Fury (Fury #1) by Elizabeth Miles

Emily and Chase have each done something bad.  Em hooked up with her best friend's boyfriend while Chase's idea of revenge got a little out of hand.  When three beautiful and mysterious girls turn up in their town and begin manipulating Em and Chase, they are in real trouble.  Sometimes sorry isn't enough and someone has to pay.

Jeez, this was a creepy story.  There was one part I read right before going to bed and I regretted it.  It reminded me of Final Destination in a way.  Because in those movies if you escape death it will come for you until it gets you.  The Furies' determination to make Emily and Chase pay is relentless.  And the thing is that both Emily and Chase did something that was terrible but I don't think it was quite up to what happened to them.  Maybe it was and I just felt sorry for them.  I don't know.  This was a riveting book and I almost couldn't put it down.  The writing wasn't as polished as some of the books I've read lately but the story was good and made up for some of the clunkier writing.  It is apparently a trilogy so it will be interesting to see where Miles takes the rest of the story.

From the publisher for review
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publish date:  8/30/11
ISBN: 9781442422247

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

When Ari goes searching for her mother it leads her to New 2, the city formally known as New Orleans, now a washed out shadow of itself after two hurricanes devastated the area.  There she finds all manner of people and she begins to learn about the curse that has taken the life of her mother and so many before her.

I'd just killed a man - my fingers flexed on the hilt of the blade - with a goddamn miniature sword.
Family time with the Sandersons never covered this.  p.22

The good: New Orleans, baby!  It was fun reading a book and knowing all the places the author was describing.  From Covington and Mandeville (where my in-laws live) to the drive across the Causeway to the Garden District and the French Quarter, I know it all and I love it in a book.  Especially a book about New Orleans basically existing outside of the United States and being truly its own place. The atmosphere was just right for a book about paranormal creatures because what better place than New Orleans.  Ari is a pretty kickass character though she jumps to conclusions too quickly and is always ready to just leave when she doesn't like how things are going.  Sebastian too is pretty awesome and definitely a worthy boy for Ari.  I think Violet, a mysterious little girl, might be my favorite character.  Something about her intrigues me.

The bad: My problem with this book is that it reads like an adult writer writing a young adult book.  While I'm not opposed to language in a book (I rarely mention it in a review) this cursing felt forced in places.  Some of the characters who used curse words just seemed wrong saying them.  It was odd.  And I felt like it pulled me out of the book and made me contemplate whether or not such a character would really say that. I also felt like the author just threw every supernatural or paranormal creature at the book hoping something would stick. I was initially disappointed by the reveal of the main antagonist and who Ari turns out to be.  It just felt random.  But I can see it working too so maybe I withhold judgement on that point.

The Goddess Test (e-book) by Aimee Carter

To save her dying mother, Kate makes a deal with the mysterious and handsome Henry.  He will delay her mother's death if Kate agrees to spend 6 months out of the year with him for the rest of her life. But first she has to pass a series of tests that have left all the previous girls who've tried dead.

Persephone is the new It girl, I am assuming.  Because I know that Meg Cabot has a series coming out soon about her and then there is this book.  It's not about Persephone per se but she figures into the plot a fair amount without making an actual appearance.  I'm kind of hoping she shows up at some point in this trilogy.  Anyway...

Kate is an ok kind of girl.  Her mother is dying and she doesn't know what to do with her life.  Because she has devoted so much of her life to taking care of her mother.  When her mother brings Kate back to her hometown to die there, Kate is manipulated into the position of saving her mother by taking the Goddess Test by Henry, the owner of a large manor house outside of the town.  So Kate has to pass tests that she is not aware of even taking and stay alive since all the girls who have tried have ended up dead.  Slowly, ever so slowly, Kate figures out who Henry really is and yet does not seem to get who everyone else is around her.  She doesn't come off as stupid but she is not very aware or not aware enough.  While I liked her, there were times when all I could think was Really?  And Henry is the standard, standoffish brooding hero.  I mean, given how Henry is, that is totally understandable, but you know, it had some Twilight moments. 

It was an easy read though, very engaging and, given how much I love Greek mythology, very fun for me.  It was nice to see these characters in other settings and how the progression of history might have changed them.  Kate is a super sweet and caring character and I didn't mind her.  I'm curious to see how the series will continue since there was no cliffhanger ending.  This is one series I will continue on with.

Provided by NetGalley
Publish date: April 19, 2011
Hogwarts: History of Magic