The Reckoning

Title: The Reckoning

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Level: Young Adult

Location: YA Armstrong

This review discusses the plots of the first two books in the Darkest Powers series. If you have not yet read The Summoning and The Awakening, skip to The Bottom Line.

The Reckoning begins right where the last book left off. Chloe, Derek, Simon, and Tori have once again escaped the clutches of The Edison Group, this time with a little help from Andrew, an old friend of Derek and Simon’s dad. Andrew is also a supernatural, though not a genetically altered one, so he brings the group to his mansion in the middle of nowhere and introduces them to his supernatural friends. Even though Chloe and her friends are happy to be finally safe, the creepy, old mansion holds even more terrifying secrets about the Edison Group’s past experiments and the horrific failures that resulted. Why has Andrew brought them to a place with such a bad history? Can Andrew and his friends really be trusted?

I can’t say too much about the plot of this book without giving a lot away. Even though the writing is still great for this series, this book definitely moved more slowly than the first two. Armstrong tries to keep the plot moving, but much of the action that takes place in the first half is minor and fails to build on the suspense that carried over from The Awakening. The book does start to pick up around the middle and it really explodes in the last quarter. Armstrong does a wonderful job of deepening a few of the main characters in this last book, particularly Chloe, Derek and Tori. The reader gets a little more insight into Tori’s motivations and loyalties. Plus, Chloe finally figures out which boy she prefers, which I think will be a surprise to no one. As a whole, I really enjoyed this book. Even with the dragging plot in the beginning, I liked the way Armstrong developed her characters. The ending is fantastic and action-packed. This was a great ending to the series and I think fans of the books will definitely enjoy it.

The Bottom Line: The Reckoning was a great ending to the series even though it did lack some of the excitement present in previous books. The characters are a little deeper and the ending is utterly thrilling. With this last book, Armstong ties up the story nicely while leaving a few threads dangling presumably for her next young adult series.

Madapple

Title: Madapple
Author: Christina Meldrum

Age: Young Adult

Location: YA Meldrum

I'm not quite sure what to say about this book. It's about a girl, Aslaug, who had a sheltered life with her harsh mother, surviving on the land and knowing all about plants and their properties. Her mother mysteriously dies and Aslaug is forced to take care of herself and she finds family she didn't know she had. This family experience is kind of weird, and some interesting events occur - including more mysterious deaths. The alternate chapters take place in a court room, 3 years in the future, as they decide if Aslaug is involved in these mysterious deaths and if she is sane.

Bottomline: It was a very interesting read, especially as you try to piece together the little bits of information they give you. The story was engaging and I wanted to know how it all turned out. If you read it, let me know what you think!

Devil's Kiss

Title: Devil's Kiss
Author: Sarwat Chadda
Level: Young Adult
Location: YA Chadda

Billi Sangreal longs for a normal teenage life of dating, friendship and even homework. But Billi is the only female member of the Knights Templar so her days normally involve dismembering ghuls (the undead/vampires), exorcising demons and nursing the frequent injuries that come with it. She’s tired of the constant responsibility of fighting creatures that no one knows exists and dealing with the demands of her father, the head of the Templars. Then she meets Mike. He’s totally hot and seems to understand the stress of all Billi's responsibilities and her issues with her controlling, emotionally absent dad. Mike is perfect, but is he too good to be true? Or does Billi have feelings for Kay, her childhood best friend and the Templars new oracle? Nothing in Billi’s life comes easy and with a new threat surfacing from the Grigori (fallen angels) is Mike the wrong guy to trust?

I was not even going to pick up this book at first. I thought it would be like every other paranormal fantasy romance all wrapped up in a neat little package. Boy, was I wrong about this title! Billi is a great character, a tough girl who just wants to be a girl, instead of fighting for her life every other night. Disappointingly, the other characters are rather stock but that didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the story. Billi’s father and Kay, do have fleeting moments of depth but the reader really does not get much insight on their feelings and motivations. This was really my only complaint with this title as I would have loved to learn more about Kay. Aside from the lack of characterization, I loved the plot and the heart-pounding action sequences it produced. With this book, Chadda creates a truly unique fantasy tale by interweaving Templar myth with religious tales, like that of the Grigori and the angels. He allows the romance to take a backseat to the action which fit with Billi’s character and the demands of her life. In all, this was a great book with a compelling main character and an original, fantasy storyline.

