The Last Academy by Anne Applegate

Goodreads Blurb

What is this prep school preparing them for?
Camden Fisher arrives at boarding school haunted by a falling-out with her best friend back home. But the manicured grounds of Lethe Academy are like nothing Cam has ever known. There are gorgeous, preppy boys wielding tennis rackets, and circles of girls with secrets to spare. Only . . . something is not quite right. One of Cam's new friends mysteriously disappears, but the teachers don't seem too concerned. Cam wakes up to strangers in her room, who then melt into the night. She is suddenly plagued by odd memories, and senses there might be something dark and terrible brewing. But what? 

The Last Academy was...disappointing, let's say. I had such expectations because, a) the cover?GORGEOUS and b) it sounded absolutely mysterious and thrilling! But...it wasn't. Not really.

My first problem was that it was actually a bit boring and I couldn't finish after 2 weeks even though I typically finish a book in 3 days tops, 1 day usually. I couldn't get into the book, so, eventually, I skimmed maybe 25 pages in the last half. So I guess I didn't see the "She is suddenly plagued by odd memories" part. So unless I missed something in the first half (totally possible. I couldn't really get into it and forgot most stuff besides what's in my notes), there were only maybe 3 odd memory scenes--not really plagued by them.

And the insta-love. Oh my gosh, the insta-love. It annoyed me to heck and I was not happy. The romance was based on...what? Looks? They barely knew each other! It was like, a small crush, but the L word came out. I didn't understand. They went super fast as a couple, that's all I'm saying.

Ah. Characters. For me? They were a bit flat. I couldn't like them at all and, to me, Camden was annoying. She was so...stupid sometimes, so easily led! And, also, who talks to teachers like that? She pretty much said, to a teacher "You are a dork." except, she said it like "You two/guys are dorks to the level of ten" or something. Mmm...mmmm...no. But she was definitely witty. My favorite? "She usually seemed so...I dunno. Southern. It was like watching Scarlett O'Hara scratch her armpit."

This book really redeemed itself with it's complete originality, though it only really showed up at the end. The very end. I loved it and, honestly? I never would've expected it. How come I never expect these kind of plot twists?! I loved how it was explained and how everything clicked into place--it was the perfect ending! But things never really got interesting until well into the book--maybe two thirds in. The first two thirds? A bit typical high school except with a disappearance--and barely any snooping on Cam's part.

I wouldn't really recommend Last Academy, sadly. Loved the cover and the synopsis sounded thrilling! But it just fell way flat.

Pages: 320
Genre: Paranormal/Mystery
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Point
Release Date: April 30, 2013
Rating: 2.5-->2 stars

Spirit and Dust by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Goodreads Blurb

Daisy Goodnight can speak to the dead. It’s not the result of a head injury or some near-death experience. She was just born that way. And she’s really good at it. Good enough to help the police solve the occasional homicide.
But helping the local authorities clear cold cases is one thing. Being whisked out of chemistry class by the FBI and flown to the scene of a murder/kidnapping in Minnesota? That’s the real deal.
Before the promotion can go to Daisy’s head, she’s up to her neck in trouble. The spirits are talking, and they’re terrified. There’s a real living girl in danger. And when Daisy is kidnapped by a crime boss with no scruples about using magic—and Daisy—to get what he wants, it looks like hers is the next soul on the line.

Spirit and Dust is just an amazing book! Possibly one of my favorite paranormal/fantasy I've read in a while! It had...everything. Great worldbuilding, an ingenious plot, twists I couldn't imagine, a great main character, and a swoony love interest.

What surprised me about Spirit and Dust was that was that instead of just using regular paranormal elements, like magic, witchcraft, werewolves, vampires, etc., the main element was Egyptian mythology! Which I think tied a little perfectly with what we learn about the "paranormal" world Daisy introduces us to. The worldbuilding for this was spectacular, why shades were called "remnants" instead of "ghosts, the rules of the afterworld, all that! The only thing I had a complaint about was that we were told that the soul was cut into 3 parts, when I learned that it was 7. So that was a bit weird for me! 

Daisy was such a snarky character! I adored her! She was such a...well, teenager and it was relatively easy to connect with her, despite her freaky powers! She was hilarious and I adored reading from her POV! Not to mention, the Remnants also brought a bunch of humor to the story, as well as her little banters with Carson, our swoony love interest! He had a few secrets of his own, which, by the way, I did not expect at all. He was arrogant and sweet and everything in between! Made better with the fact that it was a pretty slow romance and wasn't all "we're completely destined to be together", thank goodness!

