Blackbird by Anna Carey

Publishers Summary - 

A girl wakes up on the train tracks, a subway car barreling down on her. With only minutes to react, she hunches down and the train speeds over her. She doesn’t remember her name, where she is, or how she got there. She has a tattoo on the inside of her right wrist of a blackbird inside a box, letters and numbers printed just below: FNV02198. There is only one thing she knows for sure: people are trying to kill her. 

On the run for her life, she tries to untangle who she is and what happened to the girl she used to be. Nothing and no one are what they appear to be. But the truth is more disturbing than she ever imagined. 

Review - (4 Stars)

The summary of this book was my biggest draw for choosing this title. I'm a sucker for a good mystery and this sure had all the ear marks for piquing my interest. In fact I read the book in one day.... it was that suspenseful! So why did I only give it four stars instead of five? 

I liked how author, Anna Carey chose to lure us into the story by using the second person point of view; put us in the center of Sunny's action. There was plenty of action throughout the story as well as a crazy amount of twists and turns. Nothing is as it seems. The more Sunny finds out the more questions there are. The one area that REALLY annoyed me though is the ending. Let's just say I spent as couple minutes looking through the last few pages to try to understand why it ended so abruptly. I actually thought I had missed something in the story line and kept flipping through the last few pages multiple times to make sure... that is sooo annoying. I felt like Wile E. Coyote when the Roadrunner tricks him into running off the cliff....

Perhaps it was the author's way of giving us a suspenseful end that makes us excited to read the next book. Personally, I just found it annoying. Kind of like singing a song and stopping three notes before the end. 

So, would I recommend the novel? Yes, it was exciting, non-stop suspenseful novel with plenty of plot-twists and deceptions to keep the reader guessing. But I will be warning them about the ending too.  

Review: The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars 
by John Green

Book Description:
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

Review:

Wow.  

I have to be honest here and admit that I was afraid to read this book.  Though it's gotten rave reviews from just about anyone who has ever read it, I was terrified of how "sad" this book would be... I tend to shy away from books dealing with death, cancer, war, etc.  

Am I glad I read this book finally? YES.  It was amazing.  This book is going to be known as John Green's masterpiece someday.  This book deals with teens with cancer in the perfect way.  They are not children, they are not adults, they are real teenagers.  They play video games, they question life, they fall in love.  They egg cars, they meet their favorite author...they die.  

While this book deals with the gritty realism of terminal illness, not shying away from the horrific realization that everyone's time comes eventually, it also deals with the subject with the perfect balance of love and hope.  Even as I cried through parts of the book, when I turned the last page I was left smiling.  

A wonderful book that all older readers (including the adults in our lives!) should really read.  

Review: Charmed Vengeance

Charmed Vengeance
by Suzanne Lazear
The Aether Chronicles, book two

Book Description: 

When her true love, Steven, is forced to break their magical bond, Noli Braddock decides to join her brother on the crew of the Vixen’s Revenge.

With its gleaming brass, dark wood, and spotless clockwork gears, the Vixen’s Revenge is a beautiful airship. But Noli discovers a dangerous secret beneath its polished exterior—the crew has been hired to steal dozens of priceless Otherworld artifacts. Desperate to keep her past Otherworld experiences hidden from the airship crew, Noli fears that if she doesn’t risk telling her own secrets, the stolen artifacts will be used to destroy both of the worlds she loves.

Review:
I loved diving back into this charming blend of steampunk and faerie lore. Lazear does a brilliant job blending traditional faerie legends and affectations into an alternate history of the US. This particular book spans the country, too, which made for a lot of interesting scene changes. With the faerie realm underlayed, though, the country almost felt small, and the amazing airships made traveling a breeze.

In some ways this book truly was a bridge between the first and what will be coming in the third. There's a lot of set up for the next portion of Noli's story and characters were introduced or brought back in ways that lead directly to how they'll play a part in the next tale, yet it still felt as though it had its own legs to stand on. *NOT* to say that I wasn't immediately left wanting the next book, but I'm also happy with where things were left...for now.

