Forever Changes by Brendan Halpin

Inspirational, emotional, heartfelt, and vivid. These are all words that describe the book, Forever Changes. Brianna is in her golden years. She's in high school, has a social life, and a parent who cares about her a lot. Even though Brianna has an illness that is hard to cure, she does her best in whatever she sets her mind to. Ever since Brianna started her third year of high school, something seems to be missing. Her father keeps nagging her about college and her best friends push her to the limit with things she doesn't care about. On the other hand there's Mr. Eccles, her math teacher, who gives her the idea that solving infinity is possible. Brianna seems to struggle to pull the pieces of her life together, but stops when she see's that her future may be coming to an end.

At first when I started the book, I knew I couldn't put it down. Every one of those words were sinking into me deeper and deeper as I read along. Forever Changes really made me think about all the challenges that a person might have to face in life and how they deal with them. When I finished that book, I realized that I was a really lucky person. I'm healthy, athletic, and I have friends and a family that care for me very much. If I lost any of those things, I don't know how I would survive. Forever Changes truly showed me that there isn't always that perfect little world out there for everyone. There will always be people who get the short end of the stick and others who are more fortunate and get the long end of the stick. No matter what kind of obstacles are out there, a person can always make them into journey's that they will never forget.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Gearhart, Or U.S.A.

The Last Patriot

The Last Patriot by Brad Thor marks the next chapter in the Scot Harvath saga. The former Navy SEAL and Secret Service agent finds himself back in the fray when he witnesses a car bombing outside a French cafe. Under Harvath's protection, the bomb's intended target reveals to Harvath that the most powerful threat to Western Civilization, Fundamentalist Islam, could be eliminated without a single military offensive. This revelation sends Harvath in search of the the prophet Mohammed's last revelation. With the help of Islamic scholars, the FBI, and Thomas Jefferson's diary, Harvath must obtain the revelation before it is found by fundamentalists who see the future of the United States as a nation under Sharia law.

In The Last Patriot, Brad Thor provides all of the characteristics necessary to deliver a great thriller: character development, plenty of plot twists, and an unexpected ending. However, Thor also adds something else that may distinguish the novel from others. Political thrillers have examined the threats to the West (specifically the United States) for many years. We have read about Soviet conspiracies, nuclear war with North Korea, and terrorist cells in the Middle-East. But Thor's observation of the foundation of Islam is a place few authors have gone. This concept embedded into the plot contributes to the thought-provoking nature of the novel as we step into an uncertain future. A fast read with plenty of punch, I recommend The Last Patriot to readers who enjoy secret-agent storylines along with political intrigue.

Violence and religious examination

Reviewer Age:18

Reviewer City, State and Country: Eden Prairie, Minnesota United States

Violet in Private

Violet Greenfield knows she's supposed to be a super-confident nineteen-year-old because she's done runway shows in New York and internationally. But now that she's finally headed to college, she's afraid she'll turn back into that girl who blended into the walls in high school. Vassar is just two hours away from New York City--her friends in fashion think she's crazy to stop modeling now. And her old friend Roger is there...but things have been weird ever since they kissed. The real question is if she's not going to be "Violet on the Runway" anymore...who is she?

I absolutely loved reading Violet in Private. Melissa Walker did an exceptional job, with unique characters and plot, and interesting details and dialogue. This book teaches readers to follow their dreams, whether it is becoming a model or going to college. It also shows you can be happy with your body, no matter what size or shape you are. I think every girl should definitely read this book.

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Leopold, MO USA

The Eyes of a King by Catherine Banner

Leo North is a gifted child. Though it is not apparent, his magical gifts must be suppressed under the laws of the kingdom. Leo lives in Malonia, a land ruled by the worst of kings who puts all his people under worry and strain. Leo's life has no prospects and appears bleak until he finds a plain blank book in the snow. From the first time writing appears in the book, Leo is thrown into the minds of others, and his life begins to change. Through the black book he is shown the life of Aldebranan, an exile who has similar, yet stronger powers than Leo. This opens Leo's eyes to the hidden world just out of his reach. He must balance experiencing these secrets with striving for a normal life in the broken down kingdom he lives in. Leo's life becomes even more stressful when his brother falls critically ill and Leo is taken to fight the war. When everything goes wrong and you can't live another day, anything seems possible.

This was a very complicated book. It took me a while to get enthused about it as it is rather slow to start. However once it became riveting and exciting, which it did, it was very hard to put down. The Eyes of a King was a creative and intriguing read which provoked a lot of thought. Leo is faced with decisions and situations which would be terrifying in reality, watching them unfold in his life was extremely confronting. I felt that I really related to this book and it both made me cry tears for the characters and become truly happy when things went their way. I found a few errors in the text, more than in most books, and I often found myself lost with unnecessary complications in how the story was written. The Eyes of a King was written by a girl of only fourteen years old and was her first novel. Knowing this, it was an exceptional debut and I will expect great things to come from this young author.

General mature content

Reviewer Age: 14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Melbourne, Victoria Australia

Dragon and Liberator by Timothy Zahn

In DRAGON AND LIBERATOR by Timothy Zahn, Jack and Draycos have yet another adventure together. This time, Draycos's people, the K'da, a symbiotic kind of dragon, are at the mercy of Arthur Neverlin, a crime lord. In the beginning of DRAGON AND LIBERATOR, Jack, Draycos, and their burglar companion, Alison, are trying to break into a supposedly invulnerable K'da safe that contains data diamonds that may save the K'da people. Unfortunately, the safe is on a truck guarded by armed Brummgan soldiers. Alison prepares to set a trap for the vehicle in a hangar. She knocks out the guards on the truck and successfully opens the safe, but at the last minute Arthur Neverlin shows up! Alison has nowhere to go but into the safe, which just so happens to be booby-trapped with a bomb. If you want to know what happens to Alison and Jack, then read DRAGON AND LIBERATOR by Timothy Zahn.

