Review: The Girl with the Iron Touch

The Girl with the Iron Touch by Kady Cross

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Finley Jayne and her friends have returned to London. The year is 1897, but it is an alternate Steampunk World. Emily has been kidnapped by automatons and has been told she must transplant the brain from her archenemy into the body of one of his creations. If she does not, he will ensure not only her death, but also the death of her friends. Emily’s troubles may be the largest, but her friends are also having issues. Griffin is being harassed by the Aether during his waking hours and in his dreams. Finley is still trying to learn to control her dark side and coming to terms with her relationships with Griffin and Jack Dandy. Sam won’t stop until Emily is found. He is searching all of London (above and below grounds) and will not rest until she is safely home.


Kady Cross continues the Steampunk Chronicles with a story that will make Finley Jayne fans proud. The Girl with the Iron Touch stands strong as its own story with only a touch here and there referencing earlier story lines. The larger story of book three is satisfactorily concluded with enough new questions to keep readers happily anticipating book four. Questions about relationships during the previous storylines are boldly addressed and characters deal with life altering choices that are still relevant today. I strongly recommend this book to steampunk fans and the series to those interested in exploring this genre.




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Review: Dare You To

Dare You To by Katie McGarry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Ryan never passes on a dare. His friends love to push the limits on length and scope of these challenges. The current venture is phone numbers. One person decides who the lucky (or unlucky) girl will be. After Ryan unsuccessfully attempts to get Beth’s phone number at a Taco Bell, it looks as if he must admit defeat. None of his usual charms help him in this quest as Beth gets in a car and rides away.

Beth is hard on Ryan because life is hard and she wants to survive. Her mother has a secret and if the truth got out her mom would be sent to jail. Beth will do anything to protect her mother. At first she thinks the only way to shield her is to admit to something that her mother did. What ends up happening is that she has to leave the little family and friends she has and move in with her uncle. If she doesn't, he will tell the police her mother’s secret and then her mom will go to jail.

Dare You To explores the lives of two different teens. Ryan is well off, but his father has his life planned for him. He has no say in what happens after high school. Beth has nothing of material value but has friends that love her and will do anything for her. Both are thrown together against their will. What starts out as a dare quickly moves into friendship and threatens to become so much more. Katie McGarry creates realistic characters with not so unfathomable life issues. Whether you are a teen in the throes of your own life issues or a reader who wants to escape into someone else’s story, Dare You To will be a welcome respite and diversion.




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Review: The Emerald Ring

The Emerald Ring by Dorine White

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Ancient Egypt comes to small town Ohio when Sara Guadalupe Bogus finds an emerald ring in her grandmother’s attic. After the ring zaps her, she cannot remove it from her finger and she begins having strange dreams and nightmares. If this is not enough to cause Sarah to lose sleep, she is disturbed when a series of burglaries in her neighborhood hits her best friend’s house and she discovers that the emerald ring gives her the power to turn into an Egyptian cat.

The Emerald Ring (Cleopatra’s Legacy) is filed with magic, nightmares and assassins. The story is listed for children and tweens will enjoy the action and magic found within. The history of Rome and Egypt’s rocky relationship that ended with Cleopatra’s suicide is just one of the reasons I was pulled into the book. Fans of Cleopatra will find that this book is not about her, just her legacy as the subtitle tells. White did a wonderful job writing for this young demographic who want to read more challenging stories. Although this book will be read widely by tweens, it will not have much of a calling in the teen setting.




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Review: The Reluctant Assassin

The Reluctant Assassin by Eoin Colfer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



In Victorian London Riley is apprenticed to an illusionist and assassin. He is taken on his first assassination and if he does not complete this job, he will be killed himself. While his trainer, Albert Garrick, is watching the murder, Riley hesitates and the victim wakes. Unfortunately, this victim has his own magic and vanishes, taking Riley with him.

