Review: Deadly Descendant by Jenna Black

Title: Deadly Descendant
Author: Jenna Black
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Nikki Glass #2

Mass Market Paperback, 355 pages

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Publication: April 24, 2012 by Pocket Books

Source: bought, personal shelf

An ancient evil is unleashed in the modern world— unless one fearless P.I. can hunt it down. . . . Nikki Glass, Immortal Huntress, returns in this new novel in the acclaimed series by Jenna Black.
As a living descendant of Artemis the Huntress, private investigator Nikki Glass knows how to track someone down. But when an Oracle shows up, warning the Descendants about wild dog attacks in Washington, D.C., Nikki is afraid it might be a trap. The Olympians believe the “dogs” are really jackals, controlled by a blood-crazed descendant of the Egyptian death-god Anubis. Whatever. . . . If Nikki hopes to muzzle Dogboy, she’s got to catch him in the act. But when she stakes out a local cemetery, she ends up face-to-snout with a snarling pack of shadow-jackals whose bite is worse than their bark. These hellhounds are deadly—even for an immortal like Nikki. “Dog” spelled backward may be “god,” but that won’t stop Nikki from teaching these old gods some new tricks. Like playing dead.

Nikki Glass is a descendant of the goddess Artemis which makes her a rare commodity amongst the Liberis (descendants of different gods/goddesses). Nikki is able to locate anyone, even those who don’t want to be found and her aim is impeccable…a straight shooter who never misses her target.  Nikki been living with Anderson and his group of Liberis for the past couple of weeks, and is still trying to wrap her head around being an offspring of a goddess, figuring out her moon powers, and being somewhat immortal.  Nikki used to be a P.I. but instead of living at her own condo and working at her old independent job; she’s living at Anderson 24/7 and getting push deeper and deeper into the Liberi world. There‘s a pack of raging dog attacking white males all over D.C. and Anderson and the Olympians (the enemies) think it’s more of the supernatural variety…they suspect a descendant of Anubis is behind all the attacks. Anderson hires Nikki to look into the matter, hoping that if the killer can be found Nikki would be the perfect candidate for the job. Nikki not only has to deal with a crazy killer on the loose but also Anderson’s wife Emma thinks there is something going on between Nikki and her husband…and hell  hath no fury like a woman’s scorn.

In Deadly Descendant readers get to know more about Nikki, The Liberis and The Olympians.  Anderson, Jamaal (Anderson’s Liberi, descendant of Kali) and the crazy killer all has one thing in common…they are descendant of a death god/goddess. I thought the death descendants’ abilities were all so intriguing like death comes to anyone without a single touch, the ability to walk through anything solid, and create shadow animals and portals. I think the best part of the entire book was the budding relationship between Nikki and Jamaal, I love the tension but at the same time I cringe when I think about how the two were in book 1, Dark Descendant. Jamaal was hell bent on trying to kill/make life hell for Nikki when she accidentally killed his best friend. He hated her so much, but never did anything serious because he was afraid of getting kicked out of the house. Now, the two are slowly getting along, but not without a few bumps here and there.  Whenever Nikki and Jamaal got closer/along, Jamaal would pull away. It turns out Nikki and Jamaal have a lot more in common than I thought, both of them know the feelings of rejection, loneliness, and fear. 

Bottom Deadly Descendant was a great addition to the Nikki Glass series, and I can’t wait to see what Black has in store for Nikki and the gang. I highly recommend this series to all UF and PNR fans, and while I wasn’t blown away by the first book this book totally exceeded my expectations. Deadly Descendant was a nonstop action rollercoaster ride, with a fun mythology infused mystery and a sizzling chemistry of an unexpected couple. 

Review: Summoning by Carol Wolf

Title: Summoning
Author: Carol Wolf
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Moon Wolf Saga #1

Trade paperback, 320 pages

Publication: April 3, 2012 by Night Shade Books

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Source: Bought, personal library

The World Snake is coming, devourer of Thrace and Atlantis… and the only one standing in its way is Amber, a sixteen-year-old runaway, recently arrived in Los Angeles.

