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Fantasy | Page 173 | LitPick Book Reviews
Fantasy
Finnikin of the Rock (Lumatere Chronicles)
Finnikin of the Rock
Melina Marchetta
2008 Printz Award Winner Melina Marchetta crafts an epic fantasy of ancient magic, exile, feudal intrigue, and romance that rivets from the first page. (Age 14 and up)Finnikin was only a child during the five days of the unspeakable, when the royal family of Lumatere were brutally murdered, and an imposter seized the throne. Now a curse binds all who remain inside Lumatere’s walls, and those who escaped roam the surrounding lands as exiles, persecuted and despairing, dying by the thousands in fever camps. In a narrative crackling with the tension of an imminent storm, Finnikin, now on the cusp of manhood, is compelled to join forces with an arrogant and enigmatic young novice named Evanjalin, who claims that her dark dreams will lead the exiles to a surviving royal child and a way to pierce the cursed barrier and regain the land of Lumatere. But Evanjalin’s unpredictable behavior suggests that she is not what she seems — and the startling truth will test Finnikin’s faith not only in her, but in all he knows to be true about himself and his destiny.

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The Insiders
The Insiders: Special Ed. Part 1 & 2
C. S. Poulsen
Street kids, alone, unloved, and unwanted band together. One by one, they find each other and become a family mosaic of personalities-- a gang with one positive twist: They hate drugs, dealers, and violence. Hiding from a drug dealer who wants revenge, the gang looks for a good time at Point Amusement Park. The Tunnel of Terror brings a fatal accident. At the point of death, a mysterious being, The Face, captures the young teens and slips them into an underground dimension. Under control of their rescuer and His sword of death, they labor in caves. The Face brooks no backsliding, but feeds them well and trains them. Five years later The Face declares they are ready to move from servitude to leadership. He gives each gifts, what ordinary humans call superpowers, and returns them to their original dimension as ‘The Insiders’. They awake to discover they are in their original bodies maintained on life support by a secret government lab. A general wants control of their powers at any expense– including their lives. They must escape and complete The Face's directive: save the "innocent," children stolen by Human Traffickers and Pedophiles. As The Insiders learn about their new abilities, they discover their original talents enhanced. • Picker walks through walls and can transport others with him. A prison’s nightmare, few barriers can stop his molecules from sliding through. • Motor twists physics, allowing him to manipulate mechanical devices. Tied into the internet and power grids, he can manipulate machines like they’re remote control toy cars. • Bat forms shields and barriers, aiding Insider’s defense with protective bubbles. Adversaries find it hard to bring a guy down when attacks bounce off. • Babe mesmerizes and influences, able to persuade outsiders to aid their mission. When looks and charm fail, she turns on her hypnotic eyes that few can resist. • Ears can literally hear a pin drop– a hundred miles away. His super-hearing interprets languages and intercepts radio signals. Bad guys don’t talk about him behind his back. • Lookout's supervision sees through solids and into the distance. Closing the bathroom door doesn’t help with this guy, not that he’d peek. • Chief, narrator and nucleus of his Insiders cadre, becomes a strong leader with second sight and an ability to sense others in trouble. He’ll go to any length to protect them. Together The Insiders act as one. Only their skills and dedication stand against dark forces. As Earth's clock ticks down, the survival and renewal of the innocent and all humanity hang in the balance.

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The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop
The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop
Kate Saunders
"Reminiscent of Road Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory . . . a great read-aloud." --BooklistWelcome to the most magical house in London. The family of eleven-year-old twins Oz and Lily have inherited it, together with the mysterious shop downstairs. Long ago, the shop's famous chocolate-makers, who also happen to be Oz and Lily's great uncles, were clever sorcerers. Now evil villians are hunting for the secret of their greatest recipe. The terrifying powers of this magic chocolate have the ability to destroy the world.  Soon, Oz and Lily are swept into a thrilling battle, helped by an invisible cat, a talking rat, and the ghost of an elephant. It's up to them to stop the villians and keep the magical chocolate recipe out of harm's way. Their family and the world depends on it.

