Bella is very curious about edward and she wonders why he is acting very strange. I'm readingTwilight,the stephanie meyers series. Published by little brown and published in 2005 Twilight is about a girl named Bella swan, she is very shy at first because she moves to Forks from arizonathen she meets a boy in highschool named Edward cullen. Bella meets 4 people who eventually become her friends then she starts to open up. Then when Bella was standing by her car and then all of a sudden a van comes sliding down the ice then Edward stops the van with his hand. When Bella gets home from the hospital she knows something is wrong with Edward. Then when she asks he comes up with a bunch excuses. Then halfway through the book Edward asks Bella if they are friend she says sure. If you like fantasy books i think this would be a very good book for you.
Goodreads Summary: "There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark's Eve," Neeve said. "Either you're his true love . . . or you killed him."
It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive. Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them-not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her. His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble. But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He has it all-family money, good looks, devoted friends-but he's looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys. My Review: I love most everything by this author. I really enjoyed this story--but I didn't love it. One of the author's strengths is creating characters true to themselves, and true to the 'real world' and I guess I didn't feel that 100% of the time with these characters. At least not to the degree that I felt with Scorpio Races and The Wolves of Mercy Falls series. That being said, this is a story wrapped in mystery. I am compelled to read the next book. I want to know how Blue will relate to Gansey, and what it means for the future for both of them.
Goodreads Summary: Beware of Long Lankin, that lives in the moss. . . .When Cora and her younger sister, Mimi, are sent to stay with their elderly aunt in the isolated village of Byers Guerdon, they receive a less than warm welcome. Auntie Ida is eccentric and rigid, and the girls are desperate to go back to London. But what they don't know is that their aunt's life was devastated the last time two young sisters were at Guerdon Hall, and she is determined to protect her nieces from an evil that has lain hidden for years. Along with Roger and Peter, two village boys, Cora must uncover the horrifying truth that has held Bryers Guerdon in its dark grip for centuries -- before it's too late for little Mimi.
My Review:
I just finished the second book in The Monstrumologist series by Rick Yancey, The Curse of the Wendigo, when I began to read Long Lankin. I was looking for something scary, but not as disturbing as that story. On the whole, it delivers. The story starts slowly, and after the first 100 pages I was frustrated. But when the creepy whispers about a monster become true, and Cora seems to be convinced that she is mad, things get interesting. There were quite a few areas that I had to reread because I was just plain confused. Towards the end, there is a massive unloading of information that seems to make everything fit, that took a few passes for me. Overall, if you can handle the slower parts, there is a payoff in this story.
Goodreads Summary: Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.
Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.
Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.
My Review:
When I thought about reading this book, I was a little worried it would fall into the cookie-cutter mold we are starting to see in fantasy/sci fi for young adults (you know-strong but reluctant heroine, some romance, monsters, etc.). And it has those things, but it has much more.
Setting: Ravka is clearly based on Russia. Setting is becoming more important in YA novels, and Bardugo does a great job building a desolate and scary land. It is a land ruled by nobility that is selfish and childish.
Characters: Alina is believable as a heroine, mainly because she recognizes that she is not perfect. She knows that there is much she doesn't know about herself and that she has made-and will make-mistakes. She tries to do what is right for the masses, but knows it won't be worth it unless she takes care of herself, too. She reminds me of one of my favorite heroines, Katsa from Graceling.
The Darkling is a great character as well...but I'm not going to say much about him since a large part of the experience of this book, for me, was figuring out his story.
It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.
A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography,Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows
My Review: If you like the strange and creepy-this book is perfect for you. If you are a fan of horror movies with a lot of build up-this book is for you, too. If you like having photos to increase the believability of what you are reading-well, you get the point.
A twist of sci-fi and fantasy, with some historical fiction splashed in, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Chiildren seems to have a little bit for all readers. The setting of a creepy island that seems cut off from the rest of the world enhances the feeling of dread in the story. The descriptions of Jacob's surroundings paint a picture for the reader that is hard to shake.
