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Adolescence should be a time for freedom, rebellion, and learning about who you are, but if you are part of Talon, your life is never yours. In the first book of Julie Kagawa's new series, Talon, a unique young woman fights rules and restrictions like every young teen, except she is the furthest from a normal teenager as one could be.
Ember Hill is unique. She has a brother. It is very rare for a dragon to have a sibling hatched alongside them. Dante is her best friend, but not only because they have been hidden away by a secret dragon society for most of their hatchling years. She trusts Dante completely. Now she and Dante are being moved to California to learn to assimilate with the humans so they can eventually live among them without detection once they are trained for their careers in Talon. Talon understands that if humans knew about the dragons, they would hunt them to extinction, so they protect their hatchlings and their way of life. Although they haven't been able to keep their existence a secret from everyone. An equally secret order of humans called St. George lives and dies by hunting dragons. They know they have to do away with female dragons and hatchlings to keep the next generation from taking over the world. All this is important to Ember, obviously, but what she really wants is one summer of freedom and "normalcy" for a girl her age at the beach. Unfortunately, her summer, like her life, is anything but normal.
Ember and Dante's human guardians have strict rules, but it doesn't mean they aren't allowed to have some fun. Ember loves her freedom as much as she loves the beach and surfing. Since she isn't allowed to fly under any circumstances while she is off Talon controlled property, surfing is the closest she can come to that feeling of exhilaration. When she meets a boy named Garrett, she can't help but be drawn to him, even if her inner dragon is screaming at her to run away. But Garrett has a secret, too. As an elite member of St. George, he has been sent to California to find the new hatchling their sources say has been infiltrating the town. He suspects Ember, but he has always known dragons don't have siblings. That, among other St. George facts, might be completely wrong. For Ember, everything she knew about Talon might be wrong as well. This is a story about two young adults who come from opposite ends of an ancient war who really know nothing about the sides they have been born into fighting for.
I really love Julie Kagawa's books. I still haven't read her lengthy Fae series, but her vampire series was a breath of fresh air in a genre that is stuffed with "same ole, same ole." Now she takes a dragon story and makes it fresh, new, and exciting! I loved how Ember was going through the same kinds of struggles as any teenager: boys, friends, parties, feeling stifled by rules and restrictions, etc., yet she was as different as different can be. It made her relatable yet completely interesting, and I absolutely loved it. She was even stubborn and petulant at times, just like every teen we know and love. I also loved Garrett for the same reasons. The only character who was really flat for me was Dante. I just couldn't get over how unwilling he was to even consider there might be other answers out there that contradict what Talon always told him. He was naive and unimaginative, and therefore, I found Ember's devotion to him difficult to tolerate.
The story itself never had a dull moment, and you will find yourself questioning everything right alongside Ember. She is inquisitive and skeptical, and I think a lot of teens will really relate to her, even if she is a mythical flying reptile! Kagawa has done it again with this story, giving readers an exciting and thrilling story that when it ends, you will find yourself screaming, "NOOOO!" because you just want MORE! Loved it!
In a new England where witches live silently amongst humans, there are two kinds of witches. Even amongst the small minority, there is prejudice. White and Black, the witches do not mix. Until, they do. In Sally Green's Half Bad, a young boy is the victim of his parentage, for White or for Black.
Nathan's father was the evilest Black witch in the world. His mother was a White witch who committed suicide. Every year, Nathan goes for an assessment to see if he has officially coded to one side or the other, but on his seventeenth birthday, the results will no longer be inconclusive. All witches must receive three gifts from an immediate family member and drink the blood of a family witch in order to come into their gifts. For a White witch, not receiving their gifts merely means they lose their opportunity for their gift. For a Black witch, it is said they will die if they do not receive their gifts. Nathan's grandmother has tried to raise him in a White witch household, but his heritage cannot be denied.
As a Half Code (Black and White), Nathan's final allegiance is still unsettled, but the council isn't about to let him roam about like a powder keg waiting to be lit. Decree after decree is handed down that specifically limit Nathan's comings and goings. Finally, just limiting his journeys from the house aren't enough, and he is captured and caged until his seventeenth birthday, which is years away. His captor doesn't necessarily agree with the decision, but Marcus, Nathan's father, killed her sister, so she isn't shy about her dislike of Black witches either. But nothing changes the fact that Nathan's birthday is fast approaching, and he has nobody to give him his gifts. Is he Black? Or is he White?
I know we have all lived through the Harry Potter era where witches are adorable like the Weasley clan. Sure you have a Malfoy or a LeStrange or a Voldemort in the mix, but for the most part, they are normal folks with some awesome abilities. These witches? A whole different world. I half expected a Potter-esque witch story going in, but I came out like I was ripped through the spin cycle. This is one seriously dark book! I mean, this kid is tortured. He is held in a cage and affixed with a collar full of poison. This is some pretty heavy, dark business here.
And Nathan? I am choosing to think he wouldn't be as dark as he turns out. I feel he was made Black by the very same people who feared his Half Code. By imprisoning him and torturing him, they have created a dark individual. In fact, the brutality, the violence, the dark in this story reminded me of a somewhat tamed version of The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosinski. It is the single darkest book I have ever read (makes The Road look like Goodnight Moon), and Nathan just made me think of that little boy the entire time I read it. That doesn't mean this is THAT dark, but it certainly isn't any Harry Potter. Instead, this is a truly unique story that will catch the attention of your students. Especially those who have a dark side!
The implications towards prejudice and racism in this story are very thinly veiled. The decrees about Half Codes and Black witches reek of Jim Crow. You can see the allegory here, and it is incredibly interesting when juxtaposed with historical racism. I think any student will be able to make those connections without any guidance, which will give them an added layer to the story. I was really bowled over by this story, even though it was so disturbing, and I will certainly be finishing the series.
"Welcome and Congratulations. You have been chosen to become one of the Nephilim."
The Shadowhunter's Codex is a manual for new Shadowhunters. It is meant to guide them into their new, dangerous, usually short life. The life of a Shadowhunter is violent and often brief, but their role in containing rogue Downworlders and preventing harm upon mundanes by demons and the like is an important one. While most Shadowhunters are born into the life, some mundanes can ascend to become Raziel's soldiers. For those who have not been raised as a Shadowhunter, there is a lot to learn. The Codex is meant to guide those young, new Shadowhunters to prevent their even more untimely deaths.
This is a brief little book that is mostly unnecessary if you have followed along with the series up to its most recent book. It details everything from the Mortal Instruments to a Shadowhunter's weapons to the different kinds of Downworlders. While I didn't mind all this information, and enjoyed this little manual, it is pretty repetitive and would make only the most die-hard fans happy. The most important information you get is the history in the last part of the book. The history of the Shadowhunters has been touched on in bits and pieces throughout the series, but it was good to have it all together in one place.
