JACKABY By William Ritter

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

JACKABY By William RitterJackaby by William Ritter
Series: Jackaby #1
Published by Algonquin Young Readers on 9/16/14
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Mystery & Detective, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 321
Format: Hardcover
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain the foul deeds are the work of the kind of creature whose very existence the local authorities--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--seem adamant to deny.

Short and Sweet Review

Abigail Rook has just arrived in New Fiddleham and is in need of a job which is how she meets detective R.F. Jackaby. Jackaby isn’t a regular detective he specializes in the supernatural and the things that normal people can’t see. Jackaby isn’t sure that Abigail is the assistant that he’s looking for but her ability to point out the ordinary things that Jackaby misses is what makes this a dream team. There’s been a series of unexplained murders going on in the city and this is the first case that Jackaby and Abigail tackle together.

I loved that Jackaby isn’t a normal detective, her has a Sherlock Holmes thing going on and his ability to see the extraordinary is what makes him special. Abigail was a great character and she didn’t shy away from the challenge of being Jackaby’s assistant she took it all in stride. The mystery was great the supernatural aspect of it will have you trying to figure out what’s behind all of the mayhem being caused. The characters are what really make this book come to life, the interactions between them will have you engrossed in the world of New Fiddleham. This is the second time I’ve read Jackaby and I love it as much as I did the first time around and I can’t wait to read the next three books!

WINTERWOOD By Shea Ernshaw

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

WINTERWOOD By Shea ErnshawWinterwood by Shea Ernshaw
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on 11/5/19
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Mystery & Detective, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 333
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Be careful of the dark, dark wood…

Especially the woods surrounding the town of Fir Haven. Some say these woods are magical. Haunted, even.

Rumored to be a witch, only Nora Walker knows the truth. She and the Walker women before her have always shared a special connection with the woods. And it’s this special connection that leads Nora to Oliver Huntsman—the same boy who disappeared from the Camp for Wayward Boys weeks ago—and in the middle of the worst snowstorm in years. He should be dead, but here he is alive, and left in the woods with no memory of the time he’d been missing.

But Nora can feel an uneasy shift in the woods at Oliver’s presence. And it’s not too long after that Nora realizes she has no choice but to unearth the truth behind how the boy she has come to care so deeply about survived his time in the forest, and what led him there in the first place. What Nora doesn’t know, though, is that Oliver has secrets of his own—secrets he’ll do anything to keep buried, because as it turns out, he wasn’t the only one to have gone missing on that fateful night all those weeks ago.

Short and Sweet Review

Nora lives in Fir Haven where Walker women have lived for years. The woods surrounding Fir Haven are alive some even describe them as haunted, but the Walkers have a special relationship with the woods. Nora goes into the woods and comes back out with things that were lost. Nora goes in the woods and ends up finding Oliver, who was supposed to be at the Camp for Wayward Boys. With Oliver around Nora can feel a shift in the woods and now she’s wondering how Oliver has survived 2 weeks in there.

The women in Nora’s family are all witches and everyone knows about them and like to gossip. Nora is staying alone at her family cabin and likes to go into the woods only during the full moon and find lost things, which is how she stumbles across Oliver. He doesn’t remember much but the more time Nora spends with him she learns that one of the boys went missing from the camp and another one died. There’s a group of boys at the camp who know about what happened that night that one boy went missing and one boy died and now they’re trying to make sure Nora doesn’t learn to much about that night.

This was a good book perfect for the fall. I liked the mystery surrounding Oliver and the secrets the other camp boys were hiding. The plot twist at the end did surprise me but in a good way. The excerpts of spells and the history of the Walker women was interesting and added a nice touch. I really enjoyed this book and the characters it was a fast read and October is coming up so witches and spooky season is a great match.

STRANGE AND EVER AFTER By Susan Dennard

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

STRANGE AND EVER AFTER By Susan DennardStrange and Ever After by Susan Dennard
Series: Something Strange and Deadly #3
Published by HarperTeen on 7/22/14
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 405
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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It has been a tumultuous time for Eleanor Fitt since life as she knew it in Philadelphia came abruptly to an end. Although the Spirit-Hunters—Joseph, Jie, and Daniel—have helped her survive, Eleanor has lost just about everything.

