Best Teen & Young Adult Asian Geography & Cultures Fiction eBooks
This stunning fantasy inspired by Chinese folklore is a companion novel to Starry River of the Sky and the New York Times bestselling and National Book Award finalist When the Sea Turned to Silver. A fantasy crossed with Chinese folklore, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a timeless story reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz and Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank the Moon . Every night, Minli's father tells her stories about the Jade Dragon that keeps the mountain bare, the greedy and mean Magistrate Tiger, and the Old Man of the Moon who holds everyone's destiny. Determined to change her family's fortune, Minli sets out to find the Old Man of the Moon, urged on by a talking goldfish who gives her clues to complete her journey. After her mother ridicules what she believes to be a foolish purchase, Minli sets out to find the Old Man of the Moon, who, it is told, may impart the true secret to good fortune. Stories, drawn from a rich history of Chinese folktales, weave throughout her narrative, deepening the sense of both the characters and the setting and smoothly furthering the plot.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I just read this book again yesterday, because my daughter borrowed When the Sea Turned to Silver from the library, and I figured out pretty quickly that it would be better if I refreshed my memory on Where the Mountain Meets the Moon first."
"This was a story with underlying themes that older readers will pick up on but younger ones may not initially but as the stories are told by the characters each are intertwined with in each other and woven together very nicely."
"Would make a good bedtime story to read to kids about 6-10, who have longer attention spans for chapter books with minimal pictures."
"This book is a family favorite I highly recommend you read this book."
"Purchased this book for my grand niece when she turned 8."
"A wonderful children's book that my children have highly enjoyed."
"It is simply the best Children's book I have ever read."
"I just LOVE Grace Lin's books. Starry River is like the beginning of Where the mountain meets the moon. one reason why my mom and i love where the mountain meets the moon is because the main characters name; Min-Lee."
2 Sold
Though she is desperately poor, her life is full of simple pleasures, like playing hopscotch with her best friend from school, and having her mother brush her hair by the light of an oil lamp. Grade 9 Up – As this heartbreaking story opens, 13-year-old Lakshmi lives an ordinary life in Nepal, going to school and thinking of the boy she is to marry. Part of McCormicks research for this novel involved interviewing women in Nepal and India, and her depth of detail makes the characters believable and their misery palpable. Lakshmi, 13, knows nothing about the world beyond her village shack in the Himalayas of Nepal, and when her family loses the little it has in a monsoon, she grabs a chance to work as a maid in the city so she can send money back home. In beautiful clear prose and free verse that remains true to the child's viewpoint, first-person, present-tense vignettes fill in Lakshmi's story.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Writing about how Nepalese girls are sold into slavery and taken to India to be forced into a life of prostitution is no easy matter -- especially in a YA book. It is he who ultimately gambles what little they have away and heartlessly sells his stepdaughter into slavery (she assumes she is going off to be a maid and bravely vows to send what she earns home so her Ama can install a tin roof on their hut)."
"At first Lakshmi shows some resistance but when she is told that she must work off her debt and that it goes to her family her resistance weakens and she does what she is told...there are many smaller characters from this point on in the book that warmed my heart like one of the other girl's sons, and the tea boy...they offered Lakshmi hope where there was little."
"I was saddened enough to learn of the squalid conditions of Lakshmi's life in her home country of Nepal, but once her stepfather insisted she be "sold" to be a maid (sic) to help the family out financially is when the drama really begins. Because she is starting to feel uneasy, she wants to remember the way back home--just in case--but it "is like trying to clutch a handful of fog." Yet, she has a feeling of duty to her mother, Ama, so she also tries to forget her uneasiness, which is "like trying to hold back the monsoon." Her step father bargained her away for 600 rupies ($11.00)--with the promise of more--and she was sold again until her value reached 10,000 rubies ($185), but her female, slave-holding employer places 20,000 rubies ($370) on the books as her debt--to cover all expenses: food, heat, medical shots and such. This book was researched in 2005-plus when "12,000 Nepali [only] girls were sold by their families, unwittingly--that's the only saving grace--into a life of sexual slavery in the brothels of India" (p. 165)."
– Peak Marcello. After fourteen-year-old Peak Marcello is arrested for scaling a New York City skyscraper, he's left with two choices: wither away in Juvenile Detention or go live with his long-lost father, who runs a climbing company in Thailand. Even so, for a climbing addict like Peak, tackling Everest is the challenge of a lifetime. Grade 6 Up—In this high-altitude adventure, 14-year-old Peak Marcello's passion for climbing is clearly in the genes, but when he is arrested for scaling tall buildings, his mom and stepdad make a deal with the judge to ship him out of the country to live with her ex-husband and squelch the media attention that might inspire "Spider Boy" copycats. The teen's father, Josh, and his Himalayan expedition company are preparing teams to climb Mount Everest and suddenly Peak is faced with the possibility of becoming the youngest climber to reach the summit. At the same time, a media crew gathers at base camp to witness the climb, and an overzealous Chinese police captain doggedly searches for passport violations and underage climbers. Peak is whisked off to Tibet and finds himself in the complex world of an Everest base camp, where large amounts of money are at stake and climbing operations offer people an often-deadly shot at the summit.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"He learns that everyone is not as fortunate as he is, although it may not appear to him that he IS fortunate, and he also learns the value in putting other people first."
