Queen of the Masquerade by Tiffany Trent

Is anyone or anything to be trusted in a rath so full of evil, lies, mystery, glamour, and deceit that you cant tell what is real, true, or what is actually there in your presence? Christina wakes up to find herself lying in a bed with no understanding of where she is, how she got there, or anything else for that matter. Lost in a rath she learns to be as Lamasque with no memories of who she is, she looks to her rescuer Duke Deglisse, the ruler of Lamasque, for help and learns that she is actually the one who will be of the greater help (she is supposed to be the God-sent savior of Deglisse, his people, and his rath). Knowing no one, Christina befriends the Duke and agrees to do his bidding and go on daily searches through the forest to search for the rathstone. Deglisse tells her of a riddle that is to unlock the rathstone and that she is the answer to it. Understanding her fate, which is that she will be a sacrifice to the stone, she realizes that she must find a way to stay alive and leave the rath before it's too late. To do that she decides that she can't trust anyone, but when a mysterious creature and a handsome boy show up to help her, will she be able to put aside her fears and trust them if it means a chance at saving her life?

I enjoyed Queen of the Masquerade but I thought that the story moved along quite slowly and that there wasn't a lot of adventure or depth to the plot. I admired Christina's character, which was fun, upbeat, flirty, strong, and loyal. A lot of the story seemed to take place in the forest or in Christina's bedroom, which got somewhat boring after a while because of the repetitious actions that took place. The little action that did happen occurred so quickly that I barely got a feel for what was going on. The author used foreshadowing very well and didn't give away too much information for what was yet to come. As the story went on, I became more and more anxious and excited for the conclusion to come to find out the outcome and how all of the events would fall into place. The conclusion came as quite a surprise to me though because the tricky foreshadowing led me to expect a very different ending than what actually occurred. The ending was well written and fell into place nicely, but left me with a few questions such as the fate of Maurus. The characters and scenes for the most part were well described, which made them easy to picture in my mind. Overall, I did greatly enjoy this novel and this series still remains as my favorite. This was another great book by Tiffany Trent (and Amanda M. Jenkins) and I recommend it to teenage girls who enjoy fantasies with a hint of romance.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, PA USA

Coraline was adapted and illustrated by P. Craig Russell. In this comic book, Coraline finds a door in her new house that takes her to another world. This new world seems better; great food, more toys, nicer parents. These parents call themselves her other mother and father. They seem kind, but Coraline soon discovers that they plan to sew buttons on her eyes and keep her soul locked away. When she tries to return to her original parents they are gone. Coraline must play a game against her other mother in a race to find her parents and save the souls of the other children.

This comic book is based off the original book Coraline, by Neil Gaiman. The comic book takes you visually through Coraline's adventures in her house. I have read the original book as well and I found the comic to portray the story wonderfully. I really enjoyed the book and found the comic version of the story to be just as good. I would highly recommend reading the comic; and if you enjoy it you might even want to pick up the original book or watch the movie. I found all three enjoyable.

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Lemoore, CA US

Pulse by Jeremy Robinson

This story is an action novel with some elements of Greek mythology. Dr. George Pierce, an archaeologist who specializes in Greek history, identifies an ancient artifact found in the Peruvian desert as the immortal head of the mythological hydra. He calls his friend, Jack Sigler, and asks him to come to Peru to guard the find. Jack is the King of the Chess Team, a part of United States Special Forces Delta. In other words, he and his team are extremely elite U.S. soldiers. As Jack is arriving in Peru, he is ambushed, George is kidnapped, the hydra head is stolen, and the rest of the archaeologists are killed. The culprits are working for Richard Ridley, founder of Manifold Genetics, who wants to discover the key to eternal life. Jack manages to survive the ambush; he then takes off in pursuit of his captured friend, but not before calling for backup in the form of his team. This begins a action-packed chase that lasts until near the end of the book.

