Witches of East End - Book vs TV Show

Witches of East End 
by Melissa De La Cruz
Beauchamp Family, book one

It’s the beginning of summer in North Hampton, and beautiful Freya Beauchamp is celebrating her engagement to wealthy Bran Gardiner, the heir to Fair Haven and Gardiners Island. But Freya is drawn to Bran’s gorgeous but unreliable brother Killian, and sparks fly when the two decide to play a dangerous game, following an ancient story of love, betrayal and tragedy that harks back to the days of Valhalla.

Witches of East End follows the Beauchamp family—the formidable matriarch Joanna and her daughters Freya and Ingrid. Freya, a sexy bartender, has a potion to cure every kind of heartache, while Ingrid, the local librarian, solves complicated domestic problems with her ability to tie magical knots. Joanna is the witch to see when modern medicine has no more answers; her powers can wake the dead. Everything seems to be going smoothly until a young girl, Molly Lancaster, goes missing after taking one of Freya’s irresistible cocktails. As more of the town’s residents begin disappearing, everyone seems to have the same suspects in mind: the Beauchamp women.
 (description from Melissa De La Cruz's website)

So, I've had this book for years and always told myself I would like it (why not? I love the idea and I love M. De La Cruz's Blue Bloods series) but I kept putting off reading it.  Thennnnnnn, they started advertising the show on Lifetime.  

OMG, what a wonderfully soap-opera-esque and addicting TV show! I started watching it for a lark and to support Melissa De La Cruz and I got totally hooked.  No lie, I waited with held breath each week for the next episode! I'm so sad that I have to wait months and months and months for it to come back... 

The spells, the family relationships, the...steamy romance.  *grins* This show's a winner with a great cast. As long as you know not to take it too seriously.  It's like Charmed used to be... a show that I desperately loved in its time, too.  

My favorite character, of course, is Ingrid, the librarian and eldest sister.  She not only is a LIBRARIAN, but she's smart and a lot tougher than expected at first glance.  She's fiercely loyal and loving and very sweet.  

I also love Joanna's strength, Wendy's determination and willingness to circumvent the usual rules, and Freya's quest to make those around her happy.  These women make up a core group of strong, interesting characters that greatly overshadow the men on the show... though they are rather pretty to look at... see?

Now, about halfway through the season, having been thoroughly hooked, I finally dug out the old ARC I had of the first book in the series and decided that I HAD to read it and compare it to the show.  

So, what's the verdict?  Honestly, I love the TV show. I really, really do. Can't wait til season 2! And yet...having read the book...I wish they'd stuck a little more closely to it. I'm waiting to see if they try to bring in some of the missing elements from the book to season two, but I doubt it.  While in the book, the witches are actually Norse gods and goddesses, on the TV show, they are just witches that have a connection to Asgard. In the book, the Beauchamps already secretly use magic in cool ways and know of their talents; in the tv show Freya and Ingrid have no idea they are witches initially.

Really both stories are great and very entertaining. I plan to read all the books and will definitely continue to watch the show. I'm just going to have to divorce them in my mind like I usually do when they turn books into movies.

Has anyone else read the books or seen the show? I'd love to know what you think!

Full disclosure: ARC received at BEA 2010.

School Spirits

 






School Spirits
by Rachel Hawkins
Hex Hall series, book four

Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures. But when Izzy's older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy's mom decides they need to take a break.

Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it's not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to prove her worth and investigate. But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who's always been on her own, it's strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush.

Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt? (description from Amazon.com)

I full-on love the Hex Hall series.  These books are quick, funny reads.  The first three books, which featured Sophie, wrapped up their own storyline and this book starts a whole new adventure with a great new female lead.  Izzy was brought up to kick some tail.  Like Sam and Dean Winchester, her life and family are both wrapped up in fighting the bad guys. Similarly, Izzy's also lost a family member to the strange, and her grief and guilt over losing Finlay makes doing her job just that little bit harder...

