"Ashes" by Ilsa J. Bick

"It could happen tomorrow . . .
An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions.
Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP. For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it’s now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human."-goodreads

Ashes is one of the best zombie books I’ve read, up there with The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Zombie Survival Guide, as well as one of the best post-apocalyptic books I’ve read (and probably one of the more ’realistic’ as well). But Ashes is so much more than that. As I was reading it I thought of it as one of those dolls that opens up and there’s another doll and another doll and another doll and another doll. Every page, there were more complicated (but awesome) things going on. Incredibly fast-paced, sometimes things happened so fast that I didn’t understand them right away-- but I don’t think Alex the protagonist did either, so that just enhanced it. Ashes bled fear, anxiety, tension, action, gruesomeness, creepy, scary, psychological stuff, and shock throughout the whole book. It was incredible! Also, it’s perfect for reading any time but I think I picked a fabulous time to read it, right around Halloween.

Alex is an epic heroine for the story. She’s a strong female character that doesn’t let herself totally give up for any reason, even when falling for a guy. She took charge and survived after the EMP, and helped others along the way. Granted, she also received help from several people, including Tom, the mysterious guy they meet along the way, however it wasn’t a *total* damsel-in-distress moment. Alex showed raw emotion throughout the book without being wimpy or anything like that. Tom was pretty cool too, when we got to meet him, and Ellie as well. Characters in this book (and a lot of similar books to these) are integral to me, I think, because you don’t typically see as many characters as often while they’re fighting their way through the EMP ravaged world.

An original thing that I liked about Ashes is that, while some post-apocalyptic (or dystopian) books avoid the actual disaster, experiencing it or explaining it, it started out from the beginning right before and the reader gets to see the whole thing unfold. I think a lot of the time it’s avoided because sometimes it’s hard to convince the reader and have them be like, ‘yeah, this could actually happen. The world really could end this way.’ and even I’m like that sometimes but Ashes convinced me. I’ll be thinking about the horrifyingly realistic (and horrifying in general) world from the book for a long time.
The bottom line: if you’re looking for an epic book, especially a scary post-apocalyptic zombie novel, Ashes is for you. I can’t wait for the next one! 

"Twelfth Grade Kills" (Vladimir Tod, #5) by Heather Brewer

(If you haven't read the previous ones in the Vladimir Tod series, I suggest you visit my reviews for 1, 2, & 4. Not a spoiler-y review. But seriously, check out the other books, at least, they're pretty awesome.)

I have waited a while to read the last installment of the Vladimir Tod series. I think this is just because I’ve been a bad minion and was forgetting about it, but maybe my subconscious just didn’t want to see the series end. After all, endings can be disappointing. Sometimes they can ruin your impression of the series all. And sometimes they’re just sad. Have you ever noticed, in the last book, people always die? Usually important people? (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” and “Alex Rider: Scorpia Rising” are examples that come to mind.)

But, all good things come to an end and The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod with “Twelfth Grade Kills”  is no exception. Fortunately, the good things came to an end but continued to be good, I was not disappointed with it. Although, at the end, I did not feel it was necessary for a certain beloved character to die (I keep you guessing, right?), it was still a great ending to the series. The series was wrapped up nicely-- not everything resolved, but all the important things, so that one can kind of imagine how everything else will pan out, the ‘happy-ending’ and what not. Otherwise, like the others in the Vladimir Tod series, the action was bloody, the emotions strong, and the writing epic.

I look forward to “The Slayer Chronicles”, and the first book to those, “First Kill” which features Joss as a lead character rather than Vlad. I’ve had mixed feelings about Joss throughout the series, but in the end I really liked him as a character. The Slayer Chronicles will also be a five book series, and the first comes out September 20th!  (For more information, I suggest you visit Heather Brewer’s website, here!)

"Tighter" by Adele Griffin

“When 17-year-old Jamie arrives on the idyllic New England island of Little Bly to work as a summer au pair, she is stunned to learn of the horror that precedes her. Seeking the truth surrounding a young couple's tragic deaths, Jamie discovers that she herself looks shockingly like the dead girl—and that she has a disturbing ability to sense the two ghosts. Why is Jamie's connection to the couple so intense? What really happened last summer at Little Bly? As the secrets of the house wrap tighter and tighter around her, Jamie must navigate the increasingly blurred divide between the worlds of the living and the dead.” -goodreads

I picked up Tighter right before going to bed. I continued reading Tighter until it was over. I couldn’t put it down! I had to see how the story would conclude. It’s also only 216 pages, so I wasn’t up all night finishing it or anything (although I probably would have been, had it been longer), but it was 216 pages of brain-twisting, mind-numbing, mystery and suspense. I had to know what Jamie was actually seeing, and what was real, what wasn’t.

