Chen Yong has been seeking the truth behind who his parents really are. He meets a young woman, Ai Ling, as she struggles to find and rescue her own father. Chen Yong gladly accompanies her, but she begins to experience a power that is growing within her. Ai Ling can hear people's thoughts, and that helps the travelers as much as it lures evil towards them. Along the way of finding their family, Chen Yong and Ai Ling also find monsters, goddesses, and romance.
I really enjoyed reading Silver Phoenix because of its mix of genres. Adventure, romance, and fantasy are all incorporated in this delightful book. The introduction to the novel seems at first meaningless, but as the reader gets further along in the story it make sense and makes a better read. The clues and hints that are thrown in the plot are very beneficial to the reader when the events they foreshadow occur. I loved the characters and the way that their emotions were well described. If there were a sequel to this book, I would read it. I recommend it to anyone who likes one, or all, of those three genres.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, Pennsylvania United States of America
Monday, June 22, 2009
How To Buy A Love Of Reading by Tanya Egan Gibson
In Carley Well's life, reading wasn't one of her top priorities. Her personal trainer, her tutor, and her English Teacher, Mr. Nagel, are not some of her favorite people in the world. When Carley answers one of Mr. Nagle's questions of "What is your favorite book?" with "Never met one I liked.", Mr Nagel and Carley's parents decide to fix that problem. Carley is to have a book written just for her, that meets her standards, and has to impress Mr. Nagel along with the town of Fox Glen.
After reading this book I was amazed. Not only was I amazed by the actual story line of the book, but I was stunned at the language that was used. At the same time, I came to understand that without the cursewords that were used in the book, the characters would not be who they are and the whole book would be completely different. Other than the cursewords, I found the book to be very interesting but yet maybe not at the age level that it should be. I would recommend this book to an age of a higher level of reading such as maybe 16 or 17 years old.
After reading this book I was amazed. Not only was I amazed by the actual story line of the book, but I was stunned at the language that was used. At the same time, I came to understand that without the cursewords that were used in the book, the characters would not be who they are and the whole book would be completely different. Other than the cursewords, I found the book to be very interesting but yet maybe not at the age level that it should be. I would recommend this book to an age of a higher level of reading such as maybe 16 or 17 years old.
I rated the content of the book a 2 because I felt that they used some curse words that may be have been too mature for the reader and also spoke of sexual interaction throughout the book.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Springfield , Ohio United States
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Terribly Twisted Tales by Jean Rabe
Approaching famous fairy tales from a different direction, the eighteen stories in Terribly Twisted Tales will challenge the reader's preconceived notion of a fairy tale. This anthology edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg includes stories by Dennis L. McKiernan, Annie Jones, Chris Pierson, Mickey Zucker Reichert, Mary Louis Eklund, Robert E. Vardeman, Kathleen Watness, Jody Lynn Nye, Jim C. Hines, Steven D. Sullivan, Brendan DuBois, Paul Genesse, Ramsey Lundock, Skip & Penny Williams, Elizabeth A. Vaughn, Janet Deaver-Pack, Kelly Swails, and Michael A. Stackpole.
From Grimm to Andersen, classic fairy tales are taken from new angles and sometimes transformed so much that the reader can hardly recognize the original. These stories range from funny to heartbreaking to slightly disturbing, each one distinct from the stories preceding and following it. Some of the best stories include the tale of Snow White's falling out with the seven dwarfs, another of Rumpelstiltskin as the victim, and of Red-Riding Hood challenging a suffocating religious force.
Anthologies in general are often hit or miss. Terribly Twisted Tales falls somewhere in between, with quite a few absolutely fascinating stories that are scattered among mediocre tales along with a couple that are so complex they aren't at all enjoyable. Nevertheless, it is worth picking up this anthology just for those great twists on your everyday fairy tales. In particular, McKiernan's Waifs, Pierson's Once They Were Seven, and Swails' Three Wishes are not to be missed as they are very well-developed despite being short stories and are absolutely captivating. Also, fans of Jim C. Hines' The Stepsister Scheme will appreciate a glimpse of Red who will be central to the third installment of this Princess series. Terribly Twisted Tales is a great read for those who only have short increments of time to read as the varying lengths of the stories and their independence makes the book one that is easy to pick up and put down.
