Title: Courage and Other Demons

Author: Jill Daugherty

Pub Date: January 19, 2013

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

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Sixteen-year-old Maggie O’Neil is pathetically boring, and she’s okay with that. She goes to school, comes home, has dinner with her family, does her homework and goes to bed. On the weekend, she hangs out with her best friend or her boyfriend. Her idea of shaking up the status quo is to bypass her usual seat in one of her classes. But her comfortably mundane life is about to get a shot of adrenaline in the form of Simon Brady, a sexy transfer student from Ireland. Sure Simon is seriously adorable, but he also comes with some pretty terrifying baggage. In all of her sixteen years, faeries were something you read about in children’s books. They didn’t actually show up on your doorstep. They didn’t kiss you and make your knees go weak and whisper sweet nothings in your ear. Until Simon Brady, that is. Simon changed everything. He makes her heart race and her skin burn with excitement, but he has also changed her core beliefs about the world and made her see it as a dark and dangerous place filled with monsters that belong only in the lines of faery tales. There is no doubt in Maggie’s mind that she loves Simon, but can she see past who he is and find a place for him in her heart?

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A smexy, blue-eyed, brown hair, Irish boy – where can I get one?

From the very beginning I was captivated. (So captivated that I stayed up until 3AM) I love stories based on any type of lore. The twists you can pull are endless, and always captivating.

Even at the beginning of the story you are instantly pulled into

Maggie’s seemingly normal world. Maggie is your typical High School Junior. Worrying about college, and social life. Her best friend Lexie speaks her mind. She doesn’t hold anything back. If Maggie does something Lexie doesn’t agree with, Lexie tells her. (Just like any good best friend would do.)

Then we have Luke. From the moment he was introduced, I knew I wouldn’t like him. (Personally, I love writing characters similar to Luke. It’s fun to write from a more selfish/self centered point of view.)

After one tenderly sweet dream where she was kissing another guy, Maggie starts to change. Enter Simon Brady – smokin’ hot, Irish boy. (I want him. *straight face* not kidding.) He’s a true gentleman, and you can’t help but swoon. Maggie’s seemingly normal world starts to rip apart at the seams. She learns that faeries are real. That they live all over the globe. There is a prophecy that may or may not refer to her. Once she learns this, her normal life is completely over.

You are pulled through Maggie’s life. You experience her ups and downs, her confusion to whats happening to her and what’s around her. Not for a minute are you left not feeling some type of emotion. The emotions in the book cause a whirlwind of your own emotions. You adore how Simon is willing to do just about anything so Maggie doesn’t have to face what is waiting for her.

Simon isn’t just the boyfriend. He has a significant role in Maggie’s future. His character develops just as any teenage boy would. He has his ups and downs. He has betrayals, and loving moments. I was glad that he wasn’t just a character that added to Maggie. He held his own.

Overall this book was fantastic. I think I read it in like 6-7 hours (It’s hard to tell, I was reading it every spare second I had in between classes.) It’s a definite must read. I’ve already told multiple people about it, insisting that they read it. I suggest that people go out and BUY THIS BOOK. It is incredible, and an amazing read. I definitely want this on my shelf, and you should to. Jill Daugherty did a fantastic job at pulling the reader into Maggie and Simon’s chaotic world, where a knock is one of the most annoying things on the planet.