Lisa McMann CRASH

I've read several other books by Lisa McMann, so this was an easy selection. I knew I'd love it. And I did. You can read my previous reviews here.

CRASH is the beginning of a new series. Here is your quickie synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Jules, whose family owns an Italian restaurant and has a history of mental illness, starts seeing a recurring vision about a rival restaurant, a truck crash, and forbidden love.

What I enjoyed:
I was intrigued at the beginning, but it didn't really grab me until mid-way through when it sucked me right in. The suspense was relentless from that point on. I began staying up way too late to find out what would happen next. The sense of urgency forced me to read the second half all in one sitting.

Another highlight of the book is the relationship between Jules and her brother. Trey is her rock and helps her throughout the book. Plus he's just a really fun, witty character. You will adore him! Her sister Rowan is also an important part of the family. I'm looking forward to seeing these relationships build in the next installment. Of course, there is another relationship that I'm sure everyone is eager to see develop, but I won't divulge any spoilers here.

Anyway, if you like suspense with a little physic visions thrown it, this one's for you!

Author Tidbit: Lisa McMann was a featured author at the Montgomery County Book Festival in January. As the official blogger for the festival, I was able to snag an interview. Click below to go straight to the interview.

Cassandra Clare. CITY OF BONES

This one has been on my "to read" list for ages! I finally got to it, and boy am I glad I did!

Here's your brief synopsis:

Suddenly able to see demons and the Darkhunters who are dedicated to returning them to their own dimension, fifteen-year-old Clary Fray is drawn into this bizarre world when her mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a monster.

Here's what I loved about it:

The writing, the characters, the humor, and the writing. Oh, and did I say writing? Cassandra Clare is a brilliant writer. Her descriptions are so vivid. I get a vibrant, clear image of everything she describes, including the action scenes, which can be tricky. Wow, I really loved it from the first page.

Also, the witty dialogue, particularly between Clary and Jace is fabulous! I'm always a sucker for funny action whether it's in books or movies. It's a great combination. The characters are rich and well developed. This installment definitely sets up an awesome series. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the next one.

Every great YA book deserves a great movie, which brings me to the movie. I really, really hope it's good. The trailer looks promising. I notice right away some differences from the book, but that's to be expected. I'm super curious about one particular surprise near the end of the book. I wonder how the screenwriter handled it in the movie. Well, I guess we'll have to wait until August 21st to find out. Can't wait!

If you were like me and were putting off reading this one, get right on it! You won't regret it.

Check out Cassandra Clare's website HERE
The movie website is HERE
Check out the trailer here:

Jennifer Archer. THROUGH HER EYES

Tansy Piper is moving to another new town with her mother, a horror novelist - "the female version of Stephen King, minus the megabucks and movie deals." Tansy's mom must live in the setting of her novel, so they've moved a lot over the years. The tiny town of Cedar Canyon is quite an adjustment from San Francisco. But, their new house is old and has enough character to intrigue Tansy. Especially after hearing the rumors that it's haunted by a young teen who died there decades earlier.

Soon after moving in, Tansy breaks out her old 35mm camera to begin shooting her new surroundings. Things get weirder and weirder from there. She begins seeing people in her viewfinder who aren't really there. Scenes are shown in black and white, rather than color. Then when she finds a box of treasures hidden in her cellar, she's able to connect with the ghost she's heard the rumors about. She's drawn into his world little by little until she's almost fully immersed.

Will she be able to pull herself out before it's too late?

This was a fun ghost story set in a quaint little town full of interesting characters. I enjoyed it thoroughly. 

Check out the trailer below for a touch of atmosphere from the book:

Kendare Blake. ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD

Theseus Cassio Lowood is a killer. A ghost killer. It's the family business. His father also went after ghosts, before he was killed on the job when Cas was seven. He and his mother travel from town to town taking care of business.

The ghost known as Anna Dressed in Blood draws Cas to Thunder Bay, Ontario. Usually on a job, he's able to keep to himself, do his detective work locating the ghost, and then take it out with no trouble. But Thunder Bay brings several new issues for him. A guy named Thomas follows him around asserting himself into the the hunt. The prom queen-type, Carmel, is also overly interested in Cas. But the most important issue is Anna herself, who is a much more powerful ghost than Cas has ever come up against.

When Cas gets to know Anna, things get even more complicated. He becomes sympathetic towards her plight. But he's supposed to kill her. Uh-oh.

I loved this book! It's a ghost story with some witty hard-boiled mystery novel sprinkled in. I was taken in immediately by witty Cas. And the supporting characters are just as wonderful. Thomas isn't merely the goofy friend type. He's becomes a fun, smart and strong friend. The relationship between Cas and Anna is unique, but it works well and I rooted for the two of them.

Kendare Blake is a new author and we're thrilled to be hosting her at our Montgomery County Book Festival in February.

Check out the trailer

Megan Miranda. FRACTURE

"A lot can happen in eleven minutes."

I heard about this intriguing novel at a TLA author panel. It only took a few minutes for the author to rope me in. I'm sure it will be the same for you, once you read more.

Delaney fell into a crack in a frozen lake. She remained unconscious for eleven minutes before she was rescued by her best friend. After several days in a coma, she wakes up. Miraculously, she has no brain damage.

But her brain is changed. Delaney discovers she has an unusual "gift" of sensing when someone is about to die. She is pulled towards the person from across a room or even from across town. She is baffled by what's going on, and she doesn't tell anyone because she fears she'll be called crazy.

Then she meets Troy, an older boy who has a similar talent. She connects with him. But as she gets to know him, she realizes that he has a dark side that frightens her. What does she really know about Troy? Why does he seem to always be hanging around when people die?

The premise hooked me, but the nonstop tension and mystery kept me furiously flipping pages to the very end! You would think that after nearly dying that one's life would be a breeze afterwards. But the experience caused fractures throughout Delaney's entire life. Her relationship with her mother is in trouble, along with her relationship with her best friend. Delaney has to figure out how to live after getting her life back.

Megan Miranda has written a stellar first novel! The characters of Delaney and Decker are realistic and memorable. She depicts Delaney's struggles and emotions with such power and feeling. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Read more about Megan Miranda at her website. Looks like we have a sequel coming from Delaney's best friend's point of view called VENGEANCE. Cool!

Connect with the author and other fans at the FRACTURE page on Facebook.

Lisa McMann. CRYER'S CROSS

Cryer's Cross has a unique setting and an interesting main character. The town has a population of 212, which means that our main character Kendall attends a one room high school with only 24 students in all four grades. When one teen girl disappears, it makes a huge impact on such a small community. Foul play is such a rare occurrence. The whole town searches for Tiffany, but after five days there are still no clues and no suspects.

Kendall returns to school and tries to get back into her normal routine, which is a little different from your typical teen. She's OCD, so she likes things just right and in order. Fortunately, this trait may help her solve the mystery of Tiffany's disappearance, because she picks up clues that others miss. When someone close to her disappears, she becomes even more intent on solving they mystery.

I really enjoyed this mystery. It has a touch of romance and a rich sense of setting. I felt at home in this small town. Kendall and her friends and family are interesting and likeable characters. In fact, they really make the book, since there wasn't as much action as you might expect for a mystery. It's also a little creepy (in a good way!) and a lot suspenseful! You'll most likely want to read it in one sitting.

One little note about character names. One character's name is Jacian. Even though the character tells us how to pronounce it, it doesn't feel right to me. I went several pages having trouble pronouncing it in my head. So, I made my own pronunciation and then I was able to go smoothly throughout the rest of the book. Character names that are hard to pronounce annoy me. But, I got over it here. At least we got the character telling us how to pronounce it, which is helpful for sure.

Lisa Mcmann's WAKE trilogy has been popular in my library, so I plan to read those too.

Check out Lisa McMann's websites and her other books here.
You'll get an idea of the creepy-factor when you watch the trailer:

Rae Carson. THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS: 300th BOOK REVIEWED!!

