This book is about a fifteen years old girl Kennedy Baines. Throughout a summer, Kennedy lists twenty-five things that pain her. Her life is a series of strange events. She is waiting for her boyfriend to finally kiss her and mean it. She wants her best friend to open up to her and tell her what is going on. She is being stalked by a creepy online pervert. And she thinks her mother may have had an affair in the past. When mom brings home an old college friend Judith and her eighteen year old son, Colin, from England, things begin to get interesting. Kennedy experiences a lot of firsts with Colin. But in the end she just wishes life was more like her favorite book, Pride and Prejudice.
I thought that this book was an "okay" book. The book was not challenging for the age group. However, it is a good book for leisure or pleasure reading. The plot moves well and fairly quickly. And, it was a novel that I related to and many other girls could relate to as well. This book talks about a lot of things that teenage girls go through all the time. Dede Crane was creative and interesting in an easy to read novel.
Content: There is socially inappropriate language as well as underage drug and alcohol use and some sexual content.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6
Reviewer Age: 17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Phoenixville, Pennsylvania U.S.A.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Leaving Simplicity by Claire Carmichael
Everyone knows the world is covered in advertisements today—from seeing them on cars, to ones in the mall, and even in the back of books. They’re everywhere, but can you imagine if the advertisements controlled your emotions, and made you want to run out and buy the product right away? In the world that Taylor lives in, New York City set in the future, this is her life. She is so accustomed to the advertisements, and they are normal to her now. But her cousin Barrett has lived in an area where farmers have always lived, and has never grown used to technology today. So when Barrett is forced to live with his Aunt and Cousin, he finds this new world strange and wrong. His aunt takes advantage of his naiveté, which angers Barrett. Together, Barrett and Taylor team up to fight against advertisements and what they stand for.
Claire Carmichael does a superb job creating the world that is Barrett and Taylor’s. Even though it is supposedly set in the future, it seems very real and even scary. It makes you think…. Will this happen? Or something like it? What can we do to prevent it? Leaving Simplicity is an excellent book, which I have already recommended to my friends.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Boothwyn, PA United States
Claire Carmichael does a superb job creating the world that is Barrett and Taylor’s. Even though it is supposedly set in the future, it seems very real and even scary. It makes you think…. Will this happen? Or something like it? What can we do to prevent it? Leaving Simplicity is an excellent book, which I have already recommended to my friends.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Boothwyn, PA United States
Dawn and Dusk by Alice Mead
Dawn and Dusk, by Alice Mead, is an emotional story about a young boy, Azad, whose life is torn by war. His parents are divorced but he doesn't know why and everyone thinks he's too young to know. His town, Sardasht, is located in the Islamic Republic of Iran which has been at war with Iraq for a very long time. One day, Saddam bombs Sardasht with chemical bombs taht destroys Azad's life forever. His mom wants to run away to another town or even country but his dad, who has connections to the secret police, wants to stay. What should Azad do, stay or flee? This is a book about growing up and learning the truth.
I thought that the book was very well written and an easy, short read. Mead did a fantastic job of keeping the reader hooked on to the book. The book made me realize how much one incident can change a person's life forever. Even though I enjoyed the book a lot I felt that it could be more elaborated. In some places, like why Azad's parents divorced, Mead could have provided more details. But overall it was a wonderful book that is very exciting and intense.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Champaign, IL USA
I thought that the book was very well written and an easy, short read. Mead did a fantastic job of keeping the reader hooked on to the book. The book made me realize how much one incident can change a person's life forever. Even though I enjoyed the book a lot I felt that it could be more elaborated. In some places, like why Azad's parents divorced, Mead could have provided more details. But overall it was a wonderful book that is very exciting and intense.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Champaign, IL USA
The Passion Flower Massacre by Nicola Morgan
This was a book with twists and turns. The author gave you little pieces of the puzzle, and then I had to figure the rest out. There were four different main charcters, two in one year and the other two in another. In the end you figured out why they were all in the story.
