Ruin and Rising

Ruin and Rising (The Grisha #3)

by Leigh Bardugo

3 stars

422 pages

Published June 17th 2014 by Henry Holt and Co.

I'm wavering between 2.5 and three stars, because this book just wasn't all that great. Actually the whole series wasn't all that great. Not bad, just not stellar. But I read all three, so I guess that says something.

Maybe it was the whining characters, or the endless killing, or maybe it was just boring.

I'm glad it's over.

Graduation Day

Graduation Day (The Testing #3)

by Joelle Charbonneau

3 stars

304 pages 

Published June 17, 2014 by HMH Books for Young Readers

 

Meh. Not great. Too many questions in the prose: "Should I do this?", "How can I do this?", "Who can I trust?", etc. Too distracting.

I'm just glad this trilogy is over. It wasn't stellar - more of a Hunger Games meets whiny girl meets Rage Against the Machine. If I had to do it again, I probably wouldn't waste my time.

The Girl with the Windup Heart

The Girl with the Windup Heart (Steampunk Chronicles #4)

by Kady Cross

4 stars

 

400 pages

Published May 27, 2014 by Harlequin TEEN

 

I love these books. This book follows the continuing stories of Finley, Griffin, Mila and Jack. Much like a soap opera jumps from one storyline to the next, this book follows that pattern. In one, Finley is trying to free Griffin from the evil clutches of Garibaldi; and in the other story, Mila is discovering the world.

Mild swearing and implied sex. Nothing to make you blush.

I hope there are more of these books in Kady Cross's head.

Chasing the Prophecy

Chasing the Prophecy (Beyonders #3)

by Brandon Mull

3 stars

512 pages
Published Mar. 12, 2013 by Aladdin

If you can get past all of the questions that are asked in the narrative (and there are so many, I started skipping those paragraphs), this is a great ending to a pretty great trilogy for kids. The questions asked by the main characters were so plentiful that it detracted from the pace and action of the book. Instead of asking so many questions, like "Is this the right thing to do? How do I know?" etc. the book's action and pace would be better served by decisive decision-making.

Despite that, the book was full of moral themes that I would love to have my kids adopt. Themes such as valuing friendship, being loyal and having faith.

I can recommend to any kid or teen wanting a action-packed, yet still clean book to read.