Clockwork Angel

by Cassandra Clare

Its rare when I read a made-for-teen novel and fall in love with it.  Case-in-point: The Twilight Series; not really my favorite, but I did read them.  And...I'm going off on a tangent now, but does it feel like every novel written lately is part of a trilogy?  I mean, what happened to people writing it all down in one novel so we don't have to wait forever to know the end of the story?  I feel like all of the novels I have read lately are exactly like a television series: cliffhangers, love triangles, and to-be-continued plots...not fair!!  Now I'm waiting for celebrities to make guest appearances in novels.  It wouldn't surprise me at all.  :(

Anyway, I digress.  As I was saying, I really did fall in love with this novel, although not during the first chapter.  It took a few pages to get into it, but once I started liking the novel, I couldn't put it down.  I think I ignored my husband and kiddos for a few hours while I immersed myself in the details of this book. 

The story is set in Victorian London and contains all elements of magic, mythical creatures, angels, secret domains, hidden buildings (think Harry Potter) and supernatural dealings in general.  It felt like a Gothic Buffy the Vampire Slayer of sorts.  Tessa Gray sets off for England to look for her brother and ends up getting involved in a lot more than she bargained for.  She finds herself plopped in the middle of a war between two supernatural factions that humans didn't even know existed (no...not like Twilight...get that idea out of your head!!).  The sequel, Clockwork Prince, is already published and the final in the trilogy, Clockwork Princess, is due in March 2013.

Similar Novels: Divergent by Veronica Roth and Matched by Ally Condie

Length: 512 pages

Copyright: August 2010

I Am Legend

By Richard Matheson

I absolutely loved this novel. It actually isn't a novel, it's an extended short story (about 50 pages) attached to a collection of short stories (5-10 pages). Matheson is so similar to my favorite author, Ray Bradbury that I actually thought this book was written by Bradbury. It's also important for me to point out that the book is nothing like the movie. You know, the movie that starred Will Smith? While I did enjoy the movie, the book was more descriptive and had a more interesting plot. Always, always, always, read the book before you see the movie!!

In the novel, the main character appears to be the only human in a city overrun by vampires (yes, vampires, not zombies like the movie). The novel chronicles his day to day survival and how he stays sane while handling the idea that he might be the last human on earth. The other novels in this collection I would consider to be science fiction. It's a great collection of stories and perfect around Halloween!

Similar Novels: The Box by Richard Matheson and Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury

Length: 320 pages

Copyright: 1997

The Society of S

Susan Hubbard

So, usually if I finish a book and review it, that means it's a good book. I never really finish books that don't grab my attention and are poorly written. This book is an exception...I kept thinking it would get better, but it never did. I finished the book because I wanted to find out why the main character's mother disappeared, not because it was an interesting novel.

This novel centers around a 13-year-old girl who's family turns out to be vampires. The main character spends the entire novel obsessing about her missing mother. Towards the end of the novel, she goes on a quest to find the lady who left her behind. I had trouble getting into this novel, especially in the beginning. The author flew off on too many tangents for me to follow. There is a scene in the middle of the book that is never even explained. The best friend of the main character is murdered and afterwards, she comes to her house and asks her to play even though she's dead. It never explains if this is a dream or reality; the novel left it open for either, but it REALLY creeped me out. I don't think I'd recommend this novel to anyone but die hard vampire fans. Even then....

Similar Novel: The Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer

Length: 320 pages

Copyright: 2008