Dark Secrets 2 by Elizabeth Chandler

Series: Dark Secrets

 Author: Elizabeth Chandler
Page Count: 599
Published: May 4th, 2010
Publisher: Simon Pulse
  3 Stars ★★★

This young adult bind-up contains books 3 and 4 of the Dark Secrets series. In "No Time to Die", we follow a girl attending a theater camp where her sister died. The mystery of her death remains unsolved, but a supernatural mystery - and a love triangle - complicate things further. In "The Deep End of Fear", Kate returns to the Westbrook Estate where her friend Ashley drowned many years before. Tutoring the young Patrick, she starts to fear the possibility of dangerous family dynamics, and even the paranormal. Will she suffer from another loss? Or will she be the one to die this time?


Both of these books are best described as enjoyable, but not particularly memorable.


The atmospheres in both stories were definitely creepy and tense, which was a major strength. Overall, the characters were interesting, likeable, and made me want to keep reading. However, the second story felt way too drawn out, and at times quite boring.


I appreciate the hint of romance in both stories, although the first story had a bit more romance than the second. I like that there was a paranormal or supernatural element to both mysteries, however it wasn't too intense or overpowering the "real life" mysteries that the characters faced. It was very balanced.


I think that the reveal of the first book's villain, and their motives, was a bit too unbelievable for me. I also found that there were some annoying cliches, such as the whole "villain explains evil plan to the hero" trope.


Overall, these books were interesting, but I'm not interested enough to keep them in my book collection. I recommend this for fans of Elizabeth Chandler's first two Dark Secrets books, and for those looking for a short mystery.


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The Blood Keeper by Tessa Gratton + Vamps by Nancy A. Collins

Series: The Blood Journals
Author: Tessa Gratton
Page Count: 432
Published: August 28th, 2012
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
  3 Stars ★★★

Mab is the new Deacon, leader of those who practice blood magic. Blood magic is a normal part of life for her, living on a farm, spending time with other blood witches like herself. Her peaceful existence is threatened, however, when she awakens a curse.

Will is an ordinary boy in an ordinary town. One day, a humanoid creature made of mud attacks him and he meets Mab. She's strange, and he tries to dismiss what happened, but a strange bruise leads him back to her, where he learns that he is now marked by a dangerous curse.

I really enjoyed Blood Magic, and I thought I'd love the sequel just as much, but honestly I can't say that I did. I liked Mab and Will, they were both interesting and good people, and I love how they were brought together through magic, but the book just took too long to get really, truly interesting. It was too slow paced for me. I spent a good portion of the book just wondering when the action was going to really get started!

I liked that the author included writings from the past, like from Mab's ancestor. It filled in the blanks and foreshadowed what was going to come. Sometimes I feel it distracted a bit from the main plot, though. And it made the book seem even more slow than it already was. 

Overall, I did enjoy reading about Mab and Will, but this book could have been a lot better. The pacing was too slow for me and it took too long for the action to really get going! 

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~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Series: Vamps
Author: Nancy A. Collins
Page Count: 235
Published: July 22nd, 2008
Publisher: HarperTeen
  2 Stars ★★

Lilith is the daughter of a very rich vampire, and as an Old Blood vampire herself, she attends Bathory Academy, a night school for young female vampires. Going out with her friends one night to find some humans for dinner, she gets into a fight with a New Blood, Cally. Vampire hunters descend upon them and kill one of Lilith's friends, leaving Lilith hating Cally and blaming her for the death. 

Cally is upset when she learns that she must leave her New Blood school and attend the Old Blood Bathory Academy. After narrowly escaping vampire hunters, she must now deal with the wrath of Lilith at school. Furthermore, one vampire hunter seems particularly interested in her, and she thinks she might be developing feelings for him too. 

I picked this up because I love vampires! And the idea of vampire feuds sounded really interesting to me. Unfortunately I found myself pretty disappointed.

First off, the characters weren't developed very well. They all seemed very shallow and I wish that the author had taken more time to make them seem more real. I outright hated Lilith, and I think I was supposed to care about Cally but I honestly didn't. I also think the romance between the vampire hunter and Cally was very unrealistic and happened way too fast.

There didn't seem to be any concrete plot to this book, so I kept reading wondering where this was going. Nothing seemed really connected to a greater story-line.

