Waiting on Wednesday: Spirit

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. This week’s choice is:

Title: Spirit by Brigid Kemmerer
Publisher: KTeen/Kensington
Publish Date: May 2013
Genre: Paranormal

Goodreads Summary: With power comes enemies. Lots of them.

Hunter Garrity just wants to be left alone. He’s learned the hard way that his unusual abilities come at a price. And he can’t seem to afford any allies.

He’s up to his neck in hostiles. His grandfather, spoiling for a fight. The Merrick brothers, who think he ratted them out. Calla, the scheming psycho who wants to use him as bait.

Then there’s Kate Sullivan, the new girl at school. She’s not hostile. She’s bold. Funny. Hot. But she’s got an agenda, too.
With supposedly secret powers rippling to the surface everywhere around him, Hunter knows something ugly is about to go down. But finding out what means he’ll have to find someone he can trust…

Why am I waiting on Spirit? The first book (Storm) in this Elemental series was good, the second (Spark) was even better! Seriously guys, if you have not read these books, you have to get them! Love this series and can’t wait to read the next installment. What books are you waiting on?

Book Review: Spark

Title: Spark by Brigid Kemmerer
Publisher: KTeen/Kensington
Pages: 432
Release Date: August 28, 2012
Genre: Paranormal
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Goodreads Summary: Gabriel Merrick plays with fire. Literally. Sometimes he can even control it. And sometimes he can’t. Like the fire that killed his parents.
Gabriel has always had his brothers to rely on, especially his twin, Nick. But when an arsonist starts wreaking havoc on their town, all the signs point to Gabriel. Only he’s not doing it.

More than Gabriel’s pride is at stake -- this could cost him his family, maybe his life. And no one seems to hear him. Except a shy sophomore named Layne, a brainiac who dresses in turtlenecks and jeans and keeps him totally off balance. Layne understands family problems, and she understands secrets. She has a few of her own.

Gabriel can’t let her guess about his brothers, about his abilities, about the danger that’s right at his heels. But there are some risks he can’t help taking.

The fuse is lit…

A few months ago, I raved about Brigid Kemmerer’s debut novel, Storm. I loved the characters and the cool Outsiders vibe I got from this book and have been really looking forward to the second book in the Elemental series, Spark. Guess what guys, Spark is even better than Storm!

I am a very character driven reader and the characters in Spark are fantastic. The plot centers around the four brothers who can control the elements: fire, air, water and earth, and a fifth boy who controls all four elements plus spirit. I love how Kemmerer keeps the focus on the boys’ family dynamics and their friendships. Some of my favorite parts of this book were Gabriel’s interactions with his brothers.

And speaking of characters, I love Gabriel! True to his fire element, Gabriel is a sarcastic hot head with major issues but Kemmerer makes it work so well. Gabriel is officially one of my favorite book boys for the year! There is romance in Spark and it is sweet, perfect and like everything else about this book, very well developed. While I thought Becca was a decent female lead in Storm, I love Layne in Spark!

Spark is fast paced and with a different enough focus from Storm to make it fresh even though it is the second book in the series. If you are looking for a paranormal novel that’s fresh, funny, fun, well written with awesome character development and a great plot, Spark (and the Elemental series) is for you.

I cannot wait to read Spirit, the next book in the series which comes out in May 2013, and pretty much anything else Brigid Kemmerer writes!

Content: Heavy profanity, underage drinking, bullying, sexual assault, kissing and violence. More appropriate for older/more mature teens and adults.

My Rating: The Best!

Book Review: Enshadowed

Title: Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh
Release Date: August 28, 2012
Publisher: Atheneum
Pages: 421 pages
Genre: Horror, Paranormal
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Goodreads Summary: Varen Nethers is trapped in a perilous dream world -- a treacherous and desolate realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life. Isobel Lanley, plagued by strange visions and haunted by the nightmares of Varen's creation, is the only one who can save him.

Isobel knows that her only hope lies within a Baltimore cemetery. There, in the early morning hours of Edgar Allan Poe's birthday, a mysterious stranger known as the "Poe Toaster" will make his annual homage at the legendary poet's grave.

Only the Poe Toaster holds the key to the way between worlds. But even greater dangers lie ahead for Isobel. An ancient evil, draped in veils of white, is watching, challenging her for Varen's affections. When Isobel finally finds Varen, he is no longer the quiet and brooding boy who once captivated her, but a dark force, powerful and malevolent.

When I read Nevermore (the first book in this series) back in 2010, I was totally blown away by it. It was easily my favorite book of the year and, in my humble opinion, one of the most underrated books of the year as well. It has been torturous for me to wait two long years to read the sequel. To say I was excited when I received a review copy of Enshadowed is an understatement. Was Enshadowed worth the wait? More yes and a little bit no. Let me explain.

Nevermore rocked in character development and world building. The first portion of the book deals with the relationship between unpopular goth boy Varen Nethers and extremely popular cheerleader Isobel Lanley. These two are such an unlikely couple and Kelly Creagh writes the characters and the relationship brilliantly. While there are some creepy things happening in the first two-thirds of Nevermore, it’s not until the end of the book that things take a dark, crazy and creeptastic turn for the best and the cliffhanger ending of the book just left me reeling.

Enshadowed follows a similar formula in that the first portion of the book has some great paranormal bits to it but it’s not until the end that things really get exciting. The difference between the two books is that while Varen is integral to Nevermore, he is majorly absent in Enshadowed. I’m not going to lie, this was a downer for me. Varen is so awesome, he is the only swoon-worthy goth boy I have ever met in fiction and after waiting for two years, to ‘hang out’ with him again, I was disappointed and I missed him.

