The Death Cure

The Death Cure
By James Dashner

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Thomas knows that Wicked can't be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test.

What Wicked doesn't know is that something's happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can't believe a word of what Wicked says.

The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine.
Will anyone survive the Death Cure?

My Review:

The Maze Runner Trilogy is one of my favorite series ever. The Death Cure is the third and final installment in the trilogy, and also one of the best. It manages to keep up the intense pace of the previous books The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials. One of my favorite things is that the book is completely unpredictable. You turn one way and you end up where you started. In The Death Cure, you finally know the answers to all the mysteries. Dashner does an amazing job of keeping you hooked.

In this trilogy, Dashner creates a world on the brink of destruction. The sun was bumped closer to earth, so the world started to overheat, and to make things worse, there is a deadly disease called the flare on the loose. It affects people's brains, making them slowly go crazy. The company, WICKED is having a group of teenagers go through Trials to find a cure to the flare. The books are placed in the future, although it never says when, exactly.

There are interesting twists and turns in the book, all ending with a nice conclusion. I had a very hard time putting the book down, even to eat. I think that anyone who loves a suspenseful, action-adventure book will be addicted to Dashner's series. I highly recommend it.

My Rating:

41/2 Stars

Profanity: Mild

Sexuality: None

Violence: Moderate

Drugs/ Alcohol: None

The Demon King

The Demon King

By Cinda Williams Chima

Synopsis(from cindachima.com):

     When 16-year-old Han Alister and his Clan friend Dancer encounter three underage wizards setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea, he has no idea that this event will precipitate a cascade of disasters that will threaten everything he cares about.
      Han takes an amulet from one of the wizards, Micah Bayar, to prevent him from using it against them. Only later does he learn that it has an evil history—it once belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. And the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.
     Han’s life is complicated enough. He’s the former streetlord of the Raggers—a street gang in the city of Fellsmarch. His street name, Cuffs, comes from the mysterious silver bracelets he’s worn all his life—cuffs that are impossible to take off.
Now Han’s working odd jobs, helping to support his family, and doing his best to leave his old life behind. Events conspire against him, however. When members of a rival gang start dying, Han naturally gets the blame.
      Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana’Marianna has her own battles to fight. As heir to the Gray Wolf throne of the Fells, she’s just spent three years of relative freedom with her father’s family at Demonai Camp—riding, hunting, and working the famous Clan markets. Now court life in Fellsmarch pinches like a pair of too-small shoes.
     Wars are raging to the south, and threaten to spread into the high country. After a long period of quiet, the power of the Wizard Council is once again growing. The people of the Fells are starving and close to rebellion. Now more than ever, there’s a need for a strong queen.
But Raisa’s mother Queen Marianna is weak and distracted by the handsome Gavan Bayar, High Wizard of the Fells. Raisa feels like a cage is closing around her—and an arranged marriage and eroded inheritance is the least of it.
     Raisa wants to be more than an ornament in a glittering cage. She aspires to be like Hanalea—the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. With the help of her friend, the cadet Amon Byrne, she navigates the treacherous Gray Wolf Court, hoping she can unravel the conspiracy coalescing around her before it’s too late.
My review: 
     This book was amazing! I loved it. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I bought it before I returned the copy I was borrowing. While not my favorite(The Way of Kings holds that role) this book has definitely earned its place on my shelf.
      The world building in this book is quite well done, creating a world where, just like in reality, history has been broken and scattered. There are regional references(such as calling the northerners savages), and frequent misunderstandings as to perception versus reality. In other words, this world is realistic(other than magic). You see the some of the same flaws in the book's characters as you do in real people and situations.
     The characters in this book are great. you have as the two main characters the stubborn princess(Raisa) and the good thief(Han). Their stories remain seperate except for choice encounters. Each is attached to a faction, the two of which oppose each other. Han to the wizards and Raisa to the Clans. The two however have a common enemy, Raisa due to her faction, and Han due to a personal grievance or two. There is far more depth to each, and to discover more you will simply have to read the book.
     The plot of this book is filled with excitement. You discover things that the characters took for granted, as they go wrong.  It is truly a wonderful book and I highly suggest it to all fantasy lovers. Enjoy!

