Who Knew Pixies Could be so Enticing?

Pixies, like faeries, are sweet, cute, harmless creatures, right? WRONG! What happened to the cute little pixies we remember from our childhood stories? Now they have blue skin, are tall, with jagged teeth... Oh, and they drink people's blood and torture them... Yeah, these are creeper pixies who can barely be controlled. But Zara was turned into a pixie at the end of the second book in this series, Captivate. Has she become one of these creepers in body and soul in Carrie Jones's third book, Entice?

Now that Zara allowed Astley to turn her into a pixie to save Nick, she has to deal with who she has become- is she still Zara, the girl who writes letters for Amnesty International and worries about keeping people safe or is she Astley's pixie queen with a legion of pixie followers (and traitors)? Most importantly, how can she save Nick from Valhalla where the Valkyrie took his warrior soul? Frank, the pixie king who let the trapped pixies loose, not only "killed" Nick and caused him to be sent to Valhalla, he has also unleashed pure evil upon the small town in Maine. With all those pixies loose, Zara and her "were" (were-eagle, were-bear, etc.) friends are struggling to maintain the protection of the people in town. Already a dozen young men have gone missing and the police and FBI believe a serial killer is loose. But Zara and her friends know the truth- pixies are capturing the teen boys to feed off of and torture.

While Zara continues the search to find Valhalla, she and Astley find themselves in a lot of danger. It seems someone else is aligning pixies that should be loyal to Zara and Astley. Each attempt to find Valhalla leads to unspeakable tragedy and loss. Zara also quickly becomes conflicted. She knows she loves Nick, but Astley has been so good to her and the few kisses they have shared are unbelievable. She feels as though she is betraying both men in her life- Nick for caring about Astley and even being a pixie and Astley for not being the queen he needs to rule his people. Can she figure it all out and still find Nick in Valhalla before it is too late?

All I can say is this had better not be a trilogy. Don't get me wrong, the story was fun and exciting, but if this is truly the end, I cry foul! Sure, some stuff was definitely resolved, but is this really it?! NO! All I can say is there had better be a fourth book, or I am going to formally lodge a complaint with Ms. Jones!

The story is a little creepier than the others. It is definitely darker and more sinister, but the creepers aren't as one dimensional as they have been in the previous two novels. This time, the pixies have some redeeming qualities and aren't quite as evil... well some of them anyway. Others are still just creepy blue people with huge shark teeth. As long as this story continues, I will count it as a great installment. If this is the end, I admit I feel cheated...

A Virus You Don't Want to Avoid

OK, I must admit I LOVE the television show "Bones". And no, it isn't just because David Boreanaz is adorable (although that might have something to do with it)! I love the character Temperance Brennen in all her awkward, scientific loveliness. The supporting characters are hilarious, and the cases they all solve are so interesting. Kathy Reichs writes the books the television show is based off of, but I have never read them. So when she delved into the YA genre with a story about Temperance Brennen's niece Tory, I couldn't resist. Now that I have read (and loved) Virals, I might have to pick up the dozen or so other books Reichs has written!

Tory had to move in with her father (who she never knew existed) after her mother was killed. She found out she was the niece of the famous Temperance Brennen, which explains a lot about her! Her father is also a scientist, and along with a few other families, they live on a small island outside Charleston. The only people who live on the island are the scientists who work on a nearby private island and their families. The island itself is quite unique with monkeys running free and a pack of canines with a wolf mother, a German Shepard father, and two wolfdog pups. While it is off limits to the general public, families of the scientists are welcome to visit as long as they don't roam to far.

Tory and her misfit band of friends (all their parents work on the island) are always finding themselves in some sticky situation, but when one of the wolfdog pups is missing, the same pup Tory saved once, they want to get to the bottom of the disappearance. The rest of the pack has been terrifying the lab, so they go to the island to investigate. While their, they are assaulted by the monkeys who hurl something at them (along with other projectiles)- a dog tag. The dog tag is seriously weathered and damaged, so to read the information on it, they must get into the labs where they are never supposed to be. When they sneak into the labs and clean the dog tag with the lab equipment, they hear a dog in a nearby, sealed off lab. It turns out to be the missing pup who Tory and the boys rescue and hide in their hidden bunker on the beach. What they don't know is the parvovirus the pup was infected with is a new, super strain that can pass to humans. It also comes with side-effects they could never have imagined.

Now the foursome find themselves dodging bullets, digging up bodies, suffering strange symptoms, surviving horrible illnesses, and trying to get to the bottom of a decades old murder someone doesn't want them to solve. Meanwhile, the virus they were exposed to has made them different, changed them down to their DNA... made them VIRALS!