In modern London Chevron Savano has been assigned to the FBI’s Witness Anonymous Relocation Program (WARP) as a punishment for messing up an undercover assignment in Los Angeles. She believes it is just a babysitting job because nothing ever happens and the capsule they guard hasn’t been used in 30 years. Unfortunately, the capsule is activated in Victorian London and Riley and his would be victim arrive in modern London. This capsule is actually a wormhole connecting the two time periods. Shortly after this transport Chevie learns the truth of this department and is on the run from Garrick. He has also come through the wormhole, but he has been altered. He is not only an evil assassin; he possesses all of the knowledge of the scientist who tried to stop him.

With Victorian ruthlessness and modern knowledge, Garrick wants his apprentice back and the timekey from Chevie. This timekey is the only thing that can get Garrick back to Victorian London where he plans to “invent” new technology and dominate the world. The Reluctant Assassin jumps from period to period and person to person to give the reader the heart pumping feeling of a true chase. Colfer bring depth to the characters with back story and lost memories thrown in at vital moments. Although this is a series I can see novella stories sprouting up as part of these back stories and memories. Readers of Colfer’s Artemis Fowl series will not be disappointed in this new series.




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Review: The Eternity Cure

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Allison wants to find her sire, Kanin. He has been kidnapped and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren and she is able to follow them because she is linked to Kanin through a blood bond. This blood bond leads her back to New Covington and the Fringe; the home of her human self and the place where she became undead. In order to find and save Kanin she must meet with the vampire prince of the city who would like nothing less than to kill Kanin and herself. After she reaches New Covington she discovers that a new strain of Red Lung Disease is spreading. This new strain threatens humans and vampires alike.

The Eternity Cure picks up shortly after The Immortal Rules ends. Through flashback, internal dialog and conversations Kagawa reviews key components of the original story without taking away from the new story. Readers will be pulled into the struggle within Allie as she continues to adjust to becoming a vampire without losing her humanity. I loved the book and wanted to continue to read even when I needed to leave for work. I also found myself running a variety of possible scenarios in my head while reading. The Eternity Cure is not a predictable book, but it also isn’t full of unlikely surprises. Readers will definitely want to read the first book before jumping into this volume and be prepared to wait for the next book in the Blood of Eden series.




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Review: Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust

Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust by Doreen Rappaport

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Many Americans know about the Holocaust. Maybe they have read The Diary of Anne Frank or Night; they may have studied it during history class or watched a documentary. What most of us are not aware of is that there are a lot more stories, and not all stories can fill an entire book. The courage and bravery of the survivors and victims should not be forgotten because they were not epic in scope.

Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust brings many of these smaller actions to the front. They are of no less value because of their length therefore teens and adults will all benefit from reading these stories. This book tells the story of 21 events across 11 countries during World War II. Not everyone in this book survived the Holocaust, but the courage and bravery of the young and old will inspire those who read these accounts.




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Digital Magazines Available From LCPL

As many of you are aware, I have several things that my OCDness becomes apparent with. Obviously, books and reading materials tops my list.  Last night I was on the LCPL website checking to see if my requested book had arrived from another branch.  What did I discover on their home page?  A new digital service - Magazines!

The Lake County Public Library now offers digital magazines for their patrons.  All that is needed is your LCPL card number and then the creation of an account.  If you don't live in the LCPL district, you may be eligible for an educator library card because of your job.  

Only the current issues are available for reading.  Patrons can not archive magazines for later reading, but you do have access to the magazine until the newest version is released.  There doesn't appear to be a limit to how many different magazines you can check out at once.  I checked out 3 fitness magazines, a gluten free cooking magazine and an iPhone/iPad magazine all at the same time.

These magazines can be read on any web enabled device (computer, laptop, phone or tablet) and they can be downloaded into the Zinio App for offline reading.  Sooooo ... since it is School Library Month and next week is National Library Week, I want to encourage everyone to visit their library and read.  Magazine reading IS reading, you are not limited to just books!  If you are interested in seeing what magazines are available, stop by and see me.  I can log in and show you the 150+ magazines they offer.