inVision

Nick Gautier is at it again- for the 7th time to be exact. If you haven't started this series- go back to 1 and read Instinct and meet Nick and his world of problems. See, Nick is the big bad- the Malachai who is doomed to end the world and kill all his friends- in the future. This Nick is an awkward 6 ft. 4 inch bundle of insecurity and teen angst. He is surrounded by his ancient posse- Acheron, Kyrian, Caleb, Xev, Simi and Kode. Each doing what they can to help him change the future and stop him from becoming the evil he is destined to be. But changing the future ain't easy, especially when living in the Big Easy. Nick tends to make stupid mistakes with the best intentions. In this volume, he is suddenly without his powers and this can only mean that someone has come from the future to kill him. And that person can only be his son. Unfortunately, Nick isn't even aware he has a son- even a future son. As he starts to get visions of the future, he is even more unsure than ever how to stop the destruction of all he loves. I love this series for a lot of reasons, but sometimes the names and alternate futures can get a bit much. More action, less family tree. But Nick is a first order smart aleck with such a devoted group of friends/protectors that you can't help root for him. Again, there was not enough Kyrian for my taste- he is my favorite, but this was better than the last one and certainly leaves Nick in a precarious position-which he should be used to. I also love the setting even more now that I have traveled to New Orleans and enjoyed my own plate of beignets at Cafe du Monde. So enjoy my chers!   I hope you enjoy Mr. Gautier as much as I do! Happy reading my friends!

Jackaby

What a great little book this was! Abigail Rook, on the run from the boring life her parents have in mind, winds up in America, quite by chance. Fresh off the boat and looking for a job, she runs into Jackaby- picture Sherlock Holmes much younger self. Jackaby notices her and the supernatural beings she brings with her (unknowingly) and Abigail winds up working as his assistant. See, he is a supernatural detective. And something supernatural is on a killing spree in the city. Abigail is of use to Jackaby as she notices the mundane, unimportant things, which he finds interesting. As the crime scenes pile up, Abigail and Jackaby must race to find the culprit- who may or may not be high up in the police department. The are surrounded by an eclectic cast of characters: Douglas the Duck, Jenny the Ghost, Charlie, the cop with an unusual background, as well as a banshee and a troll. Each one makes the story more lively and entertaining. The cover says a cross between Sherlock Holmes and Buffy the Vampire Slayer and that is an apt description. Jackaby is hilarious, Abigail is a delight and Charlie is downright adorable. I look forward to the next adventure of this detective agency. I highly recommend this light, fun, read. Happy reading my friends!

All the Truth That's in Me

The timeliness of my reading this book is interesting. When boys/men continue to minimize crimes against women, society as a whole suffers. This novel by Julie Berry is set in a different time, but could be today. A time when women are vilified and belittled and held accountable for actions they have no control over. Judith was taken. Along with her friend Lottie, she disappears from society for two years. Lottie is found dead, but Judith walks out of the woods and back into her family. But she is different. Her tongue has been partially cut out and she is afraid to speak of what has been done to her. So society decides for themselves what they think must have happened to her. And her silence does nothing to dispel their thoughts. They think she is slow. They think she is not virtuous. They think they can do what they want to her. She doesn't disagree with them. Even her mother has forbidden her from trying to speak. The boy she has loved all her life is about to marry another. Her brother must have his foot amputated. The school master makes inappropriate gestures towards her. And still she won't use her voice. But unlikely allies help her realize if she doesn't speak up, all will be lost. I really loved this book. It was so different from other books I've read. It is much like Speak, where until you find your voice, people will find a way to put words in your mouth, even if they are not accurate. Girls need to understand their worth and power, and it has to start with speaking up for ourselves and not being afraid of the repercussions. We have to show people how to treat us and not stand silently when they do us wrong. What a thought provoking book!  I would recommend it to better readers only because the story plays with time as the story of her kidnapping is told. Don't let that scare you away.
Happy reading my friends!

Morning Star

Oh Darrow, how I missed you! This novel is the conclusion of the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown. It is the story of a society based on colors, where the Golds sought to repress all other colors to their benefit. Darrow is a Red- a lowly miner on Mars. But he is carved into a Gold to overthrow their system after his wife is killed for her resistance. Darrow becomes the face of the Rising- the Reaper and finds a band of loyal friends who are sympathetic to this cause. They come from all colors and each is more interesting than the next. When the book opens, Darrow is at the mercy of the Jackal and is being kept in a box, losing all hope. By some miracle Sevrus- Ares, finds him, frees him and sets in motion a war to end all wars. Darrow must reconcile with his love, Mustang, sister of the Jackal, who has an amazing secret of her own! He must decide if he can once again trust Cassius, who was once like a brother. He must try and get Roque back on his side and he must use Ragnar to control the Valkaries in order to win the day. Much evil is done. Many die. Even your favorite characters. You know who you are! But this is a fitting end to an incredible series. It is not an easy read- there are complicated plots involving government and battle. It reads more adult than YA. But if you can handle some warfare and violence, the pay off is fantastic. But you can't start here, you must go back to the beginning.  I truly enjoyed this series and recommend it to advanced readers. Happy reading my friends- howwwwwllllll!!

