Don't Look a Gift Horse In The Mouth...

Published:  March 27th, 2012
Gift
By: Andrea J. Buchanan
Open Road E-riginal
ISBN-13:  9781453220214

Daisy has an electrifying secret that could save her life—or kill her
High school sophomore Daisy Jones is just trying to get by unnoticed. It doesn’t help that she’s the new girl at school, lives in a trailer park, and doesn’t even own a cell phone. But there’s a good reason for all that: Daisy has a secret, unpredictable power—one only her best friend, Danielle, knows about.  Despite her “gift” (or is it a curse?), Daisy’s doing a good job of fitting in, and a gorgeous senior named Kevin even seems interested in her! But when Daisy tries to help Vivi, a mysterious classmate in a crisis, she soon discovers that her new friend has a secret of her own. Now Daisy and her friends must deal with chilling dreams and messages from the beyond. Can Daisy channel the power she’s always tried to hide, before it’s too late? 

Extra features include:•   A short graphic novel telling Vivi’s story•   Danielle’s journal, revealing her deepest thoughts •   Lyrics and video links for Kevin's music (songs composed by Fredrik Larsson, otherwise known as YouTube sensation FreddeGredde). 

Review

 

    This one I requested off Netgalley, originally because I thought it was a re-pub of some '90s teen paranormal book - and I love those cheesy things to death! :)  So imagine my surprise when I saw a Twilight reference in the dialogue - but it was a nice surprise.  The main character Daisy is the new kid in school for what seems like the millionth time when she and her Mom move because of trouble at her last school.  She has an ability that they've kept a secret, to manipulate electricity and it makes her a death sentence to things like cell phones, computers, mp3 players, and anything electrical.  The only person she tells is her new friend Danielle, until Daisy saves another classmate Vivi from an overdose in the school bathroom.  Afterwards Vivi confesses to Daisy that she has her own personal ghost, Patrick, who's been with her since she was little.  And he says that the girls are connected somehow.  When Daisy, Vivi and even Danielle start sharing dreams of things that never happened to them, and people they've never met - but who really did exist in the past - they begin to wonder what it all means.  With the help of cute senior boy Kevin, the girls begin to piece things together and discover that not everyone is who they say they are, and that someone wants revenge on them.  Can they stop evil from destroying them all or will it consume them completely? 

     It was a little bit short and did read kind of young for my tastes.  But I really enjoyed the fact that for the most part, the main character's special powers weren't the focus of the book.  They were just a part of who she was as a person.  The main focus is really on the relationship between Vivi, Danielle and Daisy, how their past lives intersected and why Patrick (who Vivi is in love with and calls her 'angel') is haunting the three of them.  As the plot moves along, things do get a little bit convoluted with Daisy's inability to be around technology without breaking it getting glossed over and the situation with one of the teachers being solved way too neat and tidy in the end.  Honestly the sarcastic quips, overdramatic flair and fun personality of Danielle kept things moving along for me as a reader.  I liked Daisy, who as a sweet, shy, good-girl was a nice foil for Danielle's over the top ways and Vivi's naïve, stupid, head in the sand life philosophies!  Kevin as a love interest was very sweet and boy next door, but I liked his banter and interactions with Daisy.  I also highly enjoyed how present Daisy's Mom was in the book and in the best possible way.  So nice to see a parent represented in a YA book and not made into a monster, or a complete cliché.  The ending wasn't a complete surprise but the twists and turns kept me going through the book.  Plus this release included some really cool extras: a graphic novel by Vivi of what happened in the book, the lyrics of Kevin's songs and a link to his YouTube channel, and Danielle's diary which clears up some confusing things about her possession.  The inclusion of mythology was nice and the fact that it was the story of Eurydice and Orpheus was pretty awesome - they don't get a lot of play in contemporary fiction.  Overall an enjoyable read and I would recommend it to those who don't mind books that read younger.  It has an awesome enough premise and execution to make up for it. 

 

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

 

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book was published March 27th, 2012.*

Leave Me Breathless

Expected Publication:  April 30th, 2013
Breathless (Elemental # 2.5)
By: Brigid Kemmerer
Kensington Teen
ISBN-13:  9780758285539

Too many secrets. Not enough time.

