Category Archives: Something a Little Different

These are the books with supernatural, paranormal, and fantastical twists.

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Review: Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Title: Sweet Evil
Author: Wendy Higgins
Series: The Sweet Trilogy
Rating: ★★★

Sweet Evil is a perfect title for this book, although probably not in the way Higgins intended. Parts of it are wonderful and had me pulled in, while other parts fell flat and had me scratching my head.

Anna sees and feels the emotions of people around her. Her other senses are stronger than a normal human’s should be. She’s never known why, choosing to deal with things as they come instead of look for answers. Things change suddenly after a chance encounter with Kaidan. Suddenly she wants to know more and is sucked into a world she never knew existed.

I was worried about this book in the beginning. It looked like it was headed for one of those “insta-love” teen books where without knowing each other, suddenly the two main characters are head over heels in love and everything feels a little too overblown. Thankfully, Higgins played most of the romance as major attraction, which I can believe. Unfortunately, this small saving grace came at the cost of good characters. Kaidan is a bit of a jerk and Anna needs to grow a spine.

Anna seems a little weak to me, but I’m going to give her the benefit of the doubt on this one. I’m willing to look past her weakness when to comes to fighting the evils. She’s just been thrown into an intense world where everything she knows is shaken. I am not willing to overlook her weakness when it comes to Kaidan, though. In my eyes, even if it is the most amazingly attractive man on earth, if he behaves like a jerk and treats a woman like Kaidan treats Anna, he is not worth any extra effort. I know it’s for the story, but I can’t overlook how Anna deals with Kaidan. Being rejected by a guy you barely know and who treats you horribly is not a reason to lose yourself. It’s hard for me to look past that.

The one thing that might get me to read the next book is the storyline. It’s interesting and holds promise, even if the characters didn’t really work for me. I was able to look past that and see the bones of the story and I liked them.

Sweet Evil is one of the most appropriately named novels I’ve read. I know some people will love it, but I’m a little lukewarm on it. I’ve read worse, but I’ve also read better.

If Sweet Evil sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
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Review: The Program by Suzanne Young

Title: The Program
Author: Suzanne Young
Series: The Program
Rating: ★★★★★

I don’t keep my depression a secret. I’ve been to the bottom and fought my way back and I’m proud of that. Something about The Program got to me though. It took a while for me to figure it out, but once I did, I only loved the book more.

Sloane lives in a world where suicide is an epidemic, something that spreads from person to person, killing as it goes. Teens aren’t supposed to show grief or be upset. Crying can get them pulled away from everything they know and put into the Program. Memories are erased, leaving teens as a shell of their former selves. For Sloane, she’s watched even closer. Her brother committed suicide, leaving her more susceptible to the same fate. James, her brother’s best friend and her boyfriend, is watched closely as well.

I adore Sloane and James. Their relationship leapt off the page and had my heart beating faster. James is the perfect mix of cocky and insecure. He clearly puts on a brave face, but lets it down when he must. Unfortunately, this also leads to his downfall.

This is the part that had me invested even more. The idea that depression is something that needs to be hidden, that putting on a brave face is better than being true. It hit extremely close to home because for years, this is what I did. I ignored everything my head was screaming at me and acted as though everything was fine. I managed to keep the act going until I finally cracked. I did this because of the stigma that accompanies depression. I didn’t want to be seen as weak. For years, all I had heard was that I was so brave and strong for dealing with my disease while keeping a smile on my face. I felt that if I admitted how draining it was and how much I hated it, or how often it made me cry, that I would be letting everyone down.

The Program is the fictional version of that stigma. It represents the idea that pushing thoughts and feelings aside, instead of dealing with them, is the cure. Granted, suicide is not an epidemic, but I can see it heading that way. I felt so completely connected to Sloane as I read. Her feelings and thoughts hit home. I could not stop reading because I had to know what came next for her. I spent the entire novel rooting for her.

I didn’t expect The Program to hit me like it did. I figured it would leave some impression, given my connection to pieces of the subject. As I read more, though, I felt myself being drawn further and further into the novel. I’m extremely glad I read this book and I’ll definitely be reading The Treatment.

If The Program sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
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Review: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Title: Paranormalcy
Author: Kiersten White
Series: Paranormalcy
Rating: ★★★

Paranormalcy was a decent book. The characters are interesting and the plot has promise. However, it felt like the book was trying to be too much. There was not only the paranormal aspect, but there was a lot of teen attitude. I had a bit of an issue with Evie, but overall the book was better that I thought it would be.

