Category Archives: Paranormal

Review: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

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Beautiful CreaturesBeautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Little, Brown and Company

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Nothing ever changes in Ethan’s small hometown. That is, nothing until the day the girl who’s been haunting his nightmares walks into the halls of his high school. Lena Duchannes is every bit as beautiful and tragic as she is in his dreams. As the two fall in love, the weight of the curse hanging over Lena threatens to tear their worlds apart. On the sixteenth moon of her sixteenth year, Lena will be chosen by light or darkness as payment for the sins of her ancestors. Nothing can stand in the way of her fate, not even Ethan’s love for … Continue reading →

Review: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

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Grave Mercy by Robin LaFeversGrave Mercy
Robin LaFevers
HMH Books for Young Readers

A strange birthmark spares Ismae from an arranged marriage with a cruel man, but thrusts her into the power of the sisters at the convent of St. Mortain. There, Ismae discovers she’s been gifted with great power. To understand her potential, she must embrace the training offered by the mysterious sisters. If Ismae agrees, they will teach her the arts of murder and seduction, so that she can be sent out into the world to bring the justice of an old god: Mortain, the god of death. When an opportunity arrives for Ismae to serve the young duchess of Brittany who faces an arranged marriage of her own, Ismae can’t help but accept, remembering her own … Continue reading →

Review: Unenchanted, an Unfortunate Fairy Tale by Chanda Hahn

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unenchantedUnenchanted
Chanda Hahn
Published by Chanda Hahn

Mina Grime has the worst luck ever. Just about everywhere she goes, bizarre misfortunes follow her: a bakery harpy, a stampede of nursery rhyme animals in the street. Mina soon finds out this isn’t a simple matter of luck, however. Her family has lived under a curse for generations. Now the curse has come after her, and if she doesn’t defeat it, her younger brother will have to face it. Mina sets out to complete all the fairy tales penned by the Grimm brothers.

The best thing about this book is its clever premise. The way Hahn recreates the familiar fairy tales in a contemporary setting is smart and cute. Those made for the best parts of the story, though in this … Continue reading →

When Wings Don’t Mean Freedom: Review of Nightbird by Alice Hoffman

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night-birdNightbird
Alice Hoffman
Random House Children’s

Twig Fowler and her family return to her mother’s hometown after a childhood spent in the city. Her mother insists that she keep no friends and remains alone, holed up on an apple orchard baking pies and other goods to be sold in town. Twig’s brother James also chafes at the isolation. He only comes out at night, when no one will see the long wings sprouting from his back.

When rumors of a monster stir up the townsfolk, Twig begins to panic. If a search is called for, her brother might be discovered. It might be easy to stay hidden if it weren’t for Twig’s new neighbors, a family with two girls near her age. One late night Twig spots James and … Continue reading →

Review: Silverwood by Betsy Streeter

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silverwoodSilverwood
Betsy Streeter
Light Messages Publishing

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To say fourteen year-old Helen Silverwood has an odd family would be an understatement. Her brother draws the future. Nightmares of rescuing strange creatures plague Helen’s dreams. Her mother works nights at a job she won’t discuss with her children, and her father is missing.

As the family picks up to move again, Helen begins to unravel the thread of mystery surrounding her mother’s work, her father’s disappearance, and her place in all of it. The shape-shifting Tromindox prey on humanity and Helen may have the key to stopping them.

Silverwood is an imaginative story with enjoyable … Continue reading →

Review: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

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the-scorpio-racesThe Scorpio Races
Maggie Stiefvater
Scholastic Press

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Every year the deadly capaill uisce emerge from the sea. Lucky riders will capture one of these bloodthirsty water horses and ride in the Scorpio Races, competing for a prize purse – it’s enough money to change a life. And it’s exactly what Puck Connolly is hoping to achieve. If she can win the race, she can keep her family together in their home. If she loses, she will lose everything.

Sean Kendrick knows too well the risks of the race. As a boy, he watched his father murdered by the violent … Continue reading →