Title: Fever Moon: The Fear Dorcha Series: Fever Author: Karen Marie Moning Artist(s): Al Rio, Cliff Richards Genre: Graphic Novels Elements: Fae, Shapeshifters Publisher: Del Rey Books, Random House Inc. Format: Hardcover, 184 Pages ISBN: 978-0-345-52548-2 Release Date: July 10, 2012 Source: Borrowed from Wentworth Library Rating: 5/5
Tagline(s): ~NONE~
Summary: Dublin is a war zone. The walls between humans and Fae are down. A third of the world's population is dead and chaos reigns. Imprisoned more than half a million years ago, the Unseelie are free and each one Mac meets is worse than the last. Human weapons don't stand a chance against them.
With a blood moon hanging low over the city, something dark and sinister begins to hunt the streets of Temple Bar, choosing its victims by targeting those closest to Mac. Armed only with the Spear of Destiny and Jericho Barrons, she must face her most terrifying enemy yet.
In this all-new Mac & Barrons story by #1 New York Times bestseller Karen Marie Moning, we meet the most ancient and deadly Unseelie ever created, the Fear Dorcha. For eons, he's traveled across worlds with the Unseelie King, leaving behind him a path of mutilation and destruction. Now he's hunting Dublin, and no one Mac loves is safe.
Review:
I love when books from my favorite series are adapted into graphic novels, but I'm also wary because the story can end up too watered down. That is not a problem in Fever Moon. Fever Moon runs parallel to the main story in Shadowfever, as evidenced by some memorable scenes and quotes, but it's more of an off-shoot story depicting what happens after Mac meets the Fear Dorcha at Chester's and the Dreamy-Eyed Guy chases him away. So basically this is the story of the Fear Dorcha's revenge against Mac, the one who got away, by targeting those close to her.
So I was not disappointed in the story at all. I'm also glad that they included the scenes from Shadowfever, so we know exactly when these Fear Dorcha scenes happen in the Shadowfever storyline.
Now the artwork I thought was absolutely amazing. I don't think they could have chosen a better artist than Al Rio for Fever Moon. His artwork really brings out the feel of AWC Dublin. Mac looks just awesome (although I do think she's a bit too sexy-looking, if that's possible). I was a little disappointed with how Barrons was depicted. To be honest, I don't think he looks hot enough. He looks more like a thug to me. In regard to all the men in Fever Moon, they look too square and bulky--sure they are muscular, but not BOOM!! muscular. Maybe I'm just too picky when it comes to artwork depictions of my favorite characters, though.
There are some really graphic (no pun intended) scenes that should be watched out for. Especially the scene depicting Mac's rape by the Unseelie Princes that turned her pri-ya. So I definitely think reader discretion should be used when deciding whether to read Fever Moon or not.
With all that said, Fever Moon is probably one of the best adaptations for a novel series that I've read so far. I hope that Karen Marie Moning plans on more graphic novels in the Fever series in the future.
About this Author:
Karen Marie Moning (rhymes with
'awning') is the # 1 New York Times bestselling author of 12 novels,
including the Rita-award winning Highlander novels and the
internationally bestselling urban fantasy Fever series. Her books have
been published in 21 languages, and her events draw fans from all over
the world.
Title: xxxHOLiC Volume 19 Series: xxxHOLiC #19 Manga-ka: CLAMP Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Graphic Novels, Teen 13+ Publisher: Del Rey Manga, Kodansha USA, Random House Format: Trade Paperback Original, 180 Pages ISBN: 978-0-345-53126-1 Release Date: February 21, 2012 Source: Borrowed from Wentworth Library Rating: 3.5/5
Tagline(s): FINAL VOLUME
Summary: Kimihiro Watanuki has passed through many trails by fire. Once an indentured servant, he has matured and become the poised and skilled keeper of the shop that grants wishes. But Watanuki's final wish is for himself: to meet the witch Yûko one more time. With Yûko long vanished from our world, is it even possible? That question and others are answered now in the concluding volume of the bestselling manga xxxHOLiC!
xxxHOLiC crosses over with Tsubasa, also by CLAMP. Don't miss it!
Review:
Everyone has something they desire. The shop that grants wishes is there to grant those desires--whether they be a blessing or a curse to the wisher. Not every wish has a pleasant outcome and it's up to the customer to heed the warnings and advise of the shopkeeper.
The first story is about the five seasonal festivals, most importantly the Chrysanthemum Festival. This festival was created to eliminate bad luck. When "light" is strongest is when the worst disasters occur. The Ame-Warashi talks about what happens when those who go by the old calender (magical beings) get fed up when people change things according to the new calender without taking notice of the old. Eventually humans pay the price, sooner or later.
Then Watanuki meets a young woman waiting under an umbrella. She says that "He...never seems to come. But he promised. He said, 'If it's under this umbrella,' and held my hand as he promised." Her wish is to be reunited with her young man. But a "Serpent's Eye" talisman that wards against voyeurism is preventing him from meeting her. The fact that they could only meet under the umbrella suggests they have a relationship they want no one to see. Watanuki quotes the saying "At night, from a distance, or under an umbrella," which are all the ways a woman looks more beautiful, but they are all ways in which you can't see them very well.
In the third story we learn that Himawari is married and we see how beautiful Kohane has grown up to be. And Domeki is just Domeki. Domeki brings an artifact to Watanuki that his professor wanted him to look at and identify. Watanuki speaks to the spirit of the artifact and discovers that it is a Hei-Gushi. A Hei-Gushi is a decoration put on a house's main support beam to celebrate the completion of the framework of the house. It's used as a charm to ward off evil and help ensure the happiness of the family that will live in the house.
And finally, in the last and final chapter of the xxxHOLiC series, Watanuki dreams of a butterfly. After the fourth night of dreaming of the butterfly, Watanuki sees Yûko for the first time. During the sixth night, Watanuki sees Yûko for the second time. This time she's holding a cage with a bird in it. She releases the bird and Watanuki says, "That's what it is. So that much time has passed since I inherited the shop." It was a dream Yûko had a long time ago and sent to Watanuki to tell him that he's strong enough and there is no need to hide himself away in the shop anymore. When asked if he'd like to forget about Yûko, Watanuki says no and commits to continuing as the keeper of the shop. So he can wait for Yûko. Domeki remarks that, "For him, even now, forgetting Yûko-san seems like it would be more painful than not forgetting."
This finale to xxxHOLiC is more somber than most of the series finales by CLAMP. Because of this it didn't have as big of an impact on me like some of their more explosive or emotional finales. So I was just a teeny bit disappointed.
Although I wasn't happy with the conclusion, it did make sense. When Yûko disappeared and Watanuki inherited the shop, it was revealed that Syaoran (Tsubasa) and Watanuki are the same person, but they were split when Syaoran made his wish. In order for Syaoran to move forward to look for Sakura, Watanuki had to remain in the shop to wait for Yûko. In the final chapter, Watanuki sees a dream Yûko left for him, showing the release of a bird, which is Watanuki's signature and symbolic of him, signifying that Watanuki is now strong enough to move forward on his own and leave the shop. Though he is now free, he chooses to remain as the shopkeeper and continue waiting for Yûko (talk about dedication!).
One thing about the conclusion that left me a little confused was when Watanuki mentioned that he's been the shopkeeper for more than a hundred years. Like I mentioned before, in order for Syaoran's time to move forward, Watanuki's needed to stop, so Watanuki still looks the way her did when he was in high school, while all his friends are growing older. What confused me about the more than a hundred years as shopkeeper part is that, how could that much time go by and all his friends still be alive? The only thing I could think of was that time moves differently in the shop than outside the shop.
In a previous volume, Yûko had given to Domeki an egg-like item that he could use to protect Watanuki, and that he would know the right time to use it. He still has not used it and says, "I guess it still isn't the time to use this." I mean, what was the point of the egg-like object if it's not even going to be used? Yûko made it sound like something very important, and by the end of the series it's still not even been used. Talk about waste!
I really like the final line of the series, though. Domeki says, "For him, even now, forgetting Yûko-san seems like it would be more painful than not forgetting." And the final image is of a bird flying free, representing Watanuki's freedom to move forward if he chooses. For Watanuki's story, that is the perfect image to end the series with.
About this Manga-ka:
Ookawa Nanase 大川七瀬 [born: 2 May 1967; bloodtype: A]
CLAMP
originally began in 1989 as a twelve-member dōjinshi circle, but by
1990, the circle had diminished from twelve to seven. Of the remaining
seven, Tamayo Akiyama, Sei Nanao, and Leeza Sei left the group during
the production of the RG Veda manga. Other former members of CLAMP also
included Soushi Hishika, O-Kyon, Kazue Nakamori, Yuzuru Inoue and Shinya
Ōmi. Currently, there are four members in the group.
