Rise from the Ruin

Leigh Bardugo hit the fantasy genre with a mallet with her first book in the Grisha series, Shadow and Bone. The series never lost its momentum, and with this final book, Ruin and Rising, it ends with power and force and a conclusion that befits such a phenomenal series. 

The Darkling has won. Alina has two of the three amplifiers which make the Sun Summoner a Grisha like no other, but with the uncertainty and instability of the world at large, she is being hidden away underground where her ability has no hope of doing any good against the Darkling's forces. She can use the sun's force to fight his shadows and monsters, but not while she is trapped underground. It might keep her alive, but Alina is no longer satisfied with just remaining alive. She wants to get the world back from the Darkling and end the darkness he created forever. Especially when she is being kept underground by the power-hungry Apparat who likes having the Sun Summoner under his thumb. 

When Alina, Mal, and their loyal Grisha friends break free, the hunt for the final amplifier, the Firebird, proves to be more difficult than they ever could have imagined. With secrets behind the Darkling and his creation revealed, there is more to this hunt than Alina expected. She wants to save the world from the Fold and the darkness inside it, but what is she willing to sacrifice in order to do it? The conclusion will answer that question in a way you never saw coming...

I have loved this series from the first book, and it never once let me down. This is high fantasy in its ultimate incarnation, and you won't regret taking the time to read the Grisha trilogy. There are twists and turns and bumps and bruises along the way, but by the time you get to the end you will be so excited with the conclusion and so simultaneously sad to see the series end, you will want to reread it immediately. It might be expected to some, but I was whole-heartedly taken aback by the twist at the end, and I hope you will be too.

Alina is truly amazing in this series, but Mal is the true character you won't want to give up with the last page. There is something so loyal and amazing within him, even though we all struggled with him in the second book at times. You feel he is really human, not just a flat character on a page. Sometimes you love him and sometimes you are really angry with him. Even though I imagine many people struggled with Mal's character, it was that humanity that made me love him more. 

I loved this series so much, and I just can't wait to see what Bardugo does next. Can. Not. Wait!

Gone for Forever and Ever

When the monsters are trying to save the world from other monsters, you know the world has gone to hell in a handbag. In the stunning conclusion to Julie Kagawa's Blood of Eden series, The Forever Song, the very monsters who were responsible for the end of the world are trying to save the world. 

Allie and her sire, Kanin, and her brother, Jackal, are going to kill a Master Vampire. Sarren has created a plague that will completely destroy the world, even more so than Rabidism did. In his sick mind, Sarren thinks he is doing the world a favor by ridding it of all humans and vampires alike. While the illness must be stopped, the trail of carnage Sarren is leaving in his wake just to torment Allie, Jackal, and Kanin is all the more reason to destroy him. He doesn't just kill people for food, he likes to play with his food. 

When they get to Jackal's old city, they are in for a surprise none of them could have predicted. Allie is still grieving the loss of Zeke, and she will only start to heal when she sees Sarren beheaded. When they enter old Chicago, Allie was more surprised than anyone to see what Sarren left her: Zeke, fully vamped and with a mind as warped as Sarren's. Meanwhile, Sarren is headed to the sanctuary, Eden, to fulfill his deepest desires in the most twisted way possible. They know what they have to do, but doing it before Sarren leaves more bloody corpses in his wake is unlikely.

Allie has always been an amazing character, and her grief over the loss of Zeke was palpable. It made her hunt for Sarren so much deeper and darker, that this story certainly had a different feel to it. When she found him and Sarren had made him into a monster, I have to say it was predictable, but I was still stunned by it. I knew it was coming (and I am usually easily duped by plot twists), but somehow that just didn't matter. I think that has a lot to do with Kagawa writes. Allie was so upset and devastated that you couldn't help but understand how she was feeling. And it really solidified how deeply psychotic Sarren was, making the hunt for him all that more important. 

This was such a different kind of vampire story, that I think the preteen Twilight fans would have a tough time liking it at first, because they would be expecting Edward and Bella and instead get a little more Sid and Nancy. This is darker and creepier, but the characters and the story are so well-crafted, I hope they would eventually get over their preconceived notions and get sucked into this story. It is certainly more gruesome and bloody, so choose your audience accordingly. Kagawa is quite the master of her craft, so I can't wait to read the new series, Talon!

A Few Demigod Shorts

The demigods are as diverse as us mere mortals, and so are their adventures. In this companion to the Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus series' Riordan Riordan gives us a few sneak peaks back in time to fill in gaps around the other stories, and his son, Haley Riordan, takes the groundbreaking series his father started as his own bedtime stories and gives us his first story set in the world of demigods. 

"The Diary of Luke Castellan"
Luke is a character we see as a bad seed, but there has to be more to him. In this diary excerpt, we see Luke and Thalia fighting for their lives out in the world against the monsters who hunt them. What they don't expect is to find another kind of demigod who could be their very undoing. 

"Percy Jackson and the Staff of Hermes"
The gods can be many thing, but one thing they can be counted on for is to need the demigods to do their dirty work. All Percy wants to do is spend time with Annabeth, his newly anointed girlfriend, but Hermes has another plan for their time, and of course, it involves one bizarre and cantankerous monster!

"Leo Valdez and the Quest for Buford"
As a son of Hephaestus, Leo is an amazing tinkerer. Unfortunately, by failing to properly care for a magical end table, he may have lost the key to stopping certain disaster (Windex is NOT the same as Lemon Pledge!). Luckily, his friend would never let him fail. 

"Son of Magic"
Claymore doesn't have time for questions, and certainly not questions that will cause him as much trouble as Alabaster's question. As the leading expert on death, Alabaster hopes Claymore can help him stop the evil woman who is coming after them, but he has no idea how dangerous it is to even know Alabaster. 

