Legacies

Summary: Spirit White’s life is not exactly where she wants it to be, to say the least .Her parents named her an awful hippie name and then unexpected her parents and her little sister die in a car crash, in which Spirit miraculously survives. Then, of course, after that her entire house burns down in a freak accident. So no family, no house, no home, as far as Spirit is concerned she has nothing left to live for. Until she finds out that she is to be taken to Oakhurst Academy. A high-end prep school that is to take custody of Spirit until she is twenty one years old. The thing is, though, that this is no ordinary school. All the students are magicians. On top of that students have been disappearing and Spirit and her friends decide to make it their responsibility to figure out what exactly is going on at Oakhurst.

Review:

This book was very slow. I actually ended up reading two books in between this one (books I had previously read). It was a lot like Once A Witch. Poor Spirit was the only one without her power and there was some greater evil that they all had to fight against. Unlike, Tasmin, though Spirit remains “powerless” throughout the entire book, which is refreshing. I actually really did like the slight romance between Burke and Spirit and I think the concept of the powers developing more as they grow is very interesting.

The concept is interesting; a super-secret school that houses witches and wizards whose parents all mysteriously die. It isn’t executed very well though. I never really felt the danger of being “tithed” and never truly believed all the pressure and competitiveness Spirit frequently said the school placed upon them.

It wasn’t all that engaging. It was fun, but I never really got into it. A.K.A. it wasn’t bad, but not anything life changing. I will probably pick up the second just because I want to know what Spirit’s mage gift will be.

Rating: 3/5

Reviews from the pros:

“An enchanting mixture of mystery, romance, magic, and murder.” –Delia Sherman, author of Changeling.

“Legacies has enough action for reluctant readers, and enough character development for teens to see themselves in this group of friends. The book's fans are sure to eagerly await Spirit's discovery of her mage gift and further confrontations with the forces of evil.”-School Library Journal

“Immediately pulling the reader into Spirit's mourning psyche as well as the fast-paced action of the mystery, mixing marvelous elements of fairy tales and mythology into both the plot and references in the students' Magical History class. There's also a touch of gentle romance, and readers who appreciate everything from X-Men to Harry Potter will be begging for the sequel, signaled by the abrupt ending.”-Booklist

Happy Reading everyone!

-She who Reads A Lot

Thankful for Thanksgiving

Hello Everyone,
I haven’t posted anything that wasn’t a book review in a while, but seeing as today is Thanksgiving I figured it was a special exception. I am currently annoyed with my college because they have yet to post my schedule and honestly I need some cheering up. It helps a lot to count my blessings when I am annoyed over little things so here we go. What I am thankful for this Thanksgiving:
For my wonderful parents
For my mom who supports me every step of the way
For my little sister who makes me laugh
Even for my little brother who matures a little bit more everyday
For my best friend who has always been there for me no matter what
For my friends who allow me to be myself at all times, even if that person is annoying or boring.
For a house to live in
For the town I was born and raised in
For every teacher I have ever had that has taught me more than just a subject in school
For every person in my life who has taught me right from wrong and how to be a good person
For the food that is always on the table
For the patience of teachers (in all aspects of life) as I stumble and make mistakes
For the children I work with who touch my life in ways they do not understand
For my grandma
For my family; all the aunts, uncles, second cousins, third cousins, and more
For my country which allows me every opportunity I can make for myself and allows me my freedom and liberty.
For the little moments of laughter that touch my life everyday
For a loving and supportive family
And lastly, for God who has blessed my life with all these wonderful things.

That does make me feel better :). Happy Thanksgiving everyone! What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

-She Who Reads A Lot

The Hourglass Door

Summary: Abby’s senior year is going according to plan: good friends, cute boyfriends, and college applications in the mail. But when Dante Alexander, foreign-exchange student from Italy, steps into her life, he turns it upside down. He’s mysterious, and interesting, and unlike anyone she’s ever met before. Abby can’t deny the growing attraction she feels for him. Nor can she deny the unusual things that seem to happen when Dante is around. Soon Abby finds herself drawn into a mystery whose roots reach into sixteenth-century Florence, and she uncovers a dangerous truth that threatens not only her future but the lives of those she loves.

Review: So, The Hourglass Door is a lot like Twilight, only infinitely better. Abby is a bit like Bella. She drove me crazy for the first half of the book. She flirted with Dante, while she had a boyfriend, without feeling guilty at all for the fact that she was essentially cheating on her boyfriend and lifelong best friend. However, when her boyfriend finally dumps her, and Dante flirts with her after she begins to think “What audacity! I just broke up with my boyfriend!” Like it was okay when you had a boyfriend, but now that you don’t it is bad? So, Abby drove me crazy. She was indecisive, whiny, stupid and ridiculously over-described things. She is very much attracted to water metaphors and storms. They appear continually throughout the book. Towards the end of the book she finally grows a backbone, though still doesn’t do much.

