Review: My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent

My Soul to Keep

Author: Rachel Vincent

Publication: Harlequin; Original edition (June 1, 2010)

Description: Kaylee has one addiction: her very hot, very popular boyfriend, Nash. A banshee like Kaylee, Nash understands her like no one else. Nothing can come between them.

Until something does.

Demon breath. No, not the toothpaste-challenged kind. The Netherworld kind. The kind that really can kill you. Somehow the super-addictive substance has made its way to the human world. But how? Kaylee and Nash have to cut off the source and protect their friends—one of whom is already hooked.

***************** Spoiler's Ahead *****************

If you haven't read the first two books. I strongly suggest you do do as soon as possible. You are missing a great story.

My Thoughts: This is the third in the Soul Screamers series. This was another interesting episode. There is a new drug in town. Kaylee wants to stop her friends from being able to get it. Emma's boyfriend is one of the addicts and Kaylee fears for Emma's safety. Nash is being obstructive and Kaylee can't understand why. The hellion supplying the drug kidnaps Nash and Kaylee's father in an attempt to get Kaylee to come to the Netherworld. Kaylee has to figure out a way to get her father and boyfriend back without becoming a prisoner herself.

This episode is emotionally difficult for Kaylee. She still isn't sure what she wants from the relationship with Nash. Nash has done something that Kaylee can't forgive and has broken her trust. He says he loves her but he does things that aren't done to someone you love.

The characters are engaging and the book is fun to read. I found myself staying up late because I had to know what was going to happen next. I am eager for the next episode because I want to know if Kaylee and Nash can mend their relationship.

Challenges: 2010 YA Reading Challenge, RYOB Reading Challenge

New TBRs from NetGalley

I was browsing around NetGalley the other day to find some interesting books to read. I chose these even though my TBR shelves are filled to bursting.

  

The Oracle of Dating by Allison van Diepen (May 1, 2010)

For five bucks, the Oracle of Dating will tell you:

* How to flirt

* If that cute guy you're crushing on likes you, too

* Whether your new romance will last through lunch period

* And much more

What she won't tell you? Who she is.

No one at Kayla's school knows she's the famous Oracle of Dating— the anonymous queen of dating advice. She doesn't even have a boyfriend. Two relationship disasters were enough to make Kayla focus on everyone else's love life.

But then her advice backfires on her own best friend. And Kayla starts to seriously obsess about Jared Stewart—the very cute, very mysterious new guy in school. Suddenly, the teen queen of advice needs her own oracle of dating—and she knows just where to find one….

The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall by Mary Downing Hahn (Sept. 6, 2010)

When twelve-year-old Florence boards the crowded horse-drawn coach in London, she looks forward to a new life with her great uncle and aunt at Crutchfield Hall, an old manor house in the English countryside. Anything will be better, she thinks, than the grim London orphanage where she has lived since her parents' death.

But Florence doesn't expect the ghost of her cousin Sophia, who haunts the cavernous rooms and dimly lit hallways of Crutchfield and concocts a plan to use Florence to help her achieve her murderous goals. Will Florence be able to convince the others in the household of the imminent danger and stop Sophia before it's too late?

Mainfest (Kimani Tru) by Artist Arthur (August 1, 2010)

Krystal Bentley is an outsider at her new high school, having just moved to a small Connecticut town. Lately she's been hearing the voice of a teenage boy in her head, and he has become her friend and confidant. The only problem is, he's dead...

Ricky Watson was killed a year ago in the alley behind Krystal's new school. The rumor mill is filled with stories of Ricky and his untimely death. Unfortunately, as a ghost, Ricky is unable to investigate his own murder, so Ricky needs Krystal to find the truth and she needs someone to listen. When Krystal befriends Sasha and Jake, both outcasts at her high school, the threesome soon discover that they have more in common than their outsider status. Each has a unique paranormal ability and an unusual birthmark in the shape of an "M." Jake announces that the M must stand for misfits, and so the three form an unusual clique. They soon realize that solving Ricky's murder can help them understand the mystery behind their powers and may reveal whether there are others like them.

