The Shadowing: The Hunted by Adam Slater: Review Posted by Tiffany at 1:46 PM

Title: The Shadowing: Hunted
Author: Adam Slater 
Published: September 13th, 2011 by EgmontUSA
Pages: 208
Buy: Amazon/ Book Depo/ Powell's 
Series: The Shadowing #1
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 4.75/5
Synopsis: Once every century, the barrier between the human world and the demon realm begins to break down. Creatures gather, anxiously waiting to cross the divide, to bring death and destruction from their world to ours. This time is called The Shadowing. 

Callum Scott has always known that there is a supernatural world out there—he’s seen ghosts for as long as he can remember. Lately, he’s had visions of children being brutally murdered by a terrifying creature. Then the visions start coming true, and Callum realizes that he’s being hunted, too.
Driven by a dark destiny, he must stand against the demons that threaten our world.
And The Shadowing is almost here. . . . (Goodreads)

Review: I have to admit that I went into this one with low expectations. Teen who can see ghosts- it's been done to death. However, I knew from the first page that The Shadowing was bringing something new to the table. For starters: Callum is a very different king of character, a modern take on the classic Good Guy/Hero. He is a fairly serious boy who lives in a tiny cottage with his grandmother and tends to avoid relationships, ever since he was ostracized as a child for seeing ghosts. He doesn't try to help the ghosts cross over and they don't stare at him longingly. These ghosts seem to be completely unaware of his existence. We get glimpses of these ghosts throughout the story, but they aren't the main feature. Something is hunting children across the UK, killing them and devouring their eyes. Callum begins to have terrifying visions and senses something dark coming his way. The way these monsters are described is wonderfully creepy. I was genuinely scared (silly me, reading a story like this at night) by the thing stalking Callum and the descriptions of the killings and the ghosts around town were equally gruesome and scary. This was, overall, a very scary book. There isn't a lot of comedic relief or a romance blossoming to take your mind off of it, either. I loved this book! It was impossible to put down, short enough to read in one day, and full of action. The covers (especially the older one) are a bit cheesy and the Title:Subtitle format is a bit 90s, but don't be put off by that. This is a great story, with plenty of potential to be a great series. I can't wait to read the second book!

P.S. This is the second amazing book I've read by Egmont USA lately (Ashes was so good!), definitely going to see what else they have going on.

Beyond the Grave by Mara Purnhagen: Review Posted by Tiffany at 7:21 PM

Title: Beyond the Grave

Author: Mara Purnhagen (site)

Published: August 30th, 2011 by Harlequin Teen

Pages: 256

Buy: Amazon / Book Depository/ Powell's 

Rating: 4/5

Source: NetGalley
Synopsis: Being Charlotte Silver, the daughter of famous paranormal investigators, means my life isn’t like that of other teenage girls. Especially after what happened to my parents. Things changed. I missed prom and deferred my big college plans. But I still have my boyfriend, Noah. He’s everything I could want—if I can figure out what’s up with him. Suddenly Noah is secretive.

I fear it has something to do with what happened to us three months ago. The bruise Noah suffered during a paranormal attack has never completely faded. Now I’ve learned Noah is researching demons. And when he disappears, it’s up to me to find him—before something else does. (Goodreads)


Review: The third book in Purnhagen's Past Midnight series is by far the best. There was a lot more going on here and none of it dull. If you've read my reviews of Past Midnight and One Hundred Candles, you'll know that I wasn't too very impressed. They were quick, fun books. However, there wasn't really anything memorable. This book, on the other hand, was intense. I stayed up all night (which was a mistake, so tired now) to finish it. After I finished it, I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking of a demon crawling through my window to murder me. Maybe part of it was the fact that I was reading it at night, but this book really creeped me out. Things don't get any easier for poor Charlotte. Her mother is still in a coma, she can't count on her dad for any support, and something very evil is coming after her. I was a bit annoyed that she made the same mistake as last time- Tell No One, See What Happens. And don't worry about things getting too domestic and dull with Noah- they are anything but! There are a few weak spots. The Climax is resolved a bit too suddenly and the sudden addition of the Protector felt a bit awkward at first, but I really enjoyed this book and I'm very grateful to the publisher for putting it on NetGalley. I don't know if I would have stuck with this series after reading the first two, but now I'm excited for the next installment.