Nick Merrick is supposed to be the level-headed one. The peacemaker. Since it’s just him and his three hotheaded brothers against the world, that’s a survival tactic.

But now he’s got problems even his brothers can’t help him survive.

His so-called girlfriend, Quinn, is going quick as mercury from daring to crazy. Meanwhile, Quinn’s dancer friend Adam is throwing Nick off balance, forcing him to recognize a truth he’d rather shove back into the dark.

He can feel it—-the atmosphere is sizzling. Danger is on the way. But whatever happens next, Nick is starting to find out that sometimes nothing you do can keep the peace.

Review

 

     Nick Merrick is always the one who plays it cool and makes the responsible decisions.  Someone has to, especially with three brothers who are impulsive and have hot tempers.  There's a secret that Nick's been keeping from everyone though, even his twin brother Gabriel and now he has to make a choice that will change things forever - or follow his heart.  Does he stay with Quinn, the girl he should love but doesn't, or does he admit to himself (and possibly everyone else) that he's actually attracted to other guys?  Things reach a breaking point when Nick is introduced to Quinn's friend Adam and is forced to be truly honest with himself for the first time.  A lot of people are pretty obsessed with this series, and I totally get the draw.  Hot brothers with wounded spirits and a traumatic family history, fighting to survive against the odds.  Each of them has elemental powers and they are all the swoony hero type of guy.  But honestly speaking, even though I've really liked the full length novels, so far I haven't LOVED them.  My favorite story has been Michael's, which ended with a pulse-pounding cliffhanger and made me fall in love with him as a romantic lead.  So of course, then I get thrown into the world of the younger brothers and poor Michael is stressed out and RESPONSIBLE now.  Forgive me for being disillusioned!  Anyways, Nick's novella is the closest since Michael that I've come to love.  He reminds me of myself, with his strong family loyalty and dedication to doing the right thing.  Also the tendency towards denial is very familiar as well.  I can totally sympathize with his refusal to admit to himself what he really wants.  Especially when Nick is afraid that it might hurt his family.  This is his problem with what colleges to apply to and who to be attracted to. 
     On the other hand character-wise, Quinn made me feel like alternately bitch-slapping her and crying for her misfortunes.  Having a shitty family and being unable to really leave it behind is an awful situation to be sucked into.  It's not like you can choose your parents when you're born.  And I get that it's normal for someone in that situation to have extremely low self-esteem.  But that scene with the ho-hos made me cringe with it's honesty.  Also, was really afraid for her when she went off drunk on the back of some random guy's motorcycle.  Seriously, that's just asking for trouble!  After not really liking her in the other two books, and thinking she was pretty much a complete bitch, I came around to boarding the Quinn train.  As for Adam, not really quite sure what to think as of yet.  I thought that he came across as slightly pushy, but in under 70 pages there's not a lot of opportunity for deep characterization.  I did like him though and feel like he will be good for Nick.  I can honestly say that I never saw Nick's attraction to other guys coming, until it hit me on the side of the head.  Then I went D'oh! and saw stars for a few moments.  Now I'm good again.  Overall, a really good novella and I loved the peek into Nick who was somewhat of an enigma in the other books.  I must also say that the kiss between Adam and Nick was epic!  Now I'm excited to read Spirit and see what she does with Hunter! :)  Recommended for fans of the rest of this series so far.

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is April 30th, 2013.*

Revel In The Night

Expected Publication:  June 18th, 2013
Defy the Dark
Edited By: Saundra Mitchell
HarperTeen
ISBN-13:  9780062123541

Defy the Dark, an all-new anthology edited by Saundra Mitchell. Coming Summer 2013 from HarperTeen!

It features 16 stories by critically-acclaimed and bestselling YA authors as they explore things that can only happen in the dark. Authors include Sarah Rees Brennan, Rachel Hawkins, Carrie Ryan, Aprilynne Pike, Malinda Lo, Courtney Summers, Beth Revis, Sarah Ockler, and more.