What a wonderful book to mark this milestone! THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS is the 300th book I've reviewed for this blog. And it happens to be a spectacular debut by Rae Carson!

Elisa is the bearer of the Godstone, the chosen one. One person is chosen every hundred years to bear the stone and perform an act of service for her people. Elisa still wonders why she was chosen when her graceful, beautiful sister, Alodia, seems like the more obvious choice. Even though they are both daughters of the king, Alodia seems more the natural princess.

Elisa is even more confused when her father marries her off to become queen in the neighboring kingdom. Surely her sister is the more appropriate daughter to help rule an entire country. But when she realizes that her new husband wants her to be the savior for his people, she begins to understand her role. In fact, she's just getting used to the idea of being a wife and queen when her life takes a huge detour. During the detour, she begins to realize just how many groups are hunting for the "chosen one" and that some do not care whether they find their prey dead or alive. 

The continual challenges thrown Elisa's way help to build her confidence. She slowly begins to realize that she is more than a frumpy little sister. She begins to realize that only she can help her people with the coming war. Even so, Elisa still worries whether she will succeed in her act of service or if she will she fail herself and everyone counting on her.

Elisa is one of my favorite characters in recent years. She is smart, spunky, and never complains when she is challenged beyond what she thinks she can handle. I also love the new friends that she makes. There are many layers to uncover with a few of the characters. The story is so engaging that it kept me up late flipping pages anxious to find out what would happen next. 

Read it! Trust me on this - you will adore Elisa, her friends, and her story. 

Read more about the author at her gorgeous website here. I'm thrilled to discover that this is the first novel in a trilogy. The sequel is due out in September. Plus, we get a digital novelette in July! It's a prequel told from the point of view of Elisa's sister, Alodia. I can't wait!

Check out the video of the author's teaser video below:

Myra McEntire. HOURGLASS

I love it when a debut author blows me away! This book is a spectacular combination of mystery, supernatural, and science fiction with a powerful romance. It may sound like a tall order to pull off, but the author does is brilliantly.

Emerson Cole began seeing ghosts shortly before her parents were killed in an accident. After their death, she had a bout with depression and was sent to live in a mental hospital. Finally, with the right combination of meds, she stopped seeing the ghosts.

She moved in with her older brother and his wife and planned on attending her senior year in her hometown. But, after being a zombie for so long on medication, Emerson decided to wean herself off the meds. Of course, this brought on the apparitions again.

Her brother called in a specialist to help her with her "problem." Emerson was doubtful, but agreed to meet with Michael, the specialist. Her takes her by surprise when he reveals that he sees the same "ghost" jazz band that she sees. He convinces her that he's there to help her. In fact, he's part of an organization called the Hourglass that's made up exclusively of people like her with special skills. And the ghosts she's been seeing aren't really ghosts, but ripples in time.

Emerson begins to learn a lot about her abilities, as well as what she can do together with Michael. But it involves some danger, so she must make some tough choices.

This book really has it all. The suspense is gripping, the romance is electric, and the supernatural aspects are unbelievable! It's truly an original.

The ending didn't necessarily predict a sequel. So I didn't expect one. However, I was THRILLED to hear that a sequel is due out in June, called TIMEPIECE. I just can't wait to get back to these characters! You will LOVE this!

The trailer for HOURGLASS is below. It's short & sweet, but I really liked the music. It evokes the mood beautifully.

      

Amanda Hocking. SWITCHED

New St. Martin's Cover

This book was originally self-published and sold a million copies in eBook format. I even  purchased it myself back when it was 99 cents. But, I never got around to reading it. I’ve read self-published books before and been disappointed, so I was reluctant to begin this book. But, I finally relented, after perusing the list of books on my Kindle looking for one I hadn't read.  And, lo and behold - I really liked it! I think it’s an interesting cross between THE PRINCESS DIARIES and  BEAUTIFUL CREATURES.

On Wendy Everly's 6th birthday her mom tried to kill her, with a knife. Her mom kept telling Wendy that she was a monster and wasn't her real child. She was convinced that her own child had been stolen and Wendy was left in his place.