I did like the author's writing style, her choice of words was excellent in my opinion. I also thought there was an interesting twist near the end. Had the story been more solid and the characters more developed, this could have been a great book. Unfortunately it didn't really do it for me.

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Wrecked by Anna Davies

Series: N/A
Author: Anna Davies
Page Count: 336
Published: May 1st, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
  3 Stars ★★★

Miranda lives on Whym Island with her grandmother, where superstitions about sea witches are popular among the locals. The death of her parents isn't the only tragedy she has to deal with....one night, she and her friends get into a boating accident. She survives, and holds memories of a mysterious boy on the beach.

Christian is a betwixtman from Down Below. He saved Miranda from drowning, but Sephie, the sea witch, isn't happy with him. She charges him with killing Miranda, and he has a time limit. Things become complicated when he starts falling for her. Will Sephie end them both?

This is a case of a book not being horrible but not being amazing either.

There were some things that I liked. I liked the characters, especially Christian. The characters were all pretty interesting, and poor Miranda! Dealing first with the death of her parents, and now the death of some of her friends and her own possible death! Sephie was an interesting villain, although I kind of guessed what was going on with her from the beginning.

I liked the mermaids, mermen, betwixtmen, etc. I love sea creatures/people, and this book gave an interesting twist to the idea of these sea people, or in Christian's case, betwixtmen. He is able to walk on land and transform back in the water, and this ability to walk between worlds was reminiscent of werewolf or shapeshifter books. I also liked that he essentially became an assassin for the sea witch, that added another level of danger, and forbidden romance, to the story.

I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style. It wasn't terrible, and I could definitely see myself liking it if the author had added a bit more description and watched the way she used words....what I mean is that there were sometimes awkward repetitions of words within a few consecutive sentences, which kind of drew me out of the story.

I also think that there could have been some more events going on to make the book seem a bit more dangerous. I know that Miranda's life was in danger but, the focus seemed more on her relationships with others than the threat to her life. I wish there had been more emphasis on creepy happenings, maybe the sea witch could have played around with Miranda a bit more.

Overall, this was an enjoyable, but not amazing, read. I liked the sea people and the characters, but the writing style could have been better, and I wish there had been more creepy events. I do recommend this for fans of young adult romance featuring sea creatures/people and forbidden love.

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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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His To Possess by Opal Carew

 Series: His to Possess
Author: Opal Carew
Page Count: 256
Published: March 18th, 2014
Publisher: St Martin's Griffin
  3 Stars ★★★

Jessica is out job searching when she runs into a man who looks a lot like her ex-boyfriend. After a slightly embarrassing encounter, they happen to stumble into each other's path yet again when the man, Dane, offers to drive Jessica to her destination in his limo. They find themselves attracted to each other and end up sharing Jessica's hotel room for the night.

Jessica scores a job and is shocked to find that Dane is her boss. As they work to balance their physical relationship with their boss/employee relationship, things only become more complicated. When Jessica's ex-boyfriend unexpectedly shows up, she might end up losing both of them.

So this is essentially a six-part series that was combined into one book. The book is divided up into these six parts, almost like chapters, with cliff-hanger endings and all.

There were some things that I really liked, and some that I didn't.

I liked Dane, and I liked Storm (the ex-boyfriend). They were both interesting characters with fleshed out backgrounds, very distinct, unique personalities and truly seemed reminiscent of a real person you could find walking down the street right now. Ideally, most characters should be this way, but unfortunately this wasn't the case. I'll come back to this issue later.

I also liked the pacing of the plot. Little twists and turns were placed at perfect intervals, with the cliff-hangers keeping me reading until my eyes hurt.

The sexy scenes were generally quite, well, sexy, as expected. It was obvious that the characters had some sort of chemistry in both their physical and romantic relationships with each other.

Now to the things I didn't like.

Jessica. Yep, I didn't like Jessica. Why? She seemed boring. I didn't get to know her as a person. She seemed like a blank slate almost. She didn't seem to have any quirks, beliefs, etc that distinguished her from any other random person. She was bland.

I really think the author needs to work on her usage of adjectives and adverbs. She used some words and descriptors waaaaaayyyyy too much. I swear I read the word "masculine" in this book more times than I've read it in six full-length novels combined. She also kept referring to these men being like "super male" or something.... like not in those exact words, but everything was like "his musky maleness" or whatever. It's like, we get it, they are men, they happen to also be quite masculine men. Move on already! It got to the point where I was rolling my eyes a lot.

