Conor Broekhart is strong, courageous, intelligent, and a trained swordsman. Everything a dashing hero in the late nineteenth century needs to be. Connor ends up saving the princess Isabella and earning her undying love early in the novel, however, when Connor witnesses the villainous Marshall Hugo Bonvilain kill the king, Isabella’s father, Bonvilain develops an insidious plan for getting rid of him.
The Marshall convinces everyone that Connor is dead while convincing Connor that everyone despises him. Conor is sent to prison in the diamond mines of the remote Saltee Islands off the Irish coast where he struggles against Malarkey, the man the Marshall hired to repeatedly thrash him, as well as the Battering Rams, the gang that runs the prisoners. While it seems all hope is lost for young Connor, he not only survives, but develops an elaborate plan to escape and expose Bonvilain using a flying machine of his own invention. The details of the flying machine Connor designs are magnificent and based in fact which push the story into the fantastic.
Of course, the adventure is far from over even with a magnificent flying machine and a daring escape from the island prison. No matter which course Conor tries to take, the odds are stacked up against him; fate and the villainous Marshall Bonvilain won’t let him escape.
Airman is both heartbreaking and heartwarming as the young hero, Conor Broekhart, struggles to overcome his incredible losses and battle the evil villains who threaten not only his life but also the life of family and his beloved childhood love, the princess Isabella.
Airman is easily the best adventure novel I have ever read.
New Moon is the second book in the Twilight Saga. Bella is upset on her eighteenth birthday because she is now older than Edward who will forever be seventeen. The Cullens, however, are delighted to be celebrating her birthday because, after all, it has been decades since they have had a birthday to celebrate. The vampire family throws Bella a beautiful party which turns to disaster when Bella gives herself a paper cut unwrapping one of her gifts. The blood causes Jasper to try to attack Bella. When Edward jumps in front of Bella to protect her from Jasper she is knocked into the party table causing the cake and plates and crystal and gifts to fall to the floor. Bella falls into the debris and her arm is gashed open by the shattered crystal and she begins to bleed profusely. The delicious smell of her blood causes the other vampires to need to leave the room before their temptation becomes too great too. Edward realizes the danger of his relationship with Bella and resolves to leave her to a normal “human” life. Edward breaks Bella’s heart when he and the rest of their family permanently leave Forks, Washington and cut all ties with Bella. After months Bella finally comes out of her zombie like depression when she starts seeing her old friend Jacob Black on the Indian Reservation. Sixteen year-old Jacob turns into a werewolf, the natural enemy of vampires, when a couple of vampires start killing humans out hiking in the wilderness. The vampires are actually trying to hunt down Bella to avenge the death of James, the predatory vampire killed by Edward in the first novel, Twilight. Bella and Jacob become very close friends and are on the brink of becoming even closer when Edward comes back into the picture. Edward is in grave danger from the Volturi and only Bella can save him. Will Bella choose Edward over Jacob? What price will Bella have to pay to save Edward? Can her heart be broken any more? Read this page turner to find out, and then read the next book in the Twilight Saga, Eclipse. You won’t want to put the book down!
Kiriel is one of the fallen, working in Hell, tormenting the other damned souls. And he's bored. But he has a plan...take the body of a human just before he dies. Which is how he ends up in the body of 17-year-old Shaun. He doesn't want it forever...he just wants to take a short "vacation" to experience the sensations of Earth. True, it's unauthorized and he's breaking all sorts of rules and committing lots of sins, but what's the worst they could do to him? Send him to Hell? Kiriel decides it's his duty to "plant some seeds" while on Earth, like suggesting to a bully to treat people better and convincing an unpopular, overweight girl that she is beautiful. But he also works to improve the relationship with Shaun's brother and mother, and paves the way for his geeky 8th grader brother to come out of his shell and make friends. This book is hard to put down and the characters and situations are flawless. Much of Kiriels's time is preoccupied with sex and plans to experience it firsthand. The ending is unexpected leaving readers satisfied that after Kiriel has returned to Hell, his work while on Earth will not have been wasted. This 2008 Printz Honor selection gives the reader something to think about while making him giggle the entire time. Highly recommended for teens in grades 10 and up.
Based loosely on a real life occurrence, this novel explores the heart-breaking story of two best friends involved in an automobile accident on their way to cheerleading practice. It takes the life of one and leaves the other brain-damaged for life. Because they look so much alike, they are mis-identified in the first weeks after the tragedy. Family and friends find out the truth only after one girl is buried. Accordingly the heartbreak of what happened is compounded for all involved, principally for the parents and the boy who had been dating the girl who died. The emotional roller coaster experienced by all who loved the girls is authentically recounted in a thought-provoking book suitable for those in grades 10 - 12.
