This Dark Endeavor

Frankenstein- it always brings this image of a monster with green skin and bolts in his neck. Kenneth Oppel brings the Frankenstein family to life in the prequel to the old tale. Twins Victor and Konrad, along with cousin Elizabeth and friend Henry stumble upon a dark library in the basement of their castle. Victor, the impulsive, passionate twin, is immediately taken with the idea of alchemy, which is against the law. When Konrad falls ill and cannot be cured by medicine, Konrad and his friends go on a quest to create an Elixir of Life. They enlist the help of a crippled alchemist Julius Polidori, who who helps them decipher the recipe. As Konrad continues to wither away, Victor completes his quest and finds the ingredients for the elixir. Will he get it to Konrad in time? Is Polidori really out for his own gain? Can he get the beautiful Elizabeth to love him instead of Konrad? Is Victor hanging on the edge of evil? This was an excellent book filled with the great writing I have come to appreciate about Kenneth Oppel. It made me want to read Frankenstein again, with teenage Victor in mind. He is a fascinating character with motives that may not always be pure. Total thumbs up for this book. I do hope there will be a sequel. I even love the cover- tall. dark and handsome- well you know the rest. Happy reading my friends.

Crossed

Part two of the Matched trilogy picks up where last we left Cassia and Ky. Ky, shipped to the Outer provinces where he will be a target in the game Society is playing and Cassia, out looking for him and the Rising. This is a great series for a younger Hunger Games audience, although it takes on some pretty serious themes- censorship, Big Brother, and rebellion. This book focuses on Cassia and Ky and several new characters, Eli, Vick and Indie. When Cassia escapes her circumstances and follows Ky into the Carving, they find that even though they are in love, truth telling isn't always easy. They want different things, Ky just wants Cassia and Cassia wants to join the Rising. And what of Xander, the third part of this love triangle? Could it be that Xander is already part of the Rising that Cassia so longs to join. And can Ky give up all he believes in to follow Cassia to the last place he wants to go? But the bigger question remains, can they forgive each other for things they have done in the past? I enjoyed Crossed, it was a good bridge book. It won't make any of my top pick lists, but it was a pleasant enough way to spend a rainy Sunday morning. I look forward to seeing how it will end. What to read next??? Hmmm, looks like Kenneth Oppel's Frankenstein tale will be the winner. Happy Reading my friends!

Cinder... not ella

By strange circumstances, I ordered this book- Cinder by Marissa Meyer. It went in my ever growing pile of books to read. On parent conference day- I stuck it in my bag in case I had a few minutes (hours) to read while waiting for parents to show up. Our librarian sat down at my table and said- "Have you heard of this book Cinder ? I pulled it out of my bag and said "As a matter of fact..." Long story short- on February 24th, Marissa Meyer is coming to our school to talk about her first book. It is a great one. The story is as old as time- Cinderella. But told in a way you would never expect. Cinder is a mechanic... and a cyborg. She had been in a terrible accident and in order to save her, they had to replace some parts with mechanical devices- her foot, her hand and somethings in her spine. By chance she meets Prince Kai when he came looking for a mechanic to help fix his android. Tale as old as time-so you know the rest. Evil Queen of the Moon, forbidden love, evil stepmother, misunderstanding, a royal ball- and a lost.. wait for it- foot. Cinder, is not who she thinks she is. She is not who Kai thinks she is. She is, however, exactly who Evil Queen Levana thinks she is, and Levana will do everything in her power to make sure Cinder is dead. The book leaves you hanging- will Cinder escape from prison, will Kai ever believe who she really is and can he really ever love a cyborg? Once upon a time, there was a cyborg and a prince who fell in love with her. Will they live happily ever after? Happy reading my friends.