Synopsis from Orca Books: “Struggling at home and at school, Duncan decides to try out for a local rock band. He plays the bass in the school orchestra, but it is a long way from band camp to rock star. Joining a heavy-metal band, he tries to fit in, dumping his old friends and trying to walk the walk. When his dad’s new girlfriend starts to teach him about real rock music and introduces him to her musician brother, Duncan discovers that there is more to being a guitar hero than playing in a heavy-metal band.”

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Orca Book Publishers is an organization that produces fiction for reluctant readers, especially readers on the lower spectrum, with a reading level of about second grade to fourth grade.  Rock Star comes from the Orca Soundings series, which is for those ages 12+, and is written in a way that the reader, especially a reluctant reader, can easily understand.  Orca Sounding books are quickly becoming my favorite series for my struggling readers!

If you know a struggling reader who loves music and instruments, then this is the book for them!  Chamberlain is an aspiring rock star himself, and he imparts his knowledge of the industry in this coming of age story.  The pace of this novel moves very quickly, which will keep young adults interested, as there is no down time. One moment Duncan is a geek, and the next he is a rock star, acting out.  As the timeframe within the novel is never defined, I can understand how some readers may see a disconnect, and feel that the writing and character development is too menial, however, Chamberlain is utilizing a literary tactic here, and he does a superb job!  The timeframe of the novel is never clear, and there is nothing to define how long it takes Duncan to change dispositions, but that’s the point! Teen temperament and dispositions change rapidly; they are trying to find themselves and their place in the world.  Hence, there is no timeframe! It could happen overnight, or it could take weeks.  Rock Star lends itself to both scenarios, so the reader ultimately gets to decide the pace of the story and the amount of time elapsed. While I was originally confused and unhinged by this style of writing, in retrospect, I realize Chamberlain is effectively describing the changes that take place within the teenage psyche.  Moreover, I think Chamberlain did a great job showing just how fast, or slow, teenagers can change due to peer pressure. As Chamberlain did a great job capturing the teenage voice of his main character, Duncan, I believe young adults will be able to connect with Duncan and, hopefully, learn a valuable lesson about the dangers of changing solely for acceptance. Three stars!

Check out my Orca Book Publishers page for more information, titles, and reviews for reluctant readers!

Lerner Publishing Group has been so gracious to allow me to review this book prior to its release date of April 1, 2011! 

Synopsis from Lerner Publishing Group: “On September 4, 1957, nine African American teenagers made their way toward Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. They didn’t make it very far. Armed soldiers of the Arkansas National Guard blocked most of them at the edge of campus. The three students who did make it onto campus faced an angry mob. White citizens spit at them and shouted ugly racial slurs. No black students entered Central that day. And if the angry mob had its way, black children would never attend school with white children. But the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled in 1955 that school segregation—that is, separate schools for black children and white children—was unconstitutional. The Court ordered the nation’s schools to be integrated. Nowhere was that process more hateful and more horrific than in Little Rock. Eventually, the nine students did make it into Central High—under the protection of army soldiers. Once inside Central, they faced a never-ending torrent of abuse from white students. But the nine students persevered. Their courage inspired the growing movement for African American civil rights.”

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Wow!  I have never read a textbook that held my interest like this one did!  This book is a real treat, and I can’t wait to get it into my classroom and school library!  It is extremely informative and easy to read, and I learned a lot of new information about the Little Rock Nine and the Civil Rights Movement.  Magoon does a wonderful job compiling her research into easy to understand prose, including real life accounts, pictures, and text box explanations that further define and explain the events of 1957.  My students will greatly benefit from this textbook, as will all young adults.  This short textbook will really help my students understand the difficulties and harassment the Little Rock Nine endured in the name of equality of education.  It will also be a great companion to our research project involving To Kill a Mockingbird, and I am excited to utilize it within the classroom. Five stars!

From the back of the book: “What do you do when the five people you meet in limbo all want you to go to hell?  Bridget Duke is the uncontested ruler of her school.  The meanest girl with the biggest secret insecurities.  And when new girl Anna Judge arrives, things start to fall apart for Bridget: friends don’t worship as attentively, teachers don’t fall for her wide-eyes ‘who me?’ look, expulsion looms ahead, and the one boy she’s always loved–Liam Ward–can barely even look at her anymore.  When a desperate Bridget drives too fast and crashes her car, she ends up in limbo, facing everyone she’s wronged and walking a few uncomfortable miles in their shoes.  Now she has only one chance to make a last impression.  Though she might end up dead, she has one last shot at redemption and the chance to right the wrongs she’s inflicted on the people who mean the most to her.  And Bridget’s about to learn that, sometimes, saying you’re sorry isn’t enough…”

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I just need to say it: I hate Bridget.  Bridget is that girl from high school we all love to hate.  She may be pretty, but her personality makes her ugly.  She’s nasty, manipulative, conceited, … she’s just a well rounded jerk.  That being said, Harbison’s portrayal of Bridget is stupendous; I actually felt like Bridget was going to walk right off the page and pay me an unwanted visit.  As the reader, we’re supposed to dislike Bridget, a lot, and with the feelings I harbor towards her, I’d say Harbison did a great job creating her!    

With such great characterization, I believe this novel had the potential to soar.  However, the novel was a little too long winded and repetitive for my taste.  Writing a piece that deals with the same experiences, viewed multiple times, is very tricky to master.  It is extremely easy for the text to become repetitive, and this is what happens in Here Lies Bridget.  The first half of the novel sets the scene: you meet Bridget and the other characters in the book, and you observe everything from Bridget’s point of view.  I really enjoyed that portion, even though I wanted to strangle Bridget the entire time.  The second half of the book, however, deals with Bridget reliving the same scenarios over again, only this time she is inside the mind of the person she hurt.  It is here that I started noticing the vast amount of repetition; the same scenarios unfolded, and the same dialogue was repeated.  As I already knew what had transpired between Bridget and the other characters, I didn’t need, or want, to re-read the dialogue.  I was more interested in what the other characters were thinking and feeling.  In Harbison’s defense, these new scenes did add the thoughts and feelings of the other characters, but it was minimal, and I was left wanting more.  The thoughts and feelings the characters reveal do not strike me as being the crux that can change Bridget’s cold heart.  Her character is evil; she has hardly any redeeming qualities.  So, I can’t say I was surprised by the ending of the novel, but I will admit that I was less than pleased with it.  Hence, I’m on the fence with my personal rating.  I did like the novel, but I remain frustrated.  Three and a half stars.

Bancroft Press has been so gracious as to allow me review an ARC of this novel, through Netgalley, prior to the novel hitting bookstores March 15th.  So, without further ado, here’s the synopsis from Goodreads: “In 1903, five truly brilliant young inventors, the children of the world’s most important scientists, went about their lives and their work as they always had. But all that changed the day the men in black arrived. They arrived to take twelve-year-old Jasper Modest and his six-year-old sister, Lucy he with his remarkable creations and she with her perfect memory from their London, England home to a place across the ocean they’d never seen before. They arrived to take nine-year-old Wallace Banneker, last in a long line of Africa-descended scientists, from his chemistry, his father, and his New York home to a life he d never imagined. Twelve-year-old Noah Canto-Sagas, already missing his world-famous and beloved mother, was taken from Toronto, Canada, carrying only his clothes, his violin, and his remarkable mind. And thirteen-year-old Faye Vigyanveta, the genius daughter of India’s wealthiest and most accomplished scientists, was removed by force from her life of luxury. From all across the world, they’ve been taken to mysterious Sole Manner Farm, and a beautiful but isolated schoolhouse in Dayton, Ohio, without a word from their parents as to why. Not even the wonderful schoolteacher they find there, Miss Brett, can explain it. She can give them love and care, but she can t give them answers. Things only get stranger from there. What is the book with no pages Jasper and Lucy find in their mother’s underwear drawer, and why do the men in black want it so badly? How is it all the children have been taught the same bizarre poem and yet no other rhymes or stories their entire lives? And why haven’t their parents tried to contact them? Whatever the reasons, to brash, impetuous Faye, the situation is clear: They and their parents have been kidnapped by these terrible men in black, and the only way they’re going to escape and rescue their parents is by completing the invention they didn’t even know they were all working on an invention that will change the world forever. But what if the men in black aren’t trying to harm the children? What if they’re trying to protect them? And if they’re trying to protect them, from what?”

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If you have young children, say between second and fifth grade, I highly recommend this novel (for them, or for you to read to them).  There are some great themes brought to light, such as the importance of friendship, perseverance, and trust.  The descriptions of the men in black will have young readers laughing and yearning for more, as will the dialogue between the characters.  I believe children will be captivated by the mysteries in the novel, however, as it is a very long novel, I am not sure how long the captivation will last.  On a literary level, I found the novel a little tedious, and much too long.  The first chapter picks up in the middle of the story, and it peaks the reader’s interest, but then the story teeters off into background information, explaining how the children came to be where they are.  It takes a full 200 pages for the story to come back to the original plot, and I felt like some of the story could have been removed without being detrimental to the book as a whole.   Aside from being extremely long, I also feel the ending is anticlimactic.  After reading 300+ pages, I expected to find out where the parents were and what they had been doing, but no conclusive ending presented itself.  As this is a series book, the sequel will probably shed more light on the subject, but as the reader, I felt the ending of this novel was a letdown.  I am not sure how young readers will respond to this book, so I will need to do some research on that, especially since I’m not really interested in juvenile literature.  I admit reading this was a struggle for me, but that doesn’t mean you won’t like it; it only means it wasn’t for me.  Two stars.   

Let me know what your children think after they read it! 

From the dust jacket:  “Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form. Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will’s dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She’ll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy. Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.”

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I really enjoyed this novel.  I was intrigued from the beginning by the idea of draki existing alongside the human world as shape shifters.  I love the paranormal, and while I’ve seen a few movies about dragons, this is my first YA novel about them.  I’ve noticed that a few readers have dismissed the draki’s ability, stating that it is too similar to werewolf stories, and the like.  I disagree.  I actually find it refreshing.  The draki do not wander around unknown to the human world, wreaking havoc.  Instead, they are hunted by a group of people, albeit a small group of people, who are attempting to use them for their powers and skills; the draki are worth a lot of money dead.  I don’t see that cropping up in werewolf stories, or shape shifter stories, etc.  And, of course a small society trying to protect themselves are going to have a pecking order; how else would they survive and stay hidden without leaders and rules to abide by?  Honestly, I think that Jordan took a great idea and soared with it.  Are parts of the novel going to seem generic?  Of course!  People have been writing since the beginning of time, and there are many thousands of books already circulating, but Jordan made this story her own, using her unique voice, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!          

I immensely enjoyed the characters in this novel.  Jordan did a great job zeroing in on how teenagers think, and how they handle situations.  Whereas adults may think things through (or so we hope), teenagers tend to be a little more self absorbed, acting on impulse more often than not.  These aspects crop up all over the novel, and while I’m saying to myself, “no, don’t do that!” I know that I would be doing the same thing, and be feeling the same way as the characters, if I was still a teenager.  The plights of Jacinda and Will, even Tamra and Cassian, all have a resounding truth to them.  While teenagers today aren’t necessarily worrying about transforming into a draki, they do worry about bringing shame to their families, or irreparable fights with their siblings.  Teens do have to deal with the death of loved ones, and decide who to date, who to be friends with, who can be trusted with secrets, who can’t be… and these are all situations that are conveyed within the novel.  As an adult, I’ve already experiences all of that, but the teens I work with are still dealing with these issues.  Jordan captured the teenage mind beautifully throughout the novel, especially when it comes to the impossible choices of love and loss.

I will admit that I did have a hard time imagining what the draki looked like, though.  Jacinda describes herself as using her hands when in draki form, and I’m trying to imagine a dragon with hands… and falling flat.  I just can’t do it.  Before Jacinda explained that she was a descendant of dragons, and not a dragon herself, I had pictured dragons, of course!  Now, I’m not so sure what to think.  I also am wondering about the size of these creatures, since Jacinda states that, even in her draki form, the human form of Cassian and the pride tower over her.  So, I was a little confused.  However, my lack of imagination did not, in any way, ruin the novel for me.  And, while I did feel like some of the writing was disconnected, leaving me with questions, I know this is the first novel in a series.  Jordan is setting the stage for the rest of the series to unfold.  That being said, I cannot wait for Vanish to hit bookshelves in September.  I’m going to be the first in line!  Four stars!

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has been so gracious as to allow me review an ARC of this novel, through Netgalley, prior to the novel hitting bookstores March 7th! 

Synopsis from Goodreads: “It’s the summer of 1889, and Amelia van den Broek is new to Baltimore and eager to take in all the pleasures the city has to offer. But her gaiety is interrupted by disturbing, dreamlike visions she has only at sunset—visions that offer glimpses of the future. Soon, friends and strangers alike call on Amelia to hear her prophecies. However, a forbidden romance with Nathaniel, an artist, threatens the new life Amelia is building in Baltimore. This enigmatic young man is keeping secrets of his own—still, Amelia finds herself irrepressibly drawn to him. When one of her darkest visions comes to pass, Amelia’s world is thrown into chaos. And those around her begin to wonder if she’s not the seer of dark portents, but the cause.”

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If you love Jane Austen, you need to read this book.  If you love time period pieces, you need to read this book.  If you enjoy paranormal novels wrapped in forbidden romance, you need to read this book.  If you enjoy coming of age novels… I think you get the picture…

I loved this book!  The prose are delightful, and it is apparent that Mitchell spent many hours researching the time period for her novel, and pouring love into every aspect of her writing.  The superb prose and descriptions allow the reader to transcend into 19^th century Baltimore, a time when everything was much slower and so vastly different from today.  Reading this novel is a mini vacation within itself, and I had a hard time putting it down to attend to my own daily life!

I hate to compare novelists to each other, but in this case, I think comparing Mitchell to Austen is necessary.  Like Austen, Mitchell dwells on the coming of age story; Amelia van den Broek visits her cousins in Baltimore for the “coming out” season, looking for a suitable husband.  August, Amelia’s brother, has sent her to Baltimore in hopes that a respectable marriage will pull him and his wife up the social ladder.  Wonderful descriptions of dances and 19^th century life ensue, compelling the reader further into the novel as we watch Amelia and her friends swoon over eligible young men, and some not so eligible young men.  What sets Mitchell apart for Austen, and other novelists that are similar, is the paranormal storyline she presents within the novel.  Mitchell makes this story her own through the paranormal twist she creates: Amelia can see the future.  But don’t rush in thinking the whole novel is about the paranormal.  It is a love story, after all, and the paranormal does not hit the forefront until the very middle.  While it exhibits itself twice prior, Amelia and those around her give it little heed.  Hence, the prophecies are, more or less, swept over in the beginning.  Of course, that doesn’t last, and there is a complete swing in the action as the paranormal side of the story takes over. 

Psychic ability and prophecy first became exceedingly popular in the 19^th century as many people, young women and men alike, wanted to quantify their future.  Mitchell does a wonderful job bringing to light this historical phenomenon within her novel, and creating a wonderful cast of characters you will fall in love with.  Five stars.

From the dust jacket:  “Cooper Blake has everything going for him–until he wakes from a car accident with his football career in ruins and a mysterious, attractive girl by his side. Cooper doesn’t know how Samantha got there or why he can see her; all he knows is that she’s a ghost, and the shadows that surround her seem intent on destroying her.  No one from Cooper’s old life would understand what he can barely grasp himself…but Delilah, the captain of the cheerleading squad, has secrets of her own, like her ability to see beyond the physical world, and her tangled history with Brent, a loner from a neighboring school who can hear strangers’ most intimate thoughts. Delilah and Brent know that Cooper is in more trouble than he realizes, and that Samantha may not be as innocent as she has led Cooper to believe. But the only way to figure out where Samantha came from will put them all in more danger than they ever dreamed possible.”

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One of my students handed this to me yesterday in hopes of it making the book list at school.  So, the first thing I did was research the book to make sure it wasn’t part of a series, since I can’t stand reading novels out of sequence.  Good news:  While this is a book in the Den of Shadows series, none of the books are interconnected.  Basically, you can read them in any order, and the only link between them is that they all deal with the paranormal within the same world.  On occasion, or so I’ve been told, a character from one novel may show up in another, but that apparently is a rarity.

While the synopsis peaked my interest, the novel itself did not.  Token of Darkness is my first introduction to Atwater-Rhodes’ writing, and I am grieved to note that I have no warm impressions to relate, as I had a very hard time following the story.  Cooper survives a horrible accident—details of which remain ambiguous until the very end—and wakes up in the hospital, only to find an amnesic “ghost,” Samantha, standing at his bedside.  The novel begins in medias res, as Samantha follows Cooper throughout the story while he tries to find a way to help her become human.  My main issue with this novel is the lack character development.  I don’t know—or like, for that matter—Cooper and Samantha any better at the end of the novel than I did in the beginning.  While I read, I did not feel a connection with the characters, or their plights.  Likewise, as new characters enter the story, they remain just as flat and unlikable as the rest, and I just did not care for the novel.  Part of the reason for this, aside for the character development, also stems from the writing style used.  As I already stated, the story picks up in full swing, opening months after Conner’s accident and Samantha’s first appearance.   The reader then has to rely on character dialogue in order to piece together the background story and its importance.  This type of format is very tricky to write well, and it is extremely easy to lose a reader along the way if the story isn’t told just right.  I think that is what happened with Token of Darkness.  The storyline seems to dwell on very trivial events, and brushes over more monumental ones, leaving me full of questions and no answers.

I am allowing my students to read this for the outside reading project this term in hopes of getting their feedback of the novel.  If, however, they feel the same as I do, I will be removing the book from the list.  Perhaps this novel just isn’t for me.  Or, perhaps it’s really as confusing as I think—we shall see.  Two stars.

Synopsis from Orca Books: “‘The guy died. I’m not surprised. Also, I’m relieved.’  A robbery goes terribly wrong.  Quentin and JD have been friends forever. Even after JD gets in trouble Quentin stands by him. Hanging out together Quentin learns JD has a gun and when they are caught in a robbery JD uses the gun—with deadly results. Trying to cover up the crime and escape detection, Quentin gets in even deeper than he expected and learns that the only person he can trust is himself. Especially when his freedom—and his future—is at stake.”

Orca Book Publishers is an organization that produces fiction for reluctant readers, especially readers on the lower spectrum, with a reading level of about second grade to fourth grade.  Bang comes from the Orca Soundings series, which is for those ages 12+, and is written in a way that the reader, especially a reluctant reader, can easily understand.  Orca Sounding books are quickly becoming my favorite series for my struggling readers!

I really love that these Orca Soundings books are so interesting!   I picked this up at the library today–it was calling my name.  Bang is a great coming of age novel in which the main character, Quentin, learns valuable lessons about truth, lies, and friendship.  It speaks volumes to teens about the destructiveness of drug use, anger, and idleness, while directly showing that there are always consequences for our actions.  And, while the novel has wonderful themes for exploration, it also has an extremely engaging format.  McClintock did a superb job creating the voice for Quentin, who narrates his story just like teenagers speak today: very conversational and jumbled.  Instead of telling a straightforward story, McClintock engages the reader through small revelations.  The first chapter draws the reader in through an explanation of events, though nothing is given away, and the reader is kept guessing throughout.  Each chapter builds off the next, revealing a small portion of the “incident” that Quentin is trying to describe.  Quentin starts explaining the story, then back tracks, only to revamp his story, and the technique is repeated throughout the novel’s entirety.  This is a wonderful format to engross the reader, and I absolutely love it.  There is just enough mystery to peak interest, while not overwhelming or confusing the reader.  I recommend this for all age groups, but especially reluctant readers.  I strongly believe that this novel, along with other Orca Soundings books, will push reluctant readers to progressively read more, and build their way to higher reading levels.   Three and a half stars!

Check out my Orca Book Publishers page for more information, titles, and reviews for reluctant readers!

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has been so gracious as to allow me review an ARC of this novel, through Netgalley, prior to the novel hitting bookstores April 18th!  So, without further ado, here’s the synopsis from Goodreads: “In the third installment in the Knights’ Tales series, Gerald Morris tells the laugh-outloud tale of King Arthur’s most celebrated knight, and nephew, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. With lively illustrations by Aaron Renier, Morris creates a captivating and comical medieval world that teems with humor and wonder.  This chapter book is sure to set young readers on another rollicking and hilarious Arthurian adventure!”

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This is a great coming on age novel for middle grade readers, and it is most enjoyable.  The novel is illustrated, which helps bring the story to life right on the page.  Yet, the illustrations do not overpower the imagination of the reader; they are tastefully done and evenly interspersed.

Any MG readers interested in the knights of the realm, or historical mythology in general, will enjoy this story.  The storyline flows easily and each chapter offers humorous insight and action, all leading up to the suspenseful conclusion.  Although this novel is the third in a series, it stands alone and does not need any prior background knowledge—the novel explains itself. 

Sir Gawain is a respectable knight who learns the value of courtesy through the events within the story, and this overarching theme is one our children can never hear too much.  I highly recommend this novel for younger children as it is fast paced, interesting, easy to read, and easy to understand.  I think it would also be a good choice for struggling readers in higher grades.  For any reader that enjoys this novel, I also recommend Morris’ book The Squire, His Knight, and His Lady, which takes the same story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and fleshes it out.  It focuses more so on the yearlong adventures of Sir Gawain and his Squire as they make their way to the Green Knight, whereas The Adventures of Sir Gawain the True focuses on the first few weeks after the Green Knight’s appearance.  I highly recommend reading both!  Three stars!

Synopsis from the dust jacket: “If she hadn’t been so clueless, she might have seen it coming. But really, who expects to get into a relaxing bathtub after a stressful day of shopping for tankinis and come out with scales and a tail? Most. Embarrassing. Moment. Ever. Jade soon discovers she inherited her mermaid tendencies from her mom. But if Mom was a mermaid, how did she drown? Jade is determined to find out. So how does a plus-size, aqua-phobic mer-girl go about doing that exactly? And how will Jade ever be able to explain her secret to her best friend, Cori, and to her crush, Luke?  This summer is about to get a lot more interesting…”

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Boudreau has a riveting sense of humor and biting sarcastic wit.  She captures the young teen voice extremely well.  Anyone looking for a quick, easy read should pick this up, though be forewarned, it is kind of gross.  I don’t necessarily want the gritty details of a young teens first period, no matter how funny it may be portrayed.  That being said, this is not a book I’d recommend for a male!  However, that aside, I think the novel was cute and very well written.  Though this is classified as YA literature, I feel like the reading level is lower than most YA novels, so this might be good for female reluctant readers (if they’re interested in fantasy).  It flows very well, and as the reader, you can really connect with the way Jade feels and deals with situations that transpire.  She is a normal teen dealing with abnormal circumstances.  While reading this novel, I felt like it was very similar to The Mermaid’s Mirror, a novel that released two months prior to Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings.  Both storylines deal with mermaids, drowned mothers, and the pursuit of the mother’s legacy, but each story was still unique unto itself (but I liked Real Mermaids better).  I really enjoyed the fast paced ending and twists in this novel.  Three stars.

Harlequin Teen has been so gracious to allow me review an ARC of this novel (through Netgalley) which hits bookstores late April this year!  So, without further ado, here’s the synopsis from Goodreads: “It’s always been just Kate and her mom–and now her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate’s going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won’t live past the fall.  Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld–and if she accepts his bargain, he’ll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.  Kate is sure he’s crazy–until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she’ll become Henry’s future bride, and a goddess. If she fails…”

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In terms of spectacular novels, this one takes the cake!  It’s a fresh and intriguing modern re-telling of Hades and Persephone, and it is beautifully told.  Carter develops her characters so magnificently that you will laugh and cry with them, and truly feel like they are your close friends.  Carter also encompasses mystery, deception, and suspense throughout the novel, while maintaining the love story; you’ll be glued to the book from page one!  One aspect that I really commend Carter on is the fact that she leaves no stone unturned, no questions unanswered.  As I read The Goddess Test, I questioned certain aspects of the story line, but even though not all of those questions were answered right away, all of them were answered before the completion of the novel.  A lot of thought and love went into this story, and it shows.

Carter is the next up-and-coming author to watch—and I cannot wait for the sequel, Goddess Interrupted, to come out early next year!  I highly recommend this series! Five stars!

I can’t wait to buy a hardcopy of this novel for my collection!!! 

Synopsis from the back of the book: “When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed Donna Underwood’s father and drove her mother mad.  Her own nearly fatal injuries were fixed by alchemy–the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms.  Now seventeen, Donna feels like a freak, doomed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal like.  Only her relationship with her best friend, Navin, is keeping her sane.  But when vicious wood elves abduct Navin, Donna is forced to accept her role in the centuries-old war between human alchemists and these darkest outcasts of Faerie.  Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous guy with faery blood running through his veins and secrets of his own, Donna races to save Navin–even if it means betraying everything her parents fought to the death to protect.”

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Before I picked up this novel, I noticed that a lot of readers were only rating it with one or two stars, which was surprising to me, because the synopsis made the book sound really good!  I hemmed and hawed for a while, wondering if I should give the novel a go, because I’ve found that the masses tend to be right when it comes to ratings.  So many people saying “not good” usually means it’s true.  But alas, the cover won me over.  It’s so beautiful!  The tattoo art on Donna’s hands are just lovely!   A lot of love and care went into selecting the cover art, so I figured that might be true with the written portion of the novel too. 

I think Mahoney did a pretty good job with her debut YA novel.  The Iron Witch was interesting, and I lost track of time while reading it!  The pages flew by, though I will admit that at times there seemed to be a little disconnect, but nothing too serious that it ruined the story.  The character development could have been stronger, but perhaps it will tighten up in the sequel. 

I liked that fact that Mahoney used journal entries from Donna’s diary to fill gaps in the story, though I wish more gaps had been filled.  Donna mentioned a few events in passing, but she rarely clarified these statements.  Mahoney then used the journal entries to explain those events to the reader, and I enjoy that type of writing style.  However, not all the questions I had were answered.  Big questions—why is there a war between the faeries and alchemists, and what was Donna really doing in the woods the night her father was attacked and killed—remain unanswered.  I’m going to make an educated guess and say that if we want to know the answers to those questions, we’ll have to read the sequel destined to come out next year, but will we still care by then?  I think it was a mistake not to draw the reader in further by answering those key questions, and I think that fact is what leaves the ending so anticlimactic.  Donna and Xan do fight to save Navin, but everything unfolds too quickly, in my opinion, and loose ends are not brought to a close.  If you’re like me, that will annoy you a bit.  Does it ruin the story?  No, not at all.  I still enjoyed The Iron Witch, despite my criticisms.  I still recommend it, but be forewarned: loose endings and minimal character development may disappoint you.  Three stars.

I won a copy of this book on Goodreads First Reads!  I was so happy when I received it that I put aside my other books and began reading this pronto!  Imagine my surprise when I noticed that Mara Purnhagen even signed my book!  She wrote, “Dominate your demons!”  Ominous, but awesome!

From the dust jacket: “It’s taken a long time for me to feel like a normal teenager. But now that I’m settled in a new school, where people know me as more than Charlotte Silver of the infamous Silver family paranormal investigators, it feels like everything is falling into place. And what better way to be normal than to go on a date with a popular football star like Harris Abbott? After all, it’s not as if Noah is anything more than a friend…. But my new life takes a disturbing turn when Harris brings me to a party and we play a game called One Hundred Candles. It seems like harmless, ghostly fun. Until spirits unleashed by the game start showing up at school. Now my friends and family are in very real danger, and the door that I’ve opened into another realm may yield deadly consequences.”

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This was a real treat!  I extremely enjoyed this novel, and just like the prequel Past Midnight, the story was interesting and kept me captivated, the characters were real and fleshed out, and the writing was beautiful!  The novel is written in such a way that the prequel is not mandatory (though extremely helpful).  While Purnhagen alluded to some events from the first novel, she didn’t beat the reader over the head with a rehash, which was nice.  Some books go into lengthy explanations regarding previous novels, and that can get old very quickly.  I was especially happy Purnhagen chose not to do that!  I hate novels that spend so much time backtracking!      

In terms of the writing style, I really enjoyed the way Purnhagen began, and ended, her chapters.  I hope I can explain this right: events start to unfold, and then background information is given to enlighten the reader.  So, it’s like each chapter picks up in the middle of a story, and then goes back to explain what happened previously.  By the end of the chapter, usually something interesting is happening, or about to happen, and then it cuts off.  Of course, the next chapter picks up further along, and will go back and verify what happened between the end of the chapter, and the beginning of the chapter.  I hope that isn’t as confusing as I think it is… basically I think the format is similar to Greek tragedies:  the beginning of the chapter is the middle, the middle of the chapter is the beginning, and the end is the end.  You’ll just have to read it to see what I mean… I highly recommend this novel!!!  Four stars!

From Harlequin Teen: “Charlotte Silver’s world is like no one else’s… As the daughter of the famous Silver Spirits paranormal investigators, Charlotte Silver is used to all things weird. But when coffins start floating down her street during a flood, life turns extra strange. And wonderful, when her friend and crush Noah signs on to help Charlotte and her folks in the aftermath. Cemetery cleanup might not sound exciting, but as shocking discoveries and a lurking stranger come to light, Charlotte learns that sometimes, raising the dead can bring unexpected rewards.”

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If you loved Past Midnight, you should read this short novella.  You’ll get to see more of your favorite characters dealing with paranormal activity, and I think this novella is geared more towards debunking paranormal activity, whereas Past Midnight and One Hundred Candles seem to deal more with asserting paranormal presence.  I think that is a nice twist in the series; it clouds things for the reader a bit, and keeps us guessing.  However, I really disliked the end of this novella.  I feel like it wasn’t finished.  The rest of the story was superb, but the ending was really lacking.  It’s like this: the main issue finally comes to a head, but instead of explaining the whole story, only part is explained before other things happen within the novella, and the main issue is never revisited after that (I’m doing my best here to not give anything away).  I had to read the last three chapters twice, and I’m still confused.  I think it was forced and wrapped up too quickly; I have a lot of questions.  I would like to see Purnhagen revisit the ending of this novella and really flesh it out, add a lot more detail and explanation to the ending (including finishing the explanation of the main issue), and perhaps even turn this novella into a full blown novel.  I need someone to read this novella and give me some feedback about the ending.  Perhaps I’m just misreading it?  So, read it! 

As of yet, I cannot find a hardcopy of this novella, though I am looking around, and expect it to come out soon.  However, if you’re interested, you can download it for free to your eReader, or as a PDF file, by going to Harlequin Teens, Barnes and Nobel, or Amazon.  Right now all those sites are offering it for free, but I’m not sure how long this free copy will last.  I know the publisher, Harlequin, plans to put a price on it in the beginning of March, so I’m going to guess that all other sites will do the same.  Hence, you might want to download this stat, even if you haven’t read Past Midnight yet.  That way you can hold on to it until you’ve read the prequel (don’t read it before). For all of you who don’t own an eReader (like me), use Harlequin to get the PDF file.  It’s free to download Adobe Digital Editions, and the help section will even tell you how—so everyone can get this book, no worries!

Three stars.

From the dust jacket: “I don’t believe in ghosts.  Unfortunatley, they believe in me… Let me set the record straight. My name is Charlotte Silver and I’m not one of those paranormal-obsessed freaks you see on TV…no, those would be my parents, who have their own ghost-hunting reality show. And while I’m usually roped into the behind-the-scenes work, it turns out that I haven’t gone unnoticed. Something happened on my parents’ research trip in Charleston—and now I’m being stalked by some truly frightening other beings. Trying to fit into a new school and keeping my parents’ creepy occupation a secret from my friends—and potential boyfriends—is hard enough without having angry spirits whispering in my ear. All I ever wanted was to be normal, but with ghosts of my past and present colliding, now I just want to make it out of high school alive…”

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Wow!  Purnhagen is a gifted storyteller! I extremely enjoyed this novel—the story was interesting and kept me captivated, the characters were real and fleshed out, and the writing was beautiful!  I picked this up last night at 11pm, planning to read until I fell asleep… but I didn’t put the book down until 2:30am, when I finished it!  Superb!!  I love the ghost storyline (though I ended up sleeping with the light on) and find this novel refreshing!  I’ve watched many episodes of paranormal investigators debunking paranormal activity, but I’ve never read a novel about it!  This was just great!  I loved the idea that Charlotte’s parents were professional debunkers, and that the main characters didn’t believe in ghosts.  That was a refreshing take since most novels nowadays consist of the characters believing in everything paranormal… which can get old very quickly.

This is a fast read, and a great one!  I highly recommend the novel, and its sequel, One Hundred Candles!  When I was researching the novel online, I found out that there is an intermediate story that was just published as well, a novella.  If you’re planning on reading Past Midnight, take the following information to heart: I cannot find a hardcopy of the novella, Raising the Dead, but I’ve  just downloaded it from Harlequin Teens (for free).  It’s segment 1.5 in the series, and Harlequin Teens is giving it away in eBook and PDF file, for free, until the end of February, so you should probably pick it up while it’s available at no cost!!  If you have a Nook, Barnes and Nobel was also letting people download the novella for free, so you might want to check that out too.  I have no idea how long it will last, so don’t wait!!  Five stars for Past Midnight!

From the dust jacket: “Isabel remembers nothing. Nothing before the prince rode into her forest to take her back to the castle. Nothing about who she is supposed to be, or the powers she is supposed to have. Prince Rokan needs Isabel to be his Shifter. He needs her ability to shift to animal form, to wind, to mist. He needs her lethal speed and superhuman strength. And he needs her loyalty—because without it, she may be his greatest threat. Isabel knows that her prince is lying to her, but she can’t help wanting to protect him from the dangers and intrigues of the court . . . until a deadly truth shatters the bond between them. Now Isabel faces a choice that threatens her loyalty, her heart . . . and everything she thought she knew.”

We received a new shipment of books in the library at school the other day, so I was in heaven!  I picked up a bunch of books, and Mistwood happens to be one of them.  With such a beautiful cover, I was drawn to it.  The synopsis peaked my interest, and I was glad to see an original idea–the shifter being a magical creature (not a werewolf) that protects the royal family.  I’ll admit, when I first read the word “shifter,” I was thinking werewolf, and immediately groaned, “not another werewolf story…” but I was relieved to find out that this novel is nothing of the sort!

Most of the novel is shrouded in mystery.  Isabel is a shifter, meaning that she can shift into anything–mist, stone, a wolf, a bird, etc.  She is magically bound to protect the royal family, but something happened, and she has forgotten everything about her past.  It is here that the novel opens, and Isabel must grapple with her fleeting memory, her animal instincts, and her new found humanity–a trait she is told she should not possess.  Hence, the mystery.  Cypress does a wonderful job keeping the reader focused and interested in the story through the many betrayals that ensue between all the characters, as Isabel tries to figure out who, and what, she really is.  The characters were sound, and it was easy to like that characters you were supposed to like, and to hate the characters that were evil, although some twists in the story will realign your loyalties as your read.  I am very excited to read the next novel in this series, Nightspell, which will be coming out at the very end of May, however I have heard that this sequel will stand alone, and does not continue with the story of Mistwood.  Four stars!