Majix: Notes from a Serious Teen Witch by Douglas Rees (July 1, 2010)

Kestrel (don't call her Susan) Murphy is angry. Forced to leave her posh San Francisco Bay Area home by her father's illness, she's living in Jurupa (sounds like vomiting), Southern California. It's too hot. The people are stupid. And you have to chew the air to get the oxygen out of it. On the plus side, Kestrel is a witch. Well, a witch-in-training. And she's going acquire the magic she needs to get her life back to normal. At first, she barely notices the people around her-Aunt Ariel, who's taken her in and is herself a well-known white witch; Jose Iturrigaray, the quiet, talented young artist; Blake Cump, troublemaker extraordinaire; Laura Greenwood, who wants to be Kestrel's friend. But life has its own magic, and gradually Kestrel finds that much of one's success as a witch lies in being open to it.

These books are on my "read as soon as vacation starts" list because I can only keep them for 60 days. Well, 58 and counting from today.

Friday: My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent

Happy Friday everybody!!

Don't forget my 100 Follower contest (now 150+). I will be giving away books of their choice to three winners. If by some outside chance I hit 175 followers, there will be 4 winners. The contest is open to anyone in the US or anyone who is within The Book Depository's shipping area. You can find more details and the entry form here.

Book Beginnings

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Becky at Page Turners. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading. If you like, share with everyone why you do, or do not, like the sentence.

The Friday 56

Rules:

• Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
• Turn to page 56.
• Find the fifth sentence.
• Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
• Post a link along with your post back to Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
• Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

My book this week is My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent. The end of the school year is so busy for me that I have been trying to read this book all week. It stays close at hand but I just haven't had a chance to read much.

Beginning:

The whole thing started with a wasted jock and a totaled car. Or so I thought. But as usual, the truth was a bit more complicated...

Page 56, sentence 5 (or so):

"So, I take it last night went well?" I dipped a corn chip into my cheese sauce, but couldn't bring myself to eat it as I watched her closely for some sign that her attraction to Doug went beyond the usual hormonal tidal wave.

This book is great so far. I want time! Just 5 more days with students and one more teacher day and this school year is over. The only problem is that I also have to work all the weekend days too in order to get all the necessary things finished. Then I will have lots and lots of time to try to bring the TBR stack down from gargantuan to just huge. 

 

Review: Countdown by Deborah Wiles

Countdown
Author: Deborah Wiles

Publication: Scholastic Press; 1 edition (May 1, 2010)

Description: It's 1962, and it seems everyone is living in fear. Twelve-year-old Franny Chapman lives with her family in Washington, DC, during the days surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis. Amidst the pervasive threat of nuclear war, Franny must face the tension between herself and her younger brother, figure out where she fits in with her family, and look beyond outward appearances. For Franny, as for all Americans, it's going to be a formative year.

My Thoughts: What a truly amazing book! I liked the documentary aspect of the book with pictures and news stories from the time. The song lyrics and quotations from the time really made the story immediate. I liked that all the song quotes and the pictures were identified in the Photos section in the back of the book.

I liked Franny and thought she was a realistic 11-year-old. She was concerned about nuclear war but she was also concerned with changing friendships and changing relationships in her family. She was embarrassed by her great-uncle Otts who was a soldier in World War I and who is now very concerned with civil defense and building a bomb shelter. She is worried about her father who is in the Air Force now. She is a typical middle child. She admires her older sister Jo Ellen and is irritated with her younger brother Drew. She calls him Mr. Perfect. She is nervous because something is going on with Jo Ellen that has put her at odds with their mother. Naturally, a nosy little sister who really admires Nancy Drew tries to figure out what is going on. Descriptions of the early days of the Civil Rights Movement give us a hint about what Jo Ellen if involved in even though Franny doesn't figure it out.

The whole subject of the Cuban Missile Crisis and what it did to the people in the United States is very well described. Franny, like her fellow students and the teachers, are very worried about nuclear attack. They practice Duck and Cover drills like students today practice lockdowns. Students today can identify with Franny both in her fear and in her desire to grow up. She is eager to attend her first boy-girl party and is crushing on the boy next door.  The issues in this story are universal.

