A new student review of Vampyre Kisses by Elizabeth Kolodziej

mikaylamoody68 posted a new student review of Vampyre Kisses by Elizabeth Kolodziej. See the full review.

In my opinion this book was a little slow in the start, but as you gained more understanding of the characters the book become hard for me to put down. To me Vampyre kisses was an overall good book and I can't wait to I read the next one in the series.

A new student review of The Infects

Ravette posted a new student review of The Infects . See the full review.

This was a very fast-paced read. Yet highly enthralling. It wasn't just the typical gore and bloodfest that interested me - though it did help - it was the very realistic idea of how the virus of the "Infects" came to be. Not only that, but the characters also seemed very realistic; especially since they each had very individual personalities. But, most of all, I loved the ending. It was definitely suspenseful and kept me 'on my toes' the entire time; a twist ending.

Highly recommended for zombie/conspiracy/horror lovers.

A new student review of Red Crucible

LaRayne posted a new student review of Red Crucible . See the full review.

Red Crucible puts a reality into the end of the world. It makes you think this is going to happen. That is why I loved it! This book has very little dialogue, yet it still will keep your attention and entertain you on a long car ride. I would recommend Red Crucible to ages 12 and up. It is a great book about the true need of survival matureness and bravery!

A new student review of Rain of the Ghosts by Greg Weisman

bookgirl1289 posted a new student review of Rain of the Ghosts by Greg Weisman. See the full review.

Full of action and mystery, Rain of the Ghosts is a wonderful read for anyone who likes a good, slightly creepy, ghost story. It is a good book for both boys and girls because it has strong male and female characters, Rain and Charlie. It was also very fast-paced and exciting. One of the things that I found rather strange about the book is the fact that it is told by a dog who seems to have supernatural powers. When you are reading you can tell that he has some connection to what is happening but you don’t know what it is. There are several unsolved mysteries but they promise to be solved, hopefully, in forthcoming books. I loved reading this story and found it a wonderfully mysterious story to read. I would highly recommend this book for ages 11 and up as a great adventure/ghost story. It promises to be the first book in a great new series!

A new student review of The Bitter Kingdom

R. Mae posted a new student review of The Bitter Kingdom . See the full review.

Bitter Kingdom was a faultless, magical finale to the Fire and Thorns Trilogy.

The Plot:

One thing that I really enjoyed about the other two books was the strong characters and the realistic plot. Elisa was a queen who felt responsible for her people and she always knew what she wanted. That really affected the plot. When the book starts, Elisa is trying to reach Hector. Since she loves him, that is one of the reasons why she wants to rescue him, but marriage with Hector will help bring peace to the kingdom. Elisa's character has to go through all these struggles to save her people. There were some major twists in the story that I never would have seen coming. I won't tell you the details, but let's just say that you can never truly know God.

The Characters:

I loved Elisa. She is so unique and delightful. She has a good sense of morals and is therefore very enjoyable. The romance between her and Hector was believable, not over done. It was actually really good. Storm turned out to be heroic and interesting. As devastated as I was when some people were killed, it worked out better for the plot and characters that way. I think Rae Carson is really good at killing her characters. I admire that. It made the book even more original. Mara still eludes me. There was a moment when Elisa cornered Cosme and Alodia into a contract of fealty, both of whom are very hard to outwit. For a moment I was upset, but Rae Carson smoothed easily over the scene and brought the toughness back into both of the Queens.

The Setting:

All three of the books had different settings. Separate kingdoms, land types. The desert, the mountains, and in this book the mines. They added a little flair to the scenery and made for good bonding between our main characters. It was also effective for the plot. If Rae Carson would have just continued on with her characters trekking through the snow I would have become very bored. Instead she leads her characters to a place they feel uncomfortable and excited.

The Standout:

Her name was Waterfall. You might guess girly. I say not. She lead our characters through the mines. She was coy, brave and determined. She was my absolute favorite part of the story, along with Red Sparkle Stone. Red was a slave who Elisa, in a way,  accidently buys. She ends up being a priceless addition to the team. She also added a little humor into this otherwise serious book. That is the one thing I would have enjoyed more of. Most of the humor in the book felt stiff and unnatural. It would have made the book almost perfect if I would have been able to laugh a little more. So I liked Waterfall and Red. They are completely opposite. The latter trusting and innocent. The first, cautious, coy and independent.  I loved both of these girls and I think they really made the book better.

