SKELETON CREEK: THE RAVEN by Patrick Carman-REVIEW

Still trying to uncover the secret of the Crossbones Sarah and Ryan embark on another leg of the mystery. This time Sarah is heading back home from LA. On the way she will make several side trips looking for clues that The Apostle has left in various places.

Ryan is at home in Skeleton Creek fending off reporters trying to interview him about the discovery of the lost Thomas Jefferson books. The mayor of Skeleton Creek is encouraging him to answer as many questions as possible in order to keep Skeleton Creek in the news and on the map.

Between working in his fathers fishing store and returning reporters calls Ryan is unravelling the map that the Ghost of Old Joe Bush had given him. Between he and Sarah they unravel a mystery about Edgar Allen Poe that the Crossbones have been protecting for years. As things unfold the torch is passed to a new generation of Crossbones protectors.

I have enjoyed every book in the Skeleton Creek series. They are great mysteries and the video's that go along throughout the story help maintain the suspense of the mystery.

ROT & RUIN AND DUST & DECAY by Jonathan Maberry-REVIEW

Tom and Benny Imura survived First Night when the world as they knew it turned upside down. Where the dead became reanimated. They lost their parents that night.


Mountainside is their home now. A town surrounded by fences to keep the zombies away. Benny is now 14 and has to choose a job in order to keep receiving his full rations. Tom earns a living as a bounty hunter. He goes out into the Rot & Ruin to find people's family members and put them to death permanently.

Benny loves to hang out with Charlie Pink-Eye and his hoodlum friend The Motorcity Hammer. He loves to hear their stories of how they kill zoms out in the Rot & Ruin. In Benny's mind compared to Charlie and Hammer his brother Tom is a coward.

As time has finally run out for Benny to find a job he agrees to go with Tom out into the Ruin to see what the "family business" is really like. What he learns is that Tom doesn't just randomly kill zombies. He teaches Benny that each zombie used to be a REAL person, a member of a family and deserves that respect. Tom "quiets" the zombies he is sent out to find. He reads them a letter from their family member and he then quiets them so they are no longer roaming around as zombies. It gives closure to the family member. This confuses Benny as he has a strong hate for the zombies and after all of Charlie's and Hammer's stories he has never thought of them as being real people.

Benny finds that not all bounty hunters are as compassionate as his brother Tom. In fact he hears about a place that some of the bounty hunters take innocent children to and make them fight zombies. When Benny happens to get a collector card of the "Lost Girl" one day he finds that this is a "mythical" girl that is supposedly out in the Ruin who may know some of the dealings of the bounty hunters.

As a storm rages over the city and the fence fails Benny finds out to what lengths these bounty hunters will go to protect their interest in the gaming park. Benny and Tom go out into the Ruin to rescue Benny's friend Nix and to find the Lost Girl who may be able to show them where the games take place. What happens while out in the Ruin is horrible and will change their lives forever.

Oh my goodness! Why have I waited so long to read this book? It was soooo good! Really though I'm glad I waited because I have my copy of Rot & Ruin and the sequel Dust & Decay autographed by Jonathan Maberry. Dust & Decay comes out in August but I snagged an ARC copy at the TLA conference I went to. Yay me! Anyway, this was such a good book. I had to close it several times because I couldn't take the suspense, but then I would have to open it and read on to find out what happens! Even though this is a zombie book I was more interested in the human relationships that were going on. Excellent read!

Benny just turned fifteen. In his world that means he must find a job in order to continue receiving his rations. The problem is, Benny can’t find a job he likes. He and his best friend, Chong, waited too long to get one and all the easy jobs are gone. What’s left aren’t very appealing. He’s tried being a locksmith, a fence tester, a fence technician, a carpet coat salesman, a pit thrower, a crank generator repairman, a spotter, a bottler, and an erosion artist. It seems like the only option left is to join the family business.


Benny’s brother, Tom, is one of the most respected and successful zombie killers. The problem is, Benny doesn’t know why people think Tom’s that great. He’s never seen Tom do anything especially exciting or impressive – in fact, he’s actually turned away from violence, which makes Benny think Tom’s a coward. Tom is nothing like the totally cool Zombie Killers like Charlie Pink-Eye and Motor City Hammer. Benny has never intended to do what Tom does. He’s always said no every time Tom asked him to become his apprentice. But, his lack of success in any other job has left him no choice.

Benny learns a lot while out in the Rot & Ruin with Tom. He learns about his own past, what it is that Tom really does, and what separates man from monster. Benny’s outlook on life completely changes as he begins to realize there might be more to life than just his small town of Mountainside.

ROT & RUIN is a perfect choice for readers who enjoyed THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH. Both books take place in a small town of survivors surrounded by fences that keep the zombies out. ROT & RUIN is set in a time when people still remember what happened when the zombies started rising, so the reader gets some first-hand accounts of First Night (the night the world changed). ROT & RUIN also gives us some of the blood and gore that we sometimes want in a zombie novel.

