In the Shadow of Blackbirds

In the Shadow of Blackbirds
by Cat Winters
400 pages
High School

In the fall of 1918, Mary Shelly Black's life is coming apart.  Her father has been arrested for sympathizing with the Germans, she must move from Portland to San Diego to live with her aunt, the flu is everywhere, and her childhood friend Stephen has gone off to war.  Even worse, she hasn't heard from him in weeks.  At least his family is in San Diego and she can get some answers about what's going on with his life.  Only issue with that: she has to talk Stephen's half-brother Julius, a 'spirit photographer', who she wants nothing to do with.

Once in San Diego, life isn't improving much.  Julius wants her to pose for him again since the first photo, taken years ago, turned out so well.  He has grown famous from photographing people's passed on loved ones, giving comfort to those grieving.  But Mary Shelly hardly wants to talk to him, let alone pose for him again.  She only wants to know what is happened to Stephen, where the package is that he left for her, and if he is alright.  When word comes of his death in the war, she is devastated, running outside into a lightning storm to be struck.

As she is struck, strange things start happening.  She ends up in a tree, looking down at her body, ends up returning to it, but the weird things are just beginning.  Her dead uncle's compass now points at her, she can taste emotions, and more.  Most of all, she can communicate with Stephen, but his madness is threatening to overcome her. What happened to him?  Why are the blackbirds attacking him?  And are there really spirits in all of Julius's photographs?

First of all, wow, what a book!  Along the same line as "The Diviners" by Libba Bray, but much faster moving than that book.  Excellent ghost story with history and romance thrown all together.  Had a lot of fun reading it, even if I couldn't read it late at night in the dark...

Some major themes in the book: importance of families, loyalty (to family, to country, to justice), and action verses inaction.  I'm sure there are others, but that's what hit me in this reading.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book.  I enjoyed it a lot, it had a fast pace, lots of mystery, and a good portion of the paranormal without it being cheesy.  High school age for the gruesomeness of some of the war imagery, plus scene between Mary Shelly and a ghost (alrighty then...).   Good book, will look forward to other books by this author!

The Reaper of St. George Street AND Lost Souls of Savannah

The Reaper of St. George Street and Lost Souls of Savannah
written and illustrated by Andre R. Frattino
280 pages, 176 pages
Late Elementary+

In St. Augustine, Florida, the ghosts abound.  They lurk around every corner, invade the houses, and hunt the humans.  Locals know to be careful of them, but new comers aren't always safe.

Meet William, here for college and definitely NOT a believer in ghosts.  His wallet is stolen the first day, he has to put up with a super nerdy roommate, and meets a super cute girl.  Typical week for a freshman.  But one of his classes isn't exactly what he signed up for: instead of a freshman literature class, he ends up with the local paranormal expert.  They make a deal: if William can still say he doesn't believe in ghosts at the end of the semester, then the professor will give him an A+.  Determined to earn that A, he dives headlong into the studies.  But everything is not what it seems.

These were really interesting books! The artwork is just black and white, but seems detailed and active!  Great artwork, great details that helps tell the story, instead of hindering it.

I also liked that there was notes and references in the back.  The author, Frattino, actually did the research and used tales local to those specific locations to create his books.  That is awesome!  I love authors that take the time to do research for things like this, and that share their findings.  Brownie points for Frattino!

I read the second book before I read the first book, but that didn't hinder me or feel awkward.  It was actually interesting as I read the first book to see the connections and characters that carry over to the second.  I did like the second more than the first, mostly because the first seemed to drag just a little.  I wanted to go faster than the story was letting me.  But the first was pretty good.

Overall, really enjoyed both of these.  They will appeal to both boys and girls, anyone that likes the slightly creepy ghost story.  I liked it, and will recommend it to people!

The Raven Boys

The Raven Boys
by Maggie Stiefvater
416 pages
High School+

Blue lives with her mother, plus several other women, all psychics except her.  She has another gift, she amplifies the energy that they read. While she tries to get on with her normal life, she lives under the prophecy she has heard all her life: if she kisses her true love, he will die. Never really interested in guys, it's not that difficult not to kiss her true love.

