The Big Book of Spy Stuff by Bart King

Have you ever wanted to be a spy? If yes, then you should read this book. It is jammed packed with information about spies. Some of the stuff in it is: How to make a secret code, sneak around without being seen, and how to defend yourself. It also tells you about almost every spy there ever was. Some of them are people you know about but didn' t know there were spies. Take Roald Dahl for example. Most people know he was a writer. But you didn 't know he was a British spy in World War 2!

I absolutely loved this book! A reason I loved it is that the author puts it in certain way that you learn stuff but it doesn' t seem it. It was also very informative. An example of this is it has 30 chapters. In each chapter it has certain information about a topic. Then it goes into lengthy discussion about it. For example, a chapter title is Spymasters. It then talks about what they are. I recommend this book to any ages.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Uxbridge, Ma USA

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

With Earth dying, the Empyrean sets off to colonize "New Earth". Waverly must take on an incredible amount of responsibility for a 15 year old girl. The second to be born in space Waverly is expected to carry out the mission, and who better to do that with than the first born in space and utterly handsome Kieran. Although she's aware of what she must do Waverly can't help but dream of a more exciting life than just marriage and mothering. However, her wish comes to pass when the second ship, also set out to colonize New Earth, the New Horizon suddenly attacks the Empyrean and attempts to kidnap all of the able females. Are the people on the New Horizon really evil or is all the things she was told growing up just a lie. And who exactly is the mysterious and kind hearted Seth, and how will he help get back what she's lost?

While the idea was brilliant, the writing wonderful, and the plot ingenious, the characters annoyed me to no end. One second you liked a character and the next you hated them. It was hard to follow because it was written in three different peoples point of view, who all at least at some point hated one of the other characters. It infuriated me and caused my emotions to go all bipolar. While the characters were lacking the rest of the book was not. It keep me on my toes the whole time, with almost no predictability. The images were stunning and realistic, and the whole story well developed and very authentic. I read in a day because I could not put it down. It was enjoyable and I cannot wait until the next book comes out.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Colorado Springs, CO United States

The Hangman in the Mirror by Kate Cayley

The Hangman in the Mirror takes place in Canada, and is based on a true story. 15 year old Francois, newly orphaned, is looking to increase her standing in society, and does so by taking a job as maid to Madame Pommeroy. For once in her life, she is well fed and well dressed. She still longs to be more than she is, however, and steals a pair of gloves from her employer. When she is caught, Francois needs to use a loophole in a law to marry a hangman... or be hung.

"The Hangman in the Mirror" was an excellent book, written with a lot of detail and dialogue. I was easily able to picture the 18th century Montreal that the author described, especially the dirt and poverty of Francois's original home. The characters were likeable though flawed, and the struggle in Francois between being a faithful maid and owning something of her own was very realistic. I also liked how the characters had small things in their past that connected them. I would recommend "The Hangman in the Mirror" to girls who like historical fiction.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country:Pennsylvania, USA

Shifting by Bethany Wiggins

Summary: Maggie Mae is almost eighteen and she can't wait to be out of foster care; she's been bounced from house to house since she was five-years-old and her family died. Since she turned sixteen, Maggie Mae has had a serious secret that she hasn't told anyone: she is a shape shifter. Now she is living in Silver City, New Mexico with her last foster parent, Mrs. Carpenter, and is trying desperately to fit in and graduate. Dating Bridger O'Connell seems like a good start, but then Maggie Mae realizes she is being hunted because of her secret and she doesn't know how many people, including herself, will be hurt before the chase is over.
Opinion: This book was really good! I loved Maggie Mae's character and felt that I could relate to some of her problems. The story line was original and I was happy that Bethany Wiggins did not write a cookie-cutter romance novel. I appreciated how Wiggins threw in some legends from the Navajo culture and related them into the lives of the characters. Overall, this book was really good and I would recommend it to pretty much everyone.

Content: 1
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Brownsburg, Indiana United States of America

Crossed by Ally Condie

In this sequel to Matched, Cassia leaves her home to work in the Outer Provinces. No one knows that she's actually on the search for Ky, who was sent to another work camp. But when she hears that Ky has escaped into the desolate canyons, Cassia leaves the Society and follows him. During her search, Cassia hears more talk of the Rising, a rebellion that is planning to overthrow the Society. She desperately wants to join and is willing to sacrifice anything to be a part of something important.

