Unwelcome

So this is book two of the Archangel Academy series. I read the first one earlier this summer and wondered why a book with this title would be about vampires. Well, in book two the title becomes more clear. The story picks up where the first one leaves off, with Michael and Ronan having returned from sealing their union at the Well. A new headmaster arrives to take the place of the one who had staked himself and lo and behold it is Brania's father David. David is an ancient vampire who wants to find a way for his breed to walk in the sun. He also wants to destroy the water vamps and all they stand for. He spends his time getting his minions in line for the day of the eclipse when his plan will come together. In the meantime, Michael is trying to find his way as a new vampire and to try and find his place by Ronan's side. He wants to be treated as an equal, but Ronan is determined to keep him safe.  Meanwhile, Ronan's mother is looking for a way to be happy and all her children come to the school, which she hates, (not a mother of the year). There is much intrigue as you try to figure out who is on which side and who can be convinced to switch alliances. David is supremely evil and Ronan is unsure how to keep the people he loves safe. Michael finds himself at constant odds with Ronan's need to be in charge and finds temptation with Jean- Paul, his father's new driver. The minor characters, Kano, Phaedra, Fritz and Imogene all have things to deal with as well. As angels start to play a role in this series, I find myself more interested in this series. I like that this book is looking for a different audience that may not have a lot of supernatural books to choose from. Happy reading my friends.

How to Save a Life

Sara Zarr is an author I always like to read. In this novel, the story is told from Mandy and Jill's point of view. Mandy is a pregnant teenager who is looking to give her baby up for adoption. She has been abused by her mother's boyfriend and doesn't know who the father is . Jill has just lost her father and her mother is looking to fill the void by adopting a baby. Mandy finds Jill's mom online and starts the process. She moves in with Jill and her mom and that's when all her lies start to unravel. Jill doesn't trust her and lets her know, often. Jill is still grieving over the loss of her father and has pushed everyone away from her. She is angry and alone and lashes out at everyone. (Yet you still like her!) Mandy is a lost soul, trying to figure out why no one loves her. She isn't sure she even want to give up her baby. This is a heartbreaker of a book. But not to worry- it has a happy ending. Mandy and Jill both take a journey through grief and rebirth to find their way back to themselves. Don't worry- there's a little love story on the way that help Jill realize who she wants to be. I enjoyed reading a book without zombies, supernatural powers, or the apocalypse for a change. I know the girls in my classes will really like this book and I will recommend it wholeheartedly to them. Off to the Archangel Academy for book two- I know- supernatural again- but what's a girl gonna do, the vampires call. Happy reading my friends.

Monument 14

Have you ever had the fantasy of living in a large department store like Target? I mean, if there was a disaster, wouldn't that be the best place to be? On the morning bus ride to school,  Dean's bus is hit with monster sized hail. I mean MONSTER size hail. The bus driver tries to make his way to the Greenway store, the bus tips on it's side and skids to a halt in front of the store. The driver is dead along with several classmates. The younger kids bus is also at the store and that bus driver finds a way to get the kids inside safely. That leaves six high school kids, two eighth graders and six little kids trapped in the store. The bus driver goes for help- and of course you knew this was coming- doesn't come back. The kids are left alone to figure out how to survive when the world seems to have gone mad. A huge tsunami takes out the east coast, a volcano erupts and in Colorado where the kids are, a cloud of toxic gas has been released. The kids need to figure things out- who's in charge, who's going to cook, who's going to be in charge of the little kids and how long will they have to wait it out in the store? It is scary times inside the store, but even scarier outside. Dean has to find his place among the 14 and deal with his huge crush on one of the girls. When some men arrive needing shelter, they have to decide if they should let them in to help. The do decide to let them in, but their original instincts prove right and this sets in motion a not so good chain of events. Do they stay in the store, or make a break for it to Denver where evacuations are taking place? Cliffhanger warning!! I liked this book. It was interesting to see how the kids dealt with their situation and the little kids are kind of hilarious. What would you do in a disaster? I hope I never have to find out. Happy reading my friends!

Shattered Souls

Alden is waiting for Rose to appear. They have been together for hundreds of years and many cycles. They are a Speaker and Protector. They help the Hindered spirits resolve their earthly issues and move on. But this time Rose doesn't remember her former lives. She goes by the name Lenzi now. She has a boyfriend named Zak and she thinks she is going crazy like her father. She is hearing voices and doesn't know why. One night in the cemetery as she is visiting her father's grave, she sees the gray eyed boy from her dreams. He seems to know her by the name of Rose. Even as she tries to push him away and tell him he is crazy, she finds herself thinking about him all the time. Alden tells her who she is and she tries to fight it. She doesn't want to help the dead. She wants the voices to stop. Alden convinces her to help one spirit and she finds she loves it. She also finds herself falling in love with Alden, but he keeps pushing her away. Evidently Rose of the past had made it clear they would never be more than co-workers. Lenzi is having none of that and as she pushes her old boyfriend away, she gets closer and closer to Alden. Of course there is a malevolent spirit haunting her named Smith. Smith is trying to possess Lenzi's body for good. When Alden sacrifices his life to save Lenzi, she must convince the higher powers to spare him. This was an enjoyable book. I think the relationship with Zak was conveniently made to take a bad turn so there was no love triangle of any importance, but it resolved itself nicely. There was room left for a sequel and I would read it. Happy reading my friends.

