Title: Texas Gothic
Author: Rosemary Clement-Moore
Published: July, 2011 by Corgi Books
Pages: 400
Rating:  
Purchase: The Book Depository

Amy Goodnight knows that the world isn’t as simple as it seems—she grew up surrounded by household spells and benevolent ghosts. But she also understands that “normal” doesn’t mix with magic, and she’s worked hard to build a wall between the two worlds. Not only to protect any hope of ever having a normal life.

Ranch-sitting for her aunt in Texas should be exactly that. Good old ordinary, uneventful hard work. Only, Amy and her sister, Phin, aren’t alone. There’s someone in the house with them—and it’s not the living, breathing, amazingly hot cowboy from the ranch next door.

It’s a ghost, and it’s more powerful than the Goodnights and all their protective spells combined. It wants something from Amy, and none of her carefully built defenses can hold it back.

This is the summer when the wall between Amy’s worlds is going to come crashing down.

Final Thoughts:
I was expecting something a bit more witchy. Instead, the books spent the majority of its time digging up bones, literally. It took me almost a week to get through this one, which is partially why I rated it as low as I did. The other reason stems from the fact that plot left me confused as to where it was going, what was important, and generally underwhelmed. It wasn’t all bad though, the characters had their fun quirks and nuances, which in a different plot probably would have really interested me. There’s also a cute cowboy next door reigning in the romance front. Definitely for those who enjoy the “I hate you.” “No, I hate you more.” types of romances. Lots of tension!

Title: Shade (Shade #1)
Author: Jeri Smith-Ready
Published: May, 2010 by Simon & Schuster
Pages: 320
Rating:  
Purchase: The Book Depository

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan’s band playing a critical gig and Aura’s plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend’s life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan’s sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He’s gone.
Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan’s violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn’t help that Aura’s new friend Zachary is so understanding–and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit. As Aura’s relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura’s heart…and clues to the secret of the Shift.

Final Thoughts:
Ghosts visible to everyone sixteen and under, I really loved this idea. It did take me a while to get into it, though. I still enjoyed the mix of characters so it wasn’t boring per se, but nothing substantial seemed to be happening until the second half. I’d seen people raving over this for a while so I’d grabbed myself a copy without reading the blurb, but that didn’t save me. A friend of mine let me in on the world breaker after she read it. It’s probably one of the better ones I’ve seen, killing off the love interest, especially so early in the book, really sucked me in.

Title: The Name of the Star (Shades of London #1)
Author: Maureen Johnson
Published: October, 2011 by HarperCollins
Thanks: HarperCollins, AU via NetGalley
Pages: 372
Rating:  
Purchase: The Book Depository

The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it’s the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn’t notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

Final Thoughts:
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one. I’ve never really followed the Jack the Ripper history, at least I hadn’t until a university assignment had me watching one of the movies. While this book does draw a lot of focus towards the murders, it bridles it with plenty of boarding school drama to keep things from getting too morbid. When you add in a dash of the paranormal and a heap of likeable characters, it makes for an enjoyable read.