Review: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Title: Nightshade

Author: Andrea Cremer

Series: Nightshade #1

Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Atom

Summary (from Goodreads)

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she’ll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters’ laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything— including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

What’s Good About It

I loved this one. So much good about it – from the beautiful presentation of the pages to the characters to the plot.

We’ll start with the pages. I know, I know, how a book looks has nothing to do with how good the story is, but whoever designed Nightshade did a really good job. I loved how the chapters of the book were phases of the moon. It set the mood for the whole story and was just so aesthetically pleasing that it made me want to turn the pages.

The characters in Nightshade were great too. While for the purpose of the story, the love triangle did have to set itself up fairly rapidly, but I believed the chemistry between Calla and Shay from the first meeting. After all, saving someone’s life would have a way of endearing you to them. Shay’s almost stalkerish pursuit of Calla didn’t come across as creepy because  he was so likeable, even when being an idiot.

And Calla was tough – something I much prefer in YA paranormal stories to the sappy heroine whose largest problem in life is not knowing which boy to choose. She came across as strong and independent, without being unbearable, struggling between her duty to her pack and her distaste for the inevitable life of servitude to her alpha mate that would eventually lead to.

Ren, the obligatory love rival, was a well rounded character too – not just ‘hot’ but with motivations and desires of his own. I liked how it was never easy for Calla to choose between Ren and Shay, how every decision she made had consequences and caused problems for her.

To top this all off, there was a pretty amazing story to boot. Fast paced enough to keep me turning the pages not just for the pretty moon pictures, and exciting enough to hang the love triangle on without feeling like an afterthought. I loved the complications of the world, the hidden agendas of the races, and the mystery and intrigue of Shay’s involvement in it all.

I can’t wait for Wolfsbane to come out now!

What’s Not So Good

There was a bit of reliance on a ‘magic book with all life’s secrets’, but I can forgive that in the face of everything else excellent about this book.

Rating: 5/5

Review: Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

Title: Halo

Author: Alexandra Adornetto

Series: Halo #1

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Atom

Summary (from Goodreads)

Three angels- Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, the youngest and most human- are sent by Heaven to bring good to a world falling under the influence of darkness. They must work hard to conceal their luminous glow, superhuman powers, and, most dangerous of all, their wings, all the while avoiding all human attachments.

Then Bethany meets Xavier Woods, and neither of them is able to resist the attraction between them. Gabriel and Ivy do everything in their power to intervene, but the bond between Xavier and Bethany seems too strong.

The angel’s mission is urgent, and dark forces are threatening. Will love ruin Bethany or save her?

What’s Good About It

Eh.

Halo is one of those books where, when someone asks you if you’re enjoying it you say ‘yes’, then when they ask why you realise you’re sort of not. It sucks you in unwillingly, consuming huge portions of time while enraging you, but too quietly for you to notice until you stop and think about it.

Let me try to explain a little more eloquently…

Halo starts well. Beth comes across as relatable, interesting, with a certainly unique view-point. She is eloquent, intelligent, but also a little naive. Her mission, from Heaven, is to go to High School.

Wait, what?

Okay, that blip aside, let’s push on. School is run of the mill. Beth befriends some flirty girls who are quite happy to include her in their circle despite her social ineptitude. Things progress rather dully until butterfly inducingly, heart meltingly gorgeous Xavier Woods comes on the scene. The friends all warn Beth he is inaccessible, that loads of girls have tried and failed to impress him. But, for no reason I can fathom, Beth and Xavier fall hopelessly in love.

Thus follows several hundred pages of prom preparation, mystical secrets being revealed, boy troubles, Xavier being almost unbearably overprotective, and no sign of a plot surfacing until the last quarter of the novel – a plot that is so much an afterthought compared to the central relationship that it comes across really strained and false.

Also, for all her endearingness in the first few chapters, by the end of the book I wanted to strangle Bella… I mean Beth.

Sorry, forgot what book I was talking about there.

I’ve used the dreaded T word to compare books before. Publishers do it all the time as well, tarnishing perfectly good books with comparisons to the tosh that is Twilight. However, with Halo there really is no truer comparison. It is Twilight. With angels.

And sorry, I also appear to have forgotten that this is meant to be the ‘good’ section.

What’s Not So Good

Adornetto sort of gets away with writing her own personal romantic fantasy drivel on account of being only eighteen, but really, if you’re going to read a book so close to Twilight, you may as well read Twilight. At least that was vaguely original.

