Hanging by a Thread by Sophie Littlefield

Coming back to her hometown of Winston hasn't been the happy homecoming that Clare had hoped it would be. Her father has moved on with a new life, her mother and her grandmother barely talk, and her old best friend Rachel seems to have changed in different ways. The town is also gripped by the threat of a serial killer: two years ago a boy was killed, one year ago a girl disappeared. The anniversary of that date is coming up, and no one knows what might happen. Clare also has a secret gift - the ability to touch a piece of clothing and relive the memories and experiences of the wearer. A torn and bloodied jacket has recently come into her possession...could it be a clue to solving the mystery?

I quite enjoyed this story. There was a wonderful old-school Lois Duncan vibe to it while being thoroughly modern at the same time. Clare is a likeable heroine who deals with things both down to earth (trying to get her mom and grandmother into the same room) and otherworldly (figuring out how to deal with her psychic gift). She does some questionable things (particularly when she's around the missing girl's old boyfriend, a suspect in her disappearance) and rarely thinks of her own safety, but in a way that makes sense for a teenager who is slowly becoming overwhelmed by her circumstances. I could see this book being an excellent pilot for a series and it would have fit in perfectly among the psychic/special talent crime solvers who had TV shows not that long ago. A solid pick for mystery fans who like a bit of the supernatural (but not vampires or werewolves).

Check out Sophie Littlefield's website. 

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Random House.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan
A Bad Day for Mercy by Sophie Littlefield
Vintage Veronica by Erica Perl

Bedtime for Boo by Mickie Matheis illustrated by Bonnie Leick

Boo is so excited for his first night of haunting. He's the littlest ghost in his ghost family, and he's looking forward to all the spooky swirling, whistling, and flying like all the big ghosts do. When his mom tells him that it's time for bed, Boo isn't tired! His mom suggests that he listens to all the sounds in the house to help him get to sleep. Will listening to all the rattling and whooshing help Boo drift off to dreamland?

When I think of ghosts, I don't tend to think of them crawling into bed! But as the cover promises, that's just what happens in this spooky bedtime story. The story is more comforting, though, than truly scary; Boo the ghost takes comfort in the noises that are familiar to him (and, in a neat twist, are also the noises that could keep an anxious child up at night). The bedtime routine is one that could work on human kids as well as ghost kids. I enjoyed the spooky-sweet mix of Bonnie Leick's illustrations, and I might be imagining things but I thought I saw a shout-out to Madeline in the book's first few pages of text. This could easily become a Halloween favourite, yet I can also see it being a popular bedtime book for ghost-loving kids all year long.

Learn more about illustrator Bonnie Leick at her website.

I received an advance review copy from Edelweiss courtesy of Golden Books (Random House).

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Kai-lan Loves YeYe by Mickie Matheis
Wolf Camp by Katie McKy
Blossom and Boo Stay Up Late by Dawn Apperley

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

Kendall knows exactly what to expect in her small-town life. She's grown up with the same people, done the same things, and thought the same thoughts. She dreams of a life beyond Cryer's Cross - a life where she can study dance and never have to hear about potato farming again. Then Cryer's Cross is rocked by the mysterious disappearance of a young girl..and just when things are settling back into a routine, someone close to Kendall disappears as well. Everyone fears the worst, and Kendall struggles to find the strength to keep on living. One of her distractions comes from the new guy in town, Jacian,  a moody loner who gets under Kendall's skin. As she struggles to understand the mystery of long-buried secrets, Kendall herself might just be in danger.

