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One Hundred Candles

(Past Midnight #2)

Mara Purnhagen (Goodreads Author)

3.88 · Rating details · 921 ratings · 142 reviews

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 ...more

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Paperback, 240 pages

Published February 15th 2011 by Harlequin (first published February 9th 2011)

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· 921 ratings · 142 reviews

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Dec 11, 2010 #ReadAllTheBooks rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, harlequin

Ever wonder what it might be like to talk to ghosts? How about being part of a family business where the goal is to scientifically disprove the existence of said ghosts? If you’ve ever wondered what it’d be like then this book is for you.

While I liked the first volume in this series, I have to admit that Purnhagen definitely kicked it up a notch in this book. Charlotte has a lot to deal with- her crush on Noah seems to be going nowhere & the supernatural event in the previous book is causing lot ...more

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Feb 16, 2011 Donna Rochow - Poljarevic rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Young Adults, Adults

Shelves: own

Energy/Ghosts ? Who cares ? I'm a believer, and I'm liking this series more with each book in the series, two thumbs up for Mara Purnhagen. ...more

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Nov 27, 2010 Reading Teen rated it it was amazing

This second book in the Past Midnight series, brings us back to Charlotte as she tries to live her senior year like all the other kids in school. Normal. And so far things are working out pretty well. Even though things didn't go the way Charlotte wanted in the romance department with Noah, they have remained really good friends. As she tries to distinguish her feelings for him, she suddenly finds herself being interested in another boy, Harris. Harris is popular and gorgeous, and really seems t This second book in the Past Midnight series, brings us back to Charlotte as she tries to live her senior year like all the other kids in school. Normal. And so far things are working out pretty well. Even though things didn't go the way Charlotte wanted in the romance department with Noah, they have remained really good friends. As she tries to distinguish her feelings for him, she suddenly finds herself being interested in another boy, Harris. Harris is popular and gorgeous, and really seems to be interested in Charlotte. So when he wants to bring her to a "supernatural" party, she's more that willing to go, even if her ghost-debunking parents wouldn't approve.

At the party, everyone goes around telling scary stories that were supposed to have actually happened to them. Then they would light a candle. The goal was to tell One Hundred stories and light One Hundred Candles, in the hopes that the "ghost" that is haunting the host's house would go on its way. However, things don't go according to plan. Soon the halls of Charlotte's high school are being "haunted" by things that seem eerily familiar. The One Hundred Stories seem to be coming true.

I really enjoyed this book. I may have even liked it more than Past Midnight. It was definitely a little spookier. I actually got chills when some of the One Hundred Stories were being told. I loved that Charlotte was branching out in this book, and not just hanging around waiting for Noah to "make a move." Of course, I still loved Noah, though. He's a fantastic friend to Charlotte, and just a really sweet guy! I just thought he needed to wake up and smell the Charlotte-scented roses...haha! Once again I loved the fact that Charlotte actually had a family in her life that had dimension. Her parents weren't just background decoration, they actually had an important role in the story. I love that about these books! That doesn't mean all is happy bliss in their family. They had to deal with some pretty difficult issues this time around, and Charlotte had to wonder if her family might be falling apart. Mara did a really good job writing about this, and showing how hard it is for a teen whose parents can't seem to get along.

Overall, I just really enjoyed this book! Even though this book has some creepiness to it, it wasn't really terrifying or anything. I think it's a great book for younger teens and those who scare easily as well as those who are happy to dive into the spooktacular.

Andye
http://ReadingTeen.net/ ...more

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Jun 01, 2011 FicTalk Blog rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviewed-in-2011

Reviewed by Lisa

I was beyond lucky enough to receive an ARC for this novel from netgalley.

One Hundred Candles is the second book in Mara Purnhagen's Past Midnight series. I was completely blown away by this book. A very, very strong sequel, in my opinion. Wickedly intriguing, exciting, and riveting. It was scarier, there were new things happening for Charlotte, for her family. Charlotte's parents were going through a rough patch, She found herself a possible love interest with the cute Harris, e Reviewed by Lisa

I was beyond lucky enough to receive an ARC for this novel from netgalley.

One Hundred Candles is the second book in Mara Purnhagen's Past Midnight series. I was completely blown away by this book. A very, very strong sequel, in my opinion. Wickedly intriguing, exciting, and riveting. It was scarier, there were new things happening for Charlotte, for her family. Charlotte's parents were going through a rough patch, She found herself a possible love interest with the cute Harris, even though something seems off there.

I will say that the 'happenings' going on at the school were pretty easy for me to figure out. and I was eager to get to the meat of the book, the development of the new threat. Charlotte and Noah investigating the occurrences at the school brought them closer together, it was sweet to see how much he cared for her, even if Charlotte wasn't so sure how he felt about her. I was definitely smitten with him from the moment we got a description of his eyes. He and Charlotte seemed to have so much in common and they got along really well.

Now onto the juicy bits, I cannot begin to explain how vivid the descriptions of the new evil was...it was definitely creepier than Past Midnight and something else I didn't expect. Charlotte wasn't just dealing with a ghost this time around, but something worse, something that had ill will toward her. This evil felt that she saw too much, knew too much. This could not be allowed. Charlotte needed to suffer, the creature felt that she owed that much for what she was shown.

