BORN AT MIDNIGHT by C.C. Hunter

Title: BORN AT MIDNIGHT (A Shadow Falls Novel)
Author: C.C. Hunter
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: March 29, 2011
Number of Pages: 416
Source of Book: ARC from Publisher for review
Author's Website: www.cchunterbooks.com

Goodreads Summary:
Don’t miss this spectacular new series that will steal your heart and haunt your dreams,  Welcome to Shadow Falls camp, nestled deep in the woods of a town called Fallen…

One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever.  Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.”  Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.

Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either.  Or does she?  They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason.  As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas.  Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past.  Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart.

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…
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BORN AT MIDNIGHT is a fun, light read - even though it's a paranormal story. I really enjoyed the story as Kylie goes to camp and it turns out it's a place for paranormal teens of all types (werewolves, vampires, shape-shifters, faeries, and witches) to get together and learn about each other so they can get along and stop all of the infighting. Kylie is a sassy character with vulnerability and a great voice. This was one of those addicting books that I stayed up way too late reading to find out what would happen next. I so enjoyed spending time with Kylie at Shadow Falls.

Don't get me wrong, there is definitely some seriousness to this book too. Sixteen-year-old Kylie is dealing with her parents divorce, friends who are growing apart as they make differing choices, an ex boyfriend who isn't quite out of her mind because of how badly things ended, feeling displaced and lonely and unwanted and left out; however, she really does grow to start deciding things for herself. Kylie becomes stronger throughout this book. She comes into her own as she starts to fight for what she wants and what makes her happy. She starts to discover more of who she is, and if she has special abilities herself, and learns who the people are that she can count on who she would fight to keep in her life. The thing I loved the most about Kylie is the good example that she is when it comes to romantic relationships and not doing anything more than one is comfortable with - it's a great message for young girls. There is also a really great, but subtle, message about getting along with others and not having preconceived notions or prejudices about those who are different. Of course, it's all done in a really approachable, non-preachy way which I think will come across well. All of the secondary characters were intriguing as well, which made it easier to get the message because I really liked all of them and wanted them all to get along too.

At times, I did feel it was a little too predictable in the love triangle. I didn't totally feel the reason for the attraction to one of the guys, but I could appreciate where their storyline went. The other thing that threw me off a little bit was the places the author chose to end the chapters  - sometimes I felt as if it was right in the middle of a scene, so it wasn't a good ending point to put in my bookmark because I had to know what would happen next.

Overall, this book was quite interactive. I had laugh out loud moments when reading this book. I tried to figure out the mystery of what was going wrong. I felt for Kylie when she was drifting apart from a friend. I smiled when she realized that she had new friends. I melted when the boy was being so sweet to her. I cheered her on when she stood up to others and fought for what she believed in. This book is about friendship and finding oneself and learning to get along and moving on and standing up for oneself and making one's own path. I'm looking forward to seeing where Kylie's path takes her next in the Shadow Falls series.

4 STARS for BORN AT MIDNIGHT

Book #2 in the Shadow Falls series, AWAKE AT DAWN, will be released in October. I'm definitely going to be reading it to see what happens in Kylie's world next!

Book 7 of 12 for DAC 2011

Cover Reveal: SUPERNATURALLY by Kiersten White

I really enjoyed PARANORMALCY by Kiersten White. It was a fun book with a kick-butt, fashionable, pink taser-toting heroine who can see through the glamours of supernatural creatures, and a unique take on the paranormal genre. And then add boys, and baddies, and book-thrills occur and you're hooked. You should definitely read it if you haven't yet!

Today, Kiersten White, on her awesomely entertaining blog (which you should be reading!) revealed the continuing beauty of the covers for her trilogy with the cover of the second book, SUPERNATURALLY.  Isn't it pretty?  It's also one of My Most Anticipated Books of 2011.

I can't wait to read it...too bad we'll have to wait until September to find out what happens to Evie and Lend!

