Review: Nicola's Ghost by John Kitchen

Author: John Kitchen
Publisher: New Generation Publishing
Publication Date: January 2009

There is a dark secret haunting the Sharpe family. They are strange and remote, and when Stephanie Topham is told she must work with Nicola Sharpe in a science project at school, she is horrified. As part of their project, they have to make a pinhole camera. But when they take a photo with the camera, there is a ghost-like figure in their picture. This figure becomes a key to opening up Nicola Sharpe and revealing the secrets of her family. Through a series of appearances in various photos the ghost directs Nicola and Stephanie into a past that is full of revelations, twists and surprises. Some are painful, some tear at the fabric of the Sharpe family. But the unraveling of Nicola's past is the saving of the Sharpes, and, in a final twist it gives Nicola something more amazing than anything she has ever dared contemplate, even in her deepest dreams.

In Nicola's Ghost, Stephanie is paired up with the "weird girl", Nicola, for a class project.  When their homemade camera shows a ghost girl, Nicola begs Stephanie to help her investigate what is going on. 

I really enjoyed this one.  It is set in modern times, but had a very old timey feel to it.  The friendship that developed between Nicola and Stephanie was a pleasure to watch. I also loved the relationship that Stephanie had with her older brother.  It's a has a twisty ending that leaves you with a good feeling.  It's exactly the type of ghost story that would have fulfilled my middle school needs. I highly recommend checking it out.

Review: Crave by Tracy Wolff

Author: Tracy Wolff
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Publication Date: April 2020

My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy. Nothing is right about this place or the other students in it. Here I am, a mere mortal among gods…or monsters. I still can’t decide which of these warring factions I belong to, if I belong at all. I only know the one thing that unites them is their hatred of me.

Then there’s Jaxon Vega. A vampire with deadly secrets who hasn’t felt anything for a hundred years. But there’s something about him that calls to me, something broken in him that somehow fits with what’s broken in me.

Which could spell death for us all.

Because Jaxon walled himself off for a reason. And now someone wants to wake a sleeping monster, and I’m wondering if I was brought here intentionally—as the bait.

I have a confession to make.  I only read the original Twilight.  I never finished the series. The reason being, I didn't love Twilight.  Initially, I gave it 4 stars, but looking back, I probably should have made it 2 or 3.  That being said, I had heard Crave be compared to Twilight, as a so called revival of YA vampire books. So, I figured why not?

I thought Crave was much better than Twilight.  The reason being, I felt like the book didn't take itself too seriously.   Yes, there is insta-love and a brooding hero in Jaxon.  However, that didn't annoy me this time around.  It's because the heroine, Grace was actually a pretty strong character.  She wasn't wishy washy and didn't sit around waiting for someone to save her.  Jaxon may have been a bit misguided in his wanting to protect Grace, but he didn't annoy me.   I really liked the other character in the book as well, especially Grace's cousin.

There were a few things that did annoy me.  I found the use of  pop culture references a bit much and took me out of the story at times.   Those make me feel like the book will feel dated in the future.  I would have liked if I could have just been immersed in the supernatural aspect of the book and not be reminded of the real world.  I also kind of got tired of the "keeping the truth from the heroine for her own good" trope.  Knowledge is power people.  Ultimately, I did enjoy the book.  It was a lot of fun with fun characters.  The book ended on a HUGE cliffhanger, so I want to read the next one to see what happens next.  I do recommend this one.

Haunted by Lynn Carthage

Author: Lynn Carthage
Publisher: Kensington
Date of publication: February 24,2015

Sixteen-year-old Phoebe Irving has traded life in San Francisco for her stepfather’s ancestral mansion in rural England. It’s supposed to be the new start her family needs. But from the moment she crosses the threshold into the ancient estate, Phoebe senses something ominous. Then again, she's a little sensitive lately—not surprising when her parents are oblivious to her, her old life is six thousand miles away, and the only guy around is completely gorgeous but giving her mixed messages.

