Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday (started at The Printed Page and now a traveling meme) is at Unabridged Chick this month and is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Brrrrrrr! It's another cold day. With the wind chill it's -14! Last week it was in the 40s for a few days so it's not too bad if it doesn't stay this way. It's great weather to curl up by the fireplace and read. I hope you are warm and cozy and enjoying some great books at your house.

(On a very happy note we finally heard test results for our grandson, Monkey Boy. His EEG came back normal! Hopefully the seizure was just from the fever. )

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Bought used from library sale shelf (paperback - I must be the only person who hasn't read this series - yet.)

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson
Bought used from library sale (paperback)

I'll Take What She Has by Samantha Wilde
For review from LibraryThing Early Reviewers (paperback)

How to Lose a Demon in 10 Days by Saranna DeWylde
Free from Barnes & Noble (ebook)

Sofa Boy by Scott Langteau
Free from B&N (ebook)

The Question by Scott Langeau
Free from B&N (ebook)

Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

"In a future world, vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity." Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of "them." The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked--and given the ultimate choice. Die...or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend--a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what--and who--is worth dying for.
(Goodreads.com)
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Review 
I've enjoyed this author's writing so I was very curious about this one but I wasn't sure if I would care for the topic. The vampire market seems pretty saturated so I didn't know how this could be any different but I was pleasantly surprised.  The author came up with her own dark world, no sparkly vamps here! Most of the humans endure a harsh and gritty existence, struggling to survive every day. In the vampire city you can choose to belong and give up your blood freely in exchange for their protection or you can try to make it on your own, free but desperate for food and shelter. Allie has chosen to live free in the outskirts of the city among other stragglers. It is survival of the fittest. When she is attacked and must make the ultimate choice all the rules change for her.

I like reading about a tough heroine and Allie is a strong example. She faces one obstacle after another but can defend herself and also protect others. She knows how to adjust and adapt and above all else, she wants to survive. Through all her struggles she is also able to retain her humanity. Her world is a desperate place but it's not without hope.

The author nicely builds the story as new characters are gradually introduced and we get glimpses into their backgrounds.The world she created wasn't traditional and had some original elements.This was a long story but mostly interesting. The middle did feel drawn out and somewhat monotonous but the action later picked up again. There were also details that didn't really make sense to me but I am curious to see if they will be explained better in the next book. Kagawa has introduced an unusual series with this first installment and I look forward to reading where it goes from here.

The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2) coming 5/13
juliekagawa.com
harlequinteen.com

Thank you to NetGalley for an ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Release date: 4/24/12
Publisher:Harlequin Teen
Pages: 485 (hardcover)
Type: YA dystopian

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading and asks you to :
1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3 . Share 2 "teaser" sentences also citing the title of the book and the author and in that way people can have great recommendations if they like the "teaser".
4. Please avoid spoilers!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"You've got it wrong. I'm Aurora. Just some girl you don't want kicking you back to your hellhole." My plan to go on the offensive stemmed from my defense amounting to diddly and squat combined. 

~page 6 - ebook
Demons At Deadnight by A&E Kirk
(Debut thriller from YA blogger at Teens Read and Write )

Tuesday Teaser

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading and asks you to :

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3 . Share 2 "teaser" sentences also citing the title of the book and the author and in that way people can have great recommendations if they like the "teaser".
4. Please avoid spoilers!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mom is wrapped in her blue bathrobe and her hair looks comfortably fuzzy. The sight calms me immediately, even as she glances at the empty jar of salt and puts the cover back on. What is it about the sight of your mother that makes everything fireside-warm and full of dancing Muppets?

~page 220 
Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading and asks you to :

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3 . Share 2 "teaser" sentences also citing the title of the book and the author and in that way people can have great recommendations if they like the "teaser".
4. Please avoid spoilers!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Old homes had a way of getting under your skin,  Joanna Beauchamp knew; not just your skin but into your soul, as well as deep into your pocketbook, defying reason or logic in an ever-elusive quest for perfection.

~page 26 

Witches Of East End by Melissa de la Cruz

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday (started at The Printed Page and now a traveling meme) is at the Metroreader this month and is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

Boy am I behind this week! With blogging, reading, housework - you name it I should have done more, but I have been busy helping with the grandkiddos and I'm loving it! The other stuff can wait. Of course that was always my excuse when my own kids were little so maybe I will never get caught up...

