Review by Lauren - Clockwork Angel

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.
When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

First Impression: I really enjoyed the Mortal Instruments trilogy that Cassandra Clare had written, so I was excited to read this one - I'm not in love with the series though, so I wasn't expecting miracles. The cover, though, is gorgeous which did increase my desire to read the book...

Clockwork Angel it set at the end of the Victorian Era in London where orphaned Tessa Gray has gone to find her brother. It carries many elements of the Mortal Instruments trilogy - another Pandemonium Club, Magnus Bane, and even the Lightwoods make an appearance - but it isn't necessary to read the first series. There are shadowhunters, downworlders, and the same brutal love interest. As awful as Will was in the books, I can't help but still love him deep down.

I loved Clockwork Angel. It had all the elements of the first series that I loved, but with that historical aspect to it that made it all 10 times better for me. There were little bits of Victorian poetry at the beginnings of every chapter, which I usually don't care for because they never seem to make any sense to me, but these poems actually interested me and drew me in. Tessa's love for literature was also great and I loved the references to Jane Austen, the Bronte Sisters and Dickens.

Final Impressions: I loved it and I will definitely buy it once it comes out in paperback (because I've had to cut back on my book buying...). It was thrilling, mysterious, and just as intriguing as Clare's other series. I cannot wait for the next one to come out, and I am pleased to be able to give it a rating of 6/6 shelves :)

Review by Alex- Jellicoe Road

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

"What do you want from me?" he asks. What I want from every person in my life, I want to tell him. More.

Abandoned by her mother on Jellic...more "What do you want from me?" he asks. What I want from every person in my life, I want to tell him. More.

Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven, Taylor Markham, now seventeen, is finally being confronted with her past. But as the reluctant leader of her boarding school dorm, there isn't a lot of time for introspection. And while Hannah, the closest adult Taylor has to family, has disappeared, Jonah Griggs is back in town, moody stares and all.

In this absorbing story by Melina Marchetta, nothing is as it seems and every clue leads to more questions as Taylor tries to work out the connection between her mother dumping her, Hannah finding her then and her sudden departure now, a mysterious stranger who once whispered something in her ear, a boy in her dreams, five kids who lived on Jellicoe Road eighteen years ago, and the maddening and magnetic Jonah Griggs, who knows her better than she thinks he does. If Taylor can put together the pieces of her past, she might just be able to change her future.

First Impressions: Well, this is a reread, so I already knew I loved Jellicoe Road and Melina Marchetta. All of her books have impressed me and left a mark, Jellicoe Road especially. So when I happened to make a trip and spot Jellicoe Road, well I just had to pick it up.

Jellicoe Road has everything. No, it IS everything. If there was ever to be a book with a soul, this would be it. It has a raw power to it. It makes me smile, it makes me cry - a lot - but most of all, it makes me believe in something beautiful. I really do believe that it's one of those rare and special books.

It's one of those that are better as a reread than the first time reading, if possible. The clues fit in better. At my library, it's labelled as a mystery, but it's so much more. It's a love story, a coming of age. Two stories of growing up and making lasting friendships. It's filled with passion and confusion and glorious fun and hope.

Now, it is confusing at first. Two very different stories are related, and it's hard to tell what's going on. You're kind of dropped into a story of a war- a war over territory, between 3 sides, and it's hard to tell what exactly is happening. But it's worth sticking with because all is understood after a couple chapters, about the current situation. But that doesn't mean other secrets are revealed- some wait until the very end, and you have to race to get there, because it's impossible not to.

Jellicoe Road is complicated and heartbreaking. It's filled with little beautiful things, like times when Taylor has fun with her House. Huge beautiful things like the relationship between Taylor and a boy. And that secretive past- the story of 5 teenagers who are all connected to each other, whether through tragic accident, coincidence, or luck.

Everything from the intertwining stories, to the characters thrown together who, at first are enemies but grow into something much, more more, to the histories and pasts of the characters, to the characters themselves who are alive and passionate and for the most part, filled with life- they're all so gorgeously drawn. So well done, so amazing.

