The Dead and the Buried by Kim Harrington

Release Date: 1 January 2013

Publisher: Scholastic
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Get a copy! Amazon

Goodreads description:

Jade loves the house she's just moved into with her family. She doesn't even mind being the new girl at the high school: It's a fresh start, and there's that one guy with the dreamy blue eyes. . . . But then things begin happening. Strange, otherworldly things. Jade's little brother claims to see a glimmering girl in his room. Jade's jewelry gets moved around, as if by an invisible hand. Kids at school whisper behind her back like they know something she doesn't.

Soon, Jade must face an impossible fact: that her perfect house is haunted. Haunted by a ghost who's seeking not just vengeance, but the truth. The ghost of a girl who ruled Jade's school — until her untimely death last year. It's up to Jade to put the pieces together before her own life is at stake. As Jade investigates the mystery, she discovers that her new friends in town have more than a few deep, dark secrets. But is one of them a murderer?

My Thoughts...

YA Book Review: Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama

Release Date: 4 September 2012

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Get a copy! B&N | Amazon

Goodreads description:

Fierce, seductive mermaid Syrenka falls in love with Ezra, a young naturalist. When she abandons her life underwater for a chance at happiness on land, she is unaware that this decision comes with horrific and deadly consequences.

Almost one hundred forty years later, seventeen-year-old Hester meets a mysterious stranger named Ezra and feels overwhelmingly, inexplicably drawn to him. For generations, love has resulted in death for the women in her family. Is it an undiagnosed genetic defect . . . or a curse? With Ezra’s help, Hester investigates her family’s strange, sad history. The answers she seeks are waiting in the graveyard, the crypt, and at the bottom of the ocean—but powerful forces will do anything to keep her from uncovering her connection to Syrenka and to the tragedy of so long ago.

My Thoughts...
So much more than a "mermaid book," Monstrous Beauty captured my heart with all of the wonderful elements that Ms. Fama threw in. This was honestly a beautifully dark, wonderfully crafted ghost story with terrifying magical sea creatures woven in. To top it off the story offers history, genealogy, and cemeteries--all things that captured my heart in a personal way.

The story is told in alternating viewpoints from Syrenka, the mermaid living in 1872-3, and Hester, a modern young woman determined to avoid love and all that it entails for her family. Reading from the point of views of both women gives the reader a unique advantage over the modern main character as the mystery increases on both sides. Watching the stories converge in the ways that they eventually do is engaging and really drew me in as a reader.

Both Syrenka and Hester are interesting characters, but I connected a lot with Hester.  Her emotional reactions to the things going on around (and within) her as well as the way she delved into the mysteries she was exploring really resonated with me as a person.  We are a lot alike in ways and I found that she was simply a fun character for me to get to know.  Combined with fantastic writing and richly atmospheric storytelling, this is a story that I can see myself reading and enjoying again in the future.

You don't have to like mermaid books to enjoy Monstrous Beauty.  It's dark tale combines new romance, local history, intriguing mystery...ghosts, sea monsters (mermaids), and cemeteries.  it may sound like a lot of elements to throw into a single story (which is wonderfully a standalone) but it definitely works.  Fans of darker fairy tale-esque stories will thoroughly enjoy this story.

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(ARC) Ya Book Review: Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook

Release Date: 3 January 2012
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: Around the World ARC Tours

Pre-Order It! Amazon

Goodreads description:

Isobel’s life is falling apart. Her mom just married some guy she met on the internet only three months before, and is moving them to his sprawling, gothic mansion off the coast of nowhere. Goodbye, best friend. Goodbye, social life. Hello, icky new stepfather, crunchy granola town, and unbelievably good-looking, officially off-limits stepbrother.

But on her first night in her new home, Isobel starts to fear that it isn’t only her life that’s unraveling—her sanity might be giving way too. Because either Isobel is losing her mind, just like her artist father did before her, or she’s seeing ghosts. Either way, Isobel’s fast on her way to being the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons.

My Thoughts...

Unraveling Isobel was a delightful contemporary paranormal read! The story pulled me in from page one and I found myself turning page after page, finishing it in just a few hours one afternoon! It was highly engaging and impossible to put down. While the plot twists were not overly new or exciting, Ms. Cook has written a novel that truly keeps you on your toes.

When you're seventeen and the only friend you have in town is a stuffed animal that doesn't even belong to you, I think it's safe to say your life is officially in the shitter.

-p27, ARC

Isobel caught my attention from page one. She's so realistic--I'm totally convinced that we would have been BFFs in high school. Her sarcastic personality translates into her dialogue, both internally and externally. She's a strong young woman, but she's clearly susceptible to the same insecurities as all most high school girls. Thus, she has to deal with catty friends, a boyfriend, and parent issues, just like we all have at some point. I'm not really sure what else to say about her--I just really connected with her (well, except for the obvious...you know, seeing ghosts).

"Okay, fair enough. You're embarrassed and I made it worse. Do you want me to do something embarrassing to even the score? You want me to sing?"

-Nathaniel, p52, ARC

Nathaniel grew on me VERY quickly, once he got over being a bit of an ass. He sang "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" in the library and from that moment on, I was won-over. The relationship between him and Isobel is very sexy and realistic...with that hint of "forbidden love," because, uh, they're step-siblings. Let's just say...I got over that real fast. :) I think two of my final comments while I was reading were "Yay Nate!!! <3."

There were really only three options. Either Evie was intent on trying to send me a message, Dick was behind everything to get rid of me, or I was crazy.

-p203, ARC

This storyline overall felt fun and fresh. I enjoyed the way that the paranormal played into the story in little ways throughout, but I was left, in the end, wishing that the ghosts would have played just a slightly larger role in the story, especially toward the end. I suppose part of me wanted the ghost to swoop in and scare the hell out of some people who I wasn't too fond of. The only other thing that irked me a little bit was how Dick's accusations of Isobel's potential mental illness seems to pop up out of everywhere. I mean, I seriously disliked Dick throughout but it was a moment that seemed out of place regardless. I found myself flipping back a few pages to look for the set-up to that moment. It was totally a "Dick" move, but I think that it just came too suddenly out of seemingly nowhere.

I would definitely recommend this as a read to pick up in January! It was a fun read with realistic, relatable characters.  The story moves at a quick pace that keeps the reader turning page after page.  This is a fabulous contemporary read with a perfect blend of the every day and the paranormal--a little bit for fans of both!

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop!

Welcome to my stop on the "Spooktacular Giveaway Hop," hosted by the fabulous I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and Diary of a Bookworm! For this giveaway, I've decided to give you a choice of one of my favorite ghost stories of the year (so far!). Check out the fabulous options available! 

  

(ARC) YA Book Review: On the Fringe by Courtney King Walker

Release Date: 19 October 2011
Publisher: Lands Atlantic Publishing, Inc.
Source: Around the World ARC Tours

Goodreads description:

Claire is struggling to overcome the murder of her childhood friend and secret crush, Daniel. Everyone else seems to be moving on with their lives, but she's still trying to cope. The fact that she finds herself alone and drowning on her 16th birthday isn't helping. Neither is thinking she sees Daniel's face in murky water as she mysteriously resurfaces. But something happened during those four and a half minutes that will make her realize it was not just her imagination. As Claire and Daniel try to grasp a possible reconnection, other grudge-holding beings have plans of their own. Now, the two of them have to decide if their fleeting relationship is worth the possibility of Claire being trapped on the fringe forever.

My Thoughts...

I went into On the Fringe in the best possible way: with no expectations, pre-conceived notions, or opinions of others.  What I found in this book was a heart-warming story of first love intertwined with an intensely creepy story of revenge. This was really a ghost story like no other and I fell deeply, madly in love with the characters.

Claire = awesome.  I felt an instant connection with her character. Her emotions from the beginning were very raw, very real.  Who can't relate to that first crush that you're totally way to scared to tell (or to even have them figure it out)?  Her depression after his death is very honest and real. She doesn't wallow, but she can't let it go--partially because she never had the opportunity to tell him how she felt...and even no one among the friends and family knows how she really felt/feels.

The alternating POVs in this book were brillantly executed and allow a solid connection with Daniel.  Despite his death early on, I felt very drawn to him.  I loved watching him fall deeper in love with Claire and reliving his memories as he tries to figure out exactly when that switch in his feelings happened.  Done any other way this story probably would have had a feeling of desperate insta-love, but seeing the relationship develop over time, even without the other one knowing, it gave a very real sense of growth and gradual development of feelings.  This was a pair that had been friends forever and that friendship was on the verge of developing into something more.

