The Rest of the Story

What would summer be like without spending at least part of it in the world of Sarah Dessen? This time we are on the lake, reconnecting with family. And the family has part of the story that Emma Saylor doesn’t remember. She hasn’t seen her mom’s side since she was little and when complications arise with her summer plans, she finds herself at her grandmother’s hotel on the lake. The poor side of the lake. This is where her parents met, where their story started and where her mother’s troubles began. As Saylor discovers the family she didn’t know she was missing, she begins to fill in her story. She has help from her cousins, aunts and grandparents. And Roo. Roo is the boy in the pictures of Saylor when she was young. Roo is the son of her mother’s best friend. Roo is the boy who will become something more to her by the end of the summer. Saylor has to battle her father and his notions about the lake and her relatives as he struggles to let go and trust Saylor. She has to prove that she is not her mother and can embrace her new family without letting go of the old one. I didn’t cry as much as I expected to- which is a good thing. I want to spend a summer in one of Sarah Dessen’s settings, small towns where everyone knows everyone and the days are long and filled with memories. For now, I’ll have to settle for reading about them. Happy reading my friends!

The Cruel Prince

Carden, Carden, Carden. I kept hearing about this character and even received a pillowcase with his image on it, so I thought I should find out what he was all about. Well, Carden is the youngest son of a Fairy King. Don’t mistake these fairies with the cute little Tinkerbell variety. These are brutal, ruthless fairies who would slaughter their entire families for a chance at power. Then there’s Jude. She and her twin sister along with her older sister were kidnapped to fairy when their parents were murdered by Madoc, the Fairy General, who was her older sister’s father. They are humans living in the world of the fairies, where no one can lie but them and no one can be trusted. In a world of immortals, human life is frail and cheap. Jude wants nothing more than to become a real part of fairy. She loves it there, even as she fears it. But Jude has a way of antagonizing the royals, especially Carden. When she makes a deal with one of Carden’s brothers to help him take the throne, she finds herself on the wrong side of things. And possibly the only person who can get her out of trouble is Carden. He, of course, is willing to make a deal with her, but one rule of fairy is that making deals isn’t for the weak of heart or mind. When Jude double crosses Carden, she may find herself in a situation she can’t figure her way out of. I am glad I finally met Carden and look forward to seeing how he is going to take his revenge on Jude. If you love a good fairy tale or are a fan of Holly Black, check out this series. Happy reading my

friends.

Sorcery of Thorns

Elisabeth has been brought up in the library. She loves the grimoires, the smell of books, and even the book lice. Her plan is to one day become a warden. Their job- to protect the books from the sorcerers. But something is different about her. She can sense things others can’t. And she’s apparently immune to sorcery. A chance encounter with a Magister leaves her questioning if all sorcerers are bad. Nathaniel must be- right? He comes from a necromancer family. He is mysterious and sullen.  He has a demon serving him. But when Elisabeth finds herself in massive amounts of trouble, it is Nathaniel who comes to her rescue. She know something is going on in the libraries, but will anyone believe her? Even if they don’t, she must step up and fight or it just might be the end of the world. I love the idea of a sword carrying librarian who can talk to the books. Sounds like an exciting life. Throw in a dashing, brooding sorcerer and what could be wrong with this book? Oh and wait- a demon with a (maybe) heart of gold?? Sign me up. I absolutely enjoyed this book and all the characters in it. She was no damsel in distress- we need more books with empowered girls, ones who may not be queens or assassins. I highly recommend this one! Happy reading my friends.