Nikki is a 17 year old girl who one day just up and disappeared without a trace. Six months later, she comes back, looking very different and acting very strangely. What no one knows is that Nikki has been gone for a century (in Everneath, and not human years) and is only back for a few months before she has to go back. She also didn’t come back alone. A boy named Cole who was the one responsible for her going to the Everneath is back looking for her, trying to lure her back and not taking no for an answer.

Nikki’s time on the surface is limited and she uses it trying to mend relationships that were severed upon her mysterious disappearance. Her relationship with her father after her mother’s death, her friendship with BFF Jules, and most importantly her relationship with her ex-boyfriend Jack since that was the biggest reason for her returning. Once her time is up, she must choose to either return to the Everneath with Cole, where she can be an Ever-Living all the while draining energy from unsuspecting humans in order to survive, or go to the tunnels, she she will be stuck forever in darkness.

I felt very heartbroken for Nikki once it was revealed what was the series of events that led to her demise, and now that she was back she was trying to hard to get her life back, all the while knowing that she couldn’t really stay, no matter what she did. She wanted to be with the ones she loved, but at the same time didn’t want to build their hopes up at her return, because she knew she wasn’t going to be around for long.

The love triangle in this book is sort of unique. Nikki is not head over heels over Cole, she actually hates him, but is tied to him in very profound ways. He will not leave her alone and becomes her shadow, when all she wants is for him to go away and leave her alone. Jack, on the other hand, is the boy she actually loves and cares for, and he’s the one who she came back for. He had a lot to do with her disappearance and he will do anything he can to get her back, the problem is that Nikki is keeping her distance, so as not to hurt him. Can she trust Jack with her truth? Can she escape her fate of going back to the tunnels or to the Everneath? Can she actually get her life back?

I highly recommend this book. It was very well written, the words flowed, and the plot had very nice progression. Although you got bits and pieces at a time, you actually felt like you were going to get the whole story eventually. I’m glad I stuck with it and I can hardly wait for the sequel. 4 Stars.

Jackson tries without success to jump back to 2009, but every attempt takes him even further into the past, where he tries to make a connection with his now deceased sister. Each one of these attempts are temporary and brings him right back to 2007, where Jackson is realizing that he is stuck, and no longer able to make it back to his own year 2009. Jackson tries to make the best our of a bad situation and seeks his girlfriend Holly (who isn’t yet his girlfriend in 2007) and his friend Adam who he had confided to in 2009 about his time travel abilities.

Friendships are renewed, romances rekindled, and family loyalty becomes questionable in Jackson’s new world. He finds that his abilities entail more than he could even dream of and he is forced to make a choice that could mean the end of the world as we know it, or his happiness.

I normally, scratch that, most of the time, find books about time travel very difficult to read and comprehend. Tempest is one of those books that start off slow, keeping you guessing, not quite understanding where the plot is going, until it picks up in a big way towards the end. I think Tempest will be one of those books that will be better as a movie, although as a book it was pretty good as well. Though it is a very interesting plot, I believe it will most likely translate better visually, than it does on paper. I applaud Julie Cross for tackling this subject and keeping a consistent timeline. I think I would have enjoyed this book more had it been more past-paced towards the beginning, or even the middle. The fact that it started off so slow caused me to loose a bit of interest in the story. It didn’t quite grab me at the start, but it packed a bunch of action at the end that was indeed very entertaining. I give this book 3 stars, because even though it didn’t start out as my favorite, it proved worth it in the end.

As Delaney physically recovers from her accident she discovers that she now has a physical reaction to when someone around her is going to die. Her fingers start shaking and she feels a strong pull toward the dying. Following this pull brings her face to face with Troy, another accident victim that died and miraculously came back. Troy lost his entire family in the accident that almost took his life, so in turn he is very disturbed and has taken it upon himself to show Delaney what they are meant to do with this ability of being able to know when someone is about to die. Problem is, that Delaney doesn’t agree with Troy’s methods and philosophy and wants to believe that there is another way.

We are introduced to a love triangle as well. Delaney’s friend since they were kids, Decker, was the one who pulled her out of the lake and performed CPR on her until the ambulance got there. He is possibly the reason she is still alive and her best friend in the whole world. He is also the first boy that ever ever kissed her (although it was on a dare) and the only person who understands her. There is a lot of awkwardness and tension between Decker and Delaney as they both discover that they cannot live without each other.

