Haven by Kristi Cook

Release Date:February 22, 2011

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 416

Source: Library

Buy the Book: Amazon

Synopsis:

One month into her junior year, sixteen-year-old Violet McKenna transfers to the Winterhaven School in New York’s Hudson Valley, inexplicably drawn to the boarding school with high hopes. Leaving Atlanta behind, she’s looking forward to a fresh start--a new school, and new classmates who will not know her deepest, darkest secret, the one she’s tried to hide all her life: strange, foreboding visions of the future. But Winterhaven has secrets of its own, secrets that run far deeper than Violet’s. Everyone there--every student, every teacher--has psychic abilities, 'gifts and talents,' they like to call them. Once the initial shock of discovery wears off, Violet realizes that the school is a safe haven for people like her. Soon, Violet has a new circle of friends, a new life, and maybe even a boyfriend--Aidan Gray, perhaps the smartest, hottest guy at Winterhaven. Only there’s more to Aidan than meets the eye--much, much more. And once she learns the horrible truth, there’s no turning back from her destiny. Their destiny. Together, Violet and Aidan must face a common enemy--if only they can do so without destroying each other first

One Word: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Absolutely fantastic. I devoured this book. As soon as I started reading, I knew there was no way I could do anything else until I finished it. This was one of those rare books where I stayed up all night to finish it  I was really surprised when we find out the truth about Aiden. Not what I expected but it wasn't a bad thing either.

I loved the characters in this book, totally believable. Main characters as well as the supporting characters felt like people I could relate to. Violet is a strong and beautiful girl. She's new to the school but took everything she learns in stride. And we meet Aiden, dark and mysterious and not interested any of the girls at the school, until Violet comes along. Swoon. He definitely seems like the type of guy I would have a crush on if he went to my school. Not only is he smoking hot, but he loves Violet and puts he's life at risk for her.

The twists in the book had my hurt lurching and my hand flipping the pages as fast as I could. Not only did the suspense make me read faster but it helped she the book into a great story.

I feel that Haven has many things in common with Hex Hall by  Rachel Hawkins, which I enjoyed reading very much. New school, magical powers and hot mysterious boy. If this is what you like, then Haven is a must read.

Jessica's Guide on Dating on the Dark Side

Jessica's Guide to dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

Release Date: February 1, 2009

Publisher: Harcourt

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 351

Source: Bought

Buy the Book: Amazon

Synopsis:

The undead can really screw up your senior year ...Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction

Loved it! I really enjoyed this book. Having previously read Fantaskey's Jekel Loves Hyde, I was sure how much I would enjoy this one. But turns out I loved it so much I finished it in a day!


Lucius was an interesting character. He was funny, charming and even sometimes annoying. This made his character all the more believable. I really loved the letters he wrote to his uncle every couple of chapters, describing his adaption to the United States. I thought it was funny to read all the things he found strange and annoying about the culture. 


I really liked Jessica from the beginning. She is strong willed, stubborn, and independent. But her being stubborn worked against her. It made her realization about being a vampire a little too late. The chemistry between Jessica and Lucuis was absolutely toe-curling perfect. Beth Fantaskey kept the tension going in unexpected directions!


Overall, I absolutely adored the book and I am all too excited for its sequel, Jessica Rules the Dark Side!

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

Release Date: December 7, 2010

Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 594
Source: Bought
Buy the Book: Amazon

Synopsis: 

         She broke the law when she ran away from St. Vladimir’s Academy with her best friend and last surviving Dragomir Princess, Lissa. She broke the law when she fell in love with her gorgeous, off-limits instructor, Dimitri. And she dared to defy Queen Tatiana, leader of the Moroi world, risking her life and reputation to protect generations of dhampir guardian to come. Now the law has finally caught up with Rose- for a crime she didn’t even commit. She’s in prison for the highest offense imaginable: the assassination of a monarch. She’ll need help from both Dimitri and Adrian to find the one living person who can stall her execution and force the Moroi elite to acknowledge a shocking new candidate for the royal throne: Vasilisa Dragomir. But the clock on Rose’s life is running out. Rose knows in her heart the world of the dead wants her back… and this time she is truly out of second chances. The big question is, when your life is about saving others, who will save you?

Ahh! What a great book. If you ask me this was the best book in the series. I am completely content with how it ended. It was everything I hoped for and more! I loved the whole plot of the book, we got to meet new people and go to new places. In my opinion Rose made the right decision in the end and it made me so happy. But the book did end leaving the reader with a lot of question. What was the deal Sydney made with Abe? What's going to happen to Jill? I guess we'll have to wait for the spin off series, Bloodlines to find out. I can't wait to see what tragic love story Vampire Academy fans will be obsessing over this time. 

Ghost Town by Rachel Caine

Ghost Town (The Morganville Vampires #9) by Rachel Caine

Release Date: October 26, 2010
Publisher: NAL Hardcover
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 352
Source: Bought
Buy the Book: Amazon

While developing a new system to maintain Morganville's defenses, student Claire Danvers discovers a way to amplify vampire mental powers. Through this, she's able to re-establish the field around this vampire-infested Texas college town that protects it from outsiders. But the new upgrades have an unexpected consequence: people inside the town begin to slowly forget who they are-even the vampires. Soon, the town's little memory problem has turned into a full-on epidemic. Now Claire needs to figure out a way to pull the plug on her experiment- before she forgets how to save Morganville...

Ghost Town is rocking in every which way. Caine is totally on point with this one, giving readers the right amount of action, drama, romance and suspense to keep us turning the pages obsessively. In a true act of genius, we get to re-live the first moments of the Shane/Claire, Michael/Eve romance all over again, without losing the intensity and connection between the characters that the series has worked so hard on developing.