Review: Perfect Fifths, Megan McCafferty

Perfect Fifths
Megan McCafferty

Official Summary:

Old flames are reignited in the fifth and final book in the New York Times bestselling Jessica Darling series.

Captivated readers have followed Jessica through every step and misstep: from her life as a tormented, tart-tongued teenager to her years as a college grad stumbling toward adulthood. Now a young professional in her mid-twenties, Jess is off to a Caribbean wedding. As she rushes to her gate at the airport, she literally runs into her former boyfriend, Marcus Flutie. It’s the first time she's seen him since she reluctantly turned down his marriage proposal three years earlier–and emotions run high.

Marcus and Jessica have both changed dramatically, yet their connection feels as familiar as ever. Is their reunion just a fluke or has fate orchestrated this collision of their lives once again?

Told partly from Marcus’s point of view, Perfect Fifths finally lets readers inside the mind of the one person who’s both troubled and titillated Jessica Darling for years. Expect nothing less than the satisfying conclusion fans have been waiting for, one perfect in its imperfection. . . .

What the Pros Say:

PW: McCafferty writes strong characters with rich, believable inner lives, but the attempts at formal cuteness don't allow the book to properly flourish.

What I Say:

I have to preface this by saying that I was an enormous fan of the first and second books. I actually picked up Second Helpings first, because I'd bypassed the two books so many times in the bookstore that I was sure I wouldn't like them. I was just looking for another book to top off my stack, and Second Helpings fit the bill. But by the time I was finished with the last page, I was already running out the door to get Sloppy Firsts from the bookstore, unable to wait until the checked out copy was returned to the library to rewind and read the beginnings of Jess and Marcus's adventures.

I loved those books. Devoured them. Could probably have quoted from them. I felt like Jess was me, and, like every other fan of the series, wished for a Marcus of my own. But I've got to say that the third and fourth books just didn't quite work for me. I wanted Jess to have matured more, or maybe I wanted her to have matured less. The constant references to the first two books seemed jarring--they pulled me out of Jessica's adult life and felt like a rehash of the first two books. I know that the third and fourth books have their fans, I just wasn't one of them.

So I was slightly dubious about this last book in the Jessica Darling series. Not dubious enough to keep me from racing out to get it the day it came out, but definitely slightly doubtful. Luckily, I think this one finally lived up to my expectations. Maybe it's that I'm a little bit older, maybe it's just that this one was a bit more my style, but I really think that Perfect Fifths provided the "perfect" ending for the series.

One of the big things that made that possible was the departure from the diary style and the foray into a variety of interesting formats to get across the reunion between Jessica and Marcus. Then too, the going back over of old events seemed somehow much fresher and more organic; wouldn't two long lost lovers rehash their past upon meeting again, after all? I've got to say that this is definitely my favorite since the first two, and all fans should give it a try.

That said, if you haven't been a fan of the series before, I would definitely go back and start at the beginning--I have a feeling that this book would be much less enjoyable without a working understanding of the trials and tribulations that Marcus and Jessica have gone through in their relationship to get up to this point.

Review: Taken, Edward Bloor

Taken
Edward Bloor

Official Summary:
BY 2035 THE RICH have gotten richer, the poor have gotten poorer, and kidnapping has become a major growth industry in the United States. The children of privilege live in secure, gated communities and are escorted to and from school by armed guards.

But the security around Charity Meyers has broken down. On New Year's morning, she wakes and finds herself alone, strapped to a stretcher, in an ambulance that's not moving. She is amazingly calm - kids in her neighborhood have been well trained in kidnapping protocol. If this were a normal kidnapping, Charity would be fine. But as the hours of her imprisonment tick by, Charity realizes there is nothing normal about what's going on here. No training could prepare her for what her kidnappers really want . . . and worse, for who they turn out to be.

What the Pros Say:

Booklist: "This page-turner will grab readers at the outset, and its unexpected twist at the close will send them back through events to look for embedded clues."

PW: "Deftly constructed, this is as riveting as it is thought-provoking."

