The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

                                                                    5 Stars

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder-much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Clary knows she should call the police, but it's hard to explain a murder when the body disappears into thin air and the murderers are invisible to everyone but Clary.

Equally startled by her ability to see them, the murderers explain themselves as Shadowhunters: a secret tribe of warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. Within twenty-four hours, Clary's mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a grotesque demon.

But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know....

-from http://www.mortalinstruments.com/


This is an amazing series! Cassandra Clare is a strong voice in the teen genre right now, and so far, none of her books have disappointed. I really enjoy her writing style, which has a lot of sarcasm and humorous banter between the characters. For adults who enjoy reading in the teen genre, this series is a great choice.

It's also a great series for teens because there is a lot of drama and adventure, but with substance behind the story. A good choice for paranormal fans, since there are vampires, werewolves, and warlocks involved. I think it is a fun departure from some of the very popular vampire fiction that's out for teens right now. In my opinion, this series is much better written than Twilight, but will appeal to fans of that series.

There is a romance storyline which remains enjoyable throughout because it doesn't get too heavy or mushy. This would be a great read for teenage boys or girls, since there is enough action, adventure, and demon fighting to keep any teen's interest.

Rating: Read it! I would recommend buying it, because you will probably want to re-read them sometime down the line.



The Eternal Ones

by Kristen Miller

4/5 stars

Haven Moore can't control her visions of a past with a boy called Ethan, and a life in New York that ended in fiery tragedy. In our present, she designs beautiful dresses for her classmates with her best friend Beau. Dressmaking keeps her sane, since she lives with her widowed and heartbroken mother in her tyrannical grandmother's house in Snope City, a tiny town in Tennessee. Then an impossible group of coincidences conspire to force her to flee to New York, to discover who she is, and who she was.

In New York, Haven meets Iain Morrow and is swept into an epic love affair that feels both deeply fated and terribly dangerous. Iain is suspected of murdering a rock star and Haven wonders, could he have murdered her in a past life? She visits the Ouroboros Society and discovers a murky world of reincarnation that stretches across millennia. Haven must discover the secrets hidden in her past lives, and loves, before all is lost and the cycle begins again.

I devoured this book. Finished it in 2 days, staying up until 3:30 am. There was a mystery to it that kept me reading, plus there were a couple of characters who you couldn't tell if they were good or bad. I liked the idea of reincarnation that was behind this book- the idea that famous people, or people who are super talented at something, are actually these old souls who have been able to hone their talents over the ages. And of course, the idea of an epic love affair that has been repeated in many lives over thousands of years will appeal to most fans of romance. I found the story of the first life where Iain and Haven met, which occurred on Crete around 100 A.D., very interesting. I wish the author had gone into more details about some of the past life love affairs.

One thing that was kind of frustrating was Haven's inability to trust, which was understandable for  her character but still makes the reader want to scream, "Just trust him, already!!" Or it made me want to scream that, at any rate.

It is most definitely the beginning of a series, and leaves a lot of promise for book two. I am hoping for more of the present-day love story between the two main characters in book two, since this first book seemed to gloss over some of their interactions because of trust issues.

If you like a teen paranormal romance series, this is a good one to start.

-Rose

Nevermore

by Kelly Creagh

4/5 stars

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 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.

This book was good. The main character, Isobel, who at the beginning of the book is the head cheerleader and super popular, manages to come off as likable, not annoying. This book had some funny parts, it had romance, so of course I liked it!

The book has a lot more to do with Edgar Allan Poe than the synopsis indicates. You may even learn a little about Poe in the process of reading it. (I'm embarrassed to say that I had never heard about Poe's mysterious disappearance shortly before his death). The parts about Poe were interesting. And then there's Varen Nethers. What's not to like about him? Dark, mysterious, hot........ok, you've got my attention!

I really enjoyed the part where Isobel went to meet Varen at Nobit's Nook, a strange old bookstore with it's very own poltergeist. Needless to say, I'd love to visit this store. I think that the funniest part of the whole book was when Isobel's dad helps her with her Poe presentation. I won't tell you what he does, because I don't want to give anything away.

Just to let everyone know, this is definitely the start of a series. This book really left me hanging. So if you hate waiting for a sequel to come out, I would recommend waiting until next fall to read this book, since I'm guessing (more like hoping) that the sequel will come out then.

--Rose

The Real Real by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

3/5 stars

When Jesse O'Rourke gets picked for a "documentary" being filmed at her school in the Hamptons she's tempted to turn down the offer. But there's a tuition check attached to being on the show, and Jesse needs the cash so she can be the first in her family to attend college. All she has to do is trade her best friend for the glam clique she's studiously avoided, her privacy for a 24/7 mike, and her sense of right and wrong for "what sells on camera." . . . At least there's one bright spot in the train wreck that is her suddenly public senior year: Jesse's crush has also made the cast.

