of responsibility after the meltdown that felt like it would go on forever. While I do have problems with this book, I am prepared to give these two another crack of the whip provided that the next release in this series fixes a lot of the problems to do with our heroine. If they don’t then it’s pretty much the last book by them I’ll read.
Release Date: 01/11/10
BOOK BLURB:
Things should be great for Janie - she has graduated from high school and is spending her summer with Cabel, the guy she's totally in love with. But deep down she's panicking about how she's going to survive her future when getting sucked into other people's dreams is really starting to take its toll. Things get even more complicated when she meets her father for the very first time -and he's in a coma. As Janie uncovers his secret past, she begins to realize that the choice she thought she had has more dire consequences than she ever imagined.
REVIEW:
The third part in Lisa’s series and one that will have readers guessing until the end as to which way it will go. There’s romance, there’s drama and above all else there’s a build up for the overall story arc that the reader will be kept glued to until the final page. The tale is a great addition to the series and above all else a story that relies on the characters to tell it. Back that up with suitable dialogue and a careful plan of the overall arc and its been a real pleasure to enjoy.
Release Date: 02/09/10
BOOK BLURB:
After a summer spent reclaiming her sanity and trying to forget the boy she fell in love with by the bridge where her best friend drowned - the boy who must not exist, cannot exist, because she knows that he is dead - Abbey returns to Sleepy Hollow, determined to leave the ghosts of her past behind. She throws herself into schoolwork, perfume-making and her friendship with Ben, her cute and funny lab partner, who just might be able to help her get over Caspian once and for all. But Abbey is never going to truly be able to move on from Caspian, and Caspian has no choice but to return to her side: for Caspian is a Shade and Abbey is his destiny. The two are tied not only to each other, but also to the town of Sleepy Hollow, and the famous legend that binds their fates - a legend whose true ending and dark truths they are only just beginning to guess...
REVIEW:
The second novel by Jessica which picks up a few months after the end of The Hollows. Deliciously dark this title has everything that the teen female reader could want.
There’s mystery, there is a love story but with Jessica it’s the richness of the characters that makes this title. In particular Abbey, who has her own thoughts and idea’s along with idiosyntricities that make her a real delight to hang around with.
All in a great story but with the ending leaving the reader on a cliff hanger the readers will be clamouring for more and I hope that Jessica picks up sooner rather than later.
Release Date: 04/05/10
BOOK BLURB:
No Time to Die When Jenny plans to spend the summer undercover at the theatre camp where her sister was murdered she had no idea the drama would be quite so deadly. Still grieving and trying to cope with the loss of her sister, Liza, Jenny feels completely out of place on stage, unlike the rest of her theatrical family. But she is determined to understand why her sister was murdered, and more importantly, find out who killed her. So when Jenny thinks she hears Liza speaking to her, and suspects that someone might be following her, she is sure the truth will unfold...but, the drama that follows is even more twisted that she thought. The Deep End of Fear After her childhood best friend, Ashley, tragically drowns in an icy pond, Kate thought she was done with daring adventures for good. But now she has to return to her childhood home and it all comes flooding back. And the scary thing is, the neighbour that she's tutoring claims he can see Ashley...and, that she's been daring him to go on potentially fatal adventures. Can Kate face up to her childhood fears to stop history from repeating itself?REVIEW:
If you want strong characters who are prepared to stand up on their own and be counted, then you can guarantee that you’ll get that from Elizabeth Chandlers writing. They’re independent, they’re sassy and damn stubborn. Add to the mix a beautifully constructed set of stories and essentially a two for one title in one volume and its going to be something special that the readers will love. Great stuff.
BOOK BLURB:
Like everyone born after The Shift, sixteen year-old Aura can see and talk to ghosts. Persistent, and often angry, some even on the verge of becoming Shades, these violet-hued spirits are constantly talking to her, following her, and demanding her help to make amends for their untimely deaths. Aura has always found this mysterious ability annoying and wished she could find a way to reverse it. She'd much rather the ghosts left her alone so she could spend time with her boyfriend, Logan. But when Logan dies suddenly and unexpectedly, Aura is forced to reconsider her connections with the dead...and, the living. Surely a violet-hued spirit Logan is better than no Logan at all, isn't it? And things are complicated further when new exchange student, Zachary, is paired with Aura for a class project researching the 'Shift phenomenon'. Zach is so understanding - and so very alive. His support and friendship means more to Aura than she cares to admit. And, as Aura's relationships with both the dead, and the living, become more complicated, so do her feelings for both Logon and Zach. Each holds a piece of her heart...and clues to the secret of the shift.
