Ever the Hunted

Ever the Hunted
by Erin Summerill

From the publisher:
"Seventeen year-old Britta Flannery is at ease only in the woods with her dagger and bow. She spends her days tracking criminals alongside her father, the legendary bounty hunter for the King of Malam—that is, until her father is murdered. Now outcast and alone and having no rights to her father’s land or inheritance, she seeks refuge where she feels most safe: the Ever Woods. When Britta is caught poaching by the royal guard, instead of facing the noose she is offered a deal: her freedom in exchange for her father’s killer.

However, it’s not so simple.

The alleged killer is none other than Cohen McKay, her father’s former apprentice. The only friend she’s ever known. The boy she once loved who broke her heart. She must go on a dangerous quest in a world of warring kingdoms, mad kings, and dark magic to find the real killer. But Britta wields more power than she knows. And soon she will learn what has always made her different will make her a daunting and dangerous force."

When I read this with my middle school librarian eyes, I really like it. It has a great story, beautiful cover, exciting action, sweet romance, and good characters. I think middle school students will love it, and I love it for them because there is no bad language or other things of concern, with the exception of some violence and suspense. The sequel will come out in December of 2017, and I will be buying it for our library. I will definitely be talking this one up to our students.

When I read this with my I'm-an-adult-who-reads-too-much-young-adult-literature, then I see the poor world building, the cliched heroine, the beautiful, muscled hero, and the world about to erupt into chaos which is the general rule of thumb for young adult lit. But I'm not concerned about any of that because it is just the thing that will appeal to my students. And it was a fun, clean read.

Suggested Ages:
Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12+
School Library Journal - Grades 8+

Clockwork Angel

Clockwork Angel
by Cassandra Clare

From the publisher:
"Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all."

This book is the first in a series that is a prequel to the very popular Mortal Instruments series.  A movie is coming out from the first book of that series this summer.  This series is about the ancestors of the Mortal Instruments characters.  It is very much a steampunk novel, which is very popular right now.   The setting is Victorian London, but an alternate sort of London.  The action certainly starts right away in this book.  I was immediately drawn to Tessa, I thought she was the perfect heroine; innocent, sweet, loyal, yet spunky, brave and strong. I loved the allusions to Boadicea, the warrior queen. But even though there was action from the very beginning, portions of it felt very slow. I have a feeling that the next 2 books are probably even better because everything has been set up and we know all the characters so the story can just go forward.  I found the character of Will very annoying, but I'm sure there is a very good reason for his sullen and irritable behavior, which we will discover in the sequels. Other things I really liked were the chapter headings of Victorian poetry, and the literary quotes between Tessa and Will. I forgive a lot of things for a A Tale of Two Cities quote or an Oscar Wilde poem. 

Areas of concern:  I don't remember any bad language in this book, if it was there it was very mild.  They had a phrase they used - "by the Angel" - which might have been profanity to them but it didn't bother me.  The romance was very clean, just a couple kisses.  There was some talk of brothels.  The violence was very heavy with Shadowhunters against demons and mechanical creatures.  Tessa was treated very roughly when the book started.    The feeling of the book was pretty dark overall.  

Unlovable

Unlovable
by Sherry Gammon

From the publisher:
"Seventeen year-old Maggie Brown is the poster child for Heroin Chic, complete with jutting bones and dark-ringed eyes. But drugs are not Maggie's problem; her mother is.  Maggie's struggling with her growing feelings for the new guy at school, Seth Prescott, and fears he is just another person who will let her down, like everyone in her life has done so far.  Seth Prescott is an undercover cop assigned to Port Fare High, and despite his job, he's developed strong feelings for Maggie. While Seth's working tirelessly to flush out the sadistic drug peddlers that have invaded the small town of Port Fare, New York, Maggie's fighting to stay alive as the fight turns deadly."

While I enjoyed reading this and found parts gripping, there were other things that really irritated me. The good:
I cared about the characters. Maggie's life is just heart-breaking. Seth was the kind of hero that can do no wrong. Booker was the quirky and funny best friend. The plot was gripping in parts.
The irritating:
Maggie does incredibly stupid things (how often did she have to be told not to undo the security systems?!). Having a 21 year old being an undercover agent in a high school is kind of creepy. Seth was a little too perfect to be believable. Parents are either non-functioning or dead. High school stereotypes abound.

All that being said, several of my eighth-graders have loved this book.

Areas of concern: It had a definite "creepy" factor. Different points of view are heard in the book, mostly just Maggie and Seth, but a couple of chapters are from the points of view of 2 grisly murderers. I don't remember any cussing. There is plenty of kissing, but Seth declares his intent to "wait until marriage", so otherwise it was a very clean romance.

Suggested ages:
I couldn't find any reviews that listed suggested ages.  Because of the concerns named above, I would say 8th grade and older. 

Revenge of the Witch

Revenge of the Witch
by Joseph Delaney

From the publisher:
"Capturing witches.  Binding boggarts.  Driving away ghosts.  For years, Old Gregory has been the Spook for the county, ridding the local villages of evil. Now his time is coming to an end. But who will take over for him? Twenty-nine apprentices have tried-some floundered, some fled, some failed to stay alive. Only Thomas Ward is left. He's the last hope; the last apprentice. Can Thomas succeed? Will he learn the difference between a benign witch and a malevolent one? Does the Spook's warning against girls with pointy shoes include Alice? And what will happen if Thomas accidentally frees Mother Malkin, the most evil witch in the county ... ?"

I had several students request this series.  I have to say I didn't enjoy it very much, but middle-schoolers probably will.  It is very scary and deals with a lot of witches and ghosts and things, so sensitive kids probably shouldn't read it.

Suggested ages:
Publisher's Weekly - Ages 10+
School Library Journal - Grades 5-8