In Case you Missed it - The Evil Within by Nancy Holder

Published: June 2010

Publisher: Razorbill

Pages: 272

Copy Provided By: Author

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

In this sequel to NYT bestselling author Nancy Holder's Possessions, Lindsay finds out that she too, is possessed, and must return to creepy Marlwood Academy in order to rid herself of the spirit. Lindsay's afraid of what the spirit is telling her to do. But the secrets of Marlwood go much deeper than Lindsay thought. Sometimes the girls who seem like enemies are actually on your side. And the voices you trust the most - the voices that come from within - are the ones that want you dead.

Review:

I was lucky enough to receive a signed copy of this ages ago from Nancy Holder.  I think I may have won it off her blog.  What attracted me to it is my fascination with scary books.  The cover of this title is certainly horrifying!  I'm not sure what took me so long to read it though.  

The Evil Within is the second book in the Possessions trilogy.  Originally I did not realize that there was a book #1 but Holder did a great job of catching the reader up on the creepy ghosts possessing girls from Marlwood.  The plot was steady and there were many creepy twists throughout the title.  Unfortunately, The Evil Within did not hold me captive enough to want to continue to the next book in the series.  I would add it to my YA horror collection and start with book #1 but only after reading Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake and Possess by Gretchen McNeil.  I liked it but I didn't LOVE it.

Double Take - Crusade by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

Published: September 2010

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Pages: 470

Copy provided by: Library

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:
For the past two years, Jenn has lived and trained at Spain’s Sacred Heart Academy Against the Cursed Ones. She is among the few who have pledged to defend humanity or die trying. But the vampires are gaining power, and the battle has only just begun.



Forced to return home after death takes a member of her family, Jenn discovers that San Francisco is now a vampire strong-hold. As a lone hunter apart from her team, Jenn is isolated — and at risk. She craves the company of her fighting partner, Antonio: his protection, his reassurance, his touch. But a relationship with Antonio comes with its own dangers, and the more they share of themselves, the more Jenn stands to lose.

Then Jenn is betrayed by one who was once bound to protect her, causing her to doubt all she had held as true. To survive, Jenn must find the courage to trust herself — and her heart.

Review:
Christinabean = black
Curlypow = blue

I was pleasantly surprised with this one.  I have been looking forward to reading it for several months and then I just never ended up getting it.  I placed a hold on the title at my local library and once I started reading, I was sucked into this amazing story.  Ok, so right here is where we start to differ with this one.  I actually bought a copy of this just a couple of weeks after it came out and started reading it right away, only after about 80 or so pages I stopped reading and it is still sitting on my bedside table where I left it.  I decided to try listening to it  instead and I started a little while ago. While it's ok, I'm just not feeling it, if you know what I mean?

For me, the characters aren't working.  Jenn is so opposed to her parents views on vampires, she leaves the US on her own, at 16, to go and train with the Salamancans in Spain, but once she graduates as a fighter, she is so unsure of herself throughout the story that I just got fed up. Without adding a spoiler, her relationship with Antonio never quite worked for me.  Jamie - well I didn't like him at all - he's just nasty. In fact, I think I got a little fed up with everyone's insecurities.  Somehow it didn't seem to make sense with the 'team' being such high fallutin' fighters - where was their confidence in themselves and each other?
 
(The funny thing is, I first noticed Crusade when Curlypow first told me about it and was raving about how excited she was to start it!  hahaha!)

As the summary mentions, Jenn is betrayed by one who was once bound to protect her.  I didn't see that one coming.  It kind of outraged me as I watched it unfold and I was pretty angry.  Funny how we sometimes hold a vested interest in our book characters, isn't it?  Alright, I agree that the betrayal was a big surprise, but  Aaarrgh!  I can't say anything more about it without giving major spoilers

Even though I enjoyed the whole book, I was a bit disappointed at the ending.  To be honest, it was anticlimactic.  The rest of the story was so strong but the ending just felt a bit weak for me.  Still, I'm onboard to read book 2 of the Crusade series - Damned (Damn...is that Antonio?  Why am I having flashbacks of Ralph Macchio??)  which will be coming out in August 2011.  I'm thinking it was anti-climactic because there will be more to come in #2, but to be honest, I won't be rushing to read it. - although, if that is supposed to be Antonio on the cover, I might have found my new crush!  I'm just waiting for someone to put up an Orlando Bloom lookalike on the cover of uh, anything.......

Waiting on Wednesday- Crusade

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted from Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Author: Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

Published: Sept 7th, 2010

Publisher: Simon Pulse

# Pages: 384

Summary: Goodreads

The ultimate battle. The ultimate love.
For the past two years, Jenn has lived and trained at Spain's Sacred Heart Academy Against the Cursed Ones. She is among the few who have pledged to defend humanity or die trying. But the vampires are gaining power, and the battle has only just begun.
Forced to return home after death takes a member of her family, Jenn discovers that San Francisco is now a vampire strong-hold. As a lone hunter apart from her team, Jenn is isolated—and at risk. She craves the company of her fighting partner, Antonio: his protection, his reassurance, his touch. But a relationship with Antonio comes with its own dangers, and the more they share of themselves, the more Jenn stands to lose.
Then Jenn is betrayed by one who was once bound to protect her, causing her to doubt all she had held as true. To survive, Jenn must find the courage to trust herself—and her heart.

I've enjoyed so many of Ms. Holders books, this one looks as if it will be another good one.

What are you waiting for?

The Evil Within by Nancy Holder

Released: June 10th 2010
Publisher: Penguin/Razor Bill
Copy Provided by: Library
# of Pages: 310
Summary: Goodreads

In this sequel to New York Times bestselling author Nancy Holder’s Possessions, Lindsay finds out that she, too, is possessed, and must return to creepy Marlwood Academy in order to rid herself of the spirit. Lindsay’s afraid of what the spirit is telling her to do—kill Mandy! But the secrets of Marlwood go much deeper than Lindsay thought. Sometimes the girls who seem like enemies are actually on your side. And the voices you trust the most—the voices that come from within—are the ones that want you dead.

How many of you out there like ghost stories - seriously creepy, unsettling ghost stories? If you do, this book is the one for you. Marlwood is the school of nightmares. Broken down buildings, tangled woods, black lake, eerie fog, everything in fact that can be found in the best ghost stories. The mean girls in this tale are seriously nasty - full of their own importance and sense of entitlement. Add in some seriously demented and vengeful spirits and you have a recipe for terror. I haven't decided yet which are worse the living girls or the dead ones!

Mandy, chief mean girl, has a brother who was only spoken of in the first book and in this one he is introduced in the flesh, so to speak. If you thought she was bad, wait 'til you meet Miles. He gives me serious shivers. Lindsay has a crush on Troy, who says he's going to break up with Mandy, but never seems to quite get around to it. Is he really as nice as he seems or is there more to him than meets the eye?

Ms. Holder has taken the very relevant themes of bullying and popularity in schools and has given them an amazingly dark and scary twist. What happens when pranks go wrong? People die - only in this story, very few people seem even remotely sorry about it. This is the second in what appears to be a series ( no 3 comes out Spring 2011) and I would recommend reading the first one 'Possessions' before tackling this one - it will just make more sense if you do. You'll love the gothic feel to this very modern ghost story.