Virals is just as I would have hoped it would be. Exciting, great characters, and tons of twists and turns. Think you have the mystery all solved? Guess again! You will never figure out how everything fits together, and when it is all revealed, you will slap your head for not seeing it earlier! The story is fun, action packed, and never ceases to keep you guessing. This is the start of a great new series that Reichs had better look like pumping out quickly, because I can't wait for the next book!

The writing is fairly simple, but the size of the book might make it more appropriate for an older crowd or a younger student who has the stamina to keep going (although the story doesn't really give you a chance to stop reading, so that might not be a problem!). The story is very clean, and just full of exciting mystery. Reichs is a genius and, like other adult authors, has finally realized the young adult genre is much more fun than those stuffy adult books they have been writing! More and more they keep trickling over to the young adult books. Pretty soon no one will be writing adult books anymore. But do you blame them? Young Adult readers rock!

A Summer You Will Never Forget

Covers really can be deceiving. Titles are no better. When you look at this cover, what do you think is going to happen? Girl seeks boys, girl finds one boy, boy changes girl, life continues happily? Boy are you wrong. Sarah Ockler's Twenty Boy Summer has more going on than you might think given such a deceptive title...

Anna, Matt, and Frankie were best friends. Of course, Frankie (Francesca) was Matt's little sister and Anna was in love with Matt. But that all changed when Matt professed his love for Anna at her birthday party. He asked her to keep their love a secret until he and Frankie went away with their parents for the summer so he could explain the relationship properly. Unfortunately, they never got that far, as after a month of hiding their relationship, the day before Matt and Frankie were to leave for Zanzibar Bay, the three of them decided to go for ice cream. On the way home, a car accident leaves Anna and Frankie shattered emotionally and Matt gone forever.

Now it is a year later and Frankie's parents decide they have to go back to Zanzibar Bay. Still grieving for the loss of Matt, they pack up with Anna in tow and head for the beach. Before they leave, Frankie convinces Anna to make a pact to hook at least twenty boys in their three weeks at the beach. Since the loss of Matt, Frankie has changed to someone Anna barely recognizes. Although she can only think of Matt and the only secret she every kept from Frankie, she agrees to the pact just to make things better with Frankie, and relieve a little guilt.

Once on the beach, Anna meets one boy she can't stop thinking about. Frankie continues on her quest, but Anna is torn between really liking this local surfer boy and feeling like she has betrayed her first love, Matt. When Frankie reads Anna's journal and learns of her relationship with Matt, it seems like nothing will ever bring the friends back to the way they were before the accident.

This book blew me away. The grief Anna, Frankie, and Frankie's parents suffer is so real, almost palpable. When Frankie's mother admits to Anna she knows the relationship with Matt was more than friends, you can almost feel the ache in Anna's heart. When the family arrives at their beach house, the pain will course through your body. You can see them grieve. You can feel them hurt. Ockler has delivered a story that will make you suffer and survive right along with the characters. It also shows the difference in how people grieve, which is an important lesson for people to learn. Anna turns within herself and refuses to open up. Frankie opens up to everyone just to fill the void. Frankie's mother and father are barely speaking or holding themselves together. This vacation to Zanzibar Bay was a life journey the reader should feel both privileged and saddened to journey down.

The writing is fairly simple, but this story really deals with mature situations. There is a decent amount of sex as Frankie tries to find solace anywhere she can get it, but nothing is graphic. Instead, it is usually just implied. The grief and loss is handled beautifully, but is a very heavy subject that might be too much for a student who has suffered any great loss recently. The beauty of this story is it will hook a girl who doesn't usually read serious stories with its lure of fun and beaches, but it will deliver lessons they never saw coming. If you give this book a chance, I promise you will never be the same.

Divinely Supernatural

The vague description on the jacket blurb is what kept me from this story for a full year. In retrospect, it was a good thing because the sequel has already been released! But I am a little behind the times by just reading this story now. The cover and the blurb don't give away much of the story, so readers might feel like they are flying blind at first, but gratefully the story gets really interesting really quickly!

Grace Divine is the pastor's daughter, and she and her family must live up to that status. Her brother Jude is the epitome of a pastor's son. He always thinks of others first, never fails to go out of his way to help people, and is the apple of everyone's eye. When Daniel Kalbi returns after a mysterious disappearance, Grace is drawn to him. Despite the memories of her brother returning covered in blood from seeing Daniel right before he disappeared and Jude's warning for Grace to stay far away from Daniel, she keeps finding herself with him.

