The Darkest Powers Series by Kelley Armstrong

Published: 2009/2010
Publisher: Harper Collins
Copies provided by: Library

I have been a fan of Ms. Armstrong since she wrote her first adult novel, 'Bitten'. I had gone to a workshop on 'horror fiction' and was surprised to find her werewolf book included under the horror banner, but I tried it out and loved it and have been a major fan ever since then. The fact that she is one of us, i.e. Canadian, just made it all the sweeter. When I heard that she was going to venture into YA fiction, I was immediately curious and decided I had to try them out.

The world that this series is based in is the same as the one her adult books inhabit, so most of the actual world building is already in place, and some of the characters from those novels are mentioned in passing. Psychic and magical powers are accepted as part of life, if swept under the carpet somewhat, and just about anything can and does happen. Chloe Saunders can see ghosts, in fact it turns out she's a 'genetically altered necromancer who can raise the dead, rotting corpses and all, without even trying'. (from Ms Armstrong's website) When she finds herself at Lyle House, a home for troubled teens, she discovers that she is not the only one with problems (read powers). Chloe runs away from Lyle House with Simon, Derek and Rae, but instead of finding a safe place they are betrayed over and over again. It's a wonderful story, with complex twists and turns and if you haven't tried the series yet, I highly recommend it.

I've just been looking on Ms Armstrong's website and here is the cover for the next YA book 'The Gathering'

It looks as if it follows in the series, but the blurb on the website doesn't mention any of the old characters! It's due out April 2011 in hardcover, so keep your eyes peeled.

You can find a list of Ms Armstrongs adult novels HERE and if you are an older teen, there is no reason that you can't try them out for yourself. Some of you may remember me saying that Christinabean had given me a copy of the latest title 'Waking the Witch' for my birthday, which I am looking forward to reading. May'be I'll be able to get it signed at the Smart Chicks Kick It tour stop in Brampton, which Christinabean and I are going to on Sept 25th. If you're interested in a list of the dates you can find one HERE.

Shade by Jeri Smith Ready

Published: May 4th, 2010
Publisher: Simon Pulse
# Pages: 309
Copy provided by: Bought at Chapters
Summary: Goodreads

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last. Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone. Well, sort of. Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost. It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding--and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit. As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart...and clues to the secret of the Shift.

I bought this book because I have read some of Ms Ready's adult novels and enjoyed them, so I thought I'd give her first YA a try. I am so glad I did. I found myself being pulled deeper and deeper into her world where ghosts are a reality and because of an unexplained 'shift', kids born after this can see and hear them. These ghosts haunt you in more ways than the obvious. I also just loved the fact that these ghosts had attitude, while at the same time I found myself sympathising with Aura, who had no choice but to see them.

'I ditched the patience. "How the hell should I know?" I flapped my arms. "I don't know why we see you at all. No one knows, okay?" ' (page 4)

Logan is a bit of a 'bad' boy and the circumstances of his death highlight a very relevant issue, that of teen drinking and drug use and I hope many readers will hear the message that Ms. Ready is trying to give - it's dangerous. Aura's confusion over the events leading up to his death and her feelings about Logan during and after rang true to me. Life is not cut and dried and death can leave a huge void, and this is made quite clear. On a different note, I must admit though that the idea that ghosts can have input into their own funerals was just downright creepy.

'Everyone had left after that - everyone but the McConnells, that is, who needed to alter the funeral arrangements now that Logan's ghost was around to give his input. ...... But catholics can't have their ashes scattered. Not everyone obeys that rule, but the Keeleys are hard-core. "What did Logan say when they told him no?" "He freaked." Megan set down her fork and shoved away her yellow plastic tray. "I swear, if he could've actually touched anything in that living room, the place would be a wreck. The more he tried to throw and kick stuff, the more pissed he got." ' (page 97/98)

One of the things that Aura struggles with is her growing attraction to Zachary, and I totally understand why. He seems like such a genuinely nice character, but she feels disloyal to her memories of Logan.

