Alex Van Helsing: Vampire Rising by Jason Henderson

Henderson, Jason. (2010). Alex Van Helsing: Vampire Rising. NY: HarperTeen.
ISBN: 978-0061950995
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Friends, Bullies, Action
Genre: Fantasy
Annotation: Alex Van Helsing, it turns out, is a vampire slayer. At his new boarding school in Switzerland, vampires abound and he is quickly swept up into the battle.
Summary: Alex Van Helsing is 14 and has just started a new school in Switzerland. He got kicked out of his old school and is hoping for a fresh start. However, he is not so lucky. His roommates are bullies and on his first night there manages to accidentally kill a mysterious woman in the woods. The woman did attack him first and she did have huge fangs and she did puff up in smoke after Alex stabbed her with a fallen branch. This is just the beginning of a new life for Alex, but not the fresh start he was hoping for. One night Alex sees his teacher leave on a motorcycle and he follows him to the heart of the forest. Here, Alex
learns the truth about his name and that he truly is a vampire slayer. When two of Alex's friends are kidnapped by the blood sucking fiends, Alex must join forces with the Polidorium, a secret military like group seeking vampires, to save them. Intertwined in the plot are references to Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, John Polidori, and other past writers.
Evaluation: This is a fast and action packed read. None of the characters stand out as incredibly deep or well developed, but none-the-less, a fun read. The addition of some true history (and then the manipulation thereof) of Lord Byron and friends certainly adds to the appeal of the story.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Cashore, Kristin. (2008). Graceling. NY: Harcourt Children's Books.
ISBN: 978-0152063962
Awards/Honors: Amelia Bloomer List (2009)
Andre Norton Award Finalist (2008)
ALA Best Books for Young Adults (2009)
William C. Morris YA Debut Finalist (2009)
Mythopoeic Fantasy Award (Children's Literature, 2009)
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year (2008)
Locus Recommended Reading (First Novel, 2008)
Locus Nominee (First Novel, 2009, 6)
SIBA Book Award (Young Adult, 2009)
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Independence, Moral Integrity, Survival, Love, Strong Female
Genre: Fantasy
Annotation: At eight, Katsa was able to kill full grown men with a single blow. Now, at 16, she takes fate into her own hands to escape the evil king making her kill and save the kingdom from his tyrannical reign.
Summary: Katsa has been blessed with a powerful “Grace”: an extreme and often feared skill. Her Grace makes her almost invincible, but she is in the service of an evil king, her uncle, and is forced to use her Grace to harm others. With her different colored eyes, the mark of the Graced, she stands out as one to be feared. Then she meets Po, a prince who is willing to look her in the eye with his own mismatched eyes. With Po on her side, Katsa attempts to end her uncle’s tyrannical reign and struggles for redemption from her own Grace.
Evaluation: Katsa and Po are compelling and believable characters; they contain the power of self-reflection and honest emotion in a way that makes us like them all the more. The story they are unfolding is full of adventure, danger, love, and evil too. A great read.

The Summoning (Book 1, Darkest Powers) by Kelley Armstrong

Armstrong, Kelley. (2009). The Summoning. NY: HarperCollins.
ISBN: 978-0061450549
Award/Honor: Sunburst Award Nominee (Young Adult, 2009)
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Mental Illness, Secrets, Friends, Romance, Love, Independence
Genre: Fantasy
Annotation: The Lyle House for disturbed teens is not what it seems. Fifteen year old Chloe sees ghosts, but is she really crazy?
Summary: Chloe Saunders is 15, short, and has a slight stutter, but she also can talk to ghosts. Her screaming reaction to seeing a dead custodian at school gets her diagnosed with schizophrenia and sent to the Lyle House for troubled teens. However, it seems that all the kids at the Lyle House have mysterious abilities. Chloe and her new friends slowly learn the truth about the Lyle House and it horrific past. When Chloe discovers the dead bodies of past Lyle House inhabitants, she and her supernatural friends decide that they must solve the mystery of their deaths and in doing so, save themselves.
Evaluation: While I thought parts of the story were, well, silly, I think teen girls will race through this one. Chloe is not a perfect beautiful specimin of a girl, which makes her more appealing right off the bat, and she struggles with normal teen issues. At first anyway. I do enjoy stories involving discovered powers, hidden identities, and magic, and this one fits the bill.

