I’ve been anxiously awaiting the final installment in Laini Taylor’s DAUGHTER OF SMOKE & BONE series, especially since reading the second book, DAYS OF BLOOD & STARLIGHT over a year ago, and the final book, DREAMS OF GODS & MONSTERS comes out tomorrow! Laini’s writing is beautiful and literary and draws the reader in, and this fantasy world creates an epic story.

Title: DREAMS OF GODS & MONSTERS
Author: Laini Taylor
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: April 8, 2014
Number of Pages: 528
Source of Book: egalley from publisher

        By way of a staggering deception, Karou has taken control of the chimaera rebellion and is intent on steering its course away from dead-end vengeance. The future rests on her, if there can even be a future for the chimaera in war-ravaged Eretz.

Common enemy, common cause.

        When Jael’s brutal seraph army trespasses into the human world, the unthinkable becomes essential, and Karou and Akiva must ally their enemy armies against the threat. It is a twisted version of their long-ago dream, and they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people.
        And, perhaps, for themselves. Toward a new way of living, and maybe even love.
But there are bigger threats than Jael in the offing. A vicious queen is hunting Akiva, and, in the skies of Eretz … something is happening. Massive stains are spreading like bruises from horizon to horizon; the great winged stormhunters are gathering as if summoned, ceaselessly circling, and a deep sense of wrong pervades the world.

What power can bruise the sky?

        From the streets of Rome to the caves of the Kirin and beyond, humans, chimaera and seraphim will fight, strive, love, and die in an epic theater that transcends good and evil, right and wrong, friend and enemy. 
        At the very barriers of space and time, what do gods and monsters dream of? And does anything else matter?

In honor of the release of this final book in the series, I’m re-sharing my recommendation for book one in case you missed it, so you can start at the beginning and go on this stunning and shattering journey from the first words.


My original recommendation for DAUGHTER OF SMOKE & BONE:
Laini Taylor’s writing is beautiful, but in that way that it doesn’t jump out at you and take you out of the story, it is just woven subtly in as part of the story and you don’t realize how beautiful it is until you get to a stopping point and heave a deep sigh of relaxation from having enjoyed the writing and been lost and wrapped up completely in the world she created. The artistry with which she weaves storylines together between the two different main characters and between the present with flashbacks of backstory is enticing. There is a twist in the plot about two-thirds of the way through that almost changes the books into a different story, but it’s of utmost importance to our understanding and works so well the way Laini has written it.


And the setting…the book mainly takes pace in Prague and in Laini’s deft hand, the mystery, history, and beauty of this city lives and breathes its own life into the novel. There are exotic settings around the world (and in fantasy realms) throughout, and each one is written to evoke its own individual mood for the reader and the characters situations.


Karou is a kick-butt girl, but is struggling with feeling lonely as she discovers that the world with the “monsters” she thought she understood is not what she was led to believe. As she interacts with Akiva, the angel she encounters on one of her errands, it becomes obvious that she has some kind of pull toward him, and he to her. Little does she know that even as he tries to destroy all she holds dear, he might actually hold the key to her figuring out who (or what) she really is – what she’s been seeking to find out for awhile. Toward the end as we discover, along with Karou, what has really happened, it is shocking in the best possible way for a novel.


This is definitely a fantasy book for fans of fantasy. It has a unique take on the angel mythology and the backstory and world Laini has created is entrancing. Pre-order it now so you can escape into Karou’s world in September! I know I’ll be anxiously waiting for the next book indicated by the “…to be continued” ending to delve back into the artistry and uniqueness of the story Laini Taylor has created.

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Title: THE REAL BOY
Author: Anne Ursu
Publisher: Walden Pond Press
Release Date: September 24, 2013
Number of Pages: 288
Source of Book: ARC & finished copy from publisher in exchange for honest review

          On an island on the edge of an immense sea there is a city, a forest, and a boy. The city is called Asteri, a perfect city that was saved by the magic woven into its walls from a devastating plague that swept through the world over a hundred years before. The forest is called the Barrow, a vast wood of ancient trees that encircles the city and feeds the earth with magic. And the boy is called Oscar, a shop boy for the most powerful magician in the Barrow. Oscar spends his days in a small room in the dark cellar of his master’s shop, grinding herbs and dreaming of the wizards who once lived on the island generations ago. Oscar’s world is small, but he likes it that way. The real world is vast, strange, and unpredictable. And Oscar does not quite fit in it.

          But it’s been a long time since anyone who could call himself a wizard walked the world, and now that world is changing. Children in the city are falling ill, and something sinister lurks in the forest. Oscar has long been content to stay in his small room in the cellar, comforted in the knowledge that the magic that flows from the trees will keep his island safe. Now, even magic may not be enough to save it.

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Title: THE REAL BOY

Author: Anne Ursu
Publisher: Walden Pond Press
Release Date: September 24, 2013
Number of Pages: 288
Source of Book: ARC from publisher

          On an island on the edge of an immense sea there is a city, a forest, and a boy. The city is called Asteri, a perfect city that was saved by the magic woven into its walls from a devastating plague that swept through the world over a hundred years before. The forest is called the Barrow, a vast wood of ancient trees that encircles the city and feeds the earth with magic. And the boy is called Oscar, a shop boy for the most powerful magician in the Barrow. Oscar spends his days in a small room in the dark cellar of his master’s shop, grinding herbs and dreaming of the wizards who once lived on the island generations ago. Oscar’s world is small, but he likes it that way. The real world is vast, strange, and unpredictable. And Oscar does not quite fit in it.
          But it’s been a long time since anyone who could call himself a wizard walked the world, and now that world is changing. Children in the city are falling ill, and something sinister lurks in the forest. Oscar has long been content to stay in his small room in the cellar, comforted in the knowledge that the magic that flows from the trees will keep his island safe. Now, even magic may not be enough to save it.

First Thought: Without a doubt one of the best books I’ve read this year. A mesmerizing and enchanting story.

Anne Ursu‘s THE REAL BOY is a mesmerizing and enchanting story of friendship, courage, and magic with an endearing main character who just wants to be “normal.” It’s a story that shows the reader what it means to be hopeful in the face of lost hope. It’s a story that begs to be read.

Ursu has created an intriguing fantasy world filled with magical elements, yet the explanations show that the magic been declining over the years. The mythology she creates for this world is fascinating and shows the reader the depth to which their magical ancestors cared about the people of this town. The contrast between the people of Asteri and the people in the Barrow adds an element of class differences that, when added to the lonliness of Oscar’s situation and his uncertainty, creates even more of a divide leading him to feel like he just doesn’t get it.

The beauty of the main character, Oscar, is that he really isn’t sure what’s happening, so the reader gets to go along on the journey of discovery with him. We get to be a part of his awakening and realization that there may not be one particular way to be “normal” even if he may think there is. His interactions with the other inhabitants of the Barrow, including the magician he works for, show that he is a curious boy, but one who doesn’t necessarily have the same way of interacting socially…no doubt related to his orphan status and not remembering his past. This leads to a bit of a mystery as he finds clues that may lead to the truth about his past, although he is not sure he wants to know the truth.

In THE REAL BOY, Anne Ursu again demonstrates a lyrical quality to her writing that had me going back and rereading sections because of the stunningly beautiful descriptions she weaves together. There is such magic in her writing…beyond the story, and just with the way she puts words together and describes things. I felt as if I was there in the Barrow, in the woods, living this story with Oscar and seeing the entrancing settings around him. Being so drawn into that world creates an even richer experience for me as a reader.

I feel compelled to add that one of the strongest elements of this story for me, was having heard Anne’s story. She wrote this thinking about her son, and I feel that the message, for so many other children that may be struggling with something that makes them feel not quite “normal” at times, is such a strong one. Being different doesn’t make you not real. We are all real…we are just different versions of reality.

Final Thoughts: My favorite middle grades books I’ve read in a long time. Please read THE REAL BOY this fall. 

 

I loved, loved, loved Shannon Messenger‘s first middle grades book, KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES, (and for that matter, her first young adult book, LET THE SKY FALL), and since I ended up with a second copy of the ARC of book 2 in the KEEPER series, EXILE, I decided to host a giveaway to share the love of this fantasy series.

