Legacy of Lies & Don't Tell by Elizabeth Chandler

Series: Dark Secrets
Author: Elizabeth Chandler
Page Count: 431
Published: March 8th, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
  3.5 Stars ★★★

In this bind-up, two suspenseful stories are told. In Legacy of Lies, Megan is being haunted while staying at her grandmother's house. She is adopted, and along with dealing with her grandmother's cold attitude towards her, she has to deal with Matt, her "almost-cousin"'s aloofness as well. The story of her late great aunt comes to light, with many mysteries surrounding her death. How did she really die? And how does her death connect to the present, to Megan and Matt? Megan may not live to find out the truth. 

In Don't Tell, Lauren has returned to Wisteria for the first time after her mother drowned there years ago. With her cousin Nora seemingly unhinged, and her cousin Holly and old friend Nick welcoming her with open arms, Lauren isn't sure if she's ready to face the dock where her mother died. Her aunt Jule doesn't have much empathy towards Lauren's remaining sadness, but more is at stake than Lauren's feelings. Nora claims to hear Lauren's mother asking for her child, and mysterious knots begin to appear, things tying up themselves. Is Lauren going to survive this trip? Or will she face the same fate that her mother did?

I gave Legacy of Lies four stars, and Don't Tell three, with this averaging out at 3.5 stars. As you can see, I enjoyed the first book a bit more than the second. 

Both stories had characters with very sinister pasts, pasts that threatened to affect their present lives. I liked this connection between the past and the present, this idea that the characters couldn't outrun the past. Both stories contained suspicious deaths, deaths that may or may not have turned out to really be murders....the mystery behind what happened to Megan's great aunt and Lauren's mother were the main issue behind both stories, the events that started it all.

Legacy of Lies took place in a creepy mansion-like home, with a grandmother that I hated and an interesting paranormal component. I have to say, I did not see the twist coming at all. I was very surprised by the ending and I think it wrapped up the story very nicely. Megan was a great narrator, and I enjoyed reading about the creepy events she was experiencing, through her own eyes.

Don't Tell also had a very interesting twist that I wasn't able to guess. There was also a possible paranormal component throughout the story: I often found myself debating whether it was paranormal or simply a living person mundanely messing with Lauren. I won't give away the truth, but I think the explanation was fitting for the story. I liked this story less because I think some of the explanations were a bit hazy....most were fine, but at times I was really confused as to why people were acting the way they were. On the one hand, it made me keep reading. Yet on the other, it made some events a bit unclear. However, the story was enjoyable overall.

I recommend this bind-up to people looking for short, creepy stories. If you're a fan of Elizabeth Chandler or you want to read books about secrets affecting peoples' lives, this is a great pick for you.

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The Creeping by Alexandra Sirowy

Series: N/A
Author: Alexandra Sirowy
Page Count: 400
Published: August 18th, 2015
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
  3 Stars ★★★

As a child, Stella and her friend Jeanie disappeared. Jeanie never came back, and her body was never found. Eleven years later, the mystery still haunts the town of Savage. 

Stella's summer is ahead of her, and she's hoping for a relaxing break spending time with friends and hanging out at the beach. Her hopes are shattered when a body is found... a body that looks like Jeanie. Suddenly, old wounds are ripped open and Stella fears that she may be targeted by a killer. With her old friend Sam and Jeanie's brother Daniel, she hopes to uncover the truth of what's happening in Savage. But the truth may be more disturbing than she expects, and a monster may be killing the residents of Savage. 

This book looked quite creepy to me. I mean look at that cover! And the idea of a monster going after people..... Sounds really, really creepy. While parts of this book certainly held a good creep-factor, other pieces of this book annoyed and disappointed me. 

I liked the mystery behind it all. Who took Jeanie? Is she dead? Who is the body that was found? I was kept reading because I just needed answers to these questions. The element of suspense was really used well by the author. I loved how folktales and superstitions played a big role in the story, with the main characters actually considering that a monster might be terrorizing their town. 

I also really liked Sam. He was my favourite character: sweet, forgiving, and determined, he decided to help Stella out even after she ditched him years ago. He was honestly the only character that I really liked, though. 

