Daughter of Dusk by Livia Blackburne

Title: Daughter of Dusk
Author: Livia Blackburne
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Release Date: August 4, 2015
Rating: 3/5

The Gist: After learning the truth about her bloodlines, Kyra can’t help but feel like a monster.

Though she’s formed a tentative alliance with the Palace, Kyra must keep her identity a secret or risk being hunted like the rest of her Demon Rider kin. Tristam and the imprisoned assassin James are among the few who know about her heritage, but when Tristam reveals a heartbreaking secret of his own, Kyra’s not sure she can trust him. And with James’s fate in the hands of the palace, Kyra fears that he will give her away to save himself.

As tensions rise within Forge's Council, and vicious Demon Rider attacks continue in surrounding villages, Kyra knows she must do something to save her city. But she walks a dangerous line between opposing armies: will she be able to use her link to the Demon Riders for good, or will her Makvani blood prove to be deadly?

In this spellbinding sequel to Midnight Thief, Kyra and Tristam face their biggest battle yet as they grapple with changing allegiances, shocking deceit, and vengeful opponents.

Review: 

Daughter of Dusk picks up shortly after the events of Midnight Thief.  Kyra is working for the council and struggling to keep her birthright a secret.  In this second book, a former background character steps forward as the big baddie.  His aims go far beyond the destruction of the Makvani race and Kyra must discover his secrets before both sides suffer tragic losses. With one foot in both worlds, Kyra is the only one who can prevent a war and save those she cares about.  

I stopped and started Daughter of Dusk a couple of times as the beginning was quite slow.  There is a little too much political drama and too little action. Kyra spends a great deal of time contemplating whether or not she is a monster and has a difficult time coming to terms with who she is.  This is not necessarily a BAD thing as it makes for good character development, but I was pretty anxious to see her meld both sides of her heritage and kick some serious butt.  Things picked up at about the halfway point when circumstances demand that Kyra leave Forge and come out of hiding as half-human and half-Makvani.  During this time we also get to learn more about Kyra's family history and there are one or two interesting surprises.  

The characters are enjoyable and I was particularly happy that we got to see another side of Flick.  I was quite pleased that he never became a serious love interest and thrilled that he found his own match (can we get a story about them please?)  The romance between Kyra and Tristam continues to be teased as both realize their stations make a serious relationship impossible.  While I like these two characters together and we got to see a deeper side of Tristam as he struggles with his own prejudices towards the Makvani, I didn't feel a great deal of chemistry between them, so that part of the plot fell a little flat.  

Daughter of Dusk has a satisfactory end that leads me to believe it is the last in the series (at least the last that tells Kyra's story) but there are still stories to tell.  We may see these in novella form or in additional books set in this world, but concentrating on other characters - at least that is what I am hoping. 

Bottom Line: Daughter of Dusk is a solid second book in a series with potential for more. 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 13 and up
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Swordplay, Knifeplay, Violence towards a child
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: None

A History of Glitter and Blood by Hannah Moskowitz

Title: A History of Glitter and Blood
Author: Hannah Moskowitz
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Release Date: August 4th
Rating: 3/5

Cover Impressions: Meh. Moskowitz has had much better.

The Gist: Sixteen-year-old Beckan and her friends are the only fairies brave enough to stay in Ferrum when war breaks out. Now there is tension between the immortal fairies, the subterranean gnomes, and the mysterious tightropers who arrived to liberate the fairies.

But when Beckan's clan is forced to venture into the gnome underworld to survive, they find themselves tentatively forming unlikely friendships and making sacrifices they couldn't have imagined. As danger mounts, Beckan finds herself caught between her loyalty to her friends, her desire for peace, and a love she never expected.

Review:

I have a love/hate relationship with Hannah Moskowitz.  I love her creative settings, enthralling characters and well paced plots.  I hate how very, very, very, dark her books are.  A History of Glitter and Blood was no exception.

The reader was treated to a book in progress.  Scrap writes about events as they unfold, with a back and forth between before Cricket's death and after.  The tenses change to differentiate between the two and helps keep the reader on track.  The idea of reading the events as they happen gives a unique sense of suspense as we are never quite sure where the story will go or if it will end abruptly.  It also adds an interesting element as Scrap is clearly not the most reliable of story tellers.  He self-edits as he goes, leaving chastising notes for himself and also writes about events for which he clearly could not have been present.  The text itself is sprinkled with additional elements like pictures and pasted in parts from other books.  This adds beautiful visual interest and my only complaint is that I wanted more! I was left really longing for more photographs, particularly of the trio and the different races.
 
Moskowitz creates a really intriguing world in this novel.  Fairies that live, not flitting about in forests but anchored in a city with real jobs.  I was really fascinated by the idea that the fairies never really died.  Instead, they can lose pieces of themselves, but they will always feel them.  No one really knows at what point the fairies stop existing - if they every do.  The plot is evenly placed but, other than the final few scenes, does not have a great deal of excitement.  Rather, it spins a steady tale in which we learn the history of the war and its eventual end.

As always, Moskowitz's world is strange and dark.  She always seems to feature some type of sexual exploitation, especially with young characters and I think it is this inclusion, more than any others, that make me uncomfortable in reading her books.  Perhaps it is being a teacher of teenagers, or having children, but I just find this part of her writing very difficult to get through.  In this book, she explores prostitution.  Beckan, Scrap, and Cricket sold their services to the Gnomes in exchange for food.  However, it is written about in a very strange way.  The characters seemed to revel in their work, despite the very dangerous situations they were placed in and the fact that it had already resulted in the "death" of their friend.  I think it is this that made it so difficult for me to connect to the characters.  I found that I had much more sympathy for the character that was already "dead" than for any of the ones I was supposed to be left rooting for.

Bottom Line: Though this novel didn't quite work for me, it certainly had a unique world and an interesting style of storytelling.  It will be a fantastic read for those readers who are already fans of Moskowitz and those who wish to delve into a dark fantasy with an unreliable narrator who will leave you questioning most of what he writes.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up
Sex:  Sex between teenagers
Violence: Gunplay, Knifeplay, Eating of other creatures, Loss of limbs
Inappropriate Language: Fuck, Bitch, asshole, Whore, Bastard
Substance Use/Abuse: Smoking

Other Issues: Prostitution

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Title: An Ember In The Ashes
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: April 28, 2015
Rating: 4/5

The Gist: 

Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

Review:

Sabaa Tahir presents a bleak and disturbing world.  With the conquered Scholars on one side and the terrifying Masks on the other.  Masks are trained as children in the most horrific of circumstances to best their peers and follow their superior's orders without question.  The Scholars watch as they raid, arrest and murder with impunity.  Thinking only of rescuing her brother from prison, Laia agrees to enter the Mask's world as a spy for the resistance, a position that proves more and more dangerous as she becomes more and more desperate.  Elias also dreams of escape.  He has never wanted to be a mask and has elaborate plans to slip away. This is, of course, until fate steps in in the form of a mysterious Augur who seems to know the secrets inside his heart and head.  As he tries to meet their demands while still maintaining his soul, he faces challenges that he never imagined and is continuously pulled towards Laia and away from the world he swore to uphold. 

An Ember in the Ashes is not for the faint of heart.  It is a terrifying world where the characters must make heartbreaking decisions.  Often, these choices mean suffering and death for those that they care about.  The masks are taught to fight and sometimes kill one another from the moment they begin their training.  Upon graduation, they are put in charge of a society where they will be forced to torture and kill Scholars without question.  There is a great deal of talk about prostitution and rape.  There are instances of attempted rape and points where the threat of rape is used as a plot device to spur on male characters, which I could have done without. 

