We start off with a two-issue story that takes us back into the Dark Man's history, who he is, and how he was caught in the first place. So now we know just what a formidable foe the Fables are up against.

Where to begin? First we've got the problem of Mister Dark, the embodiment of everything you are and should be afraid of. He's preparing himself for something sinister, something that will undoubtedly effect not only the fables but mankind in general. If that's not bad enough, the tensions on the Farm are rising. Frau Totenkinder's departure sets up some surprising reveals about her nature. Her absence leaves the Fables' coven of witches and warlocks without a leader, and here's Ozma, that ambitious little girl (except, in this series, we don't go by appearances). Or as Reynard the Fox remarks when summoned by Ozma: "You called, young lady (with disturbingly old eyes?") Ozma has been raring to assume the mantle of leadership for a while and she leaps at the chance. Somewhere, L. Frank Baum is perhaps marveling at the changes Willingham had wrought in her.

Things aren't going all that well for Bufkin either--he's trapped in the remnants of Fabletown's business office with a whole host of newly released monsters-- including a powerful djinn and a very mad Baba Yaga. If you like Willingham's penchant for elevating mild supporting characters like Boy Blue and the Frog Prince into epic heroes, he takes a stab at doing the same for Bufkin. But with sillier results a expected. But we have to remember this: Buffkin is the librarian who has read every book in the library and he remembers everything. I grinned a lot reading Bufkin's arc: since he marshals his ridiculous forces which consist of disembodied heads, wee barleycorn brides, and the magic mirror. His waging war on Baba Yaga comes off like preschool play time gone horribly off the rails.

Meanwhile in Flycatcher's kingdom there's trouble as well. A drunk goblin has eaten one of the other citizens of the kingdom. The other goblins are threatening to revolt if the offender is put to death, but pardoning the gob's crimes might be just as bad. This story doesn't seem to have anything to do with the rest of the volume but it does advance both Flycatcher and Riding Hood's characters and story arcs.

In contrast to "Fables 13: The Great Fables Crossover" which was boring and nonsensical, "Fables 14: Witches" has all the classic components that makes the series so incredibly addictive. If you think of the last tpb as a departure, then this volume brings you safely within the realm of the Fables we've come to know and love.


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Book Details:

Title Vol. 14: Fables: Witches
Author Bill Willingham
Reviewed By Purplycookie

Mary Elizabeth, a.k.a. Lola, is accustomed to playing the starring role in the fascinating production that is her life. Her pottery-making single mom and bratty twin sisters are merely bit players in Lola's dramatic existence. But all this changes when she is forced to move from her beloved Manhattan to the boring suburbs of New Jersey. According to Lola, "living in the suburbs is like being dead, only with cable TV and pizza delivery." The worst part is that someone has already snagged the coveted Drama Queen of Suburbia title--and that someone is Carla Santini. Carla, who is "sophisticated, beautiful, and radiates confidence the way a towering inferno radiates heat," isn't about to let anyone take away her hard-earned crown. Undaunted, Lola tries out for and wins the lead in the school play, a role much desired by Carla. In retaliation, Carla makes the entire student body give Lola the silent treatment (and in addition scores tickets to a sold-out concert of Lola's favorite rock band). Can Lola crash the concert, crush Carla, and still have enough energy to wow everyone in the school production of Pygmalion? It's all in a day's work for Lola, Teenage Drama Queen.

The beginning started out interesting enough and had potential but then the entire plot of the story was engulfed in the pointless, stupid obsession with Sidhartha. Aparently all the band members were complete jerks and in the end the girls still idolized them. I wish this story had had a little more depth than going after the members of Sidhartha.

The two girls will do anything to go to this concert/party--including sneak out against their parents wishes, steal, lie, and walk around New York in the middle of the night with a drunk rock star.The entire quest to meet them dragged on throughout the whole book. There were other, smaller parts of the story such as Mary/Lola's battle against Carla Santini, that was interesting and also the whole Pygmalion play was amusing enough but mainly it was just a bunch of 16-year old girls falling all over some weird goth rock band. Needless to say, this is a book worthy of the trash bin.


