Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Bryn is a pack member, but not a werewolf. At the age of four a Rabid (lone werewolf) killed her parents and would have killed Bryn, but she was rescued by Callum, who marked her and made her part of the Stone River Pack. She has been raised with the pack. Taught to think like the pack. Learned to fight like the pack. Pack. Not Pack. Pack.

Now fifteen, she rebels against the alpha's control. And when she discovers his secrets and betrayal she must make hard decisions about her place in the pack. She must contemplate actions that will put her, and her friends, in danger not only from the Rabid that Bryn thought Callum had destroyed years ago, but from her own pack and packs across the United States.

Jennifer Lynn Barnes has done it again! This masterful storyteller has written a novel that will captivate her audiences with it's power and originality. I highly recommend it to fans of paranormal fiction.

The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard

For an entire year Colt met Julia by the lake. For an entire year they touched, kissed, talked and shared themselves. For an entire year, they kept it all a secret. Now Julia is dead, and Colt doesn’t know how to let her go.

This short volume told an amazing story. Julia was from the wealthy side of town and Colt is lives in a lower middle-class area. Their love would have raised eyebrows, but it wasn’t exactly Romeo and Juliet. By keeping their relationship a secret, Colt now has no one to help him through his grief and feelings of guilt. The chronicle of his grief, memories, and slow recovery is emotional and realistic. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to fans of romance and drama.

Alex Van Helsing: Vampire Rising by Jason Henderson

I finished this book yesterday and simply could not get my brain to formulate a passable book review. I can say that I enjoyed this book tremendously, and that it is a nice change from the vampire love stories that have saturated the supernatural market. Beyond that, I drew a blank. But I did find this review from School Library Journal that says what I have been unable to articulate:

"Alex Van Helsing always believed he was a normal teen who just happened to possess a legendary last name. All that changes when he begins to experience strange sensations and is involved in the bizarre death of a student at Frayling Prep. His parents decide to send Alex to Switzerland in order to attend Glenarvon Academy near Lake Geneva. Alex's dreams of a new beginning are shattered when he is attacked by a vampire on his second day. He must now face the realization that his instincts about supernaturals have been right all along and that they do indeed exist. Mr. Sangster, Alex's teacher, reveals to him that the Van Helsings have always been an integral part of the Polidorium, a secret organization of vampire-hunters. The Polidorium is in Lake Geneva to find the Scholomance, a vampire stronghold under the leadership of an ancient vampire known as Icemaker. When the vampires take captive two of Alex's friends, the 14-year-old must take action. Henderson references Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to weave a great story line full of action, suspense, and adventure. The satisfying story captivates readers with a modern-day spin of James Bond meets Dracula. It has lots of bite that will have readers thirsting for more."

—Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY