Amy Goodnight is the 'normal' person in a family of witches. She herself was fascinated by ghosts until a tragic incident when she was 11 almost killed her and her sister. Now she tries to suppress that part of her nature and keep her family's secret.
For the next month, Amy is watching over her aunt's farm along with her sister Phin. While Phin will be dealing with keeping all the plants alive, Amy is in charge of all the animals. Which is how she meets Ben, the cute rancher from next door. That's also how she learns about the ghost plaguing Ben's ranch.
Amy is thrust back into the supernatural when she most definitely wants to be left alone. But how long can she deny what's a part of her?
A good paranormal romance. Lots of humor and creepy points--especially good for a ghost story.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Wolf Mark by Joseph Bruchac
Luke has lived his whole life being prepared for something bad to happen. His parents have run through drills and safety measures "just in case" something goes wrong.
The day after Luke has a horrible nightmare in which he meets a creature known as Grue, his dad disappears. Following the clues his dad's left behind, Luke discovers his dad has been kidnapped and it's up to him to save his life.
Luke has been training for such an occurrence most of his life; he just never expected to have to do it alone. And while he gets most of his questions answered about their strange heritage, the mark on his hand, and why electronic devices don't work for him, he's left with just one mission. Find and save his dad. At any cost.
A fascinating read, it does wander at times. Luke is a great narrator, but even he admits he gets sidetracked easily. A lot. There is page after page of action, but the back story is also well-developed. This is a great werewolf novel from a Native American point of view. Highly recommended.
The day after Luke has a horrible nightmare in which he meets a creature known as Grue, his dad disappears. Following the clues his dad's left behind, Luke discovers his dad has been kidnapped and it's up to him to save his life.
Luke has been training for such an occurrence most of his life; he just never expected to have to do it alone. And while he gets most of his questions answered about their strange heritage, the mark on his hand, and why electronic devices don't work for him, he's left with just one mission. Find and save his dad. At any cost.
A fascinating read, it does wander at times. Luke is a great narrator, but even he admits he gets sidetracked easily. A lot. There is page after page of action, but the back story is also well-developed. This is a great werewolf novel from a Native American point of view. Highly recommended.
Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
Isobel can't believe she's paired with goth Varen for an English project. Varen seems equally disgusted, so their project is not off to a good start.
When Isobel's boyfriend and friends trash the ice cream shop where Varen works to make Varen stay away from Isobel, she realizes maybe Varen isn't so bad afterall. At least he handles things better. Isobel can't believe her boyfriend would do something so horrible.
Weird things start happening to Isobel after that night. First, she's chased through the woods behind her home. Then she meets a man who introduces himself as Reynolds and informs her she's going to save them all. She has no idea what he means, but shadow creatures begin to stalk her nightmares and even in the real world. Before she knows it, she's in a world of Varen's making.
And they're all going to die.
This is the first in a series, so be ready to want the next one right away. Isobel and Varen eventually figure out their feelings, only to be ripped apart. There are lots of references to Edgar Allan Poe throughout, especially since Varen is a huge fan and according to this story, the same thing that makes Varen go over the edge did the same for Poe.
When Isobel's boyfriend and friends trash the ice cream shop where Varen works to make Varen stay away from Isobel, she realizes maybe Varen isn't so bad afterall. At least he handles things better. Isobel can't believe her boyfriend would do something so horrible.
Weird things start happening to Isobel after that night. First, she's chased through the woods behind her home. Then she meets a man who introduces himself as Reynolds and informs her she's going to save them all. She has no idea what he means, but shadow creatures begin to stalk her nightmares and even in the real world. Before she knows it, she's in a world of Varen's making.
And they're all going to die.
This is the first in a series, so be ready to want the next one right away. Isobel and Varen eventually figure out their feelings, only to be ripped apart. There are lots of references to Edgar Allan Poe throughout, especially since Varen is a huge fan and according to this story, the same thing that makes Varen go over the edge did the same for Poe.
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Rory, a teen from small town Louisiana, moves to London for a year to attend school at Wexford. The same day she arrives, a murder takes place. A murder in the style of Jack the Ripper.
Rory doesn't pay a lot of attention to that. Until she almost chokes and dies. Now she's seeing people no one else can. Her new friends think she's either making things up or going crazy.