Anyways, it wasn't the best book ever, but not the worst by any means. Will I read the sequel? Probably not. Do I regret reading this? Nope.

If you're a fan of erotic fiction, you might want to try this. However, if the issues that I had with the book would bug you, I don't recommend it at all.

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Fall by Jeff Mariotte

Series: Witch Season
Author: Jeff Mariotte
Page Count: 320
Published: October 1st, 2004
Publisher: Simon Pulse
  3 Stars ★★★

In the second book of the Witch Season series, Kerry is still mourning Daniel, and she holds a serious grudge against Season, the witch who killed him. She and her friends fear that the witch is still after them, and so their lives are tainted with an underlying anxiety and much suspicion. Kerry decides that she must take justice into her own hands, so she leaves her college and runs away, hoping to find Daniel's mother.

Mother Blessing is not what Kerry had expected. She agrees to teach Kerry witchcraft, as she also holds anger against Season, and so Kerry begins her journey, learning magic and reading Daniel's journals. But things might not be as they seem, and by the end of her time at Mother Blessing's she may come across some shocking revelations.

After enjoying Summer, the first book in this series, I had some high hopes for the second book. While this book wasn't terrible, it wasn't very satisfying, either. It left me fairly disappointed, although I did enjoy the story.

My main problem with this book was the pacing. The pacing of the writing was way too slow, it took too long to move from the beginning of the book into the main plot, and I found myself zoning out every now and then because there was too much description, and too little action. 

As with the first book, Kerry discusses her thoughts through journal entries, which continued to give me insight into her own ideas and at times almost foreshadowed some of the coming events. Daniel's journal offered more information concerning the history between his family and Season, and as with the first book, I appreciated these pieces for shedding light on parts of the story that the reader might not be able to understand without these writings. 

I really don't have much to say about Fall, because honestly, it's not an amazing book. It wasn't horrible, but it didn't really blow me away either. 

I recommend this book to those who enjoyed the first novel in this series. If you're interested in witches and romance, you might enjoy this series.

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My Sweet Audrina by V.C. Andrews

 Series: Audrina
Author: V.C. Andrews
Page Count: 403
Published: September 15th, 1990
Publisher: Pocket Books
  3 Stars ★★★

Audrina isn't the first Audrina. No, she's the second and worst Audrina. Her father wants her to be like the first and best Audrina, sitting in a rocking chair to capture her "gifts". Staying home with her mother and aunt, it seems that she can't remember before a certain point in her life. Time passes by quickly, and she has to deal with her mean cousin Vera, who gets to go to school.

The first Audrina is dead, and her family often visits the girl's grave. They warn the second Audrina never to go in the woods, because that's where their first daughter was attacked and murdered. As she's tormented by Vera, and as time passes by, it becomes obvious that there's something that she doesn't know, and whatever it is could change her life forever.

Ok, so this book was really, really, really weird. I have never read anything like it before in my life.

There were some great things, and some not so great things. First, the great things. The author did a good job of capturing a fairly creepy atmosphere throughout the book. Audrina's home is big and fancy, yet it seems to hold frightening secrets. Descriptions of everything from the windows to the wind chimes added to the unsettling feel of the novel.

Audrina's confusion was also well represented. I found myself just as confused as her at times, what with the strange rituals her family performed (teatime, anyone?), and the passing of time, and her memory issues. I think the author's intention was to clue the reader in that something was wrong with Audrina, and that definitely worked.

I also found the family extremely creepy and unlikeable. Now, this didn't take away from the book at all, rather it added to the distinctly disturbing atmosphere. The way that her family phrased things was at times inappropriate for the occasion and shocking, and her father was a frightening mix of loving yet abusive. Her aunt was also quite abusive and obviously had many unsolved personal issues, and her mother seemed off to me. Vera, her cousin, was a horrible bully, making life harder for poor Audrina.

Now, there are the things that I didn't like. The first half of the book was way too slow. I understand that the author wanted to build tension and convey the confusion that Audrina felt, but she didn't have to take two hundred pages to do that. Some scenes felt drawn out and unnecessary. This book could have done with a hundred less pages, and still been just as unsettling.

I also found the explanation behind what was going on to be anti-climactic. I had guessed it from near the beginning, but I was thinking that this couldn't be the case, it was too predictable and actually didn't even make much sense.....how would Audrina's family achieve this? The explanation was not very believable. That was disappointing.