So after complaining about Varen’s absence, why am I still giving Enshadowed a ‘Really Good’ rating? Because the writing is awesome, the dream world that Creagh creates is creepy, eerie and perfect and the cliffhanger ending again has me begging for more.

While Enshadowed may not be a great as Nevermore, it is still a good book and this series is one of the most original out there. I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves Edgar Allan Poe, horror, gothic stories or anything wonderfully different from all the other paranormal YA books out there. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in this series!

Content: Kissing and violence.

My Rating: Really Good!

Book Review: Timepiece

Title: Timepiece by Myra McEntire
Release Date: June 12, 2012
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pages: 336 pages
Genre: Paranormal, Science Fiction

Goodreads Summary: A threat from the past could destroy the future. And the clock is ticking...

Kaleb Ballard's relentless flirting is interrupted when Jack Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, timeslips in and attacks before disappearing just as quickly. But Kaleb has never before been able to see time travelers, unlike many of his friends associated with the mysterious Hourglass organization. Are Kaleb's powers expanding, or is something very wrong?

Then the Hourglass is issued an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the time gene, or time will be altered with devastating results.
Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Jack. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough...

I really liked Hourglass, the first book in this series. I don’t often read YA books on time travel and Hourglass was very cool with a plot that featured both paranormal and science fiction elements. When I saw that my library got the sequel, Timepiece, I made sure to reserve my copy so I could read it right away.

The science/time travel aspects of the plot in Hourglass were intricate and I understood them while I was reading that first book but since that was a year ago, I can’t remember what they were. I spent most of this book trying to remember how and why the whole thing worked and the confusion took away from the plot for me. However, McEntire’s descriptions of the time rips are great and the characters’ different paranormal powers are very cool.

Unlike the first book which was told from Emerson’s perspective, Timepiece is told from Kaleb’s which didn’t bother me. I did not like Kaleb in the first book. He was a cocky, self-destructive bad boy and I disliked the love triangle that was developing with him, Emerson and Michael. I’m happy that McEntire gave Kaleb his own love interest and that the reader got inside his head to see why he behaved the way he did. I finished Timepiece liking Kaleb a lot more than I did before. Interestingly enough, Emerson annoyed me in this book with her constant need to be assured and canoodled by Michael.

Timepiece is an OK book which would have been much better for me if I had read it back to back with Hourglass. The book does not end with a cliffhanger (yay!) but there are enough loose ends left to warrant another book in the series.

Content: Kissing, sexual situations and violence.

My Rating: Just Fine

Book Review: Bound

Title: Bound by Erica O’Rourke
Release Date: June 26, 2012
Publisher: Kensington
Pages: 350 pages
Genre: Paranormal
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Goodreads Summary: Mo Fitzgerald has made her choice: A life in Chicago. A future with Colin. To leave behind the enigmatic Luc and the world of the Arcs. But the more she struggles to keep her magic and mortal lives separate, the deadlier the consequences. In the end, Mo must risk everything--her life, her heart, her future--or lose it all.

I love it when a trilogy ends and everything gets tied up in a satisfying way. It’s not that everything ends perfectly and happily ever after, but even with the bitter sweetness of it all, everything ends as it should be. Bound does that for the Torn trilogy and is easily the best book in the series.

I love the plot in Bound. There are lots of twists and betrayals worthy of any book involving both magic and the mob. As both sides of Mo’s crazy world start to bleed together, the stakes get so much higher and more exciting.

As always, Mo is the most interesting character and she definitely comes into her own in Bound. While the two groups (the mobsters and the magical Arcs) in her life don’t think much of her and try to use her to further their agendas, Mo proves that they underestimated her in big ways. I love the way she navigates both worlds and finally makes a place for herself.

While I loved the plot in Bound, I’m not a big fan of the romance and love triangle in the book. Mo declares her commitment to one boy and begs him to take her virginity and a little later on, she makes the same commitment to another boy and begs him to do the same. Honestly, her feelings of commitment did not feel real to me. It just seemed the Mo wanted to have sex and would stay with the guy who would sleep with her.

Bound has an awesome, exciting plot, tons of action and twisty surprises that I did not see coming. My issues with the romance aside, this is the most exciting book in the series. If you are looking for something different in YA books, this unique trilogy may be it.

Content: Kissing, sex, profanity and violence. More appropriate for older/more mature teens.

My Rating: Really Good!

Book Review: Burning Emerald

Title: Burning Emerald by Jaime Reed
Release Date: May 29, 2012
Publisher: Kensington/Dafina
Pages: 302 pages
Genre: Paranormal
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review

SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers to Living Violet, the first book in the series.

Goodreads Summary: Coping with loss, keeping secrets from friends, and juggling classes has kept Sam Marshall busy in her senior year. She finds comfort in her unlikely companion, Caleb, as their connection grows to where one cannot survive without the other.

But Sam’s biggest problem is a powerful enemy that wants her for himself and to destroy Caleb and his family. Determined to keep Caleb safe, Sam fights a battle where she is both the enemy and the prize, but victory will come at a deadly price.

Normally, I’m not into books about incubus and succubus, but Jaime Reed really makes this work for young adults and certainly makes it work for me.

Burning Emerald picks up shortly after Samara Marshall’s eventful summer where she finds out that both her co-worker Caleb and friend Nadine are Cambions, people who are born with a sentient incubus or succubus inhabiting their bodies. It’s the same summer that Sam fell for Caleb and Nadine died in Sam’s arms trying to save her life from another Cambion. That’s when Nadine’s succubus left her dead body and took residence in Sam’s instead. Now as her senior year begins, Sam is attracting the attention of the majority of boys in her school and the jealous ire of all the girls. And if this new life of cravings and feeding on people’s energy without killing them isn’t hard enough, there is someone from Nadine’s past that is stalking Sam and will stop at nothing to get her.