Amber is more than just a girl with a stolen ID and an attitude; she is a daughter of the wolf-kind, a shapeshifter able to change forms at will. One night, as Amber prowls the Hollywood Hills in wolf form, she stumbles onto an occult ceremony, interrupting the ritual. As a result, Amber finds herself the unwilling mistress of a handsome demonic servant, Richard. Appearing as a fair youth of eighteen years, Richard is a demon accidentally summoned, then captured, by Dr. John Dee, court magician to Queen Elizabeth I. Richard has been trying for four centuries to free himself from a succession of masters and mistresses, but finds himself bound to Amber, the only one who can protect him from his greatest fear, the herald of the World Snake, the Eater of Souls. But all hell is about to break loose, and Amber and Richard are going to need some allies to stop the Eater of Souls and avert the World Snake, and the battle has only begun.

 

Summoning is centered on sixteen-year-old Amber a wolf-shifter, and daughter of the moon wolf (moon wolf’s significance isn’t explained in the book but is hinted that her lineage is important). Amber is on the run from her family, and living in the city of Los Angeles as a painter/construction worker (I think). On one of Amber’s daily runs, she finds herself enthralled by the drumming on the hilltop. Upon arrival Amber notices that she just interrupted a group of Wiccan witches in the middle of a ritual and they’re about to kill a demon. The witches spares the demon’s life, letting Amber dispose of the demon as she wishes but she instead finds herself bound to the demon as his master.  The demon Richard warns Amber of a coming catastrophe that’s heading straight for L.A and that she is the city only hope to stop it.  The last thing Amber wanted was to be stuck with a demon but she isn’t about to let the city she loves be destroyed. Amber and Richard will have to get all the help they can get to stop the World Snake and Eater of Souls. 

The Summoning is labeled as an urban fantasy (adult I think) but it read more like a younger YA book, I mean the main heroine is sixteen-years-old but that isn’t the problem.  The writing and dialogue seemed choppy and amateurish, and while the heroine is a teenager…the way she acted, talked, her living situation, and job didn’t seem like she was sixteen more like in her early-middle twenties.  When I initially found this book, I thought the cover and synopsis sounded interesting and plus it had great reviews but it wasn’t what I expected. The Summoning had way too many plot holes that left me confused and full of questions at the end of the book.  For example the World snake and Eater of Souls, what are they exactly and why are they headed for L.A? The book mentioned that the World Snake was a female and Eater of Souls as male, and the Eater of Souls paved the way for the World Snake. They’re both the reason why some cities cease to exist (Thrace and Atlantis). Also Amber may have ran away from her family but how did she delude them for as long as she has when she’s still in the family territory? There wasn’t a lot that made sense, and since I couldn’t make head or tails of things I began to slowly lose interest in the story.  In the end I was still left with unanswered question and felt the ending was rushed and anticlimactic.

As for Amber, Richard and the secondary characters they all didn’t make any lasting impressions. I felt disconnected from Amber from the start. It didn’t help that for most of the book Amber acted like a hard ass, thinking she owns the city even though there were a lot of other magical beings living in the same area.  I really wanted to like the Summoning, but in the end it wasn’t for me. Bottom line, the Summoning was an okay read with a plot line that didn’t really hold my attention, lackluster characters and world-building that needs more improvement. 

Cover Reveal: Shudder by Samantha Durante + ARC Giveaway

PUBLICATION: JUNE 15, 2013
It’s only been three days, and already everything is different.

Paragon is behind her, but somehow Alessa’s life may actually have gotten worse. In a wrenching twist of fate, she traded the safety and companionship of her sister for that of her true love, losing a vital partner she’d counted on for the ordeal ahead. Her comfortable university life is but a distant memory, as she faces the prospect of surviving a bleak winter on the meager remains of a ravaged world. And if she’d thought she’d tasted fear upon seeing a ghost, she was wrong; now she’s discovering new depths of terror while being hunted by a deadly virus and a terrifying pack of superhuman creatures thirsting for blood.

And then there are the visions.

The memory-altering “stitch” unlocked something in Alessa’s mind, and now she can’t shake the constant flood of alien feelings ransacking her emotions. Haunting memories of an old flame are driving a deep and painful rift into her once-secure relationship. And a series of staggering revelations about the treacherous Engineers – and the bone-chilling deceit shrouding her world’s sorry history – will soon leave Alessa reeling…

The second installment in the electrifying Stitch Trilogy, Shudder follows Samantha Durante’s shocking and innovative debut with a heart-pounding, paranormal-dusted dystopian adventure sure to keep the pages turning.

