"This Dark Endeavor (The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein)" by Kenneth Oppell

"Victor and Konrad are the twin brothers Frankenstein. They are nearly inseparable. Growing up, their lives are filled with imaginary adventures...until the day their adventures turn all too real.
They stumble upon The Dark Library, and secret books of alchemy and ancient remedies are discovered. Father forbids that they ever enter the room again, but this only piques Victor's curiosity more. When Konrad falls gravely ill, Victor is not satisfied with the various doctors his parents have called in to help. He is drawn back to The Dark Library where he uncovers an ancient formula for the Elixir of Life. With their friend Elizabeth, Henry and Victor immediately set out to find assistance from a man who was once known for his alchemical works to help create the formula.
Determination and the unthinkable outcome of losing his brother spur Victor on in the quest for the three ingredients that will save Konrad's life. After scaling the highest trees in the Strumwald, diving into the deepest lake caves, and sacrificing one’s own body part, the three fearless friends risk their lives to save another."-goodreads

Okay, if any of you ever saw my review of "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley, you know that I liked it, but also was maybe a little bit underwhelmed after my expectations from the Hollywood portrayal of the Frankenstein monster (yes I realize this is absolutely *blasphemous*). I'm actually re-reading it right now, and appreciating it a lot more. (Give me a break, it was one of the first Gothic 19th century novels I'd read, and it was a lot to take in!). 

I wasn't at all sure what to expect from this book but I loved it! It was so good. The portrayal of young Victor Frankenstein to show the childhood that isn't talked about in Frankenstein was epic. It showed us some of the events that could've lead to the famous Dr. Frankenstein and his *slightly* twisted ways. From reading Frankenstein, I could totally believe that this is what his adolescence would've been like; the culmination of 'teenage-angst', bitterness, and tragedy to warp his future. Victor's character was well developed and the voice of the novel was great. The tension between Victor and Elizabeth (and the different kind between Victor and Konrad) was remarkable.  It did move a bit slow for me at times but so did "Frankenstein", and many other books that I end up liking. The mystery and misadventures were daring and cool to read of, and it was interesting to draw parallels to what occurs in the original novel in Victor's adult life. Also, one might think that "This Dark Endeavor" would be cliche or cheese-y, another one of those unoriginal 'teenage monster' stories but it was much more.

I also looked up the book because I wanted to know if there would be a sequel, which I would be very interested in if that's possible or maybe it would be too much, but anyway I saw that it's going to be made into a movie which would be amazing because I could totally see this book as a movie-- super creepy. Also, for the bottom line of random notes, look at the cover!! So eerie and dark, absolutely perfect for the book! 
Thank you to Simon&Schuster for giving me the opportunity to review this book. Reader's Note: As usual, this in no way swayed my opinion.

"The Son of Neptune" (Heroes of Olympus, #2) by Rick Riordan

No description. Why? Because I didn't like any of the descriptions: too long, too spoiler-y, or generally too much. Did I think I could do better for a little summary? Nope.
(This review will probably contain spoilers for the first book. You might want to read The Lost Hero review instead. YOU ARE WARNED.)

The Lost Hero was seriously awesome, and being the first book in a companion series to THE Percy Jackson series by THE Rick Riordan, I didn't expect any less. Obviously I had high expectations for the sequel, "The Son of Neptune" which I impatiently awaited and narrowly avoided totally forgetting about. It was even better than the first though! Really good. So why did I like it?

The characters, as with the last one, were great. This one was told through three perspectives (as with the last one), each offering their own personalities with depth and history. That's one of my favorite parts of the book, actually, there were a lot of flashbacks and back story to the new main characters (of the 7? You'll find out) Frank and Hazel, from different families and *cough*times*cough*. Then, I'm brought to another of my favorite parts of the book, and this isn't a spoiler because the first page opens with him, PERCY. Percy is back and we read a lot of the book (I'd be inclined to say the majority of the book is from his perspective, but I'm not sure) with him. I think everyone's missed him since the end of 'his' series, or at least I have. He doesn't totally hijack the story though, it's still about the new heroes and it's also in third person rather than in the Percy Jackson books where it was ALL from his perspective in first person.

Besides characters, the settings were epic, as they are in the rest of Riordan's books. They cover a lot of ground in "The Son of Neptune", always moving. There's more mythology (duh.) as a lot of the book involves the Romans too as opposed to only the Greeks. The pace was quick too, the 520 pages passed lightning fast (get it? Lightning. Yeah...). The voices of the characters were fabulous, very different from each other which I was glad of, I can't stand it when I can't figure out who I'm reading as or forget.

I did have a few small disappointments, I wish we'd seen the characters we met in The Lost Hero; Leo, Piper, and Jason. I also wish that certain characters had been reunited (finish the book. You'll know what I'm talking about.) but I realize that's part of the cliffhanger thing. Overall though? I loved it and can't wait for the next book installment of The Heroes of Olympus.

"The Throne of Fire" (Kane Chronicles #2) by Rick Riordan

*As usual with sequel reviews, this review may contain minor spoilers. I did not include the summary for the aforementioned reason. You are warned.*
Sad. I am sad. This book is by Rick Riordan. I LOVE his books. I LOVE the Percy Jackson series. I loved “The Lost Hero“, and less so but still mostly, I really liked “The Red Pyramid“. So I had pretty high expectations for “The Throne of Fire”.

