In the medieval and fantastic realm of Tortall, Keladry of Mindelan (known as Kel) is the first girl to take advantage of the decree that permits females to train for knighthood.

This is not the first book in Tamora Pierce’s fantasy world Tortall, but it is the first book of her’s that I ever picked up. Looking at my bookshelf now, there are twenty-six others that sit beside it. 

Keladry instantly became one of my favourite role models in fiction. Strong, composed, and in control of herself Kel always defends what she believes in. Her beliefs are noble and conscientious. She stands up for those who can’t- or don’t stand up for themselves, and always makes an effort to be kind. On top of that she is strong, determined, and committed. Her example of hard work, even when you don’t really want to, is something I continue to aspire to achieve. 

First Test is an excellent introduction of Keladry as a character. The story of her first year as a page reveals the type of battles Kel will continue to fight as she grows an matures. Always concerned with the underdog and stopping bullies, she makes a lasting impression on everyone she works with. Within the isolated group of pages she solidifies the value of equality that will be her defining characteristic as she becomes more politically involved with the realm in the following books. 

The obstacle driving much of Pierce’s work is that of females wanting to do something that is typically a male occupation. Upon reflection, the complete disregard her characters have for gender stereotypes was probably heavily influential in my adoption of the same ideology. 

Pierce has also created some of my favourite supporting characters in this series. The boys Kel completes her page training with are an interesting cast. As well, one of my favourite features of Pierce’s writing is the presence of characters from former novels. As time passes in Tortall, the story of the realm is told through the eyes of a new character. In each new series, though, the previous characters are still integral. I love being able to follow the storyline of previous favourite characters into new books. 

If you enjoy fantasy and haven’t discovered Tamora Pierce yet, it is definitely not too late and I expect you’ll love it. 

“It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened.”

Thus opens this haunting novel in which a boy inhabits a seemingly ideal world: a world without conflict, poverty, unemployment, divorce, injustice, or inequality. It is a time in which family values are paramount, teenage rebellion is unheard of, and even good manners are a way of life.

December is the time of the annual Ceremony at which each twelve year old receives a life assignment determined by the Elders. Jonas watches his friend Fiona named Caretaker of the Old and his cheerful pal Asher labeled the Assistant Director of Recreation. But Jonas has been chosen for something special. When his selection leads him to an unnamed man -the man called only the Giver -he begins to sense the dark secrets that underlie the fragile perfection of his world.

Told with deceptive simplicity, this is the provocative story of a boy who experiences something incredible and undertakes something impossible. In the telling it questions every value we have taken for granted and reexamines our most deeply held beliefs.

I first read this book in my grade 6 English class at the choosing of one of my favourite English teachers. I didn’t realize at the time, but I think she was quite influential in developing my appreciation and need for books. The Giver was not my introduction to Lois Lowry, however. I had read Number the Stars the year before, and loved it as well. Since, I have read Messenger and Gathering Blue multiple times and am beyond excited to read her fourth instalment, Son. The Giver has remained my favourite of Lowry’s novels to date. 

I ripped through the book, finishing it in about a day during a very busy Christmas season. It had been a while since having read fiction geared towards as young an audience as The Giver is, but I enjoyed the story and the story telling all the same. Lowry is excellent at dropping readers into the midst of a world they know nothing about and revealing key details just in time to allow you to understand what’s happening, but keep you guessing what could possibly come next. 

I remember the book seeming much longer the first time I read it, perhaps because many of the ideas and the concept of dystopian fiction was entirely new to me at the time. My eyes were certainly opened to many new concepts of government, choice, rights and responsibility the first time I read the novel. My most recent read found me particularly focused on the idea of truth; what qualifies as truth, when it should be told, when it should be with held, and the power and responsibility that comes with the truth. 

One of my favourite things about rereading books is the experience of going back and finding a new detail that hadn’t stood out to you before. The Giver was a comfortable and familiar book that was still able to challenge my opinions. Jonas’s story is easy to read and his experiences allow one to see aspects of our lives- that are taken for granted, through a fresh pair of eyes. 

It is always a pleasure to read Lois Lowry’s work and I recommend this book for anyone as young as grade 5, and any and every age older. 

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

Maggie Stiefvater is no stranger to fantasy and has written some of my favourites of the genre. In The Scorpio Races however, she perfectly melds fantasy with reality in a way that had me reconsidering if it could actually be a true story. Stiefvater keeps the book deeply rooted in reality while still creating a sense of the truly magical on the isolated island where much of the story takes place. She creates the small town atmosphere with a familiar cast of characters who still believe in myth and magic, the kind of town one hopes to find in an old European country.

