Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann: Review Posted by Tiffany at 4:55 PM

Title: Cryer's Cross
Author: Lisa McMann (site)
Will Be Published: Feb 8th, 2011 by Simon Pulse
Pages: 240
PreOrder: $10.89 Amazon $12.74 Book Depository
Series: N/A
Source: Simon & Schuster's GalleyGrab
Rating: 3.75/5
Synopsis: The community of Cryer’s Cross, Montana (population 212) is distraught when high school freshman Tiffany disappears without a trace. Already off-balance due to her OCD, 16-year-old Kendall is freaked out seeing Tiffany’s empty desk in the one-room school house, but somehow life goes on... until Kendall's boyfriend Nico also disappears, and also without a trace. Now the town is in a panic. Alone in her depression and with her OCD at an all-time high, Kendall notices something that connects Nico and Tiffany: they both sat at the same desk. She knows it's crazy, but Kendall finds herself drawn to the desk, dreaming of Nico and wondering if maybe she, too, will disappear...and whether that would be so bad. Then she begins receiving graffiti messages on the desk from someone who can only be Nico. Can he possibly be alive somewhere? Where is he? And how can Kendall help him? The only person who believes her is Jacian, the new guy she finds irritating...and attractive. As Kendall and Jacian grow closer, Kendall digs deeper into Nico's mysterious disappearance only to stumble upon some ugly—and deadly—local history. Kendall is about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried. (Goodreads)


Initial Thoughts: As soon as I heard that Lisa McMann had a new book coming out, I put it on my wish list. Her first trilogy was amazing, easily one of the best YA series I've ever read. I will probably read everything she writes from now on. The cover is also fantastic in a Creepy Ghost Story kind of way, definitely sets the stage for what's to come.


Review: I loved the idea of Cryer's Cross; teens go missing in a small town with no viable suspects, no clues to their whereabouts, and no obvious connection. In fact, the only person who sees any connection at all is Kendall,  whose OCD has her arranging the desks in her school's classroom every day. One day she realizes that both missing teens shared the same desk. When she examines the desk, she notices mysterious messages scratched into its surface. This book kept me guessing the entire time. I feel that the synopsis may have given too much away, but it would be hard to write a no-spoilers synopsis for this book. There just isn't an awful lot happening in Cryer's Cross. It starts very slowly, revealing a bit at a time, and then ends with a bang. The slow pace gave the book a very spooky atmosphere, in spite of the lack of action. This is a small town where everyone knows their neighbors. These people don't see a lot of crime, so they don't know how to deal with people going missing. They all wait nervously for some kind of resolution, which seems to never come. The way it's written really makes you feel that you're a part of this community, waiting breathlessly to see what's happened to the missing kids. The ending was easily the best part of the book. It was fast, vicious, and terrifying. Much like the infamous Party Scene in Fade, McMann doesn't pull any punches. Now I bet you're wondering why, if this book was so fantastic, I gave it just under four stars. I have to admit that I had a very hard time rating this one. I finished the book and felt completely satisfied, which is a good indicator of a great book, but I just never connected with the characters. A main character with OCD was very interesting, but I never felt that I really got to know her (unless she was just a boring person). I liked the new kids in town, but we never got to get to know them either. One of the best things about the Wake trilogy was it's cast of amazing, realistic, relatable characters. I was very disappointed to be presented with Kendall, simple country girl, and then never get really under her skin. However, it really says something for this book that I still loved it, in spite of not caring for the main character(s) at all.


Quick Review: Cryer's Cross was a spooky, suspenseful novel with an amazing and terrifying ending. However, the cast of lackluster characters kept it from being a favorite of this bibliophiliac bear.

The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall: Review Posted by Tiffany at 7:39 PM

Title: The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall
Author: Mary Downing Hahn
Available: September 6th 2010
Publisher: Clarion Books
Pages: 162 (Hardcover)
Price: $11.49 Book Depository $11.56 Amazon
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis: When twelve-year-old Florence boards the crowded horse-drawn coach in London, she looks forward to a new life with her great uncle and aunt at Crutchfield Hall, an old manor house in the English countryside. Anything will be better, she thinks, than the grim London orphanage where she has lived since her parents' death. 

But Florence doesn't expect the ghost of her cousin Sophia, who haunts the cavernous rooms and dimly lit hallways of Crutchfield and concocts a plan to use Florence to help her achieve her murderous goals. Will Florence be able to convince the others in the household of the imminent danger and stop Sophia before it's too late? (Goodreads)

Initial Thoughts: I went into this with reservations. I don't usually read middle-grade books, but I just kept reading great reveiws everywhere and I remember loving Mary Downing Hahn when I was younger. Also, vengeful ghosts are always fun.

Review: The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall was a very fast, easy read. Hahn's writing style is suspenseful, creepy, and very smooth. I expected it to be a bit harder to get into, due to the target age, but I was swept up pretty quickly. There was a definite Secret Garden feel to the book, except for the murderous ghost of a cousin who was evil even when alive. The ghost was actually my favorite character.  Florence could be a bit too one dimensional (which happens a lot in MG books) and it was nice to have someone causing trouble to keep the other characters on their toes. The ending wasn't quite as I expected, but I liked it. There was room for doubt, which makes for a much more effective scary story. Nobody's going to be scared if the evil ghost is completely vanquished at the end. After finishing the book, I kept thinking about what a great YA book this could've made. The story itself was well-thought out and well-written, it was only the constraints of writing for younger readers that kept it from being truly terrifying. I would love to see Mary Downing Hahn jump into the YA genre. 