The plot is exciting, with danger around every turn.  Laia is spying on the most terrifying woman in the empire, who always seems one step ahead of her enemies and takes a particular sort of pleasure in torturing and mutilating those that displease her.  Elias is facing a set of trials that threaten not only his life, but also his soul.  The odds are stacked against him as the trials seem designed to prey on his weaknesses more than anyone else's.  Despite this, there aren't really that many surprises in the plot.  It was just too easy to guess which characters had ulterior motivations and how the story would play out.  The only characters I was left questioning were the Augurs.  It still isn't clear what side they fall on and how much they manipulated the outcome for their own aims.
   

While I liked the characters, I didn't particularly LOVE the characters.  The only one I wanted to spend more time with was Helene and I really wish the narration had also been told from her point of view (fingers crossed for the next book!)  I was not really invested in any facet of the love triangle (love square?) and, as with the rest of the plot, it was pretty easy to predict which way things would go.

We know that there will be a sequel to this book, but it isn't yet clear if it will be a trilogy.  There are a lot of questions left to answer (who exactly is Cook?  What game are the Augurs playing?  Who betrayed Laia's parents?  Who is Elias' father?) which means lots of material for expansion in this series, whether it be through more books or novellas (I would love to see novellas telling Cook's story and the young life of the Commandant.)

Bottom Line:While I am definitely not on the "best book of the year" bandwagon.  I am also intrigued enough to say that I will read the sequel as soon as it comes out. 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up
Sex: Kissing
Violence:  LOTS, fighting with weapons, violent deaths
Inappropriate Language: Bastard, Whore, Bitch
Substance Use/Abuse: None

Great For Readers Who Loved:

Unanswered Questions:  WARNING: SPOILERS!

- How are masks chosen, is everyone stolen away like Elias or do some kids grow up knowing they will become masks?

- Why make the Masks slaughter each other in the trial? Clearly the empire has invested a lot into the YEARS of training and just when they have graduated and can start paying back in service, they are slaughtered to.... teach a lesson?

The Nowhere Emporium by Ross MacKenzie

Title: The Nowhere Emporium
Author: Ross MacKenzie
Publisher: Floris
Release Date: May 18, 2015
Rating: 4/5

Cover Impressions:  I like it.  But I don't love it.  With the incredible description of a shimmering and sparkling, black, brick building, I would have loved to see more of it and not have the title take up over half of the cover.

The Gist:
When the mysterious Nowhere Emporium arrives in Glasgow, orphan Daniel Holmes stumbles upon it quite by accident. Before long, the 'shop from nowhere' -- and its owner, Mr Silver -- draw Daniel into a breathtaking world of magic and enchantment. Recruited as Mr Silver's apprentice, Daniel learns the secrets of the Emporium's vast labyrinth of passageways and rooms -- rooms that contain wonders beyond anything Daniel has ever imagined. But when Mr Silver disappears, and a shadow from the past threatens everything, the Emporium and all its wonders begin to crumble. Can Daniel save his home, and his new friends, before the Nowhere Emporium is destroyed forever?
 
Review:Daniel Holmes never expected his life to be anything special.  Orphaned at a young age, he is running from the bullies at his group home when he stumbles upon the most magical of buildings.  The Nowhere Emporium's front room holds all manner of knick-knacks to tempt a young boy, but the back is where the real secrets lie.  This is where the owner, Mr. Silver, has created wonderous rooms that enthrall and enchant his visitors.  He offers Daniel a home there, and a place as his apprentice, assuming he can learn to work the magic that keeps the building running.  But, when the magician disappears and the walls start crumbling, it is up to Daniel to find a way to save the emporium, and the friends he has found within.

The writing in The Nowhere Emporium is nothing short of magical.  From the very beginning, we are treated to the most enchanting description of the building: "bricks the color of midnight, bricks that shimmered and sparkled under the glow of the gas streetlamps."  This continues through room after room, each more wonderful than the last.  My favorite had to be Mr. Silver's study

The walls of the square room beyond were completely hidden under rows of bookcases.  He narrowed his eyes, squinting at the walls, and realised upon closer inspection that there were, in fact, no bookcases.  There were only books.  The books were the walls.  And in that moment it hit him: every object in the room, from the armchairs to the tables to the lamps, was made from books, or the covers of books, or pages that had been torn from books.  The floor was made of books.  The ceiling was made of books.  A miraculous fire was burning in a fireplace made entirely of books.

The book takes on a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory feel as we explore the wonders and get to know the strange tenants, including Ellie, Mr. Silver's daughter and the only other person who can help Daniel save the Emporium.

While the description of the building itself was fantastic, I was a little disappointed in the characterization.  Daniel and Ellie are fairly well fleshed out, but the other people who live in the emporium are a little flat.  There was a great opportunity to create some truly standout characters, but instead they felt as if the details were left on the cutting room floor and the characters that were left, just served to be in the right place, at the right time, to help Daniel's story.  I also questioned the actions of the main characters.  It seemed strange that Daniel, who was orphaned at a young age and grew up in a group home, would so easily trust Sharpe when he attempts to gain access to the emporium.  Likewise, it was odd that Mr. Silver, who clearly spent a great deal of energy to protect the Emporium and his daughter, would disappear at the first sign of trouble.  But of course, if he had stuck around, Daniel would not have been able to become the hero.

The plot precedes in a timely manner and has some great surprises.  My favorite was the human movie projector who requires a hair as payment to show any memory.  Since this is a middle grade book, we can be fairly certain that Daniel will prevail in the end, but there are some moments where I found myself wondering who would make it out with him.  There are casualties lost during the battle, but the ending is very satisfying and we are left with a sweet and haunting close that is as magical as its opening.

Maybe, if you truly believe, you will walk through the red curtain, and witness the Wonders and secrets of the Nowhere Emporium with your own eyes.

I can honestly say, I will spend the rest of my life looking.  
 
Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age:  10 and Up
Sex: None
Violence: Knifeplay
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: Drinking

This and other reviews can be seen on Young Adult Books Central

Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman

Title: Shadow Scale
Author: Rachel Hartman
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Release Date: March 10, 2015
Rating: 4/5

Cover Impressions: These covers are so intricate.  I can't help but stare at all the little details and I love the color.  I wonder if the physical copy has the iridescence that the Seraphina re-do did.

The Gist: The kingdom of Goredd: a world where humans and dragons share life with an uneasy balance, and those few who are both human and dragon must hide the truth. Seraphina is one of these, part girl, part dragon, who is reluctantly drawn into the politics of her world. When war breaks out between the dragons and humans, she must travel the lands to find those like herself—for she has an inexplicable connection to all of them, and together they will be able to fight the dragons in powerful, magical ways.

As Seraphina gathers this motley crew, she is pursued by humans who want to stop her. But the most terrifying is another half dragon, who can creep into people’s minds and take them over. Until now, Seraphina has kept her mind safe from intruders, but that also means she’s held back her own gift. It is time to make a choice: Cling to the safety of her old life, or embrace a powerful new destiny?

Review:

Shadow Scale continues the story of half-dragon, Seraphina as she seeks out others of her kind and endeavors to find a way to save her home from the fallout of a dragon civil war.  Seraphina still struggles with who she is as she travels the region meeting hatred in some and acceptance in others.  

Shadow Scale features some fantastic characters.  First, we continue with the half dragons we have already met - Abdo, Lars and Dame Okra - all phenomenal characters in their own right.  Particularly with Dame Okra's sense of wit.

"'Ah children' growled Dame Okra, watching him climb. 'I forget what darlings they are.  How I long for the opportunity to forget once more.'"

But, as Seraphina travels we get to encounter even more half-dragons and see how the avatars in her mind garden compare to the actual specimen.  It was fascinating to see how the dragon side manifested in each of these people and the different motivations of each.  We are also able to see the impact of location and upbringing as we travel from Goredd, where Seraphina hid among the people of the city, to Ninys, where the Ityasaari were banished from society, to Porphyry, where they experienced their own sense of community and family.  We also see more of Jannoula, raised in the worse of circumstances and playing her own game with the people, Ityasaari and dragons.  We spend a great deal of time trying to ascertain her motivations and whether or not she can be trusted.  This adds a sense of intrigue and mystery to the plot.  

