Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A number of things drew me to this book.

1. Melissa Marr tweeted (very positively) about it and I love her books.

2. It's about werewolves. If you're team Jacob or just team "werewolves are not all evil monsters" you'll enjoy it.

3. Once I saw it I thought the cover was gorgeous. I know, I know. Judging a book by its cover and all that... It worked out well for me here!

Raised by Wolves is Bryn's story. Her life has been anything but typical. Before she even turned five she watched her parents murdered by a werewolf who didn't play by the rules. She was then "adopted" into a pack by the alpha male. If these two staggering events weren't enough, she is raised within the pack by a young human woman. Bryn spends most of her young life learning to shield her mind from the pack mentality. Since she is part of the pack but not really of the pack she can resist submitting to Callum, the alpha male. Amazingly, by the time she is fifteen, Bryn has settled in to the craziness that is her life. Everything changes when Bryn defies Callum and stumbles upon a newly changed teen werewolf locked in a cage. Bryn's past comes rushing back along with questions and doubts about her human life among the pack.

Jennifer Lynn Barnes had me hooked almost from the first sentence. Raised by Wolves is a blend of supernatural, drama, sassiness, humor, suspense and so much more. The scope of relationship types alone is incredibly varied, yet all are well developed. I loved that it wasn't just focused on romantic relationships. There was, of course, some of that and it was good :) But there was so much more. I was especially intrigued by how the pack mentality and hierarchy affected the more familial relationships. After finishing the book I enjoyed thinking back to how Callum and Bryn interact throughout.

Speaking of Bryn, I love her. She is sassy and spunky. She isn't perfect. She cares about those who she lets close. I particularly enjoyed the ways that she resisted submitting to Callum and that she worked so hard to keep the pack out of her head. She wants to be 100% Bryn and I can appreciate that. I kept forgetting that she was supposed to be 15. I felt like she was older. However, after all she's been through I can see how she would mature fast.

The twists and turns kept me on my toes and have me begging for the sequel "Trial by Fire" due out summer 2011. Seriously, read this book, even if you aren't a team werewolf person. The "supernatural" part isn't really a focus. Trust me. Try it!

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Sherwood Smith

I first came across Sherwood Smith when Crown Duet was recommended to me by YA author Anne Osterlund (you HAVE to read her books Aurelia and Academy 7!!!) I went to the book store and bought Court Duet expecting to pick it up now and again when I had some time. However, once I picked it up I couldn't put it down! This led me to look for other books by Smith. My bookstore didn't carry most of the YA titles but I was able to order them online. I've read everything by her I can get my hands on!! I've noticed that the covers aren't always the best (particularly Posse of Princesses) but the stories are wonderful. Some, like The Trouble with Kings and Wren to the Rescue are pure fantasy, taking place in worlds that Smith has created. Others, like Once a Princess and Twice a Prince overlap our world with a fantasy world. Many of the books take place in the same fantasy world but the characters and time period are different. All are well developed and transport the reader to whatever world they are set in.

Sherwood Smith's characters pull you in. Her heroines are smart and sassy yet not perfect. They make mistakes and have faults. The heroes, also imperfect, are worthy overall and have integrity... they aren't just pretty faces!! Throughout the books you can see how the characters grow and change. Smith gives enough details to picture the story without bogging the reader down. She incorporates humor naturally so that it flows with the story. I would recommend all of the books I've read by her! Check your local bookstore and/or library!

Books by Sherwood Smith I've read (and therefore recommend because she is fabulous!):

Court Duet

The Inda Quartet

Once a Princess

Twice a Prince

Posse of Princesses

The Trouble with Kings

Wren to the Rescue

Wren's Quest

I love the mail!!

So, when I went to leave the house yesterday I nearly stepped on a large brown box outside my door. I assumed it was the incredibly cool Hunger Games stuff I ordered (board game, journal, keychain. shirt, etc...) but it wasn't. It was something completely unexpected... a box of ARCs form Scholastic. How exciting is that?!? I am SO looking forward to reading these. Actually I started Empty by Suzanne Weyn today. I enjoyed her book Reincarnation. The Bar Code Tattoo and The Bar Code Rebellion have been popular with my students. They're high on my "to read" list too. The other books are

The Cloud Searchers by Kazu Kibuishi (book 3 in the Amulet series)

You are Here by Samantha Schutz
Havoc by Chris Wooding (sequel to Malice)
Ghoul Strike by Andrew Newbound
George Washington's Spy by Elvira Woodruff

Now You See Me (A Poison Apple Book)

I'll let you know what I think!

The Drake Chronicles

The Drake Chronicles

by: Alyxandra Harvey

I bought the first two books in this series a couple weeks ago but didn't have time to sit down and read them until yesterday. I'm glad I waited for a day when I could read both at once... if there had been something I had to do I don't know if I could have stopped reading to do it! The only down side was that I have to wait until December to read Out for Blood, book number three!!!

The Drake Chronicles focuses on the Drake family, a very old and established vampire family. The part of the family that we are most "involved" with is made up of Liam and Helena and their children, Sebastian, Marcus, Duncan, Quinn, Connor, Logan, Nicholas, and Solange (youngest and only girl.) In the Drake family children are born "human" and go through a genetic change to vampire at sixteen. This is rare and makes them somewhat unique. Solange is especially different for two reasons. One, females are rare among vampire children and two, there was a prophecy made that may be about her ruling the vampire world.

Hearts at Stake focuses on Solange and her human best friend Lucy. Solange is about to turn 16. Her family is ultra protective because the change is coming up and, due to the prophecy, vampires and vampire hunters are out to get her for various reasons. Lucy, as her best friend, wants to help but her efforts don't always turn out as planned. To complicate matters Lucy is finding herself more and more drawn to Nicholas whom she previously disliked. Add to that a young (and good looking!) vampire hunter and a kidnapping attempt by a current vampire leader and you have a fast paced and enjoyable read!

Blood Feud switches focus to Logan Drake and Isabeau, a vampire from a different faction than the Drakes. I can't go in to too much detail without spoiling the adventure for those who haven't read Hearts at Stake so I'll just say that it kept me involved from beginning to end!

Alyxandra Harvey does a great job of making these books hard to put down! I loved the way that the characters interact. If you have siblings you'll totally see how the family dynamics work! There is humor, adventure, romance, and serious butt kicking...what more could you ask for? Even if you "don't like vampire stories" you should give these a try! Don't forget to look for Out for Blood in December!