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!

Tassels Are Bad

Abandon


Meg Cabot

2 Stars

Seventeen-year-old Pierce knows what happens to us when we die. That's how she met John Hayden, the mysterious stranger who's made returning to normal life - or at least life as Pierce knew it before the accident - next to impossible. Though she thought she escaped him - starting a new school in a whole new place - it turns out she was wrong. He finds her. What does John want from her? Pierce thinks she knows... just like she knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven. But she can't stay away from him, either, especially since he's always there when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most. But if she lets herself fall any further, she might find herself back in the place she fears the most. And when Pierce discovers the shocking truth, that's exactly where John sweeps her: The Underworld.

I had such high expectations for this book, but I was totally disappointed. I'd read only one of Meg Cabot's books before, but it was excellent - the protagonist was strong and funny, the plot was interesting, and the characters were realistic and charming. And on top of that, I am a huge Greek mythology lover. So I was excited - a new retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth? Bring it on. However, the protagonist in Abandon, Pierce, annoyed me from the start. She spends 2/3 of the book referring to "the accident" and "the incident" without telling us what happened, and instead of creating suspense, this technique just results in irritation. I found myself wishing she would get on with it and tell an actual story already. And nothing actually happens until the last 1/3 of the book - and even then, there aren't many answers, just questions. The whole book felt like nothing but a setup for the future books in the series - one big long prologue to the story.

The love interest, John Hayden, was a stereotype. He's tall, dark, handsome, possibly unbalanced, and a flat character. He basically shows up in Pierce's life whenever she needs him, causes some mayhem, and then disappears. They don't seem to have much chemistry and there isn't much relationship-building, but all the same, there's the typical scene where "his lips came down over mine" and suddenly she's so in love and can't live without him, etc.

However, the history of Isla Huesos and the tradition of Coffin Night were intriguing to learn about, and I do give the book props for characters who were diverse in race, class, and background. The ties to Greek mythology were also interesting when they appeared - the little things, like Pierce's father being powerful like Zeus, and Pierce's mother caring for the environment like Demeter.

I think that my overall impression of this book is that it had a lot of potential, but never lived up to it. Possibly the most I got out of it is the idea that tasseled shoes are very, very bad. While I didn't like Abandon much, I do have hopes that the sequel, Underworld, will be more satisfying.

Killer Unicorns

Rampant

Diana Peterfreund

4 Stars

 
Forget everything you ever knew about unicorns . . . Astrid Llewelyn has always scoffed at her eccentric mother's stories about killer unicorns. But when one attacks her boyfriend—ruining any chance of him taking her to prom—Astrid finds herself headed to Rome to train as a unicorn hunter at the ancient Cloisters the hunters have used for centuries. However, all is not what it seems at the Cloisters. Outside, unicorns wait to attack. And within, Astrid faces other, unexpected threats: from bone-covered walls that vibrate with terrible power to the hidden agendas of her fellow hunters to her growing attraction to a handsome art student . . . an attraction that could jeopardize everything.

 First Sentence:

"I will never really leave," said the unicorn.

Rampant is a very unique read. I must say, I've never been particularly predisposed towards unicorns, but the ones in this book...well, they definitely held my interest. Because these unicorns are not sparkly, rainbow-farting, sunshine-and-joy forces of good. They are deadly. And the only people able to hunt them are virgin descendants of Alexander the Great (who, by the way, rode a unicorn). So the premise of Rampant was what drew me in, but the protagonist, Astrid, is what kept me devouring the book. Astrid's perspective is refreshing; she's realistic and relatable and not at all eager to go to Italy and learn how to kill unicorns. But her mother is of a different opinion, and so she is shipped off and, along with a band of other girls who have been found eligible, she starts lessons in unicorn-hunting. While I liked how each of the girls were from different countries and backgrounds, I often got confused about their personalities and mixed them up, which was very irritating. I feel like their characters should have been more distinct and developed better.

The girls' encounters with the unicorns were fascinating, suspenseful, and at times, downright terrifying. This book has plenty of action and I really admired how the girls are strong and totally kick-a**. Not all of it was fighting and gore, though; I loved Astrid's relationship with her cousin Phil, as well as her romance with Giovanni. Rampant dealt very well with ethical issues, both in the real world and in the story world. Are all unicorns bad? Should they be preserved instead of killed, seeing as they're an endangered species? What about medicinal uses? In addition to these questions, topics like choice and feminism are also explored.