The storyline is absolutely brilliant, alternating between the romance and the intensely creepy haunting. Claire is in serious danger and the reader has an ever-increasing awareness of just HOW MUCH danger she's in as the story goes on.  The interweaving of these stories is, well, PERFECT.  Throughout the book, you are constantly delving deeper into the story and making intense connections between Daniel's death, his connection to Claire, and her current haunting (you know, besides Daniel).

This is truly a beautiful story of first love and loss.

YA Book Review: Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey

Release Date: 21 June 2011
Publisher: Walker Children's
Source: Banned Book Tours

Buy It! Amazon | B&N

Goodreads description:

Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother's elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must figure out what this ghost is trying to communicate, and quickly because the killer is still on the loose.

Afraid of ruining her chance to escape her mother's scheming through an advantageous marriage, Violet must keep her ability secret. The only person who can help her is Colin, a friend she's known since childhood, and whom she has grown to love. He understands the true Violet, but helping her on this path means they might never be together. Can Violet find a way to help this ghost without ruining her own chance at a future free of lies?

My Thoughts...

Haunting Violet served to remind me just how much I love well-done ghost stories and historical fiction.  If you can combine those two things well, then you'll have won me over and Ms. Harvey definitely did with this story.  This book is the perfect combination of eerie haunting and historical intrigue.

Violet wants nothing more than to escape her mothers scheming--so much so that she goes along with it day after day in hopes of getting by until the time comes that she can escape through marriage. It's when Violet actually begins to see the ghosts that her mother pretends to channel that things start to get crazy.  Violet doesn't believe in ghosts--but clearly that's not going to stop them from making themselves known to her. What ensues is a story of a ghost desperate to expose her killer and save her sister...and of a girl with visions that she does not care to see.

From the very beginning, Violet was an incredibly affable character.  She's a strong, conscientious character, fully aware of her precarious status in society. Her fun, lighthearted relationship with her only real friend, Elizabeth, is a constant reminder of Violet and her mother's precarious situation. Due to her mother's chosen "profession," Violet has very few friends, save Elizabeth and Colin, the boy her mother adopted many years ago to help with her act. Her distaste for what her mother does is overwhelming at times, but she constantly faces the stark reality that she has to keep it up for awhile longer if she hopes to make an advantageous marriage--which seems to be looming just around the corner.

The ghost story really shines alongside Ms. Harvey's historical setting.  I thought that the ghosts were the perfect mixture of intrigue and creepiness.  You can't quite figure out what message she is trying to send to/through Violet. The only ghost scene that didn't add much for me was the scene in the "Willoughby's" parlor where Violet's mother forces her to show society her "gift." (Although, I do understand how it furthered the plot line a bit, but by this point, I believe I was simply so annoyed with Violet's mom that I was quite ready to be rid of her.)

Overall, Haunting Violet was really a fabulous read.  I thoroughly enjoyed watching Violet both discover her sight, fall in love, and break away from her mother all at the same time. This is a thoroughly enjoyable story and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of my own.

(ARC) YA Book Review: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Release Date: 30 August 2011
Publisher: Tor Teen

Pre-Order Your Copy! B&N | Amazon | Book Depository

Goodreads description:

Just your average boy-meets girl, girl-kills-people story...

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.

My Thoughts...

Anna Dressed in Blood is a must read! Ms. Blake has woven a ghost story together that will thrill and terrify you while along the way you fall in love with her characters.

Cas Lowood has moved to Toronto with one goal: kill the infamous "Anna Dressed in Blood."  Anna has killed a countless number of people since her untimely, mysterious death in the 1950s.  Cas learns during his first encounter that Anna isn't just a normal ghost--but just what is she?  Anna isn't the only thing that's "different" about Cas and his mom's new home.  For the first time, Cas finds himself unable to avoid one thing that he's always been able to avoid in the past--making friends. Cas slowly learns to accept the help and friendship of his small group of companions while attempting to free Anna from years of torment.