Quick Review: A very creepy, quick read. I would definitely recommend it for younger readers, especially boys. 

On Deck: Tyger,Tyger and The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall Posted by Tiffany at 10:23 AM

Teagan's friend thinks she's going to be attacked by goblins, but she doesn't believe her until she meets Finn, who just happens to fight goblins. I just finished this one and absolutely loved it, mostly because of Finn. Review coming soon.

A young girl who was raised in an orphanage is finally found by a great-uncle and brought to live with him, his spinster sister, and a sickly cousin. Unfortunately, the ghost of the young girl's other cousin has plans for her. I've just started this one and so far, so good. Well written, as usual, and very spooky. Definitely more of a younger YA or middle-grade book, though.

Ruined by Paula Morris: Review Posted by Tiffany at 10:26 AM

Title: Ruined
Author: Paula Morris (biblio)
Published: August 1, 2009 by Scholastic
Pages: 304 (Hardcover)
Price: $7.49 Book Depository  $8.99 Amazon
Rating: 3/5
Synopsis: Rebecca couldn't feel more out of place in New Orleans, where she comes to spend the year while her dad is traveling. She's staying in a creepy old house with her aunt. And at the snooty prep school, the filthy-rich girls treat Rebecca like she's invisible. Only gorgeous, unavailable Anton Grey seems to give Rebecca the time of day, but she wonders if he's got a hidden agenda. Then one night, in Lafayette Cemetery, Rebecca makes a friend. Sweet, mysterious Lisette is eager to talk to Rebecca, and to show her the nooks and crannies of the city. There's just one catch: Lisette is a ghost. 

A ghost with a deep, dark secret, and a serious score to settle. 

As Rebecca learns more from her ghost friend -- and as she slowly learns to trust Anton Grey -- she also uncovers startling truths about her own history. Will Rebecca be able to right the wrongs of the past, or has everything been ruined beyond repair?

Initial Thoughts: I picked up this book, at first, because of the cover.  I enjoy a good ghost story, and once I realized that it was set in New Orleans, I was hooked. The ghost having 'a serious score to settle' was icing on the cake. 

Review :  I'd like to start off by saying that this book is definitely worth a read. That said, I'll admit that I didn't think I was going to be able to finish it. It took me about a week to read the first hundred pages and this is NOT a difficult book. The main character, Rebecca, is 15/16 years old. Her dad has to go to China on business so she goes to stay with a family friend for six months in New Orleans. If I was shipped off to New Orleans for six months (she gets to live in the Garden District!) I would be ecstatic. Rebecca hates it. She has a major chip on her shoulder from the moment she lands at the airport. She makes her mind up about everyone she meets the second she sees them. She whines about everyone being 'snobby' before she even talks to them. She makes no effort at all to make friends or understand their customs, which she immediately decides are backwards and stupid. She even expresses surprise that they're not all hicks. Basically, Rebecca is a huge elitist and it made her a very disagreeable character. I hated her for 90% of the book. I was actually hoping that she would die. Another thing that bothered me- she didn't read like a 15/16 year old girl to me. For one thing, she said she'd never noticed or liked boys before. (They're all smelly and ridiculous, she says) I'm not saying that 15/16 is the age to be dating like crazy, but by then most girls have at least noticed  a boy. She just felt more like a middle-schooler, maybe 10 or 12 years old. Her cousin, who was supposed to be 12, had the mentality of an 8 or 10 year old girl. I think the author just doesn't have much interaction with anyone under the age of 25. It feels a lot like those books written for teenagers in the 80s that were frustratingly out of touch with the younger generation. Now for the rest of the book. By page 150, I was flying through this book. I began to realize that the plot was AMAZING. You don't realize how much there is to the story until things start to come to a head. I can't really tell you anything without giving it away. One thing I loved about this book was that the author knew when to withhold information. Too often an author will give you one clue too many and you'll have the whole thing figured out by the third chapter. In this case, you have a vague idea and then WHAM! things go in a different direction and you're dying to know just what, exactly, is going to happen. I still didn't care whether Rebecca lived or died, but I sure as hell wanted to know what was going on with that ghost! I think the problem with this book is that the author spent ages on crafting an intricate, interesting, clever plot and about five minutes filling in the characters and fleshing out the story. That's a bit harsh. What I mean is that I think she concentrated so much on the plot that she didn't give enough time to the actual telling of the story. 

Quick Review: This book is worth a read for the intricate, surprising plot, but the characters are definitely lacking. I think this author might do better writing adult fiction. This would be a good book for middle-grade readers. 