Michael Vey The Prisoner of Cell 25

Wow- this was a fast one. I picked it up yesterday and finished it this morning. Michael is a 15 year old living in Idaho with his mom. His best friend Ostin (his mom couldn't spell) is a genius. They are bullied at school by Jack and Wade. Michael has a crush on cheerleader Taylor. One day after school the bullies corner Michael and try to pants him. He has had enough and unleashes his power on them. Surprise- he conducts electricity and can shock people. Taylor sees him do this and confronts him. She also tells him that she has similar powers. They find out they are from the 17 children who were present when some hospital equipment malfunctions and are now the 'electric' children. Hatch, head of the Elgin group, wants to collect all the children so he can rule the world. Michael and Taylor are the last two he needed to find. He kidnaps Taylor and Michael's mom and Michael must find a way to get them back. He finds help in the most unlikely places. I really enjoyed this book. Michael is a great character, along with his powers he has Tourette's Syndrome. Ostin is a crack up and uses his brains for good. It was a fast moving story with really short chapters which I think my students will love. It's kind of like the Percy Jackson series without the mythology. It is also very much like X-Men. This is going to be  series and the next book is out in August. I wish I had read this sooner, it's been sitting on my shelf for a while, because I think lots of my students would have loved it. There's always next year, which, unfortunately, is only a few weeks away. I look forward to more adventures with Michael Vey. Happy reading my friends.

Fire Will Fall

I just finished the sequel to Streams of Babel by Carol Plum-Ucci. She sure knows how to tell a tale and still leave you wanting to know more. This sequel follows the story of the Trinity 4 and the two v-spys who saved them. They are recovering in a mansion in the Pine Barrens, when the terrorists decide to try out some new strains of Q3 on the kids. While they try and deal with the sickness they have, they need to decide how they want to live what lives they have left. Cora is trying to deal with her horrible mother issues, Scott needs something to do to keep himself busy, Rain just wants to fall in love and start her "normal" life, Shahzad wants to keep hacking, Tyler wants to be taken seriously and Owen wants to die so he can be with his mother and the Saints. The adults in their lives try their best to help the kids while keeping them alive and safe from the terrorists. They are in peril at all times, if not from outside sources, from the diseases they each carry. As romance blooms, the couples try and figure out how to be together while still being true to themselves. I don't know if there was a happy ending, I am super torn about that. But life doesn't always have happy endings so I guess I'll just have to deal with it. My favorite characters are Scott and Shahzad. They are very interesting and not your typical jock/computer nerds. I don't think there is another book in this series, but I suppose there could be in the future. The bad guys are still out there and the kids all face challenges as they get healthy. Another great read by this fantastic author. Happy reading my friends.

Streams of Babel

I love Carol Plum-Ucci's books. So when I found this one, I was surprised that I had missed it. It is a story of four kids in Trinity Falls, New Jersey, who get sick when the water on their street is poisoned. Cora, Rain, Owen and Scott finds their lives and health turned upside down when terrorists unleash "Red Vinegar' into the pipes on their street. Owen and Scott lose their mother to the sickness and Cora loses her mother. As the four kids are quarantined the USIC races to figure out what the biochemical agent is and how to stop the terrorists from committing another act. Two teenage hackers are helping the government, one in Pakistan- Shahzad and one American - Tyler. They bring Shahzad to the US and he is immediately found out by Tyler. They team up to try and figure out who the terrorists are as they try to protect the Trinity Four. Shahzad wants to be treated like a man and Tyler is trying to make up for the fact that his mother is a spy for North Korea. When they find themselves in the terrorists lair (an apartment) their own lives are compromised by a different biochemical agent. So as the book ends, the four are sent off to an historic mansion in the Pine Barrens to wait out their sickness and Tyler and Shahzad are waiting to see how their own illness will manifest. The story is told in alternating chapters by the 6 characters. All the characters are unique and likeable and you really root for them. One good thing about coming to a series late is that you don't have to wait for the sequel- so I've already started Fire Will Fall. Carol hasn't let me down yet, so I 'm sure it will be another page turner. Check this author out  if you haven't, I would start with the Body of Christopher Creed one of my all time favorites. (I reviewed the sequel recently) Happy 4th and Happy reading my friends!