This week, I started a book called Fire. It is written by the same person who wrote Graceling. The main character is a girl named Fire. Her mother named her for her strange hair color. She has grown up in a place called the Dells. Unlike Monsea (from Graceling), the Dells doesn't have graced children. Instead, they have monsters. The monsters can come in any form. All have bright coloring that makes them beautiful. These "monsters" are feared for their ability to control minds. The last human monster is Fire. Her father, who was named Cansrel, was a cruel and manipulative man.

As the King Nax's advisor, he was able to control the king (being a "monster" is hereditary). He used his power to crush others until he and the king died. Now an orphan, Fire has been raised by a noble named Brocker. He is unlike her real father in nearly every way. Brocker was once King Nax's military commander until he lost the favor of the lawless king. The king shattered his legs and sent him home half dead. As further "punishment", a criminal was sent to rape his wife Aliss. Aliss gave birth to a boy named Archer before dying. Brocker raised this baby boy as his son.

I believe that Fire will probably have an unhappy ending. It seems that Fire has a lot of enemies and very few friends. Archer seems to love her, but she keeps her distance from him. Is this because of her relationship with her father? Perhaps she believes that family causes more pain than it is worth. I like her character though. She fights for herself, and tries to do what's right. I think that the plot, though similar to Graceling, is still pretty original. Also, I think that she might end up in Monsea before the story ends. Either way, it's a pretty interesting book so far.

This week, I read the first Maximum Ride book. The main character is a girl named Max. She lives with five other kids who she escaped from "the school." The characters are supposed to have been genetically altered (wings) and experimented on. When Max was about eleven years old, a scientist named Jeb helped her and the other kids escape. A few years after, Jeb went missing. At the beginning of the story, the six children are living somewhere in the mountains. Somehow, the scientists were able to figure out where they had gone. The youngest child, a six year old girl named Angel, was kidnapped, but the others escaped. They are trying to figure out how to get her back.

Although the story does have a strange story line, it's funny. Max is an interesting character. She is trying to be the leader, but is still incredibly young. She can't really even take care of herself. Also, her age (14 years old) gives her an interest in ordinary things as well. I think that the overall plot makes sense, even if the smaller details don't. The author overlooked things such how kids living by themselves on a mountain would be able to buy food. Besides this, I think that it is a pretty good book.

This week, I read a book called Fallen. The main character was a girl name Luce. She ends up at a reform school called Sword and Cross. At the school, she meets a boy named Daniel. Luce is "drawn to him", but he acts like he hates her from the time that they first meet. In the end, it turned out that he was a fallen angel(????), and that every 17 years they meet, generally ending accidentally in her death and rebirth(??).

I think that the book was interesting, even though it had a strang plot concept. Luce can fend for herself, and is portrayed strongly. Also, I liked the writer's style. It was quick, but didn't reveal anything too soon. The one thing that I didn't like though was the whole fallen angel reincarnation idea. I really didn't see how this effected the plot. Overall though, this was a pretty good book.

This week, I read a book called Need. Basically, it was about a girl named Zara whose stepfather had just died. She becomes depressed, so her mother sends her to live with her stepfathers mom in Maine. She is stalk by pixies(?????), who turn out to be related to her. in the end she captures them all in a large circle made of iron.

I believe that this book was really bad. The Zara is described as strong, and yet when her stepdad dies, she no longer wants to do anything. Also, the back of this book was totally irrelevant. It made the book sound like a ghost story, when it wasn't. Besides this, the main character is totally hypocritical. It turns out that her boyfriend is a werewolf(??????), so she kisses him, says its alright, and then has a freak out and starts sobbing when she finds out that her grandmother is too. Also, she is pretty mean throughout the book. She continues to yell or cry, no matter how it will make those around her feel. Finally, I think that the character was either suicidal or just dumb. She wants to see who is stalking her, so she goes out in the forest by herself at night. If you know you are being followed by something you think is dangerous, then why would you WANT them to find you.

I started the third Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants book yesterday. So far, Carmen has found out that she is going to have a baby sibling. She has always wanted one, but thinks that the baby will replace her since it will be born the month she does off to college. Besides this, Lena's parents have decided not to pay for her to go to RISD (my parents went here). Also, Tibby's sister Katherine jumed out of a windowto get an apple fracturin her skull. The final friend, Bee has gone to a soccer camp as a coach, just to meet up with her old boyfriend Eric, who has a new girlfriend.

Although I liked the first two books in this series, I think that this one is overdramatic, and portrays the girls as helpless. I mean, not only do most of the characters fall for almost every guy they meet, someone's sister had to jump out of a window. It's like a sopa opera. In the first two books, the charaters fend for themselves and adapt, but now, they just give up and cry. I really did like the other two stories, so I might try to finish the series to see if it gets better, put so far, I just don't like the way this book was written.

I just started the second book in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. So far, Bridget has decided to go meet her grandmother. She hasn't seen her since eight years before due to her mother's depression and death. Also, Lena has broken up with Kostos, a guy who she met in Greece. She seem to have forgotten him though. Another character, name Carman, has gone on a date with a boy named Porter as well. He wasn't in the first book, so I don't know much about him yet. The last friend, Tibby, has left for the summer. She is at a film pre-college.

