Patrick Carman

This was fast paced and action packed and it was wickedly good. Unlike Alex Rider it's not overly sad and unlike Cherub - I like the main characters. As a reader, I relate to Amy but I love Dan's way of looking at things. They're a great team. Nellie, the au pair, is hilarious. She's laid back and loyal and can speak a seemingly million different languages. The rest of the Cahill family kind of suck, but what's an adventure story without a villain? Or ten? The plot is riveting - the mix of show more fiction and history is fascinating and I'm flying through the series. They're not particularly long - but then this kind of book never is - or at least never feels like it is. I can't wait to read the rest. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.


Partnership with Hamilton Holt! Didn't see that coming. But it made sense and it was nice that they worked together - and that he didn't turn out to be a jerk at the end of the book like Ian did. Not enough Nellie in this one and noooooooo, don't let her be traitor. I still have so many questions - can't wait to get some answers.
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Not an entirely new concept for a book Carman has taken it, made it his own, and done so with heart and depth. In his version of being indestructible, of being superhuman, Carman sets an eery tone without inching into what could be the makings of a true horror story. Demonstrating the use of such power for primarily benevolent purpose (again not a new twist) as compared to personal gain is what made the story. I don’t want to spoil the twists and turns but I will say that the battle show more between good and evil is prevalent in this story and it is written a muted but strong tone that I found added to the ambiance. It is creepy and dark but not overwhelmingly so.

Indestructibility is strong in it’s presence — a character unto itself, which makes the story all the more compelling as it progresses. Further, I liked how Carman wrote the intricacies of how the power worked, what it’s motivations were and how Jacob, Ohphelia and their friend Milo interacted with it.

Speaking of which, Carman has built in Jacob a loving and tender boy whose goodness threads through each of his relationships to build the most solid foundation. As the owner of indestructibility he is also flawed and tortured, often times fighting with his own morality as he tries to do right by those closest to him. Most specifically he falls in love with the new girl in town Ophelia James, the same girl who encourages him to use his power of indestructibility to save strangers from death. This is where the majority of the conflict in the story stems from and it’s very good as it relates to the individuality of Jacob’s character, his relationships as well as the superpower he’s entrusted with.

I wouldn’t say that this novel is a good first foray into young adult literature for the youngest of middle schoolers but certainly teen, young adult and adult audiences will enjoy it. I’d also go out on a limb and say that fans of science fiction and fantasy might enjoy it as well. The glory of Thirteen Days to Midnight is that it has strength of character and story in addition to the other worldly element of indestructibility. It is that aspect that makes this book worthy of picking up. show less

In Dark Eden, Will Besting and six other teens were cured of their fears but left with ailments (loss of hearing, debilitating headaches, sleepiness, etc.) while an old - actually, ancient - man diabolically stole their youth to keep living indestructibly. Now, his former wife Eve Goring calls Will and the others back to Eden to get cures from their ailments: vials of blood taken to cure their fears that need to be mixed together and administered to cure their old age. But Eve seems to hold show more all the cards, and Will knows there's something not right.

I summarized the first book by calling it a "fast, fun, potato chip read of a YA novel," and the sequel is more of the same. Actually, it's even more over-the-top unbelievable than the first book, and I'm still left wondering if that was really it. The plot moves fast and suspensefully, but I had an easy time figuring out faster than Will what was going on and it didn't keep moving so fast that I could suspend disbelief. I would recommend it to readers looking for a fast read after the first book, but my summary in the first paragraph pretty much says it all. If your reaction is "Oh, that sounds fantastic!" go for it, but if you're scratching your head the novel won't clear anything up for you. show less

4.5 stars

I loved the Russian setting, the secrets of the Lucien branch, and Amy and Dan's partnership with the Holts, of all people! On the other hand, although Dan called Rasputin a "creep", The Black Circle did sound like it was making a subtle argument for Rasputin's (nonexistent) virtue, crafting an explanation that it was him who helped Anastasia Romanov survive. In reality, Dan is right: Rasputin was no good guy. Still, Rasputin was only mentioned a few times, and this is a series that show more I'm enjoying!

ೄྀ࿐ Quotes ೄྀ࿐
☐ “Lazy Dan left the building and was replaced by Alarmed Dan.”
☐ “Doesn’t Shep live near Darlinghurst?” Amy asked. “Dude, don’t call me darling,” Dan said. “Ever. That’s an absolute rule.”
☐ “The Road of Bones," said Dan. "That's a little bit unpleasant even by my standards.”
☐ “We push away the bad memories," Irina said. Bleak sadness deadened her voice. "We tell ourselves is better not to remember. It is not better. Better to remember everything, even pain.”

Yeah. Weird book! But Irina's character development is show less