First up is Riders, by Veronica Rossi. This is the first book in a new near-apocalyptic (I may have just coined a new genre...I don't know) series about Gideon Blake, who is training to be an Army Ranger when he nearly dies when his parachute fails to open after a jump. After the accident, Gideon finds that he is not the same as he was. He is wearing a cuff on his wrist that he can't remove, and he is developing powers that seem beyond human. When a girl named Daryn finds him and tells him that he has become War, one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse from Revelation in the Bible. She says they have to find the other three horseman in order to save humanity from a group of really bad guys. He's skeptical at first, but realizes that he is not the same as he was, so it must be true. If you like a good action story, you'll love this first book and be anxiously awaiting the next book like I am! You can find this book at MCPL or on MCPL's Overdrive.
Another book that I read recently that I love was Rebel of the Sands, by Alwyn Hamilton. This is a fantasy/dystopian novel about a girl named Amani who just wants to get out of the desert town she's lived in her whole life. Her mother murdered her father and was hanged for it, and living conditions with her aunt and uncle have not been ideal. In order to get out of Dustwalk, she enters a shooting competition as a boy, and nearly wins, but when chaos breaks out and she and the other front-runner in the competition, a foreigner to her town, barely escape with their lives, she nearly loses hope. After another run-in with the foreigner, they end up leaving together and Amani gets involved in a rebellion to overthrow the Sultan of their country. She discovers that there is more to her than she ever believed possible. This book has it all - magic, action-adventure, romance - and was so much fun to read. I highly recommend it. You can find it on MCPL's shelves or through Overdrive.
If you're more into a re-telling of a favorite childhood tale, you might like Unhooked, by Lisa Maxwell. In this Peter Pan retelling, Gwendolyn and her mother have just moved to London, and her best friend Olivia came along to help them settle in. Gwen hopes maybe they might stay put for awhile...it feels like her mother has picked up and moved them constantly throughout her whole life. The first night in her new home, Gwen and Olivia are both kidnapped and both end up in Neverland, though not together. Gwen ends up on a ship with Captain Hook and can barely believe it when he tells her where she is. He assures her that it is nothing like the story that she may have heard, though. When she meets Pan, and he promises to take her to Olivia and get them home, she goes with them, only to find out that Hook was right - and maybe Peter Pan isn't the hero of the story. Can she and Olivia survive the horrors of Neverland and make it home again? You'll have to read it to find out. This was another story I had a hard time putting down. I always enjoy different takes on familiar stories and this one didn't disappoint. You can find it at MCPL or on Overdrive.
If you're more into heart-wrenching realistic fiction, you might want to check out The Serpent King, by Jeff Zentner. In their small-town of Forrestville, Tennessee, Dill, Lydia, and Travis are rejects and misfits who have never fit in. Dill is the son of an extreme minister who handled snakes and poison, and whose fall from grace and imprisonment has stained Dill's reputation for the last few years. Lydia, who has an eye for fashion and an incredibly successful fashion blog, is laser-focused on getting into NYU and getting the heck out of Forrestville forever. Travis, who's obsession with a fantasy book series, is misunderstood by a violent father who wants him to be more like his dead brother. These three friends begin their senior year of high school and events that none of them could have foreseen might tear their friendship apart forever. This book was an emotional roller coaster, but oh, so worth the read. I absolutely loved it. You can find copies at MCPL or on Overdrive.
For those of you who are fans of Steven James' Blur series, get ready, because the third book in this so-called trilogy (I really think there will have to be more...but we'll see), Curse, is being released on May 24th. I got to read an advanced copy thanks to NetGalley, and if you have liked this series so far, this book won't disappoint. Daniel has just started summer vacation when he begins having blurs again right before he is due to head to Atlanta for a basketball camp that he was selected and given a scholarship to attend. He and 3 friends are taking a road trip to Atlanta and he can't wait, but the blurs keep coming. When he is kidnapped in Atlanta, his friends go in search of him...not knowing that he has actually been taken in by someone familiar who wants to use his blurs to find someone who has really been kidnapped. All stories eventually intersect and mystery, action, and excitement ensue! Keep an eye out for this one at MCPL at the end of the month!
If you're more into historical fiction, you might want to check out The Passion of Dolssa, by Julie Berry. This book was nothing like what I thought it was going to be...when I checked it out, I had no idea that this fictional story was based on real people and real stories. The story takes place in 13th century (1200's) France and Spain. Dolssa is an upper class girl who is labeled a heretic (a person who is accused of being at odds with a religion) by the priests in her town and is sentenced to be burned at the stake along with her mother. While her mother burns, Dolssa is saved and escapes into the countryside where she is hunted, so her sentence can be carried out. Near death, she is discovered by Botille, a young matchmaker, who conceals Dolssa and brings her home to nurse her to health. When Dolssa's presence causes unexpected miracles to occur, Botille knows that she's going to have to use every trick up her sleeve to try to save Dolssa and her family. This story was beautifully written, and I found the history incredibly fascinating. You can find copies at MCPL or on Overdrive.
Finally, another historical fiction/spin-off story that you might like is A Little in Love, by Susan Fletcher. This story is based off of a character from Les Miserables, Eponine. You don't have to have read Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo, to understand this story, because I haven't read it and really have only a basic knowledge of the storyline. It might make this story more interesting for you if you know the background, though. In this story, Eponine is a young French girl who is the daughter of deceitful and thieving parents, who raise her and her sister to be the same. Eponine is good at stealing, but she doesn't like it. When her parents take on another little girl, Cosette, and make her their slave while taking the money her mother sends for her care for herself, Eponine finds herself treating Cosette unkindly in order to please her parents. When Cosette is rescued, though, Eponine finds that she wishes she could have been rescued right along with her. When years later, circumstances cause Eponine's family to move to Paris, her story and Cosette's stories intersect once again when they both fall in love with the same boy. Will Eponine and Cosette find happiness? You can find this book at MCPL and on Overdrive.
That's it for now. Start that summer reading list!
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