the bride by julie garwood

not recommended: eh. i can see how this book would have been good during its time. it was ok. it drug on a lot with the same old same old. i like the author's banter between the characters, but even that got old. blah blah blah.

lover revealed by j.r. ward

recommended: this was my least favorite of this series so far. i thought the relationship between butch and marissa was a little dramatic. one moment they're together, one moment they aren't. eh. buuuuuut....i did enjoy the development of the vampire war storyline. it turns out that butch had some vampire blood in his family history, so they were able to turn him. then, he ended up being this special "one" that everyone has been waiting for. he can sense the enemy and will be able to help in the fight against them.

also, i like how this author gears up for the next book/character. you can always tell which one is going to be next, but it helps me get excited about it. it also helps to give more background to the character before the next book. smart.

the ghost and the goth by stacey kade

not recommended: ok, so this one sounded good. i knew it would be cheesy but i was hoping for a few more laughs and a better ending. the story line was a little creative. the main character can see and speak to dead people, but he pretends like he can't, so they don't bother him. then, a girl at his school dies and makes him help her with her issues. i think it could have been a better book if the author was a better writer.

lover awakened by j.r. ward

recommened: this was by far my favorite of this series. this book outlines the life of zsadist, who was horrifically beaten and abused sexually for years. i loved this one the most because it flashes back many times and gives a history of his life first hand. i also loved the relationship between him and his twin brother and how that develops and grows. this is my favorite relationship between him and his girl bella. he doesn't have a clue of what love is because he is so broken and seems like no one can fix him. this is the only one that i would consider reading again because it was very moving. i almost cried a couple of times.

lover eternal by j.r. ward

recommended: i love this series1 it is so interesting and crazy awesome. i am enjoying it so much. i am reading each book in 24-48 hours and i can't wait to read the next one. this one is about rhage, who is the hollywood vampire. each of these stories is classic damsel in distress, but how can you not love that? i know i do! so rhage is a vampire who is cursed. every time his anger gets out of hand, a creature emerges that even he can't control. he meets mary who has cancer (yeah, i saw the ending coming a mile away, but i still loved it). anyway, instead of getting rid of his curse when he had the chance, he asked to remove mary's cancer. it was awesome. my favorite part was when rhage had to be punished because of disobeying an order. the brotherhood did not want to punish him, but it was the law. my favorite vampire, zsadist (i know, cheesy, but i love it), was a blood slave and is mangled from head to toe. when it was his turn to punish rhage, i almost cried because he just couldn't do it! anyway, onto the next!

dark lover by j.r. ward

recommended: ok, so i honestly don't want to be perceived as this crazy woman who reads those harlequin romance novels with those weird naked men on the front. and i dont think i could ever get to the point of reading a story that had everything to do with sex and nothing to do with a moving or interesting story line. but this book could be perceived as one of those books, and it really isn't. the story was super creative and interesting. it was a science fiction vampire story that i relate to blade in many ways. the main vampire is blind and he is the king of the vampire brotherhood, but he refuses to rule, so it tells the story of how he ascends to the throne, etc. yes, there is definitely sex scenes but they don't really bother me. they're just part of the story. and what woman doesn't love a little hot romance? anyway, i really liked this book. i probably won't keep it, but i will definitely keep reading through this series.

nobody's baby but mine by susan elizabeth phillips

recommended: well, i think i can conclude that if it is written by susan elizabeth phillips, then i'm going to at least enjoy it. this book was great. i was definitely entertained and was drawn into the characters and story. this wasn't my favorite of hers, and i may not keep this one, but i still enjoyed it. this book was about a single woman in her thirties that wants a baby, but she doesn't want to use a sperm bank because she doesn't want the baby to be as intelligent as she is because she sees it as more of a curse than a blessing. i enjoyed that she was a physicist. something that i see this author doing a lot is taking these absurd plots and making them hilarious because they are so crazy. at the same time, i could completely see situations like this happening in real life because real life is absurd.