As in Living Violet, I loved Sam’s sassy, snarky humor. Her relationship with Caleb is also more intense but still sweet. Caleb is still every bit the awesome, mature boyfriend who is even more caring and protective of Sam than ever. He does get a bit alpha at one point in the book and I loved it! I also liked that Sam’s mother is very active in her life and knows about her new paranormal situation. I’ve read so many books where the parents have no idea what’s going on with their teen who then has to sneak around and lie about their supernatural powers. Of course, I love ethnically diverse characters in YA books and Burning Emerald has a great mix of them.

This is the first YA book I’ve read with incubi and succubi and that’s probably because the sexual nature of these beings is not appropriate for teen readers. Jaime Reed makes this story, interesting, exciting and still keeps an edge to it without it being inappropriate.

Burning Emerald is a really good sequel to Living Violet. The book ends with a heck of a cliffhanger and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Fading Amber, which comes out next year.

Content: Kissing, discussions about sex, profanity and violence.

My Rating: Really Good!

Joint Review: Harbinger

Lisa from Read. Breathe. Relax and I did our first joint review last year and are very excited to do another on the dark thriller, Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne. Below are some of Lisa’s thoughts on Harbinger and please check out Lisa’s blog for more of my thoughts on the book.

Title: Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne

Release Date: Feb 2, 2012
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons BYR
Pages: 309 pages
Genre: Dystopia, Paranormal

Goodreads Summary: Girl, Interrupted meets Beautiful Creatures in this fast-paced thriller

When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn't expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she's going crazy. Fast.

But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she's come home. She's even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red.

Faye knows she's the reason, but what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can't trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her - and the rest of the world too.

Q1. Is Harbinger what you expected? What surprised you the most about the book (without giving away too many spoilers)?

Lisa: Yes and no. I only read one review of Harbinger, but I think I was pretty well prepared for how dark it was. On the other hand, it did have a ton of twists that took me completely off-guard. The ending is what surprised me the most. I thought the author was taking it one way, but she took it a whole different way I couldn't have guessed in a million years.

Me: I had no idea this book was dystopian before I started reading it. The summary does not even hint at anything like that so it was easily my biggest surprise.

Q2. What did you think of the book’s dark setting (the school, surrounding areas and the world itself)?

Lisa: Although I'm a serious wimp when it comes to super dark/scary books, I actually thought the dark setting was appropriate and interesting. It gave the story an aura of mystery and suspense. Holbrook was creepy and awful, and I admired how consistently horrible Etienne made it. 

Me: I agree! This school was a prison masquerading as a reform school and it was awful! She did a fantastic job writing the setting.

Q3. Faye is an interesting main character? What did you like and not like about her?

Lisa: I liked that Faye was an outcast and that she fashioned a misfit family out of her fellow students at Holbrook. She's rebellious and curious, and I thought she was a well-rounded character.

The only thing I didn't really like about Faye was that at the end of the book, she seemed to change too rapidly. Although it fit with the plot, Faye was acting completely differently than she had the entire book. It just didn't make sense to me.

Me: I have to agree with you on this as well.

Q4. What did you think of the relationship between Faye and Kel?

Lisa: Following the rest of my responses, I really loved Faye and Kel 80 percent of the book. Their relationship was fraught with delicious tension and attraction. Then at the end...it just got weird.

Me: LOL! I thought there was a lot of weirdness about their relationship throughout the book. It was this sort of insta-attraction/weird connection that they shared that was, well, different. Not bad, but different.

Q5. What did you think of the secondary characters, especially the family?

Lisa: I seriously loved them!! They're all so quirky and funny. I loved their back stories and how they formed a real bond over their shared misery. (Bummer). 

Q6. Harbinger has an environmental theme running through it that I find unique in paranormal YA books but more common in dystopia. What did you think of this theme? Would you like to see more or less of it in YA?

Lisa: In general, I think the theme of environmentalism can seem a bit forced and a little political. But, in Harbinger, it fit in with the overall ideas presented in the book: the world ran out of resources and struggled to keep going. It only makes sense that there were activists who wanted to cut down on wasteful consumption.

I think this theme also feels less pushy in paranormal and dystopian books because it's set in a fictional world and doesn't seem to read like a commentary on the current state of affairs in our country.

Q7. What were you overall thoughts on the book? Who would you recommend it to?

Lisa: This book was unputdownable for me. I read it in 2 days, which is pretty fast for this 9-to-5er. I was riveted the entire time!! The combination of intense mystery and action with a side of romance made this a well-balanced book.

However, the end of the book felt rushed and incomplete. In the last fourth of the book, the reader is hit with a tidal wave of new information. It's so much to process that I found myself drowning in the details. The final twist at the end just left me confused and a little let down. It wasn't the shocking reveal I was hoping for.

Harbinger passed the class but failed the final. The whole build-up of the story was enough to carry me through the patchy ending.

I would recommend this to fans of dark fantasy, paranormal YA and people who just love a good mystery (and staying up late nights).

Me: I read this very much wanting to find out what was behind the mysteries and Faye’s visions but the rushed ending left me confused and I still have questions that went unanswered. If you like dark and original YA books, I think this may be one for you, but it can be confusing. Harbinger does appear to be a standalone book which is a good thing for those tired of waiting a whole year to find out how the story ends.

Thank you for doing another joint review with me, Lisa! Don't forget to stop by Read. Breathe. Relax. to see Lisa's questions for me on Harbinger.

Book Review: Storm

Title: Storm by Brigid Kemmerer

Release Date: April 24, 2012
Publisher: Kensington
Pages: 353 pages
Genre: Paranormal
Source: Publisher

Goodreads Summary: Earth, Fire, Air, Water – they have more power than you dream.

Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her, Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys—all the ones she doesn't want. Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water—just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They’re powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.