Jamie is not (or at least doesn't start out) a likable main character. She’s depressed, she stole pills from her parents, and she doesn’t generally seem very smart at all in the beginning. As the story goes on, especially toward the end, she’s a bit more likable. But she’s not the ONLY character. While Isa (the troubled girl Jamie is an au pair for) was withdrawn in her own world, in her imagination where she could hide, I found her really likable. Everything she said I felt she said in earnest. Part murder mystery, part thriller, and many other elements, Tighter had variety.

I loved the writing, it was poetic and nice, with some really raw emotion displayed through it. The conclusion was shocking and a burst of action at the end, I did NOT expect what Jamie ended up doing. I’ve never read any others of Adele Griffin’s many novels, but I’ll be sure to look them up now!
Extra note: The cover. I love it. Sets the creepy level for the book!

"The Zombie Survival Guide" by Max Brooks

"Top 10 Lessons for Surviving a Zombie Attack
1. Organize before they rise!
2. They feel no fear, why should you?
3. Use your head: cut off theirs.
4. Blades don’t need reloading.
5. Ideal protection = tight clothes, short hair.
6. Get up the staircase, then destroy it.
7. Get out of the car, get onto the bike.
8. Keep moving, keep low, keep quiet, keep alert!
9. No place is safe, only safer.
10. The zombie may be gone, but the threat lives on."-The Zombie Survival Guide

This book is SERIOUS!! One would probably think that the Zombie Survival Guide is written humorously; in a way that pokes fun at zombies and the possibly coming zombie apocalypse. It’s even shelved in the humor section of the library/book store. Honestly, it seems like it should be shelved with the legit survival manuals, with the way it’s written, and if there was a zombie apocalypse this book would probably be useful.

The guide lays down all the rules. Situations and places to avoid, symptoms of the zombie virus, the best weapons to have, how to zombie-proof your house (or try), the stages of the zombie (from outbreak to takeover!), how to fight them, and ‘historical cases’ of zombie encounters; all to prepare you for when they come (which is inevitable, according to the ‘guide’).

To call it humorous, except occasionally, would be incorrect. It’s not. Not at ALL. It’s dead (living?) serious (see what I did there? Bam.), and very clever. It’s a brilliantly well thought out novel-- that’s what this book had to take. It covers all bases, all aspects of the zombie apocalypse that you never would have thought of, as if it were an actual survival manual. Some people have even gone so far as to call Max Brooks deluded, but I disagree, I think he just crafted a brilliantly well though out book that must’ve required some major brainstorming. When I bought The Zombie Survival Guide I also got Mr. Brook’s other book, World War Z, and look forward to reading that as well.

The bottom line: Legit and filled with zombie-tastic-ness.

"Never Slow Dance with a Zombie" by E. Van Lowe

"Principal Taft's 3 Simple Rules for Surviving a Zombie Uprising:
Rule #1: While in the halls, walk slowly and wear a vacant expression on your face. Zombies won't attack other zombies.
Rule #2: Never travel alone. Move in packs. Follow the crowd. Zombies detest blatant displays of individuality.
Rule #3: If a zombie should attack, do not run. Instead, throw raw steak at to him. Zombies love raw meat. This display of kindness will go a long way.
On the night of her middle school graduation, Margot Jean Johnson wrote a high school manifesto detailing her goals for what she was sure would be a most excellent high school career. She and her best friend, Sybil, would be popular and, most important, have boyfriends. Three years later, they haven't accomplished a thing!
Then Margot and Sybil arrive at school one day to find that most of the student body has been turned into flesh-eating zombies. When kooky Principal Taft asks the girls to coexist with the zombies until the end of the semester, they realize that this is the perfect opportunity to live out their high school dreams. All they have to do is stay alive...."-goodreads

This book was very peculiar. If I was required to give my opinion of it in three words I would say "Surprisingly, bizarrely epic!". I had no expectations whatsoever of this book (nothing against the author or anything, I don't mean it like that); I'd never seen or heard of it before the book fair where I picked it up at and the description reads like a middle-grade geek to popular and all of a sudden it's perfect world type of book. So often when I have pre-conceived ideas about books (or anything, really, I suppose) I am wrong. This one, I was wrong simply because I underestimated it.

