Breaking Dawn ~ Stephanie Meyer

I don't care what any of the critics say, I LOVED the final book in the Twilight series. Yes, it does take a twist that I wasn't expecting, but it seemed completely appropriate somehow.

Breaking Dawn was one of those rare finales where I didn't feel cheated - it ended, and I was satisfied. Will I miss Bella and Edward (and the rest of the Cullens) and Jacob? Sure. But do I feel like Stephanie Meyer left anything out? No.

Tell me what YOU thought of Breaking Dawn...leave a comment on this post and let's see who agrees with me, and who sides with the critics!

I'm not going to say anymore, because I don't want to spoil anything for any of you who haven't read it yet. But I will say, I'm going to give the series 5 out of 5 on my Rez Recommends form...and be sure to stock up on multiple copies of each book for our library!

Marked ~ P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Although Marked is not on the Rez Reads "Books with Bite" list, it is the first book in the "House of Night" series...book 2, Betrayed, is on the list and I can't wait to read it.

I have to say, of the three fantasy/faery/vampire series that I've just started (City of Bones, Wicked Lovely) this one is my favourite so far.

Unlike the other 2 series, there is no separation between the supernatural/magical world and the real world. In Marked, everyone knows that vampires (vampyres) exist...although no one knows why some humans are marked and go through "the change". Also, vampyres are not inherently evil...they are merely different, supernatural. Once a person is marked, they go off to the House of Night...a school for vampyres (sort of a Hogwarts for vampyres)...for guidance through the change, instruction on the history and their developing powers. Unfortunately, not all students who are marked will graduate...there's also a distinct possibility that their bodies will reject the change, and they will die.

At the beginning of the book, Zoey Redbird is marked...although she seems to be going through the change differently than most of the other students - her mark is a special one, and she seems to be more more powerful than the other students. The kids in the "popular crowd" - the Dark Daughters - are less than impressed.

I think what I liked most about this book was that the story wasn't about the vampires and the magic...that was just part of the story. It was much more about the characters...kind of like a realistic teen novel (a la Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants) where everyone just happens to be a vampire. I am looking forward to seeing where Zoey's story is leading in Betrayed because although Marked is not a cliff hanger, it certainly didn't feel finished.

And now I feel like I need to read something outside of the fantasy/magic/supernatural realm...so look for something completely different in my next post.

City of Bones ~ Cassandra Clare

I just finished reading my first summer reading book, from our "Books with Bite" list. "City of Bones" is the first installment in the series "The Mortal Instruments" by Cassandra Clare...and let me tell you, I can't wait to read the next one!

Here's part of the description from the inside cover of the book:
"When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly epxects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon..."

It had the perfect mix of action, magic/fantasy - but set in the real world of current-day New York City - and just a dash of romance. It is a whopping 485 pages, but worth every page.

If I were to list other "readalikes" - books that if you liked one, you'll probably like the other - I would put it alongside:

• Twilight series - Stephanie Meyer
• Blue Girl - Charles de Lint
• Tithe, Valiant, Ironside - Holly Black
• Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling

It fits perfectly on the "Magic in the Real World" list, that I posted earlier. And don't worry, we'll definitely be adding this series to the Library @ Rez!

I've already filled out my Rez Recommends book review (and will add it to the Rez Recommends binder that you can check out when you come back to school) and have put "City of Ashes" (book #2 in the series) on hold at the public library. Now onto another from YALSA's Top 10 nominations (Books with Bite) list...stay tuned for a post to see what I read next...

Stephanie Meyer

While you're waiting for the next installment in Stephanie Meyer's Twilight (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn) series, here are some other vampire or werewolf novels to sink your teeth into!

• Blood and Chocolate ~ Annette Curtis Klause (FIC KLA)
  Having fallen for a human boy, a beautiful teenage werewolf must battle both her packmates and the fear of the townspeople to decide where she belongs and with whom.
  
• Bloodline ~ Kate Carey (FIC CAR)
  A British soldier in World War I makes the horrifying discovery that his regiment commander is descended from Count Dracula.
  
• Blue Bloods ~ Melissa de la Cruz (FIC DEL)
  Teenagers from some of New York City's wealthiest and most socially prominent families learn a startling secret about their bloodlines.
  
• Companions of the Night ~ Vivian Vande Velde (FIC VAN)
  When sixteen-year-old Kerry Nowicki helps a young man escape from a group of men who claim he is a vampire, she finds herself faced with some bizarre and dangerous choices.
  
• Dracula ~ Bram Stoker (FIC STO)
  The ultimate vampire novel. The classic tale of the bizarre Carpathian count, who drinks human blood to stay alive, and the Englishman who knows his secret.
  
• Gil's All-Fright Diner ~ A. Lee Martinez (FIC MAR)
  Hired by the owner of an all-night diner to eliminate the zombie problem that is costing her customers, werewolf Duke and vampire Earl tackle an even stickier adversary who is out to take over the diner.
  
• In the Forests of the Night ~Ameilia Atwater-Rhodes (FIC ATW)
  Risika, a teenage vampire, wanders back in time to the year 1684 when, as a human, she died and was transformed against her will.
  
• Interview with a Vampire ~ Anne Rice (FIC RIC)
  Confessions from a vampire of his first two hundred years as one of the living dead.
  This adult novel was turned into a movie starring John Malcovic and Brad Pitt.
  
• A Living Nightmare (Cirque du Freak, book 1) ~ Darren Shan (FIC SHA)
  Two boys who are best friends visit an illegal freak show, where an encounter with a vampire and a deadly spider forces them to make life-changing choices.
  
• Red Rider's Hood ~ Neil Shusterman (FIC SHU)
  After learning that there are werewolves in his city, a sixteen-year-old is even more surprised to discover the identities of the hunters who drove them out decades earlier, but he soon infiltrates the Wolves gang to help destroy them for good.
  
• Sunshine ~ Robin McKinley (FIC MCK)
  All hope for stopping the vampiric elite from controlling earth depends on human SOFs (Special Other Forces) and the success of their attempt to recruit Sunshine, the daughter of legendary sorcerer Onyx Blaise.
  
• Thirsty ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (FIC AND)
  From the moment he knows that he is destined to be a vampire, Chris thirsts for the blood of people around him while also struggling to remain human.
  
• Vampire High ~ Douglas Rees (FIC REE)
  When his family moves from California to New Sodom, Massachusetts and Cody enters Vlad Dracul Magnet School, many things seem strange, from the dark-haired, pale-skinned, supernaturally strong students to Charon, the wolf who guides him around campus on the first day.
  
• Vampire Kisses ~ Ellen Schreiber (FIC SCH)
  Sixteen-year-old Raven, an outcast who always wears black and hopes to become a vampire some day, falls in love with the mysterious new boy in town, eager to find out if he can make her dreams come true. First in a series (Vampire Kisses, Kissing Coffins, Vampireville...).