Blood-Kissed Sky

Title: Blood-Kissed Sky
Author: J.A. London
Pages: 338
Language: PG13
Content: PG13
Level: Upper Middle School/High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary:  There's nowhere left to hide.  

I thought vampires were our enemies--they controlled our lives, isolated our cities, and demanded our blood-- until I met Victor.  With Victor taking over as the new Lord Valentine, things were supposed to get better.  Instead, they're worse than ever.

Day walkers, a new breed of vampires who can walk in the sun, are terrorizing the city.  Blood supplies are low, and if Victor's vampires don't get enough, they will become infected with the Thirst-- a disease that will turn them into mindless killers.

To stop it, I must journey across the desolate wasteland to the very place where the sickness began.  I can only hope that the answers that await me are enough to save us all... before it's too late.

Review: This is the second in the Dawn Series.  The first did not keep me as interested as the second did.  There is one use of the F-word and a bedroom scene which includes making out and petting.  The main character does drink a glass of wine --she is underage-- but drinking is not a major theme in the book.  Overall, I would recommend this novel to anyone who is into the paranormal genre.  Quick and easy!

The Terror of Black Eagle Tavern

Title: The Terror of Black Eagle Tavern
(Paranomalists Case #2)
Author: Megan Atwood
Pages: 95
Language: G
Content: PG
Level: Middle/High
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary: Todd's family has problems, serious problems; his parents' bar is losing customers at such a rapid rate that they will soon be out of business. While the bar has always been noted as haunted, the ghost has always been friendly. When the mild-mannered ghost is displaced by one with a rotten disposition, the atmosphere takes a decided turn for the worse. Glasses fly, people get caught in freezers, and all sorts of havoc is wreaked. At Todd's request, in step Jackson and Jinx, lead investigators (and only members) of their paranormal club. They pull out all stops and fire up their ghost-hunting apparatus as they prepare to spend the night. It is up to them to figure out what has gone wrong, particularly since Todd's potential scholarship hinges on their success.

Review: Another great HI/LOW book for relunctant readers.  Book two in a series, the author continues to give action, mystery, adventure, and a little bit of drama.  Easy, fun, interesting read.

The Haunting of Apartment 101

Title: The Haunting of Apartment 101
(The Paranomalists case #1)
Author: Megan Atwood
Pages: 103
Language: G
Content: PG
Level: Middle/High School
Recommendation: Good Read for reluctant readers

Summary: Jane is tired of not being noticed in high school, over the summer she transforms herself from being plain Jane to a Twizzler eating, paranormal investigator named Jinx who has a hard time being positive. Jinx and her best friend Jackson are as different as night and day. Jackson is the popular kid who loves to play sports and everyone knows in name. The one thing they do have in common is their love of paranormal investigations. Jinx is excited about the launch of her ghost hunting website to promote her business; the only problem is, she has yet to investigate her first haunting. Once Jinx and her trusty sidekick, Jackson, start their business they soon have their first client, Emily. Jinx is reluctant to take the case as she sees Emily as the enemy, but through the coaxing of her sidekick and a large supply of Twizzlers, Jinx agrees to take the case. Emily is convinced she is being attacked by a ghost in apartment 101. As Jinx and Jackson investigate their first haunting, they discover some starting surprises and reasons behind the hauntings. Not all is as it appears in Apartment 101.

Review: Short, simple, easy read.  Great Hi/Low for reluctant readers! Believable characters, crazy situations, with enough mystery and action to keep the reader's attention.

Firelight, Hidden,Vanish

Title: Firelight, Hidden, and Vanish
Author: Sophie Jordan
Pages: 323,
Content: PG
Language: PG (o "f")
Level: High School/Upper Middle
Recommendation: Good Read

 Summary: A hidden truth. Mortal enemies. Doomed love. Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.

Review: Each book follows the adventurous, dangerous, and sometimes downright heartbreaking path of Jacinda.  Teenage life is hard, even when you are not draki.  All three books kept my fingers turning the pages up until the very end.  Not generally a fan of science fiction, I really enjoyed all three books in this series. I read the first one, having NO idea what the series was about. A fresh new series for teens who love vampires, werewolves, or "otherworldy" or "supernatural" themes.