What I Say:

I loved the first novel I read by Edward Bloor, Tangerine, but felt that his followups to that book were either overly preachy or just plain weird. With Taken, however, I finally found another of his books that I could really sink my teeth into. This one's another story of a dystopian future, here with rich children protected on all sides from the horrors of kidnapping, and we're presented with a world in which the rich are increasingly held prisoner by their own wealth, separated from the real world by necessity and greed.

In this world we meet Charity Meyers, whose eventual kidnapping forces her to reevaluate the things she has taken for granted all her life. Her conversations with one of her captors help her to come to terms with her new situation and to reconsider her old life, until she's not certain that she could ever be the same Charity again. Bloor's work is typified by his satirical approach, and in this one he's finally gotten a good balance between enjoyable narrative and social commentary. If you're interested in general futuristic dystopias, pick this one up for a good fun read with a genuinely surprising twist.

Book Contests!

This is a weekly compilation of all the contests in the YA book blogosphere, arranged here for your enjoyment. The list is posted once a week, but updated throughout the week, so remember to check back often!


On-Going:

Elizabeth Scott generally has weekly giveaways.

Alyssa at The Shady Glade hosts Contest Monday, and gives away a new book each week.

Stephanie Kuenhert hosts Women Who Rock Wednesdays on her blog, and they come with freebies. Check it out!

There's a new giveaway every week at Free Book Friday Teens (and while you're at it, check out their adult site, too).

Melissa Walker hosts Win-It Wednesdays over at her blog.

Teenreads.com has a monthly Grab Bags of Books contest.

RandomBuzzers has an ARC giveaway every Friday. You have to be a member to be eligible, but sign-up is simple and free, and participating in activities gives you the chance to get other free books!

Linda Gerber hosts Freebie Fridays every week at her blog, so remember to check back.

Carmen Rodriguez hosts Take it Home Tuesdays on her Myspace.

YA Books Central have a couple of giveaways each month, just check on the right on their main page.

Teens Read Too have a monthly contest.

One-Time Things:


Reading is Bliss is giving away a copy of Cold Hands, Warm Heart. (Ends: 4/20)

Sharon Loves Books is giving away a copy of Me, My Elf, and I (Ends: 4/21)

Reviewer X is giving away a copy of Silver Phoenix, and you can read the author's Pub Story here. (Ends: 4/22)

Rebecca's Book Blog is giving away three simon pulse romantic comedies. (Ends: 4/23)

Korianne Speaks is having an awesome, music-themed birthday giveaway! (Ends: 4/25)

Addicted to Books is giving away four books to celebrate their sweet sixteen. (Ends: 4/29)

Reader Rabbit is having an Ultimate Canadian Giveaway! (Ends: 4/29)

Reader Rabbit is giving away a copy of Miss Smithers. (Ends: 4/29)

Reviewer X is giving away all FOUR Secret Society Girl novels! (Ends: 4/29) Check out Diana Peterfreund's Pub Story here as well.

Reader Rabbit is also giving away a copy of Courtney Summers' Cracked up to Be (Ends: 4/29)

Carrie's YA Bookshelf is giving away City of Bones and The Summoning. (Ends: 4/30)

Shalonda is giving away your choice of 2 books and a $25 gift certificate. (Ends: 4/30)

Big contest surrounding How to Ditch Your Fairy, by Justine Larbalestier. (Ends: 4/30)

Shooting Stars Mag organized a HUGE contest around the release of Willow by Julia Hoban. TONS of awesome prizes. (Ends: 4/30)

And Another Book Read is having a Spring Giveaway. (Ends: 4/30)

Keri Mikulski is giving away four cool books in her Spring Giveaway! (Ends: 4/30)

WORD for Teens is having an April giveaway. (Ends: 4/30)

Bookluver-Carol is giving away Evermore. (Ends: 4/30?)

Bookluver-Carol is giving away Swoon. (Ends: 4/30?)

Bookluver-Carol is giving away an Elizabeth Scott book of your choice. (Ends: 4/30?)

Bookluver-Carol is giving away a copy of Mackenzie, Lost and Found. (Ends: 4/30?)

Another Book Read is giving away Being Nikki and Airhead. (Ends: 5/1)




This is by no means a complete list, but I keep track for myself and I'll keep ya'll posted as well. If you've got a contest you'd like to have listed, just let me know in the comments!