Crazy things that I never expected had already happened before the half mark of the book and I had no clue what could happen next! I read this in one sitting, in the middle of the night, and every time my eyelids would droop, some giant twist happened and I would be completely unable to put it down! It had me wide eyed and literally flipping through the pages! I was absolutely dying (pun intended) to find out what happened next! 

Pages: 304

Genre: Paranormal

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Release Date: May 14, 2013

Rating: 4.5--->5 stars

Chosen at Nightfall by C.C. Hunter

Goodreads Blurb

Kylie Galen's life hasn't been the same since her world was turned upside-down in Born at Midnight, Shadow Falls #1, and now an epic conclusion to her journey—not to mention a tough choice between two guys!—is brewing in Chosen at Nightfall:
When Kylie Galen left Shadow Falls, she thought it was the hardest decision of her life. Heartbroken and separated from everyone she loves, she has to embrace her abilities and what it means to be a chameleon. But as Kylie's journey comes to a close, she must return to the camp that started it all...and she must finally chose between the two boys who love her. The werewolf who broke her heart when he chose his pack over her, and the half-fae who ran from their intense attraction before they ever really had a chance. For Kylie, everything will finally be revealed and nothing will ever be the same.

For one of my well-liked series, this was a rather disappointing conclusion. 

We still have all of our gloriously hilarious and fun characters who I absolutely love to read about (Perry? My favorite character, ever.) and we meet a few (not many) new characters who I loved meeting! C.C. Hunter is wonderful with her characters and they're usually my favorite part of the books! Especially Kylie's fellow campmates and supernaturals!

Our love triangle was definitely done well in my opinion! I was so worried that Kylie would immediately forgive him once he showed his face, and I am unbelievably relieved that she didn't! If you've read my other reviews, I'm pretty sure you know how hard it was for me to choose a team on this, and I'll just say I was definitely happy with the outcome! (But seriously. Boy next door personality wise or bad boy turned sweet?)

Kylie's still talking to the ghosts and this time, we meet one who plays a rather...significant role in our final conclusion. I really love how C.C. Hunter always focused most of the plot on the new ghost, but this time, it was a bit of a bad point. 

As a final ending book, I expected most of our story to focus on stopping Mario and discovering more about Kylie's chameleon heritage, but we never really see him until maybe the last 50-100 pages or so. There wasn't as much tension as I'd expect considering, and I was definitely disappointed by that. 

Another thing was how *SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER* the entire thing ended in a HEA (Happily Ever After) where literally everyone ended up happy and didn't lose. It was basically a win/win/win/win/win/win situation. Everyone ended paired up and I was beyond frustrated by that. Not to mention the cheesy sayings which definitely had me groaning a bit. 

While Chosen at Nightfall wasn't completely horrible, it wasn't as amazing as I'd hoped and expected! I definitely recommend the series as a whole though! 

Pages:400

Genre: Paranormal

Series: Shadow Falls #5

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Release Date: April 23, 2013

Rating: 3.5--->3 stars

In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

Goodreads Blurb

In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?
Featuring haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.

I went into this having absolutely no idea how amazing it would be! Also, blackbirds? They're now terrifying.

So, oh gosh, I love how amazingly (and creepily) real this world was. When they say a book is a time machine...they weren't kidding. I was automatically transported to 1918 and I could see the hopelessness everywhere, smothering everyone in America. The fear of dying everywhere, the paranoia, and the unease when anyone so much as sniffled. It was heartbreaking to read this sometimes, but it had a great atmosphere that haunted you with it's hopelessness.

Mary Shelley, despite being a skeptic at first, didn't annoy me. And you guys, when our character is a skeptic at first, that usually really annoys me. But our main character was so independent and so compassionate towards everyone! She understood what was wrong and did what she could to make the world just a little less bleak. She had such a distinct personality too and she was just someone you admired for still being (sort of) sane after all that's happened to her.
Stephen was our love interest and even though we only get a few glimpses of him, it was enough to make me fall in love. He was such an understanding character and, like Mary, seemed so compassionate. He was pretty much the opposite of his brother, Julian, who I really wanted to strangle. Really.

The romance was so bittersweet like most of the novel. Childhood sweethearts--except one's already died. It was really heartbreaking and I really (I'M SORRY!) sort of wanted Mary to die and be with him. Romeo and Juliet FTW! Except, not really! Well, actually...