Evie works to contain and control paranormal beings. She can see through their glamours to what they really are, something no other person can do. She’s grown up in a world of the supernatural; not much surprises her anymore. After years of semi-peaceful existence, things are changing. An unknown being broke into the IPCA headquarters and paranormals are being killed off. The intruder won’t speak of his reasons for breaking in and the IPCA can’t figure out how the beings are being killed. Everything Evie has grown up with is changing and being put to the test.

Lend, the love interest, has his moments. He’s not the most swoon-worthy character I’ve read, but he did come across as a normal teenager. He had sweet moments, cheesy moments…everything you’d expect a normal teen boy to have. I especially enjoyed his insecurity about his true self. It was refreshing to read about a male character that wasn’t the perfectly confident teen. I’ve never met one of those. Instead, he puts on a front of confidence, but the moments when his guard came down were the best. They made him real.

Evie is the one that I struggled with. Putting aside some of her characteristics that I find annoying in any person, her strength was what bothered me. She started out pretty fearless, taking on challenges and figuring her way out of tough spots. Then she became a little too whiny for my tastes. Instead of fighting back like I would have liked her to, she put aside her feelings as to not anger the people around her, but the internal whining was a bit much. Near the end, her fight came back, but it was a little too late for her to be fully redeemed in my opinion.

Paranormalcy is a fine paranormal book and a decent teen novel. It just has a difficult time bringing the two halves together in a way that works and flows well. I’m not sure if this will be a series I continue, but if you really enjoy the paranormal novels, this would probably be a good book to pick up.

If Paranormalcy sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
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Review: Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano

Title: Perfect Ruin
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Series: The Internment Chronicles
Rating: ★★★★

DeStefano’s first series, The Chemical Garden, was a meh series for me. It just didn’t have the impact and wow factor I thought it would. I did like DeStefano’s writing style, though, which is why I gave Perfect Ruin a chance. It was worth it. Perfect Ruin pulled me right in and I had a hard time putting it down.

Morgan lives on Internment, the floating city in the sky. Everyone there is told to stay away from the edge and to be the best citizens they can be. It’s not enough for Morgan though. She wonders what the ground is like and what else there is to the world. She’s not content with what she’s told; she wants to know more. Her family has a black cloud hanging over their heads because Morgan’s brother Lex is what’s called a jumper. He tried to go off the edge. When he failed, he not only changed his life, but the lives of his entire family.

I liked Morgan. She’s a very relatable girl, with thoughts and dreams that any teen would have. She has a betrothed, a best friend, and a family. She’s smart and pretty. She seems to have everything someone on Internment would want, but she knows there’s more to the world and she can’t help my daydream about it. She’s brave and levelheaded, wanting to do what’s best for the group, although she does have her moments when she doesn’t think things all the way through.

I’m interested in seeing how DeStefano handles the romance side of things. I can see it going a couple ways and I know which one I would like to see. I’m going to place my trust in her, though, and hope she does what her characters need. I am loving Basil, though. He’s there for Morgan and believes in her when she stops believing in herself. He seems to truly care for her because he wants to, not because he was told to.

It will be interesting to see where the story goes from here. This is a concept I haven’t read in quite this way before. Yes, the idea of an isolated society existing without contact from the outside world is an idea that has been written before, but not in quite this way. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger, but not so much of one that I wanted to throw my book against the wall. It leaves an amazing setup for the next novel.

Perfect Ruin is a fantastic beginning to another DeStefano series. The world she has created is amazing and I’m already invested in what happens to her characters. I’m anxiously awaiting the release of Burning Kingdoms.

If Perfect Ruin sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
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Review: Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

Title: Bitterblue
Author: Kristin Cashore
Series: Graceling Realm
Rating: ★★★★

I’m sure there will be people who read Bitterblue who find it too long, too complex, and with too little romance. I am not one of those people. Bitterblue was a fantastic way to wrap up this series. It was the culmination of everything that had happened in the pervious novels.

Bitterblue, the little princess of the first novel, has grown up and must face the world her father created. The people of her country are confused and unsure of how to move forward. King Leck, Bitterblue’s father, was a tyrant who stopped at nothing to make the world the way he wanted it. Unimaginable things happened, but because of Leck’s grace, his entire rein comes with a cloud of fog that people are still working through. Bitterblue is trying to move her people forward to a place of piece and trust, but there are people fighting against her at every turn.