I didn't like Stella, I thought she was kinda of superficial. I really, really hated Zoey, Stella's friend. Zoey was so freaking annoying. She was like that mosquito buzzing in your ear when you're just trying to enjoy a campfire, but no matter how much you swat at it, it won't go away. I rolled my eyes so much at her. I think the book would have been a lot better without her, to be perfectly honest. 

I think the big reveal at the end was very anti-climactic. I was hoping for something creepier, but the explanation for everything was mundane and disappointing. 

Overall, while I liked the creepy atmosphere of the book, I only like Sam and disliked the other characters. The ending was also disappointing. 

I recommend this book to readers looking for a creepy book with a main character in the "popular" crowd. If you like books about mysterious disappearances, you may enjoy this one. 

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The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

 Series: Shades of London
Author: Maureen Johnson
Page Count: 372
Published: October 2nd, 2012
Publisher: Speak
  4.5 Stars ★★★★

 Rory is an American teenager who moves to London to attend a boarding school. On the day that she arrives, a brutal murder occurs, and it is oddly similar to a murder committed by the infamous Jack the Ripper from decades before. She soon learns, as she deals with meeting new people, crushing on a guy, and talking with a strange and mysterious man, that the horror has only begun, and that she has some amazing abilities of her own. 

As is the case with many of my books, I snagged this one from the bookstore while it was on sale. Drawn in by the cover and the idea of Jack the Ripper, I couldn't resist. While this book was not exactly what I expected, it was certainly enjoyable, with an ending that left me wanting to read more about Rory and what comes next for her. 

I really like the way that the author wrote the characters, especially Rory and her roommates, including one who comes along a bit later in the novel. They created friendships and relationships that to me well mimicked what I see in the real world, which brought the friends together in times of crisis or fear. However, I can't say the same for the romantic aspect. I didn't really understand why Rory found herself attracted to Jerome. While he didn't seem like a bad guy in any way, he didn't exactly seem too appealing either, he didn't feel as real as Rory and her friends did. 

A piece of the book that I really enjoyed included all of the various happenings with the mysterious and strange man that Rory comes across. She is actually the only one who can see him for a portion of the book, which lead to a great guessing game on my end. I won't spoil the explanation behind it all, but I was definitely satisfied with how the author explained what was going on. 

The ending was a cliffhanger and has me adding the second book in the series to my wishlist. I hope that some of my questions left over from this book will be answered in the next, and that I'll be able to read about the cast of characters again, and maybe learn more about them, in book two. 

I recommend this to people who like their murder mysteries with a side of paranormal intrigue, If you're interested in Jack the Ripper and ghosts, this is a great pick for you. 

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Thirst No.1 by Christopher Pike

Series: The Last Vampire
Author: Christopher Pike
Page Count: 594
Published: August 7th, 2009
Publisher: Simon Pulse
  4 Stars ★★★★

In this bind-up, readers get the first three books of Christopher Pike's series, The Last Vampire. This series features a five thousand year old vampire named Sita, or "Alisa", living in the modern world. The first book starts with Alisa discovering that somebody is investigating her, and after she promises a dying man to look after his son, she meets Ray. Alisa is drawn to Ray, but there is more at stake than friendship and love. Her life may be in danger, along with the lives of those around her.

As with many of the books I own, I found this at a thrift shop. I'd enjoyed Christopher Pike's Remember Me, so I could not resist buying myself a copy of Thirst. After reading six of his books - three in the Remember Me bind-up and now another three in this one - I have come to the conclusion that Pike's stories are addictive. 

While his writing style isn't the best writing that I have ever come across, once I start reading it, I find it hard to stop. This was true for Thirst, as I gave the first book only three stars, but the next two went up to four stars. His writing got better and better as I went along. 

The main character, Sita, or "Alisa", was absolutely captivating. Written in first person, the reader gets to hear all of her thoughts, memories, and fears, and I think that the author did a marvelous job of putting me in the head of a five thousand year old vampire! She was extremely intelligent, with a nice mix of ruthlessness and compassion mixed in. She was truly a bloodthirsty vampire, though she held on to pieces of her humanity. There was nothing boring about the main character.