My rating:

4 1/2 stars
Profanity: None
Sexuality: Mild
Violence: Moderate
Drugs and alcohol: Mild

The Eleventh Plauge

The Eleventh Plague

By Jeff Hirsch

Synopsis(from Barnes & Noble):

In an America devastated by war and plague, the only way to survive is to keep moving.
In the aftermath of a war, America’s landscape has been
ravaged and two thirds of the population left dead from
a vicious strain of influenza. Fifteen-year-old Stephen
Quinn and his family were among the few that survived
and became salvagers, roaming the country in search of
material to trade for food and other items essential for
survival. But when Stephen’s grandfather dies and his
father falls into a coma after an accident, Stephen finds
his way to Settler’s Landing, a community that seems too
good to be true, where there are real houses, barbecues,
a school, and even baseball games. Then Stephen meets
strong, defiant, mischievous Jenny, who refuses to
accept things as they are. And when they play a prank
that goes horribly wrong, chaos erupts, and they find themselves in the midst of a battle that will change Settler’s Landing forever.
My review: 
    This book failed expectations horribly. I thought that it was going to be a good book but it wasn't. It was rather lousy. I am surprised that this managed to get published as YA. It's middle grade at best, possibly even younger. There was absolutely no depth to this book. The wold was minimalist, the plot did not twist, it was rather predictable, and the only character of any interest was the grandfather, who coincidentally, was dead by the time the book starts.
     There was no real good/evil definition either. It seemed Hirsch wanted to make an everyone against the protagonist environment, where the protagonist slowly accumulates friends. Instead he ends up with everyone switching around allegiances, and the reader becoming confused as to why there is no real evil to focus on. The antagonist appears twice in the entire book.

     Jeff Hirsch, I'm sorry but your book was not worth reading. Perhaps this book would have been received better had the audience been chosen a little better. I would recommend this to 5-7th graders, but that's about it. If you want a good dystopian, go read Maze Runner, or Divergent.

My rating:

2 stars
Profanity: None
Sexuality: Mild
Violence: Moderate
Drugs and alcohol: Mild

Saga

Saga

By Conor Kostick

Synopsis(from front cover of book):

      Ghost is part of an anarcho-punk airboard gang who live to break the rules. And there's a good reason—their world, Saga, has a strict class system enforced by high-tech electronics, armed guards, and a corrupt monarchy.

      But something is changing within saga. Strangers are appearing and disappearing on the streets, like some kind of special effect. Soon ghost and her gang learn the complicated truth. Saga isn't actually a place; it's a sentinent computer game. The strangers are “playing” from their home on New Earth, and access to saga works on them like a drug. The dark queen who rules Saga is trying to enslave the people of new earth by making them saga addicts.

      And she will succeed unless Ghost and her friends—and Erik, from Epic and his friends—figure out how to stop her in time.

My review:

      An enjoyable book with a fascinating world. This is the second book in the series, and while it could nearly stand alone, one of the key variables could not be understood without the book before it. Please note that I think the first book in this series was slightly better. Both books are set in a world in a world. This book is set in the world of saga, which is a sentient computer game set in a future colony in space. 

     Each character is unique and well crafted, the main character being full of feeling and emotion, elation and confusion. Not only are the characters well done, but the plot is a ride, learning and finding things out, finding several peices of the puzzle are missing, and once inserted, they create a very enjoyable tale.

    One thing I disliked about this book was the lack of utilization of technology. Kostick did not fully utilize all his resources in my opinion. I thought his sprinkling of fantasy was perfect, but he lacked true flair while writing science fiction parts of the story. 

     This was a read that should be enjoyed by fantasy and science fiction lovers alike. Go flop on a couch, begin the story in Epic and continue the tale throughout Saga and future worlds. 

