As I was reading this book, I was thinking, “This must be written by a professional.” The writing is crisp, clean and witty. Wonderful characters tumble forth in profusion, written in a style of world-weary self-consciousness that has the author talking directly to the reader and coming clean on the nuts-and-bolts of the writing process: […]
“Wrong Side of the Rift” a Grape Merryweather Novel by Libby Heily
Why is a good book so good? “The Wrong Side of the Rift” seems to be a standard Young Adult Paranormal novel. Magic in an otherwise normal present-day setting. Intertwining conflicts with magical beings and teenage bullies. A quest to solve an unsolvable problem. But normal as this book sounds, I found myself reading longer […]
“The Power Club” by Greg Gildersleeve
This story chronicles the struggles of Damon, a “powered” teenager who lives in a special enclave that protects those of his ilk and their families from contact with the “ords.” It immediately becomes obvious that these kids need protection from each other as well. In this vaguely dystopian setting, it seems that the Powers that […]
“Cry Wolf” by Greta Stone
This book is a bit of a grab bag of different styles and genres, loosely following the old tale of Peter and the Wolf. The opening is from a lighthearted children’s fantasy, with a group of orphans living in a giant shoe preparing to do battle with stereotypical redneck invaders. (Most of these characters are […]
“Black Dawn” by Mallory McCartney
The Black Dawn setup is typical of the Teen Paranormal genre: a group of misfits with varied magical skills, isolated from society, battles a superior force with a totalitarian leadership. All of them are young, beautiful, powerful, and traumatized by the life they have been forced into. What sets this book apart from most in […]