Review: The Forest of Hands and Teeth

The Forest of Hands and Teeth
Carrie Ryan

Official Summary:
In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

What the Pros Say:
PW: That Mary maintains emotional distance serves to render her yearnings and romantic feelings even more poignant and powerful. Fresh and riveting.

Kirkus: But despite plot holes, more angst than action and an excess of philosophical meanderings, Mary's story delivers what's important: zombie apocalypse.

What I Say:
I read the first two chapters of this book online and I was hooked. HOOKED. So hooked, in fact, that I broke my "never buy a book before you read it" rule and ordered this one online after not being able to find it in the library or any of the local bookstores. The first two chapters just delivered this amazingly well-developed world, and gave us a protagonist in Mary who was full of curiosity and potential and fire, and I could NOT wait to read more.

I suppose it's not too much of a surprise that with expectations as high as all that I was slightly (and here let me emphasize the slightly) disappointed by the rest of this book. For a book about a zombie apocalypse, a whole lot of this book takes place in Mary's head, and there's a surprisingly small amount of action (both in the violent and romantic senses, interestingly). On the other hand, Mary's musings are definitely interesting, as is the world that Carrie Ryan has created for her characters to flee zombies inside of.

This book definitely left me wanting more, because with all the groundwork that has been laid in this book I can't help but wonder what's coming next for the zombie survivors. Forest of Hands and Teeth didn't quite live up to my expectations, but it was fantastic nonetheless, and I can't wait to read the follow-up.

Review: A Map of the Known World

A Map of the Known World
Lisa Ann Sandell

Official Summary:
Cora Bradley dreams of escape. Ever since her reckless older brother, Nate, died in a car crash, Cora has felt suffocated by her small town and high school. She seeks solace in drawing beautiful maps, envisioning herself in exotic locales. When Cora begins to fall for Damian, the handsome, brooding boy who was in the car with Nate the night he died, she uncovers her brother's secret artistic life and realizes she had more in common with him than she ever imagined. With stunning lyricism, Sandell weaves a tale of one girl's journey through the redemptive powers of art, friendship, and love.

What the Pros Say:
Kirkus: The attractive cover will draw romance readers, who are in for a satisfying read if they can get past the first 50 pages.

What I Say:

I haven't read either of Lisa Ann Sandell's previous books, but from poking around on the internet I found out that they were written in verse, which makes complete sense after reading A Map of the Known World. The official summary describes Sandell's prose as "lyrical," and that's an apt evaluation. Some of Sandell's descriptions were simply breathtaking, and that was definitely one of the strongest points of the book.

At the same time, the plot and characters were thoroughly enjoyable. Cora's evolution over the course of her freshman year of high school is painful to witness but realistic, and her attempts to reconcile her memories of the happy boy her brother was in childhood with the angry, brooding young man he became in the years before his death are accurate in their frustration and grief.

Even as she deals with the loss of her brother, Cora is forced to deal with the withdrawal of her father and her mother's overbearing protectiveness--her parents are caught in their own webs of grief, unable to help their daughter cope with her mourning of her brother. Life at school is no better, and as Cora feels her familiar friends falling away from her she's forced to turn to new friends and herself in order to pull herself through her first year in high school, her first Nateless year.

Overall, I enjoyed the book enough to keep me up late finishing it, but I wouldn't say it lives up to some of the other (admittedly amazing, so perhaps I'm drawing the line too high) books I've read recently. I don't have any specific complaints though, and would definitely read it again, so I'll go ahead and say that unless you're anti books about sad things, go ahead and pick this one up.

Review: Cracked Up to Be

Cracked Up to Be
Courtney Summers















Official Summary:

Perfect Parker Fadley isn’t so perfect anymore. She’s quit the cheerleading squad, she’s dumped her perfect boyfriend, and she’s failing school. Her parents are on a constant suicide watch and her counselors think she’s playing games…but what they don’t know, the real reason for this whole mess, isn’t something she can say out loud. It isn’t even something she can say to herself. A horrible thing has happened and it just might be her fault. If she can just remove herself from everybody--be totally alone--then everything will be okay...The problem is, nobody will let her.