One year as she is helping with a typical activity- helping one of the psychics on the corpse road.  Each year they go to see who is going to die that year, except Blue never sees anything.  She is just there to share her power.  But this year is different.  This year she sees someone- a boy, a teenager like her, in a raven crested sweater.  When she asks him his name, he tells her Gansey.  Spooked by seeing someone for the first time, she asks the psychic.  She says their are only too possible explanations: either he is your true love, or you kill him.  Unsettled by these choices, Blue is even more unsettle when Gansey makes an appointment with her mother for a psychic reading.

Richard Gansey III is a student at the local private school, but far more interested in studying ley lines and where Glendower, the lost king, is buried.  Along with his friends Adam, Ronan, and Noah, they look for clues, dowse for energy lines, and investigate where this burial site may be.  When the psychics tell him and his friends things too close for comfort, Gansey begins to think he is getting close.  With Blue coming along on adventures, her power starts amplifying his results, getting him further in a month than he had in years.  But one of his companions is more, or less, than he seems.  What will happen as they get closer to finding Glendower?

So, wow...  Such a beautifully written story!  I found myself re-reading sentences for the beauty of the language.  I enjoyed reading this as much for the style as for the story.  Great style, great story!  Loved it!

Many themes and mysteries in this book. Friendship and families are key in this book.  Especially important is the definition of family- who really counts as family?  Along with that

Self exploration and self definition is also huge.  The boys really create their own family, but also are trying to find their own self at the same time.  They each have to discover not only which family they belong to, but how they fit into it, what roles they play, and how dependent they are on each other.  And then Blue comes in and messes it all up!  Once again, Stiefvater has written a book all about relationships and trust.

So, over all, amazing book!  It took me a while to get to it, but I loved it!  Great story, very mysterious and lots to be discovered throughout the story.  The ending seemed a little abrupt (had to make sure I hadn't missed a page) but I just learned there is a sequel!  Woo hoo! That makes me very excited.  Read this, because I bet the sequel will just build off of this.  Stiefvater is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors!

The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney

The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney
by Suzanne Harper
368 pages
Middle School+

Sparrow Delaney comes from a family of mediums, people able to see or otherwise communicate with ghosts of those departed.  Not only that, but she is also the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, destined to have strong psychic abilities. Her entire family (6 sisters, mother and grandmother) are anxiously awaiting the day she first communes with the spirits.

But she wants NOTHING to do with ghosts. Ever since she was 5 years old, she has seen them.  She can talk to them, see them and even smell them.  But she does NOT want to be known as a psychic.  She only wants to be a normal teen, have normal friends and be accepted by the rest of the world.  If she sees a ghost, she has perfected the art of ignoring them until they go away. She even jumped at the chance to go to a normal school instead of the local one with all the psychic kids.

First day at the new school, Sparrow feels like things are going well.  She's made a new friend, found her locker without any issue and is even one time to classes.  There is even a cute boy, Jack, in her history class.  But a really annoying kid is sitting behind Jack, flicking his ear.  Why isn't the teacher stopping it?  Then the annoying kid winks at Sparrow and disappears.  It had been a ghost!

Sparrow is caught up in the mystery of this ghost, Luke, and what happened to him.  When she gets assigned a project with Jack, it gives her a chance to investigate what happened to Luke, how they are connected and how she can help.  But is Sparrow brave enough to acknowledge her powers?

I really enjoyed reading this book a lot!  Yes it is a ghost story, but Sparrow goes through a lot of growth and self discovery through the course of the book.  The book is really about her learning to accept herself, her abilities and learn not to fear or mistrust them.

I would recommend this to mostly girls, but occasionally boys.  Good book, even if it's not spectacular.  Humorous moments, lots of irony, and overall, fun to read.  No inappropriate language or anything else.  Pretty good book!

Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made

Timmy Failure #1: Mistakes Were Made
by Stephan Pastis
304 pages
Elementary+

The name is Failure, Timmy Failure.  He runs Failure, Inc., a detective agency designed to solve all local and global mysteries!  With his partner, the polar bear Total, he prowls the city on his mother's Segway, accepting cases from other kids to look into their problems.

