Review: Surrender - Lee Nichols

Surrender by Lee Nichols, published by Bloomsbury USA Children's Books on 6th December 2011

Goodreads synopsis:
After a devastating battle at headquarters in New York, the ghostkeeping world is in shambles. When Emma and Bennett return home, they are determined to defeat the wraithmaster, Neos, forever. But it's not going to be easy. Bennett's parents kick him out when they realize he is still using drugs to enhance his powers. Emma is convinced her aunt has come back from the dead to warn her of a new threat. And worst of all, Neos is using wraiths to possess the students at Thatcher Academy. If the ghosts manage to take over the entire school, even Emma won't be strong enough to stop them. But if either she or Bennett sacrifice his or her powers, they might be able to save the ghostkeeping world once and for all-and break the "ghostkeepers lose their powers when they fall in love" curse. The question is: who will be the one to surrender all power?

Review:
I'm a massive fan of the Haunting Emma series by Lee Nichols and have eagerly followed Emma's battle to defeat Neos and win the heart of the gorgeous Bennett.  She may have achieved the latter but she still has a fight ahead of her to find Neos's ashes and end his reign once and for all.

Emma's story has had so many ups and downs.  She's had to deal head on with tragedy, death and loss and has coped with discovering who she really is, as well as being left by her family and learning how to deal with ghosts who want her dead.  Her one constant throughout the trilogy has been the wonderful Bennett.  I adore him so much!  Left me assure you now that there's plenty to satisfy fans of Bennett and Emma in 'Surrender'.  They know they love each other and want to be together forever but to stay together one of them has to lose their powers.  If you're hoping for kisses, then yes there are kisses and lots of them!  Without trying to give anything away, they also get the most perfect ending which made me so happy to read.

I love Emma's bravery, her determination and her strength.  She treats all her friends and family and the ghosts she's surrounded by with respect.  She has some tough choices to make in the book but she always tries to do what's right.  Her friends are wonderfully characterised too, including Natalie who becomes like a sister to her, as well as Lukas, Sara and Harry.  She may not always have her real family by her side but she can always count on her friends to be there.

The final part of the trilogy tied up all the loose ends and concluded the story brilliantly.  Pacy, action-packed and a real page turner, I only wish the book has been longer.  I literally devoured it in one sitting! There's no doubt that this series really does have it all.  An unbreakable love, a fight between good and evil, mystery, adventure, action and romance.  I'm sad that a wonderful adventure is over but I'm so excited to see what Lee Nichols will turn her hand to next.  You never know - there might even be a Bennett/Emma sequel at some point in the future where we get to see if they really are living out their happy ever after!

Review: Deception - Lee Nichols

Deception by Lee Nichols, published by Bloomsbury on 5th September 2011

Goodreads synopsis:
When Emma Vaile’s parents go missing while away on a mysterious business trip, she’s left all alone in her creepy old house. But her brother’s very cute best friend, Bennett Stern—Emma’s knight in J. Crew armor—arrives unexpectedly to whisk her away to New England. There, Emma settles into his family’s museum-like mansion and enrolls at an old-fashioned private school. She quickly finds friends in the popular legacy crowd at Thatcher and spends her free time crushing on Bennett.

But the eerie visions she’s been hiding from everyone have gotten worse. Emma has memories of Thatcher that she can’t explain—it’s as if she’s returning home to a place she’s never been. Finally, Emma confides in Bennett and learns she is a ghostkeeper, a person who can communicate with ghosts. Bennett brought Emma to Thatcher to protect her, but now he needs her help tracking an other-worldly murderer.

Review:
'Deception' is the debut YA novel from British author Lee Nichols.  It's the first book in a trilogy which promises much and delivers in spades!  I didn't know much about it before it arrived but some of my favourite authors Carrie Jones and Claudia Gray provide plenty of plaudits on the front and back cover which grabbed my attention prior to beginning to read the opening chapter. 

The story is told narrated in the first person by protagonist Emma whose family have left her in the lurch, leading to her being whisked off to stay with her guardian Bennett Stern, who also happens to be a friend of her brother and the guy on which Emma has always harboured a huge crush.  Living in a new house and having to attend a new school is bad enough but Emma is also experiencing weird sensations which she can't explain and believes she may even be able to see ghosts.  Emma eventually learns about her own abilities and has to come to terms with the fact that she's a ghostkeeper but with powers far beyond anyone else.   

One of my favourite things about this book was the crackling chemistry between Emma and Bennett, who she has been in love with since she first laid eyes on him.  Like every girl, she endlessly imagines what it would be like to kiss the object of her affection and become his girlfriend and I have to say that I was really rooting for the two of them because they seem perfect for each other.  There was a sub-plot romance involving Coby, a local boy, which had an unusual outcome but it was obvious that Emma's heart lay elsewhere.  It will be interesting to see how Lee Nichols develops their burgeoning romance in future books which I'm certainly going to be glued to.   

Bennett lives in a wonderfully old museum like mansion in New England with its very own set of ghost servants.  Not only was this a suitably atmospheric setting for the story but I adored the ghost characters - Anatole, Nicholas, Celeste and the Rake, who become like a proper family to Emma.  I particularly loved Nicholas who Emma treats like a younger brother.   

I thoroughly enjoyed the unravelling of the mystery about the ghostkeepers and their different abilities.  This was well developed and explained in enough detail so that I was able to grasp it quite quickly.  I would have liked to have known more about Emma's family and their own role as ghostkeepers but by not laying everything bare in the first book, it keeps the suspense high for the sequel.     

This book had it all including ghostly happenings, a spine-tingling romance, an intriguing mystery and a gripping finale.  I need to get hold of the second book in the series which is called 'Betrayal' pronto, so I can see if Emma finally gets her boy!