And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca.

Secrets are hard to keep when your life’s at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who’s hiding the most dangerous truth of all. The storm is coming . ..

When I first read the summary for Storm by Brigid Kemmerer, I really, really hoped it was going to be good. It had all the ingredients for a fantastic paranormal story, namely hot boys with cool super powers and I simply could not wait to read it. I’m happy to tell you that Storm delivered and then some! Think The Outsiders with the Merrick boys being like the Curtis brothers but having the ability to control the elements. Yes guys, it’s like that!

When our main character, Becca, sees Chris Merrick being beaten up by two older boys, she steps in to help him and inadvertently becomes caught up in an ongoing feud involving the Merricks and some other families in their town.

I started reading Storm expecting very cool paranormal elements and I got them. Chris controls water and Kemmerer does an awesome job describing how he communicates with his element. This book focuses on Chris so we learn the most about his ability but we do get to see his brothers use their powers as well. What I did not expect were some subplots in story involving sexual assault and bullying. The issues were handled well and made the story more rounded.

Becca is a strong main character who has made some poor decisions but is doing her best to deal with them. Chris, the youngest brother (think Ponyboy) is a likable male lead. There is a love triangle involving new boy Hunter (don’t worry, it’s well done), so technically, Storm actually has five swoon worthy boys instead of four.

While I don’t have brothers myself, I can’t help but think that Brigid Kemmerer captures the conflicts and issues that come up among brothers, especially when an older brother is the one doing the parenting. I don’t usually like bad boys but Gabriel (who controls fire) is my favorite brother in all his hot headed, rude, snarky, jerky glory. I’m so happy that the next book in the series, Spark, will focus on him. 

Storm is very fast paced, filled with a lot of action and awesome paranormal elements. I raced through this book and cannot wait to read Spark which thankfully comes out in September. Even though Storm does not end with a cliffhanger, it’s the type of book that makes you want to read the sequel as soon as you are done with the first! This is a great start to an exciting new series and Kemmerer is definitely one to watch.

Content: Kissing, sexual discussions, heavy profanity, underage drinking and violence. Due to the issues of sexual assault and the nature of the bullying, I would recommend this book to older/more mature teens and adults.

My Rating: Really Good!

Book Review: Tangled

Title: Tangled by Erica O’Rourke

Release Date: Jan. 31, 2012
Publisher: Kensington
Pages: 313 pages
Genre: Paranormal
Source: Publisher

Goodreads Summary: Constance started to keen as the air around us began to thrash and twist, the caustic scent of ozone burning my nose. As I watched, her dark gold hair began to lift and kink into knots.

“I’m here. It’ll be okay.” It was the last thing I said before my best friend’s little sister went supernova in the second-floor girls’ bathroom, taking me with her.

A month ago, Mo Fitzgerald risked her life to stop an ancient prophecy and avenge her best friend's murder. Now, she only wants to keep her loved ones safe. But the magic—and the Chicago Mob—have other plans.

Mysterious, green-eyed Luc is back, asking for help—and a second chance. Colin, her strongest protector, is hiding a shocking secret. And inside Constance, the magic is about to go terribly wrong. Tangled in a web of love and betrayal, Mo must choose between the life she's dreamed of and the one she's destined for.

All Mo wants to do is get away from the magic and the mob but they just keep pulling her back in. Tangled picks up about a month after where Torn, the first book in the series, ended. Torn was all about avenging the death of Verity, Mo’s best friend, but Mo had to make sacrifices to get justice. Having done what she needed to do, Mo just wants her normal, invisible life back but no one will let her have it ever again.

The series is partially set in Chicago where Mo’s uncle is connected to the mob and partially set in New Orleans where a secret society of Arcs, people who can pull on the magic in the Earth’s elements, are headquartered. In many ways, the Arcs are no different than the mob: they are ruthless and will sacrifice anyone to get what they want.

Unfortunately, Mo is caught between both groups as well as some other characters, all of whom have their own agendas and almost none of them care about Mo’s well being. Mo realizes that she will never have normal again and that her dream of moving away from all of it may not be possible.

The love triangle from Torn continues in Tangled with Mo being pursued by magical Luc with his sexy Louisiana drawl and being drawn to Colin, her bodyguard with his mob ties and secrets. Both boys have their pros and cons and Mo does spend most of the book undecided about which one she is going to be with. One of the things I like about the book is that Mo’s character does grow throughout the story and she emerges a lot surer of herself than when she started. This confidence also extends to her decisions about the love triangle and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, Bound, to see how she deals with the mob, the magic and the men.

Tangled is exciting, fast paced and the combination of magic and the mob is very cool. If you have not started this series yet, you really should. The series stand out from other books in the YA paranormal market and is definitely worth reading. Bound will be released in October 2012 and I'm looking forward to it.

Content: Profanity, kissing and violence

My Rating: Really Good!

Book Review: Hallowed

Title: Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Release Date: Jan. 17, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 403 pages
Genre: Paranormal
Source: Publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads Summary: For months Clara Gardner trained to face the fire from her visions, but she wasn't prepared for the choice she had to make that day. And in the aftermath, she discovered that nothing about being part angel is as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her love for Tucker and her complicated feelings about the roles she and Christian seem destined to play in a world that is both dangerous and beautiful, Clara struggles with a shocking revelation: Someone she loves will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

In this compelling sequel to "Unearthly," Cynthia Hand captures the joy of first love, the anguish of loss, and the confusion of becoming who you are.