Reviewer Age:19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Farmington, CT USA
From Grimm to Andersen, classic fairy tales are taken from new angles and sometimes transformed so much that the reader can hardly recognize the original. These stories range from funny to heartbreaking to slightly disturbing, each one distinct from the stories preceding and following it. Some of the best stories include the tale of Snow White's falling out with the seven dwarfs, another of Rumpelstiltskin as the victim, and of Red-Riding Hood challenging a suffocating religious force.
Anthologies in general are often hit or miss. Terribly Twisted Tales falls somewhere in between, with quite a few absolutely fascinating stories that are scattered among mediocre tales along with a couple that are so complex they aren't at all enjoyable. Nevertheless, it is worth picking up this anthology just for those great twists on your everyday fairy tales. In particular, McKiernan's Waifs, Pierson's Once They Were Seven, and Swails' Three Wishes are not to be missed as they are very well-developed despite being short stories and are absolutely captivating. Also, fans of Jim C. Hines' The Stepsister Scheme will appreciate a glimpse of Red who will be central to the third installment of this Princess series. Terribly Twisted Tales is a great read for those who only have short increments of time to read as the varying lengths of the stories and their independence makes the book one that is easy to pick up and put down.
Reviewer Age:19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Farmington, CT USA
The Lost Fleet: Relentless
The latest installment in The Lost Fleet series,
Relentless, continues with the narrative of Captain
John Black Jack Geary and his endeavors with the
Alliance Fleet. The Lost Fleet: Relentless commences with
a reminiscence of Geary, which serves to both chronicle
the occurrences of preceding novels for inexperienced
readers, and refresh the memories of returning hands.
Geary dreams about his prompt evacuation from the Alliance
heavy cruiser Merlon, his entrance into cryogenic sleep,
and his subsequent revival a full century later. Geary was
miraculously recovered by a surpassing Alliance battle-
cruiser after suspension in cosmos for over one hundred
years. At this juncture, it is introduced that Geary was a
legendary commander of Alliance space forces throughout
the initial stages of the Alliance - Syndic conflict,
giftedly conducive to both intricate strategies and the
full-hearted support of his associates. Upon awakening,
Geary reveals that he has guided the Alliance fleet
through Syndic-controlled space for the past several
months, carefully circumventing declining fuel sources and
superior enemy presences. The majority of the plot
converges upon Geary's efforts to return the exhausted and
resource-strapped fleet to Alliance held space with the
Hypernet Gate key, which is hoped to be of use in
converting the deluges of the War hitherto. Geary is also
required to subtly maneuver the political and military
conflicts which arise from his iconic status, as well as
ensnaring and ejecting the traitorous officers dispersed
in his ranks. Campbell does an excellent job of
amalgamating the new plot elements with the gist of the
plot of his previous novels; having never read other books
in The Lost Fleet collection, I was still able to clearly
grasp previous occurrences in the storyline so far.
