Sookie Stackhouse #12

SOOKIE STACKHOUSE:
Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris

What I Did, Or Didn't Do, For Love!

Having watched friends and loved ones marry, have children, and lead reasonably normal lives, at least for the most part, Sookie has often wondered what it would be like to have those things for herself. Yes, technically she is married to Eric, but a marriage to a vampire is not exactly legal, nor ideal when you only get to see your husband for a few hours a couple of nights a week. Not too mention the added stress of a vampire Queen out to claim your husband for her own.

But, as always, Sookie has other matters to tend to. Eric has been framed for a murder she is not entirely sure he is innocent off, having caught him feeding from the victim only minutes before her murdered body was found. The fae left behind on this side are becoming increasingly restless and dangerous, not just to each other but the wider population. There are also complications with the weres, or at least one were in particular who would like to see the end of Sookie. Then there is the cluviel dor.

Deadlocked sees Sookie trapped between a rock and a hard place. While it is true the fae cannot lie that does not mean they cannot deceive and being family the betrayal will cut deep. Meanwhile her relationship with Eric is strained at best and while both are looking to the other for an act that will prove their love, neither are willing to act themselves. However the sacrifice Sookie makes for love is not the one anyone would have expected and despite how much she cares, in the end love will break her heart.

Charlaine Harris Webpage
Charlaine Harris @ Hachette

Sookie Stackhouse

On sale: 01 May 2012
Price (AU): $29.99
ISBN: 9780575096585
Recommended age: 18+
In a word: Cluviel Dor
Re-read it: probably
Recommend: to those reading the series
Star rating: four out of five
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The Steampunk Chronicles 1

THE STEAMPUNK CHRONICLES:

The Girl In The Steel Corset by Kady Cross

There Are Two Sides To Every Girl!

Finley was never one to fit in, unfortunately that usually meant she was not able to hold down any one job for more then a few weeks. And now it seemed this current position would be no exception. It was too bad, it was quite a good position she held. But now after having beaten a Lord's son and hair to within an inch of his life, she just couldn't see how she would be keep her on in her position or how she would avoid the peelers.

Although it had been frightfully unavoidable the lad had thoroughly deserved every broken bone and bruise he suffered. However Finley now found she did regret it a little, but only because she was now out of a job, again, and would possible find herself in strife with the law. But the bigger problem at hand was not the young Lord and the strife he wanted to set upon her but a Duke and the expectations he now placed on her having seen what she is capable off.

The Girl In The Steel Corset is an action packed Steampunk mystery with a brilliant and colourful cast of misfit superheroes racing about the streets of Victorian London solving crimes and uncovering secrets hidden within the past. A place where the dead may be gone but doesn't mean you can't talk to them, where a broken man can be rebuilt with machines and where even those you trust may betray you. A pacy and enjoyable read that is the first in this new series.

Kady Cross Webpage

Kady Cross @ Harlequin Teen

On sale: 01 June 2011
Price (AU): $16.99
ISBN: 9781742901305
Recommended age: 16+
In a word: Steampunk
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
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Fracture

Fracture by Megan Miranda

Death Can Be So Attractive!

Dying is nothing like they say it will be. It's not peaceful and painless; it hurts and is scary as hell. But once a person is dead they are supposed to stay dead, there is no coming back after 11 minutes of death. So how then did she survive? There is no evidence of the brain injury she should have sustained being so long without oxygen, there is no evidence of anything being wrong with her, at least none that will show up on any tests. But she is different, and there is something wrong with her.

Waking from a coma she should never have lived through, everything has changed. No one understands what's she's been through, what she's still going through, no one that is but Troy.  Attractive, mysterious and a little bit dangerous, Troy knows all too well what it is she is going through having been through something similar himself. But the secrets he is keeping are more then just dangerous, if she's not careful they just may be the death of her.

