Silver Pheonix - Cindy Pon

No one wanted Ai Ling. And deep down she is relieved—despite the dishonor she has brought upon her family—to be unbetrothed and free, not some stranger's subservient bride banished to the inner quarters.

But now, something is after her. Something terrifying—a force she cannot comprehend. And as pieces of the puzzle start to fit together, Ai Ling begins to understand that her journey to the Palace of Fragrant Dreams isn't only a quest to find her beloved father but a venture with stakes larger than she could have imagined.

I can't begin to describe how much I adored this book! It totally captured me from the beginning and I loved Cindy's style of writing. After I finished the novel, I admit that I stalked her a bit on Goodreads...

I found Ai Ling to be a really stunning character in that she was very beautiful but couldn't exactly get it right. She's flawed, but wonderfully so. I loved the imagery and the journey for the characters. The end did upset me a bit, but it didn't take away from the book as a whole.

Awesome book! I want to read it all over again. :)

5/5!

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl—someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I'm as far away from normal as it gets. A living science experiment—not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a sinister organization called the Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters, I'm a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control; I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever.

Now I'm running for my life with three of my supernatural friends—a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch—and we have to find someone who can help us before the Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying.

I thought I loved the Summoning, but Kelley outdid herself with the second one! The Awakening had so many twists and turns, as well as constant action that I found myself aching to keep readind and not wanting anyone to bug me. The Edison Group is such an amazing idea for a villan, I think inhumane experiments are very eerie and a good idea for a plot line. With a single villian, it would be easier to conquer but with this group of supernaturals, they don't know what they're up against or what the group has in store and that makes it all the more chilling!

Another thing I really enjoyed about this novel was the character development and the way the characters interacted with each other. You could tell Chloe was starting to somewhat come to terms with her ability and used them a little more to her advantage but some of the scenes gave me chills, so I can only imagine how frightening it was for her. Simon and Derek are sweet together and make such good brothers, I'd wished there was a little more dialoge between the two of them.

Chloe and Derek. Need I say more? They make the cutest pair and I can't wait to read more about them. I'm so happy that Kelley Armstrong didn't write Chloe and Simon together as much and making Derek, the awkward and quiet guy, the one in the spotlight. That thrilled me to no end! I can't wait for the third book in the series to find out what happens next! More, more, more!

*****

The Summoning - Kelley Armstrong

After years of frequent moves following her mother’s death, Chloe Saunders’s life is finally settling down. She is attending art school, pursuing her dreams of becoming a director, making friends, meeting boys. Her biggest concern is that she’s not developing as fast as her friends are. But when puberty does hit, it brings more than hormone surges. Chloe starts seeing ghosts–everywhere, demanding her attention. After she suffers a breakdown, her devoted aunt Lauren gets her into a highly recommended group home.

At first, Lyle House seems a pretty okay place, except for Chloe’s small problem of fearing she might be facing a lifetime of mental illness. But as she gradually gets to know the other kids at the home–charming Simon and his ominous, unsmiling brother Derek, obnoxious Tori, and Rae, who has a “thing” for fire–Chloe begins to realize that there is something that binds them all together, and it isn’t your usual “problem kid” behavior. And together they discover that Lyle House is not your usual group home either…

From the moment I opened this book I was hooked. It starts off with a bang and doesn't stop until you close it. I thought the plot was really good and I really enjoyed Kelley Armstrong's writing. I wasn't a fan of the ending because I really don't like cliffhangers but it is worth the wait. I have The Awakening on request at my library - I'm number 3 so hopefully I'll be able to read it soon! Chloe is very relate-able and likable and you really feel for her. In some ways I wish there wasn't any other magical students in the Lyle house but I know the plot wouldn't have worked had she not added it in. It's a quick read, I finished it in about a day and a half. You're not going to want to put the book down!

*****

Bonechiller by Graham McNamee

Four high school students face off against a soul-stealing beast that has been making young people disappear their small Ontario, Canada, town for centuries.

I got this book as an attempt to broaden my horizons and I wasn't sure if I'd like it. The truth was I really didn't like it - I loved it! It really took me by surprise and I was shocked to find myself continually turning the pages to have more. I loved the mystry of the monster in this novel, it's always the unknown that scares us so much.

I loved the ending and loved the characters and found myself wanting to be friends with them and get to know them. I related a lot to Ash, I'm also not girly and loved that Danny liked that about her. You don't have to be a frilly girly girl to be liked.

Very spooky story and the book was executed so well and the writing was great!

*****

Breathe, a ghost story by Cliff McNish

Jack is not a normal boy. He can talk to ghosts. In his new home, an aging farmhouse, he meets the Ghost Mother, a grief-stricken spirit who becomes very attached to him...too attached. He learns that the Ghost Mother is preying in the cruelest imaginable way on four child ghosts who are trapped in the house, stealing their energy to sustain her own. Before Jack can figure out how to help them, the Ghost Mother takes possession of his real mother's body. Jack wants to fight back, but he has severe asthma and risks fatal attacks with any physical exertion. It will take all his resources, and his mother's as well, to fight off the Ghost Mother and save the ghost children from a horrible fate.

This was another novel I wasn't sure I'd like and ended up really loving it! There was a deep sense of darkness in this novel, and it was almost a whimsical ghost story, if that makes sense. I was reminded of Coraline in this story, such as the ghost children and the evil mother but I really liked it.

The writing was really well done and I liked the ease in which he transitioned into a new chapter or section. The book did make me look around the room a few times I was pleasantly surprised at that from a book for the 9-12 age group. The cover is very creepy as well and I loved it. The ending was awesome too and made me understand the ghost mother a bit more. Another to add to the collection!

*****