The story itself lags a little as we get bogged down in several different places.  There are instances where Seraphina appears to spend a great deal of time in limbo, never really accomplishing anything and also times when the plot is slowed by a sense of helplessness as Seraphina appears unwilling or incapable of saving the people that she loves.  There are also several sections where the author delves into metaphor and introspection, particularly with regard to the inner workings of Seraphina's mind.  The whole concept of the mind garden and Jannoula's tethering is confusing at best, and I did find my eyes glazing over when the author tried to explain them.  The rest of the plot is much stronger, particularly after Seraphina returns to Goredd and the war approaches.  

This being YA, we can't quite escape the love interest aspect, but it is particularly well done in Shadow Scale.  Here we see two characters making a conscious choice not to be together because of the pain it will cause someone they both care about.  There are also some unexpected surprises to this portion of the plot which were a breath of fresh air to someone who has seen the same old love triangle over and over again.  I was also very thankful to Harman for the inclusion of diverse characters - those of color, of all sexualities and even transgendered.  Those aspects of the characters are not a plot device, or even their defining characteristic - it is simply part of them being well-developed characters.    

Bottom Line: Shadow Scale features some phenomenal characters and an interesting plot.  It is an excellent continuation of the story started in Seraphina and, in the end, will leave the reader satisfied, even if we do wish for books in this world. 

Notable Quotables: "Oh, good - he was dead, too. It wasn't just me."

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 12 and up
Sex:  Kissing
Violence: Swordplay, Knifeplay, Death by Falling
Inappropriate Language: Bastard
Substance Use/Abuse: None

The Witch's Boy by Kelly Barnhill

Title: The Witch's Boy
Author: Kelly Barnhill
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Release Date: September 16, 2014
Rating: 5/5 

Cover Impressions: The cover is super cute.  I love the tiny figures with huge shadows.  I worry that the colors are not bright enough to make it stand off a shelf and hope that it doesn't stop kids from picking it up.
I love the fairy tale feel of the book blurb and the fact that the main character's mother is a witch - which is a nice divergence from the traditional tale. 

The Gist: When Ned and his identical twin brother tumble from their raft into a raging, bewitched river, only Ned survives. Villagers are convinced the wrong boy lived. Sure enough, Ned grows up weak and slow, and stays as much as possible within the safe boundaries of his family’s cottage and yard. But when a Bandit King comes to steal the magic that Ned’s mother, a witch, is meant to protect, it's Ned who safeguards the magic and summons the strength to protect his family and community.

In the meantime, in another kingdom across the forest that borders Ned’s village lives Áine, the resourceful and pragmatic daughter of the Bandit King. She is haunted by her mother’s last words to her: “The wrong boy will save your life and you will save his.” But when Áine and Ned’s paths cross, can they trust each other long enough to make their way through the treacherous woods and stop the war about to boil over?

Review:

Having lost his twin brother in a drowning accident as they ventured out to find the sea, Ned never feels completely whole and is unable to do many of the things that he had previously taken for granted.  He has been plagued by the assumption that his father had saved the wrong boy.  His mother is a witch who uses dangerous magic and Ned is constantly faced with the townspeople who love her when they need her and loathe her when they don't.  He retreats into himself, rarely speaking and avoiding interaction with anyone, even his grief-stricken parents.  When his mother's magic is threatened by outside forces, Ned is the only one who can protect it and he is sent on a perilous journey to save himself, his family, and his village. 

The Witch's Boy is written in a beautiful style that is reminiscent of classic fairy tales.  The author displays a unique and clever sense of wit that kept me smiling to myself. 

King Ott; benevolent ruler of the Kingdowm of Duunin (of course he was benevolent! It said so on banners and placards and all of the money! He even required his generals to tattoo it on their forearms with an outline of his smiling face hovering above), was in a bit of a snit. 

There is an exchange between the bandit king and the king of Duunin, as the later calls the executioner and the former merely smiles, that had me in stitches.  At the same time, the author regularly comments on the magic, delight and power of words which is bound to warm the heart of any lover of books and reading. 

A word is a magic thing.  It holds the essence of an object or an idea and pins it to the world.  A word can set the universe in motion.  

I love middle grade stories that do not shy away from important themes and deep symbolism.  The Witch's Boy is one of these.  There is a continuous thread throughout the novel the reminds of there could not possibly be NOTHING on the other side of the mountain (in fact nothing is a very important word and becomes a refrain repeated by several characters).  The author does a beautiful job of extending this metaphor to show that there is never "nothing", even in death.  The soul never disappears, it simply moves to the next place - the other side of the mountain.

"There is no death," the Stone said.  "There is only the next thing.  A mountain gives way to a river and becomes a canyon.  A tree gives way to its rot and becomes the ground.  We will let go of our unnaturally elongated lives and embrace something else."

The characters also have a magic all their own.  By the end of the novel, we see such remarkable growth in Ned as he learns his own power and the strength of his own desires.  The magic itself also makes for a very fun character.  It has a fantastic voice as it speaks inside Ned's head.  It doesn't seem to have the same sense of morality or guilt that a human character would, which makes it much more unpredictable and enjoyable to read.

(Having been asked to heal a bandit) 
We are certain that you meant to say, "painless death."  We can say it together: "painless death." Or painful, if you prefer.  It's up to you.  Please tell us that you simply misspoke.

The plot moves at a decent pace, and is helped along by the changing of viewpoints from Ned to Aine to the King, to the Bandit King, to the Stones and so on.  There is a great deal of action that will keep any reader interested and a beautiful thread of friendship that will keep them satisfied.

Bottom Line: The Witch's Boy is wonderful.  A phenomenal addition to any middle grade library and well written enough to be enjoyed by older audiences as well.       

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 10 and up 
Sex: None
Violence: Death by drowning, Death by arrow, Swordplay
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: None

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Title: Red Queen
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: Feb 10, 2015
Rating:  4/5

Cover Impressions: Oh this is so cool.  I love the dripping blood and the simplicity of the background and font.  I can't wait to see how they continue this series, I bet they are going to be some fantastic covers.

The Gist: The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.

To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.

Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of
those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?

Review: Ever wonder what would have happened if Magneto had won and the bad-guy mutants had taken over the world, turning the "normals" into the lower-lower-lower class, just one step above slaves?  Well here it is! 

 

In Red Queen, the reds (those with red blood and without superspecial powers) live lives filled with toil and strife while the Silvers (those with silver blood and crazy-ass powers) follow the king and queen on an endless tour of leisure and parties.  Mare is on the edge of seventeen and that doesn't mean she gets to spend a year rocking out to Stevie Nicks - it means conscription to fight the war that has already taken three of her brothers.  In a strange twist of fate, she ends up working in the royal palace and a life-threatening situation reveals that she has more power than she ever imagined.

I will admit, I was trepidatious, I have never been the biggest fan of fantasy and I was a little nervous that this would be like the great Graceling fiasco (cliffnotes version: tried to read it 4 times, quit every time. BLECH!)

but, after reading, this isn't that high on the fantasy meter and the whole "talent" thing was pretty interesting.  In fact, the families having the same powers and some powers being less effective against others (water beats fire) totally reminded me of pokemon types. 

I do wish we had been able to spend a bit more time getting to know the different types of powers.  I could have used a legend in the back to remind me what types does what (did this end up in the final version?  I had an advance ebook...).

Full disclosure - there was a love triangle of sorts, but it didn't overwhelm the story and didn't quite end the way you expected - refreshing, I know.  And there was a bit of whole "every girl hates me and every boy loves me" thing going on.  I'm hoping that we will get less of this as the series continues.  Mare is a decent character, very naive and willing to believe practically anything.  For someone who grew up as a thief in a pretty rough situation I was very surprised at how trusting she was.  I kept questioning the motives of everyone around her but she seemed to believe everything that she was told.  It was almost like she had no idea she was in the middle of a YA novel.

I liked her much more at the end, once she learned some valuable life lessons, than I did at the beginning.  The other characters aren't all that interesting, unless they are using their powers and I wasn't really sold on the romance element.

The plot was fast paced and suspenseful where it needed to be.  I was pretty much on the edge of my seat for the inevitable Final Showdown scene at the end.  There were one or two plot twists which were a surprise but others that were pretty predictable to anyone who has read YA before.   But it was still enough to keep me interested and get me hooked.  Can't wait for news on the next book - especially a kick ass cover.     

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age:15 and up 
Sex: Kissing 
Violence: Swordplay, Gunplay, Violent Deaths due to supernatural means
Inappropriate Language: Bastard, Bitch
Substance Use/Abuse: Drinking

ARC Book Review: Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne

Title: Midnight Thief
Author: Livia Blackburne
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Release Date: July 8th, 2014
Rating: 2/5

Cover Impressions:  This cover is just stunning.  It is the real reason that I picked it up in the first place.  I can't wait to see if the next one follows the same theme. 

Review:
Kyra has gained a reputation as a girl who can get into any building.  Stealing coin from the richer part of town keeps her from starving but not much else.  When the leader of the assassin's guild offers her a job that will allow her to take care of those she cares about, Kyra agrees.  Before long, the desire to prove herself leads her deeper and deeper into the guild's secrets and, when Kyra refuses to play by their rules, she learns it is not so easy, or safe, to go back to her old life.  

Midnight Thief has a rather generic feel.  Despite the fantastic cover, there isn't much content to make this stand out from other mildly fantastical novels.  Kyra is an orphan girl, trying to make it in a cruel and difficult world, who is chosen by a super secret society because she is oh-so-special.  The worldbuilding doesn't get really interesting until over halfway through the novel.  Once it does, things pick up, but by that point I had mostly lost interest. 

The characters, for their part, are rather bland.  Kyra doesn't have a great deal of personality to build the plot around.  Tristam was equally uninteresting and I felt no chemistry between the two main characters.  The romantic angle felt forced and, in the end, didn't really amount to much.  There were some side characters who showed promise, like Flick and Martin, but they didn't enough play to have that pan out.

Overall, the biggest downfall for me was the fact that there were a lot of threads - the corruption of the governement, the tactics of the assassin's guild, and the barbarian attacks - which caused the plot to be spread a little thing.  As a result, none of them had any forward movement or sense of momentum.  I realize that this is the first of a series, but I was still hoping for a little more headway in the whole "our government is corrupt and our people are miserable" storyline.

With a stronger second half, I was able to give a little more credit to this novel, but it was mostly a case of too little, too late.  

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age:  13 and up
Sex: None
Violence: Death by: Poisoning, Knife
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: None

ARC Review: A Creature of Moonlight by Rebecca Hahn

Title: A Creature of Moonlight
Author: Rebecca Hahn
Publisher: HMH Books/Houghton Mifflin
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Rating: 4/5

Cover Impressions:  Just breathtaking.  I love everything about this cover.  The silhouette of the dragon is gorgeous against the full moon.  The font fits perfectly with the title and the magical feel of the book.  I want to frame it and hang it on my wall.

Review:
Marnie has spent her entire life hidden in plain sight.  The daughter of a runaway princess and a mystical dragon, she enjoys a quiet life tending flowers on the periphery of her uncle's kingdom.  But the forest has started to creep into her world and, for the first time in a generation, it is not receding.  Panic strikes the kingdom and they look to someone to blame.  That someone was once Marnie's mother, now that she is gone - the blame falls to Marnie herself.  It is time for her to decide where her destiny lies, with her Uncle who killed her mother and left her an orphan, or with the mysterious creatures of the forest and a father she has never known.

A Creature of Moonlight is a beautifully written debut novel.  It features some of the most unique worldbuilding that I have ever seen.  The forest has a mind of its own, claiming territory overnight and swallowing up peoples' homes and fields.  It is filled with magical creatures who call to those seeking to escape.  Once in a while, a young girl will be claimed by the forest, never to return.  Marnie hears this call, but she alone is able to resist the siren song, spending long hours swallowed up in its embrace but always returning to her grandfather, the former king and the only person who keeps her anchored to her world.  I love the idea of a forest where the very trees are controlled by a dragon lord and one that encroaches and retreats, ebbing and flowing much like the tide.  This dark and mysterious element starts strong and only gets better as the book goes on and Marnie explores more and more of her father's world.

Despite the strong start and wonderful setting, the story is a little slow.  It takes a patient reader to stick with Marnie despite there not being a great deal of action.  There is no real sense of urgency and only a few points of real excitement.  Don't get me wrong, it is a wonderful read for those who like a slow burning story, but personally, I would have preferred a slightly faster pace.  It was also beautifully written.  Rebecca Hahn has a wonderful mastery of language and creates a narrative that is rich and decadent.  However this type of writing style, combined with the slower plot means that, while it is completely appropriate for a middle grade audience, it will not necessarily appeal to very young readers while more mature middle schoolers and many other YA readers will be captivated by this unique story.

I am convinced and signing on for anything Rebecca Hahn has in store for the future.  


Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age:  12 and up
Sex:  Kissing
Violence: Swordplay, Attempted poisoning
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse:None

ARC Book Review: Sea of Shadows by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Sea of ShadowsAuthor: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: April 8, 2014
Rating: 2/5

Cover Impressions:  I noticed, just before reviewing this book, that a new cover had been released.  The first one, I believe, will be the hardcover and the second, the paperback.  I have to say, I much prefer the second book.  The first has some strange swirling mists that may or may not form an image.  The second has a fierce image and the coloring is just perfect. 

The Gist: Moria and Ashyn, the Keeper and the Seeker are charged with calming the spirits of those condemned to the Forest of the Dead.  This year, however, something has gone wrong.  The spirits will not be soothed and strange magics allow them to rise and attack the villagers.  With their people slaughtered and themselves separated, the sisters must travel over the wasteland in search of their village's lost children and each other.

Review:

I have been a big fan of Kelley Armstrong for a very long time.  Many moons ago, I devoured her Women Of the Otherworld series (preferring the witch side to the werewolf one).  When she started releasing YA novels, I was slightly disappointed in the quality but still buoyed up by the fact that we were still dealing with the Otherworld and the that I was already familiar with.  I had hoped, by the time Sea of Shadows was published, that the kinks would be ironed out with her YA writing and that this could be an enjoyable new series.  Well, ladies and gentlemen, I was incredibly and unequivocally wrong. 

 

Very quickly, I encountered a problem with the worldbuilding in this novel.  By the time I was 50 pages in, I still had no idea how this new mythology worked and was getting tired of all the rules that I had to be told about.  Despite being constantly reminded that the twins were super special snowflakes, I never really saw anything that was the least bit impressive. 

Yes, they can hear spirits, but this power was rarely mentioned and, when it was, the spirits didn't actually tell them anything that was anywhere near useful.  Yes, Moiria is supposed to be some famed warrior protector, but she needs just as much rescuing as her sister and is constantly being told that she isn't as strong as the men around her.  I was particularly annoyed that the author felt the need to set each girl up with a nice strong man to protect them and to serve as a love interest.   This is such an old fashioned way of writing and I am surprised that Armstrong hasn't grown out of this yet. 

There was also something strange about the pacing in the beginning of this book.  It jumped, almost immediately, into violent scenes of death, one after the other, without any time to get to know the characters or the setting.  Since I was not emotionally invested in any of the characters, their deaths had no impact and, with barely any downtime in between massacres, reading it just made me tired. 

A few deaths, spaced out, might have added to the sense of suspense; jumping in head first in this way was just overkill.  It almost felt like this was a second book, rather than a first.  In second books we have already gotten the worldbuilding out of the way and have gone through some character development so the author is able to skip right over those steps and throw the reader into the meat of the story.  It seemed like Armstrong was more interested in the blood drenched battles than in easing the reader into this new world.

Once we got through the awkward beginning, things did pick up a little.  I enjoyed the time in the wasteland and the addition of more mythical creatures to battle.  During this time, we get to know each of the girls separately and they have time to develop their connections to their male counterparts.  I have to say, my absolute favorite part of this book was the connection with their sacred animals, Tova and Daigo. 

I loved the connection between them and how the animals showed their personality.  This is a particular skill of Armstrong's as she has spent a great deal of time writing about shifters communicating in their animal forms.  The only time I found myself really invested in the story was when the fate of one of the animals was in jeopardy.

As the plot wore on, I got really tired of the twins being separated time and time again and began skimming through these parts.  By the time I got to the BIG REVEAL, I had already lost interest and was unimpressed by the attempted plot twist.  In the end, this book left me in a very "meh" sort of mood and has turned me off from reading any more of Kelley Armstrong's YA.      

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Very Violent Death Scenes, Swordplay, Talk of Rape
Inappropriate Language: Whore, Bastard, Vulgar references to sex with minors.
Substance Use/Abuse: None

ARC Book Review: The Cracks in the Kingdom by Jaclyn Moriarty

Title: The Cracks in the Kingdom
Author: Jaclyn Moriarty
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: March 25, 2014
Rating: 5/5

Cover Impressions:  The digital image really doesn't do this one justice.  In the physical copy, the colors are so vibrant and the raindrops and lightning keep your eye moving across the image.  It fits beautifully with the first cover in this series, but I am still wishing for the parking meter to be featured on a cover - here's hoping for #3!

The Gist: Madeleine and Elliot's communications through a mysterious crack between their worlds have been fun and exciting, but now their notes must take on more purpose.  The royal family is missing, presumably transported to The World and Madeleine and Elliot have been charged not only with finding them, but with determining the science governing the cracks so that they can bring the family home.  As if that weren't enough, Elliot must also travel Cello with the Royal Youth Alliance and endure tours and parties while trying to discover where in The World to start looking for the missing royals. 

Review:
I shouldn't like this book. The characters are strange and some are completely unrelatable, there are long scientific diatribes that make little sense and the "rules" of the fantasy kingdom are near impossible to discern. I shouldn't like this book, but I do. In fact, I love it.

It has a strange charm that drew me in and I ended up closing the book wishing for just one more chapter.  Please, Ms. Moriarty, Just. One. More. Chapter.

The writing in this series is beautiful and unique.  All of the characters have a remarkable strangeness about them that draws the reader in.  At first, I balked against the strangeness but, once I had accepted it, I was able to see the beauty in each character and the wonderful role that they played in the story.  Madeline continues to be a wonderful and whimsical character but, this time, without the morose obsession with an absent father that brought her down in the last novel.  Elliot is a brave and strong protagonist whose flaws keep him interesting.  There are a plethora of side characters who flesh out the story and provide some interesting color.  I particularly liked Samuel who was slowly revealed to have much more strength of character and determination than had ever been expected of him and the young prince, whose story in The World damn near broke my heart.

The worldbuilding in The Cracks in the Kingdom is like nothing that I have ever read before.  There are elements based on concepts of physics, but they are twisted in such a magnificent way that they become strange and wondrous.  The idea of color storms that turn the world upside down (sometimes literally!) is incredibly unique and allows for an element of excitement, beauty and danger. 

The plot unravels slowly, drawing the reader into its subtle nuances.  There were moments where I was frustrated by the lack of forward movement but, just as quickly, my patience was rewarded with a jaw dropping moment where I was completely surprised by a plot twist that I never saw coming.  The last quarter of the book is very fast paced.  It switches between several points of view which adds to the tension.  The ending itself allowed for the tying up of some loose ends while also leaving the reader breathless in anticipation of the next book in the series. Speaking of which, can we get on a release date for that? Anyone?

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 13 and up - Requires a patient reader
Gender: Both
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Gunplay
Inappropriate Language: Piss
Substance Use/Abuse: Underage Drinking

ARC Book Review: Defy by Sara B. Larson

Title: Defy
Author: Sara B. Larson
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: Jan 7, 2014
Rating:2/5

Cover Impressions: The cover does not stand out particularly well.  The blade is interesting - but doesn't appear to have any significance to the story.  I like the faint impressions of leaves in the background that link to the jungle setting but the color of the title font is throwing me off - it just doesn't appear to "go".  

The Gist: Alexa Hollen is a natural born fighter.  She has spent years training with her father.  When the war reaches their home and her parents are killed in a Sorcerer's fire, she and her twin brother must flee.  In order to avoid the breeding houses where orphan girls are sent to bear sons to become soldiers, Alexa cuts off her hair and becomes Alex, prize fighter and guard to Prince Damian.  

Review:
Defy is the debut novel for Sara B. Larson, and you can tell.  The story is not particularly well conceived and, despite having a female main character who is prized for her fighting skills, it reeks of sexist attitudes.  A major plot point revolves around the existence of "breeding houses" for young girls.  Orphans are brought here and repeatedly raped in order to produce soldiers for the King's army.   Alexa avoids this fate by disguising herself as a boy and becoming a soldier and eventually guard to the prince.  Even though she has achieved a level of proximity to the king and prince that most assassin's would dream of, and a reputation as a fearsome fighter, Alexa does not actually DO anything to stop these atrocities until fate forces her hand.

The author appears to have some issues around "male behavior" and "female behavior".  The story draws some very clear lines around what is believed appropriate for each sex.  I realize that this story is MEANT to challenge those norms - but it doesn't.  In fact, when another character guesses that Alex is actually a girl, Alexa herself claims that she hadn't been acting like a girl "I'd carried Tanoori with three other men without complaining once for days.  I helped set up the tent, I took it down, I did everything every other man here did."  Am I meant to believe that only a girl would complain about trying to save another person's life or that only men are capable of setting up and taking down a tent and that Alexa should be considered "manly" for doing so with only her weak feminine muscles to help her?  In fact, it appears that every time Alexa is hindered in doing her job she blames it on the "female" part of her, particularly, emotions and desires.  She also seems incapable of resisting the attention of any man and spends a great deal of time describing their physique. To the detriment of my eyes which have begun to tire from the number of times they are spent spinning in my head. 

We also have to deal with a very weak love triangle which, I assume, is going to be the basis of some inner turmoil for Alexa as the series (there is at least one more book planned) goes on.  I actually held particularly high hopes for Alexa when I was introduced to the young girl who had bluffed her way into the Prince's guard and rose to become their best fighter - however, as soon as that fact is established and very shortly before it is revealed that her secret was not so secret after all, Alexa becomes the damsel in distress who needs constant rescue from the two men who are now fighting for her attention.  

I also wish the author had made some different choices around the timing of the story.  If it had started earlier in Alexa's life we could have gotten attached the Alexa's parents and brother.  As it is written - their deaths did not have any emotional impact and Alexa's belief that she has to appear stoic and "manly" (insert eye roll) mean that we do not see much of the impact that it has on her character either.  Some earlier development would also have allowed for some back story into why this war was being fought and avoided some issues with "telling" letter on.  Instead, once we get to the reveal-the-whole-plot part of the story we have long explanations of years worth of intrigue and secrets.  This appears to be the author's way of compensating for the fact that there is very little action in this book.   

I understand that there are several other one star reviews coming from people who simply could not bring themselves to finish the book, and I can respect that.  I did, however, see some redemption by the end.  Alexa manages to start making some decisions on her own and does show some character growth (though not nearly as much as I would like) which allowed me to raise my rating by a star.  I sincerely hope that the author is able to take care of some of the sexist issues before the publication of the second book and that Alexa is allowed to grow into her own as a character, rather than simply spending the book bouncing from one love interest to the other.    

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 15 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Use of "Breeding Houses" that feature the repeated rape and pregnancy of young girls, Swordplay, Death by Arrow, Death by fire, 

Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: None

ARC Book Review: The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

Title: The School for Good and Evil
Author: Soman Chainani
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: May 14, 2013
Rating: 4/5

Cover Impressions: Very nice, if a little cutesy.  I understand that it is middle grade, but I usually prefer for these books to have an appeal to older students as well.  The background images are beautiful and the crest and banner title are very well done.

The Gist: For hundreds of years, the children of Gavaldon have been going missing.  Every four years, two at a time, one beautiful and one ugly.  After a time, the children of the town realized that these former playmates were appear within the pages of their favorite fairy tales.  Sophie has spent her entire life preparing for this day, maintaining a beauty routine, sewing dresses and doing good deeds.  Agatha, on the other hand, would do anything to remain at home with her gravestones and evil pet cat.  When the two are swept away, they find that a serious mistake has been made and their fortunes have been reversed.  Beautiful Sophie to the School for Evil and ghastly Agatha to the School for Good.  As they try to fight for their hearts' desire, the girls learn about themselves and the barrier between Good and Evil.

Review:
The School for Good and Evil opens on the eve of the night when children regularly disappear from their homes.  Most children are trying to make themselves as undesirable as possible, while Sophie attempts to flaunt her assets as a princess.  She is determined to be spirited away from her home to the School for Good where she will meet her prince charming.  Along side her, will certainly be her friend Agatha, the child for whom the term "witchy" was coined.  As her counterpart, Agatha will enter the School for Evil and the two will find a way to maintain their frienship despite the rivalry of their schools.  The premise for this book is very unique and charming.  The thought of children being stolen from their homes only to show up in the pages of storybooks is both wonderful and terrifying.  I do wish that we were able to spend a little more time with Agatha and Sophie within their village and to learn more about the mysterious town from which no one can choose to leave.  

This novel features some fantastic characters.  Sophie was difficult to like, but that was kind of the point, while Agatha did lose a little of herself by the end of the novel.  Sophie's roommates where a fantastic addition.  They had the best lines and often left me laughing out loud.  These characters could easily hold a story or series of their own (hint hint!).

The School for Good and Evil was a beautiful mix of Wicked, Harry Potter and the humor of Roald Dahl.  It was really fun to see the juxtuposition between Good and Evil.  The schools were truly equal but opposite, down to the smallest detail.  I must admit, I had more love for the School of Evil as they had more interesting characters and it was enjoyable to watch them revel in the dank, dire and disgusting.  The world building is truly fantastic and well fleshed out, though it is a little difficult to keep track of all the rules and the names of the students.  This was aided by the alternating point of view which worked well to show the thoughts and feelings of both girls as well as to give a glimpse into the inner workings of both schools.

The plot was a little predictable, but enjoyable nonetheless.  The ending was a little strange, and I can't wait to see how this plays out in future books. I am very excited to see this on film.  I think that it will translate really well and that the setting will play out beautifully on the big screen.  Overall, an excellent addition to the Middle-Grade section of my classroom library.  I cannot wait to jump back into this world in 2014.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 10 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Magical Violence
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: None

Book Review: A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty

Title: A Corner of White
Author: Jaclyn Moriarty
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: April 1st, 2013
Rating: 4/5

Cover Impressions: At first glance, this cover looks like just another contemporary romance but, after finishing the book, I can appreciate the little touches.  Madeline's outfit is exactly as described in the book - a whimsical plethora of colors.  I also love the sparkle and light that gives an ethereal quality to the letter and the wonderful colors reflected in the falling leaves.  The one thing that I do miss is a reflection of Elliot, but perhaps that is just because I preferred his side of the story to Madeline's.  It is also worth taking a look at the actual hardcover underneath the book jacket - it is covered with the colors of Madeline's jacket and boots and is imprinted with the image of the umbrella and falling leaves.  These touches are beautiful and unexpected. 

The Gist: Madeline and her mother have run away from their privileged life for one of struggling to make ends meet in Cambridge.  Elliot lives in the mysterious Kingdom of Cello and is on a desperate search to find his missing father.  The two begin communicating through letters that they fit through a rare gap between the worlds and weave their two lives together in ways they never imagined possible. 

Review:

I will admit, A Corner of White was almost a did-not-finish for me.  This book got to a very slow start.  Almost the entire first half was a sluggish slog.  At about this point, I went back to the reviews on Goodreads and saw that most reviewers had commented on this and said to hang in there.  So I did, and, I am so happy for it.  In the beginning, the writing style took some getting used to and the characters were quirky if a little too well informed for their age.  This type of book will require a patient reader and not all teens will fit this bill, however, the payoff in the end is entirely worth it.

Moriarty's characters endear themselves to you slowly.  At the beginning I wasn't particularly fond of Madeline and I didn't entirely see the point of Jack and Bella.  By the end, I enjoyed their strange obsession with aura's and horoscopes and could see the important role that they played in Madeline's growth and development.  Incidentally, I really hope that their peculiar interests are incorporated into Cello's world in further books.  Even Madeline had outgrown her whining and become a character that I could continue to follow through this series.  I enjoyed Elliot from the very beginning.  He was strong and independent while holding an important place within his community.  I was very glad that the relationship between him and Madeline never crossed into the romantic and I hope that is something that does not change further into the story. 

Jaclyn Moriarty is certainly an author who shows rather than tells.  While this is an admirable trait among writers it also means that it takes quite a while to get a clear understanding of the way that the world of Cello works, particularly the threat of Colors.  She occasionally pushes our understanding forward through the inclusion of newspaper articles, books or police reports.  I will admit, I still don't quite understand the mechanics behind catching and using spells, but I assume this will be revealed in the next installement.  One thing that I did love to see was the incorporation of scientific knowledge and history into the storyline.  It would be interesting to see the reactions of my grade 8 students were they to read this book while studying our Optics unit which covers light and colors.  A Corner of White also featured an unexpected twist or two that were refreshing and kept me engaged for the second half of the book.

As I noted previously, this novel gets off to a slow start but ends with a resolution that is satisfying while also successfully setting up for the next book in the series.  Unfortunately, I cannot discuss too much of what makes it such a good ending without spoiling the entire plot, I only wish to tell you that if you are reading this review while in the middle of the book, as I did, keep going.  If have not started yet, remember to let the story develop around you - it is worth it. 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 13 and up (readers must be patient enough to get through the slow beginning)
Gender: Both
Sex: Kissing
Violence:  "Color" attacks that maim/kill
Inappropriate Language: Ass
Substance Use/Abuse:  Underage Drinking, Smoking, Discussion of Alcoholism

ARC Book Review: The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Title: The Runaway King
Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: March 1, 2013
Rating: 5/5

Cover Impressions: I enjoy the covers in this series, they are clean and simple.  The font works very well and I love the colors (blue, now green, hopefully red for number 3?).  My only complaint is that they don't see to stand out as much - in my classroom, I don't see The False Prince getting chosen very often unless it is because of my recommendation. 

The Gist: Jaron has barely warmed his new throne when an assassination attempt alerts him to the danger that his kingdom is in.  The murder of his family has left him with a council that harbors deceit and an army that is ill prepared for any attack.  In order to secure the safety of his people, Jaron must abandon the throne and seek out this new threat head on.  In returning to the world as Sage, he must ask if he is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to save his kingdom.

