The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

The Scorch Trials

Author: James Dashner

Publisher: Delacorte Press

4½ out of 5 stars

Note: This review assumes that you  have already read the first book in this series, The Maze Runner.  If you have not yet read The Maze Runner then you may not want to read this review, as it will reveal key points from the first book.  You can find my review of The Maze Runner here.

Thomas has made it out of the Maze. He and the other Gladers, well the ones that survived, are safe. No more Grievers, no more WICKED, and no more codes. But is the world that they have been introduced to any better? People are diseased with the Flare, and the Earth is now a hot crisp. In the Glade everything was provided for them, from clothes to new supplies. Life was okay, until Teresa triggered the End. That’s all over now. Thomas, Teresa, and the other Gladers are finally safe. Or are they? 

Busting the Newbie Blues

Busting The Newbie Blues Questionnaire 

This event, Busting The Newbie Blues, is to help bring together new bloggers and make them known.  This is hosted by Small Reviews, a wonderful blog that is great for any book-review blogger to check out!  If you would like more information on how to participate in this event, go to Small Reviews to learn more.  This is a questionnaire that will give you a little more insight on why I started my blog.

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

The Lost Hero

Author: Rick Riordan

Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books

4½ out of 5 stars

To wake up and be thrust into a whole new world, a whole new life. You are surrounded by people who seem to know you, yet you have no idea who they are. Could they be family, friends, or maybe they are complete strangers that you just met today? Either way, what matters is that you have no idea who these people are. All of your memories are gone, wiped out of your brain. Is this amnesia you might wonder? Have I hit my head? All this is very possible, but what if I told you that on top of everything else, you are a demigod, half-mortal, and half-god. 

Which Witch? by Eva Ibbotson

Which Witch?

Author: Eva Ibbotson

Publisher: Puffin Books

3½ out of 5 stars

What if you were a wizard? A dark one who could smite any foe with the flick of your wrist and concoct the most foul and evil things. You would be the mightiest that ever reigned and would be feared and awed by many. But what if I told you that you had to have a wife? You absolutely must, I don’t care about your protests or your objections. Now is the time, for you must have an heir, a successor to carry on your legacy. But everyone knows that a wizard can only marry one type of person and that is… a witch!

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

The House of the Scorpion

Author: Nancy Farmer

Publisher: Simon Pulse

4½ out of 5 stars

He has two legs and two arms. A pair of eyes. Hair, a nose, a mouth. He can speak, he can run, and he can think. He has a brain. And most importantly, he has a heart. But what he doesn’t have is a soul… or at least that’s what they say. It is this fact that makes him not human in most people’s eyes. Not only that, but he was harvested from a cow’s womb, and before that his home was a petri dish. What is this being, who is a feared monster that is treated like an animal? Well… Matteo Alcrán is a clone. 

Brain Jack by Brian Falkner

Brain Jack

Author: Brian Falkner

Publisher: Random House Publishing

4 out of 5 stars

Our brains are the control systems of our bodies. They store our memories, think our thoughts, receive input and send out our actions to our bodies. Without them we would not be able to survive or progress as human beings. Our brains are our all and our everything. Well, what if I told you our brains could be hi-jacked? Taken over? Even shut down completely? What would you say to that? Not much I guess, because it would be as if you didn’t even have a brain. All you would be is a lifeless shell of a person. And what if I told you that this is all possible, and in the very near future? In fact, this is all closer than you think…

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief

Author: Markus Zusak

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books

5 out of 5 stars

She is a thief. She sneaks up in the night and will creep up on you when you least expect it, and before you know it, something will be gone. But she is only here for one thing. One thing that might not be of very much importance to you, but definitely is to her. It is her need and desire, and she needs it to survive, to live, and to grow. She only robs words, knowledge, and fantasy worlds. She only steals… books.

