Books focused on the paranormal are nothing new. In fact, ghost stories are probably one of the oldest subjects of storytellers, reaching back deep into the antiquity of humankind itself. Today, it remains one of the most popular genre’s out there and it comes in all flavors: romance, thriller and by far the most popular—young adult. Of course, young adult covers all the others as well, which is handy, although it can be confusing for readers, especially since young adult seems to encompass a rather large age span –everyone from ten to twenty or twenty five—as well. GHOSTS OF ROCKVILLE: SEARCH FOR THE DOMINION GLASS By Justin Heimberg is a solid entry into the genre and seems to be aimed at the younger end of the spectrum.

The hero, Jay Winnick, is twelve years old, although ahead of the curve in a lot of ways for someone his age. A ghost hunter, he spends his mornings catching up on the latest paranormal news before heading out to school to meet up with his friends. Danni is an expert in all things “gross, vile and gag worthy”. Pam is a psychic who is not really a psychic at all, or at least not very good at it, even though she tries. And then there is Brian, popular kid, who should be Jay’s worst enemy, who should beat him up at every chance, but in reality is a closet nerd and member of Jay’s team.

It’s the team Jay needs. He gets a mysterious letter, which would be fine, but there is nothing on the paper. Just a seemingly blank sheet. To unlock the secret, he and his friends are thrown headlong into an adventure that pits them against just about everything they can Google. The thing is, there is a deeper mystery and they have to get to it, and it could mean the difference between life and death.

Ghosts of Rockville is a good book. At times it seems to waver between audiences, written for the age group of Jay and his friends, then for older readers—even adults. The universal point of view was distracting until I got into the book. I spent the first couple of chapters trying to figure out whose head I was in at what time. The segues are a little vague. I don’t mind this point of view, and I am not one of those annoying people who think all fantasy, urban fantasy and paranormal books must be written in first person. Actually, it was rather refreshing in fact to have something that wasn’t. It just took a little while to get used to Heimberg’s changes in point of view, since he doesn’t stick to one character exclusively in each chapter.

I should mention this book had a gimmick, and it is a gimmick. It has a little viewer called the “Magic Viewer” included with it, and you can press the viewer over pictures in the book to reveal hidden things. I did and didn’t like it. The publishers—in the “how to” section—recommended using it in a well-lit area. I read it under fluorescent lights and I couldn’t always get it to work, and how many people read in a well-lit area? I will say when it did work right, it was really pretty cool. It’s like having a secret decoder ring, and I had that secret thrill I had as a kid with the secret viewer books of long ago.

Ghosts of Rockville: Search for the Dominion Glass was overall a fun book. I really liked the characters, but… and yes, there is a but, Heimberg has ended on that note, that annoying note, that thing that, as you know, can enrage me. The book essentially ends with a big “to be continued.” For me, that takes something from the book. I love series, I’ve said that many times, but I need for the books in a series to be complete in and of themselves, not just hanging there with the story essentially unfinished. Bah. Still, Ghosts of Rockville is worth the read and for the age group it is intended for, it is very good.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars | Publisher: Seven Footer Press | Pages: 288 | Source: Publisher | Buy on Amazon

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 I am not sure if I am getting old and cynical, or if I am starry-eyed and innocent. The last few books I read have rubbed me the wrong way at some point. To be honest, most books do. In fact, I would be rather disappointed if, at some point, I didn’t get annoyed, or even down-right angry at the hero. That “What are you doing?!?” moment right before the hero sets out on the correct path. I dislike heroes that are all good and squeaky-clean, the kind that never make a wrong step, that never question their purpose. On the other hand, I also dislike the protagonist that is never heroic, the one that never gets his head out and does the hero thing. So we come to THE MAGICIANS by Lev Grossman.

The Magicians is Harry Potter meets angsty teens in some ways—there is magic, there is a school for teaching magic. But where Harry Potter (and sorry, you know that any novel like this will get a comparison with Harry) is light, a joyful adventure at first and then diving into the struggle with coming of age and dealing with destiny, the characters in The Magicians are just, well, a bunch of angsty teens who are really rather annoying. They are not talented, they are not particularly adept, they are a lot whiny. When Quentin Coldwater, the main character, discovers that enchanted land of Fillory that he spent his youth obsessed with it actually real, he and his friends set out to make things right. It sounds magical and amazing, it’s not really.

