Archive for the 'Fantasy' Category

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »

Extras by Scott Westerfeld

Published May 1, 2008 Fantasy , RAC Leave a Comment
Tags: , , ,

Genre: Fantasy

Age Level: 12 and up

# of Pages: 417 p.

Series: Uglies, Pretties, Specials

RAC Book: Yes

In this fourth book of the Uglies series, Aya is living as an ugly after the complete reconstruction of their societies. Now that no one is forced to look the same or get brain lesions, the resources they had previously shared happily are in short supply as people want to expand their houses and towns. Now that everyone is thinking clearly they are not satisfied with what they have and continue to want more and bigger things. The community has established a system for earning merits in order for people to acquire items they want. One way they earn merits is by giving everyone a face rank and the more famous a person is the more merits he or she gets. The other way is to earn merits through schoolwork and volunteering.

Aya is desperate to be famous like her brother, so she joins a group of girls called the Sly Girls. The Sly Girls are very mysterious and no one knows anything about them, so Aya feels if she can report a story on them she will get famous. What Aya ends up uncovering is bigger than she could have ever imagined and she quickly comes to realize that fame is not what she imagined.

This fourth book answers many questions unanswered in the Specials such as what has happened to everyone now that The Specials have been relieved of their power. There are many interesting and exciting events in this book, but the final outcome of the story seemed quickly resolved and not as interesting as the previous three. This new community and its rules are not described until well into the book and students might be confused as to why fame is so important to Aya. The door was definitely left open for further books and I have no doubt that students will be eagerly awaiting them. Worth a read, but not the strongest in the series.

Alfred Kropp the Seal of Solomon by Rick Yancey

Published March 27, 2008 Fantasy , RAC Leave a Comment
Tags: , ,

Genre:  Fantasy

Age Level:  14 and up

# of pages:  327

RAC Book:  Yes

In this sequel, Alfred Kropp is kidnapped out of his foster home when his help is needed to retrieve the Seal of Solomon.  The Seal of Solomon is the vessel that holds the fallen angels from heaven and the ring that can release them.  These were taken from the secret organization Alfred came to know in the first book when a rogue agent decided to release them into the world. 

As Alfred tries to help protect the world from millions of demons he seems to only make things worse.  This adventure story will keep readers interested all the way until the end.  There is a super hero feeling to Kropp, but at the same time he is a regular teenager who thinks and acts like a regular teenager.  The humor, suspense, fantastical elements, and adventure will be a hit with teens.

Peeps by Scott Westerfeld

Published March 6, 2008 Fantasy , RAC 6 Comments
Tags: , , ,

Genre:  Fantasy

Age Level:  14 and up

# of Pages:  304

RAC Book:  Yes

Cal Thompson is a carrier of the parasite that creates vampires.  He was infected against his will and is now a hunter to hunt down others who have been infected and need help.  After he chases down all of the people he inadvertently infected he goes searching for the one who forced this life upon him.  Through this process he meets Lace, a girl who lives in the same apartment building of the girl he is looking for, and discovers she has noticed that something is not right in her building.

As Cal continues looking for clues as to what is really going on in the vampire community, he finds that Lace is difficult to get rid of and demands he tell her the truth about what he does for a living.  Instead of fleeing like most people would, Lace tries to help him find the mysterious Morgan who began Cal’s journey and what she finds surprises them both.

This vampire story focuses more on the science of vampirism and other parasites that exist in our world.  It lacks some of the excitement and mystery of this world found in other series such as Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight or Melissa De La Cruz’s Blue Bloods.  It does provide a unique take on vampires, but students won’t find it as interesting as Westerfeld’s Uglies series.  All in all, a little slow moving and cautious about a popular topic in young adult lit. right now.

Doppelganger by David Stahler Jr.

Published February 28, 2008 Fantasy , RAC 36 Comments
Tags: , , ,

Genre:  Fantasy

Age Level:  14 and up

# of Pages:  258

RAC Book:  Yes

The main character in this book is a doppelganger.  Doppelgangers try to survive in this world through a human body.  In order to get a human body they must kill a human and take on his or her form.  They are not able to hold forms forever, though, and must eventually find a new body. 

