Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories

Grant, G.; Link, K. Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories. Candlewick, 2013. Digital

ISBN: 978-0763657970

What if all the steampunk people came decided to come together and great a mantra of their stories? That is exactly what this book is. Grant and Link took fourteen of the most creative and talented writers and had them come together to create a book like no other. It is a fun read. It is easy to sit down and read a story from start to finish. I love this book, and if you are in love with the steampunk style like I am you will too. 

Legend

Lu, M. Legend. Penguin Young Readers Group, 2011. Digital

ISBN:  9780399256752

The United States no longer exists. It is now the Republic, and the Republic is constantly at war. June is a prodigy and is trained from the beginning to be a great asset to the military. Day is one of the most wanted criminals in the republic. Soon June is on the hunt for Day to avenge the death of her brother. Only things may not be as they seem. The two soon learn that the Republic is full of secrets and will go to any lengths to make sure they stay that way.

This book falls right into that dystopian category. It is a great read though. Who doesn’t love a good war story? It is sure to hold your attention and keep you coming back for more. 

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Alexie, Sherman. The  Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Little, Brown & Company, 2007. Print. 9780316013680. Hardback. $16.99.

Junior is not your average every day teenage boy. He is Spokane Indian. He was also born with hydrocephalus which has caused him to have a ton of health issues and be small for his age. This leads to him being bullied. The reservation is not known for having money, but Junior loses it when he is assigned his geometry book and realizes his mother’s name is written in it. The book is at least thirty years older than him. He transfers to Reardan High, a rich white school off the reservation. Here he learns that even though the whites have money they are not without their own problems.'

Anya's Ghost

Brosgol, Vera. Anya’s Ghost. Square Fish, 2014. Ebook. ISBN: 978-1250040015 Price: 7.06

Anya is an immigrant from Russia who is struggling to fit in at her private school. Anya manages to fall down a hole where she encounters a skeleton with a ghost still attached named Emily. The ghost, Emily, makes an appearance at the school after Anya is rescued from the whole. Anya realizes she accidentally took a tiny bone with her, or did she?  Emily vows to help Anya become popular and fit in at her new school. Anya notices though that Emily is becoming a little too attached and starting to look a lot like her. Anya realizes that maybe Emily isn’t there to help at all but to take over. The art of this book is simple but beautiful with dark colors that mimic that of the story.

The Coldest Winter Ever

Souljah, Sister. The Coldest Winter Ever. New York. Atria Books, 1999. Print. ISBN: 0-7434-9938-7

“We pay for every little choice we make. You traded everyone else’s life for yours. I traded my life for everyone else’s.” 

Winter is the daughter of a very wealthy drug lord in Brooklyn, New York. She has the life. Her father lavishes her with expensive gifts and all is grand until the FBI get involved. Winter’s father is sent to prison, and she just narrowly escapes being sent into Child Services. Winter quickly learns her father’s ways and hustles any way she can to get what she wants. Can Winter escape the same fate as her father or will she follow in his footsteps?

This is a book that anyone who loves crime movies or shows will enjoy. It is a detailed look into a girl’s life who falls into the trap of her upbringing. It can be a little vulgar and violent, but it is worth the read.

Dork Diaries: A tale from a Not-so-Happy heartbreaker

Russel, Rachel Renee. Dork Diaries: A tale from a Not-so-Happy heartbreaker. New York. Aladdin, 2013. Print ISNB:978-1-424-4936-3

“I felt SO insanely happy I could just . . . VOMIT sunshine, rainbows, confetti, glitter and . . . um . . . those yummy little Skittles thingies!” 

Nikki Maxwell is coming up on the most important dance of the year. She desperately wants Brandon to go with her, but she has no clue how to ask him. She doesn’teven know if he would be interested in going with her. It is likely he is more interested in Mackenzie. Blah!! Nikki decides to create a Valentine asking Brandon to the dance only she drops it and it slides to the very front of the class. OMG! What is Nikki going to do?

This is a fun book for any age to read to be honest. We have all been in those positions when the boy we desperately likes goes out with our mortal enemy. On top of it we have all had a letter or text confiscated by the teacher and read in front of the class. Anyone can relate to the OMG and Eew feelings of Nikki.

Matched

Condie, A. Matched. Penguin Young Readers Group, 2010. Digital

ISBN:  9780525423645

Cassia lives in a Society where things are always decided for you. They don’t have to worry too much about things. The Society even choses who their match for life will be, and Cassia has always trusted this process. When Cassia is paired with Xander she is certain this is right until for a split second she sees a picture of Ky flash. The Society assures her that it was just a glitch but Cassia isn’t so sure. Maybe the Society isn’t so fail proof after all.

This book is interesting and falls right into that dystopian category. The world is divided into classes and so and so forth. It is a book that we have all read before. Nothing super interesting but not boring.

Dorothy Must Die

Paige, Danielle. Dorothy Must Be Die. New York, Harper Collins, 2014. Digital

ISBN:  978-0-06-228068-8 Price: 7.99

What if Dorothy didn’t stay in Kansas after OZ? Amy leaves in a trailer park with a mom that is more concerned about drugs and alcohol than she is about raising her daughter. As Amy’s mom is leaving one day a tornado hits, and Amy is swept away and dropped in a place that feels awfully familiar. She is in OZ like the Wizard of OZ and Dorothy Gale. Amy soon discovers that his isn’t the OZ that she remembers from the fairytales. OZ has become a dark place with very little magic left, but how can Amy change this and battle the evil in OZ?

This book takes a fairytale that we all know and love and makes it awesome again. Dorothy wasn’t as nice as everyone thought. This is a book that teens will absolutely love especially any girl that was in love with the Wizard of OZ.

Anna Dressed in Blood

Blake, K. Anna Dressed In Blood. New York, Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, 2011. ISBN-13: 978-0-7653-2867-0. Paperback. $9.99.

What if not all ghosts are bad and some are just misunderstood? Cas has been given the ability to kill ghosts. He has been on the hunt for the ghost that killed his father and in the mean time works on getting rid of all the violent ghosts that he can. While he is on this trail, he comes across a ghost named Anna. Anna is brutal and kills anyone that gets in her way, but for some reason she spares Cas. He doesn’t know what to make of this. He continues to go back and see her while an unforeseen relationship forms between them. Anna the girl dressed in blood can’t possibly be good for this human ghost hunter, right?

This book is scary and will at times will make your head spin. The story is good and the plot is so much fun, but at the end of the day it leaves you wondering did the author take the whole romance and the paranormal a little too far?

The Gathering

Armstrong, K.  The Gathering. HarpersCollins Publisher, 2012. Digital. ISBN: 9780061797033

Maya is adopted, and she really doesn’t have anything at all to go on when it comes to who her real parents are. All Maya knows is that she has this weird paw print birthmark. She lives in a small town that is only occupied by people involved in this medical community. Strange things are starting to happen. Mountain lions are coming for visits. People are turning up dead. Maya is beginning to feel strange. It seems that this little medical community might have some hidden secrets of its own. 

The Selection

Cass, K.  The Selection. HarpersCollins Publisher, 2013. Digital. ISBN: 9780062059949

Thirty-five girls are selected for the chance of a lifetime. They get to compete for the chance to marry Prince Maxon. For America Singer, this chance is a hell on Earth. She has to live her family and the love of her life to compete for a guy she doesn’t even want. America soon learns that this gives her a platform to make some changes in the way the country is ran. She also realizes that Maxon isn’t as bad as she thought he was going to be. America is torn between what is right and what she wants.

This story is awesome! I honestly didn’t expect to like it at all, but it reminds me of a future version of The Bachelor. America and Maxon soon grab a hold of your heart and you start to truly root for them.

Chloe says, “It reminded me of Cinderella. Everyone loves the rags to riches story.”

Cruel Beauty

Hodge, R. Cruel Beauty. HarpersCollins Publisher. ,2015. E-Book  ISBN: 9780062224743

Nyx is caught in an unfortunate event. She has been set up for an arranged marriage ever since birth to the evil ruler of the kingdom. She has spent her entire life training to kill him. At seventeen she does the unthinkable and marries Ignifex, the evil ruler. Ignifex is not what she expected though. Nyx is finding that she is pulled to him. Can this really be the “evil ruler” that has placed her village under a curse 900 years? How does she choose between saving the village and saving her heart?

No One Needs to Know

Grace, Amanda. “No One Needs to Know.” Minnesota: Flux, 2014. Digital.

ISBN: 9780738740881 Price: $7.06

Review:

Olivia and Zoey both attend the same private school, but they couldn’t come from more different worlds. Olivia is a C student at best and her dad has funded half of the buildings at the school. Zoey is a scholarship kid and known as the school’s resident bad girl. Olivia and Zoey find out that not everything is as it appears. As they get closer and begin to share secrets while working on a school project, they realize that feelings neither expected are appearing and no one needs to know.

Fault in Our Stars

Green, John. “The Fault in Our Stars.” New York:  Penguin Books, 2012. Print.

ISBN:  978-0-14-24217-9  Price:  $12.99

Review:

Hazel Grace Lancaster is sixteen years old and has cancer. Augustus Waters is seventeen years old and his cancer is remission. Hazel and Augustus cross paths while attending a cancer support group. Hazel convinces Augustus to read her favorite book. Augustus becomes so enchanted with Hazel and her love for the book that he uses his wish to take Hazel to Amsterdam to meet with the author. Augustus and Hazel are inseparable, but unfortunately there is a fault in their stars.

