Elegy

Elegy by Tara Hudson
4/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2013
386 pages
YA Paranormal Ghost

Source: Library

First book Hereafter absolutely enchanted me with its ghost girl/human boy romance. Sequel Arise was less enthralling as I felt like it took a while to heat up in New Orleans. Luckily this conclusion returns to Oklahoma, bringing together all the plot threads and resolving them for a satisfying conclusion.

I'm not going to go too in-depth about the plot to avoid spoilers but I really liked how Amelia and Joshua confronted the impracticalities and challenges of their romance. It did go on a bit much for my taste but it is the dominating fact of their relationship so it's understandable. Their romance is what kept me coming back to these books. I love Amelia's compassion and self-sacrificial personality and Joshua's relative normality considering his love for a ghost and his magical powers.

Other characters continue to play a role like Joshua's sister Jillian and their terrifying Gran while new ones are also added or have their roles expanded to provide more background around the evil that is coalescing. Joshua's parents seem rather oblivious though, which I think is a shame. I think if they'd had power they could have provided support and been an example of great YA parents instead of ones who are physically around but have no clue what their kids get up to when out of sight.

As for setting, I liked that we were back at home base in Oklahoma focusing in on High Bridge where Amelia first died and which has been a focus of dark activity for years. Finally all of the powerful good characters are coming together to take it down and end their reign of terror. I was a bit confused on some of the rules that govern ghost behaviors especially relating to some actions taken by Amelia; some things seemed to change on a dime to be convenient. I was never sure what she could and could not touch. The plotting is rather bonkers if you pay close attention (for example, one kid has easy access to a grenade which they decide would be the perfect tool to destroy the (haunted demonic) bridge.) Still it moves fast and flows smoothly as I always expect from a HarperTeen publication.

Overall: If you liked the first two books, you'll probably want to continue the series. I found it to be a fitting end.

Other Opinions:
Bookistry
Love Is Not a Triangle
Refracted Light Reviews

ARC Review: Life After Theft

Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike
4/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2013
352 pages
YA Paranormal Contemporary
Scheduled to release April 30

Source: Received an e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Before reading this, I discovered it was based on the classic novel The Scarlet Pimpernel and resolved to read that first. Hahahahahaha...I am so hilarious as that obviously did not happen. But I still enjoyed picking this book up. Why? Quite a few reasons in fact.

Let's review the plot real quick first. Jeff has just moved to a new school (sidenote for people who have read the book: I keep thinking "Phoenix; it's in Arizona" in my head for some reason. So far I have refrained from saying it to anyone but that's a distinct possibility) and is thrilled to see a hot girl upon arrival. Surprisingly she is thrilled to see him as well because, as it turns out, she is actually a ghost and no one else can see her. She asks (or more like badgers) him to help her atone for her misdeeds in life: a cave filled with items she stole as she suffered from kleptomania. As Jeff attempts to get Kimberlee (not a fan of that spelling) out of his life, he comes up against some secrets and learns some lessons.

First was the compelling male voice. I don't know that Jeff is a typical guy but I found him very sympathetic and I liked him as he tried to do the right thing even in somewhat bewildering circumstances. In a nice addition, Jeff's parents are present and pretty good people. They're maybe not as present as they could be but they're alive and involved in his life to a degree.

Second would have to be the ghost. Of all the possibilities for paranormal creatures, ghosts are at the top of my list (followed very closely by witches) and having one here definitely appealed to me. Kimberlee is not see-through and has the ability to somewhat sit on objects such as a beanbag chair where she doesn't sink to the floor but she doesn't leave an indent. She begins as not very repentant but due to Jeff's good and moral nature, she starts to confront some of the dark misdeeds of her past and make up for them.

Third was the easy writing style. This will come up again but I find that HarperTeen is an imprint that consistently publishes titles that I can easily devour. I don't always fall in love with the premise or the characters or the world building but I usually struggle to put their titles down and this was no exception.

Fourth would be the romance. No, Jeff does not fall for Kimberlee leading to some tortured human/ghost love shenanigans. Instead he falls for a living human being who had previously been bullied by Kimberlee and whose less than fond memories of her give Jeff trouble as he attempts to aid Kimberlee on her quest. This girl, Sera, got in to some troubles during her first years of high school and is also attempting to rehabilitate herself almost in parallel to Kimberlee.