Crossed was an okay novel and I liked it well enough. It's obvious that Crossed is the second book of the trilogy because not that much happens and it is used as a build up for the final book. Unfortunately, this makes Crossed pretty boring in terms of plot. I enjoyed the writing, but that didn't make up for the lack of action. The book is also split into two parts, which Ky and Cassia each taking turns to narrate. I liked this a lot, especially when the two were separated, because the reader could see what each was doing. However, as soon as their stories intersect, the double narration is annoying because I could never tell you was actually talking. Despite the slow pace, there were still enough twists and turns in Crossed to make me want to read the last novel in the trilogy.

Reviewer Age:19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Aston, Pennsylvania United States

The Mistaken Masterpiece by Michael D. Beil

Full of excitement and adventure. The Red Blazer Girls are a mystery solving band-as well as best friends. Sophie's dad works at a restaurant, and at one point meets a famous movie star. Her dad asks if his daughter and friends could meet him while he was filming his movie. After the girls meet him they love him even more than before, and when he asks Sophie to take care of his dog, Tillie, she is so excited. And when father Julian asks them to solve another mystery, their all for it. But when Tillie chews up one of the baseballs for their mystery, will they be able to solve it? Or will it end up a disaster.

The author did a really good job writing the book. It made me feel like a knew the characters and they were my good friends. She really went in depth in a lot of things that were very interesting. The pictures in it also helped a lot with understanding what the girls were talking about at some points. I would definitely recommend this book to people who love mysteries, especially mystery loving girls.

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Skokie , Illinois USA

If I Die by Rachel Vincent

In this story, Kaylee, a female banshee, and her enemy Sabime, must team up to defeat an evil incubus. Who, ironically, is a teacher at their school. The only problem with the plan is Kaylee. She s going to die in less than a week. And the teacher can t be left alive for that long. Unfortunately, Death decides to knock at Kaylee' s door. Has Kaylee run out of time?

The first half of the book is pretty good. If you can get past the cursing, sex scenes, course jokes, sex scenes, sex scenes, and more sex scenes. I swear, it was like the author didn t know how to keep sex out of her book! Every other chapter is about something sexual. First it' s an 18 year old getting pregnant. Then it s Kaylee finding out her teacher is an incubus. And not just an every-day incubus. He 's an incubus in heat. Later, it s Kaylee witnessing another student s miscarriage. And let 's not forget Kaylee s experience with her boyfriend. Might I mention that this experience happens in her bedroom? In her bed?

Thankfully, the author only focuses the first half of the book on sex. It' s only mentioned a couple times in the second half of this story. The second half of this book focuses on Kaylee' s decision on whom she will choose as a boyfriend.

Overall I found this book very disappointing. It seems geared for a more mature audience. If the first half had been as good as the second half, it would' ve been a lot more enjoyable.

The entire first half of the book was ENTIRELY focused on sex. It had a couple F-bombs, and it had MULTIPLE characters cursing. Also, it got extremely violent toward the end of the book. I'm not at all pleased that this book was said to be Young Adult Fiction.

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Yucaipa, California United States of America

Worst Vampire Ever by Caissie St. Onge

It seems like most vampires lead charmed lives filed with fast cars, huge mansions, and eternal beauty. Not Jane Jones. Her family barely makes ends meet and she s far from the classic stunning vampire. In fact, Jane s even allergic to blood, making her weird even by vampire standards. For the last century (give or take) she has been moving from high school to high school. However, something is amiss at her newest school (besides the vampire-infested student body). When her creepier-by-the-minute history teacher assigns Jane a group project, she learns more about her past then she ever wanted to.

