Split by Swati Avasthi

In Split by Swati Avasthi, a sixteen year old boy named Jace is kicked out of his home by his abusive father leaving his mother alone with his father. He is forced to move in with his estranged brother Christian whom he hasn't seen or talked to in years. After moving in with Christian, Jace starts with a clean slate where no one knows his past. He comes to realize its not as easy as it looks and his past starts to haunt him. Jace has to come to terms with his father's faults so he can see it was never his own fault.

Split is one of those books with characters that you feel sorry for in the beginning but eventually fall in love with by the end. This book should be read by as many people as possible. It is an open window to domestic violence in the homes of those we are told to trust. While some of the passages were graphic, this was one of the better books that I have read in a long time. I was glad to see that after everything Christian and Jace were able to stay together and finally have a happy ending. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good read with a little angst mixed in. Great Story!

Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mantua, NJ USA

Knucklehead by Jon Scieszka

This book is about a boy with five other brothers. He is the second born and they get in a lot of trouble together. They also have a lot of fun. They are average boys with average boy dreams. They like the Law Of The Pack promise because to them it means they should run around like a bunch of wild animals.

This book is action packed and realistic. My favorite part is that it is so funny. It is even hysterical at times. It tells about living with five other brothers. They even made up their own game called Slaughter Ball. In Slaughter Ball you jump on the guy with the ball. Boys like that kind of thing. The realistic humor is why I like this book.

Reviewer Age:11
Leopold, Missouri USA