The Bottom Line: If you are tired of the typical fantasy plot recycled in numerous YA books out right now, try Devil’s Kiss. The story is wholly original with plenty of action to keep both male and female readers interested. Plus, the vampires are *gasp* actually evil! If you give it a shot, I guarantee you won’t regret it. I didn’t :)

Bag of Bones

Title: Bag Of Bones
Author: Vivian French
Level: J
Location: J French

Bag of Bones is the second book in the Tales from the Five Kingdoms series and it's another good story. I felt readers would need to read the first book Robe of Skulls to really know what is going on in this one since there really isn't any explanation for why things are the way they are or background on the characters. Something is brewing in this story. Deep magic isn't practiced in the Five Kingdoms, but a witch gets in that does try to practice deep magic. I say try because her spells don't always work the way she wants. Of course, this can only be trouble as the crones' loom begins to stain. There is a ball planned where Queen Bluebell is to announce her successor. The only problem is her only child ran away years ago.

Gracie,Gubble,Prince Marcus, Marlon and his nephew Alf are all part of the action again. I do wish Marlon had more lines. He was so funny in the first book, but has a smaller part in this second one. There are a few new characters which include an orphan named Loobly and some rats. Some of the rats are kind of funny. Once again it is very clear who the good and bad characters are. The deep magic witch will have you routing for the good guys even more than Lady Lamora did.

Bottom Line: Bag of Bones , the second of the Tales from the Five Kingdoms series,is another good read with likable characters you'll cheer for and characters you'll love to despise. It's humorous and has a twist on a classic fairy tale with a prince who would never fit into the Disney realm. I recommend it to both boys and girls. Even children who aren't reading chapter books yet can enjoy this story if it's read aloud.

Fallen

Title: Fallen (Fallen, #1)
Author: Lauren Kate
Location: YA Kate

There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori. Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move. Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

This book was well written, and the story was so mysterious that I couldn't predict what would happen next. I want to say more about the story, but it was slowly revealed and I don't want to ruin it for you! Enjoy!

Bottom Line: This book somewhat reminded me of Twilight with the idea of star-crossed lovers - but the premise and characters are different enough that it was another engaging story. I look forward to the sequel, just because there is much left to be resolved!

Fruits Basket, Volumes 1 through 23

Title: Fruits Basket (Volumes 1 through 23)

Author: Natsuki Takaya

Reading Level: Young Adult

Location: Graphic Novel YA Fruits

Tohru Honda is an orphaned 16 year old high school student. She has had a hard life, but doesn't let it get her down. Due to various circumstances, she ends up living with her classmate Yuki Sohma and his two cousins, Kyo and Shigure. What she doesn't realize is that the Sohmas have a secret... when they are distressed or hugged by a person of the opposite sex, they transform into one of the animals of the Chinese zodiac!

It is not difficult to understand why Fruits Basket is so popular. Natsuki Takaya has created a believable fantasy world full of vibrant characters. As you follow Tohru through her interactions with the Sohma family, it feels like you are growing with them and sharing in their adventures. Everything is not so sweet in this fairy tale. There is a dark side to this tale that shows how there are many layers to life. It also shows you how resilient people can be and how to overcome pain and obstacles in life. You can go from laughing out loud on one page to running for a box of kleenex to dry your tears on the next.

The artwork is fun and very emotional. Even with a few panels, Takaya makes the emotions fly off the page. I also enjoy the backgrounds of each panel. You could easily miss something if you read too quickly. My only wish is that all of the pages would be in vibrant color, although it is not needed with Takaya's style.

Natsuki Takaya received a Kodansha Manga Award for shojo manga in 2001 for Fruits Basket. More recently, she was nominated in The Female Cartoonists and Comic Book Writer's Hall of Fame category in the 2009 Lulu Awards.

