Book: Waifs And Strays by Charles de Lint

Published June 2004 by Firebird|391 pages

Borrowed the paperback from a friend!

Series: None

Genre: Fiction/Short Stories/Fantasy

Summary: Charles de Lint is a thirteen-time finalist for the World Fantasy Award, and eight of his books were chosen for the reader-selected Modern Library Top 100 Books of the Twentieth Century. His best-selling and award-winning work has always featured teenage characters. Here, at long last, is a collection of his stories about teenagers- a book for teen and adult alike. From the streets of his famed Newford to the alleys of Bordertown to the realms of Faerie, this is speculative fiction that will tranfix and delight, that will make readers think and feel and keep reading. Waifs and Strays is a must-own for de Lint fans, and an ideal introduction to his work for newcomers.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with Waifs And Strays, but I liked it more than I was expecting.

I really liked the elements of fantasy and myth and how well he blended them with the real world.  I also liked how the main characters were all teens.  Towards the end, they all started to blend together because they all seemed pretty similar to each other.  And this was after reading a couple stories at a time.  Since this book is short stories, it’s easy to have a couple other books going on at the same time, because you can read a couple at a time.

With any collection of short stories, you’re not going to like everything, which is the case with Waifs And Strays.  There were a few that were a little bit too long (like Sisters and Stick, to name a couple) but there were a few I liked (like Merlin Dreams In The Mondream Wood and Ghosts Of Wind And Shadow).

I did like the imagery and I could visualize everything so well.  I’ve never read Charles de Lint before, so this really is a good introduction to his work.  I don’t think I’m interested enough to read his other stuff.

I honestly have nothing else to add.  I liked it, but oddly enough, it’s also not my cup of tea.  Waifs And Strays gets 3 stars.

Book: Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting

Published April 2013 by HarperCollins|400 pages

Source: E-book|Nook Store

Series: The Body Finder #4

Genre: YA Paranormal

Goodreads|Kimberly Derting’s Website

Summary: Violet thought she’d made peace with her unique ability to sense the echoes of the dead and the imprints that cling to their killers…that is until she acquired an imprint of her own. Forced to carry a reminder of the horrible events of her kidnapping, Violet is more determined than ever to lead a normal life. However, the people who run the special investigative team Violet works for have no intention of letting her go.

When someone close to Violet becomes a suspect in a horrific murder, she finds herself pulled into a deadly hunt for a madman with an army of devoted followers. Violet has survived dangerous situations before, but she quickly discovers that protecting those closest to her is far more difficult than protecting herself.

Dead Silence is a great conclusion for this series!

One thing I loved was Violet connecting to her now-deceased grandmother through the journals her grandmother left behind.  I know her grandmother had the same ability, which was mentioned for sure in The Body Finder.  And I can’t remember if it came up in the other books, but I did like the connection between her team and the team her grandmother was on.  It’s all rather creepy, actually, because Violet’s team is comprised of people who had relatives that were part of the team her grandmother was on.  I’m sort of wishing that we got more glimpses of this super-secret group running her team.  We learned enough about them and what they do…and what they will do if you don’t do what they want.  Part of me wanted more, but there’s another part of me that’s okay with not knowing everything about this mysterious group because I love the air of mystery surrounding the series.

I really liked the random chapters following the serial killer.  It makes it more creepy, and it’s always a mystery to see the other person connects with Violet.

Seeing Violet deal with her own imprint was pretty interesting.  And her learning that there’s only an echo if the person has their heart was an interesting revelation- all thanks to her grandma.  Her discovery leads to her not walking around with her imprint, but she’s still dealing with what happened in the last book.  Which is totally understandable because killing someone- even when it’s self-defense- can’t be easy.

It was also nice to finally see Violet open up to her friend Chelsea.  Having the ability to find dead bodies can’t be easy, and sharing it with someone has to be hard, but it was nice to see her come to the realization that she needs to be more open with her friends.  And seeing the entry in her  grandma’s journal where her grandma had to move because of her ability because people found and thought she was crazy sort of put it into perspective.