The mystery in this was also pretty unpredictable! I. Had. No. Suspicions. Whatsoever. The ending nearly killed me! I had no idea what was going to happen and I'm pretty sure I teared up a bit at a certain part.
The paranormal aspect of this was definitely something to love too since it was done so well and so wonderfully creepy! It still fit the 1918's fashion though with seances and spirit photographers that really never got old!

Haunting and breathtaking, In the Shadow of Blackbirds is one I'd definitely recommend, especially if you've read Born of Illusion early! This book was so beautiful and so raw sometimes, which I loved especially since it was a historical fiction! And while it does have that sense of hopelessness, it also has that one spark of hope in it that I just loved.

Pages: 400

Genre: Historical Fiction/Paranormal

Series: Stand alone

Publisher: Amulet Books

Release Date: April 2, 2013

Rating: 7 stars

Life After Theft by Apprilynne Pike

Goodreads Blurb

Moving to a new high school sucks. Especially a rich-kid private school. With uniforms. But nothing is worse than finding out the first girl you meet is dead. And a klepto. 
No one can see or hear Kimberlee except Jeff, so--in hopes of bringing an end to the snarkiest haunting in history--he agrees to help her complete her "unfinished business." But when the enmity between Kimberlee and Jeff's new crush, Sera, manages to continue posthumously, Jeff wonders if he's made the right choice.
Clash meets sass in this uproarious modern-day retelling of Baroness Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel

(THIS ACCIDENTALLY POSTED IN MARCH. ACK.)
I absolutely loved the Wings series, so when I heard Apprilynne Pike was writing another book? OF COURSE I had to read it! I was a bit wary of it at first, because this honestly didn't sound like my kind of book. I'm not one who usually enjoys the haunting-but-not-creepy kind of stories, but it was Apprylinne Pike! I shouldn't have doubted--she told this story almost flawlessly! 

Life After Theft is one of those stories that has such flawed characters that we can easily relate to or recognize in our friends or society. Jeff may have been the main character, but the supporting characters definitely had an important spot in the plot, and I loved how deeply woven in the plot they were!

Speaking of the plot, I just loved it! I kept biting my nails, scared that they would get caught, or something. I didn't expect the slight mystery that was involved. There were a ton of secrets that revolved around these prep schoolers and I was just dying to figure it out! And I didn't expect any of it. 

Romance...eh. In the beginning I sort of wanted to slam Jeff's face in the wall for being attracted to Sera immediately and really only because of her good looks. After a while though, I absolutely adored the interactions between the two because they were just so perfect for each other! (Also, guys really do seem have a one track mind.) I sort of thought he'd be attracted to Kimberlee from the synopsis but I definitely couldn't have been more wrong! The banter brings a sort of comic relief, but also holds a tone of suspense. 

Reading from a guy's POV was definitely different and made things a lot more hilarious! apprylinne Pike has done it again--and with a completely different genre! It's not guaranteed that you'll love it if you're a fan of the Wings series, but I definitely think it's 90% possible! I absolutely love her writing and this definitely wasn't an exception!

Pages: 352

Genre: Paranormal/Contemporary

Series: Stand alone

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release Date: April 30, 2013

Rating: 4.5-->4 stars

Notes From Ghost Town by Kate Ellison

Goodreads Blurb

They say first love never dies...
From critically acclaimed author Kate Ellison comes a heartbreaking mystery of mental illness, unspoken love, and murder. When sixteen-year-old artist Olivia Tithe is visited by the ghost of her first love, Lucas Stern, it's only through scattered images and notes left behind that she can unravel the mystery of his death. 
There's a catch: Olivia has gone colorblind, and there's a good chance she's losing her mind completely--just like her mother did. How else to explain seeing (and falling in love all over again with) someone who isn't really there?
With the murder trial looming just nine days away, Olivia must follow her heart to the truth, no matter how painful. It's the only way she can save herself.

This book was...interesting. I have so many conflicted feelings about this! On one hand it was amazing, with absolutely gorgeous writing, a likeable love interest, with a decent plot, but on the other hand it was predictable and didn't focus on the mystery as much as I would've liked. Not to mention that her colorblindness doesn't seem to be a key role or anything and while I was hoping for one of those character-you-can't-trust stories, I didn't get it.

