Sixteen-year-old Charlie Brown loves surfing, so when the new soccer coach for the high school asks her to try out for the team, she doesn't know if she will or not. Her sister, eighteen-year-old Krista, loves soccer and has been a part of the soccer team for years, so when she gets the news, she doesn't take it very well. Charlie and her sister are mortal enemies who would do anything to get on the other's nerves. So Charlie decides that joining her sister's soccer team would be the perfect opportunity to do exactly that. Both of the girls want to be the MVP on the team and will do anything to be just that, no matter what the consequences. With only four months till the biggest tournament of the year, the two sisters better make peace between them if they want to take home the victory.
Pretty Tough is a wonderful book that proves that before you can win as a team you first have to communicate as a team. This novel had a lot of drama between the two sisters, which added to the overall quality of this great story. Pretty Tough is told in two very different perspectives, one being Charlie Brown's and the other being in her sister, Krista's. I could really relate to Charlie's intriguing personality and I think that she would be a wonderful person to have for a friend. I think Krista's BFF, Brooke, and her boyfriend, Cam, greatly effected Krista's character, which is why she had such a snobby personality that I didn't overly enjoy. I recommend Pretty Tough to young adult girls who love sports.
There were a few instances where underage drinking and sex were mentioned.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, PA United States
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Kiki Strike:Inside the Shadow City by Kirsten Miller
Ananka Fishbein is a normal average girl, until she meets Kiki Strike and the rest of the Irregulars. Then her life changes dramatically. She sets out on a journey to map a city beneath New York, discovered by her mysterious friend Kiki. Only she and her friends know about this and they intend to keep it that way. Obviously this city once thrived, but now its only inhabitants are rats. Well, at least, they think that’s right.
Spying and history are some of my favorite topics to read about. Throw in some action thirsty girls and you’ve got yourself a story. I don’t know how in the world Kristen Miller came up with such an amazing story. Once you start reading you are Kiki, Betty, or Oona and you can’t stop reading about their adventures.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: , North Carolina USA
Spying and history are some of my favorite topics to read about. Throw in some action thirsty girls and you’ve got yourself a story. I don’t know how in the world Kristen Miller came up with such an amazing story. Once you start reading you are Kiki, Betty, or Oona and you can’t stop reading about their adventures.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: , North Carolina USA
Kiki Strike:The Empress's Tomb by Kirsten Miller
Oona is acting strange, well stranger than usually. She’s not confiding in anyone and is getting farther and farther away from her friends. When the Irregulars learn that she moved in with her criminal father things go from bad to worse. With more trouble being caused in Shadow City the girls need Oona’s friendship more than ever, but maybe it’s not all Oona’s fault….. The girls must join as one and work together to fix all their problems, but can they do it before it’s too late?
Kiki and her gang are back with a story based around Oona. I have been waiting for this for the longest time ever! I finally got to read it and it was absolutely wonderful! The adventures, romance, spying, and rats are just as good as ever! I hope Kirsten Miller writes more and more, cause I will never be tired of these stories about Kiki and her friends.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: , North Carolina USA
Kiki and her gang are back with a story based around Oona. I have been waiting for this for the longest time ever! I finally got to read it and it was absolutely wonderful! The adventures, romance, spying, and rats are just as good as ever! I hope Kirsten Miller writes more and more, cause I will never be tired of these stories about Kiki and her friends.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: , North Carolina USA
I Is Someone Else by Patrick Cooper
British Stephen dreams of something new. Perhaps even an adventure, but he never expected that he’d be traveling halfway around the world in search of his older brother Rob. This long awaited adventure takes place in 1966, en route to France he takes a long detour through parts of continental Europe, the Middle East, and Southern Asia.. Naturally it was a surprise to find the most beautiful girl in the world telling him that Rob is in Istanbul. Lucky for Stephen, she, Astrid, and Jerry are headed there right now. Stephen is determined not to miss this chance of finding his brother who was thought by his mother to be dead. This leads up to a journey that will not be forgotten. The unveiling of painful past memories, and a battle with his common sense, forces him to make decisions about his sexuality. The path that Stephen chooses to tread is long and filled with danger, whether it be temptation by drugs or hostility from the locals in any of the places he travels. Stephen learns to deal with his past and copes with how he can control his future.