The ending was pretty open, which leaves the door wide open for more books.  But things were also resolved enough that I’m okay with this one being the last book.

Final Thoughts:

I really liked Dead Silence, and thought it was a great last book.  I didn’t love it but overall, it fit with the other books so well.  Dead Silence gets 4 stars.

Book: If I Die by Rachel Vincent

Published September 2011 by Harlequin Teen|304 pages

Source: E-book|Nook Store

Series: Soul Screamers #5

Genre: YA Paranormal

Goodreads|Rachel Vincent’s Website

Summary: The entire school’s talking about the gorgeous new math teacher, Mr. Beck. Everyone except Kaylee Cavanaugh. After all, Kaylee’s no ordinary high-school junior. She’s a banshee—she screams when someone dies.

But the next scream might be for Kaylee.

Yeah—it’s a shock to her, too. So to distract herself, Kaylee’s going to save every girl in school. Because that hot new teacher is really an incubus who feeds on the desire of unsuspecting students. The only girls immune to his lure are Kaylee and Sabine, her boyfriend’s needy ex-girlfriend. Now the unlikely allies have to get rid of Mr. Beck…before he discovers they aren’t quite human, either.

But Kaylee’s borrowed lifeline is nearing its end. And those who care about her will do anything to save her life.

Anything.

If I Die is another great book in the Soul Screamers series.  It’s definitely my favorite in the series.

Kaylee dying…part of me was hoping it wouldn’t happen, but it did.  Seeing how she reacted compared to everyone else- I actually liked that she went about things like she normally would because she couldn’t change her dying.  And distracting herself  by taking out Mr Beck was definitely how Kaylee would distract herself.  Who knew it would turn out so badly?

Then again, there are actually consequences for whatever happens, which is actually NICE to see in a YA book.  This sort of falls into the consequences for your actions category, so I think it is a good place to mention that Kaylee and Nash break up, and that Kaylee and Tod get together.  Kaylee finally realizes that she can’t forgive Nash for becoming addicted to Demon’s Breath, and it’s after she kisses Tod!  Nash…I started out completely loving him, and now I’m not really liking him at the moment.  Demon’s Breath was bad enough a couple books ago, but there are a couple things in this book…goodness, how Nash has changed.

I’m totally trying to not give anything away here, because if I do, I’ll majorly spoil the book, and I really don’t want to do that for anyone who may want to read it!

I’m actually glad she and Tod are together.  They’re a much better couple than Nash and Kaylee.

I can’t believe I just said that, because I never would have thought that after the first book or two.  But it’s totally what I’m thinking right now.

I suppose I have to talk about Mr. Beck and him being an incubus.  I’m always impressed with what Rachel Vincent does in terms of paranormal creatures, and Mr. Beck is no exception!  Sabine helping Kaylee was slightly unexpected, but I ACTUALLY LIKED SABINE.  Sabine was still Sabine, but she really grew on me in this one and I was surprised by how likeable she was.

I thought Mr. Beck being an incubus and teaching high school students because he wants a son was an interesting and different.  It’s totally creepy, especially because he goes for girls who need help with math.  But it also sort of makes sense because he’s going for girls who are more likely to give him a healthy child.  Totally makes sense in this really creepy way.  And I did like how everything connected back to Kaylee and her past.  Not just with Mr. Beck but in general.

I just love so much about If I Die.  I really can’t think of anything bad about it.  Nash comes close, but while Nash was frustrating, I’m totally willing to overlook it.  For one thing, I kind of get why he acted the way he did.  And I think he was headed in that direction for the last couple books.

Final Thoughts:

I seriously LOVED If I Die.  It’s my favorite one in the series so far, and I can’t wait to read Before I Wake.  This is one hell of a journey for Kaylee and her friends, and I like where things are going.  If I Die gets 5 stars.

Book: Chill Factor by Rachel Caine

Published January 2005 by Penguin Group|Pages: 352

Source: E-book|Nook Store

Series: Weather Wardens #3

Genre: Adult Paranormal

Goodreads|Rachel Caine’s Website

Summary: Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin has protected the human race from monster storms, been killed, reborn as a Djinn, and then restored to her original form. Now she’s throwing the dice to stop an infinitely powerful, deeply disturbed kid-who is holed up in a Vegas hotel-from bringing on a new ice age.