I did get a few goodies recently and of course lots of free ebooks.

Cows Can't Quack by Dave Reisman
From author for review

Broken

Scrourge

Ebooks by David H. Burton

Won from The Cheap

The Second Coming

Simian's Lair

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading and asks you to :

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3 . Share 2 "teaser" sentences also citing the title of the book and the author and in that way people can have great recommendations if they like the "teaser".
4. Please avoid spoilers!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Joanna explained to her daughters that living in a static house, one that never changed, was stifling and suffocating, and that changing your environment was even more important than changing your clothes. It was summer, hence the walls should be yellow.

~page 27

Witches Of East End by Melissa De La Cruz

Tuesday Teaser

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading and asks you to :

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3 . Share 2 "teaser" sentences also citing the title of the book and the author and in that way people can have great recommendations if they like the "teaser".
4. Please avoid spoilers!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 It might seem strange that one as magical as I would need to work nine-to-five weekdays and some weekends, but there it is. There are strict laws that disallow those of us who can, to create money of of thin air.

~page 7
To Kill A Warlock (Dulcie O'Neal #1) ebook by H.P. Mallory

Contest reminder!

Tomorrow is the last day for my two giveaways. Sign up now for Graveminder by Melissa Marr and Pale Demon by Kim Harrison!

Contest: Graveminder by Melissa Marr

Three sips to mind the dead . . .

Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the attention her grandmother Maylene bestowed upon the dead of Claysville, the small town where Bek spent her adolescence. There wasn't a funeral that Maylene didn't attend, and at each one Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual: She took three sips from a silver flask and spoke the words "Sleep well, and stay where I put you."

Now Maylene is dead, and Bek must go back to the place she left a decade earlier. She soon discovers that Claysville is not just the sleepy town she remembers, and that Maylene had good reason for her odd traditions. It turns out that in Claysville the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected; beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D. If the dead are not properly cared for, they will come back to satiate themselves with food, drink, and stories from the land of the living. Only the Graveminder, by tradition a Barrow woman, and her Undertaker—in this case Byron Montgomery, with whom Bek shares a complicated past—can set things right once the dead begin to walk.

Although she is still grieving for Maylene, Rebekkah will soon find that she has more than a funeral to attend to in Claysville, and that what awaits her may be far worse: dark secrets, a centuries-old bargain, a romance that still haunts her, and a frightening new responsibility—to stop a monster and put the dead to rest where they belong.

Preview of Graveminder - Prologue
Author site

Thanks to Chelsey at HarperCollins I have 2 copies to give away!

Rules:
- Simply fill out the form below to enter.
- U.S. and Canada only (sorry!)
- Winners chosen by random.org
- Contest ends 6/5/11 at 11:59 p.m. EST

Extra entries:
+1 new follower
+2 old follower
+2 promote - leave link

*CLOSED*

Contest: Pale Demon by Kim Harrison

Condemned to death for black magic and shunned, Rachel Morgan has three days to somehow get to the annual witches convention in San Francisco and clear her name. If she fails, the only way she can escape death is to live in the demonic ever after . . . for ever after.

Banned from the flight lists, Rachel teams up with elven tycoon Trent Kalamack, headed for the West Coast for his own mysterious business. But Rachel isn’t the only passanger along for the ride. Can a witch, an elf, a living vampire, and a pixy in one car survive for over 2,300 miles? And that’s not counting the assassin on their tail.

A fearsome demon walks the sunlight, freed after centuries of torment to slay the innocent and devour souls. But his ultimate prey is Rachel Morgan. While the powerful witch with nerves of steel will do whatever it takes to stay alive, even embracing her own demonic nature may not be enough to save her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sneak peek of Pale Demon - Chapter One
My review
Author's site

Thanks to Chelsey at HarperCollins I have 2 copies to give away!

Rules:
- Simply fill out the form below to enter.
- U.S. and Canada only (sorry!)
- Winners chosen by random.org
- Contest ends 6/5/11 at 11:59 p.m. EST

Extra entries:
+1 new follower
+2 old follower
+2 promote - leave link

*CLOSED*

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading and asks you to :

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3 . Share 2 "teaser" sentences also citing the title of the book and the author and in that way people can have great recommendations if they like the "teaser".
4. Please avoid spoilers!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

When a descendant of Aerynn falls in love, she falls in love forever and there isn't enough magick in the universe to change that simple truth. Wouldn't you think one of us would have managed to get it right in three hundred years?

