Dearly, Departed- Nov. 25th

Grade: A-

We continue to be surprised by the combination of settings in which we find zombies. Dearly, Departed is the zombie love story we've been waiting for. Okay, that sounds strange, so let us explain.

The year is 2195 and after a series of world wars, environmental disasters, and general awfulness, the surviving population has divided into two groups: The NewVictorians and The Punks. Unfortunately, they can't seem to get along and continue to battle for territory and resources. It isn't until a new foe rears its un-dead head, that they covertly begin to work together. Transmitted by a virus called "The Laz," the dead have come back and some are craving brains, while others are interested in just living their un-dead second lives. But if the hungry zombies cannot be contained and a vaccine isn't found soon, the entire world really will be dead. In the midst of it all Nora- a New Victorian, and Bram-an un-dead Punk, find themselves thrown together in a race to rescue Nora's un-dead father, stop the spread of "The Laz," and avoid a zombie take over. So of course, they fall in love.

Dearly, Departed reads almost like historical fiction-Bram is in the military, so most of the action pits military and civilians against the bad zombies. There is some mention of steam technology and automatons, but not enough for us to give it complete "steam punk" billing. It's an interesting idea being set so far into the future. One where characters roam around in Victorian garb while living in Central America using computers and steam tech in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. We hesitate to mention that over-the-top sparkly vampire story here, but there are some similarities. However, this one is not dialogue driven and Nora doesn't go all weak in the knees every time she has to make a decision. This is the first in a trilogy.

Ashes- Nov. 24

Grade: B

We're trying to stay on top of all the apocalyptic-zombie themed books and we realize that Ashes has been circulating through our library for a couple of months now, so forgive us for not posting this review sooner.

After a massive electromagnetic pulse radiates through the mountains destroying all electronic equipment and killing scores of people, Alex is forced to band together with Ellie and Tom in order to survive the grizzly aftermath. They don't know why the EMP was released, they don't know how large of an area it covered (several states at least), and they don't know if just some or all of the survivors will turn into zombies. It soon becomes a race to find food, shelter, and supplies and come up with a plan for the winter months. They fight through zombie groups and wild dogs only to be separated during a violent raid on their supplies by other non-infected survivors. Alex must journey to the nearest town in search of medical help and the kidnapped Ellie, before more zombies return to eat the injured Tom. However, once in the town of Rule, Alex learns that there may be a terrible secret that connects all of the non-infected survivors. She too, has been keeping a secret and the leaders of Rule have no intention of letting Alex leave.

We didn't immediately take to this one. In fact, it kind of feels like the book starts out as one story then changes into something else. If you're a fan of The Walking Dead, you'll enjoy the first section of the book with all of the gut-busting (no joke) descriptions. Their journey off the mountain and out of the park is pretty end-of-the-world typical fare. We suggest you keep reading though because once you get to the town of Rule, this is where things really get interesting. We hear that this is the first in a trilogy and considering the cliff-hanger ending, were planning on picking up the next one.

Girls Don't Fly- Nov. 23

Grade: A

We told you that we were looking forward to reading the second book by Kristen Chandler, and since we had a nice long break for Thanksgiving, that's exactly what we did... and we liked it! Part of the fun of Girls Don't Fly is that it's set in our own backyard- The Great Salt Lake and surrounding communities. We connected immediately with a number of the adult-teen scenarios and local characters. In fact, we often wondered if the author had followed us around during our teenage years- some of the people were so frustratingly familiar.

Myra is always the responsible one, the one who will give up her own wants and needs to take care of everyone else- a living doormat. Although she loves her younger brothers and knows that she is valued by her parents and older sister, she has always wondered what it would be like to just be somewhere else. When she is dumped by her boyfriend, who claims that she is a "space sucker," she decides that she has had enough of cleaning up everyone else's mess. And once she learns of a scholarship program in the Galapagos Islands, she is determined to win a ticket to paradise. So begins her journey to figure our what she wants and just how much "space" she will continue to give others.

We love Myra, hate her ex-boyfriend, and think she handles each situation in a fairly realistic and mature manner. It's a quick read with both heart and humor.

The Monstrumologist Series- Oct. 31st

Grade: A

In light of the current holiday, we thought we would offer a terrorizing treat! The Monstrumologist series by Rick Yancey continues to amaze us with its perfect blend of monster mythology, complex characters, and of course, GUTS!! Squeamish readers, we don't want to you by-pass this one, but be warned that as the characters get closer to solving each case, the entrails will fly and copious amounts of blood will flow. The brilliant thing about this series is that it feels like you're reading a Classic (Okay, now you're running away for a different reason, but come back).

