“Inheritance” by Christopher Paolini

This is the final book in the Inheritance cycle, about Eragon and the dragon Saphira.

It is finally time to take on Galbatorix. Eragon has learned all he can in the time he’s had, Saphira is ready, and Nasuada has mustered the largest free army in all of Alagaesia. Will Eragon be able to beat the most powerful man in the world? Or will all of Alagaesia fall slave to Galbatorix?

I have mixed feelings about this book. Most of it was pretty good, with the action moving along, and the focus on the more interesting characters. But there were pockets of s-l-o-w-n-e-s-s, where descriptions would go on for pages and pages. Certain plot elements were almost a direct copy of other high fantasy books, and the final battle finishes about 100 pages before the end of the book. (Though this may have been done so the reader feels Eragon’s loss of direction after the war). If you loved the other books, or are a big fan of high fantasy (like Tolkien), this one’s for you. I give it an 8 out of 10.

Read-A-Likes: Eragon by Christopher Paolini (the first one), Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, The Fellowship of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, The Once and Future King by T. H. White

“Uncommon Criminals” by Ally Carter

This is the sequel to Heist Society, which is a Florida Teens Read book for this school year.

Kat has decided to use her talents as a thief to right wrongs, to return stolen property to its rightful owners. So when an elderly lady approaches Kat with a story about the biggest gem in history being found by her parents, but then stolen by an unscrupulous character, Kat only hesitates a bit before deciding to steal the gem for her. But things don’t go as planned, and when the rumors of a curse associated with the gem seem to hit her team, Kat wonders if she’s in over her head.

I liked how this one spent more time focusing on Kat’s relationships, especially with Hale. I enjoy reading about the heists, but what makes Kat such a great character is her relationships. This one seemed to tie up a little too easily, but I suppose it’s a plausible solution. I hope there will be another book about Katarina Bishop. I give this one an 8.5.

Read-A-Likes: Heist Society by Ally Carter (#1), I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter, 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson, Swindle by Gordon Korman

“Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever” by Jeff Kinney

This is the sixth Diary of a Wimpy Kid book.

Greg is worried – it’s only a few weeks until Christmas, and he’s worried about Santa checking in on him at the wrong time. He gets some crazy ideas about how to raise some money, but of course it goes awry and now he’s a wanted criminal. As the police close in, a snowstorm blows in, granting Greg a reprieve – or is it? After a few days of being snowed in with his family, he’s starting to think jail doesn’t sound so bad!

As always, this DOAWK book is excellent. I love Greg and how even when he tries to do the right thing, it winds up backfiring on him. There seemed to be more drawings in this one, which was cool, and the situations Greg deals with are so true, and that’s what make them funny (it IS creepy that Santa can see you all the time, I never understood why grown-ups didn’t think that was weird!) A 9.5 from me for a wonderfully entertaining book.

Read-A-Likes: Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney (#1), American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen

“Mastiff” by Tamora Pierce

This is the third and final book in the Beka Cooper series.

Beka is on her biggest Hunt yet. The royal family is threatened, and Beka, Tunstall, Achoo, and new friend, the mage Farmer, must hunt down the bad guys. As the Hunt gets worse and worse, with more and more danger as each hour passes, Beka isn’t sure they will prevail, especially as the plot is slowly revealed to them. Can a few Dogs overcome some of the most powerful people they’ve even seen?

This one is a lot grittier than most of Pierce’s work, and I can’t help but think it’s a sign of the times. I miss the more gentle style of her previous work, but since I love Beka and had to finish her story, I made it through. There is a traitor in the midst of the Hunt, and when I found out who it was, I cried - I felt like I had been punched in the gut. The ending was not what I expected, and I’m still not sure if that made it better or worse. I give this one an 8 out of 10.

Read-A-Likes: Terrior by Tamora Pierce (#1), Alanna by Tamora Pierce, The Shifter by Janice Hardy, Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman

“Goliath” by Scott Westerfeld

This is the third and final book in the Leviathan trilogy.

Alek and Deryn are back aboard Leviathan, after the battle in Istanbul. They are flying over Siberia, where a mysterious man is picked up. Alek wants to believe his claims of being able to end the war, but Deryn isn’t so sure. And when Alek discovers Deryn’s real identity, things really become difficult as they try to end the war before the entire world is blown up.

This one takes off from page one. I thought Alek’s reaction to Deryn’s secret was realistic, the final battle was exciting and while I wasn’t so sure about Alek’s final act in the book, it made for a satisfying ending. Bovril was adorable and useful, as in the last book, and I give this one a 9 out of 10.

Read-A-Likes: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld (the first one), Airborn by Kenneth Oppel, Infernal Devices by Philip Reeve

“Beauty Queens” by Libba Bray

Since I loved the Great and Terrible Beauty series, I thought it would be fun to read this one.

The Miss Teen Dream contestants have crashed on a deserted island. But appearances are deceiving, as they discover a secret government compound on the other side of the island. With Miss Texas in charge, and a handful of survivors, can the girls break out of the pageant mold long enough to survive?

This book had some really crazy moments. The satire was taken too far in places – instead of making me laugh, I was confused. There were a lot of characters, and while they each had a defining characteristic (the deaf one, the lesbian, the one with a tray sticking out of her forehead), I had a hard time keeping most of them straight. If you like extremely wacky humor, or a bunch of teen beauty queens discovering their power as women, you’ll like this book. I give it a 6 out of 10.

Read-A-Likes: This is a totally unique book. If you like the girl-power aspect, try The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart. If you like the survival part, try My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. If you like beauty pageants, try The Beef Princess of Practical County by Michelle Houts.