Title: Hex Hall
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Publisher: Hyperion Children's
Published: March 2, 2010
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 323
Source: Personal Copy

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

Sophie's always known she was a freak, so why not own it, right? When yet another of her spells goes wrong, Sophie's only chance at a normal life with others like her is at a boarding school called Hecate Hall, or to its students, Hex Hall. Sophie isn't pleased she's been condemned there, and she's even less pleased to see the offbeat school in person, meet the students and discover half her life has been a lie. But there are silver linings...her vampire roommate, though odd, is pretty nice and there's a crushworthy boy just lurking in the foreground. There are mysteries in Hex Hall though, and Sophie's past and future are tied to them, making normal seem like a very lofty goal.

Again, I'm late reading Hex Hall, mainly because when I first started reviewing, it was really hyped. You know me and hype - we don't get along so well. Anyway, I finally decided to read Hex Hall, and I was actually pleasantly surprised. The author, Rachel Hawkins, has a decidedly unique writing voice. It's conversational, easy to follow and allows one to easily access the characters' minds, especially Sophie. I read fast, but Hex Hall, though fairly long, is a fast read with a steady plot, plenty of twists and turns and a lovable heroine that kept me on my toes throughout.

I will say that I don't think Hex Hall, speaking generally, is the most original story (ie - school for magic, hot boy, new students, vamps, mean girls yadda yadda), BUT Hex Hall does present these common items in a unique and interesting way. Sophie's dialogue was consistently tangible to me. She uses slang, she's snarky and her sarcasm was something I could totally relate to. Furthermore, Hex Hall had secondary characters like the hot guy, Archer Cross, who managed to step outside of his stereotype into something a little more, and Sophie's vamp roommate was a great twist on a lot of vamps in YA fiction. Mixed together with an intriguing mystery, Hex Hall is a fun and inventive tale that had me rooting for and laughing with Sophie the entire time.

I'm surprised to say this, but Hex Hall quite lived up to its hype. I give it a strong 4 out of 5, docking points only for the underlying common themes, but I definitely recommend it. I think it would be enjoyable for those who like YA, especially paranormal books with vampires, werewolves and witchcraft.

Title: Frostbite
Author: Richelle Mead
Published: April 10, 2008
Publisher: Razorbill
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 327
Source: Personal Copy

Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose…

It's winter break at St. Vladimir's, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy's crawling with Guardians—including Rose's hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn't bad enough, Rose's tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason's got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks… This year, St. Vlad's annual holiday ski trip is mandatory.

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price…

In Vampire Academy, we met Rose and Lissa, best friends, but also something more. Rose is destined to be Lissa’s guardian, and the two share an unshakable bond, one that keeps them together at all times. But life isn’t all roses and peaches now. After a massive attack, the school is overrun by new guardians, throwing Rose’s distant mother into the mix, as well, and when the school is thrust into a mandatory “holiday” to protect the students in one place, things threaten to go from bad to worse. Rose is learning more about herself every day, and every revelation makes life a little bit scarier and a lot less safe.

Ok, remember how I told you I hate vampires? Well, I still do, so don’t get your hopes up (Ginger). That said, I was blown away by Frostbite. I liked Vampire Academy enough, don’t get me wrong. I think the world that Richelle Mead set up was fantastic, but I wouldn’t say it really blew me out of the water. Frostbite, however, was completely and utterly captivating. The world within the walls of the Vampire Academy grew exponentially, the boarding school was magically deceptive and the cast of characters grew in leaps and bounds, all of which heightened an already tumultuous and riveting plot.

There were so many highlights in Frostbite that I don’t think I could adequately pinpoint them all. That said, the character development of Rose was a huge strength. While I knew her background before, the introduction of her mother, as well as new secondary characters like Aiden heightened the tension and discovery of more of her background. Lissa, too, grew in my opinion and was less of a whiny little mope than before. Plus, there’s Dimitri…swoon. I swear that the Rose/Dimitri plotline is killing me, too, and every chapter just had me reading faster and faster to see where that would end up. Frankly, I can sum it up like this – Frostbite featured an amazing cast of characters, a fantastically developed plot and a speedy pace that kept me guessing throughout.

Frostbite was a fantastic sequel to Vampire Academy, and I’m officially hooked on the series (even though I swore I’d never be.) I give it a 5 out of 5, and I’d recommend it to all fans of the Vampire Academy series and YA fans, especially those who enjoy paranormal and paranormal romance stories.