The Lost Fleet: Rendezvous marks another successful
foray of Campbell into the science fiction genre, with a
satisfying superfluity of combat, elaborate and convincing
substitutions for space engagement tactics, and a superbly
crafted narrative, which proves capable of fully fleshing
out the nuances and general keystones of war in mutual
countenance. Campbell displays remarkable astuteness at
seamlessly integrating the myriad conflicts that are
harbored within Relentless' pages, as they never seem
unwarranted or superfluous. Similarly, the extreme
echelons of drama and detail never function to detract
from the velvety flavor and progression of the novel. On
the contrary, they are well assimilated, operating to
truss the discrete constituents of the plot in a textbook
comportment and further impelling the progress of the
residual pages. The rare fractures which intermittently
conceal Relentless' genius concern mainly the sparse prose
and short plot, details simple to overlook in face of the
glut of the supplementary content. Fans of various other
science-fiction authors, chiefly Eric Nylund and William
C. Dietz, may regard the unpretentious and rather down-to-
earth tone of Campbell with distaste. However, this
disparity from the norm is easy to disregard after the
passage of the first few pages, due to the authority and
strength of Campbell's rendering literary skills and
elaborate content. The other dominant and most manifest
blemish regards the frustratingly diminutive contribution
of Relentless to the overall advancement in the plot of
The Lost Fleet series. Despite the profuse number of
pages, the plot only takes Geary from Syndic-occupied
space to a more native location, instead of progressing
the overall plot of the Geary series further as was hoped.
Luckily, the saturation of lesser conflicts and
occurrences alone provide any reader with motivation to
enjoy Relentless, and shortness, after all, is an
objective facet of any literary work. Ultimately, the
novel proves a paradigm for science-fiction writing,
incorporating superb descriptions of military combat and
tactics with a tactile and impressive storyline to produce
an extraordinarily deep, gratifying, and near perfect
experience.
Strong language is ubiquitous in this military themed
novel.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Shrewsbury, MA USA
Relentless, continues with the narrative of Captain
John Black Jack Geary and his endeavors with the
Alliance Fleet. The Lost Fleet: Relentless commences with
a reminiscence of Geary, which serves to both chronicle
the occurrences of preceding novels for inexperienced
readers, and refresh the memories of returning hands.
Geary dreams about his prompt evacuation from the Alliance
heavy cruiser Merlon, his entrance into cryogenic sleep,
and his subsequent revival a full century later. Geary was
miraculously recovered by a surpassing Alliance battle-
cruiser after suspension in cosmos for over one hundred
years. At this juncture, it is introduced that Geary was a
legendary commander of Alliance space forces throughout
the initial stages of the Alliance - Syndic conflict,
giftedly conducive to both intricate strategies and the
full-hearted support of his associates. Upon awakening,
Geary reveals that he has guided the Alliance fleet
through Syndic-controlled space for the past several
months, carefully circumventing declining fuel sources and
superior enemy presences. The majority of the plot
converges upon Geary's efforts to return the exhausted and
resource-strapped fleet to Alliance held space with the
Hypernet Gate key, which is hoped to be of use in
converting the deluges of the War hitherto. Geary is also
required to subtly maneuver the political and military
conflicts which arise from his iconic status, as well as
ensnaring and ejecting the traitorous officers dispersed
in his ranks. Campbell does an excellent job of
amalgamating the new plot elements with the gist of the
plot of his previous novels; having never read other books
in The Lost Fleet collection, I was still able to clearly
grasp previous occurrences in the storyline so far.
The Lost Fleet: Rendezvous marks another successful
foray of Campbell into the science fiction genre, with a
satisfying superfluity of combat, elaborate and convincing
substitutions for space engagement tactics, and a superbly
crafted narrative, which proves capable of fully fleshing
out the nuances and general keystones of war in mutual
countenance. Campbell displays remarkable astuteness at
seamlessly integrating the myriad conflicts that are
harbored within Relentless' pages, as they never seem
unwarranted or superfluous. Similarly, the extreme
echelons of drama and detail never function to detract
from the velvety flavor and progression of the novel. On
the contrary, they are well assimilated, operating to
truss the discrete constituents of the plot in a textbook
comportment and further impelling the progress of the
residual pages. The rare fractures which intermittently
conceal Relentless' genius concern mainly the sparse prose
and short plot, details simple to overlook in face of the
glut of the supplementary content. Fans of various other
science-fiction authors, chiefly Eric Nylund and William
C. Dietz, may regard the unpretentious and rather down-to-
earth tone of Campbell with distaste. However, this
disparity from the norm is easy to disregard after the
passage of the first few pages, due to the authority and
strength of Campbell's rendering literary skills and
elaborate content. The other dominant and most manifest
blemish regards the frustratingly diminutive contribution
of Relentless to the overall advancement in the plot of
The Lost Fleet series. Despite the profuse number of
pages, the plot only takes Geary from Syndic-occupied
space to a more native location, instead of progressing
the overall plot of the Geary series further as was hoped.
