ENVY by Gregg Olsen-REVIEW

The small town of Port Gamble, Washington is rocked by the death of one of their own. Katelyn, found dead by an apparent suicide, was a teenager like many others – having friend trouble, boy trouble, family trouble, but would she kill herself? Twins Hayley and Taylor don’t think so and decide to get to the bottom of what really happened.

So begins the mystery with several twists, turns, and red herrings thrown in.  

As mysteries go, it was fine. The author definitely had me trying to figure out what happened to Katelyn as each new clue was introduced. My problems with the book aren’t necessarily from the plot.  

I have a real pet peeve when books include mentions of real life objects that will date the story.  This book has way to much of that.  There are mentions of Facebook and fashion brands that might not be around in several years and end up pulling the reader out of the story. 

There were too many flashbacks and flash sideways. The flash sideways are due to the fact that the author used a third-person omniscient narrator. The third-person omniscient is presented by a narrator with an overarching point of view, seeing and knowing everything that happens within the world of the story, including what each of the characters is thinking and feeling. I really don’t like this style. It has too much of a Desperate Housewives feel to it. 

Oh, there is also some cyberbullying thrown in for good measure.


I did like the paranormal twist added to the story.  The twins, Hayley and Taylor, have some cool abilities, but…..it seemed like they could do just about anything they wanted to. When they wanted to figure out some part of the mystery they found a way. They can sense what happened from touching things (these scenes appear as flashbacks).  One of them can go under water or drink water and have messages appear. They can put things under their pillows and dream about them. There is even one instance where they foresee the future. Good grief! 

All in all ENVY was okay. 

Be sure to check out the website for the book.  It has a lot of cool extras.

VARIANT by Robison Wells-REVIEW

Benson Fisher has finally found the educational experience he’s been looking for. As a foster kid who has been bounced from home to home for all of his life, he’s never had a chance to stay at a school for very long. He wants to make something out of his life. He wants to learn. He is sick of the competing for learning with the deadbeats at school who don’t want to learn. He applied for the scholarship to Maxfield Academy as part of an outreach program for foster kids and got accepted. He couldn’t wait for his life to change.

It doesn’t take long for him to realize he made a very big mistake.

Maxfield Academy doesn’t have any adults on campus. All the teaching is done by the students. The day begins with announcements from a man the students call the Iceman. Once announcements are over the daily schedule appears on the screen. The schedule is different every day. Sometimes classes may start at 7 AM – sometimes they may start at 1:00 PM. There is no way of knowing.

This might not sound so bad. Follow the rules and everything will be okay. But, things can’t be right if the students are locked in can they? And what about the students that disappear and never come back after going to detention? What kind of school has students acting as security guards patrolling the perimeter of the property on 4 wheelers? Why is Benson the only one who wants to escape?

VARIANT is twisted! Usually I can kind of see where the story is going, but this one was very hard to predict. There were a couple of things that REALLY surprised me. The ending absolutely left me going, “W-W-What????” I’m definitely interested to see what happens in the sequel. I can’t even guess!!! ARGH!!!!

Language Content=Some
Sexual Content=None
Violence Content=There is fighting that gets pretty bloody

CLARITY-by Kim Harrington-REVIEW

Clare is a member of an unusual family. They all have special abilities. Her mother can read minds, her brother can sense spirits that haven't moved on, and Clare can "see" what happened to someone by touching one of their objects. Together, they run a family business giving tourists an authentic paranormal thrill.

When Clare's small town is rocked by the murder of a young woman, she is asked to use her ability to help solve the crime.

While Clare is excited and willing to assist law enforcement her job isn't easy. One problem, her brother is a suspect in the murder because he was with the victim the night she died. Another issue is that her ex-boyfriend is involved in the investigation too. His father is the mayor up for re-election and really wants to solve the case to reassure the tourists the town is safe. The new police investigator has a hot son helping out too. The problem-apparently he hates her and thinks she's a fraud.

Clare has to juggle her unresolved feelings for Justin(ex-boyfriend), her attraction to Gabe(the new hottie), and her loyalty to Perry(her brother). All while attempting to solve a murder and not get killed in the process.

Clarity is a quick and fun read. My only issue is the fact that the police asked Clare, Justin, and Gabe to investigate the murder! I just kept saying to myself, How Stupid! The police would never do that! If you can get passed that, you'll be okay.