Farworld: Water Keep by J. Scott Savage

Farworld: Water Keep

Author: J. Scott Savage

 

Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing

3½ out of 5 stars

It’s a place of his imagination. A place he dreams of to escape the harsh realities of life. A place of his own. If only it were real, if only he could go visit and spend time in this fantasy world. Well… he can, and he will, but not just yet. This magical world is Farworld, where magic is not something only fantasized in books, but real. Everyone can do magic, spells, and much more. Marcus can do magic too, even though he doesn’t live on Farworld… but Earth.

The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty

The Year of Secret Assignments

Author: Jaclyn Moriarty

 

Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books

3 out of 5 stars

What exactly is a secret assignment? Is it a super secret mission with espionage and spying all mixed in? Is it a school project that isn’t what it seems? Or how about both? Well, that’s actually what a secret assignment is, a super secret mission that usually takes place at school. However, these missions come in the form of scented pieces of notepaper inside envelopes sealed with red wax that are slipped into lockers. Kooky, eh?

Fire Bringer by David Clement-Davies

Fire Bringer

Author: David Clement-Davies

Publisher: Dutton Books

4 out of 5 stars

He was a fawn just like any other. He loved to play, run in the woods, and be his innocent little self. He wasn’t that different from his friends. I mean, all he could do was talk to all the animals, not just deer, which was unheard of. He also had a mark of an oak leaf on his forehead, which set him apart from everyone else. This mark caused grief to those he loved, was the cause of many deaths, and made him the legendary deer… Rannoch. And legendary he was!

Foundling by D. M. Cornish

Foundling

Author: D. M. Cornish

 

Publisher: Speak

3½ out of 5 stars

He never imagined himself where he is now. Who would’ve thought? He always pictured himself as a vinegaroon on some ram, sailing the vinegar seas… ahhh what a life that would have been. But even though Rossamünd didn’t get that job, at least he’s employed. You see, Rossamünd Bookchild is a lamplighter, a soldier who lights the lamps along the roads to protect travelers from monsters. Rossamünd wasn’t always like this though. In fact, he hasn’t even started his first day as a lamplighter, not yet anyway…

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Thirteen Reasons Why

Author: Jay Asher

Publisher: Razorbill

5 out of 5 stars

Warning: This review talks about a very delicate subject, teen suicide. Both the book, and this review, may not be suitable for those under fifteen years old. If you are under fifteen please talk with your parents before reading this.

Maybe someone started a rumor about you at school. Or maybe your parents haven’t been paying much attention to you lately, and you feel ignored. You might even feel like the whole world is against you at the moment and everyone is out to get you. But do any of these reasons constitute a valid reason for someone to take their own life? Well, for Hannah Baker these reasons, and many more, were enough. She was pushed over the edge and decided to make that irreversible decision. What if she could have been stopped though? What if someone was there to help and she never even realized it? Well, someone was.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Graceling

Author: Kristin Cashore

Publisher: Graphia Books

4½ out of 5 stars

A killer, that’s what she is. A ruthless monster that can kill a man in over a hundred different ways. Whether it is with her bare hands, a sword, or a bow and arrow, this girl can do it all. But is this Grace really a gift, or is it a curse that she must live with forever? To be able to kill, but not be killed? What happens if this power of hers hurts someone when she didn’t mean to? If it were to get out of hand, what would happen next?

The Enemy by Charlie Higson

The Enemy
 

Author: Charlie Higson

Publisher: Hyperion

 3½ out of 5 stars

What if there were no adults to tell you what to do? No more chores. No more getting grounded for not listening. It would all be one big free for all. Wouldn’t you like this to be real? Well, it is… at least in an alternate London it is. An incurable illness has struck all those over the age of sixteen. Thousands have died, leaving children and teens on their own. However, not everyone died. The adults that have survived the disease have become gruesome, incoherent, walking corpses. They have boils and growths covering their bodies, and are slowly decomposing. They are like the living dead, real-life zombies. And guess what… they will do anything to eat and satisfy their hunger, including consuming their own children.