Luckily, the saturation of lesser conflicts and
occurrences alone provide any reader with motivation to
enjoy Relentless, and shortness, after all, is an
objective facet of any literary work. Ultimately, the
novel proves a paradigm for science-fiction writing,
incorporating superb descriptions of military combat and
tactics with a tactile and impressive storyline to produce
an extraordinarily deep, gratifying, and near perfect
experience.
Strong language is ubiquitous in this military themed
novel.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Shrewsbury, MA USA
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
Ink Exchange is a fiction novel that should be categorized as fantasy and romance. This novel is about a teenager who is growing up in a troublesome household. Her mother has left, her father is a drunk, and he brother is a drug dealer. Leslie has to live her life day to day in fear and feels nothing is for herself. She decides to get a tattoo so that something is finally her own when things go awry. A man starts showing up everywhere she goes and she begins to learn that the world she thought she knew was more different than she ever could have imagined.
I would recommend Ink Exchange to those who like to live in alternate universes. This book took me a few chapters to really get into the story line but once I did, I was hooked. Melissa Mar makes her faery world seem like it could be real and makes you take a second look at the world we live in. The author makes a vulnerable weak person like Leslie look like a hero by the end of the book. You don't have to be big and strong to live your own life and not let others take it over for you. This book was very good and if you like fantasy novels you should read this book. The beginning is a little dry but the middle and the end won't let you put it down.
Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mantua, NJ United States
I would recommend Ink Exchange to those who like to live in alternate universes. This book took me a few chapters to really get into the story line but once I did, I was hooked. Melissa Mar makes her faery world seem like it could be real and makes you take a second look at the world we live in. The author makes a vulnerable weak person like Leslie look like a hero by the end of the book. You don't have to be big and strong to live your own life and not let others take it over for you. This book was very good and if you like fantasy novels you should read this book. The beginning is a little dry but the middle and the end won't let you put it down.
Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mantua, NJ United States
Pirouette: Ballet Stories by Harriet Castor
The Pirouette is a collection of fiction short stories
based on ballet life. Harriet Castor has chosen the
stories for the book. The book has sixteen short stories
meant for teens. The focus is the different problems and
achievements made by young girls in the ballet world.
Harriet Castor wrote one story called Grace, based on how
a young girl who did not have the dream of ballet but her
mom did.
Each of the stories focused on one young lady
in the ballet world. One story may be about school and
ballet or about repeated frustrations during work outs.
Most stories were set in English schools and homes. It was
hard to see them due to not knowing England's countryside
or the differences in school systems that came up
frequently. The book would be wonderful for hopeful future
ballerinas. The everyday teen may have a hardtime sticking
with the book due to its focus solely on
ballet.
Reviewer Age:20
Reviewer City, State and
Country: Marble Hill, Missouri Bolliger
based on ballet life. Harriet Castor has chosen the
stories for the book. The book has sixteen short stories
meant for teens. The focus is the different problems and
achievements made by young girls in the ballet world.
Harriet Castor wrote one story called Grace, based on how
a young girl who did not have the dream of ballet but her
mom did.
Each of the stories focused on one young lady
in the ballet world. One story may be about school and
ballet or about repeated frustrations during work outs.
Most stories were set in English schools and homes. It was
hard to see them due to not knowing England's countryside
or the differences in school systems that came up
frequently. The book would be wonderful for hopeful future
ballerinas. The everyday teen may have a hardtime sticking
with the book due to its focus solely on
ballet.