In 2004,
CLAMP's 15th anniversary as a mangaka group, the members changed their
names from Nanase Ohkawa, Mokona Apapa, Mick Nekoi, and Satsuki Igarashi
to Ageha Ohkawa, Mokona, Tsubaki Nekoi and Satsuki Igarashi (her name
is pronounced the same, but written with different characters)
respectively. The August 2004 issue of Newtype USA, a magazine
specializing in events of the anime and manga subcultures, reported that
the members of CLAMP simply wanted to try out new names. In a later
interview with Ohkawa, it was revealed that initially Mokona wanted to
drop her surname because it sounded too immature for her liking, while
Nekoi disliked people commenting that her name was the same as Mick
Jagger's. Ohkawa and Igarashi, wanting to go with the flow of Nekoi's
and Mokona's name changes, changed their names as well.
In 2006,
they made their first USA public debut at Anime Expo in Anaheim,
California. They were well received at the convention, with 6,000 fans
in attendance at their panel.
Title: Bad Taste in Boys Series: Kate Grable #1 Author: Carrie Harris Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Supernatural Fiction Elements: Zombies Publisher: Delacorte Press, Random House Inc. Format: Hardcover, 201 Pages ISBN: 978-0-385-73968-9 Release Date: July 12, 2011 Source: Borrowed from Wentworth Library Rating: 4.5/5
Tagline(s): Take a bite... / Someone's been a very bad zombie. / It's scary. It's twisted. It's sick. It's high school.
Summary: Super-smartie Kate Grable gets to play doctor, helping out her high school football team. Not only will the experience look good on her college apps, she gets to be thisclose to her quarterback crush, Aaron. Then something disturbing happens. Kate finds out that the coach has given the team steroids. Except...the vials she finds don't exactly contain steroids. Whatever's in them is turning hot gridiron hunks into mindless, flesh-eating...zombies.
Unless she finds an antidote, no one is safe. Not Aaron, not Kate's brother, not her best friend...not even Kate.
Review:
In Bad Taste in Boys, Kate Grable is faced with curing a zombie virus outbreak. All it takes is one bite or exposure to any bodily fluids and you're infected. With those more suited to deal with the outbreak unbelieving that an entire school's student body is turning into zombies, the only one who can save the day is Kate, but what could possibly cure a zombie?
(there may be spoilers in this review after this point)
Bad Taste in Boys is such a fun read! Kate is such a funny and awesome heroine. She's really smart, but can also kick zombie butt. And she has so much courage--I don't know what I'd do if zombies were chomping on me.
And what a coincidence that the one person who has the ability to find a cure is epileptic. Who would have thought that the cure to zombie-ism would be epilepsy medication? Seriously, epilepsy medication! Some thing that Kate takes everyday and therefore makes her immune to the virus.
You know how most of the time the guy gets the girl in the end? Well, in Bad Taste in Boys, it's the girl who gets the guy. Kate has had a crush on the hot quarterback of the football team, Aaron. AND he likes her back! I tell you, things just seem to fall in place for Kate--even with flesh-eating zombies running around.
I had so much fun reading this book and I can't wait to see what Kate's next adventure will be.
Book Trailer:
About this Author:
Carrie Harris is a
geek-of-all-trades and proud of it. Brains are her specialty; she used
to work at a lab where they were delivered daily via FedEx. After that,
it seemed only natural to write a zombie book. Now she lives in Michigan
with her ninja-doctor husband and three zombie-obsessed children.
Title: Dearly, Departed Series: Gone With the Respiration #1 Author: Lia Habel Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Supernatural Fiction, Dystopian Fiction Elements: Zombies Publisher: Del Rey Books, Random House Inc. Format: Hardcover, 467 Pages ISBN: 978-0-345-52331-0 Release Date: October 18, 2011 Source: Borrowed from Wentworth Library Rating: 4.5/5
Tagline(s): Love can never die.
Summary: Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?
The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.
But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.
In Dearly, Departed, romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love.
Review:
In Dearly, Departed, Lia Habel has created a unique dystopian world with a supernatural twist. The old meets the new. The past meets the future in this world where society has regressed and technology has thrived.