Hawkins manages to take a girl in turmoil throw her into the "fire," toss in some boy confusion, and still leave me smiling as she maneuvers her way out of the mess.  The awkward teen conversations, the sneaky (hawt) glances, the quick, but loving family moments...these are what will keep me reading for as long as Hawkins is writing this series. 

And just a little tidbit to get you interested...my favorite quote from the book:    

“Oh, gross. He was one of those body-glitter-wearing jerks.”

Make the mental note now that Hawkins does not approve of glittery vampires. LOL!

Full disclosure: eARC received from Netgalley

Monday's Movie and TV Talk! (7)

Welcome to Monday's Movie and TV Talk! I don't know if I'll do this every Monday, or just sporadically on Mondays, but I LOVE TV and movies, so I figured why not add some of that to the blog for fun?? It'll be especially awesome when I can tie things into the YA book world...

Okay, so remember when I reviewed Beautiful Creatures (read it here) and told ya'll that the main reason I read it was because I was SO excited for the movie? Well, guess what I saw last week on President's Day??!

First off, I have to mention how much I LOVE going to the movies at odd times. I went on Monday morning to the early show (10 a.m.) and I was one of three people in the whole theater! It really makes the experience so much more fun if I can actually hear the whole movie without the crowd noise. (And, yes, I do know that this makes me *that* weird girl that goes to the movies alone...I don't care! LOL.)

 

I also want to mention that I was right *brushes shoulders off proudly* when I said in my review that this book translates really well to the big screen.  This movie was good.  I really liked it and will probably see it again...even though they did change some BIG things!

 

All right, without trying to ruin this for anyone, I will try to disclose how I felt about the changes without giving too much away.  Let's see if I can do it!

 

One: A huge revelation about a character's secret identity is revealed about one third of the way into the movie...allowing viewers to build the story upon that reveal...BUT I loved how in the book, I was pretty sure that was going on, but did not find out for sure until the LAST third of the book.  I thought it was much more dramatic in the book, though the revelation scene in the movie was well done, too!

 

Two: Although the movie still features one of the coolest libraries I've ever seen in fiction, I was saddened that they combined two characters in the movie, cutting out the awesome librarian from the book series. I suppose this was to make it easier for viewers to keep track of characters, but it also inadvertantly changed Ethan's mother's backstory in a way I wasn't too fond of... *and* the library itself is a little downplayed in the movie. *My librarian heart is breaking.*

 

Three: When Lena must finally face what is going to happen on her sixteenth birthday, she decides to handle the situation all on her own.  A HUGE change from the book.  This change sets in motion a bunch of littler changes, including the entire moral character of one of her cousins, and allowed for a very different ending to seem to happen. Thankfully, in truly movie magic fashion, and a very dramatic way, the moviemakers pulled through at the last moment and things work out again...though it will make for an interesting start to the second movie...

 

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and think that people who have not read the book will love it.  I think readers will probably bemoan the same things that I did, but also realize that this made for a great *movie* experience.  And now, I have to read book two!

Mini Reviews: The Second Novella Edition

Bad Yeti

by Carrie Harris

Kate Grable series

 

Jonah Grable hasn’t minded living in the shadow of his older, zombie fighting sister Kate, but this weekend he’s definitely raising his profile. A weekend of epic epicness—waving swords and flirting with girls in elf ears at his LARP club event—is totally up Jonah’s alley. But when his alter ego, Sir Talatien Maguirier, Nightdark Clanlord, comes face to face with a real, live Yeti, Jonah—or, rather, Tal—has to take matters into his own hands. So he sets off with gamer goddess Lady Amethyst, brown-eyed Europa, and Calamity, a braid-wearing barbarian in fur into the great unknown on a search for yeti-related awesomeness. . . . (description from Amazon.com)

 

SUPER FUN. I love this series hardcore and to have this little glimpse into that world from Jonah's perspective? So much awesomesauce.  I love the geekiness and the bravery and the general paranormalness of this series.

