Review: One Hundred Candles by Mara Purnhagen

Title: One Hundred Candles (Past Midnight #2)

Author: Mara Purnhagen

Rating: 4/5

Pages: 240

Publisher: Harlequin

Summary from Goodreads:

"It's taken a long time for me to feel like a normal teenager. But now that I'm settled in a new school, where people know me as more than Charlotte Silver of the infamous Silver family paranormal investigators, it feels like everything is falling into place. And what better way to be normal than to go on a date with a popular football star like Harris Abbott? After all, it's not as if Noah is anything more than a friend….

But my new life takes a disturbing turn when Harris brings me to a party and we play a game called One Hundred Candles. It seems like harmless, ghostly fun. Until spirits unleashed by the game start showing up at school. Now my friends and family are in very real danger, and the door that I've opened into another realm may yield deadly consequences."

One Hundred Candles is the second book in the Past Midnight series. Haven't read the first book, Past Midnight? Well then you can check out my review here.

One of my complaints about the first book in this series was that the action wasn't enough. However, One Hundred Candles totally stepped it up in the action department. The spirits are bigger, badder, and meaner! Everything is more intensified from the first novel from Charlotte's relationships and family dynamics to the psycho killer monster that's after her! The book may have started out a little slow and I wasn't sure where Purnhagen was taking it at first but once it got going it was great! There were twists that I just didn't see coming which is always an amazing thing to have in a book.

Charlotte, as a narrator, still didn't do much for me however. I felt compassionate for her and I really did want her to see her succeed but there wasn't any real connection for me just like there wasn't in the first book. All of the characters, while extremely likeable and easy to read about, are just hard to connect to. I just didn't get the feeling that they were real people (which they're not but I still like to think they are).

Overall, even though I didn't connect well with the characters I still found this book to be very enjoyable and entertaining. It seems these books get better as the go so I can't wait to read the next installment in the Past Midnight series.

Review: Past Midnight

Title: Past Midnight (Past Midnight #1)

Author: Mara Purnhagen

Rating: 3.5/5

Pages: 216

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

(Received via Harlequin Teen Panel)

Summary 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…."

Upon first reading the back of the book I really did not think I was going to like it. I just assumed that, like most books I've read that are about or contain ghosts, I wouldn't like it. I was very pleasantly surprised though.

The Silver family are your usual paranormal investigators. Instead of trying to contact ghosts they try to debunk them. I really liked this take on ghosts because it allowed for alternate opinions and scenarios to be presented to the reader. Everything wasn't so cut and dry.

The main character Charlotte, while not my favorite narrator, was pretty okay. She was someone who spent her life investigating the paranormal and for once just wanted to be normal. (Quite the opposite of what most books are about now a days!) She quickly made friends with popular Avery and while they're friendship seemed too quick to start and more superficial than Charlotte made it out to be, they were otherwise realistic and quite enjoyable. There really weren't any characters I disliked in this book but none that really jumped out at me either.

One thing I do have to say is, the action wasn't very... well actiony. (Not a word. I am aware of this.) I'm not saying there should have been some kind of epic battle but I never felt that there was any dire need for the characters to do anything until pretty much the end of the book.

Having said all that Past Midnight was an enjoyable, quick read that offers a new look on paranormal.