Raging Star

It's been a long time my friends- back to work, things to plan, papers to grade, new students to meet. That is no reflection on this wonderful conclusion to one of my favorite trilogys. Raging Star is the final novel in the Dustlands Trilogy by Moira Young. It the story of Saba and Jack and their dream of living free in an post apocalyptic world. Saba has been through it all, and she is one tough cookie. The rebellion relies on her for its guidance. And she isn't sure if she knows what she's doing. Then there's the problem of her heartstone, it doesn't only heat up for Jack, but for the leader of the oppressors, DeMalo. Will Saba be willing to sacrifice herself to DeMalo if it means saving all those she loves. Will Jack be able to understand her betrayal? What of her family, her twin Lugh and little sister Emmi? This book is filled with betrayal, heartbreak and yes, death. Choices have consequences. Even in books. Especially in books. Not every story can have a happy ending- as much as I would like them to. But I will say this one leaves you with hope for the future for the characters who are left standing. If you loved Hunger Games and you are now older and wiser, this series may hit the spot. It is for a more advanced reader as there is no punctuation- it's stream of consciousness. The author told me it was so you could really be in Saba's head. You don't even notice it after a while as the story picks you up and carries you to New Eden. When you get there, say hi to Jack for me- he's definitely on that top ten fictional boy list I keep in my head. But don't mess with Saba- she isn't to be trifled with. Happy reading my friends!

We Were Liars

Holy cow. Started this book a couple of hours ago and couldn't stop reading. Cadence Sinclair lives a charmed life. She is from a wealthy family that summers on their own island. She spends these summers with her cousins Mirren and Johnny and an Indian boy named Gat whose uncle is the boyfriend of Johnny's mother. Something happens to Cadence during her fifteenth summer and it has made her ill. A traumatic brain injury that she can't figure out. When she returns to the island in her seventeenth year, no one will tell her what happened. She reunites with the Liars, her best friends and Gat, the boy she loves. She is angry with them, they haven't returned her letters and emails. They try and pick up where they have left off two years ago. But everything is different. Grandfather is losing his mind, the Aunts are finally getting along and no one will tell Cady what she wants to know. I can't say anything else because this is one TWIST of an ending, and a heartbreaking one. You will see the signs and hope you are wrong as you read. This book shows just how different things can be from what they appear to be from the outside. A charmed life to outsiders- but not in reality. Don't pick up this book unless you have nothing else to do for a couple of hours, along with a box of tissues. Happy reading my friends!

Monsters

I am so glad to be done with this book. I don't know why it took so long to finish (all 671 pages of it). I loved the first book in this Ashes Trilogy. I love the characters of Tom and Ellie. And even Alex, who is no damsel in distress. But it was a tough one to get through. It was very violent and disturbing in places. But let me back up. This book is set in a post apocalyptic society, where children have 'changed' into flesh eating cannibals. But not every kid, some are immune to the disease. There are evil adults manipulating them and groups of kids who haven't changed trying to survive. The main characters are Alex, Tom and Ellie who have found each other after the event that caused the disease. They have been separated for most of the second and third books. Each experience their own adventures and troubles, only to finally meet up at the end of the trilogy. Alex is experiencing some interesting side effects of her own personal 'monster', a cancerous tumor, that seems to allow her to communicate with some of the changed. She isn't sure if this connection will put her friends in danger or if she can use it to her advantage. Tom is trying to find his way back to Alex. He is willing to sacrifice everything for her. Ellie is just trying to get back to some semblance of family, as the youngest member of the group, she longs for some stability. I don't know if I would recommend this series to everyone. It is definitely for a more mature reader who doesn't mind a little gore. Okay, a lot of gore. So read at your own risk. Summer has come to an end for me, only three days left before I go back to work. Might be time for one more read before reality sets in. Hope your summer was filled with books my friends and happy reading.