As the producers manipulate the lives of their "characters" to heighten the drama, and Us Weekly covers become a regular occurrence for Jesse, she must struggle to remember one thing: the difference between real and the real real. (From the publisher)

So, taking a break the bleak visions of the future that I've reading lately, I decided to to read something "fun". On the surface, The Real Real is a fun, guilty pleasure book that is very similar to watching a reality tv show. Jesse and her fellow cast members get to wear designer clothes, spend the weekends shopping, take glamorous trips, and become instant celebrities. However, once you can get past the ridiculous amount of product name dropping and overblown, evil adults in this story, there's an interesting little undercurrent about how little "reality" is actually present in reality tv.  What starts out as a show about the real lives of ordinary high schoolers soon becomes a soap opera as the show's producers begin manufacturing drama and turn the lives of the cast into nightmares for the sake of ratings. It (almost) makes you feel sorry for the real life stars of such shows.

I really wish that the characters were better developed. Jesse, who is supposedly the "smart and responsible" one (she gets into Georgetown University) makes several bad decisions during the story, which doesn't really make sense in the context she's presented in. Several of the minor characters (the fancy, professional cinematographer, Zachariah, brings a lot of comedy to the otherwise tedious shooting scenes) really shine while those in the core group don't come off as very interesting. And, the romance between Jesse and Drew feels a little shallow- their only similarity is that they've both been cast on the show. Pretty much all of the relationships in this story seem like plot conveniences rather than believable pairings. This really is a plot driven story, which I was okay with, but a little more characterization would have made this a much stronger book.

On the bright side, I found this to be a light, breezy read that kept me entertained from beginning to end. I would recommend it for readers looking for a sneak peek behind the scenes of reality tv. There's actually the potential for some pretty great discussion about this book in regards to entertainment, reality tv, and corporate marketing directed at teens. I could envision this being a fun, summer reading book group selection.

~Erin~

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

5/5 stars. If I could give it more stars, I would.

Ages 15 and up.





At Fairfield High School, on the outskirts of Chicago, everyone knows that south siders and north siders aren't exactly compatible elements. So when head cheerleader Brittany Ellis and gang member Alex Fuentes are forced to be lab partners in chemistry class, the results are bound to be explosive. But neither teen is prepared for the most surprising chemical reaction of all- love. Can they break through the stereotypes and misconceptions that threaten to keep them apart?

Wow. This book was really really good. Intensely good. When I finished it, I wished it wasn't over yet, and wanted to re-read it right away. If you like romance, you will like this book. There were so many reasons why this book falls into the category of  one of the best romances I've ever read. My absolute favorite kind of romance story is when hate turns to love, and all the verbal sparring and denial of feelings that go along with it. It makes it so fun to read! This book had all that, and was also well-written with multi-dimensional characters.
I really enjoyed the 2 character viewpoint in this book. Every other chapter was from Brittany, then Alex's perspective. I now officially have a huge crush on Alex Fuentes. I want to ride on his motorcycle with him, and see him at Enrique's Auto Body, working on cars, and "looking more masculine than any guy I've ever seen", as Brittany says. Yep, Alex is a stone cold fox.
I liked the fact that Brittany cared so much about her special needs sister that she was willing to go wherever her sister was, and be there for her. I think the book sends a really good message to teens about love for family and sacrifice. Alex is also in a similar situation with his family, but in his case he will do anything to protect them from the violence and gangs in his neighborhood.
Overall, just read this book! I can't wait to read the next book in the trilogy, Rules of Attraction.

A big thank you to Sandy for letting me borrow this book! Now I need to buy my own copy.

Lament by Maggie Stiefvater

Don't you know what happens to cloverhands who cannot control the fey?

Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand-one who can see fairies.
Unexpectedly, Deirdre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy named Luke who enters her ordinary life, seemingly out of thin air. But his interest in her might be something darker than summer romance. When a sinsister faerie named Aodhan shows up with deadly orders from the Faerie Queen, it forces Dee right into the midst of Faerie. Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend.
Deirdre had been wishing her summer weren't so dull, but taking on a centuries-old Faerie Queen isn't exactly what she had in mind.

I wish I could say that this was a great book that was totally worth my time reading, but unfortunately, it wasn't. I think some people would read it and really enjoy it, but for me it wasn't anything original or special. The author has a good writing style, but it took me a month to finish the book because I kept reading other things instead. There was nothing about this book that made me want to know how it was going to end. I normally love books about Faerie (I love the magical world occurring side by side with our world), but this one just didn't do it for me.
The main character was ok. She wasn't too annoying or anything, but I had trouble understanding why she hated her mother so much. There was really no resolution to the mother-daughter relationship, although there is a sequel to this book, so maybe it is resolved there. I won't be reading the sequel, so I'll just be in the dark on that one.
The romance was lukewarm, in my opinion. (Ha ha, that was a bad pun because her love interest's name is Luke!) I wish there had been more background information on Luke. I was a lot more interested in how he became enslaved to the Faerie Queen, and what period of history he was from, than in what was going on in the present day of the book.
Overall summary- skip this one. If you want a good faerie book, read Tithe or Valiant by Holly Black.

by Rose

2/5 stars

Welcome to our blog!

Our names are Rose and Erin, and we are so excited to finally be starting this teen blog! We are just two friends who love books and love teen fiction. Hope you enjoy our blog!