The idea of fallen angels (or angel/human relationships) has never seemed romantic to me, but rather creepy and demonic so I usually avoid angel books with very few exceptions, Cynthia Hand’s Unearthly, being one of them. I really enjoyed it and thought there was a clear delineation between good and evil in the story. The protagonists were descendants of fallen angels, part human and part angel, who had a purpose on Earth to do good and oppose the evil fallen angels, or blackwings. Hallowed, on the other hand, introduced new characters, blurred the lines a bit and romanticized full blooded angels in a way that I’m not sure that I liked.

Hallowed picks up right where Unearthly left off with Clara, Tucker and Christian about to start their senior year of high school. The first portion of the book is filled with a lot of angst as Clara agonizes if by going against her vision, she has ruined her life by not completing her purpose in life.

Clara’s angst is understandable. At 17, all she wants to do is to hang out with her boyfriend and not worry about destiny and the consequences of going against your given purpose. Of course, her life is more complicated than that. Clara has her moments where she throws a tantrum and contemplates changing her life to suit her boyfriend (all realistic for a girl her age), but she does get it together and her character experiences more growth and maturity than in book one.

I have to talk about the love triangle in Hallowed. I don’t like love triangles but if you are a writer and you are going to include one in your book, this is the way to do it. Clara does not go annoyingly back and forth about which boy she wants to be with. She loves one of them but feels like destiny is pushing her to another and she resents it. It’s also hard to be annoyed by this triangle when both boys are fantastically written and Clara would be good with either one.

My personal misgivings about human/angel relationships aside, this book is extremely well written. Hand easily side steps the second-book-in-a-series-slump by writing a book with a winning plot, adding interesting new characters while still engaging us with the old ones and throwing in relevant plot twists. Hallowed is an emotional book with rich relationships and did I say amazing writing? It would have been easy for Hand to cheapen certain situations in the book but she didn’t. I can’t get too spoilery but there is incredible love and loss and it is very well done.

There is no cliffhanger at the end of Hallowed but readers will definitely be chomping at the bit to find out what happens next. The next book in the series will be out next year.

Content: Kissing and violence

My Rating: Really Good!

Book Review: Touch

Title: Touch by Jus Accardo

Release Date: Nov. 1, 2011
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Pages: 251 pages
Genre: Paranormal
Source: Publisher

Goodreads Summary: When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.

Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized.

Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.

A secret Kale will kill to protect.

Touch is a fast paced, action packed paranormal YA novel featuring characters with very cool powers similar to those seen in TV shows and movies like X-Men and Heroes. The story is set in a town where an unusual number of the citizens are Sixes, people who have special powers. The Denazen Corporation, an uber-evil company recruits the Sixes or more often than not, just kidnaps them and forces them to their bidding. Touch is about Kale, the boy who escaped and is hunted by Denazen and Deznee, the girl who helps him and brings him back to life at the same time.

Seventeen-year-old Deznee Cross lives to upset her father. Deznee’s mom passed away when she was little and she and her father have a horrible relationship. He is an unloving workaholic who only pays attention to Dez when he scolds her to tell her how disappointed he is in her. While Dez thought her father was bad at first, she does not learn the extent of his evil until later in the novel. I get that Deznee hates him and does whatever she can to get back at him, but I still cringed when I read about her exploits.

Dez is an interesting character. It’s not that she isn’t likable, it’s just that I can’t identify with her. Dez describes herself as a former honor student, bookworm and all around good girl until she met her ex-boyfriend Alex. Between going out with Alex and her quest to make her dad mad, Deznee chooses to be a slacker, get bad grades, drink, party, do drugs and hook-up with lots of boys. It seems like everything Dez did was to upset her father and it felt like such a waste of energy. No one should live just to piss someone else off, no matter how much you hate them.

Kale is also very interesting. Accardo wrote his character with awesome contradictions: a trained assassin who has childlike innocence; a gorgeous, swoonworthy boy who has never kissed a girl, never even held another person’s hand. I liked Kale a lot and thought he was well written. The relationship with Dez is also fairly well developed.

While the plot of Touch is very exciting, it does have its flaws. Everything comes together a too easily and quickly. For all its ruthlessness, the Denazen Corporation should have been more of a challenge. The story wrap-up felt a little too convenient and could have used a few more pages to expand the plot. I did love the constant action and the show of power by the Sixes was fun to read and my favorite part of the novel.

Touch is the first book in the series with the sequel, Toxic scheduled to be released on May 1.

Content: Kissing, sexual situations, graphic sex, heavy profanity, violence, underage drinking and drug use. During the sex scene between two characters, the girl (who is sexually active) rationalizes that they don’t have to use a condom because she is on the pill and the boy is a virgin. This book is not appropriate for younger teens.

My Rating: Just Fine

Book Review: Living Violet

Title: Living Violet by Jaime Reed

Release Date: Dec. 27, 2012
Publisher: Kensington
Pages: 304 pages
Genre: Paranormal
Source: Publisher

Goodreads Summary: He's persuasive, charming, and way too mysterious. And for Samara Marshall, her co-worker is everything she wants most--and everything she most fears. . .

Samara Marshall is determined to make the summer before her senior year the best ever. Her plan: enjoy downtime with friends and work to save up cash for her dream car. Summer romance is not on her to-do list, but uncovering the truth about her flirtatious co-worker, Caleb Baker, is. From the peculiar glow to his eyes to the unfortunate events that befall the girls who pine after him, Samara is the only one to sense danger behind his smile.

But Caleb's secrets are drawing Samara into a world where the laws of attraction are a means of survival. And as a sinister power closes in on those she loves, Samara must take a risk that will change her life forever. . .or consume it.

I read lots of paranormal books and while I love them, I'm always looking for something different to shake up my reading routine. I was very pleasantly surprised and rewarded by Living Violet because there is nothing cookie cutter about this book. There is no high school angst, no love triangle and absolutely no insta-love. Living Violet is original, well paced and a completely enjoyable read.