 

 

The Grimm Diaries Prequels Volumes 1 - 6

by Cameron Jace

 

The Grimm Diaries are pages written in a Book of Sand, where each fairy tale character confessed the true stories once altered by the Brothers Grimm two centuries ago. To keep the truth about fairy tales hidden, the Brothers Grimm buried the characters in their dreams to never wake up again. But the curse is broken now, and the characters are allowed to wake up every one hundred years. They intend to tell the truth about really happened, and about an untold cosmic conflict between fairy tale characters. (description from Amazon.com)

 

While the premise for this series is very intriguing and each short story had a compelling set of characters and circumstnaces, I was SO distracted by the poor writing technique in these stories that it was all I could do to finish them.

 

Tortured

by Caragh O'Brien

Birthmarked series

 

"But what about Leon?" Now, in this new story that bridges the gap between Birthmarked and Prized, Caragh M. O'Brien answers her readers' most common question with a tale of suffering and determination from Leon's perspective. (description from Amazon.com)

 

I really wish I had read this one before I read Prized, but you don't have to... it was so good to delve back into Gaia's world.  It was very interesting to see things from Leon's more privledged perspective, too. I can't wait to read Promised and find out how their story finally ends.

 

The Witch of Duva

by Leigh Bardugo

The Grisha Trilogy

 

There was a time when the woods near Duva ate girls…or so the story goes. But it’s just possible that the danger may be a little bit closer to home. This story is a companion folk tale to Leigh Bardugo’s debut novel, Shadow and Bone. (description from Amazon.com)

 

I loved this the same way I loved Sarah Maas' novellas. While they do not actually progress the story already written in the first book in each series, they are wonderful for fleshing out the fantasy world that each is set in.  Here, this is a folk tale, similar to Hansel and Gretel, that exists within Alina's world.  It really helped to flesh out the darkly Eastern European feel of the world she lives in. 





 

Full disclosure: All enovellas purchased for either my Nook or my Kindle App

Beautiful Creatures

Beautiful Creatures

by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

The Caster Chronicles, book one

 

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
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.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them. (description from Amazon.com)

 

Okay, I have to admit it. This was one of those books that sat on my book shelf for years, literally years waiting to be read. I got this in ARC form from BEA the very first time I went.  In a ginormous pile of books that there was no real way that I could read in a timely manner... before I learned to not take everything in sight... and it wasn't at the top of my "OMG, I need to read this right now list" so it kept getting put aside.

 

Since then, I have had plenty of teens tell me how great the series is and we get requests for them at the library all the time, but it wasn't until I started seeing info for the movie that I thought to myself, "Gee, I should really finally read that." I even have copies of the ARCs for books two and three that I picked up at subsequent BEAs!

 

So, in an effort to fulfill two of my reading resolutions this year - to clear books off of my endless TBR shelves and to read JUST FOR FUN - I picked this one up right at the beginning of the year.  I also desperately want to see the movie and felt like I would be guilty seeing it without reading the book first... LOL.

 

I actually enjoyed this one.  It's not my favorite series opener, but that's partly due to the fact that I'm not a real witch book reader.  I love magic in stories, things like Harry Potter, but for some reason when the people are openly called witches, it just hits a switch in my brain that says, eh. Weird. Anyway, I loved the atmosphere of this book. It's Southern Gothic and yet it also manages to be modern.  The flashbacks to the earlier generations and the way that Southerners hold so strongly to their heritage definitely give this effect.

 

I liked Lena and her awakening powers. I liked Ethan. I liked the supporting characters. I thought they were all quirky and kept my interest going throughout the whole story. I was amazed how quickly I got through this 600 page book. As I delved further into the story and had my suspicions about who was really good or bad or well... the pages just kept turning.  Other than having to lug the gigantic book around, I almost forgot how long it was.

 

As I said, although this is not my favorite new series, I am very excited to see the movie now.  There is something about this storyline that just translates to the screen, I think. I can totally see the larger than life magic and the epic good versus evil struggle making for an epic movie! I'll let you all know what I think once I've actually seen it. 

