Hi Everyone! Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3? …..Does this mic work? I have another book review for you guys, and it goes perfectly with the month of October. Today’s lucky book is Beyond the Grave by Mara Purnhagen; another e-book from Netgalley. I just finished it yesterday, and couldn’t wait to start writing my review!

Beyond the Grave was something new, something I hadn’t read before. I really enjoyed Mara Purnhagen’s writing style and I can’t wait to read more of her works. You might find this a bit dorky, but I love watching those paranormal ghost hunting shows. I don’t really know why, but I do and they interest me. I can’t watch them at night, right before I go to bed, because I am the biggest scaredy cat, and will just end up being having nightmares. But still, what isn’t cool about talking to the dead? You might even be able to communicate with one of your family members who had already passed away! But for Charlotte and her family, this is normal, and this is what they do. They go out to haunted houses, churches, prisons, and hospitals, searching for any kind of paranormal activity, recording their finds and making DVDs and TV shows. Watching it on TV is cool, but I don’t think I would ever want to actually do it!

In their most recent case, in a haunted prison, a entity, named The Watcher, actually attacked Charlotte’s mother, leaving her in a coma for months. Not only do Charlotte, and Shane almost lose their mom, but in a way their dad too. Instead of continuing on with his day to day life, and finishing the project they started, he barely ever leaves the hospital. Months have passed and Charlotte’s mother still hasn’t made much progress. Her family depends on the money that comes from the DVDs they make and sell. Not having enough footage means that they won’t be able to finish a DVD, and won’t earn any money. Without their father’s permission (of course, who would send their kids to the place their wife was almost killed?), Shane, Noah, Trisha, and Charlotte head back to the haunted prison to get some more footage.

Things between Noah and Charlotte have always been great! Noah seems like the sweetest guy in the world, never wanting to hurt or lie to Charlotte. But after coming back, things between Noah and Charlotte seem different; Noah isn’t being himself, and is acting distant. Not knowing what to do or who to turn to, Charlotte finds herself on the door step of her former high school enemy, Bliss. Putting their differences aside, Charlotte begins telling Bliss about everything that’s going on with her mom and dad, and even about the difference in Noah’s attitude. After losing both her mom and her boyfriend, Charlotte’s ready to do anything to get her family back. Which includes going back to the prison for the third time, to finally close the gate.

If you haven’t read Beyond the Grave, you definitely should! And what time better than now? It’s October and we should all be reading something scary 🙂

Mara Purnhagen – Beyond the Grave

Published by Harlequin 23 August 2011

Paperback, 256 pages

“How many trials can love survive?”

In this the second instalment in the thrilling and captivating Nightshade series, the action picks back up right from the very first page. And yet again we are in for one heck of a ride.

Having successfully saved Shay’s life and escaped from the iron rule of her former masters, the Keepers, Calla finds herself waking up in the lair of her sworn enemies, the Searchers. Enter shocking revelations about the “Witches War” and Calla finds herself questioning everything she has ever known. Just who is really on which side and can Calla trust her own judgement? Calla finds herself joining forces with the Searchers to return to free her pack, and hopefully save Ren from being punished for her transgressions. She must also deal with her own conflicting emotions when it comes to Shay and Ren—loving two men sure isn’t easy.

In Wolfsbane we are introduced to a slightly different Calla and find our hearts in turmoil right along with her. In some respects we see a softer, more open side and get to know the girl hiding behind the wall of being the Alpha so much better. But on the other hand, this is a more bruised and battered Calla and higher walls are constructed to hide behind as she tries to deal with her feelings of guilt, loss and failure. Cremer has handled this expertly. Rather than having us scratching our heads trying to make heads or tails of our protagonist, this has added an extra layer to the story that draws you deeper into the world. The revelations are shocking and will leave you with more than a few “OMG” moments. They will have you frantically burning the midnight oil to see just where it will all end, which, in true Nightshade style, is with another heck of a cliffhanger that will leaving you desperate for the next instalment. The characterisation has developed at a realistic pace and the cast of new players are a delight to get to know.

