Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez

Daisy comes from a highly-talented family: her mother is a psychic who works with the police, and her older sisters -- Rose and Poppy -- also have psychic and telekinetic powers. Unfortunately, Daisy didn't seem to inherit any of the Giordano family talents, which means that she is often left out of family activities. But she has something of her own to investigate when the head cheerleader, Samantha, shows up for the new school year with a coffin and an unusually "dead" look. When multiple members of the cheerleading squad are attacked and end up in the hospital, Daisy decides that it's her turn to find out what's going on in the town of Nightshade, California, and whether the new fashion trend is more than it appears...

This was a short book with a light, humorous tone that was fun to read. Some parts of the story were a little predictable, but overall, the author does a good job of revealing pieces of the mystery at a reasonable pace so that it isn't too drawn out. I will also say that, even though this book clearly sets up a series -- based on what is revealed about Daisy's family and about the town of Nightshade -- I felt like this book stands fairly well on its own. Even though I enjoyed this installment, I didn't feel the need to immediately read the rest of the series to find out about all of the other hints. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy a bit of mystery, some supernatural elements that aren't exceedingly dark, a slightly acerbic narrator and just a little bit of romance.

This book is the start of a series, followed by Dead is a State of Mind, Dead is so Last Year, Dead is Just a Rumor, Dead is not an Option, Dead is a Battlefield, and Dead is a Killer Tune.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Fairy Bad Day, Morganville Vampires, Dark Lord of Derkholm, or The Ghost and the Goth

Stork by Wendy Delsol

Katla Leblanc is a California girl. Unfortunately, after divorcing Kat's father, her mother has decided to move them to her childhood home, a tiny town in Minnesota. Kat finds herself called to be a member of the Icelandic Stork Society, a secret group of women with special powers; she is unprecedentedly young, but is immediately given special privileges, and not everyone is happy about it. Meanwhile, fashion-conscious Kat feels out of place in the town and her social status is not helped by an unfortunate date before school started with Wade -- a creepy guy with an on-again-off-again girlfriend. When she gets recruited for the school newspaper, she discovers that Jack, the editor, seems to be constantly arguing with her and, when they touch, she feels things she can't explain. Kat is discovering that adjusting to life in a new place is more complicated than she expected...

This was a really interesting story and I enjoyed the way that the series ties in Nordic myths and traditions, which are a little less common than some others. The characters are fairly realistic, although some personality changes were a bit predictable and too perfect too quickly, in my opinion. However, the plot was engaging and moved in some unexpected directions. The rest of the series is also more robust in terms of the complexity of the storyline, and bring in more of the Icelandic mythology and a retelling of The Snow Queen. I would recommend this book to fantasy fans who looking for stories about magic in the real world and that tie in historic myths to the current day, with plenty of romance.

This is the first book in a trilogy, followed by Frost and Flock.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, Water Steps, Rampant, or the Trylle trilogy

Prom Dates From Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Maggie Quinn is a fairly ordinary high school senior with plans to be a journalist. She is involved with the newspaper and the yearbook, and has somehow been recruited to photograph prom, even though she hadn't really planned to attend. Despite her occasional preternatural dreams (and her grandmother, who has the Sight), Maggie is rather skeptical about the idea of special abilities. But something weird is happening at school: odd, life-threatening things are happening to students, especially the popular kids. Not to mention the odd sulfur-and-brimstone smell. Maggie will have to put her journalistic sleuthing skills to the test -- and perhaps come to terms with her peculiar dreams -- in order to find the truth and save her school.

I expected this book to be a bit silly and fluffy, based on the title, but it was neither of those things, and I enjoyed it immensely. In addition to the well-developed plot and characters, the narration by Maggie (which is just a bit snarky) made all of these books a lot of fun to read. There is more of a religious/Christian aspect than I was expecting, but it takes shape more in a good-vs.-evil sense than in advocating or pushing any particular brand of beliefs. I'm hopeful that the series may be continued in future books. I would absolutely recommend this to fantasy fans, especially those who enjoy stories about demons in the real world, or who enjoy books with sarcastic narrators.