The murderer is also curious about Rory and begins to follow her around. Not sure what's going on, she turns to the only people who may be able to help. Unfortunately they are also in a little over their heads.
The ghosts and terror in the story are very real, but there's also humor and a solid central story. I liked Rory and thought her narration was easy to follow. Another amazing book by Maureen Johnson!
Rory doesn't pay a lot of attention to that. Until she almost chokes and dies. Now she's seeing people no one else can. Her new friends think she's either making things up or going crazy.
The murderer is also curious about Rory and begins to follow her around. Not sure what's going on, she turns to the only people who may be able to help. Unfortunately they are also in a little over their heads.
The ghosts and terror in the story are very real, but there's also humor and a solid central story. I liked Rory and thought her narration was easy to follow. Another amazing book by Maureen Johnson!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Cas exterminates, or kills, ghosts. He's pretty good at it too. His dad did it before him, until he was killed by one. Now it's Cas' turn, and he and his mother travel across the country, following leads.
They head to Thunder Bay, Ontario, to confront and put down a ghost most locals know as 'Anna Dressed in Blood'. Cas isn't sure what to expect, but he goes in, just to scope it out. Actually, two local teens knock him out and push him inside, trying to scare him even though they don't believe the story.
That is, they don't believe it until Anna appears and rips one of them in half. Cas isn't sure what to expect, especially since the next time he sees her, she beats him up. She's a ghost with extra super powers and for once in his life, Cas doesn't know what to do.
Gruesome and scary. The ending is definitely a twist. It's very enjoyable, despite a couple flaws. And spooky too!
They head to Thunder Bay, Ontario, to confront and put down a ghost most locals know as 'Anna Dressed in Blood'. Cas isn't sure what to expect, but he goes in, just to scope it out. Actually, two local teens knock him out and push him inside, trying to scare him even though they don't believe the story.
That is, they don't believe it until Anna appears and rips one of them in half. Cas isn't sure what to expect, especially since the next time he sees her, she beats him up. She's a ghost with extra super powers and for once in his life, Cas doesn't know what to do.
Gruesome and scary. The ending is definitely a twist. It's very enjoyable, despite a couple flaws. And spooky too!
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
Nailer works on light crew--crawling into the deep paths on the ships beached in the Gulf and pulling copper wires to cell. His life is hard and he almost dies more than once. He is afraid of getting too big to continue this job as well.
He and his friend Pima save a girl, Nita, whose father is very wealthy. Nailer's dad wants to ransom her, but Nailer just wants to get her to safety. So they run away.
On the run, they don't know who to trust. They'll have to start somewhere to survive.
A pretty good dystopia--has everything you'd want, including a little social commentary. Action, adventure, and danger to keep things moving.
He and his friend Pima save a girl, Nita, whose father is very wealthy. Nailer's dad wants to ransom her, but Nailer just wants to get her to safety. So they run away.
On the run, they don't know who to trust. They'll have to start somewhere to survive.
A pretty good dystopia--has everything you'd want, including a little social commentary. Action, adventure, and danger to keep things moving.
Playing Dead by Tim Bowler
Blade has been hiding in London for a while, hiding from his past. It catches up to him though, in the form of thugs who are trying to capture him and make him pay. Blade is sure he can avoid them, but he'll have to leave London.
Then he meets Becky and gets tangled up in her life. Becky wants to escape the gang she belongs to--the same gang that beat Blade up before--and she wants Blade's help. What Blade doesn't expect is Becky isn't straight up with him. Not even a little. And the two of them end up kidnapping someone's kid because of it.
It took a long time to figure out what Blade is saying; the British slang is very heavy here. I wasn't really a fan of the story at all. Blade talks to the reader, like we're on the run with him, which is a nice device, but I found I didn't care too much. I'm sure I'm just an anomaly.
Then he meets Becky and gets tangled up in her life. Becky wants to escape the gang she belongs to--the same gang that beat Blade up before--and she wants Blade's help. What Blade doesn't expect is Becky isn't straight up with him. Not even a little. And the two of them end up kidnapping someone's kid because of it.
It took a long time to figure out what Blade is saying; the British slang is very heavy here. I wasn't really a fan of the story at all. Blade talks to the reader, like we're on the run with him, which is a nice device, but I found I didn't care too much. I'm sure I'm just an anomaly.
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