Young Adult

Veronica Campbell has pushed her father’s Iinal limits. As a result of her troubled ways since her mother’s death, she’s sent to the boarding school, Evergreen, to Iix her behavior. At Evergreen, Ronnie Iinds consolation in the charming Will Tucker; however, this only lands her in more trouble as she ends up Iighting with a powerful mean girl clique at the school. When the mean girls use a Ouija board to call upon Veronica’s mother, a dead soul comes through from the other side. Ronnie must do what she can to make up for her mother’s death, which she feels is her own fault. However, this ghostly being might not actually be her mother, but another angry soul.

Suspense, ghosts, high school drama and a tinge of romance make for a thrilling read that will keep one Ilipping the pages in fearful haste toward the satisfying conclusion. The plot is so full of twists, it will shock readers to their core. The sudden shift from teenage turmoil to paranormal suspense could’ve used a smoother transition, but the suspense makes the book much more interesting. After the paranormal theme is revealed, readers will be on the edge of their seats while they try to solve the puzzle. A bit more of the romance between Ronnie and Will would’ve been better, since it feels a bit dry just before the climax. The character development for the main character, however, is perfect. The other characters’ development is lacking throughout the novel. Regardless, readers will not want to put down this novel as they’re carried through this intense world of mystery solving.

Austen Grace

dragon from his dreams saves him. This encounter opens the door to more questions, and leaves Eric searching for more answers.

“Dragon Surf” is a quick and fun YA novel that is a joy to read. Right from the beginning, D.G Driver and Jenni Bautista Richard grab the reader's attention with Eric and his family’s dynamic. His attitude Iits perfectly in line with what would be expected from a teenage boy, especially one who struggles to connect with his mother and his cultural heritage. However, as the dreams begin to come to life and he starts to connect with his mother towards the end of the novel, it lifts a weight off Eric’s shoulders and readers can feel this as well. All the teenage angst and resentment that blinded him before is lifted, and he is able to fully appreciate not only his culture, but his parents. “Dragon Surf” is such a unique and wonderful YA read!

Dragon Surf

D.G. Driver with Jenni Bautista

Richard

URBAN FANTASY: Eric Long lives the life of a Chinese American teenage boy, struggling to accept his heritage and clinging to the All-American life. He focuses on his goals to become a champion surfer like his father before him, and is reluctant to show any interest in his mother’s knack for Chinese artistry. However, when Eric starts to have vivid dreams depicting a dragon, much like those in his mother’s artwork, he begins to question where they came from and why. As he questions his ancestry and those before him, he Iinds himself in a near death experience when the

Sadie Wilson

The Blood of Faeries (The Allison Lee Chronicles Book 2)

Dan Rice

Everyone knows the monster girl, Allison Lee. With protestors camped out on her front lawn each day and a tight security detail, Allison’s life has been nowhere near normal since she was exposed as a shape-shifting monster. She would like to forget the skaag part of her being. But she can’t because the skaag that long slept inside of her is now hungry to be loose. She can keep the skaag part of herself in check, most of the time. Despite wanting to go back to her life of photography and friends, she Iinds her life going ever further from that normal time as her friend and onetime boyfriend goes missing. Allison and her friends must work together to Iind Hajia and risk their own lives in the process.

This is the second book in the series, and while it can be read alone it is much more confusing without the backstory provided by the Iirst book. Dan Rice does a great job of describing this fantasy world and its monsters, immersing you in a world full of dragons, skaags, magic, and faeries. The dialogue in the book can get tedious and is sometimes even annoying in the repetition of words and phrases. The use of heroin as a way to do magic is not fully explained, and the world accepting magic with drug use is somewhat perplexing. The Iight scenes are well done and invigorating. This fantasy is Iilled with plot twists and turns at

Allison Gygi

While Mitchell “Mitch” Skaggs is playing beach volleyball for fun with some friends, he is noticed by Coach Tom Buchanan. Tom offers Mitch the chance of a lifetime to play professional beach volleyball. Mitch is apprehensive about this idea, especially since he already loves his job as an athletic trainer. As he is talking about being approached to play volleyball at his workplace, McKenzie “Zee” Bowman, a shy, dedicated gymnast who also trains there, slowly talks him into it. Mitch has a huge crush on McKenzie, who secretly likes him too. As Mitch gets McKenzie to slowly open up, McKenzie doesn’t know if she should even trust him, especially when there are many obstacles in the way. Busy schedules and even McKenzie’s own mother could destroy the budding relationship between them.

What a beautifully told contemporary sports romance that is a completely engaging tale! The passion of both athletes is well-researched and wonderfully told, deIinitely putting readers in an Olympic spirit! Sure, most readers may want to start at the beginning of the series just to get the scope of all the minor regular intervals. The clifIhanger at the end will ensure that readers come back when he releases book three.

Cara Cieslak