Beginning: Boy goes to study French, forgets France goes for gorgeous girl, ends up in Istanbul. Okay, pretty good. With a feint toward education turns around and votes for the teenage love thing. I’ll face it, I was caught. I soon learned that the boyfriend of Stephen’s beloved crush is a drug dealer. My thoughts turned toward “this is interesting”. I was soon to find out that Jerry’s occupation was not going to be the only reference to drugs, drug dealing, or drug consumption. In fact, it was all the rage in 1966 in the Middle East and Southern Asia. Even parts of Continental Europe had a taste for hashish in the sixties. What disagreed with me the most are the illogical things that Stephen did. There were many moments that I hit my forehead in frustration wondering what would posses anyone to do such a thing. I soon gave up trying to control fictitious characters and chalked up his unwise movements to the drugs. The text is laced with flashbacks to Stephen’s school days. Most of the time these tidbits of background story left me wanting to know what happened next. It wasn’t until the last sixty pages that this thirst was satisfied. For me it also separated the present narrative from the past. That can be both good and a hindrance. Good because it kept things clearly defined and bookmarked your place in either one. This became a bad idea when it was difficult to flow between storylines. I will give Mr. Cooper this: His characters are memorable and this story will not be one that is easily forgotten.
Content: There are many drug references that also include usage my both peripheral and main characters. There are other very intimate scenes of mature content.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Belton, MO USA
Beginning: Boy goes to study French, forgets France goes for gorgeous girl, ends up in Istanbul. Okay, pretty good. With a feint toward education turns around and votes for the teenage love thing. I’ll face it, I was caught. I soon learned that the boyfriend of Stephen’s beloved crush is a drug dealer. My thoughts turned toward “this is interesting”. I was soon to find out that Jerry’s occupation was not going to be the only reference to drugs, drug dealing, or drug consumption. In fact, it was all the rage in 1966 in the Middle East and Southern Asia. Even parts of Continental Europe had a taste for hashish in the sixties. What disagreed with me the most are the illogical things that Stephen did. There were many moments that I hit my forehead in frustration wondering what would posses anyone to do such a thing. I soon gave up trying to control fictitious characters and chalked up his unwise movements to the drugs. The text is laced with flashbacks to Stephen’s school days. Most of the time these tidbits of background story left me wanting to know what happened next. It wasn’t until the last sixty pages that this thirst was satisfied. For me it also separated the present narrative from the past. That can be both good and a hindrance. Good because it kept things clearly defined and bookmarked your place in either one. This became a bad idea when it was difficult to flow between storylines. I will give Mr. Cooper this: His characters are memorable and this story will not be one that is easily forgotten.
Content: There are many drug references that also include usage my both peripheral and main characters. There are other very intimate scenes of mature content.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Belton, MO USA
Monday, July 16, 2007
Skin Hunger (A Resurrection of Magic) by Kathleen Duey
Skin Hunger is a book with two stories taking place generations apart. One story is about Sadima, a magician whose mother died the day she was born, and the "magician" helping her give birth robbed her family. The other is about Hahp, who is the son of a rich merchant who sent him to a wizard school, knowing he may well die. Sadima is approached at age 14 by a wizard named Franklin, asking her to join him and Somiss, his master, in the port city of Limori, where they are working to restore magic to a world where it is despised and feared, and there are many fraud magicians. Three years later, Sadima does travel to Limori to seek out Franklin. When she finds him, she joins him and Somiss, helping around the house and doing other menial tasks. Somiss's fervor for his mission frightens Sadima, but she has fallen in love with Franklin who cannot leave, as he is Somiss's slave. As she realizes the danger she is in with Somiss, whose father despises him, she attempts to persuade Franklin to run off with her. However, he refuses. Then, Sadima follows Franklin to a cave outside Limori. Inside, she finds some of the orphans from the streets trapped in a cage. She questions Franklin, who admits they are using the children, but refuses to help free them, explaining that Somiss will just get more from the city. She decides that there is nothing she can do. One night, men light Somiss's apartment on fire, hoping to catch him. They manage to escape with their lives. They set off into the caves to find the ancient home of magic. Hahp's story begins as he goes to the wizard academy. He is a roommate with Gerrard, a poor orphan who shouldn't be there. In the academy, Hahp and the other boys are starved until they figure out how to work the magic stone that gives them food. Franklin, their teacher, seems to regret their harsh conditions but fears the headmaster, Somiss. Many of the boys die before they can get food. Then, Hahp realizes he can make things other than food with the stone, and he makes a bar of soap to clean himself. He is then given new, clean robes that mean he has moved on. Gerrard steadfastly refuses help from Hahp, but Hahp gives him the soap so he can figure out how to make it himself. Gerrard makes soap and is given his own new robes. They are set to new tasks that none of the others have to do. Meanwhile, the boys have to memorize songs in a different language and recite them, and until they do, they will starve again. Hahp and Gerrard finally agree to work together to get through all of the tests set before them.