Cryer's Cross mixes real-life things like college applications, relationships, and obsessive-compulsive disorder with an eerie, other-worldly twist. Kendall's life is made up of routines; some routines are put on her by nature, like the potato harvest each fall, while other routines are ones caused by her OCD that she must do to keep dangerous thoughts away. I can't comment on how accurately McMann portrays a character with OCD, but she did do a great job of creating a character who slips in and out of rationality. She is deliberate in her actions and precise in her words; she won't even call her best friend Nico her boyfriend because she can't promise the future commitment that that implies. As she spends time with Jacian, though, she starts opening up more of herself. The two are attracted to each other (I don't think that that needs a spoiler alert - almost any time that a guy and a girl clash so hard in the first part of a novel will have them attracted to each other before very long) but it's complicated - both Kendall and Jacian have their own issues that they need to work through. This book is for people who like the creepy, ghosty kind of supernatural more than the action-packed vampire or zombie supernatural; it would be a good read-alike for someone who likes the supernatural mysteries of Lois Duncan or Mary Downing Hahn.


Check out Lisa McMann's website.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Down a Dark Hall by Lois Duncan
Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn
Dead to You by Lisa McMann

Scarlett Dedd by Cathy Brett

Scarlett Dedd is dead. All her life she's had to deal with cracks and puns about her last name; being pale and thin didn't help, either. But now she really is dead due to a tragic mushroom mix-up. There are some cool things about being dead, but mostly she misses her friends, who are still very much alive. Scarlett gets a great idea: she can use her new invisibility and other supernatural gifts to cause some...accidents around her friends. At first her friends were intrigued by the idea of being haunted, but now they're starting to get scared. Will Scarlett go through with her plan?

Poor Scarlett. Her life didn't sound like much fun while she was alive (bratty brother, self-absorbed parents, second-hand clothes, self-involved friends), and then in death she still barely seems to catch a break. I did wonder why she would go to so much trouble to kill her friends, because, well...they didn't seem like good friends in the first place. Aside from Psycho, her not-really-boyfriend-even-though-they-had-mutual-crushes, no one seemed that affected by her death. But somehow Scarlett's internal logical made it make sense. Talking about the story is just one element of the book. It's format makes for quite a reading experience. It's not really a graphic novel; there's too many pages of prose for it to be considered that. But the book does have lots of illustrations and at times even the placement of the text becomes part of the art. I think the ideal reader for this would be someone who reads both graphic novels and 'word' novels; they might have an easier time getting into the flow. But don't let that scare you off from picking it up or suggesting it to readers who like funny supernatural stories (especially because there's not a lot of violence, not really, considering that it involves dead people and attempted murder). While the story wraps up nicely, there are also enough threads left that could be spun into more stories. I wouldn't be surprised if Scarlett makes another ghostly appearance someday!

Check out Cathy Brett's website.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Random House.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Fat Vampire by Adam Rex
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Ember Fury by Cathy Brett

The End: 50 Apocalyptic Visions From Pop Culture That You Should Know About...Before It's Too Late by Laura Barcella

There are some days where it seems like the end of the world could happen at any time. Global warming, terrorism, zombies: the end is near...at least in the movies. Films, books, plays, and art show some of the ways that people have expressed their views on the end of the world. In The End, 50 different visions of the apocalypse are explored in detail, examining how the world ends (and how likely it is to happen in real life).

There was something oddly reassuring about reading this book. Almost every scenario, whether it included viruses or zombies or the flooding of the entire earth, was said to be extremely unlikely to happen in real life - or, if it did, to have very different results than are shown in pop culture. I knew that I was going to like this book when one of the first things Laura Barcella talked about was the scarcity of women in strong, leading roles during "the end." Why is the apocalypse such a male-dominated event? Where are women while the world is ending? I also love serious explorations of popular culture; while this book maintains a light, often humorous tone, it does believe that there is something to be gained from examining how authors, directors, and artists have positioned the end of the world. Like many of Zest Books' other titles, this just screams "high interest" and is worth considering for inclusion in a library's non-fiction collection.

Check out Laura Barcella's website.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Zest books.

Find it at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's website.

