Review: Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder

Title: Magic Study.
Series: The Chronicles of Ixia, #2.
Author: Maria V. Snyder.
Publication Date: June 7th, 2013.
Publisher: Mira Ink.
Format: Paperback, 384 pages.
Source: Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:



Discovering her fate could prove deadly...
Yelena Zaltana has been found guilty of possessing magical powers. The Code of Behaviour that rules the land of Ixia states she must be executed.
Escape is her only hope.

But when the freedom Yelena has fought for is once more in jeopardy, she must use her magic to survive.

With only one year to prove herself, Yelena’s future is uncertain and when magic is involved one mistake could mean sudden death.

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I really enjoyed reading Poison Study, the first book in this trilogy, and I have to say I was a little hesitant and apprehensive about starting Magic Study. I was mainly worried that it wouldn’t compare to the first book, but boy was I wrong! Magic Study went above and beyond my expectations and was just as good if not better than the first book. If you love fantasy, action, adventure, magic, well developed characters and bad guys – then I’m sure you’ll absolutely adore this series, just as I have. I’d recommend these books, even if you’re a little worried about the genres.

Yelena is our main protagonist, and I really love her! When we were introduced to her in the first book, I was a little unsure what to think of her – but now, I really wish she was real so I could meet her. You’re able to see Yelena grow throughout Magic Study and I loved how we learned more and more about her past in this book. It was so much fun to read about her developing and starting to learn how to control her powers, as it wasn’t the main focus in the first book. Yelena is a smart, fun, hard-working and a hot-headed girl who sometimes has a problem with her temper – but I love her all the same. She’s been through a lot since she was kidnapped as a child, and it was emotional to read about how everything still affected her, even a year or so later.

Valek makes another appearance in this book, and I’m so glad he did. I love Valek’s character so much, he’s dark and brooding, but has a really sweet and caring side that he rarely shows. I think Valek and Yelena are a perfect match for each other and I love their relationship so much; it’s sweet but passionate at the same time. There are also quite a few new characters that make appearances in Magic Study, and unfortunately I can’t talk about them all – however they were all really strong and well developed characters. I don’t think I came across an underdeveloped character in this book at all, and there were plenty to read about! It was great being introduced to them all, and learning about their personalities over time.

Maria V. Snyder’s writing is really amazing, and I love pretty much everything about it. My only problem was that, once again, the ending was a little rushed and I did wish it could have been a bit longer. Other than that though, the book was perfect and I thought it was really fantastic! I rarely give books half star ratings, but I thought that it was smack bang in the middle of a 4/5 and a 5/5, and I couldn’t decide at first which to choose – so I went with a nice and comfy middle; 4.5/5 stars. I think it well and truly earned the rating I gave it and I really can’t wait to read the third and final book in this trilogy and see what happens next and where all the characters end up! I’m also definitely going to be picking up the spin-off series, which is set in the world of Ixia, as I just can’t get enough of it!

Quotes

"Living is a risk," I snapped at him. "Every decision, every interaction, every step, every time you get out of bed in the morning, you take a risk. To survive is to know you're taking that risk and to not get out of bed clutching illusions of safety." - Page 244.

He made a weak attempt to look innocent, but I knew better. "Should I guess how many concealed weapons you have or should I strip search you?"
"A strip search is the only way to be absolutely certain." Valek's deep blue eyes danced with delight.
I took three steps and was wrapped in his arms, where I belonged. No worries here. No troubles here. Just Valek's scent, an intoxicating combination of musk and spice. - Page 285.

"Why did Mother ask you to help me rescue Gelsi?" I asked Leif.
"She thought I could assist you in some way. Instead, I had tried to-"
"Kill me? You can join the 'I Want to Kill Yelena Guild.' I hear they have six members in good standing. Valek is president since he had wanted to kill me twice." - Page 398.

Review: Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Title: Poison Study.
Series: The Chronicles of Ixia, #1.
Author: Maria V. Snyder.
Publication Date: June 7th, 2013.
Publisher: Mira Ink.
Format: Paperback, 409 pages.
Source: Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:



Choose: A quick death or slow poison...

