The Daykeeper's Grimoire by Christy Raedeke

Title: The Daykeeper's Grimoire (Prophecy of Days #1)
Author: Christy Raedeke
ISBN: 9780738715766
Publisher: Flux

Summary:
When her safe-cracker mom and code-breaker dad inherit a dreary Scottish castle, sixteen-year-old Caity Mac Fireland is not happy. Ripped from her cushy life and friends in San Francisco, Caity's secret fantasy of being discovered by a Hollywood agent, talent scout, or even just a pageant coach seems more unlikely than ever.

But when Caity stumbles across a hidden room in the castle, its walls covered in strange symbols, her life takes a bizarre turn. She finds herself center stage in an international conspiracy involving warring secret societies, assassins, the suppressed revelations of the Mayan Calendar and the year 2012, plus the fate of humanity.

With the help of her friend Justine back home, and Alex, a gorgeous and mysterious Scottish boy, Caity must race to decipher the code and reveal its message to the world before time runs out."
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First Lines:

"First off, I'm going to save you from reading seventy-two pages of how I got to a Scottish castle on the Isle of Huracan in the middle of a black churning sea. I need to tell it fast because if you read the long, drawn-out version you're going to think you've heard it all before."
Page 1
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Review:

To be honest, from looking at this cover you would assume this book is fantasy. It's really, really not. I knew it wasn't once I read the blurb, but many people have asked me about it since I started reading it (that's what librarians do - we like to know what others are reading. It's one of our super-nerdy habits.)

I would probably describe this book as a DaVinci Code for teens. It has all the elements of a coding mystery - the hidden things that lead to something else that needs to be translated, the adventure to save the world, the ancient secret societies and their texts. It has all the pieces to fit into that category. And it even throws in a little lurve to make it interesting :).

One thing that is very different about this book is that it's very.... zen. You have many characters who study ancient civilizations and languages and are convinced of its importance in today's world. All of which is very possible, but it's almost like the main character is always surrounded by people who encourage her to dig into history and texts and find herself. That's a cool way to be, but I dunno how realistic that might be.

I did really enjoy this book. It's on another level from much of the teen stuff I read. The concept is very unique and I hope more come out like it. I do wish there were more mysteries like this written for teens. I look forward to reading the next book in this series - the adventure has only just begun. I think this book will be good for just about everyone. Older readers may have more to gain from the story - especially as there are a few particularly preachy areas about how we can change the world. But it's all very interesting and leaves you contemplating long after you've finished the book.

The author's website is here. I've found it to be a little glitchy, but she has a blog as well. So check those out! I hope the next book isn't too long in coming!
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Other Blog Reviews:

Frenetic Reader
Pure Imagination
Shut Up! I'm Reading.
Thinking Beyond the Wall
Here's an interview done over at Pages with Christy Raedeke
I'm sure more reviews will show up in the next few weeks. It's a great book and everyone should give it a shot. And then review it! :)