Book Review of "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" by Laini Taylor

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1)
Author: Laini Taylor
Classification: YA Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal
Source: Bought from Amazon

Overall Grade:

A+

I thought...

This is what great writing looks like.

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Summary (from Goodreads): 

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?

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My Thoughts:


Magic. Hope. The endless battle of good versus evil. A star-crossed love. A devastating secret.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is an incredible novel. It manages to attack so many classic tropes with ingenuity. Powerful writing (in a 3rd person narrative that is so refreshing) brings its own magic to a story filled with ancient lore, hidden worlds, and creatures that challenge traditional notions of what it means to be human.

Karou is a girl with aquamarine hair whose only known family is a group of grotesque demons who trade human teeth for wishes. She is independent, smart, creative. But she is missing something. She aches for something unknowable, unidentified.

She is lonely.

Karou's journey to rid herself of acute loneliness is intense and the tension is palpable. In many YA novels, the author's desire to withhold a secret from the reader until a pivotal moment in the story is usually annoying and almost never done correctly.

However, Daughter of Smoke and Bone shows that to a talented author like Taylor, no trope or cliché is off-limits. In many ways, reading this novel is to experience the magic of magic and the thrill of other worlds and the truth of a great protagonist for the first time. In this way, Daughter of Smoke and Bone is not only an advocate of societal equality, strength of character, and inner beauty (among other things), but also of the magic and power of storytelling.

Readers with a critical eye and a low-tolerance for poor or lazy writing will be thrilled to find a smart, atmospheric YA series in Daughter of Smoke and Bone! However, readers who are more interested in a palpable, emotional romance and a thrilling story will also be satisfied with Karou's tale!

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Overall Grade:

A+

I thought...

This is what great writing looks like.

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(Full Disclosure: Any books purchased from Amazon through the links on this page will result in a small commission to me.)

Book Review of "Froi of the Exiles" by Melina Marchetta

Title: Froi of the Exiles (Lumatere Chronicles #2)
Author: Melina Marchetta
Classification: YA Fiction, Fantasy
Source: ARC review copy from the publisher

To be published March 13th, 2012

Overall Grade:

A+

I thought...

This is me: mind-blown and blubbering.

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Summary (from Goodreads): 

From master storyteller Melina Marchetta comes an exhilarating new fantasy springing from her celebrated epic, Finnikin of the Rock. 

Three years after the curse on Lumatere was lifted, Froi has found his home . . . or so he believes. Fiercely loyal to the Queen and Finnikin, Froi has been taken roughly and lovingly in hand by the Guard sworn to protect the royal family, and has learned to control his quick temper with a warrior's discipline. But when he is sent on a secretive mission to the kingdom of Charyn, nothing could have prepared him for what he finds in its surreal royal court. Soon he must unravel both the dark bonds of kinship and the mysteries of a half-mad princess in this barren and mysterious place. It is in Charyn that he will discover there is a song sleeping in his blood . . . and though Froi would rather not, the time has come to listen. 

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My Thoughts:


This. Book.

People! This book!

This is me, bug-eyed, mind-blown, trying to do this book justice.

Once again, Melina Marchetta creates a tale of fantasy and adventure and romance and hate and absolution and assassins and curses and she weaves a tale so thick with characters, who you love in all their self-loathing glory, that one wonders if Skuldenore isn't a real place that just hasn't been discovered yet.

The greatest strength of Froi of the Exiles lies in the individual, personal stories being told about each set of characters. While Froi and the half-mad Quintana are the focus of the novel, the other characters that we grew to love in Finnikin of the Rock also have their fair share of page-time: Finnikin, Isaboe, Trevanion, Beatriss, Lucian, Tesadora.

However, Froi of the Exiles is not simply a re-hashed Finnikin. The new characters it introduces to us are many and unforgettable: Quintana, Lirah, Arjuro, Gargarin, Phaedra.

When distilled down to its basic essence, the plot of Froi is quite similar to Finnikin: There is a curse upon the land that only these characters can amend. There is a curse upon the land that both unites and divides a people.

There is a curse upon the land and there is one who has been chosen to end it.

If Finnikin was a demonstration of the power of place, Froi is a tale of absolution. The characters in Froi are an extremely tortured and neurotic bunch. They are constantly faced with the grim reality of facing down their grievous past, sometimes giving into despair, sometimes coming to terms with it, sometimes telling it to back the eff off.

Under a less talented author, the split narrative of Froi would frustrate, but here it works. The deeds of both Charynite and Lumateran characters are given a place here, but let's not forget the stars of the show: Froi and Quintana/The Reginita/The Princess.