On the eve of her execution for murder, Yelena Zaltana is offered an incredible reprieve - on the condition that she becomes the food taster for the military leader of Ixia, Commander Ambrose. Avoiding poison is the least of her troubles, however ... General Brazell, father of the man she killed, has vowed bloody revenge; she's beginning to have feelings for her captor, Valek; and someone is plotting the downfall of the current regime.

In a desperate race against time, Yelena must learn to control the growing magical talent withinn her and master the demons of her past. The Commander's life, the future of Ixia and all those she loves depend on it ...

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Poison Study is an incredibly unique book in so many different ways and I loved every minute I was reading it! Even though this isn’t really the type of novel that I thought I would usually read, I’m so glad I pushed past my lingering doubts of not enjoying it, and picked up this book. I found that I couldn’t put Poison Study down, and found myself flying through the chapters. Just one more chapter, I kept telling myself, and before I knew it, it was three o’clock in the morning and I’d nearly finished it.

Yelena is an incredible female protagonist; she’s tough, witty and strong minded. I loved everything about her character, especially her emotional strength and how well she deals with the hand she has been dealt. I loved how you don’t find out what lead Yelena to murder all at once; you gain snippets of information about her past throughout the book as she tries to allow her mind to process it once more. I can’t seem to state enough how much I loved Yelena’s character, she is by far one of the most interesting, smart and wonderful characters I’ve had the privilege to read about.

Valek acts as Yelena’s mentor of sorts and is the person who trains her to be the Poison taster. I love Valek; he’s a dark, brooding and composed character – he’s just my type! From the first moment Yelena meets Valek, I adored him – he’s quiet and reserved but loyal and caring underneath all the pretence and I really wish I could have him for myself... I don’t know whether it was by chance or just because they seemed drawn together – but a friendship bloomed between the two – and I loved reading the scenes where they were together. I was rooting for the two to get together from the beginning of the book and could barely contain my love for their relationship.

The only issues I had with this book, was the ending. I felt like it was really rushed, like Maria just wanted the book to be over and done with. Throughout the majority of Poison Study, it is incredibly detailed and beautifully written. However, when the book reaches the confrontation and the ending of the book, the details are far and few between and I found this really annoying and I wished it was done differently.

Overall though, I really enjoyed Poison Study – it was a fantastic book, with wonderful characters and a world you can’t help but love. I believe it well and truly earned the 4/5 star rating I’ve given it, and I think it would have been perfect if it hadn’t been rushed at the ending. Maria V. Snyder’s writing is beautiful, intricate and such a pleasure to read – I highly recommend you to read her books if you haven’t yet. I can’t wait to read even more from Maria V. Snyder in the future and can’t wait to continue this series and find out where all the characters end up!

Quotes

“Let's go. We're supposed to rendezvous with the Captain at the lake. Oh, and try to keep the noise down. You sound like a panicked moose crashing through the woods," the smarter man chided.
"Oh yeah. Like you could hear me over your specially trained 'woodland-animal footsteps,'" Rough Voice countered. "It was like listening to two deer humping each other.” - Page 151.

Valek’s posture had relaxed a little, as if the act of talking out a problem helped him deal with it. “About the same time your snoring could be heard halfway across the room.”
“Ha,” I said rather loud. “You were so stiff at that meeting I thought rigor mortis had set in.”
Valek snorted with amusement. “I doubt you could have looked any better sitting in that uncomfortable dress uniform all night. I imagine Dilana sprayed on extra starch with malicious glee.” - Page 288.

“Yelena, you've driven me crazy. You've caused me considerable trouble and I've contemplated ending your life twice since I've known you." Valek's warm breath in my ear sent a shiver down my spine.
"But you’ve slipped under my skin, invaded my blood and seized my heart.”
“That sounds more like a poison than a person,” was all I could say. His confession had both shocked and thrilled me.
“Exactly,” Valek replied. “You have poisoned me.” - Page 380.

