Category Archives: Book Review

All the sexy humor and romantic drama that Anna Banks introduced in her debut novel Of Poseidon returns in full force for the second half of her YA mermaid saga with Of Triton.

In this sequel to OF POSEIDON, Emma has just learned that her mother is a long-lost Poseidon princess, and now struggles with an identity crisis: As a Half-Breed, she’s a freak in the human world and an abomination in the Syrena realm below. Syrena law states that all Half- Breeds should be put to death.

As if that’s not bad enough, her mother’s reappearance among the Syrena turns the two kingdoms—Poseidon and Triton—against one another. Which leaves Emma with a decision to make: Should she comply with Galen’s request to keep herself safe and just hope for the best? Or should she risk it all and reveal herself—and her Gift—to save a people she’s never known?

The unlikely saga that Banks established in her first book comes full circle, with a witty and smartly plotted conclusion that will leave readers completely satisfied. Expanding on the world she introduced us to in Of Poseidon, Banks explores the mythology of the Syrena and their world in full force. With Of Triton, we come to understand more about their world — and Emma’s role in it.

Likewise, we get more of Banks’ brilliant blending of high-stakes drama with charming and hilarious humor. It’s a tough act to balance humor with drama, but Banks pulls it off swimmingly. (Yeah, yeah … pun intended!) And of course, there’s plenty of romance, too, as Galen continues to make Emma (and readers) swoon.

Of Triton is in stores May 28th.

Every once in a while, a book comes along and surprises you in some way. Parallel by Lauren Miller was a book that surprised me. I expected to enjoy it (otherwise I wouldn’t have picked it up), but I didn’t expect to become completely engrossed in this saga of parallel worlds and one girl’s fight to get back to the correct life.

Abby Barnes had a plan. The Plan. She’d go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and land a job at a national newspaper, all before she turned twenty-two. But one tiny choice—taking a drama class her senior year of high school—changed all that. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Abby is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, miles from where she wants to be, wishing she could rewind her life. The next morning, she’s in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. Overnight, it’s as if her past has been rewritten.

With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby’s life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel is living out Abby’s senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby’s never even met.

As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, forced to live out the consequences of a path she didn’t choose, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that’s finally within reach.

Parallel was the type of book that hooked me the more I read. It started out an interesting read, with a cool concept. But the more I read, the more obsessed I became. I had to know what was going to happen next. Who would she end up with? What would change in her alternate life next? Where was she meant to be?

Beyond obsessively reading this book and staying up too late for a few nights in a row until I’d gotten to the end, Parallel also stuck with me. It’s the first time in many years I found myself really seriously thinking about the characters and what would happen to them next. After finishing Parallel, I was left with the feeling of wanting to read (and maybe even write) fan fiction about it — about this world and its characters and where they would go next.

Miller has crafted a highly addictive read with a high-concept premise and seriously engaging characters. Parallel will not soon be forgotten by any of its readers.

Parallel is in stores May 14th.

Let’s face it. Most china dolls are creepy to begin with. But when you imagine they may be actually alive and orchestrating some sort of possibly-evil plot? Then you’ve got Doll Bones by Holly Black, the spectacularly spooky new middle grade adventure about three friends on the cusp of adolescence — embarking on one last adventure.

A doll that may be haunted leads three friends on a thrilling adventure in this delightfully creepy novel from the New York Times bestselling cocreator of the Spiderwick Chronicles.

Zach, Poppy, and Alice have been friends forever. And for almost as long, they’ve been playing one continuous, ever-changing game of pirates and thieves, mermaids and warriors. Ruling over all is the Great Queen, a bone-china doll cursing those who displease her.

But they are in middle school now. Zach’s father pushes him to give up make-believe, and Zach quits the game. Their friendship might be over, until Poppy declares she’s been having dreams about the Queen—and the ghost of a girl who will not rest until the bone-china doll is buried in her empty grave.

Zach and Alice and Poppy set off on one last adventure to lay the Queen’s ghost to rest. But nothing goes according to plan, and as their adventure turns into an epic journey, creepy things begin to happen. Is the doll just a doll or something more sinister? And if there really is a ghost, will it let them go now that it has them in its clutches?

