"The Agency: A Spy in the House" by Y. S. Lee

Insurance fraud.
Sunken ships.
Guilt money.
A ransacked office.
There was at least one more missing detail...

Mary Lang is a preteen girl living in the streets of Victorian era London. She picks pockets and breaks into houses to survive, until she is caught and sentenced to hang.
When she is miraculously rescued from the gallows and sent to Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls, it's a new life. A life away from the crime and theivery she left behind. It's a new chance to be independent- a rare thing in Victorian era Britain.
But when Mary, now going with the last name of Quinn, finds herself yearning for more, she is hired by the headmistresses of the academy to work for The Agency- a top secret detective agency exclusively for women agents.
Mary's thrilled to be working for The Agency, and even more thrilled when she recieves her first assignment. Posing as a hired companion, she's to assist a more experienced agent in investigating missing ships containing smuggled items. But not all is as it seems in the household, and no one is who they appear to be.

Just before he caught her, she had a moment of sick premonition. It had been the same way the first time- the last time- she'd been caught. A flash of dread, of knowing. And then it happened.

I picked this book up from the library because I'm fascinated by the Victorian era. I decided that it looked interesting, took it home, and read it in what would amount to about 24 hours. It's a pretty fast read, particularly once you get more than halfway into it.

The interesting thing about this book is not just that the characters are amazing, but that it seems like an incredibly realistic portrayal of Victorian era London. The jacket says that the author completed her PhD in Victorian literature and culture, and studied London. You can definitely tell this while reading the book- she includes many details that make the backdrop of this book to be exciting and foreign- and yet utterly realistic.

The characters are also quite amazing- Particularly James and Mary (the main characters), who happen to have some of the most wonderfully witty lines that I've read for a while.
However, although I enjoy the characters, I find the plot to be a little meandering and it has a slightly confusing end in my opinion. There were several times when I had to go back and reread as section because I didn't quite catch what was going on. Several times also near the end things just seem to go a little too good for the characters, with Mary's mysterious instincts. I also didn't particularly like the end- it was a little abrupt and it made me a little sad.
Despite this, I consider it to be a good book and if I see more from this series, I will be getting them from the library.

"Immanuel's Veins" by Ted Dekker

"This story is for everyone. But not everyone is for this story."
Toma Nicolescu, a warrior, is sent by Catherine the great to protect two sisters and their mother. At first convinced that it is just a simple job- He, after all, will not cave to the sisters beauty like his friend Alec will- and all he must do is help the mother arrange a marriage for the eldest sister, Lucine.

That just goes to show how mistaken Toma can be.

When a strange group of Russians arrive, Toma senses something strange about them. They seem more attractive, more powerful, and yet far more repulsive than anyone he knows. However, he sees nothing wrong with them or their strange ways...
At first.
As his suspicion of the beautiful strangers rises, so does his love for Lucine, and soon both are entangled in a dark plot, power, and a battle between good and evil.

Looking back now, I can say the series of incredible events that forever changed my understanding of this ordered world began in earnest in that moment. Though I did not recognize or embrace it then, the axis of this planet surely shifted. The stars reversed their course and sent a spell of love and anguish, tears and laughter into the valley, and I was too thickheaded to yet see it.

Ted Dekker is a truly amazing author.
I was drawn into the book as soon as I read the first page, and it only took me a few days to finish it. The writing is beautiful, and he uses so much symbolism that sometimes it's hard to tell what's an allegory and what's not.

The characters also brought me into the story- None were perfect, and yet I never got mad at the main characters (the story is told from Toma and Lucine's points of view) for doing something so dumb that it was ridiculous. All the characters had their own distinct personalitites, and for most of the book I was kept guessing about who was going to do what.

The plot also deserves mention- I guessed a few of the plot "twists", but overall felt like I didn't quite know what was going to happen next.

Overall, this is an incredibly wonderful book, and I enjoyed it very much. However, it is also a clearly Christian book, so if that does not appeal to you, you probably won't enjoy this book so much. Also- this was a book found in the "grown up" section of my library, and as such needs treatment in that way. I would not recommend this book to anyone under fourteen, due to some of the adult themes.

