LIBRARY MUSINGS…MAJOR LIFE CHANGE OR AN EXCUSE TO SHARE LOTS OF PHOTOS…

Head on over to thelibrarianreads.com for lots of new and improved goodies!

Including:

• My Newly Remodeled site!
• A post about what’s been going on in the life of TheLibrarian while I’ve fallen off the face of the blogging earth.
• More pictures than you can shake a stick at. 

Excited to see you there!

 

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater: The Book Trailer

Lets have a shout out for all the readers stuck at home rather than at BEA.

I feel you my friends.

Seriously considered purchasing a last minute ticket and kidnapping my bookish BFF for the event…If only to score an ARC of Stiefvater’s latest:

The Raven Boys

If you haven’t already read it, the first few chapters of the book are up on Shelf-Life at Entertainment Weekly.com. Read at your own risk. I personally loved it so much it only made my hunger for the book more voracious!

Ugh, take me to BEA! I need this book now!!

But unless a Fairy Godmother shows up soon I’ll just have to settle for Stiefvater’s book trailer. As always, pictures and music were all created by the amazing Maggie herself.

If you’d like a shot at an ARC head on over to Maggie’s blog Words on Words to enter the contest.

If the odds are not ever in your favor you can pre-order The Raven Boys from Fountain Bookstore, Maggie’s independent bookstore of choice. If you order from Fountain Maggie will personally sign and doodle in your copy of the book. So worth it!

The Marriage Contract (Marriage #3) by Cathy Maxwell

Summary from GoodReads

Journey with Cathy Maxwell to nineteenth-century Scotland…a land of romance and dreams. There, away from the stifling ballrooms and idle gossip of London, a debutante hopes to find a life she could only have imagined…and a noble Highlander discovers that the truest love of all awaits him in the form of an unexpected bride-to-be…

He was a man exiled from society — handsome, unpredictable, and proud. Dark rumors surrounded his name. But Anne Burnett had signed a marriage contract binding her to Aiden Black, the Earl of Tiebauld. And although she’d never met him, she’s determined to keep her word and make theirs a marriage in truth. Because a well-bred lady with little fortune to recommend her has no choice. From the moment she arrived, Anne fell in love with Kelwin Castle and its roguishly handsome laird. By day, he instills a fierce loyalty in his people with his masterful ways…and by night, he tempts Anne to surrender her innocence to him. But while he is willing to offer his body. Aiden refuses to give Anne his heart…making her wonder what prevents him from truly claiming her as his wife.

Review

Talk about inta-love at its worst! Anne is in love with Aiden after mere days. Days, you should know, that Aiden spent coming up with tasks to force his unwanted-bride back to England. He had her mucking stalls with his favorite prostitute for Pete’s sake! And apparently Anne is so beaten down she’ll accept this man as her love? Seriously?

There is so little interaction between the main characters, I think Anne falls in love out of the delirium of exhaustion. The only conversations they have revolve around the “tests” a.k.a “torture” Aiden creates. She falls dead asleep every night without kisses or conversation from the hubby. Yet, I swear to the romance gods, they fall deeply, madly, and passionately in love within 14 days.

And for all the rush when it came to emotional attachment, sex itself was (pardon the pun) frustratingly put off. The smuggler scene (which reminds Anne of her father) was a HUGE set back just as the couple was beginning to build a tenuous bond. The fact that they get over this set back just as quickly, culminating in what I’d like to call The Great Afternoon Delight session, is ridiculous. The Great Afternoon Delight includes more sex with a recent virgin than in ANY OTHER romance I’ve EVER read. And I read a lot people. After waiting 3/4 of the book for a physical commitment to underscore all that insta-love I was blown away by too much sex. Loud, obvious sex in the middle of a drama filled crisis situation where everyone can hear them. Odd. And kinda Eww.

I so wanted this story to work! Regency England and Jacobite Scotland together in one tale?! Sign me up! Too bad this was such a fail. The love happened way too fast. Felt like there were 3 days between when Anne and Aiden were total strangers to completely in love. We won’t even touch their alternate lifestyle choices…Aiden’s love of dressing the part of medieval Scottish Laird was just odd. The story left me feeling as though everything was unfounded. There was no base through the action of the story or a physical connection. Left the story feeling hollow and confused.