GLIMMERGLASS by Jenna Black

Title: GLIMMERGLASS (Faeriewalker #1)

Author: Jenna Black
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: May 25, 2010
Number of Pages: 294
Source of Book: Borrowed the paperback from a student who recommended it
Author's Website: www.jennablack.com/books_ya.htm

Goodreads Summary:
Normal. It’s all she’s ever wanted to be, but it couldn’t be further from her grasp…

Dana Hathaway doesn’t know it yet, but she’s in big trouble.  When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, again, Dana decides she’s had enough and runs away to find her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the captivating, magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn't just an ordinary teenage girl—she's a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and the only person who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie.

Soon, Dana finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone's trying to kill her, and everyone seems to want something from her, from her newfound friends and family to Ethan, the hot Fae guy Dana figures she’ll never have a chance with… until she does.  Caught between two worlds, Dana isn’t sure where she’ll ever fit in and who can be trusted, not to mention if her world will ever be normal again…
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This book was pretty good, but it took me awhile to really get into it. I just wasn't that invested in the characters to start with, but by the end of the book, I did really want to know what was going to happen. It's written well and in a style that kept me interested and turning the pages. Dana really just wants to be normal, but it seems that isn't ever going to happen. I liked the world that Dana was learning about as she went to live with her dad and entered into the world of the Fae. By the time I got to the point where there are boys, bodyguards, friends, and relatives all fighting to control Dana because of her faeriewalker status leading to Dana needing to take matters into her own hands, I started to really get interested. I liked Dana's take-charge and sarcastic personality. The characters around her were interesting, too, if a little bit surface-level.

Overall, there's a definite feeling of this book being a setup for the rest of the series. So, although things were happening to Dana throughout that built suspense, the entirety of the book felt like it was setting up the world of Avalon and the human vs. faerie existence and the Seelie vs. Unseelie fae battles, to prepare for where the story is going next. By the last page, I was very interested to see where the story will go and was more of a fan of Dana and the other characters around her, and I'm expecting to get deeper with all of them in the next book.

3 STARS for GLIMMERGLASS
Book 2, Shadowspell, was released on January 4th. Book 3, Sirensong, is coming July 5, 2011.

PERSONAL DEMONS by Lisa Desrochers

Title: PERSONAL DEMONS

Author: Lisa Desrochers
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: September 14, 2010
Number of Pages: 365
How I Got It: Bought the paperback after seeing it on so many top 2010 book lists

Goodreads Summary:
Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She has spent years keeping everyone at a distance—-even her closest friends—-and it seems as if her senior year is going to be more of the same . . . until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can’t seem to stay away from him. 

What she doesn’t know is that Luc is on a mission. He’s been sent from Hell itself to claim Frannie’s soul. It should be easy—-all he has to do is get her to sin, and Luc is as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn’t stand a chance. But he has to work fast, because if the infernals are after her, the celestials can’t be far behind. And sure enough, it’s not long before the angel Gabriel shows up, willing to do anything to keep Luc from getting what he came for. It isn’t long before they find themselves fighting for more than just Frannie’s soul.

But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay . . . for all of them.
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PERSONAL DEMONS is a fun, humorous, exciting, interesting, romantic, hard-to-put-down book. I hated putting it down and couldn't wait to pick it up again to find out where the story was heading. Lisa has created a fascinating backstory of the battle for souls between Heaven and Hell and the angels and demons that are in charge of tagging and protecting those souls. Even the idea of why each side wants Frannie so badly draws the reader into the story even more by feeling the importance of the task. Sarcasm and wittiness abound and make for a more engaging and distinct voice. Because of this, the story provokes some inner-thinking about religious beliefs and what one thinks and feels about both - while also giving a human face to each side. Ultimately, it's a story about love, forgiveness, pure intentions, and redemption and how those can lead to being a "good" person. It looks at the trueness of the soul and what that means for what happens to that soul.

