Everyone in the Glordano family has some kind of psychic ability. Everyone that is except Daisy. Her mother uses her powers to help the police and has asked her older sister to help on a new case that has her stumped. Daisy wants to help out but with no powers she is dismissed. Again.

Nightshade, the strange town when Daisy lives, is usually a quiet place but teenage girls are being attacked left, right and center. Nobody knows who is responsible but it becomes pretty clear to Daisy that the question should not be who but what is attacking the girls.

When Daisy's former best friend, Samantha, returns to school looking, well, dead. Daisy realises that all the victims have had contact with the head cheerleader. Starting a new trend in school is one thing but sucking the life out of people is another. Is Samantha really up to no good?

Meanwhile Daisy and her friend, or is it boyfriend, Ryan do some sleuthing and find out more about the town of Nightshade than they should know. However they will have to work fast to find the culprit before some of the girls in school literally have the life sucked out of them.

This book was on my wishlist for a while before I actually managed to find a copy. Now I feel annoyed that I didn't get a copy of this sooner. What an amazing start to a series and yet another unique young adult novel. It amazes that there are so many good paranormal YA books are out there and I seem to be missing out on the fun because there isn't as much call for the English versions in Europe...which means they are hard or expensive for me to get.

I love Daisy and can't wait to read the next two books in the series 'Dead is a State of Mind' and 'Dead is so Last Year'. Teenagers with teenage problems with a twist of paranormal and some cool characters make this a series I definitely want to spread the word about. So if you haven't tried this yet and enjoy a good YA then consider giving this a go.

Labels: Books Read, Marlene Perez, Young Adult

It is Spring break and Maggie Quinn and her friend Lisa are looking forward to some time on the beach. No demons, spells or anything paranormal in sight, the girls are having a well deserved rest. However while driving through Texas they run over a dead cow and the gas tank needs to be replaced. Stuck in the small town of Dulcina wasn't really how the girls wanted to spend their days off but then again evil doesn't go on holiday.

Which is something Maggie realises pretty quickly when the locals start talking about how many cattle deaths they have had since the drought started. Sure dead cattle isn't unusual when there is a lack of water but these animals haven't been dying from dehydration.

Everyone has a theory about the killings but nobody has been able to prove anything so far. So when Maggie and Lisa start to cure the boredom of a small town by getting involved they find themselves in a lot deeper than they expected. Evil mosquito like bugs, strange spells and attacks on the population means that the thing attacking the cattle is getting bolder. Will Maggie and her friends be able to stop whatever is terrorising the town of Dulcina?

This is the third book in the Maggie Quinn : Girl vs. Evil series and I loved it. With the unusual evil theme and the detective skills of Maggie this was really an enjoyable read. I have been re-watching Veronica Mars and there are so many similarities between the two girls. Maggie is just like the sassy young TV detective but there is one difference. Maggie has a built in 'freakometer'.

Maggie is just at the beginning of a Buffy style life and I am definitely going to carry on following her progress. There was no announcement in the back of this book but hopefully book four will be coming out soon. I see a bright future for this young adult series.

Labels: Books Read, Clement-Moore, New Releases, Young Adult

A Zombie Settler from birth, Megan Berry has been safe from playing shrink to dead people for a good few years. Now her powers seem to be waking up again and just in time for homecoming. This doesn't bode well because nobody wants to turn up to a dance with a bunch of corpses following you. So Megan does what she has to and listens to the zombies and lays them to rest. She just hopes that her love, school and social life won't be ruined forever by the undead.

Then when Megan thinks things can't get worse they do. Someone in school is using black magic to make the normal zombies into the flesh-eating kind. At first nobody believes Megan as she tries to narrow things down to a few suspects but then things get a little too big for her to handle and more importantly the homecoming dance is in danger!

It took me a while to get my hands on a copy of this book because it wasn't easy to find here. However I got hold of this the other day and couldn't resist starting it on the bus home. Totally sucked into the new concept of a 'Zombie Settler' I of course felt the need to finish reading this as soon as possible.