Overall, this book had a very unsettling atmosphere and characters that thoroughly creeped me out. However, the conclusion fell short of my expectations, and the first half of the book dragged on for way too long.

I recommend this book to those looking for a creepy mystery. If you're interested in books with characters who clearly have issues, with plots that span over many years, and with an unsettling atmosphere, this book is for you.

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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Series: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Author: Benjamin Alire Saenz
Page Count: 359
Published: February 21st, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
  3 Stars ★★★

Aristotle doesn't have many friends. A fifteen year old boy living in Texas, the summer provides a welcome break from school. He meets Dante at the pool, when he offers to teach Aristotle how to swim. They start a close friendship that both will cherish and that will withstand misfortune, distance, and growing up.

The main characters in this novel, Aristotle and Dante, were definitely enjoyable to read about. The story itself is told through Aristotle's eyes, so the reader gets to know him a bit more than Dante. Aristotle is surprisingly mature for a fifteen year old, and he's dealing with his own issues at home, including his father's memories of the war, and his brother's absence. Dante, on the other hand, seems to have a simpler life, with a professor for a father and, as with Aristotle, a Mexican identity.

However, this book didn't really have a plot. The whole thing seemed more like a journal written by Aristotle than a novel. There didn't seem to be any main story line besides growing up, making friends, and discovering oneself. I personally prefer books with more defined plots, lots of action, or at least a central conflict. But this book lacked these elements. Even as a contemporary novel, it was almost boring at times in comparison to other contemporary books.

The dialogue between Aristotle and Dante was, in my opinion, unrealistic. Sure, they can be mature for their age. But the way they were speaking didn't seem typical of fifteen year old boys, even mature ones. I felt like I was reading dialogue between two university students, at times. While I'm not a fan of stereotyping people, particularly based on one's age, there's no denying that the behaviors common in teenage boys generally do not include pseudo-philosophical ideas or flowery language, as observed in this novel.

I can't say too much about the ending of this book without spoiling it, but I will say that I think the ending was rushed and unrealistic as well. Very little, through Aristotle's eyes and thoughts, was expressed throughout the book to even hint that the book may end this way. Considering that it concerns a fairly important part of Aristotle's identity, I was really disappointed that the book ended this way, or, that the author failed to include any hints or ideas throughout the book that may have pointed to such an ending.

On the positive side, I will say that I appreciate that this book tackled some tough subjects such as hate crimes, and it did so pretty well. I found myself devastated when one of the characters found themself targeted by bigots, and Aristotle's descriptions of the situation really tugged at my heart.

Overall, a contemporary novel with some interesting characters, but it falls short. There was lots of potential for this book to be absolutely, five-star level amazing, but the lack of concrete plot and unrealistic dialogue took away from my reading experience.

I recommend this book to fans of young adult books, contemporary novels, and stories about friendship.

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She Loves You, She Loves You Not... by Julie Anne Peters

Series: N/A
Author: Julie Anne Peters
Page Count: 288
Published: June 1st, 2011
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
  3 Stars ★★★

Alyssa's father doesn't react well when she comes out to him as a lesbian. She ends up disowned, broken up with her girlfriend, and taken in by Carly, her birth mother, a woman she barely knows at all. Adjusting to her new life proves to be tough, as she must deal with the pain of rejection, the heartbreak from her failed relationship, and her mother's own secret past. Along the way she meets Finn, a new friend in this new town, a friend who might just turn into something more. 

I have a few things to say about this book. First, I really liked the portrayal of an LGBTQ person struggling with bigotry from within the family. I feel Alyssa's situation was incredibly well written, and that the author did a great job of expressing Alyssa's feelings on the matter and how it impacted her in her day to day life, both before and after coming out.

I also enjoyed reading about all of the different characters, from Carly (Alyssa's biological mother) to Arlo (the manager of a store who lives his life in a wheelchair). However, there was one issue with the characters: I didn't really like the main character! I was able to empathize with Alyssa considering her issues coming out and being rejected, but as a person, I didn't find her very likeable. She was a bit too judgemental for my taste, she wasn't the kind of person I'd like to be friends with in real life. 

I also feel like the pacing was a bit too slow for me. While I read this book fairly quickly, there wasn't truly much going on. I understand that contemporary fiction can sometimes be a bit slower than fantasy fiction, for example, but there has to be some excitement. While there certainly were exciting pieces, such as Carly's past and the mystery surrounding it, much of the excitement was jammed into the last thirty percent of the book, which made the rest of the book seem so slow, and the ending way too fast! 

