Hey, guys! Long time, no see!

This time we have a special guest review from teen reader Bridget Magness.

TITLE: Cinder

AUTHOR: Marissa Meyer

REVIEWED BY: Bridget Magness

BRIEF SUMMARY: In a futuristic Beijing where androids walk the streets and people live on the moon, Cinder is a gifted mechanic and cyborg. Hated by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister having a common deadly plague, she's treated like a slave. But then she meets Prince Kai and her whole world gets turned upside down. She suddenly finds herself at the center of a struggle between Earth and the Lunar people, and uncovers secrets about her past.

WHY I PICKED IT UP: I read the inside cover and thought it seemed like a good blend of science fiction and fantasy, two of my favorite genres.

WHY I FINISHED IT: Although the book is a futuristic spin on Cinderella, it's very original, and the characters are lovable and interesting. The plot is also mysterious and fast-paced.

WHO I'D GIVE IT TO: Someone who enjoys retold fairy tales and a fun, entertaining story.

Thank for contributing, Bridget! Sounds like a great book.

Remember: you can see your review on this blog, too! Just grab a Book Review form from the Young Adult section, fill it out, and return it to Miss Jo or one of the other librarians.

See you at the library!

Teen Read Week winners...

We would like to thank everyone who participated in our Teen Read Week contest. We will be publishing the reviews submitted by the winners here over the next few weeks.

We begin with the grand prize winner, 13-year-old Bridget Magness:

TITLE: Poison

AUTHOR: Bridget Zinn

REVIEWED BY: Bridget Magness

BRIEF SUMMARY: 16 year old Kyra is a skilled potion master and is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the edge of destruction. So she does the unthinkable and attempts to poison the future ruler, but misses and becomes a fugitive on the run.

WHY I PICKED IT UP: I read the summary of the book and thought it seemed like an interesting and intriguing read.

WHY I FINISHED IT: I got so caught up in the magical world that Poison is placed in, that I had to know what happened to Kyra and the kingdom.

WHO I'D GIVE IT TO: I would give it to anyone who would take a moment to appreciate an epic and entertaining read.

Congratulations once again, Bridget!

And remember: just because Teen Read Week is over doesn't mean you can't submit book reviews anymore.  We're always looking for new submissions.  If you can't find the review forms, ask Miss Jo or one of the other librarian for help.

See you at the library!

Broke-down "Palace"...

TITLE: The Midnight Palace

AUTHOR: Carlos Ruiz Zafón

REVIEWED BY: JPL TeenLink

BRIEF SUMMARY: "In the heart of Calcutta lurks a dark mystery...

Set in Calcutta in the 1930s, The Midnight Palace begins on a dark night when an English lieutenant fights to save newborn twins Ben and Sheere from an unthinkable threat. Despite monsoon-force rains and terrible danger lurking around every street corner, the young lieutenant manages to get them to safety, but not without losing his own life...

Years later, on the eve of Ben and Sheere's sixteenth birthday, the mysterious threat reenters their lives. This time, it may be impossible to escape. With the help of their brave friends, the twins will have to take a stand against the terror that watches them in the shadows of the night -- and face the most frightening creature in the history of the City of Palaces." (Summary from the published book)

WHY I PICKED IT UP: I love Carlos Ruiz Zafón. Absolutely love him. This is the second book in the "Mist" series, and his fourth English language title. I had to read it.

WHY I FINISHED IT: I had to see if it ended how I thought it would.

WHO I’D GIVE IT TO: People who like supernatural thrillers, Young Adult fiction, or Carlos Ruiz Zafón.

OTHER NOTES AND CONTENT WARNINGS: I have to admit, of the four English language books by Zafón, this is my least favorite.

I don't mean that to sound harsh. This is his fourth English-language title, but it was originally published in Spain in 1994 as his second book. As such, it seems to suffer from "sophomore slump". While the characters are interesting, the mystery was easily solved and all the clues were pretty obvious.

