Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she’s returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld… this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki’s time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she’s forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s…

Nikki Beckett spent one hundred years with Cole in the Everneath, the equivalent of six months in the real world. At the end of her hundred-year sentence, Nikki chooses to return to the surface for her remaining six months, at the end of which she will either be swallowed by the Tunnels, which will siphon her emotions for the rest of her life, or she can choose to return to Cole and become an Everliving, meaning she’ll have to Feed off of others the way Cole Fed off of her to survive.

Nikki has accepted her fate in the Tunnels. She only returns to the surface to make things right with her family and see, for one last time, the face of the boy who kept her alive while she was in the Everneath: her ex-boyfriend, Jack. But Nikki soon realizes that simply seeing him isn’t enough, especially since Jack’s so desperate to hang on to Nikki now that she’s back in his life.

I surprised myself by loving Everneath. This book provides a love triangle that makes me remember why I love love triangles. Jack is the boy every girl dreams about for her first boyfriend. He and Nikki have been friends since they were little and it took Nikki a long time to realize she might like him as more than a friend. It took Jack even longer, as he was known as sort of a player throughout their high school. But when they finally end up together, they’re obviously a perfect fit. Everneath is told from alternating chapters of the past and present, before and after Nikki’s time spent in the Everneath. Though we catch glimpses of Nikki and Jack’s friendship before their relationship, I wish we had seen more. But what we do see is adorable and completely “aww”-worthy. It’s so refreshing to see two characters that know each other so well and that bring out the better qualities in each other — you know, like in a real, natural, positive relationship.

Speaking of real and natural, all the characters in Everneath are supremely realistic. Nikki is the protagonist I’ve been waiting for — intelligent, flawed, conflicted, strong. I can’t stop thinking about how realistic all of her actions are and how I’d probably make a lot of the same decisions as her if I were in her place (not always the best decisions, but the ones that seem to be right at the time). She stands up for herself and tries to make the best of her circumstances, despite the fact that doing the right thing is always the hardest, in her case. She’s also a genuinely good person, with pure intentions and a clear moral compass. Basically, she’s a really likable person and an admirable heroine.

Everneath‘s plot is both unique and familiar. A lot of ancient myths are incorporated, specifically the myth of Persephone and Hades, as well as Orpheus and Eurydice. For mythology lovers like myself, it’s always fun to see myths included with a modern spin. But then Brodi Ashton goes even farther, providing us with the intriguing plot of the Everneath, the Everliving, and the Tunnels. Ashton reveals clues about this world she’s created sparingly, ratcheting up the senses of suspense and mystery. Most of Everneath is completely unpredictable, which meant the closer I came to the ending, the more anxious I felt. I couldn’t tell how things were going to play out and the ending left me heartbroken, though hopeful and pacified enough to wait for the sequel. As long as it’s not too long of a wait.

Everneath is a book that will make you feel, that will leave you conflicted…in the best possible ways. Cole is the villain and at times, you’ll hate him, but there are also some moments you’ll feel twinges of sympathy for him. You’ll want Jack and Nikki to be together, but you’ll also want what’s best for Jack, and that just might be staying away from Nikki. But even though Nikki made one supremely bad decision, she’s still a good person and she deserves happiness too, right? If you’re looking for a lovable, complicated, paranormal page-turner, don’t hesitate to dive right into Everneath. You won’t regret it.

Pages: 370
Publication Date : January 2012
Publisher: Harper Collins
Challenge: N/A
Rating :

Teaser Quote: “I closed my eyes and pictured the boy with the brown hair, and as I took in my first really deep breath of Surface air, a name to match the face came to me. A name I’d been trying to cling to for a century.“

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

If you liked Unearthly, you’ll love Hallowed. At the end of Unearthly, Clara made he decision to save Tucker instead of Christian, leaving her purpose unfulfilled. Now, despite the fact that Tucker and Christian are both alive and well, Clara can’t help feeling guilty, confused, and lost. On top of all that, a Black Wing is still stalking her and she’s having more visions, this time of someone’s funeral.

I didn’t know what to expect from Hallowed. After finishing Unearthly, I thought of so many different directions Cynthia Hand could take the series, but I had no idea which she would choose. And still, she manages to surprise. Like Clara, I believed the issue of her purpose was now a moot point. She didn’t fulfill it, but everything turned out okay in the end, so no harm, no foul, right? Except maybe her purpose isn’t finished after all. Poor Clara — her mom continues to keep everything from her, despite how desperate Clara is for answers. But as frustrating as that is, at least Hallowed proves just how important it is for some of these secrets to remain secret. And Clara’s mom does finally give into Clara’s request for information, revealing a lot of shocking truths and interesting angel lore. Hallowed deftly explores the legend of the Nephilim and Hand puts her own spin on it so that the second book in the series is just as eye-opening and engaging as the first.

In addition, each character is much further developed in Hallowed. Jeffrey is insufferable and annoying and awful, but there’s a surprising motivation behind his actions. Christian is willing to just be Clara’s friends, though he is undeniably drawn to her. And while Clara loves Tucker with her entire being, she can’t deny that she and Christian seem to be destined for each other. Personally, it’s hard for me to pick favorites. I love each boy for entirely different reasons. In the first book, there wasn’t really any reason for Clara to like Christian other than the facts that he’s hot and she kept dreaming about him. Her slow-blooming relationship with Tucker was much more natural, the product of an adorable friendship formed over a long summer. But in Hallowed, it’s easy to see just how much Clara and Christian get along. They get each other and they have this one huge thing in common: they’re both angels. So how can she possibly decide between these two great guys? I wouldn’t want to be in her shoes.

