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EVERNIGHT
Author: Claudia Gray

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (May 27, 2008)
• ISBN-10: 0061284394

SYNOPSIS (From author’s site):

When the story begins in Evernight, Bianca has just left the small town where she’s spent her whole life. She’s a new student at Evernight Academy, a creepily Gothic boarding school where her classmates are somehow too perfect: smart, sleek and almost predatory. Bianca knows she doesn’t fit in.

Then she meets Lucas, another loner, who seems fiercely determined not to be the “Evernight type.” There’s a connection between Bianca and Lucas that can’t be denied. She would risk anything to be with him—but dark secrets are fated to tear them apart… and to make Bianca question everything she’s ever believed to be true.

MY TAKE:

When I opened this book and read the prologue, I was ready to jump right into this book! Talk about capturing my interest on the first page! WOW! But, as I started reading this, I kind of got bored. It was just about teens trying to fit in at a new school and having to try to fit in with different groups in an odd school. Then WHAM! Halfway through the book the author pulls the ace out of her sleeve. She drops the vampire surprise on the reader. Now I knew this was going to have something featuring vampires, simply because it was in the paranormal vampire section of the library, but the author just surprises you with it in the middle of the book. Then of course you are hooked and can’t put it down. It’s like the author does a complete turn around with the writing and you become so engrossed in this book that you forget to feed your family dinner. (Yes, I almost forgot to cook until my 4 year old was whining about dinner). Then as if the one surprise wasn’t enough, she pulls out more ace’s from up her sleeve. I couldn’t finish the chapters soon enough. I was desperate know what else would happen and what else the author had up her sleeve! I will say that I was a little disappointed in the ending. Yes, I had small tears in my eyes, but that wasn’t what disappointed me. I was upset that there wasn’t a tidy clean ending. You HAVE to read the next book in the series to find out what happens next. So now, I am going to have to wait ever so patiently for the library to finally reach my name on the wait list before I can continue the story. So, if you decide to read the book, I would recommend having the next one in the series ready to read! The next one had better have the ending I have pictured in my head or I will be in trouble. The third doesn’t even come out until March 2010 and that is a lot of waiting!!

MY RATING FOR THIS BOOK:

Very Good! You have to read this book!

CITY OF BONES
Author: Cassandra Clare

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing
• Pub. Date: February 2008
• ISBN-13: 9781416955078
• Sales Rank: 1,359
• Age Range: Young Adult
• 512pp
• Series: Mortal Instruments Series, #1

Synopsis

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder — much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing — not even a smear of blood — to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare’s ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

My Take:
It is rare for me to find a young adult book that I do not want to put down. This book is one of those books! I loved this book and I can’t wait to read the next one in the series. The characters are ones I actually care about and want to know what happens to them. At first, I saw how big this book was and thought it was going to take me forever to read, but I found myself so into this book that before I knew it I was done! There is not much I can say without giving away the story of this book. Everything that comes to mind is something that would spoil the plot for readers who have not read it yet. So, all I can say is go out and read the book and yes, you will see what all the hype of this series is about. Cassandra Clare has brought to life a great new world for us to enjoy!

My Rating for this book:

Outstanding Book! A definite favorite!