a knight in shining armor by jude deveraux

recommended: this books was great as well. great story of timeless love. the main character wishes for the a knight in shining armor and he appears. at times, it was cheesy, but i was written in the 80's, so what do you expect? then after they fall in love, he goes back to his time. then, she has to go back to the 14th century to save his life and they fall in love again. i don't think i would read it again, but it was a good read.

ransom by julie garwood

recommend: this was a historical romance that i thoroughly enjoyed. this is the first julie garwood book i've read, and she is a very good story teller. this takes place in england and the main character's family is killed and a small jewelry box disappears. The mystery of the story keeps it going, while the romance between two different couples keeps you interested as well. Great characters! Loved it!

it had to be you by susan elizabeth phillips

recommended: this book is the first book in the chicago stars series, and i definitely enjoyed it. it is the story of phoebe and dan. phoebe inherits her fathers football team of whom dan is the coach. it was witty and fun, and i will definitely keep it to read again.

whitney, my love by judith mcnaught

not recommended: this book was incredibily too long. the story was ok, but the characters kept exaggerating every single thing. it was exhausting. i don't recommend this.

natural born charmer by susan elizabeth phillips

recommended: O....M....G!!!!!!!!!!! I love this book. I love this book soooo much. This book is now easily part of my top 20-30 favorite books. I love the characters the plot, the setting, the background characters, the history of the characters. this family in this story reminded me of the movie the family stone. families are crazy and this book advocates for crazy families. i laughed so much and felt so much, it was great. the book begins with laughs with a woman walking down the highway in a beaver costume. a guy sees her and pulls over offering her a ride, and the laughs don't end until the end of the book. there is a young girl, parents, an old grumpy lady that are all funny. and the whole story takes place at a farm that is so cozy and homey. i will read this book over and over.

what i did for love by susan elizabeth phillips

recommended: this book was good, but not my favorite susan elizabeth phillips book. i would recommend to read it, but i probably would not read it again. i liked the characters, but i did not love them. i think if this was my first phillips book i read, i would have enjoyed it more, but i have read better of phillips. this book takes place in hollywood, which i did not care for. the two main characters were part of a tv series and had a history together, but the plot was just a little too outrageous. the characters were enjoyable because let's be serious....this is phillips, but it just wasn't amazing.

mr. maybe by jane green

not recommended: this book started out really good. it was funny, witty, british, and just a good time. then, half way through, it switched gears rather suddenly and became boring. i kept reading it because the beginning was so good. i thought maybe the ending will redeem the middle...but the end was so bad. it ended in two pages. blah.

match me if you can by susan elizabeth phillips

recommended: this book was amazing! yes, it was a romance novel, but it was not your typical romance. this is the first book i've read of this author, and i love her. she can really write characters and make you understand them. everyone has baggage, and she is opens up each character to their baggage and how each person must deal with their own baggage, especially before going into a relationship with another person who also has baggage. i love the way she writes, and i can't wait to read another one.

a kingdom of dreams by judith mcnaught

recommended: this book was great! i dont know if i would own it, but it was very entertaining with great character development. i especially loved that it was set in scotland/england. they are at war with each other, and the daughter of the scotland lord is captured by the english. she is a very stubborn and headstrong character, which i love, and the plot does not disappoint. it kept my interest the whole time, and i would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good romance.

crescendo by becca fitzpatrick

recommended: this is the sequel to hush, hush, and it did not disappoint. it kept its dark, mysterious fantasy feel. the main character struggles to understand her own past and ends up in more dangerous situations. she struggles with her new relationship with a guardian angel and trying to understand how her father was murdered. it was definitely an in-between book because it ended rather abruptly, and i am very interested in how this story is going to continue.

torment by lauren kate

recommended: this is the sequel to fallen so it was worth reading, but i did not enjoy it as much as the first. i understand what the author was trying to do. the title is torment, so the main character as well as the reader is tormented throughout the book, but i thought that she could have revealed more creativity or details in the storyline. i was surprised by the ending and enjoyed it because it was not expected and finally let the main character and reader breathe from the torment. i still believe that she is a good author, and i will definitely read the third book.

