What’s up y’all! My name is Laya, and if you didn’t know, my madre is one of the founders of S’moresUp and I am learning the ropes of being a teenager.

I have always been passionate about reading. English is my favorite subject, and I am top in my class. I have had my writing be presented to the school board, and I am currently working my way-slowly-through Shakespeare (on Page 7).

Now that you have gotten to know a little about me, I can explain what this is all about. As you have probably guessed, I have read my weight in books. And I might be super into reading, but I know that some kids are more into science or math or history. So that is what this little project by S’moresUp is for.

I am here to give you my favorite book recommendations, some you may have heard of, some maybe not. Parents or kids, I want to share my knowledge of books with the rest of you and for those non-readers, hopefully, I can change your mind about how truly magical books can be. So without further ado, let’s start with my favorite.

Harry Potter is my favorite book series. But I’m not going to write a review for it. Why? Because if you haven’t read Harry Potter, it just means you are too young for it. Nobody who is old enough to read Harry Potter hasn’t. And for all y’all who haven’t and are old enough, I can’t honestly do anything.

So what book series am I going to talk about? The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare. It isn’t too popular, but I know for a fact that there are a bunch of you nodding approvingly at me.

The Infernal Devices – Cassandra Clare

This book is set in the 1800s, but before you immediately close the page, (Cause I know y’all were about to), just hear me out. This book series is the first, chronologically, in the Shadowhunter Chronicles. You might know her first series, the Mortal Instruments, a little better but although I thoroughly enjoyed those, the characters got old, and the books felt repetitive.

Anyways, back to TID, I know you probably don’t want to read a book from the past, I’ve been there, but this series is so well written, and the 3 book story comes together so beautifully. The characters, you fall in love with immediately, (I have a slight crush on one, see if you can figure it out ;)), and even the villains have layers (yes like an onion). The story introduces many Shadowhunter terms incredibly well and creates a world like no other book I’ve read.

The fact that it takes place during the 1800s is something I could barely recognize, other than the occasional corset problems, and the age that marriage was something to start thinking about. This book does have some mature themes but nothing too crazy. I would recommend this book for ages 12 and up and definitely not a good book for anyone under 10. 11-year-olds, I think that is up to your parents.

The first book is called The Clockwork Angel and is funny, fast-paced, and I couldn’t put it down. It stars a girl named Tessa who gets taken away from her brother, and all she wants is to be brought back to him. I won’t give away too many details, but she definitely gets more than she bargained for, becoming fast friends with Charlotte, Henry, Will, and Jem. I rate this book a definite 10/10, and I don’t give those out often at all. This is a great book to read. The only thing I’ll say is that it is quite a long read, with a whopping 544 pages. But the story is worth the page count, and you should not let it scare you. 

The Infernal Devices is one of the best book series, with a great plot, loveable characters, and some of the most beautiful writing I have ever read! Be sure to check it out!

Before I sign off, I just wanted to give a little reminder. For those of you who have read the book, you can 100% write your own opinions on the books in the comments, or touch up on things I didn’t mention. However, please, PLEASE do not put any spoilers in the book. If someone asks you can tell them privately or let them look it up on their own but leave the comment sections alone. There are people who genuinely want to read and find out on their own, and if your comment spoils anything, it WILL be deleted. That’s all ladies and gents.

Sincerely, Laya