Title: One Past Midnight
Author: Jessica Shirvington (Twitter)
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Publish Date: July 22, 2014
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 368
Source: Publisher

For as long as she can remember, Sabine has lived two lives. Every 24 hours she Shifts to her ′other′ life - a life where she is exactly the same, but absolutely everything else is different: different family, different friends, different social expectations. In one life she has a sister, in the other she does not. In one life she′s a straight-A student with the perfect boyfriend, in the other she′s considered a reckless delinquent. Nothing about her situation has ever changed, until the day when she discovers a glitch: the arm she breaks in one life is perfectly fine in the other.

With this new knowledge, Sabine begins a series of increasingly risky experiments which bring her dangerously close to the life she′s always wanted... But just what - and who - is she really risking?

You know those books that you read but simply have to put it aside after reading because you don't know exactly how to review them? One Past Midnight is that sort of book, and though I was worried I wouldn't connect with this novel because I tried at first and just couldn't get into it. After seeing countless of great reviews though, I read it again, and I have to say that I couldn't have been more surprised - or impressed - by the depth of this novel. I read it in one day the second time around. Jessica Shirvington is no stranger to powerful fiction, having written the popular Embrace series. This novel, however, is in a nearly entirely different wheelhouse, offer twists, turns and incredible worlds that will spin you into a paranormal romance tale that's beautiful, rich and unlike anything you've ever read before.

I often find that the protagonists in paranormal tales are lackluster and lose their own identity within the plot or romance elements, but I'm pleased to say that One Past Midnight most definitely did not fail in this aspect. Sabine is a powerful, engaging and vibrant character that I can honestly all other YA characters should aspire to be. While living in two separate worlds, we still see this raw and real identity that exudes an honest sort of charisma from deep within the pages. She was flawed but likeable, and I felt that Ms. Shirvington really managed to make her humanity sing through her relationships with her families, her parents and her these two polar opposite lives.

One Past Midnight worried me at first because I felt as though offering readers two distinct worlds would be too much for a singular novel, but the story holds a near-perfect balance that really offers much more insight into not only Sabine's character, but also the impossible duality of having to live and breathe two completely separate lives. It must be said, as well, that while I was wary of the romantic aspect of this novel, Ethan and Sabine gave me nothing but joy. Rather than whittling down her characters to their teenage tropes, Ms. Shirvington allowed their individual personas, flaws and realities to merge into this beautiful arc that only furthered our commitment to them and their journey.

Overall, I wish I had the words to adequately state how much I loved this novel. Perhaps I was just in the wrong mindset the first time I tried to read it because it blew me away the second time around. I think that the only thing that was lacking was, perhaps, a little background as to why Sabine was the way she was, but it definitely didn't detract from my enjoyment of this novel. I hope that other readers will give it a go and love it as much as I did. I give it a 4.5 out of 5, and I highly recommend it to all fans of YA, especially those who enjoy paranormal romance novels.

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: Conjured
Author: Sarah Beth Durst (Twitter)
Publisher: Walker Children's
Publish Date: September 3, 2013
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Fantasy
Pages: 368
Source: Publisher

Eve has a new home, a new face, and a new name—but no memories of her past. She’s been told that she's in a witness protection program. That she escaped a dangerous magic-wielding serial killer who still hunts her. The only thing she knows for sure is that there is something horrifying in her memories the people hiding her want to access—and there is nothing they won’t say—or do—to her to get her to remember.

At night she dreams of a tattered carnival tent and buttons being sewn into her skin. But during the day, she shelves books at the local library, trying to not let anyone know that she can do things—things like change the color of her eyes or walk through walls. When she does use her strange powers, she blacks out and is drawn into terrifying visions, returning to find that days or weeks have passed—and she’s lost all short-term memories. Eve must find out who and what she really is before the killer finds her—but the truth may be more dangerous than anyone could have ever imagined.

I have an odd fascination with all things dark and twisted when it comes to books, so it was no surprise to me that Conjured by Sarah Beth Durst spoke to me on some sadistic little level. Paranormal is one of those genres that I doubt will ever grow truly old if authors commit to taking a new stance and sort of blur the lines between subgenres. This is one of those novels that actually convinced me of this fact, if only because the author manages to create this beautiful and sinister melting pot of paranormal, magic and horror, giving readers a thrilling whodunit mystery all the while. 

This is not the first book I've read by Ms. Durst, and I'm familiar with her whirlwind writing style, which interjects a sort of realism to an otherwise otherworldly novel. Conjured flows fairly seamlessly, never faltering in terms of plot points, and while I was concerned about how we would be introduced to Eve's memory loss, I have to say that it was done really well. Eve's frustration and confusion is palpable, and it's as jarring to the reader as I'm sure it was for her. The author plays into this lack of information well, stringing us along as Eve discovers things, as well. In this way, the lack of foreboding really amps up the drama because, like Eve, we have no idea what's coming, or where she's come from.

