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Pike, Aprilynne
10 Reviews
(3)
YA
Glitter series.
To escape her ruthless husband King Justin and free her love, Saber, Dani (Glitter) must wield her considerable power as queen, a corporate shareholder, and the palace's drug dealer. But the capacity for manipulation she discovers in herself disturbs Dani. Perfect for fans of The Belles, this series combines guilty-pleasure, page-turning court intrigue and romance with high-stakes ethical questions and an original sci-fi setting.
Reviewer: Katie Bircher
(3)
YA
In a high-tech-meets-baroque near-future Versailles, Danica has been forcibly betrothed to the brutal young king. To raise funds for her escape, Danica agrees to sell the drug Glitter to courtiers via trend-setting cosmetics and winds up falling for handsome supplier Saber. Explorations of ethics, addiction, self-harm, and human trafficking ground the guilty-pleasure fun of intrigue, fashion, gossip, and steamy romance.
Reviewer: Katie Bircher
(3)
YA
Earthbound series.
A deadly virus spreads, killing thousands. Tavia (Earthbound) becomes a prisoner of opposing Earthbound brotherhoods. Discovering her blood is immune not only to the virus but also to the cure, Tavia and friends go rogue, forcing her to decide between Logan (her eternal love) and Benson (her chosen love). New obstacles keep the love triangle's tension taut in this sequel.
Reviewer: Andrea Curtis
(3)
YA
Charlotte is a sixteen-year-old Oracle with visions that strike like migraines. Although her aunt teaches Charlotte to block the visions, she won't answer questions about the forbidden powers the two share. When a stranger helps Charlotte use her powers to capture a serial killer, she unwittingly unleashes devastating forces. Pike's fast-paced novel is a thriller with a supernatural edge and a smart resolution.
Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac
(3)
YA
Tavia's normal life is abruptly shattered after a plane crash kills her parents and ignites her previously unknown powers as an Earthbound. Hunted by ancient societies and unsure of whom to trust, Tavia must discover the truth about her past(s) to save herself and humankind. Pike's rapid pace and high-stakes love triangle will excite readers, while just enough unresolved conflict promises a sequel.
Reviewer: Andrea Curtis
(4)
YA
On his first day at a new private high school, Jeff befriends a girl nobody else can see. Kimberlee had been a popular mean girl with kleptomania; now she is a ghost, trapped on earth until she can return her mountain of stolen goods. The premise is playfully implausible, but a jarringly didactic conclusion detracts from this offbeat caper.
Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald
(3)
YA
Epic battles rage in Avalon as Laurel, Tamani, David, and Chelsea struggle to protect the faerie realm from the venomous wrath of Klea in this conclusion to the Wings series. Pike pulls together a number of loose ends and stray characters in a satisfying finale, and her future-oriented postscript (like Rowling’s in the final Harry Potter volume) raises some interesting questions about humanity and magical knowledge.
Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac
(4)
YA
Laurel (Wings, Spells) returns from the Academy of Avalon, a faerie school, to attend normal high school. Human David renews his claim on her heart even while faerie Tamani enrolls in school to act as her guard. Meanwhile, another new student, Yuki, acts mysterious. The story's two topics--high school life and faerie politics--don't always mesh, but Laurel's navigation of them is compelling.
Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac
(4)
YA
Laurel (Wings) is called to study magic at the Academy of Avalon. Her classes are overwhelming, as is the division she feels between her faerie and human lives. A showdown with trolls gives her temporary clarity about her preference for human over magical companions. The meandering story has many loose ends, but the romantic plot thread adds spice.
Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac
(4)
YA
Laurel's sudden discovery that she is a fairy makes high school particularly challenging. Torn between her human friend David and charming fairy Tamani, Laurel fights to protect both the gateway that separates the two worlds and her own heart. Pike's perceptive depictions of high school are more compelling than the histrionic fantasy adventures that fill the book's second half.
Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac
10 reviews
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