Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Author: Laini Taylor
Published: 2011
ISBN: 9780316199025
Price: 18.99
Pages: 424
Other books in the series: Days of Blood and Starlight
Genre: fiction, fantasy
Reading Level: 6th grade
Interest Level: 9th-12 grade
Summary: Karou is not what you would call a normal teen. It might be the blue hair, the mysterious eye tattoos on her hands or her ability to speak many languages fluently or it could be that her guardian is a chimera named Brimstone. Karou has no idea who her parents are, all she knows is that she turned up at Brimstone's door and he took her in. Now she acts as Brimstone's lackey, going through magical portals that open to exotic locales all in the quest for teeth. See Brimstone collects teeth, all kinds of teeth, both human and non-human. Karou has no idea what he uses the teeth for but all she knows is that his collection of teeth is getting smaller and smaller. She starts to wonder if this has anything to do with the strange hand prints that have been appearing on the portal doors. The hand prints seems burned into the wood and they are showing up everywhere. Karou has lots of questions about where she came from, what Brimstone uses the teeth for and why the portals are being marked by hands. But when the truth starts to come out Karou many not be ready for what she finds out.
Review: Laini Taylor's greatest strength her fantasy is the ability to create such interesting and unique characters in her story. They each bring their own personalities and traits that feel so real to the reader. You almost forget while you're reading that this world doesn't really exist. Yet, Taylor is able to create a magical world within our own that feels real. They mystery surrounding Brimstone and the teeth grabs the reader right from the start. There just seems to be so many unknowns, so many secrets that the reader can't wait to uncover them. As some of the pieces come together is leads to so many more larger stories and worlds that the possibilities for the series are endless. There is also a love story at the heart of everything but it's not your typical romance. By the end of this book I had a hard time leaving the world and characters Taylor created and I was excited for the next book.
Reader's Annotation: Karou spends her time going through magical portals collecting teeth for her chimera guardian Brimstone. But when the teeth collection runs low Karou starts to wonder if the recent appearance of burned hand prints on the portal doors is to blame.
Main themes: identity, world wars, revenge, love
Bibliotheraputic Usefulness: Karou spends a good portion of the story trying to find out who she is and where she comes from which many teens can relate to this quest of identity. There is also her struggle with her past and trying to respect where she came from but move forward. Karou feels conflicted when she learns of love for angel, the sworn enemy of her kind. Teens could gain empathy perhaps for those who are on opposing sides since the book shows the damage of war to all involved.
Issues: There could be some issues with the stories use of chimeras and magic. There is also the depiction of angels and not as pure biblical creatures but rather as warriors and fighters that wipe out the chimera. There is also talk of sex and drinking. Karou's ex-boyfriend shows up to her art class as the nude model.
Book Talk Ideas: For the book talk I would describe and talk about some of the characters like Brimstone and Issa and Karou. They each are so unique and very descriptive that it will grab a potential reader's attention.
Author Website: http://www.lainitaylor.com/
Read Alikes: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Professional Reviews: Kirkus Reviews
Publisher's Weekly
Why chose this book? Laini Taylor puts a new spin on the paranormal romance genre that is worth the read. It has been well reviewed and very popular. The book is also an Oregon author which is great since I live in Oregon.

City of Bones

Title: City Of Bones
Author: Cassandra Clare
Other Books in the Series: City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Romance
Published: March 2007
ISBN: 1416955070
Pages: 485
Price: 12.99 (paperback)
Plot Summary: Clary Fray is just an average New York City teenager till one night when she witnesses a crime the goes unseen by everyone else. Clary can see Shadowhunters, which is both a surprise to Clary and the Shadowhunters. She witnesses the shadowhunters killing a person at a club, which Clary finds out is a demon. Shadowhunters are humans with angel blood and they protect the world from demons, vampires, werewolves and other downworlder creatures. Usually, the shadowhunters can go unseen by humans as they carry out their jobs but somehow Clary can see them. Clary soon finds out that she isn't as normal as she once thought as she finds more about her life and family and the world of the Shadowhunters. Clary soon joins the world of the Shadowhunters as they try to find out why so many demons are finding their way into the human world. Though joining the Shadowhunters also puts her in danger and her mother disappears after Clary is attacked by a demon. No one knows why she was attacked, or where her mother went or why Clary can see the shadowhunters.
Review: The story features well developed and diverse characters as well as a plot that is full of twists and mystery. The world of Shadowhunters and Downworlders has been well developed by Cassandra Clare with great back stories and a rich history that slowly comes out through the series. There is plenty of action and fighting to appeal to boys reading the series and of course there is romance. I like that Cassandra includes Alec and Mangus who are both gay characters, but she treats them just like all the other characters and their sexuality isn't a big focus but rather them being gay is just a part of who they are. There is also some obvious sexual tension between Clary and Jace that is engrossing. Jace is a bit of the typical bad boy, with a constant need to walk on the edge. The story is extremely addicting and a fun read.
Reading Annotation: What if demons walked among us and the ones who fought them were hiding in plain sight.
Main Themes: angels, demons, secret worlds, identity
Bibliotheraputic Usefulness: Clary struggles with her identity and finding her place. This will appeal to teens who feel that they may not fit in or don't know their role in society. The story also is a battle of good vs evil. Teens can use the fantasy battles against demons as inspiration to battle their own real life demons. The book also provides an imaginative and fun escape from the real world.
Book talking ideas: City of Bones has the great ability to make the fantasy feel part of everyday life. For book talking focus on the idea of a world that is existing all around us that no one sees, the world of Shadowhunters. Of course there is great action, adventure and romance to pull in teens.
Issues: The series does have teen drinking and risk taking behavior. There is a lot of focus on romantic relations that may be inappropriate for younger teens. The main challenge may be the idea of vampires, werewolves, and humans with angel blood. Some religious parents may feel it's sacrilegious or have objections to the idea of fantasy being weaved into everyday life.
Author Website: http://www.cassandraclare.com/
Professional Reviews: Kirkus Reviews
Publisher's Weekly
Why included this book?: The Mortal Instruments series is a New York Bestseller and is being turned into a movie that is being released this summer. It is book that combines both vampires, angels and werewolves and has huge appeal to fantasy fans.