Final Impressions: No words can do justice for Jellicoe Road. It was completely different from anything I'd ever read last year, the first time I read it, and it's still completely different. It's astonishing, and breathtaking, and tearjerking, and gloriously beautiful. Jellicoe Road is really something you have to read to fully understand the amazing wonderfullness of it all. Melina Marchetta may very well be my idol.

Review by Alex- Vampire Academy series

Vampire Academy / Frostbite / Shadow Kiss / Blood Promise / Spirit Bound

I don't know if words can express how much I love the Vampire Academy series. Hands down, my favourite vampire books and one of my top urban fantasies too.

As this was actually a reread of the first four in the series, since I finally bought them all for cheap (!), and I don't want to spoil Spirit Bound, I figured I would just review the series as a whole.

You'd have to living under a rock to not have heard of the Vampire Academy series and you'd have to be annoyingly stubborn to refuse to read them. coughLaurencough. Think you're over the huge vampire trend? Please don't be. Give VA a chance and you won't regret it.

Vampire Academy starts out fast and continues to be a speedy read- partly because the writing is smooth and easy to read, partly because you just want to keep reading to get to the end to know what's going to happen. The plots of each novel are extremely strong, with lots of action and excitement. There are some periods of downtime, like the first half of Blood Promise, but that time only promises better battles.

The characters are dynamic and fun. Rose is incredibly tough and kickass. She's got a snarky comment for everything which makes for laugh-out-loud dialogue. And she's loyal. Best friend material? Oh yeah. Lucky for Lissa, the only one in the royal Dragomir line, that the two have been best friends for years. Lissa as a character becomes stronger and more likeable over the course of the series. At first, she doesn't really hold much of a candle next to Rose, but Lissa's her own person and is brave in a different way.

And then there are the guys. Of course. There's Dimitri, Rose's hot older Russian tutor. And there's Adrian, party boy and constantly drunk - but there's a reason - who's confident and a royal vampire. Both vying for Rose. That ever present and so very addicting love triangle. (I'm turning into an Adrian fan. I did not like Dimitri at all in Spirit Bound. What a wuss.)

Final Impressions: Oh dear. I seriously cannot do the Vampire Academy series justice. It deserves all the praise it gets and more. Awesome characters? Check. Addicting romance? Check. Powerful plot? Check. What more can you ask for? For all those who haven't read this series yet: Really, please, don't hesitate to read them. For all those who have: Want to fangirl squeal with me over this series? There are few series I'd fawn over, but Vampire Academy is one of them. This may not be stuffy literature to last the ages and to be read in schools time and time again, but for what it is, Vampire Academy is the finest.

Review by Lauren - Finnikin of the Rock

Finnikin of the Rock - Melina Marchetta

At the age on nine, Finnkin is warned by the gods that he must sacrifice a pound of flesh to save his kingdom. He stands on the the rock of the three wonders with his friend Prince Balthazar and Balthazar's cousin, Lucian, and together they mix their blood to safeguard Lumatere.

But all safety is shattered uring the five days of the unspeakable, when the kings and queen an their children are brutally murdered in the palace. An impostor seizes the throne, a curse binds all who remain inside Lumatere's walls, and those who escape are left to roam the land as exiles, dying by the thousands in fever camps.

Ten years later, Finnikin is summoned to another rock - to meet Evanjalin, a young novice with a startling claim: Balthazar, heir to the throne of Lumatere, is alive. This arrogant young woman claims she'll lead Finnikin and his mentor, Sir Topher, to the prince. Instead, her leadership points them perilously toward home. Does Finnikin dare believe that Lumatere might one day rise united? Evanjalin is not what she seems, and the startling truth will test Finnikin's faith not only in her but in all he knows to be true about himself and his destiny.

