Tag Archives: Paranormal

by

Review: Forbidden by Syrie James and Ryan M. James

Title: Forbidden
Author: Syrie James and Ryan M. James
Pages: 410 pages paperback, 416 ebook
Rating: ★★★★

I went into Forbidden with low expectations. It was one of those books that sounded like it could be amazing, and so I went into it expecting a book that didn’t meet expectations. That sounds a little twisted, I know, but I figured if a book sounded this good, then it probably wasn’t going to be. So to say I was pleasantly surprised by Forbidden is putting it simply.

Claire is a normal 17 year old girl who starts to get strange visions of past and future events, as well as mysterious messages from someone she doesn’t know. Just as all this starts to happen, Alec shows up. While Alec isn’t the cause of these new, strange occurrences, he doesn’t have an explanation. As Claire and Alec begin their romance, they soon discover whatever they feel is forbidden.

The story itself doesn’t sound completely unique. Boy meets girl. Angels are involved. Boy can’t date girl. However, Syrie and Ryan manage to make a unique story out of an ordinary plot. There are enough twists and turns to keep things interesting. Plus, the spin on angels is a little bit different and it really works to set the novel apart.

Claire is a teenager and she acts like a teenager, albeit a mature one. She does the typical teen thing, although she thankfully doesn’t fall into the love triangle trap. She has amazing friends and, here’s the shocker, she actually works to keep them in her life after things start to change. For some reason, in a lot of Young Adult paranormal novels, the friends from the beginning are slowly cut out of the picture and that always bugs me. Erica and Brian don’t let Claire push them aside, and Claire makes sure to include them as she tries to figure everything out.

I wish we got a little bit more of Alec characterization. He’s a fantastic guy and does have his swoon worthy moments, but he’s not different. There’s nothing that really sets his apart from other Young Adult male leads. He’s written well and he’s a sweet guy, but I feel like I say that about every guy. I could have gone for something a little different.

There were a few other moments when the novel just seemed to get choppy all of a sudden and there were a couple times when phrases or sentences just felt weird or out of place, and those are the only things holding me back from falling completely in love with the story.

As it looks right now, Forbidden is a single novel, even though the authors have more to write. I really hope this changes and there will be more Claire and Alec to read in the future. I want to know what happens to these two.

If Forbidden sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

by

Review: Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Title: Angelfire
Author: Courtney Allison Moulton
Series: Angelfire series
Rating: ★★★

I liked Angelfire. I wasn’t wowed by it, but it also wasn’t even close to being dull or hard to read.

Heaven versus Hell books run the risk of either being too preachy or way too different from “the originals” and losing readers either way. Angelfire was able to straddle the line well, sticking to Ellie’s discovery of her true self and finding a way to defeat the bad guys. The angels and Fallen angels play a big part, but there isn’t a focus on going to Hell or getting into Heaven.

Ellie is the typical teen. She wants to graduate, get into college, and spend as much time as possible with her friends while doing that. She starts having nightmares that feel entirely too real, and then on her 17th birthday, the nightmares become her life. Enter Will.

Will is Ellie’s guardian. He has been watching over her and basically being her partner in crime for the past 500 years. It’s easy to see right from the beginning how Will feels about Ellie. He may not know Ellie, the body, but he knows the soul well. All he wants to do is make sure she stays safe and alive.

The action is intense and I liked that. If an author can write a scene in a book well enough that I can picture the entire thing in my head, I consider it well-written. Every scene was like that. It played out in my head with every word I read.

Angelfire is a good book. It’s not the most spectacular Angel and Fallen Angel story out there, but it’s pretty good. I’m definitely invested enough to want to read the rest of Ellie and Will’s story, but I don’t need it at this exact moment. I will certainly be reading more, but I might wait until the last book comes out, just so I don’t have much waiting time between.

If Angelfire sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

by

Review: Possess by Gretchen McNeil

Title: Possess
Author: Gretchen McNeil
Rating: ★★★★

The first few chapters of Possess did not draw me in. They felt a little rough around the edges and I was worried this was going to be another book that got high praise from others and left me baffled.

Once the book got introductions and explanations over and could settle into the actual story, it got better. So much better.

I was expecting a book that relied heavily on religion to make a point. For the first few chapters, it seemed like that would be the direction the book took. Thankfully, the religion aspects of the novel were secondary. The story focused more on Bridget as she came to terms with her father’s death, her seemingly new power, and a possible love interest.

Bridget has the power to banish demons. She only recently discovered this power and it’s giving her a lot of self-doubt. She wasn’t looking for anything like this. She hasn’t really come to terms with the death of her father, plus she’s just like any normal teenage girl trying to find her way through the maze that is the high school years. She was a little immature at times, but that fit her character. I was happy she wasn’t some perfectly put together fifteen year old; she was a fifteen year old that had to grow up a little too fast, but she was still 15.

Matt was sweet. He isn’t my favorite Young Adult love interest, but he was nice enough and made me smile. He works hard to get Bridget to see him as more than the annoying son of a cop and I’m glad he got through to her. I can see him being her strength when she needs it.

The story wrapped up nicely, but left it open for more. It’s clear Possess is its own story, and I’m thankful for that. I’m also thankful the ending was left open for more.

Possess is a book that surprised me. It got off to a slightly shaky start, but as soon as the action and mystery kicked in, it became a page-turner.

If Possess sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

by

Review: The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Body Finder
Author: Kimberly Derting
Series: The Body Finder series
Rating: ★★★★

The Body Finder is a book that has been on my radar for a while, but I was always a little worried about reading it. The book description was unique and I was worried it would fall flat and I’d be left feeling a little let down.

The Body Finder does none of this. It is just as good as the description sounds. Both aspects of the novel, the suspense and the romance, are developed well and blend together. It never felt like one was taking a hit so the other could flourish.

This was a page turner. The serial killer parts of the novel were fantastic. There’s a lot of mystery there, and it’s done well. It gives the entire book a creepy feel. I was afraid to look over my shoulder; it felt like the creepiness had oozed of the novel and was standing right behind me. I love it when a book can make me feel that way.

The relationship between Jay and Violet was wonderful. This is the kind of “insta-love” I’m okay with. It’s insta-love in the scope of the novel, but not in the characters’ lives. Sure, Jay and Violet realized their feels early on in the novel, but they had a foundation of friendship to build upon and that’s what made it work. Their relationship works perfectly to balance out the serial killer roaming around town.

The other secondary characters, Violet’s friends, are also well-written. They aren’t placeholders; they actually act and behave like friends. Maybe it’s just the novels I pick to read, but this trait seems to be a little lacking in a lot of Young Adult titles today.

The Body Finder is a fantastic novel. It has just the right mix of creep and love to keep me turning the pages, anxious to find out who the killer is, but to also read more swoon-worthy moments. This is a series I’ll definitely be sticking with. I can’t wait to read more.

If The Body Finder sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Audible
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

by

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

I stopped reading Days of Blood and Starlight about halfway through. I didn’t want to read anymore. Every word I read meant I was one word closer to the end of the novel and I never wanted that to happen. And so I stopped reading. But then I started to hate myself a little bit because I wanted to read so badly. So I picked it back up and started to read.

<Days of Blood and Starlight is a book that doesn’t hide away from the ugliness of war. If Daughter of Smoke and Bone was about the relationship between Karou and Akiva, Days of Blood and Starlight is about the war that is tearing their world apart. It doesn’t shy away from the horrors of war. It throws them right in your face and makes you confront them.

In Daughter, there’s only a hint of the war that has been going on. Yes, it is mentioned, but Daughter mainly focuses on Akiva and Karou and their romance. It tugs on your heart in a sweet way. Days tugs on your heart frantically, trying to make you see the horrors of war. War doesn’t affect only those fighting, but it affects every single living thing. It only gets worse when those leading the charge stop fighting for what they view as right and start fighting for revenge. It is then that all the rules go out the window and nothing becomes sacred anymore.

Karou is everything I want in a strong heroine. She has her flaws and weaknesses, but she knows that. She uses her strengths to overcome and start working towards finding a better way for her people to live. She sacrifices what she has to and asks for help when she needs it. She knows when a battle is worth fighting and when it is smarter to concede the point and wait for the right moment to spring her attack. She is powerful, but not perfect, and that makes her the perfect character to read.

