Madapple by Christina Meldrum

Told in first person narrative, Madapple chronicles the life of Aslaug Datter. Raised by her mother to have a special appreciation of herbs and plants, Aslaug feels trapped in her home. That is, until her mother dies and she has a chance at freedom. Aslaug runs away from the nosy police officers and nosy social worker, and makes her way to the home of her long lost relatives. Aslaug is quickly pulled in by the ideas of her aunt, Sara, and cousin, Sanne, that she was born of a virgin birth, born to be special. But when Aslaug becomes pregnant, Sara and Sanne turn these ideas to the baby and Aslaug is once again trapped in her life. She must now decide whether to escape and start a life of her own or continue to be imprisoned by others.

I thought Madapple was a very interesting and philosophical book, but it wasn't
something I would typically read. I did really like the format of the book- a chapter of Aslaugs musings followed by excerpts from her trial. It really gave the book a sense of fullness and completeness. Madapple presented some new ideas and stayed interesting, but I was a little bothered by the suggestions of incest.

sexual content and suggestions of incest

Reviewer Age:17

Reviewer City, State and Country: Erlanger, Kentucky United States

Angel by Cliff McNish

Freya has finally recovered from years of seeming insanity, stemming from a memory of seeing an angel. Now she has moved to a new school, given herself a makeover, and befriended a popular girl. She doesn't notice that her father is ill or that her brother is endangering himself by protecting a boy for a bully. To Freya, it seems that her life is finally normal. This quickly changes with the arrival of a dark angel and a strange, angel-obsessed girl named Stephanie, who insists upon befriending her. Freya comes face-to-face with the angel who she saw when she was eight, and learns that she herself is one.

The book Angel veers back and forth between cliche and originality. It is a very character-driven book, with dialogue taking up the majority of the story. While this appeals to me, a fantasy focused on character development must work extra-hard on making the characters believable. The author's depiction of bullies and popular girls borders on stereotypes, with some of the dialogue making me wonder how many teenagers he has actually spoken to within the last three years. Furthermore, he seemed too intent on making the reader understand just how strange Stephanie was, and often managed this by making her utterly irrational. However, at other times, the characters seemed very realistic. Freya's brother Luke, conflicted between a desire to protect a boy named Sam and hesitance to fight, drew me in. The dark angel was one of the most complex characters in the book, far more so than either Freya or Stephanie, and the author did a brilliant job at portraying him.

I enjoyed reading Angel and getting to know the characters, but the pacing threw me off. While offbeat pacing is not necessarily bad, it is difficult to ignore the fact that Freya met Stephanie once before choosing to confide with her, and that the event highlighted in the summaryn--Freya's transformation into an angel--was one of the final events. This could have been forgivable or even an asset, but in the end it felt as if the author had spent too long elaborating on relatively worthless plot points and just ran out of time. The ending, which could have been moving in the right context, felt too rushed. There is a difference between deliberately refusing to wrap everything into a tidy bow and simply ignoring loose ends, and I'm not sure the author realized it.

Very mild references to sexuality.
Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Bellevue, WA United States

The Summer of Cotton Candy by Debbie Viguie

The back of the book asks, "Will this be the summer that Candace hoped for?" That question sets the tone for Debbie Viguie’s book. Candace Thompson goes through almost anything you could imagine. She starts off by looking for a job, which she finds at "the Zone," a local theme park. One girl tells her there are people who work at the park, people who visit the park, and people who do both, otherwise known as "Zoners". Will Candace be a Zoner or is this STILL just a summer job? As the story goes on, she finds romance, friendship, competition, faith, and a change in her values and how she looks at life.

This book was truly amazing. Even the name of the book pulled me in. As the book went on, it started becoming an obsession. I just had to finish it! The author's description was pretty good. I mean no one likes too much detail, but there could have been a little more. Yet the characters were so well described, I felt like I was in the room with them. Candace, Josh, Becca, Kurt, and Tamara were amazing characters! My final view is that the author achieved what she set out to do: write a great book!!

Rating:9

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Audubon, New Jersey United States

Front Lines by Denise Little

In the short story collection Front Lines, edited and compiled by Denise Little, Corporal Kenso is a weary soldier fighting to protect Earth's colonies from the fierce, alien "Slimies" that are relentlessly attacking the Milky Way. Mollie is a young girl whose incredible, strange powers of healing force her to be out on a battlefield every day, helping to fight a war she doesn't believe in. Leefa Ka is the warrior daughter of the chieftain in her village who foolishly has ridden into a cursed forest haunted by those dead in battle to prove her courage to her father. Lieutenant Conner Davis is the only man left alive in his unit on Aldebaran, one of Earth's colonies that has rebelled and begun a civil war. All of these people are scarred by the myriad horrors of war, the main theme of Front Lines.

