Happy Halloween!

I decided to make parts of mine and Russell's Halloween costume this year. I made our scarf's and my skirt. I think it turned out alright. What do you think? Who are we?? :)

The Shadow of the Wind

Shadow of the Wind ****
by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Book Type: Fiction, Drama, Mystery
Summary:Barcelona, 1945—Just after the war, a great world city lies in shadow, nursing its wounds, and a boy named Daniel awakes one day to find that he can no longer remember his mother’s face. To console his only child, Daniel’s widowed father, an antiquarian book dealer, initiates him into the secret of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a library tended by Barcelona’s guild of rare-book dealers as a repository for books forgotten by the world, waiting for someone who will care about them again. 
Daniel’s father coaxes him to choose a book from the spiraling labyrinth of shelves, one that, it is said, will have a special meaning for him. And Daniel so loves the book he selects, a novel called The Shadow of the Wind by one Julian Carax, that he sets out to find the rest of Carax’s work. To his shock, he discovers that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book this author has written. In fact, he may have the last of Carax’s books in existence.
Before Daniel knows it, his seemingly innocent quest has opened a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets, an epic story of murder, magic, madness, and doomed love, and before long he realizes that if he doesn’t find out the truth about Julian Carax, he and those closest to him will suffer horribly.

summary found on goodreads
My Review: Russ and I went to Borders going out of business sale several times in hopes that we would find some good books for super cheap. I could NOT find any books I knew were good so I started randomly grabbing books off the shelf and reading the back cover, I figured eventually I might actually find something I'd be interested in. When I picked up this book and read the back cover I thought "FINALLY, something that sounds interesting. I read the first page and decided that this would be a fun book to read. So I bought it. For 4 bucks or something. And I have to say, I was not disappointed! This book is full of danger and intrigue. You follow a young boy named Daniel who picks up a book in the "cemetery of forgotten books". He LOVES his book so he wants to read more. When he tries to find more books by the same author, Julian Carax, he discovers that there are no more. In fact every copy of this authors work has been burned by the same man; a man who goes by the name of the devil described in the book that Daniel so loves. Daniel begins a journey to discover why these books are being systematically burned, who is behind the burnings, and what happened to the author himself. The book is constantly going back and forth between Daniel's story and the stories that he is retrieving from those who knew Julian Carax. This book is riddled with beautiful and terrifying characters, love, danger, intrigue, murder, lies, and deceit. It is a great mystery that is well worth the time it takes to read. 

**for the sensitive reader: There is some sex and language in this book.

Season of the Witch

Season of the Witch ** 1/2
Trailer
This movie looked like it might be interesting in the previews, but it was not. Well, it started out okay with the mystery of the girl's true identity. Russ and I were trying to figure out if she really was a witch or not, then she did some crazy things and we knew she had to be a witch or something, but we thought maybe she wasn't actually bad and then it turned out at the end that we were wrong about everything. The ending was weird and kind of stupid. It really changed out perceptive of the movie. Up until they got to the monastery it was kind of fun, then it just went downhill and ruined anything it had going for it. I wouldn't watch this movie if I were you.

Number the Stars

Number the Stars ***

by Lois Lowry
Book Type: Historical Fiction, Juvenile Fiction
Summary: Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think of life before the war. It's now 1943 and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching through town. When the Jews of Denmark are "relocated". Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be one of the family. Soon Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission to save Ellen's life.
summary found on goodreads
My Review: First of all, did you know that Lois Lowry is NOT a man? Lois Lowry is in fact a WOMAN. I'm not embarrassed to admit that I SO thought Lois Lowry was a man. Don't know why. I just did! On to the book. This book is about a young girl during the holocaust who has to be brave... For about 10 minutes. Okay, it's not that short but I've read a few really fabulous books about the Holocaust, from different perspectives. People who don't realize their affected, those who have to make a stand and be brave, and those who are sent to concentration camps.The Diary of Anne Frank, The Hiding Place, Sarah's Key, The Boy in The Striped Pajamas to name a few. I was surprised and disappointed to find that this novel was not written incredibly well. You can't tell if she's writing the book from a third-person perspective or first-person. It seems to jump around a little bit so that you are occasionally questioning who is thinking... I think the story is written from Anne Marie's perspective, but it is written as though it is third-person perspective. The story was pretty good, but it was lacking. There just wasn't much to it. I did think it was fascinating when Lois Lowry discussed the handkerchiefs that captains wore to block the dogs ability to smell in order to protect the people on their ship. This is something that they actually did. Fascinating! Overall I would tell you to pick up one of the other books I mentioned before this one if you're interested in historical fiction and stories of the holocaust.