Dante is so much better than Edward, as far as a love interest is concerned. He is Italian, memorizes poetry, is sincere, mysterious, and just overall the most attractive book character I have ever read about (and that is saying something). Dante is also from 15th century Italy so he is a lot older than Edward. (I will not divulge the secret to his age)So, that bit is a lot like Twilight and the romance is as well. Painstakingly ordinary girl falling for a supernatural hottie who thinks she hung the stars? Sound familiar to anyone?

That being said about the main characters; the plot is much better than Twilight. Mainly in the fact that there is a plot and it’s not predictable. For the longest time I was trying to figure out what Dante and his group of peers (I wouldn’t call them friends) were and why on earth they could do the things they did. Also, why he would disappear? I couldn’t figure it out and when it was finally revealed I was very pleased to see the originality of it. For that alone The Hourglass Door trumps the entire Twilight series. It also didn’t have a happy ending, not a complete happy ending anyways. It was the hope of a happy ending without actually wrapping up the ending. That is probably why there is a sequel, which I am pretty excited to read, actually.

Rating: 3.5/5 The main character drove me nuts, but the plot was original, the romance was great, and there was a hot Italian guy in it. It was very good brain candy, but besides that nothing special.

Reviews from the Pros:

“The perfect romance!”-Ally Condle, author of Being Sixteen

“What’s not to love? A mysterious, gorgeous, Italian who recites poetry? I’m so there.”-Becca Wilhite, author of My Ridiculous, Romantic Obsessions

Once a Witch

Summary: Tamsin Greene comes from a long line of witches, and on the day she was born, her grandmother proclaimed she would be the most Talented among them. But Tamsin’s magic never showed up. Now, seventeen years later, she spends most of her time at boarding school in Manhattan, where she can at least pretend to be normal. But during the summers, she’s forced to return home and work at her family’s bookstore/magic shop.

One night a handsome young professor from New York University arrives in the shop and mistakes Tamsin for her extremely Talented older sister. For once, it’s Tamsin who’s being looked at with awe and admiration, and before she can stop herself, she agrees to find a family heirloom for him that was lost more than a century ago. But the search—and the stranger—prove to be more sinister than they first appeared, ultimately sending Tamsin on a treasure hunt through time that will unlock the secret of her true identity, unearth the past sins of her family, and unleash a power so strong and so vengeful it could destroy them all.

Review: All righty so the idea of these witches is that each one has a Talent (which is a power, like Tamsin has an Aunt that can “freeze” people, as in stop them from moving). When the child turns eight their power comes to them and then two years later, after they have learned to master their powers they are initiated with the family. Tamsin’s eighth birthday comes and goes with no Talent and she ends up being the only Talentless one in her family. Who wants to guess how long that lasts? Just about halfway through the book. Obviously, I knew she would not remain talentless her entire life (though it would have been a cool plot twist to have an ORDINARY girl save the day huh?).

Aside from some predictability in the plot, I really enjoyed this book. It moved quickly and every time I set out to only read a chapter it would be like five chapters later that I actually put the book down. The characters were fun and Gabriel was attractive and alluring. It wasn’t anything terribly special, but it was a fun quick read and I was very absorbed in it. My life was not changed by it, but I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading the sequel.

Rating: 4/5

Reviews from the pros:

“A fantastic urban fantasy with an enchanting romance at its heard.”-Cassandra Clare

“An absorbing and elegant urban fantasy”—publisher’s weekly

“Quick and suspenseful, with a climax that is camera-ready, this will appeal to readers who enjoy family drama and teen romance salted with magical action adventure”—the Bulletin

“Carolyn MacCullough casts a mesmerizing spell with Once a Witch. Family secrets and sibling rivalry, time-travel and magical ‘Talents’ all brew together to create a superlative—and supernatural—coming-of-the-age story. Add an epic battle of good versus evil and an enchanting first kiss, and this bewitching novel commands a sequel.”—Megan McCafferty

Clockwork Angel

Summary: When sixteen-year old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London’s Downworld, where vampires, warlocks, and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep the order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, who are members of a secret organization called the Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa’s power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm’s length…everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realized that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world…and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

Review: Let me just note that that summary is way too long. Anyways, onto the book! So…I seriously love Cassandra Clare’s world. The Shadowhunters and the downworlders and all that happens in it, is truly fascinating. As you all know, I loved Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series…and I think I actually am enjoying the Infernal Devices more. She has grown as a writer. I mentioned that the Mortal Instruments series was borderline really good fanfiction. This has no fanfiction tone to it at all, she has emerged as one of the strongest voice in the Young Adult world.

