Indigara by Tanith Lee

No Spoilers.

Title: Indigara
Author: Tanith Lee
Year of Publication: 2007
Genre: Science Fiction, Futuristic Fiction
Pages: 195
First Line: "Otis's Diskript

The problem was that on that day I was supposed to go in for my half-yearly service appointment."

Summary: Welcome to Indigara . . . a strangely familiar, strangely hypnotic world.

Jet and her robot dog, Otis, have been taken with Jet's two sisters -- one of whom has a role in the latest Super-Movie -- to their planet's film capital, Ollywood. Jet and Otis are soon plunged into the mysterious underworld that lurks below the studios and lots. Here lies the beautiful and sinister other-where if Indigara, which has spontaneously generated from the sets, costumes, models, and actual celluloid of fantasy and SF pilot movies that never got made into series. Even while girl and dog try to survive the dangers and terrors below, their Indigaran mirror images have replaced them, and are running amok in the real world above. . . .

Source: Back/Inside of book

Review: All-in-all, I found this book to be too vague. I had a hard time understanding what was going on. The idea was interesting, but it was not executed in a way that made me really into the book, which was frustrating, especially given its shortness. I was also frustrated to learn that Indigara is not pronounced the way you might expect, which took me out of the story, especially when the name was mentioned. I liked Otis' character a lot, but something about him seemed missing. Many of the characters were like that -- likable or interesting, but missing something. I would probably not recommend this book, however I know Tanith Lee has written 80 novels (as of 2007) and various other pieces, so it's possible this one was a fluke.

Worst part: The vagueness of the writing.

Best part: Otis.

Grade: C-

Other Books by This Author: Not going to list these, but there is a list found at the beginning of the copy of this book in the edition I read.

20 / 100 books. 20% done!

Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

No Spoilers.

Title: Zombies vs. Unicorns
Author: (Editors) Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier
Year of Publication: 2010
Genre: Fantasy, Anthology
Pages: 415
First Line: "Since the dawn of time one question has dominated all others: Zombies or Unicorns?"
Summary: Which is better, the zombie or the unicorn?

Justine Larbalestier says that zombies are our own walking deaths. Funny, grim, and terrifying, they cannot be escaped. Unicorns are sparkly and pastel and fart rainbows.

Holly Black says that unicorns are healers, arbiters of justice, and, occasionally, majestic man-killers. Zombies drool and shed and probably carry diseases.

Some of today's finest writers have chosen their side, creating dazzling stories about both creatures. So read on, and decide for yourself: Are you Team Zombie or Team Unicorn?

Source: Back/Inside of book

Review: As I've done in the past, I will be reviewing this anthology story by story.

1. The Highest Justice by Garth Nix - Did not keep my attention at all.

2. Love Will Tear Us Apart by Alaya Dawn Johnson - Better than the first story but perhaps a bit more adult in content than necessary.

3. Purity Test by Naomi Novik - Humorous, and a little better than the previous two. Would have been better in novel length.

4. Bougainvillea by Carrie Ryan - Confusing.

5. A Thousand Flowers by Margo Lanagan - The beginning was great but it quickly became confusing and I lost interest.

6. The Children of the Revolution by Maureen Johnson - Probably my favorite in the anthology. This story was clear and interesting.

7. The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn by Diana Peterfreund - I lost interest very quickly on this one.

8. Inoculata by Scott Westerfeld - Confusing, but had some interesting elements. Not up to par with the Uglies series.

9. Princess Prettypants by Meg Cabot - Almost as good as Johnson's. Funny and easy to follow.

10. Cold Hands by Cassandra Clare - A step below Cabot's. Different from Clare's usual stuff, but interesting and well planed.

11. The Third Virgin by Kathleen Duey - Intereting, if a bit long.

12. Prom Night by Libba Bray - Bray lost me on this one.

Side note -- the introductions to each story were fun, funny, and interesting.

Worst part: I wasn't a fan of most of the stories. I felt these authors were capable of better.

Best part: Johnson's story.

Grade: C-

Other Books by This Author: None together.

19 / 100 books. 19% done!

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

No spoilers.