There isn't actually porcupine in these!

Bruce's Porcupine Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 2 c minute rice
• 1 lb. Hamburger meat
• 2 cans tomato soup
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp.Worcestershire sauce
• dash hot sauce
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Mix ½ can tomato soup with hamburger, 1 c. minute rice and egg. Season to taste. 
2. Roll into balls. Place in frying pan. Lightly brown.
3. Mix remaining tomato soup with 3/4 can water, worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Add some more of the seasonings, to taste. 
4. Pour tomato soup mixture over top of meatballs. Fry together at medium-high heat until meatballs are cooked all the way through.
5. Cook 1 c minute rice according to package instructions. Serve meatballs over rice.

SO VERSATILE

Super Quick BUT Delicious Pulled Pork

 Ingredients:

• 1 2 1/2-3 lb pork sirloin roast
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 T oil
• 2 medium onions, cut into thin wedges
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 c root beer (not diet!)

Directions:

1. Trim fat from meat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Coat skillet with oil and brown meat on all sides. 
2. Transfer to crock pot and add onion, rootbeer, and garlic.
3. Cover and cook on low-heat for 8-10 hours or high-heat for 4-5 hours.

**This pork has a very neutral flavor but is incredibly juicy and tender. Russ and I love to make a big roast and freeze all of the meat we don't eat that night. You can use the left over pork for practically anything! It is SO great!

Mmmm good

Lemon Chicken Pasta Toss

Ingredients:

• 2 c uncooked penne pasta
• 3/4 lbs chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 T flour
• 2 T olive oil
• 1/3 c shallot, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minched
• 3/4 c chicken broth
• 3 T lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3 T capers, drained
• 3 T fresh parsley, chopped
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Return pasta to hot saucepan; cover and keep warm.
2. In a bowl toss together chicken and flour until chicken is lightly coated. 
3. In skillet cook and stir chicken in 1 T of the oil over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 mins or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken, set aside.
4. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining oil to skillet. Add shallot and garlic; cook and stir about 1 minute or until tender. 
5. Stir in broth, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Cook uncovered about 2-3 mins, until reduced to about 2/3 c.
6. Stir in chicken, capers, and parsley. Heat through.
7. Toss pasta with chicken mixture. Top with Parmesan cheese.

We found this recipe in the Better Homes and Garden Celebrating the Promise edition.

My Grandma has the BEST recipes

French Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 T dry yeast
• 1/2 c warm water
• 1 T sugar
• 2 c very hot water
• 1/2 T (heaping) shortening
• 6 c flour (approximately)
• 2 tsp. salt
• 3 T sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. 
3. Add rest of ingredients and let rise 45 mins, punching it down every 10 minutes. (4 times)
4. Roll out like you do for cinnamon rolls. Stretch and cut in half.
5. Let rise 45 mins more.
6. Bake on cookie sheets for 20 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 for 25 more mins.

Want to save a buck? Make your own bread!

White Sandwich Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 packet "highly active" active dry yeast; or 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast; or 2 1/2 tsp instant yeast
• 7/8 to 1 1/8 cups lukewarm water*
• 3 c flour
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 T sugar
• 6 T unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 c nonfat dry milk
• 1/2 c instant mashed potato flakes

Note: Use the lesser amount in summer (or in a humid environment), the greater amount in winter (or in a dry climate), and somewhere in between the rest of the year, or if your house is climate controlled.

Directions:

1. If you're using active dry yeast, dissolve it with a pinch of sugar in 2 tablespoons of the lukewarm water. Let the yeast and water sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, until the mixture has bubbled and expanded. If you're using instant yeast, you can skip this step.
2. Combine the dissolved yeast (or instant yeast) with the remainder of the ingredients. Mix and knead everything together—by hand, mixer or bread machine set on the dough cycle—till you've made a smooth dough. If you're kneading in a stand mixer, it should take about 7 minutes at second speed, and the dough should barely clean the sides of the bowl, perhaps sticking a bit at the bottom. In a bread machine (or by hand), it should form a smooth ball.
3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise, at room temperature, for 1 to 2 hours, or until it's nearly doubled in bulk. Rising may take longer, especially if you've kneaded by hand. Give it enough time to become quite puffy.
4. Gently deflate the dough, and shape it into an 8" log.
5. Transfer the log, smooth side up, to a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan. Tent the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap.
6. Allow the bread to rise till it's crested about 1 1/4" over the rim of the pan, about 1 hour. Again, it may rise more slowly for you; let it rise till it's 1 1/4" over the rim of the pan, even if that takes longer than an hour. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350°F.
7. Bake the bread for 15 minutes. Tent it lightly with aluminum foil, and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, till the crust is golden brown, and the interior temperature measures 190°F on an instant-read thermometer.
8. Remove the bread from the oven, and gently loosen the edges with a heatproof spatula or table knife. Turn it out of the pan, and brush the top surface with butter, if desired; this will give it a soft, satiny crust. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing. As soon as it's completely cool, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap; or in a plastic bag, air pressed and fastened securely at the top.