 

Full disclosure: ARC received at BEA in 2009

DNF: Chime

Chime

by Franny Billingsley

Before Briony's stepmother died, she made sure Briony blamed herself for all the family's hardships. Now Briony has worn her guilt for so long it's become a second skin. She often escapes to the swamp, where she tells stories to the Old Ones, the spirits who haunt the marshes. But only witches can see the Old Ones, and in her village, witches are sentenced to death. Briony lives in fear her secret will be found out, even as she believes she deserves the worst kind of punishment.

Then Eldric comes along with his golden lion eyes and mane of tawny hair. He's as natural as the sun, and treats her as if she's extraordinary. And everything starts to change. As many secrets as Briony has been holding, there are secrets even she doesn't know. (description from Amazon.com)

This book got such great reviews that it literally pained me that I could not get all the way through it.  I read more than half, hated every minute of it, skipped a chunk and finished the end...just to know what happened.  This was one of those books that just bothered me, deep in my core. It was by no means bad...but I just grit my teeth everytime I picked it up.  I hated how Briony referred to herself in whiny third person all the time! Hated.  Even the plot, which had sounded right up my alley, couldn't get me past that...ugh.

Now, there have been plenty of people out there who loved this book, so please...do not let me sway you from reading it.  Check out the reviews on the web and decide for yourself! 

Cassandra Clare is coming out with a new series!

The newest issue of Book Page's Children's Corner has some brand-new and exciting news for Cassandra Clare fans!!

Cassandra Clare, whose previous best-selling series of YA urban fantasy novels have been set in contemporary New York (The Mortal Instruments) and Victorian-era London (The Infernal Devices), has signed a new deal with Margaret K. McElderry Books for an upcoming series set in present-day L.A. The first book in the Dark Artifices series will be published in 2015.

Margaret K. McElderry Books, a division of Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, also announced a few more specifics of the plot in the Huffington Post:

The series follows Emma Carstairs, the fiercest warrior and most skilled young Shadowhunter since Jace Wayland, and Emma’s sworn partner in arms, Julian Blackthorn. Despite Emma’s complicated feelings for Julian, the two must band together to investigate a demonic plot that stretches from the warlock-run nightclubs of the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica.

Sounds interesting!! I know you Cassandra Clare fans are squealing to yourselves right now, aren't you, lol?!   I'll be keeping my eye out for book one, for sure.

Mini Reviews: The My Life Has Gone Horribly, Horribly Wrong Edition

Everneath

by Brodi Ashton

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her boyfriend—before she’s banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance—and the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

As Nikki’s time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s queen. (description from Amazon.com)

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the mythology of the Everneath and the idea of immortals living amongst us, but cursed to steal life from others to survive.  I thought that Nikki was really believable as someone who'd been so hurt that she'd tried to escape her emotions and then paid a terrible price. Well worth a read!

Full disclosure: Audio book received to review for Audiofile Magazine
*2012 Debut Author Challenge title*

The Fox Inheritance

by Mary Pearson

The Jenna Fox Chronicles, book two

Once there were three. Three friends who loved each other—Jenna, Locke, and Kara. And after a terrible accident destroyed their bodies, their three minds were kept alive, spinning in a digital netherworld. Even in that disembodied nightmare, they were still together. At least at first. When Jenna disappeared, Locke and Kara had to go on without her. Decades passed, and then centuries.

Two-hundred-and-sixty years later, they have been released at last. Given new, perfect bodies, Locke and Kara awaken to a world they know nothing about, where everyone they once knew and loved is long dead.

Everyone except Jenna Fox. (description from Amazon.com)

I LOVED The Adoration of Jenna Fox. I was beyond excited when I knew that this sequel was coming out. At first, I was a little hesitant because Jenna wasn't the narrator and it skipped so far into the future, but it turns out that this was a great follow-up. Not *quite* as good, but interesting and really thought provoking, nonetheless!
*2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge Title*

Dragonswood

by Janet Lee Carey

Wilde Island is not at peace. The kingdom mourns the dead Pendragon king and awaits the return of his heir; the uneasy pact between dragons, fairies, and humans is strained; and the regent is funding a bloodthirsty witch hunt, hoping to rid the island of half-fey maidens.