I think that is the thing about The Magicians that gets me. There is no sense of wonder. And that doesn’t mean they all have to be running around “oohing” and “awing” about everything. There is no real sense of difference, no real sense of a life that has been altered. They continue on much as they were, only with a few more things to angst over. Of course, all of this might be a reaction to the ending. I won’t spoil, but I wasn’t happy.

This book left such an odd taste, I did something I haven’t ever done before, and usually can’t but since this book was published in 2009, I popped onto Amazon to see what other readers had to say. The reviews are all over the map. It’s an interesting phenomenon. A New York Times bestseller and people are saying everything from “it’s Of Mice and Men with teenage wizards” to “why did I buy this?”

The Magicians sequel is already available, and I will be reviewing it next week, so the story does go on. For better? For Worse? That remains to be seen. However, if it continues on in this vein, it could very well be the last of Grossman’s books I’ll read.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars | Publisher: Plume | Pages: 416 | Source: Publisher | Buy on Amazon

 SPOILER WARNING: This review is for the third book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy, and contains spoilers for the first two books. If you are new to the series, start with my review of Shiver.

Maggie Stiefvater wraps up her Wolves of Mercy Fall trilogy—and Sam and Grace’s paranormal love story—in Forever. It’s almost spring and Sam is waiting for Grace to come back to him. He’s had a rough winter—stuck sharing a house with a moody, unpredictable Cole St. Clair and under suspicion in Grace’s disappearance. With the arrival of warmer temperatures, Grace eventually stays human long enough to be reunited with Sam. Unfortunately the good times are short lived, as there’s more trouble ahead thanks to Tom Culpeper. With the backing of a US Congressman, he’s organizing a hunt that could take out the entire pack. Sam, Grace, Isabel, and Cole will all need to work together if they want to find a way to save the pack.

While the first two books focused on Sam and Grace’s relationship and the obstacles they had to overcome, in Forever the challenge is for Sam to embrace his role as pack leader. Beck is now permanently a wolf and Cole is, well, Cole, so it’s up to Sam to protect the pack. And he struggles with that since they are facing such a serious threat and he’d much rather be planning for college and doing normal teenage stuff.

Like Linger, Forever is told from the alternating viewpoints of Sam, Grace, Isabel, and Cole. And also like the last book, Isabel and Cole add a much needed jolt of personality and sexual tension. Sam and Grace’s love story is great—comfortable and steady—while Cole and Isabel are larger than life characters. I could feel the sizzling chemistry between Cole and Isabel, and their complicated relationship was my favorite part of the book.

So is Forever a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy? For the most part, I think it is. I thought the ending felt a little rushed and I did hope for more resolution between Grace and her parents. The author doesn’t wrap up everything with a bow—there are lots of lingering questions—but I didn’t mind that she left things slightly open ended because it allows everyone to imagine different possibilities for the characters.

As usual, the highlight of Forever is Maggie Stiefvater’s poetic writing. She is so talented, and I’m looking forward to reading her next book, The Scorpio Races, which will be released in October.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars | Publisher: Scholastic Press | Pages: 400 | Source: BEA | Buy on Amazon

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SPOILER WARNING: This review contains mild spoilers for books 1 and 2 of the Madison Avery trilogy.

Kim Harrison wraps up her YA trilogy featuring Madison Avery with Something Deadly This Way Comes (after Once Dead, Twice Shy and Early to Death, Early to Rise). Her story actually began in the anthology Prom Nights from Hell when Madison died the night of her prom after being scythed by a dark reaper. Things didn’t go according to plan, however, and the reaper took her body and she stole his amulet. Now she’s caught between life and death with the amulet giving her the illusion of a body. In Something Deadly This Way Comes, Madison has the opportunity to get her body back and feel like a normal human again.

The question is—does Madison want to be a normal teenager again? She’s worked hard as dark timekeeper to challenge the old way of doing things and convince the seraphs and the light and dark reapers that her way works. So will she choose a life of responsibility or decide to reclaim her body and do regular things like hang out with her boyfriend?

I think fans of the previous two Madison Avery books will be pleased with this conclusion to the trilogy. Something Deadly This Way Comes wraps up Madison’s story and gives the reader a feeling of closure yet leaves room for more books in the future. Not that everything is wrapped up in a bow—certainly the battle between light and dark reapers, fate versus choice isn’t over—but you get a sense that things are on the right track.

