Morganville Vampires: Glass Houses

Initial reactions:

"Wow that was fun!" It was very refreshing to read a teen vampire book where the vampires aren't all good guys, and the heroine doesn't fall in love with a vampire. I can't wait to read the next one.

Summary:

Claire is a child prodigy who enters college at the age of sixteen. Due to her age her parents won't allow her to go across the country to one of her first choices: MIT, Yale, and other great schools. Instead they send her to what sounds like a glorified community college in Morganville. Claire finds herself being favorite victim of some mean girls on crack, and it becomes painfully clear that she can't hold onto her life and live at the dorm. She searches for some cheap off campus living, and meets a strange goth girl named Eve who happens to live in a house that is in need of another occupant. But this isn't a normal house, and its occupants are far from normal themselves. Shane is a brooding gamer who is mourning the loss of his sister, and Michael is a nocturnal hottie that is shrouded in mystery. Claire seems caught in the middle of an ancient vampire battle for power, but she isn't even sure what their fighting over. Luckily she has her new roommates to help her fight for her life.

Thoughts:

Okay I know it sounds super cheesy, and it kind of is (we are in teen lit people), but Rachel Caine does an amazing job of keeping you on the edge of your seat through this entire adventure. Most of the characters are very well developed, and the writing is pretty good. This was all around a very fun read. There were some immensely interesting things in this book if you are a lover of the supernatural. If you are a fan of vampires, but are sick of the Twlight lovey dovey vomit party I suggest you read this book.

The negatives I had were few. The instant and overwhelming need the secondary characters to protect Claire got a little annoying, and her outright refusal to listen was even more obnoxious, but I guess we wouldn't have much of a story if she stayed locked up in the house. I wanted more vampire lore.

Parents/Teachers:

All around this a very safe book. The main character is living in a house with two boys that are two years older than her, but they are extremely respectful of her, and they respect the fact that she is a minor. It does have a few bad words in it, but nothing awful. There is violence in this book. Claire gets thrown down some stairs, she gets acid poured on her back, and there are vampires trying to kill them; but for the most part the violence is mild and done tastefully. I wouldn't really say that this book addresses many life lessons. Claire is extremely independent and mature for her age. Like most teenagers she despises the thought of being treated like a child, even if people are just trying to protect her. I liked the way this book dealt with sub-culture stereotypes. Eve dresses goth and looks pretty scary, but she is one of the sweetest genuine people in the book. The character realizes that outward appearance isn't always telling of what a person is really like. I appreciate the lack of "fated love" which seems to be in most teen books I read these days. THANK GOD this book didn't have it. Claire does get a crush, but it has a very natural progression and it is not the main part of the story. I'd say this book is appropriate for teens 13+.

Rating:

3.5/5

While I had fun reading this book I know that it is not for everyone. I suggest it to fans of The Vampire Diaries, Richie Tankersley Cusick, and Ellen Schreiber (this book is what her books want to be).

If you are a Twlight fan that can read a book without all of the swooning love then I recommend this book for you. Otherwise, I would stay away, this book might be too scary for you.

The Book Theif

I know this book has been out for quite some time, but I wanted to review it because I think this is an important and great book for people of all ages to read.

Summary: It is 1939 in Munich, the Nazi Party has the people living in fear. This is not a kind or easy world for a child to grow up in, but Liesel Meminger she has never known any other way. At her brother's grave site she finds The Grave Digger's Handbook. Books become an obsession of Liesel and she bonds with her cooky foster father while he teacher her to read. She begins stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, and wherever she can find them.

In this time of hate, poverty, and fear Liesel tries her best to have a normal childhood with the help of her best-friend Rudy Steiner. Rudy is different from most Germany children. He hates going to the Hitler Youth, he doesn't support rations, and his idol is Jesse Owens. Liesel and Rudy bond over stolen fruit and football games.