This is that part where I tell you why, even though I love Rick Riordan’s stuff so much, a few MONTHS passed between the release date and when I read his new book. Well, here’s a timeline:
1 Week Before the Release Date: HEY. “The Throne of Fire” comes out in a week. I need to get that, I’m SO psyched!
Release Date: I don’t think I went anywhere, so I didn’t buy it on the release date.
1 Week Later: I should really buy/put on hold at the library “The Throne of Fire”.  Didn’t I mean to do that last week?!?
A week ago: *at the library* OHMYGOSHIFORGOTABOUTTHISBOOK.

Maybe it’s good that I didn’t read it right away when I was really excited for it, because then I would have probably been more disappointed. Yes, I said disappointed. Yes, I checked, I was reading the correct “Throne of Fire” by the one and only Rick Riordan, author of many (seemingly always best-selling) novels loved by children, teens, and adults alike.

Sadly, it just didn’t click with me. I felt the same problem I had with “The Red Pyramid” even more than I did before, sometimes having trouble distinguishing Carter and Sadie’s voices. Obviously I could tell, their words are different, Sadie has a huge crush on Anubis, there’s their names at the beginning of the chapters, yadayadayada… but other than that I wouldn’t have been able to tell. Additionally, at times (partially because of the perspective thing, probably) I found the actions confusing and not immediately clear who was doing what and why; at other times, I thought everything was so overly obvious that it was occasionally boring or slow moving.

"Death Cloud" by Andrew Lane

"It is the summer of 1868, and Sherlock Holmes is fourteen. On break from boarding school, he is staying with eccentric strangers—his uncle and aunt—in their vast house in Hampshire. When two local people die from symptoms that resemble the plague, Holmes begins to investigate what really killed them, helped by his new tutor, an American named Amyus Crowe. So begins Sherlock’s true education in detection, as he discovers the dastardly crimes of a brilliantly sinister villain of exquisitely malign intent."-goodreads

Confession: I have not yet read the Sherlock Holmes tales completely. I've wanted to, but I haven't. Upon finishing this clever novel, my interest has been renewed-- I hope to do so soon! This novel, and Sherlock himself, were very good. If I had to compare it to something I'd say Alex Rider. (Getting himself into messes, playing the hero, all that.) Except, you know, it's 1868! Death Cloud is definitely a true mystery book; which I wouldn't say is something I've read a lot of in YA. Although I could probably call Uncommon Criminals a mystery!

I liked the setting of this book. The areas of England (and everywhere else Sherlock ends up, you'll see) that it takes place in are described really well, a clear picture was painted in my head. I liked Sherlock a lot, along with Matty, Virginia, and Mr. Crowe. A strength for the characters in this novel is that each of the side characters had a back story without it feeling like too much, like they were the main character all of a sudden, which seems to happen quite a bit if you know the other characters too well... Sherlock was really likable, and I think his biggest strength was that while clever, witty, and quick to react, he didn't seem perfect, and the whole mystery didn't seem completely easy for him to solve. 


The pace was slightly slow at times, and I noticed some inconsistencies sometimes... for example, I recall in one paragraph, I think it was Virginia, was sitting down, got up, and was fighting someone and then all of a sudden she was sitting next to Sherlock again; which I didn't really get. Other than those though, I can't really think of any problems! A very good book overall; it paints an awesome portrait of teenage Sherlock Holmes! I'd definitely recommend this as a pre-read to the complete Sherlock Holmes as if you haven't already read it, it will inspire you too; and surely a must for anyone who has enjoyed those stories. I'm very excited for the sequel coming this fall!

"Never Slow Dance with a Zombie" by E. Van Lowe

"Principal Taft's 3 Simple Rules for Surviving a Zombie Uprising:
Rule #1: While in the halls, walk slowly and wear a vacant expression on your face. Zombies won't attack other zombies.
Rule #2: Never travel alone. Move in packs. Follow the crowd. Zombies detest blatant displays of individuality.
Rule #3: If a zombie should attack, do not run. Instead, throw raw steak at to him. Zombies love raw meat. This display of kindness will go a long way.
On the night of her middle school graduation, Margot Jean Johnson wrote a high school manifesto detailing her goals for what she was sure would be a most excellent high school career. She and her best friend, Sybil, would be popular and, most important, have boyfriends. Three years later, they haven't accomplished a thing!
Then Margot and Sybil arrive at school one day to find that most of the student body has been turned into flesh-eating zombies. When kooky Principal Taft asks the girls to coexist with the zombies until the end of the semester, they realize that this is the perfect opportunity to live out their high school dreams. All they have to do is stay alive...."-goodreads

This book was very peculiar. If I was required to give my opinion of it in three words I would say "Surprisingly, bizarrely epic!". I had no expectations whatsoever of this book (nothing against the author or anything, I don't mean it like that); I'd never seen or heard of it before the book fair where I picked it up at and the description reads like a middle-grade geek to popular and all of a sudden it's perfect world type of book. So often when I have pre-conceived ideas about books (or anything, really, I suppose) I am wrong. This one, I was wrong simply because I underestimated it.

