Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Have you heard of the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire of 1911? You may have heard it mentioned on the radio or TV as it is the 100 year anniversary. It was the catalyst for many of the safety laws enacted that we all enjoy in the workplace.
Back in 1911 many young women were working at the factory when fire broke out. These girls were trapped in the fire by locked doors and insufficient fire escapes. In the end, 146 girls were killed in the fire. An investigation faulted the working conditions of the factory as well as the locked doors as leading to the fire. This tragedy led to new laws about working conditions in factories. But did you know that many of the girls who worked at the factory had walked out on strike 13 months before to protest the conditions at the factory? They were fighting for the right to unionize as well as for safer conditions. Uprising follows three girls who meet during the strike. They come from different backgrounds -- two immigrant factory workers and one rich girl who wanted to help. The three become good friends and fight for the good of all -- until the end. Of the three friends, two die. Who will survive and who will perish?




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Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


After her aunt's death, Tessa Gray comes to England hoping to start a new life with her older brother, Nate. She is met by the Dark Sisters and imprisoned for many weeks and is trained to take her 'rightful' place by their master, the Magister. Tessa finds out that she is a Downworlder, a warlock with special shape-shifting abilities.
Tessa may not know much about magic, but she knows that the Dark Sisters are evil, and the menace they serve wants to marry her!
Tessa escapes with the help of two Shadowhunters. They take her to the Institute, a hidden, protected place. And that's just the beginning, for as the weeks go by she meets some very interesting people--only a few of which are fully human.
t is hard to know who to trust...and who to love – and for sure she finds herself falling in love with someone at the institute.
The Victorian setting is nice.




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Liar by Justine Larbalestier

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I have thought more about this book than most others I have read in my whole life.
It leaves you with more questions, and a huge desire to discuss the story with another who has read it.

Is lying by definition fiction. In that case Liar by Justine Larbalestier is the epitome of fiction. A mystery novel set in New York, where Micah Wilkins is a senior and an habitual liar: she lies about everything - her gender, her father's business, her family -- everything. Nobody believes a word she says.
She tells us she will tell us the truth as one of her classmates has been viciously murdered. Micah wants to come clean and tell us about it and how she is affected. And the mystery continues because do we believe her?
I've never read a book quite like this. I was compelled to read on and find answers to the mysteries, but are there any answers? Really, the only certainty is that Micah is a troubled girl (or is she even a girl?).




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Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Both horrific and witty, scary and funny, here is a great story.
Sam: college dropout, hamburger flipper considers himself normal and a little aimless. All it takes is a game of potato hockey and a knocked out light on a Mercedes to change Sam's world from normal to paranormal. The event throws him into the sights of an evil and powerful necromancer named Douglas Montgomery. Sam turns out to be a necromancer too, making him Douglas's target for either slavery or death.

With the help of a bunch of friends, including a talking head, and some unusual acquaintances, witches, werewolves, a seer and a Harbinger, Sam has to figure out how to escape Douglas, keep his loved ones alive, and use his power while avoiding the nastier side of his new-found attributes.

The story can be gory and violent at times but this is off-set by witty dialog and comebacks. I couldn’t put it down, wanting to find out how Sam bested Douglas.

Recommended.




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Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Piper, who is accustomed to not being heard, is practically daring people to take notice of her now. For this deaf girl is about to take on a big challenge: she's going to be a manager of a rock band. She's determined to make this band a real band--a band that earns money. She is initially hampered by lack of both experience with intra-band politics and knowledge about music (a rational person might have thought these traits a plus). But the band, for better or worse, seems to be clashing in all the wrong ways, in impossible-to-ignore ways. Egos are larger than talent at times. It certainly doesn't help matters that two new band members have joined Dumb since it won the Teen Battle of the Bands. Can Piper do the impossible? Can she be the brains of Dumb?



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Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception by Maggie Stiefvater

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Nicely written and hard to put down.

A gifted harpist, Deirdre Monaghan has never been able to conquer her stage fright. So it's not unusual when, before performing at an important competition, Deirdre's nerves overwhelm her. What is strange is the appearance of Luke Dillon, a gorgeous flutist who helps clams her down and then performs a duet with her that wins the competition's grand prize.

Though Deirdre is instantly attracted to Luke, she knows there's something unworldly about him. Surely it's not coincidence that, since his arrival in her life, she's developed telekinetic powers and four-leaf clovers are popping up?

As Deirdre soon discovers, Luke has mysterious ties to the faerie world and other faerie beings appear. Soon she is the center of a faerie conflagration.





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Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


One of those books you wish would go on and on....

A fast paced adventure.
This futuristic novel is set on what was once the Gulf Coast. Nailer and his friends from the light crew are ship scavengers looking for valuable metals and other resources.

Loyalty is everything. To join the crew you must take a blood oath to be there for one another. If you break your oath, then you're out; and being on your own in this community, at this time, is something you want to avoid at all costs.

Nailer's best friend is Pima. These two are together when they make an extraordinary find. They find a newly wrecked clipper ship--a private ship. Nailer thinks his fortune is made, but then he discovers a survivor trapped in the wreckage—the privileged and wealthy daughter of the shipping-company owner.
What's to be done now? Help the girl or not? Who to trust or not to trust? Can someone that rich understand the desperation of poverty? Or has she another form of desperation to conquer?




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