Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

Ok ok, this isn't a teen book. I've been branching out.

Although, to be fair, other than the swearing and the violence...and actually because of it...it's still ok.

Mercy Thompson is a shapeshifter living in the area of a werewolf pack. She's a mechanic who deals with vampires, witches, and the fae...along with those pesky werewolves. So when a new werewolf appears at her shop looking for work, she doesn't turn him away even though she thinks about it. Mac's a pretty good kid but it's apparent he's never been trained by an Alpha on his new abilities.

Then two men appear and try to take Mac with them. Mercy steps in at that point and kills the werewolf--something she shouldn't really be able to do. Before long, the whole werewolf pack is involved, their Alpha is down, and Mercy is up to her neck in all sorts of supernatural trouble.

An involved story with lots of twists and characters. Mercy is a great main character--full of spunk and sarcasm. There is some romance in the story, but not a lot--just overtones. I love books with some paranormal aspect, some romance, and a lot of kicking a**. This book has all three..in spades.

Soulbound:The Legacy of Tril by Heather Brewer

I got this book from Heather Brewer (yay) as an Advanced Reader's Copy. The book is going to be published in July.

I'm not going to say a lot about it, but I will a little. Because I enjoyed it so much.

First of all...it's the first in a new series by Brewer. I'm dying to read the 2nd book. I read the 1st one this morning. Yes, this morning. I couldn't put it down, and refused to until I had it read.

The basic story is this: The main character, Kaya, lives in a world that has Barrons, Healers, and the Unskilled. The Barrons are born with a fighting 'gene'--it makes them natural fighters. They are bonded with a Healer, someone born with the healing 'gene'--and Healers can bring Barrons back from the brink of death. The Unskilled are well, people who aren't born with one of these traits. Kaya is a Healer, but she's in hiding. Her parents broke the rules when they fell in love and got married--they're both Barrons. So when Kaya is discovered, she's threatened to either learn how to become a Healer or her parents will be imprisoned or killed. So she goes to the Shadow Academy. Healers are expected to learn some about healing, mostly about why they're suppose to follow their bonded Barrons around. Kaya wants to learn how to fight, which is forbidden.

This story has it all--action, adventure, intrigue, mystery, fantasy, and romance. I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. And I still can't!

So...go preorder it now. I'll wait here.

Wolf Mark by Joseph Bruchac

Luke has lived his whole life being prepared for something bad to happen. His parents have run through drills and safety measures "just in case" something goes wrong.

The day after Luke has a horrible nightmare in which he meets a creature known as Grue, his dad disappears. Following the clues his dad's left behind, Luke discovers his dad has been kidnapped and it's up to him to save his life.

Luke has been training for such an occurrence most of his life; he just never expected to have to do it alone. And while he gets most of his questions answered about their strange heritage, the mark on his hand, and why electronic devices don't work for him, he's left with just one mission. Find and save his dad. At any cost.

A fascinating read, it does wander at times. Luke is a great narrator, but even he admits he gets sidetracked easily. A lot. There is page after page of action, but the back story is also well-developed. This is a great werewolf novel from a Native American point of view. Highly recommended.

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Nailer works on light crew--crawling into the deep paths on the ships beached in the Gulf and pulling copper wires to cell. His life is hard and he almost dies more than once. He is afraid of getting too big to continue this job as well.

He and his friend Pima save a girl, Nita, whose father is very wealthy. Nailer's dad wants to ransom her, but Nailer just wants to get her to safety. So they run away.

On the run, they don't know who to trust. They'll have to start somewhere to survive.

A pretty good dystopia--has everything you'd want, including a little social commentary. Action, adventure, and danger to keep things moving.

Playing Dead by Tim Bowler

Blade has been hiding in London for a while, hiding from his past. It catches up to him though, in the form of thugs who are trying to capture him and make him pay. Blade is sure he can avoid them, but he'll have to leave London.

Then he meets Becky and gets tangled up in her life. Becky wants to escape the gang she belongs to--the same gang that beat Blade up before--and she wants Blade's help. What Blade doesn't expect is Becky isn't straight up with him. Not even a little. And the two of them end up kidnapping someone's kid because of it.