The most entertaining part of this book wasn't the actual book itself, but the "notations" made by Clary, Jace, and Simon. They were funny little quips, especially about the parts where the Codex is lacking due to plot events from previous books. If I hadn't read the series, though, these little smart-guy comments wouldn't make much sense. I would use this book for a student who is going through the series but reads slow and might lose track of different names that are complex and unfamiliar. Using this as a dictionary/reference of sorts for those oddball items and names would help them keep up with the series at their own pace. It was a cute companion to the story, but if you read pretty steadily with the series, it isn't entirely necessary for your Mortal Instruments enjoyment!
I am sure you all think there is nothing original about a vampire story. Well then, my friends, you haven't taken a chance on Andrew Fukuda and his The Hunt series! These vampires will terrify you and surprise you with each page. It started with The Hunt and it ends with The Trap, but you won't be ready to let go!
Gene, Sissy, David and Epap made it out of the "sanctuary" but they had no idea they were headed to the palace full of vampires. When the train arrives, there are too many kids to fit into the elevator. Those left behind get to know first hand what happens when you don't follow the rules of the Palace. And it is vicious. Those in the elevator fly upwards to a space full of human children just waiting for their time to be called. When the alarm goes off, they have a few short seconds to get into an enclave before the vampires are allowed in. If they are caught outside, their fate is swift but vicious. When the alarm blows, they all make it into Enclaves, but the ruler is clearly interested in Sissy. Then he notices Gene: the boy who masqueraded as a vampire for years and proved them all fools.
When Gene's enclave goes shooting through the walls, he is sure he is being sent to the ruler's rooms to be devoured, but what he doesn't expect is to be taken to a secret laboratory where he is informed of the true nature of his and Sissy's lives. As the Origin, their blood combined cures the vampire plague, turning any vampire back into a human. But Ashley June, the former human who sacrificed her humanity to save Gene is stopping them from working on a widespread cure. Having survived the scorching trek from the mission, she has called a press conference to tell the city about the Palace's secret stash of Hepers. Now the ruler wants Ashley June gone, but his first assassin wasn't so successful. When Gene learns Epap was sent first, he refuses to stay in the Palace in relative safety. Instead, he and Sissy head to a city full of vampires to save their friend, because friends never leave a man behind. Even if they are the only cure to the plague that took over the world.
OK. I am NOT going to give you any spoilers, but I have to tell you that the ending of this series will leave you reeling! It is such a shocker but then it isn't, but then it is, and it left me staring at the last page like, "Oh NO you didn't!!" It was ridiculous! I can honestly say this ending was nothing I could have expected. So shocking! I think any kid who read this series would find themselves stunned and searching for their next set of books when they were done because it is Just. That. Good! I don't get surprised often, so when I do, it is flabbergasting! And let me tell you, this book totally caught me unaware. That ending was phenomenal!!
So you should all definitely use this series for any struggle or disinterested readers you come across. It is so novel and new that it will keep any reader hooked right to the last page. I see every boy who ever told me, "I hate all books" finally picking this series up and never putting it down until the end of this final book. This is the series that could make them lifelong readers! And we owe it all to Andrew Fukuda and his brilliant series (and that brilliant ending!). So if you need a new kind of vampire story full of action, suspense, and insanity, Go on The Hunt. You will love every minute of it!
If you loved Kami Garcia's Beautiful Creatures series with Margaret Stohl and were worried about what would happen when they decided to take on their own projects, I suggest you pick up this story before you speculate! Unbreakable, the first book in The Legion series is Unstoppable!
When Kennedy walks into her home to find her mother dead, she thinks nothing could possibly turn her life upside down more than that very moment. She was wrong. When her options are to live with her aunt or go to boarding school, she chooses a boarding school as far away as possible, but she never makes it there. Instead, something happens to her that she would never have expected. Her cat tries to kill her. Actually, it is a vengeance spirit inside her cat, but that doesn't make it any less deadly. Kennedy has almost succumbed to the spirit inside her cat when twins burst through her bedroom door and blast the cat. Terrified, Kennedy hides from them and threatens to call the police, but there is something strange with these brothers and their presence in her life. When they insist she is in danger and that they protected her from a spirit with salt bullets (which undoubtedly scared her cat, but didn't kill it), she can't believe such things exist. But how can she deny their existence when one clearly just tried to kill her?
When another spirit attack Kennedy, this time a poltergeist, she can't deny she needs help. Thank goodness the boys didn't go far. Lukas and Jared fill her in on their role in the Legion as each a member of the group of five who inherited their place to defend the world against a demon and his spirit minions. When one member dies, they tap another in to replace them. All five members of the Legion died the same time Kennedy's mother died, creating a completely new (and green) legion. Meanwhile, the demon their ancestors released is hunting them the same way they are hunting him. Kennedy is convinced she isn't part of the Legion, but the others refuse to believe it. They know her mother was the missing member who disappeared off the grid. The problem is, no one told Kennedy and no one trained Kennedy. Now she is in as much danger as the rest of them, but she is also a liability. She could get them hurt with her lack of training just as easily as the spirits could do their work. And they don't need one more thing that could get them killed.
Kami Garcia really did a phenomenal job with this story. It was like Ghost Hunters meets Supernatural. And if you have watched Supernatural, you know the story with two hunter brothers! Well, Jared and Lukas do NOT disappoint. Jared is your surly brother while Lukas is the friendly brother, but you will find yourself loving both of them equally. Interestingly enough, I didn't connect to Kennedy as much as I loved the twins and the other two members of the Legion, Priest and Alara. Priest was your typical super-tech inventor with a sweet, witty humor and Alara was the surly, hardcore lady who kicked butt first and asked questions later. They were brilliant! It really felt like the Winchesters and their comrades from Supernatural!
But the story was more than just superb characters. The whole back story about the Legion ties into the Knights Templar and Illuminati in a whole knew twisty, creepy way. I loved the "Da Vinci Code"/"Natural Treasure" kind of hidden clue hunt they had to go through in order to find what they were looking for to finally stop the demon. It added a layer of adventure to the creepiness that topped it off perfectly. Honestly, I am really impressed with the start of this series, and I can even forgive the nutso cliffhanger at the end that left me flipping the last page back and forth praying more would magically appear! This is a great book for any YA readers who like creepy ghost stories and dig some awesome characters!
