The Red Fox Clan

The Red Fox Clan by John Flanagan, 346 pages

“Picking up where The Royal Ranger: A New Beginning left off, this next installment continues the story arc featuring young apprentice, Maddie, and the student-turned-master, Will Treaty. The time has come for the next generation to assume the mantle and become protectors of the kingdom of Araluen. After passing her third-year assessment as a ranger's apprentice, Maddie is called home to Castle Araluen. Forced to keep her ranger training a secret, Maddie feels trapped by the monotony of castle life and longs to find a way out. But there are whisperings of a new threat to the kingdom. The mysterious Red Fox Clan, a group of anarchists all donning fox masks, have threatened Castle Araluen and question Princess Cassandra and Madelyn's succession to the throne. Will they succeed in unseating Cassandra and Madelyn and take the throne for themselves?”  I love this author and this series is as great as everything else he has written.  Teens who like adventure and fantasy or just a really good story will love these books.

The Caldera

The Caldera by John Flanagan, 414 pages

“The Herons take to the high seas to fend off pirates and rescue the heir to an empire in the newest adventure from John Flanagan, author of the worldwide bestselling Ranger's Apprentice! Includes BONUS content--a brand-new Ranger's Apprentice short story featuring fan-favorites Will and Maddie! In Hallasholm, Stig is contesting the annual Maktig competition to decide Skandia's greatest warrior. But a late-night knock on the door brings someone Stig never expected to see again, along with a request the Herons are hard-pressed to refuse: a rescue mission of epic proportions. Across the ocean, the southern city-state of Byzantos is plagued by a crew of pirates who've kidnapped the son of Empress Justina. Slipping out of Hallasholm under the cover of darkness, the brotherband sets sail to recover the boy from his kidnappers, heading south to the island of Santorillos where a near-impenetrable fortress stands atop a cliff, surrounded by a lagoon--a caldera--formed by the crater of a volcano. In this explosive seventh book in the action-packed Brotherband Chronicles, the Herons battle pirates amid stormy seas as the fate of an empire rests on their shoulders.”  This story is fantastic, as usual.  Anyone who likes adventure stories needs to read these.  Really anyone, especially teens, should read these anyway.  Everything that Flanagan writes is amazing.

Pantheon

Pantheon by Hamish Steele     179 pages

From Goodreads:

The most important myth in Ancient Egypt is faithfully retold in glorious black and white! Horus, son of Isis, vows bloody revenge on his Uncle Set.

Review:

A comic of Egyptian mythology told with dirty humor and violent imagery. This is a fun, quick read and you don't have to know anything about Egyptian mythology to enjoy it.

Good Omens

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman     412 pages

According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner.

So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon—both of whom have lived amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle—are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture.

And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist . . . 

This was an interesting read - it took me a while to get into it and get used to the format of the book. If you're not a fan of constantly switching pov, then you might want to skip this, because there is a large cast of characters and many of them get at least a little portion of the text from their perspective. In this way, it was a bit tricky remembering people as you read the book, especially if they were just a minor character and they popped up early in the book and many not again until much later. In this way, I think the movie of this book might actually be a better format for this kind of story. It will be easier to remember characters, for one, but also the humor that Pratchett and Gaiman employ might come off better told from actual people than being read on a page. The humor was another thing that made it difficult for me to absolutely love this book. I guess since I'm not British, some of the humor just went over my head. Also, because I'm not as familiar with certain customs or companies that were either real and mentioned or parodied, it didn't come off as funny to me, per say. There were also lots of references and playing off of Biblical subject matter, and since I did not grow up learning Biblical subject matter, a lot more might have gone over my head. However, there were some pretty funny bits and I did enjoy a good portion of the book. All in all, it was fun read, but it didn't roll along easily for me. I definitely read it in chunks. I would recommend it, but only to people who I think this humor would go over well with.

Scarlett Hart Monster Hunter

Scarlett Hart Monster Hunter by Marcus Sedgewick, 192 pages

“Finding herself at odds with her parent's old nemesis Count Stankovic, Scarlett Hart sets out to disocver why more monsters are manifesting than ever before.” As graphic novels go this one wasn’t bad.  I  have liked others better.  I think that the subject matter really wasn’t my thing, but I liked the characters, especially Scarlett herself, and I think that kids who like graphic novels would enjoy it.

Trouble Makes A Comeback

Trouble Makes A Comeback by Stephanie Tromly, 298 pages

“Now that the infuriating and irresistible Philip Digby has left town for a lead on his sister who disappeared years ago, Zoe Webster is looking forward to a quiet spring semester. She's dating a cute quarterback, hanging out with new friends, and enjoying being "a normal." Which is of course when Digby comes back. He needs Zoe's help, and not just to find his sister. Zoe can either choose to stay on her current path toward popularity, perfect SAT scores, and Princeton, or she can take a major detour with Digby, and maybe find out what that kiss he stole from her really meant. Digby and his over-the-top schemes always lead somewhere unexpected and Zoe's beginning to learn she might just like jumping into the unknown. When it comes to Digby, for Zoe at least, the choice might already be made.” This was a fun sequel.  I wouldn’t recommend reading this before the first book but teens who like humorous action stories will love the series.

The Hollow Boy

TheHollow Boy by Jonathan Stroud, 385 pages

“As a massive outbreak of supernatural Visitors baffles Scotland Yard and causes protests throughout London, Lockwood & Co. continue to demonstrate their effectiveness in exterminating spirits. Anthony Lockwood is dashing, George insightful, and Lucy dynamic, while the skull in the jar utters sardonic advice from the sidelines. There is a new spirit of openness in the team now that Lockwood has shared some of his childhood secrets, and Lucy is feeling more and more as if her true home is at Portland Row. It comes as a great shock, then, when Lockwood and George introduce her to an annoyingly perky and hyper-efficient new assistant, Holly Munro. Meanwhile, there are reports of many new hauntings, including a house where bloody footprints are appearing, and a department store full of strange sounds and shadowy figures. But ghosts seem to be the least of Lockwood & Co.'s concerns when assassins attack during a carnival in the center of the city. Can the team get past their personal issues to save the day on all fronts, or will bad feelings attract yet more trouble?” Stroud’s books are always fantastic.  This series is very good.  Teens who like science fiction, supernatural, and action adventure stories need to read it.

Jim At The Corner

Jim At The Corner by  Eleanor Farjeon, 86 pages

“Eight-year-old Derry listens as an old sailor tells him stories of his adventures at sea.” This is a sweet old-fashioned story.  It will appeal to kids who like those kinds of books.

Curious Minds

Curious Minds by Janet Evanovich, 323 pages

“Emerson Knight is introverted, eccentric, and has little to no sense of social etiquette. Good thing he's also brilliant, rich, and (some people might say) handsome, or he'd probably be homeless. Riley Moon has just graduated from Harvard Business and Harvard Law. Her aggressive Texas spitfire attitude has helped her land her dream job as a junior analyst with mega-bank Blane-Grunwald. At least Riley Moon thought it was her dream job, until she is given her first assignment: babysitting Emerson Knight. What starts off as an inquiry about missing bank funds in the Knight account leads to inquiries about a missing man, missing gold, and a life-and-death race across the country. Through the streets of Washington, D.C., and down into the underground vault of the Federal Reserve in New York City, an evil plan is exposed. A plan so sinister that only a megalomaniac could think it up, and only the unlikely duo of the irrepressibly charming Emerson Knight and the tenacious Riley Moon can stop it.” This is a fun, light-hearted humorous, adventure romance.  Fans of the genre will enjoy it, but I think that Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series is a little better than this one.

Reawakened

Reawakened by Colleen Houck, 393 pages

When seventeen-year-old Lilliana Young enters the Metropolitan Museum of Art one morning during spring break, the last thing she expects to find is a live Egyptian prince with godlike powers, who has been reawakened after a thousand years of mummification. And she really can't imagine being chosen to aid him in an epic quest that will lead them across the globe. But fate has taken hold of Lily, and she, along with her sun prince, Amon, must travel to the Valley of the Kings, raise his brothers, and stop an evil, shape-shifting god named Seth from taking over the world. I’ve enjoyed other books by the author more than this but this book wasn’t bad.  I’m interested enough to want to read the other books.  Her books combine fantasy and historical elements.  The biggest problem for me is that I thought the characters were a little flat.  There are teens that will really enjoy these, especially if they have any interest in ancient Egypt.

Ghostfaces

Ghostfaces by John Flanagan, 383 pages

“From John Flanagan, author of the worldwide bestselling Ranger's Apprentice, comes a brand-new chapter in the adventures of young Skandians who form a different kind of family—a brotherband. When the Brotherband crew are caught in a massive storm at sea, they're blown far off course and wash up on the shores of a land so far west that Hal can't recognize it from any of his maps. Eerily, the locals are nowhere in sight, yet the Herons have a creeping feeling they are being watched. Suddenly the silence is broken when a massive, marauding bear appears, advancing on two children. The crew springs into action and rescues the children from the bear's clutches, which earns them the gratitude and friendship of the local Mawagansett tribe, who finally reveal themselves. But the peace is short-lived. The Ghostfaces, a ruthless, warlike tribe who shave their heads and paint their faces white, are on the warpath once more. It's been ten years since they raided the Mawagansett village, but they're coming back to pillage and reap destruction. As the enemy approaches, the Herons gear up to help their new friends repel an invasion. In this sixth book in the action-packed Brotherband Chronicles, the Herons find themselves in unfamiliar lands and prepare for battle with a ruthless, unknown enemy.” Flanagan can’t write enough books to satisfy me.  He’s an incredible storyteller and a great writer.  His books are great for boys but girls will love them too.  This is part of the second series he’s written.  The books are better read in series order.

Nimona

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson     266 pages

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are.

But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.

A fun sci-fi/fantasy comic about a "villain" and his quest to take down the Institution, an organization that has nefarious dealings and for which his used-to-be-best-friend works. When he's joined by Nimona, a shape-shifter who wants to become his side-kick, things might be turning around for Ballister. But Nimona turns out to be more than she seems and chaos ensues. I enjoyed the humorous dialogue between Ballister and Nimona and the "rivalry" between Ballister and Ambrosius (All the character names are hilarious and trope-y). The humor was helpful in balancing out the otherwise dark themes that come up within the story (and the slippery slope of "murder" is addressed, which I appreciated). The coloring was vivid and one of the reasons that attracted me to the book, though I'm not as big a fan of the drawing style as I hoped (though I'm a bit picky on that score, so what doesn't work for me might be satisfactory or very enjoyable to other readers). Suffice to say, it worked well with the style of the book and the characters were distinct from each other. Overall, I'd give this a medium rating, only because I didn't love it, but I had a good time reading it. It would be something I would recommend to those fond of fantasy, especially where it blends with science fiction. The humor was on point and the story is short enough to be enjoyed in one sitting. Definitely for middle-school through teen and young adult readers due to the violence depicted in the story.

The Hate U Give

The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas     444 pages

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil's name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does or does not say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

This is a read that reflects the troubles of our modern times, including racial profiling, injustice, and police brutality. It was a hard read, but I am glad I did read this book. It's important to understand and to reflect on the words of those closest to these troubles, to listen and to think of ways to be a part of the solution, not the problem.

I think teens will get the most out of this novel - it speaks with a teen voice and the characters people-ing it are mostly teens. This is there story and it is a powerful one.

I think for her first novel, Thomas did very well. The story is compelling, its characters are well-rounded people who feel like they could be out in the world, living there lives right now. I appreciate that the story ends on a hopeful note, even as it challenges the reader to continue to fight: your voice is your weapon - use your weapon.

I listened to the audiobook of this story and it is read well. I very much enjoyed listening to it.

Mr. Lemoncello's Great Library Race

Mr. Lemoncello's Great Library Race by Chris Grabenstein     288 pages

Everyone's favorite game maker, Mr. Lemoncello, is testing out his new FABULOUS FACT-FINDING FRENZY game! If Kyle can make it through the first round, he and the other lucky finalists will go on a great race--by bicycle, bookmobile, and even Mr. Lemoncello's corporate banana jet!--to find fascinating facts about famous Americans. The first to bring their facts back to the library will win spectacular prizes! But when a few surprising "facts" surface about Mr. Lemoncello, it might be GO TO JAIL and LOSE A TURN all at once! Could Kyle's hero be a fraud? It's winner take all, so Kyle and the other kids will have to dig deep to find out the truth before the GAME is OVER for Mr. Lemoncello and his entire fantastic empire!