My rating:

4 stars
Profanity: None
Sexuality: Mild
Violence: Mild
Drugs and alcohol: Moderate

Intrinsical

Intrinsical

By Lani Woodland

Synopsis(from back of book):

      Sixteen-year-old Yara Silva has always known that ghosts walk alongside the living. Her grandma, like the other females in her family, is a Waker, someone who can see and communicate with ghosts. Yara grew up watching her grandmother taunted and scorned for this unusual ability and doesn’t want that to be her future. She has been dreading the day when she too would see ghosts, and is relieved that the usually dominant Waker gene seems to have skipped her, letting her live a normal teenage life. However, all that changes for Yara on her first day at her elite boarding school when she discovers the gene was only lying dormant. She witnesses a dark mist attack Brent, a handsome fellow student, and rushes to his rescue. Her act of heroism draws the mist’s attention, and the dark spirit begins stalking her. Yara finds herself entrenched in a sixty-year-old curse that haunts the school, threatening not only her life, but the lives of her closest friends as well. Yara soon realizes that the past she was trying to put behind her isn’t going to go quietly.

My review:

     The book starts off fast, with an attack, and moves very quickly, keeping you hooked the whole time.  The plot is very action oriented, written so that you see the book like a movie in your mind.  While the character interactions are a little stereotypical, Woodland more than makes up for it in interesting plot twists and thinking outside the box.  

My rating:

      4 stars
Profanity: very mild
Sexuality: very mild
Violence: mild
Drugs and alcohol: mild

BUY IT NOW

The Water Wars

The Water Wars

ByCameron Stracher

Synopsis(from back of book):

      In the not-so-distant future, the most precious commodity on the planet has become water. After Canada dammed most of the rivers flowing into the states, the US collapsed in to separate warring republics hoarding water (Minnesota, Illinowa, among others). The land is plagued by pirates, violent environmentalists, and political thugs, all competing for control of the small water supplies. Sixteen-year-old Vera only knows about pirates and dams from school, but she knows that water is the most precious thing in her life. She is used to only having enough water to live but never enough to quench her thirst. So when she sees a boy poor water onto the ground in the middle of a public street, she is shocked. But he says there is more, lots more, and he knows where it is. Before he can show Vera his secret river, he is kidnapped, and Vera sets out to find him.

My review:

      A bit short of a book, it seemed a tad juvenile. This book really isn't as much for the story as it is for the message it contains. Its focus is to convey to us the importance of conserving our resources. Additionally it was a bit short, or it seemed that way at least. There simply was not enough time to bond to most of the characters.

      While in the end you grew a small fondness for a few of the characters, most of them were a bit shallow. None had anything truly meaningful to say, and most of it was slightly repetitive. The plot moved slowly at first, but picked up speed about halfway through.

      A book that could be picked up in passing, but nothing special. The only object of true depth that it has is the political message the author wants to convey.

My rating:

      3 stars
Profanity: mild
Sexuality: mild
Violence: mild
Drugs and alcohol: mild

Evil Genius

Evil Genius

ByCatherine Jinks

Synopsis(from back of book):

      Cadel Piggott has a genius IQ and a fascination with systems of all kinds. At seven, he was illegally hacking into computers. Now he's fourteen and studying for his World Domination degree, taking classes like embezzlement, misinformation, forgery, and infiltration at the institute founded by criminal mastermind Dr. Phineas Darkkon. Although Cadel may be advanced beyond his years, at heart he's a lonely kid. When he falls for the mysterious and brilliant Kay-Lee, he begins to question the moral implications of his studies for the first time. But is it too late to stop Dr. Darkkon from carrying out his evil plot? And is he really who he says he is?

      An engrossing thriller with darkness and humor, freaks and geeks, Evil Genius explores the fine line between good and evil in a strange world of manipulations subterfuge and sinister plots that will crack you up as evil never has before.

My review:

      A bit crude for my taste, but a good novel. I disliked the foul mouthing, and honestly it was a major distraction to my enjoyment of the novel. Another thing that bothered me was the changing of Cadel Piggot. He starts out as a unscrupulous hacker and becomes more morally correct than everyone but one person in his life. It simply doesn't happen. Aside from the reality separation and language problem it was a decent book. The story line was well thought out, and she wrote well.