Review: Lost In Thought by Cara Bertrand

Title: Lost In Thought.
Series: The Sententia, #1.
Author: Cara Bertrand.
Publication Date: September 21st, 2012.
Publisher: Book Baby.
Format: Kindle eBook.
Source: Provided By Author.
My Rating:



Lainey Young has a secret: she’s going crazy. Everyone else thinks she has severe migraines from stress and exhaustion. What she really has are visions of how people died—or are going to die. Not that she tells anyone that. At age sixteen, she prefers keeping her crazy to herself. When doctors insist she needs a new and stable environment to recover, Lainey’s game to spend two years at a private New England boarding school. She doesn’t really think it will cure her problem, and she’s half right. There is no cure, but as she discovers, she’s not actually crazy.

Almost everyone at Northbrook Academy has a secret too. Half the students and nearly all the staff are members of the Sententia, a hidden society of the psychically gifted. A vision of another student’s impending death confirms Lainey is one of them. She’d like to return the crappy gift of divining deaths with only a touch, but enjoys spending time with Carter Penrose—recent Academy graduate and resident school crush—while learning to control it. Lainey’s finally getting comfortable with her ability, and with Carter, when they uncover her true Sententia heritage. Now she has a real secret. Once it’s spilled, she’ll be forced to forget protecting secrets and start protecting herself.

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I featured this book in one of my Friday Finds posts a few months back and the author contacted me not long after, offering to gift me a an eBook copy of her novel for review. I eagerly accepted and I can’t believe I’m only just now getting round to reading and reviewing it. I’m finding it hard to begin to describe how fantastic this novel was.

Lainey Young thinks she’s going crazy. Whilst everyone around her thinks she suffers from severe migraines that often make her pass out – the truth is something more absurd. Lainey really has visions of how people died – or how they’re going to die. Lainey has lived with her Aunt Tessa, since she was 5 years old and her parents died. Since then, she’s moved around the country, following her Aunt’s passion and career as an artist – never staying in one place long enough to form attachments.

When her Doctors insists she needs a new and stable environment to help improve her ‘migraines’, Lainey jumps at the chance of finishing her two remaining High School years at a private boarding school in New England and start acting like a normal teenager. Not long after being settled into Northbrook Academy, a sudden vision of a classmate’s death engulfs her, and Lainey is forced to admit that maybe she isn’t going crazy – and that her visions are real. When she then goes in search of answers about her parents and their past, nothing can prepare Lainey for the truth of who she really is and what she is really capable of.

First off, I would like to start with saying how incredible and natural Cara Bertrand’s writing is. The entire writing style is so down to earth and relatable that it was a pleasure to read. Everything about this book was just amazing and the plot and storyline was just incredible and so unique in its own way. I had to force myself to put my kindle down on several occasions so I wouldn’t read it all in one sitting and rush it.

I really loved Lainey’s character – she was so down to earth and interesting – even with her unusual upbringing. Lainey was a very smart, interesting, funny, witty, kind and overall just a lovely character. I loved how she didn’t get herself wrapped up in all of the angst and teenage drama that so many characters can be. Lainey is also incredibly mature and responsible for her age, and there are many scenes throughout the book that I’m sure a different teenager would have reacted differently to. At the end of the book, there is a scene where Lainey acts incredibly responsible and shows how much of a good person she really is – even when it wasn’t warranted.

Carter Penrose is the love interest of pretty much every girl at Northbrook Academy. A former academy student, runner, part owner of the onsite book store and a total hottie – it’s no wonder that all the girls go gaga for him. Apart from being the local heartthrob - Carter seemed like a really upfront, honest, sweet, funny and kind guy. You read about some of the mistakes he’s made in his past, but you grow to know about how much he’s regretted them. You also learn about how hard he tries to be the type of person he wants to be and who he thinks Lainey deserves. I really did love Carter character, and I also think he’s incredibly considerate and mature for his age – considering the fact that males seem to mature much slower than females!