Frannie is a senior in high school, and has her own inner turmoils to deal with, but now she's stuck between Luc (the demon) and Gabe (the angel) as they battle for her soul and she battles to figure out her attraction to each and what's real. The one problem I had with the book was that it's another young adult with a love triangle where the girl seems to instantly fall into crush with the boys involved, but I was okay with it because Frannie is a strong girl who can stand up for herself and fight for what she wants, so I was willing to buy into the attraction - especially because it's hard not to when reading the scenes of the story when she is with Luc. Interestingly enough, I felt the story was really more about Luc's journey than Frannie's. She has her own journey to make to acceptance herself, but it was demon Luc's transformation that I was most intrigued by that made me want to keep reading. That's probably partially due to it being written with alternating perspectives with Luc and Frannie's first person storytelling. I appreciated the way the main characters were written where I was able to discover more about each one as the book went on, and became more invested in what would happen to all of them in this overwhelming holy battle. This is definitely a more mature book in the overall mood of the romance, but is a really good and entertaining read.

4 1/2 STARS for PERSONAL DEMONS
I will definitely be getting my hands on the sequel, ORIGINAL SIN, as soon as I can when it is released in July, 2011. The 3rd book, title to be determined, will be released in May, 2012.

*Interestingly, Lisa's writing critique partner is Andrea Cremer, author of NIGHTSHADE, one of my all-time favorite books. I would say there is a similar vibe to these two authors in a really good way - so if you like one, you'll probably like the other.

UNEARTHLY by Cynthia Hand

Title: UNEARTHLY
Author: Cynthia Hand
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: January 4, 2011
Number of Pages: 435
How I Got It: Bought the Hardcover

Goodreads Summary:  
     In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . . 
     Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.
     Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.
     As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?
     Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.
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This is a really interesting paranormal because it reads more like a contemporary. It was hard to put down and moved forward with an urgency to Clara's angel purpose and figuring out the good angels vs. Black Wings showdown that I could tell was coming, and had a take on the angel back story that was really interesting. I also really liked that Clara knew from the start that she was an angel-blood and was figuring out how to deal with it while trying to remain a normal high school girl. Along with this, this story had a true sense of a contemporary with a high school girl stuck between following her purpose to what she's told should do or following her heart to what she wants to do. Of course, those paths tie directly in with the two boys that she is dealing with - Christan (the boy from her purpose vision) and Tucker (her best friend's twin brother). I did definitely have a preference for one through the whole story, even before I knew he could be a real possibility for her, and when something finally developed, I enjoyed those parts of the story - in fact I think they were my favorites.

The story also deals a lot with family dynamics between Clara and her mother as another piece of the typical coming-of-age decision-making process Clara is going through - following the path her mother wants, or striking out on her own. Of course, with the angel background, it also portrays beliefs and fate and faith as thought-provoking conversations. This book, ultimately, is about decisions and choices and why we choose what we do and the impact that can have on others and ourselves. Early in the story, Clara's English teacher is talking about how people really get to know each other and wonders if it based on the actions we take - that nicely sets up the strong undercurrent of choices for the entire book. It also deals with the typical adolescent views on finding one's place in the world and having that change based on situations one encounters.

Another piece of this book that I really liked was the setting. The move to Jackson Hole, Wyoming is a big one for Clara and her family, and the descriptions of the setting and the way the author makes good use of the scenery available by the story taking place there adds greatly to the overall feelings of the story for the reader. I had a good time getting to know Clara and Tucker, but I was left feeling like there were things I was missing from other characters in Clara's life. I wanted to know a little more about some of the characters and what was going on with them - I have some lingering doubts about the intentions of some of them. I was left with a little bit of a sense of a let down by some of the pieces that I felt like I should have known more about, but didn't get in this book. Overall, I liked the book, and read it quickly, but as much as it wraps things up, it still ends with a lot of loose or unsure ends in my mind, and now there will be a long wait until the next book to find out where things go.

