Guardian of the Dead

Title: Guardian of the Dead
Author: Karen Healey
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 333

Source of Book: My local public library

Summary: (courtesy of http://www.karenhealey.com/books/guardian-of-the-dead/)

In less than a day I had been harassed, enchanted, shouted at, cried on, and clawed. I’d been cold, scared, dirty, exhausted, hungry, and miserable. And up until now, I’d been mildly impressed with my ability to cope.
At her boarding school in New Zealand, Ellie Spencer is like any ordinary teen: she hangs out with her best friend, Kevin; obsesses over her crush on a mysterious boy; and her biggest worry is her paper deadline. Then everything changes: In the foggy woods near the school, something ancient and deadly is waiting.
Debut author Karen Healey introduces a savvy and spirited heroine with a strong, fresh voice. Full of deliciously creepy details, this unique, incredible adventure is a deftly crafted story of Māori mythology, romance, betrayal, and war.




My Rating: 6.5 out of a possible 10

Explanation: Well first, this book was not when I was expecting when I picked it up whatsoever. I wish I had gone into it being at least a bit familiar with New Zealand and the Maori culture. All I knew prior is where on a map New Zealand fell.

The plot itself drags a bit in the middle, and the beginning is very confusing while we wait for the "aha!" moment. However, the action and intensity at the end makes up for it. You don't realize how attached you actually become to the characters until the end.

I was hesistant to pick up this book because the inside of the book jacket said fairies, but this was nothing like the seelie and unseelie fairie courts of other books out. This didn't seem anything like the traditional fairies I've been reading about for months.

Ellie Spencer is likable and relatable, and I enjoyed her as a main character, I'm just not sure the book was right for me. I don't regret picking it up, though. :]

Unearthly

Title: Unearthly
Author: Cynthia Hand
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 435
Source of Book: My local public library

Summary: (courtesy of http://www.cynthiahandbooks.com/books.php)

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.
Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

My Rating: 7 out of a possible 10

Explanation: This book was unlike any of the other angel related books on the market (at least any I have read, which isn't many). For starters, it's not about fallen angels. The main characters are not fallen angels, and the word nephilim only comes up twice in the whole novel. Also, there's less biblical references than some of the other angel novels.

Clara is a very cool character, and very realistic and relatable. She's just as confused about her life as any other girl, but with the added pressure of having a purpose. Her mother doesn't tell her a lot of information, so we find out things as soon as she does.

Clara finds herself in a fascinating love triangle, where the guys really don't hate each other or directly compete over her. I am personally deeply in love with Tucker, which is hard because I also see the appeal of Christian. There's no bad guy, it's all about taste.

The end definitely threw me for an unexpected loop and revealed a smidge of some of the secrets Clara's mother is hiding. I cannot believe that in this trilogy the books are coming out a year apart, I do not want to wait until January.

Shadowspell: A Faeriewalker Novel

Title: Shadowspell: A Faeriewalker Novel
Author: Jenna Black
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 295
Source of Book: My local public library
Summary: (courtesy of http://jennablack.com/books_ya.htm)

On top of spending most of her time in a bunkerlike safe house and having her dates hijacked by a formidable Fae bodyguard, Faeriewalker Dana Hathaway is in for some more bad news: the Erlking and his pack of murderous minions known as the Wild Hunt have descended upon Avalon. With his homicidal appetite and immortal powers, the Erlking has long been the nightmare of the Fae realm. A fragile treaty with the Faerie Queen, sealed with a mysterious spell, is the one thing that keeps him from hunting unchecked in Avalon, the only place on Earth where humans and Fae live together. Which means Dana’s in trouble, since it’s common knowledge that the Faerie Queen wants her – and her rare Faeriewalker powers – dead. The smoldering, sexy Erlking’s got his sights set on Dana, but does he only seek to kill her, or does he have something much darker in mind?

My Rating: 8 out of a possible 10

Explanation: I want to start by saying normally I shy away from books about faeries and fae, etc etc, but Glimmerglass was suggested by one of my favorite librarians, and I enjoyed it.

Shadowspell was better than Glimmerglass [the first novel in the series]. However, there are some adult parts and lots of reference to sex and lust and some 'heavy petting'. It's not a graphic sexual novel, but I wouldn't read it if I was under 16 definitely.

Warnings aside, the plot held my attention and made me love the characters even more, especially my boy Keane [who was my major crush in the first novel]. There's a lot of secrets introduced and revealed, and a fair amount of action.

Definitely read this if you've read the first one. Also, not a long wait for the third one! [sirensong, out July]

Awakened: A House of Night Novel

Title: Awakened: A House of Night Novel
Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 290
Source of Book: My local public library


Summary: (courtesy of http://www.amazon.com/Awakened-House-Night-P-Cast/dp/142721073X)

“My love, speak to me. Tell me everything.” Neferet went to Kalona, kneeling before him, stroking the soft, dark wings that unfurled loosely around the immortal.
“What would you have me say?” He didn’t meet her eyes.
“Zoey lives.” Neferet’s voice was flat, cold, lifeless.
“She does.”
“Then you owe me the subservience of your immortal soul.” She started to walk away from him.

“Where are you going? What will happen next?”
“It is quite simple. I will ensure Zoey is drawn back to Oklahoma. There, on my own terms, I will complete the task you failed.”