"Peak’s parents were there and his biological father is presented the opportunity to take Peak to Thailand for a while, or send him to jail in New York City. Peak’s father needs to ramp up his business with the climbing company, so to get publicity he tries to get Peak to become the world’s youngest person to scale the mountain. Peak is then set up to go climbing, after days upon days Peak fights to get to the summit. • Peak Marcello- Peak is the main character; he climbs Mount Everest with hopes of becoming the youngest person in the world to reach the summit. • Josh- Peak’s biological father, helps Peak try to reach the summit. Peak also feels he needs to improve his relationship with Josh, although Josh shows no sign of love for Peak. Peak provides a wonderful friendship story of Peak and Sun-Jo, and how Peak develops empathy for Sun-Jo."
"I will refrain discussing the plot too much here - suffice to say that Peak meets plenty of challenges along the way, finds support in his friend Sun-jo and in the Sherpa porters, while navigating the grown-up world of weary climbers and high-altitude adventure. Reading a work of fiction is all well and good, but nothing Smith could concoct here in the pages of Peak could measure up to the real-life triumph and trauma experienced by even the most seasoned of climbers on Everest."
Best Teen & Young Adult Asian Historical Fiction eBooks
This stunning fantasy inspired by Chinese folklore is a companion novel to Starry River of the Sky and the New York Times bestselling and National Book Award finalist When the Sea Turned to Silver. A fantasy crossed with Chinese folklore, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a timeless story reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz and Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank the Moon . Every night, Minli's father tells her stories about the Jade Dragon that keeps the mountain bare, the greedy and mean Magistrate Tiger, and the Old Man of the Moon who holds everyone's destiny. Determined to change her family's fortune, Minli sets out to find the Old Man of the Moon, urged on by a talking goldfish who gives her clues to complete her journey. After her mother ridicules what she believes to be a foolish purchase, Minli sets out to find the Old Man of the Moon, who, it is told, may impart the true secret to good fortune. Stories, drawn from a rich history of Chinese folktales, weave throughout her narrative, deepening the sense of both the characters and the setting and smoothly furthering the plot.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I just read this book again yesterday, because my daughter borrowed When the Sea Turned to Silver from the library, and I figured out pretty quickly that it would be better if I refreshed my memory on Where the Mountain Meets the Moon first."
"This was a story with underlying themes that older readers will pick up on but younger ones may not initially but as the stories are told by the characters each are intertwined with in each other and woven together very nicely."
"Would make a good bedtime story to read to kids about 6-10, who have longer attention spans for chapter books with minimal pictures."
"Where the Mountain Meets the Moon has questions at the end of the book that I could ask my 7 year old after each chapter. Our 7 year old needed a few reminders on what had happened during previous chapters."
"This book is a family favorite I highly recommend you read this book."
"Purchased this book for my grand niece when she turned 8."
"Even as an adult I could not stop reading the chapters as we follow the characters on this interesting journey."
"A wonderful children's book that my children have highly enjoyed."
Best Teen & Young Adult Sexual Abuse Fiction eBooks
The first ten lies they tell you in high school. "Speak up for yourself--we want to know what you have to say." Since the beginning of the school year, high school freshman Melinda has found that it's been getting harder and harder for her to speak out loud: "My throat is always sore, my lips raw.... Every time I try to talk to my parents or a teacher, I sputter or freeze.... Could it be due to the fact that no one at school is speaking to her because she called the cops and got everyone busted at the seniors' big end-of-summer party? While Melinda is bothered by these things, deep down she knows the real reason why she's been struck mute... Laurie Halse Anderson's first novel is a stunning and sympathetic tribute to the teenage outcast. The triumphant ending, in which Melinda finds her voice, is cause for cheering (while many readers might also shed a tear or two).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I didn't think I'd be so gripped by this book but the author captures the pains and troubles of everyday high school life with such honesty and emotion that I couldn't help recognize half the characters from my own high school days."
"This book has content warnings for bullying, rape and assault. While this works to show the ignorance people have around the subject of sexual assault — as annoying as it was, it was unfortunately realistic — it really made the book drag, and that’s really hard when the book is already less than 200 pages long to begin with. There wasn’t much of an actual plot; it was describing Melinda’s year at school without providing much of a through storyline outside of the rape, and that didn’t really work to hold all of the book together because it was more of a covert storyline."