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Book Details:

Title Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
Author Dyan Sheldon
Reviewed By Purplycookie

The roller coaster continues, but this time the dips are punctuated by glimpses of the darker history that predates the current story. A more interesting book than the previous two, smaller, more private battles, both within the characters and between the characters. The first two books were fun to read. This one is also fun, but is more deeply plotted.

We pick up where we left off: Dr. John Dee has torn Paris apart in his efforts to grab the immortal Nicholas Flamel and Sophie and Josh Newman, while Nicholas watches Paris' destruction and observes that the twins increasingly show signs of being the promised twins of legend. With them both awakened, Dr. Dee doesn't need Nicholas Flamel alive. He also needs to find the twins fast without letting them slip away again or his master will inflict terrible consequences upon him. Meanwhile, his partner in crime, Machiavelli, heads to the island of Alcatraz to finish off the Sorceress. His master's also concerned about the number of failures in regards to capturing the twins and the Flamels.

The twins and Flamel eventually join up with Palamedes, an immortal Saracen knight and friend of Comte de Saint Germain, and William Shakespeare, Nicholas' former apprentice. Palamedes takes the twins and company to King Gilgamesh so the twins could learn the magic of water, but Dee and his cohorts are never far behind. Meanwhile, Perennelle, Nicholas' wife, is trapped on Alcatraz where Dee imprisoned her. The Sphynx is hunting her, ghosts are haunting her, and now she has new terrifying creatures to deal with. Not including the 'split personalities', of course. But she's managed to free herself and has gathered a few unlikely allies to her defense.

I really like the character of Perenelle. (I'm not quite as sure about Nicholas.) She comes across as a good person who wants to the the right thing. She is smart and strong and is able to gain the respect, if not the love, of many of her enemies.

The first two were pure action adventure fantasy. This one begins to build a fantasy world that breathes and lives.


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Book Details:

Title The Sorceress (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, #3)
Author Michael Scott
Reviewed By Purplycookie

Two spreads of four-color stickers - 50 in all - depict the characters, animals, and all the magical objects that appear in the book and the movie. Descriptive text provides all the details any kid could want about this amazing fantasy world.


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Book Details:

Title Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Collector's Sticker Book
Author Scholastic Inc.
Reviewed By Purplycookie

Thirty full-size portraits of the actors we've come to love, including Daniel Radcliffe [Harry], Rupert Grint [Ron], Emma Watson [Hermoine], and Robbie Coltrane [Hagrid]. Acclaimed British actor Michael Gambon steps into Dumbledore's robes, and Gary Oldman makes a properly sinister Sirius Black.


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Book Details:

Title Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Movie Poster Book
Author Scholastic Inc.
Reviewed By Purplycookie

Sixteen individuals who are mysteriously chosen to live in the Sunset Towers apartment building on the shore of Lake Michigan come together to hear the will of the self-made millionaire, Samuel W. Westing. The will takes the form of a puzzle, dividing the sixteen heirs into eight pairs, giving each pair a different set of clues, and challenging them to solve the mystery of who killed Sam Westing. As an incentive, each heir is given $10,000 to play the game. Whoever solves the mystery will inherit Sam Westing's 200 million dollar fortune, along with his place in society.

The characters are quirky and somewhat interesting, but there are too many of them--it's distracting and doesn't allow for much character exploration. I don't know what else I can say except it just wasn't engaging--the plot was not that mysterious and I didn't really care if they solved the mystery or not.


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Book Details:

Title The Westing Game
Author Ellen Raskin
Reviewed By Purplycookie

In typical Brian fashion the story is a series of unexpected twists and turns before finally ending...only to leave you with more questions.

