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Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

11/14/2013

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Picture
Jacob Portman’s  grandfather had the most fantastic stories when Jacob was little, and fantastic photos to go with them.  Jacob used to beg for more, hanging on his grandfather’s every word.  As he grew up, however, he began to see how much fantasy it all must be.  

There’s no such thing as an invisible boy, even if a photo shows a suit with no head on top.  And the levitating girl must have been some sort of trick, too.  His grandfather had surely been lying to him all these years, and he was finished listening.  He was too big for this nonsense.

But when Grandpa Portman is attacked near his home by some kind of wild animal no one else sees, and dies in Jacob’s arms, things become very peculiar indeed.  Just before his grandfather dies, he mumbles urgent instructions like, “You’re not safe.” “Go to the island.” “Find the bird.  In the loop. On the other side of the old
man’s grave.”

Jacob promises he will, but what does it all mean?

Eventually he follows the clues his grandfather has left.  He finds the island and the bird in the loop, and it is all even more than he could have imagined.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is part fantasy, part time travel adventure, and just a tiny bit young romance.  The book is sprinkled with authentic vintage photos collected at modern day yard sales and flea markets, the epilog says. So maybe the levitating girl and invisible boy once did exist.  You just never know…

This #1 New York Times Bestseller is intended for teens, but Amazon.com says it “will delight readers of any age.”  
 
Note that the difficulty of viewing the photos on an e-book makes electronic format less appealing than real paper for this peculiar book. 

Happy reading!

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Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

10/31/2012

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Seraphina has a gift for music, but her father won’t let her use it.  She was twelve years old when she found out why.  Her musical abilities come from her mother, who was a dragon, unbeknownst to everyone including her father. 

Dragons abound in the world author Rachel Hartman has created.  They take human form, acting as ambassadors, teachers, and in many other functions.  But it is illegal for humans and dragons to marry.  Seraphina’s father is a lawyer, a great keeper of the law.  How this could have happened is unthinkable, and no one must ever find out.
  
At sixteen, against her father’s wishes, Seraphina accepts a position as assistant to the royal court musician.  She is now in the spotlight and must take great pains to conceal the scales on her arms and around her waist, not to mention the visions she falls into unexpectedly.

 Raised primarily by her dragon uncle, Orma (in his human form), she has a good understanding of both the
 dragon and the human world.  She struggles to help Prince Lucian preserve the 40-year peace between dragons and humans, while keeping her dangerous secret.

Even for a fantasy novel where there is a tremendous amount of world building to be done at the beginning, Seraphina a bit slow to start.  But it’s worth it.  Seraphina is a compelling character, and her uncle Orma is even more intriguing as he struggles to protect his niece in a political climate where showing concern for humans is not permitted.

Seraphina is fantasy, adventure, political intrigue, and a bit of romance rolled into one.  At 480 pages it's a longer read than most for ages 12 and up, but I for one can’t wait for the sequel that's promised!

Happy reading!

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Chime by Franny Billingsley

12/3/2011

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By the time we meet 17-year-old Briony her stepmother has already died, but the woman’s shadow darkens every corner.  Briony’s stepmother was the only one who knew the girl was a witch, and she generously kept the secret, even from Briony’s father.

Briony herself had not realized she was a witch until her stepmother pointed out all the horrible things she’d done using her powers of evil. 

For instance, in her young jealousy Briony had called up a powerful wind that knocked her twin sister, Rose, from her swing.  Rose has the mental age of a much younger child, and needs constant care all because of Briony.  She remembers now what she did, now that her stepmother has reminded her. 

The guilt and self-hatred would have been enough, but on top of that Briony lives in fear that the town’s people will find out she’s a witch and hang her in the village square.  As much as she hates herself, she doesn’t want to die.

When Eldric, the university drop out, arrives to stay with them while his father drains the swamps of Swampsea Parsonage, she finds she can’t hate him as she’d expected.  As handsome and worldly as he is, he is also sensitive and funny.  He becomes an ally in her search for the truth, and struggle to save her sister from the swamp cough brought on by an angry magical swamp dweller.

Chime is a fantasy full of witches, Dark Muses and Old Ones, who live in the swamp and tell stories only Briony can hear.  It has the feel of the distant past, except for the appearance of a bright red motorcar, which I thought was more of a distraction than an asset to the tale.

Suggested for grades 8 – 12, Chime has earned a lot of praise from book reviewers for its unique characters, lyrical prose and mysterious storyline.  If you like your fantasy with a little mystery, give Chime a whirl.

Happy Reading!

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    ​I only review what I like.  So if you see it here it's good!  If you don't see something you like here, I probably didn't get to it yet.
     
    Recommendations are welcome!


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