I'm a character driven reader and Samara is an awesome main character. The book is told from her perspective and she is very likable. Jamie Reed writes relationships well and I love how she portrays Samara’s relationships with her parents and friends. Samara is a smart, responsible, take-no-nonsense kind of girl and her personality stays true throughout the book.

By far, my favorite part of the book is Samara’s voice. She is witty, funny and sarcastic. Samara is the kind of girl I would want to be friends with, and as a matter of fact, her honest (and humorous) outlook on life’s situations reminds me of some of my own friends.

I also love how Caleb’s character is developed. We are not sure about Caleb at first. We know there is something different about him but we don’t know if he is a good or bad guy. I love the unique paranormal elements of the story and the big reveal was worth the wait. I don’t think I have read another YA book about this subject before.

Living Violet exceeded my expectations and with its diverse and interesting cast of characters, it’s the perfect book to kick-off the Multi-Cultural Book Challenge. I raced through this book and I am dying for the sequel, Burning Emerald, which comes out in May.

Tune in tomorrow when I interview Jaime Reed on Living Violet and other projects she is currently working on.

On a side note: I love that the author is lighthearted enough to poke a little fun at the YA paranormal romance genre with the Specter (a fictional novel mentioned in the book) references. There are more than a few lines in this book that made me laugh out loud, in a really good way.

Content: Some profanity, sexual discussions, attempted rape, kissing and violence.

My Rating: Really Good!

Book Review: The Gathering Storm

Title: The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

Release Date: Jan 10, 2012
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 400 pages
Genre: Historical, Paranormal
Source: Publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads Summary: St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at her finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.

An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.

The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?

With the combination of historical and paranormal elements plus a beautiful cover, The Gathering Storm is the kind of book I adore. In theory. In reality, this book did not deliver for me like I wanted it to.

Prior to reading, I thought The Gathering Storm was a historical novel with some paranormal elements, but it’s more of a paranormal novel in a historical setting. Almost all the characters are fey, witches, vampires, werewolves, zombies or necromancers with our main character, Katerina, being one of the most powerful necromancers in Russia.

The historical setting of Tsarist Russia is wonderful: the balls, glittering jewels and gorgeous dresses are wonderfully described. Robin Bridges also does a good job of introducing really interesting folklore to the story line and for using real people from history in her story. These are the elements that I liked. Unfortunately, there are more that I did not.

Katerina has known about her supernatural ability since she was a child and she has taken great care to hide it from everyone. She is a person of science, wanting to be a doctor, an occupation that was not thought to be inappropriate for a woman at that time. While Katerina is book smart and has bravely chosen and unpopular occupation (which I admire), she does some really stupid things.

She has a hard time believing that other supernatural beings exist even though as a necromancer, she is one of them. She is repeatedly warned about a certain family and seen members of the family doing evil things including hurt her own family and friends, yet she still hangs out with them so as not to upset them. Katerina is also specifically warned that a certain boy is evil and is given a talisman to help protect her from him, but she falls victim to him anyway because she only wears the talisman sporadically. She gets really angry at people who tell her she can’t be a doctor because she is a woman, but is annoyingly meek to the people who blackmail, kidnap, drug and use her as a blood donor for their crazy rituals.

Most of these issues stem from Katerina believing that she can fix everything herself and refusing to tell those close to her what’s going on or ask for help. I’m so frustrated with book-smart girls who make dumb decisions and bury themselves in deeper and deeper. You know this girl, she has been showing up more and more in YA books lately.

I don’t like bashing books, especially from hard working debut authors, so I won’t keep nitpicking at all the things that frustrated me about The Gathering Storm. While it’s not a bad book, it had all the ingredients to be an awesome read, it just did not deliver for me. I think I’m so disappointed because I had such high expectations for it. If you read it without expectations, you will probably enjoy it more than I did.

Content: Kissing and violence.

My Rating: Disappointing

Book Review: Kiss of Frost

Title: Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Release Date: Nov. 29, 2011
Publisher: Kensington
Pages: 354 pages
Genre: Paranormal, Mythology
Source: Publisher

Goodreads Summary: I’m Gwen Frost, a second-year warrior-in-training at Mythos Acad­emy, and I have no idea how I’m going to sur­vive the rest of the semes­ter. One day, I’m get­ting schooled in sword­play by the guy who broke my heart—the drop-dead gor­geous Logan who slays me every time. Then, an invis­i­ble archer in the Library of Antiq­ui­ties decides to use me for tar­get prac­tice. And now, I find out that some­one at the acad­emy is really a Reaper bad guy who wants me dead. I’m afraid if I don’t learn how to live by the sword—with Logan’s help—I just might die by the sword...

Jennifer Estep delivers a fun, action-packed sequel to Touch of Frost with Kiss of Frost. This second book picks up shortly after the first with Gwen learning how to fight from her crush (and hot Spartan), Logan Quinn.

As with the first book, Estep effortlessly weaves mystery and mythology together creating a story that’s hard to put down. After the events at the end of book one, Gwen knows she may be the target from those wanting to get revenge and it’s not too long before she is attacked. She has to find out who wants to kill her and she has to do it fast.

Gwen Frost is an extremely likable character. On the surface, she seems like the most ordinary girl in a school in a school full of rich, spoiled superheroes but her psychometry (ability to know an object’s history by touching it) gives her character a lot more depth. In Kiss of Frost, we get to see more of Gwen’s ability at work, which is nice. We also find out more information about the Chaos War and Gwen’s role as Nike’s champion.

The secondary characters are well written, especially Vic, Gwen’s bloodthirsty, talking sword. I love him! While I was happy with Gwen and Logan’s relationship at the end of the book, I want more! Jennifer Estep writes the opposite of insta-love: characters that are perfect for each other, have awesome, tension filled interactions but take forever to get together! It’s been fun seeing these two deny their feelings and I am very excited to see where the story takes them in Dark Frost, which will be published in June.