I don't want to give away too much, but that final showdown was something else. I did not see that coming, it made me sit up and take notice. Some authors tend to shy away from such outcomes, but I was actually glad to see the book end the way it did. Never mind how heart wrenching and devastating it seemed, and the fact that I wanted to shout out and cry at that point. Some authors tend to let you down with all their warnings and foreshadowing of impending doom, but never follow through. I felt like Mara did this, she didn't let me down. It was heartbreaking, but really well done. A really bittersweet ending that left me wanting more!

Cannot wait for September 2011! ...more

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Feb 27, 2011 Yolanda Sfetsos rated it it was amazing

Shelves: urban-fantasy, ya-contemporary

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, as well as the novella that fits in-between the first book and this one, so I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next...

When Charlotte Silver spends Christmas in an abandoned insane asylum with her ghost-hunting family and a 'renowned demonologist', she can't believe her bad luck. Except, it gets worse, because not only is it freezing but the demonologist's assistant is suddenly overtaken by a dark entity and attacks her.

Back home and w ...more

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Dec 08, 2010 KWinks rated it really liked it

First, I love this series. I love Charlotte. She is very smart and quite courageous. A one-sentence recap of the story-so far: Mom and Dad hunt ghosts and Charlotte is better at attracting deadly demons than hot guys at school.

I have never heard of the one hundred candle game (ritual?) that begins this book. I did, being a librarian, investigate some more online and there are variations on how to play but it sounds like fun. And here I had thought me and my friends had covered all of the usual s ...more

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Aug 18, 2010 Princess Bookie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read2010

My Thoughts: We are back with Charlotte, her crazy parents, and her gang of friends! In this installment, Charlotte finally has a date with the cutie Harris, her friendship with Noah is blooming and her life is finally coming together. She's being "normal."

Charlotte ends up going to a party where Harris is present, and he kisses her, really kisses her! At this party, she also participates in a game where everyone goes around and tells a ghost story that has really happened to them or someone the ...more

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Feb 15, 2011 A Book Vacation rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I won a signed copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads! I'm so excited! Fabulous!

This was a real treat! I extremely enjoyed this novel, and just like the prequel Past Midnight, the story was interesting and kept me captivated, the characters were real and fleshed out, and the writing was beautiful! The novel is written in such a way that the prequel is not mandatory (though extremely helpful). While Purnhagen alluded to some events from the first novel, she didn’t beat the reader over th ...more

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Mar 21, 2011 Bewitched Bookworms rated it really liked it

Shelves: review-posted

Wohho I can tell you right from the start that this book was really scary and the whole story and characters grew so much from the last book! Charlotte finally begins to live her life as a Teenager, all together with going to parties and finally also looking out for a boy. This was one of the things I've missed in the first book - the whole romance part!

This is one of those series that is getting better and better. This second book was awesome and had all I missed in the first book. A bit romanc ...more

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Nov 30, 2010 Danny rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, netgalley-read

I liked the first book, but this is one of those series that is getting better and better. This second book was awesome and had all I missed in the first book. A bit romance for Charlotte and the plot was really creepy this time, which I loved. More drama, more conflict...

For those who liked the first one, go ahead and read "One Hundered Candles" you won't be disappointed.

Looking forward to book 3! This series is growing.!!
...more

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Jan 15, 2018 Shannon rated it liked it

Shelves: 2018

This wasn’t as good as I remember the first one being. I read ‘Past Midnight’ like seven years ago, so maybe my tastes have changed now that I’m older. It wasn’t bad. I just feel like the writing and characters weren’t as well developed as I wanted them to be. Also, Charlotte kept making dumb decisions or not telling people important info. It was weird because, on one hand, she seemed to not believe in the paranormal, but on the other, she had literally been attacked by someone possessed by a de ...more

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Sep 27, 2019 Zibbernaut rated it liked it

Shelves: romance, young-adult, paranormal

This is a sequel to a charming paranormal ghost novel. A girl whose parents debunk the supernatural--but after the events of the first, her mother starts to believe in otherworldly spirits and her father does not. Then their family is once again targeted by the supernatural, and disagreements abound...

There is plenty of drama in here, a first boyfriend and some ghostly happenings... but overall it just was not as poignant as the first, and left no mark on me. I found this to be predictable and s ...more

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Oct 28, 2017 Julie Marie rated it it was ok

Written well story was ok. Not a lot of action until the very end. Score may be low due to time in life when I read it.

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Mar 02, 2019 Jai Rahim rated it liked it

Enjoyed this book 2 storyline much better than 1.5. Curious to see if 2,5 picks up where open-ended 1.5 left off?

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Jul 21, 2019 Natalie rated it really liked it

Liked it, but not in a couldn’t put it down sort of way.