Tess, daughter of a blacksmith, has visions of the future, but she still doesn't expect to be accused of witchcraft, forced to flee with her two best friends, or offered shelter by the handsome and enigmatic Garth Huntsman, a warden for Dragonswood. But Garth is the younger prince in disguise and Tess soon learns that her true father was fey, making them the center of an exciting, romantic adventure, and an ancient prophecy that will bring about peace between all three races - dragon, human, and fairy. (description from Amazon.com)

This book could be read alone, or as a follow up to Carey's Dragon's Keep. It is a marvelous fantasy about a world where so much magic exists and the poor main character is abused and persecuted for even the thought of her practicing... Love, adventure, heartbreak...the book encompasses it all. A new favorite fantasy!

In My Mailbox - October 2, 2011

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme, hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren, inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. Every week bloggers can share what they received in the mail or at the bookstore or at the library. The goal is that everyone can be exposed to more books this way!

*I didn't get to do an "In My Mailbox" last week since I went up to New Hampshire, so this is actually two weeks worth of books!*

For Review:

Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury
Peaceweaver by Rebecca Barnhouse
Hades by Alexandra Adornetto


Cosmic Storm by Dom Testa
Alienation by John Lewis
There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones


The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

On My Nook:

First Frost by Jennifer Estep

From the Library:

Library Wars: Volumes 5&6
Fairy Bad Day by Amanda Ashby


Vengeance by Kate Brian
Die for Me by Amy Plum
Dear Bully ed. by Carrie Jones


Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
New York to Dallas by J. D. Robb
The Royal Treatment by Lindsey Leavitt


Purchased:

The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
*Signed by Laini Taylor at RJ Julia's for her "Smoke and Bone" tour!
Goliath by Scott Westerfeld
*Signed by Scott Westerfeld - present to myself for my bday!*

Gifted:

Blood Red Road by Moira Young
The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
*Thanks so much to Chelsea from Coffee and Cliffhangers! I won a monthly drawing on her website and got these as well as a copy of Nightshade and a copy of Revolution.

The Thirteenth Princess

The Thirteenth Princess
by Diane Zahler

Zita is not an ordinary servant girl—she's the thirteenth daughter of a king who wanted only sons. When she was born, Zita's father banished her to the servants' quarters to work in the kitchens, where she can only communicate with her royal sisters in secret.

Then, after Zita's twelfth birthday, the princesses all fall mysteriously ill. The only clue is their strangely worn and tattered shoes. With the help of her friends—Breckin the stable boy, Babette the witch, and Milek the soldier—Zita follows her bewitched sisters into a magical world of endless dancing and dreams. But something more sinister is afoot—and unless Zita and her friends can break the curse, the twelve princesses will surely dance to their deaths. (description from Amazon.com)

This was a really well done and interesting new rewrite of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. I loved the fact that Zita was a thirteenth and utterly different princess. Her birthright added to the way that she was raised as a servant gave readers the ability to see into both worlds. So much of the story focused on Zita's life, her discovery of her birthright, and the development of her relationship with her sisters.

It was almost as if Zahler wrote a completely fresh story before she finally blended the original fairy tale into Zita's life. The magic was interesting and fun. The characters were strong, especially Zita, who was spunky, loving, and eminently loyal. I loved the relationships that she developed with her sisters, the cook, the witch, and especially Breckin.

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
by Catherynne M. Valente
Illustrated by Ana Juan

Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday. (description from Amazon.com)

What a glorious adventure. Valente has managed to merge the feel of an old fairytale with the sarcastic realism of Lemony Snicket. September is a girl who is both immensely loving and emininetly practical. While feeling terrible about leaving her mother, she cannot pass up the adventure of a lifetime! To enter fairyland...who would say no?