Never Slow Dance with a zombie starts out and basically the main character just wants to be popular and she has one of those super nice, very sensible, best friends. I kind of went... oh... no.... but then, on top of the lessons you would think would come along with a book like this, it was sooo funny. At the beginning I was just like... how could that happen? With the zombies taking over the school and everything and no one even knows why/how/etc...? But then I went... duh. I'm over thinking this. Of course I'm not supposed to believe it, this book is supposed to be fun and funny, regardless of its plausibility!

That being said, Never Slow Dance with A Zombie was hilarious! It was very peculiar (I don't want to call it weird. I've been calling a lot of really dark books weird and this one is anything but). I thought it would be very gory because it's about zombies and it wasn't (not that I would have minded, heh heh). The whole situation the school was in was really amusing. The characters were good, as I said, I really liked Sybil. The geeks were funny. Also, that ONE girl that wasn't really a zombie... I saw that coming. In a good way.

"Nevermore" by Kelly Creagh

"At once an homage to one of America's greatest writers and a page-turning psychological mystery that is equal parts horror, humor, and romance, NEVERMORE is the story of Varen -- a Poe-fan and goth -- and Isobel -- a cheerleader and unlikely heroine. When a Lit. project pairs the two together, Isobel finds herself steadily swept into Varen's world, one that he has created in his notebook and in his mind, one where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life. Isobel slowly learns that dreams can be much more powerful than she'd ever expected, and that pain and despair come in all sorts of shades. As labels of "goth" and "cheerleader" fade away, she sees more in Varen than a tall, pale outcast, and a consuming romance is braced against the ever-clearer horror that the most terrifying realities are those within our own minds.
When Isobel has a single chance to rescue Varen from the shadows of his own nightmares, will she be able to save him -- and herself?"-goodreads

I am a Poe enthusiast! I have been meaning to read this book for quite a while because of that. Several people recommended this book to me because I like the Edgar Allan Poe stuff I've read, as in, really like it! Thus, I was extremely excited to read Nevermore. I was not disappointed by the Poe element at all-- there were quotes, it was a totally gothic book, they talked about Poe, the project was on Poe, and you know, it turned out everything had more to do with Poe than it seemed. *queue the spooky music*

This is a very LONG book. It's over 500 pages. That doesn't deter me, I don't care about the length of a book as long as it's a good book. This was a good book. It wasn't the BEST BOOK EVER (which I kind of hoped it would be...). It was a good book. I do think it could've been shorter--I felt like it spent a lot of time building up to what was going to happen, and then when stuff actually started happening, it felt kind of rushed (which might've just been the contrast of the pace moving rather slowly and then all of  a sudden we were getting places, figuring things out, etc...).

I liked Varen as a character... I wasn't a huge fan of Isabel. She kind of reminded me of a certain other Bella that is part of a popular YA series... and not in a very good way. That and I just never really connected with her as a character, I never really felt any sympathy or otherwise for her.

I did like how the story unfolded, the Poe element, and the writing was gothic and beautiful. It was awesomely psychological and creepy. I'll definitely be picking up the sequel when it comes out next year (I thought it was supposed to be a stand-alone, but BAM, CLIFFHANGER.) but it just wasn't overall my thing. But if you enjoy gothic types of books, Edgar Allan Poe, paranormal, and aren't afraid of a big book-- give it a try, you might think it's the best book ever. :)

"Shadowed Summer" by Saundra Mitchell

"Iris is ready for another hot, routine summer in her small Louisiana town, hanging around the Red Stripe grocery with her best friend, Collette, and traipsing through the cemetery telling each other spooky stories and pretending to cast spells. Except this summer, Iris doesn’t have to make up a story. This summer, one falls right in her lap.
Years ago, before Iris was born, a local boy named Elijah Landry disappeared. All that remained of him were whispers and hushed gossip in the church pews. Until this summer. A ghost begins to haunt Iris, and she’s certain it’s the ghost of Elijah. What really happened to him? And why, of all people, has he chosen Iris to come back to?"-goodreads


First things first: This book was refreshing! Why? Because it was good, but it was a standalone. I felt satisfied with how it wrapped up, which I often don't with standalone books, without having to read a sequel to get the whole story! Don't get me wrong. I like series of books, however, I don't appreciate it when EVERY book is a series-- especially those times when you don't even know it is/will be one. 