The origin of the vampires in this book was very unique from what I've read in other novels. There is an interesting mix of Indian mythology and religion in Sita's past, and it made for a very memorable read! This was a nice change from the usual vampire myths and legends.

The characters around her, from other vampires, to the humans she gets to know, were interesting as well and all played important roles in her story. My only issue is that sometimes, the author wrote the characters' dialogue too much like Sita's. For example, some of the main teenage characters spoke like our five thousand year old protagonist at times, which got on my nerves. This did get better as the books progressed.

The books were very short, and it took me very little time to get through them. While it was nice to have some short reads after getting through some longer books, I think that the books could have been a little longer. Some things happened too fast, particularly this sort of insta-love with Ray. While I don't always mind this instant love or attraction, the author didn't do a great job of writing it so it got on my nerves. Their romance didn't seem that believable. Other situations could have been a bit more drawn out as well, this would have added more tension and suspense to the stories!

Overall, I enjoyed this and I'm glad I picked it up. I'll definitely be continuing the series, and I hope to read more books by Christopher Pike in the future. 

I recommend this book to readers looking for unique vampire stories. If you're interested in a bind-up containing short novels with a very interesting main character, this book is for you.

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The Dying of the Light by Derek Landy

 

 Series: Skulduggery Pleasant
Author: Derek Landy
Page Count: 605
Published: August 28th, 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
  5 Stars ★★★★★ 

Darquesse is on the loose and is planning to end the world. Skulduggery is working to find her and stop her before it's too late. With his friends and colleagues, he searches for Darquesse with hopes to save Valkyrie as well, and to separate her from the evil that has taken over her. 

Will they find Darquesse in time? Will Skulduggery be able to save Valkyrie along with the world? Or will the world end, everybody dying with it?

I can't really talk about my feelings about this book, the ninth book in the Skulduggery Pleasant series, without talking about what I think about the series itself as a whole, and all of the other books within it. Every book moves the greater story-line a bit further along, with unique and exciting situations arising within each one. I think this combination of having different issues within each book along with a progression towards the concluding events of the series itself really makes this book special. 

What else makes this book, and series, special? Everything. Literally everything. The characters are amazing! Everything from their names to their backgrounds to their powers makes for an extremely entertaining read. This is the only series where I've found characters with epic names such as Valkyrie Cain, Ghastly Bespoke, Anton Shudder, and of course, Skulduggery Pleasant. There are evil characters, good characters, and lots of characters who fall somewhere in between. Some are serious, some are silly, and some find the perfect balance between humorous and solemn. I have liked every single character within this series, including every villain, because they are all just so interesting and entertaining!

Of course there are the personal relationships that form between these characters as well. There are business or work relationships, such as Valkyrie and Skulduggery's arrangement with the Sanctuary. Then there are friendships, such as the one that forms between Valkyrie and Skulduggery, Tanith and Valkyrie, and existing friendships such as that between Ghastly and Skulduggery. This series focuses a lot more on friendship than on romance, and as a reader I got to care about the characters in the same way that they cared about each other. This made me shed tears at times, for example times when Valkyrie thought she lost Skulduggery forever, or when various other characters found themselves in unfortunate circumstances. 

Considering this book in specific, I had put off reading it because until recently, everybody thought that it was the last book in this series. As a serious, long-time fan of this series, I really didn't want it to end. Then, Derek Landy announced that he'd be writing another book, and possibly more after that, so I finally picked this one up and read it. 

As usual with the other novels in the series, I was completely blown away. I cannot wait for the tenth book, and I really hope the author writes even more novels featuring Skulduggery and Valkyrie when he is finished that one. 

I think that everyone who loves stories about magic should read this book! If you like books with elements of horror and humor, including some emotional elements and amazing characters, this series is definitely for you. 

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Ward Against Death by Melanie Card

 Series: Chronicles of a Reluctant Necromancer
Author: Melanie Card
Page Count: 306
Published: August 2nd, 2011
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
  4 Stars ★★★★

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. 

Ward is a necromancer and a physician. He also takes part in illegal surgeries, which has left him on the wanted list in many regions. When he is hired to bring a woman back to life for her family's final goodbyes, Celia insists that she has been murdered, and she and a reluctant Ward run away to the sewers. 