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Feb 08, 2011 Abbie rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley-book, arc-review-copy

Past Midnight
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 par Past Midnight
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….
Raising the Dead
Charlotte Silver's world is like no one else's...
As the daughter of the famous Silver Spirits paranormal investigators, Charlotte Silver is used to all things weird. But when coffins start floating down her street during a flood, life turns extra strange. And wonderful, when her friend and crush Noah signs on to help Charlotte and her folks in the aftermath. Cemetery cleanup might not sound exciting, but as shocking discoveries and a lurking stranger come to light, Charlotte learns that sometimes, raising the dead can bring unexpected rewards.
100 Candles
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.
My Thoughts…I would rate all of these books a 3.0-3.5 stars. I love Young Adult Books, but sometimes it is hard to tell which books are actual Young Adults and which books are actually Teen Books, since both genres are for the most part grouped together. I found this to be more of a Teen book---maybe middle school age. It was a very easy read, easy to understand, easy to follow, easy to read without realizing how long you had been reading but I also feel it would appeal to a younger reader then me. Charlotte Silver wants a normal life. After moving around from state to state, country to country, Charlotte’s parents have agreed that they will stay in one city, the same house for an entire year in order for Charlotte to have her senior year of high school at just one school. Charlotte’s parents are paranormal-normal gurus, they write books, they investigate, and they even have their own TV show. They have been around the world and back conducting investigations. Charlotte just wants normal, maybe a chance to have friends and go on a date or two. I can relate with Charlotte’s character for wanting normal for just one year, her senior year. I think it is great that she has finally has someone she can consider a best friend, and also that the best friend is not freaked out about Charlotte and her families occupation. Charlotte as likes Noah, which Noah is good for Charlotte but he doesn’t seem to return the affection except in the friendship sense. Charlotte doesn’t seem to like confrontations, and there was several times where if she would of just opened her mouth and told her parents what was going on some of the events would not of happened….but then I guess there would be no story then and then where would we be? Charlotte’s life was normal for about 2 months and then the paranormal were unleashed.
I probably would read the next book in this series to see how the characters grow. I am not sure how many books the author has wrote but book 2 was better than book 1.5, which was better than book 1, so hopefully book 3 will be just as good.
...more

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Mar 06, 2017 Alliyah rated it liked it · review of another edition

Okay...
I don't really know what to say... like wow, I do really want the next book now, but it's not a big temptation.
Well, I like the new drama in the book. And Noah is everything. I love his awkwardness.

~~#NewOTP~~

I like the new writing and mystery..
The thing is, I just don't remember a lot from when I read the book, probably a year ago, and it feels a little weird just diving back in, then jumping back out when I don't have the next book.
I liked revisiting the characters, like Avery and N ...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Holly rated it liked it

In the fast paced sequel to Past Midnight Charlotte Silver finds herself In frightening and very real danger.

After a terrifying encounter in Ohio that leaves her arm in a sling Charlotte tries to at least regain some semblence of normality by going to a party with Harris Abbott, captain of the football team and one of the most popular boys in school. Despite the fact that her parents would disapprove she takes part in a game called one hundred candles, the result of which will supposedly bring s In the fast paced sequel to Past Midnight Charlotte Silver finds herself In frightening and very real danger.

After a terrifying encounter in Ohio that leaves her arm in a sling Charlotte tries to at least regain some semblence of normality by going to a party with Harris Abbott, captain of the football team and one of the most popular boys in school. Despite the fact that her parents would disapprove she takes part in a game called one hundred candles, the result of which will supposedly bring spirits into the room. Dismissing it as harmless fun she thinks nothing of it until strange things begin to happen at school. Could the ghost stories from the party be releasing spirits into the school? What was the meaning of the encounter in Ohio? Is she really running out of time?

The threat in this book was definitely more dangerous than the one Charlotte’s family experienced in Past Midnight. In the previous book they had to try to piece together events from the past whereas here they were being tracked down by something that wouldn’t stop until it had achieved it’s goal. Her relationship with Harris was interesting, he kind of seemed like a nice guy but some of the things he did, like constantly disappearing, were weird. In the end it was revealed why and I really couldn’t stand him, he turned out to be a real asshole. Noah was nice too, I liked him in Past Midnight but there was much more character development in this book, at least of Noah, which was a good thing, I’m looking forward to what happens in the next book. I really wish we’d seen more of Charlotte’s friends, apart from briefly mentioning them at the party we hardly saw any of them. That includes Jared and Avery too, they slipped in and out of the story but considering Avery and Charlotte are supposed to be best friends we didn’t see much of her. I also wanted to know more about Jared, I know his story has been resolved in many ways but I felt like he was this character who had so much promise in the first book but just got overshadowed by everyone else. I guess the author decided he wasn’t that important. I know the hurt he was feeling then was gone, or at least greatly lessened in this book but I was still disappointed. I really enjoy the paranormal parts of the book, I mean it’s kind of the whole point, but sometimes I felt like a lot of the normal was neglected. Charlotte still has a life, we saw more of this in the first book when she was helping Jared and Avery but less in this one. So although I enjoyed the fact that it was more intense and the danger much greater I missed the characters we met in the first book.

The ending was sad but hopeful, I want to know what happens next.

I do have a few notes about the audiobook which I hope people who plan to read the book that way will find useful. Firstly, One Hundred Candles has a different narrator than the first book. The narrator herself isn’t too bad, I do sometimes find that she barely pauses at the end of sentences which is slightly irritating, especially when she takes note of commas. My biggest problem is the recording quality, it sounds a little echoey, as if she’s reading in a room with wooden floors and virtually no firnature, also there was some background noise. Just after the start of chapter 14 there’s a sound like a baby, or a cat, it’s quite distant but still, it really shouldn’t be there. Also sometimes it sounds like you can faintly here cars, like you can sometimes if you’re in a room near a street. It doesn’t damage the book as such but it just didn’t seem very professional to me. I’m not considering that with my rating of the book, the plot itself was good and I don’t want the bad audio to be reflected in my rating, however I would give a word of warning to people planning to listen to the book. ...more

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Jan 29, 2011 Stephanie rated it really liked it

ONE HUNDRED CANDLES

Book 2 in the Past Midnight Series
Mara Purnhagen
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Harlequin; Original edition (February 15, 2011)
From publisher through NetGalley.com
No remuneration was exchanged.