I think the book is well-written and the characters realistic. I recommend this book to middle graders and high school students who want to know what life was like in the early 1960s. For me, it was a step back to my childhood. I felt that Deborah Wiles was telling my story. My first and favorite 45 was Johnny Angel. Franny liked it too (even if she did think Del Shannon was better.)

Challenges: 2010 YA Reading Challenge, RYOB Reading Challenge, In the Middle Reading Challenge 

 

WoW: Glimmerglass and Infinity

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

These two have been shipped but haven't arrived yet.

 

Glimmerglass (Faeriewalker, Book 1) by Jenna Black.

It’s all she’s ever wanted to be, but it couldn’t be further from her grasp…

Dana Hathaway doesn’t know it yet, but she’s in big trouble. When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, again, Dana decides she’s had enough and runs away to find her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the captivating, magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn't just an ordinary teenage girl—she's a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and the only person who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie.

Soon, Dana finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone's trying to kill her, and everyone seems to want something from her, from her newfound friends and family to Ethan, the hot Fae guy Dana figures she’ll never have a chance with… until she does. Caught between two worlds, Dana isn’t sure where she’ll ever fit in and who can be trusted, not to mention if her world will ever be normal again…

 

Infinity: Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon.

At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.

Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead.

But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he’s next on the menu.

As if starting high school isn't hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?

 These will go on the stack of books I plan to read this summer. Vacation is only about a week away.
 

Review: A Place for Delta by Melissa Walker

A Place for Delta

Author: Melissa Walker

Illustrator: Richard Walker

Publication: Whale Tale Press (June 1, 2010)

Description: Joseph can hardly believe what he has been asked to do. His Aunt Kate, a wildlife biologist, is waiting for him at a research station and needs his help taking care of an orphaned polar bear cub only a few months old. He will leave his friends and family and venture to the farthest northern town in the United States. As the adventure unfolds, Joseph and his newfound Eskimo friend Ada find mysteries wherever they look. The bear cub, Delta, remains in danger. Who would want a polar bear dead? Joseph will have to look to the North Georgia woods to save Delta. When his parents were kids, they too embarked on an excursion into the unknown. Their encounters with the wilderness beyond their backyard have shaped the future for Joseph and Delta. A Place for Delta is about one family's journey—a passage born in the Appalachian Mountains and leading to the Arctic.

Author Information: Melissa Walker, Ph.D., has been a professor of English at the University of New Orleans and Mercer University and a Fellow in Women's Studies at Emory University. She's has been an advocate for civil rights and a national leader for wilderness preservation. Her current commitment is to empower children to understand their place in the natural world and to discover how they can help save the environment. A Place for Delta is the first of a planned series of novels (chapter books) that will follow the adventures of the characters as they learn to take their place in a complex world. Walker's previous books include Writing Research Papers, 4 editions (W. W. Norton, 1982–1997); Down from the Mountaintop (Yale University Press, 1991); Reading the Environment (W. W. Norton, 1994); and Living on Wilderness Time: Two Hundred Days Alone in America's Wild Places (University of Virginia Press).

My Thoughts: I found this to be a thoughtful but slow moving book. It seemed to be trying to tell a number of stories from preserving and exploring the wilderness in Georgia to saving polar bears in the Arctic. I'm not sure what the main focus of the book was supposed to be.

Quite a bit of the book talks about 11-year-old Joseph Morse who goes from Georgia to stay with his Aunt Kate at a research station to care for an orphaned polar bear. The books begins with the story of how Joseph's father and aunt came to live in Georgia in an old house that had been in one family since the Civil War days until the last member of that family dies.

It also spends time talking about how the Eskimos live in the Arctic region in the characters of Chipic, Avik, and Ava. Ava and Joseph become friends and help solve two mysteries -- smuggling dinosaur bones out of the Arctic and the shooting of the bear cub's mother. There is also a plot thread about the secrecy of researchers and the evils of the oil companies who want to drill for oil in the Arctic.

Then the focus shifts back to Georgia where Joseph's family makes a polar bear habitat for the orphaned bear cub and has to find a way to support it. This leads to a treasure hunt for the gold buried by the original owner of the house where Joseph's family lives.