"Leviathan" by Scott Westerfeld

"Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.
Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.
With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever"-goodreads

Leviathan is the first steampunk book I've read. (Note: I still wouldn't understand what steampunk IS if it weren't for: a) Angela who is awesome and kind of a steampunk specialist, b) to some extent, google, and c) this book.) I now understand the appeal. It's also the first novel by Scott Westerfeld that I've read besides Uglies, Pretties, and Specials (which was ages ago and I REALLY need to re-read them as I hardly remember anything except that they were amazing). If they hadn't proved his genius-- Leviathan would have!

First off, oh my gosh I need to talk about the illustrations. There are these really intricate, awesome, brilliant full page and half page illustrations throughout the book. These were both great to look at and good at explaining things. The 'clanker' machinery and the 'Darwinist' creatures were so bizarre that I couldn't quite picture them, but then the illustrations had me seeing them perfectly. So cool. Then another favorite bit for me was how it's both historical fiction and futuristic fiction seamlessly put together, which is the steampunk element, but it was so interesting to read about a World War II world in an alternate society and universe sort of way. I can't wait for those things to be explored more in Behemouth and Goliath, the other two books in the series (although Goliath hasn't come out yet). 

The only negative thing I have to say about this book is while Alek and Deryn are obviously different characters, genders, and very different personalities their thought processes seemed TOO similar sometimes. Also, something to note, although Leviathan seems to have been marketed as a YA book I'd say it could just as easily be enjoyed by a more middle-grade and younger audience-- it has something for pretty much everyone in a broad age range!

"Lily of the Nile" by Stephanie Dray

"Heiress of one empire and prisoner of another, it is up to the daughter of Cleopatra to save her brothers and reclaim what is rightfully hers...
To Isis worshippers, Princess Selene and her twin brother Helios embody the divine celestial pair who will bring about a Golden Age. But when Selene's parents are vanquished by Rome, her auspicious birth becomes a curse. Trapped in an empire that reviles her heritage and suspects her faith, the young messianic princess struggles for survival in a Roman court of intrigue. She can't hide the hieroglyphics that carve themselves into her hands, nor can she stop the emperor from using her powers for his own ends. But faced with a new and ruthless Caesar who is obsessed with having a Cleopatra of his very own, Selene is determined to resurrect her mother's dreams. Can she succeed where her mother failed? And what will it cost her in a political game where the only rule is win-or die?"-goodreads

I've always been really into ancient history of the Egyptian/Greek/Roman varieties, and I recall pouring over Cleopatra's complicated story multiple times. Add that to my love for YA historical fiction and I figured I was sure to like this book. I wasn't let down; Lily of the Nile was stunning. Stephanie Dray wrote a brilliant novel that must have required copious amounts of intense research and much cleverly filling the gaps where necessary. 

The exploration of how Selene and her twin, Helios, dealt with everything and their lives being held captive by the Roman empire was amazing. The raw emotion of Selene as she changed and became more cunning, more like her mother's daughter, more of Isis, were so real seeming. The changing relationship between her and Helios as she made decisions as a strategist and he didn't necessarily was complicated and surprising. The theme of the treatment of women in Egypt in contrast to that in Rome... All fascinating stuff. The ending was explosive, and left me wishing there was more. (There should be a new rule: 'Sequels to books I like are not permitted to come out more than a week after I read said book' HA. No, that won't work.) Apparently there will be a sequel, "Song of the Nile" due in October.

"The Lost Crown" by Sarah Miller

"Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia--like the fingers on a hand, Tatiana the tallest, Anastasia the smallest, Maria the one most desperate for a ring. These are the daughters of the Tsar, the daughters of the last royal Russian family. Acclaimed author Sarah Miller writes with lyricism, criticism and true compassion as she tracks this loving cluster of sisters from the decks of their yacht to the prison walls of their final home. What do abdication and revolution mean to these young women? Told through each of their voices in alternating chapters, we see their day-to-day lives, in many ways, remain the same; they dote on their dogs, flirt with the soldiers, and are followed constantly by guards. But their desires for the future have all but disappeared. As conditions worsen and the provisional government loses power to the Bolsheviks, the girls huddle together to make sense of what is happening. At the same time hopeful and hopeless, naÏve and wise, their voices become a chorus singing the final song of Imperial Russia."-goodreads

The Lost Crown was a fascinating novel. I love historical fiction, especially when it's about a period that I might not have known much about before going into the novel. I didn't know THAT much about Imperial Russia, so this book was very interesting and fresh for me.