The world of Pellinore Warthrop and Will Henry almost ended before the fans of the Monstrumologist and his apprentice fought back and demanded an ending. The Final Descent might not be the ending you pictured or hoped for, but was there any other way to end their story? Rick Yancey ends this phenomenal series with more devastating heartbreak than I was ready for. But for the life of a monstrumologist, you have to be ready for anything.
When a man seeks out Warthrop to sell him the greatest find in generations of the field of monstrumology, Warthrop assumes it is a fraud. But Will Henry takes it upon himself to check it out. What he finds is quite possibly the most terrifying and most ground breaking creature they have ever seen: the last of its kind. While still unhatched, the egg, stolen from its seller, must be cared for with the utmost of precision. Warthrop and Will Henry are brought back together through the care for the egg and the future implications such a find could bring them. But the damage to their relationship is too big for one find to cure.
Flash forward years. Will Henry finally returns to the man who made him what he has become, but what he finds is not the strong, confident, aloof Warthrop. Instead he finds a broken man surrounded by the horror he has wreaked upon himself. For all of Warthrop's determination in his field has left him broken and determined to find the end that he deserves- one without the love of another human being. The story of Will Henry and Warthrop didn't end with that egg, but the connection between them had never been so fragile. Warthrop's created the Will who now stands before him, but he can't bring himself to take credit for the man Will Henry has become.
If you have followed this series, you know you weren't ready for it to end. But I bet you also weren't ready for this kind of ending. Warthrop and Will Henry's story was too complex and tumultuous not to have a similar ending, but I could never have imagined the kind of ending Yancey gave us. It was gut wrenching. It ripped out your very soul, did a Mexican hat dance on it, stuffed it back in and sewed it up with a rusty spoon. I do not exaggerate, my friends. This was the most difficult ending to a series I loved that I have ever read. But it wasn't bad. Nope. Not at all. It was perfect. Heartbreaking, but the perfect end to their story. Yancey may have loved his characters, but he knew the proper way to end their story wasn't going to be all sunshine and tulips. Nope. It was going to be ugly, brutal, and awful. It was going to destroy them, you, and everyone in between. And it did.
The biggest question in this book is who the monster really is. The easiest thing would be the incredibly poisonous thing ready to hatch from that leathery egg, but nothing with a Yancey book is easy. No, the monster was inside them all. Warthrop's monsters, or inner demons, were different from those Will Henry harbored, but both were hell-bent on destruction. We saw Warthrop struggle to love Will Henry in every way he could, even if that meant leaving him, throughout this series, but we always knew he loved the boy. Even when he showed it in the most counterproductive ways, he still always needed to make sure Will Henry was safe. But the man Will Henry grew into is the most terrifying thing Warthrop ever encountered, and for a momstrumologist, that is saying a lot. And Will Henry blames no one but Warthrop himself.
So, I have to say, if you want a pretty ending all tied up in a neat little bow, then skip this book. You are going to upset. But if you need to see the way Will Henry and Warthrop finally end, then you need to prepare yourself. This series ending was phenomenal and heartbreaking all swirled together like a miserable ice cream sundae. It made me grieve for these characters I loved so much, but I know a happy ending would have been too unrealistic for the lives they lived. I really loved this series, I am not happy to see it go, but it was hard to see how it ended. Still, it is just one more bit of proof in the large collection of evidence that Yancey is a genius. Pure Genius.
Clary and Jace aren't exactly a normal couple. In fact, they have probably had the most traumatic and bizarre relationship as any couple in history. From assuming they were brother and sister, still being attracted to one another, being attacked, death, etc., they are a bizarre couple from the word go. And in The City of Lost Souls, the fifth book in Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series, their relationship doesn't get any easier.
Clary thought it was over. Sebastian, her real brother (and also known as Jonathan Morgenstern), was defeated, Lilith was killed (or as killed as the oldest demon in history can be), and Jace was safe. She couldn't have been more wrong. When she returns to the roof, both Jace and Sebastian, who was supposed to be dead, are gone with no trace. They can't even be located magically. After an exhaustive search, the Clave can't afford to keep everyone looking for Jace. They are ready to close the search, but Clary refuses to give up. She will do anything to find him, even go to the Seelie queen. When she tries to steal the payment for the Queen from the Institute, she sees Jace, with Sebastian. As thick as thieves, the boys who were once mortal enemies seem to be the closest of friends. Clary had thought any manner of things could have happened to Jace, but she never imagined he would turn to the dark side.
When Jace and Sebastian show up at Luke's apartment to get Clary to join them, it is clear to her that something had to have happened to Jace to change him. When they attack Luke and stab him with a demon metal knife, she knows she has to do something. But when it becomes clear that anything that happens to Sebastian also happens to Jace, their connection becomes even more frightening. One can't be killed without killing the other. Clary knows the Clave will consider Jace collateral damage in an effort to get rid of Sebastian, so she decides to do the only thing she can do- make them think she is going to join them in order to find a weakness in their connection. But what if there is no weakness?
You know when you follow a TV show for a long time and you start to think about how many times the main couple has broken up and made up, or how many guys the main girl has dated, or how many times the main characters have almost died, and it seems laughable? Like when you think about how many kids died in Buffy the Vampire Slayer over her years at Sunnydale High, but no one ever thought it was fishy? That is starting to happen to this series for me. I mean, really, how many times can Clary and Jace be in mortal peril or have their relationship completely destroyed, only to pick up the pieces and start again? Now, I have to say, I enjoyed the story, as always. But I am starting to go weary of Clary and Jace. In fact, I wanted to skip through their half of the book, but I just couldn't do it for plot's sake.
Instead, the true gems for me are in the supporting characters. The relationship between Alec and Magnus is simply fabulous (well, honestly, Magnus is simply fabulous and by influence, so is Alec!). I love having a serious gay couple in young adult literature where they aren't romanticized or too perfect, but rather experience the same insecurities any couple faces, gay or straight. This is a great for all young adults to have experience with. In addition, Simon and Isabelle are a great couple. As complete opposites both supernaturally and humanly, they are full of twists, turns, and surprises. I honestly felt these characters were more interesting than the same old Clary and Jace nonsense, and would have been happy to just have their stories in this book. But alas, there are bigger things at work, and we must have Clary and Jace together again for the big, final, epic battle that is surely to come in the final book of the series. (Wait. Didn't it end already?!)
Little Red Riding Hood has to be one of the most iconic fairy tale characters we know. In Sisters Red, Jackson Pearce explores Red from a different perspective. And if you like fairy tales, you are going to want to check this one out!