Other covers in the series

click cover to learn more about Stitch
 

My review of Stitch, book 1 in the Stitch Trilogy

GR: Stitch|Shudder|Samantha Durante

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GIVEAWAY

Enter the Giveaway HERE!!!

Author Samanta Durante

Samantha Durante lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband, Sudeep, and her cat, Gio. Formerly an engineer at Microsoft, Samantha left the world of software in 2010 to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams and a lifelong love of writing. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology, Samantha is currently working full time for her company Medley Media Associates as a freelance business writer and communications consultant. The Stitch Trilogy is her debut series. Learn more about Samantha at |Website|Twitter|Facebook|GR|.

Review: Boyfriend from Hell by Jamie Quaid

Title: Boyfriend from Hell
Author: Jamie Quaid
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Saturn's Daughter #1

Mass Market Paperback, 387 pages

Publication: September 25, 2012 by Pocket Books

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Source: Bought, personal shelf 

They say justice is blind. But Justine isn’t.Justine (Tina) Clancy is just an ordinary law student with a faulty arrest record, a part-time job in Baltimore’s radioactive Zone, and a family secret so bizarre even she doesn’t believe it. That is, until in a fit of fury she damns her boyfriend to hell—and it’s exactly where he ends up.

Much to her surprise, Tina is apparently one of Saturn’s daughters, with the power to wield vigilante justice. But poor Max didn’t deserve to go up in flames, even if he did almost run her over with her own car. Tina’s convinced someone cut the brakes—and now a relentless nemesis is stalking her through the Zone’s back alleys, where buildings glow, statues move, and chemical waste exposure comes with interesting consequences. Tina’s usually a loner, but now she needs a posse like no other: a shape-shifting kitten, an invisible thief, a biker gang, a snake-charming private detective, a well-meaning cop, and her sleazy, sexy boss. But in between freeing Max from hell, saving her own neck, and solving a mystery that threatens the Zone and her newfound friends, how is she ever going to study for finals?

Boyfriend from Hell caught my attention back in 2012 with its kick-butt looking chick with a tire iron on the cover and a synopsis that promised a fun and interesting new world. I’m sad to say that Boyfriend from Hell didn’t meet my attention at all, and was nothing like I expected. I’ve read a lot of great reviews for the book, and some even said it was UF borderline comic-bookie which I totally can get into but I didn’t get that impression. Justine (Tina) is a 27 year-old law student who is in her last semester before she takes the bar, and as a side job she does the accounting for Andre’s many businesses (owns multiple, if not all of the businesses in the Zone). The Zone is a cornered off section of the city of Baltimore where most of the area was affected by a chemical spill. The Zone is a place where people and things aren’t as it seems…and the longer you’re there you’d start noticing strange phenomenon going on. That is precisely what happened to Tina after her boyfriend Max tries to run her over with her own car in the Zone, except right before he was about to hit her she muttered ‘Damn you to hell’ and Max and the car burst into a ball of flames. It turns out Tina’s car was rigged, and she accidently sent him to hell without knowing. Whoever killed Max is hoping to tie loose ends with Tina because she’s starting to figure out that there’s more to the story, herself and the people of the Zone. Tina will stop at nothing till Justice is served, because after all she’s the daughter of Saturn.

I thought the world building was fascinating, the Zone is full of different people with different abilities, I’m guessing this is where reviewers made the comparison to it being like a comic book…which I kind of get now but didn’t get that impression right away as I said before. The chemical spill obviously affected people after living in the Zone for so long, some examples are; a young guy with invisibility powers, a waitress that turns into a chimp every time she’s frighten, and a shape shifting kitty that turns into a bobcat-size cat whenever he sense danger just to name a few. Then we have our main heroine Tina, who I didn’t really warm up to right away nor did it get better throughout the book. She is the daughter of Saturn, someone who dishes out justice to those that deserve it. Whenever she does something to defend either herself/ or someone she is rewarded with personal improvements, which I found a little weird. What kind of personal improvements? Well, after accidently sending her boyfriend to hell, overnight Tina’s mousy limp hair is turned into this thick-luscious perfect shiny hair. Then after rescuing a co-worker from being rapped, Tina’s scarred leg discrepancy is no more…instead she grew 3-inches, had prefect legs and no more limping.