Never Slow Dance with a zombie starts out and basically the main character just wants to be popular and she has one of those super nice, very sensible, best friends. I kind of went... oh... no.... but then, on top of the lessons you would think would come along with a book like this, it was sooo funny. At the beginning I was just like... how could that happen? With the zombies taking over the school and everything and no one even knows why/how/etc...? But then I went... duh. I'm over thinking this. Of course I'm not supposed to believe it, this book is supposed to be fun and funny, regardless of its plausibility!

That being said, Never Slow Dance with A Zombie was hilarious! It was very peculiar (I don't want to call it weird. I've been calling a lot of really dark books weird and this one is anything but). I thought it would be very gory because it's about zombies and it wasn't (not that I would have minded, heh heh). The whole situation the school was in was really amusing. The characters were good, as I said, I really liked Sybil. The geeks were funny. Also, that ONE girl that wasn't really a zombie... I saw that coming. In a good way.

"Runaway" by Wendelin Van Draanen

Well. Stupid me. You should see them now. They're all huddled up arguing like crazy. Maybe they think I'm going to put a curse on them.
I can't believe it. They're coming up here?
Oh, crud. Frankie's got a stick.

Holly has gone from one foster home to another. Each one seems to be worse than the one before it.
The Bender's are no different. After an incident with Mr. Bender, a toilet, and the Sani-Clean in the water, Holly decides that it's time to cut and run.
It isn't the first time she's run away.
Armed with the journal her teacher assigned her, a sheet about poems, a backpack, some food, a watch, and a few other odds and ends, Holly doesn't expect to get far. She hasn't ever made it away before, so why should this time be any different?
But this time, whether it's because of her journal, the stories of the Underground Railroad, or just the knowledge that she can't take anymore, Holly does get away.
Far away.
Traveling from her home in the East/Midwest, she manages to make it to California, all the while calling herself a "gypsy", and trying to pretend that she isn't what she is- homeless.
But how can a 12 year old survive... Even when the 12 year old is Holly?

I can't keep living like this.
I can't even talk about it.
This is no City of Angels.
It's Hell on Earth.

I actually really liked this book. I started reading it thinking that I would- I tend to love runaway stories, stories about survival, and books written in diary form- I got about half way through, thought I wouldn't like it, then at the end I decided that I did like it after all.
Very confusing.

The only problems I had with this book was that I thought that some of the things were just a little too far fetched. That's probably just me, since I bet a lot of these things do happen, but everything seems to just work out too well, or things just go bad at really inexplicable times.

Despite the unbelievability of some of the situations, however, I did find it a good read. Holly was entertaining, and although you start the book thinking "this character is really REALLY two dimensional", you finish the book having a new and better respect for the character of Holly. That's one of the things I like about her... Even though shes all "tough as a nail" and all that, She still acts like a 12 year old.

Overall, this was a pretty good book. I wouldn't recommend it, but I wouldn't not recommend it, either.

I got out of there, found a safe spot on a cliff overlooking the ocean, and ate cold chili. And all I can think about is how ungrateful I've been. I can walk, I'm healthy.... I've got a lot more than I think I do.
Why is what you do have so much harder to see than what you don't?

"Scorpia Rising" (Alex Rider, #9) by Anthony Horowitz

"Scorpia has dogged Alex Rider for most of his life. They killed his parents, they did their best to con Alex into turning traitor, and they just keep coming back with more power. Now the world's most dangerous terrorist organization is playing with fire in the world's most combustible land: the Middle East. No one knows Scorpia like Alex. And no one knows how best to get to Alex like Scorpia. Until now. 
The chases have never been more intense, the fights more treacherous, or the risks so perilous to mankind. And this time, Alex won't get away."-goodreads

I have practically grown up reading the Alex Rider series. I read the first book, Stormbreaker, the first time when I was 8. I love this series. I'm going to admit that I was NOT a fan of Crocodile Tears, the last book in the series. Actually, I was very disappointed with it, for a multitude of reasons. I was hoping that for the last book in the series, Mr. Horowitz would redeem himself. He totally did! Alex Rider is back, for the thrilling end to this amazing series.


This whole series has been fast paced, exciting, surprising, and jam-packed with action in vivid writing that reads almost like a movie (not in the bad way, where it seems like a script or something). The conclusion was no exception. I liked that the writing I liked without the obvious moves and product placement (did anyone else see that every 5 seconds in CT?) had returned. Scorpia was my favorite of the series, so that organization being back was cool.


There is a major character death. It is very sad, but it was kind of necessary, I think. A little bit. I also want to say that the ending wrapped everything up nicely, there's pretty much no way that there will be another one-- I really don't like it when the series ends and it's left open enough that something can happen and there would be another book. I just like the end being the end. 


I really can't say much more, I don't want to spoil stuff from the rest of the books or this one. If you haven't read the Alex Rider series, I do recommend it. If you just haven't read this one-- you definitely should!