Fracture is part thriller, part supernatural and part romance rolled into a tale of family, friendship and death. As relationships are tested, trust is betrayed and hearts are broken, from the moment she fell through the ice and felt her life slip away her life has been irrevocably fractured. And if she is to begin to put the pieces of her life back together again she is going to have to want to live, and fight to stay alive.

Megan Miranda Webpage

Megan Miranda @ Bloomsbury Australia

On sale: 12 February 2012
Price (AU): $15.99
ISBN: 9781408817391
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Death
Re-read it: probably
Recommend: yes
Star rating: three out of five
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After Obsession

After Obsession by Carrie Jones & Steven E. Wedel

After Obsession Comes Possession!

Aimee's greatest fear is that her mother was crazy and like her mother she is crazy too. At night her dreams are filled with warnings, visions of things to come. Her touch has the power to heal others wounds. But is it all real or all in her head? Is she really being haunted by her dead mother, is her best friend really being possessed, does The River Man really exist?

Alan's worst nightmare was moving to a town where football was all but none existent. But thing just went from bad to worst when the girl he liked already had a boyfriend, his cousin acted increasingly out of character and his athletic abilities were causing more problems then they were solving. But he soon realizes that there are more important things to worry about, like the man in the river.

After Obsession comes possession and with that the end of all. A dark presence has always existed in the river, it was The River Man that took Aimee's mother all those years ago, The River Man who now threatens the life of Alan's cousin. But with an evil so ancient, what chance do a couple of teens have to save a loved one when no one else in town is willing to believe The River Man exists?

Carrie Jones Webpage
Steven E. Wedel Webpage

Carrie Jones & Steven E. Wedel @ Bloomsbury Australia

On sale: 01 October 2011
Price (AU): $15.99
ISBN: 9781408818275
Recommended age: 12+
In a word: Possession
Re-read it: probably
Recommend: probably
Star rating: three out of five
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In The Arms Of Stone Angels

In The Arms Of Stone Angels by Jordan Dane

'Darkness Is My Blanket'

Two years ago when a girl died, she betrayed the boy she loved and she lost everything. Although cleared of any involvement in the murder by the police, that didn't stop her small town of assigning her the guilt. After all it was well known that she was close with the Indian boy who had committed the crime. A white girl should have known better then to get involved with an outcast half-breed Indian, so any trouble she got she brought on herself.

Having spent the past two years in Carolina she had done her best to run from her past, from what had happened to her and what she had done. Now with her grandmother's death she is forced to return to the small town that was once home, that was once hell. Returning she has found many ghosts from the past waiting for her and without facing her fears, without her willingness to sacrifice for those she loves, she will never escape her past and nor will the boy she loves.

In The Arms Of Stone Angels Brenna has always found a peace, a second home where she can lay her head and find comfort amongst the dead. A girl who has always felt like an outsider, shunned and scorned will find strength in her uniqueness and an ability see what others can not. A dark mystery of murder, betrayal and jealously that is emotionally charged and completely absorbing. A must read for all ages.

Jordan Dane Webpage

Jordan Dane @ Harlequin Teen

On sale: 01 May 2011
Price (AU): $19.99
ISBN: 9781921793110
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Acceptance
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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Ultraviolet

Ultraviolet by R J Anderson

I Can Taste A Rainbow!

When she woke it was to a bare room, alone with no memory of how she came to be there. Soon however she realised she was in a hospital. However her stay was a short one, or so it seamed, for upon waking she was soon escorted by police to a new destination. A place where she is told she will be with patients her own age, a place where she will be able to get the treatment she needs. And the handcuffs, she is told, is just a formality.

Being abandoned by her mother to a place like Pine Hills should not have come as such a shock to her. Her mother had always been a little wary of her, a little to quick too judge her insane. Now however she had to try to prove to others that not only was she not insane, even though she could taste words and see sounds, but that she was innocent, even though she had no other explanation for a girls disappearance other then the fact that she disintegrated.