What I loved about Lainey and Carter’s relationship throughout the book is that neither one of them seemed to lose all their common sense or logic when it came to the other person. They saw each other for who they really were and not what they appeared to be. The chemistry between them was incredible and totally swoon-worthy; I can only hope I’ll find something similar in the future.

Overall I thought this book was amazing – and I’m still trying to come up with enough adjectives to describe how awesome and wonderful this book was. My once overly literate self seems to have gone out the window. The ending left me completely gobsmacked; I wasn’t excepting what happened at all, and I still can’t believe it did – but it was also the perfect ending. I believe the 5/5 star rating I gave this book was well and truly earned and it deserves nothing less! I can’t wait for the sequel to be released, I’m sure I’ll devour it in no time.

Quotes

The problem was that I saw dead people. Or more specifically, I saw visions of how they died. Most lasted only a few seconds, a handful were gruesome, and I swore some of them were visions of how people were going to die. - Loc 153, 4%.

I looked up at him from where I was scratching notes in my notebook. He had an impish grin on his face that suited him, like any kind of smile. It was contrasted by the sunshine streaming in from behind him, lighting up his golden-brown hair like a halo. Angelic and devilish, all at once. That wasn’t a bad metaphor for Carter Penrose, I thought. - Loc 1179, 29%.

Whatever else I felt about him, every touch from Carter was warm and reassuring. Or electrifying, but I wasn’t thinking about that right now. When he made to let go, I kept hold. Today, I needed not only a guide through this craziness but also an anchor. Carter would have to be both. - Loc 1559, 39%.

Review: The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Title: The Nightmare Affair.
Series: The Arkwell Academy, #1.
Author: Mindee Arnett.
Expected Publication Date: March 5th, 2012.
Publisher: Tor Teen.
Format: Kindle eBook, 386 pages.
Source: NetGalley Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:



Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare. Literally.

Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder.

Then Eli’s dream comes true. Now Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.

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The Nightmare Affair has to be one of the best novels I’ve read this year! With its fantastic and original plotline to its bold and fascinating characters – The Nightmare Affair is a book I found VERY hard to put down.

Dusty Everhart is a Nightmare – literally. Nightmares live among the other supernatural creatures in the world, such as; fairies, werewolf’s, vampires, sirens, mermaids, demons and more. A Nightmare survives by feeding on people’s dreams, seems pretty simple, right? However, when Dusty is feeding off a boy named Eli, from her old high school - the connection breaks and he wakes to find her sitting on his chest - awkward much? Before the connection is severed, Dusty realises that Eli is dreaming of a murder, and one of her current classmates lies dead in front of her. When returning to Arkwell Academy; a school for the supernatural beings, she finds that the dream has come true – her classmate is dead. Soon after, Dusty finds out why; she’s a dream-seer, and Eli is her seer partner. Dusty and Eli will have to work together through his dreams to gather clues about the murderer before they strike again.

Mindee Arnett’s writing is flawless. She created such an incredible world, taking hold of everyday myths of fairies and witches and transformed them into something completely their own. Mindee also created a whole new mythical being, a Nightmare. There was no stone left unturned when it came to describing the Nightmares, what they do and how they work. I’ve never read anything like this book before.

Dusty has to be one of my favourite characters that I’ve read about as of late. She’s stubborn, smart, witty, funny and kind. All of these characteristics blend seamlessly into Dusty’s personality and make her character very loveable. Although Dusty has only one friend, Selene, and the rest of her classmates in Arkwell Academy dislike her because Nightmare's are dangerous and outcasts – she doesn’t let this get her down. She also has a rocky relationship with her mother, but is very close to her father. I feel that it was a shame we didn’t get to meet Dusty’s father, because I think it would have created the perfect balance.