mockingjay by suzanne collins

recommended: this series is true young adult literature. aside from the violence, i would recommend this to be added to the literature curriculum in high school. this book was even more action and inner-struggle than the first two. i think this would have been my favorite if not for the ending. the author does not hold anything back and does not make this a happy, good-feeling book. she creates such a realistic world, that it is pretty depressing, but i cannot deny how truly amazing it was.

fallen by lauren kate

for the second time before the sequel comes out tomorrow :) loved it again.

clockwork angel by cassandra clare

recommended: this is the first in a prequel series to the mortal instruments, one of my favorite series. i have to admit, this was not as good as the first series, but it kept my attention. i was mostly interested in the history and characters. i am excited for the next book.

catching fire by suzanne collins

recommended: this is the sequel to the hunger games, and i loved it. this book is the next step in defying the capitol. it was definitely a middle book, but still very enjoyable. in this book, the 12 districts are beginning to rise against the capitol. the main character is sent into the hunger games again where she must fight and kill other hunger games winners. this author is wonderful at describing inner-torment as the main character is dealing with very mature issues of possibly losing the ones that she loves and learning to sacrifice herself for the greater good. what is beautiful about these books is that i could imagine that these things that happen in the book are actually happening somewhere in the world because there are some evil leaders and countries where freedom does not exist. i may even compare this to the holocaust, only not as bad. i am about to read the third book.

it's not summer without you by jenny han

recommended: this is the sequel to the summer i turned pretty. again, jenny han does not disappoint. this one took on another level of beautiful sadness. the author took me on a journey through this young girl's, Belly's, road of torment as she deals with losing her mom's best friend (her second mother, of sorts). i love reading about grief. it is beautiful to me how some people really cope with it. the author did a wonderful job portraying how the sons and Belly deals with the grief. Belly also goes through the journey of learning about herself as she is growing into a young woman and how she pushes through the process of 'getting over' her first love. it was definitely unexpected because many authors keep this type of love going and make the ending wonderful to read but often times unrealistic. i am so excited for the third book.

the iron daughter by julie kagawa

recommended: this is the sequel to the iron king, and it was even better than the first. these books are non-stop and keep me on the edge of my seat. there is no much creativity and character development. i really get sucked into the book. i laugh and really enjoy reading this series.

academy 7 by anne osterlund

recommended: this book was very surprising. i didn't even expect it to be a science fiction book. the storyline was intriguing, creative, and the characters were well-developed. this is the first book i've read from this author, and i will definitely be reading more of her work. i dont think i would read this particular book again because it's not that type of book, but i definitely recommend it.

evernight by claudia gray

not recommended: this book was hard to even get through because it just was not interesting. the characters and even the story were not believable or entertaining. i'm sorry that i even read it.

rules of attraction by simone elkeles

recommended: this was the sequeal to perfect chemistry, and it was better. she is a great writer because the characters are enjoyable. don't get wrong, it is super cheesy, but also super entertaining. i will definitely hold on to this one like that kept the first one.

suck it up by brian meehl

not recommended: this is one of the books that is so close to being good. the author has previously written children's stories, and it is evident in this book because there are definite cheesy moments that i could do without. this is a story of a vampire who is the guinea pig of his kind to be the first to come out and reveal himself to the 'lifers.' the story is not without creativity, but the character development could use some work. i also thought the author was trying to hard to be 'relevant' among today's teens. he would use teen lingo a little too much, and it just felt forced. i did laugh out loud a couple of times, but it just wasn't good enough to keep on the shelf.

the hunger games by suzanne collins

recommended: absolutely amazing! this book was everything i expected it to be! this delivers everything you want in a science fiction book; action, creativity, unique creatures, exciting story, enjoyable characters. it is set in the future of america after worl war III. america (now called panem) only expands from the rocky mountains to the appalachians. there were 13 districts and a capitol, until the 13th district rose up against the capitol and lost. since then, every year, each district must choose a boy and a girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to fight to the death in the hunger games. the winner of the hunger games gets money and honor for their district. there are many poor districts, so the main character has learned hunting skills and uses those to help her in the games. a relationship begins to build between the main character and the boy from her district. the whole story is wonderful, and i can't wait to continue the series. i will definitely keep this and read it again.

