Croak

Croak by Gina Damico follows Lex who is sent to live with her uncle after a turbulent year where Gina's anger consistantly gets the best of her.  When she arrives in her uncles hometown she finds that things are not as she thought they would be.  Her uncle is a Grimm Reaper and he is going to teach Lex how to kill.

I loved this book.  The mythology was original and interesting.  I loved tough girl Lex and the other teens that she worked with.  The mystery was interesting and kept me guessing.  The ending is clear and fulfilling enough to not feel like a cliffhanger but there is still plenty of mystery to be explored.

Appropriateness:  This is a great book for teens that is mature enough for older teens to enjoy.  There is no real adult content although the teens do drink a mythological substance recreationaly while hanging out in a bar like setting.There is a bit of a romance but not enough to turn off readers who are not interested in romance.  I would recommend this book to readers 13+

Review copy provided by Amazon Vine

Fractured Light

Fractured Light by Rachel McClellan stars Llona who is an Aura, a supernatural with the ability to harness and control light.  Llona has spent her whole life running from the Vyken's whom killed her mother and working hard at remaining anonymous.    When during her senior year she starts making friends she finds her life changing and realizes that her powers are far different than she has imagined. 

This was a great book with a new and original mythology that I enjoyed.  Llona is a strong heroine who isn't afraid to question what she has been told and does not fall into the "I'm in trouble because I made stupid decisions" trap that so many female heroines fall into.  Her relationships with her friends, her bother and the complicated relationship with Christian make for an interesting story and everything folds together at the end (although a little predictably).

Appropriateness:  There is no adult content in the book.  Llona skips school excessively but is otherwise a model teen.  The romance is limited to a few clandestine kisses.  Llona is a high school senior and acts her age.  I would recommend this book to teens 13+

Life Eternal

Life Eternal (A Dead Beautiful Novel) by Yvonne Woon is the second book in the Dead Beautiful series.  This series features a mythology where if a child dies before they are twenty one and isn't buried or cremated they reanimate and while they can be totally normal they also want to suck the souls out of others to sustain their lives.
  Renee is training to be a monitor whose job is to bury the dead if they misbehave.  In the last book Renee's boyfriend was one of the dead and but they shared a soul so he didn't kill her when they kissed.  In this book Renee moves to a new school that is just for monitors.  In this book she has been having visions.  She uses these visions to solve a mystery.  

I was very disappointed in this sequel.  Renee spends way too much time whining and pining over her boyfriend.  The mystery was very slow and didn't start to get interesting until about three quarters through.  The characters aside from Renee floated in and out of the story and were not around long enough for me to become invested in them and some would randomly disappear for large chunks of time.

Appropriateness: There isn't any adult content in this book.  There is a sappy whiny romance that doesn't get physical and no substance abuse.  I would recommend this book to teens 13+ 

Drink Slay Love

Drink Slay Love by Sarah Beth Durnst follows Pearl, a sixteen year old vampire.  While snacking at the ice cream shop (from the boy behind the counter) she sees a sparkly unicorn.  The unicorn pierces her in the heart and she wakes up on her doorstep.  Pearl soon finds that she is able to walk in the sunlight and is sent to the local high school so that she can befriend the locals and find dinner for the upcoming ceremony with the king.

I think this is what happened with this book.  The editor told the author to write a book about vampires because vampires are hot in teen lit.  The author then rolled her eyes and thought fine, if you want a vampire book I'm going to make it absurd.  Then she wrote a terrific and serious book with the most absurd characters and twists (were-unicorns anyone?).  This made for a book that was both compelling and well plotted but also hysterically funny in it's small moments of absurdity.  I couldn't put the book down and loved it.

Appropriateness:  There is no adult content in this book (aside from a little nudity because of clothes that had to be burned).  The main character is seventeen and acts her age.  The romance is sweet and fairly innocent.  I would recommend this book to both older and younger YA readers 12+

Every Other Day

Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes stars Kali who has a mysterious life.  Every other day she turns into a super powerful hunter who has a need to hunt and kill paranormal creatures.  One day at her new school Kali sees a sign on one of her classmates, the popular Bethani that she has been taken over and will die within the day.  Kali takes the creature into herself because she is sure that she will be able to beat it but things are not as simple as they originally seem when the creature suddenly starts talking back and Kali starts craving blood.  Kali, her new friend Skylar and Bethani find that things are not as they seemed and find themselves running from an evil clandestine agency.