Title: Clockwork Angel
Author: Cassandra Clare
Year of Publication: 2010
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Pages: 478
First Line: "The demon exploded in a shower of ichor and guts."
Summary: When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks, and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, who are members of a secret organization called the Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by -- and torn between -- two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keeps everyone in his life at arm's length. . .everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . .and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

Source: Back/Inside of book

Review: Well, this book to me way longer to read than it should have. I don't know if it was because a lack of interest or what, but I read the original three of this series much faster. (For those who don't know, Clare is doing something like Star Wars did, where she released three modern day novels about a world and is now releasing books that are a sort of prequel but aren't super necessary to the plot of the other set and vice versa.) This novel was hard to follow, and I was not particularly drawn to any of the characters (except, maybe slightly, Jem and Will -- but that's to be expected). I did find the mentions of ancestors of characters in the original three novels interesting, but there was nothing significant. I'm not sure if I will bother with the next book in this series. While I did like the original three, I'm finding this one just not up to par.

Worst part: The book dragged on and on and on and on. . . .

Best part: Jem's situation, which is explained towards the end, is really interesting.

Grade: C-

Other Books by This Author: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass

18 / 100 books. 18% done!

Trapped by Michael Northrop

No spoilers.

Title: Trapped
Author: Michael Northrop
Year of Publication: 2011
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 232
First Line: "We were the last seven kids waiting around to get picked up from Tattawa Regional High School."
Summary: Scotty and his friends Pete and Jason are among the last seven kids at their high school waiting to get picked up that day, and they soon realize that no one is coming for them. Still, it doesn't seem so bad to spend the night at school, especially with distractingly hot Krista and Julie are sleeping just down the hall. But then the power goes out, then the heat. The pipes freeze, and the roof shudders. As the days add up, the snow piles higher, and the empty halls grow colder and darker, the mounting pressure forces a devastating decision. . . .

Source: Back/Inside of book

Review: This book was harder to read emotionally than I expected it to be. I don't know if this is because I lived through the ice storm of '08 and a bunch of other bad snow-related weather, but it was kind of rough in spots. The book does not have a "14 & up" note or anything, but if you are a younger teen, it might be wise to hold of on reading this, especially if you don't handle tough stuff and pressure well. That said, it was mostly well-written and Northrop did a good job of making the reader attached to some characters and less so to others, which makes the ending easier. That said, the very ending, I felt, was inconclusive and did not really resolve the entire plot. This is a sort of near-miss book. I almost really liked it, just not quite. It might be different for others, though, so it may be worth a read for you.

Worst part: Some of the stuff did not really make sense, logistically. It was nothing glaringly obvious, but something did not quite fit, which was frustrating. Plus the inconclusive ending was annoying.

Best part: The idea for this really interested me, being a native New Englander myself. (I don't know that it's super original, given the amount of "apocalyptic" YA fiction right now [Life As We Knew It, The Dead and the Gone, Gone, Lies, Plague, etc.])

Grade: C+

Other Books by This Author: Gentlemen

17 / 100 books. 17% done!

Gamer Girl by Mari Mancusi

No spoilers.

Title: Gamer Girl
Author: Mari Mancusi
Year of Publication: 2008
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 248
First Line: "Grandma's house was a study of crystal and glass and contained 1,153 unicorns."
Summary: Maddy's life: not so rockin'. Her parents split, she's stuck in a new, small town at a school full of Aberzombies and Haters, she has a crush on someone she really shouldn't like, and she's stuck with the nickname Freak Girl. Sometimes it's enough to retreat into her drawing -- her manga is totally important to her -- but when she gets Fields of Fantasy for her birthday, she knows she's found the one place she can be herself. In the game world, Maddy can transform from regular outcast high school student to Allora, a beautiful Elfin princess with magical powers to take down enemies with a snap of her fingers and a wave of her wand.

As Allora, Maddy's virtual life is perfect, and she even finds a little romance. But a real gamer girl understands that real life comes first -- Maddy can't escape from her IRL problems. She has to find ways to kick back at the Haters, rock her manga, and find the new, real-life friends she knows she deserves.

Source: Back/Inside of book

Review: (Apologies ahead of time for the short review -- my hands are freezing!) Like Mancusi's other novels, I was disappointed and somewhat offended by this book. Mancusi takes a very superficial view of all teenagers -- especially so-called "goths." While the main character claims to be anti-label, etc., she is in fact quite the opposite, calling herself at one point a "goth." She also basically says that having a major crush on Edward Cullen makes you a goth and also a punk rocker. (Sorry, Mancusi, Cullen =\= punk rock. Trust me. Go listen to the Clash or something.) She also does this in other novels I've read. One of the main plots of the story was so predictable, I had it figured out by page 30 or something, so, while I do like to "outsmart" authors, I felt cheated on this one. She didn't even make me chase it a little. That said, it was an interesting idea, but could have been executed much better. Also, it was incredibly annoying to have a character named Chad Murray, as I could not picture anyone but Chad Michael Murray.