Some vampires are good. Some are evil. Some are faking it to get girls. Awkward and allergic to the sun, sixteen-year-old Finbar Frame never gets the girl. But when he notices that all the female students at his school are obsessed with a vampire romance novel called Bloodthirsty, Finbar decides to boldly go where no sane guy has gone before-he becomes a vampire, minus the whole blood sucking part.

With his brooding nature and weirdly pale skin, it's surprisingly easy for Finbar to pretend to be paranormal. But, when he meets the one girl who just might like him for who he really is, he discovers that his life as a pseudo-vampire is more complicated than he expected.
Taken from GoodReads.

Bloodthirsty is the story of teenage Finbar, absolutely awkward in every way, who is willing to do anything and everything to get the girls. Yes, this includes faking vampirism (sp?). Giving him a chance to step into the spotlight (not sunlight) and out of his popular twin brother's shadow, Finbar finds that he now has a niche in school and in social circles. Is it worth his tranformation though, and how far is he willing to go to remain in the limelight?

It's no secret that I loathe vampires. Bloodthirsty, however, presented a satire of the whole vampire phenomenon in a unique way that piqued my interest just enough to convince me to give it a go. Flynn Meany certainly has a way with humour, and turned the vampire craze on end with the content of Bloodthirsty. She has a unique, fun, and engaging voice, allowing a character even as shallow as Finbar to pop through the prose.

The only thing I think Bloodthirsty really lacked was depth, but in the same breath, I don't think it was meant to be anything particularly meaningful. It's fluffy and light, but I will admit that I think Bloodthirsty was a bit of a "perfect-timing" book because it managed to find a fan base in those who don't really get or appreciate the whole vampire thing. Fortunately though, Bloodthirsty presents laugh-out-loud hilarity, situations that are so awkward that you'll alternate laughing so hard you cry and cringing at the downright strange characters.

All in all, for what it is, Bloodthirsty is a really fun book. No, it's not deep, and you won't really draw anything from the story itself, but it's great for sheer entertainment. I give it a very strong 4 out of 5, and I'd recommend it to YA readers looking for a fun, fluffy, hilarious book with vampires.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher, Hachette Book Group. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

Vampire predators run wild in this exciting steampunk adventure, the first in an alternate history trilogy that is already attracting attention. In 1870, monsters rise up and conquer the northern lands, As great cities are swallowed up by carnage and disease, landowners and other elite flee south to escape their blood-thirsty wrath.

One hundred fifty years later, the great divide still exists; fangs on one side of the border, worried defenders on the other. This fragile equilibrium is threatened, then crumbles after a single young princess becomes almost hopelessly lost in the hostile territory. At first, she has only one defender: a mysterious Greyfriar who roams freely in dangerous vampire regions.
Taken from GoodReads.

Vampire Empire: The Greyfriar is the story of an alternate world history for humans here on Earth. Vampires roam freely, mercilessly killing, maiming, torturing, and taking hold of every inch of land available. Those few humans that did survive are either enslaved or have fled to the relative safety of the South. Now, in a world dominated by various cunning and intense Vampire Empires, the world conquests are fought between vampires, rather than men, and Adele, heir to Equatoria, is about to meet the mysterious and complex Greyfriar.

Wow! Ok, when I received The Greyfriar for review, I wasn't expecting too much because, frankly, I've never heard anything about it before, and vampires usually bore the crap heck out of me. Finally! It was so nice to read about non-glittering vampires who stay true to their nature! Using rich prose, an incredibly steampunk atmosphere and a blooming and contagious romance, husband and wife author duo, Susan and Clay Griffith have created an incredible masterpiece of a story that is intense, exhilarating, and completely delicious.

There are too many high points in The Greyfriar for me to name them all, so I'll be general. The characterization was enthralling. Adele and the Greyfriar were so clearly defined, their actions and motives so well-pronounced, that it is impossible not to fall in love with their story as their relationship blooms. The amazing mythology that creeps its way into every aspect of the story heightens the sinister nature of the vampires and makes the story all that more gripping and enticing. Honestly, I'm surprised this book was as slim as it was because the story was well-rounded and truly captivating to read.

I give The Greyfriar a 5 out of 5, hands down. In fact, I'd probably give it more if I could. I recommend that everyone buy this book as soon as it releases (I believe on November 18th) because it is a definite must-read. I would recommend this book to fans of YA and adult fiction, particularly those who enjoy steampunk, vampires, fantasy, and mythology. Due to the violence, I do think an upper YA audience is probably best.

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