Read it with:
The Stand by Stephen King
How to Fight, Lie, and Cry Your Way to Popularity (And a Prom Date) by Nikki Roddy
Reel Culture by Mimi O'Connor
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien 

Treasure in the Graveyard by Roberto Pavanello illustrated by Blasco Pisapia

Echo, a mystery-writing bat, likes living in a cemetery because of all of the peace and quiet. Then one night he hears something suspicious... and before he knows it he's flying for his life! That's how he meets his three best friends: Becca, Michael, and Tyler. These three siblings each have special talents and abilities that will help Echo figure out what is going on in the cemetery...and how to stop whoever is behind it.

A graveyard is a great setting for a story. It has a certain creepiness while still being a believable place for kids to be able to visit. The chapters are a good length - not too long so as to scare readers off, but not too short that getting through the chapters isn't an accomplishment. The full-colour illustrations, many of them full-pages, also provide the book with a cartoon-like energy. This looks like it will be a good series for young readers who like mysteries in the Scooby Doo vein; look for these meddling kids to thwart one mystery after another (with the help of their new bat friend).

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Capstone Young Readers.


See more of Roberto Pavanello's work at his (Italian) website.


Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Katie Woo Rules the School by Fran Manushkin
Fangs! by Alan MacDonald
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The Midnight Witches by Robert Pavanello

On the Day I Died: Stories from the Grave by Candace Fleming

A young man takes a strange journey one dark evening. After giving a ride to a young woman, he discovers that the woman has been dead for many years. He finds himself in the cemetery where she's buried - a special cemetery for young people. As the ghosts of the dead souls gather around him, it becomes clear that they want to share their stories. These are the stories of how they went from people to ghosts; these are the stories of the day that they died.

I'm just blown away by Candace Fleming's versatility as a writer. She's written so many wonderful books for children, both younger readers and older readers. On the Day I Died is a great pick for readers who like a spooky atmosphere and mystery without it being too scary or full of gore. The stories of how each of these people died are inventive and creative. I preferred the ones that were more plausible in a real-life context (if a book about ghosts hanging out in a graveyard telling their stories can ever really be in a real-life context) than the ones that veered more into the supernatural, but there's a good balance for many different readers. Fleming's ability to write for different characters is on full display here, as different ghosts take on the language of their times (spanning well over a century). There are new interpretations of spooky standards (the person who gives a ride to someone who turns out to be a ghost, the Monkey's paw) along with lots of new twists and turns.  I've been hearing this book in some of the early Newbery discussions, so pick it up and check it out for yourself - if you dare.

Check out Candace Fleming's website.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Random House Children's Books/Schwartz and Wade.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
All the Lovely Bad Ones by Mary Downing Hahn

The Phantom of the Post Office by Kate Klise and M. Sarah Klise

The authors of the "43 Old Cemetery Road" series are used to getting fan mail, but lately they've been receiving some other kinds of letters through the mail. They're not sure what to make of the vaguely threatening letters. Meanwhile, the post office is scheduled to close and all future letters and deliveries will be made through the brand-new VEXT-mail system. Then Seymour comes down with a mysterious flu and is hospitalized along with another child, a hopelessly cellphone-obsessed child. With nothing but time on their hands, they begin to sort out the connection between the letters and the post office...but will they be able to do anything before it's too late?

I've really enjoyed the books in this series, but this book and I sort of got off on the wrong foot. I think I've spent too much time lately, personally and professionally, reading about the technology wars, particularly eBook vs. print. If I had to declare myself, I am not an "either/or" person but a "both/and." I read paper books; I read eBooks. I think I read more now that I can read print books, eBooks, on my computer, and on my cell phone. From my vantage point in the middle, I think that either extreme seems a bit ridiculous. It's not too far from this 'debate' to the questions of technology that permeate The Phantom of the Post Office. There was far too much of the "no technology is the smarter choice" in the early parts for my liking, but once I got partway through the book it coalesced a bit better for me. The book built to a conclusion that I saw coming but I very much enjoyed the ride. Seymour remains a great fictional character: a thoughtful, sensitive, creative boy who loves reading and writing and uses his wits to solve problems. The letters, newspapers, and other notes that make up the book are still fun to look through, and I'm eagerly awaiting the chance to read book number five in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
Dying to Meet You by Kate Klise and M. Sarah Klise
Til Death Do Us Bark by Kate Klise and M. Sarah Klise
Over My Dead Body by Kate Klise and M. Sarah Klise