The title made me want to immidately read it and figure out what it was about about. It made me curious to read the book and figure it out. I loved the ending, it was shocking and you didn't suspect one bit, plus the author made you want more. The twists and turns. I could never read one chapter and not stop. I had to read the next so I could go to bed. The author's style. It was surprise after surprise. The author never gave them away one after one, its like she understood what readers liked ina mystery. It was like a jigsaw puzzle. Since there were four different people,and two different years. I wondered why they had two different years and why not just one, but in the end I answered my own questions. I loved how the author made me have NO questions in the end. I had TONS of questions throughout the book, but not in the end.
Content: There are cusswords and other inapproite words for children, inless they are a teen and are allowed to read books with cussing in it and they've asked their parents.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fort Wanye, Indiana U.S.A
The title made me want to immidately read it and figure out what it was about about. It made me curious to read the book and figure it out. I loved the ending, it was shocking and you didn't suspect one bit, plus the author made you want more. The twists and turns. I could never read one chapter and not stop. I had to read the next so I could go to bed. The author's style. It was surprise after surprise. The author never gave them away one after one, its like she understood what readers liked ina mystery. It was like a jigsaw puzzle. Since there were four different people,and two different years. I wondered why they had two different years and why not just one, but in the end I answered my own questions. I loved how the author made me have NO questions in the end. I had TONS of questions throughout the book, but not in the end.
Content: There are cusswords and other inapproite words for children, inless they are a teen and are allowed to read books with cussing in it and they've asked their parents.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fort Wanye, Indiana U.S.A
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Lizard People by Charlie Price
Ben thought his junior year of high school couldn’t get any worse. After his mother suffered another mental breakdown, he was scared of the road ahead, even though she was locked up in an institution for three days. Her mental health had declined ever since Ben’s dad had abandoned them. In the waiting room of the hospital, Ben met an older boy named Marco whose mom was also in the institution. Ben is intrigued by Marco because he tells incredible stories about time travel. Ben sets out to discover where Marco’s been, and where the rest of Marco’s family is. Ben thought he had a normal life for a boy with a mentally ill mother, but then he realized the total opposite was true.
The book, Lizard People, was fantastically written and was definitely a page turner. It was realistic, but there were unexpected events readers would not expect. From the descriptions of Marco’s stories, to the breakdowns of Ben’s mom, Charlie Price added every necessary detail to each chapter. I recommend this book to anyone who likes stories dealing with time travel, or prefers books about people with mental illness. My favorite character in the book was Z, Ben’s best friend’s sister, because she was highly intelligent and witty in every way, plus she was sweet and innocent. I loved the specific personalities that each character owned, and the way Charlie Price described them.
Content: It has some frightening situations. Some alchohol and street drugs.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Osseo, Wisconsin United States
The book, Lizard People, was fantastically written and was definitely a page turner. It was realistic, but there were unexpected events readers would not expect. From the descriptions of Marco’s stories, to the breakdowns of Ben’s mom, Charlie Price added every necessary detail to each chapter. I recommend this book to anyone who likes stories dealing with time travel, or prefers books about people with mental illness. My favorite character in the book was Z, Ben’s best friend’s sister, because she was highly intelligent and witty in every way, plus she was sweet and innocent. I loved the specific personalities that each character owned, and the way Charlie Price described them.
Content: It has some frightening situations. Some alchohol and street drugs.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Osseo, Wisconsin United States
Icecore: A Carl Hobbes Thriller by Matt Whyman
17 year old British hacker Carl Hobbes hacked in to Fort Knox just to prove that it could be done. The problem is the American government found out he did it. So they gave him a choice: tell them how he did it, or go to jail for a very long time. Being only 17, he chose to tell them everything they want to know. They take him to the Guantanimo Bay of the Arctic for questioning. There, he meets Beth, the girl who got him into this mess in the first place. He answers all the American's questions, but they think he's not being entirely truthful. Then, McCoy, one of the prisoners, breaks free and tries to escape. Carl and Beth are let out to try and stop him, so they head to communications tower to send out a mayday. McCoy is there, and the tower is blown up by a homemade vodka-bomb. Before the tower explodes, Beth and Carl escape by jumping out one of the tower's windows, and suffer no more than a few cuts and bruises. Then, they work on stopping a plane from landing. When that plan fails, they hop on a couple of snowmobiles and escape.
