Title: Made For You
Author: Melissa Marr
Series: Standalone
Genre: YA Paranormal Thriller
Format: Hardcover, 368 pages
Release Date: September 16th 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: eARC received from publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review


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When Eva Tilling wakes up in the hospital, she’s confused—who in her sleepy little North Carolina town could have hit her with their car? And why? But before she can consider the question, she finds that she’s awoken with a strange new skill: the ability to foresee people’s deaths when they touch her. While she is recovering from the hit-and-run, Nate, an old flame, reappears, and the two must traverse their rocky past as they figure out how to use Eva’s power to keep her friends—and themselves—alive. But while Eva and Nate grow closer, the killer grows increasingly frantic in his attempt to get to Eva.

For the first time, New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr has applied her extraordinary talent to contemporary realism. Chilling twists, unrequited obsession, and high-stakes romance drive this Gothic, racy thriller—a story of small-town oppression and salvation. Melissa’s fans, and every YA reader, will find its wild ride enthralling.


I am always intrigued when I see Melissa Marr has written another book because I love her and her writing. It is always a little weird but with a contemporary twist and I think that is what I love most about her books. So when I read about Made for You and saw that it was about a young girl who is the victim of a hit and run, only to discover upon gaining consciousness that she has the ability to see the deaths of other...oh and she is being hunted by a killer who is killing everyone around her. Sounds awesome right? It is :)

what i think I liked the most was the different POVs because they gave such different perspectives on the same story. I especially loved the killers point of view because the way it was written showcased how insane this character was, and its anonymity of who actually was talking was great. It kept me guessing as to who the killer actually was and what their motivations were, and how they changed throughout the book. Eva was a great narrator as well, i especially loved her relationships because they showcased not only the type of person she was, but also how much she cared for those around her. Her friendship with Grace was a great to read, especially when you saw how many people did not like the two of them together because they thought Grace was an "outsider" and I loved that Eva could not care less. It was great to read. I also really liked her growing relationship with Nate and how show and meaningful their bond grew. I think over the course of the book, Nate brought out the best in Eva and that was also a great thing to read.

There was one thing that had me a bit disappointed and that was the small paranormal element to the story. The fact that Eva could see the deaths of those around her when she touched them was a very cool aspect to this story but ultimately I thought it would have been better to leave it out. I agree that the foreshadowing made for great tension, especially when it was her friends that she saw dying, but to me, I thought the thriller aspect of the story was enough to sustain me, and the paranormal element seemed over the top. I would have given this book 5 stars if that element was not there and the author focused more on teh thriller and less on the paranormal.

Title: Trial by Fire
Author: Josephine Angelini
Series: The Worldwalker Trilogy #1
Genre: YA Paranormal, Witches
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Release Date: September 2nd 2014
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Source: eARC received from publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

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This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying experiences that others in her hometown of Salem take for granted, which is why she is determined to enjoy her first high school party with her best friend and longtime crush, Tristan. But after a humiliating incident in front of half her graduating class, Lily wishes she could just disappear.

Suddenly, Lily is in a different Salem—one overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women called Crucibles. Strongest and cruelest of them all is Lillian . . . Lily's other self in this alternate universe.

What makes Lily weak at home is what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. In this confusing world, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can't hope to shoulder alone and a love she never expected.


I love Josephine Angelini because she has a way of creating a world so amazing, and characters that intrigue us as readers and I could not wait to get into this new series. And the fact that it has to do with witchcraft made me want to read EVEN MORE!

What I think I liked about this book was the way it was written. It started off as a contemporary and I loved that because it gave us a chance to get to know certain characters without having to explain the surrounding world and have it be a distraction. being about to get to know Lily in today's world made me fall for her way before her world gets turned upside down. Lily was a very different character in the beginning than she was at the end, and watching her go through that growth was amazing.