Now a teenager, Wendy has never really fit in anywhere. She's gotten kicked out of schools for various reasons. Friendships elude her. But her brother and aunt have always taken good care of her and tried to help her as much as possible after the incident with her mother.

One day, Finn, a strange new guy at school begins watching her. Finally, she confronts him and he has an interesting tale for her. Apparently, she isn't really human. (Was her mother right, after all?) She belongs to a secretive supernatural society. And he wants her to come back there with him.

Although Wendy senses that he may be right, she is reluctant to leave her brother and aunt. They're all she has, and they've been good to her. But the decision is made pretty quickly for her a few days later when a mysterious looking team of kidnappers try to nab her. Finn rescues her in time, but it's too late for her to stay. She must go with him.

As I said, I really liked it. Yes, the copy I read was the original self-published version, so it had some grammatical/spelling issues. But, in my opinion they were very minor. They certainly did not hamper the story for me at all, the way I've seen self-pubs do in the past.

I'm really curious about how the newer version looks compared to the original. On the author's website, she mentions that it will be "cleaned-up."

Original Self Published Cover

The story was interesting enough to keep me wanting to read it, even with the minor issues. I'm really excited to read the sequel. Since I missed the sequel when it was for sale previously, I'll have to wait until the re-published date in February - darn! But that's okay, because it will be the "cleaned-up" version, so it should be more polished.

I have to say, overall, it's a pretty great start to a unique series!

Check out the author's website here.


And, of course...the trailer:

Kim Harrington. CLARITY

Clarity (Clare) Fern has a unique family. Her mother reads minds, her bother talks to ghosts, and Clare is psychic. The three of them together run a business out of their house conducting readings for people. They live in a beach town in Cape Cod, so the summer tourist business is pretty good.

However, this summer their small town has a scare when a tourist winds up dead in a motel room. Right away, Clare's mother is worried that the tourist business will dissolve as the scared tourists leave town. But that fear is nothing compared to what Clare feels after her brother tells her that he was with the victim the night she was killed. Clare worries that if the cops find out, he'll be the prime suspect.

Clare is asked to help the police with the murder to see if she can sense anything helpful. The new detective in town is suspicious of her talents, so she really wants to prove herself. But she's also hoping to keep the knowledge of her brother's contact with the victim a secret. The detective makes her work with his apprentice son on the case. He has the same suspicious attitude about psychics, and he seems to hate her. She's dubious of their partnership.  Unfortunately, he's so cute, it's distracting to her.

Will she be able to keep her brother out of the investigation? Hopefully she'll be able to solve the murder fast enough to keep her brother out of it.

This is a fun, supernatural mystery. The writing is good, and I really enjoyed spending time with Clare and her family. In fact, I kind of felt like there's another story is in there. And, lo and behold...a sequel is on the horizon!

It's called PERCEPTION and it's coming out in March, so yay!

For now, check out the book trailer below for CLARITY:

And the author's website is here.

Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl. Beautiful Creatures

Ethan lives in uncomplicated, boring Gatlin County, South Carolina. Things haven't changed much since the Civil War, or as the locals call it the "War between the States." Ethan figures things there will never be any surprises, and he can't wait to get out of there after graduation.
However, as he puts it,

"Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.
I never even saw it coming."

Now how could you not be intrigued with a beginning like that?
I was immediately drawn in by this multi-layered story. Ethan lives in a town with a rich history. People know their lineage back to the Civil War, some even know theirs back to the Revolutionary War. Ethan begins having mysterious dreams of a girl and an intense desire to save her but not being able to. He feels a strong connection to her, even though he has no idea who the girl is.

When a Lena moves into town, people aren't exactly welcoming. She's the niece of the neighborhood recluse. No one is fond of old Macon Ravenwood. They think he's crazy. So, in this small, close knit town, if you aren't just like everyone else, if you are a little different, you are not welcome.

However, Ethan is drawn to Lena. He isn't sure why until he begins to realize that she is the girl in his dreams. They have a connection. He begins to spend time with her even though his friends give him a hard time. The more he gets to know her, the more he realizes that she has some pretty big secrets. The secrets involve her family, his family and the history of the town.