Author: Shannon Messenger
Publisher: Aladdin (a Simon & Schuster imprint)
Release Date: October 1, 2013
Number of Pages: 576

Sophie Foster thought she was safe. Settled into her home at Havenfield, surrounded by friends, and using her unique telepathic abilities to train Silveny–the first female alicorn ever seen in the Lost Cities–her life finally seems to be coming together. 
      But Sophie’s kidnappers are still out there. And when Sophie discovers new messages and clues from the mysterious Black Swan group, she’s forced to take a terrifying risk—one that puts everyone in incredible danger. 
      As long buried secrets rise to the surface, it’s once again up to Sophie to uncover hidden memories—before someone close to her is lost forever. 
      In this second book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series, Sophie must journey to the darkest corners of her luminous world in a sequel that will leave you breathless for more.

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Title: LET THE SKY FALL
Author: Shannon Messenger
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: March 5, 2013
Number of Pages: 416
Source of Book: ARC from publisher at NCTE

A broken past
and a divided future can’t stop the electric connection of two teens in
this “charged and romantic” (Becca Fitzpatrick), lush novel.

Seventeen-year-old
Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that
killed his parents. And he has no idea if the beautiful, dark-haired
girl who’s swept through his dreams every night since the storm is real.
But he hopes she is.

Seventeen-year-old Audra is a sylph, an air
elemental. She walks on the wind, can translate its alluring songs, and
can even coax it into a weapon with a simple string of commands. She’s
also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect Vane at
all costs. Even if it means sacrificing her own life.

When a
hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of
their families, Audra’s forced to help Vane remember who he is. He has a
power to claim—the secret language of the West Wind, which only he can
understand. But unlocking his heritage will also unlock the memory Audra
needs him to forget. And their greatest danger is not the warriors
coming to destroy them—but the forbidden romance that’s grown between
them.

You can see the just released book trailer here.

First thoughts:

Loved
this book! Action, romance, snark, caring, excitement, entertaining
writing, and a unique twist on mythological/paranormal add up to one awesome book.
– Love, love, love Shannon Messenger’s writing style and the attitude she brings to her characters. It’s like I’m talking to a friend.
– I so enjoy dual perspective POV books and this one is no different. Multiple perspectives are important for this story, and the guy voice is really well done. Vane brings sarcastic humor and Audra brings the kick-butt-ness.
– The mythological aspect of the sylphs who are Windwalkers is unique and intriguing and something I haven’t read about before. Fascinating how they can talk to the wind and have it do things for them.
– As the story goes on, it becomes more and more clear what Vane and Audra’s connection is and why it is inevitable. It was fun to follow along with their back-and-forth dynamic and learning their story along the way as Vane learned his history with Audra.
– Family is at the heart of this book and finding one’s own strength through connections with others.
– Characters were relateable in their situations and why they built the walls they did.
– The action scenes with the way Windwalkers battle and fight were exciting.
– Ending is where it needs to end, but leaves it open for the next book. The biggest battle is not yet through. They need to find their own strengths first before it can really come to a head with the villains. 
Final thoughts: I adore Shannon Messenger’s writing and her books and look forward to much more from her!

Title: MIND GAMES
Author: Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: February 19, 2013
Number of Pages: 256
Source of Book: ARC loaned to me from my fabulous teacher friend, Lea

Fia was born with
flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always
exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around
her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped
in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for
corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over
between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways… or risking
each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times
bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick,
edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters
determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

MIND GAMES is a compulsively readable story that shows a completely different side to Kiersten White than her PARANORMALCY series did. It was awesome and unexpected, while still having some of the trademark Kiersten White easy, contemporary style of writing that I love of hers. But this character is so different from what she has written before. The structure of this story built upon itself to drive the suspense to a climactic moment that I never saw coming. White has built a world of girls with psychic powers intertwined in a thriller of a story that kept me on the edge of my seat. It was an unputdownable pageturner. I have so many thoughts after reading this engaging, twisted, emotional, intriguing, thought-provoking, kick-butt novel, and all of them are good.

I really love reading books with strong girl characters, and when they’re a little bit broken as Fia is, it makes it that much more relatable. Fia is kind of my new hero after reading MIND GAMES. She is conflicted, but knows what’s most important to her. She is broken, but strong. She is scared, but fearless. She is hopeless, yet determined. She is the strength of this novel. Between Fia, the world that Kiersten White created, the mysterious thriller aspects, the relationships, and the back and forth timeline of the story, I never knew where it was going to end up. MIND GAMES was an excitingly thrilling novel and I enjoyed every page of it. I can’t wait for the next one to find out what happens next!

Title: TOUCHING THE SURFACE
Author: Kimberly Sabatini
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: October 30, 2012
Number of Pages: 352
Source of Book: Bought the hardcover

I’m a little torn with TOUCHING THE SURFACE. I read it because Kimberly Sabatini’s agent is Michelle Wolfson, and I love other books by her authors: Kiersten White, Daisy Whitney, Kasie West, and so Michelle recommended this debut. I loved parts of this story, but other parts drove me kind of nuts because they seemed to be tropes I’m sick of with love triangles, but it ended up being so much more than that in the end. It’s a fantasy afterlife story, told like a contemporary. Basically, I wasn’t so sure at the start, but I pushed myself to keep reading, and then once it got to a certain point with a specific event that changed my (and the main character’s) view of things, I bought into the story much more and it became very hard for me to put down at the end because I needed to know how things would end up.

Kimberly Sabatini has created a unique premise of the afterlife with reincarnation and a soul being more than just one body and one life. It deals with themes of grief and guilt and forgiveness and love in ways that connect the reader to the characters and events that are happening. The realizations the characters came to in the end, and the views they had about the afterlife and its purpose, were thoughtful and thought-provoking.

One of the best parts of this book is the way in which it was written and the plot was paced to keep the reader in suspense along with the characters, but wanting to know what’s going to happen. This story is told as if in the present in the afterlife, but as it is the third time these characters are there, they don’t seem to remember what happened in their most recent life. They have to Delve to access the memories so they can remember and learn and grow. The Delving is in italics and serves sort of like a flashback and adding more information to the story. The way in which the Delves and present events are intertwined to reveal bits of information at a time and connect the characters more was done very well. The writing is also done in such a way as to make the setting always feel very real for the reader.

Throughout TOUCHING THE SURFACE, there is a lot we don’t know as the character doesn’t know it either. The reader goes along for the journey of discovery which gets very interesting. At the start, I felt it was a little bit confusing trying to keep track of how this world worked and who everyone was, but it got easier to follow. I didn’t completely connect with the main character, Elliott, from the start, but she grew on me. I just really didn’t like the instalove that seemed to happen early on in the book and the good guy vs bad guy love interest thing going on, but the way that all gets resolved and comes together in the end made it where I didn’t want to put the book down lest I miss something important to figuring it all out.

I did like where the story ended up; although, there is a wide open ending for sure, and the journey of discovery of self that was required to get there made it all the more interesting. At its heart, this is kind of a love story…all kinds of love. And kind of a story about expectations and doing what’s necessary for your own self to find your way and save your soul, both in life and in the afterlife.

Remember three months ago when I posted that early recommendation for KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES by Shannon Messenger? No, you missed that one? Well, that’s OK, since it releases today, I thought I’d remind you, so you can see why I think it’s so great and you should go buy it today!

Title: KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES
Author: Shannon Messenger
Publisher: Aladdin (a Simon & Schuster imprint)
Release Date: October 2, 2012
Number of Pages: 488
Source of Book: ARC from publisher at ALA

In this riveting debut,
a telepathic girl must figure out why she is the key to her brand-new
world–before the wrong person finds the answer first.

Twelve-year-old
Sophie has never quite fit into her life. She’s skipped multiple grades
and doesn’t really connect with the older kids at school, but she’s not
comfortable with her family, either. And Sophie has a secret–she’s a
Telepath, someone who can read minds. But the day Sophie meets Fitz, a
mysterious (and adorable) boy, she learns she’s not alone. He’s a
Telepath too, and it turns out the reason she has never felt at home is
that, well…she isn’t. Fitz opens Sophie’s eyes to a shocking truth,
and almost instantly she is forced to leave behind her family for a new
life in a place that is vastly different from what she has ever known.

But
Sophie still has secrets, and they’re buried deep in her memory for
good reason: The answers are dangerous and in high-demand. What is her
true identity, and why was she hidden among humans? The truth could mean
life or death–and time is running out.

