Heist Society

Young Adult:

Summary:
When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her to the Louvre . . . to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria . . . to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own — scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected.Soon, Kat’s friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster’s priceless art collection has been stolen and he wants it returned. Only a master thief could have pulled off this job, and Kat’s father isn’t just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help.For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it’s a spectacularly impossible job? She’s got two weeks, a teenage crew, and, hopefully, just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family’s (very crooked) history — and with any luck, steal her life back along the way.

Review:
Heist Society was an intriguing, original and action packed read. The plot was good and well orchestrated. You will fall in love with all the characters. They were all intersting, fun and well developed. Kat was an amazing main character, she was witty, smart, kind, and most of all- a thief. The Heist Society was a refreshing and fun read that you can finish in a couple of days. I'm hoping for another adventure involving Kat and the gang soon! I would definitely recommend this book.

Dreaming Anastasia

Young Adult

Summary:
In this debut novel, Anastasia Romanov, believed to have died in a bloody massacre with the rest of the Russian royal family, is alive, but held captive by Baba Yaga, an evil witch from Russian folklore. In present-day Chicago, 16-year-old Anne Michaelson has recurring dreams of the death of Anastasia’s family and Anastasia’s imprisonment. Handsome and mysterious Ethan Kozninsky has waited nearly a century to find Anne (“Now it’s occurring to me that smashing her to the floor in between classes in order to inform her that she is the girl who alone has the power to save the Grand Duchess Anastasia... is just possibly not the best plan I’ve ever had,” he thinks).

Review:
I was happily captivated by the story from the beginning. I liked the way that the author mixed history with fiction and added a dose of magic to the mix. The book was good from the beginning to the end. The only part of the book that was slightly disappointing was the cover said it was a love story, but in fact it wasn't much of one. There was hint of a romance but you never actually got to see it fully develop. As much as I would like to see that part of the book developed I am relieved that it is not a start to yet another series. I am happy to use my imagination to fill in the rest! All in all I thought this was a very good book and would highly recommend it.

The Iron King

Young Adult

Summary:

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined… Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home. When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change. But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Review:
At first I thought this book was just like the countless other stories about Faeries. However, it did not take long for this book to start showing unique twists, and characters that sets it apart from the rest. Julie Kagawa packed this book with suspence, action, deadly magic, wit and romance. I was captivated by how vivid her descriptions of the faery world, the battles and the characters were. I thought that this was a really good debut novel and will read the next book, The Iron Daughter, when it comes out on August 1st.

Hearts at Stake

Young Adult

Summary:
On Solange’s sixteenth birthday, she is going to wake up dead. As if that’s not bad enough, she also has to outwit her seven overprotective older brothers, avoid the politics involved with being the only daughter born to an ancient vampire dynasty, and elude Kieran Black—agent of an anti-vampire league who is searching for his father’s killer and is intent on staking Solange and her entire family. Luckily she has her own secret weapon—her human best friend Lucy—who is willing to defend Solange’s right to a normal life, whether she’s being smothered by her well-intentioned brothers or abducted by a power-hungry queen. Two unlikely alliances are formed in a race to save Solange’s eternal life—Lucy and Solange’s brother Nicholas, and Solange and Kieran Black—in a dual romance that is guaranteed to jump start any romance-lover’s heart.
Even fans of the genre who’ve seen it all will find a fresh read with kick-butt characters and family dynamics that ring true for all brothers and sisters—vampire or otherwise.

Review:
I know another vampire book! I was a little hesitant to pick this up because even I (huge vamp fan) am getting tired of Vampires and werewolves. However, I think this book was fresh, current and everything that young adult readers are looking for. It has romance, action, and wit. The action starts immediately and really doesn't let up till the end. I liked the fact that it was written in two points of view alternating from Lucy the spunky human best friend and Solange who is suppose to turn into a Vampire on her sixteenth birthday. I enjoyed it. I will be reading the next book Blood Feud coming out July 22nd.

Chasing Brooklyn

Young Adult

Summary:
Restless souls and empty hearts. Brooklyn can't sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca, died only a year ago, and now her friend Gabe has just died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn't Lucca visiting her dreams.
Nico can't stop. He's always running, trying to escape the pain of losing his brother, Lucca. But when Lucca's ghost begins leaving messages, telling Nico to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.
As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.

Review:I really liked this book! It is told in alternating points of view-Brooklyn and Nico's. I was so drawn into the book I couldn't put it down. It is a beautifully lyrical book written in verse. Yes, it is a ghost story but do not get confused and think that is your typical scary, haunting ghost story, it is more like a love story about two people who need each other to heal. Both Brooklyn and Nico are hurting and you feel their pain and want to reach in and help them. Chasing Brooklyn is a very emotional read both heartwrenching and heartwarming at the same time. I like that she had Ava make a cameo from I Heart You, You Haunt Me. Chasing Brooklyn isn't a sequel, but it takes place in the same school. Lisa ties the two novels together nicely and reader's won't be lost if they haven't read the first one. (Although you should, that one is really good too!)