The Blade of Shattered Hope by James Dashner

As this book review is for the 3rd book in the series, please click on the following links to read my previous reviews for book one and two of the series: The Journal of Curious Letters and The Hunt for Dark Infinity.

Title: The Blade of Shattered Hope (Book 3 of The 13th Reality Series)
Author: James Dashner
Reviewer: Karen
Genre: MidGrade/Teen Sci-fi
Rating: Love
Alerts/Warnings: Tense scenes and violence
Premise: Mistress Jane has tapped into the universe's darkest secret to create the Blade of Shattered Hope, and in her quest to attain a Utopian reality for the future of mankind she is ready to risk billions of lives to set her plan in motion. (King County Library System)
Opinions: This book received mixed reviews on GoodReads.com. However, personally, this is my FAVORITE book of the series so far. The author's writing continues to approve and the storyline remains very compelling. As the characters have been established in previous books the author is able to play more with how situations effect everyone on a more internal level. Mistress Jane reeks solidly of evil though it is clear that she feels her logic regarding her actions are just. I also loved getting to know Mothballs family.


I do admit that some scenes were graphically violent, but if you consider the situation and what you might have done in the same situation then the action makes sense (though personally I wouldn't have described it in the same amount of detail). This book is great in that it makes the reader ask how far he/she would go if everything and everyone they loved were threatened. I would recommend this series as a great read for teens and adults alike, but would also highly recommend that families read it together so they can have discussions about what happens.

Boston Jane: Wilderness Days by Jennifer Holm

Title: Boston Jane: Wilderness Days
Author: Jennifer Holm
Reviewer: Stephanie
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Rating: Adore
Alerts/Warnings: None
Premise: Far from her native Philadelphia, Miss Jane Peck continues to prove that she is more than an etiquette-schooled graduate of Miss Hepplewhite's Young Ladies Academy as she braves the untamed wilderness of Washington Territory in the mid 1850s. (King County Library System)
Opinions: The story of Boston Jane continues in the second book of this trilogy. This book takes place immediately where the first book ends. This book follows Jane and her stubborness and jealousy as another woman comes to Washington Territory and charms all the men leaving Jane feeling unappreciated. There is also a little love story thrown in as Jane and her friends try to save one of their own from a murderer.

Again this interesting cast of characters returns for an interesting look at the west during the 1840's. Jane is as stubborn as ever and goes through different trials, though by the end of the book has grown into a strong and self-assured woman. Not only is Jane a fascinating character to me, but the minor characters are quirky and fun. Russell spits on everyone's shoes, Jehu is quietly kind, Keer-uksu is wonderfully kind and funny, Swann is loveable and absentminded. It is truly a fun book. Again it only took me about an hour and half to read this book. It was just so fun. I read it immediately after I read the first and then when I finished this one, I picked up the third. Stay tuned for that review, coming soon.

Boston Jane: An Adventure by Jennifer Holm

Title: Boston Jane: An Adventure
Author: Jennifer Holm
Reviewer: Stephanie
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Rating: Adore
Alerts/Warnings: none
Premise: Schooled in the lessons of etiquette for young ladies of 1854, Miss Jane Peck of Philadelphia finds little use for manners during her long sea voyage to the Pacific Northwest and while living among the American traders and Chinook Indians of Washington Territory. (King County Library System)
Opinions: Jane is a very interesting character. She is raised by her widower father who is a surgeon. She has a great love for cherry pies and mischief. She is a tomboy through and through. Yet when she is eleven the hurtful words of another girl make her change her mind to become more like a lady. What follows is the story of Jane growing into a woman and falling in love with a young man who has gone to Washington Territory. She follows after he proposes to her and then when her boat finally lands in Washington, he is not there. She learns about the Chinook Indians and the ways of the mountain men.

Jane is a really interesting character who wants to be a lady and no one allows her to be one, and so she does the best she can. She is strong willed and short tempered. This book is somewhat predictable, but I enjoyed the storytelling and the historical aspects of it. I read this book in about an hour and a half. I was sucked in and couldn't put it down. It's fun, quick and enlightening.

