As Good As I Expected

The Infernal Devices #1:  Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Fantasy/Steampunk

This is a prequel series to Clare's Mortal Instruments series although it doesn't really matter which seies you read first.  It has many of the same immortal characters at different points in their endless lives.

When sixteen-year old Tessa receives a letter from her brother to come join him in England, she doesn't hesitate.  After all, what is there left for her in America?  Their guradian, Tessa's aunt, is dead and Tessa is left practically destitute.  As soon as she arrives for her fresh start, though, she is captured and imprisoned by the Dark Sisters, who keep her captive and train her to become a shifter, a person who can physically change into someone else. 

She is rescued by the Shadowhunters, a small group dedicated to ridding the world of the Magister and his evil minions.  The Magister is quite intent on claiming Tessa for his own.  Tessa isn't quite sure which side she wants to join.  The Magister and the Dark Sisters are evil, but they have her brother.  The Shadowhunters aren't much better.  They just want to use her for her powers.  Or, do they?  Whom should Tessa trust?  Tessa is also torm between James and Will and is in quite the delightful predicament.

I did really live this book and will continue the series.  However, it is not nearly as addictive as The Mortal Instruments.  I think if it were more fantasy and less steampunk, I would have enjoyed it more but that is just a quirk of mine.  Steampunk always confuses me just a little and leaves me feeling gritty.  This book was no different.  The characters are all delightful to get to know and Clare leaves much unfinished business and many threads left dangling.  And, the best part are always these covers-beautiful!

Change Isn't Always a Good Thing

Gallagher Girls #3:  Don't Judge a Girl By Her Cover by Ally Carter

Adolescent Spy Thriller/Adventure

This book is a departure from the first two books in the series, in both plot and mood, and the change wasn't a welcome one.  The other two books have been more 'offensive' in nature, where Cammie and her friends get to tackle bad guys and cute boys using skills they are learning at the top secret Gallagher Girl spy school.  This book is more 'defensive' as Cammie, and more so, Macey have to defend their lives against unknown foes that are trying to kidnap the vice-president's daughter.    And, it turns out the girls aren't nearly so good at defense, especially when it's personal.  The mood in this book is different, too, and just the opposite of the first two.  This book was a downer.  The girls are very depressed and unsure of themselves in an almost stifling way.  They very quickly surrender to their victimization.

That is probably my main complaint with this book.  I thought the first two were such good books for the girls in  my classroom, so full of power and independence.  But this one is more a lesson in letting your fear overcome you.

Another sore point-this book is more about Cammie's BFF Macey than about Cammie herself. Cammie almost seems like an interested bystander.  If Macey told more of the story, it might have worked better.  Also, there was no real romance here but it may lead the way for a strange new romance in the next installment.

Still, I liked the book and really like this series.  These books must be read in order to really make sense. I hope the next one gets back on track.

Much The Same

Diary of a Wimpy Kid #6:  Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney

Adolescent Graphic Novel



This book is much the same as the others.  So, if books #1-5 appealed to you, you will like this one too.

The 'cabin fever' of the title refers to Greg's situation of being snowed in at home--with his mother and brothers and no electricity.  However, Greg is not necessarily anxious to return to school because he just might have, accidentally, caused some vandalism there. 

Greg is in mortal agony:  desperate to get away from his family and go back to school but also dreading going back lest he be arrested and sent to prison!

This is a topic that so many kids can relate to--the awful feeling of having done something wrong and just waiting for someone to discover it.  Young readers will also be able to relate to a snow day gone haywire.  Many days off with only your wacky family for entertainment and no electricity and the food choices less than yum-worthy.  This read should make every kid appreciate school.

I've seen lots of complaints on Amazon from parents that Greg is not not a proper or acceptable role model.  He isn't supposed to be!  This is pure over-the-top escapist fun.  Everything that Greg says or does is a lesson in doing the exact opposite.  That's what makes these books so funny.  Grey says and does things we wish we could say or do, but human decency prevents us.  Greg is not humanly decent, for the most part.  But, he sure is fun.  This book, all the books, are for adolescent reluctant readers, for a reason, and those readers will love this new installment.

Angelic Indeed

Maximum Ride #7:  Angel by James Patterson

Fantasy/Thriller/Adventure

This is a book series I have been following for years, but it is definitely worth the wait. 

This basic synopsis for the series is this:  Evil scientist experimented on creating a human/animal hybrid.  They kept a group of children in cages to experiment on until these kids escaped, determined not to be used as a weapon.  Maximum Ride, or Max, is the leader of this gang that includes Fang, Gasman, Izzie and other lovable characters including Angel, the youngest, creepiest, and most unknown entity.  In previous installments, Max and the gang have saved the world together but their happy family starts to fracture when Max and Fang can't keep their romantic tension under control.  Their relationship is just too explosive.  What makes the romance even tougher is the introduction of a character named Dylan, a hybrid who was created to be the perfect match for Max.  It's hard to compete with someone else's soul mate, even a manufactured one.  Fang and Max have to bring their two tribes together to conquer an unknown enemy.