"Melinda rings true as a normal but depressed teen-ager, and I loved that the book depicted Melinda as a multi-facted person - someone dealing with having been raped, but who isn't defined by it. But the thing I loved the very most about this book was that it was so honest. A lot of YA fiction seems like there's a tragedy involved but only as the backdrop to a story which is ultimately a cheap fantasy - everyone rallies around the selfless, popular, and beautiful heroine."
"The author was spot on, I feel, with Melinda's voice."
"Just wanted to slap her parents, who seemed dysfunctional, and have them notice their child needs help."
"If you are a parent and your school is not having students read this book I would recommend you read this book first to see if you think your tween/teen is ready to handle the content."
"This was extremely thought provoking and I really think everyone should read it."
Best Teen & Young Adult Other Religious Fiction
Following the Buddha through his various transformations, these clarified, often humorous narrative journeys open the ancient masters profound and gentle teachings to persons of all ages, religions, races, and ideological persuasions. Ms. Conover received a BA in Religious Studies from the University of Colorado and an MFA in Creative Writing from Eastern Washington University.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Perfectly short stories to read before bed and talk about it for a few moments before tucking my girl in."
"During family time, these stories are brought to life."
"I enjoyed reading this book but my little one couldn't focus."
"Excellent book in fine condition."
"Great book!!!"
"this book offers short stories and morals."
"I find myself reading and re-reading this book over and over."
Best Children's Explore Asia Books
This moving story of one girl's year of change, dreams, grief, and healing received four starred reviews, including one from Kirkus which proclaimed it "enlightening, poignant, and unexpectedly funny." Written in accessible, short free-verse poems, Hà’s immediate narrative describes her mistakes—both humorous and heartbreaking—with grammar, customs, and dress (she wears a flannel nightgown to school, for example); and readers will be moved by Hà’s sorrow as they recognize the anguish of being the outcast who spends lunchtime hiding in the bathroom. Eventually, Hà does get back at the sneering kids who bully her at school, and she finds help adjusting to her new life from a kind teacher who lost a son in Vietnam.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It seemed like a great story for my granddaughter who likes to read."
"My great-grand daughter enjoyed this book because it coincide with their studying about immigrants in school."
"Got the narrative with the story and it was great."
"Beautiful, haunting story."
"bought the kindle and hard cover."
"Such a nice story, recommend it to anyone."
Best Teen & Young Adult African Geography & Cultures Fiction eBooks
Affectionately dubbed "the Nigerian Harry Potter," Akata Witch weaves together a heart-pounding tale of magic, mystery, and finding one's place in the world. Soon she's part of a quartet of magic students, studying the visible and invisible, learning to change reality. -Ursula K. Le Guin Nnedi Okorafor was born in the United States to two Nigerian immigrant parents.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"What a great piece of fantasy literature from a different culture."
"Adorable YA fantasy with realistic feeling young teens."
"It is refreshing to read a novel with strong Black women and men as the lead characters."
"Great story."
"There is something intriguing about a secret spiritual society existing in a physical world and young people coming of age."
"This book will have you begging for another to be written."
"I LOVED THIS BOOK!!"
"An absolute must read."
Best Teen & Young Adult Australian Geography & Cultures Fiction eBooks
A 2012 Michael L. Printz Honor. Book Charlie Bucktin, a bookish thirteen year old, is startled one summer night by an urgent knock on his bedroom window. Starred Review, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books , April 2011: "Silvey’s sure-footed, evocative prose, intelligent humor, and careful plot structuring may well ensure this Aussie import lasting status." Starred Review, The Horn Book Magazine , May/June 2011: "The mood and atmosphere of the 1960s small-town Australian setting is perfectly realized—suspenseful, menacing, and claustrophobic—with issues of race and class boiling just below the surface." Starred Review, School Library Journal , June 2011: "Silvey is a master of wit and words, spinning a coming-of-age tale told through the mind of a young Holden Caulfield."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Charlie longs to tell him best friend, Vietnamese Jeffrey Lu, who is hated by the town louts, who call him "Cong" and dispite his prowess as a cricketer, dont allow him to be included in their games. When Laura goes missing, the eccentric hermit, Jack Lionel gets the blame and the police immediately assume Jasper knows something about it."
"Adolescence, coming of age, sexuality, racism, domestic abuse, incest, infidelity, and violence are explored on personal, family, community and national levels."
"In that sense "Jasper Jones" Captures the heart of many good adolescent fiction, where we not only see events through the eyes of the young protagonist but rely on him to make more sensible and just decisions than the adults."
"(i'm permissive when it comes to books, so be forewarned.)."