The settings were ornate and as the points of view alternated things became different. An interesting point about this novel is that for every chapter the point of view is from a different one of the daughters. I found this really good, and switching up the perspectives did freshen the story a bit each time. The only qualm that I have with that is at times, especially near the beginning, the story switched character's narratives without really changing, but after a while and getting used to it I didn't feel that way at all. 


The way this story was done is just interesting, deciding to do it from the daughter's points of view and showing their side of the story. Sarah Miller seems to have done fantastic job capturing what they would've been like and must have done an impeccable amount of research to pull of this book. Overall, it was a fascinating historical YA with very unique insight on the inside of a period of history that you might not have known much about before. A great read! 


Thank you to Simon&Schuster for giving me the opportunity to review this book. Reader's Note: As always, my reviews are unbiased. Thanks! :)

"Aphrodite's Blessings; Love Stories From the Greek Myths" by Clemence McLaren

"If I were racing against someone as handsome as Milanion," Filomena said, "I'd let him win... by just a little." She gestured with thumb and index finger.

Atalanta, princess, has been brought up to be an athlete. When her father and his advisers decide, however, that she must get married, she is terrified. The fate of married women is clear- to be kept inside all the time, except with their husband.
But it gets worse.
Her father decrees that if any man can win a race against Atalanta, they will be her husband, and rule over Arcadia. But if they lose? Death.
Atalanta doesn't want the men to die... But which is worse? To marry away your life... Or to destroy someone else's?
...
Everyone knows not to boast too much. Say the wrong thing, and the gods will punish you thoroughly.
Well.
Maybe not everyone.
Andromeda's mother is beautiful... And boastful. When she says that she and her daughter are more beautiful than all the daughters of Poseidon, everyone is worried, except for her. Andromeda is engaged to a wealthy (if short and old) man, she's still beautiful, and the gods never really pay attention to mortals... do they?
But, if the myths are true, and the queen is wrong... How are they to be punished?
...
Psyche has been gifted with amazing beauty, but it seems like it won't do her any good. When a message from a god comes, however, telling Psyche's family to wed her to a mysterious "Lord of the Hidden Valley", Psyche is hopeful.
But even when all seems well, trouble comes in the form of a jealous sister. When Psyche unknowingly ruins her happiness, how far is she willing to go to get it, and the man she loves, back?

Everyone admired my courage, yet it wasn't really courage. I simply wasn't as frightened as they expected me to be. I was actually relieved that I would not have to look at my father's solemn face, or listen to my sisters whispering about me any longer. Even in a wealthy family, an unmarried girl is a burden, because of the shame she brings. I was ready to remove that burden.

I quite liked this book. Greek myths fascinate me (heck, all myths fascinate me), and it was interesting seeing them written out in this way, from the girl's point of view. I found a lot of them to be much more emotional this way, and the characters were interesting.

However. The problem I had with this book was mostly about the last story, of Psyche. I like the story, but I did not like how things just seemed to happen in her favor, with no explanation. I know this isn't the author's fault, but what I do credit the author with is saying something along the lines of "I wouldn't know why until later", and then just not explaining it after all.

Besides that, though, I did like this book, and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes the stories anyway.

"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'.

"Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys

Release: March 22nd
"Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.
Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously—and at great risk—documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart." -from Goodreads

This book was amazing. It was touchingly emotional and beautifully written; as well as painfully realistic and with terrifying circumstances, situations, and other details. The characters were as deep as the story. The characters in this book go through so many terrible and awe-inspiring things that it's incredible, as well as terribly upsetting and heart breaking because the situation under Stalin happened. Author Ruta Sepetys even says that a lot of the things that happened in the story are based on real survivors' accounts. It was scary at times, depressing, encouraging, depressing, and all of those elements just made it so authentic. This beautiful book is not an easy book to read, at times I wanted to cry or put the book down or something when I read more about the journey Lina was on, because it was just that emotional, but all of those things that made the book are just so important I think because so much of it is true. A must-read if you're into historical fiction, finding out more about history, or just a dramatically amazing story, you'll adore Between Shades of Gray!

If you would like to find out more about Between Shades of Gray go to the website here or Ruta Sepetys's website here.

ARC through program at my library! Thanks! 

