The Exiled Queen

by Cinda Williamas Chima

At the end of The Demon King, Book One of the Seven Realms series, Han Alister has learned that he is a wizard whose powers have been suppressed by the silver cuffs he's always worn on his wrists.  The clan leaders take the cuffs off his wrists and promise him an education at the Wizard's school in Oden's Ford in exchange for his vow to help them fight their enemies when called upon.  His long-time clan friend, Dancer goes with him. 

Princess Raisa meanwhile, flees from a coerced marriage to Micah Bayer, son of the High Wizard.  Accompanied by her friend and guard Amon Byrne and his cadets, Raisa heads to Wein House, the military school in Oden's Ford, at the advice of Amon's father, to receive the military and political training she needs to effectively perform her duties as queen.

Both journeys are filled with dangers and discomforts, but Han and Raisa arrive safely in Oden's Ford to begin classes in their separate schools.  Though they have met in the past, neither knows the other is in Oden's Ford, and Han knows Raisa only as Rebecca Morley, a blueblood he met back in the Fells.

While at Mystwerk, Han must constantly watch his back, as Micah Bayer, Han's sworn enemy, repeatedly tries to kill him.  To protect himself, Han begins meeting with a powerful and mysterious wizard named Crow, to learn more advanced magic.  Raisa excels in her classwork and puts up with the confining rules Amon has placed on her for her own protection.  Their relationship becomes more complicated and tense as Raisa realizes that they can never marry.  Raisa constantly worries about her mother the queen and what is hppening back in her queendom.

Everything changes when Han and Raisa meet and Han convinces the princess he knows only as Rebecca Morley to tutor him in blueblood customs and history.  As Raisa teaches, Han takes on more polished speech and manners without losing his street smarts.  For her part, Raisa begins to fall in love with Han.

An abduction and impending forced marriage of Raisa by Micah Bayer, and a summons back to the clan camps of Han, delivered by Bird, sends both on separate and treacherous journeys back to their homeland.  Neither knows whether all they have learned in Oden's Ford is enough to ensure their safe arrival, or what they will find if they do manage to make it home.  Chima has given her readers a true cliff-hanger in this second installment of the Demon King series.  According to her website, we have to wait until September 2011 before The Gray Wolf Throne, the third in the Seven Realms series is published.  I love this series!  It's going to be a long year.       ~reviewed by Mrs. Sams

Mockingjay
by Suzanne Collins

In this final installment of the Hunger Games trilogy, Katniss Everdeen grudingly settles into life and training in the underground District 13 facility, accepting the role of the Mockingjay, symbol of the rebellion against the Capitol. Her agreement to be that symbol comes with a number of conditions, most of which irritate President Coin, District 13's leader. Kat's home District 12 has been destroyed by the Capitol, and she feels angry and used by leaders of the rebellion. Only two things keep her motivated--the possibility of saving Peeta who has been captured, and most of all, her intense hatred of President Snow, and her determination to kill him. Kat's life becomes even more confusing and heartbreaking when Peeta is rescued, but has been tortured and brainwashed into believing Katniss is his mortal enemy. At the same time, her relationship with Gale becomes more strained, by the day.

With political intrigue and emotional upheaval the background for this conclusion to the Hunger Games saga, Katniss and the rebel forces enter the Capitol in the dead of winter, fighting their way to the President's mansion in the city center, where finally, the carnage causes Katniss to rethink her mission and do the unthinkable. An amazing end to a an action-packed series.

Gregor the Overlander
by Suzanne Collins

Suzanne Collins has become quite famous recently for her Hunger Games trilogy, but before there were Katniss, Peeta, and Gale, there was Gregor the Overlander.  Gregor lives with his family in a New York City apartment.  Over two years ago, his smart and loving father disappeared--seemingly just fell off the face of the earth.  Since then, he and his sisters and their mother have just existed, trying to make do, and trying not to lose hope.  This summer, Gregor will not be able to attend the summer camp he attended last year.  His mother must work, and there's no one to stay with his 2 year-old sister, Boots, since his grandmother has become increasingly senile.  Gregor is sorely disappointed, but refuses to allow himself to feel anything too deeply.  He stays home, watches his sister, does the laundry, and waits. 