While the world created in Rampant is fascinating, sometimes the world building felt excessive. There was all this information and history that was being given to us in large loads, and it got to the point where it sometimes became dull.

However, Rampant is still a unique, fascinating read, and I look forward to reading Ascendant.

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!

I Will Never Look at a Mango the Same Way Again.

City of Fallen Angels

Cassandra Clare

4 Stars



City of Fallen Angels takes place two months after the events of City of Glass. In it, a mysterious someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and displaying their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters, leaving tensions running high in the city and disrupting Clary’s plan to lead as normal a life as she can — training to be a Shadowhunter, and pursuing her relationship with Jace. As Jace and Clary delve into the issue of the murdered Shadowhunters, they discover a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever. Meanwhile, internecine warfare among vampires is tearing the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.

 First Sentence:

"Just coffee, please."

Cassandra Clare's books are some of my favorites, ever. I've been known to draw runes on myself. I constantly attempt to rope other people into reading them. I spend hours on the phone discussing plot twists and characters and scenes with my friends. When I got the chance to attend a signing of Cassandra Clare's back in April, I nearly died of excitement. Needless to say, my anticipation for City of Fallen Angels drove people up the wall. But, April 5 did roll around, and when it did, when I had read the book - finally! - I was left with a whole bunch of thoughts and feelings about it that took me a while to really sort through and pinpoint. For the most part, I thought it was great - the characters, the relationships, the humor, the pain, the emotional upheavals, and the mystery all made it great. But I did get the feeling that something was off, that it wasn't quite as good as the others, and it took a few long, exhaustively in-depth conversations with Brightskin (whom you may remember) to pinpoint exactly what I didn't like. But, more on that later - first of all, I have a lot to gush about!

The characters, the characters, the characters. Cassandra Clare's ability to take a large cast of characters and make me care so much about each and every one of them has always been one of the best parts about her books for me, and the fourth TMI book had some great character development. I have to say, Simon was the one who surprised me the most - he has just grown so much, and it was intriguing and painful to learn about the tough decisions and lifestyle he faces as a vampire, and not just a normal vampire, but a Daylighter. And as if that wasn't enough, he also has the Mark of Cain to deal with (the effects of which are nothing short of spectacular). I felt for him and cheered for him, even when he was doing something that I innately didn't think was right or was stupid; I even cried for him in a certain scene with his mother. He has a bit of a girl problem, as he's dating both Isabelle and Maia at the same time, and neither girl knows about the other. While I like Maia as a character, I must say that I am most definitely Team Izzy on this one, just because I think that Simon and Isabelle contrast each other, and yet understand each other too. Simon was amazing in this book, and I really enjoyed getting to know him further and seeing what kinds of issues he faces.

Then, of course, there's Jace. Jace is just indescribable. I mean, to see him so vulnerable and afraid was a whole new experience, and as a reader, it was utterly painful - which, I suppose, is the point. You just can't help sympathizing with him and fervently hoping that he's okay and that it'll all work out for him somehow. I honestly admire Cassandra Clare for putting him through so much, when it would have been so easy to just let him go off into his happily-ever-after with Clary. Instead, many issues are brought up for him, both old and new, and things that I thought were rather unresolved about him at the end of City of Glass were picked up again. He also gets in his customary smart comments and sarcastic insults, and it's interesting to see him grow into someone who is more open, at least with Clary. And Simon and Jace's relationship was hilarious, second only to the Malec. I mean, the mango! Unforgettable. Their banter was entertaining, but underneath that, you could see a real friendship forming.

I must say, although I love Clary, there have definitely been times when I've wanted to smack her for being a bit stupid. She has the tendency to rush into things without thinking, and while I admired her courage, I wished she would be smarter about her decisions. I am happy to say that in City of Fallen Angels, Clary is indeed wiser about things (except for one glaring mistake at the end, which I will discuss when I rant about the cliffhanger). She learns fighting skills, gets backup when she knows she's going into a possibly dangerous situation, and is very resourceful in battle. This made me like her even more, because while she retained her toughness and determination, she also gained some caution. I also enjoyed watching her relationship with her mother develop, as things are obviously different between them now that Clary knows about the Shadowhunter world. And Clary and Jace have plenty of heated encounters, the DSAS (Dirty Sexy Alley Scene) being one of them, which made me both swoon and shiver.