The writing was simply stunning! There were so many gorgeous examples, but I decided to choose this one since I think it's my favorite of all (and it's actually the first paragraph too.)
"Think about a moment, a little centimeter of time you'd happily exist in forever, if time could be laid out along the spine of a ruler. Maybe it haunts you in that blue inch of half consciousness just before you're fully awake."
Instantly I fell in love and I think that's when my hopes went soaring. The writing flowed well and I found myself falling deeper and deeper into the lull of these words. If I had an audio version, I bet I'd be listening to it forever!

As a mystery, this book was disappointing, but as a contemporary and realistic fiction, this book had it all. I loved (this will sound mean) how her life just fell apart all at once, and showing how delicate family and friend bonds can be. I loved how Olivia dealt with these problems, truthfully, and I just loved the book as a whole. It shows how a seemingly great, if not perfect, life can spiral so quickly out of control and how it's best to let go.

As for the romance, is there a love triangle? Not really. Because Stern is...dead. And Olivia knows that. So while she does still have feelings for him, I got the vibe that she knew she couldn't really do anything about them besides telling her that she really did love him. Then there's Austin who, while I did love him, was a stereotypical character--hot, rich, a bit of a player, smug, and interested? I think we've seen that. But I have to admit, I find them a lot better than sweet innocent guys. I don't know, I'm weird like that! But the romance is sweet and it has a bit of a twist!

As for the mystery part, it wasn't really a mystery since it was predictable, sadly. Right when we met the culprit, my mind was jogging, thinking, "He/she's going to be important...". so while it was an enjoyable read, it didn't necessarily have me at the edge of my seat. If it wasn't as obvious, I'm sure I would've completely adored this book! But with the ARC, I just couldn't love it as much as I wanted.

By the end, I had a thousand questions left unanswered, but...I liked it. The reason for Olivia's colorblindness was never explained, but the way this conflict was resolved symbolized something, though I can't tell you just yet! Something that irritated me, though was that *SPOILER* Almost everything becomes a Happy-Ever-After and I was disappointed by that. It sort of ruined the ending, and as evil as it seems, I honestly think some things should've been left as a tragedy rather than a miracle.

Pages: 336
Genre: Mystery/Paranormal
Series: Stand alone
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Release Date: February 12
Rating: 3.5--->3 stars

The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington

Goodreads Blurb

A haunted house, a buried mystery, and a very angry ghost make this one unforgettable thriller.
Jade loves the house she's just moved into with her family. She doesn't even mind being the new girl at the high school: It's a fresh start, and there's that one guy with the dreamy blue eyes. . . . But then things begin happening. Strange, otherworldly things. Jade's little brother claims to see a glimmering girl in his room. Jade's jewelry gets moved around, as if by an invisible hand. Kids at school whisper behind her back like they know something she doesn't.
Soon, Jade must face an impossible fact: that her perfect house is haunted. Haunted by a ghost who's seeking not just vengeance, but the truth. The ghost of a girl who ruled Jade's school — until her untimely death last year. It's up to Jade to put the pieces together before her own life is at stake. As Jade investigates the mystery, she discovers that her new friends in town have more than a few deep, dark secrets. But is one of them a murderer?

Before I start, I just want to say that as a wuss, and a usual ghost-avoider, The Dead and Buried may fall a little flat for horror lovers! I, however, adored it!

Something that many non-creepy readers will love is that while it was a bit spooky, it was completely "Oh my GOD that is freaky" kind of scary. So if you're expecting to be scared out of your pants...change your expectations! The Dead and Buried is a typical ghost story, brought to an extreme and detailed level, which I loved. A haunted house, the new kid turned detective, and a love triangle? A bit familiar? Maybe. But I loved it.
It wasn't too creepy for me, but it still made me feel a bit spooked and that's something that rarely happens. I'm either completely scared out of my wits, or I'm bored. This was a perfect balance between both and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

The plot was...fine, I admit, cliche. But the ending? Definitely shocking!  I had never suspected that person and the fact that it was that person? Shocking to say the least! Reading back, I could see all the hints pointing at it, but it was still shocking. I thought I knew who it was, then I was proven wrong, rinse and repeat several times, but did I ever guess who it actually was? Did I even have an inkling of a thought? No, not really. Actually, let me rephrase that: No, not at all. It was completely shocking and the way that every hint seemed...innocent? That was just a cruel, cruel twist! The plot was far from slow and while it wasn’t necessarily action packed, it was still highly enjoyable!

