The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

Daphne lives in Hell with her parents, Lilith and Lucifer. She's never left, not even to just go explore Earth. Her older brother, the only person Daphne really cares about, is gone for long periods of time, as his job is to save the souls of the Lost Ones--children of demons or angels and humans. Obie, Daphne's brother, decides he's had enough of this kind of life and choose to leave. On his way, he stumbles across Truman, a Lost One who wasn't suppose to be there. Daphne, trying to stop Obie from leaving, can't explain what draws her to Truman. Before she knows it, they're both gone.

Before long, Lilith reaches out to Daphne in a panic. Obie has gone missing and Daphne must go to Earth to find him. Determined to find him, Daphne heads to Earth and searches for the one person she's sure will know where Obie is. Truman. Only Truman has no idea how to find Obie and is on his own path of self-destruction. Can Daphne save Truman in order to save her brother?

Not as good as The Replacement, the story does grow on you. There are some elements of Percy Jackson-type quest here, as Daphne and Truman travel from Chicago to Las Vegas to find someone they aren't sure how to find, and following clues they're not completely sure of. The beginning is a little complicated but it gets more even as the story plays out. An enjoyable supernatural story with romantic overtones.

Prom Dates from Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Just weeks from graduation, Maggie Quinn just wants to keep a low-profile and get out of Avalon High as quickly as she can. Not so easy when Stanley, a guy "lower in the high school food chain," asks her to prom. She has no intention of going. Not for anyone.


That day changes Maggie's life forever. She has a gift she's been trying to ignore, but her nightmares are back. In gym, as everyone lines up for diving, Maggie's fear of the water is paralyzing. As Karen heads up to dive off the low board, Maggie sees a shadow in the water and then Karen slips, hits her head, and falls into the water. Not long after, some other people in school are also targeted and Maggie's gift for sensing when things aren't right goes off left and right.

Someone's raised something and set a curse on people at her school. And going to prom may be the only way to set things right.

Yes, I read this book all in one setting, and I really want to read the other two. Maggie is a great character and I was laughing many times at her comments and the things that were happening in her story. Just enough of a creepy factor for me too.

Misfit by Jon Skovron

Jael Thompson has a huge secret. Her mother, who died when she was a baby, was a demon. Her father, an ex-priest, moves them around constantly, to protect Jael from forces that would try to either kill her or use her for evil purposes.

When Jael turns 16, her dad gives her a necklace he promised he would. With that gift, everything changes. Her dad doesn't want to tell her anything, but before long, he has to. Her demon half is making itself known. She can't control her emotions and the demon who killed her mother is now after her.

The story starts a little slow, but that's only the first chapter. Flashbacks and memories surface through the book. Lots of dialogue, action, and a little romance round out this supernatural story. There's some mythology as well.

I Am Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells

John Wayne Cleaver is fascinated by serial killers. He studies them and knows what makes them tick. It's a passtime for him, but so much more. John knows he could easily become a serial killer, but he doesn't want to. So he studies them and sets up rules for himself to avoid following that path.

Then someone is murdered in their little town of Clayton. John immediately believes it's the work of a serial killer, but it takes two more deaths to convince others he knows what he's talking about. And since he knows serial killers, he feels he's the best qualified to figure out the guy's next move.

But what he finds he could never have anticipated. And in order to defeat the killer, he may have to let his own monster loose.

A little grotesque, but pretty good. John is a great narrator. I would recommend not eating at the beginning of the book--the embalming process is explained. Enough happens even when it seems like nothing is happening to keep you interested.

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Ok, so sidenote...I have been reading...just not updating the blog! So bear with me...we'll get there eventually!

So..on to Angelfire. Ellie suffers horrible nightmares every night. She doesn't understand what causes them, but she can't seem to avoid them.

Then she meets Will and her world gets even weirder. According to Will, Ellie's nightmares are memories from her past lives. Ellie is the Preliator, a human reincarnated with the ability to summon angelfire and kill dark reapers. She and Will have a lot of work cut out for them though, as Ellie missed one cycle of reincarnation and even with Will helping her, can't recall all of her memories yet. Their time is limited and precious.