This was a really fun read as well as being a little spooky. The new girl on the block, Megan Berry, is really nice and I can't wait to read more about her. I loved the fact that the zombies were actually 'normal' and just looking for help and the whole settler aspect was fresh and unique.

A super new edition to the paranormal young adult genre. I hope Stacey Jay will be writing more soon because I really want more Megan, Ethan and zombies.

Labels: Books Read, Stacey Jay, Young Adult

Since Zara's step-father passed away she hasn't been herself. Obsessed with phobias she is sent to stay with her grandmother in Maine. When Zara spots the same guy in Maine as she saw in Charleston she begins to think it was just a figment of her imagination but the stalker is a lot more than that.

The stalker is following Zara and everywhere he goes there is a trail of gold dust left behind. The small town in Maine where Zara has been sent isn't all that it seems and before long Zara is learning about pixies, weres as well as finding out more about her family.

A creepy novel with a paranormal twist. The phobias that begin every chapter were a nice touch that made me eager to get to the next one. Magical but realistic this reminded me a little of Twilight but mixed with some Holly Black. A very good read but it did take me a few chapters to really get into the story. Great characters and a wonderful plot that unfolds slowly had me dying to get to the end.

A young adult novel that I would also recommend to adults. Worth checking out if you come across this book. I am going to see what else this author is up to because she looks like one I need to watch.

Labels: Books Read, Young Adult

Jordan's life sucks. Her ex-boyfriend, Michael, slept with half of the student body when she split up with him and then he killed himself. Now Jordan is literally haunted by the whole experience because Michael keeps showing up night after night at her bedroom window.

All Michael does is beg to be let in and all Jordan can do is drink and try to get some sleep. Jordan has no idea why he is visiting her every night but she is scared to be outside after sunset and her friends are starting to notice that something is up. Will Michael manage to wear down Jordan and get invited in?

I came across this book through my Amazon recommendations and decided to give it a go. For a young adult book this is filled with peer pressure and all the bad things teenagers shouldn't do. As a paranormal book this has a vampire theme which is, in my honest opinion, not given enough attention. All in all this was a nice short read with realistic characters. I am going to see what else the author has on offer and may even try something else she has written if it falls into the paranormal genre.

Labels: Books Read, Young Adult

Darren Shan is travelling with the Cirque Du Freak again and they are on their way to the town where Darren grew up. Going back home is scary and someone could recognise him but he knows it is something he has to do. Things have changed over the years but he still goes to check up on his family from a distance. After all he can't show himself to them as they think he died years ago.

Being home turns into more than a trip down memory lane when Darren runs into some old enemies. He also runs into some old friends who are ready to help him but in the fight he will loose some things close to him and find out some things that he will wish he didn't hadn't.

This is the eleventh book in the Saga of Darren Shan and I am extremely glad that the next book is the last. Not only was this book very predictable but it was also quite boring compared to the books in the beginning of the series. At the start this story about a boy turning into a half vampire was addictive and had me on the edge of my seat but now as things come to an end I am glad it will soon be all over. I just hope the ending is a good one and doesn't leave anything open.

This is a great young adult series more for younger teenagers. Worth recommending to anyone in that age range but obviously a little too easy for anyone older.

Labels: Books Read, Young Adult

Thais Allard's powers are beyond belief. To think that she didn't even know she had any a few months ago still fazes her but then again she didn't know she had a twin sister either. With so many changes in her life she hasn't had much time to sit down and think about everything that has happened. Now things are are calming down she finally wants to get revenge and she is even thinking about turning to black magic to achieve it.

Clio Martin has always been around Magick but recently she has been wondering more and more about what she could really achieve with what she has. One of her deepest wishes is to become immortal like the others in the Trieze but to do that she will have to destroy the twin sister she only just found out about a few months ago. With so many secrets and with them all slowly coming to light the twins will face alot of decisions.

A Necklace of Water is the fourth and final book in the Balfire series. I loved Cate Tiernan's 'Sweep' series and naturally couldn't resist reading this series too. However I can't say that I really enjoyed these books as much. I didn't really even like the characters as much. Well written and with a good plot this should have been a read to remember for me but the Balefire series didn't really excite me alot.