A lot of that contentment with this book derives from seeing how Noli progresses as a character. Having to deal with her new...situation...bridging the gap between the mortal and faerie realms. Seeing how the people in her world help those two realms collide...there were a lot of feelings in this book...

Readers who love romance, faeries, adventure, steampunk, and alternate histories should check out book one in the series, Innocent Darkness!

Review: Almost Home

Almost Home
by Joan Bauer

Book Description:

When twelve-year-old Sugar's grandfather dies and her gambling father takes off yet again, Sugar and her mother lose their home in Missouri. They head to Chicago for a fresh start, only to discover that fresh starts aren't so easy to come by for the homeless. Nevertheless, Sugar's mother has taught her to be grateful no matter what, so Sugar does her best. With the help of a rescue dog, Shush; a foster family; a supportive teacher; a love of poetry; and her own grace and good humor, Sugar comes to understand that while she can't control the hand life deals her, she can control how she responds.

Review:
This was a sweet, heart-string plucking book. It reminded me a lot of One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. Sugar is a girl who strives to be sweet...to take on the world with a positive attitude. Even after she gets stuck in foster care and she doesn't quite trust her new situation, she vows to be kind. What a fabulous and strong character! A girl who is forced to take on a grown-up role too young, Sugar's street smarts, compassion, and independent character carry this story through to a satisfying conclusion.

If you like realistic stories about characters dealing with tough situations, but not something quite as hard to read as A Child Called It, this is the type of book you should check out.  There is also a super cute puppy in this story, so if you're an animal lover this would probably be a great choice too.  

Review: Mortal Fire

Mortal Fire
by Elizabeth Knox

Book Description:
Sixteen-year-old Canny Mochrie's parents go away on a vacation, so they send her off on a trip of her own with her step-brother Sholto and his opinionated girlfriend Susan, who are interviewing the survivors of a strange coal mine disaster and researching local folklore in 1959 Southland, New Zealand. Canny is left to herself to wander in a mysterious and enchanting nearby valley, occupied almost entirely by children who all have the last name Zarene and can perform a special type of magic that tells things how to be stronger and better than they already are. With the help of a seventeen-year-old boy who is held hostage in a hidden away house by a spell that is now more powerful than the people who first placed it, Canny figures out why she, too, can use this special magic that only Zarenes should know, and where she really came from.

Review:
I read Knox's Dreamhunter duet a few years ago and fell absolutely in love with her worldbuilding and storytelling. Knox once again brilliantly blends historical fiction and magical realism, creating a world where a reader feels they could step right in and feel the magic in the air.

Canny is a fascinating main character surrounded by mysterious secondary characters whose secrets are slowly revealed as Knox layers each person’s story into others to create a complex world. If you also read Knox’s previous novels you'll catch small references to the Hame Dreamhunters, but this book brings readers into a fresh new aspect of that world with its own circuitous storyline.

For readers who like different time periods and cultures, this is a great blend of magical realism.  (Realistic fiction with a hint of magic) 

Review: Please Ignore Vera Dietz

Please Ignore Vera Dietz

by A. S. King

Book Description:

Vera’s spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn. And over the years she’s kept a lot of his secrets. Even after he betrayed her. Even after he ruined everything.

So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone—the kids at school, his family, even the police. But will she emerge to clear his name? Does she even want to?

Review: 

This book didn't really do it for me. I liked it...mostly, but I in no way experienced the deep love that I had been anticipating. I have no idea of that's in part due to the high bar I set for the book (I've only heard over and over and over how good it was) or because I listened to it on audio, so couldn't completely immerse myself in Vera in the fifteen minutes here and there that I was listening... I just didn't get it.

I found Vera to be a very real and fully formed character. I liked the storyline and thought that it was very thoughtful...but I was never "wowed."

I am hoping to pick up ASK THE PASSENGERS soon. I've heard again that this is a stellar book, so hopefully that one will hit me the right way. If not, I guess it may be that A.S. King's books aren't for me. We'll have to see...

If you're a high school reader, try this one and let me know what YOU think...maybe I'm the only one who didn't really get it! 

