Ashes

I don't know what it is but this is the fourth book in a row that deals with the Apocalypse and zombies. What the heck! This one is about Alex, who is running away into the mountains to bury her parents and die, as she has an inoperable brain tumor. She meets a couple of people- Ellie and her grandfather and as they are talking, a large EMP goes off and kills the grandfather. It also miraculously brings back her sense of smell, which had been missing for a year. Alex and Ellie decide to make their way to the Ranger station to see what happened and come upon a couple of high school kids- who were ,well- having a snack- Zombie style. As Ellie and Alex make a run for it, they are attacked by a pack of feral dogs and another- you guessed it-zombie- and are saved by Tom, a soldier on leave from Afghanistan. The three try and make their way to someplace safe. That, of course, doesn't work. Ellie is taken, Tom is shot and wounded and everyone under the age of about 60 is either dead or a zombie, except for the 'Spared'. Well, Alex leaves Tom to get help and comes upon the town of Rule. And that is where it really gets weird. Alex is taken in and quickly learns that all is not as good as it seems in Rule. It is like a cult, or scene from Deliverance. She wants to leave but isn't allowed. She meets a new boy named Chris and thinks she might like him, but feels guilty about Tom, who has disappeared from where she left him. She finds herself getting comfortable in Rule and that scares her even more. As she finally decides to escape, she gets help from an unlikely source who leads her down a fork in the road. What she finds there is horrifying- and the book ends. Dang it. So now I wonder- where is Ellie, where is Tom, will Chris come after her, will she escape, is her brain tumor gone, what was Jess trying to do in letting her go? etc. etc. etc. So I will be awaiting yet another sequel. My next book will not be apocalyptic, I swear! I also have an adult book to read from my favorite author- Harlan Coben, so it may be a few before my next review. In the meantime- happy reading my friends- and beware the zombie apocalypse!

Shatter Me

Juliette's touch can kill. She has been locked up for three years. It has been 264 days since she has spoken. She thinks she might be insane. One day her cell door opens and she gets a roommate- Adam. She thinks she might know him. He might know her. They may have a past together. When Juliette is dragged out of her cell, she finds out Adam is really a soldier planted in her cell to get information. She is devastated. She is brought to Warner- an evil member of The Reestablishment. See, society has had to rebuild itself after ruining the earth. The Reestablishment has made people completely dependent upon them. Warner wants to use Juliette as a weapon, she wants none of that. When Adam gets her a message that he is on her side, she is determined to escape. And on top of that, he can touch her- and not die. This is a great dystopian book, kind of a dystopia meets X-Men. Juliette and Adam are a great couple, who have loved each other for a long time. Warner is a great evil character. The action moves at a brisk pace and people are not what they seem. When Juliette finds out she is not alone, her whole world changes. I really liked this book, it had all the bells and whistles a good book needs- a love story, peril, great minor characters, crazy plot twists and the like. I'm pretty sure there will be a sequel- when isn't there these days- and it will be interesting to see how Omega Point will try and take on Warner and his crew. And of course, I look forward to the happy ending for Juliette and Adam- I'm a sucker for a happy ending. Happy Reading my friends!

Exposed

I started this book this morning. I finished it this morning. If you have read Speak and enjoyed it, this might be the book for you. It is the story of best friends Lizzy and Kate. It is the story of Lizzy's brother Mike. It is the story of what happens between Mike and Kate and how it ruins a friendship. It is a story of who do you believe. The book is told in verse, hence the quick read time. Lizzy is a photographer who sees the world in pictures. Her world is turned upside down when Kate accused her brother of rape. Lizzy doesn't know who to believe. Kate can't be around her anymore and Lizzy becomes lost without her best friend. It shakes her world and her belief in her photography. It is a heartbreaking book, because really- can there be a happy ending? How does a family survive? Can a friendship survive? And how can you finally trust yourself enough to go on. Great book. Happy reading my friends.

