The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott
Series: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, #1
Publisher: Ember
 Format: Paperback
Pages: 375
Source: Purchased.

He holds the secret that can end the world.

The truth: Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on September 28, 1330. Nearly 700 years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life.

The records show that he died in 1418.

But his tomb is empty.

The legend: Nicholas Flamel lives. But only because he has been making the elixir of life for centuries. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects—the Book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. That's exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won't know what's happening until it's too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it.

Sometimes legends are true.

And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time

 

This was a strange book for me. I flew through the beginning and got stuck in the middle and by the end I was flying through it again. I don't really think it had anything in particular to do with the book itself I honestly just think it was the fact that I didn't want to read it at that point but being over 100 pages in I wasn't willing to stop.

 

The plot of this is amazing. I love anything to do with mythology and magic. Plus the fact that Harry Potter mentions Nicholas Flamel was what really made the name stick with me. I must say that this book did not disappoint. There was action and it was fast paced. The magic added a wonderful element as well as the prophecy that was hinted at throughout the novel.

 

As for the characters I loved Nicholas and his wife Perenell. They were fun and awesome and totally the kind of people you wish you could have as friends. Sophie was the twin that I actually liked. She was smart and thoughtful and didn't rush into things. Her brother Josh on the other hand really got on my nerves after awhile. He was brash and reckless and was jealous of his sister just because a certain thing didn't happen to him as well.

 

If you're a fan of magic and mythology I definitely recommend you check this out. It's a relatively quick read and will have you rooting for the characters to succeed. 

 

 

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Series: Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, #1
Publisher: Quirk Books
Format: Paperback
Pages: 382
Source: Won.

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

 

I was nervous about starting this book because of all the hype surrounding it, everybody seems to love it and I was afraid that I wasn't going to love it as much as everybody else. I am really glad I gave it a chance though because this book was awesome. It was creepy and mysterious and exciting. Though I do admit I had to put it down at night since the pictures really freaked me out.

 

The plot was amazing, going back in time through a time loop was something I hadn't seen before and it was totally unique. The peculiar children were strange and amazing at the same time and the fact that there were pictures included to show what some of them looked like was a nice touch. The monsters in the story were just as strange but they were frightening. I wouldn't want to be chased by one of them things.

 

I liked almost all of the characters. Jacob was kind of annoying at times when everything was pretty much right in front of him and he still thought it was all a joke. Though I do have to admit it was probably a lot to take in. I think that there's more to Miss Peregrine than what was shown and I really hope that there is a lot more of her in the sequel.

 

If you haven't started this book yet what are you waiting for? It is definitely worth all of the hype surrounding it and is full of mystery and action that will have you hurrying to find out what happens next.

 



My Totally Awkward Supernatural Crush by Laura Toffler-Corrie

My Totally Awkward Supernatural Crush by Laura Toffler-Corrie
Series: N/A
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Format: ARC
Pages: 352
Source: Won.

In My Totally Awkward Supernatural Crush by Laura Toffler-Corrie, Jenna Bloom is just an average middle school student until her family takes her to her least favorite restaurant for her birthday, where she meets Cowpoke Luke, her waiter and one true love. Oh, and he also happens to be an angel. Jenna can't believe that Luke could actually be interested in her, and yet he is! Unfortunately he's got a demonic foe named Adam who could potentially complicate matters, and when the two boys have a big showdown at the local community theater's performance of Fiddler on the Roof, Jenna is right in the middle of it all.

 

I knew going in that this was supposed to be an over the top parody. Still knowing this it did not make reading this book any more enjoyable. I found myself rolling my eyes more than I found myself laughing. The Twilight references got old after a while and I could not read more than a few pages at a time without having to set it down and pick something else up.

I could not connect with the characters. Sure Jenna has flaws, which I generally like in characters but they were extreme. She didn't find herself attractive at all, she was shallow and kind of self centered and she cared way too much what other people thought about her. I know, she's supposed to be in middle school and all but I felt that it was even too much for that age range. And Luke, he was supposed to be perfect, but I found him really awkward and I did not get the super awesome hero vibe he was supposed to portray.

All in all there really isn't much to say about this one. It simply wasn't for me but if you do decide to give this one a chance do not go into it with high expectations. It's supposed to be a parody and nothing else but the humor was lost on me.