Sublime by Christina Lauren

Series: N/A
Author: Christina Lauren
Page Count: 336
Published: October 14th, 2014
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
  3.5 Stars ★★★

Lucy wakes up near a school. She doesn't know why she is there, and she doesn't know why people are acting like she isn't even present. But she does know that she is drawn to Colin, for some unknown reason. Colin finds himself drawn to her as well, and he knows that there's something different about her. As they get to know each other, they fall for each other, and the fact that one of them is dead starts to complicate things. Colin wants to be close to Lucy, to touch her like she's any other girl, and once they find a dangerous way to accomplish this, they can't seem to stop.

I will admit, the reason I first looked into getting this book was the cover. Look at it! It's beautiful. After reading some reviews, both positive and negative, I realized that I had to get this book. While I wasn't really disappointed, I wasn't extremely impressed with this book either.

I have two issues with this book. First, is the writing style. I believe that it's written in third person present tense, and this combination just threw me off. I found it hard to get into reading the book, I really think that third person past tense would have been a much better choice. Because this issue obviously extended for the whole book, that knocked a few stars off of my rating.

Another issue I had with the book was the pacing. It was a bit too slow for my taste, and a good chunk of the more exciting parts happened in the last half of the book, so the first half felt extra drawn-out. As I mentioned, the plot speeds up at the halfway mark, which I really appreciated! I have to say, the pieces of the plot after that point were enjoyable and thrilling to read about.

I loved pretty much everything else about this book. The concept itself is one that I enjoyed. The idea of a romance between a ghost and a living person, two people drawn together for some unknown reason, and the obstacles that they face all tied this story together very well. The romance had a bit of an insta-love feel to it, but I don't mind this if it's done well, and in the case of this book, it was definitely done well.

I also really liked both main characters. Both had tragic pasts, Colin losing his parents at a young age, and Lucy dying so young, and I think that their personal tragedies complemented the others' in a way that made their attraction to each other, and their overall characters, very easy to care about. I like that the author didn't reveal every detail about their situations right away, it gave the story a sense of mystery.

This book was truly bittersweet, with all the talk of tragedies, and the unknown, and the question of whether or not Colin and Lucy's relationship would be able to continue on into the future, considering all the issues that they had to face together. No spoilers here, but I have to say that I think the ending was perfect!

Overall I enjoyed this book, though there were some issues. While the romance was sweet, the writing style and pacing cost the book a few stars. However, the whole concept of the book was intriguing and I am glad that I read it!

I recommend this book to young adult readers who like stories about ghosts. If you're into paranormal romance, you may enjoy this.

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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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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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Stargazer by Claudia Gray

 

 Series: Evernight
Author: Claudia Gray
Page Count: 329
Published: March 24th, 2009
Publisher: HarperTeen
  5 Stars ★★★★★

In the sequel to Evernight, Bianca has spent some time without Lucas, the boy she loves, but she is able to communicate with him through letters. However, they have to be careful not to get caught, because Bianca is a vampire and Lucas is a vampire hunter. With everybody standing in their way of being together, things seem grim for their relationship, but they've decided not to give up on each other. 

Meanwhile, Bianca finds herself the target of a ghost at Evernight. With her friend Balthazar, she hopes to find out why she is being targeted and to prevent the spirit from endangering the students at the academy. However, this haunting brings secrets forward, secrets that will change everything.

I enjoyed Evernight a lot, so while I was excited to pick up the sequel I was worried that it wouldn't live up to the first novel. Thankfully, it exceeded my expectations and kept me reading late into the night. Returning to the setting of Evernight Academy and Bianca's relationship issues made for an enjoyable read, and I'm sure that I will continue reading this series. 

I'm a fan of love triangles, if they're done well. The author achieves this in Stargazer, with a love triangle between Lucas, Bianca, and Balthazar. I found myself torn over which love interest I prefer and want Bianca to end up with, which I find to be a good quality within stories featuring love triangles. The romance wasn't cheesy, the tension wasn't overdone and I like how the love triangle wasn't 'aggressive' or Bianca's most important worry.

Of course, the characters within this novel were just as interesting and enjoyable to read about as they were in the first book. I really love the cast of characters in this series, especially Balthazar! There's just something about him that seems unique and I hope that he's featured within the next books of the Evernight saga. Lucas can be a bit stereotypical-YA-boy-love-interest at times, but it's not overwhelming and I find him quite likeable. Bianca, the main character, is full of personality and a great protagonist, and I think that her identity as a vampire adds to her struggles in a way that makes readers care about her issues and root for her for the entirety of the first two books. I hope this continues on throughout the series.

I think that the use of the ghost or spirit within the story made this book suspenseful and added originality to the author's interpretation of vampires. The connection to Bianca was unexpected and I never would've guessed it! It adds a new level to Bianca's troubles. 

I completely recommend this sequel to Evernight! If you've read the first book and you're unsure of whether or not you should continue the series, I think that it would be wise because Claudia Gray's writing, characters and ideas remain just as captivating and exciting as they did in the first book.