      I think that her characters could use some work, because as I stated before, they are slightly unrealistic. I enjoyed the fact that the villain could have become Cadel, but instead became the much darker Dr. Darkkon, and his college of cronies. If swearing is an issue for you, I would advise you to steer clear of this book. If not, enjoy!

My rating:

      3 1/2 stars(would be higher, but had distracting levels of profanity)
Profanity: Moderate
Sexuality: Mild
Violence: Mild
Drugs and alcohol: Mild

Incarceron

Incarceron

By CatherineFisher

Synopsis(from cover of book):

     Incarceron is a prison unlike any other:its inmates live not only in cells, but also in metal forests, dilapidated cities, and unbounded wilderness. The prison has been sealed for centuries, and only one man legend says, has ever escaped.

     Finn, a seventeen-year-old prisoner, can't remember his childhood and believes he came from outside Incarceron. He's going to escape, even though most inmates don't even believe that Outside even exists. And then finds a crystal key and through it, a girl named Claudia.

     Claudia claims to live Outside-her father is the Warden of Incarceron and she's doomed to an arranged marriage. If she helps Finn escape, she will need his help in return.

     But they don't realize there is more to Incarceron then meets the eye. Escape will take their greatest courage, and cost far more than they know.

My review:

      An inventive book with a fresh concept, I enjoyed the variety that it offered. I loved the fact that she didn't let anything limit her. She allowed concepts to flow freely, and while her book is not the best I have ever read, it was well worth my time.

      This book is a clean, enjoyable book, set far off into the future. So far that they pretend to be in the past, so that they can diminish problems. I enjoyed the characters and the lopsided growth or realization of relationship. Her characters were real they were the kind you believe could exist in life. A rebellious teenager, and one tied to his friends and declared brother.

      Creativity is rampant in this novel, combining both future and past to create the opposite of steam-punk. A world full of technology, but those in it have reverted into the past by law. A read that will draw you in, into the very mind of Incarceron.

My rating:

     4 stars
Profanity: None
Sexuality: Very mild
Violence: Mild
Drugs and alcohol: None

The Way of Kings

The Way of Kings

By Brandon Sanderson

Synopsis(from back of book):

     Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.

It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars are fought for them, and won by them.
One such war rages on a ruined landscape called the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin, who traded his medical apprenticeship for a spear, has been reduced to slavery. In a war that makes no sense, where ten armies fight separately against a single foe, he struggles to save his men and to fathom the leaders who consider them expendable.
     Brightlord Dalinar Kholin commands one of those other armies. Like his brother, the late king, he is fascinated by an ancient text called The Way of Kings. Troubled by overpowering visions of ancient times and the Knights Radiant, he has begun to doubt his own sanity.
Across the ocean, an untried young woman named Shallan seeks to train under the eminent scholar and notorious heretic Jasnah Kholin, Dalinar's niece. Though she genuinely loves learning, Shallan's motives are less than pure. As she plans a daring theft, her research for Jasnah hints at secrets of the Knights Radiant and the true cause of the war.
     The result of more than ten years of planning, writing, and worldbuilding, The Way of Kings is but the opening movement of the Stormlight Archive, a bold masterpiece in the making.
Speak again the ancient oaths,

Life before death.
Strength before weakness.
Journey before destination.

and return to men the Shards they once bore.
The Knights Radiant must stand again.

My review:

     This is my all time favorite book. Its world building is incredible(it should be, he spent ten years on it), the characters are all do realistic, and it is incredible how three stories can run simultaneously and still be spectacular. You grow to love each character, and it is hard to let them go when the book finally ends. I love this book. Robert Jordan(Author of the Wheel of Time series) may have a similar writing style to Brandon Sanderson, but it isn't the same. Brandon Sanderson pulls you in deeply he shows great mastery and his writing is far from repetitive.
     In fact, one of the best traits Brandon Sanderson has is his creativity. This book is unlike any other. It has a world far from explored. We learn as the main characters do. Some of what they learn is already known in the world, and some is not, but all is new to the readers. Sanderson masterfully blends together what the characters need to know and what we want to know.
      This is an all around fantastic book that I would recommend to nearly any fantasy lover. It has a wonderful plot, incredible characters, and a world you will never want to leave. Enter this detailed world and open The Way of Kings.

