Jackaby

Abigail Rook has just arrived in 1892 New England.  She ran away from a life of conformity and finds herself penniless, jobless, and homeless.  That is how she finds herself of the doorstep of R.F. Jackaby, detective.

He is unusual to say the least, but Abigail immediately feels comfortable as his assistant, despite the fact that she is skeptical of his claims that he can see the supernatural.

The scene of the first crime is a grisly murder that has the police stumped, but Jackaby sees a paranormal hand at work.  As they settle into the investigation, they grow closer to danger.

This is a fun if not wholly original story with a Sherlock Holmes-esque detective with the Doctor/Companion relationship dynamic and a paranormal twist.  I hope William Ritter continues this series!

Undivided

Umm...Wow!  This series is amazing!  First, that cover is awesome.  Second, this whole series is just mind blowing.  I have to say this is the most disturbing book in the series by far, but I can't help but think that was Neal Shusterman's plan from the beginning.

Lev feels lost.  He began life as a devoted tithe, but once that illusion was finally shattered he was scooped up by the clappers.  When he didn't follow through with nihilistic terrorism, he finds himself on an Arapache reservation.  He is looking for a purpose for his life.  He needs all those narrow escapes to mean something, and he won't stop until he finds that purpose.

Starkey becomes more power hungry with each passing day, and it doesn't matter who gets hurt as long as long as he is a thorn in the side of the unwinding machine.  Now the clapper organization is funding the Stork Brigade with food, weapons, and clappers.  Starkey rules with an iron fist, but what will he do when the storks start thinking for themselves?

Nelson's one ambition since the Akron AWOL turned his own tranq gun on him has been to take that kid down claim Conner Lassiter's eyes for his own.  He's closer than ever as he takes his new apprentice Argent to meet the most heinous parts pirate in the system.

Conner has discovered something that Proactive Citizenry thought they'd destroyed, an organ printer.  If he can get this information public with the right company, one that's big enough to do something and small enough to not be part of Proactive Citizenry, he hopes he can change the way people think about unwinding.  But he has to make a stop first.  He has to go back where it all started and try to make peace before he can make change.

Risa and Conner are finally back together, but his desire to reconnect with his past may threaten their future.

Cam is trying to move forward since giving himself up to protect Risa.  Now that he's back in the Proactive Citizenry compound, he is disillusioned and distrustful.  With a little searching, he uncovers the horrifying truth about their plans for the future, and he knows he's the only one who can stop it.

My only real complaint about this final book is that Risa plays only a token roll.  Yes, Una has an active part, but what about Risa?  We need more girl power!

That said, the story is amazing, and the way Shusterman fits all the pieces together is mind-blowing.  Kudos, Mr. Shusterman, Kudos.

The Great Touble

Eel was earning his living as a mudlark gathering scraps and debris from the filthy water of the Thames in 1854.  A change of fortune got him room, board, fresh water, and enough money to support himself.  This is a vast improvement over his previous life.

Everything changes one August day when a rival accuses him of stealing jeopardizing his job.  When he tries to get support from one of his other employers, he makes a horrifying discovery.  The blue death has arrived, and it quickly spreads.  Eel knows there is only one person Eel can think of to help.

Eel has been feeding animals and cleaning cages for Dr. Snow who uses the animals in his medical inquiries.  Dr. Snow is more interested than Eel thought, but not for the reasons Eel had hoped for.  Most people believe the blue death, or Cholera, is caused by the foul smelling air coming off the polluted Thames, but Dr. Snow believes there is a more direct cause, and he intends to prove it.

With Eel's help, Dr. Snow races to discover the true cause of the Cholera outbreak and stop the spread before more people die.

I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would.  It's a true medical mystery based on the real cholera outbreak of 1854.  Be sure to read the author's note at the end to find out more about cholera and its spread as well as the real people Deborah Hopkinson used as characters in the book.  Highly recommended!

The Thickety

So, I'm a little conflicted about this book.  The characters and the design skew a bit young, but this is a Dark book.  Yes, that capital D is intentional.  I'm just not sure what to do with it.  It looks like a 6th grade book and reads like an 8th grade book.  I'll just have to see what happens.

When Kara Westfall was five years old, her mother was hanged for witchcraft.  Ever since that time, she, her brother, and her father have been outcasts in the village.  Her father is barely functional stuck in the horror and despair of losing his wife.  This leaves Kara to take care of herself and her sickly younger brother.

