I Hunt Killers (Jasper Dent #1) by Barry Lyga

This review was written by: B

Received: Library

Publication Date of Book: April 2012

Pages: 359 (Hardcover)

Stars: 5/5

"No way," Jazz shivered at the thought of it.  "The last thing you want in this world is to show weakness to him.  Never.  I can never go see him.  Just doing it would give him the upper hand.  You show any weakness to a serial killer and they live inside you after that."
"He's already living inside of you," she (Connie) whispered in a tone of regret.  "Because you can't let go."

 -I Hunt Killers

Jasper, more commonly known as Jazz, had the childhood of nightmares.  His father, Billy Cornelius Dent, was the world's worst serial killer.  As a result, Billy frequently subjected his son to blood and death beginning at a tender age.  The man could hardly contain himself when it came to his ever deepening passion and thriving love for murder, showing Jazz all there was to know about being a living grim reaper.

This dysfunctional family lived in the little town of Lobo's Nod, and Billy always took to the idea of never murdering in the same place as where he lived.  However, he could no longer contain himself after years of following his own personal law and finally gave in, taking two local women's lives.  These little mistakes led to Billy's inevitable capture by the sheriff who drove himself crazy looking for this madman.  Locked up for the manslaughter of over one hundred and twenty victims, Billy Cornelius Dent was to never harm another living soul as long as he lived.

Four years later, teenage Jazz is still living in Lobo's Nod as he attempts to live a normal life.  He stays with his crazy grandmother who sometimes believes that Jazz is Billy himself, or she sees Jazz as the disgusting result of a marriage she never consented to between Jazz and his supposedly horrible mother, spewing Jasper with cruel comments for him to soak in.  His best friend is a hemophiliac, and the whole town looks at Jazz as if he's going to explode and go on a murder spree at any second.  Jazz has no intention of turning into his father, though.  Sure, he still has everything his father ever taught him locked inside his head, ready for use, but he can't stand to let himself become a monster.  He doesn't want to use his charm, wits, and charisma to become a "god of murder."

Then dead bodies start to show up in Lobo's Nod once again.  It can't be Billy because hes' been locked up for four years.  This leaves Jazz as the lone suspect despite his innocence.  As a result, Jazz makes it his mission to help hunt down the new serial killer in town.  He wants to prove to Lobo's Nod and its inhabitants that he isn't a killer and that he won't turn into one, either.  Perhaps, he wants to prove to himself that he isn't murderer, that Dear Old Dad didn't ruin him after all.  Whatever the case is, he has the mind of a serial killer, giving him the ultimate advantage when it comes to investigating a crime scene.  So, whether the cops like it or not, they need his help if they want to stop the constant black plague of death.

Does Jazz's past become his present?  Will he turn into the perfect serial killer that his father always wanted him to be?  Or does he prove everyone wrong?  Was Jazz molded into a more perfect killing machine than Billy could have ever imagined?  Can he actually fight what he might really be inside?  Or is Jazz destined to fall into the dark recesses of his worst nightmares?

The dice had already been tossed, the cards shuffled and drawn.  He was what he was, whether he knew it yet or not.  Maybe he was just a guy with a crazy dad, like other kids with crazy dads.
Or maybe he was something else.
                          -I Hunt Killers

My Thoughts:

I was never into contemporary murder mysteries, thrillers, or suspense novels until reading Lyga's I Hunt Killers.  Now I can proudly say that I've become rather intrigued with these genres.  However, I have yet to come across a YA book in these categories that measures up to this bad boy.  The characters, the plot, the background, and the demented thought processes, all make for one blood-tingling, heart attacking inducing novel that can easily be read over and over again.

Seeing into the mind of a serial killer is . . . dare I say . . . gripping . . . and engrossing.  Plus, this book has a mindset of its own.  It's daring and disturbing, bold and creepy.  Perhaps it can even be described as alarmingly unsettling.  Your sanity may be questioned by the end of it.  One minute you'll be laughing out loud, and the next you'll be gasping out of horror.  Lyga has a real talent for smoothly switching between light and dark moods with the scariest of ease.  It almost feels effortless.