Watching the story unfold through Froi's eyes is like sending your child off to preschool for the first time and hoping that he doesn't punch someone in the face--(unless they really really deserve it, then it is condoned and appreciated and cheered)--and finding out that everyone else in his class is neurotic in the deepest sense of the word and realizing that this was going to be a lot more complicated--(and, forgive me, entertaining)--than you ever imagined.

In short: Froi of the Exiles is a wholly original and personal fantasy that will have fans begging for the next book in series, Quintana of Charyn, set for a March 2013 release in the US.

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Overall Grade:

A+

I thought...

This is me: mind-blown and blubbering.

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Book Review of "The Scorpio Races" by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: The Scorpio Races

Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Classification: YA Fiction, Paranormal, Fantasy
Source: ARC from Scholastic

To be published by Scholastic on October 18th, 2011!

Overall Grade:

A+

Recommended to...

Those in want of a lyrical, romantic, and suspenseful tale!


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Summary (from Goodreads):

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

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My Thoughts:

For fans of Maggie Stiefvater's paranormal trilogy, The Wolves of Mercy Falls, The Scorpio Races offers a new gorgeous setting, enigmatic and unforgettable characters, higher stakes, and a perilous paranormal element.

For those that are not fans of her previous work, or that are simply unfamiliar with her, be prepared for a suspenseful, fantastic, lyrical and romantic thrill ride in The Scorpio Races! 

I am a big fan of YA novels that go outside the realm of predictable, cliché, and "regular," especially when those authors tell their stories with lyricism. This is why I am a huge Maggie Stiefvater fan. 

The Scorpio Races drew me in immediately with it's dual-narrative, told intermittently by Puck (Kate) and Sean (I almost said Sam--HA). Although I don't think that comparing this stand-alone historical/fantasy venture with Stiefvater's bestselling paranormal series is the best way to review this novel, it seems that most readers who come across this book will be familiar with her other work and will therefore be wondering how this novel compares.

In all honesty, a direct comparison is unfair, because each work is very different in terms of scope, theme, and extraneous elements, such as paranormal shape-shifting vs. fantasy fairy-lore.

However, the modes of operation present in Stiefvater's Shiver trilogy that make the series so wonderful in my eyes are also present in The Scorpio Races. For instance, Stiefvater's lyrical writing is still the delivery system for her ideas and still resonates with readers that are bored with straight-forward prose. Stiefvater's characters are also very well constructed, in that they are not shells of people or caricatures of characters (nice, huh?)

Rather, I can still picture the main characters, and several well-sketched minor characters, clearly in my mind even after reading several novels in between The Scorpio Races and now. With a normal novel, this added fictional database would wipe away less carefully crafted characters, but this is thankfully not the case with Stiefvater's work! 

Another main difference between The Scorpio Races and Shiver, Linger, and Forever is that the romance element is not as overtly present. This is not to say that there is not romance, because there is. But, I feel that Stiefvater did a great job of using this plot line to complicate and progress the more important plot: that of the Scorpio Races themselves. 

This dissection of the novel may not be the best way to review it, so I will give a few thoughts about the general experience of reading The Scorpio Races as well. 

Firstly, this novel is a fantasy, first and foremost, that takes place on an island called Thisby that is plagued by a race of magical creatures called the capaille uisce (copple ishka - or ooshka). These creatures, in short, are incredibly powerful and dangerous flesh-eating water horses that live in the sea. When not surrounded by ocean, these horses are the most powerful and fast of their kind, far surpassing the abilities of regular "ponies" like Puck's mare Dove. 

Puck is the nickname of smart and hot-tempered redhead Kate Connelly, who enters the Scorpio Races against all odds in order to overcome a desperate situation. Sean Kendrick is the four-time winner of the Scorpio Races and the only person that is able to somehow speak with, control, and connect with the capaille uisce, like Corr, the blood-red stallion that has helped him win. 

At the center of The Scorpio Races is the danger of the races themselves, as the contestants ride these flesh-eating monsters at the base of Thisby's cliffs. The horses at once longing to pull their rider's down into the ocean with them and to rip into the flesh of the humans on their backs, spectators that get too close, other capaille uisce that ride alongside them... nearly everything and everyone in their path.

Other plot devices and elements in The Scorpio Races include Puck's struggle in the all-male society of the races, financial and economical hardship, the love and complicated relationship between siblings, differences in societal classes, connection to animals and animal cruelty, and the duties associated with protecting those you love. 

An absolutely wonderful read! 