First Impressions: As some of you may be aware, Alex did post a review of this book 2 days ago and I swear I haven't read it - all I did was look at the rating. Hopefully this will give you two completely objective perspectives on the book. But yes, the fact that she gave it 6/6 shelves was enough to send me right off the buy the book. I loved Jellicoe Road and the fact that this was fantasy was even more exciting. I was a little apprehensive, I will admit, considering Marchetta hadn't written a fantasy novel before.

Finnikin has everything you could want from a fantasy novel - and if you've been avoiding fantasy all this time, I strongly suggest you take a stab at it because honestly, there is nothing I love more than fantasy novels. There is something incredible about an entire world and culture being created by someone's creativity. And after only a couple pages, my apprehensiveness disappeared. I loved this book. So much. There is so much passion and dimension to it - you feel such a connection to the characters and the world. It takes you on a journey and I am ridiculously sad to be finished - I want it to go on :(

Similar Tamora Pierce and Kristin Cashore, Melina Marchetta has also incorporated a strong female character into her story. Although a secondary character, Evanjalin never falls behind Finnikin for a moment. She amazed me throughout the novel - of course Finnikin is amazing too, but that's a guarantee :p

Final Impressions: Oh my goodness this book is just too good not to be read. Go pick it up, whether you enjoy fantasy or not. Melina Marchetta is a genius.

Add to Shelf? I've already bought it :) And I definitely do not regret the decision.

Review by Alex- Finnikin of the Rock

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

At the age of nine, Finnikin is warned by the gods that he must sacrifice a pound of flesh in order to save the royal house of his homeland, Lumatere.

And so he stands on the rock of three wonders with his childhood friend Prince Balthazar and the prince's cousin, Lucian, and together they mix their blood. And Lumatere is safe.

Until the 'five days of the unspeakable', when the King and Queen and their children are slaughtered in the palace. And an imposter king takes the throne.
And a curse is put on Lumatere, which traps those caught inside and forces thousands of others to roam the land as exiles, dying of fever and persecution in foreign camps.

But ten years later Finnikin is led to another rock to meet the young novice, Evanjalin. A girl plagued by dark dreams, who holds the key to their return to the Land of light.

First Impressions: Having read Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta, I knew I was in for a treat with Finnikin of the Rock. I'm quite the fan of epic fantasies set in a political world, and Finnikin of the Rock fits that bill perfectly, promising quite a bit.

Finnikin's world is set in a wonderful fantasy place, where swords are the mode of fighting, and political feuds and unbalance abound. You know, typical fantasy world, but entrancing nonetheless. 10 years after Finnikin's homeland was taken by an imposter king, when many of his people died, many others trapped by a curse inside a broken Lumatere, Finnikin is still trying to help his country and people by going to other lands with him mentor, trying to find a place for his people to live on, instead of in desperate camps where people die, or even worse, lose their Lumatere selves.

Finnikin is incredibly strong, for losing so much and he's highly intelligent, cocky enough to be swoon-worthy, and reckless enough to be cool. Evangalin is well matched in that way; she does what she thinks she should. Her past is a dark thing, as we lean as the story unfolds. All the characters of Finnikin of the Rock are incredibly likeable and dynamic, though I do wish some of the secondary characters would have more of their history explained.

The writing's beautiful and fitting for this type of novel, and the plot is never slow, though sometimes it's a little thick to get through. But I was never bored, and honestly never wanted to put the book down.

Final Impressions: Melina Marchetta is a genius. (I also read Saving Francesca soon after Finnikin, and woah. Different genre, but Melina Marchetta cements herself as one of my favourite authors) Finnikin of the Rock has it all, and for fans of Tamora Pierce, Kristin Cashore, or Cinda Williams Chima, this novel is the next must-read.

Favourite Character: Finnikin. I mean, come on, his name alone is awesome! Finnikin! Which reminds me of Finnick from Catching Fire, actually.

Review by Alex- Some Girls Are

Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers
Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard--falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High... until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around.

Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge. If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day. She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully. Friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend... if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.

Tensions grow and the abuse worsens as the final days of senior year march toward an explosive conclusion in this dark new tale from the author of Cracked Up To Be.

First Impressions: This is Courtney Summers, author of the fantastic Cracked Up To Be. 'Nuff said.

Some Girls Are is a blistering novel about the ruthlessness of girls, and how messed up our world can become. People are cruel. They'll make you cry. They'll punch you when you're at your worst. They won't believe you when you tell the truth.

But they'll also fall in love. They'll do the right thing because it's the right thing. They can remind you about what's good in life.

Some Girls Are is not a light novel, and whoever thinks high school is a light and trivial topic is dead wrong. High school is instrumental in our lives to creating who we are. The novel proves this point beautifully.

Regina is just... almost beyond words. She can be pathetic and weak, then big hearted and hopeful, then malicious and cruel, all in the span of a mere 250 some pages. And she goes through those phases many, many times. I've no clue how Courtney Summers does it, but Regina is one heck of a messed up character.

Which means I, and no doubt countless others, love her all the more for it.

I wish I could give justice to this mind-blowing novel, but it's impossible. The plot flows at a quick pace, with it starting with the incident that freezes out Regina, and therefore jumping the gun without really delving into an initial situation. That's fine- it's not needed. I was instantly hooked by page one. Every single way to get back at Regina is done, and the acts start getting worse and worse and worse, even going so far to target the one person that Regina likes: Michael.

Getting onto the topic of Michael: it's hard not to feel for the guy. He transferred to the high school and was suddenly hated by Anna, hateful Queen Bee, and therefore her gang, which at the time, included Regina. The girls did everything they could to make him miserable, and then his mom dies, and he obviously is not a happy-go-lucky guy. Yet he still manages to feel for Regina, and lend out a hand to her when she needs it.

With a bevy of characters you can hate but sympathize with at the same time, a whole lot of back stapping and viciously cruel acts, Some Girls Are kept me enthralled (which is not exactly good as I should be studying for exams). I'd consider it impossible to put down this novel without finishing it. Put down this novel, yes, because it is sheer horribleness acts of bullying, but then pick it right back up.

I love Courtney Summers' blunt prose with it's no nonsense attitude that dives right into the thick of the problem. Avoiding nothing, not abuse, not drugs, not swearing, she writes about what happens to teenagers when they go terribly, terribly wrong. Some Girls Are is what happens when girls are cruel to others to raise their own self esteems, when kids don't trust each other and in fact hate each others guts, when parents neglected their children so much they're ignorant to huge events happening.

Some Girls Are is heart-wrenching and just all around fantasticawesomemustreadworthy stuff. If this review is scrambled and makes no sense, it is because Some Girls Are has blown my mind away, and I am writing on pure, raw emotions. Because that's what the novel is about (in my opinion). Basic human instinct- self preservation and a dogged sense of stubbornness to never give in- flies until fights ensue in the novel, and tears and laughter are provoked from the reader.

Just- just read the novel. Mind you, it's not for the faint of heart, nor for the young of mind, because it does deal with weighty topics. But if you like those utterly depressing and impossibly heart-carving novels that still somehow remain hopeful and attracting throughout, you'll devour Some Girls Are.

Final Impressions: Pretty sure you can tell by my less than coherent review, but I was blown away. I knew Some Girls Are would be fantastic- but I didn't know it would be so to such a high degree.

Favourite Character: Regina, for being so complex I guess. But Michael is so lovable, so he's a very close second.

Review by Alex: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landeau-Banks

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landeau-Banks by E. Lockhart

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 14:
Debate Club.Her father’s “bunny rabbit.”
A mildly geeky girl attending a highly competitive boarding school.

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 15:
A knockout figure.
A sharp tongue.
A chip on her shoulder.
And a gorgeous new senior boyfriend: the supremely goofy, word-obsessed Matthew Livingston.