Jazz's mind is that one no sane person possibly wants to live with, let alone see into.  There's this tortured, brooding side to him that's always trying to overwhelm the good in him.  On top of that, Billy's chilling voice and bloodcurdling advice is constantly swirling around in his head, meaning that he can never escape the man who raised him . . . even if Billy is miles and miles away, locked behind concrete, metal, and impenetrable cell doors.  Jazz can't escape.  However, no matter how dark his thoughts got, I never stopped seeing the good in him or doubted what he would do.  I loved that about this book.  It questions the good and evil in the world.  It makes you seriously wonder about the whole nature verses nurture argument you never hear the end of in science class.  Are we our own persons or do our parents define us?  This is Jazz's struggle.

Another character I loved was Connie, Jazz's girlfriend.  She's strong, independent, bold, and downright sassy.  Between her and the ever comical Howie, this book has the perfect blend of laughs and heart.

The plot was fast-paced, entertaining, absorbing, and one heck of a ride.  There were twists and turns that I was not prepared to go on, but I loved every single second of it.  Thank goodness people who are just discovering this series are lucky enough that the trilogy is already fully released!

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The Devil's Intern (The Devil's #1) by Donna Hosie

This review was written by: C

Received: Library

Publication Date of Book: August 2014

Pages: 229

Stars: 4.5/5

Official Summary:

"Death has a symphony. It isn't violins and crashing cymbals and beating drums; it consists of screaming and yelling and, in my case, the screeching of brakes." - Mitchell Johnson

Mitchell Johnson's untimely demise has led him to a permanent residence in Hell. However, his newfound friends (Alfarin, a viking prince, Elinor, a victim of the fire of 1666, and Medusa) have made the traumatizing experience fairly bearable. He spends most of his days working as the Devil's intern and aiding Septimus, the Devil's right-hand man. The days and years crawl by but Mitchell still cannot get this single thought out of his head:

"Living. I have that one word written on a piece of scrap paper. It sits in my wallet, scrunched up and faded from being unfolded and read all the time. And living is the one thing I will never do again.

I just exist."

The fact that Mitchell only exists torments him. He also still does not understand why he was locked out of the pearly gates. He wants a second chance at life. He wants a second chance to live up to his fullest potential and take back a future that he was denied. It turns out being the Devil's intern isn't so bad, especially once Mitchell discovers the existence of the Viciseometer, an ancient time-travel device. This mechanism may be his only hope of reclaiming his old life. Mitchell and his friends are in for one hell of a ride when they all decide to visit their death dates and alter their paths forever.

My Thoughts:

This book absolutely blew me away! Donna Hosie created an amazing universe and characters that were completely compelling and new. It was something that I had never read before, and her version of the fiery abyss was fresh and unexpected.  She drew my attention to an aspect of Hell that has not yet been explored. I also have to commend her for bringing witty humor to a tale that inevitably contains darkness.

I believe Donna definitely brought a wonderful story to the table. I love the fact that she entwined a lot of history into this novel. The vikings and the fire of 1666 were interesting eras to both explore and learn about. They also brought great background stories to Elinor and Alfarin. Mitchell's struggle with his death was another big part of the book that I enjoyed. Donna definitely got into this character's head, showing the reader the devastation of dying at a young age. All of the main characters lived through tragic experiences.  I truly felt the emotion and heartbreak of each characters' trying death and the horrific times that they lived through. 

Mitchell has to face each of his friends' demises and this just leads to an epic build-up that will play a key roll when he faces his own death. Mitchell has to come to terms with how preventing his death will alter his family and friends' lives. He has to outweigh the costs and benefits of his desires that may turn out to be more selfish then he had originally thought. Besides, everything occurs for a reason, and even tragedy can result in a happy ending.

I only took half a star off of my rating due to the fact that I was a little frustrated with the ending and with what happened to Medusa. However, I can't wait to see how Donna uses the ending events of The Devil's Intern in her next book!

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A Dance of Cloaks (Shadowdance #1) by David Dalglish

This review was written by: C

Received: Library

Publication Date of Book: October 2015

Pages: 448

Stars: 3.5/5

Summary of the Story:

"That is the power you must one day command. Let them think every breath of theirs is a gift, not from the gods, but from you. Do this, and you will become a god among them." ~Thren Felhorn, A Dance of Cloaks

Aaron Felhorn lives in a world filled with murder, mayhem, deceit, and darkness. His father, Thren Felhorn, is the most feared man alive. He is the greatest assassin his time has ever seen, and he commands most of Veldaren's underworld. He will stop at nothing to bring the Trifect, a group of filthy rich noblemen, from continuing their reign of wealth and control. He is utterly prepared to unite every thief guild under his command, and he is almost finished with turning his son into the perfect heir, a killer that the world will fear. However, even the greatest schemes never work out as planned.

