Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales

Release: October 5, 2010

Source: Publisher (for Traveling to Teens tour)

It’s Violet’s junior year at the Westfield School. She thought she’d be focusing on getting straight As, editing the lit mag, and making Scott Walsh fall in love with her. Instead, she’s just trying to hold it together in the face of cutthroat academics, Scott Walsh’s new girlfriend, and the sense that things are going irreversibly wrong with her best friend, Katie.
When Katie starts making choices that Violet can’t even begin to fathom, Violet has no idea how to set things right between them. Westfield girls are trained for success—but how can Violet keep her junior year from being one huge epic fail?

When reading Mostly Good Girls, the first thing I noticed was the length of the chapters. They were all short -- some being only a page or two -- and quickly got to the heart of the matter. Instead of flowery descriptions and long internal monologues, Sales cut to the quick of things, leaving just enough space for some witty humor. This style of writing gave the entire book a very clean, concise feel and provided a great window into Violet's mind.

The humor in the novel was another bonus. With Violet attending a posh prep school, there was no shortage of wacky legacies and rich teens overly obsessed with being politically correct. My favorite scenes were by far those about Violet's work on the yearbook committee and her leadership of the school's literary magazine. In these scenes, Sales was especially deft at poking fun at Violet's peers. Similarly, Sales did a great job of writing the witty banter between Violet and her best friend Katie. Not only were their conversations and projects entertaining to read about, they also gave a sense of how close the two were and how well they fit together, a bond that played an integral role in the novel.

Mostly Good Girls was largely about Violet grappling with her self-perception and her worry over loosing her best friend. While well-written and entertaining to read, I would've liked to see a more dominant plot than simply self-discovery. The story bounced along from one sparse chapter to the next, much of the time with the chapters being seemingly unconnected. And though Violet grew over the course of these events, I felt as though much of that growth was a byproduct of Katie's choices and personal rebellion, and not of Violet's own decisions.

In the end, Mostly Good Girls provided a witty narration of important struggles that many teens face. Though I personally did not connect with Violet and her story as much as I would've liked to, I do believe that teens will identify with this witty, yet self-conscious character.

3 stars 

Traveling to Teens: Guest Post from Leila Sales

Today I am happy to be hosting a guest post from Leila Sales, author of Mostly Good Girls. My review will be following shortly, but if you'd like to know more about Leila or Mostly Good Girls, you can visit her website. 

---------------------------------------------------

On my blog tour, I’m going over a few of my best tools for humor writing. In my last entry, I spoke about agreement, the importance of saying “yes, and” to the world you’ve created. Now here’s my second tip:

2. USE THE GIFTS YOU HAVE GIVEN YOURSELF.

This is a good story-building rule even if you’re not writing humor. Pay attention to the elements that you’ve introduced into your story, and try to find ways to use them later on. If you bother to establish that your character never wears jeans and owns a collection of one hundred tights, that’s a gift that you’ve given to yourself. You can and should put it to use later on.

In the new novel I’m writing now, I realized that, on page five , I mentioned that the protagonist has a trampoline in her backyard. As soon as I noticed this, I knew that a scene would have to take place on this trampoline—otherwise, why would I include it in the first place?

In Mostly Good Girls, you can see an example of how I used this rule with the yearbook scenes. Once I had written the chapter “Like a safari, except with wild animals,” I knew that I needed a scene where something happened with the class’s safari-themed yearbook. Thus, many chapters later, I included “What a safari really means.”

“What’s wrong with it, though?” demanded Hilary, standing beside Ms. Freck at the front of the room. Hilary had been diligently doing research ever since we chose safari as our theme. She’d even been to Harvard’s library to find lesser-known academic safari books. The look on Hilary’s face when Ms. Freck made this announcement was that of someone learning that her sole living relative has died in some tragic, unforeseeable factory accident.

“What’s wrong is that a safari is not just about looking at animals in the jungle,” explained Ms. Freck.

There was some confusion throughout the room. “I thought that’s exactly what a safari’s about,” I whispered to Katie.

This is why it’s usually worth it to include specific details as you’re writing a first draft. Some of these details will get cut in the revision process. But some of them are gifts from your imagination. So you should do what you’d do with any gift: use it to its full extent, or re-gift it to a friend and pretend like you bought it special for them. Or, if it’s chocolate, eat it immediately.

That’s humor-writing tip number two. Come to the next stop along my blog tour for tip number three. I’ll give you a hint: It has to do with the number “three.”

---------------------------------------------------

Thank you for stopping by, Leila!

