Forest of the Pygmies by Isabel Allende

The finale of the acclaimed trilogy, that began with Kingdom of the Golden Dragon, has had a lot to live up to. Alex, now 18, along with his grandmother and friend, Nadia, travel to Kenya on an elephant safari. Like the previous two books, things do not exactly happen simply, and the trio encounter a whole host of problems such as after a plane crash, they end up trying to help save primitive Pygmies from slavery. A mixture of magic, adventure, and a sensous surrounding gives this book an edge that many children's books do not have.

Having read a few of Isabel Allende's books I was certainly looking forward to this one, as I thoroughly enjoyed reading the first two. However, by the time I got around to reading this one, I realized something was missing; it may have been that I was older and a more experienced reader, for it has been a while since I have read the first two. The character's still amused me, and the magic they possesed created something far more interesting than the trilogy would have been had they not had it. However, I found myself bored with a long drawn out plotline that, although had twists, followed the same basic outline as the first two. Despite my problems with it, and my need for a change, I feel that many people will enjoy it, and I am certainly going to reread the first two books. The blend of magic and fantasy with realism, and an amazing setting, certainly gives this book a head start to many children's books.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Bristol, England

Falcondance by Amelia Atwater Rhodes,

While the first two of the trilogy focus on the story of Danica Shardae and Zane Corbrianna, and therefore the joining of two sworn communities of enemies. The third and final book in Amelia Atwater-Rhodes trilogy looks at the past. Nicias, a falcon, never felt at ease amongst the avians and serpiente, once sworn enemies but united in the first two books, although loyal to the heir of both thrones; Oliza Shardae Cobrianna. Bound by the strong magic he possesses, one that will destroy him if he cannot soon control it, he is forced to leave his position of personal guard to Oliza and learn from his Grandmother to bind it. Once gone from the only place Nicias has ever called home he uncovers deadly secrets of the past, ones that could, and will, haunt the newfound peace.

Although lacking the brilliant romance I loved in the first book, Rhodes does not cease to amaze. Her lush prose and gorgeous descriptions are again outstanding. And while the book takes a different turn to that of the first two, something that may not be wise in the finale, with different charcters introduced and those that we know and love barely touched on, Rhodes is clearly maturing as a writer, and this trilogy I do not think I will forget. I recommend this book to all teenagers, especially those looking for something different or a fan of the supernatural, mythological and other-worldly.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Bristol, - England

Maximum Ride by Jame Patterson

Maximum Ride is destined to save the world. Max is constantly worried about her flock of mutant bird-kids as Erasers, including Max’s younger brother, continually attack them. Erasers are kids that morph into wolves, and recently they’ve been given wings, so though they can’t fly nearly as well as Max and her flock. The six kids have just escaped the School where one experiment after another was conducted on them. They are on their way to Washington to find their families, but the Erasers show up and Fang, a member of the flock, is seriously injured. He is taken to a hospital, and of course, his wings are discovered. When Anne, a caring FBI agent, offers the flock a place to stay while Fang recovers, Max feels she has no choice but to accept. Fang’s life is on the line, and she is concerned about making the members of the flock, two who are only six-years old, flee from everything. Can the flock really trust Anne? Can they survive real school, something they’ve never had before? And ultimately, can Max figure out just how she’s supposed to save the world?

Maximum Ride School’s Out- Forever is a fast paced and thrilling novel. Readers never know who to trust as Max’s story is told. Which people are really Erasers? Which ones are scientists? The questions are constantly revolving around a reader’s head. James Patterson has written a book in which the pages are turned almost as fast as the eye can read as the reader tries to figure out what is coming next. An excellent novel for adventure and science fiction fans, Maximum Ride will capture readers everywhere.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Chambersburg, PA USA

Silver May Tarnish by Andre Norton & Lyn McConchie

Lorcan, a young child and youngest son to the Dale owner, has loved his land very much. However, one day Alizon invaders attacked his land. The Dale army was no match for the Alizon invaders, so they retreated into a cave/passage. After many onslaughts of the invaders, Lorcan's brothers and father dies in the fighting. Lorcan and the head-of-arms master are the only one who escape to another Dale. At the other Dale Lorcan hunts for money, and he gets trained by the head-of-arms there. At the appropiate age, he joins the fight, and they win the battle against the invaders. After the battle, Lorcan travels around the land searching for followers who want to be in his Dale, and with the money that his old Dale secretly left behind for him, he is confident that he can do so. On the way in his travels, he meets Meive, a magic woman, some women with various ages, and 5 blank shields. With these people will Lorcan ever rebuild his Dale?? Or will he have the scars of battle forever, and forever be a nomad?

This book was an amazing book. I loved the flow of the book, and it kept me reading, and wanting to read more. There is always some action about it, and it whisked me into an imaginary world, that could also seem real, since the characters did real things. The author gave just the right amount of detail for certain things, which made the book more interesting for me.