Today you’ll be able to get this book, and you should
(especially if you live or work with middle schoolers in any capacity)!
KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES blew me away. I knew I really liked Shannon
Messenger from following her on twitter and on her blog, and then when I
heard she had a middle grades and a young adult book coming out as her
debut, I was really looking forward to reading them-especially when I
read the summary of each. As a middle school teacher, I was hoping I
would like KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES, and I am happy to say that I loved
it! I would definitely recommend this middle grades magical fantasy to
fans of HARRY POTTER and THE UNWANTEDS. It is a long book, but as it is
written so well for the middle grades level, it isn’t overwhelming.
There is something just so engaging and fun and entertaining in Shannon
Messenger’s third person, descriptive, writing style, and I devoured
this book in two days and didn’t want to stop reading until I knew what
would happen to these characters and world I wanted to be a part of.

Let’s
talk about Setting: Shannon Messenger has created an astoundingly
creative fantasy world within KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES. I wasn’t sure
exactly what to expect from the summary alone, and I never expected the
“place that is vastly different form what she has ever known” to be so
well-developed and thought out. As I was reading an advance reader copy,
it was missing the map artwork, so I look forward to getting a finished
copy to enhance the reading experience even more. The world of the
elves (and not what you ever pictured elves to be) is filled with
fantastical creatures (especially love Iggy!), magically evolved
elements, and cities built with beyond-this-world materials. This
parallel world is such a discovery, not only for Sophie, but for the
reader as well. The way it is described made me want to go live there as
well. Beyond the Lost Cities within the elven world themselves, there
is also Foxfire, which is the school for the nobility that Sophie ends
up in. It is a school where she will be trained in her special ability
and where she discovers people, places, things, strength, and
friendships beyond what she ever would have imagined, and what I would
have imagined as well.

We have to talk about
Characters: KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES is full of interesting,
multidimensional characters. The only thing that threw me a little bit
as I read this book was the
number of characters because their names are not ones we’re used to
hearing, so it did take awhile to keep track of who was who in the
beginning. Not only do we get Sophie who has to make some tough
decisions and look for people to support her, but we also get Fitz and
his family, along with a multitude of other characters throughout the
elf world. We see some of the most interesting jobs as Sophie meets
these characters which adds to our understanding of how this world
works. As she goes to school, we also meet Dex and Keefe among other
classmates, and these two become some of the most entertaining
characters to interact with Sophie. I kind of adore Keefe myself. He is
the snarky guy who brings the humor that Sophie so desperately needs as
she adjusts to her new life, and deep down, he is a really good, caring
boy. We get some hints as to deeper things going on with Keefe, and I
hope we get more of him in the next book. I also really adore Sophie.
She has core values that I admire and fights for what she believes and
knows is the right thing, even if it means she might get into trouble. I
rooted for her as she is a young girl with so much strength and
determination to do the right thing and help those she cares about. She
is a strong character for the audience of this book.

Talking
about Family is important: Sophie has to leave her family to join this
hidden world where she actually belongs, and that means she is in a new
place, realizing everything she thought she knew is not the way the
world actually works, and has no family to rely on and call her own.
When she gets placed with guardians to take responsibility for her, she
has a whole new set of relationship dynamics to work on. In the end, the
storyline with Sophie searching for family and her understanding of
loss, adds such depth to the character and the overall book, and adds a
dimension that I think many kids will relate to. I know these elements
of searching for family to love her and support her and call her own
brought some of the most poignant moments of the story for me. Because
what child doesn’t want a family to feel safe with and loved by? There
was much more of an emotional element to this book than I expected going
into it, and that’s a great thing.

Now let’s talk
about Plot: While all of the subplots going on in this book add depth
and interest to the story, the overall conflict at hand is a mystery as
to why Sophie was living in the human world. Unfortunately, as Sophie is
so young, the adults looking into things don’t want to include her in
the search, but as the clues build up, Sophie has to take it upon
herself to try to find out what’s happening and why and who is behind
it. Messenger has written a novel with a tightly woven plot strongly
balancing small elements, character development, descriptive details,
world-building information, and enough action to keep things moving at
an engaging pace.

I want to talk Sequel: I know a
sequel is coming, and I can’t wait to read it! Although I knew there
would be a book following this one, I still feel that this book wrapped
up its storyline in a satisfying way. There are no major cliffhangers
here, but it still sets up where the second book will go for the next
school year. I appreciate this so much because I don’t feel like I’ve
been left hanging, but I’m left with enough of a love for this
book/world/characters that I definitely want to get my hands on the next
book asap, and I hope you’ll feel that way about this one, too!

I
think this book will be a big middle grades hit for those who like
fantasy and mystery books. From the Preface at the very start, I was
hooked on the story as I was instantly pulled into what would have
happened to get Sophie to this point. As the story wound it’s way toward
that time near the end, it became even more engaging. I think if you
are a teacher or librarian or parent of middle school age kids, you and
they will feel the same. I absolutely recommend you get KEEPER OF THE
LOST CITIES in October.

Title: THE UNWANTEDS: ISLAND OF SILENCE (2nd book in the series)
Author: Lisa McMann
Publisher: Aladdin (a Simon & Schuster imprint)
Release Date: September 4, 2012
Number of Pages: 416
Source of Book: ARC from publisher at ALA

The battle is over. The
magical barrier between the dreary land of Quill and the fantastical
world of Artimé is gone. Now residents of both places are free to
mingle, but tensions are high. The artistic warriors of Artimé struggle
to forgive those in Quill who condemned them to death, while the
Quillens attempt to recover from the shock of Artime’s existence, the
loss of their leader, and the total collapse of their safe, orderly
world.

14-year-old Alex Stowe has recovered from his physical
wounds since his death-defying role in Artime’s victory, but his
confidence is shattered. He battles self-doubt after Artimé’s beloved
mage, Mr. Today, makes a stunning request, which is further complicated
by the mysterious arrival of two silent, orange-eyed teenagers.

Meanwhile
in Quill, Aaron is devastated by his fall from grace and seething with
anger toward his twin brother Alex. Spurred by rage, Aaron recruits a
team of Restorers and devises a masterful plan of revenge that will
return him to power…if no one gets in his way.

Bestselling author
Lisa McMann delivers another trademark page-turner in this second book
of The Unwanteds series, as Alex and Aaron’s parallel stories ultimately
come together for a shocking climax that will leave readers desperate
for more.

I really loved THE UNWANTEDS when I read it last year – it’s a great mix of dystopian and fantasy in a spot-on voice that Lisa McMann wrote with for her first jump from young adult (which are also great) to middle grades books. It is also highly engaging and makes a great book talk opportunity to hook middle schoolers with the premise of kids being “sent off to their deaths” for being creative in any way. Knowing all of that, I was eagerly anticipating the release of ISLAND OF SILENCE to find out what would happen to Alex and his friends and the magical land of Artime now that Quill knew of their existence. I was not disappointed.

From the very start, I was drawn right back into this fantastically creative, yet at times frightening, world that Lisa McMann has created with this series. I didn’t have any of that feeling of trying to remember what happened in the last book that I read over a year ago. All of the favorite characters were back including the magical creatures that Mr. Today created. While the Artimeans are figuring out how to handle everyone knowing about them, we alternate chapters with Aaron back in Quill and his continuous struggle to gain power back and eliminate his twin brother and all of the magic. Aaron is systematic and smart and frightening in his single-minded focus on ridding Quill of Artime. Meanwhile we have many characters who we don’t know if we can trust because they’re acting suspiciously, and a few who seem to be “double agents” but we’re never really sure. As we get further into this story, there doesn’t seem to be such a clear-cut right or wrong way to act for many of these characters. In addition, we’re introduced to the islands outside of the one these characters all live on, now that they know there is more beyond where they exist, and find out there may be more evils out there than even exist in Quill.

Along with all of the external battle going on, Alex has his own internal battle to contend with. He just doesn’t see himself as the leader that he needs to be and others want him to be, and he has to figure things out. Because Alex’s own twin has turned out so evil, and his own parents don’t want anything to do with him, he does feel very alone. This is where the creatures of Artime come even more into play as Simber and Ms. Octavia and Ms. Morning and Florence and Clive and the others all become the support system that he needs. My absolute favorite scene of the entire book comes on pages 168-169. It exemplifies the battle that Alex is having with himself, and why he feels the way he does, and what Artime means to him. I adore that scene (and I love Simber!) so much it has stuck with me for days.