We found this recipe at the King Arthur Flour website. It is a GREAT site for anything that used flour. They have a TON of yummy recipes :)

Super Yummy. That's all I've got to say.

Navajo Tacos

Inspiration: Emeril Lagasse
Ingredients:

Russ's Chili

• ground beef
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped 
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 T honey
• 1 cube beef bouillon
  
• 1 1/2 T chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 c fresh cilantro, chopped

Fry Bread

• 2 c flour
• 1 T baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 T oil
• 3/4 c warm water
• 1 T powdered milk
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 c vegetable oil

Toppings

• Chili 
• Avacado
• Olives
• Green Onion
• Lettuce
• Fresh Tomato
• Cheddar Cheese
• Sour Cream

Directions:

Chili

1.  Fry ground beef with garlic, onion, celery, and pepper. 
2. Add all other ingredients. Mix together well and let simmer approximately 30 minutes.

Fry Bread

1. In the bowl of a food processor, mix the dry ingredients. Stir in water and 1 tablespoon of oil, and process until smooth. 
2. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until the dough is just elastic and comes together, being careful not to over work. 
3. Shape the dough into a ball, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
4. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Flatten each piece and roll into a 7-inch circle, making as thin as possible. Poke a hole in the center with the handle of a wooden spoon or your finger.
5. In a large saute pan or deep fryer, heat the 1/4 c oil to 360 degrees. Slip the rounds 1 at a time into the hot oil and cook for 2 minutes, turning once with a long-handled spoon. 
6. Drain on paper towels and repeat with the remaining dough.

**this fry bread can easily be eaten in many different ways including as a dessert with butter and honey on top.
Navajo Tacos

1. Put fry bread on plate. Layer with chili and any other toppings desired! 

Easy and Delicious. Need I say More?

Sausage Bean Stew

Ingredients:

• 2 T. oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) stewed Italian-style tomatoes
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) Great Northern or Cannellini beans, rinsed
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) corn
• 1 small can chopped green chiles
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• ½ lb. Kielbasa sausage, cut into small chunks
• Hot cooked rice 
• Hot Sauce
• Grated cheese

Directions:

1. Saute’ onion, carrots, celery and garlic in the oil over med. heat until tender. 
2. Add the rest (except rice and cheese) and heat through over low heat. 
3. Serve over the rice with cheese and hot sauce on top.
4. If it seems too dry, add chicken broth (or water with chicken bouillon).

My hubby sure is a good chef. :)

Russ' Minestrone Soup

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lbs hamburger
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 2 stalks celery chopped
• 1 - 2 carrots chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cubes chicken bullion
• 1 cube beef bullion
• 2 tbsp worchestshire sauce
• 2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp peppercorn
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cans water (kidney bean can)
• 1 c shell noodles

Directions:

1. Brown hamburger with onion, celery, carrots and garlic.  
2. Add the bullion, worchestershire sauce, basil, salt and pepper when the beef is almost done.  
3. When meat is browned and celery is translucent, add tomato sauce, kidney beans and tomato.  Mix in 1 and a half cans of water and simmer for 20 -30 min.

Limitless

Limitless ***
Trailer
The concept behind this movie was... good. I thought it was a fascinating idea. They invent a drug that enhances your brain's capacity, it makes it work in overdrive. The drug can make even the least intelligent person in the world become one of the most intelligent. Jumping your IQ up into the 200-400 range. The average being 100 and genius levels beginning at about120; so that is pretty CRAZY. It bugged me that the guy sleeps around a lot, slimeball. There is a part that is ABSOLUTELY disgusting, I had to look away... He drinks someone's blood because they had just injected themselves with the drug he is addicted to. ::shudder:: SO GROSS. But the rest of the movie was interesting. So... I don't know if I would suggest it to anyone or not... But it was definitely an interesting idea.

Just Another Delicious Breakfast. YUM.

