13 to Life by Shannon Delany

This is the first novel in the 13 to Life series by Shannon Delany.

Jess hasn't been having a good life the past few months. So when she is called to the guidance office, she's expecting the worse.

When she's told she has to show the new, hot, moody boy around the school for the first few days, let's just say she wasn't all that happy about it.

In fact, she was probably the one girl that wasn't impressed by Pietr Rusakova. Which of course made her very interesting in Pietr's eyes and he wanted to know more.

With the recent events that happened with Jess's mom's death and her friend Sarah's memory loss, Pietr was too much to handle. Then, Sarah became very possessive of Pietr, something that hadn't happened since her accident, so Jess felt it necessary that Pietr and Sarah get together as a couple.

Even though Jess was very, very attracted to Pietr. And sometimes kissed him when she shouldn't have.

Along with this new boy/best friend drama, Jess has been in contact with large animals - larger than she's ever seen before. They are all around her farm and her dogs go crazy when they are around.

Plus, with the wolf situation that happened in a few towns over, things were definitely changing in the town of Junction.

Will Jess figure out what the Rusakova's were keeping secret? Can she stay away from Pietr so Sarah can  have her happily ever after? Or are things about to get very weird and dark? Read 13 to Life to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Goodreads and LibraryThing have both been suggesting these books to me, and boy am I glad they did! There was so much mystery and romantic suspense in this novel that I couldn't put it down! Finished it in one day and am very glad that I have the next novel in the series in my possession to continue the story!

I love Jess. She is one of those characters who wants to do everything right for her friends before herself. This occurred because of what happened with her mother and her friend Sarah, but now the best interest of her friends is her top concern - no matter how hard it may be for her.

I also really liked the first meeting between Jess and Pietr. It was dislike at first sight, but slowly got more relaxing and friendly, though not as friendly as either character would have wanted it.

And I think that both characters are VERY mature for the age, having been through horrors already in their young age.

One thing I will say is that there wasn't too many answers to this complex story. I know it's because it's part of a series, but it would have been nice to get SOME answers before the end of the novel.

I guess it will just leave the reader in suspense until they can get their hands on the second novel.

For anyone who is interested in supernatural and *ahem, spoiler, spoiler* werewolves (no, no vampires here!) then this book is just for you! I really enjoyed the fast paced reading and I was definitely craving for more at the end of the novel.

Yes, it is a cliffhanger.

Good thing, though, is that the whole series is now out and complete! So no waiting!

Off to the next one! Fingers crossed that it gets better and better :)

Illuminate by Aimee Agresti

This is the first novel in the Gilded Wings series by Aimee Agresti.

Haven has fought hard her whole life to do everything perfectly. It's not like she wants to be the best, but she wants to appreciate everything that she has.

When she was 5, she was found on the side of a road with cuts and scars. One of the nurses at the hospital she was taken to took her in and raised her as her own, giving Haven a chance to live a normal life.

So when Haven was given the chance to intern at a new, prestigious hotel, Haven jumped at the chance to get more experience to hopefully gain her entry into one of the colleges she wants to attend after high school.

It also helped that there would be two other students from her high school there. Her best friend Dante and another smart student, who is somewhat shy, Lance.

The owner of the hotel, Aurelia, is a very young, successful business woman that Haven could learn something new from her. And Aurelia's second in command, Lucian, is very yummy to look at, so the job could definitely be worse.

But things are not as they seem at the Lexington Hotel. Something odd is going on with the staff. They are acting like zombies, living in a shell with no emotional attachments or excitement. Lance, Haven, and Dante are the only ones that think for themselves, with the exception of Lucian and Aurelia.

Then things start to get odd. Haven is given a book, with no text inside. But after a few days, an entry was written inside from someone other than Haven. The person writes that she needs to train, run, build strength, gather resources like food, light, rope, etc.

When Haven doesn't follow the directions the first time, she finds out that the book is right. Whoever is writing to her has Haven's best interest at heart and now she is listening to everything that is being written in there.

Haven can't trust anyone at Lexington Hotel, but finds consolidation in Lance when Dante is sucked into the ways of the hotel staff.

Can Haven figure out what is going on and stop the evilness at Lexington Hotel? Can she get Dante away from the ways of the hotel? Read Illuminate by Aimee Agresti to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Seems the theme for angels is spiraling in the last few years for YA fiction! This is the first novel I've read of Aimee Agresti and it definitely has a different twist to the angel story that other's that I've read before.