It seems such a universal feeling for kids (and some adults) to want to feel included and able and believed in and supported and to have someone who will always be there for you. This book has that universal theme of needing someone to believe in you throughout. As Mr. Today says, “There will always be times we struggle, make bad decisions, even fail. What’s important is not that we fail, but that we learn and grow. And that we know that there is always someone out there who believes in us” (p. 250). That’s the type of book quote I want to always remember and post on my classroom wall. This kind of message, along with all of the excitement of the story, but with this at its heart, is part of the reason that I love this series.

Overall this book was a strong second book in a uniquely creative series with action, emotion, plot, excitement, characters, and heart that draw the reader in. The ending definitely left me hanging though, and I am dying to read the next book to find out what happens with Alex and Artime next. I was left heartbroken by the events toward the end of ISLAND OF SILENCE, but hopeful at the same time. That’s a pretty good place to be left in an engaging book series.

I don’t know for sure how many books will end up being in this series, but I do know absolutely for sure that I will be reading them all and sharing them with my students as well. This is a series that should be in every middle school classroom and book-talked for students to snatch it up. Just this week one of my students picked up the first book because he loved THE HUNGER GAMES and HARRY POTTER and since THE UNWANTEDS is touted as a combination of the two, he wanted to read it for sure. The next day he walked up to me hold the book in his hand and said, “This is the best book I’ve ever read in my whole life.” No higher praise than that!

Title: RIFT (NIGHTSHADE prequel series)
Author: Andrea Cremer
Publisher: Philomel (a Penguin imprint)
Release Date: August 7, 2012
Number of Pages: 448
Source of Book: ARC from publisher at IRA

Chronicling the rise of
the Keepers, this is the stunning prequel to Andrea Cremer’s
internationally bestselling Nightshade trilogy!

Sixteen-year-old
Ember Morrow is promised to a group called Conatus after one of their
healers saves her mother’s life. Once she arrives, Ember finds joy in
wielding swords, learning magic, and fighting the encroaching darkness
loose in the world. She also finds herself falling in love with her
mentor, the dashing, brooding, and powerful Barrow Hess. When the
knights realize Eira, one of their leaders, is dabbling in dark magic,
Ember and Barrow must choose whether to follow Eira into the nether
realm or to pledge their lives to destroying her and her kind.

With action, adventure, magic, and tantalizing sensuality, this book is as fast-paced and breathtaking as the Nightshade novels.

It’s no big secret that I love Andrea Cremer’s books – her debut, NIGHTSHADE, was my book obsession of 2010, and I enjoyed the whole series so I was very much looking forward to reading RIFT when I heard about it and knew it was a prequel series. The nice thing about RIFT, as a prequel, is that you can read it without having read the NIGHTSHADE series books, but if you have read them, you’ll see some of the connections being made hundreds of years in the past. I have to say that I think this was my favorite of Andrea Cremer’s books and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

I’m a sucker for strong female main characters, and Ember is a kick-butt heroine who is strong and determined (another trademark of Cremer’s books). She’s not willing to just go along with the status quo, she wants a better (and more interesting) life for herself. She does have vulnerability, too, in fact, the relationship she builds with her horse is really special. I’m not normally a horse person, but the way in which their horses were their own characters in this story, and so important to the people, added a dimension of relationships to this story that was unexpected. As per usual in Andrea Cremer’s books, there is a cast of intriguing, entertaining, maddening, and interesting supporting characters as well.

There is also action in this book with the training scenes and the fighting, but I was almost wishing there were more training scenes. I wanted more fighting with the awesome weapons that come up in this story and the way in which Ember was trained by Barrow was a great way to build tension and develop their relationship. Speaking of their relationship, one thing I was wondering was how old Barrow actually is. Ember is 16, and this takes place a long time ago, but I was picturing Barrow as quite a bit older, so I was having a bit of trouble believing the relationship. Early on in the my reading the book, I asked on twitter because it was throwing me off, and Andrea responded that Barrow is 23. That helped me in reading RIFT because he seemed a lot older to me at first (to which Andrea Cremer reminded me on twitter that he was “raised in a militant order so he has more gravitas than a typical lad”). I have to say, he may be one of the most considerate romantic leads I’ve read recently. He’s a good guy in a time when we need more good guys in YA books!

One of the things I really like about Andrea Cremer’s writing is that I am instantly sucked into these worlds she creates, and I don’t want to leave them. I experienced it with NIGHTSHADE, WOLFSBANE, and BLOODROSE, and I experienced it again with RIFT. She definitely knows how to write some great scenes with romances developing, while still staying appropriate for younger teens, too. Cremer also builds a world well-steeped in history, and it comes across as well-researched and accurate (which I know was kind of her day job that she has a PhD in, so that makes sense), but still interesting and drawing me further into the story. I did notice (which I remembered from the last series) that there are quite a few scenes of conversations that serve as exposition and I have to remember to pay careful attention to them so I know what’s going on with the backstory/history of the world, but as long as I remember that, I can stay in tune with the story. One concern I did have was that I thought one of the major plot points
was a little predictable, or maybe obviously foreshadowed, but then when
I read the synopsis, I realized it mentions it, so it’s not meant to be
that much of a surprise.

RIFT is just as good as NIGHTSHADE (if not better), but a totally different kind of story. The historical world of this fiction is well-drawn. I really, really liked some of these characters and the relationship journey that Ember takes in this book. I also liked the completeness of this as a book on its own, but also how it clearly sets up for what comes next, but it didn’t feel like a cliffhanger ending that would make me crazy – it has its own ending that feels complete. But, I still can’t wait to read the next book in this series, RISE, releasing in January!

Title: THRONE OF GLASS
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: August 7, 2012
Number of Pages: 416
Source of Book: ARC from publisher at IRA

After serving out a
year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes,
18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown
Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must
act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her
opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the
empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats
her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for
three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her
training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging
and exhilarating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a
little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in
her… but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her
best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead… quickly
followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she
becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads
her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

THRONE OF GLASS was a thrilling, exciting epic fantasy book with magic, action, intrigue, secrets, lies, manipulations, romance, friendships, assassins and some unexpected elements. Sarah J. Maas has written an enthralling book, which, while dense, was a page-turner. I was happily surprised by some of the twists and turns that I didn’t see coming, which made it even more interesting as I discovered truths along with the characters. It’s an interesting mix of magic within a medieval fantasy type of story. The magic is alluded to at the beginning, but doesn’t come in again until a bit later. There is a fully realized fantasy world within these pages-both with the elements of the king and his endeavors to take over the kingdom and the magical elements of the Wyrd and forests beyond. *Note: As this was an ARC, there was no artwork, but I imagine the final book may have a map of some sort that would enhance understanding of this world.

From the very start, 18 year-old Celaena is endearing and inspiring as a strong, determined, kick-butt heroine even after being locked up for slave labor for the past year. She’s so smart…and lethal within seconds. Her ability to be the renowned assassin she is at such a young age, along with her determined nature drew me into this story even more. Yet, her vulnerability and desire for acceptance in the midst of her strength and intelligence is perhaps what drew me to her the most. She is constantly thinking and analyzing escape routes, but is a teen girl who just wants to have a friend at the same time. There seems to be a little something extra to Celaena that we have yet to discover. Interestingly, the book is written in third person; although, it mostly felt as if we got to know what Celaena was thinking more than any other character, so it did at times seem as if she was narrating. As we see her struggles to regain strength and figure out how to earn her way to freedom, we also see her ability to fight any man (or beast) and win along with her cunning mind that led to her becoming the kingdom’s most feared assassin by the age of 17. Beyond just her journey, we’re also given insight into the struggles that Prince Dorian is having with his father’s style of being king, and Chaol’s struggles to remain impassive as the Captain of the Guard against his blooming trust of Celaena as he gets to know her more. These two, along with other secondary characters, add an element of humanity to this story beyond just the magic and champion’s competition. And, yes, it’s another YA book with a love triangle-ish storyline, but for some reason, it didn’t bother me in this book. Although, I was definitely pulling for one of the guys to edge the other one out in the end.

Even with the element of romance and a female main character, I think there’s enough action, fighting, political intrigue, and gruesomeness to hand this one off to guys as well (don’t let the cover deceive you). I can see the Game of Thrones for the YA set comparisons – especially with the strength of the elements of the political maneuvering with the king along with the hidden magical elements. It was a thoroughly enjoyable book, but it wasn’t necessarily a quick-read. I did feel that it was a little densely written (just requiring more attention and thinking-not a bad thing) and the unfamiliar names caused me a little trouble in the beginning until I could get comfortable with a pronunciation in my own head. *And, of course, as I was writing this post, I found this pronunciation guide on the author’s website. Overall, a definite should read for me to recommend to others and I can’t wait to see what’s coming next for these characters and this world!