What the Pros Say:
SLJ: Marked by explicit language and frank sexuality, this compelling read is taut with tension.

What I Say:

Parker used to be perfect. She used to be the kind of perfect that annoys other people but doesn't allow them to say anything about it; after all, how can you argue with that kind of perfection? But all that's over now, and now Parker is as deliberately imperfect as she once one impeccably flawless. From the very first page Parker's pain and confusion and anger flows off the page freely and honestly. This book captures the voice of a smart teenage girl in immense amounts of pain better than almost any other book I've read recently.

From the very first paragraph, I was absolutely certain that I was going to love this book, and I was not disappointed in the least.

Imagine four years.
Four years, two suicides, one death, one rape, two pregnancies (one abortion), three overdoses, countless drunken antics, pantsings, spilled food, theft, fights, broken limbs, turf wars--every day, a turf war--six months until graduation and no one gets a medal when they get out. But everything you do here counts.
High school.

The author does an amazing job of showing us that violent nature of high school: the constant struggles to stay true to yourself, to overcome actual, serious problems that may be written off as typical teen angst and to keep on fighting through the constant "turf-wars" that compose high school. But at the same time, we also see the small glints of hope that manage to claw their way through the seemingly invincible wall Parker has created around herself.

I loved the relationship between Jake and Parker--the new guy fascinated by the mysterious, dangerous girl, and the damaged girl reluctantly seeking friendship with the one guy who can't possibly know her past, her mistakes--but my favorite relationship in the book was the one between Parker and her ex-boyfriend, Chris. Chris is a typical horny teenage boy; he's crudd and lewd and sometimes insensitive, but he also clearly cares deeply for Parker, and all of her hostility can't quite chase him away.

There were things that I wasn't an enormous fan of: Parker's dog seemed to be a slightly clunky narrative device and the appearance of new boy Jake seemed a little serendipitous, but these small gripes were in no way sufficient to keep me from enjoying this book. It was fantastic and heart-breaking and beautiful, and everyone should run out and read it.

Intrigued?
Check out Courtney Summers' blog here, and then check out an interview with her here.

Book Contests!

This is a weekly compilation of all the contests in the YA book blogosphere, arranged here for your enjoyment. The list is posted once a week, but updated throughout the week, so remember to check back often!


On-Going:

Elizabeth Scott generally has weekly giveaways.

Alyssa at The Shady Glade hosts Contest Monday, and gives away a new book each week.

Stephanie Kuenhert hosts Women Who Rock Wednesdays on her blog, and they come with freebies. Check it out!

There's a new giveaway every week at Free Book Friday Teens (and while you're at it, check out their adult site, too).

Melissa Walker hosts Win-It Wednesdays over at her blog.

Teenreads.com has a monthly Grab Bags of Books contest.

RandomBuzzers has an ARC giveaway every Friday. You have to be a member to be eligible, but sign-up is simple and free, and participating in activities gives you the chance to get other free books!

Linda Gerber hosts Freebie Fridays every week at her blog, so remember to check back.

Carmen Rodriguez hosts Take it Home Tuesdays on her Myspace.

YA Books Central have a couple of giveaways each month, just check on the right on their main page.

Teens Read Too have a monthly contest.

One-Time Things:



Steph Su is giving away two Cara Lockwood novels. (Ends: 4/14)

Katie's Bookshelf is giving away a copy of the Shape of Water (4/15)

Steph Su is giving away a copy of Swim the Fly (4/17)

Aye Captain is having a winter themed giveaway of two cool new books. (Ends: 4/19)

Reading is Bliss is giving away a copy of Cold Hands, Warm Heart. (Ends: 4/20)

Sharon Loves Books is giving away a copy of Me, My Elf, and I (Ends: 4/21)

Reviewer X is giving away a copy of Silver Phoenix, and you can read the author's Pub Story here. (Ends: 4/22)

Rebecca's Book Blog is giving away three simon pulse romantic comedies. (Ends: 4/23)

Korianne Speaks is having an awesome, music-themed birthday giveaway! (Ends: 4/25)

Addicted to Books is giving away four books to celebrate their sweet sixteen. (Ends: 4/29)