Will is like Jace(His descendant, by the way), but more imperfect. Will is sarcastic and witty like Jace, but with Jace I never believed his anger. I never really felt anything but love towards Jace. Will is more volatile and his mood swings seem more real to me. I still loved him, but there were times I could see what the characters in the books said about him. Jem was possibly the sweetest characters in the book, he certainly has me on his side!

As for the plot it moves quickly and the five-hundred-something page book seems like only one-hundred. You, in short, will not be disappointed in this book! As usual, Clare has left us with a cliffhanger ending and all of us hanging at the edge of our seats waiting eagerly for the next segment.

Rating: 5/5 Duh!

Reviews from the pros:

A century before the events of Clare’s Mortal Instruments trilogy . . . this crowdpleaser’s tension-filled conclusion ratchets toward a new set of mysteries." - Kirkus Reviews

"Mysteries, misdirection, and riddles abound. . . . Fans of the Mortal Instruments series and newcomers alike won't be disappointed." - Publishers Weekly

"Compulsively readable . . . Packed with battles, romantic entanglements, and tantalizing foreshadowing, this will have readers clamoring for the next installment." - Booklist

"Top Pick! Readers will be thrilled and amazed with this prequel to The Mortal Instruments, tearing their way through a beautifully constructed story of action, magic, mayhem, and romance. Fans and newcomers alike will be enchanted by Clare's fantastical world and left begging for more!" - Romantic Times Book Reviews
Truly happy reading everyone!
-She Who Reads A Lot

Hunger

Summary: Food ran out weeks ago and starvation is imminent. Meanwhile, the normal teens have grown resentful of the kids with powers. And when an unthinkable tragedy occurs, chaos descends upon the town. There is no longer right and wrong. Each kid is out for himself and even the good ones turn murderous. But a larger problem looms. The Darkness, a sinister creature that has lived buried deep in the hills, beings calling to some of the teens in the FAYZ. Calling to them, guiding them, manipulating them. The Darkness has awakened. And it is hungry.

Review: Just as good as its predecessor. It keeps you at the end of your seat the entire time and there were definitely moments when I gasped out loud, unable to believe what just happened. Grant does a suburb job of weaving you into his world and making you connect with his characters. It’s fascinating, quite frankly. It shows how kids act and it also shows a darker side of childhood even when broaching the subjects of their past lives before the FAYZ.

It is full with raw emotions. You will not be able to put it down, can’t wait to get the third book!

P.S. Sorry for the short review, I am exhausted! College is exhausting!

Rating: 5/5

Reviews from the Pros:

“Readers looking for intense, nearly nonstop action and emotional drama will find lots to enjoy.”-Publishers Weekly

“Like Gone this novel is not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach.”-School Library Journal

“Readers will be unable to avoid involuntarily gasping, shuddering, or flinching while reading this suspense-filled story. Some of the questions from Gone are answered, but they leave new questions in their wake. The story is progressing with smart plot twists, both in actions and in emotions.”-VOYA (starred review)

Gone

Summary: Gone. Everyone except for the young. Teens. Middle Schoolers. Toddlers. But not a single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Gone, too, are the phones, internet, and television. There is no way to get help.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.

It’s a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen and war is imminent.

Review: I couldn’t put it down. Gone was creepy, scary, and filled to the brim with raw emotions. Grant sugarcoats nothing. He puts these children in this situation and has them respond accordingly, there is no delusions of everyone coming together and living happily ever after. In fact, most kids don’t even want to come together. All they want are their parents. It is like a modern day Lord of the Flies with some sci-fi thrown in just for kicks.

Sam is an easily relatable character. He becomes the leader and hero of the people, even though he wants nothing more than to just disappear. You will be rooting for him the entire way. And what would the story be without the charismatic villain and his sicko sidekick to hate? Drake Merwin is truly disturbing, but Caine (Ironically Caine and Abel huh? You will have to read the book to get why this is so true for Caine) is charismatic and believable, you know there is something just wrong with him, but can’t quite put your finger on it.

To put it simply: Gone is amazing. You will be flipping pages as quickly as you can to see what happens to all the characters you have become so attached to. You’ll desperately try to figure out how they will survive.
Just go read it. It is not only a great piece of fiction, but also a moving tale on human, and kid, nature.