There really isn't much else to say about this book. It was short, and while it portrayed a situation that unfortunately is all too common in the real world, the main character wasn't really likeable and the pacing was too slow for my taste. 

I recommend this book to those looking for YA contemporary featuring LGBTQ characters. If you want to read a book about someone dealing with rejection due to their sexuality, this novel provides a look into the thoughts, hopes, and worries of a teenager struggling with that situation exactly.

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Fjord Blue by Nina Rossing

 Series: N/A
Author: Nina Rossing
Page Count: 256
Published: March 10th, 2016
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
  3 Stars ★★★

Benjamin arrives in Norway after crashing his father's car, expected to work on his grandparents' farm for the summer. After acting out because he has discovered that he is gay, he spends his days getting up early and working with the other employees on the farm, including Even. 

Benjamin soon develops feelings for Even, feelings that only become more distracting when they move into the same bedroom. What starts as a friendship might turn into something more, if Benjamin is willing to take a risk. Benjamin isn't the only one dealing with his own problems, and he'll soon learn that love can come from the most unexpected of places. 

Most young adult books that I read take place mostly in North America, so reading about rural Norway provided a pleasant change from the usual American setting. This was one of my favourite things about this book, reading about the way of life for those living in rural Norway, the descriptions of the landscape, it all seemed so different, and at times beautiful. 

Benjamin, the main character, seemed to clash with the beautiful scenery described in the novel. Rebellious, angry, and uncertain of the future, his mind is filled with worries and fears. While I connected with his struggle concerning his sexual orientation and I really understood that part of his story, that was where my positive feelings for him ended. As a character, he wasn't truly likeable. I don't expect all main characters in books to be likeable, but sometimes, it affects the way that I perceive a book overall, and for Fjord Blue, that was definitely the case. Benjamin was, to me, quite immature for a seventeen year old, and his first person narration gave me insight into some of his thoughts, often riddled with sexism and judgement. I found myself cringing at some of the things that he said and thought, and while I wished him well, I really wanted him to evolve as a person. He did evolve a bit, but not as much as I'd have liked. To be perfectly honest, his thought processes reminded me of those of fifteen year old boys trying to be edgy upon entering high school. 

Even, his roommate and crush, was much more mature and likeable. He had his own struggles, some of them similar to Benjamin's, and reading about them broke my heart. His family situation reflected real life far too vividly, but I really appreciated the discussion of bigotry and judgement from one's family that was present in this book. As for Benjamin's parents and grandparents, I can't say that I truly liked them, but I didn't really hate them, either. Some of their actions made them seem like positive role models for Benjamin, but others had me shaking my head. Either way, the cast of characters, whether I liked them or not, provided a decent way for the author to convey Benjamin's journey of self-discovery and change. 

As I mentioned, I loved reading the pieces where the author describes the landscape and scenery in rural Norway, however, other parts of the writing style didn't quite reach my expectations. Mainly, I had an issue with the way that Benjamin's narration would trail off and go on and on about the different experiences he'd had and the things that he had dealt with. I feel like these aspects of Benjamin's life could have been added into the story in much more effective ways, honestly I felt like I was reading somebody's diary at times and it threw me off. I'd forget what was actually going on in the present, and when I finally emerged from the paragraphs of Benjamin's personal thoughts, I'd have to go back a bit to remind myself of what the current situation had been. 

Overall, this story offered some great insight on the struggles that LGBTQ youth may experience, but the main character wasn't very likeable. I loved that this book took place in Norway, but Benjamin's thoughts often trailed off and interrupted the flow of events. 

I recommend this book to readers looking for LGBTQ books that take place outside of America. If you're interested in young adult books about gay teenagers and family problems, you may enjoy this book. 

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The Coven by Cate Tiernan

 Series: Sweep
Author: Cate Tiernan
Page Count: 185
Published: March 22nd, 2007
Publisher: Speak
  3 Stars ★★★

Morgan is a blood witch with strong magickal powers and a personal tie to witchcraft. After Samhain, she and Cal become a couple and, as a result, she finds herself targeted by her former friend, Bree. Aside from all the drama between current and former coven members, Morgan has to deal with a startling revelation, a revelation that may change her life forever: she's adopted. But who were her biological parents? And are the ex-coven members planning something against her and Cal?