Max Vandenburg is a Jewish boxer, struggling to survive in an anti-Semitic society. He finds shelter with the Hubermann's, and befriends a German girl named Liesel. Liesel doesn't comprehend why Max is hiding in their small, cold basement, until Jews begin marching through the heart of Munich to Dachau. Liesel doesn't grasp the full risk the Hubermann's have taken in hiding Max, but she know it must be kept a secret.

Thoughts: I don't think there is any way I could possibly do this book justice in a summary or any other fashion. I read this book around Christmas and it is hands down the best book I've read in several years. Most of my friends got this book as a Christmas gift because I think The Book Thief is a book everyone should read. The narrator, death, is witty but doesn't try to make light of the situation. He is overworked and tired, especially now in a time of war and genocide. Zusak's writing is amazing, his characters have so much soul and are so well developed you feel like they are your family. I've never had so much anxiety while reading a book as I did in The Book Thief. As I said the book opens in 1939, so throughout the entire book I'm counting down the days until the war is over in 1945. A lot of bad things can happen in 6 years, and they do.

Zusak for the most part is very straight forward with the reader that not everyone is going to make it out of this tale alive. But as Death says "I'm nothing if not fair," everyone dies eventually and that is a prominent lesson in this book. I think The Book Thief is one of the best WWII books on the market. It tells a different perspective; that of the German people. Since The Book Thief is based off of true stories I think it is important for teenagers to understand that the German people were prisoners of a different form, and that not all of them followed Hitler blindly. This book would be an excellent companion piece in a history class while studying WWII Germany. It would also be an amazing follow-up story to Night.

For Parents/Teachers: Knowing your child's maturity level is key to determining age appropriate books for them to read. This is especially true with this book. I would say that this book is safe for all teens starting at fifteen, but a large group of them may be ready to read this book before then. If a child at the age of 12 or 13 is interested in reading this book I wouldn't stop them, instead I would read it with them and answer any questions they may have. The themes is this book are extremely heavy, but I think that is normal for all WWII books. I'm not going to list of all the issues that this book tackles because it should be almost self-explanatory. I look forward to the day that this book becomes required reading in school, I know that some of my soon-to-be teacher friends plan on incorporating this book into their curriculum because this is the most important book written in the YA genre for easily ten years.

Rating: 5/5

The Iron King

Summary: Meghan Chase is not your average teenager. She is a loner who lives in the country. She dreams of being popular, dating the football captain, and owning better technology. She doesn't fit in with anyone, or anywhere. The only two people that accept her are her four-year-old little brother and her best friend Robbie. Her world is turned upside down when her little brother is kidnapped by fey. She must venture to the faery world to save him, with few allies, only to discover that she is the daughter of the faery king and his enemies want to use her as a pawn. In a world full of endless choices and paths Meghan must choose carefully if she is to save her brother and restore balance to the faery world.

Thoughts: I've read a fair amount of faery books, and this competing to be my favorite. It is the first book of the Iron Fae series, and waiting for the next book will surely be torture. If you're a fan of fantasy, adventure, or romance this is the book for you. Kagawa's writing pulls you into the world that she has created. Her descriptions give your mind vivid detail without being too long, which is perfect for teen readers. Her characters are also well developed and thoughtful. It is a fast read, (I read it in a day)because you don't want to put it down.

For Parents/Teachers: I'd recommend this book to anyone from middle-school up. There is a little violence, but nothing graphic. There are few swears, I recall dammit being used. Other than that it is fully age appropriate for pre-teens and teenagers. The heroine has a strong mind and she is independent. She isn't afraid to make her own decisions but she respects authority. The Iron King deals with a variety of issues: step-parents, much younger siblings, teasing/bullies, deceased parent, somewhat absent parents, need for independence, and crushes/young love. There is teen angst but it it not overwhelming, nor is it the focal point of the story. It really is more of a coming-of-age tale than anything else.

Rating: 4.5/5

For fans of: Lament, Ballad, The Last Unicorn, and general fantasy.