~page 16
Spun By Sorcery by Barbara Bretton

Review: Pale Demon (The Hollows #9) by Kim Harrison

A wild journey of
black magic and
supernatural adventure.

Condemned to death for black magic and shunned, Rachel Morgan has three days to somehow get to the annual witches convention in San Francisco and clear her name. If she fails, the only way she can escape death is to live in the demonic ever after . . . for ever after.

Banned from the flight lists, Rachel teams up with elven tycoon Trent Kalamack, headed for the West Coast for his own mysterious business. But Rachel isn’t the only passanger along for the ride. Can a witch, an elf, a living vampire, and a pixy in one car survive for over 2,300 miles? And that’s not counting the assassin on their tail.

A fearsome demon walks the sunlight, freed after centuries of torment to slay the innocent and devour souls. But his ultimate prey is Rachel Morgan. While the powerful witch with nerves of steel will do whatever it takes to stay alive, even embracing her own demonic nature may not be enough to save her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just started the series recently with the first book and loved it. When I got this book (#9) to review I had to skip the ones in the middle. I hate reading them out of order, although this was still a good story, so I'm going back and reading them all.

This series is a great combination of paranormal, romance, action and best of all - humor. Author Kim Harrison does a terrific job of creating strong women. Witch Rachel Morgan is the main character and with the help of her pixie friend Jenks, is off on another adventure. The road trip across the country is a riot as Trent and Ivy help create chaos. I thought my family was tough! Drama and action are soon thrown into the mix as they are being pursued by a variety of bad guys including a demon who eats living souls. Yum.

The characters are so interesting although I'm looking forward to finding out more of their back story and how they got to this point. There are obvious romantic connections and they're definitely complicated. But some loose ends are beginning to come together and the writing is excellent with several new plot twists.

I've read many 5 star reviews for this and several people have said it's their favorite Rachel Morgan book. Harrison does not slack off with the story line and intricate layers of the magical world have been built up throughout the series. I was missing out on that without reading the books in between but this was still very enjoyable. The ending has a good set up for book #10 next year.

I can't take it anymore...I'm off to read the rest of this series, right now!

Coming soon:
Hollows series graphic novel
7/12/11






Madison Avery series #3
late May or early June






Author site
Thank you to HarperCollins for a copy of this book to review.

Publisher: Harper Voyager (HarperCollins)
Release date: 2/22/11
Pages: 432
Price/format:$16.99/hardcover
Type: paranormal romance/urban fantasy

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading and asks you to :

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3 . Share 2 "teaser" sentences also citing the title of the book and the author and in that way people can have great recommendations if they like the "teaser".
4. Please avoid spoilers!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It seemed like the moment I lost consciousness, I found it again. It certainly wasn't where I'd left it.

~page 126
First Grave On The Right by Darynda Jones

Review: The Candidates (Delcroix Academy #1) by Inara Scott

I was a fraud,
a girl they thought was a hero
but was really a coward,
and it was only a matter
of time before they figured it out.

Dancia Lewis is far from popular. And that's not just because of her average grades or her less-than-glamorous wardrobe. In fact, Dancia's mediocrity is a welcome cover for her secret: whenever she sees a person threatening someone she cares about, things just...happen. Cars skid. Structures collapse. Usually someone gets hurt. So Dancia does everything possible to avoid getting close to anyone, belieiving this way she can supress her powers and keep them hidden.

But when recruiters from the prestigious Delcroix Academy show up in her living room to offer her a full scholarship, Dancia's days of living under the radar may be over. Only, Delcroix is a school for diplomats' kids and child geniuses--not B students with uncontrollable telekinetic tendencies. So why are they treating Dancia like she's special? Even the hottest guy on campus seems to be going out of his way to make Dancia feel welcome.

And then there's her mysterious new friend Jack, who can't stay out of trouble. He suspects something dangerous is going on at the Academy and wants Dancia to help him figure out what. But Dancia isn't convinced. She hopes that maybe the recruiters know more about her "gift" than they're letting on. Maybe they can help her understand how to use it...But not even Dancia could have imagined what awaits her behind the gates of Delcroix Academy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the author's debut novel and first book in a new YA series. (Love these covers!) Dancia is a teen who has spent her whole life trying hard not to be noticed. She wants to be ordinary although she is anything but. When she accepts an offer to attend Delcroix Academy she begins to learn more about herself and the person she thought she was.