This was a cute selection of short stories separated by word jumbles and quizzes to test your knowledge of the Greek vs. Roman gods. The short stories were not necessary for understanding the rest of the series', but they are certainly fun for the Olympus buff. The final story, "Son of Magic," is interestingly written by Riordan's son, Haley Riordan. Before the story, in a short note, he explains the Percy Jackson sagas began as bedtime stories to his son, and Haley was given the opportunity to write a story for this book. To be honest, that story has a very different tone from Rick's stories, which you have to be prepared for (it is very dark!), but I was quite impressed. It is a different kind of story, but the idea that the original audience for these stories delivered this contribution at the age of 16 is pretty impressive! Of course, he doesn't have the same abilities of his father, but if he keeps writing like this, he will get there some day! 

Surprising and Intense

A story that completely catches you off-guard is an experience in and of itself. One that catches you off-guard, kicks you in the cojones and dances a jog on top of them is something you can't miss! Andrew Klavan's Nightmare City did just that... if I had cojones. 

Tom Harding believes in the integrity of journalism. He was just an average teen in high school until he wrote and published an article that exposed his championship high school football team for using steroids to win the championship a couple of years earlier. Tom had sources and hard evidence, but like any respectable journalist, he maintained their requested anonymity with a ferocity. Even when the principal and football coach pulled him in and threatened him, he refused to give them his sources or to retract the story. It was true and Tom believed in the truth. 

When Tom wakes up in the morning, something about the day feels off. He looks outside to see the marine fog has crept far inland and seems to be blanketing the neighborhood. Even creepier, the whole neighborhood seems eerily quiet. When he goes downstairs to get his mother, she is nowhere to be found. Then he hears his brother's voice calling to him from the basement rec room. The only problem is his brother died in the service six months earlier. Tom realizes something is deeply wrong and when he sees a woman outside, he tries to follow her. He doesn't think anything of the mist that seems to be enveloping him, until he realizes something is wrong. Something is very, very wrong. And then he sees them. The creatures. They are all around him, coming for him...

OK. I am going to warn you about something, but I am not going to give away the surprise. This book is NOTHING like the description I just gave, but that is all I am going to give you because the real story, the surprise twist in the story is too good to ruin for any reader. I started reading this book and thought, "OK. Decent horror story. I'm enjoying this!" And then, about 100 pages in it threw me on the ground and beat the crap out of me. The whole story was nothing like I expected. There was nothing to indicate this about the blurb or the cover, but it was a total twist. And man, did I love it! So, if you are going to read this story (and you should), make sure you go into it with an open mind! 

Everything about this story makes it a brilliant option for reluctant readers. It is exciting and fast-paced, and you will flip that last page and be just as stunned as I was! In fact, I ended up starting this book very late last night and stayed up until 2am to finish it in one sitting. That's how fun of a read it was! I plan to use this book for those tough boys who don't like to read anything. It will knock them off their chairs! Klavan has done a great job with the young adult genre. It is full of simple language but is still a complex and intricate story I couldn't get enough of and never got bored with. Loved it! 

Who is the Real Monster?

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. 

Fe Fi Fo Spindlers!

There are all kinds of things that go bump in the night. Some things parents know about and others they can't wrap their old minds around. In The Spindlers, by Lauren Oliver, Liza knows the Spindlers are real, even if her parents tell her to stop making up stories... and they have taken her brother. 

Patrick went to bed as Patrick, but he woke up a Spindler. Liza is sure of it. Her brother's soul has been taken even though they always protect themselves from the Spindlers before bed. No one will believe her that the real Patrick has been taken by creepy spiders monsters who can't be killed. Not one to just let her brother's soul be taken and something else *gasp* being done to harm it, Liza waits until everyone is asleep and goes down to the basement. She knows it is the entrance to the Underground world of the Spindlers, but she didn't expect all the other creatures who lived down there too. 

When she first meets a human sized rat named Mirabella, who is wearing a dress, a wig, and an unnecessary amount of make-up, she is taken aback. But Mirabella agrees, albeit reluctantly, to take Liza to the Spindlers. Along the journey to the Spindler nests where they hold the souls to eat, Liza encounters a variety of creatures she never knew existed. Troglogs, and Nocturni, and little glowworm grubs, all become part of Liza's travels to her brother's soul. Some are helpful, some are tricky, but all stand between her and the Real Patrick. And Liza is nothing if not determined. 

This was a cute little middle reader that felt like the kind of book you would get if Roald Dahl wrote Alice in Wonderland meets Coraline. It was unique while still having a familiar feel of the greats, which made it even more enjoyable. I loved the little creatures Liza met along the way, and Mirabella in particular was a really multi-dimensional character as Liza's tour guide through the world underneath.  The characters were complex without being too complex for the age group the book was intended. The story is simple but will delight young elementary students (either read solo by a strong reader or with parents or teachers for a younger student) through middle school students. If you know someone who liked The BFG or James and the Giant Peach, this is a good next step for you. It truly feels like something written by Dahl, a man who transformed my own status as a child reader. I love the cross-over Oliver has created where she has gone from superb young adult novels to truly epic middle readers. That isn't easy to do, and it truly shows her skills as an author!

Even a Goddess Can't Escape Troy

No one is more petulant and used to getting their way than the Greek Gods. When a prophecy tells of a group of Scions or demigods overthrowing the gods, they can't stand to let that happen. But all Helen wants is to protect the ones she loves. In the stunning conclusion to Josephine Angelini's Starcrossed series, Goddess, the gods finally get a taste of their own medicine.