While Madison and her friends grew on me with each book, I still greatly prefer Harrison’s adult books. I love, love, love The Hollows series and its cast of characters, and, unfortunately, I didn’t think the Madison books came close to that level of awesomeness. Even though the series isn’t for adults like me—it’s written for a young adult audience—I worry that teens will find the dialogue as childish as I did. Despite that, Madison is a relatable, spunky heroine and the books pose interesting questions about fate versus choice, so I’d recommend the series for kids who aren’t quite ready for adult urban fantasy. I’d also recommend starting with the first book Once Dead, Twice Shy.

Watch the book trailer for Something Deadly This Way Comes by Kim Harrison:

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars | Publisher: HarperCollins | Pages: 256 | Source: Publisher | Buy on Amazon

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Is there a better setting for a love story than Paris? After reading Die for Me, I certainly can’t think of one. It’s about 16-year-old Kate and her sister Georgia, who move to Paris to live with their grandparents after the tragic death of their parents. The outgoing Georgia parties away her grief in the city’s nightclubs, while the more introverted Kate spends her time in museums and reading at cafés. It’s at a café that she first locks eyes with the handsome and mysterious boy named Vincent. Not long after, Kate and her sister go for a late night walk and come upon a strange scene of men sword fighting and a woman jumping off a bridge. A man jumps into the water to save the woman, and Kate recognizes him as Vincent. Now she feels drawn to this mysterious guy even more strongly than before.

While Kate realizes there is something different—almost supernatural—about Vincent and his friends, she’s not exactly sure who or what they are. Could they be vampires? Or zombies? Or angels? I don’t want to give it away because it’s fun to find out along with Kate. I will say that the mythology in Die for Me is unique—in fact, I’ve never come across anything like it before.

Die For Me is one of those enthralling books that you just can’t put down. The Paris setting and the author’s wonderful descriptions of the city’s cafes, museums, and streets immediately sucked me in. Add in the mysterious Vincent and some romance, and I was totally hooked. When Vincent’s supernatural secret is finally revealed, it’s surprising and so intriguing that you want to read more.

Not only is Vincent dangerous, he has even more dangerous sworn enemies out to get him. My only critique is that the identity of the big bad guy is way too obvious, as is his evil plan. As nefarious villains go, this guy is pretty lame. But I liked the yin and yang, good versus evil thing that was going on here. With a little bit of improvement, there is the potential for an epic battle in the next book.

So to recap: Die For Me has an awesome Parisian setting, supernatural romance and mystery, and a fight between good and evil. It also gets major bonus points for not ending on a nail-biting cliffhanger. While I’m sure readers will be eager for a sequel, they do get a satisfying ending here. Needless to say, I really enjoyed Die For Me and I highly recommend it, especially to fans of Twilight.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars | Publisher: HarperTeen | Pages: 352 | Source: Publisher | Buy on Amazon

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The Kane siblings are back and trying to save the world from the dangers of Apophis in The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan. In the time since their adventures in The Red Pyramid, Sadie and Carter have been working to bring in and train other young magicians like themselves. When Carter suddenly receives a warning of impending doom, the siblings jump into action to look for a way to prevent Apophis’ escape. Their search will take them across the world, evading their enemies from the House of Life and even some gods who are unsure of Carter and Sadie’s intentions. To help save the world the two Kane children must be ready to sacrifice everything, including themselves, to ensure that the wrong person doesn’t take The Throne of Fire.

Overall I really enjoyed The Throne of Fire and can’t wait for the third book in the series, which should come out around May 2012. The real treat with Riordan’s books is how he intertwines the Egyptian mythology to our world and turns it into a fun adventure for all. There is a lot of new information your brain has to assimilate (unless your an Egyptologist), but you never get the sense of information overload. In fact every new god or piece of Egyptian lore you pick up through The Throne of Fire serves a purpose to the story, making it a lot more enjoyable to read through the parts of the book that are more mythology heavy.

I’m still a big fan of Riordan using the two Kane siblings to tell the stories in alternating chapters. It helped move the story along in The Red Pyramid, and in this book we really get a sense of the unique voice of each of the Kane kids. This time around we get to see and understand a little more of Sadie’s life and how she’s handling both turning into a teenager and dealing with her magical powers, which works well since the first book in the series seemed to focus more on Carter. Riordan introduces (and reintroduces in one case) a few new and interesting characters in this book, giving you a better sense of the diversity in the Kane’s magical world.