4 STARS for UNEARTHLY
The second book in the series will be coming out next year & I'll definitely be looking for it.

Book 2 of 12 for DAC 2011

CLOCKWORK ANGEL by Cassandra Clare

Title: CLOCKWORK ANGEL (The Infernal Devices Book One)

Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (A division of Simon & Schuster)
Release Date: August 31, 2010
Number of Pages: 479
How I Got It: Bought one and got one free in my box of books at the ALAN Workshop

As I finally read The Mortal Instruments series over the summer, and loved it, I was soooo happy to be invited back into the world of the Shadowhunters who are dedicated to ridding the world of demons that Cassandra Clare has created! Although, this one was a little bit different, taking place 100 years earlier in London, it was so fun to see some of the same names popping up in The Infernal Devices that I had read in the present-day series (especially my favorite warlock, Magnus!).  Cassandra has created a magical world, full of good and evil magic, a world with demons and avengers, and of course a love interest, oh-and add in some steampunk this time. Her writing continues to be engaging and just sets a scene so clearly with wonderful similes and a sense of urgency and danger that runs through the plot lines creating a story world that is hard to put down and not keep reading.

The book starts off with a journey across the ocean for a lone teenage girl in search of her brother, leading to a kidnapping and imprisonment by Downworlders, then a dazzling rescue and discovery of a magical power never known before - and of course that means everyone wants to get to and use Tessa. She's on her own, but is taken in by the Shadowhunters at the London Institute, all of whom are intriguing characters in their own right. Tessa is a strong girl, and she only gets stronger as she learns more about herself and faces more dangers. I really enjoyed reading the book with her as a main character. And of course, what's a Cassandra Clare book without a love entanglement, and this one pits quiet Jem against dashing and mysterious Will; although, honestly, in my mind, I could totally see the attraction for one and the other one didn't strike me as more than a friendship...but that's just me because I know there are plenty of fans out there that feel differently. There is, of course, a shocking ending that leads to a strong desire to read the next book. The only trouble I had with this book is that I'm not the biggest fan of the automaton, clockwork, and steampunk elements, but it was an intriguing, realistic plot point, so I could still enjoy it.  Overall, I didn't like this one as much as The Mortal Instruments, but I did love the new (old?!?) characters I got to enjoy.

4 STARS for CLOCKWORK ANGEL
I'll definitely read the rest of THE INFERNAL DEVICES series! Clockwork Prince will be released in September 2011 and Clockwork Princess will be out for Christmas 2012.

PARANORMACLY by Kiersten White

Title: PARANORMALCY

Author: Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: August 31, 2010
Number of Pages: 335
How I Got It: Bought the Hardcover


I had heard this debut title many times in the past few months, and then I saw it on a lot of Best I've Read lists for 2010, so I finally picked it up to read because I was in the mood for a girly, light-hearted book. PARANORMALCY totally fit what I was looking for. It is a really cute, flirty book about a sassy girl who thinks her life is one way, and finds out it's not exactly what she thought, all while falling for the new boy in the picture and dealing with paranormal creatures. Although the cover is somewhat dark, the book itself deals with the paranormal in a humorous way with lots of jokes about them, along with the serious plot of what's happening to Evie.


Evie just wants to be a normal teenager going to school and prom, unfortunately, she isn't. She works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency because she is special - she is the only human who can see through the "glamours" of paranormal creatures (it has faeries, vampires, werewolves, hags, banshees, trolls, mermaids...any paranormal you can think of) so she is put to work tracking them down. She finds them when they're causing trouble, verifies that they are paranormal, and then tags them and tells them they have to report to the closest IPCA office. She's good at her job, although, she doesn't have a family and she lives in the IPCA headquarters. She has her own area and all-access to the facilities, but her best friend is a mermaid and she never gets to leave without special permission and someone accompanying her. Then the weird dreams start, and the cute boy who is almost invisible breaks in, and her ex-boyfriend faerie won't leave her alone - and everything changes for Evie and the IPCA.