Jacob himself is kind of a bland character, but the advantage of that is that he becomes easily identifiable to reader. Who doesn't love their grandfather and feel frustrated with their parents? The "peculiar children" also make up for Jacob's unexciting beginning.
The plot is what will really pull you into this story. It takes some time for the author to build up, but the plot is complicated enough that you need that background to understand what happens toward the end.
A definite read for anyone who doesn't get scared too easily!
Goodreads Summary: When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?
This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .
Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.
My Review: A few notes before I let you know what I think of this story: 1-I hate this cover. It has a purpose; you have to see the Shadowhunter tattoos to understand what she is describing and to get a good picture. It makes it seem like a girly book, which I don't really find it to be. 2-Most people either love or hate this book. I would not say I am in either camp, but I did like the book. I was interested and invested, so I continue to read the series and still enjoy it.
I liked the plot, especially with the quick opening and interesting twists that come about. The characters needed some work after the first book. I thought Simon was the most interesting and unique of the main three, and feel like the author did a better job developing Clary in the rest of the series. Sadly, I was never really sold on the character of Jace and found him to be a bit irritating. There are some parallels to the Twilight Saga that I could take or leave-although Clary is much more likeable, as a girl who is ready to take care of herself , then Bella Swan.
Goodreads Summary: Jason Walker has often wished his life could be a bit less predictable--until a routine day at the zoo ends with Jason suddenly transporting from the hippo tank to a place unlike anything he's ever seen. In the past, the people of Lyrian welcomed visitors from the Beyond, but attitudes have changed since the wizard emperor Maldor rose to power. The brave resistors who opposed the emperor have been bought off or broken, leaving a realm where fear and suspicion prevail.
In his search for a way home, Jason meets Rachel, who was also mysteriously drawn to Lyrian from our world. With the help of a few scattered rebels, Jason and Rachel become entangled in a quest to piece together the word of power that can destroy the emperor, and learn that their best hope to find a way home will be to save this world without heroes.
My Review:
This book starts off with a bang. When Jason falls into the mouth of the hippo to go to Lyria my heart was pounding. I like how Mull ventured away from the urban fantasy-fantasy where the setting is our world-to one where he creates a world of his own.
Lyria is a confusing place at times, but Jason is a compelling hero that you want to root for. He is not a genius, but he is smart. He is not superathletic, but he is a good baseball player. He is an everyday kind of kid, which made me want to cheer for him more. He finds his own bravery, which makes Lyria a magical place.
While the description makes this book seem like the typical quest book, it really isn't. Jason doesn't know where he is going or why for much of it-he just wants to find shelter and a way home. It is very relatable; I kept thinking that I would react in a very similar way to the situation as Jason. In this way, he reminded me of Alfred Kropp (one of my favorite anti-heroes of all time).
Goodreads Summary: Since their mother's death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane.
One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives.
Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them —Set— has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe - a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.
My Review:
I have enjoyed Riordan's other young adult books, and I was not disappointed when I gave this one a try. My favorite thing about this author is how he crafts supporting characters-I liked Percy a lot, don't get me wrong. But I loved Grover. His commitment to his charge and great sense of humor made him a likeable character.
That said, I liked Sadie and Carter but found their characters a little one dimensional. It especially seemed that the author was trying to make them the exact opposite of each other, which ended up feeling a little fake at times. I did like their Uncle Amos-his character is intriguing to say the least. I also really enjoyed the use of Egyptian gods and goddesses. I am not as familiar with them, but Riordan sets it up so that you learn along with the characters.
Indiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his suffering mother's beside. She's been stricken with something old-timers call "Milk Sickness."
"My baby boy..." she whispers before dying.
Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother's fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire.
When the truth becomes known to young Lincoln, he writes in his journal, "henceforth my life shall be one of rigorous study and devotion. I shall become a master of mind and body. And this mastery shall have but one purpose..." Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.