I think that this book is actually pretty good. The idea of "magic pants" seems silly, but it was carried through well. Also, I believe that Lena will end up in Greece again with Kostos before the end of the book. Besides this, I think that Carman's step family will end up in D.C. at some point as well. In the first book she went to visit them, but they have never actually visited her before. Overall, it is written in a realistic way.

I started a book called Wicked this week. The main character is named Elphaba, and was born in Munchkinland. Her "father" Frex is a minister, and her mother is the beautiful Melena (once a rich Gillikin courtier). Her mother tends to sleep around, so no one really knows if Elphaba's green skin is hereditary. By the end of the first section of the book, you find out that Melena is going to have another girl.

I think that the perspective of this story is pretty cool. It takes the plot of the Wizard of Oz, and makes it more realistic. Instead of the flat characters in the Wizard of Oz, both the villain (Elphaba) and Dorothea are shown on an even playing field. The book shows the Wicked Witch of the West as a persecuted child, who has grown up in poverty. Galinda is still show as just a pretty face. I think that she will develop more character throughout the rest of the story though.

I finished Graceling this weekend. Since my last blog, we found out that the other graced fighter is really named Po. His Grace really isn't fighting, but he can sense the people around him, and knows what they think of him. Po's grandfather was the old Lienid. When Po figures out that the Monsean king (Leck) was the one who kidnapped him, he travels there with Katsa. Leck's wife is Po's aunt. She has been trying to protect her daughter Bitterblue from King Leck for a while. The King is graced with the ability to convince people of anything. He is cruel, and likes to hurt animals and people. Po watches the king kill his Aunt, and tries to help his cousin (king's daughter) escape. Although Bitterblue, Po, and Katsa do get away, Po is blinded in the process. The book ends with Katsa deciding to return to court to face King Randa of Sunder (she had went into exile when she refused to torture a father who protected his daughters).

I did like this book. I think that it was a fast read. Although it didn't make you think much, it still kept you entertained. At the end, I think that Po is wimpy. He hides out in a cabin in the woods for a while after he goes blind. His character's grace lets him sense his surroundings, so he still knows what's around him. The writer's style reminds me of Tamora Pierce, whom I also like. Both writers create a main character who is a strong girl who can take care of herself. I think I will probably read this book again sometime.

Today, I started a new book called Graceling. The main character is a girl named Katsa living in the kingdom of Middluns. In her world, people may be born with a talent called a Grace. They are marked by unmatched eye colors (hers are blue and green), and are disliked by the majority of those in the kingdoms. She fears her Grace of killing. Her uncle, King Randa uses Katsa to punish those who disobey him. She has grown to despise him. His ignorance to the needs of the people has caused Katsa to secretly has set up "the Council" in order to help throughout the Kingdom. This book starts when Girron, Oll, and Katsa rescue an old Liedin (neighboring kingdom) from a dungeon of Murgon, a kingdom that is payed to do other's bidding. It goes smoothly until she meets someone else graced with fighting. He is a Liedin as well, whom she quickly knocks unconscious. She refuses to kill him, and is troubled by him for some time.

So far, I think that this is a really good book. The characters are well developed, and are interesting to follow. I think that Katsa uses her Grace out of fear of herself. Whenever anyone gets near her, she uses it to scare them away. This makes me wonder if her character wishes that her Grace was different. I think that she is wrong to use it either way. She needs to learn to control her anger, not the talent itself. Maybe its her anger that she's afraid of? Does she do as her uncle says out of fear of herself or him?

Also, I think that the Liedin fighter will be a large part of the story. None of the other guards she disabled are dwelled upon, but he is described, and continually mentioned. Maybe he was there to rescue the old man as well, or was the one who put him there to begin with. Either way, I think that he will continue play a large part in the story.

I finished Fairest today. Since my last blog, many of the problems changed, and resolved themselves. Ijori(still loves her) and Aza's family know she is alive. When ZhamM(dwarf who stayed at her in) goes out of town, Ivi, disguised as a dwarf, gives her a poisoned apple. Nearly dead, she is sent into the Skulni's mirror to fill in for him on his break. Every time someone who has used his potion dies, he gets to go out in the world (he likes to speed up this process). Aza breaks the mirror, and is sent back to her body. When she wakes up, Ijori, who has come to see her, accompanies Aza back to the castle. When the King recovers, he pardons Aza. Then, he proceeds to exile himself and Ivi for the good of Ayortha. The book end with Aza marrying Ijori. They rule together for the rest of their lives.

Overall, I think that this ending was too predictable. You knew that she was going to end up happy, even when she was dying. I think that the ending is actually unoriginal because of this. The poisoned apple was even taken straight from Snow White. Although the rest of the book did have some depth, the ending did not. Ivi is suddenly happy to leave, and the King is suddenly better. I think that I would actually have enjoyed it more if these changes had not happened so suddenly. Overall, I think it was an OK book.