Contemporary, genre, these stories will explore every corner of our world- and so many others. What will be the final story that defies the dark? Who will the author be?

Review

 

     The whole idea of this anthology is to explore things that happen in the dark and the ways they change us as people.  I first decided to pick up this book because I have read full length novels by most of these authors and enjoyed their writing styles/plots.  I was particularly excited about the stories written by Malinda Lo, Beth Revis, Saundra Mitchell and Sarah Ockler.  There were some really good stories and some really weird, on the fence ones.  I'm going to give a story by story breakdown, but they'll each be short as I am loathe to give anything away.  I will say that overall it was an interesting anthology, so far I still haven't read an anthology that I've loved completely.

 

Sleepstalk by Courtney Summers

 

- From what I managed to figure out, this was a story about a girl obsessed with a boy who doesn't feel the same.  She stands outside his house every night debating whether or not to throw a rock through his window.  This was more contemporary than paranormal (unlike most of the other stories) and in so short of a story, the girl came across completely crazy to me and not at all likeable or relatable.  Definitely my one of my least favorite stories in the anthology. VERDICT: 1.5/5 Stars

 

Nature by Aprilynne Pike

 

- This story had the spark for me that I wished Bumped by Megan McCafferty would have had.  I like the premise, a dystopian world where people are separated into the educated and the menial laborers.  Nature versus Nurture, a very old debate.  Only your test scores and your physical characteristics can decide which one you are.  And the latter can outweigh the first so easily.  The main character is on one track and gets thrust in the opposite direction after a routine physical.  This broke my heart, but I could honestly see it happening.  Scary, but really good and I would love to read this as a full-length novel! :)  VERDICT: 4/5 Stars

 

The Dark Side of the Moon by Dia Reeves

 

- To be completely honest, I was bored straight out of the gate with this one.  I could tell it was a sort of dystopian universe or something, but it started out so trite.  Girl and boy are in love, but sneaking around because her Mom and Dad won't approve (he's wrong side of the tracks).  There was a paranormal element to it, but it just never struck a chord with me.  VERDICT: 1/5 Stars

 

Ghost Town by Malinda Lo

 

- I really enjoyed this story and while I didn't love it, I think I could have if there had been more time with the characters developing the plot.  I did love that it wasn't the typical thing, but at the same time I enjoyed the whole cliché of new girl Ty being lured to 'explore' a haunted house by mean girl McKenzie.  The ending was different from what I expected and I can honestly say I really enjoyed this one. 

My only complaint is it started to seem repetitive closer to the end.  VERDICT: 3.75/5 Stars

 

Eyes In The Dark by Rachel Hawkins

 

- This story was a lot like those really weird urban legends that everyone believes.  Like what happens when the guy gets out of the car to explore the mysterious noise and the girl finds his corpse hanging from a tree or something.  There was a little bit more to this one, with the girl expecting to cheat on her boyfriend and ending up in creepy, deadly situation.  Gave me chills, but was really undeveloped and simplistic for my tastes.  VERDICT: 3.5/5 Stars

 

Stillwater by Valerie Kemp

 

- Possibly one of my favorite stories in the whole anthology (by an author I've never even heard of before), it is set in a small southern town where nothing ever changes - until a boy and girl whose families have been feuding for generations manage to look past the fog and actually see each other.  Can they escape the madness embraced by the rest of the town?  I liked that it had a contemporary setting, but an element of magic/random paranormal events to its plot.  Also, I really liked the main characters and got invested in their fates.  This was some powerful writing and I'll definitely be looking this author up.  VERDICT: 5/5 Stars

 

I Gave You My Love By The Light Of The Moon by Sarah Rees Brennan

 

- Berthe is just an average teenage girl, but when she's bit by something on a hiking trip her life changes drastically.  With the help of Stephen, will she be able to keep living her life like always?  I liked the growth of the relationship between Berthe and Stephen.  I thought though, that it was kind of bittersweet and unrealistically drawn.  But I honestly liked this a lot more than the actual full length books I've read by Rees Brennan.  She's a great character writer, and that really shines through in this piece.  VERDICT: 4/5 Stars