linger by maggie stiefvater

recommended: this was the second book in this series, and it was just as good, if not better, than the first. the author does not disappoint and draws me in with her poetic language. everything she writes is beautiful. she paints this amazing picture of not just the setting but also the situations that the characters are in. there is a new character introduced, and the author writes this book from four people's perspectives instead of two, and it was done really well. i was captured by the new character's perspectives. i'm sure there will be a third book, and i am very excited to read that one as well.

the summer i turned pretty by jenny han

recommended: this is a wonderful summer read about a young girl growing up. belly spends every summer at the beach, but this time might be the last summer before everything changes. there are two boys that she grew up with, and she has always been in love with one of them. this is the story of her growing into a woman instead of a girl. i definitely related to this book. it was written really well. the characters are well-developed, and there were moments when i laughed out loud, but there were also moments when i felt sadness and reality. i will definitely be reading the sequel this summer and saving this book for next summer to maybe read again.

the iron king by julie kagawa

recommended: this is a fantasy novel that has a lot going on. it is a very creative story with a lot of action, almost too much action because there was so much going on so fast that the author didn't take enough time to expand on the characters like i would want. don't get me wrong, the characters were well-defined but i found myself wanting more from them. the story was very creative, but at the same time, the message was a little forced. my favorite character was puck. you can never go wrong with a funny, charismatic guy, but he was only in a third of the book, which was disappointing. the sequel comes out in august, which i will probably read.

here's the thing about sequels: i usually can't help myself. i need to know how the story ends.

capitvated by carrie jones

recommended (if you have read the first book, need): i didn't think that this sequel was as good as the first book. it was slower to start. it didn't grab my interest until the middle of the book. it seemed like it was a middle book because there is obviously going to be a third book. it was ok. i'll read the third one, though.

the girl with the drago tattoo by stieg larsson

not recommended:

positive: this book started off just fine. it is a mystery set in sweden. i enjoyed the family history.

negative: that main thing is that the author is not that good of a writer. he's not very creative since i predicted the ending in chapter 5. the characters are not interesting. the author obviously views women as strong and confident, yet only useful for meaningless sex. there are no meaningful relationships. i think he tried to make some relationships meaningful, but the execution was tragic. i felt nothing. how can you be a writer and write with such empty words with no emotion. there was no vulnerability. not to mention the worst part of the book were violent acts that were unnecessarily detailed. the sex scenes were tasteful yet the violent acts were disgusting. how can anyone read this?

need by carrie jones

recommended: i've been waiting to read this book for a year, i just haven't had the chance. i finally got it through paperbackswap.com, and it was just as good as the critics said. this book is about a girl who has recently lost her father, and i like the way the author portrays grief. of course, it moves into a fantasy story which is very creative and mysterious. the fantasy consists of all kinds of creatures called shifters. i compare the visuals of the book to the shiver.

eclipse for the 5th time :)

by the time you read this, i'll be dead by julie anne peters

recommended: this is a book about a young girl struggling with suicide. she is a victim of bullying, and the author does a great job of portraying how real and hurtful can be without making it distasteful. slowly, friends come into her life that give her hope.

this is an extremely dark and depressing book. this would be a horrible book for a suicidal person, but i thoroughly enjoyed it.

when it happens by susane colansanti

Recommended: I enjoyed this book for it's unrealistic reality. it took the side of true love happening at a young age, which i completely believe in, but true love is not necessarily realistic love. the ending left it open-ended enough that there won't be a sequel, but it didn't need one. it was a good, light summer read. i actually giggled a couple of times.