Besides the fact that the book has so much plot, my main problem with it was that each incident happened so rapidly that there wasn't much emotional engagement with any of the activities. The characters were all pretty much one-dimensional.

This book could appeal to middle graders who were interested in the environment, the Arctic, or orphaned polar bears. While it had mystery and treasure hunt subplots, I don't think they were dominant enough to hold the attention of mystery or adventure lovers.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It's Monday, What are you reading is a meme hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

This is my YA week in review. To see all my reading this past week you can also check out my Inside of a Dog post.

Last Week I Read:

Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson - This was a unique take on the werewolf trope by a 2010 YA Debut Author. I enjoyed the story.

Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead -- This 5th in the Vampire Academy series was wonderful. It was filled with adventures. I can hardly wait for the next (final?) volume in the series.






I am Currently Reading:

My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent

Kaylee has one addiction: her very hot, very popular boyfriend, Nash. A banshee like Kaylee, Nash understands her like no one else. Nothing can come between them.

Until something does.

Demon breath. No, not the toothpaste-challenged kind. The Netherworld kind. The kind that really can kill you. Somehow the super-addictive substance has made its way to the human world. But how? Kaylee and Nash have to cut off the source and protect their friends—one of whom is already hooked.

Here is what I plan to read this week:

Alex Van Helsing: Vampire Rising by Jason Henderson is another 2010 YA Debut Author.

White Cat (Curse Workers, Book 1) by Holly Black

Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen (I recently met him at a conference and am eager to read his book. Mine is autographed.)

That is my plan for the week. What is yours?

 

In My Mailbox (May 23, 2010)

The weekly In My Mailbox post is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It is fun to see what everyone else gets in their mailboxes, shopping bags, and library visits. Click on the link to The Story Siren's site to see the rules and join in the fun.

I guarantee that your TBR pile will grow when you see all the cool books everyone gets. You will discover lots of wonderful blogs and lots of books that you won't be able to live without.

This was another good week for adding to my TBR stack.

A couple of highly anticipated books showed up in my mailbox this week. I got My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent which is the third in the Soul Screamers series. I also got Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead which is the fifth in the Vampire Academy series. I also got Foiled which is a graphic novel by Jane Yolen and Mike Cavallaro. I didn't know that Jane Yolen had done a graphic novel but I love her work and was eager to get a look at this book.

I also got three more books by 2010 YA Debut Authors. I got Under My Skin by Judith Graves, The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea M. Campbell, and Wolves, Boys, and Other Things that Might Kill Me by Kristen Chandler.

Amazon was having a sale this week. They were discounting the hardcovers of several recent books that I hadn't bought when they were new.

I got As You Wish by Jackson Pearce, Prom Kings and Drama Queens by Dorian Cirrone, and Madapple by Christina Meldrum.

I also got a paperback of Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George. My last sale priced hardcover was Rampant by Diana Peterfreund.

I think that I am stocked up for some vacation reading now. What landed in your mailbox this week?


 

Blog Hop Friday (May 21, 2010)

It is time for another Blog Hop. Check out all the details at Crazy-for-Books. This is a great way to explore a number of blogs and find others with common interests. You can also explore blogs that read and review things in genres you don't usually read. I have found some great blogs to follow.

On this blog I review middle grade and young adult books. I am currently in a paranormal phase. Most recent books fit in that genre. I also like mysteries and romances and science fiction. You won't see very much nonfiction here.

Don't forget to enter my 100 followers contest while you are here. It is a chance to get a book that you have on your wishlist as a gift.

 

Review: Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

Claire de Lune

Author: Christine Johnson

Publication: Simon Pulse; 1 edition (May 18, 2010)

Description: Torn between two destinies?

Claire is having the perfect sixteenth birthday. Her pool party is a big success, and gorgeous Matthew keeps chatting and flirting with her as if she's the only girl there. But that night, she discovers something that takes away all sense of normalcy: she's a werewolf.