Rating: 2/5 Don’t be lured by the promise of a duo of mouth-watering romance eras…the story falls beyond flat. 

A Scandalous Marriage (Marriage #2) by Cathy Maxwell

BookTalk

Leah Carrollton just wanted to find love. As a great beauty in a family struggling to maintain their ton-ish lifestyle. A bank account was more important than the love Leah sought. But a love affair found her anyway. Two love affairs to be exact.

Leah’s first love was star-crossed. Falling for Viscount Huxhold, Devon Marshall, was unfortunate. A grudge lasting a generation means that any hope Devon and Leah had for a traditional Happily Ever After was lost from the start.

After losing her great love. Leah rebounds with a less than honorable man. One who leaves her with a baby on the way. But fate expects more from Leah and Devon. Their stars and paths are to cross yet again. And the troubles they incurred during their separation may be the very things that save their love…

Review

I enjoyed this one so much more than the first. Thought starting with the baby’s delivery then flashing back to the start of Leah and Devon’s love then coming back to the delivery was really different. Really cool. I got to know the characters in a way I wasn’t expecting. Their backstory helped explain motivations and feelings…and kept the delivery from seeming too random.

Though it must be noted that no one recovers from giving birth as quickly as Leah does. Seriously?! the day after a traumatic (and premature!) birth and we’ve got our heroine throwing the baby in a drawer (yep. a dresser drawer. padded with blankets. duh.) and riding a coach to London. Leah even feels the stirring of desire for Devon. You have to ignore a lot of logic to bridge the unrealistic-ness of this situation. But if you can get past it watching Devon and Leah rebuild their love is rewarding.

What was great about this read was how much I enjoyed these characters as people. Getting to know Leah better in this novel makes such a difference…and sheds so much light on her, shall we say, sluttiness of the last novel. I actually liked her. And Devon is simply the sweetest. Even if it took them FOREVER to say the L-word. That confession was pretty obvious way before the characters admitted their feelings.

Again, the second in this series keeps the ‘drama’ to a minimum…at least in the main character’s relationships. This semi-drama-free relationship was one of the things I most like about the first book, Married in Haste. No grand displays followed by white knights to be found here. Just major issues sorted out by realistic people.

Finally, the epilogue to this book was better than the first in the series. It completed Leah and Devon’s story, giving a Happily Ever After that is the sweetest I’ve read in awhile. Well done Maxwell.

Rating: 3.5/5 A swift, sweet novel worth the hour or two of escape it provides.

Married in Haste (Marriage #1) by Cathy Maxwell

BookTalk

The Earl of Merton can have his choice of debutantes. Sweeping in from his family home in Wales, Brenn is on the hunt for a wife.

Tess Hamlin is the belle of the Ton. She’s held the supreme position of Queen Bee for years now…so many years in fact, she’s running out of suitable men to turn down.

On the surface Brenn and Tess are perfect for each other. He is her fresh meat, and she is his wealthy wife. But neither comes to this marriage without a secret motivation. Neither is what they appear. So when the truths are revealed will the love they’ve built be enough to weather the results of their secrets…

Review

I liked that in Brenn and Tess’s relationship nothing was too “dramatic” – no one flounced off, slammed a door, left in the dead of night – even in situations where other romances would have gone there. We’ve all seen the third act escape…where one or both of the characters runs away for some flimsy reason that a simple, honest discussion would have cleared up. And while all that drama can be fun. It was refreshing to read a romance that didn’t depend on a dramatic crisis to prove character love. The key to this was that these characters kept fairly open hearts and minds through out the story. Not that they always did it for love (sometimes they were agreeable for their own gain) but they seemed to work together with understanding.

However, now that I’ve just complimented such a perfect couple, I’ll say I disliked how long Brenn and Tess kept their secrets. So many times one or the other could have unburdened themselves. Shared the secret weighing on their mind and the relationship. Maybe it would have given a bit of dramatic depth to the story to reveal…without having to involve the cliche ‘foot-stomp’.

