Title: The Demon Girl
Author: Penelope Fletcher
Publisher: Smashwords
Published: October 7, 2010
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 191 (eBook)
Source: Personal Copy

Rae Wilder has problems. Plunged into a world of dark magic, fierce creatures and ritual sacrifice, she is charged with a guarding a magical amulet.

Rae finds herself beaten up, repeatedly, and forced to make a choice: to live and die human, or embrace her birth-right and wield magics that could turn her into something wicked, a force of nature nothing can control.

Rae Wilder's life is very much a normal person's greatest nightmare. She's a Disciple, and she's training to be a Cleric, which means she lives in a world of monsters - vampires, shifters, goblins, witches and faeries, and as a Cleric, she's destined to fight these creatures. When circumstances change one day though, and Rae witnesses Clerics killing a young faerie, she knows she has to run. She happens upon Breandan who reveals Rae's hidden past and ignites a future of adventure, turmoil and struggles both internal and external.

I downloaded The Demon Girl onto my Nook because I saw it was up for grabs on Barnes & Noble. With a great cover and a cool, paranormal premise, I was really excited to try a book from a pretty much unknown author. Penelope Fletcher knows her demons. She has this innate ability to make her demons both creepy and terrifying but also human in emotion. The Demon Girl features a fun and intriguing plot full of twists and turns that seems sure to promise a fabulous thrill ride.

That said, despite a strong plot, The Demon Girl fell a good bit short for me. To be extremely blunt, the book was riddled with cliches and stereotypes, and everything sort of just fell into place with little or no extreme conflict. I also felt the insta-bond between Breandan and Rae was a bit Twilight-esque, if you will, failing to break through the mold. And, while I can easily overlook a few grammatical errors and such, some of the chapter jumps just killed me. We went from one situation in The Demon Girl to another one, entirely, with no transition at all.

I never like to give bad reviews, and I have a penchant for indie books, but The Demon Girl just didn't measure up to it's premise or plot potential for me. Perhaps some people will like it more than me. I give it a 2 out 5, and I'd recommend it to those who enjoy YA paranormal tales, especially those with faeries.

In My Mailbox is an amazing weekly meme hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren that features the books we have received during the week. It's so much fun because we get to see what our fellow bloggers stumbled upon this week and add even more to our piles of books! Without further ado, this week I received the following books:

FOR REVIEW

Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky

(ARC - Thank you, Cornucopia of Dystopia)

Maddie lives in a world where everything is done on the computer. Whether it’s to go to school or on a date, people don’t venture out of their home. There’s really no need. For the most part, Maddie’s okay with the solitary, digital life—until she meets Justin. Justin likes being with people. He enjoys the physical closeness of face-to-face interactions. People aren’t meant to be alone, he tells her. Suddenly, Maddie feels something awakening inside her—a feeling that maybe there is a different, better way to live.

FOR REVIEW

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

(eARC - Thank you, Harlequin Teen & Netgalley)

Every girl who has taken the test has died. Now it's Kate's turn. It's always been just Kate and her mom--and now her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall. Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld--and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

FREE NOOK BOOK

The Demon Girl by Penelope Fletcher

(Thank you, Barnes & Noble)

Rae Wilder has problems. Plunged into a world of dark magic, fierce creatures and ritual sacrifice, she is charged with a guarding a magical amulet. 

Rae finds herself beaten up, repeatedly, and forced to make a choice: to live and die human, or embrace her birth-right and wield magics that could turn her into something wicked, a force of nature nothing can control.