Escape From Castle Cant by K.P. Bath

There's a war going on in Pauline and Lucy's town. Everyone wants gum, but others think otherwise. Loyalists say Pauline is the heiress to the throne, but then the rebels say Lucy Wickwright is the rightful heiress. Lucy and Pauline run away to find gum plants so they can restore peace and stop the war.


Then, a guy name Vladmir Orloff, a postal commissioner for gum chewing, is chasing them around. He wants to put Pauline on the throne because he killed Lucy's family when she was little.


The girls were resting when a swineherd said he will kill Lucy if they didn't come along. He tells them that it really doesn't matter if Pauline tags along, he just really wants Lucy with him. But secretly he is Vladmir Orloff. So they go with him to a swineherd hut. When they arrive at the hut, they They find out that Vladmir is actually Blaise Delegrassi, a guy who works at the castle. Later, Orloff tells Lucy to surrender, so she grabs a sword, and the girls escape, using the stolen horses. Do Lucy and Pauline get killed? Do the girls destroy the Gum Plants? Read this book to find out!

This book was AWESOME. There were suspenseful parts and the whole book was silly in a good way. Like, when they are having a war over gum, it was really funny. The suspensful parts were, for example, when they were running away with the horses. I'd recomend this to anyone because this book is packed with fun.

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Norristown, Pennsylvania USA

Seven Deadly Sins: Sloth by Robin Wasserman

After an accident that left one girl dead and another injured, the seniors at Haven High are shaken and scared. And understandably so: Harper's return to school and Kaia's permanent absence are making everyone uncomfortable. Harper is haunted by nightmares of Kaia and the accident; the events of that night are still foggy and frightening. Beth's determined to make Spirit Week memorable, but she finds herself slipping up. Miranda misses the old Harper; the new one seems to be pulling away from everyone and everything. The boys are stumbling as well: Adam's falling behind in school, Kane's partying, carefree; and Reed's surprised to find Beth leaning on his shoulder.

While each of the characters are plagued by varying degrees of guilt over Kaia's death, the only thing that seems certain any more is that nothing will ever be the same.

In Seven Deadly Sins, no one is blameless, and everyone has something to hide. This series takes the parties, dating, makeups and breakups of TV shows or series such as Gossip Girl, sets it in a small town called Grace where everyone knows everyone, and throws in a murder mystery. If you like the Sevens series by Scott Wallens or the Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard, you'll like Seven Deadly Sins by Robin Wasserman.

Sloth is the fifth in the Seven Deadly Sins series. It is recommended that you read the series in order:

Lust
Envy
Pride
Wrath
Sloth
Gluttony
Greed

Drinking and drug use, and other situations

USA

Misspelled by Julis E. Czerneda

This book of short stories explores the world of magic. It especially shows what can go wrong through a misunderstanding or by a mispronunciation. From various points of views and differing authors, this book illustrates the consequences of mistakes. In the magical world, you have to be perfect, and if you aren’t, this book demonstrates some of the grim consequences together with humorous side effects. From the musical magic to the fairy tale endings this book is full of misspells.

This book is confusing and mediocre compared to most that I have read before. In each of the seventeen stories, you are assaulted with different types of magic, diverse characters and only a few pages per story to become acquainted with each tale. Though some stories illustrate true potential in the writer, most can be distinguished as baffling. I wouldn’t truly recommend this book to most people unless they are prepared for a bumpy ride.

Rating:3

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Richmond, Virginia USA

Mozart's Ghost

Mozart's Ghost by Julia Cameron is about Anna, a "thirtysomething Midwesterner", who moved to New York in search of a chance to fall in love or to become one of the many proud single women living in New York City. Anna works as a substitute teacher by day, but she has a secret talent. By night, Anna works as a medium. By sharing messages from the deceased to their loved ones, Anna pays the rent. Acting like she doesn't need a man, Anna falls hard for Edward, the new pianist who recently moved into her apartment building. Edward constantly practices. At first, Anna finds Edward's music, which is constantly pouring through her window, annoying, but as she falls for him Anna begins to love his music in spite of herself. As their feelings towards each other grows, Anna wonders if she should risk their relationship by telling Edward about her gift.

Mozart's Ghost by Julia Cameron is a very unique book. I have never read a book where science fiction, romance, and culture has been mixed. Julia Cameron weaves the idea of ghosts, love, and classical music all into one book. This unusual combination exists in a book that keeps the reader interested in what might happen next. I found this novel to be new and exciting. It is very different from every other book that I have read. I highly recommend it to mature readers.

This book contains inappropriate material for young readers such as bisexuality and sex.

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Potomac, Maryland United States of America

The Temptress Four

The Temptress Four is about four girls named Fiona, Killian, Alma and Yoli. The girls have just graduated from high school, and they decide to celebrate by going on a cruise. The night before the cruise, the girls go to a fortune teller who predicts that there will be trouble during the trip and that one of them may not return. The fortune teller’s comment makes the girls think about whether they should still go on the cruise. After a lot of debate, the girls decide to go. They will soon learn whether the fortune teller is correct.

The Temptress Four was one of the best books I have ever read! Unlike most books I have read, this book kept me on my toes. When one problem gets solved, there is another problem waiting. I also loved how the author made the book unpredictable. That made me want to read the book even more. I‘d highly recommend this book!