Reviewer Age:20
Reviewer City, State and
Country: Marble Hill, Missouri Bolliger
Friday, June 19, 2009
Assassin's Apprentice by SR Vaught & JB Redmond
Assassin's Apprentice is a fantasy novel about Aron Brailing, who was Harvested from his Home to go to the guild of Stone. This book is in the adventure genre. After Harvesting, Aron and his new Guild Master make the Journey to the Guild of Stone's HQ, Triune. On the way they must battle manes, and Aron befriends a girl named Dari who is a Stregan and looking for her sister. When they arrive at Triune they learn that Lord Brailing and Lord Altar have declared war on the other dynasts and Aron begins his training and has been punished to go woth the person he loathes most, Galvin Herder, to The Ruined Keep, where they might die.
In my opinion the book is a very engaging read. The authors are very good at describing all the characters. They have also got a talent for fantasy writing and keeping you curious until the end of the story. Their writing style makes it easy to imagine the scenes in the book. I would reccomend this book to anyone who enjoys a fantasy novel and a page-turner.
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Chippewa Falls, WI USA
In my opinion the book is a very engaging read. The authors are very good at describing all the characters. They have also got a talent for fantasy writing and keeping you curious until the end of the story. Their writing style makes it easy to imagine the scenes in the book. I would reccomend this book to anyone who enjoys a fantasy novel and a page-turner.
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Chippewa Falls, WI USA
The Sorceress by Michael Scott
The Sorceress picks up where The Magician leaves off. Nicholas Flamel (aka The Alchemyst) has decided to take the twins, Sophie and Josh, to London. Kind of a bad move since it's Dee's hometown, and The Magician has got A LOT of backup there. Mainly, Nicholas is trying to find a place to re-group and rest until he can figure out where to find Gilgamesh the King. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, Perenelle is still stuck on Alcatraz. Perry has yet to think of a brilliant plan to get off the'sland. By now, the Elders are getting impatient, Dee's Elder especially. At the moment, they trust Machiavelli more than The Magician. Basically, Dee has one more chance to prove himself.
I liked this book, but the action was kind of slow with getting Perenelle off Alcatraz. Also, The Alchemyst was worried sick, but he still couldnt think of a way to help her, and the author just kept coming back to that. What really bothered me most though, was that the author never said anything about Scatty, one of The Alchemyst's strongest allies, who disappeared in the previous book. For most of this book, I was wondering, "Where's Scatty going to come in? Is she even alive?" Despite these shortcomings, fans of the Alchemist series will enjoy this next adventure.
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Round Rock, Texas United States
I liked this book, but the action was kind of slow with getting Perenelle off Alcatraz. Also, The Alchemyst was worried sick, but he still couldnt think of a way to help her, and the author just kept coming back to that. What really bothered me most though, was that the author never said anything about Scatty, one of The Alchemyst's strongest allies, who disappeared in the previous book. For most of this book, I was wondering, "Where's Scatty going to come in? Is she even alive?" Despite these shortcomings, fans of the Alchemist series will enjoy this next adventure.
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Round Rock, Texas United States
Thursday, June 18, 2009
You, Maybe by Rachel Vail
Josie is very content with her life, which includes working as a clown for children's birthday parties, having the funkiest friends, and being friends with a cute boy who is more like a friend-with-benefits than anything else. So when the hottest boy in school, Carson Gold, lands his sights on her and approaches her during lunch, she is happy with just having an occasional hook-up, but that only works when both people agree, and Carson wants more than just kisses; he wants her for his own. She tells him that she doesn't want to date but after a lot of begging and a little singing, she reluctantly says yes. Little does she know that by saying yes that she is in for way more than she could've ever expected, and that's not always a good thing. Her and Carson's relationship continues to grow as her other ones--as well as her life in general and everything that she once knew and believed in--crumble and fall apart. Sometimes instead of trying to fix the destruction that was caused, what's causing the destruction should just be gotten rid of, which in this case is Carson Gold, but for Josie that's going to be harder than she thinks.