This is the first book in the "Girl vs. Evil" series, followed by Hell Week and Highway to Hell.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Fairy Bad Day, Drink, Slay, Love, Death and the Girl Next Door, or Celia and Kate

Torn by Erica O'Rourke

Mo Fitzgerald wakes up in the hospital after being witnessing the murder of her best friend, Verity. But it wasn't an ordinary mugging =- they were attacked by magical creatures -- and suddenly Mo's life takes a complex turn. Even though she's a "Flat" (someone with no magical abilities), she is determined to get revenge for Verity, who was secretly an Arc (magic user). She teams up with a mysterious and reluctant Arc, Luc, who is also searching for answers. In the Arc community, Verity had special abilities that were prophesied to prevent the end of the magical world; now that she is gone, Luc hopes that Mo may be able to stand in her place. Meanwhile, Mo also has to deal with family politics following the attack, since her uncle (who works for the mob) believes that it was a hit ordered by a rival family. Now, Mo will have to learn quickly and reconcile the different aspects of her new life, just to survive.

I really loved the concept behind this book and the way that it takes a standard fantasy set-up (i.e., surprise, magic is real, and there's a prophecy that our hero/ine has to save the world) and then turns it around. Mo is a compelling heroine who has to juggle complex secrets. I will say that I thought the love triangle was silly and felt a bit contrived, especially when it's introduced in the first book. Aside from that, I enjoyed the whole series and found the plot really interesting. I also liked the way that Mo grows throughout the books and finds a way to own her place in the magical community and to deal with "mundane" issues as well. I would absolutely recommend these books to older fantasy fans who enjoy stories about magic in the real world, or books that have complicated interpersonal relationships and secrets.

This book is the first in a trilogy followed by Tangled and Bound.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Princess Ben, Fablehaven, Living Violet, or the Morganville Vampires series

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

Donna Underwood is not an ordinary girl. She is the daughter of two alchemists, both of whom she lost when they saved her from a fey attack at age seven -- her father was killed and her mother has been institutionalized, nearly comatose. The same attack damaged her hands and arms so badly that they were only fixed through a series of magical surgeries which implanted iron in her bones and tattooed alchemical symbols from her hands to her elbows. Although she is "homeschooled" by the alchemist Order of the Dragon, she does her best to keep alchemy out of her daily life, even keeping it a secret from her best friend, Navin. But something has changed; wood elves are turning up in the city and seem to be following her. Donna has to make choices about who to trust and how to come to terms with her heritage, before it's too late.

I don't have particularly strong feelings about this book. The writing was only so-so for me: there are several "diary" entries from Donna that felt more like a literary device than an actual diary; also, there were moments when the events or dialogue seemed just a little too fabricated, and one part when the main character appears to jump to wild, unsubstantiated assumptions (I was a little annoyed when there wasn't an immediate twist, but perhaps something comes to light in the later books). However, despite this criticism, I didn't dislike the book. The characters were realistic and well developed; the concept and the plot were also really interesting - both in terms of the study of alchemy and the faerie/demon/human triple world design. It's also clear that this book was primarily setting up some bigger issues and events that I assume will be addressed in rest of the series. Overall, I would recommend this book to fantasy fans who enjoy stories about magic set in the real world, particularly those that deal with faerie or magic with a physical/alchemical component.

This book is the first in a trilogy, followed by The Wood Queen and The Stone Demon

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Wings, Wicked Lovely, Bloodlines, or Young Warriors

A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett

Tiffany Aching is leaving home for the first time to be an apprentice learn how to be a witch. Although she is excited to do something new, she soon discovers that witches spend much of their time doing chores and tending people, rather than spells and charms. What Tiffany doesn't realize is that a hiver -- a malicious entity -- is pursuing her because it needs to take over other creatures in order to have a body. She will have to find the will within herself to fight the hiver and to find a way to defeat it, before it destroys her or those she holds dear.