Hereafter by Tara Hudson: Review Posted by Tiffany at 7:33 AM

Title: Hereafter

Author: Tara Hudson (site)

Published: June 7th, 2011 by HarperCollins

Pages: 334

Buy: Amazon / Book Depository 

Rating: 4/5

Source: NetGalley
Synopsis: Can there truly be love after death? 

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive. 

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever. (Goodreads)


Review: I am not a big fan of Ghost Romance books. I read a pretty amazing book about a girl who falls in love with a Civil War soldier when I was about 12 (no idea what it was called now, girl with curly red hair on the cover. Anyone remember this?) and I was so angry when it ended and he had to go to "his final reward" that I threw the book across the room. I hate getting invested in a romance that has zero potential for a happy ending. Also, the physical stuff involved in some of them is very gross (and ridiculous). I am pleased to say that this book had none of those problems. This is the first example I've seen lately of a Ghost Romance Done Right.

Amelia is a very odd sort of ghost. She doesn't remember anything about who she was or what happened to her, other than her name. She has worked out that she is a ghost, but that's about it. She wanders around town, randomly being sucked into nightmares that end with her waking up in a cemetery. Obviously she did not die peacefully. One day she sees a boy drowning and he somehow sees her right before he dies. He survives and she becomes obsessed with him. He pushes her to figure out what happened to her and, in the course of their investigations, a dangerous secret about him is revealed. Amelia starts out as a sort of blank, vague character, which makes her a very realistic ghost. As she engages more and more with the real world, she begins to gain depth and personality. The relationship between Joshua and Amelia was well done. It was nice to get a break from the desperate lustful longings of a normal teen romance. This one moved a bit slower, based more on emotion than physical attraction (obviously, she is not a physical being).

The whole book had a sort of dark, dreamy feel. It reminded me a bit of A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb. In case this is sounding a bit dull to you, there are also Ghost-Murdering Witches and a Demon From Hell involved, but I won't spoil the plot by saying just where the two factions come in. Suffice to say, there's a bit of kick to this love story. I was completely absorbed in Hudson's world from beginning to end. I was both surprised and delighted to see that there will be a sequel. I still can't see much of a future for this couple, but the author has given me a bit of hope. Definitely worth a read, great characters and story. The writing style was fluid and engaging, Tara Hudson is an author to watch.

One Hundred Candles by Mara Purnhagen: Review Posted by Tiffany at 7:43 AM

Title: One Hundred Candles

Author: Mara Purnhagen (site)

Published: Feb 15th, 2011 by Harlequin Teen

Pages: 240

Buy: Amazon / Book Depository 

Rating: 3.75/5

Source: NetGalley
Synopsis: 15 year old Savannah Grey has never felt she's belonged. She keeps her distance, so she's surprised by her attraction to the new boy Reece. Then strange things begin to happen: nature, it seems, is exerting an overpowering force on the world. Birds behave strangely; gusts of wind blow leaves so fiercely they seem to lure people away. And Savannah learns she has supernatural powers. Nature has a purpose for Savannah and her friends. For they are on course to meet the vile and evil Orcrassa, who wants to destroy the world by corrupting nature. And it wants Savannah Grey to help realise its savage intent.(Goodreads)


Review: I'm very glad that I stuck with this series. The sequel is much stronger than the first book, Past Midnight, (review here). Purnhagen takes the characters and situations from the first book and really develops them in One Hundred Candles. Charlotte begins to flesh out and feel more like a real person, even though the whole romance with Noah was pretty frustrating. I was not at all satisfied with the explanation for his behavior that we got at the end of the book. I almost wish he'd just go away. The haunting in this book was much darker and scarier than in the first book. Charlotte had no idea what she was getting herself involved in. There were actual attacks and consequences in this book, making the story feel more immediate and real. The pacing in OHC was also better, I read through this one in two sittings (a girl has to sleep sometime). If you had lukewarm feelings about the first book, stick with the series. It's only getting better.

Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen: Review Posted by Tiffany at 9:22 AM

Title: Past Midnight

Author: Mara Purnhagen (site)

Published: September 1st, 2010 by Harlequin Teen

Pages: 216

Buy: Amazon / Book Depository 

Rating: 3/5

Source: NetGalley


Synopsis: Let me set the record straight. My name is Charlotte Silver and I'm not one of those paranormal-obsessed freaks you see on TV…no, those would be my parents, who have their own ghost-hunting reality show. And while I'm usually roped into the behind-the-scenes work, it turns out that I haven't gone unnoticed. Something happened on my parents' research trip in Charleston—and now I'm being stalked by some truly frightening other beings. Trying to fit into a new school and keeping my parents' creepy occupation a secret from my friends—and potential boyfriends—is hard enough without having angry spirits whispering in my ear. All I ever wanted was to be normal, but with ghosts of my past and present colliding, now I just want to make it out of high school alive… (Goodreads)


Review: I picked up this book when the sequel, One Hundred Candles, came up on NetGalley. It's a short little book, easily read in a day. It was fast, light, and Slumber Party creepy. What I mean is that it had a ghost that creeped me out a bit, but I was never actually scared. One of my favorite aspects of this series is the whole Daughter of Paranormal Investigators angle. There is a lot of potential there. A pair of skeptics have a daughter who can actually see ghosts? Love it. However, the characters never really grabbed me. I enjoyed reading Past Midnight and I'll keep reading the series, but it's not anything that I'll have vivid memories of in 10 years. Short, fun, and mildly spooky- this is a great book for the beach or a younger sibling.

Manifest by Artist Arthur: Review Posted by Tiffany at 11:24 AM

Title: Manifest

Author: Artist Arthur (site)

Published: July 27th, 2010 by Harlequin

Pages: 256 

Price: $7.73 Book Depository $9.99 Amazon 

Series: Mystyx #1

Source: NetGalley

Rating: 2/5 

Synopsis: When fifteen-year-old Krystal Bentley moves to Lincoln, Connecticut, her mom's hometown, she assumes her biggest drama will be adjusting to the burbs after living in New York City.

But Lincoln is nothing like Krystal imagined. The weirdness begins when Ricky Watson starts confiding in her. He's cute, funny, a good listener—and everything she'd ever want—except that he was killed nearly a year ago. Krystal's ghost-whispering talents soon lead other "freaks" to her door—Sasha, a rich girl who can literally disappear, and Jake, who moves objects with his mind. All three share a distinctive birthmark in the shape of an M and, fittingly, call themselves the Mystyx. They set out to learn what really happened to Ricky, only to realize that they aren't the only ones with mysterious powers. But if Krystal succeeds in finding out the truth about Ricky's death, will she lose him for good?

Initial Thoughts: I saw this book on NetGalley and thought it looked interesting. For some reason intentionally mis-spelled words really bother me. I was hoping there was a good reason for the "Mystyx"  to be spelled like that, but I was disappointed.

Review: This book really didn't do anything for me. For one thing, the synopsis is misleading. I don't know how she can think he's everything she ever wanted when she's only talked to him a few times. Every time she does talk to him, they just fight. It's a very weird relationship and I don't quite see how it makes any sense. She's jealous of his (dead) girlfriend, but I never saw any real relationship development. He scared/annoyed her, then she was jealous. I wish we had gotten to see more interaction between them.

I had a hard time connecting with Krystal. I thought she was pretty much spoiled, self-centered, and dramatic.  I can understand her anger over the divorce, but she was being pretty short-sighted about the whole thing. As soon as the mom was introduced, I doubted Krystal's version of things. I suppose that this is fairly realistic, but it was also frustrating. I just wanted her to stop thinking about herself for two seconds and realize that maybe the parent who actually returns her calls isn't the villain. She was also all over the place emotionally. I'm not sure if it was done on purpose, but she would hate the ghost in one scene and then think about how sad his situation was and how much she wanted to help him the next. The slang used felt a bit forced to me, but I'm willing to admit that it could just be a regional thing. Do kids really use chat rooms for talking? What about texts or IMs or facebook? I would never text someone to get on a chat room so we could talk.

There was an awful lot going on in this novel. Too much, really. There is the mystery of why her parents split, a ghost that follows her around, wanting her to solve the mystery of his death, a group of girls terrorizing her at school over her crush on a different boy, a secret club of kids with abilities that is hounding her to join, and secret magic storms. Any one of these would have been enough to build a story around, but all together they just leave you a bit muddled and unsatisified. None of the mysteries/issues are resolved to the reader's satisfaction. You solve the ghost's murder, but it's a bit sudden. I almost wish she would have simplified the plot a bit and focused on the characters more. 

Quick Review: This book had a lot of potential: girl needs to solve a ghost's murder, ghost happens to be cute teenage boy. I could really get into a story like that. It just feels like there were too many things going on, too many story lines. This one could have done with some plot simplification and more character development. I may give the sequel a try, see if some of the questions raised in the first installment are answered.