Boundless

Title: Boundless

Author: Cynthia Hand
Language: PG
Content: PG
Level: Middle/High School
Recommendation: Good Read


Summary: The past few years held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner ever could have anticipated. Yet through the dizzying high of first love to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she could no longer deny was that she was never meant to have a normal life.

Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seemed like the best option, so she's headed back to California—and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.

As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he's not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfill her destiny.

Review: This is another great angel series and I would not hesitate to read another book written by Cynthia Hand. This series is just a really good story, it doesn't have the more mature content in it that makes you think twice about recommending it.  The main character Clara is strong with a lot of fight in her.  She doesn't play by anyone's rules, but her own, not even angel rules. This is a good read for your Twilight or Hush Hush fans.

Finale

Title: Finale
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Pages:464
Level: Middle School/High School
Recommendation: Good Read



Summary:
Nora is more certain than ever that she is in love with Patch. Fallen angel or no, he is the one for her. Her heritage and destiny may mean they are fated to be enemies, but there is no turning her back on him. Now Nora and Patch must gather their strength to face one last, perilous trial. Old enemies return, new enemies are made, and a friend's ultimate betrayal threatens the peace Patch and Nora so desperately want.

Review:
I was sad to see this series come to an end. As the fourth book in the series I didn't find it as intriguing as the other three books, but it did provide closure. This is definitely an essential series for any library collection. You quickly fall in love with the characters and want to know what happens to them.

 

Confessions of A Murder Suspect

Title: Confessions of A Murde Suspect
Author: James Patterson
Pages: 384
Language: G
Content: PG
Level: Upper Middle/High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary: James Patterson returns to the genre that made him famous with a thrilling teen detective series about the mysterious and magnificently wealthy Angel family . . . and the dark secrets they're keeping from one another. On the night Malcolm and Maud Angel are murdered, Tandy Angel knows just three things: 1) She was the last person to see her parents alive. 2) The police have no suspects besides Tandy and her three siblings. 3) She can't trust anyone--maybe not even herself. Having grown up under Malcolm and Maud's intense perfectionist demands, no child comes away undamaged. Tandy decides that she will have to clear the family name, but digging deeper into her powerful parents' affairs is a dangerous-and revealing-game. Who knows what the Angels are truly capable of?

Review: I had no idea what to expect when I picked up this book.  I was pleasantly surprised with the twists, turns, and insights that were found throughout the entire book.  I did however, find myself needing to pay close attention to the names  - they came fast and furious at the beginning!  Not super intense, but a safe read for teens.

Clockwork Prince

Title: Clockwork Prince
Series: The Infernal Devices
Author: Cassandra Clare
Pages: 528
Language: G
Content: PG
Level: Middle/High
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary:  In the magical underwold of Victorian London, Tessag Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters.  But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute.  If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street-- and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for her own dark ends.  

Review: I loved the second book of the Infernal Devices series.  I found myself more devoted to the characters!  Will Tessa end up with Jem or will Will win her heart?  There is one scene of romance that might make readers uncomfortable. I am excited to read the next book!

Clockwork Angel

Title: Clockwork Anglel
Series: The Infernal Devices
Author: Cassandra Clare
Pages: 512
Language: G
Content: PG
Level: Middle/High
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary:  Magic is dangerous-- but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets.  Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Review: Took a little to get into the story, but once you get to know Tessa Gray you will fall in love with her.  A great read for 8th graders and up!  There are some scenes of romance and fighting that might make some readers uncomfortable.  I am excited to continue reading this series.

Graveminder

Title: Graveminder
Author: Melissa Marr
Pages: 324
Content: PG13
Language: R
Level: High School
Recommendation: Optional

Summary:  Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the tender attention her grandmother, Maylene, bestowed upon the dead of Claysville. While growing up, Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual at every funeral: three sips from a small silver flask followed by the words, “Sleep well, and stay where I put you.”  Now Maylene is gone and Bek must return to the hometown—and the man—she abandoned a decade ago, only to discover that Maylene’s death was not natural . . . and there was good reason for her odd traditions. In Claysville, the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected—and beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D. From this dark place the deceased will return if their graves are not properly minded. And only the Graveminder, a Barrow woman, and the current Undertaker, Byron, can set things to right once the dead begin to walk. . .

Review: I was quickly enthralled with this book, and eager to see what happens throughout the story, however I was quickly turned off by the language used in the book, and am sad to say that I didn't finish the book.  I would LOVE to continue this story, if only I could get past the language.  This book would be a good read for less conservative readers -  it is full of suspense, twists, and turns.

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Title: Hallowed
Author: Cynthia Hand
Pages: 403
Language: PG (occasional profanity)
Mature Content: PG (brief mature content)
Level: Middle/High
Recommendation: Must Read

Summary: For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

Review: After reading Unearthly I was sucked into the storyline so much that I couldn't wait for the opportunity to read Hallowed.  I like the character development in these novels.  You really are able to connect with the characters, even the ones you don't like. I hope to see more in this series.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Author: Laini Taylor

Pages: 432

Profanity: PG-13 (some swears, no "F"s)

Mature Conent: PG-13 (references to body parts, sexual situations, some violence)

Level: High School

Recommendation: Optional

Summary: Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Review: The story tells a history of angels, demons, and the worlds they live in through the eyes of a teenage artist in Prague. Critical pieces of the story are told throughout the book and keep the reader enticed to find the who's, what's, and where's that are crucial to the story. This novel is not a typical angel/demon novel, and the plot twists and turns as more information is revealed. Not recommended for young, conservative, or sensitive readers.