While in Fairyland, September meets many interesting and unique characters. She travels to new and wondrous places. She is tasked to retreive magical objects.

While there have been many tellings of a child that enters the fairy realm, Valente makes this feel new and fresh. The characters are intriguing and unlike those I've read before. The aspects of Fairyland are amazing and unheard of in other tales. Each aspect of this story was just another layer that drew me in. One of the best things, though, was that even as I knew that September's story must end well, I appreciated some of the terrible things that she went through to come to a happy ending.

This was no Disney fairy tale.

This was real life and purely magical.

Full disclosure: Review copy received from Zieghost media and the publisher

In My Mailbox - June 26, 2011

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme, hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren, inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. Every week bloggers can share what they received in the mail or at the bookstore or at the library. The goal is that everyone can be exposed to more books this way!

From the Library:

Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich

I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend by Cora Harrison

Hit List by Laurell K. Hamilton
The Fallen by Celia Thomson

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

More adult books than YA this week, but new books in two of my absolutely favorite series came out this week, so I'm stoked!! Off to read...

Demonglass

Demonglass
by Rachel Hawkins
Hex Hall series, book two

Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.

That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.

But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Acher to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she? (description taken from Amazon.com)

I loved this sequel to Hex Hall. Sophie returned with all the snark that I'd desperately missed since putting the first book down. I was very, very pleased with this book as sometimes the second book in a trilogy can obviously feel like a big setup for the end, and not much on its own, but Demonglass rocked from start to finish.

Not to say that you are left, breathless on the edge of a HUGE cliff... Hawkins literally had me putting down the book and going, "OMG.omgomgomg...ummm...I have to wait how long for the next one???!!" Sheer evil genius. Without revealing too much, let's just say that people are missing, seriously injured, or perhaps even dead on the final page...there's a new potential romance blossoming...previously trusted allies have become enemies through heinous betrayal...and Sophie is off to meet people she's never even heard of before so that she can um, hopefully, not be murdered. WHOA.

I am sooooooo excited for the next book, I can't even express it properly. I think I would pay big bucks for the opportunity to get an ARC asap!! Holy Moly. I miss Sophie already.

Full disclosure: ARC received from Book It Forward ARC Tours

Groosham Grange

Groosham Grange
by Anthony Horowitz

Sent to Groosham Grange as a last resort by his frustrated parents, thirteen-year-old David Eliot quickly discovers that his new boarding school is very peculiar. New pupils are made to sign their names in blood . . . the French teacher cancels classes on days there’s a full moon . . . there are chilling secrets hidden in the assistant headmaster’s office. What’s the meaning of the black rings everyone wears? Where do the other pupils vanish to at night? Suddenly, his biggest problem isn’t staying in school—it’s getting out alive. (description taken from Amazon.com)

Okay, honestly I hated this book. I agreed to read it to "review" it for our Children's Department because we also have a copy in the Teen Department and because I like Horowitz's Alex Rider series. Ugh...I don't think I would have finished this book if I wasn't reporting it to someone.

It's unnecessarily gruesome in my opinion for the intended audience. There are scenes of implied and actual violence throughout the book. David's father abuses both his wife and son, his mother is an open alcoholic that constantly bows to her awful husband, the teachers unapologetically murder someone and then threaten David's life to get him to conform to their wishes.

The final straw for me...that by the end of the book, David does not learn what's really going on and strive to change things. No - he is happily unsure of whether he'll embrace his new powers for good, or heck...just for fun, maybe evil. A sour note to end on.

I will say that I can see why young teen boys might like this book. It's got dismembered hands, a vampire, an uber-creepy headmaster(s), and the potential to get revenge on awful parents. The chapters are also really short and easy to read. I already know this is a popular title... personally, though, I probably won't be recommending it too often.

Nightshade

Nightshade
by Andrea Cremer

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything--including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice? (description taken from Amazon.com)

This book has officially earned another one of my coveted gold stars!