My rating:

      5 stars
Profanity: Mild
Sexuality: Mild
Violence: Moderate(no gore)
Drugs and alcohol: Mild

Matched

Matched is a fantastic book written by Ally Condie I highly recomend this book for boys and girls. Its about a girl named Cassia and she lives in a society where they basically dont have free will and have to live by what the government chooses for them. Its really interesting and got me thinking about our society and world.
5 out of 5 there isnt anything graphic except for the girl gets kissed a couple of times but there isnt any detail about it.

Review for The City Of Fallen Angels, book 4 in the mortal instruments series

This book was so good that I wouldn't put it down, from start to finish it was amazing. It as written by Cassandra Clare. The main characters were mostly Simon and Clary in this one. They each have trials and things that they go through and it had me dreaming about it when I had to go to bed. There wasn't anything I didn't like except the fact that the end is a cliffhanger so if you don't like those beware! 

Violence:3 out of 5 a few people are killed. But not to graphic.

Intimacy: 3 out of 5 Clary and jace have a couple of part were they kiss.

 Over all: 4 out of 5. Very very good, highly recommended for all ages.

The Princess Bride

The Princess Bride By William Goldman

Synopsis(from back of book):

      As Florin and Guilder teeter on the verge of war, the reluctant Princess Buttercup is devastated by the loss of her true love, kidnapped by a mercenary and his henchmen, rescued by a pirate, forced to marry Prince Humperdink, and rescued once again by the very crew who absconded her in the first place. In the course of this dazzling adventure, she'll meet Vizzini--the criminal philosopher who'll do anything for a bag of gold; Fezzik--the gentle giant; Inigo--the Spaniard whose steel thirsts for revenge; and Count Rugen--the evil mastermind behind it all. Foiling all their plans and jumping into their stories is Westley, Princess Buttercup's one true love and a very good friend of a very dangerous pirate.

My review:

     "Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest ladies. Snakes. Spiders. Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles." This book was not quite as good as the movie. However, this might because I am well familiarized the movie and made constant comparisons. Despite these unmet expectations, the book was quite good, and included much humor that was not in the movie, and could not have been transferred into the movie.
     Anyways, moving away from movie comparisons, the character development in the book was well done through a series of short flashbacks(in the case of Fezzik and Inigo) or a simple review of family, personality and habits(in the case of Prince Humperdink, and Miracle Max). The characters also developed in the story. Sadness killed all passion, then joy returned it all and more. Desperation grew, finally overflowing into an outburst of anger, once calmed, a decision of taking matters into one's own hands. A rise and a fall, a tragic past, and many mysterious futures.
    This tale is by no means new, in fact, it is nearly thirty years old. But that allows it to have a kind of tone and ideal no longer present in contemporary books. It feels old, and it fits. I love the feel of a story from long ago. I has the feel of a fairy tale with a streak of reality. It simply stands out from other books, and I love it for that.
     This book is from an age already gone. However, it is still a book worth reading, and if you have not watched the movie, read the book first. I hope you enjoy your wonderful adventure, the "good parts" version of S. Morgenstern's classic tale.