I mean I thought the whole serving justice thing is cool, but Tina’s overall attitude just kind of sucks. Tina is known to be friendless, and even though she begins to see the people in the Zone as friends she still comes off as snooty to everyone. For instance Andre her boss is known as a lying sleaze ball, but never once was he mean or nasty to Tina. He may joke here and there (nothing offensive) but he does A LOT to help her, he’s always there to save her from trouble, and seems to really like/care for her. What does Tina do? She mouths off at Andre every chance she gets, and at the same time says he’s so despicable but still comments on how hot she finds him. Talk about being ungrateful. When Tina discovered her new found ability, she thought herself as indestructible and can do whatever she waned which I found annoying. In the end Tina realizes it might be wise not to blow people/things up just because she could or to get new personal improvement...I don’t even know what to say. It’s kind of common sense to use your powers for the greater good, what Tina needed was a personality improvement.

Overall the ending felt rushed, and anticlimactic. The only thing that surprised me in the end was Max’s fate. Bottom line, Boyfriend from Hell was an okay plotted story with an unmemorable cast (except Andre) and an unlikeable-annoying heroine (a little fyi, Tina uses the word ‘hell’ a lot and every time she’s going after a bad guy she screams ‘Damn you to hell’…it got tiring/old quick). As I mentioned at the start of my review, a lot of people actually enjoyed this book, so while it isn’t for me…it might be for you. I suggest reading a chapter preview or except before reading/buying. The second book in the series, ‘DAMN HIM TO HELL’ (figures that would be the title LOL) hits stores June 2013. I will likely not be reading the second book, but am interested in knowing what Andre is or what his ability is. 

Review: Kitty Rocks the House by Carrie Vaughn

Title: Kitty Rocks the House
Author: Carrie Vaughn
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Kitty Norville #11

Mass Market Paperback, 336 pages

Publication: March 26, 2013 by TOR Books

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On the heels of Kitty's return from London, a new werewolf shows up in Denver, one who threatens to split the pack by challenging Kitty's authority at every turn. The timing could not be worse; Kitty needs all the allies she can muster to go against the ancient vampire, Roman, if she's to have any hope of defeating his Long Game. But there's more to this intruder than there seems, and Kitty must uncover the truth, fast. Meanwhile, Cormac pursues an unknown entity wreaking havoc across Denver; and a vampire from the Order of St. Lazaurus tempts Rick with the means to transform his life forever.

 

I haven’t read the previous books in the Kitty Norville series, but was able to seamlessly follow the story with the little background that the author provided. What I liked was that the author didn’t just throw a load of background information in the first chapter, but added one or two sentences throughout the book to explain whenever a new (new to the scene not overall) character entered the scene. Kitty Rocks the House is the 11^th book in the Kitty Norville Series; Kitty is the alpha werewolf of Denver and a radio talk show host at KNOB. Kitty is still adjusting to her role as alpha, from learning that she is responsible to care and lead the pack and essentially having their lives/fate determined by her. Life doesn’t slow down when one isn’t ready and Kitty and the vampire Rick, master of Denver are scouring all over the country for allies to fight against the vampire Roman (The Long Game). Meanwhile two new strangers show up in Denver, a vampire catholic priest and a lone werewolf. The lone werewolf Darren is apparently looking to join Kitty’s pack and she agrees to let him stay with them to see how things play out, but Darren indirectly challenges Kitty at every turn. Kitty is not sure if he’s doing it without really knowing or does he have an ulterior motive? As for the vampire priest, he temps with an offer that Rick has been searching for every since he was turn but that would mean leaving the city and being master of Denver.