One day, while in the basement washing clothes, Boots falls through a grate in the basement wall.  There's nothing for Gregor to do but follow her in, falling and falling for miles, down to an underground world inhabited by humans, giant cockroaches called "crawlers", enormous and vicious rats, and a variety of other surprising creatures.  Gregor soon learns that his father is in this world being held prisoner by the rats, and he sets off on a quest with a number of companions, not only to find and rescue his father, but to fulfill an ancient prophecy. Those making the quest encounter one danger and adventure after another, battling the dark environment, evil creatures, and treachery within their own ranks.  In the Underland, Collins has created a rich and believable world, and in Gregor, a character full of courage and creative intelligence.  Though Gregor and the Underlanders face frightening and brutal realities, baby Boots provides the comic relief this story needs.  A great read for those who love alternate worlds.
                ~reviewed by Mrs. Sams

The Season

by Sarah MacLean

Seventeen-year-old Lady Alexandra Stafford is about to undergo her first "season" in London, along with her two best friends, Vivi and Ella.  Alex's mother insists that she be perfectly dressed and perfectly well-mannered at all times, especially while at the many balls and dinners she must attend in order to catch a rich and noble husband.  Marriage is something that Alex is not at all ready for, and proper behavior not her strong suit, but there is nothing to be done but to go along.  Fortunately, Alex and her friends can have occasional intellegent and witty conversations with her older brothers and their friend, Lord Blackmoor, whom Alex has known all her life.   And the season becmes positively enthralling when the girls become involved in solving the possible murder of Lord Blackmoor's father.  Add to that the intense and surprising attraction Alex feels for Lord Blackmoor, and the London season becomes unexpecatantly fascinating.  On this year's Texas Lone Star list, The Season is a fun Regency romance perfect for girls of all ages.

The

Hunger Games

by Suzanne Collins

It's Reaping Day again in Panem, and every person in each of the 12 districts is required by the government to dress in his or her best clothes and appear in the city square for the lottery. Two teenagers from each of the districts, one boy and one girl, will be chosen for the annual Hunger Games, a contest among the 24 teenagers from all the districts, televised across the country. The Hunger Games, is just one way that the Capitol wields its power over its citizens, for everyone is afraid their child, or their friend, will be chosen, and no one is powerful enough to resist. This year, 12--year-old Prim is chosen, but her older sister, Katniss immediately volunteers to take her place. Katniss and Peeta, the baker's son, leave that day for the Capitol, a place of unimaginable luxury, where they, along with the other contestants from the other districts are pampered and fed and coached for days before the games begin. But none of the riches they are given can really ease the terror of what they will encounter when the Hunger Games commence. For the Hunger Games is a challenge to the death, and only one teen can be the victor!

This dystopian novel is reminiscent of Shirley Jackson's story, The Lottery, with elements of Big Brother in Orwell's 1984. Panem is a frightening future North America, the land area vastly reduced because of global warming, flooding, natural disasters, and war. But the main characters are strong, appealing survivors, and the action runs the gamut from sweet and touching acts of selflessness to brutal savagery, with the government being the true bad guy. I loved this book! It has everything a good read should have, and the best thing of all is that the sequel , Catching Fire, is every bit as good as the first. The Hunger Games is on last year's American Library Association's Top Ten best books for young adults, and Mockingjay, the final installment of this trilogy, has just come out and will be available in the LVJH library. The Hunger Games trilogy is a must read! --reviewed by Dail Sams

Vampire Kisses
by Ellen Schreiber


Raven Madison is the strangest girl in town.  Goth girl and vampire obsessed, she is convinced that vampires are real and it's her highest dream to become one.  Needless to say, in a small conservative town, she doesn't have many friends.  Only painfully shy farm girl, Becky, will put up with her weird ways, and that is because Raven became her champion when the other kids tormented Becky in elementary school.   Life in "Dullsville"  is borderline unbearable for Raven until the new people move into the dilapidated mansion on the hill.  They are oviously rich because the parents are always flying off on trips, they have a butler who does all the shopping in town, and an expensive car sits in the driveway.  But to Raven, the most fascinating person in the family is the teenaged son who only comes out at night.  Devilishly handsome, Alexander Sterling has captured Raven's imagination, and she is convinced he is really a vampire.  She is determined to meet him and wants nothing more than to receive his "vampire's" kiss.  Raven gets her wish, but the result is not exactly what she expected!  Vampire Kisses is book one in a series by the same name. Read more for the further adventures of Raven and Alexander!
                   ~reviewed by Mrs Sams

Heroes Don't Run

by Harry Mazer

      Adam Pelko's father was killed at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked the Hawaian naval base in December of 1941.  He's been aching to join the marines ever since, so he can fight for his country and avenge his father's death.  In 1944, the summer before his senior year in high school, he talks his mother into letting him visit his grandfather who lives across country, because he knows his grandfather will allow him to enlist in the Marines even though he is still under age.  Adam has a pretty unrealistic view of what fighting in the war will be like, and can't even imagine not coming back.  During boot camp, he gets a small taste of army discipline, but it's not until he lands on Okinawa that he finally fully understands the terror and crushing heartbreak of war.  Heroes Don't Run is a realistic historical novel of the Pacific during World War II, and Adam Pelko is a character most teens can identify with.  Chosen by the Greater Waco Chamber for its One Book One Waco community read this fall, Heroes Don't Run is a timely and appealing story.   --reviewed by Mrs. Sams