When the main character, who has no name, is turned out by his mother as a teenager to fend for himself he finds he has difficulty killing humans.  He finds an old man and takes his body first.  Then, one day some teenage boys decide to pick on the old man and he ends up killing a teenage boy.  He decides to become the boy, Chris, in order to see what it’s like to be a normal teenage boy.  “Chris” soon learns that life is not as perfect as he had seen on television.  His family has numerous problems including domestic abuse, his girlfriend seems to hate him, and he is supposed to be a football star and he knows nothing about it.  “Chris” must learn what it means to be human and whether or not it is worth all the trouble.

This fantasy has many unusual elements related to the doppelgangers, but they are all explained clearly by the author.  There is also a lot of violence, but it is not too graphic or disturbing.  The scenes with Chris’s family are very serious, but interesting for students to read because they have many problems but there is still hope for them to be happy together.  Mystery and fantasy readers will enjoy this title.

 

Demons are Forever by Julie Kenner

Published January 8, 2008 Fantasy , Mystery , RAC Leave a Comment
Tags: , , , ,

Genre:  Fantasy/Mystery

Age Level:  14 and up

# of Pages:  292

RAC Book:  Yes

Kate Connor has been a demon hunter for a great deal of her life.  Her and her first husband were both demon hunters until they decided to start a family, when they both retired.  Some years later Kate’s husband was mysteriously murdered and she suspected that maybe he had come out of retirement without her knowledge.  Since then she has remarried and had another child, but lately she has been unable to remain retired as demons start infiltrating her safe suburban town.

Kate chooses to tell her daughter, Allie, the truth about what she does and of course Allie wants to become a demon hunter too.  While this causes some stress for Kate her main concern is finding out why there are so many demons around and how she can protect her family from them.  She believes the key to everything might be in her late husband’s possessions that she put into storage, but as she begins to uncover clues she also puts herself and her family into more and more danger.

This humorous tale about a soccer mom who also fights demons on the side has fantasy, mystery, and witty elements that many readers will enjoy.  The story seemed fairly simple at first, but ended up being more complex which makes it a fun ride to the end.  On top of everything else, Kate seems real and flawed in many ways making the story that much more believable.  She is not a superhuman perfect wife and mother who can do it all, which most people can relate to.  Instead, she has to make priorities and hope she is doing the best for her family.  Strongly recommended for those who are fantasy fans.

Hero by Perry Moore

Published December 20, 2007 Fantasy Leave a Comment
Tags: , , ,

Genre:  Fantasy

Age Level:  14 and up

# of Pages:  428 p.

RAC Book: Yes

Thom Creed is a teenager coming to terms with many issues in his life including the disappearance of his mother when he was young, the fall of his heroic father, and his questionable sexuality.  His father was once a huge hero, but due to an unfortunate event he lost his hand and became a complete outcast.  Now, there is a league of heroes who all have superpowers.  During a basketball game, Thom begins to see the beginnings of a superpower he might possess.  As he struggles to learn more about his power he also struggles with the feelings that he thinks he might be homosexual.  Both of these developments would anger his father greatly.

After getting kicked off his basketball team for the rumor of his homosexuality, Thom decides to go to hero tryouts in order to be a trainee for the league.  He meets many aspiring heroes with powers that have not yet become completely controlled.  After making a probationary team, Thom learns how truly difficult it is to be a hero and feels bad about the disappointment his father has become simply for trying to help people.  As Thom works with the league he comes to find out more about why his mother left, what really happened when his father lost that hand, and where he truly belongs.

This story about heroes training to save the world brings fun adventures along with deep feelings about many very real issues teenagers face today including sexuality, friendship, parents, reputations, and finding what one is supposed to do in this world.    The issue of homosexuality is an issue that many young adult authors do not touch, which makes this story unique.  Thom’s feelings hinder his aspiratons to become a hero, which connects nicely to aspirations many young people have but feel prejudice will keep them from doing it.  For example, even in our evolved society a homosexual teen would have a harder time breaking into pro sports than a heterosexual one.  While some readers may feel his homosexual fantasies are too graphic, they are no worse than any other sexual fantasies present in similar material.  Moore does a nice job of taking realistic elements and mixing them into the fantasy world where superheroes exist.