I loved Eli’s character. He seemed a bit rude towards Dusty at first, but can you blame him? He wakes up in the middle of the night to find a girl sitting on his chest – and is then thrust into a world he didn’t know existed. After he gets over the initial shock, Eli turns out to be such a sweet guy! He’s kind, a great friend and a great guy over all. Even though he’s always been ‘popular’, he hasn’t let it go to his head. He sticks up for the kid being bullied, stands up for Dusty when she needs it and is overall and amazing character that I’d love to meet. He’s cute, too!

Lastly, as for Paul; I liked his character, however, I wasn’t star-struck by him at all the way Dusty was. He seemed like a stand-up guy and is sweet, but I found that he was quite rude and way too forthcoming for my liking. Sure, he’s cute and Dusty goes all fan-girly over him, but he didn’t strike me as a very interesting or amazing with pretty much no depth to his character at all.

I loved how in-depth the world Mindee Arnett wrote about was. There are three types of Magickind in the novel; Naturekind, which involves fairies, sirens and mermaids - Witchkind; including witches, wizards and psychics – and finally, Darkkind; which include, demons, werewolves and of course, Nightmares. A mysterious force called ‘The Will’ prevents the supernatural beings from attacking each other, or using magic to hurt another being. The Will is a strong force, controlled by the rulers of the supernatural world, and keeps the world they know from crumbling apart at the seams. The entire world building was just fantastic and so incredible that I find it hard to put into words.

Overall, The Nightmare Affair was fast pace and action filled; immediately gripping the reader and drawing them into the strange world. The novel was shrouded in mystery and I found it hard to predict what would happen next. All the characters seemed suspicious, as if they had something to hide. The book, although based mainly on mystery and paranormal aspects, had enough romance and romantic complications to tickle my fancy and I loved how it wasn’t the main focus of the storyline. I believe the book truly deserves the 5/5 stars rating and it deserves nothing less. I can’t wait to read more of Mindee Arnett’s writing!

Quotes

I frowned, less than thrilled at the idea of being the government's shiny new gun. "So you're saying I might predict more than just stuff about the killer?"
"Yes. In the past, dream-seers have identified spies, uncovered assassination attempts, all sorts of things." So much for hoping this would be a one-time gig. I bit my lip.
"So we're like the psychic CIA." - Loc 688, 20%.

"You're a Nightmare," Marrow said as if this explained everything. "Your magic works differently from other magickind. You're the exception to The Will's rule. You just never had occasion to discover before now." - Loc 1338, 40%.

My gaze drifted up from the woman's face to the sky, where a huge bird hovered over the people's heads, wings outstretched. Like hearing the opening note of a familiar song on the radio, recognition hummed inside me at the sight of it. - Loc 2474, 74%.

Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Bones.
Series: The Mortal Instruments, #1.
Author: Cassandra Clare.
Publication Date: March 27th, 2007.
Publisher: Walker Books.
Format: Paperback, 442 pages.
Source: Bought.
My Rating:



When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder—much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing—not even a smear of blood—to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Clary thinks she’s just a normal, 15 year old girl. I mean, she pretty much is; living in Brooklyn with her artist mother and hanging around with her best friend, Simon. That is until one night at an under-age club called Pandemonium, she sees a group of three teenagers killing what looks like a boy. However, no one else can see them - there’s no blood, and no sign of any disturbance at all. Clary shouldn’t have been able to see these three mysterious teenagers at all, she’s a “mundane”, a human – and doesn’t have the sight to see them. But is she really? Has her mother been lying to her about who she really is? When her mother is kidnapped one evening, Clary is attacked by a demon and is rescued by Jace, one of the three teenagers she saw at the club. Soon she learns that Jace, Isabelle and Alec are Shadowhunters, born and bred to kill demons. With the help of her new friends, Clary learns more and more about the Underworld and her past and goes on a mission to save her mother.

