Graphic Pick: The Witch Boy

The Witch Boy
by Molly Knox Ostertag
graphic novel; full color illustrations
Graphix
2017
224 pages
ISBN: 9781338089523

Masterful illustrations by debut author Molly Knox Ostertag position The Witch Boy to be the graphic darling of 2018. The late 2017 publication date insure that this title will be considered for both years.

Aster's family has always taught their daughters and girls magic. It is the rule. When Aster shows his interest, he is berated and bullied by his male relatives and chastised by his female relatives. Aster is headstrong and actually shows a penchant for "girl's" magic. He has not yet been able to see his shape. Boys in his family are shapeshifter, yet Aster has not had any luck realizing his shape. Then two of his boy cousins disappear and the family worries that a dangerous spirit may be at work. It may be up to Aster to discover his cousins' plight and rescue them from an evil entity. For him to be successful, he'll have to embrace magic and find his power.

The Witch Boy  and Aster embrace the differences in children. Aster won't accept his family's social norms and he breaks them. By breaking out, he is able to save his cousins, show his family that he is normal and show them that different is okay.

Recommended grade 4 and up.

Fantasy Romance Adventure Pick: Rebel of the Sands

Rebel of the Sands
by Alwyn Hamilton
Viking
2016
314 pages
ISBN: 9780451477538

Editorial Reviews

Review

Raves for REBEL OF THE SANDS:* “Romantic, thrilling, hilarious, and just plain great fun.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* “This atmospheric fantasy combines magic, mythology, and the Wild West to create a riveting tale...an exciting, romantic adventure that is unique and all its own.”—Booklist, starred review

* “If the best of the Old West and the coolest parts of Arabian Nights had a baby who then rebelled by going steampunk, the result would be this gem of a book.”—BCCB, starred review

* “Readers will be drawn into the story and won’t want to put this book down.”—School Library Connections, starred review

“Rebel of the Sands is a winning bit of storytelling, as well as a homage to storytelling itself. It evokes such disparate influences — 1,001 Arabian Nights, Hindu lore and Navajo myth, as well as, inevitably, the triumvirate of Tolkien, Lucas and Rowling — that at times you wonder whether Hamilton can pull it all off. She can. She has circled a spot on the map and claimed it for her own.”—The New York Times Book Review

“Debut author Hamilton combines elements of Western and Middle Eastern civilization and lore with her own mythology, crafting an enticing, full-bodied story . . .  successfully mingles romance with thrilling stakes, and hints at a welcome sequel.”—Publishers Weekly“A perfect combination of American Westerns and Arabian myths . . . Fans of Sarah Maas and Victoria Aveyard should give this one a try.” —VOYA

“Rebel of the Sands is vivid, romantic, and wildly entertaining. You will cheer for Amani the whole way as she escapes the bonds of oppression and finds her own power, and you will mark your calendar for the sequel.”—Rae Carson, bestselling author of the Fire & Thorns trilogy

“Buckle up for a wild ride! Rebel of the Sands is a stunning debut full of irresistible energy, heart-stopping action, and a new voice that sings.”—Alison Goodman, New York Times bestselling author of Eon and Eona

As sweeping as the sands of time, the epic story of Amani Al'Hiza and the kingdom of Miraji, will excite and delight scores of readers. Amani refuses to be pigeon holed as just a lowly girl in this male dominated  kingdom. Amani can shoot a gun better than any man. She is fierce and a fighter, competitive in every aspect of her being. She longs for escape from the small and backward desert outpost of Dustwalk. Its sad shops and even sadder people are stifling.

Hoping to win a shooting match, Amani disguises herself as a boy and enters (I think, give a girl a gun, and I'm in). It is soon clear that even if she wins, the crowd of betters and thugs will never let her escape with her winnings. It's down to three competitors. The blue eyed Bandit (Amani), a handsome foreigner, and a very drunk, very loud behemoth. Amani and the newcomer make a deal to throw the game and the house will still pay them and the drunk will win. An epic brawl breaks out with Amani and the man fleeing.

Now penniless, Amani doesn't know what to do. The gods are smiling upon her when a Buraqi enters her village. If she is able to catch the magic beast, she can use it to escape and later sell it at a huge profit. Amani and Jin escape the town and the Sultan's forces by train, This is the first leg of their journey which will test their strength and spirit.

Secrets will be revealed and old magic will come alive as Amani and Jin manage to keep each other alive and on the move. Vivid world building and breakneck action will keep readers turning the pages. Think Arabian Nights and  epic western. Some may find the foreign names a bit of a mouthful, but like Russian novels, if you can get past the names, the story is intense.

Highly recommended grade 8-up. Mature situations.

FTC Required Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

A Different Kind of Paranormal Thriller: Shift

Shift
by
Em Bailey
Egmont
2012
304 pages

Available May 22, 2012

Complex and taut, creepily compelling, chillingly engrossing and highly, wickedly entertaining, Shift is a solid page turner that will have teens reading into the wee hours of the morning. It was impossible to put this book down once I had started reading it. From the first page, Em Bailey intrigues the reader with:

"There were two things everyone knew about Miranda Vaile before she'd even started at our school. The first was that she had no parents--they were dead. And the second? They were dead because Miranda had killed them."

Instantly, the reader wants to know: why? How did the parents die? Why did she kill them? Just who is she anyway? The truth is: Miranda is a mesmerizing and enigmatic femme fatale who can "shift" into anyone she wants to become. Olive begins to believe that Miranda is a shape shifter, someone who can become the "host" that they choose--the shifter begins sucking the life force of the host--like a parasite--until the host dies and the shifter becomes stronger each time.

