Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Title: Infinity (Chronicles of Nick #1)
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Reviewer: Karen Pellett
Genre: Young Adult (a bit of every genre)
Rating:Love
Alerts/Warnings: Moderate Swearing, Moderate Violence
Premise: "Streetwise, tough, and savvy, Nick and his quick sarcasm are the stuff of legend... until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity. With his fellow students turning into flesh-eating zombies, how can he stop them... without getting grounded by his mom?" (King County Library System)
Opinions: Oh my goodness gracious me!!!!! Greek gods meet fantasy & sci-fi, where Zombies meet Werewolves and Demons everything else under the sun.  I have several friends who are huge fans of Sherrilyn Kenyon, but I hadn't had the chance to read anything yet. Then I met Ms. Kenyon while working at a booth where she was signing at FanX in Salt Lake a few months ago. Let me tell you, she is beautiful inside and out. I had thought Ms. Kenyon wrote romance with a fantasy twist. Granted, this is the only book of hers I've read so far, but I now know why there was an even mix of men and women waiting in line, eager to meet their favorite author.

All I have to gauge is by this book and my opinion is that Ms. Sherrilyn Kenyon does a briliant job of writing to all genders in a genre mash-up for the ages. The characters were multi-dimensional, creative, and fascinating. I especially recommend listening to the audio version of the book where the narrator does an exquisite job of covering many many voices. Nick by far is a favorite of mine (which is good because he is the main point of view character), but Simi and Bubba are close seconds. But what really makes the book for me is the voice. Some books read very vanilla to me even if the plot is engaging. But the author's voice and her knowledge and love for all things Southern shines through in glorious fashion. The voice is utterly undeniable and is what makes the story come a live. The voice is what makes a cast of so many varied characters and backgrounds meld so perfectly together.

Note: The only reason I could not give this book the rating of Fabulous is because of the level of violence and language. So I recommend that parents read the book first to gauge better if your children our ready for this read.

Silver In the Blood by Jessica Day George

 


Title: Silver In The Blood (Silver in the Blood #1)
Author: Jessica Day George
Reviewer: Karen
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy Paranormal Horror (um take your pick...It's a little cross of several genres)
Rating: Fabulous
Alerts/Warnings:  Shape-shifting that leaves clothes behind, Wolves shown in battle (but described relatively cleanly).
Premise: "In 1897, seventeen-year-olds Dacia and Lou, New York socialites and cousins, visit their maternal homeland of Romania and learn the family secret--that they are shapeshifters, expected to take their rightful places and marry proper husbands" (King County Library System).
Opinions: I have enjoyed everything I have ever read by Jessica Day George. Having said that......Silver In The Blood is my favorite.  It was also highly unexpected. The majority of Jessica's other stories revolve around fairy-tale retelling or incredibly awesome twists on the young adult traditional fantasy with female main characters. I was expecting more of the same type of story when I picked up this book, not that I wasn't thoroughly excited to delve into a new story from one of my all time favorite authors.  So imagine my surprise when I realized that this book takes place in Romania in the 1800s and revolves around the ancestors of Vlad the Impaler (the genesis of the Dracula story).  The story didn't just draw me in, it sucked me in hook, line & sink your teeth to the very core.  The main characters were real to me, though from a different time, as they struggled with the teen struggles of the day, and yet when life opens up a horrible truth their reactions are real. My favorite character of all is Lou. I want to be her. I want her grace, her tenacity, her courage, her strength. Yeah, if I couldn't be her I would at least want to be really good friends with someone like her. Her cousin, Dacia, is a fantastic character, don't get me wrong, but personality wise I resonate more with Lou. With the ability to see the main characters' inner struggles through their letters and journal entries added to the traditional story telling the reader gets a more three-dimensional view into their growth throughout the story. I'm so fascinated by the story, its concept, and the imagery that I now need to add Romania to my research and places to visit list.  So, yes, you should read this book. And happily, it looks like Silver In The Blood is the beginning of a series.  Yeah baby!!! One happy reader here.

Making the Team by J. Scott Savage

To read my review of the first book in the series, click here: Zombie Kid.





Title: Making The Team (Case Files 13 Series #2)
Author: J. Scott Savage
Reviewer: Karen
Genre: Mid-Grade Horror
Rating: Fabulous
Alerts/Warnings: Creepy Monsters that the kids fight in a humorous way
Premise: "A mysterious private school has opened in town and Nick, Carter, and Angelo join forces with their rivals Angie, Tiffany, and Dana to uncover the mystery behind the school's inhumanly good football team" (King County Library System).
Opinions: This is mild-mannered horror at its best. I love this series.  I usually shy away from horror, but this is mid-grade version of horror. This book is full of laughs, pranks, punchy references, bodily noises, and loads of laugh out loud moments. I love the inter-relationship between the two groups of kids as they are trying to work together and the fantastic relationship with Nick's parents. It is also a great story about learning to cope with change.  For parents: This book is amazing, but it does have monsters that could be scary for more sensitive kids. Keep in mind I'm a highly sensitive adult. I was crept out, but the humor and the kids' ability to work together to overcome obstacles made this all worth it.  So my suggestion is read the book out loud or with your kid to gauge their reactions as to whether or not they can handle it.