Frankie Laundau-Banks.
No longer the kind of girl to take “no” for an answer.

Especially when “no” means she’s excluded from her boyfriend’s all-male secret society.
Not when her ex boyfriend shows up in the strangest of places.
Not when she knows she’s smarter than any of them.
When she knows Matthew’s lying to her.
And when there are so many, many pranks to be done.

Frankie Landau-Banks, at age 16:
Possibly a criminal mastermind.

This is the story of how she got that way.

First Impression: Having read this gem a couple years ago (or was it last year? Whenever the book first came out), I felt like rereading it when I found it in a library. :) So naturally I took the novel and devoured it, falling in love once again.

Frankie is a fantastically strange and intelligent girl, tired of being Bunny Rabbit, the cute arm candy to her boyfriend Matthew, the innocent child to her family. And so she plots... she plots crazy schemes to turn her boarding school upside down, all the while no one knowing her identity.

All the characters are wonderfully unique and different. Frankie, mentioned above. Matthew, her silly boyfriend, who comes from a prominent family, who is obsessed with words (like he actually cares about the difference between "I could care less" and "I couldn't care less". He automatically gets the Alex Stamp of Approval.), who loves Frankie, but doesn't think of her as the intelligently superior girl that she is. Alpha, Matthew's best friend, who doesn't come from a prominent family, being illegimate, who is a natural born leader, who pretends to be a bravadous boy but is really more ordinary than he seems, who, as it turns out, is the boy everyone thinks is pulling all these pranks. But he's not.

The genius behind this book is not just the characters, but the ideas too. Panopticon, for example, is brilliantly used. Wiki it if you must. Neglected positives, words like "turbed", from "disturbed", are words Frankie spouts constantly. Love.

Final Impressions: The humor is spot on, the ideas are magnificient, the characters are never dull- in fact, some are magnificiently silly, as Frankie puts it.

Favourite Character: Frankie. But Matthew and Alpha pull some close seconds.

Note this! Fun tidbit: I gave Lauren 3 clues: "My new goal is to become magnificiently silly", "I have also decided to use neglected positives" and, "and mastermind boarding pranks". She got it after the third. :P

Review by Alex- The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
-summary not copying and pasting properly. But you should all know what the Hunger Games is about. If you don't, you live under a rock.-

First Impressions: This is actually a reread, so I would have a fresh memory for reading Catching Fire. So of course I already know The Hungers Games is amazing.

So yeah. The Hungers Games is amazing. The plot it out of the world, and the suspense is sure to keep you up at night. I read it in... a day? The characters are all interesting and unique and well formed. And-and-and- what more is there for me to say?

Okay I'll really try.

Katniss is such a strong and wonderful heroine. She willingly nominates herself to play in The Hunger Games to save her little sister Prim from having to. She's fed her family for years after her dad died. And she does well in The Hunger Games.

I lovelovelove the plot of the novel. North America has been destroyed, and now there's the Capitol, the big advanced center where everything is perfect (think Uglies trilogy, Pretties world) and around that, 12 districts. Each district produces something, such as coal or agriculture. Generally, the districts are poor and no where near as fancy or well off as the Capitol. A while ago, the districts revolted and lost. As punishment, the capital has the Hunger Games each year. 24 teens must enter an arena and fight to the death. As horrible as that sounds, it's really interesting to read.

Toss in a love triangle, a fiesty heroine, a constantly drunk advisor and previous Hunger Games winner, and lots of blood and gore, and you get a brief idea of The Hunger Games.

There's something about The Hunger Games that's impossible to put down. It's compelling. It's... amazing. There's a reason everybody raves about it and it's one of the top books of 2008.

Final Impressions: Still just as amazing as the first time I read it. If you haven't read this book, what are you waiting for? READ IT NOW.

Add to Shelf: Of course! I just bought this book to own. :D I suggest you do the same.

