Repossessed by A.M. Jenkins

So in my continuing quest to track down and read the Printz and Printz Honor books, I ran across Repossessed which is the story of Kiriel, the demon. Kirial is not happy with his job in Hell as a low level tormentor and decides to take a vacation by possessing the body of Shaun, a 17 year old of low ambition, at the moment when he was supposed to die. Kiriel then spends the entirety of the book experiencing physical sensation and the complexities of the human condition. In many places Kiriel is almost embarrassingly hedonistic.

Shot through the book is Kiriel's examination of what I've always considered a central inconsistency in the Bible: if God is perfect and all knowing, then the only way for the devil to rebel is if God intended it. Kiriel is tortured by this. As a fallen angel, he's one of the punished, but why is he punished for being what he was created to be. It goes round and round and is an interesting introduction on the paradox for a teen audience.

I'm not sure what I expected when I picked up the book, but this wasn't it. On one level, this has a sizable amount of fairly crude imagery. On another, this is a deeply philosophical read. Kirial is almost better at being human than Shaun was and is deeply sympathetic. There are shades of Milton's "Paradise Lost" going on here as well as a healthy dose of C.S. Lewis's Screwtape Letters. Come to think of it...I should reread both of those.

I sense a themed month of reading coming up. hmmmmm

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

In a vague way, I've been trying to find more literature from non American or British authors. Over time I've been picking at African literature, but I haven't had a ton of success. I greatly like Chinua Achebe, but then who doesn't. I believe strongly that reading widely and on a variety of cultures is a way of developing insight. It is also highly enjoyable. When I heard about Akata Witch I had to read it.

I tripped across Akata Witch on Book Riot. It appears on many of their lists and is billed as an African Harry Potter which I think diminishes both Harry Potter and Akata Witch. There are certainly some similarities. Both books start with very young protagonists who discover that not only magic exists but also that they can do it. Additionally, they then start training in magic and eventually run against some sort of big bad that they have to confront even though they are just children. So, yes, in the broad strokes they are similar ideas. That's where it ends though.

Akata Witch is set in Nigeria and Sunny, the main character, is an American born Nigerian. She's also an albino which is a very mystical thing. The whole magic culture described is based on African juju, although the existence of other magical traditions is accounted for. The values are different and the environment is wild, colorful, and lively. Instead of one big magical school. The four students study with a master. Education is more hands on and figure it out on your own. Which all makes for a much different feel.

I liked the veneration of knowledge for its own sake and the attitude about the important things in life. Don't get me wrong, I love the Harry Potter books and they will always be special to me. Akata Witch is just different and special in its own way.

It's really hard to describe why this book is so amazing without ruining some of the joy of discovery. I'm thrilled to have a copy in my classroom library and I was so enthusiastic about my description of it this morning that a student already has it checked out. I'm looked forward to talking with him about his impressions of it.

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

So, it's hard to keep writing these little review thingies for multiple books in the same series. I mean, awesome though I may be, even I struggle with pithy turn of phrase and brilliant observations from time to time. Also, it's not like I'm in a significantly different mindset or found the book in some interesting way. I think sometimes, that's why I run out of steam for blog posts when I'm working my way through a long series.

However, that doesn't mean that the book isn't worthy of a post. Clockwork Princess, the last book in the Infernal Devices series, is an excellent finale. I'm not a terribly sentimental person but some books just really jab me in the tear box. I spent the last 50 pages snuffling and tearing up. It really just did me in.

So! Excellent third book that ties up all the major plot lines and resolves all the romantic sub-plots. I actually really like how Clare resolved the two boys for one girl thing. It's not the kind of thing that would work in other worlds and was a neat solution.

Tessa starts the book planning her wedding to Jem while the Institute as a whole still searches for Mortmain. Will, is taking the high road and supporting the relationship between his parabatai and the woman he loves. Everyone seems to be be struggling and the Shadowhunter Consul wants Charlotte out.

Excellent read.

Clockwork Prince

A continuation in Infernal Devices series. Actually, once I started the series, I really just had to keep going which speaks well of it.

Will inadvertently revealed that he had feelings for Tessa and he runs to Magnus Bane which starts a sort sub-plot that explains Will's spiky behavior. In the meantime, it becomes clear that not every shadowhunter believes a woman can run an institute and Charlotte's position as head is challenged by Benedict Lightwood. The institute has two weeks to find the Magister, Mortmain, or loose the institute.

Jem and Tessa get closer as Will works to find a solution to his problem. Gabriel and Gideon Lightwood are frequent visitors to the institute to train both Tessa and Sophie. Of course no one really believes that's all they are up to.

This is a fairly typical middle book in a series. The plot moves forward. What Clare has done well though, is weave in new levels of intrigue and new characters.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Sometimes authors write multiple series of books within the same world. When writing genre fiction, the most time consuming task is creating the world. It's hard to build a back drop that provides depth to the narrative. So, it makes sense to reuse it. However, multiple series means fresh characters and new plots. Some of my favorite series growing up are like this and I felt like I could imagining myself living in those worlds.

Clockwork Angel is the first in a trio of books sent in the same world as the "Mortal Instruments" series but set back in victorian England. Tessa is a young American girl who travelled to England to join her brother after her Aunt's death. However, she's met at the dock by two quite sinister figures and imprisoned. This is how Tessa, a mundane, comes to find out that there is more to world she's known.

What's worse, Tessa discovers that she has some mysterious ability to change her shape and become the thing/person she changes into complete with memories and mannerisms. She's soon discovered by accident and rescued by Will Herondale, a young Shadowhunter, and the rest of the London Institute.

This is one of those classic set ups where a young woman, Tessa, must choose between two suitors, Will Herondale and James Carstairs (Jem). Additionally, the villain known as the Magister intends to marry her as well. Will holds her at arms length with a sour disposition and tendency towards sarcasm. Jem is deathly ill but kind and marvelously patient.

Clare's depiction of victorian England is nicely detailed and she includes mainly of the typical plotlines of a gothic romance. That, combined with gritty industrial age London and creepy clockwork monsters gives this a steam punk kind of feel.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

City of Bones is the first book in a series. I picked up these books because I'd seen them around both online and in the library. Also, the edition of the series I have access to all sport very striking cover art. I admit, sometimes a read a thing because of good art on the outside.

Once I started walking around with them, people started stopping me in the halls to ask me what I thought of them. Usually it works the other way around. I'm usually the one pouncing on people and asking them what they think. It's also pretty amazing how many different types of people were asking. I had everyone from science teachers, to teenage girls, teenage boys, and the occasional student parent. It was bizarre to say the least.

The fact that it's been made into a television series, probably has something to do with its popularity in written form. Still it's odd how diverse the readership base is.

Clary is an artistic teen in New York City. She thinks she's pretty ordinary. She has a best friend named Simon and an over-protective mother. However, a chance encounter opens her eyes (literally) to her magical heritage. She is, in fact, a Nephilim, a human with a smidgen of angel blood that allows them to battle the demons that threaten to invade earth.

Oh and by the way, there are also vampires, werewolves, faerie, and warlocks too. It's all real on some level and it's all hidden from the world of mundane humans. So, how did Clary not know this. Ah! Intrigue.

It's good stuff. Oh, and there's a hot boy (Jace) because there's always a hot boy. However, the romance is not the most appealing thing to me. It's an interesting world and the mystery of Clary's origins is a compelling puzzle.