Because Five Star Reviews Are Just So Much Prettier...

Generated by GoodReads.com based on ratings given to books read in 2010.

A question that arises every so often both from readers of my blog and others’ is: “Why do you give so many positive reviews?” This is usually followed by another question: “Do you only read books you know you will like?”

And my answer to the question is: Yes! Of course I read books I think I’ll like. Who in their right mind would pick up a book knowing they’ll probably hate it in the end? It’s a crazy idea.

Reading a book I already have a bad feeling about is a waste of my money (if I’m buying it) or the publisher’s money (if they’re requesting a review). It would be rude and pointless of me to accept a review copy of a book I have no desire to read and will probably end up giving a negative review. I would never waste an author or publisher’s time and generosity for that. I’d much rather they go find a blogger better suited for their book.

Furthermore, one of the things I always stress to bloggers new and old (and even some non-bloggers) is that the great thing about the book blogosphere is that it allows readers to find bloggers they identify with. When you read a big corporate or newspaper critic’s reviews, you never know if their opinion reflects your own. The problem is that you don’t know the reviewer well enough to know their tastes. Why do you think you see authors’ quotes on the front of books 99% of the time? It’s because you’ll recognize and trust Libba Bray or Stephanie Myers’ name more than Kirkus Reviews’. Blogging takes that one step further, giving you a wealth of bloggers with tastes similar to yours, whose purpose is to review new and upcoming titles. All you have to do is find the right bloggers/blogs.

Following that reasoning, why would I choose to read a book I know I won’t like? What purpose does that serve for me or my readers? Usually, if a book is not on my radar, nine times out of ten it’s not on my loyal readers’ either. I’d rather give a one star review to a book I thought I’d like than to one I knew going into it that I wouldn’t. It’s simple if you think about it.

Now, does this mean I won’t take a chance on a book?

No. Not at all. I have on occasion taken picked up/accepted a book that I otherwise would not have considered. Sometimes I end up loving the book (e.x. Nightshade) and sometimes I end up realizing it wasn’t the book for me (e.x. The Forest of Hands and Teeth). No matter the outcome, I very rarely regret taking a chance on a book (hey, ranting is fun!). However, that doesn’t mean I want to be continuously playing book roulette.

In short, I am guilty of reading books I know I’ll most likely end up liking. And I don’t see a problem with it. In fact, I plan on continuing this habit of mine.

What about you?

How I'm Speaking Loudly

Today I am cross-posting a column I recently wrote for my school newspaper. The topic of the column is Wesley Scroggin's attack on Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak, Sarah Ockler's Twenty Boy Summer and Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five. You can read his entire article here. As a reviewer of young adult novels, I, like many others, took offense to this post.

Though I wasn't able to take part in Banned Books Week due to school and other conflicts, I felt that I needed to do something -- both for Banned Books Week and in response to Scroggins' article. The following column is my way of speaking out.

Let me know what you think!

   I have been to wild ragers. I have had abusive boyfriends. I have been stalked, kidnapped and tortured.

   Okay, maybe I haven’t. But they – the characters – have.

   I am an avid reader of the young adult genre. That section with the colorful covers and pale vampires that many love, others scoff at and as of late, some attack.

   On Sept. 18, Wesely Scroggins from Springfield, Mo. wrote an opinion in his local newspaper demeaning three of these books.

   These books contain “adult content.” They’re not light and fluffy as one may suspect, but heavy, gritty and – in Scroggins’ opinion – filthy.

   While I haven’t read all three of the books he attacked, I have read one: Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler.
   When I read Ockler’s book two summers ago, I was shocked by its depth.
   I may not have agreed with everything the main character did, but I saw its importance to the plot and to the character.
   Without it, the book would not have been half as powerful.
   Then last spring, I was able to meet Ockler while in New York and acquired an advanced copy of her upcoming novel, Fixing Delilah.
   This book was even more powerful than her debut. Ockler’s books delve past all the pretenses and get into the angst and turmoil of being a teenager.
   More importantly, they deal with death and what you’ll go through to find yourself.
   It shocks and sickens me to hear someone calling Twenty Boy Summer “soft porn.” I don’t understand how someone can take such a beautifully deep piece of work and see only filth.
   Actually, I can. Scroggins and others book banners see words like “sex” and “drugs,” and immediately disregard everything else.
   These people fixate on the less-savory threads of the story and miss the big picture, because surely, the mere mention of drugs will send kids off into a destructive spiral.

   Do they really think so little of us?

   I am a clichéd student – I get straight As, I take AP courses and I love English and the newspaper.

