Break Out YA-Mystery + Paranormal=Sizzle
591488
It's summer. Your home is an average beach town on the Cape. July 4th weekend is here, and you're stuck working for Mom, again. But you don't have an ordinary job, you have a special ability, and sometimes a curse, to receive images from objects. You're a psychic and 17. What could go wrong? Try everything. Murder and mayhem are the main story of Clarity by Kim Harrington.

Clare is a misfit with special abilities. Teased in school and a small town outcast, she is thrust into the middle of a murder. Throw a mysterious cute stranger, an ex-boyfriend, and her brother as a suspect, and you've got the right mix for an intriguing Young Adult debut novel.

I was really kept turning the pages of this one. I was immediately hooked by Clarity and her oddball psychic ability. I love reading stories about outcasts. The murder mystery is a fine twist. There are no vampires, but interesting twists and turns in the plot. Often you're led down one area, and quickly misdirected into a shock.

I really like this story that mixed the paranormal and murder mystery genres. Sprinkle with cute boys and a teen hangout called Yummy's, and you've got a good recipe for a new YA hit. I would recommend to any teen or adult that likes a good mystery with a touch of the psychic.
469036
I had been in the mood for a good YA paranormal read for a while now when I stumbled upon a recommendation for this one. The synopsis was intriguing, so I decided to jump right in and read this story based on a popular YouTube channel. This suspenseful and unique book hooked me from the very first page and left me wanting more in the best way possible. I couldn't read fast enough as I waited to find out what exactly was happening in Sunshines house. The Haunting of Sunshine Girl was creepy, engaging, and absolutely fascinating.

Sunshine was such a quirky and likeable heroine. Her life was turned upside down in more ways than one when she and her mother moved from Texas to Washington and into what turned out to be a haunted house. I loved Sunshines maturity and her relationship with her mother, but I especially adored her friendship with Nolan. He was smart, kind, and genuinely interested in helping Sunshine understand and stop the paranormal happenings taking over her life. Filled with plenty of twists and turns, this story kept me on my toes and left me excited for the next installment.
777311
I admit it. I judged this book by its cover, and I thought I might not enjoy it. The cover is admittedly gorgeous, but it made me think the storyline would be dark, brooding, and melodramatic. I was delighted and surprised to find that Kiersten White's debut novel was witty, charming, and fun. She's created a protagonist with a funny, irreverent, and believable voice that I found engaging and enjoyable. Finally, a first person female teen narrator I didn't want to smack upside the head!
The basic plot: Evie is a sixteen year old who works for and lives with an international organization that tracks and captures/monitors paranormals who they deem to be a danger to society. When something starts killing paranormals, Evie finds herself in danger and on the run. At least she has a cute boy (well...kind of. Boy isn't exactly the right word!) with her.
There are several interesting mysteries at play in the book. Who (or what) is Evie and where did she come from? What is killing the paranormals and why? Just as interesting for me were the questions the book raised about choice, consequence, morality, love and loneliness. Evie's life has been defined by a feeling of being alone and cold, and her search for acceptance and belonging makes her a poignant character despite her spunky and easy going personality. She shows growth in the book, and even begins to question whether or not the IPCA (the group she worked for and lived with) is truly on the side of right and good after all. There aren't any overly neat answers to her complicated questions, and I liked that.
As for the "love triangle" so many readers liked...I didn't really see it as a triangle. The two "guys," for lack of a better term (one's half water sprite, the other is a faerie) aren't exactly competing for Evie's love. Lend (Water Boy, as Evie sometimes calls him, which I found pretty funny) loves and accepts her. Reth (semi-evil faerie) has some complex motivations we're never really sure about. Which leads to a nice set up for the sequel. I'm going to read it as soon as I can, and I dearly hope we don't have the "second book break-up" so common in YA series.
I feel like I have to mention that I thought the "bad guy" needed a little more build-up to be scarier, but I liked how we were never really sure how to feel about it. Like most of the characters, the being who turned out to be responsible for the killings was a complex entity. One thing that did bother me enough to keep me from giving five stars was the deliberate ambiguity Evie encounters when dealing with a couple of characters as she tries to get answers to pertinent questions. I don't like it when a character is maddeningly vague and it feels like the author is just doing it to spin the suspense out and keep the questions open longer. I wanted to tell Evie, "Make him tell you what that means before he leaves, for crying out loud!" But I can deal with that, because I found the book as a whole so refreshing and fun. Plus, Evie is honest with Lend, and I'm so glad we didn't have one of those, "I love him, so I can't tell him my secrets because then he won't love me!" scenarios.
Another plus for me was the humor in the book. I don't find myself chuckling at YA paranormal romances very often, but with this one I did several times.
Overall: This was a good book and it promises to be the start of an enjoyable series!
2695541
The two words that stood out to me when reading the description were witch and Guardian. I'm huge into paranormal and I figured this would be right up my creek. Being my first book by this author; I wasn't sure what I was going to get.

