Troy

It's the time of Ancient Greece, and the Trojans are fighting a war that surpasses any other. Well to be honest, barbaric bloodshed is closer to the mark. And even behind the palace walls, rumors fly as fast as the arrows. Prince Paris has to ignore not only his growing waistline but also the stories of his possibly unfaithful (but still beautiful) wife Helen. Superhero commander Hector shows his valiant side in battle every day but leaves his wife Andromache and their son to nervously await his return. Not every problem is large-scale, though. Musician Polyxena begins to see Iason, the lowly shepherd's boy, in a totally different light, but Iason in turn wishes to spend his future with healer Xanthe. However, it's love at first sight for Xanthe when Alastor, a wounded soldier comes into her care. But her loyal sister Marpessa knows it's not a good idea to tell Xanthe exactly what happened between her and the young warrior on that night.
It's complicated enough without divine intervention. And who in their right minds would expect the all-mighty gods, especially the Greek ones, to care? I mean, really!

As a self-proclaimed enthusiast of Greek myths, Adele Geras' historically (or poetically, as it happens) accurate young-adult version of the famed Trojan War was a natural read for me. I didn't know much about it before, but Troy outlined the plot of Homer's epic in a believable fashion and contained many tweaks to make it appeal to a younger audience. Just try reading a couple sentences of the original and you'll see what I mean. Though it must be said that the book contained a storyline woven with about, oh, a hundred different threads, they were each tied up with either the appearance of some familiar mythological figures or by the captivatingly fiery end. Staying true to the saga while consistently wrapping you up in the dilemmas of each perfectly imperfect character, experiencing Troy is a wonderful way to spend a couple hours of your day.

The Atlantis Complex

It looks like Artemis Fowl is back again with one of his brilliantly-made plans. He's got the perfect idea of how to save the world involving the refrigerator-lookalike Ice Cube. Fridge works, snow comes out, global warming stops. Simple, right?
What a no-brainer. It isn't really Artemis who's come up with the plot. Lately, he's been plagued by thoughts that tell him not to trust his friends and even his mother and father. Numbers force him to speak words in multiples of fives. If Artemis were a regular human, he'd be diagnosed with OCD and that would be that, but his experience with fairy magic has given him Atlantis Complex instead, a disease brought on by guilt and stress. The LEP's robots have turned on them and are attacking the fairies, so this really isn't the best time to have your alter ego pop up and profess your undying devotion to any female elves. Someone evil from the gang's past is back...no, not her...not that one either...but they're back. And dead serious.

 Something was off about this book. The (previously released) first chapter sounded absolutely fine and it certainly intrigued you to find out more, but everything else seemed too fast-paced. Events passed by one after another without much explanation. At times it also was as if the author had trouble introducing new characters; only one truly important one came into being, and she was still on the mysterious, unknown side. Instead, supporting roles and sneaky references were lifted from previous books and fitted into the new installment. However rewarding this may be to someone who can actually spot all these "easter eggs", it does become a tad tiring after a while.

The Necromancer

It's been a while since Sophie and Josh have seen their California home. Well, not really. Six days can go by pretty quickly when you've been semi-kidnapped by a half-millennium year-old couple and dragged around the world a couple times over while being told that you hold the fate of the world in your hands. With the magician Dee's revenge fueled by failure and defeat coming their way, Josh and Sophie are enlisting the mentoring of Prometheus, one of the first masters of Fire. The couple in question, Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel, are certain of the impact this could have on the twins' chance of survival. But not everyone's as optimistic. When Dee turns Josh to his side once more, Sophie, the Flamels, and even their new (and undoubtedly hesitant) allies quickly learn that upsetting a master plan is much easier than it seems.

With a shiny, busy cover, it's kind of hard not to really want to read this book. You're pulled right into the action on the very first page and a constantly shifting cast of characters ensures that you never put it down. But even though there was too much adventure swirling around to stop reading, parts of the intricate plot became tangled up and were tedious to peruse. Maybe the author meant for it to be like so, but you also just couldn't figure out which side many of the main characters were really on. As soon as you felt as though you'd skip chapters to get to the point of view of your favored side, there would be a new chapter and your little mind would think in a whole new direction. At least I had a small sense of success when there was a mythological character I was familiar with...

