And I Thought My Sibling Relationship Was Rocky

Circle of Fire

Michelle Zink

5 Stars

With time dwindling, Lia sets out on a journey to locate the missing pages of the prophecy and persuade her sister, Alice, to help—or risk her life trying. Lia has Dimitri by her side, but Alice has James. James doesn’t know the truth about either sister, or about the prophecy. And Alice intends to keep it that way. There are some secrets sisters aren't meant to share. Because when they do, it can destroy them both.

First Sentence:

"The gowns are heavy in my arms as I leave my chamber."

This book is one that I've been eagerly anticipating for some time now, and believe me, I was not let down! Circle of Fire had the same mysterious, romantic, haunting quality as Prophecy of the Sisters and Guardian of the Gate. I really admire Lia's character for her ability to be strong and keep forging on, despite all her doubts and all the obstacles she faces. She does her best to unravel the prophecy and fight Samael and the Souls, all the while realizing that maybe she herself is the worst enemy she could have. I also adore how she is breaking free of the constraints of 'proper' society and doing what she feels is comfortable and important, rather than worrying about those who will gossip about her. She has Dimitri by her side, who continues to make girls everywhere swoon with his amazing love and loyalty for Lia. However, the character who really stood out for me in this book was Alice. I've always been fascinated by her "lovely darkness", as Lia puts it, and I really enjoyed seeing different sides of her. Alice isn't just reduced to a role as a flat, unquestionably evil character; she has depth and desires and feelings as well. She made me tear up more than once. The loose ends of several minor characters were also tied up in this book.

Michelle Zink has a real talent for capturing the subtle feelings and nuances in relationships. She portrays Lia's relationships masterfully - Lia and Alice, Lia and Dimitri, Lia and her family, yes, but the most realistic of all was that of Lia and the keys. The bonds and emotions of young girls trying to overcome the betrayals of the past and the uncertainty of the future are perfectly done. You can really understand all of their confusion and anger, and you support them as they try and make their friendship stronger.

The plot continued to be filled with mystery and suspense, as well as some truly terrifying and emotional moments. One thing I love about this series is that the language used isn't overly stylized and complicated in an effort to make it sound like the story is really set in the late 1800's. The language is simple and still perfect for the time period.

I don't want to give anything away, but Circle of Fire really was the exact ending the series deserved. It is an addictive read that is really impossible to put down, and while I am sad that the series is over, I'm also eagerly anticipating A Temptation of Angels!

2 A.M. Musings on Looking for Alaska

Looking for Alaska


John Green

5 Stars

Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words–and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the “Great Perhaps.” Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.

First Sentence:

The week before I left my family and Florida and the rest of my minor life to go to boarding school in Alabama, my mother insisted on throwing me a going-away party.

Warning: SPOILERS BELOW

I am writing this at 2 a.m. Why? Because I've been lying awake in bed for hours, unable to sleep, thinking about Looking for Alaska. I finished reading it earlier today (well, yesterday, technically), but even now, every time I remember certain quotes and certain moments, I either cry or I laugh (mostly cry), because this is a deeply emotional book. I've never sobbed so much while reading, and yet at the end of it, I felt hopeful.

I think part of the reason Looking for Alaska has struck me so profoundly is that it's heartbreakingly real. I know how Miles (Pudge) feels when he looks at his life and feels a need for something more, something beyond the ordinary and mundane - the Great Perhaps. And then Alaska sweeps into his life and shows him the Great Perhaps, changing him forever. But then, what do you do when someone who has altered you like that is suddenly gone? Alaska is messed-up and gorgeous and moody and funny and mysterious and smart and self-destructive and it's impossible not to both love and hate her. And to think that someone like her is just gone - poof - is unthinkable. I've never had a friend of mine die, but reading this book, I was crying and I was angry and I felt that bittersweet ache of remembrance. I was there, right along with Pudge and the Colonel and Takumi and Lara as they laughed with Alaska and played pranks with her and started to understand her and got annoyed at her and then they were left reeling, because she simply wasn't there anymore, and the pain and frustration of that, of not even knowing if she meant to die but knowing that you could have stopped it, is all too real. But there is still hope. They can piece things together again; there will always be an Alaska-shaped hole in each of them, but they can learn to live with it. Forgiveness can happen. They can remember her and learn from her and never completely lose her. As Pudge says, "We need never be hopeless, because we can never be irreparably broken."

This novel deals beautifully with themes of grief, loss, love, longing, guilt, regret, and moving on. I know that I won't ever forget it, and just like Pudge, I won't ever forget Alaska. And we can all make our way out of this labyrinth.

What I Learned from Miss Teen Dream

Beauty Queens

Libba Bray

5 Stars

Printz Award winner Libba Bray is back with a tale that involves a plane crash, national beauty pageant contestants, a secret militaristic corporation, and desert island survival. It’s irreverent and thought provoking, and laugh-out-loud funny. When the Miss Teen Dream Pageant plane goes down over the ocean, there are only a handful of pageant contestant survivors. The girls are divided – should they keep practicing their routines and wait for rescue? Or should they buckle down and try to survive in the tropical jungle they’ve been dropped down in? And what will they do when a band of sexy pirates show up? Or when they find the secret headquarters of The Corporation – sponsor of The Miss Teen Dream Pageant? And what exactly will happen now that they are separated from everything they’ve ever known including eyeliner, high heels, and parents with high expectations? Not to mention lack of food and water. Libba Bray takes readers on an adventure that will make you laugh, make you think, and make sure you never see beauty the same way again.
 
This book...wow. Just plain wow. I knew it was going to be hilarious and quirky and thought-provoking, because all Libba Bray's other books are, but I had no idea it would impact me so strongly! I mean, this was probably the funniest book I've read all year - Libba Bray is a master of satire. Our beauty-and-perfection-obsessed-society is parodied and mocked in such a way that you read a section, immediately laugh out loud, re-read it, and then fall into deep thought, because, hey, it was undeniably amusing, but it sounds awfully, uncomfortably close to real life. I would think about how ridiculous something sounded and then realize that the exact same thing happens in our society all the time. A lot of this clever satire shows up in the form of commercial breaks - yes, commercial breaks - which are quite possibly the best literary device ever. However, even without the comments on society, there were so many snarky, laugh-out-loud moments that I swear I spent half the book in stitches. I loved how each of the characters was unique and had their own story, which made it really interesting to follow their different story arcs and feel for them when they went through ups and downs. I didn't cry for any of the characters, but I felt something that might be better - I felt empowered and I felt proud. Every time one of the girls were discovered their own strength, cast off a label, took control of their own future, or learned to love themselves, I cheered for them and I realized that if they could accept themselves, why couldn't I accept myself? I also adored how the characters were so very diverse. Different races, different backgrounds, different sexual orientations, different genders, different abilities, different hopes, and different views - all of them reflected reality.

It would be so easy for me to make a list of things I learned from Beauty Queens with items like "how to survive on a desert island", "not to make deals with crazy dictators", and "the evil villain's lair is always inside the volcano" - and I did, in fact, learn plenty about those things. But one of the things I adore about Libba Bray's writing is that it's layered. There is something more meaningful under the surface, which is not to say that what's on the surface isn't entertaining and fabulous, but the emotions and themes and significance underneath are so important. So, below is my 'real' list of what Beauty Queens really taught me about myself, about other people, about guys, about feminism, and about society:

• I don't need to be so obsessed with how I look and what other people think of me. What matters is that I accept myself - fat, skinny, tall, short, smart, slow, any race, any gender, any disability, any sexual orientation. I deserve to be confident in myself.
• I don't need to apologize when I express my opinions or talk about how I feel. My thoughts are just as important as anyone else's, so why should I say sorry?
• Society does a lot to objectify females and undermine their self-esteem. Actually, people in general, not just girls. We need to stop letting harmful messages in the media and ridiculous standards define us.
• You don't have to be a female to be a feminist.
• There are guys out there who are jerks, yes. The ones who will objectify girls and disrespect them and then come back and beg for forgiveness. But there are also the guys who will accept girls for who they are.
• People are complicated (I know, you had no idea). But seriously - we're all patchwork quilts of sorrows and joys and hopes and dreams and pains and cruelty and kindness and confidence and self-deprecation. And that means we're all different, and that means that we need to accept each other.
• It's okay to be confused about who I am and what I want - I'll figure it out in the end, and yes, I will make mistakes along the way.

Clearly, I love this book, and it's definitely made a difference in my life and my viewpoint. Go read it! May your nails be perfectly manicured and your catapults well-stocked with stilettos for ammunition.

