Top Ten YA Paranormal Books

Hi everybody! This is my first time taking part in the Top Ten Tuesday, which is hosted by The Broke and Bookish! This sounded like a lot of fun, and I'm excited to participate! This week is the Top Ten X Genre books. I chose my favorite genre, YA Paranormal, for the list. However, I'm going to have a difficult time deciding on only ten!

10. Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey

Synopsis from goodreads.com:
A thrilling debut story of death, love, destiny and danger

Lenzi hears voices and has visions - gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker - someone who can talk to and help lost souls - and that he has been her Protector for centuries.

Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon.


Reason why this is on my top ten:
Lenzi is a character that you can either relate to or sympathize with, if not both. Sure, I haven't lived a life like hers, but I could relate to how she handles adversity. She is a strong character, and while she has to grow into her role as a Speaker, she ends up fighting for the life she wants. I respected her for that. She is kind and intelligent. The plot and pacing of this book are also excellent.


9. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Synopsis from goodreads.com:
After years of frequent moves following her mother’s death, Chloe Saunders’s life is finally settling down. She is attending art school, pursuing her dreams of becoming a director, making friends, and meeting boys. Her biggest concern is that she’s not developing as fast as her friends are. But when puberty does hit, it brings more than hormone surges. Chloe starts seeing ghosts–everywhere, demanding her attention. After she suffers a breakdown, her devoted aunt Lauren gets her into a highly recommended group home. 

At first, Lyle House seems a pretty okay place, except for Chloe’s small problem of fearing she might be facing a lifetime of mental illness. But as she gradually gets to know the other kids at the home–charming Simon and his ominous, unsmiling brother Derek, obnoxious Tori, and Rae, who has a “thing” for fire–Chloe begins to realize that there is something that binds them all together, and it isn’t your usual “problem kid” behaviour. And together they discover that Lyle House is not your usual group home either…


Reason why this is on my top ten:
I absolutely love Kelley Armstrong, and to me, this book was the best in the trilogy. It is creepy, and Armstrong manages to introduce a new world and brand new characters to us while still including plenty of action. Chloe is a necromancer, and there are some parts of the book that are simply terrifying. Chloe is a likable protagonist, and you can't help but root for all of the kids at Lyle House. This book is full of surprises, action, and mystery. 


8. Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Synopsis from goodreads.com:
Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever. 

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists. 

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen. 

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...


Reason why this is on my top ten:
This is a really unique take on the whole Persephone/Hades story. This book is cathartic. I cried like a baby at the end. I simply loved Nikki, though I thought she was a bit rash in her decision to go to Everneath in the first place. I also adored Jack, and I even liked Cole. I know he was the bad guy, but he still had good qualities, too. This book is just terrific. 


7. Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

Synopsis from goodreads.com:
Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch. 

That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth. 

Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers. 

But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?


Reason why this is on my top ten:
This is one of my favorite series. I really liked Hex Hall, but I LOVED Demonglass. This novel is nonstop mystery, action, and emotion. Sophie is one of my favorite characters of all time. She's feisty, strong, and funny. I also adore Archer. The plot for this book will keep you on the edge of your seat, and the pacing is lightning fast without feeling rushed.  This is a series you don't want to miss.


6. Die For Me by Amy Plum

Synopsis from goodreads.com:
In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity. 

When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent. 

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.

Why this is on my top ten:

This book kept me guessing the entire time. I really loved both Vincent and Kate. Vincent is mysterious, but it's obvious that he has a good heart. Kate is a lot like me. She uses art and literature as a form of escapism, so I could relate to her pretty well. I also love France and want to go there so badly! Furthermore, the cover is gorgeous! The next book in this series is one of my most anticipated releases of 2012.

5. Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Synopsis from goodreads.com:

Adopted by the Alpha of a werewolf pack after a rogue wolf brutally killed her parents right before her eyes, fifteen-year-old Bryn knows only pack life, and the rigid social hierarchy that controls it.  That doesn't mean that she's averse to breaking a rule or two.  

But when her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers Chase, a new teen locked in a cage in her guardian's basement, and witnesses him turn into a wolf before her eyes, the horrific memories of her parents' murders return. Bryn becomes obsessed with getting her questions answered, and Chase is the only one who can provide the information she needs.

But in her drive to find the truth, will Bryn push too far beyond the constraints of the pack, forcing her to leave behind her friends, her family, and the identity that she's shaped?

Why this is on my top ten:

This is a very different take on werewolf stories. Bryn is human, and she stands up to the wolves and fights back like she's one of them. She's incredibly tough and resilient. She's thoughtful and cares about those around her, even when she doesn't make the best decisions. The plot of this book is very intriguing, and you will be up reading late into the night. 

4. Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Synopsis from goodreads.com:

Starting over sucks. 

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up. 

And then he opened his mouth. 

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens. 

The hot alien living next door marks me. 

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 

If I don’t kill him first, that is.

Why this is on my top ten:

I ADORE this book. Kat and Daemon are hilarious together. There is a lot of emotion going on in this novel, but Armentrout injects a lot of sarcastic humor into the story as well. Dee is also a fantastic character! The plot is full of action and romance, and this is a book that you won't be able to put down. 

3. Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Synopsis from goodreads.com:

One hour to rewrite the past . . . 
 
For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.
Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?
 
Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut.

Why this is on my top ten:

This is one of those books that you read and it sticks with you. Emerson and Michael are terrific characters, and Emerson is willing to fight to protect those she loves. I admire that about her. It's also impossible not to sympathize with her because she thinks she's going insane. This book is full of mystery, surprises, romance, and action. If you haven't read it yet, you're missing out. 

2. Shifting by Bethany Wiggins

Synopsis from goodreads.com:

After bouncing from foster home to foster home, Magdalene Mae is transferred to what should be her last foster home in the tiny town of Silver City, New Mexico. Now that she's eighteen and has only a year left in high school, she's determined to stay out of trouble and just be normal.

Agreeing to go to the prom with Bridger O'Connell is a good first step. Fitting in has never been her strong suit, but it's not for the reasons most people would expect-it all has to do with the deep secret that she is a shape shifter. But even in her new home danger lurks, waiting in the shadows to pounce. They are the Skinwalkers of Navajo legend, who have traded their souls to become the animal whose skin they wear-and Maggie is their next target. 

Full of romance, mysticism, and intrigue, this dark take on Navajo legend will haunt readers to the final page.

Why this is on my top ten:

Maggie Mae is one of those characters who grabs your heart and won't let go. You can't put the book down, not only because the plot and pacing are wonderful, but because you HAVE to know what happens to Maggie. She's one of the most resilient characters I've ever read... especially in YA. The character development in this novel is astounding as well. If you haven't read Shifting yet, then you need to go to the nearest book store/library/book selling website and get it right now. 

1. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Synopsis from goodreads.com:

Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon--the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

Why this is on my top ten:
This is an extremely unique take on time travel. Gier did a terrific job building the world surrounding Gwyneth, as well as developing the characters. Each character was intriguing and captivating in his or her own way. I really enjoyed the time traveling gene idea and the different time periods Gwen traveled to. I also enjoyed getting to learn more about this time traveling world along side Gwen. This is one of the best novels I've ever read.