Things You Either Hate or Love by Brigid Lowry

Georgia Amy Reeves is fifteen and fiesty. Desperate to see her favorite band in concert--she needs money. Things You Either Hate or Love is Georgia's story of bakery bread fights, the grocery checkout line, and finding the right boy. On her quest to see Natural Affinity she learns about being herself. The book is filled with lists that Georgia writes--random and sometimes funny, readers learn about Georgia as she discovers what she truly wants and needs.

A fun and entertaining read, Thing You Either Hate or Love was a perfect way to begin summer. Georgia is an excellent character--although there were sometimes when the book dragged.It was an easy read--keep trying if you ever think to put it down--the end iis a fantastic conclusion to the tedious middle section. Georgia is a character that many teenage girls can relate to however it appeared that this book was written for the younger preteen crowd. It was a good read but not an all-time favorite.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6

Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Concord, Massachusetts United States

Titans of Chaos by John C. Wright

Titans of Chaos begins in the midst of a problem. Five orphans, who are actually Titans of Chaos in human form, are dsperately using ther supernatural powers to stop several monsters and fellow Titans from hurting them; and destroying the universe. The five orphans (Amelia, Victor, Vanity, Quentin, and Colin) go through many hardships, varying from broken relationships to being attacked by a crazed god of the Underworld. At the end, the final battle is fought, almost lost three times in succession, and then finally won for good, though the orphans are badly wounded. However, healed and luxuriously living in a five-star hotel, they wind up their relationships, and everyone (except for the stone-encased Underworld god) is pleased.

Titans of Chaos began with a little confusion, but I blame myself for that. I have not read the beginning two books. There were some paragraphs that could have been edited out, but the rest of it was a fast-paced, emotional roller-coaster. The author, Mr. Wright, obviously put his personal experiences into this book to make it come to life, and he succeeded. I find myself wanting to read more about the turn-out of Amelia's forgotten family, the fate of Vanity's "alive" silver ship, and what Quentin's familiars really were. The relationships of Vanity and Quentin, Amelia and Victor, and Colin's ever-changing spouse added to the turmoil that went on, not to mention the helpful humor that lightened the mood. Small remarks and jokes were just the ingredient needed to perfect the book's last image. The relationships were yet another reason to finish the next page. And the mystery of so many characters sealed the book's top-rating fate.

Content: Strong sexual themes and descriptions, and graphic language and descriptions.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9

Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eagle Creek, OR USA

Shirts and Shoes Not Required by Todd Strasser

Seven Graduates. One Summer Beach House. One VERY nerdy LandLord. This could only mean Trouble. Drunken underage parties and one night stands make and break couples - while some of these teenagers just want a few months away from home. Trouble sprouts up everywhere when Curt and Avery start having eyes for more than just eachother. Everyone gets more than just a taste of Jealousy and Cheating.

This book was one of my favorite books ever. I found myself thinking i was a part of this book! It was hard for me to put it down because it was so juicy. You could never tell if Avery and Curt were going to break up or if April and Curt were going to take it all the way. Cheating and Jealousy made this book GREAT!!

Content: Some sexual content, drug, and alcohol use.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10

Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, PA United States of America

Tough Boy Sonatas by Curtis L. Crisler

In a series of descriptive and vivid poems with gritty illustrations, Tough Boy Sonatas shows childhood life in the ghetto of Gary, Indiana. Each poem tells of an experience, told through the eyes of a child. The Poetry shows everything from childhood games and candy addictions to the hardships of not even being able to afford fruit at times. The dark illustrations emphasize the emotion and add a face to each poem. As more of life in this god-left city is exposed, you truly see the hardships of a culture most have never seen.

The poetry in Tough Boy Sonatas, by Curtis L. Crisler and illustrated by Flord Cooper is a view of life, of the poorer side, through the eyes of a child. The hardships are not just thrown in your face but are subtlety shown in each experience. All the poems fit with each other and none seem out of place. Along with the descriptive poetry there are illustrations that embody each beautifully. The length is a bit short, but I believe the author choose to make it that way on purpose, to make it easy to pick up. Tough Boy Sonatas is a combination of beautifully gritty poetry and art, but it still seemed too short for the age group they were shooting for.