On Deck: Ruined by Paula Morris Posted by Tiffany at 6:49 PM

"Rebecca couldn't feel more out of place in New Orleans, where she comes to spend the year while her dad is traveling. She's staying in a creepy old house with her aunt. And at the snooty prep school, the filthy-rich girls treat Rebecca like she's invisible. Only gorgeous, unavailable Anton Grey seems to give Rebecca the time of day, but she wonders if he's got a hidden agenda. Then one night, in Lafayette Cemetery, Rebecca makes a friend. Sweet, mysterious Lisette is eager to talk to Rebecca, and to show her the nooks and crannies of the city. There's just one catch: Lisette is a ghost. 

A ghost with a deep, dark secret, and a serious score to settle. 

As Rebecca learns more from her ghost friend -- and as she slowly learns to trust Anton Grey -- she also uncovers startling truths about her own history. Will Rebecca be able to right the wrongs of the past, or has everything been ruined beyond repair?" (Goodreads)

I love the cover for this book! I'm excited about the setting too: I love books set in the south, and New Orleans is so romantic. The private school with snooty girls thing has been done to death, but I'm hoping the focus is more on the angry ghost. Review coming soon!

Holidays Are Hell: Review Posted by Tiffany at 6:38 PM

Title: Holidays Are Hell

Author: Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Vicki Pettersson, Marjorie M. Liu

Publisher: Harper

Pages: 384

Price: $7.19 (B&N) $7.99 (Amazon) $7.99 (Borders)

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis: This holiday, spend quality time with family and loved ones—living and dead... There's no place like home for the horrordays—unless you'd prefer a romantic midnight walk through a ghost-infested graveyard... or a haunted house candlelight dinner with the sexy vampire of your dreams. The (black) magical season is here—and whether it's a solstice séance gone demonically wrong with the incomparable Kim Harrison, a grossly misshapen Christmas with the remarkable Lynsay Sands, a blood-chilling-and-spilling New Year's with the wonderful Marjorie M. Liu, or a super-powered Thanksgiving with the phenomenal Vicki Pettersson, one thing is for certain: in the able hands of these exceptional dark side explorers, the holidays are going to be deliciously hellish! (Goodreads)

Initial Thoughts: I started a similiar anthology, Never After a while ago and couldn't finish it, so I was a bit wary of Holidays are Hell, but I like Kim Harrison, so I figured I'd at least enjoy one of the stories.

Review: It was much better than the other anthology, but not great. I wouldn't say that I wasted my time reading it, but I won't be rushing out to recommend it to anyone. Since each author was different, I'll do it by story.

"Two Ghosts For Sister Rachel" by Kim Harrison was my second-favorite. A young witch wants to join the IS (like a supernatural FBI) but her brother/guardian thinks it's a bad idea due to the lasting effects of a childhood illness. They decide to summon the ghost of her father and let him decide whether or not she can join. Fans of Kim Harrison's Hollows series will enjoy this prequel. It's interesting to see what Rachel was like before she became- well, I won't spoil it. Harrison's writing is very readable and her characters are always a lot of fun. I loved the romantic part of this one, even though it was doomed from the start.  A solid 4/5

"Run, Rudolph, Run" by Lynsay Sands wasn't really supernatural romance so much as it was just romance. The characters were typical romance novel characters and the plot didn't make a lot of sense. A mad scientist uses a weapon on his ex-partner's sister in order to kidnap her and study the effects. First of all, I'd like to know why he didn't kidnap a homeless person or a runaway to experiment on? It would make more sense to find someone who wouldn't be missed. What really bothered me was the conclusion. Their solution could have been used at any point in the story, but they waited until the very last second. A fun story for fans of fluff romance, but it hit the mark for me. 2/5

"Six" by Marjorie M. Liu was by far my favorite story. A woman who has been trained/brainwashed since the age of five to be a 'counterterrorism agent' in China runs into something that she can't explain and gets pulled along on a crazy adventure. This story was darker in tone, with characters that were more kick-ass than adorable klutz, but it was still very much a romance. My favorite thing about this one was the setting, I haven't read much set in modern China, so I found it very interesting. I'd love to see this become a series. 5/6

"The Harvest" by Vicki Pettersson is a prequel to her Zodiac series, which I have not read. A woman tries to rescue her grandchild from a man that she once betrayed. The twist is that he's an evil shadow-thing and she's a superhero who recently gave up her abilities. I think I probably would have enjoyed this more if I'd read some of the other books set in this world. There was way too much background to fit into this story and it just confused the heck out of me. I like the idea of the story and the world it's set in seems interesting, but it was just a bit too much at once. I had trouble finishing it. 2/5

Quick Review: "Two Ghosts" by Kim Harrison, a prequel to her Hollows series, was fun, with a romantic side that was sweet. "Run, Rudolph" by Lynsay Sands was a light romance with some holes, but good for a quick romantic read. "Six" by Marjorie M. Liu was an exciting sci-fi romance set in modern china with strong characters and a satisfying ending. "The Harvest" by Vicki Pettersson, prequel to her Zodiac series, had an interesting premise, but the story got too muddled with all of the explanations and backstory (at least for someone new to her world). I'll have to give it 2.5/5, but it would be better if I'd understood half of what was going on. This anthology is worth a read, but I'd pick it up at the library over buying it (at least for full price).