The Awakening (Book 2, Darkest Powers) by Kelley Armstrong

Armstrong, Kelley. (2009). The Awakening. NY: HarperCollins.
ISBN: 978-0061450556
Award: Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award (YA Paranormal/Fantasy Novel, 2009)
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Betrayal, Trust, Friends, Love
Genre: Fantasy
Annotation: Chloe, Derek, Simon, and Tori are running for their lives from the Edison Group, a group that wants to control, and if need be extinguish, their supernatural powers.
Summary: In this continuation of adventure from Armstrong's first book, The Summoning, Chloe and her friends must once again run from the Edison Group and practice controlling their powers. Chloe can talk to ghosts, Derek is a werewolf, Simon can cast spells, Rea can burn people with her bare hands, and Tori is a budding witch. They are a group of supernaturals that are being experimented on by the Edison Group, a group that Tori's mom and Chloe's aunt are a part of. The kids make a run for it, leaving behind the institution that wants to control them, or, if that's not possible, kill them. They know it has been done in the past.
Evaluation: This is a fairly fast paced book chock full of magic, crushes, betrayal, and teens running for their lives with evil right behind them. I think it is better than the first book that seems to set the scene for this continued action. I really enjoyed both of these books and plan on reading the third, The Reckoning.

Glass Houses (Morganville Vampires, Book 1) by Rachel Caine

Caine, Rachel. (2006). Glass Houses. NY: NAL Jam.
ISBN: 978-0451219947
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Bullies, Independance, Love
Genre: Fantasy
Annotation: Sixteen year old Claire is brilliant and already off to college in Morganville, Texas. But brutal bullying soon sends her looking for off campus housing where she slowly learns the truth -- that Morganville is run by vampires.
Summary: A story of vampires and teen drama. Claire Danvers is smart, beginning college life in the dorms, and only 16. Her status as smart, young, outsider gets her harassed and bullied by the popular girls at the small Morganville, Texas college. The bullying gets so bad that Claire finds someplace off campus to live. It is here that she falls for a roommate and also discovers that she has more to fear than bullies. Morganville is run by vampires, and Claire needs protection.
Evaluation: As far as vampire stories go, this one is pretty good. Young Claire is faced with danger, terror, and growing up fast; she does so with an independence that will appeal to teens. I did have a bit of trouble believing that college students would behave so immaturely, and with Claire making some bad choices despite her proclaimed intelligence.

Eighth Grade Bites (Book 1 The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod) by Heather Brewer

Brewer, Heather. (2007). Eighth Grade Bites (Book 1 The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod). NY: Dutton Juvenile.
ISBN: 978-0525478119
Awards: ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2008)
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Bullies, Orphans, Friends
Annotation: Vladimir, Vlad for short, is a 13 year old orphan who is also half vampire. While dealing with the normal trials of eighth grade, Vlad also has to hide the fact that he is a vampire, try to find a date for the dance, and contend with the vampire council that is trying to kill him.
Summary: Eighth grade really sucks for Vladimir Tod. He is harassed by bullies, the girl he is crushing on likes his friend, and he has to hide the fact that he is a vampire; well, half vampire. His father was a vampire and his mother human. They both died in a mysterious fire when Vlad was young and now he lives with one of his mom's friends, Nelly. Other than bringing hidden bags of blood to school for lunch, things are pretty normal until Mr. Otis shows up. Bizarre Mr. Otis takes the place of Vlad's regular English teacher and seems to be suspiciously knowledgeable of Vlad. Turns out Mr. Otis is Vlad's uncle and is there to warn him about the vampire council that is out to kill him because of his parent's misdeeds. Vlad and his uncle must fight to keep Vlad alive.
Evaluation: This is a fast and easy read. If you read it while keeping in mind that there isn't much depth then it is a fine, if not simple, story.