REVIEW:
OK, I picked up this offering not expecting much, almost set to hate this offering purely for the fact that the title had an established author quote backed up by a huge thank you from the author of this offering to the other established one. Whilst this may come across as a bit predujice I did feel that it led to the feeling that this offering was more a case of who you know rather than talent, so I was greatly surprised when I started this tale and really loved it from the first few lines.
It’s beautifully written, the principle character outstanding and she felt like she really was alive for the reader. Add to the mix a believable option on the world of the paranormal backed up with a kick ass story and you have something that presented a very cool outlook. Add to the mix emotional conflict and the character coming to terms with who she is and what she can do and it really was a delight to read. I really am pleased that I tried this title rather than leaving it on my TBR list for a later date.
BOOK BLURB:
Nikki is finally starting to adjust to life at her new school and things are looking up. She's made some real friends and her major crush, Brandon, even asks her to be his lab partner in science, Hello! Seriously awesome development! But when Nikki overhears mean girl Mackenzie bragging that Brandon's going to take her to the Halloween dance, a bummed Nikki agrees to spend Halloween at a kids' party for her little sister Brianna. It's only after she makes the commitment that she finds out Mackenzie was lying and that her dream of going to the party with Brandon could be a reality. Now she's got two parties to juggle, what's a girl to do?
REVIEW:
OK, I couldn’t get into the first but as I was at a loose end I thought what the hell and gave this title a go. Its well written, the character seemed more realistic this time round and with the double dealing of the American High School system that many readers are coming to enjoy built in, made this a title that really was a bit of a laugh. It was quirky, it was fun but it was the protagonista’s sense of paranoia that really made this offering worth the time and effort. Definitely something fun and I suspect the new Adrian Mole for Generation X.
BOOK BLURB:
For Janie and Cabel, real life is getting tougher than the dreams. Disturbing things are happening at Fieldridge High, yet nobody's talking. When Janie taps into a classmate's violent nightmares, the case finally breaks open - but nothing goes as planned. Not even close. Janie's in way over her head, and Cabe's shocking behaviour has grave consequences for them both. And if that isn't bad enough, Janie has discovered Martha Stubin's journals, and what she learns through them chills her to the bone. For not only is her fate as a Dream Catcher sealed, but what's to come is so much darker than she'd ever feared...It seems that some nightmares never end...
REVIEW:
Having read the original book in this series I was more than interested to see which way this series would develop. This offering is darker and more emotional than the original and a tale that I really wouldn’t recommend to the younger end of Teen readers. It is well written, the characters grow but it’s the real world danger within that when blended with the fantasy angle is truly terrifying. Add to the mix a bad future prognosis for the principle female lead and you do wonder what is going to happen especially as the author does everything she can to create that special reader/character bond.
BOOK BLURB:
Thirteen-year-old Kyra has grown up in her isolated community without ever questioning the fact that her father has three wives and she has twenty brothers and sisters; without ever questioning the strict rules imposed by 'the Prophet who leads them. But now Kyra has started keeping secrets. She reads books that are forbidden and sneaks away to meet Joshua, the boy she hopes to choose for herself, instead of having a husband chosen for her. Kyra knows that it's only a matter of time before her two secret loves are discovered. And when the Prophet decrees that she is to become the seventh wife of her sixty-year-old uncle, Kyra is forced to make a desperate choice. But saving herself means endangering everyone she's ever cared for. How far should she go for freedom?
REVIEW:
OK, a book that’s had a lot of positive press about it but for the UK market I’m not if it will hit the mark. It is well written however the age group to which this offering is aimed I feel is a little bit too young for a lot of the events that happen within, likewise, the plot would have been better had it been a true story rather than a fictionalised account.
