The Ninja Reviews. . .Killer Pizza by Greg Taylor

Toby McGill is an average American teenager who has aspirations of becoming a world-renowned chef but he gets more than food service experience when he is hired by the new pizza parlor in town. Toby is shocked to discover that there is a monster population hiding in his peaceful suburban city and Killer Pizza is the last line of defense. Along with fellow employees, Annabel and Strobe, Toby is taught how to combat the monsters using state of the art weapons and old-fashioned brute force. They may be only teenagers but they are the only hope their town has of escaping the fate the monsters have in store.

This is Greg Taylor’s debut novel and is on the 2010 Lone Star Reading List. His writing style reminds me a bit of R.L. Stine and his Goosebumps series. I enjoyed the developing friendship between the three teens as they go from insecure pizza makers to paramilitary Monster Combat Officers. I also liked how the pizzas all have fun names: Monstrosity (extra large pizza with everything on it), Beasties (little bite sized pizzas), and Vampire Stakes (pointed garlic bread sticks with red dipping sauce). So if you like pizza AND monsters, you will enjoy this reading combo.


Review written by Angela J.

The Ninja Reviews. . .The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks

What you know about vampires is completely, absolutely, 100% wrong.

Vampires aren't repelled my garlic or crosses. They can't fly. You won't see one transform into a bat. And they definitely don't disappear in a veil of mist. In fact, vampires are just about the weakest, wimpiest beings on earth.

Nina, who lives in Sydney, Australia, was fanged (bitten and infected by another vampire) when she was 15. . .back in 1973. She's been a vampire - and teenager - for decades. And being a vampire is the least exciting thing in the world. Nina spends her days comatose and her nights sick, often nauseated, writing novels or watching soaps on TV. The only time she gets out of the house is for the Tuesday night Reformed Vampire Support Group that she is forced to attend with other grouchy, weak, miserable vampires.

But things change when one member of the group is found in his apartment, just a pile of ashes with a stake where his heart would be. Despite the fact that he wasn't exactly the most well-liked member of the group, the others are shocked, frightened, and determined to find out who killed a fellow vampire. In the process, Nina will prove that vampires aren't as weak and useless as they've always thoughts themselves to be.

I went back and forth between reading this when I was at home, and listening to the audio when I was in the car, and I loved both. If you love Australian accents, you should definitely listen to the audio!

The twist on what vampires are really like was great. I love that Nina eventually fought back against the stereotype that she and her fellow vampires had given themselves. Sure they spend most of their days fighting off sickness from the vampire infection, but that doesn't mean they can't find ways to somehow make a difference. The action scenes were especially well-written and there are lots of references to current vampire books and movies that made me snicker. The only problem I had was that I sometimes felt that some of the arguments between characters went on for longer than I'd like. I got a bit distracted from time to time. And, being a book about vampires, there is some talk about drinking blood that might make a few readers feel icky.

Overall, I would recommend this book to open-minded fans of vampire fiction, fans of humor fiction, and anyone who just wants something different to read.

If you like this title, you might also like:

The Ninja Reviews. . .The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

One of my favorite series is The Mortal Instruments trilogy. I'm very happy to say that book two in the series is on the list of nominations for YALSA's Top Ten

Book one begins with Clary Fray and her best friend, Simon, going to a New York club called Pandemonium. While there, Clary witnesses other three teens sporting weird tattoos and weapons attack a seemingly innocent club-goer. She soon discovers that she saw something that no normal human should be able to see: an entire world of supernatural beings that exist alongside ours.

Clary's mother soon disappears and Clary is attacked by a creature that she knows shouldn't exist. Questions begin to pile up as Clary wonders why this is happening to her and what secrets this new world carries not only about the beings in it, but about herself.


Book two (the YALSA nomination!) continues right where book one left off. Clary is now fully involved in the world of the Shadowhunters, warriors who battle to protect the world, human and non-human alike, from the darkness of the supernatural world. But how does she fit into this world and can she prove herself while also surviving and protecting those she loves?




The final book in the trilogy will keep you up all night reading so that your questions will finally be answered! What will happen with Clary and Jace? Will Simon be able to lead a life anywhere near normal? Is Clary's mother going to live? And can Clary prove that she can be the strong, powerful young woman that she really is? Will she be able to save them all?




I highly recommend this fast-paced series. It is highly addictive and full of strong and interesting characters. There are a lot of dark moments, but even some highly amusing ones, too. If you enjoy this series, try these titles as well:

Book Signing and Donuts!

This Friday (as in tomorrow!), Rachel Caine will be signing copies of her latest book, Carpe Corpus, at Barnes & Noble in Fort Worth, 1612 S. University Drive.Click Here for directions from the Central Arlington library.


We all know donuts are delicious. I mean, right? YA author Lara Zielin's book Donut Days comes out in August, but she's sending me an advanced copy to review just for all of you! To help promote her book (and the fact that donuts are oh-so-delicious), Lara made this video for the enjoyment of donut-connoisseurs everywhere. If you like it, let Lara know, because she is a super-fabulous lady.