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Emerson sees things that no one else can see. They're not ghosts, exactly, but more like representations of people from the past - southern belles, soldiers, musicians. When you touch them they pop and disappear, which is an unsettling experience. Emerson has been seeing them for years - since around the time that her parents died in a terrible accident. Now she lives with her brother and sister-in-law and is trying to keep everything under control. That's when Michael Weaver enters her life. He says he can help her, but what does that mean? How does he understand her so well? And what is Emerson supposed to do about the deep attraction that she feels toward him?

Once I got into this book, I had a very hard time putting it down. Luckily, I read it during the 48 Hour Reading Challenge, so I was able to read it all in one sitting. It had come highly recommended by a librarian colleague of mine, and I can see why. It's a great mix of the supernatural and science fiction, romance and adventure. I have no idea if the science put forward in this book is even possible, but that's so besides the point (at least for me, and probably for most readers who pick it up). The southern setting, the characters, and the storyline make it a natural for a screen adaptation of some kind. I'm looking forward to picking up the sequel, Timepiece, particularly because I want to know more about Kaleb, one of the minor (but important) characters from Hourglass.

Check out Myra McEntire's website.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Timepiece by Myra McEntire
The Time-Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Marlow and the Monster by Sharon Cramer

There's a monster who crawls backwards into Marlow's room. He keeps coming in and Marlow is tired of it! He tries to tell his mom, but she just tells him to pick up his dirty laundry. He tries to tell his dad, but his dad says monsters aren't real. Marlow doesn't know what he's going to do! It's up to his sister Sarah to find a way to deal with this monster.

There are so many great stories based on the idea of a kid telling his/her oblivious parents about something that they can't understand. This book can lead to a lot of great conversations for caregivers and kids: do you think monsters are real? Why do you think Marlow's parents didn't believe him? Have you ever thought one way about something and then changed your mind? There are some great story threads running through it, particularly around friendship, making friends, first impressions, and telling the truth. I love the way that the Monster is shown. The style of the black-and-white illustrations didn't stand out for me (they had incredible detail but seemed to fade into the background), but the pictures of the monster completely steal the show (particularly the spread of the Monster peeking out between the legs of Marlow and his mother). Add him to the list of picture book characters that I would love to see as a plush toy.

Note: My review is based on a galley with only part of the illustrations; I have not seen a final copy of the book.

Marlow and the Monster won't be released until July 1, 2012, but you can get a sneak peek at the book and some of the illustration at the Talking Bird Books website.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley courtesy of B&F Publishing/Talking Bird Books.

Read it with:
Marlowe the Monster by Shing Yin Khor
Is a Worry Worrying You? by Ferida Wolff and Harriet May Savitz
Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes
There's an Alligator Under My Bed by Mercer Mayer

172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad

NASA is going back to the moon to set up a long-abandoned base called DARLAH 2. NASA stopped sending astronauts to the moon decades ago...so what would make them want to go back? In order to cover up the real reasons for their trip - and to gain some money and publicity - they host a lottery to find three teens to take into space. It's the opportunity of a lifetime for the three winners: Mia from Norway, Antoine from France, and Midori from Japan. Before long the three are training for their space adventure...but it quickly becomes clear that NASA hasn't told them everything.

With the set-up of sending teenagers into space, you know that things aren't going to go well. I kept waiting for the book to shock me, and while I think the elements were there, when reading the book I felt a series of whimpers, not a bang, and I was really expecting a bang. Maybe this had to do with it being a translation, although in general I think that the book read very well. The short chapters kept me reading along at a fast pace, wanting to know what came next. A lot of time was spent in the first part of the book introducing the teenagers, although I felt like I knew more about Mia than either of the other two. I can see this book working very well as a movie, or (perhaps even better, though much more unlikely) a TV series - as long as it was in the hands of exactly the right person. I did like the blending of real-life events and fictional (I assume!) twists, as well as the more Lost-like elements of shared experiences and hidden codes. The cover design definitely got me interested in the story, and I think teens looking for a sci-fi supernatural read will definitely be interested in this book.

