I am a HUGE fan of Rick Yancey's Monstrumologist series. If you enjoy twisty, turny plotting, unbearable suspense, complex, intriguing characters and good old gothic atmosphere then these are the books for you. The third and final title, Isle of Blood, is out September 13 and I will be at at Books A Million when they open. I might need to take a vacation day because how am I going to go into work with that book just sitting in my car, alone, unread, and neglected?? :)

Just saw some early reviews quoted on Amazon that have me anticipating this book even more: 

* "The relationship between Will and his master has never been more complex...Yancey’s skill as a stylist cannot be denied."--Booklist, starred review

* "Articulately literary, horrifically grotesque and mind-bendingly complex, Yancey’s trilogy conclusion might be the best of the Monstrumologist trilogy. His 19th-century dialogue and descriptions run even smoother than the previous two titles, and his characters have grown deeply complex. He deftly blurs lines between science and the supernatural, and what results is a long, dark-night-of-the-soul journey for both Will Henry and Pellinore that is certain to turn the hearts and the stomachs of every reader who dares open its pages."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

I don't see how the 3rd can possibly be BETTER than the first two, and yet the second one was (impossibly enough) better than the first so anything is possible. I. Cannot. Wait.

Will Isle of Blood be able to unseat Daughter of Smoke and Bone as my favorite book of 2011?

We'll see on September 13!

The Scorpio Races
By Maggie Steifvater
Grades 8-12

I have been a Maggie Stiefvater fan for several years. I was excited to hear about her upcoming stand-alone novel, set in a completely different world than her Shiver or Ballad series. I was also interested to read a take on a legend that hasn’t been done to death–magical water horses that rise from the surf. Luckily, The Scorpio Races did not disappoint.

Warning: mild spoilers ahead.

Puck (Kate) Connolly is an orphan, her parents killed by the water horses (cappall usice, pronounced copple ooshka) years ago. She lives with her brothers, Finn and Gabe, on the island of Thisby, a beautiful but desolate place where making a living is difficult and many locals abandon the island for the mainland. Thisby is challenging not only for economic reasons, but also due to the cappall usice and the violence that is a result of their presence both in the water and on the beach. The culmination of this violence is seen every year at the Scorpio Races, where residents mount the water horses and compete in a deadly race for win glory and riches. When Puck learns that Gabe plans to leave the island, and that they are about to lose their home, she decides she has no choice but to enter the Scorpio Races and take her chances.

Sean Kendrick’s father was also killed by a cappall usice. Despite this fact, Sean has developed a way with the water horses that make him a valuable employee to Benjamin Malvern, the wealthiest stable owner on the island. Sean’s talents have also caused Mr. Malvern’s son Mutt to hate and envy him, a rivalry that ultimately has brutal consequences. Sean wants to win this year’s Scorpio Races not only because it’s expected of him, but because winning might give him the chance to purchase his favorite water horse and strike out on his own.

Puck and Sean are both sympathetic characters. The island is also populated with interesting personalities that provide some comic relief. The main antagonist is so despicable he verges on being a one-note character, but Stiefvater gives him motivation for his horrible behavior. The love story between Puck and Sean builds slowly but realistically, especially given the circumstances and personalities of the pair. Sean and Puck are brave, hard-working and persistent. You can't help rooting for them both even though only one can win.

The odds continue to stack up against both characters throughout the story, making the suspense nearly unbearable at some points. Puck faces not only the violence of the horses, but also opposition because she is the first girl to enter the contest in the island's history. Sean feels compelled to win while also protecting Puck and helping her to succeed. AGH! So much at stake!!!

I sometimes have a hard time finishing books with sad/violent incidents involving animals (or children). Even knowing it’s fiction, those scenes are hard to read and even harder to forget--that's just me. :) If you are the same, there are a couple of scenes in The Scorpio Races that may be tough to read. These horses are killers and carnivorous and there are drownings and maimings and some ruthless humans, too. But none of it is gratuitous-- it all serves the story, and adds to the weight of the task that both Puck and Sean have undertaken. Despite the fact that there are several heartbreaking scenes, I was still unable to put the book down.

One thing I appreciated most about this book was the author’s decision not to delve into the origins of the water horses and how they came to exist. Others may disagree, but I approve because, A) I didn’t miss the full origin story with so much else going on, and B) it made the presence of the cappall usice a given, a fact of life to accept and move on, and therefore made Thisby seem more like a real place. The Scorpio Races has supernatural elements, obviously, but it read as much like a historical novel as a fantasy adventure.