There's been a lot of paranormal teen romance released lately...and not all of them are created equal. To be honest, when I got this ARC I was stoked, then I got inundated with reviews about it and I started to get worried it wouldn't live up to the hype; that again, the publishers had just pushed, pushed, pushed and it wasn't all I hoped it would be...then I started to read.

OMG. I usually rip through books. I feel like there is never enough time to read. I actually made myself slow down to read Nightshade so that the experience would not end. I took five whole days to read this! Five days!! Then I finished it and immediately wanted to start over again. That has not happened to me in...well, I can't remember the last time...oh wait, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. That's the type of experience this was for me!

Cremer created a world that I longed to experience. As a werewolf fan, hers were perfect. Literally, the best werewolf society for me since Klause's Blood and Chocolate, to which I compare all werewolves! These characters were wolves wearing human clothing. Their instincts, their strategies, their loyalties, their passions...all pack based. It was INCREDIBLE.

Add to that a multilayered world built on the premise of uber-creepy Old Ones (witches) running things with enforcers like succubi and wraiths. Every new creature introduced in this book just blew me away.

Cremer also gave me the best, most realistic and TRUE love triangle I've run into in YA in quite a while. Most, I'm immediately and irrevocably drawn to one guy or the other (I know, I know, it could be girls...but, it's usually guys) and nothing will change my mind because the other character just falls flat for me. Now, that's not to say that I'm not swayed one way here (I am totally Team Ren...*blushes*...I love Ren) but both guys are actually good for Calla and want what they think is best for her. Either choice would be a good one.

It will be so exciting to see what happens in book two, Wolfsbane, coming out next summer, but until then I may actually re-read this book...at least once!

Full disclosure: My friend Jen (i.e. Yabooknerd - awesome girl!!) grabbed this ARC for me at BEA 2010. :)

Always a Witch

Always a Witch
by Carolyn MacCullough
Witch series, book two

Since the gripping conclusion of Once a Witch, Tamsin Greene has been having nightmares. Though she should be enjoying her new boyfriend, Gabriel, or discovering more about her newfound magical "Talents," she's too busy dealing with her sister, Rowena's bride-zilla wedding demands and worrying about the resurgence of her enemy, Alistair Knight. But most of all, Tamsin is haunted by her grandmother's prophecy that she will soon be forced to make a crucial decision. A choice so terrible, that it could destroy her family forever.

When Tamsin discovers that Alistair successfully went back in time to Victorian Era New York, in order to destory the Greene family, she's forced to follow him into the past. Stranded all alone in the 19th century, Tamsin soon finds herself disguised as a lady's maid in the terrifying mansion of the evil Knight family, bustling about as a servant, avoiding the watchful eye of the vicious matron, La Spider, and fending off the lascivious advances Liam Knight. As times runs out, Tamsin's brash demeanor and sardonic wit place her in the center of the fray as both families square off in a thrilling display of action and magic. And to her horror, Tamsin finally understands the nature of her fateful choice.
(description taken from Amazon.com)

I really, really enjoyed this sequel to Once a Witch. Tamsin, now aware of her power, is still trying to come to grips with her new status in the family. Her relationship with Gabriel is her stabilizer...what helps her balance family, friends, magic, no magic. Unfortunately, even Gabriel can't help balance things when Tamsin discovers that her family is doomed. The Knights are determined to wipe the Greenes out.

Tamsin decides to travel back to the future, alone. The situation she lands in is by no means a comfortable one. She discovers some horrible secrets about the Knight family. Eventually, she must figure out how to save the entirety of her family...or she won't ever be able to return to herown time and place.

Full of mystery, danger, romance, and some horror, this was an excellent sequel! I'm not sure if there will be a third book or not, but if there is I will absolutely read it! The way that book two ends...well, I won't give it away, but it's really, really well done!

Full disclosure: E-galley provided for review by publisher and Netgalley
Publication date: August 1, 2011