This is only the start of their ordeal. Now, they must avoid Celia's father's men, the local authorities, the places where Ward is wanted, and hope that Celia doesn't drop dead again in the streets. While trying to solve the mystery surrounding Celia's murder, neither she nor Ward are sure who they can trust, and they have to be wary of everyone, even each other. 

Necromancy is such an interesting topic. I've always been drawn to stories about necromancy, raising the dead, and magic, but it seems that there are few books that actually specifically feature a necromancer as a main character. One could then imagine my delight as I stumbled across this title featured on NetGalley, and my excitement when my request was approved by the publisher. 

This book had me hooked from the beginning. The action starts almost right away, as soon as Celia wakes up. Throughout the rest of the book, the action never ceased, the characters always had to face an enemy or a threat, and once I got into the story, it took a lot of effort to stop reading. Furthermore, the world that this is set within is captivating. I thought I'd get a fantasy set in the modern, contemporary world. Instead, it was set in a sort of alternative, fantasy world, where things like surgery are illegal and necromancers are a normal part of life. This made for a great world to escape to and lose myself in. The world-building was phenomenal, from the government itself all the way to the world of criminals. 

Ward is such a great character to read about. He's quite funny, often clumsy or partially clueless, and he has his own unique charm. While I don't mind a flawless hero every now and then, to have an imperfect hero like Ward, quirks and all, was very refreshing. I immediately liked Ward and hoped that all would end well for him, which just fueled my need to read and kept me reading until my eyes were tired. 

The other main character is Celia. Technically dead, she is a master manipulator, an assassin, and overall somebody you do not want to mess with. While she may be dead, she doesn't lose herself or sight of her goal: to find out who killed her. She was a complete daredevil, in my opinion. At times, she appeared reckless, but that only added to her character. She and Ward were fairly opposite each other, with Ward more timid and unsure, and Celia courageous and determined. This made for some amusing dialogue and situations, which added much-appreciated humor to this story of death and magic. 

The main issue that I had with this story was the attraction or romance between Celia and Ward. While there isn't a full-blown romance within this book, there are many references to the characters feeling attraction to each other, at the very least. These things certainly can be weaved well into an action-packed fantasy such as this one, but the author didn't balance their attraction to each other with the main issue within the story. I would think, for example, that Ward would not be considering Celia in a romantic or sensual way, as he often did, while they were in such a dire situation. It seemed out of place and somewhat forced. I think that it would have been better if the author had toned down the romantic aspects within this book and saved it for the next in the series. 

All in all, this tale of a charming, somewhat awkward necromancer and the lady that he has brought back from the dead is one that I enjoyed reading. While the romantic bits seemed a bit out of place for the situation at hand, the world-building was amazing and the action kept me turning pages for hours on end. 

I recommend this novel to fans of stories filled with magic and action. If you're interested in a new adult / mature young adult book about necromancy, or a change from the usual vampires and werewolves of the paranormal and fantasy genres, this book is for you.

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Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

 

Series: Shade
Author: Jeri Smith-Ready
Page Count: 309
Published: May 4th, 2010
Publisher: Simon Pulse
  3.5 Stars ★★★

Aura was born after the Shift, which means that she can see ghosts. She wonders why the Shift actually happened in the first place, and she wishes that she could reverse it so she could live without having to listen to ghosts tell her their stories or demand justice all the time.

When her boyfriend Logan suddenly dies, Aura is devastated. But because of the Shift, she finds herself able to talk with him, spend time with him, and pretend that he's still truly here with her. With the new boy, Zachary, being so supportive of everything that's going on, her feelings become conflicted and she's not sure if she really wants to be with Logan anymore. 

The idea of many people being able to see ghosts seemed very original to me. Upon reading this book, I can say that I was very interested in the theories that Aura had concerning the Shift, and I want to know what caused it! I think that was my favourite part about this book. 

However, I feel like the way that the world had evolved after the Shift didn't seem to really add up to me. I understand taking measures to keep ghosts out of public areas, I understand making new police or government forces to keep ghosts in line. But the way that people acted when their loved ones died seemed not to match up with what they had discovered.