The writing is outstanding, the story compelling, and the characters real and sympathetic. I expect to see award nominations for this title. You will definitely want to add it to your YA collection this October--teens will be lining up to read it.

I would recommend this book to Stiefvater fans, teens who enjoyed The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner, and readers who enjoy reinterpretations of legends and folklore. Highly recommended.

Release date October 18, 2011

Apologies for the long absence--it wasn't planned. Work has been even busier than usual, with a restructuring that left our side understaffed (ok, even more understaffed than before!) ;) and scrambling to meet deadlines that couldn't be moved. As a result, I had to take work home many nights and weekends to stay on top of my projects. Then 2 of our 3 cats became ill and several hundred dollars and one cancelled vacation later, here I am! I haven't had much time to read but I am starting to get back into the swing of things. Much as I love book blogging, my full-time job has to come first.

I hope that you will stick around for some reviews I've got coming up this week...including one on the not-yet-released The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, author of Shiver; Sarah Dessen's latest, and more.

Again, apologies for falling off the face of the earth! It's great to be back!!

The Demon Trapper’s Daughter
By Jana Oliver

From GoodReads: 

Seventeen-year-old Riley, the only daughter of legendary Demon Trapper, Paul Blackthorne, has always dreamed of following in her father's footsteps.  The good news is, with human society seriously disrupted by economic upheaval and Lucifer increasing the number of demons in all major cities, Atlanta’s local Trappers’ Guild needs all the help they can get – even from a girl.

When she’s not keeping up with her homework or trying to manage her growing crush on fellow apprentice, Simon, Riley’s out saving distressed citizens from foul-mouthed little devils – Grade One Hellspawn only, of course, per the strict rules of the Guild. Life’s about as normal as can be for the average demon-trapping teen.

I love books that start with action right out of the gate. The Demon Trapper’s Daughter does just that, as Riley traps a ‘bibliofiend’ demon in a law library to disastrous results. There are plenty of thrills and scares as the plot chugs along, and although one or two plot elements were a tad predictable, there were still several surprises that I did not anticipate.

Oliver’s world-building is solid, though it is depressing to see that Riley faces discrimination and sexual harassment in the year 2018. I was intrigued by the descriptions of Atlanta overrun with demons and hellspawn of all description (and thank goodness, angels) where gas is over $10 a gallon and school is held in abandoned Starbucks and old grocery stores. And oh yeah, the dead can be reanimated as servants for the rich.

Riley is a sympathetic heroine even if you do want to shake her every once in awhile—that just makes her that much more believable. I also enjoyed the character of Beck, despite his tendency to say “ya” and “yer.” That is a pet peeve of mine because it normally pulls me right out of a story, so the fact I kept reading anyway is a testament to the strength of Oliver’s storytelling. I also really liked “Nice Catholic Boy” Simon, although we don’t get into his head like we do Beck’s and therefore he was not as fully developed.

I will definitely be reading the next book in the series! I would recommend The Demon Trapper's Daughter to fans of dark paranormal stories, especially upper YA and older (due to language and some suggestive content).

Trapped
By Michael Northrop
Grades 7-10

Synopsis from GoodReads:

The day the blizzard started, no one knew that it was going to keep snowing for a week. That for those in its path, it would become not just a matter of keeping warm, but of staying alive....

Scotty and his friends Pete and Jason are among the last seven kids at their high school waiting to get picked up that day, and they soon realize that no one is coming for them. Still, it doesn't seem so bad to spend the night at school, especially when distractingly hot Krista and Julie are sleeping just down the hall. But then the power goes out, then the heat. The pipes freeze, and the roof shudders. As the days add up, the snow piles higher, and the empty halls grow colder and darker, the mounting pressure forces a devastating decision....

The premise of Trapped was irresistible to me, especially in light of the winter the U.S. just experienced. Even down in the Deep South we got more than our fair share of cold, snowy days, although of course nothing like the blizzards that blanketed the Midwest and Northeast. I loved the idea of kids with diverse personalities and communication skills trapped in a school setting, like a book version of The Breakfast Club, only with really bad weather.

Michael Northrop is skilled at building tension and raising stakes to keep the reader hooked. At first, Scotty stresses over missing his big game when he’s not thinking about how awesome it will be to spend time with his crush, Krista. Gradually, the kids’ focus turns to worrying about their families, finding food, checking their cell phones for signals, and realizing that many who left the school may not be ok after all—especially the teacher who went out for help and never came back.

Thanks to foreshadowing and ominous hints from the narrator, Trapped will keep the reader turning each page. My only quibble was that the ending felt rather abrupt and the author leaves us hanging in regard to the safety of the families and others who left school earlier. Maybe we are supposed to infer that from statements made earlier in the book but I would have liked a little closure.

