IRISES by Francisco X. Stork-REVIEW

As Mary and Kate's mother lays in a vegetative state once again the girls are faced with tragedy. Their minister father has now passed away and they are left with decisions too difficult for them to face.

Mary is an artist, but once her mother's accident happened the light has gone out of her paintings. Mary has devoted her life to taking care of her mother. Now she must give up her extra art class after school in order to be more available to care for her mother.

Kate has always dreamed of going to college at Stanford and becoming a doctor. It was her mother's dream for her, and her constant secret for the past several years. Now that dream is about to be realized but with the death of her father Kate is confused about her responsibilities.

Irises was an engaging story. Mary and Kate's struggles with what to do once their father dies kept me turning the pages because I wanted to find out how things turned out. There were so many other issues in the book though that I couldn't give it a better rating. I didn't care for the new minister(Andy) and his goal of some day being the head of a more affluent church. His willingness to allow Kate in his apartment with the idea that things may lead to a sexual encounter was just wrong. His preaching of love and faith without actual guidance of how to gain those things showed that he had no business being a preacher. The girls' father even though he had been a minister for years had led his family with rules and antiquated ideas rather than teaching them about faith. So I guess that the author's portrayal of the religious figures left a dis-satisfied taste in my mouth. Even with that I found empathy for both Mary and Kate's characters. Both struggling with what has happened in their lives, having to face giving up dreams, relationships that have turned disappointing, and the ultimate decision of what to do about their mother all were written to be very believable. Definitely not a waste of time to read this book!

FOREVER by Maggie Stiefvater-REVIEW

Sam no longer turns into a wolf, but now Grace does. While Sam waits for warmer weather and Grace's return a girls body is found in the woods. This sets in motion Isabel's father's attempts to get the ban on hunting wolves lifted.

Since the girl was found near the Boundary Woods and close to Sam's house he is instantly a suspect. Especially since Grace too has seemed to have disappeared.

With the looming threat of the wolves being hunted and Grace being out there with them Sam and Cole must find a place to move the wolves.

In order to save the lives of the wolves and Grace, Sam must do something he hoped he would never have to do again.

Although Forever is not always filled with action the ability of Maggie Stiefvater to keep a person engaged in the characters provides a fascinating page-turner. She has a way of explaining the thoughts and actions of the characters that makes you feel their emotional trauma right along with them. The love between Sam and Grace tugs at your heart. When you read about Sam's struggle to get his thoughts out into words you feel empathy for him. The relationship between Cole and Isabel was filled with tension. And the drama of the wolves' peril kept me holding my breath wondering which ones would survive. Great job Maggie Stiefvater! I will miss Sam and Grace, but I do have one complaint: I wish there were a different ending!

 

NOTE: You need to read the first two books in this series, SHIVER AND LINGER, before you read FOREVER in order to understand the story.

The tables have turned. Now, Sam is the one waiting. Even though waiting for Grace to return to human form is torture, it is nothing to the agony he feels when he thinks about the danger she is in while running loose in the woods. Mr. Culpeper has wanted the wolves in Mercy Falls dead ever since his son was killed by them and after a girl is found torn apart in the woods, Culpeper has just the ammunition he needs to get his wish.

While Grace is Sam's priority, he also has the added responsibility of saving Beck and all the other wolves. Sam and Grace attempt to come up with a plan while Cole St. Clair, ex-lead singer of NARKOTIKA and newest pack member, takes dangerous measures to find a cure for the disease infecting his pseudo family. With the help of Isabel Culpeper and a very unlikely ally, the wolves finally have some hope.

FOREVER has it all - heart-warming romance, angry teen rebellion, and dry, witty humor. It made me laugh, cry, and stress in all the right amounts. FOREVER is the final book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy. It provides the reader a satisfying ending while still leaving enough room for us to wonder about the future of the pack.

Maggie Stiefvater has given readers a wonderful story in the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy. If you haven't read them yet, run run run to the store and get them today.

 A Note From Julie:
I loved The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy. I wish it were more than a trilogy! While I loved the series, there were some adult themes that may not be suitable for all ages.  There was some language in the series, but it wasn't excessive. Sam and Grace do have sex. While not overly descriptive the reader does know what is going on.

I'LL BE THERE by Holly Goldberg Sloan-REVIEW

The day that Emily is mortified in front of her whole church by singing a horrible rendition of "I'll Be There", is the day that Sam walks into her life.

Sam and his brother Riddle were taken away from their mother 10 years earlier by their father. Sam's last year of school was when he was in second grade. They have never lived in the same place for long because their father is a thief and when things get too hot for him he takes off.

Sam likes to visit churches. Even though he is not religious he likes to go. The morning that Emily sings he knows that it isn't good, but it is like she is singing to him. Telling him that she will be there for him. 

Sam has always been the caretaker for Riddle. When introduced to Emily's family her mother instantly sees that something is not right with Riddle. Being a nurse she is able to have him checked out and finds that he has asthma. For the first time in years Riddle is able to breathe. Being cared for for the first time in their lives the boys become attached to Emily and her family.

The boys' father finds out that they have been making friends and it is once again time for them to leave a city. But this time the voices are telling him that he would be better off without the boys. Driving them to a remote mountain wilderness sets off a string of harrowing experiences for both boys. Will they be able to survive and make it back to Emily and her family?

I was engaged in the characters. I felt the story was very believable. The problem I had with it was the insertion of irrelevant material. Such as the thoughts of a bear in the mountain. Or the wrapping up the story with little back stories of everyone that the boys had come in contact with. The book was almost 400 pages long and I thought that it drug in spots. By the time I got about 3/4 of the way through I was skimming pages just to hurry it up. For the most part though the story was good and like I said, the characters were engaging.