Conjured is the type of book that makes it difficult to formulate an accurate portrayal of what exactly happened in the novel because it is completely and utterly trippy. From start to finish, this novel is a whirlwind of dark and brooding circus imagery, a creepy, atmospheric air to the setting and characters and, at times, this oppressing and overwhelming sense of limbo. Ultimately though, it's this smothering atmosphere that makes the story really soar because it is the murky details that really let the drama and danger shine through.

I did struggle with Eve at times though because, while it was understandable that the Witness Protection Program defined who she was at the start of the novel, I feel as though she lacked the ultimate growth that I'd hoped for in the end. I didn't see her personality fully come into its own, and I felt that, at times, she was overshadowed by the incredible stage that Ms. Durst created for the plot of the novel. Furthermore, we're offered a handful of secondary characters including a love interest, Alex, who felt a bit like afterthoughts at times. I want to get invested in a relationship between characters, but if we don't have the appropriate time to grow with them together, it simply doesn't work for me.

Despite these hiccups though, I thought Conjured was a pretty good read that really does offer the dark magic that readers are promised through the synopsis and cover and, in the end, that's what I wanted. I give it a 3.5 out of 5, and I recommend it to fans of YA, especially those who enjoy dark paranormal and fantasy stories.

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: Imperfect Spiral
Author: Debbie Levy (Twitter)
Publisher: Walker Children's
Publish Date: July 16, 2013
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 352
Source: Publisher

Danielle Snyder's summer job as a babysitter takes a tragic turn when Humphrey, the five-year-old boy she's watching, runs in front of oncoming traffic to chase down his football. Immediately Danielle is caught up in the machinery of tragedy: police investigations, neighborhood squabbling, and, when the driver of the car that struck Humphrey turns out to be an undocumented alien, outsiders use the accident to further a politically charged immigration debate.

Wanting only to mourn Humphrey, the sweet kid she had a surprisingly strong friendship with, Danielle tries to avoid the world around her. Through a new relationship with Justin, a boy she meets at the park, she begins to work through her grief, but as details of the accident emerge, much is not as it seems. It's time for Danielle to face reality, but when the truth brings so much pain, can she find a way to do right by Humphrey's memory and forgive herself for his death?

Danielle loved Humphrey like a little brother. He's fun, he's sweet and he never really gives her any trouble at all. But Danielle could never have guessed the tragedy that would unfold, cutting Humphrey's life short and, effectively, ending her innocence. Trapped in a web of grief and pain, Danielle doesn't see a way out until she meets a boy that might be able to make it clearer what exactly happened that day. But the memories hurt just as much as the accident, itself. Can she escape the pain and move on, or will Danielle remain trapped forever?

Issue books have always held a special place in my heart. I don't know if it's the realism that hits hard, or if it's the fact that I admire the author for grappling with some of the most basic, instinctual human emotions, but they usually just work for me. Imperfect Spiral tackles one of the toughest emotions of all - grief - in a realist, powerful and heart-wrenching manner. Author, Debbie Levy, takes her time with the story, spinning a melancholy tale that is accentuated with bursts of light, laughter and love, giving us hope for a sense of peace and resolution. With a deft, sweeping hand, Imperfect Spiral spins you into the throes of tragedy and helps you find your way to peace once again.

I think that I was most attracted to Imperfect Spiral because it tackles grief, which is an emotion I don't see portrayed well enough in most of the YA genre. Grieving is such a complex process, and it's different for every person, so I was intrigued to see how the author portrayed a teenage girl's take on it, as well as the measurement of self-imposed punishment. Danielle was a very true and honest character. On the surface, we see your average teenage girl with a part-time babysitting job, but underneath, we see this roiling, tumultuous girl that is absolutely devastated by the death of her charge. She blames herself so entirely for Humphrey's death that, for a while, the grief is like a blanket emotion that overshadows everything else, and she's almost a shell. Through the story though, we get to watch as the pieces of her shattered teenage life begin to come together once again, and she starts to find her way back to a level ground of peace. Imperfect Spiral also manages to tackle other topical agendas, as well, which I found interesting. We watch as the death of a child becomes a campaign for public safety, stricter rules on undocumented immigrants and the advancement of political agendas. These topics are carefully arranged within the story, so as not to overshadow the progression of Danielle's healing process. I found that the relationship between Justin and Danielle was, for the most part, really well done and realistic. I do sort of wish we'd had the opportunity to know a bit more about Justin so as to better understand his role in her healing. The only other little qualm I had with the story was that, at times, I felt like it was a bit too introspective. I felt a bit smothered by the emotions at time, and it was hard to separate myself from that.

Overall though, Imperfect Spiral was a really well done take on grief and the healing process, and I think it's an important read within the genre. I give it a 4 out of 5, and I recommend it to fans of YA, especially those who enjoy contemporary fiction and issue books.

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.