Review: The Crown of Embers

The Crown of Embers
by Rae Carson
Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy, book two

Book Description:
She does not know what awaits her at the enemy's gate.

Elisa is a hero. She led her people to victory over a terrifying, sorcerous army. Her place as the country's ruler should be secure. But it isn't.

Her enemies come at her like ghosts in a dream, from both foreign realms and within her own court. And her destiny as the chosen one has not yet been fulfilled.

To conquer the power she bears once and for all, Elisa must follow the trail of long-forgotten--and forbidden--clues from the deep, undiscovered catacombs of her own city to the treacherous seas. With her goes a one-eyed spy, a traitor, and the man who--despite everything--she is falling in love with.

If she's lucky, she will return from this journey. But there will be a cost.

Review:
I thoroughly enjoyed the second book as much as the first.

*Some mild spoilers ahead*
Elisa is no longer just a second born princess, but has been named ruler of her own kingdom. While her loyal followers embrace and celebrate her, her own council conspire to either replace her...or if that proves impossible, to at least be able to manipulate her. Still the epically smart heroine, Elisa realizes this and works to twist their own manipulations around to suit her, as well. Sassy! I love it.

One of my all-time favorite themes, and one not used often enough IMHO, comes to the forefront in this book. The best friend love!!! My heart sang. Even as Elisa is being forced to consider suitors for a marriage for which she is not emotionally ready, she comes to realize that she already has grown into strong feelings for someone very close... Watching their relationship play out was mesmerizing, and the way that the book leaves things for the trilogy's end... I need book three ASAP!!!

A great second chapter in Elisa's story.

Review: Eve

Eve
by Anna Carey

Book Description:

Where do you go when nowhere is safe?

Sixteen years after a deadly virus wiped out most of Earth’s population, the world is a perilous place. Eighteen-year-old Eve has never been beyond the heavily guarded perimeter of her school, where she and two hundred other orphaned girls have been promised a future as the teachers and artists of the New America. But the night before graduation, Eve learns the shocking truth about her school’s real purpose—and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Arden, her former rival from school, and Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust . . . and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life. (description from Amazon.com)

Review: 

Are you looking for something you can dive right into? Something quick and compelling? This might be it! Eve was just the right length, not too long, not too short. It had just the right balance of action and emotion and I could not turn the pages fast enough. I sped through this one and immediately wished I had books two and three with me when I was done.

I want to learn more! More about everything. Who is the mysterious King that wants Eve for his own. How on earth did we Americans let ourselves really get to the horrible point that Eve's generation now finds themselves in, with women and men terrified to interact and women being bred like cattle (*shudders*)..

As much as I always have that niggling feeling that characters fall in love too fast in these circumstances and there is something a little formulaic about how Eve and Caleb are drawn in to each other, (girl meets boy is terrified, he saves her, she intrigues him, he saves her again...etc) overall, I just liked their two characters together too much for it to matter. I *wanted* them to succeed and be able to just be together...

That was really what I loved about this book. It wasn't the best I've ever read by any means, but I was thoroughly invested in it. Carey MADE me care. Kudos for that.

Adult Book You Might Enjoy: The Age of Miracles

The Age of Miracles

by Karen Thompson Walker



Book Description:
“It still amazes me how little we really knew. . . . Maybe everything that happened to me and my family had nothing at all to do with the slowing. It’s possible, I guess. But I doubt it. I doubt it very much.”

On a seemingly ordinary Saturday in a California suburb, Julia and her family awake to discover, along with the rest of the world, that the rotation of the earth has suddenly begun to slow. The days and nights grow longer and longer, gravity is affected, the environment is thrown into disarray. Yet as she struggles to navigate an ever-shifting landscape, Julia is also coping with the normal disasters of everyday life—the fissures in her parents’ marriage, the loss of old friends, the hopeful anguish of first love, the bizarre behavior of her grandfather who, convinced of a government conspiracy, spends his days obsessively cataloging his possessions. As Julia adjusts to the new normal, the slowing inexorably continues.