This was a fantastic read that I could not put down.  Kali was a strong girl who could kick butt and her friends provided both companionship and a little comic relief.  The concept felt fresh and original and the plot moved very quickly.  This was a fantastic book that I could not stop thinking about once I was finished and I look forward to any sequels that may follow.

Appropriateness:  Aside from a lot of gory violence there isn't any adult content.  This book was full of action and had no romance whatsoever.  Kali is an older teen and acts her age.  I would recommend this book to readers 14+ (although it is not inappropriate for younger readers). 

Review Copy Provided by Netgalley

Sucks to Be Me

  Mina's parents are vampires and now Mina has several weeks to decide if she wants to change into a vampire and leave her life behind or stay human and loose her family. There are of course boys, best friends, the junior prom and teachers complicating her life.


This is a fun book for teens. It's a quick read and has a plot and characters that young teens will embrace. If you are a fan of Sarah Mlynowski's Magic in Manhattan series or Meg Cabot's paranormal romances then you will love this book. It is light and cute as opposed to deep sexy and scary like vampire books written for older teens.

Appropriateness:  This book has no sex scenes (and the only mentions of sex are related to sex talks with parents) which makes it appropriate for young teens and tweens who want to read about teenagers but aren't ready for books that have more adult themes. This is a perfect book for the middle school set.

Fairy Bad Day

Fairy Bad Day by Amanda Ashby stars Emma who goes to a boarding school for kids who have The Sight to see and slay monsters that came over before the gates were closed.  Emma is sure she is going to be assigned to be a dragon slayer when she gets her assignment.  She is to be a fairy slayer, the first ever  She is not only upset at this assignment (which has her patrolling the mall with bags of skittles) which causes much teasing but she has to join up with Curtis the dragon slayer for an assignment.  When she spots a large fairy which no one else can see she must figure out how to slay him before something horrible happens.

I loved this book.  It was fantastic and so funny.  Emma was strong and resourceful and her banter with Curtis is perfect.  The mystery and world building were well crafted and made for a great setting for a humorous story.  There was enough action and romance to round out the story into something really special.  This is a quick and entertaining read that will have readers wanting more. 

Appropriateness:  There are no adult themes in this book.  The relationship is fairly innocent and sweet.  I would recommend this book to teens 12+ looking for a funny paranormal romance.

Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings

Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings by Helene Boudreau follows Jade who falls asleep in the tub and wakes up suddenly with a tail.  She soon learns that her Mother was a mermaid.  What she doesn't understand is how her mother the Mermaid drowned.  While walking by the lake she hears a voice and falls in and finds out that her mother is alive but has been kept as a prisoner in the lake.  Jade must figure out how to save her mother and keep her secret safe.

This was a very cute middle grade novel.  Jade is a spunky kid who doesn't need anyone to come to her rescue.  I loved the relationship that she has with her father and it's nice to read a book about a girl who has such a good relationship with her father.  It is a sweet and quick read that young readers will enjoy.

Appropriateness:  Jade is fourteen and acts like a middle schooler.  There is some period stuff that might make boys uncomfortable but besides that there is nothing inappropriate in the book.  There is a bit of romance which is mostly a crush.  I would recommend this book to readers 9-14.

Killer Pizza

Killer Pizza by Greg Taylor follows Toby a boy who is thrilled to start his new job at Killer Pizza.  He starts work with his co-workers Strobe and Anabelle and everything is going well when his boss Harvey tells them that the pizza shop is a front for an organization that hunts and kills monsters to keep the human population safe.  Toby and his friends start their training while also dealing with an infestation of Gruttatas, a disgusting monster that bites and transforms humans.

This is a great horror novel with heart.  Toby is a very likeable hero and the other two in his monster fighting team are likeable.  The monsters are a combination of vampire and werewolf and nicely terrifying.  The fight scenes are the best part of the book and action packed with crossbows and sharp nails and teeth.  I read this book quickly and think that teen boys will really enjoy it.