Note This! Nothing much that I can think of... Or you can think of that as too many things to pick one. ;)

Review by Lauren - Shiver

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

First Impression: Well, FIRST impression was simply upon viewing the cover, which is gorgeous, so right away I was excited. After reading the jacket description, I was even more excited. Although I am not keen on more Twilight stuff, which I'm sure goes for most of you guys, the ressemblances I could see did not turn me off the book. It seemed like an adorable plot.

It definitely was.

Shiver is a love story. The difference was that it didn't fall into a cookiecutter layout. We start out with love - they've both been in love with the other from a distance for years - and having it grow. I loved that there was never any uncertainty, no stressing over affections. This is similar to Twilight but it was also different. It seemed less intense, more humain. More like Bella's relationship with Jacob - which also works because the book is about werewolves. For those of you who hate Jacob, Sam is not Jacob. He is beyond adorable though.

The conflict of Shiver is that once the weather becomes colder, the human werewolves become wolves until it gets warm once again. Their time spent as a human grows progressively smaller as the years pass, and Sam has reached the point where he will no longer turn human again. The book is Grace and Sam's desperate struggle to keep him human while time runs out.

Final Impression: I loved Shiver. It was refreshing and gorgeous (as is the cover). One of those books you want to just keep with you at all times. It feels like how I felt about Twilight before the whole craze - back when there was only one book out and no one had heard of it. It was that book you absolutely adored and wanted to share with everyone. There is intensity, but it's also refreshing and light.

Add to Shelf?: Yes but it will probably be for Christmas. I'm low on money at the moment lol... A really good book for its genre.

5.5/6 shelves - I feel as though I've been too lenient with my shelves lately. I'm getting picky. This could easily be a 6/6 though so I'll tag it under both lol. I'm torn.

Review by Alex- Fire

Fire by Kristin Cashore
Fire, Graceling's prequel-ish companion book, takes place across the mountains to the east of the seven kingdoms, in a rocky, war-torn land called the Dells. Beautiful creatures called monsters live in the Dells. Monsters have the shape of normal animals: mountain lions, dragonflies, horses, fish. But the hair or scales or feathers of monsters are gorgeously colored-- fuchsia, turquoise, sparkly bronze, iridescent green-- and their minds have the power to control the minds of humans.

Seventeen-year-old Fire is the last remaining human-shaped monster in the Dells. Gorgeously monstrous in body and mind but with a human appreciation of right and wrong, she is hated and mistrusted by just about everyone, and this book is her story.

Wondering what makes it a companion book/prequel? Fire takes place 30-some years before Graceling and has one cross-over character with Graceling, a small boy with strange two-colored eyes who comes from no-one-knows-where, and who has a peculiar ability that Graceling readers will find familiar and disturbing...

Gee, another book Lauren's already reviewed! I actually did read Fire first though- Lauren's just faster at posting reviews than me. :/

First Impressions: Prequel! To Graceling! By Kristin Cashore! You can probably tell by my exclamation marks that I knew it was going to be amazing. I'd previously read reviews that said Fire is even better than Graceling, and I loved the latter, so Fire had to be wonderful. Plus, we got the wonderful UK cover which I'm absolutely in love with. (Lauren prefers US which is why she put the US cover on her review. She's weird. BUT this means I get to keep the UK version, so whatever.)

Ah, but Fire. It's indeed wonderful.

Fire starts out with a bang, with lots of action and excitement. I found the middle to be slower, but no less thrilling. Fire as a book is completely enthralling; I couldn't bear to put it down for anything. I devoured it, which recently, I haven't done to any book. (Darn school.)

Fire as the character is a monster. But she doesn't use her powers needlessly, she isn't cruel about it like her father, who amused himself by torturing and manipulating others. No, Fire feels and cares for other people. For a human monster, she's a lot more human than quite a few of the actual human characters in the novel. Fire is strong, brave, fiery like her hair, and just an overall amazing main character! Really, she should be the role model for girls all over, instead of... certain others.

