TeenZone Blog

Olus, gentle Akkan god of the winds, is in love with Kezi, a mortal who weaves rugs and loves to dance. There is just one thing standing in the way of their happy ending–in about a month, Kezi will be sacrificed to the god, Admat. In order to save Kezi, both she and Olus must face a series trials that will test their faith and courage. If they succeed, Kezi will become immortal like Olus and they can be together for eternity. If they fail, Kezi must die or her family will suffer.

The story is about more than the challenges the couple faces on the road to true love. It’s about facing your fears, seeing your true inner self, and so much more. If you’re looking for a good blend of romance, adventure, and suspense, I highly recommend Gail Carson Levine’s Ever. Fans of Ella enchanted, the Princess Tales series, and Fairest will definitely want to give this one a try.

The Looking Glass Wars is based on Lewis Carroll’s classic tale. In this story instead of going down the rabbit hole, Princess Alyss Heart comes UP to our world to escape her evil aunt, Redd Rose Heart until she’s strong enough to take back her throne. Returning to Wonderland won’t be easy, especially since she’s convinced herself that her previous life was just a dream. Is Alyss strong enough to defeat Redd?

The Looking Glass Wars is jam-packed with action and cool gadgets. Deadly playing card soldiers and a shape-shifting feline assassin are out to get Alyss. It’s a good thing she has people like Hatter Madigan (whose top hat can be flattened into a lethal throwing weapon) on her side. This book sucked me in from the first chapter. I definitely can’t wait to see what happens in the sequel, Seeing Redd!

A note to fellow future fans: I found this great interview with author Frank Beddor at Comic World News. I couldn’t believed he was a stunt double in one of my all time favorite flicks! You’ll have to read the article to find out more.

“Are you a gifted child looking for Special Opportunities?” Answering a newspaper ad that asks this very question sends Reynie on a path that begins with passing several mind-bending tests and ends with his recruitment into a very special group of children. His fellow recruits include a shy guy with a photographic memory, an ex-circus performer who never goes anywhere without her trusty bucket of stuff, and a girl who is very contrary. Their mission? To go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened and find out who has hijacked the airwaves to send subliminal messages to the world. It is sure to take all of their skill, daring, ingenuity, and bravery. Will they accomplish their task? I’m about halfway through the book and I can’t wait to find out!

If you are a fan of books like Chasing Vermeer, The Westing game or the Series of unfortunate events, you have to got to pick up The mysterious Benedict society!

Sorry, no “In the middle of it…” this week because I JUST FINISHED Epic by Conor Kostick!

In Erik’s world, everyone clips into Epic—a computer game that is also the government and economic system. If you win in Epic, the easier things will be for you in the real world. If you lose, your real world life also suffers. The rich and powerful become more rich and powerful, while the working class has to slave away to survive both in the game and in the real world. Erik is fed up with this imbalance of power. When his father is exiled, Erik wants to change the rules of the game. Determined to defeat the committee, Erik leads his friends on a quest that, if completed, will grant them with enough riches to make them unstoppable.

Believe it or don’t, I LOVE playing RPGs. So, when I started reading Conor Kostick’s Epic, I was hooked. Of course, if MY life depended on how well I did in a video game, I don’t think I’d get very far. (Hey, I never said I was GOOD. :)) Gamers will sympathize when Erik groans at the tedious task of fighting low level monsters for piddling copper coins while rebels will cheer the Osterfjord players on as they challenge the authority.

The best part is Saga, the sequel is in stores now! Look for it in the library soon!

Okay, I have a confession to make. I’m deceiving you. I’m ALMOST FINISHED with this book…not in the middle of it as implied. But that just shows you how riveting it is.

Battle for Skandia picks up where The icebound land leaves off. I can’t write any more about it without giving it all away so I’ll just say this: Ranger’s Apprentice fans, you’ll LOVE it. It’s chock full of battles, . If you haven’t read any of this series, you may be a little lost so I recommend starting withThe ruins of Gorlan.