Raised by Wolves

Barnes, Jennifer Lynn. Raised by Wolves. Egmont USA: 2010. ISBN: 9781606840597.

Summary:
Bryn is a typical teen, of sorts. She strains hard against the boundaries placed around her and she delights in rebelling against authority. The difference for Bryn is that she is a human that is being raised among Weres (Werewolves). Only one of two humans in the pack and only one of three females, Bryn doesn't feel the connection to the pack. Callum, the alpha saved Bryn when she was four years old from a Rapid Were. This wolf killed her parents and was poised to kill her until Callum and his pack showed up. Life has never been typical for Bryn, but now the pack is taking extra measures to protect her. Convinced that everyone knows a secret but her, Bryn embarks on a path that changes her life and that of the people she loves most.

Evaluation:
Finally a paranormal book that is not heavy with romance. Bryn is a strong character in her own right without a boy to pine over or fill up her thoughts. The convention of first person makes the story much stronger and powerful. It seems that typical Weres can not read others thoughts, but they can send out emotions to each other. Bryn is constantly reliving bits of memory from her parents murder. We see, hear and experience everything she does. This allows a strong connection with her character and makes the reader really care about Bryn. This book is a 'smart persons' paranormal book. The author gives much detail about how the Were society works and Were lore. The reader must pay attention and connect the dots, they are not handed to you on a silver platter. The only negative is the cover, the image is bland and boring.

Reader's Annotation:
Monsters exist in every species and universe.

Bibliotherapeutic Uses:
Bryn is a good example of a character who refuses to remain a victim and let it define her. Raised by Wolves shows that the journey to wholeness is difficult and painful, but worth the effort.

Genre:
Paranormal

Why I Included This Book:
I had to read from the required author list and I just couldn't bring myself to read a zombie book. Also, I liked Nightshade and wanted to give werewolves another try.

Cirque Du Freak: Vampire Mountain

Shan, Darren. Cirque Du Freak: Vampire Mountain. Little, Brown and Company: 2002. ISBN: 0316608068.

Summary:
The world is full of many creatures, not just humans, vampires, half-vampires and vampaneze to name a few. The Cirque Du Freak series is the story of teenager, Darren, a half vampire who is the assistant to Vampire, Larten Crepsley. Book 4, Vampire Mountain is about their journey to Vampire Mountain to present Darren to the Vampire Princes. The journey is long and perilous with Darren making steps toward maturity. The series is about Darren coming of age as a teenager and a vampire. Mr. Crepsley makes a great mentor/parental figure. He realizes that Darren is young, but also sees him as strong and capable.

Evaluation:
Written in first person, we get to know Darren quickly. He is respectful, impatient and open to learning. The plot is pretty simple, a portion of a quest. The author gives enough detail that the story is not boring. The ending is a huge cliffhanger and will have readers starting book 5 as soon as possible. As a girl I enjoyed the book even though there is only one female character. The book has a great appeal to boys and takes place in a male dominated world. Females are not put down or belittled, they just don't choose to be vampires. This book is a paranormal version of the Alex Rider novels by Anthony Horowitz.

Reader's Annotation:
You never know where life's journey will take you.

Bibliotherapeutic Uses:
Teens need adults who believe in them and trust their abilities. Darren shows the readers that even though he is scared, he can overcome and achieve. Darren also trusts the adults in his life. It is important for teens to know that there are trustworthy adults out there.

Genre:
Paranormal

Why I Included This Book:
This books are very popular and wanted to see for myself what they were like.

Valant: A Modern Tale of Faerie

Black, Holly. Valiant. Simon & Schuster: 2005. ISBN: 0689868227.

Summary:
Val is having a bad day. She was just kicked off the lacrosse team for fighting, again. Her boyfriend is a no-show for their date and she walks in on her mother and boyfriend engaging in some serious foreplay. Unsure of where to go and what to do, Val takes the train to New York City, shaves her head and begins living in an abandoned subway tunnel. Life on the street is uncomfortable and cold, but going home is not an option. Val makes friends with Dave, Lolli and Luis, also street dwellers. These new friends are savvy about living on the streets and share their advice with Val. Even the bit about fairies and monsters.