Dearly, Departed

I can't believe I am saying this- I am adding a zombie to my top ten fictional boys list. His name is Bram. He is a zombie soldier in an army of the future. He is literally falling apart and I heart him. This is a book about Nora Dearly. She is a girl in the future- 2198 to be exact, but unlike most books set in the future, this one is more like it is set in the past. The world has reformed and taken it's cues from Victorian times, thus the place she lives is New Victoria. Her father has recently died and she is making her way on her own with her friend Pam. As she comes home from school, a strange boy catches her on the street and implores her to come with him, as she is in danger. Of course she doesn't believe him until her home is overrun with zombies- the bad kind- and he and his fellow soldiers save her. She is horrified by what he is and is unsure of how to behave when she is taken and hidden for her protection. He convinces her he means her no harm and lets slip that her father is still alive- well, not really alive, but zombified alive. They are the lucky zombies who are still good, can still talk and think and can overcome their urges to bite you. As they try and find her father, who has been kidnapped, Bram and and Nora form an uncomfortable friendship as each is aware of how odd it is. There is a cast of fantastic characters that add color and pizazz to this fun book. Tom, Chas, Coal and Izzy each contribute to the fast moving story. As the evil zombies try and take over New London, the crew must find a way to stop them, while Dr. Dearly tries to complete the zombie vaccine before the order is given to kill ALL zombies- even the good ones. The inevitable happens and Nora and Bram confess their feelings to each other, but their future is quite uncertain- how long does Bram have before he literally disintegrates? Will society accept a relationship between a living and a dead? Will the vaccine actually work? Will the good zombies be targeted with the bad? Yikes- sounds like the sequel- Dearly, Beloved will have many questions to answer. I look forward to it's arrival. Until then, Bram joins Sean Kendrick, Will Herondale, Jace Herondale and the like on my list. This was a great story, loved every page and hope you will too. Happy Reading my friends.

Every Other Day

Day one of vacation. Book one down. Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes was a great way to start it. This is the story of Kali, typical teenage girl one day, superhuman hunter the next. She switches every twenty-four hours. When she is in superhuman form, she hunts supernatural creatures, like hellhounds, dragons, basilisks etc. She is immortal for those 24 hours. Her wounds heal, she can come back from the dead and she has superhuman strength and speed. What she doesn't know is what she is or how she got that way. When she decides to save a popular girl from the chupacabra that has taken her over, she starts a wild ride to figure things out. Along the way she makes a friend or two. She kills a monster or two. And she may even find her long, lost mother. Oh and there is the voice in her head that is somehow helping to keep her alive, and it's name is Zev. I'm sure you've figured out by now, that Zev is mysterious and dashing and somewhat vampire-like. I couldn't put this book down- obviously. It was interesting and different and not your typical supernatural story. There were no damsels in distress and not everyone miraculously survives. The girl may not ride off into the sunset with her prince- or vampire as the case may be. This is poised to be a series that I will happily read. She really left the end open for a fun sequel. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good supernatural tale. Happy reading my friends and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Three Black Swans

I understand why Caroline Cooney is such a popular author. She knows how to catch your attention and weave a tale. She has written some of my favorite books- Code Orange, The Ransom of Mercy Carter, etc. This book is no exception. It is the story of cousins, Missy and Claire. They are the best of friends- they seem to NEED each other.Their parents are getting worried about this obsession they have with each other. As the girls have gotten older, they have begun to look more and more alike. They finish each others sentences, they dress the same, they love the same colors and clothes and they know when the other is trying to reach them. Missy decides to pull a hoax in her science class and pretend that she has found her long lost twin- and she asks Claire to help her pull it off. Well, the hoax works all too well and the video goes viral. In another town, a boy sees the video and realizes he knows the girls- because he knows someone who looks JUST like them and her name is Genevieve. When Genevieve watches the video, she realizes the truth- the girls are triplets. As the girls race to meet each other, you slowly learn how the triplets had come to be separated- and it isn't pretty. This was a fast read that I think many kids would like. It is interesting and entertaining. Cooney seems to know the minds of teenagers very well. She even manages to redeem one of the sets of parents who seem irredeemable. I can recommend this book, probably more for the girls, as the characters are mainly female. Spring break starts right now and I am looking forward to spending it with some of the books piled on my shelf. Hope you have some to keep you company too. Happy reading my friends!

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.