I feel like I must be the last person in the book blogging community that hadn't read this book before! I’m not always a huge fan of Fantasy books, I mean, I’ve never read Lord of The Rings or anything else that’s along those lines - unless you count Harry Potter in that category. I was a little reluctant to add this book to my TBR list, but I heard so many great reviews and ravings about it, I just had to at least try to get my hands on it. I received a surprise copy for Christmas from my parents and I was actually very excited. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it and was instantly drawn into the story. I loved this novel, it was incredible.

I loved Clary’s character, right from the beginning. She’s such a typical teenager; fighting with her mum, and ignoring her calls - which made me smile. There was something about her that was so natural and refreshing. She starts off as this timid girl, but as the book progresses she really grows into herself, becoming more confident, and quite frankly; a bad ass. Clary is a strong protagonist and quite headstrong at times, but I still loved her. Plus, she’s a red-head, so I’ll give her extra points!

Simon’s character actually really irritated me. I mean, there’s jealously, but there’s also over the top, annoying and head banging against the wall jealously that makes you want to slap the person senseless. That’s how I felt when I read most scenes with Simon in, I mean, MAN UP, BOY! Apart from that his character was okay, Simon is Clary’s best friend, and has been for 10 years. I thought their friendship was amazing, and I knew Simon would do anything for Clary if she asked.

As for Jace - why is it that I'm always attracted to the dark, mysterious, bad boy look-a-like characters in books? I wish I could pounce on Jace, because I loved him so much. He makes me swoon and go all giggly and girly. No one ever said that was a bad thing though, right? He has this hard exterior that says, ‘get lost’, but all I want to do is wrap my arms around him and give him a cup of hot-chocolate with marshmallows and cream. Underneath that hard exterior though, is a sweet, kind and caring guy. I can’t begin to explain how much I wish he was real.

Although I gave this novel 5/5 stars; I was not happy with the ending - at all. So much so, that it nearly made me bump it down a star – but didn’t because the overall book was still incredible. Still, it was one of those rare times that I wanted to bend my rules of romance just to make myself happy in my imagination. When I reached the end of this book, I was filled with such mixed emotions and there was a little voice in my head, yelling various insults at Cassandra Clare, telling her she needed to change that ending. I was also, however, spewing a random stream of annoyance out loud. Mostly along the lines of;
“SERIOUSLY?!”
“That did not just happen! How can they do that?”
“Oh come on!”
“HOW COULD YOU?! Kill me now!”

I also found myself bashing my head against the arm of the sofa. I know I’m being a little over-dramatic but I'm filled with such love for this book, yet also with such frustration! There were so many different twists and turns throughout this novel that I found it a little hard to keep up, however that didn’t deter me. The storyline was constantly building and growing, the world building was incredible and I didn’t know what would happen next. Only once did I predict correctly what was going to happen, even though I guessed many times!

I loved Cassandra Clare’s writing style; it’s so different and unique. I really need to get my hands on the sequel to this book, pronto!

Quotes

"I know what it means," Clary snapped.
"No, you don't, you just think you do. Magic is a dark and elemental force, not just a lot of sparkly wands and crystal balls and talking goldfish."
"I never said it was a lot of talking goldfish, you-"
Jace waved his hand, cutting her off. "Just because you call an electric eel a rubber duck doesn't make it a rubber duck, does it? And God help the poor bastard that decides they want to take a bath with the duckie."
"You're driveling, Clary observed. - Page 82.

He took something out of his jacket and handed it to her. It was a long thing dagger in a leather sheath. The hilt of the dagger was set with a single red stone carved in the shape of a rose.
She shook her head. "I wouldn't even know how to use that-"
He pressed it into her hand, curling her fingers around it.
"You'd learn." He dropped his voice. It's in your blood."
She drew her hand back slowly. "All right."
"I could give you a thigh sheath to put that in," Isabelle offered. "I've got tons."
"CERTAINTLY NOT," said Simon.
Clary shot him an irritated look. "Thanks, but I'm not really a thigh sheath kind of girl." She slid the dagger into the outside pocket on her backpack. - Page 200.

"Drive fast, mundane," he said. "Drive like hell was following you."
Simon drove. - Page 330.

