Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman

We’ve all heard the Greek myth of Persephone. You know, she’s the reason why the season’s change, but what you probably don’t know is that she has a much more interesting story and she is here to share it.

Persephone feels like her mother Demeter, is strangling her. She keeps her locked up in the garden with no one her own age and is honestly getting quite frustrated with it. One day when her mother is out being the center of attention at some festival or another, a strange man appears in garden. In Persephone’s eyes he is the most handsome and mysterious man (as well as the only) man she has ever met and he fascinates her even though she doesn’t even know his name.

When he offers her the dream of a lifetime, to leave the garden and come live with him she jumps at the chance, not really caring what her mother thinks. What she finds out later though is he is Hades and lives in the underworld, but now she really can’t do anything about it. In her mind though it doesn’t matter. She’s with a man she loves and is getting to do what she wants for the first time ever. What she doesn’t realize though is that while she is having a good time in the underworld, back up Earth havock is being wrecked. Will Persephone decide to stay in the underworld or will she return to a world of restraints up on Earth?

Gosh, I was really looking forward to this book and it was good yes, but it wasn’t as great as I thought it would be. I enjoyed the fun new twist on an old myth and definitely liked Persephone’s independent personality.

The characters were very basic and flat and I just really couldn’t connect with them. I did however enjoy how Hades was made to be a “cool” guy and how Persephone viewed him with a positive attitude. I also enjoyed how Persephone felt like a real teen – looking for independence and doing what she felt was right without giving regard to others!

I found the plot to be quite repetitive and slow moving, but as I mentioned before enjoyed the new look that Persephone had. I did however enjoy the ending and it really saved the book in my eyes. The writing wasn’t dazzling, but it did keep me reading so I can’t say that it was that bad.

Overall I liked this book and thought it was a decent debut for the author. If you’re a big fan of Greek mythology than I think you should definitely give this book a try as it really is quite entertaining to read about this new twist in her story.

Don’t Judge a Girl by her Cover by Ally Carter

Cammie Morgan, our favorite teen spy, is back in action. Its summer time and Cammie is excited to finish it out with a bang when she goes off to visit her roommate Macey in Boston. When you’re a spy though the word “exciting” is synonymous with “dangerous,” and danger is exactly what Cammie and Macey for that matter, get.

When the girls return to school for the start of junior year, Cammie can’t shake what happened to them in Boston and nowhere feels safe anymore, not even her school. She feels like there are secrets everywhere and old flames are popping up every which way Cammie turns. Cammie and her friends are also quite confused with the answerless questions of who was after Macey and Cammie on that fateful day in Boston.

Soon though Cammie and Becks are asked to accompany Macey (as her personal security guards) on her dad’s campaign trail. Together the three of them keep up with their spy training while trying to uncover the answers to many, many secrets and possibly discovering the shocking truth.

This series is one of a kind and just plain great. Cassie is such an independent person and I love the adventure that takes place. Ally Carter is also such a fabulous author that I get lost in her writing every time I pick up one of her books. DON’T JUDGE A GIRL BY HER COVER is no exception to this said awesomeness.

The characters were a lot of fun. Cammie was determined to succeed in her missions, which I had to admit I was very jealous of and completely wanted to partake in, and very resbonsible. I have to admit though, she was a little boy crazy which made me a little annoyed, but hey a teen girl has to have her priorities! Talking about boys, I loved how admist politcs and spies and such Ally Carter incorporated something as common as boy drama, which really made the reader connect with the story. I also loved Bex. She was such a strong character and she could seriously kick some butt!

Overall I really, really liked this book and thought it was a great addition to the series, it may almost be the best one yet.  The writing was fun, but intense at times and the author really knows how to suck you in. I know that I cannot wait for the fourth Gallagher Girl book.

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

Picking up just days after THE SUMMONING left off, Chloe is back and ready for her next great adventure.

Chloe always thought she was a normal girl, until a couple of weeks ago that is. Now she has been captured once again by the Edison Group, as she is a teen necromancer, that’s right she can raise the dead and she really doesn’t have much control over it. Chloe is now in the race for her life as she has escaped from the Group for a second time and absolutely cannot get caught. Along with her are her three friends, who all happen to be supernatural’s as well. There’s Tori, a whiny witch, Derek, a sarcastic wereworlf, and Simon a flirtatious sorcerer. These four kids have to find help quickly or die trying. If they don’t, the Edison Group will get them once and for all and they would be turned into lab rats, which is the last thing any of these kids want.

I love this series. It is suspenseful and action packed and I couldn’t wait to finish it from the moment I picked it up, it was just so good. If you haven’t read the first book though, I highly suggest you pick it up, because it provides a lot of necessary information.

The characters in the this book were much more developed than in THE SUMMONING. I felt Like I got to know each of the four main people a little bit better and they were actually a lot of fun and wish they had been a bit more 3-D. All four characters really formed a stronger relationship together and it made the book feel less empty. Tori was especially fun, her tantrums made me laugh a lot!

The plot was riveting and fast paced. It literally flew past for me and I couldn’t believe it was over when I closed the back cover. There was so much adventure and many twits and turns that kept my heart racing. I also enjoyed the author’s writing. She did a great job creating a lot of suspense and she quickly developed the story so there was never a dull moment.

Overall I really liked this installment in the Darkest Power trilogy. I absolutely cannot wait for the third book because the ending left the reader hanging once again.