Sample Post 2

Release Date: May 1, 2010
Age Group: Young Adult
Received From: Publisher
Other Info: 2010 Debut Author Challenge
IBSN: 9780738715766
Blurb:

PROPHECY OF DAYS, BOOK ONE: THE DAYKEEPER’S GRIMOIRE is the story of Caity Mac Fireland, a girl from San Francisco whose parents drag her to an isle off the coast of Scotland to manage some family property. Caity finds that a Mayan relic is concealed there, intentionally left centuries ago by Mayan Daykeepers in an attempt to keep their profound knowledge about the year 2012 alive into the current era.

As she delves into this world of secret knowledge, Caity is helped along by a visiting family friend and Feng Shui master, Uncle Li; a Mayan elder named Bolon; and Mr. Papers, her pet monkey that communicates through origami. A handsome Scottish lad gets pulled into the intrigue, as do several other people with questionable motives and loyalties. Caity must weave together a tapestry of information in order to make her radical discovery, a mystery protected by an elite coterie of power-brokers who influence world events. Caity’s twenty-first century mind is put to the test as she tries to uncover the answer to an ancient riddle while trying to outwit this powerful group that will stop at nothing to control the secret, and her.

My Thoughts:

This book started off really strong for me. It didn't finish as strong but I still really enjoyed it. When you read this book you are not only getting a fun filled mystery but you get some history lessons along the way. I've always found ancient civilizations to be really int interesting. Especially the Mayan's. I think maybe I should have been an anthropologist...but anyway! I found the whole concept of this book to be very intriguing.

Caity was a fun main character. She had a quirky sense of humor. Well, really she was just all around quirky. She was also a little silly at times and did things that seemed a little off for a girl so intelligent. It was easy to get past all of that though. And Scottish boys can make up for anything! I have a very weak spot for Scottish boys....sigh.

I do have a few complaints about the book but really nothing major. It seemed to me that all of these really strange things were really easy for the characters to accept. In one instance things were explained to a character and he just....believed it. That didn't seem very realistic to me. Other than that, I really enjoyed the book!

The mystery kept me turning pages and the fun characters kept me from putting the book down. If you are looking for a suspenseful intelligent read, this book should be on your list!

3.5 Stars

Sample Post

Age Group: Young Adult
Received From: Kindle Store
Other Books by This Author:  Gallagher Girls, Cheating at Solitaire, Learning to Play Gin
IBSN: 9781423116394
Blurb:
When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre...to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria...to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own--scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat's dad needs her help.

For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in history-or at least her family's (very crooked) history.

My Thoughts:

I started this book because I wanted something fun to read. That's exactly what I got. Kat comes from a family of thieves. She has grown up pulling off amazing heists but when she turns 15, she wants out. She cons her way into the elite Colgan School. She was done with her families ways. That is, until her father gets in a little trouble and she has to plan the biggest heist of her life.

This book was Ocean's 11 YA style! I loved it! It made me want to be a glamorous international thief. Which might not be a good thing....But anyway I really liked this book! It took me a little while to get into the story but after I did it was hard to put down. I loved hearing about all the different heist and con techniques. The writing was superb. Ally Carter must have done a ton of research to make all these things seem so real.

Kat was a great main character. She was reluctant to get back into her thieving ways but she didn't really have a choice. She was strong and smart and she made the story come to life. Hale was...swoon. There was very little romance in the book but it was always there. A underlying current in the story. I really liked Hale and what he brought to the story. All of the secondary characters were a lot of fun! They made a perfect team.

This book reads like a movie, so I was happy to see that Warner Brothers have optioned the rights. Here's hoping they make a movie!!
If you are looking for a fun read. Read this book. It's smart and thrilling! I can't wait for a book 2!

4 Stars!