I loved this book. The characters are rich, the setting is thick with texture, and the plot is quick and delightful! It literally kept me up many nights! There is a sequel and third book out too!
Check out the trailer:

Michael Grant. GONE

I cannot believe I haven't heard about this book earlier. Well, I'm glad I stumbled across it. It is fantastic!
It begins with one seemingly normal day in social studies class. The teacher is talking about the Civil War, the students are listening. Then the teacher suddenly vanishes No flashing light or funny noise - he just disappears. After some investigating, the kids realize that all the adults are gone. In fact, anyone over fifteen is gone.
People begin to look to Sam for leadership. After all, he did save a bus full of children when the bus driver had a heart attack. Sam begins to make decisions to try to keep the kids from panicking. Sam, Astrid, the girl they call the genius, and his best friend Quinn all begin trying to figure things out. They make temporary plans, hoping this will all end soon.
Then a week or so later, Caine and a group of kids come into town from Coates. Coates is type of school for smart delinquents. Caine begins by charming everyone into making him "mayor." Of course, Sam and Astrid realize that he's trouble, but go along with Caine. Otherwise they would fall victim to his team of bullies who sit by ready and willing to enforce all of Caine's new rules.
We also met Lana, who was in the passenger seat of a truck when her grandfather vanishes. The truck crashes and she is badly hurt. After days of suffering, she's able to mysteriously save herself only to be attacked my coyotes. Fortunately some unusual creatures save her.
When it looks like things can't get any worse (no phones, no Internet, no doctors, no TV, no way to leave the area to get help) ...they do get worse. Animals are mutating. People are developing unimaginable powers, which some decide to use for evil.
I won't give too much away, because I had so much fun discovering all of the many twists and turns in this book, and I wouldn't want to deprive you of that fun. It's suspenseful. I couldn't put it down. It literally kept me up at night all last week! It has action, some mystery, some science, fantasy and a little love. (It really does cross many genres).
I haven't even mentioned how well written it is. The author did such a wonderful job with creating mood and tone. One of the most disturbing scenes is when the kids were walking through the houses to find any missing children. That deep feeling of loneliness and dread the kids were feeling hit me like a ton of bricks. And that is only one scene. There are many more unforgettable moments in this book.
It will leave you very curious for more. Lucky for us there is a sequel, and the series is planned to be 6 books.
Here is more about the author. He's married to KA Applegate, the author of the Animorphs and Everworld books.

Book 2 - which is on my "to read" pile

Elizabeth Cody Kimmel. SUDDENLY SUPERNATURAL: SCHOOL SPIRIT

Kat’s mother is a medium. She’s okay with it, but has never brought home friends to show her off or anything. In fact, she’s never brought anyone home before. She lets people in town think that her mom is just a little strange like a new age hippie, but not the truth about what she really does. People visit the house a lot and her mom helps them communicate with their loved ones who have passed on.
Bringing friends home hadn’t been a huge issue before anyway, since Kat doesn’t have any close friends. Then a new girl shows up at school. Her name is Jac and her constant companion is her cello, which makes her just as strange as Kat. They begin eating lunch together and gradually they become friends. Kat hides her mother’s occupation as long as she can. But then when Kat begins to see dead people too, things start happening that cause her secret to be harder and harder to keep.
This is an easy story to get into. Kat’s endearing and engaging right from the start. Her friend Jac is a lot of fun and adds a lot to the novel. It's a great combination of mystery and supernatural.
This is the first in the series SUDDENLY SUPERNATURAL
Check out the author's site here. She's written a lot of great stuff! I was really intrigued by this book from the Little House series about Mary Ingalls. She wrote this book in 2008 about what it might have been like for Mary when she attended the Iowa College for the blind:

