Title: Drain You
Author: M. Beth Bloom
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publish Date: July 24, 2012
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 400
Source: Publisher

Every night I'd lie there in bed and look out at the hills behind our house, listening. I knew there'd be consequences. Actions meant reactions. Sunrises meant sunsets. My fear was too permanent, lasting longer than eyeliner, something I wore every day and didn't wash off.

Quinlan Lacey's life is a red carpet of weird fashions, hip bands, random parties, and chilling by the pool with her on-and-off BFF Libby. There's also her boring job (minimum wage), a crushed-out coworker (way too interested), her summer plans (nada), and her parents (totally clueless). Then one night she meets gorgeous James, and Quinn's whole world turns crazy, Technicolor, 3-D, fireworks, whatever.

But with good comes bad and unfortunately, Quinn's new romance brings with it some majorly evil baggage. Now, to make things right, she has to do a lot of things wrong (breaking and entering, kidnapping, lying, you name it).There's normal, and then there's paranormal, and neither are Quinlan's cup of Diet Coke. Staying sane, cool, in love, and alive isn't so easy breezy.(less)

Quinn’s teenage existence follows the status-quo in every way possible. She has a decent job, decent friends, decent interaction with her parents and, well, pretty much decent everything. However, she’s bored. There has to be more to life than the petty sun-up to sundown life she revolves in constantly. Then she meets James, the mysterious stranger that will turn her life upside down and change everything she thought she knew forever. James is darker than anything she’s ever experienced before, and with the darkness comes fear and instability. Maybe she should have thought twice before wishing for more excitement. Can true love really conquer all?

I do believe there is still hope in the YA genre for vampire books. Despite all the bad ones that keep cropping up, I still have hope for the fact that there might just be a diamond off there, hiding out in the rough. Drain You, however, follows the somewhat well-known formula of a vampire novel, giving us the boy, the girl, the drama and all the fixings in a mashup of plotlines and intrigue. Author M. Beth Bloom has crafted a novel that will surely please a wide audience of vampire-loving young ladies, and her easy, fluid writing style is certain to whet many a YA appetite.

I absolutely hate writing bad reviews. On the flip side, I also hate when a book has all the potential in the world to break the stereotypical mold and simply rests on its laurels instead. Most unfortunately, Drain You was exactly the latter of the two. In the case of vampire novels, each new book that emerges on the scene has the chance to take the genre and turn it on its head, but none of them really seem to do so, which is quite frustrating. Quinn, as a main character, infuriated me. She was self-absorbed, clueless, self-deprecating and completely complacent to just let the ridiculous chips fall as they may. James, too, was a very surface heavy character with little to no depth at all. He had the dark aura we’ve come to expect, as well as the brooding temperament and utter lack of personality. Yet, somehow, there is this “love” connection that blossoms instantaneously throughout this drawn out and rather chaotic plotline. My main issue with that is that I can reconcile with insta-love if there is a fragment of believability in the characters, themselves. Unfortunately, neither of the main characters in Drain You sung enough alone to make their chemistry (or lack thereof) resound together.

I realize I’m being atypically hard on Drain You, but the fact of the matter is that we, as a young adult reading audience, should expect more depth and more drama below the surface. I want tension, and I want to make a connection with the characters. Both, unfortunately, simply didn’t work with this novel for me. I give it a 1.5 out of 5, and I would recommend it to those looking for the YA audience looking for a simple, run-of-the-mill vampire novel.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

Title: Social Suicide
Author: Gemma Halliday
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publish Date: April 24, 2012
Genre: YA, Mystery
Pages: 272
Source: Publisher

Twittercide [twit-er-sahyd]: the killing of one human being by another while the victim is in the act of tweeting.

Call me crazy, but I figured writing for the Herbert Hoover High Homepage would be a pretty sweet gig. Pad the resume for college applications, get a first look at the gossip column, spend some time ogling the paper’s brooding bad-boy editor, Chase Erikson. But on my first big story, things went... a little south. What should have been a normal interview with Sydney Sanders turned into me discovering the Homecoming Queen-hopeful dead in her pool. Electrocuted while Tweeting. Now, in addition to developing a reputation as HHH’s resident body finder, I’m stuck trying to prove that Sydney’s death wasn’t suicide.

I’m starting to long for the days when my biggest worry was whether the cafeteria was serving pizza sticks or Tuesday Tacos...

Hartley is back with a mystery more dastardly than ever, and she’s going to need to draw on all of her media-savvy, her wits and her crime-solving prowess to solve this one. Law enforcement is convinced that Sydney Sanders’ death was accidental, but Hartley’s not so sure. Lurking in the corners of her mind, Hartley has an idea what might have happened, and she’s determined to uncover it at all costs. But Hartley’s got more on her hands than ever before. She’s working for the paper, keeping up with school and then there’s Chase, who might be exactly what she wished for, in all his bad-boy glory.

Social Suicide is the much-anticipated sequel of author Gemma Halliday’s debut novel, Deadly Cool. Running in the same vein as its predecessor, we’re given a quirky heroine with all the flaws and faults of friends we might find in real life, giving us a realistic take on a crazy murder-mystery ride. Unlike most murder mysteries though, this series has a way of turning them into uproariously hilarious tales that are cringe-worthy, biting and just a touch snarky to whet your appetite for a fun and entertaining read. Heck, if I was murdered, I’d want Hartley on my case.

I remember how completely blown away I was when I read book one. It was witty, didn’t take itself too seriously and it had this protagonist that just had me laughing the entire time. With Social Suicide, we are treated to Hartley’s antics, yet again, and I have to say it’s no less of a treat than before. Her offbeat character voice and subtly ironic humour really complements the layered mystery that, while serious in nature, is still engrossing and entertaining to become involved in. Unlike the first installment, we have a new hint of romance this time around, and it’s every bit as fun and flirtatious as the mystery, itself. Hartley and Chase have an incredibly fun and offbeat romance that truly adds a layer of sweetness to Social Suicide. Hartley’s confusion regarding Chase’s inability to commit to one viewpoint on a relationship was honest and charming, and I’m sure plenty of teen girls can relate. The true strength of Social Suicide lies within the awkward humour that, at times, feels like a nail-biter, but at other times has you wheezing with laughter. Above all else, Hartley’s not the best mystery-buster, but her attempts make us laugh without fail. Just like before, Social Suicide is a teen read, quick and painless – offering you fun without any strings attached. It’s almost like a take it or leave it approach.

Overall, though I think book one was stronger and funnier than Social Suicide, this was still an entertaining and fast-paced sequel – one you can easily finish in a single evening. I give it a 3.5 out of 5, and I highly recommend it to all fans of YA, especially those who enjoy mysteries, touches of romance and humour.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.