Leviathan

Leviathan is a book by Scott Westerfeld. It is a Historical fiction with some fantasy in it because of the mythical creatures in it. It is about a Serbian prince named Alecxandar, and his story of on the run because he is a fugitive from the "Clankers" who are the enemies of the Darwinists. A quote by Alec is "How can you live with these crazy beasts every day?"

I would recommend this book to all who like fanstasy and those who like a page turner, there is a second book in this series, called Behemoth. I loved it and cannot wait for the next one to come out.

I was able to read the book Saving Kristen. It is about a small town girl from Idaho who moves to California to start college. She keeps to herself most of the time until she meets a boy named Chad. Chad becomes Kristen's good friend and she has total trust in him. What Kristen doesn't know is what he does with his buddies when he is not with her. He is able to keep such a big secret away from her but at the same time he is able to make her fall head over heels for him!
In the book I noticed something said by chad, he said, "... if you wait long enough, there's always an opportunity." I like the meaning behind this and how it will be helpful!

This book is definitely one of my favorites which is saying something because I am not a big reader. I would not put this book down especially the farther I got towards the end. I loved loved loved this book and I would definitely read it over and over again. Five stars for sure!

Uglies

"In a world of extreme beauty, anyone who is normal is Ugly"
I have been reading this book called Uglies. It is about a girl named Tally who lives in Uglyville. When Uglies turn 16, they get an operation that makes them "Pretty". They live in Prettytown and play all day. Tally meets a girl named Shay that doesn't want to be pretty. Shay runs away to a place called The Smoke. Tally can't decide if she wants to turn pretty or stay an ugly for the rest of her life. What does she do next? Well you will have to read the book to find out!

I highly recommend this book. 5 stars!

Christmas break reads

I was able to read three great YA adult books over the Christmas break. Earlier in December I started reading Dark Life. Ty lives with his parents and sister in an underwater colony. Because of global warming and the rising sea levels there is not a lot of land left. Ty meets Gemma, who has come from the "topside, to find her brother. When they meet, Gemma thinks Ty is a ghost. "You're glowing." she accused. "I'm not glowing. It's called a shine. It comes from eating bioluminescent fish". Together they embark on an adventure and run into outlaws that used to just rob the government shipments, but now have begun terrorizing the locals. Ty discovers that the outlaws have special undersea abilities and wonders what Gemma would think if she discovered he has some of his own.

Don't let the cover deceive you, this is a great read that combines a dystopian novel (such as Hunger Games) with elements similar to the Wild West.


Next I read Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (a graduate of Lone Peak).
Evie is a teenager who works for the Paranormal Containment Agency because she can see through the "glamours" of other paranormals. Now someone is killing the paranormals, and Evie may be connected somehow because of a mysterious fairy prophecy. Amidst these problems she is falling in love with a shape-shifter who broke into the agency while trying to figure out who is behind the killings. Evie finally gets her wish to attend a normal high school with Lend, the shape-shifter. "So, is it everything you imagined?" he asked. "Seriously, this whole place--it's incredible! I can't believe you get to do this every day!"

Evie is a strong character who reminds me a little of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This story is unique and highly recommended for those who enjoy the paranormal genre.

Lastly I read Matched by Ally Condie, a local author.


The Officials of the Society decide everything what to eat, how long to work out, when you can enjoy recreational activities, and even who you'll be matched with or marry. Cassia is thrilled when he friend Xander is chosen as her match, but then when she is reviewing the info on her screen at home another face appears--that of Ky Markham, a boy who came to town from the Outer Provinces. Cassia has to decide is she is going to take the path chosen for her and forge a new one and accept the consequences of defying the Society.

"Lying in bed, my body and soul bruised and tired, I realize that the Officials are right. Once you want something, everything changes. Now I want everything. More and more and more. I want to pick my work position. Marry who I choose. Eat pie for breakfast and run down a real street instead of on a tracker. Go fast when I want and slow when I want. Decide which poems I want to read and what words I want to write. There is so much that I want. I feel it so much that I am water, a river of want, pooled in the shape of a girl named Cassia."

I loved the book and am anxiously awaiting the next in the series. (It's planned to be a trilogy). If you love dystopian novels with a little mystery and romance this is the book for you.

The Alchemyst

I recently read a book called The Alchemyst.  It is written by Michael Scott.  The main characters are Josh and Sophie Newman.  They are teenagers living with a relative because their parents are archaeologists on a dig.  While working, Sophie sees some mysterious figures in overcoats and a man with them that has a gray face.  They walk into the bookstore where Josh works.  When a magical fight breaks out in the store between Josh's boss, Nick Flemming and the man with the gray face, Sophie and Josh know the secret of Nick Flemming: Nick Flemming is really Nicholas Flamel.  Since the evil man with the gray face knows who they are Nicholas has to take them into hiding with him and must train them. "All he knew was that for the first time in their lives, they were different in ways he could not even begin to comprehend." If you enjoy mythology, mystery, and battle this is a must-read!

Annexed

Annexed by Sharon Dogar is the story made famous by Anne Frank, but from Peter's point of view. This is a fictional story since we don't have a written record of Peter's feelings. Peter's family joined the Franks in hiding during WWII. At the beginning of the story Peter is very sad because he saw his girlfriend Liese and her family being taken right before his family goes into hiding. He misses her and regrets not doing something to stop it from happening. Peter is unhappy about hiding and sulks in his room, however he enjoys being in attic by himself with his cat. At first Anne really bugs him, but later he learns to enjoy her company and really like her. While talking to Anne Peter said, "I like the idea of being responsible for my actions, not the whole race's. Is that so wrong?" This shows how Peter feels about being Jewish during the Holocaust. The Franks, the Van Pels, and Dr. Pfeffer live in hiding for two years and two months before they are captured and sent to the camps.

You would like this book if you enjoyed the story about Anne Frank and want to read the story from a different point of view, or even if you're curious about the Holocaust. I enjoyed reading this story, but I was bothered reading a fictional book about a real person who really didn't live that long ago. We're not really sure what he thought or what he said because he didn't keep a diary like Anne. Sadly I suppose there isn't any family left to prove otherwise.

Gone

Gone is a book about a city in California called Perdido Beach where all the people over fifteen disappear at exactly the same time. The kids there are scared, worried, and have no idea what to do. At times like these there is always some one who steps forward and takes charge. In this case it's a fourteen year old boy named Sam. After a day or two Sam starts to worry about being leader. Kids from Coats, a school for troubled kids, come down from their school to take over. As people and animals start to mutate kids get strange powers and animals go weird, like flying snakes and talking coyotes. But when they find out Caine a boy from Coats is the most powerful he takes over the beach and changes the way it is run. My favorite line in this book is "kill me or let me go" Lana says this to a pack of coyotes that captured her. You would like this book if you like books with lots adventure and mystery.