Here Be Monsters by Alan Snow

This book was recommended to me, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Arthur travels above ground, searching for food, but he stumbles upon some strange activities. There appear to be men hunting for cheese even though it is against the law. His mechanical wings are stolen, and he finds miniature versions of real creatures. All of the entrances back to the underground are blocked off, and a new friend has his store demolished. There seems to be connection between missing creatures, a stolen invention, and the reason Arthur's grandfather is not able to travel above ground. However, no one can figure out what it is, but it's a real BIG problem.

I must admit that I wasn't really grabbed by the beginning of the book. There were men riding fake horses during their hunt for cheese, actual cheese! There were box trolls made from boxes, cabbage heads with actual cabbages for their heads, and other strange creatures. I like creativity, but I was not immediately enjoying the plot. However, once a problem arose and the plot became clearer, the book was more entertaining. The characters and events were still pretty strange, but I liked the plot. Mysterious tiny creatures, a missing invention, and a grandfather who was wrongfully accused of murder. Good stuff!

The Roar by Emma Clayton

I found this book on my local library's recommended books shelf, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. The Animal Plague forty years ago forced surviving humans to build a huge wall for protection. The northern parts of Europe, Asia, and North America are the ony places on Earth where humans are able to live safely. Today, Mika is a mutant, twelve-year-old boy, and most people believe his twin sister is dead. However, she was kidnapped by Mal Gorman, and doctors have been performing tests and developing her special abilities. Also, all children are now required to drink Fit Mix, go through intense physical training, and play the Pod Fighter arcade game. Mika doesn't want to take part in the program, but a counselor secretly says it will help him find his sister. She also tells him that his life is in danger, but Mika won't stop until he's reunited with Ellie. Gorman has evil plans for all of the children remaining on Earth, and he won't let anything stop him.

The plot mostly follows Mika's character, but it shifts to Ellie and Gorman too. Ellie's powers frighten Gorman, but he feels there is some way to control her. Mika starts to show some of the same powers, and the twins can sense each other's thoughts. This mostly allows Mika to excel as a pod fighter pilot, and it keeps him motivated to find his sister. The thickness of the book might scare some readers, but the events and font size allow the plot to move along quickly.

The Whisper by Emma Clayton

This book is the sequel to The Roar, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Mika and Ellie are reunited, and they realize all of the children have been trained to fight a war against the people north of The Wall. Mal Gorman has the twenty-seven thousand children sleeping until he wants them to attack, but the twins are able to mentally communicate with them. Mika and Ellie decide to capture Gorman, take control of the fortress and its defenses, and then negotiate peace between the governments north and south of The Wall. However, the plans go haywire when the children's parents discover The Secret and build a huge bomb to blow a hole in the wall separating the two worlds. The twins may not be able to stop the war and all its destruction once it begins.

This book has a dystopian setting where the humans almost destroyed all of the plants and animals. While Mika and Ellie are main characters, the author allows other characters to have important roles too. Kobi acts as a spy while helping to build the bomb for the parents, and Leo is in charge of negotiating with the government south of The Wall. I was expecting a third book in the series, because there seemed to be too many conflicts to resolve. However, the plot came to a nice resolution.

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz

This book is a spin-off from Hansel and Gretel, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Hansel and Gretel are twins born to a king and queen. Due to some curses and prophecies, the kids decide it's best if they run away. They meet up with the witch from the fairy tale, a warlock who eats children, and the Devil. At one point, Hansel is terrorizing a forest as a half boy, half beast and is killed by a duke. The children finally return to the kingdom of Grimm to be reunited with their parents, but the kingdom is being ravaged by a dragon. The children must find some way to unite the citizens against it, but they're only kids. Hansel and Gretel must also find some way to forgive their parents for the terrible thing done to them that caused them to run away.

I enjoyed the point of view used in the telling of the story; it had a Lemony Snicket ring to it. The narrator warned the reader that the plot would be scary, gross, and bloody, and it was. The narrator advised that young children should leave the room. The plot had many twists and turns as the children tried to find adults who weren't mean and cruel. Young adult readers will probably enjoy the book, because it takes a familiar story and makes it shockingly different. Many of the events were hokey (Hansel is killed a couple of different times), but that's also what made it amusing.

In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz

This book is a sequel to A Tale Dark & Grimm, and I gave it a rating of five out of five. Jack and Jill have problems at their homes and decide to go on a quest with a three-legged frog. They must find the Seeing Glass, a powerful mirror for which kings would give up their kingdoms to possess. The children survive the challenges of the giants at the top of the beanstalk, the evil mermaids in the sea, dangerous goblins under the ground, and a fire-breathing salamander. Jack and Jill are brave adventurers, but their brains are their most valuable weapons. However, the children risk their lives against many foes but still may never discover the power of the Seeing Glass. The key is finding the end of their con-fusion.

I enjoy unexpected and strange humor, so this book was right up my alley. I liked how the kids solved their challenges through cleverness, and the adventures had unusual twists. The book began with a couple of familiar fairy tales, but the narrator tells the reader the "true" endings to the stories. The description is a little gross and crude at times, but it's something most teen readers will enjoy. You can find my review of A Tale Dark & Grimm by typing the title in the search box at the top-left corner of the screen.

The Grimm Conclusion by Adam Gidwitz

This book is the third in the series, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Jorinda and Joringel are twins who were "born" under a juniper tree. Joringel gets his head chopped off by his evil stepfather, and Jorinda becomes engaged to the prince. Her story is similar to the story of Cinderella, but it has major changes. She must face monsters, encounters unicorns, and the king hates her. Meanwhile, Joringel heads out on his own and finds new adventures. You're probably wondering how this is possible after Joringel lost his head. I'm not going to tell you. The children's stories go their separate ways, but they are destined to live happily ever after, maybe.

The entire series presents new versions of old fairy tales. The author has no problem describing new events in gross ways, so I'm giving you fair warning. Joringel has his body chopped up and added to a stew, so you'll enjoy the author's creativity if this doesn't bother you. The story is written as if the narrator is having a conversation with readers, and the narrator/author actually becomes a character later in the book. I found some parts of the plot were grosser than needed, but I appreciated the author's imagination and enjoyed the book overall.

Dark Lord #2: School's Out by Jamie Thomson

This book is the second in the series. Dirk Lloyd is actually the Dark Lord of the Darklands, but he's been trapped in the body of a human boy by Lord Hasdruban. Christopher and Sooz are his friends, but Sooz mistakenly gets sent to the Darklands. It's not easy to travel between worlds, so she's on her own. She is wearing the Dark Lord's ring, so his followers think she's going to be their queen. This keeps her alive for awhile, but the Dark Lord's enemies are preparing to attack. Meanwhile, Dirk, the Dark Lord, is stuck back on Earth trying to figure out how to help Sooz. Lord Hasdruban sends an assassin to kill Dirk which complicates things a little. Dirk doesn't have the power to travel back to the Dark Lands, and Sooz doesn't know what she's doing. Can they both survive?

I didn't read the first book in the series, but I was able to easily understand what was going on. You'll figure out pretty quickly that Dirk isn't as evil as people think he is, and his enemies in the Dark Lands aren't all that good. It's funny listening to him help people while he's trying to be evil. Sooz rules the Dark Lands differently than Dirk which makes things interesting. His evil followers aren't sure how to react to Sooz's kind ways, and it's even more confusing when Dirk returns. The first book in the series is called Dark Lord: The Early Years.