The Moral:

What are you willing to give up for someone you don't even know? Elisa was such a great queen because she really felt responsible for her people. During the story she thought about giving up. She could have run away and lived with Hector. But she wouldn't, because she had a responsibility and she wasn't going to be a quitter. That's a good moral to me. Now, the story does imply that Elisa and Hector did more than make out, but Rae doesn't give you all the gross details. Elisa and Hector were married. Also, swearing is not really present in this book. The characters had other ways to express themselves. It was very impressive. 

A new student review of Out of This Place by Emma Cameron

dancechicka posted a new student review of Out of This Place by Emma Cameron. See the full review.

I was dissatisfied, disenchanted, and disillusioned with this book.  It was in verse (like poetry), which I thought was going to make Cameron’s points more hard-hitting and direct.  Most books to use this to their advantage, but in this one it just fell flat.  Cameron did not seem to know when to break apart stanzas or fragment thoughts to really drive the point home.  I believe she would have been much better off writing this book in sentence form—it would have forced her to add details and emotion in this book.  All I felt was disconnect and indifference, no feeling at all.  If you write poetry, you need to use the limited amount of words  allowed and make them count—use commas instead of ands and substitute action verbs for passive verbs.  The only character I could sometimes connect with was Bongo—because he was the only one who felt real.  I do, however, see much potential in Cameron as an author.  She knows what she’s doing—she just didn’t utilize her talent and skills to put together a high-quality book.

                “Can’t say where I’m going, though I would if I knew.  I’d take her with me if I could.  All I can do is pull away from her crestfallen face.  It’s no way to say goodbye.”

                I would recommend this book for ages twelve and up, for some mature comments but not much profanity at all.  This novel also portrays alcoholism, abuse, and drug use.

                Each in their own personal abyss, can these three close-knit teenagers find a way to make their futures look somewhat brighter?  Or will they all end up stuck in the rut in which many of us find ourselves?  Out of This Place by Emma Cameron is the only way to find out!

A new student review of Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter

alphatauri posted a new student review of Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter. See the full review.

When I saw the concept for Alice in Zombieland, the book before this one, my mind rushed with happiness. I'm a fan of both zombies and Alice in Wonderland, so naturally I freaked out. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations. The action took too long to start up and Ali and Cole had very little chemistry together. However, Through the Zombie Glass totally changed my thoughts on the series. All the introducing done in Book One makes the plot in Book Two flow so much better. One of Gena Showalter's greatest abilities is to create so many diverse characters that truly make her worlds feel like real ones. She most certainly did that in Through the Zombie Glass. Ali and Cole were obviously the stars of the show with their suspenseful relationship building, but the other hunters all had their moments. This is a book full of action, romance, mystery, and heartbreak in many ways. I heartily recommend it to anyone who has the slightest interest in zombies or Alice in Wonderland!

A new student review of The Secret of Grey Stone Island by Andrea Louise Koehler

sschu5 posted a new student review of The Secret of Grey Stone Island by Andrea Louise Koehler. See the full review.

This is a great book because Jago and his cousin Maya take responsibility for a theft of something they were in charge of protecting.  It was full of mystery and suspense.  This book teaches kids to take responsibility even though they should have asked adults for help.  It has a great plot and is a good short book for young readers to start reading chapter books.

A new student review of Golden Girl

nlsings posted a new student review of Golden Girl . See the full review.

While this book did lean toward the predictable side, I did enjoy it. I am a sucker for the 20s, and I was pleased with how the author presented the time period. The writing was good, if not sometimes slightly cheesy. Despite this, the book still read well, and I think it is worth the read.  

If you liked Wicked Lovely and The Luxe, then I would recommend Golden Girl, but read Dust Girl first!  

A new student review of Confessions of an Almost Girlfriend

kfc1997 posted a new student review of Confessions of an Almost Girlfriend . See the full review.