Content: I gave the content rating a 2 because the illustrations were dark and gritty, and the poetry is equally as gritty at times.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 15

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

I don’t like faery stories, but Wicked Lovely has now replaced A Great and Terrible Beauty, Harry Potter, and the Lioness Quartet as my favorite book(s). My problem with Faery tales is that I can’t identify with them. But in this book, I saw myself in mortal and faery alike. Aislinn is everything I want to be (and hopefully am )- headstrong, passionate, tough, willful. She’s got kings and queens clashing over, trying to set her path, but she just keeps going, blazing her own trail. She doesn’t give in to the pressures, and she doesn’t loose her self. And, perhaps most importantly, she doesn’t run from her emotions. There are so many female characters out there who are strong because they can control their emotions. But forcing yourself not to feel is just hiding- it requires nothing, proves nothing. Facing and excepting your emotions- that is true strength. It is so refreshing to see an author who really understands where female courage and power are expressed. But Aislinn has already learned to listen to her heart- it is Donia who has perhaps one of the most powerful character journeys of all. She is, by nature, cold and isolated, walking the world alone. Her power comes from destroying her emotions, hiding what is so obvious, keeping herself away. But as she begins to realize the truth she has been hiding for so long, she also realizes who she is will not change. Horrible or not, she needs to accept herself, her role, and who she loves before she can be truly free. To me, as a teenager, that is a powerful statement. It’s a statement for all of us trying to make our way through the crazy worlds of middle and high school. I often motivate myself by thinking of characters in the books I’ve read, of what they’ve been able to accomplish. But few of them have character journeys as starkly real as Donia’s and Aislinn’s are. I think really what this book is about is accepting yourself, and learning just how perfect that person can be. It’s got such a powerful message, I cant even begin to describe it. Not to mention the absolutly stunning plot. The story starts off with a fascinating teaser- litterally, from the first paragraph, you're entranced. The prologoue gets your attention and curiosity up. Then, it moves to Aislinn. And almost immediatly, you can tell theres something diffrent about her. Shes fun, tough- and she can see things that are invisible to most people. Not to mention, shes being stalked by two of them. And then you meet Seth. As a reader- I don't care who you are, you'll love him. Ladies- even on the page, hes just that hot. Plus, sweet and caring, but with an edge. By the end of the book, you're half in love with him. Guys- he's- theres no other word for it- cool. Like, just sweet. A couple of peircings, a couple of tatoos, just totally awesome. And lets face it, we dont get too many male charcters like that. He's a real highlight, and a great friend for Aislinn. The book is fleshed out with hints of an emerging romance, an infuriation stream of tantalizing hints that offer no answers, a growing friendship and a ceacless prusit, all getting more intense until the book has you in a vice grip that won’t let go. It’s almost as much a mystery as it is a modern fantasy epic. It toys with your emotions- by the time you as a reader realize what’s going on, you’re caught in a complete conflict between all the things you want to happen. Its an exhilarating ride- it suddenly becomes your life’s goal to find out what happens. I found the book has a magnetic quality- it refused to leave my hand until I finished it. As someone who hates sad endings it has the most perfect and infuriating ending imaginable. Infuriating because you KNOW you should have seen that coming, but it didn’t even occur to you, and perfect because it is the most happy ending imaginable. There are no analogies I can use to describe the joy I felt when I finished it. All I can say is the first thing I did was jump around the house screaming and hugging any random object that caught my eye for about five minutes. Then I sat back down and read it again. I am finding it difficult to express just how good this book is. It is they type of book that will expose teens to stranger danger- just because everyone will want to tell every single person they seen just how great this book is! It’s got a stunning plot, eerily real characters, and brilliant writing. Everything is described perfectly- just enough detail to give you an image of the characters, but little enough to let your imagination soar. As someone who wants to be a writer- I want to be her when I grow up! Melissa Marr has more than a talent for writing. It’s almost bordering on her life’s purpose. There’s plenty of room for a sequel- if she writes one, I will camp out at the bookstore to be first inline when it’s released!

