Teen Book Review: Fairest (Lunar Chronicles Series) by Marissa Meyer

Goodreads Summary:

In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.

Review:

“Fairest” a novel from The Lunar Chronicles series. This novel will never fail to leave the reader guessing, with all it’s plot twist, tragedies and heart shattering moments. This fantasy romance novel will pull on your heart strings at one moment and in a flash turn your mood from angry to content. With Marissa Meyer writing you’ll have to expect a twist upon any of her novels.

The main character Levana is a young determined princess, who shadows her sister Channary. Channary is soon to be queen, she doesn’t like all the politics and the problems of war with the land. She would rather be out partying, unlike Levana. Levana wishes to rule but will never rule due to being the second born. Levana has been through a lot, whether it was the bullying from her sister or the fear of what happened to her years ago in the accident. Levana’s problems are far vast. She’s falling for a man she barely knows personally, but one thing she does know is he’s married. What will she do?

This dark and deep novel will make your jaw drop, at every problem encountered. This crazy story will end with a grand finale but will keep you stuck staring at the last words wishing it wasn’t over. The story was extremely well written and is simply marvelous! I recommend this novel to anyone who likes a fantasy romance read.

Anissa (Teen Reviewer)

BOOK REVIEW: The Forbidden Library by Django Wexler

Good Reads Summary:

When Alice's father goes down in a shipwreck, she is sent to live with her uncle Geryon--an uncle she's never heard of and knows nothing about. He lives in an enormous manor with a massive library that is off-limits to Alice. But then she meets a talking cat. And even for a rule-follower, when a talking cat sneaks you into a forbidden library and introduces you to an arrogant boy who dares you to open a book, it's hard to resist. Especially if you're a reader to begin with. Soon Alice finds herself INSIDE the book, and the only way out is to defeat the creature imprisoned within.

It seems her uncle is more than he says he is. But then so is Alice.

Book Review:

The Forbidden Library by Django Wexler is filled with adventure, a little romance and fantasy. Alice, the main character in the book is a studious young lady who after losing her father goes to live with one of her uncles who she has never met. In her new home, a mansion also known as "The Library" she meets Emma, a plain looking girl who is a servant on the estate. As Alice begins to settle in and explore her new home, she starts to question what happened to her father and looks to the others in "The Library" for answers, this is where the book gets interesting.

 

 

Django Wexler does a good job describing Alice and the other characters in the book so that it is easy to build a picture in your mind of what the characters are doing and expressing. The author chose the right number of characters so that the reader would not be confused about where they fit in. There are lots of plot twists that keep you interested. Each twist had lots of detail, and many supporting ideas that helped you feel connected to the novel. The chapters are the right length for reading in the car and the right length for capping over what was happening, enough detail so it was a good story but not too much that you would lose interest. It was an easy book to read and understand. I liked that the author put some images in the book. As the book goes on, Alice's adventures become more extreme. Alice moves into a fantasy world full of fairies, magic, and monsters. One of my favourite quotes from the book is:

 

"Ashes," Alice said, in a tone of extremely strained patience. "Where are we?" He sighed, which was an odd sound to hear from a cat.

"We're inside the book, of course. The one you read; The Swarm." Alice laughed.

"You're not serious."

"Don't ask questions if you don't want to hear the answers," Ashes said. He swished his tail, offended, and started off down one of the corridors. Alice, feeling the first thrills of fear, hurried after him.

"All right, all right," she said. "We're inside the book. How did we get here?"

"You brought us," the cat said. "You have the gift, apparently. You're a reader."

 

If you like fantasy books, action and mysteries, then this would be a great book for you to try to unravel. Once you begin you won't want to put the book down!

By Jillian (Teen Reviewer)

Teen Book Review: The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

Amazon Summary:

   For fans of Cassandra Clare's City of Bones and Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke & Bone, The Girl at Midnight is the story of a modern girl caught in an ancient war.

     Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.

     Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act.

     Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, though if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it.

But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.

 

Book Review:

    

     Melissa Grey’s “The Girl at Midnight” showcases the exotic and adventurous lives of the ‘Avicen’ people and will leave you on the edge of your seat. This story is narrated similar to a movie; where the characters are vividly expressed through a spectator-like position.  The reader is able to get a full grasp on all that’s happening.

     The story’s brisk plot-line and moderately short chapters allows the tale to flow together with ease making it an easy and enjoyable read. It is an upbeat and fascinating book that showcases the exploration of the legend of the Avicen. Overall, I really enjoyed this book as it has a little something for everyone and kept me engaged throughout every page. If you are a reader of magic, action, adventure, or all of the above, this book is perfect to satisfy your literature needs. This book was very well written and I would definitely recommend it. I would give it 5 out of 5 stars ★★★★★. Next time you step into your local library make sure to give this book a go!

 

Happy reading!

~Jenna (Teen Reviewer)

“One needs only a single match to start a fire”

“Every good fairy tale has a kernel of truth to it.”

~Melissa Grey, The Girl at Midnight