Vulnerable loner Olive watches in horror and sick fascination as Miranda becomes Katie--the popular and cute girl all the other girls seem to follow around. Katie starts losing weight and looking pale; soon Katie gets sick and is hospitalized. Then, Olive begins to think that maybe she was wrong about Miranda--maybe Olive's own "sickness" and meds are causing her to be paranoid. After all, sometimes she doesn't know the truth and reality from the imagined and fake. What if Miranda is really just a nice girl that no one seems to understand? Miranda befriends Olive and starts weaving her magic web of deceit and manipulation--can Olive escape before it's too late?

A cute new guy at school keeps trying to be friends with Olive but she's too busy feeling sorry for herself/blaming herself for her parents' divorce to let Lachlan have a chance. It's a good thing for her that Lachlan won't take no for an answer--he's always in the right place at the right time to save Olive. Girls will love handsome and sexy Lachlan and cheer his chivalrous actions.

The cover image of a beautiful girl changing her appearance will draw teen readers to the book and the back cover has the opening lines (see above). This book reminded me of Choker--one of last year's most memorable books.

Highly, highly recommended grades 7-up. One instance of underage drinking but it's Miranda--the bad girl--Olive insists that she doesn't want a drink but Miranda forces it upon her. A couple of kisses, but that's it.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Paranormal Pick: Haven

Haven
by Kristi Cook
Simon Pulse
2011
401 pages


Don't miss! This novel is a must-read!

Mesmerizing, exciting, romantic, thrilling, and radically cool, Haven is the BEST paranormal romance since Twilight. In fact, it's
BETTER than Twilight. Haven leaves an open ending for sequels, and this reviewer hopes the sequels prove equally as satisfying. (You heard it here first--I think movie rights will be sold and the movie will be a HUGE hit with teens).

Violet is strangely drawn to a boarding school in New England, and soon finds out that Winterhaven (Haven) is a paranormal school: there are shape-shifters, precogs, werewolves, astral projectors, and, yep, good ol' vampires. What makes this story different is that some vampires are actually working toward a "cure" for their sickness.

Enter Aidan--who is smoking hot and way sexier and more charming than Meyer's Edward. Violet is a strong female protagonist and a worthy warrior--fierce and confident--more likeable than whiny Bella in the Twilight series. Aidan and Violet, with the help of a handful of super-friends (think The Fantastic Four, but uber-rad), face off against the biggest threat to their kind.

Readers who loved Twilight and Shiver, will devour this book and its sequels.

Highly, highly recommended grades 9-up. Mature grade 8 readers--with caution, Aidan and Violet are quite sexy but not explicit.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation.

High School Pick: Clockwork Angel

Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, Book One)
by Cassandra Clare
McElderry Books, 2010
496 pages

Cassandra Clare just keeps getting it right! Fresh off great success with her best-selling series The Mortal Instruments (City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass), Clare begins the back story with the prequel: Clockwork Angel.


Set in Victorian England and beautifully imagined, Clockwork Angel is a richly constructed fantasy novel which stands among the best fantasy of our time. Clare is on par with writers like J.K. Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkien.

When sixteen year old Tessa Gray arrives by steamship in London to meet her brother, she is met instead by two creepy women from a dark, gloomy mansion. Only when they show her a letter handwritten by her brother does she agree to accompany them to their lair. Tessa becomes their prisoner. They teach her to use her unknown powers to shape shift. Unbeknowst to Tessa, she was born with powers to become anyone or anything. This quality, or gift, makes her highly valuable to the mysterious and terrible Magister. The Dark Sisters tell Tessa that they are to deliver her to this evil man, but Tessa is grabbed and spirited away by two young men who tell her they are Shadowhunters, trained warriors with special gifts who fight Downworlders like vampires and warlocks to save humans.

Tessa yearns to find her brother and fears for his life. The Shadowhunters agree to help her find him, if she will use her shapeshifting powers to help them infiltrate a vampire clan. Tessa finds herself torn--does she love the dark and brooding Shadowhunter who saved her from the Sisters? Or does she truly hate him?

Readers who like otherworldly novels with paranormal creatures and just the right amount of love interest will LOVE Clockwork Angel. It should appeal broadly to both male and female readers--both the male and female characters are well-developed and have admirable traits. It is hard to say who is more likeable: Will, the Shadowhunter, or Tessa, the shapeshifter.

Highly, highly recommended. Grades 8-up. Some violence (it is vampires, after all).

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the novel from the publisher. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review. I had this novel for about four months before I started reading it. I was somewhat put off by the cover which I found didn't draw me in as a reader. Once I read the first few pages, I was hooked. Don't let ya readers walk past this novel because of the cover. Tell them to give it a chance.

YA Paranormal Pick

Tyger Tyger (A Goblin Wars Book)
by Kersten Hamilton
Clarion Books, 2010
308 pages

Everything was going as planned in Teagan Wylltson's life--she has a dream job at the zoo as part of the primate research team working with Cindy, the zoo's chimp who communicates with Teagan using sign language. Looking forward to college and a great scholarship, Teagan has no time for a boyfriend or any problems in her life. Everything is great until Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives on her doorstep.

Finn is loosely related to Teagan and brings with him all kinds of Irish legends. Goblins, shapeshifters, and shadow creatures begin to arrive at the Wylltson's house. Lucky for Teagan, Finn is the next Mac Camhaill to fight Goblinkind.

This novel is full of Irish legends of goblins, shapeshifters and cat-sidhe. Although goblins may not be a sexy as vampires, they are scary and devious. Hamilton introduces readers to new beings in the paranormal genre. Readers who enjoy a good paranormal read like Shiver or The Forest of Hands and Teeth are likely to enjoy Tyger Tyger, and Finn is just as dreamy-licious as Edward (Twilight).

Girls especially will like the characters of Finn and Teagan.
Recommended grades 7-up. Mild language.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review.