Louise Rozett’s Confession series continues with her Confessions of an Almost Girlfriend. The second was even better than the first as Rozett delves deeper into the thoughts and feelings of a teenage girl. Rose steps out of the book and becomes a peer, a guide, and a friend, as you get further and further through the story. Although I felt some details were over-exaggerated, the plot and the writing were flawless. I haven’t experienced anything close to what Rose’s life and love was like, but Rozett definitely makes me wish I could. I would recommend this book to girls in 9^th grade or older. I hope to see a third book come to stores soon! 

A new student review of The Iron Traitor

DJ_RESH_RESH posted a new student review of The Iron Traitor . See the full review.

This is a really good book overall. I love how Julie Kagawa describes the settings. It’s like you can see, hear, feel, touch, smell, and/or taste everything she is describing through her colorful use of vocabulary. Kagawa also creates great personalities and uses those personalities to help influence the choice the characters make, which I really like in books. I’ve read a lot of books where the author creates a great personality and suddenly the author makes the character do something that I would never expect them to do because it’s not who they are and I’m really happy that Kagawa doesn't do that in The Iron Traitor. I also love how Kagawa doesn't drown you in information at one time, she just slowly adds on and explains everything. This isn't my favorite book by Julie Kagawa but I would definitely recommend reading it.

A new student review of Bending Willow

Archer130 posted a new student review of Bending Willow . See the full review.

Even though it is not a book with a lot of adventure the bond between the 2 sisters is one that no one can break. I thought that this book was a very good book that has a lot of emotion and sisterly love. 

A new student review of Cherry Money Baby

calicool123 posted a new student review of Cherry Money Baby . See the full review.

Cherry Money Baby is a book I could read over and over again and never get tired of it. It kept me laughing and there didn't seem to be a dull moment. It was very well written and just coudn't seem to put it down. I would reccomend this book to my friends any day. 

A new student review of Juvie

VBat posted a new student review of Juvie . See the full review.

Juvie is definitely not an uplifting, feel-good book. Rather, it is a dark story that works to define the differences between "innocent" and "guilty." 

The main character, seventeen year old Sadie, is incredibly likeable and immediately draws the reader's sympathy. Her self-sacrificing nature and love for her family make her a perfect character to root for. The unfairness of her situation is described so well that, by the end of the book, I was ready to storm down to the courthouse and tell the judge exactly what I thought of his judging skills. 

The characters introduced were never boring- from the recluse, hoarder father to the middle schooler who beat a boy over the head with a pipe to steal his bicycle, each kept the plot entertaining and unique. In addition to being interesting characters,the various delinquents in the detention center provided a bit of morbid comic relief. 

Juvie is well-written and the plot is captivating, if not necessarily cheerful. I would recommend the book to teens and young adults who enjoy realistic fiction. 

A new student review of Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel

ReesaOnFire posted a new student review of Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel. See the full review.

I enjoyed Dust Girl just as I expected. I chose this book longing for a story of love, adventure, magic and a dash of history.  I had very high expectations for Dust Girl, and it delivered.

Although the story was slow in the first few chapters, things quickly boiled. The author quickly captured my attention on the mystery of the true identity of Callie’s parents. Then, Zettel had me worrying over how Callie's parents' past would affect her. Zettel’s other characters, Jack Holland and Shimmy, also gained my love with their each own interesting and heartbreaking stories.  I also loved how she mixed in historical descriptions of life back in the years of the Dust bowl and Great Depression.  It was magnificently written and I look forward to reading the sequel.

A new student review of Daylight Saving

JesusFreak posted a new student review of Daylight Saving . See the full review.

I figured that since this book was under three-hundred pages, I’d be able to finish it quickly.  I was wrong.  It went on and on, and I didn’t want to read it in the least.  The main character, Daniel, did not interest me at all.  The book didn’t get any better until the last few chapters, and even then it was boring.  I normally like thriller/suspense novels, but this was a snore.

A new student review of Zebra Forest by Adina Rishe Gewirtz

underwood_bcl posted a new student review of Zebra Forest by Adina Rishe Gewirtz. See the full review.

I liked the book and was amazed to find out the author, Adina Gewirtz, has five children. I think it would be hard to be a writer with that many children.  The characters were believable even though they had very different points of view.  There was adventure but not the kind of adventure that makes you want to keep reading until the book is finished.  The adventure is more inside each character as they deal with the issues of forgiveness and what it means to be a family.  It is a good book to read slowly and with a lot to think about as you go.