intertwined by gena showalter

not recommended: this book has some creative concepts, but it was very predictable. the characters were interesting, so i did read the whole book, but not interesting enough to recommend or read again. the book was written from the two main characters' perspectives. it was about a guy who has voices in his head, and a girl who silences the voices when she is around him. there are vampires, werewolves, zombies, faery, and goblins in the story. honestly, the story was ok. i think the author may have tried a little too hard.

memoirs of a teenage amnesiac by gabrielle zevin

Recommended: This book was different, and enjoyable. It didn't take a science fiction point of view, but instead it remained realistic and also ended realistically. It was the story of a girl who lost four years of memory and how she changed through it. I rarely read a book that I enjoy so much but have no interest in reading again. I thought the author used very beautiful imagery and I wrote some quotes down from it. I should start keeping my favorite quotes from each book. It's usually those quotes that make me feel something while reading a book. The book was tight, meaning the storlyine was written intelligently and it was wrapped up very nicely at the end. There was an actual concept to the book.

shiver by maggie stiefvater

Recommended: This book was very different which is probably why I liked it. It was beautiful, the setting and the whole feel of the book. The title of the book is perfect. Even after reading the book, when I think back on this book, I can picture the scenes that she describes in the book. I'm usually not a person to enjoy very much describing of the setting, and she does not spend too much time on it. The characters in the book held my interest. It has an intriguing storyline. It was about werewolves, but it was not done in a science fiction type of way. It was very down to earth and very enjoyable. It also had a great ending, which is key. I am excited to read the second book Linger.

hush, hush by becca fitzpatrick

Highly Recommended: Amazing! This book makes the top, favorites book list. Loved it! It is about a girl who is attracted to this mysterious guy who knows too much about her. At first, this sounds cliche, but the author is great at character writing. You quickly begin to love the main characters and are introduced to this mystery and suspenseful story. The story does not disappoint either. It involves Fallen Angels and everything that comes with that. This book was creative and fresh, definitely nothing like I had read before. I could not put it down! I read it in less than 24 hours. Great ending as well. I can't wait for the sequel in November!

sweethearts by sara zarr

Recommended: I recommend this book only for the beginning and middle of the book. It is worth reading because the author can write very realistic characters that you feel for. The story revolves around a girl named Jennifer (smile). She has a best friend named Cameron when she is younger. They spend all their time together. They are the outcasts because they are poor and not popular when they are younger. They confide and help each other. They also go through a tragic experience together as kids. Then, Cameron moves away, but Jennifer believes that he died. She changes her name after her mom remarries, and she starts attending a new school. Now, instead of Jennifer Harris, she is Jenna Vaughn, the popular and put-together part of herself. Throughout the book, she is struggling between the two parts of herself. When Cameron returns, she is suddenly thrown into her old self and this friendship/love that she thought she lost. The ending to this book was sooooo disappointing. It was like the author was rushed or something. Her relationship with Cameron is not resolved, and struggle between the two parts of herself are not resolved. The only way this author could redeem this ending is if she wrote a sequel, but I have checked, and it doesn't look like one is in the making.

ophelia by lisa klein

Not Recommended: This book took the story of Hamlet and told it from Ophelia's point of view. I had never read or heard the whole story of Hamlet, which I believe did not help me appreciate this book. I did not think it was very creative because it was still set in the same time as the original Hamlet. If you are going to write a book (especially for teenagers), it needs to be applicable to their lives. I think this book would have been amazing if she told this story using a modern-day setting with which teens could identify. The author also tried to add her own ending which also just didn't work. She brought in new characters who I didn't care about. Not worth reading.

north of beautiful by justina chen headley

Recommended: I thought this was a great book for teenagers. It was about a girl with a birthmark on her face, and it haunts her. I appreciate books that revolve around the family dynamics, which this book did. In this book, the father is verbal abuser, but he doesn't even know it. I think verbal abuse happens too often in families, but it is subtle, not like physical abuse. The second half of the book is the part where the girl and mother free themselves from the father for a while, and they do some soul searching when they take a trip to China without the father. There is even some symbolism in this book, which is usually not my favorite thing, but I didn't mind it. This book has solid characters, a holistic story line, and a good ending.