While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving a Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for hundreds of years. That is, until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln, and became the first living person to lay eyes on it in more than 140 years.
Using the journal as his guide and writing in the grand biographical style of Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough, Seth has reconstructed the true life story of our greatest president for the first time-all while revealing the hidden history behind the Civil War and uncovering the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of our nation.
My Review:
My husband had to spend a great amount of effort in convincing me to read this book. I kept putting it off, thinking that it was such a cheesy concept. I mean, really-the iconic 16th President of the United States- a vampire hunter? Well, I admit, I was wrong.
After reading many books where vampires are depressed teenagers, this takes an awesome twist towards excitement. Grahame-Smith doesn't just take Lincoln and make him a vampire hunter. He uses everything that we know about Lincoln, especially his heartache from his family and drive to end slavery-and shows how he was motivated by revenge against the vampires he so hated. With great voice and fast-paced action, I would recommend this to anyone (as long as they can stomach the violence).
Goodreads Summary: In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen year- old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...
My Review: This story takes the idea of one's life flashing before your eyes to a new level. I must start by first saying, as someone who has been in a car accident, the details and vivid description given during that moment made me shake. It was so scary and sad-and so well written. The battle that Mia wages within herself, watching herself fight and wondering if it is time to just give up is heart-wrenchingly real. It is the story of choices and family, including what actually makes someone family.
Goodreads Summary: Anya could really use a friend. But her new BFF isn’t kidding about the “Forever” part . . . Of all the things Anya expected to find atthe bottom of an old well, a new friend was not one of them. Especially not a new friend who’s been dead for a century. Falling down a well is bad enough, but Anya’s normal life might actually be worse. She’s embarrassed by her family, self-conscious about her body, and she’s pretty much given up on fitting in at school. A new friend—even a ghost—is just what she needs. Or so she thinks. Spooky, sardonic, and secretly sincere,Anya’s Ghost is a wonderfully entertaining debut from author/artist Vera Brosgol.
My Review:
Again, I am not really a graphic novel reader, but if Neil Gaiman suggests something, I will probably try it out. This book has some funny parts, and I like how Brosgol was able to show the complexities of real high school friendships using Anya and Emily-even though Emily is a ghost. I have a tough time when I don't like the main character that much, though. And I really didn't like Anya. She is mean and self-loathing which makes her tough to root for. However, I did like how the author showed a transformation in her personality.
Goodreads Summary: Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up in a bus full of kids on a field trip. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper and a best friend named Leo. They’re all students at a boarding school for “bad kids.” What did Jason do to end up here? And where is here, exactly? Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, ever since she had that terrifying nightmare. Piper doesn’t understand her dream, or why her boyfriend suddenly doesn’t recognize her. When a freak storm hits, unleashing strange creatures and whisking her, Jason, and Leo away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood, she has a feeling she’s going to find out. Leo has a way with tools. When he sees his cabin at Camp Half-Blood, filled with power tools and machine parts, he feels right at home. But there’s weird stuff, too—like the curse everyone keeps talking about. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist that each of them—including Leo—is related to a god. Join new and old friends from Camp Half-Blood in this thrilling first audio book in The Heroes of Olympus series.
My Review: I really enjoyed the new twist-or addition- to the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. As readers, this book gives us the opportunity to continue in story we love, but gives it a fresh new feeling. It helps those of us who felt 'that can't be it' at the end of the The Last Olympian understand that there is so much more to come in the land of the gods.
I realized with my last post about Stiefvater's newest novel that I had not taken the opportunity to write about one of her earlier published works-Lament. While I did not enjoy this book, or its sequel Ballad as much as The Wolves of Mercy Falls series, they were still good book choices.