"Cloaked" by Alex Flinn

"I'm not your average hero. I actually wasn't your average anything. Just a poor guy working an after-school job at a South Beach shoe repair shop to help his mom make ends meet. But a little magic changed it all. It all started with a curse. And a frognapping. And one hot-looking princess, who asked me to lead a rescue mission.
There wasn't a fairy godmother or any of that. And even though I fell in love along the way, what happened to me is unlike any fairy tale I've ever heard. Before I knew it, I was spying with a flock of enchanted swans, talking (yes, talking!) to a fox named Todd, and nearly trampled by giants in the Everglades.
Don't believe me? I didn't believe it either. But you'll see. Because I knew it all was true, the second I got cloaked."-goodreads

I really like Alex Flinn's modern takes on fairy tales, and this is no exception. Cloaked is different than Flinn's previous fairy tale related books, as rather than the book focusing on one or two mainstream sorts of fairy tales, the book contains elements from a lot of different, lesser-known fairy tales. I never would have known that, the book didn't seem like it was slapped together, the plot was combined rather seamlessly. It was very interesting, probably more so that her other books, just in the way that you didn't really know what to expect since it's not like a fairy tale you've ever heard of.

Cloaked was not what I expected it to be. Looking back to before I read the book, I'm not particularly sure what I did expect. I don't mean this in a bad way, but the book just seems a little different then the description. I'm having a really hard time articulating this, sorry. I think the description made Johnny, our protagonist, sound a lot like Jack from A Kiss in Time or a bit like Kyle from Beastly. He was a little bit similar, but I also thought he was a lot different, if nothing else, because Jack seemed a little bit cocky at times just like Kyle. Confident. Johnny wasn't like that. It made the whole story seem a bit different from Flinn's other fairy tale books. This could be my imagination, but this review is for my opinion, right? It wasn't a bad thing, either, just something to note.

Other than that, while telling a different story, I felt that Cloaked was very similar to Flinn's other fairy tale adaptions. I felt Cloaked shared the same strengths and probably the same weaknesses as Beastly and A Kiss in Time. I don't mean this in a bad way as if I felt that I was reading the same thing or that it was boring, they're just similar. Overall, I enjoyed Cloaked and recommend it to anyone looking for a not-so-traditional fairy tale, as I recommend Alex Flinn's other books. I also really want to read Breaking Point, as it's a contemporary un-related to fairy tales (Alex Flinn has several of those.) and I'm interested to see how it is!

"The Vespertine" by Saundra Mitchell

"It’s the summer of 1889, and Amelia van den Broek is new to Baltimore and eager to take in all the pleasures the city has to offer. But her gaiety is interrupted by disturbing, dreamlike visions she has only at sunset—visions that offer glimpses of the future. Soon, friends and strangers alike call on Amelia to hear her prophecies. However, a forbidden romance with Nathaniel, an artist, threatens the new life Amelia is building in Baltimore. This enigmatic young man is keeping secrets of his own—still, Amelia finds herself irrepressibly drawn to him.
When one of her darkest visions comes to pass, Amelia’s world is thrown into chaos. And those around her begin to wonder if she’s not the seer of dark portents, but the cause."-goodreads

I've read lot's of Paranormal books, and many Historical books. Those are basically my two favorite sub-genres of YA, so you can probably imagine that when I found out about a beautifully written, pretty covered book by the name of The Vespertine, I was very excited by the prospect.

I was NOT disappointed at all. It was amazing, just like everyone kept telling me it would be. It was soooo beautifully written, I felt like I was in the 1800s with Amelia and really involved in the story, and the writing just flowed nice and painted a brilliant picture of what was going on at all times. I really didn't think that Paranormal could flow very well for me in the 1800s, because I'd just never read anything like that, but I was proved wrong.


Amelia's unpreventable glimpses into the future and their unpredictable, usually messy consequences were filled with lots of different emotions. Just the way she and Zora handled her ability and going around to people and using it with no worries at first... it was very interesting. Amelia and Zora's relationship was particularly interesting because their friendship was boring at first but then they came to be kind of rebels together. Well, as close to rebelling for a young lady as you could be in that period, I suppose. It was funny.


Zora and Amelia's friendship leads me to their dances and their gentlemen. Zora and Thomas were cute. And of course then there's Amelia's love, Nathaniel. It was interesting, him being a fourteenth and socially unacceptable because he's an ARTIST. A deep starving artist, right? Yeah. The twist about what he actually was, wasn't something that I expected and that was really good.


Overall, The Vespertine was an amazing story and I can't wait for the sequel! I can't wait to read more of Saundra Mitchel's writing and I'm eager to pick up Shadowed Summer, a horror novel that she released before The Vespertine. If you like historical stuff from the 1800s, paranormal elements, and a 'forbidden' romance because the guy is an artist, you'll love the Vespertine; because it was amazing.

"Birth of a Killer" by Darren Shan (Larten Crepsley, #1)

"Before Cirque Du Freak...
Before the war with the vampaneze... 
Before he was a vampire.
Larten Crepsley was a boy. 
As a child laborer many centuries ago, Larten Crepsley did his job well and without complaint, until the day the foreman killed his brother as an example to the other children. 
In that moment, young Larten flies into a rage that the foreman wouldn't survive. Forced on the run, he sleeps in crypts and eats cobwebs to get by. And when a vampire named Seba offers him protection and training as a vampire's assistant, Larten takes it.
This is his story."-goodreads

I love, love, LOVE the Cirque Du Freak series and The Thin Executioner by Darren Shan. This book is the first in a four book series chronicling the life of Larten Crepsley (you know, pre Darren). I really liked Larten Crepsley throughout the Cirque Du Freak series so when I found out that there was going to be four books starring him that come before it I was so excited!