The series follows the case studies of Dr. Pellinore Warthrope, as narrated by his 12 year-old assistant, Will Henry. It is upon Will Henry's death in 2007, which would make him well over 100 years-old, that the strange tale of the monstrumologist is discovered in a set of portfolios. As each is reviewed, it becomes clear that if they are true, the world was once overrun with monsters... and still could be. In The Monstrumologist (bk.1) we learn about the headless Anthropophagi which feed on corpses through tooth-filled mouths located on their chests. Wendigos, or human flesh eaters, are tracked down in The Curse of the Wendigo (bk. 2). And the recently released, Isle of Blood (bk. 3) puts us on the trail of the Magnificum- a monster so terrible, that it can make the sky rain blood.

With a fourth book rumored to be the last in the series, hopefully coming out next fall, we suggest you start reading now! Teens and adults, Gothic novel fans and mystery lovers will find this series to be engaging, challenging, and WELL WORTH YOUR READING TIME!

All These Things I Have Done- October 3

Grade: C

We read Elsewhere with a box of Kleenex close by and we couldn't put down Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac, but this latest title was all over the place. Don't get us wrong, we still love Gabrielle Zevin; we were just distracted by some of the items included in this story. Confused? Okay, let's start our laundry list of reasons why this one is just so-so (and we realize that we could be in the minority here).

When you read the book jacket, it will dawn on you that you have possibly stumbled upon yet another dystopian teen novel, but that this one, because of the author and it's 1920's mob-style twist, could be something really special. It's set in 2083 when all of the good stuff (chocolate and coffee) is illegal and there are strict rationing policies in place regarding water. Anya Balanchine is the daughter of a murdered crime boss caught between trying to protect her siblings, getting through school, and staying out of the family business of crime. But we found that the story was a bit disjointed and had some serious lag time- not to mention the strange outcome in regards to Anya's boyfriend. Why did it have to be the year 2083? Why chocolate? Was she just trying to jump on the dystopia wagon? At one point, the theme to "The Godfather" started playing in our heads and we were anticipating a severed horse head (instead we got a mummified grandmother).

If you take it apart, you get some really dramatic sequences and a few discussion topics, but we're betting this is a one-time read for most people. Zevin fans will read this and probably think it's not so bad. If it's your first time with one of her books, don't start here.

The Night Circus- September 26th

Grade: A-

"The Circus arrives without warning, simply appearing when yesterday it was not there."

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern will appeal to both the adult and teen reader. In fact, we wouldn't be surprised if it is being considered for a 2012 Alex Award (hint, hint nomination committee members). It's an imaginative tale of magic and mystery surrounding the lives that are drawn to the black and white tents of Le Cirque de Reves. Celia and Marco, both illusionists have been studying and honing their craft as they move toward a face-off that was negotiated long-ago. Neither knows that the other will become their opponent in a battle designed to leave one alive, and the other dead. This is the foundation that the circus is built upon- it is their battle arena, but to the circus patrons, it is a wondrous place where you can walk through dreams.

The writing is lyrical without the heaviness of overly descriptive passages. Each character is distinctive and easily recognizable, which helps when dealing with the jumpy time-line of events. It's been a long time since we have enjoyed the setting of a story even more than the storyline. You'll want to savor this one- no rushing!

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks- Sept. 5th

Grade: A

With so much of our reading time spent in the realm of YA, we don't often get to pick up a non-fiction, adult title. However, this one has been popping up on all of the must read lists so we grabbed the paperback edition and dove right in.

Henrietta Lacks was an African American woman diagnosed with a particularly aggressive form of cervical cancer in the 1950's. After enduring extreme radiation treatments and eventually dying from the rapidly growing tumors, doctors began growing and commercializing her cells. Unbeknown to Henrietta or her family, these HeLa cells were used in numerous studies ranging from the creation of vaccinations to the effects of nuclear bombs on cancer. They have been injected into medical test subjects and even sent into space. It is incalculable as to the number of people whose health has been improved by the use of these cells or the amount of revenue that can be directly attributed to the sale of HeLa samples. Yet, her own family cannot afford health care and there is some question as to whether or not Henrietta or her family gave the doctors permission to begin cloning her cells in the first place.

The book is part biographical and medical. Time is also spent discussing the legal fallout, ethical use of human tissue, and basic civil rights as applied to the field of medicine and medical studies. Don't be dissuaded by the bio-tech/med history aspect. Author, Rebecca Skloot did a great job of explaining medical procedures and studies without bogging us down in jargon. It's the human aspect of the book that she wanted to focus on anyway- and it does. You will get caught up in hunting down the Lacks family and we know you will begin asking yourself: How would I feel about the doctors using my cells? You'll learn some surprising and horrifying facts about what you do and DO NOT have control over when it comes to your body.

We rank this one right up there with a couple of our other adult, non-fiction favorites: Into Thin Air- Jon Krakauer, My Life In France- Julia Child, Queen of Fashion-Caroline Weber, The Great Influenza- John M. Barry, In the Heart of the Sea- Nathaniel Philbrick