I’m totally loving Caine’s Weather Warden series!  I’ve been a fan ever since I started out with her Morganville Vampires series, and Chill Factor is just as awesome as everything else she’s written.

Joanne is a pretty awesome character.  I just love how freaking cool she is, because she always finds herself in interesting situations.  Seeing her get out of said situations is also interesting and entertaining.  And seeing her with other people is always funny but entertaining.

As much as I loved Chill Factor, I’m not sure what else to say without sounding like a broken record!  The characters are really consistent, yet I’m still surprised by some of the new additions as well as previous characters we’re still getting to know.  There’s so much going on and I really liked certain…developments that I don’t want to give away.  The rest of the series is going to be really interesting, because there are quite a few things in Chill Factor that could prove to be very interesting later on.

Right now, I’m feeling like the word interesting is a tad bit over-used.

Anyways…random flashbacks!  We see a little bit of Joanne’s past, and her connection to the Ma’at, who we meet in this novel.  I vaguely remember them from Outcast Season (I swear I’m going to finish it someday) so it was nice to see what they’re all about, and how they got started.  I hope we learn more about Joanne’s past in future books.

I love the descriptions of the aetheric plane, and I can imagine it so well when I’m reading.  I also love the connections to the weather, and while it could be a bit more vivid, I still love how Caine makes weather really different (but interesting).

I totally loved Chill Factor, which was super-fun to read.  The characters are great, and there’s always something weird going on- but in a totally good way.  Caine is such a consistent writer (which I love), and Chill Factor doesn’t disappoint.  Chill Factor gets 5 stars!

Book: Spellbinding by Maya Gold

Published April 2013 by Scholastic, Inc|Pages: 275

Series: None

Genre: YA Paranormal

Goodreads|Maya Gold’s Website

A Note: Spellbinding is an e-ARC from netgalley.com, which has not influenced my review in any way

Summary: There’s more than one way to be powerful…

It is during a routine school project that Abby Silva–sixteen and nearly friendless–makes a startling discovery: She is descended from women who were accused of witchcraft back in 1600s Salem. And when Abby visits nearby Salem, strange, inexplicable events start to unfold. Objects move when she wills them to. Candles burst into sudden flame. And an ancient spellbook somehow winds up in her possession.

Trying to harness her newfound power, Abby concocts a love potion to win over her longtime crush–and exact revenge upon his cruel, bullying girlfriend. But old magic is not to be trifled with. Soon, Abby is thrust headlong into a world of hexes, secrets, and danger. And then there’s Rem Anders, the beautiful, mysterious Salem boy who seems to know more about Abby than he first lets on.

A reckoning is coming, and Abby will have to make sense of her history–and her heart–before she can face the powerful truth.

I really liked Spellbinding!  There’s something about witches and their connections to the past, especially when that past is their family history.  I totally loved the connection to the Salem Witch Trials, and the elemental magic used in Spellbinding.

While Spellbinding has a mix of elements right out of Carrie, Mean Girls and quite possibly Sabrina The Teenage Witch (and probably a few other teen movies that I’ve missed), I still really liked it.  I loved how history played out, and while I’m not completely sure how I feel about the prom scene, I did like the connection back to the Salem Witch Trials.

I thought the whole retribution part of it was interesting.  I can understand wanting revenge for what happened hundreds of years earlier, and it made Abby discovering her powers a lot more interesting.

I liked how normal Abby is.  She doesn’t seem to have many friends, and she’s ignored at home, which is a little sad.  But that makes it really easy to see how she gets pulled into the magical world.  I wish we got a little more of her home life and her friendships so we could really see how much things changed.  I also found Rem a very interesting character, and it’s because he’s so mysterious!

Final Thoughts:

I don’t really have anything else to say about Spellbinding!  It was a fun, quick read, and I loved how well magic, history and the present connected.  Spellbinding gets 4 stars.