When I picked up "Birth of a Killer" I expected a book that was as good as the Cirque Du Freak series, probably similar, with Crepsley as the main character. This book was way more! I liked it better then I liked most of the Cirque Du Freak series. I'm not sure if this is because I like Crepsley better as the main character or if it is because Mr. Shan has developed more as an author since writing the Cirque Du Freak books, but whatever it is, it's great.


I liked seeing the beginning of what turned Crepsley into the great mentor and overall person in Darren's life. I thought the story was good with surprising turns, and new likeable characters. It was also really interesting to see Crepsley as the 'assistant' rather than Darren. Of course, there's also Darren Shan's amazing writing style which I enjoyed throughout the Cirque Du Freak books and The Thin Executioner before this.


I can't say much more without creating a rather spoiling review, but it was great! If you enjoyed other books by Darren Shan then you'll probably love this one as well! Also, the sequel, "Ocean of Blood" comes out this month!

"Deadly" by Julie Chibbaro

"A mysterious outbreak of typhoid fever is sweeping New York.
Could the city's future rest with its most unlikely scientist?
Every week more people fall ill, and despite thorough investigation, there's no cause in sight. It's not until sixteen-year-old Prudence Galewski takes a job as an assistant in a laboratory that the evidence begins to fall into place. It seems one person has worked in every home the fever has ravaged: Mary Mallon, an Irish immigrant quickly dubbed "Typhoid Mary" by the press. Strangely, though, Mary hasn't been sick a day in her life. Is the accusation against her an act of discrimination? Or is she the first clue in a new scientific discovery?
    Prudence is determined to find out. In a time when science is for men, she'll have to prove to the city, and to herself, that she can help solve one of the greatest medical mysteries of the twentieth century."-the inside of the book

Deadly was a good historical fiction novel, portrayed by Prudence's diary entries beginning a little while before she takes the job as an assistant and goes on until the end of Mary Mallon's court case. I was actually surprised about how much I liked it, because until I started reading it I hadn't realized it was going to be a 'diary' style book; which I'm not usually a big fan of. However, it does usually work with me for Historical Fiction, and this is no exception. It reminded me of Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson, which I remember really liking, although I haven't read it in a long time.

My favorite part about Deadly was probably Prudence and her journey throughout the book. She starts out a kind of shy girl who wants to work as an assistant for the Department of Health and Sanitation, but she still doesn't really know what she wants. By the end she's more opinionated and she knows what she wants and that she's going to go get it; and she's not nearly as timid.

I really appreciated how Prudence wanted to explain to Mary and treat her nicely although she wouldn't allow it. She was the only character to truly attempt to understand her. I know there had to be 'that' character, but it was still good. I kind of felt myself thinking that although she took a journey, and we're reading her 'diary' entries, we weren't that close to Prudence. I didn't feel completely immersed in her character, even though it was in first person which for me helps.

I did feel immersed in the story of the historical fiction novel, and overall really enjoyed it. I'm loving historical YA lately and this is no exception. If you like historical fiction in diary form for pretty much any age then you'll probably like Deadly. Also, this is a rather quick read, probably because diary entry books tend to be that way, and also because there's all these cool drawings from Prudence in her 'diary'.

"The Dark City" (Relic Master #1) by Catherine Fisher

May 17, 2011
"Enter the world of RELIC MASTER.
Dark, dangerous and deadly-welcome to Anara, a world mysteriously crumbling to devastation, where nothing is what it seems: ancient relics emit technologically advanced powers, members of the old Order are revered by the people but hunted by the governing Watch, and the great energy that connects all seems to also be destroying all. A master and his scholar, searching for a relic to save the world, will be tested beyond their limits, for there are monsters-some human, some not- that also want the relic's power and will stop at nothing to get it."- the back of the ARC (Won in Early contest on LibraryThing)

I had very high expectations for "Relic Master: The Dark City" and I can honestly say that they were met! I held these expectations because after reading the amazing "Incarceron" and "Sapphique" by Catherine Fisher, I realized that she had this really whimsical, kind of poetic writing style that I absolutely adore. When I picked up this book, I realized it could be very different, I've read books by authors when they have separate books and you can't even tell they're by the same author, the writing is so different.

No, no. If part of the reason you loved "Incarceron" was the writing, then that's one reason you'll like this book. It's very similar! One of my other favorite parts of those books was the poems/excerpts before each chapter, and those are here too!

The story itself was really cool, a classic sort of YA/mid-grade fantasy, that fans of "Inkheart" and "Eragon" will probably enjoy. I liked the characters, my favorite was probably Carys, because I liked how she started out thinking one thing as she was taught to but throughout the story her mind opened to the new ideas, those ideas that the Keepers weren't as the Watch told her. I also liked Galen because the way it turned out how in the know he was the whole time even though you never expected it.

The idea of the 'relics' was interesting, and so was the rest of the world, with the Watch and the Order, it was an interesting book! I liked the occasional journal entries from Carys because that's how we saw how she was changing throughout the story.

Also: In a note that isn't entirely related to the books themselves; the cover. The cover is very cool as it's an element from the book AND IT'S SHINY!!! The next three are supposed to be that way to. Shiny books are just nice, they catch your eye, it's good marketing, it's nice on the shelf, they're fun to look at. The plan with the map pieces on the inside of each book is really great too.

