Very unique book - I loved the characterization, and although the plot could be a little slow at points, it allowed you to fully immerse yourself in this strange, confusing world. What I think I loved most about the book was that it was more than just a love story. I really liked the fact that Natalie was learning to love herself for being different. She had a strong best friend who loved her no matter what kind of stories she was told, and she had a family who adored her. This is a book I know I will be thinking about for a while!
Nice idea, not especially well executed, but serviceable nevertheless. Penniless but daring young Abigail Rook is stuck in New England when she meets an eccentric private detective named Jackaby. He specializes in supernatural deduction using an ability to see what other people can't -- faeries, monsters, etc. He is also in need of an assistant. When a very odd murder occurs, Jackaby and Abigail are on the case. Who is the murderer? Can our heroes stop the killer in time to save innocent lives? And will we ever learn what Jackaby's initials stand for? At best, it's a really laudable middle-grade supernatural mystery. Unfortunately, Jackaby himself falls rather flat. He seems to be a collection of quirks and mannerisms borrowed from more famous characters. Abigail is by no means and ideal character, but she is independent in a way that many female protagonists aren't. There are several appealing secondary characters -- one of whom is a ghost -- who were a bit more unusual, but on the whole, this book does not have the most intriguing cast, although it does try very hard. The plot itself is reasonably interesting, but suffers from the same malady as the characterizations: originality, or rather, lack thereof. Anyone who's familiar with folklore (or has read Harry Potter) has a good chance at guessing the identities of the murderer and other characters long before the big reveal. If you want a lightweight, easy-read fantasy-mystery with some fun characters and fairly witty dialogue, you'll probably like it, but for really intense murder mystery fans, look elsewhere.
Reviewer Grade: 12
Witch and Wizard is an extravagant book for young adults and teens. From a kidnapping to an evil tyrant, Whit and Wisty Allgood can't accept the fact that they are the children from the proficy, the children with powers, the children destined to save and rule the world. James Patterson takes his readers on an adventure that you can't put down. This book was unpredictable and left me wanting more from the very beginning. This is one of the best books of I have read since fourth grade and I've read a lot. On my free time I will go to a bookstore and grab as many books as my arms can carry and this time I tried to find as many James Patterson books as I could and this book was yelling my name from across the room. This book captivated me within just the first paragraph. The language and content flashbacks kept me engaged to the end. Whit and Wisty will do much more than keep you intrigued, they will keep you close through the whole series. I would rate this book five of five stars and I would recommend this book to teens from ages 11-15.
Reviewer Grade: 5
Apollo – the Greek god of music, archery, healing, plague, and the sun – has been turned into a mortal teenager and dropped onto Earth as punishment from his father, Zeus. In order to earn his godly title back, he must be guided by a demigod and follow their orders – this demigod happens to be feisty Meg McCaffrey, “street urchin overlord”. The two must team up to help Apollo succeed in his trials and become a god again.
I read this book in 2 days – I could not put it down! It is adventurous and hilarious! Apollo is an interesting hero who must overcome his arrogance by becoming an average mortal teenager and proving himself to his fellow gods – and you totally root for him along the way. I would recommend reading the Percy Jackson and the Heroes of Olympus books before reading this one because many of the old characters make appearances and it would be easier to understand the references to the other series. Being a longtime fan of these books, I was so excited to see that Rick had brought back almost the entire Argo II crew back!
This book was truly awesome – lots of humor and adventure. I highly recommend it. 5 out of 5 stars.
Reviewer Grade: 9
In this fantasy, John Flanagan describes the life of a few kids growing up in a medieval setting where you can become the apprentice of different trade masters. The book mostly follows the apprentice ranger Will as he trains to be a full fledged ranger. This book is meant for teens and young adults because the Ranger's Apprentice series follows the lives of Will and his friends and all the troubles they face. If you like imagining what your life could be like in medieval times, than this book is for you.
Reviewer Grade: 8
This book by J.K. Rowling engulfs you in a world of magic where you want to keep on reading without putting it down. Harry Potter takes place in England, and is all about a boy named Harry Potter's time at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. This book can attract readers of all kinds of reading levels because of its simplicity and depth. The Harry Potter series is an extremely fun series and the characters are full of emotion. I guarantee that you will love this book.
Reviewer Grade: 8
The book, The Five Kingdoms: Sky Raiders, is a very fascinating book by Brandon Mull. The book starts out in a small town in Arizona. The main character, Cole, is getting ready for Halloween. He soon meets up with his best friend, Dalton, and the girl he likes, Jennifer, along with a couple others (six). They are looking for a haunted house that was a few blocks from where they already were. After finding the haunted house, a guy jumps up and tries to scare the group, and fails. He reveals that the biggest scare is in the basement, and once they were there, the guy locked the door behind them. Dalton starts to worry, and soon they were grabbed by a guy called Ham. Ham grabs most of kids, but Cole gets away, and Ham disappears behind a curtain and vanishes. Desperate to get his friends back, Cole follows him, and ends up in… the outskirts! The part I enjoyed in this book was when Cole gets into the outskirts. I recommend this book to anybody who likes action books and suspense.
