Krista, like Lisa, reviewed a ton of books this year! Here she lists her Top 5 reads for 2013

1. The Selection by Kiera Cass

It turned out to be way more than just a love story. This book contains some really heavy political issues and depth.

2. The Nightmare Garden (Iron Codex 2) By Caitlin Kittredge

Fantastic characters and world setting, steampunk story with a lot of world traveling and world building.

3. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

I have never been a fan of contemporary reads but found this one powerful and the bond between the two boys and their families was touching. This was the book that got me to pick up more contemporary reads this year.

4. Rebel Heart (Dust Lands 2) by Moira Young

As this series progresses it gets better. The language and writing style was hard for me to get used to, so I listened to the audiobooks and loved them. Great adventure and characters.

5. Bonechiller by Graham McNamee

He has made my “must buy” list. I loved his writing and ability to completely immerse me in the story. This book was a tie with his book Beyond, I went out and purchased all of his books after reading it. Bonechiller is a haunting story set in Canada about a legendary monster out killing teens.

I had never heard of the term “comic fantasy” until I was asked to review this book. I can now see exactly what the reference means and feel that this novel did an amazing job of portraying the comic affect in a novel form.

Ink Black Magic is the third and final book in The Mocklore Chronicles and the first book I have read in the trilogy. As a result, I went in not knowing any prior information about the characters yet was still able to enjoy the story as a stand alone novel.

My initial thoughts of the book was how Epic it was. The narrative was much like that of an Epic Fantasy, focusing on magic and especially the negativity of using black magic. As I have not read the previous books, I thought that Egg was really going to be the main character but  I soon found that Kassa Daggersharp is the protagonist (and the heroine from previous novels). Egg caught my attention immediately and I liked him off the bat, but Kassa had to grow on me. However, she turned out to be one of the strongest and boldest characters I have read of late.

Kassa lectures first year students on the dangers of magic at the Polyhedrotechnical in Cluft. And Egg is the student who, through his stories and inner warlock talent, is unknowingly creating the city of Drak. Drak appears outside their doors suddenly one day and all people of Cluft soon get caught in it’s magical existence. It is a dark city, always lit by a full moon and an atmosphere of  dangerous extravagance.

Early on in the story, Egg and Kassa figure out that the evil city is the creation of Egg’s imagination. Along with the city’s monsters and villains, it’s draw is causing a magical haze which makes them question what is reality and what is not. Cluft itself is a place full of wonders and magic that had me pausing to re-read passages.

When Drak is introduced and the whole world becomes a circus of sorts, the real “comic” comes out in this epic fantasy. There is some romance in the air between Kassa and the long lost Aragon and special attention is paid to details (clothing, accessories as well and building and room designs). There are also a lot of battles and lessons to be learned. It’s a story you can read several times, each time finding something new.

I found Ink Black Magic to be very unique and it opened my mind to a new sort of story-telling. I look forward to reading more speculative fiction of this type, starting with the previous books written by this author. 

Paperback, 374 pages

Published October 2013 by FableCroft Publishing

The Elementals is on one level an intriguing coming-of-age novel about a young woman, Ariel Silverman, facing the challenges of her first years away at college in Berkeley, California, while her mother battles cancer at home in Los Angeles.

But the book takes on deeper, stranger meanings when we realize that Ariel is haunted by the disappearance of her best friend, Jeni, who vanished without a trace a few years before, closing Ariel’s heart and changing her forever.  Ariel wonders if she will ever be fully alive, until she meets three mysterious, beautiful and seductive young people living in a strange old house in the Berkeley hills.  Through them Ariel will unravel the mystery of her best friend’s disappearance and face a chilling choice.

The writing style that is used to pull us into the story is equivalent to the melancholy feeling of Ariel’s moods. It was like living in her head.

Ariel is experiencing a lot of very strong emotions all at once. This causes the depression and sense of longing that the voice of the story is built on. She has just lost a friend, her mother is battling cancer and she has just moved away to college, which turns out not to be the experience she thought it would be.

On one of her nightly searches she is drawn to a house that comes to haunt her. She believes that the interest the 3 roommates show in her is comforting and the only place she feels welcome. 

The story is a glimpse into the mind of a dream state, and not knowing what is exactly real or a drugged filled haze of insecurity. The emotions are real, the experiences are real but we see them through the mind of a girl who is not in control.

Driven by desire, both sexual and emotional, The Elementals has a very melancholy feel to it, sprinkled with flashbacks from a life she once had to the cult-like addiction of her new life. Ariel  has to transform in many different ways when searching not only for her lost friend, but from the self she lost.