While the four houses of Scions have always remained divided and bitter, but their battle to find Atlantis and become immortal has reached new levels of violence. The prophecy of the Tyrant who will be their undoing has got everyone scared, even the gods. But Helen, Lucan, Orion and the other Scions know the house division is not something they can stand by and let happen anymore. They must come together in order to keep from repeating the same story over and over again. 

The Fates have recycled the story of Helen of Troy since it first began with the intention of changing the ending. When that doesn't happen, the story begins again in new Scions, hoping they will finally be the ones to overthrow their parents, the Greek Gods. Helen and the others are the next in line for those roles, but they refuse to let the cycle continue and let the gods win again. Instead, their teamwork and refusal to bow down to history might be the one thing that can change it. As the first Scions to bring all four houses together, they finally have a chance, but fighting a battle with the gods means great stakes and great consequences if they lose. They aren't willing to risk each other or their loved ones, but in a battle this great, that seems to be the only solution.

I have to say, this was a really fabulous series. And one of the most amazing character transformations had to be Helen. I always liked her, but the Helen by the end of the trilogy was so strong and powerful, yet not corrupted by her awe inspiring power. As the Scion who seemed to be more powerful than even she understood, it would have been all too easy to fall corrupt, but she never lost sight of those who mattered- her family and friends. And there is nothing more important to Helen than protecting innocent mortals who don't deserve to die as casualties of an ancient war they know nothing about. She was a fabulous leading lady, and I really enjoyed reading about her journey. 

This final book is very, very myth heavy. It delves heavily into historical and mythological stories, such as those of Helen of Troy all the way to Lancelot and Guinevere. Personally, I loved the historical flashbacks Helen experienced as she dreamt, but I can see where they might bog the story down for an unfamiliar reader. Still, they made the plot development so much more than just the story of a couple of kids in Nantucket. Instead, it became this large, almost mythological experience all on its own. I am sad to see the end of this great series, but I loved living through it over the past couple of years. I hope Angelini is writing furiously as we speak with an equally amazing new series, because I need something of hers to look forward to!

Carter Kane Meets Percy Jackson

Carter Kane has battled and won against Egyptian Gods and Goddesses. Percy Jackson has done the same with Greek Gods and Goddesses. If the Greek and Roman mythological figures and beasts can come together in The Heroes of Olympus, why can't Greek and Egyptian mythology come together? Well, speculate no further! In The Son of Sobek, Carter and Percy have to do the hardest thing two heroes can do- work together.

Carter is confident (somewhat) that he can handle the giant bedazzled crocodile that is terrorizing Long Island. That is, before it eats him. being squished inside the gullet of a giant crocodile isn't exactly his idea of a good time, but at least the croc was big enough to eat him in one gulp instead of biting him in half. While Carter is still trying to figure out what to do next, the croc spits him up, right in front of some strange kid. When it is clear the kid can see the croc, not some watered down version mortals would see, he realizes this is no normal boy. Together, Carter Kane and Percy Jackson must get rid of a crocodile that likes to munch on cars and can flatten a house. But there is something more disturbing going on. Something that would send an Egyptian monster right into the heart of Camp Half-Blood, thus bringing together Carter and Percy.

OK, I hate to speculate, but this felt like Riordan was setting up a massive new series that brought together Eyptian, Roman, and Greek mythology. *insert loony squeal here* I hope this really is the case and this wasn't just one lone short story, because nothing would be better than seeing everyone come together for a final series (because honestly, a world where there are no more Kane and Jackson novels to come out is just a world not worth living in!). This was a fabulous little story that gives you just enough of a tease to keep you sated until House of Hades comes out! So fingers crossed. Mr. Riordan, we want a series where they all come together and throw the world for a loop! Puh LEASE?!

Now THAT'S What I'm Talking About!

We all have a little bit of the dark side residing inside of us, but we know how to control it. Keep it down. But what if we were being controlled by the darkest power that was ever created? Could we still fight the dark side like we do every day? In Leigh Bardugo's Siege and Storm, Book Two of the Grisha Trilogy, Alina Starkov shouldn't be able to fight the Darkling, but love for Mal and for her country keep her resisting the darkness that threatens them all.

Alina is the Sun Summoner, the only Grisha with the power to bring light to the Fold and fight the monstrosities that reside within it. Now that the Darkling fitted her with the Amplifier made of the mythical stag, she can harness a power like none have seen before. But after learning the truth of the Darkling and his creation of the fold that threatens to take over the world, she narrowly escapes with Mal, her childhood friend and one true love, leaving her country and friends behind to suffer the Darkling's wrath. The problem is one cannot escape the Darkling for long, and with the help of a famous pirate, he finds Alina and Mal and drags them into the icy waters in search of the second mythical beast, an icy sea dragon. While legends has always told a Grisha cannot assume two amplifiers without suffering grave consequences, the Darkling believes otherwise, and he isn't above sacrificing Alina to find out.

What the Darkling didn't expect was that the pirate might have different loyalties than just those of a common mercenary. Sturmhond has his own secrets he hasn't shared with the Darkling, and those secrets run deep. He also has plans for the Sun Summoner and how she can help him get his country back. Whether Alina trusts Sturmhond or not, she can't deny he is the better option when caught between him and the Darkling. Together, they embark on a dangerous and determined path that will bring together mortal and Grisha, the First Army and the Second Army, powered and determined, to save the future of Ravka and all the people she holds. The only thing standing in their way is the Darkling and his frightening new power- the ability to create the shadow monsters out of thin air. How can a handful of Grisha and a mass of half-starved, fanatical countrymen fight the most powerful Grisha who ever lived?

OK. Any of you out there need a lesson on how to write a sequel that not only knocks your socks off, but also makes your already brilliant first novel pale in comparison? I would like to introduce you to the amazing Leigh Bardugo. The first novel of this trilogy was brilliant. This sequel is something so much more that it defies my current dumbfounded language. I don't even know how to tell you how incredible it is because I am still reeling after flipping that final page! This was beyond just some great sequel. This is a masterpiece all on its own!