Aaron must choose sides and decide whether he wants to become the head of his father's criminal empire that was built upon Thren's trail of rotting corpses or choose his own fate. He will learn that every action has its own consequence and that the paths of darkness and light are never quite clear. Aaron's fate will lead him down a road filled with harrowing obstacles, making him learn that redemption may be just out of reach.

My Thoughts:

First off, I have to say that Dalglish completely built a believable and stunning fantasy world fully equipped with its owns religion, systems of power, a stunning society, and a maniacal underworld. Thren and the various thief guilds actually kind of remind me of Assassin's Creed, especially when I first saw the cover of A Dance of Cloaks. The various thief guilds are pretty interesting, too because they are all  killing machines, but they often bicker, only fight for themselves, and are perfectly content with taking one another out to increase their power. Dalglish also formulated a great storyline. His characters were believable, and he gave each one of them interesting morals, perspectives, and skills.

I would have to say, however, that this book was not one of my top favorites mostly due to the fact that I felt that it took me a little too long to actually read it. Perhaps it was because I did not have a lot of time to read while I was tying to finish this book. This made it a bit frustrating to get very far in the story just in one sitting. I also felt that the beginning was a bit slow because it had to lead up to Aaron's current life, but Dalglish had to first establish a bit of Aaron's early childhood in order to establish this character as Thren's heir. 

I do have to commend Dalglish on his ability to write great fight scenes. Some authors have trouble writing action scenes.  They can often become confusing. Dalglish did fairly well with this aspect of the story, creating an in depth criminal underworld of blood and gore. I do have to warn you that this book is not for the lighthearted. It is filled with blood, guts, murder, and all the characteristics associated with struggles for power. Overall, I did enjoy the character of Aaron, but it took a while for him to grow on me. I definitely wish he had been older. This novel is meant for mature audiences, therefore I thought it was a bit strange that the main character was thirteen. But then again, this may have been done to stress the fact that a child could be a harrowing and deadly individual in a world of criminals. It also drew the audience to a character whose innocence had been lost at an extremely early age and who had been groomed to fill a position that he may not have truly desired to fill. 

Aaron had quite a bit of internal conflict. He committed murder before the age of ten and he was groomed to be a fierce assassin that would one day fill his father's shoes. You definitely end up feeling a deep sadness for a character that has a disastrous path chosen for him, especially when that character is only a child. I believe that I will eventually finish this series and am excited that Aaron is much older in the next book. Perhaps more dark themes will be further explored, and I am curious where David Dalglish will take Aaron's story.

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My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

This review was written by: B

Received: Library

Publication Date of Book: February 2015

Pages: 302

Stars: 5/5

Official Summary:

A stunning novel about the transformative power of love, perfect for fans of Jay Asher and Laurie Halse Anderson.

Sixteen-year-old physics nerd Aysel is obsessed with plotting her own death.  With a mother who can barely look at her without wincing, classmates who whisper behind her back, and a father whose violent crime rocked her small town, Aysel is ready to turn her potential energy into nothingness.

There's only one problem.  She's not sure she has the courage to do it alone.  But once she discovers a website with a section called Suicide Partners, Aysel's convinced she's found her solution - Roman, a teenage boy who's haunted by a family tragedy, is looking for a partner.  Even though Aysel and Roman have nothing in common, they slowly start to fill in each other's broken lives.  But as their suicide pact becomes more concrete, Aysel begins to question whether she really wants to go through with it.  Ultimately, she must choose between wanting to die or trying to convince Roman to live so they can discover the potential of their energy together.  Except that Roman may not be so easy to convince.  

This is a gorgeously written and compulsively readable novel about the transformative power of love, heralding the arrival of an extraordinary new voice in teen fiction, Jasmine Warga.

My Review:

Something inside me clicks.  It's like I've spent my whole life fiddling with a complicated combination only to discover I was toying with the wrong lock.  And now, the vault inside of me that contains all my secrets is swinging open and I feel this rush of blood swell in my chest.