Scarlett saw her grandmother devoured by a Fenris (werewolf doesn't even come close to describing the terror they bring). At such a young age, she was able to kill the wolf and save her younger sister, but not before the wolf scarred her forever and took her eye. Now, a scarred shell of the carefree girl she used to be, Scarlett throws herself into hunting with everything she has. And beyond her sister Rosie and their childhood friend Silas, hunting pretty much is the only thing happening in her life.
Rosie knows she owes Scarlett her life, and she intends to pay that debt. Even though she dreams of things beyond hunting like a life and boys, she knows she owes everything to Scarlett and would never leave her. But when Silas returns, he is more than the boy next door to her, and she is more than little Rosie to him. When the wolves begin to congregate and multiple packs arrive in Ellison, the three realize what they are after: a Potential. A wolf can only be made through a potential, so all packs have an invested interested in finding him before the moon phase is over. Scarlett, Silas, and Rosie head to Atlanta to research and hunt in bulk, but they learn far more than they ever expected, both about the wolves, and about themselves.
I love retold fairy tales. Cinder was one of my all time favorites. This is a really fun new imagining of Little Red Riding Hood. I didn't think it was the same caliber or complexity of Cinder, but I legitimately thought it was an exciting and fun story! I liked having the two personalities between Rosie and Scarlett, but I really loved Silas. And when Silas fell for Rosie, it was so clear that Scarlett had just a hint of jealousy, as Silas was always the only man who ever really saw her scars... and more importantly, they didn't disgust him. Scarlett's connection to Silas was never romantic, but the idea of him with Rosie hurts more than she would have expected it to. It was interesting watching her struggle with the idea of being the third wheel to the only people who mattered to her.
But that is not how Rosie and Silas see Scarlett. There is no real love triangle here, just a really special and unique relationship between three people who would all die for one another. It was a beautiful touch to this long lived fairy tale, and I wanted more! I think this would be great for any middle reader. There is a smidge of violence, but it is all behind the curtain or "fade to black" kind of violence. I also think I could see a young adult who really loved fairy tales getting into this series. I am looking forward to the next Retelling!
Department 19 has done everything it can to keep supernatural beings under control, but nothing could stop one of the three most powerful vampires alive, and the most insane vampire ever, from bringing Dracula back. In Department 19: The Rising, Will Hill explains just how terrifying of a notion that really is.
Having barely survived Lindisfarne, the battle of Jamie's lifetime, the group is trying to regroup at the Loop, but it is difficult to come down from a battle such as that. Jamie managed to kill Alexandru, one of the oldest and certainly the craziest vampires on the face of the planet. But something bigger was happening behind the scenes. Alexandru's brother Valeri was bringing back his master, Dracula, the first and most powerful vampire the world has ever seen. This was a slow deliberate process, and it would take months to get Dracula to his full power, but once he was fully restored, he would be essentially unstoppable. Zero Hour. Now Blacklight must stop Dracula from fully recovering from his century of ashed dormancy.
But that isn't so easy. Personally, Jamie is struggling with his own grief and confusion. His mom was turned into a vampire (and is being held in the Loop), his girlfriend is a "vegetarian" vampire working for Blacklight, and his best friend is dating a different guy, throwing him for a loop. Not to mention, Frankenstein sacrificed himself to save Jamie, a guilt Jamie still cannot put behind him. However, he must put his personal struggles behind him as the vampires of the world are starting to act out with the knowledge that Dracula rises. All the operatives must remember their number one priority right now- making sure Dracula does not fully rise and end life as they know it.
I love Will Hill's books for a number of reasons, but the primary reason is how he can have a huge book with only two or three major action scenes, but the whole book is so fascinating you never hit a slow part! I don't know how that is possible, but he does it. The characters are so dynamic and the exposition is intriguing. I also absolutely love how he throws historical and mythological figures in the story with new and surprising twists (hello Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso, and Ernest Hemingway!). I always hope those fun references would convince a kid to check them out and discover a whole new literary world out there.
This second book was just as strong as the first. You had a lot more of the emotional angle for both Jamie and the rest of the teens involved in Blacklight. I also really enjoyed the extended history that brought more and more levels to the story. This story reaches back centuries and still remains present and relevant in modern times. It was a great way to build the world around the story. And what a world this is! Sometimes the story really feels like an action-packed summer blockbuster, and then other times it becomes a true examination of morals and how far you can truly go in the name of protecting society.
Even though this is a huge story, it reads like it was 20 pages. If you can get a kid over the intimidation factor of the sheer size of this book, you will find they (or you) will be hooked instantly. This would be a great boy book for a teenaged boy who is interested in supernatural stories, but not so much in twinkly vampires (and not quite ready for the terrifying vampires in Del Toro's The Strain). I absolutely enjoy this series from first page to last page. I can't get enough of them (which is fabulous because there is a LOT of them!). So now I wait for the third book! And it is going to be an impatient wait, because this was a wild ride.
The Prodigium live by a set of rules, but not everyone wants to follow those rules. When a Prodigium threatens people, the Brannicks are there to help. In a spin-off from the Hex Hall series, Isolde Brannick is put to the test with her first solo case. But School Spirits might prove to be more than she can handle.
Izzy lives the life of a Brannick. Once the fearless hunters of Prodigium, the Brannicks are now essentially the Prodigium police. They take care of any supernatural creatures who get carried away or go rogue and could hurt the mortals around them. During a routine bust a few months ago, Izzy's sister Finn disappeared. Now the only two Brannick's left are Izzy and her mother. When they get word of a haunting in a school, Izzy is given her first solo job. And hauntings can get ugly quick, but not as ugly as high school.
After watching enough teen TV shows to have a vague idea of what happens in an actual high school, Izzy sets off to do recon and blend in. Immediately she finds a handful of kids in a Ghost Hunting club. Mostly mocked, ignored if they are lucky, Dex, Romy, and Anderson make up the rag tag group investigating the haunting of the school that has already left one teacher in a near coma. While hauntings are relatively simple to solve, humans toying around with the supernatural is never a good thing. While Izzy should be maintaining a decent distant, it is hard not to start to really care for the kids in the group. But in a case, the minute you get attached, you put yourself in danger, and everyone around you.
I really loved the Hex Hall series, so I was stoked to see a new series from the same world. And having it focus more on the Brannicks, in charge of controlling the unruly Prodigium, is even better yet. We saw the Brannicks toward the end of the first series, and while I wanted more of the Prodigium there, now I am very happy to have their side of the story. You could, however, easily read this story without having read the first series, but knowledge of Hex Hall will just help you to understand the world the Brannicks work in. There was a lot left open for the continuation of the series, like Izzy missing sister and the warlock trapped in a mirror who predicts Izzy will be the one to finally free him (something she repeatedly tells him won't happen).