Still, it was well-written and is a decent time-waster. But compared to his later works, it suffers greatly in comparison.

As for content, there is a bit of violence and peril. Not for young children.

See you at the Library!

A tangled web of "Mist"-ery...

The Prince of Mist was actually Carlos Ruiz Zafón's first book, originally published in Spain in 1993. Now, seventeen years later, it is finally available in an English translation by Lucia Graves, and it was well worth the wait. I've loved all of his adult fiction books, and this book has the same haunting quality that they did, possibly due to the fact that Graves translated those as well. Or perhaps it's just because Carlos is such a good writer.

Now, don't let the fact that was originally published in another language put you off. So were the Inkheart books. The Prince of Mist is a wonderful, riveting tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

In 1943, with Spain in the midst of World War II, watchmaker Maximilian Carver moves his family from the capital to a seaside village where he has recently bought a home. From the minute they arrive, strange and otherwordly things begin occurring. Soon, the Carvers -- especially 13-year-old Max and his 15-year-old sister Alicia -- find themselves caught up in a dangerous battle with the Prince of Mist, a supernatural entity who has been bargaining for souls for decades, and who just might be the Devil himself.

As the story unfolds, Max and Alicia must uncover the secret of the former inhabitants of their home, the truth about their new friend Roland and his grandfather, and find out just what happened to the Orpheus, a ship that sank in the harbor during a terrible storm a quarter-century ago -- and how it all ties together and ultimately leads back to the mysterious Prince.

Part mystery, part romance, part fantasy, and part gothic horror tale, I cannot recommend The Prince of Mist highly enough. Ruiz Zafón is a masterful storyteller, putting you right into the action, and creating characters that you will come to love and care about. Although the book contains mild language and mature themes, it is certainly suitable for anyone age 12 and up.

NOTE: The Prince of Mist is the first book in Ruiz Zafón's Mist trilogy. Book two, September Lights, is due out in May 2011.

See you at the library!

I've got a BONE to pick...

How do you begin to describe Bone?

It's a graphic novel, true. But it's not your typical superhero or "comic" novel. There is comedy, and there are heroes, but there is so much more. "Epic" doesn't even begin to describe it. Think Lord of the Rings meets Star Wars and The Marx Brothers and you might be close. But still...

Bone was originally published over 13 years. The library's copy is the "One Volume Edition", collecting all 55 issues into one volume. It's big, it's heavy, and I wouldn't read it any other way.

Jeff Smith's story centers around three cousins: Phoney Bone (the greedy, conceited one), Smiley Bone (the fun-loving, goofy one), and Fone Bone (our hero), who become lost in The Valley after they are run out of Boneville following one of Phoney's disastrous schemes. While trying to find each other (and the way home), they meet up with a wide cast of characters including the mysterious Thorn, her enigmatic grandmother, and a smoke ring-blowing red dragon who may or may not be a figment of Fone Bone's imagination.

As they make their way through The Valley, they encounter other humans and bizarre creatures who are threatened by the Lord of the Locusts, a dark and menacing figure from the past. Fone Bone is soon drawn into the events around him and finds himself on a hero's journey to help save the world.

Do the cousins find each other again? Can they avoid the Rat-creatures and help save The Valley from an ancient evil? What will happen to Thorn and her grandmother? And what about that red dragon?

Due to its size (1300 pages! -- but believe me, they go fast) and some content that might frighten the younger kids, this book is currently located on the adult side of the library (Call Number: 741.5 Sm), but is certainly suitable for anyone that could handle, say Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith, the Harry Potter movies or The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Even if you don't care for "comic books", I encourage you to give it a try. If you like fantasy (Tolkien, Harry Potter, the Narnia series, etc.), then you are definitely in for a treat.

(If you like this book, there is also a prequel called Rose, but I recommend you read Bone first, lest a very important plot point be spoiled for you.)

Check it out...