"Charlie ends up in the center of the town's unraveling when he promises his classmate, Jasper, he will keep a horrible secret about something Jasper has discovered - a secret that is the inciting event for dragging all of the town's deplorable secrets out in the open. The story has a gripping opening that leads the reader to believe Jasper Jones is a mystery, and it is, partly. But when the Charlie and Jasper finally step up to solve the mystery, it brings surprise twists and surprise ending. Like To Kill A Mockingbird, Jasper Jones is foremost a coming of age story."
"This is a story for young adults, but as a grandmother I found it so insightful and it certainly gave me an understanding of how young minds work - how sensitive they are, but also their resilience."
Best Teen & Young Adult Canadian Geography & Cultures Fiction eBooks
It’s the worst winter in years. Danny knows better. Grade 9 Up—In this supernatural thriller set in a remote Canadian town in the dead of winter, four friends encounter a cannibalistic creature that is hunting and killing teens. The foursome, after a failed attempt to involve law enforcement, decide to take on the behemoth with stolen dynamite and guns "borrowed" from their fathers. The unrelenting pace, short chapters, and the idea of teenagers taking on a monster with a large amount of weaponry will certainly appeal to fans of horror novels.— Caroline Tesauro, Radford Public Library, VA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. McNamee’s follow-up to Acceleration (2003) is another page-turning thriller, this time with an eerie supernatural edge that will appeal to fans of psychological horror.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"His unique use of characters allows him to tell a monster tale from Danny's interesting perspective with support characters, like brothers Pike and Howie, to help him along."
"Two boys get bit by a demon and their bodies start changing. She says things like lets race, if you win you can cop a feel. Way too many sentences start with "Me and mom are ..." "Me and Howie had ..." Her and Pike check their guns." Setting: current day small town in Ontario, Canada."
"Take speeding snowmobiles, a mysterious monster, a pyromaniac, a girl who could out-box Ali and big old sticky bombs and you have a sure-fire hit with almost every reluctant and non-reluctant reader out there!"
"This book was a quick read because it was so good, I didn't want to put it down."
"My son who does not like to read much loves this book."
"Extremely well done monster horror novel."
"A solid fast-paced YA horror novel with realistic dialogue and strong characterization."
"One of my favorite book by one of my favorite authors."
Best Teen & Young Adult European Geography & Cultures Fiction eBooks
The first book in the New York Times bestselling epic fantasy trilogy by award-winning author Laini Taylor Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. From his desk in a dusty, otherworldly shop, her mysterious, monstrous father sends her on errands across the globe, collecting teeth for a shadowy purpose. National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor has created a lushly imaginative, fully realized world in Daughter of Smoke and Bone . Taylor’s writing is as sumptuous as poetry, and the story overflows with dark and delightful magic, star-crossed love, and difficult choices with heartbreaking repercussions.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I couldn’t remember a whole lot about what this book was about and I think that was a good thing. The word that comes to mind when reading this book is lush. This book made me think of cold winds and pouring rain. Well, that's mostly because the middle kind of drags and the book ends a bit abruptly. Overall though, this book was amazing and I loved it and I can't wait to pick up the second one!"
"Her descriptions were vivid and the world she created was so wonderful and magical and unique and I just LOVED it. "It was cold, and it was dark--in the dead of winter the sun didn't rise until eight--but it was lovely. The falling snow and the early hour conspired to paint Prague ghostly, like a tintype photograph, all silver and haze." Here's another: "Her thoughts had flown outward, darting and dipping with the hummingbird-moths that flocked by the thousands to the lanterns hanging overhead, as she wondered, with a wild timpani heart, where her angel had gone." The concepts of the seraph, the chimaera, the teeth, the wishes--everything--were incredibly creative and done so well. The setting, the characters, the weapons, the mythology, the romance gave the story a certain richness that has the ability to captivate a reader. This quote captures that feel well: "Prague entranced you, lured you in, like the mythic fey who trick travelers deep into forests until they're lost beyond hope." "'I don't know your customs, but here, if you don't want to frighten someone, you don't go looming over their sleeping body with knives.'". She cast a sidelong glance and Karou and said, in helpless amazement, 'Oh, hell. While I loved the world, the writing, and concepts, they did weigh down the pace for me. The last 20-ish percent went much quicker because the story (the Madrigal parts) got really interesting."
"I never wrote a review for it, partly because I don’t think that anything I say can do justice to the feelings and beauty of this series. There aren’t many authors where the very first thing that I’ll mention is the lyrical prose that they write with. I can think of a handful off the top of my head, and I love a great many books, for many reasons. But there are some books where the beauty of the language, the way the words are strung together, jump out and slap me (in a good way). Laini Taylor effortlessly, it seems, weaves in every mythology to this story, making it plausible, and realistic, and seemingly the grain of truth that every story holds. As you meet more and more characters, learn more of the world, you begin to see where the Christian, Muslim, and Jewish faiths got their angels. Where the ancient Greeks, and Hindu peoples found their Naja and Minotaurs. I know the first time I read this book I was fascinated and curious – incredibly so – by the world and how everything fit together. In this world, in Eretz, everything combined to entrance and entice, urging me along, dreading the pain and still willing to pay the tithe."
