Midnighters: The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld

Midnighters by Scott Westerfeld.

Strange things happen at midnight in the town of Bixby, Oklahoma.
Time freezes.
Nobody moves.
For one secret hour each night, the town belongs to the dark creatures that haunt the shadows. Only a small group of people know about the secret hour -- only they are free to move about the midnight time.
These people call themselves Midnighters. Each one has a different power that is strongest at midnight: Seer, Mindcaster, Acrobat, Polymath. For years the Midnighters and the dark creatures have shared the secret hour, uneasily avoiding one another. All that changes when the new girl with an unmistakable midnight aura appears at Bixby High School.
Jessica Day is not an outsider like the other Midnighters. She acts perfectly normal in every way. But it soon becomes clear that the dark creatures sense a hidden power in Jessica . . . and they're determined to stop her before she can use it.
A story of courage, shadowy perils, and unexpected destiny, the secret hour is the first volume of the mesmerizing Midnighters trilogy by acclaimed author Scott Westerfeld. (summary from back of book)

As I mentioned before the hubby liked this one more than Uglies. I still liked the Uglies series better, but this was still an enjoyable read. It is interesting to watch each of the midnighters deal with their powers, and deal with the threat of the darklings. I also like the spin that the darklings have been haunting man since prehistoric times, and are ancient creatures. I think it is interesting that the characters have to learn about the prehistoric origins and history of Bixby as a result. It gives the series a different feel than a bunch of other stories. The beginning of the book was a bit boring for me, but I eventually got really into the story and enjoyed all the nerdy high school characters. Not as fun as Uglies, but still a solid entertaining read.

Visit Westerfeld's website

Once was Lost by Sara Zarr

Once was Lost by Sara Zarr

Samara Taylor used to believe in miracles. She used to believe in a lot of things. As a pastor’s kid, it’s hard not to buy in to the idea of the perfect family, a loving God, and amazing grace. But lately, Sam has a lot of reason to doubt. Her mother lands in rehab after a DUI and her father seems more interested in his congregation than his family. When a young girl in her small town is kidnapped, the local tragedy overlaps with Sam’s personal one, and the already-worn thread of faith holding her together begins to unravel. (*summary from author’s website)

I read Sweethearts earlier in the year and really enjoyed it, but I think I liked Once was Lost more. Early in the book Sam has to deal with the conflict of how exactly to tell people her mom is in rehab. It is slightly more awkward than just normal teenage embarrassment, as her father is the pastor, and the congregation passes a lot of judgment on her family. It doesn’t help that her father hasn’t announced the situation in church. Then a young girl from the congregation goes missing, and her dad is constantly gone trying to help the family. The novel portrays the search for the girl, the accusations and wild rumors that media stirs up, and the strain of not being able to trust the guy down the street.

The characters in the book have honest emotions and feelings. They are humans in a confusing world trying to deal with huge problems: a child being kidnapped, a wife/mother in rehab, the pressure to appear perfect. I think the author did a very good job with making all the characters rounded and human. I loved how the mother was never vilified into an alcoholic monster parent. I really liked was how the author showed how much Sam loved her Mom, and how she still needed her. Her relationship with her mom wasn’t perfect, but they still loved one another.

This book has so many small-threads that weaved it all together. I really enjoyed reading it. One of my favorite things was that, though it dealt with hard topics, the book was never graphic or full of gory details. It seems that we as a society revel too much in the dirty and sad details of tragedies. It really was refreshing to read a book that didn’t give into this temptation. It dealt with the difficult and honest emotions involved in the situation, but still remained a clean read.

Sara Zarr's Website

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Miranda starts hearing warnings that an asteroid is going to hit the moon. School and life go on as usual while everyone speculates about the upcoming event. No one expected that the moon would be knocked out of its place when the stray asteroid hit it. No one expected their entire world to change.

Power is lost, phone lines go down, gas shortages, grocery store raids, and other mayhem occurs as people prepare for the worst. News that tides have turned into tidal waves and previously dormant volcanoes have erupted only make the situation more dangerous. Miranda and her family will have to find a way to make it through one long dark winter, together.

This is a really compelling read, and it is hard to put down. I loved how the story was told in first person journal format, and I really related to Miranda’s character. I loved how honest she came across in her journal entries. At the beginning of the book she sounded so similar to my thoughts about life when I was her age. Then you get sucked into worrying about how she and her family are going to survive this apocalyptic type situation. The entire world is affected by this natural disaster of epic proportions, but there is a sense the world is still moving on. Everyone is still trying to survive, and her family becomes the most important thing.

This one will definitely have you taking stock of the food in your cupboards, and pondering what you would do when the worst happened. This is an excellent book that I would recommend to all. The Sequel This World We Live In comes out in April and I'm way excited to read it.

Visit Susan Beth Pfeffer's blog

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

So, I’ve been curious about Westerfeld’s latest release Leviathan, first, because I loved his Uglies series, and second, because I heard it was steam punk. All my friends tell me they love steam punk, and I have no idea where they were finding all this steam punk stuff to love. It’s like the invisible genre everyone loves, but won’t let you in on the secret of where they are finding all this stuff. So, finally an easily accessible steam punk novel from an author I really like. Score! It gets better though because the book is awesome in many ways. First, the cover is unique and kind of shiny, and the map inside looks cool too. The illustrations throughout the book just add to the whole effect. This is a heavy, nicely presented book that I love to see on my shelf or heft in my hands.

The setting has an alternate history feel to it, as it begins just as WWI is about to break out on Europe. This Europe is technologically different from traditional history. The British Darwinists war machine is based off of genetically engineering “life strands” (DNA) of animals and creating fantastic beasts. Jelly Fish are altered to breathe hydrogen and float into the sky. A living, breathing whale becomes a zeppelin war machine. The German and Austro-Hungarians wage war via huge technological robot creatures called walkers. So there is there cultural warfare of biology vs machinery threaded throughout the entire book.

The book opens as Aleksander Ferdinand, prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, confronts the tragedy of his parent’s assassination, the event which sparked the beginning of WWI in our history books. It also sparks war in Aleksander’s world, and turns him into a fugitive. A few of his father’s loyal men help him escape out of the palace in a walker. They evade Germans capture, trying to enter neutral territory where they will be safe to hunker down and wait out the war.

The other story thread involves Deryn Sharp, a girl who has disguised herself as a boy so she can join the British air service. She has a true passion for flight, and disguising herself is the only way to reach her dream. She becomes a mid-shipman aboard the Leviathan, a huge whale-zeppelin hybrid ship. The captain has orders to take a mysterious Dr. Barlow and her precious cargo to the Ottoman Empire as quickly as possible.

So, I adored this book! It was so much fun to read. The book is as much as about exploring this interesting, dynamic setting as it is about these two unique characters. I thought Deryn was hilarious, and I loved her. She takes no crap from anyone, and her comments on the strange practices of boys are hilarious. Aleksander is also a fascinating character, as a noble he’s proud and arrogant, but he’s also smart and clever. He has a knack for running Clanker technology, and it’s fun to watch him master the controls of his walker under the tutelage of his trustworthy crew. Yet, he is also headstrong and stubborn and this trait leads him into trouble when he risks everything to help Deryn’s crew.

I’ve already written a ton and I haven’t even told you half of what I liked yet! As with his Uglies series, Westerfeld masterfully weaves slang, and witty dialogue into his novel to make his imaginary world feel authentic and complex. His characters feel natural and realistic in their settings, and truly this book is an example of why I love to read fantasy. I would recommend it to everyone. I can’t wait for the next book in the series to come out! Behemoth 2010!