Appropriateness:  Aside from a little lying to his parents (and really would you tell your parents you were working for a top secret monster killing organization) there isn't any adult content or bad behavior in the book.  Toby is a nice kid who has good values, respects his parents and works hard.  There is no romance at all to turn off those who don't like romance.  I would recommend this book to teens 11+ and this will be one of my top recommends for teen boys.  The lexile is 770 putting it at a fifth grade reading level.

There is a sequel Killer Pizza: The Slice which will be out in a couple weeks.

Sweet Venom

Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs follows a set of triplets who were raised separately.  Grace who is a sweet girl next door who has just moved to town, Gretchen who was found on the streets and raised to be a monster fighter and Greer who was raised in a privileged household.  When they find each other and find out their destiny as daughters of Medusa, huntresses who will protect the world from monsters that only they can see and banish, and that their lives will never be the same. 

I really liked this book.  It seemed more mature and edgy than Childs' other books without moving into older teen only territory.  This was the first in the trilogy and provided a good setup to the characters and the mystery to come while still giving the reader a good story.  I look forward to seeing how the romantic relationships that the girls have change in the next book.  The mythology was well crafted and original.  I finished the book very quickly and was always interested to know what would happen next.

Appropriateness:  There was no adult content in this book.  The girls are in their late teens and seem like high school students.  The romances only consist of flirtation.  I would recommend this book to readers 12+

Review copy provided by Amazon Vine

Bloodlines

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead is a spin off series that is set in the same world as Vampire Academy.  While you can start this series without reading VA I would suggest that Vampire Academy be read first.  This series stars Sydney who is an Alchemist.  The Alchemist's are a society that protect the human world from finding about the existence of vampires.  Sydney is woken up in the middle of the night and told that she is being assigned to watch over the Vampire Queen's little sister Jill who is hiding from assassins in Palm Springs.  She is soon enrolled into a private boarding school with Jill, her bodyguard Eddie while Adrian is staying nearby.

This was a good introduction to a spin off series.  It had just enough of the past to make Vampire Academy fans happy but also does a good job of separating from the original and creating a new set of problems and mysteries for the characters.  The only thing that really bugged me about the book was Sydney's obsession with weight.  The girl seemed to think she was fat as a size four and obsesses over Jill's thin physique.  If a character is going to have weight issues then the author should at least make sure that the character isn't complaining about being a size four.  I sped through the book and look forward to the rest of the series.

Appropriateness:  This series is written for the older teen/adult crossover audience and the main character is eighteen.  There is quite a bit of smoking/drinking (although not by the main character).  There is no sexual content (although I would expect that there will be in later books).

Supernaturally

Supernaturally is the second book in the Paranormalcy series.  This series stars Evie a girl who works for an organization that controls supernatural beings, the IPCA.  Evie has a special power, she can see through the glamor of supernaturals that helps her with her job.

In this book Evie has moved out of the IPCA and is trying to live a normal life going to a regular high school and going out on dates with her boyfriend when the IPCA pops back into her life.  She partners up with a human named Jack who can travel on the Faerie paths and tries to balance both worlds.

This book suffered from a major sophomore slump and was lacking in a strong plot to pull the reader through.  The romantic relationships were strange and unsatisfying (and contained a scene where she sat and bawled miserably because of a breakup ugh) and while there were some very interesting moments in the story I felt a lot of it was boring.  While I would recommend the first book in the series this book was a disappointment and I would not recommend it.

Appropriateness:  There is no adult content in this book.  Evie is in her late teens and acts her age (except for saying beep instead of cursing, that's just annoying).  I would recommend this book to teens 13+

Sweetly

When Gretchen was young she was out in the woods with her brother Ansel her sister was taken by what she thought was a witch.  Now she's older and after being kicked out of the house by their stepmother Ansel and Gretchen move into a candy shop being run by Sophia.  Every year girls have disappeared after Sophia's chocolate festival and Gretchen is determined to find out why and to stop it.

The plot of this book moved very slowly and the romance/mystery wasn't enough to keep me super interested.  The back of the book promised me a take on the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel while the only real similarities were the names of the characters and the chocolate shop location.

