Beyond the Grave by Mara Purnhagen

Summary/Cover Image from Author's Website:

I can’t move forward with my life

Until I know my demons are confined to the past…

Being Charlotte Silver, the daughter of famous paranormal investigators, means my life isn’t like other girls. Especially after what happened to my parents. Things changed. I missed prom and deferred my big college plans. But while my future is on hold, everyone else around me is moving on. At least I’m not alone. Noah is everything I could want in a boyfriend—if I can figure out what’s going on with him.

I feel like Noah’s hiding something from me, and I’m sure it has to do with what happened to us three months ago. The bruise he suffered during a paranormal attack has never completely faded. It’s a constant reminder of what a vicious entity whispered to Noah: You’re interesting.

Now Noah is researching demons and won’t talk about it. And when he disappears, it’s up to me to find him—before something else does.

Review:

After devouring the first two books in the Past Midnight series, I couldn't wait to read the third one. Because not only did the second leave off with a semi-huge cliffhanger but also because there's just so many aspects I adore about this series. Luckily, Beyond the Grave was yet another fabulous addition. It was actually probably my favorite one so far!

Beyond the Grave starts off a couple of months after One Hundred Candles left off. Charlotte is still reeling with the fact that her Mom is in a comma, one that she may never recover from safely. Because of this, Charlotte has decided not to head off to college just yet. Instead, she's hanging around home and taking a few classes at a local community college. However, it's not helping as much as she though it would. Her dad's never home, her best friend has abandoned her for college, and Noah, her usually fabulous boyfriend, is slowly beginning to pull away from her. Charlotte doesn't know what to chalk that last one up to, but she thinks it may just have to do with what happened a couple of weeks ago when Noah and her went on a paranormal investigation that went terribly wrong. Charlotte knows it's up to her to find out what's up with Noah and possibly save her mother in the process, but is she willing to put a few major things on the line? Charlotte's not too sure but she's bound to find out soon...

I have to admit: Beyond the Grave is probably the most serious book out of the series. Not to say the others were always light, fluffy reads, but this one definitely showed the less sunny sides of life. From Charlotte's mom's current state to the mix feelings she felt about that as well as her family specifically to her problems with Noah, Charlotte faced a lot of different challenges in this novel. Some were good and somewhere bad, but they all did one thing: they brought some major development to Charlotte's character. Charlotte truly bloomed into a strong, brave, and kick-butt character in this one. She refused to back down and let others determine her fate more times than one, and that's not even adding in all the times she put her own self on the line. I loved seeing this side of her, and I'm sure other fans of this series will feel the same way.

The other characters got some development as much. However, one of my favorite parts of Beyond the Grave was seeing the focus on one new character and one character who hasn't always been the nicest one prior in the series. I'm not going to give any names because I don't want to ruin any surprises, but I will say that both ended up being surprising adds. In some ways, they actually stole the show.

The plot in Beyond the Grave was also top notch. It contained many twists and turns that constantly managed to capture my attention. For the majority of the novel, I was on the edge of my chair, dying to know what would occur next. Would Charlotte's mom wake up? What exactly was wrong with Noah? Would Charlotte be able to save him before it was too late? There were so many questions, and the ways to the answers were nothing less than action packed to say the least.

The writing in this one was snazzy as well. I've read every book of Mara's with the exception of the two eBook short stories for this series, but I have to say Mara's writing has managed to get better and better over time. Beyond the Grave especially highlighted her talent of creating an action packed plot and an even better conclusion.

Full of twists and turns, Beyond the Grave certainly makes quite the impression. While I've heard this one is the last one in the series, I truly hope that's not the case. I would love to see more books about Charlotte and her friends/family or even a spin-off with the two characters that managed to steal the show in this one. Now that would provide an interesting storyline to say the least!

Oh, and if you haven't started this series yet: What are you waiting for? Get to it ASAP. I demand it.

Grade: A+

Beyond the Grave is now available!

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

One Hundred Candles by Mara Purnhagen

Summary/Cover Image from Goodreads:

It’s taken a long time for Charlotte Silver to feel like a normal teenager. But now that she’s settled in a new school, where she’s made friends who know about her parent’s infamous paranormal investigations, it feels like everything is falling into place. And what better way to be normal than to go on a date with the popular Harris Abbott? After all, it’s not as if Noah is anything more than a friend.

But Charlotte’s new life takes a disturbing detour when Harris takes her to a party where they play a game called One Hundred Candles. It all seems like harmless, ghostly fun. Until the spirits supposedly unleashed by the game start showing up at school. Now, Charlotte, her friends and her family are in very real danger, and the door that she’s opened into another realm may yield deadly consequences.

Review:

With every one of Mara Purnhagen's books I read I come to like her more and more as an author, and with One Hundred Candles this trend has continued thankfully. Because not only is One Hundred Candles Mara's best book yet, but this one is filled with even more suspense, romance, and intrigue than its prequel Past Midnight.

