White Cat

Title: White Cat
Author: Holly Black
Published: March 2010
ISBN: 9781416963967
Price: 17.99
Pages: 310
Other books in the series: Red Glove, Black Heart
Genre: fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy
Reading Level: 5th grade
Interest Level: 9-12th grade
Summary: Cassel comes from a family of very powerful curse workers. Curse workers have magical powers that allow them to touch people and do things like manipulate their thoughts, change their luck or even kill them. Curse working is outlawed and most people where gloves that cover their hands to protect themselves. Cassel's family secretly engages in various illegal curse working jobs but Cassel with no powers is kind of left out of the families illegal business. But Cassel isn't without his own secrets. In fact Cassel is hiding a very dark and painful secret of his own. He isn't sure how but he is convinced that his secret has something to do with the mysterious white cat that keeps showing up in his dreams. And it might have something to do with why Cassel finds himself on top of the roof of his school dorms in the middle of the night, with no idea how he got there. Cassel knows something is right but what could it be?
Review: Holy Black is known for her urban fantasies and White Cat does not disappoint. The story has a very dark and edgy feel. The story is almost like a magical version of the Sopranos with Cassel's family coming across as magical mobsters. Between Cassel's family drama and his own secret there is a lot of action and story to get into. The secret of what Cassel is hiding and what actually happens slowly unfolds and when it is finally revealed what actually happened it is extremely surprising. The story takes many twists and turns and keeps the reading interested all the way to the end. Though the story can get a bit confusing because of the amount of betrayal and manipulating that goes on. It's hard to keep all of it straight. But readers will be so caught up in the story that they will not be put off by the complexity.
Reader's Annotation: Cassel hides a dark secret. He killed his girlfriend a few years ago. Now he is being stalked by a white cat. What Cassel doesn't know is that his past may not be what he thinks it is.
Main themes: family, magic, corruption, mobsters, secrets
Bibliotheraputic Usefulness: Cassel struggles with trust issues due to his families manipulative background. Cassel is led to believe one thing by his family but it is not the truth. The story shows readers how family can be manipulative. The lie that Cassel was told completely changes how Cassel behaves and acts. He believes he is a terrible person who killed his own girlfriend. The reader will see how one's own perceptions of self can impact your actions and feelings.
Issues: The story has violence, manipulation, and illegal activity. Cassel is actually the school bookie and often times engages in less than legal activities. Cassel is also accused of killing his girlfriend.
Book Talk Ideas: The mobster aspect of this book is what will draw the biggest appeal. The book talk should focus on Cassel's family and their powers as curse workers and how they use them to engage in illegal activity.
Author Website: http://www.blackholly.com/
Read Alikes: Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman, The Blue Girl by Charles De Lint
Professional Reviews: Kirkus Reviews
Publisher's Weekly
Why chose this book? Holly Black writes amazing dark urban fantasies that are very popular. This series features a male protagonist and a unique story line that will have wide appeal to teen readers.

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.

The Raven Boys

Title: The Raven Boys
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Published: Sept 2012
ISBN: 0545424925
Price: 18.99
Pages: 409
Other books in the series: The Dream Thieves (Sept 2013)
Genre: paranormal fiction, fantasy
Reading Level: 
Interest Level: 9th-12th grade
Awards: School Library Journal Best Book
YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults
Plot Summary: Blue Sargant comes from a family of clairvoyants. Her mother and her aunts run a tarot card service out of their house in Virginia. Blue doesn't seem to have her families gift, though her presence some how makes it easier for her mom and her aunts to do their readings. Every year Blue goes with her mother to see the soon-to-be dead march and of course only Blue's mother sees them, never Blue, that is until this year. Somehow Blue is not only able to see one of the spirits but he talks to her as well. Who is this man that speaks to Blue and why was she able to see him? Blue starts to wonder if this could be the boy that her mother has foreseen that Blue will fall in love with and than ultimately kill with her kiss. All Blue knows is the spirits name is Gansey. Gansey is student at the prestigous Aglionby, a private school. She always said she she would stay away from the boys at that school, the Raven Boys. But it seems that the two are destined to meet. But how will Blue tell Gansey she saw his spirit and that he is to die in the next year? And what does all this have to do with Gansey's search for a dead Welsh king?
Review: Stiefvater does an amazing job building characters and developing a sense of place in her latest novel. She develops the multiple characters so well that they seem to come alive and feel as if they are really people. The story has an eerie and creepy feeling that only escalates as the story reaches it's climax. The story is a slow build, allowing for readers to become entranced with the characters, the story and the surroundings. Stiefvater points to the connection of Blue and Gansey early on but keeps readers waiting as she allows their stories to build and connect slowly. But when she does bring the story lines together she does so with great finess.  It's obvious as the story reaches conclusion that it is part of a series. While Stiefvater does provide some answers the story leaves on a bit of a cliffhanger with many questions unasked.
Reader's Annotation: Blue has never been able to see the soon-to-be-dead, unlike her mother. But this year Blue sees one of the spirits and it speaks to her. 
Bibliotherapeutic usefulness: The story presents some interesting issues of death and knowing ones future. Blue struggles with whether to tell Gansey that she saw his spirit and is going to die. The story will push teens to wonder if they themselves would want to know about their own death in advance. Adam struggles with domestic violence and poverty. There is Ronan who is dealing with the death of his father and struggling with school. And there is also Gansey who despite his wealth struggles with his perceived reputation. These personal struggles are things that teens can relate to and understand.
Issues: The book deals with magic, witchcraft, tarot cards, ghosts and other parts of the occult. Blue's mother and aunts read tarot cards and are able to see the future. Blue's one aunt also does different Wiccan practices. There is also Noah who was murdered by his friend. Adam, is a victim of abuse from his father. And Ronan is often drinking and belligerent. 
Book Talk Ideas: The story revolves heavily in myth, magic and legend. Gansey on the hunt for a dead Welsh king. I think focusing on the magical and myth aspect of the story is the best way to book talk. Perhaps using tarot cards to represent different aspect of the story.
Main Themes: love, death, magic, myth,
Read-alikes: Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey, Unraveled by Gena Showalter
Author Website: http://maggiestiefvater.com/
Professional Reviews: Publisher's Weekly
Kirkus Reviews
Why this book was chosen: Maggie Stiefvater is a writer who is growing in popularity due to her great characters and her amazing sense of place. The book has huge appeal for fantasy fans because of its combination of magic, legend and romance. The book has received a lot of critical acclaim is sure to be a popular sereis with teens. 

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.