Review: 
I loved loved LOVED The False Prince.  See my review and my Top Books of 2012.  So there were some pretty high expectations for The Runaway King.  I was not disappointed.  I recently had a favorite student of mine as for a book recommendation.  I handed her The False Prince and told her that "You will love Sage and want to strangle him all at the same time - that is what makes him such a wonderful character".  This remains true in The Runaway King.  I am 100% behind Sage, and because of this, I often cringe, shout or throw an all out temper tantrum to rival my 1 1/2 year old, whenever he makes a decision that I feel will put him in more danger.  Sage never takes the easy way out.  He is always willing to throw himself off a cliff (often quite literally) in order to do what is right for others.  Now, that is not to say that he is completely selfless.  The boy is one of the most arrogant characters I have ever read and he will often make grandiose statements that only seem to garner him more trouble.  But, this is what makes him all the more likeable and enjoyable to read about.  Sage is kind, clever, witty and stubborn.  He captivates the reader and is easily one of my favorite characters in any series.

I was a little worried about where this book was going when Imogen left the storyline.  I always loved the connection between her and Sage and was disappointed to see her disappear so early.  But have faith ladies and gentlemen, she re-emerges!  The tension between these two characters adds an extra element to the storyline without delving into the romance sphere.  I enjoyed the fact that both of them are faced with a very difficult decision and that there is no easy way out.

In this novel, we also saw the expansion of some old characters and the addition of some interesting new ones.  Jennifer Nielsen just doesn't do bland, one dimensional characters and each person that we meet, adds a little something special to the plot.  Oftentimes, the characters that we might have overlooked or dismissed at first - turn out to be the most important in the end. 

This author continues to astound with her ability to seamlessly weave details together to create a plot that is rich and full of surprises.  Having many years of reading experience under my belt, it is often all to easy for me to notice the foreshadowing of what is to come.  Things that seem obvious to me (I am discovering) my students have often overlooked - leading to them being surprised at the plot twist and me having figured it out from the 5th page.  This is the one series where I can depend on my being just as surprised as my students.  In both books, I have been taken aback by the way pieces that appeared to come from several different puzzles finally dropped into place to create one complete, and beautifully detailed, picture.

Yet again I need to commend Jennifer Nielsen for creating a series that contains enough danger and suspense to keep readers of all ages interested, but without approaching the issues of violence that would be inappropriate for a younger reader.  Teachers and parents take note: THIS IS A BOOK THAT APPEALS TO BOTH GIRLS AND BOYS!  Let's get those (sometimes reluctant) boys reading!

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 12 and up (though there are no real issues with giving this book to a younger reader if they can handle the reading level)
Gender: Both
Sex: None
Violence: Swordplay, Knifeplay, Whipping
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: None

Book Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Shadow and Bone
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publisher: Henry Holt Company
Release Date: June 5, 2012
Rating: 3/5

Cover Impressions: The cover is beautiful.  I love the colors and the interplay of the ribbons with the antlers. 

The Gist: Alina Starkov is an orphan training as a mapmaker in the King's Army.  When she and her best friend are attacked by a monstrous beast, Alina discovers a power that she never knew she had.  The land's strongest Grisha, the Darkling, takes claim of her and begins training her to banish the darkness of The Fold and save the land.  However, everyone seems to have their own wishes for Alina's power and she must decide carefully where to place her trust. 

Review: 
Admittedly, I have never been a big fantasy fan.  Shadow and Bone is one of those books that kept popping up on my radar but I never gave in to reading it until my Christmas vacation (lots of time at home/v.little to do).  It took me a while to fall into the world of Ravka, as it usually does with fantasy novels, but I soon found the world building to be rich and beautiful.  This is a land of contrasts, great beauty with great darkness, strong magic with overwhelming poverty.  In telling the story through the eyes of an orphan, we are able to see both sides of the country.

I had some difficulty connecting with Alina.  I found her to be weak and whiny.  I was annoyed by her obsession with beauty and her incessant need to be rescued.  The whole "transformation" from sick and spindly orphan to strong and gorgeous Grisha was clichèd and reinforced the stereotype that only attractive people can be heroines.  I could get past the fact that her super special power remained hidden for most of her life and even the fact that she was suddenly the most super special Grisha alive.  But she couldn't be satisfied with being this special?  She still had to whine about not being pretty enough?  Dude, you can command light and you are whining about your complexion?

The other characters were a bit one dimensional.  There was the "I won't notice you until you are super special and gorgeous" love interest.  The "I'm dark and mysterious and can see the power under your ugliness" love interest.  The "I'm totally gorgeous but totally humble at the same time" BFF.  The "I'm only mean because I can see your potential" trainer and the "I'm also totally gorgeous and a jealous bitch" rival.  Neither of the love interests felt quite genuine or passionate to me and the friends didn't play any important role - though I hope they get some fleshing out in the next book.

The plot moved steadily except for a bit of lag in the middle as Alina worked with her power and learned to fight in what transformed in my head to an 80s movie montage set to the sound of "Eye of the Tiger".  The writing was beautiful and the ending was strong enough to make me come back for the second installment Siege and Storm in June.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 13 and up
Gender: Female
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Knifeplay, Gunplay, Death of an animal, Deaths by magic/magical creatures
Inappropriate Language: Ass, Bitch
Substance Use/Abuse: Drinking

ARC Book Review: Splintered by A.G. Howard

Title: Splintered
Author:  A.G. Howard
Publisher: Amulet Books (Abrams)
Release Date: Jan 1, 2013
Rating: 4/5

Cover Impressions: The cover is breathtaking.  This is one of those covers that when it was revealed, I immediately added it to my TBR list.  The colors are gorgeous and the imagery is so interesting.  I love that the connection to Alice in Wonderland does not smack you in the face but is hinted at in the flowers and bugs entwined in her hair. 

The Gist: Alyssa is a direct descendent of Alice Liddell, the real life Alice in Wonderland.  Every since Alice returned from that fateful trip into Wonderland, the women of her line have been cursed.  They are unable to block out the calls of insects and flowers and are haunted by a mysterious moth that inspires them to unspeakable acts.  With her mom in a psychiatric hospital and facing more and more dangerous treatments, Alyssa follows in her ancestor's footsteps in an attempt to set things right and free her family from this crippling curse. 

Review: 
If you have been following my blog, you may remember that I am a sucker for books that either re-tell or are influenced by the classics.  Splintered first grabbed my attention with it's stunning color, then made it on to my OH MY GOD I WANT IT NOW! list, when I read the synopsis and discovered it was a continuation of the Alice in Wonderland story.  Splintered is very true to Carroll's whimsical style but with enough of a twist to stand on its own.  The characters are considerably more frightening and the story often dips into darkness which serves to create a more grown up Wonderland while reminding readers that there was real horror in some moments of the original (non-Disneyfied) version.

Alyssa was a strong enough character to carry the story, although I would have liked to see a little more character development.  She seemed like a damaged little girl who was playing at being a rebel.  At times, she was a little too trusting and took a bit too long to catch on to the obvious.  I would have preferred if she had taken a more active role in success, but she seemed to simply stumble upon the answer, rather than work towards it.  Her love interest, Jeb, was not my favorite person.  He treated Alyssa like a child and was always running to her rescue (whether she needed/wanted it or not).  I was pleased when he was conveniently removed from the storyline so that we could see Alyssa grow into her new place in Wonderland and meet her challenges on her own.  I did, however, love Morpheous.  He was very Mad Hatter-esque in that he had character and motivation.  He was multidimensional in a way that most of the other characters were not and I kept wishing for him to pop up whenever the Alyssa/Jeb story started to get a little boring.

The plot of Splintered moved quickly as Alyssa was dragged from one challenge to the next.  Morpehous' manipulations made for exciting situations and were the catalyst for an eventful race through Wonderland.  Even though I did figure out the BIG plot twist earlier than Alyssa did, it still added a special element to the story and left me to re-examine earlier events in a new light.