One Hundred Candles begins on Charlotte Silver's Christmas day, and while most families spend the day relaxing and having fun at home, Charlotte's doesn't, though, they've never been one to be normal. Instead they are spending their day at a empty and supposedly haunted sanitarium filming a segment for one of Charlotte's parents' documentaries. Though, a quick trip to the sanitarium soon turns deadly, landing Charlotte in the ER with a bruised arm and her parents in one of their biggest clashes ever. Returning home Charlotte hopes everything will quickly return to normal, though everything soon goes amiss when she plays a game called One Hundred Candles at a party. With the game comes mysteries and paranormal happenings, as well as the most deadly energies Charlotte's dealt with yet. So, will Charlotte be able to rise to the task and finish it off once and for all, or will she fail at the task? Better yet, what about Harris, the new guy who is paying attention to her? Does he truly like her, or this something more sinister to his intentions? Only time will tell in this deadly and spooky follow up to Past Midnight!

In this fantastic, action packed sequel there's more of everything- plot development, character development, you name it...

Though, my absolutely favorite out all of it was the character development. In Past Midnight, I was only to quickly come to like Charlotte and in One Hundred Candles this trend continued. One of the things I love most about Charlotte is her spunk that always leads her to be fearless when it comes to helping her friends and family out and in this addition this trait continued to be prevalent. Better yet, I loved how Charlotte got some romance in this one, because not only did it lead to an interesting sub-plot, but it also lead to some much needed tension between Charlotte and her friend Noah, a guy who may just be perfect for Charlotte if they gave each other a chance.

Adding to this, I loved the plot of this book. It was filled with enough action and suspense to keep my hands stuck to the pages like glue. I was ceaselessly wondering what would occur next, especially when it came to the events following the One Hundred Candles game. And while I'm one to get annoyed with cliff-hanger endings, the one at the end of One Hundred Candles was fabulous and well worth the frustration I'm now feeling over having to wait until Fall '11 to find out what will happen next.

In all, if you're a fan of paranormal books, be sure to pick up Past Midnight as well as One Hundred Candles. These are two books that are sure to rock your world and they may even add a certain new author to your list of favorite authors ever!

Grade: A+

One Hundred Candles is now out!

Source: Netgalley

Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen

Summary/Cover Image from Goodreads:

Let me set the record straight. My name is Charlotte Silver and I'm not one of those paranormal-obsessed freaks you see on TV…no, those would be my parents, who have their own ghost-hunting reality show. And while I'm usually roped into the behind-the-scenes work, it turns out that I haven't gone unnoticed. Something happened on my parents' research trip in Charleston—and now I'm being stalked by some truly frightening other beings. Trying to fit into a new school and keeping my parents' creepy occupation a secret from my friends—and potential boyfriends—is hard enough without having angry spirits whispering in my ear. All I ever wanted was to be normal, but with ghosts of my past and present colliding, now I just want to make it out of high school alive….

Review:

Ever since reading Mara Purhagen's fantastic first novel Tagged, I've been eager to read more by her, so when Past Midnight (her newest novel and a paranormal mystery at that!) showed up in my mailbox I was beyond ecstatic. And as it turned out that was just the right emotion to be feeling, because Past Midnight is an unputdownable ghostly paranormal read that I can't suggest highly enough for all you paranormal lovers out there!

From the first page the reader is thrown into the world of Charlotte Silver, a girl who has never been exactly normal thanks to her famous paranormal investigator parents. But this year, Charlotte's senior year, is going to be different; she's going to be normal. Because not only have her parents agreed to stay in one place for the year but she's already making friends at her new school. But as it turns out everything is soon to unravel. Because not only is she being stalked by scary paranormal beings, but her friends are getting closer and closer to finding out about Charlotte's parents occupation and she just can't have that now, can she? So now she's on the path to find out who (or perhaps what) is stalking her and how she can get rid of them once for all, but when her friends find out about everything, will they stick by her side? More importantly: will she make it out of high school alive? And most important of all: Will she EVER be normal? Only time can tell in this rich paranormal mystery by Ms. Purhagen.

Charlotte was a character I loved reading about, because, quite frankly, she was a pretty interesting girl. I especially loved the way she would go out of her to help her new friends, and the way she grew to understand that no one is normal or perfect for the matter, that you should just roll with the punches and live your life. My favorite secondary character out of the mix would have to be a tie between Avery and Noah, because both were characters that were not only fun to read about but ones I respected as well. 

The plot of this was nothing short of fun, though why wouldn't it be? I loved the way Mara intertwined facts about paranormal investigating right along with the ghostly sub-plot, because paranormal investigating is a topic I always love to read more about. Making Past Midnight even better in my eyes was Mara's writing, which moved  in a fun, fast paced sort of way, just like in Tagged.

In all, Past Midnight is a ghostly paranormal mystery and a fantastic start to a new series that I highly suggest you pick up the next time you see it in stores or online.

Grade: A-

Past Midnight is now out!

Source: Author. Thanks, Mara!

Quick Qs and As with Mara Purnhagen

Mara Purnhagen is the debut author of an original and fantastic novel titled Tagged. And today, I have a special treat for you all, an interview with no one other then Mara!

So without a further ado, I give you the official interview.

 

~~~

What three words best describe Tagged?

Quirky, light, thought-provoking (I hope!)

Describe your main character, Kate, in one sentence.

An insecure girl who is stronger than she realizes.

If you could offer Kate any type of advice, what would you say?

Nothing walks with aimless feet.

In your opinion, what makes Tagged a book teens should pick up?

I think it’s a fun, quick read with some interesting elements.

One of the issues discussed in Tagged was whether or not graffiti should be considered as art which leaves me to wonder what your stance on this topic is.

I think I’ll let the book answer that!

In Tagged the person behind the graffiti always leaves behind a gorilla with a message. What made you choose gorillas as the object drawn?

There were many reasons why I chose gorillas. First, I needed something large and out of place in a regular town. Second, I think gorillas are expressive. And third, there’s a gorilla sticker on my husband’s work bench that I like.

How did the title Tagged come to be?

I wanted something short and strong, and Tagged fit perfectly.

How does it feel knowing Tagged is now in bookstores?

People keep calling me to say they’ve seen it at Barnes and Noble and Borders, which is very cool. I haven’t seen it yet. I’ll probably take a picture of it when I do!

What has your favorite part of the publishing process been so far?

It’s always a thrill to see your cover for the first time. As an author, you don’t get a lot of say in what it will look like, so it can be nerve-wracking.

What is your typical day like?

I’m up at 7:30 and busy with kids, errands, and a thousand other things until 8 pm. I write mainly at night, and I’m not in bed until midnight.

What are three random facts about you?

I am left handed. I love the Simpsons. I collect vintage postcards from the early 1900s.

I love the Simpson too. What's up next for you book-wise?

A series! The first book, Past Midnight, comes out in September 2010. The second, One Hundred Candles will be out in 2011, and the third book (which I’m working on now) is scheduled for 2011. The series revolves around Charlotte, whose parents are paranormal investigators. They debunk ghost stories for a living. No one in the family believes in ghosts—until something happens to Charlotte that they can’t explain.

Oooh, sounds interesting! Is there anything else you would like to add?

Happy Reading!

~~~

Thanks so much, Mara!

Further Links:

Mara's website

Tagged on Amazon/Indie Bound/Barnes and Noble

Tagged by Mara Purnhagen

Summary:

Kate Morgan is just as confused as the rest of her classmates when she arrives at Cleary High to find six life-size gorillas spray painted on the side of a building. Could the culprit be one of her friends or classmates? And is the kind-of-amazing creation really vandalism, or a work of art? She's tempted to stay out of it, mostly because, as the police chief’s daughter, she's always accused of being a snitch. But when gorillas start appearing throughout the state, her investigative instincts kick in.

Now Eli, Kate’s favorite co-worker at the local coffee shop, is MIA. With her best friend, Lan, preoccupied with her own boy troubles, Kate needs to figure out some things on her own. Like why she can’t stop thinking about Eli. And what she will do when all clues about the graffiti point to someone she knows...
 
Review:
 
Tagged was yet another fabulously fun read from Harlequin's new teen line, which leaves me to suspect this line can do no wrong when it comes to choosing titles!

Kate was a interesting and likable character that's voice won me over from the start. I loved that while she did sometimes have her moments of insecurity, she always ended up doing the right thing that was for the most part a brave choice. Plus I enjoyed seeing how close she was to her parents because usually you don't see the parental units too much in YA, much less a good relationship between the protagonist and them. Her best friend Lan was also one of my favorite characters. I liked how Mara issued racial acceptance issues through her character because it gave me a better understand how awful it would feel to have someone judge just because you were a different race from them. Eli was also a great addition and someone who was definitely swoon-worthy even if he did sometimes make some bad choices.

The plot and writing made this is a breezy read with just the right amount of tension, romance, funniness, and reality thrown in. I really enjoyed seeing how the gorilla graffiti sub-plot tied into the plot and created a mysterious atmosphere for most of the book.

In all, Tagged is certainly a debut book to pick up ASAP. I can't wait to read more by Ms. Purnhagen!

Grade: A
 
Tagged is not officially out till March first, but Amazon and Barnes and Noble are already shipping it. By the way, Amazon has a great excerpt from the novel listed on Tagged's page.
 
Source: Netgalley's website for review.