Quick Tells
Not Cliche in plot or character
Passion: Lukewarm-even for YA
Cliffhanger rating - Aagh!

I’ve opened a door that cannot be closed.

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 m ...more

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Mar 20, 2011 Shelley rated it liked it

Shelves: 2011-releases, borrowed-library, y-a-paranormal

*Rating* 3.5
*Genre* YA Paranormal

*Review*

17 year old Charlotte Silver belongs to a family of paranormal investigators. The Silvers, Patrick and Karen, are known as debunkers who attempt to prove supernatural happenings are natural in occurring, and not by mythical beings like ghosts, vampires, demons, or ghosts.

They have finally settled down in one place, along with Shane, after Charlotte and her older sister Annalise demanded that Charlotte be allowed to finish High School in one place. She is ...more

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Dec 26, 2010 Rachel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: net-galley

Spending her Christmas break at an insane asylum was unusual, even for Charlotte Silver, daughter of two famous paranormal investigators. Wandering the cold and empty halls of an abandoned mental facility just didn’t scream “happy holidays.”

Lately it seemed that no matter where she went, paranormal entities seemed to follow. And a sanitarium in Ohio was no exception.

But this time there was no mystery about what what it wanted. Someone had to be punished. Someone crossed the line. And that someon ...more

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Jan 31, 2011 Tori rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, net-galley, review-for-smexybooks

Originally posted at http://www.smexybooks.com/2011/02/rev...

Favorite Quote: “The watcher wanted to punish me, and he had. Now it was my turn.”

Charlotte Silver has waited a long time to feel like a “normal” kid. After spending most of her life traveling with her family in their paranormal investigations, they have finally settled down in South Carolina and Charlotte has friends and a normal high schooler’s life. When a popular football player asks Charlotte out, she’s sure life can’t get much be Originally posted at http://www.smexybooks.com/2011/02/rev...

Favorite Quote: “The watcher wanted to punish me, and he had. Now it was my turn.”

Charlotte Silver has waited a long time to feel like a “normal” kid. After spending most of her life traveling with her family in their paranormal investigations, they have finally settled down in South Carolina and Charlotte has friends and a normal high schooler’s life. When a popular football player asks Charlotte out, she’s sure life can’t get much better or normal. But when Harris takes Charlotte to a party where an innocent game of One Hundred Candles is played, Charlotte can’t help but feel they are all messing with something better left alone.

When strange things begin to happen at her school, Charlotte realizes that the game opened a door between the mortal and spirit realm. Now Charlotte is battling for her and her family’s lives as someone or something begins hunting her -determined to make her pay for going where no mortal is allowed.

One Hundred Candles is the engaging second book in Mara Purnhagen’s Past Midnight series. Told in the first person, we continue to follow Charlotte Silver as she maneuvers her way through friends, family, and relationships in this supernatural thriller. A smooth even pacing and engaging dialogue allows for fast reading. The writing is clear and concise; you can hear and relate to Charlotte well. Thankfully no overblown emo prose or life shattering angst that seems to be coating the YA genre lately. Even though this can be read as a stand alone, I recommend reading the first in this series, Past Midnight, to garner insight into the over all arc and references you will see in this one.

I found Charlotte to be a wonderful heroine. Ms. Purnhagen has created an enjoyable pragmatic character that is steeped in realism. Charlotte has normal teenage insecurities; prom, boys, her parents. I found her exceedingly level headed and brave as she investigates the supposed supernatural activity around her school and at home. She admits her fears yet faces her adversaries one on one.

The secondary characters are well developed and excel in the way they revolve around and further define Charlotte. As each character is added into the mix, you begin to see the bonds that ties them all together. Each one a necessary strand that elevates and helps continue the story along. I like how Ms. Purnhagan plays her cards close to her vest, choosing to have us feel and experience things right along with Charlotte.

I didn’t find the plot particularly frightening; we see more of Charlotte’s everyday life then supernatural activity. I found the over all premise to be very interesting with it’s urban legend persona and the easy, casual way that it is presented and drawn out. Nothing is reality-challenged. You can relate to the story in a way that has you thinking, “this could have very well happened to someone- somewhere.”

The ending is solid and it effectively resolves the main conflict,. We are left with some open questions and a serious cliffhanger to usher in the third book in this series, Beyond The Grave, which releases September 2011.

Rating: B ...more

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Jul 23, 2010 Lauren rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalleybooks

With every one of Mara Purnhagen's books I read I come to like her more and more as an author, and with One Hundred Candles this trend has continued thankfully. Because not only is One Hundred Candles Mara's best book yet, but this one is filled with even more suspense, romance, and intrigue than its prequel Past Midnight.

