Quick Reviews: Great Teen Reads

As I've got a lot of books and a little bit o' time, I'm offering up some short reviews of recommended books:

"Wings"- Aprilynne Pike A little slow to get started, but I'm quite looking forward to her next book. Laurel seems like she's just like other teens, until flowering vines that look like wings sprout from her back. After an initial freak-out, she confides in her new best friend, David, who, being more scientifically natured, looks at a piece of her wings under a microscrope, as well as some of her cells and discovers she's not human, but made of plant cells. Laurel's discover leads her to a world she's been made to forget (of her own volition) and another fairy that claims to know and love her. Despite the conclusion of this particular story, there's a lot of tale left to be told.

"Evermore"- Alyson Noel Ever is an orphan who's family was killed in a terrible car accident she feels responsible for. The accident has left Ever seeing Auras, hearing thoughts and seeing the ghost of her younger sister. Ever goes to live with her Aunt who's not so experienced with kids, and seems to feel as lost as Ever. But things change when another new kid, Damen, enters Ever's life. She partly can't stand him and is attrached to him, and things start to get even stranger in her life the more he's around. It's a good book for the Twilight lovers (though no vampires involved), though you may find yourself questioning Ever's actions at times.

"Blue Moon" Alyson Noel- This follow up to "Evermore" was really good, but I was really disappointed in the main character's stupidity in the end. I won't ruin the ending, but up until then, the story of Damen and Ever is good and intriguing, as Damen's powers start to fade and Ever must figure out what is wrong and how she can save his as he starts to "disappear". She suspects new kid Roman may be involved, but no one will believe her- everyone seems to love him.

"Lament" Maggie Stiefvater. When talented harpist Diedre gets ill right before a competition she meets flautist Luke Dillon. When they end up playing together, their music is magical- literally. Suddenly Dee starts seeing four-leaf clovers everywhere, and discovers that if she wants something badly enough, it happens. Unfortunately her new abilities attract the atttention of the faeries who all seem to have their own agenda where Dee and Luke are concerned. Luke, of course, is not what he seems. But their journey is an interesting one and I can't wait to see what's next for them.

"Fairy Rebels- Spell Hunters"- R.J. Anderson Don't let the title or the girlie cover of this book fool you. It's good, really good, and much more in keeping with Holly Black or Melissa Marr. Young fairy Knife's fairy world is dying out. Their magic is nearly gone, and some fairies are becoming sick and dying, and no one knows why. Even though Knife is a troublemaker as far as fairies go, she's made the Queen's Hunter which allows her to go outside of their home to help other fairies forage for food and to help protect him. But in a battle with a deadly crow, she's injured and found by human Paul. While he sort-of keeps her hostage, they form a true friendship and Knife struggles to find out what happened to the fairies and fights to save them. And while that sounds like a typical story- it's anything but. I made several assumptions about this book based on the cover and title- I thought it took place in the late 1800s (why, I don't know), but it takes place now. I thought it was going to be a girly-fairy story, but in fact it's anything but. I don't want to give too much away- but it's definitely a great read. A better title would've been "The Sundering" or Knife (which I guess is an alternate title somewhere), but regardless, don't hesitate to get his book if you're a Holly Black or Melissa Marr fan. It's not quite as dark, but there are some surprises and content for older teens.


Buy these books at our Amazon.com shop. "Great Reads" bookstore.


Books Book Teens Reading