And now, Jie is missing—taken by the evil necromancer Marcus. Eleanor is determined not only to get her back but to finally end this nightmare. To do so, she must navigate the hot desert streets of nineteenth-century Egypt amid the rising Dead, her unresolved feelings for Daniel, and her volatile relationships with Joseph and Oliver, her demon. And it won't be easy. Because Allison, her friend from Philadelphia, has tagged along, becoming strangely entangled in Eleanor's mission.

Short and Sweet Review

Eleanor and the remaining spirit hunters (Joseph and Daniel), and her demon are on their way to Egypt to follow Marcus who has also kidnapped Jie. Also joining this little group is Allison who came all the way from Philadelphia to find Eleanor. Anyway Eleanor is determined to stop Marcus once and for all.

I’m going to be honest, nothing in this book redeemed Eleanor for me. I thought after the second book that she was insufferable and that maybe just maybe she would be better in this final book, but I was wrong. Her dialogue was just awful she comes off as mean, selfish, and someone who won’t even listen to those around her. Eleanor did whatever she wanted to do and didn’t think about how her decisions would effect those around her. I don’t really know what happened during most of this book, it was boring and I would read and then not really care about what was happening because I just wanted it to be over.

Out of the trilogy this is the worst book. The ending wasn’t that good but I guess if you’ve read the first two books you might as well this book like I did just so you can have closure. Maybe this would have done better as a duology I feel like things could have been wrapped up nicely in two books.

A DARKNESS STRANGE AND LOVELY By Susan Dennard

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A DARKNESS STRANGE AND LOVELY By Susan DennardA Darkness Strange and Lovely by Susan Dennard
Series: Something Strange and Deadly #2
Published by HarperTeen on 7/23/13
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 416
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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With her brother dead and her mother insane, Eleanor Fitt is alone. Even the Spirit-Hunters—Joseph, Jie, and the handsome Daniel—have fled to Paris. So when Eleanor hears the vicious barking of hounds and sees haunting yellow eyes, she fears that the Dead, and the necromancer Marcus, are after her.

To escape, Eleanor boards a steamer bound for France. There she meets Oliver, a young man who claims to have known her brother. But Oliver harbors a dangerous secret involving necromancy and black magic that entices Eleanor beyond words. If she can resist him, she'll be fine. But when she arrives in Paris, she finds that the Dead have taken over, and there's a whole new evil lurking. And she is forced to make a deadly decision that will go against everything the Spirit-Hunters stand for.

In Paris, there's a price for this darkness strange and lovely, and it may have Eleanor paying with her life.

Short and Sweet Review

After her brother’s death and having to put her mother in a mental facility, Eleanor has nothing left for her in Philadelphia so she decides to leave for Paris and find the Spirit-hunters. On her way to Paris, Eleanor meets Oliver who claims to have known Elijah and he’ll begin teaching Eleanor necromancy and things that go against what the spirit hunters stand for.

This is my second time reading this book and I never made it to the third and final book, and after reading this book for the second time I know why. I found Eleanor to be insufferable. She meets Oliver which was Elijah’s demon and he soon becomes Eleanors because she needed help escaping hell hounds. Eleanor promises Oliver to practice her magic and necromancy so that she can free him but Eleanor is basically using him and it seems cruel because she can command him to do things that he doesn’t want to. Obviously Eleanor knows that the Spirit hunters would have a problem working with a demon so she tries to keep that hidden which doesn’t work out so well, eventually she feels alone because everyone feels betrayed by her. I didn’t feel bad for Eleanor she brought everything that happened in this book upon herself. Joseph tries to help Eleanor control her magic but she ignores him because she thinks she knows everything and she throws a lot of tantrums. I feel like Eleanors character development decreased in this book, she made it hard to read and hard to root for her. In Paris the spirit hunters are looking for someone who is able to control the dead and also they have Marcus in the back of their minds because he’s still around somewhere. I thought this book was just okay. The arguments Eleanor had with everyone made me roll my eyes and her whole attitude and approach in this book was trash for a lack of better words. I do plan on finishing this series but I will say this book was a let down compared to the first.

SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY By Susan Dennard

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY By Susan DennardSomething Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard
Series: Something Strange and Deadly #1
Published by HarperTeen on 7/24/12
Genres: Historical, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 400
Format: Paperback
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Sixteen-year-old Eleanor Fitt’s brother is missing. And when she discovers that the Dead are rising in Philadelphia and wreaking havoc throughout the city, she knows that her brother is involved.

So Eleanor enlists the help of the Spirit-Hunters. This motley crew, hired to protect the city from supernatural forces, is after the necromancer who has been reanimating corpses. Their skills can save her brother. But as Eleanor spends time with the Spirit-Hunters, and their handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. Now not only is her reputation at risk, but her very life may hang in the balance.

Short and Sweet Review

Eleanor’s life is kind of falling apart, her family is running out of money, her brother is missing, and the dead are rising in Philadelphia. Eleanor goes to the Spirit-hunters, they were hired by the city to help stop the rising dead. Eleanor feels that they can help her find her brother because she feels that he’s in a certain kind of trouble only the spirit hunters can help with.

Well Eleanor is just trying to stay afloat, because her brother has been gone for a while and isn’t really helping with the family finances, Eleanors mother is trying to have her meet a wealthy suitor to marry. Which is where Clarence comes in, his family is pretty high in society and him and Eleanor go on a few outings but something is off with him and he knows somethings about Eleanor’s brother. After Eleanor’s brother doesn’t come home she goes to the spirit hunters which consists of Joseph, Jie, and Daniel. This trio is pretty busy but they do admit something weird is going on with Elijah’s disappearance. We learn about the trios past and we see them struggle to gain the support of the city. Eleanor decides to start helping the spirit hunters so that she can get the answers she wants at a faster rate.

This book was fast paced and there was a lot going on. I liked that Eleanor was determined and she wasn’t afraid to do things that would make her look bad in society. The spirit hunters are great I like that they each had their own specialty, Joseph with his knowledge about the dead, Jie is great at defense, and Daniel is their inventor. I will say the ending wasn’t the best mainly because we see a character who was mentioned but wasn’t really in the story until the end. Overall this is a fast read and an interesting take on zombies and I like that it takes place in the 1800s.

TWIN CROWNS By Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

TWIN CROWNS By Catherine Doyle and Katherine WebberTwin Crowns by Catherine Doyle, Katherine Webber
Series: Twin Crowns #1
Published by Balzer + Bray on 5/17/22
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 474
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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Wren Greenrock has always known that one day she would steal her sister’s place in the palace. Trained from birth to return to the place of her parents’ murder and usurp the only survivor, she will do anything to rise to power and protect the community of witches she loves. Or she would, if only a certain palace guard wasn’t quite so distractingly attractive, and if her reckless magic didn’t have a habit of causing trouble…

Princess Rose Valhart knows that with power comes responsibility. Marriage into a brutal kingdom awaits, and she will not let a small matter like waking up in the middle of the desert in the company of an extremely impertinent (and handsome) kidnapper get in the way of her royal duty. But life outside the palace walls is wilder and more beautiful than she ever imagined, and the witches she has long feared might turn out to be the family she never knew she was missing.

Two sisters separated at birth and raised into entirely different worlds are about to get to know each other’s lives a whole lot better. But as coronation day looms closer and they each strive to claim their birthright, the sinister Kingsbreath, Willem Rathborne, becomes increasingly determined that neither will succeed. Who will ultimately rise to power and wear the crown?

Short and Sweet Review

When Rose and Wren were just born their parents were murdered and since then the sisters have been split up and live very different lives. Wren has lived with her grandmother and other witches training to one day take her sisters place on the throne and protect witches. Rose on the other hand was raised in the palace and she’s ready to take on her responsibilities even if they means marrying a prince from a brutal kingdom. The time comes for Wren to switch places with Rose and finally take the throne while Rose wakes up in the middle of a desert with her kidnapper taking her to the community of witches.