One Hundred Candles begins on Charlotte Silver's Christmas day, and while most families spend the day relaxing and having fun at home, Charlotte's doesn't, though, they've nev With every one of Mara Purnhagen's books I read I come to like her more and more as an author, and with One Hundred Candles this trend has continued thankfully. Because not only is One Hundred Candles Mara's best book yet, but this one is filled with even more suspense, romance, and intrigue than its prequel Past Midnight.

One Hundred Candles begins on Charlotte Silver's Christmas day, and while most families spend the day relaxing and having fun at home, Charlotte's doesn't, though, they've never been one to be normal. Instead they are spending their day at a empty and supposedly haunted sanitarium filming a segment for one of Charlotte's parents' documentaries. Though, a quick trip to the sanitarium soon turns deadly, landing Charlotte in the ER with a bruised arm and her parents in one of their biggest clashes ever. Returning home Charlotte hopes everything will quickly return to normal, though everything soon goes amiss when she plays a game called One Hundred Candles at a party. With the game comes mysteries and paranormal happenings, as well as the most deadly energies Charlotte's dealt with yet. So, will Charlotte be able to rise to the task and finish it off once and for all, or will she fail at the task? Better yet, what about Harris, the new guy who is paying attention to her? Does he truly like her, or this something more sinister to his intentions? Only time will tell in this deadly and spooky follow up to Past Midnight!

In this fantastic, action packed sequel there's more of everything- plot development, character development, you name it...

Though, my absolutely favorite out all of it was the character development. In Past Midnight, I was only to quickly come to like Charlotte and in One Hundred Candles this trend continued. One of the things I love most about Charlotte is her spunk that always leads her to be fearless when it comes to helping her friends and family out and in this addition this trait continued to be prevalent. Better yet, I loved how Charlotte got some romance in this one, because not only did it lead to an interesting sub-plot, but it also lead to some much needed tension between Charlotte and her friend Noah, a guy who may just be perfect for Charlotte if they gave each other a chance.

Adding to this, I loved the plot of this book. It was filled with enough action and suspense to keep my hands stuck to the pages like glue. I was ceaselessly wondering what would occur next, especially when it came to the events following the One Hundred Candles game. And while I'm one to get annoyed with cliff-hanger endings, the one at the end of One Hundred Candles was fabulous and well worth the frustration I'm now feeling over having to wait until Fall '11 to find out what will happen next.

In all, if you're a fan of paranormal books, be sure to pick up Past Midnight as well as One Hundred Candles. These are two books that are sure to rock your world and they may even add a certain new author to your list of favorite authors ever!

Grade: A+ ...more

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Apr 25, 2011 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, young-adult, non-erotic, paranormal

Charlotte Silver is not afraid of ghosts. She’s been studying them with her scientific team parents, debunking them as myths, since she could walk. But things seem to be changing after an incident at a “haunted” asylum over the holidays. When a seemingly possessed cameraman grabs her arm and inflicts pain with a haunting warning, things start going haywire at Charlotte’s high school, where all she wants to do is fit in. Everyone is seeing ghosts everywhere, which may or may not be the result of Charlotte Silver is not afraid of ghosts. She’s been studying them with her scientific team parents, debunking them as myths, since she could walk. But things seem to be changing after an incident at a “haunted” asylum over the holidays. When a seemingly possessed cameraman grabs her arm and inflicts pain with a haunting warning, things start going haywire at Charlotte’s high school, where all she wants to do is fit in. Everyone is seeing ghosts everywhere, which may or may not be the result of a spooky New Year’s Eve party where Charlotte finally made a boyfriend connection.

I don't usually read paranormal, but the blurb for One Hundred Candles caught my attention. I whizzed breathlessly through the novel in one sitting. I love first person done well and this definitely gets the job done. One Hundred Candles has a riveting point of view, smooth plotting and includes all of the usual but empathetic angst of being a teenager.

Charlotte is an easy character to relate to, and her devoted best friend, Noah, is quite the catch, even if she’s distracted by her new jock boyfriend. I liked the high school setting and really felt the bond between Charlotte and her family. Her feelings for her quirky parents are strong and respectful, and her pain is felt as she endures the challenges of watching adults try to make things work.

The strong supernatural elements in this story are chilling and unraveled at a good pace until demons are at the doorstep. Ms. Purnhagan does an excellent job making both worlds believable and logical. She is careful not to go overboard into darkness, and focuses on the goodness and light beyond the villains from other realms.

Purnhagan also has a unique writing style that stands out. Each chapter begins a new experience, that begins at an end and backtracks seamlessly. It’s quite a feat, and I stand in awe of how this worked for the storyline.

In my opinion, the book is for older teens, not tweens, as alcohol makes mention along with the sweet romantic storyline, but I think these were handled tactfully, and I appreciated that. I also liked the science woven into the fear factor. It helped alleviate some of the supernatural angles which some parents might be uncomfortable having their children read. That being said, I will recommend this to my teens, and I'm pretty protective.

With clever writing, this is a unique series that I suspect has superstar potential. I'm glad I picked it up--I feel like I'm ahead of the crowd and suspect I will be hearing a lot more about the series.

If you enjoyed Twilight or the Harry Potter series, you will love this book. I’m picking up the first volume in the series very soon!