Review:
This was an interesting and slightly scary book. Not in the same way that an slasher horror film is scary (ie. people's heads being chopped off, etc!) but in a very realistic way. What I mean is that I could actually picture the events of this book happening. Totally and completely. Walker took a really cool post-apocalyptic concept and gave it a very real "life" through her story.

When the earth begins to slow, there are very real and evident consequences. Julia's family can see the days lengthening and her mother, especially, freaks out about what will happen...is this the beginning of the end? Then as the world continues to go on, they, like everyone else try to move on with their lives, but find that every day brings new little, almost unseen consequences of the slowing.

As Julia tries to process what's happening on a larger scale, she finds herself distracted by the things in her own neighborhood. Little slices of life that reflect what readers know is occurring around the globe. Julia's parents' marriage starts to fall apart. The boy she was afraid to talk to suddenly becomes a friend. Her best friend seems to no longer be a part of her life.

In the most realistic way, Walker reminds readers that life is not easy. Things are not just right or wrong, black or white, easy or hard. Every day, you just have to keep trying...keep facing the challenges of the day...keep moving on.

*Very similar in feel to Susan Beth Pfeffer's Life as We Knew It.

Gold Star Review: The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan

by Katherine Applegate

 

Book Description:

Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.

Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.

 

Review:

This is a stellar book. Absolutely stellar. The concept is phenomenal. The characters, though animals, are still anthropomorphized (humanized) enough to make them evoke sympathy from readers. The storyline is perfect. The writing style fits the character and story beautifically.

Yes, I am gushing. This book deserves to be gushed over. If you have not read it yet, PICK THIS ONE UP. I guarantee that every reader will find something to love. Animals, art, love, grief, it's all here. The free form verse makes this book a breeze to read (I think it took me an hour or so) and my heart was bursting when I was done.

I cannot recommend this one enough. If it does not win at least one award this year, I think I will be shocked and somewhat appalled. Definite GOLD STAR.

 



Review: Personal Effects

Personal Effects

by E.M. Kokie

 

Book Description:

Ever since his brother, T.J., was killed in Iraq, Matt feels like he’s been sleepwalking through life — failing classes, getting into fights, and avoiding his dad’s lectures about following in his brother’s footsteps. T.J.’s gone, but Matt can’t shake the feeling that if only he could get his hands on his brother’s stuff from Iraq, he’d be able to make sense of his death. But as Matt searches for answers about T.J.’s death, he faces a shocking revelation about T.J.’s life that suggests he may not have known T.J. as well as he thought. What he learns challenges him to stand up to his father, honor his brother’s memory, and take charge of his own life.

 

Review:

Wow. This debut novel blew me away. Before I tell you why, let me note that this book is getting what will probably be my last gold star for the year!

 

 

This book was touching. This book was funny. This book was...it was everything. I ran the gamut of emotions right alongside Matt as he discovered who his brother actually was...and who that makes him.

 

This book touches on some heavy topics. Grief, homosexuality, abuse, love, and it does it all while still feeling natural. Matt is a fully realized character surrounded by people that have interesting facets, as well. The way that even characters who are no longer in the story manage to become fleshed out as the tale progresses...that takes talented writing and storybuilding.

 

My heart broke for this character and then rejoiced as he was reborn into a stronger, more complete person. Well done. Impossible to put down and well worth reading. 



Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

by Laini Taylor

 

Book Description:

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 otherwordly 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?

 

Review:

Wow. This is a beautifully written, dark fantasy. The word choices are just gorgeous and kind of made me want to read out loud. The descriptions of Prague gave such an atmospheric feel to the book, but it was the descriptions of the "other" world that were really vivid and unforgettable.

 

Karou is an interesting character. She is outgoing and perfectly at home with who she is...though she doesn't quite know who she is! Watching her discover the secrets of her past was captivating.  The way that she interacts with everyone around her made me laugh...and when she met Akiva, it made me shiver.

The sequel, Days of Blood and Starlight, just came out so if you like dark fantasies give this one a try and you won't even have to wait for the second one!



Review: Insurgent

Insurgent

by Veronica Roth
Divergent trilogy, book two

*CAUTION - If you have not yet read Divergent... you may want to skip this review!!*

Book Description:
One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

Review:
It is no secret that I LOVED Divergent. It was amazing...and while I really enjoyed Insurgent, it just didn't have that same magical *spark* that Divergent did...