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Published December 4, 2007 Fantasy , RAC 17 Comments
Tags: , , , ,

Genre:  Fantasy

Age Level:  12 and up

# of Pages:  337

RAC Book:  Yes

Miranda, her mother, and her little brother Jonny are all excited about the upcoming event of a meteor crashing into the moon.  Meteorologists have been predicting it for weeks and believe people will be able to see it just by looking at the sky.  People plan big parties and everyone is outside to watch, but somewhere the calculations are off and the meteor has a much bigger impact than anyone predicted.  In fact, the moon is pushed closer to earth, which causes a string of events that end “normal” life on earth.  First, the tides begin to change and cause floods, tsunamis, and tornados.  Then, volcanoes start to erupt all over earth.  The ash in the air causes the sun to become blocked, which kills the crops, etc. 

Miranda and her family live in a place that is not directly affected by any of the natural disasters, but everyone in the world is affected by what has happened.  All of the grocery stores and restaurants close, the price of gas keeps rising and rising, the schools close, and there is no electricity.  Miranda tells the story through her diary where she depicts her family’s activities each day following this disaster.  They gather as much food and supplies as they can so that they can be prepared, but still find themselves eating as little as possible so that they can conserve.  They also spend hours on household chores such as washing clothes and chopping wood since they won’t be able to count on their appliances anymore.

As the story moves on, things keep getting more dire for Miranda and her family and there are times where they all doubt their survival.  There is a theme of hope in the book, but there is also always the possibility that they will all die.  The story is told realistically and accurately portrays how one incident can change everything about life on earth.  Some students may find it too realistic and therefore disturbing, but it is good for students to be aware of how we all depend on each other and what might happen if even one thing went wrong.

 

Through Violet Eyes by Stephen Woodworth

Published November 19, 2007 Fantasy , Mystery , RAC Leave a Comment
Tags: , , ,

Genre: Fantasy and Mystery

Age Level:  14 and up

# of Pages:  333

RAC Book:  Yes

Dan Atwater is an FBI detective with a blemish on his record he can’t ever forget or forgive himself for.  His latest assignment is to protect a “violet.”  Violets are people born with violet eyes who can sometimes allow dead people’s spirits to inhabit their bodies.  Violets are often used in murder trials so that the jury can hear the victim speak.  Violets are very rare and as such are often forced into law enforcement even when they do not want to have serial killers and victims in their heads all day.

Several violets have gone missing and Natalie, the woman Dan is supposed to protect, assures him that several have come to visit her and are therefore dead.  No one can figure out why anyone would want to kill violets or why the murders change over time.  There is also evidence that someone is returning to the crime to steal personal items after the fact.  Why would the killer do this?  As the violets slowly go missing it becomes pretty clear that things are not as they seem and Natalie is definitely the next name on the killer’s list.  Can Dan save her?  Can they figure out who would want to cause harm to a group of people most people admire?

This mystery story adds some fastasy elements that make it very unique.  The story has suspense, drama, and action.  There comes a point when the reader should figure out the mystery of the identity of the killer, but there are many twists at the end of the story that will keep anyone guessing until the end.  Recommended for mystery lovers.

Tanglewreck by Jeanette Winterson

Published November 9, 2007 Fantasy , RAC 1 Comment
Tags: , , , ,

Genre:  Fantasy

Age Level:  12 and up

# of pages:  415

RAC:  Yes

Silver is living in her family home, Tanglewreck, with her evil aunt, Mrs. Rockabye when the book begins.  Silver’s family was killed when she was young and now she is forced to watch as Mrs. Rockabye takes over her house in every way.  Silver must scrounge for food and do her chores constantly.  When a mysterious man comes to inquire about a clock, Silver hears him promise her aunt a lot of money if she can locate it and turn it over to him.  Unfortunately, no one knows where the magical Timekeeper clock is and because of that time has begun to fall apart.  Sometimes time stand still and other times it speeds up.  Most disturbing of all is when there are time warps and people and things disappear and go into another time and place.

