Okay, so in this installment - a bunch of goons are out to kill Cathy because she knows too much and keeps interfering. She decides to get out of town to protect her family and friends when they're threatened, too. But of course, the gang has no intention of letting her ride off without so much as a goodbye. So they hatch a plan to put Ancestor Lu out of business...

Cathy's Ring is definitely not a stand-alone. Some basic background is given in-text, but without some basic familiarity with the previous books Cathy's Book and Cathy's Key. This is the one where everything comes to a climax. It's certainly fast-paced and there's plenty of adventure to be had with assassins trying to kill Cathy right and left. Plus there's a beautiful poster included as part of the 'evidence'.

I still love Emma, but I was less of a fan of the inevitable love triangle surrounding Cathy - but it seems to be The Thing To Do in YA fiction these days, so I can't say I was terribly surprised. I don't really think this was as strong as the other two in the series, but I still had fun. And after coming this far with Cathy and her trouble with immortals, it was impossible not to read on and see what became of her relationship with Victor.

More posted at my blog. ( )

18 year old Cathy is running from trouble. It seems that Ancestor Lu (an immortal) wants her boyfriend Victor (another immortal) to find a way to make mortals immortal. He threatens to kill Cathy if Victor doesn’t comply. Rather than endangering her friends and her boyfriend, Cathy runs. Her friends catch up with her and stand by her. They find Ancestor Lu and confront him. I won’t tell you anymore because I don’t want to give away too much of the story.

I found the plot of Cathy’s Ring by Sean Stewart and Jordan Weisman a little bit hard to follow. I’m not sure if it’s because it’s the third book in the series (and the first I’ve read) or because I am not the target audience. This book is intended for teens and does have a sappy love line in it. It also has some great illustrations and doodles throughout. ( )

Cathy's Ring is a fast moving read that will appeal to mature high school and college students alike. Although I am long past high school, I did find Cathy's read to be a short book that kept my attention from beginning to end. Illustrator Cathy Brigg did an outstanding job with the illustrations throughout the book. They were very clever, eye-catching, and artistic. I enjoyed the illustrations just as much if not more than the story.

In Cathy's Ring, the central character is an Asian girl whose life is being threatened by an immortal. She has stolen a secret serum that can transform him from immortal to mortal. Her friends come to her aid and help her, while her boyfriend decides to end his immortality on his own by taking some of the serum.

Sex and drugs are briefly mentioned, but there are no actual incidents involving either.

The authors have an exceptional skill in writing for young adults, this being their third book in this successful series. I haven't read either of the first two books, Cathy's Book, or Cathy's Key, but I would recommend starting with those first. ( )