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Overall Grade:

A+

Recommended to...

Those in want of a lyrical, romantic, and suspenseful tale!


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Book Review of "Finnikin of the Rock" by Melina Marchetta

Title: Finnikin of the Rock (Lumatere Chronicles #1)

Author: Melina Marchetta
Classification: YA Fiction, Fantasy
Source: Bought

Overall Grade: 

A+ 

Would I recommend it? 

I will not be your friend if you don't read it.


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Summary (from Goodreads):

At the age of nine, Finnikin is warned by the gods that he must sacrifice a pound of flesh to save his kingdom. He stands on the rock of the three wonders with his friend Prince Balthazar and Balthazar's cousin, Lucian, and together they mix their blood to safeguard Lumatere.

But all safety is shattered during the five days of the unspeakable, when the king and queen and their children are brutally murdered in the palace. An impostor seizes the throne, a curse binds all who remain inside Lumatere's walls, and those who escape are left to roam the land as exiles, dying by the thousands in fever camps.

Ten years later, Finnikin is summoned to another rock—to meet Evanjalin, a young novice with a startling claim: Balthazar, heir to the throne of Lumatere, is alive. This arrogant young woman claims she'll lead Finnikin and his mentor, Sir Topher, to the prince. Instead, her leadership points them perilously toward home. Does Finnikin dare believe that Lumatere might one day rise united? Evanjalin is not what she seems, and the startling truth will test Finnikin's faith not only in her but in all he knows to be true about himself and his destiny.

In a bold departure from her acclaimed contemporary novels, Printz Medalist Melina Marchetta has crafted an epic fantasy of ancient magic, feudal intrigue, romance, and bloodshed that will rivet you from the first page.

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My Thoughts:

Amazing. This book is amazing. How amazing, you ask? Well, if your favorite YA paranormal author (Maggie Stiefvater for me) or YA contemporary author (Cath Crowley) wrote a book outside of their usual genre, would you read it? Would you read a mystery written by Walt Whitman, or J.K. Rowling's poetry?

Okay, so maybe I'm moving away from the point, because these questions provoke a whole new set of ideas which, while I would love to discuss them, are not exactly on topic.

In many of the cases above, you would most likely say NO. No, I don't want to read Stephanie Meyer's new literary fiction. No, I do not want to watch Michael Jordan play baseball. No, I do not want to buy a car made by Hewlett Packard.

But in this case, where author of contemporary young adult fiction, Melina Marchetta, creates a new fantasy novel, the results are spectacular, rather than disappointing and confusing.

This is probably because the main difference between the fantasy and contemporary genres is world building. In her contemporary work, Marchetta is great at building the world of a novel based on the characters in them, what they notice about their childhood home, whether or not they talk to the bum on the corner, what each piece of a city feels like to them.

In Finnikin of the Rock, the world building is more centered on the characters in the land of Lumatere, what happened to them, how they tell their stories, if they tell them at all, and what they must do in the future to secure their place in this imaginative world. It's like the best contemporary novel you've ever read, with sword fighting, magic, prophesies, royalty, intrigue, mystery, and a stunning romance.

While it does take a few chapters to get fully immersed in the story, and it can be difficult to imagine where each nation is located in this new world, once you are hooked, there is no turning back. You must follow Finnikin and Evanjalin to the end!

Please read this book. If not for the fantasy, which is not the strongest point of this novel, for the people of Lumatere!

PS: This novel has a redhead HERO!!

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Overall Grade: 

A+ 

Would I recommend it? 

I will not be your friend if you don't read it.

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Book Review of "Demonglass" by Rachel Hawkins

NOTE: There are several spoilers to the novel Hex Hall (the first in this series) even in the description for Demonglass. Just sayin'.

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Title: Demonglass
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Classification: YA Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy
Source: Bought!

Overall Grade: 

A 

Would I read it again? 

Yes!

Would I recommend it to others? 

Certainly! 

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Summary (from Goodreads): 

Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.

That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.

But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

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My Thoughts:

Love Love Love!

 
I had a hard time putting this book down to go to work, go to bed, pick up the phone... It was addicting from the get go and I loved being back in Sophie's head. She is funny, brave, and real.

The development of characters like Cal, Archer and Sophie's father in the novel were paramount to the book's success. However, while I loved these developments (especially Cal!) I feel like Sophie's friendship with Jenna was neglected a bit. But that's okay, because Jenna's also growing in her own way in the story, so it worked out alright in the end.