The world building in this novel was extraordinary, I think what I liked the most about the world in this novel was the fact that it was the same city, but different times in history. Salem is known for Witchcraft and so it makes sense that this book had a lot to do with that topic, and knowing me and my interest in the subject, I was in. What I think I liked the most about this book was its combination of genres. It begins as a contemporary, then leads into time travel because our main character goes back in time to when Salem was run by witches, and then there is the paranormal with magic and the like. All of these different genres were combined to make one of the best books I have read this year.

Characters were very important in this book because they were paralleled in each world and that made for some interesting interactions. On one hand we meet one character that we hate, but then we meet them in another world and they are completely different. Waiting Lily navigate this aspect of the book was great because it showed her growth as a character and how she stopped making assumptions based in that persons "past." Every character in this book had a purpose whether they were in the past or present they had a direct impact on the story and on Lily herself.

There was a subtle love story in this book but it was intense as any I have ever read. There were certain scenes where I had to put the book down because they were so steamy! Not in a overtly sexual way, but just in the sexual tension kind of way and I loved that. I loved their relationship and I cannot wait to see where it goes because the way this book ended makes me want the second book right now!

Title: The Dolls
Author: Kiki Sullivan
Series: Dolls #1
Genre: YA Contemporary with Paranormal elements
Format: Paperback, 384 pages
Release Date: September 2nd 2014
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: eARC received by publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review


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Eveny Cheval just moved back to Louisiana after spending her childhood in New York with her aunt Bea. Eveny hasn’t seen her hometown since her mother’s suicide fourteen years ago, and her memories couldn’t have prepared her for what she encounters. Because pristine, perfectly manicured Carrefour has a dark side full of intrigue, betrayal, and lies—and Eveny quickly finds herself at the center of it all.

Enter Peregrine Marceau, Chloe St. Pierre, and their group of rich, sexy friends known as the Dolls. From sipping champagne at lunch to hooking up with the hottest boys, Peregrine and Chloe have everything—including an explanation for what’s going on in Carrefour. And Eveny doesn’t trust them one bit.

But after murder strikes and Eveny discovers that everything she believes about herself, her family, and her life is a lie, she must turn to the Dolls for answers. Something’s wrong in paradise, and it’s up to Eveny, Chloe, and Peregrine to save Carrefour and make it right.


I went into this book with so much hope because I loved what it was about. Set in the south I knew that there was going to be some interesting things happening, especially if there was witchcraft and voodoo happening. And for the most part I was very entertained but I will admit that while I was reading I felt like there was something missing.

The setting for me was the biggest thing I loved about this novel because it was so authentic. I felt like I was there for most of the novel and for most of the novel I could hear the accents of the characters and the could picture the mansions and the bayou surrounding everything. i loved it. I think that was my favorite part of the book because it consumed me as a reader and that is what kept me reading.

I will admit that I hated most of the characters in this book, especially the ones they called The Dolls. I will admit that these characters made me dislike this book more than I wanted because they were so infuriating. They were consumed with their looks and how they appeared to others, and the way they treated other was atrocious to the point where I wanted to stop reading about them. I did really like Eveny, our main character. I will admit that I wanted her to be a bit more strong willed when it came to peer pressure and The Dolls. I wanted her to stick up to her so called friends and be different from them, and for me it took a bit too long for that to happen.

What I also liked was the mystery aspect of the story. In The Dolls we encounter a lot of death, and what I think I liked the most was that we, as readers, knew that it was targeted at The Dolls and what they stood for but we didn't know who was doing the killing. So that mystery was an aspect that left me wanting to finish the book, and although I waited until the end to figure out who did it, and I must admit I figured it out pretty early, I was still disappointed in the way the book ended. This is a series, and I did not know that going in, so I did not get the answers I was looking for, and I honestly don't know if I will read the rest of the series, but I am interested in the unknowns that we were left with. Overall this book was okay, it mad its amazing moments and then it had some issues that I just could not get past, like characterization and the way the characters interacted with each other. I was not a fan of this book but that does mean you should not pick it up because you never know, you might love it!