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Dead Girls Don't by Mags Storey

Series: N/A

Author: Mags Storey

Page Count: 380
Published: March 17th, 2015
Publisher: ChiTeen

5 Stars ★★★★★

I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley. 

Liv and her best friend Gabriel are watching live footage of a party when something goes terribly wrong. Brett, a member of the 'popular' group at school, is found murdered, and Adam, the boy Liv has a small crush on, finds himself to be the main suspect.

Liv develops the power to speak with the dead, and working at a funeral home, she has plenty of opportunity to use this ability. When Adam escapes custody, a girl is stabbed, and his ex-girlfriend is murdered, rumours fly that he has escaped his prison only to kill and kill again. 

He goes to Liv for help, claiming that he is innocent, asking her to help him prove it. With Liv's ability to speak to the dead, they're both hoping to get some answers. But they must face obstacles... like keeping this secret from Gabriel, Liv's status as an outcast, and their feelings for each other. 

I devoured this book quite quickly....a darkly intriguing read, I was sucked into the story from the very start.

I love how the author mixed a murder mystery with paranormal elements in a high school setting. I've never read anything like this before, and I found myself pleasantly surprised.

Everything about this book was amazing. The characters? Well developed, complex,  unique and relatable. Not all completely good or completely evil, but many fell in between. The setting? Described so thoroughly it felt like I was right there with the characters...but it wasn't too descriptive. There was a good balance. The plot? Perfectly paced, very mysterious, and super unique!

I liked how the romance sub-plot didn't steal the spotlight from the overall plot. There was a bit of a love triangle but it wasn't over-the-top.

An amazing read, I recommend this to YA readers who like their mysteries with a bit of romance, a touch of paranormal, and a dangerous killer. 

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The Lifeguard by Deborah Blumenthal

Series: N/A

Author: Deborah Blumenthal
Page Count: 277
Published: March 1st, 2012

Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company

  4 Stars ★★★★

Sirena's parents are divorcing and as a result she must spend the summer at her aunt's house in another state. Confused and upset over the divorce and her future, she spends lots of time at the beach sketching and drawing.

Soon she meets Pilot, a gorgeous lifeguard, and is drawn to him, curious and smitten. She sees him all the time; at the beach, and even at the hospital where she is volunteering. When he seemingly brings a man back from the dead, she is all the more fascinated.

Will she uncover the mysteries behind Pilot and his power? Does Antonio, a wise, elderly artist have anything to do with it? And does Pilot have feelings for Sirena like she does for him?

This book was slow at first. Near the beginning, I had to push myself to read the first few chapters. It got better and better as I read, and the ending was fantastic.

I liked the mix of contemporary with a bit of fantasy or paranormal. While the book had a very contemporary, real-world vibe overall, Pilot's powers and small paranormal occurrences throughout gave it a unique twist. 

Sirena was a fairly likeable character. I felt empathy towards her and her situation, however sometimes I wanted to smack her! She made some extremely questionable choices, some of which were not at all necessary and made me face-palm. While this was very annoying, I was grateful that she wasn't whiny or incredibly over dramatic as some YA female protagonists I've come across have been.

Pilot was a super nice guy, he was a hero, and he looked perfect..... This irritated me a bit. He was very cliché in this sense, the flawless, noble love interest. With his mysterious demeanor, the way he avoided Sirena.....he was very 'typical-YA-love-interest'. However, he was a genuinely nice person, he wasn't a jerk, and he honestly cared about others, which I found redeemed his character. 

Overall, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It wasn't perfect but it was emotional and sweet. 

I recommend this book to YA readers, especially those who like books set on beaches, summer romance reads, and emotional stories. 

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Say Her Name by James Dawson

Series: N/A

Author: James Dawson
Page Count: 287
Published: June 5th, 2014

Publisher: Hot Key Books

  4 Stars ★★★★

It's Halloween night, and Bobbie, along with her friend Naya and hot boy Caine, decide to try the 'Bloody Mary' ritual. They laugh it all off when nothing happens....until they start experiencing strange and disturbing happenings.

Bobbie finds the words 'five days' written in the steam on the bathroom mirror the next day, and she comes to realize that 'Bloody Mary' isn't just some lame urban legend after all; it is very real and very dangerous, and if she, Naya, and Caine don't solve the mystery surrounding this legend, they may not make it through the next five days alive.

This was a YA thriller-horror novel, sprinkled with the slightest bit of romance and a whole lot of mystery. I found it played with my mind a lot and had me wondering if the characters might be hallucinating, or if they really were experiencing what the narrator said they were experiencing. At some points, I wondered if the culprit was a living person instead of a supernatural force. I was constantly guessing what the outcome would be, and I love books that do that to me!

Bobbie was a very likeable protagonist. I found her very down-to-earth, and I admired her determination. Whenever something unfortunate happened to her, I worried over what would come of the situation. I rooted for her from the start and throughout the entire book; I never really got tired of her or thought she was being stupid or over dramatic, as I feel about many other characters in YA novels.