I really enjoyed it. It was on the sweeter sider, not what I was expecting but no less awesome. I loved the mystery that was in it too.

I loved the characters and the powers that they learn to use and how they work together to over come all the obstacles in their way. Team work is a huge thing when it comes to these kinds of plots and the author did amazing.

I really can't go into too much detail because this book should just be read and going in with know what you read in the description. You get a perfect sense on what to expect.

Overall, I enjoyed it and can't wait to read the next book in the series and more from this author. I enjoyed the writing and her imagination was fresh and she made an amazing world come to life from start to finish. If your looking for a good YAish type read with a paranormal plot then try this book. 4 stars #2OCCJD
2406056
A unique addition to the YA genre complete with mystery, intrigue, a believable dose of the supernatural, and a melancholy romance.
192786
Sixteen-year-old Katelyn McBride is used to city life in sunny California, and it is a second devastating blow on top of being tragically orphaned when she is forced to relocate to her grandfather's rustic home in the Ozark hills of Arkansas. Not only is the culture shock extreme because her grandfather lives in the middle of nowhere, but it is dangerous to go into the eerie woods surrounding his house at night--people have been murdered there.

I would classify this YA novel as a contemporary fantasy. It is also a coming-of-age novel with a paranormal twist. Fans of romantic triangles in YA paranormal plots will have plenty to appreciate here. Trick and Justin are both worthy contenders for Katelyn's love, though one of them is far more dark and dangerous than the other, and that may tip the scales in his favor in a contest to win the hearts of female readers.

There are elements of mystery, thriller, and action-adventure in the exciting main plot, and the secondary romance plots have lots of tension and conflict to ramp up an emotional roller-coaster ride for Katelyn. The authors do a great job creating a spooky atmosphere, and their basic writing skills are excellent.

Potential readers might want to know that this is one of those series where there is a major cliffhanger at the end of the book. If you don't like that type of ending, you might want to wait to start reading this series until it is complete.

I rate this book as follows:

Heroine: 4
Romantic Heroes: 4
Fantasy World-Building: 4
Writing: 5
Action-Adventure/Thriller/Mystery Plot: 4
Romance Subplots: 3
Overall: 4
2121204
I love the idea of combining romantic suspense with the paranormal so when I saw this one I just had to read it.  I'm glad I took the plunge with this new to me author and series.  Enjoyable from cover to cover.

This is the second book in the series, but I had no trouble jumping in.  There were references to the earlier story, but this second book was pretty self-contained as far as the main plot went.  It only left me with a strong desire to go back and read the first book before continuing on with the next one.

Alexandra King is a psychic who is on a mission to find the estranged brother of her boss and attempt to get them to reconcile.  The ghost of their mother won't leave her alone until she does.  Alexandra arrives in Charleston, SC prepared to go on the hunt and her first night out she encounters a playful ghost and then accepts the company of a gorgeous flirty man.  It's not until later that she discovers that her one night stand is none other than Nate's brother, Dylan, whom she was searching for.  Unfortunately, she has to set aside the first mission because due to her psychic connections to ghosts she has encountered a more pressing issue.  There's a serial killer in town with connections to something so dark that even ghosts fear it.

Dylan Collins, homicide detective, was just trying to enjoy some much needed down time away from his latest case when he encounters the spunky and pretty, Alexandra.  They have a good time and he considers spending more time with her until he encounters her in his captain's office and learns she's volunteered to consult on his case as a psychic.  He despises that set of phonies, but he has no choice.  Slowly Alexandra's successes prove to him that she might just be the real thing.  In the meantime, the killer makes it clear that his sights are now set on Alexandra and Dylan will have to learn to accept all that paranormal stuff and work with Alexandra if he wishes to save her and stop the killer.