The mystery in Dancia's life is interesting and kept me turning the pages. It was obvious that the school was hiding many secrets. Everyone here is special in some way but that's mysterious as well. The characters were stereotypical of most high schoolers. Jack is the rebel/bad boy who stirs up trouble and seeks answers. Cam is the popular golden boy, a poster child for the academy. Dancia soon finds herself drawn to both of these young men for the different things that each of them represents. The love triangle is a bit too traditional but maybe I've read too many of these lately. I thought the friendships that were developing with the other girls were more enjoyable and characters were fun and quirky.

The final chapters provide action and suspense that set up the next book. I liked the idea of the special powers and I look forward to seeing that aspect develop more as the series progresses. I'm curious to find out more about the secrets of Delcroix Academy and I'll be reading more from this author.

Thank you to Disney Book Group for a copy of this book in exchange for my review.


The Watchers (Delcroix Academy #2)
Release date: expected 8/2/11






Author's site
Author's blog
Publisher's site

Publisher: HarperCollins
Release date: 8/10
Pages: 293
Price/format: $16.99 /hardcover
Type: Teen fiction

Author Leah Clifford's Contest

YA book A Touch Mortal was recently released and author Leah Clifford is hosting A Touch Mortal's Assortment of Awesome Contest!
But hurry, contest ends today 3/31/11!

And make sure you check out her clever vlog
Shortened link to the vlog: http://dft.ba/:ATMVlog

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading and asks you to :

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3 . Share 2 "teaser" sentences also citing the title of the book and the author and in that way people can have great recommendations if they like the "teaser".
4. Please avoid spoilers!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

And that's when she heard, out of nowhere, near her ear, the voice of her dead husband, Jimmy.
"We got any Bud? I'm thirsty," Dead Jimmy said, causing Constance to jump straight out of her skin, scream like the devil, and run straight across the living room and out her front door.

~page 63
Every Demon Has His Day by Cara Lockwood

Review: Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Patch and Nora's

story continues...

Nora should have known her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described as anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away, and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home. The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch, or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

The first book in this series Hush, Hush was interesting and had mystery but some of characters actions made me crazy. Strange occurrences in a new house and the teen daughter stays there alone... repeatedly! Those kinds of things were frustrating but I was curious about the rest of the story and I kept reading.

I did like this book better than the first one. The story was more developed and the writing more mature. It was good to get some answers to the mysteries of Patch and Nora's past. I think I've been more interested in that than their present relationship. I'm sure part of that has to do with the fact that I'm not a teenager and I don't relate as well (although I do remember!) to some of the behavior. There was so much drama that kept things on edge but was so unnecessary. Of course Nora would be jealous if Patch seemed interested in Marcie but there were many times that I wondered why she didn't just ask him herself. And when they know there are life and death decisions involved it seems like they would try to have much better communication to avoid misunderstandings. Teen love is already hard but they were making it so much harder. It was an interesting storyline, it just felt drawn out to me.

The characters are becoming more developed and interesting now that we are learning their backgrounds. New characters were introduced including the villain with the unknown identity, the Black Hand. The mysteries are more complex and as we peel back the layers we start to get some answers, but only some. Nora is learning more about her Nephilim (that word was used way too much) bloodline and she knows there is more to the death of her father. She feels she may be responsible in some way and has no idea who she can trust anymore, even Patch. Of course, there is another cliff hanger ending so be prepared! I look forward to the next installment in the series Tempest coming in 2011.

These covers have always grabbed my attention and I think they are very striking. There is interesting information on the author's blog about how they were made and outtakes from the photo shoots. The first cover came from a photo of a model jumping on a trampoline - clever!

Thank you to Teen Simon & Schuster for an arc to review.

Hush, Hush (book 1) available now
Tempest (book 3) is due out Fall 2011.

Author - beccafitzpatrick.com

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release date: 10/19/10
Pages: 427
Price/format: $18.99/hardcover
Type: teen fiction

Review: Passing Strange by Daniel Waters

Karen DeSonne
always passed as
a normal teenager -
and now that she's dead,
she's still passing -
this time, as alive.

