Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

From the back cover:

"Rose Hathaway knows it's forbidden to love another guardian. Her best friend, Lissa, is the last Dragomir princess - must always come first. Unfortunately, when it comes to gorgeous Dimitri Belikov, some rules are meant to be broken....

But since making her first Strigoi kills, Rose hasn't been feeling right. Something dark has begun to grow in her mind and ghostly shadows warn of a terrible evil draing nearer to the Academy's iron gates. And now that Lissa and Rose's sworn enemy, Victor Dashkov, is on trial for his freedom, tensions in the Moroi world are higher than ever.

Lying to Lissa about Dimitri is one thing, but suddenly there's way more than friendship at stake. The immortal undead are on the prowl, and they want vengeance for the lives that Rose has stolen. In a heartstopping batle to rival her worst nightmares, Rose will have to choose between life, love, and the two people who matter most... but will her choice mean that only one can survive?"
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This series has yet to disappoint me. I had been expecting "just another vamp novel" when I picked up the first book of the series.... but it has totally proven me wrong. It has a similar setting to others I've read, but it takes it to a whole new level. I love the idea of the different ranks/divisions/races within the vampire community.

I do have to say that the ending of this book took me completely by surprise. I'm not going to tell you what it is, of course, but I was a bit shocked. And it's very much a cliffhanger that has me searching for the publication date in the next book. If you've never read any of this series, I highly recommend starting with the first. Vampire Academy. It takes a little time to get used to the words a little bit, but it's a pretty great story.

There are other blog reviews of this book: Here (watch out for spoilers on that one), here, and here.

Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez

Product description:

"Welcome to Nightshade, California—a small town full of secrets. It’s home to the pyschic Giordano sisters, who have a way of getting mixed up in mysteries. During their investigations, they run across everything from pom-pom-shaking vampires to shape-shifting boyfriends to a clue-spewing jukebox. With their psychic powers and some sisterly support, they can crack any case!

Teenage girls are being mysteriously attacked all over town, including at Nightshade High School, where Daisy Giordano is a junior. When Daisy discovers that a vampire may be the culprit, she can’t help but suspect head cheerleader Samantha Devereaux, who returned from summer break with a new “look.” Samantha appears a little . . . well, dead, and all the most popular kids at school are copying her style.

Is looking dead just another fashion trend for Samantha, or is there something more sinister going on? To find out, Daisy joins the cheerleading squad."

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This book was such a fun and easy story to get into. I was expecting it to be a lot more fantasy, but I really enjoyed the mystery aspect that pulled me in. It's such a simple story and is definitely predictable... but that doesn't really put a damper on the story. I was expecting more to happen with a few of the story lines, but there's a second book in the series.... so maybe it will be fleshed out a little more in the next one.

I'd recommend this to absolutely any type of reader - especially those "reluctant readers" that need something fast paced and interesting. Here are some other blog reviews: Here, here, and here. And there is an author interview done by Cynthia Leitich Smith here.

OH, and here's the author's blog :).

At Face Value by Emily Franklin

Synopsis from barnesandnoble.com:


"In this modern love story, Cyrano de Bergerac is reinvented as a brilliant and funny seventeen-year-old . . . girl. A tennis champion, straight-A student, and editor of the school paper, Cyrie Bergerac has learned to live with her (ahem) peculiar proboscis. And she's got an armory of witty retorts for every schnoz joke that comes her way. But despite her talents and charm, Cyrie is convinced that no guy—hot or otherwise—would deem her crush-worthy. Certainly not Eddie "Rox" Roxanninoff, who's gorgeous, smart, and genuinely nice to boot!

There's someone else smitten with Rox, too. It's Leyla, Cyrie's pretty yet tongue-tied best friend. Helping Leyla seduce Rox through email provides a wonderful way for Cyrie to express her true feelings. But watching her crush hook up with Leyla may be more than she can take. Will Cyrie find the strength to risk it all—nose be damned—and confess her love?"
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I know this sounds really ridiculous, but I didn't realize this was a retelling of Cyrano. I guess I've been out of the classic literature so long, I didn't even think about it. I was just enjoying the story! But that aside... I really liked this book. It took me back to the thoughts and feelings I definitely had through high school about friends and life in general. It's a little predictable and I had a few moments of feeling embarassed for the main character, Cyrie. But besides that, I had a lot of fun with this one.

Girls in general are really going to like this book. It's got a bit of the "moral of the story" ending, but that doesn't so much take away from the overall feel of the story (which it usually does for me). Here are some other blog reviews: Here, and here. And check out the author's Librarything account :).

Lord of Misrule by Rachel Caine

From the cover:
"Morganville, Texas. Just south of normal.

In the college town of Morganville, vampires and humans have coexisted in (relatively) bloodless harmony... until the arrival of Bishop, a master vampire who threatens to put the evil back in evil undead and smash the fragile peace. But Bishop isn't the only threat...

Violent black clouds promise a storm of devastating proportions. As student Claire Danvers and her friends prepare to defend Morganville against the elements - both natural and unnatural - the unexpected happens: Morganville's vampires begin to vanish one by one."
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This is the fifth book in the Morganville Vampires series - and I have really loved every one of them. The story is of a girl, Claire, who decides to go to college (early because of being basically a genius :)) in a small Texas town - that just happens to be run by vampires. The series is the story of how the human's lives get entangled with the vampires. Each story leaves you on a serious cliff hanger - enough that you really do wish you had the next book waiting for you.


These are a fast read and every vampire story-lover could get sucked in (hah. get it? sucked in. sorry). And I'd almost recommend them to just about anyone - as long as they can get into the fantasy stuff. It's a very interesting idea that makes vampires seem possible and part of reality (ahem, not saying they are). It is more on the tame side for a vamp story, but high on the adventure.


Anyway, there are other blog reviews online: Here, here, here, and here.

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

From the book jacket:

"When eleven-year-old Gregor follows his little sister through a grate in the laundry room of their NEw York apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland beneath the city. There, humans live uneasily beside giant spiders, bats, cockroaches, and rats - but the fragile peace is about to fall apart.

Gregor wants no part of a conflict between these creepy creatures. He just wants to find his way home. But when he discovers that a strange prophecy foretells a role for him in the Underland's uncertain future, he realizes it might be the only way to solve the biggest mystery of his life. Little does he know his quest will change him and the Underland forever."

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To be honest, I picked up this book purely because of my love of Hunger Games. I've heard wonderful things about this series for a long time and decided to finally give it a go. I really wasn't disappointed. It was written a bit for the younger kids - early teen years, so it's not nearly as intense as Hunger Games (I'm going to stop with the comparisons there). I enjoyed the setting and the possibilities of what's living deep beneath NYC. There was plenty of humor and action to keep the story from being too heavy.

I really think all kids should read this in their transition into the more meaty YA lit (even if it is fantasy/sci fi). I will look forward to getting my hands on the next book in this series! Other blog reviews are here, here, and here.