Extras

All the way on the other side of the world lies the futuristic nation of Japan, where the whole country is run on fame and gossip. The more famous you are, the more gossip you gather, and the more privileges you earn. Aya Fuse, the 451,369th most famous person in her hometown and little brother to the mega-celebrity Hiro Fuse, finds herself not liking her anonymity one bit. Following some vague leads and pictures, Aya discovers a group of mysterious and super-dangerous young women named the Sly Girls. The Sly Girls do anything and everything dangerous, from surfing on maglev trains to shooting people out of giant energy machines. Now Aya has blended in with them and has found the perfect way to gain instant stardom. Except for the fact that this road to fame could reveal something a hundred times as deadly as any of the tricks the Sly Girls could ever do.

So I'm betting that right before Extras came out, everyone waiting for it were all hurr Special people in the forest durr hurr, only to find out that wow, we've moved to Japan and started a brand new storyline with brand new characters we've never heard of before. I can't say it sucked with the big changes (it was partially a relief from the monotonous buzz and characters), but it wasn't an...er...welcome change either. I groaned more than once at the lack of people Uglies fancs enjoyed so much. And when they did come back, their personalities seemed skewed and awkward. As far as I remember, in the last book, they were a lot less mature. Plus they seemed to be going for the clichéd "guarding secrets" thing. Which I would've enjoyed more if the "secrets" made sense. Extras wasn't as grand or glorious as I expected a (probably fan-demanded) final book in an awesome trilogy would be.

Invisible I

 People will do anything to get visitors to websites. Like, write books. Huh? Apparently there's this whole site thing you're supposed to join after you read the book. But all that aside, cliché level = high, cliffhanger level = high, and general enjoyability = high. There's a bit of a mystery element involved, with new clues and plot twists leading the characters around while you alternate from almost bored to SAY WHAT? and still avidly reading. Many of the characters I could relate to (sometimes I actually saw myself in them), though what will happen to them in the next few books is pretty obvious sometimes. Still, it makes a nice and happier contrast to watching dramas and such like Avatar...

Amanda moves a lot. She always picks one special person to help her get started in her new school, and the two become the best of friends. So why do Callie, Hal, and Nia all find themselves as Amanda's chosen guides? And when the three girls and boys are thrown together in detention (for something Amanda herself did, no less) and compare stories, why did Amanda lie about her life to all of them? As Callie's family (consisting of her and Dad and nobody else) and social life unravel, she and her new friends have got one more problem to solve while they follow Amanda's tracks through a path via secretive notes and hints.
Why, and how, has Amanda Valentino vanished into thin air?

Blue Plate Special

If there's one thing that Madeline, Desiree, and Ariel are going to have to learn, it's that you can never take family for granted. Though the three girls are from three completely different decades of America, their stories and dysfunctional families are pretty much the same. Madeline is overweight and bordering on depression...until she meets someone who she really believes is the love of her life. Life gives Desiree a sound smack in the head when a regular car ride with her stepfather turns into the last thing anyone needs. And after a shocking and secret-spilling visit to the hospital, poor Ariel is sure she'll never see her mom (or her green mountain of a grandma) the same way again. In an absorbing tale of complicated and fateful relationships, the lives of three somewhat atypical girls are twisted and joined by decisions, fate, and a good dose of misfortune.

Spoilers, yay! So as soon as I saw that their lives are going to be intertwined, I was like, well thanks for spoiling the end of the book. Um, different decades, teenage pregnancy, three girls? They're related. Duh. Yeah.
Anyways, scorn aside, Blue Plate Special really came out as a great (if slightly depressing) read. Though prose in books usually makes me bored and biased, I was actually a bit sad that Desiree's narration was the only one in that format. Every single character, main or supporting, had personal mini-conflicts, and the storyline was quick to pick up on and quite surprising apart from the mother-daughter thing. But plot twists seem to be something Michelle Kwasney loves using...