Reviewer Age:10
Reviewer City, State and Country: Potomac, Maryland USA
Rating: 10
Content:1

Back Creek by Leslie Goetsch

It's 1975. Eighteen-year-old Grace Barnett is overwhelmed by the situations presented to her in what becomes one of the most important summers of her life. Waking up one morning, she witnesses a deadly boat crash in the creek behind her house. As though this wasn't enough of a trauma, the accidental nature of the crash comes into question. Soon, many people have come to the unspoken conclusion that Tommy White, the man who died in the crash, may have crashed the boat on purpose. To add to this, Grace's sister Lillian decided to resurface in the family from her five-year absence on the very day of Tommy White's funeral. This is the very same day that Grace's mother sneaks away from her family, claiming to be leaving for a short time while she has no plans of returning. Coupled with the confusing signals of Cal, a boy Grace doesn't know if she has a crush on, the summer is full of emotional situations. Further along in the book, it becomes apparent that Lillian is pregnant. Grace must delve into the circumstances surrounding her sister's disappearance and pregnancy while trying to prepare for college, getting her mother to return, and deciphering Cal's mixed signals. But is it too much for one summer?

Back Creek takes a believable protagonist, Grace Barnett, and presents her with some of the most difficult situations a teenager can face- all in one summer. I very much enjoyed the complexity and truth of the many plots. Grace's feelings were real and pure, and I felt a connection to her as though to a friend. She struggled through her issues with inspiring strength and perseverance. The plot moved at a good pace and every issue was resolved by the end of the book. The setting of the book, both time and place, provided an interesting twist to the book, the Vietnam War just coming to a close. Devotion, lack of devotion, pride, and the act of unearthing secrets are explored in this book, creating a strong basis for a well-constructed plot. Leslie Goetsch has succeeded in writing a heart-warming coming-of-age story that every girl will love. Back Creek is beautifully crafted and easily relatable: an instant winner.

Rating:9

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Melrose, MA United States

Frozen Fire

Dusty was just like any other normal 14-year-old, until a phone call turned her world upside down. A strange boy called her phone and told Dusty he was dying. The stranger said he needed someone to talk to in his last hour. He claimed to be named Josh, the name of Dusty's missing brother. Dusty figured out where "Josh" was, and decided to investigate. Caught by three men, also searching for the boy, they tried to make Dusty tell them where "Josh" was hiding. Dusty got away and figured out "Josh" was not actually dying. With only a few clues, Dusty found the strange boy, who was definitely not her brother. "Josh" had snow white skin and hair, always wore a duffel coat, was convicted of rape, and also had the strange power of being able to immobilize and hurt people. Eventually, Dusty got into a lot of trouble, because she hung around the boy so much. People thought that Dusty was in league with him. Dusty fell into a whirlwind adventure as she tried to find her missing brother, while dealing with a mysterious boy.

Tim Bowler did an amazing job making this book into, not just a mystery, but also an extraordinary thriller! He had diverse characters that all had a place in the story, not one character was there that did not have its own purpose. The characters were also very well developed in terms of personality. The plot was thick with suspense and thrill. At the very end, Bowler dropped a huge secret that was the solution to the book. It was the biggest shock in the whole story. He also did an amazing job with the diversity of the characters' language. This book was one that I could not stand to put down!

This book talks a lot about rape and issues only appropriate for the age recommendations.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Shippensburg, Pennsylvania USA

Three Little Words

Three Little Words, by Ashley Rhodes- Courter, is a tragic story with a fairy tale ending. This memoir binds the unbelieveable horrors of foster care with the prayers of adoption.

Because Ashley's mother could not properly care for her, Ashley was forced to overcome 19 different foster parents. In one home, Ashley was beaten, starved and severely mistreated for very minor things that really shouldn't matter. In another home, Ashley was, unknowingly, living with a sex offender and caught a glimpse of something that scarred her for life.

All the while, poor Ashley waits for the relentless promises by her mother to be granted. Ashely can't help but wonder if this black hole, that she calls her life, will always be the same or if she will finally be reunited with her beloved mother.

I think that a person who reads this book has to be in the right mindset to really enjoy its content. It is a great story for the more optimistic individual, but most lives do not turn out as fantastically wonderful as this woman's life concluded in the story. Many people do not want to know about someone else's happy-ending story, because many times their own turns out to be different than they wanted or imagined it to be. I did not really care for this book, because I believe that it seemed very unrealistically sappy, but I could see myself recommending this to some of my friends who often read this kind of story. Overall, this definitely was not one of my favorite books, to say the least.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Tipp City, Ohio United States

Infinity by Lillian R. Lieber

This book is a factual book about the concept of infinity. It emphasizes the different types of infinities and their properties. It also discusses the importance of math in everyday life. This newly published version of the book has been edited and shortened from the original, so it is not a long read. It is written in a style similar to poetry, and there are also little doodles for illustrations.

This book had some interesting topics, but I overall did not really enjoy reading it. I am in calculus, and I like both math and science. However, this book did not appeal to me. It was written in short, poetry-like paragraphs that did not suit the subject matter. Also, the book is probably too complicated for someone who does not enjoy and excel at math. Any serious mathematician would probably prefer a more textbook-like or factual format. All in all, I feel this book does not have an audience.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Royersford, PA United States

Test by William Sleator

Ann Forrest is hoping to one day get out of the traffic, but because of the XCAS, a test that controls every aspect of her life, she doesn't believe that it is possible. She needs to find a way to get rid of the test at all costs, and Lep is just the boy to help her do that. When Ann and Lep work together, they have the power to make anything happen, and they do just that. It is a dangerous and difficult journey, but it all works out in the end.

This book was very good. It was suspenseful and held my attention the entire time I was reading it. The subject, how a test (the XCAS) was controlling the lives of everyone, was very intruiging. The fact that education is so important is a very big topic today, which made it all the more interesting. It made me wonder if it is possible for the future to be anything like that. Overall, the book was very good and I enjoyed it a lot.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: East Islip, New York United States