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Ruhk's Rising (Phoenix Elite Book 2)
Ruhk's Rising (Phoenix Elite #2)
Melissa Starr
The Phoenix Elite - Book 2Elora's days at Marlind Prep are anything but safe or boring. She receives news of her BFF's death not long after she disappears and is certain the Phoenix Elite are responsible. While searching for stability, Elora is stripped of her strength and sanity by the ancient Ruhk, Isaac, who continues to infiltrate her mind. Adding icing to the cake, she finds herself at odds with her mate/advisor, Ezra, leaving her vulnerable to the new guy, who just happens to find her on the verge of a nervous breakdown. What dangers await Elora among her own in RUHK'S RISING?

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McKinley's Jewel
McKinley's Jewel
Marissa St. James
Bonnie-Jean Russell, personal assistant to the current laird of McKinley clan, can't find her boss. When she discovers his likeness in an ancestor's portrait she has to find a way to bring him back to the present. Standing in her way is the tale of a missing pouch of gemstones...a treasure everyone else wants.

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Alfred C. Bogeyman
Alfred C. Bogeyman
Since his father's deployment, Adrian feels he has to be the man of the house. So when the boogieman scares his little brother, Sam, every night, he and his friends, Ralph and Sean, are determined to find the boogieman and give him a taste of his own medicine. With the help of Socks, Sean's dog, their search leads them to small cottage behind the park where they encounter Alfred C. Bogeyman and the forces of fear, bravery and evil collide.

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Beyond the Cell
Beyond the Cell
Sara Tribble
Sixteen-year-old Sonata Wilde is living in Hell. Not literally Hell, more like a prison stashed away in the mountains known as The Cell. All mythical beings were banished to live here nine years ago, segregated from the humans. Being trapped in captivity is breaking her down and the temptation of escaping grows stronger, regardless of what it might cost her.No one has ever made it out of The Cell, not with the extreme voltage on the wires and constant guards on patrol. It’s damn near impossible, minus one loophole. Sonata has a plan ready to set in motion, along with help standing by to make sure it all goes accordingly. The taste of freedom is within her grasp and she’s ready to embrace it once again.

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The Well-Told Tale of Kaity Monday
The Well-Told Tale of Kaity Monday
Eddie Jones
A biased, sometimes meandering account of a girl who wished to be something she wasn't, The Well-Told Tale of Kaity Monday is first and foremost a tale, one that is well-told.Kaity Monday is the only girl in history to have experienced life as a tree. Before this, she lived underground with parents who made it abundantly clear, through telling her, that they didn't love her. When it is suggested to Kaity that she go above ground and never return (by her father, Grey, and her mother, May, both of whom hate Kaity) she finds it offensive, exciting, and then tiring.Coming into contact with a man named Mildy, who is undeniably and obviously evil, Kaity makes the immediate mistake of trusting and following him, only to find that the next days of her life would be spent in the body of what many passersby have described as an oak.

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Waiting for Dusk
Waiting for Dusk
Nancy Pennick
Read a book. Fall asleep. Meet a boy. Is it real or just a dream? Katie's everyday life suddenly turns exciting when she travels back in time and meets the boy of her dreams. Thinking of nothing else, willing to leave the real world behind, she's determined to find out if it's all a dream…or not. Returning again and again, Katie almost has her answers until one day her precious book goes missing.Don't miss the sequel Call of the Canyon available from http://www.fireandiceya.com September 1, 2013

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Halloween Night Fever: Mirror Mirror on the Wall
Halloween Night Fever: Mirror Mirror on the Wall
Dan Graffeo
This novel takes place a year after "The Cir-Cuss Comes to Town" and before "End of the Long Walk". A greedy horse rancher captures a black unicorn that belongs to a headless horseman. Pessimistic Kitt Sassacus is training her optimistic cousin, Jessey Sassacus to take her place, but the mission becomes deadly when a psychotic entity named Bloody Mary is invoked and holds a college Halloween party hostage.

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