Seeker by William Nicholson

Seeker

Author: William Nicholson 

 

Publisher: Harcourt Publishing

4 out of 5 stars

They have the ability to bend you to their will. They can fight with grace and force. They can appear anywhere, as if out of thin air. You may think that these people would be the bad guys. Why not? They obviously have the power and can do the impossible. But it is just the opposite. They are the Nomana, the Noble Warriors. They use their potent powers for good, not evil. As the name says, they truly are noble. The Nomana are an assembly of warrior monks, and only a select few are ever chosen to join. What are they protecting with all these powers at their disposal? The thing that is of so much importance to them is… the All and Only.

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Hush, Hush

Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

3 out of 5 stars

Angels… the innocent, pure creatures from the heavens. We picture them with majestic, powerful white wings, golden halos floating above their heads, and a soft, golden glow emanating from their very beings. However, maybe not all of them are like this. What if there was a dark side to these heavenly immortals? Well… there is. They are the fallen angels. The corrupt angels who no longer have their beautiful wings and heavenly glow. But why are they fallen angels? What did they do that was so bad? They fell to Earth.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Unwind

Author: Neal Shusterman

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

4½ out of 5 stars

What if you had a stomach that could digest food better than you ever could before… but it’s not yours? How about three fingers on your left hand that are double jointed, however, they don’t truly belong to you? Maybe even an eye that can pick up details that you never noticed before, except it used to be a fourteen year old girl’s right eye. It is a bright blue that matched her favorite pair of tennis shoes, but it’s not hers anymore. It’s yours. You could have any of these body parts, and many more if you needed them. The only problem is that they would come from somebody else. Any one of these body parts would come from young adolescent teens who had their bodies taken from them, whether they liked it… or not.

I, Q: Independence Hall by Roland Smith

I, Q: Independence Hall

Author: Roland Smith

Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press

4 out of 5 stars

Q’s life has never been what you or I might call normal. From living on a small boat in California, to living on a tour bus, well, an expensive new motor coach to be exact, and traveling the USA for a year! This is just one of many examples of how Q’s (short for Quest) life changed dramatically when his mom remarried. Now, let’s rewind a bit, shall we? Thirteen-year-old Q used to live with his mom, Blaze, on a small boat, just the two of them. His mom was divorced and singing was her passion. But all of that changed when she met Roger Tucker. He loves to sing and write songs as well, and has a fifteen-year-old daughter named Angela. Soon after they met, Roger and Blaze formed a band called Match. Somewhere along the way they fell in love. And that’s when they decided to get married, right as one of their songs was about to go platinum. 

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

I Am Number Four

Author: Pittacus Lore

Publisher: Harper Collins

4½ out of 5 stars

From Earth it would look like any other distant point of light out of millions. But if you were actually there, it would look like something you have never seen before. I am talking about the planet Lorien. Lorien is one of the eighteen life-sustaining planets, which also includes Earth. Lorien is a beautiful, far-away place that has lush jungles and rivers, and blue and green sweeping across the landscape. Lorien wasn’t always like this. They had problems like we do now, with the environment and global warming. But they solved this and cut down their usage of natural resources so they could survive. However, another one of their problems is the Mogadorians. And this one isn’t as easily solved. The Mogadorians are from the life-sustaining planet Mogadore. The Mogadorians also started to run into the same problems that Lorien had, and that Earth has now. Instead of fixing it, they decided to raid Lorien’s resources as their solution. Which is exactly why Number Four is here, on Earth, now. 

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Uglies

Author: Scott Westerfeld

 

Publisher: Simon Pulse

5 out of 5 stars

In our world, Tally Youngblood would be a young, attractive girl who’s just about to turn sixteen. Sure her right side isn’t that pretty, and she has a wide nose and frizzy hair, but doesn’t everyone have some minor flaws? However, Tally lives in the future, where all of this could make a big difference. They have hoverboards, interface rings, walls that can talk, and much more. But despite all of this, nothing can change the fact that Tally is considered ugly. She’s one of the many uglies out there waiting for their turn to become pretty. All of them just itching to be a pretty and live in New Pretty Town so they can party all night and sleep all day. They will all get their chance when they turn sixteen. That is when you get the operation.