I really loved how fun this book was. Although it was dealing with a main conflict that was serious, the overall mood of the book was fun. The plot moved the book forward quickly, in fact I read this book in just two days. It was hard to put down because I always wanted to know what was going to happen next. It had a bit of a mystery aspect to it in trying to figure out what Evie's dreams meant and wondering who was really the good faerie trying to help her or the bad faerie out to get her - if a faerie even can really be good. Now about character: Evie is just a normal teenager with wanting to have her first kiss, go to prom, be at a normal high school, and rebelling in her subtle ways along with all of it; but she also has this crazy paranormal world she's dealing with and all of the politics that play a part in it - along with struggling with basically being the center of that world because of what she can do. So, there's a lot of pressure for her, but she handles it all in a kick-butt girl fashion with her sassy humor and flirty ways. However, the way she is written, it's so easy to relate to her and what she wants and what she's struggling with. There is a fun romantic plot to this story as well, with a bit of a twist as Evie isn't sure what her powers might be, if any, and Lend has powers that may be difficult for any girl to deal with. All of the characters are written in a fun, relateable way, and overall, it's a really cute book that I highly recommend. I'm glad it's going to be a series as I would love to go back and live in this world and see what happens to Evie next.


4 STARS for PARANORMALCY
I'm glad this is going to be a trilogy series. I'm really looking forward to reading book two, Supernaturally, in September 2011, and untitled book three sometime in 2012 as well!

NIGHTSHADE by Andrea Cremer

I have to start off by saying that I loved, loved, loved this book. NIGHTSHADE is absolutely making my list of favorite books for this school year.  The cover design is gorgeous, the concept is unique and intriguing, the fantasy world created is fascinating, the plot is fast-paced, the main character is a strong female, the boys she’s involved make are both feasible options, the secondary characters are entertaining, the side story about acceptance of gay friends is handled realistically and well, the (Wisconsin!) author’s knowledge of historical lore is apparent, the secrets make you want to know more, and the writing is engaging.  It was just released last week and I had heard so many positives about it, but when I went to the store to pick a book and saw the cover, I had to pick it up. So I decided to read the first chapter right there to see if I wanted to buy it, and I was instantly pulled into Calla’s world and left the store with the book – finishing it in three days. The book is well over 400 pages, but flies by, especially since the plot pacing is such that I couldn’t stop reading because I wanted to find out what would happen next.

Calla is a Guardian in the Nightshade pack. They are a pack of werewolves who work for the Keepers protecting something hidden. Calla is the daughter of the alpha wolf and she is a month away from a union with Ren, the son of the alpha wolf of the Bane pack. Once Calla and Ren unite, they will be the alphas of a new pack of this younger generation. Unfortunately, since the two packs are rivals, she’s never spent much time with Ren, except to see him dating lots of different girls at their school. This is interesting because as we get to know Ren more, we see why Calla is drawn to him - he's more than just his reputation - and we start to really like him as well for his sense of duty, protectiveness, and heart. Ren and Calla have to start spending time together to prepare for their union and combining their two packs into one. What no one knows is that Calla has already broken a major pack rule, when she saved a human boy from a bear attack in the woods – something forbidden for the Guardians to do.  When their first order as a combined pack is to protect Shay, the new boy, Calla knows she’s in trouble because he’s the boy from the woods. As she spends more time with him she realizes how much she wants to spend more time with him - and so do we - he is caring, honest, and wants to see the best in people. Calla learns a lot about the research Shay has been doing, which is related to the history of her people Calla has been forbidden to read because it is very different from the stories she has always been told.

This book is about Calla finding her way past the order and rules she’s always followed into being her own independent, free-thinking person.  Yes, the Ren-Calla-Shay love triangle is the main conflict in the story, but the reason it’s so important is because it represents two very legitimate choices for Calla: stick with being a Guardian, under the rule of the Keepers, with Ren and be a Guardian and live with her pack as she’s been preparing for all her life - or go with Shay, who thinks she is being treated like a slave, and run for her life to get away from this life that may not be what she always thought it was. The reason both are legitimate choices is because of all of the other family and pack characters in the book – and the fact that there is a feeling that Calla truly cares for both Ren and Shay, but in different ways.  Her ultimate decision is made based on the information she has at the time, and her desire to protect those she loves.  Calla thinks it’s about survival, but Ren counters, “This is only about love.”  And it is because you will end up loving this book!

5 STARS for NIGHTSHADE

I can’t believe I have to wait until next summer to read book two: WOLFSBANE (you can preview chapter 1 on the series website at www.nightshadebook.com)! This is a planned trilogy.