The story is very clean, perfect for a middle reader or a low-skilled young adult reader. It has a great amount of action, the dialogue is witty, and Izzy is a trip. It would catch any kid's attention. I look forward to more of the Brannicks to come, and in particular, to have a chance to watch Izzy come into her own!
With Andrew Fukuda's The Hunt, I found myself bumfuzzled that someone could write a tale of vampires that was whole-heartedly original. Now, with the sequel The Prey, I find myself bowled over that this story could continue with the same powerhouse energy as its predecessor. But it did!
Gene and the others barely made it out of the Heper Institute alive, but they haven't fully survived just yet. As they flow down the river on the boat, groups of vampires follow them in the darkness, sacrificing being caught in the sun just to enjoy the flesh of a real live person. When the attacks start to thin, the group thinks they have won, but the vampires are getting smarter. Where they used to be slaves to their lust for flesh and unable to refocus long enough to plot and plan, these new groups aren't afraid to work together. But the group just has to make it a little longer and they will find the Sanctuary, the place where humans can live free of the vampires.
When they finally make it to the sanctuary, life isn't all flowers and milk and honey. Women's feet are disfigured and any defiant women are branded and punished. Men, however, live like kings! Gene and Sissy are instantly skeptical about the false utopia, but the leaders of the town squash any chances they have of getting answers, and Gene's hopes of finding his father are dashed when he learns of his suicide. But if the Sanctuary is so wonderful, why would his father take his own life? And where do all the supplies come that keep the town living such a plush life? While Gene and Sissy think there is something more sinister going on in the town, the alternative may be something far worse than they are willing to admit.
OK, I am not a night owl. In fact, if I stay up too late, it takes me days to catch up (my age showing through!). But this book? It was so addicting, I was up ALL NIGHT reading this book! I am suffering this morning for it, but darn it, it was worth it! The Prey is so exciting and terrifying you won't be able to stop reading, so pick it up when you have enough time to read the whole thing!
The idea of a false utopia has always intrigued me because the opposite of a utopia should be a dystopia, but it really isn't. The false nature of a utopia is usually so subversive and hidden, it makes it inherently different from a true dystopia where the world has gone to hell in a handbag and isn't afraid to let that shine. In fact, I think these false utopias (think The Giver or Delirium) are almost scarier than a world where you know to expect awful things around every corner and can prepare for them. That is the beauty of the Sanctuary in The Prey. The answers are never clear, and the next step is always a bigger risk than you can imagine. I loved that Sissy and Gene knew the Sanctuary was false, but the other boys couldn't see through the abundant food and pliant ladies. And when Sissy and Gene tried to make decisions of where to go, no choice was the safe one. They were more than caught between a rock and a hard place. They were caught between a swirling vortex to hell and an erupting volcano full of molten lava- and it was ugly!
This story is exciting, fast-paced, and violent. I can easily get my students (usually boys) who are tough to find a book for to read this book. They scoff and claim they "hate reading", but when given this series, they devour it (pun intended!). This is a series that should grace all library and classroom shelves and be pulled out for those difficult readers. You won't even need to sell them this series. Just read the first chapter and they will be hooked!
The Shadowhunters have a huge responsibility for such a young group of people: they must protect mundanes (you and I) from ugly nasties that go bump in the night. But life as a Shadowhunter isn't just dangerous because they hunt vampires, werewolves, and demons; it is dangerous because everyone they ever loved could be in danger because of their calling. Cassandra Clare's third book in the Mortal Instruments series, City of Glass is another thrill ride to keep you coming back for more.
Jace doesn't want Clary to go to the City of Glass on the hidden Shadowhunter island; she is determined to go even though it is illegal to travel to the city without being invited. Despite the dangers, Clary knows the answers to her mother's disappearance are on that island, and she isn't scared of the consequences. When Jace and the others leave without her, she drags Luke with her to the island, but the presence of a werewolf in the city is more than just illegal- it is dangerous. While the Shadowhunters Clary knows are comfortable working with some Downworlders like Luke and newly vampirized Simon, the Clave members and their families on the island have very different, very sheltered understandings of what it means to be a Downworlder.
In addition to her unwanted presence on the island and her missing mother, Clary is still reeling from the news that Jace is actually her brother. It was bad enough learning she is the daughter of Valentine, the maniac in league with demons to scare the Clave into waging full-scale war on the Downworlders, but to learn Jace was also his son was too much. She knows the island has deep answers, but the answers she has gotten so far have only made her life more complicated (and uglier). But everyone knows there is more dangerous evil out there than any Downworlder walking around: Clary's father.
The interesting thing about reading this book so late is that I know there are 3 more books in the series, but at the same time, this installment ended with such finality. It almost makes me think the next three books were just an afterthought for Clare who has been notoriously stuck in this world for 5 or 6 series at this point (most upcoming)! Still, the stories are exciting. You can't deny that. They are entertaining, they are exciting, and they keep you wanting more. So even if you think Clare needs to move beyond this world, you still find it your guilty pleasure to join her in it time and time again!
The series is great for a range of students. It is always action-packed, but the books are really long, and so could bog down a struggling reader. I once had a student who was very dyslexic but was addicted to these books, and he used to listen to the audio books. He loved them! Devoured them! So consider these books for a variety of ages and demographics, because they are just pure, easy fun!
In the Nightshade series, Andrea Cremer gave us the Guardians, humans with wolf spirits who can shift into wolf form to protect against unnatural evil beings. But how were the Guardians created? If you ever asked yourself that question, I think you are going to like this new prequel series that starts with Rift.
Ember is being collected to pay a debt that was owed for her very life to begin. In order to save her and her mother, her father made a deal for a special healer to send his daughter for service to a secretive sect of the church. When they come to collect, her father is distraught (having better plans to marry her off for his own political influence), but Ember is actually excited to leave the future life of a wife and a mother. She knows there is more out there for her. When she arrives, she is shocked to learn just how much is out there... but not surprised enough to leave.
After the initiation where Ember chooses her path as a hunter, it is the prey that changes her life. Horrible supernatural creatures threaten innocent people, and they are responsible for keeping innocents safe. When her mentor is chosen, she is first nervous then excited to learn it is to be Barrow, a man whose mere presence leaves her longing. But it is his expertise and strength on the battlefield that has her excited to train with him. What none of them expected, however, is the horrible evil that is brewing right under their noses. And the worst part of that evil is its ability to corrupt good hunters with warped ideas of how the means can justify the ends. Now the hunters who refuse to ever side with evil may be hunted themselves, by the very people they trust the most.
