Review: Anna Dressed in Blood - Kendare Blake

• Reading level:
 Ages 12 and up

• Hardcover:
 320 pages

• Publisher:
 Tor Teen; First Edition edition (August 30, 2011)

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 his gruesome murder 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. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay. 
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: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home. 
And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

My Thoughts...

I have read a lot of books so far this year, a lot of great books but I think this has been the best so far! This was pretty non stop and at times majorly creepy. I loved Cas from the very start, he reminded me of one of my favorite men, Dead Winchester. *swoon* The beginning with the hitchhiker really set the tone for the rest of the book. Dark, ominous, and fantastic. From the first mention of Anna I couldn't wait to meet her. And when I finally did meet her I loved her. She was so many things scary, dark, blood, yet sounding oddly beautiful and mysterious. the more that happens and the more we see of Cas and Anna the more I was sucked in. I needed to know what was going to happen, and how Cas would handle things. Cas's mom amazed me, she knows what he does, and that it is dangerous, yet she lets him do it, and helps when he needs to be healed, or just someone to talk to.  Thomas and Caramel were great characters somehow they managed to work there way into Cas's life and become friends! Through all the jumbled mess they deal with in the end Anna isn't there biggest issue. I have to stop there because the ending was great and I don't want to ruin it. This book had everything, Action, excitement, love, friendship, drama and great characters, and setting. If I could give this 6 stars I would. I give this 5 stars and strongly urge all of you to read this book! 

Review: Sleight - Jennifer Sommersby

• Paperback:
 328 pages

• Publisher:
 CreateSpace (March 30, 2011)

• Language:
 English

Her mom is dead.Ghosts follow her around.Her best friend is an elephant.And she’s about to meet the biggest game changer of all: a boy. With a secret.
When circus-dwelling Gemma Flannery learns she will be attending public school for the first time in her seventeen years, little does she know that fitting in with her 12th-grade classmates will be the least of her concerns. A pro at hiding her knack for seeing the dead (“shades”), Gemma is grieving the recent suicide of her mentally ill mother, a process eased by the introduction of her first real love interest, the charming and painfully handsome Henry Dmitri, who is harboring his own collection of dangerous secrets. Together, they will be presented with a frightening challenge: to assume their roles as heirs to a 3000-year-old magical text, the AVRAKEDAVRA, a book the über-rich, sleight-of-being master Lucian Dmitri would do anything to get his hands on. As each terrifying layer in her new reality melts away, Gemma unearths truths that her quiet, nomadic life with the Cinzio Traveling Players is not at all what she’d always cherished. Gemma and Henry must rely on each other to stop Lucian’s diabolical plotting that will bring the world to its tired, scab-riddled knees, and are sent on the flight of their young lives, to save themselves, their families, and the world from the darkest kind of destruction.
Let the chase begin.

My Thoughts...

Wow how have I not read tons of raving reviews for this book? The fact that I really hadn't hear much about this book had me little wary. But WOW! This was an action packed story. Gemma is a newly orphaned circus child. She has spend most of her life with her aunt and 2 uncles at the circus because her mother was mentally ill. We start off at Gemma's mothers funeral, and soon move to Washington where the circus is scheduled to stay for quite a few months which is strange enough since they only spend a week in any one place.  To make things even stranger all the circus kids will start attending public school while the circus is in Washington.  This is an idea that doesn't excite Gemma. She starts school and meets Henry the son of the man who is funding the circuses extended stay in Washington.  From there Gemma and Henry are sent on terrifying, exciting, adventure. There is love, self discovery, shocking revelations, and matters of destiny at play in this adventure. Once the action starts it doesn't let up until the end. Both Gemma and Henry are very enjoyable characters. The back drop of the circus and the circus life really added to this story. I loved it! The secondary characters in Gemma's side of the story were also likable for the most part. I can't say the same for Henry's side of the story. The addition of the magical aspect was pretty cool too. I don't want to really get involved in the story here since there is such an intense story, I don't want to accidentally give something away. I give this one 4 stars and urge all of you to go pick up this book! 

Review: Dead Rules - Randy Russell

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• Reading level:
 Ages 13 and up

• Hardcover:
 384 pages

• Publisher:
 HarperTeen (June 21, 2011)

Till death Jana Webster and Michael Haynes were in love. They were destined to be together forever. Do But Jana's destiny was fatally flawed. And now she's in Dead School, where Mars Dreamcote lurks in the back of the classroom, with his beguiling blue eyes, mysterious smile, and irresistibly warm touch. Us Michael and Jana were incomplete without each other. There was no room for Mars in Jana's life—or death—story. Jana was sure Michael would rush to her side soon. Part But things aren't going according to Jana's plan. So Jana decides to do whatever it takes to make her dreams come true—no matter what rules she has to break.

