Girls Made of Snow and Glass

One created from the snow. One with a heart of glass. Who will love these girls? In this twist on Snow White, Mina and Lynet take on the roles of the Evil Queen and Snow White. Mina has been told by her magician father that the only reason anyone would love her is because she is beautiful. When she meets and marries the King, she finds this to be true as even he rejects her love. Lynet has always loved the snow. Her father, the King, treats her as if she will drift away and break if she isn't protected. He knows she will grow up to be the exact image of her mother. A mother she never knew. As Mina and Lynet grow close, those around them do everything they can to drive a wedge between the two. Lyne, growing up to take Mina's place as Queen. Mina, doing all she can to push Lynet away. In a series of lies, misinformation and deceit, Lynet runs away to save herself from Mina. But Mina never meant to drive Lynet away. How will these two women break the cycle of hate and find a way to rule together to make the world a better place? This was an interesting twist on this classic fairy tale. It has a mirror, a huntsman and a love interest. No dwarves though I kept waiting for some. It was a statement about women who are often pitted against each other by society overcoming the norms and becoming allies instead of enemies. It won't make my favorite list, but for my fairy tale lovers, this is a new take they may enjoy. Happy reading my friends!

Renegades

In a world of superheroes and villains, who is to decide which side is more justified in their actions? Nova and her parents were supposed to be under the protection of the heroes. But when a rival gang came to their apartment and killed all her family, Nova swore revenge. With the help of her uncle Ace, Nova honed her powers and became the villain Nightmare. With one touch, she can put her victims to sleep. She teams up with the villains in an effort to take down the superheroes. Adrian, AKA Sketch, is the adopted son of the two most famous superheroes. He is also looking for a way to make his mark. He has created his own persona- The Sentinel- but no one knows that he is the Sentinel. And they aren't too thrilled with this creation when some of the heroes get hurt by him in a battle against Nightmare. At the annual search for new members of the superhero team, Nova is sent in by her team to infiltrate the heroes and learn about their organization while reporting back to the villains. But when Nova is chosen by Adrian's team, she finds herself unsure of which side is truly in the right. She spends more and more time with Adrian and is confused when members of her own team are making moves she doesn't understand. And Adrian is finding himself falling for Nova even while he searches for Nightmare. This is a great read with interesting characters and story line. It is hard to know who to root for when both sides have both positives and negatives, much like life. This new series by Marissa Meyer is a winner, much like the Lunar Chronicles are. You won't be disappointed, especially with the surprise ending. No spoilers here. Happy reading my friends!

Thunderhead

The first book in this series, Scythe, was one of the books my students have really gravitated towards. What's not to love?- kids their age becoming what are basically grim reapers. Throw in a little love story that can only end in tragedy and you have a hit on your hands. In this sequel, we get to hear a new point of view- the all seeing Thunderhead. AI that basically keeps society running, all the while adhering to some very strict rules. It will not interfere in the doings of the Scythes. And Scythes seem to be turing away from their original purpose and rules and turning towards a lawlessness that while the Thunderhead disagrees with, it will not get involved. Well, almost never. The Thunderhead finds way around it's own rules and tries to set people on a path that will help keep society from imploding.  Citra is finding her way as Scythe Anastasia. Her gleanings have attracted the attention of the other Scythes. Rowan has taken on  the robes of Scythe Lucifer and is determined to glean Scythes that are breaking the rules. This puts him in great danger. When Citra finds herself the target of an assassination, the Thunderhead sends Greyson Tolliver to warn her. By doing so, Greyson gives up the life he desires to save hers. To make matters worse, some dead Scythes find a way back to wreak havoc upon the Scythedom. Citra must use all her cunning to keep Rowan from being caught while saving humanity from the evil that has been unleashed upon it. This was an interesting sequel that I enjoyed reading, especially the author notes from each chapter at the end of the book. And while Rowan and Citra do not spend much time together in the pages of the sequel, I am sure they will get some time in the next book. Characters live, characters die and the Thunderhead lives on becoming more and more human as he goes.... I love Neil Shusterman's books. He knows how to tell a story that makes you question humanity and all it's foibles. Happy reading my friends.