Reviewer Grade:7
For fans of Game of Thrones (although I have only watched the show, not read the books, so fair warning!). Told simultaneously through five different characters, Herman takes the real life figure of Alexander the Great and infuses the time period with magic and mythical figures. Twists and new revelations are around every corner and will keep the reader guessing until the end!
Magnus Chase is a sixteen-year-old homeless kid with a fear of wolves and a tragic past involving the death of his mother. He doesn’t think he is anyone special – that is until his mysterious Uncle Randolph tells Magnus that the boy’s father is a Norse god.
And that he is in grave danger.
Magnus is plunged into the world of Norse mythology, discovering the truth behind his parentage and his mother’s death. He also finds out that Ragnarok, the Norse definition of the apocalypse, is on the horizon. The fire giant Surt is planning on unleashing an evil creature named Fenrir Wolf to start Ragnarok. If Magnus and his friends don’t stop Fenrir from being released, Ragnarok will begin and both mortals and heroes will be in danger.
This book is witty, surprising, adventurous, exciting, and very unique. Our hero Magnus Chase is someone you can really root for – along with his friends Samirah, Hearth, and Blitz, who are all relatable, likable, and overall totally awesome. I really loved how this book takes you on an amazing adventure from page one. Every plot twist was completely unexpected. This book is easily one of the best books I’ve read this year- suitable for everyone who loves a good adventure story.
I chose this book because Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson series, is one of my favorite authors. I had high expectations for this book because of this – and it totally met all of them.
Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer is the start of an amazing, utterly unique book series. 5 out of 5 Stars.
Reviewer Grade: 9
After her friends find out that she's been keeping secrets, Zoey is alone. In a week, she goes from being the most popular fledgling to being an outcast. On top of everything else, Neferet has declared war on humans. Zoey knows that it's wrong, but who will listen to her now that everyone believes her to be a liar?
This book was alright. Despite everything, Zoey can't waste time feeling sorry for herself. She must pick herself back up and continue fighting in the battle of good vs evil. Some things are bigger than yourself.
Reviewer Grade: 12
Friends turn into enemies and enemies turn into friends in a shocking turn of events. Zoey finds herself at the center of drama as usual. Somehow, she's managed to rack up three boyfriends, but that's the least of her worries. Not knowing who to trust, Zoey finds herself confiding to her sworn enemy instead of her friends. But keeping secrets is sure to lead to trouble.
I enjoyed this book. It was a mess of emotions, but it was good. I understand why she had to keep secrets, even though it backfired in the end. It was a tricky situation and she didn't make things easy for herself either.
Reviewer Grade:12
Zoey has finally settled into her new life as a fledgling. She's come to terms with her powers and is in training to become a High Priestess. Just when everything seems to be working out, human teenagers begin to disappear and are later found dead. Naturally, the vampyres are suspected to have orchestrated the murders. Nothing is ever as it seems as Zoey finds the people she loves in danger and faces a shocking betrayal.
This book was pretty good. Zoey had to question her beliefs and learn to trust somebody that she thought was an enemy. Already, she's finding out that maybe what she thought was right and wrong really is the opposite. I liked that she didn't just deny everything and let personal grudges get in the way of doing what's right.
Reviewer Grade: 12
After a Vampyre Tracker marks Zoey as a fledgling, she must move to the House of Night to complete her transformation. There, she soon learns that she has special powers, ones that most ordinary vampyres and fledglings do not have. When she discovers that Aphrodite, the leader of the Dark Daughters, also has been gifted by Nyx and is misusing her power, she realizes that she must embrace her destiny and take Aphrodite down.
This was a good book. It was fun to watch as Zoey settled into her new life and came to the realization that she would never be normal, even for a vampyre.
Grade: 12
This novel is unique. It is a historical fantasy that is almost impressionistic in style and dreamlike in tone. It tells the story of two enchanters who occupy themselves by forcing their respective students into decades-long, painfully drawn-out, life-engulfing…duels? Competitions? Contests? Endurance tests? The rules are vague and the structure of the contest difficult to illustrate, describe, or understand, but the author is so skilled that the reader is drawn in completely, despite the lack of concrete concepts. The mysterious Night Circus of the title is merely the venue for the contest, but it is so compellingly depicted that it pulses with life – almost as if it is a character itself. The real stars are the competitors, however. Celia and Marco – two impossibly gorgeous, talented, and intelligent magicians whose magic is so beautiful and illusory in itself that the reader wishes that it were real, if only to experience the dream which the circus patrons are privileged to witness. The magicians are trapped in a constant battle for something they don’t understand, despite their being drawn to one another and entirely fascinated by the other’s whole being. They strive to win, and, eventually, strive to lose.