Bottom Line: A great story with beautiful artwork. Once you start reading you won't want to stop. Even if you are not a reader of manga or graphic novels, you will enjoy this series. A must read for teens and adults alike.

Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Volume 1

Title: Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Volume 1
Author: Stephenie Meyer, Young Kim (Illustrator)
Location: (Available Soon)

When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret...

This was well done. I enjoyed the manga style of illustrations and it was neat seeing a different portrayal of the characters, as opposed to the movie. The illustrations are mostly in black and white, and color is used to convey emotion - especially his eye colors.

Bottom Line: I enjoyed this graphic novel, and I enjoyed the movie - but they are definitely different in portraying the characters - in their looks and personalities. If you're a Twilight fan (and especially a manga fan), then this is a must-read!

The Entertainer and the Dybbuk

Title: The Entertainer and the Dybbuk
Author: Sid Fleischman
Location: YA Fleischman S.

Freddie T. Birch, a former bombardier during World War II, has remained in Europe after the war performing a second-rate ventriloquist act. The spirit of a 12-year-old Jewish boy, who once rescued him during the war, has made a request to possess Freddie so that he may seek his revenge, to which Freddie refuses. However, this spirit, known in this case as a dybbuk, does not have to ask permission, he was just being polite. The dybbuk possesses the ventriloquist with promises of fame and revenge.

The Bottom Line: The novel is an easy read with young adult themes dealing with the brutality of the war, death, and revenge. The story is filled with the humor of people who are familiar with oppression. The author ties in the reality of the annihilation of Jewish Children to a well-crafted tale of love, family and redemption.

The Secret of Zoom

Title: The Secret of Zoom
Author: Lynne Jonell
Reading Level: Juvenile
Location: J Jonell J.

Christina Adnoid has lived a sheltered life because her father has felt the need to protect his little girl since her mother died in a laboratory explosion. Christina is lonely and becoming restless when she meets Taft, a "Happy Orphan", from the Loompski Orphanage through the fence that keeps her safe from the rest of the world. Suddenly she is thrust into an adventure which involves the magical properties of zoomstone, zoom for short, and where she has to make difficult decisions in the midst of terrible danger. If she doesn't succeed, she will lose everything and everyone she loves to the threat.

The Bottom Line: This is an imaginative and exciting tale filled with action and fantastic events. Read it if you love adventure and fantasy.

Ash

Title: Ash
Author: Malinda Lo
Reading Level: Young Adult
Location: YA Lo

This book opens in a fairy-tale world of mythical beings, magic and evil stepmothers. Ash, still grieving the recent death of her beloved mother, is dumbfounded when her father returns from a long trip with a new wife and daughters in tow. Shortly after, Ash is left alone in the world, except for the evil stepmother and stepsisters. They initially treat her like family, but after a not-so-stunning revelation, Ash is relegated to a role as housekeeper and cook. So begins this tale which just seems like another remake of the, often used but never really interesting, Cinderella story. But don’t give up on it yet! This story is dark and completely beautiful which is exponentially better than any fairy-tale remake or rehash that I have read in a long time. Ash does meet a prince named Sidhean who is a fairy that knew her mother. She also befriends the king’s huntress Kaisa. Both of these two characters show her the kindness she is denied by her stepfamily. It is her developing relationship with both characters that help define this book and set it apart from so many others in this genre. Of course, the question in the end is still, how will she have a happily-ever-after? But I think for this book the real question becomes, with whom will Ash have her happily-ever-after?

The author really does a wonderful job with this story. The book is not long and the author uses every well-placed phrase to further develop her characters and their relationships with each other. The author makes a real effort to bring layers to all her characters and meaning to their actions, whether good or bad. Some characters do still fall flat, despite these efforts. However, the three main characters while not as complex as I would like, still shine bright in this creative re-telling of an all too familiar tale.

The Bottom Line: It sounds like the same old fairy tale, but Ash is a quick, romance with great characters and a unique storyline. Read it if you enjoy a more untraditional happily ever after.