SWEET EVIL by Wendy Higgins

From Goodreads: Embrace the Forbidden

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.
Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

This book is the first in a series and is said to be upper YA (for older teens).

Rachel's thoughts: After reading this book, I can say without a doubt, I am a HUGE fan of Wendy Higgins. Forbidden love story? Check. Supernatural elements and world-building that makes sense and feels real? Check. And the pacing, oh the pacing. Lets just say, many a night I stayed up WAY too late hanging out with Anna and Kaidan. I actually read a library copy of this book and then went out to buy my own. The second book in this series, SWEET PERIL comes out later this month, and I'm looking forward to seeing what's next for Anna, Kaidan, and their friends. This book gets FIVE bookmarks from me.

    

THE IRON KING by Julie Kagawa

From Goodreads: Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

This book is the first in a series and is said to be for grades 8 and up. 

Rachel's Thoughts: This story had me from beginning to end. And I'm not into faeries, so it wasn't the concept, but rather the writing, that sucked me in. So if you're a faery lover, I'd definitely suggest this one. I gave this book FOUR bookmarks. 

Lakela's Thoughts: I really liked the beginning and it totally pulled be in, unfortunately it didn't keep that same rhythm. I only read about a third of this book. I had to force myself to read more in hopes it would eventually get interesting again. It slowly got more and more confusing and I didn't really care for the story. I like the idea of a story like this but not this way. I would suggest this for faery lovers and people interested in mythology. (There are mythological hints here and there.) The details of explaining things around her, were so good they ended up giving me nightmares. I gave this book TWO bookmarks.

CITY of BONES by Cassandra Clare

From Goodreads: When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

This book is the first in a series and set to be released on the big screen in August of 2013.


Rachel's Thoughts: This book sucked me in like a Dyson vacuum cleaner. I was turning those pages, wondering what's next, anticipating how the story will unfold, waiting for the character depth to...deepen. And the story DID unfold. But the character depth...yeah, that left me wanting until ultimately, I found myself reading just to finish the book. I felt as though I learned more about Clary's circumstances as the story progressed, but not so much about who she was and what made her tick. Basically, I didn't connect with her. Unfortunately  I didn't love this book to place the second on my "to be read" list. I still plan on seeing the movie, though, because I really DO like the premise. I gave this book THREE bookmarks. 

Lakela's Thoughts: I LOVED this book! It was great! It kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time. There was some creepy creatures but nothing that scared me too much. There was an amazing twist at the end that made me want more. I did enjoy the love "square" but it was a bit confusing. The shadowhunters were very interesting and I liked the action.  I read this book in a total of three days (I don't have much time to read so this is pretty fast for me.) I'm very excited for the movie to come out, I hope they don't disappoint me. :) I really didn't fully understand Clary and wish it talked more about what she liked besides her artsy side. I gave this book FIVE bookmarks.

LIES BENEATH by Anne Greenwood Brown

Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans and absorb their positive energy. Usually, they select their victims at random, but this time around, the underwater clan chooses its target for a reason: revenge. They want to kill Jason Hancock, the man they blame for their mother's death.

It's going to take a concerted effort to lure the aquaphobic Hancock onto the water. Calder's job is to gain Hancock's trust by getting close to his family. Relying on his irresistible good looks and charm, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter Lily. Easy enough, but Calder screws everything up by falling in love--just as Lily starts to suspect there's more to the monster-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined, and just as the mermaids threaten to take matters into their own hands, forcing Calder to choose between them and the girl he loves.

One thing's for sure: whatever Calder decides, the outcome won't be pretty.

This book is said to be for ages 12 and up. This book is also the first in a three part series. 


Rachel's Thoughts: I am a huge fan of the murderous mermaids concept, so I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. And then the cover...WOW. There isn't a whole lot of deep plot threads, which makes this story a perfect fit for the younger YA crowd. So, it's great that Anne took a unique concept and then molded it to fit the younger crowd--no blood, gore, or torturing. This book is a quick read with fun (in my opinion) ideas and characters. I gave this book 3 1/2 bookmarks.  

Lakela's Thoughts: 

NIGHTSHADE by Andrea Cremer

From Amazon: Calla is the alpha female of a shape-shifting wolf pack. She is destined to marry Ren Laroche, the pack's alpha male. Together, they would rule their pack together, guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But then, Calla saves a beautiful human boy, who captures her heart. Calla begins to question everything - her fate, her existence, and her world and the orders the Keepers have asked her to follow. She will have to make a choice. But will she follow her heart if it means losing everything, including her own life?

This book is said to be for ages 14 and up and is the first in a series. 


Rachel's Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. It's very much a page turner and the world Andrea Cremer creates unfolds with lots of detail, but without boring the reader. I'm also partial to the main character being a strong female with a bit of a predator sense about her. Cremer writes beautifully and I really felt like I could see what the characters were doing at any given moment. I did think that the end of this story was incredibly rushed and at some points confusing. And of course, it being a series, it leaves a few issues open, which is fine because I don't have to wait forever for the next book to be released. :) I gave this book 5 bookmarks.
  

RIPPLE by Mandy Hubbard

Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. Each day she goes to school like a normal teenager, and each night she must swim, or the pain will be unbearable. She is a siren - a deadly mermaid destined to lure men to their watery deaths. After a terrible tragedy, Lexi shut herself off from the world, vowing to protect the ones she loves. But she soon finds herself caught between a new boy at school who may have the power to melt her icy exterior, and a handsome water spirit who says he can break Lexi's curse if she gives up everything else. Lexi is faced with the hardest decision she's ever had to make: the life she's always longed for - or the love she can't live without?

This book is said to be for young adults and from what I hear, it's the first in a two part series. 

Rachel's Thoughts: When I started reading this story I was hooked from page one. It's a different take on the mermaid tale (tail, too). One in which mermaids are not sweet, innocent maidens. I liked how she broke some of the normal assumptions of mermaids such as not giving her mermaid a tail, and other twists you'll have to read the book to learn about. Lets just say I never found myself wanting to put the book down. The end seems to wrap everything up, but from the author's website, it looks like she's doing another, making this a two part series. I'm definitely interested to see where she takes the second book. I gave this book 4 bookmarks.

Lakela's Thoughts: This was a quick read for me, and I liked how the mermaid was different than most mermaid stories. I gave this book 5 bookmarks.