The Raven Boys

Stiefvater, M. The Raven Boys. Scholastic, Inc. ,2013. E-Book  ISBN: 9780545424936

 Blue has spent every year with her psychic mom as figments of people that are soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue has never been able to see them until this year when she sees a boy. The boy speaks to her, and this is unheard of. Blue soon discovers that his name is Gansey, and he is one of the boys from the local private boarding school, Aglionby. These boys are referred to as The Raven Boys. She has been warned to stay away from them because they are nothing but trouble, but Blue finds her self strangely pulled to Gansey. She has been told her whole life that she will be the cause of her true loves death. Is this the beginning of the end? 

This book for me was okay. It was not spectacular, but it had some fun twists and turns. There were moments that felt like it dragged, and I just wanted something exciting to happen. It’s worth the read though once you get sucked in to it.

LeAnne says, “All I could think about was Gansey really her true love? He was kind of a jerk. It didn’t seem to work for me. “

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

 Bardugo, L. Shadow and Bone. Square Fish, 2013. ISBN-13: 9781250027436. E-book 2.99.

 The great nation of Ravka is being torn apart from a darkness unlike any other, the Shadow Fold. The monsters within this dark are ravishing the town and feeding on the villagers. There is only one person can save them and that is Alina Starkov. Alina has never been anyone special. She is just a normal girl, but when her best friend is hurt, she has a power emerge that she never knew existed. Alina is whisked off to the royal court to be trained by Grisha. She learns quickly though that not everything is as it appears.

 Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo is a great book. It meets every fantasy geeks needs. It has magic, battles, deaths, and shadow monsters. What more could you ask for in a fantasy novel?

More than Friends

Holbrook, Sara and Allan Wolf. More Than Friends: Poems from him and her. Honesdale, Pennsylvania: Wordsong , 2008. Hardback.  ISBN: 978155907855874

More Than Friends: Poems for him and her is a book of poems that are from the perspective of a teenage girl and boy. These poems cover every emotion that a teen goes through when trying to date in high school. Poems about how to respond when first noticing each other to meeting the parents touch on all the emotions good and bad.

This collection of poems by Sara Holbrook and Allan Wolf completely embody the feeling that every teenager go through. We have all experienced the embarrassing moments of trying to figure out how to react to the person that we like. Holbrook and Wolf don’t just approach the fun emotions though, they work through the hard ones about trying to figure out who you are while in a relationship. This book is a must read for all teens.

The Iron King

Kagawa, Julie. The Iron King. Harlequin, 2010. E-Book. $2.99

ISBN: 9780373210084

Meghan Chase has never felt like she belongs. She doesn’t know why, but when she turns 16 things begin to change. She starts seeing things that she shouldn’t, and she doesn’t know why. She learns that she is the daughter of a faery king. Meghan feels like she is being watched, and something is off with her brother. Her brother has been kidnapped and taken to the fey land. How far will she have to go to save him?

The Iron King books are amazing. These are not the faeries of the fairy-tales we grew up with. You are sure to love all the twists and turns. I can guarantee you if you read the first one you will have to read the rest of them.

LeAnne states, “This is not what Tinkerbell taught me. These faeries are crazy cool!”

Clockwork Angel

Clare, Cassandra. Clockwork Angel. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2010. Print (Hardcover).

ISBN: 9781416975861; Price: $24.99

Tessa Gray decides to leave England to head to the United States in search for her brother. When she arrives, she is quickly swept away and held captive by the Dark Sisters and forced to learn to use an ability she didn’t even know she had. Being forced into a marriage with the Magister, Tessa Gray is hopeless until Will Herondale comes to the rescue. Tessa is taken from an everyday mundane world and thrown into a world of Demons, Shadowhunters, and Witches all the while trying to decide between her feelings between Will and Jem.

The Clockwork Angel is a book that is filled with constant action, and just when you think you have the book figured out, you realize that it takes another twist. The Clockwork Angel really embodies the area of steampunk and thrives off of action. I would highly recommend this book as it is sure to pull you in and keep you wanting more.

Meredith, 13 year old, states, “This book has constant action. I don’t know who I want Tessa to end up with.”

Forever by Judy Blume

Blume, J. Forever. New York: Simon Pulse, 1975. ISBN-13: 978-1-4169-3400-4. Paperback. $8.99.

Katherine attends a party at a friend’s house like she has done multiple times before, but this one is different. Here she meets Michael and for some reason she can’t seem to let the idea of him go. Michael and Katherine see their relationship blossom and are excited to experience the full spectrum of what a relationship has to offer. Katherine and Michael feel that their love can never be compromised and will last forever, but a summer apart proves that forever may not be as long as they think.

Forever is a book that is best left for teens ages 15-18. Blume wrote this book in a time were teen sex was a taboo subject. A lot of authors in this time started writing books for the shock value and forgetting the story line, and Blume is no different. Everyone can relate to the feelings and urges that Blume writes about, but where is the story in the book? The book is purely about the sexual relationship between and lacks a true story.