I liked the queenly side of Bitterblue, but I also found her secretive side wonderful as well. She starts sneaking out of the castle, wanting to know more about the city that bears her name. She finds that things are not as her advisors tell her and that people are unhappy. There’s a group of people wanting to find the truth of King Leck’s rein and people are working hard to keep those years unknown. Posing as a baker of the castle, she finds a group of friends that shows her the truth. When she starts to fall for one of her new friends, things begin to get messy.

There are a couple stories being told within this novel. There’s the story of Bitterblue trying to be the queen her people need. She’s coming of age and finding love for the first time. There’s a disturbing mystery surrounding her father’s rein. All of this could easily make its own novel, but Cashore was able to weave the stories together amazingly. It never feels like it’s too much going on. Just when a break from the evils of King Leck is needed, Cashore picks up the romantic storyline. Before the romantic storyline gets too emotional, Bitterblue must deal with a queenly problem. There’s a wonderful balance between everything that must happen.

I know the end won’t be for everyone. Without giving anything away, I’ll say the ending fit. Would it have been nice if everything had ended perfectly, wrapped in a perfect red bow? Of course, but then it wouldn’t have been real. There’s still happiness and peace, with the closure the characters need.

Bitterblue is an amazing novel that wraps the Graceling series up the way it needed to be. It ties everything together and gives hope for the future of the world Cashore created. Everything is not perfect, but it’s moving towards being the best world it could be. Bitterblue makes this series a must read. It’s fantastic and beautifully written with characters that will pull at your heart.

If Bitterblue sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
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Review: Fire by Kristin Cashore

Title: Fire
Author: Kristin Cashore
Series: Graceling Realm
Rating: ★★★★

Graceling was a superb novel that had me falling in love fast. It had a little bit of everything that I want in a book. I was anxious to read Fire and see if it lived up to the standard set by Graceling. Even though Fire was a wonderful book, there was something I can’t quite name that held it back from being a 5 star book.

Fire is considered a monster because of her bright and colorful hair. She’s able to influence the minds and feelings of those around her through the power of her mind and her exceptional beauty. She’s never quite sure if people like her for her or if it is because she is a monster. She becomes wrapped up in the fight over the kingship of her land, all the while learning that she’ll never truly feel comfortable with people unless she opens up and trusts how others feel.

Growing up knowing she’s a monster, with an evil man for a father and never knowing if she will ever have true friends has left a mark on Fire. She’s guarded and unsure of people, even with the confidence she has in herself most of the time. She trusts very few people and see’s her beauty as a burden instead of a gift. She saw how the power made her father into a force that people feared and she doesn’t want that for herself. It’s hard for her to see herself as different from her father, though, when the same things that made him that way are the things that draw people to her. She feels like she needs to make up for her father’s actions, but thinks she can never do enough to do that.

She goes to aid the king in figuring out the plots against him and his throne and ends up becoming wrapped up in the royal family. They want her to use her gifts to find out what secrets and plots are formed, but she feels like this is breaking her personal rules against invading and influencing the minds of others. It’s too close to what her father did, even though he did it for personal reasons and she is being asked to do it to try and make the coming war shorter.

The romance in this book was just as wonderful as in Graceling. It has a slow build and doesn’t jump right into love. The relationship starts out extremely rocky, but a trust and friendship grows first. All the build-up made that final moment even sweeter. Fire’s feelings about herself and others cause her to doubt what others feel and that made the tension even better. Not only does Fire have to come to trust what others feel about her, but Cashore wrote so well that the reader has to feel that growth as well.

There wasn’t as much action in this book; a lot of it took place outside the setting of the novel. But there’s intrigue and deception to make up for that. Even though the story was just as interesting to me as Graceling, there still felt like there was something missing and I’m not entirely sure what that is. My heart wasn’t pounding quite as hard with Fire.

Even with that missing something, Fire is still an amazing book. It’s a different story from Graceling, yet it has the same feel and same fantasy elements that made me love the book in the first place. Fire is a perfect companion novel to Graceling and can be read as part of the series or as its own novel. It’s definitely worth a read, especially if you liked Graceling. I already have Bitterblue in my hands and can’t wait to start reading.