This book was hard to put down from the beginning, we get right into the action. Wren and Rose are twins but they are two completely different people. Rose has been taught to fear witches because Willem Rathborne the Kingsbreath has told her a witch killed her parents. Wren has grown up with witches and she knows the truth, that Willem Rathborne killed her parents and to get his grip off of the kingdom Wren needs to impersonate her sister and kill Rathborne.

When Wren starts her life in the palace she quickly tries to get adjusted to Roses life and trying to fool those closest to Rose. Wren meets Ansel the Prince Rose is engaged to and she also meets his guard Tor. Tor keeps a close eye on Wren because he can tell she’s up to something. Wren also has to be conspicuous with her magic use and make sure it doesn’t cause any trouble. Rose is also coming to terms with the fact that everything she’s learned throughout her life has been a lie.

I loved the plot of this book and seeing how each twin had to adjust to their new circumstances. I loved reading about the scenery from the desert to the cliffs. Both twins were great characters and having the alternating chapters between Wren and Rose added to the fast pace of the book. The story was amazing and I loved the element of witches and seeing the spells. Twin Crowns had two amazing heroines and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book.

DARK AND SHALLOW LIES By Ginny Myers Sain

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

DARK AND SHALLOW LIES By Ginny Myers SainDark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain
Published by Razorbill on 9/7/21
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Mystery & Detective, Paranormal, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 432
Format: Hardcover
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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La Cachette, Louisiana, is the worst place to be if you have something to hide.

This tiny town, where seventeen-year-old Grey spends her summers, is the self-proclaimed Psychic Capital of the World—and the place where Elora Pellerin, Grey's best friend, disappeared six months earlier.

Grey can't believe that Elora vanished into thin air any more than she can believe that nobody in a town full of psychics knows what happened. But as she digs into the night that Elora went missing, she begins to realize that everybody in town is hiding something—her grandmother Honey; her childhood crush Hart; and even her late mother, whose secrets continue to call to Grey from beyond the grave.

When a mysterious stranger emerges from the bayou—a stormy-eyed boy with links to Elora and the town's bloody history—Grey realizes that La Cachette's past is far more present and dangerous than she'd ever understood. Suddenly, she doesn't know who she can trust. In a town where secrets lurk just below the surface, and where a murderer is on the loose, nobody can be presumed innocent—and La Cachette's dark and shallow lies may just rip the town apart.

Short and Sweet Review

La Cachette, Louisiana, is a small town and also the psychic capital of the world. Grey is back for the summer and she’s determined to find out what happened to her best friend Elora, who disappeared six months ago. But as Grey keeps digging she learns that some secrets aren’t worth knowing.

Grey is in La Cachette visiting for the summer, the only thing missing is her best friend Elora figuratively and literally. No one knows if Elora is dead or if she’s still alive. Grey is determined to find out but she can’t stop thinking about the last time she and Elora saw each other and got in a fight. La Cachette is the psychic capital of the world and Grey never had any powers but now she’s seeing glimpses of Elora’s last moments. In the La Cachette there’s also the summer children, they were all born in the same year and have some sort of ability. But soon Grey meets Zale a stranger who knows a lot about Elora.

There is a lot going on in this book. Grey trying to figure out where Elora is, to trying find out how she died. Also all of the other characters involved. There’s also the story of this guy who was strange who already killed two of the summer children. There was also a little romance between Grey and Hart which I didn’t like it just wasn’t right. Honestly it was a lot. I think the best thing about this book was when everything was solved and answers were given. The mystery was good there were a lot of twists that threw me off. There were a lot of good components to this book and some that just didn’t work.

ONLY A MONSTER By Vanessa Len

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

ONLY A MONSTER By Vanessa LenOnly a Monster by Vanessa Len
Series: Monsters #1
Published by HarperTeen on 2/22/22
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 412
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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Don’t forget the rule. No one can know what you are. What we are. You must never tell anyone about monsters.