Karen DeSonne always passed as a normal (if pale) teenager; with her friends, with her family, and at school. Passing cost her the love of her life. And now that Karen’s dead, she’s still passing—this time, as alive. Karen DeSonne just happens to be an extremely human-like zombie. Meanwhile, Karen’s dead friends have been fingered in a high-profile murder, causing a new round of antizombie regulations that have forced them into hiding. Karen soon learns that the “murder” that destroyed their non-life was a hoax, staged by Pete Martinsburg and his bioist zealots. Obtaining enough evidence to expose the fraud and prove her friends’ innocence means doing the unthinkable: becoming Pete’s girlfriend. Karen’s only hope is that the enemy never realizes who she really is—because the consequences would be worse than death.

When I started this series I thought it was going to be all about the typical teen drama in high school with some paranormal stuff tossed in. Boy was I wrong. This was the third book of the set and they all share the themes of prejudice and intolerance. The fact that the victims here are zombies is actually not the main idea and they aren't described in the typical zombie fashion. They aren't the ghouls of the horror movies and Michael Jackson videos. They do suffer various physical ailments and possibly some deformities but they retain their intellect, memories and emotions. The same person who was accepted, loved and successful one day could easy be an uncoordinated outcast the next.

No one has been able to figure out why or how for the past several years some young people have returned after death. Since these kids no longer have a heartbeat they aren't technically alive, aren't considered citizens anymore and they have no rights. It's not even illegal to "reterminate" them. Society in general isn't very supportive and usually misunderstands them. There are even those who have developed a mob mentality and are on a mission to destroy the differently biotic teens. A few people have decided to try to make a difference and Karen DeSonne is one of them and is the main character in this book. Although she is dead, she looks normal and is able to pass for a typical teen. She risks everything to uncover the truth about recent crimes blamed on her friends. The consequences have been far-reaching and paranoia and fear have spread. Karen is trying to find out who sets this in motion before it's too late and more lives are lost.

I thought it was a very interesting and disturbing take on prejudice, intolerance and fear. The zombie kids could be almost any minority that has suffered in this horrible way. Using the popular paranormal theme brings the story current and sheds a new light onto these horrible issues. It really made me think about it more. It's hard enough to be a teenager trying to cope with all of the typical problems in their lives and then this comes along. The characters were interesting and engaging. I had strong feelings for or against them and their actions. This wasn't a series to be taken lightly. I was impressed with the author's story telling and look forward to reading more of his work.

Thank you to NonFiction.com

Publisher: Hyperion Children
Release date: June 2010
Pages: 386
Price/format: $16.99 /hardcover

Books in the series:

Generation Dead (#1)











Kiss of Life (Generation Dead #2)











Passing Strange (Generation Dead #3)

Review: Fallen by Lauren Kate

What if the person you
were meant to be with
could never be yours?

There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move. Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her. Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story.

I must be the last person on earth to have finally read this book. The mysterious prologue pulled me right in with an intriguing beginning but then the first half of the book moved a bit slow for me. While I realize there needs to be background information given to build up the story, especially for the beginning of a series, the early chapters didn't always hold my attention well. But I also didn't do the book justice with my sporadic reading so that was also a factor. I had too many interruptions to get into a good flow at first.

I liked the characters more as I got to know them. It was obvious they had many secrets and peeling back the layers of their past, getting to the real story, was interesting. Luce is drawn to the mysterious Daniel and the outgoing and friendly Cam. They are completely opposite and may not be the people they appear to be. She also forms a bond with Penn, a girl who has grown up at this school. I was a bit annoyed with Luce in the early chapters. She had been through so much - a mysterious fire that takes the life of her friend, being sent to a reform school, threatening black shadows that appear often and unexpectedly, a confusing love triangle - so I expected her to be sad and confused but she (and her parents!) seemed whimpy and weak. Why were they so trusting of all of these strangers? But as the story developed and progressed, so did Luce. She started to participate in her own destiny.

The creepy setting at the boarding school and cemetery added to the tension. As the chapters went by the story picked up for me and the suspense continued to build with more secrets being revealed. Some of them I was able to figure out but there were still interesting twists. I did like the ending even though the loose ends weren't all wrapped up with a tidy bow. It's a nice set up for the next book in the series, Torment, to be released September 2010. I will be looking forward to it.

www.fallenbooks.com

Thank you to Delacorte Press. I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review of this book.

Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release date: 12/8/09
Pages: 464
Price/format: $17.99/Hardcover
Type: YA fiction, paranormal