While the mystery in Kiss of Frost was a bit more predictable than in Touch of Frost, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. This series has romance, action and excitement. Can’t wait to see what Estep has in store for us next.

Content: Profanity, kissing, underage drinking and violence.

My Rating: Really Good!

Book Review: Fateful

Title: Fateful by Claudia Gray

Release Date: Sep. 13, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 356 pages
Genre: Paranormal, Historical
Source: Library

Goodreads Summary: In Fateful, eighteen-year-old maid Tess Davies is determined to escape the wealthy, overbearing family she works for. Once the ship they’re sailing on reaches the United States, she’ll strike out on her own. Then she meets Alec, a handsome first-class passenger who captivates her instantly. But Alec has secrets....

Soon Tess will learn just how dark Alec’s past truly is. The danger they face is no ordinary enemy: werewolves are real and they’re stalking him—and now Tess, too. Her growing love for Alec will put Tess in mortal peril, and fate will do the same before their journey on the Titanic is over.

Featuring the opulent backdrop of the Titanic, Fateful’s publication is poised to coincide with the 100-year anniversary of the ship’s doomed maiden voyage. It is sure to be a hit among Titanic buffs and fans of paranormal romance alike.

When I read the summary for Fateful a few months back and saw that Claudia Gray was writing a book about werewolves on the Titanic, I knew I had to read it. While, I loved the historical aspects of this book, I was a little disappointed with the romance.

In Fateful, it’s clear that Gray did her research on the Titanic and it’s reflected in both the big and small the details about the ship. I love how Gray subtly and effectively combines the historical and paranormal aspects of the book.

Tess’s character is likable. She is a maid for a rich family whose matriarch treats the help very poorly. Tess, being smart and ambitious, plans to quit as soon as the ship gets to New York and make a new life for herself. She handles herself with grace even when being bereted by her employer. She is brave when the people she cares about are being threatened. The secondary characters are also well written and I loved how their stories were slowly revealed throughout the book.

As much as I liked Tess, I just was not enthusiastic about her relationship with Alec. Alec is the rich, handsome passenger from first class and Tess unwittingly gets involved in a dangerous situation he has going on with another passenger on the ship. Alec is dark and brooding throughout most of the novel. I understand that he is unhappy about his situation, but I really wanted him to stop moping and work just a little harder to keep Tess safe from Mikhail.

I was bugged by the fact that Tess does most of the ‘heavy lifting’ in this book while Alec is mostly sad. She thwarts the bad guy on several occasions, comes up with some of the better ideas to help Alec and pretty much saves him from himself. I’m all for strong female characters but I don’t think we need kick-butt heroines at the expense of strong male lead characters.

Their romance also happened a bit fast for me and before you say it, I know that a shipboard romance on the Titanic means that the couple has to meet and fall in love over a four day period. And yes, while I bought the shipboard romance in the movie Titanic, Alec and Tess are no Jack and Rose. I just was not feeling it. 

Fateful is original, has lots of action, forbidden romance and a dramatic and well written setting. Hardcore historical and paranormal romance lovers may like this more than I did. While not bad, this was just an OK book for me.

Content: Kissing, sex (no graphic descriptions) and violence.

My Rating: Just Fine

Book Review: Shattered Dreams

Title: Shattered Dreams by Ellie James

Release Date: Dec. 6, 2011
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Pages: 352 pages
Genre: Paranormal Thriller
Source: Publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads Summary: Sixteen-year-old Trinity Monsour wants nothing more than to live a normal life. But that isn’t as easy as it seems. Trinity is different. She is special. She sees visions, and for those she’s seen, it’s already too late. 

Trinity arrives on her aunt’s doorstep in New Orleans with virtually no knowledge of her mysterious heritage. She begins settling into life at a new school and even starts making friends. But all too quickly her dreams accelerate; twisted, terrifying visions of a girl locked in a dark room. And when the head cheerleader, Jessica, goes missing, Trinity knows she has no choice but to step forward with what she’s seen.

But people believe that Trinity has information about Jessica’s disappearance not because of a dream, but because she is involved. She is kind-of dating Jessica’s ex-boyfriend, Chase, and Jessica did pull a nasty prank on Trinity. Revenge seems like the likeliest scenario.

Nothing prepares Trinity for the dark odyssey that ensues while searching for Jessica, including the surprising romance she finds with Chase, or the shocking truths she learns, not just about the girl who has gone missing, but the past that has been hidden from her.

I expected Shattered Dreams to be similar to other paranormal thrillers I read and loved including The Body Finder and Clarity, two books about girls with paranormal abilities who use them to solve a crime. Shattered Dreams was more about Trinity finding out about her own paranormal abilities than about the crime and instead of thrilling, this book is confusing and disappointing.

The school’s resident mean girl/head cheerleader, Jessica, goes missing after she plays a prank on Trinity and so Trinity becomes the primary suspect. It does not help that Trinity and Chase, Jessica’s ex-boyfriend, start dating immediately after Jessica goes missing. Trinity has dreams where she sees Jessica being held captive and when she tells the police, it pretty much seals her fate as the suspect.

There are a couple of things that I liked about this book. Trinity’s aunt is an awesome character. She is loving, nurturing and involved in Trinity’s life. I’m tired of YA novels where teens live on their own like adults with no parental involvement so this was refreshing. I also love how the city of New Orleans is described. The post-Katrina beauty and desolation of the place is almost like a secondary character. The setting is very well written.

Unfortunately, there was more bad to this novel than good. Trinity spends most of the novel trying to figure out who she is, her abilities and get more info on her parents. The mystery of Jessica’s kidnapping gets pushed to the background for a big part of the novel and I was much more interested in solving the kidnapping than I was about Trinity’s past. 