The author, Rachel Vail, always does a splendid job of incorporating the book titles into her stories. You, Maybe made me laugh, cry, and feel all of the many emotions of the up and downs of teenage relationships, before, during, and after the break-up. It was easy to relate to Josie since we're both teenagers in high school, she was kind of shy, and the author described a lot about her thoughts, character, and personality. I could picture the scenes very well since they were well described. I liked most of the characters and their unique personalities except for the hunky Carson Gold because he seemed like a preppy snot who played girls and always seemed to get his way. The ending was fairly enjoyable and came as quite a surprise to me since it wasn't the perfect fairy-tale ending I was expecting. Overall this story was well-written and a fun read, but it left a few questions unanswered such as the outcome of her mother's health. I recommend this romantic and drama-filled novel to teenage girls looking for a quick summer read.
The author, Rachel Vail, always does a splendid job of incorporating the book titles into her stories. You, Maybe made me laugh, cry, and feel all of the many emotions of the up and downs of teenage relationships, before, during, and after the break-up. It was easy to relate to Josie since we're both teenagers in high school, she was kind of shy, and the author described a lot about her thoughts, character, and personality. I could picture the scenes very well since they were well described. I liked most of the characters and their unique personalities except for the hunky Carson Gold because he seemed like a preppy snot who played girls and always seemed to get his way. The ending was fairly enjoyable and came as quite a surprise to me since it wasn't the perfect fairy-tale ending I was expecting. Overall this story was well-written and a fun read, but it left a few questions unanswered such as the outcome of her mother's health. I recommend this romantic and drama-filled novel to teenage girls looking for a quick summer read.
There was some sexual content and references.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, PA USA
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Cycler by Lauren McLaughlin
Jill McTeague is your average high school girl. With the help of her best friends Ramie and Daria, she embarks on a mission to be Tommy Knutson's prom date. As she becomes more involved with Tommy, he opens up to her with a secret similar to her own. Can she tell him why she is really gone for four days each month, something she won't even tell Ramie?
Meet Jack - he lives for four days every month. Jill physically and emotionally transforms Jack, anatomy and all, and for the last few years he has been content with spending those days locked in solitude in Jill's room daydreaming of Ramie. Anti-Jack Mrs. McTeague keeps his needs satisfied with food and pornography, while Mr. McTeague has confined himself to the basement to meditate and practice yoga.
But Jack's contentment has reached its end. If life wasn't hard enough having such a secret, Jill must resist harder to keep him one as he fights to be known and released from his captivity.
Lauren McLaughlin did a wonderful job when writing Cycler. She discusses gender issues in a practical yet unrealistic way that allowed me to see a whole different perspective. The story is full of twists from the beginning that kept me reading. Just as I thought I knew what would happen, BAM! I think that some of the surprises were unnecessary, but overall I would recommend it to any young adult reader.
Reviewer Age:20
Reviewer City, State and Country: Bay City, Texas United States
Meet Jack - he lives for four days every month. Jill physically and emotionally transforms Jack, anatomy and all, and for the last few years he has been content with spending those days locked in solitude in Jill's room daydreaming of Ramie. Anti-Jack Mrs. McTeague keeps his needs satisfied with food and pornography, while Mr. McTeague has confined himself to the basement to meditate and practice yoga.
But Jack's contentment has reached its end. If life wasn't hard enough having such a secret, Jill must resist harder to keep him one as he fights to be known and released from his captivity.
Lauren McLaughlin did a wonderful job when writing Cycler. She discusses gender issues in a practical yet unrealistic way that allowed me to see a whole different perspective. The story is full of twists from the beginning that kept me reading. Just as I thought I knew what would happen, BAM! I think that some of the surprises were unnecessary, but overall I would recommend it to any young adult reader.
Reviewer Age:20
Reviewer City, State and Country: Bay City, Texas United States
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