 

Night Swimming by Beth Revis

 

- This was a short story set in the same universe as Revis' Across the Universe series.  It was distinctively different from the others in the collection, being the only one with any real sci-fi elements to it.  I wanted to love it, seeing how I'm a gigantic fan of her series. But I spent the whole story unsure of who the narrator was and that ruined it for me.  It had no true emotional impact, because I didn't know who I was supposed to be feeling sorry for.  I did like having a peek into Elder, Harley, Kayleigh and Orion's past before Amy entered into their lives.  VERDICT: 3/5 Stars

 

Almost Normal by Carrie Ryan

 

- Something about the hopefulness and youthful feeling of invincibility on the part of the main characters endeared this one to me.  The zombies are closing in, so a group of teenage friends decides to spend one last night being free at the amusement park.  Things go horrifically wrong.  I have never read Ryan's zombie series, Forest of Hands and Teeth, but I felt like this short story was a part of that universe.  That said, it was easy to immerse myself into it and get completely terrified.  I did want to shout at the kids about their stupidity, just like when you watch a horror movie and can see the killer behind the victim!  Interesting, but in this case the lack of resolution wasn't a good thing for me as a curious reader.  VERDICT: 3.75/5 Stars

 

There's Nowhere Else by Jon Skovron

 

- Basically a twist on the downtrodden hero, where Sebastian's Mom has an abusive boyfriend and refuses to leave him.  At night when he dreams, Sebastian becomes other people - literally.  And the things he does as other people have very real consequences.  With a power like his, soon he'll have a choice to make.  Good versus evil, what will Sebastian choose?  The random entry of an entity that almost reminded me of Loki (only super evil) and another entity who was basically a voodoo priest made up the interesting parts of this story.  Honestly, felt mediocre about this one.  Could take it or leave it.  VERDICT: 3/5 Stars

 

Naughty or Nice by Myra McEntire

 

- Bex is on a school trip to Bavaria with her best friend Henry.  Things start to go awry when a local legend of a killer in a guise resembling Santa Clause throw them into terrifying circumstances.  Will they make it home alive?  This was so creative! :)  I absolutely loved the premise and the execution had the right amount of sass, mystery, legend and spine-tingling creepiness.  Probably tied with Stillwater for my fave story in the book!  VERDICT: 5/5 Stars

 

Shadowed by Christine Johnson

- The second out of two stories that I completely had no interest in, over the course of reading the anthology.  Princess Esme is cursed and must keep in the shadows, away from the light.  Longing to be free, maybe the handsome Knight Rylan can help her escape her tower.  Not at ALL in keeping with the rest of the anthology, which seems to be made up of contemporary or futuristic dystopian stories.  This was a jarring addition, that felt to me like it didn't fit at all.  I was not paying any real attention and was glad when it was over.  Maybe if it had been in a different anthology I would have liked it.  VERDICT: 1/5 Stars

Now Bid Time Return by Saundra Mitchell

- Dacey enters a contest and wins the trip of a lifetime, to the Scandinavian part of Europe to photograph the Northern Lights for a week.  When her pictures all have the same mark/defect on them, she thinks her camera is faulty.  But there might be another more supernatural explanation, by the name of Kristian.  The imagery, plot and romance in this one were absolutely gorgeous!  I loved that it was part ghost story and part alternate dimension/time travel interlude.  It was wonderful and while I am a romantic at heart, it still had my eyes rolling slightly at the tooth achingly sweet ending.  Still one of my top stories in the anthology for sure.  VERDICT: 4.5/5 Stars

The Moth and The Spider by Sarah Ockler

- Very different from everything else I have ever read by Sarah Ockler, but definitely intriguing.  As always she has a way with words and I enjoyed the machinations of the main character, Cali.  Felt like there was something missing, but overall it grabbed my attention and wouldn't let go.  Another good piece of writing from one of my favorite authors.  VERDICT: 3.75/5 Stars