This was a phenomenal prequel, and I have to say I think it was even better than the first series! I always loved the pack dynamic and how the wolf side played into everyone's lives, but this connection to the Knights Templar and the hunting of so many kinds of evil is just too interesting! I think it adds this additional layer of intrigue that makes me appreciate the original series even more. I know there is a second book out there to this prequel series, but I hope Cremer will keep going with it! It reminds me of Sarwat Chadda's Devil's Kiss, especially with the strong female hunter role who struggles to balance being a woman, being a hunter, and how that job is societally unacceptable for women. It makes for one heck of a leading lady!
Having read about this history behind the Guardians, the Searchers, and the Keepers, I now wonder how I read that original series without knowing this information. It seems so vital to the story! In fact, I think I would suggest someone to read this series before Nightshade if they haven't already read those books. I think this story is really exciting and will help your understanding of the Guardians even more. Although, maybe it will reveal TOO much from the original series? I guess it is your call! But whatever you do, don't skip any of Cremer's books!
When Enclave by Ann Aguirre ended, we found Deuce and Fade Topside- aboveground after living underground in the Enclave all their lives. It was a change that sent the series into a completely different direction, and it injected more surprises and excitement into Outpost than you can imagine!
Deuce, Fade, Tegan, and Stalker were taken in by the people of Sanctuary, but they certainly weren't accepted by everyone immediately. Given to different foster parents, they found themselves suddenly immersed in a society that had survived within tall walls and relatively removed from the Freaks who roamed the countryside. They almost never came face to face with the Freaks, animal-like humanoids with terrifying teeth and claws, and they certainly couldn't defend themselves against them. Deuce and the others were well-trained in Freak combat, but Sanctuary saw them as children, not the lethal hunters they actually were. Forced to go to school and act like proper boys and girls, Deuce and the others struggle to fit into Sanctuary.
When the crops are destroyed by the Freaks, it becomes clear they are no longer mindless roaming monsters with no intellect. After a couple of calculated attacks, Sanctuary is forced to acknowledge that the Freaks are getting smarter and Sanctuary is in danger. When Deuce, Fade, and Stalker offer to set up an outpost to protect the crops, the rest of the town is shamed into sending adults with them. Leaving the walls is terrifying for the people of Sanctuary, but so is starving through the winter with no crops to eat. Once they establish the outpost, however, it becomes clear the situation with the Freaks has escalated to a point that leaves Sanctuary vulnerable. But if the only people willing to do anything about it are the outsiders, how will Sanctuary survive this new threat?
I know it is difficult, sometimes, when a series takes a whole new spin, like Enclave did by throwing the kids Topside, but when done well, it can transform a series and make the sequel just as exciting as the original novel. That was certainly the case with Outpost, which extended the first story, but gave this book a whole new purpose all its own. I thought it was brilliant on Aguirre's part to do so, and it made me just as thrilled for the third book to come. We also get to see a whole new side of the characters we loved from the first book. Most transformative for me was the path Deuce traveled. Having never had a family in the Enclave, she couldn't get used to Momma Oaks, her foster mother. But when it became clear Momma Oaks really loved her, allowing herself to be the child of caring parents was an experience that made Deuce want to save Sanctuary. There were also times when you saw the ugly side of Sanctuary, which was very realistic for any community living so close together, and it made me like and believe the story even more.
I really liked this sequel, and I think Aguirre did a great job of keeping a story going without just repeating what worked in the first book (a common mistake). The journey these characters traveled not only changed them, it changes you as a reader. You see them differently and cannot help but transform with them. The story was exciting and terrifying at times, but it keeps you wondering what is going to happen next. You will want to protect these kids, but you will also be proud of their bravery, even when the adults from Sanctuary are unwilling to take the same risks to save their own home. This was a fantastic follow-up, and I am dying to get ahold of the next book!
Will Henry has lost his family, but the Monstrumologist, Dr. Pellinore Warthrop took him in. Will Henry's father was Warthrop's assistant, and after his death the doctor kept Will Henry on as his assistant. While it might not seem like a young teen would be the best assistant, Will Henry is the only person in Warthrop's life who truly cares about him... even if he isn't thrilled about all the monsters. In Rick Yancey's sequel to The Monstrumlogist, The Curse of the Wendigo, Will Henry and Warthrop aren't trying to find a monster. They are trying to convince everyone it doesn't exist...
When Warthrop's best friend and arch nemesis goes missing, Warthrop agrees to go to Canada to find John Chanler. Chanler was sent by the head of the Monstrumology Society, Dr. von Helrung, to find tangible proof that the Wendigo truly did exist and have it entered into the list of existing monsters. Warthrop knows the Wendigo is just a myth, but nonetheless, Chanler has still gone missing. He and Will Henry set off to find the missing scientist only to find themselves lost in the wilderness and being hunted by something that neither of them can explain. They find Chanler, but returning to civilization is no easy feat.
When they finally find their way back to the town, Warthrop refuses to admit anything was hunting them. He convinces Will Henry it was all dehydration and exhaustion playing tricks on their minds, but Will Henry can't forget those yellow eyes. Chanler is returned to his wife in New York City and Warthrop and Will Henry head to the same city for the annual Monstrumologist convention. But went they find Chanler being kept under guard in von Helrung's house, not a hospital, Warthrop accuses the old scientist of losing his mind and endangering Chanler's life. What they don't expect is for Chanler to quickly devolve into more beast than man. Can you still question the existence of a Wendigo when it is rampaging through the city and hunting your own apprentice? Dr. Pellinore Warthrop can!
When I try to describe Dr. Pellinore Warthrop, I always find myself claiming him to be a male Temperance Brennan, from the television show "Bones". He isn't heartless, he is just very scientific and logical, to the point of seeming to be without emotion. In the first book, however, it became very clear that he cared very much for the orphan boy he took in. In this book, that fatherly devotion grows to the point where Warthrop even considers sending Will Henry away to protect him from the dangerous profession of Monstrumology. In fact, the relationship between the young apprentice and the doctor is what makes me love this series so much. Warthrop doesn't care much about the lives of other people, but he would do anything to keep Will Henry safe- even send away the only person he actually cares about. And sometimes, when Warthrop is describing something very clinically, and Will Henry is struggling to maintain his composure and not laugh out loud in front of the doctor, I found myself cracking up! The very dynamic between the two is hilarious.