Halo, at best, is like Twilight’s preachy cousin. It’s difficult to do angels without touching on the God thing, but really, people don’t like to be preached at, generally, and the ‘holier than thou’ attitude does wear a little thin.

And it’s a shame because it was so promising. The idea of an angel incarnate, experiencing the blessings of humanity for the first time is a great one, giving loads of room for exploration. In the opening few chapters there was a lovely passage about love being an inadequate word to describe all the different facets of the emotion – poignant and well observed. But after that it reduced to a slightly more upmarket version of toilet humour, playing on Bethany’s naivety with MILF gags and sex talk. I mean, if an angel has all of human knowledge (which she can use to do all her lessons and homework) surely there’s a section in that knowledge for the human vernacular? And if it had been done once, it would be fine, but it got a bit cringy after the fourth or fifth time.

Then the whole major issue of angels being sent to Earth to go to High School, I mean, come on! Surely there is a better way to exert divine influence than going to French class. And if I could divine a purpose for Bethany being there with Ivy and Gabriel, other than for authorial wish-fulfillment fantasy, then I would probably be a step closer to solving the greater riddles of the universe.

The ‘sex before marriage is for sluts’ message was present too. Browbeating with outdated moral messages is one of my least favourite things in YA literature. Sure, don’t encourage teenagers to go out, get wasted and sleep around, but credit them with enough intelligence to know what they want and definitely don’t try to make them feel bad about it.

And, of course, characters don’t have to be edgy to be interesting. We can root for the nice girl. But I, for one, can’t root for the character so vapid, if she had a personality it was lost somewhere in the black hole where her characterisation is.

Halo should have been the book that Adornetto lovingly showed her family and friends before locking it in the back of a cupboard somewhere while she worked on her real masterpiece, taking out occasionally when the going got tough to reminisce over fondly. Because she does have real potential. There is enough here to make me intrigued and keep me reading, and I think once she gets past her Twilight Fanfiction stage (we’ve all been there, well, I have, and would argue that it’s an important phase of writing development) she’ll turn out some really good novels.

Rating: 3/5

Review: Dark Heart Forever by Lee Monroe

Title: Dark Heart Forever

Author: Lee Monroe

Series: Dark Heart Forever Book 1

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books

Summary (from Goodreads)

Jane Jonas is nearing her 16th birthday and troubled by unsettling recurring dreams where the same mysterious boy her age comes to her, telling Jane that they are each other’s destiny. Her mother is increasingly anxious about Jane’s disruptive sleepwalking episodes, but for Jane her dream world and reality are about to collide …When she develops a friendship with an enigmatic stranger in town, the blond, uber-cool Evan, it’s exciting, it’s new, and Jane wants him more than she’s ever wanted anybody – until her mystery dream boy gets in the way. Now Jane is caught between two worlds: one familiar, but tinged with romance and excitement; the other dark and dangerous, where angels, werewolves, and an irresistible stranger are trying to seduce her …

What’s Good About It

Oh, I really wanted to like this. A British YA Paranormal series! There are so few of them out there. With all the big names in YA setting their series in the States, the familiar territory of little old Britain was such a lure.

And there were some things to like. The story, while fairly standard for the genre – tormented ‘I don’t think I’m anything special’ girl suddenly finds herself being chased by two hot boys, how can she ever choose between them? – was at least good enough to keep pages turning.

Some of the characters were good – good enough to cancel out Jane who was at best drippy, and the reason for both boys being so instantly in love with her was at least given, which it often isn’t beyond ‘I feel I’ve known you all my life’ in YA.

Overall, as a light, fluffy read it was okay. Not really memorable, but not so turgid it becomes a chore to read. The sort of thing you might read on a plane if you had nothing better to occupy your time with and think it a welcome distraction.

What’s Not So Good

For someone who’s lived in England all their life, Monroe makes a bit of a hash of representing it accurately. I don’t know if it’s deliberate on the part of the author/publisher to Americanise things, but so many little details didn’t ring true.

For one, Jane learns to drive with Evan, one of her suitors. Now, the story makes a big deal about her turning sixteen. Erm. In England you are allowed to drive on your own land whatever age you like (I had a friend who lived on a huge farm and learned to drive in primary school) but you can’t go on roads until you’re seventeen. Now, I imagine there are a number of kids out there who have driven underage, but that’s not how it’s presented in the story – Jane’s parents are in on it and think it’s a great idea.

