What are you an air, fire or earth girl? GirlForce by Nikki Goldstein tells you this then uses it to give you a guide to your life. Fire girls should exercise in a calm and meditative way and dress in mostly blues. Earth girls should eat bitter foods and air girls should stick to slow, gentle yoga moves. All this information, plus more, is inside GirlForce.
GirlForce has a cool idea, basically you take a test that tells you if you are an air, fire or earth girl then it uses this information to give you advice on every aspect of your life. Sadly, this concept doesn't come through very well. Although some of it is quite interesting and shockingly true most of it is kind of goofy. It provides a good laugh but isn't as deep as it is made out to be.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Greenwood Village, Co USA
Monday, June 29, 2009
Girl Force by Nikki Goldstein
What are you an air, fire or earth girl? GirlForce by Nikki Goldstein tells you this then uses it to give you a guide to your life. Fire girls should exercise in a calm and meditative way and dress in mostly blues. Earth girls should eat bitter foods and air girls should stick to slow, gentle yoga moves. All this information, plus more, is inside GirlForce.
GirlForce has a cool idea, basically you take a test that tells you if you are an air, fire or earth girl then it uses this information to give you advice on every aspect of your life. Sadly, this concept doesn't come through very well. Although some of it is quite interesting and shockingly true most of it is kind of goofy. It provides a good laugh but isn't as deep as it is made out to be.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Greenwood Village, Co USA
GirlForce has a cool idea, basically you take a test that tells you if you are an air, fire or earth girl then it uses this information to give you advice on every aspect of your life. Sadly, this concept doesn't come through very well. Although some of it is quite interesting and shockingly true most of it is kind of goofy. It provides a good laugh but isn't as deep as it is made out to be.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Greenwood Village, Co USA
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The Eternal Smile by Gene Luen Yang
Come fly into these three graphic novels in only one book! Meet Duncan, he's charming and brave and also the princess's favorite. Is he enough to go get the frog kings head and win the princess and her kingdom? Then there is Gran'pa Greenbax, a greedy old frog, longing for a pool full of gold. When a peculiar smile appears in the sky, will it satisfy him? Or will it lead to more greed? Finally, there is Janet; her nine to five life spins when she gets a romantic email from a Nigerian prince. She is chosen to liberate his family fortune; all he needs is her bank account. Is it a scam or will a true prince finally rescue her? When you read these three graphic novels, they will take a turn and lead to unexpected places.
These graphic novels were great, but I thought they were a little slow. For example, in the first one, I wish there was more fighting. The second one with gran'pa frog took a little time for the story to build, but once it did, it was very good. My favorite was the last one, though the character didn't act as you expected, which I liked. Janet shows the reader that any dream or wish can come true. Overall, these graphic novels were really good!
Some Adult themes.
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Northport, NY USA
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
City Boy by Jan Michael
Sam has grown up very comfortably as an only child. Every morning he is driven to a private school which he attends up until the day his mom passes away. Sam's mother and father both die a slow, painful death caused by AIDS. His Aunt, Mercy, willingly takes him in. Sam now has to say goodbye to the life he once had. He is forced to live in poverty and struggles with the drastic changes in his life. He lives with four other children in a small house that doesn't even have electricity. He also has difficulty making new friends. Sam feels alone and confused. His journey is filled with challenges and lessons to be learned.
City Boy by Jan Michael is an inspiring story about a young boy. The book has many strengths such as its use of mood and imagery. The author uses a very creative vocabulary that helps to paint a picture in the reader's mind. The author also has one weakness that stands out. When reading I found parts of the book boring. So boring that it made me want to put the book down. The ending was one of the best parts of the book, everything was resolved and all the loose ends were tied up. The authors message in the book was whatever happens, you will always have family that will love you, and where ever you are, your home is where your family is. I recommend this book to anyone who loves books with happy endings.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Sandy, Oregon United States
Monday, June 22, 2009
Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
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
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
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
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