Raven by Allison van Diepen

Everyone is more than they appear on the outside, and everyone has their own secrets. Beneath her cool exterior, Nicole harbors some family troubles, but she can forget all that when she break dances with her friends.

Ever since she stepped into Evermore, the home bar of the Toprocks (the local breaking team) Nicole has been drawn to the break dancing scene—and to Zin. Zin, the mysterious dancer whom Nicole has felt an undeniable connection to since day one. But Zin has his own secrets, and is careful not to let Nicole get too close.

Her work at Evermore aside, things couldn’t possibly get worse at home for Nicole. Her brother has become a drug addict and keeps asking his parents for more and more money—money that Nicole’s parents are quick to hand over, believing that they are actually helping him, even though they know he’ll spend it on more drugs. As he becomes less and less like the brother she once knew, Nicole is afraid she soon might lose him forever.

As Nicole gets more and more involved in the breaking scene and with Evermore, she finds that Zin is not the only one with secrets. It seems that all the other staff members of Evermore have a secret past and an even darker secret. But does dark necessarily mean evil? Zin and the others at Evermore are friendly to Nicole; what horrific secret could they possibly harbor? And why does Evermore owner Carlos, keep calling her Raven?

But with danger brewing on the horizon, the careful walls Zin and the others have been keeping up might just begin to crumble…

Ms. Van Diepen really knows how to craft a story! The tension and passion between Nicole and Zin was amazing—believable and sustained through the whole book! The break dancing terminology throughout the book may be confusing for non-breakers, but I thought the terms added a cool effect. Although I thought the end wrapped things up a little too nicely, the rest of the book well-written. Ms. Van Diepen captures emotions wonderfully and paints vivid pictures of the various scenes and situations!

Sisters of Misery by Megan Kelley Hall

Maddie Crane lives in a small town, Hawthorne, though not as famous as Salem for its witch trials, brutally persecuted females that were different, all the same. Despite living in a town with such a haunting past, Maddie goes to her local school where she is among the Sisters of Misery, headed by Kate, a powerful and spiteful girl who will stop at nothing to keep herself at the top of the food chain. So far, the Sisters of Misery haven’t caused life-threatening havoc, but they have spread some nasty rumors and played some mean practical jokes that have driven a fair share of people to tears. Even though Maddie is part of this elite club filled with the most powerful and popular girls at school, Maddie has not always felt comfortable with them; they’ve played some cruel jokes on unsuspecting people that have left Maddie assailed by guilt many times, and their midnight excursions to Misery Islands and hard partying isn’t quite what Maddie would like to be doing, but she always tags along anyway.

When Cordelia LeClaire, Maddie’s cousin, comes to town, Kate is furious. Cordelia has an ethereal air and charisma about her that quickly steals some of Kate’s popularity, not to mention Kate’s on-and-off boyfriend’s attention! But with the arrival of her cousin and aunt as they move in with Maddie and her family, Maddie can’t help but feel drawn to them. With Cordelia and her aunt she begins to have fun and learn more about things like ruins, herbs, and fortune telling.

But Kate is less than thrilled at this new arrival and is out to get revenge on Cordelia to protect her popularity. But with Kate on one side and Cordelia on the other of this struggle, whose side will Maddie take?

When things escalate and a trip to Misery Islands ends in a disaster with Maddie unable to remember anything and Cordelia missing, will Maddie find her cousin? Or will she side with Kate and forget about Cordelia? Can she even find out what happened to her cousin, or have Kate and the Sisters of Misery really done something unspeakable this time? Has Kate and the Sisters of Misery gone past their usual pranks and shown their true twisted violent side?

Sisters of Misery was undoubtedly a chilling read. Well written and suspenseful, Sisters of Misery keeps you guessing as Maddie tries to solve the mystery behind Cordelia’s disappearance. With old superstitions woven in extremely well, Sisters of Misery makes for a haunting tale like no other. Although this is a well written book that I’m sure many will enjoy, I cannot say that I loved it, only because I was really unnerved and rather sickened by some of the things Kate and the Sisters did. This, of course, is not to say that Sisters of Misery is not a good book; it is extremely well written and Maddie’s character was especially well developed and realistic, but I’ve just not been a huge fan of such thrilling and chilling books since they tend to leave me with such eerie and haunted feelings!

Severed Ties by Kevin Krohn

All her life, Nyne has been training in the martial arts and dealing with weapons. Ever since her mother died when Nyne was two when their house went up in flames, she and her father have moved around a lot to avoid the reason why their peaceful life was shattered in the first place—the Stanfield’s. The reason why Nyne believes the Stanfield’s are after her and her father is that her father had blown a huge corporate cover-up, and that Roger Stanfield, the VP of Rytax Pharmaceuticals, did not want this potentially reputation-destroying information to get out, so he tried to get rid of Nyne and her family.

That was years ago, and Nyne is now a freshman in college and she’s out for revenge. Her father has sent her on mission after mission to go pick off the Stanfield’s, one at a time. Fueled by her thirst for revenge, Nyne becomes a skilled killer. But even as she getting her vengeance, Nyne cannot help but wonder what a regular life with family and friends instead of constant fight and flight would have been like. Nyne and her father constantly move around and lay low for the most part, unable to put down roots and constantly making up lies to keep their cover. But with most of the Stanfield’s eliminated, Nyne is hoping that she can start her life over and try to live a normal life with her father once she finishes the job. After all, there will be no more power-hungry corporate workers to run from, but can Nyne really live a normal life? Can she deal with all those deaths on her conscience? How normal can her life really be, after knowing nothing but lies, death, and violence all her life?

On the final stretch before she can attempt to live a normal life, Nyne starts to question why she is doing all this, and if it is the right thing to do. Is there more to her past than her father has told her?—Is it actually more complex and deep than the simple story her father has had her believe? Will she falter, or can she get the job done and eliminate all the Stanfield’s once and for all? Is revenge really the right path to be taking? But she’s already gone to far to turn back—but what if she was taking the wrong path in the first place? One move could blow her cover, but one move could also change all her beliefs, and jeopardize everything she’s ever known and believed in…

Author Kevin Krohn does a fantastic job of hooking readers in. The action-packed start will compel readers to continue to read this thrilling novel! Although some of seemed a little far-fetched (or at least it seemed that some things came too easily for Nyne), Severed Ties is and undoubtedly an action-packed, suspenseful novel that will keep you guessing and hungry for more! Surprises and twists and turns will keep you reading until the very end of this well-paced adventure!
A job well done for the cover as well—it’s thought-provoking, leaves a lot to the imagination, and it really drew me in, wondering what the book would be about!
Overall, Severed Ties was a great novel dealing with revenge, decisions and consequences, the meaning of family, and growth. I can’t wait for Volume II!