Anyway, to end, I really liked this book and very much look forward to the other three. (and their shiny covers, of course..)

To learn more about the series, go here. Look for it in May and the other three each following month!

"Sapphique" by Catherine Fisher

Note: I'm going to try and make this review as spoiler free as possible! If you haven't read "Incarceron" though, you might just want to check out that (admittedly to short to do it justice, but I just... couldn't put my thoughts into words for it properly) review!
"Finn has escaped from the terrible living Prison of Incarceron, but its memory torments him, because his brother Keiro is still inside. Outside, Claudia insists he must be king, but Finn doubts even his own identity. Is he the lost prince Giles? Or are his memories no more than another construct of his imprisonment? And can you be free if your friends are still captive? Can you be free if your world is frozen in time? Can you be free if you don't even know who you are? Inside Incarceron, has the crazy sorcerer Rix really found the Glove of Sapphique, the only man the Prison ever loved. Sapphique, whose image fires Incarceron with the desire to escape its own nature. If Keiro steals the glove, will he bring destruction to the world? Inside. Outside. All seeking freedom. Like Sapphique." -goodreads

I think that Sapphique was an awesome sequel to Incarceron. It had all of the my favorite elements of Incarceron- the characters, the complicated but very enjoyable plot twists, the mysterious worlds of the Realm and Incarceron, and the amazing writing by Catherine Fisher. At first I was weary about just one more book coming out after Incarceron- I was convinced that there had to be more- it just seemed too complicated to fit into two books. The incredibly broad (Or should I say small?) world created by Fisher didn't seem like it could be contained by just two books. All of my questions could not possibly be answered!

All of my questions were NOT answered, and the world could NOT be contained in two books. Did I care? No. The questions I still had at the end of the book and the world that just didn't seem sealed properly into the two books were not a bad thing, I thought they were the best way to end it. The way it ended you wondered what the characters were going to do about the state of the world, and you wondered what the world was going to be like, but in a good way. Maybe you'd wish for an answer, but at the same time it was wonderful, perfect for your own speculation and imagination to come up with the answers.

I liked the way all the characters turned out and the way it was decided who Prince Giles was, by which there wasn't really a *true* answer, I thought that was great in the same kind of way that you just had to decide for yourself. Jared. JARED! AT THE END! That was awesome. I can't say anymore about that, or I'll spoil everything. Everything about Sapphique and the ending. That was just really cool. I know I sound cryptic but you have to read them and find out!

If you like the way this sounds you should really check out Incarceron and if you have, then you HAVE to read Sapphique!

"Heist Society" by Ally Carter

"When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre…to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria…to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own—scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected.
Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring Kat back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help.
For Kat, there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family's history--and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way." -Ally Carter's website

I loved Heist Society. I thought the Gallagher Girls books (I've admittedly only read the first two) were really cute (fluffy cute, but cute), and when I found out Ally Carter had written another book, about a family of thieves rather then a school for spies I had to read it. I'm so glad I did, it was awesome! I liked it better then the GG books, and I finished it and practically wanted to re-read it again. I liked the whole idea of the thieves and 'the family business' and everything. I liked the characters a lot, I thought Kat was a great heroine to lead the story and well, Hale was pretty awesome. Also; are we going to find out Hale's first name in "Uncommon Criminals"?? Anyway, it was a pretty adventurous and cool story. There were unexpected twists and turns and everything, and I just liked the way the whole thing unfolded. For me, there really were no slumps in the story (times where it seemed slower then others, etc..), and it was a pretty quick read. I liked how a lot of it revolved around the different paintings and everything, and that there was travel so the setting changed. It reminded me a lot of an Alex Rider book, except with a heroine and they're thieves, not spies.

Anyway. If a relatively quick read with adventure, awesomeness, good characters, by the author Gallagher Girls with an Alex Rider feel- you should really look into "Heist Society".

"Firelight" by Sophie Jordan

"With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda's rebelliousness leads her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can't resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she's risking not only her life but the draki's most closely guarded secret." -summary from Sophie Jordan's website!

Firelight was really great. I've wanted to read this one for a while, and then the cover for Vanish (the sequel, due September) came out and I decided that now would be a good time to read it! I'm so glad I did. Jacinda's voice in the book was one of my favorite things; what I mean is that, when I was reading Firelight, when it wasn't just a conversation exchanged, I really felt like I was reading into her thoughts, as she thought them, not just a written version of them, I found it really written the way she thinks. I also liked the characters, especially Will and Jacinda (by the way, awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww) and their development through the story. Although, on a personal basis, oh my, Jacinda's mom and Tamra are really REALLY easy to hate for most of the book.  I also liked how the story was unique because how many books do you read about a kind of human/dragon kind of girl, who falls in love with a boy who hunts her kind, and even turns out to be... well... I can't spoil that for you. That does bring me to the fact that this book is filled with twists and turns that you'd never expect, and gets better as it goes on! The ending was such a cliffhanger though, I can't wait for Vanish in September!