Land Keep by J. Scott Savage

Title: Land Keep
Author: J. Scott Savage
Reviewer: Karen
Genre: Mid-Grade Fantasy
Rating: Fabulous
Alerts/Warnings: None
Premise: Marcus, with the help of his companions, tries to complete the quest to find the other elementals that will help destroy the evil force of the Dark Circle. (King County Library System)
Opinions: Land Keep is the second book in the Farworld series. Click here to see my review of the first book in the series, Water Keep. After their adventures in book one to find a water elemental, Marcus and Kyja must now search after Land Keep and the mysterious land elementals. J. Scott Savage does a fantastic job carrying the overall story through to this new book while adding new twists and turns for the heroes to overcome to reach their goal. At times I did find myself frustrated with Marcus, and later Kyja, but that is done on purpose as the author spins greater understanding into what makes them standout from everyone else in the story. The leaps between Farworld and Earth create a oddly wonderful balance and help make the story compelling. I found myself definitely more intrigued by the Dark Circle as a little more was revealed about their purpose. The action and drama is incredible. One warning though...there are a few things that happen that I did not see coming toward the end of the book. When I was finished my jaw almost hit the floor. If you've read book one, then you MUST read book two. If you haven't read book one, then WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR????

Being Sixteen by Allyson B. Condie

Title: Being Sixteen
Author: Allison B. Condie
Reviewer: Karen
Genre: Teen Fiction
Rating: Love
Alerts/Warnings: None
Premise: Juliet Kendall has been looking forward to her sixteenth birthday for what feels like forever. At first, it seems like being sixteen will be as perfect as she dreamed-she has great friends, a cute almost-boyfriend, a spot on the varsity girls- basketball team, and even a car of her own. But, as the year goes on, she discovers that her sister Carly is hiding a secret and realizes that, in fact, being sixteen may be her hardest year yet. (Amazon Product Description)
Opinions: This is book takes a hard look at how difficult it is to be a teenager in this day and age, especially when having to fight against what society considers a good personal image. The characters are deeply realistic and deal with the very real issue of eating disorders. I love how Allyson Condie shows the impacts of one sister's eating disorders impacts her family, her friends, and her view of religion. I found Juliet to be an incredibly in depth character and I found myself drawn into her story as her world goes from fabulous to disastrous. This is a definite must read for teens and adults alike.

Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt

Title: Keturah and Lord Death
Author: Martine Leavitt
Reviewer: Stephanie
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: Adore
Alerts/Warnings: None
Premise: When Lord Death comes to claim sixteen-year-old Keturah while she is lost in the King's Forest, she charms him with her story and is granted a twenty-four hour reprieve in which to seek her one true love. (King County Library System)
Opinions: I liked this book. It is a very unique mix stories that together works in some strange way. Keturah meets Lord Death and has 24 hours to find her true love or she has to go with him. It is interesting how Keturah then sees the world after she should be dead. I liked the idea of the book, I read the whole thing very quickly, but I'm still puzzled on my reactions. The ending was.....um.....I don't even know how to describe it.....Somewhat satisfying, somewhat surprising. somewhat unnerving, somewhat pleasing. I like how Keturah is viewed and how she takes the reactions of others. Very unique and interesting book. I can honestly say that I am a little confuzzled by this book. I like it though. It is intriguing to me and I have thought alot about it.

The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum

I know, I know....Long time no see. Deadlines, injuries, and death in the family has made it hard for me to read, let alone post anything as of late. But I'm back up and reading now and boy am I excited.

Plus, I just have to take a moment to brag...Stephanie and I won 2nd Place in a writing contest last month for a the first page of a book we are working on together. Thanks for putting up with me Steph, you are a great writing partner.






Title: The Hourglass Door
Author: Lisa Mangum
Reviewer: Karen
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Rating: FABULOUS!!!!!!!
Alerts/Warnings:
Premise: Abby's senior year of high school is going according to plan: good friends, cute boyfriend, and college applications in the mail. But when Dante Alexander, foreign-exchange student from Italy, steps into her life, he turns it upside down. Soon Abby finds herself drawn into a mystery whose roots reach into sixteenth-century Florence, and she uncovers a dangerous truth that threatens not only her future but the lives of those she loves (King County Library System).
Opinions: I had heard about this book from an author friend of mine who gave it rave reviews. Let me tell you he was right!!!! I love the imagery and voice in which the story is told. The sights, smells and sounds helped to create a vivid setting in my mind and I found myself easily lost in the story, drawn back into the realm of high school and all the ups-and-downs that that entails. Then the author threw in a healthy dose of fantasy and intrigue and viola. . . a guaranteed page turner. I love Abby, because I can relate to her in some ways, and wish to relate to her in others (though I absolutely refuse to go back to my teenager years to do so). Dante's character is fantastic and complex and I know more than one teenage girl who would "just die" to run into a boy like him. Even though this book was written for the teen/young adult crowd as an adult I still couldn't put it down. Be warned though...this is a series and book two, The Golden Spiral, only came out this year.