Saundra Mitchell's writing. Ohmygosh. I read the Vespertine and really liked the story but my favorite part was Mrs. Mitchell's writing style. It's unique, rather poetic, and rather visual. Shadowed Summer is super creepy and gothic, emphasized by her writing. 


The whole thing was creepy, really Iris and Colette's pretending to be witches gone wrong, when something ACTUALLY happens and there's an actual ghost. Not a quiet ghost either, this ghost had a story to tell and a mystery to be solved. The whole thing wraps up in a way you wouldn't expect; as the story goes on, Colette and Iris think they know what happened, and the reader thinks they do too; but then it's not what you expect!


If you want a really creepy gothic type of book that's written well and is a relatively short STAND ALONE read, then check out Shadowed Summer.

"Beautiful Darkness" (Caster Chronicles, #2) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

"Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.
Sometimes life-ending.
Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems."-goodreads
Remember that time I wrote a review in which I was totally crazy about a Paranormal/Contemporary/Historical book called Beautiful Creatures? This is the sequel to that book and I loved it just as much!

The Paranormal/Historical/Contemporary elements are back and all there. The book is still written in a way that captivates you and makes you really see what is going on, at times rather poetic. The story is still fascinating. It continues to surprise with twists that you can't forsee no matter how hard you try. It's still a rather gothic novel. It was great!

There's always those times where I'm disappointed with the sequel as compared to the first book, but this wasn't a let down. Beautiful Creatures and Beautiful Darkness both start out rather slow-- even though it's good, it's slow-- but it's good that way. It doesn't take away for me. It just builds on and prepares you for the very complicated but very good things to come. It's a long book just like the first at about 500 pages, however, it's 500 pages of greatness. The way the world of Casters and the mortal world in Gaitlin combine in these books is seamless. The book was more emotional than the last, because of some very traumatic experiences going on and the ones that went on in Beautiful Creatures (which I can't talk about without ruining the whole thing).

I can't wait for the third in the series of the Caster Chronicles to come out, Beautiful Chaos in (fittingly) October! I'm sure there are more great things to coming yet in this series.

"Everlost" by Neal Shusterman

"Nick and Allie don't survive the car accident...but their souls don't exactly get where they're supposed to get either. Instead, they're caught halfway between life and death, in a sort of limbo known as Everlost: a shadow of the living world, filled with all the things and places that no longer exist. It's a magical yet dangerous place where bands of lost children run wild and anyone who stands in the same place too long sinks to the center of the Earth.

When they find Mary, the self-proclaimed queen of lost kids, Nick feels like he's found a home. But Allie isn't satisfied spending eternity between worlds. Against all warnings, Allie begins learning the "Criminal Art" of haunting and ventures into dangerous territory, where a monster called the McGill threatens all the souls of Everlost."-goodreads 

This book has been on my TBR list for a while. People told me it was good, but no one told me just how amazing it was and that if I liked 'different' kinds of Dystopias that almost didn't even seem like they were that I had to read this book. If I'd known that I would have read it sooner.

This is a dystopian novel published well before the Dystopian craze, so it hasn't been appreciated as much as it should have been. I love dystopian novels but I especially like it when the reason it's a dystopia, the controlling element that's creating the world so it runs as it does, so that everything is controlled, I like it when that's different. For example, in "The Dark and Hollow Places" there's no government creating such a terrible world, it's the fact that they're surrounded by ZOMBIES. In Everlost, the element is that the characters are Afterlifes. They are stuck in Everlost, a land that seems to be between the living and wherever the dead are supposed to go. The children are in the living world, but no one knows they are there. The only place where they are safe from sinking into the ground like the lost souls that they are is if they're on dead spots-- places where people have died-- and places that have a lot of love and memory still in them.