This book was very exciting and enjoyable to read. I had a hard time putting it down to eat. I like mythology and am familiar with the story of the hydra and Hercules, so the historical elements were really fascinating. However, no prior knowledge of Greek mythology is required to understand the book because each myth is well explained. The book is fast-paced and filled with action and new plot developments. Some of the plot developments were revealed kind of slowly because I knew what was going to happen long before all of the characters. There was also lots of interesting information on military technology and weapons. This book has very little romance and only a moderate level of character development; it is more about the plot than the characters. I recommend this book to people who enjoy action novels, especially military novels, but do not mind some mythological elements thrown in.

This book has lots of gore and violence.

Reviewer Age:15

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

My Father's Son by Terri Fields

Kevin Windor has a great life. His dad is loaded with money, he's finally got the girl of his dreams - but what he doesn't know is that his life is about to be turned upside down. On a peaceful Sunday, Kevin turns on his television and sees a face identical to his staring back at him - it's his father, accused of being the infamous DB25 serial killer. Suddenly, Kevin becomes the school pariah: dream girl Emily will no longer date him, everyone at school treats him differently, even complete strangers recognize his face as that of the alleged serial killer. In this thriller/mystery, Terri Fields puts the reader into the shoes of a boy whose world is spinning out of control, and whose only way out is through answers he'll have to find on his own.

My Father's Son was hard to get into, but once I got past the first couple chapters, I was enthralled. The characters were real and the plot was full of twists and turns that could keep any reader on his/her toes. I especially liked that the book, which could've easily been predictable, wasn't! In this fast-paced, suspenseful book, Terri Fields inspects one of the most steadfast bonds that exists: the attachment between a father and a son.

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Tipp City, OH USA

Slept Away by Julie Kraut

At the beginning of her 15th summer, Laney believes that she has everything going for her. However, her mother's decision to shake up her entire summer experience by sending her to Camp Timber Trails is enough to put a huge damper on her spirits. After much protest, Laney boards the bus to a camp full of peeing seven-year-olds and teenagers with too-tight shorts. Shortly after arriving at camp, Laney befriends the semi-nerdy Sylvie, and they soon concoct a masterplan to earn Sylvie her first boyfriend. However, along the way, Laney comes across an unexpected romance of her own.

I really enjoyed Slept Away. With its witty sarcasm and fun storyline, I simply couldn't put it down! I particularly enjoyed Laney's transformation from city-girl to camper. This is because many of Laney's kind traits were hidden beneath a rather unkind facade, and were unmasked as she began to think more about Sylvie's relationshionship status. I would recommend this book for any teenager who wishes to explore the relationships and bonds created over a summer of off-the-wall fun. Overall, I think this novel could become the next Sarah Dessen novel in the world of teen lit, and can be expected to entertain many.
Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Elkview, West Virginia United States

Shadowplay by Tad Williams

The March Kingdom is in the evil hands of Hendon Tolly who has kicked Princess Briony and Prince Barrick Eddon out of their own castle. They are now separated and wandering; tring to get back to their home. Briony finds both allies and deadly enemies in the mose unexpected places, and Barrick is lost and under a spell behind the shadowline. They must somehow overtake the Tollys and rule once more, but there is always the problem of getting past traitors, god-kings, and even the angry gods themselves. Will they ever make it?

Will they ever make it? That is a very good question. One that I didn't find out because the book ended before the story did! Now you have to buy the next book to know. And I definitely wouldn't recommend that! This book is the sequel to Shadowmarch, so the story was confusing to begin with. I originally ordered the book because it has 737 pages, but then I found out why. I love description, but have you ever read a book where there is was too MUCH description? This book seemed to go on and on. I am a fast reader and it took me 3 weeks! It is also very bloody and gruesome (I would not want a movie out of it) and it describes bloody bodies with their heads cut off and blood spurting out. I almost stopped reading the book there and sending it back. The plot and storyline was well thought out and exiting, and it would be the kind of book I greatly enjoy, if it wasn't for the things I mentioned earlier in this paragraph. Basically, I would not recommend this book to anybody.