Silver must go on a journey to find out where the Timekeeper is and what she is meant to do with it.  There are two main characters who want the clock for two different reasons and it is unclear to Silver at times which is the lesser of two evils.  Silver meets a lot of friends along the way and learns more about how she needs to fix the issues with time the world is having before it is too late.  This book was entertaining, but some of the explanations of how time can be manipulated might get a little confusing for younger readers.  The ending seemed a little abrupt after 400 pages.  Readers who have been along for the leisurely story up until now will either be happy for the quick resolution or feel jilted out of a proper ending. 

 

Masquerade by Melissa De La Cruz

Published November 2, 2007 Fantasy , RAC 1 Comment
Tags: , , , , ,

Genre:  Fantasy

Age Level:  14 and up

# of pages:  305

Series:  Blue Bloods

RAC Book:  Yes

In this sequel to The Blue Bloods Schuyler is looking for her grandfather in Italy while the rest of the blue bloods in New York are planning the biggest blue blood gathering of the year.  Mimi Force decides to throw her own masquerade party after the formal party, which causes a lot of trouble since she chooses not to invite everyone.

Once Schuyler finds her grandfather and is rejected by him, she returns to New York only to get very sick.  The doctor thinks her human and vampire genes are fighting each other, but since she is the first half-blood they have no idea how to treat her.  Meanwhile, Bliss is spending a lot of time with a new boy in school that all the girls love, but she can’t stop thinking about Dylan and what happened to him.  A dramatic event shakes up the entire blue blood community and they must all come to the realization that they are no longer safe and something is indeed hunting them.

This sequel asks more questions than it answers, which is not a bad thing.  As we find out more about this group of people (their rules and their past), we also learn that there is so much more we still do not know.  Students who enjoyed the first one will like this one even more as we move on with these characters.  There are a lot of suprising revelations that will make the next book in the series a must read.

Silent Echoes by Carla Jablonski

Published October 12, 2007 Fantasy , Historical Fiction , Mystery , RAC Leave a Comment
Tags: , ,

Genre: Mystery/Historical Fiction/Fantasy

Age Level:  12 and up

# of pages:  344

RAC Book:  Yes

Sixteen year old Lucy Phillips lives in Manhattan in the late 1800s.  Her father has trained her to be a medium and hold seances in order to make money.  One night during one of these fake seances, Lucy hears a real voice asking her for help.  The voice belongs to a girl named Lindsay who lives in present day Manhattan.  She lives with an alcoholic mother and an abusive stepfather and is having trouble coping.

Lindsay is not too eager to listen to the voices in her head, afraid that it will cause others to think she is crazy.  Lucy, on the other hand, can’t wait to reconnect with Lindsay so that she can support herself as a real medium and earn money by predicting events in the future.  Through their eventual friendship, Lucy does prosper while Lindsay’s situation worsens.  Lucy feels so bad about Lindsay’s problems that she devises  a way to help her from the 19th century.

Silent Echoes was a delightful story about two girls who could speak many generations apart from each other.  Both need the other’s help and are struggling with their current lives,  but they learn a lot about the times they live in as well as each other.  They begin to see how some girls in both settings simply do not have many chances to raise above their dire circumstances.  The book also speaks about how many rich people will do anything to stay above the poor, even if it is unethical.  Many issues are covered in this book, but the interesting and fast paced story is what many readers will enjoy.  Highly recommended.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Published October 5, 2007 Award Winners , Fantasy , RAC Leave a Comment
Tags: , ,

Genre:  Fantasy

Age Level:  14 and up

# of pages: 497

Award Winner:  2007 Iowa High School Award

Sequel:  New Moon and Eclipse

RAC Book:  Yes

Bella has come to Forks, Washington to live with her father.  She does not have trouble making friends at her new school, but she becomes especially interested in the Cullen family.  The Cullen’s adopted five children, who are now all going to the same high school.  Bella notices that they are beautiful and never seem to eat.  When she becomes Edward Cullen’s lab partner she notices he appears to hate her, but she later learns that he actually really likes her which is problematic since he is a vampire.  The Cullens are all vampires, but none of them practice and choose instead to feed on animals to survive.

