Web Goodhue is a slacker and a jerk. He alienates everyone, including his best friend, Chev. He is randomly offered a job as a crime scene clean up (also known as cleaning up dead people) and then his boring life gets very exciting and frightening. He gets involved in some very weird situations, including a turf war with a rival clean up crew, the retrieval of some stolen almonds, and many beatings (he being on the receiving end).

The book was very engrossing and unique. Some of the lines were flat out hilarious and others were heart wrenching. Despite his obvious flaws, Web was a great character who you find yourself caring about. He has great depth and it is revealed as the plot unfolds. At first he just seems the typical rough slacker that doesn't really care about anyone, but is revealed to be the exact opposite.

The greatest achievement of the novel is the setting. Charlie Huston does an amazing job of capturing the heart and soul of Los Angeles and its inhabitants. The thing I love best about Los Angeles is the very close proximity of the very best and the very worst of society. Web would travel short distances and both of these in multi-million dollar homes and the homeless couple that fight loudly behind his apartment. Also, Web's comment about LA drivers was hilarious and so true. The setting really gave the novel an extra dimension and gave it another level of realism since I live in the LA area.

The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death is a great book that captures many moods and different characters, while still maintaining a sense of realism. Highly recommended.

Zoe's Tale is a retelling of the previous book in the series (The Last Colony), but from the point of view of Zoe, John Perry's adoptive daughter. Zoe is fourteen years old when her parents decide to head a new colony planet called Roanoke. Along with the regular dangers of colonizing a new planet, Zoe and her fellow colonists have to deal with the fact that they are pretty much bait for the Conclave, a group of 400 alien species unified to prevent others from expanding. As Zoe grows, she becomes an integral part of the fate of her colony. Can a sixteen year old girl make a difference in this battle?

Zoe Boutin-Perry is awesome. She's snarky and sarcastic, while still intelligent and compassionate. It's interesting to see her grow up with the same problems as teenagers today, just with extra danger and political intrigue. One of my favorite moments in the book is when two of her friends wandered off into the woods and got captured by a primitive race of animal-like people that are native to Roanoke. She had enough people on her side to slaughter them, but instead she sang to them and communicated with them. She didn't treat them like dumb animals, but was diplomatic and solved the problem through communication and understanding. She shows a maturity and wisdom beyond her years.

Another thing I really liked in this book was the use of music. The arts are sometimes absent from science fiction novels because we tend to think of them on opposite sides of the spectrum. It's very effective when they are used together. When people from many different places joined together to colonize Roanoke, they had a hard time integrating and feeling like a whole. Music played a large part in unifying them and eventually, they ended up with a new type of music unique to their planet that was a mix of all of the residents'. It was interesting that the sociological issues of colonization were addressed,

Zoe's Tale fleshes out the story of The Last Colony very nicely. I was afraid that the two books would be too similar, but I was wrong. The two novels are compelling in their own ways. The point of view of John Perry and Zoe is so distinct that I sometimes forgot that the two stories were linked. This is also a great crossover book between the teen and science fiction genres.

Autobiography of a Face is Lucy Grealy's honest and unflinching look at her own life. It all starts when her jaw collides with a fourth grade classmate. Then she is diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a cancer with only a 5% survival rate, in her jaw. Over time, she goes through not only grueling chemotherapy, but also the removal of part of her jaw (causing the disfiguration of her face) and the countless reconstructive surgeries that follow.

Lucy's story is both inspirational and real. I admire how she admits inconsistencies in her memory, her innermost thoughts, and her insecurities. I liked that she didn't sugarcoat things. She talked about the things she thought as a child, whether they made sense or not, like did her wanting to feel special make her sick or was she too ugly to be loved? She illustrates how painful and time consuming the treatment for cancer is. The side effects for chemotherapy that she had were vomiting, weight loss, radiation burns, loss of appetite, pain, hair loss, and damaged teeth. This doesn't even include the initial removal of part of her jaw (and her disfigured face). To go through this as an adult is unimaginable to me, let alone as a child.

Throughout her life, Lucy experiences many of the same things that most people do, like her awkward relationship with her parents, the painful teasing and tormenting from schoolyard bullies, envy of normal children, fear of death, and her insecurities about her looks. The media's perception of the nature of beauty is so different from real people, that I can understand why the body image issues that typically plague young girls would be so much worse for Lucy. Growing up is hard enough to do without the extra complications she had to go through.

Just a side note: I first heard of this book because Chuck Palahniuk named it as an inspiration behind Invisible Monsters. These two books are very different from each other, but are excellent in their own right.

Archie Sheridan, the pill-popping hero cop from Heartsick, is back. He hasn’t seen serial killer Gretchen Lowell for months (after seeing her once a week for 2 years) and is trying to put his life back together with his ex-wife and his children. Then a girl’s body is found in the woods, reminiscent of Gretchen’s first victim, but this time it’s tied up with Susan Ward’s story about the Senator Castle’s past affair with 14 year old Molly Palmer. Gretchen Lowell escapes from prison and Archie is the only one who has the chance to capture her. Can he separate himself from her forever and send her back to jail?