Evaluation:
This book is part fantasy, realistic fiction, romance and mystery, touching on homosexuality and trans-species sex. Written in third person the reader always has an overall view of the action. The characters are not sympathetic and I didn't make a connection with any of them. The setting, the subway underground and the streets of New York City are the best part of the story. This is not Harry Potteresque fantasy. Think Lord of the Rings mixed with Identical by Ellen Hopkins.

Reader's Annotation:
Sometimes, you should be afraid of the dark.

Bibliotherapeutic Uses:
This book touches on dysfunctional parenting, drug abuse and runaways. At times teens think that drugs or running away will solve their problems. It doesn't, it just creates more, even if no monsters or fairies are involved.

Genre:
Paranormal/Realistic Fiction

Why I Read This Book:
I only read this book for class. Most of the time when I have to read something that I would normally never pick up, I end up being glad I spent the time reading it. This book is an exception. I wanted to stop after the first few chapters and that feeling didn't change by the last page.

Nightshade

Cremer, Andrea. Nightshade. Philomel Books: 2010. ISBN: 9780399254826.

Summary:
The Mountain School in Vail, Colorado has three types of students: humans, Guardians and Keepers. The humans are mostly unaware of the paranormal aspects surrounding the other students. Almost, because the humans are afraid of them and keep their distance without knowing exactly why. Calla is the young alpha in the Nightshade pack. As a Guardian, her job is to guard and protect the Keepers. Ren is the alpha in the Bane pack and is Calla's future husband. The union of Calla and Ren will mark the beginning of a new pack with a special mission. The lives of the Guardians and Keepers are based on specific, complex rules that have been in existence for centuries. A few months before Ren and Calla'a union a new student arrives at Mountain School, Seamus Doran, Shay for short. Calla and Shay have met before, under unique circumstances that could get them killed. Life is about to change for many of the Mountain School students.

Evaluation:
Another paranormal romance with two very different boys fighting over the same girl. Luckily, Calla is a much stronger protagonist than Bella from Twilight. Calla can take care of herself and protect her pack. Written in first person, the reader is privy to Calla's thoughts and insecurities. This convention makes her a stronger character because we see what she must overcome to get through a situation. The story was hard to follow in the beginning, the author just drops the reader into Calla and Shay's world without a lot of explanation. Compared to other books I have read in this genre, Nightshade is bloodier and discusses weightier topics like, sexual abuse and homosexuality. Fans will be excited for the next book in the series, Wolfsbane due out in July.

Reader's Annotation:
One choice can change your world, are you brave enough to make it?

Bibliotherapeutic Uses:
Nightshades' Calla is a strong female protagonist who follows her inner guide. This is a great example for teen girls. Calla must deal with being treated differently because of her gender, something many women have experienced. Calla is also juggling many important issues at once. She makes mistakes, but continues to do what she feels is the right thing.

Genre:
Paranormal/Romance

Why I Included This Book:
When I started this book I was so done with the paranormal genre. The first third of the book was like going to the dentist. Finally, the book grabbed me and I became interested and didn't want to put it down. I am looking forward to Wolfsbane this summer.

Halo

Adornetto, Alexandra. Halo. Feiwel and Friends: 2010. ISBN: 9780312656263.

Summary:
Bethany, Ivy and Gabriel arrive on earth one night just before dawn. Ivy and Gabriel have done this before, but this is Bethany first time and she is very young for an angel, only 17 earth years old. Gabriel is an archangel who is part of the Holy Seven and has been around forever. Wise Ivy is a seraphim, which is an order who is closest to God. Right away Bethany struggles with her humanity. Initially, it is why she was chosen for this mission. Enter Xavier, when he is around Bethany cannot think straight, she is smitten immediately, not exactly proper behavior for a heavenly angel.