The Printer's Devil by Paul Bajoria

The Printer's Devil

Author: Paul Bajoria

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

3½ out of 5 stars

Being a printer’s assistant is tough work. It is not a job for the fainthearted. You have to stay up all night finishing posters, causing you to be dreadfully tired the next day. You must run around delivering bills to numerous customers, and you always seem to have a smudge of ink on your face. Not to mention that your nickname is “The Printer’s Devil.” But there are benefits to being a printer’s assistant. It’s not that the pay is great or that you get to learn how to work a press. No, no, no. For Mog Winter, the highest form of payment in his job is information. And being the printer’s assistant that he is, Mog happens to get tons of it.

Pillage by Obert Skye

Pillage

Author: Obert Skye

Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing

4 out of 5 stars

Beck Phillips’ life isn’t really going as planned at the moment. He is an only child, fifteen and three-quarters years-old, who lives with his mother Francine. However, Beck’s mother isn’t what we would call, “normal.” She is unbalanced, and Beck sometimes has to take care of her. Sometimes she hides behind buildings, and once even locked him out of their apartment for two days straight, thinking he was someone else. But Beck still loves her. At the moment, Beck thinks he will be in a heap of trouble once he gets out of the mess he’s in. Surprisingly, the principal doesn’t punish him. He soon finds out this is because…his mother has just died. 

Eon Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman

Eon Dragoneye Reborn

Author: Alison Goodman

Publisher: Viking Press Publishing

4½ out of 5 stars

Eon has a secret. Not one of those little ones that you share with friends and giggle over. No, this is a big secret. One that could change history, but if found out, could get Eon and many others killed. Well here it goes…Eon is a girl. Now, you might be thinking, ok so what. Why is this is a big deal? How could Eon get killed for it? Well, let me tell you why. Eon has been in training for four years to become a Dragoneye apprentice. She has been practicing the art of Dragon Magic, which women are forbidden to practice. If anyone finds out who Eon really is, it would spell the end of her.

The Bartimaeus Trilogy: The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud

The Bartimaeus Trilogy:

The Amulet of Samarkand

Author: Jonathan Stroud

Publisher: Hyperion Books

4 out of 5 stars

Nathaniel is one of the most powerful magicians in London. He can summon magical entities, create scrying glasses, and even control potent beings. But I forgot to mention one little detail, Nathaniel is only twelve years old. Nathaniel lives in an alternate London, where magicians preside over the commoners and rule the government. Nathaniel was introduced to this world when he was only six years old. His parents traded him in for a large sum of money, so he could have the opportunity to become a magician’s apprentice. Basically, they abandoned him, and by doing so, forced him into a life of study and discipline. But Nathaniel was a good little boy. He studied diligently, followed commands, and listened to his master with the utmost attention and respect. Except that is, until one unfortunate day. 

The Shadow Thieves by Anne Ursu

The Shadow Thieves

Author: Anne Ursu
 

Publisher: Atheneum Books

3 out of 5 stars

Once upon a time there was a girl named Charlotte Mielswetzki. I know, the name is a bit hard to pronounce. Charlotte would just tell you to say it this way, Meals-wet-ski. Charlotte is just a normal thirteen-year-old girl, who thinks that life isn’t going so well at the moment. Her best friend has just moved away and school is as boring as ever. On top of that, her mom wants her to be more out there and “try new things.” She’s a redhead, who always seems to be a bit grumpy. However, things are about to start looking up for her. She just found a kitten, and her cousin, Zachary Miller, is going to come over from London and live with her and her family. Well, that’s not too bad. 

Hunger Games Fan Fest

Hunger Games Fan Fest

Signed Bookplate

Hi everyone! I just came back from an awesome Hunger Games Fan Fest held at our local Borders. It was a fun way to celebrate Mockingjay's release, and meet other Hunger Games fans! There were trivia questions (which I rocked at!), debate discussions, and cool giveaways. They had bookmarks and Hunger Games tattoos.