I just couldn’t believe the romance between Jade and Donovan. Every kiss, stray look, each feeling.  It felt like it was just there for…nothing, and I just got extremely annoyed by how little depth the romance had. The same goes for things between Kane and Jade. There was…nothing, though I do get that the only reason Jade was leading Kane on was because of her “research”, but I honestly think The Dead and Buried may have been a much more engaging book if most of it weren’t that taken up with Jade and her boy problems.

The characters? They were real. They each had weaknesses, they all had had their secrets, and there was always one thing they wanted. Whether it was protagonist or antagonist, I loved each of them. Even Kayla, who was supposed to be the bratty one. I feel like if someone had just seen her for herself, not her social rank, she could’ve been…better. I even liked Faye, the reigning “mean girl” who was trying to slip into the role of Queen Bee. Everyone had their own story and I loved discovering what their sore point was, what they’d wanted the most. 

Pages: 304

Series: Stand alone

Genre: Thriller/Romance

Publisher: Scholastic Point

Release Date: Jan 1, 2012

Rating: 3.5 --->4 stars

The Innocents by Lili Peloquin

Goodreads Blurb

Nothing ever came between sisters Alice and Charlie.
Friends didn't.
Boys couldn't.
Their family falling apart never would.
Until they got to Serenity Point.

(this will be a long review due to two main characters and two love interests etc.)

My Summary

Alice and Charlie’s mom just married Richard Flood the Third, an insanely rich man who’s wife died of cancer and who’s daughter, Camilla, died merely months after. They almost immediately move to Serenity Point, a beach area filled with rich people, all with their own sinister secrets surrounding Camilla and her demise. But even more creepy, Alice happens to look exactly like Camilla and there’s no way she can let those secrets stay hidden. Not when her sister is pulling away and these secrets seem to affect her family personally. But maybe the people at Serenity Point aren’t the only ones with secrets.

Writing

The writing? There was just something I can’t pinpoint that made me completely love the writing. It was just…gorgeous. I mean, I could read one word and be completely sucked in immediately. I could barely put it down!

And yes, The Innocents is written in the 3^rd person POV, and maybe sometimes it seemed that it should be in the 1^st, but this way The Innocents could switch between Alice and Charlie’s POV without any confusion and much more ease. It may seem weird at times that in the beginning one chapter was all Alice, another all Charlie, and that after it would switch between one then the other in a paragraphs, but they switched at exactly the right time if that makes sense. But mainly, Alice was our narrator and I found it so much more enjoyable!

The Sisters

Which leads us to characters. Alice was definitely my favorite sister. She’s a bookworm (Which basically everyone reading this can connect to), quiet, shy, but she watches. She’s the one who notices the little things, the one who can usually catch on before anyone else, and it was just amazing that we went through 80% of the book from her perspective. Because she caught the details when Charlie blew them off as paranoia. Alice is the older, more wiser sister you could say. She knows when enough is enough and she won’t bend to ANYBODY’S will. Completely the opposite of her sister.

Charlie.  Oh Charlie, Charlie, Charlie. Most of these characters I loved to hate, but especially her. She was just so…agh. I don’t whether it was because I liked Alice more, but Charlie just annoyed me so much especially when abandoning her sister for a guy (who I’ll talk about later) or told Alice that she was just being a downer. Please. But when you read from her point of view…you just can’t blame her (no matter how much disdain you’re nursing). She’s the wild, unpredictable one. She always fits in.She’s never had much trouble in guys, until Jude. More on that below. I definitely think both of these sisters are two characters all readers can relate to. If not one, then the other!

The Love Interests

Since we started with Alice, let’s start with her love interest. Tommy. Yes, the name sounds a bit awkward lol. But Tommy is such a sweet guy, with such a nice personality. Like incredibly incredibly sweet. He fit Alice perfectly, quiet and understanding. But of course, the Innocents is all about secrets. And he has secrets of his own. Ones that could maybe, and quite probably, change everything.

Jude. Can. I. Kill him? Pretty please? Okay, I totally wanted to murder Jude. He was such a tool. He played with Charlie, drawing her away from Alice, and not even really caring about her. And Charlie knew that. But she was just so desperate for him. I don’t even know why! He was cute. His personality isn’t exactly a gem. Jude was, quite frankly, a son of a bleep. He’s the other character I loved to hate. He strung Charlie along, but the worst part is…well, you’ll have to read and find out.

Plot/Plot Twists

They weren’t so much as twists as things that were already there. Secrets that become unveiled, reasons and intents become clearer, and all of them are slowly leading up to the big giant, juicy plot twist that’s just waiting to be read. While some people think that there was only the one twist, there were so many more subtle ones that would’ve been hard to catch if you weren’t looking for them.