Doll Bones  is as much about the shifting relationships of Zach, Poppy, and Alice as it is about the story of the doll. The friends are growing up, and Black poignantly displays the murky years when you still want to play with toys, but you also start to notice how cute that boy or girl is, and think about kissing and dating. They are such hard times to go through, and are often even harder to define. But Black has masterfully painted a portrait of exactly what it’s like to experience that odd transition from childhood to adolescence.

Adding to the charm of Doll Bones – and creating that oh-so-important creep factor — is the mystery of the bone china doll, for which the three friends embark on a quest together. These kids are reckless and irresponsible, and I can see some parents cringing at the behavior and worrying if the book will set a bad example. But let’s be honest. Kids already have these ideas. If anything, Doll Bones shows how disastrous such carelessness can be.

At the heart of Doll Bones is the creepy mystery of the doll — and it’s this mystery that keeps pulling the kids back together through their adventure and all its mishaps. It’s also a captivating thread that will hook readers and keep them turning page after page.

It’s also worth mentioning the gorgeous illustrations by Eliza Wheeler — who carries along the creepiness of Black’s writing throughout the novel with lovely images. (She also nails it with that perfectly detailed and creeptastic cover!)

Doll Bones is just a delight, from start to finish. It’s wonderful for middle grade readers to tackle on their own, but I can just as easily see parents (or teachers) reading this along with kids — or teens or adults just reading it on their own. Look for it in stores May 7th.

They say love is blind, but how about invisible? It is in the new YA collaboration from David Levithan and Andrea Cremer, Invisibility, in which an invisible teenage boy falls for the cute new girl next door … who happens to be the only person on the planet who can see him!

Stephen has been invisible for practically his whole life — because of a curse his grandfather, a powerful cursecaster, bestowed on Stephen’s mother before Stephen was born. So when Elizabeth moves to Stephen’s NYC apartment building from Minnesota, no one is more surprised than he is that she can see him. A budding romance ensues, and when Stephen confides in Elizabeth about his predicament, the two of them decide to dive headfirst into the secret world of cursecasters and spellseekers to figure out a way to break the curse. But things don’t go as planned, especially when Stephen’s grandfather arrives in town, taking his anger out on everyone he sees. In the end, Elizabeth and Stephen must decide how big of a sacrifice they’re willing to make for Stephen to become visible — because the answer could mean the difference between life and death. At least for Elizabeth.

A blockbuster pairing of authors, for sure, and the result is at times enchanting and at others, less so. The beginning of Invisibility is simply brilliant, as the authors paint a contemporary teen romance with an invisible twist. The writing is charming and witty, and the characters endearing. This romance is sweet and lovely, and even the periphery characters are delightful.

However, as Invisibility progresses, the focus veers away from this oh-so-unlikely romance and into the world of paranormal teen fiction, and this is where it suffers. The story is not bad, per se, but it seems mediocre, especially given the talent of these authors. Magic and curses and spellseekers … it all feels very ho-hum, particularly when you consider how strongly this book began.

Invisibility is somewhat redeemed by an action-packed climax, and a very nicely wrapped-up conclusion which harkens back to some of the book’s early charm.

Invisibility is in stores May 7th.

Readers, despair. Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting is (presumably) the fourth and final book in The Body Finder series … and that just won’t abide.

Sure, Dead Silence is spectacularly creepy (and I’m still a bit worried about Derting, who seems so friendly & chipper on the outside). And sure, Violet’s romance with Jay is delectably curl-your-toes-and-squeal-worthy. And sure, there’s a whole potential government conspiracy going on that involves talented teens like Violet and her friends.

But that’s it. There’s no more. No more mysteries for Violet to solve (that we get to read about, anyway). No more encounters with Jay. No more brooding conversations with Rafe, or new discoveries about Violet’s “gift.” No more walking into dangerous situations and nearly getting herself killed because of a persistent echo.

Kimberly Derting, what have you done?!?!? The Body Finder series is spectacular. These books — every single one of them — have grabbed me from the first page, and refused to let go until I’d read every single word. Dead Silence was, of course, no exception. (I was seriously sleep deprived the week I read this book. My fiance hated me for keeping him up at night while I read in bed, and he tried to sleep.)