The novel is based on the legends of the eich uisce- the Celtic water horse. I usually stick to stories of your straightforward oddly beautiful, tricking, lying, dancing faeries so I was not familiar with the history of these creatures. Stiefvater reveals the mythology of her world slowly, not to the detriment of the plot though. Information is revealed on a need-to-know basis and adds to the aura of mystery the novel exudes. The very first line in the book is what drew me in as I scanned the pages at Indigo:

“It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die.”

I was hooked from this line, which is narrated to the reader from one of the main characters Sean. The story is told from alternating perspectives, a steadfast Sean and a spunky Puck. Both live in the small island but have little contact at the start of the novel. 

Their stories intersect and the characters get to know each other in the same slow manor in which everything in this book is paced. As Puck is determined to get to know the water horses it is no surprise that she eventually crosses paths with the islands water horse expert- Sean. Their relationship begins tentatively and grows naturally over the course of the novel. 

Puck and Sean are my two favourite characters that Stiefvater has created to date. They are the kind of characters you hold on to after the book is finished. I feel like they are as real as any other person I would meet on the street, their lives, their choices and their flaws are aspects that I embrace and love. 

You can read the first chapter for free on Maggie’s website: http://maggiestiefvater.com/the-scorpio-races/

You’d think being a Prince in a vast intergalactic empire would be about as good as it gets. Particularly when Princes are faster, smarter, and stronger than normal humans. Not to mention being mostly immortal.

But it isn’t as great as it sounds. Princes need to be hard to kill-as Khemri learns the minute he becomes one-for they are always in danger. Their greatest threat? Other Princes. Every Prince wants to become Emperor, and the surest way to do so is to kill, dishonor, or sideline any potential competitor. There are rules, but as Khemri discovers, rules can be bent and even broken.

Soon Khemri is drawn into the hidden workings of the Empire and dispatched on a secret mission. In the ruins of space battle he meets a young woman called Raine, who challenges his view of the Empire, of Princes, and of himself.

But Khemri is a Prince, and even if he wanted to leave the Empire behind, there are forces that have very definite plans for his future. 

“My test of a good novel is dreading to begin the last chapter” - Thomas Helm.

I found this quote on my dashboard the other day and it has stuck with me as I’ve been thinking about books and finishing up this last read. I haven’t decided if I agree with Thomas, but if you are willing to accept his theory than A Confusion of Princes is certainly a good book. 

It is definitely far more Sci-fi than anything else I have been reading lately. The futuristic world that Khem lives in is very well developed by the end of the story. Nix reveals elements of the world slowly as the novel unfolds but I never felt overwhelmed or confused by the technology, government or social structure. Nix gives the reader exactly how much they need to understand while keeping curiosity piqued. 

I really enjoyed his concept of Bitech, Psitech and Mektech; the evolution and development of these technologies seems believable as well. Two aspects of the Empire that I might have liked more explanation on were the priests- their appointment and role, as well as the role of humans- mind programmed vs free humans. 

As Khem explores the Empire readers do get to see life from the perspective of free humans as well as the perspective of Princes. However, the story began to run out of pages and I knew there would not be enough time to explore the relationship between mind programmed humans and free humans, or even learn more of what humans thought on the matter. 

Not only did I dread the end of the book because I wanted to learn more about the dynamics of Khem’s world, I also wanted more from the characters we had already met. The cast of characters that readers develop a relationship is quite small, this is in part due to Khems limited ability to form relationships with individuals. Nevertheless, I did grow quite fond of Haddad and would have enjoyed learning more of his story. 

A Confusion of Princes was a nice, quick read- perfect for getting me back into Science Fiction with much less Fantasy. 

Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. but there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

Since its publication, Stephen Chbosky’s haunting debut novel has received critical acclaim, provoked discussion and debate, grown into a cult phenomenon with over a million copies in print, and inspired a major motion picture.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a story about what it’s like to travel that strange course through the uncharted territory of high school. the world of first dates, family dramas, and new friends. of sex, drugs, and the Rocky Horror Picture Show, where all you need is that perfect son on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

I borrowed this from a friend around 5 months ago and have just got around to reading it. To be honest, it was only because Emma Watson is in the movie that I read it. I am quite glad to have done so though. 

