The Vanishing Act

A charming book that warms your heart and bursts with creativity. 12 year old Minou, lives on a small wintery island with her father, a priest, and an ex-magician with a dog named no-name. Her spunky mother was once counted as one of the inhabitants but she vanished one night and all the adults on the island are positive that she is dead. Minou however is not convinced - a fan of the philosophers that her father loves - she makes a list containing all the reasons that support her theory. When they find a frozen dead boy on the beach and bring him to the house to await the next boat shipment - both Minou and her father start to reflect on her mother and the circumstances that led to her disappearing from the small island. Filled with fun, quirky characters - this adorable story told through a child's eyes is not one that readers will forget.

Nevertell

Wow - this is definitely an unforgettable middle grade adventure set in the wilds of Siberia outside of a Soviet prison camp. Combining Russian folklore, history, adventure, and friendship; this unique story is instantly compelling.  Twelve year old Lina was born in a Soviet prison camp. Her mother, her uncle, and her grandfather had been sent to live in the camp when her grandfather told "fairy tales" (forbidden) and criticized the great leader. Leaving in the camp is the only thing Lina has ever known. For years she was the only child until a boy her age was sent to the camp. Together along with some  prison old timers they devise a plan to escape and try to get to Lina's grandmother who lives in Moscow. Almost immediately everything goes wrong. Ghost wolves, giant falcons, and shadow people are suddenly very real and more frightening then the prison guards ever were. Will Lina and Bogdan survive?  Can she do some magic of her own? Lovely, magical, and compelling. Great for readers of all ages!

Enchantee

This was such a spectacular concept. The French Revolution through the eyes of a penniless orphan who can use magic to turn scrap metal into coins (temporarily), cheat at cards, and glamour herself into looking like an aristocrat. Camille hasn't had an easy life. The smallpox has just killed her parents, her younger sister is weak from illness and her older brother has gambled away what little money they have. They can hardly afford to eat let alone settle his gambling debts! Once the sisters cut him out of their lives things start to get a little better. Camille has to use her magic, but she's able to go to Versailles and gamble (smartly) enough to give them a better foothold, at least they aren't starving and the rent is paid. It's starting to wear on Camille though, using magic too frequently can take a toll on your physical and emotional health. Plus she's leading two completely different lives and when she sees the cute boy with the balloon at the palace; it's nearly too much to bear. Because of the glamour he doesn't even recognize her from her other life, her real one. Unique, fanciful, and intriguing. 

Ninth House

Shut the front door! This book was all around amazing. I literally cannot wait for the next book in the series. I have previously only read one book by Leigh Bardugo, but you can bet your sweet ass I'm going back and reading more after this masterpiece! Ninth House is brilliant and complex and wonderfully dark. It was SO inventive. The first few chapters were a little bit overwhelming as the reader has to absorb a lot of information quickly and try not to get disoriented or lost, but soon everything clicks into place and it becomes a thrill to read. Nineteen year old, Alex Stern has a pretty sordid past so when she gets the opportunity to leave California and attend Yale FOR FREE, she takes it. Yale wants her not for her book smarts, but for her ability to see ghosts. Her whole life she shrunk away from her ability and used any type of drug to let her lose sight of the dead, but now Alex can use her ability for her gain. Yale has secret societies of varying magical abilities, the Ancient Eight, and a group needs to keep them in check. Enter the Lethe House. Members of Lethe show up at all sanctioned rituals and help make sure that the magic never bleeds out into the college or into the town and keep everyone safe. Or at least they're supposed to. When a young townie is killed on a ritual night, Alex is convinced that it isn't an ordinary murder. She'll have to follow her gut and get into a world of trouble and hurt to get to the bottom of it. Badass. My description doesn't do it justice. Alex is an amazing character and the magic described in this book is unique and fascinating. 100% recommend!

Caraval

This book seemed an awful lot like "The Night Circus" but for young adults. It wasn't bad, but it didn't quite tickle my fancy. It was a little too fanciful, over the top, and nonsensical. Nothing quite added up. What was part of the "game?" What was magic? What was death? What's the point? Caravel is basically a magical 5 day event where participants are invited to solve the game or riddle to win a wish. It's invite only, there are no rules, and participants don't know what's real or not. When Scarlet gets invitations in the mail she's excited, but knows there is no way she can go. She's due to marry a man she's never meet in two weeks, plus their father will NEVER let her and her sister leave the island. But then her younger reckless sister, Donatella, won't take no for an answer and whisks them off the island with the aid of a young sailor. When they arrive at Caraval, Donatella mysteriously disappears and Scarlet must solve the game to save her sister. The only trouble is, she has no idea how to play. Whimsical and unique. I don't know if I like it enough to continue with the series though.

Children of Blood and Bone

Worth. The. Hype! I haven't read a teen fantasy series this inventive and new for a while, let alone one with a DIVERSE cast of teen characters. Children of Blood and Bone combines adventure, magic, romance, black culture, and friendship to create a unique, impossible to put down book. The page count was a little imposing, but once I started reading it didn't matter anymore; I was flying through it! Zelie, a young girl with a mischievous streak finds herself in a precarious situation. When her mother and all the maji were slaughtered over a decade ago; magic died with them, but now Zelie has a chance to restore magic to their country. The oppressed could finally rise and restore order to the chaos! Aided by the princess and Zelie's brother, they must traverse the countryside to find three magic relics and return them to a sacred island before the solstice or all hope is lost. Hot on their tails are the princesses brother, the king, and the entire Orisha army. Then the book ends with a cliffhanger! I like NEED TO KNOW MORE! So good!

The Astonishing Color of After

Heart wrenching, and unique; this young adult novel that explores suicide, cultural identity, self-expression, art, and love is a slam dunk. Leigh's mother suffered from depression her whole life but managed to tough through the pain, until one day she couldn't. Leigh who had been so focused on her art and her crush on her best-friend is blindsided and heart broken by her mother's suicide. In the week's following her mother's death; a large red bird visits her in the night and gives her gifts. At first she thinks she is hallucinating, but soon she realizes that the gifts and the feathers left behind are truly real in the daylight. Leigh becomes convinced that the bird is her mother and her mother is telling her to go to Taiwan to meet her maternal grandparents (whom Leigh has never met) and to uncover some tough truths. This teen novel is equal parts beautiful, artistic, and magical. Leigh's journey part real, part magical; and alternates between her current reality, her past, and memories of her family. A powerful read.

Vincent, Survivor

Full of fun, this wacky dystopian novel pulled me in from the first page. Vincent and his older brother Dante practically grew up on the streets. With all the violence, disappearances, and his brother getting locked up in jail, Vincent assumed that his city Oakwood would kill him eventually. But that's where he's wrong. Evil forces have come into the world through magic portals and he has to dodge minotaurs and ghouls. He wishes he had to worry about gang violence, because this is too weird even for him! All he has is his smart ass mouth, a pistol packing elder by the name of grandma, a talking pug that is supposedly the greatest wizard ever, his brother, and the cute girl next door. Together they must try to escape the city to get to a sanctuary they heard about on the radio or risk getting torn to bits. Full of adventure, ridiculousness, sarcastic comebacks, and general badassery; this book will appeal to readers of comedic fantasy, Christopher Moore and Douglas Adams. Lots of fun and a great debut by O.L. Eggert. The books ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, so get ready for the next book; this is the first in a series!

I received this book for free from the author in return for my honest, unbiased review.

Carry On

A cute and engrossing read for fans of Fangirl, fantasy, Harry Potter and teen LGBT books. The fantasy world is well built and the spells and culture is awesome. I was also a huge fan of the characters. Told through multiple perspectives, Carry On tells the story of Simon Snow's final year at Watford (magic school) and his quest to defeat the Insidious Humdrum, find out what his conniving vampire roommate Baz is up to, and figure out what his place in the magical community is. Sometimes it's tough being the chosen one. Laugh out loud funny in parts, this story of magic, friendship, and love is well worth a read and not just for teens :)

Season of the Dragonflies

Mix Practical Magic and Chocolat together and have it set in the Blue Ridge Mountains and you'll have a good idea what this book is about. Generations of women in the Lenore family have bottled the most alluring perfume that enables the wearers to succeed at anything they put their mind to. Senators, lawyers, musicians, doctors, and celebrities are just a few of the powerful jobs that women have obtained with the power of this perfume. Behind the powerful scent is a secret flower, a family of strong women, and just a hint of magic. After a divorce and failed career, Lucia moves back to the family home and business in the Blue Ridge Mountains. While there she discovers that her sister, Mya and her mother are facing troubles with some tricky clients and their beloved flower crop might be dying. Can they put aside all their differences and work together to save the family business from crumbling? A captivating read with enough intrigue to keep readers turning the pages. While the ending leaves a bit to be desired, the plot is unique and magical enough to almost make up for it.

The Night Circus

This is one of those few books that almost defy description. It was lushly beautiful and the vivid scenery, clothes, circus, and people will stay in your imagination long after you've stopped reading. Simply put, it may be the most enchanting book I've ever read. It's about a circus, a duel between two young magicians, a clock-maker, the atmosphere of wonder, dreams, and soo much more. No descriptions can possibly do this book justice. It's a book I'm sure I'll come back to again and again, to read and to see in my dreams. Reading this evokes soo much imagination. I long to see Le Cirque des Reves more than I've ever longed to see a fictional place. An absolute must read, a feast not only your imagination, but your senses.

The Diviners

I'm really glad I found my way back to Libba Bray, in high school I had read her famed book, "A Great and Terrible Beauty" and really enjoyed it, but for some reason I didn't pick up any more books by her. I'm glad that streak has ended, because this was a fabulous read!

First off, this story takes place in in Manhatten during the Prohibition, there are speakeasies, great music and fabulous style. I'm already sold, I love reading about this era. Libba Bray did her research well, even the slang the characters use is spot on. You really are transported back in time while reading this. 

The story follows Evie as she is sent from Ohio to live with an uncle after she misuses her "gift" and it gets her in trouble (she can get memories and readings from people's personal objects). While working for her uncle in the museum of "creepy crawlies" she befriends a pickpocket (Sam), one of her uncle's employees (Jericho), a fabulous flapper (Theta), and reconnects with an old friend (Mabel). Together they help Evie's uncle and police catch the pentacle killer using the museums library, their intellect, and their "gifts."

Throughout the story we are introduced to other characters in the story that have unique abilities, Memphis, an aspiring black poet from Harlem, has the ability to heal others. His younger brother, Isaiah, also has the ability to see the future. It isn't all fun and games though having these abilities, all the "diviners" (those with gifts) keep dreaming of a crossroads and a great evil coming. Can they stop whatever it is? Is the pentacle killer the great evil?

This book is very fast paced, not a dull moment in here, the characters are very well developed and likable. The story is even spooky at parts and I had to keep reminding myself that this was a young adult novel, I shouldn't be scared!

Overall, it's a great great book. I know this review has been full of ramblings, but this book contains so much! Read it! It's suspensful, full of things that go bump in the night, historical intrigue, and friendship.

She's Still Got the Magic!

It took me a while but I finally completed this bad boy. This was one of those books where I was immediately hooked then lost interest for a while in the middle and then got hooked again. There is a lot of back and forth and reading it you have no clue how the story will end, you just don't know where it's going! And boy o boy, there is a lot to keep track of! The story follows a community's reaction to the untimely death of Barry Fairbrother, one of Pagford's councillors, and as the story progre...morIt took me a while but I finally finished this bad boy. This was one of those books where I was immediately hooked, then lost interest for a while in the middle, and then got hooked again. There is a lot of back and forth and you have no clue how the story will end. And boy o boy, there is a lot to keep track of! The story follows a community's reaction to the untimely death of Barry Fairbrother, one of Pagford's councillors. As the story progresses the townspeople's different "hidden agendas" come to life. The story is viewed through about 20 of Pagford's citizen's eyes and sometimes it's hard to keep track of who's who, and who has biases against whom and so on and so forth. The good thing is that most of these characters are relateable on some level and the other ones? Well they're just fun to hate :) Part of me was disappointed that this was not Harry Potter, I know, I know, she's trying to break away from that and do her own thing, but it's soo new to me. One good thing is that her writing style is still the same and her words still have a magical, flowing quality about them. Overall, this book was different from anything I have read in a long long time. The concept may sound kind of droll (who cares about a small English town?) but it hooks you regardless and Rowling keeps you guessing til the very end. Who will fill Barry's seat on council? Will his agenda be dropped? Who is spilling Pagford's darkest secrets? This is one of those books that everyone is reading and you need to be in the know. So read it! And let me know what you think of JK Rowling's newest project!

