Summer's Opus

Title: The Realm Below: The Rise of Tanipestis Author: Susan Rooke Genre: YA Christian Fantasy Fiction Rating: Five Stars! When I love a book, I’m always leery about picking up its sequel. I know, that may sound crazy, but I’ve read a few series where the subsequent books have turned me off to the entire universe. Hopefully, you don’t know what I mean (because you’ve always struck literary gold every time you’ve picked up a book series!). If, however, you’re all too familiar with my plight, then you’ve undoubtedly shared some of my reticence as you’ve reached for the second book of a series. Will it be as good? Will the storyline progress in a way that keeps me engaged? Will I be able to continue to love and hate the same characters with an equal amount of passion? As an avid reader, we tend to build intimate, passionate relationships with our books, so committing to a series is serious business! This month, I happily volunteered to read the second book of Susan ...

Title: Scintillate Author: Karen Tjebben Genre: YA Paranormal Fiction Rating: Four Stars Kate Archer is instantly drawn to Nick, the new boy at school. He’s handsome, smart, and interested in her — perhaps a little too much, at least according to just about everyone in Kate’s life. Even her parents think he’s creepy, but Kate instantly falls in love with Nick after he rescues her from a random, mysterious attacker. Romance blossoms — in epic teen-puppy-love fashion — so despite all of the warnings from family and friends, and in spite of the nagging feelings of déjà vu that Kate experiences, Kate and Nick’s relationship continues to grow. All is gushingly perfect between the two until Kate accidentally eavesdrops on a conversation that changes her life forever. Nick, as it turns out, isn’t just the boy next door, and Kate is just beginning her transformation into something that is both fascinating and horrifying. On a personal note, this book reminded me that ther...