three books at once

At one point last week, I was reading three books at once. I read Twilight for the fourth time, and it just confirmed that it's definitely not my favorite out of the saga. The third one (Eclipse) is still the winner in my book (if I had a book). I have a feeling that I will need to re-read the books on my Favorite Books list and rearrange them accordingly.

fade by lisa mcmann

Recommended: This book was actually a little freakier than the first. I think I enjoyed both equally, but I wouldn't read this one again because it was so scary. I definitely recommend this one though. Janie, the main character, is refining her dream catching skills and getting closer to her boyfriend Cabel. Side note: Creative names are really important to me. If the characters have boring names, like Bob (Charlaine Harris, I hate you), then I completely lose interest. Anyway, this book was great, I just wish she would have chose a different (not better) storyline. I'm excited to read the third and last one in this series. It just came out.

wake by lisa mcmann

Recommended: This was great!!! It satisfies my three criterion: interesting and dynamic characters, creative storyline, and emotional response. This book is about a young girl who gets sucked into other people's dreams, and her quest to learn and deal with this in her life. She is a "dream catcher." Of course, there is a nice romance in the mix, and this part is definitely entertaining. I have smiled while reading and laughed out loud a few times, which is difficult to do :). The characters are lower class, so they deal with neglectful parents and finding each other through it all. Great story!

evermore by alyson noel

Eh: This book is very very similar to the book Fallen, except without angels. This is the first of the Immortal series. The concept was interesting, and yet boring. It was interesting because the main character dies in a car accident for a couple of minutes, but when she wakes up, she has all of these special psychic powers. The rest of her family died in the car accident so she is struggling with their deaths. Then, there is a guy who comes into her life. He is tall, dark, and handsome, of course. He is an immortal, and he finds her in every one of her lives because she reincarnates. Most of the book's energy was spent going back and forth between girl and guy with this tension, which is nice, but not necessary all the time. I was more interested in the fantasy part of the story. Give me more details about the Immortals. Whenever the details came out, they came out in two pages. Like I said, it was similary to Fallen, but I thought Fallen was more interesting because of the angels. Nevertheless, I'll probably read the next one because I'm that pathetic :).

jessica's guide to dating on the dark side by beth fantaskey

Recommended: This book was enjoyable for the most part. It was one of those that has a great concept and good execution, which made it enjoyable, but not memorable because I was not moved. The story was unique. Yes, it was another teen vampire story, but it took a different twist to it. The vampire was interesting because he had an abusive past, so he was broken. I appreciated that it was not just the guy chasing after the girl, but the girl was chasing after the guy this time even though he was the first to approach her. I think if there is a sequel, I will read it, but I don't think I would read it again.

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

Not recommended: There are two characteristics of this book that I would like talk about: the unpredictability of the characters in the story and the predictability of the story.

The beginning of this story began with the author revealing the end of the story first, then going back to the beginning and leading the story up to the end. This was intriguing and caught my interest at first. Since the story took place in the late 1800's, the characters used a more traditional, almost "Pride and Prejudice" language which also helped me get into the story. Once I got to about half way through the book, I could predict how they were going to get to the ending of the story because this was revealed at the beginning. I probably would have kept reading the book if I was interested at all in the characters or their development. The weirdest part of the book was how each chapter jumped to a different character's point of view in the story. This would be fine, and it is actually creative, but the author did not focus on the characters who were important. The two main characters are the two sisters, and if she would have told the story from only these two characters and developed them a little more, I would have been more interested in finishing the story. Thus, the characters became unpredictable (in a bad way) because they were not developed enough. Needless to say, I did not finish this book.

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Recommended: This book is another Sarah Dessen cup of tea. Again, she takes a character and weaves this amazing story and life lesson into it. And again, I can relate to something in this book, like all of the other ones I have read (The Truth about Forever, Just Listen, This Lullaby). This particular book introduces Auden, a young girl stuck in the summer between the end of high school and the beginning of college. She is an academic (book-nerd) who has not had many social experiences in her life because she has been so focused on her studies (sounds like me!). and then she has this amazing summer and makes friends and meets this great guy (who has a great story and is so cool). Sarah Dessen always emphasizes the importance of family and communication in relationships in her books. She captivates me every time.