The plot was engaging and the pace good.  I loved both Alexandra and Dylan as narrators.  Their characters were great.  They had real chemistry between them, but I enjoyed how the relationship came along much more slowly as Dylan had to work through his issues when it came to psychics and the stuff from his past.  Dylan will be a favorite cop hero.  I enjoyed how he was more than competent at his job, gave off a strong, commanding confidence that was tempered with his protective, sensual and fun side.  Alexandra did pretty well when it came to the relationship stuff and she was a great detective partner for Dylan for the most part.  She didn't take any of his attitude and she communicated well with him even when he pushed her away or doubted her.  She had a few stupid moments where she got cocky because of her abilities, but if she didn't there wouldn't have been that really intense build-up scene to the big stuff at the end.  My favorite character was George the Ghost.  He was a crack up and he played a big role in the story.

The romance was spicy and fun, but the suspense part of the story was well-worked too.  I had no idea who the killer was even with the clues throughout until probably about the time the author wanted me to start having suspicions in that direction.  Even then, there was still a second villain that needed everyone of the characters working together to take it out.

I really enjoyed the paranormal romantic suspense that was spicy on the romance and tension-filled on the suspense and recommend it to others who enjoy stories that put things together this way too.
904481
I loved this book. It was funny with a paranormal spark of mystery. 3 sisters, as different as the sun, moon and stars interact with 3 boys from a rock band in this story mostly centered around the practical sister Heaven and shy singer Dylan. Can too awkward people get it together long enough to let fate take it's course. A fun read and great start to a new series.
4780316
"Insight" is a great start on a complicated mystery that's going to need a few volumes (yeah!!)  I love the urban paranormal vibe, the wide variety of character backgrounds, and the wonderfully tender romance.  The sense of menace and foreboding is real, but does not stifle the story with a sense of unreality.  I can't recommend this highly enough!
805833
Dazzle is a fresh new twist on teens with supernatural powers. Author Amber Garza creates a world unlike we have seen in any YA books recently. Delaney and Micah live in the city of Edenly protected by  Zerach, but not everyone in Edenly follows Zerach. Some chose not to follow anyone yet, Zerach allows them to still live there. They aren't really a threat unless they succumb to the ways of the Sarafites. The Sarafites aren't allowed in Edenly,so no worries, right? Well there is a legend about Ekloge Warriors that say one day there will be another war against the Sarafites, but no one knows when it will accur. So those ten train until they day they are called to fight to protect their people. Could it be sooner than  they think? Could it be possible that the ground work is being laid down by the Sarafites to invoke a war?
Delaney is suspicious when Micah and she meet Ariel one night. Ariel becomes part of their lives but she may be holding on to a dangerous secret. Meanwhile Sam finally convinces Delaney to date him. As their relationship heats up and both realize they may be falling for each other, Sam also holds a dangerous secret. Can Delanely and Micah find the truth before it is too late? Will their new found relationships survive?
4619741
*ARC provided by Publisher*

Sight by Juliet Madison is a compelling, fast-paced, YA paranormal story with interesting and likable characters who keep readers invested in their story from the first page onward. The main heroine in this story, sixteen year-old Savannah Delcarta, underwent surgery to remove a brain aneurysm and then spent two months in a coma afterward. Upon awakening, Savannah, along with her four sisters, discover they have new psychic gifts, Savannah's being the gift of sight. Together, these five sisters are able to see bits and pieces of the future, and it's these new gifts that forces them to work together to find out the identity of the serial arsonist plaguing their new town, and makes them determined to figure out how to stop them before anyone else gets hurt.

Though Sight deals with the suspenseful storyline of a serial arsonist, it's also contains some romance, and a whole lot about family and sisters and learning how to overcome tragedies from the past. It's an engrossing, suspenseful, somewhat humorous read that I thoroughly enjoyed and I think most other YA readers will enjoy it as well.

A fantastic start to what appears to be an intriguing new series! I recommend it!
3509366
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow!  This is the absolute perfect blend of YA drama and paranormal romance all wrapped up in an adorably dorky package.  If nerdy references and witty sarcasm are things you enjoy, you should definitely check out this wonderful read.