This fourth book, I hoped, would at least bring some closure for me but after the book ended I just felt like there should be more. I am glad that the series is over but on the other hand I would have liked to see more about Clio's and Thais lives. Maybe Cate Tiernan will write more about them sometime in the future...otherwise I would just settle for something new from the author. After all she can write a very good magical filled young adult series and I would love to see what else she can come up with.

Labels: Books Read, Cate Tiernan, Young Adult

From Amazon -

Sure, love is hell. But it,s totally worth it.

In these supernatural stories by five of today's hottest writers—Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely), Scott Westerfeld (Specials), Justine Larbalestier (Magic or Madness), Gabrielle Zevin (Elsewhere), and Laurie Faria Stolarz (Blue is for Nightmares)—love may be twisted and turned around, but it's more potent than ever on its quest to conquer all.

From two students who let the power of attraction guide them to break the hard-and-fast rules of their world to the girl who falls hard for a good-looking ghost with a score to settle, the clever, quirky characters in this exciting collection will break your heart, then leave you believing in love more than ever.

My review -

Laurie Faria Stolarz is up first in this anthology and tells a great ghost story. What would you do if you found out your new house was the scene of a murder? Can't sleep? Seeing things in your dreams that can hurt you? This was a spooky tale and I loved it. I have come across this author before and have to say that I always enjoy her books and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Then Scott Westerfeld comes along and takes us into the future. A place where nobody gets ill or needs to take public transport. Learning about the good old days is mandatory and the main characters in this book pick some interesting ways to pass their class about the subject. Wonderfully written this had me wondering if the future could really be that boring? Interesting? Westerfeld is a brilliant writer and anyone looking for something different should check out his books.

Next up was an author I thought I hadn't come across before. However Justine Larbalestier's (married to Scott Westerfeld) newest release 'How to Ditch Your Fairy' was something I tried and didn't like. In this collection her story about a girl being pushed to conform to her parents beliefs and faeries was very good. The author has some other books available so I am going to give her another try after reading this short story.

The fourth story was by a writer I didn't recognise. Gabrielle Zevin writes about a girl who just fits in, isn't anything special and loves to read. When the new school librarian suggests a new book completely different to what she likes she only reads the first words and gives up. What she doesn't realise is that book has now changed her life. An unusual story with no happy ending but very well written. I am going to look up this author as well.

Lastly there was Melissa Marr's contribution. Although I know this author and have enjoyed her books I didn't really like this story about selchies. Not, for me, the best of this collection it was still worth reading but wasn't for me.

Love is Hell has five authors telling five stories. All young adult and all a little paranormal, fantasy or sci-fi, this book is really worth reading. This collection has some very unique stories but they always had a main underlying theme. Love. All in all a great anthology that will be appreciated by adults as well as young adults.

Labels: Books Read, Young Adult

In Morganville, Vampires and humans live side by side and have a love hate relationship. Then the Bishop arrives and all hell breaks loose. Morganville looks like a war zone and everyone, vampire and human, have to work together to try and stop the evil undead from taking over the town.

As a storm approaches Morganville, Claire Danvers and her friends continue to defend the town against anything that is thrown at them. Forced to team up with the vampires they try their best to keep the town as safe as possible. Then the unexpected happens and the rules of the game change. Claire and her friends are in the worst situation ever and unless they side with the Bishop they could all die.

The Lord of Misrule is book number five in the Morganville Vampire series and it is the most action packed yet. So much happened in this book that I feel the need to read it all again to make sure I didn't miss anything. The cliffhanger ending was the worse so far and I am glad to see that book six, Carpe Corpus, is due out in only a few months.

Rachel Caine has done it again and I can only sit and wait for the next installment of one of the best Young Adult series out there. I only wish they had books like this when I was younger! I would have definitely read more...

Labels: Books Read, New Releases, Rachel Caine, Young Adult

Thais Allard is finally getting to grips with her new life and the magick within her. Her twin sister Clio Martin has grown to love the sister she only just met. While they are identical they have been brought up differently and are just not the same. Where as one wants immortality the other thinks they are playing with things beyond their control.

Around the twins there are the immortal men and women who killed to get where they are today. One, or maybe more than one of them, is out to hurt the twins. The others are hoping that the twins can use their magick to help them. Who is the enemy? Who is really looking out for the girls? Will one of them turn out to be the evil twin?

A Feather of Stone is the third book in the Balefire series and I have to say that I didn't enjoy this one as much as the previous two. It took me a while to get back into things but I was eager to get to know Clio and Thais again. However the book wasn't told from their perspective as much as in the previous books. Also while this was quite dramatic I don't feel like anything really important happened.

There is one more book in this series to go and I have got this far and will carry on. I am interested to see what happens next and how things end but have to say I prefer the authors Sweep series to this one.

Labels: Books Read, Young Adult

She is the girl that nobody sees. She may not be invisible but Charlotte Usher is just not one of the popular people in school. Hence no one takes any notice of her or what she does. Then one day she really isn't there anymore. Her being dead doesn't stop her from wanting to be seen but it means she can be more creative about it.

Being seen isn't as much as a problem as Charlotte first thought. Luckily for her there is someone who can see her and that someone has links to the popular girls in school and the guy she has a huge crush on. Having to graduate Dead school is not Charlotte's main priority but will she manage to do it anyway?

Ghostgirlwas a very entertaining and fun read. Alright the whole storyline about a girl not seen by anyone and then dying doesn't exactly sound like fun but the author did a great job of making this story one that will stay with the reader forever. The interesting way that Charlotte deals with her death and how death is in her school was unique and interesting. I loved the characters and maybe me being a 'Charlotte' in school (not the dying part) made this such a great read for me.

The book itself is so nice. With artwork all the way through, quotes and remarks for every chapter this book felt like it had feeling before the feelings were even shown. This is for anyone who ever felt invisible, young or old, popular or not popular. A young adult novel but one with a message and so well written. I will be looking out for more work by this author.

Labels: Books Read, Young Adult

Nothing has been the same for Stacey since she started having death predicting nightmares. She has spent time recovering in a cottage near the last place her boyfriend Jacob was seen but now it is time to catch up, get back to the real world and go to university. She has been extremely lucky and has a full scholarship and a friend to help her. However there is a catch, a catch she didn't know about before starting the semester.

When the nightmares start again she hides in bed dosed up on her tranquilisers. With the help of her grandmothers folk magic she finally manages to make sense of things and tries to find a way to solve the new mystery. When the college president calls her in to his office she is apologetic about her 'illness' and assures him that she will make up for her absence from classes. However what he wants from her is the payment for her scholarship and Stacey isn't sure she is strong enough to do what he wants her to do.

I have been following this series and this fourth book, I hope, is the last. It has been great reading but one of the four books could have been somehow joined to one of the others to make a trilogy. Which would have been, imho, enough. Of course I enjoyed this and it was great to see everything come to a nice end but I started to tire of Stacey's nightmares.

A great series that has a unique twist on nightmares and wicca. With a nice plot and nice characters this is worth reading if you are a young adult fan. I also enjoyed 'Bleed', also by this author and I am looking forward to reading her newest release.

Labels: Books Read, Young Adult

Mina's parents are blood sucking freaks. Lovely freaks but vampires. Now the council has found out about Mina they want her to make a decision. Become a vampire or else. Not sure what to do she goes along with the council's plans and starts going to Vampire Lessons. Learning everything she needs to know should help her make her decision but it is such a huge decision to make as a teenager.

How will Mina's life change if she becomes a vampire? Can she still be BFF with Serena? Will she stay in school or have to move away from the town she grew up in? With so many questions that need to be answered Mina doesn't realise that the guy she is in love with isn't interested in her and that the cute guy is actually interested. What will Mina decide? To vamp or not to vamp? That is the question!

Sucks to be Me is a great title and the content isn't too bad either. Although this story seemed to be a mixture of alot of other young adult books I have read over the last few months. On the other hand it did have a different twist on some things and the cute vampire myths and truths every chapter did make me smile.

