Showing posts with label HMH Books for Young Readers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HMH Books for Young Readers. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Review: The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks

The Reformed Vampire Support Group
Title: The Reformed Vampire Support Group

Author: Catherine Jinks

Genre: YA, paranormal, mystery

Publication date: September 2010

Published by: HMH Books for Young Readers

Source: Own paperback

Add it to your Goodreads shelf

Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

Synopsis:

Think vampires are romantic, sexy, and powerful? Think again. Vampires are dead. And unless they want to end up staked, they have to give up fanging people, admit their addiction, join a support group, and reform themselves.

Nina Harrison, fanged at fifteen and still living with her mother, hates the Reformed Vampire Support Group meetings every Tuesday night. Even if she does appreciate Dave, who was in a punk band when he was alive, nothing exciting ever happens. That is, until one of group members is mysteriously destroyed by a silver bullet. With Nina (determined to prove that vamps aren't useless or weak) and Dave (secretly in love with Nina) at the helm, the misfit vampires soon band together to track down the hunter, save a werewolf, and keep the world safe from the likes of themselves.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

This had a very interesting concept--I mean, a Reformed Vampire Support Group? What? Haha. However, I found it all to be... underwhelming. The way the vampires are portrayed all sickly-like... I get it, really. Vampirism being more of an illness, I appreciate the different take, but it was just a bit disappointing. Though I admit I might be a bit biased since I’m not exactly the biggest vampire fan. I did, actually, liked Nina’s fiction character (she’s a writer!), the vampire Zadia Bloodstone, so much better! She was pretty badass! But the characters themselves in this particular novel... they were okay, though none really stood out to me. This seems to be the norm for me with standalone novels.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Review: Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey

Title: Jekel Loves Hyde

Author: Beth Fantaskey

Genre: YA, paranormal romance

Publication date: May 2010

Published by: HMH Books for Young Readers

Source: Own hardcover

Add it to your Goodreads shelf

Buy it: Amazon| Book Depository

Synopsis:

Jill Jekel has always obeyed her parents rules; especially the one about never opening the mysterious, old box in her father's office. But when her dad is murdered, and her college savings disappear, she's tempted to peek inside, as the contents might be the key to a lucrative chemistry scholarship.

To improve her odds, Jill enlists the help of gorgeous, brooding Tristen Hyde, who has his own dark secrets locked away. As the team of Jekel and Hyde, they recreate experiments based on the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize, but to save Tristen's sanity. Maybe his life. But Jill's accidental taste of a formula unleashes her darkest nature and compels her to risk everything, even Tristen's love just for the thrill of being . . . bad.

My rating: ★★★★☆

For a girl who prefers reading a series, I thought this standalone was pretty darn good! I really liked the story...It sucked me in from the start and would not let go!