Also, Tess’s brother was hard to swallow.He was the genesis of such a common trope – The ‘used’ daughter/sister. Tess is somehow to pay for her brother’s exorbitant debt and lifestyle.  The brother gets off without a smidge of change or shame. At least Maxwell openly states how women are used…helps watching yet another female romance character fall into the sacrificial lamp role. But seriously, Tess’s brother was a little too extreme for me to feel that Tess’s sacrifice was worth it…even if she did end up with a good man.

The ending was quick and the epilogue was long. I think the beginning of this story deserved a more fleshed out ending and a shorter ‘tacked on’ epilogue. ‘Cause that extra bit was practically another story in and of itself!

Rating: 3/5 This one had potential had the author not relied so heavily on tropes and kept her character’s secrets this one would have been stronger. 

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The silver solution was a little…”duh”…wondered that Maxwell never let the ‘battery’ investment pay off as batteries do in fact exist – and it would have been a major windfall. Could have added some historical significance to the tale.

Loved, loved the bit about Brenn wooing Tess in Wales. Again we had a situation of the townspeople falling hard and fast for Tess (uhm, totally unrealistic!). But the flowers…the priest…really really sweet. It was stuff like this that kept me reading!

Graceling (Graceling Realm #1) by Kristin Cashore

BookTalk

“This is a man’s world…but it ain’t nothing without a woman or a girl…”

Katsa was born with two different colored eyes. Eyes that would be especially beautiful if they didn’t tell the world that Katsa was graced. Eyes that could potentially still be an asset if Katsa’s grace didn’t instill fear in all who recognize her.

Katsa is a Killer. Her grace of fighting leaves her practically invincible battle.

That her guardian, her Uncle the king, has used her as a henchman and a tool of power since Katsa’s first accidental kill as a young girl leaves her feared across the Seven Kingdoms without friend and with very few natural foes.

Until she stumbles upon a man who can take her down. An attractive, perceptive man who can take her in a fight. A man who wants to care for her as a woman as well.

But this tale is not a love story. It is a tale of survival, of political intrigue, and of finding yourself. If learning what your true grace is grants you the ability to love as well…then life may just be worth living…

Review

Before I began this beloved book I did a little poking around the internet. I knew people always mention this book and I wanted to gather a sense of why (without too much spoiler-ific plot giveaways). What I noticed from the start was this fairly heated discussion of the feminist view of the book.

People generally fall into two camps when looking at the character of Katsa:

Man-Hater or Feminist

And I’m here to say that I’m not sure the character of Katsa is either. True, she doesn’t trust men much…but she’s been ostracized by men because she’s been graced with a traditionally ‘male’ grace. She also doesn’t care for women…but again, she’s been treated more like a man and shunned by polite society because of her grace. Why would she find enjoyment in a societal stereotype that so greatly works against her?

No wonder Katsa has retreated into her own world – she’s been mistreated, misunderstood, and shunned by almost everyone.

One thing we need to remember before saluting certain characters for being feminists is the difference between an Author’s point of view and the Character’s point of view. Often times (like with Katsa) we call the character a feminist because she upholds certain ideals –

I.E. being a strong woman, deciding what is right for her and her body when it comes to sex even if her choices fall out of society dictates, saving the day and exceeding men in manly talents and starting a school for women.

While all of these examples fall into a traditional feminist theme. The biggest issue is that Katsa herself has no conscious intentions to better the role of women in her society. None. She hates the women as much as she hates the men. While in the end Katsa does start a training school for women – it is the only point where she actively does something proactive for female society. And, quite frankly, if there was a woman who preferred needlepoint to a round-kick Katsa wouldn’t give her a second thought.

If she’s a feminist in any way it’s an accident, or confusion on the reader’s part mixing up the Author’s and the Character’s intentions. If anything it’s Katsa’s complete lack of social awareness and perspective that makes her seem like a mean feminist/man-hater. It’s really all an accident. Cashore, however, seems to be very concerned with the role of women. Each of her books is teeming with unique situations that ask her female characters to interact with a society not welcoming to their particular gifts. It’s thought-provoking to watch these women change and make decisions based on their own preferences rather than societies’.