While you’re waiting for THRONE OF GLASS to release on August 7th, you can read the four novellas that tell the backstory of Celaena Sardotheien: The Assassin and the Pirate Lord, The Assassin and the Desert, The Assassin and the Underworld, The Assassin and the Empire. I enjoyed reading them even after I read the whole book. They give a greater depth and insight into Celaena’s character and what has made her who she is.

Title: KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES
Author: Shannon Messenger
Publisher: Aladdin (a Simon & Schuster imprint)
Release Date: October 2, 2012
Number of Pages: 488
Source of Book: ARC from publisher at ALA

In this riveting debut,
a telepathic girl must figure out why she is the key to her brand-new
world–before the wrong person finds the answer first.

Twelve-year-old
Sophie has never quite fit into her life. She’s skipped multiple grades
and doesn’t really connect with the older kids at school, but she’s not
comfortable with her family, either. And Sophie has a secret–she’s a
Telepath, someone who can read minds. But the day Sophie meets Fitz, a
mysterious (and adorable) boy, she learns she’s not alone. He’s a
Telepath too, and it turns out the reason she has never felt at home is
that, well…she isn’t. Fitz opens Sophie’s eyes to a shocking truth,
and almost instantly she is forced to leave behind her family for a new
life in a place that is vastly different from what she has ever known.

But
Sophie still has secrets, and they’re buried deep in her memory for
good reason: The answers are dangerous and in high-demand. What is her
true identity, and why was she hidden among humans? The truth could mean
life or death–and time is running out.

*I was going to hold off on this review until a little bit closer to the release, but I’m so excited to share my love of it that I just couldn’t wait! And, since it’s my first Marvelous Middle Grade Monday post, it’s only appropriate that it’s Shannon Messenger’s book. It could have all just been gush, gush, gushing recommendation, but I tried to format it in a little bit more productive way.

A few months from now you’ll be able to get this book, and you should (especially if you live or work with middle schoolers in any capacity)! KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES blew me away. I knew I really liked Shannon Messenger from following her on twitter and on her blog, and then when I heard she had a middle grades and a young adult book coming out as her debut, I was really looking forward to reading them-especially when I read the summary of each. As a middle school teacher, I was hoping I would like KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES, and I am happy to say that I loved it! I would definitely recommend this middle grades magical fantasy to fans of HARRY POTTER and THE UNWANTEDS. It is a long book, but as it is written so well for the middle grades level, it isn’t overwhelming. There is something just so engaging and fun and entertaining in Shannon Messenger’s third person, descriptive, writing style, and I devoured this book in two days and didn’t want to stop reading until I knew what would happen to these characters and world I wanted to be a part of.

Let’s talk about Setting: Shannon Messenger has created an astoundingly creative fantasy world within KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES. I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect from the summary alone, and I never expected the “place that is vastly different form what she has ever known” to be so well-developed and thought out. As I was reading an advance reader copy, it was missing the map artwork, so I look forward to getting a finished copy to enhance the reading experience even more. The world of the elves (and not what you ever pictured elves to be) is filled with fantastical creatures (especially love Iggy!), magically evolved elements, and cities built with beyond-this-world materials. This parallel world is such a discovery, not only for Sophie, but for the reader as well. The way it is described made me want to go live there as well. Beyond the Lost Cities within the elven world themselves, there is also Foxfire, which is the school for the nobility that Sophie ends up in. It is a school where she will be trained in her special ability and where she discovers people, places, things, strength, and friendships beyond what she ever would have imagined, and what I would have imagined as well.

We have to talk about Characters: KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES is full of interesting, multidimensional characters. The only thing that threw me a little bit as I read this book was the
number of characters because their names are not ones we’re used to
hearing, so it did take awhile to keep track of who was who in the
beginning. Not only do we get Sophie who has to make some tough decisions and look for people to support her, but we also get Fitz and his family, along with a multitude of other characters throughout the elf world. We see some of the most interesting jobs as Sophie meets these characters which adds to our understanding of how this world works. As she goes to school, we also meet Dex and Keefe among other classmates, and these two become some of the most entertaining characters to interact with Sophie. I kind of adore Keefe myself. He is the snarky guy who brings the humor that Sophie so desperately needs as she adjusts to her new life, and deep down, he is a really good, caring boy. We get some hints as to deeper things going on with Keefe, and I hope we get more of him in the next book. I also really adore Sophie. She has core values that I admire and fights for what she believes and knows is the right thing, even if it means she might get into trouble. I rooted for her as she is a young girl with so much strength and determination to do the right thing and help those she cares about. She is a strong character for the audience of this book.

Talking about Family is important: Sophie has to leave her family to join this hidden world where she actually belongs, and that means she is in a new place, realizing everything she thought she knew is not the way the world actually works, and has no family to rely on and call her own. When she gets placed with guardians to take responsibility for her, she has a whole new set of relationship dynamics to work on. In the end, the storyline with Sophie searching for family and her understanding of loss, adds such depth to the character and the overall book, and adds a dimension that I think many kids will relate to. I know these elements of searching for family to love her and support her and call her own brought some of the most poignant moments of the story for me. Because what child doesn’t want a family to feel safe with and loved by? There was much more of an emotional element to this book than I expected going into it, and that’s a great thing.

Now let’s talk about Plot: While all of the subplots going on in this book add depth and interest to the story, the overall conflict at hand is a mystery as to why Sophie was living in the human world. Unfortunately, as Sophie is so young, the adults looking into things don’t want to include her in the search, but as the clues build up, Sophie has to take it upon herself to try to find out what’s happening and why and who is behind it. Messenger has written a novel with a tightly woven plot strongly balancing small elements, character development, descriptive details, world-building information, and enough action to keep things moving at an engaging pace.

I want to talk Sequel: I know a sequel is coming, and I can’t wait to read it! Although I knew there would be a book following this one, I still feel that this book wrapped up its storyline in a satisfying way. There are no major cliffhangers here, but it still sets up where the second book will go for the next school year. I appreciate this so much because I don’t feel like I’ve been left hanging, but I’m left with enough of a love for this book/world/characters that I definitely want to get my hands on the next book asap, and I hope you’ll feel that way about this one, too!

I think this book will be a big middle grades hit for those who like fantasy and mystery books. From the Preface at the very start, I was hooked on the story as I was instantly pulled into what would have happened to get Sophie to this point. As the story wound it’s way toward that time near the end, it became even more engaging. I think if you are a teacher or librarian or parent of middle school age kids, you and they will feel the same. I absolutely recommend you get KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES in October.

Title: THE RAVEN BOYS
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Number of Pages: 416
Source of Book: ARC from ALA

“There are only two
reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said.
“Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every
year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the
soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this
year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His
name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at
Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away
from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But
Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it
all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much
more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven
Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege
around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and
Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but
says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been
warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this
would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the
strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races,
comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and
the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.

I’m a huge Maggie Stiefvater fan. I’ve read all of her books and was eagerly anticipating THE RAVEN BOYS from the minute I heard about it. This was the first book I went to find at ALA and it was the first one I read on the plane when I flew home from the conference. I was not disappointed. I can say, without hesitation, that this is my favorite Maggie Stiefvater novel so far. She has once again outdone herself with an utterly original world, characters, and storyline that left me clamoring for more.

I’ve always appreciated Maggie Stiefvater’s lyrical writing style, and it continues in this book; however, it almost seemed a little more accessible in this book, but with the typical Maggie flourishes and beautiful descriptions. I get lost in the world of her writing. Maggie has again created a setting that comes alive in the magical town of Henrietta, Virginia. There are places in this town that have more to them than what appears at first glance, and exploring them is part of the fun of this story. Discovering the supernaturally magical elements of this story is even more fun. I appreciated how seamlessly these magical elements were woven into the thread of this narrative and town and characters, and that made them seem so normal and realistic that I never questioned any of the things that were happening to or around them. Everything is explained just as much as I need it to be for me to understand and go along with it as it was happening. Ultimately, there is a type of quest to this story that I believe is going to carry through the whole series. Although this book is clearly setting up the series in a strong way, it still felt like a complete story on its own and I never felt like it was just exposition for the whole series. I was left with questions, but even more so, I was left with wanting to spend more time with this characters and find out what will happen with them next.

