Aut
hor: Clare B. Dunkle
Publication Date: September 14, 2010
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy/Horror
Copy provided by: Blue Slip Media
Summary (via Goodreads):
Young Tabby Aykroyd has been brought to the dusty mansion of Seldom House to be nursemaid to a foundling boy. He is a savage little creature, but the Yorkshire moors harbor far worse, as Tabby soon discovers. Why do scores of dead maids and masters haunt Seldom House with a jealous devotion that extends beyond the grave?
As Tabby struggles to escape the evil forces rising out of the land, she watches her young charge choose a different path. Long before he reaches the old farmhouse of Wuthering Heights, the boy who will become Heathcliff has doomed himself and any who try to befriend him.
Why I read this: If you look at that cover, you may get seriously spooked out. I haven't read a spooky book in so long and couldn't resist another novel by the lovely Clare B. Dunkle.
Plot: Wow. Let's just say that this book will definitely keep you up at night and I highly suggest to read it in daylight. Dunkle mixes a meld of classic writing with such horror and suspense, that you will jump if anyone interrupts you while reading (I certainly did). I actually have not read Wuthering Heights (bad me) but I'm definitely intrigued to learn just what the little boy in the book becomes as the character Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights. I think the author did a fantastic job of staying true to the classic voice in the novel while still chilling you to your bones. Definitely a novel to pick up when you need a good, intriguing scare.
Characters: Tabby is a god-stricken young girl who tries her best to make the most of her situation. She cares for her young charge even if he sometimes is rather impossible and terribly cruel for a child his age. She is more clever than some of the characters I have been reading lately and it was quite a nice break to see someone so in depth and so classically written.
Relatability: I think those in love with classic novels or spooky stories will really enjoy this novel. Also, those who have read Wuthering Heights will definitely be making connections I couldn't and I really do want to find a copy of that book now.. pronto. :)
Cover Commentary: Gives me goosebumps and I really can't look at it for too long or I get a wee bit freaked out.
Rating: 5/5 Roses 
Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jackie" Faber, Ship's Boy
Summary (via Goodreads):Meghan Chase has never fit in at her small-town high school, and now, on the eve of her 16th birthday, she discovers why. When her half brother is kidnapped, Meghan is drawn into a fantastical world she never imagined--the world of Faery, where anything you see may try to eat you, and Meghan is the daughter of the summer faery king. Now she will journey into the depths of Faery to face an unknown enemy . . . and beg the help of a winter prince who might as soon kill her as let her touch his icy heart. The Iron King is the first book in the Iron Fey series.
Read my review here.
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publication Date: August 31, 2010
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy/Steampunk
Copy provided by: Myself (bought at Andersons for book signing)
Summary (via Goodreads):Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.
When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.
Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: Jem, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa.
As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.
Why I read this: How could I not? I really enjoyed Cassie's first trilogy and needed to read this one. And she was coming to town - so no excuse to set it aside for months.
Plot: I have to say that this book was so much more awesome than her Mortal Instruments series - to me. And I love that series... so it is really really good. I love the setting of the novel first of - I've always been a huge fan of historical fantasy. The story moved, it had action and danger and some seriously intriguing background that was revealed. I feel that a good story always leaves you with questions and a want for more and that is exactly what this book did for me. It was a fantastic introduction to the world, character, and a plot that you can't wait to see move further on.
Characters: I really liked Tessa right off. She's quite strong for being someone who hasn't been in trouble like she was. She's definitely not kicking any butts but you just sense that she's not the type of girl to break down and weep whenever in a terrible situation. I can't wait to see how Tessa deals with her ability in the later books and how her relationship with Will develops.
Will is definitely the darker of the two love choices (the other being Jem, although personally I didn't feel he really had a chance in this book). There is something he is hiding and I cannot wait to figure out what it is! He's one of those guys that acts like a horrible person and then secretly does good deeds. I really hope he turns into what Tessa needs or she may give up on him completely.
Relatability: Anyone who loves the genre will probably really dig this book. It definitely has a similar feel to her Mortal Instruments series, but I think this one is far better.
Cover Commentary: Love it. So pretty. :)
Rating: 5/5 Roses
Author: Bill Willingham
Publication Date: October 2009
Genre: YA Fantasy/Fairy Tale Retelling
Copy provided by: Xmas Gift (thanks Uncle John!)
Summary (via Goodreads):A new stand-alone FABLES NOVEL from award-winning and wildly acclaimed author, Bill Willingham.
This story stars Peter Piper and his incorrigible brother Max in a tale about jealousy, betrayal and revenge. Set in two distinct time periods, prepare to travel back to medieval times and learn the tragic back-story of the Piper family, a medieval-era family of traveling minstrels. Then, jump into the present to follow a tale of espionage as Peter Piper slowly hunts down his evil brother for a heinous crime, pitting Peter's talents as a master thief against Max's dark magical powers.
Based on the long-running and award-winning comic book series FABLES, PETER AND MAX is its own tale. Readers don't have to be familiar with the comics to fully enjoy and understand this book.
Why I read this: The real question is why in heck did it take me so long to get around to reading this one??? My uncle bought it for me for Christmas last year and I have no idea why I didn't read it the next day. I absolutely love the Fables graphic novel series and was excited that there was an actual YA novel set in the same universe. I also love fairy tale retellings. :)
Plot: Amazing. Mind-blowing. Heart-stopping. Let's just say that this book certainly takes you for a ride. It's definitely upper YA. There's some serious gore and evilness in this book that I wouldn't recommend to middle school-ers. I loved it all the same. It basically follows the Piper brothers. Peter is the one who is good and he has a magical flute his father handed down to him. His older brother Max slowly transforms from a selfish boy into a horrible, evil magician who leads children astray from villages, attacks whoever he feels like and is set out to kill Peter once and for all and take back what he believes to be rightfully his - the flute that was handed down to Peter.
I love that it is set in two time periods. We get to see two worlds at once and a glimpse and curiosity as to why Bo Peep is disabled and how Max has been around for so long. The dual time-line really made this book better than it already was.
Characters: Peter definitely is not the perfect child, but he acts out of love where his brother Max acts out of hatred. I can understand Peter a bit because I was the younger sister that was better at certain things than my older sister, just as Peter was better at playing than Max. I love seeing Peter as a child and as a man, you can definitely see how he has grown and how his experiences have shaped who he is.
Max really is evil. He has washed away any good he once had in him by all the evil deeds he has done. I love his character because he so good at being bad.
Relatability: I think some of us can relate to sibling rivalry if we have sisters or brothers. This is a bit of an extreme form of it, but there's something to the emotion that first sparks Max's anger and his hatred that we sometimes can see in ourselves.
Cover Commentary: I love it. The colors.. the shadows.. so lovely.
Rating: 5/5 Roses
