Shadowlands by Kate Brian

Series: Shadowlands (bk. 1)

Genera: Paranormal/Mystery

Subjects: Murder, thriller, supernatural, horror, serial killers, islands

Age/Grade Level:

Length: 328 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Hyperion

Summary/ product description: “Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it. Rory survived… and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection with her father and sister, Darcy, leaving their friends and family without so much as a goodbye.
Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children, but now they can barely stand each other. As the sisters settle in to Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems like their new home may be just the fresh start they need. They fall in with a group of beautiful, carefree teens and spend their days surfing, partying on the beach, and hiking into endless sunsets. But just as they’re starting to feel safe again, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?”

My Rating: êêêê

My Review: This book was crazy and awesome and confusing. It had a cliffhanger-ish ending that has me dying to find out what’s going to happen in the next book. I don’t know if I loved this book. There were times when I had no clue what was going on and how it was going to play out. Confession: after reading the reviews, I had to peak at the last page. I read the last line. It wasn’t the biggest spoiler ever. Reading that last line made me want to read this book more. At first the book summary makes it seem like a contemporary/realistic horror story. I prefer paranormal, but murder mysteries are intense too. I read Ten by Gretchen McNeil, and that was good, realistic horror, so either way, YA needs more horror stories and murder mysteries.

The book is narrated in 1^st person past tense from Rory’s point of view. Rory’s a science geek who want to be a doctor someday. Her older sister, Darcy, is much more sociable and popular. Rory is the target of a serial killer and escapes. The FBI shows up at her house and after a week of not finder Steven Nell, Rory and her family are put into the witness protection program. They end up on an island called Juniper Landing. Some bad things happen or don’t happen along the way. You’ll just have to guess what’s real. But in the end, so many pieces don’t seem to fit. You have to overlook them. Maybe they’ll be explained in book 2.

On the island they meet some teens. Tristan, Krista, Olive, Joaquin and a few more. They seem very secretive. They have a few parties. Tristan is a very complicated guy, and Joaquin is a bit of a bossy, charismatic, jerk, but Darcy seems to like it. Also, Rory seems to think that Steven Nell is on the island and she keeps hearing things and find clues. It seems like every other chapter something like that happens. That’s way too often, but her PTSD is making her paranoid. Of course, since we also get to see the killer perspective in 3^rd person, we know that he is there.

The island itself is an interesting setting. It’s described as beautiful, quaint and too perfect. There’s no cell service or internet or even contact with the outside world. And seclusion like that just screams creepy, or what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-this-place? There’s also some scary fog. Also, there are no islands off the coast of South Carolina that can’t be driven to by car over a bridge. No place to take a long ferry ride. I checked on Google Earth. This book is definitely not set in South Carolina, trust me. It felt more like that island I visited in Ohio called South Bass Island, in Lake Eerie (pretty much the only island I’ve been to by ferry, and I’ve never been to the ocean!). I recommend reading this in summertime, because of the setting. Can I just have book 2’s summary now? I really want to know more about this island.

Cover Art Review: Ever since I saw this cover, I’ve wanted to read this book. Now that I see the cover in real life, it’s better looking than on screen. The angel of the girl looking up is a very unique pose and perspective. She looks like how Darcy is described. Brunette. I like the birds. The title is metallic bronze. The cover is velvety texture. I love the color scheme. The mint green/blue color of the clouds. The back cover has another girl on it, one who looks like Rory. And trees. The inside cover is whitish with dark specks. The title is on the spine in bronze.

 

~Haley G

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff

Series: Standalone /Not a series

Genera: Horror/Paranormal Thriller/Mystery

Subjects: Ghosts, supernatural, serial killers, murder, death, summer

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 304 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Penguin: Razorbill

Summary/ product description: “The city of Ludlow is gripped by the hottest July on record. The asphalt is melting, the birds are dying, petty crime is on the rise, and someone in Hannah Wagnor’s peaceful suburban community is killing girls.
For Hannah, the summer is a complicated one. Her best friend Lillian died six months ago, and Hannah just wants her life to go back to normal. But how can things be normal when Lillian’s ghost is haunting her bedroom, pushing her to investigate the mysterious string of murders? Hannah’s just trying to understand why her friend self-destructed, and where she fits now that Lillian isn’t there to save her a place among the social elite. And she must stop thinking about Finny Boone, the big, enigmatic delinquent whose main hobbies seem to include petty larceny and surprising acts of kindness.
With the entire city in a panic, Hannah soon finds herself drawn into a world of ghost girls and horrifying secrets. She realizes that only by confronting the Valentine Killer will she be able move on with her life—and it’s up to her to put together the pieces before he strikes again.
Paper Valentine is a hauntingly poetic tale of love and death by the New York Times bestselling author of The Replacement and The Space Between.”

My Rating: êêê

My Review: If you’re looking for a wintery read about Valentine’s Day, then don’t read this book. If you’re looking for a paranormal horror story or murder mystery, then that’s what you’ll get. Its set in summertime, in a town called Ludlow (I looked it up, there’s only a Ludlow in Massachusetts, but the setting seems more Southern, possible Virginia or Texas). This book is a bit slow moving. It’s not that creepy. It’s light horror with some romance and a ghost of a best friend.