As much as I have absolutely loved this series, I'm afraid that its changing. The first books were about academics, fashion, and the wonder and mystery behind the fabulous Billings Girls. But now, a prequel featuring "A Book of Spells"? This isn't Harry Potter or any of the fantasy mythologically-based books that I've also been reading! It better not turn into something all about magic and other supernatural elements. What happened to the glamour, to the mystery? I miss that. Kate Brian, I hope you don't disappoint with the last book of one of my favorite series.

I guess what I'm saying is that this book isn't the best book written by Brian but it definitely was gripping. I am not a huge fan that she decided to throw in witchcraft since the series has gone from a murder-mystery thriller to a sci-fi/fantasy, but I am still interested in reading the conclusion to the series, "Vengeance".


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Book Details:

Title Ominous (Private, Book 13)
Author Kate Brian
Reviewed By Purplycookie

I was pretty excited reading the back of the book--it seemed like it had all the qualities of a children's fantasy novel that would entrance me. It did captivate in some ways, however, in many others it was sadly lacking.

I felt myself more compelled to focus on the supporting character (the main character's roommate) than the actual main character, Max. He was sadly disappointing in many ways, and continued to irritate me throughout the book. It was only towards the end of the book that he even showed any potential as a leading character--and even then it was so hurried and slapped together that it didn't really end the story at all. I always wonder why writers use the 'intelligent one' as a supporting character and not the main one?

The characters were undeveloped, and the plot was not well outlined for me. Of course in the first chapter I was completely taken aback by the Harry Potter knock-off happening and there really is no way that anyone having read Rowling will not do the same. I found "The Hound of Rowan" almost intolerable, both as a Rowling wannabe and as a stand alone adolescent fantasy novel. If Neff could have mined the Harry Potter series for one more cliche to imitate, I would be hugely surprised. If you sat Rowling's plot outlines next to Neff's--without character names--you'd have identical creations. Of course, Neff did (1) name the school bully Alex instead of Malfoy (though why he would end both the protagonist and antagonist's names with 'x' I can't fathom), (2) change Harry's male Headmaster to a female Director (copying the role down to the bedside summary 'talk' after Max/Harry's heroic injury), and (3) dissect Harry's brains-vs-brawn dichotomy by splitting them between Max and David.

I'm also mystified why Neff chose to allow Max to open the door to complete strangers and allow them in the house for tests and such. The complete parental deception was a little unnerving for me as well.

All in all it was a rather poor read and I know I won't continue reading the series.


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Book Details:

Title The Hound of Rowan (The Tapestry, #1)
Author Henry H. Neff
Reviewed By Purplycookie

Trying to return to a "normal" life as a schoolboy after a mere four weeks since his last MI6 adventure, Alex Rider is recruited right off the soccer field to check out some suspicious goings-on at Wimbledon. This assignment catapults him into a series of life-threatening episodes, such as coming face to face with a great white shark, dodging bullets as he dives off a burning boat, and being tied to a conveyor belt that is moving toward the jaws of a gigantic grindstone in an abandoned sugar factory.

Soon the teen is single-handedly taking on his most dangerous enterprise yet. Though this time, it's tougher, because he's dealing with a convincing madman, General Sarov, an ex general of Communist Russia. Sarov has purchased uranium to build a nuclear bomb, which he is using to "purge the world and make it healthier and stronger". Alex must deal with Sarov and his assistant; deformed ex-terrorist Conrad, in order to save the world from sure destruction.

Alex is armed only with a few specially designed gadgets, which are disarmingly age-appropriate: a Gameboy that doubles as a Geiger counter, a cell phone whose aerial shoots out a drugged needle that is activated by pressing 999, and a figurine that doubles as a small grenade when its head is twisted just so.

A terrific book that will have you struggle to put it down as you dive into the world of international spies, crazy military men and truly gripping suspense.


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Book Details:

Title Skeleton Key (Alex Rider, #3)
Author Anthony Horowitz
Reviewed By Purplycookie

”The Alchemyst”, the first book in The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series, introduced a wide-ranging group of historical figures who have achieved immortality and are engaged in a present-day struggle for the fate of the world. This second entry, ”The Magician (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, #2)” picks up exactly where the first left off.