FOREVER by Maggie Stiefvater Cover Reveal - Pre-order to get a SIGNED copy!

Maggie Stiefvater has released the book jacket image for FOREVER, the final book in The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy (begun with SHIVER and LINGER). Not only are these some of my favorite books ever, but also have the most beautiful covers I've seen for young adult books (designed by Christopher Stengel - see Maggie's interview with him about the covers here: Shiver Cover Interview). The cover is what drew me to the original book, the lyrical writing is what kept me reading, the plot and multiple point-of-view storytelling is what made me love them. I've heard Maggie speak in person and she is fascinating to listen to, and has a great web presence sharing her writing brilliance with all.

So...are you anxiously awaiting the July 2011 release of FOREVER (like I am!) to find out what happens to Grace, Sam, Cole, and Isabel in the final book of The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy? Use this link to pre-order a signed copy of FOREVER from Maggie's local, independent book store to be sent to you next summer:  http://www.fountainbookstore.com/autograph-maggie

THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS series: CITY OF ASHES & CITY OF GLASS by Cassandra Clare

After reading City of Bones, the first book in The Moral Instruments series, I knew that I wanted to read the rest, so I quickly moved on to CITY OF ASHES and CITY OF GLASS, and am glad that I did.  I liked the first book in the series and the Shadowhunter world that Cassandra Clare created and the characters that she introduced me to, but I definitely wanted to know more about what happened to the people living there and the politics of the world they were living in.  Now that I've finished the entire trilogy, I realize that if I really wanted to know the whole story, I had to read all three books. I do like that about books that are planned to be a series from the start though, the fact that each one can stand on its own, but there is definitely a plan by the author for the overarching storyline and where it will end up that satisfies the reader. One of the things that I like most about series books, is actually starting them once the whole series is published so I can read them all in a row instead of having to wait many months for the next book to come out, but I can be impatient that way. 


Especially with this series, I'm glad I got to read them all in a row, otherwise I might have been slightly frustrated because there is a main conflict plot point between Clary and Jace that is not resolved until two-thirds of the way through the last book.  All along I was hoping there would be a resolution similar to what happened, and in fact, there was probably some foreshadowing along the way because I did predict a few of the details, but ultimately, if I had to wait a long time, I might have been a little less likely to keep going because after the first and second book I was disappointed in what was happening between the two of them. One of the reasons I didn't rank these two books quite as high as the first one was because there were times where I felt as if I knew more than the characters and I became frustrated that they weren't figuring things out quickly enough. However, another piece of these books that is so good are the secondary characters that are as engaging as the main characters - it left me wanting to know more about them. Ultimately, I because engaged with all of these characters and wanted the best for them, which is why I became frustrated when they weren't figuring things out - which shows that the writer was able to make me care about her characters and the world they were living in. These books are still page-turners that make me want to find out what's going to happen next.


Overall, this series continued to be an enjoyable world to live in through the writing. The plot continued to be fast-paced, exciting, intriguing, and adventuresome with it's family, romantic, political, and social issues.  These books are filled with adventures and battles and scenes that draw the reader in to the excitement in a way that I could  picture it in my mind.  There is an interesting piece of these books that deals with "otherness" and the idea that there can be hatred of others just because they are not like ourselves, and it is handled really well and leads to an understanding at the end that it's not the best way to think for us to get along in this society.  I do appreciate that although the books are enjoyable, they also do lead to a message that is important for adolescents to hear.


I am glad that I read the whole series and was satisfied with the way it all ended up. I'm also really glad to know that Cassandra Clare is going to be continuing the series with three more books to be published: City of Fallen Angels in spring 2011, City of Lost Souls in spring 2012, and City of Heavenly Fire in fall 2013. But first, I'll have to read CLOCKWORK ANGEL, which was just released, because it is the first book in The Infernal Devices, a prequel/companion series that takes place 100 years before the events of The Mortal Instruments books.  I'm sure they'll be on my to-read list because I did enjoy my time with these characters in their world and became invested in what happened to them, so I am curious to find out what will happen to them next after the resolution of all of the issues in the first series and the appearance of a happy ending for them all.
4 Stars for CITY OF ASHES
4 Stars for CITY OF GLASS