If Fire sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
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Review: Thornhill by Kathleen Peacock

Title: Thornhill
Author: Kathleen Peacock
Series: Hemlock
Rating: ★★★★

I was surprised by Hemlock and couldn’t wait to read Thornhill. Despite my anxiousness to read, I knew I needed to wait until I could sit down and read it all in one go. It was filled with everything that made me love Hemlock and even more that made me fall in love with Thornhill‘s story.

Everyone eventually leaves Mac. Her mother was first, then her father, and a werewolf recently killed her best friend. When Kyle, the boy she’s falling in love with, leaves, she finally decides enough is enough. With the help of Jason, Amy’s boyfriend, Mac travels to Denver, Colorado with the determination to get Kyle to follow her back home. Once in Denver, plans fall apart and she ends up in a wolf “rehabilitation” camp, along with Kyle, Serena, and a bunch of wolves from one of the Denver packs.

Life in the camp is stressful. Kyle must keep Mac safe from the other wolves, Serena is taken away under strange circumstances, and Mac is trying to discover what secrets are being kept within the walls of the camp. Jason talks his way onto the staff of the camp and from there, plans are made, attempted, and unravel.

I think my favorite thing about these novels is the relationships. Yes, the love story between Kyle and Mac is fantastic and makes my heart race, but every relationship is fascinating to read. Jason has to reconcile his feelings about wolves with the fact that his best friend is one and all wolves are not evil. Mac must tread carefully in order to not lose ties with more people in her life, wanting to be with Kyle but not wanting to hurt Jason anymore than he already is. Each relationship is constantly changing and it keeps the novel from feeling too stereotypically Young Adult.

The sequence of events was fast paced and I was never sure what was going to happen next. I was never sure of a character’s thoughts, motivations, or actions. It kept me on my toes and I could not read fast enough.

After the surprising feelings towards Hemlock, I was ready for what Thornhill would bring. I trusted there would be romance and action, all wrapped up in a supernatural tale that felt more real than fantasy. Thornhill completely delivered and I’m already anxiously awaiting the conclusion to this amazing series.

If Thornhill sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
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Review: A Radiant Sky by Jocelyn Davies

Title: A Radiant Sky
Author: Jocelyn Davies
Series: A Beautiful Dark
Rating: ★★★★

The Beautiful Dark series has been one of my favorite angel-centered young adult series and I’m sad to see it end. There was character growth, a great plot, two swoon worthy guys, and a main character who isn’t perfect but doesn’t let that get in her way. A Radiant Sky was a wonderful ending to this series, and even though it had a couple moments that were a little cheesy, I loved it.

Skye has grown up a lot in the past year. Since discovering she is the daughter of angels, one from the Order and the other from the Rebellion, she’s had attempts on her life, on her friends’ lives, and watched as people she cares about suffer. Instead of taking the easy way out by picking a side to fight for, she defies everyone and chooses to fight for herself, for her cause. She will not belong to either faction and allow herself to be controlled as a means to an end. Making this choice puts both sides against her and puts the lives of those around her at risk.

Skye has really come into her own power. She’s embracing her powers, learning how to fight and control them. She’s playing an active role now, making her decisions and not allowing them to be made for her. She’s standing up to her fears and learning how to fight past them, even if she can’t get rid of them. Her family and friends are what make her strong and she uses those bonds to motivate her. It was wonderful to read her becoming the woman she needed to be in order to fight for the world she loves.

Asher is a little absent in this novel, but I don’t really mind. It forced Skye to realize who was important and worth fighting for. The moment they come back together is completely worth every moment of Asher being gone. Devin also plays an interesting role in this novel. The love triangle is gone, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t in Skye’s life anymore. They come to an agreement about their relationship, one that they both can live with, and in the end it makes them both stronger.

There were only a couple moments that took me out of the novel. I’m all for personal reflection and realization, but there were times when it went past reflection and moved into nearly eye-roll inducing. It didn’t happen enough to really hurt the book for me, but I could have done without them. There were also a few things that fell into place a little too perfectly; a little more challenge surrounding those moments would have been nice.

A Radiant Sky is a fantastic conclusion to a great series. It is the showdown between order and chaos, where the outcome isn’t known until the very end. It kept me guessing and intrigued, wondering how things would unfold and what the losses would be. And when I finally reached those last words, everything felt right. It was the ending Skye earned.