Title: Ghost House
Author: Alexandra Adornetto
Series: The Ghost House Saga #1
Genre: YA Ghost Story
Format: Hardcover, 320 pages
Release Date: August 26th 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: ARC provided from publisher in exchange for an honest review

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From the New York Times bestselling author of Halo comes the start of a beautiful and powerful new series.

After the loss of her mother, Chloe Kennedy starts seeing the ghosts that haunted her as a young girl again. Spending time at her grandmother's country estate in the south of England is her chance to get away from her grief and the spirits that haunt her. Until she meets a mysterious stranger…

Alexander Reade is 157 years dead, with secrets darker than the lake surrounding Grange Hall and a lifelike presence that draws Chloe more strongly than any ghost before. But the bond between them awakens the vengeful spirit of Alexander's past love, Isobel. And she will stop at nothing to destroy anyone who threatens to take him from her.

To stop Isobel, Chloe must push her developing abilities to their most dangerous limits, even if it means losing Alex forever… and giving the hungry dead a chance to claim her for their own.


I wanted to read this book because of the author. So many people have loved her Halo series and I was really interested to see how she would do with ghosts, since that is a very big departure from angels. And i will say that I was quite impressed with this story and how it differed from her original series.

I loved ghost stories (on paper NOT in the movies) and i was really looking forward to this book. I will admit that I was bit disappointed in some aspects of this book. one was the pacing. I felt like it was quite slow throughout and I kept waiting for something to happen. There were many great scenes, especially the ones with a particular ghost. She was a great character and I really liked the mystery that surrounded her and the reason why she was haunting the house our main character, Chloe was staying in. There were some pretty gruesome scenes and I thought that the author did a very good job of describing them to us because I could picture them with no problem whatsoever. I think those parts were my absolute favourite.

Insta-love is something I really don't like in YA, and there was this kind of relationship in this book. I hated it. I did not understand her obsession with this boy when she knew nothing could happen because he was A ghost! I think my biggest issue with this book was this love story because to me in made no sense and the way she was describing how much she feels for him after only a few days made me question her as a character and how reliable she really was.

The end. What can I say about the ending without spoiling anything...well it wasn't my favorite. I felt like the resolution to Chloe's problems were too simple and I wanted more of a fight i think? I just felt like it all ended quite quickly and it wasn't satisfying for me. Overall this book was a very interesting read, but sadly it left me wanting more than I got.

Title: Salt and Storm
Author: Kendall Kulper
Series: Standalone
Genre: YA Historical Paranormal
Format: Hardcover, 416 pages
Release Date: September 1st 2014
Publisher: Little Brown and Company
Source: ARC received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

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A sweeping historical romance about a witch who foresees her own murder--and the one boy who can help change her future.
Sixteen-year-old Avery Roe wants only to take her rightful place as the witch of Prince Island, making the charms that keep the island's whalers safe at sea, but her mother has forced her into a magic-free world of proper manners and respectability. When Avery dreams she's to be murdered, she knows time is running out to unlock her magic and save herself.
Avery finds an unexpected ally in a tattooed harpoon boy named Tane--a sailor with magic of his own, who moves Avery in ways she never expected. Becoming a witch might stop her murder and save her island from ruin, but Avery discovers her magic requires a sacrifice she never prepared for.


I love historical fiction, especially when it is meshed with the paranormal. So when I saw that this book was not only set in the past but also had to do with witches I knew I needed to read it and this book did not disappoint. It had everything you could ever want, a great mystery, suspense, a great stetting full of intrigue and some great magic.

The writing in this book was above anything I ever expected. It was phenomenal, it sucked you in right from the beginning and it made you feel like you were there, in that time period with these characters. The author made everything about this book genuine and real. I loved the setting and the fact that although I knew nothing about that time period, I still felt very connected not only with the main characters but also all the characters that interacted with them. it was great to read.