Appropriateness:  There isn't much adult content in the book.  However I do not feel that it is one that young teens would enjoy because the main characters are out of school and over 18.  The plot is a bit scary and the final battle is very bloody and graphic.  I would put the interest level as 16+

Review copy obtained from publisher

Wildefire

Wildefire by Karsten Knight stars Ashline Wilde.  After suffering a traumatic experience involving her wild sister causing the death of a field hockey player though a lightning strike Ashlyn moves to a boarding school in California.  Soon after arriving she finds herself drawn to a group of students and they find out that they are gods which explains odd moments in their past and they quickly gain use of their powers.  While the others are told who they are Ashline's past and powers are still unexplained and her powerful storm goddess sister is inflicting chaos.

This book suffers from a bad publishing decision.  The person in charge of marketing the book spoils a major piece of the plot and the ending in all of the press materials.  An important development in the last thirty or so pages is printed on the back flap.  So while reading the book you know what the big reveal will be which ruins a large chunk of the story.  Aside from that the book was fairly good.  The mythology was well developed and original.  While there were a few snags in the writing that dragged in the beginning (including a section written in second person) and a large number of plot points left dangling I did enjoy the book and I cared about the characters.

Appropriateness:  There are quite a few drinking scenes including the kids drinking in a bar complete with fake ID's.  The sexual content is limited to heavy makeout sessions (and includes a scene where Ashline forcibly kicks a boy out of her room for being too demanding).  Ashline is  in her late teens and acts true to her age.  I would recommend this book to the older end of the YA audience, readers 13+

Fins are Forever

Fins Are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs is the sequel to Forgive My Fins.  The series stars Lily a Mermaid living in the human world.  In the last book Lilly got together with her boyfriend Quince and decided that she was going to give up her spot as princess to live in the human world.  Things are made more complicated when her cousin comes to stay with her having been exiled from her underwater kingdom and Lilly has to teach her to appreciate humanity.

I like this series.  It's sweet and cute.  It's fairly predictable but enjoyable nevertheless.  There was no endless drooling over guys that doesn't know the girl exists in this book which made it more enjoyable for me.  This is a pretty typical middle school romance light and fluffy and a very fast read.

Appropriateness:  There is no adult content in this book.  The main character is almost eighteen but behaves more like a middle schooler.  The romance is limited to very brief kisses.  I would recommend this book to girls 11-14 The lexile of the first in the series is 750 putting the book around a fifth grade reading level.

The Nine Lives of Chloe King

The Nine Lives of Chloe King by Liz Brazwell contains the three Chloe King books previously written under the pen name Celia Thomson.  This is a MASSIVE book.  The three books together make for a book so large that it takes two hands to hold (and isn't going to work in the bathtub).  If you've got an e-reader I'd suggest buying the digital copy even if it is more expensive.

The Nine Lives of Chloe King starts out with Chloe falling off of the Coit Tower on her sixteenth birthday.  Aside from a little blood she is just fine.  Chloe then starts to develop.  She becomes confident with her sexuality and she develops strange catlike powers and finds herself being chased by an unknown assailant.

 I had a hard time getting through the first of the three books in the series.  Chloe is self absorbed and fairly unlikeable.  She bounces from boy to boy and treats her friends badly.  The plot also moves very slowly.  Chloe doesn't find out who she is and the reader isn't given any answers at all until the last few pages and that still isn't much.  The mytholgy is different from much of what's out there

Appropriateness:  In the first few chapters Chloe drinks and gets hot and heavy with a stranger she met in a bar (although there is no sex).  She does have a nice relationship with her mother (although she isn't totally truthful) There is also a minor subplot about Chloe getting her period that would turn off male readers.  I would peg the interest level at 13 +

Misfit

Misfit by Jon Skovron follows Jael who finds out after her sixteenth birthday that she's part demon.  Her mother was a powerful demon (known by many names) who seduced men with her good looks and power.  She fell in love with Jael's father (a demon hunting priest) but was killed for having Jael.  The story follows Jael as she deals with the implications of her demon side and the story of how her father met her mom.  Her uncle Dagon provides her guidance and a little comic relief.

