My favorite book I've read recently is The Mirk & the Midnight Hour, by Jane Nickerson. The first thing I loved about this book was the setting - it takes place in the South early in the Civil War. I love stories from this time period. What I really loved about this book was the spooky/creepy storyline that was also included. This story is about Violet Dancey, a 17-year old girl whose twin brother recently died in the war and whose father is getting ready to leave to fight in the war. Before her father leaves, he remarries, leaving Violet with a new stepmother and stepsister. On top of that, two cousins also join them on their small farm. When exploring the woods with her young cousin, Violet discovers a wounded Union soldier in an abandoned cabin. He's being cared for by some people who Violet believes might be using him for sinister purposes. Evil lurks in the woods as with the Civil War as a backdrop for this very entertaining new novel by Jane Nickerson. I highly recommend!
Next up is The Iron Trial, the first in a new 5-book series co-authored by two young adult author favorites, Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. Clare's Infernal Devices series is a favorite of mine. In this story we meet Callum, whose dad was once a magician trained at the exclusive Magisterium. When Call's mom is killed because of magic shortly after his birth, Call's dad has nothing good to say about the use of magic or the Magisterium. So when Call is recruited to be part of the Iron Trial - the entrance exam for the Magisterium - he plans to fail on purpose. Despite his best efforts, Call is accepted to the school and has no choice but to attend. Even though he doesn't want to like it, he does. For the first time in his life he has friends...and he's developing an ability he never really knew he had. But the evil that led to his mother's death is hasn't gone away, and now Call might be in danger too. I went into this story not really expecting to like it as much as I did. I should have known that these incredible authors wouldn't let me down. If you want a read that's full of action, you'll like The Iron Trial. Now let me share with you some of the titles that are being considered for Truman nomination for next school year.
In Tandem, by Anna Jarzab, we meet Sasha Lawson, a normal 16-year old girl going on about her normal 16-year old girl life. Nothing exciting ever really happens to her and she often dreams about living a different life - one full of adventure and excitement. When Grant, one of the more popular boys in her school, all of a sudden notices her and asks her to the prom, Sasha thinks that her life is changing for the better. But on prom night, things don't go quite as Sasha expected. She wakes up in a strange place and Grant is there, but he says he's not Grant - he's Thomas, Grant's analog, or double, from a parallel universe. He's brought Sasha across the tandem, or barrier between parallel universes, to take the place of her analog, who just happens to be the princess who has disappeared. Their country is in a state of unrest and so they need Sasha to play along until they can find the real princess. I really liked how this story unfolded. It's the first in a series, so of course, the story doesn't really end at the end of this book. If you like science fiction, action, and mystery, you'll probably like Tandem.
Sidekicked, by John David Anderson is about a boy named Andrew Bean, who is your typical 13-year old boy, except for the fact that he is a part of HERO - a secret group training him to be a sidekick for a super hero. The only problem is that Drew's super, the Titan, is a has-been drunk who no longer fights crime. When one of the Titan's nemesis' returns from the dead and the super heroes in Andrew's town start going down one by one, Drew knows that he and the other sidekicks have to do something. The only problem is that they're not super heroes themselves. This was a really humorous action-adventure type story. If you're into super heroes, or just heroes in general, you'll like Sidekicked.
Science Fiction stories are becoming more and more popular these days. Mila 2.0, by Debra Driza is a science fiction story that will have you turning the pages to find out what happens next. Mila and her mother have recently moved to an isolated town in Minnesota after her dad was killed in a fire. Mila is really struggling, because she has very few memories of her father. What she doesn't realize for awhile is that she has very few memories of her father because she doesn't have one - she is the latest in the military's experimentation with artificial intelligence. Mila doesn't understand this, because she feels like a real person. When she is recaptured by the military, she has to find a way to free herself, before they terminate her. There's lots of action and excitement in Mila 2.0.
Finally, I recently finished Icons, by Margaret Stohl. In Icons, we meet Doloria Maria de la Cruz, or Dol. Her parents, along with many other died on "The Day", when aliens sent the Icons crashing to earth. Dol was just a baby, but was rescued by the Padre, who took her to a mission to raise and hide her away, along with another child, Dol's eventual best friend, Ro. Dol and Ro are both special, though, and are wanted by the people in power. When they are taken in, they discover two others, who are also special, and realize that together, they might be able to bring down the Icons and restore peace and security to their world. This is another science fiction story, though not as action-packed as Mila 2.0. This one is more emotional and gripping as you read about Dol's experiences in a world gone wrong.There you have it! Here's where I got these books:
- The Mirk & the Midnight Hour - MCPL
- The Iron Trial, Tandem, Sidekicked, Mila 2.0, & Icons - I got them all through Overdrive & read them on my Kindle, but they're also available in book-form at MCPL.
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