Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Princess

by Cassandra Clare 

 

Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy

Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy?
Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute.
A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.

 

(summary from goodreads.com)

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Sigh. So sad to see this series finished and done with. Some books I just want to END so I can move on with my life and not care about them anymore, but NOT this series or this book. I kept checking the bottom of my kindle to see how much book I had left - the more the better. It was fabulous. This was a perfect ending to a great story. And the epilogue! Clare, you are the master of excellent endings. I am left satisfied and happy and yet can't wait for your next book to be published.

I love all of Clare's writing, and in the past have suggested City of Bones as the first introduction into her world of shadow hunters and mundanes. After this book I'm torn - I would almost reconsider at this point and have people read this series first. I can recommend this book with less disclaimers - City of Bones ends on a horrible horrible note that makes everyone a little crazy, even though I have no problem telling the spoiler needed to ease the angst. No disclaimers are needed for this series, yet they are still exciting and dramatic and swoony and after this book I need to reread all of the Mortal Instruments books so I can read about Brother Zachariah and be all smirky and all-knowing. I think it would be fun to have the background knowledge these books give you before you read their modern day counterparts. Clare has created an addicting and engrossing world and I loved every minute I have spent in it. Read these books! They are perfect and fabulous and I must not be alone - this book has the highest rating I've seen on goodreads.

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: moderately heavy, but mostly fighting with robots; Profanity: dont' think so?; Sex: yes, definitely closer to PG-13 but nothing graphic

 

 

Unbroken by Paula Morris

Unbroken

by Paula Morris

Welcome back to New Orleans.
Where the streets swirl with jazz and beauty.
Where the houses breathe with ghosts.

A year ago, Rebecca Brown escaped death in a New Orleans cemetery. Now she has returned to this haunting city. She is looking forward to seeing Anton Grey, the boy who may or may not have her heart.

But she also meets a ghost: a troubled boy who insists only she can help him. Soon Rebecca finds herself embroiled in another murder mystery from more than a century ago. But as she tries to right wrongs, she finds more questions than answers: Is she putting her friends, and herself, in danger? Can she trust this new ghost? And has she stumbled into something much bigger and more serious than she understands?

 

(summary from goodreads.com)

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I remembered liking Ruined (the first book) and thought I would give Unbroken a try. It was a decent book - slipped into the Second Book Slump for most of the book and it was cheesier than I prefer. A few times the mother in me came out and I wanted to shake the idiotic teenagers and tell them to just TELL AN ADULT, so it wasn't as gripping as it could have been. I also thought the premise was a little lame - the last book was about life and death and curses, this one was about a missing locket. Not sure if the regret over not delivering a locket is enough to keep a ghost walking the earth for 150 years, but I guess I really wouldn't know since I'm not a ghost. 

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: small skirmishes; Profanity: none; Sex: none

 

 

The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron

The Dark Unwinding

A thrilling tale of spies, intrigue, and heart-racing romance!

When Katharine Tulman's inheritance is called into question by the rumor that her eccentric uncle is squandering away the family fortune, she is sent to his remote English estate to have him committed to an asylum. But instead of a lunatic, Katharine discovers a genius inventor with his own set of childlike rules, who employs a village of nine hundred people rescued from the workhouses of London. Katharine is now torn between protecting her own inheritance and preserving the peculiar community she has grown to care for—a conflict made even more complicated by a handsome apprentice, a mysterious student, and fears for her own sanity. As the mysteries of the estate begin to unravel, it is clear that not only is her uncle's world at stake, but also the state of England as they know it. With twists and turns and breathtaking romance at every corner, this thrilling adventure will captivate readers.

 

(summary from goodreads.com)

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A cute story, not really a stand out in the genre, but cute and sweet while also dealing with difficult concepts like mental illness and poverty. It was a quick easy read and one I immediately passed on for my kids to enjoy. I would definitely say the romance isn't "heart-racing" by any stretch of the imagination. Which is probably why I found it meh. But I'll still read the next one, because that's just how I roll and I like closure.

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: mild; Profanity: none; Sex: none

 

 

Romeo Redeemed by Stacey Jay

Romeo Redeemed

Seductive companion to the popular Juliet Immortal, in which former lovers—Romeo and Juliet—meet, not as true lovers, but truly as enemies.