The only aspect of the book that i didn't particularly like was the love story. I wasn't totally convinced of it throughout the book and I questioned some of the characters decisions when it came to their feelings. But as the story when on it grew on me a bit, but not enough for me to care about their relationship and where it went in the end.

The end. I loved the end the most out of the entire book. I say this because i thought it was extremely realistic not only to the characters but to the story itself. It was extremely sad and I felt for all the characters involved but I loved that we got a lot of answers and we saw a lot of character growth from not only our main character but all the secondary characters as well.

Overall Salt and Storm was one of the most unique historical paranormal books I have read i years and I will say that for those who are on the fence about picking it...do it, because you do not find books like this very often. Ones that create an amazing world around you while you read and pull you in and refuse to let you go. This book was an amazing read and I recommend to anyone and everyone.

Title: Mortal Danger
Author: Ann Aguirre
Series: Immortal Game #1
Genre: YA Paranormal/Fantasy
Format: Hardcover, 372 pages
Release Date: August 5th 2014
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Source:  eARC received from publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

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Revenge is a dish best served cold.

In Ann Aguirre's Mortal Danger, Edie Kramer has a score to settle with the beautiful people at Blackbriar Academy. Their cruelty drove her to the brink of despair, and four months ago, she couldn’t imagine being strong enough to face her senior year. But thanks to a Faustian compact with the enigmatic Kian, she has the power to make the bullies pay. She’s not supposed to think about Kian once the deal is done, but devastating pain burns behind his unearthly beauty, and he’s impossible to forget.

In one short summer, her entire life changes and she sweeps through Blackbriar, prepped to take the beautiful people down from the inside. A whisper here, a look there, and suddenly . . . bad things are happening. It’s a head rush, seeing her tormentors get what they deserve, but things that seem too good to be true usually are, and soon, the pranks and payback turns from delicious to deadly. Edie is alone in a world teeming with secrets and fiends lurking in the shadows. In this murky morass of devil’s bargains, she isn’t sure who—or what—she can trust. Not even her own mind.
 

This book was very high on my TBR list because the cover was amazing and I am a sucker for books set in a boarding school. So when I got the chance to review this book I was super excited. But sadly this book fell short for me because it was nothing like what I expected.

The beginning of the book started off on a weird foot when we watch as our main character, Edie try and kill herself by jumping off a bridge, but then Kian shows up, saves her and changes her life. What I think I had the most trouble with in this book was the fact that it was centered around beauty and how if you are not as pretty as someone else you will not be noticed kind of irked me. And the fact that Edie could not get her revenge on those that made fun of her until she was as pretty as them made me question her a character. I understood her motives but then again I did not like the way she handled it in the end.

There was a great mystery element to the boo which I loved and it involved students disappearing and ending up dead, and for me that was a large part of why i kept reading it because I wanted to know what was happening to these characters and if it was in any way connected to Edie and Kian. And Kian. In the beginning I thought Edies "love" for him was a little too much too fast and I kept rolling my eyes at them, but as the story moved forward it kind of grew on me and I liked them together even though it felt a little forced.

Overall I liked Mortal Danger but in the end I was left with more questions than answers and I couldn't really connect with the character because I didn't feel like they were genuine enough for me to connect with. Mortal Danger was an interesting read with many intriguing qualities but in the end it just wasn't for me.

Title: Servants of the Storm
Author: Delilah S. Dawson
Series: Standalone
Genre: YA Paranormal
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Release Date: August 5th 2014
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: eARC received from publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

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A year ago Hurricane Josephine swept through Savannah, Georgia, leaving behind nothing but death and destruction — and taking the life of Dovey's best friend, Carly. Since that night, Dovey has been in a medicated haze, numb to everything around her.

But recently she's started to believe she's seeing things that can't be real ... including Carly at their favorite cafe. Determined to learn the truth, Dovey stops taking her pills. And the world that opens up to her is unlike anything she could have imagined.