Another great installment in the Lemoncello series. This book centers on research and knowing how to search for and find information, all wrapped up in the thrill of a race with high stakes. Kyle and friends are about to find out amazing facts about some incredible figures in history: Abraham Lincoln, Emily Dickinson, Thomas Edison, Michael Jordan, etc. What do all these figures have in common? They've failed, but kept on working hard until they succeeded. 

I love how Grabenstein includes valuable information, like how to do research and how to use libraries for research, within his stories. The Lemoncello series shows just how useful and fun libraries can be and, as a librarian myself, I appreciate that. The fact that this book and the others in the series can be about such mundane activities as research and still be fun and full of adventure is a credit to Grabenstein's writing. I especially enjoyed the inclusion of different cultural backgrounds in this one. It was done in a very natural and everyday way. 

I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a fun, quick read or those who have read the previous Lemoncello books.

Red

Redby Liesl Shurtliff, 243 pages

"Followed by a wolf, a huntsman, and a porridge-sampling nuisance called Goldie, Red embarks on a quest to find a magical cure for her ailing grandmother."  I really enjoy retold fairy tales and this book was no exception.  Red’s character was fascinating and hearing the snippets of other people’s tales throughout the main story was also a lot of fun.  This is the third installment in this collection and I hope there will be more.  Any child who likes fairy tale retellings will want to check out these books.

Origin

Origin  by Dan Brown   456 pages

Robert Langdon returns in another highly-charged escapade that follows what-has-become a customary script: The professor, thrown into a harrowing situation that requires intimate knowledge of codes, is partnered with a beautiful woman with troubles of her own, both of whom dash about a foreign city, running from the law in spite of being the good guys, and solving the science-versus-technology dilemma within the prescribed 24 hours. To say nothing of the Mickey Mouse watch. The plots may be predictable, and people poo-poo Brown’s writing style, but I enjoy his books.

The quest to find the answers to the two fundamental questions of human existence originates in Bilboa, Spain, and ends in Barcelona. This publisher’s synopsis…

Navigating the dark corridors of hidden history and extreme religion, Langdon and Vidal must evade a tormented enemy whose all-knowing power seems to emanate from Spain’s Royal Palace itself... and who will stop at nothing to silence Edmond Kirsch. On a trail marked by modern art and enigmatic symbols, Langdon and Vidal uncover clues that ultimately bring them face-to-face with Kirsch’s shocking discovery... and the breathtaking truth that has long eluded us.

… is more dramatic than the actual story. This book was different than the other Langdon stories in that there wasn’t the extensive background history or theoretical explanations to support the premise of the story; there was also a notable lack of symbolism and iconography compared to the character’s previous experiences. Not to say that the plot was dumbed down, but I figured out ‘who done it’ well before the book’s conclusion. Still a pleasure to read!

Posted By:   Regina C. 

Six of Crows

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo     465 pages

Set in the Grisha verse, Bardugo's story involves a heist, the highest stakes, and six very different people to pull it off. The job is to break into one of the most secure prisons in the world and rescue a certain prisoner, who holds the key to creating the worlds most dangerous drug for Grisha. Though very different from each other, each of the six main characters offers a special skill that will allow the group to potentially succeed in this mission. The stakes are high but the price is right.

Better and more interesting main characters than Bardugo's previous series. I'm glad to see the Grisha verse again, and finally with characters that are actually interesting and that I care about from Bardugo (thank goodness there are no Alina and Mal look-alikes in this book). 

The story is well crafted, the heist is exciting, the components all fit together nicely and Bardugo uses multiple pov to great effect in this area. The heist elements are nicely pared with the Grisha world and the stakes seemed real and important.

I guess my only hang up is that there are six main characters and, from what I can see, there will be six neat little pairs by the end of this series. I can understand one, maybe two bonds being formed amongst this group, but for all six of them to wind up in relationships seems so far-fetched and silly, but I guess I should expect it from Bardugo because she really likes nice, tidy romance endings. The pairing I find least believable is the one that seems to be forming between Jesper and Wylan. Their flirting feels a bit clumsy and last minute, but I guess Bardugo chose to have three couples rather than one solid couple and a love triangle. 