Which brings me to one of my favorite settings and elements of the story, The Twin Towers. There are many Afterlifes still living in the beautiful places that are the twin towers, because no one will forget them. It's safe for them and they still get to appreciate their beauty and live there in Everlost. There are other places like this as well, but they're the main ones of the story. 


The Afterlifes were fascinating on their own. The way they could forget themselves and what they looked like, and the way some of them acted. It was bizarre, and a concept (along with the rest of the world that is Everlost) that just seemed really brilliant to me. The world itself is probably my favorite part of the book.


The main characters were really great as well, they seemed very real. I tried to think about how I would react if I suddenly came to Everlost because of my untimely death and didn't know what was going on; and it was probably just how I would react. It's incredibly realistic.


The twists and turns. I really did not know where the story would end up while I was reading the last few chapters. I did not think about the coins at all or what they did, and I didn't think that Mary was doing what she was doing. I know it's a trilogy so I had thought that nothing much was going to happen at the end because that's how it was starting to turn out, but then the last few chapters. Wow. Lots happened. 


I really can't say anymore because I'm going to spoil everything, but Everlost was really good and if you enjoy an odd dystopian novel or more importantly a really excellent sci-fi novel that touches on so many different themes and ideas, you should definitely pick up Everlost. I can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy!
Thank you very much Simon&Schuster for surprising me with a review copy in preparation for the third book, coming soon.
Reader's Note: Review copies in no way, shape, or form change how I'd review a book, and they never  will. UNBIASED.

"Birth of a Killer" by Darren Shan (Larten Crepsley, #1)

"Before Cirque Du Freak...
Before the war with the vampaneze... 
Before he was a vampire.
Larten Crepsley was a boy. 
As a child laborer many centuries ago, Larten Crepsley did his job well and without complaint, until the day the foreman killed his brother as an example to the other children. 
In that moment, young Larten flies into a rage that the foreman wouldn't survive. Forced on the run, he sleeps in crypts and eats cobwebs to get by. And when a vampire named Seba offers him protection and training as a vampire's assistant, Larten takes it.
This is his story."-goodreads

I love, love, LOVE the Cirque Du Freak series and The Thin Executioner by Darren Shan. This book is the first in a four book series chronicling the life of Larten Crepsley (you know, pre Darren). I really liked Larten Crepsley throughout the Cirque Du Freak series so when I found out that there was going to be four books starring him that come before it I was so excited!


When I picked up "Birth of a Killer" I expected a book that was as good as the Cirque Du Freak series, probably similar, with Crepsley as the main character. This book was way more! I liked it better then I liked most of the Cirque Du Freak series. I'm not sure if this is because I like Crepsley better as the main character or if it is because Mr. Shan has developed more as an author since writing the Cirque Du Freak books, but whatever it is, it's great.


I liked seeing the beginning of what turned Crepsley into the great mentor and overall person in Darren's life. I thought the story was good with surprising turns, and new likeable characters. It was also really interesting to see Crepsley as the 'assistant' rather than Darren. Of course, there's also Darren Shan's amazing writing style which I enjoyed throughout the Cirque Du Freak books and The Thin Executioner before this.


I can't say much more without creating a rather spoiling review, but it was great! If you enjoyed other books by Darren Shan then you'll probably love this one as well! Also, the sequel, "Ocean of Blood" comes out this month!

"The Dead-Tossed Waves" by Carrie Ryan

"Gabry lives a quiet life. As safe a life as is possible in a town trapped between a forest and the ocean, in a world teeming with the dead, who constantly hunger for those still living. She’s content on her side of the Barrier, happy to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her lighthouse. But there are threats the Barrier cannot hold back. Threats like the secrets Gabry’s mother thought she left behind when she escaped from the Sisterhood and the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Like the cult of religious zealots who worship the dead. Like the stranger from the forest who seems to know Gabry. And suddenly, everything is changing. One reckless moment, and half of Gabry’s generation is dead, the other half imprisoned. Now Gabry only knows one thing: she must face the forest of her mother’s past in order to save herself and the one she loves." -goodreads

