A Forgery of Roses by Jessica S. Olson

 

“Myra Whitlock has a gift. One many would kill for.

She’s an artist whose portraits alter people’s real-life bodies, a talent she must hide from those who would kidnap, blackmail, and worse in order to control it. Guarding that secret is the only way to keep her younger sister safe now that their parents are gone.

But one frigid night, the governor’s wife discovers the truth and threatens to expose Myra if she does not complete a special portrait that would resurrect the governor's dead son. Desperate, Myra ventures to his legendary stone mansion.

Once she arrives, however, it becomes clear the boy’s death was no accident. Someone dangerous lurks within these glittering halls. Someone harboring a disturbing obsession with portrait magic.

Myra cannot do the painting until she knows what really happened, so she turns to the governor’s older son, a captivating redheaded poet. Together, they delve into the family’s most shadowed affairs, racing to uncover the truth before the secret Myra spent her life concealing makes her the killer’s next victim.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I didn't know what to expect from this book going in. Myra Whitlock is a portrait artist with a deadly secret. She is able to alter people through her painting and magic. When she is hired by the governor's wife to “resurrect” her dead son, Myra is desperate for the money to get medical help for her younger sister even though her life will be in danger. Once at the Harris Mansion, Myra soon realizes that not everything is what it seems. Full of intrigue and mystery, readers will be shocked by the ending.

Visit Jessica S. Olson’s website.

Evertrue by Brodi Ashton (Everneath book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't read the first two books in the series, Everneath and Everbound, Stop! I don't want to ruin Nikki and Jack's story for you.

Nikki rescued Jack from the tunnels of Everneath with the Cole's help and Cole left Nikki with devastating news. While in the Everneath, Nikki needed to feed from Cole on three different occasions and he tricked her. She is in the process of changing into an Everliving. Cole took her heart and left with no clues. They are relieved that they are able to kiss without Nikki siphoning off Jack's energy. But Jack has also changed. He is now bigger and stronger than before he was dragged to the Tunnels. Nikki and Jack are determined to stop her transformation and have their happily ever after. But she is keeping a secret from Jack, Nikki is growing weak even though the next forfeit isn't for another ninety nine years.

When Cole finally shows up, the news for Nikki isn't good. Her body is in transition. She must feed from the person who holds her surface heart and that's Cole. She will need to feed from him nightly until she needs more. Nikki doesn't have ninety nine years until she needs to feed from a forfeit. She only has weeks if she doesn't die first. Her life is literally in Cole's hands. Jack is not happy and Cole is determined to make Nikki the Everneath Queen. The Dead Elvises are looking for more forfeits with emotional anchors to build their strength to become ready for battle against the current Queen. Nikki just wants to save other humans from the horror of the forfeit. She decides that she and Jack must destroy the Everneath.

Can Nikki become human again? Will she and Jack be able to trust Cole? Why is Jack now so much bigger and stronger? Will Cole take over control of the Everneath? Can the Everneath be destroyed? Why is Cole interested in Nikki? Will Nikki and Jack find their happily ever after?

Visit Brodi Ashton’s website.

Everbound by Brodi Ashton (Everneath book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't read the first book in the series, Everneath, Stop! I don't want to ruin the story for you.

Nikki Beckett is desperate to save her boyfriend Jack Caputo. Two months ago, he forfeited his life to the Tunnels in the Everneath to save her. He kept her alive during the Feed by dreaming of her every night. Now, she is fighting to do the same for him. Jack has some good nights where he remembers and bad when he struggles to remember their love for one another.

Willing to risk everything to free Jack from the Tunnels, Nikki knows the only way she can enter is with the help of an Everliving. Cole Stockton and his Dead Elvis band mates are the only ones she knows. With his DNA, she can enter by herself but only with his guidance will she be able to navigate. Cole has disappeared from Park City, Colorado and Nikki is trying to track him through the impromptu appearances of the Dead Elvises.

Against her father’s better judgment, Nikki goes to Jack’s graduation ceremony because she feels like one of them should be there. She runs in to Jack’s older brother Will who knows the truth about his disappearance. They offer each other words of support on a difficult day before Mrs. Caputo sees them. After the ceremony, Nikki isn’t able to escape unseen. Mrs. Caputo believes that she is keeping information back about her missing son. She wants to know why Nikki is avoiding her but Nikki is at a loss. She had no idea Mrs. Caputo had been trying to speak with her. As she drives off, Nikki is floored to see Cole standing behind her.

Cole tells her to give up on Jack. He will eventually die. Cole is willing to wait for his death so that Nikki can be with him. Never, she states. She will rescue Jack form the Tunnels of the Everneath or die trying. Cole tells her that she is crazy. Before he can react, Nikki yanks out some of his hair. She runs to the Stop n Go and swallows the strands. She finds herself falling to the Everneath.

There she finds herself in a commons area. She spies the Queen as the Shades impale their first sacrifice. Horrified, she is soon spotted. Just at that moment, Cole appears and is able to get her back to the Surface. He is furious that she wants to throw her life away for a dead guy. Jack is her true love and she will not abandon him. They are at a standoff.