As Dovey slips deeper into the shadowy corners of Savannah — where the dark and horrifying secrets lurk — she learns that the storm that destroyed her city and stole her friend was much more than a force of nature. And now the sinister beings truly responsible are out to finish what they started.

Dovey's running out of time and torn between two paths. Will she trust her childhood friend Baker, who can't see the threatening darkness but promises to never give up on Dovey and Carly? Or will she plot with the sexy stranger, Isaac, who offers all the answers — for a price? Soon Dovey realizes that the danger closing in has little to do with Carly ... and everything to do with Dovey herself.


From the synopsis of this book you are expecting a great mystery that sucks you in from the very beginning. And to be honest you do get that, but if I am honest with myself, this book was not what I expected.

First off I felt like I read two very different books while reading. The beginning was about a young girl who suffers a great loss after a natural disaster and decided to quit the drugs her doctor proscribed. I loved this part of the book. i wanted the whole book to be about her mental illness and how it effected not only her own life but those around her. I especially loved that she was hallucinating and we didn't know if what she was seeing was real or part of the withdrawal from the drugs. But sadly the book did not stay that way. It took a very weird and nonsensical turn that made me roll my eyes and question the motives of the author. The tone of the book completely changed and I did not like the way it changed. I found that the motives of the characters were off from the beginning of the book, and I didn't understand how our main character could just believe what was going on so fast. It didn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

Although I was never really invested in the story itself or the characters and their motives, I did really like the mystery element that was present for most of the book. It was what was driving me to finish this book. If there hadn't been a seed of mystery I don't think I would have finished the book. There were too many things that bugged me that I honestly think I would have DNFed it. I read until the end because I wanted to know what was going on in this small town, and to be honest it was a little lackluster. I felt gypped. There was really no resolution no conclusion for me as a reader. I was very upset about this and that is probably why i ended up with the rating I chose. Not enough resolution at the end for me.

Title: Of Metal and Wishes
Author: Sarah Fine
Series: Of Metal and Wishes #1
Genre: YA Paranormal
Format: Hardcover, 320 pages
Release Date: August 5th 2014
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Source: ARC received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

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There are whispers of a ghost in the slaughterhouse where sixteen-year-old Wen assists her father in his medical clinic—a ghost who grants wishes to those who need them most. When one of the Noor, men hired as cheap factory labor, humiliates Wen, she makes an impulsive wish of her own, and the Ghost grants it. Brutally.

Guilt-ridden, Wen befriends the Noor, including their outspoken leader, a young man named Melik. At the same time, she is lured by the mystery of the Ghost and learns he has been watching her … for a very long time.

As deadly accidents fuel tensions within the factory, Wen must confront her growing feelings for Melik, who is enraged at the sadistic factory bosses and the prejudice faced by his people at the hand of Wen’s, and her need to appease the Ghost, who is determined to protect her against any threat—real or imagined. She must decide whom she can trust, because as her heart is torn, the factory is exploding around her … and she might go down with it.
 

When I went into this book, I honestly did not know what to expect. What I got was one of the most original YA stories I have read in years. For the category this kind of transcended genres. To be honest I really don't know how to explain this book to someone who has no read it because there were so many elements to this book that it would be hard to explain. So instead of trying to explain what the story is about, I will just say what I liked about this book.

The setting. Now I don't really know when the story takes place. It seems like the past but I am not sure exactly when, but what I loved the most was that it was set in a slaughterhouse! For one it was gruesome in parts because, really, it was set it a slaughterhouse! This setting made for a great dark and ominous environment and made for a great read. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole thing because I honestly did not know what to expect.

There were many characters in this book, but there were really 3 that outshines the others. There was our narrator Wen who was an amazing character herself. She was strong, independent and yet held back by the society around her. The undertone of this book was really the star of the show, especially since it reacted on race, gender and class. I loved that aspect and I cant wait for more in the next few books. But back to the characters, after Wen there was Melik, a Noor who is an outsider to the slaughterhouse and his people are degraded by those that do not understand where they came from. He was a very interesting character to read about because he was an outsider and yet he got into Wen's head and we begin to see that she doesn't see him as different at all. More intriguing than anything else. Lastly there was The Ghost. I really can't say much about this character because it would ruin the story a bit but I think I liked this character the most out of all of them because I felt like there was more character growth in its part. We got to see so many sides of this character and in the end I really felt for it and what it was going through.

Everything about this book was unique and I am so glad I picked it up because I would have missed out on a great up and coming author. I seriously cannot wait for the next book in this series because the way this one ended did not satisfy me at all!

Title: Dream Boy
Author: Mary Crockett & Madelyn Rosenberg
Series: Standalone
Genre: YA Paranormal
Format: Paperback, 336 pages
Release Date: July 1st 2014
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: eARC received from Publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

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Annabelle Manning feels like she’s doing time at her high school in Chilton, Virginia. She has her friends at her lunchtime table of nobodies. What she doesn’t have are possibilities. Or a date for Homecoming. Things get more interesting at night, when she spends time with the boy of her dreams. But the blue-eyed boy with the fairytale smile is just that—a dream. Until the Friday afternoon he walks into her chemistry class.

One of friends suspects he’s an alien. Another is pretty sure it’s all one big case of deja vu. While Annabelle doesn’t know what to think, she’s willing to believe that the charming Martin Zirkle may just be her dream come true. But as Annabelle discovers the truth behind dreams—where they come from and what they mean—she is forced to face a dark reality she had not expected. More than just Martin has arrived in Chilton. As Annabelle learns, if dreams can come true, so can nightmares.



When I first read the synopsis of Dream Boy I knew I wanted to read it right away, and honestly I think it was because of the prospect of a great romance. A girl dreams of a boys for months, fall in love with him in her dreams and then one day he appears at her school? Sign me up please because I wanted all the swoon worthy moments. But sadly I felt not as many swoon worthy moments as I wanted.

When I started reading Dream Boy I was so into the book that i read the first half super fast, I wanted to find out what was going to happen. But as i continued reading I found that I was getting more annoyed as the pages passed. Here are some of the things that annoyed me:

1. The insta-relationship that happened once Martin aka Dream Boy and Annabelle met in the real world. I know that they met in the dream world and all, but it just seemed to all happen so fast and I did not get to fall for Martin in the same way that Annabelle did, so my feelings for him were very disconnected from the story. I really felt nothing for him.

2. The crazy jealousy that happened to Annabelle once Martin started talking to the "Super Popular Girl" at school. Annabelle knew she was being unreasonable yet she did some really stupid things and I thought that Martin handled it well, but also did not address it at all. I wanted there to be some conflict from that but there wasn't.

3. Will. He is Annabelle's best friends, and you can tell from the first time we meet him that he is love with Annabelle and she of course had no idea until the end. And the art that bugged me the most was that (Spoiler ahead) that once she realized he was in love with she realized that she has been in love with him this whole time! I think that was what bothered me the most throughout the book was the fact that Annabelle could not see what was right in front of her.

I will say that I did like the villain and the fact that it was a little girl. Very creepy when you think about it. i do think it would go better in a screen but I did enjoy the playfulness of her character and how little regard for life she had. She was a great character to have in this story because she was so different from all the other characters, and I she my favorite.

Overall Dream Boy was a quick read that although had some issues with story and characters, was very entertaining to read. I loved the lead up to the end and the reveal that seemed to come out of nowhere, which I kind of surprised me. Although I did not particularity like the end, because it did not have as much closure as I wanted, I felt it worked for the book.