Goodreads Summary: Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand—one who can see faeries. Deirdre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy who enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of thin air. Trouble is, the enigmatic and gorgeous Luke turns out to be a gallowglass—a soulless faerie assassin. An equally hunky—and equally dangerous—dark faerie soldier named Aodhan is also stalking Deirdre. Sworn enemies, Luke and Aodhan each have a deadly assignment from the Faerie Queen. Namely, kill Deirdre before her music captures the attention of the Fae and threatens the Queen's sovereignty. Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend. Deirdre had been wishing her life weren't so dull, but getting trapped in the middle of a centuries-old faerie war isn't exactly what she had in mind . . .
Lament is a dark faerie fantasy that features authentic Celtic faerie lore, plus cover art and interior illustrations by acclaimed faerie artist Julia Jeffrey.
Review: I enjoyed this book, and found glimpses of Stiefvater's writing-style from The Wolves of Mercy Falls series. I liked James the best of all the characters. Parts of him-the goofiness and loyalty- reminded me of my favorite Harry Potter character, Ron Weasley. This is a great few books if you are looking for something with Celtic lore-faeries and romance.
The Scorpio Races is a new book by Maggie Stiefvater, author of the Wolves of Mercy Falls (Shiver, Linger, and Forever) that I love so much. It isn't out yet, but this description was posted on Goodreads, with another fantastic trailer on YouTube.
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen
Welcome to the Sweet Tooth Ice Cream & Candy Shoppe, where the confections are a bit on the . . . unusual side. Rock candy that makes you weightless. Jawbreakers that make you unbreakable. Chocolate balls that make you a master of disguise. Four young friends--Nate, Summer, Trevor, and Pigeon--meet the grandmotherly Mrs. White, owner of the Sweet Tooth, and soon learn about the magical side effects of her candies.
In addition, the ice cream truck driver, Mr. Stott, has arrived with a few enchanted sweets of his own. But what about the mysterious man in the dark overcoat and fedora hat? Why are all these "magicians" trying to recruit Nate and his friends? Who should they trust?
The mystery deepens and the danger unfolds as the four youngsters discover that the magical strangers have all come to town in search of a legendary, hidden treasure--one that could be used for great evil if it fell into the wrong hands. The kids, now in over their heads, must try to retrieve the treasure first. And so, the war begins . . .
Review: Who knew candy and little old ladies could be so dangerous! The main group of characters are funny and relatable. They mesh well together but are different enough that every reader can find someone they identify with. There are some parts that are pretty terrifying, but not too many that it takes over the book.
This is another book where the cover is very deceptive. It wasn't until after I read and loved the Fablehaven series that I decided to read this book. I also had a former student literally shove it into my hands on the last day of school and make me promise to read it.
Goodreads Summary:
When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy finds out her mother might've been telling the truth. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - and it's one she's not sure if she wants to be a part of.
Review:
I enjoyed this self-published book a great deal. Wendy is not perfect-she's even kind of a brat-but you still want what is best for her. I really enjoyed her brother Matt and his fierce loyalty. This book reminds me of a cross between Twilight and The Replacement. I have a paperback of this book, but they are now currently unavailable until 2012 because they are being republished by a company. It might be a little wait for the sequels in this trilogy-Torn and Ascend- are republished.
The small town of Cryer’s Cross is rocked by tragedy when an unassuming freshman disappears without a trace. Kendall Fletcher wasn’t that friendly with the missing girl, but the angst wreaks havoc on her OCD-addled brain.
When a second student goes missing—someone close to Kendall’s heart—the community is in an uproar. Caught in a downward spiral of fear and anxiety, Kendall’s not sure she can hold it together. When she starts hearing the voices of the missing, calling out to her and pleading for help, she fears she’s losing her grip on reality. But when she finds messages scratched in a desk at school—messages that could only be from the missing student who used to sit there—Kendall decides that crazy or not, she’d never forgive herself if she didn’t act on her suspicions. Something’s not right in Cryer’s Cross—and Kendall’s about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried.
McMann’s Cryer’s Cross is hauntingly creepy and scary, but yet, original and refreshing. It’s dark and mysterious with its unique concept; mysterious disappearances happening in a small town.