Akiva also shows his strength when it is needed. He knows the war in his world is tearing it apart more than putting it together and he wants to change that. Not for Karou, not for himself, but because he knows that this war is destruction and there is a better way for peace; one that doesn’t involve one side being obliterated.

<Days of Blood and Starlight is one of those extremely rare sequels that manages to not only match the first novel in its strength, but surpass it. It is dark, gritty, and raw, but it makes you think. It is easily one of the best books of the year. Days of Blood and Starlight is a must read over and over and over again kind of book.

by

Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick

Confession time. I’ve already shared the only reason I picked up Hush, Hush to read was because Fitzpatrick is a Colorado author. I didn’t say I expected to be sorely disappointed and frustrated. I’ve never been happier to have a book shove my expectations in my face. Finale is a great conclusion to a series I didn’t expect to enjoy this much.

There were a few things I found myself shaking my head at because they seemed to be just a little too perfect or coincidental. I won’t go into specifics because I don’t like spoiling books, but they were there. Patch was just as intense and swoon-worthy as ever.

Nora started out a little questionable on personal strength, but once she started to own her fate and take control of the choices being made she improved greatly in my opinion. She does gain strength through sketchy methods at times, but she is able to realize this and own up to her mistakes. In my opinion, being able to admit your faults goes a long way in overcoming them.

The ending shocked me. I definitely wasn’t expecting what happened when it came to the final face-off. Fitzpatrick hit me right where it hurts, and I both love and hate her for it.

After starting this series for a weird reason and with low expectations, I can definitely say I’m incredibly happy I got sucked into the world of Nora and Patch. Fitzpatrick created a series that had me invested. I wish there could be more to read from Nora and Patch, but the way Fitzpatrick ended it is sweet and perfect.

by

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Here’s the thing. Obviously scary things don’t scare me. I can watch horror movies and not really flinch. In order to have me freaked out, things can’t be obvious.

The Evolution of Mara Dyer had me freaked out. Mara isn’t the most reliable of narrators, even though I knew she wasn’t crazy. She’s still a little bit unstable at times. And I loved that. It makes everything just a little bit unknown. I knew she was telling the truth, but I also knew she didn’t know the whole truth. When things in the novel started to change, I was getting freaked out.

In The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, I felt like the balance between paranormal and romance was off. There was too much romance and not enough paranormal. The Evolution of Mara Dyer found the balance. There’s enough of Noah Shaw being romantic to keep me swooning and smiling, but there was more than enough paranormal to keep me turning page after page.

Noah Shaw was another issue I had with Unbecoming. He was too perfect. Tall, British, rich…it was just a little too much. His perfect exterior started to crack, though, in Evolution. He’s still the same tall, British, rich boy, but his imperfections are starting to break through. They are making me love him a little bit more each time I see one.

Mara. I like her. She does what she has to in order to keep fighting. She doesn’t wait for the guy to swoop in and save her. She knows when to take things on herself and when she needs help, but she does things for herself. She may not always trust what she sees or hears, but she trusts herself to do what she needs to. I wish there had been a bit more explanation of her powers and what in the world is going on, but I get why that wasn’t in this book. And I can’t wait to read it in the next one.

After being a little let down with The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, I didn’t want to expect too much out of The Evolution of Mara Dyer. Hodkin wrote a book I was not expecting, even a little bit. It has that creep factor that had me on edge. It has that sweet teen romance that makes me smile. It has everything I like to read in a book and then just a little more. I’m riveted and after the ending of The Evolution of Mara Dyer, I need 2013 and The Retribution of Mara Dyer to get here now.

by

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

I saw “Jack the Ripper” in the book description and I was sold. I was going to read this book. I just hoped it wouldn’t let me down. I’d read a couple books by Johnson before and enjoyed them, so I had faith in the book. Johnson didn’t let me down.

The Name of the Star takes place in London, in the midst of a Jack the Ripper copycat string of murders. Rory is new to London and is thrown into the action right away. She’s connected to the crimes in a special way and that tie is what makes this novel.