Best Teen & Young Adult Geography & Cultures US Fiction eBooks
Bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. He expects disaster when he transfers from the reservation school to the rich, white school in Reardan, but soon finds himself making friends with both geeky and popular students and starting on the basketball team. Arnold Spirit, a goofy-looking dork with a decent jumpshot, spends his time lamenting life on the "poor-ass" Spokane Indian reservation, drawing cartoons (which accompany, and often provide more insight than, the narrative), and, along with his aptly named pal Rowdy, laughing those laughs over anything and nothing that affix best friends so intricately together. He weathers the typical teenage indignations and triumphs like a champ but soon faces far more trying ordeals as his home life begins to crumble and decay amidst the suffocating mire of alcoholism on the reservation.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"An excellent book for teenage & young adults living difficult lives."
"I will be reading his other books,but they are probably not as good as good."
"I highly recommend this book!"
"My husband said the language brought back memories of his junior high days in the junior high locker room."
"I knew nothing about growing up as a native American, and was delighted with the perspectives, humor, sadness and plot turns."
"Great book club selection!"
"then, at the urging of a weird old white teacher, the narrator (arnold "junior" spirit) transfers to an all-white school in a nearby farming town. but, otherwise, the feelings of not fitting in, of trying to wrestle with that "affinity" issue, is not only universal to teenagers, it is -- imho -- the top-priority of youth culture these days (as i'll argue in the book i'm writing right now). i also think it's a fun and insightful read for parents and youth workers, because it speaks to this in-between, universal outcast sense that so many teenagers live with."
Best Teen & Young Adult Where We Live eBooks
Shadowhunters and demons square off for the final showdown in the spellbinding, seductive conclusion to the #1 New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series—now with a gorgeous new cover, a map, a new foreword, and exclusive bonus content! The beach in Los Angeles—white sand, crashing blue water, you’re strolling along the tide line . The boy sitting across from him sighed and ran his hands through his shaggy dark hair. Though it was a cold December day, werewolves didn’t feel weather as acutely as humans, and Jordan had his jacket off and his shirtsleeves rolled up. They were seated opposite each other on a patch of browning grass in a clearing in Central Park, both cross-legged, their hands on their knees, palms up. As Jace looked up, Isabelle caught his eye and gave him an encouraging wave. He smiled to himself—neither of them really had a reason to be here, but they had come anyway, “for moral support.” Though, Jace suspected it had more to do with the fact that Alec hated to be at loose ends these days, Isabelle hated for her brother to be on his own, and both of them were avoiding their parents and the Institute. Jace took his hands off his knees—the lotus position was giving him wrist cramps—and leaned back on his arms. Chilly wind rattled the few dead leaves that still clung to the branches of the trees. Against the pale winter sky the leaves had a spare elegance, like pen and ink sketches. Below the sleeves of his shirt, the tattoos that wrapped his arms were visible. The fire in his veins made his mind race too, thoughts coming too quickly, one after another, like exploding fireworks. But he hadn’t managed to do much more than irritate Alec with requests for healing runes and, on one memorable occasion, accidentally set fire to one of the crossbeams. It was Simon who had pointed out that his roommate meditated every day, and who’d said that learning the habit was what had calmed the uncontrollable fits of rage that were often part of the transformation into a werewolf. The first session had ended with Jace burning a mark into Simon and Jordan’s hardwood floor, so Jordan had suggested they take it outside for the second round to prevent further property damage. I know what brings me peace, and it isn’t sandy beaches or chirping birds in rain forests. Jace threw his hands up and stood, brushing grass off his jeans. “Now you get it.” He heard the crackle of dry grass and turned, in time to see Clary duck through a gap between two trees and emerge into the clearing, Simon only a few steps behind her. He remembered the second time he had ever seen Clary, across the main room of Java Jones. He remembered the unfamiliar twist of jealousy in his chest, pressing out his breath, the feeling of satisfaction when she’d left Simon behind to come and talk to him. He’d gone from being eaten up with jealousy of Simon, to a grudging respect for his tenacity and courage, to actually considering him a friend, though he doubted he’d ever say so out loud. Jace watched as Clary looked over and blew him a kiss, her red hair bouncing in its ponytail. She headed toward Jace and Jordan, leaving Simon to scamper up the rocky ground to where Alec and Isabelle were sitting; he collapsed beside Isabelle, who immediately leaned over to say something to him, her black curtain of hair hiding her face. Clary stopped in front of Jace, rocking back on her heels with a smile. “Without me you’d be bouncing down Madison Avenue, shooting sparks out of all your orifices.” He rose to his feet, shrugging on his green jacket. “Got to meet Maia downtown.” He gave