Timmy's major competition is the Weevil Bun, I mean Evil One: Corrina Corrina.  She has a competing detective agency and is everything evil in the world! Of course Timmy is much better at solving mysteries, but she keeps taking cases away from Timmy!  Noooo!!!!

When his Segway goes missing, he knows Corrina Corrina is behind it. Now, he must plot and find a way to get it back! He must overcome a reduction in workspace (his mother's closet), group tests at school, and even the loss of his polar bear!  Timmy must get the Segway back, or face his mother's wrath.

This was a laugh-out-loud book, all the way! Timmy is hilarious, and all his conclusions, while making me cringe, were also super funny.  The only thing I worry about is kids accepting Timmy's faulty logic as reasonable.  Hopefully they realize how ridiculous he is.

I also like that while humor is definitely the focus, there are also so serious issues that Timmy must face.  His friendship with Total the polar bear is definitely tried, he has to deal with his mother and the hard times that she is going through, and he has to face the possibility of failure in school.  Timmy has all these issues he has to cope with, and the detective agency is his way of dealing with it.

Over all, great book!  This is a great recommendation for kids that like Diary of a Wimpy Kid.  Has lots of illustrations, plus the humor.  Boys will definitely dig this book, and lots of fun!

Unspoken

Unspoken
by Sarah Rees Brennan
384 pages
Middle School+

Kami Glass has the ultimate imaginary friend; he even talks back to her.  She has talked to Jared in her head since she was a child. While it may seem weird to everyone else, she enjoys having a best friend that is honest with her, and is hers alone.  Being half an outsider in her little town of Sorry-in-the-Vale, it's comforting to always know that she can at least talk to Jared.

Then one day, the entire town is in an uproar.  The Lynburns, the local "aristocracy", have moved back into their mansion on the edge of town. No one has seen them for years, and their reappearance has been waited for.  Kami, not truly a native of the town, shrugs off this momentous event, only noticing it to try to write a column about it in her newspaper.

Then, Kami meets Ash Lynburn.  Sunshine incarnate, he wows her, and starts to sweep her off her feet.  Not sure if she wants to be swept, Kami hesitates before getting too serious.  All the rumors she has heard about the family, she is not sure she wants to be involved with it.

And then, she meets his cousin, Jared Lynburn.  First, she is startled by the similar name to her imaginary friend.  After talking to each other, she realizes he is her imaginary friend, only not so imaginary.  Able to speak mind to mind, they have few secrets from each other, can tell what the other if feeling, and are connected deeper than they imagined.  Jared and Ash are both jealous of the other, each wanting Kami for their own.

On top of all this, strange things start happening in Sorry-in-the-Vale.  Screams are heard in the forest directly behind Kami's house.  People are getting hurt, and the village seems to connect the Lynburns to the incidents.  Caught in the middle of everything, Kami learns more about Jared and his family than she ever wanted to know.

So, this was a book I randomly picked up while looking for something else, but I'm glad I did!  A good alternative to other paranormal romances, I found it much more intriguing and interesting. What would it be like to have the voice in your head, that you shared everything with, suddenly turn real?

The one thing I did NOT like about this book- the ending!  Oh my goodness!  While it does have a climatic scene, and action, it didn't seem like enough.  There is way too much left undone or unresolved to make me feel completed as I finished the book.  I don't expect every little thread of the story to be wrapped up, but to me, the ending left a lot more questions and created more unresolved problems than it needed to.

I did really like the character interactions.  Kami has some very interesting friends, from a long-time loyal friend to a newer, not so sure about this, friend.  Plus, there are great scenes between her and Ash and Jared.  Ash likes her, and tries to kiss her, but she has the hardest time because Jared is always in the back of her head.  Also, Kami and Jared are trying to get over this "my imaginary friend that everyone told me doesn't really exist is really real" feeling and the awkwardness of having someone know everything that goes through your mind.

Overall, pretty good book, just not thrilled with the ending.  There is obviously more coming, but that ending kind of distracted me from the rest of the book.  I am eager to read the sequel, just to see what happens next!  Good book, nothing inappropriate happens (I think a kiss is the worst), but lots of tension and mystery involved too!

Mr. and Mrs Bunny- Detectives Extraordinaire!

