Wednesday, January 16, 2013

The Future of Us

The Future of Us, by Jay Asher and Carolyn Macker,  is a good book for people. who enjoy technology and the concept of time travel. It is written from the perspective of two high school seniors in 1996. Josh and Emma have been neighbors and best friends their whole lives, but lately there has been tension between them. Emma gets a new computer and Josh's family gets a special CD-ROM. When he brings it over and they download it, they find themselves looking at their Facebook accounts 15 years in the future. Facebook hasn't been invented yet, though. Every time they log on, their future changes. Carrying the message that what you do now affects your life down the line, this story reveals two characters who are trying to discover themselves and understand what mistakes they are making. I'd recommend this book for ages fourteen and older.

Saturday, January 5, 2013

The Infernal Devices Series

For people who have read and enjoyed The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices series is another good choice of reading. Also written by Cassandra Clare, it delves further into the world of the Shadowhunters. It also uncovers some back history behind the characters of  The Mortal Instruments.
Set in the past, Victorian London, Tessa Gray, the main character, is introduced. Moving from new York to London, she discovers that her older brother and only living relative, Nate, has gone missing. The only people who seem to know what might have happened to him are the mysterious Darke Sisters. Confronted with the knowledge that she has the power to change her form to look like others, Tessa is trapped with the Darke Sisters until she is rescued by two Shadowhunters, Will and Jem. Like Clary, Tessa finds herself immersed in a world of magic and monsters, but she finds that she may fit in there more than she originally thought. It is very interesting, because you discover more about certain names mentioned in The Mortal Instuments. Also, the warlock Magnus Bane and several other characters reemerge in this series as well.
So far the books are as follows:
Clockwork Angel
Clockwork Prince
The book, Clockwork Princess, is scheduled to come out in a few months.
I think this series is good for readers fourteen and up.

The Mortal Instruments Series

The Mortal Instruments is a series of books by Cassandra Clare. I was first introduced to it through the "Battle of the Books", a local reading competition. It is a piece of urban fantasy. The first book, City of Bones, introduces the main character, Clarissa Fray (Clary). Living in New York City with her mother, Clary is at a club when some strange events unfold. She sees three other teenagers covered in odd markings kill a fourth boy. When Clary's mother is kidnapped, she falls into a world she never knew existed. The three teenagers, she discovers, are Shadowhunters, special warriors whose job it is to rid the earth of demons, and protect the world from other dangerous magical creatures. As Clary tries to discover what happened to her mother, she is confronted by several questions. No one knows how she can suddenly see a world that is hidden from the eyes of normal humans. She also must face the fact that her mother hid the truth about her past. As she helps the Shadowhunters fight a man who was thought to be dead, Clary must also discover who she is while finding out that nothing is what it seems.
This series is so far comprised of five books, though it is not complete. Here are the titles:
City of Bones
City of Ashes
City of Glass
City of Fallen Angels
City of Lost Souls
I'd suggest it for people fourteen or older. I think it is a very interesting and engaging world. The main character isn't my favorite character, but all the key figures in the story have unique and interesting personalities.