Also, you have to be 21 and have held your licence for three years to escort a learner driver. Now, Evan’s age is never explicitly given, but as he often drinks beer I would assume he is at least eighteen. But 21? I think Jane’s parents might have a bit to say about their young and impressionable daughter dating a 21-year-old.

Then there’s the whole ‘home-schooled’ thing. You do get kids who are homeschooled in England, of course, but it’s not as common or as easy to do as Monroe makes out. And why couldn’t Jane go to some other school? Surely she’s not that remote that there is nowhere else for her to learn.

Now, I often take issue with the whole ‘I was bullied, boo hoo’ background. I know it’s a set up for the awe of being fancied by a hot guy, but surely we don’t need the whole tragedy. It just makes the characters seem wet and pathetic. And there’s the whole ‘I can’t have self esteem unless I’ve got a hot boyfriend’ can of worms that you really don’t want to open. Again, Monroe does at least give a viable reason for it, but I just don’t think it was necessary. Everyone gets bullied at school. Everyone. Even the popular kids have problems, because guess what – being a teenager is hard. You don’t need to bleat on about a character being bullied to create empathy. I’m ready to empathise with teenagers because I remember how horribly hard it was.

And let’s face it – awkward, insecure teenage girls don’t need to be severely bullied to feel awe that any guy fancies them, let alone a hot one.

Jane also accepts Luca’s world a little too easily.

‘Hey, I’m from a mythical plane of existence!’

‘Okay.’

NO! Okay is not the answer. It’s either ‘Yeah, whatever, weirdo.’ or ‘What the HELL? I want to go home. How is this possible. Get away from me!’ which, after much talking down and general acts of goodwill, might eventually settle at ‘Okay.’

There’s a real trend among YA Paranormal stories to churn out something with a blurb that says ‘Love triangle’ and ‘supernatural beings’ and watch it hit the bestseller list. Much like the Drake Chronicles, this book rushes past all the things that make it interesting (the dream world where Luca lives, the mythology of the paranormal stuff) and skips straight to the fairly run of the mill, boring love triangle.

It should be said that, as a reader, I like romance, but only if it comes second to a plot, and Dark Heart Forever does try to give a plot. It’s just not that great.

NOTE: Not relating to the quality of the writing at all, but in my copy of this book, page 134 was missed out, page 132 being printed twice instead. If you are going to buy this, I would go to a bookshop rather than order off Amazon or another online retailer so you can check the same problem isn’t in the copy you are getting. It’s not totally detrimental to the story, but I don’t like to spend money on something that’s not of the best quality.

Rating: 2/5

Review: Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynne Barnes

Title: Raised by Wolves

Author: Jennifer Lynne Barnes

Series: Raised by Wolves #1

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Quercus

Summary (from Goodreads)

Adopted by the Alpha of a werewolf pack after a rogue wolf brutally killed her parents right before her eyes, fifteen-year-old Bryn knows only pack life, and the rigid social hierarchy that controls it. That doesn’t mean that she’s averse to breaking a rule or two.

But when her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers Chase, a new teen locked in a cage in her guardian’s basement, and witnesses him turn into a wolf before her eyes, the horrific memories of her parents’ murders return. Bryn becomes obsessed with getting her questions answered, and Chase is the only one who can provide the information she needs.

But in her drive to find the truth, will Bryn push too far beyond the constraints of the pack, forcing her to leave behind her friends, her family, and the identity that she’s shaped?

What’s Good About It

Ah yes, another YA paranormal romance. Who needs another one, right? There are hundreds. Well, I was worried this would be yet another average one, like the few I have lined up in my draft box, waiting to be typed up. I haven’t got round to them yet because I feel so indifferent about them. But this… This was fab.

There are a number of books out there that glamourise and soften the paranormal. (*cough* Twilight *cough*) Where some books remove all the threat from paranormal creatures, turning them into dream dates who aren’t believable as humans, let alone dangerous paranormal beings. While I don’t mind a bit of fluffy romance, part of me can never get past the idea that blood sucking vampires or shapeshifting werewolves, with animal instincts and sharp canines should be scary – and all the more alluring because they are.

Jennifer Lynne Barnes doesn’t skimp on the scary. Her wolves are animalistic, agressive, dominant. They fight for control, take a pound of flesh for wrongs done against them and live by violent rules. They are much closer to wolves than people, something that makes the story much more interesting and compelling than many of the other werewolf books out there.

The connection between Bryn and Chase is as instantaneous as paranormal romance stories have a tendency to be. However, there is a plausible reason offered. Bryn’s mental connection with her pack, and with Chase does make it seem possible that they could feel as connected as they do so quickly.

