The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Synopsis:
Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he cant seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. Percys mom decides its time that he knew the truth about where he came from. She sends Percy to Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends, one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

My Review:
I read this book to see what all the hype was about and because the movie just came out. Now I can justify going to see the movie since I finished the book. It was a fun read and I enjoyed the modem day twist to the Greek gods and goddesses. I loved the gods and goddesses unit when it was taught to us in 9th grade so I already knew a lot of the Greek mythology but it was a good refresher. It was also really fast-paced which kept the story moving. I think kids will love it and enjoy the author’s sense of humor.

But the story was very predictable and I always knew what was coming next which made it somewhat frustrating to read as an adult. Now with that said, if I had read this 10 years ago I would have enjoyed it a lot more because Riordan’s target audience was somewhere in the age range of 11-14

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Synopsis:
Falling for the fallen…

Hush, Hush features our heroine, Nora Grey, a seemingly normal teenage girl with her own shadowy connection to the Nephilim, and super-alluring bad boy, Patch. Together they find themselves at the centre of a centuries-old feud between a fallen angel and a Nephilim…

Forced to sit next to Patch in science class, Nora attempts to resist his flirting, though gradually falls for him against her better judgment. Meanwhile creepy things are going on with a mysterious stalker following her car, breaking into her house and attacking her best friend, Vi. Nora suspects Patch, but there are other suspects too - not least a new boy who has transferred from a different college after being wrongly accused of murdering his girlfriend. And he seems to have taken a shine to Nora...

Love certainly is dangerous... and someone is going to have to make the ultimate sacrifice for it.

My Review:
I loved this book! I started reading it right before bed, went to sleep, and picked it back up the next day and did not put it down until I finished (thank goodness I started on a weekend). The only other books I have read that fast were from the Twilight series (which I did not start on a weekend). And if the second book, Crescendo, was out right now I would be reading that instead of writing this review. I was first drawn to the cover which convinced me to pick up the book and read the synopsis. A scared oath, a fallen angel, a forbidden love (words on the inside cover), and rave reviews were all I needed to plunge into this story. I liked the characters Fitzpatrick created and found myself laughing out loud when Nora’s unabashed best friend, Vee, made somewhat off color remarks. I also felt the same emotions Nora felt during her interactions with Patch wondering if she should run in the opposite direction or straight towards him. It had an interesting plot and enough mystery to keep me on edge the entire time. This book stands alone and should not be compared to others and I think fans of paranormal YA books will really enjoy it!

Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater

Synopsis:
In this mesmerizing sequel to Lament, music prodigy James Morgan and his best friend, Deirdre, join a private conservatory for musicians. James' musical talent attracts Nuala, a soul-snatching faerie muse who fosters and feeds on the creative energies of exceptional humans until they die. Composing beautiful music together unexpectedly leads to mutual admiration and love. Haunted by fiery visions of death, James realizes that Deirdre and Nuala are being hunted by the Fey and plunges into a soul-scorching battle with the Queen of the Fey to save their lives.

My Review:
Like other people have expressed, I was first sad that this story was not a continuation of Dee and Luke from the first book Lament. But Maggie Stiefvater wrote a very witty and sarcastic character, James, who I loved from the beginning so I was glad he got his chance to shine and make me laugh out loud. It was not a fast paced book but I had a hard time putting it down just because I loved the interactions between James and his roommate, the teachers, and Dee. I like James love interest Nuala ok but sometimes she was just too high strong and bitter which I would not think James would find appealing. But I guess that was the point because Nuala was everything Dee was not and James needed to sort out the relationship between him and Dee. Overall it was a good read and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Lament, Shiver, and likes paranormal stories.

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Synopsis:
Lucy has nine months to break an ancient curse in order to save both herself and her unborn daughter.

Inspired by the ballad “Scarborough Fair,” this riveting novel combines suspense, fantasy, and romance for an intensely page-turning and masterfully original tale.

Lucy is seventeen when she discovers that the women of her family have been cursed through the generations, forced to attempt three seemingly impossible tasks or to fall into madness upon their child’s birth. But Lucy is the first girl who won’t be alone as she tackles the list. She has her fiercely protective foster parents and her childhood friend Zach beside her. Do they have love and strength enough to overcome an age-old evil?

My Review:
I really liked this story! I found out about this book from reading a review in the front cover of another book that which stated “fans of Impossible and Twilight will like this read”. I love Twilight and I did not know what Impossible was about so I decided to check it out from the library. I love the idea of the story coming from an old Scottish song from 1670. I also read the author's note where she described in greater detail where the idea for the story and the characters came from. I love stories that are set in the present, grounded in reality, but there is a magical and mysterious element. The relationships between the characters felt real and it’s a story based on the relationship of all the characters. And most importantly, the message was about love and what that means. It’s a fast read and I do think fans of Twilight would find it an entertaining story.

Lament by Maggie Stiefvater

Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Deirde Monaghan is a prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's a cloverhand - one who can see faeries.

Unexpectedly, Deirdre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy who enters her ordinary life, seemingly out of thin air. Trouble is, the enigmatic and gorgeous Luke turns out to be a gallowglass - a soulless faerie assasin - and his interest in her might be something darker than summer romance. A sinister faerie named Aodhan is also stalking Deirdre. They both carry the same assignment from the Faerie Queen, one that forces Dee right into the midst of Faerie. Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend.

Deirdre had been wishing her summer wasn't so dull, but taking on a centuries-old Faerie Queen idn't exactly what she had in mind.

My Review:
There were things I liked and disliked about this book. I loved James as a character because he was so funny and I enjoyed all his commentaries. I also liked the story line although I did not feel like there was enough background. The Faerie world was a world that was unknown to me and had rules. I felt like I had to assume a lot.
I liked the relationship between Luke and Deirdre, but I did not love it. That relationship came out of nowhere and I did not really see why they all the sudden had feelings for each other. I wish there had been more explanation as to why Luke fell in love with Deirdre because there seemed to be no basis.
With that said, I thought it was a fast read and it was a page turner! That, in my opinion, means that it was a good book and I do not regret buying it and reading it. I hope the sequel is just as good.