This book came in the mail for review, and I didn’t know if I should read it being that it is the 11^th book in the series but I decided why not? I’m really glad I read it! Kitty is an awesome heroine, she funny, caring, smart, and while she’d prefer getting things resolved without violence…she’s not afraid to fight if it is the last resort. Kitty is a really understanding alpha to her pack and in general, she never thinks she’s above anyone and is just overall sensible. Between all the chaos and problems surrounding Kitty, she’s still a normal person with normal dreams and job. Dreams as in she wants to own a house, and eventually have children some day (alternatives options because weres can’t have kids). Throughout the book there were a couple of scenes with Kitty taking callers on the radio, and boy was those funny! The callers’ questions were hilarious and Kitty was definitely an entertaining hostess. Kitty Rocks the House felt like a transition between books, not a lot of action going on but I still enjoyed every single page. I wish I read this series a long time ago, just this book alone tells me that Kitty’s growth over the books is certainly not to be missed. I’m thinking about maybe starting the series with book 1, but we’ll see. Bottom line a great book, and what I think makes this series so popular is Kitty herself and her wonderful friends and family…everyone cares deeply for one another and from what I understand of the background, Kitty as alpha has made so much of a different she’s notorious far and wide. I look forward to seeing more of Kitty and her friends in the next book, Kitty in the Underworld which comes out July 30, 2013!

Review: The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Title: The Nightmare Affair
Author: Mindee Arnett
Genre: Young-Adult, Paranormal
Series: The Arkwell Academy #1

Hardcover, 367 pages

Publication: March 5, 2013 by TOR Teen

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Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare. Literally.

Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder.

Then Eli’s dream comes true.

Now Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.

Dusty Everhart is a Nightmare, a Magickind and in order to replenish her magic/powers she has to feed off of people’s dreams (and the best way to ‘feed’ is by sitting on the chest of the victim, which is as weird as it sounds lol). On one of her regular feeding trips she goes into the dream of Eli Booker, one of the hottest guys that go to her old high school. His dream is unlike any other dream she’d ever encounter, his was vivid and colorful versus the dull black and white one she been in…and he’s dreaming of a murder at her current school which should be impossible. Dusty is currently attending Arkwell Academy, a school for the Magickind (Fairies, mermaids, siren, demons etc) and there’s no way he’s been there because it’s for magical folks and he’s an ordinary human.  Before Dusty can analyze more of the dream, Eli grabs Dusty and boots her from the dream.  She tries to spell him to escape but everything she throws at Eli gets cancelled out. Things go from bad to worse when she arrives back at Arkwell to discover Eli’s dream has just came true. A murderer is on the loose, and the magis (top Magickind leaders) want Dusty to find the clues to who the killer is by using her Nightmare skills. There is a catch though, she’s only allowed to ‘feed’ off of Eli because it turns out she’s a dream-seer (someone who can see what will happen in the future) and it will only work when she’s with Eli.
 
When I first heard about this book, I knew I was going to like it from its cute cover to the intriguing synopsis about a girl who is the epitome of Nightmare (at least to what we think we know). This book is a mash up all things paranormal with a hint of Nancy Drew, Mean Girls, and Harry Potter. Many people probably think The Nightmare Affair is just another paranormal boarding school novel but it isn’t. Most of the paranormal beings aren’t the typical vampires or werewolves seen in most YA today but focus on other lesser known paras such as Sirens, Demons, fairies, wizards all with their own uniqueness and of course Nightmares. Although Nightmares are rare, and there is only three (including Dusty) within the whole area or even state (but you have to read the book to find out why!). The paranormal mystery in the story was interesting, it always kept me guessing who the killer was, and the overall characters were all well fleshed out, I enjoy every single character…even the snotty Lance and Katarina.

I love Dusty from the start, she’s really down to earth, a typical 16-year old, smart, and doesn’t care what people think of her. Dusty never fitted in when she arrived at Arkwell a couple months ago, she’s the only Nightmare at school and her mother is an infamous rebel known to always bend/break The Will (which is a magic spell/rule that makes sure all Magickind don’t harm one another). Dusty is constantly picked on by the popular kids (Lance and Katarina) but it never fazes her, she isn’t afraid to talk back and or retaliate against them. Then there's Dusty’s mom Moira and best friend Selene who are also great secondary characters. Moira isn’t your typical mother, she’s kind of out there and even though some of her parental teachings are questionable, she loves dusty very much.Talking of Dusty's mom, she was another plus for the story because not only is Dusty’s mom around keeping tabs on her but for once the MC has both parents for that matter! I don’t know if you guys noticed but a lot of MC in YA have no parents because they died, not even there, or  gosh know what...I find that annoying and repetitive since it’s in every other YA out there. Then we have Selene who is a siren, she’s a loyal and caring friend and doesn’t let her good siren looks get to her head like others (*cough*Katarina).

