Into That Forest by Louis Nowra

This book was a true experience. Never in all my life have I read a book that moved me so. Into That Forest is a heartbreaking yet beautiful story about freedom, survival, and learning. It is truly captivating.

Written like a narrative, the book is the story of two sisters, Hannah and Rebecca, who find themselves lost in the Tasmanian jungle after a terrible accident but are saved by two wild Tasmanian tigers. The story is told by an elderly Hannah; she regales the reader with the astonishing events of her childhood using her native language, which she explains, is no longer fluent because "I lost it and had to learn it again.”

In the story, the young girls have to adapt to their new lives and they do so in different ways and paces. A powerful part of the book is the growing tension and emotions that are part of the bond hardening between the two girls. In the beginning the they are afraid of becoming wild animals but as they learn to hunt, run on all fours, and become fluent in tiger “language”, they also learn the cruelty of humans and how humans can be even more wild then the tigers.

       This is a book you can become completely obsessed and engrossed in.  It smoothly blends fact and fiction and recreates a beautiful historical setting; bringing to life all of its smells, sights, textures and expressions of the Tasmanian bush. The book brings up what it really means to be “human.” Into That Forest is one of the best books I’ve ever read. Readers of all ages will devour it and love it.

Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

Many people say “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Well those people haven’t seen the cover of Gail Carriger’s book, Etiquette & Espionage. The cover really grabs your attention with the bright background and the surreal looking black and white girl hiding pair of scissors. The cover caught my attention and the first chapter stole the rest.

The main character, Sophronia, is a wild child and a bit of a disappointment to her stern mother. Sophronia would rather be climbing trees and dismantling machines then practicing her curtsy and being a proper lady. So when the chance arises to send Sophronia to finishing school, her mother practically jumps at the chance with no more than a simple goodbye.

As the title suggests, this is not a normal finishing school for teaching young girls to curtsy and to not slurp tea. As it turns out Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality has some sneaky tricks up its sleeve and Sophronia has no idea what she's in for! Not only will she be learning how to be a bona fide lady but she’ll also be learning how to throw knives while she curtsies. The school also can fly, has a vampire as an instructor, and there’s a werewolf problem! These aren’t even the most complex things that Sophronia has to deal with. However, issues aren’t stopping Sophronia! Shes always be a wildling and somewhat of an adventurer. Meaning not even something like a little werewolf attack will scare her off.

What I love most about the book is that Sophronia is an a wonderful character with unique flaws and a passionate personality. Also, the crazy school, other amazing characters, and the whole steampunk attitude of the book make this an interesting read. This book is definitely for people with interest in fantasy and steampunk, or even just for people who love quirky and unusual reading material.

Earth Girl by Janet Edwards

I love stories with strong female roles. Ones were the female doesn't just take whats coming to her or lets other people decide her fate. It can be really hard to find well written independent female leads, so at first I was concerned over how the main character, Jarra, would be written. Just reading the book jacket caused a spark of interest but past experiences kept me from hoping to much. But Earth Girl literally rocked my world! 

Sassy eighteen year old Jarra is a handicap, an ape, a throwback, the garbage of the universe. These are what they call the ones living on Earth that are born with immune systems that cannot survive on other planets. Jarra is one of the thousands of babies who got sent to Earth to save their lives. Most of these children never get into contact with their birth parents again.

She can’t travel to off earth but she does grow up watching vids from other planets. Most of these videos are historic or even entertainment. Sadly, many also seem to be cruel vids that make fun of the “apes” still living on earth. The people stuck on earth are often portrayed as backward or old fashioned and not well educated.

Jarra doesn’t let her handicap or the cruel stereotypes facing it keep her from living the way she wants. And she wants to go to one of the best History universities on earth. She wants to show up the norms and prove shes just as good as them. Jarra doesn't want her handicapped to be know, so to keep the norms from finding out about her handicap right off the bat she creates a fake military background to hide her secret.

The class is for a year of practical history studies, where they will be excavating the dangerous ruins of Earth’s old cities. Jarra successfully enters the class and she can’t wait to see their faces once they realize she was only an ape girl pretending to be a norm. What she wasn’t expecting was to make friends with them all, to even risk her life to save them, or to find love.

While reading Earth Girl, it was at times hard to find true faults. Though do I questioned her motives for joining into a "norm” school; it felt petty and childish. But watching Jarra’s bitterness transform as she learns to acceptance not only herself but others as well was an amazing experience and read. Earth Girl is a YA science fiction with true depth and well developed characters and worlds. A recommended read to sci fi, action, and romance lovers all around.

"Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas

 
This book had everything and much more. Sarah J. Maas brings her characters to life in this action fantasy full of mystery. The main character, 18 year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien, has lived a hard life in a land without magic. Raised by a cruel assassin master from a very small age, Celaena knows how to survive. And survive she has.

 In the beginning of the book Celaena has just survived her first year in the harsh salt mines of Endovier for her crimes of assiassantry, when she is dragged out of the prison by the one of the King’s royal guard. She seriously hates the king and contemplates trying to escape the guard. Before she can think more of how to overpower the guard, she is brought before the Crown Prince. Instead of executing her, like she expects, Prince Dorian offers her what she craves most: her freedom. Sadly, her freedom comes with on condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. If she can beat her opponents in a series of challenging tests, she’ll have to serve the kingdom for three years and THEN be granted her freedom.

The lady assassin agrees and she is taken to the castle to train. Her trainer is the gruff Captain Westfall and she finds her training sessions with him challenging and exhilarating. Though she is bored silly by court life, things do get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show some interest for her. Still, Westfall seems to understand her the best.

Soon the other contestants start turning up dead- causing a chaotic twist to form in the book. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she fall victim? As the young assassin investigates, her discoveries lead her towards a greater destiny than she could've imagined.

Throne of Glass is a book full of twists and turns. The world Sarah Maas has created comes alive on every single page! With magic, mystery and romance this book is a real page turner and will leave you wanting more. Celaena is a rocking female protagonist; she puts away the “oh save me!” women in books to shame. Lets give a standing ovation to Sarah J. Maas for writing such a well written book with fantastic well developed characters and action that leaves you on edge. I would recommend any fantasy and mystery lover to read this wonderful book.