The story begins in your typical YA way, with a high school girl (Josie) on the verge of a big change.  Having just broken up with her boyfriend, her birthday is decidedly not going as planned.  Enter super hot guy on a motorcycle, bringing with him all the change and paranormal goodness that you can handle.  Turns out that this brainy teen has the ability to "push" things into existence with a mere thought.  There was a really great explanation that made my science loving brain very very happy.  I can honestly say that I haven't encountered any paranormal story that really explained phenomena in such a believable way (and, by the way, I'm a scientist in real life, so that is saying something).

The world that we are introduced to in this book sucked me in and had me completely engaged from the first chapter.  From the characters, to the powers, to the mysterious big bad, I just wanted the book to go on forever.  Josie and Reid (her trainer, and hottie crush) were captivating and I was on the edge of my seat playing the "will they or won't they" game.  The chemistry is sizzling, the paranormal abilities are unique and completely awesome, and the story was surprising and new.  Josie is a great teen to watch grow into the tough "anomaly" that everyone believes she can become.  There was none of the dreaded misunderstanding segments or pointless fights.  This book was jam packed with meaningful scenes that didn't waste a moment.

All in all, this was exactly what I look for in an excellent 5 star read.  Oh, and to top all that good stuff off the right way, there's no big cliffhanger moment that made me want to chuck my kindle across the room.  You get some good with some bad, but in a surprisingly "real" story.  I will be counting the days until the next book in this series comes out.
1691516
First off, I absolutely love the cover for Children Shouldnt Play With Dead Things, as well as the title, and Ill admit its what first drew me to the book. Then I read the blurb and became completely enthralled with the concept. I had to read it. And let me tell you, I was hooked from the beginning. Who wouldnt be with a world teaming with witches, wizards, reapers, shifters, and faeries? Told in multiple points of viewwhich I absolutely love because it allows for the reader to get a better feel for the characters when you can see whats going on in their headsthere was never a dull moment. The author also did an excellent job of fleshing out all the characters so they feel real, making your concern for what happens to them genuine. As for the actual writing, it was superb. Once I started reading I did not want to put it down. I was literally intrigued from the very first paragraph. And once I finished it, I immediately went and bought the second book in the series  Dark Dreams and Dead Things.

If you love the paranormal, a good supernatural mystery, interesting characters (Kai, Mace, and Ember are my favs), and a few steamy scenes here and there, then do yourself a favor and pick this book up. You won't regret it. But be warned. Once you read Children Shouldnt Play With Dead Things be prepared to buy Dark Dreams and Dead Things. Actually, just buy them both now and save some time.
2252980
This book is phenomenal.

All the time I read contemporary, and mostly NA romance that I forgot how fun and amazing paranormal and YA books can be.

The whole story is captivating and mysterious. It pulls you in and you can't stop reading. I loved the characters, both main and supporting. They are well developed. There were moments when I wanted to punch Mara in the face, but at the same time, I can totally understand where she's coming from.

I want more of this series, and I want it NOW.

Brilliant indeed, Micalea.
554843
Redemption had been a big surprise to me! Ms. R.K. Ryals wrote a book that has a perfect mix of everything you would want in a YA read.

I will absolutely not give out anything more than what was written on the book blurb. I figured out that the blurb was written that way for a reason. Sometimes, it frustrates us that the blurb doesn't give out much, but what we didn't know is that it is written that way to make the reading of the book much more pleasurable. The mystery is what gets us going. The craving to want more gives that much needed push to make us read more and it doesn't spoil us, doesn't it? I absolutely love that the blurb was written as vague as it could be. The intensity of the read would be much affected if I outed anything more and that's why I've decided to leave you guys in the dark, I'm sure you'll find the light once you've read this book! This is the only hint you'll get from me, nothing more and nothing less!

Redemption has been a revelation to me. There are certain perceptions about self publishing going around the net, and I think most of you knows this, but Ms. R.K Ryals has proven them all wrong! If you read this then you'll see that there are treasures hidden in the Self Publishing World.

 Redemption is one of the most exciting reads I had the pleasure of reading this year. It's full of action and mystery that would make your head swirl! It has a bit of romance. Note that there is a love triangle here but not the kind that would make you irritated and throw the book out. It's done in a way that you could probably relate to it. It's done in a way that you'll know who to root for and it's pretty fantastic!

