City of Ashes, by Cassandra Clare

Fairies, demons, werewolves, vampires, and Shadowhunters (who kill demons) in New York City. This is the second in the Mortal Instruments series. It has a strong plot and character development. Any adolescent who likes The Vampire Academy or Twilight series will feel comfortable in this series. It is also somewhat reminiscent of Holly Black's Faerie series.

It also has some plot twists reminiscent of Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. It's an engaging read and plays well with readers who enjoy the supernatural. Clare has gone beyond basic werewolf, vampire, fairy tale and included some the the double dealings and political intrigues of Tolkien's fantasies. As urban fiction it also creates a believable setting of and New York City populated with supernaturals.

The Supernaturalist, by Eoin Colfer

Colfer is know for his series, Artemis Fowl. He has a number of other YA books using a variety of settings and themes. This is a science fiction/future distopia book. It's peopled with Mad Max automobile undergrounds, mad scientists, pollution, genetic experiments, and evil corporations.I had some difficulty getting into the book and may have put it down if I hadn't been listening to it in the car. The supernaturalists are a small group of young adults and children working together to protect the world from some sort of supernatural beings that seem to "steal" the life from wounded or ill people. These beings are invisible to almost all, except some who have had near death experiences or some of the genetically modified citizens.

However, as I listened further I became more interested. I don't think I would use it as a whole class novel, but I would recommend it to sci-fi readers.

I.Q. Book I: Independence Hall, by Roland Smith

Roland Smith is one of my "go to" authors and he has not disappointed in this new series. The story begins at the wedding of Q (Quest)'s mother and Angela's father. A plot device is that the parents (Roger & Blaze) are professional musician's whose careers have suddenly taken off. After the wedding the entire newly blended family is taking off in a "coach" (a very fancy bus) for a year-long tour as a result of Blaze and Roger's number one album.

A musical tour with a new family could be enough to make for an interesting story. But the plot thickens. Somewhere between Nebraska and Philadelphia Angela reveals that her mom had been a secret service agent and died in the line of duty. Angela wants to follow in her footsteps and become an agent in one of the intelligence agencies.

Of course shortly thereafter the two kids become in an international intrigue.

The plot may be a bit far-fetched, but Smith tells a good story that will keep readers engaged. This is not his first book involving secrets or run-and-hide plots. Zach's Lie and Zach's Run focus on witness protection.

A nice sub plot involves Q's interest in magic tricks. There is much here to involve both boys and girls in an exciting adventure. I'm going to begin the next book in the series tonight!