My rating:

      4 1/2 stars
Profanity: Mild or none
Sexuality: Mild
Violence: Moderate(no gore)
Drugs and alcohol: Very Mild

Review for paranormalcy

I recently read Paranormalcy by Kiersten White. I enjoyed this book much more then i usually do with other books. It is about Evie, a girl who can see through paranormal glamors. There isn't anyone else who can which is why all of the paranormal agencies want her. The fight over her across the country was so great that eventually they all combined and created IPCA the international paranormal containment agency. She goes on bag and tag missions to retrieve the paranormals that haven't been tagged yet. Her life has stayed almost the same since IPCA first brought her in until a mysterious boy breaks in, not only that but the paranormals start getting killed and no one knows why. Now Evie must find out why it's happening, and time is running out.
I easily give this a 5 I literally had dreams about this book. It flows very well and the authors thought in writing this was very creative. I wasn't able to put it down until i was completely done, and when it was over i wished it hadn't ended. I highly recommend it to all readers.

Beutiful Creatures

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl is a very interesting book, very different from my usual read.

It is about a boy named Ethan Wate and he has been dreaming of a girl that he has never met or seen before, he is the star player of the basket ball team at his school. He lives in the small town of Gatlin were nothing ever changes, until Lena comes into the town. Ethan and Lena go on an "adventure" falling in love every step of the way. Lena isn't exactally what she seems and neither is anyone in her family. Her birthday is coming up and that day could change everything for Ethan and Lena.

I give this book a 4 out of 5 i recommend it for boys and girls. The Authors have both used history in a way to pull everything in this book together. It is very creative and an addicting read. I recommend for all ages.

The Horn of Moran

Adventurers Wanted: The Horn of Moran

By M. L. Forman

Synopsis(From Goodreads):

The land of Norsland is on the brink of war as two men have each claimed the throne. Only the true king can sound the Horn of Moran and prove his nobility. But the horn has been lost for years. If it is not found—and soon—it could mean the destruction of an entire nation. Young Alexander Taylor joins a band of seasoned adventurers who have been called up to retrieve the legendary Horn of Moran. Their journey to the mysterious Tower of the Moon will take them through an enchanted forest, into battle against a goblin army, past the watchful eyes of griffin guards, and face-to-face with a sphinx and her deadly riddles. With his sword, Moon Slayer, and the wise counsel from his wizard mentor, Whalen Vankin, Alex must use all his wizard and warrior skills to slay a darkness that may consume them all. 

My review: 

     This was a very enjoyable book. While the first in this series was a bit of a dud, this book was a significant improvement on the author's part. The first book dragged a little, the protagonist, Alex, seemed invincible, and the characters remained largely undeveloped. In this book, The Horn of Moran, everything changed. The plot becomes much more interesting, Alex developed flaws(that make sense, and act as if they were simply not so blatant in the first book), and he developed the characters that needed development, making sure that the risks were to those characters that he developed, as to pull on your heartstrings a little.
      The largest problem with this book, is that the way it is written is a bit closer to middle grade than young adult. the second largest problem is the book before it. I think that you would still understand the book fairly well if you skipped the first book, but I advise against it, because it is never good to start in medias re, when the author doesn't put you there. 
      The story revolves around the main character, and his relations and growing power. Most of the other characters are largely undeveloped. However, several of those in the 'adventuring party', those closest to Alex, that become developed as they push Alex along his path.
     This is an enjoyable book and well worth reading. The main plot is clear from the beginning, but the unpredictability comes in what happens, and is learned along the way. Alex is true character, with flaws and traits, ideas and difficulties, and while he is somewhat bland in the first book, he has gained a flavor to savor. If you are a fantasy lover, you'll enjoy this light read.

My rating:

Profanity: None
Sexuality: None
Violence: Mild
Drugs and alcohol: Mild

Forbidden Sea

The Forbidden Sea by Sheila Nielson
Here's the what it says on the inside cover:

When, one stormy night, a mermaid comes to take Adrianne Keynnman's sister, Cecily, down to the depths of the sea, Adrianne knows she must fight with every ounce of her strength to protect her little sister. On land, Adrianne toils away, trying to eke out a living for her mother, sister and aunt, after a tragic accident stole her father. Now, life takes a strange and frightening turn as Adrianne's dreams are filled with the mermaids singing.
When it becomes clear that it isn't Cecily that the mermaid wants, Adrianne wonders how she can protect her family from their superstitious island community as the mermaid attempts to lure her into the sea, night and day.
In this powerful tale of heartache and redemption, a girl born on land must choose between the promise of an underwater paradise and her loyalty to those she loves.