My favorite character in this novel is Gretchen Lowell, the contemporary of Hannibal Lecter. Her prowess at manipulating people is still a big part of the story, but a softer side of her is also shown. She actually cares about Archie and maybe loves him in some twisted way. It was nice to see her a little vulnerable. She is the villain, but she’s also sort of an anti-hero. I want her to get caught, but some small part of me wants her to succeed and get away because she’s a compelling character. I can see a small glimpse of why Archie is so obsessed with her. Their relationship is more fleshed out in this novel, rationalizing her power over him.

The story is fast paced and exciting. When Gretchen calls Archie from his children’s school after she escaped, my heart was pounding. I couldn’t put this book down. The two plot lines were handled very well and resolved in interesting ways. I can’t wait for what the future holds for these characters.

Marcus is a smart kid. He regularly makes the school staff look foolish by foiling their various attempts at surveillance. When playing Harajuku Fun Madness (while ditching school), a bombing takes place very near to him and his friends. Homeland Security picks them up, jails them, questions them (with a dose of humiliation and fear thrown in), and releases all but one. Now Marcus decides to wage war against the Department of Homeland Security and their tyranny, using Xboxes, LARPing, and a large network of like minded teenagers. Can one teenager win this war against the government?

Marcus is an immediately likable character. He's smart, technologically savvy, and not afraid to take risks for freedom. His plans are ingenious, creative, and effective (even if not in the way it was expected to be). He definitely isn't perfect, but has good intentions at heart. He ultimately stands for logic, sanity, and the Constitution in this police state.

The world of Little Brother seems like it takes place only a few years from now. It's enough in the future for technology to progress, but not so long that many aspects of society change. I can see the events in this book happening if the policies and attitude of the current government continue, such as RFIDs in library books, bus passes, and ID cards used to track the movements of their owners. The realism of this world also extends to the media (as it slants various stories to their liking) and the creation of a second Patriot act to take away more of citizen's freedoms in a vain effort to catch terrorists. All this does is incite fear of the very people the government should protect. That's what makes this book scary. I recommend this book for fans of dystopian fiction, such as Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and George Orwell's 1984.

Inkspell is the thrilling sequel to Inkheart. Once again, it follows Meggie and her family, but instead of in our world, they are in the Inkworld. Basta has found himself another reader and goes after Dustfinger, who has returned to the Inkworld. Of course, Farid and Meggie must follow to warn Dustfinger. Then it’s only a matter of time for her parents to follow (unfortunately not of their own will). They are then mixed up in the politics of the medieval fantasy world, in a battle between good and evil. In the Inkworld, there is more to fear than just the mythical creatures.

I really enjoyed this book. Despite taking place in a fictional world, it feels real. The characters are multifaceted and the Inkworld is anything but idyllic. The world is very similar to our own during the medieval era, complete with women having no rights, marrying early, and tyrants. For example, a strolling player (an outlaw) was killed and the murderer wouldn’t be persecuted in any way. This is almost unthinkable to our world. Some of the themes and plot lines seemed a bit adult for the age group it was aimed at, such as Dustfinger’s daughter having an affair with the married Prince Casimo. Just because it’s a fantasy world doesn’t mean that it can’t have its own harsh realities.

Another aspect I really liked is Dustfinger. We get to see him in his element, the Inkworld. In the last book, he was a morally grey person just out for himself. In this book, he really comes into his own as a hero. We get to see his unique powers over fire in this world, as well as his newfound sense of bravery and honor. There are quite a few stunning fight scenes involving him in the book. It really lends an excitement that wasn’t as apparent in the first book.

The first book was good and the second was better. Inkspell really stepped up the action and suspense. I highly recommend this for fellow booklovers.

Heartsick is a riveting, exciting, and suspenseful book. If you like movies like Silence of the Lambs, I can almost guarantee you will like this book. Archie Sheridan is a good and dedicated cop. However, his life in shambles because he was tortured by the notorious Beauty Killer, Gretchen Lowell, and was forever changed by the experience. He pops pills and is pretty much obsessed with the woman who tortured him. A new serial killer, the After School Strangler, is on the loose, targeting young girls with the same features. Archie comes out of his retirement to lead the team to stop him. Can Archie pull it together to save the next girl from being a victim?

A relationship such as Gretchen Lowell and Archie Sheridan's has not been seen since Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling. Gretchen and Archie's relationship is intensified beyond the latter couple's because of the ten day torture he suffered at her hands. Archie is an honorable, but traumatized cop. He has a drug abuse problem, much like Dr. House. Because of his fixation on Gretchen and substance abuse, he has lost his family, his wife, his friends, and pretty much his whole life as he once knew it. Archie is a likable character, despite his many flaws, and you truly want him to figure out the case and detach himself from Gretchen.