When I was first reading this book I was a little bit upset because I wanted more of Mary's story, which I didn't realize she wasn't supposed to be the main character. Then of course we found out what Gabry had to do with Mary and their relationship and everything, and as the story unfolded we did learn more about what happened to Mary, so then that was a lot better. That aside, The Dead-Tossed Waves was just as good as The Forest of Hands and Teeth, which I loved, because sometimes sequels/companions really don't live up to the first book in the series. I liked Gabry as the main character a lot more then I liked Mary. I also thought the story might've been more interesting as it just seemed to go more places, there wasn't a lot of lingering. I loved the whole mystery of who Gabry was, and her discovering that and Elias and everything. I also enjoyed getting to figure out more about the Unconsecrated/Mudo/Infected (Breakers, Immunes) especially because that wasn't really elaborated on in The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Anyway, I don't want to say much else because I don't want to spoil things for people that haven't yet read The Forest of Hands and Teeth. I highly recommend this series! I can't wait for "The Dark and Hollow Places" to come out later this month.

"The Forest of Hands and Teeth" by Carrie Ryan

"In Mary's world, there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent.
And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village. The fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth.
   But slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power. And, when the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness.
   Now she must choose between her village and her future, between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. could there be life outside a world surrounded by so much death?" -the inside flap of the book

"The Forest of Hands and Teeth" is definitely one of my new favorite books, and one of the best books I've read so far in 2011! It's packed full of interesting and what I consider well formed characters, action, excitement, intensity, suspense, romance, danger, darkness, and scary elements all over. It's not just a book about zombies, by any means. It's not just a post-apocalypse novel. It's a post zombie apocalypse adventure filled engrossing novel filled with darkness, emotion, romance, and suspense (that should be stamped across the front of the book so that everyone knows). Mary's world is a terrifying, but realistic seeming take on the small world that might still exist after a zombie apocalypse occurred.  This is not one of those zombie books that's just packed with action, or guts, or gore; those elements are present in the book, but in the most beneficial way that it's perfect for the story. The way the Unconsecrated behave, the way they infect, their relentlessness.. it's just incredible. The Sisterhood and their mysteriousness, their usage of religion and threats of a divine power, God, to control the people in the village (though they don't really know it) were brilliant is well.... I could go on and on about how awesome this book is, but I'd spoil everything and you'd probably get bored, so I'll stop here and just say that I definitely rate The Forest of Hands and Teeth 5 stars, and say that I'm so looking forward to reading The Dead Tossed Waves (which was released last year) and The Dark and Hollow Places which comes out this month!

If you'd like to learn more about "The Forest of Hands and Teeth" go to Carrie Ryan's website.

"The Replacement" by Brenna Yovanoff

"In the story, Emma's four years old. She gets out of bed and pads across the floor in her footie pajamas. When she reaches her hand between the bars, the thing in the crib moves closer. It tries to bite her and she takes her hand out again but doesn't back away. They spend all night looking at each other in the dark. In the morning, the thing is still crouched on the lamb-and-duckling mattress pad, staring at her.
It isn't her brother.
IT'S ME." -the back of "The Replacement"

I got interested in this book because it's part of Penguin's "Breathless Reads" campaign, which I came across because of my love for "Matched" by Ally Condie (which is also, obviously, part of the campaign). I saw it on the list, so I looked it up and added it to my TBR list, and got it from the library a couple of days ago. I'm glad I did get interested in this book, because it I did like the story! It was very interesting, the whole 'creature' being swapped for a baby every 7 years in the town of Gentry. It was a really creepy spooky story.  The problems I had with it, is the story was really kind of complicated to the point of being quite confusing sometimes. Other then that it was enjoyable (in a really really creepy kinda way). I also enjoyed reading of Mackie's rather dysfunctional family (not in a humorous kind of dysfunctional, just that), and thought his mother's relationship with the replacements and his father's seeming ignorance towards Mackie, then there's Emma, who was cool. I give it 4 stars. Also, the cover is pretty cool, and if I'd seen it without knowing anything else about the book, that probably would've intrigued me enough to pick it up and read it- I love awesome covers.

"Cryer's Cross" by Lisa McMann

"The small town of Cryer's Cross is rocked by tragedy when an unassuming freshman disappears without a trace. Kendall Fletcher wasn't that friendly with the missing girl, but the angst wreaks havoc on her OCD-addled brain.

