A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz

"Are there any small children in the room? Because if so, it would be best if we just let them think this really is the end of the story and hurried them off to bed. Because this is where things start to get, well...awesome. But in a horrible, bloody kind of way."

Be honest. When someone says the words "Fairy Tale," you think "Girly." You think of those poofy, sparkly Halloween costumes they sell in the shops at Disneyland. A Tale Dark and Grimm is definitely not that kind of fairy tale. After Hansel and Gretel get their heads chopped off by their own parents (and then have them magically reattached by a faithful old servant), they decide to run away from home in search of better parents. Of course, anyone who is familiar with the Grimm Brothers' stories in their original forms will know just how futile this effort is. As Hansel and Gretel skip from one tale to the next, they face all sorts of dangers and learn how to become heroes.

I have to say that my favorite thing about this story is that the author doesn't just tell it, he includes commentary on the story in bold typeface (like the comment I've quoted above). This commentary is often ridiculous and nearly always hilarious. It reminds me of the grandfather in the film version of The Princess Bride adding his own two cents to the story. If you know a young reader who likes action, danger, and heroics, mixed with a generous portion of humor, this is the next book you should buy.

Heist Society by Ally Carter

Katarina Bishop comes from a family of con artists and art thieves. At 15, she's managed to scam her way into an exclusive boarding school as a way to escape the life of crime. But her escape comes to a sudden end when her best friend Hale shows up with bad news. Someone has stolen five paintings from a very dangerous man. Kat's dad isn't just on the suspect list, he is the suspect list. To save her dad, Kat has to find out who really stole the paintings, so she can steal them back.

Ally Carter has been writing incredible, adventurous, hilarious stories for teen audiences for years. I've been in awe of her since the moment I spotted I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You on my library shelf in 2006. Heist Society, though, exceeded my every expectation. This globe-trotting adventure will keep you on the edge of your seat until you get to the end, leaving you wanting more of the fun Kat and her friends provide.

Brilliantly done, Ms. Carter. As usual.

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men, in a world where everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts. In school, he was taught that the same virus that caused the inescapable thought Noise also killed the female population. But when Todd comes hears a pocket of complete silence in the swamp outside town, the town's reaction puts an end to everything Todd thought he knew. To survive, Todd, his dog Manchee (who also makes thought Noise), and their mysterious new companion must go on the run. Their only hope lies in Haven, New World's first and largest city.

But can they get there before Todd's past catches up to them?

The Knife of Letting Go is an action packed read that will keep you guessing and get you thinking about the nature of good and evil, truth and lies, right and wrong. A must read for lovers of adventure.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

*This book is a sequel to last year's The Hunger Games. If you have not read the Hunger Games, please stop reading this review and head to your local library or bookstore and get a copy. It will be the most satisfactory decision you make all week.*

I've read thousands of books in my lifetime. Literally, thousands. In most of those books, there is some element of predictability; the "coming of age" story, the "stop the world from ending" story, the "boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back" story. As unique as each individual book may be, they all fit within a larger framework.

All but Catching Fire. I can honestly say that I was unable to predict a single thing that happened in this book. I all but inhaled the story in a desperate attempt to figure out what was about to happen, and every time I thought I might have it figured out, Ms. Collins threw me another curveball.

Catching Fire is an exciting, edge-of-your-seat, get-angry-if-you-must-do-anything-else-before-you-finish type story. It's the best thing I've read this year. Catching Fire will be released on September 1, and I hope you'll get your hands on a copy. It's well worth your time.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Katsa is the niece of King Randa of the Middluns. She is also graced with the ability to kill. She works day after day to control her grace, rather than allowing it to control her, but her uncle is all too eager to use her abilities to suit his nefarious purposes. Katsa allows herself to be used, but she also uses her position with her uncle to found a council that works to help the oppressed in all of the seven kingdoms. When the father of a nearby king is kidnapped, Katsa and her council plot to recapture him. Their investigation into who orchestrated the kidnapping and why leads to more questions than answers, and prompts the discovery of a treachery more heinous than Katsa could possibly have imagined.

The story starts slow, but as the readers begin to make discoveries along with Katsa, the pace begins to quicken. Katsa's connection to Po, another royal graced with incredible abilities, keeps the story strong. The evil they fight against is truly appalling, and the desperation with which Katsa must fight made me root for her with all my might. This was an excellent piece of storytelling, and I can't wait to read more of Cashore's work.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

It's been a very long time since I've been absorbed into a book as completely as I was with The Hunger Games. From beginning to end, this was a difficult book to put down. For two days, I carried it with me wherever I went, just in case I happened to have a few minutes to spend reading. It was past midnight when I reached the end, and for my family's sake, I supressed the urge to shout when I reached the words, "End of Book One." I so, so want to have more of this story.

Katniss lives in a version of North America that has survived another civil war. The rebellion has failed, and as punishment, each of the twelve remaining territories must give up two of its teenagers for a gladiator-style fight to the death. Katniss, a hunter who has been providing for her family since her father's death several years earlier, is stunned when her fragile younger sister is chosen as this year's tribute, and she immediately offers herself in Prim's place.

Katniss is not a particularly sympathetic character, but she's not entirely hardened, either. She's something of an unreliable narrator, but all of her flaws and failings only make the reader identify with her more firmly. Katniss's eventual act of rebellion at the close of the Games is unsurprising, and I wanted to cheer when the idea occurred to her. 

Katniss is wonderfully complex, and utterly devoted to the people she loves. She's a character that we could probably spend several books on and still not fully understand. I sincerely cannot wait until I can read more of this story.