   I am also a proud reader of this supposed filth.

   I read about wild parties and drinking and all unholy things, but that doesn’t mean I do any of it.

   Books are meant to teach us and most importantly, better us.

   I don’t feel the need to get wasted because I’ve seen someone I love ruin her life while inebriated. And I don’t need to do drugs because I know what it can do to you and your relationships.
   I know all this because I read and because I learn from what I read. This is the power of books.
   Yet book banners don’t seem to understand that. Those evil words are just too powerful for teens’ eyes.

   Personally, I hope teenagers as a whole are smarter than that. High school students are intelligent enough to know that what they read isn’t always truth, that what’s important is the truth beneath it, the lesson they take away from it.

   Take away those books, and you take away those lessons.

   I’d like to see what happens then, Mr. Scroggins.

Simon and Schuster announces final Hush, Hush novel

This just came across my email inbox and I HAD to share it. If you've seen my reviews of Hush, Hush and Crescendo, you know that I am a big fan of the series. After finishing Crescendo, I immediately wanted a third book. Anyone else excited for this news?

---------------------------------------

SIMON and SCHUSTER BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS TO PUBLISH FINAL BOOK OF THE HUSH, HUSH TRILOGY IN 2011—BY NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR BECCA FITZPATRICK

NEW YORK, October 19, 2010 – Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers announced today that it will be publishing Tempest, the third and final book in Becca Fitzpatrick’s New York Times bestselling Hush, Hush trilogy. Tempest will have an on-sale date of Tuesday, October 18, 2011, with a first printing of 250,000 copies, and it will be supported by a major marketing campaign and national author tour.

The Hush, Hush series has captivated readers with the story of Nora Grey, her friend Vee, and a mysterious fallen archangel named Patch. In the gripping conclusion of the trilogy, Nora finds that as things start to unravel around her, she is more drawn to the enigmatic Patch. She soon discovers that the answers lie closer to home than she realized, and it is time for her to take control of her destiny once and for all. Crescendo, the second book of the Hush, Hush series, goes on sale today.

Becca Fitzpatrick says, “Hush, Hush was my very first book, and it’s so thrilling to see it embraced by so many readers. It’s been a truly life changing experience. Patch and Nora’s story isn’t half told until Tempest, and I hope readers will find it the most enticing book yet.”

Executive editor Emily Meehan adds, “Becca Fitzpatrick is an amazing storyteller, so my excitement to bring readers the third and final Hush, Hush book goes almost beyond words. Almost! Becca’s characters are swoony, her plots are twisted, and she likes to weave in a good mystery while she’s at it. Tempest will be no exception.”

Becca Fitzpatrick grew up reading Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden with a flashlight under the covers. She graduated college with a degree in health, which she promptly abandoned for storytelling. When not writing, she's most likely prowling sale racks for reject shoes, running, or watching crime dramas on TV. Hush, Hush was her first novel. She lives in Colorado. Find her online at http://beccafitzpatrick.com/.

Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers’ Executive Editor Emily Meehan negotiated the deal with Catherine Drayton of Inkwell Management for North American, audio, and e-book rights.

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Release: October 19, 2010

Series: Nightshade (Book #1)

Source: BEA

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?

Nightshade is a prime example of why one should never judge a book by its cover.

While I love the cover a lot, to me it just looks like another book in the endless sea of paranormal. Nevertheless I added it to my TBR list because I always try to support The Tenners – an online community of 2010 debut authors. Then at BEA, I picked up a copy thinking I’d either read it or give it away. Everyone I ran into for the rest of the convention asked me if I’d gotten a copy of Nightshade and then told me how great it was. Needless to say, my interest was piqued and I decided I’d give it a shot.

Boy, oh boy, am I glad I did!

Nightshade far surpassed every expectation I had and proved all of my assumptions wrong. It is by far one of the best paranormals I have read in a long while – one of the best of the year, for sure.

Cremer did an amazing job of painting Calla’s world. More importantly, she brilliantly portrayed all of Calla’s emotions. The story of Nightshade is heavily steeped in these emotions, giving the book a passionate, tumulus, and – dare I say it – sexy atmosphere. As a werewolf, Calla’s instincts play a huge role in her life, and the way that Cremer portrays this primal, instinct-driven quality of her personality only added to the rich feel of the novel. In doing so, Cremer has created one of those books that draws you in quickly and holds you in its clutches for the entirety of the novel. Even after I finished reading, it still lingered in my mind for weeks to come.