Regardless of that minor point, I would recommend this book to reluctant readers, fans of the Susan Beth Pfeffer ‘moon’ books, and boys as well as girls.

I liked Trapped enough that I started a book trailer for it. I found the perfect music and some cool images, and then Movie Maker let me down. As soon as I can figure out why it’s crashing every time I even open it, I’ll post my Trapped video!

Just a quick update on my reading status! As I mentioned in this post, I am taking the "Read 100 Books in 2011" challenge. I got off to a good start in January and February, but lagged in March as I started blogging, got on Twitter, and had a crazy-busy time at work with many nights spent taking work home for copywriting and editing on the new product catalog. Fun and more importantly, necessary, but it did cut into my reading time. I am determined to get back on track in April!

March reads:
21. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Hidden Gallery by MaryRose Wood
22. The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell
23. This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel
24. Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
25. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I am currently reading two books simultaneously, The Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver and Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins. Reviews to follow!

I've noticed that my list runs heavily to paranormal YA. It's just what I've been in the mood for, but I've got several contemporary, hocus-pocus-free books I'm excited about on my TBR list, so look for a little more variety in the coming weeks!

How about you? Are you taking the challenge, and if so, what's been your favorite read so far?

I discovered the Betsy-Tacy series when I was 8 years old. I fell in love with the Ray family in the first book—from Mr. Ray’s fairness to the young-at-heart Mrs. Ray to serious, youngest sister Margaret, the Betsy books are the kind you wanted to crawl into and live alongside the characters.

As I’ve gotten older, I continue to re-read this series every year or so. With every read I am more impressed by the talent of Maud Hart Lovelace. I also enjoy seeing how different books ‘speak’ to me more at different times. Currently, the one that speaks to me the most is Emily of Deep Valley—and I think it’s become my favorite in the series.

Emily Webster is as unlike Betsy Ray as she could be. More introverted and serious than outgoing social butterfly Betsy, Emily seems to have more in common with Margaret Ray. Emily is dedicated to her studies, the star of the debate team, and you sense that she would never be distracted from something like an essay contest (if that were her dream) by troubles of the heart.

Not that Emily doesn’t have heartache. She’s hopelessly in love with her cousin Annette’s boyfriend Don. And Don is completely unworthy of Emily, with his narcissistic tendency to use her as a prop for his low self-esteem one moment and totally disregard her the next. (In fact, I think he is arguably the most unlikable character in the whole series—thoughts?) Still, Emily longs for him to look at her like he does Annette.

Another heartache for Emily is that she wants to go to college with her friends—realizing she’d probably get more out of it than most of them—but can’t because her Grandpa needs her. Grandpa Webster has raised her since her parents, and later, her grandmother died, and Emily loves him fiercely, as well as feels responsible for him. Emily knows that it was an act of love for Grandpa to ‘allow’ her to finish high school because he is old-fashioned.

Emily of Deep Valley opens with Emily’s high school graduation and her gradually-building sense of loneliness throughout the summer, as she is confronted with how ‘on the fringes’ she is, even with her high school friends. Her feelings of isolation deepen once they all depart for college, leaving her with nothing to look forward to except a lonely winter…or so she thinks.

After a few months of self-pity as she tries to recapture the happiness of her high school days with embarrassing results, Emily finds motivation in a quote from Shakespeare’s Love’s Labor’s Lost: ‘muster your wits; stand in your own defense.’ Instead of focusing on what she doesn't have and what she can't do, Emily decides to work with what she has: her natural intelligence and curiosity; an enthusiastic and willing accomplice in her Grandpa; relationships she has already developed in the community; and the funds to get started.

With her friends back at school after an unfulfilling Christmas break, Emily begins a plan of self-improvement that includes dance lessons, a literary society, and most importantly of all, becoming involved in the education of some Syrian children who live nearby. Emily’s Grandpa approves of her new regimen, noting worriedly that she has looked lonely. He soon joins in on her education of the children as she draws the children into their family—and finds herself drawn into the warmth of the Syrian families in return.

Emily’s mustered wits eventually lead her to a new sense of purpose, more confidence in herself as a person and as a woman, an awakening about the true nature of Don, and of course, true love.

5 things to love about Emily of Deep Valley:

1.       Emily Webster is a truly lovable, REAL character. It’s easy to identify with her feelings of isolation, occasional hopelessness, and unrequited love. And it’s inspiring to watch her take control of her destiny. The ending of this book will leave you smiling, with happy tears in your eyes.