Ultraviolet is more then just a story of a girl coming to accept herself for who she is, forgiving her family for what they have done and gaining new understanding of others. It is a story of a girl falling in love, a girl discovering she is stronger then she thought she was, a girl who although different is no longer alone. A compelling and engaging contemporary read with a delightful sci-fi twist.

R J Anderson Webpage

R J Anderson @ Hachette Children's

Ultraviolet

On sale: 01 June 2011
Price (AU): $16.99
ISBN: 9781408312759
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Synesthesia
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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Haunted Heart

Haunted Heart by Tania Donald

What I Did For Love!

Eloise was a simple village girl whose life was consumed by her rose garden, her dear friends Georgiana and Miriam, and the possibility Mr Jones, a very amiable man whom she could grow to care for over the years they might spend together as man and wife. Although this was the future she could expect, somehow Eloise couldn't help wanting more, more then her little village, more then an agreeable marriage. What she dreamt of was a deep romance, but the price for such love does not come cheap.

With the newly arrived Mr White comes new possibilities for Eloise. With his alluring presence in her life, Eloise is awakening to a passionate love filled with the joy of possibilities and the pain of neglect. However if Eloise is to survive this new love and her lovers demands she is going to have to survive a transformation that will lead her through dark and beguiling ways. But even if she survives this transformation she may still yet fall pray to a darker end.

Haunted Heart tells the tale of love, passion, danger and a life lived through any means with only one goal; survival. As one young girl crosses the threshold into womanhood, she steps between the boundaries of her moralistic society and into a world of dark seduction, a world that brings life with death, a world of loneliness and of great love. In this mixture of a Jane Austen character let loose in the world of Dracula, what follows is a provocative tale of romance, where in the end one woman will sacrifice all for her love.

Tania Donald @ Penguin

On sale: 27 June 2010
Price (AU): $29.95
ISBN: 9781921518706
Recommended age: 18+
In a word: Hearts
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
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The Narrow Escapes of Ves Asirin #1

THE NARROW ESCAPES OF VES ASIRIN:

Tower Of Parlen Min by Matt Xell

Can He Escape 'The Shadow'?

Ves is a boy with no past and no memory. Before the orphanage there is no record of his life or where he came from. He himself has no memories of his life before the orphanage, nor has he any memories of the previous years, months, weeks or days. Ves suffers from a rare condition that wipes his mind clean every 10 to 15 hours. Without his scrapbook to remind him of who he is, where he is, he would not remember anything at all.

With the opportunity of a life time to visit the Tower of Parlen Min, Ves finds himself thrown into a world of new friends, extreme challenges, werewolves, witches, ghosts, murderers and a chance to win twelve million dollars in the Sword Challenge. However surviving the Sword Challenge will be nothing compared to surviving the serial killer stalking the inhabitant's surrounding the Tower.

The Tower Of Parlen Min is an epic children's story with violence, death and a lot of history lessons. For a story of a boy with a faulty memory who happens to be somewhat of a daredevil, he has no trouble remembering when he needs too. Through all the danger Ves faces and puts himself through he comes through little scathed but in a curious position. A very long and jam-packed story that's not too bad for a self published story.

eBook @ Smashwords
Ves Asirin

On sale: 23 July 2010
Price eBook (US): $2.99
ASIN: B0058EALC0
Recommended age: 14-18
In a word: Ves
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: possibly
Star rating: two out of five
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Sookie Stackhouse - The Sookie Stackhouse Companion

SOOKIE STACKHOUSE:
The Sookie Stackhouse Companion by Charlaine Harris
  

'A Complete Guide To The Sookie Stackhouse Series'
  

Welcome to Bon Temps, a cosy little town where a freakishly high number of supernatural's call home and where life is anything but easy and laid back. For Sookie, a telepath, life has drastically changed since the vamps came out of the coffin a few years back. More specifically her life changed the night she met her first vampire, Bill, and ever since then she has never looked back.

