Anne Heltzel’s debut novel, Circle 9
Full disclosure: I read an advance copy, so I’m unable to quote from the book.

A fairly short novel, but not without depth, Circle 9 is the story of Abby, a girl who wakes with no memory, covered with ashes, with only a sense of connection to the boy by her side. This is a powerfully engaging story with dark themes, and no easy answers. I couldn’t put it down and read it in one sitting. I highly recommend, but be warned that it is not a happy story.

Love’s Labours Won (available for purchase here) by S.G. Lee

This paranormal romance/thriller straddles the line between young adult/teen fiction and

adult fiction. The e-book is approximately 210 pages, and available for nearly every device imaginable.

This is a quick-paced and fun read. Sarah is young and unemployed but willing to work, making her a character that is easy to identify with. Sarah has no family to turn to for help — at least she believes she has no family. Where the book gets interesting is that when Sarah finds out (quite by accident on her part, she was just looking for a job) that she has family she didn’t know about, she opens a whole can of worms. There is intrigue, magic, murder and some doubt as to who can be trusted. Sarah is a strong-willed female character who is sweet and kind without being a pushover which I really like after reading recent fiction that involved “blank-slate” female characters with all the ambition and self-identity of a slug. Sarah never sits back and waits for rescue when she knows that she is in trouble.

I highly recommend this book. ★★★★ out of ★★★★★

Carrie Jones’ Need revolves around a teenage girl named Zara who is moving from warm North Carolina to chilly Maine. That description sounds similar to Twilight’s Bella who moved from Phoenix, Arizona, to Forks, Washington, but the similarity ends there. (more…)

I’ll update with a thumbs up/thumbs down and a book review for each of these as I finish them. (more…)