Fantasy/Mystery: Terrier

Well known fantasy author Tamora Pierce has written an unusual series. The Beka Cooper series focuses on the eponymous heroine. Beka is a lowborn gutter rat who was rescued from poverty by a lord as a child. She lives with her siblings in his manor as a servant, where she is well treated.

But Beka wants something more. She joins the City Guard at 16, and begins her training as a "puppy", or novice guard. Born into the slums, Beka has a driving need to see justice done. Paired with two of the city's best Dogs (guards), Beka uses her natural wit and her innate magic to bring down the city's most wanted criminals, thus earning her nickname of "terrier".

The book is set in a vaguely mediaeval world, where lords and ladies live a very different life than Beka. Tamora Pierce has broken the mold by making her heroine a debilitatingly shy gutter rat, with no great beauty or intelligence. Instead, Beka is doggedly persistent, with a keen sense of justice. The book is written in diary format, which brings readers right into Beka's rich and colourful life. A wonderful read, with a strong mystery element. Also recommended is the sequel, "Bloodhound".

Fantasy/Mystery

Grades 9-12

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Graphic Novel: Rapunzel's Revenge

The Rapunzel in this story is quite a different girl than the one you might find in traditional fairy tales. The story of the girl who waits for a prince to rescue her from a tower is turned on its head in this snappy graphic novel.

This Rapunzel is a redhead who defies her adoptive mother when she realizes that she was stolen away as a child. The witch Mother Gothel has been using growth magic to drain the land of life, and keep its peoples under her green thumb.

Locked up in a treetop prison for four years, Rapunzel has plenty of time to nurse her anger, and to practice using her growing braids as deadly weapons! The early lasso training she received from her bodyguard allows her to develop into a braid-snapping crack shot.

When she finally breaks out of prison, Rapunzel is determined to get revenge, and to rescue her real mother from the witch's mines. Told with an untraditional Western twist, this full colour graphic novel has appealing illustrations that draw the reader into an old tale made new. Nominated for a YALSA quick pick award, this book is sure to please those who love fantasy and strong heroines. Funny and smart!

Graphic Novel

Grades 9-12

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Fantasy: City of Glass

This book is the third in Cassandra Clare's "The Mortal Instruments" series. It's a darkly convoluted trilogy that follows Clary as she learns that there is a world the rest of us can't see...one that she belongs to by right of birth.

In previous books, Clary discovers that she and her mother are anything but ordinary. They are part of a race called Shadowhunters, fierce beings who can call down magic using drawn runes. Almost immediately, Clary's mother is attacked by demons, and Clary joins forces with a group of New York Shadowhunters to fight against them.

Slowly, Clary finds herself falling in love with Jace, a fellow Shadowhunter. Jace is the quintessential bad boy, as he is the son of the ultimately evil Valentine. Despite Jace's suspect past, he and Clary are well on the way towards romance when the two discover that they are, in fact, siblings.

I won't give any more details away, but the books are filled with battles against evil, and more than a little romance. This series is sure to be popular with those who loved Twilight, or books by authors Holly Black and Melissa Marr.

Fantasy

Grades 10 and up

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Supernatural Fatasy: Need

Fans of Twilight will want to pick up Carrie Jones's new book, Need. It tells the story of Zara White, new girl in town. She's living with her grandmother now, because her mom sent her away to recover from the shock of her dad's sudden death. But Maine isn't exactly the relaxing vacation she thought it would be.

Instead, Zara finds she's being stalked by a pale man who leaves a trail of gold dust in his wake. Sound weird? That's not all. On top of that, her new friends can turn furry on the full moon, and the high school cliques are fierce enough to draw blood; literally. Throw in a hot guy and a budding romance, and you have a recipe for a supernatural thriller.

This book isn't as gripping as the Twilight series, but for fans who are looking for titles that are similar, it's a quick read.

Supernatural Fantasy

Grades 9-12

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Science Fiction: Genesis

This book is classic science fiction, in the tradition of Arthur C. Clarke and Ray Bradbury. Nothing is what it seems; the whole book is designed to upend your view of what humanity is, and how it relates to others.

This thoughtful book feels more like a short story than a full novel, but it's worth the trip through its brief, 185 pages. Student Anax is taking her final examination for entrance to the Academy, and her topic is the life of Adam Forde, long dead hero of the Republic. As she explains the history of her specialization, we begin to see a picture of a ruined world, with only one tiny bastion of civilization remaining. Anax delves deep into the concepts of ethics and morality, wrestling with ideas that will rock the foundations of her world... and ours. This is a book that will unsettle and grip readers. Highly recommended.