I think this is a good series for most junior high through high school students. It is set at the turn of the century, so the historical aspects of New York City at that time are very interesting (giant piles of horse poo from the carriages!). There is certainly some violence with the rescue and escape of John Chanler and Will Henry always seems to find himself in grave danger, much to the irritation of Dr. Warthrop. There are some times when the story slows a little bit, so a stronger reader with a little stamina might be necessary. Still, these are great books that have a subtle humor that will keep you sniggering and giggling right along with Will Henry!
Imagine a world where humans are extinct and only vampires survive. Of course they don't exactly enjoy life without human blood, but they don't have much of a choice. Then imagine being a human who hides in plain sight, a warm blooded person living amongst the very monsters that hunt him. Andrew Fukuda describes that terror so keenly in The Hunt, you won't sleep at night!
Gene is a survivor. His world is surrounded by vampires. He shaves meticulously, is careful about his mannerisms, and is careful to make sure he doesn't sweat or smell like body odor. All these things are what keep him hidden in plain sight- a human (known to the vampires as a heper) amongst ravenous vampires. These vampires aren't the kind who twinkle in the sunlight or lure you in with their beautiful faces and honey-dripped words. These vampires smell one drop of blood miles away and they will rip you apart before you have time to scream. The vampires assume humans are extinct, but when the leader announces a Heper Hunt, all the vampires are drooling at the chance to be in on the hunt (literally- these things drool a lot... nasty).
Gene assumes his chances to be picked are next to nothing, so he doesn't worry much. he just puts on a good show, lots of drooling, some growling, etc. But when his random lottery number is chosen, he can't really believe he has been picked to hunt and kill other humans. Worse yet, he is whisked off to the Heper Institute to prepare for the hunt without getting a chance to get his necessary tools for hiding his identity- soap, razor, etc. Now he finds himself at the Institute, surrounded by the very vampires that will most likely kill him when they realize who he is without his masking tools. He sees the hepers who are housed in a sunlight triggered dome, their only protection against the vampires who want to rip them apart. When he gets to know them, he finds they aren't the cattle the vampires always made them out to be... they are just like him. So how can he hunt the last of his kind?
Oh boy. This was one serious, heavy, violent, intense story! I was dragged right in from the first page and couldn't stop reading. The world Fukuda described is so terrifying, it gave me nightmares. The idea of this boy out there, all alone, one human amongst all those monsters, is worse than anything I can imagine! The author does an amazing job of describing everything meticulously without getting too dull and drab with too much description. The characterization is very interesting, in particular the way years of living amongst vampires gives Gene a bias against the other humans he meets. But most unique was the description of these particular vampires. The way they laugh (scratching their wrists), the way they are intimate (I won't even describe that one because you have to read it to believe it!), even the way sleep and eat- everything was so innovative. Especially in a genre with so. many. vampires.
I wouldn't give this to any student who has delicate sensibilities, because it is seriously violent, bloody, and gory. I think it would be a great story to get those older boys, who hate to read and think everything out there is "so uncool", reading (I won't use the word my students use, but you get the picture). In fact, I bet they will scoff at first and then devour the book. There is nothing childish in this story. In fact, I commend Fukuda for not being patronizing to young adults. This is a grown up story, so be aware of that when you give it to someone. That being said, I love the adult feel of the story. I think it is the key to getting an older, reluctant student reading. You need something that is going to make them feel like they are reading something mature while still being accessible in terms of reading level. I definitely plan to keep this book around for my older students. So don't give up on vampire books just yet, because Fukuda has given you a book full of vampires you haven't seen yet... and you will see them again (in your nightmares!).
If you couldn't tell from the cover of this book that it was an intense story, then you need some lessons in visual imagery! Will Hill's debut young adult novel Department Nineteen kicks off a fast-paced trilogy about the British Department in charge of maintaining supernatural order. Don't worry, the US has one too, but you won't believe the usual suspects who make an appearance!
Jamie Carpenter watches his father killed right before his eyes, right outside their home. He was told his father was a traitor who was selling information to terrorists. The repercussions are wide spread as jamie and his mother must move time after time once their neighbors realize they are the family of a man who betrayed their country. When Jamie is attacked by a strange woman, he rushes home only to find his mother gone, kidnapped. In fact, Jamie is almost taken as well if not for the arrival of one very large man/monster... complete with bolts on the sides of his neck. Victor Frankenstein saves Jamie from what is clearly a vampire- a very old, very angry vampire who wants Jamie.
Frankenstein takes Jamie back to the hub of Department 19 and explains to him that Jamie's dad worked at the Department, a government agency designed to protect humans from supernatural beasts like vampires, zombies, and werewolves. Jamie's father was indeed a traitor, but he didn't betray his country to terrorists, at least not in the sense Jamie originally thought. He betrayed mankind to the vampires, endangering Department 19, the lives of operatives, and the rest of the unsuspecting humans the Department protects. While Jamie has been disenchanted with his father for years now, he finds this all very hard to stomach, especially when most people in the Department aren't happy to have the son of Julian Carpenter in their midst. But Frankenstein vowed to protect the Carpenter family, and when Jamie insists on traveling all across the continent to find his mother, Frankenstein comes along to protect him. What they don't know is the death of Jamie's father was not the death of a traitor, and that traitor is still inside the Department. Now they are not only battling the creatures who want to destroy people and use them for cattle, they are battling the very people they expect to protect them.
Oh, this book was exciting from the very first page to the last. They bounced all over the continent and between the present time with Jamie's dilemma to the past when Van Helsing and the other founders of Department 19 battled and killed Dracula. And you won't want to miss the hilarious truth behind Mary Shelley and Bram Stoker! I loved the excitement and repurposing of old stories in this action-packed supernatural thriller. In fact, I can totally see this story being made into a killer movie (no pun intended!).
The story definitely has some violence in it, and it is a rather long story (over 500 pages). I think it would catch anyone's attention once they started it, but it might be too long for a student who struggles to finish stories. I see this as a great book for guys who need action and anyone who is interested in supernatural stories. I am eagerly awaiting the next in the series, as I am sure you will too once you read this one!
Dragons are real, but they aren't the same dragons of medieval times. They are Draki. Draki are dragons who can manifest and demanifest- turn into dragons or turn into their human forms. Jacinda has always been happy being a draki, but when her mother and sister took her away from the pride to the desert where her inner dragon started to wither, she fell in love with the one person she shouldn't have- a hunter. In Vanish, by Sophie Jordan, we see how that love led Jacinda down a path she never thought she'd find herself.