Content: Wicked Lovely includes language, underage drinking, mentions of drugs and a closed-door sex scene. None of this is graphic in any way, but because of the subject matter, I'd consult a parent if you're on the younger side of things.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10

Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Stillwater, MN USA

Jumper:Griffin's Story by Steven Gould

Jumper: Griffin's Story is a story about a boy with the ability to teleport anywhere that he has been. Griffin's parents are killed by people who are still out to kill him. What can he do to survive when he discovers his enemies are ''sensitive'' and can feel where and when he teleports? Griffin has to fight for his life and friends lives that he encounters during his journey. This story is an action-packed page turner with romance and one important mystery. Why are these people trying to kill Griffin O'Conner?

This book had loads of action which caught my attention immediately. There was also romance which was entertaining. One of the few things I did not like about the book was that there was quite a lot of spanish and french which I do not speak. So in some places in the story I was confused. This is a book that I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys Sci-Fi stories.

Content: This book recommends adult guidance because there is some vulgar language, sexual scenes, violence, and gore.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Stockton, California US

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT, by Derek Landy, follows the story of a twelve-year-old girl named Stephanie Edgley. The book starts out at the time when Stephanie’s uncle, Gordon (who happens to be a fantasy author), is murdered. Stephanie’s family is under the impression that Gordon was not murdered, but Stephanie believes otherwise. Soon after Gordon’s funeral, Stephanie and her parents are invited to the reading of Gordon’s will, along with Gordon’s other, very unpleasant brother Fergus and his even more unpleasant wife, Beryl. When they arrive at the reading of the will, they find that one of Gordon’s friends, Skulduggery Pleasant, has been invited to the reading. When Skulduggery arrives, Stephanie recognizes him from the funeral … anyway, she recognizes the wide-brimmed hat, frizzy hair, scarf, sunglasses, and overcoat that conceal his features, and then the reading begins. To Stephanie’s (and Beryl’s and Fergus’s and her parents’) surprise, Stephanie inherits Gordon Edgley’s house. After the reading, the Edgleys’ car breaks down, and Stephanie pleads with her parents to let her stay at her newly inherited house while they get the car fixed. Although reluctant, her parents give in, and Stephanie goes into her uncle’s study and reads his newest story. Later, Stephanie gets a call on her cell phone from her mother notifying her that she and Stephanie’s father have taken a little longer than expected while going to repair the car and will be home late. Stephanie asks her mom if she can spend the night at Gordon’s old house and finally convinces her mom to let her stay. Later that night, the phone rings. Stephanie picks up the phone and a man demands to know her name. Stephanie refuses to give the man her name, and he hangs up the phone. Moments later, the man is pounding on her door, demanding that she open it. The man tells her that he needs to search for something in the house for his master, and if she does not open the door, then he will kill her. Stephanie still refuses, and the man bashes in a window and busts into the house. He pins her up against a chair and asks her where she hid “the key.” Bewildered, Stephanie fails to answer, and just then Skulduggery Pleasant bursts into the house and slams into the man. The man and Skulduggery launch into a fight. After a short while of throwing each other into chairs, walls, and sofas, Skulduggery directly confronts the man by summoning a ball of fire and hurling it at him. Although the ball hits the man and flares all around him, he is not burned. The man taunts Skulduggery and Skulduggery draws a revolver and shoots the man in the arm. Howling in pain the man retreats from the house. Stephanie (who is currently in shock) notices that Skulduggery’s frizzy hair was a wig. She looks up at Skulduggery and notices that his skin is bleached white. At first she thinks that Skulduggery Pleasant is albino, but when she looks closer (now that he is not wearing his disguise), she notices that Skulduggery Pleasant is a skeleton. If you want to know what mission the mysterious man was on or who Skulduggery is, then read SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT by Derek Landy!

I think that SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT is one of the best books that I have ever read. It blended together a mix of tragedy, humor, fantasy, (a bit of) reality, science fiction, action, and suspense. It really appeals to all readers … I’d say ages 12 and up because I identify with the characters and they are written more toward my age group (and also on the book it says 10 and up). I enjoyed the book because the author’s writing style appealed to me too, and I also enjoy all of the genres that I mentioned SKULDUGGERY contained. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the Leven Thumps series (by Obert Skye) or any other modern fantasy book.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9

Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Saugerties, NY USA

Revenge of the Homecoming Queen by Stephanie Hale

Aspen Brookes lives in Comfort a small innocent town. Aspen is perfect in every way brains, looks, popularity. She's even going out with the quarterback of the Comfort football team, Lucas Riley. The only thing Aspen ever wanted was to be homecoming queen. When the tiarra is placed on the head of snotty Angel Ives and the crowned king is none other than the total geek Rand Bachrach, her world turns upside down. From slashed tires to degrading notes, suddddenly Comfort doesn't seem so innocent.