Clarity(Clare), her brother Periwinkle(Perry), and their mother Starla(Mary, but nobody better ever call her that) all have special psychic abilities. Clare can touch something of a person and can see and hear images of the past. Perry can speak to the dead and Starla can hear a persons thoughts. They give readings in their tourist town to make a living. 

Clare has suffered at the hands of her classmates for years because of her freakish ability. She has just gone through a breakup with her boyfriend Justin. When a young girl is found shot to death in a local motel a new detective moves into town along with his "hot" teen son. 

Clare, along with her former boyfriend Justin and the new hottie Gabriel are asked to help work on the case to find out who the murderer is. What is really wanted is Clare's ability to touch something that the victim had come in contact with in order to find out who the killer is. Law enforcement can't officially ask her because it would look bad to rely on a psychic for information.

What Clare doesn't count on is having her brother involved with the dead girl. Clare doesn't believe that he is the killer, but so many things are pointing in his direction. She finds that she doesn't know whom she can trust.

Regardless of what I believe about psychic ability this was a very good book! The suspense and mystery kept me turning the pages late into the night(or should I say morning!) in order to finish the book and find out "who dunnit". 

Edifying meets Edgy halfway on this because I thought it was a story that could keep young adults on the edge of their seats without using excessive language or sensuality. There were a couple of murders in the story though that would keep it from being a "feel-good" read. 

SKELETON CREEK: THE RAVEN by Patrick Carman-REVIEW

Still trying to uncover the secret of the Crossbones Sarah and Ryan embark on another leg of the mystery. This time Sarah is heading back home from LA. On the way she will make several side trips looking for clues that The Apostle has left in various places.

Ryan is at home in Skeleton Creek fending off reporters trying to interview him about the discovery of the lost Thomas Jefferson books. The mayor of Skeleton Creek is encouraging him to answer as many questions as possible in order to keep Skeleton Creek in the news and on the map.

Between working in his fathers fishing store and returning reporters calls Ryan is unravelling the map that the Ghost of Old Joe Bush had given him. Between he and Sarah they unravel a mystery about Edgar Allen Poe that the Crossbones have been protecting for years. As things unfold the torch is passed to a new generation of Crossbones protectors.

I have enjoyed every book in the Skeleton Creek series. They are great mysteries and the video's that go along throughout the story help maintain the suspense of the mystery.

IN THE SHADOW OF EVIL by Robin Caroll-Repost from October 2010

MY ONLY VICE(Julie's other blog) is offering this book as a giveaway on her blog. Check it out to enter the drawing. 

Layla is a contractor. An unusual profession for a woman. But she is very good at her work. In fact she has just been nominated for a prestigious award. When one of the homes that she has built burns down and a dead body is found in the remains Layla becomes a suspect.


Maddox is the detective working the case. He too is good at his job. His one regret is that he was never able to find the person who murdered his mother. With a broken relationship with his father, and resentment towards a God that would allow his mother to die Maddox is only too willing to believe the worst of Layla.

Layla decides that she is going to try to discover who burned the house and murdered the person inside. While seeking answers from the various people that she contracted to work the site the killer realizes that she needs to be warned off. Layla is side-tracked when people she knows are brought to the hospital with bleeding noses that won’t stop and respiratory problems. The doctors can’t figure out what is the common denominator in the symptoms and they can’t identify what is causing the symptoms.

When Layla’s sister Alana’s fiance’ is hurt in an explosion, Maddox and his partner decide that they need to protect Layla from whomever is trying to hurt her. With their growing attraction for each other sparks fly! But Layla’s faith baffles Maddox. As the mystery unfolds and relationships are mended Maddox begins to see how faith is an important part of our existence.

As the killer becomes more desperate Maddox and Layla race the clock to find out the reason behind the killings. Will they be in time to prevent another tragedy?

Robin Caroll has written an excitement-filled story that will keep the reader wanting to turn the pages until the very end.

This is an inspirational novel appropriate for Young Adults and older.

ROSEBUSH by Michele Jaffe-REVIEW

Jane goes to a party on the Jersey Short expecting to have fun with her friends and a romantic night with her boyfriend. Instead she is run down by a car and left for dead – tangled in a rosebush on the side of the road.