I was sceptical about the book because it isn’t my usual genre and way the story is told (epistolary) made me wary also. It turned out that the letters helped create a really strong voice for Charlie. Often first person narratives stray a bit from the view of the narrator because the author wants to describe something more thoroughly or with more flare than the character would. The letters kept everything we learn strictly from Charlie’s point of view. They also very clearly show the maturation Charlie undergo’s throughout the story as his writing improves and vocabulary expands.

Chbosky creates an immediately likeable character in Charlie. He is endearing and innocent and naive. Instantly popular with readers, not so much with his peers. Seeing the world through Charlie’s eyes and learning about how he is treated and the fate of his friend Michael and watching how Charlie treats people really made me re-examine my behaviour toward others. I found myself discouraged that Charlie was so kind, caring, observant and compassionate without fail. That is, however, until he does fall and I was reminded that we do all slip up and sometimes we are mean or rude but dwelling on this doesn’t help anyone. Remember, learn, do better, be better.

The ending of the story was a complete shock to me. In retrospect though, I am surprised I didn’t see it coming. Charlie talks at length about how a child who has been beaten by their father will either grow up to be exactly the same or exactly the opposite. The trend of turning into your parents, even when their behaviour has wronged you so, is noticed by Charlie again and again. I almost feel that I knew, just as Charlie did, the truth of the situation but refused to acknowledge it. I think Charlie may also have been afraid to see the link in the system with himself. If his aunt (a previous victim) turned into the villain, who is to say the same won’t happen to Charlie as well. 

I think this book is a must-read for all teenagers and adults alike. While at times I found it a bit difficult to believe that one individual could experience so much, especially so many horrible things. However, all the events are entirely realistic and possible and many teens face the same situations all around the world today. Though I have only experience but a sliver of the hardship Charlie faces I feel my understanding of other upbringings and family dynamics has improved. I am confident I can add this book to the list of those that have changed my behaviour or perceptions for the better.

“You can’t touch me,” I whisper. I’m lying, is what I don’t tell him. He can touch me, is what I’ll never tell him. But things happen when people touch me. Strange things. Bad things. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal, but The Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon.But Juliette has plans on her own. After a lifetime without freedom, she’s finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time and to find a future with the one boy she thought she’d lost forever.

There was a post floating around tumblr that was half a page of text and one of the most chilling quotes I’ve ever read:

I spent my life folded between the pages of books.
In the absence of human relationships I formed bonds with paper characters. I lived love and loss through stories threaded in history; I experienced adolescence by association. My world is one interwoven web of words, stringing limb to limb, bone to sinew, thoughts and images all together. I am a being comprised of letters, a character created by sentences, a figment of imagination formed through fiction.

I had no idea what the book was about, but after reading this I needed to get my hands on it. When I looked it up online it was described as a mix between The Hunger Games and a superhero movie. So last night I drove to Chapters and picked it up right before they closed. Less than 24 hours later the book has been devoured. 

To be honest, I would not describe it as a mix between The Hunger Games and a superhero movie. I believe the potential for this hybrid novel is there, but Shatter Me is not that novel. The focus of the story is undoubtedly the relationship between Juliette and Adam. This left me disappointed for a short time but I have reconciled myself to it in anticipation for the sequel. 

I have also come to terms with the fact that an action superhero story may not be what Mafi was trying to tell. Rather than opening guns blazing with information on the Re-establishment government, the underground Omega movement, the psychotic leader Warner or the presence of X-men mutants (for lack of a better description) this story focuses on the transformation of one individual. Juliette narrates the story almost in the form of a journal so we are privy to not only what’s going on- as relayed in first person, but also her innermost thoughts- that are included in strikeout. 

We first meet her on the edge of a psychotic break, after having been in prison for years. The rest of the novel follows her growth. From a weak, insecure individual who feared herself as much as those who imprisoned her Juliette gradually accepts her strength and herself. Adam is instrumental in this transformation but Juliette maintains her independence as their relationship grows. 

At first I was itching for more and more of the fantastic elements of the world; more action, more super powers, more revolution. After finishing the novel, though, I feel the pace at which Juliette developed is perfect and I am glad it wasn’t rushed. The passion between Adam and Juliette will definitely keep any reader interested until the end. And when the last few chapters do come around Mafi turns Juliette’s world upside down, taking the readers with her, as we are whacked with more information about her world than in the entire book previous. I agonized through the last few pages because I could see the Acknowledgements coming but I wanted more of the story. Shatter Me ends with Juliette as a total badass superhero with the tools for a revolution and a whole host of new characters I can’t wait to learn more about. 

