I've blogged about several of the Greywalker books in the past. Overall, I greatly enjoy them and think that many older adolescents would as well. However, in the last book, Downpour, there is a fairly explicit sex scene (the only one in the entire series) that makes recommending any of the books in the series to adolescents more difficult for me. I expect I'd just warn them that their parents may be disturbed by the content of the last book. That they shouldn't read it if it's going to get them (or me) in trouble.With that warning--I'm going to have to say the Downpour was a great read. Much of the action is set on the Kitsap Peninsula, where my mother lived in the last fifteen years of her life. I know some of the settings, but am going to have to plan a trip back to Hurricane Ridge and other localities for the summer. Richardson has certainly piqued my interest in specific camp spots and locations. For students who are Twilight fan this is also close to La Push (Jacob's home). There are also, as is usually true, some historical background that got me digging a little into the history of Washington State.
The rest of the books in the series are great paranormal reads, with a minimum of romance and enough substance and inventiveness to keep me reading. Also on my desk today, about to return to the library, is Poltergeist. Talk about your science experiments gone wrong! A university professor gets a group together to recreate an experiment in which a group of subjects were able to "create" a poltergeist. Richardson creates the Pacific Northwest University which was founded by "fire breathing Calvinists." I can't help but think she's talking about Pacific Lutheran University, where my step brother works. It adds a layer of interest to the book.
Another interesting bit is that Harper Blaine, the protagonist in the series, has a ferret. I haven't been drawn to ferrets as pets--but her descriptions of their behaviors make me understand better why someone would want to have one.
I'm done with the series so far---I'm guessing Richardson will have a next book. I'll be reading it when it is released. I recommend her website. http://katrichardson.com/ She has a video with a walking tour of Pioneer Square (where Harper Blaine, has her office). Overall I think it's a really interesting site with more to do than I have time!
The book really called on my abilities to visualize events and settings. Harper Blaine, the main character, lives between two worlds--our "reality" and the "grey" world of ghosts, spirits and magic. I had to devote significant mental resources to visualizing the location in Seattle, the "real" people and the overlay of the grey world. It got easier as I read on and knew more of the themes running through the book. But, it's a great book to recommend to students who like urban fantasy and have good visual imaginations. There is a little bit of sex, but nothing graphic. It's a book I would easily recommend to high school readers.