But at least Miles doesn't laugh at Phoebe’s growing fears. And she can trust him…maybe. The locals whisper about the manor’s infamous original owner, Madame Arnaud, and tell grim stories of missing children and vengeful spirits. Phoebe is determined to protect her loved ones—especially her little sister, Tabby. But even amidst the manor’s dark shadows, the deepest mysteries may involve Phoebe herself…

I thought Haunted was an enjoyable read.  The story is about Phoebe and her family as the move to England to start over.  Phoebe did something so horrible that they had to move to start over in a new life.  The problem is that she can't remember what she did.  Her parents are distant and don't seem to pay attention to her.  She is also seeing ghosts.  There is a mysterious boy in the neighborhood who may hold some answers.

I was pleasantly surprised by this debut novel.  I thought it was well written and definitely a spooky read.  I won't give away too much of the plot, but I liked the twist in the end.  Phoebe was a likable character.  She wants to make amends for what she did.  She also wants to do whatever she can to protect her baby sister from the evil in the house.

This is a great debut and I recommend it for any lover of YA ghost stories!  I look forward to the next book in the series.

Joint Review: Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead

by: Richelle Mead
published by:  Dutton Adult
publish date:  June 4, 2013

In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.  When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger.

When I started this book, I was under the impression that it was a YA book.  It wasn't until afterwards, when I was discussing it with Kari that I realized, that duh, it wasn't.  So that changed my impression of it.  I kept thinking that the sex scenes were a little graphic for YA and that the language was a smidge on the coarse side, not that YA is shy about language, but it was just a little odd.  But for an adult book it was a a bit more acceptable.  I thought the story overall was interesting story.  I think it would have been a little better if it got more in depth about the religions that Justin was supposed to be investigating and less about the political atmosphere.  The caste system difficult to understand.   The relevance of a lot of the political information given was lost on me.  However, I liked the characters and their interaction with each other.  If it doesn't take too long for the next book to come out, I'll probably give it a read.

For the most part, I liked the overall story.  I just felt like it was longer than it needed to be.  Yet, for the length of the book, I am still not sure I understand the world that the author created.  It was a mix of dystopian and supernatural with a changed world, genetics and gods.  Yeah, it was a bit confusing at times.  I did like the characters.  I especially liked Mae.  I thought she was seriously kick-ass.  As for the love scenes, I thought they were pretty underwhelming and could have been left out.  If you are going to include a scene like that, then make it at least a bit interesting.  The one thing I liked was the twists in the end and the solution to the mystery.  The ending left things wide open for the sequel.  I just hope there is no love triangle in the next book!

Joint Review: The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

by:   Jennifer McMahon 
published by:  Doubleday
publish date:  February 11, 2014

West Hall, Vermont, has always been a town of strange disappearances and old legends. The most mysterious is that of Sara Harrison Shea, who, in 1908, was found dead in the field behind her house just months after the tragic death of her daughter, Gertie. Now, in present day, Ruthie lives in Sara's farmhouse with her mother, Alice. Alice has always insisted that they live off the grid, a decision that suddenly proves perilous when Ruthie wakes up one morning to find that Alice has vanished without a trace. Searching for clues, she is startled to find a copy of Sara Harrison Shea's diary hidden beneath the floorboards of her mother's bedroom. As Ruthie gets sucked deeper into the mystery of Sara's fate, she discovers that she's not the only person who's desperately looking for someone that they've lost. But she may be the only one who can stop history from repeating itself.

I'm a fan of Jennifer McMahon, I've enjoyed all her books so far.  I was excited about this book because it was a little bit of a departure from her previous books.  This one had more of a historical aspect to it and I like that.  My opinion is that this is her best book so far.  It had all the creepy, scary, supernatural things that she works into a book so well, but this one had a better developed story to go along with why these supernatural occurrences were happening.  Personally, the historical part of it was much better, than the present day.  That part of the book was much more sinister and seemed to really capture the mood of The Winter People.

