Once Dead, Twice Shy (Madison Avery #1) by Kim Harrison

Genre: teen paranormal
Series and Book #: Madison Avery #1
Pages: 232
Synopsis: My name is Madison Avery, and I'm here to tell you that there's more out there than you can see, hear, or touch. Because I'm there. Seeing it. Touching it. Living it.

Madison's prom was killer--literally. For some reason she's been targeted by a dark reaper--yeah, that kind of reaper--intent on getting rid of her, body and soul. But before the reaper could finish the job, Madison was able to snag his strange, glowing amulet and get away.

Now she's stuck on Earth--dead but not gone. Somehow the amulet gives her the illusion of a body, allowing her to toe the line between life and death. She still doesn't know why the dark reaper is after her, but she's not about to just sit around and let fate take its course.

With a little ingenuity, some light-bending, and the help of a light reaper (one of the good guys! Maybe...), her cute crush, and oh yeah, her guardian angel, Madison's ready to take control of her own destiny once and for all, before it takes control of her. Well, if she believed in that stuff.

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I felt like I was just plopped right into the middle of the story, with really no introduction to the characters or why they were with Madison. And that, my friends, is a result of not having read Kim Harrison's short story Madison and the Dim Reaper in the book Prom Nights from Hell.

I loved Harrison's writing. I thought, like Lauren Oliver, she wrote just enough to make you want to keep reading without sounding too old or too young. I didn't think that she had quite enough characterization and at points she went a little too fast with the story and I had to reread to understand what was happening. But I thought that Madison was a real MC and the story ended where I understood what was going on, but still had some questions, making way for the sequel.

Overall, I loved this book. I thought that Kim didn't really explained the reapers and angels well. When she talked about them in the book, she didn't really go deeper than "this happens when you do that" and "that happens when you do this." Well, why? Since I didn't read the short story beforehand, I guess that it might make more sense if you do. So, if you decide to read these books, read Kim Harrison's short story in Prom Nights from Hell titled Madison and the Dim Reaper.

The Cover: It really captures what I thought Madison looked like. I like it!

Cover Love and Preview: Awake at Dawn by C. C. Hunter

As I mentioned earlier, I loved C. C. Hunter's Born at Midnight! As I was looking at the sequel, Awake at Dawn, I fell even more in love with this cover! Check it out:

Now that she’s settled in at Shadow Falls Camp, Kylie Galen’s determined to discover the extent of her supernatural abilities.  But with a ghost insisting someone Kylie loves is about die, a rogue vampire on a murdering rampage, and her sixth sense telling her someone is watching her, Kylie’s quest for answers is quickly put on hold. 

To make matters worse, just when she’s about to give her heart to Derek, a half-fairy, he starts pulling away.  When Lucas, a werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past, returns, Kylie’s feels more conflicted than ever. Her weekend with her mom should have been the just the break Kylie needs, but it turns out to be her breaking point.  Someone from the dark side of the supernatural world has plans for Kylie--and it'll take all her resources to get back to Shadow Falls alive...

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The cover is just amazing with Kylie standing in front of Shadow Falls. I have to admit that I'm a sucker for blues and turquoises like this. The waterfall is just breathtaking!! *Gush*

I can't wait to see the next installment in Kylie's life. Hunter does a nice job with her characterization, and truth be told, I can't wait for Lucas to come back! He was my favorite out of Derek and Lucas, the two boys vying for Kylie's attention. Can't wait for this one!

Awake at Dawn comes out on October 11, 2011

Born at Midnight (Shadow Falls #1) by C. C. Hunter

Genre: teen paranormal
Series and Book #: Shadow Falls #1
Pages: 398
Synopsis: Welcome to Shadow Falls camp, nestled deep in the woods of a town called Fallen....

One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls--a camp for troubled teens--and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren't just "troubled". Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, witches, and faeries train side by side, learning to harness their powers, control their magic, and live in the normal world.

Kylie's never felt normal, but surely she doesn't belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks, either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn't complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek's a half Fae who's determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin' hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Derek and Lucas couldn't be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart.

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one this is becoming painfully clear: Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs....

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Kylie comes off as a brat in the first couple of chapters. She cries because her "daddy doesn't love her anymore" and she pouts when her mother sends her to Shadow Falls Camp. She also avoids everyone around her when she's there, except for "normal-looking" Derek who looks extremely like her ex-boyfriend Trey. But her change as she gets to know her roommates Della and Miranda is a relief. Her obvious prejudice gives way to care about everyone at the camp. She was really awesome once she started to forget that everyone was different and just focused on who they were.

I loved the setting of this book. A beautiful camp in a secluded town really set up the story well. Hunter did a nice job describing the camp, but I thought the use of electronics was a little unrealistic for it being a campground. The side characters were awesome and Hunter did a nice job with her characterization.

Overall, I will definitely be picking up the sequel to this book. Hunter's setting and characters were awesome and I just flew through the pages (in a good way!) Some parts of the book felt childish, but I loved how she closed the book and tied up the loose ends and answered questions.