Waking up in the hospital, Jane realizes she has no memory of what happened at the party and that she is paralyzed. With snatches of memory coming back at random moments and accounts from her friends, Jane attempts to piece together what really happened that night and who wants her dead, because the killer isn’t finished with her. Jane receives mysterious gifts and phone calls from the person responsible for her accident. The problem is, no one believes she is in danger. They blame the paranoia on all the drugs she is taking for the pain. Will she be able to figure out who is after her before it is too late?

Michele Jaffe crafted a great mystery. She is able to make the reader continually change their minds about what happened by presenting us with several feasible suspects. So, you might ask why I didn’t give it 5 glasses. I didn’t find the final cuprit to be believable. Other suspects had better reasons for wanting Jane out of the way than the actual person. Also, I liked Jane, but she was too easily swayed by boys. Every time she met a new one she seemed to like him. But, even with these two things, the book was great. I totally couldn’t put it down.

SKELETON CREEK THE CROSSBONES by Patrick Carman-REVIEW

Sarah’s family has left Skeleton Creek. Leaving Ryan without his best friend. The town has benefitted from the gold found in the old dredge. Ryan’s father has purchased a fishing store which he insists Ryan spend his summer working in.


Ryan has a secret from the old dredge that he hasn’t revealed to anyone. He shares with Sarah a new clue for another mystery in Skeleton Creek.

Sarah’s parents agree to let her drive across country visiting family members on her way to CA for film school. Unbeknownst to them she is also hunting clues in this new mystery. The scary thing is that the ghost from the old dredge seems to be following Sarah.

Ryan is frustrated still being stuck in Skeleton Creek while Sarah once again deals with cemeteries in the middle of the night and the ghost turning up at odd times during her trek.

What mystery are they chasing and will it bring them harm before they solve it?

I liked this installment of the Skeleton Creek series but I was disappointed in the video’s this time around. Sarah is no longer showing herself in the video’s. I think it is for privacy purposes, but that is what made the other Skeleton Creek books more personable and frightening. Although the book was good it did lack the scariness of the other books. I still enjoyed reading the book and going online to watch Sarah’s video’s and look forward to the next installment of Skeleton Creek because of course we were left hanging at the end of the book.

WISH YOU WERE DEAD by Todd Strasser-REVIEW

A person can only take being treated like dirt for so long. Str-S-d (Stressed) has had it. She creates a blog in order to vent her frustrations and post reasons why the "popular" kids at school are making her life miserable. At first she just complains about things in general, but it doesn't take long for her to zero in on particular people at school. Lucy is the first name she posts on her blog. Lucy is the Queen Bee of the school and treats Str-S-d like garbage. After a particularly bad day, she posts that she wants Lucy DEAD!!! She just wishes she would die.


Little does Str-S-d know, someone is reading her blog posts. Soon, Lucy disappears. Vanishes without a trace. The small community of Soundview is scared. One of their best and brightest is gone.

Madison Archer is a great girl. She manages to be nice and friendly and stay away from the gossip and meanness that most of her crowd relishes in. She is Lucy's friend and one of the last people to see her alive. Like everyone else in town she is worried and hopes for Lucy's safe return, but doesn't have a good feeling. It doesn't help when she starts receiving mysterious notes telling her that her friends are in danger. Who could be sending her the notes? Is it her anonymous Internet stalker, the new boy at school she kind of has the hots for, or the one responsible for Lucy's kidnapping?

Soundview goes into panic mode when two more students go missing. The two other names that Str-S-d added to her blog. Two of Madison's close friends. Madison gets pulled into the crazy killer's world. She puts herself into dangerous situations and puts her trust into someone she doesn't know in order to save her friends. Will she be able to get them out alive or will she be caught like her friends?

Will Str-S-d realize what is going on or will she continue to add people to her list?

WISH YOU WERE DEAD is a an edge-of-your-seat thriller. Once you start you won't want to put it down.

THE CHRONICLES OF VLADIMIR TOD EIGHTH GRADE BITES by Heather Brewer-REVIEW

Vlad is in the eighth grade. Vlad is fodder for the bullies. Vlad is half human and half vampire. His mother was human and his father was a vampire.


Vlad’s parents have both died. He lives with “Aunt Nelly” who isn’t his real Aunt, but was his mother’s best friend. Nelly is trying to give Vlad a “normal” life. She is a nurse so she is able to bring him blood from work. She hides the blood in different forms so that Vlad can live like other teenagers. She will place it in a cup and call it “tea”. She puts capsules of blood in his sandwiches so that he can remain nourished throughout the day. Vlad has never tasted blood straight from the source…well with one exception. When he was 8 he bit his best friend Henry. Henry is the only human besides Nelly that knows that Vlad is a vampire.