Once again Maggie Stiefvater has written characters that I love spending time with and discovering more about. Blue is a strong female character who is confident in herself and doesn’t let what anyone thinks bother her. She is her own person and owns it. She also has some issues within her family she has to come to terms with as she learns more throughout this story. The Raven Boys from Aglionby Academy; Gansey, Ronan, Adam, and Noah, are each endearing in their own way, and they’re all a little bit broken. I truly felt for the boys in this story. Their bond and way of looking out for and supporting each other was admirable, yet they didn’t always do what I hoped they would, but they did what seemed so right for their characters. Oh, how I adored these boys. I just really wanted to swoop in and fix everything for them. There is so much more depth to them than there at first seems, and it is revealed so slowly and masterfully as to make me feel for them even more. There is a bit of a romantic element to this story what with Blue not being able to kiss her true love or he will die, and some interest with a couple of the boys, but I think part of what I loved about this book is that it was about so much more than that. Because of everything else going on with the magical elements, and the boys’ backstories, and the mystery elements, it became about so much more. And all that more was really great.

THE RAVEN BOYS is a unique book, and it’s one that I dearly hope other readers will fall in love with as much as I did. There was just something about this one that struck a chord with me, and I hope it will for many more readers as well. I’ll leave you with one important warning if you are a person who typically peeks at the end of a book before you start-don’t do it in this one! The last line is brutal-both revealing a major secret/revelation, but also making me just want to keep reading-unfortunately, there’s not another book yet (although there will be four in the series). I will be eagerly anticipating book two in The Raven Cycle, as I hope you will too after reading THE RAVEN BOYS when it comes out in September.

Title: NEW GIRL
Author: Paige Harbison
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: January 31, 2012
Number of Pages: 304
Source of Book: NetGalley ARC

They call me ‘New Girl’…

Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy,
that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her.

Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose
picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going
missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And
everyone stares at me like it’s my fault.

Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At
least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend but she’s
gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes,
when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better
than mine could ever be.

And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back

OK, this is one of those books that I kept reading hoping I would like it more, but unfortunately, it never quite hit the mark for me. Now, part of that is because of the context from which I come to reading books. As a teacher, a part of my brain as I’m reading is always engaged in thinking about if I would put a book in my classroom, and to which students in particular I want to “hand sell” it. From my point of view, NEW GIRL is not appropriate for middle school students. There are quite a few mature scenes with parties and relationships. There are no consequences for the sex in the book, and it’s not really thought out ahead of time, which, for me, makes it something I can’t recommend to young teens. So because of those content concerns, it made it hard for me to enjoy the book because it didn’t feel totally realistic to me.

Then there were the intense characters. I kept reading to find out what would happen, but I didn’t really like the characters – that made it difficult to like the book overall. I didn’t connect with either of the girls (in fact one is pretty difficult to like at all); however, I actually liked the guys quite a bit. I wish there had been more of them – I think I would have liked the story better if it was actually their story.

The story is told from the points-of-view of the two girls: the new girl and the one she’s replacing. To distinguish between the two characters, the new girl’s chapters are told in first person and Becca’s chapters are in third person. It made it clear, but honestly, for me, it was a little jarring each time I have to mentally switch between POVs. In addition, the way in which the story jumped around was a little difficult for me to follow. Time would pass, and I wasn’t always able to understand it right away.

Overall, it’s an interesting mystery and the way the two stories were intertwined was intriguing. This story really shows how one manipulative person can really impact a community. The ending has an in your face wrap up and explanation of the lesson that isn’t my preference for writing style. I appreciate more when the lessons are more subtly included. Ultimately, I did finish the book, and I read it in only two days, which shows how much the plot grabs the reader and makes you want to keep reading to find out what the true story is behind it all.

Title: INCARNATE
Author:  Jodi Meadows
Publisher: Katharine Tegen Books (a HarperCollins imprint)
Release Date:  January 31, 2012
Number of Pages:  384
Source of Book:  Won ARC contest from the wonderful Beth @ A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust

NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.


NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?


HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?


Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

This
book is a little bit of a struggle for me to write about because I
liked it, but I never fully connected with it as much as I wanted to, but I can’t pinpoint
exactly why. There is a dystopic feel to this fantasy book, and
it has a really intriguing premise, but there was just something about
it that was a little bit off to me. It has elements of mystery,
suspense, beliefs, finding strength, bravery, romance, religion,
political intrigue, soulmates, and battles with fantasy creatures. The
unique premise dealing with reincarnation and souls being reborn was
engaging, but I’m not sure the world was fully realized for me. The plot
pacing kept me turning pages and I wanted to keep reading to find out
what would happen next, but some of the big reveals and surprises still
left me a little bit confused. Maybe that was a piece of it-I still
wasn’t sure what exactly was going on by the end. Because I was left confused, and some of it seemed weirdly out of place, it was a difficult read for me; although, I loved the premise and the whole idea of what was going on with the reincarnated souls. 

I liked the characters
for the most part: Ana as a “newsoul” discovering things about the
world while surrounded by others who had been there before, and Sam being thousands of years old and discovering a new person
for the first time. I liked their interactions and the development of
their relationship and the reveals of their feelings for each other.
But, it was always tempered with a niggling thought in the back of my mind that
it was a little bit uncomfortable because of the emphasis on him being
so old and her being so young. I guess that was what bothered me the
most about this book because I wanted to like them together, but I felt
like I also shouldn’t, so it made it difficult to fully get lost in the story. And I really wanted more from some of the secondary characters too because I liked the little bits I got to know about them. I’m
glad I read it and I want to know what happens next because I really
liked the way that Ana and Sam supported each other and the strength of
their relationship by the end, but it’s the other elements of the story
that make me question if I’ll read the next book or not. I’ve seen other reviewers who have really liked it, so maybe I just didn’t “get” this particular book, or read it at the wrong time (too many dystopians in a row can do that to a reader!) Overall, I’d say check this one out from the library.

Title: THE SCORPIO RACES
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: October 18, 2011
Number of Pages: 404
Source of Book: ARC won from the fabulous Lori at Pure Imagination
Author’s Website: m-stiefvater.livejournal.com

It happens at the start
of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of
their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some
riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a
young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried
deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio
Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the
competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared
for what is going to happen.

I have to be honest – I’m a little bit torn about this book. I LOVE Maggie Stiefvater’s writing and all of her other books, but THE SCORPIO RACES was a little harder for me to get sucked in to. I had so many teacher friends whose opinions I really trust tell me this was a fantastic book, but I couldn’t quite get into the can’t-put-this-book-down type of feeling…..until I got about halfway through the book (and it’s a pretty long 404 pages), and then I got so hooked into it and didn’t want to stop reading until I got to the exciting conclusion of this standalone story. But it did take me a couple of starts & stops to get there. So, if you feel the same way at the start, give it time and a chance. Maggie continues her beautifully lyrical writing in this book, but it seems to be in an even more sophisticated mood-provoking and descriptive way. This is a quiet book, but Maggie’s research into the various water horses mythology stories and English cliff settings is apparent throughout in the emotion and feeling her words evoke.

The way the setting is used to create the mood in this book is done with such a deft and subtle hand that it instantly draws the reader into the story from the start. The setting is a character of it’s own right in this book, as it needs to be. And the water horses are one of the most interesting mythological/fantasy/paranormal elements I’ve read about in awhile. It’s a heart-wrenching story of friendship and family and what love means and what really, truly matters for people. It’s about courage and dedication and loyalty and figuring out who people are and where they’re meant to be that really matters. It’s about having the courage and strength to go after those things that one wants and the bravery and dedication to see it through to the end no matter how difficult. It’s about finding your place in the world and doing everything to keep it yours.

It’s a book with a sweet romance and dedicated families and intriguing mythology and people discovering who they want to be and what makes them who they are – and then living that life. The romance is quiet and subtle and innocent and meaningful and heart-warming. The loyalty of not only people, but horses also, pulls the tears out at the end, but in such a way that it’s sad and hopeful at the same time because everyone wants someone who understands them completely and would be dedicated to staying with them no matter what. THE SCORPIO RACES is different from everything else I’ve read out there in the mood that is created by the setting and writing, and it’s an achingly beautiful read (even if it takes a little while to get into it).