A hundred and fifty years earlier, the world went through an apocalypse of ice, pestilence, famine, and ash. Entire nations ceased to be, war broke out, and those who survived migrated south. After years of rebuilding the people never forgot the past and soon became more old-fashioned. Conservative clothing, polite etiquette, respect for elders, and the understanding of your social station became the norm. Violence and crude behavior is frowned upon. When it came to structuring their society, the people chose the Victorian era for its civility, order, and prosperity. They saw it was a Golden Age, but refused to see the dark side because they wanted peace, tranquility, and beauty. And for a while it was so, that is until the Punks showed up. They protested everything from the aristocracy to the advancement of technology, arguing that the New Victorians have forgotten the events of the past and would bring destruction upon the world once again.
This is such a unique world that Lia Habel has created. I love learning about history and I like that she chose to take society backward in time instead of into a futuristic time, though there are future advancements she included in her New Victorian world. Practically everything is digital--every citizen has a chip in their wrist, there are holograms, digidiaries, even the carriages are electric. It's a mish-mash of the past and future. But no matter how pretty the outside looks the ugly side cannot be completely hidden.
Nora Dearly, though small in stature, more than makes up for her childlike appearance with her intelligence, stubbornness, and bravery. Unlike most heroines, Nora does not accept the supernatural element of the story--the zombies--right away. She takes time, and locking herself up in a room, to wrap her head around what can't even be possible. And when she finally feels she's safe to come out, she approaches the situation--and the zombies--with caution. And though she's a skilled guns woman, she knows her own strength and leaves the fights she can't win to the trained professionals. Nora's love and loyalty are unmatched. She'd risk her very life to help those she loves, and she'd never abandon them in their time of need.
Bram Griswold is...well...dead. Captain--in name only--of Z Company, Bram holds the respect of all the undead in the unit. For a zombie he's pretty good-looking--in fact, he's practically perfect, except for the whole being dead thing. No missing body parts, full head of hair, and no one can help but swoon when he wears his "sexy clothes." Bram is honest, noble, and more alive than most living people, for someone who's dead. He's very self-aware, he knows his situation and accepts it for what it is.
The love story of Nora and Bram is not instantaneous. It grows over time, and is one of the most honest and pure love stories I've ever read. They both understand the difficulties a relationship between them will have. They know they can't have a forever and just want a right now. It's a bittersweet love story that can't end any other way but in heartache. But the fact that they can love each other despite the differences between them and want nothing more than now together is what makes this a true love.
ZOMBIES! But there's a very big difference between the good and the bad. The bad zombies are your typical animalistic and cannibalistic nightmares. The good zombies are those like Bram, Chas, and all those in Z Company. They maintain their sanity, their selves, and are able to function as they normally did...mostly. Their resilience and strength make then beautiful in a way that the living cannot achieve. And they want, more than anything, for a vaccine to be found so others don't have to suffer as they have.
I love how this book is written from alternating points of view. Most of the story is told from Nora and Bram's respective viewpoints, but intersperced through the book are viewpoints from Captain Wolfe, Dr. Dearly, and Pamela. This adds a depth to the story that a book from only one perspective just doesn't have. The morbid sense of humor the characters use to joke about the macabre world surrounding them actually takes some of the dark, doom and gloom out of the atmosphere.
With the mixed reviews I read for Dearly, Departed I wasn't sure if I would like this book, but once I started reading I really enjoyed it. I love the writing, the storytelling, and the world. The characters are believable and feel real--even the zombies. The romance is sweet and pure. Everything just worked for me in Dearly, Departed. I can't wait to see what happens in the sequel, Dearly, Beloved.
Excerpt (Pages 311-312):
Bram regarded me with soft eyes. He took a deep, chest-expanding breath, and when the air came out, he said, "I'm dead, Nora."
I'd known this was going to come up, either from him or someone else. "It's hard to think of you as dead when you laugh with me, walk with me, smile at me..."
He shook his head, some of his hair coming to rest before his eyes. He didn't brush it away. It shadowed his face, made him look sad. "I'm dangerous."
"Oh, and other people aren't?" I heard the growing temper in my own voice. "You've spent the last week convincing me that you're not a monster, and now you're going to make like you are? Don't try to pull that. Men turn on their wives of twenty years with hatchets, men...men go insane and murder their children. Everyone is capable of becoming dangerous, going mad. What makes you so different?"