Blue Bloods by Melissa De la Cruz

De la Cruz. (2006). Blue Bloods. NY: Hyperion.
ISBN: 978-0786838929
Awards:ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers - Top Ten (2007)
ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2007)
Genre: Fantasy
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Escape, Independence, Orphan
Annotation: Schuyler Van Alen is young, beautiful, attends a prestigious private high school, and is a vampire. She and her human friend, Oliver, are racing to solve the mystery of the death of another young vampire, because everyone knows - vampires can't die.
Summary: Schuyler Van Alen doesn't quite fit in with the other kids at her prestigious private New York high school. While all the other teens are obsessed with name brands, knowing the "right" people, and being in the "right" places, Schuyler is wearing layered thrift store clothes and hanging out at home with friend Oliver. Then, on her 15th birthday, everything begins to change. Intricate blue lines appear on her forearms, she begins craving raw meat, and has dream like visions of a time long ago. Soon, Schuyler discovers that she is a Blue Blood, a vampire, like most of the other kids in her school. While Schuyler struggles to grasp this reality, a young vampire is killed and no one knows why, or how. Schuyler, Oliver, and friend Bliss rush to solve the mystery before another vampire dies.
Evaluation: I enjoyed this story. While I think it is a little heavy on the name brand dropping, the historical and religious themes wound in with vampire lore is fascinating.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Stiefvater, Maggie. (2009). Shiver. NY: Scholastic Press.
ISBN: 978-0545123266
Awards: Amazon's Best Books of the Year (2009)
Amazon's Best Books of the Month (August 2009)
ALA Best Books for Young Adults (2010)
ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2010)
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Love, Independence, Determination
Genre: Fantasy
Annotation: Attacked by wolves as a child, Grace survives because one wolf, her wolf, saves her. Since then, Grace watches for her wolf who comes to the edge of the woods and watches her. And then there is Sam, who fearfully waits for the cold.
Summary: Grace has been fascinated with wolves ever since she was attacked by them as a small child. What she remembers is being saved by a wolf with yellow eyes; a wolf who continues to watch her from the edge of the woods. Grace feels an inexplicable bond with "her" wolf, because she is sure it is the same wolf that saved her all those years ago. Then, when a classmate is killed by wolves the townsfolk decide to hunt them down. Grace hears of the plan and runs fearlessly into the woods to save the wolves and especially her wolf that she loves so much. Shots are fired, but what Grace finds is not a wounded wolf, but a naked boy. A boy with yellow eyes.
The story alternates between Grace and Sam, who readers know is a werewolf. The werewolves are slaves to the weather and change into their animal form in cold weather-hence the title of the book. Sam is the wolf that saved Grace and watched her ever since. Now, Grace saves Sam and hides him in her room where they fall in love. They both know the cold will return and with it Sam's animal form, but this time it might be forever. Sam and Grace fight to keep Sam in human form.
Evaluation: As far as paranormal romances go, this is a good one. Grace and Sam have a deep and undeniable bond that reaches beyond human or wolf form. Characters are well written and developed, and secondary plot lines keep the story interesting and moving along. I read this book because I kept seeing it appear on lists with lots of stars at the end. Also, I love a good fantasy YA book!

