Review: You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron

Title: You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight

Author: Kalynn Bayron

Genre: YA, horror, mystery

Publication date: June 2023

Published by: Bloomsbury YA

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis: At Camp Mirror Lake, terror is the name of the game... but can you survive the night?

Charity Curtis has the summer job of her dreams, playing the “final girl” at Camp Mirror Lake. Guests pay to be scared in this full-contact terror game, as Charity and her summer crew recreate scenes from a classic slasher film, Curse of Camp Mirror Lake. The more realistic the fear, the better for business.

But the last weekend of the season, Charity's co-workers begin disappearing. And when one ends up dead, Charity's role as the final girl suddenly becomes all too real. If Charity and her girlfriend Bezi hope to survive the night, they'll need figure out what this killer is after. Is there is more to the story of Mirror Lake and its dangerous past than Charity ever suspected?

My rating: ★★★☆☆

I've been playing the part of a girl who escapes a serial killer every night for months. It's not a game this time. The consequences are real, but we still have to play.

I really liked the idea of this book! They had filmed a slasher at the camp where this is set, Camp Mirror Lake, but now it’s this full experience thing where they sort of recreate the events of the movie and the main character plays the final girl. It honestly sounds hardcore.

Review: Soulprint by Megan Miranda

Title: Soulprint

Author: Megan Miranda

Genre: YA, mystery, sci-fi

Publication date: February 3rd, 2015

Published by: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Source: E-ARC from publishers via Netgalley

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Synopsis:

With the science of soul-fingerprinting a reality, Alina Chase has spent her entire life imprisoned for the crimes her past-self committed. In an attempt to clear her name, Alina unintentionally trades one prison for another when she escapes, aided by a group of teens whose intentions and motivations are a mystery to her. As she gets to know one of the boys, sparks fly, and Alina believes she may finally be able to trust someone. But when she uncovers clues left behind from her past life that only she can decipher, secrets begin to unravel. Alina must figure out whether she’s more than the soul she inherited, or if she’s fated to repeat the past.

This compelling story will leave readers wondering if this fictional world could become a reality.

My rating: ★★★★☆
I'll pretty much read anything Megan Miranda writes. Ever since I read Hysteria, I decided that I loved her writing, and that I'd probably read anything she wrote. Soulprint just had such an interesting concept! I mean, being able to trace souls as they are reborn? How cool is that? However, the method of keeping track of all the souls, I'll admit, is quite questionable... with a lumbar puncture, you get the "fingerprint" from the spinal fluid? I don't know about that, but what I do know is how much I loved the concept! The soul is just something that has always intrigued us, and I just thought this was very cool.

Review: Reign Check (Demon Princess #2) by Michelle Rowen

Title: Reign Check

Series: Demon Princess #2

Previous book in this series: Reign or Shine

Author: Michelle Rowen

Genre: YA, paranormal

Publication date: May 2010

Published by: Walker Books for Young Readers

Source: Own paperback

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Synopsis:

Fresh from finding out that she is a demon princess, fighting her aunt for her life, and rescuing her father from being poisoned, Nikki Donovan is looking forward to getting back to her regular high school life. But when Rhys, the handsome king of the faery realm, decides to show up at her school as a "foreign exchange student," Nikki knows this won't be possible. Couple with this a whole host of other problems: there's a new prophecy that claims she will destroy everyone. Her conflicted feelings for Rhys and her boyfriend, Michael, are getting in the way of their relationship. Her best friend Melinda just might be a demon-slayer-in-training, and her old crush Chris might know of her demon side. Throw in a field trip to none other than Hell itself … and Nikki's going to be hoping for a rain check on more than just her homework!

My rating: ★★★★☆

"A week ago. I was a normal, boring teenager.

Then I met my father for the first time and found out he was a demon. And not just any demon: he was also the king of another dimension, called the Shadowlands.

Which made me a princess--a demon princess.

So very not normal." -Nikki

Review: Reign or Shine (Demon Princess #1) by Michelle Rowen

Title: Reign or Shine

Series: Demon Princess #1

Author: Michelle Rowen

Genre: YA, paranormal

Publication date: Sept. 2009

Published by: Walker Books for Young Readers

Source: Own Paperback

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Synopsis:

As if trying to fit in at a new school isn't stressful enough, sixteen-year-old Nikki Donovan just found out that her long-lost father is, in fact, the demon king of the Shadowlands—the world that separates and protects us from the Underworld. When she is brought there by the mysterious—and surprisingly cute—messenger Michael, she learns that her father is dying, and he wants her to assume the throne. To complicate matters, a war is brewing between the Shadowlands and the Underworld, her half-demon qualities are manifesting, and her growing feelings for Michael are completely forbidden. Ruling a kingdom, navigating a secret crush, and still making it home by curfew—what's a teenage demon princess to do?