Familiar in some ways but different in others I wonder if this was a one off book or if it is the start of a series. I liked the main character and it would be interesting to see what happens next. Worth picking up and checking out.

Labels: Books Read, Young Adult

Mr Tiny is sending Harkat and Darren on a dangerous journey. To find out who Harkat really was they must find the Lake of Souls. Will they survive the deadly journey? What awaits them in the murky waters of the dead?

This tenth book in the Saga of Darren Shan was, in my honest opinion, not as great as the previous books. Somehow off on a tangent this story didn't really grab me and I didn't really seem to care about the outcome. With two more books left in the series it would be a shame to give up now so I will eventually finish off the series. I just won't be rushing to pick up the last two books.

Labels: Books Read, Young Adult

Cheyenne's sixteenth birthday was a very special day that she will never forget. Coming of age has a whole new meaning for Cheyenne when she finds out that her parents are vampires and that she has reached her bloodsucking age as well. Suddenly her whole world is changing and she has so much to learn on top of her school studies. Changing into a vampire and waiting for a special power to appear really beats her old daily school problems and algebra homework.

When Cheyenne goes on a Halloween school trip the day after her birthday she starts to feel strange. Visiting the caves and seeing so many bats is cool but the weird experiences she keeps having on the trip leaves her feeling uneasy. When she tells her parents about the trip they rush her off to their vampire clan. It turns out that Cheyenne's power is one that only appears every 500 years and involves her shifting into a panther. Her life just keeps getting better and better.

With so much changing in her life the avid gymnast would be happy to have a normal day in school. Although it seems that no part of her life is going to be free of change when she she finds out that her best friend also isn't what she seems. Throw in a mysterious guy who knows her name but insists on calling her Sparkie and Constantine from the rival vampire clan turning up to annoy her and it seems like Cheyenne can't go anywhere for a moments peace.

This new young adult series really makes its mark by putting a whole new twist on the stereotypical vampire myth. Cheyenne is a normal girl who is suddenly thrown into a new world while trying to deal with the usual everyday teenage problems. Younger readers can relate to her problems while older readers can sympathize with her for having to grow up so quickly. Her sarcastic and fun manner really makes her character realistic while her continuing strength throughout the whole book keeps her human and likeable.

Cave of Terror has a good, interesting and fun plot with characters that grow on you makes this début a brilliant start to what I hope will be an addictive new series. The author has managed to write a new, fresh and Heather Brewer like story which has me looking forward to the second part, A Ghostly Affair, which is due out next year.

Labels: Amber Dawn Bell, Books Read, New Releases, Young Adult

This young adult story is the sequel to Her Wicca, Wicca Ways. Filled with mystery, suspense and a lot of paranormal aspects this is a story that keeps you guessing and interested right to the end. I can't wait for more stories about Rhianonn Godfrey, her family and her friends.

Read and review for ParanormalRomance.org you can see my full review on their website.

Labels: Book Reviews, Books Read, www.paranormalromance.org, Young Adult

When Calla's mother died she had to go live with her grandmother in Lily Dale, a town full of psychics and mediums. Worlds apart from her native home of sunny Florida she never thought she could love the sleepy place her mother never told her about. Now after a couple of months she has found a place in Lily Dale. A place that she still isn't sure about but it is a place she wants to keep hold of.

Ever since moving to Lily Dale, Calla has started seeing ghosts and experiencing other 'things'. At first the whole thing terrified her but now she is slowly getting used to her gift. With the help of some friends Calla is trying to find out what really happened to her mother. Did she really just fall down the stairs or was she pushed like Calla has seen in her dreams? Tracking down the strange man that Calla believes has something to do with her mothers death is risky and Jacy her friend keeps having visions of Calla drowning.

Determined to find out what really happened to her mother, Calla keeps looking for clues and snooping. She has to make sense of the signs she keeps getting given and finally catch the person who killed her mother. Before the killer comes for her.

Connecting is the third book in the Lily Dale series and the story just gets better and better. The author weaves a lovely web filled with mystery and the paranormal which makes this a real page turner. I couldn't put this one down and found myself picking it up at every opportunity. Calla is such a lovely girl with so many realistic worries and while reading you really get the feeling that you are in Lily Dale with her, helping her finish the next chapter of her life.