My Heart and Other Black Holes is part beautiful, part sorrowful, and most importantly, part hopeful.  Overflowing with heart, pain, honesty, and truth, Warga weaves an expert tale that no one would be able to guess was her debut.  It's fear.  It's bravery.  It's love.    

While I have never faced depression nor have known anyone with it, it is still a very real and heartbreaking condition that can consume one's existence or overtake a life.  This novel, in my opinion, possesses an extremely real element that, while reading, made me believe that Aysel was a real person.  Her feelings and thoughts overwhelmed my own.  Frighteningly genuine and authentic, her voice rang out to me and traveled through the pages into my heart.  I believed every word she said.  The darkness inside Aysel was real, a "black slug" that she never imagined she could escape.  Her depression was eye-opening, and Warga wrote each and every word found in  My Heart and Other Black Holes sincerely. 

I frequently felt myself feeling intense emotions towards not only Ayself but also towards Roman.  Their stories were profound, taking over my every waking moment.  This book literally consumed me for the two days that I read it.  Both tragic and touching, I can't possibly fathom how Warga's novel could be more perfect.  It's not just about suicide and depression, though.  In fact, this novel is so much more than that.  It's about living for one's self and for others.  It's about trying to see yourself and the world in a completely new and brighter perspective.  It's about love, family, and discovering what it means to live again even though it seems impossible.

I will be stronger than my sadness.

I have never read a book that left me with such strong feelings of optimism, faith, and hope by the end of it.  Warga knows how to make an ending count.  I cannot recall how many times I fell in love with a book only to become deeply disappointed with its ending, inevitably resulting in me "breaking up" with it.  However, I was completely satisfied with My Heart and Other Black Holes's outcome.  I actually sat there and contemplated what I had read for once.  I wasn't even eager to start something else because I knew I would be disappointed with whatever book was placed in my hands after reading this masterpiece. 

I don't know how to thoroughly convey my feelings about Warga's novel without consistently rambling on some more; so, I'll leave you by saying that this book embodies hope.  I actually feel optimistic.  On top of that, her writing is beautiful and deep and her characters are realistically painful yet magnificent.  I highly recommend this book, and I'm eagerly waiting to see what Jasmine Warga puts out next!!!!    

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Bream Gives Me Hiccups by Jesse Eisenberg

This review was written by: H and B

Received: ARC from the Publisher

Publication Date of Book: September 8, 2015

Pages: 256 (Hardcover)

Stars: 4.5/5

 "Everyone’s a geek in some way or other. Everyone’s an outsider.” 

~Jesse Eisenberg

Official Summary:

Taking its title from a group of stories that begin the book, Bream Gives Me Hiccups moves from contemporary L.A. to the dorm rooms of an American college to ancient Pompeii, throwing the reader into a universe of social misfits, re-imagined scenes from history, and ridiculous overreactions.  In one piece, a tense email exchange between a young man and his girlfriend is taken over by the man's sister, who is obsessed with the the Bosnian genocide; in another, a college freshman forced to live with a roommate is stunned when one of her ramen packets goes missing (She didn't have "one" of my ramens.  She had a chicken ramen); in another piece, Alexander Graham Bell has teething problems with his invention (I'be been calling Mabel all day, she doesn't pick up!  Yes, of course I dialed the right number - 2!) 

United by Eisenberg's gift of humor and character, and grouped into chapters that each open with an illustration by award-winning cartoonist Jean Jullien, the witty pieces collected in Bream Gives Me Hiccups explore the various insanities of the modern world, and mark the arrival of a fantastically funny, self-ironic, and original voice.

Our Thoughts:

This book was an ingenious combination of satire, hilarity, and life lessons. From the viewpoint of an innocent nine-year-old to that of a mad man obsessed with killing his ex-fiancé, this widely amusing and attention-grabbing book has everything any person with a sense of humor could ask for. Jesse Eisenberg successfully makes any circumstance that would normally be completely and utterly embarrassing or mortifying into the type of situation that anyone can laugh at, regardless of where you are at in life.

