The Dark World

May 1, 2014
A teenage girl is drawn into a secret supernatural war.After a terrible accident, Paige Kelly sees dead people. Watching her talk to invisible people has led everyone from schoolmates to family members to think she is mentally ill. The only people nice to "Bellevue Kelly" (as her tormenters call her) are a hot new boy who borrows pens from her and Dottie, who died in the 1950s in the school's third-floor bathroom. Paige's narration is delightfully funny-it's not snarky for the sake of snark but genuinely witty. When new transfer students show up and reveal demonic powers in attacking Paige, the hot pen-borrower-Logan-swoops in for the rescue and expository revelations. It appears that Paige's supernatural abilities have caught the attention of demons in the alternate version of New York-the titular Dark World-so their enemies, the warlocks, sent demonslayer Logan to protect her. He falls for her, of course, but the relationship between the two develops slowly; their combined romantic inexperience leads to natural, hilarious and awkward fumbling. The demonic storyline, which is moved to the back burner as the romance blooms, hints at double crosses and intrigues, to be explored (hopefully) in the next book. The cliffhanger ending is less a conclusion and more a temporary stopping point.A sweet romance with a quick sense of humor and supernatural action. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)

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July 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-Talking to ghosts is the least of Paige Kelly's worries when demons from another dimension show up at her high school, alongside charming demon slayer Logan Bradley. These demons want to rule the Dark World, and they need Paige, a Traveler, to open a portal back to their paranormal realm. At times the pacing lags, especially when readers are introduced to Paige's 1950s ghost friend Dottie, but eventually the slow sections give way to a page-turning romance. The writing is sometimes awkward: the protagonist's description of horrific events, such as the death of a classmate at the hands of a vicious demon, that should shock or surprise her, come off as removed and impersonal (e.g., "This wasn't the quiet, sometimes shy boy from the back of the class" is Paige's understated reaction to seemingly-normal Logan storming into a demon fight with his magical sword drawn). The occasionally forced, yet swoon-inducing love story takes center stage over the action, with the titular world not appearing until late in the novel. Paige's wry humor, sarcastic voice, and determination to defend herself make her a likable main character for fans of paranormal romances.-Hannah Farmer, Austin Public Library, TX

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2014
Grades 7-10 Paige Kelly is fairly certain she isn't crazy, even if she can speak to ghosts. After being hit by a car, Paige wakes up from her coma to find that she is routinely having conversations with people only she can see, much to the worry of her parents and the derision of classmates who nickname her Bellevue Kelly. Her only friends are the ghost of a suicidal freshman from 1955, named Dottie, and a mysterious new boy, Logan. When a group of new students turns out to be demons from Dark World, a hellish alternate New York City, Logan reveals himself to Paige as a demonslayer sent by warlocks to protect her. Paige finds herself in the middle of a centuries-old war and must quickly learn how to harness her supernatural powers to protect herself from both sides. The situation complicates when Logan and Paige fall for each other (natch). Shultz's series starter is a charming paranormal romance, cleverly written with witty dialogue and nonstop action. And the cliff-hanger ending perfectly positions the next installment.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)