Originally posted at http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c... ...more

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Mar 30, 2011 Terra Timmons rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya, read-2011

Creepy, fantastic read! The descriptions of the paranormal happenings had me pull the covers up to my nose at night and jumping at every little noise I heard. I loved the way Mara described everything in this book, the strength and personalities of the characters, and the downright creepiness of the paranormal beings. I don't think there was any part of this book that bored me. It had me flipping the pages all the way to the end.

Charlotte gets invited to a huge party where she gets overwhelmed Creepy, fantastic read! The descriptions of the paranormal happenings had me pull the covers up to my nose at night and jumping at every little noise I heard. I loved the way Mara described everything in this book, the strength and personalities of the characters, and the downright creepiness of the paranormal beings. I don't think there was any part of this book that bored me. It had me flipping the pages all the way to the end.

Charlotte gets invited to a huge party where she gets overwhelmed and ends up gazing at the stars with the big jock on campus, Harris. When Harris offers to head over to a party that is more up Charlotte's alley the ghosts stories begin. A game called One Hundred Candles in being played when Harris, Charlotte, Avery and Noah arrive. Gwyn explains the rules that you can only tell a paranormal story that is true and has either happened to you or someone that you are close with. Once the story is told a candle is lit. After all of the one hundred candles are lit, there will be one hundred spirits in the room with them.

Little did they know, the stories would haunt them long after the stories were told. This is something that Charlotte isn't easily spooked by and is always thinking of a way to debunk the story. What happens where there are no scientific explanations, and personal experiences that haunt your every thought? A vision so burned into your mind you are forced to believe.

The premise of this story, of one hundred candles being lit and each frightening story being played out had me hooked! To me it seemed like an urban legend story. But, urban legends don't end up with a creepy possessed demon (or something worse) hunting you down. Along with the story you learn a lot about Charlotte. The family troubles she is trying to deal with, the new boyfriend in her life, the mystery of the hauntings happening at her school and the 1-year anniversary of Adam's death.

With the scary aspect of the story, you also got the real life feeling too, and that's what I loved. I am also a huge fan of ghost stories and scary movies. I don't know why, because I am the biggest scardy cat ever. This book did for me, what the exorcist did. Made me turn on every light on in the house. Why I didn't rate this the full five stars is because it wasn't (for me, at least) a book that I couldn't live with out. While I loved the story and I am looking forward to the next, I didn't LOVE it. But I did enjoy it and I am glad that this was my first paranormal read.

Recommendation

I would recommend this book to those who love ghost stories, anything paranormal, ghost hunting, possession and a bit of mystery. I do love all those things and I don't know why I haven't read something like this sooner.
...more

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Dec 18, 2010 Felicia rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2011

The author of One Hundred Candles was so kind and allowed me to upload this book onto my reader from Netgally and I am so grateful she did. I was not able to read the first book of the series because unfortunately my library doesn't carry it but it is one I am going to have to get my hands on so I can read it because I really enjoyed this book. Even though I didn't read the first book (yet) I didn't really feel lost reading the second book, there were things that were talked about from the first The author of One Hundred Candles was so kind and allowed me to upload this book onto my reader from Netgally and I am so grateful she did. I was not able to read the first book of the series because unfortunately my library doesn't carry it but it is one I am going to have to get my hands on so I can read it because I really enjoyed this book. Even though I didn't read the first book (yet) I didn't really feel lost reading the second book, there were things that were talked about from the first book that I wish I could know more about but it didn't stop me from enjoying this book. Charlotte is finally settled into a home and a school and is the daughter of famous parents who travel around debunking hauntings. Trouble starts when Charlotte's mom begins believing in the supernatural while her father firmly holds onto the belief that strange happenings are the result of residual energy left behind. Charlotte tries to balance a new romance a few new friendships, school, her parents fighting and the supernatural happenings all around her.
There were so many original ideas in what could have turned into a typical girl sees ghost story. I love the idea of residual energy and the power of good thoughts. I love that most things in this book dealing with the supernatural turned out to be hoaxes because when there were real demons or ghost it made it all the more intense. I loved the mixture of mystery, romance, family, friends, school, death, faith, friendship, belief and disbelief in this story. There were so many different aspects that it kept the story from getting boring even when nothing was happening. I know I like a book when I am excited to pick it up and reluctant to put it down and that is how I felt with this book.
There were only two things I could think of that I didn't love about this book. 1- Something would be happening and then all of the sudden the chapter would be over and a new one would start and a few days had past. It only took a page or two to pick up again but I found myself being pushed out of the story a little at the end of each chapter. 2- I don't know if I just missed it or what but one minute Charlotte's parents were on the brink of divorce and then the next minute he dad believed everything and they were in love again. Like I said maybe there were signs I missed because I was so into the whole demon chasing Chloe thing that I might have just missed it. Other than that though this book was awesome, I can't wait to read book #3 and book #1 in this series. Thanks again to the author Mara Purnhagen for allowing me to read your book!

www.feliciahowell.blogspot.com ...more

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Jan 22, 2011 Marrion James (The Book Associate) rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, netgalley

I have finished this book yesterday (Jan. 31) but I didn't take the time on making the review. So, here I am now and let see what are the things I should say about this book.

To be honest, I haven't read the first book, Past Midnight, and I noticed this book is the 2nd installment of the series. Yes. It's a bummer. Still, I wanted to make a review about it. I'll get myself the first book sometime so I could be able to connect both of these reviews.

