White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

High School Fiction

G/A. Armentrout, Jennifer L. White Hot Kiss. HarlequinTEEN, 2014. 382p. 978-0-373-21110-4. $9.99.

Layla is half demon and half gargoyle.  She feels as though she doesn't fit in anywhere. Her human friends don't know that she's really not human.  She can't shape shift like the other gargoyles or Wardens. And she constantly has to deal with her demon half that craves the stealing of souls.  She's lived in relative safety all her life with an adopted Warden family, but now that she's seventeen, the number of demons coming topside has skyrocketed and too many have been hunting Layla. She meets Roth, a high level demon who claims he's there to protect her.  Layla doesn't believe him; demons are the enemy after all.  Yet he's saved her life more than once.  Roth challenges her perception of demons in general and gets her to take a closer look at them, at herself, and even at him.  Roth is nothing like Zayne, the Warden she's been in love with forever, but who only looks at her as just a younger sister.  While Roth may be a vain and sarcastic demon, he's not evil.  There's more to him than what she initially assumed, and as her distrust of him lessens, her feelings and attraction to Roth grows.  With the demon threat against her life growing, Layla decides that she can't just stay at home.  She and Roth strike a bargain to work together discover the demon who's after her and maybe together they can stop what is sure to be the coming apocalypse if they fail. 

Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

High School Fiction

F/A. Shirvington, Jessica. Embrace. Sourcebooks Fire, 2012. 978-1-4022-6840-3. $16.99.

On her seventeenth birthday, Violet Eden finds out that her life is not what it seems. Her friend and crush, Lincoln has been lying to her.  Like her, he is part angel and part human.  Now Violet is set with a difficult decision; she must fully embrace her angel side or deny her powers even if it costs Lincoln his life.  For fans of Lauren Kate’s Fallen or Becca Fitzpatrick’s Hush, Hush.   

Born Wicked: The Cahill Chronicles Book 1

High School Fiction

G/A. Spotswood, Jessica. Born Wicked: The Cahill Witch Chronicles, Book 1. Putnam’s Sons, 2012. 336p. 978-0-399-25745-2. $17.99.

Cate’s mother dies, making her promise to take care of her two younger sisters.  Cate and her sisters are harboring a terrible secret—they are witches and if they are found out by the Brotherhood, they will be sent to an asylum, to a prison to do hard labor, or be put to death.  In six months, Cate must come to a decision, either to marry or to join the Sisterhood. She must announce her decision at her upcoming Intention Ceremony or else the Brotherhood will choose for her.  Her best friend from childhood, Paul, returns to court her, but Cate’s attention is fixated on Finn Belastra, the new gardener.  Her mother’s diary also reveals that she and her sisters may very well be the sisters of a prophecy predicted to bring great power back to the witches, but also usher in a new time of terror.  Cate is faced with heavy decisions. Will she choose between her two suitors or join the ranks of the Sisterhood?  How will she ever find the means to save everyone she loves? 

 

-C. Campos, Angeles Mesa Branch Library, LAPL

Nightshade

High School Fiction

G/A. Cremer, Andrea. Nightshade. Philomel Books, 2010. 454p. 978-0-399-25482-6. $17.99.

On her eighteenth birthday, Calla, alpha female of the Nightshade pack, will be bound to Ren, alpha of the Bane pack as his mate and their two packs will be joined. But when she breaks the rules by saving the life of a human boy from a bear attack and exposing herself as a werewolf, her destiny is changed forever. The human boy, Shay, begins attending her school, unaware that it is unlike any other high school in Vail, Colorado, filled with wolves and witches where humans occupy the lowest order. However, there is something extraordinary and mysterious about Shay. He does not betray Calla’s secret; instead Calla finds herself ordered by her master to become his friend and bodyguard. Their mutual attraction develops quickly into love and friendship. Calla is torn between her loyalty to her pack and her feelings for Shay. Will Calla follow the course that has been laid out for her and become Ren’s mate or will she choose to follow her own path and her heart with Shay? Readers of paranormal romance will enjoy the elements of forbidden love and the love triangle between Calla, Shay and Ren. The second in the trilogy, Wolfsbane, is due out in July 2011. Recommended for fans of Blood and Chocolate, Shiver, and Raised by Wolves.

Halo

General YA Fiction

F/A. Adornetto, Alexandra. Halo. Feiwel and Friends, 2010. 484p. 978-0-312-65626-3. $16.99.


Three angels sent from Heaven on a mission to bring goodness to the world arrive in Venus Cove, a sleepy seaside town: Gabriel, the warrior, the archangel; Ivy a healer and seraphim, one of the wisest angels; and finally Bethany, the youngest of the three. She is ecstatic to be among humans and to be starting high school at Bryce Hamilton. She meets Xavier, the handsome school captain. Bethany knows that she must not reveal her true nature. Falling in love with a human is forbidden, but she cannot resist her undeniable attraction towards Xavier. Meanwhile, Venus Cove is falling under the influence of dark forces. Will the angels be able to save everyone in time or will Bethany’s violation of the rules put them all in jeopardy? The first in a new series. While fans of Fallen and Hush, Hush will be attracted to this title; they may find the pacing slow and the romance saccharine. Camille Campos, LAPL, Angeles Mesa