A Magical Little Read

I was in just the right kind of mood for this easy breezy fantasy novel. It's a feel good novel that begs to be read outdoors on a nice spring day.

The story follows Hannah, a young healer of sorts, who lives in the Tanglewood forest under the watchful eye of a conniving wizard. She has no idea how she came to be, what her name is, or why she is different from the village folk who come to her for salves, remedies, and healing. Flowers and vines grow in her hair and she uses them to help makes medicines for the nearby village folk and at the end of every month she pulls them all out of her hair and makes a tea for the wizard. As the story progresses she starts to wonder more about her existence and tries to get her friends, some forest animals (yes she can talk to animals as well), to explain to her the ways of the world and why she has to serve the wizard the way she does but they can't remember anything about their past or future existence either. The story takes an interesting turn when a night enters the forest trying to seek treasure at the heart of the Tanglewood, when he is badly injured Hannah (what the young healer has taken to calling herself) restores his health and starts a quest to find out what the true meaning of her life is. 

It's a beautifully written story and you can't help but sympathize with poor Hannah as she tries to find out what her purpose is. It is a cute and easy adventure and I would highly recommend it to anyone :)

2 Reviews for the Price of One

So I was in reading mode and I knocked out a young adult novel and a graphic novel in one day, rather then write two blog posts I'll just combine them both on here. Enjoy! Oh, and I leave for my study abroad trip tomorrow so I won't be posting any book reviews for a few weeks, possibly just trip updates. Wish me luck!

Phew, what a read. I was hesitant to read this book at first. I think I assumed that it was going to be like all the other teen paranormal romance or something and I have never been happier to be proved wrong.

"Born Wicked" is the first in the Cahill Witch Chronicles Series and I know I'm going to have to read the others when they're published. The book ends in such a cliffhanger that it'a maddening and you have to, HAVE to, know more!

The story follows Cate, the oldest of three sisters who has cared for and raised her younger sisters since the untimely death of their mother some years before. There's only one complication. They're witches just like their mother was, but they can't let anyone know. The Brotherhood hunts witches and in order to stay together and stay safe, they must keep their magical abilities cloaked and hidden from everyone, no one can be trusted with their secret. Things start to get tricky however, when Cate's childhood friend, Paul, comes home from the university and wants to marry her and a governess from the sisterhood moves into the house. Cate has less than six weeks to decide if she'll marry or join the sisterhood, if she can't make a decision the Brotherhood will for her. Cate tries to make the best of the situation and decide what will be best for her and her two younger sisters but the choices are few and the outcome unpredictable.

I LOVED this book, really and truly. I really identified with Cate (although thankfully I'm no witch... I'm sure some people may  argue with that statement though, lol) and the unfairness of her life. I sympathized being an oldest child and I understood her frustration towards her sisters when they acted out and refused to take her seriously. The characters are very well developed and believable, you're sure to have a favorite or two by the end of the book. A must read, full of suspense, intrigue, and plot twists more crooked that a witch's nose.

I received this book for free from GoodRead's giveaway in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.

I didn't hate this book, but I didn't love it either. For a graphic novel, it is merely so so.


The story follows a young woman, Chase, who has a condition that sucks the life out of the men that love her. She doesn't mean to but she leaves a trail of bodies in her wake. She needs love in order to survive, but the longer she stays with a man the more they age until she has sucked every last bit of life out of them. Chase goes on the run when her boyfriend of nearly a year dies (because of her love) and the authorities think that she was responsible for it (yes). The Man, a real life super hero who is more like Chase than either of them could imagine, starts to track her down, what will happen when the authorities catch up with her?

Like I said so so, but some of the graphics were really amazing. Which is probably the only reason I'm hanging onto this and not selling it back to Half Price Books where I bought it.