This book does contain some adult content. Sex, drugs alcohol. 

Moving to a new high school sucks. Especially a rich-kid private school. With uniforms. But nothing is worse than finding out the first girl you meet is dead. And a klepto.

No one can see or hear Kimberlee except Jeff, so–in hopes of bringing an end to the snarkiest haunting in history–he agrees to help her complete her “unfinished business.” But when the enmity between Kimberlee and Jeff’s new crush, Sera, manages to continue posthumously, Jeff wonders if he’s made the right choice.

Clash meets sass in this uproarious modern-day retelling of Baroness Orczy’s The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Kindle Edition, 352 pages

Published April 30th 2013 by HarperTeen

Jeff is the new kid in school and has had some trouble getting noticed and making friends. When he begins to anonymously return missing property from a long ago fiasco. Most people are grateful, some are upset, and for others like Sera, old unwanted memories return.

The first person that Jeff encounters as a friend at his new school is a ghost. A ghost that in life stole everything she could get her hands on and hid them in a cave. She thinks she is stuck on Earth for her past actions and with the help of Jeff, they slowly begin to return the property she has stolen.

During the course of the story Jeff does gain some friends through the connection of the property and love connection with Sera, who has some secrets of her own.

Kimberlee is a really mean girl. She is vindictive, holds a grudge and always uses payback against others to make herself feel better. Jeff on the other hand is shy and very loyal person. The two personalities really clash in the story which brings most of the humor to the novel.

Kimberlee does grow the most throughout this book. The connection between Jeff and Sera is truly sincere and slowly grows throughout the story – it was my favorite part. Jeff is such an honest and devoted person.

Life After Theft has a great combination of characters, a unique ghost story and relationships that are life altering. It’s amazing how one small act can change a life. 

Does Tucker Pierce have what it takes to be a hero when the U.S. military quarantines his island?

Fourteen-year-old Tucker Pierce prefers to fly under the radar. He’s used to navigating around summer tourists in his hometown on idyllic Pemberwick Island, Maine. He’s content to sit on the sidelines as a backup player on the high school football team. And though his best friend Quinn tells him to “go for it,” he’s too chicken to ask Tori Sleeper on a date. There’s always tomorrow, he figures. Then Pemberwick Island is invaded by a mysterious branch of the U.S. military called SYLO. And sitting on the sidelines is no longer an option for Tucker, because tomorrow may never come.

It’s up to Tucker, Quinn, and Tori to uncover the truth about the singing aircraft that appears only at night—and the stranger named Feit who’s pushing a red crystal he calls the Ruby that brings unique powers to all who take it. Tucker and his friends must rescue not just Pemberwick Island, but the fate of the world—and all before tomorrow is too late. 

#1 New York Times bestselling author D.J. MacHale brings his brilliant plotting and breathless pacing to SYLO, the first in this ultimate end-of-the-world adventure trilogy.

Hardcover, 407 pages

Published July 2nd 2013 by Razorbill

I had a hard time remembering that Tucker and his friends are only 14 years old. Throughout this story they are brave, have foresight and really trust their gut feelings, making them seem older.

When Pemberwick Island is taken over by a government agency, the people begin to question the intensity the soldiers have shown. Tucker and Quinn witness an explosion late one night and the next day the boats begin to arrive. They won’t let anybody leave the island claiming there has been an outbreak that needs to be contained and with a recent death, the people don’t really question it as they are concerned about their safety.

Not only are the residents stuck, but the vacationers are also not allowed to go until the issues have been resolved and the boats are allowed to leave again.  As the situation becomes more dire, more people die and some taken to camps “for their safety”,do the people begin to question the severity of the situation.

When Tucker, Quinn and Tori witness the soldiers killing innocent people who try to escape. They question if the takeover is really for their safety and begin getting involved. Then there is a twist to the story. Right before the island becomes isolated,  a stranger shows up and begins handing out a new type of drug that acts like a steroid giving the user energy and strength.

Are the drugs and deaths just a coincidence? Or are all the events connected somehow? The main characters show different reactions to what is happening. Tucker and Tori have similar thoughts, but Tori has more concern for her father than others.  Tucker does focus more on everybody as a whole and the safety of of mankind itself.  Quinn brings a lot of the humor to the story and he is also the most detailed and logical thinker.

This story is a true invasion of different kinds. As the first book in the series we just get a taste of what is to come next, the real revelations coming out at the close of the book. I was impressed with this story and the way the author chose to release the details. I was loving the ending and was sad to have reached the last page. I am anticipating very good  things to happen in this series!