This book was extremely good. My Favorite character was Beth, with Carl pulling a close second. I really liked the ending, because, in my opinion, two pretty innocent people got away. Compared to other adventure novels I've read, this was probably one of the best. This book taught me that people aren't always what they seem. The vocabulary used in this book was appropriate for the age group. This author has a very good writing style, and he supplied plenty of detail, but not too much to make it disgusting or gruesome. I don't think that the author could have improved this story.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Highland, MI USA
This book was extremely good. My Favorite character was Beth, with Carl pulling a close second. I really liked the ending, because, in my opinion, two pretty innocent people got away. Compared to other adventure novels I've read, this was probably one of the best. This book taught me that people aren't always what they seem. The vocabulary used in this book was appropriate for the age group. This author has a very good writing style, and he supplied plenty of detail, but not too much to make it disgusting or gruesome. I don't think that the author could have improved this story.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Highland, MI USA
Alfed Kropp: The Seal of Solomon by Rick Yancey
The book started with Alfred Kropp coming home from school to his foster home and learning that he’s about to inherit four hundred million dollars. He then learns that his foster parents are planning to adopt him so he decides to run away. Unfortunately for him, he is kidnapped by Mike, an ex-agent of OIPEP. OIPEP rescues Alfred from Mike. Alfred joins OIPEP’s special team to retrieve two very important stolen artifacts. Alfred’s team fails to get the artifacts because Mike gets to them first. Alfred goes to interrogate Mike’s mom but she is away on a cruise. Alfred has two days to find the missing artifact before the world is doomed. Alfred tracks down Mike and recovers the vessel. Then Alfred fights the demon and is able to get the “seal of Solomon” ring. The demon tempts Alfred with popularity, a family of his own, and a girlfriend but Alfred turned them down and sent the demons back into the vessel. OIPEP wants the seal back but Alfred is going to keep it.
I thought this book was awesome. The plot was exciting and fast moving. A true page turner, with a little humor thrown in on the side. It reminded me a lot of the Alex Rider series. Both books have a teenage boy who has lost his parents and is recruited to be a secret agent. This book is a little different because this talks about the bible more and has demons. Alfred Kropp is also a little older and has taken some Driver’s Ed classes so he can drive. I first thought he was kind of a nerd but after I read more of the book my opinion changed very quickly. I’m looking forward to the sequel.
Content: Some of the demon encounters were gory. When Alfred got blisters and maggots on his skin it was gross but added to the story.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Hamilton, OH USA
I thought this book was awesome. The plot was exciting and fast moving. A true page turner, with a little humor thrown in on the side. It reminded me a lot of the Alex Rider series. Both books have a teenage boy who has lost his parents and is recruited to be a secret agent. This book is a little different because this talks about the bible more and has demons. Alfred Kropp is also a little older and has taken some Driver’s Ed classes so he can drive. I first thought he was kind of a nerd but after I read more of the book my opinion changed very quickly. I’m looking forward to the sequel.
Content: Some of the demon encounters were gory. When Alfred got blisters and maggots on his skin it was gross but added to the story.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Hamilton, OH USA
Captives by Tom Pow
16-year old Martin and his family are enjoying a vacation on a Caribbean island. The foursome joins two other families on what is believed to be an adventurous trek through some of the mountains of the island. However, it goes horribly wrong; they are kidnapped and taken hostage by guerrillas and forced into the heart of the Santa Clara wilderness. They are scared for their lives, and for those of Martin's brother and two other tourists, who supposedly escaped their capture. As they go through their ordeal, they learn a lot about the political backdrop of Santa Clara and why exactly their captors are against those current politics. The two-part book Captives speaks of the politics of terror and the harsh world of Santa Clara that is not seen in its tourism.
To be honest with you, the book just couldn't keep my attention. It's an awesome storyline and plot though, which is why I really wanted to review this book. You don't hear of books too often where vacations are ruined due to the fact that the vacationers were kidnapped and taken hostage by guerrillas. But once I began reading Captives, I found my mind wandering, or when I was paying attention, I realized the author was using a lot of the same adjectives to describe the captors, hostages, and their journey (for instance, the word "jaundiced" appeared at least three times within the book, and I could remember what chapter it last appeared in). The first part of the book was a diary of the father, and the second part was of Martin's account of the kidnapping, but the writing styles of the two were just too similar, so at times, it felt like I was reading the book twice.