The paranormal elements in Demonglass did not disappoint. However, these too, were put on the back burner a bit in favor of Sophie's relationships with others. I'm not saying it was a terrible move on Hawkins' part, because I think it worked really well and helped Sophie become a strong protagonist, but I think that some readers will be saddened by the lack of the more magical elements in the novel.

All in all, the Hex Hall series is quickly becoming one of my favorites! I can't wait to finish up the series next year with the publication of the unnamed Hex Hall #3... especially since Ms. Hawkins left us on a terrible cliffhanger!

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Overall Grade: 

A 

Would I read it again? 

Yes!

Would I recommend it to others? 

Certainly! 

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Book Review of "Nevermore" by Kelly Creagh

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Title: Nevermore
Author: Kelly Creagh
Classification: YA Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Source: Publisher

Overall Grade: 

A -

Would I read it again? 

Probably!

Would I recommend it to others? 

Yes!

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Summary (from Goodreads):  

Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. 

Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look. 

Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life. 

As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. 

Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares.

His life depends on it

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My Thoughts:

Nevermore surprised me. In a good way.

Creagh's characters are well-crafted and lovable. Well, at least the nice ones are. In fact, I was surprised that I liked Isobel so much. Creagh really did a great job at dispelling the nasty, ditsy, backstabbing-biotch reputation that cheerleaders have in media.

I also really like Varen. He was not only dark and mysterious, which is to be expected from most YA lit these days, but intelligent, creative, surprising and troubled.

Another great character was Isobel's new-found friend Gwen. She is completely hilarious and I totally dug her hippy-vibe. Creagh's first few sentences describing Gwen immediately brought an image of Leelee Sobieski as Drew Barrymore's geeky friend in "Never Been Kissed." -->

And here's one of the biggest things that I think made Nevermore succeed where most other YA lit has failed: Isobel is a good protagonist; the reader is allowed to see Isobel grow, change and react to conflicting ideals and emotions in her life. She confronts the strange, the difficult and the heartbreaking and she changes as a result of it.

This may not seem like a big deal, but believe me--it is. Just drop me an email and I'll send you a few examples of books whose protagonists remain static and cardboard... it's not pretty.

Now that I've got all the wonderful things about this book off my chest, I'd like to mention something that just didn't work for me.

The element of the mysterious and paranormal in Nevermore was an interesting plot. However, when it came down to the climax of the novel and the reader is suddenly presented with a huge, involving and complex plot with this element, I found the pull of it strong enough. I was more worried about the personal element of the relationships, and I just wish that Creagh would have taken more time to develop that side of the story so that I could have flipped through those last pages as I did through the first 400.

Yup. This is a beast of a first novel. But I loved all 543 pages of it and I cannot wait for Nevermore #2 to come out.
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Overall Grade: 

A -

Would I read it again? 

Probably!

Would I recommend it to others? 

Yes!

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Book Review of "The Iron King" by Julie Kagawa

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Title: The Iron King (Iron Fae #1)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Classification: YA Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Source: Public Library

Overall Grade: 

B +

Would I read it again? 

Sure.

Would I recommend it to others? 

Yes! 

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Summary (from Goodreads):

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

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My Thoughts:

I'm not sure what to say about this book.  I heard such a hype about it from fellow bloggers and friends on Goodreads, but I'm not sure I really grasp the appeal of it.

Something that sets The Iron King apart from other young adult fantasy books I've read recently is that it is largely an adventure tale.  The romantic story-line in the book is far less prominent than the story of Meghan's quest.  I found this to be equal parts refreshing and frustrating, because at many points in the narrative, the plot of the story was not strong enough in itself to keep me hanging on. I often became bored during the long gaps between personal interactions.

However, despite the somewhat lagging pace, I enjoyed the book and felt that Kagawa created a well-organized lush world that is easy to fall in love with.  Having said that, there are several points in the narrative where Kagawa fails. For example, in the area of Meghan's character, I did like her, but I found her a bit cookie-cutter and bland at times.  However, she does seem to grow with the story, which is definitely a plus!

Then there was a series of action scenes where I almost lost it.  I think in the space of 5 pages Kagawa uses the verb "snarled" about 7 times.  Instead of characters screaming or exclaiming something, they "snarled" it.  This overuse of a memorable word was amateur and annoying.

At the end of The Iron King, the story is wrapped up nicely, but also ends on another note that makes you want to continue the story in the next novel.  I will definitely pick up the next book, The Iron Daughter, because Kagawa's world and characters were enough to carry me through the weak points in the novel.

Have you read The Iron King? If so, do you agree or disagree with my assessment? Let me know in the comments, I'd love to hear what you think!
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Overall Grade: 

B +

Would I read it again? 