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

Falcondance by Amelia Atwater Rhodes,

When Nicias Silvermead’s falcon magic reveals itself in his blood, he flies to Ahnmik to get help from his grandmother. Even though he is a falcon, his parents have not told him much of his heritage. They themselves are exiles from Ahnmik. Nicias finds the city mesmerizing, yet he knows that his true home is the wyvern’s court. During his stay in the city he finds out many startling details of his past, including why his parents made the decision to leave Ahnmik. He becomes entangled in a web of lies and deception. As Nicias fights his way through these barriers, he uncovers deadly secrets that could destroy the existence of Wyvern’s court.

The newest sequel in The Kiesha’ra series, FalconDance, by Amelia Atwater Rhodes, is mainly Nicias’s story. For the most part, FalconDance explains the mysteries of the two previous novels in the series. Though the novel is well written and does have a charm of its own, it does not really compare to Hawksong, the first in the series. It just feels as though Rhodes left too much of the story out. It does not flow as smoothly as the previous two. The whole aura of the series changes, instead of blending the different aspects in the novel they stand apart. The connection that the different characters were linked by in the previous novels has been severed. The novel seems rushed or maybe a new twist in the plot that isn’t quite concrete yet. Nevertheless, Rhodes writing is just as good as ever. I still look forward to her next novel, especially in this series because of her ending that seems to suggest another sequel in the series.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Kansas City, MO U.S.A

The Queen of Second Place by Laura Peyton Roberts

Sophomore Cassie Howard is used to being second place. She has been her whole life. When Cassie meets Kevin Matthews, the new boy, in her sophomore Honors English class, she vows that she will come in first this time. But when her school nemesis, Sterling Carter, decides to move in on her crush first, Cassie decides to take action. Cheating on school assignments, taking her father’s car without permission, and betraying her friends all to try and win the attention of Kevin. Sterling, a.k.a. Fourteen-Karat, is of course one of those perfect girls that everyone wants to be best friend of and secretly despises. Through her desperate schemes, Cassie ends up making a mess of everything—including losing her best friends along the way. Will the queen of second place finally win what she wants most? As Cassie tries to solve the problems she created, she learns the meaning of real friends, her own capabilities, as well as self-confidence.

The Queen of Second Place by Laura Peyton Roberts is a great book to read on a rainy day. Although the plot is clichéd and Cassie’s antics are not surprising, Roberts makes the novel enjoyable through her creative writing. Even though the reader can predict exactly what will happen next, there’s still something in this novel that makes the reader want to read on. If you’re the person that enjoys a pointless novel just for the joy of reading, then this is the book for you.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Kansas City, MO U.S.A

Being Bindy by Alyssa Brugman

Belinda Grubb, called Bindy, doesn't want to face changes; she wants her life to stay as it is with her best frienf Jane Madden, her dad, and brother Kyle. 8th grade starts out to be the ultimate test for Bindy; should she accept Janey's new popular friends and conform to their "cool" habits or stay behind while everything changes around her? Every aspect of her adolescent life changes quickly: her mom seems to care more for her boyfriend than parenting; school becomes unbearable when Janey and Hannah, a rich girl who thinks abbreviations are SVC (so very chic), taunt her for being a baby; and her father and Janey's mother start going out. The stress grows until Being Bindy reaches a climax with Janey passing around Bindy's underwear during a school assembly by Bindy and her brother Kyle. Can the girls get over their differences and remain best friends? Only time will tell when one is in eighth grade.

Alyssa Brugman's Being Bindy is unique among novels highlighting early adolescent issues because of the author's Australian influence and references throughout the novel. This shows how teens around the world are so similar yet have different educational systems. The book is a quick read and enjoyable because of the author's simple style and approach. I doubt Being Bindy will be a best seller, however, because of its similarity to other books aimed at young adolescents such as the Alice books by Phyllis Naylor and because it doesn't seem as captivating as The Princess Diaries for instance. I really liked the Australian references; it was something new and a great exposure to other world societies.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6
Reviewer Age: 17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Kansas City, MO USA

Shadowqueen by Debbie Federici and Susan Vaught

Brenden(Bren) and Jasimina(Jazz) have defeated the Shadowmaster, but have also lost Jazz to the cold grip of death in doing so. Bren misses Jazz. He has rebuilt the path with his brother and now all he wants is his girlfriend, Jazz, back. When Bren learns that there is a chance for him to get Jazz back, he sets his mind on taking that chance. But where Jazz is, few have dared enter, and even fewer have come back. Jazz is in Talamadden, and all she wants is to get back to Bren. And with the aid of a blue peacock, she intends on exiting Talamadden and going back home. Jazz needs to get back home. A spy has entered L.O.S.T., and it is Jazz's duty as queen of L.O.S.T., to make sure the spy doesn't harm her people. When, with the help of Bren, Jazz is free from Talamadden, she must hurry with Bren to stop the spy. When Jazz and Bren reach L.O.S.T., they find a battle raging. The battle leads Jazz back to Talamadden with Bren, where the new Shadowmaster lies in wait to kill them.