As a fan of most different kinds of genres, I liked this book and was hooked by many of the stories. Like with any short story collection, there is a wide range of styles, from humorous to serious and all kinds in between. Because most of the stories are science fiction, I would recommend it to science fiction fans because many of the stories have to do with futuristic warfare on different planets or against invading alien species. Also, most of the stories aren't clichés that have been written about over and over again; they shed new light on being on the front lines of a battlefield, something that most Americans probably haven't experienced. Warfare is a tough subject to both think about and write about, but most of the stories in Front Lines do a great job of making the subject realistic-you often feel as though you are one of the soldiers fighting a hopeless battle against creatures that seem to have no weak points to strike out at. The book really connects well with its readers, and you want the soldiers to succeed in the wars that they each fight. Although the main theme of the book doesn't, in the end, quite hit home as strongly as it's supposed to, it's still a strong presence throughout and will make you think about it as you read. If you're looking for something that's fast-paced and action-packed, but also thoughtful and serious at the same time, take a look at Front Lines.

There are many scenes of violence, seeing as this is a book about war.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Richmond, VA USA

Secrets for Sale

In Secrets for Sale by Kristi Holl, a work of Christian fiction, protagonist Jeri finds herself neck-deep in a case of blackmail against her best friend, Rosa. But the worst part is that Rosa thinks Jeri is doing the blackmailing! Jeri is determined to help her friend and save their friendship. Starting with the most likely suspects, Jeri is sidetracked when Rosa is thrown off the drama team because she did not pay the blackmailer. Miss Kimberly, the drama teacher, seems appalled, but yet . . . not so much. Is there more to Miss Kimberly than meets the eye? Jeri finds out that there is . . . and she barely escapes with her life!

This book does not hide the fact that it is Christian fiction, but it has the added quality of being a mystery. There are some good thrills and chills in it! When Jeri is fighting, literally, for her life, she is rescued by her Dad and credits God with guiding her dad to find and save her. This is unlike many other books, where the rescuer's appearance would be frustratingly random and make me think, "Yeah, right, he just HAPPENED to guess she was in the clock tower!" To me, this was unique and satisfying. I also liked that there was a true villain, and that the characters had to go through real danger and struggles. If you like Nancy Drew, I think you should give this book, and others in the series, a shot.

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Saugerties, New York USA

Trion Rising by Robert Elmer

What would happen if Jesus came to another planet? Oriannon Hightower of Nyssa is a girl living the good life on the bright side of her planet, Corista. She is an eidich, a person who remembers everything that ever happened to her. Every single detail; she can never forget. But that's exactly what starts to happen when a new mentor of a mysterious background comes to her school. He starts teaching new songs and new ideas, and suspicions arise that he might be a fabled faithbreaker, trying to tempt them away from the teachings of the Maker and the word of the High Assembly. When she discovers that their water supply is being stolen from the people on the dark half of the planet, where the new mentor, Jesmet, comes from, will Oriannon have the strength to do what's right?

I found Trion Rising to be intriguing, the concept of the book alone pulled me in. The characters are really well developed, if a little hard to relate to. The plot sometimes moved in fits and starts, which made it hard to keep going. But as you near the end, the tension builds so much that it left me a little startled when the end came; I wanted to find out what happens next. Her amazing memory aside, Oriannon is just a typical teen, finding ways to talk to her friends in class without getting caught and arguing with her stubborn dad. The way the author used music to convey feelings and tie everything together made it even more powerful. Towards the end, you see many more references to the Bible, and it leaves you curious, on the edge of your seat and wanting more.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Shoreview, Minnesota United States

Kandide and the Secret of the Mists by Diana S. Zimmerman

When Kandide is struck by lightning while picking pomegranates in the meadows, her wing is badly damaged. In the society illustrated in this book, those with injuries are not permitted; the 'Imperfects' are removed from society. Kandide, the soon-to-be queen (because of her father's unexpected death), is sent to the Veil, a place built by Imperfects that was begun by her father and by her mother (with a magic spell). There she meets several notable characters, including Jake, Leanne, and Selena, her mother's long-forgotten sister.

