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Maggie Quinn was expecting to find plenty of trouble with Lisa over Spring Break. Give a girl a bikini, a beachfront hotel, and an absent boyfriend, and it’s as good as a road map to the dark side. But Maggie doesn’t have to go looking for trouble. Trouble has started looking for her. One dead cow and a punctured gas tank later, she and Lisa are stuck in Dulcina, Texas—a town so small that it has an owner. And lately life in this small town hasn’t been all that peaceful. An eerie predator is stalking the ranchland.
Everyone in town has a theory, but not even Maggie’s psychic mojo can provide any answers. And the longer the girls are stranded, the more obvious it becomes that something is seriously wrong. Only no one—not even Maggie’s closest ally—wants to admit that they could have been forced on a detour down the highway to hell.
Gr 7 Up
Maggie Quinn has psychic ability and a history of fighting demons and other evil manifestations, as proven in Hell Week (2008) and Prom Dates from Hell (2007, both Delacorte). She and her D&D-loving friend Lisa, who is a practitioner of spells and magic, are on a spring-break trip to south Texas when their jeep slams into a slaughtered cow on the highway. Stranded in a small town while the vehicle is being repaired, they meet many of the locals, some of whom are convinced that el chupacabra , a legendary evil creature, has been released from the underground and is killing their livestock. Doña Isabel, the wealthy matriarch of the area, seems to know something, but isn't talking; her handsome grandson, Zeke, does not believe in "Ol' Chupy," but he is forced to face the truth when humans as well as cattle are attacked by the demon creature. Maggie and Lisa are highly likable and genuine college freshmen, and when they spring into action against the terrifying creature, the adventure really takes off. The background information on the evil being is logical and believable, and the two belief systems of Catholicism and Hispanic magical culture sustain a respectful coexistence. This story flows quickly with thrills, chills, and a first-rate mystery.-Jake Pettit, Thompson Valley High School, Loveland, CO
Excerpted from Highway to Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore Copyright © 2009 by Rosemary Clement-Moore. Excerpted by permission.
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Never ceasing to push the YA envelope, Highway to Hell is a must read for all YA lovers. It's quick and fun, but without being fluff -- you don't even need to read the two previous books (although it is advised).
My favorite of the series, I'm still debating whether the ending is perfect or shake RCM and Random House Publishing until they promise to continue the series. Clement-Moore has said she hoped to let the reader imagine what happens next, so perhaps that's better than perfect.
The Setting - is southern Texas on the great highway to South Padre Island, great mecca of spring breakers and vacationers wanting fun in the sun. However, the destination is halted in a tiny ranching town with more cattle than people, and a very racially diverse population.
The Characters - are some returns of the favorites from the previous books. Maggie, D&D Lisa, and Justin, as well as a colorful cast of locals. I think one of the things I adore about Rosemary's books - are her characters. I love Maggie's sharp wit and Lisa's dry sense of humor and Justin's sense of do-goodedness. They seem like living people to me. Like I might actually meet Maggie at the coffee shop or something.
The Plot - is at first nothing more than a spring break road trip - but when you're the paranormal version of Nancy Drew nothing is that simple! A turn of circumstances leaves Maggie and D&D Lisa stranded in a small town with a strange situation of disappearing livestock. Maggie, Lisa, and eventually the uber cute boys must figure out what's going on and how to defeat it! But all along the way there are other problems to solve, things in their way and questions to answer.
Rosemary's books are so much fun to read. The stories may or may not be simple and straight forward, but part of me could believe them - which I think is rather important when you write paranormals these days. It's a world on top of our own and we know this one well enough to spot a bad copy when we see it, so being able to overly those tones and make me suspend my own reality is a thumbs up job.
After casting a demon out of her best friend Maggie Quinn is ready for a break. Stuffing her first-aid kit and safety pack into her jeep, Maggie starts off to South Padre Island with her witch-crafted friend, Lisa. But as you may have guessed, Maggie isn't a normal college freshman. She's a psychic and her vibes are going on overload when they drive through a small Texas county, on the way to their destination. They soon find out that something unusual is going on there. Livestock are being found dead with deep gashes on their necks. It's unnatural, they say. But how can Maggie and Lisa help when there is a handsome cowboy, religious grandma, and mysterious chupacabra getting in the way?
