Hunter's Heart by Julia Green

Death changes everything. At least that's how it is for Simon when his dad dies. His pain drives him farther and farther away from his mother and sister. Eventually they can't even recognize who he is anymore. To his mother's dismay, he takes up the extreme hobby of hunting, using slingshots and air rifles. Although she tries to change him, it never works. Then Leah comes along. As Simon grows closer to Leah, his mother begins to see Simon's art teacher, Matt. With Leah's help, Simon begins to grow and change into the person his mom tried to make him before. Although the process is slow, he begins to feel almost normal with his family again, like when his dad was around. Simon develops feelings for Leah, but she doesn't feel the same way; she falls in love with Matt instead. She begins to work for him which makes Simon angry. He follows her to Matt's house one day. The whole time, his anger builds up until he commits the ultimate extreme. That day changes everything for Simon. He realizes the mistake that he has made and finally begins to change, but is it too late for Leah and Matt?

I had high hopes for Hunter's Heart, but it fell short of what I was expecting. The book isn't something to read straight through, but to read in small doses. The author, Julia Green, uses such strong emotion that it becomes overwhelming. Although it is powerful, it gets monotonous very quickly. Every single day Simon is angry and in pain. At first his pain is realistic, but as the book progresses it gets to be overdone. Instead of giving the reader his emotion in doses, Julia Green gives it to you very vividly at the beginning. Since his feelings don't change drastically through the course of the book, it gets to be overdone. The changes that he goes through are extremely gradual that it makes you lose interest. I felt that the author left the book open enough that she could have taken it in many directions. Throughout Hunter's Heart there was a mysterious feel to it and I think that if it had gone in that direction, it would have been more interesting for the reader. Overall, Hunter's Heart is a book about how emotions can grow out of control and drive you to the edge of what you can handle, but it falls short of being the powerful book it could have been.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Champaign , IL USA

Sucks To Be Me by Kimberly Pauley

Mina Hamilton has an important decision to make. Her parents are vampires, and she's just discovered that she has one month to decide whether or not she wants to become a vampire too. She can't tell her best friend Serena anything that's going on, and she has to attend "vampire classes" to learn about her new life. As if being a teenager and trying to get her crush at school to notice her isn't hard enough. But Mina knows she has to make the right decision, one that could change her life forever.

This book was an okay read. I was curious to see how the author, Kimberly Pauley, would fashion her vampires because vampires are a hot subject right now in literature. I wanted to see if these vampires would be completely unique or if they would follow with traditional vampire mythology and I found that it was a little bit of both. The book was corny at times, and Mina tries too hard to be funny. But she's still a good character with a interesting decision before her: to stay alive or to become one of the living "un-dead". It's nice to see someone take a tough decision in stride and add humor to a somewhat somber situation. The book was cute, but definitely not hard-hitting literature.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Aston, Pennsylvania United States

Dark Powers Collection by Bill Myers

In Bill Myers' Dark Power Collection, Rebecca and Scott Williams have recently moved with their mother to a new neighborhood, attending high school after spending years in the heart of the Brazilian wilderness. As a result, they are the outsiders at first: unwelcome and unwanted in a cliquish and petty clan of teenagers who dabble in witchcraft and shamanism. But Rebecca and Scott have something no one else in the entire school has, something that scares the living daylights, so to speak, out of the demons encircling the area: good, old Christian faith. And no evil demon can top that. When the spirits begin to get out of hand, Rebecca and Scott must use that trump card to fight the demonic invaders that have pervaded their town and school.

While the lessons Myers attempts to underscore for impressionable young Christian minds in an increasingly faithless world is admirable, they were too mired in a host of shortcomings. It was laughably prejudiced against all faiths and people not Protestant Christian. Everyone, it seems, is either evil or jumping to convert. Further, Myers' portrayal of women could spur a feminist uprising. Although at first Rebecca's fallible nature makes her seem more human, her damsel-in-distress syndrome grows tiresome after the umpteenth time she fails to adequately defend herself from outside forces. In fact, every female character is grossly flawed in some way, being either treacherous or too easily corrupted; none can compare to the valiant Scott Williams or the heroic and sturdy Ryan Riordan who lacks any sense of depth of character and whose sole purpose in the novel appears to be shepherding around Rebecca in her wheel chair or saving her from what are literally the school children from Hell.

Although the novel may appeal to those more partial to the Christian genre, I felt the entire novel read like something from a fire and brimstone sermon. It appears as if the author is only concerned with getting his message across; maintaining some semblance of believability and political correctness simply did not cross his mind. The message, by the way, is as subtle as someone hitting you over the head with a Bible, and frankly, I would have preferred a literal Bible thumping to Myers' figurative one.

Reviewer Age:17

Reviewer City, State and Country: Bellevue, Washington, USA

The Dimension Next Door by Martin H. Greenberg & Kerrie Hughes

The Dimensions Next Door is a book composed of 14 sci-fi short stories. Each story tells of a made up alternate universe or world. The stories may come off a little strange, but definitely keep you hooked. From forever-living Benjamin Franklin to 2nd and 3rd Earth, this book will fill your imagination with unique alternatives to reality. Each story is completely different so it never ceases to amaze. If you like 2001: Space Odyssey or The Twilight Zone you with definitely love this book.

