Saturday, December 19, 2009

Enchanting Review: Fade Out

FADE OUT (Morganville Vampires Book Seven)
RACHEL CAINE
Paranormal YA
NAL
ISBN# 978-0-451-22866-6
237 Pages
$6.99
Paperback—Available Now

Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

With Bishop gone and Eve in the local production of 'A Streetcar Named Desire', things around Glass House are about as normal as they've been in a long time. But normal is short lived in Morganville, especially for Claire. She thinks there's something a little odd about Eve's sudden new BFF Kim and it's not just the fact that she hooked up with Shane in the past either, no there's something there that Claire just can't put her finger on. When Kim suddenly goes missing before a rehearsal of the play, Claire and friends can't believe what they uncover about Eve's supposed new friend.

Ms. Caine does a great job with FADE OUT, the seventh installment in this entertaining paranormal series. With Bishop gone in the last book, I wasn't quite sure what would happen next in Morganville with Amelie seemingly back in charge, but things just keep on escalating. When the truth about Kim is found out, suddenly Claire, Eve, Michael and Shane are forced to save her from the Vamps punishment, even if she may actually deserve what she could get. Even with that going on, Ada is still out for blood—namely Claire's—and she really will do anything to get rid of her, making things between the two reach a climatic and chilling head in FADE OUT, where Myrnin gets caught in the middle of deadly game Ada's playing. I never imagined a character who's usually nothing more than a computer generated image of her former self can be so evil and devious. I love how we see Myrnin evolving from his crazed character in the earlier books in the series, even if he still retains a bit of his dark side, which shows up here and there. What I like best about the Morganville series is what I love best about this book, things just keep getting more complicated and the unexpected keeps popping up around every corner. I can't wait to see what's in store for Claire in the next book!

Rachel Caine is the internationally bestselling author of thirty novels, including the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Morganville Vampires young adult series: Glass Houses, The Dead Girls’ Dance, Midnight Alley, Feast of Fools, Lord of Misrule, Carpe Corpus, and Fade Out, with five more to follow in 2009-2011. Visit her online at www.rachelcaine.com

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
November 2009

Friday, December 18, 2009

Enchanting Review: Fallen

FALLEN
LAUREN KATE
Paranormal YA
Delacorte Press
ISBN# 978-0-385-73893-4
452 Pages
$17.99
Hardcover—Available Now

Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

Luce Price has always seen shadows, these terrifying things that appear around her without warning. She's helpless to stop them and the destruction that usually follows their appearances. Thanks to them and the death of the guy she was crushing on, she's found herself at Sword & Cross boarding school, a place for screw-ups and delinquents, something that Luce appears to be—at least to everyone else, including her own parents, who are slightly afraid of her after what happened. But how can Luce explain the shadows without everyone thinking she's crazy?

Daniel Grigori has a secret. He's immortal and he and Luce have had several past lives together before, but every time she's died before things reached a certain point. So when she shows up at Sword & Cross, he vows to stay away from her, that is until she finds herself in real danger and Daniel is forced to intervene.

I really enjoyed FALLEN. I thought it was a really unique mixture of paranormal, setting and characters. What better place for fallen angels to hide than a school for delinquents? Ms. Kate does a great job at making the reader not sure of some of the characters intentions, especially the female characters of Gabbe and even Luce's friend, Arriane. The dilapidated conditions of Sword & Cross come to life on the page, especially during the Parents Weekend scene where Luce is seeing things through the eyes of her parents, as she's already gotten used to things in her short stay. The cemetery in the middle of the campus is just plain creepy. As is the fact that detention involved being there before dawn to clean off the statues. I really liked Luce and the rest of the characters, especially Penn. Every character has something different about them, including a secrets that seem to be revealed in due time. Filled with twists and turns, and the deep sense of foreboding as the shadows that follow Luce become darker and more frequent as she gets deeper into the mystery of why Daniel feels so familiar and why it seems like she's able to interact with the shadows more. With an ending that literally had my jaw dropping with a couple dark surprises, FALLEN has quickly become one of my favorite reads of the year. I cannot wait to read the second in the series and see where Ms. Kate takes these characters next. Wherever it is, I doubt it'll be boring.

