Friday, January 16, 2009

Need
by Carrie Jones

Summary from amazon.com:
Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect lipsticks. Little wonder, since life’s been pretty rough so far. Her father left, her stepfather just died, and her mother’s pretty much checked out. Now Zara’s living with her grandmother in sleepy, cold Maine so that she stays “safe.” Zara doesn’t think she’s in danger; she thinks her mother can’t deal. Wrong. Turns out that guy she sees everywhere, the one leaving trails of gold glitter, isn’t a figment of her imagination. He’s a pixie—and not the cute, lovable kind with wings. He’s the kind who has dreadful, uncontrollable needs. And he’s trailing Zara.

I've read alot of the fantasy-faerie genre, and this book was a solid addition. But as this genre goes, Need could have introduced its supernatural aspects a little more smoothly. I found myself rereading pages, wondering how a straight-edge pacificist came up with pixies. But nonetheless, it was an interesting story with several interesting characters. I also wish the climax had been a bit more grande, but hey, pixies don't care.
I recommend for teen girls 12+. 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side
Beth Fantaskey

Summary from amazon.com:
The undead can really screw up your senior year . . . Marrying a vampire definitely doesn't fit into Jessica Packwood's senior year "get-a-life" plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he's her long-lost fiancĂ©. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire's Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius's soul from eternal destruction.

This book was a little bit rough in the beginning, but it got better. I mean, who's parents are willing to hand their adopted daughter over to a vampire? But though the characters were a bit weak at times, it was an overall good novel. The story was interesting, and was not too predictable. I can't stand the title though, it completely belies the plot.
I recommend it to teen girls 13+. 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Sweep #1: Book of Shadows
by Cate Tiernan

Morgan is a normal high school girl, and she has grown used to living in the shadow of her gorgeous, talented best friend Bree. But then Cal Blaire comes to Widow's Vale High. Cal finds instant popularity, and Morgan begins to fall for him, as does her best friend Bree.
Then Cal invites a bunch of kids to a party, which turns out to be a celebration of the Wiccan holiday Sabbat. Morgan is completely taken in by this new religion, and finds that strange things are happening to her, magykal things.
This was a great book. Very short, but with good characters and a more realistic view of adolescence than you often find. It also offers a realistic and non-discriminatory view of Wicca. I finished it wanting to know what happens next.
Four out of five stars. Recommended for teenage girls 12+.

Sunday, January 04, 2009

The Telling Pool
by David Clement-Davies

Rhodri Falcon is the son of a falconer and dreams to some day follow in his father's footsteps and become master falconer. But then destiny intervenes when a fortune teller tells him of strange things to come, and his father goes off to war. And when Owen, Rhodri's father, returns from the war broken and bitter, it is up to Rhodri to set things right. Can he find the answers he seeks in the mysterious Telling Pool?
This was a very good book. I'm a big fan of the author, who also wrote Firebringer and The Sight(highly recommend those!). The only downside of this book was its slight predictability, and it was a little juvenile for my taste. But it was a very good story with good, well developed characters. It kept me interested and I had to know what happened.
Recommended for guys and girls 12+. 4 out of 5 stars.