Exonerated by the Vampyre High Council and returned to her position of High Priestess at Tulsa’s House of Night, Neferet has sworn vengeance on Zoey. Dominion over Kalona is only one of the weapons she plans to use against Z. But Zoey has found sanctuary on the Isle of Skye and is being groomed by Queen Sgiach to take over for her there. Being Queen would be cool, wouldn’t it? Why should she return to Tulsa? After losing her human consort, Heath, she will never be the same – and her relationship with her super-hot-warrior, Stark, may never be the same either…
And what about Stevie Rae and Rephaim? The Raven Mocker refuses to be used against Stevie Rae, but what choice does he have when no one in the entire world, including Zoey, would be okay with their relationship? Does he betray his father or his heart?
In the pulse-pounding 8th book in the bestselling House of Night series, how far will the bonds of friendship stretch and how strong are the ties that bind one girl’s heart?


My Rating: 9 out of a possible 10

Explanation: I really enjoy the house of night series, and in these newer books I tend to forget that the characters are even vampires. I consider that a testament to the original plot with all the complexities.
 
I literally adore these books and all of the characters [primarily James Stark, be still my heart!]
 
Also, I can never predict the twists and turns like I can in most YA books..
 
As far as this novel specifically, the plot, settings, and characters change rapidly, keeping the reader interested with no mid book lull. Also, the same characters and concepts are reinforced, as well as an introduction to new settings, twists, and a big ol' dose of good versus evil..
Read these books if you don't. If you do, go read this one asap! Definitely staying strong, and I want it to be November so the next one is out!

Hunger: A GONE Novel

Title: Hunger: A Gone Novel
Author: Michael Grant
Publisher: Harper Collins Children Books
Pages: 590
Source of Book: My local public library

Summary: (courtesy of http://www.harperteen.com/books/Hunger-Gone-Novel-Michael-Grant/?isbn=9780061449062)

It's been three months since everyone under the age of fifteen became trapped in the bubble known as the FAYZ.


Three months since all the adults disappeared.

Gone.

Food ran out weeks ago. Everyone is starving, but no one wants to figure out a solution. And each day, more and more kids are evolving, developing supernatural abilities that set them apart from the kids without powers.
Tension rises and chaos is descending upon the town. It's the normal kids against the mutants. Each kid is out for himself, and even the good ones turn murderous.
But a larger problem looms. The Darkness, a sinister creature that has lived buried deep in the hills, begins calling to some of the teens in the FAYZ. Calling to them, guiding them, manipulating them.

The Darkness has awakened. And it is hungry.
My Rating: 6.5 out of a possible 10
Explanation: Overall, I found that this book was not as captivating or enthralling as Gone, but it does have a nice lead up to the not yet released conclusion to the trilogy. More is [thankfully] revealed about 'the darkness' and the desperation about food comes to be a main point throughout the entire novel.
 
I came to love new characters, and was taken on an emotional rollercoaster in the last quarter of the book, but the rest is forgettable plot occasionally perforated with bits of useful information.
 
I did truly enjoy the state Caine and Sam are in at the conclusion of the book, don't want to give anything away!
 
Overall, read this if you've read the first one. If the first one didn't strike you, don't bother with this one.

The Book of Spells

Title: The Book of Spells: A Private Prequel
Author: Kate Brian
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Pages: 336
Source of Book: My local public library

Summary: (courtesy of http://www.privatetheseries.com/book-of-spells/)

It all began with a dusty leather-bound spell book. With the book of spells in hand, the Billings Girls possess enough power to form a secret coven. Bonded in sisterhood, they wield their magic to free themselves from the watchful eyes of their headmistress—and to bolster their courage with the boys of Easton Academy. But what starts out as innocent fun, soon turns sinister. From 1915 to 2010, fun always leads to something sinister when it involves the Billings Girls.

My Rating: 7.5 out of a possible 10

Explanation: I found this book much more interesting overall than the other books in the Private series.
I liked the 1915 old timey feel [a taste I learned to love by reading the Luxe series], and I liked how it had that touch of unrealistic with successful witchcraft.

Overall, I liked that this novel and characters stood alone, but that it relates so strongly to the most recent [and probably future] Private novels. The characters are magnificent and multifaceted, and my only criticism is how one of the plot lines ends...

Aside from that? I liked this novel, and I wish it would spin off into its own series.

Gone

Title: Gone
Author: Michael Grant
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 558
Source of Book: My local public library

Summary: (courtesy of http://www.harpercollins.com/books/Gone-Michael-Grant/?isbn=9780061448768)

In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.

Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.

It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...


My Rating: 8.5 out of a possible 10


Explanation: Well for starters, I had to stop reading this book twice. It wasn't especially graphic or frightening, and it was an original and interesting concept; however, something about it struck a chord with me.
 
I picked up this book as a quick read, since I've read about everything in the library, but it gave me nightmares and strange dreams for two nights. I have never had bad dreams relate so exactly to a book, ever.
 
Now, aside from my brain's strange reaction..
The concept of this book was unlike any book I've ever read, and it's fascinating. I had to keep reminding myself these were children 14 and under, as they were forced to act so adult. It was off to a slow start, but things get intense halfway through and do not stop.
 
I didn't know what to expect and things just kept clicking into place one by one. Overall, this book was fascinating, disturbing, and an entirely new concept to my reading. I would read it if you want a book that is unlike any book you've ever read with action, action, and a wide array of characters both lovable and hateable. Oh, and action.
 
I'm not sure if I liked it, but the fact that it struck me this deeply is reason enough for an 8.5 for me. Oh, and I will be reading the sequel [it's a trilogy].