Now here's the first few lines of the book:

Pelting rain battered against me, stinging my skin and eyes, almost driving me backwards, Forcing myself to continue, I felt my way down the slick rock face one foot at a time. I clung to the cliff face a moment, crying into the dark squall raging around me.
"Cecily! It's Adrianne. Can you hear me?" The force of the storm shoved the words back into my mouth, the desperate cry lost in the roaring of the wind. Had she been even a few feet away, my little sister wouldn't have heard me.
"Cecily!"
Hot frustration burned at my eyes and mingled with the freezing rain. Crying wouldn't do Cecily any good. Neither would huddling against the side of a rock, shivering in my soaked and clinging dress. I needed to find her. Forcing my frozen fingers to uncurl, I began my descent once more.

I loved this book. When I first got my hands on it, I couldn't put it down, and read the entire day. It is a very captivating story that kept my interest up. I would highly recommend this book to all fantasy lovers.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Profanity: None
Sexuality: None
Drugs and Alcohol: None
Violence: Mild

The Demon's Lexicon

The Demon's Lexicon

By: Sarah Rees Brennan

Synopsis(From Goodreads)

     Nick and his brother, Alan, have spent their lives on the run from magic. Their father was murdered, and their mother was driven mad by magicians and the demons who give them power. The magicians are hunting the Ryves family for a charm that Nick's mother stole -- a charm that keeps her alive -- and they want it badly enough to kill again.
     Danger draws even closer when a brother and sister come to the Ryves family for help. The boy wears a demon's mark, a sign of death that almost nothing can erase...and when Alan also gets marked by a demon, Nick is desperate to save him. The only way to do that is to kill one of the magicians they have been hiding from for so long.
     Ensnared in a deadly game of cat and mouse, Nick starts to suspect that his brother is telling him lie after lie about their past. As the magicians' Circle closes in on their family, Nick uncovers the secret that could destroy them all.
     This is the Demon's Lexicon. Turn the page.

My Review:

     The Demon's Lexicon, a book whose main theme is that of teenage emotional self-discovery, with a fantastic twist of course. Great book, very enjoyable. Character driven, but demons and magicians allow the plot to flourish. Nick, the protagonist is "cold" and views the world in an emotionally detached state. All he seems to care about is the safety of his odd family consisting of him, Alan and their mother. Alan, Nick's brother, is kind, caring, trusting and helpful to Nick and those around him, including total strangers. The two are about as different as you can get physically as well. Nick is large and muscular, while Alan is small and skinny.

     This book is full of surprises; interesting twists and turns that pull the reader into a world of complexity and confusion, that overlaps our own. Only small amounts of the book are predictable, and those small parts are created such as to make everything else less predictable. Nothing is quite what you expect in this book but all of it is believable.

     The author my not be the best at world building, but the small, detailed set she does create, is not noticed much, due to her entrancing characters. In the cast of main characters, we have a woman who is practically insane, a nearly emotionless boy, a very emotional boy, a person hinted at being gay, and a punk-like girl. Quite the unusual cast if you ask me.

     All considered, this is a spectacular first book. The world is not as creative, ingenious and complex as I normally like, and the plot may be a tad linear, but the book was well written with the main character coming to life before your eyes. A book well worth reading.

My Rating:

Profanity: Mild
Sexuality: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol: Mild
Violence: Moderate

The Shadow Project

The Shadow Project(A Shadow Project Adventure)
By: Herbie Brennan

Synopsis(From Goodreads)
Danny Lipman is a thief . . . until one night he robs the wrong house. He inadvertently breaks into the headquarters of the Shadow Project, a secret government organization where teenage spies are trained to leave their bodies, using astral projection to travel around the world on deadly missions.

Danny is captured, but the Project leaders quickly realize he has a special gift. And when a key operative—the director's daughter, Opal—goes missing, he is offered a choice: join the Shadow Project or go to jail.