Compared to Don't Say a Word, which was a DNF for me, this book was much better.  I thought the book was really creepy.  I liked the back and forth between the past and the present.  I was also happy that there were alternating points of view.  That made the book more interesting.  There were a few things about Ruthie that I thought I had figured out about halfway through, but I was wrong.  I like when that happens.  The couple of twists thrown in were surprising.  There were also some pretty gruesome scenes, but that added to the sinister and creepy feel of the book.  I do recommend this one.  It's made me want to try again with this author.

YA Week- On the Day I Died by Candace Fleming

Author: Candace Fleming
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade
Date of Publication: July 2012

 Set in White Cemetery, an actual graveyard outside Chicago, each story takes place during a different time period from the 1860's to the present, and ends with the narrator's death. Some teens die heroically, others ironically, but all due to supernatural causes. Readers will meet walking corpses and witness demonic possession, all against the backdrop of Chicago's rich history—the Great Depression, the World's Fair, Al Capone and his fellow gangsters.

Were you a fan of Goosebumps or the Twilight Zone?  Then On the Day I Died: Stories from the Grave is the book for you.   I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book.  I was kind of expecting something really morbid.  I mean the stories are about the day these teens died.  But, it was surprisingly not morbid.  The book begins with Michael, who is driving too fast on a lonely country road.  He encounters Carol Anne who asks for a ride home.  After dropping her off, he notices her shoes are still in the car.  When he tries to return them to her, it is revealed that Carol Anne has been dead for 55 years.  On the advice of Carol Anne's mother, he finds the cemetery where she is buried.  There he meets a group of ghosts who are eager to tell their stories. What is their purpose and will he make it home alive?  You'll have to read to find out!

I thought each story was interesting.  The author has taken some urban legends and ghost stories and put a new twist on them. For example, Lilly's story is a take on W.W. Jacob's The Monkey's Paw.  There is also a tribute the Charlotte Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper.  Most of the stories are creepy and one is a bit hokey.  But all of them are enjoyable.  They all carry with them a lesson. Definitely read the author's notes at the end.  I enjoyed reading how she came up with the idea behind each story.

I ended up listening to the audiobook.  It was narrated by multiple people.  I actually like that aspect of the audiobook.  It helped distinguish each separate story.  The books it pretty short, so can be read in an afternoon.  There really wasn't anything objectionable in the book, so I would say it's probably OK for the over 14 crowd.  With Halloween just around the corner, why not pick this one up and give yourself a good scare?

Blog Tour: Until Next Time by Amy Lignor

Author: Amy Lignor

Publisher: Tribute Books

Date of Publication: February 2012

How does a girl choose between the one who steals her heart and the one who owns her soul?

Matt and Emily were created for a specific job. Raised and trained as the ultimate angel/warrior team, they are sent down to save, defend, judge and forgive, depending on the 'life' they've been assigned. What they don't realize is that the power of human emotions, such as love, anger, passion and fear can take over even the best of souls, causing them to make mistakes and follow paths that lead to confusion and heartache.

When the reason for their training is finally revealed, the angel/warrior team find themselves thrust into a world they know nothing about. Matt takes over the life of Daniel, a young man with a great deal of baggage. Emily becomes Liz, a girl living in a remote village who relies on nothing more than her own strength to survive. A violent storm erupts one night, and framed in the window of Liz's establishment is a frightening face. Let in by the soul of a Good Samaritan, the two visitors bring with them a past full of secrets that could literally change an angel's path and a warrior's plans.

From murder to redemption, this angel/warrior team must find a way to keep the faith they have in each other in a world that's ripping them apart.

When I read the synopsis for Until Next Time, I was really intrigued by the premise of the story.  I liked the idea behind the book.   It looked like a fresh take on the angel story-line.  Emily and Matt are soul mates who have been training in Heaven to be sent down to earth to take over the bodies of 2 people to try to help other people.  The catch is that Emily and Matt have no memory of who they really are once they are back on earth.  

