The Essence

Charlie has just taken the throne as the rightful queen of Ludania. One problem- she is not alone. I mean really not alone. An evil being- the essence- of a long ago queen is residing inside her and she is trying to everything she can to keep control of her own mind and body. Those closest to Charlie- her sister Angelina, Brooke, Aron and the love of her life Max, are all trying to help her change the country for the better. But each of them feels something may be amiss. As Charlie tries to learn the ways of her queendom, she must fight the voice insider her head that wields an evil power. Sabara wants to control Charlie, or for Charlie to let her loose on another royal queen. When she is called to a Summit of all the queens of the land, an assassination attempt leads Charlie and her friends on an adventure that may in death. This book is a sequel to a great one called The Pledge by Kimberley Derting. Charlie is an interesting character, rising from nothing to rule a country. When all her plans seem to meet with resistance, she realizes how hard it is to run a government- some things never change. When she uses her powers to save her sister, she may have broken trust with all who love her. I am sure this is not the end of this story- Sabara has got to go! She needs to be reunited with her love Nico. Max and Charlie need to live happily ever after and Brooke and Aron need to face the fact that they are in love. Well, my friends, spring break is over and it's back to work I go. Summer is just around the corner and so are more great books. Happy E
aster and happy reading my friends.

The 39 Deaths of Adam Strand

Hmmm. Here we have a book about Adam Strand. A teenager so uninterested in life, he continually tries to kill himself. 39 times. He dies every time and comes back to life. Each time, someone (his father) finds him, brings him home and tries to convince him that life needn't be so bleak. Adam doesn't believe any of this and surrounds himself with friends who are going nowhere. He drowns (no pun intended) his depression with alcohol and a bad attitude. There are those who try and help him see a better way, but he finds most of them laughable. His only friend is a sick 10 year old girl who he winds up saving in an odd way. This book was odd at best. Adam isn't necessarily a likeable character. He really just wants to die and be done with what he sees as a futile existence. He doesn't take into account what his actions do to his family/friends and community. And unlike actual suicide victims he has the chance to really understand the effect suicide has on those left behind. As he bonds with Maddy, his desire to die lessens and he tries to figure out what to do with his life. I'm not sure this is a book that my students will enjoy, but you never know. I am on the fence myself and will definitely ponder the message Gregory Galloway was hoping to get across. So this one is on you my friends- happy reading!

The Runaway King

One of my favorite books last year was The False Prince by Jennifer Neilsen. This is the sequel to that fabulous book. It is the story of Sage, the lost prince, who returns to his kingdom when his family is murdered. He is struggling to rule a country in disarray and with the threat of war looming. As King Jaron, Sage must figure out how to rule a country and a people who don't believe in him. When he learns that the Pirates are going to attack his country, he hatches a scheme to infiltrate the Pirates and become their king. His plan is met with disbelief by those who are his friends- Mott, Tobias, Imogen and Princess Amarinda. Along the way he meets some new characters that become allies after many adventures. Jaron must use all his wits to defeat the evil Pirate King Devlin, his old frenemy Roden and find a way to help his people without getting himself killed. Jaron is a great character with an amazing wit, which I love. He is sure of who he is, but isn't sure how to use that to rally his people. The love triangle between Imogen, Amarinda and him is sweet and each girl loves him in their own way. Jaron is not a ladies man, he is insecure and unsure about what to do about them and this leads to a few moments of 'what is he thinking!' I'm sure it will be satisfactorily resolved by the end of this series. This one is a cliffhanger, with his country surrounded by enemies and at least one of his love interests in peril. What's a King to do? I can't wait to see what Jaron has up his sleeve to solve this new problem. He reminds me so much of Gen from The Thief. They would be great friends. (If they were real people of course-) Nothing like a great  book at the beach to make spring break a success. This is a great series and I highly recommend it. Happy reading my friends.