Several years, and books, later Sookie is still solving, plotting and uncovering murders in her own unique corner of the south. However just because Sookie is a mind reader does not necessarily gain her access to every secret hidden within the minds of those she encounters, such as the private dialogues between Eric and Bill that are now revealed. Nor had she any idea that the Chocolate Cake Caroline Bellefleur is famous for is a scandalously easy recipe to follow.

The Sookie Stackhouse Companion is a comprehensive peak into a small southern town and the people who call it home. While Charlaine Harris sits down to a q&a, Sookie gives up all her knowledge on the supernatural beings that have had a great impact on her once simple life. This is a perfect way to rediscover the books, test your knowledge on the events in Sookie's life and enjoy something new in a bonus short story.

Charlaine Harris Webpage

Charlaine Harris @ Hachette

Sookie Stackhouse

On sale: 01 September 2011
Price (AU): $32.99
ISBN: 9780575097537
Recommended age: 18
In a word: Sookie Stackhouse
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: to those reading the series
Star rating: four out of five
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Imaginary Girls

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

'If You Want Something Badly Enough, It Can Come True'

When Ruby said something I may not have always listened to her, but I always believed her. When Rudy said it was impossible for me to ever drown, I believed her. When Ruby said she would never leave me, I believed her. When Ruby said the impossible, I believed her. I had no reason not too. Everything she said always had a way of coming true. That was the magic of Ruby.

Being Ruby's little sister meant always being seen as Ruby's little sister, but I never really minded. Although everyone loved Ruby, would do anything for Ruby, in the end she only loved me. My sister practically raised me; she was the only one who ever cared for me. But after that night at the reservoir, the attempted swim across, I realised just how far she was willing to go to save me.

Imaginary Girls is a tale of love, sacrifice and the bond shared between two sisters. While the captivating and magical Ruby is the centre of Chloe's world, it is the reserved and awkward Chloe who is the centre of this story. A poignant, raw and fantastic story where girls rise from the dead, people live in underwater towns, balloons bring midnight messages of love and one sister will never stop believing.

Nova Ren Suma Webpage
Nova Ren Suma @ Murdoch Book
Imaginary Girls

On sale: 01 July 2011
Price (AU): $19.99
ISBN: 9781742665221
Recommended age: 16+
In a word: Sisters
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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The Steampunk Chronicles 0.5

THE STEAMPUNK CHRONICLES:

The Strange Case Of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross

'Normal Girls Don't Have Something Inside Them That Makes Them Capable Of Remarkably Violent Things'

Being thrown unceremoniously out of a house closely followed by your carpetbag is no way to be fired. Although when you hit a governess so hard she's sent flying across the room without half of her teeth, well one can hardly blame others for thinking her the spawn of Satan and dismissing her without a reference. And so left on the streets with nowhere else to go Finley returns home to her mothers.

Finley is hardly home a day when a job opportunity lands in her lap. However why Lady Morton, a friend of her former employer, is happy to take her on knowing the circumstances of her termination is beyond her. But despite her reservations and the mystery surrounding her new employment, Finley is happy working for Lady Morton. That is until she discovers the sinister reasons behind a Lord Vincent's actions.

The Strange Case Of Finley Jayne is a compact yet feisty story of a girl who is unlike other girls. Finley is intelligent, bold and strong. Incredibly strong. She also has an other self that takes her over in times of stress and anger. As an introduction to the world of automatons, high society and mad scientist, this is the perfect prequel to the Girl in Steel Corset and if it's any indication of things to come, the Steampunk Chronicles should every bit as dark and exciting as this.

The Strange Case Of Finley Jayne - click for FREE ebook

Kady Cross Webpage

On sale: 01 May 2011
Price eBook (US): $2.99 - But Free For A Limited Time
ISBN: 9781459204140
Recommended age: 16+
In a word: Finley
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
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The Body Finder #2

THE BODY FINDER:
Desires Of The Dead by Kimberly Derting

Her Secret To Tell, Or Not To Tell!