When one of the teachers at school is missing and feared dead scary things start to happen for Vlad. First is their new substitute teacher. One of the first things he wants the class to do is write a presentation on a mythical figure. Vlad picks Werewolf out of the hat, but right before his eyes the words transform into the word “VAMPIRE”. Other things happen that make Vlad fear that this new substitute may be onto his secret and may even be the reason that the teacher is missing and also may be responsible for the death of his parents.

Through reading his father’s old journal Vlad discovers that there is a whole vampire world that he never knew existed. Can he discover who killed his parents and why?

Eighth Grade Bites was entertaining. And I look forward to seeing how Vlad developes as we go with him through the twelfth grade.

SO NOT HAPPENING by Jenny B. Jones - REVIEW

Bella Kirkwood was living the life of luxury. She had her own credit cards, lived in Manhattan, the best boyfriend, in the “in-group” at her all-girls school. That life changes when her mother re-marries and she is forced to move to Truman, Oklahoma.

From the moment she arrives things do not seem to go well. In an effort to unite the family her mother cancels all of her credit cards. She is forced to ride to school with her step-brother in his “hearse”. When she writes some non-flattering things about the people in Truman and posts them on her blog things go from bad to worse. At every turn she is trying to find anything to get her back to Manhattan.

Being forced to work on the school paper she meets Luke the newspaper editor. Immediately sparks fly between the 2 of them. Being invited to a secret party, she uncovers a mystery that puts her and Luke together on a story that will affect the whole town.

Bella’s character seems to mature throughout the story. At first her prima-donna attitude kind of got on my nerves, but as she matured and grew out of herself I started enjoying the book more. Bella’s humor is very amusing and the climax of the book has the reader turning the pages as fast as they can! I don’t know that I would consider this book “Christian” although God and Jesus and prayer are mentioned, that theme is not what the story revolves around. It is a clean read that keeps the reader involved with humor, mystery and suspense. Well done!

BAD GIRL DON'T DIE by Katie Alender - REVIEW

Alexis lives a dysfunctional high school existence. She keeps to herself taking and developing her own photographs in a darkroom at home. She doesn’t have any friends at school. She watches her parents grow farther and farther apart while they focus on their careers instead of home, but most unsettling of all is her younger sister’s fascination with her doll collection. Kasey won’t allow anyone near them and Alexis knows she has heard Kasey talking to them in the middle of the night.

Strange things have been happening around the old house they live in. Water boils on its own, doors open and close automatically, and Kasey’s eyes begin to change from their normal blue to a fiery green. With the help from an unlikely ally, Alexis begins to put together the pieces of a mystery that will lead to the cause of the disturbance in her house and the cause of her sister’s evil possession.

As far as ghost stories go, this is a good one. There are several layers to the mystery and the author generates a completely creepy feeling throughout the entire book. Be sure to pick up this book as soon as you can. You won’t be disappointed. Plus - what a cool cover! Even it is creepy.

SKELETON CREEK by Patrick Carman - REVIEW

The town of Skeleton Creek holds a lot of secrets. Especially secrets about an old gold dredge. Ryan and Sarah decided they want to explore the old dredge. They go exploring in the middle of the night. When they see a ghost, Ryan gets so scared that he falls and breaks his leg. His parents forbid him to have any more contact with his best friend, Sarah. They think she is the one that gets him into trouble. Ryan and Sarah decide to keep in touch through e-mail which they then delete from their computers and their computer history so that their parents can't tell they've been keeping in touch.

Sarah has a video camera. She video's herself and then sends the video's to Ryan. The thing that is unique about the book is that the reader can go online and listen and watch Sarah's videos to Ryan.

Through the videos and trips to the old dredge we, as the readers and viewers, get to see what Sarah and Ryan see. There are ghostly images and some scary things that even made me jump as I watched. I think it was a very well put together book and I enjoyed it very much. I recommend it and the sequel, The Ghost in the Machine, to the middle school age student. We actually can't keep a copy of it in our library because it is always checked out.

One of the drawbacks of the book would be if the student does not have access to a computer at home. Skeleton Creek does leave you hanging at the end, but picks right up in the sequel.

With little or no language or sexual content I have no qualms about featuring it as one of my Edifying posts.