Danny joins and is quickly sent to investigate the Project's current target: a worldwide terrorist organization known as the Sword of Wrath. But as he gets deeper in, he discovers both the Project and the Sword of Wrath are far more than they seem. Danny and his fellow operatives are caught up in an ancient supernatural conflict and will have to learn how to survive in a world without boundaries of space or time, where the wrong choice could be their last.


My review:
Imagine an Olympic runner flying down the track. As you examine him closer you realize there is something funny with his shoes. One of his laces is tied in a poor, loose knot. This is kind of what the book makes me think of.

He is an amazing author, who is neglectful of one important things: his characters. Only one of his characters has any depth, and it's not the main character. His attempt at romantic notions falls flat on its face because of the lack of character development. One other minor flaw is the climax. The climax is there, and it works, but it isn't an impressive finale that makes you desperately want to read more of his books.

Now as a bit of redemption to Herbie Brennan, his book did have a fascinating spin on the unknown of the human mind. He takes out of body experience(OOBE) and makes it a far more complex realm than it ever was considered to be in reality. One other thing he did very well was keeping the energy level high. His climax may be lousy, but he kept you interested. He does this by merging various cultures and ideas together. He takes old, worn down concepts like secret organizations, spies and thieves, melds them with modern fears like terrorism and the secretiveness of the CIA, and then mixes in tribal ideas such as witch doctors and non-Christian gods. What he ends up producing is a book in which the only real failing is its lack of depth.

My Rating:
 

Profanity: Moderate

Sexuality: Very Mild

Drugs and Alcohol: None

Violence: Mild

Clockwork Angel

Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1)

by Cassandra Clare

Synopsis (From Goodreads):

Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

My Review:

I LOVE THIS BOOK! It is my new favorite and I can't wait for the second one to come out! It was quite creative and original and an awesome read. Cassandra Clare did a great job describing things just enough that you could imagine the story in your head and really get sucked in. I could definitely tell that she did her research on London in the 1800s (which is where the book is set), she nailed it and actually made me feel as if I was in the 1800s.

I love her characters, she obviously knows a bit about psychology and how to make someone fall in love with a fictional character :) . My favorite character is probably Jem, because hes so calm and sweet and understanding, though I love Will's humor. Jem is the only one who can put up with Will and keep him slightly less in trouble. Tessa (the main character) is a great heroin, she isn't a sniveling coward, she is brave, strong willed and questioning. I think its hilarious how she's always bugging Will with a bunch of questions. Will is someone who has "lost everything", he hides behind a wall, he pretends to be a jerk and a womanizer, but really he's just sad and unhappy.

Spoilers:

One of the things that I liked was the shockers, Cassandra threw in things that I just was not expecting. First, Tessa gets kidnapped by these two creepy ladies (which wasn't really a shocker, but I'm going from the beginning so that those of you who haven't read this won't be so confused), then we find out that Tessa has this magical power to transform herself into other people, Then we learn that shes going to be forced to get married to the "Magister", then Will busts in to rescue her, then a bunch of gross secrets are uncovered about the Dark Sisters (creepy kidnapper ladies), then we find out that theres this whole other magical world that mundanes (regular humans) don't know about, with angels and demons and all knids of creatures, then there are all kinds of lies and secrets uncovered until he very end of the book (and I mean the very end, as in last page end), and so on and so forth until things get really shocking in a "?!?!?!?!?!?!?!" kind of way.

I hate how she ended it because it really didn't resolve a whole lot, I mean sure, Tessa isn't in immediate danger anymore, but that doesn't mean she should end the book! In my mind she stirred up a whole lot more conflict than she resolved, with Will being such a jerk and all ( and I really wish she hadn't written that part because it made me MAD!).

Overall its an amazing book and if you haven't read it yet you really should. It has some great elements to it.

(Its set in the 17th century and she sticks to character so its obviously not going to be that bad)

Profanity: Mild

Sexuality: Mild

Drugs and Alcohol: Mild

Violence: Moderate