EXILED from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland—known as The Death Shop—are slim. If the cannibals don’t get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She’s been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He’s wild—a savage—and her only hope of staying alive.

A HUNTER for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile—everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria’s help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must learn to accept one another to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

Is anyone surprised that this was a dystopian novel? I’d been picking up and putting down this book for the past few months until I finally found room in my monthly budget to bring it home. 

Rossi jumps right into the action with the protagonists life being turned upside down within the first three chapters and there is no hint of the book slowing down until the very end. The pace of the book is a bit surprising in hindsight; most scenes contain only two or three characters, physical battles are short-lived and usually hand-to-hand combat, their journeys occur on foot over weeks of time, and yet the pages fly by, not once leaving me bored

Aria and Perry are the only characters I feel I know after having finished the book. Even them, however, I don’t feel I know as well as I do Katniss or Fire or Hadley. I can’t put my finger on the reason for this. I love their personalities. Aria’s inquisitive nature won me over early on when her close-mindedness was making her stubborn. Perry’s sensitivity and compassion despite being the subject of so much hate was humbling. The progress of their relationship was never rushed and felt genuine. As characters I think they will grace the list of favourites, but will never be held as close to my heart as some others.

Their world reminds me some of James Dashner’s in The Maze Runner Series. The Flares and Ather storms being comparable as well as the flare disease and DLS. One of my favourite parts of Rossi’s world is the presence of heightened senses and the way she develops those far past what one might expect from keen hearing or smell. The presence of these heightened senses in the main characters allows Rossi to create exceptionally vivid scenes and interactions between Aria and Perry.

The book doesn’t leave me questioning styles of government, or the role of religion in society as some of the other YA dystopia fiction has done lately. It is most certainly more a story of two individuals who help each other to grow and discover aspects of their person that had been hidden before. 

In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she’s spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It’s there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she’s never heard before … and her secret is almost exposed.

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can’t be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country’s only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.

This was another book on my YA dystopian binge and while it doesn’t really stand out, it doesn’t disappoint either. The Pledge takes place in a future where people name their children in rememberance of old cities which are now referred to as numbered zones. The protagonist, Charlie, is not named after the old world but her best friend proudly wears the name Brooklyn. 

It is this one piece of information that throws off the logic of Derting’s world for me. After having grounded the story in reality the strong presence of magic throughout the rest of story requires more of a suspension of disbelief than I was prepared to give. It appears that magic is passed down through the daughters of the royal line (of which there are several in existence) which is why there must be a legitimate Queen on the throne. There is no explanation as to where the magic originates from, however, nor any indication that it existed when Brooklyn was still a borough in NYC. To solve this problem while reading I just remind myself that I believe in magic anyway so there’s no problem. 

The rest of the plot includes an corrupt Queen, an underground resistance, a member of the royal family who sympathises with the lower class, and a Queen whose royal lineage has been kept secret. It has the all the makings of an action packed revolution with a side of romance. 

With only fifty pages left in the book though, I found myself wondering how on earth the conflict would be wrapped up by the time I hit the back cover. While Derting introduces Charlie and the readers to the underground world of the revolution slowly, the actual overthrowing of the Queen occurs in the blink of an eye. I did like the use of language to emphasis the distinction and separation between classes. As the revolution unfolds there is little planning or discussion of consequences. This could be because there was very little immediate threat to individuals, except Charlie and her family. In that respect I admired the revolutionaries who desired to overthrow the Queen just because they knew she was wrong and corrupt. 

The end of the story felt like it was a story. It wasn’t very realistic, everything went according to plan and was tied off with a neat bow. I’m not complaining because I love a happy ending. The romance between Charlie and Max was cute and good prevailed over evil. It was a nice, quick and easy read that I have actually already re-read because I was in the mood for that kind of book. 

Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle—disguised and alone—to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.

Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart.

Kristin Cashore is one of my favourite authors and I was beyond excited to get my hands on this book when May 1st rolled around. One of my favourite moments when reading a new book is the moment you realize you don’t want to put the book down. It’s the moment you become invested in a character or desperate to find out what happens next. With Bitterblue this moment occurred just four pages in. 

This is no doubt due to my previous familiarity with Bitterblue as a character and the world in which she lives. Cashore doesn’t waste any time reviewing the events of Graceling before diving into the plot of Bitterblue. Having read Graceling a number of times this wasn’t a problem for me, but I do wonder if a reader could pick up Bitterblue and enjoy it as much without having read Graceling or Fire as well. 