Jonathan Maberry did an excellent job developing the characters and creating an interesting setting. The reader can get lost in Benny’s world. ROT & RUIN gets the Stay Awake Award because I couldn’t put it down. In fact, I stayed up to 3:30 A.M. one night to finish. This story caused me to cringe, gasp, chuckle, and cry. Absolutely amazing!

For 7 months Tom has been training Benny, Lilah, Nix, and Chong how to survive in the Rot & Ruin. Preparing them for their trek east in search of the jet they all saw fly over them months before. Nix cannot wait to leave all of her memories behind. Lilah cannot wait to feel freedom outside of the fences. Chong is only going for an overnight camping trip to further his training and of course to be with Lilah for a little while longer.


Once in the Rot & Ruin though things do not go the way they planned. Things seem to be happening in the Ruin that indicate that Gameland is once again up and running. While checking out a dead body they encounter Preacher Jack. A man whose title doesn't match his evil countenance.

When they all become separated things go from bad to worse. Not only struggling against the living dead, they are also having to contend with an evilness in humans that they never thought possible.

Once again Jonathan Mayberry has kept me on the edge of my seat! There were times in the story that I would get so stressed out that I had to set the book down for a while! This is an ARC copy that I received at TXLA in April. Jonathan Mayberry was kind enough to autograph it for me. It comes out in stores in August of 2011. I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

Benny made it back from the Rot & Ruin only to start training with his brother, Tom, to leave again. After seeing the airplane fly over, Benny, Nix, Lilah, and Tom have been anxious to find out where it was going. Could there be civilization beyond the Rot & Ruin?


Every day Tom trains Benny, Nix, Lilah, and Chong. He prepares them to fight the Zoms they are sure to encounter on their long trek across the dangerous country. Everyone has different feeling about leaving home. Benny isn’t sure he wants to leave FOREVER, but is willing to in order to be with Nix. Nix, who has nothing left is desperate to leave behind all the bad memories. Lilah just wants to feel freedom and live outside the fences again. Tom decides he has to leave since his countless pleas to the town leader’s to build up defenses have fallen on deaf ears. Chong, without the permission of his parents, is staying behind.

Tom plans an overnight trip to help the kids practice living beyond the fences. Chong is given permission to accompany his friends for this short adventure which gives him more time to spend with Lilah.

The overnight outing doesn’t go as planned and the kids are separated from each other and Tom. Evidence points to the possibility that Gameland is up and running again and even worse, could Charlie Pink Eye still be alive?

DUST & DECAY is filled with danger and excitement, love and hatred. It keeps the reader engaged from the first page. The horrors the characters live through is heartbreaking. This is a zombie book that will bring you to tears.


Julie agrees to meet Karin halfway on these two books. While I totally enjoyed both of these books and think that they are very appropriate for most readers there are some disturbing images in them.

SCORPIA RISING by Anthony Horowitz-REVIEW

In this final installment of the Alex Rider series the action does not disappoint.


Alex has never wanted to work for MI6. It seems that every time they ask him for help he is forced unwillingly into situations that any normal 15-year-old boy would be unable to get out of. After his last mission his caretaker Jack put her foot down and said NO MORE to MI6. Alex hasn't heard from them in months and is finally feeling like he will be able to lead a normal teenage boy life.

Alan Blunt, Head of Operations for MI6, is being forced into retirement. The likely person to take over will be Mrs. Jones. It appears that they will be forced to use Alex Rider once again to infiltrate into a private school in Cairo. What they don't know is that Scorpia is orchestrating behind the scenes and that MI6 is playing right into their hands.

Scorpia has devised a plan to not only discredit MI6 but to finally get rid of Alex for good. Their plans have been thwarted by Alex before. When all of the dust settles will Alex come through intact or will the events that happen leave Alex broken and unable to pick up the pieces?

The book is broken into two parts. The first part is Scorpia and the second part is Alex. I actually thought the first part was a bit slow. Thankfully it isn't very long and the action does pick up. I didn't want to put the book down! I'm sad that this is the last Alex Rider book. I could see Anthony Horowitz picking it up again when Alex is an adult which would be totally cool! I wanted to cry when one of my favorite characters was killed...I'm still pretty bitter about it! All in all this was a great ending to a great series, thank you Mr. Horowitz for keeping me entertained!

How you may ask is this book Edifying? Very little language content with no sexual situations or inuendo's. Yet an exciting read that will keep young readers entertained that's how!

UNDER THE GREEN HILL by Laura L. Sullivan-REVIEW

The Morgan children, Rowan, Meg, Priscilla(Silly for short), and James are sent to live with relatives in England to escape the fever in the States. They are looking forward to exploring the house with many rooms and the countryside around them.