Skin Hunger by Kathleen Duey is a great book for all young adults. It earns an eight out of ten from me. The way the two stories of Hahp and Sadima are woven together makes it far more interesting. It is similar to the book Holes in that one story is about a good boy and a poor orphan who build a friendship to overcome the troubles set before them, and that it has another story in the past that is closely connected to it. It was a bit boring at times, but the interesting parts made up for that. Another way it is set apart from other stories is that the magic is so much different than in any other book.
Content: Frightening, death
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Chambersburg, PA United States
Skin Hunger by Kathleen Duey is a great book for all young adults. It earns an eight out of ten from me. The way the two stories of Hahp and Sadima are woven together makes it far more interesting. It is similar to the book Holes in that one story is about a good boy and a poor orphan who build a friendship to overcome the troubles set before them, and that it has another story in the past that is closely connected to it. It was a bit boring at times, but the interesting parts made up for that. Another way it is set apart from other stories is that the magic is so much different than in any other book.
Content: Frightening, death
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Chambersburg, PA United States
No Talking by Andrew Clements
Mark and Lyndsey are both fifth graders at the same elementary school. Mark thinks of Lyndsey as a blabber mouth, whos head would blow off if she had to be quiet for five minutes. Lyndsey thinks of Mark as a boy who thinks he is better than all fifth grade girls, but really is the same. One day, Mark decides to imitate Ghandi, and goes to school one day with the goal of not saying one word to anyone, including his friends. The inconveince of this for Lyndsey is that Mark and Lyndsey were partners for a project that had to presented on this very same day. Mark wiggles his way out of giving the presentation, and has done quiet well with achieving his goal untill fifth grade lunch, where he makes Lyndsey a challenge. The challenge is this: Mark and all the fifth grade boys challenge Lyndsey and all the fifth grade girls to two complete days of silence. There were rules however. They were allowed to answer teachers, but with only three words. Also, when the students went home, they had to use the honor system, and honestly report any talking done outside of school. Each word spoke was worth a point. After the two days were up, the gender with the least amount of talking outside the rules won. The signifigance of this was that this specific group of fifth graders were known as the Unshushables. They had a reputation of not knowing when or how to be quiet. As the contest goes on, the teachers and principle become relieved of the noise, but irritated from the short answers and little participation in class. The principle tries to but an end to it, but becomes convenced herself, through Mark, that actually this silence is quiet a good idea.
This book is fabolous for the reading age that it is wrote for. It teaches a great lesson of what some quiet time can actually do for a person. It also teaches the fifth grade girls and the boys in the story, that really, neither one is better than the other. They also learn that although there is such thing as talking to much, that talking really is almost an essential thing for life. Friendships are built, and trust and responsibility are displayed throughout the book.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Athens, Ohio
This book is fabolous for the reading age that it is wrote for. It teaches a great lesson of what some quiet time can actually do for a person. It also teaches the fifth grade girls and the boys in the story, that really, neither one is better than the other. They also learn that although there is such thing as talking to much, that talking really is almost an essential thing for life. Friendships are built, and trust and responsibility are displayed throughout the book.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Athens, Ohio
Spells and Sleeping Bags by Sarah Mlynowski
Rachel Weinstein for what seems like forever, has watched her mom and little sister Miri show off their magic. But now in the third installment of Sarah Mlynowski’s young adult series…………….. Rachel has powers! Plus as an added bonus Rachel and Miri will be going to summer camp, where also Raf will conveniently will be going. But to have the summer of her life, she’ll have to fix some problems.
Have to zap back all of her clothes(little accident, no biggie)
Get out of baby level in swimming
Bathe in mosquito repellent(won’t leave her alone)
And deal with the backstabber in her cabin
Sounds like fun!
I chose this book to review because it is the third book in a series that I love. But with this one, I was a little disappointed. I didn’t have the same style as the first two books had. Rachel wasn’t as sassy and kind as usual. Also the ending was not what I expected would make the story a little better. But I did love how I and the readers found out what really went down between Rachel’s mom and her Aunt Sasha.
Content: innapropriate language
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Minooka, IL
Have to zap back all of her clothes(little accident, no biggie)
Get out of baby level in swimming
Bathe in mosquito repellent(won’t leave her alone)
And deal with the backstabber in her cabin
Sounds like fun!
I chose this book to review because it is the third book in a series that I love. But with this one, I was a little disappointed. I didn’t have the same style as the first two books had. Rachel wasn’t as sassy and kind as usual. Also the ending was not what I expected would make the story a little better. But I did love how I and the readers found out what really went down between Rachel’s mom and her Aunt Sasha.
