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Otherbound

9/8/2015

Everyone thinks that Nolan suffers from seizures, but the truth is much stranger. When he closes his eyes, he sees out of the eyes of a girl who lives in a world filled with danger and magic. He is powerless to do anything and she seems unaware of his presence. Until the day Nolan realizes he can control her and sends a message. At first she is terrified, then she is furious, but soon she realizes that they must work together if either of them want to survive.

The premise of the novel is wholly unique. Their connection raises a lot of interesting possibilities. The girl's story, full of magic, assassins, and princesses in disguise is a great adventure.

Erica's Picks
7th & 8th
Tags: Adventure, Character Driven, Fantasy, LGBTQ, People of Color

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Winner's Curse

9/8/2015

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Kestrel lives a pampered life as the daughter of the Valorian General, but even she cannot avoid society's imperative to either get married or become a soldier by the age of 20. She wants nothing more than to be left to play the piano, but in a militaristic society where arts are seen as a weakness that is not an option. She's a keen strategist and excellent at games of chance, which is why she makes a gamble one day and purchases a slave for an exorbitant fee from the auctions in the city. Her new slave is headstrong and rude, but he opens her eyes to see her society in a whole new light. Then Kesterel's entire world is turned upside down. She must start asking herself difficult questions: Who can you trust when any action you take will betray someone you love? What would you sacrifice for freedom? What is the difference between revolution and revenge? And most important of all: what are you willing to do to survive?

I was completely swept away by the world of this novel. The society is loosely based on ancient Greco-Roman civilization but has its own unique geography, history, and culture. There's no real heroes or villains, everyone populates a morally grey area as the plot twists and turns and power dynamics change in a dizzying but captivating way.

Erica's Picks
8th Grade
Tags: Character Driven, Romance

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The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

9/8/2015

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Imagine a vampire outbreak occurs: what would you do? Hunt them down? Stock-pile canned goods? Or would you wall them all up in cities and turn them into fodder for reality TV? It's hard for the camera or the public to resist vampires' unnaturally good looks and outlandish antics. At first when vampires were revealed to society it was terrifying, but now people are used to them. Many are rabid fans of the live streams from cold towns where the vampires live. Tana knows more about the dangers of vampires than most of her peers: her mother was turned years ago and the disease caused her to attack her own daughter. Tana still bears the scars. But it isn't extra caution just pure, dumb luck that keeps Tana alive when she wakes up after a party to find all her friends slaughtered. She doesn't know how the vampires got in, but her ex-boyfriend is the only other person still alive, and he has been infected. She saves him with help from the most unlikely source and together they venture to the nearest cold town knowing they may never come back out again.

The characterization was great even for characters with minor roles. The way vampirism is handled in the novel is interesting from the way people turn to more philosophical questions of whether it changes a person's nature or simply exaggerates it. There's a lot of action and narrow escapes but the characters never lose their sense of humor. I'd give this to anyone looking for a new twist on vampire stories.

Erica's Picks
8th Grade
Tags: Character Driven, Horror, LGBTQ, Romance, Supernatural,

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My True Love Gave to Me

9/8/2015

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Whether you love or loathe the holidays everyone can agree that it's a time of year when emotions run high. That's why they make such a great backdrop for these short, romantic stories. An all-star cast of authors brings variety to this collection from serious to sweet to laugh-out loud funny. The only thing they all have in common is a holiday setting and a romantic plot. A perfect pick to get into the holiday spirit any time of year.

Erica's Picks
7th & 8th

Tags: LGBTQ, People of Color, Romance, Short Stories

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The Thickety

9/8/2015

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When Kara was six, her mother was executed for practicing witchcraft. Kara can still remember that terrible day. Now her father is a shadow of the man he was, and her family is ostracized by the community for the taint of sin upon them. They can just barely scrape by in their miserable lives. Then Kara follows a bird into the Thickety and she discovers a book of magic. The book could give her the power to make all their lives better, but if she is caught she'll suffer the same fate as her mother.

The basic concept of a witch being persecuted by a religious community is pretty well-trod, but the setting and the style of magic in this novel are completely original. The Thickety is an ominous presence full of unknown dangers and Kara's feelings of excitement and foreboding as she discovers her power are palpable. I'd give this to students looking for a fantasy adventure novel with strong characterization.

Erica's Picks
Grade 5 - 8
Tags: Character driven, fantasy, horror

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Greenglass House

9/3/2015

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"There was a city that could not be mapped, and inside it a house that could not be drawn." Milo lives with his parents in a rambling old inn filled with as many secrets as the smugglers that come to stay there. The inn sits high on a hill overlooking a harbor with two ways up: a steep path, or a cable railway. Tourist season was long over and snows were arriving to leave them stranded from the main town. Which is why Milo was surprised when the cable railway's bell rang to notify them of a waiting passenger. Soon Milo's quiet holiday has turned into a loud and chaotic mystery as eccentric guests fill the inn and begin to hunt for hidden treasure. Milo joins forces with a new friend to solve the mystery and find the treasure, but what starts as a game to pass the time soon turns into a dangerous adventure.

An old inn in a smuggler's bay trapped by a winter storm--what more could you ask for from a mystery setting? The characters are eccentric but well-rounded. Milo and his new friend use the framework of a role playing game to provide a cover and give them courage to investigate the inn's mysteries. I'd give this to anyone looking for a good adventure or mystery.

Erica's Picks
4th - 6th Grade
Tags: Adventure, Family Life, Mystery, People of Color

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Otherbound

Winner's Curse

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

My True Love Gave to Me

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