The narrator is the main character of the book, C I have finished this book yesterday (Jan. 31) but I didn't take the time on making the review. So, here I am now and let see what are the things I should say about this book.

To be honest, I haven't read the first book, Past Midnight, and I noticed this book is the 2nd installment of the series. Yes. It's a bummer. Still, I wanted to make a review about it. I'll get myself the first book sometime so I could be able to connect both of these reviews.

The narrator is the main character of the book, Charlotte Silver, who has a family of ghost busters -- not actually on the movie but they are debunkers. They are the ones investigating paranormal and supernatural activities using instead of a ghost-capturing-box, they use scientific methods which they are proving ghost are just energies floating around and not a real ghost at all.

If you're wondering why it is called -- One Hundred Candles, the details is included in this book, of course.

It is bad for me not knowing what had happen on the first book but it gave me a glimpse on it which is so good for me, though I don't know the exact details of the story.

This book gave me the chills, especially when the main reason of the one hundred candles are for. I am a fan of violence and gore but in ghostly stuff? No. When I am reading this alone in my room and the lights are dim lit, I felt goosebumps on my skin and felt of a sudden chill, creepy feelings are crawling through my skin. I am not freaking out but I don't like the feeling of it. But this book helped me to like this even more. There are few books that sending me that electricity of fright of sensation. That's something good about this book.

Love? Friendship? Family? It's all here. Tear-jerking scenes, a couple of humorous give and simple teenage love. Good combination of the three.

There are points of few flaws on this book. I don't want to sound bad but it is the truth. There is the part of predictability, not entirely all though. There were parts I was surprised to know. But the important stuff is the very most crucial part of the book. I already know the enemy from the beginning, so I just needed to read further to know what will happen. Not too much for revelations but it shows surprises which I liked too.

I do recommend this book for those who wanted to feel chills in your skin. Surely you will like this book. It is a worth to read and sure you're gonna enjoy it. I'll be getting my own copy of Past Midnight soon!:]

*I received this free eGalley via from publisher Harlequin Teens via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thanks guys!^^ ...more

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Jul 26, 2010 Kelsey rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2011, e-book

I have read and enjoyed all of Mara's published books so far and I've been eager for One Hundred Candles to be released. Luckily, it was a fabulous follow up to Past Midnight! Filled with more spooky twists and turns and new characters, One Hundred Candles sent shivers up my spine and kept me reading into the night!

The plot of One Hundred Candles was intriguing and fast paced. The action starts almost immediately and comes to a high point when our protagonist, Charlotte, and some friends go to a I have read and enjoyed all of Mara's published books so far and I've been eager for One Hundred Candles to be released. Luckily, it was a fabulous follow up to Past Midnight! Filled with more spooky twists and turns and new characters, One Hundred Candles sent shivers up my spine and kept me reading into the night!

The plot of One Hundred Candles was intriguing and fast paced. The action starts almost immediately and comes to a high point when our protagonist, Charlotte, and some friends go to a party and get involved in a mysterious game called "One Hundred Candles". The room is dark and mysterious and Charlotte, her best friends Avery and Noah, and her maybe-boyfriend Harris, are all present as well as a bunch of other kids from their school. Each of them has to share a paranormal experience and then light a candle. Unfortunately, afterwards, some freaky things start happening to Charlotte and at their school. Are Charlotte and her friends really being haunted or is there a more logical, human approach to the occurrences?

Charlotte was a strong and determined main character and always wanted the best for her family and friends. Unlike in the first novel, the Silver clan is not as happy and "together" as they once were. Charlotte's parents are constantly arguing and having differences in opinion. On top of all that Charlotte is dealing with some of her own problems. Like her new boyfriend Harris. And tensions with her friend(?) Noah. And of course all the freaky things happening at school. Charlotte held her head up high through it all and always sought out the most realistic answer. Luckily she had her best friend Avery, who was always there for her, and her older sister. I liked all the secondary characters in One Hundred Candles as I got to revisit with some of my favorites from the prequel and get to know them better as well as to meet some likable, new characters.

I love how Mara Purnhagen's novels always keep me on the edge of my seat and One Hundred Candles was no exception. New plot twists were always thrown in when I least expected them and certain characters had more going on than met the eye. The ending especially was so creepy and horrifying I couldn't put it down for one second.

One Hundred Candles in no way suffered from sequel blues and I enjoyed it even more than the first book in the series. Charlotte is a main character I was constantly rooting for and I was truly scared during a few scenes. Now I am counting the days until Beyond the Grave is released!

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars ...more

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Apr 02, 2011 Kevin rated it it was amazing

Book Review – “One Hundred Candles” by Mara Purnhagen

Often when you put teenager and ghosts together in one story you end up with “the Scooby Gang” as Buffy called he friends, which in turn was a reference to the Hanna Barbara animated series “Scooby Doo Where Are You?” that began back in the sixties.

There is no “Scooby Gang” to be found in the PAST MIDNIGHT series of Young Adult novels by Mara Purnhagen.

Instead we have Charlotte Silver, her family, and friends having to deal with the ordinary Book Review – “One Hundred Candles” by Mara Purnhagen

Often when you put teenager and ghosts together in one story you end up with “the Scooby Gang” as Buffy called he friends, which in turn was a reference to the Hanna Barbara animated series “Scooby Doo Where Are You?” that began back in the sixties.