Overall, I enjoyed DRAGON AND LIBERATOR, however, unlike many serial novels, this one is confusing if you have not read the previous five books in the Dragonback series. It is definitely one of the best Sci-Fi novel series in the genre, but Zahn could have done a better job of informing new readers of what is happening in the plot by providing context and background from the previous novels. If you liked the other Dragonback novels, then you will enjoy DRAGON AND LIBERATOR. If you enjoy Science Fiction novels you'll probably enjoy this one as well, but if you haven't yet read the others in this series, I strongly recommend starting from book 1 and reading the novels in order. It's worth it because you'll have a better understanding of the story line, and you'll enjoy each novel individually and the series as a whole much more that way.

Reviewer Age:14

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

Sovay by Celia Rees

The lovely Sovay is not all that she appears to be. When she was betrayed by her sweetheart, she arranged for a test in order to determine his fidelity. He failed. Unfortunately, he was the son of the powerful Sir Royston, who had some powerful connections. When her family is threatened, Sovay takes matters into her own hands. She does quite a few astonishing things, such as disguising herself as a man, befriending a highwayman, and traveling to Paris during some rather shaky times, which became necessary because of the enemy that she made in Dysart, a very powerful man. She actually made his house collapse. Sovay must work to keep her life and others.

This book was rather well written, though I did wonder what happened to Sovays father and Captain Greenwood, the highwayman, at the end. Other than that, all loose ends were nicely tied off. There was a lot of detail, but not too much. The characters seemed realistic; their choices were not mysteries. Also, the story was well written, and there was quite a bit of action. I would recommend this book to those that enjoy historical fiction, adventure, and some romance. Sovay is a very entertaining read.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Charleston, SC USA

Outside Beauty by Cynthia Kadohata

Shelby's mother is an addict; addicted to men, that is.
Every night, another man is at their house, forcing Shelby
and her three other sisters, Marilyn, Lakey, and Maddie,to
take care of themselves. Though the sisters are extremely
unique, the bond between them couldn't be stronger.

Then one night, their world was changed. A serious
accident
causes the girls to be taken by their respective fathers.
Will the bond of sisterhood be strong enough to survive
through this adversity?


Overall, I liked this book. The strong bond of
sisterhood was clearly portrayed throughout the novel. The
characters, though related, were as different as anything.
From Marilyn, the prettiest and most motherly of the
sisters, to Shelby, the different and quiet sister, the
characters create a sense of unity and family. From the
hardships such as Maddie's controlling father and the
distance between the sisters, it is nice to know that
family can overcome anything - which is what this book
teaches.

Reviewer Age:15

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

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

In the country of Panem, one can be killed simply for existing. In fact, ever since the rebellion that almost wiped out the country's government, being born may be a death sentence, at least for children between the ages of twelve and eighteen. It is these children, after all, who risk the most brutal execution imaginable in the form of participation in the Hunger Games, an annual competition in which a randomly selected few are pitted against each other in a brutal fight to the death.

Unfortunately for Katniss Everdeen, she is one of these unlucky few. As if life wasn't already hard enough for her, she suddenly finds herself with the whole world working towards her death. Sure, she's smart and good with a bow-- but is that enough to help her survive amongst trained killers and a bloodthirsty audience?

This is quite possibly one of the best new books of 2008. Not only is it impossible to put down, it's also impossible to stop thinking about-- but with a plot like this one, that's a given. This is one book that doesn't rely entirely on plot, however. Collins amazes with brilliant choices in writing style and character, electing to use the ceaseless excitement and suspense of present tense and expertly steering her characters away from the cliches that would be so easy to fall into. There's never a dull moment, and the large print makes this a quick and satisfying read, a perfect addition to the genre of dystopian fiction.

Many violent deaths, some described in detail

Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: , Maryland United States

Score! Sports Stories by Alan Durant

Score! Sports Stories by Alan Durant is a collection of different short stories about sports. The book includes extracts of other books and complete short stories. Each story in the book is unique and they're all about different kinds of sports. There are stories on soccer to stories on horseracing to stories on cricket. This book is great for anyone who enjoys playing or watching sports.

Being passionate about sports myself, I really enjoyed this book. It does a great job of accurately portraying the energy in a sports match. Each story had a different writing style, as they were all written by different authors. Although the book was pretty good, some of the stories were confusing and didn't seem very clear. Others were not very captivating and didn't really hold my attention until the end. Overall, Score! was an interesting book and is perfect for sports fans.

Rating:7

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Champaign , Illinois USA

As Good as Anybody: Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham

As Good as Anybody: Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Joshua Heschel's Amazing March Toward Freedom by Richard Michelson and illustrated by Raul Colon is about the early life and beliefs of King and Heschel. King grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and encountered racism everyday. Herschel
encountered anti-Semitism as a student in Berlin and Warsaw. He moved to the United States before the Holocaust. Both King and Herschel fought tirelessly against prejudice. Herschel joined King's march in Selma, Alabama. The two became close friends.

I give As Good as Anybody: Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Joshua Heschel's Amazing March Toward Freedom a rating of 7. Richard Michelson's book is a good introduction to the Black Civil Rights Movement and the Holocaust. I enjoyed how the author parallels the lives of King and Herschel. Perhaps because I am older, I was not the best judge of this book, but I always find it interesting to see what facts authors include and what facts they omit. For example, the author never mentions the Holocaust by name. The illustrator, Raul Colon, does a wonderful job with the pictures. They are very realistic. I would recommend this book for early elementary school students

Reviewer Age:18

Reviewer City, State and Country: Urbana, Illinois, USA