Because of a few books I suffered through in high school, I didn’t used to think I could enjoy historical fiction. Neither did I realize, apparently, that I liked steampunk — partly because I wasn’t even 100% sure what the label even meant when I first saw it used on librarian listservs. But, considering what a huge nerd I am for Firefly and how much I loved Kenneth Oppel’s Airborn series, it is apparent that I liked steampunk even before I realized it was classified as such! Luckily, I have some awesome teen readers who clue me in on the books they love and think I should be reading, too, because they’re why I finally got around to reading Leviathan. Thank goodness I listened, because this book was awesome! It’s just too bad that I somehow managed to forget to post a review about this book back when I read it [about 2 years ago]… Luckily, I have the ability to fix that oversight right now.
In this alternate history of World War I, the German forces [called Clankers] used steam-powered war machines like tanks and the Allied forces [called Darwinists] utilized living creatures as war machines. The Leviathan, for example, was an airship made from a living whale-like creature. Though it looked much like a Zeppelin, it was MUCH cooler because it depended on a complex ecosystem in which the waste-products of smaller organisms [living inside] to provide the helium-like substance that made it float. Add that to the fact that people were walking around inside the beast/ship, and it’s not hard to understand why a science geek like me was just as enthralled by the Darwinists’ creations as I was with the whole rest of the story! If you like action and adventure, and you’re not opposed to possibly learning something about world history, this is a book you should probably read. (Just be sure to check out the author’s note in which Westerfeld explains which events/facts were true to history and which he created for the sake of his story.)
Happy Reading!
Holy crap! This was one crazy anthology! It wasn’t really what I was expecting — after all, only one unicorn story made any mention of farting rainbows, while a few of the zombie stories seemed more like love stories and inspirational stories than horror or gore — but I loved it just the same. The story introductions, written by editors Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier, were rather humorous arguments as to which of the “teams” was winning [based on the stories so far] and always added something extra to the stories themselves. The scary thing is, to be honest, I think I may have been converted from “Team Unicorn” to “Team Zombie” in the end! If you’re looking for some awesome stories that get away from the typical unicorn and zombie stereotypes, you’ll want to check out this book.
Specials
Tally Youngblood has been through quite a bit since her 16th birthday. In 
In this second book of the Uglies series, Tally has been brought back to the city and turned into a total “Prettyhead.” She has forgotten all about being an Ugly, meeting David, and helping to found The New Smoke. As a New Pretty, Tally’s entire day is taken up by preparing for parties, going to parties, and then recovering from all of her partying. When Tally and her new boyfriend, Zane, encounter an Ugly from the New Smoke, though, everything changes. A note, from [Ugly] Tally herself, explains how Tally has given informed consent to take an experimental drug that should “cure” her Pretty brain and that she needs to take the two pills that are inside. Nervous about possible complications, but worried about getting caught by Special Circumstances while they have the pills in their possession, Tally and Zane agree to each take one pill. What happens next is beyond their wildest expectations…
Tally Youngblood has been looking forward to her 16th birthday for a while now — because that is when she will turn pretty. It’s not a magic spell or a natural coming of age, though. She will be going through major reconstructive surgery to make sure she is the perfect height and weight, that her face has the perfect shape and features, and that her skin is both evenly toned and unblemished. Who could ask for anything more, right? Well, Tally’s new friend Shay has decided that she does not want to have the surgery. Instead, she plans to run away to a settlement called The Smoke. Tally thinks Shay is crazy for not wanting to be a “Pretty” — to actually choose to stay an “Ugly” for the rest of her life — but doesn’t try to stop her. When Shay leaves, she gives Tally some instructions in case she changes her mind and wants to join her in the smoke. This, it seems, was a very bad idea — because a group called Special Circumstances has decided that they will do anything to find (and eliminate) The Smoke… Even if it means forcing Tally to become a spy. Does being a “Pretty” mean so much to Tally that she is willing to turn on her friend (and every other person in The Smoke) — if she actually makes it to The Smoke at all?
Having already received all the back-story about the vampire parasite and the evil that is bubbling up from underneath the city (via 
People have been telling me to read this book for a looooooong time, and I wish I would have listened sooner! I love vampire stories of all kinds, and I especially love when an author steps away from the traditional mythology and mixes things up. In this story, for example, vampirism is caused by a parasite. The name “peeps” is, in fact, short/slang for “parasite positive.” This means that vampirism is contagious and can be spread from person to person like any other parasite — kind of like a supernatural STD. One of the other really cool thing about vampirism in this story is how Westerfeld explains vampires’ aversion to crucifixes and other religious symbols. Vampires suffer from “anathema,” which means that they start to hate anything familiar (anything that reminds them of their former life) as soon as the parasite takes hold. In the Middle Ages, when many people were strict Catholics, the crucifix was a very common anathema. This led to the popular misconception that all vampires fear crucifixes. Very cool! I’m not saying that other authors don’t put as much thought into their vampire stories. (I know better than that.) It’s just that a whole new spin on vampirism is a very cool way of interweaving old myths and new explanations while meeting all new characters at the same time!