Evaluation:
This is a basic story about good versus evil with bits of Twilight thrown in. The author describes Xavier's physical appearance and Bethany's desire for him in much the same way Stephenie Meyer describes Edward and Bella. Bits of high school drama and explanations about angels round out the story. Written in first person we get an interesting view of what it is like to be an angel in human form. At times Bethany seems to be much more human than heavenly. The ending is a definite set up for a second book, with the title of Hades, it is easy to assume where the next book is headed.

Reader's Annotation:
For Bethany, heaven can wait.

Bibliotherapeutic Uses:
The high school experience is not always positive for every teen. Reading about characters who face their fears and stand up to evil can be enlightening and instructive.

Genre:
Paranormal

Why I Include This Book:
This book has had a lot of buzz and was on the New York Times Bestseller List.

Masquerade

De La Cruz, Melissa. Masquerade. Hyperion: 2007. ISBN: 9780786838936.

Summary:
The social and financial elite of New York City are not who we think they are. They are Blue Bloods, immortal vampires that have been around since the fall of Lucifer. This second installment of the Blue Blood series fills in the blanks about Schuyler and her fellow students at the Duchesne School. Masquerade opens with Schuyler and her human conduit, Oliver, searching for her long lost grandfather. As Cordelia, her grandmother lay dying, she insisted that Schuyler find him because he would know what to do about the Silver Bloods. The Silver Bloods are evil vampires who have aligned with Lucifer and kill Blue Bloods. Schuyler and Oliver find Lawrence, her grandfather, but he initially refuses to help. After changing his mind, Lawrence moves back to New York City and begins the search for the Silver Bloods.

Evaluation:
Intelligent and suspenseful, Melissa De La Cruz captures the reader and takes us on a journey that is paranormal, but not ridiculous. Good and evil exist in the human world and the paranormal world and its effects are the same; death and destruction. One of the interesting things about this book is the historical snippets that the author includes. Each Blue Blood cycles through different human lifetimes and usually plays a significant role in a historical context. This second installation of the saga has more sex, but it is all implied. The author does not give us details which is refreshing. As a reader our imagination has an active role.

Reader's Annotation:
Even among vampires there is good and evil.

Bibliotherapeutic Uses:
Sometimes our lives can be so awful and stressful that it is helpful to escape. When physical escape is not an option, a good book can take us away, and give us a break.

Genre:
Paranormal/Vampires

Why I Included This Book:
I really don't like paranormal fiction. Surprisingly I like the first book, so I decided to read the second in the series.

Eternal

Smith, Cynthia Leitich. Eternal. Candlewick Press: 2009. ISBN: 9780763635732.

Summary:
Miranda is a shy, quiet girl in high school with a guardian angel named Zachary who is with her every moment of every day. Miranda's best friend Lucy makes arrangements to meet some boys in the cemetery late at night. Against her better judgment, Miranda goes. At the cemetery the girls get separated and Miranda is saved from death by Zachary. Unfortunately, heaven's plan was for Miranda to die and Zachary was wrong to save her. Now Miranda is undead and has been taken by the Dracula. Life with the Dracula is complicated. Once the undead process is complete Miranda assumes the role of royalty in the vampire hierarchy. Zachary has been demoted and is left to roam the earth without any powers or assistance. Determined to find Miranda, Zachary roams aimlessly for a time until an angel friend brings a message from heaven.

Evaluation:
Told in alternating voices, each chapter is a first person account. This ability to be in each character's head connects the reader to the story. At its core this story is about good versus evil with the line blurred on occasion. Between the lines is the budding romance between Zachary and Miranda, which when you realize she is a teen still in high school and he watched her grow up, is creepy. Teens who are fans of the vampire, paranormal genre may enjoy this book.

Reader's Annotation:
The line between heaven and hell is not always clear.

Bibliotherapeutic Uses:
Most teens are searching for their own voice. Standing up and facing situations take courage and confidence. Miranda makes the transition from afraid and lack of confidence to a leader with confidence.

Genre:
Paranormal

Why I Included This Book:
My database needed another paranormal book and this author was recommended.