Another thing I enjoyed about The Nightmare Affair was that the author incorporated Arthurian myth/legends into the story which I found fun because not many books have done that in a YA novel (at least none that I’ve read), and I just recently watched 4 season of the TV show Merlin so reading about Arthur and Merlin made me giddy :D. There is also a love triangle in the book, and while I’m not a fan of love triangles this one didn’t bother me so much because I already knew who she’d pick in the end. Yes, it was slightly predictable but it didn’t make the story any less fun. I love this book a lot, and it exceeded my expectations. The Nightmare Affair is full of awesome characters, fascinating world building, and a killer fun mystery that had me guessing till the end. The end is left open to build on in the next book but not like a cliff hanger thankfully. I can’t wait to read more about Dusty and her friends in the next book, The Nightmare Dilemma which comes out in 2014! I highly recommend this to everyone, who I think will like a light-fun paranormal mystery.

Review: American Elsewhere by Robert Jackson Bennett

Title: American Elsewhere
Author: Robert Jackson Bennett
Genre(s): Fantasy, Horror, Sci-fi

Paperback, 688 pages

Publication: February 12, 2013 by Orbit

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Source: Publicist

Some places are too good to be true. Under a pink moon, there is a perfect little town not found on any map. In that town, there are quiet streets lined with pretty houses, houses that conceal the strangest things.
After a couple years of hard traveling, ex-cop Mona Bright inherits her long-dead mother's home in Wink, New Mexico. And the closer Mona gets to her mother's past, the more she understands that the people of Wink are very, very different ...
From one of our most talented and original new literary voices comes the next great American supernatural novel: a work that explores the dark dimensions of the hometowns and the neighbors we thought we knew.

 

Mona Bright is an Ex-cop who is always on the road going from places to place, unsure what to make of her life after the devastating death of her unborn child and divorce. Then suddenly she finds out that her dad has passed away, though she has never been close with her father. With his death she inherits all of his belongs, which includes a hot cherry red muscle car and a house…which surprisingly was once her mother’s. She never knew her mother gave the deeds to her father, but life must be looking up if she got a new car and house; she just needs to go to Wink, New Mexico a place she never heard of let alone seen on a map.

After a lot of research and guess-timation on the location of Wink, Mona eventually finds it. The small town of Wink is like a flash back of the 1950s, everything is perfect with neat little houses with white picket fence, flawlessly trimmed lawn and trees and everyone seems like a cozy tight knit town where everyone knows everything about everyone else.  All Mona wants is to find out more about her mother’s history and who she was before she committed suicide. Mona questions everyone the town people and digs nonstop for more information about her mom, and soon she discover A LOT she didn’t know about her mom’s past and that the town of Wink isn’t what it seems to be. 

My first impression on reading American Elsewhere was that I’ve stepped into the Twilight Zone, especially when Mona arrives in Wink, New Mexico.  The people of Wink were astounded when the first see Mona driving down the street in Wink, because Wink has had anyone going in or out of the town for thirty years.  The people of wink were strange; think the Stepford wives movie and the way everyone talk came out robotic/monotone and you can definitely tell everyone is keeping secrets. When Mona questions the residents about her mother or the lab on the mesa where her mother used to work they’d say they know nothing of it or directly say that they’re forbidden to talk. Meanwhile, someone is going around killing people in Wink, and the town people are getting nervous because apparently these ‘people’ cannot be killed. Not only does Mona have to find out more about her mom but she’s going have to help find the killer if she wants to get answers.

American Elsewhere is a blend of contemporary fiction, horror, fantasy and science fiction. I really enjoyed American Elsewhere but it is by no means a simple book, the story/plot line is complex and heavily layered clocking out at almost 700 pages.  While the story itself was intriguing, I felt that the characters all fell flat, including the main character Mona. There were too many characters to remember, with two primary groups of character those in Wink and those outside of Wink. The story would jump back between the two groups and although this book is almost 700 pages, there wasn’t much page time for the main characters which causes a disconnection between me, the reader and the cast of characters. Overall American Elsewhere was a good book, I really liked the science fiction/horror part of the story and everything was well written. For those curious/interested in reading the book, some things that I think best describe this book are again the Twilight Zone, X-files, and The Host by Stephanie Meyers.  I highly recommend this to fans that enjoy reading science fiction, fantasy and Horror genres.