As Claire is initiated into the pack of female werewolves, she must deal not only with her changing identity, but also with a rogue werewolf who is putting everyone she knows in danger. Claire's new life threatens her blossoming romance with Matthew, whose father is leading the werewolf hunt. Now burdened with a dark secret and pushing the boundaries of forbidden love, Claire is struggling to feel comfortable in either skin. With her lupine loyalty at odds with her human heart, she will make a choice that will change her forever?

Check out this trailer:

 

My Thoughts: This book was an entertaining new twist on werewolves. In Ms. Johnson's mythology only females are werewolves. Claire is surprised and not at all pleased to discover that she is a werewolf. She hates the idea of keeping secrets from her friends and wonders what will happen to her relationship with the boy she really likes. Claire's character was realistic. Who wouldn't be upset to find that everything they believed about themself was wrong? Matthew is also a very realistic character. I like that he can think for himself even when confronted by the vast certainty of his father.

This book had two villians. Dr. Engle was the scientist who was more than willing to twist the facts to satisfy his unique version of the truth. His son Matthew came to see just how hypocritical his father was. The identity of the rogue werewolf, who is the second villian, came as a surprise to me. I had thought I was following clues only to find that I had been distracted by red herrings. I like it when a book isn't so predictable that I know who the bad guy is much sooner than the main character in the book. 

I enjoyed this book very much. I am eager to see if we have any more adventures for Claire and Matthew in the future. Please note that the book is complete. No sequel is required to complete the story. But it is a measure of how realistic the characters are that I want to know what is next for them.

Recommended to MG and HS students who love a good werewolf book.

Challenges: 2010 YA Debut Author, 2010 YA Reading Challenge, RYOB Reading Challenge

 

100 Follower Contest

glitter-graphics.com

I am excited to have reached 100 followers. So excited that I feel like giving presents. This contest is for my followers (old or new) only.

There are so many good books coming out or already out that I just couldn't choose what to give away. Therefore, I'm going to let the winner choose the book they would like. You may pick any book at Amazon or The Book Depository that costs less than $20 US. That way the winner gets the book they want. Because I am also using Book Depository this contest is open to anyone who can receive shipments from Amazon US or The Book Depository.

I'm too busy at this time of the year to have folks jump through major hoops. I'm keeping it simple. Just fill in the form below. I'll be ordering and sending you the book you want. Contest will end on June 4 which just happens to be my last day with students for this school year. The winner will be chosen by Random Org.

If I should reach 125 followers by contest end, I will add a second winner. I will add another winner for each 25 additional followers that I have at contest end.

***I am up to  175, there will be four winners. (200 followers would be 5 winners!)***

Some people seem to be having trouble with the form. Please try to use the Tab key to move from field to field. When I see it, I also see a scroll bar at the bottom and on the right which lets me move around the form.

Contest has Closed!

 Good luck and feel free to tell all your friends!

WoW:

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

 

There are many books that I am waiting for. Two that I am most eager for are:

 

Legacies (Shadow Grail #1)

Authors: Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill)

Publication: Tor Teen (July 6, 2010)

 

Description: Who—or what—is stalking the students at Oakhurst Academy?

 

In the wake of the accident that killed her family, Spirit White is spirited away to Oakhurst Academy, a combination school and orphanage in the middle of Montana. There she learns she is a legacy—not only to the school, which her parents also attended, but to magic.

 

All the students at Oakhurst have magical powers, and although Spirit’s hasn’t manifested itself yet, the administrators insist she has one. Spirit isn’t sure she cares. Devastated by the loss of her family, she finds comfort with a group of friends: Burke Hallows, Lachlann Spears, Muirin Shae, and Adelaide Lake.

 

But something strange is going on at Oakhurst. Students start disappearing under mysterious circumstances, and the school seems to be trying to cover it up. Spirit and her friends must find out what’s happening—before one of them becomes the next victim…

 

I haven't heard much about this book. I am buying it because I am a big fan of both of the authors.

 

13 to Life

Author: Shannon Delaney

Publication: St. Martin's Griffin (June 22, 2010)

 

Description: Everything about Jessie Gillmansen’s life changed when her mother died. Now even her hometown of Junction is changing. Mysterious dark things are happening. All Jessie wants is to avoid more change. But showing a hot new guy around Junction High, she’s about to discover a whole new type of change. Pietr Rusakova is more than good looks and a fascinating accent—he’s a guy with a dangerous secret. And his very existence is sure to bring big trouble to Jessie’s small town. It seems change is the one thing Jessie can’t avoid…

 

I have heard a lot about this one. Shannon Delaney is 2010 YA Debut Author.