Content: I'm a Christian, and I just didn't like the fact that every time Martin and his family were in situations they didn't like, they took the name of God in vain. Also, intimacy is mentioned a well amount in the book, and although the author didn't delve into the subject much, there was an instance where it was mentioned that one of the supporting characters had sex.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6
Reviewer Age: 15
To be honest with you, the book just couldn't keep my attention. It's an awesome storyline and plot though, which is why I really wanted to review this book. You don't hear of books too often where vacations are ruined due to the fact that the vacationers were kidnapped and taken hostage by guerrillas. But once I began reading Captives, I found my mind wandering, or when I was paying attention, I realized the author was using a lot of the same adjectives to describe the captors, hostages, and their journey (for instance, the word "jaundiced" appeared at least three times within the book, and I could remember what chapter it last appeared in). The first part of the book was a diary of the father, and the second part was of Martin's account of the kidnapping, but the writing styles of the two were just too similar, so at times, it felt like I was reading the book twice.
Content: I'm a Christian, and I just didn't like the fact that every time Martin and his family were in situations they didn't like, they took the name of God in vain. Also, intimacy is mentioned a well amount in the book, and although the author didn't delve into the subject much, there was an instance where it was mentioned that one of the supporting characters had sex.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6
Reviewer Age: 15
Shen and the Treasure Fleet by Ray Conlogue
I enjoyed Shen and the Treasure Fleet by Ray Conlogue. For a long time, I have been fascinated by the Zheng He, the 15-century Chinese explorer who is major character of this book. His experience as an explorer was equal to those of some European explorers such as Christopher Columbus and Magellan. Unfortunately, I am not sure how historical accurate the book is. A reader has to read the introduction of the book for it to make sense. The book is little confusing before you get used to it. I did not care for the part of book when the protagonist killed a passenger pigeon carrying an execution order. I thought that was a needless glitch in the plot. However, I enjoyed the exciting plotline and the complex characters. I also liked that the novel took place in a time period that is not very well known. It made it an interesting read.
The book opens in 1403, when there is civil war in China. The Emperor Hui Di's uncle Zhu Di claims he is the rightful heir to the throne. Under Zhu Di's skilled eunuch general Zheng He, his army is besieging the Chinese capital city of Nanjing. The main characters of the book are Shen Fei and his younger sister Chang Fei. Their father, Captain Fei Lee is a personal guardsman of Emperor Hui Di, so the family has to get out of Nanjing before the city is captured. However, Captain Fei Lee has to stay behind because he is a personal guardsman of the Emperor so he has to defend him to the death. Captain Fei Lee hires a mysterious friend, Lan Yi, the owner of the Suzhou Acrobatic Troupe, to smuggle the two children and their mother out of Nanjing. On the road to the Zhenjiang, the group hears that the palace was burned, but Shen believes his father is still alive. As they continue on the way to Zhenjiang, the two children's mother is arrested by a man called Lord Yang Rong, who is the leader of the Brocade army. The Brocade army's goal is to search for "traitors to China" in the army and in society. However, Shen and Chang manage to avoid capture and join Lan Yi's Suzhou Acrobatic Troupe. But the two children are still not safe. The Brocade army is still looking for "traitors" and suspects that the Troupe contains people running from the law. The Army tries to capture the Troupe, but Lan Yi out-smarts them and escapes to the shipyard. There, the troupe is safe because the shipyard is guarded by a marine brigade of Ocean-Spanning guards. At the shipyard, Lan Yi manages to get the Troupe on the famous Treasure Fleet's inaugural voyage. He also manages to secure the position of scribe for Shen. But even on board the Fleet the Troupe is not safe- Lord Yang Rong and some Brocade troops are also allowed to board the fleet as representatives of Emperor Zhu Di. Lord Yang Rong befriends Shen and tells him to help find the overthrown Emperor and Lord Yang will give Shen a letter from his mother. Shen starts to tell Lord Yang classified information he learned from his scribe work. Chang and Lan Yi suspects that Shen is betraying secrets to Lord Yang. Chang and Lan Yi warn Shen not to trust Lord Yang, but Shen doesn't listen to them. Meanwhile, a fight breaks out and a man is killed, pushing the tension on the Fleet to breaking point. Shen, Chang, Lan Yi notice that the Brocade army smuggling weapons onto a secret vessel. What are Lord Yang Rong and the Brocade army up to?
Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Urbana, Illinois United States
The book opens in 1403, when there is civil war in China. The Emperor Hui Di's uncle Zhu Di claims he is the rightful heir to the throne. Under Zhu Di's skilled eunuch general Zheng He, his army is besieging the Chinese capital city of Nanjing. The main characters of the book are Shen Fei and his younger sister Chang Fei. Their father, Captain Fei Lee is a personal guardsman of Emperor Hui Di, so the family has to get out of Nanjing before the city is captured. However, Captain Fei Lee has to stay behind because he is a personal guardsman of the Emperor so he has to defend him to the death. Captain Fei Lee hires a mysterious friend, Lan Yi, the owner of the Suzhou Acrobatic Troupe, to smuggle the two children and their mother out of Nanjing. On the road to the Zhenjiang, the group hears that the palace was burned, but Shen believes his father is still alive. As they continue on the way to Zhenjiang, the two children's mother is arrested by a man called Lord Yang Rong, who is the leader of the Brocade army. The Brocade army's goal is to search for "traitors to China" in the army and in society. However, Shen and Chang manage to avoid capture and join Lan Yi's Suzhou Acrobatic Troupe. But the two children are still not safe. The Brocade army is still looking for "traitors" and suspects that the Troupe contains people running from the law. The Army tries to capture the Troupe, but Lan Yi out-smarts them and escapes to the shipyard. There, the troupe is safe because the shipyard is guarded by a marine brigade of Ocean-Spanning guards. At the shipyard, Lan Yi manages to get the Troupe on the famous Treasure Fleet's inaugural voyage. He also manages to secure the position of scribe for Shen. But even on board the Fleet the Troupe is not safe- Lord Yang Rong and some Brocade troops are also allowed to board the fleet as representatives of Emperor Zhu Di. Lord Yang Rong befriends Shen and tells him to help find the overthrown Emperor and Lord Yang will give Shen a letter from his mother. Shen starts to tell Lord Yang classified information he learned from his scribe work. Chang and Lan Yi suspects that Shen is betraying secrets to Lord Yang. Chang and Lan Yi warn Shen not to trust Lord Yang, but Shen doesn't listen to them. Meanwhile, a fight breaks out and a man is killed, pushing the tension on the Fleet to breaking point. Shen, Chang, Lan Yi notice that the Brocade army smuggling weapons onto a secret vessel. What are Lord Yang Rong and the Brocade army up to?
Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Urbana, Illinois United States
Sweep by Cate Tiernan
Morgan has always lived in the shadow of her best friend, the gorgeous and popular Bree. When Cal, a handsome and charismatic senior, transfers to their school, he immediately catches Morgan’s eye. But when Bree announces her intention to go after him, Morgan feels that she has no chance and resigns herself to watching from the shadows as usual. But Cal is not your average guy. He practices Wicca, and wastes no time in inviting a group of students to join him in a Wiccan celebration. Morgan is strangely affected by these circles, and Cal starts showing a particular interest in her. Could it be that she is a “blood witch,” descended from one of the seven great witch clans?
BOOK OF SHADOWS is a great beginning to the Sweep series. I’m not a Wiccan, but it was still really interesting to read about their different practices and beliefs. Morgan is a likeable character and is sure to gain readers’ sympathies. It should be kept in mind however, that this is part of series, doesn’t have a definitive ending, and will no doubt leave more than one reader planning a trip to the bookstore to get the next book.Content:2This book deals with a lot of Wiccan celebrations and beliefs, although it is not immediately clear whether the author is in support of it or not.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Little Rock, AR USA
BOOK OF SHADOWS is a great beginning to the Sweep series. I’m not a Wiccan, but it was still really interesting to read about their different practices and beliefs. Morgan is a likeable character and is sure to gain readers’ sympathies. It should be kept in mind however, that this is part of series, doesn’t have a definitive ending, and will no doubt leave more than one reader planning a trip to the bookstore to get the next book.Content:2This book deals with a lot of Wiccan celebrations and beliefs, although it is not immediately clear whether the author is in support of it or not.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Little Rock, AR USA
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