High fantasy is tricky, but Bardugo knows how to build a world like you have never seen before and still connect you to every bit of it. How does she do that?! How can I feel like I know the people of Ravka when it is so wildly different from everything I have ever known? I don't really know, but by golly! It was AMAZING! The whole world she created is so fascinating and so real, you would think those terrifying volcra were right behind you. And there are layers and layers of history and mythology and culture that every page brings you deeper and deeper into. The whole idea behind the stag and the dragon and the firebird could have been another entire series in and of themselves, but they were intertwined beautifully within the world of powerful Grisha and terrifying monsters. But the beauty behind it all was the love for one's people and one's country. Together, Grisha or civilian, they all want to save Ravka from the Fold and the terrors it contains. It was a really beautiful and fascinating examination of the human psyche and what kind of creature we want to be.

But this story is more than just broad, sweeping theories and examinations. The specific characters are so deep and real, you would feel like you had known them all your life. But Alina is the reason I can't stay away from this series. As a teacher of young women, I love to see a young female character who isn't afraid to stand up for what she believes in. When the prince misleads her and traps her in a position she wasn't expecting, what does she do? She punches him right in the nose! This is one girl you can be proud of and it lets you totally understand why the people of her country view her as a saint despite the fact that she is just a poor orphan thrust into a situation she wasn't ready for. Alina doesn't care who is her "superior". She knows what is right and is determined to sacrifice her own life to save the lives of others. And THAT is what I loved the most about this story. Of course snarky, pompous, but humble, Nikolai was just as wonderful. I have been searching YA lit for just this kind of young man- snarky on the outside and a truly good man on the inside- and imagine my pure joy to find him inside this book I already loved! Sure, he was a wise-crackin', infuriating putz sometimes, but that just made you love him all the more when you found out his true love for his country and everyone in it. He was just as determined to save Ravka as Alina, and together they made a fabulous team. 

This is a series for everyone, young adult or not-so-young adult. You like fantasy? Pick this series up! You not really interested in fantasy, but love a great story? Pick this series up! Like to read? Here you go! Don't read much? Look no further! This is the series that will make a reader out of you! Truthfully, this is a series for anyone, and it has the potential to turn non-readers into readers, it is genuinely that powerful. I love this series and the only thing that is going to disappoint me is when Bardugo finally concludes it. 

Eternity isn't Forever

When the plague took over, humans did everything they could to stop it... even if it meant using vampires like lab rats to develop a cure. When that cure turned out to be the cause of Rabidism, a mutated vampiric virus that made humans into unstoppable monsters, the humans now needed the vampires to protect them. In The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa, the tables have turned once again.

Kanin turned Alli into a vampire, the one creature she detested most. But when the choice is vampire or death, it is amazing what we will become to save our own lives. But Alli wasn't your typical vampire. She may have battled the Hunger like other vampires, but she didn't want to hurt anyone. And a boy she met by chance was the closest connection to her human side. Unfortunately, once he found out she was a vampire, it didn't matter that she was the one who protected him and his family and delivered them to Eden, the vampire-free sanctuary. She was the vampire who endangered Zeke's family by bringing another vampire after them.

But Kanin has been kidnapped by the crazy Master vampire, Sarren, and Alli feels she owes it to him to save him from whatever Sarren plans to do. Along her travels, she stumbles upon Jackal, another of Kanin's children, who is also concerned about Sarren, but for a very different reason. Sarren is thought to be searching for the labs that created Rabidism. At first, they are convinced he planned to destroy any hope for a cure, but then their realization of his true intentions comes to light... and it is even scarier that the lack of a cure. Now Alli and Jackal must find a way to work together to hunt for Sarren, recover Kanin, and stop the Mad Hatter of vampires from total annihilation of the world. Because there is only one thing worse than the Rabidism virus: a bigger, badder virus. 

If anyone tells you there are no more original vampire stories out there, tell them to check out Kagawa and Fukuda. If they don't think those are fabulously unique, fresh stories, you tell them they are just trying to be difficult. The Blood of Eden series is not only a great vampire story, it is an awesome story all the way around. Not only do you have truly deep characters like Alli, Zeke, and Jackal, you also have a plot that grabs you by the unmentionables and doesn't let go! For me, Alli is a fabulous character, not just because she is still holding onto her humanity (which others see as naive), but because she wants that humanity to define her. She doesn't want to become a cold, heartless vampire, and her will to hang onto her humanity is hard to deny. In fact, it changes everyone around her. I love this character's will to be a "good person" and the effect it has on the other characters. In a desolate wasteland, people should only be thinking about survival, but she sparks something deeper in even the worst of the worst, even in Jackal. A character like this is a great role model for a reader. While they might only be thinking about the vampires and the battles, there is something deeper that is unconsciously internalized- we are who we want to be. I love that lesson, especially for teens who struggle to find their place in the world for years. 

But the story is too fabulous to take a back burner. It is so incredibly exciting, and I could barely put it down. There are twists and turns so novel, I have to go back and reread to be sure I got it right! It is hard to make a story of hope in a barren wasteland patrolled by monsters, but Kagawa does with her magical storytelling. She knows how to craft a story that will hold you in rapt attention and spit you out on the other side, rumpled and tired from reading all night. So don't be afraid to give this to a student who needs an exciting story to hold their attention, or even an adult reader who is looking for an exciting story. This series has it all in spades. It has a brilliant and it will keep you chomping at the bit to get the next book (cheesy pun totally intended!!). 