Reader Rabbit is having an Ultimate Canadian Giveaway! (Ends: 4/29)

Reader Rabbit is giving away a copy of Miss Smithers. (Ends: 4/29)

Reader Rabbit is also giving away a copy of Courtney Summers' Cracked up to Be (Ends: 4/29)

Carrie's YA Bookshelf is giving away City of Bones and The Summoning. (Ends: 4/30)

Shalonda is giving away your choice of 2 books and a $25 gift certificate. (Ends: 4/30)

Big contest surrounding How to Ditch Your Fairy, by Justine Larbalestier. (Ends: 4/30)

Shooting Stars Mag organized a HUGE contest around the release of Willow by Julia Hoban. TONS of awesome prizes. (Ends: 4/30)

And Another Book Read is having a Spring Giveaway. (Ends: 4/30)

Keri Mikulski is giving away four cool books in her Spring Giveaway! (Ends: 4/30)

WORD for Teens is having an April giveaway. (Ends: 4/30)

Bookluver-Carol is giving away Evermore. (Ends: 4/30?)

Bookluver-Carol is giving away Swoon. (Ends: 4/30?)

Bookluver-Carol is giving away an Elizabeth Scott book of your choice. (Ends: 4/30?)

Bookluver-Carol is giving away a copy of Mackenzie, Lost and Found. (Ends: 4/30?)





This is by no means a complete list, but I keep track for myself and I'll keep ya'll posted as well. If you've got a contest you'd like to have listed, just let me know in the comments!

Review: What They Always Tell Us

What They Always Tell Us
Martin Wilson

Official Summary:
JAMES AND ALEX have barely anything in common anymore—least of all their experiences in high school, where James is a popular senior and Alex is suddenly an outcast. But at home, there is Henry, the precocious 10-year-old across the street, who eagerly befriends them both. And when Alex takes up running, there is James’s friend Nathen, who unites the brothers in moving and unexpected ways.

What the Pros Say:
PW: "Insightfully evoked, Alex, James and their friends will leave a lasting impression on readers."
Kirkus: "Smoothly written and psychologically astute, this story eloquently charts the cross-currents between social status, loyalty and brotherly love."

What I Say:

These two brothers could not be any more different from each other. Alex is all alone; labelled a loser after swallowing Pine Sol at a party, while James is the popular athlete, the boy who gets all the girls, the boy who should be living without a care in the world. At home and at school these boys are like strangers to each other, and neither one is quite sure when, or how, it happened.

My hands down favorite part of this book was the realistic portrayal of Alex and James' relationship. As brothers they want to love and be there for each other, but they've fallen out of the habit and aren't sure how to get back to it. Each feels betrayed by the other--Alex can't understand why James hasn't been there for him after the "incident", while James can't understand why Alex did what he did in the first place. They're frustrated with each other, but they're also afraid of losing each other, and the author's portrayal of that confusing situation is well-done and realistic.

I also like the evolution of each brother throughout the story, both in regards to each other and in the way each sees the world. The changes each brother goes through are thoroughly believable and incredibly understandable, and altogether this is a good, heartfelt read about brotherly love and the traumas of high school.

Review: The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It

The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It
Lisa Shanahan

Official Summary:
IN MY FAMILY, when anyone rides the wave of their emotions, we say they're chucking a birkett. When the emotion drives out all common sense, we say they're chucking a big one. The telltale signs are: flaming cheeks, shortness of breath, bulging eyes, and a prolonged illogical outburst.

Gemma Stone is convinced that it's always unseemly to chuck a birkett and that it's actually insane to chuck one in front of a complete stranger. But that was before she fell for a boy who barely knows she exists, before she auditioned for the school play, before she met the family of freaks her sister Debbie is marrying into, before the unpredictable Raven De Head took an interest in her, and before she realized that at the right time and for the right reason, a birkett could be a beautiful thing.

What the Pros Say:
SLJ: "Shanahan's quirky characters are a riot, but the depth of Gemma's growth and heartbreak is genuinely profound."
Kirkus: "Writing with impressive attention to details, Shanahan uncovers life's small everyday details to encourage readers to look again and appreciate."

