On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Renée Winters was still an ordinary girl. She spent her summers at the beach, had the perfect best friend, and had just started dating the cutest guy at school. No one she’d ever known had died. But all that changes when she finds her parents dead in the Redwood Forest, in what appears to be a strange double murder.

After the funeral Renée’s wealthy grandfather sends her to Gottfried Academy, a remote and mysterious boarding school in Maine, where she finds herself studying subjects like Philosophy, Latin, and the “Crude Sciences.”

It’s there that she meets Dante Berlin, a handsome and elusive boy to whom she feels inexplicably drawn. As they grow closer, unexplainable things begin to happen, but Renée can’t stop herself from falling in love. It’s only when she discovers a dark tragedy in Gottfried’s past that she begins to wonder if the Academy is everything it seems.Little does she know, Dante is the one hiding a dangerous secret, one that has him fearing for her life.

Hardcover, UK, 456 pages Published May 1st 2011 by Usborne (first published September 21st 2010)

There was very little that I did not love about this book.

After Renee loses her parents (whom she discovered dead), her grandfather sends her off, across the country, to a very unusual school. She is skeptical about the things she sees going on at the school, but makes friends easily. Dante is the brooding, hot mysterious guy. They have a deep attraction to each other. The romantic aspect is a little mushy, but I found it cute all the same.

Renee finds that she has a keen ability to locate dead things and there is a curse on the school and students have been known to die there. Not to mention the mysterious Latin classes and student monitors that are up to something. Even the handsome and mysterious Dante has a deep attraction to her that he has never felt for anyone before.

I hate comparing books to other books, I always try to judge each writer and story on it’s own merits. But guess what this is my first time that yes I am going to compare this book to the notorious Twilight. There is a scene in this story, in the forest during which I pictured Bella and Edward. For one page it was almost word for word the same scene in Twilight when Bella tells Edward she knows what he is. Otherwise the idea behind this particular story was very unique, I found it highly intriguing and loved it.

There was not a boring moment in this story. The unraveling of the plot and the pacing is what kept me hooked. I thought there was a great mixture of characters. I liked the story line and the mystery behind what is happening at the school and her timing in finding out the events leading up to the end was perfect. Even though I was not a huge fan of the mushy the romance factor, it did not over power any of the main plot and events leading to the ending.

The story is put together very well. I know that I should have been able to see what was coming at the end, but I really didn’t see it. The unraveling of the plot and the growing suspense kept me sucked into the story and I hated having to put it down.

Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy: The Graphic Novel #1)

After two years on the run, best friends Rose and Lissa are caught and returned to St. Vladimir’s Academy, a private high school for vampires and half-bloods. It’s filled with intrigue, danger – and even romance. Enter their dark, fascinating world through a new series of 144-page full-color graphic novels. The entire first Vampire Academy novel has been adapted for book one by Leigh Dragoon and overseen by Richelle Mead, while the beautiful art of acclaimed British illustrator Emma Vieceli brings the story to life.

Paperback, 144 pages

Published August 23rd 2011 by Razorbill

ISBN 1595144293 (ISBN13: 9781595144294)

For what I have come to know of graphic novels this version does not have much on the side of “novel”. I have read the book, the first in the very well known Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead, and was very much looking forward to see how it was interpreted into graphic novel form.

The first thing I noticed was the format of this particular book, it’s glossy full colored pages are very detailed and eye-catching. I think the artist did a great job. What I was surprised to see was the lack of dialogue and “novel”. The story has been shortened so much it just includes the basic points that drive the story, lots of drama and huge emotional scenes, and then it’s over.

What this does lead to is a very fast paced action packed story. All key points are hit on and a great re-cap of book one of the series. It’s a very short book at 144 pages and can be easily read through in one sitting. There is just enough intrigue and romantic influence that the reader can get a feel to the characters and the world.

Presenting the initial Courtney Crumrin miniseries in a new digest-sized format. Courtney’s parents have dragged her out to a high-to-do suburb to live with her creepy Great Uncle Aloysius in his spooky old house. She’s not only the new kid in school, but she also discovers strange things lurking under her bed.

Paperback, 128 pages

Published May 28th 2003 by Oni Press

ISBN  1929998600 (ISBN13: 9781929998609)

I loved this story! Courtney’s courageous, smart and has a lot of spunk. If you’re looking for something that’s got a little bit of a creep factor, but enjoyable even for younger readers, I recommend this one.

This story opens up with Courtney and her parents moving to a posh part of town to live with their Uncle Aloysius. In the opening pages Aloysius is described to us by a gremlin creature, Butterworm, who is peeking through the windows. He tells us about the creatures and experiments that he has seen going on inside, and that moving into this particular house was probably not the best thing for Courtney and her parents.

From the first night Courtney has problems sleeping. She keeps seeing shadows and movements in the dark, and is, in no time, exploring the house – rooms that she was explicitly told not to go into by her Uncle.

She eventually discovers books in the library that are written in different languages. Picking one out, she begins to interpret some spells that may get the kids at school to like her more and stop beating her up for her money.

It works.

She takes on bullies, loved-spelled boys, Gremlins, changelings that smoke, drink whiskey and then try to auction off human children in the Goblin Market. From talking cats to dangerous creatures in the night, Courtney takes them all on, and barely breaks a sweat.

A classmate goes missing, baby’s are stolen, Courtney practices magic, and a doppleganger tries to take over her life. I really enjoyed all the adventures that Courtney goes through. Not only does she roll with the punches, in the end she saves the day. I cannot wait to read more of Courtney’s stories.