Life has certainly taken a strange twist for 16 year old Daire Santos. If it’s not bad enough that whole murders of crows have started “mocking” her, the glowing people no one else can see keep popping up at the most inopportune times. Not to mention the grandmother she’s never met who disappeared off the face of the earth all those years ago suddenly reappearing. She must be going crazy right?

Luckily for Daire her grandmother seems to have all the answers and a holiday in a padded cell may just be avoided. Although moving to the backwoodsy New Mexico town of Enchantment certainly isn’t high on Daire’s list.  Throw in some huge magical family secrets and two smouldering identical twins that are as different as night and day, and Daire’s about to learn more than she ever imagined not only about this world, but those who lay either side.

Most likely, if you haven’t read any of Noel’s previous creations you’ve certainly seen them on the shelves or heard the buzz. I must say after finally delving into one of her worlds, I totally get what all the fuss is about. Fantastical, fast paced and fresh action and the supernatural team up to bring us a tale that breathes some fresh air into the genre.

Noel’s obvious research and love for telling a story shines through, and even with the more “out-there” elements, Daire’s story feels real. In saying that though, the elements of magic and spirituality are heavy throughout and unless you like your action with a liberal dose of the theory behind it, you may not enjoy this as much as I did. The balance between the light and dark elements is perfect and I must admit that for me the scariest thing was how realistically the twisted side of human nature was shown.

Sadly, the characterisation did let the overall story down, the only one who truly seemed “polished” was Daire’s grandmother Paloma. The supporting cast were a little lack lustre and Daire often fades into the background when she should be taking centre stage.  That said, this is the first instalment and I am hoping with Daire’s growth, she will find her feet and her supporting cast will also become more rounded.

Fated is apparently set in the same world as “The Immortals” series and I’m sure fans will enjoy the return visit as much as I enjoyed the new discovery. Daire’s story certainly promises to bring much more magical mayhem and action.  The second instalment “Echo” is due to hit shelves in November.

This is a solid 4/5 star read and looks slated to be a series that will totally hook you.

Fated (Soul Seekers#1) Alyson Noel

Pan Macmillan Australia

440 Pages

ISBN:9781447206804

Released: 1 June 2012

Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.

Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf.

Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.

Kathleen Peacock’s thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spellbinding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love.

Hardcover, 400 pages  Published May 8th 2012 by Katherine Tegen Books  ISBN  0062048651 (ISBN13: 9780062048653)

I like books that have flawed characters. The main character in Hemlock, is highly flawed. She’s had a bad childhood and has a group of friends that are far from perfect. At this time in their lives they are not only dealing with a werewolf scare in their town, but their best friend Amy has just recently been killed by one.  Each of these characters are dealing with the death of Amy in their own way. So far, it seems that Kyle is the one who is the least focused on what happened to Amy and more about the problems in his own life with his old and new girlfriends. Both Mac and Jason are emotionally troubled in their personal lives, as well as with the new loss of Amy. When the Trackers come into town to rid them of the “dangerous werewolves”,  Mac, Kyle,and Jason are at odds with their opinions on the Trackers being there and taking over.

The main character, Mac, is really put through a lot physically as well. She seems to be the heart of all the drama happening in town and whenever something bad happens (except when Amy dies,) she seems to be right there in the middle of it. She is continually getting herself in the wrong place at the wrong time and the lead Tracker, Derby locks in on her almost immediately.

There are some unique things in the book that make it different. Mac still talks to Amy in her dreams, but through these dreams the reader gets clues to what Mac is searching for. The dream sequences are incredibly informative and give us an insight to who Amy was as well. So even though her character is deceased, the reader still gets a very good look at the person she was (through Mac’s eyes anyway). She is still very much a part of the story, and a constant character throughout.

The other thing  that stands out is how much of a role Mac’s father plays into her daily life. She bases most of her thoughts and actions around how she was raised even though she has not lived with him for years.

It has been awhile since I have read a book that got me thinking as much as this one did. I was mesmerized with how much I could associate with the characters. Despite being a highly paranormal story, in a world setting that I will never live in, the characters, the actions and emotions were all so relatable and understandable.

There were moments that shocked me. I was not expecting the story to get so dark, but loved every minute of it. I found that there was not a moment when I was not reading, that I was not thinking of the story and what could possibly happen next.