This is the second book in the Discworld series about Tiffany Aching, preceded by The Wee Free Men.

This book was light and amusing, but also had an interesting plot and world-building. The characters were believable, and well developed throughout the story. I have not read the first book about Tiffany Aching, and there are quite a few references to the events from that book, however, I did not feel as though my understanding of the story or my ability to enjoy it were affected by reading this book alone. The book also has some explanatory notes, mainly about the Feegles (the small, fae creatures from the previous book), but not enough to disrupt the story. I would recommend this book to fantasy fans looking for a less-serious read or who want a book about using magic and magical creatures.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Dark Lord of Derkholm, The Last Apprentice, Unfamiliar Magic, or Howl's Moving Castle

Death and the Girl Next Door by Darynda Jones

Lorelai has lived in a small New Mexico town with her grandparents since her parents' disappearance ten years earlier. She has been leading an essentially ordinary life, except for her unpredictable talent to occasionally see visions after touching someone. However, things are starting to get complicated starting with the arrival of a new student, Jared Kovach, who calls up bizarre visions when he and Lorelai bump into each another. Even stranger, he and another student - Cameron Lusk - have an instant, mutual hatred. Cameron has always been a loner, but once Jared shows up, he suddenly takes an interest in Lorelai, bordering on stalking. Lorelai has no clue what's going on; all she wants is to be normal, but her life is about to change forever.

This is the first book in the Darklight trilogy, followed by Death, Doom, and Detention and Death and the Girl he Loves.

I thought this series was really interesting and I enjoyed it more than I expected. Although some of the bits at the very beginning seemed predictable, the overall story and how everything plays out was much more complex. The characters were also well developed and it was easy to sympathize with Lorelai, particularly later in the series. There was one small temporal discrepancy near the end of the series that I found annoying, but not enough to ruin the books for me; I was mostly just disappointed that the story was over once I finished reading the last book. I would recommend this to fantasy fans who enjoy books about the real world, "good vs. evil," and stories that are focused more on talents rather than "magic."

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Immortal Beloved, Young Warriors, Wicked Lovely, or the Trylle trilogy

Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst

Pearl is a sixteen-year-old vampire, from a prominent vampire family that blithely kills human beings. They're responsible for hosting a ball for the vampire king, and for providing a human feast for all of the attendees. But her life starts to change after the night that a unicorn stabs her through the heart; suddenly Pearl can go out in the sunlight without burning to a crisp. Her family thinks she's gone a little crazy (after all, unicorns don't exist) but her parents discover a way to capitalize on her new abilities. Now, Pearl's job is to attend the local high school to acquire teenagers to serve as the king's feast. It wouldn't be a problem, except that she seems to be growing a conscience...
I really enjoyed this book and the fact that it had the best of both worlds -- evil, soulless vampires, and a touch of silliness and fantasy. The characters were well defined and the world-building was believable. Parts of the story were a little predictable, but overall, I would absolutely recommend this book to fantasy fans who like vampire stories or who enjoy stories of the supernatural in the real world.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions, Rampant, Fairy Bad Day, or The Prophecy

Prophecy by Ellen Oh

Kira is the daughter of a general and the only female soldier in the kingdom. She's the prince's personal bodyguard and has special abilities that let her see people who have been possessed by demons and the strength to kill them. But she is feared by the people because of her yellow eyes and her reputation, since the king will not make knowledge of demons public. A threat to the royal family sends Kira and the prince out into the wilderness, on a trek to a safe haven, but the plan goes awry almost immediately. Signs are pointing to an ancient prophecy; it may save their kingdom from the Demon Lord...but only if they can stay alive.

This was a really interesting story with rich details for the setting. I was a little frustrated with the main characters on occasion, for not being open-minded or really thinking about what was going on. But other than that, the characters were pretty well developed and the plot moved forward in logical ways with quite a bit of action. I would recommend this to fantasy fans who like "epic" sorts of stories that center around a hero's journey.