Allied with the legendary Nicholas Flamel on the “good” side are teenage twins Sophie and Josh, who are supremely gifted but with powers that are untrained. Countering them is a new arch-villain, Niccolò Machiavelli, who, along with other figures from history and legend (Joan of Arc, the Comte de Saint-Germain, a trio of Valkyries, Nidhogg, Mars Ulthor, the spider Elder Areop-Enap, Dagon, plus legendary artifacts like the swords Excalibur and Clarent), swells the already impressive cast.

Plundering every imaginable culture of their heroes and heroines is a clever feat, sure to draw all manner of historically and mythologically-minded readers. One weakness starts to show through, however. In a six-book series such as this, each installment begins to feel like a lengthy, glorified chapter rather than its own book complete with a satisfying story arc and resolution. That said; this keeps the pace at an exciting and impeccably thought-out fantasy, well suited for those left in the lurch by the still-very-much-felt exeunt of the Harry Potter series.

This strikes just the right balance of action, fear, intensity, and hope for what is to come. The imagery of Paris and the places that exist beneath the city are creepy which adds to this story. Not frightening, but compelling. More obscure gods and mythological creatures once again reveal the author's depth of knowledge of his craft in this genre.


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Book Details:


Title The Magician (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, #2)
Author Michael Scott
Reviewed By Purplycookie

Sallie has been asked by her college buddy, the Judy Abbott of Daddy Long-Legs, to run the John Grier Home, the orphanage Judy was raised in. A cheerful and unabashed socialite waiting for her Congressman boyfriend to propose, Sallie takes on the job on a temporary basis. Armed with her sense of humor and her firm brightness, along with her maid and her Chow doggie, she gets her heart stolen by the 100 sad-eyed charges.

The book is modeled after ”Daddy Long-Legs”, so it is entirely composed of Sallie's stick-figure-illustrated letters to Judy, Gordon (the boyfriend), and the Home's prickly visiting doctor, whose letters are soon addressed "Dear Enemy" (it is from her salutations to him in letters that the title of the book derives). Unfortunately, the copy that I read which was from Project Gutenberg didn’t contain these fascinating drawings. Oh, I would so love to get my hands on a copy of this book!

Sallie’s letters catalogue her daily adventures with the sweet, colorful kids, a series of cooks and farmers, sexist trustees, and grumpy neighbors. In all of this, there sparkles a strong feminine spirit, blithe optimism, and clear-headed compassion. The letters read so naturally and sure, Sallie's charm radiates whether she is amusing us with a story of orphan mischief or seriously discussing the consequences of hereditary alcoholism. The pace of the novel also clips along due to the relative shortness of the epistolary style. You only read what the main character is writing out to particular people, but not what they send in return. Never read a book in that form and I really enjoyed it. You follow what it's like to be a young girl in the turn of the century and, in this book, what it's like to be the superintendent of an orphanage.

This is not a cutesy portrayal of orphans, but an amazingly honest look at the serious, even tragic price kids can pay for their parents'--and society's--shortcomings. If you want a quality story for girls, Sallie's self-confidence, independence, and intelligent optimism make her a top-notch role model.

While it is true that some outdated concepts are presented in the book, but I think it's important to note that Jean Webster seems to question most of those concepts. The characters ultimately seek love over "suitability" and what's right over what's appropriate. Even the concept of eugenics is repeatedly questioned by the main character, who doesn't quite believe the hype but is willing to let a man of science "educate" her. Yes, the book is dated (as was its predecessor, to some extent), but the story and characters it contains are timeless.

”Daddy Long-Legs” is vanilla, sweet and smooth. ”Dear Enemy” is more like mint chocolate chip, refreshing with nuggets of warmth, laughter, bitter-sweetness. You will be enchanted by the fiery-haired Sallie McBride and her orphans.