Natural Born Angel

In this sequel to Immortal City, we find Maddy adjusting to life as a half angel, half human. She is trying to decide if she wants to join the Guardians and train to protect humans. Her boyfriend, superangel, Jacks is trying to recover from their encounter with a demon who shredded one of his wings. Jacks is finding life difficult without the ability to fly. Who is he, if not a Guardian? Just Maddy's boyfriend? That is not sitting well with him. To make matters worse, Senator Linden is trying to get legislation passed that would stop the Immortals from using any of their supernatural powers. The Immortals won't stand for this. On a third front, someone is disappearing homeless and blowing up humans. Demons have been spotted around the world. This is concerning to  humans and angels alike. Maddy seems to be both sides hope for the future. They want to fast track her Guardianship and she must learn to use her new wings to do this. They hook her up with Tom Cooper, a pilot. They hope he can help her learn to use her wings like he uses the wings of a plane. Surprise, surprise, feelings start to develop between her and Tom. With Jacks pulling away in his depression, she finds Tom understands her plight. All things come to a crashing conclusion, with Maddy left to decide which side she will stand on- human or angel, Jacks or Tom. No decision will be easy and consequences will be major in Angel City. Where will her heart leave her?? I don't know- cliffhanger!! I really liked the first book in the series, but this one wasn't as riveting. It may be that I have fallen for some other angels between books- Akiva, Patch.... But if you like a good angel v. the world book, try out this series. Happy reading my friends!

The Warden's Daughter

Disclaimer alert- I love Jerry Spinelli. He wrote one of my all time favorite books Maniac Magee. You laugh, you cry, you are better for having read the book. This one is no different. Cammie is the warden't daughter. She lives at the prison and has access to the female prisoners, who become like family to her. But Cammie is lost. Her mother died when she was a baby saving her life. She was hit by a milk truck. Came is angry. At everyone and everything. She is never happy. She beats up on her friends. But she saves a lot of her anger for Eloda, the prison trustee whose job it is to take care of Cammie during the day one long summer before junior high. Cammie wants to make her her mother, but Eloda does not seem to want that to happen. Everything Cammie does is meant to get Eloda's attention, but to no avail. At least that is what Cammie thinks. One day Eloda is gone. Released. With no goodbye. And Cammie must decide if she can let go of the past and get on with her life. This one was a tearjerker for sure. Cammie comes to find out just what Eloda had done for her and learns the meaning of motherhood and love. Loved this. Try it, I dare you not to cry at the end. Happy reading my friends.

Afterworlds

In this clever book, you get two stories in one. Darby is 17 and has just sold her first novel. She now has to navigate the publishing world as she moves to New York City and meets her first love, another first time novelist named Imogen. Darby must fight her own insecurities as she faces rewrites in the year before her book is published while starting to work on the sequel. Everything costs more than she planned, her parents want her to go to college and Imogen is hiding something. In every other chapter, you get to read her novel. It is a supernatural tale of a girl who survives a terrorist attack. She is now a psychopomp, someone who can cross to the underworld and speak to the dead. Lizzie meets Yama- a death lord and falls for him, but even this has dire consequences. Lizzie is also navigating a new world filled with perilous choices. Scott Westerfeld has found a way to blend these two stories while giving the non-write a glimpse into the world of a YA author. I found it really interesting and inspiring as we just finished a round of Nanowrimo in my school and I have 3 new authors who would love this book. If you like the Pretties series, this is a little different, one story based in reality and one supernatural. The best of both worlds. I enjoyed both very much. Happy reading my friends.

Her Dark Curiousity

Juliet Moreau has escaped the island after she killed her father. She had to destroy the man who was creating abominations and letting them loose. Montgomery has stayed behind and she winds up in London living with an old friend of her father's, Victor Von Stein. Juliet tries to adapt to society but finds it difficult to forget her father's experiments. Unfortunately, it seems, one of them has made it to London and is killing people who have wronged Juliet. She knows it's Edward, the human hybrid whom she once kissed on the island. He is both man and beast, but the beast seems to be getting more powerful by the day, keeping Edward hidden inside. When Montgomery shows up in London to hunt Edward, Juliet is put in the middle. To make matters worse, there is a secret society that seems to be recreating her father's dreadful experiments and plans to unleash them upon London. Juliet must keep her own darkness at bay while she tries to save Edward and London. But she may be more of her father's daughter than she cares to admit and this will put everyone she loves in danger. This sequel to The Madman's Daughter, is a mixture of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and leads into Frankenstein. The classic monster tales that beg the question, who are the real monsters- the creatures or the men who have created them. There is one more book in the series and I will follow it to Frankenstein's Scottish castle, if only to enjoy the view. Happy reading my friends!