Fountains of Silence

Ahhh, Ruta Sepetys is a master of language and worlds. All her books deliver you to another time and place. Always with a historical edge and always teaching me something new. This one is no different. This book transports you to Franco's Spain in the 50's. Ana is the daughter of resistors who were both killed for opposing Franco. She lives on pins and needles so as not to attract attention. She has a job at the Hilton which services rich Americans. Ana is hiding a secret the could get her sent away. Daniel is the son of a rich Texan who is in Spain to make a deal with Franco for oil. His mother is originally from Spain and is anxious to return to her home land. Daniel and Ana's paths cross at the hotel and it sets them on a lifelong path that has heartbreaking twists and turns. A secondary plot is the story of the thousands of babies that were stolen from Anti-Franco mothers and handed over to supporters up until the 1980's. WHAT?? The more I learn the more I am horrified by the crimes we commit against each other in the name of power. But every country has scars that must be brought to light no matter the embarrassment. If we don't learn from them, then we are no better than the perpetrators of these crimes. I couldn't put this down and I know I will be a better teacher and human after reading it. Run, don't walk to this author's catalogue. Happy reading my friends!

Ninth House

Let me start with, this is not YA. That being said, after a rocky beginning, I found this to be an interesting and adventurous book. Alex has always been able to see ghosts. It terrified her all her life. When she wakes up in the hospital after a bloody crime scene, in which she is the only survivor, she is given a new chance at life. Join the Ninth House at Yale. Be a student and moonlight as a protector of the other 8 houses during their rituals. See, the secret societies at Yale are all supernatural and are responsible for many of the economic and social systems of the world. They must be fed with ritual and often blood to keep the rich rich. The more Alex is involved, the more she is convinced something is wrong. When her mentor Darlington goes missing, she is determined to find a way to bring him back to this world. But forces are working against her and if she is successful, he may reveal her darkest secret. There are some scary moments in this book. These ghosts ain't no Caspers for sure. But as the story moves along, it gets more difficult to figure out who is good and who isn't, And isn't that quite a bit like life? Happy reading my friends!

Rebel

When I read the ending of Champion, I was absolutely devastated. How could she leave Day and June that way? For the next few years, I went about life believing that somewhere out there, they had the happy ending I was denied. So when I found out about Rebel, I was absolutely giddy with joy. And fear. Was Lu going to do it to me again?? I am not going to spoil this book for you. It is about Eden and Day taking on the government AND a mobster in Antarctica. That is the plot. But for me, it was only about Day and June. The rest was background. That is all I'm going to say, if you have never entered this world, start with Legend and you can begin the journey with two of my all time favorite fictional characters. If you have read the trilogy. Let me know when you get to the end of this one so we can have a moment together. Thank you Marie Lu for righting a wrong and bringing back my faith. Happy reading my friends!

Orphan Monster Spy

I really don't like WW2 books as a rule. Too sad, too terrible, too sad. This one was a different version so I decided to try. Sarah has lost everything in trying to escape Germany. Her actress mother has spent her whole life teaching Sarah to be someone else. When her mother dies, Sarah has to use every lesson she was taught to survive being a Jew in the times of the Holocaust. She meets an American spy who takes her in after she saves him from being arrested. Sarah is given the chance to go undercover at a German girls' school to try and make friends with a scientists daughter. The scientist may have created an atom bomb, and Sarah needs to get onto the estate and survey the situation. This takes all her acting skills as she tries to fit in with the tall, blonde master race of mean girls. She lives in constant fear of being caught and knows the consequences if she is. It tests her very soul to try and fit in with these girls but knows the future of Germany may be in her hands. This book was a great read. I especially liked the appendix about the actual teenagers who were sent behind enemy lines as spy. I also liked a sort of happy ending to a book about this awful topic. This is a series so Sarah's spy games continue on. Happy reading my friends!

I Am Still Alive

Jess has just survived a car crash that killed her mother and left her body broken. She is forced to go live with a father she has not seen in years. But he is hiding in the Canadian wilderness from a troubled past. Jess isn't interested in that life, learning to hunt and fish and survive winter in a cabin. She is certain that she can convince her father to let her go back to civilization. He asks her to give him a year and then he will take her back. When his past catches up to him, Jess is left alone to try and fend for herself with only her dog as company. All the while she is plotting revenge against those who took her father from her. She fights through a rough winter with only her wits keeping her alive. I liked this book, it was sad and depressing at times but showed what determination and ingenuity can do in difficult circumstances. Jess is no damsel. She gets up each day and faces what comes at her with strength and pride. If you liked Hatchet as a younger reader, this is a more advanced version of that story with more adult themes. Wear a warm coat while reading! Happy reading my friends.

Sky without Stars

I love Jessica Brody's books. So when I saw this one with her name on it, well, that was all I needed. Then as I began reading and discovered it was a retelling of Les Miserables in space- game on. This is the story of Chatine, Marcellus and Aloutte who are all living on Laterre. Chatine is a street thief who steals for her family. She is bitter over the loss of her little brother who was killed by an orphan her family had taken in. Marcellus is the grandson of the General who rules Laterre at the side of the Partiarche. He is ashamed of his criminal father who is on Bastille, the moon prison. Marcellus doesn't know if he is cut out to take his grandfather's place one day as his heart isn't really in it. Then there is Aloutte, who lives underground with her father and the Sisters who protect the books that are left and kept hidden. She is unaware of most of what is going on on the surface. As the rebel forces start to make trouble, the three teenagers find their paths crossing with mixed results. If you know the story of Les Mis, then you know the general outcome. But the space setting adds a new and refreshing twist. I really enjoyed the book and look forward to seeing what happens next. There were enough twists to make it unpredictable. Happy reading my friends!

The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe

     Poe is an orphan who works on the gold digging barges. They destroy the rivers they run to get the gold out with no regard to the natives who live along the river banks. But she and Call have a plan to make one final run and then disappear into the forest. Fate, of course has other ideas, and leaves Poe broken and desperate for revenge. She creates armor for the barges that run the river to punish those trying to stop them. When the General puts her in charge of a barge for one final run, Poe cannot turn it down. She will see what she has created in action and will finally be able to get revenge on those that ruined her life. When someone starts leaving notes in her cabin, she doesn't know who on the crew to trust. Then truths begin to come out and her world is turned upside down. All she believed to be true has been a lie and the very people she was seeking revenge on might actually be the ones in the right. Poe has to make many decisions that will change her world. I like Allie Condie's books for the most part. This one was not one of my favorites, it didn't have a lot of payoff or interest for me int he long run. The characters just didn't connect for me and I wasn't too invested in the outcome. Happy reading my friends!