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Book Details:

Title Dear Enemy (Daddy-Long-Legs, #2)
Author Jean Webster
Reviewed By Purplycookie

When Coelho was a young man, his parents had him committed to mental hospitals three times because he wanted to be an artist--an unacceptable profession in Brazil at the time. During his numerous forced incarcerations he vowed to write some day about his experiences and the injustices of involuntary commitment.

In this fable-like novel, Coelho makes good on his promise, with the creation of a fictional character named Veronika who decides to kill herself when faced with all that is wrong with the world and how powerless she feels to change anything. Although she survives her initial suicide attempt, she is committed to a mental hospital where she begins to wrestle with the meaning of mental illness and whether forced drugging should be inflicted on patients who don't fit into the narrow definition of "normal."

In a sedative-induced haze, Veronika finds companionship in white-haired Mari, who suffers from panic attacks, and Eduard, an ambassador's son who has been diagnosed as schizophrenic, and she begins to question the definition of insanity. It is her supposed death sentence from the devious Dr. Igor, who is trying to shock her back into reality, which allows Veronika to reacquire the will to live and love.

The premise of this novel seemed intriguing. It promised to deal not so much with the events that would lead to Veronika's suicide, but rather the consequences. However, the story feels disjointed, with the author introducing four or five (if you include himself) characters to the story. We are given backgrounds to each character and told then how Veronika's desire for life in the face of death, changes each of them. By doing this, however, the reader is left feeling dissatisfied, having just been introduced to these characters, but learning little else about them.

It seems that most people reviewing this book are reviewing the message ("Life is good") rather than the book. Sure, the moral of the story makes you feel good, but that doesn't mean that the book is well done; in fact, the novel itself is weak. The story goes nowhere, the characters are as dead as Veronika wishes to be, and the ending is obvious from the beginning.


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Book Details:

Title Veronika Decides to Die (On the Seventh Day #2)
Author Paulo Coelho
Reviewed By Purplycookie

Alex Rider is giving it up. Being a teenage secret agent is just too dangerous. He wants his old life back. As he lies in the hospital bed recovering from a gunshot wound, he contemplates the end of his career with MI6, the British secret service. But then he saves the life of Paul Drevin, son of multibillionaire Nikolei Drevin, and once again he is pulled into service. This time his mission involves eco-terrorists, rockets to space, maniacal killers, and a less-than-idyllic tropical island.

Some of the other Alex Rider books may have been a little predictable, but ”Ark Angel” is by far the worst book in the series. As if someone with a cheesy tattoo of the world covering their head isn't bad enough, this book really "jumps the shark", for not only does Horowitz yet again use the "corrupt rich guy" plot, but at the end of the book Alex gets launched into space.

Alex's solo trip into space is unquestionably over the top, plus there are a few glitches in plotting.


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Book Details:

Title Ark Angel (Alex Rider, #6)
Author Anthony Horowitz
Reviewed By Purplycookie

A great and terrible evil threatens the druids' future. Their only hope is the Star Dancer: a child who will be born under an untimely comet and who is destined to protect them.

As the fated star-shower lights up the sky, the druids are watching. They believe the prophesied boy has arrived. But down in the village, the midwife has just delivered a perfect little girl. Her name is Tegen--and she is the Star Dancer.

Tegen is rejected by Witton, the Chief Druid--but when a visitor gives her a green silk shawl, she begins to work real magic. Near death, Witton acknowledges Tegen, forcing her to abandon her family and learn the spells and rituals of the white-robes. But there are those, close by, who secretly plot to destroy her and take power.

Expect some rawness from the narrative, because young Tegen lives in a harsh, patriarchal society that has none of the equal-opportunities sensibilities of today. This is demonstrated by the routine cruelty dished out to her adopted brother Griff, a kindly but mentally-impaired foundling who is unsympathetically described by the villagers as a "half-head".