One little well meaning act, in a moment of indecision, can change your life as Violet is discovering. She knew it was mistake. She know she shouldn't have placed the call let alone been there in the first place, but she was sure there was no way she would be connected to the crime, could be connected to body she found. She was wrong, though she didn't know this until it was too late, until the FBI was calling her to explain how she knew.

Someone was watching her, sending her messages, trying to frighten her and they were succeeding. But as long as Violet had Jay by her side she felt reassured that things would be alright. That is until even the one person she thought she could count on, the one person she trusted to trust her in return, no longer believed her. As her relationship with Jay changes Violet finds she has some tough decisions to make, not the least of which involve the FBI.

Desires Of The Dead begins with danger and ends in intriguing. A paranormal mystery that is full of secrets, echoes and double dates. Like most people her age Violet is finding her way in life, but she is also dealing with her strange gift and is beginning to accept it as a part of who she is. As a heroine Violet is fragile, tough, impulsive, determined and in love. This is a sequel every bit as sweet and captivating as the first.

Kimberly Derting Webpage
Kimberly Derting @ Hachette

On sale: 01 April 2011
Price (AU): $14.99
ISBN: 9780755378968
Recommended age: 15+
In a word: Echoes
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
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Solid #1

SOLID:
Solid by Shelley Workinger

'I'm Invisible'

With the government's new 'open-book' policy about its past dealings, it has come to light that eighteen years ago a hundred pregnant women were exposed to a chemical that has altered the DNA of their children. In order to discover just how these children have been affected a program has been set up to bring these children together and over the course of a few short week, test and observe these children for any abnormalities. So far the results are inconclusive.

Apart from the fact that every teenager affected by this chemical is good looking, there seems to be nothing too out of the ordinary about the group. At least as far as Clio and her new friends are concerned. That is of course until the 'stars' are exposed and a number of sinister and dark secrets about the campus staff is revealed. With so many questions and strange abilities presenting themselves, Clio and her friends go looking for answers but what they get is a deadly stand-off.

Solid brings together a hundred seventeen-year-olds to a secret and secure campus where they can be informed, monitored and tested on any abnormal traits or abilities they may possess. The cause of all this, a drug known as C9x that has affected the very 'solidity' of these teenagers' beings. As a result superhuman abilities are experienced as is rule breaking, secrets, lies, dancing, stars, romance, murderous soldiers and unshakable friendships. A series debut that's unique subject matter makes this a highly engrossing read.

Paperback @ Amazon
eBook @ Smashwords
Solid novels

On sale: 09 July 2010
Price (US): $7.99
ISBN: 9781453624821
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Solid
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: three out of five
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Winter's Shadow

Winter's Shadow by M. J. Hearle

Cats, Keys and Soul Collectors!

She first saw those piercing green eyes, that saw deep into her soul, only minutes before her world came crashing down around her. He was nothing more then a shadow through her camera lens before he became her saviour and she was indebted to him more then she would know.

He spent his life on the run, moving about from place to place, running from those who chased him, running from the danger he possessed. Now, however, he was running out of time, her life was over before she knew it, but he would make it right, or at least he would try to. But you can't out run death.

Winter's Shadow is a love story that takes you through history revealing a past of family betrayal, passion, murder, monsters, magic and love. Blake makes the intimate sacrifice for love and in return Winter has the rest of her very long life to morn his gift. A dark, dangerous and original story of demon's and love that is a brilliant debut novel.

M. J. Hearle Webpage

M. J. Hearle @ Pan Macmillan

On sale: 01 June 2011
Price (AU): $19.99
ISBN: 9780330404471
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Monsters
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
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Touch #2

TOUCH:
Deadly Little Lies by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Untouchable!