Katie Alender. BAD GIRLS DON'T DIE

Do you like ghost stories? Haunted Houses? Who doesn’t! I had forgotten how much I love them myself!
When I picked up BAD GIRLS DON’T DIE I had avoided spoilers – not even reading the book jacket. It started out as a pretty normal YA book. So I got a delicious surprise when the book turned supernatural.
Alexis has a normal dysfunctional teenage life. She has pink hair. Her parents aren’t around much. She hangs around with a group called the doom squad, although she isn’t really close to any of them. So she spends most of her free time on her photography hobby and developing the pictures in her dark room, the old fashioned-way.
She has a thirteen-year-old younger sister, Kasey, who was just annoying at the beginning of the book, but then begins to change into something that Alexis doesn’t recognize. Kasey begins to behave in an old-fashioned way in her movements and with her phrases like “mother” and “oughtn’t.” She loses chunks of time and her eyes even change colors.
Furthermore, when odd events start happening in the house like unplugged electronic devices turning themselves on and doors slamming, Alexis starts to believe there is another presence in the house. She has to turn to someone for help. The only logical person turns out to be a cheerleader who happens to be her enemy. Can things get any worse for Alexis?
I loved the suspense! I stayed up super late to finish it, because I could not put it down!
Bottom line ~ This is a fantastic debut novel by Katie Alender!
To find out more about the book and the author click here.
My description is nothing compared to this cool book trailer – check it out:

Carrie Jones. NEED

Wow what a cool book!
Ever since Zara White’s father died, she hasn't been herself. She no longer feels like doing anything. Her mother fears that she is deeply depressed and worries so much about her that she sends her off to live with her grandmother. She hopes that a change will help Zara return to her spunky self again. It works. Zara begins to see this creepy man following her. It peaks her curiosity, but it also introduces her to a whole new world that she never even wanted to know existed.
I loved this book! It has romance, friendship, adorable characters (Issie), humor and danger.
(and gold dust – always a nice addition)
Here’s one of the many funny pieces of dialogue:

He shouts to me, “Pixies have to be invited in, like vampires. I read it on the Internet.”
“Well, there you go,” I mutter. “Then it must be true.”

Maybe it's just my sense of humor, but I found that hysterical. There’s a lot more funny dialogue, but I can’t say more without spoiling the story for you. It is an exciting story full of supernatural beings. I won’t tell you all of them here, but I will say that it involves pixies. Before reading this, all I knew about pixies were pixie sticks (yummy, but totally not the same thing) and Tinker Bell (not even close). So this was my first foray into the world of Pixies. It was most excellent! I can feel a sequel coming & I can’t wait.
Read it – you won’t be sorry!
More about the author here

Oh and here's the book trailer for it:


Addendum: I knew that character was named after Devyn – the fantastical blogger/author! So I looked it up & yes, it was indeed named after him. How lovely to have a character named after you in a book. Anyone wanting to name a character after me, please, please feel free.

Neil Gaiman. THE GRAVEYARD BOOK

Sometimes the Newbery award book perplexes me or makes me wonder why it was chosen. Not this one. THE GRAVEYARD BOOK is truly deserving of all the honors it is receiving.
Nobody Owens was named by his parents. Not so unusual. Except Nobody’s parents are ghosts. Nobody, or Bod as his friends call him, wandered into the graveyard as a baby after his family was murdered. The inhabitants of the graveyard had a feeling he was in danger and adopted him. Mr. & Mrs. Owens became his parents, while someone named Silas became his guardian. Bod grows up in the graveyard, learning from ghosts teachers and playing with ghost children. Except for the ghouls, witches, dreamwalking and trickery, Bod has a perfectly normal childhood. But one day Bod learns that the man who killed his family is still after him. He will never truly be free to live his life with that man after him. So, he must make some difficult choices.
This book is filled with adventure, intriguing characters, spookiness and dread. It is the quintessential children’s book that will be adored by all ages. I love the way Gaiman writes. There is something about the way he describes things. Whereas normally I’ll get annoyed at an overly descriptive scene to the point where I begin skipping over stuff, here I relished every phrase, every well-chosen word. For example:

“The knife had a handle of polished black bone, and a blade finer and sharper than any razor. If it sliced you, you might not even know you had been cut, not immediately.” and…

“The street door was still open, just a little, where the knife and the man who held it had slipped in, and wisps of nighttime mist slithered and twined into the house through the open door.”