We'll see how things shake out in the next book, but I feel like this particular installment is very strong and I'd hate to see this short series go the way of Bardugo's previous series and fumble in the ending.

Survivor Diaries: Overboard!

Survivor Diaries: Overboard by Terry Lynn Johnson    112 pages

This is the third book in author Terry Lynn Johnson’s “Survivor Diaries” series. All the books have the same tagline: “Stay Calm. Stay Smart. Survive.”

In this short book, Johnson uses fictional characters to make what could be a dull story into an exciting adventure that left me cheering for the main protagonist.

Travis and his family are going whale-watching off the coast of Washington. The voyage is interesting, mainly because the captain has a daughter, Maria, about Travis’s age whom he finds cute.  He stays close by her during the voyage.

When a whale attacks the ship, Travis and Maria are thrown overboard. In the chaos, they can’t locate the boat. Luckily, Maria knows her stuff and helps Travis navigate the frigid waters.

A wonderful combination of fiction and nonfiction makes for fascinating reading, and readers of any age can learn how to survive in water. Survivor Diaries: Overboard receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

A Distant Heart

A Distant Heart by Sonali Dev     352 pages

Her name means “miracle” in Sanskrit, and to her parents, that’s exactly what Kimaya is. The first baby to survive after several miscarriages, Kimi grows up in a mansion at the top of Mumbai’s Pali Hill, surrounded by love and privilege. But at eleven years old, she develops a rare illness that requires her to be confined to a germ-free ivory tower in her home, with only the Arabian Sea churning outside her window for company. . . . Until one person dares venture into her world.

Tasked at fourteen-years-old with supporting his family, Rahul Savant shows up to wash Kimi’s windows, and an unlikely friendship develops across the plastic curtain of her isolation room. As years pass, Rahul becomes Kimi’s eyes to the outside world—and she becomes his inspiration to better himself by enrolling in the police force. But when a life-saving heart transplant offers the chance of a real future, both must face all that ties them together and keeps them apart.

In reality, I'd give this 2 1/2 stars. It was okay. As far as romances go, this was just barely one. For most of the book the two leads infuriatingly danced the "will they/won't they" while all the while being either oblivious or infuriatingly misunderstanding everything. 

So, the formatting of this book, with two chapters spent in the present, one from each of the main character perspectives, then two chapters set in the past, one each from the main character perspectives, is very tiring. It slows the advancement of the story way down. And the past seems almost no different from the present - it's just full of examples of how Kimi and Rahul continuously get angry/sad/hurt by each other's actions then make up because they're such! good! friends! Well, the present is more of the angry/sad/hurt brooding, with little to no talking about their feelings and a lot of internal monologues about how "this time, it's for real, I won't be in love with them anymore. I've drawn my line in the sand and I need to stop looking/touching/thinking about them." As a reader, you have to wade through all the "past" chapters to find out what it is "this time," that has them at odds with each other. The only reason why I wanted to finish this book was because I wanted to know what that reason was. It was as expected. Very cliched, to say the least about it.

A Tyranny Of Petticoats

A Tyranny Of Petticoats edited by Jessica Spotswood, 354 pages

“Crisscross America -- on dogsleds and ships, stagecoaches and trains -- from pirate ships off the coast of the Carolinas to the peace, love, and protests of 1960s Chicago. Join fifteen of today's most talented writers of young adult literature on a thrill ride through history with American girls charting their own course. They are monsters and mediums, bodyguards and barkeeps, screenwriters and schoolteachers, heiresses and hobos. They're making their own way in often-hostile lands, using every weapon in their arsenals, facing down murderers and marriage proposals. And they all have a story to tell.” I liked every single story in this book, although I definitely had a couple of favorites.  I love historical fiction and the stories in this collection were pretty impressive.  My favorite was probably High Stakes, which combined some fantasy with the history, and The Legendary Garrett Girls.  Both stories had a sense of the antagonist getting what they deserved in the end, which I love.  Teens who like historical fiction would enjoy this collection.