The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson (Shades of London, #2)

"You are not weird in the head," he said, more firmly. "You went through something horrible, and you survived, and you've done amazingly well. You're strong. Stop making jokes about it. There is nothing wrong with you." 
I wasn't expecting this little outburst, or the anger that edged his voice.
"Sorry," I said. 
"Don't be sorry. Just don't do it. It's important. Because of what we do, it's important to always remember that there is nothing wrong with you."

[Click here to read my review of book 1: The Name of the Star]

After reading the first book in this series and falling in love with it's creepy and intriguing storyline, I was excited to see what book 2 had in store. Still, I waited (It's fairly rare that I read an entire series in one go. I usually read other books in between those books in the series.) and only got around to reading it a few days ago.

After the conclusion of the Ripper case, Rory is removed from Wexford by her parents and is staying in Bristol with them while she recovers. Her body is nearly healed, but she's a mess otherwise. Her teachers have been sending her work that she ignores and her therapist keeps prodding at things Rory would rather she left alone. She's separated from her friends, the only people who understand her ability to see ghosts and can possibly help her deal with her newfound "ability".

Then Rory's therapist suddenly suggests she goes back to Wexford and Rory jumps at the chance. However, things just aren't the same. She doesn't quite know how to deal with what's happened to her and she's sick of lying to everyone but Callum, Stephen, and Boo. She's fairly certain she's going to fail her classes, yet can't seem to bring herself to catch up where she left off after the attack. As if that weren't enough to keep her occupied, murders with seemingly ghostly origins start popping up and Rory can't help wondering if something that happened the night the Ripper attacked her has something to do with it.

Rory is a very relatable character with a sense of humor that endears you to her almost immediately. Even after all the chaos of the first book and the considerable amount of trauma she's been through, that doesn't change. Maureen Johnson has created in her one of those characters that makes every situation that much more interesting and I really love that about her.

As for the story itself, I've heard a few complaints that it suffers from that second-book-slump, but I'm not so sure I agree. Admittedly, there isn't as much mystery, but there is just as much plot as the first installment in the series. Johnson is clearly using this book as a launchpad for the major excitement in the next book, but this one still has its fair share of nail biting, cheering, and crying.

I think the next book is going to be absolutely stunning and I can't wait to see where Maureen takes the story from here. If the first two books are any indication, the next one will be a knockout.

Rating: ★★★★★

We were sitting right on top of the graveyard of the world's most infamous mental institution, which is arguably many hundreds of times worse than being on top of the old haunted burial grounds that things are always being built on in America. Loads of mad ghosts . . . who might be disturbed by, say, a major explosion that might have, quite possibly, opened up some kind of crack that they could pass through? And they might, for instance, kill people with hammers . . .
Now I had a reason to call Stephen.

Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama

“Pastor McKee, do you think we really have a ghost up there in the sanctuary? I mean, does the church even believe in ghosts? Because – if there is a ghost – maybe it's related to this drowning?”

It sounded so ridiculous when she said it out loud.

“Tell me, lassie, have you paerchance heard any local tales o' sea folk?” he said out of the blue.

“Uh . . .” Hester wondered where he was going with this.

“I've haerd tell they live en the deepes' par' of our own bay.”

“Why do you ask?”

He shrugged and shifted his feet, preparing to sit in the chair again. She held his arm while he lowered himself into it. “Jus' tha' tales o' ghosts and tales o' sea folk paersist in the world. Even an educated paerson mus' wonder ef thar's a reason for et.”

“Monstrous Beauty” is another book I came across on the shelves of my local Half Price Bookstore. I hadn't ever heard of it or the author before, but the cover was stunning and the summary on the back sounded just dark and interesting enough to catch my attention. If I remember correctly, this wasn't long after I had read “Fathomless”, so I'll admit I was probably on a bit of a dark mermaid story binge at the time, though I obviously didn't read it until much later.

Hester Goodwin has pledged herself never to fall in love or marry. Most especially, she will never have children. Hester has made this decision because of her family history. After all, if all the women in the last one hundred fifty years of your family history had died within a week of giving birth to their first child, you would be concerned too. Though she definitely has feelings for her best friend, Peter, she suppresses them and pulls away. She can't fall in love. She can't be talked out of it. She doesn't want to die.

Then Hester meets Ezra, a strange and intoxicating man whom she only ever sees on the beach, and suddenly all of her resolve seems to dissipate. He claims he can help her, that her troubles sound more like a curse than a genetic fault and perhaps the two of them can solve it together.

As she begins to look into her family's past, Hester begins to uncover the pieces of a tragedy that took place long ago and may be the cause of her curse, as well as the rumored hauntings that have taken place in the church and its graveyard, where she used to play as a girl. It's up to her to uncover a terrible truth and set to rights that which was tampered with long ago, that is, if the forces that be will let her do it.

The further I sank into this book, the more surprised I was that I hadn't heard of it before. A beautifully written tale that can be dark, tragic, thrilling, and hopeful all in one excellent novel? I was smitten from the start.

I cannot get over how good this book managed to be and I will definitely be singing its praises for months. The reader is caught up along with the protagonist in the mystery that surrounds her and the terrifying adventures she must face in order to get to the bottom of things. Hester is fierce and resourceful and an all-around believable character that I enjoyed getting to know within the pages.

If you're looking for a good, dark fantasy preferably containing mermaids and other supposed myths, this is the book you need on your shelf. I suggest finding it as soon as you can manage.

Rating: ~★★★★★~

She struggled and writhed as the thing switched positions, easily hooking an arm around her neck and swimming her down – headfirst, faceup, deeper and deeper – in a death-spiral version of a lifeguard rescue. It was a distinctly humanlike arm that held her, and Hester clutched it with both ahnds, afraid of the speed, and afraid it would strangle her. The rhythmic thumping and pumping beneath her was the unmistakable action of a powerful tail, propelling them to the depths of the bay. Hester kept her eyes closed, but she knew without seeing the creature: it was a mermaid.

They were real.

McKee was right; E.A. Doyle was right.

And Hester was about to be killed.

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

Piper and Edmond and Isaac and I used to watch this lunatic fringe milling around every day around sunset and then Edmond and I would slip away up to the tiny bedroom at the top of the house or the big storage closet under the eaves or the lambing barn or one of about a thousand places we'd found where we could try and try and try to get enough of each other but it was like some witch's curse where the more we tried to stop being hungry the more starving we got.

It was the first time in as long as I could remember that hunger wasn't a punishment or a crime or a weapon or a mode of self-destruction.