Splintered is a very fun read.  While it is violent and dark, it is not inappropriate for a teen audience and has enough romance to keep young girls interested.  It is a definite must read for anyone who loved Alice in Wonderland or is a fan of whimsical stories with a little bite to them. 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 15 and up
Gender: Female
Sex: Kissing, Allusion to sex/rape
Violence: Swordplay,
Other Issues: Discussion of mental issues/images in a psychiatric hospital
Inappropriate Language: Ass
Substance Use/Abuse:  Underage drinking

ARC Book Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Throne of Glass
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: Aug 7, 2012
Rating:3/5

Cover Impressions: Here is where things get tricky.  Because I had an e-arc with no cover page I got to choose my cover.  Can you guess which of the two above I picked?  That's right, the badass one.  I believe the first is the UK cover and the second is the US cover.  Well folks, the UK wins it.  The US cover is ho-hum, seen it, probably not gonna pick it off a shelf.  The UK cover, on the other hand has a fantastic blend of awesome colors, creepy atmosphere and "don't fuck with me" attitude.

The Gist: Game of Thrones meets The Hunger Games when a king bent on domination holds a competition to find the most deadly criminal to be his champion.  Celaena Sardothien is pulled from the depths of the lands most brutal prison by the Crown Prince to serve as his competitor.  When a mysterious forces begins to sadistically murder and disembowel the other competitors, Celaena finds herself in a world that might just be more dangerous than the one from which she escaped. 

Review: Oh how I wanted to love this book.  The cover.  The hype.  And, to be truthful, Maas had me for the first 5 or 6 chapters.  I began burrowing in and expecting an engrossing read with a compelling main character but alas, things eventually began to fall apart.

The Celaena Sardothien that Prince Dorian finds in prison is one of the most badass characters I have ever encountered.  We learn that she was one of the most feared prisoners for her tendency to "snap" and bury her pickaxe in anyone within her sight.  She has survived for a year in a place where most last weeks at best.  She is strong, witty and imagines murder at every turn, making comments like "You'll be sweating when I skin you alive and squish your eyeballs beneath my feet".  However, halfway through the novel, this character seems to disappear.  Throughout the novel, it seems like Maas can't actually decide who Celaena is.  She is badass one minute, vain and pompous the next and weak and simpering after that.  If anyone has read my review of Grave Mercy, you will recall that I have a problem with Assassins who never actually kill anyone.  This is also a problem in Throne of Glass.  Making your character a kick-ass female assassin with a deadly past seems like an easy out.  The author gets this fantastic character with a fearsome reputation but doesn't actually have to do anything to prove/maintain that reputation.  Now, I am a little bloodthirsty, I think an assassin should kill someone at least every 50 pages.  That may be a bit excessive but *SPOILER ALERT* Celaena doesn't actually kill ANYBODY!  Sure she can fight, but in the end she gets rescued.  Which doesn't fit AT ALL with the original character that we met.  There are also some other issues with the whole assassin role:

- It is up to Chaol to come up with the "lie low" plan, why didn't she think of that herself?
- It is hard to believe that an assassin would be so comfortable in gowns without making some adjustments or asking for clothing better suited for fighting.
- She never manages to get her hands on a decent weapon and, despite being mentioned constantly, she never actually uses her makeshift "knife".
- She never takes a single shot at Cain, despite his increasingly aggressive taunting.
- Dorian is CONSTANTLY sneaking up on her.  Seriously, your trained assassin hearing doesn't work anymore?

There are some other interesting characters.  Chaol starts off strong and stoic and it appears that he will play the love interest.  Unfortunately, he seems to fade to the background by the end of the novel.  The princess, Nehemia, is kind and mysterious.  She appears to hold a world of secrets and, I hope she comes to the forefront as the series continues.   The prince, Dorian, plays the role of handsome womanizer who reforms once he meets the right woman.  It is a little cliche and never quite feels real to me.  For his part, Dorian disagrees with nearly all of the decisions that his father makes but never actually DOES anything about them.  The fearsome and cruel king removes himself from the action, returning at the end of the novel under mysterious circumstances (which are never explained). 

The world building is interesting.  I like the idea of a land where magic has been banished but simmers just below the surface, sometimes leaking through fissures and wreaking havoc.  The plot begins strong but starts to lag once the competition begins.  There are A LOT of Tests and many of them are covered in just a line or two.  Maas could have accomplished the same thing by reducing the number of competitors (some of whom never receive a name) and subsequent tests.  There are a lot of hints at larger secrets in both Celaena's and Nehmia's past but nothing important is ever revealed (I kept wait for that OH MY GOD! moment - but it never came). The pacing is a bit off, with the training and competition being glossed over in order to spend time on the will-they won't-they relationship between Celaena and Dorian. 

Books like this are often the most disappointing.  It has a fabulous premise, even a fantastic opening, but fell apart once the story began to be fleshed out.  Because I saw flashes of greatness, I will be sticking around for the next book.  Here's hoping for more killing, less moaning and FFS no love triangle between Celaena, Chaol and Dorian! 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 13 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: Hinted at
Violence: Swordplay, Disembowelment, Hand to Hand Combat, Poisoning
Inappropriate Language: Ass, Bitch,
Substance Use/Abuse: Wine, Opium

ARC Book Review: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Title: Seraphina
Author: Rachel Hartman
Publisher: Random House
Release Date: July 10, 2012
Rating: 5/5

Cover Impressions: This cover is so beautifully intricate.  It is not the type of cover that jumps off the shelf but it is the type that encourages the reader to stop and study it.  I am already intrigued to see the artwork for the next in the series.

The Gist: The kingdom of Goredd holds a tenuous balance between it's human citizens and the dragons who can take their form.  As the 40th anniversary of their peace treaty approaches it seems that someone is determined to tip the scales and renew the old conflicts.  Seraphina straddles the line between humans and dragons.  When a member of the royal family is found beheaded, she becomes an integral part of the investigation - if only to try and keep her own secrets hidden. 

Review: Oh God.  These are always the hardest reviews for me to write.  I can rant all day about books that I hate, pointing out the slow plot, annoying characters and writing that would fit quite well in my stack of grading from grade 7.  Those reviews are my bread and butter, they flow through my fingertips like water, gracing the page with WTF's and FFS!'s.

Every now and then, however, I come across a book that was just so fan-fucking-tastic that I can barely put into words why.  Seraphina was one of those books.  The world building is complete and unique.  The characters are fully developed, sometimes flawed and remarkably human (even when they are not).  The writing is polished and elegant, begging you to savor every word.  The plot never lags or races but maintains a pace that keeps the reader enthralled (seriously - as soon as the baby went to bed I begged my husband to just leave me alone and go watch sports or something so that I could read).

Seraphina is easily one of my favorite characters thus far this year.  She is intelligent, talented, brave, vulnerable, and loyal.  She struggles with her own self worth and undergoes remarkable growth.  The secondary characters are also not to be missed.  Hartman has not allowed for one dimensional characters here.  Between the members of Seraphina's garden, the dignitaries at court and the dragons in human form, there was always someone intriguing to watch and someone else to wonder about.

Hartman creates a world that is wonderfully strange yet oddly familiar.  Though the people and dragons of Goredd negotiated a peace treaty nearly 40 years ago, there is still a great deal of animosity and racism on both sides.  The hatred and anger between these peoples was palpable and created some of the most tense scenes in the novel.

The writing in Seraphina flows beautifully.  The one thing that I did not enjoy (and this is a criticism of fantasy in general rather than this book in particular) is that choosing not to explain certain terminology in the text and to rely on a glossary is fine in a physical book, but I find it becomes rather tedious while reading an e-book.

This novel easily makes the list as one of my top books of 2012. Now, when is that sequel coming out???!!! 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 13 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: Implied at
Violence: Death by be-heading, Knifeplay, Swordplay, Death by Poisoning
Inappropriate Language: Bastard
Substance Use/Abuse: Drinking of Wine