The inclusion of philosophy into the plot made Nightshade all the better. Any book that can make Nietzsche jokes and use Hobbes’ work as a catalyst for the plot is clearly brilliant.

As I stated before, the emotions that color Calla’s story really make this novel. The narrative is rough and uncluttered, putting you right inside the mind of Calla – unsure of her future but without a choice or the freewill to say no. The first chapter of the novel throws you right into her world. There is no introduction, no explanations, just plot. At first it seemed like a confusing and daunting task to try and decipher who was who and what was going on, but I quickly grew to love it. This is a show-don’t-tell book. The information is revealed bit by bit as the story progresses, unearthed because of the situations Calla finds herself in. It has been a while since I’ve read a book that was so in tune with its main character.

In the end, I was incredibly sad to see Nightshade come to a close. The ending was literally heart-pounding and left me desiring more. The sequel, Wolfsbane, is already at the top of my Most Anticipated Reads list for 2011.

5 stars!

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Release: October 19, 2010

Series: Hush, Hush (#1)

Source: NYMBC

Nora should have known her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described as anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away, and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch, or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

Back when I read Hush, Hush last summer, I was very torn about my rating. It was one of those books that fell in the gray area just south of five stars but north of four-and-a-half stars. In the end, I settled on five.

With Crescendo, I was worried going into it. After Hush, Hush blowing up, there was a lot of hype resting on Crescendo. If the first could barely stand up to its hype, then by my rule of sequels, Crescendo would most likely fall flat.

My reasoning was wrong. Not only did Crescendo stand up to the hype, it eclipsed Hush, Hush in character, story, and overall interest.

Unlike Hush, Hush, Crescendo had me hooked from the first chapter. If Fitzpatrick had woven a complicated web before, then she perfected it in this novel. I was constantly guessing and wondering what the next turn of the page would bring. This deepening of the plot was by far my favorite part of the book. I simply could not put the book down. If it was doubted before, I now fully believe that Fitzpatrick has hit her stride.

Like the plot, the characters also improved in this novel. I’m sorry to say, but Patch was not one of my favorite characters after reading Hush, Hush. While his story was great, he was, to be frank, creepy and shady. Similarly, I felt as though Nora could have grown more. Fitzpatrick solved both of these issues in Crescendo. By the end, I liked Patch and Nora far better than I had before.

And the ending…well let’s just say that this time, there is no doubt in my mind that I will be reading the next book. I simply must know what happens!

This was an excellent improvement upon an already great story. Fans of the series will love it and, in my opinion, readers who thought Hush, Hush left much to be desired will be pleasantly surprised.

5 stars!

Smart Chicks Kick It Event Wrap-up

Waiting in line to meet the Smart Chicks. What an awesome group!

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the Smart Chicks Kick It tour stop in Menlo Park, CA. Ever since the tour's announcement last fall, I've been excitedly anticipating the stop. And boy was it fun!

When I walked into the library and saw row after row of chairs set up, I will admit I was a little taken aback. With my normal author signings being hosted by Not Your Mother's Book Club, I was used to smaller venues. But it sure was fun to see so many YA lovers packed into the library and made the event all the more hilarious.

The larger venue also meant that there were TONS of Northern California YA book bloggers there. I've only ever met a few, so it was very cool to see them all. We even posed for a group picture, although I unfortunately didn't get a copy of the picture. I'm sure it's out there in the blogosphere, though.

Even more fun, I was finally able to meet Vania from VLC Productions. Regular readers of my blog will know that I am a big fan of her book trailers (which are gorgeous). After following her work and talking to her on Twitter, it was awesome to be able to meet her.

Alyson Noel (The Immortals series) and me.

Now, back to the actual event. The panel of seven authors -- Melissa Marr, Alyson Noel, Kelley Armstrong, Melissa de la Cruz, Margaret Stohl, Kami Garcia and Kimberly Derting -- kicked off the event by throwing tons of goodies into the audience for the smart chicks who'd gathered. I wasn't able to get too much, but I did get a Beautiful Darkness bracelet, which I absolutely love. Then, once the crowd had settled down, the authors held a Q&A session with the audience, where they discussed everything from their reasons for writing to their worst kisses.

They didn't keep the mic all night long, though. Halfway through the event they put the audience into the hot seat with a game in honor of Sarah Rees Brennan, a smart chick who had just left the tour, called Marry, Shag Cliff. The basic idea of the game is that members of the audience pick one of the authors' books and choose who they'd marry, who they'd shag, and who they'd throw off a cliff. The resulting combinations were absolutely hilarious.

My friend Connie from Not Your Mother's Book Club and me.

