The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney

by Suzanne Harper

Summary: Sparrow is the 7th daughter of a 7th daughter. Those in spiritualist circles believe this pre-destines her to have some serious psychic powers. She lives in a modern-day spiritualist community, in a small gathering where mediums and psychics are the norm. She chooses to go to school in the neighboring town, where her family and their kind are considered charlatans and weirdos. Her six older sisters all have powers of some kind or another, and they wait anxiously to see if Sparrow's will develop. Unbeknownst to them, Sparrow has had three ghosts following her around and "advising" her her entire life. Sparrow just chooses not to share this with anyone, so she can appear "normal" to the outside world. She spends her life trying to ignore them, but soon she meets a ghost with an undeniable appeal, who happens to have a mysterious connection with the cute new guy at school.

My thoughts: Sparrow Delaney is one of those characters who sticks with you. Her decisons are understandable and believable. Her sisters' antics are hilarious. It's rare to find a book that is both creepy and funny at the same time. Sparrow will have you laughing on one page, and biting your nails the next!

Airman

by Eoin Colfer

Summary: The story opens with the words, "Conor Broekhart was born to fly," and he truly was, having been born in a hot air balloon. Conor's father works in the palace, and his best friend is the princess. His life changes drastically, though, when he is blamed for a murder he witnesses and is labeled a traitor. He is thrown in a terrible prison where the conditions are brutal, and is forced to mine diamonds at the bottom of the sea. No one ever escapes this prison, and his only choice is to go by air. Over the years, he designs and builds a flying machine, and an elaborate plot to gain his freedom.

My thoughts: This is one of those books that proves that every book is not right for every reader. I think I'm the only person in the world who didn't love Airman. It's definitely a grand adventure, but for me, it was just a little long-winded.

East

by Edith Pattou

Summary: This is an adaptation of the folk tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon. Rose's family falls on hard times and her sister gets sick. Her mother can't handle the stress of possibly losing her child, and her father is doing everything he can to save the family, but nothing works until the white bear appears at the door. The bear makes the family an offer: great wealth and her sister's improved health in exchange for Rose. Surprisingly, Rose's mother wants to accept the deal, but her father is violently opposed to it. Rose does end up going with the bear, and becomes his prisoner in an ice palace. The evil Troll Queen runs the show at this palace, where other humans are enslaved and kept stupid by drinking a magical potion prepared by the Queen. Complicating matters, the Queen can feel the chemistry between Rose and the bear, but desperately wants the bear for herself. (He's really a prince, you see!) Rose figures this out, and embarks on a quest to not only free herself, but to free the white bear from an evil enchantment, and the others trapped in the palace.

My thoughts: It's probably clear by now that I'm a sucker for the re-told fairy tales, and I love this one. I remember reading fairy tales as a child, and always wanting to know more of the story. This tale is similar to Beauty and the Beast, but definitely has more adventure and excitement. The evil trolls with their scaly white skin are totally creepy. Fans of the Lord of the Rings trilogy (guys and girls!) will love this book.

The Presence

by Eve Bunting

Summary: When Catherine goes to stay with her Grandma, everyone who loves her hopes that the visit will help her get over her role in the death of her best friend Kirsty. At her Grandma's church, she hears someone calling her name, when it's clear no one is there. She gets strange phones calls from someone named Noah, who claims to be able to help her communicate with her dead friend. But Noah himself has been dead for over 100 years, and he has a nasty little habit of "collecting" pretty girls who look eerily like Catherine in his search for a soul mate.

My thoughts: I snuck this little book in in-between reading some others and had to finish it! Eve Bunting is such a great talent--she usually writes picture books, and can somehow still write a book creepy enough to make a grown-up shiver! Bunting doesn't reveal Catherine's roll in Kirsty's death until almost the end of the book, and when you find out what it was, it will break your heart.

Enna Burning

by Shannon Hale

Summary: Enna Burning is a companion novel to The Goose Girl, but definitely stands alone--it is not a sequel. Enna was the best friend of the goose girl, who is now queen. Enna's brother discovers the gift (or the curse) of how to create fire within himself, but the power drives him mad, and he burns himself from within on the battlefield. Enna can't resist finding out what happened to her brother, and reads the secret documents that allow her to create fire. She manages to control the fire that her brother could not, and attempts to use her powers to help her country win their war against a neighboring land. This leads to her capture, however, and she and the queen must both learn to control their powers before they are destroyed by them.

My thoughts: It was so nice to revisit the goose girl, and to see her in her new life, but to also have a whole new story! This is an original tale and an unusual adventure. You won't have read a story like this before!

Beastly

by Alex Flinn

Summary: This is a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast. When snotty, rich Kyle is mean to the wrong geek girl (who is really a witch) he pays with his looks. We all know how the rest of the story goes, but what makes this telling different is the contemporary twist. Kyle (BeastNYC) IMs with the Little Mermaid (SilentMaid) and a prince who has been turned into a frog (Froggie). The modern twists are funny and somehow quite believable.

My thoughts: This book is told from Kyle's point of view as the Beast, so it's definitely a story that guys and girls both like. I was afraid I'd be bored since I already know the Beauty and the Beast story, but I wasn't--there were enough changes to keep with the familiar plot, while adding an original twist.

Tangerine

by Edward Bloor

Summary: Paul is visually impaired, but loves to play soccer. When his mom and dad move him to a small Florida town, the way his mom fills out the school paperwork causes the coach to not allow him to play due to his disability. When an opportunity presents itself for him to change schools to the one on the rough side of the tracks, Paul jumps at the chance, and ends up on a team full of delinquents. There are a lot of things happening in this story, perhaps the most interesting being the fact that Paul has no memory of how his vision was damaged. As the story goes on, he begins to realize the horrifying truth.

My thoughts: Honestly, I didn't love this book. Okay, I really disliked it, but that doesn't mean you will! It does have a good message about community and teamwork, and takes a stand against discrimination and bullying, but I found it very difficult to read.

The Goose Girl

by Shannon Hale

Summary: This is another retelling of a classic tale, this time a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. Ani is a princess who has the gift of speaking to and understanding birds and horses. When Ani is sent to a neighboring kingdom to marry its prince, her lady-in-waiting overthrows the company and steals Ani's identity. Ani must take a job as the palace goose girl to even gain entry to the palace, and keep her beautiful blond hair hidden. (It is a dead giveaway to her heritage.) The exciting conclusion and unexpected plot twists will keep readers on the edge of their seats!

My thoughts: I looooove Shannon Hale! Her books are the ultimate escape, taking you away to a time of princes and palaces. But this is no Disney story--there's intrigue and suspense and betrayal and adventure and best of all, true love.

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

by James Patterson

Summary: Ninety-eight percent human, two percent bird. Max and her "flock," five other kids, all live together after being genetically engineered with bird DNA. They have wings and can fly, and also each have their own special powers. They're being chased by Erasers, kids who have been engineered with wolf DNA. They're trying to kill Max and her flock. When Angel, the youngest, is captured and returned to the lab, Max and the others have a fast-paced and terrifying adventure trying to save her.

My thoughts: The Angel Experiment is the first in the wildly popular Maximum Ride series. James Patterson normally writes for adults, and has had many of his novels, such as Along Came a Spider, made into movies. These books are really, really fast reads. Each chapter is not more than a page or two, and even though they're short, they almost all end with a little cliffhanger, pushing you on to the next chapter. Great for guys and girls who don't like to read!

Rumors

by Anna Godbersen

Summary: Rumors picks up right where The Luxe left off. All of Manhattan seems to have little else better to do than speculate about the disappearance of Elizabeth Holland.

My thoughts: I won't say too much here because I don't want to ruin the story for anyone who hasn't yet had the pleasure of reading The Luxe. This one isn't quite as good as the first, but it's still a wonderfully guilty indulgence!

The Luxe

by Anna Godbersen

Summary: It's Manhattan, 1899, and Elizabeth Holland does not get a choice in who she marries. She's rich, and she's supposed to marry a rich man, one Henry Schoonmaker. The problem is, she despises him, and has been in love with Will, the stable boy, since she was a girl. Even worse, her best friend Penelope does love Henry, and will stop at nothing to win him over. They had a brief relationship, but Henry was never serious about Penelope. (Penelope is really NOT very nice!) Before Henry and Elizabeth can be married, he meets Elizabeth's little sister Diana, and Henry and Diana fall in love, even though they both know they can never be together. Confused yet? It gets worse (or better, depending on your point of view!) Elizabeth's handmaid is in love with Will, and can't stand the thought that rich, beautiful Elizabeth, who can have anyone she wants, is taking her man! Deaths are faked, friendships are betrayed, family names are ruined. This is a deliciously scandalous story you won't be able to put down!

My thoughts: I had so much fun with this book! Yes, it's a little silly, but the characters are well-drawn, and the story moves quickly. If you like the Gossip Girls or the Clique series, the Luxe series is definitely for you. Two books follow: Rumors and Envy. We do have Rumors in the library, and Envy is on its way, but you'll have to fight me for it when it comes in! :)

The Rag and Bone Shop

by Robert Cormier

Summary: When little girl Alicia is brutally murdered, the police automatically suspect Jason, the last person to see her alive. The reader does not know until the very end whether or not Jason is the killer, but is aware the the police's questioning tactics are seriously uncool! Almost the entire novel is set in the interrogation room, and you can feel Jason's discomfort as the police ask him harder and harder questions.