My Thoughts...

When I first started this book I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy it, but by the end I was fully engrossed. This is a pretty fresh perspective on what happens after death. I liked the caste system that was set up, The Virgins, Greys, Risers, and Sliders. They all fit into the world and each served some sort of purpose. At first Jana's obsession with her boyfriend just about drove me crazy! It annoyed me that she would overlook Mars for Michael, and as the story unfolded it just got worse. I found it quite cool to learn the stories  of every ones deaths, by far Beatris was my favorite. That just isn't something you read about every day. While I could appreciate all of Jana's roommates and even liked some, Arva made me want to scream. I loved reading about Jana interacting with the sliders, It showed that there was more to them than Arva would have you believe. I loved this story as it unfolded, and the ending was great! I am so looking forward to more from these characters! I give this one 4 stars!

Review: Between - Jessica Warman

• Reading level:
 Ages 12 and up

• Hardcover:
 464 pages

• Publisher:
 Walker Childrens (August 2, 2011)

Elizabeth Valchar-pretty, popular, and perfect-wakes up the morning after her eighteenth birthday party on her family's yacht, where she'd been celebrating with her six closest friends. A persistent thumping noise has roused her. When she goes to investigate, what she finds will change everything she thought she knew about her life, her friends, and everything in between. As Liz begins to unravel the circumstances surrounding her birthday night, she will find that no one around her, least of all Liz herself, was perfect-or innocent. Critically acclaimed author Jessica Warman brings readers along on a roller-coaster ride of a mystery, one that is also a heartbreaking character study, a touching romance, and ultimately a hopeful tale of redemption, love, and letting go.

My Thoughts...

I loved every second I spent with this book! Liz wasn't the type of girl I would have been friends with at the start of this story, but towards the end I started thinking that really she wasn't all that bad. Yes she was shallow and seemed stuck up but even she started to realize that there was more to life than what she thought. There is really so much to this story that to really get into it would be giving something away. I can say though that Liz grew as a person through out the book, and it was marvelous trying to put together the story of her life and death with her. There were so many things that get revealed about her that lead you one way just to find out something a little later that leads you down a different path. And while I did guess parts of the story and even parts of the ending I still had to keep reading. The writing was great, the characters were well done and I didn't want it to end actually. I wanted certain people to get a different resolution. All in all I highly suggest reading this very haunting book. I give this one 5 huge stars!

Review: Bad Girls Don't Die - Katie Alender

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH; Reprint edition (June 22, 2010)

When Alexis's little sister Kasey becomes obsessed with an antique doll, Alexis thinks nothing of it. Kasey is a weird kid. Period. Alexis is considered weird, too, by the kids in her high school, by her parents, even by her own Goth friends. Things get weirder, though, when the old house they live in starts changing. Doors open and close by themselves; water boils on the unlit stove; and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough to see their breath in. Kasey is changing, too. Her blue eyes go green and she speaks in old-fashioned language, then forgets chunks of time.

Most disturbing of all is the dangerous new chip on Kasey's shoulder. The formerly gentle, doll-loving child is gone, and the new Kasey is angry. Alexis is the only one who can stop her sister — but what if that green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore?

My Thoughts...

I'm a big wuss when it comes to anything scary.  I avoid scary movies and horror books.  Every review I've read for this book said it was creepy so I put it off for a while.  Lately I keep seeing the sequel popping up in IMM posts, and it seemed like this book was haunting me, it would whisper "read me".  so I did, and while I will agree with everyone it was creepy I loved it.  It had a great cast of characters, and a wicked awesome plot.  I think one of my favorite things was how our normal stereotypes all got turned on there ears.  Alexis was everything I hoped she would be and then some, if I were her I would have wet my pants and hid under the bed!  I hope we get to see some of the real Kasey, I did get a good feeling about her while reading this but who can tell when ghosts are involoved.  Meghan and Carter were also pretty cool, I think Meghan has won a special place in my heart, a cheerleader obessed with the paranormal, not something you see everyday where I live.  I really can not wait for the release of the second book. As creepy as this was it was so well written that I wasn't all the bothered by it. I give this one 5 stars and anyone who hasn't already read this please pick it up and give it a shot.

Review: Hereafter - Tara Hudson

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (June 7, 2011)

Can there truly be love after death?