My rating: ★★★★☆
Nikki is your average, normal teenager, dealing with normal teen stuff-- high school, crushes, and so on. But her "normal" life takes a sharp tun into Crazyville when she meets a strange, but handsome, guy named Michael. Michael claims that Nikki is a half-demon Princess, daughter of the demon king of the Shadowlands. Nikki knows virtually nothing about her dad; he left Nikki and her mom even before Nikki was born. And now some weird guys comes to tell her that not only is he still out there, but that he is a demon king? Nikki writes Michael off as crazy and tells him to leave her alone. However, weird, supernatural things start happening to her and she cant help but wonder if maybe Michael wasn't so wrong after all. Also, she cant ignore that undeniable connection she senses every time she is near Michael. Nikki finds herself thrust into a world she didn't know existed and forced to make a decision that could save or destroy her father's kingdom.

Review: My Unfair Godmother (My Fair Godmother #2) by Janette Rallison

Title: My Unfair Godmother

Series: My Fair Godmother #2

Previous book in this series: My Fair Godmother

Author: Janette Rallison

Genre: YA, fantasy, fairy tale retelling

Publication date: April 2011

Published by: Walker Books for Young Readers

Source: Won signed copy from author's giveaway!

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Synopsis:

Tansy Miller has always felt that her divorced father has never had enough time for her. But mistakenly getting caught on the wrong side of the law wasn't exactly how she wanted to get his attention. Enter Chrysanthemum "Chrissy" Everstar, Tansy's fairy in shining, er, high heels. Chrissy is only a fair godmother, of course, so Tansy's three wishes don't exactly go according to plan. And if bringing Robin Hood to the twenty-first century isn't bad enough for Tansy, being transported back to the Middle Ages to deal with Rumpelstiltskin certainly is. She'll need the help of her blended family, her wits, and especially the cute police chief's son to stop the gold-spinning story from spinning wildly out of control. Janette Rallison pulls out all the stops in this fresh, fun-filled follow-up to the popular My Fair Godmother.

My rating: ★★★★★
Tansy's life sucks. Her parents are divorced, and since she was a Daddy's Little Girl, her dad's abrupt departure really hit her hard. She lives with her mom and younger sister, but her mom seems to pay more attention to her sis. Eventually Tansy's sister gets an acting gig, and since she is underage, their mom goes along on this "trip," forcing Tansy to move states away with her estranged father and his new family. Being new at this school, the only person who really "got" her was bad boy Bo, her now boyfriend. But this bad boy might be more trouble than Tansy can handle.

Review: Hysteria by Megan Miranda

Title: Hysteria

Series: N/A

Author: Megan Miranda

Genre: YA, mystery

Publication date: Feb. 2013

Published by: Walker Childrens

Source: ARC from the publishers via Netgalley (thanks!)

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Synopsis:

Mallory killed her boyfriend, Brian. She can't remember the details of that night but everyone knows it was self-defense, so she isn't charged. But Mallory still feels Brian's presence in her life. Is it all in her head? Or is it something more? In desperate need of a fresh start, Mallory is sent to Monroe, a fancy prep school where no one knows her . . . or anything about her past.But the feeling follows her, as do her secrets. Then, one of her new classmates turns up dead. As suspicion falls on Mallory, she must find a way to remember the details of both deadly nights so she can prove her innocence-to herself and others.

In another riveting tale of life and death, Megan Miranda's masterful storytelling brings readers along for a ride to the edge of sanity and back again.

My rating: ★★★★☆
Great book, great story, great mystery! Have I mentioned how much I love mysteries, 'cause I do!

Review: Doomed by Tracy Deebs

Title: Doomed

Author: Tracy Deebs

Genre: YA, sci-fi

Publication date: January 8th 2013

Published by: Bloomsbury Children's Books; Walker Books for Young Readers

Source: the publishers via Netgalley (thanks!)

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Synopsis:

Beat the game. Save the world.

Pandora’s just your average teen, glued to her cell phone and laptop, surfing Facebook and e-mailing with her friends, until the day her long-lost father sends her a link to a mysterious site featuring twelve photos of her as a child. Unable to contain her curiosity, Pandora enters the site, where she is prompted to play her favorite virtual-reality game, Zero Day. This unleashes a global computer virus that plunges the whole world into panic: suddenly, there is no Internet. No cell phones. No utilities, traffic lights, hospitals, law enforcement. Pandora teams up with handsome stepbrothers Eli and Theo to enter the virtual world of Zero Day. Simultaneously, she continues to follow the photographs from her childhood in an attempt to beat the game and track down her father, her one key to saving the world as we know it.

Part The Matrix, part retelling of the Pandora myth, Doomed has something for gaming fans, dystopian fans, and romance fans alike.

