Hidden by Marianne Curley

Ebony lives with her family on a farm in a small valley; she's happy, but dreams of bigger things. Jordan lives in the same valley, but he has been moving through a series of foster homes and dreams of a happy life, anywhere. One night they meet and the sudden, intense connection is unmistakable. Not long after, both of their lives fall apart. Jordan ends up with the mysterious Nathaneal who wants Jordan's help to convince Ebony of her true birthright. But it won't be easy for any of them...

Although the premise for this story was interesting, I didn't enjoy the book very much. The characters did not always seem realistic and many of the major plot points seemed predictable. However, it is possible that the next books in the Avena series will improve. Also, I would mention that the author is Australian, so it has some British English in it - I don't have anything against it, but it is occasionally disconcerting for readers that primarily read American books. Overall, I would not highly recommend this book; however, fantasy fans may consider this series if it sounds interesting, particularly those who enjoy paranormal romances and stories about teens who discover that they have abilities or non-human heritage.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: The Fairy Path, As You Wish, Wings, or How to Ditch Your Fairy

Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

Grace's family has just moved to San Francisco and she is excited to start attending a new private school. Life seems good until she sees a minotaur walk into a restaurant. No one else seems to notice, but Grace starts to wonder why she is seeing monsters. Meanwhile, Gretchen spends all of her spare time hunting down monsters and sending them out of the human world with her venomous fangs. It's tricky enough keeping up with monsters and homework, but then Grace and Gretchen meet and discover that they look exactly alike. And they're not alone - their third sister, Greer, is not happy to see Grace and Gretchen when they turn up on her doorstep. Her life is in order and she wants nothing to do with them. But as triplets descended from the mythological Gorgon, Medusa, "normal" life may be out of their reach.

This was definitely an interesting way to bring ancient Greek myths into the modern world. The characters were well developed, and realistic. The only thing that I disliked about this story is that it's very introductory. Although it isn't clearly labeled, this is the first in a series and this book doesn't get very far. Greer doesn't appear until two-thirds through the book and by the end, I felt as though almost everything in the book had already been summarized on the book jacket, which was a little disappointing. Keep in mind that you may want to have book two handy when you finish this one. But I would recommend it to fantasy readers who enjoy Greek myths, stories set in the real world, or strong, female characters who fight monsters.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Rampant, Half-Human, Radiant Darkness, or Ever