Unlike Nightshade, Wolfsbane does come with a “not suitable for younger readers” warning on the back. This is more because the sexual content has been amped up a notch, so I would only recommend it to the older end of the YA age bracket. For those of you who have become hooked, I do have some good news.The third instalment, Bloodrose, has had its release date brought forward to January, so we won’t be left hanging on that cliff for as long this time. If you haven’t entered Cremer’s world of magic and action yet, I highly recommend you read Nightshade first or you may find yourself struggling to follow the more intricate plot points.

Wolfsbane-Andrea Cremer

Published,  26th July 2011 by Atom.

Paperback, 390 Pages

ISBN:978-1-90741-030-7

Author info can be found here

Hello fellow book addicts. Welcome to my review of Mercy by Rebecca Lim! Before I start my “official” review, I just want to say I finished this book in less than two days. I love Rebecca Lim’s writing style and the story really kept me on the edge of my seat. I heard rumors that it is the beginning of a series; I hope to read and review the rest of them!

Mercy really kept me on the edge of my seat from the start to the finish! Imagine if you have no family, no friends, no home, and, as soon as you get used to something, you’re ripped away and forced to start all over again! No one actually wants that (well, I don’t! I love my life how it is right now), but Mercy didn’t have a choice; she’s a soul without a body. She doesn’t remember how old she is, or anything too far into the past.

But Mercy does remember a few things: her height, her hair and eye color, and some different facial features. Mercy jumps from one human girl body to another, never really sure how long she’ll be borrowing it for, or when she’ll be going to the next. It can happen anytime, and anywhere. She can’t leave by choice, no matter how badly she wants to. Mercy only has a vague recollection of who she’s inhabited recently, but knows nothing about her current body. This time inhabiting a body named Carmen, who is on her way to singing camp (with an exceptional voice), Mercy stays with a family that has been through quite a lot recently.

Two years ago, their daughter, Lauren, was kidnapped and never found. Not only has Ryan (their son) lost his twin sister, but in a way, his parents too. While Ryan still believes his sister is somewhere out there alive, his parents have accepted that Lauren is dead and will never come back.  But Ryan doesn’t want to even think about that, and continues searching, but now with Carmen’s help (not knowing it’s Mercy).

Throughout their hunt, Mercy even uses some supernatural powers to help Ryan find out information about his missing sister. By just touching someone, Mercy can sense what things might be nagging at their soul. Unsure of how long she’ll be in Carmen’s body, Mercy’s in a rush to find or find out what happened to Lauren, especially after hearing news about another girl being kidnapped.

I already gave you guys a lot of spoilers, and I don’t want to ruin the story, but two things I can say: it was AMAZING and it left me wanting to read more! I really enjoyed Mercy and can’t wait to read more from Rebecca Lim! Thank you again for stopping by, and checking out my review! Have you read this book? Comment below and let me know what your thoughts are! 😀

Mercy—Rebecca Lim

Published 17 May 2011 by Disney Hyperion

Hardback, 288 pages

ISBN:13: 9781423145172·

ISBN: 1423145178

Take everything you have ever learnt or think you know about demons and throw it out the window. Mammon is going to introduce you to a whole new world and give you plenty of new intriguing theories to keep you guessing.

“Forget anything you have ever heard about exorcisms and pentagrams. The modern demon is far more difficult to catch and even harder to destroy……”

Just before the death of their parents, Joe and Grace Callahan learn that they are far from normal. They are in fact descendants of the Sarareh—mercenaries tasked with sending the big bad boys packing and bearing the most extraordinary gifts seen in generations. Joe is a Ferryman, the first seen in generations and capable of opening dimensional rifts and controlling the nasties that reside inside. Grace’s telepathic powers are off the scale and surpass anything the Sarareh have ever seen. The siblings find themselves smack bang in the middle of a war they never knew existed and, to top it all off, the biggest bad of all has his eyes set on Joe.