2.       The relationship between Emily and her Grandpa, and both of them with the Syrian children. Totally endearing.

3.       How the mother she never knew becomes more real to Emily as she unconsciously follows in her footsteps.

4.       The skill with which Maud Hart Lovelace’s writing deals with the intolerance and prejudice within the community of Deep Valley and the satisfaction the reader feels when Emily wins everyone over.

5.       Jed Wakeman. Hot, kind, family values, appreciates Emily for her total awesomeness. What’s not to love?

I can think of many more than five, but this post has to end sometime. I will say that every time I pass a white hydrangea bush, I think of Grandpa Webster and the flower for his uniform. In fact, driving past one earlier this week is what inspired this post.

If you haven’t read Emily of Deep Valley, you’re in for a treat (and it’s just been reprinted, so you won’t have to stalk for a library discard like I did).  It's the literary equivalent of comfort food and a perfect story to read whenever you're feeling like life isn't turning out the way you thought it should.

Do you love Emily of Deep Valley? What’s your favorite Lovelace book? Sound off in the comments!

This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein
By Kenneth Oppel
Grades 8-12

Release date: August 23, 2011

From the Publisher (so I don’t accidentally give too much away in my synopsis!):
  
Victor and Konrad are the twin brothers Frankenstein. They are nearly inseparable. Growing up, their lives are filled with imaginary adventures...until the day their adventures turn all too real.

They stumble upon The Dark Library, and secret books of alchemy and ancient remedies are discovered. Father forbids that they ever enter the room again, but this only piques Victor's curiosity more. When Konrad falls gravely ill, Victor is not satisfied with the various doctors his parents have called in to help. He is drawn back to The Dark Library where he uncovers an ancient formula for the Elixir of Life. Elizabeth, Victor and their friend Henry immediately set out to find assistance in a man who was once known for his alchemical works to help create the formula.

Determination and the unthinkable outcome of losing his brother spur Victor on in the quest for the three ingredients that will save Konrad’s life. After scaling the highest trees in the Strumwald, diving into the deepest lake caves, and sacrificing a body part, the three fearless friends risk their lives to save another.

I was interested in reading this book partially because of the hype. This first I’d ever heard of this title came in the form of an announcement that Summit Films had acquired the screen rights. You can read that here.

I also liked the cover (sorry, it’s a weakness). But you have to admit, it’s just kind of a cover just made to appeal to a bookstalker like me, with a keyhole to peep through and everything. And the plot also appealed to my bookstalking nature…a forbidden library! Yeah! This one had my name written all over it.

I’ve never been that into the Frankenstein story—it’s not one of my personal favorites. However, I finished This Dark Endeavor wanting to revisit Mary Shelley’s classic. I have a feeling many teens will finish this book and go on to read Frankenstein for the first time. Any book that encourages kids to read a classic is a good thing, but This Dark Endeavor is also good in its own right.

One of the things I really loved about This Dark Endeavor was the pacing. There is no lag in the middle. Action scene follows action scene, and the suspense in some of them is painful. Oppel hooks you from the opening scene and does not let go until the conclusion. Dark, claustrophobic caves! Giant, should-be-extinct aquatic creatures! Nightmarish scavengers! Preternaturally clever mammals! Secrets, plots, betrayals! Whew…

Victor and Konrad are both sympathetic characters. Victor’s motivations, given his personality and complex feelings for his brother, are believeable. Konrad is almost angelic in his goodness, generosity, and fair-mindedness, but Victor has plenty of flaws to balance Konrad out. Elizabeth, the distant cousin the boys’ age who was adopted into the family, is as fiery and strong-willed as you could want a heroine to be—and it’s believable that both Konrad and Victor would fall for her. Their parents are the kind of progressive thinkers that cook dinner for their servants once a week and stress the importance of an equal education for Elizabeth, despite the fact she is female. The reader gets enough of a glimpse into this loving, seemingly perfect family that we can appreciate how devastating it is for all of them when their beloved Konrad falls ill.

I can’t say much more about the plot without spoiling it. I will say I really did not like one scene due to what happened in it—but the scene was not gratuitous and part of the reason I was upset is because Oppel wrote it so skillfully. So I can’t fault him for it even if it did make me mad. It served the story.

Conclusion? I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves gothic stories, enjoys books like The Monstrumologist and its sequel, and for fans of Shelley’s Frankenstein. Die-hard fans may not approve of what Oppel has done with the story—as with any fans approaching a new take on something they feel strongly about—but I think they will find it compelling nonetheless.

What about you? Will you be reading This Dark Endeavor come August?