The Magic of a Dystopia

Magic is a fickle thing. A world open and full of magic can see it corrupted and misused. A world with no open magic can find it persecuted and hunted. But what about a world that needs magic and has lost it? In Skylark by Meagan Spooner, magic is something everyone needs, but only a few can create it.

Lark has never been harvested, and at her age, that is incredibly uncommon. When the city decides to harvest your magic to power the protective wall and their various machines (including pixies- little bug-like machines used to catch citizens if they break the rules), it is an honor to give up your magic and help the city. When Lark is finally up for harvesting, something is very different about her experience. They keep her and harvest her magic more than once- no one has ever needed more than one harvesting because no one is Renewable. When Lark, almost drained of everything that makes her Lark, stumbles upon a woman trapped and being drained of her magic, she realizes this will be her fate- a renewable to be held and hooked to wires, sucked dry. When one of the guards gives her the key to escape, she doesn't hesitate, but it lands her outside the wall. And she has heard the stories all her life about what lies outside the wall.

Without the wall to keep the magic in, people have lost their minds. Their magic dissipates, driving them crazy. Lark has heard the stories, but she isn't sure what to trust. When she finds a place to hide, she is discovered by a pixie, she manages to remove its tracking device. Nix, the pixie, cannot report back to the city, but it can help her find the Iron Wood, the place said to be a haven for refugees like herself. But she needs more than Nix to survive. When a ragged boy arrives and helps her, she can't believe people could survive out in the wild. Orin agrees to take her to the Iron Wood, but he is scared of such a place and won't be finishing the journey with her. But there is a lot of land between the city and Iron Wood, and that land is full of cannibalistic madmen who look more like monsters than the shells of the people they used to be. An with a whole city after her, crazy cannibals trying to eat her, and her own companions a surly boy and a traitorous machine, how can Lark possibly find a place where she feels like home?

I have to say, this book was certainly a new take on the dystopia and the magic angle! I really enjoyed the way Spooner wove all these elements together. It seems like they shouldn't go together, but Spooner creates this brilliant web that brings them into one complete story. It was really a great story, and the element of magic made it all the more mysterious. The story was broken into three distinct parts: the city, the journey, and the Iron Wood. This separation made the story a little broken up, but I actually liked it! The only thing I struggled with a little bit were the characters. I liked Lark, but she wasn't the most memorable of characters. You don't get enough of Orin to really want her to stay with him despite the dangers. And that all made me love the story, but not become totally devoted to them. Although, I will tell you that ending is exciting and will have you on the edge of your seat waiting for the sequel!

This is a good book for a variety of readers. It is completely clean, although there is a smidge of violence with the monsters in the wild. The idea of harvesting your citizens to power the very thing that protects them is an ethical conundrum. It would provide a number if interesting research, writing, and discussion topics for you and the student reading the book. Spooner does a great job at building such a complex world, and there is still much to be learned and understood, so you will be anxious to read the rest of the trilogy! 

Shades of a New Beginning

When your options are dying in a spaceship that is slowly shutting down or descending to an unknown planet possibly full of monsters, you realize your choice will be life or death either way. Amy and Elder chose the latter, and the new planet might be scary, but in Beth Revis's Shades of Earth, the real fear comes from the things you know rather than the ones you don't know.

The landing is far from smooth, but Amy knows landing means she can finally unfreeze her parents and the rest of the Earthborns. The problem is the shipborns- they don't trust the Earthborns. When they finally unfreeze the group that was meant to make the transition to the new planet safer and more efficient, Elder realizes Orion's prediction may have been correct: the Earthborns were either going to make them slaves or soldiers. But the Earthborns know how to use their weapons, and with crazy pterodactyl-like creatures trying to eat them, guns can come in handy.

But the creatures on the planet aren't the only thing to worry about. When people start going missing, and Phydus (the ship's crowd control drug) is found in the systems of the dead and the creatures, the group begins to realize something fishy is happening on the planet. They find ruins that were clearly made for humans, and Sol-Earth still hasn't contacted them. They fear that the extra 200 years they were trapped in the ship may have made them a lost cause and they are now left to survive on their own. But people keep disappearing and an explosion on the shuttle destroys all their food and weapon reserves. So whether or not Earth can hear them becomes the least of their problems. Instead, the Earthborns and the Shipborns have to come together for one purpose: survival. 

This series was one of those runaway successes that just got better and better with each book. The story was interesting on a claustrophobic ship, so with a new planet to explore, it was even better! My one criticism was that I wanted more of the new planet. I wanted more and more creatures! But I suppose I have to be satisfied with what I got, which was still pretty great! The added conflict between the Earthborns and Shipborns just made the story that much more interesting. After all, the idea of who has the upper hand in such a situation is so subjective, you will find yourself rooting for someone different with each turn of a page!

This is a fabulous story for either a science fiction fan or someone who prefers modern novels. The series is gripping enough to hold anyone's interest over the three books. In fact, while the ending was solid, I still wish the story would continue on the new planet. There are some interesting discussions to be had regarding the technology in the book as well. For instance, how fast does technology out-lap itself? Become obsolete? While we don't have 500 years to run an experiment, I am sure showing our students a cell phone from 10 years ago, or better yet, one of those car phones in a bag, will certainly drive the point home! This series is a beautiful expression of technology, human emotion, and basic human instinct all wrapped into one!

Medusa's Middle Book Syndrome!

It's hard enough being the ancestor of Medusa and her sisters, but being monster hunters and the source of a very vague prophecy that has you ruining the world is just too much. For Gretchen, Greer, and Grace, the prophecy is just the start of their problems in Tera Lynn Childs' Sweet Shadows.