Trinity’s character (or Chase’s for that matter) is never fully developed. In a few instances, Trinity seems spunky and stands up for herself, but most of the time, she is running away for stressful situations. The idea that they start a relationship while his ex is still missing has its own issues that I won’t even go into. After they start dating, Trinity and Chase fall for each other very quickly but when they have an argument, she runs away and ends up dancing inappropriately in a club with one guy and kissing another, all on the same day!

The writing is also a bit weird and overly dramatic with Trinity feeling like she is being punched in the gut after receiving some important piece of information or that her heart is being sliced out of her when she should have only been nervous or anticipating something. Trinity also feels betrayed. A lot. And yells “I trusted you!” A lot. There are also some paranormal events that were never explained and just seem to be forgotten by all involved as the story wore on.

While I like the idea behind this story, the execution leaves much to be desired. I probably won’t be picking up the other books in this series.

Content: Kissing, profanity, underage drinking and violence.

My Rating: Disappointing

Waiting on Wednesday: Monstrous Beauty

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. This week’s choice is:

Title: Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
Publish Date: August 21, 2012
Genre: Paranormal, Historical

Summary: Monstrous mermaids, ghosts, and a century-old curse feature in this beautifully crafted, compulsively readable thriller.

In 1872, mermaid Syrenka falls in love with a young naturalist. When she abandons her life underwater for a chance at happiness on land, she is unaware that this decision comes with horrific and deadly consequences.

One hundred thirty years later, 17-year-old Hester meets a mysterious stranger and feels drawn to him in a way she can't explain or resist. For generations, love and death have been inextricably linked for the women in her family. Is it an undiagnosed genetic defect...or a curse? Hester's investigation of her family's strange, sad history leads her to the graveyard, the crypt, and the bottom of the ocean--but powerful forces will do anything to keep her from uncovering her connection to Syrenka and to the tragedy of long ago.

Mermaid books have been hit or miss for me in the past but there are several coming out next year that I am hoping will be hits. Monstrous Beauty is one of them. I’m a sucker for a beautiful cover and this one is gorgeous! Plus it sounds dark and twisty and did you see the word thriller in the description?!? This is on my TBR list for sure! What books are you waiting on?

Book Review: The Name of the Star

Title: The Name of The Star by Maureen Johnson

Release Date: Sept. 29, 2011
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Pages: 372 pages
Genre: Paranormal, Thriller
Source: Library

Goodreads Summary: The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

The more paranormal thrillers I read, the more I love them and The Name of the Star is a really good paranormal thriller! Maureen Johnson puts a southern American girl in modern London and successfully manages to invoke all the gothic creepiness you would expect from a story about Jack the Ripper.

Rory is a great character, a girl from Louisiana who is attending an elite London boarding school for her senior year. Rory is quirky and her descriptions of her family and hometown are funny and entertaining. I love the secondary characters, especially Rory’s friends Jazza, Jerome, Boo, Stephen and Callum. I also love Johnson’s descriptions of London and especially Boo’s cockney accent. I wish I were better about audio books, I would have loved to hear this story through a narrator.

The first portion of the book deals with Rory getting settled into her new school and making friends while Ripper terror reigns over London. There is a turning point in the novel where the paranormal elements take over and the book becomes vastly different. The twist in the story works very well.   

While there is romance in the book, it is not the central focus and more of a side story. I love this because when I read this, I was in the mood for a thriller (not a paranormal romance) and thriller is what I got. Thankfully, The Name of the Star also lacks most of the other juvenile high school drama that boarding school books are known for.

The Name of the Star is a really well written story. It is creepy, fast paced and thrilling. When I finished the book, I wanted to spend more time in this world with these characters, so I am happy that this is the first book in a series. The Name of the Star also throws a huge twist at the end that has me anxious to get my hands on the next book! 

Content: Kissing, underage drinking, some gory descriptions and violence.

My Rating: Really Good!

Waiting on Wednesday: Storm

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. This week’s choice is:

Title: Storm by Brigid Kemmerer

Publisher: KTeen (Kensington)
Publish Date: April 24, 2012
Genre: Paranormal

Summary: Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys—all the ones she doesn’t want. Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her.

Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water—just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They’re powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.

And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca.

Secrets are hard to keep when your life’s at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who’s hiding the most dangerous truth of all. The storm is coming . . .

I’ve wanted to read Storm since I read the summary a few months ago and have been eagerly anticipating a cover ever since. I was pleasantly surprised that cover features the four brooding Merrick boys instead of either a close-up of a girl’s face or a girl in a prom dress! This is a nice change that definitely makes Storm’s cover stand out in the YA market. What books are you waiting on?

Waiting on Wednesday: Underworld

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. This week’s choice is:

Title: Underworld by Meg Cabot

Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Publish Date: May 2012
Genre: Paranormal, Mythology

Summary: Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back. Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera isn’t dead. Not this time.

But she is being held against her will in the dim, twilit world between heaven and hell, where the spirits of the deceased wait before embarking upon their final journey. Her captor, John Hayden, claims it’s for her own safety. Because not all the departed are dear. Some are so unhappy with where they ended up after leaving the Underworld, they’ve come back as Furies, intent on vengeance…on the one who sent them there and on the one whom he loves.

But while Pierce might be safe from the Furies in the Underworld, far worse dangers could be lurking for her there…and they might have more to do with its ruler than with his enemies. And unless Pierce is careful, this time there’ll be no escape.

I love mythology and book one, Abandon, was a great start to the series. I am eager to see how Pierce and John’s relationship develops. Additionally, Scholastic has been has produced the most gorgeous covers for the books in this series! I am definitely excited to read Underworld. What books are you waiting on?