One of the things I liked the most about this book...and simultaneously cursed, was that it broadened our world-view and gave much more depth to whole story. Readers got to learn more about each faction - how it was developed, who runs it and where, what are its principles - and how they interact with each other. It was really cool to see how the entire city worked as a whole.

The world-building felt much more developed here, but in Roth's feeding us so much information, you lose the magic of living directly in Tris' head. As such, I felt that the first half of the book developed very slowly... it was not until midway through that I became really solidly invested in the characters again.

And what Tris and Four go through... I just wanted to reach through the book and hug each of them... There are betrayals, there are massive secrets revealed, there are deaths. I cannot say more without getting all spoiler-y.

Now... all that being said...the end of this book goes out with a BANG! I love where Roth took this, though I was left with some burning questions that I can only hope get answered in the final book. For a variety of reasons, book three is a must read!

Review: Chopsticks

Chopsticks
by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral

Book Description:

After her mother died, Glory retreated into herself and her music. Her single father raised her as a piano prodigy, with a rigid schedule and the goal of playing sold-out shows across the globe. Now, as a teenager, Glory has disappeared. As we flash back to the events leading up to her disappearance, we see a girl on the precipice of disaster. Brilliant and lonely, Glory is drawn to an artistic new boy, Frank, who moves in next door. The farther she falls, the deeper she spirals into madness. Before long, Glory is unable to play anything but the song "Chopsticks."

But nothing is what it seems, and Glory's reality is not reality at all. In this stunningly moving novel told in photographs, pictures, and words, it's up to the reader to decide what is real, what is imagined, and what has been madness all along...

Review: 

This is actually a really cool book. It's a quick read because it's all done in ephemera... meaning, postcards, pictures, newspaper articles, IM conversations. It's a breeze to flip through, but it builds a really intriguing story.

I loved how every time you turn the page another little layer of the story, or Glory or Frank's story, gets peeled away and the sequence of events builds... is Glory going mad? Is she plotting to run away? Is her Dad holding her captive? What is really happening?

I love how in the end, you think you know what's happened, but maybe not... It's ambiguous, just like real life. There are so many mysteries out there and it's truly impossible to know everything that goes on with everyone around us...

I'm really glad I picked this one up.

Teen Review: The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars
by John Green

Book Description:
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

Review:
I loved every single thing about this book! It made me cry, both because it was sad *and* because I got so angry in spots! I read the whole book in one day because I could not put it down!

It is a MUST READ!!

Reviewer: Deanna

Review: If I Stay

If I Stay
by Gayle Forman

Book Description:

In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen ­year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make.

Review:

I loved it. It was sad. Heartwrenchingly sad. I listened to the audio version of this and basically cried my way to and from work for three days. Sucky on the makeup, but totally worth it!
I hadn't realized that this book takes place so much from Mia's point of view as she's in a coma. It reminded me of The Lovely Bones, another *great* book. I love getting to experience that kind of outsider perspective, but with tons of insider insight. It's a really neat device in stories.

Plot-wise, obviously this book is terribly gutwrenching. I think that Forman managed to make the whole scenario even more devestating after she solidly introduces Mia's fantastic family. They truly are one of the coolest families I've read about in YA in quite a while. It was so sad to think of the tragedy that befell them.

My one and only complaint about this book was how abruptly it ended. Now, don't get me wrong. It was beautiful. It was right. *BUT* I immediately wanted more!! Thank goodness, not only do I know there's a sequel, but it's already out so I can read it ASAP!! 

Review: Dragonswood

Dragonswood

by Janet Lee Carey

Book Description:

Wilde Island is not at peace. The kingdom mourns the dead Pendragon king and awaits the return of his heir; the uneasy pact between dragons, fairies, and humans is strained; and the regent is funding a bloodthirsty witch hunt, hoping to rid the island of half-fey maidens.