I Am Number Four came out in theaters today.  I read this book back in September, shortly after it was released.  The synopsis of the novel drew me in so fast I began reading the book right in the bookstore.  Why?  See for yourself: “Nine of us came here.  We look like you.  We talk like you.  We live among you.  But we are not you.  We can do things you dream of doing.  We have powers you dream of having.  We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen.  We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books–but we are real.  Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them.  But they found us and started hunting us first.  Now all of us are running.  Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in.  We have lived among you without you knowing.  But they know.  They caught Number One in Malaysia.  Number Two in England.  And Number Three in Kenya.  They killed them all.  I am Number Four.  I am next.”

With taglines like that, I had to have the book, so I brought it home and read all 440 pages in one sitting.  Fabulous book!  The characters weren’t developed as much as I’d like them to be, so I wasn’t enamored with them like I am with some characters in novels, but I still enjoyed them (especially John, aka. Four).  I would have liked this book to have a LOT more action as well, but since this book is the beginning of the series, I understand that it needed to set up everything for the sequels. For an alien on the run, though, the action was quite minimal.  Part of the reason I like the movie version is that is made up for that.  I think both the book and the movie are on the same scale, though technically they do tell different stories.  The book was well written, and the movie was much better than I thought it was going to be.  In the beginning of the movie I wasn’t so sure I was going to like it… it seemed to drag, and in order to get the background information set, the main character narrated for a while, which I thought was really bland, but then it started to get interesting.  Of course, the movie changed a  lot of events around, and even made up a few, but for the most part, I think they did a good job.  They renamed a few things, and had events happening out of sequence, but I didn’t feel like it took away from the movie, or book for that matter–though you’ll understand the movie much more if you read the book (the director did leave out a huge part of the storyline).  I actually think that seeing the characters on screen boosted my feelings for the characters in the book.  Being able to see them as concrete beings has made me like them a lot more, so… I’m going to re-read the book with this new perspective and see what I think.  And I’ll definitely be re-watching the movie too!  I’ll let you know…

Four stars for both novel and movie!

From the Dust Jacket: “Green lives everyday with feelings of loss.  Her family is gone, the boy she loves is missing, and the world she’d once knew has been transformed by tragedy.  In order to rediscover the truth about love, hope, and magic, she must venture away from her home, collecting the stories of a group of women who have been branded as witches because of their mysterious powers.  Only through their stories will Green find her own heart’s desire.”

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I hate to say it, but the only thing this book has going for it is the beautiful cover and title page.  I definitely judged this book by its cover, and immediately regretted it when I began reading…  Maybe I missed something, but I’m still not even sure what this book is really about.  Green spends most of the story telling about her past, without really explaining anything about herself.  I felt very disconnected with the whole story.  I was able to gather that her family is dead, that she can make things grow–is that her witch power?  I really don’t know–that she loved a guy named Diamond who disappeared, that the Horde hates anything modern and therefore destroyed the city, and that Green has a dog.  Really, the entire book is about Green making paper that represents people, and then writing their stories on it.  I felt no connection with the book whatsoever, and I felt like it was very abrupt.  I didn’t have any feelings for the characters, or their plight, and I was so glad when I got to the last page (it’s only 135 pages).  Come to find out, Green Witch is a sequel to another book.  I’m not going to read it unless I see some really awesome reviews.  Sad to say, but this book is not going to get any stars from me.  

From the dust jacket:  “Jill took a job that sounded perfect for the summer, guiding tourists on trail rides in the beautiful mountains.   She didn’t realize that the money was terrible, the hours long and the coworkers insufferable. After a blow-up with her boss, she takes a single man into the mountains for a ride, only to finds that he is a dangerous killer. When Jill fights back and manages to escape, she is in a desperate race to survive and make it to safety.”

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Orca Book Publishers is an organization that produces fiction for reluctant readers, especially readers on the lower spectrum, with a reading level of about second grade to fourth grade.  Knifepoint comes from the Orca Soundings series, which is for those ages 12+, and is written in a way that the reader, especially a reluctant reader, can easily understand. 

I borrowed this from the library at school today.  One thing I really hate about library books is that they put the stickers right over the back of the book so you can’t read the synopsis… so I went into this book blind.  I picked it up mainly because of the title, Knifepoint.  Having no idea what I was about to read, I began the book with trepidation, thinking it would be way below my interest and reading level (which is why I’ve never read an Orca Soundings book before).  While it is below my reading level, it is right on target with interest level, and I was hooked!  Now, the beginning of this book is a little slow–Jill describes her summer job as a ranch hand, and I really didn’t understand where the book was going, but very soon the story picked up and the suspense of the novel was really killing me.  My heart started to accelerate as Jill realized that she was alone with a psychopathic killer, and I could not put the book down!  I can’t remember ever reacting to a book the way I did with Knifepoint; it was crazy to actually feel my heart beating through my chest.  The story was so real; I can see how this novel could really help reluctant readers become interested in reading.  It’s a very fast read, but well worth it!  Four stars!

Check out my Orca Book Publishers page for more information, titles, and reviews for reluctant readers!