As Daniel's story unfolds, Grace isn't sure who she can trust. Stories of ancient beings created to do God's bidding swirl into modern day stories of werewolves and monsters. Meanwhile, the town is again plagued with odd deaths and mutilations just as it was years ago before Daniel disappeared. Jude insists Daniel is evil, but Grace can't see beyond the kind, caring Daniel she used to know. Now Grace must decide whether she can make the ultimate sacrifice to save Daniel, and must weigh the consequences of her choice.

While this story has certainly been well played int he past few years, Despain does a good job of changing up the ready worn. She takes a supernatural creature and gives it new life and new purpose. I was glad this story did not take as long as some others (*cough* Hush, Hush *cough* Fallen) to reveal the nature of the odd stirrings and bumps in the night. Sometimes when the meat of the story is revealed too late, I find myself wondering whether it was worth the work to get through. Instead this is a well-paced story with interesting characters and plenty to keep you interested.

The writing is relatively clean with hints of creepy happenings and violence without any real gore. It would be suitable for any junior high to high school student, but would probably appeal mostly to girls (the cover might have something to do with that). Excitingly, the second book, The Lost Saint has just been released and is at the top of my "to read" list (of course that list is about 40 books deep, but I desperately want more of this story!). I can't wait to see what happens to Grace Divine and Daniel Kalbi next!

Paranormal Roller Coaster

With so many paranormal books out there, it is hard to know where to turn next. Do I want vampires? Are werewolves (and were-bears and were-tigers) what I am looking for? How about Faeries and Fae and Pixies? What if you had a book that had all of those things, but also had a CIA-esque agency called the International Paranormal Containment Agency (IPCA) that kept track of all the creepies and beastlies in the world through an amazing young woman who can see right through the glamours beastlies put up to keep silly humans serving themselves up on a silver platter. Welcome to Paranormalcy by Kiersten White!

According to Evie, Edward might look hot in Twilight, but real vampires are not so pretty. They project a glamour that makes them look hot, but under the glamour they are just nasty shriveled corpses. It's the unfortunate side effect to immortality. The reason Evie knows this is she can see through the glamours of all paranormals. You name it and she can tell you it isn't human. In fact, Evie is the reason the IPCA was created. When she was discovered in a park late one night, alone, an orphan, and screaming because the vampire attacking her didn't look so pretty, the Paranormal Agencies in all the major countries bound together with a treaty and made Evie the primary stipulation of that treaty- she was to work for the agency and help them find, tag, and "neuter" any paranormals that threatened humans.

The work is fine for Evie, but what she really wants is a normal life. School, prom, and a locker are her biggest dreams. When she steps into her boss's (and surrogate mother) office to find a creature she had never seen before "wearing" her boss's face, she stuns him and captures him for the agency. This creature, Lend, is like flowing water on the inside and can morph into anyone he wants to on the outside, which is how he broke into IPCA. Now he is being held in the agency and Evie is determined to figure out what he is, much to her boss's irritation. After all, he is the only other person/thing she knows who is roughly her age! What she learns from her time with Lend is that she really wants to know people her own age and live a normal life. She also begins to realize the Agency might be keeping her less as an asset and more like prisoner.

When something starts killing all the paranormals, the Agency tries to get to the bottom of the mystery. They aren't interested in killing paranormals, just making sure they don't harm any humans. When the threat breaks into IPCA, Evie knows she must save Lend. They go back to his home where she finds out just how normal life can be for a paranormal like Lend- school, dances, friends, movie theaters- you name it! But there is more to the story of Lend's parents, the IPCA, the paranormal killer, and Evie herself. Can she figure it all out before everyone she cares about is taken from her?

This was such a fun story! It reminded me of the agency in Buffy that controlled all the paranormals in Sunnydale, right down to "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" sentiment! I liked Evie's character a lot- you feel so bad for her when she realizes how much the agency used and controlled her. Plus, a girl with a faerie as an ex-boyfriend and a mermaid for a best friend has to be cool, right?! It is a really interesting take on the whole paranormal genre and gives new energy to the well covered genre. The characters are interesting the story is full of twists and turns, and nothing is quite as it seems.

The writing is fairly simple and clean. This is a great story for a wide range of students. Unfortunately, the cover, while cool, might not attract a wide range of students. It looks a lot softer than it really is. The story is very serious and dark at times. If you can get kids past the girl with the pink dress on the cover, I think you will find it appeals to a lot of students (and adults too)! Now I can only hope White continues Evie's story!

Dracula meets Princess Diaries

You know the saying "Don't judge a book by its cover"? Well don't judge this book by its cover or its ridiculous title because you won't be sorry if you pick this gem up (which you might not do with a silly title like Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side). While Beth Fantaskey might not have chosen the best title for a great story like this, she sure knows how to write!