I can confidently say that this book was a disappointment. I enjoyed the first book so much, but all of the things that I liked from the first book weren't enough to redeem the second. Unfortunately, I won't be continuing the series. 

Any previous connection I felt to the characters was gone. Instead of seeing Morgan as curious, brave and likeable, I found her rather irritating. Her narration seemed almost whiny at times, and I was always counting the pages left until I could finish the book. Cal seemed empty, like a shadow as opposed to an actual character. I lost any sense of who Cal was as a person. Also, all this drama with Bree being angry that Cal went out with Morgan....Couldn't Cal have stood up for Morgan? He really didn't do much to help the situation, while as the whole reason for the issue between the two girls in the first place, he probably could've done a lot. 

My hatred for Morgan's parents grew. I didn't like that they kept her past from her, that they continued being stuck-up and close minded to Morgan's beliefs and that they almost seemed to play the victim at times. The author seems to try to redeem them near the end of the book, where they explain all to Morgan and try to convey why they kept secrets from her, but I couldn't feel any positivity towards them. I just hate them, plain and simple. As with Morgan, they irritated me, just in a different way.

I also feel like this book was super slow compared to the first one. I feel like this was less of a novel and more of an introduction to a larger book. It seemed incomplete. Of course, as part of a series, cliffhangers, questions, and other things are to be expected. But the way that The Coven was written seemed less like an installment in a series and more like a group of chapters plucked out of a larger book. 

I did enjoy a few things about this book. Firstly, there is the more "realistic" portrayal of magic. Unlike the fantasy magic of other books, this one contains more of a contemporary witchcraft, as the characters are Wiccan witches as opposed to creatures living alongside vampires and werewolves and any other number of paranormal beings found in young adult witch stories. However, this installment of the Sweep series did take on a bit more of a fantasy element than the first book.

I did like the discussion of religious intolerance, that is, people who judge religious minorities or don't allow others around them to practice their religious beliefs freely. As somebody who has personal experience with this issue, I greatly appreciated that this subject was approached. 

While I liked the idea of the book overall, I really do think that it could have been better. I don't feel the need to continue the series, so, as mentioned, I probably won't be. 

Those who like non-fantasy portrayals of witchcraft in fiction may enjoy this novel. Readers looking for books which explore issues such as religious intolerance, friendship and romance, and adoption might want to give this one a try.

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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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Ten by Gretchen McNeil

Series: N/A

Author: Gretchen McNeil
Page Count: 296
Published: September 18th, 2012

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

  3 Stars ★★★

Meg and Minnie are best friends who are excited to spend the weekend at a house party on an island. The only way to the island is by ferry and their families have no idea where they are going. It seems like the perfect act of fun and harmless rebellion, and the fact that the popular and hot T.J. is going to be there just adds to the excitement.

After meeting with the others at the house, all ten teens gather around the television to watch a movie and end up deciding on a disc labelled "don't watch me." The disc contains a mysterious and threatening message and leaves all the teens on edge, which only worsens when one of them is found dead.

With suspicions that there is a killer amongst them, trust is wearing thin and Minnie's mental state gradually worsens. People are dying, and anybody could be next. Could this have to do with the picture of the dead girl that Meg found in her room?

This book wasn't exactly what I had expected. From the reviews I read and the synopsis on the back of the book, I expected this to be creepier. There were creepy elements, though it seemed like more of a mystery than a horror book. Which is fine, in itself. But I guess I was a bit disappointed.

First off we have Meg. The main character, Minnie's best friend, and crushing on T.J. She was alright as a character, but I did find her annoying at times. Who would worry at all about romance, appearances and boys while people are dropping dead, you have no way to communicate with the outside world and there is literally a killer within the vicinity? I feel like the author could've integrated the romantic aspect of the story a bit better. It seemed unrealistic for such a tense and frightening situation. An example of this is on page 105: "She must have looked like some dorky tween just up from a slumber party...who was about to go down to the boathouse with a hot boy. Alone." I sincerely doubt one's priorities would remain so superficial in such a tragic situation.

