Sean Cummings

STUDENT BODIES –Review and Giveaway

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Student Bodies (Poltergeeks #2)
by Sean Cummings
Available NOW!

Summary from Goodreads:

student bodiesWhoever said being a teenage witch would be easy? For fifteen-year-old Julie Richardson and the city’s resident protector from supernatural evil, the Left Hand Path doesn’t give a damn if you’ve found true love for the first time in your life. There’s someone lurking the halls of Crescent Ridge High School with enough malice to unleash an epidemic of Soul Worms – supernatural larvae that feed on the very fabric of a victim’s humanity.

After witnessing the death of one of the most popular kids at school, Julie and über genius boyfriend Marcus are in a race against time to find out who is behind the attacks. All the evidence points to a horrifying plot at the City Weir during the Winter Solstice; the place where icy waters of the Bow River and a thunderous spillway will mean the deaths of more than a hundred of Julie’s classmates.

If she has any hope of saving their lives, she’ll need a little help from a coven of white witches and an Aboriginal mage whose snarky attitude is matched only by her magical prowess.

 My Review:

Last week I reviewed the first book in this series, Poltergeeks, and I loved it.

Now we’re catching up with Julie and Marcus a few weeks later. They’ve just gotten un-grounded following capers from the last story and are dating. Julie’s mom is as protective as ever, urging Julie in ways subtle and not-at-all-subtle to break things off with Marcus. Ultimately it comes down to a simple principle: Marcus isn’t magical. Which means, despite his knowledge and his love for Julie, he’s defenseless against other magic practicioners.

Julie, of course, rebels against the thought. But when she sees the raw effects of dark magic on several of her classmates, she knows Mom’s…right (Don’t we all hate when that happens?!) Marcus isn’t pleased but he respects Julie’s pleas to simply stay out of danger.

Good thing Julie has a new sidekick in this story! Or, should I say partner? Because anyone who can summon a spirit Grizzly to kick tail? Yeah, that’s some fierce magic, my friends. First Nation mages, Twyla Standingready and her grandfather, are formidable allies in this quest against dark magic.

The climax is heavy–and more than one white witch sacrifices everything to save Julie’s schoolmates from death. Kind of a kick in the ass when Marcus is corrupted by the very evil Julie is hunting, though.

I was so shocked at Marcus in the end. I mean, sure, it’s no fun having a dark spirit turn your thoughts evil, but…but…come on, man!

True love?

Ring a freakin’ bell??

STUDENT BODIES wraps completely, so no cliffhangers…(except for that one part, where the kids nearly pull a lemming)…but anywho, only the emotional ties remain to be re-woven in a possible third installment.

Again, this novel has a yellow light for cussing, but, hey, it ain’t no thing but a chicken wing, baby. Kids cuss.

Strong themes of tolerance and anti-bullying plot elements outweigh a stray F-bomb, IMHO. I’d recommend STUDENT BODIES to any reader who enjoys YA paranormal adventure or romance fiction.

Buy Links:
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About the Author
sean cummingsSean Cummings, of Saskatoon Canada, is a fantasy author with a penchant for writing quirky, humorous and dark novels featuring characters that are larger than life. His debut was the gritty urban fantasy SHADE FRIGHT published in 2010. He followed up later in the year with the sequel FUNERAL PALLOR. His urban fantasy/superhero thriller UNSEEN WORLD was published in 2011.

2012 saw the publication of Sean’s first urban fantasy for young adults. POLTERGEEKS is a rollicking story about teen witch Julie Richards, her dorky boyfriend and race against time to save her mother’s life. The first sequel, STUDENT BODIES is OUT NOW!!!

*Author Links*
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***GIVEAWAY***
STUDENT BODIES GIVEAWAY:

CANADA/US Prize Pack:
1 Signed Copy of STUDENT BODIES
1 Signed Copy of POLTERGEEKS
1 Signed Copy of FUNERAL PALLOR
1 Signed Copy of SHADE FRIGHT
1 Amazon Kindle

UK Prize Pack
1 Signed Copy of STUDENT BODIES
1 Signed Copy of POLTERGEEKS
1 Signed Copy of FUNERAL PALLOR
1 Signed Copy of SHADE FRIGHT
1 Amazon Kindle
a Rafflecopter giveaway

This Blog tour is brought to you by:

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Thrilled by POLTERGEEKS

Poltergeeks (Poltergeeks, #1)In POLTERGEEKS by Sean Cummings, Julie Richardson’s life as a teenage witch is complicated.

First, Julie’s mom is always ragging on her to make sure her potions are smite-worthy and her hexes rock.

Then, Julie’s pool of potential friends is small because it’s damn hard hiding her innate witch powers. Too many times odd stuff ‘just happens’ around her. Good thing she’s known Marcus, her BFF, forever. He’s a handy punching bag for the football players, but he’s brilliant and super loyal. And, Marla’s goth, so… yeah. Julie’s not fantastically popular.

Still, she’s a good witch, and that’s how she gets into trouble:  helping others.

After removing a poltergeist from a neighbor’s home, Julie and her mom sense a new malevolent force in their area. Marcus wants to help, despite not being a witch, because, well, he’s secretly crazy about Julie. When another poltergeist attacks the high school, Julie, her mom, and Marcus must rescue Marla. And that’s when Julie’s good deed goes punished.

Julie’s mom gets hexed with a killing curse, Endless Night, and Julie has two days to wake her from a coma before her body succumbs.

To save her mom’s life, Julie and Marcus team up to find Hudibras, the practitioner responsible for the attacks. In the midst of the hunt, Julie meets the ghost of her father for the first time. Alive he’d been a Shadowcull, an agent of coven justice, but he was murdered when Julie was young child. Julie receives his bracelet, which couples with her amulet to magnify her natural powers, and takes her place as the next Shadowcull.

Now, all Julie needs to do is smoke out Hudibras, save her mom, and decide if Marcus is The One. Tick, tock.

I really loved POLTERGEEKS. The relationship between mother and daughter is spot-on. Impulsive, irrational at times, and eager to take on too much responsibility to prove she can handle it, Julie is every bit fifteen. Her selflessness and emotional awareness are admirable in equal parts. Julie is resourceful and decisive, and I love that in a YA heroine. She met Hudibras on her terms and, despite the shock of betrayal, Julie kicked serious ass. Julie is likeable and grounded, for being a witch with exceptional power. She and Marcus make a great team, and the budding romance between them is done with a light touch—particularly as Julie can’t focus on Marcus while also fighting to save her mom’s life.

Just so we are clear, the language in this one is probably PG-13. Still, I hear 9 year-olds who curse more at the park, so I’m gonna let it go. YMMV.

Look for a review of the sequel, STUDENT BODIES, next week.

You can get POLTERGEEKS in all the usual places:

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If you’ve read POLTERGEEKS, let me know your thoughts in the comments! 🙂