Clockwork Princess

I will start by saying I am completely aware that these are fictional characters. That being said, my heart is ripped open by this conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare. Tears were shed, multiple times I might add. We have the story of Tessa, Jem and Will. Both boys are in love with her. They are parabatai- closer than blood, sworn to die for each other, heart of each other's heart. When Jem tells Will he and Tessa are engaged, Will does the selfless thing and steps out of the picture. But Jem is dying and he doesn't have long to live. Amidst all this drama, Mortmain is gathering his automaton army that he has infused with Demon spirits. They are set to attack and end the Shadowhunters once and for all. Tessa is the key to his evil plan and she is kidnapped, setting in motion a race for Will to save her, while Jem is dying at the Institute. Jem sends Will after her, and Will feels the severing of their parabatai bond as he is racing to Tessa. This can only mean one thing, Jem has died. Or has he. If you read my post on City of Lost Souls you know my theory on what happens to Jem. But I won't give it away here. The institute, the Lightwood brothers, Will's sister and the Branwells, several Silent Brothers  and crowd favorite Magnus Bane converge on Mortmain's castle to stop the automatons and save Tessa. I won't go into details. That isn't the part that broke my heart. It is the goodbye's between Jem and his loves- Will and Tessa. It is the declarations of love between the three. It is the epilogue that sees the end of Will, as all mortals must face. It is the reunion on Blackfriar's Bridge. It is the humor in the banter between Will and every other character.  It is these events that shape the book and series and why Jem and Will will always be on the top of my top ten fictional boys list. It wraps up the who's who of the Shadowhunters in the Mortal Instruments series. So, not to be dramatic, there is a hole in my heart right now. I'm sad it's over, but so glad I took the ride.   If you read this series, I hope you find satisfaction in its conclusion. If anyone can solve a love triangle, it appears to be Cassandra Clare. Well done. Off to dry my eyes now and plan a trip to Wales... I wish- happy reading my friends.

Promised

And... done. The final book in the Birthmarked trilogy. ( I have reviewed all the books in this series if you want to start at the beginning.) This is the story of teenage midwife, turned town leader, Gaia Stone. She has led her new people back to the place where she had escaped from. Her hope being that she can settle her feud with the Enclave leader and her future father-in-law and set up a new settlement outside the Enclave walls. Only problem is, the Protectorat only has revenge on his mind and will do anything to get even with his son Leon. And the best way to get even with Leon is to destroy Gaia. Gaia is forced to go against her beliefs and must take every action necessary to protect her citizens even if that means threats and destruction. When the Protectorat captures Leon, Gaia must go in after him at her own risk. She is captured and tortured and has something dreadful taken from her. She must figure out a way to rally her people and overthrow the evil government to ensure their survival. Many great characters are lost along the way and there is a mixture of sadness at the end of this series. This series portrays an interesting dystopian society where fertility is a prized commodity and people will do despicable things to have children. Gaia is a strong, independent, girl who is always willing to put her own safety on the back burner to save those she loves. Leon is her perfect match who loves her no matter what the future holds. I enjoyed this series and can't wait to pass this book along to one of my students who is waiting for it. It is with a dread that I will now start the final book in the Infernal Devices trilogy Clockwork Princess. I am not ready to say goodbye to my number 1 favorite fictional boy Will Herondale. So the papers needing grading will have to wait for now right next to the list of things I should be doing during the last week of my spring break. Onward and happy reading my friends.

Scarlet

Ok, I'm eating my words from my last post. I just finished Scarlet by Marissa Meyer and yes, it's a bridge book, sort of... I am so blown away with how much I love this book. It is the sequel to Cinder, a Cinderella tale with a twist. In Scarlet, the Red Riding Hood fairy tale is BRILLIANTLY incorporated into the series. I don't even know where to start with what I loved the most. Scarlet is looking for her grandmother. She meets Wolf- a street fighter and new addition to my top ten fictional boy list, who helps her on her search for her grandmother. He is fighting his nature and may have a duel purpose on this quest. Cinder is escaping from jail with the HILARIOUS, Thorne, a vain, ego-maniacal thief, who gets in Cinder's way as she escapes and goes along for the ride. Kai is trying to figure out his feelings for Cinder as he feels a little betrayed by her and isn't trusting what he feels for her. He is given the ultimatum of finding Cinder or EVIL Queen Levana will invade Earth. Unless of course he agrees to marry her. Yikes. This book was un-put-downable. When Scarlet and Cinder finally cross paths, they both have major decisions to make in regards to their futures and how to save Earth from the Queen oh, and how to help the boys they love! The Lunar Chronicles continue for the next two years- how I will wait that long is a mystery I don't want to consider right now. But if you want to get started on a fantastic twisted fairy tale series, this is the one for you.  Love, love, love, the way Meyer has woven these fairy tales into a plot that makes you think- why hasn't someone done this before? We were lucky enough to have Marissa Meyer come and talk at our school and she was totally delightful. This makes the book even better when you get to meet the woman behind the curtain, so to speak. Anyway, enough with the all capital letters and the raving. I will leave it to you. But I will leave you with this- "What big eyes you have Grand-mere" Happy reading my friends!