I wanted to like this book because of the original plot however the pacing leaves something to be desired. I have to convince myself to finish reading it mainly because I need to give it back to the one who recommended it to me. Also, there were some scenes that did not sit well with me, such as Tegen being 14 years of age and married to her step-brother, Griff, and he expecting them to make a baby at the soonest possible time. I also cringe every time Griff delivered his dialogues since it seems like it's an exaggerated interpretation of how a mentally-impaired person would talk--as if the author's making fun of him.

I felt as though the story was dragged out through the entire book (it really should've been a shorter book), and the ending was caught of nowhere. By the end of it, I just found myself not caring whether or not Tegen's destiny as the Star Dancer unfolds and of what other plodding adventures she'll undertake in the sequel.


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Book Details:

Title Star Dancer
Author Beth Webb
Reviewed By Purplycookie

In a secret compound, several children were artificially created and genetically modified in an experiment known as the Janus Project, until the alpha of their group, Subject Seven, escaped after brutally murdering a top scientist and the guards assigned to him. Subsequently, the remaining youngsters involved in the failed experiment were wiped clean of their memories and given to adoptive parents in various locations throughout the United States.

The story continues years later as the five children, now teenagers, begin experiencing terrifying fugue states where it appears someone has been in control of their bodies and actions while they were unaware, sometimes for weeks at a time. Most of this does not become clear until well into the story, after each character wakes up covered in blood or showing other signs of having been on a rampage, struggles to figure out what’s going on. To me the first half of ”Subject Seven” was gritty, jumpy, and almost seemed unnecessary in parts. There was so much anguish for the kid characters (especially Hunter), and most of the action wasn't seen, but was instead witnessed after the fact, with readers only seeing the outcomes of these blood and gore rampages.

It isn't until that same unknown entity calls them all together that they discover what they are truly capable of and how much the Janus Project wants to destroy them. Although the theme of this story isn't new--think Stevenson's ”The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” and the comic hero ”The Incredible Hulk”--this updated version is uniquely appealing to teens with its underlying themes of adolescent angst, budding sexuality, and body issues underscored by violent and visceral storytelling.

My only real complaint is how it ends. Or rather, doesn't end. I can't even call it a cliffhanger. The story just...stops. But then readers patient enough to weather each team member’s protracted introduction will be rewarded by plenty of blood-and-thunder action and the enticing prospect of more to come in the yet unannounced sequel.


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Book Details:

Title Subject Seven
Author James A. Moore
Reviewed By Purplycookie

Vacationing in France with his girlfriend, Sabina Pleasure, and her parents, Alex spots Yassen Gregorovich, a known assassin, and senses something isn't quite right. Before long, Sabina's journalist father is injured in an "accidental" bombing and Alex is thrown into another mystery that involves a devious scheme to annihilate the world.

Alex knew Yassen was responsible, but Alex has no clue of how or why. But as he walks through the ashes, Alex finds the article Edward Pleasure had been working on about Damian Cray, the world’s most famous pop star. Alex takes it as a personal responsibility to go after Cray and take his revenge.

This leads to the discovery of a strange plot involving Cray, who has developed the ultimate video game system called Gameslayer. This seems to be nothing more than a marketing move for Cray, but the more Alex dives into this Gameslayer and spies on Cray, the more sinister Cray's part in the events becomes.

Alex will just have to face down a few minor complications first: a virtual reality game that inflicts real pain; a fleet of Porche 911 GT3-driving hit men; and even a near fatal brush with death aboard the most famous aircraft in the world, Air Force One. But he’ll persevere, or his name isn’t Rider: Alex Rider.

”Eagle Strike” keeps you on your toes the whole way through the story, but it begins to get a little out of hand. Alex is fourteen years old, and he seems to have none of the boyish qualities that any teenager has during those years of childhood. Alex seems like a full grown man by his level of maturity, his perfectly built body, and his amazing coordination. He seems to have innate abilities to do almost anything with incredible skill, including surfing twenty foot waves and biking incredibly fast speeds. It does not seem real. However, Horowitz takes these traits of Alex Rider and runs with them.