I also liked the complications that being a female werewolf brought, and the fact that Bryn was human, with no desire to be turned. The gender dynamics of the wolf pack added another level of intrigue and interest, without being too far feminist or anti-feminist (is that even a word??).

All in all, a lot of great stuff going on in what promises to be an excellent addition to the multitude of YA paranormal series, and a strong case for continuing to publish them. Is the market saturated? Not if there are more great books like this out there waiting to grace our shelves.

What Wasn’t So Good

The characters were generally good, but I felt some were a bit stereotyped. Particularly Devon. He was alright, but sometimes I feel characters are quirky for the sake of having a quirky character rather than because that sort of personality really adds something to the story.

Rating: 4/5

Review: Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Linger

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Series: The Wolves of Mercy Falls #2

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Scholastic

Summary (from Goodreads)

In Maggie Stiefvater’s Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other.  Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack.  And Isabel, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

What’s Good About It

Well, you’ve already had me ranting about how great Shiver was. I won’t bore you with the same spiel.

What was different about Linger? Well, it introduced two new viewpoints. We now not only hear from Sam and Grace, but from Cole and Isabel as well. Having Cole, this completely new character, thrown straight into the mix is a bit disorienting at first, but as ever, Maggie Stiefvater writes her different viewpoints so well. Despite the fact that he’s not a terribly sympathetic character initially, you can’t help but be sucked into his view of the world.

The werewolf mythology is developed even further, with new twists and turns on the temperature shifting thing. These developments were essential to keeping the story fresh, otherwise this would have been a stale rehash of Shiver. As it is, Stiefvater strikes the perfect balance between giving her readers more of the Sam/Grace relationship we’ve come to love, while injecting enough new and exciting to sustain the novel over its 416 pages, and the next 400 odd in the final installment.

Second books in trilogies often suffer simply for being the second book. There’s no real sense of threat, because we know there has to be a third book. But Linger manages to avoid this. I think having the Isabel and Cole perspective introduced left it feeling like a new book, set in the same world, rather than a direct continuation. And by the end, the climactic scenes were so intense it was hard to believe everyone was going to make it to Forever.

Brilliant characters, tense narrative, and the wonderful balance between real life issues and the paranormal – Linger is every bit as good as Shiver, if not better. I now will be wishing my life away for this time next year to arrive so I can lay my hands on Forever.

What’s Not So Good

Maggie Stiefvater’s name is very hard to spell. I am a spelling moron.

Rating: 5/5

Review: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Shiver

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Series: The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Scholastic

Summary (From Goodreads)

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can’t seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human … until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It’s her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human–or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

What’s Good About It

Where to start? There’s good reason why this book has huge hype on the blogosphere. It’s fabulous.

There’s real danger with these ‘two teenagers, one of whom is supernatural, are destined to be together’ stories. A) they come off like badly put together Twilight rip-offs (and let’s face it, Twilight as a starting point was pretty badly put together) B) the main characters are totally unrelatable because there only purpose is to be in love with each other. No matter how much you love another person, generally you have other things going on in your life besides them.

Stiefvater manages to avoid these pitfalls. Somehow. Despite the fact that Grace and Sam’s romance is very instant, it never feels forced or false. They are three dimensional, realistic characters with concerns and problems of their own, outside of each other. Their relationship isn’t the all consuming purpose of the plot, and the rest of the plot is enough to feel like it wasn’t just a carrier for the romance, without getting in the way of the romance – the absolute perfect balance. Because we all read these books to see X get together with Y and live their romance vicariously, but for the book to be memorable and brilliant, rather than just a fast beach read you forget as soon as you close, there has to be enough else going on besides swooning and snogging.

The peripheral characters were good too, which is another common flaw in YA Paranormal Romance. I genuinely like and cared about the minor characters, even Isabel, Mercy Falls’ own Mean Girl.

The alternating viewpoint also worked well, adding further dimensions to the story. And I loved the werewolf mythology. I griped on Twitter earlier about the temperature thing, and why couldn’t all the wolves move to Mexico to avoid changing, but even that loose end (which wasn’t bugging me that much, but I am a bit of a plot hole Nazi) was neatly explained away without the narrative ever becoming too distracted.

I’ll stop blabbing now… You probably get the picture. This book is ace, and if you haven’t read it – you really should.

What’s Not So Good

The fact that the last installment isn’t out til this time next year… That’s EVIL!

Rating: 5/5