Impossible - reviewed by Maggie Devero

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Reviewed by Maggie Devero

"Are you going to Scarborough Fair? Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme; remember me to one who lives there, for once she was a true lover of mine..."

An old folk ballad begins to haunt Lucy Scarborough, once she turns seventeen. All she wanted was to go to a normal prom, with a normal cute boy in a band, and enjoy herself. What she didn't expect, was her deranged biological mother showing up at pictures and throwing glass bottles at her and her date, then her date raping her in a closet after prom, and finishing it off by killing himself after he left. The thing is though...Lucy doesn't think her date, Gray Spencer, was in control of himself at the time. Not that he was inebriated or something...Lucy thinks that another person was possessing her date, and was the cause of all this. With the help of some hidden notes and a diary from the time her mother Miranda was sane, Lucy learns she has to complete three unbelievable, and magical tasks in order to discontinue a curse that has been passed down in her family for generations. With the help of her foster family, her best friend Zach, and the modern day things that weren't available years ago, Lucy can only still hope to win this battle, break the curse, and avoid falling into insanity.

I gave the book three out of five stars. The storyline itself was unique enough; I really didn't expect a rape scene to take place only chapters within the beginning of the book. The rest of the book had its twists and turns which kept it interesting. I don't really read a lot of fantasy/magical themed books, or at least ones like this, but I liked it! The writing style was good as well, descriptive enough to not be boring, but not detailed enough to be fully captivating like making me part of the story itself. Even the mini romances throughout the book didn't bother me as much as they usually do, probably because there was not the usual emphasis on them to the plot. Also the cover was really pretty, one of the main reasons I looked at the book in the first place. When I googled the picture for this review, this wasn't even the main cover to come up, but I like this one a lot better. So yes, the book was a nice change of pace for myself, and it was worth the three stars.

Runemarks by Joanne Harris--reviewed by Alexandra Lopez

Runemarks

Author: Joanne Harris

Revieiwed: Alexandra Lopez

The main character, Maddy Smith, who is an outcast in a small rural town, Malbry is unhappy. The mark makes her an outcast, the people and even her family wants nothing to do with her. Malbry does all it can to ignore the mythical creatures that try to stir up trouble, because it’s unholy. Maddy believes they shouldn't forget the old ways, especially when they’re the ones causing trouble.  A good friend, One-Eye, believes the same and asks her to come along on a journey with him. Of course Maddy Smith joins her friend. The journey is long and dangerous, will she survive be able to survive it?

Reading Runemark has been very magical. I give this lovely book, four out of five stars. The book revolves around Norse mythology, so a lot of characters or creatures come from those stories.  The characters were fully developed even the minor characters Maddy met along her journey. I also enjoyed that the book, that around every corner was something new that Maddy discovered. I believe those that enjoy fantasy or mythology enthusiast and like to read in depth tales, this is a book for you. Come check it out, read and enjoy.

Liar's Moon reviewed by Molly Varney

By: Elizabeth C. Bunce *****


Digger’s back, but not as Celyn anymore. She’s back on the streets living her normal life, or as normal as it can get. She’s still a thief, but without her partner Tegen. One night though, she’s captured and thrown into jail. This was expected and she wasn’t surprised when it happened but what did surprise her was that she was thrown into a cell with Durrel Decath. The same Durrel that had helped her escape when she was fleeing Gerse. At first she thought it was a joke being played on her but she soon learns that he was accused of murdering his new wife Talth Ceid.Talth had many enemies and Durrel claimed it wasn’t him. Digger, feeling in debt to him, agrees to help solve the murder. She didn’t know what she was getting herself into, as she’s thrown into the middle of a huge problem- and a Nobs problem at that. Now she’s caught up in a noble family’s affairs, and her own family problems. Her brother won't leave her alone and continues to ask her to work for him since she can see magic. She knows she would rather die than work for him but he starts to make it impossible for her to ignore him. At the same time can’t help but have strange feelings for Durrel. Now she can’t decide if she can trust him or if he really is a murderer.


Once again I loved it! I just think these two books are awesome. I love how the books start out really fast paced and then slow down a bit. That way it keeps you on edge and you’re always guessing what’s going to happen. This book had a lot of twists and you’ll never guess who the murderer was until really close to the end. And the ending was amazing! You’ll hate it but love it at the same time. I definitely think she’ll write at least one more book. I really hope she does.

Star Crossed reviewed by Molly Varney

By: Elizabeth C. Bunce *****

Digger is just a regular street thief, until one night a job goes wrong and she’s forced to leave behind Tegen, her partner. She’s soon forced to flee Gerse for fear of the dreaded Greenmen. Luckily she finds herself saved by a group of slightly drunken Nobs led by Durrel Decath. She uses the name Celyn Contrare and pretends to have run away from the Celystra that her brother sent her to. The nobles are more than happy to take her with them and she soon finds herself offering to look after Lady Merista, the youngest girl in the group when she goes home with her parents. She’s as safe as she could be, or so she thought. Lord Daul, Merista’s uncle, knows Digger’s secrets and threatens to tell everyone if she doesn’t work for him. Now Celyn must find three things in the home of the nobles for Lord Daul or be put to death. She has no idea why he would want those things but she's left with no choice. Still grieving Tegen's death, Digger has to become a thief again, not a lazy lady-in-waiting. She knows picking sides can be fatal for a thief but she finds that she might be forced to.

I gave Star Crossed five stars because I thought it was a really cool book. It had a lot of action and I loved the characters. The beginning of the book was really intense and exciting but it did get a little slow. It picks up a few chapters later and I could hardly put it down. I really liked the book because it had magic in it but also because Digger could take care of herself and wasn’t totally helpless. Overall I loved it and the sequel to it.