The Falconer's Knot by Mary Hoffman

'What a lout!' whispered Sister Veronica. 'You'd think a man who can afford clothes and a horse like that would have better manners.'
It was not the sort of thing that nuns were supposed to say and Chiara was delighted to discover that Sister Veronica had this human side.
When Silvano, a sixteen year old noble, is suspected for a murder he did not commit, his father immediately sends him off to Giardinetto, to find safety in a monastery, until they can prove his innocence. There Silvano finds many things- friendship, love, and adventure- but not safety.

Chiara is under the protection of her brother. Her brother who cannot afford a dowry for her. So he sends her off to Giarinetto- to the home of the Poor Clares, to become a nun.
While she's there, Chiara meets Silvano, who's pretending to be a novice. She immediately sees through his disguise, and finds him to be a kindred spirit.

When people start dying, Silvano knows that he has to find the killer, before he is allowed to go home. But, at a home of the religious, who would kill another?

Then she saw with a shock that this corpse was the drunken man who had laughed at her and Sister Veronica on the road the day before. Chiara felt again how fragile life was, how a vigorous man could be snuffed out in an instant. The thought made her shudder.

The synopsis I provided for this book doesn't do it justice. There are so many interesting story lines, so many different plots and characters, that I think it'd be fairly impossible for me to list them in a timely manner.
On a whole, I enjoyed this book. It was fairly obvious to me who was the killer, and how everything was going to end up, but I enjoyed it anyway. The historical detail was very fascinating, and there was just enough romance to make it appeal in that area, as well. :)
I'd give this book four stars.

As the Minister General performed the committal, he looked around the graveyard and Bonsignore could tell he was thinking it too cramped for the needs of a house that was going to have a murder every week or so.

The Mummy Case by Elizabeth Peters

But I had looked, and I knew the sight would haunt my dreams: Abd el Atti, hanging from the roofbeam of his own shop, swaying to and fro like some winged monster of the night.

Amelia Peabody Emerson is a archeologist. She's eccentric, interesting, and also a detective to boot.
Therefore, when she and her husband- Radcliffe Emerson- and her son- Ramses- go to Egypt to excavate during the summer, it shouldn't be surprising that mystery comes to her.
A mysterious papyrus scrap- sold to Amelia, albeit reluctantly- causes the seller, Abd el Atti to be murdered. What follows can only be described as chaotic. While digging, several attempted (and sometimes successful) burglaries occur, a death, two mysterious fires, and the regular excavation. Amelia is determined to figure out who is behind the burglaries and murders, but with local unease, a precocious ("Catastrophically precocious" As Amelia says.) son who has a habit of getting into trouble, a husband who likes to be disagreeable, and a servant who's distractingly in love, can she manage it?
"De criminal was about to steal my pectoral," Ramses replied. "It is MINE. I found it."
"But, my dear boy, it was horribly dangerous," Emerson exclaimed. "YOu cannot go about demanding your rightful property from thieves; they are not amenable to such appeals."
"It was not dangerous," Ramses said serenely. "I knew you and Mama would not allow de men to harm me."
My mother gave me this book to read. I am attending a murder mystery party set during the Victorian era, in Egypt. (In fact, I am an archeologist, lol). She said it would help set the mood, that it was funny ( that it would increase my vocabulary (that it failed in, since I didn't look any of the words up in the dictionary), and that I would love Ramses. (that I did.) What she failed to mention is how stinking long this book is. Usually it would take me a couple of days to finish a book of this length. but for some reason, this one took me over a week. Huh. In fact, it has earned the descriptive nickname, "The Never Ending Book." (not to be confused with the never ending story.)
Despite it's length, however, it was a very interesting book, and I learned a lot. It was well written, and the ending was completely unexpected.
Besides this, it was chock full of awesome quotes. I narrowed the quotes down to four, which is one more than I usually include in book reviews. But since the fourth is so awesome, I will post it here."To bring her to Mrs. Emerson, of course," John replied, his eyes widening. Emerson subsided with a curse. "Of course. Everyone brings everything to Mrs. Emerson. Lions, mummy cases, miscellaneous young ladies-" I'd give it about three stars.
The old woman's cacodemonic laughter broke out again. She began to shuffle her feet in a grotesque dance of triumph. "I knew the honored sitt would not let an old woman be robbed. The wisdom of the prophet is yours, great lady. Accept an old woman's blessing. May you have many sons- many, many sons..."
The idea was so appalling I think I turned pale.