POP

by Gordon Korman

     Sixteen year-old Marcus has moved cross country with his mother following his parents' divorce.  He wants nothing more than to make the varsity football team in the quarterback position at his new school.  The problem is that last year's team was undefeated and they lost only a few players to graduation. Everyone in town is counting on a second perfect season.  The team is set, and neither the coach nor the quarterback want to rock the boat by adding new players.  However, the coach is willing to give Marcus a shot, so he spends several hours everyday practicing his passing in a local park.  Early on, Charlie, a middle-aged local character, starts meeting Marcus at the park.  This guy obviously knows football, and teaches Marcus more about the game, especially how to tackle and be tackled, than he's ever learned before.  But Charlie is one strange guy and everyone in town just cheerfully puts up with his antics.  When Marcus finds out that Charlie is not only a retired NFL player, but also quarterback Travis Popovich's dad, he is more perplexed than ever.  Marcus makes the team, but has a running feud going with Travis, an extremely confusing relationship with the head cheerleader, and an even crazier relationship with Charlie Popovich.  Pop is a great sports read with much more than football going on.  Author Gordon Korman has written a winner with this Texas Lone Star title.    --reviewed by Mrs. Sams

The Case of the Gypsy Good-bye

by Nancy Springer

 In this sixth installment of the Enola Holmes mystery series, Springer has her teen sleuth investigating the disappearance of Lady Blanchefleur del Campo, a beautiful and wealthy lady who was spirited away by a begging old lady down the city subway.  In addition, Enola receives a mysterious package covered with gypsy drawings, delivered to her by her famous brother, Sherlock Holmes, with whom she has developed a fragile relationship.  The package is obviously from her mother who disappeared a year earlier, leaving 14 year-old Enola to her own devices.  The package contains ribbons of paper with writing upon them, which must be deciphered before the message can be read.   With some misgiving, Enola teams up with her two brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft, to solve the mystery of Lady Blanchefleur, which involves slogging through the filthy underground tunnels of the London subway system. She also recognizes how to read her mother's letter which contains a startling message.  Enola shows her usual ingenuity in solving the crime, and the  reconciliation with her two brothers adds an interesting subplot to an already appealing series.  This novel stands alone, but would be better if the reader is familiar  with the other titles in the series.  --reviewed by Mrs. Sams                                                                          

THE MAZE RUNNER
By James Dashner

When Thomas wakes up in the dark lift, he remembers nothing about himself except his first name.  When the lift doors open, he is encircled by the faces of boys, maybe 50 or 60 boys, standing in an open glade.  Thomas has a million questions, but the leaders don't seem to be too patient.  However, over the course of several days, he discovers that he has been sent to a place which is enclosed by enormous stone walls.  Every morning, huge doors in the walls open on all four sides of the enclosure, and every evening the doors close.  The boys tell him the walls are for their protection because outside the walls in the maze that surrounds the compound, roam huge terrible bio-mechanical monsters call Grievers.
        Life inside the walls is highly organized with everyone having a specific job.  Supplies come up the lift on a regular basis, and once a month, a new boy arrives.   None of the boys know why they are there, but they believe they are there to figure out how to escape from the maze.  It's all a huge test; everything rests on the ability of the maze runners to figure out where the escape route is.  When there's a new arrival to the glade just one day after Thomas arrives, the first girl ever, the Gladers realize that everything is about to change and that the stakes are higher than ever.  A science fiction novel filled with tense action and terrifying mystery, The Maze Runner is book one of a series, and the reader is left guessing what else can possibly go wrong with the Gladers.  On this year's Texas Lone Star list.  
       --reviewed by Mrs. Sams

girlfriend material
by Melissa Kantor

Kate's mom has dragged her off to Cape Cod for the summer even though Kate was convinced this would be the best summer of her life at home in Salt Lake City practicing tennis and taking a writing class.  The one positive of this trip is that she would get to see Sarah, daughter of her mother's best friends, a girl she had a great time knowing several years ago.  Unfortunately,  Sarah let Kate know within one minute of seeing her that she really wasn't interested in being friends. 
            Kate has never had a boyfriend before and really doesn't consider herself "girlfriend material."  When she meets Adam at the club, she begins to have a different opinion of herself, and summer at Cape Cod suddenly seems like a good idea.  Told in Kate's entertaining voice, Girlfriend Material is typical chick lit which would border on silly if it weren't for the serious background story of Kate's parents' possible divorce and the struggles of a first love.  This is a quick fun read which most girls will enjoy.  On this year's Texas Lone Star list.    --reviewed by Mrs. Sams