It was simply a way of being in love.

I picked up “How I Live Now” while I was Christmas shopping late last year. It's a pretty well known fact that I can't leave a bookstore without at least one book for myself, so I already knew shopping books for Christmas presents was going to end up with me buying some for myself. Thankfully, I was in charge of stocking stuffers this year, so I could get away with convincing myself I needed it.

I spotted this lovely volume in the Young Adult section at my local (at the time) Half Price Bookstore. I'd been trying to find this novel for a while anyway, but had only ever managed to locate movie cover copies, so you can imagine how I snatched this one up.

In “How I Live Now” we meet Daisy, a fifteen year-old who has been sent to live in England with her cousins after her father marries a particularly foul stepmother. Though she has never met her cousins until now, she immediately fall in step with them and all their endearing oddities.

When her Aunt Penn goes of to give a talk on the impending war many believe England and much of the world are about to face, the children can't help but view it as a blessing. The five of them now have the huge house to do with as they will. Even when war does break out, it certainly doesn't seem real. And with Daisy falling madly in love with Edmond, well, how can she be expected to think of anything else? That is, until the military shows up at their doorstep and Daisy is separated from nearly everyone she has grown to love.

Edmond and Daisy promised each other they would find the other. Now it's up to Daisy to make sure she and her youngest cousin, Piper, make it back to their home before they become casualties of a war they never imagined could touch them.

Forbidden love, World War III, and coming of age all in one story? You can count me in.

Written from the perspective of Daisy as she tells the story long after it has happened, I fell in love with “How I Live Now” almost immediately. The writing style, which is almost like reading the protagonist's journal, fits the material like a glove. There are no word for word quotes, only Daisy's record of what she remembers them saying and, for some reason, that works phenomenally.

This book is about war and survival, falling in love and the breaking of hearts. It captures the helplessness a young person would feel in the midst of a battle they don't know how to fight or win, and it captures the triumph of good and heartlessness of evil one must come face to face with in those circumstances.

I fell in love with Daisy and the way she tells her story. I'm sure you will too.

Rating: ★★★★★

There never were seven more silent human beings in the back of a truck, we were too stunned even to cry or speak. When we reached Reston Bridge our driver, who I knew was a close friend of the Major's, got out of the truck and stood there for a minute trying to get up the courage to go inside and tell Mrs. M what happened, but first he turned to us and said in a voice that sounded broken and full of rage, In case anyone needed reminding This is a War.

And the way he said those words made me feel like I was falling.

Cold Spell by Jackson Pearce (Fairytale Retellings, #4)

"You think the fact that you love Kai means you'll win?"
"No," I saw slowly. "I think the fact that I love Kai means I'll fight for him."

[Click here to check out my review of book 1: Sisters Red, book 2: Sweetly, and book 3: Fathomless]

I adore fairytales and modern retellings that fit the old legends and make them even better are hard to come by. If you're looking for a good series that fits that criteria -- look no further.

After falling in love with each of the books in this series, one after the other, I was admittedly a little upset when I found out that this would be the last of the series. After all, I had all these ideas about how I wanted a final showdown to take place (and I cannot be the only one who was already beginning to ship Scarlett and Ansel, though they technically hadn't met). However, Jackson Pearce hadn't let me down thus far, so I knew I would be pleased however it turned out. I tore into it as soon as my preordered copy arrived in the mail.

When we first meet Kai and Ginny, they're skipping class to sit up on the roof of their apartment building and talk about their future. Kai, a extremely gifted musician, will be going to New York for a music program and Ginny intends to follow him. Extremely devoted to her young love, Ginny doesn't have much of a plan for her future. All she knows is that it absolutely involves Kai. Both look forward to the time away in the summer, especially Ginny, who is always happy to get out from under the loathing eye of Grandma Dalia, Kai's grandmother.

Grandma Dalia has hated Ginny since the day she and her family moved into their apartment building. She didn't like Kai playing with a girl and seemed to take every precaution to keep them away from each other, but even that couldn't stop the two from falling in love. Grandma Dalia loves her grandson and only him. She has dedicated her life to keeping him safe from the beasts and the dangers that she knows are lurking just around the corner. Most of all, she yearns to keep him safe from the snow queen.

Both teens have always assumed that these delusions were just a part of who Grandma Dalia was, that she was missing a few marbles. Ginny, though, always wondered if maybe there was a bit of truth to her words. What if there really was a real danger out there?

It seems her suspicions are confirmed when Kai disappears with a girl whom Ginny can only assume is the snow queen Grandma Dalia had warned them about. Now it's up to her to save the only love she's ever known and the only person she can't live without.

I may not have gotten the exact ending I was hoping for, but Jackson Pearce gifted her readers with exactly the kind of stunning end to a great story that we were all hoping for. Cold Spell ties up the story told within the series in the masterful way that only she could. Every character was complex and unique, while the story itself kept me glued to the pages.

Cold Spell is a chilling conclusion to a stunning tale that will leave the reader feeling satisfied, yet wishing they could continue reading anyway. I fell in love with it and can't wait to recommend it and its predecessors to as many readers as I can coax into reading them. Definitely the perfect holiday pick for your last minute Christmas shopping.


Rating: ★★★★★

She's already figured out what she does--she steals boys. But right now, I can do everything. If Mora can steal boys, I can bring them back.

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

"Fear can't hurt you," she said. "When it washes over you, give it no power. It's a make with no venom. Remember that. That knowledge can save you."

I really like Maureen Johnson.

I mean, what's not to like? She's a great author with 10+ books under her belt, a fabulous sense of humor, and she's unafraid to fight for what she believes in (in particular, the dreaded boy books vs. girl books conversation--one I too find particularly irksome because it's an old system based off archaic gender stereotypes . . . sorry, back to the review).

That being said, I was eager to pick up her newest series, which I've heard quite a lot about from other fans. The only problem was that it's about ghosts. If you know me, you know I don't do ghosts. The whole idea just creeps me the hell out, so I was a little nervous to dive in.

Rory is a seventeen year old girl from the outskirts of New Orleans, Louisiana. When she's relocated to a London boarding school for her senior year, she's excited. She sees it as an adventure that, while scary, will provide her with new friends and opportunities. However, her arrival is dampened by the news reports that someone has mimicked the first Jack the Ripper murder on the anniversary of the original murder.

When the second murder is also mimicked, all chaos breaks loose. The police can't find anything on the CCTV cameras, even the ones that are pointed directly at the scene of the murder, and there are no leads on the case. That is, until Rory runs right into someone at the scene of one of the murders just minutes after it's been committed. But for some reason, she seems to be the only one who can see him.

It looks like Jack the Ripper's back, but why? And how can anyone stop a murderer that they can't see?

I had never heard that much about Jack the Ripper before reading this novel. I knew he was a particularly brutal murderer from the late 1800s and that he had never been captured. Honestly, I think it made this book that much more interesting, getting to hear all the details for the first time from this perspective (though I've already started purchasing non-fiction accounts of Jack the Ripper, because this has absolutely piqued my interest).

Maureen has created a chilling novel that managed to keep me both terrified and eager to read more. I feel like I fell in love with every good character and cowered in fear from each of the bad ones, specifically our main villain. The entire novel was beautifully written and had every element I could have hoped for. I couldn't stop talking about it while I was reading it and leant it to a coworker the day I finished it.

The Name of the Star is the perfect spooky read for those who love mystery and being a little creeped out, without being so scared you want to cry. After all, I do live by myself. I can only handle so much. Though, word to the wise, try to ignore your cat while reading. They have a tendency to stare behind you at at the most terrifying moments and make you afraid to turn around and see what they're looking at.

Rating: ★★★★★

It's not that I'm extremely brave--I think I just forgot myself for a minute. Maybe that's what bravery is. You forget you're in trouble when you see someone else in danger. Or maybe there is a limit to how afraid you can get, and I'd hit it.

Vivian Versus the Apocalypse by Katie Coyle

"Hey, man," says Peter after a moment. "I know I'm just going by what I'm seeing here, but what you're describing is a Viv I don't know yet. The Viv I know- and again, not an expert, because I only officially met her within the last five minutes- is a sledgehammer-wielding badass. She's the only person I've met in the last two months who's said, 'I don't know what's going on here; let's find out.' You know it's a lot easier not to try, right? It's a lot easier to just curl up in a ball and let the world end."

I ordered Vivian Versus the Apocalypse after hearing the fabulous reviews by people like Sanne who reviewed it and couldn't stop raving about just how wonderful the book was. (Here's a link to her Youtube review: Vivian Versus the Apocalypse by Katie Coyle.) Of course, I had to get my hands on it and, once I did, it quickly moved to the front of my "to be read" list.

In Katie Coyle's debut novel, we are introduced to a society where many believe the end of the world is rapidly approaching. The members of the Church of America, followers of the Book of Frick, have been told a set date that they will be raptured and that, just a few short months later, the world will come to an end. Vivian Apple never believed any of this was even remotely possible. She thought her parents were insane for believing it could possibly be true. But then the day of the Rapture comes and there are two holes in the ceiling above her parents' bedroom. They're gone.

Suddenly thrust into a world that is spiraling into chaos, Vivian is lost and deeply confused. Hundreds of people have gone missing, including the parents of her best friend and countless other members of her neighborhood. Vivian still thinks all of this is fishy, though. Faced with a world that seems on the brink of collapse, Vivian sets out in search of answers.

Flanked by Harp and a new friend named Peter, she sets out across country to California, where she believes she might find the family she so recently lost. It's only a hunch, but she has nothing to lose. After all, if she's wrong about the apocalypse, she'll die in a few months anyway. Together the three teenagers set off on a road trip that very well might claim their lives.

As mentioned before, I heard a great deal about this book before I managed to get my hands on it. Let me tell you right now: it is absolutely worth the hype.

In Vivian Versus the Apocalypse, Katie Coyle sets up this amazing novel about finding yourself and believing yourself while setting it up in this near-dystopian America that is slowly killing itself. It's a story about friendship and beating the odds, while still managing to be a social commentary on the dangers of the kind of fanaticism that makes you forget that the people around you are just as worthy of life as yourself. And though the author set it up to be open to a sequel, I honestly am not sure whether I want one, because I'm not sure it can surpass the first.

There's so much about this book that I loved that I hardly know where to start. I don't often come across books that I want to reread as soon as I finish, but this one would definitely count as one of those. I cannot praise it enough.

If you haven't read Vivian Versus the Apocalypse yet, you need to find it and dive in as soon as possible. Kudos to you, Katie Coyle, for creating such a stunning first novel. I hope I get the chance to read plenty more from you in the future.

Rating: ~★★★★★ ~

"The way we live our lives is not sustainable. I don't just mean recycling and turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth. I mean the way we treat each other. The way we pick and choose whose lives are important, who we actually treat as human. There is nobody on this Earth whose life is not of value."

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

She said that I must always be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy. That some people, unable to go to school, were more educated and even more intelligent than college professors. She encouraged me to listen carefully to what country people called mother wit. That in those homely sayings was couched the collective wisdom of generations.

I picked up I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings off of one of the "Summer Reading" tables at Barnes & Noble. It had a gorgeous cover and I recognized the name Maya Angelou from about a thousand different sources. I figured it was about time that I read something of hers that wasn't just a single poem I happened upon once in a library. Besides, I usually comb the "Summer Reading" tables at bookstores because I know I missed out on a lot of Teen Read classics that most kids read in their high school English classes and I try to make sure that I get the chance to check out as many of those as I can.

I wasn't aware until I was a good few chapters in that the book was autobiographical, but that merely added to the intrigue. I'm always hearing people say that real life is stranger than fiction and, looking at my soap opera of a life, I'm rarely surprised by it. However Maya Angelou has quite the story to tell and it's one that would seem quite insane and too crazy to be true, only it really did happen.

Maya Angelou grew up in the South at a time when slavery was a thing of the past, but racism was booming. She lived in a time where it was common for white men to kill black men for looking at their women and where a white woman could "rename" her maids because she felt like it and they had no say because they were black and lower class.

But Maya grew up in a time of change and, though she lived through more hardships than many might be able to stand, she stood. She pushed through everything that blocked her way and came out the stronger for it. Her story is a hard one, but it's a tale of triumph and never backing down in the face of fear.

I really enjoyed this book. There's just something about getting to hear about a person's life by looking through their eyes that really gets to me. This is especially true in the case of Maya Angelou. Getting to peer into her life through her eyes and see how she triumphed over evils that are much greater than the ones I am currently battling reminds me that there's always hope and there is always beauty to be found from the ashes.

The author is known for her stunning poetry and her prose is no less impressive. I cannot tell you how many times I had to go back and reread sentences and paragraphs just to inhale the beauty of her words a little more deeply. The ability to create such intense beauty in the span of a few sentences is a talent that will always impress me (as well as make me deeply jealous).

If you're looking for a good read, this is definitely a book to consider. It's worth your time, if only to remind you that, though life can be far darker than we ever hoped, there is always something beautiful just around the horizon if we choose to fight for it.

"Your grandmother says you read a lot. Every chance you get. That's good, but not good enough. Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with the shades of deeper meaning."

The Journey by Kathyrn Lasky (Guardians of Ga'Hoole, #2)

"Hope is never a foolish thing -although others will tell you it is. But I don't need to tell you that, Soren- look at yourself. You were snatched and you taught yourself to fly and you escaped from that awful St. Aggie's. You flew straight out of those deep stone canyons and right into the Yonder. Anyone who flies out of a stone hole into the Yonder knows about hope."

Soren, Gylfie, Twilight, and Digger are a band of owls (joined by Mrs. P, a snake and Soren's old nursemaid) who are traveling together in search of the Great Ga'Hoole tree. Each of the young owls have been deeply affected by the goings on at an institution called St. Aggie's and each is determined to do what they can to put an end to the evil within its borders. In order to do this, the band must find the Great Ga'Hoole tree and warn them of what they've seen at St. Aggie's. Only those owls of mythos who are said to fight evil and protect owls everywhere  can possibly save them from the pervasive evil.

Yet even their journey to find the Ga'Hoole tree is fraught with many dangers and plenty of doubt. After all, few have ever laid eyes on the Great Ga'Hoole tree and many believe it is just legend, an old tale passed around for years. And once they reach the Great Ga'Hoole tree, if ever, will that be the end of their journey? Or will it simply be the next step in a tale they never dreamed of stepping into?

I am loving everything about this series so far. I have all but fallen in love with Soren and Gylfie and the other members of their band of owls. Each has their own unique personality and gifts to bring to the table and, even though they fight often enough, they always have each other's backs.

The story itself continues to be breathtaking and keeps the reader hooked from page one. Walking alongside the group through each and every trial can be both hilarious and heartbreaking. You just can't help being addicted to the page. I have to admit, the fact that it is also a pretty clear World War II analogy also adds to the appeal and keeps me that much more interested.

This is a wonderful children's series of which I cannot wait to read more. If you haven't checked it out yet, I highly suggest you do.

Rating: ★★★★☆

"No! No! This can't be!" Soren wailed. He felt his legs collapse under him and he crumpled beside her. "Eglantine! Eglantine!"
"Get Mrs. Plithiver, quick!" Gylfie rasped.

The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler

At first, women were reluctant to talk. They were a little shy. But once they got going, you couldn't stop them. Women secretly love to talk about their vaginas. They get very excited, mainly because no one's ever asked them before.

I had heard of The Vagina Monologues once or twice before, but never really noticed until I saw the title peering out at me from the Women's Studies section of my local Half Price Books. It's a relatively small volume and sounded interesting, so I picked it up and added it to the pile.

A friend came over a few days later and started reading a random monologue from it while I was cleaning my room. It was the monologue entitled "The Little Coochi Snorcher That Could," which happens to be quite a sad story, though it ends in the woman's healing and restoration.

That was the point at which I was certain I would enjoy this book. I knew it would introduce me to more women like this and make me sit back and think. That's exactly what it did.

The Vagina Monologues is exactly what it sounds like. It's a series of monologues all about vaginas originally performed by Eve Ensler. It is a collection of stories, of moments, concerning women and the various relationships they have or have had with their vaginas. From the girl whose husband forced her to shave her vagina, though it was uncomfortable and upsetting for her, to the one whose boyfriend taught her that her vagina wasn't something to be ashamed of, but something beautiful; these stories are the stories of women who have been systematically told that their vaginas are dirty places that should never be spoken of, when the truth is exactly the opposite.

I really enjoyed Eve Ensler's collection of monologues. Each was heartfelt and portrayed women from every end of the spectrum. It was absolutely what one would call art; poetry about a faction of humanity that has been taught that the very thing that makes them who they are is something to be ashamed of.

It is absolutely worth reading, for men and women. It opens your eyes, makes you sit back and think. Ensler may not have realized the power she tapped into when she began her "vagina interviews," but it is raw and untamed and exactly what I had hoped for when I cracked open The Vagina Monologues.

Rating: ★★★★☆

We forget the vagina, all of us 
what else would explain
our lack of awe, our lack of wonder.

GNW: Identity Crisis by Brad Meltzer [Illustrated by Rags Morales]

 The Justice League has seen its fair share of deaths. This is no surprise. When you put your life on the line on a daily basis against villains who are willing to go much further than you ever will, you are ready to expect the worst. That's why most of the caped crusaders wear masks; and all of them have high-tech security for their friends and family members. Because it's bad enough knowing that you're putting yourself in danger. It's another thing entirely to understand that you're gambling the lives of everyone near you.

That's why, when Sue Dibny is found murdered in her apartment, the entire Justice League jumps into action. The wife of Elongated Man, Sue Dibny was an honorary member of the Justice League, having been a part of it from its very foundation. She never fought, but she has come under fire more than once and was well protected.

The League moves in to investigate, but they can't find anything. There's not a single breach in a system that can even keep someone from phasing through the walls (among other things).

As if that wasn't enough, it isn't long before The Atom's wife is attacked in her own home and rescued in the nick of time. Once again, there is no trace of the attacker. But, unlike Elongated Man, Atom's identity wasn't public. Whoever attacked his wife knew who he was; and that person undoubtedly was the same person who had attacked Sue.

Soon the League realizes that their family and friends are under attack. No one is safe until they find who killed Sue Dibny.

This is by far one of my favorite Justice League graphic novels. It's heart-wrenching and heavy, the type of story that sits with you long after you've finished reading. Identity Crisis highlights the danger that comes with putting on a mask and reminds the reader just why those heroes keep their identities so secret in the first place. It's exactly the type of story that reminds people that comics aren't for kids anymore.

The artwork is superb. Sharp and clear on the covers (like the one you see above) and almost gritty in the story itself, showcasing just how dark and gritty the story itself is. It's the perfect compliment to a story this intense. Don't be surprised if you find yourself pausing just to admire how well the artist captures the emotions and the aura of the scenes themselves.

If your a fan of superheroes and dark stories filled with hard choices, you need to pick this one up. It'll crush your heart and make you question everything you thought you knew about the Justice League.

City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1) by Cassandra Clare

"Every teenager in the world feels like that, feels broken or out of place, different somehow, royalty mistakenly born into a family of peasants. The difference in your case is that it's true. You are different. Maybe not better - but different."

I've been meaning to read this book for ages. I heard about it quite a long time ago and kept reminding myself that I needed to get my hands on it, only to have it pushed back on my reading list once again. Finally, the movie adaptation came into theaters and I figured it was about time I buckled down and read it. I don't intend to see the movie until it comes out on DVD and I've read the second book (because movie adaptations are notorious for using bits from later books to cushion the first and I don't want any spoilers), but I figured it was about time I got started.

City of Bones is told from the perspective of Clary Fray, a teenage girl who witnesses a murder in the back room of a New York City club she visits frequently with her best friend, Simon. Only, this isn't a normal murder. How could it be? After all, she is the only one who can see the murderers. And the boy who died? He disappeared seconds after he took his last breath.

Only a few days later, Clary comes home to a demon that seems to have killed or taken her mother and threatens to end her as well. She barely manages to kill it before it kills her, but not without collateral damage. It has managed to wound her pretty badly and who should come to her aid but one of the murderers from the club.

As it turns out, the boy whom she saw killed was actually a demon in disguise. Jace, the one who comes to her aid after her own brush with a demon, explains that he and his friends are Shadowhunters, descendants of the Nephilim and sworn to protect humanity from the demons who threaten to overrun it. By inking special runes on their skin, they can make themselves invisible to mundanes (humans) or demons, stronger, or a number of other things. The thing that neither of them can figure out, though, is how a mundane like Clary could possibly have seen them or the demon in their home.

The more she sees the more she wonders what connects her to this world of strange mythical creatures and seeming humans with inhuman power. And why has she never seen them before now? Clary soon realizes that her mother has kept far more from her than she could have ever dreamed and the only way to get answers is to find the person who kept the questions from her in the first place.

I had really hoped I would like this novel, which made me more than happy to find myself with my nose in this book at every given opportunity. I simply could not put it down!

I love the entire paranormal mythos that is presented in this book. There are fairies and pixies, vampires and werewolves, even demons and intensely creepy monks. Though these themes are common in fantasy as of late, it is in no way campy or unoriginal. Clare puts her own spin on the creatures we've heard about since childhood and weaves it all into a deeply enthralling tale that will keep you wanting more.

There is so much I could praise about this book: its original take on well-known tales, its characters' vast differences and similarities that make them each profoundly human and realistic, the gray areas that remind the reader that there isn't always a black and white answer. I could go on, but I won't. If you're not convinced this is a worthwhile read already, then I'm not sure what else I can say.

The point is that this book was immensely satisfying and definitely worth giving a read. It won't disappoint.

Rating: ★★★★★

"Instead his father took the bird, now tame and trusting, in his hands and broke its neck. 'I told you to make it obedient,' his father said, and dropped the falcon's lifeless body to the ground. 'Instead, you taught it to love you. Falcons are not meant to be loving pets: They are fierce and wild, savage and cruel. This bird was not tamed; it was broken.'
"Later, when his father left him, the boy cried over his pet, until eventually his father sent a servant to take the body of the bird away and bury it. The boy never cried again, and he never forgot what he'd learned: that to love is to destroy, and that to be loved is to be the one destroyed."

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

"Nothing's ever the same," she said. "Be it a second later or a hundred years. It's always churning and roiling. And people change as much as oceans."

I received this lovely book when I went to the Neil Gaiman event a few months ago. It was pre-signed (though I did still wait for five hours to get my copy of Stardust signed) and I wanted to tear into it immediately. However, I was halfway through rereading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, so I had to wait.

On my way home from visiting my family last month, I finished reading A Monster Calls not long after my plane taxied out. Thankfully, I'm a chronic over-packer when it comes to books. (I left for that two week long visit with twenty-five books on me. I'm pretty sure I brought double that on the return trip.) I saw this book and immediately fell upon it, hardly even looking up between chapters as I read.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane is told from the perspective of a nameless male protagonist who finds himself having wandered back to the house at the end of the lane where, once upon a time, he met Lettie Hempstock and thus began the adventure of a lifetime. Only, for some reason, he seem to only just now remember what happened all those years ago, when he was only seven years old and the world became more terrifying than he could ever have imagined.

When a man committed suicide in their neighborhood on a hot summer day, things shifted and beings awoke that should have remained asleep. Lettie, her mother, and grandmother are uniquely equipped to put an end to what has begun to terrorize the neighboring homes, but it only takes one misstep by our protagonist for things to become much worse. What he carries inside him has the potential to wipe out everything and everyone in its path, but Lettie has promised to protect him no matter what the cost. And if he knows anything, it's that the Hempstocks know what they're doing and they are more than capable of bringing this threat to its knees. He can only hope that they manage it before it's too late.

Once again, Neil Gaiman has managed to create a fantastical world that draws the reader in from the start. This book is overflowing with creativity and insightful truths, with more than a little magic sprinkled throughout. I loved every part of this dark fantasy, though it had me equally entranced and horrified. I don't know where the man gets his creative genius, but I would love to find out!

Be prepared, this isn't a kid-friendly fairytale, but it's one of those magical tales you'll want to go back to again and again. This one is going to win more than a few awards and it will deserve every one. You can count on that.

Rating: ★★★★★


"Oh, monsters are scared," said Lettie." That's why they're monsters. "As for grown-ups . . ." She stopped talking, rubbed her freckled nose with a finger. Then, "I'm going to tell you something important. Grown-ups don't look like grown-ups on the inside either. Outside, they're big and thoughtless and they always know what they're doing. Inside, they look just as they always have. Like they did when they were your age. Truth is, there aren't any grown-ups. Not one, in the whole wide world." 

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness [Illustrated by Jim Kay]

Stories are wild creatures, the monster said. When you let them loose, who knows what havoc they may wreak.

I picked up A Monster Calls at a bookstore after hearing more than a few people gushing about it on book review vlogs and blogs. The artwork on the cover is stunning and hooked me for certain and, to add that extra cherry on top, I noticed the blurb by John Green that stated, "Patrick Ness is an insanely beautiful writer."

How could I not read it?

My younger brother even got his hands on my copy before I did and tore through it in one sitting. When he finished, he couldn't stop telling me how good it was and that I needed to read it immediately. I got the memo and started in on in while waiting for my flight back to the States after visiting my family a few weeks ago.

When Conor wakes up in the middle of the night, he expects the monster in his nightmares to be lurking just out of sight. He knows with everything that is in him that the monster will come for him soon and he'll live the horror of his nightmares in his waking hours. But it's not the monster Conor expects when he looks out his window and finds the yew tree from the graveyard is now standing firmly in his backyard, his booming voice informing the young boy that he has come for him.

However, Conor is not scared of the yew tree that stands menacingly behind his house, because he's seen worse. Nothing is worse than the monster in his dreams and he'll take any horror over the reality of that nightmare coming true.

However, the great yew tree has different plans for Conor. He has come to demand the truth and to share it. He promises to tell Conor three stories, but after that, Conor must share his story, the one that haunts his every waking hour, as well as his sleep.

My absolute favorite illustration from within A Monster Calls.

I honestly cannot say enough about how utterly spectacular this book is. I can already tell it will be one of those that I read again and again and again, because of its breathtaking beauty and truth.

This is the first work I've read by Patrick Ness, though I've heard people raving about him for years now. I definitely regret not having enjoyed his prose sooner. The storytelling in this book is beyond superb and is only compounded by Ness's profound mastery of the material and his ability to spin and weave the words into something so stunning that it nearly leaves the reader breathless.

And speaking of breathless, look at that artwork! I'm not even sure I can produce words for how intensely beautiful the illustrations are. They litter nearly every page and make the text that much richer; the story that much brighter. I seriously have to find out how I can get my hands on some prints of these.

Overall, I have to say this: if you haven't read A Monster Calls you are seriously missing out. You need to get your hands on this book as soon as you get the chance. It is definitely one of my favorite reads of the year and I'm certain it will be yours as well.

Rating: ~★★★★★~


There is not always a good guy. Nor is there always a bad one. Most people are somewhere in between.
Conor shook his head. "That's a terrible story. And a cheat." 
It's a true story, the monster said. Many things that are true feel like a cheat. Kingdoms get the princes they deserve, farmers' daughters die for no reason, and sometimes witches merit saving. Quite often, actually. You'd be surprised.

GNW: The Girl Who Owned a City by O.T. Nelson & Dan Jolley [Illustration by Joëlle Jones]

Not long ago, a plague spread across the world that killed off everyone over the age of twelve.The infection took hold of their bodies and eventually disintegrated them, but it somehow didn't affect children, which meant they were left to fend for themselves.

Most kids, when faced with having to survive on their own, didn't quite know how to cope. They stuck together and most ended up forming gangs, hoping to bully their way into providing for themselves.

Lisa Nelson and her little brother, Todd, are doing better than most. When the epidemic hit, Lisa was smart. Instead of going for the candy and sweets, she found things that could sustain her and her brother. She made trips out to the country to find food in abandoned homes. She kept them safe.

It's not long before other kids are coming to Lisa for help. She only wanted to survive and take care of her brother, but it soon becomes apparent that she's the only hope most of these kids have. It's either that or join the Chidester gang, a ruthless group of kids that has already attacked Todd once and against whom Lisa seems to be the only one who can stand.

With all these kids looking for her to take care of them, to give them the tools they need to survive, Lisa  decides to rise to the challenge. With the help of a few others, she builds her own city, one that can resist the attacks of the Chidester gang and others like them. She and her friends help others find their skill sets and place them in the appropriate places to use them to their fullest potential.

But the threat hasn't ended. The gangs are getting smarter and they'll do anything to take down Lisa's city and her along with it. It's going to take everything in Lisa's arsenal, and everyone, if they're going to survive.

I wasn't aware that this particular graphic novel was based off a book while I was reading it. I've since learned that and am now eager to get my hands on a copy.

I really enjoyed this. Lisa's character is down-to-earth and smart. She's tough and not afraid of hard work. She'll do anything to defend her little brother, and that's really what drives her character through the entirety of the book. He's her number one priority and it's him who convinces her that she has what it takes to lead others. It's through him that she realizes that there are plenty of kids who are just as helpless as Todd, who need that direction she alone seems to be able to provide.

Let's not forget about the beautiful artwork by Joëlle Jones! It's absolutely stunning. From the range of expressions and emotions she's able to capture perfectly to the realistic scars, bruises, and scrapes. Everything about it is rich and beautiful. I could go on and on about her stunning work, but you really just have to experience it for yourself.

This is definitely a graphic novel you want to get your hands on. I know I'm sure glad I did.

Rating: ★★★★★

If I Stay by Gayle Forman (If I Stay, #1)

I know that Gramps can't be that late-inning pinch hitter I'd hoped for. He won't unplug my breathing tube or overdose me with morphine or anything like that. But this is the first time that anyone has acknowledged what I have lost. I know that the social worker warned Gran and Gramps not to upset me, but Gramps's recognition and the permission he just offered me -- it feels like a gift.

I picked up If I Stay because I had heard it was slated to become a movie soon and, with all the good reviews I'd heard coming from the four corners of the YA world, I figured it was one of those novels I just couldn't miss.

When Mia wakes up from the terrible car crash that instantly killed her parents and sent she and her brother to the ICU, she is presented with a choice. While her body lies on the hospital bed, fighting to make it from one minute to the next, her consciousness is somehow outside of it, able to see her family, friends, even the nurses that surround her. She begins to realize that somehow the choice has been handed to her: she can stay or she can go.

The choice is more difficult than any she's ever had before. With the kind of devastation she'll have to deal with if she stays, leaving sounds like the perfect option. No more pain, no more struggle. Still, what she has left might just be worth living for. In the end, it's up to Mia. Only she can decide her own fate.

After the end of the book itself, Gayle Forman has added a page that explains the inspiration for If I Stay. Apparently, she got the idea from the story of a family of four who were also involved in a tragic accident where one held on longer than the others, but died in the end. She remembers wondering whether that last child realized that his family was gone, that they had moved on without him, and chose to go along with them. She decided to explore that thought in this book. What an intriguing idea! I can see why she wanted to look into it further.

On top of a very interesting premise, we are presented with Mia, our main character, who I really enjoyed getting to know. She's a sweet girl who was close with her family and carries hope for a promising future. She has a loving boyfriend and a loyal best friend, both of whom are devastated by this disaster and pulling for her to come back to them.

The writing was excellent and the characterization well-done. I really enjoyed this read and the important questions it asked. Forman didn't shy away from the hard questions or even Mia's thoughts about letting it all end here. It would be really easy for this to become the sort of book that basically shouts at the reader about life being worth living. This book didn't do that. Not at all. And I loved that about If I Stay. It was real and it legitimately grappled with the choice instead of making it a PSA.

Rating: ★★★★☆
"But if you need me to go away, I'll do that too. I was talking to Liz and she said maybe coming back to your old life would just be too painful, that maybe it'd be easier for you to erase us. And that would suck, but I'd do it. I can lose you like that if I don't lose you today. I'll let you go. If you stay."

The Capture by Kathryn Lasky (Guardians of Ga'Hoole, #1)

"A legend, Kludd, is a story that you begin to feel in your gizzard and then over time it becomes true in your heart. And perhaps makes you a better owl."

I saw the movie adaptation of Kathryn Lasky's Guardians of Ga'Hoole series back while it was still in theaters and fell in love with it. It was created in the same manner of Inkheart, where they changed quite a great deal about the story so they could fit it into a single movie instead of a series of movies; so that it becomes it's own entity, almost something separate from its origins.

I've been wanting to read the books for some time, mostly because I kept having middle grade readers coming into my video store and telling me why the movie was nothing compared to the book. Few things make me want to read a book more than when a child goes into raptures over it. They always know a good story when they see one. So I finally got my hands on a copy and cracked it open.

When Soren, a Snowy Barn Owl, falls out of his nest, he expects the very fate his parents warned him about. An owl that can't fly isn't far from being the next meal of whatever predator happens to be nearby. However, Soren manages to avoid this fate when he is taken by another owl, a type he's never seen before, and carried away to St. Aggie's Academy for Orphaned Owls. The thing is, none of these owls were "orphaned" before they were taken from the nests, usually while their parents were off hunting for their food.

But something even more sinister is going down at St. Aggie's. Soren makes a friend, Gylfie, an Elf Owl, and the two stick close to each other, each keeping up the other's spirits as they plan to make their escape and warn other owls of the threat that lays in the canyon where St. Aggie's is hidden.

Like I mentioned, I was fairly certain I would enjoy this book, and I most definitely have. Soren and Gylfie are lovely as the main hero and heroine. They're young, scared, and reluctant; yet both have this unwavering desire to help the owlets they see around them, as well as the ones they are fully aware rest in unknowing danger simply because of the presence of a place like St. Aggie's.

I cannot wait to see what happens in the second book and the volumes following. I can tell Soren's journey will be one filled with love, sacrifice, and bravery: key elements for all the best kinds of adventures.

Rating: ★★★★☆

"I hated the idea of being the pathetic dependent owl, the one the owlets were always forced to visit. I decided that it was contrary to my nature to lead such a life and that if I could not live like a normal owl, I would in fact, use my disability for some noble purpose."

Identical by Ellen Hopkins

In Control

Out of control

Sometimes they're

            the same thing

The trick is knowing

that, realizing

             it's okay to feel 

out of control

             once in a while

as long as 

you're sure

you can regain

the upper hand

when you

              absolutely need to.

And really, when

it comes to my

reclaiming control,

it comes down to one

simple little thing

something I sometimes 

have difficulty with:

saying no.

I've been eyeing Ellen Hopkins's books for ages. Every time I see them at the library or the bookstore, I think, "Ooh, I'd really love to read that. It looks like it could be really good. After all, what's not to like about a novel written completely in poetry and each dealing with majorly tough issues? But I knew that poetry novels were a bit hit-and-miss with me and the books each look like they may be a bit much, so I've always put them off, waiting until I have more time to read a lengthier book. Boy, am I glad I finally got around to it.

Kaeleigh and Raeanne are the identical twin daughters of a judge (their father) and a politician (their mother). So it's a given that they're expected to be perfect or, if they can't manage that, fly under the radar. Anything they do, anything they say, if brought to light could easily destroy everything their parents have been working for.

However, both girls are hurting so deeply that neither have any idea how to escape the pain. After the car accident where their father crashed their SUV a few years ago and put nearly all of them in the hospital, their mother grew distant and their father turned to Kaeleigh for the love he wasn't receiving from his wife.

Feeling both ashamed and confused by her father's attentions, Kaeleigh isn't sure how to cope. Meanwhile, Raeanne is jealous that her father loves her sister more, yet hates him for what he's done to Kaeleigh. Both girls seem to be sinking in a pit of despair and chaos. It seems like all hope is lost. The more the people around them reach out to them, the more they retreat into themselves. It's clear that neither can handle the portion they've been given and one of them will have to save the other before it's too late.

It's hard to say you really enjoyed a book with such heavy and scarring topics. These are the traumatic issues that no one wants to touch. They're too messy, too difficult. That's why it's so amazing to me that Ellen Hopkins managed to wrangle them and carry out the story with such finesse and perfection. I never expected this book to be nearly as good as it was, but the plot line was perfect and the pacing timed to a tee. I

Of course, I can't write a decent review for this novel without touching on the poetry aspect of it. Like I mentioned before, books written entirely in poetry can be rather hit-and-miss, which made me worry about this particular book. Wouldn't the poetry break it up too much? Would it make it less relatable and feel like separate works all tied up to create some sort of scrapbook novel? Much to my relief, this was not the case. The page-long poems were each tied together so seamlessly that it was just as effective as simple prose. I really appreciated the poetry in the end, because it really gave the reader that emotional connection without adding all the extra narrative that might have taken if it hadn't been written that way.

Altogether, it was an amazing read. The content is dark and something you have to prepare yourself for, but absolutely worth reading. Go pick it up! You won't be sorry.

Rating: ★★★★☆

I stare out over the fog-shrouded

          valley. The gray gulps me into

it, infiltrates my brain. Sad

          Will I ever find a way beyond

this sad? Tears puddle my eyes.

I let them fall, like how they 

          feel, then come to my senses.

"S-sorry," I sniffle, not sure

          why, except it's lame to cry,

like it's ever done any good.

          Sorry? What for? Greta asks. You've

                    got some powerful demons, girl,

          but I've got a few of my own.

                    Already told you I'm a good listener.

          Talk to me when you're ready.

The Burn Journals by Brent Runyon

I know that darkness is the absence of light, but where does the light go when it's not here? And how do you know if it'll ever come back?

Picked up this volume in the Non-Fiction shelf in the YA section at my library. It seemed interesting and I really enjoy interesting memoirs, so I figured I'd give this one a shot.

Let me just go ahead and inform you: as soon as I finished, I found The Burn Journals on the Book Depository and bought it immediately. That's how much I enjoyed this book.

When he was fourteen years-old, Brent Runyon got in trouble at school for accidentally setting something on fire. When he got home from school, he went to his bathroom, doused his bathroom in gasoline, and set himself on fire. Brent survived his suicide attempt, but not without burning 85% of his body and spending over nine months in the hospital.

In The Burn Journals, Brent Runyon gives us a first-hand account of his healing process. The reader receives the chance to take a look inside his head as he comes to terms with what he's done and begins to realize his own warped way of seeing things. Runyon brings the reader in, giving us fascinating insight into the mind of a depressed fourteen year-old boy who only wanted to be happy.

If I could describe this memoir in one word, that word would be "fascinating." I cannot tell you how deeply enthralled I was with this book. I really did enjoy getting to see inside the mind of Brent Runyon at such a vulnerable time and, though I'm sure it was hard for him, I couldn't be more thankful to him for writing it.

The Burn Journals is an important book for many reasons. I'm honestly quite sad that I hadn't heard of it before now. I think it addresses a deeply important issue and a prominent mental illness that too often goes right under the radar. Nearly everyone I know, including myself, has undergone some type of battle with depression and it seems like everyone is scared to address that. However, Runyon handles it with a finesse that I cannot praise enough.

One of my favorite things about the way he handles it is the fact that the reader gets to see exactly what was going on behind the closed doors of his mind through various stages of his struggle. It is absolutely insane how well the reader can see the various little bits that show just how warped his thinking was, and yet it is warped in a way that it's clear he thinks is normal and you can absolutely understand how he would think that.

All in all, it was a fabulous book and one I'll be suggesting frequently to as many people as I can manage from now on!

Rating: ~★★★★★~

I'm standing in the closet with my head in the shirts. I can't stop crying. I can't stop.
"You're asking me all the wrong questions." Why don't they love me? Why don't they take care of me? Why don't they act like I'm their son? The tears are all over my face and I can taste them in my mouth, like salt water, but I can't stop crying. I can't stop crying. I can't believe how little they know me.

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings, #1)

"The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater."

As a girl who watches the Lord of the Rings trilogy at least four times a year, who will get in arguments with people who claim not to like it, and who even has a tattoo of the doors of Dürin on her right thigh; I figured it was about time that I actually got around to reading the books.

I know, with how much I read it's almost despicable that I have only just now gotten around to reading The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but give me a break. After how much I adore the movies and the entire mythology, I was admittedly a little scared to tackle these. What if I didn't like them? What if they didn't live up to my high expectations of them?

I finally found a copy of the trilogy at Barnes & Noble that I couldn't refrain from purchasing (I had been planning on reading my brother's copies up until then), and almost immediately tore into the first book. The first movie was always my favorite and I was definitely looking forward to seeing how Tolkien actually played it out.

When Frodo Baggins inherits Bilbo's estate after his uncle's departure for one final adventure, he is left with one particularly small, but very important treasure: the One Ring. It is a token Bilbo has kept with him since he won it from Gollum many years ago (as told within the pages of The Hobbit). It isn't until Gandalf, a wizard and old friend of Bilbo's, realizes the identity of the One Ring, that Frodo discovers the great danger he is in by owning it . . . because the One Ring isn't just a ring at all, it's a powerful weapon that, if the enemy gets hold of it, could mean the destruction of Middle Earth as a whole.

However, the One Ring cannot simply be destroyed by fire or force, it must be thrown into the fires from which it was forged: a place which can only be found in the cracks of doom, deep in the heart of Mordor, the lands of the enemy.

My thigh piece right next to the page from which it was
taken. :)

Frodo discovers he must be tasked with taking the Ring to Rivendell, an elven city, and present it to Elrond, who might soon discover a way to get it through the gates of Mordor. But even this task may prove too great for the hobbit. He is already being chased by the Black Riders and they aren't the only evil that the Ring calls unto itself. After all, the Ring wants to be found by it's master, and this wouldn't be the first time it has caused the destruction of the ring-bearer that carries it.

You will be happy to know, I'm sure, that I was pleasantly surprised with how much I loved this book! Like I mentioned before, I was terrified that it wouldn't be as good as the movie, even thought it is a general rule that the books are always better.

Admittedly, the book started out slow. There is a great deal that goes into Frodo and Gandalf discovering the identity of the One Ring and deciding what they should do with that knowledge. However, once things get into motion, it's nearly impossible to put it down. It's a fantasy epic that definitely earned its rank among the classics.

This was definitely one I will be rereading plenty in the years to come and I hope you will be doing the same!

Rating: ~★★★★★~

"The further you go, the less easy it will be to withdraw; yet no oath or bond is laid on you to go further than you will. For you cannot foresee what each may meet upon the road."
"Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens," said Elrond, "but let him not vow to walk in the dark who has not seen nightfall."

The Wizard Heir by Cinda Williams Chima (The Heir Chronicles, #2)

"Why do you think it was your fault?" Nick asked gently.
"They were trying to help me. If it hadn't been for me, they would still be alive."
"Perhaps that was their choice, not yours."

[Click here to see my review of book 1: The Warrior Heir]

I've done it again. I've managed read another sequel before reading the first book. If any amount of *headdesk*-ing could fix this, I would be all over that. I hate reading sequels before the original! I didn't even realize it until after I finished it and was trying to figure out if there were more. Well, now I'm on the waiting list for the first book at the library. Here's to hoping I get it soon!

Seph has always known that he was a wizard. Raised by a sorcerer, he was taught all about the Weir guilds. He learned about sorcerers, enchanters, warriors, and seers. However, he never learned nearly as much as he wanted about his own class. His foster mother, Genevieve, didn't trust them. The same went for nearly all of those in one of the "lesser" guilds. Wizards are known for their treachery and their want of power.

This lack of knowledge about his heritage has also left Seph with another sever disadvantage: lack of control. He is shuffled around from school to school after each "incident" that seems to follow him. This is what finally lands Seph in the Havens, a boy's school for troubled cases. At first, Seph is almost excited when he learns that his headmaster is also a wizard and many of the other students are Weir as well, but it isn't long before Seph gets on the headmaster's bad side.

Secluded from all other society, Seph has to wage a battle against a force that's much more skilled than himself and darker than he could have anticipated. The headmaster becomes a powerful enemy that Seph is deeply unequipped to battle. And worse- his evil isn't contained to the Havens. No, the headmaster and his accomplices have much bigger plans than that.

Even though my enthusiasm for this book was dampened upon the realization that it wasn't the first book in the series, it didn't change how deeply I enjoyed it. Who doesn't love a good story combined with powerful magic? It has everything you could want in a good, magical fantasy. The darkness is deep and the stakes are high. I was on the edge of my seat throughout and could hardly put it down.

I absolutely can't wait to read The Wizard Heir's prequel, as well as any and all sequels Cinda Williams Chima has in store afterward.

Rating: ★★★★★

He paused, as if expecting a reaction, but Seph said nothing. He'd always found that he learned more if he kept quiet.