The Gathering (2011)

By: Kelley Armstrong

Sixteen-year-old Maya lives in the small town built around the top-secret research facility on Vancouver Island. All she knows of her birth parents is the small paw-shaped birthmark on her hip. But then, strange things start to happen on the island. There have been a handful of mysterious deaths, and the animals in the sanctuary are becoming more brazen. Could this have to do with her shadowed past?

Honestly, I’m intrigued by novels that handle adoption. Most don’t treat the subject well, making children who’ve been adopted have inherent knowledge that they are “other” or giving them terrible relationships with their parents. The Gathering, however, handles adoption quite well.

Though the story follows a sixteen-year-old, it doesn’t fall into the same tropes as many other YA novels. Everything unfolds without much soap opera-like drama. There’s also a lot of history and Native American culture woven throughout. It’s a very entertaining read, and I can’t wait to snatch up the next book in the series.

Plus, I mean, there are werepanthers, guys. Super cool!

The Savage Blood (2011)

By: Tamara Rose Blodgett

Trying to unearth the truth of her lineage, our sphere-dwelling princess—or should I say queen?—travels the land. Along the way, she’s nearly sexually assaulted—for the sixth time—but is, of course, rescued by our muscular, masculine Savages.

Right. So. I gave this series some more time, considering I was pretty interested in the story. (yay mermaids!) That being said, there are a lot of sexual assault attempts that are thwarted at just the right time. And this is where the love triangle deepens, making the main character look incredibly indecisive and quite weak. She lets things happen to her, while everyone says what a good and gracious queen she is. In my opinion, if you say over and over again that a person has a certain quality, instead of showing it, I start to question if that’s really who they are.

Like I said for the first book in this series, check it out if you’re waffling over what to read. But, again, I caution, the genre labeling for this is wrong. It’s more steampunk/Pocahontas. With the veiled racism thrown in for good measure. Because, honestly, these people are called Savages, after all.

The Masked Truth (2015)

By: Kelley Armstrong

Two teens are forced to attend a group therapy session in an abandoned warehouse, as a way to overcome their individual troubles. However, things start to go south when three masked assailants break into the facility and hold them hostage. The exits are sealed, there are no windows, their phones are gone, and their captors are on a killing spree. Will anyone escape?

This novel handles mental illness in a fascinating way. I won’t spoil the big reveal here, but the points of view in the novel were enlightening. Mixed with the elements of a slasher flick, this novel was truly entertaining. If you like that kind of thing, definitely check this book out.

Horde (2013)

By: Anne Aguire

So, the zombies have amassed into a… you guessed it: horde. Deuce’s town is surrounded, and it’s up to her and her merry band of fellows to defend what they all hold dear. However, there are twists you don’t see coming.

This was an incredible end to the trilogy. The end was perfect, not too saccharine, not to prickly. Honestly, I can’t praise these books enough. Go read them!