12 Things to Do Before You Crash & Burn by James Proimos

Hercules' father dies and his mom sends him to stay with his uncle Anthony in Baltimore.

Herc is sure the two weeks at his uncle's will be boring beyond belief.  The train ride looks promising when he sits by a really hot girl.  When she leaves a book behind, Herc is determined to find her to return it.

His uncle also has a plan.  Herc is to accomplish a task each day he's visiting, in order to keep him busy.  He can't blieve it--but when he does the first task by accident and the day works out, he decides it can't hurt to try the rest.

A very short novel.  The story isn't bad and there's enough to keep you entertained.

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.

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.

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 Haunting of Charles Dickens by Lewis Buzbee

Meg's older brother Orion has been missing for six months. This, on top of her mother's death a few years ago, has broken their family. Meg's father goes through the motions, her aunt tries to help out as she can, and Meg is determined no one else in their family will disappear. She wants to know what happened to Orion, but doesn't know where to start.

One night she sees a strange light from Satis House, long abandoned. Too curious to stay home, Meg climbs over the rooftops of the nearby houses to investigate that strange light. What she finds is a fake seance and an old friend--Charles Dickens. They both spy on the seance, where Meg is astonished to find her brother Orion! Unable to signal him before he leaves, Meg is determined more than ever to find him.

Thus begins Meg and Mr. Dickens' adventure into the seedier side of London. The two follow clues and sightings to the underbelly of London and the child labor which keeps the city going. Their journey is full of peril and more than once, Mr. Dickens' fame as The Great Man gets them out of trouble. Or brings it down upon them.

An engrossing tale. There are hints of Dickens' work throughout, although if you aren't familiar with them it doesn't hurt the story at all. Dickens himself was a proponent of ending child labor, which he often wrote about. A great historical fiction.

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.

Nomansland by Lesley Hauge

Keller is a Novice Tracker. She lives in FoundLand, a country of all women. The world has changed, and while a few items of the Old People exist, most of them are gone. The materials from the Old People must be purged from their area, to avoid the catastrophe which caused the earth's destruction so many years ago.

But Laing finds a hidden cave of forbidden items and Keller can't stay away. The more she tries to resist, the more often she risks getting caught. The more she learns about the Old People, the less she believes what she's always been told.

An interesting premise. I enjoyed the story and Keller is a likable character. A few characters were not so fleshed out, but it didn't detract from the story. Lots of questioning authority and adventure, along with human nature.

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.

As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins

Picture this. You decide to go to camp in Montana (you live in Wisconsin). On the train you open up a piece of mail from said camp to learn the camp is not going to be open when you get there. Your train breaks down. In an attempt to get a cell phone signal to call home, you get off the train, despite being told not to. While you are trying to call home, the train is fixed and starts to move. Without you.

Now what?

Well, if you're Ry, you walk to the nearest town (hours away). You meet a friendly man Del who offers to drive you back to Wisconsin. Meanwhile, your grandfather (who's staying at your house in Wisconsin) takes the dogs for a walk and falls into a pit in the woods. And your parents, on their first vacation in forever in the Caribbean, leave their cell phone on a volcano.

What other option does Ry have but to find his parents and his grandfather?

A good book, although some suspension of disbelief is necessary. Ry is a great character, flawed but not too much. He's the main story, although his grandfather, his parents, and even the dogs get a chapter or two here and there. A good road trip and adventure story.

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!!)

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.

Crave by Laura Burns & Melinda Metz

Shay has a rare blood disease that leaves her weak all the time. She can usually have three good days a week where she can make it through school and normal activities. But Shay is tired of being "The Sick Girl".

Then her doctor--and stepfather--says he has a new blood transfusion to try. Shay is shocked with the results. She feels powerful. But the blood wears off quickly, leaving her needing transfusions more often. Along with the new blood come visions of someone named Gabriel, with whom Shay becomes enraptured.

Of course, when she discovers Gabriel is real, she does what she can to save him as her world is completely turned upside down.

But can she trust him?

This is not a typical vampire romance story, although all the elements are there. The reader might realize what Shay is before anyone else reveals the truth (I had my suspicions the whole time). The ending suggests a definite sequel. I enjoyed the story,especially with Shay sharing Gabriel's memories through his blood.

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.

13 to Life by Shannon Delany

Jessie can't believe she's been assigned to show new boy Pietr around their school. It's the last thing she wants, especially since Pietr can't seem to stand her, and every girl in the school is trying to climb all over him. She tries everything she can to stay away from him, while he's just as determined to stick around.

Pietr, however, has a big secret. And after learning about hers, he can't help but feel drawn to her more than ever.

A great love story. Jessie is believable and sarcastic. Her falling for Pietr is kind of predictable, as is their romance. That doesn't make it any less entertaining or page-turning. The rest of the plot really picks up at the end, making way for a possible series. (There will at least be a sequel)

Vampire Rising: Alex Van Helsing by Jason Henderson

I believe this is the first book in the Alex Van Helsing series.

Alex has been sent to yet another boarding school after an incident at the last one. As he's walking through the woods one night (yeah, he breaks the rules sometimes), he hears a scream. He finds a dead body and what appears to be a vampire. Not sure how, he stakes her and watches as she turns to dust. Convinced he was hallucinating, he returns to school and what he hopes is his sanity.

No such luck. Alex starts to wonder if the stories about Van Helsing are true. And if there really are vampires, is he destined to fight them? His friends are kidnapped and he knows he has no choice in the matter. He must charge into the lair of the vampires to save his friends.

An interesting premise and story. The story does waiver a little, but the action is solid and pretty believable. No romance here, just vampire hunting and plenty of it!

The Compound by S.A. Bodeen

Eli and his family have lived in the Compound for the past six years, right after a nuclear attack on the United States. There was no time to wait for Gram or for Eddy, Eli's twin brother. Eli's response is to pull back from everyone and try to survive without getting attached to anyone else. They have another 8 years before they can think about leaving.

But things aren't going well. They are running out of food, and Eli can't stomach the idea of his dad's solution. His mom is pregnant again, the vegetable garden is dying, and Eli's dad is acting crazy. Then Eli finds a wireless connection. Soon he questions whether there was an nuclear attack at all--especially when he finds out Eddy is still alive.

Crazy paranoid but fantastic book. I enjoyed the character development and although I'm not surprised at the ending, I thought it worked with the book.

Never After by Dan Elconin

Ricky has been dreaming about The Island for a few nights now, so when Peter appears in his room one night, he figures a short visit couldn't hurt. He's been thinking about running away anyway.

When Ricky gets to The Island, he realizes Peter has no intention of letting him go back home. Ever. Chained up underground, Ricky has no hope of escape--until he's rescued by Alex, Hooke, Nigel, and Oscar. Oscar is captured in the process, so Ricky repays the favor by rescuing her. Together, the group plans on capturing Peter with one goal in mind--getting off The Island.

But they didn't realize Hooke just may have his own plans.

An interesting twist on the Peter Pan legend. Peter is the bad guy here, and you know that from almost the start. There are no adults and no ship on The Island. Lots of action and humor--I was laughing out loud with some of the jokes and pranks the boys played on each other.