There were some inaccuracies within the book, especially considering Ben's so-called tree nut allergy. This bothered me a lot. A bit of a spoiler, but there is a scene near the beginning where the characters are eating a salad, Ben has a reaction so severe that his face is literally described as turning purple, and Meg stabs his leg with his epipen. Then a few minutes later, Ben is back to normal and says, "It's no big deal, guys. Seriously. Happens all the time" (page 55). I feel like the author does not know anybody with severe tree nut allergies, and that she didn't do her research. When you give somebody an epipen because they are having an allergic reaction so severe that their face turns purple, you still need to take them to the hospital because the epipen only helps for a few minutes. Not to mention that he reacted to almonds, which technically aren't actually tree nuts. They are actually considered seeds. This annoyed me so much, because I felt this was lazy on the author's part and I am disappointed that this sort of inaccuracy somehow made it into a professionally published book.

Once again, just disappointment.

I guess this just adds to how unrealistic the book was for me. Meg thinking about romance and her looks as people are dying around her. Ben's laughable reaction and allergy.

There were some good things, of course. There were several surprising plot twists, for example. I wasn't expecting them at all. I like how the author used the stormy weather to add to the suspenseful atmosphere and create challenges for the teens, which added a decent dose of dread to the story.

If you're a fan of YA thrillers you might enjoy this book. If you like dark stories with lots of plot twists I recommend this. If you're willing to look past, or are not bothered by, inaccuracies and some unrealistic situations, this could be enjoyable for you. 

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Monster by Julia Sykes

Series: Impossible
Author: Julia Sykes
Page Count: 122
Published: March 29th, 2013
Publisher: Amazon
  3 Stars ★★★

Claudia is kidnapped by Bradley when leaving work one day, needed for her medical skills. When he takes her to his home, she meets Sean, his best friend, who is suffering from a bullet wound. After treating him, she finds herself handcuffed to the bed, unable to escape, and incredibly afraid.

Sean is different from Bradley, he's charming and much more laid back. Often defending Claudia from Bradley's anger and frustration, she begins to feel attracted to him. As her feelings grow she learns more and more about the two boys...and is torn apart by her emotions. Will she escape, or will she choose to stay with Sean?

I'm a big fan of kidnapping books, I find them very exciting and suspenseful. This book had its fair share of suspense and excitement, however I found it somewhat cliché at times.

The emotional turmoil Claudia was going through seemed a bit unrealistic, and badly paced. For example, if you have been kidnapped, you're generally not going to find yourself constantly admiring one of your kidnappers' bodies and appearance, within the first few days of captivity. Sure you can find them attractive, but I felt like the whole Stockholm Syndrome thing happened a bit too quickly.

The author also included 'misunderstood bad boy' elements. Sean is revealed to have had his own share of hardships within his life, and Claudia feels a connection to him through them. While this wasn't stressed too dramatically, I feel like it could've been executed better and could've had a larger, more significant impact had it been addressed in a more original manner.

I did appreciate that the author didn't jump into the erotic scenes right away; they occured closer to the end of the book. I'm glad because by doing this, she was able to develop the relationships between the characters and make their decisions all the more realistic.

Trigger warnings include kidnapping, gang/mafia activity, attempted rape, and mentions of an unpleasant experience in the foster care system.

Overall, an enjoyable story. Suspenseful with erotic elements, it wasn't perfect, but it was far from bad.

I recommend this to those who enjoy kidnapping-themed stories, and who are looking for a shorter book with suspenseful and erotic elements.


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Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

Series: Between

Author: April Genevieve Tucholke

Page Count: 360
Published: August 15th, 2013

Publisher: Dial

3 Stars ★★★

Violet's ex-rich family isn't much help to her and her brother; after all, their parents ditched them for Europe. When a hot, mysterious stranger inquires about renting out the guesthouse..... Violet has no idea what is to come. Supposed sightings of the 'Devil', deranged children and a hallucinating friend is just the beginning, and all of it started when River moved into town.....

I was sort of disappointed when I read this book; I was expecting something a little darker, with more of the horror element to it. I wasn't afraid for the characters like I have been in some other books. 

I also did not like Violet enough to care about her situation and found that she made choices which were not always fully explained and thus left me confused. I did not connect to her and I actually found myself feeling empathetic towards the "villain" of the story, instead.

However, this book was not entirely disappointing. While I love angels, vampires, werewolves, etc.., I appreciated that the author chose to deviate from the stereotypical YA novel's cut-out paranormal type characters and try something a little more original.

I recommend this book to those who are looking to expand away from the angels/vampires/werewolves in many of the other current YA books. 

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