Nikki will never give up on Jack. She enlists Will’s help to trick Cole into taking her back. Laying their trap, Cole falls for it but Max, a band mate, knew she was lying. Finally, he relents and agrees to take her to the Everneath. Max is going to accompany them to make sure Cole doesn’t do something stupid.

Can Nikki go to the Everneath undetected? Will she, Cole and Max be able to find Jack less rescue him from the Tunnels? Can she return to the surface before her father notices that she is missing? What will happen when the Queens learns that she survived the Feed? Will Cole ever give up on Nikki becoming his? And will Jack and Nikki ever have a happily ever after?

The is told in flashbacks to important events in Nikki and Jack's relationship. Readers will not see the ending coming and will be eagerly awaiting awaiting the conclusion with Evertrue in January 2014.

Visit Brodi Ashton’s website.

Neverfall - book 1.5

An enovella about Cole and his deterination to discover how Nikki survived the feed and discovering his true intentions towards her. New information can be found here that isn't repeated in Everneath.

Everfound by Neal Shusterman (Skinjackers trilogy book 3)

Everfound by Neal Shusterman (Skinjackers trilogy book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series,  Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.


Everwild left our cast of Afterlights in various situations of peril. Allie the Outcast is tied to the front of a train heading across the Mississippi River. Milos is in charge of Mary’s second hibernation and looking out  for her children. And Mikey gathered up the chocolate remnants of Nick and reformed them into an actual Chocolate Ogre. But what lies west of the Mississippi and who is the mysterious Jix gathering intelligence for? Will Mikey escape his entrapment and be able to catch up with the others? Can Nick reclaim his Afterlight form or is he doomed to be made of chocolate forever? Can Allie escape from the train? What or who will be found in the West? And will our favorite Afterlights choose to stay in Everlost or take their coins and cross over?

Visit Neal Shusterman’s website.

Everlost and Everwild : the skinjacker trilogy by Neal Shusterman

Everlost - book one

Allie and Nick meet in the aftermath of a traffic accident that claimed both of their lives. Neither were wearing seatbelts when they were thrown through the windshields of their respective cars. As they are flying through a tunnel toward a bright light, they bump into one another and go off course. Allie and Nick fall to the ground and sleep a long, dreamless sleep. When they awaken, they see a boy younger than they are and decide to call him Lief since he cannot remember his name. He has been alone for quite a few years. Nick and Allie slowly realize they didn't survive the accident and make it to heaven. They are now known as Afterlights.

Lief is content to spend the rest of his eternity in his beloved forest but Allie and Nick desire a trip home to see if their respective families survived the accident. Lief begs them to stay. He claims they don't know the dangers beyond the dead forest. He warns them to keep moving so they don't sink to the bottom of the earth and beware of the McGill. Anyone who meets up with the McGill is never seen again. They construct "roadshoes", based on the concept of snowshoes, to help them on their journey. They soon find "dead spots" along their way, places where someone has died that Afterlights cannot sink through the earth. On the third day, Nick and Allie come across a welcome sign situated on a dead spot. They stop for an unneeded rest when they are soon surrounded by Johnnie O and his rogue band of Afterlights. They confront Allie and Nick and Allie tells the boys to leave them alone or she will call the McGill. Johnnie O realizes they are "Greensouls", new Afterlights, and calls her bluff. The gang pushes Allie into the ground. She soon realizes that she is being pulled back up and sees that Nick and Lief have rescued her. Lief has been following them and scared off Johnnie O and his boys when they think he is the McGill.

The trio continues traveling until they reach the outskirts of New York City.  Lief is overwhelmed by the sight of the great modern city, as are Allie and Nick but for other reasons. Allie wants to continue on to New Jersey but Nick is determined to go into the city. Once in Manhattan, Lief is overcome by the sight of the World Tarde Center but realizes something is wrong when Allie tells him the buildings no longer exist. The twin towers became a part of Everlost because they could never be truly lost, not when they were "held forever by the memories of a mourning world."

When Allie, Nick and Lief arrive at the twin towers, they are shocked at what they find. Afterlights are playing in the marble plaza in a variety of clothing styles dependent on when they crossed over. They soon meet Mary Hightower, aka the Queen of Snots, who is the leader/caregiver for the assembled band of Afterlights and takes in the trio. Mary explains what it means to be an Afterlight and live in Everlost. Nick is drawn to Mary but Allie doesn't trust her. Allie convinces the boys to leave the towers and go find the Haunter. He has the ability to teach the "criminal arts" such as skin jacking or ecto-ripping. When Lief and Nick are unable to perform and are captured. Allie flees when she realizes that she possess some special abilities but doesn't want to be under the thumb of the Haunter.

What will happen to Nick and Lief and is Allie able to rescue them and with whose help? Will Allie be able to put her special talents to good use? And is the McGill real or just a myth? And are the Afterlights stuck in Everlost forever or is their a way to leave? Join Allie and Nick on their journey through Everlost and see where they go.

Visit Neal Shusterman's website.

Everwild - book two

SPOILER ALERT! : Don't read any further if you haven't read Everlost. I don't want to ruin the story for you.

The further story of Allie the Outcast, the Chocoalte Ogre, the Sky Witch and Mikey McGill as they go their separtae ways into Everwild in an attempt to keep the other faction from having dominance over the Afterlights.

The trilogy concludes with Everfound in June 2011.