Check out the book's website.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Moonshot by Brian Floca
Astronaut Academy: Zero Gravity by Dave Roman

Alien Investigation by Kelly Milner Halls

Aliens are a staple of science fiction books and movies, but they don't really exist...right? There are many people all over the world who firmly convinced about the existence of UFOs and aliens. Alien Investigation traces accounts of unidentified flying objects from the 19th, 20th, and 21st century. What's the truth about UFOs and aliens? You might be surprised.

As someone who watched a lot of X-Files growing up (and last summer, when I re-watched the series), I'm really excited to see books like this for a middle grade audience. It's a great age, where kids are thinking critically but also open to exploring fantastical concepts. Alien Investigation summarizes a lot of the historical evidence and reports about UFOs and aliens. The question is not 'will this book convince skeptics about the existence of UFOs?' (Would any book convince skeptics about the existence of UFOs?) Instead, a better question is 'what kind of information will readers find in this book, and how valid is it?' Intensely researched and brimming with eyewitness accounts, news reports, and expert opinions, this book presents a lot of information in an accessible way that can spark or flame an interest in the supernatural. It's a great addition to any library's non-fiction section.

Check out Kelly Milner Halls' website - lots of cool stuff!

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Lerner Publishing. Alien Investigation is scheduled to be published on April 1, 2012.

Find it at Amazon.

Read it with:
In Search of Sasquatch by Kelly Milner Halls
Aliens by Judith Herbst
Alien Abductions by Justin Erickson

The Lifeguard by Deborah Blumenthal

This is not the summer that Sirena wanted. Her parents are divorcing, her best friend is away at camp, and she's been sent off to spend the summer with her aunt. Sure, her aunt lives near a beautiful beach, but her house is haunted, and there's not much to do. Then Sirena catches a glimpse of the lifeguard who works on the beach...and she can't get him out of her mind. He's not like an ordinary guy; there's something different about him, and Sirena is determined to figure out what it is.

I'll be honest: one of the reasons that I was drawn to reading this book was because of the cover. White sand beach, beautiful blue water, and a very fit half-naked man? I imagine that it will make for an eye-catching display in stores. But now to what's on the inside. One of the things that Deborah Blumenthal really nailed was the self-absorption of a teenager. Sirena is quite wrapped up in her own drama (and at the beginning of the book I thought that she was much younger than in her late teens because of the lack of perspective she was showing about her parents' divorce). Her emotions change in an instant, she can be reckless, and she doesn't always think about the consequences of her actions. Themes of healing, spirituality and the supernatural give this book a deeper grounding than being just a light teen beach read, and that could resonate with readers who are looking for something with a bit more going on.

Learn more about author Deborah Blumenthal at her website.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Albert Whitman and Company; the eBook is being published by Open Road Media.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
Fat Camp by Deborah Blumenthal
What Men Want by Deborah Blumenthal

Ghostbusters Volume 1 by Erik Burnham, Dan Shoening, Luis Antonio Delgado and Tristan Jones

It's widely known that when there's a ghost on the loose, the best people to call are the Ghostbusters. But things have been a little strange lately. Ray's had a terrifying dream - or is it a premonition? - and Dr. Spengler wants to delve inside his brain. Meanwhile, Winston and Venkman are investigating a ghostly encounter in an apartment complex...but they're not prepared for what they find. At the same time, the very existence of the Ghostbusters is under threat...if the four men can manage to get out alive. This volume is probably best appreciated by knowledgeable fans of the series. I've seen Ghostbusters,  but only the first movie, and I had some trouble knowing who was who and what was going on. The plot moves along quickly and the illustration is creepy and, when the story calls for it, satisfyingly disgusting. I had to read it through a few times before I got a sense of what was happening, which I don't think the target audience will have to do, but it seems like a fun and suspenseful story for fans of the franchise.