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Recommended: I enjoyed this book and the new and different concept of fallen angels. Not many books have taken this approach in teen fantasy. It had a Twilight twist to it with the main girl character and the love triangle with her, Daniel, and Cam. The main difference is that Stephanie Meyer executed this in a better way. I also think I liked Twilight’s version of the love triangle better because the whole story is written in first person, while Fallen is written in second person. Also, the concept of the story seems like it goes very deep, but the teasing was a little too much. She left you hanging too early. I felt like she was teasing, which is appropriate if releasing a sequel, but when you tease too early and don’t reveal enough about what the reader is trying to understand, there are details that are lost. I am still going to read the sequel because now that at least the main character is in the know of some of the main concepts of the book (angels), then hopefully she will be able to write a little more clear without trying to hide too much so that people will read her second book. I feel like if she revealed a little more, I still would have read her second book because the concept of the fallen angels is so creative and draws me in, wanting more.

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Not recommended: This book is an attempt to show teens how to deal with the death of a close family member and also how to live your dream. I say attempt because it is not very well executed. The main character is an innocent and naïve girl who has not had many experiences in her life. All of her relationships that are portrayed between her and any other character in the book are awkward and not easily understood.

The Mortal Intruments Series (City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass) by Cassandra Clare

Highly Recommended: This is the best series since Harry Potter and Eragon. The visuals in this book draws you in and send you into this world that Clare has created. She has created a new world and new language that allows for anything to happen, yet her writing allows the reader to truly believe this new world exists. In the first book, you are introduced to this new world from the perspective of the main character Clary. She does not know anything about this new world, so many things are still unknown to the Clary as well as the reader. Clare slowly unfolds detail after detail, and every detail is imaginative and new. This book is something different, yet still in the teenage genre of fantasy. Clare is also very good at explaining the relationships between the characters. There is a strong sense of family in her writing. The end of the first book gives a slight hesitation to the relationship between and the two main characters Clary and Jace, but it is redeemed in the second book and finally revealed in the third book.

The world that Clare has created is a world of Shadowhunters who protect humans (mudanes or mundies - so funny) from evil (vampires, fairfolk, warlocks, werewolves). Of course, not all "Underworlders" are evil, so there are some grey areas. This book definitely takes a Harry Potter twist because there is the ultimate evil of those who side with "pure-blood" Shadowhunters and those who believe that there can be peace between Shadowhunters and Underworlders.

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkes

Recommended: This book has a Romeo and Juliet twist to it without the depressing ending. The book didn't really get interesting until the banter between the two main characters began when they started getting to know each other. The "gang language" is often not believable, but the ending of the book shows hope for those who may be stuck in a gang situation. I like the portrayal of how different the two sides of the families are, and how screwed up families can be, and how a teenager views the adults in their lives. At the same time, the adults are honestly trying to do what is best for their children and students. The relationship between teenager and adult is just like any relationship. There are miscommunications and different perspectives. The reasoning for the decisions and actions makes a difference in how the other person reacts to the situation. If the adult and teen is honest and open, then there might be more understanding in the relationship. Many times, one or both individuals believe that they are being misunderstood.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Recommended: This book is beautifully written. It weaves other pieces of literary references, and I love that because I learn about other books and authors as I read this book. I'm also learning about famous last words because the main character quotes famous last words. There are also a lot of psychological concepts in this book. For example, when Miles (Pudge) hears Alasks tell the story of when her mother died, he realizes that this is the reason for her crazy behavior and for many of the things that she says.

The way that death is portrayed in this book is beautiful. Just thinking about it now, I want to cry. Each person deals with death differently, and you can't stop someone from dealing with death in their own way, whether it is through screaming, or crying forever, or lying down on the ground in the middle of anywhere for no apparent reason.