All of these…ohmygoodness, there were so many hints lying around. I would collect them but I wouldn’t connect the dots and was so shocked! You guys…be sure you aren’t in a squeal-free zone like the library when you finish the last hundred pages or so. Also, ghosts. Yes. Ghosts.

The Bad

With a few grammar errors, my complete lack of understanding as to why Jude was such a catch, those were pretty much my only complaints on the novel. While it was uber amazing, it didn’t affect me quite as much emotionally as I’d hoped. But still. Amazing.

Overall

The Innocents is a stunning debut with gorgeous writing and even more gorgeous content. This debut is definitely a favorite and takes a whole new meaning to “dangerous secrets”. With main characters the readers can relate to, the Innocents will both shock you and make you giddy for more. Filled with secrets, lies, and…unrequited love? The Innocents is one to grab for those who are looking for something new in the contemporary section. One that will make you grit your teeth and squeal at the same time, this is not a book to be taken lightly! After all, when everyone has a secret, who can you really trust?

Pages: 288

Series: Innocents #1

Genre: Contemporary/Romance

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: October 16

Rating: 4.5--->5 stars

 

Arise by Tara Hudson

Goodreads Blurb

Amelia—still caught between life and death—must fight for every moment of her relationship with the human boy Joshua. They can hardly even kiss without Amelia accidentally dematerializing. Looking for answers, they go to visit some of Joshua’s Seer relatives in New Orleans. But even in a city so famously steeped in the supernatural, Amelia ends up with more questions than answers…and becomes increasingly convinced that she and Joshua can never have a future together.Wandering through the French Quarter, Amelia meets other in-between ghosts, and begins to seriously consider joining them. And then she meets Gabrielle. Somehow, against impossible odds, Gaby has found a way to live a sort of half-life...a half-life for which Amelia would pay any price. Torn between two worlds, Amelia must choose carefully, before the evil spirits of the netherworld choose for her

Amelia has stopped having her nightmares ever since she escaped the demons and into Joshua’s arms. She’s finally safe and happy. If you don’t stop and think about her random materializations and vanishing acts whenever a) her emotions run high or b) when she and Joshua are getting a bit…steamy, if you know what I mean. And that is quite the problem, isn’t it? And then Amelia discovers that the demons are after her and will kill anyone and everyone she loves. Including her mother, Joshua, even Jillian who seems to hater her. Any living being she associates with will be killed. And that’s when Amelia decides to leave Joshua, if only to protect him. But when New Orleans, Amelia finds that about five others can hear her, one of them are able to see her. Something that comes as quite the shock, especially when it turns out that they want to help, not harm, Amelia. Or do they? Because something weird is going on, especially when she meets Gaby, the ghost who lives half a life. Exactly what is going on? Is there a traitor in their mist? How does Gaby become solid? Questions are raised and answered in this sequel to the debut Hereafter.

We get to see new characters who I absolutely adored, even if a few weren’t very…real, and get to see more of old characters such as Joshua and Amelia as their budding relationship blossoms into something more…but that was the problem. The entire story, every little thing, was based on the romance. Amelia was in danger because she loved Joshua. She met the other evil ghosts...because she loved Joshua and wanted to leave him to protect him. She tried to become semi-human...for Joshua. OMG, Joshua, Joshua, Joshua. It just annoyed the heck out of me. Especially when the guy in questions is acting just a wee bit immature. And Amelia starts trusting almost everyone she meets. Really, Amelia?

On the other hand, I did enjoy this novel, especially because it's set in New Orleans which, as most know, is filled with ghosts so it was the perfect setting for this story. The characters all seemed to have a place in the story, so no one was exactly just there. The story line flowed naturally and beautifully so tehre weren't any akward moments, thank goodness! Our two main characters were in such a sweet romance and they seemed to be so loyal (maybe a bit too much.) The action was still there and I was at the edge of my seat, flipping through page after page. I’m still not sure if I think it suffered Sequel Syndrome where there is no actual plot since there were many revelations and plot development in Arise, but it seemed irrelevant though definitely interesting and fun to read.  The Hereafter series is definitely one of my favorite ghost stories!

Pages: 404
Series: Hereafter #2
Genre: Paranormal/romance
Publisher: Harper Collins
Release Date: June 5
Rating: 4 stars

"Then when I finished apologizing, I would ifnally tell him I loved him. More than anything."