This book was an amazing sci-fi collection. I believe it was made to show readers that life isn’t always what it seems. It definitely made me rethink a few ideas myself. I think all the stories were well written and extremely creative. I understood all the grammar techniques and vocabulary usage. The imagery was vivid and thought provoking. Every time I read the book I felt like I was there. I would definitely recommend this book to many people. I would like them to read about how this world could be different.

Rating:8

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Germantown, TN United States

Hit Me With Your Best Shot by Raina Lee

This book is a nonfiction book about karaoke. However, the author means karaoke for adults in bars, not basic kids' karaoke. It starts with some history. It moves on to songs and stage presence. There is even a part with interesting facts. I didn't know that there was a karaoke championship!

I was disappointed with this book. It was meant for adults, so I couldn't connect with what the author wrote. My favorite part was the section about the karaoke world championship. It was interesting to read about people who are serious about singing besides pros. Another interesting part was the vocabulary section. Who knew that there were so many words to describe karaoke?

Mentions adult topics

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Exeter, New Hampshire USA

The Science Fiction Hall of Fame by Ben Bova

The Science Fiction Hall Of Fame: Volume Two B, edited by Ben Bova, contains eleven science fiction novellas written between 1928 and 1961. These stories were written before the Nebula Award was created for best science fiction novella of the year. The stories are listed below, with a quick summary of the plot in one or two sentences.

The Martian Way, by Isaac Asimov - the government of Earth limits the shipment of water to the people of Mars and they have to find an alternative water source.

Earthman, Come Home, by James Blish - is about earth people who wander from planet to planet, only to find a planet that is occupied by other earth people who have a harsh and cruel slavery system. Will the newcomers ever make the planet their own?

Rogue Moon, by Algis Budrys - a project to place an astronaut on the dark side of the moon either kills them or drives them insane. Dr. Edward Hawks needs someone who is not afraid of death, but what will that person's personality be like?

The Spectre General, by Theodore Cogwell - is about what happens when the remnants of two empires meet.

The Machine Stops, by E.M. Foster - answers the question of what would happen if humans were controlled by a machine and that machine stopped.

The Midas Plague, by Frederik Pohl - is about a society where poor people must be constant consumers. Can Morey break the vicious cycle of the people being forced to consume everything?

The Witches of Karres, by James H. Schmitz - Captain Pausert of the Republic of Nikkeldepain tries to return three witches from the planet Karres to their home with mysterious consequence.

E for Effort, by T.L. Sherred - Two men, Edward Lefko and Miguel Jose Zapata Laviada use a machine that records all of history in order to make movies. What happens when they use to the machine to end war forever? This question is answered in E for Effort.

In Hiding, by Wilmar H. Shiras - answers the question of what it would be like to be a genius in a world of regular people.

The Big Backyard, by Clifford D. Simak - Hiram Taine is a regular handyman and antique dealer in Willow Bend in the United States. One night, he discovers that his house is being used by aliens as a connection between the Earth and a distant planet. Find out what happens in the Big Backyard.

The Moon Moth, by Jack Vance - Ser Edwer Thissell has to search for a murderous imposter on a planet where everyone wears a mask.

The Science Fiction Hall of Fame: Volume Two B, edited by Ben Bova, deserves a rating of 9. I have not read a lot of Science Fiction novellas, but these were well written, thoughtful, and entertaining. If you enjoy Science Fiction, you will definitely enjoy this book. I especially enjoyed The Witches of Karres by James H. Schmitz and E for Effort by T.L. Sherred. I enjoyed The Witches of Karres because it was entertaining and fun. I found E for Effort very interesting because it is thoughtful story about the character of human nature. Reading this collection has inspired me to read other books by these Science Fiction authors, such as I, Robot by Isaac Asimov who wrote the story, The Martian Way . The Science Fiction Writers of America chose well when they compiled these novellas into this book.

Reviewer Age:18

Reviewer City, State and Country: Urbana, Illinois 305 E. Sherwin Circle

In the Forest of the Night by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Rachel is a 17 year old girl living with her Father and siblings in 1701, until she is unwillingly turned, to become a blood lusting vampire. She is forced to leave her loving family to enter a world where loneliness, murder and deceit are part of life. With this change she becomes know as Risika. After 300 hundred years, Risika is one of the most powerful vampires on the earth. She stalks the streets of New York City by night searching for prey. But she is being followed, by who, we do not know. Risika’s follower leaves little things that invoke memories of her past years as a human and her first years as a vampire. She uses these flash backs from centuries ago and experiences from her present immortal being to shape her mysterious endeavors gaining power and revenge.

In a powerfully intriguing debut, Amelia Atwater-Rhodes has created a mysterious and captivating vampiristic novel. Although I found the book slow to start, the author formed a great setting for the story, this being the eerie back streets of New York. Everything she wrote was imaginable and presented with strong emotion. In comparison to other vampire books I have read, this one is both similar and different to many others. The stereotypic vampire is upheld but the twist is that witches are vampire hunters. I found this to be a very quick and exciting read that is easily understood without much concentration. In the Forest of the Night is a worthwhile read suited to people who enjoy light yet suspenseful vampire novels.