If there’s one thing that didn’t seem to work in The Throne of Fire it was the pacing and the action of the last third or so of the book. The action becomes very quick and fast paced, so fast that you don’t really get a moment to digest what happened before the next big moment comes up. Normally that’s not a problem, but add to it the details and information being presented during some of these scenes and there’s little room for retention. When I was reading I found myself doing a lot of stopping and re-reading to make sure I understood what was going on. It doesn’t take away from the great story, just adds some speed bumps to parts that should be as fast moving as the River of Night.

The Throne of Fire is a great read for young readers, especially those who read the Percy Jackson series. Have you read The Throne of Fire? What did you think about it? How does it compare to The Red Pyramid? Please let me know what you think in the comments.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars | Publisher: Hyperion Book CH | Pages: 464 | Source: Purchased | Buy on Amazon

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When I was growing up, once I had blasted through the Hardy Boys and a few similar adventures written for the younger audience, I was lost. There was really nothing else with heroes my age and exciting story lines—even then there were really very few with a girl as the main character. It made reading hard, and I was forced to venture into the scary world of grown-up books. That’s no longer the case. Luckily, there is a growing body of young adult literature, and Frank Cole’s THE GUARDIANS OF THE HIDDEN SCEPTER is an exciting read and offers a delightful heroine in his lead character Amber.

Amber is a student at the Roland and Tesh Private School for the Advanced and is drawn into an adventure from the very beginning by her archeology teacher Dorothy Holcomb. Seemingly a prim and proper archeologist, there is a lot more to Dorothy than meets the eye. Amber figures that out fairly quickly, breaking into museums is not typical archaeologist behavior. Dorothy has a few secrets, and one leads to her disappearance. Once Amber realizes what’s happened she and her friends—an interesting band—set out to solve the mystery pursued by those intent on silencing them forever.

The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter is a delightful read and a real page-turner, especially for its intended audience, but for older readers as well. It was enjoyable to see an intelligent, strong young woman leading the group, that factor is missing in a lot of fiction in general, especially this particular sub-genre. I loved the fact that Amber was not prone to whining, as so many teen leads are, and I really think Cole nailed his characterizations—not just Amber, but her gang as well, their voices rang true throughout the story. These were real flesh and blood people that I wanted to get to know and I was rooting for by the end of the book.

Some of Cole’s archeology/history, like a lot of the Dan Brown-style books, is a little questionable at times. I will say his research is far better than a lot of similar books and considering this is a young adult work, the research is even a little above and beyond. In fact, it might lead a young reader to head off to the library to learn a little more about archeology, and any book that encourages that is a good thing.

Frank Cole definitely has a winner in The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter with great characters and an interesting story guaranteed to keep younger readers (and their older siblings and parents) glued to a book instead of the TV or game console.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars | Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc. | Pages: 288 | Source: Publisher | Buy on Amazon

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Orson Scott Card is one of the undisputed masters of science fiction currently writing. With an impressive catalog to his name, it seems remarkable that he can continue to turn out fresh ideas and engaging characters, and yet he does, time and time again. THE LOST GATE is no exception.

In The Lost Gate, Danny has been raised in a group in Virginia, all descendents of Norse Gods, but Danny seems to have been left out when they were handing around magical abilities. Looked down on, and even a little bullied, Danny seems almost hopeless until he discovers he is a gatemage, gifted with the ability to open gates between our world and others. Suddenly Danny goes from powerless to powerful and he is feared, and on the run. In a desperate attempt to find help, he ends up in Westil, an alternate plane, where he meets another gatemage, a young man with very little memory of his own past.

The Lost Gate is a solid offering by Card. If you’re familiar with his work, you know he spins a tale that’s complex and tends to set up a story intended to stretch over several books. This one seems to be headed that way. Although it stands alone, there is definitely the set up for a series here, and I don’t have any complaints, the complexity to the worlds he has created is certainly worth returning to at least once or, hopefully, more times. His idea that “gods” were mages from other world was interesting, and as a fan of the TV show Ancient Aliens, I must admit it is a theory I’ve heard more than once. Still, it worked well in the confines of this book.

There were drawbacks. The biggest single one is the mesh of his technology and magic. He does get a little over-involved in describing the technology of his gates. In fact, I did find myself sneaking a little fast through a few passages to get back to the story. Although, what’s an issue for me I know is a geek-point winner for other readers. I just like the technical or magical portions of the sci fi/fantasy novel to mix in a little easier. I actually felt like there was a pause then “here is the explanation” then back to the story. One of the other things that bugged me is sometimes the characters are a little too much to take. I’m not sure exactly what it is, but I wanted to smack Danny at least twice.