Now that the three sisters, triplets separated at birth, have found one another, it seems as though nothing is normal about their lives. Even Gretchen, whose life trained as a huntress was far from "normal" to begin with, longs for the easy days of training and hunting in between occasionally going to school. Now the girls are embroiled in a life altering decision that they barely understand: the prophecy. As the Key Generation, they are going to be responsible for either opening the door from the abyss to the human world which will unleash all monsters upon humans or closing the door forever, which, as it turns out, isn't such a clear win/win. 

Without Medusa's sisters, who have guided them disguised as mortals for years, and the oracle to confide in, the girls are struggling to decide which direction is best and who to trust. This becomes incredibly more challenging when they learn one faction wants them dead to keep the portal from opening and one wants them to open the portal and then kill them to keep it opened. Feeling like there is no place to run and an impossible decision to make, the girls find themselves torn in different directions. Grace knows something is going on with her brother Thane and her usually rock-solid relationship with her parents is being threatened. Gretchen finally allows herself to start liking a boy only to watch him sucked into the abyss and chooses to go tumbling after him where she learns more about the "monsters" she has been fighting all these years. And Greer must take a long, hard look at her lifestyle and how tea socials and high society events are just not possible within the life as a hunter. But the girls all have one thing in common: they have no idea which end of the prophecy they should be on.

I really like this series and love Tera Lynn Childs, but this was definitely a "middle child" in the trilogy. I am not saying it wasn't a good book, because it was! The struggle for me was that the action was held over from Book 1 and all the conclusions seem to be waiting (im)patiently for book 3. In my opinion, a trilogy should have three separate components that can stand on their own yet still all come together as one cohesive unit. This book had too many ties to its younger and older sisters, leaving it torn and without a real firm purpose on its own. For instance, the whole book we suspect something really horrible is happening to Grace's brother. He is oddly absent and not keeping in touch, and when he does come back, he is clearly hiding something. When the three girls come back together and press on to take care of a legion of monsters, he wants to come with them, then the book is done. You are left with no explanation for what is going on with him and no conclusion, just a whole lot of questions left to hang for another year until the final book. It was pretty frustrating!

This middle child syndrome is rather new for Childs. All her previous series (Oh. My. Gods. and Fins) are connected and continuations of one story, but they are strong in and of themselves as well. While it might bug you to wait a whole year with where this book left off, I hope you don't choose NOT to read this series because of it. Instead, I would recommend waiting until the final book in the trilogy is out and then to read them all in tandem. It will solve any of these problems I had with this book and you will probably get much more out of the story. The story itself is really quite wonderful, and in particular, the ambiguity surrounding the "monsters" is a real-life circumstance people face all the time- what happens when you realize the "bad guy" isn't really bad at all? This is a great mythological tale with real-life practical applications that make this a stellar series. Even if the middle child has a couple of small flaws!

A Story of Thimble and Stone

When you read the first book in Ann Aguirre's Enclave series, you were happy to follow the story of Deuce, but you wondered about Stone and Thimble, the friends she left behind as she went Topside. Underground, in a world of darkness and monsters, we finally learned what became of Stone and Thimble as the only world they had ever known crashed down around them.

Stone is just a breeder, but he is a big, strong man. He might not have a specific purpose in the Enclave other than making more brats, but he wants to have a purpose. Thimble narrowly escaped being thrown to the freaks outside the walls to become a Builder, and while most people see her as deformed, Stone has always thought she was perfect. As the Enclave erupts into a civil war with the monsters just waiting for the blood to spill, Stone, Thimble, and Boy 23, Stone's brat, know that if they stay together, they can survive... in one way or another.

This was a fantastic short story attached to this series. It isn't necessary to carry on with the story, but it is really interesting and a fabulous companion to the story currently going on in the first two books. I suggest anyone who liked Enclave to read this companion for more insight into the world of the underground Enclaves. It will leave you wanting more from Aguirre!

I Like My Leading Ladies Defiant!

I like nothing better than a book who was trained to track, hunt, and fight against the will of a dominating ruler in a society where women must be escorted everywhere they go, aren't educated, and are treated like property. And C.J. Redwine takes the dystopia genre by storm with Rachel in Defiance, a girl who won't just sit back and accept her fate. A girl who fights for everyone she loves.

Rachel's father has been declared dead, but she simply won't accept the news. She watches as they close up the city on the final day of wait for him and knows she will find a way to escape the city walls and find her father. But the Commander of the city must now assign her a new Protector, and she assumes it will be Oliver, the man who has been a grandfather to her all her life. When Logan, her father's apprentice and the very young man Rachel professed her undying love to and was rejected by, is named her Protector, Rachel's vehement defiance catches the terrifying eye of the Commander.

Logan tries to keep rachel under control long enough to put together a plan to find her father, but the headstrong young woman refuses to wait. In an attempt to escape over the wall, she is apprehended and has the opportunity to witness the Commander's cruelty all too close. But nothing will stop her from protecting the ones she loves, even if it means leaving the safe walls of the city to roam the Wasteland and risk being burned alive or devoured by the Cursed One.

This was a book that has it all: monsters, dystopia, human folly that gave way to an apocalyptic future, controlling rulers, and feisty ladies. I loved it! Rachel was strong, brave, and quite stubborn, and that made me like her all the more. She was like so many girls I know, love, and am related to! Rachel wouldn't take no for an answer, and her love for her father was one I am sure we can all relate to. Logan was also a very dynamic character. His background as a starving wretch who was saved by Rachel's father and Oliver added to the ferocity with which he protected his job as a courier/tracker. Add to that his loyalty to Rachel's family and burning rage toward the Commander and you have quite a match! 

This is a great book not only for the kids who like dystopias, but also for those girls who need a butt-kickin' heroine to love and root for. There is some violence and the control of the Commander is pretty vile stuff. The book ends in a way that keeps you wanting more but doesn't leave you cursing the book Gods who think it is funny to cheat us of any possible resolution (jerks). So let loose your Defiant streak, ladies. It's time you had some fun!