CITY OF BONES: THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS BOOK ONE by Cassandra Clare

After hearing as much as I have about The Mortal Instruments series, from students, authors, and bloggers, I finally got around to reading the first book, CITY OF BONES, for myself...and I can see what all the fuss it about.  I feel as if one of the strongest signs of a really good book is one that you carry with you everywhere you go, just in case you get a few minutes to read, one that you pick over watching tv, one that you stay up late reading - City of Bones met all of those criteria for me.


This book hooked me from the beginning when Clary meets Jace, Isabelle, and Alec in a club as they're killing a demon, and realizes that no one else can see them. There's a mystery as to how she got The Sight in order to see these Shadow Hunters and demons that is explored throughout the novel.  Shortly after she meets them, her mother is kidnapped, and the rest of the story follows her journey as she learns about the Downworld (where there are demons, warlocks, witches, faeries, vampires, and werewolves, oh my!) learns about her mother's past that she kept secret from Clary, and does what she can to find and save her mother. Along the way she is helped by her best friend Simon and of course Jace, Isabelle, and Alec.


There is a lot of action, suspense, and character in this book. The plot moves forward well and made me want to keep reading to find out what would happen next. There really weren't any slow parts to it at all. Everything is described so well that the fight scenes and all parts of the story were clearly pictured in my head as I read. I really liked the character of Clary, she's a strong girl who is going to stick up for what she knows to be right and for those she loves and cares about.  I also really enjoyed the secondary characters, as I did feel as if I got to know them. And, of course, there is a bit of a love triangle going on throughout the story, but with an interesting twist at the end, which makes me really want to read the next book in the series to find out what's going to happen.


Here's the thing about a book like this - it's the kind of book where you really have to pay attention to the parts of the story when everything about this unknown world is being explained. I even had to go back a chapter later when more information was given and reread the first explanation told - this is a good thing because it means that there is enough given in the book for me to make sense of this world. These parts of the story are so important because they give you the background to the world and help you understand the motivations for everything that happens in the story. Cassandra Clare does a really good job of creating and explaining the history of this world, you just need to pay attention to it. When Simon is first exposed to the truth about what's happening in this unknown to humans (or mundanes) world, Clary says the one thing that I think most readers need to remember when reading books in this genre: "I know it's weird, but you just have to go along with it. Trust me."  And trust me - if you do, you'll get the sucked into this story just like everyone else has.


One of my favorite things about this book is Cassandra Clare's writing style.  She writes beautiful descriptions along with some humorous interactions among the characters - a great balance to each other to create an intriguing writing style that keeps the plot moving forward but also pulls the reader into a beautifully crafted story. One of my favorite examples was this line that she wrote when describing Hodge: "When he smiled at Clary, a thousand small lines rayed out from around his eyes, like the cracks in an old painting."  Her use of similes and metaphors in her writing only enhances the story, and throughout, I was able to picture it and feel as if I was there and engaged in the story.


I will definitely be reading the rest of this series, and anything else Cassandra Clare writes!  Luckily, I waited long enough, that I know the other two books in The Mortal Instruments series, City of Ashes and City of Glass, are already out, so I won't have to wait to find out what happens to Clary, Jace, and everyone else. Also, she is writing another three books in the series to come out in spring 2011- City of Fallen Angels,  spring 2012 - City of Lost Souls,  and fall 2013 - City of Heavenly Fire and I know I'll be anxiously waiting to read those as well.  Cassandra Clare also has written a companion series, The Infernal Devices, which goes back in time to Victorian England as a prequel of sorts as it is one hundred years earlier than Clary's story, within the world of the Shadow Hunters. The first book, Clockwork Angel comes out August 31st, Clockwork Prince releases fall 2011, and Clockwork Princess in winter 2012.  Which all means we'll be getting two books from Cassandra Clare every year to read and stay with these characters and the world of the Shadow Hunters!
5 Stars for CITY OF BONES