Jacinda committed the worst crime a draki could commit- she manifested into a dragon in front of a pack of hunters. Now they know the secret of the draki- that they can disguise themselves as humans. Jacinda's twin sister saves them though. Tamra had never manifested as a dragon, but when her family was in trouble she finally found her inner dragon- a shader no less. There is only one more important dragon than a fire-breather like Jacinda, and that is the shader. Shaders have the ability to confuse people and make them forget they saw a dragon. Now that the danger is temporarily over, Jacinda, Tamra and their mother must return to the pride where they are likely to be in a lot of trouble.
When they return to the pride, Tamra becomes the focus of everyone's positive attention. Jacinda and her mother become the focus of everyone's negative attention. They are being punished for running away and almost exposing the draki's secret. But Jacinda still can't forget her hunter, Will. When he stumbles into the pride's land, Jacinda decides to run away with him where she can finally be free of the pride's control. What she doesn't expect is for Will's family, a family of hunters, to be waiting for her. Can she escape the hunters? Or will Jacinda become an experiment like so many butchered draki before her?
This was a fun follow up to the first book and definitely took the story in a good direction. You saw more of the pride and the dragons, which was an interesting addition. The social situation in the pride is very feudal and is interesting to learn more about. I was also happy to see Tamra finally manifest and find her inner dragon. She was so sad in the first book that it was nice to finally see her come into her own! I think this is a good middle reader/YA series for any student who is breaking out of the middle reader books that are still rather immature but hasn't completely moved onto the more mature young adult novels. The language is simple and clean, but the story is fun and exciting.
Thought you knew Medusa? Mean, old hag who wanted to turn people out of stone out of anger for being romantically spurned? Not so much. As Tera Lynn Childs has done in the past, Sweet Venom takes an old story and makes it exciting again. You won't want to miss the new take on Medusa and her gorgon offspring!
Gretchen accepts her fate in life. She is a huntress, descendant of Medusa, the first huntress. Mythology was tainted by vengeful Gods and Goddesses who wanted the history books to portray Medusa as an evil monster, but in reality she hunted monsters, keeping mortals safe. And her legacy lives on through her generations long after her death. Medusa and her two sisters' children carried their talents and their need to kill monsters. And so Gretchen kills monsters. But when her mentor, Ursula, goes missing, and Gretchen bumps into a girl who could be her twin, she knows something is up... that is besides the fact that all of a sudden there are a lot more monsters on the street.
When Gretchen sees Grace, she is taken aback. But when Grace reacts to the monster Gretchen is trying to finish, she knows Grace is a huntress as well. She takes off with Grace, saving her from the venomous claws or fangs it is trying to sink into the unsuspecting new huntress. At first Gretchen just wants Grace to go away, but when it becomes clear the monsters are not going to stop chasing Grace, Gretchen agrees to train her. In the midst of their training, they realize they are part of something bigger than they both could have imagined- even bigger than all of newly realized Greek Mythology. And the scariest part is they aren't twins... they are triplets.
Tera Lynn Childs usually writes fun, witty, silly books that make you giggle and you enjoy just because they are so fun to read. They aren't the deepest stories in the world, but they certainly entertain. But this book is different. Interesting and exciting, yes, trivial and silly, no. I was surprised by the new tone Childs wrote in, but I liked it! I liked it a lot! And the story was really interesting with the three girls separated at birth to protect their legacy from being destroyed by their deaths. Plus, who could possibly dislike the kooky monsters skulking about the city?
The story is a little darker than her previous novels, but this could be a good transition from the obvious middle reader books into more young adult titles. If readers liked Childs' previous books, but they are growing a little immature for them, pass this on! Plus it is clearly going to be a series (Thanks, by the way Tera Lynn, for leaving me TOTALLY hanging!), and can keep them hooked for much more reading to come!
Unwilling heroes are probably my favorite characters. They don't want the fame and honor of being people's heroes, but people naturally trust them, look up to them, and expect to be led by them. Tom Imura is that kind of man. He is the bounty hunter who has kept the peace in the Rot and Ruin, even though he wasn't trying. His very presence made people behave and stopped the lawlessness. But when he packs up to leave, people get worried. Death and Decay is Jonathan Maberry's amazing portrayal of an unwilling hero and the people who would put their lives in his hands.
Benny Imura used to resent his brother for abandoning their parents on the First Night, the night the dead began to walk again. When he found out his parents were actually infected and Tom saved him, it made him see Tom in a new light. Then when Tom saved his best friend, Nix, and put an end to Gameland- the place where evil men kidnap kids and have gladiator-esque fights between them and zombies- Benny knew Tom was a man to look up to. Now, after seeing a jet fly above them, Tom is determined to leave the Rot and Ruin to find the jet and secure a better life with his brother and their motley crew of friends.
Despite training them, not all are ready to leave Sanctuary. Nix, after seeing her mother murdered by an evil bounty hunter and being thrown in Gameland, is ready to go. So is Lilah, the mythical Lost Girl who lived in the Rot and Ruin and turned out to not be such a myth after all. But Benny, Chong and Morgie aren't so sure. Morgie decides to stay home, and Chong's mother finally agrees to let him go as long as it is only for a few nights and he comes right back instead of going on the full journey. Unfortunately, she couldn't have known the trouble brewing in the Rot and Ruin.
The trip is immediately off on the wrong foot as strange things start to happen. They come across some weird characters, a man who was executed by way of zombie, and the monk and sisters at their first stop are missing. When Chong disappears, Tom goes to find him and leaves Benny, Nix and Lilah to wait for them to return. What he couldn't have known was that things have gotten very dangerous out there and someone doesn't want them to make it out of town. When thousands of zombies overrun the building they are hiding in, Nix, Benny, Lilah barely make it out alive, but they are separated. Now everyone is trying to make it to the next stop- the old hotel and trading post- alive. What they don't know is there are lots of people out there looking for them- some to warn them and some to kill or kidnap them. Can they find each other without falling prey to the zombies... or worse?
This was a phenomenal follow-up to the first book. I simply could not get enough of this story and stayed up way past my bedtime reading it. I absolutely love the characters, all of them. The good characters make you want to scream every time they are in danger and the bad characters make you want to find a sword and take them on yourself. The story is exciting and non-stop action. There are even some unexpected twists that I won't ruin for you, but I will hint that one involves a very surprising animal.
The writing is appropriate for a wide range of ages with no sexual content or inappropriate language. There is a good deal of violence, as one would expect in any zombie story, but it isn't overdone and it isn't the focus of the story- the characters are. I have read Maberry's adult fiction as well, and he tends to follow the same rules- the characters are your biggest investment, not the gore. He wants you to love them or hate them, but either way, you are invested in their lives. The other stuff is just icing on the cake. So even though the premise is violent, the story isn't too much so. Bring the Rot and Ruin into your life and you will never be the same... even if it means you are now a zombie!
