Review: Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen

Title: Past Midnight
Author: Mara Purnhagen
Release Date: September 1, 2010
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Length: 216

Source: Author (ARC)

Summary:

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….

Review:

That summary makes the book sound SO STUPID, and it in no way embodies the MC Charlotte.

But don't let the summary stop you form buying a copy of this, because it is a very intriguing read.

Mara Purnhagen has an envy-worthy gift for story telling, as is obvious from Past Midnight, the first title in the series. She created an interesting plot and effortlessly weaved paranormal into a contemporary setting. The science and, dare I say, logic behind the energies in this story almost made me believe in ghosts! (i'm still undecided ;) ).

However.

The mysteries in this book were not complex enough for my taste and I figured them out on my own. But that's probably because this is geared for the younger side of YA, maybe upper middle grade? Also, Charlotte didn't have much of a personality. I kept searching for a character flaw or something that made her unique apart from her parents' occupation, but couldn't find one. I would have like a little more personality infused into her, but I have a feeling that will pop up more in the later books.

If you love a quick, eerie read, Past Midnight is for you. I will be eagerly awaiting the next in the series, One Hundred Candles, which is to be released in March 2011.

1. Characters 17/20
2. Writing 19/20
3. Plot 19/20
4. Accurate YA voice 19/20
5. Cover 10/10
6. Title 7/10 (the title itself was fine, but i'm not sure how it pertains to the story. i think i might have missed that explanation.)

Total: 91 0r B+

Review: Take Me There by Carolee Dean

Title: Take Me There
Author: Carolee Dean
Release Date: July 2010
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Length: 327

Source: Publisher
Format: ARC

Dylan has a bad-boy past and a criminal record. He knows that rich, beautiful Jess is way too good for him—but she has always been the one person who sees through his tough exterior and straight to his heart, and he has been hopelessly in love with her from the first time they met. He would change his life for a chance with her.

But trouble follows Dylan wherever he goes, and a deadly mistake soon forces him to hit the road and leave his dreams behind. He’s on the run and in search of answers—answers to questions he wishes he’d never asked.

Ok, so I admit I thought this was going to be a fluffy, verging on dull/predictable/ordinary story.

Wrong.

Wrong wrong wrong.

This book was deep, powerful, emotional, and tugged on my heartstrings like so few books have. The narrator, Dylan, had a strong and believable voice, and even though he has made some stupid choices, I couldn't help but find some way to identify with him and his struggles. And who doesn't love a bad boy who writes poetry?

Part mystery, part love story, part self discovery, this book is unlike any other book I've read. It made me appreciate the things my parents sacrifice for me, and what they sacrifice for each other. Carolee wrote with determination and that shone through her characters and her plot.

Please do yourself a favor and read this book. It has the power to change you in a way you don't quite understand.

1. Characters 20/20
2. Writing 20/20
3. Plot 21/20
4. Accurate YA voice 20/20
5. Cover 9/10
6. Title 9/10

Overall score: 99 or A

In My Mailbox (9)

IMM is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren

The Absolute Value of -1 by Steve Brezenoff

September 1, 2010

(i've already started reading this one and so far i love the prose!)

The absolute value of any number, positive or negative, is its distance from zero: |-1| = 1

Noah, Lily, and Simon have been a trio forever. But as they enter high school, their relationships shift and their world starts to fall apart. Privately, each is dealing with a family crisis—divorce, abuse, and a parent's illness. Yet as they try to escape the pain and reach out for the connections they once counted on, they slip—like soap in a shower. Noah’s got it bad for Lily, but he knows too well Lily sees only Simon. Simon is indifferent, suddenly inscrutable to his friends. All stand alone in their heartache and grief.

In his luminous YA novel, Steve Brezenoff explores the changing value of relationships as the characters realize that the distances between them are far greater than they knew.

Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen

September 1, 2010

(this was a surprise in my mailbox-- i didn't know it was coming! but i'm super excited for it because i loved Tagged!)

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…