The Iron Trial

The Iron Trial
Cassandra Clare & Holly Black

My rating: ★★★

ISBN: 978-0545522250
Publisher: Scholastic
Date of publication: September 9, 2014
Age: Grades 5 - 8
Genre: Fantasy

Themes: elemental magic, good vs. evil, friendship, secrecy

Most kids would do anything to pass the Iron Trial and be accepted into the Magisterium, a prestigious school of magic. Not Callum Hunt. He wants to fail. All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic and the school. So he tries his best to do his worst—and fails at failing. Now enrolled at the Magisterium, Call is shocked to discover how much he enjoys it. That is, until he discovers the secret his father has been hiding from him all along...

It's a bit of a dark and sinister book, but what else would you expect from Clare & Black? I mean, the villain in the book is called "The Enemy of Death." DunDun Dunnnn. But still, it took me a while to get through the book; it didn't grab me like I thought it would, and I'm not exactly sure why. Callum came off a tad annoying, because he comes off rather angry and selfish (which is understandable, given his past and hardships; it just didn't make him very likable). The story, on the whole, was good. There's a lot of mystery and excitement, and I'll admit, I didn't predict the ending. It was quite the surprise. So I'll leave it up to you, whether or not to read it.

Find it at your library or on Amazon

Doll Bones

Doll Bones

Holly Black

My rating: ★★★★

ISBN: 9781416963981
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Date of publication: May 7, 2013
Age: Grades 5 - 9
Genre: Mystery

Themes: Dolls, journey, growing up

Awards: Newbery Honor (2014), Carnegie Medal Nominee for Young Adult (2014)

Zach, Poppy, and Alice are the best of friends, and they love playing make-believe with their dolls and action figures. But now they’re in middle school, and Zach’s dad wants him to grow up, leaving the make-believe behind. Poppy, however, says it can’t end: the Queen, an antique bone-china doll, is haunting her dreams. A ghost of a girl is somehow linked to the doll, and will not rest until the doll is buried in her grave. The three of them set out on one last adventure, but things keep going horribly wrong.

With just the right amount of creepy factor, this is a rather fantastic adventure book. The characters are amazing; the three main ones being so well developed, they feel real.  The story was a good one, based on just enough truth that the ghost aspect seemed plausible. Really, I think you should read it, especially if you love a good (as in clean) ghost story.