The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde - UPDATED REVIEW

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde  Genre : Classics Blurb (on back of book) : Oscar Wilde’s only novel is the dreamlike story of a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. In this celebrated work Wilde forged a devastating portrait of the effects of evil and debauchery on a young aesthete in late-19th-century England. Combining elements of the Gothic horror novel and decadent French fiction, the book centers on a striking premise: As Dorian Gray sinks into a life of crime and gross sensuality, his body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recently painted portrait grows day by day into a hideous record of evil, which he must keep hidden from the world. For over a century, this mesmerizing tale of horror and suspense has enjoyed wide popularity. It ranks as one of Wilde's most important creations and among the classic achievements of its kind. UPDATED REVIEW MY OPINION : ****** I would like to start out this review by stating that this is undoubtedly m

City of Ashes - Cassandra Clare

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
Genre: YA Fantasy

Blurb (on back of book): 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 of 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 and 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 is Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?
In this breathtaking sequal to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.

MY OPINION: *****

This was an amazing book. Normally, I don't like sequels nearly as much as I like the first books. But this sequel might have actually been better than City of Bones. I love how it leaves you at a cliffhanger at the end, which makes you want to read the next four books even more.

It had a good plotline, great characters, and a wonderful setting. I love all of the small romances, arguments, and quirkiness of the character's and their personalities. This was a really good book, with many good feature and great chapters!

I would recommend this book to older middle-schoolers to high school. It has some material that may not be appropriate to younger readers, especially fifth-grade and below. Inside, it reads "14 and up", and I think that that is a good limitation, though fans of Divergent and The Hunger Games might like this book, though they may be younger.

Main Character: Clarissa (Clary) Fray
Sidekick(s): Simon Lewis, Jace Morgenstern, Alec and Isabelle Lightwood, etc
Villain: Valentine Morgenstern, Downworlders, demons
Fantasy Elements: settings, characters, faeries, demons, vampires, werewolves, unreal items, impossible feats, etc

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