I’ll admit that after my internal discussion concerning Katsa’s feminism (or lack there of) I found I didn’t always like her. I respected her. I enjoyed her story – especially the second half – but I had trouble liking her. I think why I truly didn’t connect was because she was so incredibly imperceptive of her own feelings! I mean really, obviously she was attracted to Po sexually. And not everyone was so repressed in this society. Po himself is more than perceptive. Even without his grace Po is one smart cookie, there were times when I wondered how he wasn’t becoming frustrated with Katsa.

And that whole husband vs. lover argument…Seriously? Are we forgetting that in any relationship freedom taken is freedom given by the other party. The man doesn’t hold all the cards in either situation. True, without the legal committment in this world there are certain freedoms women automatically get to keep (like their land and money) but what matters most is emotional investment – Katsa is only fooling herself if she thinks it’s easier one way versus the other when it comes to feelings.

Rating: 4/5 How I love the ending of this book! Everything after part 1 – their love, their growth, their acceptance…well done!

Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult

BookTalk

The definition of a Witch Hunt is to persecute those who practice witch craft and/or to search out and deliberately harass those who differ from the majority.

Jack St. Bride is no stranger to the witch hunt. Roughly a year ago he was accused by a student of crimes that tanked his career as a private school professor and sent him to jail. Now a newly free man, he’s simply trying to figure out his role in this new world. One where from the beginning of every relationship he’s suspect.

Addie Peabody is a woman haunted by her own ghost. One that she feeds a burger and fries to on a daily basis. The owner of the local diner, Addie has no idea of the change she invites into her life – the test she is about to take on – when she hires a vastly overqualified Jack St. Bride as a dishwasher.

Gilly Duncan is a motherless child, a beautiful girl, and head of her coven. Gilly is a witch. In a religion based in heady power, Gilly won’t treat it with the respect it deserves.

Like hysteria in the Salem of 1692 this modern day witch hunt will be started by a teenage girl with too many issues and more power than she deserves. A he said – she said battle will rage in the courtroom…leaving the reader guessing till almost the last minute where the true blame should fall…

Review

If you’re looking for a Picoult novel minus the emotional tears you’ve found a contender. Like most of her plots this one comes with it’s own twists and turns. You know that until the final page there’s always room for a plot point you never saw coming. Picoult plays the reader by revealing critical information so slowly you’re dying to have the whole picture. Right. Now.

I’ll admit this book starts a little slower than I expected. It definitly took about 50 to 70  pages (till the first twist happens) to really get hooked. What keeps you glued to the story is the need to find out if Jack really did it. I swear there were several points where I wanted to throw the book against a wall…

“He couldn’t have done it!!! Could he??? Ahh!”

Mind you, my frustration was exacerbated by the fact that my assistant had just read the book…She knew the ending! You have no idea how badly I wanted to get the ending from her; how many times I begged for her to tell me if Jack did it! She’s a woman of strength though, and managed to restrain herself from spilling the beans.

I have a special place in my heart for the Salem Witch Trials. They were the focus of my minor in Women’s Studies. Some really cray cray stuff. I loved the way Picoult picked and chose which parts of the historical situation she pulled out exact and which she remixed in a new way. The choice to include an actual Wiccian Coven in the book was very cool. The part they played; remixed and interesting.

As much as I enjoyed the book a few parts didn’t do it for me. It was actually the fact that she was a little grandiose in her characterization and motivations that the plot fell a bit flat. Some of the conversations were so dramatic as to feel forced. Like it was trying too hard; stressing too much. Plus the real bad guy never gets his due.

3.5/5 Worth the addictive read…even if it doesn’t work perfectly. 

Library Meditations…Friendship

Welcome to another addition of meditation quotes. This week me and my yoga gals meditated on the idea of friendship, and our love for our friends. The girls didn’t pick this week’s theme, I started to gather some quotes on love and thought that my teenage group might be better served by the warm thoughts of friendship than the pressure of love (in high school also known as Who’s Dating Who…)

Plus, I didn’t think my high schoolers were ready for quotes proclaiming that what you want in a man is humor and loyalty…judging by their Google searches and computer backgrounds muscles and dreamy eyes still seem to be the main motivation for romantic love…

Considering my own hormones aren’t dead I’ll give them that it’s a convincing argument…

But I’ve been in a relationship long enough to know that the quotes are right…in the end you just want someone to be with you no matter what…someone you’re not embarrassed to fart in front of 😉 Ha. Teens out there are still thinking “Oh the Horror!”

But I believe girls of any age can appreciate the value of a friend who will more than tolerate some flatulence…she’ll giggle her way through the situation, and nod understandingly when you mention something about too many FiberOne bars…

All of the quotes below were read aloud to my students just a few short minutes ago. And I encourage you to scan through them yourself and try to see if one catches your imagination more than others. I encourage my girls to do the same. Because as voracious readers we know nothing can be as powerful as a well written phrase that catches our fancy. And a good friend is worth her weight in gold.

Enjoy. And Namaste.

Without Further Ado…Friendship Quotes

There are big ships and small ships. But the best ship of all is friendship. ~Author Unknown

A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be. ~Douglas Pagels

Friendship isn’t a big thing – it’s a million little things. ~Author Unknown

A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down. ~Arnold Glasow

Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend. – Albert Camus

The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart. ~Elisabeth Foley

It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend. ~William Blake

A friend knows the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails. ~Donna Roberts

Friends are those rare people who ask how you are and then wait for the answer. ~Author Unknown

What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies. ~Aristotle

Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art…. It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival. ~C.S. Lewis

A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out. ~Grace Pulpit

Cherish the friend who tells you a harsh truth, wanting ten times more to tell you a loving lie. ~Robert Brault

Our most difficult task as a friend is to offer understanding when we don’t understand. ~Robert Brault

Nothing but heaven itself is better than a friend who is really a friend. ~Plautus

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. – Marcel Proust

A real friend is someone who would feel loss if you jumped on a train, or in front of one. ~Author Unknown

It takes a long time to grow an old friend. ~John Leonard

“Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?” ― Abraham Lincoln

He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare, and he who has one enemy will meet him everywhere. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

A true friend reaches for your hand and touches your heart. ~Attributed to Heather Pryor

“There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.” ― Linda Grayson

“Why did you do all this for me?” he asked. “I don’t deserve it. I’ve never done anything for you.’
You have been my friend,’ replied Charlotte. ‘That in itself is a tremendous thing.” ― E.B. White, Charlotte’s Web

Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down. – Oprah Winfrey

But oh! the blessing it is to have a friend to whom one can speak fearlessly on any subject; with whom one’s deepest as well as one’s most foolish thoughts come out simply and safely. Oh, the comfort – the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person – having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain together; certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness blow the rest away. ~Dinah Craik

A true friend unbosoms freely, advises justly, assists readily, adventures boldly, takes all patiently, defends courageously, and continues a friend unchangeably. ~William Penn

We are the captains of our own ships sailing the sea of life, but in times of a stormy weather, you will discover true friends when they don’t hesitate to be a lighthouse. ~Dodinsky

I don’t need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better. ~Plutarch

The best time to make friends is before you need them. ~Ethel Barrymore

Never explain – your friends do not need it and your enemies will not believe you anyway. – Elbert Hubbard

If you’re alone, I’ll be your shadow. If you want to cry, I’ll be your shoulder. If you want a hug, I’ll be your pillow. If you need to be happy, I’ll be your smile. But anytime you need a friend, I’ll just be me. ~Author Unknown

“If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.” ― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Poem: I Carry Your Heart With Me by E. E. Cummings

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
i fear
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

Somebody to Love by Kristan Higgins

BookTalk

Parker Wells is loaded. Girl’s rich like Midas and raising her son in the family compound. But Parker isn’t just some spoiled rich girl. She’s focused on raising her son along with her son’s father…who just so happens to be married to Parker’s BFF. She has a bestselling series of children’s books featuring a band of  rollerskating angels named The Holly Rollers. And those perky pipsqueeks are about to debut in their first full lengh feature film!

Life is really comfortable for Parker…sure there’s no man turning on “Lady Land” but a girl can be happy with a beautiful child and full life.