This is the first book in the Dragon King Chronicles, followed by Warrior.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Sisters Red, Spirit Fox, the Song of the Lioness quartet, or Sweet Venom

Claim to Fame by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Lindsay Scott was a famous child actress until she turned eleven and started inexplicably hearing anything that was said about her. She had what appeared to be a public nervous breakdown and left the public eye. Lindsay and her father moved to a small town in Illinois to a house that strangely shields her from the voices. But it's five years later and the fact that she rarely leaves the house has somehow been discovered by the tabloids, which are now reporting that her father is keeping her prisoner. When two well-meaning local teenagers kidnap Lindsay in an effort to save her, Lindsay's life is once again turned upside down and she is forced to reevaluate her options.

This story takes a while to get to the point, and there are parts that feel a little bit slow, but overall, the concept is good and goes in a direction that I didn't expect. The characters are also fairly well developed and I was interested to see what would happen with them; in fact, I was a little disappointed that there doesn't seem to be a sequel since I was curious to find out more about what happens to Lindsay after the conclusion of the book. (However, the story is not left hanging at the end; of the the major plot points are resolved in some way.) I would recommend this book to fantasy fans who enjoy stories about ordinary people with special abilities, or stories in the real world.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Gifted: Out of Sight, Out of Mind, The Seer and the Sword, Fairy Bad Day, or Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions

Demon Princess: Reign or Shine by Michelle Rowan

Nikki has just moved to a new town with her mother and her mother's new - fourth - husband. As if that isn't enough, she's just found out that her father is a demon, which makes her a Halfling. Suddenly life is complicated as Nikki tries to balance the human world and the demon world (the Shadowlands), and each of them is problematic in different ways. In particular, she finds herself developing a crush on Michael, the boy that her father sent after her, even though a relationship would be forbidden. Also, Nikki is discovering that many things are different and more dangerous than they appear to be.

Overall, I liked this book; it was a quick read and the characters are fairly realistic. Some parts of the story are a little predictable, and occasionally the dialogue felt a little awkward to me, but it may get more interesting as the series continues. I would recommend this to fantasy fans who enjoy stories that take place in the real world and deal with relationships and romance.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: the Trylle trilogy, Entwined, The Mermaid's Mirror, or The World Above

The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

Alona is one of the most popular girls at school...right up until the day that she gets hit by a bus and dies. But she's still hanging around the world, suddenly subject to rules about being a ghost that she doesn't understand. All she really wants is to find a way to move on to a happy eternal afterlife, but first she has to find out how. Meanwhile, Will Killian is tortured by the sight and sound of ghosts that no one else can see. Even worse, one of the ghosts showing up lately is dangerous and wants to hurt Will. Will's talents have made him a social outcast and he purposefully tries to keep his head down, having nothing to do with A-list students like Alona. Slowly, Alona and Will discover that they might be able to help one another - but they'll have to work together.

This is the first book in a trilogy, followed by Queen of the Dead and Body & Soul.

This was an interesting book and I really enjoyed the character development and the plot lines in this story, which were much deeper than I expected. Even though it deals with some serious issues, it still manages to have a light-hearted tone most of the time. I will mention that the plot gets a little more complicated and odd in the second book, though I haven't finished the series. I would recommend this book to fantasy fans who enjoy good stories with strong character partnerships and supernatural elements.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Slayed, Fairy Bad Day, Entwined, or The Wish List

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Galen is a merperson, and the prince of a Syrena tribe who has come onto land after hearing from a friend about a girl who can speak to fish. Meanwhile, Emma is vacationing with her friend in Florida when she meets Galen. Although Galen is soon convinced that Emma is more than merely human, she wants nothing to do with him and refuses to believe his claims. But Galen believes that she could be important and works hard to gain her trust; it just has to be in time...

