Boys That Bite by Mary Mancusi

Sunshine and Rayne are identical twins, but they have completely different personalities. Rayne, obsessed with being goth and training to become a vampire, convinces her goody-two-shoes sister, Sunny, to go to a goth club. And that's where everything goes wrong. Being mistaken for her sister, Sunny is bitten by a gorgeous man, Magnus, who turns out to be a vampire. Sunny is shocked to discover that within seven days, she will be a full-fledged vampire. She desperately wants to return to normal person status, especially since she was just asked out to prom by the hottest senior at school. With Rayne's coaching, and Magnus's help, Sunny begins to understand the process of becoming a vampire while trying to find the holy grail, which is her only hope of turning back.

At first, I thought that this would be a cheesy vampire romance novel. But instead, I found this novel to be humorous, especially with all the pop culture references in today's world. The idea of turning into a vampire was uniquely refreshing as well; it was fun to read about modern vampires. The story was a quick read and I finished it in one day. I'd definately recommend this as a fun summer read. And I did not see the twist coming at the end and I cannot wait to read the sequel, which is coming out in December.

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

The Wizard Lord by Lawrence Watt-Evans

The Wizard Lord is the ruler of all the land of Barokan. He controls anything and everything from the weather, to keeping the peace by hunting down rouge wizards and other criminals. However, if he goes bad there are eight Chosen people (the Leader, the Seer, the Swordsman, the Beauty, the Thief, the Scholar, the Archer, and the Speaker) who when working together can remove the Wizard Lord, through persuasion or other, more gruesome methods. Breaker is the main character of this story. He, after months of rigorous training, takes over the position of Swordsman. During his travels, which he starts shortly after becoming one of the Chosen, he meets the Seer and the Scholar. Then they head out to find the other five chosen, because they found some “reasons” to remove the current Wizard Lord. Find out by reading The Wizard Lord.

I enjoyed every aspect of this book, except for the beginning, which starts out too slow. I think the author did a very good job at developing the characters and the plot, which made the story suspenseful and mysterious at the same time. This book would be enjoyed by almost anyone who likes fantasy stories. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Denair, California United States

La Linea by Ann Jaramillo

Papá and Mamá left seven years ago to cross la línea, the line. Miguel, a fifteen-year-old Mexican boy, has been promised several times that he can join them soon, and still, nothing has happened. Then he gets a note on his birthday saying to contact Don Clemente, a rich man known for helping people cross into Estados Unidos, the United States. Miguel is finally on his way. Unfortunately, he didn’t reckon on his sister sneaking out of the house and onto the train with him, carrying enough borrowed money to cross on her own. She is determined not to be left behind, and if Miguel refuses to travel with her, she will go on alone. Together, they face extreme peril in their attempt to cross the line. Will they make it? Will they finally see their parents again? Will they finally get to meet the twin sisters they’ve never seen?

Ann Jaramillo has created a compelling story filled with fear, danger, and the importance of family. The story of two teenagers who set out to find a better life, one that actually includes their parents, teaches readers young and old of the strength friends and family can bring and the determination people must have to improve their lives. La Línea shows us just how hard some people are willing to fight to reach a place where they know hard work will actually pay off. Vivid pictures and horrors are depicted throughout the book, as well as common Spanish phrases and a view of the life Miguel, his sister Elena, and their grandmother, have on their farm in the middle of a drought. This is definitely a novel to remember.

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

Monterey Shorts 2

"Monterey Shorts 2" is a collection of short stories written by authors of the Monterey Peninsula in Central California. Each of these wonderful stories takes place somewhere in the area of the Monterey Peninsula. The stories date back from the days of the gold rush to present time. Another interesting aspect of the book is that some of the stories refer to characters in another story. This helps tie key parts of the plot together and gives a better overall understanding of the stories. If you like stories of all varieties without a large time commitment, this is the book for you. "Monterey Shorts 2" gives you the thrill of a best-selling novel and the feel-good lessons of life with its many stories written by some of the best authors in the country.

I thought this book gave great insight to the reader about life in the Monterey Peninsula. There is an excellent variety of stories from psychological thrillers to the stories that send great universal messages. The stories incorporated a lot into the plot and storyline, but not too much to confuse the reader or detract from the main idea of the story. Many of the authors wrote more than one story in the book, and I was impressed with their ability to write high-quality work from vastly different genres. I thought the subtle details blended with the plot very well to keep the reader on edge at all times. This book will not bore the reader because of the many twists in each story along with the wonderful pictures the authors paint the reader. "Monterey Shorts 2" is one of the best books I have ever read, and I recommend everyone to read it.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eden Prairie, Minnesota United States

The Invisible Detective by Justin Richards

A local drunk is found dead days after he claims to see a thing in a soldier uniform with metal claws coming after him. Fear not for The Invisible Detective is on the case. Using his wits and a little bit of luck The Invisible Detective and friends solves the case of the Ghost Soldier. Meanwhile in the present his grandson Arthur is trying to solve a mystery of his own, read how it turns out in The Invisible Detective: The Ghost Soldiers.

This book is a paranormal mystery book complete with evil scientist and of course ghost soldiers. It keeps you guessing through half of the book and repeatedly loses you through a lot of loops and turns, most of which are irritating. Then the author brings you back with a lot of minor clues and explanations. Then, it loses you again with its continuous flash backs, which ranges between 1936 and the present. It can be somewhat confusing. I think the author does a good job of explanations though they are rather tedious. By the end of this book you basically know what has happened in the previous books of the series. This book is slow and takes a while to get through, but it has potential. The story of Arthur Drake finding his grandfather's journal made in Arthur's own handwriting from years before he was even born is a very intriguing plot. I am interested to see how the series will end. I recommend this book to people that enjoy reading slow mysteries, and have the time to sort through this book.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Starkville, Mississippi USA

Emma's Secret by Veda Boyd Jones

Twelve-year-old Emma Farley worries if her family will survive the cholera outbreak that was caused by the terrible flooding of the Ohio River. Emma wonders if her dreams of becoming an animal doctor will ever come true, because in Cincinnati in 1832, girls have to become wives and mothers instead of having careers. Emma tries to keep her dreams and her family alive during this hard time. What will happen to the people of Cincinnati and how will they ever get this mess cleaned up? Find out in this exciting story called Emma’s Secret.

