Hunted

by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

"What if the hottest guy in the world was hiding a nameless evil, and all he wanted was you?

At the start of this heart-pounding new installment of the bestselling House of Night series, Zoey’s friends have her back again and Stevie Rae and the red fledglings aren’t Neferet’s secrets any longer. But an unexpected danger has emerged. Neferet guards her powerful new consort, Kalona, and no one at the House of Night seems to understand the threat he poses. Kalona looks gorgeous, and he has the House of Night under his spell. A past life holds the key to breaking his rapidly spreading influence, but what if this past life shows Zoey secrets she doesn’t want to hear and truths she can’t face?

On the run and holed up in Tulsa’s Prohibition-era tunnels, Zoey and her gang must discover a way to deal with something that might bring them all down. Meanwhile, Zoey has a few other little problems. The red fledglings have cleaned up well – they’ve even managed to make the dark, creepy tunnels feel more like home – but are they really as friendly as they seem? On the boyfriend front, Zoey has a chance to make things right with super-hot ex-, Erik, but she can’t stop thinking about Stark, the archer who died in her arms after one unforgettable night, and she is driven to try to save him from Neferet’s sinister influence at all costs. Will anyone believe the power evil has to hide among us? "

I have to say that this was probably my favorite book so far for the series. I didn't really like Chosen or Untamed because of the whole Loren/Erik/Heath thing and the Erik/Stark/Kalona thing. I felt like there was a lot of focus on how Zoey was juggling three guys at once, or there was another new love interest and it just didn't do it for me. And that is probably why I liked this volume because there was only a little bit of attention on Erik & Zoey's relationship, Heath came into the picture for a brief moment, and Stark was considered a bad guy. The book was mostly about Zoey and her friends trying to stop Kalona and Zoey trying to save Stark from becoming a red vampyre monster. This book, like all the others was fast-paced and entertaining. I was sucked into it from beginning to end- I don't even think I watched any TV that night (the snow might have helped that decision a bit, though)! I am on a rather long waiting list for the 6th book, but I am eagerly awaiting it. I want to see if Zoey can defeat Kalona, but more importantly, defeat Neferet in the next book.

P.S. I was a little sad that Grandma Redbird didn't play a large role in this novel, but I did like the addition of a new Poet Laureate. I liked how the red vampyres all got personalities too in this book.

Into the Wild Nerd Yonder

by Julie Halpern

"When high school sophomore Jessie's long-term best friend transforms herself into a punk and goes after Jessie's would-be boyfriend, Jessie decides to visit "the wild nerd yonder" and seek true friends among classmates who play Dungeons and Dragons." (from the publisher)

I read this book last night and it is so cute! I absolutely adored it. Jessie is just starting her sophomore year, and while the first day of school used to excite her, now it's kinda got her worried. Next year, her brother will be at college, and she is acutely aware of how much she is going to miss him. And if that is not enough, her best friends since the third grade have been acting weird all summer, more interested in the boys from Jessie's brother's band and the punk scene. Which is so not Jessie's scene. She is more interested in making funky skirts and listening to her audiobooks.

Sure enough, on the first day of school, while Jessie is wearing her pencil and ruler skirt, her two BFF's have gone punk. Char has died her blonde hair to black and red stripes, and Bizza has competely shaved off her hair! Now Jessie is worried about who she is going to hang out with- and she is extremely hung up on not being labeled a nerd. (Even though she is in all AP classes and loves math!) So, she starts sitting with the band kids at lunch and talking to another girl in her study hall (who happens to be into D&D). But she really doesn't know if she wants to start hanging out with the band kids or Dottie after school, she still doesn't know want to do about Bizza and Char, she's upset that Bizza seems to be going after her longtime crush, and she's worried about her brother leaving for college. But when Jessie decides to take the plunge and goes to a D&D meeting with Dottie, she remembers what it is like to just have fun again and not worry about everything else that is going on. And surprisingly, Jessie's D&D character gives her the courage and strength to stand up for herself and finally speak her piece.

I really, really liked this book! Jessie's character was very relatable, her concerns were real and honest, and I loved the fact that she was a mathlete. I enjoyed the close sibling-relationship between Jessie and her brother, and how Jessie was really cool and happy for her brother when he made some changes in his life too. I also liked how "big brother" he got when he thought something had happened to Jessie! The scene towards the end of the book between Jessie and her brother when he asked her to proof his college admission's essay was one of my favorites.

All in all, I would recommend this book to any high schoolers. The are some mature things mentioned in the book (i.e. sex, STD's), so I would only recommend it to older teens. But the geekiness of the book is what makes it shine, and what made me like it so much. (Since I too, am a nerd!) If you like this book, I would also recommend Gamer Girl by Mari Mancusi.

The Mortal Instruments series

by Cassandra Clare

I really enjoyed “The Mortal Instruments” series. Reading the first book took a little longer to get into then the 2nd and 3rd, but that is because I was trying to grasp the world Clary lived in at first and then the world she came to be in through Jace. So much changed for Clary in the first book, that the reader struggled along with Clary to understand what was going on- what was real and what had all been an illusion. But I really liked Clary as the narrator- she was a strong female character who was trying to find and rescue her mother, understand the truth about her past and her mother’s past, figure out the whole Shadowhunter business, and juggle two boys.

There were times that I thought the author could have made things a little less confusing, but the storyline kept me engaged and I was constantly pulling for Clary and Jace to defeat their ‘father’ Valentine and save the day. I can honestly say that I was happy when the truth about Jace and Clary relationship came out in the 3rd book because I was a little icked out before that. (That whole scenario read a little too much like a V.C. Andrews book for me!) I loved the character of Simon- Clary’s best friend/(ex-)boyfriend/newby vampire/Daywalker- and I was happy that he played a role in all 3 books. I also liked the subplot of Alec and the warlock Magnus Bane and the subplot of Lucian and Clary’s mother, Jocelyn.

All in all, I was highly entertained throughout the series, and was constantly trying to find time to read and finish the books. It was a very entertaining fantasy series that at times were dark, humorous, or touching -everything a book should be!

Hunger Games 3!!!!

I just got an email newsletter that says Hunger Games 3 will be released August 24th, 2010. I for one cannot wait for this book to come out!