The Lost Gate, even with its few drawbacks, is pure Orson Scott Card. It’s a great story, a complex creation with enough threads to keep even the pickiest reader entranced until the end. I sincerely hope it marks the beginning of a long line of stories about the gatemages and their worlds.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars | Publisher: Tor Books | Pages: 384 | Source: Publisher | Buy on Amazon

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Years ago, it feels like a million of them now, I had the chance to review the first novel from a new author by the name of Brent Hartinger. It was a wonderfully written book and I remember hoping that is was just the first of a long career. Happily, it was, and Hartinger’s latest, SHADOW WALKERS, is a book with the perfect blend of horror, adventure and romance.

Sixteen-year-old Zach lives on a tiny island in the middle of Puget Sound. Even though he is close, by ferry ride, to Seattle and Tacoma, he might as well live on the other side of the earth. Hinder Island is a small place, everyone knows everyone and there’s not much for him or his brother, Gilbert to do. Even after two years, he still feels like an outcast and his one escape is the internet. That is until he’s grounded and loses his ‘net privileges for a week. Bored, he discovers a book on astral-projection. However, after an unsuccessful attempt he gives up. It’s not until his brother is kidnapped that he realizes that astral projection might be the answer to finding his brother. While in the astral plane Zach meets Emory, a teen like himself, and they embark on the dangerous adventure to find Gilbert and defeat an ancient creature that lurks in the astral plane as well.

Shadow Walkers is a great read. Even though it is a young adult novel, I was riveted and read it through almost without a break. The idea of astral projection is interesting and fairly unique; it’s not something I’ve run across in many books, and certainly not as the central theme. The time Hartinger put in on research and tying together the varying ideas relating to astral projection shows, and it gives the book an authentic feel as far as that part of the supernatural element of the story goes.

And let me say, the creature in this book will haunt you. I don’t care if you are eight or eighty, this is a well thought out and well conceived baddie. Once or twice I was sure I felt the chill of its presence as I read the book. It’s that well done. Creepy, horror, scary, creepy, terrifying and did I say creepy?

I really, really liked Zach. He wasn’t whiny, he wasn’t annoying and a lot of teen protagonists can be. When he realized his brother was missing, he also reasoned how to reach him and took the chance, no matter where it would lead him. Over the course of the book, I loved the way he grew, his strength and his loyalty. He is actually one of the most likable characters I have come across in a long time. When you add in Emory, his friend, then boyfriend, it is such a lovely mix. Their relationship is sweet, gentle and touching. The discovery of love is a perfect counterpoint to the rest of the story, and again, adds a sense of realism to the whole world, making it solid and believable.

Shadow Walkers is just a wonderful book, and I hope that there will be more Zach and Emory books in the future. I know I will anxiously await reading their next adventure. These are people I like, and would like to get to know even better.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars | Publisher: Flux | Pages: 216 | Source: Publisher | Buy on Amazon

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James Patterson is probably unarguably the bestselling writer in America. The man cranks out novels across enough genres to make the rest of us pale to think of the effort and just gape at the sheer volume of work. The thing is, some of it is good and some of it is… just so so. I think some of Patterson’s forays into Young Adult Literature and the Urban Fantasy world are less successful than some of this other works. ANGEL: A MAXIMUM RIDE NOVEL is one of these.

It wasn’t always that way. The debut novels were all good, and that was true of the Maximum Ride Series as well. In fact the first three books were excellent and the next two good. This one is somewhat less so. I don’t know if it is just that the books long back and forth between Fang and Dylan is getting to me or if it’s just that the series itself is starting to peter out. Not every series needs to be hundreds of books long, and Angel just floundered. It had its exciting moments but, overall it was just not what the other books were.

The evil is busily convincing Max she has to save the world, push evolution forward and get together with Dylan. (Evil is not to be trusted as a matchmaker.) Meanwhile, Fang is gathering up his own happy band to solve things and it all comes to a bit of a head in the end.

I might sound a little less than thrilled by the whole thing, and I am. I wondered once or twice while reading the book just what Patterson was thinking. Max was not even the Max of former novels. I hate it when a good hero goes all blah. The ending was beyond disappointing. While I have enjoyed the books, I am not a huge fan of the series, but even so I was sorely disappointed by the end. For fans it might be crushing. All in all Angel: A Maximum Ride Novel is pretty much for hardcore fans only, and even then, be warned, you’re probably not going to be happy at the end.

Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars | Publisher: Little, Brown and Company | Pages: 320 | Source: Publisher | Buy on Amazon