Heart's Desire by Laura Pedersen

Hallie Palmer, now a college student, has had one crazy year. She has already begun to reform her former gambler ways by concentrating on other problems, as finding the tuition money she desperately needs, dealing with her legal guardian Bernard, and trying to figure out her own relationships. As the 2nd oldest in a family of 8 children, it’s up to her to find the money to go to college. Bernard employs her as the gardener and doing yard work. Hallie also has to come up with a plan to get Bernard reunited with his ex-boyfriend, Gil. But Hallie has romantic problems of her own and can’t seem to keep any guy interested. Hallie’s freshman year is surely full of surprises.

When I first started reading Heart’s Desire, I wasn’t sure if I would like it or not. The crazy characters, including a chimp named Rocky, were entertaining and the dialogue was funny. The story got better during the middle and once I got to that point, I couldn’t put the book down. As the character is a college student, older readers will relate to Hallie more. I didn’t read the prequel, Beginner’s Luck, but I think it would be more helpful in understanding the story and the characters. I think that if you stick with the book, you’ll be glad to read it. I’m looking forward to reading more about Hallie Palmer.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

The Borrible Go For Broke by Michael de Larrabeiti

Borribles are runaway children who don't want to grow up. They get their names from adventures. But the greatest adventure is The Great Rumble Hunt.After a note that gets passed to Charlotte about a horse that saved their life during the Great Rumble Hunt, Charlotte gets together with the rest of the Hunt members and tries to save the horse. When things go terribly wrong and they end up in Wendle territory, warrior borribles that would love to kill them, their only hope is to trust a borrible that was a Wendle. Will the borribles ever make it out alive??

This book was a very good book. It was really tense for me and there was always action so it kept me reading. There was a big plot that was unraveling and I tried to guess it but it was very hard because of dips and turns. The author wrote very well and it captured my imagination. I wish to see pictures of the borribles because it is hard to imagine them.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lutherville, Maryland U.S.A.

True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet by Lola Douglas

Morgan Carter is a teen Hollywood actress. She becomes addicted to drinking, and almost dies from it. Her mom, Bianca, finds out and wants Morgan to get back on track with her life. She sends Morgan to go live with her friend in Fort Wayne, Indiana for a year and go to an actual high school there. Morgan is devastated. What will she do in such a lousy place like Fort Wayne? She knows it's for the best, but Morgan still thinks her mom sent her away so she wouldn't have to deal with Morgan herself. But after Morgan gets there, she finds that Fort Wayne isn't as bad as she thought it would be. So no one will realize she is actually Morgan Carter, Hollywood starlet, she dyes her hair, wears fake glasses, and calls herself Claudia Miller. Yeah, school isn't that fun, but she kind of likes staying with her mom's friend, Trudy, who is the closest thing to a motherly figure that she's ever had in her life. She finds a friend after a couple of weeks of school, and also finds out that someone might even think she's cute. But then things start going downhill again. Her grades are slipping, she's been skipping school, and there have been more reporters than usual around town. Did someone actually know where she was? After all the secrets, will she be found out?

“True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet” by Lola Douglas, was a great read!! I could not put it down. Morgan told her story through journal entries, and she told it very well. I found myself laughing at her various experiences and firsts as she tried to play the part of an average American girl. I found myself overwrought with sadness and sympathy for “Claudia” with all the secrets she had to keep, and all of her thoughts she had that she didn't belong anywhere. All I can say is, I can't wait until the sequel comes out! Anyone looking for a good book, read "True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet!"

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Celestine, Indiana USA

Darrien's Rise by Paul McCusker

When Anna and Kyle’s uncle comes over for a visit he tells them about an abandoned haunted house in the woods. Kyle and Anna decide to go find it but they never thought about what would happen when they found it. When they enter the house, they decide to explore throughout the house. Kyle looks through the keyhole on a door upstairs and sees what he believes is a ghost. He tells Anna to look for herself and he backs away from the door. Anna looks but doesn’t see anything. All of a sudden, the floor cracks and Kyle falls through the floor. Anna runs into the only place she can, which is the door with the ghosts behind it. After running through the door and the bright white light she realizes she’s not in Odyssey anymore. Kyle also wakes up and realizes that he isn’t in Odyssey anymore either. How will they ever get back to Odyssey, or is it even possible to return? Find out in this awesome book called Darrien’s Rise.

I loved Darrien’s Rise, the first book in the Passages Series by Paul McCusker. It was one of the best books I have ever read and I can’t wait to read the rest of the books in this series. I didn’t want to put this book down because it was so good. It is a Christian-based book and very adventurous. The characters had many different personalities that made the story even more interesting. I recommend this book to all ages. I hope and think that whoever reads Darrien’s Rise will enjoy it as much as I did.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, PA US

The Dark Flight Down by Marcus Sedgwick

In the Dark Flight Down, Boy has survived while his old master Valerian, a powerful magician, is dead. He is saved by Kepler, Valerian’s enemy. In Kepler’s possession is The Book, the most powerful and dangerous thing in the world. And the Emperor Frederick wants it to become immortal. Boy is kidnaped by the imperial guards and taken to the palace, and it’s up to Kepler and his friend, Willow to save him. In the palace, he finds himself in danger from the Phantom, a creature housed in the palace. In time, Boy finds out the truth about his past and it’s up to him and Willow to find a way to escape.

I thought that this book was really interesting. I haven’t read a good horror book in a while, so it was a nice change. I actually didn’t know that there was a prequel to The Dark Flight Down, but I’m curious to check it out now. I loved the setting of the book and the characters were interesting too. Once I started reading, I wanted to find out about Boy’s past. This may seem like it’s for younger readers, but everyone should give this a try!