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 LOVED this book!  I really wasn't sure I was going to, I'm not usually a romance fan.  This book however had me from the start.  From pages one I was pulled in and it wouldn't let me go.  I loved learning along with Amelia,  I also found her to be a great character, she was strong and seemed to face even the things that scared her head on,.  Joshua in my opinion was also pretty great.  I admire his openmindedness.  Ruth...I think I am going to end up being in a minority, but I liked her.  She was trying to protect the people she loved the only way she knew how.  I really can't wait for the next book to see more of Ruth, and to see if any of her opinions changed from the first book.  The characters as you can tell in my opinion were great and this story never bored me, there was always something going on that compelled me to keep reading.  I give this one 5 stars and a huge recommendation!

Review: The Lying Game - Sara Shepard

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (December 7, 2010)

I had a life anyone would kill for.

Then someone did.

The worst part of being dead is that there’s nothing left to live for. No more kisses. No more secrets. No more gossip. It’s enough to kill a girl all over again. But I’m about to get something no one else does—an encore performance, thanks to Emma, the long-lost twin sister I never even got to meet.

Now Emma’s desperate to know what happened to me. And the only way to figure it out is to be me—to slip into my old life and piece it all together. But can she laugh at inside jokes with my best friends? Convince my boyfriend she’s the girl he fell in love with? Pretend to be a happy, carefree daughter when she hugs my parents good night? And can she keep up the charade, even after she realizes my murderer is watching her every move?

From Sara Shepard, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of thePretty Little Liars books, comes a riveting new series about secrets, lies, and killer consequences.

Let the lying game begin.

My Thoughts...

I really really enjoyed this book.  It was suspenseful, a little frightening, tense, and heartfelt.  To find another person on the internet that looks just like you would be very confusing, but to see your "twin" involved in an apparent snuff film must be down right disturbing.  So you find a name for this person and contact them only to find out that you really are probably long lost twins!  You make plans to meet but while waiting you are found by your long lost twins friends and are mistaken for her.  Going along pretending to be her in hopes that there is a mistake and will meet up with her at some point.  Only to find out that your long lost twin is dead and her murder wants you to live her life.  Learning as you go about the girl you are now suppose to be, and not liking everything you find out.  The more you learn the more you find out that everyone around you might have killed your sister and be threatening to you.  I loved how nothing happened quite like I expected it to.  I give this one 5 stars and hope that all of you give it a try!

Review: Shift - Jeri Smith Ready

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse (May 3, 2011)

Aura’s life is anything but easy. Her boyfriend, Logan, died, and his slides between ghost and shade have left her reeling. Aura knows he needs her now more than ever. She loves Logan, but she can’t deny her connection with the totally supportive, totally gorgeous Zachary. And she’s not sure that she wants to.
Logan and Zachary will fight to be the one by her side, but Aura needs them both to uncover the mystery of her past—the mystery of the Shift.
As Aura’s search uncovers new truths, she must decide whom to trust with her secrets…and her heart.

If I could climb a tall building and sing the praises of this book I would!  I really enjoyed Shade, but in my opinion it pales in comparison to Shift.  It was a non-stop, sometimes shocking, sometimes heart wrenching read.  I still really liked Aura she was just as great as in the first book.  Our hot boys were both great and frustrating.  I had said in my review for Shade that I hoped we learned more about the shift, and Jeri Smith Ready delivered.  There was quite a bit I never expected but this is what makes it great!  I have so many ideas and theory's  that I can't wait for the next book just to see how wrong they all were, since all my ideas for Shade got blown out of the water.  I think this series has become on of my favorites and I hope that all of you take the time to give it a try! You won't be disappointed! I give this one 5 stars!

Review: Shade - Jeri Smith Ready

Reading level: Young Adult

Paperback: 336 pages

Publisher: Simon Pulse; Reprint edition (April 5, 2011)

Love ties them together. Death can't tear them apart.
Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.
Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.
Well, sort of.
Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.
It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding—and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.
As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart...and clues to the secret of the Shift.

I have had Shade sitting on my TBR pile for a long time now and while I always look at it when I am looking for my next read I never grabbed it.  When I got Shift for review that was the push I needed and I'm so glad.  Shade was a terrific book with a great take on ghosts.  I think this is a series that will stand out amongst all the vampire and werewolf books we are surrounded by.  I really enjoyed Aura I felt that she was a very well developed character, and that she was very easy to connect with.   Now our love triangle wasn't your every day triangle  sexy rock star ghost or sexy Scotsmen...tough choices here.  I like that we don't have any more information on the shift than our charters, learning with them while frustrating because I just want to know is also a lot of fun, I feel like I am in on the adventure.  The only plus I see to waiting this long to read Shade was the ending wasn't so bad since there is a bit of a cliffhanger ending.  I look forward to reading Shift and hope that if you haven't picked up Shade yet that you will! I give this one 5 stars!