Tess, daughter of a blacksmith, has visions of the future, but she still doesn't expect to be accused of witchcraft, forced to flee with her two best friends, or offered shelter by the handsome and enigmatic Garth Huntsman, a warden for Dragonswood. But Garth is the younger prince in disguise and Tess soon learns that her true father was fey, making them the center of an exciting, romantic adventure, and an ancient prophecy that will bring about peace between all three races - dragon, human, and fairy.

Review:
This book could be read alone, or as a follow up to Carey's Dragon's Keep.

It is a marvelous fantasy about a world where so much magic exists and the poor main character is abused and persecuted for even the thought of her practicing... Tess is a strong character that must go on the run. She finds out a lot about herself and her place in the world during her time in the Dragonswood.

This world contains both dragons and fairies...two of my favorite fantasy creatures!  The story is really well done and the creatures are cool and well integrated into the world. Love, adventure, heartbreak...the book encompasses it all. A new favorite fantasy!

*This was my selection for the March Meeting of our book club, Flippin' Pages. We did fantasy books this month! Next meeting is April 10th and we'll be talking about our favorite MYSTERY books.*

Review: Everneath

Everneath

by Brodi Ashton

Book Description:

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her boyfriend—before she’s banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance—and the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

 

 

As Nikki’s time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s queen.

Review:

I really liked this new mythology about the Underworld.  Here there are immortals who feed off of regular humans to stay alive for centuries...but at what cost?! I thought that Nikki was a great main character and that her emotional state was really believable. 

This book has love, betrayal, danger, imminent death, ethical choices...it has it all. A fun read for anyone who likes mythology. 

Review: Cinder

Cinder

by Marissa Meyer

Lunar Chronicles, book one

Book Description:



Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Review:
I loved this futuristic sci-fi version of the Cinderella story. It was *this* close to being a gold star review, except it ended with a HUGE cliffhanger and the next book doesn't come out until NEXT YEAR. Ugh.

I loved Cinder's character. The fact that she is a cyborg was really cool, especially since this doesn't verge so far into sci-fi that I had trouble understanding things. There was no confusion about medical/scientific stuff. YAY! I loved the fact that not only was Cinder's body both hard and soft, but that it reflected her personality so well...

I loved the descriptions of New Beijing. It was a fascinating dichotomy of the traditional and the futuristic. The fact that the Eastern Commonwealth was at the head of the Earthen Union also felt very possible in humanity's future...and can I mention that the whole Lunar thing was super intriguing? I want to learn more about their history and culture. I'm hoping the next book in the series gives us a more inside perspective there.

All in all, this was book was so close to what my perfect reinvisioning of a fairytale could be it was sort of eerie. I wish that we knew a little more of Cinder's story at the end, but I am SO absolutely looking forward to reading more of her journey in the following books. I cannot wait for Scarlet to get here!!

Review: Why We Broke Up

Why We Broke Up

by Daniel Handler

Book Description:

I'm telling you why we broke up, Ed. I'm writing it in this letter, the whole truth of why it happened.

Min Green and Ed Slaterton are breaking up, so Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship. Item after item is illustrated and accounted for, and then the box, like a girlfriend, will be dumped.

Review:

I liked the feel of the pages, the weight of the book, and the pictures of items that accompanied each chapter. I loved the concept of one gigantic letter, full of relationship vignettes that add up to the demise of a couple. ...And, I, unlike a lot of other people, totally got Min. I felt like it was listening to myself when I was still in high school.

I knew what I loved, I liked my friends, and yet... when the guy came along that was into everything else, I was not assertive enough to make it clear that I was into different things or that I really loved my friends and everything they were into...

Min may have been way too complacent at times in her relationship with Ed, but I felt that was totally believable! Regrettable, but believable. I also understood, well...most of the time, how Ed liked Min, even though he totally had no clue as to who she really was...

Though this book was sad, it was also hopeful. In the sense that Min was growing and learning from her relationship's demise. I think she'll become a stronger person from the experience.



*This was my selection for the February Meeting of our book club, Flippin' Pages. We did makeup/breakup books this month! Next meeting is March 13th and we'll be talking about our favorite FANTASY books.*