Holly Black Would So Be an Emotion Worker.

Red Glove

Holly Black

5 Stars

Curses and cons. Magic and the mob. In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth—he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else. That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she's human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila's been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion worker mom. And if Lila's love is as phony as Cassel's made-up memories, then he can't believe anything she says or does. When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue—crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too—they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can't trust anyone—least of all, himself? Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose.

First Sentence:

I don't know whether it's day or night when the girl gets up to leave.

This book is absolute, concrete proof that if Holly Black was a curse worker, she would work emotions. She already has the part about wreaking total havoc on people's minds and feelings down - Red Glove left me not knowing whether to laugh, gasp, or cry (all three of which happened frequently throughout the entire novel). The plot has so many intricate twists and turns; you think you know what's going to happen, you are absolutely sure that you're correct, and then Holly Black springs something new on you and you're left reeling, utterly shocked - and then the process starts all over again.

The mystery is complex, and it clearly has personal consequences for Cassel. I honestly admit that my own guess for the killer turned out to be way off, and that's really what makes the mystery so good - you spend most of the book guessing different people and being stymied by obstacles and distractions, and then when you get to the part where you discover the identity of the murderer, you feel like you should have known the whole time, like "Why didn't I suspect that person? Seems like such a natural candidate now!" The last chapter - well, all but the last few pages - left me feeling satisfied and rather proud of Cassel, which is why I really shouldn't be so shocked that those final four pages were totally heartwrenching. I mean, did I really expect that Holly Black - Holly Black - was just going to leave me feeling all content and relaxed? The last few pages are just as torturous as the end of White Cat. However, I actually really liked it, because I have a feeling that the revelation at the end is going to make for some very, very interesting events in Black Heart.

The world that's created in the Curse Workers series is definitely one of my favorites. It's very complex and realistic, and I honestly have never encountered such a unique system of magic. The curse workers can do different things to people with a single touch, depending on what type of worker they are - luck, dream, physical, emotion, memory, death, or transformation. However, the awesome part is that they don't just get to go around cursing people with no consequences. There's something called blowback, which is kind of like karma - what goes around comes around, and when you work someone, you're affected too (for example, a memory worker works someone and then loses some of their own memories). I love how there are real issues presented; it's not like all the magic and cons are taking place and there's no retaliation from the government or the 'normal' people. In fact, a big part of the novel is about the protests taking place for curse worker rights, and the legal and social repercussions of forcibly testing people to see if they are workers are not. There are people like Governor Patton, who is completely against rights for workers, and people like Mrs.Wasserman, who is a leader in the fight against Proposition 2 (which proposes that everyone be tested). A teacher at Cassel's school is fired for assisting the kids in attending a protest for worker rights. Reality is definitely taken into account here, and I really admire Holly Black for addressing things like political issues and the morality of certain rights for people.

Cassel had to make a lot of decisions in Red Glove, and while not all of them were good ones, they were all incredibly tough to make. There's just so much bearing down on him - the Feds, Zacharov, and Lila, not to mention his own family - that it would be unrealistic if he made the 'good' decision all the time and stayed on high moral ground. Honestly, he's a pretty screwed-up person - I mean, with his upbringing and what his family put him through, how could he not be? However, it's impossible not to sympathize with him, even if he is scamming people left and right. And so when he does something that isn't 'good', I support him, because he shows that it's not always easy to distinguish between good and bad, and he's just a kid trying to figure it all out. You root for him every step of the way, emotionally messed-up con artist or not.

The characters in the Curse Worker series are fantastic. They seem very real, as if they could be your closest friends and your worst enemies. They're all well-constructed and have depth; you understand their conflicts and the motivations behind their decisions. You love them and hate them and yell at them for doing stupid things, but you never feel like they're unnatural or unrealistic. I adore Cassel. He's tortured and having a pretty rough time - he faces all of these crazy problems that most people will never have to deal with (like being coerced into becoming a murderer by his family), and yet he also has to figure out high school and friendships. There's this dark, bad-boy demeanor to him, this dangerous aura, that scares some people and makes others fall for him, but that's not the reason the reader is on his side - it's the fact that he's just as confused as the rest of us, just trying to figure things out. It's hard not to root for him, no matter what kind of murky moral future he faces. Then, there's Lila. Lila is possibly my favorite mobster ever. She's the daughter of crime boss Zacharov, and she knows she's got power. However, she does love Cassel (or does she?) and that means we also get to see a more vulnerable side of her. She's adventurous and beautiful and smart and conflicted and has serious problems, but there's no doubt that I love her anyway. Sam and Daneca were fairly minor characters in White Cat, but they're more important in Red Glove, and I really liked getting to know them better. I found myself anticipating seeing more of Sam's humor and Daneca's passion about her beliefs, and watching their relationship grow was sweet and later, heartwrenching. I also really like how Holly Black's cast of characters is diverse (and the Jace shoutout was great).