a mock salute and was gone, slipping into the trees and vanishing with the silent tread of the wolf he was under the skin. Six months ago he wouldn’t have believed anyone who’d told him he was going to wind up taking behavioral lessons from a werewolf. Jordan and Simon and Jace had struck up something of a friendship in the past months. Jace couldn’t help using their apartment as a refuge, away from the daily pressures of the Institute, away from the reminders that the Clave was still unprepared for war with Sebastian. The word brushed the back of Jace’s mind like the touch of a feather, making him shiver. He saw an angel’s wing, torn from its body, lying in a pool of golden blood. “What’s wrong?” Clary said; Jace suddenly looked a million miles away. Since the heavenly fire had entered his body, he’d tended to drift off more into his head. She felt a little pang—Jace, when she had met him, had been so controlled, only a little of his real self leaking out through the cracks in his personal armor, like light through the chinks in a wall. Now, though, the fire in his veins was forcing him to put them back up, to bite down on his emotions for safety’s sake. The winter sun was high and cold; it sharpened the bones of his face and threw the shadows under his eyes into relief. His skin felt warm under her touch; he seemed to run several degrees hotter than normal since his encounter with Glorious. His heart still pounded its familiar, steady rhythm, but the blood being pushed through his veins seemed to thrum under her touch with the kinetic energy of a fire just about to catch. She went up on her toes to kiss his cheek, but he turned, and their lips brushed. They’d done nothing more than kiss since the fire had first started singing in his blood, and they’d done even that carefully. Jace was careful now, his mouth sliding softly against hers, his hand closing on her shoulder. He moved to pull her closer, and a sharp, dry spark passed between them, like the zing of static electricity. Jace bowed while Clary stepped back slightly sheepishly, hooking her thumbs into the belt of her jeans. “Unfortunately, that’s the only kind of friends we have.” Clary bumped her shoulder against his arm, and they headed up toward the rocks. Alec was sitting a little apart, staring at the screen of his phone with an expression of intense concentration. He looked smaller these days, almost skinny in his worn blue pullover, holes at the elbows, his lips bitten and chapped. He’d spent the first week after Magnus had broken up with him in a sort of daze of sadness and disbelief. Jace threw a handful of dead leaves at Alec, making him splutter. Under normal circumstances Jace would have killed, or at least threatened, anyone who hurt Alec; this was different. Alec protested and reached for it, but Jace held him off with one hand, expertly scrolling through the messages on the phone with the other. The Clave keeps wanting to hear what happened when we fought Sebastian at the Burren. We’ve all had to give accounts, like, fifty times. Descriptions of the Dark Shadowhunters, the Infernal Cup, the weapons they used, the runes that were on them. “Always good to know the Clave has a well-thought-out and reliable plan.” For a moment she regretted her words, remembering that Robert Lightwood was the new Inquisitor. A small force, scattered—they don’t want to believe he’s really a threat. She hadn’t dreamed much since they’d come back from the Burren with Jace’s veins full of fire, but when she did have nightmares, they were about her brother. “I heard Mom say that the warlocks of the Spiral Labyrinth have been looking for a way to reverse the effects of the Infernal Cup,” said Isabelle. The bodies of the Dark Shadowhunters killed at the Burren had been brought back to the Bone City for the Silent Brothers to examine. Isabelle found her voice again: “And the Iron Sisters are churning out weapons. In the days immediately following the battle at the Burren, when the fire had raged through Jace’s veins violently enough to make him scream sometimes with the pain, the Silent Brothers had examined him over and over, had tested him with ice and flame, with blessed metal and cold iron, trying to see if there was some way to draw the fire out of him, to contain it. The fire of Glorious, having once been captured in a blade, seemed in no hurry to inhabit another, or indeed to leave Jace’s body for any kind of vessel. Brother Zachariah had told Clary that in the earliest days of Shadowhunters, the Nephilim had sought to capture heavenly fire in a weapon, something that could be wielded against demons. They had never managed it, and eventually seraph blades had become their weapons of choice. Glorious’s fire lay curled in Jace’s veins like a serpent, and the best he could hope for was to control it so that it didn’t destroy him. The loud beep of a text message sounded; Isabelle had flicked on her phone again. you know, Christmas?” She thought back suddenly to the rather distressing Thanksgiving dinner at Luke’s when Jace, on being asked to carve the turkey, had laid into the bird with a sword until there had been little left but turkey flakes. I think Shadowhunters got annoyed with being left out of all the mundane celebrations, though, so a lot of Institutes have Christmas parties. Of course they didn’t want to celebrate Christmas after losing Max. Jace sighed, and kissed Clary—a quick good-bye brush of lips against her temple, but it made her shiver. Not being able to touch Jace or kiss him properly was starting to make her jump out of her own skin. The Frays had never been a religiously