It took a long time to figure out what Blade is saying; the British slang is very heavy here. I wasn't really a fan of the story at all. Blade talks to the reader, like we're on the run with him, which is a nice device, but I found I didn't care too much. I'm sure I'm just an anomaly.

Five 4ths of July by Pat Raccio Hughes

Jake's first 4th of July happens in 1777, one year after the start of the Revolutionary War. He's with his buddies, swimming, joking, and having a good morning before having to go home to do chores. The war has started, yes, but it has no real impact on his life.

1778, little has changed. Jake's father decides on the 4th to enlist Jake in the militia, and Jake is angry at being forced. Things are changing, but even though the war has been going on for two years at this point, it means very little to Jake personally.

1779, all of that changes. The British attack New Haven, and Jake, who lives in East Haven, and his best friend Tim are in the middle of all the action. The Rebels run out of ammunition and have to retreat to a new post to keep fighting. Jake and Tim get separated from the rest of the militia but decide to protect Jake's father's ferry. They are captured and forced onto a prison ship.

1780 and 1781 find the boys completely different. Each 4th of July brings about new issues and torments. And all they think about is surviving to the next day.

A powerful novel. Each chapter is only about the 4th of July, but the narrator catches you up on what's happened in the past year. There is action and adventure here, but also brutal truths about war and about the Revolutionary War in particular. Very moving, and the author's notes at the end about the real people her characters were based on is appreciated.

Storm Runners by Roland Smith

Chase and his father run around the country ahead of natural disasters, helping people get ready and being there when they need to rebuild after. Since being struck by lightning, Chase's dad has a sixth sense about where things just might happen.

This time they're headed to Palm Breeze, Florida--or rather, Chase is. Chase's dad is headed to St. Petersburg, where he's sure the latest hurricane, Emily, will make landfall. Chase hopes his dad is right--otherwise he'll be too far away to do much good. The first day of school and Chase knows his father is wrong. Emily is headed right for Palm Breeze, no matter what the weather forecasters say. No one believes him, however, and he gets on the bus, knowing it's one of the most dangerous places to be during a storm.

He doesn't feel good about being right though. The hurricane hits as they're headed home and the bus driver has been taking shortcuts to get around all the traffic. Chase hopes he can help the others survive.

Short but action-packed. The book ends as the eye of the hurricane passes over Palm Breeze, so there is a sequel (The Surge), which comes out soon. I couldn't put this book down.

Rise of the Corpses by Ty Drago

The first in the Undertakers series.

Will is startled and extremely disgusted when he leaves his house one morning and stumbles upon his neighbor, Mr. Pratt. A very dead Mr. Pratt. Who is still walking around and talking, only Will can also hear his voice in his head. Will runs as fast as he can to get to the bus and away from what he assumes is a hallucination (a bad Pop-Tart perhaps?).

However, when he gets to school he's met with even more undead people. His math teacher. The assistant principal. A couple of janitors. He tries to control his panic, but it's hard. And they seem to realize he can see them. When they attack, Will tries to fight back and luckily is saved by Helene, a cute girl in his class. She fights them off and they escape. Helene tries to explain to Will what's happened, but they're followed everywhere by what she calls Corpses. Soon he's taken to Haven and the whole thing seems unreal. Apparently these beings have come to earth and inhabit dead bodies--but they can animate them for a time. And Will's father is the only adult anyone knows of that could see them for what they are. Which makes Will a big target for the Corpses--they want to study him. And kill the rest.

So...you might have some reluctant readers hesitate to pick up this book. It is pretty thick. The story moves fast for the most part--it could have used a little more editing before printing, but that seems to be the norm now. There is A LOT that goes on, even for the numerous pages. However, it was worth the reading. It's a good story with action, adventure, friendship, and discovering oneself. Not to mention alien beings invading dead bodies.

The Wild by Christopher Golden

This is the first book in the Secret Journeys of Jack London series.

