Rebecca Hardwick wants nothing more than to start a family with her husband. But when a series of tragedies occur, she is left unable to have children by natural means.

Jane Nurelle is in an abusive relationship filled with beatings, drinking and drugs. But when she learns of her pregnancy, she is determined to turn her life around, even if it means resorting to violence.

Through an unlikely series of events, these two women come face-to-face with a notable scientist who has perfected a way for couples to have biologically matched children through the process of human cloning. But his service comes at a price…and the women share more in common than they ever thought possible.

Surrogate is an unforgettable tale of life, love, revenge and maternal instinct.

Published October 14th 2014 by DarkFuse 

 *OLDER READERS WARNING*

This is another title from DarkFuse horror novella releases. It includes the story of two very different women and a suspicious husband. With a touch of science fiction, it makes for an entertaining and quick read.

After being the victim of a random shooting while gardening, Rebecca is left unable to have children. When her therapist mentions surrogacy through cloning, she begins to feel hopeful. Her husband is critical as Rebecca is vulnerable and it’s an expensive procedure, yet they decide to proceed.

When Jane runs away from an abusive relationship, she gets into an accident and wakes up years later in an unusual room. She will do anything to find out what happened to her and how she ended up there.

Their lives end up crossing and the cloning company has some questions to answer. What I enjoyed about this story is the perspective on cloning. It’s always been an interesting topic to me and I enjoyed this take on it. Jane was a very pleasant surprise for me as she is strong, a bit crazy, and I loved her!

YA fantasy author, Melanie Card, has delivered another winner. Ward against Disaster is the third instalment in her Chronicles of a Reluctant Necromancer series, released by Entangled Publishing. With the beautiful but dangerous Celia Carlyle at his side, Ward de’Ath is on the trail of a deadly soul-eater: the vesperetti, Allette. Assisted by a Tracker, Nazarius de’Serra, they are determined to put an end to the ongoing slaughter of innocents. Ward’s fearless allies follow him into Dulthyne, a town ensnared by dark blood magic, in which they face a series of challenging episodes with dark foe.

Throughout the novel, there are a number of fantastic combat scenes that make for a page-turning experience. The action is written convincingly and with great skill – the fights ring true, the desperation feels real, and the characters’ strength of will leaps off the page. A necromancer and physician, Ward makes for an intriguing, altruistic central character, and his magical connection to former assassin, Celia (who is also undead) inspires conflicting feelings in them both and increases the intensity of their respective spiritual and emotional journeys. Nazarius, on the other hand, has some secrets and, possibly, another agenda. Can he be depended upon as a trusted friend?

Card is a masterful world-builder: Dulthyne is a treacherous, sinister place that you’ll feel you’ve actually visited. With its citadels, mysterious passageways, and sparkling witchstone constructions, it heaves with darkness and secrecy. Card has also developed a rich, believable history for both her multi-layered, introspective characters, and the world they inhabit. Secret cults, ancient myths, and old magic combine to create a sense of depth and history.

We are left with a tantalising cliff-hanger which will whet readers’ appetites for the next book. If you’re new to this series, I do recommend starting with the first book, Ward against Death, only because it’s such a satisfying experience to follow Ward and Celia from their beginnings. Ward against Disaster can definitely stand alone as a brilliant, fast-paced, and twist-ridden read. Fans of Kristin Cashore and Sarah J Maas will love this compelling fantasy series and its memorable cast of characters. Recommended.

The Vours: Evil, demonic beings that inhabit human bodies on Sorry Night, the darkest hours of the winter solstice.

When Reggie reads about the Vours in a mysterious old journal, she assumes they are just the musings of an anonymous lunatic. But then her little brother, Henry, begins to act strangely, and it’s clear that these creatures exist beyond a madwoman’s imagination. Reggie finds out what happens when fears come to life.

To save the people she loves, Reggie must learn to survive in a world of nightmares. Can she devour her own fears before they devour her? The Devouring is an engrossing tale of terror that will have you wondering: what if your worst fears became your living nightmare?

This book is very much a psychological thriller. You go inside the mind to battle the insecurities and doubts that the Vour has taken control of. It creeps inside you, makes you feel that there is no escape, and builds walls filled with horror that stop you from pushing it out. You then sink into yourself until you’re gone.

