August+books

Spells by Aprilynne Pike
Book two following Wings. Laurel is back in the human world but spends her summer in Avalon in training as a Fall Fairy. Tam is a spring fairy which is the hoi poloi. Lots of caste discussion in this one. Laurel has to decide--Tam or David, fairy or human. And of course the Trolls are still chasing Laurel too. Great settings and characters. Plot is a little slow but the story pulls you in. Of course there will be a third book. Very Good. YA for lots of romance, some discussion of sex discussion but only snuggly touching.

**Finally by Wendy Mass**
Rory (the girl) is finally turning 12 and has a poster of the things she can do or have. Her good humored parents support her through a series of escalating disasters. Pretty funny. And some kind of lesson about needs and wants and seeing vs looking. I'm really liking this author. 4th+ very good

**Thirteen Days to Midnight by Patrick Carman**
Jacob Fielding finds himself indestructible after a horrible accident. His best friend Milo and a new girl Oh(Ophelia) try to work out what is going on until they discover they have made the worst possible choices. Builds up to a chilling and disturbing end. The theology of Brother Tim is pretty bad, but the whole discussion of immortality, death and redemption is thoughtful if somewhat NewAge. YA for suicide attempts, bully violence, and some romance. Good

**Artemis Fowl The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer**
Artemis is in the grips of obsessive compulsive symptoms that are the precursor to even more serious futures. Separate threads of Butler rescuing his sister, and the underwater complex of Atlantis coming under attack. The evil Turnball Root is behind the conflicts. Great plot with lots of action. Wonderfully satisfying conclusion. Humorous alternate personality emerges from Artemis that is priceless. Quite good. 4th+

**Crunch by Leslie Connor (also Waiting For Normal)**
Dewey Marriss finds himself running the Bike Barn as his parents are stuck due to a national shortage of gasoline. His siblings all take their parts but things escalate in complexity. The story is relaxed as is their self-sufficient lifestyle, until there are some robberies and the bikes start to pile up faster than Dewey can repair them. Very Good. Easy. 4th+

**Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins**
Finally! A great closure to a great series. Katness finds herself in the throes of a revolution against the Capital and the evil President Snow. Taking on the role of figurehead is not easy. War is not easy. Her values and relationships are tested beyond possibilities. The plotline is terrific, the descriptions are vivid, and the conclusion is complete and not simple. There is quite a bit of violence and psychological trauma. Moving scenes of war and the vanity of the "game" they are all playing. Excellent. YA.