Killer Pizza

by Greg Taylor

Summary: Toby think he has landed the world's greatest summer job, working at the new Killer Pizza restaurant in town. He and the other new employees are shocked to learn, though, that they haven't really been hired to make pizzas... They have been hired to kill an especially nasty breed of monsters called guttata. A bite from this monster turns humans into young guttuta, and only Toby's organization has the antidote, and the skills to stop the monsters and save their town. But does this young monster killing team really have what it takes?

My thoughts: This book is super fun and easy to read. Toby is realistic and likable, and there are enough twists, turns, and shocking moments to keep you guessing and turning pages!

Ruined

by Paula Morris

Summary: Rebecca and her dad live together in New York City, but when he has to take an extended trip to China for work, he sends her to live with his sister in New Orleans for the year. She soon learns that this old southern town has rules she doesn't understand, and she has a hard time making friends. The beautiful old cemetary by her aunt's house seems to call to her, and even though it's forbidden, she walks around it whenever possible. There she meets Lisette, a girl with tattered clothes and bare feet, and becomes her friend. But no one else can see Lisette...because she's a ghost. Why can Rebecca see her when no one else can? Is Lisette really her friend, or is Rebecca just a pawn in the fulfillment of an ancient curse?

My thoughts: It took me a little while to get into this one, but after the slow start it really took off! I like the unusual New Orleans setting, and learned a lot about the city, and Mardi Gras, that I didn't know.

Out of the Woods

by Lyn Gardner

Summary: The magical pipe that caused so many problems in Into the Woods finds its way back to Storm Eden from the bottom of the sea where she tossed it, hoping never to see it again. In this fractured fairy tale/fantasy, the evil witch Belladonna wants the pipe, but her time is short if she can’t convince Storm’s beautiful older sister Aurora to promise the witch her heart. Using a magic mirror (one of many nods to Snow White) to improve her looks, Belladonna fools Storm, Aurora, and baby Any into believing their father is dead and that they are now in her care. Snappy dialogue and familiar fairy-tale references, some of which cleverly poke fun at well-known characters, create the feeling of a fairy tale community to which the Eden sisters now belong. The girls’ characters are sometimes misguided but always believable as they venture into the Underworld, the only way to rid themselves of the pipe and save Aurora’s life. Readers of the first book will happily revisit Eden’s End. However, those who haven’t read the first installment may struggle since no back story is provided and minor characters greatly influence the plot with little to no introduction. Themes of loyalty and family are creatively and unexpectedly interwoven, and playfully point out that sisterhood is sometimes both a blessing and a curse. Mimi Grey's black and white illustrations manage to be gorgeous and hilarious at the same time, and thankfully, sneak in on almost every page.

My thoughts: I reviewed this book for a librarian's magazine (that's my review above), and so read it without reading the first in the series. I think if I would have read Into the Woods first, I would have liked this book a lot more.