The first in a trilogy, it has what every good paranormal romance should. Action, some (not a lot) romance, awakening powers, forbidden love, and destiny and fate. Add to that some angels, demons, and a good sword fight or two...I enjoyed it a lot!

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Kendra and her brother Seth are sent to stay with their grandparents for a couple weeks while their parents are on a cruise. They don't know Grandma and Grandpa Sorenson very well, in fact, Grandma Sorenson isn't even at the house. Kendra and Seth are given full reign of the house and yard, but are told to stay out of the forest.

Of course, Seth can't help but wonder what's in the forest, and he wanders in one day. Kendra wonders at the giant butterflies and dragonflies in the yard, until she notices their odd behavior. They drink milk--so Seth and Kendra also try it. Turns out, their grandparents are the caretakers of Fablehaven--a sanctuary for mystical and magical creatures. And when Seth accidentally insults the fairies, everything dissolves into chaos. Grandpa Sorenson is kidnapped and it's up to Kendra and Seth to put aside their fears to save him.

The first in the series, there are a lot of things going on here. The point of view shifts a little at the beginning of the book, but the story distracts from that. The whole book is part mystery, part fantasy, and part realistic fiction. Kendra and Seth are well developed and likable. An excellent first book in a series.

Clockwork Angel, book 1 of Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

Tessa Gray crossed the Atlantic to join her brother in England. Instead of her brother Nathaniel, she's met and kidnapped by the Dark Sisters. They torture her into learning how to use her shape-shifting power, using her brother as bait. She learns their plan of preparing her for someone named the Magister, who plans on marrying her.

Before she can save herself, Tessa is rescued by William, a Shadowhunter. Shadowhunters hunt down the Downworlders who harm humans. Tessa is taken to the London Institute where she learns the Downworlders are beings like vampires, demons, and warlocks who thrive on certain humans--her brother being one of those humans. Tessa is determined to find her brother and rescue him, hopefully with the Shadowhunters' help.

As details unravel and the enemy becomes clear, Tessa may be making some hard decisions.

The first in a new trilogy, I couldn't put it down. This is a prequel series to Clare's Mortal Instruments series, which I haven't read yet. The story is well-written, characters fleshed out, and the plot is exciting. Lots of vivid action, setting, and plot to keep anyone happy. It is more in historical fiction, but that shouldn't stop anyone from picking up this great story.

The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

Alan and Nick have been on the run most of their lives. First, they moved around with their parents as magicians hunted for them. The magicians are determined to get back something their mother stole from their leader Black Arthur.

Now that their father is dead, the brothers struggle to survive and hide with their mom in England. Alan, the nice one, can't say no to anyone, so when Mae and Jamie show up at their doorstep needing help, the whole family is sucked in. Before Nick knows it, Alan has the mark of a demon and it's a race to survive and save his soul.

Most of this story is told from Nick's perspective. He has a dark side that he struggles with constantly, and the story is well-written and told from his side. Alan and Nick are fully developed and complicated, and there are twists and turns throughout the story to keep anyone interested. There are a few things that are left unexplained--hopefully the sequel, The Demon's Covenant, explains those.

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Sophie is a witch and in big trouble. No matter the reason, every time she casts a spell it goes horribly wrong. She is finally sent to Hectate Hall, where all witches, shapeshifters, faeries, and other creatures go when they fail to fit into a 'normal' existence.

Hex Hall isn't so bad--Sophie's found a good friend in Jenna, her vampire roommate, and a huge crush on Archer, the school's resident hottie. Not that it's all sunshine--some of her fellow witches are showing up dead and Sophie is seeing a girl in green wandering around. Sophie can't help but wonder why her power seems so different from everyone else's and if she can learn how to control it.

I really enjoyed this story. Sophie is a great character, full of smarts, spunk, and her own sense of self. There are instances where the story twists in unexpected ways. If you liked Harry Potter, you'll probably like this one too.