A young adult offering from Harlan Coben
Harlan Coben is a bestselling mystery/thriller author for adults, and here he dips his toe into the lucrative teen market. Shelter features Mickey Bolitar, nephew of Coben's sports agent/detective protagonist Myron Bolitar.
Mickey, who has spent most of his travelling the world with his humanitarian parents, has just lost his father in a car accident. His mother in rehab, he moves in unhappily with Uncle Myron and enrolls in school, uncertain where he fits in. He meets fellow oddballs Ashley, a girl with a past; Ema, a defensive, overweight and clever outcast; and Spoon, a brilliant techie on the spectrum. When Ashley suddenly disappears, and the couple she claimed were her parents tell Mickey they have no children, Mickey finds himself trying to solve a mystery that will save a girl's life. In investigating, he gets some hints about mysteries in his own family...
Do NOT judge a book by its cover. This is a book that I would have never chosen for myself to read. I do however listen to the teenagers that talk to me at school. This book was recommended. The title turned me off and I would have never picked it up if it hadn’t been suggested. Once I started reading, I was hooked in the first 20 pages.
We enter the story several years after the First Night; the night that the dead didn’t die, but rose as zombies. The speculations about the cause of the rising ranges from radiation to a virus. Benny and Tom are two of the survivors that are introduced in the book. Benny is turning 15 and views his brother as a coward because Benny remembers that Tom didn’t help Mom but ran from her when their Dad who had turned to a zombie was killing her. Benny’s view of his brother is challenged in this book when they are thrown together because Benny has to get a job and working as an apprentice to his Bounty Hunter brother is his last resort for work. Out in the Rot and Ruin, where the zombies live, Benny’s eyes are opened to the realities of what he has never faced.
I feel the author has done an outstanding job of developing meaningful characters and maintains an engaging story line from start to finish. He has captured the compassionate, endearing and horrifying qualities of the human spirit. He makes you re-evaluate who the real monster is within his book.
Do you see dead people? Well our heroine, Chloe, in this tail is coming to terms with the fact that she can talk to those that have passed on. Unfortunately this has caused her to be labeled as a schizophrenic. This lands Chloe in a group home for mentally unstable teenagers. Here she meets other teenagers and begins to discover that her ability to talk to the dead isn’t the only special talent amount this group of misfits. The drama and betrayal uncovered leaves me ready for the second book in the series.
nothing outstanding
After reading the second book of the House of Night series, I was a little dissapointed. It had so much foreshadowing that the book became somewhat predictable. Also, I noticed that there were multiple spelling errors. The book overall was average and okay to read, but did not leave the reader wanting more. However, it did deliver in creativity and people who are into vampire books may enjoy this book. It just didn't do it for me and I would not recommend reading it. I enjoyed the vampire series Vampire Academy a lot more and was hooked right away.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret was different from any book I've ever read. The transitions from illustrations to words weave together an beautiful story about a young boy whos secret life becomes jeopardized in his search for purpose and direction. Creatiing a suprising end and a promising new beginning. A wonderful story for readers both young and old!
This is exactly what I expected and didn't expect for the final book in the Birthmarked series. I knew that coming home would be difficult, especially with masses of people in tow. But the obstacles were unexpected, yet held true to each of the characters developed personality. O'Brien has done a splendid job of bringing the Birthmarked series to a jaw dropping conclusion.
Cassandra Clare does a phenomenal job of maintaining a fluid story line through this amazing series. She remains true to each character and the development of the relationships. As the story begins I feel the grief and loss that one of the main characters, Clary, is feeling over the disappearance of Jace. As the reader we know what happened at the end of the previous book, but the characters are left guessing where Jace and his evil counterpart Sebatian have gone. The search takes several directions to find the missing Jace. Plus some very serious actions that could result in massive consequences for the characters involved.
I would highly recommend this book series to anyone that enjoys delving into the belief that the stuff that makes up fairy tales is true.
Albrek's Tomb is the third book in the Adventurer's Wanted series. Each book in this collection just seems to get better and better. I can't wait for the next book to come out!
The lead character (Alex) takes you out of this world and onto a journey filled with adventure and excitement across every page. Fans of the Lightning Thief series will love these books. It was impossible to put down!