"Different?" He took a step closer and grabbed my wrists before I could back away. "Do living men have dreams about people dying? Do they occasionally get the urge to chase you? Do they--no matter how well they repress it, no matter how well-behaved they are--always have in the back of their mind the idea that your flesh would be the best thing they ever tasted?"
I held my ground. "Probably not," I replied. "But I have dreams about people dying. I've been so angry that I couldn't think straight. I know what it's like."
He let go of me, his expression folding into confusion. I slowly reached up and touched his bottom lip. He flinched away, but I persisted. "Go ahead. If you're so out of control, go ahead. This isn't my shooting hand."
Bram folded his arms over his chest. He didn't fight it as I traced his lips, his chin, the top half of his throat. He did catch my hand before it ventured any lower, though. My tongue flattened against the roof of my mouth as I kept my eyes on his, letting him do what he wanted.
He kissed my satin-robed wrist, over the glove's bottom opening, and dropped my hand.
In that moment, I found him fully, absolutely beautiful. The way he kissed me was so honest; the way he stood there, calmly embodying his own space, was attractive in that it simply was. He just was, when he shouldn't be.
Book Trailer:
About this Author:
I'm an author, and consequently spend the majority of my days locked up in my own head. When I'm actually actively participating in the groundbreaking experiment in groupthink known as "reality," you'll find me designing and sewing costumes, trying to teach myself to play roller derby (I do not tackle pedestrians, contrary to popular belief), planning trips, and watching zombie movies.
Title: Paper Covers Rock Author: Jenny Hubbard Genre: Young Adult Contemporary, Poetry Publisher: Delacorte Press, Random House Inc. ISBN-13:9780385740555 ISBN:0385740557 Release: June 14, 2011 Rating: 3/5
Tagline(s): ~None~
Summary:
Sixteen-year-old Alex has just begun his junior year at a boys' boarding school when he fails to save a friend from drowning in a river on campus. Fearing the consequences if they reveal the whole truth about what happened, Alex and his friend Glenn, who also witnessed the accident, decide to lie. Plagued by guilt, Alex takes refuge in the library, telling his tale in a journal he hides behind a copy of Moby-Dick.
But the boys were not the only ones by the river that day. In the midst of their panic, Miss Dovecott, a young English teacher fresh out of Princeton, happened to arrive.
Over the next few weeks, Miss Dovecott begins to recognize poetic talent in Alex; she helps him find his voice, and he is thrilled by his teacher's special attention. But when it becomes obvious that Miss Dovecott has noticed glimmers of guilt in Alex's writing, Glenn is convinced that she is out to get them. Now Alex must choose between his friend and his mentor. But every decision has it's consequences.
Jenny Hubbard has drawn on her skills as poet, playwright, and teacher to create this poignant story, which captures a world where the line between the code of silence and the code of honor is not always clearly drawn.
Review:
Characters
Alex Stromm was one of four boys at the river the day Thomas died. Unlike Glenn, Alex isn't in the spotlight, nor does he want to be. But Alex's talent for writing poetry gains him attentionfrom his English teacher. He uses this talent to work through his guilt over Thomas' death.
Glenn Everson is the Golden Boy, always in the spotlight. Perfect in athletics and academics; he's someone everyone respects and looks up to. Suspecting that their English teacher knows more than she's letting on about what happened at the river, Glenn comes up with The Plan to get her out of the school.
Haley Dovecott is Alex and Glenn's English teacher. She notices promising talent in Alex and becomes like a mentor to him. She also happened to be near the river on the day Thomas died. She heard yelling and went to see what was wrong. Not knowing what she really saw, she subtly tries to get more information from Alex and Glenn.
Thomas Broughton was told to jump off the rock, not dive. But having drunk way more vodka than he should have impaired his judgment. He dove and hit his head on the rocks in the river and died. He is survived by his parents and younger brother, Trenton.
Theme
In this book Alex struggles with whether he should keep his silence or let the truth be known about that day at the river and Thomas' death. Alex feels guilt over Thomas' death because he believes he didn't do everything in his power to save him. But in a way, Alex does break his silence when he writes about that day, and the events after, in the journal his father gave him. Whether that is good enough is up to interpretation. I believe that speaking out is too hard for some people, but if they can find another way---like Alex with his writing---it's just as good as actually saying the words. It's out there in some way, shape or form.