Zombie Kid by J. Scott Savage

Title: Zombie Kid (Case File 13 #1)
Author: J. Scott Savage
Reviewer: Karen
Genre: Mid-Grade Horror
Rating: Fabulous
Alerts/Warnings: None unless your kid is highly sensitive to zombies and voodoo.
Premise: "The Halloween plans of monster enthusiasts Nick, Carter, and Angelo are thrown into turmoil when a magical amulet acquired from Nick's voodoo queen aunt turns Nick into a zombie and prompts an uproarious effort to break the curse" (King County Library System).
Opinions: I LOVE this book and I hate zombies. This book is an awesome cross between a mystery, Halloween horror, and just plane awesome sauce. It is perfect especially for pre-teen boys who love to be grossed out by limbs falling off of the undead, practical jokes, and learning that your relatives have spooky secrets. And for a zombie book it was incredibly clean and fun to read. There was great character growth, proof of awesome friends, and fun humor.  I'm still dying over the creation of a food substitute for zombies who crave brains.  I'm intrigued by the concept and look forward to reading more about Nick, Carter, and Angelo in book #2, Making the Team.

The Haunting of Derek Stone: City of the Dead by Tony Abbott

Title: City of the Dead (The Haunting of Derek Stone #1)
Author: Tony Abbott
Reviewer: Karen
Genre: Mid-Grade Horror/Paranormal
Rating: Like
Alerts/Warnings: Intense scary moments
Premise: "Derek Stone just turned fourteen. He's lived in New Orleans with his dad and older brother, Ronny, his whole life. He's a little overweight and can't hear well out of his left ear. And he's on the run from the dead" (King County Library System).
Opinions: I was in a weird mood when I went to the library yesterday. In between chasing after my escaping kids I grabbed the first book in YA in the A's and the last one in the Z's. The Haunting of Derek Stone by Tony Abbott was what I got. At first I had difficulty getting used to the narrative voice as its in first person and feels a bit disjointed as the character's thoughts bounce around. But soon I found that I couldn't put the book down and read it straight through in just a few hours.  I was intrigued by the concept, but the train accident was intense and scary though surprisingly clean for what it could have been.


Overall, I was freaked out, spooked out, and crept out, but since its a horror/paranormal book I would say that's great. It might be a bit intense for younger readers so I recommend that parents read it first to make sure it will not give your particular kid nightmares. As for me I went to sleep to a nice happy movie and singing kids' songs in my head.

Pitch Green by The Brothers Washburn

This review is based of an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC). This book is scheduled for release on March 16, 2013.



Title: Pitch Green (Dimensions in Death #1)
Author: The Brothers Washburn
Reviewer: Karen
Genre: YA Fiction/Horror/Paranormal (not sure quite how to classify it)
Rating: Love
Alerts/Warnings: Mild Language, Some graphic scenes surrounding supernatural murder
Premise: "Trona is a small, smoggy, mostly insignificant town in Colorado. Besides a booming chemical plant, the only thing that characterizes this dismal town is dirt, sagebrush, and an enormous abandoned mansion.

The mansion is, admittedly, the only notable addition to Trona, but it’s something everyone tries to avoid due to its creepy facade. Everyone except for Camm Smith, who is obsessed with the need to get inside.

Seven years earlier, as Camm herded a pack of little trick-or-treaters past the mansion, her young neighbor, Hugh, disappeared, becoming just one of many children who have vanished from Trona over the years without a trace. Now a senior in high school, Camm is still haunted by the old tragedy and is sure the answer to the mysterious disappearances lies hidden somewhere in the decaying mansion. Joining forces with her best friend, Cal, who also happens to be Hugh’s older brother, Camm naively begins a perilous search for the truth.

As things spiral quickly out of control, and others die, Camm and Cal discover it will take all their combined ingenuity to stay alive. An unseen creature, lurking deep within the bowels of the mansion, seems to have supernatural powers and is now hunting them. Making matters worse, they become entangled with hostile federal agents, who care only about keeping old secrets permanently hidden. Left with only their wit and seemingly ineffective firearms, they know they are running out of time. Unless they can make sense out of the few pieces of the puzzle they manage to unearth, the monster will certainly destroy them, and like so many others before them, they will be gone without a trace" (GoodReads.com).
Opinions: Once again I find myself reading, what I would define as, a horror novel.   It has the necessary creepy, grotesque description of death required for horror movies and books, but it has an impressive depth behind it. I loved the Brothers Washburn's ability to paint a picture with their words in an easy to read style. I enjoyed the mystery aspect of it, and I LOVED Camm as a character. She has a kind heart and yet grit and tenacity. I enjoyed Cal as well. He is the quintesencial teenage boy at the start, but through the twists and turns of the tail we find out much more about him.  I could have done without the murders and death, but it is a huge part of what the story is, so I may be an outsider in this opinion. I'm intrigued that this is a start of a serious and kind of curious as to where it will go. However, I have to weigh whether or not I can handle some of the imagery paired with my sensitive and highly-overactive imagination.  Warning: Parents may want to read this book first to determine if their sensitive child is prepare