There were things I liked about this book. It was an interesting way of approaching myths about mermaids and the characters were fairly realistic. I felt like some of the pieces were a bit predictable, but it didn't detract from the story. I would recommend this to fantasy fans who enjoy books about mermaids or stories with a bit of romance.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: The Mermaid's Mirror, Half-Human, Midnight Pearls, or the Trylle trilogy

Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

Vane Weston is the "Miracle Child" who survived a freak tornado that killed his parents and several other people. He doesn't remember anything from that day, except the face of a girl who haunts his dreams. But the girl in his dreams - Audra - is real and she is a guardian who has pledged to keep him safe from warriors who seek him. When a mistake reveals Vane's location, Audra has to tell him the truth: she's a sylph and so is he. Now they have a limited amount of time for Vane to come to terms with his heritage, learn the skills he needs to survive, and to remember the past, before it catches up with him.

The sequel, Let the Storm Break, will be released in March 2014.

This story is told from both Vane's and Audra's points of view, which gives each of them quite a bit of depth throughout the book. I found it interesting that the air elementals are the main characters and I was curious to find out what would happen, although parts of the story are a little predictable. I would recommend this series to fantasy fans who enjoy stories about magical creatures in the real world and romance.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Living Violet, the Trylle trilogy, Wicked Lovely, or Carrier of the Mark

Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

Tamsin feels out of place in her own family. All of them have magical talents and, at her birth, her grandmother claimed that she would be one of the most powerful witches they'd ever seen. Except that she's never had a Talent. Instead, she's going to a boarding school in Manhattan and trying to pretend that she's a normal teenager. But while she's home, working in the family bookstore, a professor mistakes her for Tamsin's extremely Talented older sister, Rowena and she doesn't correct him. Instead, she agrees to track down a family heirloom, lost more than a century before. But it turns out that the request is not so simple; Tamsin will learn more about herself, her magic, and her family on her quest. The story concludes in Always a Witch.

For the most part I really enjoyed this story. At times, the plot seemed a little convoluted, but generally the characters were well developed and it was easy to like Tamsin and sympathize with her situation. Also, I did like the way that everything tied up neatly at the end of the second book. I would recommend these books to fantasy fans who enjoy books about magic in the real world, or time travel.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: the Dark Mirror series, Immortal Beloved, Now You See It, or Unfamiliar Magic

Kisses From Hell

This is a collection of short novellas:

• Sunshine by Richelle Mead - Eric Dragomir is a Moroi (a living vampire); his dad has been pressuring him to marry and start producing heirs to carry on the royal line. But first, Eric is going to a week-long party with his friends to celebrate their high school graduation.
• Bring Me to Life by Alyson Noël - Danika is moving to boarding school in the UK to study painting. But when she arrives, the school isn't quite what she expected.
• Above by Kristin Cast - Rheena dreams of going to the the world Above, where the men hunt, but if she gets her wish, will it truly be what she hoped?
• Hunting Kat by Kelley Armstrong - Katiana is a newly-turned, genetically-modified vampire living with her vampire guardian, Marguerite. On a road trip to attend a party, Kat runs into trouble when people come looking for her.
• Lilith by Francesca Lia Block - Paul Michael isn't like the other students at his high school; he spend more time thinking about his imaginary world than living on Earth. Then he meets a new student, Lilith, and he thinks that perhaps she might finally be someone who can understand him.

I thought this collection of stories was ok, but I had trouble connecting with some of the characters. I would recommend these stories to fantasy fans who prefer stories that are a little odd or thought-provoking.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Tantalize, Half-Human, Cursed, or Sunshine

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Evie works for the semi-secret International Paranormal Containment Agency, tracking down creatures of legend and myth, to keep humans unaware and safe from vampires, trolls, hags, and other paranormals. She has lived and worked at IPCA since she was young because she has a special talent - she's the only one who can see through the glamours of every paranormal. Evie longs for regular, teenage experiences, but she's happy to have her mermaid best friend and to help keep the world safe. But then paranormals start to die mysteriously and pieces of a strange faerie prophecy may point toward Evie as the source. Now it's up to her to find a way to save all of the paranormal creatures she's been tracking down. The story continues in Supernaturally and Endlessly