Worst part: The superficiality and labeling, etc. was really annoying and, in some ways and cases, offensive (seriously, not all teenagers act like that and I know that my high school did not have some crazy hierarchy with cheerleaders and football studs at the top of the pyramid).

Best part: The idea was pretty interesting. I don't see a lot about MCs who are into manga and, while I'm not, I have friends who are so it's nice to see them represented.

Grade: D

Other Books by This Author: The Blood Coven Series, Razor Girl, Moongazer, News Blues, Karma Kitty Goes to Comic Con, and Zombiewood Confidential

16 / 100 books. 16% done!

Bitter End by Jennifer Brown

No spoilers.

Title: Bitter End
Author: Jennifer Brown
Year of Publication: 2011
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 356
First Line: "If I had to describe my best friend, Bethany, in one word, it would be persistent."
Summary: He'd never told me he loved me before.

Nobody had ever told me they loved me before.

When Alex falls for the charming new boy at school, Cole -- a handsome, funny sports star who adores her -- she can't believe she's finally found her soul mate...someone who truly loves and understands her.

At first, Alex is blissfully happy. Sure, Cole seems a little jealous of her relationship with her close friend Zack, but what guy would want his girlfriend spending all her time with another boy? As the months pass, though, Alex can no longer ignore Cole's small put-downs, pinches, and increasingly violent threats.

As Alex struggles to come to terms with the sweet boyfriend she fell in love with and the boyfriend whose "love" she no longer recognizes, she is forced to choose -- between her "true love" and herself.

Source: Back/Inside of book

Review: I am very often interested in books about teenage relationship abuse. I don't know why. Those that I have read on the subject so far have all been well written and this one is not an exception. I loved all the characters in the book and it was all written realistically. I found Bethany and Zack to be especially realistic with how they deal with Alex's situation. I also enjoyed the character of Alex's manager where she works. I don't know that I liked that she didn't have a mother, but this could just be because for the last four books I've reviewed, there was an orphan or half-orphan as the main character, so it feels incredibly cliche at this point. All-in-all I enjoyed this. It was a quick read and worth it.

Worst part: While I loved Zack, he was kind of an idiot.

Best part: I liked that Alex was a writer. I know that some authors avoid writing about writers because some people consider it "desperate" but I think they forget that a lot of their readers are writers and readers like to read about people like them, therefore they like to read about writers.

Grade: B+

Other Books by This Author: Hate List

15 / 100 books. 15% done!

Ivy by Julie Hearn

No spoilers.

Title: Ivy
Author: Julie Hearn
Year of Publication: 2008
Genre: Historical
Pages: 355
First Line: "When she was born her father took one look at her and spat into a corner."
Summary: Ivy is used to being overlooked. The youngest in a family of thieves, scoundrels, and roustabouts, the girl with the flame-colored hair and odd-colored eyes is declared useless by her father from the day she is born. But that's only if you look at her but don't see. Fore Ivy has a quality that makes people take notice. It's more than beauty -- and it draws people toward her.

Which makes her the perfect subject for an aspiring painter named Oscar Aretino Frosdick. Oscar is dtermined to make his mark on the art world, with Ivy as his model and muse. But behind Ivy's angelic looks lurk dark secrets and a troubled past -- a past that has given her an unfortunate addiction to a dangerous drug. And when treachery and jealousy surface in the Eden that is the artist's garden, Ivy must learn to be more than a pretty face if she is to survive.

Source: Back/Inside of book

Review: I was drawn into this book from the beginning but as it went on, I became less interested. Ivy's character is not very interesting. In fact, there are other characters I'd prefer the book to be centered on because they were more interesting than the main character. This, as you can imagine, as a failing. Despite that, the novel is written with an air of knowledge and it's clear that the research was well done for this historical novel. I appreciated this immensely as it is something I struggle with in my own writing. The dialect was fairly consistent, which helped to keep it from being jarring. The story was interesting but I think parts of the plot were kind of forgotten at different parts of the book and then ignored for the rest. The end was somewhat strange and kind of confusing. I was not really sure where the author got the idea to end it like that, as there was nothing leading up to it suggesting it would end that way and not in a good way.

Worst part: How the second half of the book had less quality than the first.

Best part: The idea was really interesting and I appreciated the note after the novel that explained where the idea came from.

Grade: C+

Other Books by This Author: The Minister's Daughter and Sign of the Raven

14 / 100 books. 14% done!