Review: The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Title: The Summoning.
Series: Darkest Powers Trilogy, #1.
Author: Kelley Armstrong.
Publication Date: July 1st, 2008.
Publisher: Atom.
Format: Paperback, 390 pages.
Source: Bought.
My Rating:



All Chloe Saunders wants is a life like any normal teenager – the chance to get through school, make friends, and maybe meet a boy. But when she starts seeing ghosts, she knows that life will never be the same again. Soon the ghosts are everywhere, demanding her attention. When Chloe finally breaks down, she’s admitted to a group home for disturbed kids.

At first Lyle House seems okay, but as she gets to know the other patients – charming Simon and his ominous, unsmiling brother Derek, obnoxious Tori, and Rae, who has a 'thing' for fire – Chloe begins to realise that something strange and sinister binds them all together, and it isn’t your usual ‘problem kid’ behaviour. And they’re about to discover that Lyle House is not your usual group home..

Chloe is just your average teenager until the day she first starts her period - that same day she starts seeing ghosts. She ends up running and screaming through her high school and is admitted to Lyle House, a group home for disturbed kids. Lyle House isn't your usual group home, and the other kids aren't your usual disturbed kids either. When she gets to know the other teenagers in Lyle House, she ends up discovering that they too - have special powers - and that she, herself, isn't crazy or a 'Schizophrenic' like the Doctors are telling her she is. Chloe is special, she's what Simon and Derek call a Necromancer, a person who can summon and contact the dead. As the trio try to figure out the mysteries of Lyle House, they discover that no one is who they seem and they find themselves wanting to escape as quickly as possible.

I have to say, I was a little sceptical of the plot of this book, generally because of the whole 'psychiatric home/hospital' part. This is because in so many books and movies, they portray them in such stupid and ridiculous ways, and in real life, they aren't actually like that (I know from experience). However, once I'd started reading this book I was totally hooked.

Chloe's character is really interesting, she's just like your average teenage girl, but not overly dramatised like a lot of female characters I've read. I think she's pretty young and naive at times, even for her age, but she can be mature when it comes down to it. She told the story in the way a film producer would (her goal for her future) and I found it really refreshing. Simon's character annoyed me a little bit, sure he was sweet and kind and caring, but he seemed too kind - sort of in a degrading way. I'm sure this wasn't the way his character was supposed to come off, but it's the way I feel.

As for Derek, he was my second favourite character (after Chloe). He's a gruff and very unsociable guy, but obviously cares a lot for his brother, Simon and he doesn't seem to care about anything or anyone else. I know his character is a little rough around the edges, but I thought the way he was portrayed was great and right from the beginning I was rooting for Chloe and him to get together. The other characters weren't as well described, however we know that Tori, is a spoilt, rude, mean and obnoxious girl who is desperately seeking her mother's approval. As for Liz and Rae, they seemed pretty similar to me, and weren't as focused on in the book as the other characters so I can't really give an opinion.

The plot is very well thought out, flowing smoothly from chapter to chapter and leaving you wanting more at the end of it. The twists and turns of this book are great, and I couldn't put it down. The plot is also so different from everything else I've read and really original - it holds its own and doesn't seem to sway much from the main storyline like many books I've read in the past. Overall I thought It was an amazing book and honestly, I can't wait to read it again!

Quotes

If I was crazy, would I know it? That's what being crazy was, wasn't it? You thought you were fine.
Everyone else knew better. Maybe I was crazy. - Page 34.

Dr. Jill said it was just a matter of taking my meds and learning to cope. If it was that easy why were there people wandering the streets talking to themselves? Crazy-eyed homeless people shouting at thin air? Seeing people who weren't there. Hearing voices that didn't exist.
Schizo. Just like me. - Page 70.

"Then if we run, it'll look suspicious."
"It's three-thirty in the morning. We're going to look suspicious anyway."
He looked at the car for a moment.
"Fine. But any sign of trouble? Follow my lead."
"Yes, sir." - Page 350.