With Kandide out of the way characters with large ambitions begin to try to gain control, such as Lady Aron. In order for their mother to live, Teren and Tara, the siblings of Kandide, search for her.

In the end, everything works out for the better. This book covers many categories/genres such as adventure, action, and even a bit of romance.

The writing in this book wasn't really that complex, but it that doesn't mean that readers will collapse from boredom. It is meant for younger readers, around the middle school grades. This is not a book for those in middle school, at least not generally. Kandide was a pretty quick read, and it wasn't at all a masterpiece; but that's not to say that it was a completely terrible work. I had a slight problem with the foods. For a story that takes place in Europe, it seemed a little strange to eat pomegranates, mangoes, and pineapples. It seemed pretty similar to other books that I've read, what with the strange creatures, forgotten family members, and strange lands. It was pretty full of morals, such as acceptance of those that are different and how absolute power corrupts. This book was ok, but not superb. I'd recommend this book to those in search of a short, quick read without a lot of depth, but with plenty of interesting and unusual characters.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Charleston, SC USA

The Time it Takes to Fall by Margaret Lazarus Dean

Dolores had never imagined that life in Cape Canaveral could be anything but perfect. She loves the launches, the broadcasts, her family, her friends, and knows everything there is to know about space. She keeps a journal of every launch, dutifully recording all of the relevant facts in order to further her dreams of becoming an astronaut, confirming the details with her NASA technician father and her best friend, Eric. She's the best in her class, her teachers love her, and, most importantly, she's happy. But without warning, everything changes. When her father is fired, Dolores' mother has to go to work, coming home every day too exhausted to do anything but argue. As if that weren't enough, Dolores enters high school a year early, finding herself among older strangers who tease her for her intelligence. And the worst is yet to come, because although Dolores doesn't know it yet, the Challenger launch is fast approaching and soon she'll be forced to face her greatest nightmare.

Although it starts out slow, The Time it Takes to Fall proves worth the wait. Margaret Dean has created a masterful first novel, certainly an example of historical fiction at its best. While most first time authors would focus on the effects of the Challenger tragedy on a would-be astronaut, Dean instead writes about characters-- unique, lovable, characters -- who are all entirely, believably human. These characters connect the reader to the book, and even the most unenthusiastic reader will find him- or herself sympathizing as he or she is drawn into their lives. A reluctant historical fiction reader myself, I found that I was actually guessing what would happen next! The plot never falters, and the characters only get stronger as the story goes on. This is one book that's certainly worth a read!

Although parts of the book seem to be geared toward younger readers, there is a sex scene and a rather frightening description of the deaths of the Challenger astronauts. Many characters smoke.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: , Maryland United States

Likely Story by David Van Etten

Flamingnet Student Book Reviewer MDG

Mallory's life feels like it should be a TV show: her mother's an actress on a popular soap opera and her boyfriend won't break up with his girlfriend. Mallory needs less drama in her life, not more. So when she writes her own soap opera, entitled Likely Story, she wants it to be about real people with real problems. However, this seems to cause more catastrophes. Her mother is now jealous, she needs to get her best friend the lead on the show, and she thinks she might be falling for the lead male actor. What's a girl to do?

The best way I can describe this book is that it was okay. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great, either. The plot was interesting; not many normal teenagers have a semi- famous mother, although this made it slightly hard to relate to Mallory. She is a likable character, though her moral compass might be spinning in the wrong direction. For example, she has a boyfriend that already has a girlfriend, which makes me think that she doesn't respect herself. However, this book is part of a series, so hopefully the rest will be better.


Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Aston, Pennsylvania United States

She Came From Heaven by Rosanne Pellicane

She Came From Heaven is about an interior designer named Rosanne who is temporarily living alone with her pets in New York City. After a separation, her husband Jim is moving back in after living and working in Washington DC. Jim joins her in their New York house, and starts his own business from home. Life seems to be getting better until Jim's business flounders, and things go terribly wrong. Rosanne's pets become a source of comfort to her during her struggles.

This book started with an interesting premise but failed to hold my attention. The content and vocabulary seemed to be for an older audience. As the book progressed, the emphasis on religion and God became overbearing and seemed to supplant the story line. I would recommend this book to people who are animal lovers and enjoy stories with strong religious messages.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Renton, WA United States

Rating: 4

Content Rating: 4