Lauren Kate recently finished her M.A. in Creative Writing at UC Davis, where she also teaches. She lives and writes in an old farm house in Winters, California.

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
December 2009

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Enchanting Review: There Was A Coyote Who Swallowed A Flea

THERE WAS A COYOTE WHO SWALLOWED A FLEA
JENNIFER WARD
Children’s ages 4-8
Rising Moon
ISBN# 978-0873588980
32 pages
$15.95
Hardcover- Available Now

Rating: 4 Enchantments

THERE WAS A COYOTE WHO SWALLOWED A FLEA is a Tex-Mex version of the classic rhyme there was an old lady who swallowed a fly. In this story there was a coyote who swallowed a flea that was tickling his knee. He then swallows numerous other items to remedy the previous item he swallowed.

This was a fun tongue twisting story with colorful bright pictures. By the end of the book my kids could help me with each line, because they heard it so much. The way the story progressed you could see a little humor. This was such a fun story that will have you and your children laughing with the silliness of it. The ending was very cute and had all my little ones rolling of laughter. Yippe-o-ki-yee!

Jennifer Ward is an award winning children’s author. She not only writes stories for younger children but for older children as well. To find out more about her and her stories please visit her website at http://www.jenniferwardbooks.com/

Jennifer
Enchanting Reviews
October 2009

Enchanting Review: SkippyJon Jones In The Dog House

SKIPPYJON JONES IN THE DOG HOUSE
JUDY SCHACHNER
Children’s Adventure ages 4-9
PUFFIN
ISBN# 978-0142410417
15 pages
$9.99
Paperback- Available Now

Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

SkippyJon Jones is back with a new adventure. Sent to his room because he drew on the walls, SkippyJon Jones decided to start jumping on his chair. On his way back down he misses and falls into a pile of stuffed animals. It is there that he gets a little bird stuck in his ear that tells him of the trouble in the dog house and of the big bobbleito. So once again SkippyJon Jones transforms into Skippito Friskito and he is off to help his friends Los Chimichangos.

This is a fun sequel to the first SkippyJon book. This story is a little shorter than the first but it is just as fun. SkippyJon’s friends are in trouble. The big Bobbleito has moved into the attic of their house and SkippyJon must make him leave. This book has all the Spanish and fun rhymes as the first one and will leave you and your little ones giggling and singing.

Judy Schachner is the author of the fantastic SkippyJon series as well as I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Pie, and several other children’s books. To find out more about her and her books please visit her website at http://www.judithbyronschachner.com/ or you can go to SkippyJon’s own website at http://www.skippyjonjones.com/ where there is plenty of fun stuff for kids to do.

Jennifer
Enchanting Reviews
October 2009

Enchanting Review: SkippyJon Jones

SKIPPYJON JONES
JUDY SCHACHNER
Children’s Adventure ages 4-9
PUFFIN
ISBN# 978-0439836968
32 pages
$6.99
Paperback- Available Now

Rating: 5 Enchantments

SkippyJon Jones is a hilarious cat who has such fantastic adventures as a dog. Not just any breed of dog, but a Chihuahua. He goes from Mischievous Siamese cat that is in his room being punished, to a Spanish speaking Chihuahua who helps his fellow Chihuahuas, Los Chimichangos, with their current dilemma. In this story SkippyJon Jones, who becomes Skippito Friskito, must face the big Bumbleito and rescue all the beans that he has stolen from the Chihuahuas.

This is such a fun cute story. It is an absolute favorite in my household and among my daycare children. It is full of Spanish words and accents and the kids just love it when I use my “Zorro” voice. SkippyJon teaches the kids the use of imagination and bravery. This is such a fun fantastic book. Even the pictures are so colorful and fun to look at. I can guarantee you will have his song in your head after reading his story. "I am Skippito Friskito, clap clap, I fear not a single bandito, clap clap."

Judy Schachner is the author of the fantastic SkippyJon series as well as I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Pie, and several other children’s books. To find out more about her and her books please visit her website at http://www.judithbyronschachner.com/ or you can go to SkippyJon’s own website at http://www.skippyjonjones.com/ where there is plenty of fun stuff for kids to do.

Jennifer
Enchanting Reviews
October 2009