Adventure, mystery and ghosts! What else can you ask for? This young adult series has really grabbed me and I can't wait for the next book 'Discovering' to come out. Especially with how this book finished! I hope the wait won't be long until book 4 hits the shelves because I can't wait to visit Lily Dale again.

Labels: Books Read, New Releases, Wendy Corsi Staub, Young Adult

Sol lives in a huge domed city with an Ice Age raging outside. Inside the electric keeps going out and certain items are just not available anymore. The Clockworkers make sure that nobody goes unpunished and that the secrets of the city are kept a secret. Normal people like Sol have no idea what is really happening in the depths of Ash Harbor.

It isn't unusual for his father not to come home on payday night. But then Sol realises that it has been more than one night since his dad has been home and he starts to worry. After witnessing a strange accident Sol begins to ask alot of questions and nobody wants to give him any answers. When he finds out that his dad has been accused of murder and is apparently on the run he can only keep asking more and more questions and this time there are people making sure that he won't find the answers.

As Sol starts to get closer to finding the answers he needs the Clockworkers start chasing him down. Will he manage to reveal the secrets the city is hiding and find out what happened to his dad? Not only is Sol's live in danger but everyone he knows and loves. If he manages to reveal the truth it will change Ash Harbor forever.

I remember Daylight Runner arriving in my postbox while I was moving apartments and somehow I lost track of it. I found it the other day and put it to the top of my reading pile and I just spent a nice few hours curled up with this extremely unique read.

Think Scott Westerfeld, Total Recall and X-files all mixed up together. There was that great teenage and young reader element that I always find when reading Westerfeld's books. There was that fantasy and futuristic feel of the film Total Recall. Then to bring things together was the conspiracy and mystery aspect of the X-files. A great mix and a super read.

I wonder if this will turn into a series or is a one off but either way I will be keeping an eye out for anything else that this author writes. This is great young adult reading with a well thought out story.

Labels: Books Read, Young Adult

Rose Hathaway knows that she wants to be a guardian. In particular she knows she wants to be a guardian for her best friend, Dragomir Princess, Lissa. Forbidden to love another Guardian, Rose, is of course in love with another Guardian. Dimitri is the rule that needs to be broken but if they are both assigned to Lissa when she finishes the Academy it will be even harder for them to be together.

Something is wrong with Rose but she isn't sure what. Her special link with Lissa is as strong as ever but now Rose is seeing things and getting headaches. She has a feeling that something terrible is coming her way but nobody is happy to believe her. Trying to put together the pieces and keep her mind on her field assignment, Rose is nearing her eighteenth birthday and graduation. The question is will she live to see either one of them?

Shadow Kiss is the third book in the Vampire Academy series and could actually be the best yet. While some of this series reminds me of 'The House of the Night' series by P.C and Kristen Cast this series also has its own uniqueness. Mystery for young adults with a paranormal setting this series has great characters and great story lines.

Well thought out and breathtaking, Shadow Kiss leaves everything open and the ending ensures that all readers will be back for book four.

Labels: Books Read, New Releases, Richelle Mead, Young Adult

One day a demon decides he is going to take a break from hell. Finding a nice seventeen year old boy who is about to get run over means he can possess the body. Taking over Shaun's body also means taking over his life. So the demon finds himself having to act and behave like a teenager. Shaun's mother, brother and best friend all know something has changed but can't understand why. All the demon is concerned about is living his experience to the full because he knows that at some point he is going to have to return to hell.

This young adult story was wonderfully written. The whole tale was told from the demons perspective and it was fun to read about all the teenage feelings he had to deal with as well as the new experiences of being human. It was extremely interesting to see how the demon behaved. While one would expect chaos and destruction the demon actually tried to build bridges and change peoples lives.

Repossessed was fun, interesting and very much worth reading. I finished this in two sittings and will be looking up this author to see what else A.M Jenkins has on offer.

Labels: Books Read, Young Adult