The Oracle Prophecies Book Two: The Sphere of Secrets by Catherine Fisher

A god was reborn as a young ten year old boy named Alexos. He must travel to the Well of Songs and return three apples which he turned into stars. They must be returned to the Rain Queen, a god. Alexos had stolen the apples from the Rain Queen in one of his past lives. If he can make it across the unforgiving desert and fight the beasts that guard the well he can bring back the water to his kingdom. On his jouney he faces many predicaments. While he is away his kingdom is thrown into a war. His friend Mirany is one of the nine and works the altar of the god. Hermia, whom the god is supposed to speak through is making up the answers to the questions the people come to ask the god. She and the general of the army had formed a conspiracy. If someone was asking for something one of them was interested in they would decline. The rest of the nine have figured this out. When the prince of another country comes to ask the god to let his country mine in the mountains and is declined the rest of the nine tell him about their findings. War is soon waged between the two countries.

I thought that overall the book was very good. The suspense would not allow me to put the book down. Since there are two stories going on, one with Alexos and the other with Mirany, the author would switch between the two whenever an exciting event was about to happen. It about drove me nuts, but it kept me reading. I extremely advise you to read The Oracle Prophecies Book One: The Oracle Betrayed first. If you do pages 1-60 will make a lot more sense. I think the author used pronouns way too much. I would sometimes have no idea which character was being referred to. This was a very exciting book and if you are a fantasy fan you'll like this book.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Chambersburg, Pennsylvania U.S.A.

Rubber Houses by Ellen Yeomans

Written in a series of poems, Rubber Houses by Ellen Yeomans is the story of Kit. Kit is a high school student whose world turns upside down when her little brother, Buddy, dies of cancer. She reads about the stages of loss and relates each one to a part of baseball, a game she shared with Buddy. Kit tries to deny his death and starts rejecting her friends. She, also, watches her parents become despondent, consumed by their grief. Only after she gets a job at a hardware store, does Kit start to live and accept a normal life again.

I thought the book was wonderful, but extremely sad. Ellen Yeomans accurately depicts the grief a teen feels after the loss of a loved one. Before I read the book I didn't think the poetry could tell the story without the reader having to search for a hidden meaning. But the book was really easy to understand and very relatable. I, also, liked that the book ended on a hopeful note, not a depressing one. Overall, I thought it was a great book and good summer reader.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Erlanger, Kentucky United States

The Killer's Tears by Anne-Laure Bondoux

What Mr. and Mrs. Poloverdo thought was just another visitor to their home was what would change Paolo's forever. Angel Allegria was his name, killing his game. While the unsuspecting couple drank wine with the murder, he drew a knife from his belt and ended their lives. His eyes then were put on the boy, demanding him to approach. Paolo stood still and answered many personal questions. The killer and his boy, as Angel called him, then buried the parents. And they resided in the house for a few weeks...until a knock sounded at the door. It was Luis Secunda, a traveler who stole the boy’s heart from Angel. The man taught him to read and write, and after many days, promised to take him and Angel along in his travels. They went to the city of Punta Arenas first. The trio resided in an inn for a week or two. And when they were not there with the innkeeper and his daughter, they were in the city seeing the sights. But, one sight that Angel did not expect to see was his face on a poster…with the word “WANTED!” under his name. And Angel wanted to escape that town before he was discovered and arrested. And separated from the boy. Luis betrayed them when he and the innkeeper’s daughter were planning to leave the city on a boat so they would not face the music from them placing up the poster. When the boy and the killer find them, the knife is drew… Does the murder kill yet another person…or more? Does he get to stay with the boy? And, does Angel get caught? Only The Killer’s Tears can tell.

This reviewer found this book to be surprisingly fulfilling. Twists and turns fill this book like a mountain road. Ms. Bondoux has an excellent way with words, like a crafts-worker with a needle joining fabrics. This book was excellently written, and is a very remarkable work of literature. Some of the grammar is different than what many people know, however, but that can be justified: this book is a translation from French text. Even so, the meaning was not lost. This reviewer enjoyed this book and believes that anyone who reads The Killer’s Tears will fall in love with this story also!

