Review: Book of Night

Book of Night by Holly Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Charlie is a con artist.  This wasn’t a choice she consciously made; it was thrust upon her through a series of events outside her control.  She lives her life as a bartender and tries to stay away from the not-so-secret world of shadow trading.  That is until someone from her past returns and Charlie’s life begins to crumble around her.  Charlie needs to unravel the secrets she has been ignoring, but who can she trust?  Will Charlie lose a part of herself along the way?

Book of Night is a stand-alone fantasy series that was interesting yet familiar.  Black has created a brand new world of shadows and the people who can control them, yet the concept was not hard to understand and the events flowed smoothly.  This is Black’s first adult fantasy book and thankfully it was not full of sex and violence.  That isn’t saying there wasn’t anything risqué, but I can easily recommend this to my high school students and not worry about the content.  Book of Night is a must-read for all fantasy fans.

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Review: Family of Liars

Family of Liars by E. Lockhart
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

We Were Liars was a suspense-filled book that kept me wondering how the mystery would be solved.  Family of Liars was disappointing when compared to the original.  It is a new summer and a new set of circumstances, but the mystery isn’t there.  Readers discover what happened relatively early on and the mystery is the why behind the episode.  The author’s note does warn that this is a prequel and spoilers will be given to the original story, but overall this story was not as good as We Were Liars.  I wanted to have a five-star adventure, but sadly it was only a three-star read.

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Review: The Key to Fury

The Key to Fury by Kristin Cast
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

For fifty years, the Key Corporation has kept the pandemic from returning.  Elodie and Aiden have learned that there is more to the Key Corporation than what the public knows and they are on the run and hope to find New Dawn.  The Eos resistance movement says they are working towards a better world, but are they just another group of people who hunger for power?  Who can these two young people trust?  What other truths will they learn along the way?

The Key to Fury is the second book in The Key series.  I want to start by saying that I enjoyed the first book, but was disappointed with this story.  The overall feel was formulaic and I wanted something unexpected.  Readers do learn more about these characters and the world they live in, so there is a chance that the next volume will redeem the series.  I will give the series another chance if Cast decides to extend it.

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Review: Year on Fire

Year on Fire by Julie Buxbaum
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Paige is devastated when she learns her boyfriend kissed another person.  When she finds out it was her best friend Immie, her world seems to implode.  That is until Rohan arrives at their school.  Paige calls dibs and Immie wants to let her have him, but something about Ro just pulls her towards him.  After a fire in the girls’ bathroom of their school, everyone believes it must have been arson.  Who would want to set a fire in their school?  Will the longtime friendship survive the turmoil after the kiss? 

Year of Fire is a stand-alone realistic fiction story that explores friendship, young love, and learning to accept yourself and others.  I really wanted to love this book, but overall the story was just two-dimensional.  I felt that way throughout the story and when the arsonist is revealed, it just seemed anticlimactic.  Year on Fire is a quick read for those who want something easy at the beach or for the weekend, but I don’t think it should be moved to the top of anyone’s TBR list.

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