Rating: 5/5

Reviews from the Pros:

“Intense, marvelously plotted. A tour de force.”-ALA Booklist (starred review)

“If Stephen King had written Lord of the Flies, it might have been a little like this.”-VOYA (starred review)

Destiny's Path

Summary: Branwen refuses to take orders from anyone—even the Shining Ones, the ancient gods whose power is feared throughout the land. They want her as their Chosen One, destined to save her country from the Saxon’s. But Branwen doubts she’s truly ready to be a leader.

Then a messenger from the skies shows her a vision of a bleak and violent future—a future in which Branwen has abandoned her destiny, and those most dear to her suffer unspeakable horrors. There’s a blurry line between good and evil, and those Branwen trusts the most are capable of the greatest betrayal. The Shining Ones have spoken. Will Branwen answer their calls?

Summary: I think this was a significant improvement upon Warrior Princess. It might have been that I am now used to Jones’s writing style, or that I am more acquainted with the characters, but I connected a lot more with Branwen in this adventure than the previous one. I understood her character and the adventures were thrilling. They were not so gripping that I was glued to the book.

As with the previous one, I flipped ahead to read what would happen. It was enjoyable and the characters were more easily relatable all around. It has the makings of a great heroic war story. The kind of tale that bards sing of. (The graphic description of the battle were albeit disgusting, very welcomed as realistic). One thing Jones does seem to excel at is ending the book so that you can’t wait to get your hands on the next one.

Rating: 4.3/5 It was a significant improvement upon the first.

Reviews from the Pros:

“Despite graphic depictions of battle scenes, Branwen’s compelling story leaves readers waiting for the sequel.”-Booklist

Happy Reading!
-She Who Reads A Lot

An Abundance of Katherines

Summary: When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton’s type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact.

On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-loving best friend riding shotgun—but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove the Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl.

Love, friendship, and a dead Austro-Hungarian archduke add up to surprising and heart changing conclusions in this ingeniously layered comic novel about reinventing oneself by Printz medalist John Green.

Review: So I have successfully read all John Green books to date, except for a Christmas one that was jointly written with a group of authors. However, with the finishing of An Abundance of Katherines I have read all his solo works. :) This makes me happy. Now onto the review! This Green book was a little slow to start off. It took me about halfway through the book to start laughing all the time and be able to not wait to read again and see what happens. The natural wit and great story-telling that is very John Green-esque is rampant throughout the story, but it takes a little while to connect with Colin (the sort-of washed up child prodigy with an affinity for girls name Katherine). Once you make the connection to Colin though, it is easy to get wrapped up in his world and his journey to Gutshot and to himself.

So, overall it is a pretty good book. Not John Green’s best work, but still admirable and fun. The characters are true and real and the dialogue is raw, witty, and very natural feeling (not forced at all). By the end of the book you will find yourself rooting for Colin and smiling along as they grow in this one summer. It is so very easy to fall into John Green’s books and characters. Very easy to get attached. I recommend you read not only this book, but all of his other books as well.

Rating: 4.5/5 It got a little slow at some parts, but overall a great book.

Reviews from the Pros:

“Fully fun, challengingly complex and entirely entertaining.” -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Laugh-out-loud funny... coming-of-age American road trip that is at once a satire of and tribute to its many celebrated predecessors”. -- The Horn Book Magazine, starred review

“The narrative is self-consciously dorky, peppered with anagrams, trivia, and foreign-language bons mots and interrupted by footnotes that explain, translate, and expound upon the text in the form of asides. It is this type of mannered nerdiness that has the potential to both win over and alienate readers. As usual, Greens primary and secondary characters are given descriptive attention and are fully and humorously realized. While enjoyable, witty, and even charming,”-School Library Journal

“The laugh-out-loud humor ranges from delightfully sophomoric to subtly intellectual, and the boys' sarcastic repartee will help readers navigate the slower parts of the story, which involve local history interviews. The idea behind the book is that everyone's story counts, and what Colin's contributes to the world, no matter how small it may seem to him, will, indeed, matter.”-Booklist

Max

Summary: Someone—or something---is decimating ships and sea life off Hawaii’s coast, and Max and her flock find themselves sucked into the Navy’s top-secret investigation of the catastrophe. Their objective: Rescue Max’s activist mom from a wicked subterranean enemy. The hitch: They must dive deep into dark waters, where gruesome evil dwells…and for high-flying Maximum Ride, could there be anything more terrifying than being trapped in the great abyss?

Review: So, I have come to the conclusion that I have outgrown Maximum Ride books. It was good, but there were points where it was actually kind of painful to read. I would roll my eyes at the gushy love scenes between Max and Fang. They were so cheesy, I wanted to gag. Angel was annoying and diabolical, and I didn’t like her character at all. I still love Gazzy and Iggy. The idea that the bird kids are trying to save the world environmentally still kind of irks me.