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

Alice in the Know by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

It's the summer before Alice's junior year and Alice learns a lot more about growing up. First, her dad makes her get a job on her own. Her brother, Lester, thinks that he's finally found the woman he wants to marry. And Alice's friends experiment with drugs and alcohol. Not to mention an embarassing incident about an email involing sex nand her personal life. Alice also has to deal with sickness and death as well with some of her closest friends and family. But Alice really learns to make the best of her summer.

I was really excited to read the newest Alice book since I've been reading them all along. I was a bit disappointed with this newest edition. The story kept my attention and all, but I really felt like something was lacking throughout. I can't wait to see what happens next to Alice though. I would definately recommend reading the Alice series if you haven't read it though.

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

Going Under by Kathe Koja

Going Under is a novel in which Kathe Koja introduces readers to Hilly and Ivan, sister and brother, but more than that. Before Hilly decided to break away from family, to meet people who were not related to her, and Ivan felt betrayed. To achieve her goal, she joined the literary magazine staff at the local high school. It’s a great activity for her; she has been writing for almost her entire life: essays for her mother, entries to contests, but, most important, her journals. While working on Currents, as the magazine is called, Hilly meets new friends, Kim and Elisha. When Elisha commits suicide, Hilly retreats from the world around her, especially Ivan, and is sent to a psychotherapist. When Ivan tries to get closer to his sister, he is pushed further away, and to cement the separation, he betrays her by establishing his own relationship with the doctor, who is manipulative of both of them, and talking with him about Hilly.

This novel is told in the alternating, very different, voices of Hilly and Ivan. Kathe Koja does a great job of telling the story from the two points of view, and it makes the story much better than it would have been if it were told by only Hilly or only Ivan. Both characters are very well-written and realistic. Going Under is definitely a page-turner; it kept my attention the entire way through, with the brilliant prose that actually sounded more like poetry at times. The ending was great, closing off the story without being too cheerful or unrealistic, which would really have taken away from the overall tone of the story. It doesn’t compare to any other young adult novels; it is, in fact, like nothing I’ve read. Highly original, this story gets into your head and stays there.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Asheville, NC USA

Conrad's Fate - A Chrestomanci Book by Diana Wynne Jones

Series Seven is one of eleven parallel universes. That is where Conrad Tesdinic, the main character, lives in the small village of Stallchester. As he turns twelve, his uncle, who is a magician, tell Conrad he has horrible karma. Then he is sent off to become a servant at Stallery, the mansion in the mountains above Stallchester. His uncle tells him that that is where he can settle his fate. There he meets a boy about his age named Christopher. Christopher reveals to Conrad that he is an enchanter from Series Twelve and is looking for a lost friend. Can Conrad succeed in settling his fate, or is he doomed to have bad karma forever? Find out, by reading Conrad’s Fate.

I enjoyed reading this book because it has a little bit of everything. It had just enough humor, suspense, and magic. It has twists and turns that kept me reading long into the night. I also liked how the author intertwined the alternate worlds. But, I think that the author should have made it a little less modern. Televisions and sports cars are, to me, a little too much. However, I think that many fantasy readers will really enjoy this book.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Denair, California America

The Crystal Doors by Rebecca Moesta and Kevin J. Anderson

The Crystal Doors is about two "twin" cousins, Gwen and Vic. The story begins with a visit to a water park in California. Where Gwen is nearly killed. Early the next morning, the cousins find Vic's Dad arranging crystals. The cousins walk in the room and are sucked into another world. This dimension has flying carpets, intelligent talking animals, and is ruled by magic.

The Crystal Doors is a good book for what it is: a fourth/fifth grade adventure book. The storyline doesn't have nearly enough depth to pull off the "young adult" characterization. Many of the twist are obvious and predictable, provided I am an avid young adult reader, lower school students will definitely find the story intriguing. The plot is fun, unique, and magical adventure. What kid wouldn't enjoy that?