An Isle of Blood Can't Be Good?!

With so many myths and stories of hairy beastlies and mysterious creepers, we all rest a little easier thinking there is a monster hunter (hunt in the biological sense, not the skin and eat sense) out there keeping things together. But when that Monstrumologist is Pellinore Warthrop, you know being his apprentice is going to be adventurous, and seriously dangerous. In Rick Yancey's The Isle of Blood, the third book in the Monstrumologist series, you get to see just how far Warthrop will take his young apprentice, Will Henry.

When a "wild card" colleague of Warthrop's tricks a man into delivering an artifact, a nest made out of human bits, Warthrop realizes he now possesses evidence of the great white whale of Monstrumology. Unfortunately, the highly contagious nature of this nest causes the distraught messenger to succumb to the illness and attack Will Henry. In order to prevent the same fate for Will Henry, Warthrop must do something unthinkable. While he saves Will Henry's life, he can't get past the fact that he has put Will Henry in danger, and as he goes off in search of the greatest monster that ever lived, the Faceless One, he leave Will Henry behind and takes the eager new apprentice who arrived conveniently before this big adventure.

But when the apprentice returns and claims Warthrop is dead, Will Henry refuses to accept the news. He knows his master is alive, and he is willing to go to great lengths to find him. Unfortunately, no one wants to believe a young kid when chances are the Monstrumologist finally succumbed to the very monsters he focuses his life around. Of course, monstrumologists are used to believing in the long shot, and one Will Henry pokes holes through the new apprentice's claims, they are able to get a lead on Warthrop. Where that lead takes them and what they have to do to get there, of course, are the stuff of nightmares. But then again, isn't that the world of Monstrumology?

It amazes me how Yancey can take such a small wisp of an idea and create such a story. A rumor of a beastlie can lead you down a road of visceral trauma and imagination like you never thought you could experience. And the characters? I continue to love them more and more with each passing book. In particular, I love the relationship between Will Henry and Warthrop. Where I could never put my finger on who Warthrop reminded me of, I finally realized it as I was describing the story to my sister... he is Sheldon from "Big Bang Theory"! He is not heartless or uncaring, but rather very clinical and devoted to his work. But when his work poses a threat to Will Henry, he cannot being himself to lose the boy and you get to see glimpses of how much this man truly does love his "adopted" son. He may call Will Henry his apprentice, but the love between father and son is obvious to those of us on the outside looking in, which makes their story even better, in my opinion.

This is truly a magnificent series, and it is perfect for those quirky students who have grown out of typical YA stories. It has a gothic feel to it, but the story transcends anything you have read before. I am excited to hear the publisher was bullied into letting Yancey write a fourth book after trying to stop him at three, and I can't wait to read the final book in the series. Yancey has an imagination that will only twist and warp your own imagination in ways you didn't think possible, so I say, "Let him have it!"

Holy Fantasy, Batman!

Did you ever read a book, see the launch of a new gadget, or watch a new movie and think to yourself, "Why didn't I think of that?! It's Brilliant!" That is how I felt after reading Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. It was such a phenomenal fantasy that I am going to take a virtual bow to Bardugo and her brilliance and wonder (not so) silently why I can't write like this!

Alina Starkov is a mapmaker's apprentice, and not a very good one. Before that she was an orphan. The only person who ever mattered to her was her fellow orphan and lifelong friend, Mal, but in the harsh world where the supernatural Shadow Fold has bisected the country of Ravka, nothing is safe. The Shadow Fold is a huge swath of land that has been plunged into darkness by a powerful Grisha. Since then, the Fold is almost impassable and hunted by the terrifying Volcra beasts. The military escorts people across the Fold, but they are no safer than anyone else in the No Man's Land of the Fold. Mal is in the military, but the King has two armies. The first army is made up of your standard soldiers, people willing to die for their country or at least to get a few warm meals before they die. The second army is a class of people unto themselves called Grisha. The Grisha are magical folk who all have gifts that support the King's campaign. They are broken up into three types of Grisha, but one stands along: The Darkling.

The Darkling is the most powerful Grisha in Ravka. When Alina and Mal get to the Fold for their first crossing, the Darkling is there. As they cross, the Grisha move the land boat across the sand and try to protect the skiff, but more volcra than ever appear and attack the group. When Alina and Mal are attacked, something unheard of happens: Alina begins to radiate sunlight. The sunlight repels the volcra, saving the crew, but it also means Alina is a Grisha. When the Darkling hears about her feat, he whisks her off to the castle to be trained. With her power to summon the sun, Alina and the Darkling could rid Ravka of the Shadow Fold together. Unfortunately, there are people out there who don't want to destroy the Shadow Fold and even more who want to destroy Alina. She knows the responsibility her power brings, but that doesn't mean she isn't still just an orphan girl, in love with a boy who may never speak to her again. But will Mal come back to Alina?

Oh holy fantasy, Batman! Shadow and Bone is a fantasy land that will make you want to finish the final page and start all over again immediately. Bardugo created a world that is both terrifying and magical. The characters are complex and deep to the point that you aren't always sure their intentions or motives, but you know you want to learn more about them. And the bad guys? Oh Boy! From the Volcra to the bad Grisha to the incompetent king, this is a story with layers and layers of evil that will make your head spin. But Alina is a great heroine. Caught up in the whirlwind f the Grisha world, she misses the simplicity of her former self but knows she can never go back again. She knows she has a responsibility to use her powers for good, but she is skeptical of those who wish to control her and enslave her. Alina faces insurmountable challenges, but deep within a poor orphan body is a strong woman willing to sacrifice everything for what is right.