The story was good. I liked where the author was trying to go with it. I just found myself lost through some pages. And other times I thought that the story dragged on and on.

Granted, there was a lot of information in this story, which is why it's 500+ pages, but I think it could have been shorter.

Also, the whole book talking to Haven? I could not stop thinking about Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I'm a huge HP fan and every time there was a scene where Haven was reading from the book I kept flashing back to HP.

I thought the writing was really good, but there was just something about the novel overall where it just didn't make it to my top pile of favorite books. I also found myself taking more breaks through the book to check my email or go get snacks I didn't need, whereas if I was absorbed in this book, I couldn't pry it from my hands for any reason.

I am intrigued to see where the author will take the next novel(s). If I notice the release date and an curious by the blurb, I may pick up the second novel, but I won't go out of my way to get it on release day.

For anyone who likes mystery, stories about angels and demons, and about a girl who learns more about her troubled past, I would recommend this book to you. If you want a fast paced excitement thriller, I'm not sure if this book will be the one you're looking for.

The second novel, Infatuate (sounds like a great title! Intriguing!), comes out in March 2013.

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Echo Emerson
Before the incident, Echo had it all. She was part of the "it" crowd at school, ate with the most popular and most beautiful girl in the building, and had things going great for her.

But after the incident, she was regarded as a "freak", and where ever she went there were whispers about her and what she did.

Only 3 people know what really happened to her that last month of sophomore year.

And only 2 people know the details of that horrible night.

Echo is not one of them.

She has this void in her mind where she can't remember what exactly happened to her to give her the hideous scars running up and down her arms.

Echo wants to remember, but no one will tell her what happened. And no one was willing to ask her, what happened, until Noah came into her life.

Noah Hutchins
Noah is known as the "smoking-hot, girl-using loner" who wears the black leather motorcycle jacket. All the girls fantasize about him, but none want to be the next used one-night stand in his book.

But that is not the whole Noah Hutchins. Going from foster home to foster home has made Noah grow deep, tough skin. He doesn't care what others think of him.

Until he meets Echo.

After his new guidance counselor Mrs. Collins gives Noah an ultimatum, Noah and Echo find themselves together a lot.

This doesn't bode well for Noah as he needs to keep his eye on the prize, and Echo should not be his prize.

These two students are about to learn first hand that there is some truth to the phrase, "Don't judge a book by its cover." Because neither Noah nor Echo are who they appear to be to the rest of the student body at Eastwick High. There are terrors so horrible that they may just need each other to lean on one another to survive the horrors that will come in the near future.

My Thoughts/Reflections
Wow. I have been reading great reviews about Pushing the Limits, and I was not disappointed!!

I read this book in one sitting. I didn't want to put it down when it was finished, but it had to happen. I absolutely loved this novel!

Not only does this novel have the typical high school setting where everyone's opinion matters and if you don't like it you're an outcast, but there is so much more to this book that makes the reader need to keep reading to unravel the next clue to both Noah and Echo's lives.

The situation with Echo is heartbreaking. She is so confused and wants answers, but finds road blocks at every turn. Following every rule her father makes, she never stops to think that maybe she can find the answers that she need on her own, until she meets Noah.

And Noah is so much older than his age. He has been through so much and he has grown up too quickly to just be a senior in high school. He's already making plans to take care of a family instead of doing what normal high school seniors are thinking about.

With the two back stories of Noah and Echo, the reader is zipping through this novel at a fast speed to figure out the troubled past that both Noah and Echo lived through.

It is dark and edgy, a roller coaster of emotion and romance that will leave the reader wanting more by the end of this novel.

I would most definitely recommend this novel to anyone! Boys and girls! And, this is through the viewpoint of both Noah and Echo, giving any gender of reader a chance to connect to the characters of the story.

I will now be recommending this to anyone that likes contemporary because I feel that this can open up reader's eyes to events that could happen and how the characters bravely fought their way through these challenges.

And, to make things EVEN BETTER, the author Katie McGarry is going to write an add on novel about a different side character that was introduced in this novel (Beth) called Dare You To, which will come out sometime in 2013.

I cannot wait to read more of McGarry's novels and she will definitely be on my "To Watch and Read" list for future novels from this great author!