observant family, but Clary loved Fifth Avenue at Christmastime. The air smelled like sweet roasted chestnuts, and the window displays sparkled with silver and blue, green and red. This year there were fat round crystal snowflakes attached to each lamppost, sending back the winter sunlight in shafts of gold. It threw its shadow across them when she and Simon draped themselves over the gate at the side of the skating rink, watching tourists fall down as they tried to navigate the ice. Clary had a hot chocolate wrapped in her hands, the warmth spreading through her body. She felt almost normal—this, coming to Fifth to see the window displays and the tree, had been a winter tradition for her and Simon for as long as she could remember. “Feels like old times, doesn’t it?” he said, echoing her thoughts as he propped his chin on his folded arms. He was wearing a black topcoat and scarf that emphasized the pallor of his skin. His eyes were shadowed, indicating that he hadn’t fed on blood recently. Simon was a musician; even though his band was terrible, and was always changing their name—currently they were Lethal Soufflé—he did have training. I’m going to see if there’s a music store around here.” Clary, done with her hot chocolate, tossed the cup into a nearby trash can and pulled her phone out. They had started heading toward the avenue, where a steady stream of pedestrians gawking at the windows clogged the streets. In the meantime—perfume!” Clary grabbed Simon by the back of his coat and hauled him into a cosmetics store. Figs have a smell?” Simon looked horrified; Clary was about to laugh at him when her phone buzzed. Even though, as Clary had pointed out, Jace was probably the safest boyfriend in the world since he was pretty much banned from (1) getting angry, (2) making sexual advances, and (3) doing anything that would produce an adrenaline rush. On the other hand, he had been possessed; she and her mother had both watched while he’d stood by and let Sebastian attack Luke. “There is so much in this store I can picture Magnus wanting,” Simon said, picking up a glass bottle of body glitter suspended in some kind of oil. “Alec remembers my name,” said Simon, and he set the bottle back down. “You’ve waited a long time to make your move, Fray, I’ll say that for you.”. Clary didn’t bother with a smart retort; she was still thinking of what Simon had said about forgiveness, and remembering someone else, someone else’s voice and face and eyes. “Do you really think Isabelle wants to smell like a dried fruit plate?”. “I don’t like the thought of you going away.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat. And besides, how long would it take everyone at school to notice they were getting older but I wasn’t? “I would have gotten you pencils usually, art supplies, but you don’t draw anymore, do you, except with your stele? “I haven’t heard anything from the Dumort bunch since Maureen took over from Camille. Before Clary could answer, she heard someone call out her name; thoroughly puzzled, she looked over and saw her mother shoving her way through a crowd of shoppers. In his flannel shirt he looked out of place among the stylish New Yorkers. Breaking free of the crowd, Jocelyn caught up to them and threw her arms around Clary. Clary felt a sudden cold wash through her veins, as if she’d swallowed icy water. Jace used an Open rune to get in through the front door, took the stairs two at a time, and buzzed Magnus’s apartment bell. Two more long buzzes, and Magnus finally yanked the door open, looking furious. You must be the—what, fourth?—of you lot to bother me.” Magnus counted off on his long fingers. “I don’t have a relationship with Alec,” said Magnus flatly, but Jace had already shouldered past him and was in his living room, looking around curiously. One of the things Jace had always secretly liked about Magnus’s apartment was that it rarely looked the same way twice. Sometimes it looked like a French bordello, or a Victorian opium den, or the inside of a spaceship. Stacks of old Chinese food cartons littered the coffee table. Chairman Meow lay on the rag rug, all four legs sticking straight out in front of him like a dead deer. “That’s the Chinese food.” Magnus threw himself onto the sofa and stretched out his long legs. “Oh, he won’t sneak around behind my back with one of my exes planning to shorten my life again? “He won’t lie to you or mislead you or hide things from you or whatever it is you’re actually upset about.” He threw himself into a wingback leather chair and raised an eyebrow. “What do I care?” Jace said, so loudly that Chairman Meow sat bolt upright as if he’d been shocked. “I care about Alec,” Jace said, fixing Magnus with an unswerving gaze. “Don’t you ever think,” Magnus mused, pulling at a bit of peeling fingernail polish, “that the whole parabatai business is rather cruel? And though your parabatai is the closest person in the world to you in some ways, you can’t fall in love with them. All fragile nobility and humanity on one side, and all the thoughtless fire of angels on the other.” His eyes flicked toward Jace. Most people are afraid of you, or they seem to owe you something or you slept with them once, but friends—I don’t see you having a lot of those.”. “If you mean do I suddenly feel compelled to get back together with Alec, no,” said Magnus. “If I wanted to lie on a couch and complain to someone about my parents, I’d hire a psychiatrist.”