Fifth is the fun twist on The Scarlet Pimpernel. I know I haven't read the book but I have seen a film adaptation (the one with Leslie Howard) and I know the basic story. I am also a sucker for YA retellings of classics and this one was new to me.

So there are my five big reasons for enjoying this book. Have you read this? Do you agree or disagree? If you haven't read this, do this make you want to give it a try?

Other Opinons:
Books Live Forever
Finding Bliss in Books
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics

ARC Review: Absent

Absent by Katie Williams
4/5 stars
Chronicle Books, 2013
182 pages
YA Contemporary Ghost Mystery
Scheduled to release May 21 (originally April 1, which is why this post is ready)

Source: Received an e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I never think of myself as a fan of paranormal stories but I do have a huge soft spot for ghost stories. When I saw that this book had a ghost with the bonus of being set entirely at a school, I knew I wanted to read it.

Paige, Brooke, and Evan are ghosts tied to their high school due to it being the scene of their deaths. Paige somehow fell from the school's roof while Brooke overdosed in the bathroom (Evan's story is best left til you read it in the book itself). When a popular girl states that Paige jumped, she is outraged but seemed calmed by discovering that she can possess the body of anyone when they think about her, something she uses both for good and evil throughout the story as she tries to set the record straight and repair her reputation. The lives and deaths of Brooke and Evan are also entwined on this journey.

Paige was kind of a loner in life, with only one real friend and living as a secret hook-up for a popular boy. After her death, she sees the cliques of school more clearly and learns what an impact she can have. There are many secrets in this book: the quiet pain of people, their crushes, and all the issues people deal with while in high school and throughout life.

My overall impression of this book was that it was pretty quiet and intense; you could read it in one sitting as it's pretty short. Although there are melancholy moments (because an awful lot of people are in pain), I felt like the book ended on a hopeful note. I especially liked the way Evan's story was handled-I predicted his plot but it still pleased me. I don't feel like there was any real standout moment or element but the whole was pretty cohesive and pleasing especially if you like stories set in high schools, with some mystery, and/or with ghosts.

Cover: Very appropriate-the butterfly lines up with an important event in the book.

Other Opinions:
Alluring Reads
ihearty.a.fiction

The Dead and Buried

The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington
4/5 stars
Point, 2013
295 pages
YA Mystery Paranormal

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I became interested in this after reading a couple of reviews (see below for links) touching on its mystery aspect. While I mostly read YA, when I venture out to adult books, it is usually for either romance or mystery. I just feel like YA doesn't have many good mysteries. I also adore ghost stories although the ones I read tend to be love stories. The malevolent ghost here is an anomaly in my reading habits.

In this story Jade and her family have recently moved to a new house with her younger brother mentioning that he sees a girl, something Jade brushes off as she prepares for school. In addition to the usual struggles a new kid faces, Jade is soon the object of gossip because she lives in the murder house. Yes, the girl her younger brother sees is a ghost, the former most popular girl at school, Kayla, was murdered in her own home and she will torment Jade's family unless Jade finds her murderer.

As I've mentioned before on the blog, I am not good at solving mysteries and this was no exception. I fingered the same person that Jade suspects but it turns out to be someone else. The murderer's reason makes perfect sense but I'm just not good at picking out who has something to gain or who has the opportunity until the characters have already figured it out for themselves. Anyway...

One of my favorite parts of Jade's character was her interest in gemstones, inherited from her mother. Every day she picks out a new piece of jewelry to complement her mood and to shed light on what's going to happen. Another part of Jade's personality is her deep love for her much younger brother. He's technically her half-brother, sharing a father, but she makes no distinction for him; I only bring it up because it does play a role in the subplot. I love sister-sister stories but lately I've read a few really cute sister-brother sisters including this one and I think I am willing to extend my love to all focuses on sibling relationships.

I feel like such a cranky reviewer about this one point. The students study Rebecca and the story has real-life parallels to Jade's feelings of insecurity in the face of Kayla's supreme popularity.  On the one hand, I wish that had been emphasized more. But if it had, I might have found it heavy-handed and like the author didn't trust me to understand them on my own. See why I feel cranky? But I also love the Rebecca parallel because it's a great book and my sister also loved that classic so I might suggest this read for her too.

Overall: A really fun, flowing mystery with the ghost adding a great deal of tension.

Cover: It makes sense that there is a dead girl on the cover, capturing Kayla in her afterlife. Some jade green might have been a nice touch though.

Other Opinions:
Book Labyrinth
Books Live Forever
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics