Passing Strange - Daniel Waters

Karen Desonne committed suicide and died. She came back as a zombie, and has been living with her parents. Her Dad has accepted what she is and her younger sister is happy to have her there. Her Mom on the other hand hasn't accepted the fact that Karen committed suicide and came back. Karen also holds a job at Wild Thingz! in the mall, and can pass for a human. One day while she is working Pete Martinsburg shows interest in her and they start going out. Pete is part of an anti-zombie group that has been framing the zombies for the murder of a prominent attorney, and a grave yard desecration. Karen sees this as an opportunity to get evidence that Pete is behind everything anti-zombie in the last few months. As it becomes illegal for a zombie to be out without a guardian, most of the other zombies hide in the nearby lake leaving Karen and her few human friends to find out the truth. Once Pete finds out that Karen is a zombie he turns her into the police. Has Karen met her end? Can the other zombies help get her out of jail, and prove their innocence? Can Karen forgive Pete for what he's done?

I'm loving the Generation Dead series. The first book had me hooked and I've enjoyed each one of the following books. Passing Strange read faster for me than Kiss of Life, maybe because there was more action and suspense to move the story along. I also liked how it was told from Karen's point of view this time instead of Phoebe's. It added another point of view to the story, which made the book a good read. I'll be eagerly awaiting the next book in the Generation Dead series whenever it comes out.

T.B. 7/29/10

Demonata Book 10: Hell's Heroes - Darren Shan

The walls between the demon world and the human world have been torn down. Humanity is loosing the battle against the demons. There are mages, werewolves, and Disciples that are waging the battle against the demons for humanity. With Bec having aligned herself with Lord Loss it's now up to Grubbs, Shark, Kernel, Kirilli, and Timas to go to the demon universe and destroy both Bec and Lord Loss. They head back to the mansion where Grubbs grew up. Grubbs destroys a lodestone, which if Lord Loss can control most of the remaining ones, will open a permanent window between the demon world and the human world. They are then attacked by Lord Loss's familiars and once they are destroyed they head to Lord Loss's realm. Once they are there they find Lord Loss and Bec, and Bec destroys thousands upon thousands of innocent humans. Bec then merges with the spirit of Death. They retreat and a few days later Lord Loss, Bec, and the original Demon masters come to Earth for one final battle. Has Bec truly betrayed Grubbs, Kernel, Shark, and the rest of the Disciples? Is there any hope for Earth, or will Demons rule and have humans as their slaves?

I've enjoyed the whole Demonata series, and was eagerly awaiting the final book. I was fine with the book until the very end. The end kind of disappointed me. As I was reading the book I was thinking on how Shan would end the series, and as I got closer to the end I was hoping he wouldn't do what I thought he was going to do. Shan basically did a gigantic reset button in the end, which to me wasn't the best way to end the series. Overall the Demonata series was very enjoyable. The ending of the final book was just a bit of a let down.

T.B. 7/26/10

The Mark by Jen Nadol

Cassie has seen aura's around some people for as long as she can remember. As a young teen, she once followed one of those people only to see him hit by a car and die. This was the first time she suspected that the aura meant the person would die within the next 24 hours. She is being raised by her grandmother, her parents long dead. Nan doesn't comment on Cassie's experiences. The aura appears around Nan who dies. Cassie is unexpectedly sent to live with an aunt (her father's sister) who she barely knows exists as part of her grandmother's will. While there she discovers much about her parents that she never knew, her grandmother being very closed mouth about the past. For instance, her mother did not die in a car accident along with her father but rather four years later in a mental institute, a suicide. A chance meeting of a doctor who works at the mental institute gives Cassie access to her mother's records from which she finds out that she possessed the same ability Cassie has. The ability is connected to stories about Greek muses but this is only lightly touched upon. Cassie also audits a class in philosophy while she is staying with her aunt. Here she begins to consider various uses for her ability, even experimenting a bit with rather mixed results. If I think about it too much, well I suppose the book is a bit contrived. Everything is neatly set up to make the story work from the chance meeting of the Psychiatrist on the plane to Cassie's being able to sign up for a college class without any difficulty even though she still has a couple of years of high school left and other events as well. But, I enjoyed the read, I enjoyed the ethics discussion a lot and the hints at Greek mythology may just send me to further reading. The ending, I didn't quite get where Cassie is staying while she finishes high school, where her money is coming from, if she just dumped what little relationship she had with her only known living relative, where she might be heading with her life. I think that's just a bit too up in the air. JDW 7/20

Septimus Heap Series #1 MAGYK by Angie Sage

Advertised as the new Harry Potter, this has been optioned for film. When the throne was overturned, its queen killed, a new born princess was spirited away and substituted for a supposedly dead new born boy to keep her safe from the evil leaders. Years later, spies have figured out who the princess is as had her magician substitute parents and now evil huntsmen are out to assassinate her. With the help of the high wizard, Marcia, the princess and some of her foster family escape to the island inhabited by an aunt/witch, after a scary wild chase. During the escape a young army boy #412 is rescued half frozen from the snow. One son is captured when he returns home to see the girl of his dream and reveals the hiding place, unwittingly. Marcia is later captured, lured away from the island by a false message sent by message rat. Who boy 412 is, how Marcia is rescued, how the princess is kept safe once again, the discovery of a legendary Dragon Boat in its underground dwelling place mixed in with lots of interesting magical spells and slimy creatures like mud loving boggart make for fun but light reading. This story is not nearly as complex as the Harry Potter series. I enjoyed it and will go on to read the next book in the series. JDW 7/12/10

The Blue Star by Tony Earley

I picked up this book because I had read Jim the Boy by Earley. The story of Jim Glass's childhood and upbringing and enjoyed it. This book begins with the start of Jim's senior year in high school which is just before the December 7th bombing of Pearl Harbor. The setting is in a small farming community in the mountains of West Virginia. Jim has just broken off with his long time girlfriend Norma to whom everyone assumed he would get married. And promptly fallen in love with a new raven haired beauty who is promised to a sailor and cannot date him.
Readers find out what happened between Norma and Jim and how Norma chooses to handle it. They see Jim unable to leave alone the girl who would not have him. There is a town dance during which Jim's best friend Dennis Deane gets a younger student pregnant. Dennis drops out of school. Marries the girl and goes to work at a saw mill in a neighboring town. Its a hard life for him and Ellie even though they are in love. The sailor Chrissie was to marry is blown up at Pearl Harbor and still Jim hates him, resents him, believes its him preventing Chrissie's interest in him. As soon as the school year ends many of the boys including Jim prepare to ship out to military training and the war, hoping they will come home again. There is a tear filled bitter sweet ending sure to make any girl cry. This is romance from a guy's perspective than anyone could enjoy. The setting in World War II, the language, the religious attitudes, the prejudices are all well done. I think lover's of books by Nicholas Sparks would especially enjoy this book. Its not too big, its not as cliched, its not overly dramatic as Sparks can sometimes be. By the way The Blue Star of the title is a flag hung in the window of houses where son's were serving in the war.
JDW6/30/10

Carrie by Stephen King

Stephen King is known as a creepy horror writer and while this novel is eerie, I'd say it's more sad than scary. It is, though, a great story with a necessary lesson for teens to learn.

Carrie White is a teenager who never fit in. Her mother is devoutly religious and expects her daughter to behave the same way, which makes Carrie stand out in school. After an torturous and embarrassing incident in the girls' locker room, Carrie slowly begins to realize she has telekinesis - the power to move things with her mind. As she secretly builds her powers, one of the girls punished for the locker room incident - Chris - begins to plot revenge against Carrie with the help of her boyfriend. At the same time, another student - Sue Snell - begins to feel remorse for the incident and insists her boyfriend take Carrie to prom in hopes that a little kindness will break Carrie out of her shell. Come prom night her powers are full blown and "explode" when Chris's prank happens. Disaster and doom then follow in a worst case scenario of what happens when people's jokes go too far.

One thing that's interesting about this novel is that amidst the story, there are excerpts from other books related to telekinesis and the "Carrie White incident" that make it seem like this actually happened. There are even parts from a book Sue Snell wrote. It was a nice touch, although at times I wished to just get on with the story. While I think the odds of this honestly happening are slim to none, I think that this is a book with a great lesson. All of this could have been avoided if people had been nicer to Carrie. If Chris hadn't pulled her prank and sought revenge, Carrie wouldn't probably wouldn't have "exploded." Overall it's just a lesson of treating others they way you want to be treated. Setting this novel in a high school makes it a great teen book that I think many can relate to - when you look past the telekinesis. Even today - if you think about it - the treatment Carrie received are often times the catalyst for school shootings.

This book really impressed me. It wasn't scary like I was expecting but the degree that teens can relate to it and learn from this novel really took me by surprise. Here's hoping that we never have to experience a "Carrie White incident," especially to the proportion of this novel.
MMK

Cazadores De Sombras Por: Cassandra Clare

Esta novela es el segundo en la seria de los cazadores de sombra llamado condado de ceniza. Esta es una novela supernatural, con mucha interes para los leyentes de esta novela. Tiene accion y peleas con espadas entre personas. El lector ve mucho fantasia durante esta novela. Mucho de las ideas del autor viene de cines de horror, y claramente de fantasia.

La novela se trata de cinco jovenes muy diferentes o disparados, en personalidades. Por ejemplo, Clary Fray es una chica de 15 anos con cabello roja. Ella tiene personalidad principal en la novela. Ella le gusta ir a bailar mucho cuando puede. Ella se mete en muchos problemas en su activitades en Manhattan, Nueva York.
Otra personaje en la novela que tiene su mano roto de tanto cazar se llama Jace Wayland. El era muy quieto y no hablaba con gente. Pero al rato se enamoro con Clary Fray. Simon Lewis es otro personaje en la novela que se enamora tambien con la chica de quince anos. Vary Simon y Clary son mejor amigos. Simon no le dice a Clary que esta enamorado de ella.
Ahora vemos otra personaje de la novela que es muy diferente a las otras personajes que hemos visto. La Senorita Isabelle Lightwood hija de una antiqua familia de cazadores de sombra. Ella es guapa y lista. No se hayan con Clary, y Clary no se confia en Isabelle. El hermano mayor de Isabelle se llama Alec Lightwood. Estamos ahora conociendo el hermano mayor de Isabelle no le gusto su destino cazador de sombras, y prefiere leersobre demonio que lucha contra los demonios.
La novela es interesante y hace el lector pensar mucho en su vida. La autora escriba bien, y la tema de la novela no se pierda.
LRD 6/27/10

If I Stay By: Gayle Forman

This novel to me has a few powerful truths that everyone must face in life. Number one is love, meaning family in all circumstances, and choices we all must make. This novel tells about the way some parents change their lives for their children.
Seventeen year old Mia the main character in this story, goes for a car ride with her family in an instant her life changes. Mia is the only survivor of the car accident. Mia tries to rescue her brother Teddy at the car scene. But she cannot revive him. Mia plays the cello very well. Mia in the accident had a collapsed lung, which was very serious. Mia was rushed to the hospital in a helicopter. The Doctors removed her spleen, and she received a blood transfusion she needed.

Before the car accident, Mia had an audition, which was in San Francisco, California to the Julliard School of Music. Mia was smart, and very talented in music, and she made it. Mia planned to attend Julliard School of Music. Now Mia's life has changed due to the car accident. In fact, Mia might have to postpone her college goals. Mia was in intensive care for weeks trying to get better. She was actually in a coma, and could not talk; but could here many voices. Mia heard her grandma, and grandpa talking in her hospital room. Mia's parents died in the accident, and so did Teddy die. Teddy was Mia's younger brother.
I liked the the novel very much, and it was heartbreaking in some sections of the novel. I recommend the novel to any teen.
LRD 6/27/10