You'd think that after learning that ghosts and an afterlife of sorts exists, people would be calmer concerning death. Yet, the culture surrounding death didn't really change, people still found themselves absolutely devastated and stuck on their personal beliefs surrounding death. This didn't make sense to me, and unfortunately it made the world that Aura lived in seem a little less real to me. 

Aside from that, I found it unrealistic how quickly Aura developed a crush on another guy after her boyfriend passes away. I mean, not only is she upset about his death, but she actually can still hang out with him and have some sort of relationship with him. So why would she start having all these feelings for Zachary? She barely knows him, yet she's getting butterflies in his presence. Meanwhile, she supposedly loves Logan with all her heart, and he's still there! This didn't add up to me either.

I'm not sure if I'll read the sequel, but I might decide to because I want to know more about the Shift! As I mentioned, this was the best aspect of the book, in my opinion. I can only hope that the world and character's relationships will start to make more sense to me in the next book. 

If you want a book about ghosts with original ideas, you'll like this one. If you're interested in romantic YA books, this novel is for you.

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I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

 

 Series: Jasper Dent
Author: Barry Lyga
Page Count: 359
Published: April 3rd, 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
  5 Stars ★★★★★ 

Jasper Dent's father is behind bars; he's a serial killer who has murdered over a hundred people. He raised Jasper while he killed, often teaching Jasper about how to prevent getting caught and how to dispose of dead bodies. Jasper now lives with his grandmother, has a best friend and a girlfriend, and he still deals with the aftermath of his father's capture and conviction.

When people start turning up dead, Jasper knows that the town has yet another serial killer on their hands. Besides trying to convince the police that he knows what he's talking about, Jasper has to deal with his fear that he is truly like his father; a cold-hearted, sadistic killer. While Jasper investigates the murders with the hope of using his knowledge to catch the killer, he struggles with the fear that people will believe that he is behind it all. But things are complicated when you worry that you might be an evil sociopath, like your own father.

This was such an awesome book! It was dark, it was disturbing, and I couldn't put it down. I read it extremely quickly, I was sucked in from the start. My advice concerning this book is to start reading it when you have a lot of free time on your hands. You won't want to leave it until you've flipped the last page. 

One thing that I loved about this book was how dark and disturbing it was. I often read romances, which tend to be sweeter, less serious or calmer reads. But this book....it was dead serious. I want to mention that there were rather detailed descriptions of assault and murder, so that more sensitive readers can make an informed decision on whether or not this book is for them. Personally, I loved that aspect of the book, because it just felt so creepy. I rarely find books that have genuinely disturbing content, but this one was dark enough that it satisfied my craving for something more gruesome. That's not to say that the crimes were extremely detailed, but they were explained in enough detail that they brought up the creep and thrill factor quite a bit. 

Jasper's struggle was very intense and it kept me reading just as the murders did. Reading about his fears that he might be a sociopath, that he might be fated to become a murderer like his father, it was a well-written depiction of this struggle and I found it very believable. Despite Jasper's fears and some of his darker thoughts, I found him a very likeable character. He seemed like a genuinely good guy, wanting to save peoples' lives and fighting the things that his father told him to believe. While this is an extreme example, I think that this is reminiscent of the issues that many face concerning breaking out of their shell and questioning the things that their parents or guardians told them as children. This sense of connection between Jasper's issues and smaller, real-life issues made Jasper even more likeable, and I absolutely rooted for him to stop the killer and find peace from the start.

Jasper's friend and girlfriend are great characters as well, his friend being somewhat weak and comical, his girlfriend strong, loyal and determined. As for Billy Dent, Jasper's psychopathic father, he was written very well, in a way that I could easily imagine what kind of atmosphere might be experienced in his presence. He was pure evil. I feel like there are such few characters that are so evil, but Billy Dent really really was, undoubtedly, a monster. Because he was such a well-written villain, I loved reading about him, despite his crimes. He was especially creepy because, unlike paranormal monsters and villains, there really are people like him out in the world. I think that's what made this book all the more striking. 

I wish I'd picked this novel up sooner. I have to add the sequel to my wishlist!

I recommend this to mature YA readers. If you like creepy contemporary thrillers, and the content mentioned in this review wouldn't bother you, this is a must-read. 