Even though there are two boys and a girl and some romantic aspects to the story, I would not say that this story has a love triangle. It’s a different take on relationships and secrets and friendship that some could interpret as a triangle, but I don’t label this story that way. Hemlock is unique with it’s highly flawed characters, a town full of secrets and a dangerous person around every corner. Talk about not knowing who to trust!

Becca thought self-defense classes would empower her and, boy oh boy, was she right. Saving Christopher Merrit from being bashed by two thugs starts a chain of events so strange; Becca’s dull life will never be the same again.

There’s something about the Merrit boys that has Becca coming back. It could be their mischievous streak, or their rock star good looks. Whatever it is, she finds herself right in the middle of the action and has no problem standing with them against those who would harm them.

The cover of the book shows a guy and a girl being swept into a maelstrom. The pictures are in black and white with electric blue overtones thanks to the eye popping title.

Multi-layered storylines keep the reader guessing and for all the action and drama, there is a good dose of romance and humor to even it out. There are a couple of mysteries and I must admit, I was guessing for longer than I thought I would be.

I loved the brotherly dynamic in the Merrit home. The joking, the fighting and the way Becca both blended into and upset the delicate balance between the boys. Within her own family situation Becca has to deal with absentee parental units, and her discomfort within the laid-back Merrit home adds quite a bit of humor to the mix.

I think Kemmerer did a brilliant job of allowing her characters their own time on the stage, both to shine and to show a little vulnerability. Becca spends just as much time kicking butt as she does getting herself into trouble, though she works together with her rescuers to get herself out of the pickles she manages to land herself in.

There aren’t too many animal characters in the YA books on the shelves lately, and I think this is a shame. Casper is the four legged hero of the book and I hope he’ll be back in the rest of the series. I’m equally a cat and a dog person, but I must admit, I wouldn’t mind having a German shepherd ex-police dog in the family.

Storm is a book that will bring a smile to your weekend and put a spring in your step, it’s the first book in a series that will make waves in the YA market.

Spark looks to be due out in August 2012 and Spirit due in May 2013. With a prequel, Elemental available on Amazon in ebook format and a story between Storm and Spark called Fearless also being released as an ebook closer to the end of 2012.

I think I will be doing happy dances as I manage to acquire each of these magnificently written books.

http://www.brigidkemmerer.com/

Paperback, AUS, 368 pages

Published May 2012 by Allen & Unwin (first published April 24th 2012)

ISBN 1743310668 (ISBN13: 9781743310663)

I am having SO much fun with the Monster high series of books by Lisi Harrison.

Book 1 Monster High was about Frankie and her struggle to fit in at Merston High.

Book 2 The Ghoul Next Door was about Cleo learning that not everything in life will go her way.

Book 3 Where there’s a Wolf, there’s a Way, was about Clawdeen finding her own path separate from her brothers.

Then we have the fourth and final book in the Monster High series, Back and Deader than Ever.

Draculaura (Lala ) feels like she never measures up to her Dad’s expectations, and when he proposes that the RAD’s (Regular Attribute Dodgers) start their own school separate for the ‘normies’ (regular humans), it is up to Lala to stop the reversion back to the days when RAD’s and ‘normies’ lived apart. She has to find a way to keep the RAD’s at Merston High and make her Dad proud.

There is still a high level of brand and product placement as with the other three books, and if that’s not your thing you may find hope in the underlying message of the series, which, in case you missed it is, be yourself and live an authentic life.

We so often see our characters portrayed as outcasts and misfits, and it’s their journey into popularity and more often than not, their eventual shunning of the popular crowd that signifies their success. This is not the case here.

In this instalment we are watching a popular girl bust her guts to keep her friends together. There isn’t any useless kowtowing or annoying teen angst (at least from our lead character). Lala does her best and though it’s not easy, manages to stay polite. This is something I think needs to be written about more often. You don’t have to be a bitch, kiss butt or give up your morals to get the job done.

For all the heavy ‘meaning’ I’ve been touting about, Back and Deader than Ever is still the same fun romp through the world of the RAD’s. If you loved the other three, you’d be foolish to not pick up the final book in the series.

http://www.lisiharrison.net/

Paperback, 272 pages

Published May 8th 2012 by ATOM

ISBN 0316099171 (ISBN13: 9780316099172)