Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

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Move over Harry Potter... Hogwarts has nothing on Hex Hall.  Sophie is a witch.  Her dad is a warlock and her mom is a regular person.  When her magic gets out of control she is sentenced to an education at Hecate Hall; a school for magical creatures.  Now that she is living in the magical world she starts to realize how much she has missed out by living in the regular world.  Her new school has mean witchy girls, vampires, fairies, shapeshifters, and someone who is attacking girls in the school.  Sophie is intent on figuring out her magic and finding out who is really to blame for the attacks on the girls at school.  

I loved the book.  I read it in one night because it is such a fun and fast read.  None of the characters are one dimensional (even the villains have layers).  I was surprised by the end of the book because there is more than one twist.  This is a must read if you ever wondered what it would be like to have powers.

I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan

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Bronwen is a rich girl in a rich town and she is convinced that she was switched at birth.  Her mother is polite, blonde, and focused on being perfect.  Bronwen is brunette,  likes reporting, and hates that her family never talks.  

The story starts with a prom night break up between Bronwen and her boyfriend Chad.  She meets Jared soon after that and they have a romance that really is True Love.  When he proposes it could be the start of a whole new life, with the family she always wanted.  Is it possible for all of your dreams to come true at age 18?  

I read this book in one night.  I loved the story and Bronwen’s sarcastic voice as she tells the story.  This would be a great mother daughter book club book because of the strained relationship between Bronwen and her mom.  If yo have ever had to make a decision about your future you will love this book.  It’s also a good read for girls who don’t understand what they might be giving up by being a couple.  This is a well written and insightful book, without preaching to the reader.   

The Nightmarys by Dan Poblocki

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When you lay in bed, trying to sleep, and the shadows around you seem to grow do you ever see something waiting for you...coming closer?  Maybe what’s hiding in the shadow is the Nightmarys, or something worse.  

Tim is a regular kid in 7th grade.  He has a best friend, classes, and a family he loves.  When he sees something impossible on a school field trip to a museum it doesn’t worry him too much.  When those weird things start appearing everywhere, including the locker room, he starts to be afraid that what he’s seeing is real.  Together with the new girl, Abigail, they must figure out what is making their fears come to life and walk around.

This book is Juvenile Fiction, so it has no blood and guts.  It’s a different kind of scary.  It’s the kind of scary where you are laying in bed looking at the shadows and you start thinking, “Did something in that shadow move?”  This book got to me, and I’m not a little kid.  It was great.  Anyone who likes being a little scared should read the book.  This is Dan Poblocki’s second book.  His first The Stone Child is also great, scary, and has an original plot line.  Both are well written, frightening, and highly recommended by me.

Will by Maria Boyd

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Death by high school musical?  The cover of this book sucked me in.  I couldn’t wait to see how a musical could kill.  This was not the book I thought it wold be.  Set in Australia, this is the story of Will.  His father has recently died, and he is having a very rough school year.  He pulls stupid pranks that seem harmless but in the end these pranks add up to his near expulsion.  His punishment, join the musical - a fate worse than expulsion.

Will makes new friends, meets a girl, and finally starts to deal with his fathers death.  He makes new friends, and starts to understand that what he thought of his current friends is, in some cases, completely wrong.  

I liked the story because Will didn’t have to leave his current friends to make new friends,  He didn’t have to change completely to grow up and move on.  Overall this was a good book.  There is a some Australian slang that might be a little confusing, and with all the talk about Australian Football (rugby) this is definitely a guys book.  

The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

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Alona is the most popular girl in her school;  she’s beautiful, smart, and athletic.  Will is an unpopular goth who can speak to the dead.  When Alona is hit by a bus her perfect life is ruined...There is no white light, no dead realtives, just cold concret and Will.  He can see and hear and even touch the dead.  Together they must try to help Alona move on, protect Will from the other ghosts, and figure out how to be happy.

The book starts with a death, and is full of f ghosts, but it still manages to be sweet and funny.  The story is told from the alternating viewpoints of Will and Alona.  In the end it’s about friendship and how people can change.   This is a romantic comedy not a horror.  

The Turning Book 1: What Curiosity Kills by Helen Ellis

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“Don’t worry Kitty, There’s no such thing as vampires.”  This is a great opening line for a book...What follows is Mary’s story.  When the stray cat brushes her legs with his tail,, and she starts to sprout orange fur, she knows that something about her is different.  When Nick, the super hot guy from school, tries to explain everything to her, she is exposed to the dangerous world of stray cats and New York back alleys.  Twilight fans will like the undercurrent of romance, and girls will like the varied strong female characters.  Fans of the Erin Hunter Warriors Series and everyone who likes felines will like this take on cat fiction.  

This was an interesting book.  The end was fun and a little cute.  This book is a quick and interesting read.  I loved Ms. Whiskers and all of the librarians.  It seems like this will be a series, since this one is called “Book 1”.