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Ghost stories are an unusual taste for a six year old, but by this age Joan Aiken was relishing them: I had already read Ghost Stories of an Antiquary by M.R. James, and nearly died of delicious terror at “Oh Whistle and I’ll Come to You”. Searching for more fodder of a similar kind – […]

Two best friends choose to leave their suffocating lives in rural America and head to the Big Apple to seek their fortunes and happiness. Faced with their first crisis, the two friends part, one to an amazing dream, the other to the streets. Their parallel lives intersect and drift apart once again. Can 1929 New York bring them the happiness both want, or does the cruelty, violence and despair rule everything?

Anna Godbersen just finished the draft of the 2nd book in the series.

ENDERS' Rating: *****

Here is the final installment of the urban fantasy full of SCARY FAIRIES! War, with her wings dripping with blood, is on her vendetta to destroy balance between the fey worlds. A new frightening character is walking the streets offering eternal rest to those who approach death. Two angels lords yearn to be with the queens they love, but have forced alliance to the opposite fairy queens. Every fey kingdom is preparing for war that seems inevitable. But can conflict be removed just by following one's fairy heart? Is death a comfort? Or are the entanglements of the fey world that mortals cannot see going to implode?

ENDERS' Rating: ****

Melissa Marr's Website

The saga continues, and concludes, the love story of Lucas and Bianca that began in Evernight. The story begins in the bloody aftermath of the vampire attack in which Balthazar’s evil sister turns Lucas into a vampire. Lucas is crazed with his ingrained hate of vampires and the loss of Bianca and his blood lust. Balthazar and Bianca convince Lucas that the only place he will be safe during his volatile stage is Evernight Academy. Unfortunately, it is also the most dangerous location for Bianca. If you like a story with layered conflicts, this is the one for you. In fact, a spreadsheet of the conflicts may be useful. Just kidding. And what is going on with Mrs. Bethany, the spooky head mistress? Why is she befriending Lucas who she barely tolerated before? And Bianca’s parents, who hate wraiths, how will they respond to their daughter now? Fans will not be disappointed.

ENDERS' Rating: ****

Claudia's Website

Annah survives alone against the Dark City that is lawless and becoming overrun with the Unconsecrated that are returning in swarms. She has been waiting for Elias to return from his two-year stint with the Recruiters. She is finally going to strike out on her own, a dangerous decision. Elias does come back but with a surprise for Annah, her beautiful twin sister that she and Elias deserted in the Forest of Hands and Teeth when she, Abigail, refused to go any further. Catcher, a new person who can walk among the Unconsecrated, enters their lives, and everything changes. Will they survive the onslaught of the hoards? Will they survive the ruthless Recruiters? I felt the stress of their situation and the ever-present daily horror and drudge of doing away with the Mulos. I loved this third “Forest of Hands and Teeth” novel with its different voice. It already has a waiting list at my school.

ENDERS' Rating: *****

Carrie's Website

Haven Moore has always lived in Snopes City, Tennessee, the granddaughter to a controlling matriarch who sees Haven’s dead father and Haven as “of Satan.” Despite the counseling of the esteemed pastor of the local church, Haven continues to have graphic, sensuous dreams involving Ethan and Constance who lived and loved during the 1920s. Haven knows minute details about New York City though she has never traveled there. Haven is Constance, reincarnated. When the gossip fallout from her latest vision makes life unbearable for Haven and when a bland, mysterious man torches the family mansion, Haven escapes to NYC with the help of her dress design partner, Beau (who is my absolutely favorite character). She is drawn to a secret society that harbors people with useful talents to exploit and is drawn to a society playboy who is the reincarnation of Ethan. Cat and mouse chases, trips to Rome, the freaky gray men and even the devil himself create a tense reading experience. I was eager for the climatic conclusion and was not disappointed. Keep reading to the last page. Teen gothic romance readers will love the story. Yep, a sequel: All You Desire is due August 2011

ENDERS' Rating: ****

Q&A with Kirsten

Blog and Website

High schooler, techno-head Marcus and his band of ARG friends ditch school to follow clues in their new Harajuku Fun Madness game, when the San Francisco ground rocks as the Bay Bridge is bombed by terrorists. In trying to escape the now dangerous subway system, friend Daryl is stabbed. As Marcus, Julu and Van try to hail official looking vehicles to help they are arrested for their suspicious behavior. After a humiliating interrogation that lasts days, Marcus is released. His experience with Homeland Security's "Severe Haircut Woman" Marcus faces fighting the injustice without friends who are too frightened, and with fractured support from his parents. With clever technical skills, a new posse and a new girl friend he spares with the HS giant for human rights in the military occupied San Francisco.

This techno-suspense is a 2011 Evergreen Award nominee

ENDERS' Rating: *****

Cory's Website (He has more sites, linked from this one)

Fever Crumb, an orphan in futuristic England is raised by an engineer in a think tank called, appropriately, the Order of Engineers, tisking emotions. But her adoptive father loans her out to assist an archaeologist, Kit Solent on a top-secret mission. Fever is well suited to assist, as she has memories that she cannot explain about hidden vaults of the city. Well, a new face with one blue and one brown eye sets off hysteria in London that Fever is a dreaded Scriven, probably a front runner to an invasion. In their mob mind set, they successful destroy the home base of the Order of Engineers, kill Solent leaving his children orphans, and torch London.

