The City of Fallen Angels

Book Blurb
The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She's training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most importantly of all—she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.
But nothing comes without a price.
Someone is murdering Shadowhunters, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second, bloody war. Clary's best friend, Simon, can't help her. His mother just found out that he's a vampire and now he's homeless. Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side—along with the power of the curse that's wrecking his life. And they're willing to do anything to get what they want. Not to mention that he's dating two beautiful, dangerous girls—neither of whom knows about the other one.
When Jace begins to pull away from her without explaining why, Clary is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: she herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.
Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. The stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.

My Review
I have had good luck with books this week, because here is my third 5 star rating in a row!  I really enjoy Cassandra Clare's books, and this one was no exception.  It is the fourth in the City of Bones series (which was originally a trilogy) and it picked up after all of the Valentine conflict had been resolved.  It is told in alternating narratives, so that we see what is happening with Clary, Jace, Simon, etc. 


 I enjoyed this one a great deal, and I am happy that there will be another book in the series after this (well, I'm assuming from the conclusion and all of the cliffhangers).  I really feel bad for some of the characters (ahem, Jace) and would like to see Clare cut them a break once in awhile!  As soon as you feel comfortable with a resolution, it gets yanked away!  But, stories devoid of conflict aren't really worth telling (as I tell my students all the time!) This one is full of drama and conflict, and is another really good book.  There isn't too much I can say about where the story picks up and where it heads that won't totally give away the first three books, so I will just leave it at that. 


I also enjoyed this because many of my students have started reading the series (I had like 10 copies of City of Bones and they have been gobbled up by some of the girls in class).  It's just more enjoyable to have someone else sharing a reading experience with you, and I can't wait for them to catch up and read this latest installment! 5 Stars

The Exiled Queen

 

Book Blurb

Haunted by the loss of his mother and sister, Han Alister journeys south to begin his schooling at Mystwerk House in Oden’s Ford.   But leaving the Fells doesn’t mean danger isn’t far behind.  Han is hunted every step of the way by the Bayars, a powerful wizarding family set on reclaiming the amulet Han stole from them.  And Mystwerk House has dangers of  own.  There, Han meets Crow, a mysterious wizard who agrees to tutor Han in the darker parts of sorcery—but the bargain they make is one Han may regret.

Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana’Marianna runs from a forced marriage in the Fells, accompanied by her friend Amon and his triple of cadets.  Now, the safest place for Raisa is Wein House, the military academy at Oden's Ford.  If Raisa can pass as a regular student, Wein House will offer both sanctuary and the education Raisa needs to succeed as the next Gray Wolf queen. 

The Exiled Queen is an epic tale of uncertain friendships, cut-throat politics, and the irresistible power of attraction.   

My Review

I bought this one immediately after finishing the Demon King.  I think this one is even better than the first, since it takes no time to get 'into' the book.  I spent the first half of the book in agony, waiting for Han and Raisa to cross paths again, and when they finally did, it was worth the wait.  Han is my favorite character- he's bold, self-assured, funny, thoughtful, independent, and loyal.  The next book in the series is out in August- another reason to look forward to the summer.  I'm eager to see what happens to the characters, and how the politics are resolved.  5 stars

The Demon King

Book Blurb
Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for himself, his mother, and his sister Mari.  Ironically, the only thing of value he has is something he can’t sell.  For as long as Han can remember, he’s worn thick silver cuffs engraved with runes.  They’re clearly magicked—as he grows, they grow, and he’s never been able to get them off.  

While out hunting one day, Han and his Clan friend, Dancer catch three young wizards setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea.   After a confrontation, Han takes an amulet from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to ensure the boy won't use it against them.  Han soon learns that the amulet has an evil history—it once belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago.  With a magical piece that powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.  

Meanwhile, Raisa ana’Marianna, Princess Heir of the Fells, has her own battles to fight.  She’s just returned to court after three years of relative freedom with her father’s family at Demonai camp – riding, hunting, and working the famous Clan markets.  Although Raisa will become eligible for marriage after her sixteenth name-day, she isn't looking forward to trading in her common sense and new skills for etiquette tutors and stuffy parties.  

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. But it seems like her mother has other plans for her--plans that include a suitor who goes against everything the Queendom stands for. 

The Seven Realms will tremble when the lives of Han and Raisa collide in this stunning new page-turner from bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima.

My Review

I am sorry to report this book almost became one I never finished!  It took me THREE tries to get into it- I kept reading the blurb and thinking "I should like this!" and then I would start back over at Chapter 1 and see if I could get further....

Finally, Spring Break is here and I had the time and focus to read past the first several chapters  (which are a bit slow).  I LOVED this book once I got into it.  The characters were dynamic, authentic, and all connected to each other in surprising ways.  The politics and history of the world are a bit complicated, and it takes a close read to pick up on everything.  It made a nice challenge for me, since I read Young Adult literature and oftentimes don't have to push myself too hard to make sense of what I'm reading (at times I skim entire passages...yikes).  It was dark and violent at times, and reminded me of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner.  