Joan has just learned the truth: her family are monsters, with terrifying, hidden powers.

And the cute boy at work isn’t just a boy: he’s a legendary monster slayer, who will do anything to destroy her family.

To save herself and her family, Joan will have to do what she fears most: embrace her own monstrousness. Because in this story…she is not the hero.

Sweet and Short Review

Joan’s grandma has always told her stories about monsters but Joan has brushed them off and took them for what they were stories. That is until Joan has a strange encounter and travels through time and realizes that her grandma wasn’t just telling stories her family are monsters and there are other monster families out there. The boy that Joan works with, Nick, he’s the hero, the monster slayer and he won’t stop until he’s finished his mission: killing all the monsters.

Joan has a date with Nick but on her way to the date she ends up time traveling, upon returning home she learns from her grandmother that she is a monster and their whole family is and every monster family has a distinct power. When Joan tries to explain why she missed her date with Nick a family appears and that day ends in disaster. Now Joan must time travel to unravel the massacre that just happened.

This world had a unique magic system I liked hearing about the different families and what they could do even if we didn’t see all of the families in this book. Joan has to team up with Aaron Oliver which is hard because everyone knows the Hunts and Oliver families hate each other so other monster families who see them find it strange. Joan also has her cousin Ruth and later on Tom join her on her mission to set things right.

Joan was an okay character. She didn’t know a lot about the monster world everything she was learning was right there on the spot, but for some reason she thought she knew better than everyone around her. I did like how she was determined but sometimes her determination led her to make reckless and selfish decisions I also didn’t like how she would argue to the point of throwing a tantrum just to get her way. I’m hoping that in the next book Joan gets so serious character development.

The time traveling aspect was great and it was interesting to see the other families and learn about the time traveling they were doing, and how the monsters had to steal time from humans to actually do the traveling.

The romance was… something. Joan and Aaron spend most of the book together because he’s helping her try to set things right and there are some sparks there. But Joan can’t stop thinking about Nick the boy who literally destroyed her. Anyway it’s like a love hate thing going on between those two and I was not here for it. Every time Nick popped up I was just waiting for him to kill Joan or vice versa but they were both kind of weak in that aspect.

I really enjoyed this book the plot and the world were captivating and kept me wanting more. I do wish that Joan were less childish, but this book is worth the read and I’m excited to see what happens next!

EXTASIA By Claire Legrand

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

EXTASIA By Claire LegrandExtasia by Claire Legrand
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 2/22/22
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Horror & Ghost Stories, LGBT, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 492
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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Her name is unimportant.

All you must know is that today she will become one of the four saints of Haven. The elders will mark her and place the red hood on her head. With her sisters, she will stand against the evil power that lives beneath the black mountain—an evil which has already killed nine of her village’s men.

She will tell no one of the white-eyed beasts that follow her. Or the faceless gray women tall as houses. Or the girls she saw kissing in the elm grove.

Today she will be a saint of Haven. She will rid her family of her mother’s shame at last and save her people from destruction. She is not afraid. Are you?

Short and Sweet Review

In the village of Haven men are dying and our main character knows that when she becomes one of the four saints that she can stop the evil that has invaded Haven. She has seen beast and faceless women but she will tell no one because she will be the one to save her people.

This book was something. Something interesting, strange, different. Some of these things were good and others just had me wondering what was going on. The book starts off with our main character who won’t go by her name because it’s the name her mother went by and her mother brought shame upon their family. Anyway once she becomes a saint she goes by the name Amity. Unfortunately for Amity and the Village men are still being killed and the village thinks it’s because they made Amity a saint after everything her mother did. The other Saints, Mercy and Temperance invite Amity with them to a place called Avazel where Amity meets a coven of witches who use a power called Extasia. Their leader Malice admits that her and the coven have been killing the men in Haven basically to meet the devil. Amity decides that she’s going to find relics and meet the devil first to stop the evil taking place in Haven.