The book is meant for 4th-7th graders and it is probably a really great book for that age group. It helps inform them about the environmental issues with cool superheroes that are kids just like them. Not the best book to read at 18. I kind of still want to read Fang, but I won’t be spending any money on buying it, that’s for sure. I will have to reread the Maximum Ride books to see if I have truly outgrown them, or if the series just went way down hill.

This was an improvement on the last one, that’s for sure.

Rating: 3/5

Reviews from the Pros:

“A masterpiece!”-Avi Arad, executive producer of Iron Man and Spider-man

“Max narrates with a precocious, snarky voice, but makes it relatively easy to jump into her complicated tale midstream. Not surprisingly, the open-ended conclusion begs for a follow-up; it's also little wonder that a movie franchise is in the works.”-Publisher’s Weekly

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

It’s not that far from Evanston to Naperville, but Chicago suburbanites Will Gryason and Wil Grayson might as well live on different planets. When fate delivers them both to the same surprising crossroads, the Will Graysons find their lives overlapping and hurtling in new and unexpected directions. With apush from friends new and old—including the massive, and massively fabulous Tiny cooper, offensive lineman and musical theatre extraordinaire—Will and Will begin building toward respective romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most awesome high school musical.

Review:

John Green is AMAZING. I can’t really reiterate this enough. Combine him with David Levithan and you get a whole new level of awesomeness.

It’s hard for me to rightfully review this book because it is just great. It is such a simple concept, and one that is becoming more and more common in our real world. It is about two boys, who don’t know each other. One a young homosexual who struggles with depression and a not-so-stellar home life who has fallen in love with a boy named “Issac” online and is beyond nervous and ecstatic when Issac says he wants to meet him. The other boy is the quiet and some-what dramatic best friend of possibly the "world's largest person who is really, really gay" Tiny Cooper. The two boys live in separate towns near Chicago and have never heard of each other. They share one thing: their name. One fateful night they end up meeting, at all places, a porn shop. From there on out they are somewhat involved as they both grow into themselves and find love and true friendship. All the while helping, in some way or another, Tiny Cooper put on an amazing play about love.

It is so simple. It’s life! There are no dragons, no wizards, no psychopaths, or serial killers, there is nothing out of the ordinary. The fact that it is life and that John Green and David Levithan capture it so completely is what makes this book just astounding. They capture that feeling between wanting to jump over the edge and full head into a relationship, but at the same time wanting to pull back because you’re afraid you’ll get hurt. They capture the feeling of wondering if your friendship is real and struggling to be yourself and sometimes just to get through one day. These raw emotions that teenagers go through, they are capture so perfectly in this novel that it’s scary.

That’s what makes this book great combined with great writing, real side characters, a simply story, and two amazing leading teenage boys. It is life and it is captured perfectly in this book about finding love, finding ourselves, and finding friendship.
In all seriousness, everyone should read this book at some point. Everyone feels the way both Will Graysons do in this book, and this book lets you know it is normal.
By the way the book was hilariously funny at some parts, and so I included some quotes below. Though, they are probably funnier in context.

Amazing quotes:

“o.w.g: you know my name, and I love you, Tiny Cooper. Although not in the same way that the guy in the pink pants might love you.”

“I awake to the sound of my alarm clock, blaring rhythmically, and it seems as loud as an air siren, shouting at me with such ferocity that it sort of hurts my feelings.”

Rating: 5/5 Obviously.

Reviews from the Pros:

“Based on the premises that "love is tied to truth" and "being friends, that's just something you are," this powerful, thought-provoking, funny, moving, and unique plot is irresistible. Told in alternating chapters from each Will Grayson's point of view (one in lower case, effectively individualizing identities), complete with honest language, interesting characters, and a heartfelt, gritty edge, this quirky yet down-to-earth collaboration by two master YA storytellers will keep readers turning pages.”-School Library Journal

“makes a rousing and suitably theatrical finale for a tale populated with young people engaged in figuring out what’s important and shot through with strong feelings, smart-mouthed dialogue, and uncommon insight.”-Booklist

"An intellectually existential, electrically ebullient love story that brilliantly melds the ridiculous with the realistic." --Kirkus

"A wonderfully campy, sweet, romantic gesture in the spectacular style that readers have come to expect from these two YA masters." --VOYA

Warrior Princess

Summary: Fifteen year old Branwen’s life is changed forever when enemy Saxon troops attack her homeland and her brother is killed. Branwen wants to jump into action and avenge her brother’s death, but instead she is sent to a neighboring stronghold where she’ll be safe from harm. Yet while she is surrounded by exquisite beauty and luxury in her new home—as a princess should be—she feels different from the other girls. Deep down, Branwen has the soul of a warrior.