List 2009

List of books read in 2009
82 Tales of Beedle the Bard by JK Rowling
83 Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larsen
84 Comfortable in my Own Genes by Tamra Norton
85 Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon Hale
86 Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
87 The Edge on the Sword by Rebecca Tingle
88 C.S. Lewis the Great divorce
89 My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
90 Promises to Keep by Dean Hughes
91 Isabelle Webb: Legend of the Jewel by Nancy Campbell Allen
92 Traitor by Sandra Grey
93 Freefall by Traci Hunter Abramson.
94 Bound on Earth By Angela Hallstrom.
95 First Day by Ally Braithwaite Condie.
96 Waiting for the light to change by Annette Haws
97 Keeping Keller by Tracy Winegar
98 Lemon Tart by Josi Kilpack
99 Going Postal terry Prachett
100 Finding Faith by Terri Ferran
101 City of Ember Jeann Duprau
102 Ravenmaster Elvira Woodruff
103 Spare Change by Aubrey Mace
104 Fields of Home by Rachel Ann Nunes
105 Book of Jude by Kimbery Heuston
106 City of Sparks Jeann Duprau
107 How to take the ex-out of ex-boyfriend Janette Rallison
108 Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
109 I’m Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells
110 The 13th Reality and the hunt for Dark Infinity by James Dashner
111 Reunion by Ally Condie
112 The Hourglass Door by Lisa Magnum
113 Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
114 Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry
115 Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
116 The Graveyard Book by Niel Gaiman
117 A Curse as Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce
118 Pendragon: Pilgrims of Rayne
119 My Fair Godmother by Jannette Rallison
120 Gossamer by Lois Lowry
121 At Journey’s End by Annette Lyon
122 I am Apache by Tanya Landman
123 Everything is Fine by Ann Dee Ellis
124 The Princess and the Bear by Mette Ivie Harrison
125 Recovering Charles by Jason F. Wright
126 Wings by Aprilynne Pike
127 FlyGirl by Sherri L. Smith 128 Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman
129 Saving Madeline by Rachel Ann Nunes
130 Methods of Madness by Stephanie Black
131 Spires of Stone by Annette Lyon
123 Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
124 The Maze Runner by James Dashner
125 Forest Born by Shannon Hale
126 Alcatraz versus the Knights of Crystallia by Brandon Sanderson
127 Dragon Spear by Jessica Day George
128 Once was Lost by Sara Zarr
129 The Midnighters 1 by Scott Westerfeld
130 The Midnighters 2 by Scott Westerfeld
131 Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Peffer
132 The dead and the gone by Susan Beth Peffer
133 The Midnighters 3 by Scott Westerfeld
134 The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
135 Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
136 Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Thomas wakes up in a strange elevator only able to recall impersonal details about life, and his name. At the end of the elevator shaft a group of boys await him. They slowly initiate him into their world, and as Thomas adjusts to his new life, he learns that there are more questions than answers. The Glade is surrounded by huge walls that surround it, and beyond the gates there is a maze. A maze that these boys have to solve to get home, but each night the walls move around and change. Then there a deadly greevers in that come out at night to attack them.

The day after Thomas arrives a girl comes up from the elevator shaft, nearly dead. This strange new occurrence shakes the boys up. There has never been a girl sent up the elevator before, and usually newbies show up at least a month apart. The girls arrival sets more changes in motion, and if Thomas could figure out why she seems so familiar to him might be able to figure out why they were all sent to the maze in the first place.

I really liked the whole setting of this book, and related to Thomas’s frustration at being in a strange new place. The rules of the boy’s society and the way they survived was fascinating to me. I liked reading about the maze and how they kept trying to solve it. Then the stuff that they remembered about the world before when greevers “stung” them made a whole other mystery element come about. I wanted know not only how the boys would get out of the maze but how they got there in the first place. By the end of the book you learn the general details about why they were put in the maze, but not really all the details.

So, I really enjoyed most of the book, but didn’t like the ending. I’m not sure how to explain it without giving major spoilers away. Let’s just say a certain twist at the end of the story felt very manipulative so the story could be more dramatic. The problem was that it felt forced and weird the way it was written, and I didn’t like it. I’d love to go into more detail of why I didn’t like it, but then I would give away huge major spoilers Eh, the ending is pretty depressing, and has some disturbing violence. I really didn’t want to read or buy the sequel after I finished because the story was such a downer. I’m kind of curious now, but I’ll probably wait to check the book out from the library the next time round.

James Dashner's Blog

Dragon Spear by Jessica Day George

Dragon Spear by Jessica Day George

This is the third book in George’s dragon trilogy, and her heroine Creel is off to visit her dragon friends before she get married to prince Luka. She makes great plans to enjoy her vacation and finish up sewing her newest masterpiece—her wedding dress. She arrives to find Velkria and Shardus expecting a few of their own little dragons any day now. Then Velkria is kidnapped by another group of dragons, who are struggling to survive on a volcanic land far across the sea.

Shardus, Creel, and the other dragons go on a quest to rescue their pregnant Queen before she or the hatchlings are harmed.