Mr. and Mrs. Bunny-- Detectives Extraordinaire!
By Mrs. Bunny, translated from the Rabbit by Polly Horvath
Illustrated by Sophie Blackall
256 pages
Elementary+

Mr. and Mrs. Bunny decide to leave their large, mostly empty home for a smaller home closer to town.  There, they have easy access to town with a stores, clubs and even a hat shop!  They want to buy fedoras so they can become detectives! And their first customer is Madeline.

Madeline is in fifth grade, and for graduation needs white shoes. She can't really expect her parent to help with it; they would rather spend money preparing for the summer solstice luminaries.  Madeline is the sensible one in the family, taking care of things around the house and managing the finances.  Her parents Flo and Mildred love everything, but don't have an intelligent though between the two of them.

One night, foxes come to see Flo and Mildred.  The foxes want to know where Uncle Runyon lives, who can decode the recipes left behind by Fanny Fox, the greatest fox chef ever.  When Flo and Mildred can't remember when Uncle Runyon lives, the foxes kidnapped them, and leave a note for Madeline.

Madeline must now turn to Mr. and Mrs. Bunny to help solve the mystery.  Together, they visit marmots, go to hat club, stand before the Bunny Council for various crimes, and even eat at the Olde Spaghetti Factory.  But can they find Madeline's parents before the foxes completely freak out???

This was a pretty fun book.  This would be a great book for earlier chapter book for kids.  While it has 256 pages, it goes really fast, and has the occasionally illustrations.  Definitely humorous, has a couple twists and turns.  Tongue in check humor- kids will get some, but the older the kids will get even more. Very fun! Great introduction to the mystery genre for kids!

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
 by Ransom Riggs
352 pages
Middle School+

Jacob grew up listening to the strange and sometimes scary stories his grandfather told him.  Based on strange, obviously doctored, photos, Jacob never takes these stories seriously.  Jacob thinks his grandpa is paranoid, a bit loopy, and just telling stories.

One day, his grandpa is having a bad day, and Jacob goes over to help him calm down.  When he gets there, the back door is open, and his grandpa is missing.  As he goes to look in the woods, he finds his grandpa, dying.  Just after his grandpa speaks his last words, Jacob looks up after hearing a rustling.  In the shadows is a strange monster, which snarls and runs away.

Disturbed by both his grandfather's death in his arms and the vision of the monster, Jacob has issues trying to live a normal life.  Nightmares trouble his sleep, and his grandpa's final words haunt him.  In order to try to calm these feelings, Jacob and his father travel back to Wales, the place of his grandpa's childhood. Hopefully there he can figure out what really happened in his grandpa's past.

First, can I just say wow!  Oh, I so enjoyed reading this! I had the hardest time trying to decide what category this fit in, so I decided to put it into all that might apply.  It's a little bit mystery, little creepy, slightly historic, fantasy elements, and lots of great stuff!

One of the things that I really liked about this book is the ending.  Lots of excitement and action!  But more than that, it is an ending!  It concludes this part of the story!  There are some things that will still come, and obviously at least one sequel, but it felt like a conclusion, rather than a cliff-hanger.  So many books right now are ending with cliff-hangers or end abruptly, not really wrapping things up.  This book made me feel like enough was finished up, but still left possibilities for the future! Nice way to end a book.  I want to read the next book, but still felt completion when I finished reading the book.

Just as a side note- this is the first book that I read on my Nook that I got for Christmas!  To me, there wasn't much difference between reading it on a Nook or the actual book.  The biggest difference is one that would really make a difference only to this book.   The pictures that are normally full size and have lots of detail are harder to see on the Nook.  Most teen and adult novels aren't going to have illustrations that are pivotal to the story, so it won't be a big deal.  For children's books, even novels, that have illustrations, a simple Nook might not be the best way to read it.  I need to try Diary of a Wimpy Kid on it, and see if the illustrations still come through well.

Overall, I loved this book!  The story line is great.  Lots of twists and turns.  The unfolding of the story was beautifully done.  I definitely recommend this for teens, and adults!  Not necessarily something I want to read after dark or while home alone, but that only added to the beauty of the book.  Love it!