While vampires and Greek myths remain popular, they’ve taken a backseat to some perennial favorites. Ghosts, aliens, and mythical monsters appear more than once in this season’s sets. Fairy tales, too, have a foothold.
Creatures of the Night: Mythology, the Supernatural, & Folklore | Series Made Simple Spring 2013
By on April 10, 2013 Leave a Comment
Review: The Madness Underneath
By on March 7, 2013
The Madness Underneath: The Shades of London, Book Two by Maureen Johnson. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. 2013. Personal copy. Sequel to The Name of the Star. The Plot: Rory, physically recovered from being stabbed by a killer ghost, returns to her boarding school. That ghost is gone, but she soon [...]
Review: Girl of Nightmares
By on February 19, 2013
Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake. Tor Teen. 2012. Sequel to Anna Dressed in Blood. Reviewed from library copy. The Plot: Months ago, the ghost Anna Korlov sacrificed herself to save Cas Lowood. His friends and family tell him: she’s gone. Gone wherever it is that ghosts go. Cas wants to believe them, except he keeps seeing [...]
Review: Pale
By on November 16, 2012
Pale by Chris Wooding. Stoke Books. 2012. Reviewed from ARC from publisher.
The Plot: The Pales have white hair and skin and spooky eyes. They are the fortunate, or unfortunate, ones who have received the Lazarus Serum that brings them back from the dead. Their heart stops beating, they don’t breath, they are dead . . [...]
Review: White Devil
By on October 30, 2012
White Devil by Justin Evans. HarperCollins. 2011. Personal copy. Part of my Holiday Reads for Grown Up series; and what better book to pick than one that is not just a ghost story, but is a haunted boarding school story?
The Plot: American Andrew Taylor has been sent to an exclusive British boarding school, Harrow, for [...]
Review: Moon and Blood, volumes 1-2
By on October 25, 2012
Sayaka is a cheerful, outgoing girl, the complete opposite of the new house guest staying with her family, Kai Kuryuu. He’s handsome, aloof, and a complete mystery. But the more Sayaka tries to get closer to him, the more he pushes her away. Will she be able to reach him? More importantly, should she? Kai [...]
Review: The Infects
By on October 23, 2012
The Infects by Sean Beaudoin. Candlewick Press. 2012. Review from ARC from publisher.
The Plot: So, Nick Sole is working at plant that produces fast food chicken. It’s a dead end job, but he’s not really a slacker — he has to help support his family, since his mom left, his dad doesn’t do much of [...]
Pick of the Day: The Raven Boys
By on October 1, 2012 Leave a Comment
STIEFVATER, Maggie. The Raven Boys. Bk. 1. 408p. (The Raven Cycle). Scholastic. 212. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-42492-9; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-46979-1.
Gr 8 Up–Blue was born into a psychic family with the misfortune of having no psychic ability of her own. However, her presence helps others “see” more clearly, which has led to every psychic she’s ever met predicting that if Blue were to kiss her true love, he would die. Not interested in boys yet and especially repulsed by the [...]
Review: The Blood Keeper
By on September 27, 2012
The Blood Keeper by Tessa Gratton. Random House. 2012. Reviewed from ARC from publisher. Companion to Blood Magic.
The Plot: Mab Prowd, 17, has grown up in the world of blood magic. She and others keep themselves isolated on a Kansas farm, practicing magic and taking care of each other. Mab is strong, proud, and sure [...]
Review: The Raven Boys
By on September 18, 2012
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. Scholastic. 2012. Reviewed from arc from publisher. Official website.
The Plot: Blue Sargent, sixteen, is part of a family of psychics in Henrietta, Virginia. Since she can remember, the same prediction has been made about her: she would kill her true love. With a kiss. Blue keeps people at arms length, to [...]