When a second student goes missing-someone close to Kendall's heart- the community is in an uproar. Caught in a downward spiral of fear and anxiety, Kendall's not sure she can hold it together. When she she starts hearing voices of the missing, calling out to her and pleading for help, she fears she's losing her grip on reality. But when she finds messages scratched in a desk at school-messages that could only be from the missing student who used to sit there-Kendall decides that crazy or not, she'd never forgive herself if she didn't act on her suspicions.

Something's not right in Cryer's Cross-and Kendall's about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried." -The back of the ARC

This book was so creepy and suspenseful. Very intense stuff here. It was really good though. I especially liked Kendall, and I thought it was really interesting getting this kind of story from the perspective of a character who suffers from OCD. The book is also written in present tense, which I don't always enjoy, but I think it really worked for this book. I also find that sometimes when things are written in present tense, especially character's thoughts, I find it to seem kind of confusing. At times, I thought that about this book, but I thought it worked, because it seemed to further indicate the state of Kendall's mind, especially dealing with the disappearances. I also really liked the setting, the small town, all that. This was a really awesome scary book. If you're into scary books, with intensity and major suspense, with a brilliant conclusion; then "Cryer's Cross" is for you! I give it four and half stars!

If you would like to find out more about "Cryer's Cross", then go to the website on Simon&Schuster, and Lisa McMann's website.

Thank you to Simon Pulse, Simon & Schuster publishing for the ARC/review copy, and giving me the chance to review this book. 
Note to readers: Review copies provided by the publisher/author do not influence my reviews whatsoever, these are my REAL OPINIONS! 

"The House of Dead Maids" by Claire B. Dunkle

"The House of Dead Maids" is a short 'prelude' to the classic literary novel "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte. If you want a reason to get into "Wuthering Heights" or have already read it and enjoyed it, this is a good book for you. However, if you have no interest in the old English type of writing style and the gothic elements with that type of story, you might not like it. I already read "Wuthering Heights" for my literature class last year, so I knew what they were talking about and enjoyed it fairly well!

Tabby has no parents and no family that she knows of. She has always been an orphan so long as she can remember. She has worked at various places, helping to be housekeeper and such, and is now finally at a knitting school where she's learned to knit well, when someone named Miss Winter comes to collect her. Tabby has been bought by this Miss Winter woman, from being at the school. She ends up at "Seldom House" where she finds that she's going to be the maid of a young boy; by various names. When she's taking care of the little boy -and when she's not- she finds herself haunted by a girl spirit that seems to be an old maid of the house. Soon, her and 'himself, heathen git' in their explorations of the house discover the dark house's very dark secret.

This book was alright. It was pretty sure which (a rare case) I found myself kind of glad about. It's written in an old english style like "Wuthering Heights" and is filled with Gothic era elements and the like. It's a complicated to story, and some might think it's a sophisticated type of book. I give it 3 stars ***. And also: the cover is creepy.

Down the Rabbit Hole, An Echo Falls Mystery -Peter Abraham

Down the Rabbit Hole is a mystery/thrilling book depicting the a time in the life of a 13 year old named Ingrid. The story starts as she tries out of a play with the community theater's production of Alice and Wonderland, as she loves to act. She also likes to play soccer... These two things are the events at which time everything begins to go wrong. A local murder mystery arises, and Ingrid cannot get it out of her mind. It makes no sense! Matters are made worse with suspicion, and a small fact... She left her soccer cleats at the victim's home... What will she do?

I thought that the books was good and it was exciting. There were lots of twists and turns, and it was a thrill of a book. It had lots of great elements to a story including: romance, mystery, scare, thrill, shock, intensity, fun, and it was easy to relate to most of the time. It had a lot of good qualities. The only thing I didn't really like is that some things... well, some was predictable. The others were that the end was awful, in my personal opinion, I think it was a really cruddy setup for a sequel. Which exhists, but it was one of those books that was great, but no- I don't want to read another. The characters were interesting but I didn't like the way things were laid out sometimes, and I also thought that at times the could make things tedious OCCASIONALLY with some unneccesary long descriptions, and then I felt when it mattered, I needed a better picture -a better description.

All in all, I thought it was a good book, and I think most kids/teens (whatever) and 12&up could easily enjoy this book. 4 stars!

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

This is a literary classic, gothic era 19th Century novel. It is classic literature filled with great vocabulary words (great learning opportunity, I had to read it for Vocab./Lit. Class). It has lots of old English. It is a good story, but it can be kind of hard to understand. I think it was good, after finally being finished. Lots of classics can be hard to get through sometimes because of vocabulary used, writing style (don't start out as fast), or old English. As long as you can get past that, which once you get into the book, it can be quite good.