5 Stars :) I'm so glad I tried this one again. 

The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

Book Blurb

Kate, Michael, and Emma have been in one orphanage after another for the last ten years, passed along like lost baggage.

Yet these unwanted children are more remarkable than they could possibly imagine. Ripped from their parents as babies, 

they are being protected from a horrible evil of devastating power, an evil they know nothing about.

Until now.

Before long, Kate, Michael, and Emma are on a journey to dangerous and secret corners of the world...a journey of allies and enemies, of magic and mayhem.  And—if an ancient prophesy is correct—what they do can change history, and it is up to them to set things right.

The Emerald Atlas brims with humor and action as it charts Kate, Michael, and Emma's extraordinary adventures through an unforgettable, enchanted world.

My Review

I love time travel, and I thought the cover was pretty cute- so I decided to buy this one.  I could not put the book down! 

I enjoyed the writing style (it reminded me of The Benedict Society).  The characters felt real, and were so charming and funny.  The dialogue was revealing and humorous.   It has a timeless quality to it- there were no pop culture references or gimmicks- it was just a great story. 

I can't think of a single bad thing to say about this book, besides the fact that I have to be patient and wait for the sequel.  I can really picture the series taking off, Harry Potter style.  The charming characters, humor, adventure, and 'good wins over evil' theme made me feel like I was reading a classic, even though it's only been out for a week.  

5 Stars

Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren

Book Blurb

Gabriella has never spent a summer in Italy like this one.

Remaining means giving up all she’s known and loved…

and leaving means forfeiting what she’s come to know…and love itself.

 

Most American teenagers want a vacation in Italy, but the Bentarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives with their parents, famed Etruscan scholars, among the romantic hills. Stuck among the rubble of medieval castles in rural Tuscany on yet another hot, dusty archeological site, Gabi and Lia are bored out of their minds… until Gabi places her hand atop a handprint in an ancient tomb and finds herself in fourteenth-century Italy. And worse yet, in the middle of a fierce battle between knights of two opposing forces.

And thus does she come to be rescued by the knight-prince Marcello Falassi, who takes her back to his father’s castle—a castle Gabi has seen in ruins in another life. Suddenly Gabi’s summer in Italy is much, much more interesting. But what do you do when your knight in shining armor lives, literally, in a different world?

My Review

Characters

Gabi was a strong heroine in the story.  She adjusted quickly to her new life in the fourteenth-century, which helped to move the story forward without a hundred pages of her freaking out (I hate that!).  At times she was a bad-ass 21st century girl, and at other times she was very timid.  I didn't always understand why she reacted the way she did, but I did like her and nothing about her disrupted the story for me.    

 

Plot

I had a hard time putting this down!  I really enjoy time travel stories- I remember reading some variation of a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's court as a kid.  Something about time travel just sparks my imagination!  Anyways, I thought it was a nicely written story, and it never made me roll my eyes or groan!  I can't speak to its historical accuracy at all, but the world in which Gabi found herself was fascinating.

Relationship

I liked the love interest, Marcello, but I definitely would have liked to see them together more in the story.  I found myself wondering throughout the book about their future, and what Gabi would decide to do.   I'm really torn about how I want this one to end, so it will be interesting to see what the author does with Gabi and Marcello's relationship. 

Overall

This was 5 stars for me.  I enjoyed it from start to finish, and I can't wait to see what happens in the sequel, it is already on my Amazon Wishlist (along with 200 other books- yikes).  

      

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Book Blurb
In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race's next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin lives with his kind but distant parents, his sadistic brother Peter, and the person he loves more than anyone else, his sister Valentine. Peter and Valentine were candidates for the soldier-training program but didn't make the cut—young Ender is the Wiggin drafted to the orbiting Battle School for rigorous military training.

Ender's skills make him a leader in school and respected in the Battle Room, where children play at mock battles in zero gravity. Yet growing up in an artificial community of young soldiers Ender suffers greatly from isolation, rivalry from his peers, pressure from the adult teachers, and an unsettling fear of the alien invaders. His psychological battles include loneliness, fear that he is becoming like the cruel brother he remembers, and fanning the flames of devotion to his beloved sister.

Is Ender the general Earth needs? But Ender is not the only result of the genetic experiments. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway for almost as long. Ender's two older siblings are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. Between the three of them lie the abilities to remake a world. If, that is, the world survives.

My Review

Characters

Wow- Ender is so complex as a character, I barely know where to begin.  I was reading another review where Ender is critiqued as being an "innocent killer"- who acts in morally reprehensible ways but in situations that make them no fault of his own.  I do agree that Card really pushes the button with Ender as a protagonist.  He is so perfect, so isolated, and I did find myself wondering about him- was I supposed to like Ender?  Is he a hero?  Is he to be blamed for some of the situations he finds himself in?  Ender is a very provocative character, and I still haven't come to terms with what I think of him.

Plot

After reading this book, I discovered it was published in 1985- which provided some context for the story that had me wondering.  The themes of this story are varied- and it is very dense reading at times.  I think that this book would be great for young boys, but they would have to be adept enough to navigate some of the subtleties in the story.  This was definitely a book that stuck with me- I finished it weeks ago and find myself wanting to talk about it with people (but hey, 1985, so apparently it's old news).