Then a mystical woman in white foretells a daunting prophecy: Branwen will be the one to save her homeland. Suddenly forced to question everything—and everyone—around her, she realized that the most difficult part of her journey is still to come. With no time to lose, Branwen must make a choice: continue on the path her parents intended for her…or step into the role of a true Warrior Princess.

Review:

“Felt dramatic—when I should’ve been feeling the character’s emotions all I thought was: how dramatic.” “Doesn’t grip readers, at first.” This is what I have written in my little notebook of notes on books. Her brother died in the first chapter and I should’ve been feeling Branwen’s emotions, instead I just thought ‘she is whiny’. I didn’t connect with Branwen in this book, I think that was my problem. I liked the story line and I loved Rhodri (who I hope never becomes a love interest because I can’t view him as more than a friend to Branwen).

The story line and plot were fascinating. Branwen…not so much. Branwen went through some traumatic stuff, and I should’ve felt some of it. I should’ve felt her anger leap out of the pages, her worry, her fear, but I didn’t. So that is my one complaint about the book: Jones didn’t connect emotionally with her readers.
That being said, by the end of the book I really wanted to get the sequel. So it was very well-written, just the main character wasn’t fleshed out too well.
It wasn’t terrible, and I enjoyed reading it for the most part.

Rating: 4/5

Review from the Pros:

“Exciting from start to finish.”-School Library Journal

“A fast paced plot that will keep readers turning pages.”-ALA Booklist.

13 Little Blue Envelopes

Summary:
Inside little blue envelope 1 are $1,000 and instructions to buy a plane ticket

In envelope 2 are directions to a specific London flat.

The note in envelope 3 tells Ginny: Find a starving artist.

Because of envelope 4, Ginny and a playwright/thief/bloke-about-town called Keith go to Scotland together, with somewhat disastrous—though utterly romantic—results. But will she ever see him again?

Everything about Ginny will change this summer, and it’s all because of 13 little blue envelopes.

Review: I literally read this book a month ago…heh so this review is way over due. That being said I enjoyed Maureen Johnson’s 13 little blue envelopes. It was fun brain candy. It didn’t go quite as I had thought it would after I read the summary. I suppose that was a good thing.

Ginny was a very easily relatable character and pretty fleshed out. There isn’t much to say about this book. I liked it. It was an easy read. I don’t have any complaints over it. However, it was not anything e extraordinary.

Rating: 4/5

Reviews from the Pros:

“Equal parts poignant, funny and inspiring, with a delicious fairytale ending.”-Publisher’s weekly

“Johnson’s writing is sophisticated and humorous, her characterizations pitch perfect.”-Kirkus Reviews

Player's Ruse

Summary: Sir Michael Sevenson and his squire, Fisk, were just beginning to enjoy the quiet life. They really should have known better. When Lady Rosamund runs away from home to marry a traveling player, former knight errant Michael makes a noble promise to help the object of his unrequited love. The quest takes out would-be heroes to the coastal town of Huckerston, where savage sea pirates called wreckers terrorize the coast. With the help of a reluctant Fisk, Michael plans on catching the wreckers and winning back his lady; but when mysterious murders and dangerous accidents threaten the town and its players, love might be the least of his problems...

Review: Okay, I am going to be very very sad if this is the last book in the Knight and Rogue series! I seriously think that these books have surpassed Goblin Wood in my favorite books. Michael and Fisk are amazing characters, my favorite out of any books I’ve ever read. Fisk is cynical and, though he’d never admit it, a giant softie and it is truly touching to see how he cares for Michael. Michael is noble, valiant, and honest and it is interesting to see how he becomes a little less pure as he learns his lessons as an unredeemed man, and spends more time with Fisk. I truly love these characters. They are hilarious and touching at the same time.

The plot is always good clean fun even if it may deal with some dark stuff like murders. I suppose that everyone may think I’m childish because truly Hilari Bell’s books are for ages 10 & up, but I am 18 and truly want to own as many Hilari Bell books as I can get my hands on including this series.

Okay the honest review here. Charcters=AMAZINGLY FANTABULOUS. Even the villains are fun and ooooh I was so excited when (SPOILER!!!) Jack showed up. I had just been wondering in my head what was so special about him and he showed up! I literally sat straight up in my bed at midnight and was like YES! (END SPOILER!) The plot moved quickly and really, I can never figure these mysteries out! I always try to outwit the characters and figure out what will happen, but in these books I never know and I’m never right. I am with the characters as they attempt to figure out these baffling and urgent problems.