Gretchen is a fascinating character. She is a very prolific serial killer. She is unpredictable in both her mood and action. She literally influences almost every aspect of the plot from her cell in jail. Even the third person narrative that oscillates between Archie and Susan, his shadow reporter, passes over Gretchen, enhancing her mystery. Every scene with her was enjoyable for me because I just didn't know what to expect from her, whether she would smile and be sweet or completely tear down a person and leave them a quivering mass of nerves.

Heartsick is a riveting tale, featuring a suspenseful plot, complex characters, and (of course) murder, using fluid and easy language. I can't recommend this book enough. Whenever I read it, I just can't put it down.

You may recognize Scott Westerfeld’s name from his popular young adult series, such as Peeps and Uglies. Evolution's Darling is an entirely different novel. Darling is a 200 year old artificial intelligence. Thanks to technology, robots have the ability to become sentient beings, detectable by a Turing test. The title refers to the fact that artificials can evolve many times during their lifetime, while their biological counterparts cannot. Darling, so named and made sentient by a past love, is an art dealer of authentic, original, and expensive art. He happens to meet Mira, a mysterious assassin, on a pleasure ship. He seeks a famous sculptor that was thought to be dead, while Mira accompanies him (with her own motives). Is Vaddum, the sculptor, a copy? Can intelligent beings be copied? Should they? Should the copies by destroyed?

Although this is a science fiction novel, the language used and descriptions are beautiful and complex. Musical imagery is used throughout. It was surprising for me that there was a balance and mixture of science and art that was wonderful to read. All of the characters were fully realized and unique, even the minor characters. The artificial intelligence, in many instances, turned out to be more human than the biological humans. For example, Darling focuses on the emotional meaning behind Vaddum’s work, while Zimivic, his human rival, looks at the technical aspects and how much the piece will make him. It makes us question what really makes a being human or sentient. Even the not yet sentient AI has personality, humor, and their own quirks.

Evolution’s Darling was a completely unique novel. It was engrossing from beginning to end. I would recommend this book to any fan of science fiction.

Inkheart is a great children's novel. It centers around Meggie, an avid book reader, and her father Mo, a book binder (and obviously an enabler to his daughter's reading). The adventure starts with the arrival mysterious stranger named Dustfinger, obviously from Mo's past. Because of the stranger, Mo is captured by Capricorn, a heartless tyrant, along with a special book, Inkheart. What Meggie doesn't know is that her father's nickname is Silvertongue because he has the wonderful (and terrible) ability to read the characters right out of the books. The events that follow are full of chases, villains, supernatural creatures, treasure, and, of course, books.

Meggie is an immediately likeable character. She's smart, clever, brave, and loves books. I completely relate to her, Mo, and her Aunt Elinor in their love and respect for books. All of the characters, good and bad, are complete and are as close to real people as fiction can get. They all have their own fears, flaws, and motivations.

I really liked the quotes that opened each of the chapters. The quotes were from good classics from the science fiction and fantasy genres, such as The Princess Bride, Peter Pan, Fahrenheit 451, and The Sword in the Stone. These quotes succeeded in captured the mood and the very essence of the chapter to come. It takes a very dedicated author to find just the right quotes out of many, many books to head her chapters.

The only flaw I can really see in this novel is the fact that the characters in it only seemed to like books with happy endings. When books are coming to life around you, it's understandable, but a great many of the really good books out there don't end happily. To want all happy endings is to be guaranteed to be disappointed, both in reality and literature.

Inkheart had me guessing up until the end. Some parts made me cringe, tear up, or left me breathless with anticipation. I recommend this book to any bibliophile out there.

Fern is different. Not in the normal “everyone is unique way” either. She is sensitive to the sun, accurately predicts the weather for over 2 years running, and talks to her dog. This may sound pretty awesome, but in middle school, it doesn't make for a busy social life. She's a social pariah, actually, especially after she teleports to the beach in the middle of English class. Then the mystery unfolds. She's a vampire and possibly part of the Unusual Eleven, a group of vampires prophesied to be more powerful than any that have existed before. A man named Vlad is looking for her, but is he friend or foe? Should she listen to the Vampire Alliance or are they just out to use her? Who can she trust?

The Otherworldlies was a fun read and not your typical vampire novel. I felt like Fern was my little sister. She was endearing, sweet, and good at heart. She was also intelligent, resourceful, and clever. The story was action packed, complete with vampire lore, history, and Greek mythology. Every character had defining characteristics and interesting personalities, no matter how seemingly unimportant they are. The plot was never predictable or formulaic. It had me guessing up to the very end. I recommend this book, especially to those who enjoyed Heather Brewer's Vladimir Tod series.