Sure.

Would I recommend it to others? 

Yes!

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Book Review of "Brightly Woven" by Alexandra Bracken

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Title: Brightly Woven
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Classification: YA Fiction, Teen Fiction, Fantasy
Source: Public Library

Overall Grade:

A

Would I read it again?

Yes!

Would I recommend it?

YES

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Summary: 

Sydelle Mirabel's dreary life in her dusty corner of the kingdom is changed forever when the wizard Wayland North visits their village, and brings their first drop of rain in over a decade. Along with the rain comes a band of soldiers from the neighboring nation, a move that North says is the beginning of war. 

North is offered any help or favor he desires from the Mirabel family, both for bringing an end to their debilitating drought and an early warning of the army's invasion. But much to everyone's surprise, North names his favor: to have Sydelle accompany him on his cross-country quest to warn the leaders of the nation that they are about to go to war with the wrong enemies.

Although Sydelle has always dreamed of leaving her small village, she is distraught at having to leave her family and friends just as soldiers invade the town. However, to return order to her hometown, she must abide North and his frustrating ways, so that they may stop the war from the source.

As their journey progresses, Sydelle becomes aware of something awry with their journey. Firstly, North dodges all of her questions about why he chose her to accompany him. Second, everywhere they turn Sydelle finds herself nose-to-nose with other magicians who seems strangely interested in her, a phenomenon which, again, North fails to explain to her. And lastly, North himself: prone to mood swings, strange illnesses and vulgarity, Sydelle is forced to grapple with his confusing character even as she struggles with the feelings inside herself.

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My Thoughts: 

This debut fantasy novel by Alexandra Bracken completely blew me away! I fell in love with Sydelle's world, with Bracken's characters and the interesting places she took the story. I definitely could not put it down.

The story in Brightly Woven is a new take on the typical fantasy novel, complete with romance, adventure, danger, magic and dangerous secrets.

I loved the relationship between Sydelle and North and how the plot influenced their view of one another. Bracken expertly weaved the relationship with depth and mystery and frustration and magic. I especially loved the major plot twist about Sydelle that Bracken included. It really helped deepen their relationship and it most certainly made for an exciting read.

Wayland North himself has got to be one of my favorite characters of all time. His strange moods, lack of a sense-of-direction and the painful secrets of his past made him lovable, laughable and most certainly memorable.

An excellent debut young adult fantasy novel from a crazy-gifted author.

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Overall Grade:

A

Would I read it again?

Yes!

Would I recommend it?

YES

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Book Review of "Hex Hall" by Rachel Hawkins

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  Title: Hex Hall
Author: Rachel Hawkins 
Classification: YA Fiction, Paranormal
Source: Public Library 

Overall Grade: 

A

Would I read it again? 

Yes!

Would I recommend it? 

Yes!

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Sophie Mercer is not your ordinary teenage girl: she's a witch.    A real spell-casting, trouble-making witch!    But what good are love spells and incantations when they never go right?    In fact, her ill-fated use of magic at her most recent high school has now landed her at Hecate Hall: a reform school for Witches, Warlocks, Weres, Shifters, Faeries and even Vampires!

But soon after her arrival at what the students have nicknamed Hex Hall, Sophie quickly learns that she's over her head.   Unlike her peers, she was raised by her human mother who did not educate her in the ways of witchery, which basically makes her feel like an idiot 90% of the time.  However, she does take comfort in her roommate Jenna, the only vampire student on campus, and an unlikely friendship with the resident heartthrob Archer Cross.  Not to mention her acerbic wit and lighthearted nature, which most certainly gives the reader something to laugh at on almost every page!

Then, Sophie learns of the school's dark past, a past that seems to be haunting her at every step, as more and more students are being attacked, nearly to the point of death.  And it's clear it's up to Sophie to clear the name of the suspected killer and unravel the dark mystery!

 I really really loved this book!  If you're a fan of YA Fiction, boarding-school narratives and fantasy, you're sure in for a treat.  I loved how Hawkins combined the elements of humor, mystery, fantasy, romance and mythology into such a delectable book.  Her writing style is not marred with clunky sentences, nor is it overly-simplistic: it's a perfect combination of fast-moving thriller, teen romance and a new world of fantasy that gives Sophie Mercer an excellent voice to guide the readers through her incredible journey.  

     

I'll be anxiously awaiting the sequel, Demonglass, set to release February 15th, 2011!

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Overall Grade: 

A

Would I read it again? 

Yes!

Would I recommend it? 

Yes!

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