Amelia Atwater-Rhodes wrote this book when she was 13.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Melbourne , Victoriai i Australia

The Reformed

The Reformed by Christopher Hart is a manga about a vampire who lives among humans. Giancarlo, the vampire, is supposed to drink human blood to survive and stay strong, but he longs to be a normal human, to be able to love Jenny and come out during the day. He saved Jenny from a man who was trying to kill her and almost instantly fell in love with her because she was so beautiful. But a lot of mysterious killings are going on, most of them prostitutes, and the police are worried that it will interfere with the mayor's reelection. Then Detective Frost decides to investigate the murders. He comes up with a lead that Giancarlo is the culprit and Giancarlo is trying to prove that it is not him doing these murders. Can Giancarlo prove that he's innocent and maybe even get the girl to love him back?
I thought this book was amazing. The plot line was perfect and the black and white pictures were easy to read and figure what was going on. It was the type of book that you can read in one sitting once you're immersed. The author achieved his purpose which was to write a manga that was capturing and compelling; the mysterious happenings, the love that Giancarlo has for Jenny, and the element of surprise for readers. All of the characters were interesting and complex. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and will look forward to seeing others follow this one.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Colleyville, Texas USA

The Summer Palace by Lawrence Watt-Evans

Sword has abandoned all magic. He is on the run from the Wizard Lord and has fled to the Uplands. The Wizard Lord - now a Dark Lord, although the people of Barokan can't see it, has made Sword a wanted man. This Lord has won over the people's trust, but is really deceiving them; he has already killed many of the wizards on the Council of Immortals and most of the Chosen to protect his power and position. Sword must befriend a tribe of Uplanders and learn their ways so he can survive until the winter. Then he will travel to the Summer Palace to fufill his duty to kill the Dark Lord. No one has ever survived an Upland winter. Will he survive to carry out his task?

I read this book without having read the first two books in the series, but I was able to infer much of what I needed; it's great as a stand-alone book. I was amazed, there wasn't much action at all, but the author kept it interesting. Sword's dedication was really astounding, but it also made his character seem to have a one-track mind. There was such detail in the wording that I felt like I could draw the rooms that the author was describing, and that I was really there. Many problems were resolved toward the end, but there are still many loose ends. Another book in the series must be planned! Overall, it was a really good read. I can imagine that it brings a lot of closure to the series, and I look forward to re-reading it after I've read the preceding books.

Reviewer Age:15

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

Promise of the Wolves by Dorothy Hearst

Set in prehistoric times, Promise of the Wolves begins with the birth of Kaala Smallteeth to the Swift River wolf pack in a land called the Wide Valley. She is born of Outsider blood, and bears a strange mark on her chest, circumstances, legends say, which point to the wolf that will save or destroy all of wolf-kind. Ruuqo, the leader of the Swift River pack, does not want to take any chances, and is determined to keep Kaala from officially becoming a member of the pack. Though Ruuqo tries to make it hard for Kaala to succeed as she goes through the pack's rights of passage, she has her friends zzuen, Marra, and the raven Tlitoo to help and support her. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she saves a human girl from drowning in a river. She is powerfully drawn to the girl, but legend says that wolves promise their gods, the Ancients, to have no contact with humans. If they break that promise, the Ancients will lay ruin to their packs. Nevertheless, Kaala continues see the girl TaLi, and by bonding to her she comes to realize that humans and wolves are meant to be together. As she questions the legends and pack knowledge, Kaala must decided what is more important to her, gaining the acceptance of Ruuqo and becoming part of the Swift River pack, or finding a way for humans and wolves to coexist. Promise of the Wolves combines scientific research and fantasy to tell the story of dog's origins, and the beginning of human civilization though the eyes of a wolf.

I have long been a fan of wolves and the animal-fantasy genre, so I expected that reading Promise of the Wolves would be nothing out of the ordinary. I expected another Watership Down, or Julie of the Wolves, but instead I was surprised to find myself reading a new and unique take on the genre. The story is slow, and even dull, for the first several chapters, but by the end, I found myself hooked, wrapped up in an intricate web of legends, politics, relationships, lies, war, and fate. I found myself enjoying the book, but not for the reasons I thought I would have. Instead of liking the book simply for the fact that it was told through the eyes of a young wolf, I enjoyed reading the book because the author was able to deftly weave science into the story's fantastical elements, in addition to supplying enjoyable characters, and an intriguing plot. Promise of the Wolves is based on the theory of the co-evolution of wolves and humans, the idea that humans learned to hunt and form tribes by following the wolves' example. The trilogy, of which this book is the first installment, is a creative explanation of wolves' domestication and the first dog, and while it is grounded in science, the story takes off on its own as a fascinating tale from prehistoric times where wolves were man's equal. The last chapter leaves many questions unanswered and plot threads to tie up, making me impatient to read the next book. I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in wolves, or to anyone who is exploring the animal-fantasy genre.

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Concord, MA USA