. “I’m going to take a nap.” He reached out for a crumpled blanket lying on the floor, just as Jace’s phone rang. Magnus watched, arrested midmotion, as Jace dug around in his pocket and flipped the phone open. “Come back,” Isabelle said, and Jace sat up straight, the pillow tumbling to the floor. He could hear the sharpness in it, like the off notes of a badly tuned piano. He saw golden blood, and white feathers scattered across a marble floor. He remembered the apartment, a knife in his hands, the world at his feet, Sebastian’s grip on his wrist, those fathomless black eyes looking at him with dark amusement. There were dozens of unfamiliar coats and jackets hanging in the entryway of the Institute. Clary felt the tight buzzing of tension in her shoulders as she unzipped her own wool coat and hung it on one of the hooks that lined the walls. Jocelyn had unwound a long gray scarf from around her neck, and barely looked as Luke took it from her to drape it on a hook. Her green eyes were darting around the room, taking in the gate of the elevator, the arched ceiling overhead, the faded murals of men and angels. “It’s the ‘we’ part that concerns me.” Jocelyn wound her hair up into a knot at the back of her head, and secured it with her fingers. She hadn’t seen her brother since the fight at the Burren, but she carried him in some small part of her mind, an intrusive, unwelcome ghost. Someone had pushed back all the furniture in the library, clearing a large space in the middle of the room, just atop the mosaic of the Angel. A massive table had been placed there, a huge slab of marble balanced on top of two kneeling stone angels. Some members, like Kadir and Maryse, Clary knew by name. Maryse was standing, ticking off names on her fingers as she chanted aloud. Maryse looked startled, as if she hadn’t realized Jocelyn had come in. She looked drawn and exhausted, her hair scraped back severely, a stain—red wine or blood?—on the sleeve of her tailored jacket. “Helen,” said Alec, and Clary thought of the girl who had fought with them against Sebastian at the Burren. She remembered her in the nave of the Institute, a dark-haired boy clinging to her wrist. “Aline’s girlfriend,” Clary blurted out, and saw the Conclave look at her with thinly veiled hostility. Would you?” Jocelyn’s eyes met Maryse’s, and Clary wondered if this was how it had been when they’d both been in the Circle, the sharp edges of their personalities rubbing up against each other, causing sparks. He was flushed with the cold, bareheaded, fair hair tousled by the wind. His hands were gloveless, red at the tips from the weather, scarred with Marks new and old. He saw Clary and gave her a quick smile before settling into a chair propped against the wall. Her heart was pounding, sick in her chest; yet at the same time there was a strange sense of relief. “The Clave has called for immediate evacuation,” said Maryse, and at that, everyone went silent, even Jace. Some of her usual imperious air was back, her mouth a thin line, her jaw set with determination. Cassandra Clare is the #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of Lord of Shadows and Lady Midnight , as well as the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series and Infernal Devices trilogy. She is the coauthor of The Bane Chronicles with Sarah Rees Brennan and Maureen Johnson and Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy with Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, and Robin Wasserman, as well as The Shadowhunter’s Codex, which she cowrote with her husband, Joshua Lewis. Her books have more than 50 million copies in print worldwide and have been translated into more than thirty-five languages, a feature film, and a TV show, Shadowhunters , currently airing on Freeform.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"That said, I really liked this final installment, great plot and ending, at first I didn't understand the whole importance of the kids and stuff though I did imagine it was a way to tie this series with the prequel, which kinda did. Being a fan of the prequel which I did read first, I loved to know how Jem stopped being a silent brother, and to see Tessa back as well. I was a bit disappointed in the not so epic war, although it wasn't terrible I had hoped for Sebastian to go with more of a fight, though he was a sneaky bastard so he got what he deserved, though his death scene is beautifully written and even kinda makes you cry."
"The Clave keeps acting like bigoted racists, with hints of an ominous doom to come! On the other hand... 1) Could these people BE any more self-obsessed? There's this huge war that's threatening ALL LIFE ON EARTH and they still spend pages and pages moaning about how their personal lives suck. And then they go to the demon world--the DEMON WORLD!--and discover the remains of an ENTIRE CIVILIZATION--possibly the greatest archaeological find EVER--and still all they can think about is their relationships and how hawt the other person is."
"Cassandra did a brilliant job closing off the book, with the possibility of a spin off series surrounding other characters. The story takes place not long after the previous book, following on from Jace being stabbed and having consumed the heavenly fire. The book continues on with Clary, Jace, Izzy, Alec, Simon and Magnus, fighting to stop Sebastian from laying waste to the Shadowhunters and the rest of the world. The beginning of the book was somewhat a bit of a slow build but once the pace is set, it is one that keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time with your heart hammering in your chest."
"(Mild spoilers) Six books come to an ending with essentially no consequences for the main characters and everyone gets a happily ever after."