The plot is nonlinear, going back and forth in time with almost every chapter, but this is rarely a problem since the chapter headings give precise dates and the chapters focus almost exclusively on one set of characters at a time. The plot is filled to the brim with other fascinating side characters with enchanting plot lines of their own – some are likable, some despicable, all mysterious. The story is woven together intricately. No thread is complete until the final moment, and even then, some enigmatic strings are left hanging, just to give the reader something to think about.
The author does a wonderful job of simply describing – everything. While occasionally the detail is overwhelming and the plot only loosely defined, it makes for pleasurable reading nonetheless. The brief portions written in 2nd-person are spellbinding. Suspension of disbelief is required in enormous quantities, but if you have a good imagination, that should be no problem. Additionally, I found Celia and Marco to be rather boring and unrealistically perfect compared to other characters (the unlikely hero is much more compelling), but that’s part of the charm – the author merely portrays the facts, and the conclusions are left to the reader. If you can briefly relinquish your hold on reality, this book is absolutely magical.
Reviewer Grade: 12
Sebastian's army of Endarkened Shadowhunters is growing day by day. After five institutes around the world are attacked, the Clave holds an emergency meeting to discuss the problem. Whatever they do, they have to act fast. An attack is imminent, and if the war draws out much longer, they may not even have a chance at winning.
I really liked this book. I found Sebastian to be an unnerving character. It was clear that he didn't have any remorse. He was so far gone and determined to get what he wanted that he'd do anything. It was kind of scary to witness. Also, I enjoyed the end. The last chapters were so sad, but the epilogue managed to tie the story up nicely.
Reviewer Grade: 12
After Jace and Sebastian disappear, Clary is worried about Jace's well being. After constant searching with no success, the Clave decides that finding them is not a priority. When this happens, Clary decides that it's time to take matters into her own hands. No matter what anybody else says, she's determined to rescue him; but what if he doesn't want to be saved?
I enjoyed this book. It wasn't as dull as the previous one, but it still was more of a buildup to the finale. It wasn't bad, though.
Reviewer Grade: 12
With Valentine defeated and Clary's mother finally awake, things seem to be finally working out. Sadly, nothing's ever as it seems. Jace has been having nightmares where he hurts Clary, and it's put a strain on their relationship. Meanwhile, somebody is out to get Simon, but his mark protects him. Sinister forces are lurking, and it's only a matter of time before the world comes crashing down around them again.
This book was okay. I didn't find myself as drawn to it as I was to the first three. Honestly, it felt like a filler book that was just there to get the series moving along. While it was necessary, it was also boring. It took a while for the action to actually kick off.
Reviewer Grade:12
To revive her mother, Clary must travel to the City of Glass to find the warlock who brewed the potion that put her mother to sleep. When she misses the portal there, she decides to find a way there herself, even though that means breaking the law, which is punishable by death.
Things are finally coming to an end as Valentine uses all of his power to destroy the shadowhunters. Fighting alongside the downworlders may be the only way to save them all, but can the shadowhunters let go of their prejudice against them enough to accept their help? The fate of the world depends on it.
This series has not disappointed me. It was fun to watch as Clary grew as a character and learned to handle herself. While love can be powerful, it can also be dangerous, and this book just goes to prove it.
Reviewer Grade: 12
Clary may have succeeded in rescuing her mother, but things will never go back to normal for her. Her mother is in a magically induced coma, and nobody knows how to wake her up. Her father is an evil sociopath who wants to cleanse the world of demons, downworlders, and anyone who gets in his way. Her brother is under suspicion by the Clave, who thinks that he's a spy. Sadly, though, her family troubles are the least of her worries.
Somebody has been murdering downworlder children. On top of that, the second mortal instrument, the soul-sword, has been stolen. Nobody knows why, but one thing's for certain - whoever it is that's doing this must be stopped.
I loved this book. To be honest, I haven't been this enticed by a book series in ages. I've always been a fan of things involving the supernatural, so this book is perfect for me. Also, the "forbidden love" aspect isn't bad. After the reveal in the previous book, it's been played out well. I like how the author handled it.
Reviewer Grade: 12
Clary Fray is an ordinary girl with an ordinary life. When she goes out to a club, the last thing she expects is to witness a murder, let alone one that only she can see. The next day, her mother disappears and she finds herself thrust into a world that she didn't even know existed. Now, she must find a way to save her mother without jeopardising the fate of the world as well.
I really enjoyed this book. It has the perfect mix of action, romance, and suspense. I found myself completely absorbed in it from start to finish.
Reviewer Grade: 12