I love how the themes in Red Glove are so well-addressed. There are definitely some really powerful ideas in there, including messages about consent, family loyalties, and the thin line between right and wrong. While all of those ideas were really fascinating, the family issues are something I really enjoy discussing, because after all, these people are your family, your flesh and blood. They're supposed to be the ones you trust and love, and no matter what, they're supposed to be there for you. But what about when your family is completely crazy, in the illegal sense, and they've done so many things to you - forced you to become a murderer, stolen your memories, cursed the girl you love to love you back - what happens then? They're still your family, right? Or do you refuse to stand by them? Do you even have a choice when it comes to your family? These are all prickly issues, and they have only served to strengthen my insane love for families in YA (see: my obsession with Sarah Rees Brennan's The Demon's Lexicon series).

The crime in this series...well, I'm a sucker for the mob and for con artists, and when this awesome magic system comes into the picture, there's no way I can resist. The scams are very realistically done - I was actually rather tempted to try some of them, just to see if they would work. Cassel uses his smarts just as much as he uses his working ability to get away with things and con people, as do all the other workers, his mom especially. It's obvious that working people is an art, as is conning them, and it takes time and practice to develop it. It's not just about magic, it's also about influencing people and using sleight of hand.

The phrase 'emotional roller coaster' is used a lot, but I truly think that this book embodies it. I was deeply invested in the characters and in the story; I found myself gasping at each new twist in the plot and sighing at emotional encounters and bad turns for characters. I laughed at the witty banter, and towards the end, when Cassel had a rather difficult talk with Daneca concerning Lila, I realized that there were tears sliding down my face as I came to fully understand the decision that was being made. I was truly drawn into the dark, dangerous world from the very beginning, and the novel kept me in its grip until the very last page. There was amusement and shock and anguish and pain, all written so artfully that you felt these things just as strongly as Cassel himself.

There is no doubt that Red Glove was amazing. After finishing White Cat, I seriously doubted that Holly Black could outdo herself with the sequel, but here, she definitely has. If you haven't picked up this series yet, do yourself a favor and read it now - you won't regret it!

Mad Cows

Going Bovine

Libba Bray

5 Stars

All 16-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school—and life in general—with a minimum of effort. It’s not a lot to ask. But that’s before he’s given some bad news: he’s sick and he’s going to die. Which totally sucks. Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there is a cure—if he’s willing to go in search of it. With the help of a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf and a yard gnome, Cam sets off on the mother of all road trips through a twisted America into the heart of what matters most. (quoted from goodreads)

 First Sentence:

 "The best day of my life happened when I was five and almost died at Disney World."

I cannot even describe how much I love this book. It's this crazy, wonderfully loopy, charming, sardonic, deep, unique mess - but it's a good mess, if that makes any sense at all. It is beautiful and touching and hilarious and one of the best books I have read in a long, long time. This is the kind of book I can tell I'm going to reread again and again, not precisely to comfort myself because I know what happens, but to once again immerse myself in the delight and tears and love of it. So, having gushed about it extensively, I should tell you why I love it so much.

1. Cameron. He has such a unique voice - very real and sarcastic. I got him from page one, I understood exactly what he was talking about. Maybe I don't have a dysfunctional family or smoke weed in high school fourth-floor bathrooms or act totally apathetic, but I still get Cam.

2. The other characters - Dulcie, Gonzo, Balder, Cameron's family, Dr. X, even the nurse who takes care of Cameron (Glory) and the hitchhikers that are picked up on the road - I feel like I know each and every one of them, no matter how relatively small their parts are. They all have depth and emotion and their own story.