Title: THE UNWANTEDS
Author: Lisa McMann
Publisher: Aladdin
Release Date: August 30, 2011
Number of Pages: 390
Source of Book: ARC sent to me from fabulous high school teacher/blogger Danielle at Mercurial Musings
Author’s Website: lisamcmann.com

Goodreads Summary:
     Every year in Quill,
thirteen-year-olds are sorted into categories: the strong, intelligent
Wanteds go to university, and the artistic Unwanteds are sent to their
deaths.
     Thirteen-year-old Alex tries his hardest to be stoic when
his fate is announced as Unwanted, even while leaving behind his twin,
Aaron, a Wanted. Upon arrival at the destination where he expected to be
eliminated, however, Alex discovers a stunning secret—behind the mirage
of the “death farm” there is instead a place called Artime.
     In
Artime, each child is taught to cultivate their creative abilities and
learn how to use them magically, weaving spells through paintbrushes and
musical instruments. Everything Alex has ever known changes before his
eyes, and it’s a wondrous transformation.
     But it’s a rare, unique
occurence for twins to be separated between Wanted and Unwanted, and as
Alex and Aaron’s bond stretches across their separation, a threat
arises for the survival of Artime that will pit brother against brother
in an ultimate, magical battle.

THE UNWANTEDS was an absolute joy to read. I think every middle school teacher should have this book in his or her classroom. In fact, just reading the first chapter to my own students had them clamoring to get their hands on a copy to find out what happens next. This middle grades dystopian-fantasy is about friendship and loyalty and family ties and creativity and trust and working togther and discovering what’s important in life and fighting for it. Lisa writes this book in a third person narrator style along the lines of classic fantasies like Narnia.

The creepy dystopian world that Lisa created in this book is frightening in the fact that any child who is creative in any form or way, is considered Unwanted and sent to their deaths. Unbeknownst to any of them, they actually enter the world of Artime, where creativity is supported and encouraged and thrives in this fantastical world that is hidden from the Wanteds and Necessaries in Quill. It takes the Unwanteds awhile to learn to trust that they are able to be creative and don’t have to hide it and can thrive there. It’s a wonderful message to send to children that they should embrace their creativity and there can be many different types of strengths in the world. There are pieces of this world (the chalkboards!) that are so creative and entertaining that they made me wish I could visit Artime. The fantasy elements of this story are wonderfully balanced with the political intrigue elements of the dystopian world that keeps the two sides at odds with each other and suspensefully moves the plot forward.

This all leads to a battle at the end, which is entertaining in the ways that the fighting occurs on the side of the Unwanteds and the way they use their art, music, and acting skills against the Quillitary. There are many secrets and surprises that come out in the end, and everyone learns that there are those who can’t be trusted, but there is a positive resolution. The way to winning this battle is through teamwork and trust and working together creatively and helping each other. The book leaves an ending that shows there will be another. This feels to me like it can be another epic fantasy adventure over several books and I look forward to seeing where Lisa takes these characters and this world next.

Title: OH. MY. GODS.
Author: Tera Lynn Childs
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Release Date: May 1, 2008
Number of Pages: 224
Source of Book: Bought it awhile ago
Author’s Website: teralynnchilds.com

Goodreads Summary:

Title: BREADCRUMBS
Author: Anne Ursu
Publisher: Walden Pond Press (A HarperCollins Children’s imprint)
Release Date: September 27, 2011
Number of Pages: 313
Source of Book: ARC requested from publisher

Goodreads Summary:
Once upon a time, Hazel
and Jack were best friends. They had been best friends since they were
six, spending hot Minneapolis summers and cold Minneapolis winters
together, dreaming of Hogwarts and Oz, superheroes and baseball. Now
that they were eleven, it was weird for a boy and a girl to be best
friends. But they couldn’t help it – Hazel and Jack fit, in that way you
only read about in books. And they didn’t fit anywhere else.

Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen,” Breadcrumbs is a story of the struggle to hold on, and the things we leave behind.

BREADCRUMBS is a beautifully told tale of friendship, faith, hope, and magic. It’s starts off in the real-world as we get to know more about Hazel’s friendship with her neighbor Jack. And then something happens, and Jack changes, and then disappears. The second part of the book takes place in the woods as Hazel steps into a fantasy world that she didn’t know was there. Overall the style was really unique in the way the narrator seemed to
speak directly to the reader with asides at times, so I felt more
involved and a part of the story. There are chapters interjected that
tell what’s happening in the fantasy world and the stories are
interwoven seamlessly.

Hazel believes in magic and fantasy. She also believes in her friendship with Jack because he’s pretty much her only friend in her new school, so when he changes toward her and that ends, she doesn’t know what to do. But when she finds out that Jack has disappeared into the woods, she knows she needs to save him. She has so much faith in her friendship with Jack that she is willing to do whatever she can to save her friend. The fantasy elements of classic tales that occur in each successive chapter in the woods are engaging and meaningful.

This story is about belonging and believing and doing what’s right even when no one believes in you.  It’s about trusting your instincts and staying true to who you are. It’s about starting a journey and learning from the outcomes. One of the most significant lines to me was a moment of understanding for Hazel, “This is what happens on journeys-the things you find aren’t necessarily the things you had gone looking for.” It’s all of those things wrapped up in beautiful prose and a masterful way of telling this fantasy story. This fantasy story is like a breath of fresh air wrapped in a warm blanket. This one comes out next week and will be a wonderful addition to a middle grades collection. It releases in one month, so get your pre-orders in now.

Title: WILDEFIRE
Author: Karsten Knight
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: July 26, 2011
Number of Pages: 400
Source of Book: Bought the hardcover on the release date
Author’s Website: www.karstenknight.com

Goodreads Summary:

Every flame begins with a spark. 

Ashline
Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her
place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated
on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into
her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the
unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in
California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her
fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is
beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the
tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash
discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled
at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has
resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her
own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master
the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one
more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to
be a storm.

I’m a little torn on this book, so this review will be a little different. I’m not sure if this was a situation of high expectations not being met, but I didn’t love it – I liked it though. This book definitely reads like a contemporary at the start, and then leads into some paranormal elements and adds in mythology from different cultures which makes it interesting and fresh. I felt like it read a little long because some parts seemed to have inconsequential details that didn’t need to be there in my mind, but in other parts I wanted more details. I definitely read it quickly because I kept turning pages wanting to know where it was going.

My Positives: 
– The beginning really hooked me. The scene develops in a way that I wasn’t expecting and I really wanted to keep reading.
– There is a unique mythology element taken from various cultures.
– Ashline is a sarcastic, whip-tongued main character who is doing all she can to protect herself.
– Good pacing of the reader getting information as needed to keep tension building.
– Each chapter was really long, but it represented one day in the week of these events occurring. Then there were a few interludes that captured my attention and led to a surprising reveal toward the end.
– The villain was created in such a way that I really did hate her, as I should have.
– I liked the group of friends (the other gods/goddesses) so much and how they all watched out for each other.
– I also liked the headmistress character and wanted to cheer for her a little bit.
– Unexpected ending, not exactly a cliffhanger, but more of a didn’t see that coming at all, now holy cow where are we going next.

My Negatives:
– I didn’t totally connect with Ashline as much as I wanted to.
– Parts were left unexplained and left open for the sequel, but where is it going?
– For some reason I was aware throughout the book that it was a guy author writing a teen girl character, so it didn’t feel totally authentic to me.
– Some parts I noticed the 3rd person point-of-view (which is a pet peeve of mine).
– There was an element of weird creepy-crawly creatures which always bugs me when it comes out of nowhere. I’m sure there’s more of a reason, but I didn’t totally get it.
– Some of the emotions seemed to develop too fast for me. I liked the romantic subplots, but I didn’t get the depth of the feelings developing.
– When I’m pulled out of the world of the story and notice the writing (instances of coarse language), that, to me, is not quite true to life. It’s there to be there, not because it feels totally natural I guess.

So, basically, I’ll read the next book in the series because I’m intrigued by the overall premise and want the explanations for the shocker ending and want to know what happens to Ashline next and hope I’ll connect with her more. But, I didn’t love the execution, so I’m hoping that will improve with the second book in the series, EMBERS & ECHOES coming in 2012, and the third book,  AFTERGLOW coming in 2013.