Jack's 17 and definitely an adventurer. He's on his way to the Yukon River in Alaska, and the gold rush that's going on there. This trip isn't for the faint at heart--on the way to the river Jack comes across dead horses and men, and others who have already turned back. Jack meets two men on his way--Jim and Merritt--and the three spend the winter together, surviving and waiting for their chance to look for gold.

Things are not as they seem. Jack sees a wolf tracking him in the forest several times, and that wolf seems to save his life at different points during his journey. Jack, Jim, and Merritt are all captured by slavers and "pressed" into service, looking for gold. Their camp is attacked by a Wendigo--a supernatural beast. Jack survives, but barely, and is rescued by a forest sprite who also tries to imprison him. Jack has to use all of his wits and some desperate attempts to save his life.

The first in a series, some of the action is a little over the top. The characters aren't developed as much as the scenery and the action. I haven't read any of Jack London's books, so I may not see how alike or different they compare. The last half of the book went quickly. Getting there took a bit of work.

Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Benny lives in Mountainside, the only town he's ever really known. He was 18 months old when First Night happened--the night people started turning into zombies. His first memory is of his mother pushing him into his older brother Tom's arms and telling Tom to run while she faces their father--already a zombie. Benny has disliked his brother for being a coward and running away.

Now Benny's 15 and it's time for him to get a job or his rations will be cut. He tries a wide variety before deciding he might as well become Tom's apprentice. His first time in the Rot & Ruin (what they call the area outside the perimeter fence) is eye-opening. His brother calls himself a closure specialist, instead of bounty hunter like the others. His job is to find people who have been turned into zombies and to put them down. On their journey, Benny sees men he's always admired torturing zombies for fun. He knows he'll never be the same again.

But his lessons aren't over. Soon Benny's friend Nix is kidnapped and her mother murdered by the very bounty hunters Benny has always admired. And Benny and Tom know they must go out into the worst of the Rot & Ruin to find her. Before she's handed over to zombies for entertainment.

Utterly believable and well-executed. Benny can be annoying and frustrating at times--especially in the beginning, but that's on purpose. He does mature and grow as the book moves on, thankfully. Enough action, adventure, characterization, setting, danger, suspense, and a little romance to keep the pages moving. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Ok, so sidenote...I have been reading...just not updating the blog! So bear with me...we'll get there eventually!

So..on to Angelfire. Ellie suffers horrible nightmares every night. She doesn't understand what causes them, but she can't seem to avoid them.

Then she meets Will and her world gets even weirder. According to Will, Ellie's nightmares are memories from her past lives. Ellie is the Preliator, a human reincarnated with the ability to summon angelfire and kill dark reapers. She and Will have a lot of work cut out for them though, as Ellie missed one cycle of reincarnation and even with Will helping her, can't recall all of her memories yet. Their time is limited and precious.

The first in a trilogy, it has what every good paranormal romance should. Action, some (not a lot) romance, awakening powers, forbidden love, and destiny and fate. Add to that some angels, demons, and a good sword fight or two...I enjoyed it a lot!

Vesper by Jeff Sampson

Emily Webb has one leg out of her second story window when her best friend calls to tell her a classmate has been shot and killed not more than 3 blocks from Emily's house.

Shocked, Emily realizes just where she is..and what she's wearing. She has no memory of changing clothes or why she was climbing out her window. Unfortunately for her, this is only the first night this happens. Suddenly she's jumping from her second story window, chasing cars, beating up guys, and hitting on all the available guys in her path.

This is very unusual behavior for Emily. One she worries about. Why does it only happen at night? What causes it? Then another classmate is shot and Emily realizes she might be next.

This is the first in a series, so naturally, not everything is explained. Emily is on the hunt for a mate, which I could find almost offensive, but the rest of the story is interesting, and trying to figure out what's going on and what she'll do next keeps the book moving. I enjoyed the story, and I'm looking forward to the next one.

Worldshaker by Richard Harland

Col (or Colbert...) lives on a city ship known as Worldshaker. It's the year 1875 and he lives on one of the Upper Decks with his parents, sister, and baby brother. Col is selected to follow in his grandfather's footsteps and become the next commander.