After some more funny stories from the authors, we all formed a not-so-orderly line and began the long wait to get our books signed. Fortunately, Connie from NYMBC, who has become once of my signing buddies, was there with a friend and we passed the long wait discussing books, school, and mis-perceptions of the genre.

Finally, we reached the tables and were able to meet all the lovely smart chicks. Most noteworthy for me were Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (Beautiful Creatures and Beautiful Darkness) and Kimberly Derting  (The Body Finder and Desires of the Dead). I absolutely adore the authors' books and was so happy to finally get the chance to meet them.

What an awesome event!

Finally meeting Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (Beautiful Creatures)!

Kimberly Derting (The Body Finder) and me. Squee!

P.S. Major props to Connie and her friend for taking all the above photos. My camera, like all technology, hates me and ate its battery. Thanks for saving the day, Connie!

Crescendo Vlog Tour!

Today I am very excited to be hosting the third stop on Becca Fitzpatrick's Crescendo Vlog Tour!

For those of you who haven't heard of Becca, she is the author of the New York Times best-seller Hush, Hush. The book has received tons of buzz and I personally enjoyed it, you can read my review here. Crescendo is the second installment in this wonderful series, due out October 19th. I have already read and loved it. My review will be up within the week.

Now, I give you Becca's vlog on her favorite fall activities!

Thank you so much for guest blogging, Becca!

For those of you interested, here's a bit about Crescendo:

Nora should have known her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described as anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy, Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The further Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim bloodline has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

Catch the next stop on the Crescendo Vlog Tour on October 11th at Dark Faerie Tales! You can find the full list of stops here.

And of course, you won't want to miss the final stop on the tour: a Twitter party!

Join Crescendo author Becca Fitzpatrick and Michelle of Galleysmith for a Twitter party Thursday, October 21, between 8:00 – 9:30 p.m. EST!

• Be sure to follow Becca @becfitzpatrick and Michelle @galleysmith before the party!

• Join the fun! No one expects you or your tweets to be perfect; we’re just happy you made it to the party!

• Watch for giveaways from @galleysmith and win awesome prizes including a new iPod nano, gift cards, jewelry andautographed books!

• To join the party, you can use a free service like TweetChat or TweetGrid or just search #Crescendo on Twitter.

• Ask Becca questions or chat with other partygoers—just use the tag #Crescendo in all of your party tweets!

• Please don’t post any spoilers and don’t forget to pay attention to the time zones, the party starts at 8:00pm EST.

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Release: October 12, 2010

Series: Caster Chronicles - Beautiful Creatures (book #1)

Source: BookExpo America

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

In this sequel to the New York Times Best-Seller Beautiful Creatures, author Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl delve deeper into the supernatural secrets surrounding – or should I say, beneath – Gaitlin County.

If Beautiful Creatures was Lena’s coming of age story, Beautiful Darkness is Ethan’s. Though he was undeniably a huge part of the previous novel, much of his personal story was intertwined with the dominating storyline of Lena’s struggle to claim herself. This tended to overshadow Ethan’s own struggles. In Beautiful Darkness, however, Ethan truly comes to life. Rather than being caught up in a larger plot, he creates one for himself. All of his courage and righteousness from Beautiful Creatures remain, only now he uses those traits to become proactive. He doesn’t wait for things to happen, he chases after them. And even though the circumstances that provoke him to do so are not my favorite, I admired his perseverance and commitment to Lena. It made the book gripping and impossible to put down.

As with Ethan’s character traits, all of the supernatural undercurrents from the previous novel still play a role in Beautiful Darkness. Only instead of being subplots, they’ve grown and developed into full-fledged storylines. They permeate every aspect of the book, and give the story an entirely different feel. You can feel the foreboding atmosphere thick on the pages, drawing you further into Ethan’s whirlwind adventure.

And of course it wouldn’t be a Beautiful Creatures novel if it weren’t riddled with surprise turns and unexpected shockers. From the very beginning, Garcia and Stohl throw one curveball after another. These continue all the way up until the last page, ensuring that the wait for the next installment will have you on pins and needles. Even though many of the mysteries from the first novel were revealed, at the end of Beautiful Darkness I was left with even more questions than before. The multitude of the secrets was simply mind blowing.

Although an overall wonderful novel, its predecessor is still my favorite. However, as the storylines continue to develop and grow more intricate, there is no where for this series to go but up. Garcia and Stohl have left so many shocking open ends that there is no telling where they’ll take the story next. And no matter where they take it, you can bet it will have you wanting more. I can’t wait to find out!

4.75 stars!