Title: Caleo
Series: Leech 01
Author: James Crawford
Genre: Paranormal, Young Adult
Length: Novel (199pgs)
Publisher: James Crawford (Self Published) (29th April 2011)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: Every High School has their social outcasts. The band nerds, the math geeks, the chess club, the girl that chews her hair, but at Butler even the creepy nose picker in the chess club is more popular than Caleo Anima. No matter what he did, his pale skin, snow white hair, and piercing blue eyes always made him an easy target. He used to think that the only way things could get worse would be if someone found out that he was gay, but that isn’t even the tip of the iceberg of problems after a mysterious stranger shows up and changes Caleo’s life forever.
Hidden amongst our society, a secret and magical race of people known as ‘Leeches’, have been engaging in civil war for decades. Both sides are desperately searching for a weapon with unlimited power that will give them the advantage they need to rule their world. This wouldn’t mean anything to Caleo, except for one problem…He is that weapon!
Forget making it through High School. Caleo has bigger problems! As the search for him goes on, the world is quickly crumbling around him. He’s now fighting for his life and the life of what little family he has left. With the help of new friends, he has little time to try and master his newly found powers as he tries to figure out who he can trust, who is trying to use him, and who just wants him dead. One wrong step and being the awkward pale outcast will be the LEAST of his worries.
Purchase Link: http://jamescrawfordauthor.weebly.com/ (Amazon, B&N and Smashword)
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Caleo-Leech-ebook/dp/B004YQVF96
Review: Caleo has always been a social outcast. Bullied and ignored he has just one friend, Jack. But, sometimes even that doesn’t help. Caleo’s life changes the day that a strange man shows up and starts talking about powers and a hidden society of magical people. But, it gets worse when his hometown is bombed. The power struggle between The Blessed and The Rebels is tearing society apart, as they hunt for a powerful weapon. A powerful weapon that is clueless as to what is happening. But, Caleo has to master his new-found powers, if he is going to save his friends and family. And he wants nothing to do with either The Blessed or The Rebels.
Well, this is a great Young Adult paranormal story that is filled with danger, confusion and angst. Caleo is a young man struggling to get through school every day. he has one friend, Jack, who has been his best friend since they were small. Discovering he is different is a shock, but he can’t trust any of the Leeches, because they want to use him or ‘recycle’ him. Escaping from danger with his family is hard and rescuing strangers from capture is the only right thing to do, when your world is turned upside down.
This is an excellent, exciting adventure for Caleo and his friend Jack. It is action filled, dangerous, angst filled and teenaged drama filled with jealousy and despair. This story is all about seventeen year old Caleo. He is different from others and even different from the Leeches. It places him in danger, just because he is alive. Caleo and Jack face huge odds together. But with the help from Nolan, they try to survive. Caleo is a great character and he is written brilliantly. Jack is more laid back, but you can see his awkward attraction to Caleo, which Caleo misses. And Caleo is dazzled by Nolan’s Greek god beauty.
This storyline is far from straightforward. it twists and turns bringing surprises along the way. Who can you trust when it seems like everyone is trying to kill you? The loss of everything you have ever known and the insecurities of teenagers, battling with trying to hide and survive is a brilliant idea. Add in paranormal powers, warring factions of Leeches and a young man who could be The Angel and you have a great action packed read that shouldn’t be missed.
This is a great story if you want angst and danger, never knowing what will happen next and having a cliff-hanger ending that will have you reaching for the next book. So if you love any of that and adore Young Adult stories, then don’t miss this book.