There is no “Scooby Gang” to be found in the PAST MIDNIGHT series of Young Adult novels by Mara Purnhagen.

Instead we have Charlotte Silver, her family, and friends having to deal with the ordinary struggles of high school life. From struggles with schoolwork, getting a first boyfriend, and the concerns of a family in trouble. These day-to-day struggles only become all the more important when a real supernatural threat enters their lives. A potential divorce is more dangerous than a demon.

Though Charlotte’s parents are paranormal investigators, the story has never been about hunting down ghosts. Her father doesn’t believe in ghosts, it’s just residual energy. It’s about a young woman seeking an ordinary life, and not loosing it when its finally in her grasp.

In a previous review I described “Raising the Dead”, Purnhagen’s novella that takes place between PAST MIDNIGHT and ONE HUNDRED CANDLES as a weekend jaunt. A wonderful little story but has no major impact upon our characters or the world they lived in. I can certainly say that we are deep into the workweek with ONE HUNDRED CANDLES.

The threats have grown for Charlotte; socially, personally, and supernaturally. When it’s over, things can never go back the way they were.

As to Purnhagen’s writing style, I found something quite interesting in ONE HUNDRED CANDLES that I hadn’t notice in the earlier books. She would start a chapter at one point and then jump back and fourth telling the reader of the events that lead up to that moment before finally moving on. Truthfully, I was confuse at first and it took a few chapters to get use to, but then I began to look forward to seeing how she would start off the next chapter. It was a really fun and interesting way to keep us inside Charlotte’s mind and point of view of events around her.

It’s going to be hard to write further reviews of the PAST MIDNIGHT series, as I’ve really been enjoying them and looking forward to the next. Won’t be able to give a non-biased opinion to the next book in the series.

ONE HUNDRED CANDLES burns brightly Mara Purnhagen.

Kevin Paul Shaw Broden
Four Names of Professional Creativity
http://kevinpsbroden.blogspot.com/ ...more

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Dec 29, 2010 Amanda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

Quick Summary: While spending Christmas day in an old, abandoned insane asylum, Charlotte encounters some very bad "energy". After she barely escapes, Charlotte is a little rattled but goes back to her now normal life and friends. She gets herself a boyfriend and starts to come out of her shell a bit more though she still pines after Noah. While travelling through her emotional dramas, it seems as if someone is playing pranks on the whole school with strange happenings and sightings of ghosts. B Quick Summary: While spending Christmas day in an old, abandoned insane asylum, Charlotte encounters some very bad "energy". After she barely escapes, Charlotte is a little rattled but goes back to her now normal life and friends. She gets herself a boyfriend and starts to come out of her shell a bit more though she still pines after Noah. While travelling through her emotional dramas, it seems as if someone is playing pranks on the whole school with strange happenings and sightings of ghosts. But after Charlotte's close call with real evil, she can't help but question, is any of it real?

My Opinion: First off, I feel as if Mara has taken a big step forward with One Hundred Candles. Past Midnight wasn't bad though there were many things that could've been improved upon and I think Mara has done just that. I finally feel connected to Charlotte now that she is developing real relationships. The characters with minor roles were pretty paper thin but Charlotte, Avery, Noah and Jared finally feel like real people. There's dramas going on at home that many could relate too as well. I did actually get a bit freaked out by the ghost stories told in the beginning which was new. Books don't usually scare me. The plot flowed well and there were only brief lulls.

Final Thoughts: Everything about One Hundred Candles felt as if is was fleshed out more. The characters now feel like real people, only with some messed up stuff going on. I felt for them even if they weren't always in the right and I wanted to kick those that messed with Charlotte and Co. What I wanted to happen did though a fair bit of the story was rather predictable, not in a bad way though. Mara just should've kept a little more to herself to keep the reader off her tracks. As for the ending, it was shocking as it didn't look like anyone would be drastically hurt and a lot happens all at once. I can happily say that I'm looking forward to the next one now. If you've read Past Midnight then make sure you read One Hundred Candles.

Favourite Quote:

"I like how the headline drips blood," I said. "It adds a classy touch, don't you think?"
"The wailing ghost animation does it for me."
(Charlotte & Noah, page 129)

Cover: It's pretty cool but once again ditch the girl's face. In fact, it's almost a mirror image of the picture used in Past Midnight.

Past Midnight Series

1. Past Midnight My Review
2. One Hundred Candles
3. Beyond The Grave (out September 2011) ...more

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About Mara Purnhagen

Mara Purnhagen

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Mara Purnhagen cannot live without a tall caramel latte, her iPod, or a stack of books on her night stand. She has lived in Aurora, Illinois; Kalamazoo, Michigan; Dayton, Ohio and Duncan, South Carolina. She presently lives outside Cleveland, Ohio with her family and two cats.

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Quotes from One Hundred Candles

“I didn't avoid my problems. I just didn't feel as though I had to focus on them every minute of every day. And telling people about certain aspects of my life would only create trouble. If I was guilty of anything, it was of trying not to bring new problems into my life. That wasn't avoidance. That was logical thinking.” — 18 likes

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One Hundred Candles

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