Crepes

 Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 c flour
• 1 1/4 c milk
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

toppings

• butter and powdered sugar
• ice cream and straberries
• vanilla yogurt and fruit pie filling
• eggs and bacon or sausage
• chicken and cream cheese

Directions:

1. Mix everything in a blender until all lumps are gone.
2. Heat a skillet on medium heat. Spray with PAM then pour about 1/4 c of batter into it.
3. Turn pan until the batter spreads across the bottom. Cook until the top looks dry, then flip over and cook for another minute.
4. Remove to a plate. Add toppings and serve.

**there are SO many things you can put on crepes. They are incredibly versatile and delicious! We love powdered sugar and butter. Just spread on the butter while hot so it melts then sprinkle with powdered sugar. YUM.

When you eat healthy, you eat... Fish?

Lemon Garlic Tilapia

Ingredients:

• 4 tilapia fillets
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Rinse tilapia fillets under cool water, and pat dry with paper towels.
3. Place fillets in baking dish. Pour lemon juice over fillets, then drizzle butter on top. Sprinkle with garlic, parsley, and pepper.
4. Bake in preheated oven until the fish is white and flakes when pulled apart with a fork, about 30 minutes.

We found this recipe here.

Green Hornet

The Green Hornet **1/2
Trailer
This movie was more fun than we expected. It had some funny lines/parts. The main character was hard for me to deal with because his voice sounds like a cartoon character. And he's kind of annoying. But his side kick is awesome. He kicks butt and it's pretty awesome when they show how he sees things when he's fighting. Anyway, overall the movie was okay, not great.

Best Breakfast EVER.

Grandma's Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c shortening
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 c flour
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 c milk
• 2 T butter, melted
• brown sugar
• sugar/cinnamon

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream the shortening, sugar and eggs in a large bowl. 
3. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Mix into the shortening mixture alternately with the milk, about 1/2 c at a time.
4. Spread the batter into a greased cookie sheet with sides. With the back of a spoon, make 12 holes in the batter.
5. Fill the holes with brown sugar. Sprinkle top of cake with cinnamon sugar. Drizzle the melted butter over all.
6. Bake for 20-25 mins.
7. Eat slices with syrup.

Have you ever been to P.F. Chang's?

Wanna Be P.F. Chang's Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

Pouring Sauce

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon hot water
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 

Stir-Fry Sauce

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
  

Chicken Stir-Fry

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed to 1/2″
• 1 – 8oz can sliced water chestnuts, minced to the size of corn kernals
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, minced to the size of corn kernals
• 1/2 onion, chopped fine
• 3 cloves garlic, minced fine
• 6 large leaves of iceberg lettuce or nappa cabbage
  

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in 1/2 cup warm water, then add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil. Mix well and throw in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.
2. Just before serving, combine 1 teaspoons hot water with dijon mustard and garlic and mix in small bowl. Add to the pouring sauce, 1/2 a teaspoon at time to taste.
3. Prep the stir fry sauce by mixing soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar in a small bowl.
4. Combine oils and add to wok or large frying pan. Heat oil over high heat until it glistens, about one minute. Add chicken and saute until mostly cooked through, about 5 minutes.
5. Turn the heat under the wok down to medium-high. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, wait one minute, and then add garlic, onions, water chestnuts, mushrooms, and the stir-fry sauce you prepared earlier. 
6. Stir-fry everything until the mushrooms have cooked through, about 4 minutes, and remove to a serving dish.
7. Serve stir-fry with iceberg lettuce or nappa cabbage leaf wraps and top with pouring sauce.

**Variation: you can do the same thing with ground beef, if you like.

I found this recipe here and it turned out pretty delicious!

Gnomeo and Juliet

Gnomeo and Juliet ***

Trailer

A twist on the classic story of Romeo and Juliet. Cute in the fact that it's unique, I've never seen a movie that has lawn gnomes as the main characters. There are some very funny, entertaining parts in this film. Overall it was a fun flick. :)

 

Chinese Food is SO Good!

Russ' Egg Drop Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 c water
• 3 chicken boullion cubes
• 1 chopped green onion
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ – 1 tsp pepper
• 1 – 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 – 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1/8 tsp ginger powder
• ¼ tsp basil
• 1/8 tsp thyme
• ½ – 1 tbsp corn starch

Directions:

1. Bring water and bullion to a boil, add onion, salt, pepper, ginger, basil and thyme. 
2. Lower heat to a simmer. While stirring with a whisk, slowly pour in beaten eggs. 
3. After the eggs have been mixed in, add soy sauce. 
4. Mix the cornstarch with twice as much water. Pour in the cornstarch mixture as you stir. 
5. Allow to cook for a couple more minutes, or until thick.