As the successor, Col knows his actions must be above reproach. But he's already violated their basic rule by not turning in the Filthy who broke into his room. The Filthy--Riff--escaped from the officers forcing her to become a Menial and all she wants is to get back Below.

Col agrees to help her so he won't get caught. He doesn't know why he doesn't just turn her in, but he can't. They break into the lower decks and send her back Below. After she's gone, Col hopes life goes back to normal, but he can't help but think about her. And when it appears his peers are going to teach him a lesson, Col decides he needs her help to save his life.

While he realizes the danger in such a task, he doesn't realize the chain of events he'll start just by falling Below and surviving...

Action-packed and adventurous. Col is a likable, although naive, character. Riff is especially funny, but also a little naive. Col attempts to change the world and his trust in adults is frustrating and enduring at the same time. A great steampunk novel.

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Calla Tor is the newest alpha in her family. As such, she's given her own pack--the other wolves her age--to rule over. She is promised to Ren Laroche--the alpha in another pack--also her age. Together they'll form a new pack to help protect the Keepers. On their eighteenth birthday they'll be mated and set up in their own territory as Guardians.

Before that can happen, Calla saves a young man attacked by a bear. Defying the rules she's followed her entire life, she saves him by sharing her blood. Now he's showing up everywhere--at school and with the Keepers. Somehow, Shay has an important role to play, and Calla is asked to keep him under her wing. Unfortunately, she also starts falling for him, placing herself and her pack in danger. Especially when she learns the real reason he's been honored by the Keepers.

Will saving him condemn her to death?

Not a lot happens in this book. There will be another one, so this one really sets the scene. Calla follows rules and orders without questioning why, while Shay questions everything. While some of the scenes could have been shorter or cut out completely, anyone who is a fan of books like Twilight, Shiver, or Vampire Academy will be interested in this new addition.

Merchant of Death by D.J. MacHale

Bobby Pendragon is your typical 14-year old guy who loves to play basketball and is good at it too. On the night of the final game, Bobby is running late so by chance his Uncle Press finds him still at home.

Press tells him there are people who need his help and he won't take no for an answer. Thinking it would be faster to just go with Press before the game, Bobby agrees. Before he knows what's happening, he's traveling down a flume on his way to Denduron, a different territory and time than Earth.

With no answers (or uncle) as to what he's suppose to do or how, Bobby kind of stumbles into situation after situation. Life on Denduron is primitive--at least for the Milago, slaves to the Bedoowan. Not to mention running into another Traveler--Saint Dane--who is determined to have chaos and war at every turn.

Bobby is a likable character who fumbles with his destiny. He doesn't want anything to do with being a Traveler, but he learns he has little choice. The story is told in alternating parts--Bobby's journal which he sends back to his friends Mark and Courtney. Mark and Courtney's reactions are the other half of the story. Looking forward to reading the other 9! (Yes, I said 9!!)

Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams

Ingrid, thirteen, has a habit of zoning out while reading, ignoring math homework, and attempting to emulate her idol, Sherlock Holmes. So when she finds out Cracked-up Katie was murdered the same day Ingrid was at her house, she is unsure of what to do. Should she step forward to the police and tell them what she knows (not much)? Or should she try to find out more information?

Ingrid opts for more information, once again in the wrong place when she returns to the scene to get back her cleats. Now the police chief is suspicious, two men Ingrid knows are innocent sit in jail, and the real killer is still out there and knows about her investigation.

All this on top of practicing for an upcoming play Alice in Wonderland. What's a young Holmes to do?

Ingrid is a likable character with an interesting thought process. There is a little romance here as well, but most of the story is concentrated on figuring out who killed Katie Kovac and watching Ingrid figure out clues. A nail-biting ending concludes this story, but not the series--this is book 1!

Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson

I've been wanting to read this book since it came out, and I finally got a chance!

Alcatraz is prone to breaking things. Not like you and I would think--big things. In the first few pages, he breaks the stove and sets his foster mother's kitchen on fire! That kind of breaking things.