Whilst it is quite harrowing and depressing, the other problem with this offering is that I’m not sure how well the UK readers will respond to a religious cult background as we have very little knowledge of the various sects other than what appears on late night TV. What does shine through in this title however is the lead character, she has attributes that a modern reader can latch onto, to allow them to sympathise with her which is, after all the key part to any story.
BOOK BLURB:
Hanover Falls hasn't had a werewolf problem in over one hundred years. But when people suddenly start dying in Claire Benoit's town, panic spreads fast. At Claire's sixteenth birthday party, the gruesome killings are all anyone can talk about. Claire, however, is more interested in the fact that the gorgeous Matthew Engle keeps chatting and flirting with her as if she's the only girl there. But that night, she discovers something that takes away all sense of normalcy: she's a werewolf. As Claire is initiated into the pack of female werewolves, she must deal not only with her changing identity, but also with a rogue werewolf who is putting everyone she knows in danger. Claire's new life threatens her blossoming romance with Matthew, whose father is leading the werewolf hunt. Now burdened with a dark secret and pushing the boundaries of forbidden love, Claire is struggling to feel comfortable in either skin. With her lupine loyalty at odds with her human heart, she will make a choice that will change her forever...
REVIEW:
A new take on the Werewolf mythos for the next generation as our heroine learns that the world is completely different to what she expected. Add to the mix a separate take on the whole wolf mythos and a huge dollop of paranoia backed up with a cracking story arc and it was definitely a title that I could enjoy. What also makes this title worth the readers time is the way in which you can connect with the principle protagonista as she has real human worries alongside those of her supernatural nature which made this a pure joy to read. A great offering and one that I can’t wait to see what Christine does next with.
BOOK BLURB:
It all started with a board game. But what was supposed to be an evening of friends, fun, and games, becomes a night of danger, drama, and obsessive love. Because when Jenny and her friends try to play the Game, it comes to life. Suddenly they are in a dark world where Julian, the gorgeous guy who sold Jenny the game, rules as Prince of the Shadows. Julian is in charge, making their darkest nightmares reality. And he will do anything to claim the beautiful Jenny as his prize. The Game is real, and these friends must play through - and the only way to win is to face their most secret fears. To lose the Game is to lose your life. And that is only the beginning...
REVIEW:
In the modern market, its always a hardship when you start a series and have to wait for the next novel in order to continue your adventure. In my own youth I remember how hard it was to wait for your favourite authors next title and by the time you’ve gotten around to it, you may well have forgotten what’s come before.
What you have here in the latest release from Simon and Schuster is the compendium of the Forbidden Game series (The Hunter, The Chase and The Kill) and you know that you’ve gotten value for money to start with. Whilst many know LJ more for her Vampire Diary series this one is just as eerie, just as spooky and above all else just as gripping. You have a great cast of characters, some reasonable dialogue and quite a few twists and turns that you’re not expecting. This is definitely one of the series to set the standards in the Young Adult realm and one that will help a great many progress to the Adult Urban Fantasy genre. A real joy to read.
BOOK BLURB:
Karen DeSonne always passed as a normal teenager - and now that she's dead, she's still passing - this time, as alive. When her dead friends are accused of a high profile murder and forced into hiding, she has to prove their innocence. Which means doing the unthinkable and becoming the girlfriend of bionist zealot Peter Martinsburg, who she suspects of framing them. But if he finds out who Karen really is, the consequences for her will be worse than death...
REVIEW:
The third novel in the popular series by Dan Waters and an interesting new take on the zombie mythos that the author has been working on. What occurs within this offering is something totally new to the genre and definitely a worthy addition that I feel a number of other authors will pick up upon. Beautifully written and backed up with realistic characters its an interesting world to walk through as these teens not only have to deal with the typical teenage worries but as the popular website itself says, there so called unlife.
Add to the mix a villain that deals from behind the scenes that you’ll just love to hate alongside a gullible stooge and this novel really is a treat to its epic conclusion. Few write teenage angst alongside zombiefication like Waters which makes him a name to set the standards by.
Release Date: 05/01/12