Skinjacker Trilogy

Everlost ***

by Neal Shusterman
Book Type: YA, Fantasy

Summary: Nick and Allie don't survive the car accident...but their souls don't exactly get where they're supposed to get either. Instead, they're caught halfway between life and death, in a sort of limbo known as Everlost: a shadow of the living world, filled with all the things and places that no longer exist. It's a magical yet dangerous place where bands of lost children run wild and anyone who stands in the same place too long sinks to the center of the Earth.
When they find Mary, the self-proclaimed queen of lost kids, Nick feels like he's found a home. But Allie isn't satisfied spending eternity between worlds. Against all warnings, Allie begins learning the "Criminal Art" of haunting and ventures into dangerous territory, where a monster called the McGill threatens all the souls of Everlost.
In this imaginative novel, Neal Shusterman explores questions of life, death, and what just might lie in between.

summary found on goodreads
My Review: This story is about a couple of kids, Allie and Nick, who die. Instead of going into the light their spirits get trapped in the "in-between", a place affectionately called "everlost" by the children trapped there. Allie and Nick go on a journey to understand the place they're trapped in and they find Mary; the self-appointed queen of everlost. She takes lost spirits under her wing and helps them find their niche. Except Allie; Allie refuses to find her niche. She wants more, she NEEDS more. So she travels until she finds the monster known as the McGill. It is fun to follow along with Allie and Nick as they try to understand this world their trapped in and what they should do next. I thought concept was fun. A story about people trapped in the "in-between". The place between heaven and earth. The characters are fun and well developed. This is a great quick and exciting story. If you enjoy that type of thing, you'll enjoy this one!

Everwild ***
by Neal Shusterman
Book Type: YA, Fantasy
Summary: Everlost, the limbo land of dead children, is at war. Nick the “Chocolate Ogre” wants to help the children of Everlost reach the light at the end of the tunnel. Mary Hightower, self-proclaimed queen of lost children and dangerous fanatic, is determined to keep Everlost’s children trapped within its limbo for all eternity. Traveling in the memory of the Hindenburg, Mary is spreading her propaganda and attracting Afterlights to her cause at a frightening speed.
Meanwhile, Allie the Outcast travels home to seek out her parents, along with Mikey, who was once the terrifying monster the McGill. Allie is tempted by the seductive thrill of skinjacking the living, until she discovers the shocking truth about skinjackers.
summary found on goodreads
My Review: This book follows Nick the "chocolate ogre" and Mary Hightower as they battle each other to reach each child who comes to Everlost. Nick wants to send these kids home while Mary wants to keep them in Everlost forever.Mary fears the next life and doesn't want any child to move on. She begins to lose her sanity as she begins to bring AND trap children inside of Everlost. Allie discovers that she has the gift of skinjacking, the ability to inhabit and use the body's of living people. New characters are introduced and there is a twist that will shock you. This book was fun like the first one. But little miss Mary is INSANE. She really is completely crazy. I hope that they take her down in the third book! I look forward to reading it. :) It truly is a fun, exciting book!

Everfound ***1/2
by Neal Shusterman
Book Type: YA, Fantasy
Summary: While Mary lies in a glass coffin aboard a ghost train heading west, her minions are awaiting her re-awakening by bringing lots of new souls into Everlost to serve her. Meanwhile Jackin’ Jill has met Jix, a fur-jacker—a skin jacker who can take over the bodies of animals, most notably jaguars. Jix serves a Mayan god who collects Everlost coins, and has his own agenda. In the concluding volume of The Skinjacker Trilogy, Neal Shusterman reveals new sides of the characters of Everlost, who are pitted against each other in a battle that may destroy all life on Earth.
summary found on goodreads
My Review: I thought this book was the best in the series. Mary is even more insane in this book than the first two, she is desperate to destroy the world in order to "save" everyone. Although she is pushed back into the real world and brought back to life, Milos willingly kills her in order to bring her back to Everlost. She is supposed to sleep for nine months but sometimes, things change. Mary is absolutely insane. This book was kind of stressful for me because she is SO crazy. But I really love Mickey McGill and I began to really enjoy all of the other characters in the story, except Milos. Milos is obsessed with Mary and is willing to do anything that she says. The story just continues to get bigger and bigger until the climax when things finally wrap up and everyone ends up where they are meant to be. I thought the story was exciting and the ending was done pretty well. Things end well but the lives of the characters in the story are certainly not perfect, which I prefer. It was a fun story in the end.