A warning is not to go into reading this book expecting an awfully scary spooky story with the great Frankenstein monster ransacking towns, attacking people, and being just an awful unsuperior race that has been created in malice and other such things. It's not what you see in the movies or comic books. It's a story inside a story. It begins with letters, going to sort of story from beginning in the end and proceeding to, well, reflect on the rest of it. It's very complicated. It is a story from Victor Frankenstein, as he tells Robert Walton, a sea captain determined to control the seas and find a new route across the seas. Dr. Victor Frankenstein tries to control nature. His mother dies, and he seems to be inspired to figure out a way to create life out of death. He experiments with dead body parts (gross) and somehow brings an awesome (not as in good, as in shocking) creaure to life. (important note frankenstein isn't the monster, he's the person who created the monster). He goes into shock and falls ill. The monster escapes. andddd I'm not telling you anymoree stuffffff.
Really. That's as dramatic as it gets. It really isn't a scary book. Dramatic maybe. But not scary.

I rate it 3 1/2 stars maybe 4?. It's just hard for me too get into this book. It was a good story still though :).
I would say it's for ages 12 and up in appropriateness, maybe younger. But the age that can actually get through it, understand it, and appreciate it? Varies. Depends on the person. So, read it, it's good :) A nice classic.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Book 1. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson is a normal boy. Or at least somewhat. He has ADHD and learning problems, and he gets expelled from school every year, though he really is a good boy. He never knew that all of those problems were deeper. And they didn't lead to anything that anyone could guess either. Is Percy really a 'half-blood' of olympian origin? Is he just a weirdo? Can he fit in at camp? How long will his stay be at his new favorite place, camp? and if it leads to it, can he save the world from a war of the gods.

What I thought: I thought it was really good. 4 stars. An interesting and intriguing story. Some of the elements of the story are kind of predictable or old, yet other parts of the story, the result, and everything else is completely unexpected and mysterious. It is very good. I recommend it to anyone that likes books such as Charlie Bone, Harry Potter, Spiderwick, Series of Unfortunate Events and more, as well as anyone who appreciates mythology.

Daniel X: Watch The Skies by James Patterson & Ned Rust

In this near to brand new, highly anticipated sequel to the original Daniel X book, "Daniel X" by James Patterson &Micheal Ledwidge, another intriguing view of the world from a somewhat superhuman person being the main character, Aliens taking over the world, aliens exhisting, and life as a good alien although appearing human life form is depicted as intriguing (like I said), rather then cheesy or dorky, and the whole alien thing sounds.

Summary/Description: Daniel X is a boy who wants revenge, and he is going to go up and down the "list" to find and hunt every bad alien there is, leading up to the big alien, the prey, number uno, who killed his parents when he was younger. He has plenty of powers to fight them with, whether he is teleporting himself, transforming himself (or others), making things appear (such as the pack of friends that help him), or something as simple and innocent as playing music in his head. Will he succeed in hunting and destroying Number 5 on his way up to the number 1? Will he live to tell the tale? You'll have to read this one to find out.

I thought this book was pretty great, though I think I liked the first better. I rate it 4 stars! As dumb as the descriptions may sound, it's a great story, with many elements of adventure and surprise. Obviously, you should read the first book first, which is also a great book. Have fun reading. :)

Raven's Gate by Anthony Horowitz

I read this book, because I heard about it after I read the Alex Rider series, and the Horrowitz Horror books. It is a great adventurous book, and I give it 4 stars. I recommend it to anyone who liked Alex Rider. :)

Description/Summary: Mathew Freeman 'matt' is a juvenile delinquent. But it didn't start that way. He was just another 8 year old when his parents died, and he went to live with his Aunt. He didn't like it at all, but who would? The only person that seemed to be nice to him was his new friend Kelvin, and they got involved in some crime. Little did they know that their next crime would start such weird things. After breaking into a warehouse and they get caught, Matt will have to go to another home far away as part of the LEAF project. His new guardian seems pretty crazy, but what he thinks is only the half of it...
...and you're going to have to read it to find out more. I need to go get the sequel, like, now. (Evil Star)