Jessica is a normal, everyday senior at Woodrow Wilson High School. She thinks about colleges, boys, friends, and parents, until Lucius Vladescu shows up at her high school. Lucius is an exchange student from Romania who seems intent on gaining Jessica for his own, but there is more to the story. It turns out Lucius is a vampire prince, as is Jessica (princess), and they were betrothed to one another before they were born in order to bring peace to two warring clans of vampires. Jessica's adoptive parents were entrusted with her safety when the villagers attacked her clan and killed her birth parents. Now Jessica is supposed to return to Romania as Lucius's queen. The only problem? She thinks they are all nuts! Vampires?! There is no such thing as vampires!

Lucius refuses to give up (and knows his uncle will not be happy if he returns without Jessica) so he decides to stay in town and win her over. Of course, his over-privileged, vampire life doesn't compare to Jessica's life on her vegetarian parents' farm. He feels assaulted by their obsession with lentils, is horrified (and disposes of) their collection of international folk art (in particular the dolls... he really hates the dolls), and is forced to play basketball, although he insists on doing so in leather loafers. Lucius is so annoyed by having to endure life in Jessica's home and town he can barely stick it out. When she starts dating a local boy, Lucius can barely contain his irritation, but when other kids in school start to suspect something is up with Lucius, and by default, Jessica, the situation quickly escalates to a dangerous one. Lucius's dangerous, sinister uncles come into town to force the engagement along and the townsfolk are coming dangerously close to the truth. Jessica just wants to be a normal girl, but it looks like the lives of her people she can barely accept exist are hung in the balance of her decision.

This book is so easily underestimated by that ridiculous title and cover that I am concerned it won't get the attention it deserves. The story was hilarious (I mean laugh out loud, adore Lucius and his cantankerousness completely), the writing was really good, and the characters were great. This is one of those books that really takes you by surprise! Lucius's character is the best part of the book. His correspondence with his uncles back in Romania will literally keep you in hysterics. I can't describe him accurately enough to do him justice- you just have to read the book and see how funny he truly is (watch out for the two page long tirade about the lentils!)!

The writing is moderate and the situations are not too mature for your average middle to high school student. Like I said, the cover and title are going to sadly scare away a lot of kids and adults who would otherwise love this book, so be sure to read it and spread the word (or bully them into reading it if you must- whatever works!). It is a story you will love and wish there was more of (please Ms. Fantaskey- write a sequel!!). The first part of the story is very funny, very humorous, but the second part of the story gets very serious as the danger of the situation unfolds. This is a great book, in fact one of the best I have read in a long time. So go ahead- read it, and I dare you to try and NOT love Lucuis!

Boot Camp for Goddesses

Tera Lynn Childs knows how to whip up a fun, flirtatious story! Goddess Boot Camp, the sequel to Oh. My. Gods., continues the story of Phoebe, a normal girl who found herself transported to an isolated island in Greece when her mom is remarried. At the end of the first book, she learns of her status as a descendant of the goddess Nike. Now she is suffering the consequences of that realization.

Being the descendant of a God or Goddess sounds all fun and laughter, but it is a big responsibility. It comes with powers, the responsibility of keeping the life secret from non-descendants, and the isolation of Serfopoulos- the island where the Gods school is. Phoebe is a closer descendant than most of the other kids at her school, which means her powers are even more powerful, and therefore more difficult to control. All she has to do is daydream about the ocean and her living room is saturated. One thought about her annoying stepsister as leaves her covered in frosting and very unhappy. The problem? Her unpredictable powers have put her on the radar of the Gods, and if she can't get them under control, there is some serious smoting in her future- no one wants to be smoted!

Now, in addition to training for a marathon at the Pythian Games and dealing with her boyfriend spending a lot of time with his beautiful ex-girlfriend Adara, Phoebe has to attend Goddess Boot Camp. To make matters worse, Boot Camp is run by her irksome stepsister Stella and Adara and Phoebe is the oldest one there by 6 or 7 years! The summer is full of misunderstandings, power malfunctions, heartbreak, and the truth about Phoebe's father's death, but even with all that seriousness, there is still fun, goofiness, and laughter!

This is a fun follow-up to the first book with plenty of Greek mythology and teenage goings-on to keep a wide range of readers happy and engaged. Childs does a good job of writing complete books that don't leave the reader hanging, but still continuing the story of Phoebe and her misfit Gods and Goddesses. The story is very clean and appropriate for all ages, much like the first story. It would be acceptable for middle school through high school students. While the mythology is the background of the story, it doesn't go into a great deal of depth into the mythology. Still, the series is a lot of fun and will make you wish you were descended from the Gods!