Fire is the best type of fantasy out there. Hugely entertaining to read, while thought-provoking and easily relate able to modern life. There's many subtle messages on strength, belief, loving others, etc.

The only that disappointed me in the novel was the lack of relationship to Graceling. Fire isn't even set in the same world as Graceling! There's one character cross-over, but he doesn't play as much of a role as I thought he would. Still. That doesn't make Fire any less of the novel it is.

My heart broke and soared with Fire. Seriously. When Fire was heart-broken, I was devastated. When she was happy and in love, I couldn't feel anything else at all but cheerfulness. That's how deep Fire will pull you in.

Final Impressions: The writing is stunning. The characters are fabulous. The plot's well paced and always interesting. Really, you need to read Fire, especially if you're one of the many to love Graceling.

Add to Shelf: Of course! I'd say, pre-order it. Fire is worth it.

Review by Lauren - Fire

Fire by Kristin Cashore

Fire, Graceling's prequel-ish companion book, takes place across the mountains to the east of the seven kingdoms, in a rocky, war-torn land called the Dells. Beautiful creatures called monsters live in the Dells. Monsters have the shape of normal animals: mountain lions, dragonflies, horses, fish. But the hair or scales or feathers of monsters are gorgeously colored-- fuchsia, turquoise, sparkly bronze, iridescent green-- and their minds have the power to control the minds of humans.

Seventeen-year-old Fire is the last remaining human-shaped monster in the Dells. Gorgeously monstrous in body and mind but with a human appreciation of right and wrong, she is hated and mistrusted by just about everyone, and this book is her story.

Wondering what makes it a companion book/prequel? Fire takes place 30-some years before Graceling and has one cross-over character with Graceling, a small boy with strange two-colored eyes who comes from no-one-knows-where, and who has a peculiar ability that Graceling readers will find familiar and disturbing...

First Impression: Not crazy of the whole prequel thing. I wanted Katsa & Po and all that cute stuff.

I'm pretty sure I enjoyed Fire like 10 times more than Graceling. And I loved Graceling. The main reason I think were the characters. Kristin's writing has developed even more in this novel and as much as I loved her first set of characters, I adored the ones in Fire. Fire & Brigen were adorable and their relationship so powerful. It was very similar to Katsa and Po and I love the strong female character that is present in both novels. I enjoyed Fire's strength more than Katsa's though and her beauty as well as her powers :) I also enjoyed Hanna as a child more than Bitterblue. I don't remember perticularily liking her but I'm definitely going to have to reread Graceling now.

The idea that Fire is a prequel to Graceling is pretty general. It's even in a completely different world. There are no Gracelings, no mention of previous characters (except one) so it stands completely on it's own, in it's own world. There are really no connections whatsoever to Graceling besides the one character. I also enjoyed this world more than the first with its magical creatures and whatnot.

Either way, Fire is coming out October 6th, so look for it!

Final Impression: As I mentioned, better than Graceling although there was a brief slow period but I easily overlooked it. If you liked Graceling, you will LOVE Fire. Strong characters, gorgeous world, adorable romance etc. I'm still basking in this story.

Add to the Shelf?: Psh, do you even have to ask? This book is gold.

6/6 for sure

♥ Lauren

Review by Alex- Ballads of Suburbia

Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert

Kara hasn't been back to Oak Park since the end of junior year, when a heroin overdose nearly killed her and sirens heralded her exit. Four years later, she returns to face the music. Her life changed forever back in high school: her family disintegrated, she ran around with a whole new crowd of friends, she partied a little too hard, and she fell in love with gorgeous bad-boy Adrian, who left her to die that day in Scoville Park....

Amid the music, the booze, the drugs, and the drama, her friends filled a notebook with heartbreakingly honest confessions of the moments that defined and shattered their young lives. Now, finally, Kara is ready to write her own.

First Impression: Probably really really great. It's raved about by pretty much everyone else, I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone, by the same author, is wonderful. It's going to be amazing.

And I was right.