This paragraph may contain what some consider to be spoilers, however I find mentioning these things necessary for potential readers. A few warnings; there is a student-teacher relationship, teen pregnancy, and violence against a pregnant teen. There is also a scene in a psychiatric hospital, and one character finds herself covered in cuts, which while not from self harm, are described very similarly to the way self harm cuts appear.

This book was a nice change from the usual paranormal romances that I read. It was refreshing, unique, and very creepy. The ending took me by surprise and I recommend it to YA readers who enjoy the thriller and horror genres, and who may be interested in reading a unique spin on the Bloody Mary legend.

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The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

Series: The Ghost and the Goth

Author: Stacey Kade
Page Count: 281
Published: June 29th, 2010

Publisher: Hyperion Books

  4 Stars ★★★★

Alona Dare is one of the most popular girls in school, excited to graduate at the end of the year. But then she gets hit by a bus and dies. Her soul doesn't leave Earth yet, though,  and the only living person who can see her is Will Killian.

Everyone thinks that Will is crazy. He can see and speak with spirits, but nobody believes him. To make it worse, the school principal is constantly picking on him and he hates his doctor. When Alona dies, they form an unlikely friendship, and together they face a malevolent entity with unknown motives.

I had been wanting to get my hands on this for a while when I noticed that it went on sale. I immediately rushed to purchase it, and I finally got to reading it several months later. I wasn't too sure what to expect from this book, as it isn't very similar to the other, more serious paranormal stories that I usually read.

I think the first thing I need to mention are the characters. As I started reading, Alona Dare seemed very much an incarnation of the high school cheerleader stereotype. She seemed careless and vain, even cold at times. As the story moved along, I felt like the author was trying to show me the deeper, more serious parts of Alona's life and experiences. The author seemed to want to make Alona grow as a person throughout the book, to change for the better. While this did occur, I felt like it wasn't nearly enough to redeem her character. Sure, she may have changed her views when it came to Will, eventually falling in love with the boy she previously referred to as a 'freak', but I felt like overall her development as a person was superficial. Did I absolutely loathe her character? No, she did have some likeable qualities. But I found myself unable to connect with her.

I found Will to be the best character in this book. Unlike Alona, I was able to connect with him and I cared about his life and story. I didn't find him at all superficial or stereotypical. He was a very complicated character with a troubled past and an uncertain future. He was what really kept me interested in the story. 

The story itself was a humorous paranormal romance, with elements of mystery. As I mentioned, I usually read more serious paranormal stories, so this was a change for me. I appreciated the author's use of humor, however there were times when I felt the humor to be too stereotypical, or that it was in scenes where I felt it didn't make sense to include humor. I'd like to note that not EVERY scene contains humor, but sometimes I felt like one scene needed it more than another. 

I recommend this book to YA readers fond of humor mixed with romance. If you'd like a light ghost story, this novel is for you.

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Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Series: Goodnight Family

Author: Rosemary Clement-Moore
Page Count: 416
Published: July 12th, 2011

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

  4 Stars ★★★★

Amy is a member of the Goodnight family, although she does everything she can to distance herself from the fact that her family uses magic. She just wants to live a "normal" life. 

When she and her sister, Phin, agree to take care of her aunt's farm while she is gone, a bunch of old bones are discovered on the next ranch over, and Amy finds herself giving in to the Goodnight side of herself and giving magic and the paranormal another chance. She might even find love along the way.

I quite enjoyed this book. Very spooky and mysterious at times yet funny and romantic at others, it caught my attention from the very beginning.

I was guessing and wondering, theorizing and pondering the events of the story the whole time. Were the happenings paranormal in nature? Or were they hoaxes, tactics used to scare off superstitious citizens and discourage them from investigating? 

While it was occasionally a little slow at times, it was still a great, captivating YA paranormal read overall, which dared to stray from the usual insta-love and love triangles found in many other novels of the same genre.

I recommend this novel to YA readers looking for a great mystery with paranormal elements. 

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Give Up The Ghost by Megan Crewe

Series: N/A

Author: Megan Crewe

Page Count: 241
Published: September 15th, 2009

 Publisher: Henry Holt & Co

  4 Stars ★★★★

Cass can see and communicate with ghosts. That's how she learns of everything that's going on with her peers, and her secret behind calling them out on it. When Tim, a popular boy mourning the loss of his mother, comes to her for help, she is wary at first. She strikes a deal with him; she will help him contact his dead mother if he tells her all the dirt he has on the "popular" crowd, including her ex-best friend. What she doesn't expect is to actually start caring about the living again. I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did! It was a unique YA book, great for those who want a break from romance novels, and a captivating read. I also found it very emotional at times. I like how the author made sure to make the reader aware of Cass' relationships with her living family, dead family, living friends and dead friends very soon in the novel. This made me want to keep reading, to see how these relationships would be affected. It made me care about Cass and her story. I recommend this book to those who love YA and paranormal, but who want a break from romantic books.\\

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