Title: Hexed
Author: Michelle Krys
Series: Hexed #1
Genre: YA Paranormal, Witches
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Release Date: June 10th 2014
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: ARC received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

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If high school is all about social status, Indigo Blackwood has it made. Sure, her quirky mom owns an occult shop, and a nerd just won’t stop trying to be her friend, but Indie is a popular cheerleader with a football-star boyfriend and a social circle powerful enough to ruin everyone at school. Who wouldn’t want to be her?

Then a guy dies right before her eyes. And the dusty old family Bible her mom is freakishly possessive of is stolen. But it’s when a frustratingly sexy stranger named Bishop enters Indie’s world that she learns her destiny involves a lot more than pom-poms and parties. If she doesn’t get the Bible back, every witch on the planet will die. And that’s seriously bad news for Indie, because according to Bishop, she’s a witch too.

Suddenly forced into a centuries-old war between witches and sorcerers, Indie’s about to uncover the many dark truths about her life—and a future unlike any she ever imagined on top of the cheer pyramid.


When reading a book, any book the narrator is the key to the readers enjoyment. If you do not like the narrator or their voice, then you can get bored or disinterested very fast. Luckily Michelle Krys created an amazing main character and narrator in Indie, she was fun, sarcastic and extremely independent. I loved Indie's character and her ability to carry the book on her shoulders, with a little help from her friends of course.

What I think i loved that most about this book were the secondary characters. Every single one had a purpose, and not every one of them was likable. The story begins with Indie, her boyfriend and her best friend. Then after one night everything changes and she turns to her neighbor Paige, who I loved. She is like that quiet friend who doesn't really say much until the end. I loved her because she was the rational mind compared to Indie, and if the end of the book is any indication, she will be a very big part of the second book, and I cannot wait to read that! Then there is Bishop. What can I say about Bishop. He was great to read, for one. He was extremely sarcastic, and a little crazy at times but I loved how he brought Indie out of her shell and help through some tough times. I also loved that we got to see a different side of him as the story went on, his character has crazy growth and I loved that.

The magic aspect of the book was great to read and I loved that we discovered it as Indie did. We were as just in the dark as she was and I thought that created a lot of suspense and tension. I also loved that Michelle Krys did something many authors do not. I will not say what it is because it will ruin the book and the surprise, but when you get there you will know exactly I am talking about. It was quite shocking for me.

Overall Hexed was a fantastic read, with all kinds of characters, good and evil, that made the book extremely easy to read. Full of magic, suspense and heartache, Michelle Krys has created a series that will be sure to satisfy all fantasy enthusiasts or those who want to escape into a brand new world. 

Title: The Dark World
Author: Cara Lynn Shultz
Series: Dark World #1
Genre: YA Paranormal
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Release Date: May 27th 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: ARC received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

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Paige Kelly is used to weird--in fact, she probably corners the market on weird, considering that her best friend, Dottie, has been dead since the 1950s. But when a fire demon attacks Paige in detention, she has to admit that things have gotten out of her league. Luckily, the cute new boy in school, Logan Bradley, is a practiced demon slayer-and he isn't fazed by Paige's propensity to chat with the dead. Suddenly, Paige is smack in the middle of a centuries-old battle between warlocks and demons, learning to fight with a magic sword so that she can defend herself. And if she makes one wrong move, she'll be pulled into the Dark World, an alternate version of our world that's overrun by demons-and she might never make it home.


World building in any YA novel that involves paranormal elements can be hard, and I find good world building to be hard to find. So when I picked up The Dark World I knew that there would have to be a very clear world because of the subject matter. And I am happy to say that Cara Lynn Shultz did an amazing job with her world and it is quite the awesome read :D

The Dark World is about a young girl named Paige who can talk to the dead. This fact is quite interesting for her because it allowed for the people around her to deem her mentally ill. I really liked this aspect of the book because it gave Paige another dimension to her character and it allows for readers to connect with her on a level that I don't would have happened if she was popular and undeterred by those around her. I loved that she was a shut in and loved to read and be by helrself because is who I am, and yet she still felt genuine and funny. She had some great one liners that had me laughing out loud at some points and that just made me love her more. The sarcasm will always make me love a character, and this one had plenty.