This series is the perfect example of the enigma that is James Patterson.  When he wants to (alone!!), he can write a book that can blow your mind.  Then, he turns into a complete sell-out and just slaps his name on some crap someone else writes.  This one is the first kind of Patterson, the true Patterson genius.  I absolutely love this series, from its short chapters to its scathing comebacks to an impossible love triangle and so much more.

The ending, of course, means I'll come back for more.

As Boring As the Ticking of the Clock

The Clockwork Three by Matthew J. Kirby

Adolescent Steampunk/Fantasy

The first word that comes to my mind after reading this book?  Boring.

My second thought?  It's really, really well-written.

The 'three' in the title is for the three main characters-Giuseppe, a kidnapped orphan/street musician desperate to return to Italy and be reunited with his family; Hannah, a young girl forced into menial labor to her support her family; and Frederick, a young clockmaker who has a manic obsession to build a clockwork automaton.  They apparently have nothing in common and through chance encounters become friends and allies against their individual enemies.

The setting in the book was the Industrial Revolution with a bit of steampunk thrown in.  I didn't really quite get the genre.  The book genre-jumped all the way through.  Was it steampunk?  Fantasy?  Realism?  It made me question the plot and what I was reading.  Annoying.

The book starts off really slow and only get to the top speed of a sluggish steam engine.  It isn't a bad book, but just lacked that special something.  I didn't particularly like any of the characters.  Hannah was probably my favorite and I found her easy to relate to but her background and motivations weren't explained well enough for me to really sink my teeth into.  I most certainly did not like Frederick and I dreaded when it was his turn to tell the narrative.  He was cold, selfish and tight-lipped and willing to do anything to realize his dreams, which I also didn't quite get.  Building an automaton, I suppose.  Charles Dickens would probably have loved this, but for me it was just okay.

Not "Dead" Enough

Dead Is a Battlefield by Marlene Perez

Teen Paranormal

I got this book because I thought it was part of Perez's "Dead Is...." series, which I really like a lot.  The first one was "Dead Is the New Black" and surrounded the Giordano sisters, each one named for a flower and each one with a paranormal skill they use to fight local crimes.  The Giordano sisters are only mentioned as peripheral characters, which is a shame because this main character isn't nearly so interesting.

Jessica isn't having a great freshman year.  Somehow, a moving tattoo mysteriously appears on her arm-and she sees the same tattoo on some other shady girls around town.  Jessica discovers that the tattoo is the mark of the Virrago, a mythical female warrior dedicated to fighting evil.  Except the tattoo must have be wrong because Jessica is no warrior.  She puts in half-hearted attempts to fight evil while flirting and generally doing inane selfish thinking.  This is not a female character you can sink your teeth into.

I think that was my biggest problem with this book.  Jessica just seems to trip through the pages , kind of like the whole thing is one big accident.  An irritating girl and not very likable.  The plot was also forgettable but does lay the steps for another in the series--an invitation that I will not be joining.

This seemed to be the second or third in this series and there were lots of thing I felt like I should know but didn't.  I searched around for some others that preceded this one but couldn't clearly find any.  The whole thing just confused me.  Authors, please, when you start a new series, change the name.

The Fun Continues

Diary of a Wimpy Kid #5:  The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney

Adolescent Graphic Novel

The story of Greg Heffley never gets old and never ends since each book is only a couple of months long.

So, what is the ugly truth in this book?  Adolescence is no fun.  Face it; you're not a cute kid anymore.  Not like your little brother who gets everything he wants.  Being a middle-schooler is tough.  If pimples aren't enough to deal with, try adding in voice changes and body hair.  GROSS!  Greg longs for his younger years when his cuteness alone allowed him to rake in loads of Christmas presents.  Now, he gets socks.  Or, books.  

What makes it even worse is that Greg's bromance with his best friend Rowley is over.  No big deal.  Rowley was just slowing Greg down, anyway.  Right?

This book is one chuckle after another at the wonderful ironies of growing up.  The funniest part, for me, was the school sleepover which was so exactly what middle school boys do when left to their own devices!  And, what do the teachers do to get them to calm down and actually go to sleep?  Turn off the heat on the coldest night of the year!  My heroes--brilliant!  The best graphic was seeing Greg in his headgear after his first trip to a 'grown up' dentist.  Torture device!

As always, it was a fast and hilarious read.  You could easily finish the whole book in little over an hour.  This series is so good for reluctant readers in middle school.  My books are always checked out with requests to buy more than one of each title.  Music to my reading teacher ears.