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Starkville, Mississippi United States of America

Monster Blood Tattoo by D.M. Cornish

In the beginning of Monster Blood Tattoo, by D. M. Cornish, a foundling boy who has a girl’s name, Rossamünd, is selected to be a lamplighter, a special soldier who lights and dowses lamps in the hours that monsters and thieves are on the prowl, in a town called High Vesting. However, when Rossamünd boards what he believes to be the ship that will take him to High Vesting, he discovers that he has instead mistakenly boarded a ship that deals in the dark trades! Rossamünd eventually escapes the ship by jumping overboard. When he pulls himself to land, he meets two people in a horse-drawn carriage: Europe, a female fulger (a person who has surgery done to his or her body in order to cast bolts of lightning and wields this power to fight monsters), and Licurius, who is a leer (a person with super-enhanced senses). Rossamünd notices that Europe has a series of X’s tattooed on her arm, inked in the blood of each of the monsters she’s killed. Europe and Licurius agree to take Rossamünd to High Vesting. On the way to High Vesting, Rossamünd watches Europe kill a monster that hadn’t even harmed them. This makes Rossamünd feel bad for the monster, which is illegal because monsters and humans are at war. Later on in the journey, when Europe, Rossamünd, and Licurius are ready to rest for the night, they are awakened by a sound in a nearby thicket. Licurius goes to investigate and monsters leap from the bush and kill him. Europe tries to fight them but her body spasms and she cannot summon her bolts of electricity. Rossamünd barely manages to save her by throwing some monster repellant at the creatures. Now that their driver, Licurius, is dead, how will Europe and Rossamünd reach High Vesting? Read Monster Blood Tattoo to find out!

I LOVED Monster Blood Tattoo! The whole time I was reading it, I was wishing I could write a book just like it! The author used really good details and described things well. The book also has an “explicarium,” which includes a helpful glossary of terms and appendices that have maps, drawings, and other useful things that help the reader understand details of the story. I’m sure this book will be a best seller. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy books. I would also recommend it to anyone who has read The Edge Chronicles.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Saugerties, NY

Being A Girl Who Serves by Shannon Kubiak Primicerio

Do you live to serve God? Well, whether you do or not this book tells you how you can serve Him and others with your time and your talents, the importance of praying, and much more. It also points out that it doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, God can use you to serve Him and others. Shannon tells interesting real life stories of how God has been working wonders in her life and others’ lives as well. At the end of each chapter there are also review questions that let you look at the way you’re living your life and can help you to make it better. This is the second book in Shannon Kubiak Primicerio’s Being a Girl Series.

I think Being a Girl Who Serves is a well-written book that teaches you life-changing lessons. I think it was neat how the author divided the chapters into different sections, which made the book easier to read. This book is a pretty slow-paced book that takes a while to read but in the end, it’s worth it. I think that Shannon is a great role model for teen girls to look up to. I greatly recommend this book to Christians of all ages, but I think it would also be a good book for non-Christians to read.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, PA US

How to Speak Dragonese by Cressida Cowell

How to Speak Dragonese begins as Viking heir of the Hooligan Tribe, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, the protagonist, is in pirating school. He is attending a lesson on boarding an enemy ship, with his friend Fishlegs; his pet dragon, Toothless; and the rest of his classmates. Unfortunately, Hiccup, Fishlegs, and Toothless stray in their homemade boat (the Hopeful Puffin) away from the rest of the class’s boats, and instead of boarding a peaceable fishing boat, they board a Roman boat of war! There, Hiccup and Fishlegs find out that two Romans--a fat consul and a thin prefect--are planning to steal all the dragons from the Viking tribes. Although Fishlegs and Hiccup escape from the Romans’ boat, Toothless remains behind, captured. Will Hiccup and Fishlegs rescue Toothless and stop the Romans from stealing the Vikings’ dragons? Read How to Speak Dragonese to find out!

How to Speak Dragonese is a hilarious book. The author came up with clever solutions for the characters to use whenever they got into sticky situations. The story keeps the reader on the peak of excitement so you keep turning the pages. This is a book you’ll want to read in one sitting! I thought this book was excellent. I would recommend it to those who enjoy Viking stories, as well as those who like humorous fiction.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Saugerties, NY