Next book

BROKEN ILLUSIONS

From the Midnight Dragonfly series , Vol. 2

Fans of paranormal thrillers and romances will find plenty to love in this gripping series.

With this steamy second installment, the Midnight Dragonfly series continues to sizzle.

Sixteen-year-old Trinity Mounsour would like to focus on normal teenage stuff—like her new job in her aunt's trendy New Orleans shop and her hot new boyfriend, Chase. But for this gifted psychic, a normal life is not in the cards. Another girl she knows is missing, she’s receiving some disturbing messages through a Ouija board, and she’s started seeing visions again. Trinity feels compelled to help find the missing girl, and so despite misgivings, she begins to investigate. Soon, the mysterious Dylan Fourcade is back in her life, and she can’t shake either the feeling that his destiny and hers are connected or the powerful attraction she feels for him. Thus it is that Trinity finds herself in the midst of both a murder mystery—one which seems to be closing in quickly on Trinity’s loved ones—and a tangled teenage love triangle. While the plentiful and (even for the genre) implausible plot twists can truly boggle the mind, the cliffhangers at the end of each chapter will keep readers turning pages. In addition to the thrill factor, an effective balance of quick dialogue and occasional text messages with rich descriptions of the gothic New Orleans setting and Trinity’s visions makes for an absorbing read.

Fans of paranormal thrillers and romances will find plenty to love in this gripping series. (Paranormal mystery. 12 & up)

Pub Date: May 8, 2012

ISBN: 978-0-312-64703-2

Page Count: 352

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Review Posted Online: April 17, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2012

Next book

ANYA'S GHOST

In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and...

A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her.

Anya feels out of place at her preppy private school; embarrassed by her Russian heritage, she has worked hard to lose her accent and to look more like everyone else. After a particularly frustrating morning at the bus stop, Anya storms off, only to accidentally fall down a well. Down in the dark hole, she meets Emily, a ghost who claims to be a murder victim trapped down in the dank abyss for 90 years. With Emily’s help, Anya manages to escape, though once free, she learns that Emily has traveled out with her. At first, Emily seems like the perfect friend; however, once her motives become clear, Anya learns that “perfect” may only be an illusion. A moodily atmospheric spectrum of grays washes over the clean, tidy panels, setting a distinct stage before the first words appear. Brosgol’s tight storytelling invokes the chilling feeling of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002), though for a decidedly older set. 

In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and outward appearance. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)

Pub Date: June 7, 2011

ISBN: 978-1-59643-552-0

Page Count: 224

Publisher: First Second

Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011

Next book

THE CHANGING MAN

A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.

After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.

Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.

A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)

Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023

ISBN: 9781250868138

Page Count: 384

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023

Close Quickview