Plot
The main element in this story is Alex's guilt. The author [Jenny Hubbard] has Alex express and work through his guilt in writing. Whether it's in his journal or homework assignments---his poetry. She even has his use running on the cross country team as a way to work though it. For a lot of people writing is the best and easiest way for them to express themselves, and I thought that that was the best way the author could have used to show Alex coming to grips with this subject. It's realistic and honest.
Setting
The book takes place at Birch School, an all boys' boarding school.
Alex doesn't like the image a boarding school gives those who attend, because people automatically think you're a delinquent and are there because you did something wrong.
There is a sense of brotherhood within the dorms. Since you're with these guys everyday a bond is formed. Though it's not a place that's easily accepting of those who are gay.
For Alex, the river represents death and the loss of innocence. Though he does go back to the river after Thomas' death, it's not easy for him.
And the cross country track is a place where Alex can just let it all go for a while and run. There's also a sense of achievement as Alex's run times continue to improve.
My Final Thoughts:
I was kind of surprised when I began reading that it takes place in the 1980's. Most recent releases I've read have either taken place in the present or the future. I liked how the author used writing as a way for Alex to express himself. Although the poetry was a little difficult for me to understand, but I've never really been good at understanding poetry, so it's not a real negative for the story. All in all, I really liked this book. Quote:
Chapter Seven, Page 72
"Writing is about making choices, Miss Dovecott says. One word or phrase or title over another. So many options that they're almostoverwhelming. Which is why it is sometimes so easy to grab the cliche, to reach out to what is familiar. But don't. Because metaphor is all about the comparison of two unfamiliar, unlike things."
About this Author:
In the summer of 2009, Jenny spent ten happy days at Vermont College of
Fine Arts under the expert tutelage of Kathi Appelt, to whom much is
owed. A published poet and playwright, Jenny taught English to
high-school and college students for seventeen years before retiring to
write full-time. Her first novel for young adults, Paper Covers Rock, will be published by Random House in 2011. (You may visit her at www.papercoversrock.co.)
Represented by Jonathan Lyons of Lyons Literary LLC, Jenny is currently
working on young-adult novel #2 in Asheville, North Carolina, where she
lives with her math-teacher husband. When not at her desk, Jenny enjoys
taking walks, going to plays, and working the New York Times crossword puzzle.
Title: Texas Gothic Author: Rosemary Clement-Moore Genre: Young Adult Supernatural Elements: Witches, Magic, Psychic Abilites, Ghosts Publisher: Delacorte Press, Random House Inc. ISBN-13:9780385736930 ISBN:0385736932 Release: July 12, 2011 Rating: 4.5/5
Tagline(s): You can't escape your inner witch...
Summary:
Amy Goodnight knows that the world isn't as simple as it seems---she grew up surrounded by household spells and benevolent ghosts. But she also understands that "normal" doesn't mix with magic, and she's worked hard to build a wall between the two worlds. Not only to protect her family, but to protect any hope of ever having a normal life.
Ranch-sitting for her aunt in Texas should be exactly that: good old ordinary, uneventful, hard work. Only, Amy and her sister, Phin, aren't alone. There's someone in the house with them---and it's not the living, breathing, amazingly hot cowboy from the ranch next door.
It's a ghost, and it's more powerful than the Goodnights and all their protective spells combined. It wants something from Amy, and none of her carefully built defenses can hold it back.
This is the summer when the wall between Amy's worlds is going to come crashing down.
Review:
Characters
Amy Goodnight, legal name Amaryllis, refers to herself as the Gatekeeper. She tries to keep the paranormal world her family lives in, and the normal world everyone else lives separate. Although she denies being a witch, since she began house-sitting for her aunt, she's shown an affinity for ghosts. An affinity she wishes very much would go away.
Phin Goodnight, legal name Delphinium, is Amy's older sister. She's a genius when it comes to chemistry and physics, but she can be pretty aloof when it comes to things outside the sciences: such as guys, namely Mark Delgado. Every Goodnight gravitates toward a certain affinity, but Phin's closest fit is Kitchen witchery, although she's really all about the science and gadgets.
Ben McCulloch is the son of the McCulloch Ranch owners. He's Amy's hot cowboy neighbor, and their first meeting isn't exactly smooth. They are constantly bickering every time they see each other, mostly about the Mad Monk of McCulloch Ranch. Ben doesn't believe in the supernatural and wants nothing to do with it. And don't even think about getting his family involved.