 

Looking at the covers indicates that I must be entering my "blue" period. I am looking forward to both of these.

 

Teaser Tuesday: Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser this week comes form Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson. Ms. Johnson is a YA Debut Author and I chose this book for the challenge because I love stories about werewolves.

This can't seriously be happening. Maybe it's just some seriously screwed-up dream I'm having. Claire pinched her palm with the nails of her left hand. Crap. Not a dream.

Isn't the cover pretty? 

 

In My Mailbox (May 16, 2010)

The weekly In My Mailbox post is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It is fun to see what everyone else gets in their mailboxes, shopping bags, and library visits. Click on the link to The Story Siren's site to see the rules and join in the fun.

I guarantee that your TBR pile will grow when you see all the cool books everyone gets. You will discover lots of wonderful blogs and lots of books that you won't be able to live without.

Here is what I had to have this week.

 

 I read The Angel Experiment by James Patterson finally. People have been telling me it was good for quite a while and I had the first three on my TBR stack since last year. I liked it and got caught up on the series with the next three books. I got The Final Warning and Max from Amazon on a 4-for-3 deal. I bought the hardcober of Fang.

  

I bought the first two Fablehaven books to complete my 4-for-3 at Amazon. People have been telling me that I should read this series for quite a while too. I bought Fablehaven and Rise of the Evening Star. I know there are more in the series but these are enough to get me started and let me see if I like the series.

We also had a half-price book fair at my HS Media Center this week. These are the books I bought there.

• 
  
  Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner
• 
  
  Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
• 
  
  The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet by Erin Dionne
• 
  
  After Hamelin by Bill Richardson
• 
  
  Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell (This was a special deal. I got a hardcover for $2.50)
• 
  
  Premonitions by Jude Watson (This was a special deal. I got it for $1.00) 

I also added one YA book to my Kindle this week.

I fell in love with the beautiful cover of Knight Angels: Book One: Book of Love by Abra Ebner.

This is my week's book haul. Have you read any of these? What followed you home this week?

Review: Changeling by Steve Feasey

Changeling

Author: Steve Feasey

Publication: Pan Macmillan (Jan. 2009)

Description: Trey thought he was an ordinary teenager. Then he meets a mysterious stranger, Lucien Charron - luminously pale, oddly powerful, with eyes that seem flecked with fire and skin that blisters in sunlight. Somehow Trey finds himself in a luxury London penthouse, like a Bond villain's lair. It's the heart of a sinister empire, built on the powers of the netherworld - werewolves, vampires, sorcerers, and djinns. And Trey himself has a power that's roaring to break free. Is he a boy or is he a beast?

My Thoughts: This book was an entertaining read for middle schoolers. Trey, an orphan boy, is taken from his children's home by a powerful stranger who has been watching over him. He finds out that he is a werewolf with cool powers. There are descriptions of how he fights his mentor and could have killed him. There is also a fight with two demons disguised as teenage street thieves. There is also the battle at the end of the story with an evil vampire. There is a lot of action in the book but little emotion. Trey adapts amazingly well to all of the changes in his life. He is hit with lots of amazing things - the existence of vampires, werewolves, demons, the fact that his parents were murdered and were werewolves, the fact that he is a werewolf himself - almost without a blink.

Warning: While the main problem in this book has been resolved, it ends with these dreaded words "To be continued...". Luckily, I purchased books two and three from the Book Depository when I got this first one. This is also a 2010 Debut YA Author book in the US. The name has been changed to Wereling here. I do not know if it ends the same way. I have only seen the UK editions at this time.

I found it to be emotionally unrealistic but could easily see a younger reader accepting it for the action and adventures. Who doesn't like a young boy triumphing over evil? Recommended for middle graders and YA lovers of werewolves.

Challenges: In the Middle Reading Challenge, 2010 YA Reading Challenge, RYOB Reading Challenge