The village is surrounded by a dark and dangerous forest called the Thickety.  It's filled with magic and frightening creatures.  No one ventures inside because of the risk of death or worse.

One day a strange creature lures Kara into the Thickety where she discovers a grimoire and begins covertly practicing magic.  She is in constant danger of discovery, but the magic is powerful and addictive.

About halfway through the book, things take a (not so) surprising turn which I won't reveal in the interest of not spoiling the story.  But the twist at the end I did not see coming.

This was a good but disturbing book with an interesting exploration of addiction.  I am interesting to see what J.A. White does with book two.

Ruin and Rising

I've been a big fan of this series since the beginning, and the final installment is not a disappointment.  The atmospheric quality of Bardugo's writing is one of my favorite things about it.  From the first page, I am transported to this alternate version of Russia complete with lush backgrounds and costumes.  I practically get chilled from visiting the frozen world of Ravka.

Before I move on to the plot, please be aware that this is the final book in a trilogy, so there will be spoilers.  Don't read this review if you are behind on your reading!

Alina, Mal, and the rest of the survivors of the failed attempt on the Darkling are now underground at the White Cathedral under the control of the Apparat.  Alina is weakened after the battle and confused and disturbed by the band of religious zealot warriors the Apparat has assembled.

When she finally gains the strength, she and her surviving grisha set out with Mal to track the firebird.  She believes that finding the final amplifier is the only way to defeat the Darkling.

This quest will reveal dark truths about Morozova and put her friends in greater peril than ever.  The stakes are higher than ever as the final battle approaches, and everyone will be faced with difficult choices and heartbreaking sacrifice.

One of my students said this book was more melancholy than the others in the trilogy, and I think that is the perfect description.  I thoroughly enjoyed this series, and I can't wait to see what Leigh Bardugo writes next!

Saving Lucas Biggs

Margaret is heartbroken when her father is convicted of a crime he didn't commit.  The Victory corporation owns pretty much everything in Victory, Arizona, including the judge who presided at the trial.  Some people see Margaret's dad as a whistle-blower and a hero, and some people see him as a traitor.  Unfortunately, the people in charge see him as a problem to be handled.

The only way to save him, is to use the family "gift" and travel back in time to 1938 to stop the event that turned Lucas Biggs into the hard and cold man he is today.

Back in 1938, things are not going well for the Victory corporation or for the miners who produce the company's coal.  When a disaster in the mine causes increased tensions in the town, the miners go on strike.

There is one moment where everything hangs in the balance.  The first time around resulted in tragedy, and the balance tipped in Victory Corporation's favor.  Margaret hopes things can be different this time.  If she succeeds, she will save three lives and change the future of Victory, Arizona.  If she fails, she loses her father.

This is a story about time travel, friendship, and the struggle between social classes with a dash of environmentalism thrown in.  We get multiple perspectives on the action from both 1938 and 2014.  You will be on the edge of your seat as Margaret and her friends try to change the past to save the future.  Read this collaboration between husband and wife, Marisa de los Santos and David Teague!

Unbreakable

Kennedy Waters is living a pretty normal life.  OK, her dad left when she was a little kid, but she and her mom are happy and healthy.  She has her art, her best friend, and her cat.  All in all, life is pretty good.

Everything changes when she returns home to find her mother dead of an apparent heart attack.  Suddenly, her world is falling apart.  But things are about to get a lot worse.  Worse like a vengeance spirit trying to murder her in her sleep!

She is saved by two guys she's never seen before who break into the house and destroy the spirit.  Lukas and Jared tell her that her mother didn't have a heart attack; the same spirit who tried to kill Kennedy killed her mother.  And it's all part of a bigger plan.

Lukas and Jared bring Kennedy into the world of the Legion, a group that has been battling demons and spirits for hundreds of years all in an effort to keep a world-destroying evil at bay.  They are also convinced that Kennedy has inherited a place in their ranks.

Now she and the other Legion members must battle vengeance spirits to collect pieces of a device that will save the world.

This is Kami Garcia's first solo novel, and the best part about it is the creepy factor.  I loved all the haunted locations in the story.  If you are a Supernatural fan, you will either love or hate this book because it has a lot of similarities to the tv show.