I really enjoy these little books, fun and easy to read. They have a strong adventure plot and charming characters that you really grow to love. It was fun to see how the dragons are doing in their new home, and also to see the culture of another set of dragons living across the ocean. The author spends a lot of time making each of the dragons colorful and unique characters, and so they are memorable to read about. The plot brings out more of the culture and history of the dragons, especially centered on how this rogue group of dragons came to steal Velkria for their queen. Creel’s family also appears in the book, crowding in on her turf. Creel’s aunt isn’t the easiest person to get along with, but Hegan goes off on the dragon adventure, and finds his own path to follow. Fun read for both boys and girls.

Jessica Day George's Website

Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith

Fly Girl by Sherry L. Smith

Ida B. Jones has loved to fly ever since her daddy taught her how on crop dusting runs. She dreams of getting her pilot license one day, but the fact that she is black and a woman makes it hard for her to achieve that dream. She tries to earn enough money to get to Chicago and attend a flight school for blacks, but the US enters the war when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor and another opportunity appears.

The army creates the WASP—Woman Airforce Service Pilots, and she wants to join. Her brother Thomas has already joined the army as a medic, and she wants to help him get home faster. She also itches to get back in the air. She doesn’t think that the army will accept a black woman in the program, but she has light enough skin like her daddy to pass as white. Ida must make the decision to deny her own family in order to reach for her dreams.

I really loved this book! It is a historical novel that really brings you into the time period and makes you feel like you are really there. The author portrays the Jim Crow south and prejudice against woman and places her main character right in the middle of an internal conflict. Her dream of flying is sometimes thwarted by her color and other times by her gender, and this book has you hoping for her success the entire way. I really loved how this book has so many details about WASP basic training and missions. It really opened a whole new area of World War II history that I knew very little about before. I could see how some people could get bogged down with the historical details about flight training, but I think the author keep the tension going, pitting her characters against nasty flight instructors, tricky navigation tests, solo flights, and the very real danger of flight test crashes. If you love WWII history, or are looking for a unique historical novel, this one is a must read!

Sherri L. Smith's Website

Glossamer by Lois Lowry

Gossamer by Lois Lowry

“Where do dreams come from? What stealthy nighttime messengers are the guardians of our most deeply hidden hopes and our half-forgotten fears? Drawing on her rich imagination, two-time Newbery winner Lois Lowry confronts these questions and explores the conflicts between the gentle bits and pieces of the past that come to life in dream, and the darker horrors that find their form in nightmare. In this haunting novel that tiptoes between reality and imagination, two people—a lonely, sensitive woman and a damaged, angry boy—face their own histories and discover what they can be to one another. Their strength comes from a tiny, caring creature they will never see.”
(summary from jacket flap)

At first I was put off by the simplicity of this book. I thought it was going to be about the adventures of an enthusiastic but pesky dream fairy, but the story took an unexpected twist. This dream Fairy is put in charge of guarding and giving dreams to an old woman, who takes a trouble boy into her home. This adds a whole new dimension to the book, and makes it a story about healing from the past, finding safe places, and creating a happy family. How could something that started out with a deceptive simplicity weave into something profound? As you read you begin to love the characters and cheer them on in their journey. It is rewarding to watch them change into stronger, though not perfect, people.

Lois Lowry's website

I am Apache by Tanya Landman

I am Apache by Tanya Landman

Siri is horrified when the Mexicans slaughter her little brother while the warriors of her Apache tribe are away. They were supposed to be trading with one another during a time of peace but the Mexicans attacked unexpectedly, and she swears to get her vengeance. Such an oath leads her on a different path than the other woman in the tribe for she has chosen to become a warrior.

Some of the men like Keste feel that she shouldn’t be a warrior, but most of them support her and help her train. As she grows in skill, Keste becomes jealous and starts to taunt her with the dishonorable past of her father. At first she thinks these are lies but she learns from the hints of other warriors that there is something hidden in her family’s past. Then she begins to get visions from her god Ussen. She must unravel the truth behind these rumors and visions to find peace, but the answers may bring more pain than peace.

I had mixed feelings on this book. I felt that some parts of it were really slow, and the ending was sad. I usually don’t hate sad endings, but I didn’t really enjoy the end of the book because it was depressing. Yet, I still enjoyed some parts of the story. I think the author does a really good job trying to portray the experiences and traditions that come along with being an apache warrior. Siri was a strong character, and I empathized with her as she tried to protect her tribe. The writing was very poetic, yet concise, and I loved that. So, I think the book is worth the read as long as you don’t expect a perfect and happy ending.

Tanya Landman's Website