Thursday, April 7, 2011

Angelfire

Title: Angelfire
Author: Courtney Allison Moulton
Release: February 15, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books
Age Group: YA
Pages: 453
Overall: 5/5
Source: NetGalley

From Goodreads:  This debut, the first novel in a trilogy, is achingly romantic, terrifying, and filled with blistering action.


When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers - monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell - she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between archangels and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruction of her soul.

A mysterious boy named Will reveals she is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, the only one capable of wielding swords of angelfire to fight the reapers, and he is an immortal sworn to protect her in battle. Now that Ellie's powers have been awakened, a powerful reaper called Bastian has come forward to challenge her. He has employed a fierce assassin to eliminate her - an assassin who has already killed her once.

While balancing her dwindling social life and reaper-hunting duties, she and Will discover Bastian is searching for a dormant creature believed to be a true soul reaper. Bastian plans to use this weapon to ignite the End of Days and to destroy Ellie's soul, ending her rebirth cycle forever. Now, she must face an army of Bastian's most frightening reapers, prevent the soul reaper from consuming her soul, and uncover the secrets of her past lives - including truths that may be too frightening to remember.

My Thoughts:  I loved this book!  I had trouble putting it down and was thoroughly disappointed when it ended.  Ellie's character is great.  She's smart and tough.  There are quite a few books out with strong female leads who fight monsters, but Ellie seemed to be the toughest (in my opinion).  When reading the action scenes, I could actually picture the fighting in my head.  Will is one of those hot male characters that can leave you drooling and wishing you had a guy just like him in your life.  I'm so eager to read the next book in the trilogy.  There seems to be so much more to come.  I'm not sure which is causing me the most suspense: what will happen with the reapers or what will happn between Ellie and Will.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Lost in the River of Grass

Title: Lost in the River of Grass
Author: Ginny Rorby
Release: March 28, 2011
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 264
Overall: 2/5
Source: NetGalley

From Goodreads:  A science-class field trip to the Everglades is supposed to be fun, but Sarah's new at Glades Academy, and her fellow freshmen aren't exactly making her feel welcome. When an opportunity for an unauthorized side trip on an airboat presents itself, it seems like a perfect escape—an afternoon without feeling like a sore thumb. But one simple oversight turns a joyride into a race for survival across the river of grass. Sarah will have to count on her instincts—and a guy she barely knows—if they have any hope of making it back alive.




Lost in the River of Grass takes on the classic survival genre using one of the country's most unique wild places as a backdrop. In this tense, character-driven thriller, Sarah must overcome prejudice and the unforgiving wilderness in a struggle to survive.
 
My Thoughts:  This isn't a book I would typically read, but I thought it sounded interesting and decided to take a chance on it.  I would have to say I liked the book but didn't love it.  The storyline was interesting, and I found the book teaching me things I hadn't known before.  Clearly, the author did her research about the Everglades.  I read somewhere that this book was based on her husband's experience of walking out of the Everglades.  This is probably why she did such a great job of describing the experiences of Sarah and Andy.  The pace of the story was a little slow for my taste, but I thought it was a good book overall.  Something that I really enjoyed about the book was that it wasn't a typical YA book.  Yes, Sarah struggled to fit in at school and had a crush on a boy.  Unlike many other YA's, this book focused on Sarah's feelings about herself, her doubts about herself, and her journey in overcoming those doubts.  I would definitely suggest this book to my future children.  It's a great example of how you can do anything if you set your mind to it.

Monday, April 4, 2011

The Raising

Title: The Raising
Author: Laura Kasischke
Release: March 15, 2011
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Age Group: Unsure
Pages: 496
Overall: 4/5
Source: NetGalley

From Goodreads:  Last year Godwin Honors Hall was draped in black. The university was mourning the loss of one of its own: Nicole Werner, a blond, beautiful, straight-A sorority sister tragically killed in a car accident that left her boyfriend, who was driving, remarkably—some say suspiciously—unscathed.


Although a year has passed, as winter begins and the nights darken, obsession with Nicole and her death reignites: She was so pretty. So sweet-tempered. So innocent. Too young to die.

Unless she didn’t.

Because rumor has it that she’s back.

My Thoughts:  I really enjoyed this book.  It sucked me in quickly, and I couldn't seem to read it fast enough.  The author kept me on my toes, and I found myself guessing over and over what would happen next.  I liked how the author pieced together the story from the perspectives of different characters.  Nicole, the deeply missed sorority girl, had many sides to her, and it was interesting to see all of these come to light.  I also enjoyed how the author told the story of the accident a little at a time.  This book definitely had the spookiness of a ghost story and the intrigue of a mystery.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair


Title: The Betrayal of Maggie Blair
Author: Elizabeth Laird
Release: April 18, 2011
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Age Group: YA
Pages: 435
Overall: 2/5
Source: NetGalley

From Goodreads:  In seventeenth-century Scotland, saying the wrong thing can lead to banishment—or worse. Accused of being a witch, sixteen-year-old Maggie Blair is sentenced to be hanged. She escapes, but instead of finding shelter with her principled, patriotic uncle, she brings disaster to his door.


Betrayed by one of her own accusers, Maggie must try to save her uncle and his family from the king’s men, even if she has to risk her own life in the process.

My Thoughts:  I’ll be honest.  I had some trouble getting through this book.  Maybe I interpreted the summary wrong, but I expected the book to focus more on Maggie being accused of witchcraft.  I didn’t expect it to make up a short portion in the beginning.  I found the story to be slow.  Once I realized the book wasn’t what I had expected, I contemplated not finishing it.  It just wasn’t keeping my attention.  I wouldn’t say this is a bad book.  I have seen very good reviews by others.  It just wasn’t my kind of book.