Isabelle has always been one of my favorite characters, but she just got so much better in this book, because we got to see a side of her that she rarely ever shows. I admire her for her confidence and courage, and yet I feel for her when she shows that part of herself that is afraid to truly love. I cried when she said this: "But I watch my brothers give their hearts away and I think, Don't you know better? Hearts are breakable. And I think even when you heal, you're never what you were before." (239) I think that's part of the reason I ship Simon/Izzy - she needs someone as caring as Simon to melt her a bit and show her how to love uninhibitedly.

Maia was, as always, unflappably normal, which is what I like about her - she's so down-to-earth, even with all the insanity surrounding her. Kyle was a surprise, but a pleasant one. He was mysterious at first, but the more we got to know him, the more I liked him. He's funny and cute and kind, certainly, but he's got a past that haunts him, and once you see how much it hurts him, you can't hold what he did against him (and I'm very much hoping that Maia feels the same!).

So, all of these characters and relationships were great. But the one that I loved most of all was Magnus and Alec's. The two of them...they just make me laugh and sigh and even cry. Magnus, of course, is his fabulous self, although we do see a more nostalgic side of him. He usually seems to timeless and young, but the costs of immortality have taken a toll on him. I adored seeing how Alec has grown into himself and become more comfortable. He's just as adorable as ever, but now I feel for his pain as it really hits him that he's going to die, and Magnus isn't  - that they don't actually have forever. And on top of that, Alec is jealous of Magnus's past loves, and while I feel really bad for him, it's difficult not to laugh at least a little at his petulance. The Malec in CoFA is sweet and utterly heart-wrenching, and so when Alec makes a certain decision regarding Camille, I don't blame him in the least, and when Alec and Magnus talk about hope, I tear up.

I enjoyed Camille's elegant cunning, and how she was tied back to The Infernal Devices. In fact, all the little connections to TID were really neat, and while it's not required that you understand them in order to understand the plot of City of Fallen Angels, they add to the complexity of the story and make you anticipate Clockwork Prince even more.

CoFA was hilarious, and it gave us some truly memorable moments, including "sexy vampire mojo", "the nuclear bomb of boyfriends", Izzy's sex talk with Clary, Alec's jealousy, Simon's band, the mango scene, South Carolina, and so much more. There's also plenty of action, both with the Shadowhunters and with Simon's Mark of Cain. I thought that the theme of people falling to their temptations was very well illustrated, with resonance for many characters - Jace, Simon, Clary, and Alec.

This is a Cassandra Clare book, so of course all the relationships were convoluted and complex and utterly compelling. There are just so many different threads binding the characters to each other, and it's fascinating to see them come into play; I'm really left wondering what the feelings that certain characters have will lead them to do in the next books. Just how far are they willing to go for someone they love, or someone they hate?

I know there's been a lot of uproar about the cliffhanger - and it is most definitely a major cliffhanger - and while I, too, am dying to know what happens next, I've come to savor that feeling of anticipation, as it only makes the next installment all the better. That being said, it was really quite an ending, and after reading it, I wanted to kill Clary. ***SPOILER***Who leaves their emotionally messed-up boyfriend on a roof all by himeself with the creepy body of their half-demon brother, which was very recently being used in an ancient ritual of evil?! ***END SPOILER***

So, having gushed on about all the great things in City of Fallen Angels, I do want to talk about what I think made it not as good as the previous installments, and what could have been better. I felt that at many points, it was far too dramatic and cliché, especially when it came to Jace and Clary. Yes, I get it, you two love each other very, very, much, but that does not mean you have to spend all of your time a) saying how much you love each other, or b) making out passionately. The problem of overly dramatic dialogue came up with Jace a lot, as he said ***SPOILER*** how he couldn't be with Clary, wasn't good enough for her, etc. I feel that the way all this was expressed was kind of ridiculous, and that it could have been done much better ***END SPOILER***. And while the passionate, making-out scenes were well-written, they became endlessly repetitive after a time. I love romance and reading about Jace and Clary making out just as much as the next person, but in this book, it happened so often that it was rather ridiculous. I felt like yelling at Clary to stop taking Jace's shirt off and start confronting him about his problems. The other thing that I disliked about CoFA is that the whole thing felt a bit rushed. There were too many plotlines and not enough time spent on each of them. While I enjoy alternating POV, the constant switching back and forth between storylines didn't allow me to focus on the main plot, which I found to be very irritating.

Overall, City of Fallen Angels was a great read. I enjoyed it, and although there were flaws, I'm still eagerly anticipating City of Lost Souls in May of 2012. I will be giving away a signed copy of City of Fallen Angels a bit later, so be sure to check back on the blog!

Scarlett and Rosie March Are Officially One of My Favorite Fictional Families

Sisters Red


Jackson Pearce

4.5 Stars

Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris--the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead. Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts ferociously alongside her. But even as more girls' bodies pile up in the city and the Fenris seem to be gaining power, Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves. She finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax and Scarlett's only friend--but does loving him mean betraying her sister and all that they've worked for? (quoted from goodreads)

First Sentence:

"Strangers never walk down this road, the sisters thought in unison as the man trudged toward them."

Sisters Red is (loosely) based on the story of Little Red Riding Hood, but it is so unique and fascinating that I consider it a tale completely its own. It puts its own spin on the fairy tale and turns it into a compelling, sweet, terrifying, action-packed, gritty, and realistic read. The three main characters, Scarlett, Rosie, and Silas, are all extremely believable, as are their conflicts and relationships. I can understand what each of them is going through and sympathize with them. I root for them no matter what - which can be a problem when their conflicts sometimes include going against each other. The entire book, I was just so torn about the characters' futures, about family loyalties, and about doing what you want. I was emotionally invested in the characters and the issues they faced, so much so that I was devouring the book, totally on the edge of my seat with suspense, as desperate for a solution as the characters themselves (and I loved the ending when it came - perfect for the story).

There are two main relationships in the novel - that of Silas and Rosie, and of Rosie and Scarlett. Silas and Rosie's romance was sweet and I felt like it developed naturally (and there were definitely some sizzling scenes that were totally swoon-worthy!). However, my favorite relationship was Scarlett and Rosie's. They're obviously bound together, by family devotion and by their childhood. Rosie feels obligated to help Scarlett in her mission to hunt down Fenris because Scarlett saved her from them when they were little (and lost an eye in the process). However, she is beginning to realize that there is a different path, one where she can do normal things like take art classes and be with Silas. Scarlett simply cannot understand how or why Rosie would leave the Fenris-hunting lifestyle; for Scarlett, it's her entire life. She would feel utterly betrayed if Rosie quit hunting Fenris, and Rosie doesn't want to hurt Scarlett but cannot deny that she wants something more. Clearly, there is a lot of conflict here, and I love how it all plays out so beautifully and realistically. I found myself crying during one of the confrontations between Scarlett and Rosie - I don't want to give anything away, but their relationship really is fascinating. Having two sisters myself, I can feel what it would be like, from the point of view of both sisters, and that's what makes the conflict so compelling - either way, the sisters are hurt and their bond is never the same. There's this beautiful metaphor used throughout the book, about shadows and light and coming out of caves (I believe it's based on Plato's allegory). I adore this metaphor so much - it's powerful and symbolic and sums up the book's conflict very well.

The quality of Jackson Pearce's writing is simply gripping: fluid, well-paced, and realistic. I read the entire novel in one sitting because once you start, you just get sucked into it and there's no way to put it down - and why would you want to? Scarlett and Rosie narrate alternate chapters, and I thought that each of their voices was really unique and easily distinguishable. Another great point about this book for me was the action, and the fact that the girls are the ones doing most of the a**-kicking. There's plenty of fighting and hunting down Fenris, and both Scarlett and Rosie are strong, fierce, smart, and determined. There is also a considerable amount of suspense involved, which kept me turning pages. However, the mystery is what caused me to knock half a star off of what would otherwise have been a perfect 5 stars. The idea of the mystery is intriguing, but I felt like I figured it out long before the characters did, and I saw the twist at the end coming. It always annoys me when characters are being ridiculously blind and not seeing what is right in front of them, and in this case, I think that they were quite smart enough to figure it out (SPOILER: for those who have read the book, I am referring to the thing about Silas being a ________). I suppose part of it could be due to emotional reasons - not wanting to believe bad things about people they love - but it was just obvious and it kept bothering me.

All in all, Sisters Red is an awesome read. I can't wait to read Sweetly, the next fairy tale remix by Jackson Pearce!

Cinnamon Rolls and Vampires and Sunlight and Magic...

Sunshine

Robin McKinley

2 Stars

Rae, nicknamed Sunshine by her stepfather, is the baker at her family's coffeehouse. She's happy getting up at 4 am to make cinnamon rolls for the breakfast rush, and dealing with people and food all day. But one evening she needed somewhere she could be alone for a little while, and there hadn't been any trouble out at the lake for years. She never thought of vampires. Until they found her. (quoted from Robin McKinley's website)

First Sentence:
"It was a dumb thing to do but it wasn't that dumb."

I wanted so badly to love this book. McKinley's fantasy The Hero and the Crown is one of the novels that I keep rereading over and over because it's so dear to me. However, Sunshine just didn't impress me much, despite its many excellent reviews. Still, there are some things that I did like about it. The world created here is an odd mix of the real world we live in and the supernatural. It puts a new spin on common concepts like vampirism and magic; government and vampires and technology and spells and baking and love and secrets are all mashed together. There is a post-apocalyptic feel to it, as the conflicts with the 'Others' have left the inhabitants of this world wary. And yet, life still proceeds as usual, which is something that I found to be rather intriguing. The second thing that I liked about Sunshine was the humor, which was quite witty. I also thought the way the vampires were written was very artful, because they seemed so inhuman and far away from the normal people, and yet so morbidly fascinating. And the scenes where Sunshine bakes and works at the coffeehouse were warm and enchanting - they made me want to get up and make some cinnamon rolls myself.

Sadly, the negatives in this book outweigh the positives. The novel was very confusing at many points; I felt like there was just such an overload of information that it was difficult to focus on the actual story and characters. Yes, the world is intricate and complex, but it's not interesting to learn about it when all those facts are just dumped on you in these long, dense passages. The plot, which is actually quite good, is overshadowed by all the exposition. The protagonist, Rae Seddon (aka Sunshine), is an intriguing person, but I really don't think that 1st-person narration was the best choice for the telling of this story. Sunshine frequently segues into extensive inner monologues (those information dumps I was talking about earlier) and that just makes the book unnecesarily muddled and dull. There are times when Sunshine begins to do something, then drifts off into a long speech about something or the other, and then two pages after she begins the action she continues it, leaving me going, "Wait, what exactly was going on before she started ruminating on and on?" I also felt that McKinley's descriptions were confusing and unclear a lot of the time, and I just couldn't get a good grip on what was happening, where, why, etc. (this is especially true when Sunshine is tracking vampires). I think that some of the characters could have been more fleshed-out, especially Mel and Con, who are closely linked to Sunshine and strongly affect her life. There's just so much left unresolved about them, and while it can be good to have ambiguity in a novel, this is too much mystery for me to relate to them or care about them.

Overall, I felt that this novel could have been a lot better. I get the sense that with more editing and polishing, Sunshine could have been a truly amazing book.

The (Apparently) Lost Magic of Dan Brown's Writing

The Lost Symbol

Dan Brown

3.5 Stars

Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned unexpectedly to deliver an evening lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building. Within minutes of his arrival, however, the night takes a bizarre turn. A disturbing object--artfully encoded with five symbols--is discovered in the Capitol Building. Langdon recognizes the object as an ancient invitation... one meant to usher its recipient into a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom. When Langdon's beloved mentor, Peter Solomon--a prominent Mason and philanthropist--is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes his only hope of saving Peter is to accept this mystical invitation and follow wherever it leads him. Langdon is instantly plunged into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and never-before-seen locations--all of which seem to be dragging him toward a single, inconceivable truth. (quoted from goodreads)

First Sentence:

"The secret is how to die."

If you had asked me what I expected of this book before I read it, I would have spouted the standard for Brown's other novels about Robert Langdon (The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons): a thrilling and suspenseful adventure, mysterious codes, secret societies, a ruthless villain, tons of history and culture lessons, prose that isn't always very fluid, and characters that aren't always fully fleshed-out but don't need to be. And while The Lost Symbol had plenty of mystifying secrets and indecipherable codes, the part that seemed most puzzling to me was how it managed to fulfill all of the above criteria and still be a big disappointment to me - because The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons were fantastic, near-genius thrillers that left me shocked and head-over-heels in love with them. So, after I finished reading the book, I sat down and tried to figure out what went wrong, and this review is what I came up with.

The plot of The Lost Symbol is definitely exciting and it keeps you wondering what will happen next and throws in quite a few shocking twists. But I was rather irritated, because what, as far as I can see, was meant to be the biggest, most surprising, gasp-out-loud twist turned out to be totally predictable and cliched. I'm trying really, really hard not to spoil this book for you, so I won't tell you any more about this so-called 'twist' other than that it was incalculably frustrating and made me say out loud to the characters,"No DUH, you idiots! I figured that out at least 50 chapters ago!" I haven't talked to anyone else who has read this book, so maybe it's just me that's so ticked off about this. (If you have read it, please let me know if you had a similar situation. Probably without the yelling at the book though. Because, you know, that's probably just me.) Also, I found myself feeling like the entire plot had been done before, was overused - Robert is called in for an emergency, an important organization needs his help, there's a beautiful scientist, an object with a code on it, police are chasing him, etc.

The villain in the book also seems ridiculously similar to past villains, and is kind of a stereotype. First of all, the villain is a male. Secondly, he is tall, incredibly strong, and involved in occult practices. Thirdly, he is extremely creepy and misguided.

In the other novels featuring Robert Langdon, the history and culture lessons were really interesting and always kept me intrigued. The symbolism and connections were fascinating. But in this one, the huge dollops of facts, myths, and odd symbols were sometimes - dare I say it? - boring.

As with the past books, the sentence structure sometimes seems unwieldy and not very fluid. However, Brown still ends each chapter with tantalizing cliffhangers. And as for the characters, many of them were simply flat; I didn't feel like they had much depth or emotion. So, all in all, I wasn't all that impressed by The Lost Symbol.

A Beautiful Story of Ugly Things

The Replacement

Brenna Yovanoff

4.5 Stars

Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world. Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the slag heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs. (quoted from goodreads)

First Sentence:
"I don't remember any of the true, important parts, but there's this dream I have."

Okay, first of all, before I even talk about the actual book, let me just gush about how absolutely gorgeous the cover is! It's so dark and mysterious and foreboding - a bunch of dangerous objects hanging over, of all things, a baby's crib. This alone was enough to make me very intrigued by this book. But, moving on to the content of the book, the story inside is very unique. I've never seen anything like it before, especially since the others, the ones who live near Gentry and kidnap its babies, enchant it, etc. are not named. They are not called faeries or fey or sirens or demons or zombies or any other sort of paranormal creature. They are simply a dark, unnamed group, although being unnamed makes them no less real or powerful or feared. There is this eerie feeling about them doesn't fade even as we get to know them better. Then there's the characters. Mackie, the protagonist, is completely believable. He's just another frustrated guy, trying to fit in and be happy and pursue the girl he likes. But of course, he's not ordinary, and I really loved how his character grows throughout the story and eventually comes to terms with himself. However, as great as Mackie was, my favorite characters would have to be the supporting cast. Roswell, Mackie's best friend, is so loyal and kind and dependable and solid - even when Mackie blows him off or won't tell the truth or needs his help with something despicable, Roswell never even hesitates. Tate, the girl Mackie falls in love with, is just so very stubborn and determined and independent, you can't help but admire her and root for her. Mackie's parents - or rather, adopted parents - are lovely also. Although the 'others', the haunting, strange ones that don't belong in Gentry, are supposedly dark, I can't help loving them too, because there's this sense that they are just as vulnerable and fragile and real as the humans. But the character that really won me over was Mackie's sister, Emma. I can't even describe how amazing she is: her sweet nature and her love of Mackie, her willingness to do whatever it takes to protect him, and her steadfast belief in him. Emma is one of those characters that I would feel blessed to have in my life, because she sticks by you and loves you completely unconditionally. As for the plot, it's definitely unique and draws you in; you don't want to stop reading because you get so attached to the characters. It's difficult not to care about them, and there's this strong need to know how their stories unfold, what happens with these ugly things and blind people and hard choices. I also adored the family values and love presented in the book - Mackie's family and friends are just so supportive, so loyal and accepting. Not that it's a cheery, rainbows-and-unicorns kind of book, but it manages to subtly include these themes of family and love and courage and acceptance. The only reason that it didn't get a full 5 stars is that for about the first 100 pages or so, the writing felt a bit choppy and disconnected to me, not as fluid and well-written as the rest of the book. Also, Mackie's relationship with Tate ticked me off a bit, because I felt like I never got to see the process of Mackie's falling for Tate; I didn't understand how Mackie went from being irritated with her to loving her. But other than that, it was great. Absolutely recommend it if you're in the mood for something eerie and dark!

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.

A New Perspective On Camp Half-Blood

The Lost Hero

4 Stars

Rick Riordan

Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up in a bus full of kids on a field trip. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper and a best friend named Leo. They’re all students at a boarding school for “bad kids.” What did Jason do to end up here? And where is here, exactly?
Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, ever since she had that terrifying nightmare. Piper doesn’t understand her dream, or why her boyfriend suddenly doesn’t recognize her. When a freak storm hits, unleashing strange creatures and whisking her, Jason, and Leo away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood, she has a feeling she’s going to find out.
Leo has a way with tools. When he sees his cabin at Camp Half-Blood, filled with power tools and machine parts, he feels right at home. But there’s weird stuff, too—like the curse everyone keeps talking about. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist that each of them—including Leo—is related to a god. (quoted from goodreads)

First Sentence:

"Even before he got electrocuted, Jason was having a rotten day."

Okay, let's be honest - I was not all that excited about this book. Just because I love, love, love, the Percy Jackson series, and I guess I just didn't want to move on. I also wasn't that excited for it because I had recently read The Red Pyramid, also by Rick Riordan, which is the beginning of a new series, this time about kids who discover Egyptian gods exist and that they have amazing powers (sound familiar?). I really despised The Red Pyramid - it felt like it was written for really young kids and it was just a rehash of Percy Jackson, not to mention that it was really confusing at times. But, with all that said, I decided that The Lost Hero was going to include Percy and the rest of the old crew, so why not give it a try? It came out a few days before my birthday, I received it as a gift, and started reading. Let me just say - it was definitely not what I expected. Lots of twists and surprises to keep you reading, interspersed with beautifully done character development and an intriguing mystery, made for a fantastic novel. First of all, it was really interesting to see Camp Half-Blood and the rest of the Greek mythology world through someone else's eyes (other than Percy). When we're experiencing camp from Percy's mind, we only see what it's like to be an outsider - a child of the Big Three, not a normal camper. With this book, you understand the dynamics of the other cabins and how special they all are, Big Three material or not. Also, the fact is that Percy can be kind of stupid sometimes, whereas Jason, Leo, and Piper are all pretty smart. This book also breaks down some of the stereotypes about certain gods and demigods that were established in the Percy Jackson series - like how all children of Aphrodite are vain and stupid. It also reveals some of the deeper effects of the battle with Kronos in The Last Olympian, like how people are dealing with Silena's and Beckendorf's deaths and how camp Half-Blood itself has changed. It was great to see Annabeth,Thalia, Grover, Chiron, and all the rest of the gang again, but it was also fascinating to meet some new characters as well. This novel definitely has an intricate mystery going on, with plenty of action and surprises thrown in. I also really loved getting to see Jason, Piper, and Leo all grow individually and together; character development is always really important to me in a story. All three of them have their own revelations and major decisions, but continue to support each other as well. This book had a great sense of family and belonging and being accepted for who you are, which I thought was really sweet. The only complaints that I had were that at times, it was a bit slow; I sometimes felt that it was dragging on unnecessarily long. It wasn't as funny, either. Also, it seemed like the story was following some of the format for Percy Jackson - be claimed, go on quest, meet crazy gods and heroes and villains, realize all is not right with the world and there is a big mystery to be solved, etc. etc. But, I suppose that's to be expected, since the stories are set in the same world. But the cliffhanger at the end still has me yearning for fall 2011 to come and bring me the next book, so, all in all, a fantastic read.

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! ;)