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Something by Shelby Lamb

 

Series: Wisteria

Author: Shelby Lamb

Page Count: 304
Published: March 7th, 2017

Publisher: Grunge Bookz

  4 Stars ★★★★

 I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for a review.

Aubrey is what many would consider 'damaged': she's obsessed with her ex-boyfriend, she's depressed, self harms, and deals with a lot of other issues. However, things start to get worse for her when she picks up a book titled 'Something'. As she shares passages from the book with others, strange occurrences take place and those around her start questioning their sanity. 

This book explored some of the real-life issues people might face, with some paranormal creepiness thrown in. It was a great combination and it worked very well! While written in third person, the author told the story of the chaos that ensues after reading passages from the mysterious book 'Something' from the perspectives of multiple characters, including the depressed Aubrey, teen mom Kendra, ex-boyfriend Nathan and aspiring porn star Bella. 

I wasn't too sure what to expect, considering how unique the idea seemed to me. I have never read anything like this book before, and I'm sure I won't read anything similar for a long time. Including real-life issues alongside paranormal ones is something I really like in a book and this one delivered on this for sure. 

I liked reading about the different characters and their personal situations. I can't say that I actually liked all of the characters, but their problems were intriguing and sometimes heart-breaking. Aubrey's self-esteem, self harm and related issues were realistic to me, in that they're something that I see a lot in real life as well, and I thought that this made the book more believable. Bella's hopes and dreams to become an adult entertainer seemed to make her determined and despite her mean-girl streak, I found myself cheering her on and hoping that she'd achieve her goals! Kendra appeared to be quite sweet and I think that she tried looking on the bright side of things even though she was dealing with motherhood at such a young age. As for Nathan, I felt some sympathy for him, having to deal with Aubrey's obsessive behavior. 

The paranormal aspect was enjoyable and mysterious. I often wondered if maybe the characters were slipping into madness, and that there wasn't really anything other-worldy going on at all. I must admit that at some times I found myself a bit confused because I wasn't really sure what was going on, some situations were a bit unclear to me. 

Another issue was the grammar, there were enough changes in word tense and spelling errors that at times it felt a bit disruptive. Because this is an ARC, I'm hoping that the book will be edited again before its actual release to fix these mistakes, however I can't ignore the way that these mistakes disrupted my reading experience, because it affected my enjoyment of the story.

In conclusion, I can say that this book was really, well, something. I want to know what happens next and I will probably read the next book when it comes out. If you like new adult paranormal mysteries, you might enjoy this. Readers who like books that mix real life issues with other-worldy intrigue will like this novel as well. 

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Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

 

 Series: Pretty Little Liars
Author: Sara Shepard
Page Count: 286
Published: October 1st, 2006
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
  3 Stars ★★★ 

Aria, Emily, Spencer, and Hanna are four girls with one thing in common - they were all friends with Alison DiLaurentis, who went missing. Now, several years later, in their junior year of high school, Aria returns from Iceland where her father moved their family right after Alison's disappearance. The girls have drifted apart, Hanna shoplifts, Spencer is an over-achiever and Emily is struggling with her relationship.  

They begin to receive texts from someone who calls themself 'A'. And this 'A' knows about some of their most personal secrets, secrets that only Alison knew. But she can't be back, can she?

The thing that I liked the most about this book is the way that the chapters tell the stories of each of the four girls separately, yet describes the ways that they are still tied together. While in third person, the narration of some of their thoughts gave a great insight into how they were dealing with their various issues and where the story would go next.

However, I can't help but to think that this book seems almost unfinished. I understand that it's a series, but there wasn't a whole lot of action really going on throughout the book. There were smaller things, with personal tensions and a few more major incidents, but nothing too exciting or mysterious. Even the description of 'A's texts were disappointing. I was hoping for more thrills and more close calls, but this book didn't really deliver on that expectation.

It actually seemed almost like an extended beginning of a book, like a really long introduction. I can say, though, that the big reveal and 'A's message at the end definitely sets up some interesting ideas for the next book. For a short read, this was enjoyable, however I feel like it went too slowly and was too short. 

Fans of contemporary YA novels will like this. If you're interested in YA mysteries this could be a good read for you.