"A Kiss in Time" by Alex Flinn

"Talia fell under a spell...Jack broke the curse.
I was told to beware the accursed spindle, but it was so enchanting, so hypnotic...
I was looking for a little adventure the day I ditched my tour group. But finding a comatose town, with a hot-looking chick asleep in it, was so not what I had in mind.
I awakened in the same place but in another time—to a stranger's soft kiss.
I couldn't help kissing her. Sometimes you just have to kiss someone. I didn't know this would happen.
Now I am in dire trouble because my father, the king, says I have brought ruin upon our country. I have no choice but to run away with this commoner!
Now I'm stuck with a bratty princess and a trunk full of her jewels...The good news: My parents will freak!
Think you have dating issues? Try locking lips with a snoozing stunner who turns out to be 316 years old. Can a kiss transcend all—even time" -the goodreads summary

This book caught my eye in the library because the cover was cool (I don't judge books by their covers, but they can definitely draw my attention!), so I read the description, and picked it up because modern re-tellings of Fairy tales are fun, and because Sleeping Beauty was my favorite princess story when I was younger (no idea why), and then I saw it was by Alex Flinn- who I keep hearing awesome stuff about because of "Beastly". (That was an insight into my thought process :P ) Anyway, this book was really good. I liked it because it wasn't just Sleeping Beauty played out in the modern world, or a re-telling of it in an old world- by Euphrasia disappearing and Jack finding Talia and her therefore being 316 (appearing 16), as the story unfolds, it's like a combination of the two! I liked the way it was written, and I also liked the insight brought into the story of both Talia and Jack by the chapters switching perspectives. This was a fluffy cute re-telling of a fairy tale, and I did like the way it was written, so, soon, I look forward to picking up "Beastly", (a re-telling of Beauty and the Beast) by Alex Flinn as well.

For another review of a re-told fairy tale, check out Angela's awesome recent review of "The Poison Apples" which is a re-told Snow White story.

For more information about books by Alex Flinn, check out her website.

"Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi

"Set initially in a future shanty town in America's Gulf Coast region, where grounded oil tankers are being dissembled for parts by a rag tag group of workers, we meet Nailer, a teenage boy working the light crew, searching for copper wiring to make quota and live another day. The harsh realities of this life, from his abusive father, to his hand to mouth existence, echo the worst poverty in the present day third world. When an accident leads Nailer to discover an exquisite clipper ship beached during a recent hurricane, and the lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl, Nailer finds himself at a crossroads. Should he strip the ship and live a life of relative wealth, or rescue the girl, Nita, at great risk to himself and hope she'll lead him to a better life. This is a novel that illuminates a world where oil has been replaced by necessity, and where the gap between the haves and have-nots is now an abyss. Yet amidst the shadows of degradation, hope lies ahead." -the goodreads summary

"Ship Breaker" was totally awesome. I've been meaning to read this for a while now, first when I stumbled across the summary a while ago, and then I found out it won the Printz award, which is rather prestigious and immensely impressive, they're usually awesome books (the Printz award winners and nominees), I mean, they win for a reason. "Ship Breaker" on first glance, looks like another book about pirates or something like that, and when you read the description, it seems like another story involving poverty and hard life for the lead character, set in an odd place. There's a lot more to this book than that though. I thought the characters were pretty deep and considered the setting really well developed. As the story unfolded I liked how we learned and figured out a bit more as to the story of how the world ended up that way- although I wish I'd known more. Nailer and Nita were awesome. I thought it was really interesting/terrible how the ship breakers were spending their lives. I also thought the book conveyed emotional things rather well. Also, there should really be a sequel! Both because I want to read more and the ending - while satisfying - was a bit of cliffhanger. 

I'm assuming this book would be considered kind of post-apocalyptic, because something big must have happened to the world, including the storms Nailer talked about. I liked that. It was kind of a Hunger Games type of scenario where some big stuff went down and then kind of how the world worked after those things. I give this book 4 stars! 


If you want to learn more about Ship Breaker go to Paolo Bacigalupi's website here.
Notes: Thanks, Little Brown, for the review copy. 
THIS REVIEW IS IN NO WAY BIASED.  

"Crystal Bones" by C. Aubrey Hall (The Faelin Chronicles, #1)

April 2011

"Diello and Cynthe have always believed their parents' rules are too cautious. The twins expect things to be different on their thirteenth birthday. Their mysterious Fae mother has promised them that today they'll be given magical gifts, and they're planning to sneak off to the village fair. But nothing goes right. The magic isn't what they hoped. Their human father won't let them out of their chores. They're forbidden to attend the fair and sent on an errand instead. Then the day turns deadly as Diello and Cynthe are plunged into a lethal game of cat and mouse with old enemies of their parents. Suddenly, there are secrets upon secrets to unwind. Who is friend and who is foe? And what have their parents been hiding?

   This is the exciting first novel in The Faelin Chronicles trilogy." -the back of the ARC

This book was great! I loved the way it was written. I thought the whole thing flowed really well and was written just kind of... mystically and mysteriously, to fit the story perfectly. I liked the characters, especially Diello (I'm sure you're supposed to like him best though). I thoroughly enjoyed the odd twists and turns the story took as it unfolded, and the whole thing really wasn't what you'd expect it to be by reading the first few chapters or the back of the book. I think this book could easily be the next middle-grade/YA/anyone fantasy story, (ex: "Magyk", "Eragon", "Harry Potter", "Spiderwick" fans will love this one). I can't wait for the sequel! The downside of getting to read it this early is I suppose I'll have to wait even longer haha! I'm really glad I got the opportunity to read this though. I liked the setting, and Diello and Cynthe's world. I'm guessing it's supposed to take place in a more medieval time, and different country. The Faelin thing is really cool to :) I give this one 4 and 1/2 stars. Really excellent. Random: I also liked the cover :) Can't wait to read the next one and anything else by C. Aubrey Hall! Look for "Crystal Bones" in April!