Shiver

Grace and Sam have known each other since Grace was in elementary school. But the first time they ever spoke was in Grace's senior year, when Sam was mortally wounded by a hunter. For six years, Sam and his group have been werewolves, constantly shifting between dog and man with the changing of the seasons. But this year, Sam's instincts tell him that after this summer, there'll be no more exciting peeks into the human world. He'll just be a plain wolf. And to make things even more heartbreaking, he's just met Grace, the love of his life. Now Grace must think up a way to dodge her abandoned friends and cheat fate with science while Sam fights to stay where he is.

So I bet you all have gone into Barnes & Noble and noticed the WHOLE DANG SHELF of Twilight ripoffs vampire novels, right? Well, I always ask myself, what happened to the werewolves? Now, we finally have a very well-written book exclusively about the canines! Although a melancholy air of losing precious time hangs about until the end of the book, there are many laugh-out-loud, absurd, and just cute moments aplenty. In my opinion, every single character is really mixed in well with their social group but still has obvious problems and conflicts. The plot alternates between laid-back narratives and nerve-racking action, so right when you're beginning to get bored of Sam and Grace complimenting/snuggling/kissing glomping each other, there'll be a total turnaround and you're drawn right back into the pages again.

Airman

Today's airplanes seem so...boring...compared to the diverse world of early flying machines created in Airman. I'd really like to spend a day in the life in Conor's time, and trust me, you would too! I loved the diverse hierarchy of characters, even the spiteful and doomed villains. The writing itself varied almost as much as the characters. In some places, it was LOL-funny, but in others, it dragged with sadness and monotony. Although the plot sometimes leaned towards becoming a parody of an epic tale, Airman is still quite an interesting fantasy read.

Legend has it that Conor Broekhart was airborne. Literally. His mother gave birth to him while taking a joyride in a hot air balloon. Perhaps this strange event has made Conor so passionate about aerodynamics. But now that a scheming group of men have executed their master Broekhart revenge/downfall plan without a flaw, he is violently introduced into a new and unpleasant world of murder, deception, and glowing algae. It seems like even Conor's sly cleverness can't get him out of trouble this time.

Catching Fire

One would think that as the celebrated young victors of the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta would be off living a peaceful and luxurious life. But Panem's controlling government in the Capitol is out for them, because in their eyes the two teenagers have caused quite a rebellion throughout the nation's twelve districts. As the date of the Quarter Quell, a special Hunger Games taking place every 25 years that shows everyone the Capitol's power approaches, what kind of physical and emotional torture will the government think up next to punish Katniss and her friends?

So I planned to buy my Catching Fire on Amazon right after it came out, but due to an unforeseen problem (higher prices at Barnes and Noble), I ended up waiting over a month to get it. Urgh. But anyways. I brought it to school every day and finished it almost entirely when I was in school. I win. I crack it open and find that although it's molded pretty much like The Hunger Games, the well-made returning cast of characters (and a whole lot of new ones) plus the unbelievably awesome world of Panem can totally make up for the recycled plot's backbone. Anyone with sense should read The Hunger Games and then immediately pick this sequel up!

Related links:
• Author's website
• Official series website
• Official UK site
• Fan forum

The Prophet of Yonwood

At the height of tension and possible nuclear war between the United States and their enemy countries, Nicki's snazzy aunt Crystal has decided to move to Yonwood, North Carolina, a small town with some very big (but not always obvious) problems. For one, the city claims to follow God's rules to living a better life, but Nicki thinks this is just Brenda, the town's "leader", going for some power play. Then there's Nicki's list of goals. Keep Crystal from selling Greenhaven (the dilapidated mansion Nicki's attached to), fall in love, and maybe do a little something to help the whole world.

Sometimes prequels just don't make sense, as is the case here. I mean, the story itself was very nice. It's a great depiction of brave young people going against society and fat semi-dictator ladies. But...the universal modern small-town setting just doesn't fit with the rest of the City Of Ember series. The high points of the other books were the dystopian kingdom and the unique characters. Those were gone, too. Well, not until the very end where it all gets hastily tied up in the epilogue. However, some parts of the book were genuinely heartfelt and emotional. Basically, this third installment provides some (mostly) wholesome filling time before the series grand finale of a fourth book.

Related links:
• Author's website
• Movie site