The characters in this book are simply amazing! The story actually revolves around Dayton (Day) but what I liked about this is, we get to see this girl around the people she interacts with and in turn we get to see those people around her and as a reader we try to complete the puzzle of their personalities. The complexities around them are what makes this book so much enjoyable to read. You'd want to know what pushes them to do what they did! The mystery of what Dayton is and the mystery of what the people around her are, makes you go on reading this book no matter what the time is. I think it's one of the signs if an author is effective. You'd just continue on reading until that very last period.

I also liked the pacing of the story. It was just right. The build up was getting intense page by page and I absolutely loved it! There are some little typos along the way but it's barely there. I don't think you'd really notice it if you didn't look for it. I'm just wired differently that's why I noticed those few little typos.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book! There's nothing I didn't like about it actually, which makes this book so amazing. There were no dull moments when you'd want to skip a page to get to the point. As I said the build up of the story was getting intense page by page and that's why you wouldn't want to miss one. If you're looking for a book that would make you think and feel intensely then, this book is for you! It would be a colossal mistake to miss reading this book!
3096777
This beautifully written book is filled with adventure and mystery.  Right from the beginning, the stage for a great mystery book is set and the unanswered questions leave you wanting to read more and more.  We learn about main character Isabella, who lives in a hotel with grandmother when her parents were killed.  Isabella begins to learn about her family who is part of an Empath Society and that she too is empath.  She discovers the hotel that she grew up living in sits on a whole secret world called the Violet City.  She and her new friends learn that she must find the lost Foxworthy heir before her 16th birthday to save not only her family but this whole new world she has just discovered.

The Lost Heir, is a uniquely imagined story with characters that get introduced leaving you to ask questions about who they are and what they will mean to Isabelle in the end.  There is a romance and many twists in the story.  The beginning does start off a bit slow but the more you read the more you get sucked into this story and whole new fantastic world.  I love the relationship she has with her friends, especially with her new friend Seth.

I would definitely recommend this book to those who love YA books.  It is an offbeat supernatural book that doesnt have the common characters you would see in this genre such as they typical vampires.  These characters are different which makes this read even more interesting.  There really isn't a book like this out there.
3138887
IA: Initiate is a coming-of-age young adult novel with supernatural elements. It's also the debut novel from John Darryl Winston, and I have to say he's off to a fantastic start with this series.

So what we have here is the story of a young boy named Naz who happens to have a secret he doesn't quite understand, a sister to care for, and an indifferent foster family. Naz, unfortunately, also earns himself unwanted attention from a street gang that is adamant that he join them. When his abilities start to reveal themselves, and his secret starts to unravel, Naz has to do whatever he can to try and understand it all before it's too late. Will he be able to? You'll have to read the book and find out.

Okay, so I really quite enjoyed this book, and I'm looking forward to the second one. The world that Naz lives in is really well-developed, and it's easy to get lost inside of it. Even though it's a gritty, unsafe area infested with gangs and drug runners, it's still a fascinating place to read about.

The characters in the book are also easy to get attached to. You find yourself wanting to discover more about Naz as he goes through his journey in the novel. He's a curious one, and it's hard not to like him. His sister Meri is a fun character, wanting to help her big brother but not really understanding him at the same time. She's also really smart and a bit sassy at times.

Even though the secondary characters aren't as in-depth in the book, they're still really well-written and hard to forget. Out of all of them, I think the homeless man is the most intriguing. I really liked his character.

Plot-wise, the book moves along at a nice pace that doesn't ever really seem to drag or bore you. Once it sucks you in, you stay involved until the very end. That's definitely a plus, especially when it's a debut novel. There are flashbacks that sort of help make sense of some of what's going on, but at the same time, these flashbacks pose more questions than answers, if that makes sense.

Overall, IA: Initiate is a really great debut novel, and I'm so glad I had the chance to read it and discover a new author. I am curious to see what will happen in the next book, though. It'll be interesting to see where the author takes Naz, Meri, and the rest of the characters. Definitely looking forward to that.

I'd give IA: Initiate 4 out of 5 stars. If you're into young adult stories with supernatural themes, give this one a go. You won't regret it.