Then he gets a strange package filled with sand. An old man shows up, claiming to be his grandfather. Alcatraz doesn't believe him...not until another man appears with a gun and tries to shoot him and his grandfather.

Alcatraz soon learns he lives in a world controlled almost entirely by Librarians. The lands they control are called Hushland (like the United States). The Librarians control everything, including information. His ability to break things is actually his Talent--and a powerful one. He'll need it to break into the Librarian's headquarters (the Library) and steal back the sands they stole. He just needs a plan and a little help.

There is action and humor here. The author or narrator intervenes a lot with comments or sidebars as the book goes on, but it doesn't get too distracting.

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

So, I'm probably the only one who hasn't read the Alex Rider Adventures series yet, as I believe there are 8 now. Well, I've started now and I am ready to read the next in the series!

Stormbreaker sets up the story for the sequels to come. Alex lives with his uncle Ian, who is killed in a car accident late one night. The story the police give him and the housekeeper doesn't make any sense, and Alex is determined to learn the truth. When he sneaks into the junkyard and actually looks at his uncle's car, he knows he's right. The driver's side of the car is riddled with bullets. His uncle was murdered.

Alex has more secrets to learn. His uncle didn't actually work for a bank, but was a spy for MI6. His current assignment is to investigate Herod Sayle, who invented a new computer Stormbreaker and plans to distribute it to every school in England. This unusual generosity has MI6 worried and Ian Rider was to find out the truth.

Now that his uncle is gone, Alex has been asked (forced) to take over his mission. He is to infiltrate Sayle's headquarters and learn what's really going on. While he may learn the truth, the question becomes whether he can stay alive to tell someone about it.

Alex is a likeable and smart character, and the book is full of action, adventure, danger, and spying. While it seems a little unbelievable that a spy organization would hire a 15-year old to work for them, it works. I was thinking the books were a little bit more like a young James Bond, and while Alex is great at getting into impossibly sticky situations, it isn't exactly the case.

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Kendra and her brother Seth are sent to stay with their grandparents for a couple weeks while their parents are on a cruise. They don't know Grandma and Grandpa Sorenson very well, in fact, Grandma Sorenson isn't even at the house. Kendra and Seth are given full reign of the house and yard, but are told to stay out of the forest.

Of course, Seth can't help but wonder what's in the forest, and he wanders in one day. Kendra wonders at the giant butterflies and dragonflies in the yard, until she notices their odd behavior. They drink milk--so Seth and Kendra also try it. Turns out, their grandparents are the caretakers of Fablehaven--a sanctuary for mystical and magical creatures. And when Seth accidentally insults the fairies, everything dissolves into chaos. Grandpa Sorenson is kidnapped and it's up to Kendra and Seth to put aside their fears to save him.

The first in the series, there are a lot of things going on here. The point of view shifts a little at the beginning of the book, but the story distracts from that. The whole book is part mystery, part fantasy, and part realistic fiction. Kendra and Seth are well developed and likable. An excellent first book in a series.

Clockwork Angel, book 1 of Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

Tessa Gray crossed the Atlantic to join her brother in England. Instead of her brother Nathaniel, she's met and kidnapped by the Dark Sisters. They torture her into learning how to use her shape-shifting power, using her brother as bait. She learns their plan of preparing her for someone named the Magister, who plans on marrying her.

Before she can save herself, Tessa is rescued by William, a Shadowhunter. Shadowhunters hunt down the Downworlders who harm humans. Tessa is taken to the London Institute where she learns the Downworlders are beings like vampires, demons, and warlocks who thrive on certain humans--her brother being one of those humans. Tessa is determined to find her brother and rescue him, hopefully with the Shadowhunters' help.

As details unravel and the enemy becomes clear, Tessa may be making some hard decisions.

The first in a new trilogy, I couldn't put it down. This is a prequel series to Clare's Mortal Instruments series, which I haven't read yet. The story is well-written, characters fleshed out, and the plot is exciting. Lots of vivid action, setting, and plot to keep anyone happy. It is more in historical fiction, but that shouldn't stop anyone from picking up this great story.