Cas was a fabulous character.  I really enjoyed getting to know him throughout the story because whether he realized it or not, he did a lot of growing up in the novel.  I think that his expectations for his life changed as he finally learned to let people in to his life and his expectations of ghosts changed as he got to know Anna.  However, what really shined for me in this book was the "side" characters--especially Thomas and Carmel. Ms. Blake doesn't just throw in a couple of friend characters at random.  She really spent time developing these characters and weaving them into the story. They had roles to play throughout--both in uncovering Cas' character and moving the story along.

This book really offers a lot of different attractive elements for a vareity of readers.  You've got the scary ghost who kills people, the contemporary friendships, the magic, and the romance (yes, there's romance!).  The quick pacing keeps the story moving and is guaranteed to really suck you in. You won't want to put this one down until you've turned the last page!

Source: I received this book as part of an ARC tour.

YA Book Review: Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Hereafter by Tara Hudson
© June 2011 by HarperCollins

Goodreads description:

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.

My Thoughts...

I have to say, first, that the Browse Inside feature offered by HarperTeen may be the death of me (financially, of course) because it causes impulse buys--for example, my Nook pre-order of this book. That being said, from the moment I opened the file to read until the moment that I finished my Nook copy while standing in the Dark Days of Supernatural signing line, I was hooked.

When the book starts out, Amelia is lonely and caught in a cycle of disappearing back to her place/moment of death.  Then, one time it's different--someone else is drowning and she has to stop it.  When she saves Josh, she creates an impossible bond with him--he becomes the only person who can see her and touch her (at least as far as she knows).  Now, I know some people will rail against the "insta-love" that occurs in this book, but I personally thought that it made a little sense that Amelia would make such a connection--she hasn't been able to TOUCH or interact with anyone since her death (and not for lack of trying).  I thought that Tara Hudson did a fabulous job describing the electric nature of their first physical encounters.  They had that hesitant nature of young love where things are new and different and you're just curious and in awe.

Overall, this one was a "win" for me.  I really felt myself pulled into their story and Hudson pulled some elements in that I didn't expect at all.  It's had the right amount of darkness for me paired with the romantic elements.  I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book (although I will admit that I would have been just as happy with this book as a standalone, which is always a nice feeling). However, I do look forward to more character development in the next book so maybe we'll get to know more about Amelia and Josh.

My fabulous signed copy!

Some other reviews you might check out:

• Well-Read Reviews
• Fantastic Book Review
• A Cupcake and a Latte
• Bewitched Bookworms

Book Birthday Shout Out! (3)

"Book Birthday Shout Out" is a weekly meme hosted by The Bewitched Bookworms over on their awesome blog.  Be sure to check out which books being release this week your fellow bloggers are super excited about!

This week's Book Birthday Shout Out goes to...

Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey
© 21 June 2011 by Walker Children's

Goodreads description:

Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother's elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must figure out what this ghost is trying to communicate, and quickly because the killer is still on the loose.  Afraid of ruining her chance to escape her mother's scheming through an advantageous marriage, Violet must keep her ability secret. The only person who can help her is Colin, a friend she's known since childhood, and whom she has grown to love. He understands the true Violet, but helping her on this path means they might never be together. Can Violet find a way to help this ghost without ruining her own chance at a future free of lies?

Alyxandra Harvey lives in a stone Victorian house in Ontario, Canada with a few resident ghosts who are allowed to stay as long as they keep company manners. She loves medieval dresses, used to be able to recite all of The Lady of Shalott by Tennyson, and has been accused, more than once, of being born in the wrong century. She believes this to be mostly true except for the fact that she really likes running water, women’s rights, and ice cream.

Among her favourite books are ‘The Wood Wife’ by Terri Windling, ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Bronte, and of course, ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen. Elizabeth Bennet is her hero because she’s smart and sassy, and Mr. Darcy is, well, yum.
Aside from the ghosts, she also lives with husband and their dogs. She likes cinnamon lattes, tattoos and books

.I think this one sounds fabulous! Ghost/haunting stories have started to catch my eye as I wear myself thin on a number of other "types" of stories. (Also, I loved Hereafter by Tara Hudson, so that may have started it) I was also lucky enough to get a place on the I Read Banned Books ARC tour for this one and I'm still anxiously patiently waiting my turn!

Other "Book Birthdays" this week...

 

Whose "Book Birthday" are you celebrating this week?