I think my only disappointment with Dead Silence is that this last book was less about the mystery du jour, and more about Violet herself: her imprint, her relationship quandaries, her friendships, her family history, and her place with her “team mates.” And while I loved seeing Violet’s struggles with these — I felt as if the crime that carried throughout this story faded into the background. And what’s more … at the end of the book, I still wanted MORE.

So here’s my plea, to Kimberly and to her publisher, Harper Collins. I WANT MORE. I want more Violet and Jay and Rafe and Chelsea. I want more body finding. I want more creeptastic crimes and murder mysteries. I want to see what happens when Violet finishes her senior year of school. I want to see how she continues to balance keeping her secret (or not???) with her school and her friends and her family. I want to know what happens next.

So Kim? Harper Collins? Can you make that happen, please? That would be great, thanks.

Dead Silence is in stores April 16th. Here is the official synopsis:

Violet thought she’d made peace with her unique ability to sense the echoes of the dead and the imprints that cling to their killers…that is until she acquired an imprint of her own. Forced to carry a reminder of the horrible events of her kidnapping, Violet is more determined than ever to lead a normal life. However, the people who run the special investigative team Violet works for have no intention of letting her go.

When someone close to Violet becomes a suspect in a horrific murder, she finds herself pulled into a deadly hunt for a madman with an army of devoted followers. Violet has survived dangerous situations before, but she quickly discovers that protecting those closest to her is far more difficult than protecting herself.

Kelley Armstrong’s Darkness Rising trilogy comes to an explosive conclusion with The Rising, which sees the teens of Salmon Creek face their true powers — and fight to control their own futures.

Things are getting desperate for Maya and her friends. Hunted by the powerful St. Clouds and now a rival Cabal as well, they’re quickly running out of places to hide. And with the whole world thinking they died in a helicopter crash, it’s not like they can just go to the authorities for help.

All they have is the name and number of someone who might be able to give them a few answers. Answers to why they’re so valuable, and why their supernatural powers are getting more and more out of control.

But Maya is unprepared for the truths that await her. And now, like it or not, she’ll have to face down some demons from her past if she ever hopes to move on with her life. Because Maya can’t keep running forever.

Old secrets are revealed and unexpected characters make a surprising return in this stunning conclusion to Kelley Armstrong’s New York Times bestselling Darkness Rising trilogy.

Action, danger, and romance collide within the pages of The Rising, as Armstrong brings her latest YA epic trilogy to a surprising conclusion. As this series has unfolded, so, too, have secrets within the characters’ world — and this final entry is no exception.

As new truths are revealed, and new twists unfold, the characters must choose their own priorities. Family, love, fate, their futures … these are all heavy decisions that weigh on Maya and her friends as they face the Cabals fighting to control them. And in the end, they learn that sometimes it’s not about winning — but about choosing the lesser evil.

I’ve said all along that I think this series would make a brilliant TV show (along the lines of “The Vampire Diaries”), and I stand by that statement. Armstrong writes with a cinematic voice that would easily translate to an on-screen, episodic format. Action, danger, and twists around every corner — The Rising is a book that will keep readers on their toes.

The Rising is in stores now.

A curl-your-toes, swoon-worthy romance awaits readers within the pages of Jennifer E. Smith’s latest YA novel, This is What Happy Looks Like. And while the characters of the novel may debate what happy is to them, I’d say this book is exactly what happy looks like.

If fate sent you an email, would you answer?

When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O’Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.

Then Graham finds out that Ellie’s Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media’s spotlight at all costs?

This is What Happy Looks Like takes the kind of premise we’ve all fantasized about at some point (small town nobody meets celebrity star and romance blossoms) — but it’s told in a way that is believable, realistic, and utterly dreamy. It’s a fantasy romance grounded in reality.

A breezy tale that’s easy to read (that is, devour), This is What Happy Looks Like is the perfect book to read when you just want to feel good inside. It’s packed full of the warm fuzzies, without being saccharine or predictable. The characters face real challenges, and each twist of the story is a hurdle, and never once feels contrived. Smith masterfully weaves a fantasy romance that readers will believe, and root for, and dream about long after the last page.

This is What Happy Looks Like is in stores tomorrow.