Cursed to live out eternity in his rotted corpse, Romeo, known for his ruthless, cutthroat ways, is given the chance to redeem himself by traveling back in time to save the life of Ariel Dragland. Unbeknownst to her, Ariel is important to both the evil Mercenaries and the love-promoting Ambassadors and holds the fate of the world in her hands. Romeo must win her heart and make her believe in love, turning her away from her darker potential before his work is discovered by the Mercenaries. While his seduction begins as yet another lie, it soon becomes his only truth. Romeo vows to protect Ariel from harm, and do whatever it takes to win her heart and soul. But when Ariel is led to believe his love is a deception, she becomes vulnerable to Mercenary manipulation, and her own inner darkness may ultimately rip them apart.

 

(summary from goodreads.com)

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I was curious to see where this book went - I loved/adored/gushed about the first one, but didn't think I could stomach a book about a character I had already learned to loath. Jay succeeded in making the reader feel sympathy for Romeo and even root for him. I didn't love Romeo/Ariel as much as I loved Juliet/Ben from Juliet Immortal. They were both darker and less innocent than Juliet and Ben were, which made for a darker story. It was still a creative book but I didn't find it as gripping as the first one. I loved how she tied up the story, but was also annoyed by the rewrite to the end of Juliet/Ben's story. I liked the simplicity of the original ending better. 

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: fairly heavy; Profanity: probably?; Sex: yes

 

 

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet

The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth...

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

 

(summary from goodreads.com)

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The first book surprised me immensely - I'm a sucker for Cinderella retellings and loved the extremely creative way Meyer adapted the familiar story. I had no idea what to expect from this book - the first book covered the fairytale, where would they go from there? There were huge plot points to resolve and major drama in store for our characters of course, but with the fairy tale premise finished and done with would this morph into a standard YA trilogy? Or a Cinderella - The After Years? No! I also heard that Cinder/Kai weren't as central to this book. No!

But I read and devoured and loved and all my worries were for naught. So clever. Not content with the predictable, Meyer based this book on a completely different fairytale, which means I can't WAIT to see what fairytale she uses for the next book. Snow White is my first guess, though I also wouldn't be surprised with a Sleeping Beauty or even Beauty and the Beast. But I'm still thinking Snow White - I would love to see her version of dwarves. But I digress.

In Scarlet we get the continuation of Cinder's story, with her scrambling to understand and deal with what happened at the end of the last book, but we also get a whole slew of new characters. Hooray! I've decided new characters or narrators are what keep second books from falling into Second Book Slumps. Our Cinderella story moves over to make room for Little Red Riding Hood and her wolf, and we meet Scarlet and Wolf and continue on with the delightful (if delightful can also mean "delightfully awful because there are bad evil people that hopefully our heroines and heroes will eventually overcome") world of Earthens and Lunars. We also meet Thorne who will hopefully (hopefully!) be the prince in the next story. Because he is fabulous and reminds me of Face, and more stories need a Face.

All conjecture aside, I loved this book as much or even possibly more than the first one. Excellent characters and a creatively fabulous world and one I didn't want to leave. It left me looking forlornly at my "books to read" pile because I knew there weren't any waiting that could match it. I can't wait for the next one.

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: fairly brutal but not overly descriptive fights; Profanity: none; Sex: PG displays of affection

 

 

Pivot Point by Kasie West

Pivot Point

by Kasie West  

 

Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

 

(summary from goodreads.com)

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Disclaimer: I went to high school with this author. She was bestish friends with a few of my bestish friends, so it's like we were bestish friends once removed. (Yes, bestish is TOTALLY a word.) She was in dance, I was in drama, our worlds didn't collide all that often, but I knew her and liked her and considered her a friend. So when I found out (long, long ago, such is the world of facebook) that she had written YA books that were actually going to be published, I was completely and utterly thrilled for her. So exciting! But I've never read a book from someone I know, and I was a little nervous about the prospect. Would I like it? Would I like it only because I knew her? How in the world could I review a book written by someone I know and respect and am even FACEBOOK FRIENDS with? Like, legitimate pre-book-published facebook friends?

Turns out all my worries were for naught because I loved her book. Loved it. So creative! One of the best paranormal worlds I have encountered. I loved her characters and her heroine and the struggles she went through. I sped through it and can't wait to read the next one. I trust Kasie (see, TOTALLY first name basis) to pull through and give Addie an even happier ending in the next one. Which isn't to say Pivot Point didn't have a great ending - it honestly couldn't have ended any differently. But I can't wait for the next one.

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: none; Profanity: none; Sex: none

 

 

 

 

Reached by Ally Condie

Reached 

by Ally Condie  

 

After leaving Society to desperately seek The Rising, and each other, Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again. Cassia is assigned undercover in Central city, Ky outside the borders, an airship pilot with Indie. Xander is a medic, with a secret. All too soon, everything shifts again.