THE DEMON KING

By Cinda Williams Chima

        A fast-paced fantasy inhabited by a strong-willed princess and an impoverished street rat constantly running from one danger to the next, The Demon King is Book One of a series which promises to be filled with evil wizards, warring clans, secret amulets, unrequited love, and powerful magic--everything I love best in a good story.  Princess Raisa has spent the last few months preparing for her naming celebration, the day she turns 16 and becomes eligible for marriage.  Suitors from all over the kingdom have arrived and sent gifts in hopes of winning Raisa's favor. Her queen mother seems to be under the influence of Gavan Bayar, the High Wizard, a man Raisa does not trust.  Meanwhile, Han Alister has had a run-in with Micah Bayer, the son of the high wizard, and takes Micah's ancient and powerful amulet.  Once he has this magical charm, trouble seems to follow Han everywhere. 

       The night of Raisa's party, after most of the guests have left, her mother sends for her and she realizes that her instincts about the High Wizard were true.  Her mother and Gavan Bayer intend to force Raisa into a secret marriage with Micah Bayer.  With trickery and a little luck, Raisa escapes the castle with Amon, her childhood friend and guard, going into exile to escape the unwanted marriage and the influence of the High Wizard.  When Han is told that silver cuffs which have been around his wrists his entire life were placed there to control his magical powers, he agrees to have them removed and to go to Oden's Ford for wizard's training.  The story ends with Raisa and Han heading toward a common destination with dangers both behind and ahead of them both.  Good news!  The sequel, The Exiled Queen is coming out in September.  The Demon King is on this year's Lone Star list.  Highly recommended.    --reviewed by Mrs. Sams

INCARCERON

by Catherine Fisher

     Here is a darkly fascinating tale about Finn, a young man who lives in a vast, metallic prison world of hunger, sickness, and teachery called Incarceron. Finn has no memories earlier than three years before, when Gildas, the local wise man, finds him, but Finn is convinced he's from Outside, though the prison has been sealed for centuries. When the Comitatus, Finn's ragtag gang and family, raid another group, Finn captures a woman who has seen the tattoo on his wrist, and knows of the crystal key which also has the same eagle image. Gildas believes the key will unlock the way out of the prison. He, Finn, Finn's oathbrother, Keiro, and Attia, an abused girl, begin on the the journey out of Incarceron, discovering multiple powers of the crystal key as they go. For one thing, the key is a communication device to Claudia, the privileged girl on the Outside who holds the matching key, and is the daughter of the feared Warden of Incarceron.
     While Finn and his companions make their perilous journey through the prison, Claudia is involved in an intrigue of her own, as she seeks to find a way into the prison to save Finn, and to avoid marriage to the weak heir to the throne. This story is filled with twists and unexpected turns until finally the reader is left dangling with multiple unresolved plotlines. This is a story begging for a sequel. The London Times calls Incarceron one of the best fantasy novels written for a long time. It certainly is one of the most imaginative and unusual.
                  ~reviewed by Mrs. Sams

The Case of the

Bizarre Bouquets

by Nancy Springer

In this third installment of the Enola Holmes mystery series, the famous Dr. Watson goes missing from the London streets, and 14-year-old Enola Holmes, Sherlock's precocious younger sister, investigates his disappearance.  To aid in her search, and to stay hidden from her brothers, Enola must reinvent herself into a beautiful, stylish lady.  Her disguise is perfect.  Enola passes herself off as a former patient of Dr. Watson, and visits his wife in an effort to get the information she needs to find the good doctor.  While in Watson's home, she notices a bizarre bouquet of flowers and plants which provides the clues she needs to begin her investigation.  Enola's knowledge of herbology, her street smarts, and her ability to decode ciphered messages, saves the day as she encounters a crazy woman who has no nose and travels around the city incognito.  Springer has created an appealing character in Enola Holmes and a surprisingly intricate mystery for so short a book.  It woulde have helped somewhat to have read the first two books in this series.  Questions like "why is Enola hiding from her family?" and "where does she get her money to live?" were probably answered in those first installments.  However, The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets is a fun read even without those answers. A title on this year's Texas Lone Star List.                         --reviewed by Mrs. Sams The Case of theBouquets