WEEK 26 - BOOK 27

"Specials" - Scott Westerfeld
(from the inside flap)



"SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES" the words have sent chills down Tally's spine since her days as a repellent, rebellious ugly. Back the Specials were a sinister rumor--frighteningly beautiful, dangerously strong, breath-ta kingly fast. Ordinary pretties might live their whole lives without meeting a Special. But Tally's never been ordinary.
And now she's been turned into one of them: a superamped fighting machine, engineered to keep the uglies down and the pretties stupid. The strength, the speed, and the clarity and focus of her thinking feel better than anything Tally can remember. Most of the time. One tiny corner of her heat still remembers something more. Still, it's easy to tune that out--until Tally's offered a chance to stamp out the rebels of the New Smoke permanently. It all comes down to one last choice: listen to that tiny, faint heartbeat, or carry out the mission she's programmed to complete. Either way, Tally's world will never be the same.

This is the third book of a series. Also the last book, so far, I can see another one coming, maybe. Tally and Shay are reunited in this book. They are both Specials, they are called Cutters, because they cut their selves to keep the "icy" feeling they crave. They are also out to get the Smokies. They are sent to find their new place and destroy it. But once they get there, they become involved in a war which Dr. Cable has used them to start. Shay and the rest of the Cutters have had the cure, but Tally is the only left with her Special skills still in tact. Tally fights to "rewire" herself to the way she was when she was an uglie. She also finds David again and they both are together keeping the wilderness wild.

The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

The Alchemyst

The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

By

Michael Scott

Back Cover: "The truth: Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on September 28, 1330. Nearly seven hundred years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life. The records show that he died in 1418. But his tomb is empty.

The legend: Nicholas Flamel lives. But only because he has been making the elixir of life for centuries. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects--The book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. That's exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won't know what's happening until it's too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only one with the power to save the world as we know it.

Sometimes legends are true. And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time."

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott is an enjoyable, entertaining read. When 15 year old twins Sophie and Josh decide to stay with their aunt in San Francisco, instead of joining their parents in Utah on a dig, little do they know what adventure is in store for them. They take jobs right across the street from each other: Sophie in a coffee shop and Josh in a bookstore owned by Nick and Peggy Fleming. The action starts at the very beginning when Sophie notices strangely dressed men appear and enter the bookshop. Suddenly she is smelling the over powering smell of peppermint and rotten eggs. John Dee has come for The Book which is a text of ancient wisdom. However, his plans are thwarted when even though he manages to get the book, Josh somehow in the fight grabs hold of the last two pages of the book and unbeknownest to Dee, tears them out of the book.

When Dee discovers the pages are missing, the search is on and Nicholas, Josh, Sophie are on the run, trying to stay ahead of Dee. Nicholas recognizes that the twin are all part of the prophecy and he must do everything he can, not only to recover the book, but find a way to awaken the twins powers. Plus, the book contains an immortality potion that Nicholas and his wife must make and drink each month or they will age and die.

John Dee enlists the aid of the crow goddess, Morrigan, the cat goddess Bastet and battles Nicholas, Josh and Sophie who have the aid of a centuries old Scathath and Hekate, the three faced goddess. It is a battle royale between good and evil.

I love well written, young adult novels, especially if they are entertaining, engaging and imaginative, without all the bloods, guts, gore, and swearing. Makes for a good clean story. "The Alchemyst" is a young adult novel and very well written. The characters are well drawn, the story exciting and engaging with many elements from mythology brought to life. I'm looking forward to reading the other two books in the series: Book 2 - "The Magician" (released April 2009) and Book 3 - "The Sorceress," which will be released on June 25th.

Pages: 400
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Released: May 22, 2007
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy


Other thoughts about the book

Mrs. Magoo Reads:
"Before reading this book, I thought it would be both corny and strange. I was wrong about both. Michael Scott told his story very well, and got a sense of urgency across to the reader. Besides the magic part of the novel, it felt very real, as if any second this could actually happen, and I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat, cheering the twins on, more often than not."

The Ya Ya Ya's:
"The Alchemyst although not quite as sophisticated as the Harry Potter series has a definite draw with its infusion of ancient folklore turned into a real life adventure."

Valentina's Room:
"The story is full of action, magic and dangerous situations. Just think that it happens in only 48 hours and it's the first chapter of a series of books, So even if we're provided with an ending, we don't have all the answers and we should be prepared to see at least other two books."