 

(summary from goodreads.com)

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This is (possibly) the last book in a series of three. Admittedly my interest has been waning since the first one, but I still felt I needed the closure this one would bring. But ack! Not enough closure! I felt this book didn't tie everything up like it should have. I have waded through pages and pages with these characters, slogged through one drama after another, and traveled many many exhausting miles with them. All I wanted was a happy clappy everything perfect ending. Did I ask for too much? Obviously yes.

 

I wonder if Condie left some ends hanging just in case she wanted to come back for a 4th book. And the romance! Disappointing. Cassia and Ky were separated almost the whole book (I know, I know, there is more to the plot than the romance, but really? The whole book? I might expect that for a 2nd book, but not for a 3rd. By the 3rd we're due for a little more love.) I also felt like she tried to cram so many extra characters and plot twists that the book didn't resemble the original as closely as it should have. The world building we had been introduced to in the first two books was all crumpled up and thrown out the window. At least that's how I was left feeling.

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: none, though many deaths from illness; Profanity: none that I remember; Sex: none

 

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Boys

by Maggie Stiefvater 

 

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.

 

(summary from goodreads.com)

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SO fascinating! Maggie Stiefvater is one of the most diverse authors I've ever read. A lot of authors write the same in every book - which is excellent when you love their style, a little boring/predictable if you don't. But Ms. Stiefvater's style and voice vary widely with every book she writes. I can't say I enjoyed this book as much as I did her other ones, but it was still a great read and a series I will most likely continue with. I loved Blue and Gansey and his crew. I adored Blue's "family" and life. And Maggie - I'm warning trusting you here. Your past books/series have ended happily and this one had BETTER TOO.

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: mild; Profanity: yes; Sex: a reference or two of an aunt's many men, but otherwise I don't remember any.

 

Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

The Crown of Embers 

by Rae Carson 

 

In the sequel to the acclaimed The Girl of Fire and Thorns, a seventeen-year-old princess turned war queen faces sorcery, adventure, untold power, and romance as she fulfills her epic destiny.

Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume in the Fire and Thorns trilogy.

(summary from goodreads.com)

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Excellent second book! I honestly forgot how much I enjoyed the first book until I read the second. I should have reread it and will most likely reread both the first and second when the eventual 3rd comes out. I just really like Elisa! I love the path she travels, her relationships, her self acceptance with who she is physically. Rae Carson has developed an excellently organized world and belief system and I've enjoyed every bit of it. Her heroine is believable and flawed and trying her best in a difficult situation. She also grows a lot in both books and becomes someone I really cared about. I can't wait to read the next book!

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: mild; Profanity: none that I remember; Sex: brief discussion about becoming lovers

Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier

Shadowfell

by Juliet Marillier

 

Sixteen-year-old Neryn is alone in the land of Alban, where the oppressive king has ordered anyone with magical strengths captured and brought before him. Eager to hide her own canny skill--a uniquely powerful ability to communicate with the fairy-like Good Folk--Neryn sets out for the legendary Shadowfell, a home and training ground for a secret rebel group determined to overthrow the evil King Keldec.
During her dangerous journey, she receives aid from the Good Folk, who tell her she must pass a series of tests in order to recognize her full potential. She also finds help from a handsome young man, Flint, who rescues her from certain death--but whose motives in doing so remain unclear. Neryn struggles to trust her only allies. They both hint that she alone may be the key to Alban's release from Keldec's rule. Homeless, unsure of who to trust, and trapped in an empire determined to crush her, Neryn must make it to Shadowfell not only to save herself, but to save Alban.

 

(summary from goodreads.com)

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I really liked this book. Sometimes after reading contemporary, or dystopian, or paranormal, I'll pick up a fantasy book and remember how much I love fantasy. I loved Neryn's strength and flaws, her determination in the journey. I loved the "Good Folk." I love books where they travel - I like the camaraderie that comes from journeying and setting up camping and eating together, I think it makes for more realistic relationships. Of COURSE people get to know each other when they travel for months together. I love Flint and am so curious to see how his story turns out. My one and only problem with this book? HER AGE. Seriously, she should be 4-5 years older than she is. I'd be happier with 3 years older. I've read other books by Juliet Marillier and her heroines are always a bit young - when writing a historical book, I understand the need for accuracy and such. Yes, in the past young girls were married off much earlier than they are now, which is how I've ignored the ages in her other books. But this isn't a historical novel, it's fantasy. It's not even fantastical history. Pure fantasy with new countries and landscapes and people. She needs to be older. Hopefully she ages a lot before the next book or I forget how old she actually is.

 

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: moderate. Profanity: no. Sex: random groping and worrying about "what men want", but that's it.