While my sister and I were reading this book, we both found different parts to be our favorites. My favorite was the first story Bream Gives Me Hiccups, Restaurant Reviews from a Privileged Nine-Year-Old. The child in this story has such depth to his thoughts that one would assume he was much older than only nine. It was very easy to believe that this is how children think. The little boy saw both the ups and downs of life and accepted them as truth, all while looking beyond for something more, something lurking just below the surface of life itself. This story is an example of how Eisenberg is not only a gifted comedic presence, but also someone who has the talent to go beyond laughs and really make a person question both themselves and the world around them. To put it more simply, he is a touching writer who implements heart, laughing the whole way. Not to mention, Eisenberg is a very relatable author, appearing to have lived through at least a handful of the experiences written about in his book. I (H) also found My Roommate Stole My Ramen, Letters from a Frustrated Freshman to be very amusing, given the fact that I had a roommate similar to the one the main character writes about (of course without the nickname and the craziness of the girl writing the letters but still, I found that part to be very relevant to my own life).

My sister’s (B) favorite story was Separation Anxiety Sleepaway Camp because of the confusion surrounding the story that finally made sense in the last portion, causing her to go back and reread it four more times (even our mother found it drop-dead hilarious). Trust me, this is one that you need to read, especially when you are having a bad day. Two other favorites were My Little Sister Texts Me with Her Problems and My Nephew Has Some Questions. Both of these stories are ones that can be revisited several times, without the laughs ever ending.

What really makes this book diverse is the different mediums used by Eisenberg. Not only is it written in short story format, but also in text form, which allows for an almost play-write feel. Plus, the footnotes were awesome (a little frustrating to read, but it only added to the amusement we felt during that particular story). Not only is Eisenberg a great actor who we both love to watch, but he has proven himself to be more than that. Admittedly we were hesitant to read this book, but we can proudly say that Jesse Eisenberg has seriously proven us wrong and for that we are grateful. If you have not seen any of his movies or did not even know he was an actor (shame on you! ☺), you will definitely be a fan by the end of Bream Gives Me Hiccups.

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The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan

This review was written by: H

Received: ARC from Publisher

Publication Date of Book: May 2015

Pages: 320 (Hardcover)

Stars: 3.25/5

“Little islands are all large prisons; one cannot look at the sea without wishing for the wings of a swallow.” 

~Richard Francis Burton

Summary 

The oceans have risen and there is barely enough land for even a handful of the population to live on. As a result, most people live on ships while religious and military fanatics live on land. Land is very expensive and only sold to those willing to give up their claims to the sea. The book follows the story of two young women. The first is named North. She has grown up as part of a traveling circus. Her job is to take part in the bear act every time this ragged group of individuals docks on another island. She does not understand the land people and their mysterious ways of life, as the sea is all she has ever known. As the fiancé to the captain’s son, she is expected to live on land once they are married, which is something she absolutely refuses to do, even though the captain threatens the life of her bear and herself if she does not comply.

The second main protagonist is Callanish, who committed a crime when she was much younger, leading to her eventual job as a gracekeeper. Gracekeepers are responsible for burying all the dead at sea. She is haunted by what she did, and seeks to redeem herself in the eyes of her mother for being who she is and for what she did, for Callanish was born with webbed feet and hands. These abnormalities needed to be covered up her entire life in order to prevent her mother from publicly experiencing the shame and truth that Callanish was not her father’s child, but that of another, more mysterious “man.”

Will Callanish be able to redeem herself in her mother’s eyes, or will she be forced to accept her role as gracekeeper and live the rest of her days in solitude on her own island? Will North be forced to give up her bear, the only remaining family she has, or will she able to find freedom on the wide-open seas?

My Thoughts 

This was one of the weirdest books I have ever read, but in a good kind of way. It was actually quite beautifully written, with amazing descriptions that allowed me to visibly see in my mind’s eye what was going on, especially concerning the strange, dystopian world that these two characters live in. I found the religious fanatics to be especially disturbing, as they supposedly buried a child alive who was born with webbed fingers. These peculiar individuals also worship trees, as they are one of the oldest and most stagnant things left in the world. This is one of the main reasons that I marked this book with such a low rating. If I could have avoided this portion of the story, I would have enjoyed the book much more, but I understand why the author included such imagery in order to show just how messed up the world had become. Reading this book, I was very curious as to what exactly Callanish did in order to be forced into the position of gracekeeper, but it was never explicitly stated. I was quite annoyed by this, especially after I got to the end of the book and it was only alluded to.

