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. . .Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

Living a sheltered existence on an estate in New York during the late 1800’s, the Milthorpe family is rocked to the core by the mysterious and unexpected death of their beloved father. Suddenly finding themselves the wards of their Aunt Virginia, Lia, Alice and Henry are thrown into a new life filled with grief, strange occurrences, and family secrets. Lia awakens to find a Jorgumand tattoo on her wrist. She then begins to have disturbing dreams and out-of-body experiences. With the help of her Aunt, boyfriend (James), and friends (Sonia and Luisa), Lia discovers that she and her sister are two sides of a prophecy, which may spell the end of the world as they know it. The ancient prophecy states that one sister will be the Gate — the person who allows fallen angels to enter and destroy the world. The other sister will be the Guardian — the person who protects humanity by keeping the legions out of our world. Which sister is the Gate and which is the Guardian? Is Lia destined to be the proponent of good or evil? Must the sisters become mortal enemies? Will their lives be forever dictated by an ancient curse?

The eerie, yet beautiful, cover art on the book is just the beginning. This story is full of interesting characters and provides twists and turns that are spooky and unexpected. The supernatural aspects in the story are unsettling and actually gave me nightmares. The Prophecy of the Sisters is Michelle Zink’s debut novel and is on the Lone Star Reading List for 2010. It is also the first in a trilogy following the Milthorpe sisters so I warn you that the story totally leaves you hanging and wanting to find out what is going to happen next!



Review written by Ninja Angela.

Dragons, ‘Droids and Dessert

Dragons, ‘Droids & Dessert
Third Wednesday of the month, 7-8 p.m.
Northeast Branch Library

Teens and Adults, if you enjoy reading science fiction, fantasy or paranormal books, join the Dragons, ‘Droids & Dessert book club for ages 13 and up. Each month we will discuss a new book and enjoy a delicious treat.

The Ninja Reviews. . .Captivate by Carrie Jones

Pixies, Werewolves, & Valkyries, Oh My!

Carrie Jones takes us back into her world of Pixies and snow in Captivate, the sequel to Need.

Zara and her friends have successfully imprisoned the King of the Pixies (who just so happens to be her biological father) and his minions in a house in the woods of Maine. Little do they realize that their Pixie trouble is just beginning. A great battle is brewing for control of Zara’s father’s kingdom that will ultimately pit good against evil. Luckily Zara has her friends to help: her boyfriend, Nick (who is a hot--is there any other kind?—Werewolf), Devyn (her Were-Eagle friend), Betty (her Were-Tiger grandmother) and Issie (her human sidekick).

Just when they think they are holding their own, along comes a Valkyrie taking wounded warriors to Valhalla (Viking Heaven to us mortals) to ready for the great battle. Will they be able to keep everyone safe from the Pixies, or will Zara be forced to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect those she loves?

Captivate, a book you’ll Need to read!

The evil pixie in me must tell you that Captivate won’t be published until January. I just so happened to get an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) hate me if you must!


review by Angela, a.k.a. Woodland West Super Ninja

While you're waiting for Captivate, try these books about the fae:

Need by Carrie Jones Captivate in January!

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr Check out her other books!

Kin: The Good Neighbors book 1 by Holly Black illustrated by Ted Naifeh

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:

The Ninja Reviews. . .Wake by Lisa McMann

Janie has a problem that no one knows about. When she is close enough to someone who is asleep, Janie falls into their dreams. She can't control it and, what's worse, the strongest pull comes from intense nightmares. Her vision goes and she can't control her body. The first time it happened was when Janie was 8. As she gets older, it becomes more and more difficult to deal with. High school students are more likely to fall asleep in class, and this makes it harder for Janie to cope.

On top of that problem, Janie lives with her alcoholic mother who doesn't work, so Janie has to work evenings and nights at a nursing home. All of this while struggling to keep her grades up so she can have a better life.

Janie drives by a house late one night and nearly wrecks her car after being thrown into the most violent, frightening nightmare she's ever experienced. After this and an equally strange experience at her work, Janie knows she has to learn how to navigate and possibly control the dreams.

I love the way this book is set up. It's a quick read because the book is written in segments marked by the day and time. This sets up the reader for a lot of suspense. There are also some intriguing characters, like Cabel, whom I had the hardest time figuring out if he was good or bad.

If you love mysteries and just a little bit of supernatural, you will definitely enjoy this book. Check out the sequel, Fade, and also keep an eye out for the third book, Gone, which will be published in Spring 2010.