There were times this novel had me creeped out. I woke up one morning at 3am and my first thought was a Jack the Ripper ghost was staring at my back. This book had invaded my dreams and thoughts. It gave me goosebumps and I loved it.

I wasn’t a huge fan of how easily this story-line was wrapped up, and I’m sure there are people that will disagree with that. I just feel like there was a lot of build-up for something that wasn’t quite as grand as I had been expecting. It worked, but it felt a little flat.

I like Rory. She’s real and not too stereotypical when it comes to characters. She works hard, but likes to have a little fun. She has friends and people she doesn’t get along with, but no one at the school is out to get her for no reason. She’s trying to get the most out of living in London without sacrificing anything. I wasn’t sure about the supernatural aspect at first, but it’s growing on me.

There wasn’t really romance in this book; instead Johnson decided to write a different side of the high school relationship coin. A relationship between friends that crosses the friend lines at times, but doesn’t become that big serious THING other Young Adult books like to make it.

The ending of The Name of the Star had me slack-jawed and anxious to read more. This is a series that has the potential to be great and I’m looking forward to going along on the ride.

by

Dreaming Awake by Gwen Hayes

Falling Under was the story of Theia and Haden falling together and making choices they never thought they’d have to make. Dreaming Awake deals with the aftermath of those decisions and how it affects all the relationships in the novel.

Theia now has demon blood in her and she’s trying to continue as if she was completely human. She manages to escape from Mara and Under, but that doesn’t mean Mara won’t go after her. As Theia starts to shut people out to protect them, things keep getting worse and worse.

Once again, the relationship between Theia and Haden had me smiling. I may have been a little put off by the insta-love in Falling Under, but in Dreaming Awake there’s enough of a relationship there to make it wonderful to read. The only aspect I didn’t enjoy was Theia’s insistence on breaking up with Haden to protect him. I’m getting a little tired of Young Adult novels using this as a way to separate characters, instead of having them work on the relationship and its problems together.

Theia’s best friends, Donny and Amelia, are still fantastic people in this novel. They don’t let Theia ignore them or push them away. They tackle problems as a group, making sure they use their individual strengths to cover each other’s weaknesses. They’re some of the best written friends I’ve read in Young Adult fiction lately.

Varnie takes on an even more important role in Dreaming Awake and I loved him so much it hurt at times. Gabe is also a little more prevalent in this novel and I enjoyed reading about his and Donny’s relationship and their struggles to be together yet not lose who they were and what they stood for.

Dreaming Awake is a fantastic novel that really delves into the consequences of the characters’ actions in Falling Under. It makes the characters grow up and deal with the future they have written, while still maintaining a sweet, touching quality. Falling Under and Dreaming Awake are a wonderful pair of books that anyone who likes a touch of the supernatural mixed into the romance needs to read.

by

Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

The beginning of Falling Under had me a little nervous. It was a little awkward and there was that “insta-love” that I have a hard time buying. After a few chapters, things started to turn around though. The story got interesting, I started to love the love, and I was constantly guessing about where the story was about to go.

Theia has lived a sheltered life, her father not letting her go through those typical teen trials and tribulations. So when a new guy shows up both in her dreams and in her life, she starts to want more. She doesn’t want to be the perfectly molded little girl her dad wants her to be.

I wasn’t really a fan of Theia and Haden’s relationship right away. They didn’t really have much solid interaction before suddenly falling for each other. They were hardly even friendly and suddenly they were declaring love. This was the only part of the book that I didn’t enjoy. It was a little too sudden and didn’t have a solid foundation, in my eyes. After they got to know each other a little more, I was in love with their relationship.

Theia’s friends were fantastic. They don’t let her get away with anything, calling her out when they needed to. They were always there for her, even when they didn’t always agree on everything. They were different from a lot of friends in Young Adult novels lately; they help build Theia up instead of trying to bring her down. I loved it.

Falling Under was a fantastic book that managed to make me love it, despite my initial wariness. It’s a unique story and I’ll definitely be digging into Dreaming Awake as soon as I can.