(Note: this post is based on the first issue of the volume, not the entire volume. I received an advance review copy from NetGalley courtesy of IDW Publishing. )

For fun, here's the trailer for the original Ghostbusters movie:




Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Ghostbusters: The Other Side by Keith Champagne, Tom Nguyen, and Drew Geraci
The Real Ghostbusters: Which Witch is Which? by Dan Abnett and Anthony Williams
Ghostbusters by Nathan Johnson

The Boxcar Children #120: The Vampire Mystery created by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny - best known as the Boxcar children - have recently befriended a local author. Mr. Hudson is best known for a famous vampire story. When he goes out of town, the children look after his house. But then creepy things start happening - things right out of his book. It couldn't possibly be a real vampire at work...could it?

While I never really got into The Boxcar Children books as a child, I did read a few of them. As children are prone to do, I pictured characters older than me as being really old, and I think that that was exaggerated with this series because they lived on their own in that boxcar. So it was a bit trippy to see kids on this cover. When did that happen? Anyway. It's a typical children's book mystery that will appear to series fans, and I can see there being a crossover audience for fans of supernatural books. Will they be disappointed in the conclusion? Perhaps, but it really couldn't have ended any other way.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Albert Whitman & Company.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Kristy and the Vampires by Ann M. Martin
Vampire School: Casketball Capers by Peter Bently and Chris Harrison

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

It's 1996 and Emma's family has just gotten a computer that can connect to The Internet. It's a great distraction, especially because things with her longtime best friend Josh have gotten a little weird lately (he tried to kiss her). But when Emma puts in the America Online CD, something strange happens. She's looking at something called Facebook...and it's showing her what her life is like years in the future! Someone has to be playing a joke on her, but how do they know so many details? Emma becomes obsessed with her future and is determined to make sure that she gets her happily-ever-after...but where does that leave Josh?

I really liked the premise for this book. My family first got the internet in 1998, so there were a lot of details that I remembered about those days (making sure no one else had to use the phone before I went online, the screech of a modem, the relative rarity of having the internet). All of this nostalgia made me wonder if the best audience for this book wouldn't be young adults - people who would be Future Emma's age now rather than Past Emma's age now. Would teens and tweens be interested in the premise? But I think they will be. I know that I used to think of what future me would be like - and I still do now. I shared Josh's frustration at Emma's determination to shape her future and the way she didn't really realize that even if she got the future lined up that she wanted, there would be millions and millions of small choices that would shape her future between now and then. I appreciated that the jokes about Facebook were kept to a minimum (I have so many friends, I must be super popular! I wouldn't share it with everyone if it wasn't really important!). I think the book also can be a good opening for talking about the way that Facebook has shaped how we share our lives. If you saw a Facebook slice of your life (like the new Timeline feature, I guess), how accurate would it be? Do we exaggerate - the good and the bad - what we share? I liked the male/female back and forth of chapters from Josh and Emma's point of view and think that this is a good semi-supernatural story for teens and tweens who like thinking about time travel, technology, and identity.



Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
Gimme a Call by Sarah Mylnowski

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Rory is really looking forward to starting her new life in London. Wexford Academy promises to be an incredible scholastic environment and she's sure to meet lots of new friends. But she didn't count on London being in the grips of terror. A murderer is terrorizing the city by reenacting the Jack the Ripper murders. As the violence gets closer and closer to Wexford, Rory discovers that she might have a deeper connection with these murders - and that no one around her is safe.