'The boy stood alone now, hands on his hips, examining me. A breeze blew a splash of dark bang across his forehead, and his posture made his faded blue T-shirt stretch across his broad chest.'
(page 19)
'My neck warmed at the way his lips puckered with the oo sound, and then the way his tongue tagged the d. This was Bad with a capital Hell No. Logan was the only guy who'd ever made me feel like this, like I had a caffeine overdose and a second-degree sunburn. Get a grip, Aura. It's just the accent.' (page 24)

I could just go on and on giving you Zachary related quotes. I think I fell for him myself. Note: there are a couple of fairly descriptive sexual references in the book that got my heart racing, but make this unsuitable for younger teens.

At around page 250 it dawned on me that things just weren't going to be resolved in one book. The mystery behind the 'Shift' amped up and things got really interesting. (I've since found out that there is a second novel due out May 2011, called 'Shift'. )There is a wonderful sense of achievement at the end of Shade, that is, at the same time, an annoying cliffhanger - does that make sense? Aaargh, I can't explain it without giving too much away - but it sort of makes sense of the title. You're just going to have to read it yourselves to find out what I mean!

For fans who live in Ontario, Canada, anywhere near Brampton, Jeri Smith Ready is one of the authors who will be at Chapters on Sept. 25th for the Smart Chicks Kick It tour. Check out Christinabean's post about it here.

Before I sign off, let me remind you to check out our Cozy up With a Good Book giveaway - handknit socks and a copy of 'Wings'. You can find the details HERE. Check it out and enter if you haven't already done so.

Ghost Huntress 4: The Counselling

Author: Marley Gibson

Published: Sept. 6, 2010

Publisher: Graphia

E Arc provided by: Publisher and Netgalley

Summary: Netgalley

Kendall has just discovered who Emily really is, lost her boyfriend, and nearly died doing the thing she loves most—ghost hunting. It's time to take a break and try to reconcile all the changes she's going through. So Kendall heads to the Sierra Mountains, where there's a camp especially for young people with gifts such as hers. It's a time for reflection and self-discovery. But when she gets to California, she once again finds restless spirits—and the boy in her last vision. It may be the end of one chapter of her life and the beginning of a new one.

I really enjoyed reading this book and felt the story had a sense of reality to it, as if the author knew what she was writing about. I read an interesting note attached to Ghost Huntress # 1, which I read in May of last year, that said ' The story is fiction, but the science is real'. It turns out that Ms Gibson knows a lot about ghost hunting and this comes through very clearly in her writing. She talks about different types of psychic abilities without ever making them seem far-fetched or unreal. Some people might think that guiding a restless spirit into the light is a bit hokey, but I found it rather beautiful.

The main character, Kendall, seems like a genuinely nice person and I found myself really rooting for her. She has a rather wry sense of humour, which was wonderful.

"My vessels pulse under my skin in my anticipation and eagerness, coupled with, quite frankly, my being scared shitless. I'm crawling on my trembling hands and knees on the dirt and grass with Talking Feathers's butt in my face as he leads the way in ........Sort of like how Luke Skywalker went to fight Darth Vader in the cave on Dagobah, or, in actuality, into his own dark side. Will I have a vision of slashing off some unknown enemy's head only to find my face on the decapitated portion? Jesus, Kendall. Get a grip, I hear Patrick say in my head."

Kendal is at a retreat with 12 other boys and girls. In the story they all pair up and I loved the way this happened so naturally, with no scheming or nastiness.

"Our unintended pattern of boy-girl-boy-girl seems fine with our two leaders."

As Kendall and Patrick are trying to solve the mystery behind one ghosts' death, their relationship developes slowly and carefully, both of them feeling their way around without rushing and Ms Gibson made it all seem so natural. Aaah, I wish I was 17 again - or not! Unfortunately I haven't read the 2nd and 3rd novels in the series, but luckily that wasn't too disastrous. I was able to follow along with the story quite nicely, and I am now determined to read them both so that I can find out what I missed.

If you like stories with a psychic element you're just going to love this one.

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.