Where the Light Is by Jackson Pearce

- Born a miner, die a miner.  Or at least that's what Will thinks his fate is until he meets Ennor, one of the Knockers, a creature living in the mines with the power to create cave-ins.  The power to control a miner's very fate.  Will they be able to bridge the gap between their worlds, or will they both combust from a lethal encounter?  An interesting and more literal take on the theme of darkness and I enjoyed the folklore feeling that the myth of the Knockers created for the story.  It was very American to me, in that everything has to have it's own origin story.  I liked it, but felt that the romantic interest between Ennor and Will was entirely unnecessary.  VERDICT: 4/5 Stars

This Was Ophelia by Tessa Gratton

- Ophelia wishes she'd been born as a man and lives like one, in the time of Prohibition.  She meets and falls in love with privileged Halden King.  The only trouble is, he thought he was falling in love with another man.  And he may not want Ophelia romantically once he knows she's a woman.  She wants freedom and Halden, but he wants a different kind of love.  Will they stay together?  Ophelia in this was portrayed definitely as a stronger woman than in the original play...but the point is that she doesn't even really view herself as a woman.  I did like the premise, but at the same time thought it was kind of dated in its execution.  Thoroughly original idea though.  VERDICT: 3.5/5 Stars

OVERALL AVERAGE VERDICT:  4.56/5 Stars, Overall it was a very good collection and I would highly recommend it to fans of these individual authors and fans of scary stories or stories with paranormal elements at the foundation. 

*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie. No favors or money were exchanged for this review. It became available for purchase on June 18th, 2013.*

The Twisted Tragedy of A Messed Up Girl

Expected Publication:  November 7th, 2012

The Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie Stewart (Magic Most Foul # 2)

By: Leanna Renee Hieber

Sourcebooks Fire

ISBN-13: 9781402262036

For Natalie Stewart, a normal life has never seemed so far away. Her only solace, Lord Jonathan Denbury, is wanted for murder. To clear his name, Denbury must return to England and assume the role of his demon doppelganger. But Natalie begins to doubt his true motives, especially as a new gentleman begins whispering in her ear. Natalie and Denbury may be able to visit each other in their dreams, but they can't escape the darkening shadows. Amid spontaneous explosions, friends turned enemies and dangerous secrets revealed, there's still a demon who has Natalie's scent, and someone is trying to resurrect the ultimate evil.

Review

     Natalie Stewart thought that after they vanquished the demon from Jonathon's body and the painting that had trapped him was destroyed, they would finally be able to breathe easy.  Once they reach the medical practice of Jonathon's friend Samuel out west, they realize that the demon they got rid of was just the beginning and one part of a much larger and far more evil organization.  Determined to find out the real reasons behind the hijacking of his body by the demon, Jonathon makes a voyage to England the infiltrate the secret society responsible.  Natalie returns to New York to face Mrs. Northe, her partner in crime, and her Father, who she left behind with only her diary for explanation when she and Jonathon ran away.  Then she is contacted by her friend Rachel, from the sanitarium she lived in, who is being forced to tie the spirits of the dead back to mysterious items in locked boxes.  Also, Natalie is having sinister dreams, where something evil is carving runic messages on her arms.  Mrs. Northe, Natalie, Rachel and Jonathon must pool all their knowledge and resources together if they're going to stop Rachel's employer the "Doctor" before he brings upon them something evil that is beyond destruction.  And is the demon from Jonathon's past truly gone or is it in the shadows, waiting to strike one final, deadly time?  I had been looking forward to this book since last December when I first read Darker Still in ARC form.  It was beautiful, haunting, fresh and the writing sent chills down my spine.  The sequel picks up right where the first book leaves off, with Natalie and Jonathon (Lord Denbury) leaving the city by train, to go see one of Denbury's old friends who may be able to help them.  I felt like this book wanted to have as much action as the first one, but never quite managed it.  Also, the romance between Natalie and Denbury felt very stilted in this book versus in the first one.  Mrs. Northe came across as very condescending and interfering, especially the way she has struck up a relationship with Natalie's widowed Father.  The whole monster with spirits tied to it was grotesque, but it had also been done before in Frankenstein and wasn't different enough to be truly original.  The only "new" characters that really intrigued me at all were Rachel and Denbury's spiritualist performing friend, Nathaniel Veil.  Overall, not my cup of tea but a decently well written book.  I just feel very lukewarm about it, which is extremely disappointing for me as an ardent admirer of the first novel.