 

A new student review of Salvation

EmilyFredricks posted a new student review of Salvation . See the full review.

This book is broken into three different books and I would have much rather the book was just done after the first book. After that first book was done, I didn't like what happened after that. After the book ended all it did was describe what happened to Maya in her early life and I didn't want to read it. I thought that if it had ended after the first book, it would have been a lot better and would have gotten a 5 out of 5 stars from me. Over all I liked the first book within salvation but after that I wished I could just be done with the book. I didn't like the last two books.

A new student review of Wild Boy

nowhereman posted a new student review of Wild Boy . See the full review.

Wild boy by Rob Lloyd Jones was a perfect mix of action and adventure. I loved it from the very first sentence. Wild boy reminded me of a mix of Indiana Jones and Sherlock Holmes.  I also loved the setting in Victorian London and how the author described it in great detail.  Another thing that I liked about this book was that the author did an excellent job of developing the characters so that I felt sorry for Wild Boy and his predictement. If you like Sherlock Holmes on a level that's easier to understand,  than you'll realy enjoy this book. I recommend Wild Boy for people 10 and up.

A new student review of Zebra Forest

underwood_bcl posted a new student review of Zebra Forest . See the full review.

I liked the book and was amazed to find out the author, Adina Gewirtz, has five children. I think it would be hard to be a writer with that many children.  The characters were believable even though they had very different points of few.  There was adventure but not the kind of adventure that makes you want to keep reading until the book is finished.  The adventure is more inside each character as they deal with the issues of forgiveness and what it means to be a family.  It is a good book to read slowly and with a lot to think about as you go. 

A new student review of The Red Blazer Girls: The Secret Cellar

Anjel posted a new student review of The Red Blazer Girls: The Secret Cellar . See the full review.

I liked this book a lot. I really enjoyed Sophie's character. She was really funny. There was not as much action in this book as in Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys mysteries, but it was still good. I recommend reading the first three Blazer girls books before this one because it would give you a better sense of the characters' histories.

A new student review of Cherry Money Baby

dancechicka posted a new student review of Cherry Money Baby . See the full review.

Okay, before we start, I have a confession to make—I completely, wholly, utterly judged this book by its title.  I know, I know, I am without shame.  But seriously, when I saw that sassy title--Cherry Money Baby—I knew that I had to give it a shot. And it lived up to the title.  I loved Cherry--she’s foul-mouthed, harsh, unrelenting, and tell-you-like-it-is—and I loved her for that.  Being a small-town girl myself, I could really connect with her.  I understand how small towns can sometimes be—sheltered, biased, yet with a sense of community and strength.  Cusick’s writing was honest and in-your-face.  What really impressed me was his dialogue.  Some writers tend to “overwrite” dialogue—making it sound too formal and structured.  Cusick kept it to-the-point and broken up, so that I felt like this novel really was happening right in front of my eyes.  His vocabulary was colorful and vibrant.  The book was slightly dull at the beginning and at some parts in the middle, but only for a chapter or so.  I really recommend this book for anyone who is interested in a modern novel with a small town twist!

                “The wheel spun free of Cherry’s hands.  Weightless silence.  Then the passenger’s side smashed into the concrete divider.”

                I would recommend this book for ages sixteen and up, for profanity, sexual references, and the use of drugs and alcohol.

                So, will Cherry decide to stay in her simple life….or will she jump into the life of Ardelia Deen feet-first?  Read Cherry Money Baby to find your answer!

A new student review of Reunited

Peace8747 posted a new student review of Reunited . See the full review.

I liked Reunited a lot. It was a really good book and I enjoyed it.

A new student review of Burning

VBat posted a new student review of Burning . See the full review.

Burning is a light read with deep meaning. It explores the many nuances of love and belonging through various situations and perspectives, while entertaining the reader. 

My favorite part of Burning was Lala's cultural background. In order to understand Lala's emotions, the reader must adapt their mindset to accept her family's male-dominated society and traditions. While these customs are foreign to many readers and seem very backwards in modern times, they are important to Lala as a character. A book's job is partly to expand the mind and worldview of the reader, and in this aspect the book is certainly a success.