My rating: ★★★★★
This book was amazing! I absolutely loved it! What initially caught my attention was the name of the main character: Pandora. Pretty understandable for a girl in love with mythology. So, yeah, she has a Greek name, but honestly, I wasn't expecting any Greek mythology. However, I was pleasantly surprised!

Review: The Vanishing Game by Kate Kae Myers

Title: The Vanishing Game

Author: Kate Kae Myers

Genre: YA, mystery, horror

Publication date: February 14, 2012

Published by: Bloomsbury Children's Books

Source: The publishers via Netgalley

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Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Jocelyn follows clues apparently from her dead twin, Jack, in and around Seale House, the terrifying foster home where they once lived. With help from childhood friend Noah she begins to uncover the truth about Jack's death and the company that employed him and Noah.

Jocelyn's twin brother Jack was the only family she had growing up in a world of foster homes-and now he's dead, and she has nothing. Then she gets a cryptic letter from "Jason December"-the code name her brother used to use when they were children at Seale House, a terrifying foster home that they believed had dark powers. Only one other person knows about Jason December: Noah, Jocelyn's childhood crush and their only real friend among the troubled children at Seale House.

But when Jocelyn returns to Seale House and the city where she last saw Noah, she gets more than she bargained for. Turns out the house's powers weren't just a figment of a childish imagination. And someone is following Jocelyn. Is Jack still alive? And if he is, what kind of trouble is he in? The answer is revealed in a shocking twist that turns this story on its head and will send readers straight back to page 1 to read the book in a whole new light.

My rating: ★★★★☆
 "...A shocking twist that turns this story on its head..." This line in the blurb describes exactly how I felt at the end! It was so shocking that my jaw almost literally hit the floor and stayed there for about 5 minutes! It was CRAZY! I could not stop thinking about it even after I was done reading!

Review: My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison

Title: My Fair Godmother

Series: My Fair Godmother #1

Author: Janette Rallison

Genre: YA, fantasy, fairy tale retelling

Publication date: Jan. 2009

Published by: Walker Childrens

Source: Own Paperback

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Synopsis:

Finding your one true love can be a Grimm experience!

After her boyfriend dumps her for her older sister, sophomore Savannah Delano wishes she could find a true prince to take her to the prom. Enter Chrissy (Chrysanthemum) Everstar: Savannah’s gum-chewing, cell phone–carrying, high heel-wearing Fair Godmother. Showing why she’s only Fair—because she’s not a very good fairy student—Chrissy mistakenly sends Savannah back in time to the Middle Ages, first as Cinderella, then as Snow White. Finally she sends Tristan, a boy in Savannah’s class, back instead to turn him into her prom-worthy prince. When Savannah returns to the Middle Ages to save Tristan, they must team up to defeat a troll, a dragon, and the mysterious and undeniably sexy Black Knight. Laughs abound in this clever fairy tale twist from a master of romantic comedy.

My rating: ★★★★★
I grew up watching Cinderella, Snow white, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, and the rest of the princesses. So when I ran into this book it reminded me of my childhood. I remember those days *has flashback*

First of all, I want to say that I would NOT like to have Chrissy as my fairy godmother, lol. Why? Well because when she granted the wishes she messed them ALL up!

Review: The Mark by Jen Nadol

Title: The Mark

Series: The Mark #1

Author: Jen Nadol

Genre: YA, paranormal

Publication date: January 2010

Published by: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis:

Sixteen year old Cassandra Renfield has seen the mark since forever: a glow around certain people as if a candle were held behind their back.

The one time she mentioned it to someone else, the mark was dismissed as a trick of the light. So Cassie has kept quiet, considering its rare appearances odd, but insignificant. Until the day she watches a man die. Mining her memories, Cassie realizes she can see a person's imminent death. Not how or where, only when: today.

Cassie searches her past, her philosophy lessons, even her new boyfriend for answers, answers, always careful to hide her secret. How does the mark work? Why her?

Most importantly: if you know today is someone's last, should you tell them?

My rating: ★★★☆☆
This book was great! But I have to admit, these were my thoughts about the first half of the book as I read it:

-“Whoa! That is so interesting! Cassie knows when people are going to die? Weird.”

-“Oh man, that is sad. Its horrible that her only living relative (her grandmother, Nan) just died. But that guy Jack is really nice ;)”

-“Cassie has an aunt she never knew about and now she has to move with her for 3 months? Weird.”

-“Hmm. A philosophy obsessed boyfriend (Lucas)? I‘m still liking Jack better ;)”

-“And who goes and has sex with a guy (Lucas) you talked to like 4 times before?!?! Tsk tsk, I disapprove.”

-“Okay, this is getting boring…”

-“Seriously? Where is this story going? Where‘s the action?!”