I mean, really, don’t you have distinct pictures in your head after reading these excerpts? Don’t you want to read them again? That’s just the beginning. When we’re introduced to the different characters from such wide-ranging time periods, we get to enjoy an array of dialects and quirky people.
I thoroughly enjoyed this Newbery and really want to read more by Gaiman.

But this book trailer does a much better job of creating the mood of the book. Check it out. It has the illustrations from the book (which are stunning, by the way) created by Dave McKean.
Press play & be patient, it takes a moment to start.

The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean from booksamillion.com on Vimeo.

More on the book and video of the author reading the book click here.

LOVE IS HELL

I love short story collections! This one is a collection of love stories. But before you start envisioning gooey love letters, puppies and rainbows, let me explain further. It's called LOVE IS HELL. These are all supernatural stories with ghosts, vampires, fairies, and some futuristic sci-fi thrown in for good measure. Each story has its own unique supernatural/sci-fi/fantasy vibe, yet they all have one thing in common - love. If you think about it, that's an interesting combination. Fantasy & love. And I loved every word of it. I loved all of them for different reasons.
I would give too much away to talk about each and every story (and they each deserve equal amounts of attention - lots). So instead, I'll just mention the authors, and that should give you more than enough reasons to want to read the book.
*Scott Westerfeld (the UGLIES saga & the MIDNIGHTERS trilogy)
*Justine Larbalestier (MAGIC OR MADNESS trilogy) *Gabrielle Zevin (ELSEWHERE & MEMOIRS OF A TEENAGE AMNESIAC)
*Melissa Marr (WICKED LOVELY)
*Laurie Faria Stolarz (BLUE IS FOR NIGHTMARES).
All those authors together in one book was enough for me to pick it up without even reading the description.

Now I want to read the other "Hell" short story collection from this publisher. Looks creepy & intriguing:

Terri Clark. SLEEPLESS

Trinity has an unusual talent. She “dreamwalks.” In other words, she is lucid in her dreams, which means she can control them, but she can’t control the people she encounters and the disturbing things she learns about them. It’s a talent she’d rather not have, especially after the most recent, tragic incident where she witnesses a girl in mortal danger. She called the authorities, but they got there too late to save her. Trinity has felt guilty about it ever since. Now the murderer is visiting her in her dreams and threatens her life. After finding out that the murderer has escaped from the mental hospital, she freaks. She teams up with an unlikely partner to find the murderer before he finds her.
It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a psychological thriller. As an added bonus, it’s love story too. I had a ton of fun getting to know Trinity. She’s an intriguing character. I’ve heard there may be a sequel. I’m all for it, since there is so much more story here.
The writing is awesome; the book really flowed nicely. It has a perfect combination of humor, thriller, coming of age, and love. (Warning: it will keep you up at night! Oh and you may be compelled to get a dreamcatcher after reading)

By the way, I’ve had the pleasure of encountering Terri Clark in her day job, and she’s marvelous. I hope she still has time to write a sequel!

Here’s her website to read more about the her.

Stephenie Meyer. BREAKING DAWN

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

I just emerged from the bunker I was hiding in so I could finish the 754 page enormous end to the TWILIGHT saga. It’s going to be hard to write this without spoilers. So, let me warn you – there will be spoilers – so stop reading now, if you haven’t read the book yet. There is just no way around it. Let me begin by saying, WOW, what a roller-coaster ride. Frankly, it needed the ups & downs, otherwise at that length, it would’ve gotten boring. But it didn’t. There is a lot of positive and negative discussion being thrown around on the Internet about how this series ended. I avoided the Internet like the plague to ward off spoilers. Now that I’ve seen the discussions, I must ask – what is all the fuss about? I think this was a fitting end to the series. It did surprise me in many ways. I thought for sure that Meyer would put off the wedding, but she didn’t. I thought for sure that she’d put off the change, but she didn’t, although it was done in a “we had no choice” manner, which I think was the only way she would do it. I didn’t think she would write it as a willing choice by Edward. Even though he had agreed to it, he still would’ve tried to postpone it, if he could. I certainly wasn’t expecting the baby – was anyone?? Um, how about that name? Yeah, I know it’s a combo between the two mom’s names, but…I didn’t really like it.*

Let's move on to Jacob. At first, I was annoyed at the change of point of view, right when things were getting suspenseful (isn't that always when they do it!). But I was surprised at how much I enjoyed hearing Jacob's point of view & his story. It ended up being so crucial to the novel. I remember this happened in an earlier novel too, where I was annoyed, but then glad to hear more about Jacob. Was it New Moon? Or Eclipse? It doesn't matter. I'm glad he ended up being tied to Bella forever, along with Edward.

Another aspect I loved was the way things evened out between Bella & Edward. I was getting a little tired of the clumsy girl routine that Bella had in the first three books. Plus, not to be rude, but you really did wonder, along with Bella, why Edward would love her so much in the first three books. Now that she's a super-vampire, it just seems like she grew into the person he always saw her to be. Also, in this book, the choice of changing her didn’t seem so tragic as before, because it really did seem that she was made for the life. Everything seemed right with the world. Meyer did a great job in wrapping up the series, in my humble opinion. As a bonus, the last page of the book announces that there will be an encyclopedia-like OFFICIAL GUIDE to the TWILIGHT saga. It’s due out in December, which is right around when the movie is due out, so TWILIGHT fever will burn a while longer. Yay :)


**Addendum: After further pondering, I feel I need to add something. This book is a very different book from the first one in the saga. TWILIGHT was a beautiful love story that happened to have a vampire in it. NEW MOON & ECLIPSE had a lot more vampire and werewolf lore and action. BREAKING DOWN is full on vampire story, in my opinion. So, if you aren't into any gore whatsoever, then this isn't for you. The gore isn't that explicit, but it is there, and I don't want to mislead you. It is not TWILIGHT at all. I feel the story evolved and ended well. And I'm a fan of the entire sage. But, I just wanted to be clear.

*To be fair, what name could she have chosen that all the fans would like? A regular, everyday name surely wouldn't do. The sentiment of combining the two most treasured women in her life into one name was the only way to go, I guess. The nickname isn't too bad.

David Lubar. HIDDEN TALENTS

I’ve been meaning to read this one for a while, since a student heartily recommended it to me several times (thanks Joe!). I finally got to it.

After getting kicked out of every regular school around, Martin is shipped to the last possible stop in school land – the alternative school. You know, the school where all the “troubled” or “problem” kids go. Martin is sent to live there, which is a bit of a shock, although, he isn’t so sad to leave his dad. Martin’s new roommate is a kid who appears to like starting fires, so they call him Torchie. Then he meets Cheater, a kid accused of constantly – yep, you guessed it- cheating, Lucky, a kid who “finds” a lot of missing items around school, and a jumpy kid named Flinch. At first, Martin feels like he doesn’t belong with all these strange kids. But as he gets to know them, he realizes that they are really not so bad, and he’s beginning to really enjoy having friends for the first time in his life. Plus, he’s been noticing some intriguing characteristics of his friends. He realizes that maybe they aren’t “troubled” at all, but rather are very exceptional. Each seems to have a hidden special talent. Martin must decide how to handle this. Does he tell them? What will they say? Also, since the school is being considered for closure, Martin wonders what will happen to him and his friends. Can they do something to keep it open and keep everyone together? Perhaps their “special” talents can help.

This was one of those books I wanted to read straight through. I couldn’t put it down. The little snippets of info throughout the book (letters from Parents, memos from the Principal, teacher feedbacks, etc) were different and funny.
I loved each of the kids and the dialogue was hysterical! Martin could be a stand-up comic (those poor teachers!). Loved it!

I’m reading the sequel as soon as I can get my hands on it.

I had forgotten how hysterical David Lubar is. Click here for his other books.

I reviewed SLEEPING FRESHMAN NEVER LIE back in Feb of 2007.