There is a whole cast of new characters introduced in Bitterblue and old characters that we come to know in much greater detail so there is certainly no shortage of characters to grow fond of even without the full back story of some of the recurring characters. Readers are introduced to these new characters in the midst of secrets, lies, half-truths and doubt that often left me frustrated and desperately wanting just an ounce of definite fact to ground the story in. The intricate web of puzzles that start out as a ball of yarn with too many ends neatens up as we uncover the truth with Bitterblue. 

One of the things that makes the book impossible to put down is how confusing it becomes at times. Cashore wastes no time spelling out the plot or over simplifying a discovery. The narrative clips along which is more than welcome because as soon as you piece together one bit of information all you want is the next piece and hope it will bring you just a bit closer to understanding what is happening in Monsea. 

Nothing is ever stagnant as the book progresses. Each bit of truth uncovered adds to the tapestry of history- expanding it, as well as changing the position of characters you already know. Every single character shifts on the scale of good and bad, right and wrong, justified and thoughtless, kind and cruel. This constant shift demonstrates the importance of understanding, tolerance and forgiveness. No character is wholly good or bad, excepting- of course, King Leck. 

Cashore has successfully created one of the most disturbing villains I have ever read. Usually, I’ve found bad guys in film to be more frightening, but Leck wins- hands down. Everything about him is disturbing, right down to the manor in which Bitterblue discovers the truth about his activities. There was more than one occasion where I had to shut the book and walk away. Leck was evil and the time and space that his evil was able to infect is monstrously unsettling. 

I loved everything about this book, the politics addressed, the relationships, the emotional and psychological struggles, the tie in from Cashore’s other two books, the way every character comes together in the end to compliment and support each other. 

The book ends on a more uplifting note than I felt Graceling or Fire did, but it is also the only book of the three that really left me wanting a direct sequel. With Graceling I was satisfied where Katsa and Po were left. With Fire I was so happy for Fire and the Dells that I didn’t need anything more from them. When I finally got to the last page of Bitterblue though, my first thought was: “what’s next?”

The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials-engineered organic beings identical to humans-has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out.

Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic-in-training, is on the front lines of this battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws have pushed what”s left of humanity to the brink of civil war, and she”s not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will find that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them-connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew were there.

To start things off: I liked this book. It’s got quite a few negative reviews though, to my surprise. There’s not anything too radical about the book, it’s your run of the mill dystopian novel, but that is exactly what I was looking for. I’m definitely on a dystopian book kick right now, and I love it, and I love how much is out there for me to read. But what does set this book apart from all the others?

Strangely enough, it is the characteristic many others have had a problem with. Several reviews claimed that the cast of characters was confusing; there were too many different groups and it was hard to tell who was the good guy and who was the bad guy. This was one of my favourite parts of the story. The Senate, the Voice, humans who don’t live in East Meadows, the Partials- are there different groups of Partials? After getting just over halfway into the book there was no good guy, no single group had all the answers or was fully justified in their methods. Characters weren’t definable either. Haru, for example, was someone I liked at the beginning of the book. He certainly had his flaws. He was a bit extreme but he was still a loving, passionate and determined individual and I respected him. As the story progresses we see him reduced to these core traits, but also see how these blind him and interfere with his ability to rationally make decisions. 

Kira is one of the most independent characters I’ve read, she is rational, open-minded, idealistic and brave. I do wish that Wells had used her to make the loss of life that was the price of their rebellion more heavily felt. The action was certainly the focus of the story. As a result the supporting characters were not so well developed that, as a reader, you are as emotionally invested in the loss of a character. The deaths of those close to Kira, as well as the other civilians, could have weighed more heavily on her mind to stress the terrible cost of revolution. However, this could have been a downfall to Kira’s rational thinking, which does acknowledge that people will die before things get better. 

The other aspect of the story that sets it apart is the amount of political discussion that Kira participates in. As a talented scientist she attends several meetings of the Senate and we are privy to the inner workings of the Totalitarian, almost military government. These meetings would have frustrated me but Kira reacts with the exact amount of disbelief and rage that I’d hope. She doesn’t sit idly by either, but speaks her mind even when severely outranked. This level of political discussion witnessed-not only from the Senate, but also the Voice and the Partials- reveals how delicate the balance of power is and how difficult it is to make the right decision for the most amount of people. 

Partials is not overly original in concept but is action packed and thorough in it’s depiction of revolution. I have no idea when the sequel is set to be released but it is definitely not soon enough.