Mammon is not only an action-packed adventure ride, it is also a poignant tale of love, loss and finding your true self.  For most of the book, Joe comes across as arrogant, conceited and just a little too sure of himself. Remarkably though, this doesn’t make you dislike him in any way. His character is just as compelling as the others and the experience of waiting for his armour to crack adds a whole new dimension to the story. Grace on the other hand is a sweet, soft seeming soul who spends a lot of time trying to placate Joe’s tumultuous temper. Grace also goes through her own “awakening” and proves not only to the reader but to herself that she’s more than capable of kicking some demon butt.

Mammon will get under your skin right from the start and the outside world will seem to grind to a stop as you become fully immersed in the plot. Like all good starts to a series we are left hanging on a cliff edge, but half the fun can be coming up with your own theories as to what will happen next. A fast paced read, which is quite frankly a whole lot of fun.

Mammon—J.B. Thomas

Published September 1, 2011, by Random House

ISBN:978-1-74275-074-3

Paperback, 376 Pages

Author info can be found here.

After being sent back from the light, Alona Dare – former homecoming queen, current Queen of the Dead – finds herself doing something she never expected: working. Instead of spending days perfecting her tan by the pool (her typical summer routine when she was, you know, alive), Alona must now cater to the needs of other lost spirits. By her side for all of this – ugh – “helping of others” is Will Killian: social outcast, seer of the dead, and someone Alona cares about more than she’d like.

Before Alona can make a final ruling on Will’s “friend” or “more” status, though, she discovers trouble at home. Her mom is tossing out Alona’s most valuable possessions, and her dad is expecting a new daughter with his wicked wife. Is it possible her family is already moving on? Hello! She’s only been dead for two months! Thankfully, Alona knows just the guy who can put a stop to this mess.

Unfortunately for Alona, Will has other stuff on his mind, and Mina, a young (and beautiful) seer, is at the top of the list. She’s the first ghost-talker Will’s ever met—aside from his father—and she may hold answers to Will’s troubled past. But can she be trusted? Alona immediately puts a check mark in the “clearly not” column. But Will is – ahem – willing to find out, even if it means leaving a hurt and angry Alona to her own devices, which is never a good idea.

In this second book in the Ghost and the Goth series it’s The Ghost Whisperer vs Ghostbusters. In The Ghost and The Goth,  we are introduced to Alona and Will who have decided they are going to help the ghosts instead of trying to ignore or fight with them. It’s the best of both worlds, that is until in book 2 we are introduced to Mina. While Alona and Will are on a mission in an old haunted house to help Mrs Ruiz cross over, they have just walked into the middle of a robbery and Mrs Ruiz is pissed off. Mina appears with her metal box contraptions and light stick that saves them from the dangerous situation…for now. Mina works for a secret ghost containing group only known to Will as the “Book Group”. They knew Will’s father and they may hold the answers to why he committed suicide years ago. Alona is not happy with the introduction of Mina into Will’s life, and her resulting decisions will change all of their lives forever.

Stacey Kade has a fantastic way of bringing us into the characters’ lives. They are well written, solid characters and the voices match those of the current day teen exactly. The rotation of the chapters from Alona’s perspective to Will’s is ideal to help portray the different views on the dead vs the living. It also helps with the pace of the story keeping in all of the interesting details with very little down time between events.

I am hoping in the next book to see some more conflicts between the two ideas of helping the ghosts cross over peacefully, or not giving them a choice and containing them just for existing. I personally would like to see them work out a mixture of both ideas. And I’m still in a little bit of a shock over what Alona did in this book and am very interested to see what happens in the next chaper of her life. I am growing to love both of these characters very much and maybe they really do have a chance to be together forever. That is, if the “book group” doesn’t interfere first.

Stacey Kade – Queen of the Dead

Hardcover, 266 pages
Published May 31st 2011 by Hyperion Book CH
ISBN 1423134672 (ISBN13: 9781423134671)

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