As Bella finds herself drawn to Edward she discovers that he always seems to be right there whenever she needs help getting out of bad situations and wants to genuinely protect her.  Her new friend, Jacob, from the nearby Native American reservation does not fear Edward but his people do not trust vampires and are not allowed on Native American property.

One day another group of vampires comes through town and becomes obsessed with getting Bella, which leads to a very dramatic and exciting ending.  Although this book is about vampires it is not gory or scary.  The story draws readers in until they have to find out what happens to Bella and Edward.  Students love this series and are hungry for more.  Highly recommended.

 

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

Published October 5, 2007 Fantasy , RAC , Romance 1 Comment
Tags: , ,

Genre:  Fantasy, Romance

Age Level:  14 and up

# of pages:  563

RAC Book:  Yes

In this sequel to Twilight, Bella must learn to cope when Edward and the rest of the Cullens choose to leave because they believe it is too dangerous for Bella if they stay.  Bella falls apart and only begins to heal when her and Jacob Black become closer friends.  Bella also learns that if she is doing something dangerous she can head Edward’s voice in her head, which she finds reassuring.  When Jacob reveals some surprising news it becomes very clear that the two of them will not be able to remain friends if Edward comes back.  At the same time, Bella learns that Edward has received some false information that has prompted him to risk his life.  Can she save Edward?  Can she help Edward and Jacob to get along?

 This second installment was as good as the first.  In this book we learn a lot more about Jacob and his family as well as why they do not trust vampires. Edward is not in it as much, which is unfortunate, but the story is not boring in any way as we wait for him to return.  Those who enjoyed the first one will love this one as well.

Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz

Published September 14, 2007 Fantasy , RAC , Uncategorized 3 Comments

Genre:  Fantasy

Age Level:  14 and up

# of pages:  302

RAC Book:  Yes

Schuyler comes from a well distinguished family, but they have lost their family wealth over time.  She does not feel the need to fit in at school and seems content to go through life as an outcast.  Bliss, on the other hand, is a new girl from Texas who has been given the opportunity to hang out with Mimi Force, one of the popular Force twins.  She belongs to the popular crowd of thin, beautiful, and rich young people.  When she meets a boy she likes she wonders if she can give up her popularity to be with him.  Both of these girls come to learn that they are Blue Bloods.

In this book, the Blue Bloods are vampires and the Red Bloods are humans.  Most people are not told they are a vampire until they are teenagers.  All of those beautiful, rich, thin people are vampires and as such cannot be killed…or so they thought.  When a classmate is murdered and all of her blood is drained, some of the teens begin to wonder if someone is out there killing vampires.

Vampire books are popular with my students right now.  This one was not as good as the series by Stephenie Meyer, but it was entertaining.  Each vampire book has a different set of rules for explaining their existence and this book is no exception.  Some of the details given about vampires in this story are interesting and thought provoking.  The characters do not have as much depth as the Meyers series, but for those students who like to read about the wealthy and powerful this will be a hit.

Poison by Chris Wooding

Published September 7, 2007 Fantasy , Horror , RAC 8 Comments

Genre: Fantasy

Age Level:  12 and up

# of Pages:  273

RAC Book: Yes

Poison lived in a place called Gull with her father, baby sister, and stepmother.  The Gull was located above a large swamp and the town consisted of many stilts that raised the town above the swamp.  Poison was not happy here, but very few people ever left and she was fond of her sister, Azalea.  One night Poison awakes to find Azalea has been kidnapped by phaeries.  She immediately sets off on a difficult journey to see the Phaerie Lord to get Azalea back, but finds many obstacles in her way such as a scary woman who eats bones, a giant spider, and worse.

This book does a nice job of creating an original story in a genre that many students like to read.  Each step of Poison’s journey is exciting, suspenseful, and a little bit scary which keeps you reading.  The ending and ultimate fate of Poison, Azalea and the rest of Poison’s friends are a mystery right up until the end.  It was not predictable or overdone in any way and students who enjoy suspense and fantasy will enjoy it immensely. 

 

Archives

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started