Constantly, McMann throws mind baffling twists and turns that are totally unexpected. Cryer’s Cross is plot-driven, it was the one that drove the whole story to flow and work. Also, McMann’s writing is so distinctive and dominant writing, that it is easy for readers to feel the emotions of the characters. The only lowlight to the way McMann brought this story together is that she could have thrown in more hints or a little more knowledge on what happened to the people who were missing.
Refreshing and interesting, Kendall’s OCD added so much to the story. It was easier to get her personality through. The fact that she had to deal with so many compulsions, but yet was able to stay calm on the outside was pretty fascinating. Jacien, at the start, was a jerk. He shined his angriness that he had moved to the town.
The relationship between Kendall and Jacien was, not surprisingly, startling. McMann’s way of building up romance in a story has never ceased to amaze me. When Kendall and Jacien immediately start to connect, Jacien unfolds and starts to change.
Cryer’s Cross is a haunting thriller that psychological horror enthusiasts are sure to enjoy. A great stand-alone from McMann!
When Tom Harriman dies, the nation mourns a hero. When Tom Harriman dies, Billy also mourns a hero-but that hero happens to be his father. His dad worked for the president, and was always there to keep things under control. After his plane crashes, Billy knows something is wrong. Heroes don't just die in accidents.
Billy insists on pretending that he is moving on after this horrible family tragedy, but in reality he is searching for answers. He believes that his father's accident was no mistake. While he continues to look, Billy himself is beginning to change. He is faster, stronger, more confident. What he doesn't realize is his father's deepest secret, he was an actual superhero, is going to be revealed to him. He will know because his superhero powers are now being passed on to Billy.
I enjoyed this quick read by Mike Lupica. It is a daring thing to branch away from his usual topic of sports (although they are referenced quite a lot during the story) into one of superheroes. It is not my favorite superhero book, but the idea of powers being passed on (see Thirteen Days to Midnight) is an interesting one. It seemed like this book wrapped up way to quickly, with a large realization at the end that wasn't explored as much as it should have been. I hope that there is more about Billy and his new life in a follow-up book. I believe this is a good opportunity for fans of Lupica's other works to read a fantasy story.
I am sad to say that there are books that I dig my heels in and say, "No, I'm not going to read that. I will never read that." Usually it is because of the impression I get from the cover, or the things I have read about it from other people. Well, I need to learn that these often become my favorite, or at least well-liked books, in my library.
This book is a perfect example. The first in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series is the beautifully written story of Grace and Sam, two that are destined to be together. Sam saved Grace when a wolf-pack attacked her when she was just a child. He checked on her every winter after that. Grace saw him, but never knew who he was, because she only saw him when he was a wolf.
Sam is a werewolf, but the moon doesn't cause him to change form. Instead, heat and cold force him from human to animal. During the winter he is trapped in his wolf body. Soon, the time he stays there will become longer and longer, until he doesn't change back to a person.
This is the story of how they meet as people and fall in love. It is propelled by beautiful description, unique but believable characters, and storyline that may sound like one you've heard before-but definitely is not.
Ethan is tired of living in the small Southern town of Gaitlin, a place her rarely gets away from, and is counting the days until graduation when he can be long gone. The loss of his mom still pains him every day. Life is boringly normal, except for his dreams- dreams that are more like visions. The drowning girl and his unsuccessful attempts to save her. Waking up covered in mud, drenched in river water.
When Lena Duchannes shows up in town, Ethan is even more bewildered. Why is the girl from his dreams here? How can she be the niece of the local nut? Life seems to spinning out of control, and when he discovers the true secret behind the new girl, it spins a million times faster.
Some people are totally turned off when they hear about this book-it sounds like any other cursed paranormal romance that is out there. But it isn't. It is so much more. For starters, as unbelievable as the story may be, the characters seem one-hundred percent real. They do things that you could see yourself doing, sadness seeps through their their thoughts, happiness glows. The setting acts as another character all together. The small Southern town captures the secrets of those who live there, young and old, and pulls you under.