The King's Rose by Alisa M. Libby

All of the court looks different to me now, somehow both clearer and more confusing than it appeared when this year began. Henry is besieged by those who undoubtedly would do him ill if it would benefit them to do so. During dinner I see him conferring with Edward Seymour, and the sight of it nearly knocks the wind out of me. I scan the faces before us and imagine in each of them a unique self-interest, a unique abuse or destruction of our king in the name of God or family or the true church- whatever that church may be. And I know, now, that I am no way different from any of them.
This is the story of Catherine. Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of king Henry of England, Father of the infamous Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth. This is her story. Catherine is just a common girl. A beautiful, young girl who happens to be a Howard. Who happens to be a pawn in the most dangerous game. She's not who she says she is- she's acting. It's all just an act. Just a part Catherine has to play, or risk her life. If she isn't who she is supposed to be- if she isn't Catherine the virgin. Catherine the rose without thorns. Catherine the queen, she is "Catherine the dead". When Catherine (For the good of the country) commits treason against her husband, things start happening that are out of her control, but for the first time she can be her. She doesn't have to act anything.
There is so little that I understand about this life- I wonder if I am the only one who feels so lost. We are all merely wandering down a road, in single file. We are not sure where this path will lead us. We do not know when we are walking headfirst into darkness. We are not sure when, or if, the sun will shine again.
I thought this book was very well written. I don't usually enjoy romances- this was a romance, and I liked it. I don't usually like books written in the present tense- this one was written in present tense and it didn't irritate me. I enjoyed Catherine. I could sympathize with her, and just the fact that she has so many faults makes her human. She was a good main character. I would give this book four and a half stars, but leave that it has a huge amount of romance.
This was a different Catherine who received these letters, who responded to that kiss- since then I have been transformed by the king's eyes, by the royal jewels around my neck and a cloth-of-gold gown... but who is the real Catherine: the shadow or the light? The smoke or the flame?

Saving Juliet by Suzanne Selfors

Lady Capulet grimaced. "Young ladies are incapable of taking care of themselves. Young ladies must be directed. There is only one thing to be done. Since your mother is dead, I shall take her place. While you are here I shall act as your new mother." She placed an ice-cold hand on my shoulder.
Oh, no thank you. Because you scare the crap out of me. You really do.
You know those girls who dream of becoming famous? Of being on stage and being actresses? Yeah... Mimi Wallingford doesn't. She's been acting in Shakespeare plays since she was old enough to be on stage, and she hasn't stopped. She's seventeen now. Seventeen and never gone to a regular school. Seventeen and never gone on a date. Seventeen and didn't have a best friend. Seventeen and hadn't had her first kiss. Wait. She had. With Troy- a jerk who plays Romeo in the Wallinford production of "Romeo and Juliet". In which Mimi plays- you guessed it- Juliet. When she storms out of the the theater and breaks a charm, she and Troy are transported back to the time of the Capulets and Montagues. While she's there she meets Juliet and becomes her friend. But what about the ending? If Mimi changes it- if Romeo and Juliet don't die- if it never happens- will Troy and Mimi ever get home?
She cried for a bit and I kept hold of her hands. Shakespeare may have created this predicament but I was the one who could change it. I wasn't going to let this girl kill herself. Even if it meant that I had to stay in this dream for a very long time. I was determined not to wake up until Juliet got her happy ending. One of us deserved a happy ending. "I do not wish to get married," she pleaded, squeezing my fingers.
The title of this book was what first caught my attention. I don't know about you, but when I hear the name "Juliet" I immediately think of "Romeo and Juliet". And "Saving Juliet" definitely sounds interesting. It makes the book sound like what it is- someone saving Juliet and Romeo from their sad ending. I really liked this book. It had likable characters (You go Juliet with gravity defying hair!) and a good plot line. I also liked the ending- it wasn't as good as some of the ones that I've read, but it definitely gave me at least a little of that "this book is DONE" feeling. Four and a half stars out of five.
While the microwave hummed I pulled off my hat and started muttering to myself, a perfectly normal thing to do when there's no one else to talk to. Solitary muttering allows you to say all those things you don't have the courage to say to all those people who are driving you nuts. I told Clarissa she had no right to judge me. I told Troy he was a jerk for making me think that I actually "liked" him. I told my mother to stop controlling my life. I told my father I would never forgive him for dying so young and leaving us with that cruddy theater. And I told William Shakespeare that Romeo and Juliet totally sucks because everybody just dies and none of the characters get what they want. What kind of ending is that, anyway?