Thank you Marshall Cavendish publishing for giving me the opportunity to review this and sending me a copy of it. 

Reader's Note: UNBIASED REVIEW. Always :) 

CONTEST: For Girls (ZITFACE, GOSSIP FROM THE GIRLS ROOM)

 Hi Everyone, Cat again. Another COOL break from regularly scheduled programming.
I just reviewed "Zitface" by Emily Howse and "Gossip from the Girls Room" by Rose Cooper. These are both middle-grade/YA girl lit. titles. "Zitface" comes out in April, and "Gossip from the Girls Room" came out in mid-January! Thank you Random House and Marshall Cavendish for sending me both of these.

These both kind of go with the for girls theme, and I was thinking someone else should enjoy them now- so CONTEST TIME.

Here's the deal. One winner will get both of these books to enjoy, and have a cute, fun, pink, fluffy, reading experience! USA only. I'm really sorry, but shipping everywhere else=ridiculously expensive. You must be at least 12. Now, how to enter?

Comment on this post. Just comment and say you want the books. Get an extra entry by becoming a fan/following and posting about it (Mentioning @Books4Hearts) on Twitter, or posting it on facebook and tagging the Books4Hearts page in your post. Get another extra entry by following the blog if you're not already. So, that's a total of 4 possible chances, and it's a random drawing.

This contest ends in one week on Saturday, February 26th. Entries must be in by 12pm, CST. I would also like to have at least 15 different people entered in this contest before I do the drawing- I think that will be easy, but I'm just saying that in case.

When you comment, just say:
You want the Books
If you posted it and fan/follow us on Twitter or Facebook, post your names from there so I can count your entry.
And last but not least, your preferred method of contact for if you win. Either I can contact you by message of Facebook or Twitter if your settings allow, or if you'd rather be contacted by email, send your email address (I'm sure you don't want it public) to books4heartsblog(at)gmail(dot)com

So. GO! 

INTERVIEW: Angie Smibert (Author of "Memento Nora")

Hi everyone, it's Cat here, for a break from the regularly scheduled programming (REVIEWS!). Remember how I reviewed the amazing "Memento Nora" just a few days ago? Well, I contacted author Angie Smibert asking if she'd like to do an interview and she was very nice and willing to do an interview, so here it is!!! (As if it's not obvious, the questions in italic are my words, the regular print is her answers!)

What inspired you to write "Memento Nora"? Were their any specific ideas from the real world that gave you the idea for the TCF, etc...?
The idea for the story came from current research in the area of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  In PTSD, the patient has gone through a traumatic event (or events)—such as a car accident or combat—that haunts them. They experience a variety of symptoms, such as anxiety, flashbacks, night terrors, and depression.  Researchers are exploring drugs that can “unstick” the memories and help the patient get on with his or her life.  These drugs wouldn't erase memories but just decrease their intensity.

I just took it a step further. I had this image in my mind of a Starbucks-like place on every corner that dispensed pills that could erase select memories. And you could earn reward points with every visit. 

Did you study Latin, or did something else inspire you to use "Memento" as a major plot word and"Memento Mori"?

I did take Latin in high school (and I love all things ancient Rome).  In classical times, the phrase "Memento Mori" was thought to have been used  to remind a victorious general that he was still just a man. (Kind of like telling someone he's gonna die just like the rest of us mortals.)  Later Memento Mori came to refer to a kind of art that reminds you of your mortality. (The phrase translates as "remember, you must die.")  The English word, memento, comes directly from the Latin. And a memento is a keepsake or reminder of past events.  So I was playing around with the many meanings of the word. 

Do you have a favorite character to write about, or just a general favorite character from "Memento Nora"?

Although they were all fun to write, my favorite character from Memento Nora is probably Winter Nomura. She's smart, manic, and artistic. She definitely sees the world a little differently. 

Would you believe someone if they told you a whole story that you forgot because of a pill, like if you'd done everything Nora had done?

 Maybe not. I can't say anymore because I might giveaway something about book 2. ;)

Do you like to read any other books that involve a Dystopian Society?

Yes, I do. I've read most of the classics: 1984, Brave New World, Handmaid's Tale, etc. My favorite YA/MG ones are Lois Lowry's The Giver, Hunger Games, Feed by MT Anderson, and The Adoration of Jenna Fox.

BTW, I blog about dystopian and science fiction at the League of Extraordinary Writers (leaguewriters.blogspot.com), a group blog for debut YA dystopian writers.  Our members include Beth Revis, Julia Karr, Elana Johnson, and Jeff Hirsch. Beth's and Julia's books came out in January--and they are both excellent!

Do you have any advice for young writers, who might want to publish their own book some day?

Be persistent. If you don't keep writing and keep sending it out into the world, you'll won't get published. And while you're writing and sending out, you're work will be getting better and better.
 ____________________________

Thanks so much to Angie Smibert for doing the interview for the blog! I encourage all of you to pick her book up when it comes out in April- it was awesome! Hope you guys enjoyed it! -Cat