Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix by J.K. Rowling, 2003 Scholastic

     The youngest wizard to win the Triiumbvirate??? Wizarding Cup, Harry Potter returns in his fifth adventure. Cedric Diggory is dead and Voldemort has returned in the flesh--and this time the magic that has protected Harry since his mother's death is part of Voldemort too.
     Harry has returned to the Dursleys's and is making his way home one night when a group of dementors attack him and his cousin Dudley. He performs magic to defend both himself and his cousin and is whisked away from the Dursleys by several friends, before the Ministry of Magic can have him taken away for performing magic in front of a muggle. The group takes him to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place--his godfather's home. Reunited with Sirius and his friends, Harry begins to enjoy his unexpected summer.
     But things are as they haven't been since Voldemort's demise fourteen years before. Gimmauld Place is the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, a resistance lead by Dumbledore himself. They are forced to act outside the Ministry because Cornelius Fudge (Minister of Magic) refuses to acknowledge Voldemort's return and therefore give the Order legitimacy.
     After a disciplinary hearing Harry is allowed to return to Hogwarts. Once there he, Ron and Hermione discover that Dolores Umbridge, one of Fudge's employees, has been assigned the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. An unusual warning from the Sorting Hat cautions the students from becoming too divided while the world around them doesn't want to believe Voldemort's return. Harry becomes the target of much ridicule as the Ministry finds it easier to attack him and label him an attention-seeking child rather than give credence to his claims.
     As the danger outside Hogwarts' walls increases the students become more and more frustrated when Umbridge refuses to teach them any defensive skills. Harry and several friends form a club that will self-educate in defensive magic. The club names themselves Dumbledore's Army, the D.A. for short, and after Umbridge is appointed High Inquisitor over all Hogwarts's teachers and students they must act in secret.
     Umbridge actively dislikes Harry and frequently singles him out for punishment. She even bans him from playing on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. In protest, Ron's twin brothers Fred and George Weasley storm out of Hogwarts in a great spectacle designed to cause Umbridge as much strife as possible.
     Harry has dreams about a corridor deep in the Ministry of Magic, walking down the corridor in the dark of night. When he dreams that a giant snake attacks Mr. Weasley, Harry's dreams become a danger to him and the Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore sends him to Professor Snape, Harry's nemesis before Umbridge, to learn to protect his mind from the invasions. Harry's attempts show little progress and Snape is not a pleasant tutor, they begin to go longer and longer between lessons until they no longer meet at all.
     The D.A., however, continues to meet regularly until Umbridge discovers their club. Dumbledore takes responsibility for the formation and continued meetings, he resigns as headmaster and Umbridge takes his place. The school falls into a gloom and the fifth-years begin taking their O.W.L.s.
     Harry's dreams continue, yet he dreams that Voldemort has captured Sirius and is intent on rescuing him. Hermione warns against believing everything he dreams, but when Harry flees to London she and Ron join him. They discover nothing is as it seems, yet the friendships they have cultivated throughout the years will support them through the darkness.
     Rowling's fifth installment of the Harry Potter Series is a dark and gloomy tale of dangers we all experience in one way or another; that teacher whose treatment seems unwarranted and is unfair, the friendships lost because of general perception, and fear of losing resulting in a loss. As the stories become darker Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is no longer appropriate for younger readers. Readers as young as mid-teens will understand the story, yet the nuances are more appropriate for more mature readers.

Snow White and Rose Red

Snow White and Rose Red by Patricia C. Wrede, 2009 Firebird

   The Widow Arden and her two teen-aged daughters live on the edge of Mortlak between the mortal world and the Faerie Realms. They walk the fine line between two worlds and create medicines for their community to survive. When Blanche and Rosamund witness wizards stealing an essence of faerie they have no idea how deeply they will be immersed.
     Widow Arden has tried to keep her daughters from magic and anything that might hint at witchcraft. Their trips into Faerie and the widow's medicines are tenuous, but when the Queen's Astrologer lives in Mortlak and is regularly under suspicion for witchcraft any connection can be dangerous.
     When they meet a large black bear--formerly a half-faerie, half-mortal prince--Blanche and Rosamund do all they can to return him to his human form. They restore his sensibilities and draw his brother to their aid. John explains the transformation of his brother Hugh and the Arden women seek answers and a cure.
     Things become more and more dangerous when Hugh begins to revert to his bearish form and they discover the local wizards are none other than the Queen's Astrologer and his friend and compatriot. The two are trying to harness the powers of Faerie to increase their own magic, but their efforts bring them to the attentions of some unsavory characters in Faerie.
     The fear of witchcraft doesn't seem to stop the denizens of Mortlak from being fascinated by magic or working to practice it. When Faerie uses the mundane law system the attempt to return Hugh to his human form is nearly sabotaged. In the end, persistence and compassion save the Widow Arden and her family from the witch hunter's efforts and reward them in ways they could never imagine.
    Snow White and Rose Red is set in Renaissance England in an era of magic and skepticism. Wrede weaves a vibrant tale of two girls who use their forbidden learning to save friends who have been wronged; they are strong women in a world that refuses to allow women much beyond power over their husbands' household. Young adult readers will enjoy the subtle romance of the story, while readers of all ages can appreciate the fantasy.

