The Iron Trial By: Holly Black & Cassandra Clare

      
Are you looking for a magical book with a twist ending you won't expect? Well look no further!
This is The Iron Trial by: Holly Black and Cassandra Clare!

Callum Hunt is a 12 year old boy with a lame leg. All his life his father has told him that magic is pure evil, since it killed his mother in a war. When Callum tries to fail at a test to get into Magisterium, an underground magic school, he does the opposite and now is forced to attend this "evil school". During the year, he makes new friends and a new foe. Call starts to love the school, even though his father thinks differently and wants to bind his magic. When 2 students go missing, Call and someone will have to find them. It will reveal something from Call's past that will change Call's life for the worse. See, I told you there was a plot twist!

What I liked about the book was Call's friends. They are super supportive and would do anything for him, even the crazy stuff!

What I don't like about the book is Call's lame leg. Near the end of the book, the leg made him risk his life twice! If only he didn't have a lame leg, he would be unstoppable.

This book fits in the Fantasy genre and is recommended if you have read Harry Potter. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Blackbird House By: Alice Hoffman

On the outskirts of the sea town of Cape Cod sits the a small amount of acreage. Nothing special, just a few acres of field,  some woods, and a small pond at the back of the property. There is no view of the ocean, but suits John Hadley just fine. The fisherman who has spent years out at sea wants only to settle down and give his beautiful wife, Coral, and two sons a simple house he built with the help of the neighbors. The house is a simple two stories, a kitchen and bedroom on the first floor an attic for the boys above. There is no glass in the windows just oiled paper. 

All that he needs to do now is go on one last fishing trip. He takes his sons along with him going against his wife's wishes not to take Isaac who is only ten. They head out on a clear night, moon glowing high in the sky only after the have left the bay does Isaac reveal that he has brought along his pet blackbird. The co dependent creature doesn't even know how to fly. When a storm pops of and tears the boat apart Isaac throws the blackbird into the air to save it as a last show of love. To his surprise it flies away. Coral refuses to believe her husband and sons are dead, she works in the garden and plants sweet peas (always a favorite of John’s). Only when the blackbird returns having turned pure white does she expect they are truly gone. 

This book is made up 12 stories. Some are connected with the same characters, some are descendants of former characters. The one thing they all have in common is the blackbird house.

My favorite part of the book is how there is a sense of subtle fantasy throughout most of the stories. Many of the people that lived in the house say that they have seen the ghost bird or the old fisherman in the woods. In two of the stories they is even a supposed witch!

I guess I would have to say that the main thing I disliked about this book was, like other books I have read by this author, that it was very depressing. In almost all of the stories characters die! I just wish it could have been a bit happier. Also it is not the most appropriate book in the world, that's all I’m going to say on that matter though.

I would give this a five out of five star rating.

RECOMMENDED FOR MORE MATURE READERS DUE TO CONTENT!!!!!!

Teardrop- By Lauren Kate

Do you love a good book about fantasy, love, and adventure? If you do, than this is the book for you. This book is about how seventeen year-old Eureka is having a really hard time coping with her mother's death. In her will her mother leaves her three odd items, an ancient book whose story Eureka can completely relate to, a weird yet intriguing stone, and a beautiful sentimental locket. Suddenly a mysterious boy works his way into her life, while one of her best friends works his way out of it. She knows she shouldn’t like this new boy , but she can’t help herself. Eureka needs to save herself and her family, but can she save her love as well? This is a story where everything you love can be washed away.

What I love most about this book is how much suspense it has. From the beginning of the story you know that Eureka is special and important. Even when she doesn’t believe that she is more than just a normal teen you know that she’s not from the start.

What I don’t like about the story is how it has a cliffhanger at the end. You don’t know what will happen and I don’t like that. I would enjoy the book much better if the author told us what was going to happen.       

Review by: Alanna P.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns-- An Awesomely Unexpected Hero

Image from Amazon.com

I'm always on the look out for a book that has a unlikely hero. Well, look no further than Elisa from The Girl of Fire and Thorns. She's a princess, she set to marry a handsome prince... but she's also overweight, socially awkward, a definitely prefers the company of books to that of her soon-to-be much-older husband.

Written by New York Times best seller, Rae Carson, The Girl of Fire and Thorns is full of mystery and adventure. Though she's not very happy about it, Elisa is a chosen one. She bears the "Godstone"-- a holy relic that is part of her own body. Every 100 years someone with a Godstone is born, and they have a mission to complete. Some of these missions are heroic and legendary. Some are tragic and humiliating.

Elisa doesn't know what she's supposed to do with her Godstone, but one thing is for certain-- she must use her unforeseen magic powers to solve some serious conflicts going on in her world.  War seems to loom on the horizon, and Elisa has no idea how she is to prevent it! As she  travels and learns more of her country's current dilemmas, she must face dangerous enemies and reluctantly make allies with those she doesn't trust.

For me, The Girl of Fire and Thorns was a page-turner. I loved the main character for her authentic actions and personality. She wasn't your typical princess, and she was far from a perfect young lady. The book also had a good balance of action, romance, and sadness. Be prepared to be drawn in by Carson's characters-- you love and hate them! Also, there's good news for series-lovers! This book is part of a series!

I give this book 4/5 stars!

Link to the book on Amazon.com

Link to the book at GoodReads.com

Review by Ms. Alkier

What Makes a Good Book Review?

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What goes into a good review? Read on to find out what qualifies as a successful review!

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