Welcome to my review of Misfit!

Misfit follows the story of Jael and her journey of finding out about herself and the truth about her mother. Jael’s childhood memories don’t include her mother, but instead include a lot of packing and moving, and things changing. Now that Jael is older, she’s finally wants her dad to explain everything that happened; explain who she is.

But as most dads, Jael’s father doesn’t feel like she’s old enough to understand. He keeps avoiding the subject with the same excuses until Jael corners him and can’t do anything but tell her.

When Jael was just a baby, her demon mother sacrificed herself to Belial, another very strong demon, to save Jael. Being half demon and half human doesn’t Jael less powerful, instead it makes her the opposite. Not very many half breeds exist, so no one really knows how powerful they can become. Because of that, almost all of Hell is after Jael, wanting to get rid of her.

Even with her dad, uncle, and friends on her side, Jael needs to find the strength in herself to defeat her mother’s killer.

Besides the beautiful cover, the decorative chapters and pages, Misfit as an amazing story line, characters and ending! I loved Jael, and her relationship with her cute/smart skater boyfriend, was definately something new! I love paranormal books, so there was no way I wouldn’t enjoy this one, especially with it’s unbelievable ending! Misfit should be on your TBR!

Let me set the record straight. My name is Charlotte Silver and I’m not one of those paranormal-obsessed freaks you see on TV…no, those would be my parents, who have their own ghost-hunting reality show. And while I’m usually roped into the behind-the-scenes work, it turns out that I haven’t gone unnoticed. Something happened on my parents’ research trip in Charleston—and now I’m being stalked by some truly frightening other beings. Trying to fit into a new school and keeping my parents’ creepy occupation a secret from my friends—and potential boyfriends—is hard enough without having angry spirits whispering in my ear.

All I ever wanted was to be normal, but with ghosts of my past and present colliding, now I just want to make it out of high school alive….

Paperback, 216 pages  Published September 1st 2010 by Harlequin Teen (first published August 15th 2010) ISBN  0373210205 (ISBN13: 9780373210206)

Charlotte is definitely not your normal teen. Her parents travel the world filming documentaries trying to prove that ghosts don’t really exist. But perhaps their show does exactly the opposite. This makes it really hard for Charlotte to make and keep friends. She begs her parents to settle down for just one year of school in a brand new house and let her just experience being a teen for a while.

At her new school, Charlotte makes friends easily this time around. Becoming very close with Avery, a cheerleader and her physical complete opposite. But they become close and it really is a friendship that the reader can see lasting a very long time. Avery has problems of her own, she like Charlotte is a very introverted character. Her boyfriend died and she partially blames herself. The boy who is accused of causing his murder approaches Charlotte and asks for her help to contact him. But Charlotte is already being followed around by ghosts asking for help. With so many things happening in the paranormal world, how can Charlotte’s new life be normal?

I jumped into the story really hoping for a great paranormal ghost story. Maybe get the pants scared off me. But this one was a lot more cute and light-hearted than scary. Charlotte’s connection with her sister and her new found friends is really nice. Charlotte’s life may be complicated in the ghostly matters, but her real life is shaping up with long time friendships. There is great family dynamics in this book, and I always love to see that. The mystery of the ghosts following Charlotte begins unravelling from the first chapter, interspersed with new mysteries that open up along the way.

It’s a really fast read, cute and fun that younger tweens and teens will be able to enjoy as well as the rest of us.

I should not exist. But I do.

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the ushied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t . . .

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet . . . for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

Hardcover, US Edition, 343 pages Published September 18th 2012 by HarperCollins ISBN 0062114875 (ISBN13: 9780062114877)

After the Hybrid War, hybrids are considered the enemy. Each body is born with 2 separate souls. Each body’s souls have different personalities, likes, dislikes, talents and variations of how they look. When one soul is the more prominent soul using the body, you can tell by the quirks they have. For instance, they could use the other hand when they write. But they are both different people, just occupying the same body.

When you reach abound the age of five, your less dominant soul is supposed to disappear, suppressed to the point of non-existence. But not with Eva and Addie. Addie never fully pushes Eva away. Eva stays hidden in the depths of Addie’s mind and continues living along with her until they meet others that help Eva decide that she does want to live. She wants a chance to have a body and experience things on her own. But what would that mean for Addie? Too bad they don’t get a chance to find out. The group is found out and they get taken off to the hospital where people are likely not to return from. It’s a death sentence, at least for one of them, or both.

The story was borderline Sybil for teens, except we only have 2 personalities with which to contend. It makes it easier to follow, and really unique to read a story in which your main character keeps referring to herself as “we”.  The reader will really empathise with Addie and Eve. They have very conflicting feelings when it comes to ownership of the one body. To lose either one of them would literally be losing part of yourself, your other half.