Shock Wave

Shock Wave by Dana Mentink, 2013 Love Inspired

     A year after they've both returned from the Afghan war zone and life-altering tragedy Sage Harrington and Trey Black meet again. This time in the disaster-stricken San Francisco. The attraction they felt at their first meeting hasn't deserted either of them, but neither is thrilled to renew the association.
     Still reeling from PTSD and the guilt that her actions caused a good friend's death, Sage is furious to see Trey again, especially when he butts into her search for her missing cousin. She believes her extremely pregnant cousin was done harm by her too charming Hollywood-star husband and is meeting with one of the couple's employees when a major earthquake strikes San Francisco and traps her in the darkness with Trey.
     Trey is startled at the reappearance of the woman who never should have brought her journalistic nose into a war zone, and a little pleased at the turn of events. He hasn't been able to get her out of his mind, despite her aggravating lack of common sense. When the building they've been trapped in begins falling about their ears after a major quake, Trey sees his mission to get the woman he's begun to care about to safety--whether she wants to abandon the search for her cousin or not.
     When Sage's fears for her cousin turn out to not be paranoia as a result of her PTSD the two face more dangerous mistakes than their shared past. A city in pieces, missing mother-to-be, and possible murder all under an old opera house bring out both the best and worst in both Sage and Trey.
     Shock Wave is a love story that isn't about love, the plot is not driven by the burgeoning feelings between the main characters, yet it is enriched by their relationship and their faith. Romance fans will enjoy the subtle growth of their feelings, while all readers can enjoy the plot and characters. Unlike most modern romance, Love Inspired are softer stories and readers of all ages will enjoy the story.

Catching Fire

Catching Fire by Susanne Collins, 2009 Schoolastic Press

     After she and Peeta rewrote history and won the Hunger Games Katniss Everdeen returned home to the Seam in District 12. Her supposed relationship with Peeta broke into her friendship with Gale, but they soon fell into an uneasy facsimile of their association before the Games. Now it's time for the Victory Tour throughout Panem when President Snow personally visits Katniss reminding her of the power he has over the people she loves.
     With the threat of her family's life hanging over her head Katniss is charged with pacifying the rebellion throughout the districts. When expressing her heartfelt gratitude leads to the death of denizens throughout the districts and open rebellion, Katniss must deal with consequences she had no claim to. The Quarter Quell, a special form of the Games that happens every twenty-five years, is announced President Snow reveals the tributes for the seventy-fifth Hunger Games will be chosen from the previous winners.
     Katniss goes back into the Arena.
     But will she survive the other survivors' attacks? Her only hope is to keep Peeta alive, willing to die so he can continue the rebellion she has begun. After she makes an agreement with Haymitch to fight for Peeta's survival Katniss is stunned when things in the Arena go wrong. Katniss and Peeta, along with the rest of the districts don't know everything that's happening in Panem, but they know enough to want to fight what has put them in such a difficult spot.

Sabriel

Sabriel by Garth Nix, 1995 HarperCollins

     Away at school in the modern Ancelstierre when a creature of death appears in her dormitory, Sabriel receives a message from her father behind the Seventh Gate of Death. She is to take the role of Abhorsen and defeat the necromancer Kerrigor before he can escape Death and break the Charter of Free Magic, then the Charter of the Old Kingdom.
     Sabriel leaves school to enter the Old Kingdom where magic still runs and the dead are trying to escape. She finds Abhorsen House, her father's home, and teams with the bound Free Magic construct Mogget. Mogget insists on joining her journey and they escape as the Dead attempt to capture her.
     As they flee the Dead, Sabriel and Mogget find the tomb of the royal family and free Touchstone, a man trapped as figurehead in one king's burial ship. Touchstone joins the troupe and they travel to the Capitol where Sabriel finds the Abhorsen trapped in death. He returns long enough to pass the mantle and warn her of the great danger Kerrigor presents. The group stalls his return and hurries to their next task in ending Kerrigor's return.
     Sabriel blends early twentieth century Europe with old magic. It is a defense of the world we know against an unknown we fear and Sabriel's journey is not only the individual's task to complete, but she continues what many before her have set in motion. Uneasy alliances and uncommon friendship aid Sabriel in her task, but it takes learning she never received to save the world. Sabriel is dark but a compelling story for readers of all ages.

Just Ella

Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix, 1999 Aladdin Books

     Prince Charming has proposed and Cinderella said yes. Now Ella Brown has been swept away from her stepmother and stepsisters to what should be a paradise--no chores, beautiful clothes, and a future as queen. But being a princess isn't all she expected it to be. Princess lessons and palace etiquette are suffocating and Ella has little time to herself.
     What would be the time she and her fiance spent getting to know each other is spent with the prince staring at her like a piece of art or treating her as a mirror to his own glorification. Add to that her lack of power as a noblewoman and life back home is looking better and better.
     The only bright spots are Mary, a serving girl from the kitchens, and Jed, Ella's history tutor who stands in for his father. They become her only friends and the support that gets her through living in the bleak palace. When Ella becomes suspicious that Jed is using her connection to support a refugee camp he wants to create, they have a falling out and Jed admits to falling in love with her.
     When Ella falls out of love with the prince's boyish selfishness she asks to end their engagement. Prince Charming becomes violent toward her, and her decorum tutor and chaperon has her taken to the dungeon to change her mind. The treatment only encourages Ella to escape and she does through a sewage hole in the dungeon floor.
     Once free, Ella Brown tries to find the refugee camp Jed has made a reality. When she arrives he is delighted to see her, and proposes, but Ella is marriage-shy and asks for time. In the camp she learns to live her values and support the people around her--she is more than just a pretty face and has the ability to both affect change and help the people she cares for.
     In the end Ella Brown goes from princess and noblewoman to a noble woman caring for the people around her. Young readers will enjoy her spunk and compassion in Haddix's take on a classic fairy tale.