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Book Details:

Title Eagle Strike (Alex Rider, #4)
Author Anthony Horowitz
Reviewed By Purplycookie

An author (alluded to being Burgess himself) is trying to reconstruct the tragic events involving Sara--a young wannabe--and Jonathan Heat--a disturbing and popular A-list musician (a sinister combination of all the Michael Jackson's creepiness with Madonna's business savvy).

Sara is a disturbed girl who is constantly pretending that she is different people; she also loves hiding her beautiful face behind hideous masks. She often thinks of herself as ugly and feels like when she looks in the mirror that is not her face; it is someone else’s. Sara also has bizarre accidents that many of her friends/family thinks are self-inflicted. It is while she is in the hospital recovering from one of these accidents that she meets Jonathan Heat. Jonathan Heat is a superstar; he had so much work done on his face that his face collapsed and he now wears a mask. In Sara, Jonathan sees a kindred spirit. He offers to take her under his wing to teach her everything he knows, and (the biggest thing to Sara) to pay for cosmetic surgery for Sara's whole body. Of course there will be a price, but could Sara ever guess the cost?

Don't let the intriguing summary fool you; I was incredibly disappointed in this book. I originally picked it up because it sounded like a unique psychological thriller, but I was less than impressed with the execution of the plot and Burgess' style of writing, which pretty mush ruined my experience with this novel.

”Sara's Face” is written almost like an investigation (biography wouldn't be the correct word) of Sara, with interviews with primary sources, transcripts of Sara's video diary, and other published documents. Now, I'm all for innovative writing styles, but the problem was that Burgess didn't totally stick to his format. There were conversations that seemed made up, because it was unlikely a witness would remember it word for word, and accounts of events where only Sara was present, which would be impossible for the author to know because he made it clear that no one knew Sara.

The plot was frankly boring most of the time; it felt like I was reading a monotonous textbook. Only at the very end does anything get truly interesting, but by then, I've lost my sympathy for Sara because the preceding events in the story were way too jumbled and confusing. I felt Burgess' message in ” Sara's Face” was very weakly conveyed, and I'm sure most readers will miss it, if they even make it to the end.

Sara is an alternately pathetic and loathsome creature--from her earliest years she shown as a devious, driven, eerily adaptable sociopaths that will do anything to succeed. Jonathan Heat is even more horrific--an artist so desperate to prolong his time in the spotlight he's completely and literally sacrificed his own identity. The message isn't subtle--stardom doesn't just require a lack of self-awareness, it requires a complete lack of self. Jonathan and Sara are prepared to be stars, but by the time they get there, the 'Jonathan' and 'Sara' identities are completely lost.


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Book Details:

Title Sara's Face
Author Melvin Burgess
Reviewed By Purplycookie

”Bloody Valentine” is a novella in the Blue Bloods series. It consists of three beautifully written short stories each with a focus on matters of the heart--hence the title. While it is not necessary to have read all the books in this series before reading this novella, it is recommended, as two of the three stories relate to events that take place in the previous two books.

The first story is about Schuyler Van Alen's friend and familiar Oliver Hazard-Perry and Freya, a character who will be the focus of a new series by the author entitled ”Witches of East End” (which I’ll probably check out to see it it’s worth reading). It is a wonderful story that fills in some of the missing pieces on what's going on with Oliver at the same time as other things are occurring in ”Misguided Angel”.

The second story brings us back to 1985 where we get to meet a young Allegra Van Alen and the human familiar she falls in love with, Bendix Chase. This is a great addition as it gives further insight into Schuyler's parents and just how she came to be. I really enjoyed this story since thus far in the series we haven’t been given much info about Allegra’s life before being in the hospital.

The final story, and the longest, is about Schuyler Van Alen and Jack Force and their bonding ceremony which occurs after the events in ”Misguided Angel”. This is a great way to close this book as it gives readers another opportunity to see Jack and Schuyler and witness their love for one another. It bridges the long gap between the previous book and the next book in the series, ”Lost in Time”, which won't be out until October.