Extasia was nothing that I was expecting at all. There were a lot of religious tones. The men in the village had elders they looked to God and it was such an old way of thinking but they would find it acceptable to beat on the saints. The saints and other girls in the village dealt with a lot of abuse they shouldn’t have, but they followed the way of thinking. Amity who in the end becomes rage (lots of name changes) uses Extasia and has to keep it a secret because she knows what will happen if she’s found out and she still has a mission to complete. I liked watching Amity try to find the relics and slowly go from obedient to realizing that things in Haven aren’t as great as she once thought. Amity definitely had a lot of character development from the beginning to the end, she was stronger and much more sure of herself and willing to see change. I did like the sisterhood between the saints and how they realized that they were the ones who could save Haven. The romance we see a sliver of it so I’m not sure why it was made to be one of the big selling points for this book. I would say there’s maybe 3 to 5 scenes with the love interest and just one big one. The ending reminded me of books like Divergent or the Maze Runner and basically felt out of place.

There were things I liked about this book and other things that just confused me or made me want to put this book down. Overall it was different and not what I was expecting.

IN EVERY GENERATION By Kendare Blake

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

IN EVERY GENERATION By Kendare BlakeIn Every Generation by Kendare Blake
Published by Disney-Hyperion on 1/4/22
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 388
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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Frankie Rosenberg is passionate about the environment, a sophomore at New Sunnydale High School, and the daughter of the most powerful witch in Sunnydale history. Her mom, Willow, is slowly teaching her magic on the condition that she use it to better the world. But Frankie's happily quiet life is upended when new girl Hailey shows up with news that the annual Slayer convention has been the target of an attack, and all the Slayers—including Buffy, Faith, and Hailey's older sister Vi—might be dead. That means it's time for this generation's Slayer to be born. But being the first ever Slayer-Witch means learning how to wield a stake while trying to control her budding powers. With the help of Hailey, a werewolf named Jake, and a hot but nerdy sage demon, Frankie must become the Slayer, prevent the Hellmouth from opening again, and find out what happened to her Aunt Buffy, before she's next. Get ready for a whole new story within the world of Buffy!

Short and Sweet

In every generation there’s a new slayer and this time it happens to be Willow Rosenberg’s daughter, Frankie. After the slayers are attacked at a slayer meeting and presumed dead, Frankie comes into her powers as the slayer and she’s the first slayer-witch. Frankie has to learn fast because as demons and vampires learn that the slayers are dead they’re all coming back to the hellmouth. With the help of her mom, Spike, Oz, best friend Jake, and new comer Hailey, Frankie has to learn to wield a stake and do what others before her have.

Frankie is your basic teenage girl except for the fact that she’s a witch and her best friend Jake is a werewolf. The book starts off with us learning that the slayers have been attacked at a slayer meeting and we don’t even know if they’re alive or not, that’s when Frankie’s powers start to awaken. Hailey’s older sister, Vi, is a slayer and she was at that meeting, not knowing what’s taking her sister so long, Hailey is picked up by Spike and brought to Sunnydale. The problem of finding the slayers is left to Xander and Dawn because in Sunnydale the new Scooby gang has bigger matters to worry about. More demons and vampires are starting to come back to the hell mouth and one vampire in particular is making a hive.

I’ve watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer so I was excited to see what this book had in store. I will say it started off slow for me and there’s a lot of switching POVs of the different characters. I think one of my main problems was how the dialogue at some points felt too juvenile and cheesy like it could be a middle grade instead of a young adult novel. It was fun to see the characters we love from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and this new generation getting advice and training from them. I liked the plot but I don’t think it really picked up for me until we’re halfway through the book. Frankie had a lot to learn and she was unsure of herself. Her biggest problem was that she was trying to be like the other slayers when she just needed to be herself and come into her own. The villain was interesting mainly because she was thought to be a legend but she was very real, and there wasn’t a lot of information on how to get rid of her.

Overall this was a good start to the series. I’m hoping we learn more about what happened to the other slayers and see Frankie be more confident as a slayer. If you liked the show, I think you’ll find this book endearing we see elements from the show that made it lovable in this book and it’s a whole new generation of the Scooby gang!