Prodigy

I hate bridge books. They are so unsatisfying. Grrrr. So we return to the story of June and Day. One is a good soldier of the Republic, one a rebel out to destroy the Republic. Yes, they are in love. Sort of. This novel picks up with June and Day running from the Republic after the death of June's brother. They are going to go to work for the Patriots so that Day can get his brother freed. When the Elector dies and his son takes over. The pair get involved in a plot to assassinate him. June is the bait and as she gets to know Anden (love triangle alert) she realizes he wants to change thing for the better. She has to get Day to trust him, against all instincts Day has. They run into many problems on their mission and find themselves across the border in the Colonies, where life is supposed to be better. Well, you know the old saying 'The grass is always greener'. Day and June realize the nefarious plot that is going on and must race back to the Republic to help Anden before it 's too late. When they return, June is offered a position as Anden's right hand girl and Day gets some life changing news. Their heartbreaking reunion was more than I could take this day. I know you have to keep your couple separate until the end of the trilogy, but oh my goodness, can you give a reader a break here! This is a great series with some real life underlying commentary about society in general. I love Day and his dedication to his family. I love June and her dedication to doing what is right for her country. I love Day and June together... I guess I'll have to wait for book three and hope something drastic changes. Spring break has begun and so let the reading commence. Happy reading my friends!

The Tragedy Paper

     Right off the bat, I would not normally pick up this book. The title says it all- tragedy. I'm a sucker for a happy ending. But it got such great reviews and my book club picked it so off I went to read it two days ago. So glad I did. This is the story of Tim, an albino teenager, who goes off to boarding school to finish his senior year. On the way his flight is canceled and he meets Vanessa, who shares the only hotel room in the city with him. Tim falls hard for her and what do you know, she goes to the same school, Irving. Vanessa, of course, has a boyfriend and Tim has zero self esteem. Yet it seems to Tim that Vanessa likes him. The school year goes along, leading up to the Game- a senior outing or event planned in secret. Tim is roped into helping Vanessa's boyfriend plan it. Along the way, Tim's eyesight starts to fail and he is reluctant to get help. He is in a spiral of longing for Vanessa and wondering why or if she has any feelings for him. He is in an uneasy friendship with Patrick- the boyfriend and can't seem to get a handle on the senior paper everyone must do The Tragedy Paper. As the outing gets closer, events spiral into a tragedy of its own.
     The story is told in Tim's voice through a set of CD's he leaves for Duncan, the Junior who feels responsible for the tragedy at the outing. He is dealing with his own guilt over the events of the year before. As he is responsible for the outing this year, he must reconcile his own role and make himself listen to Tim's CDs even though he knows what happens. Duncan takes the theme of the tragedy paper to heart and finds himself questioning all he does.
     This is a great book. There is no cookie cutter ending, although the last lines of the book are an homage to The Outsiders, which made me love this book even more. I want to find Tim and tell him to cut himself a break. I want to find Duncan and give him a hug. And I want to tell Vanessa to follow her heart, not what society deems appropriate. Even the teachers in this book are wonderful, not painted as foolish non-entities. So as I step out of the pages of this novel, I have only two things on my mind, what I'm reading next and how it will compare to this one. Happy reading my friends- go forth and spread beauty and light!

The Thin Executioner

     A few weeks ago, our school was lucky enough to snag an author visit with Darren Shan of the Cirque du Freak series. The kids were excited, but I think the teachers were more excited. On the day of the assembly, I got there early to sit in the front and had the chance to meet Mr. Shan. He is nothing like I expected, and I was worried about how he was going to entertain our interesting collection of students. He didn't have a video to show or anything with him. He got on stage with a piece of paper and started to read from his new series Zom-B. And promptly had 300 eighth graders on the edge of their seats. Wow. Between the accent and the writing, he had us all in the palm of his hand. He personalized the kids books and took pictures with all of us. It was an amazing experience for all of us. Kids who don't read are walking around with his books now. He talked about his one stand alone book, one that I had not picked up yet. He convinced me to read it through the passion he had for it. I couldn't put it down.
     This is the story of Jebel, the executioner's runty son. He is destined to be nothing as he is the youngest, weakest son of the famed executioner. When his father humiliates him in front of the town, he goes off on a quest to ask the gods for strength to win the executioner competition. If he can win, he can have the girl of his dreams (the snotty Debbat). One twist is that he must bring a human sacrifice if his wish is to come true. He brings Tel Hasani, a slave who will sacrifice himself if his family is set free. Jebel has no regard for human life and thinks the slave is less than human. The two set out on the quest and nothing goes smoothly. They meet many different tribes of people on the way and learn much about other cultures. Jebel even gets to experience what it is like to be a slave. This is a coming of age story with many great messages about life, acceptance, duty and family. Jebel experiences great change and it affects what happens when he returns home to compete for the executioner job. I won't give away the ending, it is fantastic and uplifting and lovely. I am so glad that Mr. Shan shared his tale with us and equally glad to have read this book. The kids will be so glad I am done, they have been eyeing the book on my desk all week. Time to read my book club book and then on to some long awaited sequels, Scarlet, Prodigy, The Runaway King. Two weeks until spring break and maybe I can make a little dent in the pile. Until then, Happy reading my friends!