Don't get me wrong the content was as great as always, but the style of the books has changed a lot and they seem to be getting shorter and shorter.


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Book Details:


Title Bloody Valentine (A Blue Bloods Book)
Author Melissa De La Cruz
Reviewed By Purplycookie

The book starts off with a bang (literally) as a bomb is exploded in a nuclear power station in India and along the way there is a charity black-tie card game, poison needles, car crashes, bullets, and exploding gel pens. The action then moves to Scotland where Alex is holidaying with the Pleasure family. He attends a lavish New Year's Eve party in a remote Scottish castle hosted by wealthy philanthropist Desmond McCain, who runs an international charity, First Aid. Alex is disturbed by his first encounter by McCain and wonders if there's a connection when shortly afterwards he narrowly escapes from what he suspects to have been a deliberate car accident.

Back in London, Alex is forced to turn to MI6 for help when a journalist threatens to expose his past. In return MI6 ask him to help them investigate the director of a highly secure GM research centre. Slowly the disparate threads of the story start to come together, but will Alex be able to pass on what he knows before the bad guys catch up with him?

A facet of the stories that I enjoy is the science that goes into the bad guys' plots. In ”Crocodile Tears”, it's genetically modified foods and the threat they pose to Third World countries, as well as to the rest of the planet. The plot doesn't bog down with heavy explanations, but there's enough there to send curious young readers (and possibly older ones) scurrying to Wikipedia or the Internet for answers.

Strangely, the spy gizmos in this novel seem to be toned down. There really isn't much here from Smithers, and quite frankly I was a bit disappointed. I love when Smithers takes the stage, because it's quite a lot like dealing with Q in the lab in one of the James Bond films. Usually Smithers does a lot with designing hardware for Alex that looks like teen-centric stuff.

I didn't feel as if this book was as good as the others, I felt it had a bang, but not a very good one; in the end I felt this book didn't go as far as the other ones did. Alex Rider's other adventures have never disappointed, but ”Crocodile Tears” seems without the regular intrigue and seemingly unsolvable mysteries that have always bested other attempts at good spy novels.

Horowitz has maintained that Alex would never be older than fourteen and be a spy. At the end of this book, Alex's fifteenth birthday is only a few days away. I really don't want the series to end and I hope that Alex gets suited back up once more really soon.


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Book Details:

Title Crocodile Tears (Alex Rider, 8)
Author Anthony Horowitz
Reviewed By Purplycookie

How far would you go to obtain knowledge of the parents you never knew?

Alex Rider has decided he'll go on his most dangerous mission for a chance at information. Once the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) tells him his godfather will lead the mission, Alex doesn't hesitate. Unfortunately, there could be a mole on the inside.

Alex and Ash travel undercover as illegal immigrants trying to find a better life in Australia. What Alex doesn't realize is that the leader of the Snakehead organization also works on the executive board of Scorpia. Major Yu knows exactly where Alex is and what he's doing. He's got several plans in motion to make Alex's life miserable and then nonexistent.

It wouldn't surprise me if this is the grittiest and most true-to-life of the "Alex Rider" series of novels. "Snakehead" is fast paced gripping and vivid. However, something that sets this episode in Alex's life apart is that Alex Rider finally pays a visit to the east. From the dazzling skyscrapers of Bangkok to the ancient docks in Jakarta from the green of the Australian rain forest to the deserted deck of an oil rig, Alex has seen it all.

Getting involved with the snakeheads, a gang more vicious than the triads and deadlier than the mafias, Alex is back, reluctant as ever and working for the Australians. When an old enemy returns, a conspiracy is unearthed that can literally, change the world. With vivid descriptions, fast paced action this has all the cheek and action that you can expect.


More of Purplycookie’s Reviews @: http://www.goodreads.com/purplycookie


Book Details:

Title Snakehead (Alex Rider, #7)
Author Anthony Horowitz
Reviewed By Purplycookie