This book seemed to have a lot of potential. I ve read more than my fair share of vampire novels, but this one seemed to have a new concept. I really thought the idea of an awkward teen vampire could turn into a really fun read. Sadly however, this book fell short for me. The beginning was quirky and funny. It really set up a cute coming-of-age story. Jane talked about what vampire myths were true and false, about her family. Then, as I read further the plot started feeling kind of disjointed. It had good moments throughout, but the overall conflicts felt forced. I respect that the author tried to be surprise the reader but the twists just felt unnatural. There is a love triangle just kind of thrown in, but it didn t really ever develop. I m not sure if I would pass by this book completely, though. Although I didn t love it, I didn t feel like it wasted my time. It was a pretty light read. I think it would be good for the beach or a book report. So, if you re looking for a quick vampire read, this might be worth a try. But buyer beware: it s no Twilight.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Crescent City, CA USA

Matched by Ally Condie

Matched kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering what would happen next. Author, Ally Condie, did a good job of describing the dystopian world in which 16 year old Cassia Reyes lives. In Cassia's world, a government called ‘The Society’ decided everything about you, what your occupation is, who you marry, and even when you die. Cassia is perfectly content with her world, until her ‘Match Banquet’. The Match Banquet is a banquet where those people who choose to be married see who ‘The Society’ has chosen for them. Cassia is pleased to be matched with her childhood friend and believes everything is perfect until she reviews the microcard of her match and sees someone else's face,someone who isn't her match. The Society never makes mistakes, so what is going on? An impossible choice leaves Cassia confused and suddenly wanting a different life, a life where she (not The Society) makes the choices about herself.

I thought Matched was an excellent book. I felt like Ally Condie really allowed me to get into Cassia's head. I felt her troubles and her pain as if it was my own. I'll be the first to say, I'm not a romance fan. However, this book made me want to read more. I recommend Matched for anybody who wants a book with the perfect balance of struggle, romance, and reality.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Tipp City, Ohio United States

Emma by Jane Austen

Emma Woodhouse knows one thing for sure: she is an amazing matchmaker and she is never going to fall in love. . . It seems like it would contradict itself, right? Well, Emma has a new project to find a lover for the simple and shy Harriet Smith. Emma soon finds out that she's gotten in too deep and if she keeps trying, she might lose everything!

'Emma' by Jane Austen, was very fun to read. Emma reminds me so much of myself that I found myself comparing myself and life style to hers! Jane Austen does an excellent job of getting the reader involved in the story by using very imaginative wording to get you painting your own pictures of the settings and characters.'Emma' is a classic novel about romance and a girl that just wants to live life to it's fullest and Jane Austen could not have done a better job.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Tatamy, PA USA

Eve by Anna Carey

Eve has always lived within the walls of the School. Because the Plague wiped out 98% of the population, Schools have been formed to take in orphans and teach them a trade. Eve finds out on the night before her graduation that the School isn't what she thought it was. The promise of going out to practice her trade was a lie. Eve and he graduating friends are destined to be taken to a nearby building to be used as breeding mechanisms. Eve knows she must escape. When she does she meets Caleb, a male. She has been kept from males her whole life because she was taught of their dangerous ways. but soon she falls for Caleb. A griping love story set in a dystopian world.

I really liked Eve. It was a fantastic book that told of a realistic world that could someday be ours. I really liked the writers style, but thought at times the characters were somewhat unrealistic. The story itself is great and there is a sequel. I liked the way the author ended it, Eve left me wanting more. I would recommend this book highly to anyone in the young adult age group.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Tipp City, OH United States

The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston

In 1628, Bess Hawksmith loses her entire family to the plague, except her mother who is hanged for witchcraft. Bess escapes her own hanging and finds shelter and training in a warlock named Gideon. When he tries to make her his forever, she flees. In present day England in 2007, immortal witch Elizabeth befriends local teenager Tegan. Wary of letting someone into her life and past, she trains Tegan as a hedge witch. In the time they spend together, Tegan learns of Bess s past on the run from Gideon and notable moments in history in which she lived.

Brackston did a wonderful job combining the genres of historical fiction and fantasy. This page-turner would be great for introducing the fans of historical fiction to fantasy and vice versa. At first I was skeptical of Tegan s character, but by the end I could not imagine the story without her. The story truly brings you into the plot and makes you feel as you are there with Bess in each of her adventures. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, fantasy, or stories relating to the Salem Witch Trials (like I do).