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Bloodlust by Alex Duval

 

 Series: Vampire Beach
Author: Alex Duval
Page Count: 233
Published: June 1st, 2006
Publisher: Simon Pulse
  3 Stars ★★★

 Jason has moved to Malibu and starts attending a new high school where he makes friends quickly and meets Sienna; hot, popular and taken. With a new crush and invitations to parties, things seem to be going fairly well for Jason. That is, until someone turns up dead.

When one of Jason's new friends reveals his crazy theory about the student's death, that she was killed by a vampire, he's skeptical but wary. But as the evidence begins to add up, Jason learns that there's something dangerous in Malibu, and everything is not as it seems. 

I think the best way for me to sum up my feelings concerning this book is that it was enjoyable, but it wasn't memorable. It's an easy, quick read, but it's not the kind of book that you'll be recommending to all your friends, rushing out to get the sequels or hoping that it becomes a movie. This is the kind of book that you read after you've read a long novel or you've just finished a series. It's a fill-in book, something to entertain yourself with while taking a break from a regular reading schedule or a big to-read pile. 

The characters weren't all that special, they were pretty flat and stereotypical. However, they did make the story move forward effectively, albeit predictably. Jason was a likeable main character because he seemed like a decent guy, but there was nothing really unique about him. He didn't really stand out from the crowd or make an impression like some characters in other books. 

The plot overall was really predictable, except for near the end where there was a twist. I thought it was a pretty good ending and a decent twist, however I wish that there had been more evidence or foreshadowing leading up to what happened. I don't really like it when twists seem random, or when clues only appear near the end of the book. I like to be able to guess, and this book didn't really fulfill that for me. 

While this doesn't really stand out from the rest of the YA books I've read, I do recommend it for fans of vampires and YA novels. If you're looking for a short read or a break from long, intricate books, you may want to give this one a try. 

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Marked by P.C. and Kristin Cast

 

 Series: House of Night
Author: P.C. and Kristin Cast
Page Count: 306
Published: May 1st, 2007
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
  3 Stars ★★★

 Zoey is a normal teenage girl dealing with family issues, school, and her (almost) ex-boyfriend. That is, until she is Marked to become a vampyre, and moves into the House of Night, a school and home for fledgling vampyres. There, she quickly makes friends, but also makes enemies.

With her unique Mark and an invitation to join the Dark Daughters, Zoey looks to her grandmother and the goddess, Nyx, for guidance. In order to take down Aphrodite, the shallow, selfish leader of the Dark Daughters, she'll need to use her goddess-given gifts.

I recently found this book at a thrift store and decided to pick it up and give it a re-read. I read it a few years ago, and I had enjoyed it quite a bit during my first reading, but this time I saw things a bit differently.

Zoey, the main character, is surprisingly shallow and judgemental, in my opinion. You'd think that after dealing with her own issues, including her unique Mark, she might take a step back when it comes to making generalizations or assumptions about others. This wasn't really the case, and her friends at the House of Night were also shallow, judgemental, and even immature at times. These characters reminded me more of preteens than of actual teenagers.

I did like how the characters came from different backgrounds and had diverse identities. Unfortunately, I felt like sometimes stereotypes were overused concerning these characters, or that the characters shamed people who did fit the stereotypes. For example, we have Zoey kind of throwing feminine gay guys under the bus, so to speak, making sure to explain that the gay male character was cute, but certainly not in an "overly girly" way, or a "swishy girly-guy" (pg 82 in my edition). Things like this were present throughout the book, in many different contexts, and contributed to Zoey's shallow side. However while things like this were annoying, they didn't take away from the overall plot.

I really enjoyed the unique way that the authors approached the idea of vampyres. Instead of being bitten, one is Marked, and even then there is no guarantee that one would survive long enough to become a full-fledged vampyre. Adding the question of whether or not Zoey, or those close to her, would die from the Change made the book suspenseful and created an extra layer of problems for Zoey to deal with. Mixing real life problems such as relationship issues along with paranormal worries made this book all the more interesting.

I am planning to continue reading this series as I hope to see the characters mature, and to read more of this unique take on vampyres! I recommend this book to fans of YA and of vampire stories.

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