It describes lots of dead and dying people (who mostly die at the hands of an assassin and sword)in full detail and would not be a wise choice for sensitive readers.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Gearhart, Oregon United States

The Wheel of Nuldoid by Russ Woody

Three humans who live in San Francisco led normal lives until the earthquake of 1989. Warren, Leo, and Lily get shaken into a journey through the Region of Neither Norr. They learn of a society of short abnormal creatures in the middle of the earth. While there, they experience odd habits the community has towards death, religion, and politics. They go on an intense journey facing their fears and gaining some new ones.

This book is a mixture between fantasy and comedy. It is brilliantly woven in with differences between two worlds, with a surprising twist in the story. The drawings entertained me throughout the book, they were wonderful to look at. Although the descriptions let my imagination run wild with my own imagery as well. The Nuldoids dialect made for creative enjoyment.

Reviewer Age:16

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

The Most Unusual Adventures of Black Shadow Smokey and the Blue Streak by Suzan Tanner

"The Most Unusual Adventures of Black Shadow Smokey and
the Blue Streak" by Suzan Tanner is a children's book.
The story revolves around a cat and a dog who happen to
live with the same family. Tempers clash as they both vie
for their humans' attention. Later, they meet up with a
common friend and rescue her from kleptomaniacs. Dubbed
heroes, the cat and dog become friends and vow to be
superheroes together.

There are many friendship themes
in this book. Also, animals are discussed as intelligent
and considerate. There is not too much action in the
book, but there is just enough to entertain the target
audience of six to ten year olds. There are also some sci-
fi parts where scientists realize the animals can talk.

Overall, this book is easy to follow and pleasant for
younger ones.

Reviewer Age:18

Reviewer City, State and Country: Staten Island, NY USA

Camp Alien by Pamela F. Service

Zackary Gaither is a boy who knows he is not human. He is an alien who is trying to get Earth into the Galactic Union. Zack has lived on Earth for all of his life. The other aliens planted him on Earth so he would grow up and know how the people on Earth live. When Zack got home from his friend Ken's house he found that the camp he wanted to go to was full. He was mad when he found out the he needed to go to Camp Takhamasak instead. Zack went to a carnival to cheer himself up, and at the carnival another alien agent named Agent Sorn briefed Zack on his next mission - he had to find 100 Duthwi eggs. Zack set off on an adventure, along the way meeting a number of interesting aliens and humans. Zack had to keep his identity secret while accomplishing his mission.
Camp Alien has a strong plot with lots of twists and turns. The characters range from evil aliens to best friends. I recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy and quick reads. This book is easy to pick up but hard to put down. This book is the second in the Agent Alien series, but you don't need to read the first book, "My Cousin, the Alien" in order to enjoy it.
Reviewer Age:10
Reviewer City, State and Country: Randolph, NJ United States

The Island of Mad Scientists by Howard Whitehouse

"The Island of Mad Scientists" by Howard Whitehouse is a wild book, indeed. The stories of over ten characters are intertwined when an island used for scientific research comes into play. Not far from this island, the Collector spies on the scientists and kidnaps the ones he wants to hold prisoner. In the book, he is after two young avionics. The other characters in the book are are related to the kids, friends of the kids, or merely people the kids meet on their journey. The story kicks off when a mad scientist steals a car and all those associated with him are on a most wanted list. So, the characters split up to flee to the isolated island of mad scientists. Little do they know what this island will have in store for them.

This book has the stories of characters divided in each chapter. It is rare for all the characters to actually be in the presence of the others. Also, the infamous island is not reached until well after the midway point in the novel. The plot events are hard to keep track of, and some are a bit incongruous (hence the madness). Sometimes satirical and other times just plain silly, this book is definitely unique. Due to the accents in some of the dialogue, grammar is thrown off. While this adds depth to characters, it can be detrimental to little eyes just learning sentence structure.

There is brief mention of rum, paganism, and unintelligible swearing (to make certain characters appear more silly and block-headed)

Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Staten Island, NY USA