I have nothing but praise for these books and Hilari Bell. I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves a good clean adventure. I’ve said it again and I’ll say it now, it’s books like these that make reading for fun....actually fun!

Rating: 5/5 of course. It may not be life-changing or take on deep dark themes, but I can’t give anything that gives me this much joy to read less than a 5.

Reviews from the pros:

“A blend of fantasy, adventure, and mystery, with a large cast of characters and a fast-paced plot, this installment will appeal most to fans of the previous titles.”—School Library Journal

“The engaging first-person narrative alternates, chapter by chapter, between Michael, who stalwartly pursues the outmoded profession of knight errantry, and his squire, Fisk, who sees life from a more ironic perspective. The latest adventure from the always-entertaining Knight and Rogue series.”-Booklist

Fragile Eternity

Summary: Seth never expected he would want to settle down with anyone—but that was before Aislinn. She is everything he’d ever dreamed of, and he wants to be with her forever. Forever takes on a new meaning, though, when your girlfriend is an immortal faery queen.

Aislinn never expected to rule the very creatures who’d always terrified her—but that was before Keenan. He stole her mortality to make her a monarch, and now she faces challenges and enticements beyond any she’d ever imagined.

Review:

Okay so I am a big fan of Melissa Marr’s covers and titles. They are so cool sounding and its always fun when they tie into the entire book and actually make sense. So basically it’s been two years since I’ve read Ink Exchange so every time they freaking referenced Ink Exchange I was searching my mind to remember what had happened and why it was so bad. I’d only remembered vaguely.

Anyways, all that being said it was a good book. I wasn’t falling over my seat trying to read it all the time, but it kept me interested and entertained. Marr helps Seth weave intricate threads through all three courts, and even the High Court. I could feel his and Aislinn’s struggle and I wished, fleetingly, that they could both be mortal and things would be normal. I felt bad for Donia, but…I still can’t make myself believe Keenan is the bad one in all of this. You hear repeatedly from multiple characters throughout the book how manipulative and selfish Keenan is, but I don’t think he’s any worse than Niall. That is my one problem with the book, I can’t get Keenan to be evil even though I know he probably is!

Besides that, it was good. It should be interesting to read the newest book.

Rating: 4/5

Reviews from the pros:

“Fans of the fey world will devour this sequel to Wicked Lovely . . .. Marr has created a world both harsh and lush, at once urban and natural” (School Library Journal)

“Marr’s fantasy world is complex and involving” New York Times

Paper Towns

Summary: Who is the real Margo? Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs into his life—dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows. After their all-nighter ends, and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues—and they’re for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew...

Review:

John Green is fantabulous. End of Story. He is not only quirky, intelligent, caring, and funny as a person, but these traits transfer over to his books. It’s so refreshing to read books about, to put it nicely, NERDS! I feel like many fiction books are centered on the “normal” average teenage kid. John’s are not. His characters are intelligent and witty and unbelievably real. Sure, your average senior boy may not read classic literature in his spare time, but they do glorify the ones they love. So much so that you don’t see the real person in front of you, just the goddess you have placed on a pedestal.

This is how Quentin Jacobsen sees Margo Roth Spiegelman (Never Margo Spiegelman, it’s always her full name that is said). This one in a million type of girl that he envisioned as perfect, graceful, funny, outgoing, and beautiful. The reality is that she is lonely young girl that feels trapped in her world with her parents and friends all stuck in their ‘paper town’. When I first started reading it, I thought I wasn’t going to be able to finish. Soon, though, I found myself thoroughly engrossed in the story, the characters, and the mystery.

The fact is that this book is something that all teenagers will relate to. It speaks to you with its hilarious characters (I wish Radar and Ben were my friends), the mystery, and the pull of sympathy towards a lonely teenager trying to find her place in this world and the boy who is obsessed with her.

Rating: 5/5 you need to go read John Green’s books. Now.

Reviews from the pros:

“Green’s prose is astounding...he nails it—exactly how a thing feels, looks, affects—page after page. Fascinating, cleverly constructed, and profoundly moving.” –school library journal, Starred review

“Green is not only clever and wonderfully witty but also deeply thoughtful and insightful. In addition, he’s a superb stylist, with a voice perfectly matched to his amusing, illuminating material.”-Booklist, starred review

“Green delivers once again with this satisfying, crowd-pleasing look at a complex, smart boy and the way he loves. Genuine—and genuinely funny—dialogue, a satisfyingly tangled but not unbelievable mystery and delightful secondary characters.”—kirkus reviews

Winner of an Edgar Award

Bloodhound

Summary: Beka Cooper is no longer a puppy. She’s a Dog now—a full-fledged member of the Provost’s Guard, which keeps the peace in Corus’s streets. Beka’s natural skills of observation and tenacity are augmented by her unusual magical talents, which all ow her to gather information both from pigeons and from the eddies of dirt and dust that swirl on the street corners. But even her magic isn’t very useful when unrest comes to Tortall’s capital in the form of counterfeit coins, which turn up in shops all over the city. Merchants raise prices to cover their losses, and with winter coming on, hikes in food and fuel costs could spell disaster—most of all for the city’s poor.