VERDICT:  3/5  Stars

*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie. No favors or money were exchanged for this review. It will be available for purchase on November 7th, 2012.*

Divining the Future of Us

Published:  September 18th, 2012
The Diviners (The Diviners # 1)
By: Libba Bray
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN-13:  9780316126113


Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces!

Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."
When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.

Review

 

     Evie O'Neill has a bubbly personality, loves to party and has loads of friends in her 1920s Ohio town.  She also unfortunately has a talent for reading objects and being able to tell people's secrets from them.  When she exposes the secrets of the wrong person, Evie's parents send her to live with her Uncle Will in New York, who curates the Museum of "Creepy Crawlies," thinking it will be a punishment.  It isn't too long before she's living it up in speakeasies, befriending glamourous Ziegfeld girls and partying until dawn.  Then things take a dark turn when murder victims start showing up in the city with nothing in common, except for strange and ritualistic markings made to their bodies.  The police enlist the help of Evie's Uncle Will, realizing that they are connected to something occult related.  But no one realizes at first just how sinister these murders are, with a killer who himself is no longer alive.  How do you stop a killer from striking when he can't be killed because he's already dead?  It's up to Evie, Uncle Will and her friends to figure it out before it's too late.  This was a book that I was looking forward to a lot.  I really enjoyed Bray's Gemma Doyle trilogy, with it's historical and paranormal/fantasy elements woven together - its something she does well.  So I was excited to see her go back to her strong point of writing.  That said, the plot was something very different and new from the normal, run-of-the-mill YA fiction which I appreciated.  It was obvious that Bray had definitely done her 1920s research.  However, she really went to great lengths to make that obvious and she really went overkill on the 1920s slang in the book.  It was almost 600 pages of novel and almost the whole way through I really felt like I was being watched and winked at the whole time about how "smart" and period the characters were.  It was annoying.  Also, the amount of plot and world-building made things move at a mostly glacial pace and almost caused me to quit reading a few times.  There was very little character development due to how many "main" characters there were (Evie, Theta [Ziegfeld girl], Mabel, Jericho, Sam, Uncle Will, Henry, Theta, Memphis and Isaiah) and how wide the plot tried to spread itself around them.  I finished feeling little connection to any of them, even Evie who I could tell the author wanted me to care about.  Evie came across as selfish, airheaded and extremely immature 99% of the time, with the other 1% being when she showed kindness or common sense (usually followed by idiocy or unwitting meanness).  Overall, I was disappointed with the lack of character development and the overly self-awareness of the plot.  Good story, not so wonderful follow-through.  I probably won't read the next one due to my ambivalence.

 

VERDICT:  3/5  Stars

 

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.*

The Curse of the Lost Colony...

Expected Publication: September 4th, 2012

Blackwood

By: Gwenda Bond

Strange Chemistry (Imprint of Angry Robot)

ISBN-13: 9781908844071

On Roanoke Island, the legend of the 114 people who mysteriously vanished from the Lost Colony hundreds of years ago is just an outdoor drama for the tourists, a story people tell. But when the island faces the sudden disappearance of 114 people now, an unlikely pair of 17-year-olds may be the only hope of bringing them back.

Miranda, a misfit girl from the island's most infamous family, and Phillips, an exiled teen criminal who hears the voices of the dead, must dodge everyone from federal agents to long-dead alchemists as they work to uncover the secrets of the new Lost Colony. The one thing they can't dodge is each other.

Blackwood is a dark, witty coming of age story that combines America's oldest mystery with a thoroughly contemporary romance.