3. The plot. It is just so wild and wacky without ever seeming too overboard. I mean, think about it. A teen who pretty much hates life is diagnosed with a fatal disease, but after a vision from an angel, he sets out to find a cure for said disease. He takes along with him a dwarf named Gonzo and they're supposed to find someone named Dr. X. Along the way, they discover musicians, overly happy people, a gnome who is really a Viking god, lots of physicists, and much more insanity. But you never doubt it, you just go along for the ride. It's absolute magic.

4. The meaning underneath. You know, some books push people to take in their theme and realize something important about human nature or the fate of the world. For example, The Boy Who Cried Wolf is very clear in its message - don't lie, or horrific things will happen to you. But Going Bovine is so subtle and beautiful that it doesn't push anything on you. But all the same, when you reach the end, you are crying and promising yourself that you will live as fully as possible, that you will never ever forget how precious life is.

5. The hallucinatory nature of it. There were times when I couldn't tell what was real and what wasn't, because reality and hallucinations and were mixed together to the point where it didn't matter which was which. The whole thing is so dreamy and surreal.

Needless to say, I adore this book. Go read it, and you won't be sorry!

Baker's Dozen

Thirteen Reasons Why


Jay Asher

5 Stars

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers cassette tapes made by Hannah Baker - his classmate and crush - who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list. (quoted from Barnes & Noble website)

First Sentence:

"Sir?" she repeats. "How soon do you want it to get there?"

Oh, this book. It tore me apart and reduced me to tears, and yet I adore it so much, because it feels so real and gritty and doesn't sugar-coat anything. Jay Asher's writing is simply superb - I was drawn into Clay and Hannah's lives instantly. And as soon as I finished the novel, I had a terrifying moment when I realized that there could be a Hannah at my school, and I could be one of the reasons she decided to end her life. Without it even being intentional, I could make a light comment or casual remark and send this person's whole world crashing down. It's kind of horrifying to realize the immense power you can have over someone's psyche. The story is narrated both by Clay and by Hannah, and over the course of the book, I realized that while Hannah was already gone, I understood her almost better than I did Clay, the narrator who was actually alive. She tells her story with such pain and clarity that you can't help but sympathize with her, to agree with her as she strips down the layers of hypocrisy and lies and social drama that surround her classmates and show them for what they really are, in the end: people who drove her to such despair that she ended her own life. Although the thirteen people who caused Hannah to commit suicide were, of course, subjected to my instant anger, it was also hard not to sympathize with them, and not just because twelve other people were finally learning how twisted up and cruel they were. No, it was hard not to sympathize with them because many of the decisions they made, the ones that made Hannah feel like an outcast and shut her out and tore her down, were decisions that I felt like I could have made. Not that I would ever want to, but if I had no idea about the consequences of my actions, I would be perfectly easy making those decisions or saying those things. Like being friends with someone and then ditching that person and moving on to a better friend. I've done that, but until I read this novel, I never realized the true depth of hurt it can cause someone to hear that they're not good enough, that they're being cast off like an outfit that's not trendy anymore. That's probably the nicest thing that happens to Hannah as one of her reasons. Also, the suspense in this book was the kind that constantly keeps you wondering and fearing, for the characters, but also for yourself, because you have no idea how the next development will make you feel. The novel is just a roller coaster ride of emotions, of highs and lows and humor and loss and deep, bittersweet feeling. It's powerful and honest and touching, and readers will no doubt see themselves in these pages in one way or another. It's not an easy read. It made me put it down quite a few times because I wasn't quite sure I wanted to know what was coming, or because I had to wipe the tears from my eyes, but I always picked it back up again, if only because I felt that I owed that much to Hannah Baker.

Mobs & Curses & Cons, Oh My!

White Cat

Holly Black

5 Stars

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers — people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail — he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago. Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen. Holly Black has created a gripping tale of mobsters and dark magic where a single touch can bring love — or death — and your dreams might be more real than your memories.(quoted from goodreads)

First Sentence:

"I wake up barefoot, standing on cold slate tiles."