The Cover: Dark, and very haunting. I have to admit that I judged this book mostly by its cover...lovely cover. Love it.

Daily Dose (24)

Daily Dose is a weekly meme hosted by Good Golly Miss Holly where we share wonderful photos we find online. In honor of the beautiful days of summer ahead (at least, for me) I've collected summer-ful pictures! Enjoy!

Camping up north...

...racing to the beach in your convertible...

...relaxing on your front porch, pretending you're at the beach...

...vacay on a Caribbean beach...

...or swimming with sea turtles!

Have a great summer everyone!! (Or a nice winter!)

Preview: Soul Theif by Jana Oliver

Riley Blackthorne is beginning to learn that there are worse things than death by demon. And love is just one of them…

Seventeen-year-old Riley has about had it up to here. After the devastating battle at the Tabernacle, trappers are dead and injured, her boyfriend Simon is gravely injured, and now her beloved late father’s been illegally poached from his grave by a very powerful necromancer. As if that’s not enough, there's Ori, one sizzling hot freelance demon hunter who’s made himself Riley’s unofficial body guard, and Beck, a super over-protective “friend” who acts more like a grouchy granddad.  With all the hassles, Riley’s almost ready to leave Atlanta altogether.

But as Atlanta’s demon count increases, the Vatican finally sends its own Demon Hunters to take care of the city’s “little” problem, and pandemonium breaks loose. Only Riley knows that she might be the center of Hell’s attention: an extremely powerful Grade 5 demon is stalking her, and her luck can't last forever…

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At the end of The Demon Trapper's Daughter, Jana Oliver included the first chapters of the second novel in the series Soul Theif, although it didn't have a title when I last checked. And after having read The Demon Trapper's Daughter, I can't wait to read the sequel. Hopefully, this book will be better than the prequel, and it will have Riley as more of a grown-up rather than a whiny and emotional teen. I also hope to see more of the goings on around Riley, like the witches and necromancers, rather than all demon trappers.

The Demon Trapper's Daughter (Demon Trapper #1) by Jana Oliver

Genre: teen fantasy and sci-fi
Series and Book #: Demon Trappers #1
Pages: 360
Synopsis: Riley Blackthorne just needs a chance to prove herself--and that's exactly what the demons are counting on....

Seventeen-year-old Riley, the only daughter of legendary demon trapper Paul Blackthorne, has always dreamed of following in her father's footsteps. The good news is, with human society seriously disrupted by economic upheaval and Lucifer increasing the number of demons in all major cities, Atlanta's local Trapper's Guild needs all the help it can get--even from a girl. When she's not keeping up with her homework or trying to manage her growing crush on fellow apprentice Simon, Riley's out saving distressed citizens from foul-mouthed little devils--Grade One Hellspawn only, of course, per the strict rules of the Guild. Life's about as normal as can be for the average demon-trapping teen.

But then a Grade Five Geo-Fiend crashes Riley's routine assignment at a library, jeopardizing her life and her chosen livelihood. And as if that wasn't bad enough, sudden tragedy strikes the Trappers Guild, spinning Riley down a more dangerous path than she ever could have imagined. As her whole world crashes down around her, who can Riley trust with her heart--and her life?

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Not as great as I thought it was going to be, but it wasn't a total disappointment. I found myself caught up in the world and the creatures more than Riley and her life.

Riley wasn't my favorite heroine ever. She was whiny and she was stubborn to the point of stupidity, especially when it came to Denver Beck, her father's friend and previous apprentice. She was determined that whatever she thought was correct, like that Beck was a jerk and that the entire world sucked. She was very pessimistic. I was also looking for a tougher heroine, but I didn't get that with Riley. But, I did like that she cared for people. She was determined to keep her father from being reanimated after death and to save the ones she loves when tragedy strikes in the last couple of chapters.

I loved the future setting with the terrible economy. I think it set the stage for many of the problems that arose, like why her father had to work so much and why Riley went after a Three on her own. It also added a creepy edge to the story--the fact that anything could happen built more suspense in the action scenes.

Overall, The Demon Trapper's Daughter was a fun read. It had action, mystery, romance (a nice romance between Riley and Simon...and Beck's secret crush on Riley!) and a interesting world. It surprised me that the civilians knew all about the demons and angels roaming the streets. Same with the necromancers and witches. Oliver made all the paranormal creatures and people come out in the open, rather than having them lurk in the shadows and have secret societies. I liked that about this book. Although it wasn't my favorite, I'll be looking forward to the sequel, Soul Thief, coming August 30th.

The Cover: I like the red and the girl holding the sphere. At first, I thought it was the moon, but after reading the book, I think its one of the magical spheres trappers use. Very cool cover.

In My Mailbox: May (4)

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren where we share what books we've received/ borrowed/bought etc. I don't receive/borrow/buy enough books for a weekly IMM, but I have one every month. Here's April's!

Library Finds:

The Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver

Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison

Born at Midnight by C. C. Hunter

Bought:

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Borrowed:

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

Happy reading!