It was quite easy to forget about the Jack the Ripper aspect of the book when I started reading. The first third of the book involves a lot of scene building and introductions: Wexford, students and teachers, London details. This makes sense, because this is the first book in the Shades of London series. But Maureen Johnson has a talent for changing the atmosphere at a moment's notice; one minute there's a school dance and everything's fun and light, and the next minute there's a life and death situation. It's not that it's jarring; the lack of a set-up sometimes enhances the drama, like anything can happen at any time. Speaking of jarring, though, I was listening to the audiobook and when the narration (Rory's voice when not in actual dialogue) has no accent, but Rory's voice has a strong Louisiana accent. So every time she actually started speaking, it felt a bit off. But the book itself was a fun adventure and I'm interested in seeing where the series goes from here.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
Portrait of a Killer by Patricia Cornwell

Bone Dog by Eric Rohmann

Gus loves his dog Ella. When she dies, he doesn't feel like doing much of anything anymore. He gets dressed up as a skeleton and goes out for Halloween, but his heart isn't in it. He comes across a group of other skeletons - real skeletons! It seems like Halloween is taking a bad turn. Then, out of nowhere, comes a skeleton dog that looks kind of familiar... This is shaping up to be a Halloween that Gus won't ever forget.

Every time I start reading an Eric Rohmann book I'm blown away by the depth in the artwork. The line, the shading, the colours all create such a rich set of images. I was surprised when the storyline veered away from the very real (the death of a pet) to the supernatural (skeletons on attack), but as a whole it works; it allows for a slight separation from a story that would otherwise be very, very sad. This book ended up on many Best of 2011 lists, so don't miss checking it out. And don't let the Halloween setting fool you - this is a book that can be read and enjoyed at any time of the year.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann
Skelly the Skeleton Girl by Jimmy Pickering
The Tenth Good Thing About Barney by Judith Viorst
Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes

The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group by Catherine Jinks

Toby's life was pretty ordinary until the one day he turned up in a dingo pen. He had no idea how he got there or what he was doing there. His mom worried that he was on drugs, doctors thought that maybe he had epilepsy, but a mysterious stranger had a different explanation - that Toby was a vampire. At first Toby decides to play along and make a fool out of this stranger, but before long he realizes that it's no joke. Meeting strange new people, kidnapped into the middle of nowhere, and fighting for his life, ... what will Toby have do deal with next?

I really enjoyed The Reformed Vampire Support Group but it had been awhile since I'd read it; I was afraid that I'd forget key details for this second book. But for a long time it didn't really matter. This book is very much Toby's story; while Reuben Schneider and Father Alvarez appear fairly early on, the rest of the characters play only minor parts in this story. I missed Nina in particular, and her sense of humour; I didn't care much for the antics of Toby and his two best friends. But once the story started focusing on the werewolf side of things and it became more of an action story, my attention was definitely piqued. A solid choice for fans of humorous supernatural stories.

Check out Catherine Jinks' website.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley (but I ended up listening to an audiobook version).

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Beat the Band by Don Calame

Power Lunch: Book 1 - First Course by J. Torres and Dean Trippe

Joey is the new kid in school. He's been the new kid a few times, because when he's around things tend to...happen. As long as he eats only bland white foods, though, everything seems to go okay. This time he's befriended another kid who's a bit of an outsider; Jerome is being bullied by Bug, one of the big kids at school. Joey is happy to help Jerome by biting into some of his powers, but what will happen when Joey isn't around?

I can easily see kids responding really well to this book. The colours are bright and dynamic, the characters are funny and likeable (except for the bully, who's suitably bad). The idea of everyday foods magically transforming someone into having superhero-like powers is a brilliant combination of high-concept and easily understandable concept. There's also space for a neat little ethical dilemma around Joey trying out for the soccer team: is it okay to use your superpowers to your advantage? Is it fair to yourself if you don't take advantage of your full potential? It was raised but not elaborated on too much in this book, so I'm excited to see more about Joey's soccer playing in future books.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Oni Press.

Check out Dean Trippe and J. Torres' websites.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Sketch Monsters by Joshua Williamson and Vinny Navarrete
Possessions by Ray Fawkes
Salt Water Taffy by Matthew Loux