Highway to Hell was a guilty pleasure. The main topic of demons isn't exactly up my alley. In fact, it's far away from it. But when I started reading, I found that the characters were all-around likeable. It had a quick-moving storyline and unexpected turns that kept my attention the entire time. This book put other famous works to shame.
Author Rosemary Clement-Moore has a brilliant talent that I have never seen demonstrated by any other writer this way before. I was fascinated at how much the scenes are described though I wished, at times, it would be more straightforward. The cover, sadly, I think may not bring the book justice because it doesn't appeal to most audiences. But, like many people say, don't judge a book by its cover, right?
Contains:
*brief strong language
*sensuality
*creepy little demons
Maggie and Lisa are doing Spring Break - if only so Maggie can get a newspaper article out of it.
On the way there, they run over a dead cow in the middle of the road, which damages the car. The closest town isn't too far away, but it's a town in the middle of nowhere - and it takes some time to get the parts required.
While they wait, they discover that something's not right in the town. Animals are dying...and not naturally. Legend surrounds the town of a creature in history that might be back.
For Maggie and Lisa, fighting demons isn't new. They begin to investigate. However, not everyone takes kindly to their nosiness and not everyone is willing to talk. Things quickly get worse. Animals aren't the only ones getting hurt.
It's time to take action, even if it means going against very important people in town. Can Maggie and Lisa survive another fight with demons?
HIGHWAY TO HELL continues the fight of Maggie against demons, with her fabulous sidekick Lisa and her trusty white knight, Justin. The once-again solid friendship between Maggie and Lisa fills the story with tension and humor.
This is a fabulous supernatural series that will leave readers wanting more.
Highway to Hell is the third installment of the Maggie Quinn: Girl vs. Evil books. Personally, it's my favorite of the three. It could be that it's set in South Texas and my home state is close to my heart. But actually, I think it's a combination of things which I'll get to here in a sec.
It's Spring Break and Maggie and her best friend, Lisa, are headed to South Padre Island. Maggie's excuse is to do an exposé for her college newspaper. But on their midnight drive, Maggie and Lisa encounter a dead bovine in the road, causing them to wreck the Jeep. Maggie knows something is up right away, due to her Sight, and realizes there are bigger, badder forces at work here.
They're rescued by one of the locals, Zeke, who is a young good ole boy and the grandson of the Matriarch of the County. As Maggie and Lisa dig deeper into the mystery of the dead cow, they realize they've stumbled upon a demon-infested town. El Chupacabra is terrorizing the locals and killing livestock. Now with the help of her Super Evil Genius best friend, Lisa, her paladin boyfriend, Justin, and his theological friend, Henry, Maggie sets out to solve the mystery and vanquish the demon. Go, Maggie!
There's a lot for me to love about Highway To Hell. It has sharp wit, a kick-ass story and characters you love. Oh, and did I mention the awesome movie references? That's quite appealing to me because I'm a movie-nerd myself. And it does help the author refers to some of my favorite movies of all time (Star Wars and Indiana Jones, anyone?). I loved this YA Paranormal, which I think is some of the most unique storytelling I've seen in the genre. Maggie's narration (it's written in first person) is spot on. Her observations are intelligent and witty. I felt like I was in Dulcina watching the action unfold with her. If you're after a book with awesome characters who double as demon-slayers, you'll want to read Highway To Hell. And if you've missed the other books? Pick them up, okay? Check out Rosemary's website for more information.
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Overview
Maggie Quinn was expecting to find plenty of trouble with Lisa over Spring Break. Give a girl a bikini, a beachfront hotel, and an absent boyfriend, and it’s as good as a road map to the dark side. But Maggie doesn’t have to go looking for trouble. Trouble has started looking for her. One dead cow and a punctured gas tank later, she and Lisa are stuck in Dulcina, Texas—a town so small that it has an owner. And lately life in this small town hasn’t been all that peaceful. An ...