Ben has been out of Canelia's life for the past few months but he has never been far from her thoughts. However, along with her broken heart Camilia has been dealing with some very strange occurrences. This has led Camelia to wonder if it is at all possible that Ben's gift of psychometry could of been somehow transferred to herself, the alternative being that she going crazy. But at this point she is not sure which is worse.

Finally Ben has returned and Camelia could not be more happier, even if others are less then pleased to see him. But things between Ben and Camelia do not go smoothly and while Ben is doing his best to keep his distance from Camelia, someone else is doing there best to get her attention. The notes have started again, along with the phone calls. Camelia is assured that Matt is far away and to her dismay it is looking more and more likely that Ben is responsible.

Deadly Little Lies is a pacey mystery that mixes the paranormal with romance and dangerous stalkers. Camelia's story of broken hearts, new romances, creepy death threats and voices that exist only in her head, is bisected with the diary entries of an aunt who all believe crazy but who has more in common with Camelia than anyone would believe. This second Touch story is just as thrilling as the first and equally as impossible to put down.

Laurie Faria Stolarz Webpage

On sale: 06 November 2009
Price (US): $15.99
ISBN: 9781423111993
Recommended age: 12+
In a word: Psychometry
Re-read it: probably
Recommend: to those reading the series
Star rating: three out of five
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Sookie Stackhouse #11

SOOKIE STACKHOUSE:
Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

If You Had Just One Wish!

Sookie is a girl who over a short period of time has managed to collect many enemies, but while some will go all out to get her or die trying, others are already dead. Living in this state of constant danger, knowing that at any moment someone could strike her down, is taking its toll and as Sookie's enemies move against her and those she loves, Sookie and the gang decide it time to take matters into their own hands.

As a telepath Sookie is used to keeping secrets, many of them not even her own; however she is not so used to having secrets kept from her. Now it seems that all those closest to her, all those whose thoughts she can't hear, are keeping things from her. But meanwhile Sookie is distracted with the discovery of the truth of her past, her realization of her true feelings for her vampire husband and her admitting to herself what she truly wants from her life.

Dead Reckoning is less the murder mystery that we have come to expect from this series and more a murder plot, with the one exception of a spur of the moment killing. There is plenty to sink your teeth into in this book, killers on the loose, vampire politics, treasures revealed, fairy plots and a baby showing to throw. But underneath it all is the continuing story of Sookie that is just as amazing, horrible and addictive as ever. Also look out for an appearance from Charlaine's other heroine Lily Bard.

Charlaine Harris Webpage
Charlaine Harris @ Hachette

Sookie Stackhouse

On sale: 01 May 2011
Price (AU): $29.99
ISBN: 9780575096530
Recommended age: 18+
In a word: Secrets
Re-read it: probably
Recommend: to those reading the series
Star rating: four out of five
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Books of Faerie #2

BOOKS OF FAERIE:
Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater

'A Gathering Of Faerie'

It was a song of the dead and for the dead; a lament played over and over again calling to the damned. While on the breeze a slow ballad played of dancing, belonging and the end of a life. This ballad was hers, but to him she gave the sounds of golden music to fill his dreams and the promise of greatness whispered in his ears. It was intoxicating the way the notes filled him yet still left him unfulfilled with a longing that tormented him.

For James music is his life, but for Nuala music is life. A leanan sidhe is a muse living on the years of those she inspires and no one has ever said no to a muse. James however is determined to have nothing to do with the leanan sidhe haunting him, despite the wanting and the anguish it is causing him. But it is not possible to accept a deal with a faerie without selling a piece of yourself.

Ballad is a tale of death shaped by moments of tenderness, enchantment and song, a sweet yet humorous poetic romance that is sentimental and at the same time perilous. This urban story of music, magic and mayhem is threaded through with the traditionalism and timelessness of faeries creating a world that is wondrous, dark and truly a delight to read. A stunning squeal to the beautiful Lament.