Revenge of the Homecoming Queen is an awesome book. I loved how Stephanie Hale jumps from one conflict to the next. It kept me hanging on throughout the story. Although I thought that at the begining Aspen was just another snotty popular girl, it turned out differently. I definitely recommend this book.

Content: This book involves high school experiences and relationships that elementary age children may not fully understand.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9

Reviewer Age: 11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Chambersburg, PA USA

Demon Keeper by Royce Buckingham

A boy named Nat lives alone in a demon-infested house in Seattle. His job is to take care of the demons that live in the house. His most important duty is making sure that the dangerous demon in the cellar does not escape. One night he goes out on a date with a librarian named Sandy. The date is a disaster, and, when he returns to the house, the demon is out of the house, roaming the streets. He has to work together with his three bumbling demon assistants to catch the rampaging creature and avoid attacks from a mysterious man. On the way, he makes new friends and has to fight for his life.

In my opinion, the book was fun but lacking a strong plot. The setting and history of demons was interesting, well thought out, and detailed. However, the plot was rushed. The events were hurried, and I felt that they could have been expanded upon. For example, when thieves break into Nat's house and unwittingly free the demon in the cellar, it feels like the author just included it because it was necessary to the plot, not because it was interesting. The author just seems like he wants to get on with the story. The author could have put more detail into each scene. However, the demons and their funny antics are a redeeming point. All in all, the story had nice settings and characters, but lacked detailed action.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6

Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Royersford, Pennsylvania USA

Simmer Down by Susan Conant and Jessica Conant-Park

Chloe Carter has a lot of things to be proud about during this holiday season. For one, she has a dream boyfriend that can cook just about anything. In this sequel to "Steamed", Josh Driscoll and Chloe are preparing for the opening of the new restaurant Simmer on Newberry Street in Boston, where Josh is the executive chef. Chloe is an intern for the Boston Organization Against Sexual and Other Harassment in the Workplace, where Naomi Campbell is her supervisor. They are preparing for a fundraiser event at a gallery, where they will set up a booth, along with Josh and Gavin, Simmer's owner, who are also hosting a booth there to give the public a sample of their food. However, on that night, Chloe and Josh met both of their ex's, Sean and Hannah, respectively. To make matters worse, Oliver, the co-owner of the Full Moon Group was found dead by Hannah, killed by Josh's food processor. With Simmer opening on New Year's Eve, Josh didn't have a lot of time to prepare, and had been working almost nonstop. Chloe goes on many "adventures" to try to solve the murder, and at the same time, trying to keep her love with Josh. Finally, on opening night, Chloe, along with her friends and family, goes to Simmer, and is greeted with spectacular food. Halfway through the meal, there was a gigantic crash in Josh's office. When Josh and Chloe rushed in, they saw Gavin and Barry, the other co-owner of the Full Moon Group wrestling each other, with a gun in Barry's hand. Gavin managed to unarm Barry, and the police arrived and took Barry away. It turned out that Barry had murdered Oliver to try to open an expensive restaurant. After the incident, Josh and Chloe spent a beautiful New Year's Day together, and another chapter of their lives began.

Even though I haven't read "Steamed", I still very much enjoyed this culinary mystery. The book was packed with events, so I was never bored reading it. Also, the humor in this book made me laugh numerous times. The story is told in the first person, in Chloe's point of view, and she is very funny. For people who like cooking, this is definitely a must-read. For others, like me, the book is still very relaxing and interesting to read. Even though this book is a mystery, the authors also mix in romance and humor, which makes Simmer Down a very enjoyable read. The characters in this book are probably in their mid to late 20's, so this book should is great for teenagers and young adults. I don't think Simmer Down is a very serious mystery, and is meant to be more of a comedy (in my opinion). Again, I was never bored reading the book, and it was very tempting to continue to the next chapter even when I wanted to stop. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book very much. I'm even thinking about reading the previous book in the serious, "Steamed".

Content: This book contains quite a bit of crude and sexual humor and inappropriate language.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9

Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Sunnyvale, CA USA