That is until Parker’s Dad…and all of his assets (including Parker’s trust fund and home) are seized by the government. Parker is now homeless, and almost penniless looking at a pretty bleak future. Her only hope is renovating and selling a forgotten Aunt’s coastal home in rural Maine. Pumped up with hope, a new puppy, and a hot, but annoying minion of her father’s tagging along Parker may be able to change her life around…And she may find that her new life is worth far more than the wealthy one she lost…

Review

I loved this book. Can I just leave my review at that?

Just say: “Read It”

Tell you to find a comfie couch, cup of coffee, glass of wine and read, read, read

Offer the advice to “Save this one for when you really need a great dose of chick lit”

…For when you want to find a funny and surprisingly strong heroine make the most out of life

When you want to see a fiesty relationship spring from a misunderstood past…

When you want to kick back with some lemonade and imagine watching the hero nail some shingles to your beach cottage…shirtless…

I Change my Mind. Wait till the summer to read this one. Save it for a beach chair and some waves, a deck and a cold beer, a pool float and some SPF.

Enjoy watching characters from Higgins previous books (Catch of the Day and The Next Best Thing) find more Happily Ever After.

Laugh about all the references to “Lady Land”

Just read this one…You’ll thank me, because like I said after I read Until There Was You, Higgins only gets better and better with each book released.

4/5 For an almost perfect Chick Lit read. 

Silence (Queen of the Dead #1) by Michelle Sagara

BookTalk

Emma was the chick who liked to hang out in the graveyard. Not, like, a goth chick…more like a girl who’d lost too many people she loved. First her father, followed by the boy she loved. Emma goes to the graveyard to seek the comfortable silence that those she loved provided in life and now in death.

She’ll ignore the fact that she needs to keep these nightly ghost walks with her pet rottweiler a secret. No one would really understand…

What Emma didn’t see coming was stumbling upon the cute new kid, Eric, in the graveyard. Eric having a conversation with an old woman in rags. The old woman offering Emma a gift that doesn’t appear to be real…Until the headaches start, until Emma starts to see ghosts, until Emma becomes a Necromancer…until Eric divulges that he’s bound to kill her…

Review

First things first, why oh why does Silence not pop up when you search for it on GoodReads? So not cool because this was a great start to a supernatural series. I loved that Emma was allowed to be smart and caring, and that while she admits Eric is cute…there’s no insta-love in sight. Emma is still dealing with the death of the boyfriend, as well as the general drama of a teenage life.

I liked that Sagara had different supporting characters. We have the smart but shy bff, the teen queen, and an autistic boy named Michael. What’s so cool about this mix of people is what brings them together…not Emma, but Michael. The girls decided early on in school to band together and help Michael navigate the torturous world High School can be for a person who is autistic.

And Michael was such a smart addition to the story. As Emma and her band of misfits get deeper and deeper into the world of necromancers Michael’s ability to see and intercede in situations that freeze other characters (literally) is an obvious plus. Because Michael only understands logic (and not the gray area most of our reasoning occurs in) he becomes this walking truth indicator for the group. If Michael sees it, believes it, accepts it…it must be true. Helps to bring a lot of the characters into the paranormal loop fast.

But, supernatural aspects aside, why I enjoyed this book so much was because it reminded me of  Deadly Cool in its feel. Romance was not the central focus of the story. A girl learning who she is, what she is capable of is the point of the tale. Emma is allowed to be cool and smart, and not necessarily a sex symbol. It was a breath of fresh air in the YA division. I’ll definitely be sticking around for the rest of the series because this first installment leaves you with questions!…

• Why is Emma a Necromancer?
• Why is she so powerful?
• How the heck could she open that door?!
• Who is the scary lady?/The old man?
• What the heck was ____ going to tell her?!

So not fair I have to wait months to get my answers!!

Rating: 4/5 For a smart, normal girl mixed up in a ghost ridden paranormal series. 

*Book received via the publisher (DAW Books, Inc.) I was not compensated in any way other than the offer of a free read. Any comments and opinions are my own and were unsolicited. Thanks!*