Review

   Miranda Blackwood has been an outcast all her life.  With a screwed up family life, a Father who's the town drunk and a golden retriever named Sidekick as her only friend, she can't wait to get out of Roanoke and start a life somewhere else.  Phillips Rawling is a juvenile delinquent, the son of Roanoke's sheriff and can talk to ghosts.  His parents sent him out of town after getting in trouble one too many times.  Now he's been called back because 114 people have disappeared from town without a trace - just like the original Roanoke disappearances in 1584.  When Miranda's Dad turns up murdered and then mysteriously comes back to life changed for the worse, it will be up to Miranda and Phillips to solve the mystery of what happened to the missing people, why her Dad is acting so strange and how the family curse has passed along to Miranda.  Can they save the town before it's too late?  I have always been fascinated with the mystery of Roanoke Island.  I have curiosity about it still, but so little fact remains that we'll probably never know what really happened.  It felt like the book dragged quite a bit, moving slowly towards the action.  At certain parts this was a good thing but at others it bored me.  Phillips and Miranda's romance was cute without making me gag and I liked the randomness of their adventures together.  They both had a complicated family history with the original Roanoake disappearances playing a part.  I enjoyed it up until alchemy became involved.  Yes, it meshed well with the 1584 events, but I honestly am bored practically to tears by the actualities of supposed 'alchemy.'  All in all, it wasn't a major part of the book until close to the end.   I liked the book, thought it was very original and would highly recommend it to fans of unsolved history mysteries and YA paranormal fiction. 

VERDICT:  3.85/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is September 4th, 2012.*

Wednesday's Child Is Full Of Woe

Expected Publication: August 14th, 2012
The Wednesdays
By: Julie Bourbeau
Random House Children's Books
ISBN-13: 9780375868900

Max’s village is absolutely normal in every single way and on every single day—except Wednesday.
Most of the townsfolk shutter their windows and lock their doors to hide away from the many peculiar things that happen—things like cats getting stuck in the vacuum cleaner and birthday cakes meeting fiery and horrific ends. But Max is too curious for that, and so, breaking every rule in the village, he searches out the cause of all the Wednesday weirdness.
What he uncovers is a secret so devious—so dastardly and mischievous—that life as he knows it will never be the same. Max himself is not the same. Suddenly the mysterious little accidents so common on Wednesdays are happening to him on Thursdays, Fridays—even Saturdays!
What’s come over Max? And more importantly, is there any cure for a case of the Wednesdays?
Mystery, magic, mischief and monsters abound in this slightly fantastical story of a human kid who wants to stay that way.

Review

   Max lives in a village that is completely average in just about every way - except on Wednesdays.  Everyone closes up their homes and they refuse to come outside again until it's Thursday, which means it's safe.  Bad things, strange, unexplainable things happen on Wednesdays - Max's brother getting his hair soaked in black shoe polish, the TV getting broken, Max's birthday cake meeting a fiery end.  But none of this can stop Max's curiosity, which leads him outside on a Wednesday, perilous though it might be.  This time curiosity catches up in a bad way, when Max gets a bad case of the Wednesdays that lasts throughout the week.  After an encounter with the actual, gargoyle-like creatures who cause the mischief Max begins to change physically.  Max tries to get the Wednesdays to tell him what's happening, but Two is in charge and he has plans for Max, really nasty plans...His parents send him to parapsychologist Dr. Conkle-Smoak, desperately trying to cure him before he becomes one of the Wednesdays forever.  Can Max and his friends Noah and Gemma figure out a way to block the Wednesdays from their town forever or is Max doomed to become one of them?  This book was an interesting mix of Roald Dahl-esque humor, quirky illustrations and a hero with some oddness and major heart.  I did enjoy the idea of an entire town closing up for the day because of gremlin-like mischief makers.  The Wednesdays themselves were interesting, all them once human and now varying degrees of horrible.  They all had numbers instead of names, which was little sad to me but very in keeping with the children's book M.O.  Dr. Conkle-Smoak was absolutely useless and completely hilarious so of course he was one of my favorite characters.  I liked the smooth progression of the plot and the resolution, which ended up being fairly creepy for a middle-grade fantasy book.  Overall it was a very amusing book with interesting, well written characters and a fresh story in a world where that is hard to come by.  My only complaint would really be the illustrations - they just didn't quite match what was in my head.

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is August 14th, 2012.*