Born at Midnight

Gr 9 Up—P.C. Cast meets Rick Riordan in this new series. Shadow Falls Camp is a place for supernatural kids to learn how to deal with who they are and help them to blend into "normal human" society. Witches, werewolves, fairies, shape-shifters, vampires, and a ghost whisperer, this place has them all. There's even a branch of the FBI assigned to maintain surveillance and order among the supernatural races. Kylie goes there at the recommendation of the psychiatrist her parents have sent her to in order to help her deal with their divorce. Kylie thinks that she's normal and doesn't even know that supernaturals exist, but after arriving at camp, she gets a crash course and a wake-up call to who and what she may be. Although the first two chapters are awkward, with phrases like "I don't give a flip what you do" and "but blast it, look where being good had gotten her," things are rolling by chapter three and the characters start to sound more like actual teens. While this genre may be crowded, there's definitely room for this novel, and once readers make it past the bumpy beginning, they won't want to put it down. The love stories, the new and interesting powers, and how these supernatural beings integrate into society make for an engaging read.—Genevieve Gallagher, Charlottesville High School, VA