Watch the Sky by Kirsten Hubbard

Series: N/A
Author: Kirsten Hubbard
Page Count: 272
Published: April 7th, 2015
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
  3.5 Stars ★★★

Jory's stepfather, Caleb, is always watching for signs. Signs of what, Jory doesn't know, but what Jory does know is that Caleb cares for him, his mother, his step-brother, and Kit, the girl he considers a sister, so he doesn't question Caleb's claims. Jory spends time with other people from his school, and slowly Caleb's grasp on his mind seems to weaken. When his stepfather says that it's time to start digging a tunnel to prepare for what's to come, Jory has to make a choice before his family disappears into the ground, abandoning the outside world. 

This is a middle grade book, with Jory, the main character, around eleven or twelve years old. I mostly read young adult, and I'm expanding into the adult range as well, so reading a middle grade book was a nice change from the usual paranormal romances and contemporary dramas. 

I think the author did a great job of narrating what was going on through how Jory perceived the world around him. Written in third person, the story focuses on Jory's struggle to question Caleb, make friends, and choose what is ultimately right: to abandon Caleb's plan, or to go through with it without question. The theme of questioning what one has been told was very important, and I really appreciate that the author included this theme in a middle grade novel, because I think it's essential to introduce the idea that not everything you're told is right, from a young age. Critical thinking, and thinking for one's self, were things that Jory struggled with and ultimately inspired him to question the things that his mother just accepted for fact, and this to me made him seem like a strong character and a great role model. 

The other characters provided some interesting dialogue and situations, and they ranged from Jory's "normal" friend, Alice, to his mysterious stepfather. Alice, and the other children that Jory befriends, provide a way for Jory to feel like he's not completely alone outside of his family, and they are very likeable! They're smart, bright, and hopeful, which contrasts the uneasiness that Jory experiences at home. 

This uneasiness mainly takes the form of Caleb and his "signs". I disliked Caleb from the start, I thought he was suspicious, paranoid, and fairly controlling. I also didn't really like Jory's mother, for buying into Caleb's ideas so easily, and dragging her children into everything. Jory's sister, Kit, was an interesting character. While not his biological sister, they form a bond that remains important throughout the novel, and while she remains mostly silent in the story, I think she has a big impact on the way the story is told overall. If she wasn't in the book, I feel that it would be a much different book than it truly is. 

I had some issues with the pacing. I think that at times the book dragged on, and at others, the events went by way too fast. While the idea of the book was very interesting, I think there weren't enough answers as to what exactly Caleb was preparing for, and why Jory's mother bought into his ideas so easily. 

Overall this was an enjoyable middle grade novel. While the pacing was a bit off and some pieces of the book seemed to lack context, the themes of questioning what one has been told, and the characters themselves made for an interesting read. 

I recommend this to middle grade readers who enjoy stories set in the contemporary world. If you're interested in a book that explores what it means to think for yourself, this book is for you.

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The Dying of the Light by Derek Landy

 

 Series: Skulduggery Pleasant
Author: Derek Landy
Page Count: 605
Published: August 28th, 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
  5 Stars ★★★★★ 

Darquesse is on the loose and is planning to end the world. Skulduggery is working to find her and stop her before it's too late. With his friends and colleagues, he searches for Darquesse with hopes to save Valkyrie as well, and to separate her from the evil that has taken over her. 

Will they find Darquesse in time? Will Skulduggery be able to save Valkyrie along with the world? Or will the world end, everybody dying with it?

I can't really talk about my feelings about this book, the ninth book in the Skulduggery Pleasant series, without talking about what I think about the series itself as a whole, and all of the other books within it. Every book moves the greater story-line a bit further along, with unique and exciting situations arising within each one. I think this combination of having different issues within each book along with a progression towards the concluding events of the series itself really makes this book special. 

What else makes this book, and series, special? Everything. Literally everything. The characters are amazing! Everything from their names to their backgrounds to their powers makes for an extremely entertaining read. This is the only series where I've found characters with epic names such as Valkyrie Cain, Ghastly Bespoke, Anton Shudder, and of course, Skulduggery Pleasant. There are evil characters, good characters, and lots of characters who fall somewhere in between. Some are serious, some are silly, and some find the perfect balance between humorous and solemn. I have liked every single character within this series, including every villain, because they are all just so interesting and entertaining!

Of course there are the personal relationships that form between these characters as well. There are business or work relationships, such as Valkyrie and Skulduggery's arrangement with the Sanctuary. Then there are friendships, such as the one that forms between Valkyrie and Skulduggery, Tanith and Valkyrie, and existing friendships such as that between Ghastly and Skulduggery. This series focuses a lot more on friendship than on romance, and as a reader I got to care about the characters in the same way that they cared about each other. This made me shed tears at times, for example times when Valkyrie thought she lost Skulduggery forever, or when various other characters found themselves in unfortunate circumstances. 

Considering this book in specific, I had put off reading it because until recently, everybody thought that it was the last book in this series. As a serious, long-time fan of this series, I really didn't want it to end. Then, Derek Landy announced that he'd be writing another book, and possibly more after that, so I finally picked this one up and read it. 

As usual with the other novels in the series, I was completely blown away. I cannot wait for the tenth book, and I really hope the author writes even more novels featuring Skulduggery and Valkyrie when he is finished that one. 

I think that everyone who loves stories about magic should read this book! If you like books with elements of horror and humor, including some emotional elements and amazing characters, this series is definitely for you. 

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