I read about a hundred more pages of Fairest today, and a lot has happened. When the castle found out that Aza was illusing for the Queen, Ivi claimed that Aza was an ogre who forced convinced her to lie. Besides this, the Prince kissed Aza, but abandoned her when he found out about her illusing. Does he really like her? Fortunately, Aza was able to escape from jail after being convicted of being an ogre, and is now at the underground dwarf city. She drank the same potion as the Queen, so she is beautiful by human standards. The last thing that happened was that she found out she wasn't ogre, she was part dwarf.

I believe that she won't be able to stay underground permanently. Although she won't admit it, she still has feelings for Ijori, and he probably still likes her as well. I think that she is going to come out of hiding to show him she isn't dead. No matter how nice these characters are, Ivi is generally mean tempered. I think that this is part of what makes her character so interesting. She only cares for herself. She is very self-conscious, so she surrounds herself by those who she thinks are uglier than her. I believe that she will figure out she didn't succeed in killing Aza.

Another thing to consider about this book is that Skulni, or man in the mirror. The beauty potion came with him. I believe that maybe he is the one advising Ivi. Will he gain anything if she dies? Also, is Aza under his control since she only drank part of the potion? I think that the Skulni will end up being a driving force in the conclusion of the book. I do like this book so far. Although some of the plot has been taken already existing fairy tales, it has added a new twist in the way it views the characters. The characters actually are believable. Their personalities have flaws, but this makes them seem realer, not flat. I think that by the end of the story, each character will be fully developed. We will know how they have good in them as well as bad.

Today, I read the next sixty pages of Fairest. Since my last blog, Aza has been made Ivi's lady-in-waiting. This means that Aza's family gets land, and she gets a large salary. She saw Ivi in the garden, and helped her hide from her voice teacher. In the process, she got herself stuck in a window. Ivi didn't care. She left to have a good time with the rest of the royal family. Will she abandon her subject's needs as well?

At the lunch performance, the king is hit in the head with a metal ring. He receives a concussion that causes a coma. This means that Ivi is now the ruler. She begins to make changes immediately. The government council (the peasants fought a civil war to get it) is permanently disbanded. She cares only for herself. Queen Ivi even thinks about marrying the king's nephew, Prince Ijori. She then forces Aza to illuse for her. Every time she has to sing, she uses Aza's voice. I believe that Ivi will get more controlling throughout the book. So far, this book is pretty good. It is imaginative which makes it an easy read.

Today, I read up to chapter eleven in the book Fairest. Since my last blog, Aza has arrived at the castle. At the wedding, she sees the new queen for the first time along with the rest of the royal family (Prince Ijori, King Oscara, and his sister, Princess Elaine). Although the queen had been described as "merely pretty", she is incredibly gorgeous. I think that perhaps this has something to do with the title. Is it possible that she was somehow changed? Another thing that I believe may be important is that the queen wasn't able to sing at her wedding. Although this is bad luck, Aza still believes that the queen must have a true heart for the King to love her. Whenever Aza meets the Queen, she is so nervous that the Queen tries to comfort her.

The next day, she starts to explore the castle. When Aza walks in on a composing game, the Prince asks her to be on his team. They get along well throughout the game. This makes me wonder if she will become friends with him. I think that she may end up staying at the castle. Her ability to get along with other species like dwarves would make her an asset to the government. Later on in the day, Aza runs into Queen Ivi who is hiding from the choirmaster. The queen has a "unique" voice, but thinks that it is perfect the way that it is. If the queen thinks herself so much better than others in every way, how will she treat all of her subjects?

Today, I read the beginning of a book called Fairest. The book was written by Gail Carson Levine, the same author who wrote Ella Enchanted along with other fairy tale spinoffs. Fairest is narrated by Aza, or Lark, during what seems to be medieval times. As a baby, she was abandoned at the Featherbed Inn. Although the identity of her mother isn't revealed, she says that she was left in a velvet blanket edged with gold. I think that the blanket may play a large part in the rest of the book. It shows that she was born to wealth and possibly a title. Since her mother was rich, I don't understand why she abandoned Aza. I think that it is possible that she was an illegitimate child, or maybe part dwarf due to the color of her hair(hutn). Only dwarves can see or have hutn colored hair, which seems charcoal colored to humans. Although she is hideous to human guests, she looks alright to dwarves (large bones, pale blue skin, and black hair like them).

When one of guests, the Duchess of Olixo, decides to bring Aza to the King's wedding (a marriage to commoner Ivi from Kyrria), Aza is forced to oblige. This means facing hundreds of people who will stare at her. In Ayortha, beauty and a nice singing voice are needed to fit in. Aza has a wonderful voice, but is considered ugly. Due to her looks, her adoptive mother hopes that Aza will make a name for herself at the Sings surrounding the wedding (like a dance, but you show off by singing). Hopefully, her talents like mimicry and illusing (throwing her singing voice, a talent only she has), will help her. The thing that I wonder about, is how people who have never witnessed these skills before will view them. They may see her as an ogre using an enchantment (she looks like one), and try to lock her up. Either way, I think that her voice will influence the outcome of the book.