Twilight is perhaps the quintessential YA romance novel, notorious for its movie
adaptation and public division over the love interests. Bella Swan has just left her big-city life in
Phoenix to join her father in the small forested town of Forks, Washington. Not even past the
first day of school, she begins to notice odd things - like the pale and beautiful but isolated
family that is the Cullens. Especially Edward Cullen - who seems completely infuriated and
The main characters of The Drowning Summer are Mina and Evelyn. Mina’s family can speak to spirits and they later find out that Evelyn can too. Mina wants to break her curse so that she can learn to do magic herself. She can’t do this yet, because she has to make a deal with the spirit that is cursing her. So, Mina and Evelyn banish the spirit altogether so that Mina can start practicing her magic. Then, they both go back to living their normal lives and Mina gets to do magic.
The Ruby Circle is the sixth and final book in Richelle Mead’s Bloodlines series. After Sydney and Adrian’s romance is revealed, they are trapped in the moroi Royal Court as they endure wrath from the Alchemists and the moroi. One of Sydney’s old enemies has kidnapped Jill; Sydney, Eddie, and Jackie Terwilliger must get her back. While Sydney’s looking for Jill, Adrian discovers a secret about spirit that could change everything.
The Fiery Heart is the fourth novel in the Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead. This novel was good, but it wasn’t anything special. Sydney struggles to balance her life between her Moroi friends, her magic, and her sister. As Sydney dives deeper into the world of magic, she must be cautious with the threat of Alchemist reeducation on the horizon. I didn’t love Sydney or Zoe; I found them too harsh and quick to jump to conclusions.
Richelle Mead’s The Indigo Spell is the third book in her Bloodlines series. In this novel, Sydney must try to find the line between her current thoughts and the Alchemist beliefs she was taught as she discovers the magic within her. While Sydney deals with her internal struggle, she must find Marcus Finch, an ex-Alchemist rebel, to help stop Jackie Terwilliger’s rogue witch sister.
The second novel in the Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead, The Golden Lily, definitely lives up to the first book. Sydney continues to become more immersed in the world of her Moroi comrades, making it difficult for her to distinguish what is right, especially when she begins to feel drawn to Adrian.
Amity is soon to be appointed of as one of the four saints of Haven. With the entire town against her because of the sins her mother committed in the past she must work to prove that she is loyal to her new position. But things don’t go as planned. Strange things start happening to the people in the town. Is this connected with Amity’s new role in the town? Is she going to repeat the actions of her mother? On top of it all Amity starts to learn things about herself and the people around her that leave her unsure of what to do next.
In Becca’s new town, three girls rule. When Becca is invited to join the pack, saying no isn’t an option. I mean, who wouldn’t give anything to have everything? Every full moon, Becca joins her new friends on the hunt. But they don’t prey on the weak; they only seek out the wicked. After the death of head-of-the-pack Arianna’s boyfriend, tensions begin to rise. Soon, Becca’s left wondering: Is everything truly worth the cost?
The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould is a young adult paranormal thriller that follows the adventures of a teenage girl as she tries to unravel the mysteries of a small town in Oregon. Logan’s parents are famous ghosthunters, but when they return to their hometown to film their show, Logan knows something more is going on. Along with some local teens, Logan investigates the darkness that consumes the town. While Gould maintains an ominous tone throughout the novel, I didn’t find most of the story very creepy.
Becca is a new girl in high school which is never easy. Luckily, the popular girls take her in and while they expect some things of her that she isn’t quite comfortable with, she goes along with it. Until it turns out there’s a reason the girls run this high school, and it’s not pleasant. Squad is a story that talks about the struggles of being out of place. It shows how conforming isn’t always the best idea and can lead to issues. It addresses themes such as patriarchal issues, LGBTQ+ representation, being different, and not being complacent. I rate Squad 4 out of 5 stars.