Although the story had sections of anticipation and danger, there is not necessarily a lot of action to the plot. The majority of the book takes place in the hospital. We get to meet a lot of other minor characters and staff members and find out about the hospital procedures and danger in the experiments they are running. It is a more atmospheric novel with the constant feeling of danger and paranoia.

It’s an interesting start to a new series. One that I was nervous to pick up, but sure glad I did. The ending is perfect and you will want to pick up the next book.

I’ve been waiting for this book since the very first review I did for Burn Bright back in July 2010.

If you don’t feel like flipping all the way back through the reviews, I’ll link you here…

Anyway, I was really intrigued by Karen’s story The Spirit Jar in that anthology. And was a little snippy there wasn’t a full length book out there about Moth. She was a character I wanted to get to know better and by golly the wait was worth it.

I obtained my copy from Book Depository simply because the cover art was better on the UK release than it was on the Australian release. The girl who represents Moth may be a little off from the description Karen gives us, but the way her hair is mixed in at the ends with images of moths in flight, as well as the gold filigree with moth accents just straight out did it for me.

Moth (Marie O’Niel) has been a vampire for a little over a year. She’s had her life turned around and flipped on its end by the actions of Theo, her maker. Giving up almost everything of her human life has taken its toll on both the relationship she has with Theo and the O’Niel family, but things were starting to get back to something almost like ‘normal’.

Two detectives turning up on her doorstep to enquire about the mauling of one of Moth’s classmates, strips away the façade of normalcy, and it’s up to Moth to save not only her own life, but also the lives of the people she loves most in this crazy-mixed-up world.

I could rave about this book all day and write pages of fan girl squee worthy highlights. However I’ll try to keep it to the strongest positives.

Characterisation is beautifully transcribed; I can almost hear each character as I’m reading, even the smallest part resonates with a unique tone. I am pleased to say Moth is well up there with the kick ass girls of 2012.

The tension is built up quickly and released in short bursts throughout the novel. The big fight scene has only one minor flaw and it isn’t really enough to yank you out of the flow of great choreography.

For the relationship fanatics out there, we also have an unlikely pairing and it will most likely unfold in future books.

My only regret is the story is so swiftly paced that it was over in less than 48 hours. I even deliberately stopped before the big fight scene so I could savour every last chapter. I just hope Karen will be able to give Moth more page time in future. She really is a beautifully crafted hero. I must have more Moth!

Paperback, 341 pages

Published September 27th 2012 by Corgi Childrens (first published January 1st 2012)

ISBN 0552565261 (ISBN13: 9780552565264)

Hi! And welcome to my review of Drought by Pam Bachorz!

“A young girl thirsts for love and freedom, but at what cost?

Ruby dreams of escaping the Congregation. Escape from slaver Darwin West and his cruel Overseers. Escape from the backbreaking work of gathering Water. Escape from living as if it is still 1812, the year they were all enslaved.

When Ruby meets Ford—an irresistible, kind, forbidden new Overseer—she longs to run away with him to the modern world where she could live a normal teenage life. Escape with Ford would be so simple.

But if Ruby leaves, her community is condemned to certain death. She, alone, possesses the secret ingredient that makes the Water so special—her blood—and it’s the one thing that the Congregation cannot live without.

Drought is the haunting story of one community’s thirst for life, and the dangerous struggle of the only girl who can grant it.”

Before seeing it in the book-store I’d never heard of Drought or of Pam Bachorz, but what really pulled me in was this synopsis and the cover. The cover is so interesting, mysterious, and dark!

Ruby has been a slave to Darwin for hundreds of years now, collecting water everyday with a cup and spoon. If someone in the congregation doesn’t meet the required amount of water for the day, Darwin or one of his men, will abuse and beat them with a chain.

Having always been reminded by her mother, Ruby focuses on collecting water, praying to Otto, and taking lead in the congregation, and never really having time to do or think anything else… until, that is, she meets Ford (one of Darwin’s Overseers). After avoiding Ford, and her own feelings, Ruby soon has to decide between her mother (and the congregation) and Ford (and leaving everything she’s ever known behind).

Drought was a book that I would recommend to all my friends. It has the perfect combination of romance, and adventure! The characters are what really made the story enjoyable. Ruby was a strong female character, which I LOVE. Her mom was strict, and cared more for the congregation, instead of her own daughter. Ford was only doing this job, because he wanted to be able to pay and keep his mother alive, and Darwin’s interest in Ruby’s mother was also very interesting!

If you haven’t read Drought its a book that should be on anyone’s TBR!