Science Fiction

Grades 10 and up

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Horror: Skeleton Creek

Skeleton Creek is hybrid book, and it's one of the best examples of it's kind. Author Patrick Carman has delivered unparalleled creepiness by mixing a traditional book format with online video clips that are reminiscent of The Blair Witch Project. The diary-style writing is simple and direct, and the scary videos build the suspense and mystery as the book progresses.

Teenage Ryan and his best friend Sarah have found something horrible in the woods. They were messing around, exploring an old piece of machinery at night when Ryan saw something moving. After he woke up in hospital, he couldn't remember what happened...but Sarah had recorded the whole thing on video. At this point, you pause to watch a scary clip on the book's website, and then you resume following Ryan as he and Sarah explore the secret that haunts Skeleton Creek.

In case you hadn't caught on, this book is definitely not for the faint of heart! Despite the distinct lack of gore, the suspense is heavy. I certiainly didn't want to watch those videos at night, and had to wait to read the book in the daytime! Highly recommended for reluctant readers, and teens who love suspense/horror.

Horror

Grades 5-10

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Graphic Novel: Dark Wraith of Shannara

This title is author Terry Brooks' first venture into the graphic novel format. Based on his wildly popular Shannara series, this book follows magic user Jair Ohmsford as he battles the forces of evil to save his friends.

The main attraction of this book lies in the detailed fantasy world that the author has painstakingly created. The world of Shannara is set in the far future, eons after humanity nearly destroyed itself through chemical and nuclear apocolypse. Magic has seeped in to fill the gaps where science was lost, and elves and other fantastic races have risen in power to vie with humanity for supremacy.

Jair is a half breed;the magic of the elves runs in his veins, for he is a descendant of a great elven bloodline. His unique power is the wishsong, a dangerously seductive magic that seeks to destroy him each time he uses it to accomplish his will. In this book, Jair must walk the fine line between using his magic for good, and falling forever into the hands of the dark druids. His quest is to destroy the last scraps of the Ildatch, a maelevolent parchment imbued with the ultimate evil. Fans of sword and sorcery fantasy will dive into this well written graphic novel; I recommend it for those who like tales of dark faeries, quests and battles of good vs. evil.

Graphic Novel (fantasy)

Grades 10-12

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Graphic Novel: Silverfin

Why two images for this post? Well, the very popular graphic novel (right) is based on the equally excellent young adult fiction title (left). I couldn't decide which format I preferred, so I'm reviewing both versions of the book here.

Charlie Higson's fiction novel was published in 2005, to the joy of Bond fans everywhere. Released just prior to the film Casino Royale, the book describes the childhood of James Bond. Starting with his teen years at Eton, Higson follows Bond as he makes the transition from a clever and adventurous boy into a hardened government spy.

Kids who love espionage and thriller novels will definitely want to pick this book up, in either the fiction or the graphic novel version. Both are fast paced reads focusing on action, with plenty of military technology, betrayal and action. I expect that the entire Young Bond series (three more titles exist in the fiction format) will be made into graphic novels, with a possible movie deal in the works.

Graphic Novel/Fiction

Grades 9-11

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Fantasy: Tender Morsels

Margo Lanagan is best known for writing eerie, atmospheric short stories. Her fantasy novel, Tender Morsels, is a dark and convoluted story based on the fairy tale of Snow White, Rose Red.

Lanagan's tale is for mature readers, as it involves themes of rape, murder and heartbreaking sadness. However, readers will be well rewarded for approaching these difficult topics, as the characters wrestle with their desire to retreat into a dream life of ease and kindness, where they are insulated from the harsh realities of life.

One of the most compelling aspects of this novel is the unique use of language. Lanagan creates her own dialect, which adds to the jarringly vivid sense of place. This is a rich tale about the human soul, and it explores the depths of cruelty, and the heights of human kindness. The message, in the end, is that somehow life is worth it.

Fantasy

Grades 11-adult

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Elfpunk: Wicked Lovely

Elfpunk is a genre set in gritty urban environments, with characters who are conflicted, dark, and often goth. If you like vampire novels, like Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, you'll probably find Elfpunk appealing!

Aislinn has always been able to see fairies, but her grandmother taught her to never, ever show that she's aware of the other world that shadows ours. The Fey Folk have had no interest in Aislinn...until Summer King Keenan discovers that she is fated to be his queen. As Keenan pursues Aislinn out of love, the Snow Queen's minions race to kill her. An unusual love story follows, as Aislinn struggles to evade her fate, and maintain the fragile life (and love!) she has built for herself in the city. With romance, violence and a large dose of the fantastic, this book is suited for older teens.

Melissa Marr is definitely an author to watch. Other books in this series include Ink Exchange and the forthcoming Fragile Eternity.

Elfpunk
Grades 10-12
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