Relationship

There aren't any romantic relationships in the book, and actually, Ender is isolated from even friends through most of the book.  The primary relationship was with his sister Valentine, whom he truly loves throughout the years.

Overall

I read this one because some of my students told me it was sooo good.  I went into it pretty blind, and I enjoyed it a lot.  I think it's a great, high interest novel, but definitely for a more sophisticated reader.  I'd give it 5 stars, but I imagine it's a 'niche' book- it just happens to be right up my science-fiction-loving-ally.  

Anna and the French Kiss

Book Blurb

Anna was looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she's less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Etienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Etienne has it all . . . including a serious girlfriend.
But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss? Stephanie Perkins keeps the romantic tension crackling and the attraction high in a debut guaranteed to make toes tingle and hearts melt.

My Review

I loved, loved, loved this book!  This is one of the best books I have read in awhile.  

Characters

I was worried at first about how much I would like Anna.  She was so insecure and whiny in the beginning.  Now, I'm glad that she started that way.  She grew so much throughout the novel.  Character development was at the heart of this.  

Plot

The story was good- the events that took place felt realistic to what a high school senior might experience.  Nothing felt overdone for dramatic effect.  The pace was slow, but I liked that because it allowed for so much of the characterization to take place.  I had moments where I could not put the book down- I was dying to see what happened between St. Clair and Anna.  There was just one thing that made me crazy in the story- an abrupt name change to reflect changing feelings.  That part made me cringe a bit, but besides that I thought the story was very good.  

Relationship

Oh my gosh!  I loved St. Clair and Anna.  This relationship was perfectly done.  They had a beautiful friendship- as much as I was dying for things to go to the next level with them, I was also enjoying their friendship as well.  I loved how good they were to each other.

Overall

Such a good book- 5 Stars :)

Beka Cooper by Tamora Pierce

Book Blurb
Tamora Pierce begins a new Tortall trilogy introducing Beka Cooper, an amazing young woman who lived 200 years before Pierce's popular Alanna character. For the first time, Pierce employs first-person narration in a novel, bringing readers even closer to a character that they will love for her unusual talents and tough personality.

Beka Cooper is a rookie with the law-enforcing Provost's Guard, and she's been assigned to the Lower City. It's a tough beat that's about to get tougher, as Beka's limited ability to communicate with the dead clues her in to an underworld conspiracy. Someone close to Beka is using dark magic to profit from the Lower City's criminal enterprises--and the result is a crime wave the likes of which the Provost's Guard has never seen before.

My Review

O.K. So I love Tamora Pierce's book- they are very near and dear to my heart because they remind me of my childhood.  When I saw this on a book shelf, I was so psyched (I also wondered what rock I'd been living under, since apparently this book has been out for a few years).  I also enjoyed this a lot because I had a physical copy of the book- not a Kindle edition.  This is the first non-Kindle book I've read in a year!  I did notice that I read it much slower than I would read a Kindle book, but nothing really beats a brand new book!

Characters

The characters are at the heart of what Tamora Pierce does.  I loved Beka.  She is so authentic.  Her voice is what really made the book special for me.  With many contemporary or paranormal novels, I often find the heroine to be whiny, or narcissistic, or just incredibly contrived.  The combination of fantasy + Beka just really made this perfect for me.

Plot

The story is told a bit differently than the other Tortall series.  It's told through journal entries (95% of them are Beka's).  Many of the developments are subtle, and it moves forward slowly- definitely a book for more sophisticated young readers.  There are many layers to the story that are woven together.  I thought it was thoroughly enjoyable.

Relationships

This is what makes these books so good.  There doesn't have to be an angsty relationship, or a love triangle to hook you!  That being said, the groundwork is laid for a future relationship that I am really excited about.  I can't wait to see how Beka grows up and into romance.

Overall

I really loved it.  Again- I'm very biased by my love of the whole world of Tortall.  The best thing about living under a rock is not having to wait to read Book #2!  Woo hoo. 5 Stars.

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Book Blurb
In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.
Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?
Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.


My Review
I absolutely adored this book- it was so hard to put it down.  It is by far the best angel Y.A. book I have read yet!


Characters
The characters were so well-done.  NONE of the characters seemed flat to me- and I'm picky about characterization.  I really enjoyed putting together bits and pieces along with Clara to learn about her friends, love interests, and "purpose".  Clara was an extremely likeable, and still realistic, teenager.  I loved the friends that she made in Wyoming, and that the author took the time to build each character so that they felt real.  


Plot
It's hard to talk about the plot with out spoiling, but I'll just say I don't think the book blurb/product description gives it credit- because it makes it sounds so generically paranormal YA.  I'll just say it was tight plotting, and that I can't wait for the next one to see where the story goes- I feel like there is a lot more left to come.  


Relationship
Wow. Wow. Wow.  I loved how Clara's relationship with Tucker developed.  I was reading as fast as I could to see what would happen between them.  Lots of spark, major connection, and perfect pacing.  


Overall
I really loved this one. It's definitely my favorite book so far of 2011.  5 stars