Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it is too dark to read. ~Groucho Marx
Showing posts with label paranormal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paranormal. Show all posts

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Raven Boys

image from boone.lib.ia.us
The Raven Boys 
by Maggie Stiefvater


From the publisher:

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them-not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He has it all-family money, good looks, devoted friends-but he's looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we've never been before.

video from youtube.com
Easily the strangest book trailer I've seen...but the author made it...so, enjoy!

Arielle's thoughts: There's a lot going on in this book. Psychics,  old English history, domestic violence, a love triangle, mysticism, and so on and so forth. If you liked Stiefvater's Shiver series you'll probably enjoy The Raven Boys. Beware, there are huge gaps to be filled and the author's obvious hope is that you'll be so enthralled that you'll read the next book in the series.  

Stiefvater, Maggie. The Raven Boys. Scholastic Press, 2012. Print. ISBN: 978-0545424929 Hardcover. U.S. $18.99

Sunday, August 5, 2012

The Frenzy

Image from amespubliclibrary.com

Block, Francesca Lia. The Frenzy. 2010. New York, NY: Harper Teen. Print. ISBN: 9780061926662 258 pages Hardbound US $16.99

Awards: None yet!

Annotation: Liv is a normal teenage girl, she has boy problems, parent problems, and school problems. When she discovers that she's been a paranormal creature her problems become suddenly more pressing.

The Frenzy

by Francesca Lia Block


The terrible but wonderful thing that happened when Liv was thirteen was mysterious, terrifying, and unexplainable; it was Liv’s first experience with The Frenzy

“I swept my rough tongue gingerly over my arm. But it wasn’t an arm anymore. The hair tickled my mouth. I wasn’t entirely myself and yet I wasn’t all that different. I wished there was a mirror so I could see, but part of me didn’t want to.”

    Liv is dealing with the typical problems of life. She pretends to be her best friend’s girl so his parents don’t catch on that he likes boys. She’s hiding her own boyfriend, Cory, because she doesn’t think her parents will approve of him. Oh, and, when there’s a full moon The Frenzy takes over and she has an uncontrollable urge to rip off her clothes and go running savagely in the woods. Things are spinning out of control for Liv and her story will keep you riveted until the very last page.

Check out Francesca Lia Block reading the first chapter!



video from youtube.com

Praise for The Frenzy

“A passionate, dreamy, brief paranormal, with a breath-of-fresh-air monstrous heroine and enjoyably surreal set dressing.” (Kirkus )

“Block puts her own spin on werewolves in this romantic thriller.” (The Horn Book )

“A true original…[Block] has created something psychologically complex, erotically charged, and unusually poignant.” (Booklist (starred review) )

“I love the lush, melancholy world of this novel, and its heroine, with her century of secrets.” (Claudia Gray, New York Times bestselling author of Evernight )

“Will be gobbled like candy by teen readers.” (The Horn Book )

“With her characteristic flair and seductive prose, Block makes this tangled story of betrayal and love a standout. Sensuous and heartbreaking, sure to both satisfy and challenge fans of the supernatural romance.” (Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books )

Sunday, July 29, 2012

The Silver Kiss

image from boone.lib.ia.us



Klause, Annette Curtis. The Silver Kiss. 1990. New York: Delacorte Press, 2009. Print. ISBN: 9780375857829 Paperback. Pages: 256 U.S. $8.99

Awards: Locus Poll Award Best First Novel 1991

Annotation: A love story like no other, The Silver Kiss brings together Zoe, overwhelmed by grief and anger, and Simon, undead and thirsting for human blood, revenge and understanding.



Wrap back to the title:
The Silver Kissby Annette Curtis Klause


Zoe’s mother has been in and out of the hospital and this time it seems like the cancer will be keeping her confined for good. Besides the understandable grief and sorrow, Zoe is struggling with some less recognizable emotions. She’s hurt that her father is shutting her out; she’s angry that her best friend seems more concerned with shopping and boys; and she’s not sure how she feels that her mother won’t talk to her about her impending death. To make matters worse, there is a killer hiding in her small town. When it seems like Zoe has no one to turn to she meets beautiful, mysterious, Simon and he seems to understand her pain and rage. When Simon reveals his supernatural nature Zoe rethinks her decision to trust him. Together, however, Zoe and Simon make peace with their pain, accept death as a natural part of life, and bring justice to the mysterious murderer. Stronger together, with their love to bind them, Zoe and Simon discover the power of, The Silver Kiss.



Also in this version are the short stories The Summer of Love and The Christmas Cat.

"Strangely persuasive...at once a grisly and graphic tale of monstrous death and a sweet and compelling story of love."
--Entertainment Weekly

*"A well-drawn, powerful, and seductive novel." 
--School Library Journal, starred

*"Both sensuous and suspenseful."
--Booklist, starred

"Move over, Anne Rice."