What they discover is a land of fairies. Shortly after arriving they find themselves in the midst of preparations for the fairy war. Every 7th year the Midsummer War takes place. The Seelie Court and the Host meet under the Green Hill to do battle. They choose one human from each side to fight to the death. The fairy queen is so beautiful that she has put a spell on Rowan who pledges to fight for her.

Meg is distraught and determined to find a way to save her brother from fighting in the war. What will be the outcome of this most interesting Midsummer War?

I enjoyed this story very much! It was entertaining and exciting to read. Meg’s desire to save her brother at any cost was heart-warming. The writing was descriptive and beautiful. And I loved the cover!!

THE MAZE RUNNER by James Dashner-REVIEW #3

Thomas arrives in the Glade with no memory of his former life. He doesn’t remember who his parents were or what he did to deserve to be sent to this strange place. He is the new “Greenie” that is sent to the Glade once a month. A new boy has arrived in the Glade each month for the past 2 years. Thomas is frustrated because he wants to know everything about the Glade, but nobody is willing to tell him anything on his first day.


The next day the box arrives again with another new arrival. This is an unheard of event. And even more unheard of is that the occupant of the box is a girl. She arrives in some kind of coma with a message crushed in her hand stating that she is the last ever to arrive in the Glade. She arouses enough to whisper that “Everything is going to change.”

Thomas is soon told about the Maze that runners go into each day before the walls close on the Glade. They have gone into the Maze each day for the past 2 years looking for a way out. The only problem is that each night when the walls close to the Glade the pattern of the Maze changes. So it is never the same. Each runner must return before the walls close because creatures that the boys call Grievers come out at night. Nobody has ever survived the Grievers after being locked out at night.

Thomas soon realizes that for some reason he feels that he needs to be a runner. There is something that seems to be familiar about that job to him. When their weekly supplies are cut off and a Griever is found dead in the Maze the boys realize that things definitely are changing. When Thomas sees 2 boys coming back from checking on the dead Griever just as the walls are closing he goes out to save them. They spend a frightening night outside the walls fighting off the Grievers. They are the first boys that manage to survive until the walls are opened once again. This gains Thomas respect and the right to run the Maze. His first day out in the Maze seems so familiar to him. He wishes he remembered why.

When Theresa comes out of her coma her and Thomas realize that they have a gift of communicating with each other through telepathy. The more that things change in the Glade the more they all realize that they must find a way to escape and get revenge on the Creators. Theresa remembers that she and Thomas helped in the creating of the Maze but as she comes out of the coma her memory starts to disappear. Thomas must venture one desperate attempt in order to bring back his memory to save them all.

The Maze Runner was a fast-paced exciting read. It definitely leaves you hanging at the end so I must get my hands on the sequel!

The Maze Runner does have some "made-up" swear words that the boys use. I say this is Edifying because of the self-sacrificing that Thomas and some of the other boys exhibit.

TRAVELS WITH GANNON AND WYATT by Patti Wheeler and Keith Hemstreet-REVIEW

Travels With Gannon and Wyatt is written in journal form. Gannon and Wyatt are brothers that love to travel and have adventures. My understanding is that this is going to be a series. In this installment the boys went to Botswana.


While tracking a lioness that has been injured by a poacher the boys encounter many adventures in the Okavango Delta of Botswana. They have to continue on foot when their jeep is stuck in water. They encounter elephants, buffalo, lions, snakes and a poacher. They also have to deal with a scary illness that Wyatt comes down with.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to other installments. The journal entries trade off between the two boys. You get different perspectives of each encounter and experience. The book came with a cd.
The cd was very informative to watch. You get to see and hear Wyatt and Gannon speaking about their trip to Botswana. There is also video of some of the wildlife that they filmed while they were there.

Edifying Meets Edgy - The Hunger Games Trilogy Giveaway

MOCKINGJAY is almost here and Julie and I can't wait! In honor of the release date (August 24th) we are giving away a Hunger Games Trilogy Boxed Set.

Do you want to win?  If so, scroll down and fill out the Google Form.  Julie and I will choose a random entry on Tuesday, August 24th so be sure to submit your entry by Monday the 23rd. Your boxed set will ship to you directly from Amazon.

I absolutely loved both The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. I am looking forward to the end of the series in Mockingjay coming out this month. I can't wait to read it! The first 2 books were exciting page-turners that I recommend to students all of the time. Yes, there is a lot of violence in the books but there is also self-sacrificing and love for family and humanity displayed throughout the pages. It really has become one of my favorite series and I look forward to sharing it with you!

THE HUNGER GAMES and CATCHING FIRE are as close to perfect as you can get in a young adult book.  It appeals to both males and females, includes adventure and romance, and shows a female character in a very strong role. The books will grab you and transport you into the story, making it difficult to stop until  you reach the end. The brutal fight-to-the-death during The Hunger Games, while violent, is presented in such a way to make this book accessible to the younger kids in the young adult category.