Title: DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE
Author: Laini Taylor
Publisher: Little, Brown
Release Date: September 27, 2011
Number of Pages: 420
Source of Book: ARC borrowed from Tara @ Fiction Folio
Author’s Website: www.lainitaylor.com

Goodreads Summary:

Around the world,
black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged
strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.

Meet
Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be
real; she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious “errands”; she speaks
many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually
grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that
haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When one of the
strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in
an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets
unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent
past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Laini Taylor’s writing is beautiful, but in that way that it doesn’t jump out at you and take you out of the story, it is just woven subtly in as part of the story and you don’t realize how beautiful it is until you get to a stopping point and heave a deep sigh of relaxation from having enjoyed the writing and been lost and wrapped up completely in the world she created. The artistry with which she weaves storylines together between the two different main characters and between the present with flashbacks of backstory is enticing. There is a twist in the plot about two-thirds of the way through that almost changes the books into a different story, but it’s of utmost importance to our understanding and works so well the way Laini has written it.

And the setting…the book mainly takes pace in Prague and in Laini’s deft hand, the mystery, history, and beauty of this city lives and breathes its own life into the novel. There are exotic settings around the world (and in fantasy realms) throughout, and each one is written to evoke its own individual mood for the reader and the characters situations.

Karou is a kick-butt girl, but is struggling with feeling lonely as she discovers that the world with the “monsters” she thought she understood is not what she was led to believe. As she interacts with Akiva, the angel she encounters on one of her errands, it becomes obvious that she has some kind of pull toward him, and he to her. Little does she know that even as he tries to destroy all she holds dear, he might actually hold the key to her figuring out who (or what) she really is – what she’s been seeking to find out for awhile. Toward the end as we discover, along with Karou, what has really happened, it is shocking in the best possible way for a novel.

This is definitely a fantasy book for fans of fantasy. It has a unique take on the angel mythology and the backstory and world Laini has created is entrancing. Pre-order it now so you can escape into Karou’s world in September! I know I’ll be anxiously waiting for the next book indicated by the “…to be continued” ending to delve back into the artistry and uniqueness of the story Laini Taylor has created.

Author: Janette Rallison
Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers
Release Date: Hardcover-January 6, 2009 Paperback-December 22, 2009
Number of Pages: 320
How I Got It: Bought the paperback because I got an ARC of the sequel at the ALAN Workshop
Author’s Website: www.janetterallison.com

Goodreads Summary:
After her boyfriend dumps her for her older sister, sophomore Savannah Delano wishes she could find a true prince to take her to the prom. Enter Chrissy (Chrysanthemum) Everstar: Savannah’s gum-chewing, cell phone–carrying, high heel-wearing Fair Godmother. Showing why she’s only Fair—because she’s not a very good fairy student—Chrissy mistakenly sends Savannah back in time to the Middle Ages, first as Cinderella, then as Snow White. Finally she sends Tristan, a boy in Savannah’s class, back instead to turn him into her prom-worthy prince. When Savannah returns to the Middle Ages to save Tristan, they must team up to defeat a troll, a dragon, and the mysterious and undeniably sexy Black Knight. Laughs abound in this clever fairy tale twist from a master of romantic comedy.
*************************
This book is just a fun read. Although Savannah at first seems to be the character that you love to hate, she actually ends up as a really sympathetic character who I was rooting for. I wanted her to get her happy, fairy tale ending, but I wouldn’t have thought I’d get there from how I felt about her at the start of the story. I guess that just shows how good of a job Rallison did in writing these characters. I love a well-written sassy, sarcastic character, and this book had that in both Savannah and Chrissy. Their misinterpretations of each other and comical misunderstandings kept me giggling to myself throughout the whole book. Chrissy is hysterical from her flamboyant style to her attitude toward her job.

It was so fun to see a twisted fairy tale told in this way. Chrissy really is only Fair as a Godmother because she can’t manage to do the job correctly. First Savannah goes back to the Cinderella story, which, in “real life’ is not like the fairy tale version. The prince is not so great. This is due to Chrissy not really listening completely – although she says it’s because Savannah is not being clear in her wishes. Then, she accidentally gets sent back to be Snow White. Finally, she has to go back herself to “rescue” the boy who could be her prince at home, but is sent back to become a real prince in fairy tale times.

This book is time travel; and wishes with fairy godmothers; and the world of fairy tales; and a girl coming into her own and finding herself and who she really wants to be. Savannah has a journey that is enjoyable to follow along with, and it gets so much better once she starts to take charge of her own destiny.

3 1/2 STARS for MY FAIR GODMOTHER

The sequel is MY UNFAIR GODMOTHER, releasing April 12, 2011. I’ll definitely pick it up (especially since I have an ARC) the next time I want a light-hearted, fun read.

Goodreads Summary:
A hidden truth.
Mortal enemies.
Doomed love. 

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form. 

Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will’s dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She’ll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.

Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.
*************************
I really like this book. It’s a fantasy with a contemporary setting and feel to it. Once I started it, I didn’t want to put it down. The pacing of the story made it a page-turner for me. Every chapter ending had me frantic to keep going in the story instead of putting my bookmark in the page. I wanted to know what was going to happen to Jacinda next. Sophie’s writing is beautifully descriptive and creates images that drew me further into the story and Jacinda’s life. From Jacinda’s first manifest (transformation), I was drawn in by her descriptions and enjoyment of her freedom.

But then things go all wrong and her mother has to keep her safe. Jacinda’s struggle with her relationship with her mother and twin sister is a key part of the story. And, of course, there’s a boy (it is a romance!). A boy who Jacinda can’t be completely honest with and who she shouldn’t even be around, but she’s drawn to him in a way that won’t let her walk away from him. Jacinda struggles with her obligations of duty to her family or her draki pride, and really just wants to be normal as herself as she wants to be. Because she’s unique, being the first fire-breather in generations, both her family and her pride have their own plans for her, but she wants to make her own decisions. Will just might be the one who allows her to do that. I enjoyed the wittiness of the main characters interactions (and wanted more of the new best friend!) and the realness of them.

The one thing that bothered me was that I did feel like the ending was a little rushed. Everything building up to it seemed to take its time, but then in the end, it all happened so fast. I may have felt that way though because I enjoyed the story so much that I wanted more of it. The backstory that Sophie Jordan created with the world of the draki (descendants from dragons who can shift into human form) and the hunters was very unique, and I anticipate we’ll get more about it in the next book, which I can’t wait to read (and the covers are intriguing and gorgeous!).

4 STARS for FIRELIGHT

I’m super-excited for the sequel, VANISH, releasing September 6, 2011, to find out where Jacinda’s story goes next.

Author: Jenna Black
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Release Date: May 25, 2010
Number of Pages: 294
Source of Book: Borrowed the paperback from a student who recommended it
Author’s Website: www.jennablack.com/books_ya.htm

Goodreads Summary:
Normal. It’s all she’s ever wanted to be, but it couldn’t be further from her grasp…

Soon, Dana finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone’s trying to kill her, and everyone seems to want something from her, from her newfound friends and family to Ethan, the hot Fae guy Dana figures she’ll never have a chance with… until she does.  Caught between two worlds, Dana isn’t sure where she’ll ever fit in and who can be trusted, not to mention if her world will ever be normal again…
*************************

This book was pretty good, but it took me awhile to really get into it. I just wasn’t that invested in the characters to start with, but by the end of the book, I did really want to know what was going to happen. It’s written well and in a style that kept me interested and turning the pages. Dana really just wants to be normal, but it seems that isn’t ever going to happen. I liked the world that Dana was learning about as she went to live with her dad and entered into the world of the Fae. By the time I got to the point where there are boys, bodyguards, friends, and relatives all fighting to control Dana because of her faeriewalker status leading to Dana needing to take matters into her own hands, I started to really get interested. I liked Dana’s take-charge and sarcastic personality. The characters around her were interesting, too, if a little bit surface-level.

Overall, there’s a definite feeling of this book being a setup for the rest of the series. So, although things were happening to Dana throughout that built suspense, the entirety of the book felt like it was setting up the world of Avalon and the human vs. faerie existence and the Seelie vs. Unseelie fae battles, to prepare for where the story is going next. By the last page, I was very interested to see where the story will go and was more of a fan of Dana and the other characters around her, and I’m expecting to get deeper with all of them in the next book.

3 STARS for GLIMMERGLASS
Book 2, Shadowspell, was released on January 4th. Book 3, Sirensong, is coming July 5, 2011.