There is so much more I want to say, but am also struggling not to say too much. The book has fantastic, easy to relate to, and, at times, funny characters. It also has great pacing and constant fear building throughout the story—you won’t want to put it down.

Simon Holt is a genius when it comes to scaring the pants off you. I was entertained, I will be having nightmares, and I definitely will be picking up the rest of this series immediately. This story left me saying OMG! It made my skin crawl and put my senses into overdrive. There was one page in particular where I even read it with one eye closed and the other barely open. I needed to find out what happened next, but I am so grossed out by they spiders that it gave me shivers. From that page on, I read with voracity. I knew that there was no way I was going to bed until it was finished.

Pick this one up! It’s a young adult novel, but it is creepy; if you are prone to nightmares, you may need to beware. I feel like writing to all major motion pictures and pushing this book. I would love to see it as a movie! I am speechless and all I have to say is WOW!

This story has an innovative twist, using a bird as the glue that holds the storyline together. It works amazingly well.

A Bush-Stone Curlew is injured by a fire that kills the mother of two of our characters, and we see that scene from the bird’s point of view. The bird escapes the blaze and takes up residence in a city park near where our third main character has been replanted from her happy country life.

We then spend the book jumping between the heads of our three main characters: Robin, a self-confessed bird-nerd, Delia, a high-achieving weirdo, and Delia’s brother Seth, a drop-out who is severely affected by the death of his mother.

It’s taken me a while to process this book so that I am able to review it. I did love the book, and I want that to be in the forefront of your mind. I was, however, extremely disturbed by how realistically these teens and adults struggled through this traumatic chapter of their fictional lives.

Christie did a brilliant job of capturing emotions and giving an unflinching look at how different people cope in the face of adversity.

If you’re in the mood for something a little deeper and more serious over the summer break, I’d suggest you seek out As Stars Fall. I’m trying to think of comparisons, and the closest I can think of is the Australiana feel of Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden (minus the war), and the stark, unshrinking nature of Siege by Sarah Mussi.

**Note** This book contains drug use, so be aware that it is better suited to mature readers of YA.

Paperback, 320 pages

Published July 1st 2014 by Pan Australia

ISBN 1743517696 (ISBN13: 9781743517697)

Who’s the real victim here? This tense and gripping exploration of cyberbullying and teen suicide is perfect for fans of Before I Fall and Thirteen Reasons Why.

Late at night Tori receives a random phone call. It’s a wrong number. But the caller seems to want to talk, so she stays on the line. He asks for a single thing—one reason not to kill himself.

The request plunges her into confusion. Because if this random caller actually does what he plans, he’ll be the second person connected to Tori to take his own life. And the first just might land her in jail. After her Facebook page became Exhibit A in a tragic national news story about cyberbullying, Tori can’t help but suspect the caller is a fraud. But what if he’s not? Her words alone may hold the power of life or death. With the clock ticking, Tori has little time to save a stranger—and maybe redeem herself—leading to a startling conclusion that changes everything…

Hardcover, 224 pages  Published August 12th 2014 by Simon Pulse  ISBN  1442499567 (ISBN13: 9781442499560)

I flew through this book in a very short time. Tori, the main character, had me feeling conflicted throughout the whole story. She is facing a day in court for a bullying case and the possibility of some real consequences, but she just does not feel like she is guilty. Her family is upset and solemn and everything around her is off. Her brother is pissed, and Tori is angry. Unexpectedly, on the night before her hearing, she gets a phone call with a request: a random caller wants a reason to not kill himself.

My favourite character in the story is the random caller. He is upfront and sometimes rude, but what does he have to lose? He’s planning to die anyway, and he doesn’t actually think anybody would have a good enough reason to stop him going through with his plan. Coincidentally dialling Tori’s number turns the night into turmoil.

The reason I would recommend this is due to the way that Tori’s realisations come about through the story. We get to see her going back and forth as she deals with what has happened. We see denial and regret, along with anger and emotional breakdowns, as she works her way through her feelings. Sometimes I felt mad at her, and sometimes I agreed with her and empathised with how tough it can be in such a situation. It really was a thought-provoking story that I’m glad I read.