Overall, I thought that this book was very thought provoking and positively interesting. It was much more depressing than I had originally anticipated, but I was glad that most things worked out in the end, especially concerning North, who was an extremely strong female lead. For a debut novel, this is very original and well written, even though I did not particularly love it. The atmosphere of the novel was dark, with the two main characters being the beacons of hope that most other characters relied on. I found the “mermen” to be an interesting element, especially concerning how wonderfully it connected both North and Callanish. I would recommend this book to those who love dystopian or post-apocalyptic stories with heart, specifically those who enjoy reading novels that make them think.

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Delicate Monsters by Stephanie Kuehn

This review was written by: B

Received: ARC from Publisher

Publication Date of Book: June 2015

Pages: 240

Stars: 4.5/5

The things that we love tell us what we are.

-St. Thomas Aquinas

GoodReads' Summary:

From the Morris-Award winning author of Charm and Strange, comes a twisted and haunting tale about three teens uncovering dark secrets and even darker truths about themselves.

When nearly killing a classmate gets seventeen-year-old Sadie Su kicked out of her third boarding school in four years, she returns to her family's California vineyard estate.  Here, she's meant to stay out of trouble.  Here, she's meant to do a lot of things.  But it's hard.  She's bored.  And when Sadie's bored, the only thing she likes is trouble.

Emerson Tate's a poor boy living in a rich town, with his widowed mother and strange, haunted little brother.  All he wants his senior year is to play basketball and make something happen with the girl of his dreams.  That's why Emerson's not happy Sadie's back.  An old childhood friend, she knows his worst secrets. The things he longs to forget.  The things she won't ever let him.

Haunted is a good word for fifteen-year-old Miles Tate.  Miles can see the future, after all.  And he knows his vision of tragic violence at the school will come true, because his visions always do.  That's what he tells the new girl in town.  The one who listens to him.  The one who recognizes the darkness in his past.  

But can Miles stop the violence? Or has the future already been written?  Maybe tragedy is his destiny.  Maybe it's all of theirs.

My thoughts:

I think that I can safely say that I'm in shock over Delicate Monsters; I literally have no idea what to say.  I suppose that I shouldn't be surprised that Stephanie Kuehn wrote another stunningly prodigious novel that managed to leave me speechless, an occurrence that rarely happens.  However, I will try my best to form coherent sentences as I attempt to describe Kuehn's gripping new release.    

Delicate Monsters is equally dark, mysterious, eerie, and bizarre. Throughout the book, we gradually get to know three deeply troubled individuals: Sadie Su, Emerson Tate, and Miles Tate.  Sadie is an agitator who loves to create trouble, inflicting suffering and pain upon whoever crosses her path.  She's an unfiltered manipulator who doesn't listen to anyone.  Emerson is almost like the "golden boy" of this story.  He loves his mother, is a decent basketball player, and is a seemingly overall good teen, but he possesses a darkness within himself that's hidden and buried deep beneath his skin.  No one has any idea about who he really is or exactly what he did during his childhood, except Sadie.  Miles, my personal favorite, is small, sickly, and frightened.  Under constant bullying, Miles is always alone; no one would protect him even if they wanted to.  Together, these unsettling individuals create three separate perspectives that intertwine and unfold before your very eyes into something terribly distressing.     

This psychological contemporary kept me engaged; I never wanted to put it down.  The further into the story I got, the darker it became, an aspect that I truly loved about Delicate Monsters.  Nothing was held back.  I was shocked time and time again by unveiled revelations.  Mysteries were built upon mysteries until they all came tumbling down, releasing an avalanche of despair on my heart.  I do have to warn you, now, that this book is not for the weak of heart.  It's gritty and consuming.  It also delves into mental illnesses and social issues that are sometimes hard to deal with.

Kuehn's characters are undoubtedly enthralling and uniquely distinct.  They have layers that are slowly pealed back, chapter by chapter, so that we can see who they truly are little by little.  You think that you know them, but you don't.  It's unimaginable to even fathom the depths of their souls.  Mixing up who they are is impossible because the author does such a fantastic job of inserting an exceptional sharpness to each one of them.  Her writing is also dreadfully beautiful.  Kuehn is not afraid to think outside the box.  She is willing to tell a story like no other, no matter how traumatic or disturbing it is.

I have to admit, I've been having a hard time accepting the ending to Delicate Monsters, but I'm slowly coming to terms with it.  It definitely fits the story, but I'm left with an ever wondering mind.  However, I highly recommend this book to YA psychological fans everywhere!  It's beautiful, memorable, addicting, and haunting.           

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