Kay, so this week you get a vampire book. It's fairly good as far as vampire books go, though it's pretty stereotypical. Very quick read, too; it took me all of two hours to finish it. And without further ado... The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod by Heather Brewer.
Vladimir Tod, or Vlad, is sick of being an eighth grader. Bullies harass him constantly for being the pale, "goth" kid, he is constantly being overshadowed by his more popular best friend, and the girl he likes seems to prefer the aforementioned friend more. To top it all off, he has to deal with nocturnal tendencies, sunblock, and strange cravings. Yep, Vlad's a vampire. Or, half-vampire, anyway. His mother was human and his father was a vampire. As far as he knows, he's the only half-vampire in existence. He lives with his aunt after his parents were killed in a freak accident a few years ago. Right now, all he's doing is trying to live as normal a life as possible. That plan's interrupted when one of his teachers goes missing and is replaced by a strange substitute, Mr.Otis. When Mr.Otis starts questioning him a little too closely, Vlad is worried his secret might just get out. That's not even the worst of his worries, though; someone is hunting and killing in his town and he's sure it's the work of a vampire. To top it all off, it seems the vampire is hunting him.
Soo, a short review for a short book. It's primary age range is middle school to low high school, and could work for a girl or guy. It was fairly funny, too, so I'd suggest reading it. It's really small, so ya got nothing to lose. It's over at Kettleson or Mt. Edgecumbe.
Okay, my first comment about this book is that it was very hyped up. There are blurbs all across the back from big authors, and a blurb on the front from Tamora Pierce (heehee... blurbs). These were my main motivation to read it, even though I wasn't quite sure about the description.
Rest assured, this book totally lived up to the hype. I was really glad I'd read it, and can't wait for the next book in this series. Here ya go, The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson.
Once every century, a person is chosen and destined to do a great service. Elisa is one of these chosen ones, marked at birth when a Godstone lodged itself in her navel--signifying that sometime in her life she would perform a heroic deed willed by God.
But, as the younger of two sisters in the royal family of Orovalle, she can't imagine that she'll ever do anything special. Her perfect older sister is the one inheriting the crown, and she has no idea what lies in her future.Having been protected and sheltered all her life, she's not prepared when a political treaty causes her marriage to King Alejandro de Vega at sixteen. Now she's being sent off to be the queen of a nearby country, but she notices something is amiss. First, their caravan was attacked on their journey to her new husband's country, then when they arrive Alejandro wants to keep their marriage and her status as the bearer of the Godstone secret. Things are tense at his court, anticipating the threat of war on the horizon from the encroaching Invierne. Then, when Elisa is kidnapped in the dead of night, she finds herself swept up on a journey of terror, adventure, enlightenment, and unlikely courage. She learns that the war with Invierne is closer than they thought, and that she must step up to lead resistance against the brutal Inviernos. And, in the end, will she be able to perform her great Service? Or will she be killed in the process?
After all, most of the chosen do.
This is a very satisfying fantasy book. The main character is uniquely memorable, and is set apart from other regular fantasy heroines. The plot is very carefully crafted, and the settings are vivid. I was a little skeptical about this book in the first chapter, but stuck with it and was thoroughly rewarded. Very worth reading! Perfect for any age. Go check it out at Kettleson.
Okay, I know there's a good chance that you've already read this one. Sadly, I've only just now gotten around to reading it. If you have read it, well obviously you have no need for the review. If you haven't, well that's what I'm here to convince you to do. Believe me, it's well worth it. It's definitely going to be added to my collection. Anyway, here's City of Bones by Cassandra Clare.
When fifteen-year-old Clary witnesses a murder by three tattooed teenagers in a nightclub one night in New York City, she thinks about calling the police. The only problem is, the body immediately disappears into thin air and no one can see the teenagers except her. Strange? I think yes. Things get even stranger--and scarier--when she goes home to find her mother missing and a horrific demon ransacking the place. Terrified and seeking answers, she encounters Jace-- a Shadowhunter, and one of the killers from the club. Legend says that the first Shadowhunters were born from the mixed blood of angels and men, and were born to fight the demons who threatened to wreak havoc on the earth. That's what they've always done. Anyway, Jace introduces her to others like him, and the world of the Shadowhunters. Unknown to humans, faeries inhabit Central Park, werewolves prowl the streets, and vampires ride demonically-powered motorbikes. Over this comes a threat to plunge this into chaos: Valentine, a radical shunned Shadowhunter who has his own plans for the world. Clary must learn how she fits into this new world, and how she can help stop Valentine before it's too late.
This is such a good book! It's really funny, has very complex characters, and made you want to never put it down. And even though the review might have made it sound a little cheesy, it's really not. VERY well written and interesting, and it's worth it for any age to read. I would recommend it to girls and boys alike. It's at Kettleson, Mt. Edgecumbe, and SHS, although I don't know if those last two are open. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to immerse myself in the second book of the series.
AHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, sorry. I just had to get that out of the way 'cuz school's over. Now that I have three blissfully free months to do whatever the heck I want, you'll probably be getting updates earlier in the week. 'Specially when it's a really good book. Take this one, for example: started out slow but got to the point where I couldn't put it down. It was unique because it was full of photos to complement the words. Even cooler, though, is that it says all of those were pictures were compiled by the author and are real. Once you read the book, you'll see why that's cool. Mmmkay, here's Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs.
When Jacob was little, his grandfather would tell him wild stories of his youth--including hideous monsters and a secluded orphanage in which he said he had grown up. He spun tales of the children living there, telling about a levitating girl, a boy with bees in his stomach, a fire-holding child, an invisible boy, and many others. Jacob believed these fantasies when he was little, but as he grew up he began to see them as simply fairy tales. All this changed when he's sixteen.
His grandfather had become seemingly more and more paranoid and senile, firmly sticking to his story of the orphanage and believing monsters were hunting him. When Jacob goes to check on him one day, however, he finds his grandfather attacked and dying and sees one of the "mythical" monsters himself. Shaken and needing answers, he travels to Europe where the orphanage supposedly was. When he gets there, it seems that the orphanage has long been abandoned. As Jacob explores its disused hallways, he finds more evidence that the peculiar children lived there, and also that their world was filled with more danger and mystery than seemed possible. On top of all of this, he finds--impossible though it seems-- that they may be still alive.
Yep. This is a really unique book, and I highly recommend reading it. It's amazing how the author was able to compile all those photos, and fit them into the book; it's really seamless. The writing keeps you guessing, and conceals some interesting surprises along the way. I would say it's an upper middle school to high school range of book. So, please? Go down to Kettleson or Mt. Edgecumbe? C'mon, it's summer! Ya got nothing better to do!