What I Say:
Gemma's story took me by surprise. Looking at the front cover of this book, with the girl happily blowing her bubble, I was expecting a story as "bubbly" as the cover. Instead, Lisa Shanahan presents a delightfully ridiculous story with a surprising amount of depth.

The love triangle set up between Gemma, "perfect" Nick, and messed up Raven de Head is somewhat predictable, but it's touching regardless of its predictability. Nick, while perfect on the outside, becomes less and less admirable as Gemma gets to know him, while Raven, for all his faults, is undeniably earnest. I appreciated that Gemma was able to get to know these two boys, and herself, through her participation in a school production of The Tempest, which provided an interesting backdrop for the rest of the story.

Mainly, I was impressed by the author's ability to relate a story with serious undercurrents with an enjoyable amount of humor and hilarity. Overall, this is definitely not the basic light read that I was expecting: it has all the humor and fun of one of these novels, with an added dose of food for thought.

Fresh Films

"

Feel like making a movie this summer?

Fresh Films is welcoming applications from aspiring production crewmembers and screenwriters to create some pretty awesome, teen-driven movies this summer. Send in your application now!

Review: Melting Stones, Tamora Pierce

Melting Stones
Tamora Pierce

Official Summary:
Four years have passed since Evvy left the streets of Chammur to begin her training as a stone mage. At fourteen, she's unhappy to be on a new journey with her mentor, prickly green mage Rosethorn, who has been called to the Battle Islands to determine why the plants and animals there are dying. Evvy's job is to listen and learn, but she can't keep quiet and do nothing. With the help of Luvo, the living stone heart of a mountain, Evvy uncovers an important clue. Now, with the island on the brink of disaster, it's up to Evvy to avert the destruction that looms ahead.

What the Pros Say:
PW: "The novel is not one of Pierce's more surprising or innovative, but her typically strong characterizations and the superb acting camouflage its deficiencies."

Kirkus: "Related in a strongly individual voice, expertly set in context without longwinded explanations and well-stocked with nuanced characters of several ages and species, this suspenseful tale is lit up with magic."

What I Say:

I think I've mentioned before that Tamora Pierce is one of my faves, but to be honest this one didn't really grab me. I'll admit that I like her Tortall books better than the Circle books, but this one is definitely my least favorite of anything I've read by her. That's not to say it's bad, just that it's not up to par with others. If you're put off by this one, definitely give another Tamora Pierce book a try, because I would say that this isn't characteristic of her strength as a storyteller.

I think the main problem that I had was that the stakes simply weren't high enough. While the characters were as loveable as I have come to expect from Tamora Pierce, the conflict simply wasn't strong enough to keep my interest. Luckily, it's a pretty quick read, and I'm glad I read it, since I couldn't let it go unread, but if you're a slow reader or not already a fan I would recommend starting out with another title.

Review: City of Glass, Cassandra Clare

City of Glass
Cassandra Clare

Official Summary:
To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters -- never mind that enter-ing the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadow-hunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadow-hunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City -- whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the final installment of the New York Times bestselling trilogy The Mortal Instruments.

What the Pros Say:
Booklist: "plenty of romance, loss, honor, and betrayal to make the journey worthwhile"

What I Say:
Did you read the first two books? Did you like them? Because if so, then come on back for helping number three. I'd say that City of Glass is one of the more satisfying ends to a trilogy that I've read lately. While the resolution comes somewhat predictably, it also has a feeling of having been earned--perhaps it feels expected because this world has been built up so deftly, and the characters have been rendered so sharply, that we can see the action unfold as it happens, leading us to its inevitable conclusion.

Story-wise, Jace remains smolderingly appealing while Simon is as endearing as ever, and Clary seems to finally have come completely into her own. She is no longer the confused Mundie she once was, and she clearly begins to step into her role as a Shadowhunter in this book, using her status as an outsider to help her gain perspective on the feuds between the Downworlders and the Nephilim instead of succumbing to age old prejudices.

If you liked the first two books, this conclusion will not disappoint. It's full of action, intrigue, and some sinister new characters you'll hate immediately. Run out and get it now!

Intrigued?
Check out Cassandra Clare's blog, then check out the Mortal Instruments website, where you can learn all about the series and the upcoming prequels.