Highway to Hell

The third novel about the cynical girl psychic and demon hunter finds her once again encountering Unspeakable Evil in unexpected places. First it was Prom Night, then a college Sorority, and Now: Spring Break. Sadly, although Demons seem likely enough among bikini clad coeds and life guards, Maggie and her best friend, "D & D Lisa" don't even make it to a good beach before Hell, literally, breaks loose. The mystery is taut, neither giving away too much nor "cheating" by witholding information from the reader. Maggie's patience, faith, and cynicism are all tested, and the chinks in her emotional armor have never been more apparent. Oh, and there's blood, danger, and a significant risk of world-wide destruction, as well as an extremely good looking cowboy. What more does a book need? While the book is completely appropriate for anyone who's allowed to watch PG-13 movies, it appeals to adults as much as teens. Let's face it--we were all 19 once. Thankfully, our own lives were not quite this interesting.

I am a big fan of this series because it will appeal to a wide variety of teens. Maggie Quinn has psychic abilities, but she is still just learning how to use them. She often encounters demons and other supernatural beings and she tries to figure out how to banish them from earth. In the previous books the demons showed up at the prom and in a sorority house. This time they show up in a small ranch town in Texas in the form of demon chupacabras. Now it's up to Maggie and her best friend Lisa-(who does wiccan-like spells) to help this town. There is a lot of action and many encounters with the demons. Also, it's a mystery in which the reader learns a lot about folk lore and the supernatural while Maggie tries to figure out what the demon is, why it's there, and how to fight it. Another great entry into this fabulous series

Several reviewers before me have already written excellent synopses of 'Highway to Hell,' so I don't see a need to write yet another one. It's a paranormal mystery set during Spring Break, on the way to South Padre Island. But Maggie Quinn's attitude toward Spring break is similar to Daria Morgendorfer's--it's something to be tolerated only if she can get something out of it--in this case, a story for her college newspaper. Everything is going fine, until Maggie crashes her Jeep into the very messily-dead cow in the middle of the highway. Further weirdness ensues for Maggie and her best friend Lisa from there. This book is full of richly-painted characters. Clement-Moore starts with Zeke Velasquez, grandson of the local ranch's matriarch--who is described by Maggie's clairvoyant impression of him--hard work, sweat, Sunday dinners with his grandmother, and the taste of spicy enchiladas. You know exactly what he's like, just from that little bit. From there, we meet Theresa, the local bar owner, who is convinced that a creature called a chupacabra ("goat-sucker") is killing all the cattle. Then we meet Hector, her barman and possibly a brujo; David, a ranch tenant who would not be out of place looking for the Loch Ness Monster or any other notorious creature--and lastly, we meet Dona Isabel Velasquez, Guardian of the Velasquez ranch and a formidable witch. All of these characters, as well as Justin, Maggie's boyfriend, and Henry, a prospective priest who is Justin's best friend, come vividly alive in the pages of this book. One thing I like about this book is that the constant use of name labels from 'Prom Dates from Hell' has been pretty much dropped. There are still a couple of refereces to 'D & D Lisa' and 'The Old Guys,' but in general, people are just referred to by their names, and what labels are used are endearing. Another plus is that the characters are not cariacatures. So often, you see Texans wearing gratuitous cowboy hats and huge belt buckles. At least, when they wear those things in 'Highway to Hell,' they're actually being worn for work and not just because the character is a Texan. 'Highway to Hell' is well paced, with a clear and satisfying buld-up to the final climax. I like the blending of Indian, Mexican, and Catholic magical systems. I enthusiastically recommend this book to young-adult and older adult readers.

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. Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

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, an kick-a** 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.