GREAT READS

Infinity: Chronicles of Nick

Sherrilyn Kenyon.

With Infinity: Chronicles of Nick, author Sherrilyn Kenyon makes her first foray into young adult literature with what appears to be a prequel series to her Dark Hunter Series for adults. I recently finished this book for a book discussion and the teens in the group said they liked this book even more than The Hunger Games Trilogy -- that is really saying something. I'm not usually into the paranormal genre full of zombies, demons, vampires and even werewolves, but this book was a fantastic read.

To start off, the characters are quite unforgettable. First and foremost is Nick, a wise-cracking 14 year old from the wrong side of the tracks in New Orleans, who just so happens to be a scholarship student at an elite private school. He's got a chip on his shoulder the size of an asteroid despite his low social status or perhaps because of it. He loves his mom, hates his criminal father, and for the most part just tries to fit in, but his fiery temper seems to get the best of him. Oh, and then there are the questionable choices he makes in terms of friends in the neighborhood. All of that pales in comparison to the kind of trouble he finds himself dealing with when zombies from within the student body begin attacking students and school administrators.

Unknowingly, Nick himself may indeed be the key to all the crazy goings-on as he finds himself caught up in a world of Dark-hunters, demons, and other supernatural beings who seem to be protecting him but may have ulterior motives of their own. Not to mention the teenage girls who start liking him, too. I would highly recommend this book as a quick read and thought it was a provoking paranormal tale.  I'm now eagerly awaiting the sequel,  Invincible: the Chronicles of Nick.

Recommended by Cheryl Finnan