Maggie Stiefvater Webpage

Maggie Stiefvater @ Scholastic
Books Of Faerie

On sale: 01 May 2011
Price (AU): $19.99
ISBN: 9781407121123
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Leanan Sidhe
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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The Body Finder #1

THE BODY FINDER:
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Warning Bells Are Ringing!

For Violet finding the dead was nothing new, however the dead bodies usually consist of murdered birds, rabbits and other small animals that had all been killed by other animals. So stumbling across the murdered body of a girl, a human, teenage girl was a shock for eight-year-old Violet. And when at sixteen Violet again discovers a murdered girl, things become very interesting and very dangerous very quickly.

But as much as Violet is consumed by thoughts of the dead, and murderers, she is also distracted by her best friend Jay. She and Jay have always been best friends, ever since they were six-years-old they had been inseparable, however over the summer something had changed, at least it had for Violet and now she finds herself wishing for something with Jay that is more then just friends.

The Body Finder is a new paranormal series that is funny, frightening and very sweet. Both a compelling thriller and a tender love story, these elements of a murder mystery and young love combine successfully to create an exciting paranormal story with a strong and likeable heroine. Violet's world may be one filled with the dead however it still manages to capture a heartfelt story of an, almost ordinary, sixteen year old girl.

Kimberly Derting Webpage
Kimberly Derting @ Hachette

On sale: 01 March 2011
Price (AU): $14.99
ISBN: 9780755378951
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Murder
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
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Stork #1

STORK:
Stork by Wendy Delsol

Winged Baby Deliverers!

The sun, the beach and the shops were all a thing of the past for Kat, and so too was a decent cup of coffee. The cold always was her enemy as was bad fashion sense and this small town with its cold climate and lack of style was looking more and more like a place Kat was to call home, whether she liked it or not.

Divorce, a new school and a persistent group of strange old women in even stranger hats make up Kat's experiences in this ancient small town. Then the dreams begin. But none of that has anything to do with the unknown boy Jack and his insistence that he and Kat know each other, nor dose it explain the bad mood he seems to adopt towards her and, as it turns out, only her.

Stork is a modern fairytale full of dreams, magic and Norse mythology. Although love comes quickly as an act of fate and some aspects are foreseeable, there is enough momentum to keep this tale flowing. This supernatural story may lack vampires, werewolves and angels but its original and fresh mystical beings along with its interesting and quirky characters are a refreshing change from the norm.

Wendy Delsol Webpage
Wendy Delsol @ Walker Books

On sale: 01 January 2011
Price (US): $29.95
ISBN: 9780763648442
Recommended age: 12+
In a word: Storks
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: yes
Star rating: three out of five
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Books of Faerie #1

BOOKS OF FAERIE:
Lament by Maggie Stiefvater

'The Faerie Queen's Deception'

It began with a balled, an ancient story of lament, a song of love and death sung with the voice of an angel by a girl who to the world is all but invisible. That is she is invisible to the human world but not to the faeries, not any more. Deirdre has captured the attention of the faeries and that can be deadly.

Deirdre is falling in love with Luke; however Luke is no ordinary boy. Over a thousand years old and assassin to the Queen, Luke is dangerous, a killer, and yet Deirdre cannot help but follow when he calls, putting her life in his hands, which is exactly what the faeries want. Will love be enough to conquer death or are Deirdre and Luke as fated to tragedy as the lover in the balled of lament?

Lament is a tale of love wrought through with heartache, music and magic, only this tragedy is also beautifully threaded with hope. As a modern story of faeries there is a seamless blending of fantasy and magic with the everyday that creates one of the most enthralling and authentic tales that is simply a pleasure to read. 

Maggie Stiefvater Webpage

Maggie Stiefvater @ Scholastic
Books Of Faerie

On sale: 01 January 2011
Price (AU): $19.99
ISBN: 9781407120317
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Cloverhand
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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