“What would you do if you only had one day to live?” is what Delaney wants to know of the people around her as she watches her loved ones fall apart under the pressure of Delaney’s almost-death and her behavior ever since she came back. Although Delaney is back from the dead, she is not the same Delaney everyone knew. Death had changed her. I quite enjoyed this book, although I was lost at times with Delaney’s inner monologue and her train of though felt disjointed at times. I would recommend it though for the paranormal element and give it 3 stars.

Unearthly introduces us to Clara, a young California girl who is anything but ordinary. She is an angelblood, a descendant from the union of an angel and a human, or in her case, of another angelblood and a human. This mix makes her a Quartarius, or 1/4 angel and 3/4 human. There is no secret as to what Clara is and what is expected of her. From a very young age her mother, another angelblood, revealed to Clara and her brother that they are angelbloods and that they will start seeing visions of their “purpose” or what they were put on this earth for. Every angelblood has a purpose and it is known to them that they are supposed to complete it, no questions asked.

The story progresses as Clara meets the guy in her vision, Christian, and does anything possible to get his attention, to the point of becoming obsessed with him. Her vision becomes more detailed and comes on at random times, frustrating Clara as she doesn’t know exactly what is expected of her, but she assumes that she is supposed to save Christian from this forest fire.

Clara’s purpose is thrown for a loop when another guy injects himself into Clara’s life, becoming her new focus and in the process angering her mother. We as the readers are introduced to a love triangle as well as a whole new world of angels, good and bad. Should Clara follow her heart or follow her destiny?

I for one adored this book. I loved the story and loved the characters even more. Clara’s mother is at the top of my list, being a mother myself, level-headed and wise although she did frustrate me many times with her secrecy, not revealing to Clara information that seemed key to her figuring out her purpose. Clara’s brother reminded me so much of my own son, sports obsessed and unwilling to to hold back just to seem normal. Clara’s friends who welcomed her to a new school with open arms. Finally Tucker, oh forever Team Tucker.

Cynthia hand does a marvelous job with this book. Wonderfully well written and captivating, you will be unable to put this book down, or in my case, to press pause. The audiobook’s narrator does a great job as well with Clara’s voice, keeping within the slower tempo of the story, and with changing her voice over to the different characters, making those who are older sound older, etc. I give this book 5 stars. It simply blew me away and I totally recommend this to anyone who is a fan of the Hush Hush and Mortal Instruments series, or just simply likes to read a well-told coming of age story.

Caitlin Shaughnessy, a Canadian journalist, discovers that Inez, a traumatized young Mayan woman originally from Guatemala, has killed Caitlin's psychoanalyst partner, Dr. Jerry Simpson. Simpson brought the girl, who may be autistic, back to Canada as an act of mercy and to attempt to treat her obvious trauma. Cailin desperately needs to find out why this terrible incident occurred so she can find the strength to forgive and move on with her life.
Inez, whose sense of wonder and innocence touches all who meet her, becomes a focal point for many of the Canadians who encounter her. As Caitlin struggles to uncover the truth about Inez's relationship with Jerry, Inez struggles to break free of the projections of others. Each must confront her own anger and despair. The doctors in the north have an iciness that matches their surroundings, a kind of clinical armour that Caitlin must penetrate if she is to reach Inez.
The Girl in the Box is a psychological drama of the highest order and a gripping tale of intrigue and passion.

Review

Every once in a while you read a book that mimics real life, the stuff you hear in the news, the stuff you never think can happen to you or someone you love. This is that kind of book. Sheila Dalton tells us the story of Jerry Simpson, a Canadian psychoanalyst on vacation in Guatemala; Of Inez, a young mute Mayan girl who he found chained up and locked up in a shed that resembled something like a box (thus the title) and whom he rescues and brings to Canada with him; And of As Caitlin, Jerry's partner back in Canada, who after getting close with Inez and caring for her, one day finds out that Jerry has been murdered and Inez is the likely culprit.

Dalton has a way with the written word and with telling this heart-gripping story about hope, love, and doing what's right. What would you do if you suddenly found out your loved one was killed by another person you cared for who is mentally unstable? Would you condemn the killer or would you try to understand him/her condition? Caitlin is torn between helping Inez get the help she needs or get justice for Jerry, the love of her life.

I was a bit hesitant when I started reading this book, mostly because the issues it deals with (murder, autism, immigrant status) seemed too somber and difficult to read about, but as I kept progressing through the book, I realized this book is about more than that. It is about compassion and the human condition, about loving someone unconditionally, and about doing what's right. This book is an absolute great read.

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