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

After 6 months, Nikki has returned from the Everneath, an underworld where she has been for the past 100 years (Everneath time, that is).

Now Nikki has 6 months before she is dragged back to Everneath. Unlike last time, she gets a second chance to connect with her friends and family, and with her boyfriend Jack.

But how can she tell them what happened? No one would believe that she’s been in the underworld this whole time, and they certainly wouldn’t believe her if she said the person who took her there was rock-star musican Cole.

The hardest person to reconnect with is Jack. He took her leaving really hard and hasn’t found a way to get over her yet.

Nikki doesn’t think that getting back together with him would be a good idea. She’ll be leaving in 6 months, which will put him right back where he was.

And not only does Nikki have to figure out how to live on Earth again, Cole followed her from Everneath, trying to get her to come back with him.

Nikki has some hard decisions to make. Will she go with Cole to a world where she will lose her soul or spend her last days on Earth with a guy she’ll eventually break his heart again? Read Everneath by Brodi Ashton to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections

Oh my, the story about Persephone and Hades has grown quite popular in the last couple of years in Young Adult literature! (For example, I've reviewed Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman and Abandon by Meg Cabot.)

This story was unique to other rewrites of Persephone and Hades so it was set apart from the other novels that have come out.

But for some reason I didn’t get into this novel as well as the other ones. Maybe it was the atmosphere of the story or the fact that Nikki had a hard time figuring out exactly what she wanted. I felt like the characters didn’t really grow as much as they could have throughout this novel either.

It was hard to tell who Nikki would pick between the two boys: Cole and Jack. And at times, both guys were part good and evil, so it was a toss-up. But I never had a person who I wanted to win out in the end, like I usually do in a love triangle, which was weird for me.

It almost seemed like this novel was bland for me. Not a lot of action, not a lot of romance, not a lot of growth.

For anyone who likes the Persephone and Hades story, I would definitely suggest reading this novel to see if you enjoy it more than I did. Maybe I’m just tired of this storyline because it’s been written so often, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea this time.

This is the first in a series, so maybe it will get better in the next novel, Everbound, that comes out January 22, 2013. I may grab it and see if it gets better depending on my mood for this storyline, who knows!

A Necklace of Water by Cate Tiernan

This is the fourth, and final, novel in the Balefire series by Cate Tiernan.

My review of #1: A Chalice of Wind.
My review of #2: A Circle of Ashes.
My review of #3: A Feather of Stone.

After the spell the coven performed in the third novel, everyone is now changed, based on what they were aiming for during the ritual.

The two younger "immortals" Richard and Manon started to age, to look like adults instead of children.

Axelle wanted more power - but she didn't specify how to get those powers...

Thais wanted to know who killed her father, and she got her answer.

And Clio wants to be immortal. She saw a premonition of her dead, drowned, and she has decided that she wants to stay 18 forever, to not die like her vision foresaw.

So now everyone has their hidden agenda. Thais wants to get revenge for her father's death; Clio is learning how to become immortal.

Both are dabbling in things they have no experience in, and could destroy themselves. And they are keeping it hidden from one another, knowing the disapproving looks they will receive.

But than an unexpected member of the original 13 from the coven 250 years ago shows up. And finally reveals the secret to their survival all of these years, and why she is back again after all of these years in hiding.

What will happen to each twin? Will they go over to the dark side? Can they save each other from what lies ahead? Read A Necklace of Water by Cate Tiernan to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
This was an intriguing quartet. I loved the first two novels, wasn't impressed by the third, and the fourth felt lacking to me.

I think I expected a better ending to this story, but it just seemed to barely fit together and I felt like there were unexplained questions that weren't answered by the time I got to the last page.

The couples throughout this story fell through like I thought they would, leaving me happy in that context.

One thing that I really enjoyed through this last novel was the inner struggle each twin went through. There were some tough decisions to make and they were not very open about what they wanted to do - because it involved magick that they thought no one would approve of.

There was great character development throughout this series and I was happy to see a happy-ever-after happen, even if it wasn't how I thought it would end originally.

Even with the disappointing last two novels, I would still recommend this series to anyone who likes stories about witchcraft and magic, along with an unexpected twist to the storyline.

A Feather of Stone by Cate Tiernan

This is the third novel in the Balefire series by Cate Tiernan.