Sovay by Celia Rees

'I have another matter,' he said eventually. 'Do you know this man?' pushed over the slip of paper that Leon had given him. 'Yes.' Fernand studied it. 'He's a journalist. Used to work for Marat's scandal sheet. Specializes in lies and slander. if he can't find anything, he makes it up. or forges it.'
Sovay is not the normal lady of 1794. She is engaged to a boy, of course, but when she finds out that he hasn't been faithful, she has quite a different way of getting back then most of her peers. She dresses as a highwayman, and waylays the unfortunate boy's coach. "Stand and Deliver," she says. That is when Sovay's real adventures start. When a chain of events leads to her father and brother disappearing, her friends in trouble, her own life at stake, and the future of England, France and Ireland resting on her shoulders, Sovay must fight back, to finish off the person who would have England taken over by anyone- a reign of terror that would never end.
Sovay was shown to a cavernous chamber which must once have been a grand bedroom, but all the original furnishings had been removed, apart from a great armoire that was probably to heavy to shift, although the doors had been taken, for some inexplicable reason.
This book was interesting. I really liked the beginning, but the middle was a bit long, and it could have belonged to a completely different book, in my opinion. Sovay was a likeable character, and so were most of the other characters in here. What I didn't like was that, first, I wasn't sure who Sovay had fallen in love with. There are about 5 different love interests, and it is utterly confusing. Also, the ending. I do. not. like. Celia rees' endings. Not. at. all. This one is incomplete. It makes me wonder what the heck she was thinking. True, it causes thought, but my thoughts are mostly "did Gabriel ever get free?" and "What happened to Virgil?" She wraps up Sovay's thread in an (in my opinion) rather unrealistic way, and she doesn't even start with the others. While this book was an okay read, and I do not regret picking it up (and I would not stop anyone from reading it, of course), I would have to give this book a rating of 2 stars. (I take points off for lousy endings.)
She stationed herself at the crossroads, adjusted the black eye-mask and green kerchief and loosened her weapons. The horses slowed as they toiled up the long hill, but as soon as they reached the summit, the driver cracked his whip, ready to make a speedy descent. Sovay rode out and the horses shied but showed now sign of stopping. 'Stand and deliver!' she shouted.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Book 1. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson is a normal boy. Or at least somewhat. He has ADHD and learning problems, and he gets expelled from school every year, though he really is a good boy. He never knew that all of those problems were deeper. And they didn't lead to anything that anyone could guess either. Is Percy really a 'half-blood' of olympian origin? Is he just a weirdo? Can he fit in at camp? How long will his stay be at his new favorite place, camp? and if it leads to it, can he save the world from a war of the gods.

What I thought: I thought it was really good. 4 stars. An interesting and intriguing story. Some of the elements of the story are kind of predictable or old, yet other parts of the story, the result, and everything else is completely unexpected and mysterious. It is very good. I recommend it to anyone that likes books such as Charlie Bone, Harry Potter, Spiderwick, Series of Unfortunate Events and more, as well as anyone who appreciates mythology.

Missing from Haymarket square

Missing from Haymarket square

by Harriette Gillem Robinet

this book takes place in Chicago, during the gilded age. it is about girls named Dinah and Olive, who are both twelve, and a boy named Ben who is sixteen. the girls both work in a sewing factory for three dollars a week, and steal with Ben to keep their familys from starving. one day Dinah's father goes missing, and they must find a way to free him, otherwise the family will be like so many others during this age, living on the streets.

I think that this story was written to create intrest in history. it is an interesting story, but you learn about what people faced, and what they felt like.

one of the things that I like about this book is that it shows how blacks and immigrants really were treated. it also has parts where Dinah, Olive, and Ben actually face danger.

I think I would recommend this book because of how it teaches what that era was like, without being boring. it does that by sticking the reader in Dinah's shoes. none of the parts were very scary. they were tense, would Dinah be caught stealing, would Olive lose her job?, but altogether I think that is was a good story of the age it was written about. some parts were funny, like when Dinah convinces a police man that her father was an African sorcerer.