While the symbolic nature of Lala's sexual rebellion gave the reader insight into her thoughts, I felt that it was overdone and detracted from other important parts of the book. Some of the scenes felt forced, as if the book hoped to attract teen readers by including mature subject matter. I would have prefered to see Lala find her own worth without any involvement from the males in her life.

All in all, Burning told a meaningful coming-of-age story, but occaisionally tried a little too hard to interest teen readers. I would recommend it to mature teen girls who enjoy romance and realistic fiction. 

A new student review of Star Path

scifiguy posted a new student review of Star Path . See the full review.

Star Path is very exhilirating and action-packed. I enjoyed this book a lot.

A new student review of Tidal

mikaylamoody68 posted a new student review of Tidal . See the full review.

This book in my opinion had a good plot. There are alot of twists in this book as well, but I also got bored throughout the book. Every now and again I felt like putting the book down and not picking it up again. As soon as I was about to put the book down, I would get drawn back into the story. When I got to the end of the book I became in love with the story.

A new student review of The Golden Day

aschoenfeldt posted a new student review of The Golden Day . See the full review.

Ursula Dubosarsky's The Golden Day proved to be a thought provoking, complex book that left me with more questions than answers. I am still haunted by the tragic innocence of the little girls, and the insidious chain of events that propel them into adulthood. The time period and setting were intruiguing, but I would have like more of an explanation on the event that sets the novel in motion: the hanging of the man on the morning of Miss Renshaw's disappearance. I enjoyed seeing the friendships blossom between the girls, especially Cubby and Icara, but some events were confusing, such as the death of Icara's mother. The ambiguous ending left me somewhat unsettled, but I would not hesitate to read this book again.

A new student review of Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter

Ravette posted a new student review of Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter. See the full review.

Normally, when the word "zombie" comes to mind, you think of mindless corpses craving brains. That's not the case in the White Rabbit Chronicles; these creatures feast on the life force of a human being, the spirit! I thought that idea alone was enthralling and creative. The story also takes you though a series of twists and turns throughout the plot, trying to make you guess what will happen next. Despite some grammatical errors, this was an excellent read!

A new student review of The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa

kaiyle posted a new student review of The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa. See the full review.

This book is probably one of my favorites in Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series.  It's really interesting seeing Ethan as a teenager and how his sister's actions have affected his entire life.  There are a lot of plot twists in this book that you will never see coming and will make you want to read the next book.  I highly recommend reading the other Iron Fey books about Meghan before reading "The Call of the Forgotten" books so that you can understand all the background information on Ethan's life.  And I would recommend this book to anyone who likes romance, fantasy, and adventure.

A new student review of Black Spring

bookgirl1289 posted a new student review of Black Spring . See the full review.

Black Spring is beautifully written and has a plot that will make you want to keep reading even if you know how Wuthering Heights ends (I read a summary of Wuthering Heights because I was really curious about what happened in it, but you can understand this book just fine even if you don't know the story). Some things in this story are the same, but the magic element and strange traditions of the northern plateau make the story different in an interesting way, and there are characters in Black Spring that are much more likable.

Croggon is a wonderful writer and describes the landscape so vividly that it seems terrifying and real. I think she has improved on the original character of Cathy, making it somewhat easier to understand Lina’s actions. Anna, a servant girl who is raised along with Lina, is a great character who tells most of the story, and she makes Lina seem less selfish and more doomed by fate. One of the things that I didn’t really agree with was the idea that Anna thought that Lina wouldn’t have been so selfish if she had not been persecuted as a witch. I don’t think that had much of an effect on Lina since she spent her childhood in the southern country. The Heathcliff character (Damek) is more mysterious, and we don’t find out much about his thoughts or feelings, so I didn't have much sympathy for him at all. But I think the whole obsession/revenge story works better in a fantasy setting because it’s more believable than in real life.

A new student review of Tidal

mikaylamoody68 posted a new student review of Tidal . See the full review.

This book in my opinion had a good plot. There are alot of twists in this book as well but I also got bored throughout the book. Every now and again I felt like putting the book down and to not pick it up again. As soon as I was about to i would get drawn back in . When i got to the end of the book I became in love with the story