My review of #1: A Chalice of Wind.
My review of #2: A Circle of Ashes.

After Daedalus, the leader of the new coven, forcefully summoned the last two members of the group, things started to get a little tense.

Daedalus wants to rejoin the group and do the ritual that made everyone immortal 250 years ago.

Someone is still out there trying to kill Thais and Clio - for what reason is anyone's guess, but the girls are on the lookout and doing multiple spells to find out who the wanna-be-killer is.

The love interest between Kevin-Thais-Luc-Clio-Richard is becoming more and more intense, and confusing, for the two girls. They can't figure out what they are feeling or if they are feeling things that are completely wrong.

The other members of the coven (Petra, Sophi, Manon, Ouida, Marcel, Jules, Axelle, Claire, Daedalus, Luc, Richard) all have their own agenda for this reunion ritual - and all are keeping their secrets closely guarded against everyone else in the circle.

But last time they did this ritual, someone was killed. Is this ritual too risky? Will another person have to die in order to complete the ritual? And if so, who will be the unlucky person that will die this time? Read A Feather of Stone by Cate Tiernan to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
This might be the "dud" book in the series. I found myself wanting more action - there was less than the previous two.

However, back stories were answered about the other 11 original members of the coven throughout this novel, giving the reader more insight on what happened 250 years ago when they first got together.

The reader also finds out who was trying to kill the twins, even though there is more to the answer than one culprit.

It felt like there wasn't much to this novel in the series, not enough to talk about in a review anyway. I did enjoy it, but I think I'll like the next, and last novel a lot more as it is the end and will give me all of the answers (or so I hope!).

I am intrigued to see how this love pentagon works out. I have my favorites with who should be with the other, but we'll see if I'm getting the right vibes that Tiernan is sending out through her writing and matchmaking!

A Circle of Ashes by Cate Tiernan

This is the second novel in the Balefire series by Cate Tiernan.

My review of #1: A Chalice of Wind.

Now that Thais knows the family secret of being a long-lost twin and a witch, adjusting to life in New Orleans was starting to become easier.

That is until Thais and Clio try to do magic together and find themselves thrown from the middle of the circle they created. It’s assumed that there is something wrong with Thais magic, because this has never happened to Clio before when she does spells.

Along with worrying about the magic, Thais and Clio have been threatened and almost killed multiple times. It seems that someone doesn’t want the girls to be there, but they can’t figure out who is sending threatening spells toward them.

Daedalus, the “leader” of the coven, is desperate to get all 13 members of the coven together. So far, two members have resisted his calling, so he is going to do whatever is necessary to get them to New Orleans.

Not only do the girls have magic problems, there is a romantic problem brewing for both of them. They are both avoiding Luc – the boy that was dating both of them at the same time – or at least trying their hardest to avoid him.

Thais has found a nice, good looking, normal boy who she is starting to see. Kevin is no Luc, but he’s a sweet guy all the same.

And Clio has a bit of trouble brewing. Richard, another witch from the new coven, is somehow on her radar. She’s not sure how it happened, but after an abrupt kiss, Clio is having a hard time getting Richard out of her head.

Will things start to calm down for the twin witches? Can Thais figure out her magic problem, or will it spell trouble for her in the near future? Read A Circle of Ashes by Cate Tiernan to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections

Again, a great installment by Tiernan! In this second novel we got more backstory with the other 11 members of the coven, the “immortal” members and what they have been doing the past 200 years waiting for the 12^th and 13^th member to arrive.

I also really enjoy learning more about Thais and Clio and their thoughts on each other and the problems the coven is having.

The two girls have definitely grown since the first novel. Thais is not so shy and is starting to stick up for what she thinks, and Clio is taking Thais under her wing when explaining magic and spells.

Daedalus is bad news, and I wish he would stop with his ultimate plan and just let the twins get used to each other and sharing things, but I know that won’t happen!

Also, the romantic twist with Clio and Richard has me very intrigued! I can’t wait to see where this is going to go during the last two novels of the series! And as much as I like the romantic tension between the girls and Luc, I’m not sure I’m going to like where Luc is about to go in the next novels…

Again, for anyone who is interested in witchcraft and a very weird romantic triangle…square? This is a great novel for you to read! The writing is amazing and the story will leave you wanting more information!

Off to the third book in this series!