I liked this book. What I liked about it was the fact that the relationship of Bren and Jazz seemed to be all consuming to Bren and Jazz. When Jazz was in Talamadden, all she could think about was how much she wished she was with Bren, and all Bren could think about was how much he wished he was with Jazz. Jazz had more important matters on her mind while she was in Talamadden, like how was she going to get out or how would she get out in one piece? While Bren had to think about all of his people, and to make sure that his brother didn't do something stupid. When Bren and Jazz reunite, their relationship stays strong and grows stronger even though they act like jerks to each other, and that was the best thing - they could love each other and be complete jerks to each other at the same time. I also thought the book was good because Jazz and Bren continually had to overcome all the attacks on L.O.S.T. while they had to deal with the major problem on how to make their powers separate, or how to get Todd from being a complete jerk. It was interesting to see them trying to stop one thing while they had to fix another.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Tucson, Arizona U.S.A.

The Summer King by O.R. Melling

On the anniversary of her twin sister, Honor’s death, Laurel travels back to Ireland to finish something her sister never accomplished. After having strange dreams, Laurel is compelled to learn about the faerie world, though she does not believe in faeries. But when a strange, “roly-poly” man appears to her appealing for help to finish the mission Honor started, Laurel thinks it’s her duty to finish it and rescue Honor. What Laurel doesn’t know is that the journey is filled with danger, mystery, and excitement. She gets help from Ian, a boy she’s known since she was young. Together, Laurel and Ian face terrifying attacks from otherworldly creatures, including water faeries and raven-people. She is given guidance from the wise golden eagle and she manages to ally herself with one of the most powerful woman pirates, Grace O’Malley. Laurel’s goal is to return the Summer King back to the faeries so that he in turn will light the Ring of Fire. If she fails her mission, everything will be lost, both in the faerie world and the human world.

When I first started the book, I had to force myself to get through the first half of the book. I wasn’t getting interested in the story. But the story turned when the action began. O.R. Melling’s descriptions of Ireland really helped the story. I was interested in the faerie world, so I wanted to see how she depicted them. I also liked the history that she threw in, with Grace O’Malley. There were some twists thrown into the plot, which really livened up the story. I did not see the ending coming and I was really surprised. I’m glad that I finished reading the novel. I would recommend this to lovers of fantasy. As this is part of a quartet, I will look for the remaining stories and hopefully they will be entertaining as well.

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

Sign of the Crescent by Debbie Federici

This book starts out with an introduction to Taryn. Taryn has just lost her grandmother, and is suffering heart break because of the lost. Mean while teenagers are getting snatched by some unknown source, and going out at night for teens is getting riskier. There are people from the world, Neworld, whose job is to protect the teens from earth, Oldworld. Erick is one of those people. One night, when Erick is out trying to stop the kidnappings, he comes across Taryn. Erick is dispatched far away from Taryn, and her rescue seems impossible. When the Zumarian warrior, working for the bad guy, comes to take Taryn he grabs her. Whenever a Zummarian warrior grabs a person of the Oldworld they immediatly freeze, but Tary doesn't freeze when grabbed, Taryn fights back. Erick, who witnesses this, knows there is something different with Taryn, and goes to meet her. Erick and Taryn build a relationship over time, but one night Taryn is taken, and Erick decides it is time to attack the bad guy. Taryn is confronted with the bad guy and learns that he is her father. Taryn is presented with a choice that will decide the future for everyone. Taryn is left with the choice to choose love or power, and whichever way she chooses she betrays someone.

This book is about choosing. Throughout the book the characters are met with choices. Taryn faces the choice between love and power, while Erick faces the choice between following the rules and following the heart. The choices the characters choose are pretty alike, but one does the right thing while the other does the thing that goes against what is considered right. I thought the book was interesting because it showed how heavily the choices weighed upon each character. It showed how the characters ended up at least trying to do the right thing, but how their choice always seemed to out weigh the other choice. The characters were interesting together because one character knew what was going on while the other was learning. The characters were also interesting because they were different. One of the characters was a warrior, in perfect health, while the other was more of a thinker, who had to fight hearing loss and was battling a disease. Their differences extended deeper than that since one of the characters was born into a good family while the other was born into an evil family.The story itself was pretty good. The author did a very good job in describing the scenes in detail, and the thought processes that the author wrote for the characters were also detailed, and because of that the reader could get more of an insight into who the characters were. This book was a good book that could hold the readers interest easily and had main characters that you could easily like and antagonists that you hated but pitied.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Tucson, Arizona U.S.A.