If A Radiant Sky sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
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Review: Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

Title: Hemlock
Author: Kathleen Peacock
Series: Hemlock
Rating: ★★★★

I really wasn’t sure about Hemlock. It had an interesting idea behind it, but I felt like the werewolf storyline could really go bad. It had the potential to end up kind of cheesy and unbelievable. Somewhere between the first few chapters and a third of the way through the novel, all my fears were gone and I was hooked. I stayed up way too late to finish this book, but it was completely worth it.

Mackenzie lost her best friend Amy to a werewolf attack five months ago. The wolf was never found and without a sense of closure, Amy is haunting Mac’s dreams. Jason, Amy’s boyfriend at the time, has turned to drinking and bad life choices to forget. Kyle, the last member of their group, has tried to be there for his friends, but he’s had to deal with Amy’s death as well. When there’s another werewolf attack in town, the past is brought back up and the three of them must face secrets that threaten not only their friendships, but the town as well.

Mac is a perfectly flawed character that works to overcome her demons. She’s not a strong fighter or the best thinker, and she lets the past cloud her judgment, but she fights as hard as she can for those she cares about. She isn’t softhearted, but she is sympathetic to the werewolf plight, even though one killed her best friend. She knows one is not a reflection of them all and she believes they still deserve to have rights. She’s worried about the people she loves leaving her because her mother left when she was a baby and her father took off a few years later. She keeps everyone at a slight distance so it supposedly won’t hurt as much when they leave her. All of these little pieces come together to create one of the best characters I’ve read in a Young Adult novel.

Jason and Kyle are the not-really-a-love-triangle counterparts. Mac cares for both of them, but it is obvious where her heart lies, at least in Hemlock. Jason’s idea of honoring Amy’s death is revenge. He loses himself in the bottom of an alcohol bottle and vows to destroy the creatures that destroyed Amy. Kyle feels responsible for Amy’s death and beats himself up over that guilt every day. He doesn’t self-destruct, though, and vows to never let something like that happen to someone he cares about again. Each boy takes drastically different paths when it comes to how they deal with Amy’s death. Having these two complete opposites was interesting to read and made for some extremely tense moments.

Hemlock completely surprised me. I really was not expecting to find myself so invested and involved with these characters. The ending has me needing the next book and I’m very happy I waited to read Hemlock because I don’t have to wait for Thornhill. This is a fantastic read that blends the real world and the world Peacock has created perfectly. This is an amazing start to what I hope is an equally amazing series.

If Hemlock sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
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Review: Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Title: Wings
Author: Aprilynne Pike
Series: Wings
Rating: ★★★★

I had not heard of Aprilynne Pike until I was in a small conversation with her and a couple other authors on Twitter. After that conversation, I looked into her books and decided to give them a try. Wings is the first of a series and the first book of Pike’s that I read. I went in expecting nothing and was pleasantly surprised.

Laurel has always been just a little different, but it was always explainable. She stood out, but not too much. She’s starting public school for the first time after being homeschooled for most of her life. She’s making friends and trying to blend in. She never expected to be so different from everyone else. When she starts growing petals out of her back, she can’t run from the truth. She turns to David, her first friend, to help her understand what is happening and from there the story grows.

Laurel isn’t quite the strong character I love, but I can understand why. She’s young, starting public school for the first time, dealing with things she expected and some things she never expected. She grows through the novel, though, and that’s why I don’t mind it. She’s gaining strength and confidence and that’s what I find important. She’s learning to accept her new life and find a way to live her human life while accepting her faerie life. I’m looking forward to seeing where Pike takes her in the next novels.

David is the perfect first relationship. They start as friends and grow from there. It’s sweet and swoony, and I’m glad Pike has written a relationship like this. It feels real and is a good connection for Laurel to the human world. David keeps her thinking and rational, when everything happening around her screams at her to lose that rational side. I’ll be interested to see how this relationship grows and changes in the coming novels after what happened at the end of Wings.

As far as a first novel goes, this provides great set-up and world building. There was a little action and plot development, but for the most part, Wings is centered on establishing the faerie world and Laurel’s journey to accepting who she is. There is plenty of time to create action and drama, so I’m relived Pike focused instead on her characters in this novel. I feel like I know them and that’s a good feeling to have when I read the rest of the series.

Wings was a great first novel. Pike has built an interesting world that has drawn me in and made me care about her characters. There are puzzle pieces being dropped and it’ll be fun to see where Pike takes the rest of the story.

If Wings sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
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