Snow Like Ashes

The world is divided into seasons and Winter has the short end of the stick. Their land has been decimated by the other seasons and their people enslaved. All that is left of a once great kingdom is a band of 8 survivors, which includes the King of Winter- Mather- a teenage boy. He is joined by Sir and Meira whose sole purposes are to get back the locket that holds their kingdoms magic so they can reclaim their land and free their people. All Meira wants is to help her king and friend. She wants to be useful, but Sir never lets her do anything dangerous. Her desire to help her kingdom leads her to a marriage with a Rhythym Prince whose kingdom has vowed to help Winter once they are wed. This is not what Meira has in mind of course. She wants to be a soldier and marry Mather and do normal things. But she meets Theron and he is much more that she thought he would be. Unfortunately for Winter, Theron's father is not honorable and brings their enemies to the gate. When Meira is captured and threatened with torture and death, she must use all her senses to find a way to survive. Of course, all is not what it seems and power may be in hands different that what is expected. Lies told over time come to a head and the truth is as explosive as the dark power that is unleashed. Meira must become more than she ever thought she could be to save her people and bring them hope. I had a hard time in the beginning of this book connecting to the characters. I've read many books of this genre and many girls who want to be soldiers etc. and this one didn't catch my attention at first. But I have to say things picked up as the book progressed and I am definitely interested int the rest of the story. Not- I have to run to the store right now and find out what happens- interested, but sometime in the future I can get back to the tale- interested. So, I leave it to you to decide how you feel my friends. It is summer and the books are piled up next to the Barnes and Noble gift cards I was showered with at the end of this amazing school year. Happy reading my friends!

Mosquitoland

After 660 pages of supernatural Shadowhunter goodness, I decided to step back into reality with this book by David Arnold. Mim comes from a line of women who have mental illness and her father is determined to keep her off that path. Mim does not appreciate his efforts and sets out on a quest to see her mother- who she has found out- is sick. Of course, Mim is rather strong willed and does not inform her father or stepmother of her intentions and steals a can  of money and hops on a Greyhound bus to get to Cleveland, where her mom is in the hospital. Along the way she meets both kindhearted and nefarious characters, all who change her perceptions on life. Arlene, Carl, Poncho Man, Ahab and most of all, Beck and Walt. Those two help her realize what it means to have friends who become family so quickly you don't even realize it is happening. Mim is not exactly a reliable narrator and you are never sure that what she sees and does is actually happening. At one point, I had a small heart attack when I thought .... well, I don't want to ruin that for you. I really liked this book, it had such a heart and soul and honesty. I don't know that every middle schooler would relate, but the more mature reader who loves realistic fiction would certainly enjoy this tale. Mim is a powerhouse of personality and will. But I think deep down, she craves family and friends like we all do. This is not a light summer read, but it is worth the time. Happy reading my friends... 5 days until summer!

Lady Midnight

Let me say I am horrified by how long it took me to read this book. I don't know the reason-work and other such nonsense. And I guess a part of me was avoiding the inevitable sad ending I knew would come with his book.  See, it's not my first rodeo with Cassandra Clare and her Shadowhunter world. In fact it is my 11th rodeo. I don't know how she does it, I 'm just grateful that she does. This is a new series that picks up where the Mortal Instruments leaves off. If finds us with Emma Carstairs- yes those Corsairs but more on that later and the Blackthorn family who run the LA Institute. Julian is the head of the family since his brother Mark and sister Helen have been banished due to their Fae blood. Julian and Emma have become parabatai but both are starting to regret that move. You see, you are not allowed to fall in love with your parabatai. Mark shows up at the Institute after years of being forced to ride with the Wild Hunt in order to convince Julian and Emma to help the Fae figure out who is murdering their kind. Mark doesn't know his place in the strange world of his family and nothing is the same as when he left. Time passes different in Faerie. As Emma and the Blackthorns (great band name by the way) are pulled into the mysterious deaths. They are betrayed by those who had been considered friends. And as their love grows stronger, Emma must make heartbreaking decisions to save Julian. This book is over 600 pages and I can't do it justice in a simple blog post. But know that everyone I love in this series makes an appearance (except my all time favorite Will Herondale) Jem, Tessa, Jace, Clary, Alec, Magnus etc. My eyes were teary many times and the end is a major heartbreaker. But I have faith and the experience of reading many series that if there is a happy ending in the first book, where would you go from there. So I will hope for a happy eventual ending while enjoying yet another Clare journey. I want to be a Shadowhunter. And if that can't happen, I'll have to just be a super fan. You could read this book as a start, but you would miss so much of the backstory that led to this place and time. So go back to City of Bones and carve out the rest of this year and I'll see you in 10 books. Meanwhile, I'll wait for my parabatai to show up and give me a fortitude rune as I have the long wait until book 2. Happy reading my friends- 10 days until summer and miles to go before I sleep!