Emma’s Secret is one of the many wonderful books in the Sisters In Time series. Emma’s Secret kept me up all night long and I liked reading about this time period in history. Emma’s Secret is a faith-based book that shows you how sometimes when you believe in God, good things may really happen. I think that this story could be improved by having more adventure and additional things happen. I really enjoyed reading this book and I recommend it to kids ages 9-12.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, PA United States

Return to Quag Keep by Andre Norton and Jean Rabe

A group of adventurers, who have been whisked away from Earth to a magical land much like the one they play Dungeons and Dragons in, are forced to protect a caravan to pay off their debt that they made when they accidently started a bar fight. On their way to one of the towns, one of the scouts, Ingrge, captures a man who was following them. The man tells them he was sent here to, and why they were whisked away here after they touched the figurines. He also tells them that the only way to get back to Earth and to save Earth is to save a wizard locked in Quag keep. The band of adventurers try to make their way to Quag Keep, while encountering more and more dangers, that help them find out the truth of why they are here. Will the adventurers save Earth or even find their way home???

I thought this was a great book. I love fantasy books so this suited me well, and would be great for fantasy readers and Dungeon and Dragon players. This book was confusing, however, because this was the sequel to the first book, so I reccomend reading the first one before reading this. This book really intrigued me because it had a lot of mystery and suprises that really kept me interested. I also thought it was cool because the main characters were regular people like you and me. The authors are very good writers, and they kept me wanting to read more.

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

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Annabel Greene, a model, starred in one commercial as a girl who has everything. The irony is that she is, in fact, a loner. Annabel was once best friends with Sophie, the most popular girl in school. But something happened that caused them to separate. But Annabel doesn't like to think about that night. That's not the only problem she has to deal with. Her sister, Whitney, has an eating disorder and that fact is what started a fight between Kirsten, her oldest sister, and Whitney. Her mother tends to be unstable in dealing with problems. And Annabel wants to quit modeling but doesn't know how to tell her mother. When Annabel meets Owen, she gets a whole new outlook on life. Through music, he helps her deal with her problems and shows her how to confront them.

I thought this book was even better than previous Darah Dessen books. I could not put this book down until the very last sentence. I think that every girl can relate to this book in some way. She really was able to take serious issues and put them together to make a novel that wasn't too heavy, yet got it's point across. The hints of romance were nice to break up the seriousness of the novel. I highly recommend this novel and I will be looking forward to Sarah Dessen's next book!

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

Braced2Bite by Serena Robar

The book starts out with Colby, the main character, going through a normal day of life. Getting dressed, going to school, flirting with the cute jock, going to the football game, cheerleading, walking home because cute guy ditched, and then going to bed. Well, everything was normal until Colby started to go home, and bumps into a guy. Well the guy was a vampire and decided she should be one too. Now Colby's life is turned around. She has trouble getting up during the day, she can't eat regular food, she has to have a fang retainer because her canine teeth were pulled out, and she receives visits from the vampire inspecters and they tell her that she is going to have to argue for her life. Also everyone thinks she faked her attack, she doesn't have a date for homecoming, and the cute vampire she likes may want her dead. Colby's future seems bleak,but she is determined to live her undead life, even if that means killing her creater to do so.

"Braced2Bite" was an interesting vampire book. The author took a few modern ideas of the perception of vampires and added those ideas with her own, creating a new and original vampire community. The main character, Colby, situation was fun to read about. The attitude Colby had towards her life's sudden change was funny to read about. One moment Colby would hate being a member of the undead, and then the next moment she would find a reason that would make her love. From when Colby learned that she was a vampire to her finally finding out if she would live or die, the reader followed her on a journy full of adventure, friends, and the forever changing life of a teenage undead.

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

Mary Edwards Walker: Above and Beyond by Dale Walker

In this short biography of Mary Walker, Dale Walker gives glimpses into the history of medicine, the world of women’s fashions, prisons of the Civil War, and the beginning of the campaign for women’s vote. Mary Walker was born in 1832 in upstate New York to freethinking parents who insisted that the four girls work on the farm and wear clothing that allowed amble circulation of blood. Not only did she follow her father’s suggestions for attire, she also followed him into the medical profession and became one of the first female doctors in the Unites States. Her father was self-taught; Mary graduated from Syracuse Medical College in 1849 and began the difficult task of finding patients who would pay to see a woman doctor. What the Civil War began, she volunteered as a physician and fought hard to be paid as a physician, not a nurse. She worked to stop battlefield amputations and to incorporate sanitary practices. Known as much for her brash, unrelenting behavior as her trousers, she became fodder for Civil War tabloids. Captured as a spy, Mary spent four months in Confederate prison where she schemed for prison reforms including better food and medical care. She was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1865, had it rescinded 1917 when Congress decided that too many medals had been awarded without merit, and reinstated in 1977. Her life spanned the Civil War and beyond. She saw women’s roles changed from domestic work to physician. Just before she died in 1919, women were granted the right to vote.

Mary Walker is a terrific role model for today’s girls- feisty, responsible, hard-working and not at all concerned about the fashion police. Well worth reading.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 58
Reviewer City, State and Country: Timonium, MD US