Reviewer Age:22

Reviewer City, State and Country: Bay City, Texas USA

The Snow Queen's Shadow by Jim C. Hines

The book starts out in a small tavern in the kingdom of Lorindar, where we find out Snow and Talia are trying to capture the infamous witch hunting duo, Jack and Jill. Shortly thereafter Queen Beatrice dies, due to her injuries sustained in The Mermaids Madness. Snow unwilling to accept this, tries to place her soul in a new body but fails, and in doing so breaks her mother’s mirror and unleashes a Demon out on the world.

The book was a true page turner; I could not put it down. Hines did an incredible job closing up this series, and showing us you really can’t trust a fairy. His battles are fast paced and believable and his characters are fun and lovable with their wit and humor even when they are facing death. I read this without having read the first three but after this I may just have to. This book is good as a stand-alone, but I’m sure it will be out of this world when I read the others.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carbondale, IL United States

The Death Catchers by Jennifer Anne Kogler

One day, Elizabeth Mortimer is reading a newspaper when the letters change to from a new headline saying Lizzy's best friend, Jodi, just died. Lizzy is even more confused when her grandmother, Bizzy, insists that Lizzy tell no one. When Lizzy goes to check on Jodi, Jodi is nearly hit by a car, but she is saved by Bizzy, who pushes Jodi out of the way. When Bizzy and Lizzy are alone, Bizzy explains that they are part of an ancient bloodline, descended from Morgan Le Fay herself! Together they must stop the death of the Last Descendant against overwhelming odds, including Morgan's sister, Vivienne. Can an old woman and a young teenage girl save the day?

The Death Catchers was an amazing combination of the real world and ancient Arthurian sorceresses. It was scary when Vivienne froze Jodi and Lizzy, and Jodi didn't remember it at all. The idea of the Merlin statue in the graveyard was interesting. I hope there is a sequel to this book. Really, this is a good book for anyone who is intrigued by the story of King Arthur.

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Lake City, IA USA

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

Everyone thinks that Juliet died. They are wrong. She didn t kill herself, Romeo did. He killed her because he wanted to become immortal. And by doing this he became a spirit that took bodies that were dead and tried to break up true loves. What he didn t expect is that Juliet would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Life. Her job is to keep true loves together. For seven hundred years, Juliet has been doing her job and Romeo his, until they don t. They could become human again if they fell in love again, but Juliet has fallen for another and Romeo will do everything to stop them.

This book was okay. You could really understand Juliet s point and also Romeo s. I loved the concept for this book at the beginning but as the story continued on, it got boring. Almost all the characters were perfectly developed. I would recommend this book to people who liked Falling Under and Eden.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Northglenn, CO United States

The Golden Ghost by Marion Dane Bauer

Delsie wants a dog more then anything. She then goes to a mill with her friend Todd and finds old abandoned houses. All the doors to the houses are locked.... except one. Delsie finds a surprise in the house, and is curious about it. Is the surprise good, or bad?

This book was a big disappointment. I expected the book to be larger, but it was a very small book with big print. It really only talked about how much Delsie wanted a dog, and there was too much description. The author really made it look like something great was going to happen, but nothing did. I knew the end before I read it, and I didn' t like that I finished the book in about a half hour. The only good part about the book was the 6th chapter, and that was it. If you want a good book and something that doesn' t waste your time, don' t get this one.

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Yucaipa, California United States Of America

How to Be an Attractive Man (eBook) by Adam Kisiel

How to be an Attractive Man is a concise, yet effective guide to bring out the attractive man in all of us. Adam Kisiel outlines 101 rules to help readers become more attractive men. These rules include wardrobe tips, grooming pointers, personality enhancers, and many more. The format of Kisiel s guide allows for the ultimate convenience and flexibility. The book encourages readers to choose the tips they wish to use and ignore those that they don't like. This provides each reader with a unique experience with becoming a more attractive man.

To give a proper review of this book, I decided to put some of the tips to the test. After implementing some of the advice in Kisiel s book, I felt more confident as a person. While the book aims to help men become more attractive, I think the tips help men become well rounded individuals. However, the best benefit of this book is the format. Readers do not have to invest a lot of time to take away all the nuggets in this book, and they can skip tips that they do not want to use. It is arguably the most convenient men's-help guide available. Overall, I recommend How to be an Attractive Man for its useful advice and easy-to-read format.