Mark Delgado is a member of the dig team excavating the bones found on McCulloch Ranch. He's got a thing for Phin and when things get ghosty, he goes with the flow. He doesn't say whether he actually believes in the supernatural, but when things start going south he decides to stick around and help out.
The Mad Monk of McCulloch Ranch is a legend (or perhaps not) about the ghost of a monk, or possibly a priest-soldier, who smacks people about the head to protect a treasure. This story has been told by word-of-mouth for years, so the details are questionable. Is the Mad Monk Amy's ghostly apparition?
Theme
One theme in this book is denial of true self. Amy denies that she's a witch or that she has any supernatural talents. Even though it's evident that she has an affinity of ghosts, otherwise the ghost wouldn't have come to her. Eventually, when she can no longer deny who she really is, she accepts that she's a true Goodnight.
Another theme is denial of the supernatural world. Whether the supernatural is real is up to your individual interpretations. But in the world of the book it's very much a reality. And Ben can't accept that. Even when the evidence of it is freezing him to death. I can't say whether he ever really believes the supernatural is real after the events that transpired, but I do think he's a little more open to it.
Plot
A lot of ghost stories are in the genre of mystery and suspense, and this one is no different.
We have a ghost---who is either real or legend---that wants to be found. He wants the truth about himself to be known. But who is he really? Is he really the Mad Monk or was his identity lost to time? And if he's not the violent treasure hoarder, what's his real story? This is the mystery Amy needs to find the answers to. But that's not necessarily going to be easy.
Enter the greedy complication. Someone wants the gold very badly. So badly they'd desecrate human remains in their search. The very remains that could have shown up more clues to the identity of Amy's ghost had the site not been destroyed.
Add Amy's detective work and the greedy gold miner, and you've got some very suspenseful moments. Not to mention dangerous and life-threatening.
All of these elements in the plot---the mystery and suspense; the complication and resolutions (which I will not say a word about because there would definitely be spoilers)---mix very well together. It's a well-balanced plot.
Setting
There are three distinct settings in this book: Goodnight Farm, the excavation at the river, and the bat cave.
Goodnight Farm, with it's lavender fields and fresh, green smells, are a place of comfort for Amy and Phin. It's the one place they feel truly safe. Although the tree-climbing goats are a source of irritation for Amy.
When Amy first heard about the excavation she didn't want to go anywhere near it. For Phin it presents an opportunity for her to gain data for her experiments. And for the diggers it's a chance to learn about something that happened so long ago, and the excitement of a new discovery. But for the McCulloch's it's just a nuisance.
The bat cave is a small cave that Amy accidentally fell into thinking it was just a shadowy spot. This cave makes Amy feel scared. She fears that she'll die in a grave of bat poop if help doesn't come to get her out. Her ghost also pays her a visit here and warns her to be careful. Of what? Well, you'll just have to read the book to find out.
My Final Thoughts:
I really likedthe humor and banter between Amy and Ben. I thought that the moments when they were actually couple-like were few and far between, almost like a teaser. But even though the romance element is lacking the rest of the plot more than make up for it.
Quote:
Chapter Fifteen, Page 175
"The paranormal touched people's lives, even if they didn't realize it. Sometimes it was good, sometimes it was bad, and mostly the Goodnight's tried to make sure it was good."
About this Author:
I can't remember a time when I wasn't writing,
even when I should have been doing algebra homework. Despite this, I
managed to earn a master's degree in communication, and an ecclectic
resume, mostly because I couldn't decide what I wanted to be when I grew
up. I was interested in so many different things. The thing I like best
about being a writer is that, for the space of a novel, you get to be
whatever you want. Astronaut, detective, ballerina...
I went into theatre--it's all storytelling, in
its own way--but now I put my drama queen skills to work writing books,
which is awesome, because I don't have to stay on a diet, and I get to
work in my pajamas and take breaks to play Rock Band. (Sadly, this is
the only video game I can play, as most of them make me rather seasick. I
suspect this seriously reduces my gamer nerd credibility.)
My interests and obsessions change frequently and
without notice, but I pretty consistantly obsess about dogs, horses,
sailing (despite the sea sickness thing), history, archeology, Gilbert
and Sullivan, BBC America, Star Wars, movies with swords and explosions
and Russell Crowe, and of course, books.