I liked that this book was written in first person, present tense. I liked that Hannah and her friends had this hobby of customizing their outfits, and creating unique accessories. I liked some of the other characters. Her sister Ariel and her friend Pinky. The author has a way of creating unique, relatable character. There were some definitely good things in this book.

The main issue was the plot. It wasn’t super clichés, but it was slow. It felt more contemporary than paranormal. It wasn’t as creepy as the last two books. The idea of a killer leaving Valentines and toys around his victims was interesting, but at some point I was pretty sure I knew who the killer was.

This book was very impression-less to me. It’s stand-alone, so at least there’s no sequel. I was hoping that there’d be more paranormal stuff. I love ghost stories and murder mysteries, but this one was not thrilling enough for me. It was just okay. Give it a try if the summary interests you. 

Cover Art Review: The cut paper design is really interesting. It’s vector art, done in Illustrator. The gray clouds and grass seem a bit misleading since this book is actually set in summertime, not winter.

 

~Haley G

The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting

Release Date: April 17th

Publisher: HarperTeen

Series: The Body Finder series (bk.  3)

Genera: Paranormal Romance/murder mystery thriller

Subjects: Kidnappings, murderers, serial killers, psychic ability, FBI

Length: 358 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

Summary/ product description: “Violet kept her morbid ability to sense dead bodies a secret from everyone except her family and her childhood-best-friend-turned-boyfriend, Jay Heaton. That is until forensic psychologist Sara Priest discovered Violet's talent and invited her to use her gift to track down murderers. Now, as she works with an eclectic group of individuals—including mysterious and dangerously attractive Rafe—it's Violet's job to help those who have been murdered by bringing their killers to justice. When Violet discovers the body of a college girl killed by "the girlfriend collector" she is determined to solve the case. But now the serial killer is on the lookout for a new "relationship" and Violet may have caught his eye.”

My Rating: êêêêê

My Review: This series just keeps getting better and better! I love Jay and Violet! I love Violet’s unique ability! Finding body by their echoes, sensing imprints on killers. This series is a wonderful mix of funny, creepy, scary and just plain awesome. And this killer is the creepiest yet. He kidnaps women and wants them to love him, and if they don’t, he kills them (no spoiler in here). 

Also, there’s new characters! Rafe was new in the last book, along with Sara Priest. Rafe is kinda moody, and I don’t like the idea of a love triangle between Violet, him and Jay. “TEAM JAY ALL THE WAY!” I like Rafe, but Violet needs to stay with Jay. (And the name Rafe makes me think of werewolves from another series…) The new characters are the other psychics on their team. It’s awesome. Most of them have psychometry of some kind, and empathy and one’s a medium. I won’t tell you who has what.

And there's another bad guy who Violet meets. Some gang banger who’s mad at her. Side stories like these make things even more interesting. Things are getting really dangerous for Violet and her family doesn’t want her working on the team anymore.

There’s a lot more action and surprises. You won’t be disappointed with this book! I can’t wait to read book 4!!!

Cover Art Review: The flower is lilac, the color of the nail polish the killer puts on the girls. It’s a nice touch!

~Haley G

The Name of The Star by Maureen Johnson

Series: Shades of London (bk. 1)
Genera: Paranormal, Thriller, Mystery
Subjects: London, ghosts, murder, Jack the Ripper, serial killers, police, boarding schools, romance
Length: 372 pgs.
HC/PB: Hardcover
Summary/ product description: "A modern-day thriller about Rory, an American high-school student who enrolls at a London boarding school for her junior year. Soon after her arrival, a series of murders begins to take place across the city—on the exact dates and in the exact style of Jack the Ripper. Rory’s ties to the killer bring her in contact with a secret paranormal branch of the British police, as they attempt to stop the mysterious killer."

My Rating:ê ê ê ê

My Review: This book was also so much better than I thought it would be! I happy to know it was set in the present, and at a boarding school. I love boarding school books! I’m not a fan of British stuff, but this book made it awesome. And Jack the Ripper? I remember a whole live episode of Most Haunted dedicated to the ghost of Jack the Ripper, it was interesting to learn about Jack the Ripper, and the mystery of his murders.

The characters were well written. They each had a different personality. Rory was very southern: she kept mentioning how southerners can slowly talk you to death. Jazza was more shy. Jerome was interested in the Ripper. Charlotte was competitive. Boo was athletic and said “yeah” at the end of sentences. Callum was “hormonal.” Stephen was Stephen, and a police officer. I like the whole ghosts police idea.

Maureen really had a sense a humor in the dialog and plot, and pretty much everything. There were some very ridiculous parts. Read it, and you’ll understand what I mean. The humor was in the characters too, as I mentioned.

I highly recommend this series. It’s a fresh ghost story. It’s a great read for this fall. Best around Halloween.

Cover Art Review: I really like this cover. The girl on it is not Rory, but the layered images look cool and creepy. Very English and Victorian ghosts… I love the swirls of gold. The fonts used seem unique. I may have seen them before, but the look like the were altered specifically for this series. I love the texture of the book jacket. It’s the sparkly plastic coated kind that’s also used on the Hush, Hush and Nightshade series covers.

~Haley G