Ballads of Suburbia is a tale of a group of lonely teenagers, finding solace with each another, with alcohol, with drugs. All of them have messed up families, all of them have their own story to tell.

The novel starts with an epilogue, with Kara, back after 4 years. Then it launches into Kara's story as a teen, starting with her childhood and going onto her late teens. Interspersed within Kara's story are ballads of others, of her friends. Each story is unique and haunting and beautiful.
Stephanie Kuehnert surpassed my expectations of I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone. That one was good, but this one, I love. It's so relateable. I like to live vicariously through novels, and Ballads of Suburbia is absolutely perfect in that way. There's never a dull moment in the book- there's heart break and drug abuse, problems and friendships.

The thing I love most about Ballads, or one of the things at least, is all the different relationships. It really shows just how much other people can effect us. Parents, siblings, friends, romantic partners (for lack of a better term; sorry, can't think). I lovelovelove that. How Kara's shaped by her parent's marriage's disintegration. How she is willing to change and love her brother, Liam. How a friendship with Maya can make her stronger. How being with Adrian can pull her into drugs and lust. This isn't to say that Kara is completely shaped by others, but I think everyone is greatly affected by others.

It's just- it's raw, you know? But not so much so that's it's unreadable. The writing is beautiful and the whole novel is unflinching and honest.

Final Impressions: Such. An. Amazing. Story. Slash stories. Seriously. If you haven't read it, just go buy it now. It's definitely a keeper.

Favourite character: Definitely Liam, Kara's younger brother. He's adorable and sweet and all around lovable. Other's may like Kara's love interest, Adrian, but to me there's only Liam. Seriously, I want a Liam of my own.













Oh, and if you want to WIN your own copy of Ballads of Suburbia, I do know The Book Pixie is giving away a copy here.

Review by Lauren: Eyes Like Stars

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

All her world’s a stage.

Bertie Shakespeare Smith is not an actress, yet she lives in a theater.
She’s not an orphan, but she has no parents.
She knows every part, but she has no lines of her own.
That is, until now.
Enter Stage Right

NATE. Dashing pirate. Will do anything to protect Bertie.

COBWEB, MOTH, MUSTARD SEED, and PEASEBLOSSOM. Four tiny and incredibly annoying fairies. BERTIE’S sidekicks.

ARIEL. Seductive air spirit and Bertie’s weakness. The symbol of impending doom.

BERTIE. Our heroine.

Welcome to the Théâtre Illuminata, where the actors of every play ever written can be found behind the curtain. They were born to play their parts, and are bound to the Théâtre by The Book—an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of them, but they are her family—and she is about to lose them all and the only home she has ever known.

Lisa Mantchev has written a debut novel that is dramatic, romantic, and witty, with an irresistible and irreverent cast of characters who are sure to enchant the audience

Wow. Two amazing books in like 3 days. Plus, this one has a sequel :) :) I thought it might just because of the ending and then amazon pretty much confirmed it, so there's something else for me to look forward to.

So Alex brought this over to my house a couple days ago, but I wasn't really drawn into it. The jacket description is a little confusing and it seemed weird but she assured me that the reviews were amazing so I decided to give it a try.

Eyes Like Stars follows Bertie - an orphaned girl who helps out at a theatre where all the characters are real and bound to play their parts. The cannot leave. The little references throughout the novel to various plays over the course of history were cute - ranging from Shakespear to Les Mis and Peter Pan. The book has a really creative concept that I enjoyed and the writing was just all around enjoyable. There's a little love triangle, that I'm sure will develope in later books, but I'm not going to spoil anything for anyone. I was never bored and enjoyed the combination of fantasy and modern writing - it wasn't awkward and weirdly placed... it was just like a whole entire world inside of our own.

Its hard to review without revealing all of the plot twists and mystery that make up the novel so I'm just going to go tell you to go read the book. Sorry about the brief and scattered review. Go buy the book. Just do it.

Trust me.

6/6

♥ Lauren