Un Lun Dun by China Mieville

The Blurb On The Back:

"UnLondon is at war. We're under attack. And it's been written, for centuries, that you will come back and save us."

Stubmling through a secret entrance, Zanna and Deeba enter the strange wonderland of UnLondon. Here all the lost and broken things of London end up, and some of its people too - including Brokkenbroll, boss of the broken umbrellas, and Hemi the half-ghost boy.

But the two girls have arrived at dangerous times. UnLondon is a place where words are alive, where a jungle lurks behind the door of an ordinary house, where carnivorous giraffes stalk the streets ... and a sinister cloud called Smog is bent on destruction. It's a frightened city in need of a hero.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Really, really good. Mieville has taken the traditional elements of YA fantasy and subverted them to create something original, entertaining and with a political message that will make people think. So far, this is my favourite book of the year and I'd guess that many teens reading this will want to read Mieville's work for adult readers.

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

The Blurb On The Back:

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go - especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil - and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings - and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Better than City of Bones, I think that Clare is improving as a writer and seems more confident of her material. However the incest storyline lacks emotional punch or credibility and Clare drops anvils as to how it will work out. A decision to leave out a key scene for Simon is a massive mistake in my opinion and robs the book of what should have been it's most shocking and emotionally devestating scene. The writing remains clunky and the prose purple and repetitive at times, but there are some well done scenes and whilst the cliffhanger ending is a cheap device, there is still a sense that Clare knows how she wants to resolve the story arc.