This book had story and a romance that were interesting to read and felt original.  However there were some writing quirks that I had issues with which could have been fixed with a stronger edit.  The villain was nice and evil and Jael was strong and independent (and didn't need rescuing from a boy), her boyfriend was a nice guy.  The mythology was believable.

Appropriateness:  Amazingly a book about a teenage succubus doesn't have any sex.  The romance is healthy and there is no substance abuse.  There is quite a bit of violence and scenes of torture and manipulation.  The plot revolves around the Catholic church in a way that might bother devout Catholics (but I think most will not be bothered).  I think the sub-plot with the flashbacks that follow Jael's parents would turn off younger YA readers.  I would recommend this book to fans of paranormal romance 14 and up.

ARC provided by Netgalley

Vampire Crush

Holly is excited about the new school year and a chance to be the editor of her school paper when she is assigned to interview a set of strange new students that have arrived at her high school. Their strange behavior and the appearance of her (surprisingly cute) childhood neighbor that has moved back to town who is also acting strangely causes her to become suspicious.

The story is a humorous one, and Holly has a great sense of humor and there are several comedic moments such as Holly arming herself with a wooden spoon after running through the school cafeteria, the principal starting the new school year with a ban on pointy shoes and a character who carries a hamster in his pocket.

Appropriateness:  Vampire Crush is a great vampire book for the younger middle grade set. The story while excessively predictable is one that will be enjoyed by readers that are not old enough for the more mature YA vampire novels and as a plus the book contains some advanced vocabulary which will make their English teachers happy. The romance is sweet and the sexual content is limited to a kiss or two. There aren't any adult themes that are explored in the book although it's humor will speak to older readers.

ARC received from Amazon Vine

Dead Rules

Dead Rules by Randy Russel follows Jenna who finds herself on a school bus going to a mystery school.  She soon realizes that she is attending a school for the dead.  The school has different types of students dependent on how they died.  Jenna is a Riser, one of the good kids who died by an accident.  Jana is obsessed with her boyfriend and is determined to kill him so they can be together forever but things are not as simple as she would like them to be.

I really enjoyed this book.  It was original and different and unlike anything I've read in a long time.  The idea of following ghosts from their world (as opposed to from the human side) was different.  I enjoyed reading about the different ways the characters died and the hierarchy in which they were placed in the school because of their death.  It's sort of sick and twisted and comedic at the same time.  The book is not action packed but there is enough humor and mystery to keep one interested.

Appropriateness:  I was worried that this book would glamorize death but it does the opposite as the more connected a student is to their death the worse their placement in the school with the suicides not being able to interact or be themselves.  The book has many cautionary tales as to keeping oneself safe and the dangers of drunk driving.  Aside from the kids who died while drunk driving and talks of others using drugs and ruining their lives there is no substance abuse and there is no sexual content.  I would recommend this book to teens 13+ who are fans of paranormal and ghost stories.

The Revenant

The Reveant by Sonya Gensler takes place at a female seminary in Talequah, Oklahoma before statehood.  Willie has stolen her roommates identity and teaching certificate and her job opportunity teaching girls at the seminary to avoid moving home to help her mother with the farm.  When she arrives she finds things are not as she expected, the girls are more educated and her room holds a secret.  It's former occupant died in an accident the prior year and many think it's haunted.  Willie must keep her identity secret and figure out how to be respected by her students while unraveling the mystery.

This is a very interesting historical paranormal.  The setting and time period is interesting and the author researched her background well.  Hearing Willie talk about herself (at 17) as an eternal spinster and being reprimanded for stepping out of the room with a boy is a stark contrast to how girls can act today.  The mystery surrounding the spirit is interesting and doesn't cause the author to make any huge jumps to imagine that it was true.  There was a bit of a romance that was sweet and approached in a fairly historically accurate manner.  The bits of poetry and Willie's love of literature are a nice addition to the story.  I was constantly engaged while reading and finished the book quickly.

Appropriateness:  The author went to pains to make the book historically accurate so there is no adult content and the romance is limited to glances and a few clandestine kisses.  Willie is seventeen and living and working as a teacher in a society that views her as an adult making this a good read for older teens.  I would recommend this book to teens 14 + with it being fully appropriate for younger readers.