I mentioned world building earlier and I loved what Cara did in this book. she does not overload the reader with facts about this world, she lets us gradually get to know it, just like Paige has to. she also did a very smart thing and made this world an alternate dimension, this allows the reader to still be grounded in reality but with the option of another world. I loved this because it was so smart and it allowed us readers to find the familiar in a world that is very unlike our own.

I will warn that there is a love interest in this book, and honest I thought it was adorable and at times I really did enjoy their romance and relationship. But I did find that some of what happened to them was cliche and I found myself rolling my eyes. But still I loved Logan's character be cause he is so different from Paige and everything her world represents. I liked that he had his own secrets that were revealed throughout the book, and I liked how both and Paige and Logan dealt with those secrets and what they meant for both of them.

Overall The Dark World was a great paranormal read, I loved the characters, the world and the direction this series is going. I will say that there was a bit of a cliffhanger ending and you well know I really do not like them, but I will say it made sense for the series, but I still wish we had gotten a bit more resolution. That being said, I will wait anxiously for the next book in this series because it will be a must read for me!

Title: Sleep No More
Author: Aprilynne Pike
Series: Standalone
Genre: YA Mystery, Paranormal
Format: Hardcover, 352 pages
Release Date: April 29th 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

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The blockbuster film Inception meets Lisa McMann's Wake trilogy in this dark paranormal thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Aprilynne Pike. This novel is also perfect for fans of Kelley Armstrong, Alyson Noel, and Kimberly Derting.

Charlotte Westing has a gift. She is an Oracle and has the ability to tell the future. But it doesn't do her much good. Instead of using their miraculous power, modern-day Oracles are told to fight their visions—to refrain from interfering. And Charlotte knows the price of breaking the rules. She sees it every day in her wheelchair-bound mother and the absence of her father. But when a premonition of a classmate's death is too strong for her to ignore, Charlotte is forced to make an impossible decision: continue following the rules or risk everything—even her sanity—to stop the serial killer who is stalking her town.


Mysteries are my thing. I love reading them because I find I reads faster so that I can figure out who the mystery person is. And that is why I think I liked Sleep No More by Aprilynne Pike so much, because I honest did not figure out who the killer was until after the reveal, and to me that is the mark of a great mystery. If you foll your readers into suspecting everyone in the book then woot! your job is done.

I have read any books by Aprilynne and the one thing that I think I love about her books is that they always have an element of fun and they are always extremely fast paced, so you read it extremely fast. Sleep No More did not waver from that because I loved the writing style, it was simple yet fast paced, and I loved that Charlotte was so likable but I honestly thought that her character could have done a lot more in depth because I felt like we only saw one side of her. Actually I thought that a lot of the character could have been more in depth, especially Charlotte's aunt who was so important to the story yet non existent throughout the book. I thought that if she was more present throughout the story than maybe the end would be been better in a way.

The reveal at the end of who the killer really was did come as sort of a shock but honestly it wasn't as surprising as it could have been. I felt like after that person was revealed then everything happened so fast that I had to reread some parts in order to get what happened. I felt like I did not have enough time to process certain information before more was dumped on me. I just wish that all the reveals were either spread out over time or that the reveal of the killer was slower.

What I really loved about this book was the Greek Mythology aspect, because we all know I am a sucker for all things Mythological. Oracles are aspects of Greek mythology that is most used, and I really loved the way Aprilynne used the seeing of the future to create this murder mystery that seemed to tie into this subject so well. I think that was my favorite part of the entire book was the fact that Charlotte could see the future and what would happen but had no idea how to stop the murders from happening. It was a great tension builder.

Overall I thought that this book was very entertaining and I thought the mystery aspect was great to read. But the characters could have been more in depth and that the end of the book could have been paced a bit better. But anyone who loves a good mystery will love this book!