And this is only the beginning. The Grisha Trilogy has more to come and after Shadow and Bone you will be more than just anxious for Bardugo to get the next book out there. This is your next big trilogy to watch out for, everyone! It's out there and it is going to be unstoppable! Keep this book on your shelves for all manner of students because it is an accessible fantasy with great characters and an amazing world that will appeal to all kinds of people, young adult to adults. And don't forget to keep a copy for yourselves because this is one you are going to want to reread!

The Monstrumologists are Back in Town

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!

A Book of Monster Proportions

Can you imagine living with a mad scientist? Now imagine living with a mad scientist who studies Monstrumology! That is the life of Will Henry, the young apprentice of Pellinore Warthrop, Monstrumologist of New England. Rick Yancy's first novel in this spunky series, The Monstrumologist, is a great first novel to a fun and intriguing trilogy.

Will Henry isn't exactly happy to live with Dr. Warthrop, but he doesn't have any choice since his parents died in a horrible fire that burned their house. He knows Warthrop has a strange profession, but he doesn't know the extent of his studies until a grave robber brings a horrifying fond to the doctor's doorstep- a young corpse found alongside a large creature that had obviously been feeding on her before it died suddenly. The doctor explained it was an Anthropophagi, a creature that originated from Africa and solely hunts humans. They can be up to 7 feet tall, appear to be headless, have mouths full of thousands of shark-like teeth in their abdomen, and can only be stopped with a brain shot- which is right below their mouths. Did I mention they were vicious and territorial human eaters?

After dissecting the specimen the grave robber gave him, Warthrop convinces him to go to the cemetery looking for the remaining few creatures. When they get there, though, they had clearly underestimated the size of the group and are rushed by 30 or so creatures that wanted nothing more than to eat them. Barely escaping with their lives (the grave robber wasn't quite so lucky), they try to figure out how such a large family group got there without any attacks in the area. Warthrop is concerned his own Mosntrumologist father may have had something to do with their presence there since he studied the Anthropophagi up until his recent death.

When a local family is attacked, all torn apart and mutilated, the local police come to fetch Warthrop and Will Henry for help, knowing they are the only ones who might explain the brutal murders. They arrive to find one lone survivor, a boy so traumatized all he can think about is killing what was responsible for killing his family, even Warthrop when it is revealed he knew about their presence in the town. Now the local law enforcement needs Warthrop's help in trying to get rid of the monsters, even if that means calling in a hunter who has less than ethical means of doing his job. But how far will they all go to get rid of the monsters? How did such a large group get to New England in the first place? Can Will Henry survive the Anthropophagi?

This book wasn't what I expected at first, but I really liked it! It started off a little confusing for the first few pages, but then it grabbed a hold of me and I couldn't put it down! It is a long book, but it feels short because the story is so sordid and engrossing. Will Henry is an interesting character, as he deals with Warthrop's eccentricities with such aplomb. Warthrop is your typical mad scientist who seems almost surprised with Will Henry and his basic needs. They oddly work well together, making a strange dynamic little team to conquer the ugly beastlies of the world.

I think this is a great book for a wide range of readers. Some of the monster encounters are bloody and gory, but most kids encounter worse on regular television or video games- it isn't gratuitous violence. The story is very engaging and any reader would be sucked into Will Henry's world with Dr. Warthrop. And the good news? Two more books!

Who Says Picture Books are for Little Kids?!

We all love(d) picture books, right? The pictures were what lured us in and started us reading. So wouldn't it be ingenious to create an amazing story full of quirky old photographs that pulled a struggling reader in with the images and held them with the rocking story? Well, Ransom Riggs did just that with Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

Jacob grew up listening to his grandfather's wild stories about girls who floated, an invisible boy, a fire starter, and the orphanage they all lived in run by "a bird who smoked a pipe". When he was young, these stories were addictive, along with the photos that accompanied them. Once he got older, though, he became skeptical and eventually confronted his grandfather about their authenticity. When Jacob's grandfather is found brutally murdered, Jacob loses it. He pulls away from everyone and everything, and his parents make him see a therapist. With the therapist's encouragement, Jacob and his father finally set off to find the orphanage his grandfather escaped to as his Jewish family was being herded into concentration camps.

Once they arrive on the remote island in Wales, they realize it is a strange place- almost stuck in time. When Jacob finds the orphanage, his dreams are immediately destroyed with the rotting corpse of the building. But then he spies some kids- the same kids from his grandfather's photos. They take him back to the orphanage- or at least exactly how it was in 1940. The orphanage they live in is in a time loop created by Miss Peregrine, the head lady of the orphanage who can shift into a bird and protects the "peculiar" children. The children have been living for decades in the loop, and Jacob's arrival is very exciting. But when it becomes clear the peculiars are in trouble, Jacob is will to risk everything to protect them, especially Emma, the girl who once loved her grandfather. But how can a normal, boring human help the peculiars? Maybe he isn't so "normal"!


The best way to describe this book is "peculiar". It is comforting, yet strange and different. The photos aren't the only oddities of this story, the characters, concept, and execution are strange too, but strange in an amazing, whirlwind way. Without the photos, the story still wouldn't be your average "supernatural" or "paranormal" story we see so much of today. It is a truly novel concept and execution and I couldn't get enough of it.

The writing, story, and characters are all appropriate for a wide range of students. The photos will captivate a younger or lower-skilled student and keep them turning the pages, but the story is sophisticated enough to keep a stronger or older reader hooked as well. I can see the quirky students loving this book, but the less "peculiar" students also being sucked into the interesting story. Truly, this is one of those magical books that might end up as my "go to" independent reading story for most kids. I have a few of them, my reliable all stars that work for so many students. I predict this book will soon be added to this illustrious list! Add it to your libraries and classroom shelves... you won't be sorry!