The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

The Emerald Atlas, by John Stephens, is a bit of fantasy and adventure with a large dose of reality.  Kate, Michael, and Emma are siblings who were taken from their parents one Christmas Eve and begin a life of moving from orphanage to orphanage.  Kate, the eldest is the one with the memories of her parents and knows that they loved her very much.  She and her siblings continue the hope that somehow their parents will find them or come back for them. 

When they end up in Cambridge Falls at an orphanage where they are the only children, strange things begin to happen.  They find a book that takes them back in time and their adventure really gets going at that point. They find an evil witch, a kind wizard, an army of odd zombie like creatures, and some kind people who are willing to help them. 

I did enjoy the story.  The first one hundred pages or so were a bit slow going as the stage was set for the adventure.  There were moments where I doubted I would have much good to say about it, but that didn't last. Once the children went back in time, the story became fun and quite intriguing.  It was interesting to try to figure out the what and the why of things, how time travel worked, the history of the book, and the secret to why the children were taken from loving parents.  The character were wonderful.  King Hamish's tantrums made me laugh and the bravery of Gabriel nearly had me in tears.  I feel that Mr. Stephens wrote a rich, interesting book and I look forward to the future sequels.

The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, & June by Robin Benway

I wasn't sure what to expect from The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, & June by Robin Benway.  I wasn't sure if it was a superhero novel or something supernatural.  Really, it was a neither.  It was at heart a story about growing up, dealing with circumstances beyond control, and living with changes.  Add in a few "super powers" and you have a strong story.

April, May, and June are sisters who are dealing with their parent's divorce.  They've moved to a new town with their mother while their father moves to a different state.  While dealing with a new school in a new town, strange abilities - that they noticed briefly as children - manifest themselves again.  April discovers that she can see the future, May can disappear, and June can read minds.  Initially their abilities are exciting but when April starts getting visions of a dangerous situation, her need to protect her sisters hurts their relationship.  They learn that they do best when working together.

I enjoyed this more than I expected.  It's a quick read and it's an interesting story.  I wonder if there is a sequel planned which might explain more about how the girls got their abilities.  It was hinted that there was a family history and I'd like to know more.  Highly recommended for older teens and adults as there is some alcohol usage and talk of sex.

Evermore by Alyson Noel

So I continue my quest for a supernatural-ish series that will grip me and force me to go out and get all the sequels available.  Evermore, by Alyson Noel, isn't quite there.  It's just all right.

The plot is interesting.  What or who exactly is Damen?  He's not a vampire, he insists on that.  He must not want to be compared to his sparkly counterpart over in the Twilight series.  He is immortal though, and what that means is all a bit confusing.  It involved chemistry (alchemy) and frankly I got a bit lost.  I think it's flashbacks to 11th grade.

Just like all good teen books, Ever is a high school student with a lot of angst.  Ever's angst is more valid than some.  She lost her entire family in a car accident and she is suffering from survivor's guilt.  While Ever is the new kid in school, Damen is even newer and conveniently he sits next to Ever in English class.  She is drawn to him and he seems to know an awful lot about her. 

I just couldn't find any affection toward the couple.  I tried.  Once again I was left wanting more of a conclusion.  I felt that all the elements were there, they just weren't that exciting.  I want to be sucked into a book and this one didn't do that.

Everyone Is Beautiful by Katherine Center

Everyone is Beautiful, by Katherine Center, is a witty, smart book that tackles everyday issues in a beautiful way. Lanie is a woman who recently moved across country with her husband and three young children. She is lost in the role of mother and wife. She doesn't seem to have any other identity. She is frumpy, tired, stressed and hundreds of other adjectives that describe a typical woman.

I think that's the reason I loved this book. Lanie is a typical woman. She loves her children fiercely even though they are normal, naughty little boys. She loves her husband even though they barely communicate anymore. She doesn't love herself. Her story is one of finding herself again, while rescuing a marriage. Peter, her hard-working musician husband, is also given an accurate portrayal. I can only imagine that across this planet there millions of men (and women for that matter) who work hard and feel disconnected to the family they love so much.

The writing is clever. The author gives Lanie a voice that I could relate to. There are scenes that just make you laugh out loud and there are some that you don't want to happen because your heart will break along with the characters. The epilogue itself is worth reading. Her view of women, and the beauty that is in all of us, despite our flaws, is truly beautiful.

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

I resisted reading Eragon, by Christopher Paolini for years. At first, it really didn't interest me. I'm not a big fantasy reader so a book with a dragon on the cover didn't pull me in. It was popular though so it stayed in my mind. Then I saw the movie. Oh, I did not like that movie. At all. The creepy Shade, Durzu, just gave me nightmares. Kudos to the actor for making an evil character really terrifying. That pretty much sealed the deal for me. I wasn't going to read Eragon.

Well, obviously since I'm reviewing the book something changed. One of my very best friends told me that she'd read the series and loved all the books. Really? Allison liked them? I trust her judgement and normally agree with her on important things like books so I thought that maybe I would consider reading Eragon. Maybe.

On an impulse I bought the book and set it up as my "E" book for the A to Z Challenge. I was dreading it. You know what? I should have read it a long time ago. It was really good. Really. I was surprised, impressed, and happy with the book. Go figure.

Eragon is the story of a teenager who happens upon a dragon's egg. When his dragon, Saphira, hatches, he is drawn into the legends of the Dragon Riders. After a tragedy with his family, he leaves his home with Saphira and Brom, the old storyteller who is committed to helping him. While his original goal is revenge on those who tore apart his family, he quickly learns that there is much more that he must do as he is the first in a new generation of Riders.

The book moves at a relatively fast pace and it's great as a reader to learn the story of the Riders along with Eragon. Saphira is a lovely character and her affection for Eragon is very sweet. I went out and bought Eldest, the next in the series, but it's going to be a while before I get to it. I recommend this to anyone who likes a good adventure, fantasy fan or not.

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

By this time tomorrow I will have had my hands on Breaking Dawn. I'll have read the end because I'm totally a cheater. I read the end of Deathly Hollows too. I just can't help it. Tonight I'll review Eclipse, the third book in the series. Again, I stress, read these books in order! I can't imagine someone reading Breaking Dawn without having read the others. Don't do it! If you are new to the series, grab Twilight first. you won't regret it.

Back to Eclipse. . . I think this is my fave so far. It had romance and action. It was interesting to see the dynamic between the werewolves and the vampires play out. I loved when they worked together. Bella is as always the central character. This is her point of view. We learn more about Rosalie and why she seems to dislike Bella. We also know more about the werewolves.

My quote from Feb. 14, 2008 (how sad is it that I spent Valentines Day reading? Ok, not that sad, really just typical): Amazing! Heartbreaking. I just love Edward so much. Very powerful."

It was a powerful book. It made sense of New Moon and wrapped up the issue with Victoria. I'm sure that Bella's life won't be easy come Breaking Dawn. Will she be changed? Will she choose Jake? I hope she doesn't choose Jake. We'll see!