These books are surprisingly serious, even though the tone is fairly light and humorous (told from Evie's point of view). Evie's character is well developed and it's easy to sympathize with her and some of the difficult choices she has to make. I will mention that this series ends rather abruptly; if you like to have all of the loose ends tied up or a "happily ever after" ending, you won't get it from these books. However, I did enjoy the books and I would recommend them to fantasy fans who enjoy stories of magical creatures and the paranormal in real life.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Wicked Lovely, Sisters Red, or Princess for Hire

Sunshine by Robin McKinley

After the Voodoo Wars, life went on, but monsters lurk in corners. Sunshine is happy being the baker at Charlie's, her stepfather's restaurant. It isn't exciting, but she has a comfortable life, and she thought that it would be enough. Everything changes when she is kidnapped by vampires. Though she manages to escape, going back to her ordinary life may be impossible, and her time as a captive continues to haunt her. Slowly, she must learn about her heritage and who she truly wants to be - assuming that she can survive what's coming.

This is told from Sunshine's point of view, which gives it a wry tone even though the story is often a bit dark. It felt a little bit slow to me, particularly since there are often asides with further explanations of how magic functions in that world. However, I did enjoy reading this book and it's an interesting way of approaching a reluctant human-vampire cooperation. I would recommend this book to older fantasy fans who enjoy books with magic in alternate realities or serious, dangerous vampires.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Enthralled, Howl's Moving Castle, Morganville Vampires, or Tantalize

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Sydney Sage is an alchemist, a member of a secret society of humans dedicated to keeping vampires a secret from the rest of the world. She has been out of the field following a series of events in which she was caught up in vampire politics, but she has been doing her best to lie low and get back in the Alchemists' good graces. Unfortunately, her new assignment involves rooming with Jill Dragomir (a mortal Moroi vampire and half-sister of the Moroi queen) while pretending to be a high school student at a boarding school in California. Although everyone expects them to be safe at Amberwood Prep School, they will have to be on guard for assassins and other dangers; Sydney will also have to do her best to stay professional and not to get too friendly with any of them - but how hard could that be?

Even though the first book is fairly predictable, I enjoyed the story and the characters, and the series definitely gets more interesting in the later books. These books are a spin-off of the Vampire Academy books and reference many events that happen before this series. However, I haven't read any of the Vampire Academy books and felt as though there was enough background that it isn't necessary to read the other series first (unless you want to). I would recommend this series to older fantasy fans who enjoy stories about vampires in the real world and books that have a bit of romance.

The Bloodlines series continues with The Golden Lily, The Indigo Spell, The Fiery Heart, Silver Shadows, and The Ruby Circle.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: The Two Princesses of Bamarre, Resenting the Hero, the Dark Mirror series, or Sweet Venom

Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Ember McWilliams is having a rough time. After dying in a car crash, her gifted little sister, Olivia, brought her back to life - but now everything that Ember touches dies. Meanwhile, their mother has never quite recovered from the accident, so Ember is trying to keep house and take care of Olivia while still passing high school. Things start to change when she meets Hayden Cromwell, who claims that her new ability is really a gift. But when she and her family are spirited away to a tiny town run by Hayden's adoptive father, she starts to question their motives, and to reevaluate her own life.

This book had some good moments, but the story felt a little stilted - the romance was a little forced and there seemed to be several things going on in the background that we never really find out about. There were also events that seemed implausible, but most of them are explained by the end of the book. However, I did like Ember and seeing her personal growth throughout the book as she learns to deal with her "gift." Overall, this was an interesting book, although it won't make my list of personal favorites. I would suggest it to fantasy fans who enjoy stories about teens with special abilities.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: The Summoning, Gifted: Out of Sight, Out of Mind, Immortal Beloved, or Swoon