My thoughts: If you like CSI, you'll love this little book! It's a quick read, and very intense. This is an older title that I picked up because I remember loving one of Cormier's other books, The Chocolate War, when I was in high school. This is his last book, published posthumously (that means after he died!) You can't beat the high quality writing, the great characterization, and almost unbearable suspense!

The Ghost's Child

by Sonya Hartnett

Summary: Maddy is an only child with a snotty, image-obsessed mother and a seemingly distant father. When her father takes her on a trip around the world, she starts to see a different side of him, though, and begins to love and understand her father in a different way. The trip opens her mind, and opens her father's heart to Maddy. He asks her to decide what she thinks is the most beautiful thing on earth, and she has a difficult time nailing it down to just one thing, finally choosing the sea gull. Upon their return, her father seems to go back to the cold man he had been before, and her parents begin pushing her to marry, and marry well. But one day Maddy meets a young man on the beach, and he is wild and free. She calls him Feather, because that is what he reminds her of. She chooses to be with Feather, and he tells her he loves her, but Feather is a wild thing, and Maddy cannot hold him. Maddy undertakes a mystical journey to try to find Feather again, and ask him an important question, one that she may already know the answer to.

My thoughts: I have a hard time understanding how this is a young adult novel, not because of any controversial elements, but because I don't think the story is very relatable to teens. Not many (thank goodness) will have gone through what Maddy experiences. I do, however, think it's a stunningly beautiful novel that doesn't pull any punches describing grief and loss. In the way of stories like Jonathan Livingston Seagull, this is a sort of strange tale, but one that could be of great comfort to someone going through a hard time.

Coraline

by Neil Gaiman

Summary: Coraline is a bored little girl who finds a mysterious door in her new house, and just has to find out what's behind it. Unfortunately, it leads to an alternate world, which is hers, but just a little bit different. She finds there her "other mother" and her "other father," who tempt her with lovely meals and other things appealing to little girls. But she soon realizes her other parents want to keep her, and she must find a way to outsmart them if she ever wants to see her real parents again.

My thoughts: This is exactly the type of book I would have read and re-read as a kid! Coraline's "other mother's" black button eyes sent chills down my spine, but I couldn't put this little book down! It's that rare find that creates great suspense and horror without being overly graphic or gory. All of the terror is in Gaiman's masterful writing. I love Coraline! Soon to be a major motion picture!

Wicked Lovely

by Melissa Marr

Summary: Aislinn can see faeries (a trait she inherited from her grandmother), and these faeries are no Tinkerbell. They're hateful and mean, and they pinch and torment humans and each other. The faeries have a royal court, and when Keenan, the Summer King, begins to show an interest in Aislinn, she's terrified. When faeries want to reveal themselves to humans, they put on "glamours" which allows them to be seen by humans. The glamours make them extremely attractive to humans, but Aislinn can see his true intentions. She soon discovers that he wants her for his Summer Queen. If she chooses this fate, she loses her best friend and true love, if she doesn't, there could be terrible consequences for the entire world. As she struggles with the decision, family secrets are revealed which add depth and suspense to this modern "faery" tale.

My thoughts: This book is very, very, dark. I really liked it, but sometimes it was tough to get through because it was just so depressing. Definitely a compelling read. There is a sequel to this book entitled Ink Exchange. Unfortunately it's reviewed for high school only, so we won't be able to have it in our library.

The Graveyard Book

by Neil Gaiman

Summary: Once, on a very dark, sad night, a man named Jack stabbed and killed an entire family--except for one. He missed the baby, who had wandered out of the house and down the road to the local graveyard. Mr. and Mrs. Owens find the child, but here's the catch: they've been dead for a very long time. When the frantic ghosts of the baby's newly-dead parents plead with the Owens' to protect their child, they decide to adopt him and raise him in the graveyard. They can't decide on a name, so call him Nobody Owens, Bod for short. The Owens, along with his mysterious "guardian" Silas, do a fine job raising Bod, and try their best to keep him from leaving the graveyard. It is quickly revealed that Jack is not finished looking for Bod, and still wants to kill him. Bod is a curious, intelligent child, and has lots of adventures in the graveyard, ranging from hilarious to downright scary.

My thoughts: The 2009 Newbery Medal Winner! This book has several pen and ink illustrations, which I think is a cool addition to many young adult novels. These illustrations truly add to the story. I think this book is a definite improvement over the Newbery choices in the past few years. While this isn't my favorite Gaiman book, it's well-written, original, and fun.