Tithe by Holly Black

Black, Holly. (2004). Tithe. NY: McElderry.
Genre: Fantasy
Awards: NYPL Best Book for the Teen Age Mythopoeic Fantasy Award Nominee (Children's Literature, 2003)
Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults 2004
ALA Best Books for Young Adults (2003)
ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults (2005.03|Gateway to Faerie, 2005)
Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award Nominee (2008)
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Homosexuality, Addiction, Friends, Dysfunctional Families
Annotation: Kaye is 16 when she and her mom move back to Kaye's childhood home where she has memories of faerie friends. In a fantastic tale of discovered identity, magic, and great evil, Kaye becomes entwined in the dark and powerful world of the faeries.
Summary: Kaye is a 16 year old dropout who lives, and travels, with her mother’s rock band. After a bizarre attack on her mom, the two move back to Kaye’s childhood home where she has memories of faerie friends. They are only there for a week when Kaye gets caught up in the dark and powerful world of faeries. A dark fantasy with romance, battles, death, and magic forces.
Evaluation: I read this book because I tend to gravitate toward fantasy novels. The appeal of dark and dangerous magic is hard for me to ignore, and I was not disappointed. Definitely a book for teen girls. I like that the characters lives are not middle-class; it really adds to the gritty feel of the story.

Impossible by Nancy Werlin (Dial, 2008)

Werlin, Nancy. (2008). Impossible. NY: Dial
ISBN: 0142414913
Awards:ALA Best Books for Young Adults (2009)
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year (2008)
National Book Award Finalist
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Teen Pregnancy, Rape, Mental Illness, Family, Love
Genre: Fantasy
Annotation: Lucy Scarborough is seventeen, pregnant, and living with foster parents because her mother is mentally ill. Lucy lives in the modern day, but a dark and magical force is wreaking havoc on her family. Can she break free of it's grasp?
Summary:Circling around a magical rendition of the song, Scarborough Fair, the story Impossible follows foster child Lucy Scarborough as she learns of a family curse that is generations old. Lucy’s story is set in conventional modern day, but we learn that there is a magical presence able to influence and wreak havoc on humanity. The Elfin Knight has done just that with his curse on the Scarborough women. Seventeen, pregnant, and facing impending madness, Lucy must accomplish three impossible tasks for the curse to be broken. With the love and support of her foster parents and friend Zach, Lucy is determined to bring the madness to an end.
Evaluation: While I would not describe this book as a page turner, there is a soft and easy tone that mirrors the unconditional love between Zach, Lucy, and her foster parents. Impossible deals with such heavy topics as rape, teen pregnancy, and mental illness, but does so with genuine emotion, and avoids melodrama.

The Amulet of Samarkand (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 1) by Jonathan Stroud

Stroud, Jonathan. (2004) The Amulet of Samarkand. NY: Hyperion.
ISBN: 978-0786852550
Awards: Texas Lone Star Book (2005-2006)
ALA Best Books for Young Adults (2004)
Mythopoeic Fantasy Award (Children's Literature, 2006)
1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up (2009, Ages 12↑)
ALA Notable Children's Book (2004)
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Survival, Independence, Power & Trust
Genre: Fantasy
Annotation: In a world where magicians rule the government, Nathaniel was taken from his family and apprenticed to a cold and condescending master. At ten years old, Nathaniel is humiliated and then betrayed by his master. Vowing revenge, he summons a djinne much too powerful for him to control.
Summary: The Amulet of Samarkand, Book One in the Bartimaeus trilogy, is the story of Nathaniel, an eleven year old apprentice to a magician. When he is humiliated by power hungry Simon Lovelace, Nathaniel takes it upon himself to learn how to summon a djinni, a spell usually reserved for powerful wizards. The djinni Nathaniel summons is Bartimaeus, an old and very powerful djin. Unfortunately for Nathaniel, Bartimaeus is not pleased with the arrangement and does everything in his power to do away with his human master. With this in the mix, Nathaniel orders Bartimaeus to steal the rare and powerful Amulet of Samarkand from his secret nemesis, Lovelace. The theft, while successful, reveals a dark mystery filled with rebellion, murder, magic, and stolen power.
Evaluation: I read this on a recommendation and am very glad I did. Nathaniel's egotistical personality is strange to see in a main character, but adds to the plot in a necesary way. The relationship between Nathaniel and Bartimaeus develops authentically as they struggle for the upper hand and finally settle on a kind of friendship.