Hallowed is one of those rare sequels that is just as good as, if not better than, the first book in the series. These characters are smart and lovable, more than willing to seek out the answers to all the questions the reader is just as eager for answers to. They’re easy to respect, the kind of characters you want to be best friends with. Cynthia Hand’s beautiful world is captivating, from the beautiful descriptions of rural Wyoming to the fascinating explanations behind angels and their purposes. If you were at all wary or suspicious of another angel series, like I was, cast your fears aside. You won’t want to miss Hand’s masterpiece.

Pages: 416
Publication Date : January 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Challenge: N/A
Rating :

Teaser Quote: “Warm fingers enclose mine. I look up at Christian. He squeezes my hand. I shouldn’t be letting him hold my hand, I think. I belong to Tucker.“

My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy — a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody’s head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest.

But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I’m determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why—especially since I should have been the one who died. . .

Touch of Frost is the first book in Jennifer Estep’s brand new Mythos Academy series. Touch of Frost follows Gwen Frost, a teenage girl transfered to Mythos Academy after the death of her mother. Gwen comes from a long line of Gypsies, which means she’s gifted with supernatural powers. While her grandma is psychic, Gwen possesses the gift of psychometry, meaning when she touches objects, she sees visions, thoughts, and emotions related to those objects. At Mythos, Gwen uses her powers to find lost items for her rich classmates…at a hefty price. But when Jasmine Ashton is murdered in the Library of Antiquities, Gwen thinks she might be able to put her powers to better use.

At first, I was really excited to read this book. Supernatural boarding school, check. Independent, witty heroine who’s different from everyone else, check. Insanely hot, flirty boy who knows how to wield a sword, check. But the very first chapter irked me. In fact, the very first line made me cringe. “‘I know your secret.’” Really? Do girls really walk up to one another and just an announce this? Not to mention, the secret in question isn’t much of a secret at all. Estep tries to lead with suspense, but for me, this technique completely backfired so that I almost immediately wanted to put the book down.

But it was the first chapter of a new series, so I forgave it and moved on. Unfortunately, Touch of Frost doesn’t really improve. Estep’s writing style just really grates on my nerves. She beats certain phrases to death, such as “magic mumbo jumbo” and “warrior whiz kids.” Every single meal is described in agonizing detail and I’m not sure why. Epithets like Valkyrie, Spartan, and Gypsy-girl are thrown around probably over a hundred times. Never mind that the characters all have their own names. Apparently it’s a rule at Mythos that students disregard names and identify each other by whichever race of ancient warriors they descend from. This lends a forced quality to all of the dialogue and even Gwen’s inner thoughts.

Writing style aside, I wasn’t really held by the plot. Gwen is working in the library one night when she hears some sort of commotion. She’s knocked out and awakens to find Jasmine Ashton, resident mean girl of Mythos, bleeding to death. Gwen is shocked by the murder and shocked that the murderer left her relatively untouched. Even more surprising is the student body’s reaction. No one really seems to care, not even Jasmine’s best friends. Sure, Jasmine was well-hated, but she’s dead. Why is Gwen the only one who seems affected by this? She’s told that the students are used to and prepared for death. They grow up in an environment where they’re training to defend their lives and the lives of others. They’ve experienced death and the threat of death all their lives. It’s even pointed out that the professors turn a blind eye to students partying and drinking because, well, they could die tomorrow so why not let them live now? But if all this is true, then why is Jasmine the only dead student? No one ever mentions other friends or family members that died. No one even mentions other attacks. If the Reapers of Chaos are really such threats, then where are they and why aren’t they being more…threatening?

The ending, while not entirely predictable, is ridiculous. The villain seems to be reciting lines from a cringe-worthy horror film. And the villain’s reasoning behind her actions is completely unbelievable. Her actions are rash, crazy, and unjustified. Maybe that’s the point (after all, bad guys are usually crazy), but the villain’s actions are the catalyst for everything that occurs in Touch of Frost and by the time she reveals everything, my only reaction is, “Huh. Overreact, much?” Not only is it a letdown, but I also have a really hard time stomaching the explanation for why she does the things she does.

The characters in Touch of Frost aren’t super original or well-developed. Each one just reminds me of a poor imitation of a character I’ve read about somewhere else. Touch of Frost itself seems like it’s trying too hard to be Vampire Academy. The book really didn’t hook me. The only thing I’m mildly curious about is the burgeoning relationship between Logan and Gwen. I don’t understand why they like each other as they don’t spend any time getting to know each other, but my interest is still piqued. Since Touch of Frost is the first book in a new series and Jennifer Estep’s first attempt at writing for YA, I’m willing to give the series another chance with the sequel, Kiss of Frost.

Pages: 350
Publication Date : August 2011
Publisher: Kensington
Challenge: N/A
Rating :

Teaser Quote: “Well, well, if it isn’t the Gypsy girl out here in the dark all by herself.” Logan’s voice sounded deep and ominous. “What are you doing?”