Content: innapropriate language
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Minooka, IL
The Invisible by Mats Wahl
Hilmer Eriksson is invisible, no one can see him or hear him. He soon learns that he is missing, but he has no idea ware his body lies. Hilmer must stay close to detective Fors in order to solve this mystery. But, even if he finds his body who can he tell if no one can hear him? It is a struggle to save his own life. Slowly Hilmer is dieing. Can he solve the mystery before his death?
This book is full of suspense and mystery. It is a great ghost story and has many police investigations. The Invisible will keep you on your toes, you will not be able to set it down. However, I was disappointed in the ending of the book. I expected a larger twist and more excitement in the end.
Content: This book is about a murder and it is slightly gory.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lemoore, CA USA
This book is full of suspense and mystery. It is a great ghost story and has many police investigations. The Invisible will keep you on your toes, you will not be able to set it down. However, I was disappointed in the ending of the book. I expected a larger twist and more excitement in the end.
Content: This book is about a murder and it is slightly gory.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lemoore, CA USA
Red Rage by Brigitte Blobel
Her mom is going crazy, her dad is an abusive alcoholic; its no wonder that Mara has anger management problems. But when she starts to work at a child care center, Mara connects with the kids there and meets a guy named Tim. But one day Mara comes home to find her mom gone. After that, her life starts to spiral down out of control. And when the unspeakable happens, Mara decides she needs to get help and take responsibility for her actions. No matter what the cost.
Red Rage wasn't what I expected it to be. Occasionally hard to follow, I had difficulty understanding what was going on. But by the middle all was flowing smoothly, and I was caught up in the book. The ending was predictable, but it was a good book to read nonetheless. I wouldn't say it was my favorite, but I have read far worse books.
language and child abuse
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Casa Grande, Arizona Unites States of America
Red Rage wasn't what I expected it to be. Occasionally hard to follow, I had difficulty understanding what was going on. But by the middle all was flowing smoothly, and I was caught up in the book. The ending was predictable, but it was a good book to read nonetheless. I wouldn't say it was my favorite, but I have read far worse books.
language and child abuse
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Casa Grande, Arizona Unites States of America
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Lily Dale: Awakening by Wendy Corsi Staub
“...The only way we’ll learn the truth is to dredge the lake!”
These words keep reoccurring in Calla’s dream, and when she wakes up, its always 3:17. These words hold the secret to the falling out of Calla’s mother and Grandmother. And as Calla spends time in Lily Dale after her mothers death, Calla comes to realize that Lily Dale is a town for Psychic Mediums. Even her own grandmother, Odelia, has the gift of being able to sense presences that are near. And after Calla starts to see things, things that no one else can, Calla realizes that she too may have to gift. And her being able to sense things, may be able to help solve the mystery of a kidnaped girl, who disappeared over six months. But what Calla wants the most is to be able to speak with her own deceased relative, her mom.
This book is completely different from the ones I have reviewed in the past. This mystery is suspenseful, yet also has romance and drama. It will appeal to many different readers, of all ages. Wendi Corsi Staub realizes what it feels like to lose someone close to you, and she puts that raw emotion into her writing. This book is the perfect type to curl up with an ice cold lemonade on those hot summer days, and is a great pool side read. You will find few that don’t fall in love with Staub's books.
Content: language
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Casa Grande, Arizona Uniteds States of America
These words keep reoccurring in Calla’s dream, and when she wakes up, its always 3:17. These words hold the secret to the falling out of Calla’s mother and Grandmother. And as Calla spends time in Lily Dale after her mothers death, Calla comes to realize that Lily Dale is a town for Psychic Mediums. Even her own grandmother, Odelia, has the gift of being able to sense presences that are near. And after Calla starts to see things, things that no one else can, Calla realizes that she too may have to gift. And her being able to sense things, may be able to help solve the mystery of a kidnaped girl, who disappeared over six months. But what Calla wants the most is to be able to speak with her own deceased relative, her mom.
This book is completely different from the ones I have reviewed in the past. This mystery is suspenseful, yet also has romance and drama. It will appeal to many different readers, of all ages. Wendi Corsi Staub realizes what it feels like to lose someone close to you, and she puts that raw emotion into her writing. This book is the perfect type to curl up with an ice cold lemonade on those hot summer days, and is a great pool side read. You will find few that don’t fall in love with Staub's books.
Content: language
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Casa Grande, Arizona Uniteds States of America
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