- Home
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
From School Library JournalGrade 9 Up—It's hard to be the only normal one in a family in which everyone has a Talent that allows them to do such things as disappear, control the weather, read the future, or turn people to stone. Tamsin is bitter that she does not have a magical gift and dreams of the day she can move far away. So when a mysterious Scottish stranger, Alistair, shows up at her family's bookstore and assumes that the 17-year-old is her very Talented sister, Rowena, Tamsin jumps at the chance to help him find the family heirloom for which he is searching. She enlists the help of her childhood friend, Gabriel, who has recently reappeared in her life. Tamsin and Gabriel travel through time to find what sinister Alistair wants, and in doing so they will set in motion a chain of events that could mean the destruction of her family. Although Tamsin is a well-rounded character, the other people in the book are fairly one-dimensional. What is lacking in character development, though, is made up for in plot. This is an exciting book, and readers will be captivated until the very end. With a fairly easy reading level, an exciting story, and an edgier heroine (Tamsin drinks and smokes), this book is a good choice to hand to older reluctant readers.—Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO END ReviewA 2011 ALA Popular Paperbacks Title"[MacCullough] has created an enormously sympathetic character in Tamsin, whose itchy relationship with her family will resonate with teens struggling to define themselves. Characters, setting, conflict—all develop nicely to create a light urban fantasy that goes down easy and will have readers asking for its sequel."—Kirkus Reviews "With the glut of contemporary romantic supernatural tales, this will be popular, but the action, drama, and great potential for compelling sequels set it apart from the crowd."—Booklist"MacCullough's writing is evocative without distracting from her story; readers will identify with Tam's desire to create a space away from parental expectations and take comfort that even extraordinary families make mistakes."—Publishers Weekly Views: 119
Chris and Ruth Stainforth are living their fantasy, turning the old Sea-fort at Manshead—purchased at a steal after the previous owners abandoned building work—into a hotel, and living on the coast with their son, David. But as work begins, and they see past the rubble to luxury rooms and a glittering swimming pool, strange figures begin to haunt their dreams, soon breaking into their waking world. Soon the villagers themselves, at first welcoming, seem to be trying to drive them out.As little David spies ghostly men in the water, and Chris has visions of a pale face in the dunes, the sea threatens to engulf them all, and doom them to its watery depths. Through it all they are drawn to it, pulling them from their beds, making them want to cast them selves at its cold mercy. What can the family do in the face of such terrifying occurrences? Soon they will be embroiled in a fearsome battle, one that must end in a terrible sacrifice. Views: 118
"I try not to think about it, what I did to that boy." Seventeen-year-old Kenna Marsden has a secret. She's haunted by a violent tragedy she can't explain. Kenna's past has kept people-even her own mother-at a distance for years. Just when she finds a friend who loves her and life begins to improve, she's plunged into a new nightmare: her mom and twin sister are attacked, and the dark powers Kenna has struggled to suppress awaken with a vengeance. On the heels of the assault, Kenna is exiled to a nearby commune, known as Eclipse, to live with a relative she never knew she had. There, she discovers an extraordinary new way of life as she learns who she really is, and the wonders she's capable of. For the first time, she starts to feel like she belongs somewhere; that her terrible secret makes her beautiful and strong, not dangerous. But the longer she stays at Eclipse, the more she senses there is something menacing lurking underneath its idyllic veneer. And... Views: 118
What do you get when you mix together— werewolves, vampires, mad scientists, wizards, aliens, alternate dimensions, tiny people, Transylvania, ancient curses, giant frogs, evil clones, ghosts, lawyers, shape-changers, fallen angels, journeys through hell, zombie warriors, body snatchers, and two clever kids in whose hands rests the fate of Earth? —The latest madcap adventure-comedy-fantasy-mystery from bestselling novelist Bruce Coville, that's what. Views: 118