This book is evidence that Holly Black is a master of the con. Seriously. I cannot count how many times this book tricked, shocked, and twisted. It is a thing of beauty to read a book so suspenseful and mysterious that you get to the end of it and go, "I cannot believe what just happened. I must reread it now!" and then promptly be conned again by the beautiful writing and subtle intricacies and lifelike characters. Obviously, I loved this book! First of all, it was the unique world that drew me in. It was like nothing I'd ever heard of before - curse workers, people who could force us to love someone we hated or break our leg instantly, just with a single touch. But these workers aren't all-powerful because a) curse-working is illegal and b) they suffer 'blowback' every time they work somebody. Hooked yet? But once I got past  my fascination with the world, it was the characters that I really loved. Each and every one of them was realistic and relatable. Cassel felt like someone who I could perfectly understand, despite his many conflicts and struggles. I really appreciated how difficult it must be for him - having a criminal family but trying to stay normal, hating the working but being enticed by the beauty of a perfect heist or the exhilarating success of a con, despising himself for killing Lila but not being able to move on. The smaller characters were also well-developed and made me feel like I knew them, too. Then, there was the plot itself. Beautifully done. Truly a complex story that gives all sorts of twists and turns, while managing to never be confusing or muddled. It definitely plays some intricate tricks on both your mind and Cassel's. The quality of Holly Black's writing is such that it just draws you into her dark, humorous, and unexpected world to such an extent that you feel it could be your world, that you live and dream in it yourself. And finally, after raving about the premise and characters and plot and gorgeous writing, I have one more thing to gush about - the real-world issues. I adored the way this book didn't just take off on a high-fantasy roller coaster ride, ignoring the laws and ideas of the real world. No, this book faced those issues head-on; one of the important points of the novel is how the government is trying to get curse workers identified (remember, curse working is illegal) and new tests that scientists have developed to determine if you are a worker or not. Another thing that comes up is students banding together and protesting for equal rights for curse workers. Holly Black also doesn't shy away from using the mild racial humor that all real teens use, like having an Asian character say that he'll understand the complicated betting ring Cassel has set up because " 'we Asians are all math geniuses' ". The feel of this book is so real and gritty and has a sort of dark, tongue-in-cheek humor about it - it's absolutely heartwrenching (especially the end!) and mysterious and gorgeous. Definitely one you should pick up! The second book, Red Glove, comes out on April 5, 2011 - cover here.

Lovely Demons

The Demon's Lexicon and The Demon's Covenant

Sarah Rees Brennan

5 Stars

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. (quoted from goodreads)

First sentence of The Demon's Lexicon:

"The pipe under the sink was leaking again. It wouldn’t have been so bad, except that Nick kept his favorite sword under the sink."



I read these books, the first two in Sarah Rees Brennan's The Demon's Lexicon trilogy, having heard much about her beautiful style of writing and lifelike characters. I really wasn't expecting it would be as good as everyone said it was - things rarely live up to their hype. However, I was absolutely blown away by these novels! From the very beginning, I fell in love with each of the characters, not to mention the way the plot always had me on the edge of my seat, wondering what would happen next. Just when I thought I knew what was coming, a new twist was thrown in and I was left completely shocked, quite literally gaping in surprise. The first book definitely ends with a huge bombshell, and I thought Sarah Rees Brennan did an amazing job building up the suspense and mystery. Also, the mythology that she created is so very enticing, because it's so different from what we usually read about. Magicians bartering innocent lives for power from the demons? Totally unique, which makes learning more about this magical world an absolute delight. And the characters - oh, the characters! I know it's so cliche to say that I loved each and every one of them, but I did. Mae, Jamie, Nick, and Alan all feel like my old friends now, the kind you constantly squabble with and make fun of and cry with. Jamie - I cannot count the number of times I wanted to give him a hug, or the number of times he made me laugh so hard I couldn't breathe. Mae is just so strong and quirky, and I adore her for it. Nick - well, Nick is so tough and sarcastic on the outside, but he has some very dark secrets, some of which even he doesn't know. And Alan...Alan is sweet and frustrated and loyal and just a little bit twisted. (And readers will no doubt swoon for both Nick and Alan!) I really appreciated that Jamie was a gay character, since those are so rare in most genres. It's great that Jamie's main conflict is definitely not that he's gay - it's not even a conflict, actually, just a part of who he is. I also love that The Demon's Lexicon is told from Nick's point of view, but The Demon's Covenant is told from Mae's. I thought they were the perfect characters to tell that particular section of the story. I love how each of the characters seems so real, so that it hurts you to watch them get hurt, and you feel joy for all their triumphs and pain for their losses. After finishing the second book, I am anxiously awaiting the third book, The Demon's Surrender, which comes out around May or June in 2011 (cover here). This series is definitely one you should not miss! ;)