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Philadelphia, PA USA

The Mark of Zorro by Johnston McGulley

In old California with the missions, there is a new highway man abroad. His name is Senor Zorro. Rumor says that he punishes those who have done wrong. Though the Govenor and his captain and general track him down, Senor Zorro Always finds a way to escape and continue his mission to bring justice back. As the crimes for Senor Zorro reach an all-time high, the town is in turmoil, and there is more injustice than ever. Who is this Senor Zorro, and will justice ever be returned?????

I loved this book. This book had a lot of adventure, which is the biggest reason that I loved it. Every second there is a big, exciting event happening, and it didnt seem as though the book was dragging on. There was also aa mystery to who Senor Zorro was, and even though I figured it out early in the book, it was still enjoyable.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lutherville, Maryland U.S.A.

The Good, the Bat, and the Ugly by Paul Magrs

A story laced with the twists and turns of British humor, The Good, The Bat, and The Ugly is the latest book written by Paul Magrs. Jason’s father was a famous puppeteer in his day, but now he is a washed up old grouch. When he implies Jason to take up the family business of puppets, everything goes mad. Soon everything is in a mess when his father is dragged off to jail, and Jason’s older half-brother Barry gets involved. On top of that, Jason’s father’s old puppet is calling to him from the attic, and mysterious puppet murders start happening all over town. The web becomes even more tangled when the devil himself gets involved. It’s a story of insanity, betrayal, ‘fancying’, hell, and most of all, puppets.

The book was good, but somewhat weird. I didn’t find it to be as wildly hilarious as it was made out to be. I believe that the whole situation of the book is what is supposed to be funny. Although it is told in an enchanting first person, the book dips in and out of utter madness. I tend to be more attached to the protagonist when they tell the story. Therefore, it is harder to enjoy the calamity that Jason goes through. I also find the circumstances of him falling in love with a grown woman sort of weird, and maybe it’s supposed to be that way. Although, by far, my favorite sequence is the ‘mamazon.com’, epilogue which features different characters of the book making comments. Overall, the book is enjoyable and holds your attention from start to finish, but it is not the most mainstream. Those looking for an offbeat British read are sure to find what they are looking for in The Good, The Bat, and the Ugly.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Greencastle, PA USA

Invisible Threads by Annie and Marie Dalton

Invisible Threads, by Annie and Maria Dalton, is the story of a mother and daughter dealing with all the trials and tribulations that they went through when they were 16. Carrie-Anne is having trouble at home trying to get along with her adopted parents, and trying to find her place in the world. She thinks that if she has a chance to find her biological mother, she could get a better sense of who she is and where she's from. Meanwhile, Naomi, Carrie-Anne's biological mother, tells us the story of when she was 15. She lived with her unsteady mother, trying to keep a grasp on reality, trying to be a normal teenager, but always having to comfort her mother after her mother had a sort of mental breakdown. After Naomi's mother found an on again-off again boyfriend, Naomi decided that she shouldn't have to be her mother's babysitter. She chose to go have some fun at a party with some of her friends, and did something she knew she shouldn't have done. So Invisible Threads takes us on through their separate journeys, reminding not only Carrie-Anne and Naomi, but also the reader that even if we may not want to acknowledge it (as in Naomi's case), we are all connected by invisible threads that make up our family tree and our history.

This was a very good book. It really took you through all the controversy and all of the emotions that Carrie-Anne and Naomi went through at specific moments in the book. I thought that Invisible Threads very well written, and anyone who's ever been seeking answers to who they are and where they came from, should read it. I recommend, though, to be about 13 or 14 before reading this book.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Celestine, Indiana USA

I Am The Wallpaper by Mark Peter Hughes

When Floey Packer writes something in her diary, you know it's the truth. (In her diary, she writes about everything from her crush on her friend Wen to her plans for the future, supercool, noticeable Floey Packer.) That is, until her two gross cousins come over to her house to stay for a month! Within days, the contents of her diary are on the Internet for the world to read. Within hours, www.floeysprivatelife.com has gathered thousands of readers from all over the country. Floey must not only deal with the results of these disastrous web postings, but also decide whether or not the new and improved Floey is better than the old, wallpaper Floey. Along the way to enlightenment Zen-style, she finds humor in many situations, uses a jar of Deep Wild Violet hairdye, and even gets a bit of romance!

I enjoyed reading I Am the Wallpaper because it was a fun and lighthearted book that nevertheless had a solid storyline that kept me wondering how on earth Floey would overcome her latest batch of problems. I would recommend this book to almost anyone looking for a sweet story, though it may be a bit mature for the younger readers. I could not change anything about this book to make it better! Mark Peter Hughes has really mastered the "13-year-old-girl's-diary" style...I found myself drawn into the trials of Floey's life from page one.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Ellicott City, Maryland USA

Upstream by Melissa Lion

Melissa Lion tells a very real story about an Alaskan girl named Marty in her senior year of high school whose joie de vivre is somewhat diminished by a summertime tragedy that has made the rest of her town uneasy and awkward around her. Marty feels trapped in her current life and unable to escape the judgments of her fellow villagers until she meets Catherine, a new arrival from California. Catherine encourages Marty to apply to college, to gather up her life, to start living again. Now all that remains to be seen is...will Marty allow herself to move on?

I thought that Upstream was an interesting read because it gave me a look into the daily life in a place I've never been. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to try out a book that, while not challenging, moves past what one normally would read in a book. Melissa Lion gives readers the essential details that allow them to connect somewhat to the characters. Although the ending was the best possible for this book, I was still left "hanging" because all characters, save for one that the book closes on, were introduced in the final chapter of the book. Other than this, the ending fit the book very well.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Ellicott City, Maryland USA