Reviewer Age:21
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eden Prairie, Minnesota United States

My Not-So-Still Life by Liz Gallagher

My Not-So-Still Life by Liz Gallagher is about a girl named Vanessa also known as Nessie. She's a girl who has her own version of fashion. She's always dyeing her hair different colors and wearing funky makeup and clothes. The thing is, she wants to grow up faster. Everyone is always asking why she wants to grow up so fast and telling her that she's not ready for it. However, she thinks she is ready, until she gets into a situation and realizes that everyone's right, she's not ready to grow up quite yet.

My Not-So-Still Life by Liz Gallagher was a great book. It shows that even if you think you are ready to grow up, you'rer probably not. And sometimes it will take you into a situation, like Vanessa, before you realize it. It also shows you some things about friendship,that a true friend will forgive you for your mistakes eventually, knowing that you didn't mean to hurt anybody. I like everybody's style of art. Everyone's art is unique and beautiful.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Sandy, Oregon U.S.A

Flat Broke by Gary Paulsen

In the book "Flat Broke" the main characters are Kevin and John Paul. Kevin has lost his allowance due to lying. He is constantly thinking of ways to make money. His Aunt Buzz is refusing to pay him for working for her, because he lied to her too. Kevin baby sits a little boy named Markie to earn some money for his drivers' test. Kevin is always thinking of ways to get a girl named Tina to like him. He tries to earn money for two tickets to the school dance, and so he sets up poker games in his basement. I enjoyed reading this book, and hope Mr. Paulsen writes another book to keep the series alive!

In my opinion, "Flat Broke" was very fun to read. I think that Mr. Paulsen achieved his writing purpose very well. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends to read. I enjoyed this book because I got to enjoy a funny book. I liked the ending because it left it open for another book. I hope there is going to be another book in this series to continue the adventure and humor.

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Glenwood, Arkansas United States

Torn by Erica O'Rourke

Torn by Erica O’Rourke was a wonderful mystery with a touch of magic and deception. In the beginning of the book, Maura’s best friend, Verity is murdered one night while they are out together. Maura gets away, but her best friend wasn’t so lucky. Maura wakes up in the hospital and for the first time she meets the mysterious Luc. When she gets out of the hospital, she goes to Verity’s funeral and sees some very strange things. Maura also finds an object that could help her find Verity’s killer. The police are still looking for the murderer, so Maura’s mother is worried about her and hires a bodyguard named Collin to keep her safe. She soon meets a friend of Luc’s named Evangeline who tells her information that will change everything. Maura and Luc soon start to piece together the murder and discover a magical world. I think that this book fits into two categories, mystery and romance. It is a mystery to find Verity's killer and stop the Torrent, but it is also a romantic book because she has to choose between two guys.

While reading this book, I felt like I was right there with the characters because the setting was so good. The mood of the book is deceiving because you feel like there is always something more than what meets the eye. I think that the characters in this book are very real because I can imagine them as real people. I think they seem this way because they don't seem phony or fake. They have traits that real people would have. The voice of the author is serious, sometimes sarcastic, and at some times funny. I think it was appropriate that the story was told in first person because it was easier to follow the story that way. The author left me wondering what happened to some characters and part of the plot at the end because it isn't a satisfactory ending. She also leaves you hanging, so there could definitely be a sequel. I definitely think that the author achieved their purpose to entertain because I was very entertained by this story and I really enjoyed reading it. I think that this piece was very well written because it was very descriptive and I made really good mental pictures in my head. It was also easy to understand. One of the strengths in this book is the many twists and turns that this mystery has. Other books in this genre have been a little slower than this book, so I like this book because it has a faster pace. I found this book very interesting because of how well this book was written and how the plot was laid out. One thing that I did not like is that the ending of this book isn't very satisfactory; it still leaves a couple things not completely resolved. I definitely think that this book could have a sequel. I would recommend this book to others because I really enjoyed it. I think that it is a book that everyone can enjoy because it is such a great mystery and a little bit of magic.