Unknown to the Londoners Fever’s mysterious Scriven mother has joined forces with the Movement and is their head technomancer, assisting their leader Quercus. The Movement uses the first power-hungry moving city, one thousand years before the Mortal Quartet novels, to intimidate and overtake London. In a horrific “modification” Solent is constructed into a stalker, a bionic fighting machine based on the remains of his body. The most touching scene of the entire book centers around this stalker. Reeve has created another dystopia that has a riveting storyline. More is promised about Fever in at least one sequel.

Say "steampuck" three times!

ENDERS' Rating: *****

Philip's Blog (An explanation of the photo is in his biography. He is the one on the right).

Alright! Another author making the world dangerous for young people. Wait! Our world is dangerous for young people, but not in this way....

In this page-turning suspense/science fiction/action novel Thomas wakes up to find himself in a lift, aka, elevator. He can remember...his first name. He is welcomed by a group of boys who have developed their own society of lost boys with amnesia. A newbie arrives monthly. Food and supplies appear every two weeks. They are surrounded on every side by a gigantic maze with gigantic doors that shut every night against the horrors in the darkness of the maze. Their main objective: to find a way OUT! Thomas feels like he knows this strange place. Stranger things happen. The lift delivers a shocking surprise and everything changes.

A sequel is due in October, The Scorch Trials. I would tell you to read slowly, but you won't.


ENDERS' Rating: *****

James Dashner's Website

Think warped and disturbing twist on the movie Ground Hog's Day, and you have a clue about before i fall. Samantha Kingston seems to have it all. She and her group of friends flaunt it to all, and give grief to a few. Yep, these are mean girls of privilege, looks, guys, and fashion. Sam is just a little nervous about her first time with her crush-worthy boyfriend that night, after the party at Kent's house. (Of course, sans parents). Her BFFs Lindsay, Elody and Ally come to the party with their own booze, and leave pretty well sloshed. Suddenly there is a flash of white, Lindsay veers the monster SUV into a tree, Sam dies.

Then, Sam awakes to relive the last day of her life. Seven chances. Seven days. What will she do with them?


ENDERS' Rating: Like Jay Asher says, a page turner!

Lauren Oliver's Blog

Grace is mesmerized by the wolves living behind her home that she shares with her juvenile parents. Her friend Olivia has photographed all of them with their unique eyes, and Grace is drawn to the one with golden eyes who appears to be watching over her.
Bella and Edward has better watch their backs with this love story, with two promised sequels, Linger and Forever. There is plenty of romance, plenty of danger and plenty of intrigue. Shiver stands the chance of having a larger young men readership.

ENDERS' Rating: Ran home each day to finish it.

Maggie Stiefvater's Website and...
The Book Trailer

Harry Potter and Ranger’s Apprentice fans: get into the Triskellion series, with the third being issued in 2010. The action, despair, alternate history, authentic facts, heroes, definite and quasi-villains will hold you in your seats until the book is devoured. Twins Rachel and Adam’s horrendous experience in the village of Triskellion seems to be over as they and their mother are escorted away by archeologists to Project Hope. Instead they find themselves in duplicates of their bedrooms inside a huge complex where they are studied. In a rogue action, Rachel discovers a cadaver lab and plans an immediate escape with the strange boy Michael. Will they ever outrun the project’s scientists and managers? What other evils lurk? Who IS Michael? What is with all the bees? The resolution of the story is neither tidy, hopeful, or comfortable. Congratulations to Billingham and Cocks (aka Will Peterson) for sticking to an uncomfortable story about humanity’s fright, prejudice and destruction of whatever it does not understand.

ENDERS' Rating: WOW! Rush T3!

Triskellion Website

Holy Halloween Cupcakes!

Talk about throwing away your prejudices about cheerleaders being all fluff and no brains. Tessa , a junior who is the Smitten Kittens squad leader, is also the leader of SOS, the clandestine "Kitty Bond" agents who search for evidences of straying boyfriends and deliver their findings to suspicious girlfriend clients.

I loved the SOS communications to clients and contributors, only a page each, interspersed throughout the novel. Tessa's laugh-out-loud "Rocky the Squirrel" expletives are G-rated. SOS has served cheated girlfriends for two years and Tessa is worried about the amazing amount of boyfriends that cheat. Is her wonderful Aiden the only faithful one left? Holy sizzling frying pan! A new, hunky guy is paying too much attention to her! What will our perky heroine do?

If you want a fun, inventive read revealing the masterminds in cheerleading squads, this is your book. My major concern about the novel is the not so much the lurid details (there are none), but the casual acceptance of teenage sex, which will cause some high school librarians will pass. Teenage girls will adore it! The Naughty List is available in February 2010.

ENDERS Rating: A fun read!

Suzanne Young's Blog