The Dogs discover that gamblers are bringing the counterfeits from Port Caynn—and that the Port Caynn Dogs don’t seem to be doing anything about it. Beka and her mentor, Clary Goodwin, are chosen to go undercover in port Caynn and find out what they can. And wherever Beka goes, so do some of her animals. Departing from Corus with her are the scent hound Achoo, who has been newly assigned to Beka, and the pigeon Slapper, who carries the voices of the dead.

In Port Caynn, Beka and Goodwin delve deep into the gambling world. There Beka meets a charming bank courier, who may be involved in the counterfeiting ring. Things come to a head just as Goodwin returns home to report to Corus. It won’t be enough for Beka to be her usual “terrier” self. She’ll have to learn from Achoo to sniff out the criminals—to be a Bloodhound.

Review: I have been dying to get my hands on Bloodhound since I read the first book Terrier. Most of you know that Beka Cooper: Terrier is possibly my favorite book and Bloodhound doesn’t let down. It’s not as enthralling as Terrier, but still exciting and exhilarating. This time around we are reminded much more often that the book is Beka’s journal. In Terrier it was hard to remember, sometimes, that you were reading her journal. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it makes the story seem all that more real. Given we are dealing with a fantasy land, I think that’s pretty good.
The crime this time around isn’t as exciting, generally, as child kidnapping. The crime Beka deals with is counterfeiting and though, normally, it would be boring, Tamora manages to make it just as exciting as child kidnapping with a new array of villains. Pearl is vicious and selfish, by the end of the book I was more than ready to see her captured. Dale, Hanse, and their bands of men were fun and I was very disappointed when one of them was the head of the counterfeiting ring (I won’t tell you which!).

Character wise, Tamora Pierce does just brilliant. Beka and Goodwin are very fleshed out and just very believable. Beka isn’t the perfect heroine but she’s stubborn and won’t let anyone slip by her if she can help it. That makes her a great heroine.
When all was said and done I really enjoyed the book and wouldn’t mind reading it again.

Rating: 4.7/5.0

Reviews from the Pros:

“Sixteen-year-old rookie policewoman Beka and her temporary partner, Clary, are sent to Port Caynn to investigate the source of counterfeit coins that have begun to appear in the markets and taverns. The wealth of detail, shared in diary format, occasionally threatens to overwhelm the book’s pacing and action, but quirky, endearing characters save the story.”-Booklist

“Pounce, Beka's wise cat, who is also a God, is mostly absent but Beka's other unusual magical sources of information-pigeons inhabited by talking ghosts of the dead and spirits in spinning dust funnels—continue to add to the series' appeal. Beka is as headstrong and feisty as ever and frequently makes errors in judgment but is willing to learn from her mistakes. She truly earns the nickname Bloodhound as she faithfully narrates her story through journal entries.”-School Library Journal

Melting Stones

Summary: Four years have passed since Evvy left the streets of Chammur to begin her training as a stone mage. At fourteen, she's unhappy to be on a new journey with her mentor, prickly green mage Rosethorn, who has been called to the Battle Islands to determine why the plants and animals there are dying. Evvy's job is to listen and learn, but she can't keep quiet and do nothing. With the help of Luvo, the living stone heart of a mountain, Evvy uncovers an important clue. Now, with the island on the brink of disaster, it's up to Evvy to avert the destruction that looms ahead. (from Amazon.com)

Review: Honestly, nothing really exciting to say about this book. It was Tamora Pierce so it was great simple, fun read. This may be a spin-off of a earlier series, but the reader only feels a tad left out and it has nothing to do with the plot. I had wanted to know more about earlier adventures, but really besides that the series does not interfere with Melting Stones. It was an easy-read with realistic and fun characters in a unique world filled with magic.

It was very simply a Tamora Pierce book. It was fun and enjoyable. Nothing life-changing, but good and fun. Tamora Pierce remains one of my favorite authors for good reason.

Rating: 4/5

Review from the Pros:

“The story features excellent character development because of it. Evvy has depth, and readers get hints as to her motivations and desires. The whole book, the first in a series, is an amazing ride.” —School Library Journal