The characters were interesting and I did enjoy the story of the Liz and Daniel as they live in Ireland. In the end though the book was just OK for me.  I found myself with more questions than answers and I was confused a few times.  I wasn't totally sure why Emily and Matt kept going back to Heaven.  Especially when the answers to the questions they asked weren't supposed to help them anyway.  They weren't supposed to have any memory of being angels once they are on earth.  Also, why take away their memories if they have spent their whole life training?  The logic just didn't work for me. 

In the beginning of the book, it seems that something has made Emily disillusioned. She is being forced to read back through her "lives" to try to find out why.  Until Next Time is the first of those lives. I am going to assume that the next books will be more lives of Daniel and Emily.  Perhaps they will hold more of a clue as to why Emily is disillusioned. So, in the end, not a bad start to the series.  I'll give the next one a shot to see where Emily and Daniel end up next.

About the author:

Amy Lignor began her career at Grey House Publishing in northwest Connecticut where she was the Editor-in-Chief of numerous educational and business directories.

Now she is a published author of several works of fiction. The Billy the Kid historical The Heart of a Legend; the thriller, Mind Made; and the adventure novel, Tallent & Lowery 13.

She is also the owner of The Write Companion, a company that offers help and support to writers through a full range of editorial services from proofreading and copyediting to ghostwriting and research. As the daughter of a research librarian, she is also an active book reviewer.

Currently, she lives with her daughter, mother and a rambunctious German Shepherd named Reuben, in the beautiful state of New Mexico. 

Amy Lignor's Website:
http://www.thewritecompanion.com/
The Angel Chronicles web site:
http://www.the-angel-chronicles.com
eBook
ISBN: 9780983741855
ISBN: 9781465992697
Pages: 295
Release: February 1, 2012

Kindle buy link
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iBookstore buy link
coming soon

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Teen Reads Week: My Lunatic Life

Author: Sharon Sala
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books  ( August 2011)

She plays for Team Spirit. High school senior Tara Luna's got all the usual teen problems: a new school, her attraction to a hunky guy, feuds with the Mean Girls, being regarded as an oddball outsider-PLUS she has psychic powers, a duo of protective, meddlesome ghosts AND an angry, threatening teen girl ghost who wants Tara to solve her murder-or else. Now you know why she calls this "my lunatic life.


I am a big fan of Sharon Sala's books.  I have read most of them. When I saw that she was delving into the YA genre, I was very curious.  My Lunatic Life is the first in a new series  that  features 17YO Tara Luna.  She is a psychic who has also has 2 ghosts who are her best friends.  She has moved around most of her life with her Uncle Pat who raised her.  


Tara is a great character.  She is confident, headstrong and responsible.  Used to being the new girl, she doesn't let the teasing from the popular girls get to her.  She isn't afraid to stand up for herself. I loved the two ghosts that follow her around, especially, Millicent.  She adds some nice comic relief to the mix as she is constantly mixing up common slang words.  The mystery  of who kidnapped Bethany wasn't easy to figure out since the reader has to figure it out along with Tara through her visions.  That aspect is always a plus for me.


This was a great set up for the series. Since it did end in a cliffhanger, I look forward to the next one which I think is coming out soon.  I want to know more about Tara and her family "gift".  I only have 2 complaints about the book.  First, I hate the cover.  The outfit that she has on is not what Tara in the book would wear as she is more the jeans and T-shirt kind of girl.  I often wonder if the cover artists read the book first.  Thigh highs, really? The second thing is that I felt like the writing itself was not up to Ms. Sala's standards.  It was almost like it was "dumbed down".  I'm not sure if this was a deliberate attempt to try to appeal to the YA reader or not.  I hope the next book goes back to her level of writing that I know she capable of in her "adult" books.


In any case, I do recommend this one for all YA readers. It was a short book, so it can be read pretty quickly.   It is clean, so no sex, swearing or violence. I think Tara will be a favorite character in the future.

--Kari